Huayu: This director is pretty strong.

Chapter 152 The New King Returns, Prey at the Card Table

White light leaves a residual image on the retina.

Beijing Capital International Airport.

T3 International Arrivals Exit

One hundred and twenty cameras were set up outside the guardrail.

A red banner was stretched between the load-bearing pillars in the arrival hall.

It was printed with large, bold characters.

Chen Yan pushed the luggage cart out of the passage.

Su Wan walked on the left.

Lin Qingqiu, wearing a baseball cap, followed on the right.

The crowd rushed towards the barriers.

The metal railings made a scraping sound.

"Director Chen!"

The microphone was passed over the security guard's shoulder and held up to Chen Yan's face.

Microphones bearing the logos of various TV stations were crammed together.

Yan Huaizhong, dressed in a dark gray Zhongshan suit, stood at the very front.

He extended his right hand.

Chen Yansong opened the luggage cart handle.

He grasped Yan Huaizhong's hand.

"The school has prepared a celebration banquet for you."

Yan Huaizhong spoke.

"Let's go back to the company first."

Chen Yansong released his hand.

"The reporter waited for five hours."

Yan Huaizhong pointed to the media on the periphery.

A female reporter broke free from the security guard's arm.

She held the recorder above her head.

"Director Chen, Hollywood media outlets are saying your Palme d'Or is a product of political correctness. How do you respond?"

The female reporter spoke extremely fast.

Chen Yan stopped in his tracks.

He turned to look at the recording pen.

"The Broken Bridge will be released uncut. It will be shown in China next month."

Chen Yan left those words behind.

A male reporter shoved a recording pen under Chen Yan's chin.

"Director Chen, there are rumors that Yanying Culture is using foreign capital for money laundering. Is the revelation about the Lu Haiming case a publicity stunt for your film? How do you explain this?"

Chen Yan turned his head away.

He looked at the male reporter's name tag.

It was printed with the title "Beijing Entertainment News".

"Zhou Man's colleague."

Chen Yan spoke.

The male reporter was stunned.

"Go ask Lu Haiming for his number inside."

Chen Yan pushed the recording pen away.

He turned and walked towards the underground parking lot.

Zhang Yuan followed, pushing the luggage cart.

Leather shoes stepped on the marble floor tiles.

The wheels of the luggage cart are rolling.

Yanying Culture Headquarters.

Third floor corridor.

More than twenty men in suits blocked the door to the conference room.

They were carrying heavy document bags.

Cigarette ash was scattered on the carpet in the corridor.

The elevator doors slid open to both sides.

Su Wan came out.

A crowd gathered around.

The suit jackets rubbed against each other.

"President Su, Enlight Media brought 30 million yuan in cash."

The fat man held up the file bag.

"Only 10% of the mainland distribution rights for 'Broken Bridge'."

Huayi Brothers is willing to give up 5% of its shares, in exchange for an investment in their next film.

The man wearing glasses pushed his way forward.

He adjusted the frame of his glasses on the bridge of his nose.

"We at Polybona can sign a performance-based agreement."

The third person waved the A4 paper in his hand.

"A five-year, 1 billion yuan box office bet. Yanying is guaranteed to make a profit."

Su Wan stopped in front of the chairman's office.

She turned to face the crowd.

"Director Chen is not seeing any guests today."

Su Wan said.

"President Su, there were some misunderstandings between us before."

The fat man wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Lu Haiming's matter is over. We're all just trying to make a living in Beijing. Give him a chance."

"Misunderstand?"

Su Wan looked into the fat man's eyes.

"When you withdrew your investment from 'The Sound of Rain in the Old City,' you stamped the contract very quickly."

The fat man's hand froze in mid-air.

"Domestic promotion and distribution for 'Broken Bridge' has already begun. Yanying Film Studio does not need external funding."

Su Wan pushed open the office door.

"Please return, everyone."

Su Wan went inside.

She closed the door.

The door lock is engaged.

Inside the office.

Chen Yan sat behind a mahogany desk.

Lin Shufen sat on the leather sofa opposite.

On the table was a remittance slip from Citibank Europe.

The paper was printed with the figure of 15 million euros.

Lin Shufen picked up the voucher.

The paper made a sound at my fingertips.

"This amount of money could buy half of Beijing's cinemas."

Lin Shufen put down the voucher.

"I won't buy in Beijing."

Chen Yan leaned back in his chair.

"Go to the three northern provinces."

Lin Shufen looked up.

"Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning."

Chen Yan tapped the table.

"We will acquire all the remaining two hundred independent cinemas. Together with the eight screens in Tianjin Cinema, we will open up the entire northern box office market."

"Lu Haiming still has some remaining influence there. His Hengtong Building Materials went bankrupt, but those local bullies who took bribes from him are still around."

Lin Shufen leaned forward.

"The owner of the Red Star Cinema in Harbin is named Wang Biao. He controls thirty franchise stores. This guy used to work with Lu Haiming in the building materials business."

"We'll crush them with money."

Chen Yan opened the drawer.

He produced a share transfer agreement.

The agreement was pushed across the table.

"If Wang Biao doesn't sell, we'll buy land across from his cinema and build a new one. We'll use European equipment to completely outclass it."

"You will handle the acquisition. Yan Ying will take 70%, and you will take 30%."

Chen Yan said.

Lin Shufen accepted the agreement.

She turned to the last page.

"The equipment in all 200 cinemas is very outdated."

Lin Shufen looked at the terms and conditions.

"The renovation will take time."

"Replace them all with digital projectors."

Chen Yan picked up the water glass on the table.

"European equipment suppliers will offer Yanying the lowest discounts. Pierre has already sent over the list of suppliers for the Gaumont Cinema."

Lin Shufen took out a fountain pen from her bag.

Remove the pen cap.

"The transfer of ownership will be completed within three days."

Chen Yan took a sip of water.

Swallow.

"Next month, when 'Broken Bridge' is released, I want all 200 cinemas to put up the Yanying sign."

Lin Shufen wrote her name in the signature column.

The pen tip glides across the paper.

"It's a pleasure working with you."

Lin Shufen closed the pen cap.

She pushed the agreement back in front of Chen Yan.

Lin Shufen left the office.

Chen Yan stood up.

He walked toward the lounge next door.

Push open the door.

Lin Qingqiu sat on a single sofa.

She took off her coat.

The sleeve of his right arm was rolled up to his shoulder.

White gauze was wrapped around the forearm.

The gauze showed traces of yellowish-brown iodine.

Chen Yan walked to the sofa.

He pulled over a round stool and sat down.

The first-aid kit was placed on the coffee table.

Chen Yan opened the buckle.

He took out medical scissors.

Chen Yan grasped Lin Qingqiu's wrist.

Use the tips of the scissors to pry open the edge of the gauze.

The metal blade cuts the cotton thread.

The gauze was peeled off layer by layer.

The last layer of gauze was applied to the scabbed wound.

Chen Yan picked up the saline solution.

Water flows and washes the surface of the gauze.

The liquid dripped into the medical tray below.

He pinched a corner of the gauze.

Pull upwards.

The gauze detached from the skin.

Lin Qingqiu's body was tense.

The veins on the back of my hand are bulging.

Sweat beaded on his forehead.

"pain?"

Chen Yan asked.

"It doesn't hurt."

Lin Qingqiu answered.

The voice was strained.

Chen Yan tore off the entire piece of gauze.

Throw it into the medical waste bin.

A two-inch-long wound was exposed to the air.

The skin at the edges is purplish-red.

The scab in the middle cracked.

Fresh blood beads seeped out.

Chen Yan picked up the cotton swab.

Dip it in iodine solution.

The cotton swab tip is pressed against the wound.

smear.

Thomas wrote an article saying that your performance is the pinnacle of method acting.

Chen Yan changed the cotton swab.

"I just smashed the rocks that needed to be smashed."

Lin Qingqiu stared at her arm.

"You're smashing your own bones."

Chen Yan threw the cotton swab into the trash can.

"When you were tearing your clothes on set, you weren't following the blocking. You were two centimeters off-camera."

Lin Qingqiu looked up.

"Two centimeters."

Chen Yan picked up the new gauze.

"On a widescreen, it's only half a body length. The camera was almost out of focus."

"I couldn't control myself at the time."

Lin Qingqiu answered.

"The next film."

Chen Yan pulled out the gauze.

"You need to learn to control your muscles. You can't afford to cause any more real injuries."

"What the camera needs is control, not self-destruction."

Chen Yan wrapped the gauze around Lin Qingqiu's arm.

a circle.

Two laps.

"The best sword should not be dulled in the first scene."

Lin Qingqiu looked at Chen Yan's fingers.

"I've got it."

Chen Yan tied a knot.

Cut off the excess fabric.

"I've got it."

Lin Qingqiu lowered her sleeves.

The red secure phone on the desk rang.

The phone rang urgently.

Chen Yan walked back to his office.

He picked up the receiver.

"Principal Yan."

Chen Yan spoke.

The sound of a lighter lighting a cigarette came from the other end of the phone.

The grinding wheel rubs against the flint.

"The film 'Broken Bridge' has received its official approval."

Yan Huaizhong exhaled smoke.

Chen Yan did not respond.

"Wanda, Dadi, China Film, Jinyi, Hengdian."

Yan Huaizhong gave out five names.

"They formed a market-stabilizing alliance half an hour ago."

Chen Yan looked out the window.

The traffic outside Jianguomen was illuminated with red and white headlights.

"They signed an internal exclusivity agreement."

Yan Huaizhong lowered his voice.

"The screening rate of 'Broken Bridge' under their management is locked at 0.5%".

Chen Yan picked up the fountain pen on the table.

The pen tip hovers above the white paper.

0.5

Chen Yan repeated the number.

"These five companies account for 80 percent of the screens nationwide."

Yan Huaizhong said.

"You challenged their power to set the rules. You established an independent film fund in Europe, which they felt threatened. They want to stifle your box office and confine you to the art film circle."

Chen Yan gripped the pen tightly.

The pen tip pierced the paper.

"They even spread rumors."

Yan Huaizhong continued.

"Any independent cinema that dares to increase screenings of 'Broken Bridge' will be boycotted by the five major cinema chains for all subsequent commercial blockbusters."

Chen Yan pulled out his pen.

A hole was left in the paper.

"Send the film schedules for the three northern provinces to the media."

Chen Yan gave instructions into the microphone.

"You want to confront them head-on?"

Yan Huaizhong asked.

"They hold the fate of film scheduling in the hands of the entire nation."

"Tell Zhang Yuan to push the screening rate of Tianjin Cinema and 200 cinemas in the north to 100%."

Chen Yan stood up.

"Then let's chop the table up."

Chen Yan said.