Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 269 Which company does President Wu favor? Your white hair, my youthful face

At 6 p.m., the sun was still shining brightly on the wall in front of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television.

Wu Chen had just stepped out of the building and hadn't even had a chance to breathe a sigh of relief when he saw two familiar figures: Ren Zhonglun and Han Sanping.

The two stood on either side of each other, as if they had known each other all along.

Wu Chen was startled, but considering the meeting just now, it wasn't hard to understand why these two companies were probably putting the most pressure on him.

Ren Zhonglun didn't directly inquire about the co-production; instead, he invited Wu Chen:
"Director Wu, how about we do a screening and promotion for 'Black Peony' at the Shanghai International Film Festival later this month? The film will be released at the end of the month, right? The Shanghai International Film Festival is quite good at promotion."

"Late June? Mr. Ren, you know 'Painted Skin' starts filming on the 15th. I still need to oversee the pre-production."

When Han Sanping heard Ren Zhonglun's words, he pursed his lips. This old Ren is just a hypocrite.

They clearly wanted to inquire about co-productions, but they insisted on using a lame excuse as a starting point.

"I just mentioned the co-production to Director Tong. The initial idea is a Sino-US co-production."

If we actually reach an agreement, it involves many departments and extensive coordination, so there's not too much to worry about. If it were made into an independent domestic production, it would be a super-large-scale production. But for now, it's just an idea. I need to develop the script first; there's no rush.
Wu Chen then began to speak.

The Martian had a large budget, and the film industry generally avoids one company profiting all the profits. There are many different aspects involved, and no single company can handle everything.

Han Sanping and Ren Zhonglun also breathed a sigh of relief.

After returning home, Wu Chen thought about it for a while and then began to write the outline of the Martian script.

Although the original Martian film had a very positive image of China, now that he is in charge, there are some aspects of the script that can be further enhanced.

"In 2030, China and the United States will jointly carry out the first manned Mars mission under the guise of 'international cooperation'."

A six-astronaut international crew, comprised of elites from NASA and NASA respectively, will jointly carry out the "Mars rescue" mission.

The mission's chief commander is a Chinese astronaut with backgrounds in both engineering and life sciences.
On the 18th Martian day, the base was hit by a sudden and extremely strong sandstorm. Wind speeds were near their limit, ground communications were interrupted, and solar panels were damaged.

The two space agencies jointly ordered an emergency evacuation.

During the evacuation, a Chinese commander, while rescuing an injured American soldier, was struck by flying debris and swept into the storm, disappearing into the dust cloud.
The other team members departed in grief, the mission was terminated, and they returned to Earth.

Two Martian days later, Earth received a faint signal from the Martian base.
The US and Chinese space agencies have embarked on an unprecedented collaboration, bringing together spacefaring capabilities from around the world to formulate a "transplanetary extreme rescue plan."

It's no wonder that Tong Gang got excited when he heard the story. Even when he was just writing an outline, he couldn't contain his emotions when he got to the part about gathering collective strength for a rescue.

Individual heroism is certainly worthy of praise, but the collective strength of a nation is even more moving.

I had just finished writing a simple outline when Liu Yifei called.

On a summer night, the evening breeze was as gentle as water.

Liu Yifei's voice was like a silver bell, clear and melodious even through the signal.

"Junior brother, what are you doing?"

Wu Chen's lips unconsciously curved into a smile: "Thinking of you!"

Sure enough, there was a half-second pause on the other end of the phone, followed by a soft snort: "You big liar, all you ever do is flatter me."

But the barely concealed smile in her tone betrayed the sweetness of her mood.

When a girl calls to ask "What are you doing?", it's often just another way of saying "I miss you."

The smartest response is to follow her heart and leave her with nowhere to go.

"Tell me quickly, be serious," Liu Yifei pressed.

"I'm writing a new script."

"Hmm?" Liu Yifei's eyes lit up, and she immediately realized, "That co-production you mentioned a few days ago?"

“Yes.” Wu Chen leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the simple outline he had just written. His tone was earnest, and he succinctly yet emotionally recounted the main storyline:
"A science fiction film about a Mars rescue mission spanning 200 million kilometers."

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a long time.

Only after he finished speaking did Liu Yifei let out a soft "Wow!": "The story sounds really good! You have to show it to me as soon as you finish writing the script!"

“Okay.” Wu Chen smiled gently. “But this is just an outline for now.”

"Hehe, I also have some good news to tell you." Her tone suddenly became cheerful.

"Ok?"

"The deal has been finalized with Chanel. They've asked me to be their spokesperson for Asia, on a two-year contract. I'll be shooting their summer and fall campaigns in a few days."

"Wouldn't that make a lot of money?" Wu Chen joked.

"No, not at all," Liu Yifei said coquettishly, her voice like a swirling stream, "but it's enough to support you."

As the night deepened, the two continued their conversation, chatting about everything under the sun, from scripts to food, from endorsements to fashion, from reality to aspirations.

Until Liu Yifei's voice grew softer and softer, until finally only her steady, long breathing could be heard on the other end of the phone.

Wu Chen didn't hang up. Instead, he just held the phone and listened quietly, as if he were hearing music for the first time, or as if he had finally understood the dependence behind the breath after many years, and felt a strange sense of peace.

The next morning, sunlight streamed into the tree-lined paths of the Beijing Film Academy, and the green leaves rustled in the wind.

But what reached the ears of the national entertainment industry even faster than a gentle breeze was a news push that went viral.

[Breaking News: Liu Yifei Officially Announced as Chanel's Two-Year Brand Ambassador for Asia!]

[Liu Yifei becomes Chanel's youngest Asian brand ambassador in history!]

The news instantly ignited the entire entertainment industry.

In this era before the internet's reliance on traffic-driven marketing, only a handful of Chinese actresses managed to secure endorsements from top international luxury brands. At that time, while Gong Li was a veteran international face, her endorsements primarily focused on the European haute couture market.

Despite having Dior and SK-II endorsements, Zhang Ziyi has never secured independent endorsement rights in the Asia-Pacific region.
Fan Binbin mainly works for domestic cosmetics and clothing brands, and has not yet fully penetrated the international market.
Although Li Binbin, Shu Qi, and others are quite prestigious, their endorsements are mostly for domestic or Asian sub-brands.

Liu Yifei has now suddenly secured the Chanel Asia-Pacific ambassadorship, firmly establishing herself in the top tier of commercial value.

The emotions of actresses in the entertainment industry were instantly turned upside down:
How much is the endorsement fee?

"I heard it's close to $300 million."

"So tired, another unexpected obstacle has appeared!"

"That's good, at least domestic high-end brands still have a share of endorsement deals."

"."

In many people's eyes, this is a stroke of good luck amidst misfortune, since having more people means more competition for endorsements.

But for those who are entering or aspiring to enter the international market, this is a nightmare.

The more companies that break into the market, the greater the competitive pressure.

Meanwhile, in the conference room of Wangshang Culture in Dongzhimen, Beijing.

The tall buildings outside the window reflected a clear sky, and the sunlight shone on the coffee table and onto the faces of the three people.

The three have been talking for a long time, but have yet to reach an agreement.

Because Li Feng was reluctant to give up so much equity. $2000 million, which is almost half of the current valuation of 3.5 million RMB, was a huge amount. Although IDG does not interfere with the company's business, he was unwilling to give up too much equity.

Seeing this, Wu Chen knew it was time to take action, so he gently put down his water glass.
"Mr. Xiong, here's the arrangement: I won't dilute my shares. I'll keep 15% of my 20% for IDG, and the rest is up to Mr. Li."

"Mr. Wu, this..." Li Feng was taken aback, not immediately understanding the other party's meaning.

But Xiong Xiaoge already understood, and tapped the armrest of the chair lightly with her fingers twice.

He was all too familiar with this posture. In business, there is no such thing as giving away shares for no reason. Those who voluntarily relinquish shares are often not doing so out of generosity, but rather with deeper motives.

If Wu Chen hadn't been optimistic about NetEase Culture, the company wouldn't have developed to this point. This rapid development is also related to the film production resources provided by the other party.

"Mr. Wu, what do I need to give in return?" Xiong Xiaoge asked directly, without beating around the bush.

"To act as a go-between." Wu Chen smiled calmly, but his eyes were extremely serious.

Have you heard of 'Fanfou'?

Xiong Xiaoge frowned slightly, quickly searching her memory: "Domestic knock-offs of Twitter? I recall that. Does President Wu intend to invest in these products? Or is he optimistic about Fanfou?"

"Starry Night Pictures is in the film and television industry, so I want to bet on the future of self-media dissemination channels. There are several such platforms emerging in the market now, but I have no direct relationship with any of these teams."

"Mr. Wu, first of all, I must remind you that internet products have a very high success rate of failure. Those that emerge now are not necessarily the winners. Even IDG cannot guarantee that. Secondly, I don't know which company Mr. Wu has his eye on."

There are currently many such products and projects on the market, including Jiwai, Digu, Zuosha, Tencent Taotao, and Sina Weibo, which was just launched this year.
Some of the companies behind these products may not be short of funds. If Mr. Wu is really interested, I suggest you consider a combination of resource exchange and capital investment.

Xiong Xiaoge provided a possible solution almost immediately.

If it's just about making connections, it doesn't matter much. IDG is a professional in this area. IDG has considered most of the internet companies in China. Even if they don't invest, their network of relationships is there for all to see.

"Mr. Wu, which company are you interested in?"

Sina Weibo.

"I'm heading there now, it looks like it'll be filming for several days," Liu Yifei told Wu Chen as she headed to Paris to shoot an advertisement.

"Okay, go ahead. I also need to go to Ningxia in a few days."

"Hehe, I'll come visit the set. I already made plans with Changchang." Liu Yifei hung up the phone with a laugh, then turned her head to look at Liu Xiaoli, who seemed to be deep in thought, and couldn't help but feel curious.

"Mom, what's wrong? You seem to have something on your mind?"

"I'm thinking about your agency contract. Should we put it with Wu Chen?" Liu Xiaoli said slowly after thinking for a moment.

Liu Yifei's eyes lit up: "Great! Let's hang it with Junior Brother. I'll help him make money."

"You!" Liu Xiaoli couldn't help but gently tap Liu Yifei's head.

And at that very moment, Caltech Pasadena.

The laboratory's light screen was still on, and the faint data waveforms were slowly fading from the electronic whiteboard.

Linda Obs and the others waited at the end of the corridor outside the door. When she pushed open the door, she brought with her a metallic, sterilized smell typical of laboratories.

"Linda!"

Kip Thorne, dressed in a white lab coat, still retained the focused look in his eyes as he left the microgravity experiment equipment.
"You've come at the right time. The experiment is over. I know what you mentioned last time, but I'm at a crucial stage of the experiment and don't want to be disturbed by these external matters."

"This is a simple plan left behind by Wu Chen. Spielberg is still hesitant; he has a lot on his plate, and his relationship with Paramount seems to have changed over the past two years."

Linda Aubus took out the yellowed note that Wu Chen had given her earlier.

Kip Thorne took off his gloves and took the paper, gently unfolding it. It was old-fashioned yellow paper with slightly curled edges, and on it was messy but neat English handwriting:
"In the distant future, humanity will have to travel through black holes to find a new home."

But what truly trapped them was not space, not wormholes, but time—their father whom they could never return to, and their daughters who remained on Earth waiting for his return.

Time can be stretched and folded, but it cannot be reversed.

Your white hair may be my youthful face, and a single breath of mine can equal a lifetime of yours.

(End of this chapter)