Huayu: This director is so eager to improve.

Chapter 69 Changing the person isn't out of the question

"Has Ms. Cai arrived? I need to see her!"

In the corridor outside the president's office at Tangren Media headquarters, a young woman dressed simply but with a strong presence was yelling at Cai Yinong's secretary.

The secretary maintained a professional smile, attempting to reassure:

"Ms. Hai, Mr. Cai is currently in a very important internal meeting, so it's probably not convenient for him right now..."

"inconvenient?"

The woman known as Miss Hai raised an eyebrow.

"If she won't see me, I'll wait here! I'll wait until she comes out of her meeting! I have to get to the bottom of this today!"

Her voice wasn't loud, but her attitude was firm, drawing furtive glances from employees at nearby workstations.

The secretary was somewhat helpless, knowing that this writer had a temper that was not easy to mess with, and that she did indeed have a good relationship with President Hai.

She had no choice but to pick up the internal phone again and ask for instructions in a low voice.

A moment later, she put down the phone and gave Haiyan a more sincere smile:

"Ms. Hai, Mr. Cai said the meeting has just ended, please come in."

Haiyan gave a light snort, said nothing more, picked up her handbag, and walked straight to the president's office.

The high heels tapped crisply on the floor.

Pushing open the door, the office was brightly lit. Cai Yinong was sitting on a large sofa, holding a cup of tea.

Seeing her come in, he gave her a slightly affectionate, teasing smile:

"Oh, our great writer, what brings you here today, and with such a fiery temper? Please, have a seat."

Haiyan wasn't in the mood for pleasantries. Her gaze swept across the room and she noticed another girl sitting on the other side of the sofa—it was Nazha.

When Nazha saw Haiyan, she quickly stood up and greeted her politely.

"Hello, Teacher Hai."

Haiyan simply nodded to her, then immediately turned her attention back to Cai Yinong and got straight to the point.

"Mr. Cai, what did we say when we first discussed the copyright?"

Haiyan sat down opposite Cai Yinong, leaning slightly forward.

"You personally promised that you would strongly invite Hu Ge to play Mei Changsu in the TV adaptation of 'Nirvana in Fire,' and that the script would fully respect the spirit of the original work, which is why I agreed to hand over the copyright to Tangren Media. And now? You're changing the actor just like that! Tangren Media, are you breaking the contract? Or are you ruining my work?!"

She became increasingly angry as she spoke. The reason she chose Tangren among so many competitors was not only because she was optimistic about Tangren's ability to produce period dramas, but also because Hu Ge, her ideal candidate for the role of Mei Changsu, was a key factor.

Cai Yinong's smile remained unchanged. After Haiyan finished speaking, she slowly put down her teacup and gave Nazha a wink.

Naza understood and quickly got up to pour a glass of freshly squeezed juice, carefully placing it on the small table in front of Haiyan.

Haiyan was still angry, but after glancing at the juice, she didn't refuse. She picked it up and took a big gulp, and the cool juice calmed her down a bit.

"Writer from Ocean University, please don't panic, let me explain." Cai Yinong's tone was calm and reassuring.

"Our Tangren Media team, and I, Cai Yinong, have never wavered in our commitment to you and 'Nirvana in Fire.' Inviting Hu Ge to star in the show was a goal we set from the very beginning, and we've put in a lot of effort to achieve it."

She paused, a hint of helplessness in her eyes:

"However, plans can't keep up with changes. Hu Ge himself is currently undergoing systematic further studies in the United States and will not be able to return to China in the short term to participate in long-term filming. More importantly, he feels that he has done too many period dramas in recent years and hopes to try to transform his image and broaden his acting range, so he will not be considering period dramas for the next few years. This is an actor's personal career plan, and although we regret it, we can only respect it."

Haiyan frowned as she listened, but her anger subsided somewhat.

She could understand Hu Ge's desire to change his career path, and as a creator, she respected the actor's choices regarding his career. However…

"Even if Hu Ge isn't good enough, you can't just throw anyone in to play Mei Changsu, can you?"

Haiyan's tone was still dissatisfied, but less sharp.

"Who is this Qi Yue? Can he play Mei Changsu well?"

Naza, who had been listening quietly, couldn't help but whisper a comment:

"Teacher Hai, Senior Brother Qi is a director, he's very talented. I think he could act in it."

Haiyan glanced at Nazha, somewhat surprised.

"Director? What director?"

She didn't have any objections to the director's acting, after all, so many great directors have given outstanding performances in their own or others' works.

But where did this Qi Yue come from? What's the point of making Nirvana in Fire without Hu Ge?!

Cai Yinong smiled and reached out to pick up the tablet computer that was on the coffee table.

He unlocked it, made a few quick movements, and then turned the screen towards Haiyan.

"My great writer, don't jump to conclusions. Take a look at this first."

Haiyan looked at the screen with a puzzled expression. A video was playing, and judging from the background and subtitles, it was from the Shanghai TV Festival Magnolia Awards ceremony not long ago.

The camera is focused on the stage. A tall, well-tailored young man in a black suit is receiving the "Best Chinese TV Series" trophy, the highest honor, from the presenter.

The spotlight shone on him, and the camera gave him a clear close-up.

It was a handsome face, but one that was far from the superficiality of an ordinary young man. His eyebrows were sparse, his nose was high and straight, and the lines of his lips carried a hint of cold restraint.

What is most striking are his eyes, which appear exceptionally calm and profound under the dazzling stage lights, as if they can see through all the noise and reach the essence of things.

As he raised the trophy, a faint smile played at the corners of his mouth, as if he had everything under control, conveying an indescribable composure and confidence.

The video is short, mainly consisting of clips of him going on stage to receive the award and giving a brief speech.

But in those brief one or two minutes, the young director named Qi Yue displayed an aura, an appearance, and a quality that was a mixture of calmness, aloofness, and hidden strength...

Haiyan stared at the screen, her eyes widening, forgetting to put down the juice cup she was holding.

The video finished playing and the screen went dark.

The office was silent for a few seconds.

The genius director's first appearance on screen is a pretty good gimmick.

Haiyan slowly raised her head and looked at Cai Yinong. The angry and questioning expression on her face had disappeared, replaced by a very subtle and complex look.

She coughed lightly, her voice unconsciously lowering.

"Uh, is this Director Qi Yue?"

After receiving an affirmative answer, she paused for a moment.

"Um...Mr. Cai, I think if Mr. Hu really can't do it, replacing him with someone else...it doesn't seem like something we could completely rule out, right?"

Cai Yinong and Nazha exchanged a knowing glance, a knowing smile playing on their lips.

"My dear author, you have no problem, but Director Qi has some conditions to meet."

"What other conditions does he have? What other conditions are there?"

"Qi Yue wants to revise your script."

"??"