Taking Liu Yifei back to Northeast China for the Chinese New Year has sent the entire internet into

Zhou Yuanshan picked up his teacup, his expression still gentle, as if he were listening attentively.

"you say."

"In business, unpleasant things should be said upfront."

"It's better to make things clear now than to argue about it after the machine is turned on."

Fang Yu nodded and raised his first finger.

"First, the female lead, Zhao Ling'er, must be played by Liu Yifei."

"This role was tailor-made for her."

"No matter which investor comes in later, whether they bring their own capital or insert someone with connections."

"If anyone dares to make a move on the female lead, I will immediately withdraw, and the script authorization will be void on the spot."

Zhou Yuanshan showed no displeasure; instead, he smiled and glanced at Liu Yifei.

"Is this even considered a condition?"

"Anyone in the industry with eyes who has seen the outline will not question the choice of Zhao Ling'er."

He reached out and tapped the documents on the table.

"This clause is written directly into the main contract in black and white."

Liu Yifei sat silently to the side.

Under the table, she quietly reached out and hooked her hand around Fang Yu's little finger.

Fang Yu took her hand in his palm and raised his second finger.

"Secondly, actor salaries and investment models."

"Yifei and I don't receive a single penny of fixed remuneration."

Upon hearing this, He Zheng abruptly stopped mid-air, the teacup he had brought to his lips hovering over his mouth.

"Wait a minute? Neither of you want payment?"

Nowadays, top-tier celebrities in the Chinese entertainment industry receive tens of millions of yuan in remuneration for S-level projects.

For actors, a fixed salary is a guarantee of income, regardless of circumstances.

Whether a show becomes a hit or not is the investors' business; they should pocket the money first.

Zhou Yuanshan quickly realized what was going on.

"You want to deeply link actor fees with project revenue, offering equity stakes and profit sharing?"

"Yes, we want to be co-producers."

Fang Yu met the gaze of this bigwig in Beijing's elite circles, his aura holding its own in no way.

"My salary was converted into shares, the script adaptation rights were valued as shares, plus the entire music production."

"Starry Entertainment will participate with cash investment."

"In addition, Huace will also be involved."

Liu Yifei then took over the conversation.

"My agent and senior executives at Huace have completed the internal preliminary review."

"Once the complete script, budget plan, and main creative team are finalized, we'll immediately sign a contract and launch the project, along with the investment funds and marketing resources."

Zhou Yuanshan pressed down on the walnut in his hand, which had developed a patina from handling, and fell into deep thought.

They receive a fixed salary, and even if the show flops, the actors still get paid and leave.

If you can buy shares, then you're all in the same boat; if you make a huge profit, you make a huge profit, and if you lose a huge profit, you lose a huge profit.

More importantly, this approach can save on exorbitant actor salaries, allowing us to use our best resources effectively.

Xingyao and Huace will also pour resources into projects because of their shared interests.

Traffic, production, promotion, and distribution channels – this wave has reached its peak.

Zhou Yuanshan picked up the documents again.

"In principle, there is no problem."

"Let the legal and financial departments of each party calculate and account for your salaries and script rights."

"Xingyao and Huace have been included in the list of co-produced products, and the profits will be distributed according to the investment ratio."

He raised his head, his gaze sharpening.

"However, even brothers should keep clear accounts."

"Creators will receive exactly what they deserve, down to the last penny."

"But valuations must be based on evidence, and budgets must be auditable. We can't just take advantage of the hype to ask for exorbitant prices."

Zhou Yuanshan is willing to relinquish power, but he is, after all, a capitalist, not someone doing charity.

With a business worth hundreds of millions, every single transaction must be meticulously accounted for.

"That's natural."

Fang Yu answered very decisively.

"Audit what needs to be audited, evaluate what needs to be evaluated."

"With such a large project, everyone can feel at ease once the accounts are clear."

He Zheng, listening with great enthusiasm, urged, "Continue! What's the third one?"

Fang Yu raised his third finger and leaned forward slightly.

"Third, and most importantly, is music copyright."

"I will submit the lyrics and music for the entire theme song, insert songs, and ending song of the 'Chinese Paladin' series before filming begins."

"As for the dozens of background music tracks in the later stages, I'll handle them all once you've finished editing and finalizing the cut."

"Every song is made to the standard of a hit single, and the music specifications are directly comparable to those of blockbuster movies."

"Director He knows my creative speed, so this amount of work is not a problem for me."

He Zheng was so excited that he slapped his thigh.

"Does this even need a guarantee?"

"Everyone in the Chinese entertainment industry knows what level your songwriting skills are, Fang Yu."

"With this all-inclusive original soundtrack package, we can save half our marketing budget!"

When others say this, there's a hint of boasting involved.

Fang Yu said that no one thought there was a problem.

"Dragon Scales of Heaven and Earth," "Brightness," "A Laughter in the Vast Sea"... any one of these songs could easily dominate the trending topics.

If he really takes the plunge, even before filming begins, just a few songs from "Chinese Paladin" will be enough to generate immense anticipation.

"Don't be too happy yet, I have a condition."

Fang Yu raised his hand to interrupt He Zheng.

"All copyrights, mastering rights, distribution rights, and commercial licenses for the music must belong to me personally."

"The production team can use it permanently for free in the main feature, trailers, and promotional materials."

"But the master tapes cannot be sold separately."

"And you absolutely cannot bypass me and use it for commercial purposes in games or GG."

Fang Yu knew all too well how powerful the soundtrack of "The Legend of Sword and Fairy" was.

Songs like "Rain in June," "Kill the Wolf," and "Always Quiet" will still be karaoke staples even 20 years from now, generating a fortune in copyright fees.

Zhou Yuanshan picked up the walnuts again, quickly weighing them in his mind.

Hiring a top-tier music team costs at least several million, and even then, there's no guarantee of success.

Now that Fang Yu has taken over the project for free, the production team not only saves money but also benefits from the popularity of Fang Yu's song release.

A single song can trigger a wave of top-tier promotion.

Zhou Yuanshan decisively decided: "The full copyright belongs to you, and the production team will only retain the permanent usage rights within the project."

"If future games or GG want to use it, they'll contact you separately to discuss licensing. That's fine."

Fang Yu nodded in satisfaction, withdrew his finger, and leaned back in his chair.

"The last point is the casting process."

"Investors can recommend candidates, whether they are newcomers they want to promote, people they have connections with, or even the boss's own son. They can all audition."

He Zheng raised an eyebrow, and Zhou Yuanshan also stopped what he was doing.

Fang Yu's gaze swept over the two of them, his tone slightly somber.

"But Director He and I have veto power over the audition standards."

"As long as an actor's acting skills meet the standards, they should be used."

"But if you can't even pass the minimum requirement... then don't blame me for being rude."

"No matter how powerful your background is, don't even think about getting on set and ruining the show."