96: Chapter 96 What's it like to offend a room full of people with just one sentence?

After chatting with Wu Yue, Lin Chuyan sought out Zheng Hai. Learning he was at the company, he headed straight to the Tianxing building.

Time was tight and the task heavy. Lin Chuyan didn't hide anything from him and explained the situation on the way.

Zheng Hai didn't hesitate and brought out his entire team.

He was now at Lin Chuyan's beck and call.

Every day when he logged onto Aiyue.com, he would see the other party registering new copyrights... With such creative ability, he felt the next album wasn't far off.

It didn't matter that others didn't know Lin Mo and Lin Chuyan were the same person; he wouldn't underestimate his potential.

Not to mention the connection with Ruan Xingyu.

"Give me the melody, let's make a backing track first. Record a vocal version, mix it, and do some mastering, and it'll be listenable. As for the studio version, come back tomorrow night. Give me a few days, and I'll definitely get it done for you."

Lin Chuyan was almost moved to tears: "Awesome. I can't thank you enough, Brother Zheng Hai. Don't be polite with me about the money spent these few days."

"Don't pull that with me. Talking about money hurts our friendship. Besides, we're all our own people, so just focus on recording your song."

Lin Chuyan was sensible: "Alright, I'll consider it as recording my first big album in advance."

Zheng Hai was truly happy, his old face crinkling into wrinkles.

With the professional team at Tianxing outputting, Lin Chuyan's work went smoothly.

The next morning, he contacted Music Director Xu Jie from Director Li's side.

The other party was straightforward and set a meeting at 11 o'clock at Jianjia Entertainment.

At 10:55, Lin Chuyan and Wu Yue arrived on time.

The company was on the 3rd floor of an office building, and the reception area seemed to have already gone home for the New Year.

While waiting, he glanced inside, and it was very deserted. He felt that those still at the company were likely the team for 'burning life', responsible for liaising with the publicity company and other third parties.

Strictly speaking, Lin Chuyan was also a third party, but he didn't have that self-awareness.

Although money was to be made, the other party was the one begging him now.

This point had to be clear.

If they could cooperate, fine. If not, forget it.

After waiting a few minutes, a girl about his age came out to greet him.

"Hello, Teacher Lin Chuyan?"

"Yes."

"Director Li is already waiting in the conference room. Follow me."

Walking through the quiet and deserted office area, the girl pushed open the conference room door.

The people in the conference room, who had been chatting, suddenly fell silent and looked at him in unison.

Good grief, over a dozen people...

He had thought it would just be Director Li Li and Music Director Xu Jie.

Director Li Li stood up and greeted them.

Lin Chuyan almost didn't recognize her.

The Director Li Li in his memory was a chubby woman. Did she really lose 100 pounds?

And her temperament seemed to have changed too. She used to look very likeable; now, nobody would believe she used to be a comedic actress.

After the pleasantries, they sat down and started chatting.

Lin Chuyan found a topic: "Director Li, you've changed a lot."

Director Li Li smiled: "It's nothing, I just lost weight while filming this movie."

Music Director Xu Jie was also smiling: "Director Li Li has sacrificed too much for this movie. To be honest, at first, no one thought she could really lose so much weight."

That remark...

Lin Chuyan muttered in his heart: The plot of this movie is about losing weight and training to become a boxer, right? What is "no one thought"?

After chatting for a few more sentences, the topic suddenly turned to the box office.

A woman in the team couldn't help but speak up: "Honestly, a box office lower than 3 billion would be a disservice to the sweat Director Li Li shed. I watched her train on set every day during that time. It was so hard, really. Who else could hold on?"

Lin Chuyan said nothing on the surface, but he was rolling his eyes inside. That flattery...

Who else? Hold on? You're probably unaware of the power of money. Why don't you give an ordinary person 50 million and see if they can hold on?

However, the flattery wasn't over. Another rather chubby man stood up to joke: "3 billion is an understatement, right? Teacher Lin Chuyan, you don't know how much Director Li Li sacrificed for this play. Not to mention the bland three meals a day, anyway, someone like me who has to eat a midnight snack every night couldn't stand it."

'Sacrifice', 'bland three meals', 'no midnight snacks'.

Lin Chuyan had nothing to say.

He probably understood.

Clearly, the viewpoint that "it's truly awesome that Director Li Li lost weight" was already a consensus in their team.

Whether it's anxiety or flattery.

Anyway, it had become a talking point they would take out from time to time to cheer each other on.

Seeing them like this, Lin Chuyan understood why they made #Director Li Li lost 100 pounds# a marketing focus. After all, it is truly impressive for an ordinary person to lose so much weight, and it's very topical.

But the problem is, are you, Director Li Li, an ordinary person?

You are an actor!

Isn't that what actors do?

As long as the role requires it, isn't gaining or losing weight expected? Not to mention far-off examples, even Lin Chuyan himself lost weight for a role when filming 'drama'. Did he say anything?

Isn't acting every role well the basic duty of an actor? Does no one in the whole team think there's a problem with this promotion?

It will definitely backfire!

Or do they actually not care? As long as the box office is high?

Lin Chuyan was silent for a while. There were some things he could have left unsaid, but if he didn't say them, he would probably be uncomfortable for a while.

A million is good, but in his heart, there are some things that need more protecting.

Besides, he doesn't seem to be that short of money, right?

So.

"Speaking of which, since she is an actor, she should serve the plot. Since this movie is about the story of losing weight to become a boxer, wouldn't it be strange if she couldn't lose the weight? Isn't everything Director Li Li did just what she was supposed to do?"

"I'll just ask one question: Are you guys filming a movie, or a weight-loss vlog?"

Awkward.

The entire conference room fell into unprecedented awkwardness.

Silence.

It seemed like it was the first time everyone had encountered... such low emotional intelligence in the entertainment industry?

As expected of you, Lin Chuyan.

Offending a whole room of people with one sentence.

What a 'weight-loss vlog'... that remark was too harsh...

Music Director Xu Jie had long heard that this guy often acted crazy on Weibo, but he didn't expect him to be this crazy offline.

This is the conference room of Jianjia Entertainment, not your own home.

Director Li Li, the director of a 5 billion box office champion, is sitting here, and you really don't give any face at all?

Thinking that his side still needed something from the other party, he was about to say a few words to ease the atmosphere, but someone spoke first.

Not everyone is willing to smooth things over.

You, Lin Chuyan, are not some big shot in the entertainment industry. Who is afraid of offending you?

The chubby man who had been flattering Director Li Li stood up—Lin Chuyan's previous words followed his, so he naturally felt it was an insult.

'Teacher Lin Chuyan' my ass, he started calling him by his full name.

"That's not right, Lin Chuyan. It's rare for a female director to be willing to stand up and film a female-led movie that showcases female power. Our team finally achieved something, and it's negated by one sentence from you? Do you know what respect is?"

Lin Chuyan found it funny when he heard this.

Fine, since someone is willing to stand up and talk to him about what is a movie, what is an actor, what is female, and what is respect, he doesn't mind saying a few more words.

"In this matter, there is only one way to make me respect you."

"For movies, please win with the movie. For actors, please win with acting skills. If not, then it's as if you never won."

The conference room was very quiet, with only Lin Chuyan's voice echoing, resounding clearly.

"I talk to you about actors, you talk to me about actresses. I talk to you about acting skills, you talk to me about how difficult it is. I talk to you about the plot, and you are here, not ashamed but proud, talking about stopping midnight snacks. You keep putting value on female movies, so why is everyone talking about weight loss today? Does the meaning of a woman's existence and the embodiment of value lie in weight loss? Does this movie have no other points to promote? You people should stop demeaning women here! Please let go of female movies!"

The chubby man was so stunned his scalp went numb. His temper flared up, and he started speaking without thinking: "You stinky song-seller, is that how you talk to the client?"

Tsk tsk, started making personal attacks when you can't win an argument? Trying to use your status?

Who doesn't know how to flip the table?

"Oh, that's simple." Lin Chuyan didn't indulge him, "Although I don't know who you are, since you're jumping around so much, you must be able to represent Director Li Li. Very good, then I won't sell it."

Lin Chuyan smiled again, looking at the other party's furious appearance with a playful look in his eyes: "You don't think I'm short of money, do you? What? Still want to use the client's status to pressure me? You were the ones who sent a private message to Lin Mo, right? You were the ones who wanted the song, right? Since you can't get your attitude right, I don't think there's any need to continue this cooperation."

Lin Chuyan got up to leave, and Wu Yue walked even faster than him without saying a word.

The chubby man swallowed, and seeing the other party was about to leave, his brain finally cleared up a bit.

Good heavens, he couldn't make the call on this, so he had to turn to the director, coming up with a preemptive complaint: "Director Li Li, he insulted all of us."

"Get out."

"What?"

Director Li Li stared at him and repeated expressionlessly: "I said you, get out!"