Entertainment: 1990

Chapter 411 Tao Tao's Symposium [Part 1]

That night.

When Zhang Yan returned to the villa in the Second Ring Road, he found a car parked in front of the door, which puzzled him.

After the villa was renovated, only Zhang Fang and Kang Hui would come over, but now Zhang Fang is hosting the third season of "I Am a Singer" in Tianjin, so Kang Hui has no reason to come over alone—besides, Kang Hui doesn't have the money to buy a car.

Just then, Dong Ping got out of the car and waved to Zhang Yanzhi in the Crown.

"Hey, Old Dong?"

Zhang Yan also got out of the car and asked in confusion, "You wanted to see me, why didn't you call ahead to let me know?"

Dong Ping shrugged and said, "I only decided to come here on a whim after having dinner with Jiang Wen."

"Jiang Wen?"

Zhang Yan had some doubts in his mind. He took out his key, opened the door, and said, "Let's talk inside."

Once inside, turn on the air conditioner.

Dong Ping shifted back a little uncomfortably and complained, "This sofa is way too wide, it's like a bed, there's nowhere to lean against."

"This kind of sofa is for lying on."

As Zhang Yan spoke, he rested his head on the armrest and asked lazily, "Tell me, what do you want from me?"

Seeing this, Dong Ping also lay down on the other side without hesitation. The two lived together in Venice for half a month, and their relationship became increasingly close.

The 6.6-meter sofa could comfortably accommodate two people. Dong Ping, resting her head on the soft, sloping armrest, said, "I must say, it's actually quite comfortable—actually, there's nothing else to it, it's just that Jiang Wen, that bastard, tried to negotiate with me, wanting to change my acting contract into a directing contract."

Dong Ping agreed to relinquish his title as the main investor in exchange for Jiang Wen's film contract.

"Didn't you slap him across the face?"

Zhang Yan tilted his head slightly to look at Dong Ping opposite him. Although the result seemed acceptable now, Dong Ping had almost been bankrupted by Jiang Wen earlier.

"I……"

Dong Ping hesitated for a moment, then asked instead of answering, "Do you think 'Sunshine' can make money?"

After "Eyes" won the Silver Lion and Best Actor awards, it almost broke even with the overseas licensing fees alone. The question now is how much more money it will make.

"It's hard to say how much, but making a small profit shouldn't be difficult."

Zhang Yan said, "I plan to use the pre-roll ad as a pretext to get involved with the China-US trade negotiation team—as long as we have this banner, the distributors won't dare to go too far."

Dong Ping sat up, puzzled. "Split-screen ads? What does that have to do with the negotiation team?"

Zhang Yan briefly recounted his thoughts to him, and Dong Ping couldn't help but give him a thumbs up, praising, "It has to be you, brother. Your ability to use a big name to intimidate is truly amazing."

This idea would probably get support from the Film Bureau, but it certainly wouldn't be as strong as the negotiating team's, and it would most likely not be able to be released before "Sunshine" is released.

However, the negotiation team heard that the moment had come, and once they approved Zhang Yan's proposal, they would act swiftly and decisively.

While Zhang Yan's decision to relinquish advertising revenue resulted in a loss of some profits, it benefited the cinemas and further reduced obstacles and constraints on the film's release.

After praising Zhang Yan, Dong Ping followed up with, "How's your tour promotion going?"

"In full swing."

Zhang Yan lamented, "It's a pity that due to cost considerations, we only prepared fifty copies. Otherwise, if each of the hundreds of theater troupes and dance troupes related to the information distribution center had a copy, it would truly be a widespread phenomenon."

The digital plan is not yet mature, otherwise...

However, by the time digital technology matures, the golden age of commercial performances will have long passed, and audiences will be tired of so-called trailers and compilations. It can only be said that you can't have your cake and eat it too.

Dong Ping was silent for a moment, then suddenly gritted his teeth and said, "Should I take another gamble?"

After all, he started out as a mine owner, so his gambling spirit was truly considerable.

Zhang Yan thought for a moment and said, "I suggest you don't rush to agree. Observe first. I feel that Jiang Wen has become even more arrogant since she came back. She is not willing to submit to anyone."

"Isn't this you?"

Dong Ping sat up straight, staring intently at Zhang Yan: "I'll share Jiang Wen's film offer with you so you can fulfill your dreams. Let's collaborate again!"

"I won't do it, it's too tiring!"

Zhang Yan immediately shook his head vigorously. He wasn't some pure-blooded filmmaker who could make money lying on the small screen. How could he possibly be so foolish as to go and become the subject of gossip for Jiang Wen, who had won an award?

"do not!"

Dong Ping pleaded, "This time it'll be Silver Lion + Best Actor, next time..."

"It might be banned next time."

Zhang Yan interrupted him, saying, "Didn't you see that Zhang Yimou's 'To Live' wasn't even released in mainland China? Films that aim for awards are bound to be subject to taboos to some extent."

After a pause, he suggested, "If I were you, I would use Jiang Wen's fame to find a big director and make a purely commercial film. Everything else is secondary; the important thing is to make money first!"

...Dong Ping was still conflicted when she left.

He probably only thought about making money when he first invested in "Sunshine," but now that he's been praised by the media, he's lost sight of his own position.

Therefore, what businessmen fear most is forgetting their original intentions. Take the coal bosses of later years, for example. They didn't care about art or anything like that, as long as they could handle the 'bedding' business.

Speaking of bedding.

Zhang Yan organized a gathering the next day at noon. There weren't many people, only three including him, but it was still a historic breakthrough, because the other two were Zhou Tao and Tao Hong.

The purpose of bringing these two together was, of course, to finalize a clothing deal.

This morning.

Zhou Tao arrived at the restaurant at the agreed time. After looking around but not finding Zhang Yan's car, he didn't rush in. Instead, he found a shady spot to wait for Zhang Yan to arrive.

After all, she remembered clearly the scene of Tao Hong beating Yang Lan half a year ago, and their relationship was so awkward. If Zhang Yan wasn't there, what kind of conflict might have broken out between them...

About seven or eight minutes later.

The familiar Crown finally appeared in front of the restaurant. Zhou Tao wanted to wait until the car came to a complete stop before going over, but the Crown kept shuffling and couldn't stop properly for a long time.

Zhou Tao found it strange, so he went up to her and knocked on the driver's side window: "What's wrong? You haven't had too much to drink..."

Before he finished speaking, the car window rolled down, revealing Tao Hong's indifferent face.

At this moment, Zhang Yan's voice came from the passenger seat: "Have you been waiting long? She just got her driver's license not long ago, so she was delayed on the way."

Although he heard the explanation, Zhou Tao's mind was still a bit confused, so he waited until Zhang Yan got out of the passenger seat to take over parking the car from Tao Hong.

She asked instinctively, "Did you go pick her up?"

"Yes."

"what about me?!"

Zhou Tao's voice was full of grievance and resentment. He had worried that he would clash with Tao Hong and had cleverly stayed outside. Now he realized that it was just clownish behavior.

Why? !

Although the two are now more intertwined by interests, Zhou Tao still felt that he was different from others, but he never expected that the difference would be reversed.

At this moment, Zhang Yan's words left her speechless: "Isn't your husband at home? It might not be appropriate for me to drive to pick you up."

Zhang Yan wasn't intentionally taking sides; he just hadn't expected Zhou Tao to be waiting outside.

Watching Tao Hong get out of the car and indifferently retreat to the side of the road, and then looking at Zhang Yan getting into the car and starting to parallel park, Zhou Tao took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down again.

After all, today's meeting is related to the subsequent distribution of benefits. If she shows her emotions from the beginning, it will only allow Tao Hong to reap the benefits.

When Zhang Yan easily parked the car on the side of the road and led the two inside, Zhou Tao even had a smile on his face and took the initiative to congratulate Tao Hong.

Although Tao Hong didn't win any awards, with her resume as the second female lead in "Sunshine," she will definitely have a good future in the film and television industry.

"really."

Tao Hong nodded and said calmly, "Since we all have our own jobs, we should focus on our professions and not create unnecessary trouble or do anything messy."

Zhou Tao's smile froze instantly.

She anticipated that Tao Hong wouldn't give her a friendly look, but she never expected that Tao Hong would directly deny the necessity of the clothing business.

What is this called?
This is purely harmful to others and doesn't benefit anyone!

"You can't say that."

Fortunately, Zhang Yan finally spoke up at this point: "Hosts are different from actors. Actors can earn money by taking on advertisements once they become famous, but if they don't have any extra income, they can only earn a fixed salary."

"That's not right."

Tao Hong frowned upon hearing this and said, "Didn't your company's Cao Ying also take on an advertisement? I see Shandong TV broadcasting her 'Riding the Light Cavalry, Achieving Success' every day."

"That's different; CCTV has more oversight."

"Oh~"

Tao Hong nodded knowingly: "It seems that CCTV hosts are just like that, not as successful as a young girl who started out in the industry."

"you!"

Her most prized identity was denied, and it hit Zhou Tao right where she cared most, making her instantly famous.

Seeing this, Zhang Yan quickly stepped in to block the way, while secretly lamenting his predicament.

Although he knew all along that this 'China International Fair for Trade in Services' would not go smoothly, he did not expect that the atmosphere between the two sides would already be so tense before he even entered the private room.

(End of this chapter)