You Wouldn't Want to Offend China Film Group Either, Would You?

"Could it be... something happened between us before?"

Shen Shanden asked in confusion.

He didn't remember having any kind of relationship with Chen Hao.

Now it was Chen Hao's turn to be caught off guard. This kid's approach was too wild, his aggressiveness a little too strong—but she reacted quickly.

"Keep pretending. Didn't Fan Bingbing join your project? You don't know about the bad blood between her and me?"

"Oh, I thought it was something serious."

Shen Shanden breathed a sigh of relief and calmly took a bite of food.

Chen Hao: "?"

"Do you know I left Orange Sky because of her?"

When Fan Bingbing's first album under Warner Music was short on funding last year, Wu Ke Bo had unconditionally sponsored her with one million yuan.

Moreover, Orange Sky had initially been the investor in Apple, the film through which Fan Bingbing first aimed for the Berlin Best Actress award.

Orange Sky had even organized the first press conference behind the scenes. Only later, for various reasons, was the investor changed to Poly Bona.

Wu Ke Bo had also invested privately in Apple, all to support Fan Bingbing.

Besides previously giving her one million yuan with no strings attached, Wu Ke Bo had promised Fan Bingbing that if she signed with Orange Sky, they would put up three million yuan to create a new album for her and guarantee her three leading roles in films every year.

Wu Ke Bo's repeated displays of "devotion" toward Fan Bingbing were something Chen Hao simply couldn't accept.

Orange Sky Entertainment had originally been established for her. She and Wu Ke Bo were, in fact, a couple.

Though both of them denied the rumors, Chen Hao's rise to fame could not have happened without Wu Ke Bo pushing her from behind the scenes.

Pink Ladies, the television drama that made Chen Hao famous, had been invested in by Wu Ke Bo. Her NEC Mobile Phone endorsement had likewise come about because Wu Ke Bo was NEC Mobile Phone's chief consultant for China, while NEC had also invested fifty million yuan into Orange Sky.

That was why Chen Hao received the treatment of the Boss's wife at Orange Sky Entertainment.

"It wasn't just Fan Bingbing, was it?"

Shen Shanden knew how to talk. "Wu Ke Bo was also rather ambiguous with Jiang Yiyan. Jiang Yiyan is getting Orange Sky's full support now, and then there are the Seven Princesses of Orange Sky."

"I don't think you have any sincerity about working together." Chen Hao said angrily.

He was stabbing straight into her heart.

She had repeatedly threatened Wu Ke Bo with breaking up, demanding that he stop chasing flowers and chasing skirts outside, but nothing changed. Having endured as much as she could, Chen Hao broke up with him two months ago.

Besides that, some of the conditions Orange Sky had promised Chen Hao back then had never been fully honored. Wu Ke Bo was not as capable as she had imagined, either. NEC Mobile Phone, which had close ties with Wu Ke Bo, withdrew from the Chinese market last year.

And the fact that his connection with the Japanese went beyond a simple business relationship also made Chen Hao uneasy.

Shen Shanden paid no mind to Chen Hao's veiled threat. "You're a capable person. By taking one step back, you advance two. Fan Bingbing will never be able to join Orange Sky again."

Chen Hao smiled. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Shen Shanden stared straight at her. "I admire girls who dare to fight. A good big sister like you is exactly the kind of girl I admire."

"There's no real conflict between you and Fan Bingbing. At the end of the day, Wu Ke Bo is just too fickle—standing in several boats at once, eating from the bowl while eyeing the pot."

Shen Shanden did his utmost to persuade her.

Commercial films had their own way of operating. A star-studded cast was a film's first impression on its audience.

If he could, Shen Shanden would have loved to invite Zhou Xun and Li Bingbing to play "Su Xiaoxiao," but that was impossible. No top actress would play supporting cast to another top actress.

Chen Hao was a better choice than Sun Li. She was more famous, and Pink Ladies had made her a true Heartthrob.

If it had been the female lead role, their positions would have needed to be reversed. But this was only the third female lead, and she would still be supporting Fan Bingbing, so Chen Hao had to give a little more.

As long as it benefited the film, Shen Shanden did not mind lowering himself a little.

Chen Hao avoided his burning gaze. "Watch how you talk."

Shen Shanden spoke bluntly. "The Grand Director is a pure commercial film, aimed squarely at the box office. My idea is to build up our own local stars. Your acting and your ability to command the screen are far beyond those of Hong Kong and Taiwan Stars, but you lack an opportunity to prove yourselves."

"For me, this is also an opportunity. Audiences don't know how good you are. If I film you well, there will be benefits for everyone."

"In stocks, it's called buying at the bottom. I'm buying at your bottom—picking up a huge bargain."

"What do you mean, buying at our bottom?" Chen Hao spat softly, then asked curiously, "How much do you think the box office can make?"

Shen Shanden remained cautious, giving a conservative estimate. "At least one hundred million."

"What?" Chen Hao nearly sprayed out a mouthful of tea.

One hundred million?

Was he kidding her?

What kind of figure was that? In China, aside from the Big Three Directors, no one could cross one hundred million. Not even Hong Kong Directors.

Shen Shanden said, "We have passion, and we have ability. Wu Jing joined for no salary at all. He's also serving as action director, assistant director, and associate producer, and he even invested his own savings. Do you think he's stupid?"

"Fan Bingbing, Chen Kun, and Huang Xiaoming all took pay cuts. Let me put it this way: the combined salaries of all three of them don't even reach one million. Are they all stupid too?"

"This project has China Film Group's full support. That isn't an exaggeration—it is genuine, wholehearted support. My line, 'A weak nation has no art,' stirred up such enormous controversy, yet I suffered no consequences. Why? Because China Film Group was holding the line for me."

"Without being modest, I'm the fierce general Director Han chose to drive the upgrading of the film industry!"

When you were out in the world, your identity was whatever you made it.

A target of one hundred million was set very low.

The Grand Director was aimed at Paperclip; in terms of release schedule, it had already won the first round.

Its stars' standing, while not the kind of "box-office pull" recognized by the media, was no longer a weakness.

Add to that the story itself, along with the groundbreaking Realmification of martial arts and Martial Arts Objectification.

The Grand Director project was winning so hard it had gone numb.

One hundred million was an extremely conservative estimate.

"This circle is too complicated. I'm already considering leaving the industry."

Chen Hao was somewhat tempted. This project really was good, and since she had fallen out with Wu Ke Bo, she had to consider her path going forward.

Yet she still had her concerns, a trace of weariness showing on her face. "And if I join the cast, my billing should at least be on par with Fan Bingbing's. I don't want to be a head shorter than her."

Shen Shanden understood completely. "Leave that to me. You'll be a lead star too. This time, we're standing up for mainland actors. Whether it's Wu Jing or Chen Kun, Huang Xiaoming or Fan Bingbing, everyone is moving toward that goal."

"You really know how to talk."

Chen Hao felt that he really was a sunny young man—confident, capable, and an up-and-coming director.

So much better than Wu Ke Bo.

Meeting Chen Hao's gaze, Shen Shanden's heart tightened.

But for the sake of the film, he had no choice but to play along and give Chen Hao a little taste of sweetness.

The twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month.

The production went on break, and Shen Shanden went home for the New Year.

This year's most famous Spring Festival Gala act was Planning—the one with the fighting rooster among roosters.

Shen Shanden made New Year greeting calls and received plenty as well. He was doing far better than in his previous life.

He also texted Fan Bingbing.

Fan Bingbing was in Germany, attending the closing ceremony of the Berlin Film Festival.

Early in the morning on the second day of the New Year.

It was eleven at night in Berlin and six in the morning back home when Shen Shanden received Fan Bingbing's international call.

He had played cards until midnight the day before and had barely slept for a few hours, but he was still polite, instinctively wishing her a happy New Year.

"I'm not happy at all. I thought we were friends."

Fan Bingbing had been holding in a bellyful of anger.

"Why has news been released that Chen Hao is joining The Grand Director? Is it true? I'm at the hardest point in my life right now, and my friend is stabbing me in the back."

When Chen Hao kicked up a fuss, it completely destroyed the possibility of Fan Bingbing joining Chengtian, while further damaging her already controversial image. Fan Bingbing hated her to the bone.

Getting called to account first thing in the morning made Shen Shanden angry too. Even if he had not thought things through well enough, was Fan Bingbing entirely without fault?

"What do you mean by that? Are you quitting the project?"

"Then you'd better think it through. We signed a contract, and The Grand Director is a key project of China Film Group. It's followed by a massive production costing over one hundred million. I originally thought you were quite suited to be the female lead."

"I'm also a director personally selected by Director Han. This project is a major pilot undertaking that President Han has placed great hopes on."

"Do you want to be the one who ruins this excellent situation? You don't want to offend China Film Group either, do you?"

Fan Bingbing was so furious she could not speak.

Before signing the contract, Shen Shanden had been so nice to her that she had even thought they were kindred spirits, that they could work together often in the future. Now he had changed his face, wounding even her pride.

She was already at a low point in her career, and now it was the Spring Festival in a foreign land. The dams of both reason and emotion collapsed at once, and Fan Bingbing burst into tears.

"Wah, wah, wah... What kind of man are you?"

Crying, she hung up.

Shen Shanden also felt that something was a little off. He checked the Sohu portal news: Apple had come away empty-handed, while Tuya's Marriage had won the Golden Bear.

"Mom, Dad, I'm heading back early."

Leaving home on the second day of the New Year broke his parents' hearts.

In the middle of the night, there were not many people in the airport arrivals hall.

Fan Bingbing and her assistant, Apple's lead actor Tong Dawei, director Li Yu, and the Bona Film Group distribution representative returned from Berlin looking exhausted.

Between the flight and the connections, they had spent nearly over twenty hours traveling.

Fan Bingbing was in even worse shape. She had caught a slight cold and wore sunglasses.

"Director Li." Shen Shanden greeted the others first.

"Director Shen, what are you doing here?" The Bona Film Group distribution manager knew Shen Shanden and asked curiously.

Shen Shanden said, "I came to discuss the film with Sister Bingbing."

"I'm not your sister." When Fan Bingbing saw Shen Shanden, surprise first flashed across her face before she stiffened it. "What a coincidence. Where are you flying off to during the New Year?"

Li Yu and Tong Dawei were exhausted and had no mood to deal with the pair, so after a brief farewell, they followed Bona Film Group's car and left.

Shen Shanden took Fan Bingbing and the others to the nearest hotel, then ordered a late-night meal.

"Eat something, get some sleep, and fix your jet lag."

"I heard the crew all call you Little Stingy. Are you really that cheap? That car just now wasn't rented, was it?" Fan Bingbing lounged comfortably on the sofa, eating noodles as she casually teased him.

Shen Shanden's expression stiffened.

Fan Bingbing laughed. "No way, it really was rented? Was that necessary? You really are stingy!"

Shen Shanden said nothing, merely holding up two fingers.

Fan Bingbing immediately went soft, her legs turning weak too. "My head hurts."

Tomorrow, I'll speed up the plot—so fast it'll be unbelievable.

Two chapters, six thousand words. Please toss in some monthly votes; if you don't use them by the end of the month, they'll go to waste anyway.

Another bit of good news: follow-up readership has reached two thousand, back to where it was before the rewrite. It wasn't easy. I'm damn amazing, haha.

Even more thanks to all the readers who have stuck with me through thick and thin. Thank you, everyone!

My editor just asked whether I wanted to launch the paid release tomorrow, on the first. It's a bit sudden. Strictly speaking, I've already written over two hundred thousand words, but after the rewrite it looks like less. Still, I agreed. I'll post a launch note later to talk about my thoughts.