Huayu 1999: Starting with nothing but getting something for nothing

A parallel world without worries or sorrows.

On July 12, 1999, at the Longcheng Wangfeng Coal Mine, in an office with an overall style resembling that of a government official, a young man in his early twenties, wearing a blue short-sleeved shirt and sporting a buzz cut, handed out his business card and introduced himself.

"Hello, Mr. Fan. I am Yang Che, a screenwriter from Shanxi Film Studio."

The middle-aged man, whom Yang Che called "General Manager Fan," was around forty years old and named Fan Zeping. He had a dark, square face with thick, heavy eyebrows that resembled a unibrow. Upon hearing this, he raised an eyebrow, his smile fading considerably, and his hand, which had been holding the business card, froze in mid-air.

Upon closer inspection, lo and behold, a third-rate screenwriter?

"Oh? Aren't you a reporter?"

Yang Che bowed slightly, then looked up again, his face showing no embarrassment, only sincerity: "President Fan, please forgive me. It was my fault for not explaining in detail to Assistant Li. Otherwise, I really wouldn't have been able to see you. I only need five minutes."

Fan Zeping didn't say anything, but lit a cigarette and took a couple of puffs.

Yang Che smiled and said, "Thank you. I've heard that President Fan often repairs temples, roads, and schools in nearby villages; he's a very kind-hearted entrepreneur..."

Fan Zeping's lips curved into a smile, a hint of smugness in his eyes. He found the shameless young man somewhat more agreeable: "What do you want to say?"

Seeing this, Yang Che also composed himself and said seriously, "President Fan, let me be frank. It's fine for you to donate money to put your mind at ease, but if you want to have a reputation for being passionate about culture in front of your superiors and to have a unique reputation among your peers, investing in movies and TV series is much more effective."

Fan Zeping coughed lightly, a hint of curiosity in his voice: "What do you mean?"

Yang Che grabbed the bag next to him, pulled out a piece of paper, and handed it over.

"Mr. Fan, once the movie is released, your name will appear in cinemas and on movie channels all over China. Moreover, the movie will be permanent, so you could say it's something that will make you famous for all time."

Fan Zeping subconsciously took the paper and glanced at Yang Che, the young man.

Looking at the paper in my hand, I saw a drawing of a man and a woman. The man was carrying the woman on his back, and the woman was using her arms to strangle the man's neck. Next to her was a line of artistic text that read: "My Sassy Girlfriend".

At the bottom, in bold, is the text that reads: "[Producer: Fan Zeping]"

Fan Zeping's lips twitched. This young man! But he's pretty cool.

"Is that woman Little Swallow?"

Yang Che decisively gave a thumbs-up: "Yes. President Fan has a good eye!"

Fan Zeping's eyes lit up: "Tsk tsk, you can get her to act in a movie?"

"All the teachers said our script was good, and if the pay were a bit more reasonable, she wouldn't have much reason to refuse, since movies are a level above TV series."

Yang Che thought to himself, "It was definitely the right thing to draw Little Swallow. After all, it's 1999 now, and she's currently the most popular actress in Asia."

Fan Zeping put down the paper, picked up a cigarette, and handed it to him.

"How much will it cost to make this movie?"

Yang Che paused for a moment, then took the coal and put it in his mouth. He then picked up the lighter on the table and lit it for Fan Zeping. His nose felt a little sore. Damn, this was too difficult. This was the third coal boss he had contacted. No matter how the negotiations went, at least someone had asked about the price.

400.

Fan Zeping's expression didn't change much upon hearing this, but he didn't say anything immediately either.

Yang Che sighed inwardly. Coal prices weren't that high back then. It wasn't like 2002, when you could earn back three years' worth of contract fees in a week. If it weren't for the fact that Wangfeng Coal Mine's coal quality was decent enough to avoid losing money, and if Fan Zeping just liked him, he probably wouldn't have cared about the price.

Three seconds later, Fan Zeping flicked his cigarette ash: "How much money do you make from this to make a movie?"

"President Fan, it's extremely difficult for this kind of romance movie script to pass censorship. We're just lucky. The new factory director, Li Shuihe, is very capable, and the censorship department is giving us face. This means the movie won't have to worry about selling. Even if it doesn't go well, we definitely won't lose money."

To be honest with you, Mr. Fan, the reason I'm out here seeking investment isn't because my company won't invest in this project, but because once they do, I'll lose all say in it. I wrote the story, I drew the pictures, and nobody knows better than me how to make this movie.

"Mr. Fan, as you know, our government agencies value seniority, haha."

Yang Che's tone was sincere yet helpless, which made Fan Zeping nod repeatedly.

Yes, let alone cultural institutions like theirs, which institution doesn't prioritize seniority? And even if it's your idea, so what?

Although Fan Zeping still didn't understand, he could strongly sense Yang Che's confidence in the film.

He is an ambitious and capable younger brother.

"Brother, I see you're capable. Not planning on going solo?"

Yang Che grinned, his expression sunny and confident: "I promised our factory manager I'd make this film and get over 2000 million at the box office. But after I finish this movie, I plan to go to Beijing, even if it's just to paint portraits on the street."

Fan Zeping looked at this young man and felt truly delighted!

"Wow! Wait, 2000 million?"

Seeing Fan Zeping's finally moved face, Yang Che couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. Damn it! I thought you, the big boss, were really unmoved.

"Currently, a movie ticket in China costs around 15 yuan. To reach 2000 million, we only need 130 million people to go to the cinema. There are 2500 million internet users in China, 80% of whom are around 30 years old and have spending power. If they spend 50 yuan playing games online, they will know that there is a movie suitable for them that has been released."

Yang Che didn't make any promises, he just gave a set of data that had been prepared in advance.

So, in the following time, Fan Zeping asked increasingly detailed questions, mainly focusing on two questions: "What kind of story does the movie tell?" and "Where did the 400 million go?"

Yang Che, who was a seasoned film enthusiast and media company owner in his previous life, spoke of these things with ease. He didn't say how touching the story was, but only how unconventional it was. At the end, Yang Che said with a smile, "Girls who are dating will go to the cinema to buy tickets for this movie several times."

This film is revolutionary now, but if it were released 20 years from now, it would be a perfect tutorial on PUA (Pick-Up Artist) techniques...

Fan Zeping chuckled upon hearing this, realizing that his judgment was sound; Yang Che was indeed capable, with a comprehensive understanding of the market, public sentiment, organization, and management.

Fan Zeping thought that even if the movie lost everything, he would still gain a great favor from Yang Che.

Because he also met a benefactor who helped him achieve his goals from scratch.

"Brother, I'll take this 400 million, but not for your movie, I'm after you as a person."

Even though Yang Che was somewhat prepared, and even though his soul was actually that of a 48-year-old old man, he couldn't help but get excited at this moment. He shook Fan Zeping's hand and said sincerely, "Brother Fan, I really envy you for investing in me so early."

Fan Zeping was taken aback, then burst into laughter, feeling that his relationship with Yang Che had suddenly become closer. This brother was truly a remarkable person.

Yang Che thought to himself: If Lao Fan finds out that I am actually unemployed, will he be so angry that he throws me into the mine?