Chinese entertainment: What's wrong with actresses wanting to improve?

Chapter 362 The Woman Who Left

February 2010 was still dry and cold in Beijing.

After returning from Northern Europe, Fu Yibai rested at home for only one day before reappearing in his office on the 28th floor of the Morning Light Building.

The office was well-heated, and the asparagus fern on the windowsill was lush and green, contrasting sharply with the bare branches of the trees outside.

He sat behind his large desk, his consciousness sinking into the familiar system screen in his mind.

He mentally typed "women's themes, art films, Venice" into the search bar.

The screen flashed, instantly filtering out dozens of videos.

His gaze swept over the familiar and unfamiliar names, finally settling on a card with a somber tone.

The Woman Who Left

"Redeem the localized version of 'The Woman Who Left'."

[Ding! Exchange successful, consuming 2000 Influence Points.]

[Remaining Influence Points: 201000]

A thick script appeared out of thin air on the table, with only five words on the cover—simple, cold, yet carrying immense power.

This is a masterpiece that won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, set in another time and space.

An epic tale of a woman's betrayal, forbearance, and eventual outburst.

He opened the script and read it from beginning to end.

Around noon, Wang Peng was called to the office.

"Mr. Fu, you wanted to see me?"

Wang Peng pushed open the door and came in, holding a folder containing the latest set construction progress photos for "Candle in the Tomb: The Lost City".

"sit."

Fu Yibai pushed the script on the table over.

"I'm going to use this notebook to go to Venice."

Wang Peng's relaxed expression vanished instantly, replaced by extreme seriousness.

He took the script with both hands, but instead of opening it immediately, he looked at the cover first.

"The Woman Who Left?"

"A purely art film. Help me register it, get it approved, and submit it for review."

Fu Yibai leaned back in his chair, his fingertips lightly tapping the armrest.

"My name is listed as both director and screenwriter."

You are the executive producer.

"And bring Chen Xi along too."

"Chen Xi?"

Wang Peng looked at Fu Yibai with a strange expression.

"Don't overthink it, I just want to see what this woman is capable of."

"clear."

Although Wang Peng said this, his expression remained strange.

"During the initial preparation phase, we will keep a low profile as much as possible."

"I've already decided on the female lead, Fan Binbin."

Wang Peng was not surprised.

This level of one-woman show is definitely the work of those women.

"Should I confirm Binbin's schedule with General Manager Lin?"

"No need, I'll talk to her myself. You go ahead and do your work."

Wang Peng took the script and left in a hurry.

After finishing up with the new movie, Guo Zhenni knocked on the door and came in, carrying a freshly brewed cup of tea.

"Mr. Fu, Mr. Liu Siyuan from Xingchen Technology called me this morning."

He said the engineering prototype of the Nebula X2 had been assembled and the system flashed, and he would like to ask you to take some time to go to Xiamen for final confirmation.

Fu Yibai picked up the teacup and blew on it to cool it down.

"He's quick on the uptake. Has he booked the plane ticket?"

"I've already booked my flight for the day after tomorrow morning."

Someone will pick you up when you arrive in Xiamen.

"OK."

Before setting off for Xiamen, box office success stories came pouring in like snowflakes.

Although Pacific Rim's momentum slowed down after it received an extended key, it is still reaping the final box office rewards.

As of early February, the cumulative box office in China had reached 17.3 billion yuan, raising the record for domestic film box office to a height that leaves newcomers in despair.

Globally, this mecha blockbuster has grossed over $11.8 billion, firmly holding a top position on the global box office charts for non-sequel films.

This achievement once again made Fu Yibai famous in Hollywood.

Countless projects were sent from Hollywood to Fu Yibai's desk.

Another blockbuster, James Cameron's "Avatar," did not make much of a splash after its release in China on January 4.

This is mainly thanks to the fact that the special effects blockbusters produced by Dawn in recent years have raised the aesthetic threshold of domestic audiences considerably.

In addition, with the lingering influence of "Pacific Rim," audiences' reaction to "Avatar's" iconic 3D visual effects was far less enthusiastic than in another timeline.

While the box office figures were decent, they fell far short of being a "phenomenon," which surprised many in the industry who were expecting a "battle of the titans."

However, Avatar's overseas performance far surpassed that of Pacific Rim.

The box office in North America alone exceeded $7 million.

The total global box office is close to $15 billion.

Cameron's global appeal played a significant role in this, but more importantly, the complete alien worldview and universal environmental issues constructed by Avatar resonated more deeply in overseas markets.

That evening, Fu Yibai returned to the villa, where Fan Binbin had been waiting for him for a long time.

"Binbin, I have good news for you."

"We'll talk about it after we've finished."

Fan Binbin didn't give Fu Yibai a chance to speak and kissed him directly.

In the days since returning to China, Fan Binbin has been draining Fu Yibai dry every night, hoping to hit the target as soon as possible.

Fu Yibai had absolutely no way to resist the beauty in his arms, and each time he could only let her take the lead in this tender yet intense entanglement.

Only when they were both exhausted and collapsed on the sofa did Fu Yibai stroke her sweaty hair and say softly, "I've prepared a movie tailor-made for you."

Filming will begin this year, and the film will participate in next year's Venice Film Festival.

Fan Binbin suddenly raised his head, his eyes initially filled with disbelief, then ignited with a burning light.

"real?"

Her voice trembled slightly with excitement.

Fu Yibai eloquently explained the general outline of the script and the profoundness of the characters, which Fan Binbin listened to with rapt attention.

She knew this was a test that would require her to give her all, and might even require her to shed a layer of skin.

This is not only a top-notch opportunity, but also a battlefield for her to prove her acting skills to the world.

She buried her face in Fu Yibai's neck and whispered.

"Thank you for this."

Fu Yibai hugged her tightly and said nothing more.

"Have you rested well?"

"Again?"

"certainly."

Fan Binbin mounted the horse again.