Rebirth 05: From Coal Mine Owner to Mobile Phone Tycoon

In fact, Lu Yuan really liked the actor Wu Ge, especially after watching the later version of "Nirvana in Fire" several times.

But Lu Yuan certainly couldn't tell Zhou Mei directly.

The drama you're about to invest in, during filming, the male lead gets into a car accident.

His assistant closed the account on the spot, and he himself almost ruined his acting career.

The director had no choice but to add more scenes for the second male lead since the remaining scenes of the male lead couldn't be filmed.

As a result, in the end, the audience suspected that Yang Kang had become the male lead.

It was obvious that the show flopped after it was released.

But this is something Lu Yuan, as a reborn person, only knew because he had God's perspective.

If he were to say it like that directly, it would be like having a premonition, which would be a bit frightening for Zhou Mei.

So Lu Yuan could only try to steer the conversation towards the male and female leads' acting skills, while constantly apologizing in his mind.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Wu Ge."

"I'm sorry, Teacher Lin Chen."

"I didn't say your acting was bad, and how others interpret it is none of my business."

Lu Yuan went to great lengths to ensure that the goddess in front of him would suffer as little loss as possible.

"So, Mr. Lu, you feel that the male and female leads chosen by Tangren Media are not capable of carrying this drama?"

Lu Yuan remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.

Zhou Mei couldn't hide the disappointment on her face. She had thought it was a great opportunity to enter the mainland market, and she even wanted to invest some money and make a profit.

But after listening to Lu Yuan's analysis, I realized that if I really invested in this drama...

Losing your investment is a minor issue; the real problem is if it leads to a failed expansion into the mainland market and damages your reputation.

Money can be earned back, but a bad reputation will affect your ability to get roles in the future.

Many directors and investors consider the ratings of the dramas the actors have previously starred in when choosing actors, and this is not directly related to acting skills.

After all, the film and television industry is one with a relatively long investment return cycle.

Popular celebrities with a large fan base can drive sales, thus reducing investment risk.

Don't worry about your shows not being sold or your entire investment going down the drain.

This has led many production teams in later generations to prefer using popular but poorly-acted celebrities rather than veteran actors with superb acting skills.

"It seems I'll have to look for other opportunities."

Listen to advice, and you'll have a full meal.

Zhou Mei decided to give up the investment. If she was really affected this time, it would take her three to five years to recover.

I'm already 37 this year, unlike a young woman in her 20s who can afford to waste three to five years at a company.

Thinking of this, Zhou Mei's feelings for Lu Yuan were now mixed with admiration and gratitude.

"Actually, Miss Zhou, there's no need to be disappointed."

"Is there still a chance for this to turn around?" A glimmer of light returned to Zhou Mei's previously dimmed eyes.

Lu Yuan gave Zhou Mei a kind and warm smile, which reassured her.

"We just need to adjust our strategy."

Pay attention, the master has spoken! When a girl is experiencing significant emotional distress and asks you for advice...

Transform "you" into "we should do this or that" into "we should do this or that".

This can instantly shorten the distance between you and the girl, and create the illusion that you are a community of shared interests through your words.

Then the conversation took over completely from the boy.

Lu Yuan was grateful to short videos and to their creator in his heart, but his face still wore that warm smile.

"Actually, if we put aside the final revenue, this drama performed exceptionally well in terms of viewership and exposure."

"The promotional resources provided by Tangren are among the best in the industry."

"So, Ms. Zhou wants to enter the mainland market. To be honest, I didn't think of a more suitable drama than this one."

Zhou Mei was not only confused again, but also a little disappointed. Just now it was "us", and now it's "Miss Zhou". So she really has to face all of this by herself?

"I know you're worried that if the show flops, your reputation will suffer. After all, actors and shows rise and fall together."

"But nothing in this world is perfect. You can't have your cake and eat it too. You can't have both."

"So now we're faced with the choice between making money or gaining traffic, which is popularity, and choosing one."

"Now that we know this show won't make money, we might as well settle for something else."

"To gain as much popularity as possible with minimal losses."

"Ms. Zhou, what do you think?"

Zhou Mei's heart fluctuated with Lu Yuan's way of addressing her. As the old master said, this is called push and pull. Appropriate pulling will keep a girl's mind on you.

Lu Yuan had seen it in his previous life but didn't have the chance to put it into practice, so he unconsciously put it into use in this life.

"Mr. Lu, please don't keep calling me Miss Zhou. It makes us seem too distant. Just call me Mei'er."

Lu Yuan thought to himself, "Thank you, Grandmaster. My time at the Rocket No. 1 Carnival in my past life wasn't for nothing."

"Okay, Miss Mei'er, then you don't need to call me Mr. Lu anymore. My friends all call me Brother Lu."

"Yes, Brother Lu, I think you're right, but how can we gain more popularity with minimal losses?"

That "Brother Lu" made Lu Yuan feel incredibly proud; after all, this was a goddess who was a bit older than him. The sense of accomplishment was indescribable.

"My suggestion is that we don't invest so much money, and instead choose a character that is well-known but whose character won't have too much impact on the main storyline."

"Huh? There are such characters?"

"Mei'er, do you believe me?"

"Of course, Brother Lu, I definitely believe you!"

"Then listen to your brother, I'll pick a role for you that I guarantee will make your earnings well worth it."

That shameless Lu Yuan has already started secretly adding a seniority to himself, going from "Brother Lu" to "Brother".

Lu Yuan reopened the script, circled a name, and pushed the script in front of Zhou Mei.

"Bao Xiruo?"

"Yes, Bao Xiruo, Yang Kang's mother."

"Why her?"

"First of all, this character is neither too close nor too far from the main characters. If they are too close, they will be easily implicated; if they are too far, they will not get much exposure."

"Moreover, she doesn't play a significant role in the main storyline; she's more of a character who enriches the main characters' personalities and makes the work more three-dimensional and well-rounded."

"Secondly, I took a quick look at the script adaptation, and in this version, the scenes involving the Jingkang couple are particularly prominent."

"As one of the mothers, you're likely to get more screen time and exposure than in other versions of The Eagle Shooting Heroes, more than you can imagine."

"Finally, by securing this role, we won't need to invest too much money, and the financial losses will be much smaller."

Lu Yuan's words were clear, logical, and coherent. He could use the momentum of Tangren Media to gain recognition in the mainland while minimizing the impact of the TV series' failure.

In an instant, Zhou Mei made her decision.

"Okay, then let's choose this role."