In the entertainment industry, everyone has been reborn, but who will be their servant?

Chapter 39 Charging into Battle
Old Wang put down his pen, leaned back in his chair, casually placed his hands on his stomach, and looked up at him.

This person spoke with a barbed tongue, flattering him and praising him to an high level while simultaneously trying to lecture him.

"You're lecturing me now? I've seen far too many outrageous statements. Your tactics are nothing more than spouting alarmist things and then trying to extract benefits from me." Old Wang seemed to have seen right through him.

"I don't want any benefits; I'm just stating the facts. You need a partner to provide you with film sources," Qin Xuan reiterated, positioning himself once again.

"What do you have to offer me for cooperation? Do I need to go through all that trouble to support someone in the upstream production process? Aren't all of your films going to be shown in my theater anyway? What's the difference?" Old Wang said casually, but he was clearly making things difficult for me.

This young man was incredibly calm; he was the most composed young man he had ever met, and he remained completely unfazed even in the presence of someone like him.

While most young people like to boast, they inevitably panic when they see him.

"Is that really the case?" Qin Xuan asked.

"Isn't that how it is?" Old Wang stared at him.

"If I'm not mistaken, distributors like China Film Group, Bona Film Group, and Huayi Brothers have been limiting the number of copies Wanda Cinemas can display for years. A blockbuster can only have 10 copies, but Wanda can only get 2 or 3 copies. This means that eight out of your cinemas are empty and have no films to show, right?" Qin Xuan observed his expression.

The current cost of copying is high and the quantity is limited; it is not true that later digital copies are essentially free.

"You seem to know this very well." Old Wang didn't deny it; it was indeed true.

Wanda Cinemas was only established in 05. As an outsider, it has always been marginalized by established film and television companies.

When they have good films, they prioritize supplying them to their own cinema chains and those with which they have good relationships. Only after satisfying themselves and their allies will they supply the rest to outsiders like Wanda.

"Your negotiations with China Film Group and Huayi Brothers regarding the revenue sharing for the films 'The Warlords' and 'Assembly' were not pleasant, were they?" Qin Xuan asked.

"Where did you get this information?" Old Wang, who had been so casual, realized that this man was incredibly well-informed.

"China Film Group demanded that you give them 45% of the revenue in the first week of release. You agreed because of China Film Group's power. After all, China Film Group controls the distribution rights of imported films, and you couldn't afford to offend them, right?"

As he listened to his words, Old Wang's expression slowly changed, becoming serious. This was a trade secret, and this person knew it all too well.

"Huayi also wants the same treatment as China Film Group, but you refused. Huayi is going to cut off its supply to your Wanda Cinemas, right?" Qin Xuan said again.

Old Wang's expression changed completely, and he stared directly at the other person, trying to discern something from him.

This is a trade secret of Wanda, China Film Group, and Huayi Brothers, and it is generally difficult for outsiders to know.

This made him feel like he had been stripped naked.

In fact, Qin Xuan didn't know this either. He only found out about it many years later. Huayi had even blacklisted Wanda, which was simply unbelievable to the world.

What is the size of Huayi Brothers? What is the size of Wanda Group?
However, this is a true story. It was about the movie "Assembly". Huayi wanted a high share of the revenue, but Lao Wang felt humiliated and refused to give it to him. Huayi then imposed a ban on it.

This is also why Mr. Wang later insisted on controlling the upstream production. Even after going to the United States, he wanted to acquire Legendary Pictures to increase his say, because only by having film sources can one have a voice.

Don't assume that cinemas are powerful; in reality, they're also struggling to survive. This era is different from later ones, where capital made a massive impact and a diverse range of industries flourished.

In this era, blockbuster films were controlled by a few companies such as China Film Group, Bona Film Group, and Huayi Brothers Media Group. Hong Kong had to rely on their distribution channels.

In essence, it's a struggle for interests.

China Film Group and Huaxia Film Distribution have no choice; they control the import of films and can't afford to offend them. After all, Hollywood blockbusters are very popular these days and are fiercely sought after by major cinema chains. Even Wanda has to beg them for their rights.

However, Huayi Brothers doesn't have this advantage. They have more films, including many blockbusters, and their influence is considerable. Therefore, Wanda's relationship with them has never been good, and they have even had several conflicts.

The most famous incidents were Ye Ning's job-hopping incident and the restriction on screenings of "I Am Not Madame Bovary," which led to a complete outbreak of conflict between the two sides.

If it weren't for Wanda's strong financial backing and support for a new generation like Chen Sicheng, they would have ruined him long ago.

Of course, it's not just Wanda that has a bad relationship with them; other cinema chains also have a bad relationship with these film companies, and the two sides have boycotted each other several times.

The most famous example is the protest by eight major cinema chains in 2011, which forced the Film Bureau to intervene and mediate.

"As long as you support me, I can provide you with what you want, fight for you, and defeat them. Then you won't be controlled by others and will have enough say," Qin Xuan said.

Old Wang chuckled, "This guy's bragging again."

“I won’t go into how you know so much, but what I want to ask you is, how many of your films dare to say such things?” he said.

They need quite a few films; one or two won't suffice.

“There are currently three,” Qin Xuan said.

"Three parts? Now?" Old Wang was quite surprised.

He had looked into this person's background. Just two months ago, he was virtually unknown and had been blacklisted by capitalists in the film and television industry. In such a short time, he already had three films in his hands.

"I used nearly two million yuan to shoot three movies at once, and I brought two sample films with me. One is a complete sample film, and the other is a three-minute sample film." Qin Xuan took out a hard drive from his pocket and placed it on the table.

"Making a Name for Oneself" was not finished filming yet; only a three-minute climax sample was produced.

Old Wang looked at the hard drive on the table and said dismissively, "With so little money, what kind of good movie can you make? I want a blockbuster that can rival those big names."

"Mr. Wang, you're putting me in a difficult position. Given my current situation, even if I had the ability, I couldn't produce a blockbuster. You have to give me time," Qin Xuan said.

Old Wang didn't say anything, he was thinking.

"What do you want me to provide for you? Funding? Resources? Talent?" he asked.

"I don't want anything, all I want is your distribution channels. Let's start our collaboration with these three films. You distribute them for me, and I'll make money for you. It's that simple," Qin Xuan said generously.

If he takes Wanda's money, it's hard to say whether he can control New Force.

"You're quite an interesting young man."

Old Wang smiled, a smile that seemed to have a deeper meaning. He leaned forward, placed his hands on the table, and said, "Alright, let's cooperate this time. As for how we cooperate, that's up to me."

After he finished speaking, he looked at Qin Xuan to see his attitude.

"How would you like to cooperate?" Qin Xuan didn't agree immediately, but wanted to see what the other party had to say before making a decision.

"Please sit down, please sit down!" Old Wang gestured.

Qin Xuan sat down in the leather chair opposite him, with a long desk between them.

(End of this chapter)