Top Chinese celebrity: Debuted from Running Man

Chapter 332 "Wu Xin: The Monster Killer"? (4.5k)
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"As capital?"

Gu Qing was slightly taken aback. After carefully observing the serious expression on Boss Cai's face and confirming that the other party was not joking, she suddenly chuckled and shook her head, her tone gentle but firm, "Sister Cai, thank you for your kindness, but I currently have no plans to invest."

From becoming an overnight sensation to now, in the past two years, Gu Qing's income has indeed been astonishing.

Even after deducting high taxes, the payment company's share, and the 30 million for the one-time buyout of part of the brokerage contract, the balance in his bank account remained steadily in the eight figures.

If they wait until the revenue sharing from "Detective Chinatown" and "Nirvana in Fire" is released, it would be no difficult to earn a "small goal" in just two years.

This is real cash flow, and it relies entirely on filming and endorsements with no other revenue. This demonstrates the earning power of top-tier celebrities, something unimaginable for artists of the past.

With such a huge amount of cash and enormous influence, it's no surprise that many people approach him with various "cooperation" offers.

The conditions are so generous that it's astonishing. Some even require no investment from him; he only needs to be listed as a shareholder to enjoy millions in dividends every year.

But Gu Qing was very clear about his own situation. There's no such thing as a free lunch; why would these "philanthropists" give him money for nothing?

The cutthroat competition and backstabbing in the "business" arena are far more complex than those on the film set he was familiar with.

In both his past and present lives, he has no business experience. If he is cheated by his partner or the project he is working on goes wrong, he, the star who is in the spotlight, will be the first to suffer the greatest impact and backlash.

These people are definitely not good people.

Therefore, after making money, Gu Qing never made any rash investments, knowing full well that he might not be able to earn money beyond his understanding.

He always remained extremely vigilant when it came to matters involving money.

“Little brother, you don’t need to invest any money! I’ll invest!” Boss Cai was unaware that she had precisely hit Gu Qing’s point of suspicion. Instead, she waved her hand with great magnanimity and painted an enticing picture: “I’ll provide the money, you provide the manpower!”

Once the show becomes a huge hit, you can simply sit back and reap the rewards, taking a share of the profits!

"Revenue sharing agreement?"

Gu Qing raised an eyebrow slightly, a half-smile on her face.

"Correct!"

Boss Cai nodded vigorously, thinking he had persuaded him.

"How much does Sister Cai plan to give me?"

Gu Qing asked with a smile, her tone sounding quite interested.

"Uh……"

Seeing that Gu Qing seemed interested, Boss Cai was overjoyed and immediately put on a sincere yet slightly embarrassed look, "Little brother, I will certainly not be stingy with you."

But making a movie is not easy. From the lead actor's salary to the extras' meals, there are also costumes, props, the director team, post-production, publicity and marketing. Every aspect involves huge expenses.

How about this? I'll give you 8% of the net profit after the show airs! What do you say?

She emphasized her words, trying her best to entice: "As long as the show becomes a hit, I guarantee that the money you earn from this share will be much higher than your fixed salary!"
Celebrities who can get a share of the profits in the industry are definitely those who can "eat at the table"!
I dare say, no other entertainment company would dare to invest as much in you as I have.

Gu Qing had intended to maintain a serious negotiating demeanor, but upon hearing this, she couldn't help but let out a very soft laugh as the corners of her lips curved upwards.

She shook her head: "Sister Cai, if you're going to use the same empty promises you use when negotiating with outsiders, that's just too boring."

He suppressed his smile and looked at her with clear eyes. "Let's be frank. How much sincerity can you offer?"

"No, sis... okay, okay!"

Boss Cai seemed to have been pushed to his limit. He gritted his teeth, stomped his foot, and made a face of extreme pain. "9%... No! 10%! 10% is acceptable, right?!"
"Brother, a 10% net profit margin is no small amount!"

"Is there anything else you would like to add?" Gu Qing asked.

"Gone."

Boss Cai shook his head, looking at him expectantly.

“Sister Cai, you’re not being honest.” Gu Qing shook her head again with a smile, but her tone carried an undeniable distance. “Let’s put work aside for now. Right now, we should focus on doing a good job of promoting the follow-up of ‘The Imperial Doctress’.”

Boss Cai wanted to try again, but seeing the gentle but now faded smile on Gu Qing's face, and his gesture of raising his hand to signal him to stop, he swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

She was filled with immense doubt and confusion: How could any artist not be tempted by such conditions?

10% of net profit share!

If you search every company in the Chinese entertainment industry, how many would be willing to offer artists this price?
Could it be that... Gu Qing simply doesn't understand the weight and significance of this?
She racked her brains but never imagined that someone had already offered Gu Qing a more generous, clearer, and safer profit-sharing contract before her.

The box office revenue sharing terms for "Detective Chinatown" are clear and straightforward: he gets his share of the box office revenue, all in black and white, without any deception or ambiguity. Chen Sicheng did not add any vague terms.

The production company behind "Nirvana in Fire," Zhengwu Sunshine, spared no expense. To boost the company's reputation, they not only offered a massive 30 million yuan salary to the actors but also included a 10% profit share.
Furthermore, it is clearly stated in the contract that revenue sharing comes from both advertising revenue and VIP membership revenue. This is all verifiable through platform data and advertising contracts, ensuring a high degree of transparency.

The concept of the 10% "profit sharing" proposed by Mr. Cai is too vague.

Is this net profit? How are costs calculated?

Tangren handled all the procurement, production, and marketing processes, so he had no way of verifying it.

In his previous life, Gu Qing had read in the news that even J.K. Rowling, the author of Harry Potter, had been cheated by Hollywood's accounting practices.
Despite a global box office of over $70 billion, the company managed to turn a loss into a loss, preventing her from receiving any dividends.

With such a precedent to follow, how could Gu Qing dare to gamble?

Faced with enormous profits, would you gamble with your partner's conscience?

Moreover, he has a company behind him. If he gets caught up in this mess, he will not only be working for nothing, but he might even have to pay out of his own pocket to cover the losses. He would never do something so foolish.

investment?

Let's wait until he has fully regained his autonomy and can completely control project information and the flow of funds before making any decisions.

"Okay, okay, let's watch the show first."

Seeing that things were not going well, Boss Cai immediately retreated tactically, put on a smile again, and tried to ease the atmosphere. "Little brother, go back and learn more about it. I am absolutely sincere in wanting to cooperate with you and I would never cheat you."

As she spoke, she seemed to suddenly remember something, and quickly took out a printed document from her designer bag and handed it over, "This is the script outline and part of the content. You can take a look when you have time, little brother."

I can guarantee that the quality of the drama will be excellent! The original novel is very famous online and has a huge fan base.

We've also finalized the director; it will be Yu Fen herself. You're certainly aware of her talent and reputation.

"Okay, I'll watch it when I have time."

Gu Qing took the script and smiled politely at Boss Cai. Her gaze inadvertently swept over the title on the cover, her eyes pausing almost imperceptibly before returning to normal.

Wu Xin: The Monster Killer?
It's this drama?

It is hailed as one of the "masterpiece dramas" of Tang Dynasty's last glimmer of glory.

The show did receive good viewership and reviews back then, and even boosted the online drama market to some extent.

Gu Qing naturally wouldn't discriminate against web dramas; he had watched this drama in his previous life as well.

But if he remembers correctly, the entire cast of this drama consists of newcomers from Tangren Media, right?
Moreover, these two newcomers were none other than Jin Cheng and Chen Yao, who had just gone to order food.

"Sister Cai really is... trying to fleece me."

Gu Qingxin couldn't help but chuckle helplessly.

It's called a collaboration, but in reality, they just want to use his top-tier traffic and popularity to promote Tangren's own new talents.

Collaborating on a film is one thing, but helping to promote someone's career comes at a different price.

Furthermore, the most outstanding and popular characters in this drama don't seem to be the male and female leads.
If Gu Qing remembered correctly, it was the second female lead, "Yue Qiluo," and... his "good fishing buddy" who played the adjutant, "Zhang Xianzong."

"Let's find a suitable reason to cancel it then."

Gu Qing made up his mind instantly; he didn't want to get involved in something that was clearly thankless and difficult.

"...Sister Cai, Qi Yu, are you finished talking?"

At the living room doorway, Liu Shishi poked her head in, asking in a low, expectant voice,

"We're done talking." Gu Qing turned to her and smiled.

"Sister Cai, how did your chat go?" Liu Shishi cheered immediately, skipping in and naturally trying to get closer to Gu Qing.

"Well, not bad."

Boss Cai gave a vague reply, and seeing Liu Shishi's gaze practically glued to Gu Qing, his lips twitched involuntarily. He suppressed the feeling of powerlessness in his heart.

He changed the subject, saying, "Let's watch the show first. After dinner, everyone should get some rest; we have a series of interviews with reporters tomorrow."

She glanced at the two of them meaningfully and added, "You two... will be the main players tomorrow, so don't overwork yourselves tonight and conserve your energy."

Gu Qing: "..."

"Sister Cai! What nonsense are you spouting?!"

Liu Shishi's pretty face flushed bright red in an instant, and even her fair neck turned crimson. She stomped her foot in embarrassment.

Just at this time,

Jin Cheng and Chen Yao returned after ordering their food.

Liu Shishi seemed to have found a savior. She quickly restrained her intimate actions and instantly returned to her gentle and quiet demeanor, though the blush on her ears was hard to fade.

"Sister Cai!"

As soon as Jin Cheng entered, her eyes lit up as she looked at Boss Cai.

Chen Yao followed behind her, and although she didn't say anything, her big eyes were filled with nervous anticipation.

"Let's watch the show first, then have dinner."

Cai Yinong gave them a reassuring and confident smile, which successfully made the two little girls beam with joy.

After that,

After the second episode finished airing, Mr. Cai received another call confirming that the viewership ratings remained stable at a high level of around 2.5%, which finally put his mind at ease.

After the show ended and the celebration banquet was almost over, everyone dispersed.

Mr. Cai's proposal for collaboration on "Wu Xin: The Monster Killer" seems to have been temporarily shelved, and no one has brought it up again.

The suite's living room was a mess, and Gu Qing and Liu Shishi rolled up their sleeves and began to "busily" clean up.

One night passed...

The next morning, Liu Shishi was so exhausted that she felt like all her bones were about to fall apart. She lay limply on the bed, not wanting to move a single finger.

In the end, Gu Qing half-carried and half-supported her to get up. She brushed her teeth, washed her face, and dried her hair. She clung to him almost the whole time, like a koala, enjoying his meticulous and gentle care, with a sweet and lazy coquettish smile on her lips.

However, the good times did not last long.

As news of the phenomenal ratings for the premiere of "The Imperial Doctress" spread, the lead actors were immediately besieged by reporters.

As soon as the lead actors arrived at the interview location, they were immediately surrounded by a sea of ​​cameras and a surging crowd. Gu Qing was the focus of all the cameras, with nearly 70% of the reporters crowding around him.
Questions came like a machine gun: "Gu Qing! Gu Qing! Did the premiere ratings of 'The Imperial Doctress' meet your expectations?"

The first question is relatively normal.

"That's quite fitting, and I hope you can keep it up." Gu Qing maintained a polite smile and gave a standard, courteous reply.

But then, the problem started to go astray.

"Gu Qing, my dear brother! In the ending theme song 'Spring Snow in the Courtyard,' which you wrote and sang for this drama, is the line 'My heart is not a stone that cannot be turned, my heart is not a mat that cannot be rolled up' used to express your feelings to a specific person?!"

Another reporter pushed his way to the front and asked loudly and excitedly.

The literal meaning of this sentence is: My heart is not like a stone that can be turned at will, nor like a mat that can be rolled up at will.

Even Liu Shishi, who had been answering questions with a smile, stopped talking and subconsciously turned her head to look at Gu Qing, her gaze carrying a hint of barely perceptible tension and anticipation.

"This line is not my original work; I don't have that much literary skill."

Gu Qing's smile remained unchanged. "Its original line comes from the Book of Songs, 'The Cypress Boat' in the 'Airs of Bei' section. As for whether the anonymous author who wrote it thousands of years ago intended to express his feelings, I'm afraid I have no way of knowing."

Just as I managed to brush off this thorny issue, another tricky one followed.

"Gu Qing, do you find it more pleasant to work with Zhao Liying or with Liu Shishi?"

"A reporter, clearly looking to stir up trouble, asked loudly."

"I think...the two of them must have enjoyed working with me, right?"

Gu Qing was naturally not fooled.

"Hahaha—" Good-natured laughter erupted from the audience, easing the tense atmosphere slightly.

"Little brother! Do you have any plans to hold a solo concert? All of us fans are incredibly excited!"

A female reporter, clearly a fan, blushed and shouted excitedly.

"I'm afraid the number of songs I've released so far isn't enough to support a concert, is it?"

Gu Qing hesitated for a moment, then smiled with a hint of helplessness.

He has only sung eight songs in total, plus "A Bridge of Fate," which he wrote for the "Great Wall" production team but has not yet been released, and the song he sang on the Spring Festival Gala.

Holding a concert with ten songs? That's far too frivolous.

This is before his era, the magical time when some internet celebrities dared to hold tours just by covering a few popular songs.

"Little brother, then write a few more songs!" the female reporter persisted.

"Okay, I'll try my best," Gu Qing could only agree with a smile.

"Gu Qing! Gu Qing!" Another reporter seized the opportunity to ask a question, "Many viewers online are eagerly anticipating you directing a music video for your released songs!"

If you were to direct a music video in the future, which actress would you choose as the lead? Would you prioritize actresses you've worked with before?

There are no specific plans yet regarding the filming of the music video.

Gu Qing felt she was struggling to keep up; the focus of these questions had completely strayed from today's topic.
He had to steer the conversation back on track, saying, "Today is a promotional interview for our drama 'The Imperial Doctress.' Friends from the media, let's talk more about the drama itself. Thank you."

Gu Qing breathed a sigh of relief as the interview finally came to an end.

However, in the following week, the popularity of "The Imperial Doctress" continued to rise as the plot unfolded and various marketing efforts increased, with viewership ratings steadily climbing, once approaching 2.8%, seemingly poised to become the year's breakout hit.
—A sudden storm has broken out!
Rival companies and forces that couldn't stand its sudden popularity started to exert their influence.

A statement by a highly respected history professor quickly topped the trending search list. He used strong language to condemn "The Imperial Doctress" for "disregarding historical facts," "drastically altering history," and "disrespecting traditional culture!"

Then,

Another "traditional Chinese medicine scholar" stepped forward, criticizing some of the prescriptions shown in the drama as "baseless," "impractical," and "incapable of curing diseases at all, and may even mislead the audience!"

This is indeed a real problem that occurred in the original work.

Bystanders and fans who were unhappy with the team joined the condemnation.

For a time,

The reputation of "The Imperial Doctress" has been pushed to the forefront, encountering its first major crisis since its premiere!

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(End of this chapter)