Huayu 16: I Became the Dream-Fulfilling Master for Young Actresses

After the introductions, Mo Bao Fei Bao sat down opposite him and got straight to the point:

"Mr. Chen, your assistant said on the phone that you want to buy the film and television adaptation rights to 'Go Go Squid!'"

"To be honest, quite a few film and television companies have inquired about the rights to this novel, and some have offered quite a high price."

"How do you plan to convince me?"

Chen Xingzhou did not answer directly, but instead pulled out a few pages from the file folder and pushed them over.

The original novel of "Go Go Squid!" has two core competitive advantages:

First, there's Tong Nian's clumsy yet sincere pursuit of Han Shangyan after falling in love at first sight; second, there's Han Shangyan's passion as a top e-sports player bringing glory to his country on the world stage.

"I won't touch any of these."

Mo Bao Fei Bao opened the proposal, and Chen Xingzhou continued:

"But one thing is certain: this plan has already addressed the review risks of 2017. I have clearly anchored esports' positioning on the national certification of 'official sports'."

"In 2003, the General Administration of Sport officially recognized e-sports as a sport. Han Shangyan is a professional athlete, and the team's goal is to win glory for the country. This designation is completely compliant with policy."

"Teacher Chen, have you studied the censorship?" Mo Bao Fei Bao looked up, a hint of surprise in her eyes.

"We've researched it, and the State Administration of Radio and Television is likely to introduce new regulations for online audiovisual programs in June. The core of these regulations is to apply the same standards to online dramas and television dramas."

"If e-sports themes are not positioned accurately, they can easily cross the red line of 'leading minors to become addicted to online games'."

"But if it's positioned as a sports competition and winning glory for the country, then it's not an e-sports themed web series, but a youth inspirational sports themed series."

Chen Xingzhou had already carefully considered how this drama should be broadcast.

If it's to be broadcast on a satellite TV channel, then e-sports related storylines definitely won't be shown right after the policy was introduced.

However, adapting this show into a CTF competition like in its previous form would completely destroy the soul of the original work and would also draw negative reviews from the audience.

Even though this was done in the previous life, the show still became a hit.

But it's clear that not doing that would be much better.

The majority of revenue for satellite TV dramas comes from the initial copyright fee paid by the satellite TV station. After the broadcast, all subsequent revenue is almost entirely unrelated to the production company.

Simply put, satellite TV is a cash-on-delivery transaction; once it's sold out, it's gone.

Online streaming is a long-term business; the more popular a show is, the more valuable it becomes.

This drama is an e-sports romance drama, and its audience is almost entirely young people.

At this point, fewer young people are watching television, and online streaming audiences are clearly much larger.

Most importantly, the complete copyright of the IP can only be fully retained by the pure online broadcaster.

Mo Bao Fei Bao was silent for a while, then looked down and turned to the next page of the adaptation plan.

a long time.

She closed the plan and looked up:

"Mr. Chen, I don't deny that your proposal is the most professional among the buyers, but frankly, it's not enough for me to make a decision."

"I have written the scripts for 'Scarlet Heart' and 'My Sunshine,' and I have seen too many examples of IPs being sold and then completely altered."

"The contract states 'respect for the original work,' but in practice, this was completely compromised."

Chen Xingzhou nodded. He didn't rush to explain, but simply pointed to a blank signature section and said:

"I would like to ask you to take on the role of screenwriter."

He had thought about this decision for a long time.

Ultimately, he felt the advantages outweighed the disadvantages.

Mo Bao Fei Bao paused, looking at Chen Xing Zhou in surprise:

"You just said you'd let me be the screenwriter?"

"Firstly, others are hesitant to grant adaptation rights to the original authors because they believe the original authors don't understand the market."

"But I'm different."

"I need someone who can reassure fans of the original work, earn points on the platform's rating, and ensure the project has professional guarantees from the very beginning to write this drama. You are the perfect candidate."

Mo Bao Fei Bao looked at him and remained silent for a moment.

Twenty minutes later.

Mo Bao Fei Bao's usually calm face finally showed a slight relaxation.

She reopened the revision proposal, scanned a few lines, and then closed it again.

How do you plan to negotiate the copyright fees?

"Copyright fees are charged at market rates, and screenwriter fees are paid according to industry standards."

Zhou Ye gasped and quickly did some calculations in his notebook.

These two items combined are not a small amount.

Mo Bao Fei Bao nodded, took out a pen, and signed his name.

"The copyright fee is three million, payable in installments. The screenwriter's fee will be paid separately at market price."

……

On the way back to the studio, Zhou Ye's face was tense, and he finally couldn't help but speak:

"Senior, although... although I'm very happy that you secured the copyright, it seems we're out of money..."

Chen Xingzhou smiled at her and ruffled her hair. "Our Xiao Ye is really starting to act like an assistant."

Zhou Ye blushed and lowered his head, murmuring softly, "Senior... why do you always touch my head? When I do this... it'll..."

"What?"

"It's nothing, it's nothing!" She raised her head and waved her hand, her ears still flushed.

Chen Xingzhou withdrew his hand and stared at his right hand, lost in thought.

He does often pat Zhou Ye's head, which is actually a bit inappropriate.

Okay, I'll use a different hand next time.

As for what Zhou Ye wanted to say, he knew.

His back can support enough wings, so this is nothing.

However, he did not intend to make a move against Zhou Ye now.

He found it more interesting to have a chattering, shy, and blushing junior schoolmate or assistant following him around.

……

The broadcast of "Princess Agents" continues.

May 1st, 22:00.

The 67th and final episode of "Princess Agents" will be released on Hunan TV's Golden Eagle Independent Broadcast Theater.

This highly anticipated historical drama, which premiered on March 1st and dominated television screens for two whole months, ultimately concluded with the Battle of the Frozen Lake.

Yuwen Yue, riddled with arrows, sank into the icy lake. Chu Qiao leaped in to follow him, and the spider lily totem on her back lit up, bringing the entire series to an abrupt end.

There are no character destinies, no plot resolution, and no explanation of the core theme of "freeing slaves and ending war".

The extremely rushed and open ending directly ignited the anger of viewers that had been building up for two months.

Comments section of the official media for "Princess Agents":

[Holy crap! That's it?! After following this for so long, all I get is Yuwen Yue drowning in the lake?!]

[Have the production company gone mad? The finale didn't even have a proper ending. Have they really lost all sense of shame in order to make a sequel?]

[You managed to stretch 58 episodes into 67, that's amazing!]

Raise your hand if you're not satisfied with the ending!

I was really looking forward to Chu Qiao suddenly awakening her inner strength and pulling the young master up, but then it just disappeared. I'm totally confused. [speechless]

[I could complain about this ending until 2027. Don't even mention a second season, go to hell with it. I've been following this series for months, and this is what you give me? I feel like a million grass mud horses are galloping through my mind.]

The internet was flooded with criticism, with the lead actors Zhao Liying and Lin Gengxin bearing the brunt of it.