Huayu: This director specializes in promoting young actresses.

Chapter 70 Riding Brother Feng Chasing Sheep on the Grassland

Lin Feng took a deep breath and presented his prepared proposal: "Here's the thing, my company has recently attracted a lot of investment, but I'd prefer to collaborate with the university. As you know, Fengrui's rise was entirely due to the support of Beijing Film Academy, and now that we have the capability, we'd like to give back."

Yu Jianhong raised an eyebrow, his hand pausing as he flipped through the proposal: "You want Qingying Studio to invest?"

"Yes, but not entirely," Lin Feng explained. "The school may be short of funds, but we can use resource exchanges. For example, Fengrui's projects can prioritize cooperation with Qingying Film Studio, students from Beijing Film Academy can intern at our company, and profit sharing can also be tilted towards the school."

He closed the proposal and his voice became louder: "I need to discuss this with the school committee, since it involves funding and resource allocation. But personally, I wholeheartedly support it. We students of Beijing Film Academy should have this kind of spirit of sticking together and helping each other."

"Thank you, Principal."

"Don't mention it, Principal. I'm just the Vice Principal," Yu Jianhong waved his hand. "We also have our own motives. The film and television industry is too superficial these days, and what it lacks is someone like you who is willing to settle down and polish their work. Collaborating with you can provide students with practical opportunities and also enhance the reputation of Qingying Studio. It's a win-win situation."

"Oh, right," Yu Jianhong suddenly remembered something, "the little girl who played Shi Miao in your movie, her name is Tian Xiwei, right? I think she has a lot of talent. Would you be interested in studying for your undergraduate degree at the Beijing Film Academy?"

Lin Feng's eyes lit up: "She's been wanting to take the exam! I'll have her prepare the materials later. I'll trouble you to take care of it."

"It's our own child, no need to be so polite." Yu Jianhong laughed. "I'll let you know as soon as the school committee has any news."

As I left the Qingying Film Studio, the sun was shining brightly. My phone vibrated in my pocket; it was a message from Li Yitong: "Penguin CEO Li just contacted me, saying that a 15% stake is negotiable, and asked when you'd be free to discuss it further."

Lin Feng replied with a smile, "Let me talk about it when I get back. Let them wait for now."

August sunlight streamed through the glass curtain wall of the office building. Lin Feng sat behind his desk, his fingertips tracing over two investment agreements he had just signed. On the left was Tencent's 80 million for a 15% stake, and on the right was Qingying Film Studio's 40 million plus resource swap, also for a 15% stake.

"President Lin, with these two contracts signed, our company can go all out from now on!" Old Yang held the contracts, his hands trembling. "I'll go and inform the finance department right away to get the funds in place."

"No rush," Lin Feng called out to him. "There's something else. The company is expanding, so we need to hire people for each department and move to a bigger location. Make a list, and we'll meet up this afternoon."

"Alright!" Old Yang ran out with great enthusiasm, his excited shouts echoing down the corridor, "Everyone, perk up! We're expanding!"

Lin Feng leaned back in his chair, looking at the bustling traffic outside the window, and couldn't help but smile. In fact, he knew in his heart that even without accepting investment, the company could still operate normally with the revenue from "The Beginning" and the movie.

But he understands even more clearly that the film and television industry is never a solo endeavor. Tencent's traffic platform, Qingying Film Studio's industry resources, and the connections behind Beijing Film Academy can help Fengrui avoid many detours.

My phone vibrated on the desktop; it was a message from Li Yitong: "Xiaotian and Haochun are at the apartment. Shall we go straight there to find them?"

"Okay," Raymond Lam replied, "Buy some of their favorite desserts."

When Liu Haochun opened the door, her bangs were still dripping wet. She was wearing a light purple training uniform, the collar of which was soaked with sweat. When she saw Lin Feng and Li Yitong, she quickly stepped aside to let them in: "Brother Feng, Sister Yitong."

"Still practicing?" Li Yitong handed over a bag of desserts. "Take a break and have something to eat."

"Yeah, we just finished practicing the basics." Liu Haochun took the bag. "Weiwei... she's still sleeping."

"It's almost noon and you're still sleeping?" Lin Feng raised an eyebrow and looked at the closed bedroom door.

"They said there's no training today, so we can play on our phones to our hearts' content. We'll probably play until late and need to catch up on sleep," Liu Haochun explained in a low voice.

Lin Feng walked over and knocked on the door: "Tian Xiwei, wake up!"

There was no movement inside.

He knocked again: "If you don't get up, we won't take you on the grassland tour."

A rustling sound came from inside the door, followed by a muffled murmur: "Don't make a sound... we'll be at the grasslands soon..."

Lin Feng and Li Yitong exchanged a glance and laughed. Liu Haochun covered his mouth, probably dreaming about going to the grasslands.

Lin Feng simply turned the lock and walked into the bedroom. Tian Xiwei was lying sprawled on the bed, holding a rabbit doll in her arms, with a smile on her lips.

"Giddy up! Feng, hurry up!" She suddenly kicked her legs and muttered, "Run faster! Overtake that sheep!"

Lin Feng walked over and deliberately lowered his voice in her ear: "Tian Xiwei, we've arrived at the grassland. It's time to dismount."

"No!" Tian Xiwei buried her head in the pillow. "I want to ride a little longer..."

"If we don't get up soon, Hao Chun will have eaten all the sheep." Lin Feng reached out and gently pinched her arm.

"Ah! My sheep!" Tian Xiwei sat up abruptly, her hair a messy, upright frizz. Her eyes weren't fully open yet. Seeing Lin Feng by the bedside, she froze for three seconds before reacting, "Brother Feng? What are you doing here?"

"If I hadn't come, you would have eaten all the sheep on the grassland in your dreams." Lin Feng raised an eyebrow. "Who said they wanted to drive me faster?"

Tian Xiwei's cheeks flushed instantly, and she hurriedly pulled the blanket over herself, stammering, "I...I didn't say that! You misheard!"

"Oh?" Lin Feng drawled, "Then who said, 'Brother Feng, hurry up!'"

"You!" Tian Xi glared at him angrily, then suddenly remembered something, threw off the covers and jumped out of bed. "By the way! When are we going to the grasslands? Is it today?"

"We're leaving this afternoon," Li Yitong said as she walked in, carrying her clothes. "Go wash up quickly; we've booked afternoon flights."

"Yay!" Tian Xi cheered as she rushed into the bathroom, not forgetting to turn back and shout, "Wait for me for twenty minutes! I promise I'll be done!"

"By the way, Brother Feng," Liu Haochun suddenly remembered something, "Should we bring warm clothes to the grassland? I saw in the weather forecast that it'll be a bit cold at night."

"I've prepared everything for you," Li Yitong said with a smile. "I went to the mall yesterday and bought a windbreaker and long pants, which I've packed in my suitcase."

Tian Xiwei ran out with her hair still wet and a toothbrush in her mouth: "I want to see too! What color is my windbreaker?"

"Go to the living room and see for yourself," Li Yitong pointed to the suitcase by the door, "It's green, it goes best with the grassland."

"Yay! I love green!" Tian Xi rinsed her mouth slightly and said indistinctly, "I want to wear green, ride a white horse, and be the coolest kid on the grassland!"

As the plane broke through the clouds, Tian Xiwei excitedly poked Liu Haochun through the window, "Haochun, look! Don't the clouds below look like cotton candy? When we get to the grassland, won't we be able to reach out and touch them?"

Liu Haochun smiled and nodded, his fingertips gently touching the cool windowpane.

Li Yitong leaned back in her chair, scrolling through grassland travel guides on her phone, occasionally exchanging a few words with Lin Feng: "The guesthouse owner there said you can see the Milky Way at night, should we bring a thick coat?"

"I'm all prepared," Lin Feng said, shaking the backpack in his hand. "I've brought windbreakers, hand warmers, and even your hair conditioner."

Tian Xiwei leaned closer: "Brother Feng, why didn't you ask me what I wanted to bring?"

"You?" Lin Feng raised an eyebrow. "What else could it be besides snacks? Don't worry, I've got beef jerky, chocolate, and potato chips all prepared for you."

"Yay! Feng-ge is the best!" Tian Xi cheered and sat back down, continuing to point at the clouds outside the window.

As the plane landed at the airport, a fresh breeze swept over them, carrying the scent of grass and earth. Tian Xi took a deep breath: "Wow! Even the air smells wonderful!"

"Don't get excited," Li Yitong said, pulling her suitcase. "Let's go to the hotel to drop off our luggage first, and then I'll take you to eat something delicious."

The hotel was a locally-style guesthouse. The room had wool carpets and saddle-shaped decorations on the walls. Tian Xiwei threw down her luggage and plopped down on the bed, bouncing around: "So soft! Much more comfortable than the bed in our apartment!"

"Hurry up and get ready," Lin Feng knocked on their door. "There's a famous mutton soup restaurant nearby. If we don't go soon, there will be a long queue."

The group took a taxi to the restaurant. As soon as they entered, the rich aroma of mutton wafted towards them.

Tian Xi sniffed slightly, then pulled Liu Haochun to the table: "Boss! We want mutton offal soup, braised mutton head, mutton trotters... and that brown sugar pancake!"

"Slow down," Li Yitong said with a smile, pulling her back. "There are four of us, we won't be able to finish ordering too much."

"I can finish it!" Tian Xi patted her chest confidently. "I could eat half a sheep's head by myself!"

Soon, all the dishes were served. The mutton offal soup was steaming hot, with scallions floating in the milky white broth. The braised mutton head was stewed until tender, falling off the bone with a gentle break. The mutton trotters were coated in a bright red sauce, looking very chewy.

Tian Xiwei picked up a lamb's trotter and started gnawing on it, sauce smearing her mouth: "Wow! This is delicious! It's even better than the braised food stall downstairs from my house!"

Liu Haochun sipped the mutton soup, his eyes lighting up. The soup had no gamey smell at all, but instead had a faint milky aroma. Paired with freshly baked flatbread, it warmed his stomach comfortably.

Li Yitong originally wanted to control her diet, but when she smelled the aroma of mutton soup, she couldn't help but drink two more bowls: "No wonder everyone says that you have to drink mutton soup when you come to the grasslands. It really lives up to its reputation."

Seeing them enjoying their meal, Lin Feng also developed a big appetite. He picked up a piece of mutton head meat and handed it to Li Yitong: "Try this, it's stewed until very tender."

Tian Xiwei, with her sharp eyes, noticed this and immediately exclaimed, "Brother Feng, you're being unfair! You're only giving it to Sister Yitong!"

"Here you go," Lin Feng said with a smile, putting a piece on her plate as well. "Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you."

The meal was a lively affair. Tian Xiwei patted her round belly, leaned back in her chair, and sighed, "This is so wonderful... I feel like I could eat another brown sugar pancake."

"Stop eating," Li Yitong pulled her up, "If you eat any more, you won't be able to sleep tonight."

After dinner, we took a walk together. Tian Xi skipped and hopped after a small dog by the roadside, exclaiming, "Brother Feng, look! That dog is so cute! Doesn't it look like the one we used to have?"

"Yes, they're both just as mischievous." Lin Feng shook his head with a smile.

Back at the hotel, the four of them went to their respective rooms. After taking a shower, Tian Xiwei sat on the bed wrapped in a towel, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

The thought of riding horses on the grasslands tomorrow filled her with excitement. She glanced at the time; it was only a little past nine. She grabbed her phone, intending to knock on Lin Feng's door.

"Anyway, Brother Feng definitely isn't asleep either," she muttered, tiptoeing into the hallway and knocking on Lin Feng's door.

The atmosphere in Lin Feng's room was lively. Li Yitong was dressed in a smart assistant's outfit, a black short skirt with sheer stockings, and high heels on the carpet.