novellhall Chapter 47 Ah Zu, come in.
Chapter 47 Ah Zu, come in.
At 3 p.m., Mai Zhaohui stood downstairs at Tengda Film and Television and took a deep breath.
He carefully zipped up his jacket and straightened his shirt collar—he had changed into this shirt at noon when he went home; the T-shirt he wore that morning had too many sweat stains under his armpits, making it unsuitable for meeting his future boss.
They went to the door, the elevator doors opened, and led by Zhang Baizhi, they arrived at Lin Dong's office.
The door opened.
The first thing he saw was Lin Dong—leaning back in a leather swivel chair, flipping through a document, looking casual.
The second thing I noticed was the woman sitting on the sofa. She wore a white silk shirt, her short hair was pulled back behind her ears, and she held a cup of tea in her hand, her demeanor as composed as if she were another owner of this office.
Li Jiaxin.
Mai Zhaohui's smile froze for a second, and his mind instantly tightened.
This is a crime thriller with two male leads, and female characters have very little screen time, with their total appearances in the entire film probably not exceeding twenty minutes.
If Mr. Lam insists on casting Li Jiaxin as the female lead, how would the script be changed? Add a romantic subplot for her? Turn the undercover story into a love triangle? What's the point of filming that?
His mind raced through a series of thoughts, but his feet never stopped moving.
He walked to the desk, bowed slightly, and a smile returned to his face. "Mr. Lin, thank you for giving me this opportunity."
"Sit down." Lin Dong gestured to the sofa in the reception area.
Mai Zhaohui sat down on the sofa, only sitting on the front half of his bottom, his back straight.
Li Jiaxin nodded to him, said nothing, and continued drinking her tea.
"Director Mai," Lin Dong put the documents aside and leaned back in his chair, "tell me your thoughts."
Mai Zhaohui cleared his throat. He wasn't nervous when talking about the project anymore, because the story had been swirling in his mind for two whole years, and every scene and every line of dialogue felt etched into his bones.
He started talking about his experience at the police academy, then discussed his inspiration and the symmetrical design of the structure, speaking at length.
Lin Dong didn't interrupt him. He didn't say a word. Leaning back in his chair, holding his teacup, he nodded occasionally.
Mai Zhaohui spoke for nearly ten minutes straight. His throat was a little dry, but his excitement had overshadowed the nervousness he felt when he entered the room.
He picked up the tea that Zhang Baizhi had just poured from the coffee table, took a sip, and had just put the cup down when Lin Dong spoke.
"Director Mai, I have a small suggestion."
Mai Zhaohui felt a pang of panic.
coming.
Should we refuse? This opportunity is too rare. We've been trying to develop a project for two years without success, and now someone is investing in it in full.
But if Li Jiaxin is forced to rewrite the script, is this still the kind of movie he wanted to make?
He tried to keep his expression calm and nodded. "Mr. Lin, please speak."
Lin Dong set down his teacup and leaned forward slightly. "Regarding the dual male lead part, I was thinking—wouldn't it be more classic if Chen Yongren died while Liu Jianming survived, instead of both of them dying together?"
While Mai Zhaohui was mentally considering how to refuse, he subconsciously blurted out, "Lin Dong, this play..."
He stopped.
What did Lin Sheng just say? Not Li Jiaxin. It was Chen Yongren. It was Liu Jianming. It was the ending.
He suddenly raised his head.
"In the final scene, Lau Kin-ming stands on the rooftop and says to the already dead Chan Wing-yan—or rather, to the ghost in his own heart—'I want to be a good person.'"
This is the scene that left the deepest impression on me in the entire film, so I mentioned it.
As for the rest, he doesn't have a photographic memory, so how could he possibly remember them so clearly?
The office was silent for about three seconds.
Mai Zhaohui's lips opened and closed, closed and opened.
His right hand unconsciously groped on the coffee table—looking for a pen, but couldn't find it—and then he slammed his hand down on his thigh.
With a loud slap, Li Jiaxin, who was drinking tea next to her, was startled.
"Great idea!" Mak Siu-fai's voice was a full eight octaves higher than when he was explaining the play. "Mr. Lam—this is a fantastic idea!"
Chen Yongren is dead, Liu Jianming isn't, but living is more painful for him than dying—he wants to be a good person, but he can never be, because his very existence is the greatest evil! This sense of fate—how could I not have thought of that!
He wasn't talking to Lin Dong anymore; he was fighting with the script in his head.
Two years of planning were unlocked by a key at this moment, and all the plot fragments began to rearrange themselves, rushing in a direction he had never thought of before.
He mumbled incoherently about "rooftop," "flashback," and "echoing the police academy scene," gesturing in the air with his fingers to create storyboards that only he could understand.
Lin Dong leaned back in his chair, picked up his teacup, and waited for his energy to subside.
When Mai Zhaohui finally stopped, his face was flushed and his eyes were red.
He looked at Lin Dong, his lips moved a few times, then he sprang up from the sofa and bowed to Lin Dong.
It's not a simple bow; it's a bow where the upper body is almost parallel to the ground.
"Boss, I'll revise the script as soon as I get back!"
Lin Dong smiled at him. "What, you're willing to sign with me now?"
"I'd love to!" Mai Zhao straightened up. "I was so excited when President Chen told me this morning."
"What you just said—boss, to be honest, this will be the best decision I've ever made in my life! From now on, I'll do whatever Lin Sheng says. I'll do anything as long as I can get this script filmed!"
He showered flattery on people like it was free, but the expression on his face was genuine.
Lin Dong smiled and waved his hand. "Alright. Go find President Chen to sign the contract, and then get the project approved."
Mai Zhaohui bowed again and turned to leave.
He paused at the door, turned around, and his voice suddenly became serious. "Mr. Lin, I will definitely do my best. The films you invested in recently didn't do very well—that's the directors' problem. I will prove that your judgment is first-rate."
After he finished speaking, he pushed open the door and went out.
This statement revealed that he had done his homework before coming—he knew exactly how the newspapers described Lin Dong.
Each of his previous films flopped, earning him the reputation of being a sucker, though no one dared to call him that to his face, but people in the industry whispered about it behind his back.
Before the door was fully closed, Li Jiaxin had already stood up from the sofa and pressed herself against him.
"Ah Dong—" Her voice was so soft it could melt your heart, "You're amazing. That line, 'I want to be a good person,' gave me goosebumps. How did you come up with that?"
Lin Dong patted the back of her hand that was resting on his shoulder. "Just something I thought of. Take your hand off."
Li Jiaxin reluctantly straightened up, a hint of lingering admiration still on her lips.
"How's the post-production of 'Prince Charming' going?" Lin Dong asked.
"Fatty Wang is currently filming and editing 'Dragon in the Jianghu' at the same time, working back-to-back on both fronts." Li Jiaxin counted on her fingers, "He told me that the whole film will be ready in about half a month. He will ask you to review it then."
"Okay, let's discuss the release date after we watch the film."
Li Jiaxin nodded, then, as if remembering something, leaned forward slightly, sharing with a hint of pride.
"By the way, Dong, I've found a promising talent outside. He'll be coming to the company for an interview later, and I'm planning to sign him to Tengda."
Lin Dong waved his hand. "You can decide for yourself."
No sooner had he finished speaking than there was a knock on the door.
Zhang Baizhi peeked in, his gaze first falling on Lin Dong before turning to Li Jiaxin. "Michelle, the person you invited has arrived."
Li Jiaxin stood up and straightened the hem of her shirt.
As soon as she left the office and the door closed, less than three seconds later, it was pushed open a crack again.
Zhang Baizhi slipped in like an eel.
"Brother Dong." She walked quickly to the side of the desk, as if she were breaking a huge secret, "The new guy that Sister Michele arranged to meet—is a man."
She paused, then emphasized, "A very, very handsome guy. More handsome than any male celebrity I've ever seen."
Before Lin Dong could say anything, the door was pushed open again.
Li Jiaxin stood at the door, her gaze passing over the desk and precisely fixed on Zhang Baizhi.
"You can leave now!" Li Jiaxin said coldly to Zhang Baizhi, showing that not making a move was already giving Lin Dong face.
Zhang Baizhi wasn't annoyed. He straightened up, gave her a sweet smile, and then swayed his hips as he walked out.
After watching her leave, Li Jiaxin said to Lin Dong, "Adong, this newcomer is really good—she has the potential to become a star. I'd like you to meet her too."
Lin Dong nodded.
Li Jiaxin turned to the side and called out towards the door, "Azu, come in."