Huayu: This director is pretty strong.

At the victory celebration banquet in Chapter 116, there was no main character.

The red taillights left two streaks in the puddles.

Two minutes later, the two marks were crushed by the tires of another black car.

In front of the Kunlun Hotel, Su Wan got out of the car, the hem of her black suit brushing against the edge of the car door.

She stopped and looked at the banner hanging above the hotel's revolving door: "Warmly celebrate the film 'Thunder' winning the Palme d'Or at Cannes."

Where is Chen Yan?

Lin Shufen walked out from behind the doorpost, clutching a red handbag in her hand.

She looked behind Su Wan; the car door was already closed, and the driver, Wu Gang, showed no sign of getting out.

"He's in Tianjin."

After Su Wan finished speaking, she stepped onto the steps.

Lin Shufen followed behind her, speaking very quickly.

"Half of the people here today are from the industry: the Film Bureau, major cinema chains, and the directors of those old-established film studios."

"Without Chen Yan's appearance, this wine is undrinkable."

Su Wan stopped in front of the elevator and pressed the up button.

"The trophy is in the car; I'll bring it in."

"Even if the person is gone, the rules remain."

The elevator doors opened, and Su Wan's expressionless face was reflected in the metal interior.

Third floor banquet hall.

The heavy sliding door was opened by two waiters.

Golden light poured out, shining on Su Wan's white velvet scarf.

Hundreds of eyes turned towards them at the same time.

The noisy conversation stopped, and the clinking of forks against the porcelain plates also ceased.

At the main table, Wang Jianguo of Stellar Cinemas, Shao Wan, head of the film company, and veteran Mo Yuan were all present.

There was an empty seat next to them, with Chen Yan's name on the chair.

Su Wan walked through the crowd, each step landing on the thick carpet.

She walked to the main table and placed the red velvet box she was holding on the empty tabletop.

"Director Chen has something to attend to and has asked me to apologize to everyone."

Shao Wan put down her wine glass and looked at the box.

"The Palme d'Or is back, but the main character isn't. This wine lacks potency."

Wang Jianguo nodded and pointed to the empty seat.

"What is he busy with? Lu Haiming's case has already been settled. It's not like him to not come out and reap the rewards now."

"Collect the debt."

Su Wan pulled out the chair next to her and sat down.

Lin Shufen sat to Su Wan's right and waved to the waiter to pour her wine.

A man in a gray suit walked over with a wine glass in his hand. He was one of the largest private film investors in China, and his surname was Qian.

"Ms. Su, we'd like to cover the entire budget for Director Chen's next film."

Mr. Qian held up three fingers, the fingertips trembling slightly.

"Thirty million US dollars. Let him decide on the cast; what we want is a simultaneous global release."

The bigwigs at the main table all looked at Su Wan.

Su Wan didn't pick up a wine glass; she tapped her finger twice on the table.

"Director Chen's next film will not accept external investment."

Mr. Qian's smile faded.

"Ms. Su, this isn't the attitude for business. The Palme d'Or hype only lasts six months. If we don't invest now, when will we?"

"The rules set by Director Chen cannot be changed by simply throwing money at them."

Su Wan took a stack of documents out of her bag and placed them in front of Boss Qian.

"This is Chen Yan Film Industry's distribution standard for the next three years."

"Firstly, for all collaborative films, the director retains the final cut rights."

"Secondly, all subsequent marketing and promotion costs will be advanced by the investors, who will not participate in the first round of revenue sharing."

"The third point is that after deducting the cinema's commission, the box office revenue will be settled based on real-time monitoring data, without any favors or delays in payment."

A few coughs were heard inside the room.

An elderly producer sitting in the back row stood up and slammed his lighter on the table.

"This isn't called following the rules, this is robbery."

"If the final cut is given to the director, then what are the investors? A cash cow?"

Su Wan turned her head and looked at the producer.

"Thunder" had a 25% screen share on its opening day, and its current box office is 32 million.

"You guys invested the money, but Chen Yan brought back the reputation and awards."

"Those who don't accept this rule can vote for Director He Ping."

"His new film is currently going through the internal process, and the budget should be quite ample."

The banquet hall was so quiet that only the hum of the air conditioner could be heard.

The name He Ping is now a taboo subject in the industry.

Lin Shufen glanced at Su Wan, picked up her wine glass, and took a sip.

"Miss Su is right."

Lin Shufen's voice was very low, but in such quiet, everyone could hear it clearly.

"Chen Yan can help you make money, but only if you listen to him."

"His cinemas now occupy 15% of the high-end market in Beijing."

"Those who don't want to play by these rules can take their copies with them and look for screenings in second-tier cities."

Wang Jianguo chuckled and looked down at the documents.

"Young man, your ambition is so great it could swallow the heavens."

"However, the data doesn't lie."

He picked up his pen and signed his name at the end of the document.

"Xingmei went with him."

Shao Wan and Mo Yuan exchanged a glance and then put down their pens.

Su Wan stood up and picked up the red box.

"Enjoy the drinks, everyone!"

"I have official business to attend to, please excuse me."

She ignored the business cards that were being offered to her and headed straight for the exit.

In the corridor.

A woman in business attire blocked Su Wan's path.

It's Zhou Man.

Two reporters with cameras followed behind her, their lenses flashing frequently.

"Miss Su, there are rumors that Lu Haiming committed suicide in the detention center because Chen Yan held the key to his death."

Does Chen Yan's act of using violence to combat violence align with the artistic ethics he promotes?

Zhou Man held the microphone to Su Wan's lips, her eyes sharp.

Su Wan stopped in her tracks, not avoiding the camera, and took a pre-prepared fax from her secretary.

"This is the preliminary seizure notice from the Tianjin police."

Su Wan displayed the paper in front of the camera.

"Minghai Film Industry, under Lu Haiming's name, is involved in money laundering, false capital contribution, and bribery."

"His suicide was an escape from legal judgment."

"Director Chen is currently busy assisting the task force in settling accounts for the workers' compensation funds that Lu Haiming embezzled."

"If you're interested in morality, why not ask those disabled workers who have waited for twenty years?"

Su Wan walked past Zhou Man, the sound of her high heels fading at the end of the corridor.

At the bottom of the steps outside the restaurant.

Su Wan got into the car, and Wu Gang started the engine, which emitted a deep roar.

Zhou Man stood on the steps, watching the black sedan drive away.

She looked down, and her phone vibrated, the screen lighting up.

A text message from an unknown number appeared at the top.

The message contained only one line: Tianjin A·X2198, Passat, expected to arrive at No. 14 Laochang Street, HQ District at 4:00 AM.

The sender's signature is a red cross symbol.

Zhou Man gripped her phone tightly, her fingernails scratching against the metal casing. She turned to look at the reporter behind her.

"Drive to Tianjin."

in the night.

Chen Yan sat in the white van, looking down at his phone screen, which displayed the message that the text message had been successfully sent.

He casually pulled the SIM card out of the phone, folded it in half, broke it, and the plastic casing cracked.

Chen Yan threw the broken chip out the window, where it fell into the oily puddles.

He looked up at the St. Mary's Hospital not far away. The inpatient building stood heavy, massive, and lifeless in the rain.

Liang Qinian sat in the driver's seat, the gauze on his leg already soaked through by the rain.

"The bait has been pressed down."

Chen Yan said.

Liang Qinian started the car and put it in reverse.

"Aren't you afraid you'll catch a shark?"

"As long as it's after this bone, that's fine."

Chen Yan looked out the window. The automatic door at the hospital entrance slowly opened, and an ambulance rushed into the rain with a siren, its blue lights piercing the night.

Chen Yan closed his eyes.

"Let's go collect the last debt."