Chapter 93

Both parties got what they wanted. Hong Fei knew Ye Ming's capabilities; someone who could write a song like "Blue and White Porcelain" would surely become a big star. He merely wanted to secure more benefits for the company.

The next day, Huang Bo unexpectedly called Ye Ming, saying that someone from the Hundred Flowers Palace wanted to talk to him.

The Hundred Flowers Palace had offended Zhang Yimou and Director Zhou, and in the end, they had no choice but to close down for rectification.

However, Manager Jiang was considered a capable person. He quickly found out from his friends why Director Zhou was angry—it was because he had lost face in front of Zhang Yimou. At this point, the first step was to gain Zhang Yimou's forgiveness, which would then allow Director Zhou to approve the reopening.

But was Zhang Yimou so easy to meet? Especially since Zhang Yimou was busy with the post-production work of "Not One Less," and the master was very busy, with no time to see people from the Hundred Flowers Palace.

Therefore, Manager Jiang thought of Ye Ming. He had already found out that Ye Ming, who came with Zhang Yimou, was the singer of "Blue and White Porcelain" and the one who sang the theme song for "Not One Less."

The leading young actor of Yonghua Film and Television.

Yonghua Company was as small as it could be, but when Manager Jiang inquired about Yonghua's background, he was taken aback.

Thus, Manager Jiang quickly mobilized his connections and found Huang Bo. Huang Bo was originally a singer who performed in nightclubs and dance halls, so releasing an album was a long-held wish of his.

Therefore, Huang Bo knew some people in the music industry. In this situation, Huang Bo, who had just returned from Mountain City, was approached by a familiar friend.

Unable to refuse his friend's repeated requests, Huang Bo agreed to give it a try.

In a luxury hotel room, Ye Ming pushed the door open, and Huang Bo immediately stood up and said, "Ye Ming, I'm really sorry to trouble you, considering how busy you are with filming. Let me introduce you, this is... Manager Jiang from the Hundred Flowers Palace."

Ye Ming waved his hand and said, "Brother Huang, you don't need to introduce him. I've met Manager Jiang before."

Manager Jiang smiled awkwardly and said, "Mr. Ye, you're too kind. I think there was a misunderstanding between us. Please, have a seat, have a seat."

At this moment, Manager Jiang was extremely热情. The person in front of him was a singer who had performed on the Spring Festival Gala. As the manager of one of the three major recording studios in the Chinese music industry, Manager Jiang was very aware of the influence of "Blue and White Porcelain." It had even ushered in a second wave of Chinese-style music.

The first wave was during the era of folk songs like "The Waves Remain the Same," "Chinese Folk Songs," and "Dreaming of Water Town."

Now, he saw that another era of Chinese-style music was not far off.

After sitting down, Manager Jiang got straight to the point, "Mr. Ye, I won't say more polite words. The other day, it was our fault. We had already cleared out the entire recording studio for Director Zhang's arrival, but due to a lapse, we didn't arrange for the security guard. This led to a significant misunderstanding. I hope Mr. Ye can help us speak to Director Zhang and ask him to be lenient."

The main issue was Zhang Yimou's anger. Manager Jiang would naturally find ways to smooth things over for other matters, as he had his own connections in the capital to run the Hundred Flowers Palace.

But only Zhang Yimou was difficult to appease.

At this moment, Ye Ming didn't say much. Offending Zhang Yimou and expecting to resolve the issue without any cost was unrealistic.

He picked up a cup of tea from the table and slowly sipped the rare premium Da Hong Pao, saying, "This is not easy to arrange. You know, Director Zhang is very busy these days."

Clearly, this was a hint for Manager Jiang to make an offer. He needed to come up with a satisfactory condition, or the matter wouldn't be discussed.

Ye Ming's actions made Manager Jiang feel suffocated. He had thought Ye Ming was a newcomer who could be easily swayed with a few words and some benefits.

But in reality, Ye Ming's experienced and shrewd demeanor didn't match that of a newcomer at all. He seemed more like someone who had been in the industry for over a decade.

Thinking about the losses incurred by the Hundred Flowers Palace during the rectification, Manager Jiang gritted his teeth and said, "I know this is not easy, but if Mr. Ye can help us smooth things over with Director Zhang, the Hundred Flowers Palace is willing to produce an album for you for free."

"I assume, after performing on the Spring Festival Gala, Mr. Ye has plans to develop in the music industry, right? The Hundred Flowers Palace is one of the three major recording studios in the Chinese music industry, and our production standards are quite high."

This was the bottom line of the Hundred Flowers Palace. Otherwise, they would find other ways to appease Zhang Yimou.

Ye Ming was very satisfied with this outcome. It was like someone was offering a pillow when he was feeling sleepy.

Without being overly formal, Ye Ming nodded and said, "It's a good thing. I was planning to record an album anyway, and the master tape for the theme song of 'Not One Less' has already been recorded at the Lingxiao Hall. Since the Hundred Flowers Palace is being so courteous, I won't be too formal either."

This was Ye Ming's confidence. After all, he was the first person to record a song at the Lingxiao Hall.

As long as Zhang Yimou could be appeased, recording an album was not a big deal.

Manager Jiang immediately nodded and patted his chest, "No problem. But the Hundred Flowers Palace is still under rectification. What about Director Zhang?"

Understanding the implications, Ye Ming confidently said, "Don't worry about Director Zhang. I'll talk to him. It should be fine."

With the theme song "Invisible Wings," Zhang Yimou would certainly give Ye Ming some face, and he was sure of this.

This was a win-win situation. Manager Jiang treated Ye Ming and Huang Bo to a good meal and then left.

After Manager Jiang left, Ye Ming said to Huang Bo, "Brother Huang, how's the situation in Mountain City? That place is a cultural heritage site, so don't be stingy with money."

Huang Bo laughed and said, "What cultural heritage site? Don't worry, I and Xu Zheng have already found out. The connections have been smoothed out, and they agreed to rent it to us for a month. There are hardly any tourists there, so renting it out is a small benefit for the local community. It cost us 8,000 yuan for a month. By the way, Ye Ming, what about the movie? Will recording the album delay the filming?"

Huang Bo was actually worried about this. "Crazy Stone" was a project he was very excited about.

Ye Ming smiled and nodded, "There won't be any delay. Setting up a film crew takes time, and our company has already started working on it. Recording the album is just something I'm doing on the side. You know, I've been singing a few songs recently and want to put them into an album. It won't delay the filming.

I need to contact a few other people. Brother Huang, I'll get back to you. I think in a month, we should be ready to start filming."

After reassuring Huang Bo, he left satisfied.

Then, Ye Ming contacted Zhao Wei and Fan Bingbing.

Zhao Wei was at school when she received the call and agreed to come over immediately.

She was straightforward and efficient.

Fan Bingbing, on the other hand, was still in the capital and had no other projects recently, so she was looking for opportunities.

When she saw Fan Bingbing, the girl was still as carefree as ever. She exclaimed in surprise, "Brother Ming, this place is so luxurious! I didn't expect you to come here for a meal. Did you hit the jackpot?"

In the hotel, Fan Bingbing was amazed by the luxury. The private room was elegantly decorated, and there were dedicated waiters.

Ye Ming gestured for her to sit down and said, "I wouldn't be so extravagant. Someone else is treating us. I'm just doing a favor. Don't worry, I'll treat you today."

The previous banquet had already been cleared away. The waiter brought the menu, and Fan Bingbing didn't hesitate to order five dishes, which were not overly expensive but were unique to the hotel.

It was clear that the girl still had a sense of frugality. She could survive on cold noodles for a month, and such hard times were not unfamiliar to her.

Zhao Wei, who lived farther away, had just arrived. Fan Bingbing quickly greeted her and handed her the menu, saying, "Sister Wei, don't be shy. Brother Ming is doing well. I've already ordered five dishes. You can order a few more that you like."

Zhao Wei knew Ye Ming had a reason to invite them, so she wasn't focused on the food. Unable to resist Fan Bingbing's insistence, she ordered three more dishes.

Soon, the dishes arrived. Ye Ming waved the waiter away and invited Zhao Wei and Fan Bingbing to eat.

Zhao Wei said straightforwardly, "Ming, what's the matter? You wouldn't invite us to eat for no reason, right?"

Ye Ming then expressed his thoughts, "I want to make a movie and would like you two to play the lead roles. Are you interested?"

Indeed, Zhao Wei knew Ye Ming wouldn't invite her without a reason.

Fan Bingbing, on the other hand, jumped up excitedly, "Brother Ming, you really are doing well! You're becoming a director now. Does that mean I should call you Director Ye? Director Ye, you must help me in the future!"

Zhao Wei was much calmer. As a graduate of a professional school, she knew that making a movie required a significant amount of money.

She frowned and said, "Making a movie? Where did you get the money? Don't tell me you won the lottery. The odds are too low."