Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 480 Promise of All Premiums
From the top floor of Wanda's headquarters, one can overlook Beijing through huge floor-to-ceiling windows, where the morning sunlight refracts into shimmering patterns on the glass.

While Wang Jianlin was sizing up Wu Chen, Wu Chen was also carefully observing the Wanda Group leader opposite him.

At this time, Wang Jianlin was not yet the hunched old man who would later be overwhelmed by debt and miserably sell assets to pay off his debts. On the contrary, he was in high spirits and in his prime.

Indeed, wealth and status are the best beauty products and the best medicine to resist the erosion of time.

"Mr. Wu, welcome to Wanda Group."

Wang Jianlin's voice wasn't loud, but he pronounced each word very clearly, with the ruggedness and crispness unique to soldiers. His voice wasn't much different from when he sang "West Sea Love Song" later.

The two shook hands, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then sat down.

After exchanging pleasantries, Wu Chen slowly got to the point:
"Chairman Wang, to be honest, I'm quite surprised. I didn't expect you to personally oversee the progress of Wanda's cultural sector."

He was somewhat surprised.

Although Wanda Cultural Industry Group has expanded rapidly, its share of the overall Wanda Group's revenue has not yet fully increased.

The real estate market is indeed incomparable to the film and television industry.

"I can't stand it, the progress is too slow," Wang Jianlin waved his hand, his tone clearly showing his dissatisfaction.
"In my expectations, Wanda Pictures would invest at least tens of millions, if not hundreds of millions, of yuan, but so far, they haven't produced a single product."

Wu Chen smiled inwardly upon hearing this.

Wanda may be ambitious, but the current film industry environment, with directors' salaries and production costs not yet experiencing explosive growth, means that no matter how much money Wanda has, it won't make a splash.

Moreover, Wanda is a relatively new player in the film and television production industry, with very limited connections and resources.

Wanda Pictures will have to wait two years to truly achieve its goals.

Wang Jianlin then looked at Wu Chen, his tone quite serious:
"Mr. Wu, does Starry Sky Pictures really have no plans to go public? Huayi Brothers is about to go public, and it has created a large number of billionaires."

Wanda has abundant resources and distribution channels. Whether it's A-shares, Hong Kong stocks, or even Nasdaq, as long as you give the nod, Wanda can lend you a helping hand.

Wang Jianlin is very direct; he either uses money to bribe people or gets everyone to join forces, which is how cooperation can be achieved.

"Let's not consider it for now," Wu Chen said with a smile and a shake of his head.

In fact, Wu Chen is not against capital operation, but as the creative parent company, Star Pictures will never allow external capital to intervene. After all, once listed, financial reports will be made public and capital will intervene, which will inevitably limit creative autonomy.

However, listing and raising funds through its subsidiary specializing in film services and special effects is worth considering. After all, capital operations are a double-edged sword; if used well, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.
Wang Jianlin frowned and then proposed several more cooperation ideas, but Wu Chen remained indifferent and unmoved.

This left him somewhat unsure of Wu Chen's true thoughts.

"Chairman Wang, cooperation isn't actually that complicated. How many films does Wanda want to collaborate on?"

Wang Jianlin pondered for a moment, then looked up and decisively said:

"Mr. Wu, it's not interesting to cooperate on too few projects. We might not even use up 100 million. If you ask me, how about we sign contracts for five movies in one go?"
I noticed you recently signed a new director and are adapting a short story. Wanda is willing to invest in these projects, offering a 50% premium. Isn't that enough of a show of sincerity?

Upon hearing this, Wu Chen couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head:
"Chairman Wang, five movies are a bit too many. How about three? Trust me, with these three movies, Wanda Media will definitely be able to establish itself."

"Three parts."

Wang Jianlin was not particularly satisfied with the result, especially after reviewing the report on Xingchen Pictures. He wanted to negotiate for more films so that Wanda Media's reputation could be truly established, instead of having a big name but no films to invest in.
If they were to foolishly throw money around like that, people in the film industry would probably laugh themselves silly.
Seeing that Wu Chen's attitude was firm and unmoved, they could only reluctantly agree.

Seeing that Wang Jianlin agreed, Wu Chen slowly said, "Chairman Wang, I only have two requests!"

"Please proceed." "First, Wanda Cinemas must allocate sufficient screenings to films primarily controlled by Xingchen Pictures."

"No problem, that's for sure, it's a win-win situation for everyone."

"Secondly, I need a promise from Chairman Wang."

As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Jianlin's eyes became more wary, as if he was worried that Wu Chen's request was too difficult.

“Don’t be nervous, Chairman Wang,” Wu Chen smiled when he saw his expression. “It’s about the cultural group.”

I believe Wanda will definitely make significant moves in the cultural industry in the future, and Starry Night Pictures might need Wanda's help someday. At that time, I hope that, all things considered, Chairman Wang will give Starry Night Pictures priority.”

Wang Jianlin breathed a sigh of relief, his expression relaxed, and he even joked, "I thought you had your eye on real estate projects. They're all deals worth billions, so it's hard to make any promises."

“I’m not getting involved in real estate,” Wu Chen waved his hand. “Cooperation in the cultural industry is enough.”

“Alright,” Wang Jianlin frowned again, “but what if Starry Night Pictures never has this need?”

"Then consider it a favor to Wanda," Wu Chen said with a faint smile, appearing nonchalant.

Wang Jianlin's heart skipped a beat, and his resentment towards Wang Sicong, who was currently chasing after girls, deepened even further.

The difference is stark in comparison.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel a little frustrated. He leaned back in his chair and sighed, "Sigh, if my good-for-nothing son were even half as capable as Mr. Wu, I wouldn't have to worry about him so much every day."

It's said that once you reach a certain age, the competition shifts to the next generation. His son hasn't really brought him any prestige in the industry, though he hasn't embarrassed himself yet either; he's just been average.

Wu Chen smiled but remained silent.

It's perfectly normal for young people to love having fun and chasing girls; Wang Jianlin's statement was more of an exclamation.

"By the way, Mr. Wu, I heard from Zhang Lin and Ye Ning that your company is very good at cultivating new directors. I was thinking that it's not right for Wanda Film Media to not have a dedicated director."

“Chairman Wang, how about this,” Wu Chen paused, “If I come across someone with potential who is a good fit for Wanda, I will recommend them to Wanda Pictures. If we can work together, that would be great. But Star Pictures has the right to co-invest in the films they produce!”

"Ok, Ok!"

Accepting the invitation was already half the battle won in terms of cooperation, and the negotiations are going quite smoothly.

After the discussions concluded and a simple lunch was held, Wu Chen took his leave.

Not long after Wu Chen left, Wang Jianlin called Zhang Lin in and discussed the details of the cooperation.

Zhang Lin's face lit up with joy.

Under these circumstances, Wanda Film & Media is finally getting back on track.

"Chairman Wang, you and General Manager Wu were talking about a 50% premium for the two films, then..."

Wang Jianlin interrupted directly, saying with great magnanimity, "Well, let's all pay a 50% premium. Let's be generous; this amount of money is nothing. The key is to cooperate and open up new opportunities!"

Then Wang Jianlin waved for him to leave, and took out his phone to call Wang Sicong.

As soon as the call connected, Wang Sicong's indistinct voice could be heard, indicating that he had not yet gotten up.

Wang Jianlin was immediately enraged and began to berate his son, his voice echoing throughout the office with his disappointed and disapproving tone.
(End of this chapter)