Yun Nan didn't know that the assistant director was filled with resentment for her; even if she did, she wouldn't give it much thought. Everyone was so used to feeding off of her that they wouldn't know what to do if she cut them off. But that was none of her concern, was it?
Yun Nan drove straight to an old suburb located in the outer ring of the central business district. Fang Xi achieved quite a feat, finding this quiet place in such a busy area with limited funds. She was extremely excited about it.
Yun Nan calculated her capital as she drove.
She had started a business with Fang Xi and her seniors since her university days and had accumulated some funds. Whereas in contrast, Yun Zhang had been pretending to be deaf and dumb to her contributions to the Yun Corporation for the past two years and didn't fulfill their contract.
Yun Nan didn't want to make a fuss originally about the money, but now that they had a falling out, she would take this opportunity to settle the score. She had a business to run, and that involved great expenses. She needed a large amount of initial investment to realize her and her friends' ambitions.
Although it was called the suburb, it was actually an area filled with ancient buildings two or three floors tall. They can't be demolished due to their historical value, so the landlord rented them out. The rent was considerably cheap for the location; the area was one street away from the city center's bustling commercial district.
It was perfect for them.
The ancient house they rented had an independent courtyard; it was very spacious and could accommodate four to five cars.
Yun Nan studied the house closely. The three-story building had an archaic charm; although it was old, the structure was stylish and elegant. Fang Xi had an extraordinary taste.
"Yun Nan, come on up!" Fang Xi waved at her from a window on the second floor. The others clustered around the window, eager to see Yun Nan. They were all her best friends. They called out to her, one after the other.
"Hey, boss lady! You only show up when we've finished everything by ourselves, and reap the fruits of our labor. That's not cool; you must treat us to a meal!"
"Boss, it's not nice leaving all this work to us! What happened to 'being together through thick and thin,' hm?"
"I agree; Boss should treat us to a meal!"
Yun Nan's mood immediately improved when she was greeted by their enthusiastic smiles.
Wealth didn't just refer to money, but also to these dozen individuals who couldn't be measured by money!
They had worked as a team since university, and although they each got a job after graduation, they didn't lose contact. They would still gather together to discuss innovations and new ideas. When Fang Xi proposed they strike out and create a business of their own, the group hit it off.
If Yun Nan hadn't wanted to repay the Yun family, the studio would have been established two years ago.
Yun Nan loudly declared, "Then, let's have something good for lunch as a reward to my trusty troops!"
Someone hollered from upstairs, "Awesome! I'll order food now! It's a great way to celebrate the start of our studio!"
Following that, voices could be heard from various locations of the building, chiming out their owners' preferred cuisine. The years the group spent together had honed a tacit understanding between them; just a word or a look was sufficient to get the point across.
Yun Nan found Fang Xi in the middle room on the second floor. Fang Xi led her by the hand and showed her around. "This is your office! Do you like it? I've set up everything; you can move in any time."
Yun Nan smiled and hugged her. "Thanks for your hard work, thank you!"
"Now that we're free for the next few days, let's polish up your script," Fang Xi got straight down to business.
Yun Nan looked at Fang Xi calmly and told her, "Fang Xi, there's been a change; I quit the Yun Corporation. I plan to produce the film '4:30 PM' myself. What do you think?"
Fang Xi's eyes widened in surprise, which quickly turned into delight. "Really? Are you serious? You really quit the Yun Corporation?"
Yun Nan nodded and imparted, "And I took the script '4:30 PM' with me. However, there'll be trouble ahead. Be prepared to take over at any time. The Yun Corporation might retaliate and turn public opinion against us so we need to be ready for a PR fight."
Fang Xi clapped her hands and said, "No biggie, it'll be a piece of cake! What's important is that you're free from your family! That's wonderful news! We must eat something good to celebrate."
Yun Nan laughingly joked, "Is eating a good meal the only way to express our joy?"
"Of course, food is the topmost priority of life!" Fang Xi said proudly.
Yun Nan then proceeded to tell her about her conflict with the Yun family though she didn't mention her marriage with Shi Nian.
Fang Xi was well-informed of Yun Nan's family situation, so she wasn't surprised at the news.
She also had something to share with Yun Nan. "I was just about to tell you. Last year, you applied for the New Director's Award and got shortlisted, but you didn't win. The truth was, you didn't lose; you were removed. After you got nominated, Yun Zhang replaced you with another director from his company. But in the end, that director didn't receive the award."
"I had dinner with members from the Film Director's Association the day before yesterday, and they still felt it was a pity you withdrew from nomination. They said that if you didn't quit, you would have won last year's New Director's Award."
Yun Nan was stunned, and then she realized that Yun Zhang must have listened to Yun Liu and replaced her.
When Yun Nan participated in the award competition last year, Yun Liu wanted to act in her second movie, but Yun Nan rejected her because there was no role suitable for Yun Liu. She wasn't targeting Yun Liu; she was merely stating facts.
Although Yun Liu had formal training, her acting skills were poor.
Yun Nan didn't expect she would secretly screw her over in such a way. That woman is on a whole new level of vindictiveness!