Actor: Thank you.

Before going to the crew of "Little Fish and Flower", he agreed with Ning Hao to revise his script titled "Diamond" first.

Later, when he contacted Brother Hua, he mentioned that he would bring a new director to meet him.

At this moment, Ning Hao came over with the revised script.

"Hello."

"Hello."

Ning Hao and Cheng Hao greeted each other.

Ning Hao was obviously a little uncomfortable when he saw the beautiful woman.

"You guys chat first, I'll go make some tea." Cheng Hao graciously found an excuse to give the two space to talk alone.

"Brother Yuan?" Ning Hao was much older than him, but one has to bow his head under the eaves, so he was still quite polite.

"I revised the script several times, take a look first."

After Zhang Yuan took the script, he roughly flipped through it and found that it was basically correct.

Ning Hao is still very capable, and it was almost an opportunity.

"Okay, I have a dinner date with Brother Hua tonight, you can come with me."

"it is good!"

This was the sentence he was waiting for.

The two chatted about the script for a long time. Seeing that the time was almost up, Cheng Hao left Cheng Hao at home to clean up, and he and Ning Hao rushed to a big hotel in the center of the imperial city.

"Hua brother!"

Entering the private room, Liu Dehua came alone today and was very considerate.

He had just returned from XZ, having just finished shooting exterior scenes with the crew of "A World Without Thieves". He had to stay in the imperial capital to reshoot a few scenes, which was why we happened to meet in the imperial capital.

"Thank you for Tingfeng's story. I've watched him grow up since he was a child." Brother Hua gave him a warm hug when he saw him.

At the same time speaking in his ear.

"We are all family, it's what we should do."

Zhang Yuan remembered that there were photos on the Internet of Brother Zhang Hua kissing Mr. Xie when he was a baby. He was indeed very close to the Xie family.

"Okay, sit down and take a look at what to eat." Brother Hua also gave him the power to order food.

Ning Hao, who was standing by, saw it all.

I thought to myself that this little brother was not talking nonsense!

Although he is young, even the king is so polite to him.

It seems that this movie is a good fit for me!
He didn't know whether Brother Hua was being extra polite today or because he felt a little guilty about what happened on the set before.

As a superstar, he can still feel guilty, which shows how kind he is.

After being in this world of fame and fortune for so many years, he still has the same mentality and self-awareness as a normal person, otherwise how could he last so long?

Zhang Yuan didn't hesitate and just picked up the menu and started ordering.

But he was also very polite, and the dishes he ordered were mainly vegetarian, trying to be as close to what Hua Ge was used to.

In interpersonal relationships, what we want is that if you respect me one inch, I will respect you one yard.

When Brother Hua saw the dishes on the table, he was very satisfied.

I increasingly feel that Zhang Yuan is someone worth dating.

"Brother Hua, this is Director Ning Hao." After Zhang Yuan chatted with him for a long time about the crew, he spoke.

“He’s very talented.”

"In the next twenty years, he will definitely be one of the most outstanding directors in China."

Ning Hao smiled and waved his hands: "No, no, I'm just a beginner."

You praise me too highly.

Brother Hua also felt that Zhang Yuan was exaggerating.

Only Zhang Yuan himself understood that what he said was the truth.

"This is the script I told you about before."

"Please check and see if you are eligible to participate in your 'Asian Rising Star Director' program."

Brother Hua smiled awkwardly, but quickly hid his expression.

Are you qualified?
Since you are here, there must be one.

There is no and there is.

Brother Hua is also a decent person. He does not give face to others but to others.

Not only did Zhang Yuan not sue Zhang Weijian, he also helped settle Nicholas Tse's matter.

This was enough for him to give face and investment.

"Okay, let me take a look." Brother Hua took the script and thought it was just a process. I just read it through and agreed to the investment and that would be it.

When he opened the script, the first thing he saw was the title "Diamond".

“Art film or documentary?”

He didn't think much about it and continued flipping through the pages.

Ning Hao, who was standing by, stared at Liu Dehua's expression, looking extremely nervous.

He was afraid that the other party would show a hint of anger or disgust, which would ruin the whole thing.

"Incense", "Green Grass"... He has had two movies flop in a row.

Of course, he made these two films just because he wanted to, they are too literary.

But after two consecutive failures, it became difficult to find investors to spend money on him.

Zhang Yuan brought him to meet Liu Dehua, which was not only a good opportunity, but also the only chance he would have in the foreseeable future.

"Eat your food, why are you just standing there?" Zhang Yuan beside him pushed him.

Ning Hao thought to himself, how could I be in the mood to eat vegetables!
Looking at Zhang Yuan's state again, he was calm and composed, eating and drinking as usual, as if he didn't care at all.

He felt a little inferior. His personality was not as good as Zhang Yuan, who was younger than him.

Liu Dehua flipped through the books casually out of boredom at first.

But as he looked at it, he frowned.

The movements of the hands also began to change.

At first he flipped the pages very quickly, then gradually slowed down, and later on, he began to flip through them quickly again, and the movement of turning the pages was much larger than at the beginning.

The more he watched, the more fascinated he became!
It’s not that the script is so good, it’s so good that it’s one of the best scripts he has ever seen.

He has made award-winning films such as "Infernal Affairs", "Infernal Affairs" and "As Tears Go By", so he has seen all kinds of good scripts.

But everything is afraid of comparison!
Prior to this, the "Asian Rising Star Director" program had invested in five films by five new directors.

These directors are from reports including Singapore, Malaysia, and of course Hong Kong.

Among them is Lam Chi Chung, who Zhang Yuan met on the set of "Kung Fu", also known as Stephen Chow's younger brother Fatty Chung.

He also took out a script called "Drink Tea When You Have Leisure Time" and got investment.

This fat guy also plans to transform himself into a director. Don't be fooled by his fat appearance, he is still very smart.

I know that acting doesn’t make much money, especially if you’re acting with Stephen Chow.

Although there are already five scripts, all five films, without exception, are full of artistic style.

A new director.

Since you haven't experienced the beatings from the audience and the market yet, it's normal to have some literary and artistic problems.

Ning Hao was beaten twice before he came to his senses.

And this script, called "Diamond", is very commercial!

The plot is smooth, with many twists and turns, explosive moments, characters, foreshadowing, and all the elements required for a commercial film!
boom!
Brother Hua slammed the script shut and stared at Zhang Yuan who was "struggling" with a piece of sweet-scented osmanthus lotus root.

He originally thought that Zhang Yuan would just take a script and ask for some money so that he could make a movie for fun.

It is common for young people, after acting for a long time, to want to try their hand at being a producer or supervisor.

He did the same when he was young and lost a lot of money because of it.

He thought Zhang Yuan had the same idea, and it was his own money that was being spent, so there was no risk at all to the other party.

But after reading these dozens of pages, Brother Hua was shocked.

"He has no intention of taking advantage of the situation!"

Although this script is still relatively simple.

Because normally, the number of pages in a movie script corresponds to the length of the film.

One minute of plot corresponds to one page of paper, which is roughly like this.

So for a 120-minute play, the script is at least 120 pages, or even more.

This script is only more than 40 pages long, and it has obviously been simplified to make it easier for him to read.

But even so, Brother Hua also saw great potential in it!

“This is a mature commercial film script!”

"It's rare for a new director to have such commercial awareness!"

[Received thanks from Liu Dehua, singing basics +1, bowling basics +1! ]

Brother Hua looked at Zhang Yuan and then at Ning Hao.

I thought to myself that the friends of extraordinary people are indeed not ordinary people either.

Look at Ning Hao’s big head, it must be filled with the fountain of wisdom!
From a certain perspective, hydrocephalus can be regarded as a fountain of wisdom...

"This script is very good." Brother Hua said bluntly.

"As long as you like it." Zhang Yuan picked up the wine glass: "I dare not show Brother Hua anything that is not good."

"Hahaha……"

After they had a drink, Brother Hua spoke again.

"If this script is to be made into a movie, what is your budget?"

He didn't ask about other details and went straight to the budget. Ning Hao was stunned after hearing this.

That means...it passed!
Ning Hao was immersed in ecstasy and hadn't come back to his senses for a while.

"Brother Hua wants to ask you how much budget you need." Seeing his stupid look, Zhang Yuan quickly pushed him away.

"Oh... Oh, I roughly calculated it, it's about six million."

"Hiss..." Brother Hua took a breath after hearing this number.

"I don't have that much money." Then he smiled a little awkwardly.

What does it mean to be a strong person? It means to be able to admit one’s shortcomings and weaknesses without batting an eyelid.

The money is not enough. Hua Ge did not laugh it off or make excuses. He told the two of them directly. "You came late. The previous five films have already taken up most of the budget."

"And for this 'Asian Rising Star Director' project, I have only prepared a total budget cap of 1250 million."

"Even if you were the first one to come, I can't give half of the budget to a film. It's not fair."

What Hua Ge said is quite true.

Ning Hao felt as if a bucket of cold water was poured over his head, and he became half wilted.

It felt like riding a roller coaster.

It was as if he had caught up with the goddess of his dreams, and had already pushed her onto the bed, only to find that he was no longer strong...

Sour, salty, bitter, spicy, Ning Hao's feelings changed several times in an instant.

Just before the final kick, you told me I took the wrong ball?

"Brother Hua is right." At this time, Zhang Yuan said slowly: "The budget of 600 million is too high."

"And to be honest, as a new director, you are not worth this price."

Zhang Yuan spoke more directly, hitting Ning Hao's head even lower.

“So, if you want to make the film, you have to change the script and shooting plan and reduce the budget.”

Yup!

Ning Hao finally reacted.

I'm making commercial films, so it's no big deal to compromise on cost because of budget.

"Row!"

The big head stood up again: "I'll estimate it now."

Zhang Yuan chuckled.

You see, it's urgent.

Like a drowning man clinging to a straw, Ning Hao refused to let go of this opportunity.

But doing the work at the dinner table is somewhat impolite.

"Then Brother Hua, let's eat and talk first, let him go." Zhang Yuan quickly came to the rescue.

He and Brother Hua ate for a long time before Ning Hao finished reading the script.

"I've re-evaluated. I'm not going to shoot for diamonds anymore. I'm going to shoot for rocks instead!"

"In this way, we can save at least half of the cost in terms of scenes, manpower, actors, special effects, and props."

"300 million is enough!"

"Hiss..." Brother Hua took a breath of cold air again, just like before.

"But, I only have about 150 million left in my plan."

"Why don't you take another look to see if it can go any lower."

Ning Hao wanted to cry.

I have already reduced it by half, and you want me to reduce it by half again.

How to reduce?
Actors don’t eat and don’t take money?
That won’t save more than a million!

Just when he was struggling and despairing, Zhang Yuan spoke.

"Thank you, Brother Hua. 150 million is enough."

"Not enough..." Ning Hao was about to speak when he was blocked by him.

"That's enough. We'll find a way to fix the missing parts."

"The film will be shot as soon as possible, and we will need Brother Hua's help in the subsequent promotion, distribution and production."

"must."

After eating and drinking for a while, the dinner party finally ended.

After watching Brother Hua's nanny car drive away, Zhang Yuan waved goodbye and then took Ning Hao back to the small courtyard.

"You're back." Cheng Hao had been waiting for the two of them: "I prepared a hangover soup for you, drink it quickly."

When there are outsiders around, she always acts like a good wife.

As soon as the person left, she changed into black stockings.

Faced with this hangover soup, Ning Hao only took a sip.

He didn't want to sober up, he wanted to stay drunk.

The ups and downs of life are nothing more than this.

I went to meet Brother Hua, but it turned out that the budget was not enough.

The budget was cut, but it was not enough.

Done!

I still need 150 million. Which investor is willing to invest in me?

Where are the angel investors? Give me the next one!

"I'll help you make up for the budget that Brother Hua was short of just now."

After Zhang Yuan finished drinking the sobering soup prepared by Cheng Hao, he wiped his mouth and said.

"Oh." Ning Hao was still immersed in sadness, and then he answered, and then...

"Ah!" He almost jumped up from his chair.

"Are you telling the truth?"

"You're not fooling me!"

"This is not a joke!" Ning Hao grabbed his arm and refused to let go!

He was afraid that this "angel" would run away again.

"Of course I'm not kidding. I can still afford 150 million, not to mention more." Zhang Yuan pushed him back into the chair.

[Received thanks from Ning Hao, directing basics +1, photography skills +1, literary basics +1! ]

"But I can give you money, but there are a few conditions."

"you say!"

Not to mention one, he would agree to ten or eight as long as they can make a movie.

"First, you have to sign a long-term cooperation agreement with my film and television investment company."

"In the next 10 years, you must shoot at least four films, and my company will have the priority right to invest in each film, and the investment ratio cannot be less than 50%."

"Second, you have to sign a contract with my agency and become a contracted director under the company."

"Third, I can invest in your film, but the photographer has to be someone I recommend."

"And he has to be paid the same as you in this film."

Ning Hao was stunned.

How come he has both a brokerage company and an investment company?
Isn’t he an actor? How come he has opened several companies at such a young age?

But he understood the first two points.

Zhang Yuan just wants to bind, no, bind himself as a person, and the works he shot.

It is deeply bound.

Naturally, he was not happy with this kind of restraint.

But the problem is, I have no choice!
Moreover, once we are tied to each other, they have also said that they will invest in my subsequent works, which is equivalent to having a long-term meal ticket. I will not lose out no matter how I look at it.

But he really didn't understand the last one.

The regulation states that photographers must receive the same salary as me?
Ning Hao glanced at Cheng Hao who was quietly drinking tea and waiting for the two of them not far away.

"Could it be that this guy wants to change his career, so he puts in so much effort?"

It's easy to understand that he is praising his own woman.

“Who is this photographer?”

Just as Ning Hao asked the question, there was a knock on the door outside the yard.

"The photographer should be here. Come with me to open the door and you'll know."

Outside the door, the drunk Du Jie had just finished a big drink.

He drank a whole bottle of Niu Er with a plate of peanuts, which shows how depressed he was.

He wanted to learn some skills, but he was fired from the crew and most of his salary was deducted.

No one can bear this.

There's a kind of depression that comes from having a lot of martial arts skills but nowhere to vent them.

I just received a text message from Zhang Yuan, inviting him to my house for a party.

He didn't want to come.

But Zhang Yuan said he would find a job for him.

Seeing that his purse was about to be empty again, he had no choice but to come forward.

Squeak!

The courtyard door opens.

Du Jie saw two familiar faces, and then...

His scalp was numb!
I got goosebumps all over my body.

The hairs on my body stood up.

In his life, he has only made two films since graduation.

A movie called "Green Grassland" was ruined by Ning Hao.

The movie "Little Fish and Flower" was betrayed by Zhang Yuan.

When he met one of them, he felt that he was unlucky.

Now, the two of them were standing side by side, smiling at themselves.

"Fuck!"

This guy turned around and ran!
But Zhang Yuan pulled him into the yard.

Du Jie howled desperately.

"Let me go!"

"I should change my career, please!"

"I really can't afford to offend you!"

The courtyard is filled with a happy atmosphere... (End of this chapter)