Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 153: Shangying looking for someone, Yu Dong sends a girl
Lu Kuan turned and left the office, trying his best to suppress the ecstasy in his heart.

The moment Han Shanping quoted a 12% issuance fee, Lu Kuan, who was sitting opposite him, thought about all the sad things that had happened to him since he was a child.

That's why I didn't laugh out loud.

"Brother, come in quickly!"

Yu Dong and Zhu Zhaoxing were waiting at the door of the conference room provided by China Film Group, and finally saw Lu Kuan with a gloomy face.

Was he bullied by Han Shanping?
Zhu Zhaoxing is considered the weakest negotiator present today.

In terms of strength, Shanghai Film Group is in a relatively small corner;
In terms of friendship, Yu Dong is a person of wide range and the relationship of cooperation is modest.

Zhu Zhaoxing comes from a state-owned enterprise and holds a high position. This time he came with the idea of ​​win-win cooperation, but looking at Han Shanping's attitude just now...

Damn! The Vice Chairman of China Film Group has condescended to him, what can a distribution department manager do to him?

Start licking!

"Hello, Mr. Lu! I didn't have a chance to talk to you just now, please forgive me!"

Lu Kuan exchanged a few polite words with him, and together with Yu Dong, the three of them entered the conference room.

Yu Dong had no time to listen to Zhu Zhaoxing's flattery: "Brother, how was your conversation with President Han just now?"

Seeing Zhu Zhaoxing also looking at him with curiosity, Boss Lu became dramatic, sighed and put down the teacup in his hand.

"You two, I'm just saying this, and you're just listening to it."

"I won't recognize anything after I leave this door."

Fatty Yu suddenly felt that these words sounded familiar.

"China Film Group is a large and powerful company. This time they want to bundle 'Stone' and 'Thief' for distribution, and they've offered very favorable terms to the film industry."

"This number!"

Lu Kuan made a six gesture and turned it over again.

12 points!

Damn it, you're crazy! That's how they stole the business last time!

This time, grab two at once!
Boss Lu was too embarrassed to tell them about the advertising expenses he had advanced, otherwise he was afraid that these two people would be scared out of their wits and give up.

Yu Dong pretended to be pitiful: "Director Lu, we worked so well together last time, you should at least leave one for our two families!"

Last time, Yu Dong and Paulie Bernard were really pitiful, but now he is just pretending to be pitiful.

Since taking over the success of "Whiplash", Berna has become well-known in the industry as a private distribution company.

Together with his previous project "Legend of Tianmai", 2002 was the year when Paul Bernard really found his footing and there was no shortage of business this year.

But now in Yu Dong's mind, there are only two kinds of directors and movies: one belongs to Lu Kuan, and the other belongs to others.

Because only Lu Kuan can provide more ideas to his distribution team and help them improve their business!

This is the foundation of their livelihood and is much more valuable than earning a few hundred or ten million more!
Seeing Yu Dongdu pretending to be pitiful, Zhu Zhaoxing licked him while piteously saying, "Director Lu, Shanghai Film Group was unlucky not to be able to participate in the investment of Shoplifters last time. This time, you must consider us for distribution!"

"Don't worry! Our CEO Ren told me before I came here that I will be fully responsible for everything, and achieving cooperation is our top priority!"

Yu Dong's face changed drastically. Fuck you, how can there be such shameless guys in state-owned enterprises, licking so crazily!

Boss Lu was secretly delighted but remained expressionless.

"How about this, you two? I'll tell President Han about the screening of 'Stone' this afternoon and we'll have it at Wenjie or Beijing Film Academy. We can have a good chat then. How about that?"

Yu Dong was excited: "Okay!"

Zhu Zhaoxing was unwilling to lag behind: "Great!"

As the two big enemies wished, the afternoon movie screening was held on Wenjie.

Han Shanping from China Film Group was absent due to some matters at the bureau, so he sent his secretary Gao Chengsheng to go.

Needless to say, the screening effect of "Crazy Stone" was excellent. In his previous life, Ning Hao spent 400 million to make the film, and many film effects were sacrificed in order to make way for the cost budget.

This includes costumes, props, and some special effects scenes. Some plots were even shot with handheld DVs to save film, resulting in unstable images and poor clarity.

This version has a larger budget and with the guidance of producer Lu Kuan, some minor revisions have been made to the original work.

The 106-minute director's cut ended, and the three people present had very different emotions!

Yu Dong and Zhu Zhaoxing: Why does this feel more appealing to audiences than Shoplifters? We've found a treasure!
Gao Chengsheng: Damn, the wide road is deceiving!

Too many dialects? Low-budget, shoddy production? All new actors?

It clearly has the unique charm of the dialect! The vivid characters! The tightly linked plot!

If China Film Corporation missed this movie...

It's over, it's over.

Will his damn Old Han let him take the blame again this time?
I should go to the bureau with my boss for a meeting this afternoon. Come and watch this damn movie!
He cleared his throat and whispered to Lu Kuan beside him, "Director Lu, how about we continue this film 'Stone' with Han..."

"Lao Gao! You can't be so shameless!"

"Secretary Gao! Shanghai Film Group is also a state-owned enterprise. We are all from the same family. How can you kill us all?"

Gao Chengsheng smiled bitterly, "Can you two just be patient? Mr. Han and I also discussed this with Director Lu this morning and mentioned the bundled release..."

"No! How can we do things this way? China Film Group accounted for half of our output last year. We can't leave any room for private companies!"

"Otherwise, I'll go to Xiaoxitian and the Film Bureau tomorrow to put up banners. I want to ask the leaders, what is the purpose of issuing distribution licenses to private companies like us?"

"You're not giving it away, but you're charging 12 points to steal our business, right?"

Boss Lu was originally looking forward to the show, but he didn't expect that Yu Dong was also a guy with a pig-like face but a loud mind!

He also knew to take advantage of the situation and shout out 12 points. Was this to verify whether what he said in the morning was true?
Fuck, they are all old foxes!
In fact, this is a dirty guy who thinks everyone is dirty, but Yu Dong doesn't have this idea.

Of course, he also considered the authenticity of Lu Kuan's words in the morning, but when Gao Chengsheng mentioned the bundled release just now, he had already dispelled his doubts.

These 12 points were mostly intended to force the emperor to give up the idea of ​​getting involved in "Stone" by revealing the bottom line of China Film Group.

Gao Chengsheng glanced at the calm Lu Kuan with a bit of resentment, and said that he would report to his leader first.

What's the point of reporting this? At most, I could tell Han Shanping that it was indeed a dialect and a small production, and I gave it to Shanghai Film Group in order not to affect the relationship between the brother units.

Anyway, it was Lu Kuan himself who said that he didn't have much confidence in this movie, so Han Shanping should blame Lu Kuan!

But what right did he have to blame Lu Kuan? After all, it was Boss Lu who first proposed bundling the sales with China Film and even offered to give some points!
Damn, this guy is really like an old sow wearing a bra, one set after another!

Yu Dong and Zhu Zhaoxing didn't care about him and immediately pulled Lu Kuan aside to start chatting.

Boss Lu cut the Gordian knot: "You two, as you just heard, China Film Group and I started the discussion from 12 points, so this number..."

Zhu Zhaoxing was the first to defect: "Shanghai Film Group can give 11 points, and we can advance the publicity expenses for the Yangtze River Delta region. Our theaters can let them pay first and then settle the bill!"

Yu Dong was furious and wanted to yell, "Why are you guys from state-owned enterprises acting like beggars?"
Aren’t you giving this guy more confidence to bargain?

"Director Lu, look at this. China Film Group also invested in Thief. It's no big deal if they lower the price by a few percentage points, but those of us who are in charge of distribution depend on this for our livelihood!"

Boss Lu smiled without comment.

"How about this, both of you go back and think about it, and Mr. Zhu go back and consult with the leadership. We'll just make a secret bid."

"Before 12 noon tomorrow, each of you must send your terms to my phone and I'll decide the outcome." "But let's be clear! Regardless of whether this works out or not, please don't hurt the relationship. Wenjie is planning to recruit talent starting this year, and we'll be creating films and TV series through contracts and hiring external directors. There will be plenty of opportunities for us to collaborate!"

Yu Dong and Zhu Zhaoxing looked at each other and left unhappily.

Zhu Zhaoxing stood at the gate of Xiaoxitian and sighed. After thinking for a while, he called his leader.

"Mr. Ren, I'm Zhu Zhaoxing."

"Yes, yes. We just talked about this. Speaking of which, I'd like you to come forward and see if you can find the higher-ups and plead with Director Lu."

The humble Xiao Zhu was almost on his knees saying, "I am incompetent!"

Ren Zhonglun on the other end of the phone had just walked out of the Film Bureau after a meeting. Han Shanping was sitting in the front row with him that afternoon.

Speaking of which, the head of Shanghai Film Group is not yet the real president of the group. He will be officially elected at the internal meeting of the group’s party committee in May.

It’s just that his predecessor was very good and retired on his own, leaving the stage to him.

The Shanghai Film Group under his leadership also began to carry out drastic reforms in 2003.

The concept of "industrial chain" was proposed to achieve positive interaction among production, marketing, technology and communication, and finally successfully go public.

"Come to the Film Bureau now, and I'll take you to see Mr. Jiang."

The person he was talking about was the leader who gave Yan Zi the role in "The Unparalleled".

She was just transferred from Shanghai Film Group this year and is considered to be the "in-law" of Ren Zhonglun and others.

The two men entered the office, and Zhu Zhaoxing first presented some local specialties from Jiangsu Province. The leader's hometown was Nantong.

Jiang Ping pushed for a long time before letting him put it down.

"Xiao Zhu, please don't bring it next time. It will have a bad influence."

Ren Zhonglun smiled and said, "Boss Jiang, these are only worth a few hundred yuan, no one can say anything about it. Xiao Zhu is from the same hometown as you, so don't think too much about it."

Jiang Ping laughed heartily: "Old Ren, congratulations on your new appointment!"

Ren Zhonglun was ten years older than Jiang Ping, but he was now a Beijing official working for a higher-level organization. He offered him a cigarette and said, "I'm just devoting myself to the group."

After a few pleasantries, everyone got down to business.

"Lu Kuan huh? I've heard he's a rising star."

Zhu Zhaoxing reported the current situation. Jiang Ping motioned him to wait and took out his phone.

"Hello? Xiao Zhao, didn't you attend the celebration party for Whiplash last time? Are you familiar with Director Lu Kuan?"

Jiang Ping knew that Yan Zi had a very high emotional intelligence and might have a good relationship with Lu Kuan, so he wanted to see if he could say hello to Lu Kuan through him.

He has dealt with many cultural figures like directors and knows that sometimes using power to pressure people may not work, not to mention that he now has in-depth cooperation with Han Shanping.

Although China Film Group is a subsidiary of the Film Bureau, he is only the deputy director, and behind Old Han...

Yan Zi on the other end of the phone was confused.

Jiang Ping briefly recounted what had happened, which frightened her.

Is the road width so great?

Shanghai Film Group, Bona Film Group, and China Film Group are fighting tooth and nail for his films? Even the deputy director can't make arrangements for him?

Is this still the little deity that she dared to confront face to face back then?

It is said that one should look at someone with new eyes after not seeing him for three days. After more than half a year, the other person seems to have grown to a level that even she cannot reach.

"Hey, are you listening, Xiao Zhao?"

"Oh, boss. Sorry, the signal wasn't very good just now."

"Hmm... I'm familiar with you. What's the matter, boss? Do you have any instructions?"

"Could you please arrange a meal with him? The distribution manager of Shanghai Film Group will come with you. Let's see if we can talk things over."

This time Yan Zi didn't dare to be so careless. She could make a phone call, but she couldn't be sure whether the other party would pay attention to her.

"Boss, I'm currently reshooting a few scenes for 'Heroes of Heaven and Earth', so I might not be able to return to Peking for a while."

"Oh, okay then. Just take care of yourself."

"Okay, leader. Goodbye."

Yanzi hung up the phone in a daze, and she suddenly remembered Lu Kuan's previous judgment on her.

It is said that the prospects for her works this year are not very bright...

She was originally full of confidence, but now she has some self-doubt.

"Green Tea" will be released in August and "Heroes of Heaven and Earth" will be released in September. Yan Zi is full of anxiety.

Zhu Zhaoxing heard it all clearly and his heart finally settled down.

It's already a great favor that the leader can help them contact the middleman. Could it be that Vice President Jiang should be asked to do it personally?

Even though Lu Kuan has such a big reputation, he still doesn't have that much face, and Shanghai Film Studio can't afford to lose face with this person.

"Xiao Zhu, are you sure this 'Stone' is as high quality as Lu Kuan's own 'Thief'?"

Zhu Zhaoxing hesitated for a moment and then nodded firmly.

"Mr. Ren, Director Lu's film art achievements are beyond words, and this film 'Thief' is expected to win an award."

"But in terms of audience popularity and target audience, I think this black comedy movie has great potential, and its box office performance will not be much worse than 'Thief'."

Ren Zhonglun slapped the armrest of the sofa and said, "Then let's not waste time. Just give him 10 points for the blind bid. Shanghai Film will advance the distribution costs."

Jiang Ping nodded secretly. This old senior is ambitious and has a promising future in Shanghai Film Group.

Yu Dong in Berna’s headquarters office was so worried that his hair turned white.

The secret bid is such a vicious plan!

What's the appropriate rate? Should we break the bottom line and give him a rate below 10%?

It makes me feel guilty just thinking about it!

He randomly clicked on the blog, and gossip about Lu Kuan was flying everywhere, including the paparazzi Zhuo Wei's previous revelations about his concubine Liu Yi.

However, the traffic is not high and the official comments are strictly controlled.

He is really a washing machine director, much more relaxed than me who is in charge of distribution, he can play with whoever he wants.

Fatty Yu seemed to suddenly think of something, excitedly slammed the table, took out his cell phone and made a call.

"Hello? Director Hu, is that girl from Northern Xinjiang who you mentioned performing a solo dance on your station last time, the one we dined at the same table with, still in Peking?"

"Yes, yes, that one with the little canine teeth, called Xiao Tong, your fellow villager."

"What? Seconded to the China National Song and Dance Troupe?"

"That's great, Lao Hu! My brother is in trouble, you must help me this time..."

(End of this chapter)