Restart life

Chapter 519 0507 [My alternate accounts are all over the forum]

ByteDance's business scope is quite broad. The people who came to meet today belong to the film and television production and entertainment brokerage departments.

When the time is right, Breakthrough Animation will also be merged into it—Breakthrough Animation is currently a subsidiary of Youke.

There's also the Dumpling Studio in Chengdu, which has been largely left to its own devices for the past few years, mainly doing various outsourcing jobs. Besides outsourcing to other animation companies, the Chengdu government (especially the High-tech Zone) also outsources its promotional animations to Dumpling Studio.

While Chen Guiliang's influence was indeed partly responsible for the dumplings receiving the government order, the greater credit should go to General Manager Liu Wenzhang.

Liu Wenzhang is incredibly skilled at dealing with the government.

"Everyone has seen 'My Own Swordsman,' right? This is Director Shang Jing," Chen Guiliang introduced. "The novel 'Our Love' has been serialized on Renren.com for many years and has a large number of loyal readers. Those who have read the original work know that this novel is more like a collection of campus humor anecdotes, which is very suitable for being adapted into a campus sitcom. And sitcoms are Director Shang's forte."

"Clap clap clap!"

A round of enthusiastic applause filled the conference room.

Shang Jing's speech was brief, just one sentence: "Thank you for Mr. Chen's high regard. I hope to create a good film together with everyone."

Shang Jing's film version of "My Own Swordsman" made a fortune last year, and many institutions want to invest in his studio, but they all require signing a performance-based agreement.

I don't know when it started, but performance-based agreements have become very popular in the film and television industry.

Feng Xiaogang has been making bets with Huayi Brothers. He has lost his temper and cursed people in public several times, and complained that the audience has no taste and doesn't know how to appreciate things. This was basically because the poor box office performance affected the bets.

Chen Guiliang did not request to sign a performance-based agreement, so Shang Jing rejected other investors and accepted ByteDance's investment.

The novel "Our Love" doesn't have a main plot; it's just a collection of anecdotes about male and female college students.

The male lead is a typical STEM guy, seemingly a bit dull, and his words and actions often leave people both amused and exasperated. He is played by Qiao Renliang.

The female lead is a seemingly well-behaved and quiet girl, but actually a goofy and scatterbrained character. She is played by Zhang Hanyun.

Shang Jing will also bring some of the original cast members to participate in the film, such as Bai Zhantang playing the physical education teacher and Li Dazui playing the cafeteria worker.

Chen Guiliang continued, "That Summer was the most popular campus romance story essay on Renren.com. This time, it will be made into a movie directed by Mr. Chen Sicheng. The male lead has not yet been decided, and I have rejected all the previous candidates. The female lead is Saka Okada."

"The company's two inaugural works, a movie and a TV series, are interconnected. The actors will appear in each other's films, which can be understood as attending the same school."

Chen Sicheng came out and said a few words, roughly meaning that he lacked directing experience and would explore and learn together with everyone.

Chen Guiliang then looked at Dilraba: "You'll play supporting roles in these two films first. The film where you play the lead role, 'Silk Road Smoke and Dust,' won't be in preparation until next year."

"Thank you, boss!" Dilraba stood up and bowed.

Pan Yueming sat silently in the corner. He had already learned from Chen Zhixi that he would be playing a teacher in both films. It was an important supporting role, a young man who had just become a lecturer.

Chen Guiliang then introduced, "This Mr. Liu is someone I specially invited. If the company wants to make a science fiction film in the future, Mr. Liu will be our science fiction consultant."

Liu Cixin was still a bit confused, not knowing why Chen Guiliang had invited him here.

Before "The Three-Body Problem" was even finished being serialized, Chen Guiliang sent people to buy the game and film rights. He was quite happy at the time because he sold it for a full 100,000 yuan, and his novel could be made into a film or a science fiction game.

Several years have passed, and there has been no news about film, television, or science fiction games.

"Hello everyone, it's a pleasure to meet you all." Liu Cixin stood up, waved, and smiled.

Although everyone applauded in welcome, the atmosphere was clearly not as enthusiastic as when Shang Jing and Chen Sicheng were talking earlier—Liu Cixin is a big name in the science fiction circle, but few people outside of it know him.

Chen Guiliang encouraged everyone to get to know each other better, and then invited Liu Cixin to the reception room alone.

“Hello, Professor Liu. I have long admired you and am finally able to meet you in person this year,” Chen Guiliang said warmly, shaking hands with you. “I am a loyal fan of yours, especially fond of ‘The Three-Body Problem’.”

Liu Cixin quickly replied, "I dare not call you teacher."

Chen Guiliang said, "I previously purchased the film, television, and game rights to 'The Three-Body Problem' in my personal capacity. The term was only ten years. Although it hasn't expired yet, I would like to sign a new copyright agreement."

"What kind of agreement?" Liu Cixin asked.

Chen Guiliang said, "ByteDance Pictures has permanently acquired all the rights to 'The Three-Body Problem,' including overseas rights. The price is 500 million."

"500 million?" Liu Cixin's eyes lit up when he heard that.

Liu Cixin has always been an ordinary person, not a god who is detached from worldly affairs.

He could even be called a loser, as he made all sorts of loser-like remarks on Baidu Tieba.

For example, he would use a pseudonym to boast about how great his own work was, while calling other science fiction authors' novels garbage. Moreover, the very novel he criticized had previously been publicly praised.

Even after "The Three-Body Problem" won the Hugo Award, he was afraid that others wouldn't know its prestige, so he used a fake account to explain on Baidu Tieba how prestigious the award was abroad.

As for the more greasy, lewd, and vulgar remarks, we won't mention them here. They really damage the image of this expert.

Chen Guiliang asked, "Would Professor Liu be willing to sell the global copyright of 'The Three-Body Problem' for a permanent 500 million yuan?"

"Yes, of course I'm willing!" Liu Cixin was afraid that Chen Guiliang would change his mind.

Although "The Three-Body Problem" won the domestic science fiction award for two consecutive years, the science fiction circle is too small, and there is basically no hope of it being adapted into film, television and games.

Let alone 500 million, he would be willing to sell it for 50!

Chen Guiliang said, "I will have someone translate 'The Three-Body Problem' into English and submit it to an international competition for the Hugo Award. Then I will work on its global publication. After that, I will work on its film and television adaptation and its game adaptation."

Those few very brief words made Liu Cixin's brain instantly throb.

Can his own novel really be a contender for the Hugo Award? Published globally? Adapted into film, television, and games? Is Mr. Chen just trying to fool people? Is *The Three-Body Problem* really that amazing?

Chen Guiliang said, "Although ByteDance has permanently bought out the full copyright of 'The Three-Body Problem,' if the subsequent revenue is good, they will give Mr. Liu a big bonus."

These empty promises deeply moved Liu Cixin; President Chen was truly a capitalist with a conscience!
Chen Guiliang called in a photographer and took out a physical copy of "The Three-Body Problem": "Come on, Professor Liu, let's start promoting it now." The two quickly stood together, arm in arm, each holding up "The Three-Body Problem" with one hand.

Take a group photo.

They then posted on Weibo.

Chen Guiliang (@Liu Cixin) posted on Weibo: "I had the pleasure of meeting Professor Liu in person today. The exchange was very pleasant. I recommend Professor Liu's masterpiece, 'The Three-Body Problem.' I believe this novel has the potential to win the Hugo Award."

Liu Cixin immediately replied: "Mr. Chen, you flatter me. The Three-Body Problem is still not perfect."

Sitting in the reception room, Liu Cixin kept refreshing the comments and fan count, feeling a sense of floating as if he was about to become a star writer.

Chen Guiliang said, "Please have a seat for a while, Teacher Liu. A loyal fan is on his way. I have other things to attend to and will be back later."

"Mr. Chen, please go ahead and do what you need to do. I'll just sit here and browse Weibo," Liu Cixin said.

After Chen Guiliang finished speaking, he left, while Liu Cixin happily looked at the comments.

He likes positive comments, replies to insightful comments, but ignores negative comments.

Not long after, he exclaimed that President Chen was really awesome, and one Weibo post made his number of followers skyrocket.

Some friends from the science fiction community also came to congratulate us.

And...sour water.

"Not bad, Lao Liu, you've hooked up with a capitalist. You have to treat me to dinner."

"Could you help us get some sponsorship? Mr. Chen doesn't need that little bit of money."

"Aiming for the Hugo Award? I'm so envious. I just wonder if I'll even get nominated."

"Old Liu is really awesome."

"..."

Liu Cixin was scrolling through Weibo with great interest when, after some time, Chen Guiliang brought over a beautiful woman.

Chen Guiliang introduced, "Teacher Liu, this is Tao Xue. She is also a writer, and her novel 'Silk Road Smoke and Dust' is very popular. This novel is being adapted into an anime this year, and it will be made into a large-scale historical drama next year. She heard that you were coming today, so she came here specifically to get your autograph."

Tao Xue said, "I was following Professor Liu's 'The Three-Body Problem' during my university years."

Although Liu Cixin couldn't figure out Tao Xue's approach, he was still very happy that a beautiful female fan wanted his autograph: "Thank you for your support."

After signing, we took a group photo.

Chen Guiliang treated everyone to lunch at noon, including the directors, actors, and agents.

Dilraba was seated next to Tao Xue.

Tao Xue looked her over carefully and asked, "Is she the actress who plays Yu Chi Lan?"

The Loulan people used Tocharian, a language recorded in Kharosthi script, which is closer in pronunciation to Sanskrit and Persian.

One of the Loulan kings was identified as having the surname "Vejaya".

"Vejaya" is a modern transliteration, while its literal translation is victory.

The transliteration of this surname in Classical Chinese is: Yuchi!

The Loulan princess who married into the Wusun tribe in Tao Xue's novel was named Yuchi Lan in Chinese.

Chen Guiliang laughed and said, "How about it? I have a good eye for casting, right?"

Tao Xue sized up Dilraba for a while longer: "She's too sweet-looking, quite suitable for playing the female lead's teenage years. But the middle-aged female lead is a powerful woman with tens of thousands of followers. Can she portray that kind of decisiveness and ruthlessness?"

Chen Guiliang asked Dilraba, "Are you confident?"

Dilraba quickly replied, "Teacher Tao, I will definitely work hard. I will go back tonight to watch 'Empress Wu Zetian' and learn how Teacher Liu Xiaoqing portrays the empress."

Chen Guiliang smiled and said to Pan Yueming, "Old Pan, how about you play her first love? A general who was originally a wandering knight who escorted Zhang Qian on his mission to the Western Regions."

“I can give it a try.” Pan Yueming still has the image of a pretty boy, but he has already tried playing a military general.

Liu Cixin found it quite novel; both tables were filled with people from the film and television industry, and he listened with great interest to their gossip.

The next day, after Liu Cixin signed the contract, he received a text message notification that the money had been deposited into his account. Still not reassured, he went downstairs and immediately went to an ATM to check his balance.

Seeing that long string of numbers, he even felt a little unreal.

Back in his hometown by train, Liu Cixin became increasingly excited. He logged into Tieba with a secondary account and wrote: "Liu Cixin is awesome! I heard that President Chen is going to make a movie out of 'The Three-Body Problem' and also make a science fiction game."

At this time, his alternate account on Baidu Tieba had not yet been exposed, and everyone thought that this account belonged to his loyal fan.

Liu Cixin refreshed the post repeatedly, and it took a full half hour before someone replied: "Really? It must cost a lot of money to make 'The Three-Body Problem' into a movie. Do domestic companies have that kind of budget?"

Liu Cixin replied instantly: "How could there not be? Don't you know to check this year's Hurun and Forbes lists? President Chen is very good at making games, and I heard he has also started a film and television company. He can definitely turn 'The Three-Body Problem' into a Hollywood-level sci-fi blockbuster."

Several more netizens responded, and most of them were not optimistic about it.

Liu Cixin used a pseudonym to impersonate his own fan and engaged in intense online arguments with his real fans on Baidu Tieba, with the focus of the debate shifting to whether Chinese people could produce Hollywood-level blockbusters.

Tired of arguing, Liu Cixin gave up and posted another message to boast: "I heard that Liu Cixin sold the copyright of 'The Three-Body Problem' for 500 million!"

(End of this chapter)