Actor: Thank you.

Compared to Zhang Yuan's two consecutive victories, Hua Yi's side was quite frustrated.

They truly experienced the exhaustion that comes from being beset by internal and external troubles.

A strong fortress always crumbles from within.

Although it did not collapse, cracks appeared.

They couldn't stop Zhang Yuan from "being a good person".

And he was well aware that once he succeeded in being a good person, Ning Hao, this talented individual, would be gone from his side forever.

Now these two brothers are starting to understand Cao Cao's feelings.

The sight of Guan Yu killing Yan Liang and beheading Wen Chou left everyone speechless.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a trial card...

Now they've gone back to find Lord Xuande.

But now it's not just "Guan Yu" who's in trouble.

Now even "Jiang Wei" is leaving!

Moreover, it was the ministers who petitioned to send Jiang Wei to the other side.

For a mere 5000 million, I gave up Stephen Chow's new film...

Of course, the two brothers were unwilling!
When they saw the new file attachment sent by Zhang Yuan, they immediately realized what was going on.

"Isn't it right?"

"I have a feeling that this kid specially made these dumplings because Zhou Xingchi was jealous."

This means not only losing Ning Hao, but also the opportunity to cooperate with Zhou Xingchi.

Did the enemy cause us to lose two of our key players in a single move?
Zhang Yuan: This might hurt a bit.

At the subsequent board meeting, the king firmly opposed the proposal.

Then his firm opposition was firmly opposed.

"Zhou Xingchi has worked with you before, what was the outcome?"

"It was very unpleasant, wasn't it?" one shareholder said, recalling the past.

"Then was then, and the present is now."

"Stephen Chow's two most recent works, Kung Fu Hustle and CJ7, have both grossed over 200 million yuan, showing very good market performance."

"If we support his filming, his future is promising."

Your Majesty is right, but at this moment someone asked a question.

Has the film project been approved?

"It's in the preparation stage, and the project will be officially launched once everything is agreed upon."

What about the filming schedule?

"Uh... Based on Zhou Xingchi's past performance, it is estimated that it will take a year of preparation, six months of filming, and six months of post-production, for a production cycle of about two years."

Upon hearing the two-year timeframe, the board members immediately became uneasy.

Stephen Chow's filming process has always been slow.

Actors can film several movies a year, but when they direct their own movies, they might not release even one every few years.

"What about the cost?"

"It's estimated to be around 100 million."

"Ha!" The shareholders immediately objected.

This amount of money, over this period, is enough for Feng Xiaogang to make several movies that gross over 100 million yuan at the box office.

Now the problem is quite simple.

The investment of 100 million in Stephen Chow's business was actually not that much.

But if Hua Yi wants to be the lead pitcher, he needs to come up with at least 5000 million.

Stephen Chow received 50 million, but Zhang Yuan lost another 50 million. In total, the difference between the initial investment and the subsequent withdrawal amounted to 100 million.

So now the question is whether to send out 100 million or receive 100 million in a short period of time!

This is a project that will not yield returns for at least two years, and the exact amount of the return is still unknown.

An investment of 100 million yuan requires a box office of at least 250 million yuan to break even.

At that time, no film in China had grossed over 10 billion yuan, and everyone's estimates of box office revenue were very conservative.

Who would have thought that by the time "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons" was released, it would have become a market where a single film could gross over a billion yuan?

Therefore, the shareholders felt the risk was very high.

Zhang Yuan's money, on the other hand, is risk-free; it's right in front of him, within easy reach.

After arguing for a while, the shareholders demanded that the other party provide details of their negotiations with Stephen Chow.

After taking a look at the notes, these people frowned.

what?
What conditions did you give Stephen Chow?
Half of the copyright revenue, 20% of the box office profits, tens of millions of yuan in director fees, and high tiered bonuses.

Are you crazy?
I don’t know, I’m scared.

If we keep doing this, how much money can we possibly make?

Previously, in order to win over Stephen Chow, even though she saw through his two-way tactics, she still gave him exceptional treatment.

Now that the big shots have seen it, they definitely disagree!

There are strong opinions about this investment.

Stephen Chow's reputation in the industry is indeed a bit poor.

Pressing the two brothers' heads down, he agreed to Zhang Yuan's plan.

The king made me so angry that I got sick and didn't go to the company for several days in a row.

Furthermore, the shareholders demanded that once the money from Zhang Yuan's side was deposited, it should be used for shareholder dividends first and not for any other purpose.

Their thoughts were the same as when Heshen in "The Eloquent Ji Xiaolan" discussed disaster relief.

Officials must be fed first before disaster relief can begin.

If we don't have enough to eat, who will manage things?

When Zhang Yuan received a reply from his former creditor, the creditor was a blabbermouth and revealed the whole thing to him.

Zhang Yuan made a decision immediately.

This needs to be spread!

Let Huayi's artists know.

Anyway, I was planning to promote myself properly anyway, so this is a win-win situation.

What will Huayi's artists think when they find out about this?
Zhang Yuan gave tens of millions, and all of you executives got a share.

Then they withhold our money and demand a payment delay?

This will further facilitate Zhang Yuan's plan to slowly whittle down the opponent's health.

Conflicts between founders and shareholders, as well as between founders and artists, can sow the seeds for future conflicts.

Zhang Yuan, on the other hand, had already spoken with Jiang Zhiqiang about Ning Hao and Zhou Xingchi, giving him advance notice.

After hearing this, Boss Jiang kept clicking his tongue.

It's worth it!

A young man single-handedly carved out two mountain strongholds from a long-established, well-connected individual.

If this gets out, people will just laugh at it.

But he actually did it!

Lao Han also approves of his approach of "saving" Ning Hao.

Friends should help each other. If your brothers don't lend a hand, who will?

"According to you, Huayi only cancelled the plan to invest in Zhou Xingchi's new work."

"Are you absolutely certain you can secure the deal?" Boss Jiang asked.

“There are not many companies in the market that can afford to make such a large investment.”

"After removing Huayi, there are only a few left."

"If you don't find big players, you can only find a bunch of retail investors to invest money together."

“I doubt even ten small companies could raise enough money for him.”

“With more people, there will be more demands and conditions. I think he will think it through.” Zhang Yuanming said this on the surface.

He has actually sent a lawyer's letter to Stephen Chow's side, demanding that they file a lawsuit against Zhang Yuqi's agency contract.

After receiving the lawyer's letter, Stephen Chow immediately called him.

"Wasn't it supposed to be an investment?"

"Include Yuqi's breach of contract penalty in the investment costs." Stephen Chow still used the excuse he had given him.

“I’m not investing anymore. This matter has dragged on for too long, and I’ve lost my patience.” Zhang Yuan’s attitude changed 180 degrees, and he gave her a cold look.

"If you insist on going to court, then so be it." Seeing that he had done enough of his charade, Stephen Chow then revealed his true colors.

You were originally a second choice, so why did you turn your back on me?

If all else fails, we can go to court. It's not like I'm new to lawsuits.

Then he went to Huayi to finalize the contract.

As a result, he received a reply that he never expected.

We're not voting!
They play with people, and they play both sides.

It’s not that easy!

Now things are much better; the roles of offense and defense have been reversed!

Let's see who gets impatient.

Zhang Yuan deliberately changed his attitude to dangle some strings in the other party's sleeve.

No matter how great a director you are, I am an investor!
Who listens to whom? I need to make sure you understand who the King and Queen are.

I'll give you a choice now. Even if you sue me, you still won't get the investment.

Or you can come to me obediently. If you adopt the right attitude, we can discuss things.

Zhang Yuan's advantage is that if Stephen Chow doesn't approach him, it's equivalent to abandoning most of the investors in the Hong Kong investment circle.

Even if they can find investors again in mainland China, they may not be able to offer their terms.

The game I've been playing with him for the better part of half a year is about to end. "There's one more thing I want to tell everyone."

During dinner that evening, after several rounds of drinks, Zhang Yuan stood up and raised his glass.

"I've acquired the rights to an overseas music program."

"We will then collaborate with a TV station to produce a brand new talent show."

"Music-related programs will have a larger and more luxurious investment than Hunan TV's Super Girl and Happy Boys."

"I hope everyone can come and support us."

As for Yang Yuancao, the copyright for "The Voice of the Netherlands" has been almost finalized.

The show had just become popular in Europe at that time.

The other party offered 100 million euros for copyright fees in mainland China for 5 years.

It's pure copyright, I don't participate in operation, advertising revenue sharing, etc., it's completely sold.

Yang Yuancao thought it was too expensive, but Zhang Yuan thought it was a great deal!
With a copyright cost of 100 million euros, you can earn it back in just one season, and much more.

When they heard they were going to do a show, these musicians from the imperial music scene were interested, but not too keen on it.

Zhang Yuan glanced at it and continued.

"This show is a mentor-led program."

"Therefore, mentors play a very important role and can nurture new musical talents."

"The most popular singers in recent years all came from Hunan TV."

"How many of them are from the imperial circle?"

"We need to hurry too."

The moment this was mentioned, the guys perked up.

When it comes to creating stars, you have to use your own people!
These guys who mingle in the industry naturally want to expand their sphere of influence.

"As for treatment, we can discuss that. I won't treat everyone unfairly."

After Zhang Yuan offered a toast, everyone responded.

He squinted at the crowd.

They say they're creating stars for them, so in name only, the stars belong to them.

Ultimately, they're still my people!

When he negotiates production with TV stations, he adds additional clauses related to the artists.

These musicians who emerged from talent shows have commercial value that is no less than that of actors.

The revenue from advertising and concerts each year is not a small amount.

After dinner, he was in a good mood and took the group of musicians to his study to play the piano and sing.

"Yo!"

Upon entering the music room, the eagle let out a strange cry, then picked up a ball of yarn, a pair of knitting needles, and a small piece of bright red sweater "fragment".

"Who's so old-fashioned to still be knitting sweaters these days?"

"Me!" Zhang Yuan raised his hand.

"You're a man, knitting?"

"Isn't this abnormal?" the eagle, who had drunk quite a bit, said without restraint.

The people next to her quickly pulled her away, almost covering her mouth.

"It's for work." Zhang Yuan picked up the yarn and knitted a couple of lines on the spot.

He specifically asked around among the housekeepers at home and found two who knew how to knit sweaters, and learned from them.

Because of the filming needs of "The Piano in a Factory", the male lead knitted woolen pants for his daughter.

In the 90s, it was common for people to knit sweaters for their children themselves.

If you don't know how, you have to learn, otherwise you'll be completely lost on set.

These past few days, besides practicing the piano, he's been knitting.

It has to be a grown man, smoking a cigarette, taking a few puffs now and then, and fiddling with some yarn, to have that kind of spirit that you could call family-oriented, or you could call cowardly.

You know what, after Zhang Yuan learned it, he found that knitting was quite stress-relieving.

You can use your hands and brain separately. Once you get used to it, your hands will be fully automatic, and your brain can think about other things.

"Brother Qian, I'll try to knit you a pair of woolen shorts as a New Year's gift."

"That's so prickly!" Brother Qian said, a cigarette dangling from his lips.

"I have something to ask you."

After Zhang Yuan played a familiar piece called "Moonlight Sonata," Lao Han quietly came to his side and whispered something.

"Please feel free to ask."

"Do you know about the Tudou.com incident?"

"Yes, I know. I've heard about it."

"I mean, did you know all along?" Old Han asked him with a crooked mouth, while observing his expression.

"Then who should I ask?" Zhang Yuan shrugged.

Old Han is a seasoned veteran, so we suspect he was involved and deliberately set a trap for Hua Yi, but we have no evidence.

Because this was so strange, he sold his shares in Tudou.com, but now the other party is having problems.

"However, I have long been dissatisfied with Wang Wei, the boss of Tudou.com, especially his treatment of the people around him."

"I just didn't expect such a big problem to occur."

He certainly couldn't admit it; others at most only had suspicions.

Ultimately, it was Huayi who snatched these shares from him!

"Yes." Old Han nodded, thinking to himself, could it be that this kid really has good luck, and the Wang brothers just happened to help him ward off disaster?
"I never expected that a woman would ruin everything."

"President Han, I don't like hearing that." Xu Qing, who was nearby swaying her hips to Yang Kun's song, was not happy about it.

"You men blame everything on women, but in the end it's because the men themselves didn't do a good job."

"Fine, fine, whatever you say."

Old Han couldn't do anything about her either.

Not only were the men Xu Qing dated impressive, but she herself also had a powerful background.

My great-grandfather was a veteran of the Gongjinhui (Communist Progressive Association) and had funded the Xinhai Revolution.

My mother's side of the family are all diplomats; my mother was the captain of the General Political Department Song and Dance Troupe.

Just based on these points alone, she's already equivalent to Liu Qianqian PRO MAX.

But her father was even more impressive; he was a former bodyguard.

The person they were protecting was the one who started a revolution with two kitchen knives.

Therefore, she is the real queen of the imperial circle, while others like Gao Yuanyuan and Xu Jinglei are simply not qualified.

"President Han was just venting his emotions. Who has ever heard of a large company's IPO being halted because of the boss's divorce? It's quite a shock," Zhang Yuan quickly advised.

"I was shocked when I heard about it."

“You men are all in cahoots.” She rolled her eyes at Zhang Yuanfei.

When no one was looking, Zhang Yuan pinched her lower back as a form of protest.

Not only did she not shy away from it, she turned around and smiled at him, while placing his hand on her buttocks.

The two exchanged a glance, sparks flying everywhere.

"Brother Qian."

"You just said your sister-in-law told you to go home early?" Zhang Yuan immediately asked.

Yu Qian was asked this question, and then glanced at the woman beside him.

"Correct!"

"I'm older now, unlike when I was in my twenties, I can't hold on much longer."

"We should go back soon."

"How about we have another drink, then call it a day and go home early?"

Zhang Yuanzhi gave him a thumbs up.

Brother Qian truly understands me.

After another round of drinks, everyone went home.

After seeing everyone off at the door, Zhang Yuan hurried to the bedroom in the backyard.

no one.

"Did they leave too?"

"Hehehe, who are you looking for?"

Suddenly, a soft laugh came from the music room.

Zhang Yuan followed the sound and, before even entering the house, saw a shadow sitting on a piano on the floor.

Tsk!
He let out a sound of dissatisfaction.

Pianists cherish their pianos the most.

Besides, this is a brand new one, even more expensive than the one in the small courtyard.

They don't let anyone touch them normally, for fear of leaving scratches on the paint.

You actually sat on my piano! Is that even allowed?!
Zhang Yuan stormed into the house, then realized, okay.

Just as he had observed from the shadows, Xu Qing was sitting on the top of his grand piano.

But a shadow cannot indicate whether a person is wearing clothes or not...

Clearly, this person wasn't wearing any.

"What do you want to say?" Seeing that he seemed hesitant to speak, the older sister struck a rather alluring pose.

"I want to say... water stains should not be left on the piano."

"Ha ha ha ha."

Accompanied by a lewd laugh, the exciting show officially began... (End of Chapter)