Huayu: Are you even sitting up straight? You're going to be the director?

Chapter 149 Preparations and Secret Talks with Cheng Long

In the Chengying office building, Cao Zhong sat in his office, listening to Jiang Zhiqiang's voice on the other end of the phone.

“We are having a hard time,”

Jiang Zhiqiang's voice sounded very tired.
"In June alone, Hollywood is releasing several blockbusters, including Kung Fu Panda, The Incredible Hulk, Zohan the Barber, and Star Trek."

July features "Hancock," "Hellboy II," "Batman 6," and "The X-Files 2."
These costs are much higher than "Split." We have two release dates to choose from: July, competing with many big films, and August 1st, competing with Jet Li's "The Mummy 3." I'd like to choose "The Mummy 3" as our competitor. Further down the line, the summer season is unlikely to give us enough time. Director Cao, what do you think?

Jiang Zhiqiang provided a detailed explanation of the release dates for these films.

Cao Zhong pondered for a moment. Although he knew that the summer season was also a peak season for the North American film market, he hadn't expected so many blockbusters to be released during the summer this year.

After a moment's thought, he had his answer.
"We chose July as the release date, so it can be released at the same time as 'Hellboy II',"

Cao Zhong didn't explain the reason, but directly gave the direction.

While choosing "The Mummy 3" seems like a safer option, it would delay the release by at least twenty days, which would be detrimental to the reputation of this type of B-movie thriller.
Although Split had a smaller budget, because it is a purely Shyamalan auteur film, the impact of films like Hancock and Batman 6 on this type of movie will not be as great as one might imagine.

In its previous life, this movie defeated several big IPs such as "xXx: Return of Xander Cage" and "Resident Evil: The Final Chapter" to win the box office championship for three consecutive weeks.

Although competing with blockbusters doesn't guarantee a box office champion title, the influx of a large audience into theaters is actually a good thing for "Split".

Just like the Spring Festival film season 25 years ago, the siphon effect of "Ne Zha 2" seemed to have drained the market, but truly high-quality films still achieved the results they deserved.

Cao Zhong recalled that both "Hellboy II" and "The X-Files 2" suffered critical and commercial failures, which presented a good opportunity.

If we wait until August, not only will the film be shown for 20 fewer days, but the impact of the Olympics on the film market performance is also a factor that must be considered.

"it is good."

Seeing that Cao Zhong had set a date, Jiang Zhiqiang was somewhat surprised by Cao Zhong's confidence, but he nodded in agreement.
He wasn't a resentful woman; he already trusted Cao Zhong and had reached a cooperation agreement, so naturally he just needed to focus on publicity.

"Are you under a lot of pressure negotiating in Hollywood?"

Before hanging up the phone, Cao Zhong suddenly asked a question.

“There is definitely pressure,” Jiang Zhiqiang said. “But I’m not afraid of difficulties. Director Cao’s commitment is much greater than mine.”

Cao Zhong said directly, "I'm going to find you two helpers."

Jiang Zhiqiang narrowed his eyes slightly, showing a hint of surprise, but feigned nonchalance in his words:

"Then I must thank Director Cao. It's really tiring with only my cousin and I managing this place."

Jiang Zhiqiang had long known that the company's shares would be held by Cao Zhong through offshore operations.

Jiang Zhiqiang was somewhat surprised by Cao Zhong's previous trust in him.

“One of them is one of my trusted confidants, and there’s another I’m planning to negotiate with.” Cao Zhong was also very direct. “Believe me, if he goes, he can relieve a lot of pressure for you.”

Jiang Zhiqiang was somewhat surprised, not knowing who he was.

He wondered to himself, in Hollywood, who could have more influence than him?
After hanging up the phone, Cao Zhong called Chen Zhixi and asked her to come over.

After she applied for a job at Chengying Film Studio, Cao Zhong transferred her to the crew of "We Live in Nanjing".
Moreover, she was entrusted with important responsibilities, handling various miscellaneous tasks alongside the producer.

Cao Zhong had been observing from the shadows. He found that Chen Zhixi had a strong learning ability and a very methodical approach to things. She was indeed a man destined to become the chairman of Wanda Film Co., Ltd.

Moreover, she was really dedicated to working behind the scenes.

Cao Zhong planned to send her to Hollywood for a few years of training.
With Chen Zhixi's abilities, it would be a waste of her talents to only produce films for some young domestic directors.

In Hollywood, a producer-centric society, Chen Zhixi can become a sharp sword planted by Cao Zhong in Hollywood. She can temporarily become Cao Zhong's pure ally to check Jiang Zhiqiang, and at the same time, she can broaden her horizons and enhance her abilities in Hollywood.

For this reason, Cao Zhong could also allow her to provide him with a secretary.

Cao Zhong is not afraid of forcing growth. First of all, in her previous life, she had already transitioned to an executive producer in 2010. Subsequently, she produced "Pretend Couple", "Border Town" and "Lost in Thailand", becoming the highest-earning producer within two years.

Her learning ability must be extremely strong.

Chen Zhixi became the chairman of Wanda Film before the age of forty. If we don't make good use of her now, she might run away later if she becomes ambitious.

A moment later, Chen Zhixi knocked on the door and came in.

She was wearing a red and green striped T-shirt, which made her look very capable.

"sit."

Cao Zhong nodded in acknowledgment.

After they sat down, the assistant poured Chen Zhixi a cup of tea and left the office. Cao Zhong got straight to the point: "Has the US visa you were asked to apply for been processed?"

"It's all done, Director Cao."

Although Chen Zhixi was curious, she didn't ask questions she shouldn't have, and after answering, she sat up straight.

Cao Zhong smiled and said, "Aren't you curious why I asked you this?"

"The first rule of the workplace is: don't ask what you shouldn't ask," Chen Zhixi said. "I understand."

Cao Zhong, having been rebuffed, no longer hesitated: "What I'm talking to you about today is another path for Chengying, and also a hidden line of communication."

Chen Zhixi was taken aback upon hearing this. She realized she knew Cao Zhong's big secret and asked, "Is it related to Hollywood?"

Cao Zhongdao said: "Through Mr. Jiang in the industry, I established a Hollywood bridgehead belonging to Chengying, but it is currently under the name of Edko Films. The first film we are currently shooting is "Split", one of the leading actresses is Yang Mi. It will be released on July 11 soon, and the publicity and distribution work will begin in about 7 days."

Chen Zhixi's expression changed slightly, and her pupils dilated in shock!

She was truly stunned.

At this moment, only the word "Holy shit" existed in Chen Zhixi's mind.

When she heard the names Boss Jiang and Yang Mi from Cao Zhong, the first thing that came to her mind was "Ailing".

During the production of "Ailing", Mr. Jiang's name certainly appeared in the entertainment industry, but was he no match for Director Cao?

When did I become Director Cao's dog?
Chen Zhixi knew perfectly well that Cao Zhong wouldn't speak carelessly. It was just that the secrecy was too tight, as tight as her mother's in "We Live in Nanjing."
Chen Zhixi suddenly laughed. She thought of the movie "We Live in Nanjing" and the idiots online who were cursing Director Cao. She suddenly felt uncomfortable.

As it turned out, she realized that she was quite stupid. The news of "Split" was unknown to the entire mainland entertainment industry, including Chengying and even Wang Renjun. She joined the company, but she was kept in the dark for a long time!

Yang Mi was essentially a newcomer, an unknown figure in the film industry. Filming in Hollywood was unpromoted, so naturally no one paid her any attention.

This film will not be released in mainland China. Cao Zhong had previously requested that Edko Films keep a low profile.

But once the publicity starts, it's unstoppable.

Chen Zhixi was breathing heavily. She could imagine how shocked mainland celebrities would be if they knew that Edko Films had such a movie.
It's easy to guess that if everyone knew that Cao Zhong was behind all of this,

This is the man who has already crushed several big directors in the mainland film industry with just one movie.

How crazy will it be!
Cao Zhong looked at Chen Zhixi and said sincerely:
"In the crew of 'We Live in Nanjing,' I saw your talent and your ability, so I'm going to send you to Hollywood to become one of the producers at Edko Films, and also the second-in-command at the bridgehead, directly becoming a manager."

Chen Zhixi's initial thought was that this was a huge windfall, but she wondered if there were any pitfalls.

She asked suspiciously, "Why me?"

Cao Zhongdao said, "I have already said that I have seen your talent, your ability, and your ambition. You are a good learner, and I need someone to take charge of Hollywood for me."

"I don't have much experience." With this opportunity in front of her, Chen Zhixi suddenly felt a little scared. "There are many experienced producers in the industry, and there are probably quite a few people who can be Director Cao's confidants."

She is not yet the "billion-dollar producer" of the future.

Cao Zhong chuckled: "It takes a lot of courage for you to transition from acting to working behind the scenes. Now that the opportunity is right in front of you, are you really going to give it up? Your main work for the next two years will be learning, supervising, and managing, which Jiang Zhiqiang will handle for you. Won't you regret missing this opportunity?"

Chen Zhixi's face trembled slightly as she struggled internally.

"I can turn Shen Ao into a director with a 200 million yuan box office, I can help Xu Zheng transition into directing, I can elevate Jing Tian from an almost unknown actress to a 200 million yuan leading lady, and I can make directors like Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige pale in comparison with just one film. Why do you think I can misjudge people?"

After saying that, Chen Zhixi stared blankly at Cao Zhong and swallowed hard.

Cao Zhong had already said all that, so what else could Chen Zhixi say?
She really wants to improve!
"Director Cao, please let me know if you need anything." Chen Zhixi clenched her fist. "I can't guarantee how well I can do it, but I will do my best."

Cao Zhong stood up, extended his palm, and said sincerely, "I believe that you will have a place in Chengying in the future."

"My mission is to keep an eye on Boss Jiang, right?" Chen Zhixi was already preparing to become an underground worker.

Cao Zhong then instructed, "Once you arrive, help me register a few movie scripts. And remember to keep it a secret at all times. In name only, Jiang Zhiqiang is your boss."

Chen Zhixi nodded in agreement.

"Don't worry too much. If you need a secretary, I can get Jiang Zhiqiang to grant you the necessary permissions once you get there, and you can hire one yourself."

Chen Zhixi shook her head, her eyes sharp: "No, Director Cao, I only need one translator."

Cao Zhong smiled calmly. Chen Zhixi, 26 years old, hadn't even realized the ambition hidden deep in her heart, burning like a raging fire.

And Cao Zhong saw it in her gaze.

……

News of countless walls of life that appeared during the earthquake brought the media attacks on Cao Zhong to an abrupt halt.

Parents' love for their children
It's evident in news stories about parents forming an archway with their bodies; it's evident in news stories about fathers digging for dozens of hours with their bare hands to rescue their daughters; it's evident in news stories about fathers walking for eight hours to lead their 16-day-old daughters to search for rescue; it's evident in news stories about mothers using their backs to block collapsing concrete slabs; and it's also evident in news stories about mothers kneeling on the ground to support their bodies and protect their three- or four-month-old babies...

Even the most unscrupulous media outlets would no longer continue attacking Cao Zhong on this issue.
However, a news report surfaced that a Japanese rescue team had mistakenly entered a military base while participating in disaster relief, which displeased Wang Renjun and Qi Jiuzhou.

Countless people donated money and goods.
The Beijing Film Academy also organized a school-wide event.

After Cao Zhong also discussed with China Film Group,

It was decided that, both in the name of Chengying and in his personal capacity, all proceeds from the production of "My Disqualified Daughter" would be donated to the disaster area, but without much fanfare.

"Brother Zhong, you're awesome."

When his two roommates found out, they were speechless.

The director's fee has already been paid out, and Chengying's share of the profits will ultimately be around 30 million.

This is the profit sharing after Chengying didn't invest any money and even made two million.

Cao Zhong wasn't bothered by the expense; he felt it was worthwhile to have trained the team for the Olympics without spending any money.

The film market has also been significantly affected.

The Forbidden Kingdom's final box office was only 2.01 million yuan, its previous momentum was cut short, while Iron Man, despite its soaring success in North America, struggled in China.

Cao Zhong, on the other hand, shared the same task as Chengying's newly signed screenwriter and the Olympic bid.
The core concept of "Running a Truck with My Daughter" was handed over to the screenwriter and Shen Ao, and they worked together to create the script for Shen Ao's new film.

When Shen Ao learned that Cao Zhong would give him a share of the new movie, he was instantly energized.

In order to create narrative conflict, Cao Zhong also incorporated the definition of "biological butterflies" into the core synopsis of the film.
Since these terms would appear in later generations, Cao Zhong decided to create them first, thus fabricating the image of his middle school daughter's rebelliousness.
Furthermore, the film fiercely criticizes related content!
Because the core summary includes many stories and lessons from the original videos, the content is actually quite rich, containing many positive values ​​such as courage, justice, and avoiding comparison.
Cao Zhong asked the screenwriters to add some humor that wouldn't feel out of place, so that this educational script wouldn't seem too empty.

But when Shen Ao saw the sentence in Cao Zhonggao's summary, "Sun Wukong has been dead for many years, right? Let me tell you, my Sun Wukong has been dead for more than 30 years."

For a moment, they were stunned.

After handing over his work, Cao Zhong called Cheng Long.

"Brother Cheng Long, would you be interested in having a chat?"

……

In a private room in Beijing, the air conditioning was turned on at a moderate pace.

Cao Zhong leaned back in his chair, waiting for Cheng Long to arrive.

He held seven movie scripts in his hands.

When Jackie Chan came in, his face froze as he looked at the scripts.

(End of this chapter)