Chapter 63: Recruiting and Investing

Yuan Shuang was completely stunned. He was merely the owner of a small wedding photography studio and a part-time photographer!

Although he graduated from the Nanjing University of the Arts and had always harbored a dream of becoming a director in his heart,

After all, a dream was just a dream...

Yuan Shuang's hands trembled slightly with excitement. "But I have never..."

"It doesn't matter," Bai Lu said, opening the company's project proposal. "Mr. Jiang said that as long as you are willing, you can first learn by following the crew. Once your capabilities mature, the company will specially build a team for you to independently shoot projects."

"As long as you have a suitable project, our company also has equipment, locations, and professional actors from the Beijing Film Academy. All these resources can support you."

Yuan Shuang's breathing noticeably quickened.

Noticing his temptation, Bai Lu tried her best to imitate Jiang Ye's smile and continued, "Mr. Jiang often says that a good director must first know how to tell a story, and in your lens, every single frame speaks."

"..."

Sunlight streamed through the stained glass, casting shifting light and shadow onto the contract.

When Yuan Shuang finished signing his name, his hand was trembling slightly again. "Um... Director Bai, when should I start working?"

"Anytime, though I suppose you might need to settle your photography studio matters first?"

...

On the high-speed train back, Bai Lu received a message from Jiang Ye: "Deal closed?"

"Yeah, he said he's coming to Beijing next week."

"Not bad, Director Bai [grin]."

Her fingertips tapped swiftly across the screen with a hint of small pride: "Naturally! Look who was sent on the mission..."

"Seriously though, this business trip exhausted me to death. Shouldn't the boss offer some reward?"

Jiang Ye's message popped up instantly: "Little Bai, your perspective lacks ambition, doesn't it?"

"Back in ancient times, what would this be called? It's called being the founding hero who expanded the territory! Eventually, the company will have to cast a little golden statue of you to place at the entrance as a guardian mascot!"

"When the company goes public and rings the bell in the future, you stand in the center, and I'll carry your bag!"

Bai Lu looked at the screen, grinning foolishly with her gums fully exposed.

The fatigue from the business trip seemed to dissipate instantly, and the little puff of pride in her heart swelled up like a balloon, sweet and warm.

Meanwhile, Jiang Ye also put down his phone, his fingertips tapping lightly against the screen with a faint smile lingering at the corners of his mouth.

Outside the window on the tarmac, a passenger plane was slowly taxiing toward the runway, the roar of the engines drifting through the cabin window with the restlessness of an impending departure.

A major general secured successfully!

Yuan Shuang—who would later change his name to Cat's Tree!

He propelled many artists to stardom, and 80% of the female leads in the short videos he shot initially were none other than Bai Lu!

He could be said to be Bai Lu's guide into the entertainment industry.

In 2015, he collaborated with Song Weilong, Bai Lu, and others, uploading self-made healing-style short videos and micro-films to platforms like Miaopai and Weibo, receiving widespread attention.

In May 2016, Cat's Tree signed with Huanyu Film and Television, which was Yu Zheng's company, officially making his foray into the television drama realm and serving as a feature-length drama director for the first time by helming *Long For You*.

In 2020, Cat's Tree resumed his identity as an independent director and established his own company.

The first drama he directed was titled *Our Times*.

He also directed works such as *Nice to Meet You*, *When I Fly Towards You*, *See You Tomorrow*, and *Waiting for the Rain Together*.

He launched many young actors to fame, not only Bai Lu, but also Song Weilong, Tian Xiwei, Zhou Yiran, Zhang Miaoyi, Lu Yuxiao, and others...

He was an assistant that Jiang Ye currently needed immensely in his filmmaking endeavors.

With Bai Lu's side successfully completed, his own destination for this trip was Yunnan!

He was going to invest in a team that currently offered an exceptionally high cost-performance ratio...

...

Chuncheng, the rooftop of an old residential building.

Unlike the biting cold of the north, Chuncheng was like spring all year round.

The afternoon sunlight cascaded down, and Chen Xiang, wearing an unzipped director's vest, stared intently at the small screen of a household DV.

In front of the camera, Mushroom Head Huang Xiaofei was sporting her iconic afro, exaggeratedly acting out a cliché plot of a boss making empty promises, while Uncle Da Ying Baolin squatted nearby with a weathered expression, using veteran acting skills to infuse a simple line about young people needing to be steadfast with multiple layers of nuance.

"Cut!"

Chen Xiang called out, "Let's take it again. Mushroom Head, make that final roll of your eyes even more exaggerated!"

Qiuqiu Ji Wenjun, wrapped in a military-style cotton-padded overcoat, sauntered around nearby: "Director, if we keep shooting like this, I won't even be able to keep wearing my heavy coat!"

Everyone burst into laughter, but quickly plunged back into filming.

This was the norm for their startup venture.

Without professional equipment, without financial backing, and lacking even a fixed location, they relied entirely on pure passion to shoot those short clips on the streets, rooftops, and cheap rental apartments of Chuncheng that would later sweep across the entire internet.

After filming concluded, Chen Xiang and Runtou Li Honggang squatted on the roadside curb, holding steaming hot grilled Erkuai rice cakes.

Runtou was the screenwriter for this team!

"You're coming with me to meet someone in a bit," Chen Xiang said suddenly.

"Who?" Runtou took a bite of the rice cake and asked indistinctly.

"Jiang Ye."

Runtou frowned: "Never heard of it."

"The director of *Go Princess Go*."

Runtou almost choked on his rice cake: "The director of that mega-hit web drama? What is he coming to find us for?"

Chen Xiang smiled: "He said he's coming to visit and learn."

"Learn? Learn how we shoot films with a household DV?" Runtou shook his head self-deprecatingly. "It would be much more practical if he just invested some money in us..."

A gentle breeze carrying warmth blew past, and the two of them silently munched on their rice cakes.

They both knew the current predicament facing their team!

Despite having already accumulated a certain fan base across many platforms such as Tencent Weishi, Meipai, and Miaopai, with decent single-month view counts, monetization remained extremely difficult.

Team operations relied primarily on Chen Xiang's personal savings and early advertising revenue.

The production cost was around 300,000 yuan per month, mainly used for equipment rentals, locations, and actor remuneration.

It wouldn't be until April of this year that they would secure 759,494 yuan in angel round financing from Changqing Venture, acquiring a 20% stake!

By 2025, their company's valuation would soar into the range of 2.5 billion to 5 billion!

...

Dian Mushroom King Restaurant, Nanping Street Branch.

At 6:30 PM, the copper pot of mushroom soup in the private dining room was bubbling and sending up wisps of steam.

Guided by a waiter, Jiang Ye walked into the reserved private room and pushed open the heavy wooden door. Three people were already seated under the warm yellow lighting.

"Director Jiang!" Chen Xiang stood up immediately to welcome him. He was wearing a dark blue knit sweater today, looking much more formal than during the shoot.

Runtou, wearing black-rimmed glasses, also stood up beside him. Having a background in an art troupe, his sitting posture was upright.

The most eye-catching person was the girl seated by the window.

Qiuqiu wasn't wearing the iconic military overcoat from the set today; instead, she had changed into an ocher-colored knitted dress.

The hem of the dress ended just above her knee, outlining the smooth curves of her waist and hips, while the form-fitting fabric made her exquisitely proportioned figure all the more striking.

Her curves were breathtaking...

Seeing Jiang Ye enter, she quickly put down the rose sugar water she was stirring, her fingertips still stained with a trace of syrup. As she raised her hand to tuck back her hair, the contours of her arm were faintly visible beneath the knit fabric, and the hem of her dress fluttered slightly with the movement, revealing a slender stretch of lower leg.

"This is Qiuqiu, a female actress who recently joined our team," Chen Xiang introduced. "Hearing that Director Jiang was coming, she insisted on tagging along to learn."

Qiuqiu extended her hand generously: "Hello, Director Jiang! I loved the scene where the Crown Princess flips the mahjong table!"

Her eyes curved into crescents when she smiled, and the silver bracelet on her wrist jingled, imbuing her with the unique, radiant charm of a Yunnan girl.

(PS: Below is the book by a senior master in the group; those who like it can go check it out!)