Huayu: When the director changed his major

Chapter 140 The Three-Body Problem and Happy Twist

Chinese restaurant, in a private room.

Zhang Fanfan and his wife Chunli looked at the junior brother in front of them, and they still hadn't come back to their senses.

It turns out that Mr. Li, who had been looking for me to buy the copyright of "The Three-Body Problem", was from Zuibai Studio.

When he received Cao Jinnan's call, he was a little confused.

Director Zuibai, his recent film "The Beginning" has been very popular.

I had heard before that he was a student of my college.

But I never expected him to be so young, and still a freshman.

Comparing what I was doing as a freshman, I really felt like I was living a dog's life.

I remember that the actors he made famous, such as Liu Yijun, Liu Dan, Zhu Yilong, Reba, etc., were all from his academy.

Including Zuibai himself is also extremely popular.

It makes me think that I’m 40 years old and still making low-budget suspense movies that I don’t like just to entertain people.

I have to sigh that the young are so promising.

"Junior brother, it's not that I don't want to resell the copyright, but..."

When his wife Chunli saw Zhang Fanfan hesitate, she immediately took over the conversation:
"I'll call you Junior Brother too. Although my wife graduated from the Department of Fine Arts, she has always dreamed of becoming a director. However, no one is willing to invest, so she can only make popcorn movies."

"You said that after selling The Three-Body Problem, what chance will there be for him to successfully transform?"

When Cheng Xi heard what his sister-in-law said, he roughly understood the situation of Senior Brother Zhang Fanfan.

It is true that the most difficult part of being a director is investment.

You haven't proven yourself, you haven't invested.

If you don’t invest, you can’t prove yourself.

It's like being stuck in a cycle, so there has to be a beginning.

Even though he was lucky enough to achieve some success with the mystery film "The Room", no one invested in him except for "The Room 2".

And he is just a tool director.

Judging from Zhang Fanfan's hesitation, it seems that her sister-in-law still has the final say in the family.

Then the next main person to be persuaded would become Chun-Li.

This person had such a unique vision that she asked her husband to travel all the way to Yangquan to sign the copyright of "The Three-Body Problem".

His eyes were full of shrewdness.

"Brother, sister-in-law, you don't have to make 'The Three-Body Problem' to make a transition. If the plot of 'The Three-Body Problem' is to be filmed, conservatively speaking, it will take 10 or 15 years until the technology is mature enough."

"So long, are you willing to wait, brother and sister-in-law?"

Zhang Fanfan is almost 40 years old. If he waits another ten years, he will be over 50.

By the time the opportunity comes, I'm afraid I'll be old.

"Then since my junior brother's analysis will take more than 10 years, why are you still willing to buy it?"

"I'm still 19 today, I can easily wait until I'm 30, or even 40. And in another decade or so, Brother."

Of course Cheng Xi didn't finish what he was saying, he just stopped there.

Sure enough, when Zhang Fanfan heard what Cheng Xi said, his eyes dimmed.

You can tell he really likes the script.

And my age has indeed reached the point where I can no longer wait.

"Why not sell it now and find another good book? With your talent, I think you have great potential."

Cheng Xi suggested sincerely.

When Chunli heard Cheng Xi say this, she suddenly looked at Cheng Xi with shining eyes and said impatiently:

"Good script, Junior Brother, do you have any new scripts here? Something like 'The Beginning'?"

Chunli couldn't help but ask. Zhang Fanfan touched his wife's hand, but Chunli ignored him.

If you don't seize such a good opportunity, when will you be able to stand up?

Cheng Xi never expected that while you are targeting others, others are also targeting you.

I guess this is the real reason why the two of them came for the interview?

Ever since Cheng Xi became a screenwriter and every work he did was a huge hit, everyone is now talking about the issue of Zui Bai's scripts.

Even if Zhang Fanfan sold "The Three-Body Problem" and got some money, it would probably be difficult for him to find a good script.

After finding the script, you still need to find investment.

After all, if you offer a high price for "The Three-Body Problem", others have to be willing to buy it.

And if we can get Zuibai's script, I believe it will become easier to attract investment.

Cheng Xi thought for a while and remembered a movie that was quite suitable for Zhang Fanfan's current situation.

So he opened his mouth and said:
"I had a draft of the script, and I was originally going to film it for myself. The story was about a miner's son and a lawyer's daughter who disappeared one after another in a small northern town."

Cheng Xi chose to take out the later work "Silent Violence" and tell it to the two of them.

“Is this still based on reasoning?”

"Yeah? Are you interested? I think there are actually two ways to transform: one is to move outward, and the other is to move deeper."

"I'm telling the truth, please don't mind me, Senior Brother and Sister-in-law. Perhaps other types of books wouldn't necessarily be as reliable if they were handled by Senior Brother."

"But Brother, you already have a foundation in mystery films and an audience. With the help of screenwriter Zui Bai, if you make a suspense film, do you think the chances of attracting investment with this combination are high?"

"This film may appear to be a suspense drama, but it actually talks about the human heart. If it's well made, it has the potential to win awards."

Cheng Xi began to paint a rosy picture for the couple, saying that theoretically any movie could win an award.

What's more, the quality of this film is really good.

If it weren't for "The Three-Body Problem", Cheng Xi would really be reluctant to take it out.

I was very happy to hear Cheng Xi say this, especially the word "award" at the end.

Zhang Fanfan was obviously moved.

The eyes began to become bright.

Who doesn’t want to prove themselves in this circle?

But Chunli was still a little hesitant because Cheng Xi only gave her a notebook.

If this book doesn’t work, “The Three-Body Problem” will be gone.

Although this junior brother doesn't seem like a person who talks nonsense, there are still differences between movie scripts and TV scripts.

Cheng Xi saw Chun Li's worry, so he decided to deliver the final blow and said:

"How about this, if you agree, Senior Brother. I'll acquire the copyright to 'The Three-Body Problem' for 100 million, and I'll invest another 100 million in the script. I originally wanted to film this script myself, and I calculated that the cost would be around 800 million."

"Now you have 200 million in start-up capital. I'll take 15% of the profits, and you can use my reputation as a screenwriter to attract investment for the rest."

Although Cheng Xi also wanted to invest more and have a monopoly on the market.

But there are many links that need to be opened up for theater movies. If you eat alone, it will be difficult to appear on the screen.

Besides, Cheng Xizhi is not here, so just spend some money to support your senior brother and make some money at the same time.

The most important thing is to obtain the copyright of "The Three-Body Problem".

Although Zhang Fanfan made a movie called "The Chamber of Secrets" and earned 3 million at the box office.

But after sharing the profits among various investors, he only received a director's fee of several hundred thousand yuan and a few tens of thousands of yuan in dividends.

Now with 200 million and Zuibai's script, his dream of becoming a director is within reach.

"Okay, but we need to read the script first."

Chunli made the decision for Zhang Fanfan directly, but still spoke very cautiously.

When Cheng Xi heard Chun Li say this, he looked at Zhang Fanfan and saw that she didn't object.

He smiled and nodded.

a few days later.

After Zhang Fanfan and his wife came to Zuibai Studio and signed the transfer agreement for the copyright of "The Three-Body Problem".

Cheng Xi was in a good mood.

It is obvious that "Silent Witness" is not as good as "The Three-Body Problem", but why is Cheng Xi so sure that they are willing to sell it?
One is the appeal of Zui Bai’s script.

One is the urgent desire to prove oneself.

The most important thing, to be honest, is that when people are poor, they have low aspirations.

Being poor is not just about money, but also about age.

When the economy is not affluent, the immediate benefits will certainly outweigh the benefits ten years later.

But time has begun to wait for no one and has stood against him.

If you don't seize the opportunity, there may be no hope at all.

This is also the reason why Cheng Xi is confident that he can obtain the copyright.

When Cheng Xi saw Zuibai Studio and his own signature on the copyright of "The Three-Body Problem", he couldn't help but feel excited.

The most valuable IP in the next few decades will be in your hands.

As long as you don’t make any mistakes, you can retire now!

Thinking about the countless classics and IP fees coming towards him in the future, Cheng Xi felt extremely refreshed.

Moreover, I like this book very much. I read this masterpiece of the century several times in my previous life, and it is highly related to me.

This sense of accomplishment is addictive.

So after finishing the work here, Cheng Xi happily called everyone in the studio together for a short meeting.

"I believe everyone has seen the achievements of 'The Beginning'. Everyone here has contributed to its success and their hard work. The studio will not forget you all."

"For this reason, we'll be giving everyone in the studio a bonus this month. The amount is three times their monthly salary, as a token of our gratitude!"

When they heard that the bonus was three times this month's salary, everyone in the studio cheered.

The applause was thunderous and lasted for a long time.

Cheng Xi couldn't help but smile when he saw everyone's excitement.

As expected, giving money directly is the employees' favorite way.

When you are happy, you should share it with everyone. Only when you are happy will you become happier!
When everyone's emotions had calmed down, Cheng Xi held his hands and continued:

"Also, the studio has arranged a team-building activity for everyone on Friday afternoon. First, we'll watch Mahua's play, and then have dinner at Meilaifu. Pickup and drop-off are provided, and it's all free."

"And the whole process is voluntary. You can withdraw at any time. If you don't want to go, you can just take a day off!"

This time, everyone applauded continuously.

Looking at the promises made by his boss to everyone, Li Wentao couldn't help but feel that young teams are still the best.

It's not a big deal that the team building is held on a weekday, and it's thoughtfully scheduled on Friday. Participation is voluntary, and those who don't go can simply take the day off.

Based on this point, the happiness index of the employees of Zuibai Studio is very high.

Cheng Xi's idea of ​​going to see Mahua's drama was not a spur-of-the-moment idea.

A few days ago, Cheng Xi received a call from Dapeng, saying that he wanted to invite him to participate in the opening performance of Mahua Theater's new drama - "The Earl of Wulong Mountain".

Because the actor Shen Teng from Mahua was invited to make a guest appearance in "Diaosi Men" before.

The second season even increased his role.

So Dapeng has a good relationship with Shen Teng now.

Although Shen Teng also knows Cheng Xi, but as Zuibai’s fame grows.

Shen Teng didn't even have the courage to invite him directly.

Dapeng hadn't seen Cheng Xi for a while, so he remembered that he seemed to be more interested in Shen Teng before.

So I took this opportunity to try to invite him.

It doesn’t matter whether it succeeds or not. The most important thing is to enhance our relationship and express that I am still thinking about Director Cheng.

But to Dapeng's surprise, Cheng Xi not only agreed.

He also said that he would bring everyone from the studio to show his support, which made Dapeng very happy.

After Shen Teng found out, he quickly reported it to the Mahua boss.

I directly applied for 20 VIP seats for Zuibai Studio.

You should know that Mahua VIP ticket now costs 660 yuan, so Mahua is really giving face to Cheng Xi.

Cheng Xi then gave this as a benefit to his employees.

It can be said to serve multiple purposes.

As soon as Friday afternoon arrived, everyone happily left the studio and came to Haidian Theater.

This time, almost everyone in the studio is here.

After all, it is Mahua’s new drama, and there is a free dinner in the evening. It would be a real shame if anyone didn’t come.

Mahua dramas are usually performed in the Yanjing Geology Auditorium next to the Ministry of Land and Resources.

Only important plays or large-scale performances will be performed at Haidian Theater.

Today's new play opening is divided into afternoon and evening sessions, and Mahua has been preparing for it for a long time.

Since Cheng Xi and his friends arrived early, there were not many people in the theater when they arrived.

As soon as Cheng Xi entered the venue, Dapeng, Shen Teng and a few others were waiting for him.

We hadn't seen each other for a while, so of course we were all very enthusiastic when we met.

Shen Teng even introduced several people next to him to Cheng Xi.

"These two are the founders of our Mahua Drama—Mr. Zhang Chen and Mr. Yu Kai."

"Director Cheng, this is Mr. Liu Hongtao, CEO of Mahua Drama."

After hearing the introductions, Cheng Xi stepped forward and shook hands with everyone, responding politely:
"Hello, Mr. Zhang, Mr. Yu, and Mr. Liu."

It seems that Mahua attaches great importance to this opening performance, and the founder and CEO are all present.

I'm not very clear about Zhang Chen and Cheng Xi.

But he had dealt with Liu Hongtao and Yu Kai in his previous life.

One reason was that Cheng Xi was doing live broadcasting business and had invited several actors from Mahua to be guests.

The second is that Cheng Xi was actually an alumnus of theirs in his previous life.

Liu Hongtao and Yu Kai are both senior students in the Chinese Department of Yenching University, while Cheng Xi is a graduate student in the School of Economics and Management of Yenching University in 16.

Because they both work in Yanjing and are considered to be developing in the entertainment industry.

So when attending the alumni association, several of them became acquaintances.

Moreover, Liu Hongtao arranged for several actors from Mahua to be guests out of consideration for their alumni status.

Cheng Xi remembered that he had played football for the boys from the School of Economics and Management and the Chinese Department.

Cheng Xi doesn’t play football much, but since the main player was injured, Cheng Xi came on to replace the goalkeeper.

The goalkeeper ran to the defensive midfielder.

They were often beaten 7-0, 8-0 or something like that in the Chinese department.

So even though Cheng Xi, the substitute goalkeeper, missed the ball that time, we still won.

But unfortunately, he has good writing skills. After losing the game, he made sharp self-deprecating remarks on his public account "just lose it".

The writing was worthy of a Chinese department graduate; even Cheng Xi, the winner, was impressed.

Not only can you not get angry at all, you can also give people likes and reposts for one-stop service.

In the end, although the School of Economics and Management won the game, they also won a lot of fans.

After the introduction, Dapeng followed Cheng Xi and the others and sat in the middle seat.

Then he started to flatter Director Cheng.

Apart from anything else, Cheng Xi likes Dapeng's flattery, which is more advanced.

Unlike others who came up and praised the ratings of "The Beginning" and how great the plot was, he mainly praised the script.

Dapeng knew what Cheng Xi liked to hear, and that was praising his directing abilities.

So let’s first talk about the changes in the actors. After being trained by Director Cheng, each of them is full of brilliance.

I wish I could be one of those actors and be able to receive Cheng Xi's training.

Then they said that even if Zheng Shuang and others relied on Mango TV, they would not be able to defeat Director Cheng, etc.

Cheng Xi felt strangely comfortable listening to these.

After all, the script's ability itself is questionable.

But the director actually directed it himself.

The drama began soon, and Dapeng even switched seats with Jin Chen next to him.

Let Jin Chen sit next to him, and then you can tell me whether this kid Dapeng is reliable or not.

So on Cheng Xi's left is Jin Chen, and on his right is Li Wentao.

Since many people know Reba, many people asked her for autographs before the show started.

Cheng Xi did not sit next to Reba.

Because now everyone knows that Zuibai is supporting Reba, so this young man will sit next to Reba.

Anyone with a little imagination would guess that this might be Zui Bai.

So Cheng Xi obediently put on a mask and sat in the row behind Reba.

When the lights dimmed and the play began, Cheng Xi took off his mask.

Cheng Xi had seen Mahua’s plays in his previous life, but he had never seen “The Earl of Wulong Mountain”.

He tells the story of Xie Xie, a young man with no house, no car, no savings and no job.

Suddenly, I received an inheritance from the country of Magnesium, just when I was imagining a better life.

But he encountered an unreliable bank manager and a group of even more unreliable robbers.

The story of a man who was mistakenly identified as a wanted criminal and ended up hiding in Wulong Mountain.

Cheng Xi was indeed immersed in it very quickly. The plot was interesting with many twists and turns.

It blends various plots very well.

Even Shen Teng's outfit is directly like a "Sharp Brother" style.

Among them, the part where Mrs. K undergoes sex change is the highlight of the whole drama.

The audience's laughter continued one after another throughout the entire venue.

At this time, Jin Chen next to him started to make trouble and reached out to touch Cheng Xi.

And Reba was sitting right in front of him.

This is not a good idea. Reba opened her heart to me a few days ago.

I guess if there was no one around, Jin Chen would ride on me.

Of course, this level of harassment has no effect on Cheng Xi at all.

He watched Shen Teng's performance in the drama with a normal expression, while wondering whether the drama "Charlotte's Troubles" was on now.

Moreover, Mahua is obviously a good investment target. There are 30 million yuan in the account now, which may be put to use.

So he whispered to Li Wentao next to him:
"Wentao, quickly investigate Mahua's information, as well as their equity structure and revenue situation."

When Li Wentao heard this, he nodded, thinking that the boss was going to start playing tricks.

Because the direction of Cheng Xi's question was very obvious, if Li Wentao couldn't hear it, then it would be a waste of time to follow Cheng Xi for so long.

After watching the drama, Cheng Xi started having dinner with everyone.

It was another happy and fulfilling day in Zuibai Studio.

On Monday morning, Li Wentao came to Cheng Xi's office to report on the situation of Mahua.

Yanjing Mahua Entertainment Culture Media Co., Ltd. was established in 2003 with a joint investment of 30 yuan by founders Zhang Chen and Yu Kai.

In 2010, Liu Hongtao joined Happy Twist and became CEO.

In October, Mahua signed a contract with the Geology Auditorium to become a permanent theater.

In 2010, there were 286 performances, with a total annual revenue of million.

From 2011 to date, Happy Twist has a total of 32 employees.

The current resident plays include "If You Want Mahua, I'll Twist It for You Now," "Drifting in the Jianghu," "Crazy Stone," "No One is Allowed to Laugh," and "Jianghu Academy."
There is also "The Earl of Wulong Mountain", which opened last Friday.

Cheng Xi couldn't help but laugh when he saw that "Charlotte's Troubles" was not yet in the repertoire.

Charlotte, your whereabouts are still unknown.

Come to think of it, he and Charlotte have the same profession.

These are the people who make Jieren feel like he is living in the shadows.

Cheng Xi also took a careful look at the equity structure. Mahua had raised funds in 09.

The current equity structure is mainly composed of Zhang Chen holding the majority of 54.74%, and the joint actor Yu Kai also holds a certain proportion.

Ensure that you have absolute right to speak.

Cheng Xi thought of Zhang Chen's kind face when they met last time.

Should I choose to invest or acquire directly?
After all, this is a business with an annual revenue of 10 million, so there is no problem in acquiring it in full now.

　Continue to make 1.1 yuan a day and ask for votes from the great directors!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)