Chapter 42
With the hit drama "Home and Country", all the main actors had become famous. They were talented but lacked fame, typical of those whose dramas were popular but the actors themselves weren't. Now, not only had the drama become a hit, but they have also taken a step further, possessing both talent and fame, and have all entered the ranks of first-tier movie stars.
Yang Mengmeng, who played the younger version of the female lead, also attracted a large number of mother fans. Not long after the TV series started airing, she took on a children's clothing advertisement and a chocolate advertisement.
The least impactful performance was by Han Yue, who played the Imperial Concubine. While the role wasn't entirely unremarkable, it was slightly less impressive compared to the Empress. Had she been a better actress, she might have been able to bring out her own unique style, but her acting lacked originality and was merely similar to her previous work, showing no improvement.
Ironically, her fans praised her to the skies, even comparing her to Liu Hanyue's portrayal of the Empress. After all, in this drama, the Empress was more popular than the Consort. Indeed, Liu Hanyue's Empress performance was outstanding, holding her own even alongside the lead actress. Had she had more screen time, she might have been even more popular.
However, Liu Hanyue was not discouraged. She was so happy to have achieved this in her first acting role that she would wake up laughing at night. She had no regrets about having too few scenes.
While Liu Hanyue was not discouraged, Han Yue was fuming. She did not expect that almost all the actors in the cast became popular, but she was the only one who did not make a splash. The production of this drama was a waste. To make matters worse, she broke up with Chen Ze. Her contract had not yet expired. Given her position, even if she terminated her contract with Wanhua Entertainment, she was unwilling to go out and work for others again. She would rather open her own studio.
If she had wanted to open her own studio before, Chen Ze might have helped her. But now he probably hoped she could make more money for the company, as evidenced by her recent resources.
Although there were more resources, their quality was not as good as before.
In the past, the script that reached her hand was a good one and she was always spoiled for choice.
Now flipping through all the scripts in her hand, but she couldn't find a single one that she liked.
She knew that Chen Ze had withdrawn his care for her and was now making her earn money for the company like an ordinary artist.
This man was really heartless. Just wait, when the contract expires, she'll terminate it and open her own studio. No one would help her, so she'll help herself. She didn't believe she couldn't make it without this man.
Over the weekend, Chen Ze and Director Lu couple brought several large lobsters to visit the Gu family and discuss their upcoming projects.
Luo Zhengzheng handed the lobster to Nanny Wang and then went to serve fruit to the guests.
Chen Ze truly hadn't expected the drama Luo Zhengzheng invested in to become such a hit. Seeing Luo Zhengzheng go to the kitchen, he picked up little Chengjia and hugged him, kissing him with his stubble-covered face. Little Chengjia pushed him away with a look of disgust, touching his beard: "Uncle, why are you growing hair on your face? Are you Sun Wukong?" In his memory, his dad's face was always clean. Even his uncles and grandfather didn't have hair on their faces.
Gu Shi lowered his head and laughed.
Chen Ze pinched his cheek: "This is a symbol of manhood, what's Sun Wukong?"
Director Lu looked at Chen Ze with a look of disgust: "You look even more unkempt than me. No wonder the kid thinks you're Sun Wukong with your scraggly beard."
Chen Ze said, "I don't have a girlfriend, why should I be strict?"
Little Chengjia lost interest in him after hearing his words. Since he wasn't Sun Wukong, he wouldn't let him kiss him. He patted his arm and said, "Uncle, I want to go down."
Chen Ze had no choice but to put him down.
Little Chengjia glanced at him and kept her distance, as if afraid he would hug him again.
Chen Ze laughed and said, "You little rascal, I only hugged you because I like you."
Little Chengjia glanced at the beard on his face and thought, "Could he not like him? He's all dirty and still want to kiss his face."
Chen Ze noticed the disgust on his face, touched his beard, and nodded: "Alright, alright, so that our godson won't find it disgusting, I'll shave when I get home tonight."
After saying that, he stopped teasing little Chengjia, looked at Gu Shi, clicked his tongue, and said, "Don't you think your Luo Zhengzheng is too lucky? It's been many years since I've seen a drama become this popular."
Gu Shi looked up at him, poured a cup of tea for Director Lu and him respectively, and slowly said, "I don't think it's luck. It's what she deserves after her hard work, and it's also what the main creators of this drama deserve."
Director Lu glared at Chen Ze before smiling and taking the teacup Gu Shi handed him. He took a sip before looking at Chen Ze and saying without any mercy, "Only those who don't work hard and are irresponsible would blame everything on luck. Both are bosses and both are investing in movies and TV series, but you're far inferior to Mrs. Luo. You're like a lunatic all day long, always being paranoid."
Director Lu's wife, Chen Chen, tugged at his arm, signaling him to tone it down, as he kept blurting out whatever came to mind and seemingly unafraid of offending anyone.
Director Lu glanced at his wife and said nonchalantly, "It's alright, he's thick-skinned."
Chen Chen glanced at him helplessly and said nothing.
Chen Ze smiled and turned to Chen Chen: "Elder Sister-in-law, it's really nothing. I'm really thick-skinned. Everyone in the industry knows what kind of temper your Director Lu has. If I argued with him every day, I'd be driven crazy!"
Director Lu looked at Chen Chen and said, "Look, he said the same thing. If a director doesn't have a temper, how could he control those actors and stars? They'll be completely dominated by them. If they let them have their way, what good films could they make? They'll just be making easy rotten money."
Chen Ze smiled and agreed: "Old Lu is quite authoritative in this regard. We invest in films to make money. It's not easy to find a director who works well with us. He only has a temper, but it's not a matter of principle. We can tolerate it."
Luo Zhengzheng brought over some fruit and invited Chen Chen to eat: "Elder Sister Chen, have some fruit."
Chen Chen took a piece of apple and ate it. After finishing the apple, she looked helplessly at Luo Zhengzheng and said, "My husband is usually fine, but when it comes to his acting, he gets more temperamental than anyone else."
Luo Zhengzheng sat down next to her, poured her another glass of freshly squeezed grape juice, and said with a smile, "Men are all like this. When they're working, they don't care about anyone else. They only have work on their minds."
Upon hearing Luo Zhengzheng's words, Gu Shi raised an eyebrow and glanced at her with a half-smile.
Luo Zhengzheng noticed his gaze, glared at him, and signalled to him to stop looking around. They were entertaining guests.
Gu Shi obediently withdrew his gaze.
Chen Chen took the grape juice and asked her, "Is yours the same?"
Luo Zhengzheng nodded firmly: "Same."
Gu Shi glanced at her again, and Luo Zhengzheng winked at him, indicating sthat he was entertaining guests and signaling him not to cause trouble.
Gu Shi obediently withdrew his gaze again.
Chen Chen noticed their actions and smiled slightly. While drinking her juice, she complained to her, "You don't know, when old Lu was making his first movie, he couldn't find anyone to act in it, and he couldn't find anyone to invest either. So he invested himself. Parents-in-law sold the house they bought for him in his hometown county, he borrowed some money from his classmates, and he also borrowed a lot from my family. Even so, he still didn't have enough money. Fortunately, he met President Chen at that time, who invested in him, and that's how the movie was made."
She paused for a moment and continued, "At the time, many people were not optimistic about him. He had gone all in, putting all the family's money into it. If the movie flopped, our family would be finished. Fortunately, the movie did well at the box office, and we made a little money. When he took the money, he cried like a fool. After he finished crying, he took the bank card and bought a house in the capital, saying that he couldn't let me stay with him without even a place to stay."
Luo Zhengzheng had heard people say in her past life that when Director Lu started making movies, he even sold the house his parents had bought for his wedding. She thought it was just a rumor circulating online, but she didn't expect it to be true. She cheerfully responded, "Only someone like Director Lu, who truly loves movies, can make so many good films."
Seeing her sincerity, Chen Chen knew she was telling the truth and smiled, saying, "He's just lucky to have met President Chen and investors like you who are willing to indulge him. If it were some bosses with bigger tempers, do you think they would have let him have his way?"
Luo Zhengzheng glanced at her: "Luck is also a part of ability."
Hearing her words, Chen Ze glanced at Gu Shi and said to Luo Zhengzheng, "I just said that this TV series is a hit, and you're lucky. Your Gu Shi doesn't even agree."
Luo Zhengzheng looked at him and said, "If we say that the success of this drama is due to luck, how unfair is that to the main creators? It's also unfair to Director Lu."
Sitting at the side, Gu Shi watched them with a smile.
Director Lu rolled his eyes at Chen Ze. This guy was just being stubborn. Was it so hard to admit that they were all very strong? He was just jealous. He was jealous that the show was a hit, but he didn't invest in it.
Chen Ze waved his hand: "Alright, alright, let's not talk about that for now. You've filmed a few dramas already, shouldn't you start preparing?"
Luo Zhengzheng looked at him: "What are you talking about? Prepare what?"
Chen Ze looked at Gu Shi and Luo Zhengzheng and said, "We can't keep making films under my company's name, can we? I don't care, as long as you pay your taxes and salaries, it won't affect Wanhua Entertainment. Anyway, the TV series is a hit, which brings a lot of benefits to the actors of Wanhua Entertainment. But if you want to continue investing in films, I suggest you build a studio or open an entertainment company."
Gu Shi looked at Luo Zhengzheng: "What do you think?"
Luo Zhengzheng leaned back on the sofa and said shamelessly, "Since Wanhua Entertainment doesn't mind me using your company's name to make films, why do I still need to open my own studio or company? Wouldn't it be less stressful to just use your company's name and staff all the time?"
Chen Ze stared at Gu Shi: "Did you teach her?" Her shamelessness was unbelievable. Of course she had a teacher.
Gu Shixue copied Luo Zhengzheng and leaned back on the sofa, looking proud: "Did it need to be taught?"
At the side, Director Lu sipped tea and chatted with his wife, seemingly unconcerned about what was going on.
Chen Ze looked at Luo Zhengzheng: "Seriously, what are your plans?"
Luo Zhengzheng thought for a moment and said, "Let's register a company." Then, she jokingly added, "Wouldn't that make us rivals?"
F!
Chen Ze sat up straight: "I didn't even think of that. How about you invest some money in our company and get some shares? Fourth Gu, what do you think?"
Gu Shi looked at Luo Zhengzheng: "Depends on what she wants."
Without hesitation, Luo Zhengzheng replied, "No way. I'm rather independent. If it's just about investing, I could partner with you to start a company. I just want to do things I enjoy and don't like arguing with too many people."
Wanhua Entertainment had more than just Chen Ze as a shareholder. There were also some smaller shareholders. Why should she get involved?
Chen Ze turned to Gu Shi and beckoned him to persuade his wife.
Gu Shi ignored him and looked at Luo Zhengzheng, giving her advice: "A building had just been built next to Ye Group. The property rights of that building are in my possession. You can use it to register a company."
Director Lu and Chen Chen, who were listening nearby, couldn't help but click their tongues in amazement. This was what a wealthy family was like. They could just throw out a whole building like that.
Chen Ze nearly choked on his tea and looked at Gu Shi, saying, "That building isn't very tall, maybe eight stories? You just gave it just like that?"
Gu Shi took Luo Zhengzheng's hand: "It's just a transfer from one hand to the other, not to an outsider."
Okay, Chen Ze thought, you're right.
Luo Zhengzheng looked at him: "It's just about registering a company. There's no need for so many offices."
All eight floors for her to set up a company? Even Wanhua Entertainment wasn't that big.
Gu Shi said, "You can choose any number of floors you like."
Luo Zhengzheng thought about it and felt there was no need to refuse. Since there was an office available, it saved her the trouble of finding one herself.