Debuted right after graduating from high school

A while ago, when I went to Los Angeles, Fan Wumian treated representatives from several Hollywood giants to dinner and introduced his concept for the "Myth+" video website.

Last week, several companies sent executives to visit the headquarters of Tudou.com in Shanghai to learn about the current development status, operating model, monetization channels, and other key information of long-form video platforms.

The planted seeds quickly blossomed and bore fruit.

Paramount and Time Warner, both facing somewhat difficult circumstances, suddenly announced their agreement to cooperate, which delighted Fan Wumian.

When Fan Wumian received the call, he was in his private cinema, watching a newly edited preview of the movie "Finding Mr. Right" with Zuo Ziyan.

The final cut, final cut, and post-production are all done. If the boss doesn't nitpick anymore, they can just pick a good release date and wait for the film to be released.

On screen, Gao Yuanyuan, dressed in a trench coat and exuding elegance, was repeatedly praised for her beauty by Miss Zuo. Little did she know that her boyfriend had diligently cultivated her private parts many times.

This is equivalent to taking your real girlfriend to see a movie starring your lover. Even though he knew Gao Yuanyuan herself wasn't there, Fan Wumian still felt strange. He also wondered if Gao Yuanyuan had met a suitable romantic partner after he broke up with her.

Last time I went to Shanghai, I didn't get to meet Gao Yuanyuan, but by chance I ended up with Ying Tian.

This kind of life, where girls are almost completely unguarded around him and there are always stories to tell as long as he takes the initiative, gives Fan Wumian great psychological satisfaction, but he is physically exhausted. Occasionally, he even thinks about buying a private island and going there regularly for a vacation in his own "Shangri-La," to be isolated from the world and recuperate.

After hanging up the phone, Fan Wumian looked pleased and said to Zuo Ziyan:

"It's done. Paramount and Time Warner want to partner with me to launch the Myth+ video website. They both sent me the news at the same time, so they may have already discussed it privately and reached an agreement on certain things, but the specific shareholding ratio still needs to be discussed separately."

Zuo Ziyan, wearing light-colored jeans and a pink shirt, was nestled comfortably in his arms. Hearing this, she happily said:

"Wow~~~ That's great! I bought a lot of DVDs of American TV series in Cambridge to pass the time. Sometimes I had to buy them again just to watch the last few episodes. Now I can finally watch them on my computer."

Fan Wumian said with a smile:

"These two Hollywood companies have pretty good resources. Their parent companies both have television stations that can provide a lot of film content."

"Most importantly, once I have these two companies backing me up, I can officially enter the North American long-form video website field, which is equivalent to getting an entry ticket. Otherwise, it will be very troublesome and I will be suppressed by them."

"Disney, with its deep pockets and control of numerous children's resources, has made it clear that it is not interested in cooperation. Sony Pictures, which also controls Columbia, MGM, and United Artists, is also somewhat ambiguous in its attitude. It may rely on its strong financial resources to start its own business. 21st Century Fox and Universal are still worth trying to win over."

"Compared to movies, I actually want the TV series they have the rights to most. Unfortunately, things can't always go as planned, so I have to think of other ways. While the prices are still relatively low, I'll try to get the rights to some classic hit shows."

Fan Wumian took out $10 billion and readily available technology in one go, only allowing his partners to invest in digital copyrights or usage rights that were not yet of much use. This was equivalent to giving companies like Paramount and Time Warner a chance to ride the wave without taking any risks, and at the same time, it was very worry-free.

It's no wonder that board members of those Hollywood giants were so excited after learning about the situation.

After all, if this matter is successfully completed, the achievement will be enormous. The worst outcome would be nothing more than a wasted effort. After dissolving Myth+, the authorization would be revoked, and there would be almost no loss to bear. The reward and risk are obviously disproportionate.

Under these circumstances, Paramount and Time Warner gave the green light and quickly passed a vote, reaching a preliminary conclusion of "willingness to cooperate," with only some details remaining to be worked out.

Both of these Hollywood studios are in dire straits. Paramount's film output in recent years has been less than that of some second-tier Hollywood film studios, and there have been rumors that it might be sold by its parent company.

Time Warner, needless to say, merged with AOL a few years ago, precisely stepping into the abyss of the dot-com bubble, suffering severe damage and bleeding, and has yet to recover from the negative impact, thus never recovering.

They find it difficult to independently incubate video website projects. Even if they manage to squeeze out funds to build a platform, they are unsure of what to do in the future. It would be better for them to simply board Fan Wumian's big ship.

In contrast, companies like Disney and Sony Pictures have many more issues to consider. While busy assessing market prospects and technological barriers, they are also observing the movements of other competitors.

Even if they choose to cooperate, they hope to get a bigger share of the pie during negotiations with Fan Wumian. Previously, 21st Century Fox had privately expressed its desire to take a 20% stake in the Myth+ project.

If a partnership is established with Paramount and Time Warner first, then whether the remaining companies are willing to participate becomes less important. In fact, it might be a good thing, allowing Fan Wumian to retain more of the original equity in the Myth+ project, making future management and external financing easier.

The downside is that once other companies acquire a large number of content, they may compete with the Myth+ platform and vie for market share.

But since Netflix started from scratch and managed to enter the top tier of the industry in his previous life, Fan Wumian felt there was no reason for him to mess it up.

With more substantial funding, lower trial-and-error costs, partnerships with Paramount and Time Warner, and the help of the international version of Tencent Weibo to drive traffic, it's hard for him to lose in the streaming media race.

After discussing this topic, Zuo Ziyan laughed as she watched the movie:
"That Ms. Matilda F. you brought up has been making quite a stir lately. I saw that a fashion magazine even named her one of the most promising new models of the year."

"Your Myth Film Studio is both good and bad. They actually released news that they wanted to sign her to make a movie, which attracted countless media outlets to be deceived."

"That's enough, isn't it? How much longer do you plan to keep lying to everyone?"

Fan Wumian thought for a moment and told her:
"Let's wait until Spring Fashion Week to announce it, and at the same time, we can promote Valentino and attract a wave of traffic and buzz. Silicon Valley has produced a few more sets of photos of Ms. Matilda F, but unfortunately the technology is not mature enough, and the videos look too fake, so we can only release some GIFs."

Zuo Ziyan glanced at her watch and realized it was almost 10 p.m., so she quickly stood up and said:

"Oh dear! If I don't go back soon, my parents will call me again. Let's watch the rest of the movie tomorrow. I'll find an excuse to sneak out and let you know in advance."

"Okay, I'll take you back, and we can grab something to eat at the Temple Street Night Market while we're at it."

The mansion in Big Wave Bay is still under reconstruction, and Zuo Ziyan and her family still live in Tsim Sha Tsui.

He dropped her off at home, then, wearing a baseball cap and a mask, went to the Temple Street Night Market to buy something to eat.

Today is the first day of 2008. During the holiday, the port city is crowded with tourists, and vendors will stay open very late. The streets are packed with people.

His bodyguards, dressed in plain clothes, were constantly positioned around him, keeping him in a state of high alert.

Fan Wumian, on the other hand, was relaxed and at ease. To avoid causing trouble, he hadn't been to such a lively and bustling place for a long time.

In the early days, artists in Hong Kong had limited income and low status. The city area was also very small. It was common to encounter celebrities, and local residents were used to it. At most, they would greet them or ask for an autograph or a photo.

Tourists from Southeast Asia, mainland China, Japan, and South Korea like to surround celebrities in layers, without considering whether it will affect others.

Since deciding to enter the entertainment industry, she has gradually drifted away from Fan Wumian, enjoying things like going for walks, shopping, and dining in public places without any restrictions.

The feeling of being disturbed and stared at every few steps may seem novel at first, but it becomes extremely annoying over time. It's similar to being surrounded by dozens or hundreds of salespeople, making it impossible to calm down and enjoy the experience.

There are gains and losses. Fan Wumian understood that this was trouble he brought upon himself by taking a shortcut. If he hadn't chosen to enter the entertainment industry to make quick money, he probably wouldn't have earned enough start-up capital through business and financial management, let alone a net worth of hundreds of billions of Hong Kong dollars.

After buying curry fish balls, I found a corner, took off my mask, and ate them. Then I bought fried chicken strips, pork tenderloin, rice cakes, and vegetarian chicken. They were definitely junk food, but they smelled incredibly delicious. While waiting, my phone suddenly vibrated.

Fan Wumian took out his phone and saw that it was Jessica Alba calling.

Thinking that the other person had finally finished their heartbreak and wanted to come to Hong Kong to see him, he answered the phone with a smile on his face:

Hey, having fun?

“There’s something I’ve been thinking about for a long time, and I feel I should tell you. You’d better be prepared,” Jessica Alba said in a serious voice.

Fan Wumian was taken aback, then asked blankly, "What happened? Do you need help?"

At first, I thought that maybe her yacht had an accident, or maybe she was having a moment of despair and went to get back together with her ex-boyfriend.

However, Jessica Alba's words chilled him to the bone.

The girl told him, "I think I'm pregnant. I took two pregnancy tests yesterday, and both showed two lines. No wonder I haven't had a good appetite lately and I've been in a bad mood."

If you walk the night too often, you're bound to encounter a ghost.

Most of the people around him are celebrities, so he usually pays attention to this aspect and takes sufficient safety measures, which is why no one has died yet. Otherwise, given how exciting his private life is, he would have had enough children to form a football team by now.

Fan Wumian knew it wasn't a good question, but still clung to a sliver of hope and asked, "Are you sure it's mine?"

Jessica Alba remained relatively rational, having processed the information on her own since yesterday. After listening, she simply explained:

"Well, after the breakup, I only spent time with you. It was probably the day I left home, you remember? I thought I was in my safe period, and I was in a hurry to catch the plane, so I didn't take my medication."

"."

My heart is filled with mixed feelings, and it's hard to describe how I feel right now.

Caught off guard, Fan Wumian's mind was in a daze, and countless things came to mind.

He still remembered the day Jessica Alba left, how she sat at the dining table, biting her lip with her finger, trying to make it up to him before she left.

Of course, it's also possible that the incident happened the day before.

Judging by the timing, it should have been about time for some signs of pregnancy to appear. Jessica Alba's body was reacting quite strongly, and her usually regular relatives were late in visiting. After taking the test, she found out she was indeed pregnant.

The crowd behind him was bustling, but Fan Wumian was still in shock and unable to remain calm.

After taking several deep breaths and considering the situation carefully, he asked:
"So what are you planning to do? Where are you now?"

“I went skiing at the ski resort in Méribel, France yesterday. I also drank some red wine and champagne before, but not much, so I’m not sure if it will have any negative effects.”

Jessica Alba, her voice tinged with anxiety, continued to ask:

"This all happened so suddenly, I don't know what to do. What do you think?"

Hearing this, I was startled.

Fan Wumian said with a wry smile:
“A child won’t just suddenly appear, so we have time to think it over. But to be honest, we’ve only met a few times and we don’t have any emotional foundation to make things like marriage and taking responsibility. I definitely can’t do that.”

Jessica Alba is intelligent and rational; she had considered these issues as well. She then said, somewhat annoyed:
"Of course, although you are very charming, I never thought about marrying you. It was just a temporary relationship that happened by chance."

“I love babies and I want to have my own. My faith, which I've been taught since childhood, doesn't allow me to have an abortion at the hospital. But I'm in France now, which is a different place, so the pastor shouldn't be able to interfere, right?”

"I'm sorry I startled you. I really don't know what to do. I just want to talk to someone. My parents are very devout, and my friends are gossips. You're the only one I can truly connect with."

I had been thinking about having a baby for a while and had tried a few times with Zhuang Muxi, but nothing happened for a long time, so I just let nature take its course.

The other girls are either in the prime of their careers or have their own life plans; they are all still young and unwilling to become "mothers" too early.

Fan Wumian had thought that he would become a father sooner or later, but he never thought that the first seed would take root and sprout in the belly of Jessica Alba, with whom he had a less close relationship. This situation was quite tricky.

He forced himself to calm down, took another deep breath, and said:

"Actually, I'm fine with anything, I respect your wishes. Although we won't get married, I can offer you other things, such as paying for the nanny's salary, child support, and a place for you to live."

"By the way, how's it going with the house in Beverly Hills that you called me last time?"

"If you become a single mother, the media will go crazy reporting on it, right?"

Jessica Alba was also very troubled and replied:
“I just finished cleaning my house last week and organized an open house. The real estate agent told me that a buyer really wants to close the deal, but wants me to lower the price by $20. But now I’m not sure if I should sell.”

Fan Wumian advised:
“Sell it if you can. US house prices will continue to fall. If you decide to keep the baby, I can help you rent a place first. Once house prices return to a reasonable level, I can help you buy a better house in Malibu, Bel Air, or Beverly Hills.”

By shifting some of the pressure onto Fan Wumian, Jessica Alba felt much better; at least she no longer had to overthink and speculate about the attitude of her "child's father."

It's understandable to have mixed feelings, but important matters can't be neglected.

Jessica Alba said:

"Okay, whatever, let's sell it first. Renting a place is very easy anyway."

"As for the media's opinion, I've never really cared. There are many single mothers in Hollywood, so at least I can find a nanny to help take care of them."

"What's really bothering me now is whether or not to have this baby. Your genes must be exceptionally good; it might be very smart and adorable."

"."

Fan Wumian dared not provoke a woman overflowing with maternal instincts, and added after listening:
"If the baby is born, I can visit occasionally, and it will become a beneficiary of my family trust fund, so you'll never have to worry about money for the rest of your life, just like the Rockefeller family foundation in the United States. You don't need to think too much about other things; I can handle that for you. You just need to think carefully about whether you want to give birth to this baby." (End of Chapter)