Entertainment: I just want to be the boss behind the scenes

Chapter 184: Sharpening the Knife to Attack the "Leeks"

After the initial version of the script was finalized, the entire project was officially launched soon.

Like Chen Sicheng’s previous film “Northern Love”, the main investor and producer this time is still Wanda Pictures.

In addition, other investors include Chen Sicheng’s own Chengya Film and Television, Mango Entertainment, Youku’s newly established United Pictures, and Arc Light Pictures.

The total budget of "Detective Chinatown 8000" is 500 million. According to the conventional standards in the industry, Meng Bai's screenwriter salary and original script adaptation fees are about million.

After converting the film remuneration into investment and adding some funds, Arc Light Films invested a total of 1300 million in this project.

Although the money does not need to be paid out all at once, Chen Jing still reminded Meng Bai not to start any new projects before the profits from the several works currently invested by Arclight Films are recovered.

She counted for her boss and found that the company currently had four projects in operation.

"The Disguiser", "Forensic Qin Ming", "The Best of Us" and "Detective Chinatown".

In addition, there are some small projects here and there, such as the cooperation with Guo Fan, and the stage play "Soul Ferry" that Yu Yi is working on.

Honestly speaking, for a "small company" like Arclight Pictures, which has only been established for over a year and has not received any financing, operating four works at the same time would be "undigestible" for others.

Fortunately, although Arc Light has been established for a short time and has not produced many works, each of them is a big hit.

Arclight Pictures' revenue last year was nearly 2 million, plus the more than million share of "Soul Ferry " this year, which supported such a huge "investment scale".

Whenever she thought of this, Chen Jing wanted to thank Liu Jun.

Although this "uncle" is a bit greasy and always wants to "lead astray" his young boss, as a partner, he is still very reliable.

Without him settling every project with Arc Light as quickly as possible, his boss would have no spare money to engage in VC.

But then again, Chen Jing originally thought that Meng Bai would quickly select a few companies to start the operation after getting the information. But she didn't expect that after so many days, he didn't make any moves, but instead started another movie project.

"Arc Light is a film and television company. If not in the film and television industry, what else would it do?"

Meng Bai smiled and said, "As for venture capital, there is no rush for now. I am waiting for the right time."

"What time?" Chen Jing asked puzzledly.

Meng Bai sighed, looked out the window with a deep and quiet gaze, and after a long while he spoke, "Wait until the stock market crashes."

"This..." Chen Jing frowned, "Boss, where did you get this information from?"

"Uncle Huang, the security guard at the entrance of the park."

"Uh, I remember the security guard's surname seemed to be Wang."

"Really?" Meng Bai thought for a moment, "But that uncle does have a heavy accent. Where is he from?"

"It sounds like Shanghu... No." Chen Jing suddenly realized, "Aren't we talking about the stock market? Can this security guard predict the future trend of the stock market?"

"Oh, not really." Meng Bai said, "But we happened to chat while running that day. He asked if our company had gone public and how many shares he planned to buy. He also told me that he invested tens of thousands of dollars and made more than ten thousand in less than a week. He has already started to consider resigning."

There is a famous "vegetable market rule" in the stock market, which means that when the auntie who usually bargains for more than half an hour in the vegetable market just to save a dime starts talking about stocks, it means that the market is basically coming to an end.

After all, at this point, all the funds that can enter the market have basically entered the market. There is no new capital entering, and the only thing left is outflow.

The exit of large funds and the falling stock prices led to panic, and the new "leeks" in the industry fled frantically, which turned into "empty killing empty". The final result was a "click" and everyone was buried underneath.

Since the beginning of last year, China's A-shares have been on a "bull run" that lasted for a year. The Shanghai Composite Index has risen from 2000 points to more than 4800 points today, and is still rising rapidly.

A large number of newbies who have never had any experience in stock investment can make money by buying with their eyes closed, which has attracted a lot of attention.

In the past few months, if we don’t chat about “what did you buy and what did I buy” or “how much did you earn and how much did he earn” when we meet, we feel like something is missing.

When the water is full, it will overflow; when it is full, it will dwindle. Everyone knows that this situation of "everyone making money without doing anything" cannot last long, but everyone thinks that they can escape at the last moment. Well, there is a kind of innocent beauty that "has not experienced the sickle harvest".

Anyway, in this situation, Meng Bai didn't dare to leave. Who knows if the money invested today will become a brick that "kills" him tomorrow.

On the contrary, he is now one of those who expect a collapse.

Because only in this way can the overheated sentiment in the capital market subside, the value of various assets will return to a cheap position, and his 30 million will be more valuable.

"So, how long do we have to wait?"

"How would I know this? Sister Jing, you really think I'm a fortune teller." Meng Bai said.

This is the contradiction. Everyone knows it will collapse, but no one knows when.

But he was not in a hurry. He had cash in hand and could just wait.

Of course, he didn't just sit there and wait. During this time, he had read through more than 200 GB of information and had a general understanding of the overall startup market.

Not to mention, at a glance, he actually saw quite a few companies that interested him.

However, interest is interest alone. With 30 million in funding, he would have to invest it all in any company with a little potential. He is still far from being able to say "I want it all".

After weighing the pros and cons for a long time, Meng Bai selected seven or eight startup companies that he felt were good based on Chen Jing's list, and then asked her to focus on collecting more in-depth and specific information about these companies.

The companies selected are all in the "Angel Round" or small-scale "A Round" stage. Startups of this size can basically guarantee a certain amount of capital attention and also guarantee venture capital returns.

The waiting process is always long, but fortunately Meng Bai has other things to do.

More than a week after the end of "The Best of Us", "Forensic Qin Ming", which was also filmed in Landao, also finished filming its last scene and announced its completion.

On the set of Oriental Movie Metropolis Studio, Zhou Yutong stood there in a daze, watching his colleagues and staff members chatting and laughing as they said goodbye to each other.

It’s not like she had never acted before, nor had she never experienced the wrap-up. But at that time, she was always a supporting role, so she was more of a sigh about having to run around the crew again, and didn’t have any extra thoughts.

But this time it's different, she is the protagonist, from the beginning to the end of the story.

Until she woke up this morning, she felt nothing.

Until just now, when she saw the crew's production staff putting away various equipment and dismantling some of the props, she realized that she really had to say goodbye to the identity of "Dabao".

"clatter!"

A crisp sound awakened Zhou Yutong, who was immersed in her emotions. She came back to her senses and found that it was Meng Bai who snapped his fingers in front of her.

"What are you thinking about, girl?" Meng Bai asked, "I see you've been standing there for a long time. Are you planning to follow your lead and stay to clean up the set?"

"Ah, do you need it?"

"…If you insist on participating, I can't stop you."

Zhou Yutong laughed awkwardly. She just realized what she was saying.

"What's wrong? You look distracted."

"It's nothing, actually. I just felt a little emotional because the filming was suddenly finished."

Meng Bai thought about it and could understand her feelings. But this kind of thing has to happen, and it will be fine after it passes.

Sure enough, Zhou Yutong quickly calmed down. He looked at Meng Bai and bowed earnestly, "Thank you, Mr. Meng, for giving me this opportunity."

"I've said it before, it's up to you to fight for it." Meng Bai waved his hand and said with a smile: "I still remember the meal you owed me."

(End of this chapter)