Entertainment 2000: Supporting female stars will bring you a hundredfold return

Chapter 301 Cash Back on Hit Drama, Lin Chih-ling's Gift
Tang Wen's trip to Tokyo not only boosted box office revenue but also brought him honor.

His own albums have sold quite a bit.

Chinese characters are ubiquitous in Japanese.

Japanese legal writing is still heavily influenced by the Chinese language.

Almost without exception, the heirs of the old aristocracy and large families in their country were required to master Chinese from a young age.

Therefore, as long as a musical work can become popular and break out of its niche in the country, it will be successful.

When taken to Japan, they are often very popular.

This is why Andy Lau, Jay Chou, and others are so popular in Japan and South Korea.

That's how Tang Wen gained popularity.

After he arrived in Japan, Warner Music urgently distributed his new album, and in just a few days, it sold nearly 100,000 cassette tapes and more than 20,000 CDs.

Many of these were purchased repeatedly and in large quantities by fans.

After touring Japan, his fame increased even further.

The album will definitely sell well.

However, the most popular one was still the English EP.

He sang those three English songs quite a few times at the events these past few days.

After my trip to Tokyo, I originally planned to go back to China.

However, SARS suddenly became serious.

Once you go back, it won't be very convenient to leave again.

Tang Wenxian was prescient and stockpiled a lot of medicines, Chinese medicinal herbs, and medical supplies when the situation began to emerge in the south.

Make sure every woman has one.

The employees receive one every week.

When he gets abroad, he wants to take advantage of the fact that the pandemic isn't too severe now and make a quick purchase to fill several containers and send them back.

It was sent to CCTV, Beijing TV, and the Jiangnan region.

Aside from medicinal herbs, anything else that's lacking can be sourced from overseas.

If shipping is inconvenient, air freight can also be used.

This initiative can help many people by spending a little money.

Heroes was popular in Japan.

Domestically, Zhang Weiping seized the opportunity to create a buzz for "Hero," which was still showing in theaters.

They say that "Hero" is very popular in Japan and became the box office champion that week.

The weekly box office reached over 2000 million US dollars!

He had verified the number and, upon learning it was true, he was filled with regret and trembled with remorse, slapping his thigh repeatedly.

That's cheap!

It was sold too cheaply!

If only we had known, we would have cooperated with the Japanese ourselves.

He's easily offended and can't stand seeing others get rich.

Zhang Yimou doesn't think much of it.

But he didn't say much, only advising, "I heard that Director Tang pulled a lot of strings to achieve this. If we were to cooperate with the Japanese, they might not be willing to put in so much effort to promote it."

Zhang Weiping wanted to say something, but her eyes caught sight of the old newspapers on the table.

The headline prominently featured news about Tang Wen's 5 billion yuan investment.

Although he had a lot to say and wanted to complain about Tang Wen taking advantage of him.

In the end, he shut his mouth.

It’s different in the past.

From now on, when Tang Wen is mentioned, not only him, but the entire circle will have to treat him with utmost respect.

He was bursting with pent-up frustration, took a deep drag of his cigarette, and looked intently at his old partner:
"Yi Mou, your next blockbuster can start now! Consider 'Hero' your first foray into commercial films. Now, everyone knows you can do it. This second one, it's time for us to make a good profit."

Zhang Yimou is a man who can't sit still.

Although he received a limited share of the money, he was energetic and passionate about creating: "The script still needs polishing, but the preliminary work can definitely begin."

"Great! 2003 will be our year of prosperity!" Zhang Weiping was filled with pride.

Although Tang Wen took up some of the market share in the new film.

The big head is still their new picture.

After the film is released, Tang Wen, as an investor, should also lend a hand, right?

Zhang Yimou + Tang Wen, it's a sure thing!
The project is already guaranteed to be a huge success even before it has started!

"How about we let Tang Wen be the producer? We'll have him decide on the female lead." Zhang Weiping wanted to maximize profits.

Zhang Yimou remained silent for a long time.

Zhang Weiping coughed, wanting to offer some advice, but then thought that they wouldn't be able to collaborate with Tang Wen on many projects.

Tying it too tightly is also not good.

“Producer, producer. Write his name together with mine.”

Finally, Zhang Yimou relented, exhaling a puff of smoke and saying, "I have no objection."

Executive producer and producer are two different things.

The producer sometimes has more say in a work than the director.

Tang Wen is too young.

Zhang Yimou couldn't save face.

Zhang Weiping didn't care and continued, "Tang Wen's Blue Star hasn't revealed the news of our cooperation. I'm planning to hype up the audition."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yimou was immediately at a loss.

My partner is great in every way, but he's too flexible when it comes to his bottom line in life and work.

However, this falls under the category of publicity.

He's difficult to manage.

All I can do is remind them to take it easy, lest things get messy later.

"Do not worry."

Zhang Weiping casually made the promise.

Zhang Yimou was even more worried: "Even if other investors come in and there is a more suitable female lead, we can't fall out with Tang Wen. His influence on the internet, in the media, and in official circles is unmatched by anyone else in China."

"I understand." Zhang Weiping's tone became much more serious as he reached out and pushed open the window in front of him.

A cold wind blew in, instantly energizing my drowsy mind.

“We still need to do the casting. This is to build momentum, and Tang Wen probably won’t object. So, starting from the second round, let the actresses designated by Tang Wen participate, and then we’ll choose her in the end, right?”

"It's a way."

"By the way, we need to shut Xiao Zhang up and stop him from talking nonsense."

Tang Wen will decide the female lead for Zhang Yimou's next film; apart from Zhang Ziyi, no one else is aware of the decision.

New Picture Company is small and has a simple structure.

Zhang Yimou is the absolute core of the company.

After discussing it, the two of them decided to start the project without consulting anyone else.

The project is called "Ambush from Ten Sides".

It shares the same name as the famous Chu-Han Contention and an ancient pipa piece.

It sounds so alarming and grandiose!
After writing these four words, Zhang Yimou looked into the distance, took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth, as if asking a question, or perhaps muttering to himself, "The Oscar nominations, will they be announced soon?"

"Hero," which received an extended key, surpassed the original record of 2.5 million yuan at the box office.

However, the extension period has been exceeded.

The reason it hasn't been taken off the screens yet is because we're waiting for news from the Oscars.

If I can get a nomination.

Referring to the sensation created by Ang Lee's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" receiving a nomination in 2000, the film's box office could definitely go up.

Even 3 million is not impossible.

It was late at night, and Han Sanye from China Film Group was also unable to sleep.

"Hero" set a new box office record, surpassing "Infernal Affairs 2".

Unfortunately, Zhang Weiping wasn't one of their own.

He turned his gaze to the window, looking at the bright moon, his thoughts wandering.

Outside the airplane window, the Milky Way shone brilliantly.

Tang Wen had no interest in appreciating it and casually lowered the blackout curtain.

Before me, semi-transparent gray subtitles quietly appeared.

The first round of screenings of "The Story of a Noble Family" has ended.

Cashback is here.

As CCTV's opening drama of the year, this show achieved impressive ratings.

In the original timeline, this period drama achieved an average viewership rating of 7.8, far exceeding the viewership record of "Romance in the Rain".

It completely ignited the popularity of period dramas set in the Republican era.

Now, with the support of Tang Wenhe and Renren.com, this is a great opportunity.

It generated a lot of buzz before its release.

The average viewership rating was as high as 8.3%.

Tang Wen's old acquaintance, Director Zhang of CCTV's production center, requested that cooperation be strengthened before going to Japan.

After discussion, they decided to continue with the production formula of "good looks + acting skills + excellent production".

They initially selected two novels, one of which was "Man Jiang Hong".

He was the same author as Zhang Henshui, who also wrote "The Story of a Noble Family".

The original story was indeed remade, but the name was changed to "The Rouge Family".

Another is Lin Yutang's famous work from the 30s—"Moment in Peking".

As far as I remember, "Red Powder" received a lukewarm reception.

However, "The Capital" had considerable influence, and it was originally starring that actress, Zhao Gege.

Tang Wen was involved, so it definitely had nothing to do with her.

As for who will star in the film, that hasn't been decided yet.

After the "Yu Hang feud", he now has a bold idea: should he create internal competition?

The fact that all the women were staring at me was not a good sign.

If we start a fight, I'll probably get more "benefits," right? [...The drama "The Story of a Noble Family" has finished its run. I've completed supporting artist Dong Xuan x1]

This drama broke the viewership record held by CCTV8 for two years, and Dong Xuan's portrayal of "Leng Qingqiu" became synonymous with "white moonlight," achieving an overall high score...

I saw a series of summaries.

Tang Wen was slightly surprised.

The system's rating for this show is quite high.

Previously, he hadn't had high expectations for the TV series.

The subtitles continued to appear, and a surprise was about to unfold—

[Rating: A, Cashback Multiplier: 100x, Experience Gained: 1000, Potential: 1.0]

100x cashback.

Dong Xuan is already a popular star.

Despite not having many works, she maintained a high level of attention on Renren.com.

In addition to her feuds with other women, she is also the top female star of Tangwen Lanxing Entertainment.

Even with a limited body of work, he is still considered one of the top two in the industry.

They are firmly established at the top of the second tier, ready to challenge the first tier at any time.

The hit drama "The Story of a Noble Family" brought her one step closer to becoming a top-tier actress.

However, the influence of a TV series is ultimately limited.

That's not enough to make her cross the huge hurdle from second-tier to first-tier.

I estimate that he'll be done filming "House of Flying Daggers" by then.

In the original timeline, "Golden Powder" had an investment of 2000 million.

Actors' salaries account for less than 15% of the total.

Now, Tang Wen's investment accounts for the majority, and the actors' salaries have generally jumped a level, with Dong Xuan's salary reaching the maximum.

He's even taller than Chen Kun.

Now, this is directly reflected in the cashback program.

[Cashback = (Actor's Remuneration + Operating Expenses + Investment ...) x 100 = 1 Million (¥)]

1 small goals!

Tang Wen reclined in his airline seat and lay down, feeling relatively calm.

Limited by the development of the times.

Normally, the salary of a second-tier actress is capped at several hundred thousand yuan for a single film.

Offering more money won't be accepted by the system.

The original actress, Dong Jie, received an even lower salary, less than 20 yuan.

As far as I can remember, it wasn't until 10 years later that her film salary reached the million-dollar level.

The cashback for the female lead is over; it's the second female lead's turn.

Liu Yifei.

[...The drama "The Story of a Noble Family" has finished its run in theaters. This completes one support initiative for established artists and new actors.]

[This drama broke the viewership record held by CCTV8 for two years, and newcomer Liu Yifei won her signature role, successfully debuting...]

[Liu Yifei's career advancement: from newcomer to third-tier actress]

In this system, the standard for a third-tier actor is having representative works.

Once you're in the industry, if someone mentions that you played a certain role, even if they haven't seen the show, they'll know what it is.

It will make a sudden "oh oh oh" sound of realization.

In this situation, it would be roughly a third-tier city.

In reality, there is another situation.

He slowly honed his acting skills in the industry, eventually becoming a "chameleon actor" who could transform into any role.

Once you've accumulated enough experience, you'll also be promoted to a higher level.

For example, many of the "uncle" actors who became popular in later generations are in this situation.

He has acted in many plays, but the audience can't remember him at all.

Until one day, the opportunity came, the series became a huge hit, and he was promoted to second-tier, or even first-tier.

After system evaluation, Liu Yifei passed the threshold of "well-known artist" and directly became a third-tier artist.

Tang Wen was secretly delighted: It seems that Yi Fei is going to give me a surprise.

[Rating: A+, Cashback multiplier: 200x, Experience gained: 2000, Potential: 2.0]

came back!
You don't need to look at the specific amount to know.

All the money he spent on Liu Yifei and her daughter has been returned.

Because Liu Yifei is now a U.S. citizen.

Tang Wen paid the actors according to the standards for international artists.

In 2003, the cost of hiring a foreign actor was roughly 10 to 50 times that of a domestic actor.

To a certain extent, it broke through the limitations of the system, yet remained within a reasonable range.

The last time we received an "A+" rating was for two newcomers, Wang Xinling and Zhang Liangying.

Even for the same grade A+, the cashback multiplier is not fixed.

Wang Xinling has gained the title of "Sweetheart Queen," earning her a hundred times more cashback than Zhang Liangying and Liu Yifei.

[Cashback = (Actor's Remuneration + Operating Expenses + Investment...) x 200 = 2000 million ($)]

Was it given in US dollars?
Twenty million US dollars?!

Tang Wen couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth into a smile.

What an unexpected surprise.

At the current exchange rate, that's a whopping 1.66 million RMB.

After investing in the Jiangnan project, my meager wallet has suddenly become full again.

She received more than the lead actress, Dong Xuan.

This is more than ten million yuan higher than Wang Xinling's previous 300 times cashback.

If it weren't for my own career in Hollywood, where I could earn cashback...

He was even afraid that he would succumb to temptation and change the nationality of all the actors in the company to foreign countries.

That would be a terrible mistake.

America is not a good place; it may seem like it's thriving, but it's actually in its final, glorious phase.

But it doesn't end here.

In "The Story of a Noble Family", besides the two female leads who have a lot of screen time.

In addition, the novel portrays seven young ladies of the Jin family, three young mistresses, two concubines, and a total of more than ten female characters.

Although their roles were small, appearing in "The Story of a Noble Family" greatly helped their acting careers.

Several actresses rose to fame and became well-known artists as a result.

The supporting actor with the most screen time became a third-tier celebrity.

Little by little, their cashback totaled more than 3200 million RMB.

Looking back at the system, the cashback for "Golden Powder" has come to an end.

A total of 298 million.

Just two million short of 3 million.

Even robbing a bank doesn't bring in money this quickly!
As always, all income is after-tax.

The tax authorities are likely to award Tang Wen the honorary title of "Taxpayer Model" this year.

Filled with the joy of a bountiful harvest, Tang Wen fell into a deep sleep.

By the time the beautiful flight attendant gently woke him up, the plane had already arrived over the United States.

"Mr. Tang, what kind of breakfast would you like? We have prepared Japanese set meals and Western breakfasts."

A Japanese flight attendant in a navy blue uniform squatted down in front of Tang Wen and began to explain things carefully.

"Ah woo~"

Without bothering to answer, he stretched and yawned lazily.

Logically speaking, one shouldn't look too good after just waking up.

But his messy black hair, combined with his face, left the flight attendant stunned.

"Give me a hand." Tang Wen lazily stretched out his hand.

He seemed so carefree, as if he weren't on an airplane, but in his own bedroom.

The Japanese flight attendant, without even getting up, knelt on the ground, grabbed his hand, and forcefully pulled him up from the reclined seat.

Because she shook Tang Wen's hand, she returned to the lounge with a beaming smile, where she was surrounded and teased by the other flight attendants.

"Mr. Tang, welcome home!"

As the plane landed and he walked out of the airport, Lin Chih-ling personally came to pick him up, holding a bouquet of blooming black roses.

"Why would a grown man like me need flowers?"

Even so, he still happily accepted it and bent down to smell it.

Lin Chih-ling took his hand: "Boys can receive flowers too. Besides, you're prettier than flowers!"

The word "boy" made Tang Wen pause for a moment: Oh right, I'm only in my early twenties, so it's true that I can be addressed that way.

After getting into the van, a long, passionate kiss ensued.

Tang Wen's hands started to wander, and he casually put the flowers aside. As a result, with a "thud," an exquisite gift box fell out of the bouquet.

"Give it to me?"

Lin Chih-ling bent down to pick it up and opened the box in his direction.

It's a watch—a Rolex Daytona, with an Everose gold case and a black ceramic dial.

"You didn't swipe my card?"

Lin Chih-ling was reaching out to put the watch on his wrist when she replied, half-laughing and half-crying, "It's a gift for you, how can I use your card? Don't worry, I have money!"

Tang Wen casually pressed a switch, and a partition rose from the ground to separate the front and back rows: "How can I repay my sister for giving me such a wonderful gift?"

A Daytona costs over ten thousand US dollars.

It's estimated to be a fraction of Lin Chih-ling's savings.

The gift is so expensive, of course we should give it our all!

Without saying a word, Tang Wen lunged at the seat next to him...

(End of this chapter)