Actor: Thank you.

Zhang Yimou was very happy about setting up a studio in Beijing, and Ning Hao was also very happy.

Zhang Yuan explained to them in detail that he planned to have their studios on the same floor, making it more convenient for them to exchange technical information in the future.

The good thing about these two is that they are both open-minded and not the type to hide good things from each other.

Xu Zheng, who was standing to the side, was also interested, since Zhang Yuan had just recruited him.

If I could spend all my time with these two established directors, I would have someone to look after me if I wanted to create my own work.

However, his long-term residence in Shanghai presents a geographical problem.

Artists are happy to participate, as being in a good position gives them an advantage.

Only the Hong Kong business owners were not happy, but they had no choice but to accept it.

"After the New Year, I will ask the company's finance department to approve a budget and set aside an entire floor in the office building in Wangjing, Beijing, as the headquarters of Cross-Strait Films."

Zhang Yuan smiled and discussed the matter with the shareholders.

No need for Lao Han or the people from Huaxia Film Company to come; they'll agree.

They are also in the capital, so of course they hope to be closer.

"I think we should allocate a larger budget. We need something luxurious, stylish, and that showcases the company's strength."

"Otherwise, how can we attract attention from all sectors of society?"

The Hong Kong business leaders looked at each other.

How to do it?

I agree.

What can you do if you disagree?

You have both Zhang Yimou and Ning Hao in your hands.

Moreover, the shares that were to be given to them were bought back by Zhang Yuan himself and then resold to the two of them; no one else could even get a say in it.

Now they want to set up an office in the capital, and they even call it "headquarters".

The center of gravity is obviously shifted.

The company was established in the early days to find a balance between the film industries in mainland China and Hong Kong.

Now this kid is going to break that balance.

And it's clear that this wasn't planned for just one or two days.

What's terrifying isn't his ambition.

Rather, his ambitions were not only greater than what they had imagined, but he was also very patient, suppressing them until now when he finally revealed his true colors.

The total annual box office revenue in mainland China has now exceeded 100 billion yuan!
Therefore, it is reasonable and in line with the times to build the headquarters in the capital.

They wanted to refute, to object.

But the reasons we used to refute them were all based on ulterior motives.

But they can speak from the perspective of "greater good" such as the market, profits, auditing, and networking.

These people were really suffering from being suppressed.

Zhang Yuan glanced at it...

I laughed triumphantly, I laughed triumphantly.

That felt great!
In the future, I'll let you experience what it's like to spend the whole night on a plane and then have to rush to a meeting during the day.

But this is not his limit.

"There's one more thing, this office building is my personal property."

"Personal assets and company assets are two different things."

His agency is usable because it's his own company.

However, the film industries on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are different.

"Therefore, in addition to the decoration costs, a separate rent and daily maintenance costs are also required to establish a headquarters."

"We're all on the same side, so I won't charge a high price."

"Let's go by the market price. After all, I can't afford to lose out, right?"

The group of people looked very stiff.

We still have to pay the rent...

You're the kind of guy who never suffers a loss.

In theory, people like Zhang Yimou, Ning Hao, Bao Qiang, and Huang Bo also have to pay rent for using his office.

However, he signed a rent-free contract for several years.

I need to win these people over, so I have to offer them some benefits.

Now it's your turn to win me over and get benefits from me.

I'm raising the rent again next year!
The landlord's family has no surplus food.

Amidst the tense expressions of these people, Zhang Yuan left with a sense of satisfaction, chatting and exchanging pleasantries with the others.

"Director Zhang, please stay tonight, don't leave."

"Let's talk in detail about your new film that was interrupted."

It's "The Flowers of War".

Zhang Yimou nodded, indicating that they needed to have a proper talk; he planned to restart the project after the New Year.

It really needs a complete restart, because Zhang Weiping was handling a lot of the previous work, and it was a complete mess.

Zhang Yuan also has his own thoughts and opinions on this drama.

"The east courtyard has guest rooms, a swimming pool, a sauna, and so on."

"Sister-in-law, even kids can use it, and it's fun to play in the water."

"Okay." Zhang Yimou agreed: "I'll also take the new car for a spin on the street tomorrow."

Zhang Yuan thought to himself, "As long as you don't drive that G-Wagon into the Forbidden City, you can drive however you want."

As he spoke with Zhang Yimou for a short while, the surroundings quieted down slightly.

A group of artists were eavesdropping, and some even came over specifically to offer a toast.

It's all for Zhang Yimou's films; everyone wants to be in one.

Zhang Yuan did not intend to extensively recruit his own people into the group.

Seeing the boss's attitude, they wisely left without saying anything more.

We can't interfere as soon as Zhang Yimou arrives; that would cause conflict.

After several rounds of drinks and dishes, it was time for the lucky draw.

Needless to say, the cash prizes were impressive, and the mobile phones and tablets also ignited the enthusiasm of many employees.

Wan Qian won an iPhone, while Zhao Liying won a tablet.

The rest were shared by dozens of employees.

The grand prize, a Mercedes-Benz C-Class, was claimed by an ordinary employee in the planning department.

This guy went crazy, scrambling onto the stage, so excited he couldn't even speak.

Zhang Yuan handed him the keys and he almost dropped them. He held them in his hand until they were sweaty and he couldn't bear to put them down.

In another ten years or so, even an average family might not be able to afford a Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

This is even more incredible!
Driving a BMW 3 Series allows you to easily pick up girls on university campuses; owning a Mercedes makes you practically invincible.

The employees excitedly shouted that they wanted to work for Boss Zhang for ten thousand years.

When the other employees saw that the award was actually given to an ordinary employee, they clapped and shouted.

It would be good enough if there were any relative fairness; at least it would make the employees feel more comfortable.

Taking advantage of the crowd's excitement, Zhang Yuan waved his hand.

"All eyes are on me, I have something to announce."

When he said this, the whole room fell silent.

When Zhang Yimou saw this, he thought, "This person has such a strong sense of control; he's so young, yet he can manage such a large group of people."

Looks like I've come to the right place.

Unlike him, those in Hong Kong were a bit panicked.

Could they be after us again?

Thankfully, it wasn't.

Zhang Yuan started talking about some seemingly unrelated things.

"In recent years, in addition to working in the film and television industry, I have also invested in some small businesses."

"For example, our teacher Li Jing's Lefeng.com." He gestured towards a table in the distance.

Li Jing is familiar with many of these celebrities, and most of them have been interviewed by her.

"And Ms. Fan Bingbing's cosmetics company."

She didn't invite Fan Bingbing, and she was too busy making money.

"Please give us your support."

"And those in the internet industry, including Youku.com."

"It's already listed on the stock exchange, everyone knows that."

"Play more games. Some of my male colleagues may be familiar with it. It's the company behind YY Voice."

"We are also preparing for the listing process recently."

The people in the audience immediately understood!

This is the boss trying to put on a show.

The Khan mustered his troops to demonstrate his achievements.

Let him pretend, let him pretend...

Everyone applauded, cheered, and shouted their support.

But Zhang Yuan wasn't pretending; he was trying to bring up the next topic.

"Recently before the Lunar New Year, I invested in another company."

"It's also a game company, called Ourpalm."

"You can keep an eye on it in the future, as it is also preparing for an IPO."

"You can buy stocks in the future."

He took advantage of the large crowd to spread the word.

"The reason I was given the opportunity to invest in Ourpalm this time is not only because I am grateful to Youku.com for the added value it has brought me."

"I also want to thank a company for providing me with funding, which enabled me to become a shareholder of Ourpalm."

……

The next day.

The banquet didn't end until midnight last night, and many people vomited from drinking.

Fortunately, the house was designed and renovated with accommodation in mind, and dozens of people were lying in a bunch of guest rooms.

But the advantage of a large house is that you can live more spaciously.

Not only is there enough room, but it also doesn't cause any disturbance.

Unnecessary guests stayed in the main courtyard, Zhang Yuan occupied the west wing alone, and important guests such as Lao Yizi's family stayed in the east wing, with no interference between them.

After getting up, I ate something and then saw off the people staying at my place.

Zhang Yimou also came back in his car; you could hear the deep rumble of the engine coming from the alley from afar. He was very pleased with himself.

He left his wife and children at home to play while he had a private chat with Zhang Yimou.

Director Zhang, a renowned composer, was also full of praise, saying he had never seen such a magnificent house. He had only been there for a meal last time, but this time, staying there, he felt even more impressed.

"You can come anytime you want."

"How about I have someone make a copy of the key for you?"

"no, I'm fine……"

Zhang Yimou isn't that shameless.

After they got down to business, the other person mentioned something first.

That is, no matter how the film crew shoots, he wants to bring his daughter along.

Not the youngest daughter, but the eldest daughter.

The eldest daughter who was cheated on and abused by her ex-wife after marrying a foreigner.

He's the one who got a recommendation from Ang Lee to study at Columbia University.

Letters of recommendation are still more effective abroad.

Now, after divorcing her foreigner, she returned to China and has been hanging out with her biological father on film sets ever since.

I was nominally an assistant director, but in reality, I was just learning and responsible for some editing and post-production work.

To be honest, I didn't inherit my father's artistic talent; I'm just average.

But Zhang Yuan didn't care.

"It's okay, we're all family."

"Not to mention you, Lao Han's daughter has also been with the film set the whole time."

"What father doesn't love his daughter?"

Zhang Yuan used Lao Han as an example to reassure him.

It's good enough that the other party is willing to say hello.

"Regarding your new movie, you've already done casting, right?"

"Yes, it's just so-so."

"Anyone you like?"

"A few."

"If you have it, please contact me and I'll meet with you. If there are no problems, we can continue using it."

Zhang Yimou didn't expect him to say that; he thought he would thoroughly purge everyone who had ever crossed paths with Zhang Weiping.

"That's great, it saves a lot of trouble." He was so happy that his face was full of wrinkles.

He was unaware of Zhang Yuan's plan.

I have to get my hands on Ni Ni!

It's not about doing that, it's about signing it.

Actually, this play started holding open auditions as early as 09, wave after wave.

I went through several rounds of selection before finally settling on Ni Ni.

Zhang Yimou has very high standards for casting. Because the story is set in Southern Zhili, the women in the film have to speak Nanjing dialect.

The female lead also needs to be able to speak English, and Ni Ni meets both of these requirements.

Ni Ni's appearance may not be to everyone's aesthetic sensibility; her looks are somewhat similar to Shu Qi's.

Wide-set eyes and a large mouth.

But you have to admit, this face is easy to recognize and has distinctive features.

Having unique features is crucial; it sets it apart from the ubiquitous "internet celebrity faces" of later generations.

Although this person acted in a film directed by Zhang Yimou in his previous life, he had signed with Zhang Weiping's company before filming began.

After their falling out, he publicly sided with Zhang Yimou, which caused him to waste several years.

He's already brought this up prematurely. The training camp hasn't even started, and no contracts have been signed, yet he's already trying to get the players under his own name.

Zhang Yimou also mentioned the training camp, and his plan was to provide six months of professional training in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting for all the actors in "The Flowers of War".

Similar to the old version of "Dream of the Red Chamber".

The courtesans along the Qinhuai River were proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

It's not the kind of "fast food" where you just walk in and get a table in a row of dorm rooms.

It was very particular; the guests were all high-ranking officials and dignitaries. If you didn't have a certain status, you couldn't even touch the hem of their skirts.

People with money and power can't help but pretend to be sophisticated.

Even if you're doing the most mundane thing in the world, you still have to appear classy.

Ultimately, it all comes down to style.

This kind of temperament can't be faked.

A comparison between the old version of "Dream of the Red Chamber" and Li Shaohong's version of "Dream of the Red Chamber" reveals the difference.

You have to put yourself in their shoes to practice and cultivate their skills.

In the parlance of crosstalk performers, it's called "bubbling".

These all require costs, and not low ones.

Training dozens of people takes several months. Just covering their basic needs like food, drink, and lodging, and hiring instructors can cost hundreds of thousands or even millions of yuan.

This raises another question: Zhang Yimou is indeed skilled and demanding.

However, these requirements made the production cost of "The Flowers of War" too high!

Zhang Weiping officially announced that the total cost would be 6.5 million yuan.

That's bullshit.

He's always bragging, just to make our production seem like a big deal.

According to Zhang Yuan's estimate, the actual cost, including publicity and marketing expenses, may exceed 2 million yuan.

As a result, this film didn't make money in its previous life.

I can't do a losing business. Giving money and shares and still losing money, that won't do.

Therefore, we must increase revenue and reduce expenditure.

He wants to save costs!
Meanwhile, on the other side.

Huayi Films is holding its New Year board meeting.

Director Feng and other key members also participated.

After discussing a lot of New Year's plans and making preparations, we talked about two points and then asked all the "minor" people to leave.

Only the major shareholders remained for a small internal meeting.

Director Feng and his buddies, including Fei Lin, didn't leave. They waited for Xiao Wang to finish so they could have a meal and chat together.

They sat in the lounge area outside the conference room, chatting idly.

But soon they all turned their heads and looked at the conference room door.

Because the sounds of arguing came from there.

They didn't dare to approach, and just waited somewhat anxiously.

About half an hour later, the conference room door opened.

Several investors who were tidying up their clothes stormed out of the room.

Judging from his expression, he was clearly very unhappy.

Finally, after everyone had left, Xiao Wang slowly walked out.

Director Feng took a look and realized something was wrong!

Their faces were all turning blue; it definitely wasn't a good sign.

"Come on, let's have a meal and relax, we won't leave until we're drunk." He pulled them away.

Once at the dinner party, after eating and drinking for a while, especially after drinking a lot of alcohol and relaxing, Fei Lin cautiously asked about what had just happened.

"What happened during the meeting earlier?"

"Unpleasant?"

"Damn it!" Xiao Wang cursed as soon as he opened his mouth, a stark contrast to his respectable appearance.

"You remember that game company we've been in contact with before, right?"

"I remember, it was called Zhang..."

"Zhangqu!" Xiao Wang angrily threw down his chopsticks.

"Previously, we focused all our funds and attention on dealing with Zhang Yimou's matter."

"Now that this matter... is all in the past." Xiao Wang closed his eyes, not wanting to talk about it.

I dare not open my eyes, hoping it is just my hallucination...

"Now that I have the time and funds, I was just about to contact Ourpalm again."

"But I heard some news yesterday."

Just like Zhang Yuan'an planted spies, others would also leave their eyes and ears with him.

So what he said at the party yesterday quickly reached the other party's ears.

Of course, he said it publicly so that it would spread.

"After I called OurFun..."

Well, the attitude of Ourpalm is pretty much...

Let's not contact each other anymore, I'm afraid Zhang Yuan will misunderstand.

People can actually laugh when they're extremely angry.

Xiao Wang was so angry he laughed.

My house was raided!
I got tricked by that kid again... Sigh, why did I add "again"?

How could I not be angry?

It's like having a great conversation with your girlfriend, agreeing to get married and live together in the future, and then sharing each other's first time.

After the New Year, it turned out that a blond guy had come and filled up all the bottles of wine for his girlfriend.

Investing, like women, is about seizing opportunities when they're vulnerable; first come, first served.

Upon learning that Zhang Yuan had injected hundreds of millions of essence into PalmFun, Xiao Wang was dumbfounded.

I'm completely bewildered.

Director Feng, who was standing to the side, didn't dare to say a word, his heart pounding with anxiety.

Zhang Yuan is also engaging in dual operations!

While they were talking about Zhang Yimou, they also managed to secure the rights to PalmFun.

So, last year saw changes in everything from directors to box office revenue to investment.

When facing the established company Huayi, Zhang Yuan, a young man, not only did not lose, he won miserably!

But this is not the end.

If that were all, there wouldn't have been such a commotion in the meeting room just now.

The reason for the commotion was that Xiao Wang had received another piece of news.

This was something Zhang Yuan specifically mentioned at the banquet.

Youku has gone public, but where will it get the funds to invest in Ourpalm?

They obtained financing.

Where does the funding come from, and from whom do we seek financing?

He mortgaged that 1% stake in Youku to Alibaba… (End of Chapter)