A writer has arrived in the Chinese entertainment industry.

Back when "Knives Out" was in preparation, Li Haifeng of Fuxin Pictures wanted to invest in Fuxin Culture, but An Wenxiu brushed him off at the time.

After Fusu Films was established, we thought they would be the first to come to discuss investment matters, but to our surprise, the first to come was someone from Alibaba.

The man in front of me is Quan Xuezeng, who claims to be a senior investment manager at Alibaba Digital Entertainment Group. He has a well-defined face and, judging by appearances, looks like an old-fashioned person who would say that cartoons are only for children.

However, he has a personality that is completely inconsistent with his appearance. He is tactful and experienced in dealing with people, and speaks with a smile and great respect.

However, Su Liu always felt that this guy exuded a sense of superiority and condescension. Some people's excessive politeness can make them seem sarcastic, and he was like that, always talking about entertainment, strategy, collaboration, traffic, and so on.

This person had been talking non-stop about Alibaba's corporate culture for half an hour in front of Su Liu and An Wenxiu.

"Um... Manager Quan," Su Liu finally couldn't help but interrupt him, "We all know Alibaba's great reputation, so let's get straight to the point."

Quan Xuezeng stopped his long-winded speech, laughed heartily, and said, "President Su, President An, then I'll get straight to the point. Alibaba Digital Entertainment wants to invest 1 billion yuan in Fusion Culture in exchange for a 60% stake."

Su Liu and An Wenxiu exchanged a glance, their hearts completely unmoved. This guy's got some nerve; it turns out he wasn't after Fusu Films, but rather wanted to directly control Fusu Culture.

Seeing that the two heads of Fuxing Culture did not react, he continued, "Gentlemen, the film your company is currently controlling is still showing in theaters. The estimated box office is between 400 million and 500 million, which translates to a net profit of about 50 million. However, as you know, film projects are notoriously slow to generate returns. Although President Su's royalties are considerable as an internationally renowned writer, I'm afraid they cannot support the operation of multiple projects."

He paused, his tone turning serious, "And then there's Youxing Company under Fuxing. 'Genshin Impact' currently generates around 40 million in monthly revenue, but after deducting channel fees and operating costs, plus the fact that game companies require continuous investment in research and development, you probably wouldn't dare to arbitrarily divert this cash flow."

"Manager Quan," An Wenxiu said calmly, "Our Fuxing Culture doesn't need to run multiple projects simultaneously. Wouldn't it be better to just stay focused and make money slowly?"

"Mr. An, you flatter me." Quan Xuezeng leaned forward and placed his hands on the table. "I have high hopes for Ms. Su's creative abilities. As for the current situation, your company is completely constrained by funding. With the support of Alibaba Digital Entertainment, let alone one or two movies or TV series, even if ten or eight were launched simultaneously, it would be no problem at all."

As he spoke, the investment manager's tone became increasingly animated, his eyes seemingly glimpsing a grand future for Fusion Culture. "And the same goes for Youxing Company. With our Alibaba mobile game distribution platforms, such as UC, Taobao, and Alipay involved, they can scale their user base much faster. Then, film and television adaptations can become games, and the games can in turn support the IP—wouldn't that be perfect?"

"That does sound really impressive," Su Liu said.

"Of course." Quan Xuezeng thought things were looking promising after hearing Su Liu's words, and immediately leaned back in his chair. "Then the group will send professionals to help you run the company. President Su can just focus on creating, wouldn't that be much easier?"

"It really saves a lot of trouble."

Quan Xuezeng's eyes lit up, and he quickly said, "So, President Su means he's willing to accept..."

Su Liu immediately waved his hand, "How can we make a decision like this? We can't be so hasty."

"Uh...that's true."

"What does Manager Quan mean by sending professionals to help us run the company?"

Quan Xuezeng paused, "You can't exactly say something like 'parachuted-in CEO' or 'CFO' as a senior executive, can you?"

"We will simply send an observer to provide some advice on strategic collaborations with the group."

"Really? I see." Su Liu said with a smile, "I thought you were going to send someone to seize control of the company."

"...No...that's definitely not the case."

An Wenxiu then said, "Such a big matter can't be settled in one go. Manager Quan, why don't you go back first and let us discuss it internally?"

What do you mean by "internal"? Isn't the "internal" of Revival Culture just Su Liu and An Wenxiu?

"...Well...that's fine too." Quan Xuezeng stood up and extended his hand to Su Liu. "Gentlemen, I very much look forward to cooperating with your company."

Su Liu also stood up, reached out and shook hands with him, and said, "We will definitely consider this carefully."

After the investment manager from Alibaba Digital Entertainment left, only Su Liu and An Wenxiu remained in the office.

With a chuckle, Su Liu suddenly burst into laughter, and An Wenxiu couldn't help but shake her head with a laugh as well.

"These people from major internet companies are really good at talking; they could run ten or eight movies at the same time without any problem."

"That's right," An Wenxiu said. "But they weren't bragging either."

"We'll also send professionals to help us run the company, Sister Wenxiu, to replace you."

"That's perfect, isn't it? I've been serving you for years, and I'm already tired of it."

"Why do you say that?" Su Liu changed the subject. "Only Alibaba approached us. What about the other major internet companies? Does Tencent look down on us?"

"Alibaba only officially launched its cultural and entertainment industry plan last year, and now is precisely the time when it lacks blockbuster content. They are investing everywhere now, just to compete with Tencent."

The two seemed to have no intention of accepting investment from these major internet companies, and the so-called funding restrictions were of no importance to Su Liu and An Wenxiu.

As for current online streaming platforms, they are still in an era where revenue is unclear and piracy is rampant, which makes them hesitant to invest heavily in producing their own content.

In Su Liu's view, there was absolutely no need to choose to bind prematurely.

Do you remember Yang Wenhong, the vice president of Shanghai Film Group?

"I remember."

She was the one who brought Li Haifeng to the meeting when they discussed the investment share for "Knives Out".

"She contacted me and said that the Shanghai Film Revitalization Cultural Industry Investment Fund wanted to invest in us."

"What is this fund?"

"It was jointly initiated by Fuxin Group and Shanghai Film Group, and it was only recently established."

"Is it also because they want to revive the company's shares?"

"Yes, but I brushed it off." An Wenxiu picked up her teacup, took a sip, and continued, "Fuxin Group's businesses span various industries, and Shanghai Film Group has sufficient resources within the system. If they want to invest in Fuxin Films, I certainly won't refuse. But getting shares in Fuxin Culture is still a bit of a stretch."

"Wow, Sister Wenxiu," Su Liu leaned back on the sofa and teased with a smile, "Now that you mention it, our company seems like a hot commodity that everyone wants to snatch up."

An Wenxiu rolled her eyes at him. "Since we have a choice now, of course we should pick the most suitable one."

"So what are your standards?"

"First and foremost, you need to have extensive connections within the system. You have to understand that in China, things always get done because of who you are. If we want to develop, we can't do it without connections at higher levels."

This is also why An Wenxiu is not interested in those big internet companies; these people only have money, and their help in reviving culture is too limited.