novellhall Chapter 71: Too Popular
Chapter 71: Too Popular
Huayi Brothers Media, Wang Zhongjun's office.
Two documents were laid out in front of the Wang brothers.
On the left is the box office revenue sharing list for "One Shot," which they obtained through inside information.
On the right is Wei Yi's personal resume and background check, a thick stack of documents, detailing everything from his college entrance examination scores to his admission to Beijing Film Academy, from his internship in Hengdian to his collaboration with VOGUE.
Wang Zhonglei spoke first: "Brother, this kid is only eighteen. He made one movie and it became a box office champion. Now he wants to co-invest in his second movie, and the news has spread so far that even people in Shanghai and Hong Kong and Taiwan know about it. Damn it, this is obviously an attempt to form cliques."
Wang Zhongjun remained silent.
He flipped through Wei Yi's resume, his finger pausing on a few lines of text.
He scored full marks on the college entrance exam, but rejected Tsinghua and Peking Universities and chose Beijing Film Academy instead.
When Wang Zhongjun saw this, his brows furrowed slightly.
A perfect score on the college entrance exam is nothing special to their circle.
The entertainment industry doesn't need to solve equations.
However, he rejected Tsinghua and Peking Universities, and was the only top scorer in the country to reject them.
This illustrates two things. First, this person is extremely confident. Second, he doesn't play by the rules.
Confident people are not scary.
People who don't play by the rules aren't scary either.
But a person who is both confident and unconventional at the age of eighteen.
That would be very troublesome.
Wang Zhongjun continued reading.
When this guy opened his new company, all the top executives from Nortel came out in droves.
This made him frown even more deeply.
Zhang Huijun, Tian Erzhuang, Xie Xiaojin, and Mu Deyuan—half the Beijing Film Academy's ranks…no, eighty percent of them—all stood behind Wei Yi.
What does this mean? It means that many underhanded tactics used against other directors are completely ineffective against Wei Yi.
Who dares to mess with the entire Beijing Film Academy? In this circle, that's practically suicide.
Continue on.
Anna Wintour flew to Beijing specifically to meet him, just to ask him to take photos in New York.
Later, they were even willing to accommodate him and have the remaining photos taken in the country.
This international fashion circle resource is truly unique.
Finally, there's the marketing strategy behind "One Shot," which was unprecedented even for industry veterans like the two brothers.
This means that this person is not only good at taking pictures, but also exceptionally good at selling them.
He's no longer a pentagon.
He's practically a decagonal warrior!
"Sigh..." Wang Zhongjun took a deep breath and then exhaled.
He closed the resume, took off his glasses, and rubbed his temples with his thumb and forefinger.
"This guy isn't your average director," he said. "He wants to be his own boss."
Wang Zhonglei chimed in, "Isn't that even better? He wants money, and we want good projects. It's a win-win situation."
"You're too naive," Wang Zhongjun shook his head. "If he just wanted money, he could have simply sold the project to China Film Group. Would someone like Han Sanping hesitate to part with fifty million?"
Wang Zhonglei fell silent.
Wang Zhongjun leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling for a long time.
The office was so quiet that only the hissing sound of the air conditioner vents and the heating was heard.
Then he said something that Wang Zhonglei didn't expect.
"This guy isn't actually looking for investment. I think he's choosing who's qualified to join his team."
Wang Zhonglei was stunned.
Wang Zhongjun put his reading glasses on the table, stood up, and walked to the window.
Outside the window, the skyline of Yanjing was hazy and gray, with distant buildings appearing and disappearing in the thin mist.
"Think about it. If he's short of money, China Film Group can take care of everything. If he's short of channels, those people at Beijing Film Academy can help him sort it out. If he's short of connections, Han Sanping alone is enough, and damn it, he also has Beijing Film Academy. He lacks nothing."
Wang Zhongjun turned around and looked at his younger brother.
"Then why did he release this information? Han Sanping said it in front of the deputy general manager of Shanghai Film Group at the Film Bureau's regular meeting. Isn't that just like protesting too much? Why did he have those professors from Beijing Film Academy spread the word for him on the forum?"
Wang Zhonglei opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.
"Because he's choosing his people," Wang Zhongjun said. "He's watching to see who will step forward first, what terms they'll offer, and who deserves a share of the pie. He's not looking for money; he's looking for allies."
Wang Zhonglei opened the resume again and stared at Wei Yi's photo for a long time.
"So, how should we play our cards?"
Wang Zhongjun returned to his desk and sat down.
He tapped his fingers lightly on the table twice, then spoke.
"The first step is to have the artists explore the area."
Wang Zhonglei immediately understood his brother's meaning.
This is a common tactic used by Huayi Brothers, and even by the entire industry.
When you take celebrities out to fish, regardless of gender, there's bound to be one that the other person likes.
Thinking about this, Wang Zhonglei felt that his brother's strategy was good.
At least Huayi is far ahead of everyone else!
Fan Binbin alone has already secured a stable position by Wei Yi's side.
But this girl was never really successful at Huayi, because Li Binbin was always suppressing her.
She's completely on the verge of turning against us. We can't control her. Let's find someone else.
"Let Li Binbin and Zhou Xun get moving too."
Wang Zhongjun said, "We don't necessarily have to use any honey trap, but we need to create an atmosphere where Huayi artists are frequently around Wei Yi. Let him get used to our people and our resources."
"I'll talk to Li Binbin," Wang Zhonglei nodded. "Young Master Zhou just signed with us, so this is a good opportunity to get her more exposure."
"Step Two,"
Wang Zhongjun raised his second finger. "Prepare the investment plan, but don't rush to make an offer. Let's see what the other companies offer first. Bona's Yu Dong has definitely already made a move, and Orange Field probably won't be far behind. Let them make their offers first."
"We'll strike first and then counter-attack!"
"That's right." Wang Zhongjun picked up his teacup and took a sip. "The last person to make a bid is the one who can negotiate the price most clearly."
Wang Zhonglei waited a while, and seeing that his brother didn't continue, he asked, "Is there a third step?"
"have."
Wang Zhongjun picked up the landline on the table and dialed a number.
The phone rang twice before being answered.
"Dean Zhang, this is Wang Zhongjun. Hope I haven't disturbed you?"
Zhang Huijun's tone on the other end of the phone was polite but not warm: "Mr. Wang, what can I do for you?"
"That's right, Huayi has always wanted to do something practical for the industry. We plan to establish a 'Young Director Support Fund' specifically to support promising new directors. As the dean of the Beijing Film Academy, you are the most qualified to speak on this matter. I would like to invite you to be an advisor for this fund."
Zhang Huijun chuckled twice on the phone and said things like, "President Wang is so thoughtful," and "This is a good thing."
The two exchanged a few pleasantries, but neither Wang Zhongjun nor Zhang Huijun mentioned Wei Yi's name.
After hanging up the phone, Zhang Huijun's smile faded, and she said to Xie Xiaojin, who was flipping through documents next to her, "Huayi's real intention is not what it seems."
Xie Xiaojin didn't even look up: "At Wei Yi's."
"That goes without saying."
While the Wang brothers were trying to find a solution...
The others weren't idle either.
Bona Film Group, Yu Dong's office.
Yu Dong didn't beat around the bush like Hua Yi did.
He is straightforward and his style of doing things is to "pave the way with sincerity".
He had his assistant prepare a very detailed list of filming resources in Thailand: Bona has several long-term cooperative local production companies in Bangkok, channels for fixed filming bases in Chiang Mai, and even a filming team that has been cooperating with them for many years in Chinatown.
Then he had the vice president evaluate the script outline for "Detective Chinatown" (obtained through various channels) and gave a very pragmatic investment quote:
"Twenty million, only 15% share. No interference with creative work. 50% discount on Southeast Asian distribution channels."
The vice president hesitated slightly: "President Yu, isn't this a bit... too high?"
Yu Dong shook his head: "Do you know what Wei Yi is lacking right now?"
"money?"
"No. What he lacks is trust. China Film Group can give him trust because Han Sanping is an old friend of his teacher. We are strangers to him. For a stranger to get involved, he must offer more irresistible terms than an acquaintance."
Yu Dong's calculations were very shrewd: 20 million wasn't a large sum for Bona Film Group. But if they could get in touch with Wei Yi, Bona would be a "regular partner" for every film he made in the future. How much was that status worth?
He called Wei Yi himself. This time, Wei Yi answered.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Yu."
"Director Wei, let's cut to the chase. I have readily available resources in Thailand, ten years of experience in Southeast Asian distribution, and I'll invest 15% of your 20 million, with no interference in the creative process. If you're interested, I'll send someone to Bangkok to check out locations, and I'll cover all your team's travel expenses!"
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.
Then Wei Yi smiled: "President Yu, that's the most refreshing thing I've heard all day."
"Then it's settled?"
"It's not decided yet. But I've noted it down."
After hanging up the phone, Yu Dong leaned back in his chair, a hint of helplessness on his lips.
That kid is really slippery.