novellhall Chapter 54 Funds Raised
Chapter 54 Funds Raised
With Teacher Li's initial support, Chen Nianbei and Zhang Lei felt reassured, but the funding gap still weighed heavily on their minds.
Chen Nianbei didn't mention this matter much in the dormitory, but occasionally stared blankly at the budget sheet on the computer screen, and even her sleep seemed to be less deep than before.
That afternoon, Naza, who rarely had free time, invited Chen Nianbei to her apartment.
She seems to have found a role she recently auditioned for, and she's in a great mood. She even learned to cook two simple dishes, which, although not particularly appealing, were made with great care.
At the dinner table, Na Zha chattered on about her experiences on set and the fun things that happened during the audition, but she noticed that Chen Nianbei seemed a little absent-minded.
"What's wrong with you?"
Naza put down her chopsticks, reached out and touched his cheek, her eyes full of concern.
"You look so tired. Didn't you finish filming? Are you too busy with schoolwork?"
Chen Nianbei took her hand and smiled, "It's nothing, I've just been thinking about something else lately."
"What could be making you so worried?"
Naza persisted, moving closer, "Tell me quickly, or I won't feel at ease."
Seeing the pure worry in her clear eyes, Chen Nianbei's heart softened. She briefly explained that she and Zhang Lei wanted to make a movie, they had the script and some support from the school, but they were still far from having enough funding.
"How much less?" Naza asked immediately after hearing the question.
"We're still short about four million," Chen Nianbei said without hiding anything.
Naza was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly stood up and ran into the bedroom.
After a while, she came out with a dark blue velvet jewelry box and placed it in front of Chen Nianbei.
"This, along with some money in my card, adds up to about... one million."
Naza opened the box, inside was an exquisite diamond necklace, sparkling delicately under the light.
"The necklace was a birthday gift from my company last year; it's worth some money."
The money in the card is my own savings from acting fees and activity income...
I gave some money to a family member for medical treatment a while ago, and this is all I have left.
She looked up at Chen Nianbei, her eyes sparkling, her tone unwavering:
"Here, take it all and use it to make a movie."
Chen Nianbei was stunned.
Looking at her sincere little face and the box in her hand that held her heartfelt wishes and savings, he felt a pang of sadness.
He had considered that Naza might support him, but he didn't expect her to be so decisive, giving almost everything she had.
"Forget it."
Chen Nianbei thought for a moment, then pushed the box back.
"This is all your savings. Making movies is risky, what if..."
"If we lose money, we'll just consider it a failed investment!"
Naza interrupted him, shoving the box back into his hand, her tone stubborn.
"I believe in you! Your script will definitely be a success! Even if... even if it doesn't, I won't regret it."
She paused, her voice lowered, tinged with a mixture of shyness and determination.
"What's mine is yours anyway... it doesn't matter whether you give it to me sooner or later."
As she said this, her cheeks flushed slightly, but her eyes were unusually determined.
This unreserved trust and support made Chen Nianbei's chest burn.
He reached out and pulled the silly yet brave girl in front of him into a tight embrace.
"Fool," he whispered in her ear, his arms tightening around her.
Naza nestled in his arms, inhaling his familiar scent, and felt a sweet warmth in her heart.
She knew that one million wasn't much compared to the four million shortfall, but that was all she could offer.
She just wanted to tell him that no matter what he did, she was on his side.
The hug lasted a long time.
As dusk settled outside the window, the lights in the apartment remained off. In the dim light, a silent understanding and a sense of emotion flowed through the space.
Naza tilted her head back and kissed his lips.
The kiss was comforting, encouraging, and filled with the determination to give everything.
Chen Nianbei responded to her, and the kiss gradually became deeper and more passionate.
He picked her up and carried her to the bedroom.
That night, there were few words, only the most intimate touches and silent promises, as if to deeply imprint each other's support and feelings into their physical memory.
On the other hand, although Dilraba was in Hengdian continuing to film the remaining scenes of "Swords of Legends", she did not lose contact with Chen Nianbei.
She would send him messages from time to time to say hello, chat about the filming progress, and occasionally subtly inquire about what he had been up to lately.
Chen Nianbei didn't hide anything from her, mentioning that he was preparing a film project and was worried about funding.
Dilraba was waiting in the dressing room when she saw this message.
She stared at her phone screen, thinking for a long time.
After much hesitation, she mustered her courage and found a time when no one was around.
"Sister Honey... I... I'd like to get an advance on the remaining portion of my salary, or... borrow some money."
Dilraba spoke haltingly, and her face turned red.
Yang Mi was touching up her makeup in front of the mirror when she heard this. She paused, glancing at her in the mirror:
Need money urgently? Something happened at home?
"No...it's Nianbei...Chen Nianbei has a film project, and he's short of funding..."
Reba's voice grew softer and softer, and she dared not look Yang Mi in the eye.
Yang Mi put down her lipstick, turned around, crossed her arms, and looked Dilraba up and down with a complicated expression.
After several seconds, she sighed softly, her tone neither entirely helpless nor amused:
"You silly girl... You've read the script? What about the project proposal? The risk assessment? You know nothing, yet you dare to invest money? And in an actor you've only worked with before?"
Dilraba lowered her head even further after being criticized, but still tried to defend herself in a low voice:
"He...he's not that kind of person. Besides, he said he's quite confident about the script, and his teachers at school are supportive..."
"Can faith feed you?"
Yang Mi shook her head, but seeing Dilraba's terrified yet persistent demeanor, she finally softened.
She took Dilraba under her wing, partly because she valued Dilraba's rare simplicity and persistence.
"Alright, stop looking like that. I can give you an advance of one million, is that enough?"
Dilraba looked up in surprise: "Enough! Enough! Thank you, Sister Honey!"
"Don't thank me yet."
Yang Mi said seriously, "This money is considered an advance payment for you, and it will be deducted from your salary later."
Also, while investing is investing, don't get yourself completely involved.
Especially when it comes to relationships, wake up, do you hear me?
I don't want to see you lose everything, with no one to turn to for help.
"I understand, Honey."
Reba nodded quickly, but she was overjoyed that she could help Chen Nianbei.
As for Yang Mi's warning, she ignored it completely.
Soon, Chen Nianbei received two payments of one million each in his account.
One donation came from Naza, and the other from Dilraba, with the note "Supporting your movie".
He looked at the two incoming account notifications, his feelings a mix of emotions.
Naza's wholehearted entrustment and Reba's trust and support are both very meaningful.
The funding gap has been narrowed to two million.
Just as Chen Nianbei and Zhang Lei were discussing whether to lower the production standards or find other small investments, Zhang Lei brought unexpected news.
"Nianbei! My uncle! My uncle is willing to vote!"
Zhang Lei practically rushed into the dormitory, his face flushed with excitement.
Zhang Lei's uncle holds a senior management position at Enlight Media, where he is responsible for project development.
With a try-it-out mentality, Zhang Lei sent the revised script outline and project plan to his uncle.
I didn't have high hopes at first, but to my surprise, my uncle was very interested after watching it. He even took the time to video chat with Zhang Lei for more than an hour and asked a lot of questions about the details.
"My uncle said that although this script is low-budget, it has a clear genre and accurately captures the emotional points, so it has the potential to become a dark horse."
Moreover, with the support of school resources, costs are well controlled, and risks are relatively manageable.
Zhang Lei excitedly relayed the story.
"He's willing to invest two million yuan under the name of Enlight Media, taking a 30% stake in the project! But there are conditions: I must be the director, and the final product must be of acceptable quality; they can help with distribution channels!"
Two million, a 30% share.
This means that Chen Nianbei still holds the reins of the project and most of the profits, while Enlight Media provides more financial investment and channel support. This is already quite favorable for a new project.
After listening, Chen Nianbei breathed a long sigh of relief.
The last piece of the puzzle has been completed.
Naza's one million, Dilraba's one million, Enlight Media's two million, plus his own two million three hundred thousand as start-up and emergency funds, totaled six million three hundred thousand.
Although it was tight, Zhang Lei's optimized and compressed budget plan was enough to cover the core production needs, and even left a little bit for publicity and promotion.
The funds have been raised.
In the dormitory, Chen Nianbei and Zhang Lei exchanged a glance, both seeing in each other's eyes an unbelievable excitement and a solemn sense of impending journey.
The theoretical discussions are over; now it's time to put that story about siblings and their wishes into the big screen.
Chen Nianbei walked to the window and looked at the campus in the twilight outside.
Naza's trust, Reba's support, Uncle Zhang Lei's professional recognition, and the assistance of teachers like Teacher Li...
Countless forces came together, propelling this project, which was originally just a fleeting idea, to the starting line.
He clenched his fist, feeling the pressure coming from his palm.
"Take My Brother Away" is really about to begin.