Just because I wrote "Zhu Xian," the school beauty sent me razor blades.

Los Angeles.

The Shawshank Redemption production office.

The phone hangs up.

The conference room was deathly silent.

The producer held his phone, his face extremely grim.

"Twenty-five million US dollars."

He repeated it in a low voice.

"This is not a small number."

"And the problem now isn't just about money."

Michael looked up at him.

"What do you mean?"

The producer put down his phone.

"The news of the withdrawal of investment has already spread."

"The remaining companies were already observing the situation."

"Now that the first company has withdrawn, everyone else will just think there's something wrong with the project."

He glanced at the cast list on the table.

Andy Dufresne: Tim Robbins.

Red: Morgan Freeman.

The two most important roles.

Everything has just been confirmed.

But the movie might not even get to start filming.

The producer continued:

"A 19-year-old Chinese director."

"A prison film without commercial stars, a romance, or action scenes."

"Now we've also offended the original investors."

"Who dares to take the call?"

The atmosphere in the meeting room grew increasingly tense.

Some people stopped what they were doing.

Someone asked in a low voice whether the confirmation of the venue and schedule should be postponed.

No one left.

Nobody knew.

What should we do next?

The excitement of finding Morgan Freeman was extinguished by this sudden setback.

The money is gone.

How can the project proceed?

Everyone instinctively looked at Lin Yuan.

after all.

Withdrawing investment was the price he paid for insisting on casting.

Lin Yuan simply glanced down at his phone.

Then I dialed a number.

The call was answered quickly.

domestic.

Tianxing Entertainment.

Fei Zhao had just finished a meeting.

Before I could finish collecting the documents on the table, my phone rang.

She glanced at it.

Lin Yuan.

Fei Zhao answered the call.

"explain."

There was no small talk.

Not a single unnecessary word was spoken.

Lin Yuan spoke:

"Sister Fei."

"The investors in 'The Shawshank Redemption' have withdrawn."

Fei Zhao paused for a second.

"gap."

"Twenty-five million US dollars."

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone.

Fei Zhao did not ask him why he had offended the investors.

She asked directly:

"You want Tianxing to join the fray?"

"Um."

Lin Yuan answered directly.

Fei Zhao did not agree immediately.

He only said two words.

"script."

"Send it to you."

The phone hangs up.

A few minutes later.

The complete script has been successfully sent.

Lin Yuan waited for a while.

My phone vibrated.

Fei Zhao only replied with three sentences.

"Three o'clock in the afternoon."

"Board of Directors."

"Let me see first."

Tianxing Office.

Fei Zhao sat at the table.

Turn the pages one by one.

prison.

Wrongful conviction.

Twenty long years.

She read very slowly.

I read until the very last page.

Andy crawled out of the dark sewer.

Standing in the torrential rain.

Open your arms.

After a long time.

She picked up her phone.

Dial Lin Yuan's number.

The call was connected.

Fei Zhao's first words:

"The business risks are very high."

"I know."

"You know that, yet you still contacted me."

Los Angeles.

On the other end of the phone.

Lin Yuan remained silent for a while.

Everyone in the conference room was looking at him.

He looked up and glanced at the cast list on the table.

Then he said:

"Because I want to film it."

On the other end of the phone.

Fei Zhao paused for two seconds.

"understood."

The phone hangs up.

domestic.

Tianxing Entertainment.

3 PM.

Boardroom.

Sun Heming sat in the main seat.

There was a project document in English on the table.

"The Shawshank Redemption".

The meeting has just begun.

Then CFO Lü Fang spoke up.

"A shortfall of $25 million."

"And this isn't even the entire investment."

"Overseas projects have uncertain return cycles, and exchange rates, taxes, and production costs can all get out of control."

"The risk is too high."

Business Director Chen Yuan continued:

"It's not a problem with the movie."

"This is Hollywood."

"Overseas legal services".

"International copyright".

"A joint production."

"American labor unions."

"Completion insurance."

"International distribution"

Nothing is simple.

He opened the documents.

"Moreover, the original investors have already withdrawn their investment."

"We're entering the market now, and we're not just taking on projects."

"It's also about taking on the trouble they left behind."

The meeting room fell silent.

No one is discussing whether Lin Yuan will make movies anymore.

Qian Xuesen.

Secret.

Initial D.

Lin Yuan had already proven his abilities.

There is only one problem now.

Does Tianxing have the ability to help him enter Hollywood?

Sun Heming remained silent.

Until everyone has finished speaking.

He then looked up.

He looked at Fei Zhao.

What do you think?

Fei Zhao put down the project documents in his hand.

"The project can be done."

Everyone in the conference room looked at her at the same time.

Lü Fang frowned.

Are you sure?

Fei Zhao did not explain.

He continued, "I just kept saying:"

"But we can't do it the way Hollywood does."

Chen Yuan was taken aback.

"What do you mean?"

Fei Zhao tapped his finger lightly on the table.

"They are looking for investment."

"We're looking for partners."

The meeting room fell silent.

Fei Zhao continued:

"Simply add 25 million US dollars."

"Tianxing is simply taking over for the original investors."

"But what if we use Asian copyright revenue, co-production resources, and distribution channels as bargaining chips?"

"We're not here to fill in the gaps."

"We are partners."

Chen Yuan understood.

Tianxing is not here to fill the gap.

Instead, they want to use the Asian market and distribution capabilities to acquire real project rights.

Sun Heming looked at Fei Zhao.

For the first time, a hint of a smile appeared in his eyes.

A short while later.

A video conference was established between Los Angeles and China.

One side of the screen.

It was Sun Heming, Fei Zhao, and senior executives of Tianxing.

the other side.

It was Lin Yuan, Michael, and the production team.

Michael remained silent for a moment after reading Tianxing's preliminary comments.

"What if new American investors can't be found in the short term?"

Fei Zhao looked at him.

"Then let's break down the risks."

She paused for a moment.

"I'm not here to prove that I'm willing to take risks."

"I'm here to mitigate the risks."

Michael finally understood.

Why did Lin Yuan call her when the project was at its most dangerous?

He brought in more than one investor.

He is also someone who can bring films to life.

Sun Heming finished reading all the materials.

Then he opened his mouth:

"Tianxing enters the arena."

Everyone in the conference room sat up straight at the same time.

This is not a continuation of the evaluation.

It's not a matter of just waiting and seeing.

Instead, it was a formal decision.

Sun Heming immediately began the deployment.

"Chen Yuan."

"Investigate both the distribution channels and independent film funds."

Before leaving get off work today.

"Give me the first batch of names."

"I need to know which companies are interested."

"Which companies have the capability?"

"Which companies are just trying to take advantage of the situation?"

Chen Yuan nodded.

"clear."

"Lü Fang".

"Redo the budget."

"Recalculated according to international project standards."

"Tomorrow morning."

"I need a budget for the first draft."

"List all possible additional costs in advance."

"it is good."

Sun Heming looked at Fei Zhao.

"Have your legal team create a risk list for co-productions, American unions, actor contracts, copyright ownership, and completion insurance."

"Give me the first draft before you leave work today."

Fei Zhao nodded.

"it is good."

The meeting room, which had been discussing risks, suddenly sprang into action.

phone.

mail.

material.

All departments began to act in unison.

Lin Yuanyuan is in Los Angeles.

But it was the first time I clearly felt it.

Fei Zhao wasn't the only one helping him.

It wasn't just Sun Heming placing bets.

It is the entire Tianxing.

It began working on "The Shawshank Redemption".

After the meeting.

The others left one after another.

Only three people remained in the meeting room.

Sun Heming.

Fei Zhao.

And Lin Yuan on the screen.

Sun Heming looked at him.

"Movie."

"I'm not worried."

He paused.

What I'm worried about is...

"This is Hollywood."

Lin Yuan nodded.

"I know."

Sun Heming smiled.

"Capital and procedures."

"Leave it to Tianxing."

"Movie."

"It's up to you."

Lin Yuan looked at the screen.

He didn't say anything fancy.

He simply nodded.

"it is good."

Video closed.

Lin Yuan then made a separate phone call to Fei Zhao.

"Sister Fei, thank you for troubling me again."

Fei Zhao spoke calmly.

"Good to know."

"Remember to come earlier next time."

Lin Yuan smiled.

"Try your best next time."

"You always say 'try your best'."

Lin Yuan leaned back in his chair.

"Didn't it all get filmed in the end?"

On the other end of the phone.

Fei Zhao remained silent.

After a while.

He only replied once.

"Make a good movie."

The phone hangs up.

That evening.

The news that "The Shawshank Redemption" was looking for a new partner quickly spread throughout several film circles in Hollywood.

The original investors were not optimistic after hearing about it.

"Tianxing has no experience in North American production."

"Do they think that taking over the Asian market will solve their problems with labor unions and distribution in the US?"

"Money is just the first hurdle."

the other side.

The project materials submitted by Tianxing have already appeared on the desks of several funds and production companies.

That evening.

The first company refused.

reason:

The risk is too high.

The second company refused.

reason:

The subject matter lacks commercial value.

The next morning.

The venue provider sent a final notice.

Within 48 hours.

The second deposit must be confirmed.

otherwise.

The prison site that had already been agreed upon will be reopened to other film crews.

Tim Robbins' agent also sent an email.

Ask for the specific date the device was turned on.

Morgan Freeman's availability also needs to be confirmed.

The producer looked at email after email.

His expression grew increasingly grim.

"We don't have much time left."

Michael did not speak.

Lin Yuan remained silent.

They all know.

The project is not truly out of danger yet.

Forty-eight hours.

It's decreasing little by little.

The next afternoon.

The third company was also prepared to refuse.

However, when the person in charge flipped to the list of main creators, he paused for a moment.

director:

Lin Yuan.

Co-director and producer:

Michael Anderson.

actor:

Tim Robbins.

Morgan Freeman.

The person in charge stared at the first name for a few seconds.

"Lin Yuan?"

The assistant next to him nodded.

"The director of Initial D."

The person in charge quickly remembered.

"That young man from the Paris Forum?"

"right."

The person in charge flipped the document back to the first page.

He originally planned to read only ten pages.

When the assistant came in again.

The entire script.

I've scrolled to the end.

The assistant stood at the door.

Should I refuse?

The person in charge remained silent for a few seconds.

Then close the script.

"Contact them first."

Lin Yuan.

That will make him willing to open the script.

But what really made him change his mind was...

This is the story.

Day three.

As Michael reconnected with his old acquaintances, Tianxing's second batch of data was also released.

More companies started requesting information.

Someone inquired about copyright revenue in Asia.

Someone requested to see the joint production proposal.

Someone requested the full budget.

But it wasn't until the afternoon.

No company has yet officially signed a contract.

The deadline for the venue.

Only twelve hours left.

The atmosphere in the office grew increasingly tense.

The producer would check the time every few minutes.

Michael sat at the table.

Not a word.

Just as the project team was preparing for the next round of negotiations.

His computer suddenly made a sound.

A private email arrived in my inbox.

There is no company logo.

The email also had no subject line.

When Michael saw the sender's email address.

The movement suddenly stopped.

This is a private email address.

He knows him.

I haven't received any emails from them for many years.

The producer came over immediately.

Who posted this?

Michael did not answer.

He opened the email.

The main text consists of only two sentences.

Michael.

"Bring that young director over for a coffee at 7 p.m. tonight."

The office fell silent.

The producer frowned.

"Who?"

Michael stared at the email for a few seconds.

Then the screen was slowly turned around.

At the very bottom of the email.

There is only one signature.

Steven Spielberg.

Lin Yuan looked at that name.

I was truly stunned for the first time.