Chapter 76

Shen Liulu was saved by Xiaobai again.

She hid behind Xiaobai, secretly making a face and sticking out her tongue at Luo Zikang.

Teacher Xiaoliu arrived in time to prevent Xiaobai and Luo Zikang from fighting.

Luo Zikang looked miserable. Seeing this, Teacher Xiaoliu made the mischievous Shen Liulu go and stack the building blocks. Since she had knocked down someone's three-story building, she now had to rebuild it.

Shen Liulu obediently came out from behind Xiaobai and confidently said it was no problem, and she would go do it right away.

Soon, Teacher Xiaoliu realized she had made a big mistake, because Shen Liulu, the naughty child, openly took over Luo Zikang's building blocks.

How pitiful Luo Zikang was! Not only had his hard-built three-story building been knocked down, but now even his building blocks were taken by the culprit.

He could only sit on the side, glaring, while arguing with Shen Liulu and trying to get his blocks back. But every time he made a move, Shen Liulu would scream, calling for Teacher Xiaoliu to uphold justice. Even more reassuring was that a rabbit police officer was always on standby nearby. She felt very safe and was not afraid of Luo Zikang at all.

Zhang Tan saw that Xiaobai was playing happily with the other children, so he did not disturb her. When he got home, he went online and saw that the movie "Tomorrow's You" had grossed 200 million yuan at the box office.

After 5 days of release, 200 million yuan in box office revenue was already quite good for a youth drama. After deducting the 80 million yuan cost, there would be a substantial profit.

On the film review website, the ratings were also quite good, with 8.2 points. As the movie ran longer, the ratings would likely drop, but they should not fall below the expected 7.5 points.

Initially, he attended the movie premiere but had not written a review. It was not that he did not write one, but he was preparing a video analysis. Over the past few days, he had used his spare time to finish the script. Tonight, he had some time, so he sat down to record it, finishing at 11:30 PM. After checking that everything was fine, he uploaded and published it, considering it a way to give Li Rui an account.

Previously, Li Rui's company, Yonglong Entertainment, had run 5 pre-roll ads on his platform, costing 50,000 yuan. Because the effect was good, they gave an additional 10,000 yuan.

Of course, they did not give the extra 10,000 yuan for nothing. It was not just because the data was good. They also invited Zhang Tan to the premiere, and the meaning was clear: they hoped he would write a positive review. If he could make a special video analysis of "Tomorrow's You," that would be even better.

So, in the adult world, showing goodwill is always an equal exchange. It's just that sometimes what you exchange is something you don't value, so you feel like you're getting a good deal.

Tonight, Xiaobai did not come up; she was already asleep. Zhang Tan went down to check on her and then went back to his room to rest.

The next morning, he continued to chat with Zhang Tongshun. In Xiaobai's words, it was just idle chatter, but Zhang Tan was trying to persuade him.

"Following our idea, we can make a series called 'Little Actors.' The first episode can be called 'Little Actors: Grandma Liu Visits the Grand View Garden'..."

Last night, he listened to Meng Chengcheng talk about Grandma Liu visiting the Grand View Garden and found that when told by children, it was full of cuteness. The story itself was already quite comedic.

"Little Actors?" Zhang Tongshun asked. "I've only heard of old actors, not little actors."

"I've done some research. Don't underestimate today's children. The new generation has strong desires to express themselves and are very confident. Acting is not a problem for them..."

"Filming children's performances is very difficult," Zhang Tongshun said. Filming children and animals is widely recognized as the most challenging, as they do not understand what the director says and can start crying at any moment.

Zhang Tan smiled and said, "Director, with your rich experience, it's not a problem for you."

He thought to himself, otherwise, he wouldn't have insisted on finding you; he was counting on your experience.

...

At noon, Zhang Tan went to the office to find He Miao.

He Miao smiled when he saw him, "I heard you've been talking to Zhang Tongshun for two days. I told you he wouldn't agree so easily."

Zhang Tan sat down, "Indeed, it's hard to convince him."

He Miao said, "Mainly because this project has never been done before, and everyone is unsure."

In the past few days, most people in the film department knew that the new screenwriter wanted to make a new series with a group of children and was trying to persuade Director Zhang Tongshun.

Zhang Tan also smiled, "It seems I've already made an impression since I arrived."

He guessed that many people were watching out of curiosity. It's not that they were malicious; there was no distinction between good and bad intentions. They just wanted to see the show, have something to talk about. If he did well, they would not hesitate to applaud; if he failed, they would not care about his face.

He Miao encouraged him, "Young people should have this spirit, don't be discouraged."

As he spoke, he poured Zhang Tan a cup of tea.

He appreciated Zhang Tan's persistence. Without such persistence, nothing could be accomplished. However...

"I'll talk to Zhang Tongshun again and see if I can convince him. If not, I'll find another director for you, a younger one."

Younger directors are easier to persuade, with no credentials and fewer concerns. Having a project to work on is enough to satisfy them.

He suddenly thought of something and asked Zhang Tan, "I remember you studied directing in college?"

Zhang Tan suddenly looked up, thinking, "You don't mean to suggest I take it, right?" He said, "I did study directing and have made some small works, but my experience is still insufficient."

He had made some small works in college, but they were just small-scale projects. He knew his limits; if he were to direct "Little Actors," it would be a disaster.

He couldn't handle such a large project, and with so many child actors in "Little Actors," even an experienced director like Zhang Tongshun would find it challenging. If he were to do it, he would need Xiaobai to help control the scene.

"You don't need to be nervous, I was just asking casually," He Miao said.

Your casual question made me nervous.

"Is Zhang Tongshun in his office? Shall we go talk to him now?" He Miao said.

He was not 100% sure he could persuade Zhang Tongshun, but he had more influence than Zhang Tan. His involvement would at least make Zhang Tongshun feel more at ease and show that the department supported the "Little Actors" project.

"Director Zhang is there. I just came out of his office, but, supervisor, you don't need to go," Zhang Tan said, playing with the teacup in his hand.

He Miao: "What? Has he already clearly refused?"

If so, he would have to activate Plan B.

Actually, he was not surprised that Zhang Tongshun refused. If he were in Zhang Tongshun's shoes, he would also refuse.

"Thank you for your concern, Director Zhang did not refuse. I came to report the general situation of the project. The project name is 'Little Actors'..."

He Miao interrupted, "Wait, Director Zhang didn't refuse? Then he agreed?"

Zhang Tan: "Yes, he agreed. Now we need to consider the project's approval."

He Miao was stunned. Oh, he really convinced Zhang Tongshun!

He still did not believe it and asked, "You talked to him for two days, and he kept refusing, right?"

Zhang Tan smiled, "This morning, he was moved by my sincerity and plan."

He believed the sincerity; Zhang Tan had visited him for two days, chatting every day, which showed a lot of sincerity. But the plan? What plan?

"What plan?"

"I plan to name the project 'Little Actors' and make it a series. The first episode will be an excerpt from 'Dream of the Red Chamber,' 'Grandma Liu Visits the Grand View Garden'..."

Seeing Zhang Tan speak confidently, He Miao finally fully understood.

Although he had suggested Zhang Tongshun, deep down, he did not think Zhang Tongshun would agree. After all, he himself was unsure about the project. On paper, it was just a creative idea, and a lot of work needed to be done to turn it into a project.

Now, Zhang Tan told him that they needed to consider the project's approval, and he was suddenly startled, as if he heard the rumbling of wheels. This was really happening.