Blood Boiling

After seeing Wu Jing off to the hotel, since he insisted on not staying overnight.

When they got home, Da Mimi looked at Shen Shanden with a hint of disdain in her eyes.

Shen Shanden cracked. "I did try to talk him out of it. I'll try again tomorrow. I'm pretty good at persuading people, but that's all strategy."

"I still have principles."

Shen Shanden was helpless.

How had he managed to step on his own foot and prop himself up too?

Was he trying to fly to the heavens?

He had only wanted to break into the industry!

He had come to the entertainment business for easy mode.

Make some normal films, and they would definitely sell like crazy.

But the industry was more complicated than he had imagined.

Even the school he had attended was complicated.

Back in the early days, it had close ties with Japan—so close they were practically inseparable.

If one counted it, the fact that Japanese officers in Japanese-related subjects were often portrayed as refined and scholarly could also be traced back to that line of influence.

It was not just Japan. There were also all kinds of Western forces. For example, Marco Muller, the current Art Director of the Venice Film Festival, had been active at the Beijing Film Academy for many years.

In later years, this was no secret.

In fields like journalism and media, several of the top schools always had their share of foreigners.

It really was a business with enormous returns for little investment.

Support one authority, and an entire department was basically wiped out.

Tian Lili, the current head of the directing department, was one of Marco Muller's favorite Fifth Generation directors.

At first, Shen Shanden had thought directors lacked culture and academic credentials, while he was a latecomer, so he had already succeeded halfway.

The second half was right. Being a latecomer really did mean he had succeeded halfway, but it had nothing to do with academic credentials.

Film directing programs at arts academies did not have low admission scores, and the Beijing Film Academy was even more so. Animation, meanwhile, actually required both arts and science.

The further things went, the higher the directing department's admission scores would become.

The credentials were fine, but they did not produce talent.

It was like the communications and journalism programs at several famous universities. They were flagship majors, and their entry scores were not low either.

The more he thought about it, the more terrifying it became.

Shen Shanden did not want to think too deeply about it.

He only knew that this was more frightening than having no education.

After studying the overseas awards route and combining it with information from the future, Shen Shanden reached a conclusion that was unexpected yet perfectly reasonable.

Maybe films would decline in the future not because people lacked degrees or culture, but because they lacked common sense.

In short, this circle ran deep.

That was why Shen Shanden worked hard to move into the spotlight, toward places where the rules were clear.

At a time when domestic films still faced a crisis of life and death, Han Sanping could not possibly be a wolf if he held that position.

It was good to shelter beneath a great tree.

Still, as Shen Shanden kept spinning grand visions, it seemed he had gradually drawn himself into them as well.

Before going to bed.

Seeing that Shen Shanden seemed preoccupied, Da Mimi ultimately felt sorry for her man and comforted him. "Wu Jing believes in the project. It's a good thing that he supports you."

Shen Shanden was not someone without common sense. "That one million is probably most of his savings, and every bit of it was earned through injuries."

Nor was he the sort of person who used someone else's money to make his own thing, ruined them in the process, and remained oblivious—or even smug about it.

"This film will succeed!"

Shen Shanden's gaze was resolute!

"I won't fail. I will succeed!"

The yellow robe had been draped over him. He could only grit his teeth and keep going.

Sometimes, as the team grew, what one represented was no longer merely one's own interests.

By now, The Grand Director was no longer just his project. It was also the hard work of countless others.

Da Mimi looked at Shen Shanden, whose fighting spirit had reignited, and her eyes could not help lighting up. This was her man!

Shen Shanden stared directly at her as well. "Mimi, my blood is already boiling."

Da Mimi lowered her head and grumbled, "I can see that."

The next day.

Shen Shanden planned to give Wu Jing a cooling-off period and pretend yesterday's events had never happened.

Unexpectedly, Wu Jing took the initiative to ask, "Director Shen, about what we agreed on yesterday."

Shen Shanden still tried to persuade him. "Brother Jing, no one can predict how a film will do. What if it loses money? I'm already deeply moved that you feel this way."

Wu Jing was unhappy. "Director Shen, are you looking down on me? I have my own judgment. I really believe in our project. If you respect me, then give me a chance. Otherwise, pretend I never said anything."

After surviving in this industry for so long, Wu Jing could still tell who was seriously doing work and who was not.

With things having reached this point, Shen Shanden truly could not refuse. Otherwise, they would not even be able to remain friends. He reluctantly said, "All right."

Wu Jing immediately said, "Thanks."

Shen Shanden said, "."

With Wu Jing joining, the situation opened up across the board.

They could begin assembling the martial arts direction team, scouting locations, and building the Costume, Makeup, and Props team.

Shen Shanden stipulated, "We don't need the kind with a pile of honors. We need to be especially cautious with Hong Kong Island. They need to be capable, but also easy to work with. At the very least, they need to do the job once they take the money."

After Wu Jing got busy.

Shen Shanden took the newly revamped project to China Film Group.

Film investment management in 2007 was very rough.

A common arrangement was for several investors to pool their money and attach themselves to a company with filming qualifications. Once production was complete, they would part ways, while the copyright usually went to the producer with the largest investment share.

Previously, Shen Shanden and China Film Group had tacitly adopted the attachment model. Shen Shanden, as the project initiator, attached himself to China Film Group, which held a Filming Permit.

Now, Shen Shanden wanted China Film Group to join as a purely financial investor.

He would organize the project and apply to the Film Bureau for a Filming Permit (Single Film) under the name of his personal company, Shenden Culture.

Once approved, Shenden Culture would be qualified to serve as the film's independent producer, handling registration, filming, review submission, and distribution as the lead producer.

The 2007 policy was very clear: only state-owned or private institutions holding a Filming Permit could produce films.

There were fewer than two hundred private companies nationwide with permits. Major companies such as Huayi Brothers and New Pictures naturally had them, but newly established small companies found them very difficult to obtain.

However, the policy allowed "single-film applications."

This was a flexible solution for institutions that lacked a Filming Permit but possessed the capacity to invest in and produce films.

When Han Sanping's secretary, Liao Yun, learned why Shen Shanden had come, he froze for a moment.

Then he became a little angry.

As the "big brother" of Chinese Cinema, China Film Group had grown accustomed to taking the lead.

"You're saying your side will initiate the project registration, and you want to renegotiate with China Film Group?"

Shen Shanden said, "Secretary Liao, here's the situation. Wu Jing also invested one million in this project. I have to be responsible for his money."

"What? Wu Jing? That Wu Jing? Isn't he developing his career on Hong Kong Island?" Liao Yun did not immediately process it.

Shen Shanden explained, "The Wu Jing from The Grandmaster of Tai Chi, the national martial arts champion. He's joined us as associate producer, assistant director, and martial arts director. I've also given him the second male lead."

"He believes in this project. He's taking on multiple roles without pay and has invested another one million himself. The Grand Director is no longer just about my own interests, so we need to make things clear."

Liao Yun was dumbfounded!

It was unbelievable!

Absolutely shocking!

Not only did Wu Jing not want money, he was putting up his own money.

First his own boss, then Wu Jing—was Shen Shanden Monk Tang? How could he be so charismatic?

What in the world was happening?

Was this still the world he knew?