Chapter 18
Currently, Chen Hui was mainly in charge of the "I Am a Robot" project. Accompanying Luo Zhengzheng to the auditions was also part of her job.
The morning's auditions ended quickly. Only three people were selected. Luo Zhengzheng sat in the audition room all morning. Chen Hui hadn't expected her to be able to sit still.
Chen Hui asked her, "What are your thoughts after watching all morning?"
Luo Zhengzheng smiled and said, "Nothing is easy."
Director Lu looked at Luo Zhengzheng, remembering she was an investor, and couldn't help but say, "Ms. Luo, do you also think making a movie is difficult? Casting takes so many days?"
Luo Zhengzheng replied with a slight smile, "I think Director Lu is remarkable. There are very few directors in the industry who insist on pursuing film quality like Director Lu. Being slow is fine. As long as a quality film is made, it's worth it."
Even Director Lu likes to be praised. Ms. Luo's words meant she agreed with him and he felt he had found a kindred spirit. He was momentarily excited and couldn't help but chatter on, "You think so too? Look at some directors in the industry, they'll take anyone to get investment. Some have no acting skills at all and can't even deliver their lines properly. What are they supposed to act in? Will anyone buy the movie they are in? In the end, they're just ruining their own reputation."
"Of course, a director without investment will find it difficult to get a film project, but you can't just film any kind of trash just for the sake of filming, right? I think you're a pretty good investor. You're interested in our project, but you don't try to squeeze people into it. Your goal is to make money, so aren't you clear on how to make money? Whatever girlfriends, nieces—you think you can get a role just because you invested in me? I put up with you when I was unknown, but do you expect me to put up with you now? Have I been working for nothing? Each and every one of them are all incredibly stupid. "
Chen Hui coughed repeatedly, unable to resist reminding Director Lu that he was saying a bit too much.
Director Lu glared at her: "If your throat was sore, take a watermelon frost tablet. Why keep coughing like that?"
He rarely encountered an investor who understood him, so he had to recommend himself. In the future, if he ran out of funds for filming, this was his "wallet."
Luo Zhengzheng suppressed a laugh.
Chen Hui simply lowered her head, deciding not to pay him any more attention, but in her heart, she grumbled that Director Lu was shameless. He must have seen that Luo Zhengzheng was eager to invest in good films, so he was just gushing about himself. He had promoted himself, but he didn't know Luo Zhengzheng's status. With President Gu present, even if he eloquently explained it, if President Gu didn't like a project, he wouldn't invest. She was kindly reminding him, and he didn't appreciate it.
Director Lu didn't care about Luo Zhengzheng's identity. In his eyes, only movies mattered, and besides movies, there were only investors. Making a movie required either self-funding or finding investors. He didn't have much money himself, so naturally he needed others to invest. He didn't care who the "wallet" was, whether it was male or female, as long as they could come up with the money.
He continued, "No matter what you ruin, you can't ruin your own brand. I don't know why there are so many idiots in the world who don't understand this principle. If this sci-fi film is a box office hit, it will prove my ability and I will represent high box office returns. At that time, it won't be me searching the world for investors. people will be begging me to invest. Of course, I'm more accepting of investors like you. As for those ridiculously stupid investors, forget it."
Chen Hui looked up at the ceiling, unable to bear it. It was too shameless, truly shameless. Even though she was very confident in the film, she wouldn't dare to praise it like that before it was even finished.
But Luo Zhengzheng continued, "The film industry needs directors like you. If there are more directors like you, we wouldn't be starving and forced to watch foreign films."
Director Lu felt he had found a kindred spirit again and reached out to put his arm around her shoulder. But as soon as he did and looking at Luo Zhengzheng's young face, he realized she was a woman and he couldn't just casually put his arm around her. He awkwardly withdrew his hand.
Chen Hui stared at him intently. Seeing him withdraw his arm, she looked away. Did this old man really think just anyone could be his buddy?
Seeing her glare, Director Lu chuckled and said to Luo Zhengzheng, "I can't guarantee anything else, but if you want to invest in my film, I definitely won't be perfunctory." He believed that investors like Luo Zhengzheng, who only wanted to make money, were usually worried that producers, directors, and screenwriters wouldn't take the film seriously and cause them to lose money.
Luo Zhengzheng nodded, "I don't know much about film and television production, so I wanted to learn and gain some experience. That way, when I invest in film and television production in the future, I'll have a better eye, right?"
Director Lu wasn't afraid of her coming to learn. He believed there was no more dedicated director in the industry than him. He said, "You can come to learn anytime and visit the set anytime."
Luo Zhengzheng grinned, "Okay."
Director Lu became more and more excited as he spoke and was about to say something more when Chen Ze walked in, glanced around, and asked, "What are you talking about? All so excited?"
Director Lu glanced at him, feeling he was being interrupted, "Mr. Chen doesn't seem very busy?"
Chen Ze was certainly busy, but even the busiest person needs to eat lunch, especially with Luo Zhengzheng here. What if Gu Shi found out he was letting his wife go hungry and stopped investing in him? He looked at his watch, "It's almost noon, shouldn't we eat?"
Director Lu wanted to say he wasn't hungry, but glancing at the woman, he said, "Okay, let's eat. We'll talk after we eat." The last sentence was directed at Luo Zhengzheng.
Luo Zhengzheng smiled and nodded.
Chen Ze glanced at the two people and smiled, "What are you two talking about?"
Of course, Director Lu wouldn't tell Chen Ze the truth, only saying, "Telling Ms Luo about our movie."
Chen Ze glared at him, saying, "What Ms Luo? You should call her Madam. She's the wife of the president of Ye's Group, not some unmarried young girl."
Luo Zhengzheng was his brother's wife. Even the female stars in the company weren't as beautiful as her, and she didn't look like she was married with children. What if some clueless guy took a liking to her and harassed her? Everyone had to know that Luo Zhengzheng was a married woman with children, so those with ulterior motives would have to give up.
Director Lu gave an "Oh," not seeming to care, and said perfunctorily, "I know."
Chen Ze rolled his eyes, internally remarking, "Can this guy think of anything other than movies?"
Director Lu turned to Luo Zhengzheng and smiled, "Madam Luo, let's talk after dinner."
Chen Ze: ......
Fine, Madam Luo it was. After all, it was pointless to talk to someone whose mind was only about movies. Chen Ze looked at Luo Zhengzheng: "Elder Sister-in-law, our company has a cafeteria. Shall we eat there, or at a restaurant outside?"
Luo Zhengzheng pulled Chen Hui along and said, "Let's eat at the company cafeteria."
The group went to the company cafeteria.
The cafeteria was a buffet style, with many kinds of dishes every day and one could take whatever they liked. There was no distinction between management and ordinary employees.
Luo Zhengzheng seemed quite pleased with Chen Hui's explanation.
Chen Ze found a less crowded spot and pointed to a table: "Elder Sister Hui, you sit with elder sister-in-law first. Director Lu and I will get you some food. What would elder sister-in-law like to eat?"
Luo Zhengzheng smilingly replied, "I'll go myself."
Chen Ze said, "It's alright, I'll take a little of everything. Eat whatever you like."
After saying that, he pulled Director Lu away.
Holding his tray, Chen Ze glanced at Director Lu and handed him his phone: "Take a few pictures of me getting the food. I need them."
Director Lu thought he was being silly. It was just having a meal and he still made a fool of himself. He took the phone, saying dismissively, "You're the company boss, why don't you do something more productive?"
Chen Ze rolled his eyes: "What do you know? This is my job."
Director Lu genuinely didn't understand. Taking pictures during meal wasn't exactly productive.
Chen Ze didn't expect him to grasp his deeper meaning, saying, "I can't explain it to you."
Director Lu looked at him: "Then elaborate!"
Chen Ze glanced at Luo Zhengzheng before telling him, "I need to let Gu Shi know that when his wife is in my company, I treat her like royalty. I want him to be assured that his wife won't suffer any mistreatment here."
Of course, his main intention was to tease Gu Shi.
Director Lu looked at him blankly. Chen Ze whispered, "Are you stupid? The one investing in our film is Luo Zhengzheng's husband, Gu Shi. If we win him over, we won't have to worry about finding investors in the future."
Director Lu suddenly realized that Chen Ze's actions were similar to his own—both were for the sake of the film. He earnestly said, "Then should I take a few more shots?"
Chen Ze gazed at him with a complicated expression. He actually believed him?
Gu Shi sat in his office chair, glanced at his phone, and seeing no messages from Luo Zhengzheng, was about to instruct Guo Yao to order lunch when his phone beeped. He picked it up and saw it was a message from Chen Ze.
He opened his text message. Chen Ze had sent him several photos of food he'd gotten, claiming it was for Luo Zhengzheng. He typed slowly, "This is all for lunch? And you're asking for a tip?"
Chen Ze rolled his eyes at Gu Shi's reply and texted back, "Your wife wants to eat."
Gu Shi smiled slightly, "Fine, I'll give you a tip."
"Shooo," Chen Ze texted back, "I guess your wife might not have time to report on work this morning, so I'll have to report it to you myself."
Gu Shi: "Go ahead and report."
Chen Ze chuckled. Luo Zhengzheng, Chen Hui, and Director Lu thought he'd gone crazy, giving him a look as if he were an idiot before lowering their heads to continue eating.
Chen Ze put down his chopsticks and typed on his phone: "Gu Shi, Gu Shi, say, what have you become?"
Gu Shi: "?"
Chen Ze: "When my little nephew from my elder sister’s family started kindergarten, she had this same mentality. She worried he wasn't eating or sleeping well at school, that he was being bullied, that he'd cry for his mom, and she was constantly anxious. This went on for almost a month."
Gu Shi: "Get lost."
Chen Ze: "Seriously, I think your mental state is unacceptable. Luo Zhengzheng isn't a child. She knows to eat when she's hungry and drink when she's thirsty. No one at the company bullies her. You don't need to worry about her like an overprotective father."
Half a day passed without a reply. He put his phone on the table, buried his head in his food, and thought to himself that Gu Shi was really easy to tease.
Gu Shi was too lazy to respond.