Chapter 15

Disaster and fortune are intertwined; the world is indeed full of wonders.

Liu Lei secretly retaliated, almost inadvertently exposing the truth by triggering a latent risk. Mai Xiaoyu turned the tide, using the Dove advertisement and the new talent Liu Tao to rebuild the positive image of Mengren.

After today, the accumulated risks will be released, and member confidence will be boosted, ensuring no worries for half a year.

In half a year, many things can be done.

Tsk tsk, the entertainment industry is indeed exciting, even more stimulating than being a con artist!

Mai Xiaoyu sat in the chair, feeling relieved, holding a cigarette and playing with a Zippo, pondering the company's future direction... Okay, not that high-minded, mainly thinking about how to make more money.

"Can't you be a gentleman in front of a lady? Smoking so much is really suffocating!"

Li Xue, who had endured secondhand smoke for a long time, finally burst out.

"Huh, you haven't left yet?"

Li Xue walked over, fuming: "Are you holding a grudge?"

"Hmm?"

"No need to pretend, you are holding a grudge. For a company general manager, you have such a small heart!"

Mai Xiaoyu realized and smiled: "Not holding a grudge, but punishment."

"Punishment?"

"Yes. Your rash actions today almost caused irreparable damage to the company. Isn't it fair to deprive you of one on-screen opportunity?"

He slapped the mediation agreement in front of Li Xue, and the content shocked her.

Because of her actress sister, her family's living standards had significantly improved. Ten thousand yuan was not a large sum, but the content of the mediation agreement was crucial!

The general manager of Huan Yu Advertising and Media, Liu Lei, out of humanitarian considerations, compensated Mengren Film and Television ten thousand yuan on behalf of the company's employees...

If you weren't the mastermind, why would you be so proactive in compensating the employees and demanding that Mengren Film and Television not pursue the matter?

"Do you understand? In business competition, it's all about competing for the Dove advertisement contract. Huan Yu lost to us, so they resorted to despicable means, inciting you to vandalize the company, causing severe economic and reputational damage."

"Then, then, do we need to compensate?"

"Have you ever seen parents claim compensation from their children? The company is like a big family. You are company members, like children in the family. The company will be lenient with your mistakes. But this is the only time, no second chances."

"Oh, I see."

"What's the point of just knowing it yourself? You need to inform the others. Haven't you formed a rights protection group?"

"Ah? How did you know, Mr. Mai?"

Guesswork!

In today's society, con artists are everywhere, and the number of victims increases daily. After realizing they've been scammed, victims often form rights protection groups to unite as many victims as possible to pressure the con artists.

As a professional con artist, Mai Xiaoyu knew this well!

"Handle this well, and I'll recommend you for the next suitable opportunity."

"Okay, I understand." Li Xue pouted, feeling a bit wronged, "My sister said no one in the industry has heard of your company."

"Your sister... tell her, if she wants to boost her popularity and fame, she should come to the company and find me. I have the ability to turn her into a top star in China. If her conditions are good enough, she might even become a global star!"

"Are you joking, Mr. Mai?"

Not joking, but a serious... bluff.

The Li Bingbing in Mai Xiaoyu's dream achieved great success late in life, but that was a dream. Who can guarantee what reality will be like?

Reality and dreams have similar macro trends but differ in details. For example, both have the wildly popular "Huan Zhu Ge Ge" in Southeast Asia, but the actors are slightly different. Another example is Taiwan, which in the dream was always causing trouble, but in reality, it has become one of the three special administrative regions of China, along with Hong Kong and Macau.

Mai Xiaoyu couldn't guarantee that Li Bingbing would become as famous as in his dream. To avoid her using her familiarity with the entertainment industry to create trouble for Mengren Film and Television, he had to bluff Li Xue, also instilling the idea that "good children get rewards."

"You'll understand whether I'm joking when the Dove advertisement airs on TV."

Before the advertisement airs on TV, he first needed to solve the problem of implementing the creative concept.

Not long after Li Xue left in a bad mood, Gu Hongzhou's assistant arrived. He didn't say what was wrong, only that Mr. Mai Xiaoyu should go to the set.

Is there a problem with the set again?

Impossible!

Old Guang is the director, and Brother Cha is the cameraman. Who would dare to cause trouble?

Following the assistant to the shooting location, after watching a few scenes shot by Guang Xiaoxing, Mai Xiaoyu understood the problem.

The scenes were wildly creative and unrestrained... Damn, completely different from the style in my dream!

How to make excellent creative ideas land smoothly has always been a challenging problem. In the entertainment industry, the director is key, but Guang Xiaoxing...

"Old Guang, why are you shooting so recklessly?"

Guang Xiaoxing, valuing his profession and director status, said: "Mr. Mai, I am the director, and this is my expertise. Even for an advertisement, it should have a soul and the director's mark, not constrained by the script. The sky is the limit for a director..."

"You're a damn advertisement director now!"

An advertisement director is different from a film director.

From a creative perspective, a film is centered around the director, who can almost decide everything in the creation process. An advertisement, however, is centered around the creative concept of the advertising company, with limited room for the director to maneuver, similar to an executive director in the film industry.

"Steamed buns are also food, and an advertisement director is also a director!"

Damn, I have no words...

"Wrap it up, reshoot tomorrow!"

From a professional standpoint, the focus of an advertisement director and a film director differs. The latter focuses on "telling a story," while the former needs to excel in "visual impact."

An advertisement is measured in seconds and is often sandwiched between other ads, which viewers don't particularly enjoy. An advertisement director must highlight visual effects and convey key information within a limited time, leaving a deeper impression on the audience than other ads.

Old Guang's skills are not up to par!

I also bear some responsibility, causing him to waste two years of his craft, and he can't pick it up quickly.

Can't replace him, it would be too much of a blow, and there's no one else to replace him.

What to do?

On the way back, Mai Xiaoyu had an idea.

Returning to Shengshi, he borrowed a pencil and paper, sat in the design department, and started a human photocopier, "copying" the scenes in his mind onto the paper.

A Shengshi designer got up to make coffee, passed by, and curiously looked over, then froze.

What is he doing?

Drawing sketches?

Without a rough draft?

Hmm, not bad...

Holy cow!

A master!

"What are you looking at, Old Wang?"

"Shh, come and see."

"What's so interesting... Holy cow, is he about to take off?"

...

Gradually, Shengshi's planners, creatives, and designers gathered around, quietly standing behind Mai Xiaoyu. Every one of them was stunned. The designer surnamed Wang had forgotten about making coffee, staring at Mai Xiaoyu with his mouth agape, a thousand grass mud horses galloping through his mind.

Around seven in the evening, when Gu Hongzhou arrived at the company, he saw this amazing sight in the design department...