Actor: Thank you.

As the Lunar New Year approached, Zhang Yuan's schedule became busy again.

The huge success of "Ip Man 2" has led to a further increase in his commercial fees.

But it wasn't mentioned much because it was already quite high.

He received numerous offers, and even major television stations wanted him to appear on the Spring Festival Gala.

He pushed them all.

He's good at singing and dancing, but he shouldn't bother with that; he doesn't need that much fame.

He tried to push most of the work onto the artists under his name.

Yang Zi was admitted to the Beijing Film Academy this year, and Zhang Yuan specially invited her to his home. Since she was going to go out for the winter vacation, he gave her an LV travel set as a gift.

Handbags, large bags, suitcases, and the like.

She's still young and hasn't earned much money yet.

I was pleasantly surprised to receive these gifts, and I held them and looked at them for a long time.

"Focus on building a solid foundation first, don't rush things." Zhang Yuan treated her to some seafood that had been transported from Qingdao.

The prawns were all covered in roe and incredibly delicious.

"Don't care about what others think or say."

“Even if they are senior figures,” Zhang Yuan gently advised.

He was worried that the other person was too young to fully understand, so he made it even more straightforward.

"I'm referring to Teacher Song Dandan."

“I respect her a lot, and she is very strong herself, but the experience of a senior may not be applicable to others.”

"Everyone's experience only affects them personally."

Before the college entrance examination, Song Dandan advised Yang Zi that she was not suited for the entertainment industry.

And to make matters worse, she said it was because she wasn't pretty enough.

Teacher Song Dandan's words are mature and insightful, and they are true.

Because when she was young, she had "willow-leaf eyebrows and cherry lips, and everyone who saw me was happy to look at me. Even Wu Lao Er next door would tremble all over after just one look at me."

She may not be a top-tier beauty, but she's at least quite pretty, and her looks surpass those of Yang Zi, who is the same age.

Furthermore, she had a powerful background and extensive connections, which resulted in her being called a "golden monkey" right after her debut.

Because of her yellowish hair and thin body, she could only play minor female roles at the Beijing People's Art Theatre and could not play major female roles.

She then looks at the current female celebrities.

Let's not even talk about Li Bingbing and Fan Bingbing; all actresses who act in TV dramas have to look like Yan Danchen, Bai Bing, and Liu Shishi.

Yang Zi's natural looks are far inferior to these women.

She's the type who doesn't have natural star quality or star aura.

As a former child star, she naturally comes with a stereotyped image in the eyes of the audience.

Therefore, her ability and determination to successfully transform herself step by step and become a top-tier female star far exceed those of ordinary people.

Don't bring up plastic surgery; her procedures weren't that extensive, far less so than most female internet celebrities.

He is a very inspiring person.

Song Dandan was also afraid that she would be discouraged, but of course, it wouldn't be good for her to be discouraged by him personally.

It's one thing for kids, but when they grow up and enter their youth to act, there are plenty of inhuman directors, producers, and colleagues on set.

People call you ugly to your face, saying you're unattractive—this happens every day. Many artists who aren't mentally strong would break down and become depressed.

The pursuit of fame and fortune amplifies the evil in human nature.

Before she became famous, Yang Mi was constantly scolded, slapped, and yelled at on set.

After becoming famous, Huang Bo's appearance would prompt a group of people to say that Brother Bo is handsome after just one scene.

Given Yang Zi's appearance, Song Dandan was afraid she would be criticized to the point of collapse.

But Zhang Yuan doesn't think so.

Because he knew that times would change.

We will gradually move from an era of diverse beauty to an era of identical ugliness.

Yang Zi actually benefited from this wave of opportunities, but it was all thanks to the contrast with his peers.

Zhang Yuan hoped she could have more confidence and not take the older generation's words to heart.

Therefore, her strengths were evaluated from multiple perspectives.

He added that she has dimples and is very cute, and he wanted to find some positive aspects of her appearance to praise her.

But as he kept praising her, he blushed and his gaze towards her changed.

Zhang Yuan: …

Did I overpraise him?

He's at the age where he's just starting to experience romantic feelings; don't tell him you're smitten.

He then made an excuse to end the conversation, saying that he had something to do later and wouldn't keep her any longer.

But before she left, she mentioned again that she should keep an eye out for any promising young talents or capable classmates on campus and bring them to meet her.

Besides Zhang Yishan, who was quite a character, her classmates also included Li Xian, who had repeated a year of high school, and she got along well with all of them.

The next day, I attended a business event at a gold shop and discussed the possibility of a collaboration with Chow Tai Fook for an endorsement deal.

These days, the domestic gold price is around 270 to 280.

The purchase price for large gold shop brands is much lower.

Zhang Yuan thought to himself that he had accumulated quite a few properties.

I don't dabble in stocks, but I've bought a fair amount of shares in various companies.

Precious metals are the only metals we rarely handle, so we should stock up on some.

Paper gold and gold futures are not as resilient to risk as the precious metal itself.

Keep a hundred or so kilograms of it at home; it will appreciate in value over time.

I then negotiated with the gold shop that the endorsement fee would be converted into gold, and that they would have to help me import a batch of gold bars in the future.

Gold shops buy gold bars from various channels and then resell them as jewelry to make a profit from the price difference.

Zhang Yuan said he is an ordinary person who doesn't need jewelry, but loves big gold bricks.

When he said he wanted 100 kilograms of gold, the other party said it was the first time they had ever heard of a celebrity endorsing something and even paying us out of pocket.

Since 100 kilograms of gold would cost 2 to 3 million, his endorsement fee wouldn't be that high.

In the end, the other party settled the account with him at a price of 250 yuan per gram, and Zhang Yuan still had to pay the other party 2100 million yuan.

He said he would have to wait a few months before he could make the payment, and that he wasn't in a hurry.

Moreover, although it is not illegal for Huaxia to hold a large amount of gold, it must explain the legal source and purpose. Otherwise, the China Banking Regulatory Commission will come to its door the next day and launch an investigation on the grounds that it suspects that it intends to launder money.

The source is fine, but the purpose is another matter.

Zhang Yuan still intends to find Zhang Yimou.

Once we get him on our side, everything will be fine.

When filming "Curse of the Golden Flower," the main props, such as the dragon armor and phoenix robe, were all made of real gold. The amount of gold used in filming one movie was more than one kilogram.

As a film investor, it's perfectly reasonable for me to prepare a hundred kilograms of gold for filming.

In addition, Ning Hao also plans to film "The Golden Era," which will feature many scenes with large amounts of gold, making it even more plausible.

"You want to be a nouveau riche?" Cheng Hao laughed and scolded upon learning of this.

"You don't understand, these are all family heirlooms."

"If I ever go down on my luck and die, I can live off my savings for the rest of my life. That's called having a long-term plan." Zhang Yuan thought it was vulgar, the more vulgar the better.

I helped Cheng Hao prepare for the audition.

She has played many roles such as young ladies from the Republican era, singers, and socialites.

Mr. Jiang Ying was a singer himself, and later became a teacher after returning to China.

The actress plays this role with ease, and once she puts on the costume, she looks even more convincing.

Just as he was experiencing the daily life of the characters in the play in advance, another phone call came in.

Sister Hua called ahead to wish everyone a Happy New Year in advance, and they also chatted about the progress of the filming of "Love is Not Blind".

Preparations are almost complete, and filming can begin after the New Year.

He had no objections, saying that he would leave everything to Sister Hua and Director Teng.

The two had a good chat, but just as they were about to say goodbye and hang up the phone, Sister Hua suddenly brought something up.

"I heard that Orange Sky Entertainment has recently been in contact with Zhang Yimou."

"Oh... thank you!" Zhang Yuan reacted for a second and then immediately thanked him sincerely.

Sister Hua has collaborated with Orange Sky, so she naturally has access to information.

This information is important.

The other party was indeed a seasoned veteran; he must have heard that Zhang Yimou's family was staying at his horse farm, and he immediately understood what Zhang Yimou wanted to do.

She herself didn't need to sign a contract with a big director, and she wasn't working for a film company, so she had no direct conflict with Zhang Yuan. She simply told him the news as a favor.

"Orange Sky..."

He thought about it.

Although Orange Sky doesn't focus on making good films, it is still a listed company.

If we could bring Zhang Yimou under our wing, the stock price would surely soar.

Even if they don't act, they can still make a fortune.

"Listed company... stock." He repeated it several times, then realized something was wrong.

First, call your two agents and ask them to investigate the movements of major film and television companies.

Then I called Fan Bingbing.

Two days later, he invited Zhang Yimou to his home for dinner.

A very lavish banquet was prepared in the large courtyard house to entertain him alone.

Zhang Yuan, all smiles, personally welcomed the other party to the restaurant, opened a bottle of fine wine, and presented them with a pair of jade pendants as gifts.

"Thank you."

"I've been asking you for help lately, and it's cost me a lot of money."

"It's okay, it's all as it should be."

"Back then, 'Curse of the Golden Flower' helped me a lot, increasing my popularity both domestically and internationally. I am very grateful for your guidance." Zhang Yuan deliberately brought up the past to try and get closer to her.

"That's because you're a good fit."

"Come on, have a drink."

As they ate and chatted, and after a few drinks, Zhang Yimou started complaining about recent events.

"I used to think that Xiaogang (referring to director Gang) only cared about money, box office returns, and profit sharing; he was very materialistic." "Unlike me, the Olympics!"

"No matter how high-end or important, this is an honor."

"Winning an award overseas is also an honor."

"But now that I've come to my senses, honor is nothing but a load of rubbish!" After downing a glass, Zhang Yimou slammed it onto the solid wood table.

That means their cups are of decent quality, otherwise they would have broken long ago.

"What favors, what awards?"

"No relationship is as useful as money."

Just these past few days, Zhang Weiping, under the pretext of preparing for his new play, shamelessly approached him again.

They ended up having a huge argument.

The other party demanded that he return immediately to start working, and talked at length about how much he had sacrificed.

Not only this movie, but also old grievances from previous years have been brought up.

It would have been better if they hadn't read it; once they did, Zhang Yimou became even more popular.

They still owe me wages for several films and a lot of bonuses.

Zhang Yimou told him to settle his debts first, and then they could talk about what to do next.

Zhang Weiping naturally refused, telling him to start working first before discussing money.

I gave you the money, and you took it and left. What am I supposed to do?
Like many small business owners, Zhang Weiping withholds a portion of salaries and doesn't give year-end bonuses, or he gives them out in installments, all to prevent employees from leaving.

Many contractors do the same thing, holding onto the money until you come back after the Chinese New Year next year.

In fact, this practice is neither legal nor reasonable.

Over the years, Zhang Weiping has been treating Zhang Yimou as a Japanese person and persecuting him.

After arguing for so long, they're back to their old tricks.

I'll lend you some money first, and you can give me an IOU. It will be deducted from your film salary later.

Zhang Yimou already suspected that he was the one who leaked the information, and this guy's words made him even more suspicious.

They create difficulties for me when there are none, then suppress and control me.

Moreover, unlike in the past, when Zhang Yimou was asking for money a few years ago, it was just a regular wage claim.

He needs money now because he desperately needs it!

The advantage is that his income isn't that high.

The downside is that those with low incomes are quite pitiful.

In 03, the total transaction volume of his personal account was only 106 million.

This was in 2002, when "Hero" was released and grossed over 200 million yuan at the box office.

Of course, some of the profits were transferred to him by Zhang Weiping and investors in other material ways.

But the profit that Zhang Yimou made from the movie "Hero" was only a pitiful one or two million.

They also had to pay their salaries in arrears by Zhang Weiping.

In 05, his income was only 250 million, which was his annual income after "House of Flying Daggers" sold nearly 04 million US dollars worldwide in 1.

Zhang Yimou really started making big money after the 08 Olympics.

A single advertisement can generate millions.

Ultimately, after a national investigation, he was fined over 700 million yuan, and that's how it came about.

Although Hua Yi sometimes acts inhumanly, she is far more human-like than Zhang Weiping.

Director Feng has amassed a fortune of tens of millions, even excluding his shareholdings.

Zhang Yuan almost cried and wanted to hug him after hearing that.

If it were me, I would have rebelled long ago.

Shouting that "Heaven is dead, the Yellow Heaven shall rise, the year is Jiazi, and the world will be blessed," he then slapped Zhang Weiping twice across the face.

Zhang Yimou is truly capable of enduring, but the more he endures, the stronger the backlash will be!
Just like now.

He talked about feelings every day, but ended up being bullied like this. He no longer believes in feelings.

I just want money!
Putting aside everything else, the hefty fine of several million yuan is enough to give him a run for his money.

People have to live, and at that point, no matter how idealistic they are, they still have to consider money.

I need to pay the fine first, register my children's household registration, and let them live normal lives.

When this kind of "honest person" gets angry, their personality changes drastically.

It's understandable that he'll pursue money recklessly in the future.

However, this change brought Zhang Yuan considerable trouble.

Because "this cook doesn't look at recipes, he's looking at military strategy."

He was too honest before and was bullied for so many years. Now he has changed his previous attitude of "loyalty" and started to compare prices from different vendors.

According to Zhang Yuan's investigation, it wasn't just Orange Sky.

Enlight Media, Hairun Media, Xiaoma Pictures, Forbidden City Pictures, Huace Media, and Bona Film Group have all contacted them and offered attractive terms.

These days, Zhang Yimou is like a newly divorced or widowed noblewoman, with a large group of drooling men surrounding him.

In the West, widows with huge fortunes are sought after by many, much like the Chinese saying "to eat the widow's offspring."

How did George Washington, the father of North America, acquire his political capital?

His wife was a widow of a large plantation owner in Virginia who married him with nearly 2 acres of land and countless assets left by her ex-husband.

Only then could he organize an army, ensure sufficient supplies, and command widespread support.

Zhang Yimou is now like a "widow" with a huge fortune; whoever gets him will gain access to a large amount of capital in the film and television industry.

But Zhang Yimou has become shrewd; he will no longer collaborate with individuals, learning from his mistakes.

Wanda Pictures has been established for over a year, and I've had some contact with him, but we haven't talked much.

Because Wanda focuses on investment and cinema chains, it doesn't have much interest in actual production.

People in the real estate industry have a clear mind; I only do what I understand.

Investing involves spending money, and buying cinema chains can be combined with real estate, but I know nothing about making movies, so I have to leave it to professionals.

You can't give orders haphazardly when it comes to engineering projects; it could lead to deaths.

Besides, you, Zhang Yimou, always have to show your movies in theaters. I run the theater chain and collect "rent," then split the profits proportionally. It's a guaranteed income, no matter what.

So I only talked to Zhang Yimou about the future release needs or investment needs of the film.

The other giant, Alibaba Pictures, is different.

Although he didn't personally intervene, he did so through another company.

That is Huayi Film Industry, in which they hold shares.

Upon hearing about Orange Sky, Zhang Yuan became wary.

If Orange Sky can boost its stock price by getting Zhang Yimou involved, Huayi, another listed company, will likely have the same idea!

Furthermore, Huayi's stock price has been sluggish recently, and if they can be successfully won over, morale will be greatly boosted.

If two of China's top three directors are selected, who else can rival them?

This is the matter that Zhang Yuan asked Fan Ye to help investigate.

He can now confirm that Hua Yi has not only decided to pursue him, but has also gained the support of the board of directors!

He only helped Zhang Yimou's family because he had a good relationship with him recently.

In addition, he has a company backing him up, and a group of Hong Kongers around him.

Otherwise, they simply wouldn't be able to compete with these large companies.

Even so, his chances are slim.

You can't work so hard only to have it all go to waste and benefit someone else.

Therefore, he invited us to dinner today to test the waters again.

However, Zhang Yimou's reply to him was not satisfactory.

When he brought up the investment in his new film and his future plans, the man looked away and replied somewhat guiltily.

"Investment... I'm getting a lot of offers these days."

"If I wanted to, I shouldn't be short of money."

"It will be even more plentiful than before, enabling me to do many things that I wouldn't have dared to do before."

"As for future plans..." he said, glancing furtively at Zhang Yuan.

"Thank you so much for your help to my family recently."

"However, I've heard that you've invested in many projects recently."

"Is the funding sufficient?"

"I can't let myself go to fight the famine."

"Then I'll feel really bad."

"No matter what, there will be plenty of opportunities for cooperation in the future."

Zhang Yuan's face darkened.

The implication of the other party's words was that they were questioning his ability to raise funds.

It's not just about financing ability, but also about the conditions that can be offered.

Just like he just said.

Everything else is illusory; only money is real!
When it comes to money, Zhang Yimou feels he is far inferior to a listed company like Huayi.

Zhang Yuan knew that Hua Yi must have offered him very favorable terms, and there was a very high probability that it included shares.

The situation is urgent.

Not only did he need to give Zhang Yimou enough financial confidence, but he also needed to keep track of the movements of the other companies.

In particular, it would be best if Hua Yi, his old rival, could find out the conditions that Hua Yi offered to Zhang Yimou.

Only by ensuring information transparency and leveraging his consulting advantages can he be more at ease.

However, this is difficult.

They talked until late at night, but still couldn't come to a conclusion.

Zhang Yuan personally went down to the underground parking garage to see him off.

Looking towards the receding red taillights, they gradually faded into two faint streaks of blood in the alley.

The marketplace is like a battlefield; it's a bloodbath.

"One step at a time." Zhang Yuan sighed. "Let's settle the money issue first."

"I need to prove that I have financial strength that's no less than Huayi's." (End of Chapter)