In the boat's lounge, as the song ended, Ren Jingxi remained immersed in the music that had unfolded like a scroll of life—three parts intoxication, three parts melancholy, and four parts broad-mindedness.
She particularly liked the line in the lyrics:
"Fate is always picky, and nothing is ever perfect."
On the other side, Wei Cancan, who had been dancing when Ren Jingxi arrived, pulled two other girls over and squeezed them next to Simon, pushing the other women aside. As the song faded, Wei Cancan suddenly leaned against Simon with a smile. "Simon, I think the line 'The bamboo horse went to find the bamboo horse' is really interesting."
Simon wrapped an arm around the girl with the curved eyebrows and whispered in her ear with a smile, "Yes, let me tell you a secret—the world isn't straight."
Wei Cancan, who was a bit of a directionally challenged airhead but undoubtedly the most outstanding girl in the National Arts Troupe, immediately caught the joke and giggled softly, leaning against Simon's chest. "The world isn't straight, huh? Hehe, the world... isn't straight. Boss, you're so bad."
Wei Cancan laughed heartily, while Gu Yaotiao and Ouyang Shuli, who were sitting behind her, could only follow with awkward smiles, clearly not understanding what was going on.
Not wanting to be left out, Gu Yaotiao leaned over, half-pressing on Wei Cancan, and looked at Simon. "Boss, boss, what does that mean?"
"The boss said the world isn't straight, meaning it's bent," Wei Cancan, still amused, quickly explained. "Got it? Ah, so silly, just like this."
As she spoke, the other girls who hadn't quite understood before began to catch on and joined in the laughter.
As they revisited the lyrics, they couldn't help but feel that their boss was... well, a bit wicked.
To say that "the world isn't straight."
Ren Jingxi, leaning obediently on the other side of Simon, watched the girls being charmed, still immersed in the mood of the lyrics. At the same time, another line from the song popped into her mind due to the scene before her.
"Long life is hardly a given, and even seventy depends on mercy.
Old age and illness accompany us longer than the swallows and orioles, for twenty more years."
Hah.
This was the "swallows and orioles."
Herself.
Herself... Suddenly, she wished she could be the frail woman who would accompany him for twenty more years.
Never to reach the shore in this lifetime.
As she pondered this, she felt that his view of the world was incredibly profound. People said that extreme wisdom led to sorrow, and perhaps, deep down, he wasn't as carefree and triumphant as he appeared on the surface.
Thus, he also said:
"Gains and losses, gatherings and partings—never seek perfection.
Never seek perfection."
With these thoughts swirling in her mind, surrounded by the "swallows and orioles," she heard Simon's voice again: "Sing it again. Also, Ren's clothes don't match. Help her change."
As he spoke, he seemed to make a gesture.
The girls who had been tangled together earlier separated and looked at her. The girl behind her also leaned in.
Then she noticed that attendants were drawing the curtains around the large couch, turning the space into a secluded area, like a pink-lit canopy, the atmosphere tinged with a soft, rosy hue.
Amidst the laughter, pairs of small hands reached out to her.
She realized.
All the girls here were dressed in ancient costumes, and even Simon was wearing a loose, moon-white robe. Only she was in modern attire.
It really... didn't fit.
And then.
The song began again.
And also.
Swallows and orioles, swallows and orioles, swallows and orioles.
At a certain moment, as she clung tightly to Simon's broad back, she thought, how wonderful it would be to never reach the shore in this lifetime.
But.
It was still daytime.
Would this boat... would it rock?
Never reaching the shore in this lifetime was just a dream. However, for an unknown amount of time afterward, she indeed didn't reach the shore. She was tired, a bit hurt, and was eventually taken to a bedroom on the lower deck.
The entire experience was so well-serviced, and the gentle rocking of the boat occasionally made her feel as if she had returned to her childhood cradle.
Rocking and swaying.
Stumbling and staggering.
Never to reach the shore in this lifetime.
When the warm spring sunlight peeked through the window cracks, she finally lost her drowsiness and felt only hunger, so she sat up.
Someone must have been waiting outside, as a maid entered upon hearing the noise, greeted her with a smile, and she responded in kind. She was then led to freshen up, and another maid brought several sets of ancient costumes for her to choose from. After a glance, she selected a pure white outfit with red brocade accents at the waist and collar—elegant yet subtly striking.
The former was her preference.
The latter would catch his attention more.
Then she was led to have a meal.
She really wanted to see him immediately, and it would be even better to have a meal together. However, since they hadn't taken her to him, it probably wasn't appropriate.
After breakfast, she finally returned to the third floor.
The scene from yesterday, with the "swallows and orioles," was gone, but it was still far from quiet.
Simon was still wearing the same moon-white ancient male attire from yesterday. Despite his foreign appearance, leaning on the couch in that outfit didn't feel out of place at all.
Still surrounded by beauties.
However, only one woman was nestled beside him now—Chen Qing, whom she recognized. A few days ago, when Simon had just arrived, it was Chen Qing who had notified her and scolded her, telling her to tidy up, saying she shouldn't look like a ghost and scare people.
On the other side of Simon, separated by a small redwood table holding books, tea sets, and snacks, knelt three other girls.
At first glance, they didn't seem to match the high quality of yesterday's "swallows and orioles."
But they were still very pretty girls.
As she approached, Simon waved his hand.
She obediently moved closer.
Chen Qing, who she had thought would be difficult to talk to, smiled and voluntarily gave up her spot. A maid quietly stepped forward to remove her shoes, and she leaned against him again.
Almost instinctively, she wanted to rest her head on his chest and doze off for a while.
But now was clearly not the time.
Simon casually wrapped an arm around her and gestured to the three girls on the other side. They moved closer with smiles, but since the other side of Simon was occupied by a square table, they could only squeeze together near his feet.
"I've found them all for you. It wasn't easy," Simon said with a strange tone, first grabbing the face of the youngest girl who had taken the opportunity to get closest. He lifted it slightly, examining her, then looked at Ren Jingxi. "Who do you think this is?"
She wasn't a fool, of course, she understood. Looking at the girl's flushed face, still trying to show a pleasing expression, she ventured, "Jin Suo?"
"Yes, she's Jin Suo."
Then the second one.
She only needed one glance to understand. Although she didn't have Jiang Anqi's softness, dressed in ancient attire, she exuded a certain grace.
"This is Ziwei."
"Correct," Simon smiled. "She's from Taiwan. Although she's also a newcomer, she can be used as a promotional gimmick in the future." He then pointed to the last girl, who had big eyes and a lively aura. "This is Xiao Yanzi."
She nodded.
She felt no displeasure at his direct casting, which had rendered some of her previous work useless. Moreover, she pretended not to notice that the three girls were only wearing ancient costumes on the outside, with modern clothes underneath.
He could do whatever he wanted.
She couldn't help but wonder if he had stayed on the boat since yesterday.
Simon, clearly unconcerned with her thoughts, casually assigned the roles to the three girls and added, "I've also found the male actors for you, but I'm not interested in meeting them. You can go see them when you have time."
She nodded again.
Looking at the three girls still kneeling at his feet, she couldn't help but think of yesterday's song again.
That line.
"The bamboo horse went to find the bamboo horse."
Hah.
Clearly just a joke. He was as straight as they come.
After Simon finished speaking, it seemed like he had completed his day's work. He picked up a book from the small redwood table, opened it, and gestured to the girl playing Jin Suo, who was closest to him, to start shelling the sunflower seeds on the table. The girl obediently began to peel the seeds.
He then raised his legs slightly, and the other two girls started gently massaging them.
Very understanding.
What a lord.
She thought to herself but couldn't help leaning closer and asking softly, "What are you reading?"
Simon showed her the cover.
The Legend of Shu Mountain.
Of course, she knew it was a xianxia novel by Huanzhu Louzhu from the Republican era. A teacher in college had once talked about it as an interesting anecdote. Mainly, this super-long novel, which had over four million words and was still unfinished, had a profound influence on Jin Yong's martial arts novels. In fact, many of Jin Yong's works could trace their roots back to The Legend of Shu Mountain.
Thinking of Simon's special project Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils with Jinshu, it was clear that he must also love The Legend of Shu Mountain.
So she tried to make conversation: "I heard it's a very exciting book. Are you planning to make a TV series out of it?"
"Of course not. It's too long. Even a TV series couldn't cover it all. It has to be a movie."
Her mind spun, feeling something was off.
The girl shelling the seeds seemed to catch onto something funny and chuckled softly, clearly trying to attract his attention.
From her angle, she could see into the girl's collar.
But she quickly looked away.
Simon seemed more interested now. As he flipped a page in the book, he said, "In a couple of years, if the timing is right, I plan to make a trilogy. Imagine it—swordsmen flying on their swords between towering peaks, battling in the air, sword energy crisscrossing. What a spectacular sight."
She didn't share the boyish dream of martial arts and said, "It must be very expensive."
"Not really. In China, following the scale of Zhang's Hero, each film would only need about $30 million."
Before she could react, the three girls all gasped in unison. The big-eyed girl at his feet exclaimed, "That's still 250 million RMB. It definitely wouldn't make that back in China."
She immediately thought the same.
But she also felt a bit annoyed at the big-eyed girl for interrupting.
"If it's done well, it could make around 200 million RMB in China. Then there's the rest of Asia—Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Singapore. With good distribution, it could make another 200 million. Finally, a bit from Europe and America, and it should turn a profit."
This time, the Taiwanese girl chimed in: "But, Mr. West, that would still only make a small profit, right?"
Simon seemed very patient. "In Hollywood, maintaining an average profit margin of 15% over the years is considered quite high. Most films break even. Besides, the key is steady, long-term returns."
The big-eyed girl, seeing Simon's kindness, flattered, "Daenerys Entertainment's films must have a much higher profit margin than 15%, right?"
"Yes, because I'm very good at this."
The girls all laughed softly in response.
The youngest girl, who was closest to Simon, finished shelling a seed and, instead of placing it in the dish by his hand, tried to feed it to him directly. He ate it, even playfully biting her finger, and she giggled, looking obedient. "Mr. West, if this movie really gets made, can I play a maid again?"
"Sure."
"Really?"
As the girl asked, the other two also looked eager.
Simon nodded. "Of course, but if there's no maid role, that would be a shame."
The teased girl pouted slightly. "Mr. West, you're so mean."
Simon just smiled without responding.
As they chatted, a maid came in and whispered something. After a nod, several more maids brought in a few packages.
Apart from Chen Qing, who got up to handle things, Ren Jingxi and the others were just curious.
When the packages were opened, they were a bit disappointed.
They were just some bricks.
Chen Qing, who had been quietly observing Simon's banter with the girls, took charge and explained.
Soon, they were surprised.
These were samples from the so-called Lu Mu Imperial Kiln near Suzhou. According to Chen Qing, the Lu Mu Imperial Kiln was responsible for producing the "golden bricks" for the Forbidden City during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Even during recent renovations of the Forbidden City, the Lu Mu Imperial Kiln had supplied the bricks.
The samples before them were to be used for Simon's private villa by West Lake in Suzhou.
Just hearing about the secretive processes—air-drying, water grinding, tung oil soaking—and the fact that each brick, even with modern techniques simplifying the process, took nearly half a year to produce, it was easy to imagine the value of these bricks.
It could only be described in one word.
Expensive.
After this little interlude, the three girls who had been summoned last night listened as Chen Qing and Simon discussed Jinshu Media.
"Boss, the core team for Jinshu Special Effects is basically set up. However, in China, as you know, human resources are cheap. If we follow your plan to train a specialized team of 500 people, even in Hollywood, that would be a formidable force. If we start outsourcing to Hollywood, aren't you afraid of 'teaching the apprentice to starve the master'?"
Simon, still flipping through The Legend of Shu Mountain, smiled and shook his head. "Honestly, I'm not worried."
If China's special effects outsourcing industry could develop, the low costs would be highly beneficial for Daenerys Entertainment. As for "teaching the apprentice to starve the master," considering that even two or three decades later, Chinese special effects films like The Wandering Earth were the exception while Shanghai Fortress was the norm, there was nothing to worry about.
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