Reborn, my online friend is the real me.

David arrived very early the next day. Su Yu was still having breakfast. The hotel breakfast was a buffet, with scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, bread, fruit and various drinks laid out in a long row, steam rising from the insulated trays.

Su Yu took a plate of scrambled eggs and two slices of toast and sat down by the window. The palm trees outside swayed gently in the morning breeze, and the distant Pacific Ocean looked almost unrealistically blue.

David walked in through the door, wearing a light blue shirt and carrying a bulging briefcase. He strode over to Su Yu and sat down opposite him, placing the briefcase on the chair next to him. He poured himself a glass of orange juice, tilted his head back, and took a large gulp, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.

"Sue, I spoke with Lionsgate yesterday." He put down his glass, his lips stained slightly yellow from the orange juice, which he wiped with a tissue. "They'll be welcoming us at the company. Kathy Smith, the head of production, will be there in person. Director James Wan will also be there; he spoke highly of your script."

Su Yu forked a piece of scrambled egg, stuffed it into his mouth, chewed it twice, swallowed it, and wiped his mouth with a tissue. The scrambled egg was a bit salty, so he picked up his orange juice and took a small sip.

"Let's go then."

The car drove towards Santa Monica. Su Yu sat in the back seat with his eyes closed, the back of his head resting against the seat. Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting a bright patch of light on his face.

Liu Hao sat in the passenger seat. David didn't speak while driving because Su Yu was ignoring him.

Su Yu mentally reviewed Lionsgate's information. This independent film company originated in Vancouver and, starting in 2004, made three consecutive "Saw" films that were huge successes despite their small budgets, creating a global box office legend.

He did a lot of research online before setting off, and now those numbers and years are flipping through his mind like cards.

"Sue." David's voice pulled him from his closed-eye contemplation. "We've arrived."

Su Yu sat up straight and rubbed the back of his neck. The Lionsgate headquarters in Santa Monica wasn't as grand as he had imagined; it was just an ordinary office building with the Lionsgate logo hanging at the entrance—black and simple, not as imposing as the China Film Group building, but the cars parked in front were more expensive than those at the China Film Group building.

Liu Hao got out of the car first, opened the car door, and Su Yu stepped out, straightening his suit collar.

.......

The three entered the building and registered as visitors in the lobby. The receptionist gave them three visitor stickers.

The elevator went up to the fifth floor, and the moment the doors opened, there were already two people standing at the end of the corridor.

A tall, blond, middle-aged man, dressed in a dark blue suit, his hair meticulously styled. Beside him stood a young man with black hair, wearing a dark gray coat, his posture slightly reserved.

"Welcome, Director Su Yu." The young man with black hair greeted him and extended his hand. He spoke Mandarin with a slight accent, but it was much more standard than David's.

"Hello, Director Wen." As a Chinese American, it was perfectly acceptable for Su Yu to address him that way. When Wen Ziren smiled, there were crow's feet at the corners of his eyes, and he looked like a big boy overall.

"When David told us that the script was written by a director who won the Berlin Golden Bear at the age of nineteen, we couldn't believe it." James Wan turned slightly, his eyes filled with the admiration of a fellow professional. "Director Su, you are a genius."

Su Yu looked at the "Saw" poster hanging on the corridor wall; Jigsaw's mask looked sinister under the light.

"You're too kind. Saw was amazing. The first one was filmed in just eighteen days, right?"

James Wan was taken aback for a moment, then laughed even harder than before. He probably didn't expect this twenty-year-old Chinese director to know so much about his work.

"James, don't rush into conversation," the tall, blond middle-aged man interrupted him at the right moment. "We have serious business to discuss."

The group entered the conference room, which was not large; a rectangular dark wooden table could seat twelve people.

Su Yu and David sat on one side, opposite James Wan and Kathy Smith of Lionsgate, as well as a young lawyer wearing glasses, whose laptop was open and whose fingers were on the keyboard, ready to take notes at any time.

Casey started with some pleasantries, tapping the table with his fingertips as he spoke. He said he was very pleased to meet Su Yu in person, that Lionsgate has always paid attention to the Asian film market, and that they had seen Su Yu's works.

Su Yu listened with a smile as he finished speaking, patiently listening to his story about "Our Times" and the Hollywood opportunities in the Chinese market.

Then Casey changed the subject, switching from polite to formal: "We offered you one million dollars for those two scripts, but you refused."

He paused, placed his hands on the table, and glanced at Su Yu's face. "Because of this, we specifically looked into you. You wrote, produced, and directed two films, one of which made a huge profit upon release. You are exceptionally talented."

Su Yu's smile remained unchanged. He nodded, signaling Casey to continue.

"Now that you've accepted the invitation to speak face-to-face, please state your asking price." Casey placed her hands on the table, leaned forward slightly, and tucked her chin in.

Su Yu leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped on his knees. He looked up at Casey, his gaze calm, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"I can forgo the scriptwriting fee, not a single penny."

The meeting room fell silent. James Wan's coffee cup wobbled slightly. Another Lionsgate executive stared wide-eyed, and David looked at Su Yu in shock, his mouth agape, as if he were watching an alien suddenly remove his mask.

"You want a share?" Casey seemed to have guessed his intentions, and Su Yu could hear what was pressing down on him.

That's an unchanging rule in Hollywood for decades: newcomers take the money and leave, don't touch the back end.

A Chinese man, visiting Hollywood for the first time, immediately asked for a share of the budget.

Casey leaned back, stared at Su Yu for two seconds, and then uttered three words: "Impossible. Your appetite is too big. Lionsgate will not accept it."

Wen Ziren's expression was also complicated. He looked at Su Yu with a look that seemed to say, "You're really bold."

He moved his lips as if to say something, but after looking at Casey's face, he swallowed his words.

.......

Su Yu slowly sat up straight, moving closer to the table. He placed his hands on the table, leaning slightly forward, as if telling a friend an interesting story.

"First of all, how's the script? Isn't it excellent?" He turned to look at James Wan.

James Wan nodded subconsciously, his movements quick, as if his body reacted before his brain.

He realized he had nodded halfway through, but it was too late. The corners of his mouth curved slightly, as if he were giving a bitter smile or admitting something.

Su Yu smiled and looked away, glancing at the people opposite him. He tapped his finger lightly on the table, drawing everyone's attention.

"Horror and action films, while not mainstream genres, have a stable audience and are very likely to be successful, selling at high box office. You keep asking for scripts precisely because you believe they can make a fortune at the box office, right?"

Before anyone could interrupt, he quickened his pace and rattled off the last paragraph like a machine gun: "Finally, I'm not just a screenwriter. My primary profession is directing, and besides, I'm not short of money; I can easily direct it myself and find other companies to distribute it. Hollywood is full of actors and film studios. I believe Lionsgate isn't the only one interested in good scripts."

The silence in the conference room lasted for about five seconds. Casey stared at Su Yu, and the look in her eyes changed; it was no longer a condescending assessment, but a level consideration.

He didn't speak, but instead glanced at the executive next to him. The executive shook his head slightly, a very small movement.

James Wan suddenly spoke, addressing the Lionsgate team.

"The scripts for 'Insidious' and 'John Wick' are of very high quality, and they combine horror and emotion very well. In particular, the concept of out-of-body experiences in 'Insidious' is both frightening and evokes sympathy. If handled well, this could be developed into a franchise."

Su Yu glanced at Wen Ziren and mentally noted down a favor he had done for him.

He pressed his advantage, adding, "By the way, I acquired the rights to a novel from Paramount, which I adapted into a series screenplay called 'Twilight.' That novel has become a huge hit among North American teenagers, hasn't it? Summit Entertainment has contacted me several times already."

He shifted his gaze from James Wan to Casey, and spoke slowly, "You can check it out with the guild; it's a good fit for an independent studio like Lionsgate."

Casey exchanged a glance with the executive next to her, and the two spoke in hushed tones. Su Yu couldn't hear what they were saying, but he saw the executive's eyebrows furrow slightly, then relax, and he nodded.

Casey turned to look at Su Yu, her voice changing from somber to crisp and clear.

"Twenty percent, that's the highest percentage we can accept." He stated the number decisively, resting his elbows on the table and looking directly at Su Yu's face.

"It's not just about the script, but also about your age and achievements. In your country, you're the youngest commercially successful director." He paused, a slight smile playing on his lips. "I hope you'll become the next Zhang Yimou."

Su Yu thought to himself, "Can't I just be myself?"

"Twenty percent, I agree." Su Yu's voice wasn't loud, "However, I have one additional condition."