After the commotion, Chen's father was helped back to the main house by Chen's mother and brother. Seeing the situation, Chen Qing had no choice but to meekly admit fault. She was then promptly ushered out of the courtyard by her mother, who didn't want her husband to get angrier or her daughter to endure more punishment.
Leaving the small family courtyard, Chen Qing got into the car by herself, intending to leave. Just as she sat down, the car door on the other side opened, and Mo Yiling climbed in.
Glancing at the woman sitting next to her, still full of righteous indignation, Chen Qing, feeling utterly frustrated, blurted out, "Aunt Mo, family shouldn't be dragged into things!"
Mo Yiling turned her head to glare at Chen Qing. "Oh? So you do know that saying?"
Chen Qing was momentarily stunned into silence, realizing she had no retort.
Fine.
Just as she was about to instruct the driver to leave, a familiar figure appeared by the window. It was Shen Lige, who had been left standing outside during the earlier chaos. With an expression of pitiful helplessness, she bent down and lightly tapped on the car window.
Seeing her, Chen Qing's anger flared. She rolled down the window and shouted, "Get lost! As far away as you can!"
Tears immediately welled up in Shen Lige's eyes. She glanced fearfully at Mo Yiling, who remained unfazed, and then whispered in a mosquito-like voice, "Sis, I've got nowhere else to go."
"Then go die."
Shen Lige's tears fell even more as she hesitated by the car for a moment. Then, as if unintentionally, she glanced toward the gate of the Chen family courtyard.
Noticing this movement, Chen Qing, who had been about to leave, sneered and stared at Shen Lige. "There's no seat for you in this car. If you want to follow me, crawl into the trunk."
Shen Lige froze for a moment but eventually moved toward the back of the car.
The bodyguard sitting in the front passenger seat turned to look at Chen Qing upon seeing this. Chen Qing, clearly annoyed, said, "Open the trunk for her. And you close it."
The bodyguard, familiar with Chen Qing's temper, said nothing and obediently got out of the car.
A moment later, the car started. Only then did Mo Yiling comment, "Where'd you find that girl? She's got guts."
"Not as much as you, Aunt Mo," Chen Qing retorted.
"I just know how to focus on the right targets. My husband noticed something was off and told me immediately."
Chen Qing smirked sarcastically. "Ah, Aunt Mo, your husband is so well-trained."
Mo Yiling gave her a sidelong glance. "That's because you don't understand love."
"Pfft."
Mo Yiling's expression turned a bit more serious. "I don't know why you did what you did, but I'm warning you, don't let it happen again, or I won't hold back."
Chen Qing rolled her eyes. "You think I have that much free time? By the way, Aunt Mo, where are you headed? Can I drop you off at the next intersection?"
"No need. It's almost lunchtime. You can treat me to a meal instead, and we can discuss this afternoon's matters in advance. Oh, by the way, I should let you know that I've now also been appointed as the chairman of the board for the parent company of Jinshu Cinema City, Tiger Hill Cultural Tourism Holding Group. Going forward, all development for Jinshu Cinema City will be directly under my purview with the city government."
Chen Qing was surprised by how quickly Mo Yiling had advanced yet again. Still, her tone remained snarky. "Looks like you've been wasting your talents for years, Aunt Mo. If they'd transferred you earlier, you'd probably be a mayor by now."
Ignoring Chen Qing's sarcasm, Mo Yiling replied with a hint of melancholy, "Who's to say that's not true?"
With Mo Yiling insisting on tagging along, Chen Qing reluctantly changed her plans. Instead of heading directly to the western Tiger Hill district to meet her team, she drove to a renowned Suzhou cuisine restaurant near the historic Zhuozheng Garden. After securing a private dining room and ordering, she sent the two bodyguards and Shen Lige, who had been let out of the trunk, to guard the door. Only Chen Qing and Mo Yiling remained inside.
Once the waiter brought over tea and appetizers, Mo Yiling took a sip and got straight to the point. "I've discussed this with the city government. Tiger Hill Cultural Holding's 10% stake in Jinshu Cinema City is unfair. The stake should be recalculated based on the land value in subsequent development phases. As for the Qin Palace currently under construction, we'll keep the 10% share for now, and the land price originally quoted by the city government won't change. We'll make up the budgeted funding for the project as required."
Chen Qing's eyes narrowed with displeasure. "Aunt Mo, that's a breach of contract."
"You can report this to Mr. Westeros and have him decide," Mo Yiling said, completely unfazed by Chen Qing's reaction. "But as long as you're not a fool, and you don't take others for fools, you should know that this adjustment benefits both parties. If you go by your grand master plan, the entire project will need to be submitted to the State Council for approval. Sure, you might be able to pull some strings to get it passed, but who knows how long that'll take? With this adjustment, we're essentially using the common regional strategy of phased approvals to keep the project within local authority."
"And what does that have to do with your breach of contract?"
"It's simple. To ensure that the project, once a done deal, is tacitly approved from above, the government needs to hold enough interest. That way, there won't be accusations of state asset loss."
Chen Qing drummed her fingers on the table for a moment before calling out, "Someone, come in!"
One of the bodyguards outside opened the door. Chen Qing instructed, "Go buy me an almanac. Clearly, I wasn't meant to leave the house today. Nothing but bad luck."
"…"
The bodyguard hesitated for a moment, realized Chen Qing wasn't joking, nodded, and left.
Mo Yiling, still holding her teacup, waited patiently for a response.
After her momentary outburst, Chen Qing sighed and said, "Fine, Aunt Mo. I'll inform the boss."
Deep down, she understood that the government was pushing for this adjustment to expedite development.
As Mo Yiling had mentioned, future projects would be calculated based on the land value during each phase. In other words, the longer it took, the higher the land costs would climb. It was similar to the Rose Garden project in Beijing. In 1992, the land was acquired for just 300 yuan per square meter—1.5 billion for 800 acres. In just a few years, even with the nationwide real estate slump, land prices in the capital had tripled.
Suzhou couldn't match Beijing, but the trend would be similar. Moreover, unlike the barren hills used for the Qin Palace, future phases would involve farmland and demolition, which meant significantly higher land costs.
Seeing Chen Qing agree, Mo Yiling set down her cup and continued, "I've reviewed the draft for future phases. Apart from the 'Ming and Qing Palace Garden' and 'Jiangnan Charm,' which are both substantial projects, why can't the Jinshu Amusement Park, which would significantly boost tourism, be launched simultaneously?"
"Because we need to prioritize," Chen Qing explained. "Aunt Mo, launching the much larger 'Ming and Qing Palace Garden' and 'Jiangnan Charm' projects at the same time as the amusement park would eat up most of the 2 billion budget the boss promised. We have to consider operational issues. Since these are artificial attractions, it'll take time to build popularity. By comparison, a film base can generate returns much more quickly."
"I don't think they conflict. Weren't you planning to adopt Universal Studios' management model? According to the data I found, Universal Studios in Los Angeles combines a theme park and film base perfectly."
"That's true, but the combination didn't happen overnight. It's been growing since the 1930s and now attracts tens of millions of visitors annually," Chen Qing patiently explained. "The boss's idea is to construct and open each section of 'Ming and Qing Palace Garden' and 'Jiangnan Charm' as they're completed. The goal is to have film crews using the sites as soon as they're built, cultivating a commercial ecosystem as the project progresses."
Mo Yiling nodded slightly but pressed further. "What about the long-term plan?"
"You've seen it already, Aunt Mo. The companies under Jinshu—like the talent agency and hotel chains—are all part of Jinshu Film and Tourism Group. These are designed to create a self-sustaining ecosystem. By the way, don't forget your funding commitments when these companies require initial investment."
"As long as it's reasonable, I won't refuse."
Chen Qing nodded and continued, "Once these components are fully developed alongside Jinshu Cinema City, they'll form a complete film industry chain. Over the years, many film bases have been built across the country, but they often decline after one or two productions, wasting resources. Why? Because they lack sustainable business models."
"Isn't it because they're too small?"
"That's part of it," Chen Qing admitted.
"But the key is creating a competitive and sustainable model. As a film base, we must offer comprehensive services—sets, actors, props—and outperform competitors in both efficiency and cost. On the tourism side, visitors need to feel it's worth their time and money, enjoying themselves so much that they want to return. That's how success is measured."
"That all makes sense. How do you plan to achieve it?"
"First, we can't have internal conflicts slowing us down. That's one reason I recommended bringing you here, Aunt Mo. Second, we have the backing of Hollywood's Daenerys Entertainment Group, which provides invaluable experience. Beyond that, we need to adapt to local conditions and develop unique strategies. As long as the core elements are in place and the management isn't incompetent, the project has a high chance of success. Aunt Mo, you've interacted with the Jinshu executives more than I have recently. Surely you've noticed they're not fools?"
"Hmm, they definitely seem like people you handpicked."
"Such a sharp observer, Aunt Mo."
"They're smart and capable, yes, but they're also overly ambitious."
"…"
Mo Yiling added, "You called this a 'great leap forward,' and I won't deny it. But I know what I'm doing. As for your side, I suggest you keep their ambitions in check. They're the ones executing the plans, and for now, they need to focus on the work, not the horizon."
"Aunt Mo, just tell me who's gazing at the horizon, and I'll 'send them up' today."
"No one yet."
Chen Qing playfully made a face, as if to say, "Then why bring it up?"
Unbothered by Chen Qing's antics, Mo Yiling sipped her tea and carried on. "One more thing—why is the 'Peach Blossom Cove' project listed separately? Based on your historical themes for Jiangnan Charm, shouldn't it be part of that?"
"First, the Peach Blossom Cove project isn't just about Tang Yin. It includes a large peach blossom landscape and plans for 12 ancient-style inns, which tie into tourism rather than film production. That can wait. Second, it's the boss's personal project. He plans to build his own private estate there, complete with a giant stone engraved with the words 'Three Lives, Three Worlds, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms.'"
Mo Yiling frowned. "What's the origin of that phrase? It doesn't seem related to Tang Bohu."
Chen Qing rested her chin in her hands, her eyes sparkling. "Aunt Mo, don't you think it's poetic?"
"It just seems like there's a story behind it."
"Tch. Weren't you just claiming to know about love?" Chen Qing said, snapping out of her dreamy expression. "There is a story behind it, but the boss says he doesn't like the original. He just likes the phrase itself and plans to create a new story around it for a TV series."
"That seems… reckless."
"Well, you're forgetting our boss's other identity—he's a top Hollywood director and screenwriter, not to mention an Oscar winner."
"That's Hollywood. It's different from…" Mo Yiling trailed off, recalling her one video call with Simon Westeros and his fluent Mandarin. Given what she knew about him, she paused before finishing, "...from China."
"Aunt Mo, that's just stubbornness. The boss's grasp of Chinese culture is incredible. Let me tell you—do you know the poem Wind into Pines by Yu Ji?"
Mo Yiling shook her head.
"The boss does! He even recited it off the cuff when we first met. And recently, he wrote a Chinese song. I can't say more, but you'll find out next year."
For some reason, listening to Chen Qing's enthusiastic praises made Mo Yiling worry about her daughter. It had been too long since she'd called Beijing. She decided to make a call tonight.
Meanwhile, Chen Qing was getting increasingly animated. "And the simultaneous development plan for Jinshu Cinema City? That's all his idea! Even the Jiangnan Charm theme of exploring historical figures and legends was his suggestion. Take Feng Menglong, who's less famous than Tang Bohu in Suzhou. His Stories to Awaken the World is a key part of Jinshu's upcoming TV series lineup. The Jiangnan Charm gardens and streets will be designed around these tales. Trust me, once you meet the boss, you'll see just how imaginative and talented he is."
Holding her teacup, Mo Yiling quietly listened to Chen Qing's impassioned speech. Her eyes gradually narrowed, and when Chen Qing finally finished, she picked up a nearby spoon and smacked Chen Qing on the head—three times in quick succession.
Startled by the pain, Chen Qing jumped away and glared at her. "Hey! Why'd you hit me?"
Setting the spoon down, Mo Yiling calmly sipped her tea before giving Chen Qing a sharp look and a menacing warning: "You know what you did!"
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