Huayu 1999: Starting with nothing but getting something for nothing

Shortly after ending the call with Fan Zeping, Cheng Er returned to his room.

Yang Che casually asked, "Whose call was it?"

"Fan Bingbing".

"Oh?"

"Liu Chang sent her the script this afternoon, and she called to discuss the plot."

Liu Chang was Cheng Er's classmate, and he was pulled over to be the scribe.

"Oh, is she available?"

"Yes, she said she's currently filming an urban drama, which is being filmed in Zhongguancun."

Yang Che felt that after this phone call, Cheng Er seemed to have a different impression of Fan Bingbing.

At that moment, Yu Wenhao knocked on the door and entered, carrying a printed agreement.

Yang Che took a look and saw that it contained those contents.

"Brother Che, I suggest we don't set the box office figure too high. It's not that we need to leave room for maneuver, but setting it too high will make brands think we're unreliable."

Cheng Er then interjected, "Yes, and given the current market situation..."

Yang Che paused for a moment, then remained noncommittal: "Old Yu makes a good point. So, what do you think is a suitable amount?"

"I'll talk to some familiar brands first, sound them out, and call you, Che-ge, to report back before we make a decision."

"Alright."

Yu Wenhao is very quick-witted, but Yang Che doesn't really approve of him because he lacks confidence, which is a big no-no in investment promotion.

Thinking of this, Yang Che gestured for everyone to sit down, including Qin Lan, who had quieted down after being surrounded by so many people. After glancing around at everyone, he spoke with a serious expression:

"I know your concerns: the market is bad, and nobody goes to the cinema."

But what about the $3.6 million gross of Titanic last year? What about the $8300 million gross of Saving Private Ryan? What about the $8000 million gross of Who Am I?

I know what you're going to say: this is a Hollywood blockbuster, it's Jackie Chan.

Does this mean that it's not that no one is going to the cinema, but that no one is watching domestic films? Why is no one watching them?

Most of them are mission-driven films, which are not for the general public, but for a select few.

There's an even more outrageous part: it's not for the general public or even for a select few; it's purely for the director's own enjoyment. These are self-indulgent works that glorify melancholy, confusion, and sex, yet because they lack the necessary skill, they remain utterly incomprehensible and nonsensical.

"Do you think anyone's going to go to the movies with all this stuff? Don't talk to me about art; I studied art myself."

Yang Che's tone became increasingly serious, his voice rising higher and higher, filled with emotion.

At this point, Yu Wenhao, who had only recently met Yang Che, was alright, but his gaze was burning with fervor. Yes, that's exactly the point. What kind of movie is "My Sassy Girl"? It's a popular comedy!

Cheng Er and Qin Lan were somewhat bewildered; it was the first time they had ever seen Yang Che so excited and spewing profanities.

After realizing what had happened, Cheng Er felt a little upset, and her face looked very unnatural.

"Melancholy, confusion, sex—these are things they call art, but because they haven't mastered them, they're just vague and incomprehensible." This sentence felt like a resounding slap across his face.

Qin Lan raised her face, staring intently at Yang Che. She felt that he was more charming than ever at this moment, and her gaze began to sting.

However, Yang Che's attention was clearly not on her. He calmed himself down, waved his hand, and said in a deep voice:

"I'm not saying this to criticize anyone, but to tell you, Yu Wenhao, that I'm not blindly confident. My conclusions are based on a comprehensive analysis of the market, the audience, and the content. You can do things your way, but you can't be a coward. If you're begging brands for handouts, then you might as well not do this job."

Being spoken to like that by Yang Che, who was five or six years younger than him, in front of others, Yu Wenhao was not angry at all. Instead, he felt a surge of excitement rush to his head and stood up abruptly, saying excitedly, "Brother Che, I won't say any more. Just watch me."

Yang Che's eyes gleamed with admiration: "Good, that's more like what a martial artist should do."

"hehe."

Okay, Yang Che said this not only to encourage Yu Wenhao, but also to warn Cheng Er: I used you because your directing skills are more solid than Wu Shixian's, not because of "art".

Yu Wenhao left with the authorization letter. Yang Che wanted him to stay for dinner, but he was too restless and thought he would have dinner with a manager from Nokia (China) GG department that night.

Given their eagerness, how could Yang Che insist they stay? He could only go downstairs together, since they also needed to go to the studio.

Watching Yu Wenhao drive away in a red Alto, Yang Che thought to himself: This guy is quick-witted and has strong execution skills. He's destined to work alone, but he'll be my business director for a long time to come.

It was already 6:30 a.m., the sun had not yet set, and the temperature was still around 30 degrees Celsius, so it was still quite hot, but there were already shady spots on the sidewalk.

As the three walked toward Courtyard No. 8, Cheng Er's phone rang. From the conversation, he learned that it was Huang Haibo calling, who wanted to come from Tianjin to pick up the script.

While listening to the phone call, Qin Lan tugged at Yang Che's arm, "Brother Che, how did you guys manage to contact all these people in such a short time?"

Yang Che glanced at her: "Are you trying to reason backwards?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Yang Che was speechless. Okay, this girl was genuinely curious, not thinking about how to distribute her contact information to all the film crews... so she said:

There's a saying that goes, "You can run away from the monk but you can't run away from the temple." If you can't find him in person, look for his workplace or related people. You can always find him; the circle is only so big.

For example, if I watch your acting and think it's good, and I want you to play a role in my new drama, then I'll contact the production company of your drama, and that'll give me your contact information.

"I see!"

Qin Lan was clearly somewhat disappointed with this answer.

Just as Cheng Er hung up the phone, he heard Yang Che ask, "Old Cheng, how did you manage to contact Fan Bingbing?"

Cheng Er glanced at Yang Che, then at Qin Lan, and hesitated for two seconds: "Uh... first we contacted Xie Jin Art School, then we contacted her mother, who is now her agent. Then we went to the production team of that show called 'Youth' to deliver the script. We haven't been able to contact her since. The phone call we made at the guesthouse was from her."

Yang Che nodded: "I thought you were in contact with Qiong Yao's company."

"Couldn't find it!"

Yang Che was speechless, then turned to ask, "Qin Lan, how do you usually work on set?"

"Just send photos and information to places like Jiuxian Apartment and Hutu Hotel, and then wait for a call."