Back to 17, My Brother is the Cult Leader

Fang Yuan said, "The payment will be based on the standard contract. Regarding copyright, I retain the film and television adaptation rights and overseas rights, while the magazine only has the first publication rights in simplified Chinese. This needs to be clearly stated in the contract."

Liu Jing said, "No problem, 'Story Club' never buys a single copyright."

Fang Yuan turned to Liu Jing. "Teacher Liu, let me say something unrelated to this topic."

The biggest selling point of "Story Club" is not its title, but its distribution channels.

Your magazine can be purchased at train stations, bus stations, and newsstands in towns and villages across the country.

This channel is more valuable than many people realize.

If we could include works by some young authors, combining the advantages of the distribution channels with the freshness of the content, it might be possible to revitalize a portion of the market.

Liu Jing nodded thoughtfully.

"Mr. Fang makes a good point. But we've tried redesigning it several times, and the results haven't been good."

Fang Yuan said, "The direction is wrong. Your redesign aims to make the magazine appealing to young people, but that's not necessary."

All you need to do is put in good stories about young people and let the readers discover them for themselves.

Li Minghao leaned back on the sofa with a teacup in his hand, his expression much more relaxed than when he entered.

"Fang Yuan, is this matter settled then?"

"It's settled."

Li Minghao put down his teacup and stood up.

"When would be a convenient time for Xiaomei to send me the contract? I need to go back and process the paperwork."

"Next week," Fang Yuan said.

Liu Jing also stood up and shook hands with Fang Yuan. "Mr. Fang, thank you. We'll go back and wait for your manuscript."

"it is good."

Fang Yuan returned to his office and wrote down several headings in his notebook:

"Better Days" and "Crazy Stone"

Then a timetable was drawn up next to it: end of June, end of August, end of October.

Xiao Mei knocked and came in. "Mr. Fang, what standards should the contract be based on?"

"Two hundred yuan per thousand words, standard royalty contract. Add one clause: first publication right in simplified Chinese, term three years."

Film and television adaptation rights, overseas copyrights, and digital copyrights belong to Yuanchuang.

"it is good."

"Better Days" is a film directed by Derek Tsang, adapted from Jiu Yuexi's novel "Better Days, So Beautiful".

The youth drama film, starring Zhou Dongyu and Jackson Yee, was released in mainland China on October 25, 2019.

The film focuses on real-world issues such as the college entrance examination, family education, and school bullying, and tells the story of two 18-year-olds who protect each other and grow up together amidst the indifference of the adult world.

With its profound social commentary and outstanding artistic expression, it not only achieved both critical and commercial success but also won several prestigious film awards.

Story background: On the eve of the college entrance examination, Chen Nian, an introverted top student, becomes the next target of a bullying group led by Wei Lai after witnessing her classmate Hu Xiaodie commit suicide due to school bullying.

Fate intersected: In her most helpless moment, she accidentally met Xiao Bei, a street boy who was also struggling at the bottom of society and protected himself with his fists.

Two loveless souls meet in adversity, and Xiao Bei begins to silently protect Chen Nian.

Crisis erupts: An accident leads to Wei Lai's death, and the fates of the two are completely out of control. For their shared promise—"You protect the world, I protect you"—they face a cruel test of sin and punishment together.

The film does not glorify youth, but instead focuses on the social pain of school bullying, prompting the whole society to reflect on the environment in which teenagers grow up.

Crazy Stone is director Ning Hao's breakthrough film and a milestone in the history of Chinese black comedy films.

Released in 2006, it achieved a box office miracle of 300 million yuan with a budget of only 2350 million yuan. It not only made the main creators, such as Huang Bo and Ning Hao, famous, but also pioneered a new model for low-budget commercial films in China.

The story takes place in Chongqing.

A struggling handicraft factory unexpectedly unearths a priceless jade piece and decides to hold a public exhibition to alleviate its economic crisis. This attracts the covetous eyes of various parties:

International master thief: Mike, a hired Hong Kong expert, attempts to steal treasure using high-tech methods.

Local thieves: A trio led by Brother Dao also set their sights on jade using street swindles and clumsy tricks.

Helpless "Guardian": Bao Shihong, the head of the security department, was ordered to protect the jade in a time of crisis.

The mastermind and his "pig teammates": Mr. Feng, a real estate developer who coveted the factory land, and his eccentric assistant.

Several groups, each with their own ulterior motives, engage in a multi-layered struggle involving coincidences, misunderstandings, and farces both inside and outside the exhibition hall, creating a dark comedy that is both hilarious and absurd.

The film sparked widespread discussion after its release, and its profound impact is mainly reflected in the following aspects:

Successful localized narrative: The film seamlessly blends the multi-narrative techniques of Western black comedy films with local Chinese dialects and everyday life, making the audience feel fresh and familiar with the "down-to-earth" story.

A groundbreaking comedic style: The entire film uses dialect dialogue with strong local characteristics, such as Hei Pi's Qingdao dialect "Brand, Baleno!", and contributes many golden lines that are still popular today, such as "I'll beat you to death" and "Manners, watch your manners," thus creating a unique comedic style.

Profound social commentary: While the film appears absurd on the surface, its core message is a concern for the living conditions of ordinary people at the bottom of society and a satire of materialism.

The characters' impoverished and stifled lives, as well as their morbid pursuit of money, evoke deep reflection and resonance from the audience amidst laughter.

As Fang Yuan wrote this, he wondered, where was Ning Hao at this time?

Since we've adapted his film into a novel, we should at least let him direct it.

This time, we'll definitely give him enough funds.

Two weeks later, Fang Yuan sat in a teahouse near the Beijing Film Academy. The air conditioner vent was blowing directly on the back of his neck, but he still felt hot.

The cicadas chirped incessantly in the courtyard from early morning, and the sycamore leaves curled up from the sun's heat.

A few days ago, Fang Yuan called Professor Cui of the Beijing Film Academy:

"Professor Cui, I'd like to meet Ning Hao. He graduated from your school's photography department. Could you help me make the connection?"

Teacher Cui pondered for a moment: "Okay, I'll help you make an appointment."

Feng Xiaogang is currently preparing for "Big Shot's Funeral," starring Ge You and Rosamund Kwan; it's quite a big production.

But Fang Yuan had his own considerations regarding that film.

Teacher Cui called back: "It's arranged, the day after tomorrow afternoon."

Ning Hao has saved some money from making music videos, but he's short on cash and needs opportunities. You should have a good talk with him.

Fang Yuan arrived half an hour early.

He sat by the window, with a printed and bound script on the table.

The cover has four words printed on it: "Crazy Stone".

Ning Hao's original script was called "The Diamond Commandment," which tells an absurd allegory about several thieves surrounding a diamond, and has a strong theatrical feel.

Fang Yuan's version is a complete rewrite of the movie, including the background, characters, dialogue, and dialect—all in the original movie version.

He just didn't know if Ning Hao would be willing to accept the offer.