Seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune, I became a legend in the entertainment industry by avo

Chapter 187 Business Operations

Zhao Tongfu was stunned.

He stared at Zhang Qilin for a few seconds, trying to find any trace of joking on the other's face.

But looking at Zhang Qilin's serious expression, it didn't seem like he was joking.

"You want to take on an endorsement deal?" Zhao Tongfu asked somewhat uncertainly.

Zhang Qilin nodded.

He came to Zhao Tongfu to inquire about the endorsement, partly to show goodwill to Vice President Wang.

I also want to make some money.

As Qin Liangyu's stage play begins to move forward, her business plans must also begin ahead of schedule.

Everyone has their own ideas in this project.

Dong Qiyu wants to promote Hanfu through Qin Liangyu, while Jing Tian wants to gain fame; so he'll reluctantly choose profit.

To establish a business, you need start-up capital.

After confirming that Zhang Qilin wasn't joking, Zhao Tongfu took out a stack of documents from the drawer: "Tell me, what are the conditions?"

"First, only one year."

Zhao Tongfu paused, flipping through the documents: "One year? Qi Lin, endorsement contracts are usually for three years, not just one year—"

Zhang Qilin said sincerely, "Director Zhao, the movies I'm in will be released one after another by the end of the year. If the market response is good, my current price won't be appropriate."

After listening, Zhao Tongfu seemed to be deep in thought.

He knew that Zhang Qilin's words made sense.

Zhang Qilin continued, "If I sign a three-year contract, it's like selling myself for a pittance. One year is the limit I can accept. If both parties are still willing after the contract expires, we can renew it at a different price."

Zhao Tongfu knew that Zhang Qilin was a very decisive person, and besides, the institute had made it clear that all matters concerning Zhang Qilin's endorsement would be based on his choice.

He nodded: "Okay, I'll look for someone according to your requirements. I'll contact you again when I find someone suitable."

"Thank you very much, Director Zhao," Zhang Qilin stood up to take his leave. As he walked to the door, he seemed to suddenly remember something, turned back and smiled, "By the way, please give my regards to Vice Dean Wang. I'll go and report to him in a couple of days after I'm done with my work."

Zhao Tongfu's heart skipped a beat, but his smile remained unchanged: "Alright, I will definitely pass on the message. Dean Wang has been mentioning you a lot lately, saying you are a promising talent."

As he left the performance center, Zhang Qilin's faint smile faded.

His goodwill has been extended; it remains to be seen whether Vice President Wang will accept it.

After Zhang Qilin left, Zhao Tongfu picked up the internal phone: "Director Wang, it's me, Tongfu. Zhang Qilin just came by—"

The voice of Vice Dean Wang came from the other end of the phone: "Oh? What's he here for?"

"He wants to take on endorsement deals."

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone.

"What conditions did he state?"

Zhao Tongfu reported Zhang Qilin's conditions and reasons.

After listening, Vice Dean Wang pondered and said, "This child is quite clear-headed."

"Director Wang, then we—"

"Help him find one," Vice Dean Wang said with a smile. "Since he's brought it up, let's go with the flow. Go through the resources you have on hand, pick a few suitable ones, and if you can't agree on the price, you can discuss it again. As for the term—try to keep it close to one year."

"Understood," Zhao Tongfu replied. "Also, he said he wanted to give you his regards and would be going to report his thoughts in a few days."

"Hmm," Vice Dean Wang paused, "He said he wanted to come see me?"

"Yes, he said he'll come after he's done with his work in a few days."

"Okay, I understand."

After hanging up the phone, Vice President Wang smiled.

Zhang Qilin's initiative in seeking an endorsement is a signal.

There was some unpleasantness before because of the Badao shampoo.

Although, through his efforts, things did not ultimately deteriorate further.

But it also created a certain distance between them.

He wouldn't care if it were an ordinary actor from the Beijing People's Art Theatre.

But the events that happened to Zhang Qilin during this period made him realize the enormous power that might exist behind him.

The fact that a young man could bring down a mid-sized media outlet piqued his interest in Zhang Qilin even more.

Given that the other party is involved in projects by two renowned directors, their future achievements are sure to be substantial.

Therefore, he had always wanted to improve his relationship with Zhang Qilin, but there was no suitable opportunity.

Now that Zhang Qilin has taken the initiative to show goodwill, he has to accept it, no matter what the reason is.

"This kid is smarter than I thought," Vice Dean Wang muttered to himself.

Zhang Qilin left Zhao Tongfu's office and went straight to Feng Yuanzheng's office.

He stood at the door, raised his hand and knocked, and after receiving permission, he pushed the door open and went inside.

Upon seeing that it was Zhang Qilin who had entered, Feng Yuanzheng gestured for him to sit down: "What have you been busy with today?"

Zhang Qilin handed a copy of the letter of intent to Feng Yuanzheng, grinning as he said, "Teacher, I've taken care of the funding. I'll need your help with the rest—"

Feng Yuanzheng took it and looked at it, a look of surprise on his face.

He read through the letter of intent from beginning to end before looking up at Zhang Qilin and asking with a serious expression, "Where did you find so much funding?"

Zhang Qilin gave an introduction to Qin Liangyu's IP address.

After listening, Feng Yuanzheng's expression softened slightly: "The concept of this IP is quite novel and has certain market potential. Have you applied to the institute?"

Zhang Qilin nodded: "I just came from Professor Pu's office."

Feng Yuanzheng looked at him with great interest: "What did Puyuan say?"

"I support you in principle and will let me follow the procedures," Zhang Qilin explained. "You previously said you could help me contact Professor Guo Qihong, Professor He Jiping, and Director Ren Ming—"

Feng Yuanzheng did not answer immediately. He leaned back in his chair and looked at his student.

A few months ago, Zhang Qilin was just a promising newcomer at the Beijing People's Art Theatre.

But now, he's sitting in front of me, talking about a project with an investment of 20 million.

"Qi Lin," Feng Yuanzheng began slowly, "making connections is not a difficult task for me."

Zhang Qilin listened attentively.

Feng Yuanzheng looked at him and said, "This project involves a large investment and many people. Once it starts, there's no turning back. You need to be mentally prepared."

"I know, Teacher Feng."

"You don't understand? You think the hardest part is money?" Feng Yuanzheng shook his head. "The hardest part is people's hearts. There are so many people in the institute, and everyone has their own ideas and interests. You're leading such a big project. Some people will support you, some will wait to see you fail, and some will try to trip you up behind your back. Can you handle it?"

Zhang Qilin was silent for a moment, then raised his head and said seriously, "Professor Feng, when I decided to do this project, I was prepared to deal with all kinds of difficulties. This project is also an opportunity for me to grow. If I succeed, it will improve my awkward position in the department."

Feng Yuanzheng stared at Zhang Qilin, knowing that Zhang Qilin was right.

At the Beijing People's Art Theatre, seniority still matters. No matter how well Zhang Qilin performs, he can only play supporting roles because of his admission date.

Zhang Qilin wasn't the only intern facing this situation; other interns were also in the same boat.

As the class teacher of this group of interns, he really wanted to help them.

The traditions and atmosphere of the Beijing People's Art Theatre are long-standing and cannot be changed by him alone.

Zhang Qilin wants to change this predicament, and if he succeeds, his status at the Beijing People's Art Theatre will be greatly enhanced.

With Zhang Qilin's elevated status, he will be able to provide more opportunities for the interns around him.

"Since you're mentally prepared, then go for it," Feng Yuanzheng said with a relieved smile. "Thank you, Teacher Feng," Zhang Qilin said with a grin, looking at Feng Yuanzheng. "And the screenwriter and director—"

Feng Yuanzheng smiled and said, "I'll help you get in touch with them in the next couple of days, and I'll let you know when I have any news."

Zhang Qilin left Feng Yuanzheng's office and let out a long sigh.

With Teacher Feng's help in contacting the three teachers, this project has taken its first step.

Once the three actors agree to take on the role, someone will need to follow up on the project.

He took out his phone and called Dong Qiyu.

As soon as the call connected, Zhang Qilin asked, "My play project is progressing well. Let's meet up later today to discuss it. Please bring Shen Ya with you; I need her to follow up on some things here."

"Okay, then," Dong Qiyu's voice came from the phone.

At 7 p.m., Zhang Qilin arrived at the teahouse where he was to meet Dong Qiyu.

The three met to exchange information about the progress of their projects.

Dong Qiyu was both surprised and delighted that Zhang Qilin was able to raise 20 million yuan to stage a play.

Zhang Qilin instructed her to arrange for someone to liaise with Wang Lan's side to ensure that the costumes, props, and sets were consistent with historical records.

Dong Qiyu promised to arrange for someone to contact the other party as soon as she got back.

Dong Qiyu had no objection to asking Shen Ya to help Zhang Qilin.

Her project is progressing smoothly, and Qin Liangyu has already gained some influence online.

Shen Ya also really wanted to come and help Zhang Qilin.

The next day, Zhang Qilin brought Shen Ya and Zhou Fang to see Wang Lan again, explaining that the two of them would be responsible for the subsequent negotiations, and that someone would come to help them with the costumes and props.

In the following days, Zhang Qilin, along with Shen Ya and Feng Yuanzheng, met with the three teachers to discuss Qin Liangyu's future plans.

Screenwriters Guo Qihong and He Jiping, along with director Ren Ming, all expressed great interest in making such a historical film.

When they heard there was a 20 million investment, all three of them were shocked.

Spending 20 million yuan to put on a play is unprecedented in the history of the Beijing People's Art Theatre.

They had never staged a play with such a large budget before.

The three immediately began a heated discussion about the character Qin Liangyu and the overall structure of the story.

How can we use 20 million to recreate the magnificent life of Qin Liangyu in history?

After securing the three teachers, Zhang Qilin was extremely busy for the next few days.

He instructed Shen Ya to liaise with the three teachers and follow up on the script and actor selection process.

Through Zhao Tongfu's introduction, he accepted endorsements from two sports brands.

The two companies paid a total of 150 million yuan in endorsement fees.

He only met with Vice President Wang after signing the contract.

Vice President Wang had already heard the news and was quite surprised that Zhang Qilin was able to raise 20 million yuan to produce a stage play.

However, this play is beneficial to the Beijing People's Art Theatre, and he stated that he would not raise any objections at the office meeting.

He also encouraged Zhang Qilin to be bold and said he would propose at the meeting to allocate a three million yuan support fund for Zhang Qilin's play project to ensure that the play is done to the best of its ability in all aspects.

Zhang Qilin also expressed his gratitude to Vice President Wang.

Over the next few days, Zhang Qilin handed over all the follow-up work to Shen Ya.

1 month 15 day.

Shiqiu Film and Television Base in Lishui District, NJ City.

When Zhang Qilin arrived, the production crew had already completed the preliminary preparations.

When he found Zhang Yimou on site, Zhang Yimou was studying storyboards with the assistant director and director of photography.

"Director Zhang," Zhang Qilin walked over to greet him.

Zhang Yi glanced at him and said, "Go to the dressing room and try on the makeup."