Huayu: This director specializes in promoting young actresses.

Chapter 47 Liu Haochun Takes the Initiative

At three o'clock in the afternoon, the corridor of the Beijing Film Academy's teaching building was quiet. Sunlight streamed through the windows at the end of the corridor, casting long patches of light on the floor. Lin Feng, carrying a beautifully packaged box of tea, gently knocked on the door of Jiang Wei's office.

"Come in."

Pushing open the door, Jiang Wei was sitting in a wicker chair, flipping through a script. Seeing him, his eyes lit up, and he put down what he was holding and stood up: "A rare guest indeed! What brings you here today?"

"I'm here to thank you, teacher," Lin Feng said with a smile, placing the tea leaves on the table. "Without your help, the review of 'The Beginning' wouldn't have gone so smoothly. I came to see you as soon as I finished what I was doing."

Jiang Wei picked up the tea box and looked at it, then teased, "You little rascal, still doing this kind of thing." He couldn't hide the smile on his face. Every day at school, wherever he went, he could hear teachers and students talking about Lin Feng, saying that he was the "shining light of the Beijing Film Academy's directing department," which made him, as his instructor, feel proud.

Moreover, he participated in the screenwriting of "The Beginning" and received a considerable share of the profits later on, so he was naturally very happy.

"Teacher, please don't tease me." Lin Feng pulled up a chair and sat down. "I heard you're preparing for a new drama? How's it going?"

"It's almost done, we're casting now." Jiang Wei poured them both a cup of tea. "You're quite thoughtful, even showing concern for my drama. Aren't you busy promoting your own movie?"

"Busy as I am, I definitely have to care about my teacher's affairs." Lin Feng took a sip of tea. "Besides, the success of 'The Beginning' has indeed helped promote the movie. Now many people are asking when 'Take My Brother Away' will be released."

He paused, then spoke of what happened that morning: "Several companies contacted me today, wanting to sign me or invest in me, and the offers they made were quite attractive."

Jiang Wei laughed: "Don't pay attention to them. You're still a student, so the most important thing is to focus on making a good film. Aim for it to be a box office hit and bring honor to the Beijing Film Academy."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

In the following days, the internet became a "battlefield" between Tencent and iQiyi. Marketing accounts on both sides attacked each other, with Tencent calling "The Beginning" a "conscience of domestic suspense dramas," while iQiyi subtly criticized "The Beginning" for "inflated data."

Fans of "The Beginning" mocked "The Grave Robbers' Chronicles" for its "cheap special effects," while fans of "The Grave Robbers' Chronicles" retorted that "The Beginning has no IP and no traffic, so it definitely won't last."

Lin Feng didn't care about this at all. He had Lao Yang politely decline all the companies that came to him, citing "focusing on film promotion" as the reason. He knew that the current hype was all superficial, and only by producing solid works could he gain a foothold.

Friday, June 26th. Two new episodes of "The Lost Tomb" were released, and its reputation plummeted.

"Help! What's going on in this plot? From tomb raiding to treasure protection, is Wu Xie actually an undercover agent?"

"Can High Boy and Chen Chengcheng just disappear? Their added scenes are making me want to smash the TV!"

"The special effects are worse than the toys my three-year-old nephew plays with. The desert chase scene was so fake I wanted to dig my toes into the ground!"

"I can accept that members get early access, but the plot is so weak! Kiwi, give me my money back!"

The Douban rating plummeted to 2.5, and the comment section was almost entirely flooded with negative reviews.

The next day, episodes 7 and 8 of "The Beginning" were released, pushing the plot to its climax.

In episode 7, Uncle Watermelon's story brought tears to many eyes, revealing that "every ordinary person's life hides untold hardships."

Episode 8's double kill and counterattack heightened the tension even further. "The way Li Shiqing and Xiao Heyun were driven to the brink was so realistic!" "This twist gave me goosebumps!"

The live chat was buzzing with excitement:

"I came from 'The Grave Robbers' Chronicles,' thank you for forcing me into the embrace of 'The Beginning'!"

"I regret subscribing to iQiyi's membership; I should have just subscribed to Tencent's!"

"Why didn't you release 'The Beginning' sooner? You've blinded me for so long!"

In the data backend of Tencent Video, staff members were so excited watching the rapidly increasing viewership and membership numbers that they almost jumped for joy. "Mr. Wang! We've gained nearly 200 million new members in the last two weeks!"

When Wang Man received the call, she was discussing a contract with GG. Upon hearing the news, she beamed with joy: "Great! That's wonderful!"

Looking at the backend data, GG Merchants saw that with the popularity of "The Beginning" so high, their product exposure would naturally be excellent.

Wang Man's regard for Lin Feng grew even stronger. This kid not only knows how to act, but also has a knack for making money. She would definitely have to work closely with him in the future.

After watching the two new episodes, Tian Xiwei from the mountain city was so excited she spun around in her room. She immediately logged into her account and went on a spree of recommendations across various platforms: "Episodes 7 and 8 of 'The Beginning' are phenomenal! I cry every time I watch the scene with Uncle Watermelon! If you haven't seen it, go watch it now!"

Upon seeing a comment saying "the plot is too drawn out," she immediately retorted: "Idiot! Did you fast-forward through it? You can't even understand such a good plot, you must be a pig or a worm!"

She argued with someone in the local dialect for over half an hour until the other person deleted their comment. Then she smugly hummed and picked up her phone to call Lin Feng.

At that moment, Lin Feng and Li Yitong were nestled on the sofa. He had just whispered a few sweet words in her ear, making Li Yitong's eyes sparkle with desire and her cheeks flush. The phone rang at an inopportune moment. Lin Feng glanced at the caller ID and answered it reluctantly.

"Brother Feng! Brother Feng! 'The Beginning' is so good!" Tian Xiwei's loud voice came through the receiver. "I never expected the plot twist in episode 8! What happened next? Tell me quickly!"

"You still care about the plot?" Lin Feng teased her deliberately. "Have you finished your homework? Final exams are coming up soon, be careful you don't fail and get scolded by your parents."

"Ugh! Feng-ge, aren't you annoying?!" Tian Xi said sullenly. "Every time you call, it's about homework. I'm not talking to you anymore!"

"Okay, okay, I won't say anything more." Lin Feng smiled and compromised. "You should get some rest. It's more interesting to watch the plot yourself."

After hanging up the phone, just as he was about to continue his tender moment with Li Yitong, his phone rang again. This time it was a video call from Liu Haochun.

"Brother Feng."

"Haochun, what's wrong?"

"I just finished watching the latest two episodes, they're so good!" Liu Haochun's eyes sparkled. "I recommended them to my classmates last week, and they all said they were great. Now everyone in my dorm is watching them!"

"Thank you for helping me promote it."

"Hehe," Liu Haochun said a little shyly, then mustered up his courage and whispered, "Brother Feng, can you tell me about what happens next? I'm so curious..."

"No way," Lin Feng said deliberately, putting on a stern face. "It's more fun to watch it yourself."

Liu Haochun's lips immediately drooped, and he said with a pitiful expression, "Okay..."

Looking at her pitiful appearance, Lin Feng couldn't help but laugh: "Are you on the playground right now?"

"Yeah, I finished watching it in my dorm and called you when I came out, because I didn't want to disturb my classmates."

"Then go back and rest early."

"Brother Feng," Liu Haochun suddenly said, "Are you free tomorrow?"

"It's nothing, what's wrong?"

"I want to treat Brother Feng to a meal." Liu Haochun's voice trailed off. "You took me out during the May Day holiday, and I've been wanting to thank you ever since, but you've been so busy..."

"No need to be so polite."

"Yes, yes!" Liu Haochun said quickly, "Brother Feng, please say yes, okay?"

Seeing the expectant look in her eyes, Lin Feng couldn't bear to refuse: "Okay, I'll pick you up at your school gate tomorrow."

"Really? That's great! Thank you, Brother Feng!" Liu Haochun smiled, his eyes crinkling into crescent moons.