Financial freedom starts from graduation

Chapter 257 Little Clouds and Rain
A restaurant on the cliff, with a casual shot of the sea view that can be photographed without any modification.

The beauty of Baicheng is very unique.

If Belvedere is the favorite of white-collar workers, then White City may be more like the choice of artists.

Belvedere is more lively, while Baicheng is more relaxing.

Baicheng is also the only tourist attraction in Yunnan Province that Zhou Wang has visited twice.

He still has a lot of photos stored in his phone.

Because this place is closer than Licheng, it is so close that whether you take the high-speed rail or drive yourself, you can arrive in three to four hours from Mingcheng as long as you feel like it.

The last time Zhou Wang came to Baicheng, he was still brought along by his roommates in the dormitory. He got into his roommate Guo Nansheng’s car at ten o’clock in the middle of the night in a daze. When he woke up from a hangover the next day, he was already in a homestay in Baicheng.

"What is Mr. Zhou thinking about?"

The laughing voice of Ma Yuan, the general manager of Daxia Film and Television, interrupted Zhou Wang's distant thoughts.

He retracted his gaze, took the cigarette handed to him by Ma Yuan, and said with a smile: "I accidentally remembered some absurd things when I was young, and my mind was distracted..."

"Hahaha, Mr. Zhou, aren't you a young man now too?"

Ma Yuan laughed and said, "If you are reminiscing about the past at your age, then shouldn't we old men start writing memoirs?"

"What a misstep. Mr. Ma is in his prime, at the peak of his life. How can he be called an old man?"

Zhou Wang quickly confessed his crime.

The others entered the restaurant first, and at this time only Zhou Wang and Ma Yuan were sitting by the Erhai Lake.

Wrapped in this lazy sea view, the business atmosphere unconsciously dissipated a little, and both of them seemed very relaxed, which was a situation more suitable for weakening conflicts.

After meeting, Zhou Wang's first words made Ma Yuan frown, but he soon relaxed again. Then the two came here first, intending to reach a consensus on certain things.

"I basically understand what happened on the set this morning."

After the greetings, Ma Yuan pondered for a moment and spoke with a wry smile.

"If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have taken the initiative to express my opinion. It was my fault that Miss Shen suffered some injustice on the set. I have to apologize to you, Mr. Zhou. Xu Youguang may be a little arrogant now. He used to be very careful about these things..."

Zhou Wang was not surprised that Ma Yuan already knew the cause of the incident.

You have to know that although Ma Yuan will not be present on the scene, he still bears the title of producer and must have his own spies in the crew. If the matter is big enough to alarm the entire crew, it is impossible for him not to know about it.

But Ma Yuan probably didn't expect that he would come straight to the point and directly request to "change the director".

"Mr. Ma, you are too polite. You are not a god. Although I have never been on a crew, I can still imagine how complicated the ecology is. How can you take care of everything?"

Zhou Wang waved his hand and said, "I proposed to change the director not only because of personal grudges. I just thought that if a crew can't even maintain daily harmony, doesn't it mean that there is something wrong with the director's control ability? I am more worried that this will affect the shooting progress of the entire series..."

Listening to Zhou Wang's serious words, Ma Yuan looked at Zhou Wang in surprise.

To be honest, although Ma Yuan has always been polite and kind to Zhou Wang since they met, it is not certain how much Ma Yuan knows about Zhou Wang himself.

His friendly attitude towards Zhou Wang mainly came from Zhou Wang's identity as the third largest shareholder of Wuyou Media, as well as the importance shown in Zhang Shihao's words.

Daxia Film and Television is the most important strategic partner of Wuyou Media in the next year. The two parties will have several major projects to cooperate deeply in the future. Having a good relationship with Zhou Wang is an important part of Ma Yuan’s social foundation.

But when he heard Zhou Wang say this, Ma Yuan instantly looked at Zhou Wang with admiration.

No matter what Zhou Wang’s true thoughts were, the fact that he was able to raise the topic to a level above contradiction already showed that Zhou Wang had a vision far beyond his age.

"What Mr. Zhou said makes sense, but Old Xu is still capable. I will give him a proper warning so that he can focus his energy on the real work."

Ma Yuan became more cautious, thought about it and said with a smile:

"If I promise that Xu Youguang will behave himself and Miss Shen will be comfortable in the crew, do you think this matter can be put to rest?"

"In addition, after this incident, Tang Lingli is no longer suitable to stay in the "Chu Tianyao" crew. As for the actress for the fourth female role, I plan to temporarily replace her... If President Zhou has any suitable candidates to recommend, please feel free to bring them up at any time."

From their perspective, characters like Tang Lingli were completely unpresentable and neither of them would take them seriously. However, Ma Yuan took the initiative to suggest replacing the actors, which was actually a further concession.

"Although I have never met this actress named Tang Lingli, she is indeed not suitable to stay in the crew after causing so many indecent rumors. I have no objection to this."

Zhou Wang smiled and nodded, then shook his head and said, "As for the selection of actors, I won't say much. Mr. Ma, you are the producer, so you should be in control."

Ma Yuan felt much better after hearing these words. However, just when he thought the matter was over, Zhou Wang spoke again:

"However, Mr. Ma, I still stick to my opinion. For long-term considerations, Xu Youguang is no longer suitable to continue to be the director of "Chu Tianyao"."

Ma Yuan was stunned, his expression showing helplessness and a hint of displeasure.

I had just raised my opinion of Zhou Wang in my mind, but how come Zhou Wang suddenly showed the "naivety" of a young man?
He knew what he was hinting at was obvious enough.

Yes, as a director, there was nothing wrong with Xu Youguang having an affair with the actress, but it caused controversy on the crew, which was a dereliction of duty.

But Xu Youguang was the director he promoted and a veteran of Daxia Film and Television. Even if he didn't care about anything else, he had to remember the old friendship.

It’s not a big deal, but in Ma Yuan’s eyes, the sudden change of director was a bit hasty.

Zhou Wang should have understood, but he still insisted, which naturally made Ma Yuan a little unhappy.

"Mr. Zhou..."

"Boss Ma, let me introduce someone to you."

When Ma Yuan wanted to say something, Zhou Wang suddenly smiled and waved towards the floor-to-ceiling window of the restaurant, and Ruan Jingwei, who had been waiting for a long time, walked over quickly.

Zhou Wang stood up first, and Ma Yuan could only stand up as well, looking at Ruan Jingwei in confusion, "Who is this..."

"Hello, Mr. Ma, my name is Ruan Jingwei, and I am currently the deputy general manager of Xinghui International Tourism Licheng Company."

After Ruan Jingwei and Ma Yuan shook hands, they handed over their business cards.

"Star International?"

Hearing these four words, Ma Yuan was obviously a little surprised.

Because most of the filming of "Chu Tianyao" had to be completed in Yunnan Province, in addition to Baicheng, many places such as Shangri-La, Xishuangbanna, Licheng, Jianshui and so on were also involved.

In addition to seeking support from local cultural and tourism industries, cooperation with local travel companies in certain aspects is also inevitable.

For example, for some plays that require a large number of extras, it is better to go to these travel companies with complicated relationships rather than official departments for coordination.

As an industry giant ranked among the top three in Yunnan Province, Xinghui International is one of the few travel companies that can provide all-round convenience in the entire Yunnan Province.

During the early stages of the crew's planning, Ma Yuan also heard about it from the production manager, so he had some impression of it.

After looking at Ruan Jingwei's young appearance and then at the title of "Vice President" printed on his business card, Ma Yuan seemed to have thought of something and asked tentatively:

"Mr. Ruan, this Xinghui International is..."

“I’m taking over the family business as I learn.”

Ruan Jingwei naturally knew what Ma Yuan wanted to ask, and answered with a smile without any hesitation.

"Mr. Ruan is too modest. You can be independent at your age. Most people would learn from you. You are indeed Mr. Zhou's friend. We are all young talents like you!"

Ma Yuan burst out laughing.

Zhou Wang asked the two to sit down again and refilled their tea before saying to Ma Yuan with a smile:
"Boss Ma, I called Brother Wei here today to see if we can promote cooperation between Xinghui Travel and the crew of Chu Tianyao, so as to achieve a certain degree of win-win situation?"

"Oh, what do you say?"

Ma Yuan, whose brain had been working rapidly since just now, couldn't help but sit up straight.

"In fact, we at Star Travel have had similar cases before. We can provide many conveniences for the crew, such as..."

Ruan Jingwei took over the conversation and said with a smile: "Mr. Ma, I heard that the crew of "Chu Tianyao" settled in the Songlin Banshan Hotel by the Erhai Lake in Baicheng?" "Yes."

"Well, it just so happens that we, Xinghui International, have an annual contract with Songlin Banshan Hotel. I am also very familiar with their boss. If we, Xinghui International, come forward, I dare not say how much more, but at least we can reduce your hotel contracting fee by 40%."

"40%?"

Ma Yuan paused for a moment.

Because the crew has sufficient funds, the Mid-Mountain Hotel they are currently staying in is a high-end hotel in Baicheng, and the monthly rental fee is as high as two million.

Yes, two million...

Considering the generally high hotel prices in Baicheng, this is already a discount based on the original price. It was also the "internal price" that the production team obtained after spending a certain amount of agency fees and coordinating with the local travel agency.

Subtract another 40%, and that would be 800,000.

The shooting period is three months, which means that more than two million can be saved on hotel expenses alone.

"Mr. Ruan, do you know the price we are charging for the entire rental now?"

"I know. The travel agency you found negotiated a price of 40 million for you, right? I told you I could reduce it by another %."

Ruan Jingwei kept smiling and looked extremely calm.

"But we have already signed the agreement..."

"Re-sign."

"..."

Ma Yuan opened his mouth, not knowing what to say for a moment.

How can you be so confident?

In fact, Ma Yuan really wanted to ask this question, but he knew that Star International was the foundation of Ruan Jingwei...

"Accommodation is only one aspect. There is still a lot we at Starlight International can do."

Ruan Jingwei smiled again and said, "For example, for the production of costumes and props, I can help you contact people and give it to you at cost price."

"For example, I heard that last week, when your director team went to the ancient city to scout the location, they were denied permission to film because it violated the ancient city's protection measures, right? But with our professional guides accompanying us, this is not a problem."

"In short, no matter what problems you encounter during the filming process, we can help you solve them, whether it's those scenic spots that are not open to the public, or the rapid coordination of a large number of extras, or eliminating some potential safety and order risks caused by local customs..."

"What I have said above is not limited to Baicheng, but also covers the entire Yunnan Province. Even more broadly, it covers any area in Southeast Asia. We have strong coordination capabilities to ensure that your entire crew can move smoothly no matter where they go..."

Ma Yuan was completely speechless for a moment. Although he was now the boss of a film and television company, he had also risen step by step from the bottom of the crew.

Of course, filming a movie costs a lot of money, but that’s because there are too many links involved. There are always people taking kickbacks, and there are always people who want to make a profit.

If there is cooperation with Star Overseas, all the local expenses of the crew can be paid at the "internal price".

Just by listening to Ruan Jingwei's general explanation, he went over it in his mind and came to the conclusion...

In this way, the filming cost of "Chu Tianyao" can be saved at least tens of millions!

Absolutely...

It’s enough to pay for another Xia Xiwei’s salary.

If this money is spent on special effects, marketing and publicity, the popularity of "Chu Tianyao" will reach a new level, the rate of return will increase, and the financial statements for all investors will look better.

This is such a good deal!
"So what do we have to pay?"

Ma Yuan asked impatiently.

"It's nothing more than some naming authorizations. When the time is right, I hope the filming location of "Chu Tianyao" can also be opened as an exclusive tourist route for our Starlight International. In addition, if possible, I hope that Teacher Xia Xiwei can simply cooperate with us in some promotional activities. Of course, we will never abuse her portrait rights..."

Ruan Jingwei proposed some terms of cooperation, but to be honest, they all sounded a bit bland to Ma Yuan.

At least on the surface, the "Chu Tianyao" crew always has the advantage.

It’s just that Star Overseas will not suffer any loss. As for how much profit it can make from the popularity of "Chu Tianyao", it depends on Ruan Jingwei’s subsequent operations.

But as Zhou Wang said, this is a win-win situation to a certain extent.

After figuring it out, Ma Yuan looked at Zhou Wang and said with emotion: "Boss Zhou, I'm so ashamed, so ashamed!"

"Boss Ma, where did you get this from?"

"You came all the way here, so I should have prepared a surprise for you. But I didn't expect that Mr. Zhou would give me a big surprise as soon as we met!"

Ma Yuan laughed out loud.

When Zhou Wang heard this, he immediately knew that the whole matter had been resolved. He couldn't help but raise his teacup and said, "Wish us a happy cooperation in advance?"

“It has to be fun!”

Ma Yuan quickly raised his teacup as well, and the three of them clinked their cups together.

Putting down the teacup, Ma Yuan casually said, "Mr. Zhou, I have thought about it carefully. What you said makes sense. I will consider the issue of the director of "Chu Tianyao" again..."

"Haha, I'm just making a suggestion. As for what Mr. Ma decides in the end, I will of course fully support him!"

Zhou Wang smiled.

You support a ghost!
Ma Yuan's mouth twitched, but he couldn't help but sigh again. This kid is so young, but he has already mastered the essence of "telling nonsense". Given time, he will definitely be a monster...

……

At this moment, Zhou Wang, who was holding the teacup, suddenly froze in his tracks because he heard a prompt from the system.

Ding!
[The young boy can turn clouds and rain with a flip of his hand]

[It is detected that the host has first comprehended the social rules of interest exchange among adults. Through reasonable allocation of resources, things will go as expected, and "Gray Orb" x1 will be dropped]

Ding!
[Although there are still flaws in the behavior, the behavior is worthy of praise and will receive real-time bonus]

[“Gray Orb” has been upgraded to “Golden Orb”]

……

Zhou Wang was pleasantly surprised, but not shocked, that the system had revealed another reward.

But he didn't have time to take a closer look at it now, because after finishing the business, he had to eat.

Just as the three of them were chatting and laughing as they walked towards the restaurant, Ma Yuan's cell phone suddenly rang. He glanced at the caller ID, with a surprised expression, and quickly picked up the phone.

“…Ah, are you serious?”

Ma Yuan's voice in front was relatively low, and Zhou Wang, who was chatting with Ruan Jingwei, didn't pay attention to it. He only heard his last sentence, which was obviously full of surprise.

"Okay, then come over here. I'll send you the location... Remember to wrap yourself up tightly so no one finds you again."

Ma Yuan said one more sentence and hung up the phone. He then caught up with Zhou Wang and looked at him with a strange expression.

"Mr. Zhou, you don't mind having one more person with you during dinner, right?"

"Who's coming?"

Zhou Wang was a little confused. He didn't know why Ma Yuan would ask for his opinion, so he just asked out of curiosity.

"The heroine of our show, Xia Xiwei."

Ma Yuan looked at Zhou Wangxiao, the weirdness in his expression becoming more and more obvious, "She said...she came to see you specially."

(End of this chapter)