Huayu: This director is so eager to improve.

Chapter 40 New Ways of Cooperation

"Xiao Wang, give her the car keys."

"I?"

"Don't get too excited yet. There are footprints in the pit. If all these bags and packages could be thrown away, who would bother going down into the pit? Let's go back to the team and talk about it later."

"Move the car in front and move forward!"

The jeep drove away from the scene, and the camera completed a long, arcing motion, finally settling on a slightly elevated panoramic view:

All around, busy white figures and glaring yellow police tape marked the perimeter. In the distance, the gray sky hung low, and the ruins stretched in all directions, seemingly without end.

"Cut!!!"

Qi Yue's voice came through the walkie-talkie, calm and undisturbed.

Behind the monitor, he slowly leaned back in his chair, his gaze still fixed on the image that had just been captured.

It's a six-minute long take, executed flawlessly. From the macro-level introduction to the detailed capture, the characters' reactions, and finally the issuance of instructions and the freezing of the atmosphere, all the information, emotions, and rhythm he wanted are fully presented in this meticulously designed long take.

There was no deliberate attempt to exaggerate the horror, but the all-encompassing sense of oppression and professional coldness, from the environment to the characters, from the individual to the collective, was more powerful than any bloody close-up.

"Keep one," Qi Yue said calmly, then added,

"Notify the actors and all departments to take a ten-minute break. Li Qing, your performance was excellent, keep it up. Teacher Duan, the detail about the tires was superb."

He didn't show much excitement, but when Guo Fan leaned over to watch the playback, his eyes lit up:

"The quality! The amount of information! Qi Yue, this opening is brilliant!"

Qi Yue's gaze was already fixed on the storyboard for the next scene. The opening tone had been set in the most hardcore way.

Then, the story of "White Nights" truly begins.

The one-shot technique is an irresistible ticket he offers to the audience.

He wanted everyone to be immersed in the criminal investigation world he had created from the very first minute.

......

"Director Qi, you've truly broadened my horizons!"

A crisp voice, carrying just the right amount of praise and enthusiasm, came from behind Qi Yue.

Cai Yinong had quietly entered at some point, accompanied by the unusually quiet Nazha.

Qi Yue looked up, not particularly surprised. He stood up and shook hands with Cai Yinong politely.

"Mr. Cai, you flatter me. It's just part of my job."

"This level of skill can't be explained away as 'within one's duties'." Cai Yinong's smile remained unchanged, but her gaze swept sharply over the still-busy wrap-up area before finally settling on Qi Yue's face.

"Director Qi, you were busy last time we ate together, so you have to give me a chance this time."

Qi Yue glanced at Guo Fan beside him. He had missed the last dinner party, and if he refused again this time, it would seem too deliberate.

"Sure, we've just finished work. There's a relatively quiet coffee shop nearby, shall we go sit down for a bit?"

In a corner of the café, outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the lights of the film and television base gradually come on.

Three cups of coffee steamed gently, filling the air with the aroma of beans.

The conversation naturally started with Naza.

"Nazha is very hardworking," Qi Yue said. He didn't really like this kind of Americano and only took one sip before stopping. "She is willing to put in the effort and is very proactive in observing and learning. The quality of her performance in the role of Liu Yin will be much higher than during the audition."

Naza's fingers tightened around the latte cup; this was a rare compliment she had heard from Qi Yue.

"Thank you, Director Qi. It's because of the great atmosphere on set; everyone is very professional."

Cai Yinong elegantly stirred her cappuccino, a smile playing on her lips.

"It's not easy to get a 'very good' from Director Qi. When we at Tangren select actors, we look at talent, but we value the actors' own tenacity even more."

She then gently changed the subject, as if mentioning it casually, "Seeing such a vibrant team as 'Tongfan' is truly enviable. In today's industry, teams that are both energetic and dedicated to their work are extremely rare."

She paused, observing Qi Yue's reaction. Seeing that he was simply listening calmly, she continued:

"Director Qi, I'm a straightforward person. After watching your performance today, I'll just say what I think. Tangren Media has indeed developed well in recent years, but it has also encountered some bottlenecks and urgently needs some fresh blood to stimulate it."

"If Tongfan Studio is interested, we very much hope to have the opportunity for in-depth cooperation, and even become one family, working together to grow the business. What do you say?"

The olive branch was extended directly, and the gesture was humble enough.

Qi Yue leaned back in his chair, his fingertips gently stroking the warm cup.

Tangren Media is a well-known name in the industry, and many of its films and television dramas represent the beautiful youthful memories of countless people.

But all those glories belong to the era of traditional television. No one can be sure whether the kings of the old era can board the ship of the new era.

The dim light of the café cast a soft shadow on his profile.

"Thank you for your kind offer, Mr. Cai." After a moment, he spoke, his voice clear and steady, "However, it's not appropriate for him to join Tangren directly at the moment."

Cai Yinong's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly, but her smile remained unchanged: "Oh? Does 'Tongfan' have longer-term independent plans, or does Director Qi have concerns about our Tangren model?"

"It's the rule," Qi Yue said directly.

"When 'Tongfan' started, we received help from some friends. Some things, even if they are just verbal agreements, carry weight."

He only touched on the point briefly, but his meaning was clear: he was deeply entangled with Xu Wei and the platform behind her, and would not easily switch sides.

The entertainment industry isn't a big circle, and if you behave too badly, you'll face backlash.

The experience of a certain bald director serves as a cautionary tale.

Tangren and Xu Wei's backers also have dealings with each other, exchanging resources and competing with each other, but also cooperating. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to so easily put Gulnazar into the "White Night" production team.

In the ups and downs of business, what's most frightening isn't greed, but rather greed without any bottom line.

"I understand." Cai Yinong nodded, showing no displeasure, but rather increased interest.

"Director Qi, do you think there's any possibility for both of us to achieve mutual benefit without violating the rules?"

"Yes," Qi Yue answered crisply. He put down his coffee cup, his gaze sweeping over Nazha who was listening quietly, before finally settling on Cai Yinong's face.

"One of the greatest strengths of Tangren Media, as a long-established film and television company, is its tiered system of systematically trained artists with diverse images and temperaments. This may be a burden for Tangren Media in terms of project matching and resource allocation as it faces transformation."

He used the word "burden," and Cai Yinong raised her eyebrows slightly but did not refute it; it was the truth.

Artists need exposure, acting opportunities, and continuous investment to maintain their popularity. During a period when Tangren's project output may slow down, management costs and development pressures have indeed increased significantly.

But for Tongfan Studio, which is expanding and urgently needs to build its own stable creative team and actor pool, this is a high-quality resource waiting to be developed.