Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 451 Press Conference, Adapted Work
On July 1st, the air in Shanghai seemed to carry a restless heatwave.

The Shanda Literature headquarters in Zhangjiang High-Tech Park is bustling with activity.

Long red banners were hung up early on both sides of the main road in the park, the gold lettering shining brightly in the sunlight:

[Shanda Literature & Starry Pictures Strategic Cooperation Launch Conference]

In front of the main building in the center of the park, a blue and white white background board occupies the entire field of vision, with the logos of the two companies printed on it, making it particularly eye-catching.

At 9:30 a.m., the media began to arrive, and a long queue had already formed at the registration area.

Major domestic media outlets such as Southern Weekly, China Business News, Southern Metropolis Daily, Sina Entertainment, and Sohu Entertainment were all present, and several leading online literature writers were also invited to attend as guests.

The media outlets that saw the banner were all amazed.

"Oh? Starry Sky Pictures? It's Wu Chen's company?"

"I guessed wrong. I thought it was Huayi or Bona. It was really unexpected."

What is Wu Chen trying to do?

"."

In a moment of amazement, the flashbulbs started popping everywhere.

Not far from the registration area, Chen Tianqiao and Wu Chen were making final preparations in the VIP room. The two sat side by side on the sofa, with a red-covered agreement in front of them.

And sitting next to him were Shanda Literature's right-hand men.

Hou Xiaoqiang, CEO of Shanda Literature, and Wu Wenhui, President of Shanda Literature and Chairman of Qidian.com.

Hou Xiaoqiang warmly welcomed Wu Chen's arrival, as could be seen from the details of their handshake.

Wu Wenhui's face didn't reveal anything, but Wu Chen could sense that he was experiencing some complex and conflicted emotions.

This is actually a drawback of Shanda Literature's system.

Qidian.com, founded by Wu Wenhui, is now largely untapped within the Shanda Group system, except for making money from selling ebooks.

The derivative copyrights, wireless rights, and operational rights of third-party collaborations for the novels are not held by Qidian itself.

It just so happens that Wu Chen is here to collaborate with Shanda on film and television adaptations.

Aside from seeing Qidian go public, adapting his work into a film or television series has always been his pursuit, but now it doesn't seem to have much to do with Qidian anymore.
At this moment, Chen Tianqiao looked much more relaxed than before, and said with a light laugh, "Director Wu, you'll have to handle a few more questions today. The media outside are definitely looking at you more eagerly than they're looking at me."

Wu Chen chuckled and waved his hand, saying, "Mr. Chen is too modest. A few years ago, all the financial media in China wanted to follow Mr. Chen around every day."

Actually, we're all just supporting characters today; the main focus of the press conference is the works under Shanda Literature.

"Haha, that makes sense!" Chen Tianqiao laughed loudly upon hearing this, and Hou Xiaoqiang and Wu Wenhui also nodded with smiles.

Meanwhile, financial and entertainment news outlets had already released breaking news, announcing Shanda Literature's strategic partner for this collaboration.

The major production companies were somewhat surprised, seemingly not expecting this.

Meanwhile, at Tangren Media, Cai Yinong looked at the report with a worried expression.

"How did I end up with Wu Chen?"

If we're talking about who has the best vision in the industry, it has to be Wu Chen. And coincidentally, Xingchen Pictures achieved a resounding success in its first TV drama this year.

It's obvious to everyone that Starry Night Pictures can't just stop at film production; getting involved in TV series is almost inevitable.

Just as the industry was still buzzing with discussion, at the VIP room entrance inside Shanda Literature's headquarters, an assistant gently knocked on the door and reminded them:

"President Chen, Director Wu, President Hou, President Wu, it's almost 10 o'clock, you can enter now."

The four of them stood up at the same time and walked towards the press conference venue.

The main venue was set up in the central hall of Shanda Literature Park. The hall was packed, and dozens of cameras and flashlights were pointed at the entrance, making the venue as bright as day.

As Wu Chen and Chen Tianqiao appeared side by side, all eyes immediately turned to the two of them.

"I'm coming!"

"Quick, take a picture!" The room instantly erupted in whispers and chatter.

Wu Chen was dressed a bit more formally today, with his shirt collar slightly open and a hint of indifference in his eyes.
After a brief introduction by the host, the four people took their seats.

Chen Tianqiao spoke first, standing in front of the podium, steadily scanning the media, and said in a deep voice:

"Today, Shanda Literature and Starry Pictures launched a strategic cooperation, which is not only a business alliance, but also a comprehensive integration of content and film and television. This marks Shanda Literature's official entry into the era of 'IP film and television adaptation'."
As a leading private film and television company, Starry Pictures has produced many works that have made history in the Chinese film and television industry. It is believed that the strong alliance between Shanda Literature and Starry Pictures will jointly create a new era for China's IP industry.

Within five years, we will adapt one online novel into a TV series and one into a movie, creating high-quality film and television works.

As soon as he said this, applause erupted from the audience, and flashbulbs popped incessantly.

"Shanda Literature is serious this time, with both TV series and movies."

"Starry Night Pictures' TV series and movies, that's quite something."

"The valuation is going to rise, it's going to rise! I wonder if Starry Night Pictures has invested in Shanda Literature?"

"This was definitely discussed privately. Unless it's an IPO, who would announce it publicly? But if it's a fundraising round, investors might find out."

"."

The financial and entertainment media in the audience each had their own thoughts and were whispering among themselves.

"Please be quiet, everyone. Now, please welcome Mr. Wu Chen, Chairman of Starry Night Pictures, to the stage."

After a slight gesture, the host handed the microphone to Wu Chen, who stood on the stage, his voice as calm as ever:
"Shanda Literature, as a leading enterprise in China's online literature industry, has an extremely rich content reserve, which is the point that Starry Pictures values ​​most."

In the future, we will integrate the production model of the film and television industry to adapt these IPs into films and television series. Of course, we will also give full respect to the authors, allowing each IP to shine in its own way.

Wu Chen paused slightly, looked around, and added, "Success in the content industry requires patience and respect. The road ahead is long, and we need the support of everyone here and the media. Thank you all."

The audience erupted in enthusiastic applause once again, bringing the atmosphere to a climax.

Next came the signing ceremony. Chen Tianqiao and Wu Chen stood up at the same time and, led by staff, stood in front of the signing table. Cameras quickly captured their every move.

Chen Tianqiao picked up a pen and signed his name with a flourish. Wu Chen followed suit, his expression focused and serious. The two exchanged documents, shook hands, and posed for a photo.

The flashbulbs went off wildly, igniting the atmosphere in the venue.

Once the media interview session began, reporters eagerly raised their hands to ask questions. A female reporter from *First Financial Daily* picked up the microphone, stood up, and began to speak:
"I would like to ask Shanda Literature's decision-making team about this."

Hou Xiaoqiang and Wu Wenhui took the microphone.

"President Hou, President Wu, Shanda Literature, as one of the platforms with the richest original literature resources in China, undoubtedly possesses a tremendous content advantage."

However, as is well known, film and television production and literature are two completely different systems. Shanda had almost no prior experience in the film and television field, and the challenges in screenwriting, directing, and acting were enormous.

She paused, her tone calm yet each sentence hitting the nail on the head, "How do you view the shortcomings of Shanda Literature in its transformation into a film and television company? And does this collaboration with Starry Night Pictures signify that Shanda Literature has chosen a more pragmatic path?"

The whole place fell silent.

Hou Xiaoqiang nodded with a smile:

“You are absolutely right. We do come from a content creation background and know the weight of the saying ‘a trade is like a mountain.’”

In the past two years, we've tried collaborating with TV stations and considered independent investment, but we've always realized that without professional guidance, a good story alone is far from enough.

He glanced at Wu Chen, who was seated beside him, and said, "Our collaboration with Xingchen this time was the result of utmost caution. Xingchen Pictures is currently the most mature film and television company in the industry in terms of content understanding, visual presentation, and industrial execution."

We provide the soil, Xingchen Pictures plants the trees, and finally, the fruit ripens. Director Wu has personally selected several novels, and I believe everyone will soon see the results.

This response was very professional, with each point logically connected, and it ended with a big surprise for everyone.

The audience burst into applause, along with an overwhelming sense of excitement.

Sina Entertainment then secured the interview opportunity and quickly followed up with questions:
"Director Wu, I heard that President Hou said you personally selected the first batch of adaptations. Would you mind revealing a few book titles?"

Wu Chen, holding the microphone, smiled and nodded: "The first batch of names was actually decided by the teams of Shanda Literature and Xingchen Pictures after repeated discussions. I just did some screening."

Works such as *Ghost Blows Out the Light*, *Scarlet Heart*, and *Nirvana in Fire* all possess, in our view, extremely high potential for film and television adaptation.

(End of this chapter)