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Ding Ding Ding～
A delicate silver spoon tapped lightly on a wine glass, producing a crisp and pleasant sound.
The previously boisterous banquet hall quickly quieted down.
Zhang De stood up with satisfaction, set down the spoon, raised his wine glass high, and said with great enthusiasm, "Please allow me to say a few words."
"Thank you all for your hard work over the past two months. Thanks to everyone's efforts, the shooting of this TV drama has been a complete success. On behalf of Qiande Brothers Film & TV, I offer my sincere gratitude to all our colleagues present!"
"Cheers!"
Everyone raised their glasses in response to the boss. Looking around, the banquet hall was full of smiling faces.
Today marked the official wrap-up of 'Autumn in My Heart'. Qiande Film held the banquet in the Jinlan Hall of the Marriott Hotel, treating all crew members and the actors who hadn't left yet to a grand thank-you feast.
At the beginning of the banquet, Zhang De had his secretary personally hand out red envelopes to everyone attending.
Even Lu Chen and Chen Fei'er received one.
To the two of them, that little bit of money didn't mean much; it was just for celebration and good fortune.
But for the hard-working crew members, it was a big bonus!
And Zhang De gave out the money very generously.
After several days of negotiation, the rebroadcast rights for 'Autumn in My Heart' were officially sold to Capital City TV and Zhejiang East Satellite TV. The licensing deal was worth a whopping 23 million yuan, evenly split between the two stations.
Due to the show's continually rising viewership ratings, the income from the betting clause with Haijin Satellite TV alone was enough to fully recoup the production costs and generate early profits.
So this 23 million was pure profit. It's estimated that by the end, the three main investors would each make over 10 million yuan in profit!
It was easy to imagine how thrilled Zhang De must be.
The Zhang brothers had been struggling to build their production company in Capital City's fiercely competitive entertainment industry. They had experienced gains and losses, and had mostly broken even, never before had they made this much profit from a single project.
And most importantly, the success of 'Autumn in My Heart' brought more than just financial gains.
Zhang De, being somewhat of an old-school, bold personality, really let loose tonight.
After finishing his glass, he poured another and toasted Lu Chen. "Teacher Lu, I, Old Zhang, am just a straightforward man, not too cultured, but I do know talent. Without you, this show wouldn't have existed. I offer you this toast!"
Lu Chen smiled, "You're too kind, Chief Zhang. Thank you!"
The two clinked glasses and drank.
Zhang De's cheeks turned red, but his eyes became brighter and more energized. He then turned to toast Chen Fei'er.
Chen Fei'er gave him face by sipping a small glass of red wine.
That earned Zhang De more pride, and he continued on to toast Director Fang Hui.
Fang Hui was bold and generous, downing a full glass of red wine cleanly, drawing cheers from their table.
The banquet atmosphere grew increasingly lively.
Only after clearing an entire table did Zhang De finally sit down and signal his staff with a wink.
Immediately, several crew members came over to toast Lu Chen, calling him "Brother Lu" with great warmth.
Lu Chen couldn't refuse and downed several drinks in a row. Chen Fei'er, sitting beside him, looked concerned but felt awkward stopping them.
Fortunately, Fang Hui noticed and laughed, "Don't keep pouring drinks for Lu Chen, someone's going to feel distressed!"
Everyone burst into laughter.
Everyone in the crew already knew about the relationship between Lu Chen and Chen Fei'er.
But while they knew, no one ever said anything. In this industry, loose lips are a surefire way to be blacklisted. No crew likes a gossip, especially those who leak news to the paparazzi.
Only someone like Director Fang Hui had the right to joke a little.
And with Chen Fei'er backing him up, no one dared make Lu Chen drink any more. He was finally spared. Even so, by the end of the banquet, Lu Chen had drunk nearly two full bottles of red wine.
By the time he returned to his room, it was already past 10 PM.
He wasn't drunk, but after a shower, he came out to find Chen Fei'er sitting on the living room sofa.
She actually came to keep him company!
Lu Chen felt a surge of heat in his chest and hurried over excitedly, scooping her into his arms with practiced ease.
Chen Fei'er allowed him to hug her and said, "Don't get any funny ideas. I'm leaving soon."
"Huh?" Lu Chen's face fell instantly. "Seriously?"
Chen Fei'er suppressed a smile, gently touched his face, and softly said with a bit of shyness, "I know what you want… but I'm not ready yet. Can you give me a little more time?"
Though she was a mature woman, deep down she was still traditional. Even if her heart belonged to him, she didn't want to rush things.
Lu Chen nodded.
When love is destined to last, who needs to rush for fleeting moments? He wasn't a man who only thought with his lower body. Of course, he respected Chen Fei'er's feelings, even if the desire was strong, he could control himself.
What was his, wouldn't run away.
Chen Fei'er sensed that and felt joy in her heart. She wrapped her arms around Lu Chen's neck and kissed him on her own initiative.
The kiss lasted several minutes, leaving both flushed and breathless.
Before things got out of hand, Chen Fei'er pulled herself away and said, "I need to go. Tomorrow morning I'm flying back to Capital City. There's a mountain of work waiting at the studio, tons of scheduled events piled up."
Lu Chen was disappointed, but understanding. "I'll head back in a few days. I'll contact you when I arrive."
Although 'Autumn in My Heart' had finished filming, post-production editing, scoring, and dubbing still remained. Lu Chen had to stay in Jinling for a while longer until everything was completed before returning to Capital City.
Chen Fei'er leaned back into his arms and softly said, "These past two months have been the happiest for me."
Celebrities in the entertainment industry rarely have time for romance. Even if both parties are in the same circle, they barely get the chance to meet, always busy and constantly apart. Even marriage doesn't guarantee long-lasting togetherness.
But being in Jinling filming the same TV series, seeing each other day and night, their relationship had truly deepened.
Unfortunately, such days were always short-lived. In the blink of an eye, they had to part ways and return to their respective busy schedules.
Chen Fei'er genuinely didn't want to go.
And how could Lu Chen feel any different?
The two lingered in their affection for a while longer. Then Lu Chen reluctantly walked Chen Fei'er back to her own room. But only a few minutes later, just as he was about to settle down for the night, there came a knock on his door.
Lu Chen thought Chen Fei'er had come back after all and opened the door joyfully, only to find that it was Zhang De, accompanied by his secretary.
Standing at the door, Zhang De smiled and asked, "Teacher Lu, I'd like to discuss something with you. Is this a good time?"
Lu Chen smiled and replied, "Please, come in."
He invited them to sit in the living room, and Zhang De's secretary, perceptive as ever, went off to make tea.
Zhang De got straight to the point: "Teacher Lu, here's the thing. A friend of mine is investing in a film that just happens to be shooting nearby. He'd like to invite you to make a guest appearance. Do you think you can spare some time?"
A guest role in a movie?
Lu Chen was momentarily taken aback. He had assumed that Zhang De was here to discuss future collaborations, perhaps the next TV series.
It wasn't exactly a secret that Lu Chen planned to start a new drama next year. Even if people hadn't heard about it directly, they could easily guess.
With 'Autumn in My Heart''s ratings going through the roof, Lu Chen had firmly established his name in the film and TV industry. It was inevitable that entertainment companies and advertisers would swarm in, eager to invest or collaborate.
To say nothing else, just the product placements in the next TV series would earn a fortune!
'Autumn in My Heart' hadn't featured much advertising because it hadn't been expected to do well before airing. By the time it gained popularity, the shooting was already nearly complete. But the next show would be a completely different story.
The entertainment world is all about profit. Naturally, Qiande Film & Media, which hadn't been all that well-known or powerful, was now going to face immense pressure from competitors.
Having gotten a taste of real success, Qiande Film & Media would obviously be 100% eager to continue working with Lu Chen. But things had changed, past cooperation alone wasn't enough to ensure Lu Chen would stick with them.
Lu Chen quickly realized that this was Zhang De's way of showing goodwill, going out of his way to create opportunities for him.
In the entertainment industry, movies have always held a higher status than TV. Without a film under your belt, it's hard to call yourself a real actor. The true A-listers are movie kings and queens!
Breaking into the big screen was also one of Lu Chen's goals.
Naturally, he became interested. "What kind of movie is it?"
Zhang De explained, "It's a historical period drama called The Great Emperor Wu. They're already over halfway through filming. One of the supporting actors had an issue and needs to be replaced.
"My friend knows of you and wants to invite you for a guest appearance. The role isn't very large."
He added with a chuckle, "My friend is quite the admirer. He thinks you're perfect for the part and recommended you to the director."
Lu Chen smiled. "In that case, I'll give it a try."
His collaboration with Qiande Film & Media on 'Autumn in My Heart' had been quite smooth. The company had taken a proper approach, fully supporting the two leads and the director.
As general manager, Zhang De had personally stayed in Jinling to oversee the production and handled everything with great care.
The fact that filming wrapped up ahead of schedule was, in no small part, thanks to him.
So when Lu Chen shoots his new drama next year, Qiande Film & Media will certainly be a strong contender for collaboration. At the very least, they'll be allowed to participate. How much equity they'll hold, that's another matter entirely.
Now that Zhang De had come knocking so eagerly, Lu Chen was happy to show goodwill in return.
Besides, the chance to be in a film was quite enticing.
Even if it was just a guest role.
Zhang De was delighted. "That's fantastic! I'll contact my friend right away and arrange your audition."
Even for a small role, a proper audition was still required, unless Lu Chen were already a big-name star.
As it stood, he was still a newcomer and had to follow the rules.
Lu Chen understood perfectly. "Sure, and thank you, Chief Zhang!"
Zhang De grinned. "No, I should be the one thanking you. My friend's movie is lucky to have someone like you appear!"
And it wasn't just flattery.
It was rare to see a newcomer in the industry rise as quickly as Lu Chen had!
(End of Chapter)