Yang Yizhou might be worried about Pei Ran's abilities. After all, as the central figure in a film crew, a director needs more than just acting skills. Managing such a large crew effectively requires experience and shrewdness. Moreover, given Pei Ran's age, if he were to join the crew, he might not be able to command respect. The seasoned veterans on set are not easy to deal with.
Yang Yizhou must have considered all of this, but he still did it anyway. He was prepared to use the reputation he had built up over the years to protect Pei Ran.
Director Xie has known Yang Yizhou for so many years and knows that he is lazy and quite afraid of trouble. He never expected that Yang Yizhou would have such a deep love for Chinese films in his heart.
Upon seeing Director Xie's expression, Yang Yizhou immediately exclaimed, "Please, don't look at me like that! I'm not that great!"
He scratched his forehead: "Actually, I have a little selfish motive too. Isn't this kid's boss Shen Huai? In terms of assets, he's rich and an industry insider, so he probably won't interfere. I heard he's planning to train a new director recently, so isn't this a perfect match? In terms of connections, you wouldn't believe it, he seems quiet, but he was brought into the industry by Yi Mian, and the big shots in the industry all appreciate him. When it comes to getting approved and distribution, that's no problem!"
Director Xie was dumbfounded: "You've only met them once, and you're already thinking so far ahead??"
Yang Yizhou coughed lightly: "Cough, it's all for making a living..."
Director Xie: "..."
Director Xie was extremely impressed with him, exclaiming, "Yizhou, I feel like I need to get to know you all over again."
Yang Yizhou was still a little embarrassed: "Director Xie, we're so familiar with each other, it's so embarrassing for you to praise me like this to my face."
"You still know how to be embarrassed?" Director Xie sneered. "With your shameless nature, you even steal your own nephew's job. How could you do that?"
Yang Yizhou: "Uh..."
However, that awkward expression only lingered on his face for a second before he quickly said nonchalantly, "These kinds of things are all about skill, fair competition, fair competition!"
Director Xie sneered, "Yeah, it's fair competition! They might not even choose you!"
Yang Yizhou's expression froze for a moment, then he said with absolute certainty, "How could that be?! Do you think I can't compete with a little girl?"
Director Xie: "What if they just like young girls? From what I've observed these past few days, Pei Ran seems gentle, but she's actually very opinionated. You want to work with her, but she might not want to be a bodhisattva to keep her in check. Wouldn't it be better to find an obedient young girl? Besides, it's more comfortable to discuss the script with her than to be dealing with an old cabbage like you."
Yang Yizhou: "..."
Director Xie watched as the smile on his face gradually faded, and couldn't help but chuckle inwardly, but on the surface he pretended to be indifferent and stretched: "Alright, I'm going to film now, we'll get together again tonight."
As he spoke, he stood up and walked out.
Yang Yizhou quickly followed, saying, "No, please put in a good word for me, Director Xie... Brother... Uncle!!"
-
After Yang Yizhou and Director Xie left, Pei Ran looked at Tang Tang and said with a smile, "Let's find a place to talk."
Tang Tang was still reeling from the shock of her uncle trying to steal her away. She nodded blankly and followed Pei Ran to a coffee shop outside the film set.
After ordering drinks, Pei Ran didn't rush to speak.
Tang Tang gradually calmed down. If she was still somewhat picky about Pei Ran's age and ability before, she stopped thinking about anything after the emergence of an overly strong competitor and instead worried that Pei Ran would choose Yang Yizhou.
Thinking about this, Tangtang became a little anxious. She took out her previous works from her bag, placed them on the table, and said somewhat nervously, "These are my previous works. You can take a look."
Pei Ran was still considering how to slowly bring up the topic when Tang Tang suddenly threw him a direct punch. He accepted it without batting an eye and opened the browser.
Pei Ran read the script very quickly, and the "swish, swish, swish" sound made Tang Tang very uneasy.
She pursed her lips and said, "Although I've always made these sweet campus romance stories, I've actually always been very interested in Hong Kong in the last century. Oh, here's some information I collected before."
As she spoke, she pulled an iPad out of her bag, hurriedly turned it on, and handed it to Pei Ran.
Pei Ran raised an eyebrow. This was something he hadn't expected. There was a lot of content on the iPad, and it was clear that it had been carefully prepared.
Pei Ran put down the script and iPad and started chatting with Tang Tang.
He spoke with great skill, and Tang Tang relaxed without realizing it, and ended up saying everything without even realizing it. Even so, she was completely unaware of it and even felt that she was having a very good conversation with Pei Ran.
Through this conversation, Pei Ran also gained a general understanding of Tang Tang's abilities.
Judging solely from the script, Tang Tang is far inferior to Yang Yizhou in terms of writing ability. Of course, Tang Tang also has her strengths; she is serious and excellent at communication.
For Pei Ran, the film he wanted to make was less of a drama and more of a memoir. In this context, Tang Tang and Yang Yizhou were no different to him.
Another point is that Yang Yizhou is already a top performer in the industry, while Tang Tang is still a newcomer. Pei Ran has developed the habit of mentoring newcomers over the years, and unconsciously favors Tang Tang a little more.
Tang Tang clenched her hands tightly, staring at Pei Ran who was deep in thought, her heart pounding with nervousness.
Pei Ran snapped out of her daze and said with a smile, "I understand. I look forward to your guidance in the future."
Tang Tang was stunned. She never expected that Pei Ran would give up Yang Yizhou and choose her instead.
Overjoyed, her eyes reddened, she stood up and bowed deeply to Pei Ran: "Thank you for believing in me! I will definitely work hard!"
She completely forgot that she was already a screenwriter who had produced two hit dramas, while Pei Ran, on the other hand, was still a nobody who hadn't even entered the field.
Chapter 160
Pei Ran and Tang Tang chatted for a while about the general plot. Tang Tang became more and more excited as she listened, and immediately started writing on her iPad. Before long, she had already come up with a simple outline.
The two then discussed the simple outline. Pei Ran had firsthand experience and had been filming for many years, so he knew that professional matters should be left to professionals. Tang Tang, on the other hand, was a professionally trained actress and well-versed in drama. Whenever Pei Ran mentioned something, she could immediately come up with new ideas. With Pei Ran's encouragement, she became more and more energetic and her inspiration flowed freely.
The two chatted for hours, becoming more and more excited as they talked, and before they knew it, evening had fallen.
Tang Tang clutched her rumbling stomach and looked at Pei Ran awkwardly.
Pei Ran then came to his senses and felt a little guilty. He was always a very proper person and rarely made such a mistake. Only when it was something related to the play would he be fully immersed in it and completely forget about his surroundings.
Although Tang Tang still has many shortcomings, she is quick-witted. Some of her ideas are too far-fetched, but some are brilliant. Furthermore, she has an extremely strong learning ability. Many times, as long as Pei Ran points out the problem, she can immediately realize it, correct it right away, and never make the same mistake again.
Although Pei Ran is experienced, he sometimes gets stuck in his own way of thinking because of his experience, and his ideas are not as novel and interesting as Tang Tang's.