Chapter 451 - 272: Let’s Eat

Rong Mansion Cuisine, Private Room 302.

Zheng Jianghe, Han Guangqi, Li Wuyang, and Zhou Jin were all here.

But aside from them, there were a few strangers.

One of them was a man in his fifties with long, unkempt hair. His scruffy attire made him stick out from the others in the private room.

The man’s name was Ma Zijian, and he was a director.

He was slated to direct *Farewell, Youth*, the film Zhou Jin was investing in.

Next to him sat a bespectacled man with a refined, scholarly air. His name was Wang Mingtu, the screenwriter for *Farewell, Youth*.

Besides those two were Liu Wenwen and Jin Yelai.

Before her audition, Liu Wenwen had already received an invitation from Ma Zijian.

But since she had already promised Fang Jie, she went to their audition first.

She had assumed it would just be a formality—meet the director and investors, get acquainted, and discuss when she’d join the production. She never expected they would actually make her do a screen test.

She felt she had done them a huge favor by even reading for the part, so being told to wait for a decision felt like a personal insult. Fed up, she contacted Ma Zijian and decided to star in *Farewell, Youth* instead.

"President Zhou, and to all the investors present, I’d like to propose a toast. Here’s to a successful collaboration."

As her agent, Jin Yelai raised his glass with a smile.

"And this toast also goes to Director Ma and Brother Wang. This collaboration is a true union of titans. Based on my years of experience in the industry, this film is guaranteed a floor of 2 billion at the box office. It’s bound to be another huge blockbuster. Bottoms up."

Jin Yelai raised his glass and drained it in one go.

"I’ve seen Wenwen’s work," said Wang Mingtu. "With her current popularity and fan base, she’s definitely a huge box office draw. Add Director Ma and me to the mix, and 2 billion is certainly within reach."

"Old Wang, I’ve always had faith in your scripts, but I think we should add some other elements to give it more depth," Ma Zijian said.

"What kind of elements?"

"We already have the drama and backstabbing. We should also add in abortion, a car crash, and bankruptcy. That’ll make the movie more exciting."

"No problem. That’s just a few strokes of my pen."

Wang Mingtu, his face flushed from the alcohol, agreed without a second thought.

Ma Zijian turned to Zhou Jin. "President Zhou, do you have any other requirements for this film?"

"There’s a movie called *Xia Luote’s Troubles* that’s also in production right now. Your progress can’t be slower than theirs. I plan to release our film at the same time and use its superior quality and positive word-of-mouth to crush them. You get what I’m saying, right?"

Ma Zijian and the others exchanged glances. Only then did they understand that this film carried another purpose.

"That movie is nothing special. It’s not even worthy of being *Farewell, Youth*’s rival," Liu Wenwen said with a disdainful look.

Everyone at the table looked at Liu Wenwen. Zhou Jin, a cigarette between his fingers, asked,

"How do you know about that?"

"President Zhou, to be honest, their team contacted me. I went to do a screen test to be polite, but I discovered the script was terrible, so I turned them down," Liu Wenwen said in disgust.

"I’ve been in this industry for several years now, and honestly, I’ve never seen such a rotten script. I’m a very professional person; even for a simple screen test, I give it my all. But the lines in that script were just so cringeworthy, and the plot made no sense. I forced myself to get through one scene before rejecting them."

Zhou Jin and the others all broke into smiles.

"And to think I took him so seriously, assuming he could produce a decent film. I can’t believe this is his standard."

"So, like I said, there’s no need to treat them as a rival. That movie isn’t even fit to shine *Farewell, Youth*’s shoes."

"Heh heh..." Zheng Jianghe chuckled and said,

"Even if their movie is pathetic, we should still treat every enemy seriously, like a lion hunting a rabbit."

Flicking the ash from his cigarette, Zheng Jianghe looked at Liu Wenwen.

"Since you went to the audition, do you know which actors they’ve cast?"

"A complete nobody and a student from the Central Academy of Drama with zero acting experience. How can they expect a high box office with people like that in the lead roles?"

Zheng Jianghe and the others exchanged a look. Han Guangqi said,

"I think I see his game now. This movie is just a side project for that cheerleading competition. He just slapped a script together and found some acquaintances to act in it. He’s using it to lure students into his competition, claiming it’s a way into the entertainment industry, but it’s really just a gimmick."

"To put it bluntly, it’s like making an entire batch of dumplings just for a saucer of vinegar," said Li Wuyang.

"That’s more or less it. Looking at it this way, Lin Jiang really isn’t worthy of being our rival." Zheng Jianghe looked at Zhou Jin.

"Old Zhou, you’re taking this a bit too seriously."

"I can’t help it. That’s just how I am. I demand the best in everything I do," Zhou Jin said, leaning back in his chair.

"We don’t have to see him as a rival anymore, but we still have to do this right. Think of it as my first step into the film industry. The opening shot has to make a bang to pave the way for the future."

"Don’t worry, President Zhou. The three of us joining forces is a guarantee for the box office. A 2-billion-yuan box office is absolutely no problem."

Zhou Jin raised his glass. "Come on, a toast to everyone. Let’s drink to that."

"Cheers."

Around ten o’clock at night, the dinner party was winding down, and people began to leave one by one.

Zhou Jin looked at Zheng Jianghe and the others. "Whoever’s interested can take her home tonight."

"I’ve got other things to do tomorrow, so I’m not going to bother tonight. You guys go ahead," said Li Wuyang.