Internet moguls are being held hostage by the entertainment system!

Chapter 93 I'm Giving You a Chance

In the past week, Dilraba has signed an agency contract, becoming the first artist of Datang Film and Television.

The first resource Chen Xiu provided her was Ah Xiang, the female lead in "Detective Chinatown".

In terms of screen time alone, Ah Xiang is only the fifth lead in "Detective Chinatown". Ahead of her are Tang Ren, Qin Feng, Kun Tai played by Xiao Yang, and Xiao Si Nuo.

However, due to the scarcity of female characters in "Detective Chinatown" and the unique nature of Si Nuo's role, Wu Fan A Xiang became the female lead.

This role can be seen as Chen Xiu's signing gift to Dilraba, and also as a short transition for her.

Once "Detective Chinatown" finishes filming and Datang Film & Television is on track, Zhong Lifang will be able to help Dilraba and the signed newcomers arrange other film and television resources.

Therefore, when Chen Sicheng came to recommend his wife for the role of Ah Xiang, Chen Xiu refused without even thinking about it.

Our own people haven't even gotten any resources yet, so who cares if your wife has anything to eat!
After his two proposals were rejected, Chen Sicheng was already somewhat displeased, but considering that Chen Xiu was not someone he could afford to offend, he could only hide his emotions by drinking water.

After Chen Sicheng put down his water glass, Chen Xiu asked, "Is there anything else?"

"Um, I read the contract, and it seems to say that the director only has the right to make suggestions on film editing, not the final decision-making power, is that right?"

Chen Sicheng looked at Chen Xiu with a troubled expression.

If the first two requests were about advocating for others, then this last one was about securing rights for himself.

In Chinese production teams, whether it's a TV series or a film, aside from the combination of a new director and a big-name producer, the director is always the undisputed decision-maker.

Having such extensive authority is because the director controls three crucial tasks: how the actors act, how the filming is done, and how the editing is done in post-production.

Chen Xiu taking away the editing rights is equivalent to cutting off one of the three legs of the director's power. How could Chen Sicheng not care?

The fact that this issue was brought up last proves that it was the one Chen Sicheng valued most.

The first two proposals now seem more like tentative moves on his part.

If Chen Xiu agrees smoothly, then in Chen Sicheng's eyes he will be a very easy person to talk to, and subsequent requests will become much easier to fulfill.

If Chen Xiu doesn't agree, Chen Sicheng will naturally think that since she has already rejected him twice, she won't reject him a third time, considering that they still have to cooperate.
As it turned out, he was overthinking things.

"The director only has the right to offer suggestions on film editing, not the right to make decisions. Is there anything wrong with that?"

Chen Xiu pretended not to understand and looked at Chen Sicheng, showing no intention of backing down.

Seeing this, Chen Sicheng pursed his lips and finally tried to fight for his own interests.

“Mr. Chen, a director is essentially a storyteller. If you don’t give the director editing rights, then the director can’t be sure how the movie will turn out in the end…”

"I have storyboard drawings, and I'll be staying on set for a while. I'll tell you the specifics of how to shoot it."

Upon hearing this, a look of panic appeared on Chen Sicheng's face.

"Mr. Chen, will you be directing filming on set?"

"I will be serving as a producer on the 'Detective Chinatown' set. You should be very clear about the specifics of my job, right?"

"But……"

Chen Sicheng frowned as he looked at Chen Xiu, and after a long pause, he finally managed to say, "You have no experience in film and television production."

"If I had experience, would I need you?" Chen Xiu retorted without any politeness.

He realized that Chen Sicheng was just trying to increase his influence in "Detective Chinatown".

Chen Xiu's response was also very simple.

"The director's authority is clearly stated in the contract you signed. If you have any questions, I suggest you consult a lawyer. If there's nothing else, let's call it a day." After saying that, Chen Xiu got up from the sofa, turned her back to Chen Sicheng, and walked to the desk, indicating that she wanted to see him out.

Seeing this, Chen Sicheng, unwilling to leave empty-handed, also became somewhat anxious.

"Mr. Chen, when you suggested to Mr. Ye that I direct 'Detective Chinatown,' wasn't it because you trusted my expertise?"

Chen Xiu stopped and turned around to glance at Chen Sicheng.

Seeing Chen Xiu pause, Chen Sicheng continued, "If you trust my professionalism, then you should let me film according to my own ideas as much as possible, then edit the movie and perfectly adapt your novel into a film!"

"There is one error in each of your two sentences."

"what?"

Chen Xiu walked back behind her desk and sat down in a chair.

"First of all, I didn't choose you to direct because I believed in your professionalism. I just needed an obedient director to shoot according to my wishes. I was giving you an opportunity, not needing you."

"Secondly, since you also know that this IP is adapted from my novel, why do you think you understand 'Detective Chinatown' better than me?"

One sentence, one question.

This left Chen Sicheng speechless, completely bewildered.

He really wanted to tell Chen Xiu: I have a lot of ideas for "Detective Chinatown". If you hadn't written the novel last year, I was also planning to make a suspenseful detective film this year!

Unfortunately, Chen Xiu, with the help of the system, had already printed her name on this IP address ahead of time.

In this lifetime, the Detective Chinatown series will only be Chen Sicheng's representative work; he can forget about any box office benefits from it.

Even after the first film was completed, whether or not he would be used in the sequels was an uncertain answer for Chen Xiu.

Why did he ruin the last two installments?

Seeing Chen Sicheng's stammering silence, Chen Xiu, who hadn't yet considered changing the director of the first "Detective Chinatown" film, offered some comfort after giving him a warning.

"Alright, I know you're doing this for the sake of the movie, and your intentions are good. But the movie hasn't even started filming yet, so there's no need for us to discuss it here. If you really have any ideas, let's talk about it after filming begins!"

"Mr. Chen, do you mean you'll consider my suggestion after the system is turned on?"

"Okay, let's talk about it after we turn it on."

I neither agreed nor refused.

Chen Xiu didn't care how Chen Sicheng wanted to know the details; all he wanted now was to get rid of this nuisance as soon as possible.

"I'm going out for a bit later. If there's nothing else, I'll stop here for now!"

"Okay, Mr. Chen, I'm sorry to bother you today."

Chen Sicheng, who was good at flattery, also knew when to stop while he was ahead.

After greeting everyone, he got up from the sofa somewhat awkwardly, just as he had when he arrived, and slowly left the office.

After watching the greasy man leave, Chen Xiu glanced at the clock on the wall, then left her office and went to Zhong Lifang's office next door to see if she had finished interviewing Yang Ming.

Seeing that the interview was still ongoing, Chen Xiu did not go in to disturb the two, but left the company and went straight to Yingdu Building.

The newly established Douyin company is located above ByteDance's office.

(End of this chapter)