The Rise of Chinese Entertainment in 2008

Gu Ning took the menu, ordered a few dishes casually, and then handed the menu back.

Ganati added a few more dishes, and after the waiter left, she said, "Director Gu, my sister is still young. He only said that he wanted to sign her, and didn't say anything else."

If my sister were to sign with your company, what are your plans for her future?

"First, I need to determine her age."

Gu Ning glanced at Nazha and said, "I asked her before, and she said she was already eighteen. She probably isn't even eighteen yet, right?"

Naza said somewhat embarrassedly, "I'm still a few months shy of turning seventeen, I didn't mean to..."

"No need to explain, I understand."

Gu Ning interrupted Nazha and said, "Because of your age, the company won't arrange any resources for you in the early stages. You should focus on preparing for the exam and try to get into the acting department of the Central Academy of Drama or the Beijing Film Academy."

After you pass the exam, the company will arrange some small roles for you to get used to. At the latest, after your first year of university, the company will arrange for you to play the female lead in a TV series.

She was guaranteed at least one leading role in a TV series and two supporting roles in TV series every year.

They'll also be offered some movie roles, but those will depend on my acting skills.

Although Ganati didn't know much about industry contracts, she had done her research before meeting Gu Ning and had some understanding of the contracts that newcomers were subject to.

The conditions Gu Ning mentioned were already very good.

"What about revenue sharing and the contract duration?" Gana asked.

"We'll start at 20/80, and the contract will be increased based on her fame and the revenue she brings to the company. The contract is for ten years!" Gu Ning said.

"Director Gu, ten years is too long, you see..."

"The contracts for newcomers in the industry are generally eight or ten years. It's impossible to cultivate a newcomer without time."

Gu Ning interrupted her directly, saying, "The company also needs to consider investment and revenue. The conditions I've offered are very generous, so the timeframe will naturally be longer. There's no room for negotiation on that."

Janati sensed the determination in Gu Ning's tone and hesitated for a moment.

She was tempted by the offer Gu Ning made, but she didn't want to sign a contract for so long.

Naza quietly reached out and tugged at her sister's sleeve, giving her a look that signaled her to agree.

"Director Gu, I'd like to discuss this with my sister," Ganati said.

"Please go ahead," Gu Ning said with a smile.

Gana pulled Naza out of the private room and into a corner.

"Sister, Director Gu's offer is so good, why don't you agree?" Naza asked anxiously.

"That's ten years. What if he can't keep his promise? By the time the contract ends, you'll be almost thirty."

Gana suggested, "Why don't we postpone signing the contract? Didn't you want to audition for the performing arts troupe? Let's give it a try first, and we'll see what happens if you don't pass."

"Sister, Director Gu has won major awards abroad, and his movies have such high box office returns. I have nothing, so why would he lie to me?"

Naza said, "I wanted to audition for the performing arts troupe because that was the best path I could choose, but now there are better options."

"What if he has his eye on you?" Janati asked worriedly.

With her younger sister being so beautiful, and Gu Ning offering such good terms, it's hard not to be suspicious.

She is a flight attendant, and she often suffers harassment on airplanes because of her appearance.

People often ask her for her contact information, not to mention Naza, who is much prettier than her.

"That's great."

Gu Ning is handsome and talented, which is very attractive to a young girl like Nazha.

Although Gu Ning is a newcomer in the industry, she is a big shot to people like Nazha who haven't even entered the industry yet.

If Gu Ning really had feelings for her, she would be more than happy to accept it.

Of course, Naza only dared to think these words in his heart and did not dare to say them out loud.

Naza's eyes flickered, and she said, "Sister, have you forgotten where I met Director Gu? If he really had those kinds of thoughts, he would have shown them back then. Why go through all this trouble?"

"You have the nerve to say that? You told me you were coming to Beijing to film GG, and you actually dared to go to a place like that!"

Janati gets a little angry when this is mentioned.

Naza kept her modeling career a secret from her family, but she and her sister had a very good relationship, and since Naza needed her help to cover for her, she didn't hide it from her.

But she didn't expect her sister to agree to such conditions. Although it was said to be entirely voluntary, she was bound to be taken advantage of.

"Sister, I know I was wrong."

Naza clung to her sister's arm and said sweetly, "It's precisely because this opportunity is so rare that I can't let it slip by. I might not even get into the performing arts troupe, and I can't be a model forever, can I?"

Ganati fell silent upon hearing this; the entertainment industry was chaotic, but the modeling industry was even more chaotic.

What Naza said is indeed a very real problem.

"Since you insist on signing, then sign. I hope you won't regret it later," Janati said.

Upon hearing that her sister had agreed, Naza exclaimed excitedly, "Thank you so much, sister!"

"Don't be too happy yet. This matter still needs Mom's approval. Signing the contract for you won't do any good," Ganati said.

Naza is a minor and requires a guardian's signature; her signature alone has no legal effect.

"It's okay, we'll persuade her together, and Mom will agree," Naza said confidently.

"Don't say anything when you go inside," Janati instructed.

"Mmm." Naza nodded repeatedly.

The two sisters returned to the private room, and Ganati made two requests.

First, the company needs to provide Nazha with a guaranteed minimum salary, since Nazha can't act for a while.

Secondly, everything mentioned earlier needs to be written into the contract.

Gu Ning agreed without much consideration.

The base salary isn't much either, just two or three thousand is fine.

As for writing the conditions into the contract, he had no objection; he hadn't even considered using any tricks.

Contracts can be demanding, but they shouldn't contain any hidden clauses or traps.

Even if the contract is harsh, as long as it is clearly explained, it is a voluntary act.

Those who knowingly sign contracts that are harsh, and then use those harsh contracts as an excuse to complain after they become famous, are making a lot of senseless.

However, although the two had reached an agreement, they still could not sign a contract. Only when Naza's parents signed the contract would it have legal effect.

Ganati promised to have her parents come to Beijing to sign the contract as soon as possible.

Gu Ning didn't care; if he didn't come, it would just be a waste of time.

So after finishing the meal, he said he had something to do and left.

He didn't say much, and seemed completely indifferent.

Seeing Gu Ning's attitude, Gana felt much more at ease.

…………

"Mr. Gu, this is Mr. Wang from Sohu," Liu Yang introduced.

"Hello, Mr. Wang."

Gu Ning smiled and reached out her hand.

"Mr. Gu, you're too kind."

Mr. Wang reached out and shook hands with Gu Ning, saying, "Mr. Gu, Sohu is very sincere in buying the broadcasting rights to your short film, and I'm sure you can feel that."

"I can truly feel Sohu's sincerity."

These days, copyright awareness is very weak; the broadcasting rights for movies and TV shows can be sold off for any amount of money.

Sohu's offer of 100,000 yuan for the copyright to a short film is indeed very sincere.

"So, what does Mr. Gu mean?"

For a moment, President Wang was a little confused about Gu Ning's thoughts. He thought that Gu Ning proposed to meet in person because she wanted to raise the price.

Gu Ning agreed with him, and it didn't seem like he was going to raise the price at all.

"I can grant Sohu Playback a free license, but there's a condition," Gu Ning said.

Mr. Wang asked, "What are Mr. Gu's conditions?"

Gu Ning smiled slightly and said, "I have a short film that will be streamed for free on Sohu later. I hope Sohu can do its best to promote it for three days!"

After a moment of silence, Mr. Wang said, "As long as the content isn't illegal, I can agree!"

He couldn't think of a reason to refuse Gu Ning's conditions.

As for the promotional resources for three days, that's nothing at all.

Currently, major streaming platforms haven't started producing their own dramas, and most of their promotional resources are used to drive traffic to their websites.

Gu Ning himself can also be used as a publicity gimmick, and it wouldn't be a problem to give him promotional resources.

"It's a pleasure to work with you!" Gu Ning smiled and extended his hand.