Chapter 457: Chapter 360: Carrying On
"He Yong really is a son of a bitch."
Over the phone, Zhou Yun didn’t mince her words as she cursed.
Song Chi laughed and said, "Isn’t that just his nature? He probably released such an article because he saw the recent box office success of ’Life’ and is worried that those big companies will poach you. By releasing such a story prematurely, he makes the industry believe that you and him have already mended fences, after all... there were some unpleasantness between you two before, and many people know about it."
Zhou Yun asked, "But so far, no one has actually tried to poach me, why is that?"
Song Chi said, "Back when He Yong and Lu Yicheng were fighting for power, you decisively helped He Yong by shooting ’Dingfengbo’, so many people probably think it won’t be easy to poach you without paying a big price."
"Now that you mention it, I understand." Zhou Yun replied with a laugh.
Song Chi: "Chengqian Entertainment is quite strong and He Yong is capable. He can basically eliminate your competitors. For your current stage, it’s indeed a good partner. They need you, and can provide what you need."
Zhou Yun nodded and said, "Yeah, but I only signed a five-year contract initially, and it’s expiring in just over two years. By then, I’ll be twenty-six. What do you think, should I renew my contract with Chengqian or what?"
"Has He Yong talked to you about this?" Song Chi asked.
"He mentioned it, but I didn’t bite, I haven’t made up my mind yet."
"It’s too early to think about this now, in two years you may have reached even greater heights, you will have more options then," said Song Chi, "No need to decide so early."
Zhou Yun hummed in agreement and said, "You’re right."
Song Chi: "I have some things to take care of on my end, so I’m going to hang up. We’ll talk more when I get back tonight. By the way, you’ll be coming back tonight, right?"
"I will be back, what about you?"
"Mm, I’ll be able to head back this afternoon. What do you want to eat?"
"Are you cooking dinner?"
"I could, what would you like?"
Song Chi had honed his cooking skills while filming.
Zhou Yun said, "You decide, I’m easy, as long as it’s delicious."
"Okay, got it."
Zhou Yun hung up and stretched lazily, leaning back.
Zheng Xiaojue brought back a coffee take-out she had ordered earlier and handed it to Zhou Yun.
"Sister Xiao Yun, you finished talking to Brother Chi?" she asked.
"Yep, I’m done," Zhou Yun nodded, "It’s infuriating."
Zheng Xiaojue pulled up a chair and sat down beside Zhou Yun, saying, "Don’t be mad, don’t be mad. My mom always says, with your current popularity, there are plenty of demons and snakes around you trying to get close and use you. She even told me to be careful not to be used as a pawn."
"Auntie is so nice," Zhou Yun said.
As Zhou Yun’s assistant, Zheng Xiaojue also enjoyed many perks, such as gifts from brands. Keeping these gifts wasn’t a problem, but some would try to pry into Zhou Yun’s private information through Zheng Xiaojue unscrupulously, like Zhou Yun’s preferences, weaknesses, current projects, and resources she was tapping into. Being by Zhou Yun’s side, the assistant possessed a wealth of information, which was a valuable resource that others were willing to pay a hefty price for.
This is precisely what Zheng Xiaojue’s mother meant by "don’t be used as a pawn".
"By the way, Sister Xiao Yun, I just saw that ’Life’ has broken three hundred million at the box office," said Zheng Xiaojue.
"Really? I thought we wouldn’t make it."
Although ’Life’ was indeed very hot in terms of buzz, its box office journey had to come to an end.
Zhou Yun hadn’t even imagined it would break three hundred million.
It was already a box office miracle in the industry’s eyes.
At that moment, Zhou Yun’s phone rang. She looked and saw it was a message from Yao Yuanfeng with the good news that ’Life’ had broken three hundred million at the box office.
These days, Yao Yuanfeng would send over messages from time to time, mainly good news related to ’Life’, firmly keeping in touch with Zhou Yun and giving her warm regards.
But what Zhou Yun didn’t expect was that Yao Yuanfeng wanted to shoot a sequel to ’Life’.
He had specifically sought out Zhou Yun to discuss this.
They talked about it in the backstage rest area of a show recording.
Yao Yuanfeng said, "The movie’s performance is so good, and there’s a big demand for a sequel among the audience."
Zhou Yun was shocked.
She had never thought of a sequel to ’Life’.
And to be honest, she wasn’t very keen on shooting it.
"What does Director Wen think?" she asked.
Yao Yuanfeng said, "I haven’t talked to Wen Bing about this yet. I thought I’d ask for your opinion first, this movie can’t go on without you."
He rubbed his hands together with enthusiasm, "If this movie has a sequel, the box office will definitely be good too."
Zhou Yun shook her head, "The success of this movie is entirely based on Director Wen’s concept and execution. If Director Wen wants to shoot it, I’ll consider it then. But if Director Wen doesn’t want to do it, I definitely won’t either."
"Sister Xiao Yun, don’t refuse me outright. I’m very sincere with this visit. If you agree to act in the sequel, I can offer you a pay of 15 million, the highest in the market right now," Yao Yuanfeng said seriously.
The price Yao Yuanfeng quoted startled Zhou Yun.
This pay was more than tenfold the amount she received for the first part.
"President Yao, you’re really going big, I’m stunned," she said.
Such a generous offer indeed was tempting for Zhou Yun.
Yao Yuanfeng continued, "That’s why I’m saying, I’m sincerely offering a lot. There’s still a lot of story to explore for the character He Yun, like her story with a new boyfriend, or her story after getting back together with the male lead in ’Life’. The audience loves this movie too much and are eager to see a sequel. You can search online and see how many want a continuation."
Yao Yuanfeng’s words did sway Zhou Yun a bit.
Originally shooting ’Life’ for only two weeks, she didn’t really get her fill of the experience.
It was a very happy time, a time dedicated to creation.
If a chance to collaborate on a second part with Wen Bing came up, Zhou Yun was actually willing.
But what if Wen Bing wasn’t willing?
Zhou Yun intuitively felt Wen Bing wouldn’t be.
This movie had a very different personal significance for Wen Bing. It told his own story, and the idea of completely fabricating a sequel on that basis might not sit well with him.
After struggling and hesitating for a moment, Zhou Yun still firmly stated, "President Yao, my stance remains the same. If Director Wen Bing wants to shoot it, I’m willing to continue with a second part, but if Director Wen doesn’t want to shoot... I... I don’t have the confidence to continue the story of He Yun."