1979: My fiancée is a goddess

Chapter 417 Millions in Copyright, Published in Japan?
"Nani..."

Upon hearing this, both Yoji Yamada and Chia Tachibana subconsciously pondered these seemingly insignificant yet extremely arrogant words.

"Teacher Cheng Kaiyan truly deserves to be called a great talent... Even a casual remark he makes is so philosophical."

The mature and charming female section chief stared intently at Cheng Kaiyan, her eyes glistening with tears.

She became increasingly curious about Cheng Kaiyan—curious about his past, his inner world, and even his romantic history…

"Let's talk. Our company is very optimistic about 'Love Letter'. This pure love art film is also quite in line with our company's style."

Yoji Yamada swallowed hard, slowly picked up the already prepared contract and handed it over, suddenly feeling ashamed of himself.

"hehe."

Cheng Kaiyan smiled noncommittally, her gaze sweeping over the two people in the office. Although their expressions differed, there was no doubt that the reputation of the talented writer had taken root in their hearts.

Shochiku Corporation is one of Japan's five major film companies. Ordinary writers, even bestselling authors, have no say in the face of such film industry giants.

But Cheng Kaiyan is different. First, he is a foreigner; second, he is a national-level writer; and third, this film is a key project for friendly cultural exchanges between China and Japan, designated by the Chinese and Japanese Ministries of Culture.

"Love Letter" and "An Unfinished Game of Go," a Sino-Japanese co-production currently being filmed in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, are both tribute films for the 10th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Japan in 1982.

It was due to a combination of factors that he gained the status and power to engage in dialogue with Songzhu on an equal footing.

Otherwise, they could really devour you completely, leaving not even bones.

Cheng Kaiyan silently pondered the reason and then took the contract to read it.

"Splash...thump..."

A moment later, Cheng Kaiyan's expression suddenly turned cold. With a flick of her hand, the contract covered in writing flew out and slammed heavily onto the table, a sound that was quite noticeable in the quiet conference room.

Seeing this, Tachibana Chiai couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. It seemed that this young genius was indeed as unruly as he had said, completely different from the obsequious young people in Japan and the humble and gentle Chinese people in her impression.

It seems that Yamada made an empirical error, giving an extremely absurd and even contemptuous treatment.

Tachibana Chiai's lips curled up slightly, and she smiled playfully. She wanted to see how Teacher Cheng Kaiyan would handle this matter.

"What does Teacher Cheng mean by this?!"

Yoji Yamada's face turned very ugly, and he questioned him with a gloomy expression.

If he hadn't dodged quickly, the contract document would have landed right in his face.

"Two million yen? That's it? Are you trying to fob me off? As far as I know, the lowest royalties for top-selling authors in Japan are eight million yen, plus a share of the box office revenue. Did they just throw it away?"

Cheng Kaiyan, completely unconcerned about Yamada Yoji's expression, crossed her arms and sneered, "If this is how you're going to talk, then there's no point in talking anymore. Even without your company, we have enough funds to finish filming 'Love Letter.' We're funded by the government; we don't consider profits or debt!"

After saying that, he got up and left.

"Whoosh..."

Yoji Yamada stared at the contract that had almost been thrown in his face, his expression shifting between pale and flushed. He never expected that this young man would be so difficult to handle.

Which idiot smugly said that two million yen would be enough to appease this young, unsophisticated Chinese writer?

Yoji Yamada frowned, feeling extremely troubled. In a normal contract negotiation, it would be normal for things to go back and forth, with some back and forth.

But Cheng Kaiyan is a young man in his early twenties, young and arrogant. What if he quits if pushed too far?
So Yamada Yoji quickly smiled ingratiatingly and said, "Wait! Professor Cheng Kaiyan! We can talk again! How about five million?"

"Heh, do you think I'm an idiot? I'm giving you one last chance, think it through before you speak."

Cheng Kaiyan sneered repeatedly. These damned capitalist lackeys are ruthless and heartless.

Five million? That's scary. It's only 35,000 RMB.

What about my share of the box office revenue?
Thinking of this, he was really impatient and said in a bored tone, "Director Yamada, don't forget that 'Love Letter' is a film to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Japan. If you don't make it, there are plenty of companies that want to. If you don't invest, there are plenty of companies that want to."

After saying that, Cheng Kaiyan's eyes darted around, and she looked at Tachibana Chi'ai, the deputy section chief of the Cultural Affairs Bureau who had been silent for a while. "I think Tokuma News Agency, which is under Tokuma Shoten, is pretty good. Don't you think so, Chi'ai-nee?"

"The Cultural Affairs Bureau entrusted this project to Shochiku because they believed in Shochiku's strength in art-house romance films. If this is how Shochiku does things, I think you shouldn't get involved, you idiots!"

A hint of appreciation flashed in Tachibana Chiai's fox-like, alluring eyes. She slowly rose and looked coldly at Yamada Yoji, rebuking him without any politeness.

What kind of master director is he? He's nothing more than a dog under the control of capitalists and tycoons, with no discernment whatsoever.

"Eight million! Eight million! Plus 3% of the film's box office revenue!"

After a long silence, Yosuke Yamada realized that this project was one that could not be lost.

Finally, unable to bear the pressure, he blurted it out.

Cheng Kaiyan saw the mature and charming woman wink at him, and he immediately understood that the price was appropriate.

But he pressed on: "Is that so? Is this how you make up for mistakes, Mr. Yamada? Don't you know that an apology requires sincerity?"

When apologizing, you should at least show... ugh.

"call……"

Yamada Yoji's heart sank. After a long silence, he took a deep breath, bowed deeply, and began to shift the blame on the spot. "I'm really sorry, these were the ideas of those stupid executives. I still have great respect for Professor Cheng Kaiyan. I'm willing to offer two million yen, hoping that Professor Cheng Kaiyan will calm down."

"Hahaha! Good, good, good! It's great that Professor Yamada can admit his mistakes and correct them!"

Cheng Kaiyan laughed loudly with a sarcastic tone, the laughter echoing throughout the conference room and even reaching outside the door.

This made him fully aware of the weakness of capitalism, that everything can be compromised in the face of huge profits.

Such unrestrained laughter was extremely grating to Yamada Yoji's ears, but he finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had to back down now, so he bowed slightly and said, "Teacher Cheng Kaiyan is right."

"Mr. Yamada was also coerced. Capitalism is all about this, devouring people without spitting out the bones. If this happened in our country..."

Cheng Kaiyan's cold expression vanished, replaced by a cheerful smile as she helped him up.

"Yes, collectivism is still the best..."

Yoji Yamada wiped away a cold sweat and sighed.

It's true that you don't have to worry about losing money when making movies in China; it's really friendly to directors.

The two quickly signed the contract. Cheng Kaiyan thought about it and felt that the money should not be transferred directly to the domestic bank account by Songzhu Company.

Otherwise, if they were all converted into RMB, there would be nowhere to use them.

Therefore, they commissioned Songzhu Company to open a premium HSBC bank card, with half of the money deposited into a domestic account and the other half into this card. The subsequent box office revenue sharing was also handled in the same way.

"Have you all remembered Teacher Cheng Kaiyan's instructions? Any mistakes will be your sole responsibility!"

"Hey! I've got it all."

Yoji Yamada emphasized this to the staff several times, then bowed slightly to Cheng Kaiyan, "I'm sorry I can't have dinner with you this time, I have to go back to the company."

Regarding the copyright fee, the company will transfer it to your account through the finance department one month later. As for my compensation, it will be transferred directly to your account after the bank card is issued, which will take approximately seven days. Please be patient, Ms. Cheng Kaiyan.

"It doesn't matter."

Cheng Kaiyan waved his hand. The contract was signed, and he didn't have time to argue with this old guy.

And although he appears calm now, he's almost bursting with excitement and ready to cheer. Ten million yen sounds like a lot, but when converted to RMB, it's only about 75,000, enough to buy at most seven houses in China.

But this is a business with no initial investment, and there will be a share of the box office revenue after "Love Letter" is released!
That will be a huge wave of takeoff!
Damn! It's definitely easier to make money in the glamorous world overseas!
Cheng Kaiyan was overjoyed, especially his beautiful peach blossom eyes, which were now sparkling and shining under the light. The mature and charming woman beside him was staring into his eyes.

The group from Shochiku Corporation left, leaving only Tachibana Chia and him in the room.

Cheng Kaiyan let out a long sigh of relief, leaned back on the sofa, and began to reminisce.

Meanwhile, Tachibana Chiai leaned back on the sofa, crossed her legs, and carefully observed the young man in front of her who was caught up in excitement and elation without realizing it, and couldn't help but chuckle.

If this young man were still so calm and composed now, it would truly frighten her.

Ten million plus a 3% share of the box office revenue is not a small sum of money that she can easily throw away.

How could Teacher Cheng Kaiyan, who was born in China, be so calm?
But now that I see it, it was all a disguise.

Although Cheng Kaiyan quickly dropped her pretense and appeared to be without any guile, it made Tachibana Chiai like her even more.

This proves that he subconsciously believes in himself.

Tachibana Chiai stared at him, carefully admiring his features, waiting for Cheng Kaiyan to calm down and come to his senses.

A few minutes later, Cheng Kaiyan felt the gaze from the other side.

"Professor Cheng Kaiyan just threw the contract in Yamada's face. Such boldness truly befits a great talent. He is indeed arrogant!"

Chiai Tachibana smoothed a strand of hair behind her ear and teased with a smile.

"Miss Ju is joking. You saw what happened just now... Is there anything else you want to see me about?"

Cheng Kaiyan shrugged helplessly. He knew that without Tachibana Chiai's involvement, negotiating the copyright fee wouldn't be so easy.

"Didn't Teacher Cheng just call me Chi'ai-neechan? How come... after dealing with that idiot Yamada, you've already forgotten about me?"

Tachibana Chiai pouted her full lips, which were painted with bright red lipstick, and said reproachfully, "I heard there's an old Chinese saying, 'Once you've put on your pants, you don't admit it anymore.' Is that describing the current situation?"

"Ahem... Of course not."

Cheng Kaiyan almost choked and denied it somewhat guiltily.

"Hehehe... Never mind, I won't hold it against you."

Tachibana Chiai smiled charmingly, then turned serious and said, "I wonder if Professor Cheng Kaiyan intends to publish and sell 'Love Letter' in Japan?"
My aunt manages a large publishing house. If you agree, I can help you negotiate the best deal you can get right now.

I think when the movie adaptation of *Love Letter* comes out, it will absolutely become a literary phenomenon! It could sell 300,000 copies, or even more than 500,000!

In 1981, the best-selling book in Japan was "Sailor Suit and Machine Gun" by Jiro Akagawa, published by Kadokawa Shoten. It has sold over 1.2 million copies to date and has been adapted into a movie.

The second book, also published by Kadokawa Shoten, is Ryo Hanmura's "The Sengoku Self-Defense Forces," which sold over 500,000 copies.

Third is Kodansha's "The Gate of Youth," which sold over 500,000 copies.

Adapting novels into films, and then having the films enrich the novels—this formulaic approach is Kadokawa Shoten's forte.

But a formula means it can be repeated, and repeatability means a very high success rate.

The thought that "Love Letter" might break into the top three in domestic sales in Japan, boosted by the movie, made Chia Tachibana unable to contain her excitement.

Two long, slender legs encased in black stockings rubbed together tightly, and a captivating blush rose on her alluring, fox-like face, her eyes seemingly overflowing with tears.

Compared to money, career, position... all of these are readily available.

But fame and reputation in the literary world are even more difficult to achieve; she aspires to become a talent scout who discovers phenomenal writers!

Cheng Kaiyan, and Love Letter are both works she has her eye on.

Her noble birth and straightforward personality made her disdainful of haggling over petty gains; she would offer only the best terms available to her.

"Of course I'm willing. It's my honor. I'm entrusting this matter entirely to Sister Zhi'ai."

Cheng Kaiyan didn't think much of it and simply returned the favor without asking any questions.

"Hehe... You're leaving everything to me?"

Upon hearing "Chiai-nee" (older sister Chiai), a captivating and alluring smile appeared on Tachibana Chiai's lips.

"Of course, Chia-nee is my only friend in Japan!"

Cheng Kaiyan's skin had become as thick as ever; in order to earn more money, calling someone "sister" a few times was no big deal.

"I will satisfy you."

My only friend? It seems so.

Tachibana Chiai quietly looked at the young man in front of her and suddenly realized that his face was too young. Feeling a little soft-hearted, she reached out and touched Cheng Kaiyan's soft hair, and smiled sweetly, "See me downstairs. I will give you a satisfactory answer within a week. Wait for my good news, little brother."

Cheng Kaiyan: "Uh..."

The two walked out of the conference room side by side and chatted casually, mainly about the mainstream of the Japanese literary world, the field of pure literature, the field of popular literature, some phenomenal works, and literary trends.

After dropping Chiai Tachibana off at the entrance of her building, a luxury Mercedes-Benz S-Class W126 was parked on the side of the road.

Just as she was about to put him in the car, Cheng Kaiyan suddenly remembered something and asked, "Sister Zhi'ai, have you heard of the book 'Salt Snow'?"

"Salt Snow?"

After a few moments of thought, Tachibana Chiai replied, "I have some recollection of it. It seems to be a work by a Chinese female student studying abroad, published by Kodansha. She has gained some fame recently, and many people call her a talented woman. Why are you suddenly asking about this?"

"I've known him since I was a child..."

Cheng Kaiyan thought to herself, "As expected," and smiled, "We should be considered childhood sweethearts."

"Childhood sweetheart?"

Tachibana Chiai raised an eyebrow in surprise. It seemed that this was a perfect literary couple. She joked, "You're quite lucky. I heard that this Ms. Ruixue is extremely beautiful."

"I have someone."

Cheng Kaiyan shook her head.

"What's so special about that? True masters are naturally elegant and unrestrained!"

Tachibana Chiai scoffed at this kind of youthful naiveté, saying, "I'm not talking anymore, I'm leaving."

They opened the door, got in the car, and with a loud bang, sped away.

Cheng Kaiyan looked at the street under the setting sun, sighed, and turned to go upstairs.

He returned to his room, filled the bathtub with hot water, and enjoyed a comfortable hot bath to wash away his fatigue.

"My only task now is to win over my leading lady..."

“Zhao Ruixue…”

(End of this chapter)