Huayu 1999: Starting with nothing but getting something for nothing

Upon hearing that the boss had arrived, Guo Xiaoyue came downstairs to Yang Che's side.

Yang Che looked up at the quiet assistant, who looked very human, and a feeling of gratitude welled up inside him.

Immediately, a huge surge of anger arose. He was grateful that the assistant hadn't criticized him in front of the other subordinates, which made him furious!

At this moment, Yu Wenhao spoke up: "Brother Che, do you mean we still have to buy the copyright in the end? Then our profit model... paid music streaming might not work in China."

Yang Che glanced at Guo Xiaoyue again. Okay, she signed a confidentiality agreement, the kind that even her father couldn't tell... But Yang Che still didn't mention that the profit model was buying up copyrights at rock-bottom prices and then expanding into ringtones, after all, that was two years from now...

"Copyright will eventually need to be purchased, and the law will continue to improve. Don't worry about the money; not having money now doesn't mean you won't have money in the future."

"Okay, Jianbin and I will discuss it, and we'll talk to you again when it's ready."

"it is good."

Yang Che didn't say anything more, turned around and went upstairs, casually instructing Guo Xiaoyue, who was following him, to transfer 100 million yuan from his private account to Gu Gu Gaga.

After responding, Guo Xiaoyue said, "Finance Manager Li told me that if you continue to inject capital into Gugu Gaga, we should suggest that the shareholding structure be changed."

Yang Che walked up five steps before saying, "Let's come up with a plan first."

"I can go talk to Yu Wenhao..."

Yang Che suddenly turned his head, glanced at her silently, then turned his head back and said softly, "No need."

Guo Xiaoyue paused for a moment, then bit her lip as she watched his retreating figure. "Oh, I see. The paperwork for Shangqiu Film Studio in Hong Kong is complete, and the screenwriter's fee and HKD 30 in operating funds are in place..."

"oh."

"Yang Che, when you were creating the navigation website, did you think about what you would do in the future?"

"no."

"Oh. Pirated copies of 'You Exist in My Song' have already been released, they're even being sold on overpasses. The CDs have a picture of the two of you holding hands printed on them. But to me, it doesn't sound like Wang Fei singing it, it must be a re-arranged version by the pirates."

Yang Che couldn't help but laugh: "These guys are really awesome."

Guo Xiaoyue remained calm: "So, should the trailer for 'Waiting Alone' be shown on TV ahead of schedule?"

"No need, just follow the normal plan. I think it's mid-October."

"Yes."

As they spoke, the two reached the second floor. There were no more open-plan offices on the second floor; everyone had their own room, even the operations department, which was in a centralized office space.

The first room in the corridor on the right had the words "Waiting Alone" on it, and the second room had the words "Searching for a Gun" on it. Yang Che pushed open the door and entered. He saw Cao Yu, Zeng Jian, Lin Mu, Fu Dong (casting), and Zhang Yang (production assistant). Cao Yu was drawing and writing on a whiteboard, and another blackboard next to him was covered with photos.

Well... Cao Yu resigned from Beijing Film Studio and now, like everyone else, he receives a monthly subsidy of 500 yuan from Doubao.

Of course, Yang Che chose him as the first photographer not because he had finally figured things out, but because this guy was like he was on steroids when shooting this style of photography; he had both talent and passion.

As for his relationship with Lu Chuan, Yang Che didn't care much. He wasn't a child, and he didn't care about saying "you're not allowed to play with him"... as long as he worked hard, that was enough.

These hundreds of photos were mostly taken by Cao Yu, and they are all of Qingyan Ancient Town in Zhucheng, which is also the filming location of "Looking for a Gun". Each photo is a candidate for a filming location.

Yang Che learned about this place from Ning Jing, since he genuinely didn't remember the name, only that it was in Guizhou.

Then Yang Che sent Cao Yu, Zeng Jian, and Lin Mu to conduct on-site investigations. Song Xiaofei had recently been assisting Zhao Xiaoding with the Olympic bid-related work.

"Brother Che..."

Yang Che casually pulled up a chair and sat down: "Did the White House do it?"

"It's done, here."

After Lin Mu responded, he took out a stack of photos from a file folder on the table. The photos were of the "White House" cast in plaster.

Yang Che looked at the rows of photos on the whiteboard. There were seven photos with "Ma Sanjia" written on them, and the second and fifth photos had checkmarks below them. Obviously, this was the result of their discussion.

Yang Che pointed and said, "Let's set Masanjia as number 5."

It's the location from the original film, a warehouse of a supply and marketing cooperative; it just needs to be set up.

Lin Mu responded, and he continued to handle everything from set design and art direction to props and costumes.

Next came schools, police stations, streets, Zhou Xiaogang's White House, Dingguangmen Gate, Wanshou Palace, suburban caves, farmland paths...

There was no discussion during this time; whatever Yang Che said went. It wasn't exactly copied exactly. For example, Dingguang Gate and Wanshou Palace were quite dilapidated, not as brand new as in the original film. It wasn't that Yang Che cherished ancient buildings; it was that he didn't want to include such pointless personal opinions—it was utterly boring.

This made Guo Xiaoyue, who was attending a film production meeting for the first time, feel very uncomfortable. Looking at the extremely natural and relaxed faces of the behind-the-scenes staff, Guo Xiaoyue realized that these people trusted Yang Che too much. Before Yang Che arrived, they were still discussing back and forth, but as soon as the boss arrived, well, they just had to listen to him.

Isn't filmmaking supposed to be a collective effort? How come it seems like the wisdom of one person and the hard labor of the group here...?

This was the case in the film crews of many great directors in later generations; it was a one-man show.

Yang Che wasn't like this at first. During the filming of "My Sassy Girl," there were still many opinions, but they gradually decreased because although Yang Che wasn't "professional," his suggestions were often the best in terms of the final result.

After selecting the location, Lin Mu smiled and said, "When we saw this ancient town in Zhucheng, we were all stunned. Some parts are exactly the same as the one you drew, Brother Che."

Yang Che raised an eyebrow: "I can also write in your province's dialect."

Everyone suddenly realized that Ren Che had a local advisor.

Yang Che secretly made a mental note that he should try not to do this kind of thing again, like shooting the arrow first and then drawing the target.

Then everyone started talking about the supporting roles, which is why Fu Dong was there.

He, who used to talk a lot in "Car 44", was very reserved at this moment.

Yang Che glanced at him and said, "I have something to tell you all. I sold $10 worth of 'Car 44' and a few days ago I got a small golden leopard in Locarno."

Before anyone could react, he continued, "Zeng Jian, put together a list. I'll give everyone a bonus of 15 yuan, and give Wu Shixian a separate bonus of 5 yuan."

"Okay, thanks, Che-ge. Hehe, congratulations, Che-ge."

The others then realized what was happening and immediately burst into laughter, offering their congratulations.

Yang Che waved his hand: "Keep a low profile. Let's get cocky after we win the three European championships. Now let's talk business."

People burst into laughter again.

"Brother Che, is Jiang Wen confirmed to be in the role?"

Yang Che paused for a moment: "Pretty much. If he doesn't want to act, then find Jiang Wu."

People looked at each other, the two brothers were at least three levels apart, but no one said anything.