Actor: Thank you.

Silence is the norm in today's world.

I left in a carefree manner, just as carefree as I came.

I waved my sleeve, intending to take away 1.5 million US dollars.

Silence was the prevailing atmosphere in the meeting room at that moment.

Because Zhang Yuan gave an impossible number.

It's almost like "extortion".

After a moment of silence, the atmosphere shifted.

Ha ha ha.

Hahaha.

Giggle...

It was unclear who was leading the conversation, but a soft laugh rang out.

It then spread rapidly, much like the flu virus that the Americans brought to Spain years ago.

It's similar to the Spanish flu, which was triggered by the Americans but who used the media, news, and the power of interpretation to pin the blame on the Spanish.

They laughed at this moment, blaming Zhang Yuan for the incident.

There was laughter and mockery.

The Lord doesn't care.

Zhang Yuan, on the other hand, rarely smiled.

And they were not affected by the other person's smile.

I've endured countless taunts and disdain along the way, so I don't care about this.

On the other hand, you guys in suits, who consider yourselves elites, have probably never been looked down upon much in your lives, so you probably can't handle it.

The meeting room was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

Zhang Yuan calmly smoked and drank, watching the farce as if he were watching a room full of clowns.

They walked in creaking boots, sported bright red noses, and had their faces covered in bizarre paint, laughing with distorted expressions.

In Europe and America, there is a psychological disorder called cohochophobia, which is similar to trypophobia and thalassophobia.

Seeing a clown can trigger a physiological fear, to the point of fainting, just like someone with acrophobia walking on a transparent walkway.

Zhang Yuan also felt similar discomfort at this time.

"Gentlemen, please give me an answer when you're done laughing."

Zhang Yuan pointed to his watch: "I'm very busy."

“Alright, our Chinese friends,” the vice president said.

"Excuse me, we're not friends, please don't address me like that." Zhang Yuan corrected the other person's statement without any courtesy.

The vice president and other senior executives froze, their smiles fading, looking quite unpleasant.

Zhang Yuan felt quite pleased to see this.

I love seeing you guys looking unhappy.

At this point, why are you pretending to be so arrogant?

We just need to follow the direct orders.

"Zhang, have you ever looked into the market?" the other person asked with a gloomy expression.

“I have looked into it. After careful research, I estimated the revenue that the Fast & Furious franchise can bring to Universal Pictures today.”

"And the number of works that may be produced in the future, and even the creation of derivative works."

"These will bring in a lot of profits."

"Taking all of these factors into account, I arrived at a price of $1.5 million, which I believe is very reasonable."

"But……"

He raised his hand to interrupt the other person who was about to say something.

“I haven’t finished speaking yet,” Zhang Yuan said bluntly.

“Not only is it reasonable, I don’t think my asking price is high.”

"And this is my final offer, and it will not change because of anything or anyone."

"You can choose to accept or refuse."

The vice president's eyes widened. "Is this how you play it?"
They had previously stated so forcefully that $5000 million was the final price.

Now Zhang Yuan has returned the favor.

However, the other party was bluffing, while he was serious.

"As for the lawsuit you mentioned, file a lawsuit against me in federal court."

"I will have a legal team ready to handle this."

"I believe that the Lighthouse is a fair and free place that respects the justice and dignity of all people."

After Zhang Yuan finished speaking, the vice president almost burst out laughing again.

Which country are you referring to?

Why don't I recognize him?

Just like many intellectuals and literary youths in China who have been brainwashed by public intellectuals and Yilin magazines, they still believe that the Lighthouse is a paradise where one person can support a wife, three children, two dogs, two cars and a big house by working in a factory.

When this was mentioned to ordinary people who are actually beacons of light, their reaction was...

Are you deliberately picking a fight?

I work three jobs a day and occasionally have to participate in human trials for pharmaceutical companies just to pay my rent and utilities. Which generation of the United States are you talking about?
“And another one.” This time it was his turn to laugh.

His smile was unlike that of those countries with 250... years of history; it carried the elegance of 5000+ years, calm and dignified.

"Universal Pictures and your works should also abide by China's definition of culture and freedom when entering the Chinese market."

"Good luck, gentlemen."

"Alright, I don't think you'll invite me to dinner, so I'll be going now."

He extinguished his cigar, downed his brandy in one gulp, then stood up, straightened his suit, nodded in acknowledgment, and left with an air of nonchalance.

I am free to come and go as I please, I don't need your permission.

After he left, the vice president angrily cursed and adjourned the meeting. The group scattered like birds and beasts, all shaking their heads and talking about what had just happened.

Especially the price they quoted.

Zhang Yuan knew that there was no point in dragging it out.

Just like with a man or woman who doesn't love you, there's no need to waste your time.

Should I shamelessly continue acting and continue holding the shares?

Useless!

If someone decides to kick you out, you can stop them for a while, but not forever.

As the old movies say, this used to be a revolutionary weapon, but now it's destroying the revolution.

You should learn dialectics.

This film used to allow me to make it in Hollywood, but now it's actually hindering my ability to make it in Hollywood.

So the topic changed at this point.

It's not about how to maintain it, but how to exit.

Just like a stock, when it starts to fall, the worst thing you can do is stubbornly hold on to it!
The worst thought is, "At worst, I'll just leave it there; what if the price goes up someday?"

Indecisiveness leads to disaster.

In management, this is called "sunk costs not being used in major decisions".

No matter how much I feel about this show or this IP, I can't let my previous investment cause me to lose my composure.

Once this is clear, it becomes simple: just maximize your profits.

He was telling the truth, even though the other person thought he was bragging.

The $1.5 million price was a reasonable price he calculated, ensuring that the other party would accept it even in extreme circumstances.

So what I need to do now is figure out how to generate "limit cases".

boom!
The vice president of Global Mart slammed his hand on the table.

"He dares to threaten us!"

The white man was furious.

Zhang Yuan concluded by saying that Universal and his works should adhere to Chinese culture, and the other party understood his meaning.

Recently, Universal's works have experienced delays in the review process in China.

It's not that it's still, but rather that it's wriggling, like moving, like being frozen.

It's like being constipated; you feel like you need to go, but you just can't. It's like being stuck in a rut, which is very uncomfortable.

General Manager Mike stroked his chin, his expression grim.

“He had said before that if we forced him to sell the copyright, then we should be prepared to give up the Chinese market.”

"Now it seems..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the vice president's expression grew increasingly grim.

This is very problematic!

If this happens, it could lead to Universal Pictures' collapse in the Chinese market.

What's the situation now?
Pacific Rim grossed 2 million dollars at the Chinese box office, making Hollywood studios envious!

If a 25% net profit margin can bring in $5000 million, how much do we earn for making a movie?

A typical blockbuster only costs around 100 million US dollars.

Who would be willing to throw away such a large piece of meat? But immediate interests are more important, so we still hope to reclaim the copyright.

This matter fell to the vice president.

That means if things go wrong and cause problems in the Chinese market, someone has to take the blame.

Who will carry it?
The vice president glanced at Mike.

"You were the one who finalized the plan to sell the copyright, weren't you?"

Mike: !!!
Upon hearing this, my heart skipped a beat.

They know exactly what the other party wants to do.

Chinese people often imagine that Western companies have clearly defined responsibilities, high efficiency, no nepotism, and no bureaucracy.

This is a classic case of something smelling bad nearby but smelling good from afar!
In reality, they are no lighter than us.

Take Keanu Reeves as an example.

The movie that made him famous back then, "Speed".

Seeing how much money they made, Fox decided to make a sequel.

Keanu is a really good guy, very sentimental, and he remembers everyone who has praised him.

I was very happy to receive the script, and then... what the hell!
The first movie was about a bus that can't stop, but the second movie, Fox went all out to make it bigger and bigger, so they moved the stage to a luxury cruise ship!

Cruise ships are too bulky and lack the sense of claustrophobia and tension of a closed room.

And how fast are cruise ships?
Are there any reference points at sea to show speed?

Keanu isn't stupid; he could tell at a glance that it wouldn't work.

Ultimately, he declined the role, which displeased Fox. They then found Jason Patrick to replace him. Patrick is a well-known figure in the entertainment industry; his grandmother, Jackie Gleeson, was a top veteran in the North American film and television industry.

She's equivalent to a figure of the same caliber as Ruan Lingyu or Zhou Xuan in China.

Sandra Bullock initially didn't want the role, but Fox offered her too much...

Ultimately, the cost of this 97 film soared to 1.5 million!
But the box office was only 1.6 million, resulting in a huge loss.

The first film cost $2800 million to make and grossed $3.5 million at the box office!
Fox News has moved to Bengbu; he has nowhere to hide his face.

Someone needs to be held accountable for such a major setback.

After searching high and low, the director was someone we knew, the producer was someone we knew, the project manager was someone we knew... sigh!

Ultimately, the blame was pinned on Keanu Reeves.

Keanu said I didn't act in it, so what does it have to do with me?
Fox said that the box office was bad because you didn't act in it.

I didn't act!
Yeah, it would have been bad if they hadn't acted out the scene.

Fox publicly attacked Keanu Reeves and stated both in the media and privately that they would blacklist Keanu Reeves from the industry because of the film's failure!
Keanu Reeves is known in Hollywood for his good temper, so good people are often the ones who end up with guns pointed at them.

In reality, it's just a matter of internal buck-passing. We, the management, can't be at fault, so we end up finding someone easy to bully to take the blame.

This was very famous back then; all of Hollywood knew about it.

Then, Keanu Reeves, who was "blacklisted" by Fox, took on Warner Bros.' "The Matrix".

Fox's ban was in vain; the more they banned it, the more popular it became.

They were treated like fools by the other major companies.

So later, it seemed like Fox and a group of actors were applauding.

Deadpool 3 even made a joke about Fox's acquisition.

Just as Guo Degang said, fellow crosstalk performers are not anxious because they are not as good as Guo Degang, but because they are not as good as Guo Degang and cannot find an excuse to complain.

All these big companies are like this!

When problems arise, the first thing they think of is not how to solve them, but how to absolve themselves of responsibility.

I need to find an excuse.

Right now, Universal is forcing the other party to sell the copyright for 5000 million, and threatening to sue is all decided by the board of directors.

However, this could hinder Global's operations in the Chinese market, which is not the responsibility of the board of directors!

It's because your subordinates are incompetent.

The vice president was very anxious because he might be made the scapegoat.

I've already tried to pull some strings with China, but the results haven't been great.

When we submitted a report to the board of directors, the response was always, "We only care about the results."

This kind of talk is also used to shift blame; "I only care about the result" means I don't know the process.

When problems arise, I blame myself for making the mistake of hiring someone like you!

"Our most important task right now is to find a way to open up the Chinese market," Mike said quickly, seeing that his superiors were trying to shift the blame onto him again.

"Find all possible partners to handle this."

"It seems Zhang is trying to use this method to threaten us and force us to compromise."

“Once this is resolved, he will have no leverage,” Mike said anxiously, trying to divert the leader’s attention.

"After all, the White House shutdown had already delayed some of our work."

"Also, recently Sony Pictures..."

The vice president's face darkened again at the mention of Sony.

At this point, we have to bring out screenshots from Stephen Chow's "Royal Tramp".

"Sony's crimes are heinous, and the people are filled with resentment!"

This time it's for real.

Sony Pictures invested in a film starring Seth Rogen, the same white, chubby guy who starred alongside Jay Chou in "The Green Hornet".

And then there's James Franco, who played the Green Goblin in the original Spider-Man movies.

These two belong to a Hollywood label called the Bad Boys.

This gang of scoundrels often makes outrageous and outrageous comedy films.

This time, Sony Pictures invested in and they made a movie.

The story revolves around two main characters who run a television talk show. The show is also a favorite of the leaders of a certain country, who invite them to visit the country and showcase their nation's image.

They eventually discovered it was all a hoax, and incidentally, they killed the country's leader.

These are typical films and television shows that carry out Hollywood propaganda missions and depict American bullying and discriminatory culture.

The movie is about to be released, and the trailer has already been released.

Then the president of Sony Pictures received a warning email, instructing them to immediately stop the film's release.

White people are afraid of that, they won't listen!
I've already done all the publicity and promotion, who's going to take responsibility if I stop?
Subsequently, Sony Pictures' North American corporate servers were hacked, and tens of terabytes of employee and executive information, company data, unreleased films, and even half-finished film footage were all uploaded to the internet.

Sony Pictures' corporate servers were down for more than a week.

Don't you insist on releasing it?

You want to show it off? Fine, then let's show it to everyone for free!

This caused Sony Pictures to lose hundreds of millions of dollars, and several theatrical films ultimately had to be withdrawn and released online and on DVD instead.

But what worries the company most is the leak of executive information; even their pay slips have been exposed.

Can I say that?

It took several months to restore the server, and a year later, the White House used this incident as a pretext to launch a new round of sanctions against the country.

These things were all predictable; they're not surprising.

But apart from that, China was inexplicably caught in the crossfire!

Because hackers released footage from several movies, which are now available for free to watch worldwide.

However, Sony Pictures filed a separate complaint alleging that the piracy problem in the Chinese film market was serious and egregious.

They need to find someone to take the blame and cover up the incompetence of higher-ups and the losses caused.

Huaxia stated that it was not involved in this matter.

Keanu Reeves also stated that he did not make "Speed ​​2".

None of that matters.

I'm talking about you, so what?

Sony's move displeased and greatly displeased the Chinese film administration.

The abbot doesn't hold grudges; he's just stricter when reviewing submissions. It's not that he's targeting you; everyone is "the same."

Sony Pictures was already severely damaged by the hacking incident, and since then, it has had virtually no major films released in China.

Sony Pictures is currently facing difficulties with censorship in China as well.

Global Times was afraid that if the Eastern Brother got upset, he would escalate the situation and implicate them.

If the company is being targeted because of Zhang Yuan...

Just thinking about it sends chills down my spine.

Losing a market worth billions of dollars is a huge blunder, one we can't afford to take the blame for.

"Alright, go find a solution from our Chinese partners."

"I'm going to discuss the opinions and offers that Zhang just made with the board of directors."

They're willing to talk now.

This is the weakness of the bourgeoisie; they have no backbone.

They focused all their attention on the Chinese market and the issue of getting the film approved by censors, sparing no effort to resolve it.

This is exactly what Zhang Yuan wanted.

Advanced players need to know how to move and also how to exploit line of sight.

You need to be given something to do. (End of Chapter)