Actor: Thank you.

The next day, Zhang Yuan went to the office building in Wangjing.

Two-thirds of the seven-story office building is now in use.

Yang Siwei and Zeng Jia usually work here, with their offices located at opposite ends of the top floor.

Zhang Yuan's rarely used office is located in the middle of the top floor.

He walked around and saw that two more rooms on the second floor were under renovation.

He had the fat woman handle this beforehand, discussing the matter of building his own studio with Wang Baoqiang and Huang Bo.

They both agreed.

Especially after he had already won over Zhang Ziyi, she couldn't refuse.

Zhang Ziyi is still a good choice; she's a big name and can be used as a brand ambassador.

Besides, I already had a pretty good relationship with these two people.

They agreed to invest in the studio and continue their collaboration in this model.

Although they granted him the power of financial oversight, Zhang Yuan didn't expect them to make him much money.

Unlike Hua Yi, who simply wanted to make money by having Feng Xiaogang, Zhang Guoli, and others start companies and invest in her, she was different.

As a result, everyone was forced to prioritize money above all else, which ironically stifled creativity.

Of course, Alibaba also bears some responsibility for this.

After all, Huayi has contracted with Alibaba and has become infected with Alibaba's problems.

That's today's ceiling, which is tomorrow's floor—an endless pursuit of growth.

This kind of corporate culture and values ​​are fundamentally inconsistent with the objective laws of development.

Like cancer cells, it grows uncontrollably, and the only result is the death of the mother organism.

"You'll be the one to contact them from now on."

"Emotionally speaking, it's still the same as before."

“But from a work perspective, we need to respect them more, after all, they are independent now,” Zhang Yuan said as they walked.

He was itching to do renovations; his DNA was stirring.

Just like how the developer, Old Trump, even after becoming president, still wanted to get involved in construction and renovation.

"Also, you should observe their studio's operating model more closely, especially its problems and shortcomings."

"Send me a summary report at the end of the year."

"We can learn from this experience when other artists set up their own studios in the future."

"Yes," Yang Siwei nodded in reply.

She thought to herself, "I need to learn from this, just in case one day I also want to be 'independent'..."

She quickly dismissed the thought, afraid that Zhang Yuan beside her would see through her "rebellious intentions".

But she didn't know that Zhang Yuan wanted her to learn from his experience so that she could become independent one day.

Only by expanding its reach and influence can it truly grow.

Holding onto these people and money will only narrow your path further.

"Also, how's the photo of me, Zhang Yimou, and Gong Li coming along?"

“I used a foreign IP address and sent it anonymously to a domestic magazine.”

"What do we do next?" Yang Siwei asked curiously.

"No need," Zhang Yuan replied calmly. "Let the bullets fly for a while."

She didn't dare ask what her boss was thinking.

Just do as instructed.

He returned to his office.

There are still several projects to handle.

First, regarding "Empresses in the Palace," Zheng Xiaolong sent over the progress report on the set construction in Hengdian, which looks promising.

In addition, a new batch of actors has been added to the cast list.

He rejected the "stuffing" plan proposed by the two agents.

Apart from bringing Jiang Xin back to her original position, almost no changes were made to the cast.

Because Zheng Xiaolong is capable, the people he selects are the best after careful consideration.

Despite the fact that "Empresses in the Palace" had an investment of over 8000 million to 9000 million yuan, the production team was still quite "poor".

This project is too big. If it weren't for Zheng Xiaolong's clever ideas, the cost would have increased by at least 3%.

Their cost-saving methods include, but are not limited to, the cross-reuse of various hair accessories and platform shoes.

The palace lantern was made from a bucket, and the red patterns on it were drawn with a marker.

The nails of noble ladies and imperial concubines were often made of paper, and many were also made from colorful hair clips that were bought free of charge.

That's not all; these are just what's on camera, there's also what's off camera.

His two producers, a man and a woman, are also very capable.

There are so many places where film crews can get reimbursed for expenses, from vehicles and personnel to makeup artists' cosmetics.

If it's reimbursable, then there's money to be made.

The makeup artist uses Korean cosmetics and quotes you prices for Estée Lauder and Chanel.

The car rental company might pull out a stack of inexplicable toll and parking fee invoices.

This is already considered good!
The car rental companies on set are all stealing fuel!
They'll add a case and steal half of it, they even bring professional equipment like oil extraction machines.

You can't stop them, they even dare to steal right in front of you.

I'll look you in the eye and tell you this is the industry standard.

Go ahead and cause trouble?
They're local bullies.

The king of hell is easy to mess with, but the little devil is difficult to deal with.

Therefore, good project management can reduce costs by at least 30%.

Zheng Xiaolong's two underlings are really capable; they can save a lot of money.

Of course, Zheng Xiaolong also made a lot of money, but he had already gotten it all cleanly, so Zhang Yuan didn't bother arguing with him about it.

They simply called Zeng Jia over.

"Here you go." He handed over four documents.

"These are several young actresses selected by director Zheng Xiaolong for the TV series 'Empresses in the Palace'."

“I picked them out because I felt they had potential in terms of appearance, temperament, and background.”

"Go and contact them one by one to see if there's any possibility of signing a contract."

Upon hearing this, Zeng Jia quickly took the file bag.

Can I watch it now?

“Of course I can,” Zhang Yuan nodded in response. “And I only gave you these materials.”

"Hey, good!"

The two agents need to find a balance, otherwise Zeng Jia will feel that she is being biased.

Four documents, accompanied by four stacks of photos.

They are Tang Yixin, who plays the role of Guarjia, and is from the mountain city.

Tan Songyun, who plays Consort Chun, is from Luzhou, Sichuan.

Mao Xiaotong, who plays Ying Guiren, is from Tianjin.

And then there's Reyizha, who, despite being Kazakh, is a true Beijing girl who plays Ye Lanyi.

The drama "Empresses in the Palace" not only boasts strong production values, but also propelled a number of people, especially female artists, to stardom.

A good show is good for people; one show is worth ten.

Zeng Jia looked at the photos one by one, and then looked at Zhang Yuan.

Has the boss changed his tastes?

He doesn't like glamorous women, especially those dressed in traditional blue robes.

Cheng Hao, Liu Tao, and Jiang Xin are all actresses who specialize in Qingyi roles and have a commanding presence.

Actresses like Song Jia, Wan Qian, and Zhang Tianai can also be transformed into elegant female roles with a little dressing up.

Currently, the only actress under his command who is clearly considered to have the looks of a leading lady is Zhao Liying.

Yang Zi's appearance isn't up to par for a leading lady; she'll need some minor adjustments later.

Li Jinming's words lean more towards youth idols.

But when Zeng Jia looked at them today, she saw four little round faces.

Because of her ethnic minority heritage, Reyizha has more prominent and three-dimensional facial features.

The other three are clearly actresses of the "hua dan" (young female lead) type.

Zeng Jia thought he wanted to "change his tastes," so she gave him a "Good heavens, Japanese officer" look and nodded.

"You'd better be thinking about serious matters," Zhang Yuan reminded him upon seeing this.

"I'll give you five minutes. Based on this information, you can now summarize what these four women have in common."

What do you take me for?!
If I were to date female celebrities just to sleep with them, would I be able to manage all that?

Who's serving whom?
"They're all quite pretty."

"It's quite cute."

“They’re all…” Zeng Jia quickly scanned the files: “Newcomers.”

Zhang Yuan nodded in agreement.

Of the four, Reyizha is the oldest, born in 86, and also has the longest tenure.

She has acted in three movies, but her debut film was banned and never released.

Her subsequent experience was somewhat similar to Zhang Tianai's; she made a living by selling clothes.

He made two more low-budget films, but still didn't become famous.

It wasn't until she played the "arrogant concubine" in "Empresses in the Palace" that she found her niche.

This role also fits her personality.

The other three are not as good as her. Tang Yixin has never acted in a single drama, and Tan Songyun and Mao Xiaotong have only played supporting roles in some unknown works.

It can be said that these four people are all potential stocks, but at the same time, their stock prices are at a low point.

We have to copy them... buy them at rock-bottom prices.

Copy as many as you can.

"Anything else?" Zhang Yuan asked, just like his homeroom teacher.

Zeng Jia stared wide-eyed, looking back and forth: "They're all...women?"

Zhang Yuan: …

The way you put it makes me want to personally verify whether they are women or not.

"nonsense!"

“Look closely, look at the family.”

Zeng Jia then understood.

All four of them come from families of modest means.

The best one is still Hot Yizha, who is considered well-off and has a bit of a background; his parents are both in the cultural circle.

Of the other three, Tang Yixin is also alright; her father holds a minor official position in the local area.

The other two aren't so great.

Tan Songyun comes from an ordinary family.

Mao Xiaotong is even more impressive; her family background is such that they could sit at the same table as Shu Chang.

"Do you understand?" Zhang Yuan asked again.

This prerequisite cannot be ignored.

If the other party has connections and influence, how can you negotiate?
By identifying and addressing weaknesses in these areas, you can pinpoint the right angle for negotiation.

Besides the four main actors, there are several other actors in this production team who also have potential in the future.

For example, Lan Yingying and Xu Lu.

But these two come from families better off than Zhang Yuan, so what's the point of even talking about it?

They simply won't pay any attention to you.

Yinger is also in the cast; she plays Xia Dongchun.

Tang Yixing was originally cast in this role, but it was later changed to Guarjia.

Yinger's family background is similar to Qian Ge's; her father is a senior engineer, and while they're doing alright, they're not wealthy. Theoretically, she could have gotten involved, but Zhang Yuan had absolutely no interest in her.

First of all, she debuted through EE-Media, and her contract has just expired.

And this year, this person is going to pull another stunt.

This person, who terminated his contract with Tianyu and was later taken over by Zhang Yuan, was someone he only met once, Yang Zi.

Mr. Yang also invested in a movie called "Pirated Love" to promote her, and had Huang Shengyi play a supporting role for her.

Then this guy got together with Yang Zi.

As a result, on the day of the movie's press conference, Huang Shengyi had security guards prevent her, the lead actress, from entering.

Yinger was really something, shouting from outside the door, "President Yang, save me!"

They were all photographed.

Then this person terminated their contract with Yangzi.

But Huang Shengyi went even further, revealing that she obtained her roles in the previous dramas "The Book and the Sword" and "Jade Phoenix" through "unspoken rules".

This is the origin of "being secretly involved in a scandal," one of the words of the decade.

After that, things didn't stop; she kept causing trouble and had entanglements with many male celebrities and investors along the way.

Not only do they not want to take detours, they also often engage in yin-yang practices with a straight face.

I've offended everyone I could, but I haven't offended anyone who's not famous...

Among the people that Tianyu Media might choose, there's a high probability that either their personality or their intelligence is problematic.

Zhang Yuan would never want an artist who is sick and pretentious.

You can be bad, but you can't be stupid, otherwise you'll easily ruin things.

Instruct Zeng Jia to do her best and recruit as many people as she can.

Just as the other person was about to leave, he called out to them again.

"Using the threat of being barred from filming or being offered a role in 'Empresses in the Palace' is not allowed," he cautioned.

They made Zheng Xiaolong even angrier.

Only after Zeng Jia made her promise did he feel at ease enough to let her leave.

Then they called Yang Siwei over.

Gordon Chan provided a proposal for the film "Painted Skin".

It includes the general outline of the entire process, along with the budget and cast list.

Actually, the post-production special effects will be handled by Base FX, an Emmy Award winner... for part of it.

“You go and communicate with the special effects company, and then contact Chen Jiashang. At least 7% of the work will be done by our people.”

"But being listed as a co-owner can give Base FX priority."

It's still a Xinyang brand, there's nothing we can do about it.

“Then…” Zhang Yuan glanced at the cast list.

"Tell Director Chen that I don't like this person."

He pointed to Shuangzi's name.

She's a lunatic, even though she's currently very popular.

Furthermore, Chen Jiashang likes her very much, just for the same reason why Wang Hailin likes Shuangzi: she is very natural and "genuine".

I don't care about others; I can do whatever I want.

Of course it's natural.

All those who are sick are "natural".

He also entrusted her with contacting Chen Sicheng's TV series project, "Beijing Love Story".

After the role in "Painted Skin" became available, they had to find someone to fill it.

Li Jinming has recently gained some popularity thanks to the sitcom "iPartment".

He plans to let her fill the position, and he should give her a chance.

I wandered over to Zeng Jia's office, knocked on the door, and entered.

"My boss is Zhang Yuan, you know him, right?"

"Yes, that's him."

"He likes you very much..."

Zhang Yuan: …

Zeng Jia was in contact with those female newcomers, and she was very efficient.

But they didn't follow the right path; they took the "heretical path."

Use him as bait.

They spoke quite ambiguously, and even said they'd fallen for you at first sight...

I particularly admire you, especially your appearance and demeanor.

The words are well-intentioned, but they always seem easy to misunderstand.

Zhang Yuan didn't bother with it.

No matter what means you use, getting things done is what matters.

He left the materials for "Painted Skin" and went.

Then he toured the office building, distributed some snacks as a perk, and got to know the employees.

I left before the end of the workday.

Otherwise, if he were here, who would dare to clock out?

The employees dared not speak out against their anger and had to blame themselves behind their backs.

After he got home, just as he was about to rest, Jiang Zhiqiang called him.

"Your matter with Wang Jiawei is now settled, right?"

He repeatedly confirmed, fearing that Zhang Yuan was still holding back.

"Nothing much for now."

Hearing the word "temporarily" made Boss Jiang feel uneasy.

But that's not why he came here.

"A film from Taiwan has approached me."

"They said they wanted me to help with the distribution in Hong Kong."

"And they're short of money too."

“I think it would be better to put it under the name of film companies on both sides of the strait, so that distribution in mainland China can also be done together.”

"Provided that you are interested."

Jiang Zhiqiang was known for his generosity, so people were willing to seek his help when they needed it.

"Okay, then we can talk."

The other party quickly sent him the artwork information via email.

Zhang Yuan opened the compressed file and took a look.

You Are the Apple of My Eye

Zhang Yuan: …

Finding this film...that makes sense.

It makes sense for Taiwanese films to be made by people from Hong Kong.

However, this film has quite a few problems.

First, there's the author, JiuX Dao.

This person was originally a web novelist from Taiwan.

Because I am from Taiwan, I have all the problems that people from Taiwan can see.

This includes, but is not limited to, pro-Japanese sentiments, isolationist ideologies, and historical nihilism.

We can only set aside the issue of character.

Then there's this movie.

The budget is NT$5000 million, which is less than RMB 1300 million.

It ultimately grossed over 3 million worldwide!
They also sold the copyrights for a large number of regions.

Blood earned!
Zhang Yuan is always interested in making money.

However, like many successful works, this drama did not have a smooth journey.

First, there was the investment problem; before filming even started, the investors had already run away.

Because the entire production team was a makeshift operation, the most senior actor was Hao Shaowen, the male supporting actor, and almost everyone else had no acting experience.

Even the photographer was an amateur.

So the investors, after looking at it from all angles, decided that the project wouldn't work and withdrew their investment before filming began.

After thinking it over, Zhang Yuan called Jiang Zhiqiang back.

"I've seen the item."

"The entire crew is from Taiwan, and the actors aren't very famous. The investment isn't huge."

"But is the male lead suitable?"

Just like Shuangzi, Zhang Yuan wanted to replace the person.

This kind of person is bound to cause problems sooner or later, which is really not good.

But Mr. Jiang replied very directly.

"Everyone else is fine, but the male lead has to be him."

“Because when Angie Chai called me to talk about this, this was the only condition.”

That's right, after the investors withdrew their funding, the original author found Angie Chai, the godmother of Taiwanese idol dramas.

The male lead of this drama is named Ko Ching-teng, which is the real name of the original author, Nine-X Knife.

The author embellished and romanticized his past to create this story.

Angie Chai knew the male lead's father, took a liking to him at first sight, signed him, and planned to promote him.

This man comes from a well-off family; he's considered a young master.

Angie Chai is a very assertive person; she'll probably be difficult to deal with.

Zhang Yuanxin felt it was troublesome; he wanted to earn money while standing up.

But making money while standing is a bit unlikely.

"Is there absolutely no room for negotiation?"

"I can't guarantee it, but I doubt the chances are high... Don't cause any trouble." Jiang Zhiqiang quickly stopped him.

He was afraid that Zhang Yuan would use some underhanded tricks again, after all, he was best at dealing with the seniors.

Zhang Yuan found it troublesome because it wasn't just the male lead.

There are also problems with Angie Chai.

It also involves insider trading by television stations on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Simply put, this Taiwanese godmother uses her fame to act as a middleman, essentially "moving bricks" in the middle.

She would sell Taiwanese TV shows to her for 1 yuan, and then she would sell them to mainland TV stations that collected the shows for 2 yuan.

Then help the other party with the 5 yuan account.

It's true that 70% of it belongs to someone else; Jiang Wen is an expert.

Zhang Yuan didn't know where the three yuan difference went, nor did he dare to ask.

There's a chain of vested interests behind it, so it's not appropriate for me to get involved.

Furthermore, the aftershocks caused by the collapse of these two buildings affected many people.

Hey!
From this perspective, it may not be a bad thing.

"How about this, I'll go and talk to them."

"Let's discuss the terms and strive to maximize our benefits."

Zhang Yuan's plan was to use the replacement of the male lead as leverage, which the other party would definitely refuse.

Then, the share of investment returns was proposed, especially box office and copyright revenue from outside Taiwan.

I'll turn a blind eye to other people and things for now.

Some people are dirty tricks.

But whether this move is a "divine move" or an "eagle's move" depends on how you use it... (End of Chapter)