Mysterious Assistant of the Washed-Up Queen-Chapter 550 - 348: Movie Wrap-up, Who Stays and Who Leaves?

At Unlimited Entertainment, with Hou Yichuan overseeing everything, all work proceeded methodically and without issue.

As for "The Voice," since the end of the first recording session, it seemed that either Chu Tian had inspired Wei Liangxiao, or Wei Liangxiao had figured things out on his own. In any case, from that point on, it was as if Wei Liangxiao had unlocked his full potential, delivering continuous surprises in subsequent recordings.

During that time, Chu Tian did make time to visit the set twice but didn't intervene again. Wei Liangxiao, relying on his own abilities, continued to produce excellent work.

Even though Chu Tian had grown up watching this show in his previous life, he had to admit that this version, produced by his own company, was still very enjoyable. This alone convinced him that no matter how much the show might struggle to adapt to local tastes, the general public's aesthetic sensibilities were likely consistent, and at the very least, many people would enjoy it.

If someone as critical as him, having lived through two lifetimes, couldn't stop watching it, what about others?

He thought that at the very least, a big hit was assured. As for how far it could go, he didn't dare to promise, but it definitely wouldn't be bad.

With this realization, he naturally had more confidence in his subsequent work, which in turn allowed Hou Yichuan to negotiate with even greater firmness.

Meanwhile, regarding the concerts, although Xu Qingqiu needed to take time out each week to participate in the show's recording sessions—and even more so in the later stages when participant advancements and team battles required her to spend additional time training and teaching—the concert events were still proceeding steadily. It was just that the previous frequency of two to three concerts a month, or even four during periods of high intensity, was becoming increasingly rare. When there was time, perhaps three concerts would be held. Usually, it was two, but they maintained a schedule of at least one concert.

This was not decided by Chu Tian. Although he was aware of it, the overall plans were concocted by Sister Hua and her team. After all, in the studio, Sister Hua was the true manager. Chu Tian could barely manage his own company, let alone this one. Ultimately, it was necessary for Sister Hua to grow and take the reins, a fact she clearly recognized, leading her team to devise such a plan.

They intended to use the concerts over the next year or two, along with the ongoing variety show and upcoming new albums, to initially maintain popularity. Then, once the variety show aired, they would maximize their influence. Finally, the new album would be used to reap the final rewards.

Overall, the strategy wasn't brilliant, but it was conservative and solid, even though most of its components relied on Chu Tian's abilities and support. After all, with top-tier resources like Chu Tian available, why seek external ones? That would be an utterly pointless exercise, like taking off one's pants to fart. So, it couldn't be said that Li Chunhua's abilities were lacking; at least, it showed she was clear-headed and able to fully utilize all resources at her disposal, which was what mattered most.

Just as Chu Tian was sitting in his office, reviewing recent work in his mind, a phone call rang at an inopportune moment.

"Hello, Director Wei, what's up? Has something happened?"

The call was from Wei Chuan. Lately, the production of "Candle in the Tomb" had been going well. Chu Tian had visited the set once, and everything seemed smooth. However, perhaps because the theme was so novel, there was no existing material to reference for many aspects of the production. Much of the equipment, filming methods, performance styles, and set props had no off-the-shelf products or references, meaning everything had to be created from scratch. This inevitably made the filming process particularly fraught with difficulties. Sometimes, after days of filming, if the props were found to be incorrect, they had to start all over again.

Preparations had started in March, right after the New Year, with filming commencing in April. All told, the film had now been in production for nearly six months.

Receiving a call from Wei Chuan at this time, Chu Tian's first reaction was a sinking feeling.

Oh my god, please, let this be good news.

While Chu Tian had initially been filled with anticipation for this project out of sentimentality, he now almost felt a sense of dread. Not only was this production exhausting, but it was also incredibly expensive!

He had thought himself quite capable over the past year. With resources from another world, though it wasn't always smooth sailing, his small company had grown into quite a formidable one. With a cash flow so strong he felt he couldn't possibly run out of money, he had inevitably become a bit inflated.

That was until he launched the "Candle in the Tomb" project, impulsively bringing in a heavyweight like Director Wei. It felt like falling into a pit, watching money flow out like water, with the film still nowhere near completion. His confidence was steadily diminishing. This wasn't a small sum; up to this point, crew training, costumes, set construction, filming, and actor salaries, among other costs, had already consumed over one hundred million. And that didn't even include promotion and post-production special effects, which were also major expenses.

Just thinking about the money gushing out like water made his head spin. Now, receiving this VIP's call, how could he not feel apprehensive?

Fortunately, his worries were unnecessary.

"Hey Chu, I have some good news. The film is about to wrap up! When can you come by?"

"What?! It's wrapping up? That quickly?!"

Upon hearing it was about to wrap up, Chu Tian's eyes immediately lit up.