ryethenovel Chapter 34, "Nowhere to Rely on the Old," is finished.
Chapter 34, "Nowhere to Rely on the Old," is finished.
The plane landed at Lanzhou Zhongchuan Airport in the afternoon.
The dry, cold air from the northwest hit me, a stark contrast to the sweltering heat of a Beijing afternoon.
Fu Yibai took a deep breath, and his spirits lifted.
Liu Yan followed half a step behind him, holding a file bag containing the information Fu Yibai had looked at on the way.
She changed into casual clothes that were easy to move in, tied her long hair into a neat ponytail, wore light makeup, and looked focused, fully in work mode.
Last night's enchanting beauty seemed to be just an illusion, at least on the surface.
The car sent by the film crew was already waiting outside.
The journey to the filming location was long, with the Gobi Desert and distant mountains constantly receding outside the car window, desolate yet magnificent.
As soon as Fu Yibai got into the car, he closed his eyes to rest, and began to sort out the filming plan for the next few days in his mind.
Filming for "No Country for Old Men" has entered its later stages, with several important conflict scenes and chase scenes concentrated in this period, placing extremely high demands on the actors' performance and on-set management.
Liu Yan sat quietly to the side, secretly watching Fu Yibai, who was resting with his eyes closed, with a look of infatuation.
By the time we arrived at the hotel where the film crew was staying, it was already close to dusk.
The sunsets in the northwest are exceptionally magnificent, turning the sky into a blazing golden hue.
The main actors, including Li Xuejian, Sun Honglei, and Zhang Yi, are all present.
Upon seeing Fu Yibai return, they all greeted him.
Sun Honglei leaned closer and chuckled in a low voice.
"Director Fu, you look great after your trip back to Beijing! Is something good happening?"
Fu Yibai laughed and cursed.
"Get lost. Keep an eye on your script. If you can't find the feeling I'm looking for in tomorrow's scene, I'll show you what I'm made of."
Sun Honglei chuckled, made a surrender gesture, and ran away.
He actually admired Fu Yibai in private, but due to his personality, he liked to make harmless jokes.
Zhang Yi, on the other hand, appeared much more reserved, greeting everyone politely and formally.
Fu Yibai patted him on the shoulder.
"You're in good shape. I'm looking forward to your performance in that final explosive scene."
"I will definitely work hard, Director Fu."
Zhang Yi nodded emphatically, his eyes full of seriousness.
The subsequent filming proceeded day after day, intense yet well-organized.
The scenes filmed in the Gobi Desert were set in harsh environments with strong winds, sandstorms, and intense sunlight.
Fu Yibai has extremely high standards, and he often has to polish a single shot repeatedly.
Liu Yan managed Fu Yibai's schedule, communication, and daily life in an orderly manner.
On set, she always stayed quietly not far behind the monitor, ready to be called upon at any time, and never disturbed the creative process too much.
The crew members were already used to this beautiful, capable, and exceptionally low-key "Director Fu's Assistant".
There were bound to be some speculations in private, but Fu Yibai's authority in the crew was beyond question, and Liu Yan's words and actions were beyond reproach, so the rumors were just rumors.
Only when it was late at night, after Fu Yibai had finished his work and returned to his room, would Liu Yan occasionally knock on the door under the pretext of "delivering documents" or "confirming tomorrow's schedule," and she would stay for a varying amount of time.
During this period, Fan Binbin called several times.
She was busy working on several high-end endorsements, her tone excited yet tinged with a coquettish complaint, and she would always ask at the end.
"When will you finish filming over there? I miss you."
Fu Yibai listened patiently, offering appropriate responses and reassurances, but never promising a specific return date.
Hu Jing also sent messages, sharing some recent work updates, and her tone was bolder than before.
Perhaps afraid that Fu Yibai would forget him, he would always include a sexy photo of himself wearing black stockings in his messages.
Fu Yibai could only download and save it, and then reply to her that they would meet again after filming wrapped.
Liu Yifei occasionally sends cute snippets of her life and words of encouragement, just like a true little fan.
When Fu Yibai is in a good mood, he will reply with an emoji.
Yang Mi's reports are quite regular, like a work log.
After she received her first significant supporting role contract in a TV series, Fu Yibai simply replied, "Congratulations, keep up the good work."
He devoted most of his energy to filming "No Country for Old Men".
"Cut! Filming wrapped!"
Upon hearing that filming had wrapped, the entire crew cheered, finally able to leave this torturous Gobi Desert.
At the end of October, filming for "No Country for Old Men" officially wrapped up.
Fu Yibai once again proved his skill as a quick-draw shooter.
The film crew had just wrapped up shooting when Zhao Qi called, sounding incredibly excited, as if she had suddenly gained supernatural insight.
"Mr. Fu, 'Caught in the Web' has already surpassed 90 million at the box office! It's on track to break 100 million! China Film Group is already preparing a celebration banquet, scheduled for the beginning of next month. Can you come back?"
"Yes, the filming here just wrapped up."
Fu Yibai said.
"How's the music going?"
"It exploded!"
Zhao Qi could not hide her excitement.
"After the five songs were released as ringtones, downloads increased exponentially!"
The feedback from China Mobile and China Unicom has been incredibly positive, and the revenue share for this month is very substantial!
Chen Mo suggested striking while the iron was hot and releasing the remaining songs gradually, while also starting to look for new, promising online songs or singers.
"Sure, let him do it."
The profits should be recovered as soon as possible to replenish the company's cash flow.
Fu Yibai gave instructions.
"Regarding the cinema chain, the Chaoyang Cinema in Beijing has completed its renovations and is scheduled to reopen on November 18th. Xu Liang asked if you have time to attend the opening ceremony?"
"I don't have time, you go on behalf of the company."
What is the progress in Shanghai and the other companies?
"Everything is progressing according to plan. At the latest, the cinemas we have will be able to start operating by the first quarter of next year."
In addition, I've shortlisted two candidates for the distribution department; their information has been sent to your email address.
"Okay, let me see."
Fu Yibai paused for a moment.
"What about the artist department?"
"Huang Bo's performance in the 'Stone' crew was outstanding, and director Ning Hao praised him highly."
Lei Jiayin has taken on the third male lead role in a family drama and has already joined the cast.
In addition, Qin Lan, Gao Lu, and Wang Ou have also officially signed contracts with our company.
Mr. Lin is currently searching for suitable scripts and business resources for the three characters.
The night wind in the Gobi Desert carried a biting chill, but the campfire of the film crew warmed the open space.
The wrap party was held in an open space near the filming location. The conditions were simple, but the atmosphere was lively.
The aroma of roasted whole lamb filled the air, and large barrels of beer and liquor were brought out, allowing the cast and crew, who had worked hard for more than two months, to finally relax completely.
Fu Yibai, holding a wine glass, went from table to table offering toasts.
From the highly respected Li Xuejian, to Sun Honglei, with whom they have already become close, to Zhang Yi, the newcomer whose eyes are filled with gratitude, and every behind-the-scenes staff member.
"Thanks for your hard work!"
Thank you everyone!
His voice wasn't loud, but it was full of sincerity.
Everyone could sense that although this young director was demanding, he never belittled anyone's efforts and was always able to accurately point out problems and give them trust.
This respect earned the genuine support of the entire crew.
"Director Fu, I salute you!"
Zhang Yi held a full glass of baijiu, his face flushed, and his tone was excited.
"Without you, I wouldn't have this opportunity! I'll do it, you can do as you please!"
After saying that, he tilted his head back and gulped down a glass of baijiu, coughing from the spiciness.
Fu Yibai smiled, finished his drink, and patted him on the shoulder.
"The road ahead is long, so we must remain humble and persistent, and keep striving."
Sun Honglei leaned over, put his arm around Fu Yibai's shoulder, and slurred his words.
"Director Fu, next time... next time there's a 'exciting' role like this, please ask me again!"
It was so much fun filming with you!
"Fine, with you saying that, I'll 'scam' you again next time."
Fu Yibai clinked glasses with him, which drew a burst of laughter.
Teacher Li Xuejian, on the other hand, was much more composed. He simply clinked glasses with Fu Yibai, and everything was understood without a word.
He could sense the weight of this film and admired Fu Yibai's pure pursuit of art.
After the simple ceremony, a noisy celebration ensued.
Some people sang, some danced, and some held bottles of wine and talked about the joys and sorrows during filming.
Fu Yibai sat at the main table, looking at the group of partners who had worked together for dozens of days and nights, and felt a little emotional.
Liu Yan sat quietly a little further away, with only a glass of juice in front of her.
Her gaze followed Fu Yibai the whole time, watching him chat and laugh with others, watching him accept toasts, and watching the occasional hint of fatigue he showed.
She knew that her current position made it inappropriate for her to step forward, so she silently etched this scene into her heart.
The wrap party lasted until late at night.
Fu Yibai had been given a lot of alcohol, and when he returned to his hotel room, his steps were unsteady.
Liu Yan helped him sit down, took off his coat, and handed him a hot towel.
"Thanks."
"I'll get you a glass of honey water."
Liu Yan turned to leave.
But Fu Yibai gently pulled her wrist.
She turned around and met Fu Yibai's deep eyes, which were still tinged with intoxication.
"Help me to take a bath."
.........