Reborn, my online friend is the real me.

On the morning of June 5th, Su Yu met Liu Yifei and her mother Liu Xiaoli at a coffee shop across from the school.

He arrived half an hour early and chose a booth further inside, a more secluded spot where he wouldn't be seen by too many people.

He ordered an Americano, sat there waiting, circling his fingers on the table, mentally going over what he was going to say.

Liu Yifei and her daughter were more punctual than he had expected.

At 10:30, the door of the coffee shop was pushed open, and Liu Yifei came in first, wearing a yellow sleeveless shirt and light blue jeans, with her hair down and wearing a baseball cap.

Following behind was a middle-aged woman with long hair and a long dress, exuding a gentle temperament; Su Yu knew at a glance that this was Liu Xiaoli.

Su Yu stood up and waved to them.

When Liu Yifei saw him, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly, but she quickly withdrew them, her expression becoming very indifferent, as if she were meeting an ordinary junior.

Liu Xiaoli's gaze swept over Su Yu, from top to bottom and from left to right.

"Hello, Auntie. Hello, Senior Sister." Su Yu pulled out a chair and waited for them to sit down before returning to his own seat.

After Liu Xiaoli sat down, she placed her bag on the chair next to her, crossed her arms on the table, and looked calmly at Su Yu.

Her gaze didn't seem to be looking at a junior, but rather at a potential business partner.

"Su Yu, Xixi mentioned you to me," Liu Xiaoli said gently. "I watched your short film, 'The Black Hole,' it was well-made."

Su Yu was secretly pleased, but maintained a humble expression: "Auntie, you flatter me. That film still has many shortcomings."

Liu Xiaoli nodded slightly, not dwelling on the topic any further.

She opened her bag, took out a document, and pushed it in front of Su Yu: "I've read your script outline and listened to your ten songs. Xixi said you wanted to use four songs to offset her salary, which I can accept, but I have a few conditions."

Su Yu took the paper, which listed several handwritten clauses; the handwriting was neat and tidy, clearly indicating that it had been carefully considered.

He read through them one by one, his expression unchanged, but his mind was racing.

Liu Xiaoli picked up her coffee cup, blew on it gently, took a sip, and then put it down. Her movements were slow, as if she was giving Su Yu time to think.

"First, the copyright of the song belongs to you, but the right to use it belongs to Xixi."

Liu Xiaoli tapped her fingers lightly on the table. "Second, during filming, I will send an assistant to accompany Qianqian to ensure her safety and rest. Third, your filming period cannot exceed two months. Qianqian is going to Japan for training in September, so time cannot be wasted."

Su Yu put down the paper, looked up and smiled at Liu Xiaoli.

"Okay, thank you Aunt Liu and Senior Sister."

Liu Xiaoli's expression relaxed slightly, and there was even a faint smile on her lips.

"This is a draft contract. Take a look. If there are no problems, we'll sign it in the next couple of days."

Su Yu glanced at Liu Yifei, who was drinking coffee with her head down. The brim of her baseball cap covered most of her face, revealing only a small part of her chin.

Su Yu suddenly felt that this profile resembled An Qian's; no, it was An Qian who resembled her profile. He shook his head, banishing the thought.

Liu Xiaoli spoke again, her tone much gentler than before, "Su Yu, you're only nineteen this year?"

"Yeah, I'll be twenty soon."

"It's not easy to write a script like this at nineteen." Liu Xiaoli's lips curled up slightly. "You can also write songs. Those ten songs are good. Especially 'Blue and White Porcelain,' the lyrics are very cultured."

Su Yu was a little embarrassed by the praise and scratched his head: "Auntie, you flatter me. I was just thinking about it randomly."

Liu Xiaoli's smile wasn't big, but it was very sincere: "Don't be modest. It's a good thing for young people to be talented, but they need to be patient."

Su Yu nodded seriously: "Auntie, I've got it."

When they came out of the coffee shop, Su Yu escorted Liu Yifei and her daughter to the door.

Liu Xiaoli went out first to hail a taxi, followed by Liu Yifei. When they reached the door, Liu Yifei suddenly turned around and glanced at Su Yu.

"Su Yu".

Su Yu was taken aback: "Senior sister?"

Liu Yifei opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she just smiled and said, "It's nothing, keep going."

At 2 p.m., Su Yu and Lu Yang met at the main gate of China Film Group.

The China Film Group is located near the North Third Ring Road. It's a gray-white high-rise building with security guards standing at the entrance, and it looks much more impressive than the gate of the Beijing Film Academy.

When Su Yu and Lu Yang reached the door, the security guard stopped them.

"Who should I look for?"

Su Yu took out two packs of Zhonghua cigarettes from his pocket, which he had bought at a tobacco shop on the street. "Driver, we're looking for General Manager Han Sanping. We have an appointment."

The security guard took the cigarette, tucked it behind his ear, and looked them up and down: "Which department are you from?"

Su Yu took out his student ID from the file folder and handed it over: "Beijing Film Academy, student."

The security guard glanced at the student IDs, then at Su Yu and Lu Yang, his eyes filled with a hint of doubt: "What do these two young punks want with President Han?"

The security guard returned the student ID to him, picked up the phone on the table, dialed a number, whispered a few words, and then hung up.

"Secretary Zhou will come down to meet you. Just wait here." The security guard's tone was much better than before.

Su Yu and Lu Yang stood at the door for about five minutes. The June sun was already quite strong, and Su Yu, wearing a dark shirt, was sweating on his back.

A man in his thirties walked out of the building, wearing a white shirt and black trousers, his hair neatly combed and his leather shoes shiny.

He walked to the door, his gaze sweeping over Su Yu and Lu Yang, finally settling on Su Yu.

"Su Yu?"

Su Yu quickly stepped forward and extended his hand: "Hello, Secretary Zhou, I am Su Yu; this is my classmate Lu Yang."

Secretary Zhou shook hands with a moderate firmness. "President Han is waiting for you. Please come with me."

........

The elevator went up to the eighth floor. The corridor was carpeted, so there was no sound when we walked.

Secretary Zhou led the way at a moderate pace, while Su Yu followed behind, his mind racing with thoughts of what to say to Han Sanping when they met.

Secretary Zhou knocked on a door at the end of the corridor, and a deep voice came from inside: "Come in."

Pushing open the door, Su Yu saw an office that wasn't very big but was very tastefully decorated.

A man in his fifties sat behind the desk, with a round face and thick hair; he didn't look like a high-ranking leader, but more like a friendly middle-aged man next door.

Su Yu knew that this "neighborly uncle" was one of the most powerful people in the Chinese film industry; Han Sanping was the vice chairman of China Film Group, the de facto head of the company.

Han Sanping looked up, saw Su Yu, and grinned slightly, revealing a set of neat white teeth: "You're Su Yu? The kid who directed 'The Black Hole'?"

Su Yu stepped forward and bowed slightly. "Hello, Mr. Han. I am Su Yu; I am from the Photography Department of Beijing Film Academy, Class of 04."

Han Sanping grasped his hand and pointed to the chair opposite him: "Sit down, don't stand."

Su Yu and Lu Yang sat down, while Han Sanping leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, took out a cigarette from the cigarette case on the table, lit it, and exhaled a puff of white smoke.

"Principal Zhang called me yesterday and said you won the Golden Bear at Berlin for your short film, and now you're going to make a feature film." Han Sanping flicked his cigarette ash, his gaze sweeping over Su Yu's face. "Tell me, what kind of film is it? How much will it cost?"

Su Yu took out the script and proposal from the file bag and handed them over with both hands.

Han Sanping took it, but instead of opening the script, he first looked at the proposal; Su Yu had spent a day writing it, and it included everything: a story outline, director's statement, budget, shooting plan, and introduction of the main creative team.

As Han Sanping reviewed the proposal, Su Yu added from the side, "Mr. Han, this film is a youth film, telling the story of an ordinary girl's unrequited love. The female lead is Liu Yifei, and the male lead is Luo Jing from 'The Black Hole.' The budget is five million. I will invest two million myself, and the school's film studio will invest three hundred thousand, leaving a shortfall of two million seven hundred thousand."

When Han Sanping heard the name "Liu Yifei," his eyebrows twitched slightly; he did not interrupt Su Yu and continued to flip through the proposal.

He placed the script and proposal on the table, stubbed out his cigarette, crossed his arms on the table, and looked at Su Yu.

"Five million, for a youth film," Han Sanping said, enunciating each word clearly. "Where did your two million come from?"

Su Yu straightened his back: "President Han, my previous short film 'Black Hole' sold its overseas rights, and with some other income, we raised two million."

Han Sanping's gaze lingered on Su Yu's face for a few seconds, his smile not big, but carrying a sense of "you've got something, kid."

"Impressive! Xiao Su, China Film Group can invest; but only a million at most. We can handle the distribution. You'll have to figure out the rest yourself."

Su Yu and Lu Yang exchanged a glance; one million was less than they had expected, but it was better than nothing.

Su Yu quickly nodded, "Thank you, Mr. Han. I'll look for the rest."

Han Sanping lit another cigarette, took a deep drag, and exhaled a cloud of smoke.

His gaze pierced through the smoke, and his tone became more serious: "Su Yu, let me tell you the truth. Five million for a youth film isn't a huge amount, but it's not a small amount either. China Film Group invested one million in you not because you won the Golden Bear Award, but because Principal Zhang made this call. We're both from Beijing Film Academy, and you're a freshman now, you have a long road ahead of you. If this film is done well, your future will be much brighter."

Su Yu stood up and bowed to Han Sanping: "President Han, I understand. Thank you."

Han Sanping waved his hand and smiled, "No need to thank me. Once the film is finished, treat me to dinner."

When Lu Yang came out of Han Sanping's office, he walked beside him and rarely showed a smile.

"One million, plus three hundred thousand from the school, plus two million from you, that's three and a half million, and we're still short one and a half million." Lu Yang did the math.

Su Yu stepped into the elevator, leaned against the wall, and let out a long sigh: "Let's take it one step at a time; let's get the production crew ready first, and I'll figure out the money."

(Please vote with monthly tickets and recommendation tickets, everyone!)