From the Start, I Talked a Coal Tycoon into Making an Idol Drama [The 1990s]

Upcoming novel: From the Start, I Convinced Hong Kong's Big Shots to Make a Cop Movie [The 1980s].

[Main story complete. I'll update the bonus chapters slowly from here on.]

[Capable, sharp older woman X cold-faced, insecure puppy]

After one false step, Zhu Yu was reborn in 1998.

The good news was that her eyesight was fine, so she could keep making movies.

The bad news was that she had just been framed and expelled from film school.

Worse still, the villagers who had sold everything to put her through school were about to arrive in the capital to see her, the future great director.

In her previous life, Zhu Yu had fled in disgrace.

This time, she would never let the villagers down.

To do that, she had to put together a film crew within three months.

Zhu Yu wasn't short on ability or experience. The only thing she lacked was money.

Money!

Broke Zhu Yu set her sights on the school heartthrob, Luo Xinian.

Luo Xinian had a background as impressive as his acting was awful.

To get investment, Zhu Yu swallowed her conscience and said, "Luo, you have a real talent for acting. How about being the lead in my movie?"

The path to fame for genius director Zhu Yu began with that lie.

She made a romance drama, and a television executive sneered, "How can this kind of pointless nonsense even be called a TV series?"

Then the drama aired and swept the ratings, drawing crowds everywhere.

Even the executive's daughter became a fan of Zhu Yu. She put all her skills into begging her father: "Dad, I idolize Director Zhu so much! Please get me her autograph!"

The executive, who had once been so arrogant, had no choice but to hold his nose and go ask Zhu Yu for an autograph.

She made a movie, and a leading figure in the industry published a scathing critique: "Young lady, filmmaking isn't child's play. Don't ruin the big screen!"

Then her very first film won the Cannes Palme d'Or, a prize that the critic had spent his whole life trying and failing to win.

Even Charles, Hollywood's most celebrated director, lowered his proud head and praised her: "A monstrous genius from the East."

Scripts no one believed in earned her hundreds of millions at the box office, and unknown actors became award-winning stars in her hands.

Investors waved their checks and begged to work with her, while countless superstars did everything they could to land roles in her films.

Zhu Yu was the brightest pearl in the history of Chinese cinema.

Zhu Yu was at her wit's end.

In her previous life, all she knew was that Luo Xinian had left the industry early and gone home, defeated all his siblings, and become the new head of the family business.

She had heard that he was ruthless and cold by nature, a textbook domineering CEO.

But!

What happened to being cold by nature?

What kind of cold-hearted CEO bursts into tears in front of her at the drop of a hat?!

Luo Xinian had always hated his tendency to cry uncontrollably.

That was until he met Zhu Yu and discovered how much she was affected by it. For the first time in his life, he thought it might actually be a good thing.

He was clumsy with words and bad at expressing himself, but his tears could tell Zhu Yu about the feelings surging inside him.

His tears could make Zhu Yu feel sorry for him and favor him.

His tears could make Zhu Yu give up the whole forest for one tree: him.

The one despicable thing he did in his life was use his tears to beg for Zhu Yu's love.

Reader's Guide:

A parallel world. All characters are fictional, so please don't associate them with real people.

[Important] The story focuses on her career, but the romance also takes up a considerable part. The hero isn't just a background character.

The hero and heroine are each other's first love in both their lifetimes. No one else, 1v1.

Upcoming novel: From the Start, I Convinced Hong Kong's Big Shots to Make a Cop Movie [The 1980s]

Blurb: [Sickly big shot whose old flame rekindles X director who flirts without realizing it]

After transmigrating, Song Cichao returned to Hong Kong in 1986.

The moment she opened her eyes, a gun was pressed against her forehead.

A room full of fierce-looking gangsters surrounded a stunningly handsome man at the center.

After going through the original owner's memories, Song Cichao wanted to cry.

The original owner had been persuaded by her boyfriend to pretend to be a Chinese-American director, claiming to have a good Hollywood movie project and hoping to scam some money from a sucker.

Unfortunately, the two had just arrived and knew nothing about the place. They had managed to scam Baili Mu, a big shot from the Yi Gang.

The only good news was that Song Cichao had worked as a director for half her life, so this was right up her alley.

To stay alive, she brought out her skills at persuading investors, speaking eloquently and laying out a mountain of knowledge about filmmaking with impressive expertise.

Seeing that the big shot was willing to listen, she quickly promised with confidence, "Boss, give me six months. I'll have a movie for you within six months!"

Baili Mu was plagued by illness and seemed frail and aloof, but his words were murderous: "You have one month. In a month, either hand over a movie or I'll feed you to the fish."

Holding a steaming 500,000 Hong Kong dollars, Song Cichao set out to save her own life by making a movie, followed by a group of gangsters assigned to keep an eye on her.

Hong Kong filmmakers heard that Baili Mu had handed 500,000 to a girl from the mainland and immediately started a betting pool, wagering on when she would run off with the money.

Who would have thought that, a month later, Song Cichao's low-budget horror film would open and scare the whole of Hong Kong.

An investment of 500,000 earned an astonishing 11 million at the box office, a return of twenty-two times the investment!

The filmmakers who had started the betting pool all turned red-eyed and waved checks, begging Song Cichao to direct their movies.

One director sneered in an interview, "Horror films are lowbrow. And they call this a genius director?"

Before Song Cichao could react, Baili Mu had already placed a check for her next film at her hand.

A year later, Song Cichao's new movie opened. Her cop film caused a sensation as soon as it hit theaters, and gangs from all over the city lined up to see it.

It smashed box-office records and swept the awards.

Even film companies in Hollywood made the long trip to invite Song Cichao to Hollywood.

Song Cichao figured she had made Baili Mu a lot of money, so she should be able to buy back her life.

She went to say goodbye, trembling with fear, only to see him push all the money he had earned over the years toward her and ask softly, "Would I be so fortunate as to be your investor for the rest of your life?"

Looking into the man's luminous eyes, Song Cichao suddenly realized, far too late, that something had quietly changed over the past few years.

Theme: Never give up hope.