The restaurant by the cliff, a casual shot without much need for editing could capture the coastal scenery.
The beauty of White City was quite unique.
If Li City was the favorite for white-collar workers, then White City might be more like an artist’s choice.
Li City was more bustling, while White City was more leisurely.
White City was also the only place in Yunan Province, among the tourist spots, that Zhou Wang had visited twice.
He still had quite a few photos saved on his phone because this place was closer than Li City. Whether by high-speed rail or self-driving, as long as the mood struck, one could depart from Ming City and reach there in three to four hours.
The last time Zhou Wang went to White City, he was dragged along by his dorm mates. Confused and bleary-eyed at ten in the evening, he found himself in his roommate Guo Nansheng’s car. By the next day, when he awoke from a hangover, he was already at a local inn in White City.
"What was Mr. Zhou thinking?"
The cheerful voice of Ma Yuan, General Manager of Daxia Film and Television, interrupted Zhou Wang’s drifting thoughts.
He withdrew his gaze, accepted the cigarette Ma Yuan offered, and smiled, "I accidentally remembered some youthful follies and got distracted..."
"Hahaha, Mr. Zhou, aren’t you still a young man now?"
Ma Yuan laughed and said, "If you’re already reminiscing about the past at your age, wouldn’t we older folks have to start writing memoirs?"
"My bad, my bad, Mr. Ma is in his prime, at the peak of success, how could you be an old man?"
Zhou Wang hurriedly apologized.
The others had already gone into the restaurant, leaving only Zhou Wang and Ma Yuan sitting by Erhai.
In this lazy seaside scenery, even the business atmosphere unconsciously dissipated a bit. They both seemed very relaxed, a suitable setting for alleviating conflicts.
After meeting, Zhou Wang’s first words made Ma Yuan furrow his brows, but he soon relaxed. They both first came here to reach a consensus on some matters.
"I got a basic understanding of what happened with the crew this morning."
After exchanging pleasantries, Ma Yuan pondered for a moment and spoke with a wry smile.
"I was planning to address it proactively even if you hadn’t mentioned it, Mr. Zhou. Letting Miss Shen suffer some grievances on the set is my fault, and I must apologize to you for that. Xu Youguang might have gotten a bit cocky. In the past, he was quite mindful on these matters..."
Zhou Wang wasn’t surprised that Ma Yuan already knew the cause of the incident.
Although Ma Yuan wasn’t on-site, he bore the title of producer and certainly had his own informants in the crew. If the matter escalated to disturb the entire production, he couldn’t have been unaware.
Yet, Ma Yuan probably didn’t expect that Zhou Wang would straightforwardly request "a different director."
"You’re too kind, Mr. Ma, you’re no deity. I’ve never been on set, but I can imagine how complex the dynamics are inside. How could you manage everything?"
Zhou Wang gestured dismissively and said, "I suggested replacing the director not just out of personal grievances. I was merely thinking if a crew can’t maintain its daily harmony, doesn’t it indirectly indicate that the director’s ability to manage has issues? My greater concern is that it might affect the overall shooting schedule of the series..."
Listening to Zhou Wang’s earnest words, Ma Yuan looked at Zhou Wang with astonishment.
To be honest, ever since they met, Ma Yuan had always been polite and friendly with Zhou Wang. However, if you asked how much Ma Yuan truly understood Zhou Wang, it was questionable.
Ma Yuan’s amicable attitude towards Zhou Wang mainly stemmed from Zhou Wang’s identity as the third-largest shareholder of Wuyou Media and the importance Zhang Shihao expressed through his words.
As Daxia Film and Television was Wuyou Media’s most important strategic partner for the entire upcoming year, with several major projects for deep collaboration, maintaining a good relationship with Zhou Wang was a fundamental part of Ma Yuan’s social strategy.
But hearing Zhou Wang’s remarks at this moment, Ma Yuan was suddenly impressed with Zhou Wang.
Regardless of Zhou Wang’s true inner thoughts, the fact that he could elevate the topic beyond mere conflicts already indicated Zhou Wang’s perspective exceeded his years.
"Mr. Zhou made a good point, but Old Xu still has capabilities. I will give him a proper admonishment to refocus his energy on the right things."
The now-cautious Ma Yuan thought it over and then smiled and said,
"If I ensure that moving forward, Xu Youguang will behave properly, and Miss Shen will have a pleasant time on the set, does Mr. Zhou think this matter can be put to rest?"
"In addition, after all this commotion, Tang Lingli is no longer suitable to stay in the ’Chutianyao’ crew. Regarding the fourth female lead, I plan to make a temporary replacement... if Mr. Zhou has any suitable candidates to recommend, feel free to mention them."
At the level they were operating, characters like Tang Lingli were inconsequential to both, but Ma Yuan’s initiative to replace an actor was indeed a further concession.
"I haven’t met this actress Tang Lingli, but causing so many unruly scandals indeed made her unfit to remain in the crew. I have no objections there."
Zhou Wang first nodded with a smile, then shook his head and said, "As for the choice of actor, I won’t interfere. Mr. Ma is the producer; it should be within your purview."
These words made Ma Yuan feel quite comforted, yet just when he thought the issue was concluded, Zhou Wang spoke again:
"However, Mr. Ma, I still maintain my opinion; for the long term, Xu Youguang is not suitable to continue as the director of ’Chutianyao.’"