Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 132: Buying Manuscripts from Liu Da

In early November 2002, several major events occurred in the domestic entertainment industry.

The most sensational incident was the nude photo incident involving Hong Kong actress Liu Jialing, which had alarmed senior management and Li Shoucheng had no choice but to shut down his troubled magazine "East Weekly".

Big sister Mei Yanfang still adhered to the style of a woman of the underworld in this matter. She angrily denounced the magazine for its bad behavior despite being sick. Even Andy Lau, Liang Chaowei and others took to the streets to protest.

On the blog website, which has become the frontier of domestic public opinion and traffic, countless blog posts were forwarded, launching a massive campaign to fight against black people and protect vulnerable female artists!
Counting further, the most popular works in the mainland entertainment circle are the three works of two directors.

Lu Kuan and Wenjie Culture are in charge of the casting for "Chinese Paladin", and the project of "Shoplifters" has been filed with the Film Bureau.

And the project of "Cell Phone" by Huayi Feng Xiaogang was launched, which was a collaboration between him and Liu Zhenyun, a famous screenwriter in Beijing.

One is the king of Lunar New Year films proven by the market, the other is a new celebrity in the entertainment industry and a talented director who is unrivaled in the country.

Female stars of the right age in the domestic entertainment industry are all eager to find opportunities in these works.

Boss Lu’s phone was about to explode with calls, so he asked Sun Wenwen to reply to the messages one by one, stating that everything would be based on the audition results.

Of course, there will be no repetition of roles that have been arranged in advance.

For example, Zhao Linger, played by Concubine Liu Yi, makes money for herself.

For example, An Yixuan's Anu or Lin Yueru was obtained in exchange for Wu Anguo's discovery of technical backbones from Xiji Animation.

As for Wu Dun and the graceful goddaughter whom Boss Lu met at the celebration party, he could consider it later.

Of course, Wu Hufa must not know about this...

Otherwise, you won’t be able to visit this province in the future!

Other male and female celebrities who believe they have a close relationship with Boss Lu:

People like Zhou Xun, Chen Kun, Huang Xiaoming and others also recommended themselves, but these more famous people were more concerned about his "Shoplifters".

There were also leaders from all walks of life who called to plead for leniency, and some even called Han Shanping and Ouyang Changqing.

For example, the youngest Golden Horse Award winner Xiaolu.

After all, from the script introduction, we can tell that this is another feature film that is headed for a film festival. Who wouldn’t be tempted!
Even Dong Jie called for the first time and tried to flirt with her.

Ugly rejection!

On the evening of November 2002, 11, Boss Lu turned off his cell phone without hesitation, took an overnight train with his backpack to Yangquan, Shanxi Province, and then found a car to go straight to Niangzi Pass.

He came here to "pan for gold".

Now that I have decided to start a special effects company, now is the right time to acquire some works by famous artists that have not yet become famous.

The first stop was to go straight to engineer Liu Cixin,

This engineer at the Niangziguan Power Plant, who has a stable job, is like a martial arts master who lives in seclusion in the city.
Before coming, he contacted the Science Fiction World magazine in Chengdu, explained his intention to buy the film adaptation rights, and learned the address of Liu's home.

Boss Lu bought a local atlas at the station entrance and prepared to fill his stomach first despite being hungry.

Niangziguan is a relatively unpopular tourist town. The old men and women who get up early for morning exercises look at the backpackers from other places with curiosity.

Boss Lu didn't hesitate to strike up a conversation with them and found a small shop with a good reputation.

The turbid air unique to industrial cities was blown away by the morning breeze. Lu Kuan looked at the bowl of noodles on the table and ate it with his mouth watering.

"Auntie, what is this called?"

"Mind the music."

The fat lady at the breakfast shop spoke briefly and to the point. It was the first time for her to see tourists from other places so early in the morning, which was quite rare.

Lu Kuan habitually filled the dishes with boiling water and scalded them, then finished eating them in no time at all.

"I want another bowl! A big bowl!"

The store is quite clean. A fat auntie placed a large bowl of Minqu on the table.

The nails were far away from the rim of the bowl, so there was no risk of ruining his appetite.

Minqu, also known as Xiaohelao, is a noodle made from a mixture of mung bean flour and white flour.

After cooking, add pepper, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, coriander and other seasonings. It is as long as noodles and as thin as vermicelli, with a unique flavor.

Lu Kuan followed the map and came to Liu Cixin's residential area, but there was no response when he knocked on the door.

The neighbors who passed by asked him enthusiastically and pointed him to a new address, a nearby gymnasium.

The plastic track was crowded with people, and the residents of the small town took advantage of the early morning light before the heat to exercise.

Boss Lu followed a tall, round-headed man from a distance, running slightly two body lengths behind him.

The power plant engineer was so absorbed in his latest work, "Supernova Era," that he had no idea of ​​the person following him.

Liu Cixin finished his exercise and the crowd on the red granular track dispersed. He wiped the sweat from his head and looked at the backpacker behind him curiously.

"What's up, young man?"

"It's okay, just exercise with the great writer."

Liu Cixin, the slash youth, finally reacted: "Hello, are you Mr. Lu who called the magazine?"

Lu Kuan had just finished his meal and was exercising. His stomach was churning, so he and Liu Cixin were standing by the railing smoking.

"Have you had breakfast? Let's go have something together!"

Lu Kuan smiled and waved his hands and explained, which made Liu Cixin laugh.

"You should have told me to stop earlier."

Boss Lu smiled and said, "The writer Haruki Murakami, who lives a leisurely life, has a habit of thinking about his writing while running. I guess you do the same, so I didn't bother you."

In 2015, Haruki Murakami published a collection of essays called "What I Talk About When I Run."

He described in detail his feelings of enlightenment and peace of mind during running exercises, but he couldn't express it clearly at the moment.

This is to prevent science fiction writers with huge imaginations from following clues to discover his identity as a time traveler.

The two returned to the community, and Liu Cixin made a cup of Forsythia tea for the uninvited guests.

The emerald green leaves curled up enchantingly in the boiling water, exuding fragrance.

The two men took a short break, and then Boss Lu got straight to the point.

"Writer Liu, this time I'm here mainly to buy the adaptation rights to a few of your novels."

This was his preparation for a rainy day. It would still be eight years before "Avatar" came along, and the box office of "Titanic" still looms over the heads of the Chinese people.

He has already taken steps to form a special effects team, but what about the subject matter?

In addition to copying foreign science fiction films, there are many excellent short and medium-length stories by treasured writers in China that can be adapted.

This CEO, who also served as the head of the copyright department of Wenjie Culture Media, was here to do just that. Liu Cixin had probably guessed what was going on, but she still couldn't quite wrap her head around it.

These days, there are very few people who even read science fiction novels, let alone movies. Why are you here to buy the adaptation rights?
A Chinese science fiction film? Don't be ridiculous.

Liu Cixin lit a cigarette on her own.

"Little brother, just call me Liu Da. What made you want to make a science fiction movie?"

"As far as I know, this area in the country is still a barren land. There's not even a place to settle down!"

Lu Kuan smiled and said, "I'm a director. I need excellent works to adapt the script. It's that simple."

Liu Cixin couldn't help but look him up and down. It would be more believable to say that this image and temperament are from an actor.

But he seemed to have no reason to lie to himself. Why would he rush to give money?

"In this universe, for every person who has ever lived, there is a star shining in the sky."

This is a classic line from "2001: A Space Odyssey". Lu Kuan was afraid that Liu Cixin would not believe it, so he demonstrated to him the basic skills of a science fiction fan.

Liu Cixin is an avid fan of Clarke, the author of "2001: A Space Odyssey".

He once said in an interview: All my creativity and core ideas are just a poor imitation of Clark and are not worth mentioning.

"Liu Cixin, I know you are writing The Super Planetary Era and have read many works by He Xi and Wang Jinkang."

"From a professional perspective, it is undeniable that a large part of it has the potential for adaptation."

Lu Kuan secretly complained that I had read everything you hadn't written yet.

Liu Cixin laughed dumbly: "I'm sorry, I still find it hard to associate your image with the director."

In this era, the directors in the minds of Chinese people are middle-aged and elderly people like Zhang Yimou and Tian Zhuangzhuang, with wrinkles on their faces, wearing a baseball cap and old Beijing cloth shoes. There are no young guys like this.

"Then take a look at my script."

""Inception"?"

Writers always have a natural affinity for words, and writers of his level have no difficulty reading texts in script format.

An expert in dream analysis is wanted for his collaboration with a company...

Liu Cixin felt like his heart was crawling with ants. The words and sentences in the script were very concise. If he could polish it up with his brilliant writing skills, it would probably be a very attractive short story.

Unlike the grand narratives that often appear in his novels, this is a science fiction action story that takes place in the field of consciousness structure, exploring the boundaries of human consciousness, memory and reality.

He closed the manuscript with a lingering feeling, but he no longer doubted Lu Kuan's identity as a director.

The lighting and photography arrangements in the script are arranged between the lines, and there are two pages of storyboard manuscripts.

People are so bored that they come here to fool themselves.

"Which novels do you want to buy the adaptation rights for?"

“The Wandering Earth, The Devourer, Chaos Butterfly, and The Rural Teacher.”

He directly stated his conditions: "50 per film, pay a deposit first, and someone will come to you to sign the contract later."

Liu was stunned.

You gave too much!

Science fiction writers will not ignore science fiction movies. Liu Cixin is a die-hard science fiction movie fan.

Of course, he also dreamed of adapting his works for the big screen, but compared with the current environment, it is nothing but a pipe dream.

Even Science Fiction Magazine, the headquarters of science fiction writers, is struggling to survive.

When the financial situation was most difficult, the editors of the magazine had to send all the marketing staff to sell books on the street according to their KPIs.

They also spent a long time relying on their passion.

But now, suddenly a young man who claims to be a director offers a package price of more than one million for his work of less than a thousand words and less than 100 words?
What's going on?

In 2009, Liu Cixin's phenomenal work "The Three-Body Problem" was published, with a standard fee of 150 yuan per thousand words.
A director couple from Guangdong Province only paid 10 yuan when they bought out the adaptation rights.

What’s the difference with cabbage?
Liu Cixin smiled and waved her hand: "I don't do business like this. I feel guilty about giving you 50 for these articles."

No one doesn't love money, but when the income he gets far exceeds his psychological price, he is afraid of holding the money because it will be too hot to handle!
The housing prices in the city he was standing on were not even over a thousand.

What is the concept of 200 million?
"Business is about mutual consent. I don't think we'll lose anything. Writer Liu, don't underestimate yourself."

Boss Lu was willing to spend a fortune to buy a horse's bones, and he announced his generosity to a group of science fiction writers through Liu Cixin and "Science Fiction Magazine".

These will serve as a resource for his future filmmaking and script adaptations.

Even if you don't shoot it yourself, you can adapt it and sell it for money. Which one won't make dozens or hundreds of times the profit?

Liu Cixin couldn't help but feel shaken when she saw that his expression and attitude didn't seem fake.

Generating electricity for love is generating electricity for love. Who doesn’t want to make progress and improve their lives?
The two chatted for a while, and after a while, Liu Cixin slapped his thigh and said, "Brother, I'll be very sorry to refuse."

He is introverted and has the shyness that is inherent in these literati.

In the final analysis, the ones who got the better deal were Lu Kuan and Wenjie. He also showed considerable sincerity and offered a price far exceeding the market price at that point in time.

It can only be said to be a win-win situation.

Lu Kuan opened his backpack and took out several stacks of cash and standard contracts prepared by Sun Wenwen.

In an era without online trading tools, he didn't carry much cash with him.

Liu Cixin was a little frightened when she saw the pile of red bills, and thought to herself that this young man was really brave.

Liu Cixin handed Boss Lu another cigarette and said, "Why did you think of making a science fiction film? It must be a big investment, right?"

"Let's start by collecting scripts. The current level of special effects and film market capacity in China are not yet suitable for the release of science fiction films."

"If you want to see your movie on the big screen, you'll probably have to wait another two years."

Liu Cixin also pays attention to science fiction-related matters on a daily basis: "There is currently no soil for science fiction films to survive in China. Not to mention the films, even the writers can hardly support themselves."

Family members know their own business, and he still has a stable job.

There were too many writers in the magazine who couldn't even get enough to eat, so he sometimes had to tighten his belt and ask for help from a few close friends.

"It's okay. From now on, just focus on your creations. I'll keep in touch with the magazine and continue to acquire suitable works."

Liu Cixin's face flushed with excitement. There is no writer who doesn't want to see his or her work recognized, especially when it is directly recognized under market economy conditions.

The two had a very pleasant conversation. Liu Cixin took Lu Kuan to tour Niangzi Pass for a while, and had a big drink with him in the evening before sending him on the train back to Beijing.

(End of this chapter)