Huayu: I rely on hit-movie tactics to interweave...

Chapter 72 Dinner Party

Three days later, Liu Yu returned to Beijing.

As he dragged his suitcase out of the arrival hall, he saw those familiar figures in the distance; some carrying cameras, some holding recorders, and some carrying telephoto lenses, scattered in twos and threes among the people picking up passengers, like a few fishermen squatting on the shore waiting to haul in their nets, idly scrolling through their phones, occasionally glancing up at the exit.

He stopped, stood behind the automatic door for two seconds, and then sighed.

When Liu Min saw him off at the airport, she said, "It might not be so easy for you to get away this time."

He didn't take it seriously, thinking that Beijing was such a big city, who could possibly be squatting at the airport every day?

Judging from the current situation, his sister's jinx is more accurate than the weather forecast.

He straightened his collar, took a deep breath, and strode out.

As soon as he showed his face, the reporters who had been pretending to chat immediately swarmed around him as if they had been put on fast-forward, their footsteps ringing out crisply in the empty arrival hall.

The female reporter from Hongqiao Airport was still running in the lead; Liu Yu almost remembered her.

She wore a red down jacket today, with a black turtleneck sweater underneath.

"Director Liu! Welcome back to Beijing! Has the female lead for 'Lucy' been cast yet? Can you give us a hint?"

Liu Yu was forced to lean back by the recording pen that she almost poked into his mouth, and he reached out to block it.

"Just landed, haven't checked the news yet. They'll announce it when it's finalized." He said as he walked sideways, the wheels of his suitcase making a gurgling sound on the smooth ground.

"Is it true that the female lead will be chosen from among Zhang Ziyi, Fan Binbin, and Zhou Xun?" The female reporter pressed on relentlessly, her red dress standing out in the crowd.

Liu Yu almost burst out laughing. Rumors circulating online? Something he himself didn't even know about, yet netizens had already arranged it all for him.

"What's circulating online isn't necessarily accurate. If I believed what's online, I should be on my way to the Buddhist scriptures with Tang Sanzang right now."

The reporters were amused by his remark, and their cameras clicked incessantly. The flashes made him squint, and he raised his hand to shield his eyes from the light.

A male reporter wearing glasses squeezed in, holding his microphone even higher than the one before him.

Will any domestic actors be involved? There are rumors that you've already contacted several domestic actors?

Liu Yu glanced at the microphone stained with coffee and thought to himself that this guy must have just come from Starbucks.

"Of course, domestic actors will be in the cast." He paused, "We'll let everyone know the specifics once it's confirmed. But don't worry, it won't be long."

"Director Liu, what are your box office expectations for 'Lucy'? Is the $60 million investment a lot of pressure?" A reporter at the far end shouted, his voice echoing in the empty hall.

Liu Yu was about to leave, but when he heard this question, he paused and stood still next to the luggage cart.

"There's definitely pressure. But pressure isn't pressure once you get used to it." He thought for a moment, a slightly mischievous smile appearing on his lips. "The higher the box office expectations, the better. If they're not high, I'll have to go back to my hometown and sell rice noodles."

Another burst of laughter followed.

Taking advantage of the reporters' relaxed laughter, he slipped through the crowd and strode towards the parking lot.

Someone called from behind, "Director Liu, let's chat for a few more minutes."

He didn't turn around, but waved his hand.

Once in the car, he leaned back in his seat and let out a long breath, as if exhaling the last bit of air from the airport from his lungs.

He closed his eyes for a moment. The driver, a young man sent by the company, glanced at him through the rearview mirror and asked in a low voice, "Director Liu, shall we go straight back to the company?"

Liu Yu thought for a moment, "Let's go back to the apartment first. I don't want to see anyone today."

Back at his apartment in the Peony Garden, the room was exactly as it had been before he left.

On the coffee table sat a glass of water he hadn't finished, a thin layer of dust covering its surface. A white T-shirt, forgotten to be brought in, hung to dry on the balcony, its cuffs gently tapping against the glass in the wind.

Liu Yu put his suitcase in the entryway and, instead of unpacking, went to the kitchen to boil a kettle of water.

The sound of the water boiling was like a gurgling sound, as if it were speaking for him.

He sat on the sofa with a cup of hot water in his hand, took out his laptop and browsed through some things.

Sure enough, his name was already on the trending list.

Liu Yu returned to Beijing quietly and responded at the airport to the casting of his new film: "We will announce it when it is finalized."

The caption included a photo of him being surrounded by reporters at the airport, looking somewhat helpless with one finger pressed against his brow bone; thankfully, he didn't look too disheveled.

The comments section was as lively as ever, with one commenting, "Director Liu looks like he's lost a lot of weight. Is it because he's tired from filming?"

"Just don't cast Fan Binbin as the female lead, she's not suitable."

"Director Liu is back in Beijing, does that mean 'Lucy' is about to start filming? I can't wait!"

Liu Yu looked at it for a while, then picked up the cup of hot water. The water was still hot, so he blew on it twice and took a small sip.

The phone rang.

He glanced at the caller ID; it was a number he hadn't saved, and the location was Beijing (BJ).

He hesitated for a moment, then answered. "Director Liu! Hello, hello! I'm Li XX from XX Film & Television. I contacted you in Shanghai before—"

After listening for a few seconds, Liu Yu couldn't remember who this person was, so he replied politely, "Hello, Mr. Li."

The other party said a lot of polite things, the gist of which was that they heard he had returned to Beijing and wanted to schedule a time to talk about cooperation.

"My schedule is pretty full lately, I'll talk about it when I have more time."

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, I hung up.

I just put my phone down, and the screen lit up again.

He checked his call log and saw that he had received more than a dozen missed calls in just one hour.

Some I knew, some I didn't know at all, and some I'd never even heard of. It must have taken a lot of detours to get their numbers.

He was about to put his phone on silent when the screen lit up again.

This time, the caller ID showed "Han Sanping".

He answered the phone, and the voice on the other end carried a confident laugh, as if it had known all along that he was already waiting somewhere.

"Director Liu, you're back in Beijing? Are you free tonight? Let's grab dinner at our usual spot."

Liu Yu glanced at the sky outside the window. "Mr. Han, I just got home and haven't even finished unpacking my luggage."

"Don't bother packing. I'll have the driver pick you up at 6:30 tonight. Yu Dong is coming too; they're all old acquaintances, so don't refuse."

Liu Yu thought for a moment, "Okay. I'll bring Zhong Lifang along; it'll make our conversation easier."

"Okay, that would be even better."

After hanging up the phone, Liu Yu put his phone on the coffee table and leaned back on the sofa, lost in thought for a while.

Han Sanping invited Yu Dong to dinner; it's easy to guess from this setup that it wasn't a casual reminiscing session, but rather a discussion about share of the profits.

He had long anticipated this day.

After the news of "Lucy" was released, several major companies were eyeing the project. China Film Group had policy backing, Bona Film Group had distribution channels and cash advantages, Huayi Brothers Media Group had artist resources, and Enlight Media Group had terrestrial distribution channels.

Each player had their own hand and was waiting for him to make the first offer.

He had been avoiding the meeting, deliberately slowing down the pace, wanting to let the game cool down a bit more: waiting for the news to spread enough, for everyone's appetite to be whetted enough, and for his position at the negotiating table to become more stable than it was a few months ago.

Now, the time is almost right.

At 6:30 p.m., Han Sanping's driver arrived downstairs on time.

Liu Yu changed into a clean light blue shirt, with a dark gray wool cardigan over it, looking neither too formal nor too casual.

Zhong Lifang also arrived, wearing a black turtleneck sweater and a camel-colored short coat. Her hair was neatly tied up, and she was holding a file folder in her hand.

When Liu Yu opened the door, he looked her up and down. "Sister Zhong, you look like you're going to sign a contract today."

Zhong Lifang tucked the document bag under her arm. "We're here to sign contracts anyway. Let's go, don't keep President Han waiting."

The restaurant where Liu Yu ate was the Hunan cuisine restaurant he frequented, located in an alley near the East Third Ring Road.

The boss was a man in his fifties from Changsha, speaking with a heavy local accent. When he saw Liu Yu arrive, he greeted him with a smile, "Director Liu, it's been a long time. Same old seat today."

The private room was on the third floor, and outside the window were the flat roofs of old Beijing, with gray tiles stretching as far as the eye could see, like a quiet sea.

Han Sanping was already there, wearing a dark blue jacket, his hair neatly combed, and he looked much more energetic than usual.

When he saw Liu Yu and Zhong Lifang come in, he stood up and took two steps to greet them. He shook Liu Yu's hand vigorously, as if he were shaking an old friend he hadn't seen in a long time.

"Liu Yu, you've gone quite far this time. I thought you were planning to settle down in Changsha." His tone was teasing, like a hunter spotting his prey.

Yu Dong sat in the innermost seat, wearing a black leather jacket with the zipper half-zipped, holding an unlit cigarette in his hand, and a smile on his face.

"Director Liu, long time no see. I heard you also set up an investment company during your trip to Shanghai? Your side business is getting bigger and bigger." Liu Yu waved his hand with a smile and sat down next to him. "President Yu, you're really well-informed. I've only just landed, and you already know."

Yu Dong picked up a piece of cucumber salad from the table. "Your whereabouts are being broadcast live by the national media. It's hard for me not to know about it."

The four people sat down, and the dishes were served one after another.

Liu Yu's ordering habits haven't changed since college: stir-fried pork with chili peppers, fish head with chopped chili peppers, water spinach with garlic, stir-fried cured pork with garlic sprouts, and a pot of pork rib and lotus root soup with a thin layer of oil floating on the surface.

Han Sanping looked at the table full of red and green dishes, shook his head with a smile, picked up his teacup and took a sip, "Your taste hasn't changed in all these years. Every time I treat you to a meal, it's the same few dishes. I can recite them by heart."

Liu Yu picked up a piece of stir-fried pork with chili peppers. The pork slices were coated in a layer of red oil, glistening with moisture. "Good food doesn't need to be changed. Changing too many things can easily lead to disappointment. I've eaten too many fancy dishes outside, and in the end, these few dishes are still the most satisfying."

Yu Dong chimed in, "It's like investing. Once you've identified a promising project, don't easily switch hands; the more you switch, the more you lose."

.

After a few rounds of drinks, we had almost finished eating.

Yu Dong put down his chopsticks, held a glass of baijiu in his hand and twirled it around, not in a hurry to drink it.

Han Sanping spoke first with a smile, "Liu Yu, China Film Group will definitely be involved in your 'Lucy' project with Lionsgate."

Han Sanping's tone was direct and straightforward: "A budget of 60 million US dollars is considered a top-tier blockbuster in China. China Film Group has resources, channels, and policy advantages. Your project needs the backing of a state-owned enterprise. Name your terms."

Liu Yu didn't respond immediately. He picked up a piece of fish head meat, placed it on the plate, and slowly used his chopsticks to remove the small fish bones, using this action to give himself time to think.

Zhong Lifang sat quietly to the side, neither looking at Liu Yu nor Han Sanping, her gaze fixed on the teacup in front of her.

"President Han, I have no objection to China Film Group getting involved." Liu Yu put down his chopsticks, his tone calm. "But I need to make the conditions clear. First, China Film Group will take a share of five million US dollars, with a 10% premium."

He paused, picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip to moisten his throat, and said, "Secondly, I don't want the 10% premium in cash; I want resource exchange."

After he finished speaking, he glanced at Zhong Lifang, who took out a document from the file bag, turned to a certain page, and pushed it in front of Han Sanping.

Han Sanping took the document and slowly flipped through it.

Yu Dong sat to the side, neither glancing over to look nor asking what was on the plate. He simply picked up the last few peanuts from the plate and put them into his mouth one by one.

"This list you've written is quite detailed." Han Sanping closed the document, tapping it twice with his finger. "How long did you take to prepare it?"

Liu Yu leaned back in his chair. "We haven't been preparing for long. We started thinking about it the day the project was launched. President Han, it's not that I don't trust China Film Group, it's just that the bigger the project, the more rules and regulations there are. Setting the rules in advance will save us from disputes later."

Han Sanping glanced at Liu Yu, and a slow smile spread across his face.

"Okay. I'll take this list and have someone review it when I get back. I'll give you an answer within three days."

He placed the document on the table in front of him without pushing it back, which meant that he had tacitly accepted the list and that the next step was to go through the internal procedures.

"Mr. Han, then we'll wait for your news." He raised his glass and tilted it slightly in Han Sanping's direction.

Han Sanping picked up his cup and gently touched it to the ground.

Yu Dong watched the whole thing from the sidelines, then popped the last peanut into his mouth. "Director Liu, you've finished talking with China Film Group, isn't it my turn now?"

Liu Yu turned to look at him, his smile still there, but his tone now held a hint of seriousness.

"Mr. Yu, Bona is also welcome to join. The quota is five million US dollars, with a 20% premium. Bona's share is different from China Film's. China Film wants policy benefits and long-term cooperation, while Bona wants the project itself. Therefore, Bona's premium is in cash, not resources. The price is slightly higher than China Film's, which is reasonable."

Yu Dong's expression didn't change much. He tapped his fingers lightly on the table twice, calculating in his mind.

"A 20% premium, that's equivalent to paying an extra million US dollars. Liu Yu, you've really gone all out with that price." He said this, but there was no hint of offense in his tone.

Liu Yu poured him another half glass of wine. "Mr. Yu, a 20% premium isn't that high. You can't buy tickets to Hollywood blockbusters or a direct partnership with Lionsgate with that money elsewhere. Once you're in this business, you'll be a top-tier partner for Hollywood projects in the future."

He spoke slowly and deliberately. Yu Dong looked at him and suddenly smiled. There was helplessness in his smile, but also admiration.

"I'm impressed by your words. Fine. Five million US dollars, 20% premium, I'll take it."