It's reasonable for me to be a three-time Golden Horse Award-winning director and an all-around

Chapter 261 The three giants of animation are all gathered! The landscape of the Eastern Disney is taking shape! (Seeking monthly votes)
"This one is yours, and this book is yours."

In the office, Lü Rui concisely handed two neatly bound scripts to Zhao Peng and Rao Xiaozhi respectively.

"Reversal of Fortune?"

Zhao Peng stared at the four big characters on the script cover and eagerly flipped to the first page.

As can be seen from the outline, this is a fantasy romance story.

The protagonist, Dai Wenjie, is an "old baby" who defies the laws of nature. At birth, he looks like an old man, but he grows younger and younger as he lives.

During this process of reverse aging, he encountered all sorts of people and fell in love with his childhood friend.

However, their reversible physiological characteristics became an insurmountable chasm between them, and ultimately, as he grew younger, they had no choice but to part ways...

This is a script that Lü Rui meticulously translated and adapted into Chinese after acquiring the rights to "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button".

He originally planned to direct it himself, but after thinking about it carefully, he felt that it was not challenging enough, so he simply used it to train Zhao Peng instead.

He doesn't plan to collaborate with Hollywood on this film.

From filming and production to facial expression capture systems and special effects makeup, and even post-production CG technology, he plans to have everything handled by Ruishijie's own team.

A person needs to go through trials and tribulations to grow.

Similarly, the same applies to perfecting a top-notch post-production team.

The later stages of this project were just the right level of difficulty—challenging, but not as extremely difficult as Pacific Rim.

In addition, during the filming of "Pacific Rim," Lü Rui had been intentionally training Zhao Peng's ability to handle big-budget films.

This kid is quite talented; he learns pretty quickly.

Therefore, it's a good opportunity to see if he can withstand the pressure and successfully complete the medium-sized production project, "Reversal of Life".

At this moment, Zhao Peng was holding the script, becoming more and more engrossed in reading it, his eyes fixed on it, clearly captivated by the story.

His mind is currently filled with Dai Wenjie's fantastical journey of defying aging, and he doesn't have time to think too much about the filming details. He just feels that the story is full of tension.

The protagonist's life timeline reverses, and even though he looks younger and younger, he can't escape the fate of life passing away.

Different life trajectories, yet they all point to the same destination.

This wonderful contrast with his surroundings and the people around him made him find it more and more interesting the more he thought about it.

"Brother Rui, how did you come up with such a brilliant story? That's amazing!"

After skimming through the script, Zhao Peng looked up at Lü Rui, his tone full of admiration.

His wildly imaginative thinking is simply beyond his reach!

“This story is based on a novel,” Lu Rui reminded him with a smile, handing him an all-English book. “Go back and read it carefully. Don’t rush into preparations. Wait until you fully understand the core of the story before you start.”

"Okay, I understand!"

Zhao Peng nodded solemnly, took the original novel and the script, and turned to leave.

He can be considered a pioneer of the visionary industry, and he knows what the process and arrangements are after receiving the script.

In contrast, Rao Xiaozhi stood there dumbfounded, holding the script, looking somewhat at a loss.

The script that Lü Rui gave him was adapted from the classic South Korean action crime film "The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil".

The story tells of a mob boss who escapes a serial killer attack and becomes the sole survivor and witness. He then teams up with the major crimes unit police and eventually finds the killer.

The original film starred South Korean actor Ma Dong-seok.

Strictly speaking, this guy isn't a native South Korean; he's a Korean-American who just works in the South Korean entertainment industry.

When "The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil" was released, his portrayal of a domineering and masculine gangster boss earned him the title of "the last real man in South Korea" from various media outlets!
This film is the second surprise that Lui Yui has given to the Hong Kong film industry after "Ip Man".

In his eyes, the Hong Kong film industry has long since become a training ground for new directors in his company to hone their skills and level up.

Following Lu Yang, Rao Xiaozhi will also enter the "newbie village" and complete his transformation from a novice to a mature director there.

Of course, another major reason is that films like "The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil" can only be filmed in Hong Kong and then imported to the mainland for simultaneous release as co-productions.

If it were placed in the mainland market, it probably wouldn't even pass the review.

"Have you finished reading the script? Any questions?" Lu Rui asked.

"No...no problem! It's great!" Rao Xiaozhi was so excited that he stammered, "Brother Rui, the main problem is that I've never seriously directed a movie before, so I don't know how to proceed from here..."

"Oh, that's easy." Lü Rui picked up his phone, dialed Lu Yang's number, and called him over.

"Brother Rui, is there something you need?"

Lu Yang had just sent the project proposal for "Ip Man" to Yinghuang and was waiting for them to send someone over to negotiate.

Upon receiving Lü Rui's call, he didn't wait any longer and rushed over immediately.

“I’d like to ask you for a favor.” Lu Rui patted Rao Xiaozhi on the shoulder. “I’m planning to have him go to Hong Kong to make a movie. Could you please mentor him and share your experience with him?”

"No problem, this is a piece of cake!" Lu Yang readily agreed.

He's not the kind of person who doesn't know how to repay kindness.

If Lü Rui wants him to help train new talent for the company, he will definitely agree without hesitation.

"Brother Yang, then I'll have to trouble you with the rest!" Rao Xiaozhi quickly thanked him.

He wasn't the kind of person who lacked common sense; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to enter Ruishijie through his connection with Jiang Wen.

To be precise, no one who can be a director is incompetent.

Domestic directors, in particular, have to coordinate all the affairs of the crew during filming.

It requires coordinating with investors, controlling the filming schedule, guiding actors' performances, balancing art and commerce, dealing with emergencies, and calming the team's emotions. Each of these tasks demands extremely high emotional intelligence and IQ.

Even the controversial Lu Chuan actually has some abilities.

He's just wicked, has a skewed stance, loves to cry and fawn over the Japanese, and is all talk and no action... that's all.

In terms of sheer persuasive skills, he's quite adept.

It's worth noting that while he didn't secure the majority of the investment for "Nanjing! Nanjing!", he managed to persuade a small portion of it through his persuasive skills.

"Alright, you two go ahead and get busy. Just bring me the project proposal when it's finished."

Lu Rui waved his hand, dismissing Lu Yang and Rao Xiaozhi.

The preparation of a film involves more than just the script; the subsequent processes are extremely complex.

The process involves assembling a core creative team, calculating investment costs, writing project proposals, auditioning and selecting actors, filing and approving the script, conducting preliminary location scouting, developing detailed shooting plans, and procuring props and costumes...

The entire process takes at least one or two months, which is thanks to the solid foundation of Ruishijie.

Fortunately, Lü Rui has been backed by the Beijing Film Academy for many years, constantly recruiting talent from his alma mater to supplement his team.

Otherwise, the trivial matters of the preliminary preparations alone would be enough to overwhelm him.

Now that his subordinates are capable of handling things independently, he can finally relax and become a hands-off manager.

I handed the script over to Zhao Peng, Lu Yang, Shen Ao, Rao Xiaozhi, and others, letting them get busy with their own tasks. All I needed to do was keep an eye on the overall direction and ensure the project didn't go astray.

~

That afternoon, Lü Rui went to Ruiyue Animation.

The purpose of this trip was not to check on the production progress of "Kung Fu Panda", but to welcome the newly appointed CEO.

After multiple rounds of negotiations, Hou Hongliang, with the lure of high salaries, the promise of full autonomy, and his persuasive skills, finally managed to poach Ding Liang, who was originally the deputy general manager of Fantawild, to join Ruiyue Animation.

Ding Liang, who just turned 39 this year, wears square-framed glasses, has a slender figure, and looks refined and gentle, exuding an elegant business aura.

Lu Rui met him formally in the conference room, while Hou Hongliang and Tian Xiaopeng accompanied him.

He had already communicated with Tian Xiaopeng about finding a person in charge for Ruiyue Animation, and the other party agreed very readily.

The main reason is that Tian Xiaopeng himself is well aware that although he is good at animation technology and creation, he is capable but not enthusiastic about company management.

Especially as Lü Rui gradually increases his investment in the animation field, Ruiyue Animation not only needs to advance its own projects, but also needs to coordinate resources and connect with other companies in the industry...

These complicated tasks made it difficult for him to focus on his creative work.

Now that Ding Liang has joined the company, he will be fully responsible for the overall management of the business, and Tian Xiaopeng can finally unload his management burden and devote himself to the production of "Kung Fu Panda".

What pleased him even more was that although his position changed from a management role to a creative role, his compensation remained unchanged.

Moreover, Lü Rui entrusted him with full responsibility for the animated film business and helped him clarify the direction of future work, which made him extremely happy.

"Mr. Ding, welcome to Ruiyue Animation."

In the conference room, Lü Rui extended his hand, speaking in a friendly and gentle tone.

Seeing this, Ding Liang quickly stepped forward, shook hands, and said with a sincere smile, "Chairman Lü, you're too kind. It's my honor to join Ruiyue Animation."

While exchanging pleasantries, he could hardly hide his feelings of admiration and amazement.

The face in front of me, though clearly only in its twenties, exudes a calm and composed demeanor.

What surprised him even more was that, despite his young age, Lü Rui had already achieved many accomplishments in the film and animation fields that were difficult for others to reach. Truly, heroes emerge from among the young!

In fact, Ding Liang did hesitate when he received Hou Hongliang's invitation.

Having served as deputy general manager at Fantawild for many years, he was already accustomed to the mature operating system.

But Lu Rui's personal experience and future development plans eventually won him over.

Looking at the domestic animation market today, most of it is still focused on animation for young children, with limited themes and rigid formats.

However, Lü Rui dared to take a different approach, leading the production of works like "Qin's Moon" that combine historical depth with youthful expression, and even daring to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to collaborate with Hollywood on animated films like "Kung Fu Panda".

This courage to step out of one's comfort zone, as well as the reverence and ambition for the art of animation, resonated deeply with Ding Liang, who also harbors ideals!

What impressed him even more was the alignment of their philosophies. During their initial communication, he proposed a full-chain expansion path for the IP, such as extending from animation content to multiple dimensions like merchandise, offline experiences, and game development. He expected to be met with skepticism, as this was considered quite bold in the domestic animation industry at the time.

But Lu Rui didn't even meet him in person. He expressed his agreement over the phone and promised to give him plenty of resources so that he could go ahead and do it!

This respect for professionalism and foresight for long-term planning became the last straw that broke his hesitation, and made him finally decide to leave his comfort zone and embark on a new journey for Ruiyue Animation!
...

After exchanging pleasantries, everyone took their seats and began an in-depth discussion about the future development of Ruiyue Animation.

Lu Rui spoke first, mentioning the planning proposal Ding Liang submitted before joining the company: "I highly approve of Mr. Ding's theme park IP expansion plan, and it is worth promoting vigorously."

"Thank you for your trust, Chairman Lü." Ding Liang expressed his gratitude again, unable to hide his excitement.

He had actually mentioned this plan several times within Fantawild, but it was delayed in being implemented because the board of directors was worried about losses.

Just when he was feeling disheartened, Lü Rui's offer gave him hope of realizing his ambitions, which was one of the core reasons why he chose to switch jobs.

"Here, I can tell you the truth: you can use all of Ruiyue Animation's resources at your leisure."

Lü Rui spoke with certainty, listing them one by one:

"You can arrange and coordinate the usage rights of all animation IPs, including 'Qin's Moon,' 'GG Bond,' 'Jelly Three Musketeers,' 'Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf,' 'Spicy Little Couple,' and 'Super Beast Force'..."

Thanks to years of continuous investment, he has already completed the integration of the IPs of the many animation companies he has invested in.

Even if he were to immediately push forward with the theme park project, he would have more than enough IP reserves.

Ding Liang's eyes lit up when he heard this!
Look at their IP resource library, and then look at Fantawild – it's like comparing heaven and earth!
In particular, the two phenomenal IPs, "GG Bond" and "Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf," have extremely strong brand awareness and market influence.

If they could be integrated into the same amusement park system, they would definitely become a dream paradise for children.

Of course, he didn't forget the most important IP either.

"Mr. Lü, can we have full authority over the subsequent IP development of 'Kung Fu Panda'?"

This is, after all, a Sino-foreign co-production animated film, and Ding Liang is worried that it might cause disputes with Hollywood.
He was all too aware of the troubles of cross-border lawsuits.

Just like Mickey Mouse, if anyone dares to steal it, Disney will immediately turn into a mad dog and bite them relentlessly.

"You can use this with confidence. I have the final say on the development rights for the Kung Fu Panda IP."

Lu Rui smiled confidently. Both companies were his businesses, so there was no issue of competing for intellectual property.

Ding Liang breathed a sigh of relief, then pressed on, "Regarding the location of the amusement park..."

"I have a piece of land in Huairou. I'll take you to see it tomorrow, and we can plan it out on-site."

Currently, the Ruixing Group's industrial park is under construction.

Apart from a few office buildings and the headquarters of Ruixing Cinema's flagship store, the remaining space is more than enough to accommodate the headquarters of Ruiyue Animation Park.

This headquarters happens to be located next to Ruiyue Animation's office building.

If there are any new plans in the future, they can be piloted here first, and then gradually rolled out.

"Land?" Ding Liang was overjoyed. "That's wonderful!"

It's important to understand that owning your own land is crucial for long-term development and is far more reliable than leasing a site.

Renting is absolutely not an option; if any problems arise later, there will inevitably be disputes.

Relocation is not something that can be done with just a few words.

Subsequently, the two began to develop more detailed plans regarding the site selection.

Lu Rui added, "If there are any expansion plans later, we can communicate with Harbin..."

He believes that if he goes back and says he wants to build a Ruiyue Animation Park next to the Ice and Snow World, his hometown will definitely welcome him with open arms.

It's no exaggeration to say that wherever such a theme park plan could develop local tourism, the authorities would not refuse it.

Just like Wanda, which is currently expanding rapidly, it is a hot commodity in the eyes of local governments wherever it goes.

Ding Liang nodded repeatedly, his resolve growing stronger.

Although Ruiyue Animation is not as powerful as Fantawild Holdings, it has the advantage of efficient decision-making, rich IP reserves, and, more importantly, Lu Rui's willingness to delegate authority, allowing it to unleash its potential without being constrained by cumbersome processes and conservative decision-making.

This will undoubtedly make future development smoother.

Of course, he was also aware that the theme park plan was a long-term endeavor and that it would be difficult to see results in the short term, so he also prepared some projects that could be implemented in the short term.

As a manager who also serves as a director, Ding Liang is fascinated by 2D, 3D, and special effects film technologies.

In addition, he also has a very special ability.

For example, if he dreams of an interesting idea at night, he can turn it into animated content the next day.

After having access to the preparatory materials for "Kung Fu Panda" and the character design for Po, he dreamed of a story about two bear brothers protecting the forest and fighting against loggers. He even wrote it into a script and brought it to Ruiyue Animation.

When he handed the script to Lü Rui, Lü Rui was completely dumbfounded by the setting of "two bear brothers", "protecting the forest" and "loggers"!
Isn't this the prototype of the later wildly popular "Boonie Bears" animation?

"Chairman Lü, what do you think of this animation project? Is it feasible to proceed?"

Ding Liang's voice brought Lü Rui back to reality.

After a moment of realization, he immediately made a decision: "Do it! We must do it!"

At this moment, he could hardly contain his joy!
First, he acquired "GG Bond," then he invested in "Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf," and now Ding Liang has brought us "Boonie Bears."

Good guy!
Now the three giants of animation are all gathered?
In addition, there are plans to further develop IP and theme parks...

His dream of creating an "Oriental Disney" is just around the corner!

~

The next morning, Lü Rui took Ding Liang straight to the Ruixing Group's industrial park in Huairou.

Standing in front of a wide-open space, he raised his hand to mark the area: "Right here, next to the animation office building. If there are any new plans, this place can also serve as a pilot site."

Ding Liang took out the blueprints and carefully compared them, nodding frequently.

Then he made a new suggestion: "Chairman Lü, I suggest that the prop and toy factory and derivative product production line supporting the park be moved to Tianjin, instead of the capital."

Lu Rui raised an eyebrow: "Oh? Why?"

"It's very simple. The capital city is the core, focusing on headquarters economy, cultural creativity and high-end services. The land cost and labor cost are frighteningly high. Building factories is too uneconomical and is easily subject to environmental protection and production capacity policies."

Tianjin is different. It is a port city with a strong manufacturing base and the policy benefits of several new districts. Its land and labor costs are more than 30% lower than those in the capital, making it a perfect place to absorb the spillover of industries from the capital.

More importantly, the Beijing-Tianjin Intercity Railway is expected to open next year, which will reduce the commute time between the two cities to half an hour. Raw materials can be transported from the port to the Tianjin factory for processing, and finished products can be quickly transported to the Capital Park via the intercity railway, keeping logistics costs to a minimum.

Moreover, Tianjin's manufacturing supply chain is mature, enabling rapid integration with upstream and downstream partners, from mold making to derivative product production, which is far more efficient than building from scratch in the capital.

After listening, Lü Rui nodded in understanding.

Ding Liang's words make sense, after all, Beijing and Tianjin are inherently a "twin cities" situation.

The capital city is responsible for the front-end IP creation and operation, as well as the terminal theme park experience.

Tianjin takes over the intermediate production and manufacturing links, which can not only use Tianjin's industrial advantages to control costs, but also use the resources of the capital to drive traffic, forming a perfect industrial closed loop.

“Okay, we’ll do it your way. You’ll take the lead in coordinating with the industrial park in Tianjin for the subsequent factory site selection.”

"no problem."

Ding Liang readily agreed.

The two stayed at the construction site until noon.

They didn't leave until a series of plans, including the location of the amusement park, the relocation of the factory, and the division of labor among industries, were finalized.

Before getting on the bus, Lü Rui stood at the entrance of the construction site fence and looked once again at the bustling Ruixing Industrial Park under construction.

The reinforced concrete frame gradually took shape, cranes roared, and workers busily moved about...

At that moment, he felt an indescribable sense of pride, but he was also overwhelmed by the pressure that was coming his way.

His original plan was to proceed gradually and steadily, but plans simply cannot keep up with changes.

Previously, after the controversy surrounding the Hundred Flowers Awards, the bureau and the government suddenly offered him a host of favorable policies, covering key areas such as land approval, tax reduction and exemption, and interest-free loans.

So he gritted his teeth and borrowed a huge sum of money from the bank to fully launch the construction of the industrial park.

Today, the park not only includes the headquarters of Ruixing Group, Ruishijie, Ruiyue Animation, Ruixing Cinema, post-production center, and flagship cinema, but also the newly added Ruiyue Animation Park, and plans to build a supporting factory in Tianjin in the future...

When he did the math, he felt a chill run down his spine!
Clearly, the existing working capital is simply not enough to cover the subsequent expenses, and we will definitely have to take out another loan from the bank.

"We really need to make money quickly, this money is simply not enough!"

Lu Rui muttered to himself.

Just then, my phone rang in my pocket.

He took it out and saw that it was a call from Zhou Haoran.

The moment the call was connected, a loud voice came through the receiver: "Chairman Lü, the first phase of Ruixing Cinema Line's expansion plan has been successfully completed..."

"it is good!"

Lu Rui's heart instantly lifted, and the oppressive financial pressure seemed to dissipate by more than half. He immediately instructed over the phone, "Summon all senior executives to the company conference room and prepare for a meeting."

After hanging up the phone, he turned around and gave Ding Liang a few instructions on follow-up matters before hurriedly driving back to the company.

After more than half a year of preparation, the planned cinema chain system has been completely renamed "Ruixing Cinema Chain", and all the necessary procedures, such as business registration and screening permits, have been completed.

Meanwhile, the first batch of cinemas that took over the project also completed initial equipment upgrades, environmental renovations, and other basic improvements.

The locations for the second batch of cinemas have also been officially finalized, covering core cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, as well as several key second-tier cities.

The previously low-key strategic plan has finally come to a public appearance, and the time has come to officially seize the market!
There's a particularly interesting line in "Boonie Bears":
"A bear should act like a bear!"

Now, Lü Rui wants to say:
"If you want to become capital, you need to have the guts to do it!!!"

(End of this chapter)