Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 636 So, after all that, they were waiting for me here!

Wu Chen was unaware of the specific outcome of the Shanda Literature meeting, but Wu Wenhui still called the next day.

One of the founders of Shanda Literature spoke with a hint of profound meaning.

“Mr. Wu, yesterday the people from Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch were very optimistic about the prospects of adapting IPs into films and television.” Wu Wenhui smiled on the phone. “At yesterday’s meeting, they repeatedly mentioned you and Starry Night Pictures.”

"If you had come in person yesterday, the talks might have gone much better."

"It's not that Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch value it, but rather the US stock market investors behind them."

Wu Chen saw it very clearly.

As underwriters, Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch naturally had to cater to market tastes.

However, this emphasis is based on expectations.

"Even if I go there in person, if I can't come up with a legally binding development agreement that will be deeply tied to the next five to ten years, it will just be an empty promise and meaningless."

This might actually make them think that Shanda Literature's own business model has problems and that it needs external "stimulants" to maintain its valuation.

“No wonder the Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch representatives didn’t seem satisfied with the meeting’s outcome.” Wu Wenhui’s voice carried a hint of worry, as if he were talking to Wu Chen, or perhaps to himself. “It seems that after submitting the IPO application next month, it’s really uncertain whether anyone will be willing to buy it.”

Wu Chen did not respond.

The internal struggles within Shanda Literature are now becoming increasingly fierce.

Even though he rarely inquired about the specifics of the grand event, he could occasionally hear some rumors from the outside world.

This kind of internal strife is extremely fatal for a company that is about to go public.

……

On the other hand, "Warring States" has completely fallen apart.

Not only did it suffer a double blow in terms of both domestic reputation and box office, but it also met with a Waterloo in the North American market.

After the film's North American distributor, China Lion Films, completely abandoned its involvement after the film's dismal opening weekend box office performance of less than $100,000, and directly gave up on subsequent screenings and promotion.

Lu Zheng was extremely agitated.

The current situation is that after the people inside finish laughing, the people outside start laughing too.

Even the upcoming film "Guan Yun Chang" took a jab at them during its promotion. Donnie Yen pointedly stated at the press conference, "Our film will absolutely not be like that big-budget film that claims to have an investment of 1.5 million yuan, which fabricates history."
This is practically rubbing his face into the ground.

Jing Tian has recently been subjected to severe criticism from netizens.

The labels of "Queen of Bad Movies" and "Box Office Poison" have been firmly attached to her.
Thinking about it this way, Lu Zheng's frustration didn't subside.

Walking down the corridor of Wanda headquarters, he had a dark expression the whole way, ignoring even the greetings from people next to him, until Zhang Lin's voice rang out behind him.

"Chairman Lu, what's wrong? Why are you in such a bad mood?"

As soon as Zhang Lin finished speaking, he wanted to slap himself.

Damn, what a question! It's like hitting a sore spot. They didn't even think before they spoke.

Lu Zheng stopped, turned around, and glanced at Zhang Lin with a dark expression. He didn't seem to mind too much, but said irritably, "What else could it be..."

"Oh, Mr. Lu, it's no big deal," Zhang Lin quickly laughed and comforted him. "Movies have their ups and downs, it's perfectly normal."

In this industry, apart from Director Wu's Starry Night Pictures, which company hasn't lost money on a few films?

His words of comfort, though seemingly unintentional, caught Lu Zheng's eye.

He rolled his eyes and immediately set his sights on Zhang Lin.

"Speaking of Director Wu, you heard about the news about 'Ghost Blows Out the Light' the other day, right, Mr. Zhang? How's it going? Did you manage to secure the rights?"

“Um…” Zhang Lin didn’t expect him to ask this. He hesitated for a moment and said, “I’m still considering it. You know, this is the last film left of the agreement between Director Wu and Wanda Pictures.”

"Old Zhang, I'm not trying to be mean," Lu Zheng immediately adopted a serious tone, leaned closer, and lowered his voice.

"You can't keep hesitating like this. Being so concerned with short-term gains and losses makes it easy for people to think that Wanda Pictures only cares about immediate profits. Do you mean that after these three collaborations with Xingchen, you'll never work with them again?"
Think about it, even if Starry Sky's movies lose money, how much can they really lose?
Even if we take a step back and assume we actually lose money, that would actually be a good thing! What does that mean? It means that Wanda Pictures is someone who can stand shoulder to shoulder with Xingchen, someone who can fight alongside us in the same trench!
We're all in the same circle; with this friendship intact, are we worried about not having opportunities to collaborate in the future?

Lu Zheng's words were reasonable and insightful, sounding like heartfelt advice.

At least that's what Zhang Lin thought after hearing it.

He suddenly realized, slapped his forehead, and exclaimed, "Chairman Lu, what you said... makes sense!"

"Right!" Seeing that he had taken the bait, Lu Zheng immediately pressed his advantage and revealed his true intentions. "So, you need to finalize this project as soon as possible."

"We've reached an agreement. Could you take a look and, while you're at it, mention to Director Wu the possibility of giving Tian Tian a female role... It doesn't have to be too important, just a minor one."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Lin's expression froze instantly, and he was speechless.

So this is what they were waiting for me all along!

“This…this isn’t appropriate, Chairman Lu.” Zhang Lin looked troubled. “When working with Director Wu, we never interfere with casting. That’s the rule.”

"Hey, Lao Zhang, just mention it! Just say it's my idea, it's not like you have to make a decision." Lu Zheng started to coax and plead.

Left with no other choice, Zhang Lin finally relented.

After all, Lu Zheng had indeed helped him a lot before, and now that Lu Zheng had come to him for help, if he refused outright, the relationship would be ruined.

"Alright... I'll mention it to Director Wu later. But I can't guarantee it will work out."

"That's great!" Lu Zheng immediately felt hopeful and warmly put his arm around his shoulder. "Let's have dinner together tonight!"

"However, Director Wu said that this project might not start so soon..." Zhang Lin still reminded him.

"It's alright! It's alright!" Lu Zheng waved his hands repeatedly.

……

The filming location of "The Warmest Thirty Days of My Life" in Shanghai.

The film crew had moved to a quiet roadside. It was late at night, and the streetlights cast a warm glow.

The film crew is busy setting up the scene, preparing to shoot a scene where the male and female leads meet.

Since Ning Hao was still there, Wu Chen simply let him sit behind the monitor and act as the assistant director, while he himself devoted himself entirely to the performance.

This scene marks the first time Shen Shi'an and Lin Zhiyao officially meet in the light after their unusual encounter in a "dark restaurant."

"Is everything ready?" Ning Hao, sitting behind the monitor, called out with an air of importance, "Action!"

At the restaurant entrance, Shen Shi'an, played by Wu Chen, was already waiting there.

He was wearing a simple white shirt, his expression a mixture of anticipation and barely perceptible nervousness. He kept glancing at his watch and then at the restaurant entrance.

Finally, the door opened.

Lin Zhiyao, played by Liu Yifei, walked out, wearing an elegant dress, with a hint of curiosity and shyness on her face.

When her gaze met Shen Shi'an's, both of them were stunned.

In the darkness, they chatted very congenially, and both developed feelings for the person they could only hear but not see.

At this moment, under the lights, when the imagined silhouette overlapped with the real face, a wonderful chemical reaction quickly spread between the two.

“You… are more… than I imagined…” Shen Shi’an, played by Wu Chen, seemed somewhat incoherent, with a slightly silly but sincere smile on his face.

"You too."

Lin Zhiyao, played by Liu Yifei, was amused by his clumsy appearance, and her eyes curved into crescents. However, she also tripped slightly when going down the steps.

Their smiling gazes held an unforgettable quality to their encounter.
This is, of course, the revised version of Wu Chen's lines;
But the clumsy visuals made Ning Hao, sitting behind the monitor, stroke his chin and mutter:

"It's quite an interesting story... It's certainly suitable as a memento."

(End of this chapter)