PS-Chapter 189 Jinling Qinhuai

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In the beautiful Jiangnan region, Jinling is the imperial capital! 

Jinling is the capital of Jiangsu Province, located in the eastern part of China, at the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, near the sea, with a population of over ten million. 

This city boasts a civilization history of over 6,000 years, a city-building history of nearly 2,600 years, and a capital history of nearly 500 years. It is one of China's four ancient capitals, known as the "Six Dynasties Ancient Capital" and the "Capital of Ten Dynasties."

It is also an important birthplace of Chinese civilization, having sheltered the legitimacy of the Huaxia people several times throughout history. For a long time, it has been the political, economic, and cultural center of southern China, with a rich cultural heritage and abundant historical relics! 

Taking the G107 high-speed train from the Capital City, Lu Chen and Li Feiyu arrived in this ancient yet highly modernized metropolis in just three hours.

This was Lu Chen's first visit to Jinling, and he was here to shoot his first advertisement.

Half a month ago, the Silver Horse Advertising Company in the Capital City reached a cooperation agreement with Lu Chen Workshop, inviting Lu Chen to be the brand ambassador for Senqi Sportswear. The contract period is one year, with a contract amount of 1 Million.

Both parties were very satisfied with this contract.

Initially, the endorsement fee proposed by Silver Horse Advertising Company was 800,000, but after negotiations by Lu Xi, the contract amount was finally increased by 200,000. The contract mainly includes promotional posters, advertisements, and so on.

Senqi is a newly launched clothing brand in the market, targeting the youth sports consumer market. The reason this rising brand chose Lu Chen is primarily because he is young and has a very healthy image.

Especially with the recent hype surrounding his performance of "I Love You, China" on Capital City TV, which received high acclaim outside the show business community, it ultimately led to the successful signing of the contract.

Lu Chen placed great importance on his first endorsement advertisement and rushed to Jinling right after the National Day holiday.

The reason this Senqi advertisement was shot in Jinling instead of the Capital City is that Senqi is a local brand in Jinling, and Lu Chen needed to shoot some posters at the Senqi headquarters.

Additionally, Jinling's Jinling Film City is one of the three major film cities in the country, with a large scale and advanced facilities, featuring large-scale real-life buildings such as Hong Kong Street, Republic of China Street, Ming and Qing Palace Gardens, Qin Wang Palace, Qingming Shanghe Tu, and Buddhist temples.

Moreover, with numerous ancient sites and gardens, along with a modern urban cluster, many film companies and TV production units from the Capital City consider Jinling as a fixed shooting base. Countless stars and celebrities come and go in Jinling every year.

Furthermore, there are many local film companies in Jinling, and the Silver Horse Advertising Company has a branch office there, making it very convenient for shooting advertisements and saving a lot of costs.

For example, the Senqi advertisement that Lu Chen was about to shoot involved city scenes. If it were shot in the Capital City, just the approval process would be incredibly troublesome, as the capital has very strict controls in this regard.

In Jinling, that is not a problem at all. The film city is one thing, but even for on-site shooting in the city, the government has a green channel to encourage and support the film industry.

Therefore, if everything goes smoothly, Lu Chen could finish shooting the advertisements and posters in Jinling in a day or two.

He could easily earn 1 Million.

When the high-speed train arrived, Lu Chen and Li Feiyu got off.

At the exit gate, sharp-eyed Li Feiyu was the first to spot a young man holding a pick-up sign.

The words "Lu Chen" were very prominent.

Before departing for Jinling, Lu Chen Workshop had already discussed with Silver Horse Advertising Company that upon Lu Chen's arrival, the branch office would arrange for accompanying personnel and accommodations.

This young man in a blue T-shirt was undoubtedly the person sent by Silver Horse Advertising Company to welcome them.

Lu Chen passed through the ticket inspection gate and walked directly up to him, smiling, "Hello, I am Lu Chen."

The other party was momentarily taken aback, then quickly realized, hurriedly putting down the sign to shake hands with Lu Chen.

"Hello, hello, Mr. Lu Chen!"

On this trip, Lu Chen wore a pair of sunglasses, so the young man in the T-shirt did not recognize him immediately.

Although there was not a lot of hype surrounding him, Lu Chen had gained a bit of fame, and he was often recognized by fans while out on the street. He wore sunglasses mainly to avoid unnecessary trouble.

Lu Chen smiled and said, "Sorry to keep you waiting. Let's go."

Perhaps not expecting Lu Chen to be so polite, the young man turned red with excitement and became a bit tongue-tied: "N-no, it's not a long wait. The car arranged by the company is outside. I-I'm Lu Ze from Silver Horse, just call me Xiao Lu."

Lu Chen nodded and introduced Li Feiyu: "This is Brother Li Feiyu, my assistant."

"Hello, hello!"

Lu Ze seemed to be a fresh graduate, not very experienced in work and not skilled in social interactions.

In other words, sending him to welcome and accompany Lu Chen could be seen as a bit negligent on Silver Horse Advertising Company's part.

However, Lu Chen did not mind, or more accurately, he did not act like a star.

He would never throw a tantrum.

The car picking up Lu Chen was just an ordinary Buick business vehicle, and the driver was a taciturn middle-aged man. After everyone got in, he drove straight to a hotel near Jinling Film City in Jiangning District.

As for the hotel accommodations, Silver Horse Advertising Company did follow the contract stipulations and arranged a five-star hotel.

Now, during the National Day golden holiday, even with an early reservation, it was undoubtedly difficult to find a room near the film city, which is a tourist hotspot in Jinling. Being able to arrange for Lu Chen to stay in a nearby five-star hotel undoubtedly showcased Silver Horse's capabilities. 

The only issue was that the booked room was a standard room, not a business suite.

When stars go out for work, they usually negotiate the terms of their treatment in advance with the receiving party, such as transportation, hotel standards, and so on. The more prominent the artist, the more detailed their requests tend to be.

Many stars have caused a scene or thrown tantrums when the reception standards did not meet their expectations, even going so far as to refuse to work, which often lands them in entertainment gossip news.

Numerous artists prioritize their image over everything else, and even if their status isn't high enough, they will find ways to elevate their treatment.

Lu Ze felt quite apologetic: "Mr. Lu Chen, the hotel rooms are in high demand right now. The business suites at this five-star hotel were booked out two months ago. If you find this unsuitable, then..."

"That's fine."

Lu Chen smiled lightly, interrupting his explanation: "A standard room is perfectly fine. Thank you."

Lu Ze couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief: "You're welcome, you're welcome!"

What he feared most was Lu Chen throwing a fit. If that happened, the company would surely place the blame on him to appease Lu Chen's anger, making him bear the brunt of it.

A few days ago, Lu Ze had hosted another artist who was also there to shoot a promotional video. That artist had flipped out on the spot because the vehicle for pick-up was a Buick business car instead of a Mercedes-Benz, which had left Lu Ze in a panic.

Although the company later urgently sent a Mercedes over, Lu Ze was internally reprimanded for inadequate reception, and he had to work through the National Day holiday to atone for his mistake.

At that time, Lu Ze felt incredibly wronged and had considered quitting.

However, good jobs are hard to come by, and Silver Horse's treatment is considered top-notch in the industry, so he could only endure.

Fortunately, this time Lu Ze was not dealing with an unreasonable person.

Originally, the company had arranged a Mercedes business car to pick up Lu Chen, but due to another star's last-minute schedule change, the Mercedes was called away, leaving them with the Buick.

On the way over, Lu Ze had been quite anxious.

Lu Chen's understanding and tolerance truly moved him.

The assistant from Silver Horse Advertising Company eagerly asked, "Mr. Lu Chen, if you're not tired, I can take you both to the Confucius Temple to try some local specialties, and then we can stroll along the Qinhuai River. How does that sound?"

Lu Chen nodded and said, "As the guest, I'll leave the arrangements to you."

He had heard of the Qinhuai River for a long time, and since he was here, he naturally wanted to experience the legendary Qinhuai scenery.

After settling in, Lu Chen and the others followed Lu Ze to the Confucius Temple.

After enjoying a sumptuous dinner at the century-old renowned restaurant, Zhuangyuan Lou, the three of them began their night stroll along the Qinhuai River.

During this time, Lu Chen had been working hard for his career, and today was a rare opportunity to relax.

Thus, he temporarily set aside work and responsibilities.

The scenery along the Qinhuai River, especially around the Confucius Temple, was the most bustling and lively. 

The streets were filled with crowds, with restaurants and tea houses lining both sides, and countless shops selling handicrafts and traditional snacks. The neon signs of the shops flickered in vibrant colors, complementing the beautiful scenery along the river.

Wuyi Alley, Vermilion Bird Bridge, and the swallows in front of the Wang and Xie halls— once ancient relics had transformed into a bustling tourist destination, with countless visitors weaving through the streets and alleys of the Confucius Temple or taking boat rides on the water.

By the riverside, many elderly people sat around a table, enjoying tea and playing chess, finding joy in their leisure.

As night fell on the Qinhuai, the moon was warm and the stars bright. The sounds of oars splashing against the water echoed, and the illuminated boats, adorned with intricate carvings, occasionally filled the air with beautiful melodies from string instruments and flutes, making one feel as if they were transported back to an ancient universe.

Lu Chen strolled along the riverside corridor, inhaling the fragrance of the vines and flowers entwined around the wooden frames, listening to the gentle flow of the Qinhuai River, and feeling a sense of peace and joy.

Standing on the Wende Bridge, he gazed out, watching the various boats come and go, with passengers on board raising cameras and phones to take pictures, flashes going off frequently.

Some even pointed their cameras at Lu Chen, playfully capturing his image.

This scene made Lu Chen recall a famous poet's lines—"You stand on the bridge looking at the scenery, while the people looking at the scenery from the building are watching you. The bright moon decorates your window, and you decorate others' dreams."

Though he hadn't indulged in drinking, he still felt a sense of intoxication. 

(End Of This Chapter)