How can you become a star without money?

Chapter 215 Mrs. Oral Liquid

“But 2 million is no small sum. Does President Huang have that much money?” Wang Yao asked with a smile.

“I don’t have any, but Mr. Wang does.” Huang Shengyi blinked.

"Mr. Huang, you overestimate me. Those are all valuations, they're all just numbers," Wang Yao said with a wave of his hand and a smile.

"I'll pledge 15% of Juli's shares to you, and we'll sign a loan agreement. The actor's salary for 'The White Snake' is 500 million, and I estimate it will increase next year. I'll work like a slave for Boss Wang for a few years, and then I'll pay back the money."

"By then, Juli might be listed on the stock exchange, and my shares will be worth more. Don't worry, President Wang has been kind to me, and I won't let you suffer any losses." Huang Shengyi's expression was solemn, and his tone was serious.

Wang Yao raised an eyebrow slightly; this line of thinking was too clear.

“Of course, I don’t think Yangzi has the ability to smoothly manage Juli’s listing. If President Wang is willing, he can help me try to gain control of Juli,” Huang Shengyi said in a deep voice.

“Giant profits don’t really appeal to me,” Wang Yao shook his head.

“If Juli is just a film and television company, it naturally has no value, but what if it involves its parent company?” Huang Shengyi curled the corners of his mouth.

Juli's parent company is a multi-billion-dollar asset-heavy company, and it is indeed very valuable.

"Is there a connection between the two?" Wang Yao squinted.

"Yangtze hopes to boost its parent company's stock price through the media industry. Mr. Wang, you know about China's investment in aircraft carriers, right? Juli has a rigging product that might be selected. Even if it isn't selected, we can still use the media's influence to create some hype, which will have a remarkable effect. This is what my cousin told me," Huang Shengyi said in a deep voice.

Wang Yao raised an eyebrow slightly. He seemed to recall that there had indeed been such a scheme, in which Yangzi cashed out over 10 billion yuan using this method.

“But we don’t have any highly profitable stocks,” Wang Yao pondered.

“No, we’ll short the market. When Yangzi tries to make a move, we can step in and expose the fraud. Besides, I should also be able to get a share of Juli Group’s shares. I can lead the short selling then.” Huang Shengyi grinned, her smile somewhat seductive.

Huang Shengyi has an intellectual and aloof appearance, which makes this expression quite charming.

Indeed, when it comes to ruthlessness, women are more formidable.

"I'll go back and do the math. 2 million is no small sum. We need to be more cautious about this investment," Wang Yao said after a moment's thought.

"I've given you my whole life, don't you think I'm worth 2 million?" Huang Shengyi said, somewhat annoyed.

“If you weren’t married, there would definitely be no problem. Being married is a disadvantage,” Wang Yao shook his head.

Even if Huang Shengyi has secretly divorced, if she becomes too entangled with him in the future, and news of Wang Yao seducing a married woman is exposed, it could affect the reputation of all the companies under his name.

But Huang Shengyi interpreted these words in a completely different way.

He dislikes me.
In an instant, feelings of inferiority and shame swept over me.

When Wang Yao left Huang Shengyi's house, he was startled by Zhang Meng, who suddenly appeared behind the car.

"Damn, what are you doing here?" Wang Yao asked in confusion.

"I was about to ask you the same thing, why did you go to the widow's house to fetch water?" Zhang Meng said with a smile, leaning against the car.

She was jogging around the area at night when she noticed Wang Yao's car parked near Huang Shengyi's location. She decided to stake it out and, to her surprise, actually caught him.

"She's getting a divorce, not widowed, so why call her a widow?" Wang Yao chuckled.

"As expected, a stolen affair is worse than a concubine." Zhang Meng leaned over and sniffed Wang Yao's neck. "Why doesn't it smell good? Didn't you get to eat it?"

Wang Yao reached out and gently gripped her neck. "What kind of person do you think I am?"

"Hmm~ I love your pretentious act. It's all over the place. To you, Mr. Wang, being taken is definitely a plus. Who knows how many points a married woman gets?" Zhang Meng smiled charmingly and bit Wang Yao's hand.

"Go and help Nazha try on the cosplay outfit to see if it fits." Wang Yao's eyes darkened.

Yang Ying received a text message from Wang Yao saying that something came up unexpectedly.

My tense and anxious state of mind suddenly relaxed, but I also felt a little lost.

The feeling of being disappointed after having high expectations left her somewhat frustrated.

Just as she was about to go to the gym to waste her energy and distract herself, she received an invitation from Nazha to discuss the script arrangements for "Sister Flower".

So it really was about discussing variety shows?
Yang Ying's initial disappointment turned into even greater shame.

These contracted artists below level B all live in the same dormitory building. Although they are on different floors, it is very convenient for them to visit each other.

When Yang Ying arrived, Gulnazar and Dilraba seemed to have just finished showering. Although they were only three years apart, the skin of the 18-year-old girls was indeed enviable. In addition, the two of them had exotic features, which made them even more eye-catching.

"Baby, are you going to the gym?" Naza asked, drying her hair as she saw Yang Ying in her workout clothes.

"Yeah, I ate too much tonight, I need to digest it a bit," Yang Ying said with a smile.

"Sigh, I really envy a disciplined life." Naza pinched her little belly.

I went to Japan, and all the weight I had managed to lose came back.

Who exactly said that eating seafood won't make you gain weight?!

"Baby is so thin and still trying to control her weight, it's a bit too much for us," Dilraba said with a smile, her eyes crinkling.

"When you two get to my age, you'll understand that if you don't control your metabolism daily, it will slow down and turn into stubborn fat, which is incredibly painful to lose," Yang Ying laughed.

"I envy Sister Tian'ai's physique, she can eat whatever she wants and not gain weight," Nazha exclaimed.

"She really does have a very low body fat percentage, but it's not like she can't gain weight no matter what she eats. It seems like she just works out a lot and burns a lot of calories. I see her every time I go to the gym. It must be quite tough for her. How was your trip to Japan? Was it fun?" Yang Ying asked with a smile.

"It was alright, but it wasn't very interesting when we went. But I'll tell you a secret, Boss Wang took Director Guan to that kind of place," Nazha said mysteriously.

"Which place?" Yang Ying was taken aback.

"Really? It's not the kind of place I'm thinking of, is it?" Dilraba's eyes lit up.

"It's a place that all men go to. I heard it from the housekeeper who hosted us. I heard about the services there," Naza began to spread rumors and recount the Japanese customs with great enthusiasm.

The three of them huddled together, listening with flushed faces.

"Huh? Mr. Wang wouldn't be so shameless, would he?" Yang Ying felt a chill run down her spine after hearing this.

“It doesn’t necessarily have to be like that. There are also people who just want to experience a massage. I’ve read online that, well, men are all like that,” Nazha said, raising her chin.

"Not to mention men, even I want to experience it," Dilraba said with a smile, cupping her face in her hands.

"Ugh~~" Naza looked disgusted.

“It’s also possible they went to scout locations. Those places are full of scenes with Japanese characteristics, and film crews often go there. Besides, if Mr. Wang really wants it, he’ll probably order door-to-door service,” Yang Ying said with a smile.

"Oh, right. Don't spread rumors, or Mr. Wang will find out." Dilraba poked Gulnazar's head.

"Anyway, it's just the three of us who know. If word gets out, you two are dead meat," Naza scoffed.

"Why are you trying to extort money?" Yang Ying said, both amused and exasperated, feeling a mix of emotions as she looked at the relationship between the two.

She and Wen Yongshan were such good friends when she first debuted, but they later parted ways due to competition for resources. However, it seems unlikely that this would happen under Wang Yao, which makes her a little envious. The three chatted for a while, then took out the script and began to study it.

The three of them were somewhat familiar with the variety show scripts, but because travel variety shows involve more unexpected events, the scope of the scripts is also broader, and more emphasis is placed on the character design.

Yang Ying is a tour guide. Although she certainly doesn't know as much about Hong Kong as Zhang Baizhi, a local, she is in charge of handling internal and external communication issues, so her role in the script is quite demanding.

Naza is the 'idiot' in charge, responsible for all sorts of questions and blunders.

Dilraba's character is that of a 'laborer'; she is young and physically strong, so she helps her older sisters with their physical needs.

The three of them need to work together to maintain the pace of the entire program. After all, they can't rely on outsiders to take over. So, they need to figure out many things themselves and then feed them back to the PD team for further processing.

Wang Yao has requirements for all his artists: no matter what project they participate in, they must be involved in the creation and rehearsal process, so everyone takes it very seriously.

After discussing for a while, Naza became restless and ran to get some snacks to share with the two of them.

"What is this?" Dilraba asked, taking a bottled drink.

"Tai Tai Oral Liquid, one of the main sponsors of our program, can regulate the body and improve brain function," Naza said with a smile.

"Isn't this something that people drink during menopause?" Yang Ying asked, somewhat surprised.

“It looks sticky,” Dilraba said, frowning.

"Actually, it tastes pretty good." Naza scratched her head. "Anyway, it was Mr. Wang who requested the product placement, so let's brainstorm together."

The first season of "iPartment" was a minor hit, and with producer Wang Yuan's connections, the second season had already been booked for a slot on Shanghai TV before filming even began, and received sponsorship from various parties.

Wang Yuan is preparing to upgrade the production cost from less than three million in the first season to a multi-million dollar production, and is currently seeking sponsorships.

However, it is still considered to be at the level of a second-tier domestic TV series. After all, Wang Yao invested at least 20 million yuan in Yu Zheng's "Palace".

After hearing Guo Jingfei say that a patron wanted to invest, Wang Yuan had been waiting for news for almost a month. Finally, he received news that Wang Yao had returned to Shanghai, so he arranged a time and rushed over with his men.

Wang Yao's fame is almost universally known in the entertainment industry, especially in Shanghai. Even now, many people still want to follow suit with his projects, such as Kanpianer.com and "Fairy Robe".

In addition, Wang Yao was known as a "rising star in e-commerce," so he certainly didn't lack money. When they heard that Wang Yao was sponsoring the deal, Wang Yuan and the others thought it was a sure thing. But they never expected that the investment would be even more outrageous than they had imagined.

“1000 million per season? Then I’ll just sign for ten seasons.” Wang Yao said with a smile.

The purpose of making money is to make things better; this is Wang Yao's motto.

Although the "Love Gong" series is a knock-off and plagiarism, it is indeed a part of his youth. In his previous life, he played it at least fifty times as background music.

The only downside was that it was left unfinished, so this time, Wang Yao plans to have Wang Yuan and his original team "copy to the end" and then just pay the copyright fees later.

"How much?" Wang Yuan's eyes widened.

I originally thought that if I asked for a budget of ten million, I would be asked to negotiate, but I didn't expect the other party to multiply it by ten.

"How long would it take to film ten seasons and 200 episodes?" Wang Yao asked with a smile.

"Mr. Wang, although our film is somewhat popular, it's not guaranteed to be profitable. Besides, this kind of seasonal drama can't be filmed all at once," Director Wei Zheng quickly said.

A sitcom that costs 50 yuan per episode is definitely a big production.

“I’m planning to buy the adaptations of shows like Friends and Live Explosion, so you don’t need to worry about the source material,” Wang Yao said with a smile.

As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Yuan and Wei Zheng's faces turned green.

What they fear most now is that others will bring up plagiarism.

“President Wang, we really didn’t plagiarize, we paid homage to him,” Wei Zheng said in a deep voice.

“No, this is called localization.” Wang Yao shook his head.

Wei Zheng was taken aback, thinking that this word was quite useful.

"Mr. Wang, you're not making fun of us, are you?" Wang Yuan asked, his eyes darting around.

"I really love sitcoms. Besides you guys, I also bought the script adaptation of the Korean sitcom 'Gao Ren,' which is being filmed by Song Dandan and her team. 'Ai Gong' is a theme that's very suitable for our generation of 90s."

"Whether it's borrowing ideas or paying homage, it doesn't matter. Just make sure you film it well. With the copyright, it doesn't matter if others say we're plagiarizing or paying homage in the future, right? We can stand up for ourselves a bit more." Wang Yao smiled.

The adaptation rights to "Friends" cost at least 300 to 500 million per season, almost the same as the investment in an entire "Love Story" series. If they had that much money, they would have bought the rights themselves long ago to deal with the public opinion.

However, the issue of plagiarism in "Love in the City" was suppressed for more than a decade before it came to light, and Wang Yuan put in a lot of effort to address it.

Wang Yuan and Wei Zheng exchanged a glance. The success of "Love 1" does not mean the success of the entire series. A budget of tens of millions is already the highest premium at present. What's more, they directly invested in 10 seasons, so the entire creative team had no financial pressure.

For new directors and producers like them, this is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime investor.

What's more, they're even willing to pay out of their own pockets to buy the adaptation rights to help maintain public opinion.

“We strive for perfection in every single long take. Even with ten seasons, it would take at least three to five years to complete,” Wei Zheng said, scratching his head.

That's equivalent to two movies a year; he's spent most of these past few years selling himself to Wang Yao.

"What if a movie version is interspersed every two years?" Wang Yao asked. If the "Love Gong" IP is made into a movie well, it still has a certain audience and emotional appeal.

For example, a film like "The Duel at the Forbidden City" could be made to put domestic special effects movies to shame.

They can even make movies with it?
Wei Zheng immediately sat up straight: "Mr. Wang, is the movie a separate investment? And am I going to direct it too?"

"Of course, but the budget won't be too high, maybe 1 to 2 million, depending on the actual situation." Wang Yao nodded.

"I do," Wei Zheng said with a broad smile.

"You're saying you're willing? Mr. Wang is proposing to you!" Wang Yuan rolled his eyes, then said seriously, "Mr. Wang, my brother and I can take on this job, but we really can't guarantee the actors. You run a film and television company; you should know how much uncertainty there is."

Our second film this year was complicated because two of the main actors couldn't schedule their projects, so we had to revise the script and add more characters. You have no idea how much trouble that caused.”

“It’s alright, I’ll sign contracts with each lead actor individually and try to finalize things as early as possible,” Wang Yao nodded.

For young actors, no one wants to be tied to just one or two representative roles for their entire career, which is the main reason why it was impossible to gather the full cast for the later parts of "Love Gong".

However, these actors are still on the fringes and easy to manipulate. At this point, Tianhuo Media is the top company they can reach in the industry, so they have no reason to refuse.

The only two unstable factors are the two artists, but if more art-house films are provided, they'll probably behave themselves.

As for the lead actor Chen He, he can just be put into a variety show after filming the TV series, since he doesn't have any particular pursuit or talent in acting anyway.

On the contrary, the actresses were mostly unaffected, and "Love in the City" provided quite a few excellent actors.

The IP "Wu Wai" has been bought out by Perfect World Entertainment, and the game of the same name they developed made a lot of money, but it eventually declined due to gameplay issues and competition from the company's "Zhu Xian" IP.

The film version of "Wu Wai" was also filmed in April this year and is expected to be released early next year.

Given Wang Yao's relationship with Bernard and Zhao Benshan, he easily invited them over. In fact, the two had already fallen out over the content of the "Wu Wai" movie, but they still gave him face.

(End of this chapter)