Huayu Entertainment: Starting with Exorcising Evil from a Film Queen

Zhang Ze rattled off several book titles: "Scarlet Heart," "Empresses in the Palace," "Ghost Blows Out the Light," "The Grave Robbers' Chronicles," and "The Journey of Flower," etc. Basically, any popular online novels from recent years, especially those with strong female protagonists in historical dramas and adventure stories, should be acquired.

There was a full five seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.

"Zhang Ze, are you crazy?" Sister Sun's voice rose eight octaves. "Forget the scripts, at least they're somewhat related to you. But those online novels are only popular online; who's going to watch them as TV dramas? The market is dominated by family dramas and war dramas now! Buying the rights to this bunch of online novels is a losing proposition!"

In 2008, the concept of IP had not yet become popular, and copyright fees were extremely low.

In the eyes of many industry insiders, online literature is indeed a low-class thing.

But Zhang Ze knew that in a few years, these copyrights would become incredibly valuable, with prices skyrocketing many times over.

Even if you manage to get your hands on it, you can resell it after two years and make a considerable income.

Moreover, Zhang Ze's purchase of these copyrights was not solely for profit; it was more about paving the way for Zhao Liying's future career.

Without Zhang Ze, Zhao Liying would have wasted several years in Hengdian, only to finally get her big break with "Legend of Lu Zhen".

But Zhang Ze didn't want to wait that long, so he wanted to find a way to make Zhao Liying famous a few years earlier. That way, with two well-known artists in the studio, they could quickly establish themselves. After that, Zhang Ze would focus his energy on filming, directing and starring in his own movies, hoping to catch the box office boom and make a fortune.

Even if he doesn't become a major player in the industry, Zhang Ze can still retire early by riding this wave of opportunity and avoid the subsequent entertainment downturn.

"Sister Sun, trust my judgment."

Zhang Ze's tone left no room for argument: "Buy according to the list. It would be best if you could buy out the entire copyright. If that's not possible, you must get the film and television adaptation rights and the online adaptation rights. If you don't have enough money, tell me, and I'll take on a few more gigs."

Sister Sun could hear the determination in Zhang Ze's words.

Although she didn't understand, she finally sighed, "Fine, you're the boss, you call the shots. But let me make this clear: don't cry if you lose money. If you bankrupt the studio, I won't stay to help you pay off your debts!"

"Don't worry, we won't compensate you."

After finishing their business, Zhang Ze changed the subject, "By the way, how's Liying doing?"

Mentioning Zhao Liying, Sister Sun's tone softened considerably. "That girl has a fierce streak. She was incredibly hardworking on that film set in Shanghai. While other actors would slack off when they weren't filming, she would sit on a stool and watch, seizing every opportunity to ask the director for advice. Everyone on the set had a good opinion of her, except..."

"What is it?"

"After this drama was finished, she didn't have any other jobs." Sister Sun said with some worry, "Her round face isn't popular in the market now. She's okay playing maids, but it's hard for her to get scripts for leading roles."

"I helped her get in touch with a few production teams, but either the roles weren't good, or they thought she wasn't famous enough. After this film is finished, the only thing I can do is have her attend some acting training classes and wait for her opportunity."

Zhang Ze frowned slightly. "Sister Sun, you don't need to run anymore. I'll figure out a way to handle her role."

Several names of novels that had been adapted into hits flashed through his mind.

Once he gets the copyright, he can start preparing his own projects. Will he still need a role for Zhao Liying?

"What can you do?" Sister Sun muttered, then instructed, "Just keep it in mind. I'll go take care of what you asked me to do now. I'll find a professional to handle the copyright purchase."

"it is good."

……

A few days later, the interview program "A Date with Luyu" was officially broadcast on satellite TV.

After the show aired, online discussions instantly became heated.

On the entertainment gossip section of Tianya Forum, a headline quickly went viral.

"To be honest, was this episode of 'A Date with Luyu' deliberately setting a trap for Zhang Ze?"

The author of the main post provided a detailed analysis of every aspect of the interview, from the definition of overnight fame at the beginning, to the follow-up questions about metaphysical masters, and then to the indirect inquiries about family and emotions, clearly pointing out the host Lu Yu's highly aggressive questioning style.

"OP, you have sharp eyes! I noticed it too. Lu Yu is acting like she's on steroids today, trying to lead Zhang Ze astray with every question."

"That's right, but unfortunately Zhang Ze is too sophisticated. He was flawless throughout. When asked about his rise to fame, he said it was the result of years of hard work and gradual accumulation; when asked about metaphysics, he said it was traditional culture; when asked about his family, he said his parents were ordinary; when asked about his love life, he said he was focused on his career. He's practically an old-fashioned cadre in the guise of an idol."

"Hahaha, the most hilarious part was that line about 'we must believe in science.' I was drinking water at the time and I spat it out. Lu Yu's face turned green on the spot. She probably wanted to dig up a big story, but she ended up doing a propaganda program for the Communist Youth League."

"To be fair, Zhang Ze's emotional intelligence and responsiveness are absolutely top-notch in the entertainment industry. Regardless of whether he is a master in private or not, at least on the surface, his attitude is impeccable."

Public opinion almost unanimously believed that Lu Yu was stirring up trouble, while Zhang Ze's response won him a lot of goodwill from the general public.

However, as the post gained traction, the direction of the discussion gradually became strange.

"Don't you guys think Zhang Ze looks more like a master when he's seriously talking about believing in science?"

"Upstairs, I agree! This is what you call true masters living in seclusion; they never easily reveal their abilities!"

"Stop joking, he's clearly a model young man with impeccable morals. But... Master Zhang, do you think I'll be able to pass the postgraduate entrance exam this year?"

"Master, when will I become rich?"

Soon, Zhang Ze's personal Weibo comment section was flooded. The initial comments about "brother is so handsome" and "his acting is amazing" quickly veered off course and became a large-scale online prayer session.

"Share this post about Zhang Ze, and you won't fail your final exams!"

"I believe in science, and I believe in Master Zhang! May my project go smoothly next month!"

……

In the hotel room of the film crew, Zhang Ze looked at the various comments on his computer screen and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He didn't want to be taken away by the higher-ups.

It's fine to just treat it as a lighthearted joke.

Just then, a pop-up notification from Tianya Forum appeared in the lower right corner of his computer screen.

A bold, red-highlighted title, brimming with barely suppressed excitement, caught his eye.

"Ahhh! Family! You might not believe it, but Zhang Ze's Wenchang talisman really worked!"

Zhang Ze moved the mouse and clicked on the post that had rapidly become popular on the Tianya Forum homepage.

He recognized the poster's ID; it was Zhang Yuwei, the high school girl who had stopped him at the Broadcasting Building that day.

The post contained a kind of incoherent excitement.