Bai Lu got scammed, but I became a superstar through e-commerce.

After discussing "Story of Yanxi Palace," Qingxiao leaned back in his conference room chair and rubbed his temples.

The matter with Huanyu Entertainment has been finalized.

Tianmen Film & Television contributed its scripts and production resources as equity at a discounted price.

Huanyu Entertainment and iQiyi co-produced the film, with revenue sharing among the three companies.

He was confident in entrusting the Qing Dynasty female lead genre to Yu Zheng's team of veterans who had spent most of their lives in Hengdian.

But before he could even catch his breath, his phone rang.

Chen from Asia Pacific Pictures invited him to dinner that evening, saying he wanted to discuss the Yu Zui project in person.

Qingxiao hung up the phone, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes.

Chen Ge's choice of "Yu Zui" was not surprising to him.

Crime and suspense is the field that Brother Chen is most familiar with in Asia Pacific, having worked on crime dramas since his early days as a script supervisor.

Fortunately, when filming the online movie, the system was used to complete the script adaptation and to contact the copyright holder for authorization.

But the project "Yu Zui" was indeed special. He closed his eyes and mentally reviewed the details.

The total cost for the two seasons was around 25 million, with each episode costing over 1 million, and the total production cost for the 24 episodes exceeding 24 million.

The investment is not small, but the problem is not the cost, but the return.

The first two seasons of GG generated limited revenue. The greatest value of this new IP lies not in short-term revenue sharing, but elsewhere.

Qingxiao picked up his phone and scrolled through the screenshots of data compiled from the system in his photo album.

Before starring in "Yu Zui", Zhang Yishan's package price for taking on roles was only three million.

After the show became a hit, his salary jumped to 50 million, more than ten times the original amount.

Xu Dongdong and Wu You previously earned around 100,000 yuan, but after the show aired, their salaries both rose to over a million yuan. It is said that Xu Dongdong's daily salary reached hundreds of thousands of yuan.

Even Wang Ge, who played "the mouse" in the show, saw his salary increase dozens of times.

A web series turned a group of unknown actors into artists with negotiable value.

Only Yu Zui has this kind of charm.

Qingxiao leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling for a while.

An idea suddenly popped into my head—what if I played the role of Yu Zui myself?

By playing the male lead himself, he essentially reaps the biggest rewards of the Yu Zui project.

From Gu Nian in "My Girlfriend Is a Little Savage" to Chang Sheng in "The Ferryman: Huangquan," he has never messed up a performance when he stands in front of the camera.

If a single drama can increase an actor's value tenfold, why can't that effect fall on him personally?

The character Yu Zui is both righteous and evil. On the surface, he seems shameless and doesn't care about anything, but deep down he can withstand more than anyone else.

He has played an e-commerce boss, Gu Nian who was pushed into the river, and Chang Sheng who returned his soul to Sanqi, but he has never played an undercover police officer.

This role also appealed to him.

However, he had to personally oversee all subsequent project financing, platform integration, and publicity coordination.

With Yu Zheng's team behind "Story of Yanxi Palace," there's really no need to worry about anything.

"The Mystic Nine" has already started production, so there shouldn't be any major problems.

However, each of the dramas, including "Human Fireworks," "The Mystery of Chang'an," "That Summer," and "Undercover," had its own production manager pushing for progress.

He is no longer Xiao Qingxiao, who used to pack packages alone in his rented room in Jiubao—he is now "General Manager Qing," the person every executive producer calls to confirm the plan after securing investment.

He suppressed the thought for the time being, grabbed his coat, and went out the door.

Brother Chen arranged the dinner at that local Shanghainese restaurant on the East Third Ring Road, in the same private room where the last group of friends had gathered.

"President Qing, the 'Yu Zui' project has a great script and solid foundation. But tell me honestly—will this show actually make money?"

Qingxiao picked up his teacup but didn't answer immediately. Brother Chen was one of their own; he didn't want to make empty promises.

With a cost of over one million per episode, the total production cost for the two seasons and twenty-four episodes exceeded twenty-four million. Without any big-name stars, the short-term revenue sharing rate was indeed not high.

But it won't lose money, and it can even be made into a company business card.

But these things can't be said directly; if they are, Brother Chen might back down.

He needs to present the value of this project in a different way.

"Brother Chen, let's look at this realistically. The cost per episode of this show is over a million, and with two seasons and twenty-four episodes, the total production cost exceeds twenty-four million. The crime and suspense genre is different from historical dramas with big IPs—there are no big-name stars, so the revenue is limited, and the short-term return on investment won't be too high. But crime dramas have one advantage: if the script is solid, word-of-mouth can easily build up."

Brother Chen, holding his teacup, did not interrupt him.

"Word of mouth may not bring immediate financial gains, but it can sustain a person's career. I wrote the script, and the storyboards for each episode, from the first to the twenty-fourth, are right next to the dialogue. As long as the director follows the script and the actors can bring out the complexity of their characters, the show's reputation will be good. And once the reputation takes off, the show's later profits will be very considerable."

Brother Chen placed the teacup on the table.

He had spent most of his life working with crime dramas, and he listened to every word Qingxiao said.

He has also seen how a good script can bring a good actor to the forefront and make everyone recognize him.

"President Qing, I've been working with crime dramas for most of my life, and what you said really resonates with me. I'll invest in this project. But there's something I need to discuss with you—can you help me find a suitable male lead? Crime dramas demand high acting skills, and the character of Yu Zui is complex—both righteous and evil, an undercover cop, seemingly carefree and indifferent on the surface, but deep down he's more resilient than anyone else. This kind of role is hard to find."

Qingxiao nodded: "I've written the adapted script, and I know the character settings better than anyone. But casting can't be rushed. Crime dramas require higher acting skills than other genres; you can't just rely on your looks. Let your team do the casting first. If they don't find the right people in the end, I'll give it a try."

"President Qing, you...you're here?" Brother Chen was stunned for a moment.

"What's with that expression? Am I okay or not?" Qingxiao asked.

"That's definitely going to work! I'm overjoyed. If you act, I'll add another ten million to the promotion." Brother Chen patted his chest and guaranteed.

"I'm busy right now, you'll have to wait for me. I need to finish preparing all my projects before I can play you, Yu Zui. So, you should still try to assemble your cast."

Qingxiao didn't mention Zhang Yishan, just letting fate decide. He really didn't have time right now, and since Brother Chen and his group had approached Zhang Yishan, he suddenly decided to give up the idea of ​​acting.

Brother Chen's eyes lit up immediately.

"I think it would be very difficult to find a suitable actor for this role; no one but President Qing is more suitable."

"I'm not kidding, I really don't have time right now. You should proceed with the script and casting in parallel. I'll give you an answer once I've finished preparing all the projects."

"President Qing, good things come to those who wait. I'll wait for you. I'll set up the whole crew and then I'll be waiting for you."

"I haven't thought it through yet. You should start by following the script and my notes. The director will film according to the script and screen according to the character settings. If you go around and really can't find the right people, call me. But I can't give you a definite answer right now."

Brother Chen clinked his teacup against Qingxiao's: "Alright. I'll have them go casting first, but you're the male lead here, so this position is always reserved for you."