Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 220 Negotiations, I'll Listen to You

The morning sunlight slanted through the gray-blue clouds and fell obliquely on a corner of Ning Hao's studio.

The studio still had a faint smell of printing paper mixed with old wood.

Wu Chen leaned back on the black leather sofa, flipping through a thick stack of scripts in his hand, his knuckles tapping casually, and couldn't help but complain:

"After finishing the script, you probably rarely open the door anymore, the smell is still quite strong."

Ning Hao was brewing a pot of Pu'er tea, pursing his lips as he did so:
"I was stuck here for months, and I was scared when I saw this place during that time. By the way, were you talking to Lu Zheng from Starlight Brilliant just now?"

Did you really get the role?

Ning Hao looked over with a curious expression, his hands still busy brewing tea.

Wu Chen nodded slightly.

"They're fucking rich!"

Ning Hao pursed his lips and sighed, saying he wouldn't believe it if it weren't for money.

Wu Chen smiled, his gaze returning to the script, and casually asked, "What happened to that EP album with the music video you helped film?"

Ning Hao was taken aback upon hearing this, and rubbed his hands together with a complicated expression. "I heard it's not very good."

"Oh? Is it the music video that's bad, or the song?"

Wu Chen teased, while Xing Aina, who was holding a laptop, couldn't help but cover her mouth with a smile that slipped from between her eyelashes.

Ning Hao blushed and waved his hand, saying, "Alright, alright, stop dawdling, tell me what you think of the script?"

Wu Chen put down the script, looked up at Ning Hao seriously, and said, "It's really good. It's a rare script with three independent storylines that are interwoven with each other. Interesting."

Ning Hao's face lit up with a hint of joy, but he immediately frowned and said, "I'm wondering if the script is too coincidental, with too many obvious coincidences?"

"A coincidence?" Wu Chen pondered for a moment, then tapped the script with his index finger:
"It seems like a coincidence, but the gang was doing it for drug trafficking, the thief was doing it to scam money for marriage, Geng Hao was doing it to bury his master, and Li Fala was doing it to kill his wife for money."

Although their motives differ, they all boil down to money, which is the core element that intertwines the fates of these strangers. I personally think there's nothing wrong with that.

“Hey, I told you it was nothing!” Xing Aina added from the side.
"Coincidences are all for the sake of the plot. The audience isn't stupid; what they care about is 'causal consistency'."

I agree with Director Wu's point. Don't worry about this anymore. Our screenwriter thought about this for a long time, and I'm warning you, don't you dare change it!

Wu Chen smiled and patted Ning Hao on the shoulder: "The script is quite good. We should respect the scriptwriter's hard work and not pick up their bad habits."

Upon hearing this, Ning Hao and Xing Aina couldn't help but laugh out loud, as they naturally understood Wu Chen's implied meaning.

"Let's go talk to President Han."

Wu Chen got up, preparing to go to China Film Group with Ning Hao.

Meanwhile, inside China Film Group, Han Sanping was quite annoyed: "If the script is sent back, then let's revise it. Why are you asking me? Do you expect me to review it for him?"

Gao Chengsheng smiled wryly upon hearing this.

Lu Xun's "Nanjing! Nanjing!" was officially rejected by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television without any explanation, simply stating that it had not passed the review.

Lu Xun, who had already spent 20 million to build the city, could not accept this result and immediately cried out for help.

Although China Film Investment is the smallest of the companies, it has a lot of influence and also has the connection with Jiang Shixiong.

"President Han, Director Wu and Director Ning have arrived."

Gao Chengsheng glanced at his phone and quickly said.

Han Sanping's expression softened considerably, and he sat down on the sofa in the reception area.

On their way there, Wu Chen and Ning Hao learned that the script for "Nanjing! Nanjing!" had failed the review. As a hot news story from a while ago, the news seemed to be kept secret, but it spread very quickly.

"What did he write? A script produced by China Film Group, Stellar Media, and a provincial film station, and he just rejected it so directly?"

Ning Hao was also very curious. Although he knew that Wu Chen and Jiang Wen had interfered, he thought that this would only affect the difficulty of the review. However, the news that came out was that the bureau had rejected the application without even giving a reason.

"What do you think? Maybe our positions are wrong?"

"No way, this can be written?" Ning Hao was startled when he heard this.

"Director Wu, Director Ning, this way please."

"Brother Gao, congratulations on your promotion." Wu Chen cupped his hands in greeting.

"Secretary Gao, congratulations!"

"Not at all," Gao Chengsheng said with a smile, "That's not even certain yet!"

Wu Chen and Ning Hao both smiled and said it was uncertain, but Gao Chengsheng's promotion was a foregone conclusion, because the new leadership team of China Film Group was about to be replaced.

This news is no secret within the industry.

The next step for a secretary is usually to be transferred to a management position at China Film Group.

"Chairman Han!" Wu Chen and Ning Hao immediately changed their address to Han Sanping upon seeing him again.

"Hey, there are still two months left, don't make such a fuss." Han Sanping said this with a smile, but he couldn't hide the joy on his face.

Although he has been in charge of China Film Group for the past few years, there is still a difference between nominally holding the position of chairman and actually holding the chairmanship.

"Two months will pass in the blink of an eye. Director Ning and I will take our time to adjust," Wu Chen joked.

Han Sanping ignored Wu Chen's teasing, glanced at the notebook on the table, and then said seriously, "Crazy Racer, a pretty good name. How big of a scheme are you planning?"

"Chairman Han, aren't you going to take a serious look at the script?" Wu Chen asked.

"What are you looking at? Do you think I wouldn't trust the two of you?" Han Sanping seemed exceptionally confident. Since Wu Chen had already looked at it, there couldn't be any major problems; he could just casually flip through it. "Let's just give you a quote."

He's starting to show off.

Wu Chen could clearly sense that Han Sanping was more confident and domineering than before.

If a fledgling director heard these words, he would be immediately grateful and fawn over them.
Indeed, although there is only one character separating the main and secondary characters, the difference is as vast as an insurmountable chasm.

After thinking it over carefully, Ning Hao slowly said, "Chairman Han, about ten million."

"Ten million? Is that enough?" Han Sanping looked at Wu Chen.

"That's about it. It's a comedy, so it won't cost too much money."

Wu Chen nodded.

Seeing this, Han Sanping did not raise the price again.

Of the ten million share, China Film Group and Star Cinema split 70%, while Ning Hao kept the remaining 30% for himself.

Ning Hao invested all the money he earned, plus his share of the director's profits. In his words, whether he would become rich or poor depended on this.

"By the way, how's your 'Painted Skin' project coming along?"

After discussing "Crazy Racer," Han Sanping then brought up Wu Chen's "Painted Skin" project.

"I've been too busy with the script lately, so I only glanced at it briefly. I reckon it'll be finished soon. But Mr. Han, I have no intention of directing this movie myself."

Han Sanping was taken aback upon hearing this.

If Wu Chen doesn't direct it himself, doesn't that halve the chances of success?
He immediately followed up with, "Have you found another director in the industry?"

"We plan to train them ourselves and have already found a new talent."

"Newbie?"

Even Ning Hao was speechless. If he remembered correctly, a movie like "Painted Skin" would definitely need special effects, and an investment of ten million yuan would be more than enough.

Moreover, news of Ning Ying borrowing 15 million yuan within the industry has spread, and this amount is all part of the investment quota for Painted Skin.

"How much was the budget for 'Painted Skin'? You let a newcomer direct it."

"Fifty or sixty million!"

Han Sanping and Ning Hao were both stunned when Wu Chen said this.

"How many?"

"Fifty or sixty million, but it's not as exaggerated as you think. This newcomer is exceptionally talented, and I will personally serve as the producer to oversee the film's direction," Wu Chen explained with a smile.

"call!"

Han Sanping let out a soft breath at this moment.

That's more like it. Wu Chen is the producer, and although he's not directing, at least it's a guarantee of quality.

Otherwise, even if China Film Group has plenty of money, it would have to carefully consider handing over 50 to 60 million yuan to a new director.

However, Han Sanping couldn't help but remark, "You've got quite a big heart, haven't you?"

"There's no other way; directors in the industry are all tied to specific relationships, so it's more practical to cultivate them yourself."

"Such great treatment, junior brother, why don't you just poach me? Why would I need to run a studio!" Ning Hao was green with envy. Damn it, why didn't he encounter such good fortune when he first started out?

"Really? Senior brother, I'm really serious."

"Sigh, oh well, what's done is done." Ning Hao sighed, but after thinking about it, he figured it was alright this way. "I'm too lazy to bother with it anymore."

Leaving the China Film Studio, Ning Hao was particularly curious: "Let's go check out your new project tomorrow. Who did you choose to direct this big-budget production?"

"Go if you want to." Wu Chen smiled, and just as he finished speaking, his phone rang. It was Liu Yifei calling.

"what happened?"

Wu Chen immediately changed his tone, which made Ning Hao click his tongue in disapproval.

"Who are you with? I heard some strange noises," Liu Yifei's clear voice came through the phone to Wu Chen's ears.

"Director Ning, he's being sarcastic towards us. Let's ignore him," Wu Chen replied with a smile.

"Whee!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Yifei's whole being brightened, as if dappled sunlight were overflowing from her clear eyes, making her appear joyful and happy. Her dimples couldn't be hidden, and her voice was like a honey-soaked silver bell, with a gentle upward rise at the end:
"Oh, right, Mom said a few new endorsement offers have come up, asking if I'd like to take them. They're all pretty big brands. Hmm, I'd like to hear your opinion!"

"An endorsement, huh?" Wu Chen pondered for a moment. "Are you confident in your performance in the movie?"

"Of course there are."

"Then you should tell your aunt that we can talk about it after the movie is released. A few more months won't make a difference."

"Okay, I'll listen to you."

After chatting for a while, Liu Yifei hung up the phone and went downstairs wearing her fluffy cotton shoes.

"Mom, let's not answer it yet. Let's talk about it after my movie is released."

Liu Xiaoli glanced at Liu Yifei in surprise, and slowly said:

"That's what I think too. Anyway, a few more months won't make a difference, but this probably isn't your own idea, is it?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Yifei couldn't help but blush.
(End of this chapter)