This celebrity became even more popular after being exposed of having multiple girlfriends-Chapter 557 - 390_2

Not much chatting, just simply saying the song is very nice.

Hmm, whether they’re haters or fans, at least they contribute to the viewership.

Wu Mu laughed and said, "Your driver left? Want me to give you a ride?"

Su Meng hesitated slightly, "I’ll have to inform my folks at home."

"Aunt Qing, you don’t need to come over, hmm, a friend will give me a ride back, okay, I know."

After finishing the call, Su Meng opened the passenger door of Wu Mu’s car and sat in.

After clarifying where she wanted to go, Wu Mu was quite curious, "Aren’t you from Shen City, why come here?"

Su Meng shook her head, "I am from Shen City, but my family also has a house here in Beijing."

She paused, with a rare hint of a smile on her face, "We were at the venue earlier too, my friend wanted to cover their ears during your first song."

Wu Mu laughed loudly, "Well, that’s not my problem, I sang it just fine."

Wu Mu and Su Meng chatted casually, and soon he dropped Su Meng off at a large courtyard house in the Upper City District, not far from the Forbidden City.

Hmm, confirmed, another one of the Heavenly Dragon People.

Wu Mu was quite surprised, although from her usual words and actions, it was evident that Su Meng’s family should be quite wealthy.

But he didn’t expect them to be this rich.

This courtyard alone is estimated to be at least worth

The host was temporarily unavailable, so Yang Rongfa asked, "Quite a few top directors and company bosses from the industry are here today, would you like me to introduce you?"

This is an opportunity for ordinary industry folks.

Knowing more people is always good.

But... recalling the experience from the previous banquet, Yang Rongfa wisely chose to ask first.

Wu Mu shook his head, "No..."

But halfway through shaking his head, his gaze swept over a figure in a small lounge area next to the main living room, which was partially obscured and unclear, and he paused slightly.

"Director Lin is here too?" Wu Mu asked Yang Rongfa.

He naturally wasn’t referring to Lin Qingyue, but to Lin Qingyue’s father, Lin Xueming.

Although Lin Qingyue would be back tonight, she had matters to handle with the crew and wouldn’t be appearing here.

Moreover, he had talked with Lin Qingyue that morning, telling her he was going to attend this banquet. If Lin Qingyue were also coming, she would have informed him.

"Yes, Tang Wei and Xie Chunfang are here too." Yang Rongfa nodded.

Wu Mu ran through it in his mind, these two were directors of the same caliber as Lin Xueming within the industry, considered top-tier figures in the circle.

However, he didn’t expect to become buddies with these directors for resources, so he wasn’t overly concerned about them.

But since Lin Xueming was here, it wouldn’t be appropriate not to say hello.

"I’ll go say hi to Director Lin." He stepped directly towards the small lounge area.

"Director Lin and the others are here too, do you want to go say hello?" Yang Rongfa leaned in and asked quietly.

As he spoke, he pointed towards the small lounge area next to the main lounge with his hand.

The small lounge seemed to be a place for casual, private meetings. It was partitioned in the middle with decorations, making it difficult to see the entire layout, only revealing that it was smaller than this side.

There were some closer sofas arranged over there, with quite a few people sitting and chatting.

Director Lin?

Wu Mu processed this in his mind and immediately knew it was referring to Lin Qingyue’s father, Lin Xueming.

Although Lin Qingyue would be back tonight too, she still had crew matters to handle and wouldn’t be showing up here.

And he had spoken with Lin Qingyue in the morning about attending this banquet. If Lin Qingyue were coming, she would definitely tell him.

"I’ll go say hello." He nodded in agreement.

With Lin Xueming there, he definitely needed to go and greet him.

"The bosses of Light Shadow Media and Yahua Film and Television, along with Director Tang and Director Xie, are here too." Yang Rongfa quietly informed him.

Light Shadow Media, Yahua Film and Television?

Even if Wu Mu didn’t mingle in the circle, he knew about these two companies. If Yang Rongfa’s company counted as mid-level within the industry, then these two were genuine upper-tier.

Not only are they publicly listed companies, they also consistently produce big movies every year, and they run an artist management business with a roster full of celebrities.

No need to explain, it’s pretty clear.

As for Director Tang and Director Xie?

If Yang Rongfa found it noteworthy to mention them, they certainly weren’t simple characters.

Wu Mu thought for a moment and immediately knew who they were.

Tang Wei and Xie Chunfang.

Directors on the same level as Lin Xueming.

They were veterans of the industry with a well-established reputation, stature, and fame.

Seems like the big shots are all over there.

He and Yang Rongfa headed towards the small lounge area.

As they got closer, they could see the situation over there more clearly.

Lin Xueming was indeed there, sitting centrally on a sofa, holding a wine glass and seemingly talking about something.

There were quite a few people sitting around him, including two middle-aged men who exuded the aura of important bosses, standing next to some subordinate artists.

Director Tang Wei, attempting to hide something under a fabric cap but failing to conceal his bald head, and the towering Director Xie Chunfang, ironically tall and imposing despite his name which includes "Chunfang."

And then...

Wu Mu paused his steps.

A woman around forty, dressed in a fitted black suit with a pearl necklace, was speaking softly with someone nearby, exuding elegance and dignity.

Lin Qingyue’s mother is here too?

It was Wu Mu’s first time seeing Lin Qingyue’s mother in person. He’d never run into her during previous visits to Lin Qingyue’s home.

However, Du Lan, Lin Qingyue’s mother, was a renowned actress from a previous generation in the industry. Wu Mu had seen photos and thus recognized her.

After hesitating briefly, Wu Mu continued walking forward.

Yet, before taking a couple more steps, he encountered another familiar face.

On the edge of the small lounge, a man in his thirties holding a plate with a straight back appeared to be listening intently to Lin Xueming.

It was Geng Wei.

Originally the owner of Xiao Yi Company, the man tried to sign Wu Mu and, upon refusal, attempted to blacklist him in retaliation.

However, Wu Mu didn’t pay much attention to him, casually glanced over, and continued walking.

As he got closer, he could hear Lin Xueming’s voice, "This year’s film market situation is appalling; the National Film Bureau hasn’t released the official data yet, but I’ve obtained the detailed figures from their director, Cao Guang. This year’s total box office revenue is 42.5 billion, a 21% drop compared to last year’s level."

Lin Xueming paused, noticing Wu Mu approaching.

Not only him, but everyone else in the small lounge noticed as well.

Their expressions varied; some who were merely tagging along, such as certain celebrities’ assistants, looked somewhat surprised, wondering why an unexpected guest like him was here.

The top company bosses and directors like Tang Wei and Xie Chunfang cast a glance and didn’t pay much heed.

Lin Qingyue’s mother, Du Lan, initially seemed not to register, but after half a second of her gaze resting on Wu Mu’s face, realization dawned upon her.

And... Geng Wei.

Upon seeing Wu Mu, Geng Wei’s face visibly darkened, and when his and Wu Mu’s gazes met, he gave a forced, insincere grin.

Wu Mu, unfazed, merely scanned around and moved on.

This indifferent attitude undoubtedly made Geng Wei’s expression grow even darker.

"This year’s total viewership has also dropped significantly. This year it’s 1.01 billion, compared to last year’s 1.299 billion, a drop of nearly 300 million. Compared to 2019, it’s even worse; in 2019, the total box office revenue was 64.2 billion, a decrease of 33.9%. Five years have passed, yet our total film box office not only hasn’t increased but has declined year after year."

Lin Xueming paused slightly before continuing after glancing at Wu Mu.

Wu Mu didn’t mind and stood at the edge of the small lounge.

"In fact, this year’s level is even lower than ten years ago in 2015, where the total annual box office was 44 billion. The overall revenue in our industry has regressed to the level of ten years ago. These shocking figures, I believe, necessitate serious reflection from us filmmakers on what factors have led to such results."

Lin Xueming was talking about the shrinking film market.

This indeed has been the trend these past few years, with the film market declining annually, failing to usher in the flourishing period everyone anticipated a few years ago and instead reverting to levels from a decade ago.

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