Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 376 It's none of your business, don't meddle.
Los Angeles, Burbank District, Warner Bros. Studios headquarters.

In early August, the California sun shone through the blinds onto the conference table, casting a warm and bright light, but it was not gentle.

At the end of the long marble table, Jeff Robinoff was looking down at the latest budget adjustments and draft contract for "Inception," his brow furrowed slightly.

Alan Stone, Vice President of International Publishing, broke his silence:
"After communicating with Wu, he hoped to increase his investment share to 10%."

"5% is already the maximum share for a nominal investor. If he adds another percentage point, he'll become a partner. We need to think about this carefully. We need every partner to bring market value to 'Inception'!"

Jeff Robinoff did not rush to deny it.

Wu Chen and the other person were not strangers, because Wu Chen had contacted Warner Bros. for the release of "Get Out" back then, and the two sides had negotiated for a long time.

Warner Music had already set its sights on winning an Oscar, which allowed Universal to snag the prize.

Jeff Robinoff flipped through the documents: "Has Universal announced a release date for 'The Martian' that Wu has in his hands?"

"Not yet." Allen shook his head.

“Then let’s wait a bit longer.” Jeff’s eyes gleamed. “We’re not in a rush to finalize the deal. If his film becomes a hit, it will be double the endorsement value for *Inception*. We have some flexibility in our share allocation.”

Allen nodded, then added, "By the way, Wu said that China Film Group is also interested. In the Chinese market, they are a better fit than us. After all, our 'The Dark Knight' was rejected because we didn't understand the rules."

"We can make contact and see what the terms are!"

Warner Music responded quickly, and Wu Chen received the reply.

5% is a certainty; this is the condition Nolan negotiated for Wu Chen, one of the core scriptwriters. However, going any higher would require breaking through the boundaries of being a nominal investor, which Warner Bros. is hesitant about.

Wu Chen wasn't in a hurry. The project would take until next year just to prepare, and even if it was approved and filmed, the share of the project could be changed.

Since the beginning of August, the topic of the Olympics has been a hot topic of discussion every day, even in Hong Kong.
The first and second rehearsals went very smoothly, and all that's left is to wait for the final inspection.

Wu Chen thought for a moment. Since they were still in Hong Kong, which was very close to Foshan, he decided to go back home and then travel to Beijing together.

Meanwhile, in Foshan.

The air was hot and sticky at the end of summer, and the phoenix trees outside the courtyard wall were already turning slightly red.

Yuan Xiaoqin was standing at the kitchen door, her phone on speakerphone, picking green beans while beaming from ear to ear.

Did Sisi come with you?

"Okay, together." On the other end of the phone, Wu Chen leaned against the edge of the hotel bed, gently twirling Liu Yifei's finger in his other hand, a smile playing at the corner of his eye.

He glanced down at her and saw Liu Yifei huddled behind him like an ostrich, but her ear was pressed very close, clearly eavesdropping.

"By the way, Mom, don't cook too much food. I have to fly to Beijing early the next morning. It would be a waste if we couldn't finish it."

"Isn't Xixi going to lose weight?" Yuan Xiaoqin suddenly changed the subject.

Wu Chen was taken aback, then turned his gaze to her.

"I think it's fine, no need to lose weight."

"That's settled then. What I cook is none of your business. Don't worry about it." Yuan Xiaoqin said matter-of-factly.

As soon as the phone call ended, Liu Yifei couldn't help but burst into laughter, collapsing onto the bed.

"Hahaha, junior brother, you've finally met your match, haven't you lost face now?"

"You're so smug." Wu Chen was speechless at her laughter and could only pretend to whine and pull her into his arms.

On August 5th, the crew took a break, and Ning Hao naturally took Xing Aina back to Beijing. Watching the Olympic Games live was definitely more exciting than watching it on TV.

Wu Chen took Liu Yifei to Foshan.

Both meals were very lavish.

As evening fell, the eastern horizon was still tinged with a faint glow of sunset. A gentle breeze blew by, carrying with it the unique dampness of the south and the chirping of cicadas among the leaves.

Along the street, the walls of the old factory area are mottled and faded, but the bougainvillea on the top of the walls are in full bloom, exuding a passionate enthusiasm that seems oblivious to the world around them.

A large round table was set up in the courtyard, with a wooden board under the straw mat. A big pot of soup was bubbling on the table, and the aroma mixed with the salty smell of fresh steam wafted over.

On the round table, plates of seafood were already piled high: steamed mantis shrimp, steamed mandarin fish, blanched clams, as well as braised crab in sauce, braised pork knuckle with fermented bean paste, and oyster omelet. The table was almost completely covered, and even the bowls and chopsticks had to be placed to the side.

Wu Chen looked down at his bowl and saw that it was almost overflowing. He couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle.

"Mom, I told you we couldn't finish it, but you didn't believe me."

Yuan Xiaoqin, however, looked completely at him and put the remaining shrimp into Wu Chen's bowl without even looking up: "Isn't there you here? Eat more. It's normal for Qianqian to not eat much, she's a girl."

We're all full.

Sitting to one side, Liu Yifei couldn't help but giggle, her face beaming with undisguised joy.

"You seem to be having a good time."

"Hehe!" She smiled slightly, like a spring breeze caressing willows, or like stars twinkling in the evening wind.

Seeing this, Yuan Xiaoqin also laughed: "Qianqian is so well-behaved. She eats so politely, unlike you when you were little, you would shovel rice like you were fighting a battle."

Helpless, Wu Chen could only eat slowly, and casually asked, "By the way, Dad, has the work at the factory been arranged?"

"It's all arranged." Wu Mingyang put down his chopsticks and wiped his hands.

“Your dad will probably be selling the factory after this year,” Yuan Xiaoqin continued. “Last year, he hired a few people to do some online sales, and it did pretty well. I thought he shouldn’t work so hard, but focus on online sales, and leave some work for us. We can get some goods from old friends and do some processing. As long as we have something to do, that’s fine.”

Hearing Yuan Xiaoqin say this, Wu Chen nodded in agreement. This way, it wouldn't be too tiring, but he would still have some small tasks to do.

He knew his parents couldn't bear to leave the land where they had lived their whole lives. They knew all the neighbors in the village well, and moving would only make it lose its charm.

But when people are really idle, they can easily get bored if they stay idle for too long.

"By the way, how's Uncle Zhang's business lately?"

Wu Chen suddenly thought of Zhang Zemin. Last year, Zhang Zemin went back to his hometown early for the Spring Festival and returned late because of the snow disaster. Wu Chen had already returned to Beijing by then.

But if he remembered correctly, the other party did include small advertisements in their advertisements for "Super Girl".

"Him? He's got so many orders. The 'Super Girl' ad campaign was pretty effective, and he happens to make women's shoes," Wu Mingyang replied with a smile, adding with a touch of感慨 (gan3kai3, a feeling of deep emotion or reflection). "Your Uncle Zhang is a really reliable guy. He's been sending me a lot of orders. Last month I heard him say he's thinking of going public next year."

"We've caught a good time!" Wu Chen smiled.

He still remembered what the other party said four years ago: "Gambling on people is worse than gambling on things." Obviously, the other party did the same thing in other matters.

A person's success is never just a matter of luck.
(End of this chapter)