Plans and Gifts

August arrived, and Buried Alive ended its theatrical run after 29 days, with a final box office of 35.82 million yuan, falling short of 40 million.

The main reason was that House of Flying Daggers, released on July 16, had taken up too many screenings. It was another big-budget period epic from Old Mouzi after Hero.

Zeng Li and Wei Jin had gone to see it at the cinema the day after its release. How to put it? The visuals were beautiful, but the story was a mess.

In fact, after the film's release, its online reception was in tatters. Its three-day box office was 33 million yuan, surpassing Hero's 31.9 million.

But a little thought revealed that Hero had been released two years earlier, when there were 30% fewer screens than now. It could be said that this film fell far short of Hero.

As of August 2, it had raked in 150 million yuan at the domestic box office in 18 days. For a time, Zhang Weiping was loudly declaring that it would break Hero's record and set a new high for Chinese-language cinema.

While House of Flying Daggers was enjoying its theatrical run, a major incident shook the entire entertainment industry.

A shocking assault took place on the set of The Amazing Twins.

The two Hong Kong actors Zhang and Xie seriously injured the mainland actor Wang Bozhao while filming.

Once word got out, it instantly ignited tensions that had long been building between the two sides, causing a public uproar.

Speaking of which, Hong Kong cinema had gradually declined from its glory days since the 1990s, as its former box office strongholds in Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong itself had fallen to Hollywood one after another.

With that, Hong Kong filmmakers had headed north to rake in gold and make a living.

Originally, the Hong Kong entertainment industry's move north had been a good thing. It promoted cultural exchange between the two sides and stimulated the mainland entertainment industry. You made money, and I made money too—it was a win-win.

But whether actors, directors, or even ordinary crew members, Hong Kong people who came to work on the mainland all considered themselves a cut above.

Mainland and Hong Kong actors were also treated worlds apart on set. There were enormous differences in everything from lounges and dressing rooms to the little folding stools on set and boxed meals.

As for their pay, that went without saying.

The key was that mainland film and television companies had not taken it seriously either, because in that era, Hong Kong crews were generally considered more professional than mainland ones.

To put it bluntly, after 30 years of glory, the halo around Hong Kong people had yet to fade. The rose-colored filter was too strong.

But this incident was different. Its nature was far too egregious!

In the end, 38 highly respected senior figures in the industry spoke out together, and the media denounced the perpetrators in print and speech.

Under pressure, Zhang and Xie had no choice but to apologize publicly.

After that, however, Zhang's career on the mainland became rocky, while Xie's image was also damaged, and he shifted his focus to films.

The uproar in the outside world had not affected Wei Jin. He had begun looking for talent in mid-July.

As for film and television talent, once the school term began, Wei Jin would recruit fourth-year students in force to intern on set. After graduation, they could sign directly with his studio.

He had already discussed it by phone with the school's leadership, who were strongly supportive. After all, in those days, so many directing and cinematography graduates could not even put food on the table.

Today, Wei Jin was going to meet an investment professional recommended by a headhunting company. His name was Xiang Wenlong. Born in 1971, he had graduated from the Central University of Finance and Economics and worked his way up from an entry-level bank position to head of the investment department. After failing to win a promotion to manager, he had decided to try a change of environment.

The two had arranged to meet at a café. Wei Jin arrived ten minutes early, but the other man was already there.

After exchanging pleasantries, they sat down, and Wei Jin took a closer look at the man before him. He was nearly 1.8 meters tall, with a crew cut and gold-rimmed glasses. His eyes were bright and piercing, and he wore a well-fitting suit, giving off the air of a business elite.

After ordering a coffee, Wei Jin got down to business and brought up the cultural and entertainment industry.

"Mr. Xiang, I see that your previous investments were mostly in the real economy. What do you think of the cultural and entertainment industry?"

Xiang Wenlong had also prepared for this before coming. He paused briefly, then said:

"In the broad sense, the cultural and entertainment industry is divided into culture and entertainment. Those two can be further broken down into film, television, games, books, audio products, cultural tourism, and so on..."

"As the domestic economy continues to develop and per capita income rises, the ways people entertain themselves keep changing. People used to read Jin Yong's novels and play marbles; now they watch television and play computer games. Their spending levels and attitudes toward consumption are completely different. As the times move forward, I believe the cultural and entertainment industry has great prospects for development."

Xiang Wenlong spoke at length about his views on the industry. It was clear that he, too, had confidence in it.

In truth, Wei Jin was not looking to recruit some investment genius. He already knew what areas he wanted to invest in.

For the time being, he needed someone to carry out his plans more than anything.

Wei Jin also began explaining his own understanding. As an industry insider, however, he focused more on the data and approached the subject from the perspective of industry trends.

"The cultural and entertainment industry deals in intangibles, mostly on a spiritual level. Once people's material needs are met, their demand for a fulfilling spiritual life will grow, and the cultural and entertainment industry will inevitably enter a period of rapid development."

Both men were very satisfied with their first conversation. Both had genuine insight, and their views on the industry's development were largely aligned, so they had few concerns about working together.

After a brief discussion of compensation, Xiang Wenlong officially became Wei Jin's employee.

Wei Jin established a separate investment company called Qingtian Capital, with a registered capital of 50 million yuan. He even rented an entire floor of a commercial office building for it.

Two days later, Xiang Wenlong and his team officially started work.

After they started, Wei Jin issued three instructions in quick succession.

First, they were to identify promising domestic literature websites and invest in them. Wei Jin said that adaptations of bestselling novels for film and television would become increasingly mature in the future. Getting a head start would give them more room to maneuver in future project development.

Second, they were to investigate the domestic gaming industry and seek out talent in related fields.

Third, they were to investigate the distribution of domestic cinema chains, the market shares of the major chains, and gaps in the market in major first-tier cities.

The entire investment company became a hive of activity, while Wei Jin stepped away to prepare his new film.

August 22 soon arrived. It was Qixi on the lunar calendar, and Wei Jin's twenty-first birthday.

That day, Zeng Li carefully decorated their home and personally cooked a lavish dinner for Wei Jin.

After all their time together, the two had begun to feel like family.

After dinner, Zeng Li brought out the gift she had prepared: a Cartier watch that had cost tens of thousands of yuan.

Wei Jin knew that Zeng Li had not saved much in the years since her graduation. She usually refused his spending money too, always saying her expenses were low and her previous acting fees were enough. The cosmetics she used were still the ones Wei Jin had brought back from Berlin last time.

Looking at the first woman he had been with since transmigrating, Wei Jin was somewhat moved. At first, it might have been mostly lust at first sight, a craving for her body, but after all their time together, he had fallen for her without realizing it.

"Sister Li, I prepared a gift for you too."

With that, he brought out the script he had prepared.

"It's not my birthday. Why did you prepare a gift for me?"

A little curious, Zeng Li took the script and saw that the cover read World's Finest.

"Did you forget? A year ago today, you gave yourself to me. That was the best gift I ever received, so naturally I have to give you one in return today. Take a look and see if you like it."

Zeng Li picked up the script and flipped through it. After a while, she said:

"Am I playing Shangguan Haitang?"

"Of course. Who else but you, Sister Li, could play someone so skilled in martial arts, so dashing and beautiful?"

Wei Jin was fully convinced that Zeng Li could shoot to stardom with this role. He had invested at a premium back then precisely to secure it.

Hearing the man's words, Zeng Li was deeply moved. This man was fulfilling his promise, step by step.

That night, Zeng Li put on the black cutout silk micro-mini nightdress Wei Jin had been longing to see, along with a pair of sexy black stockings, transforming into a queen of dark seduction. Wei Jin cried, "Sister, you're killing me!"