They surrounded me right after the breakup.

The teahouse is located on an old street in Zhabei.

Push open the wooden door, and a hidden world awaits.

The private room on the second floor is by the window.

Outside the window is a quiet inland river.

"This place looks a lot like the place where I last met Teacher Liu."

Jiang Han led Xia Yutong to the agreed-upon private room.

There were already people waiting inside.

Zhang Mingyuan stood by the window and turned around when he heard footsteps at the bottom of the stairs.

He was wearing a clean white shirt with the cuffs neatly buttoned up.

A young assistant wearing glasses stood behind him, and a thick stack of documents lay on the table.

"Mr. Jiang, Attorney Xia."

Zhang Mingyuan stepped forward two steps and bent slightly low when shaking hands.

"I've long admired Xingyue Media, and today I finally met President Jiang in person."

"Mr. Zhang, you're too kind. We're sorry to have kept you waiting!"

"Of course."

Zhang Mingyuan led the person to the head seat.

He personally picked up the teapot and poured Longjing tea for Jiang Han.

Zhang Mingyuan took the price list from his assistant and took a deep breath.

Then, he respectfully handed over the paper with both hands.

The price list includes all film and television adaptation rights for the Three-Body trilogy.

The rights to develop derivative products and adapt games are also included.

The package price is listed at the bottom.

After looking down, Xia Yutong immediately nudged Jiang Han's foot gently under the table.

Jiang Han did not look down at the paper.

He picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"Can."

Zhang Mingyuan was stunned.

Xia Yutong also turned her head to look at him.

She knew the value of The Three-Body Problem.

But she is also a lawyer.

My professional instincts told me that I should negotiate down the price first with any offer.

Never agree to an offer on the first try.

If you agree with everything others say, is there any point in negotiating?

Jiang Han's decisiveness clearly exceeded Zhang Mingyuan's expectations.

"Mr. Jiang, would you like to take another look at the price list?"

"This price is reasonable; the Three-Body Problem is worth this price."

Zhang Mingyuan remained silent for a moment, not immediately agreeing.

Instead, he frowned and hesitated.

Jiang Han and Xia Yutong exchanged glances, noticing something amiss.

I agree to the price you quoted.

Logically, shouldn't the seller expedite the contract signing process?

Why did it suddenly stop moving?

Jiang Han was well aware of the cash flow crisis that the other company was currently facing.

Selling IP rights in a timely manner could greatly alleviate the pressure.

Zhang Mingyuan finished his tea and glanced at his assistant.

The assistant understood, pulled out a manila envelope from the bottom of the pile of documents, and placed it on the table.

"President Jiang, less than an hour before you arrived, people from United Capital came by."

Zhang Mingyuan placed his hand on the envelope.

After he said it, he seemed much more relaxed.

Their conditions were very simple.

"Add 10% to the price quoted by Xingyue."

Jiang Han picked up the envelope, pulled out the letter of intent inside, and glanced at it.

Lu Chengze's signature was clearly visible.

The date is today.

The time column says 10:00 AM.

He put the letter of intent back on the table.

The private room fell silent for a moment.

Jiang Han chuckled inwardly.

That's how Chiang Kuan Yew came to power.

Suddenly, Lu Chengze of United Capital appeared out of nowhere.

These people never pick on the weak, they always pick on the strong, right?

There's no problem with fair competition; the highest bidder wins.

The seller can also gain additional economic benefits.

But it just so happens to happen before the negotiations, disrupting other people's plans in this way.

It's obvious that they were up to no good.

On the one hand, it will disrupt the level of trust between the negotiating parties.

If Jiang Han hadn't been so fixated on the IP, he might have even ended the negotiations and left.

This essentially ruined the whole thing.

Then, United Capital will be able to acquire the copyright at a very low price.

Furthermore, it will inadvertently raise the seller's expectations and increase Jianghan's costs.

"Mr. Zhang, since you've shown me United Capital's letter of intent..."

"This means you've already made up your mind."

"I want to hear you say it yourself."

Why choose stars and moon?

Zhang Mingyuan looked up at Jiang Han.

"Because of Professor Liu Cixin."

"When I bought the rights to The Three-Body Problem, the domestic science fiction market was practically nonexistent."

"Nobody thinks science fiction is valuable."

"Furthermore, no one believes that domestically produced science fiction can be made into a movie."

"I talked a lot with Mr. Liu back then, saying that I wanted to make a sci-fi blockbuster that truly belongs to the Chinese people."

He believed me.

"I haven't been able to film it all these years; the copyright has been stuck with me."

"When Teacher Liu called last time, he said that President Jiang had invested in 'The Wandering Earth'."

"We do not interfere with the content creation process at all, and even script changes are made in accordance with the original author's opinions."

Jiang Han did not feign modesty and waited for the other party to finish speaking.

Zhang Mingyuan stood up and reopened the quotation sheet.

Tap the price bar with your fingertip.

"I've repeatedly calculated this price with my legal team."

"Considering the overall IP value of the Three-Body Trilogy and the future market potential for derivative products."

"This is the market average price. Mr. Jiang, you didn't pressure me to lower the price, and I won't try to raise it."

"You respect my foresight in buying the copyrights back then, and I respect your determination to create content now."

"I hope to see the original Three-Body story in theaters."

After saying that, Zhang Mingyuan extended his palm.

Jiang Han stood up and solemnly shook hands with him.

Before he arrived, he thought the other party was a businessman who would try to take advantage of a bargain.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Mingyuan is a seasoned science fiction fan.

After both sides opened up to each other, the subsequent conversation flowed naturally.

Xia Yutong took out a draft contract from her briefcase.

Turn to the price terms.

Fill in the numbers that both parties just confirmed.

The handwriting was as neat and straight as ever, with each stroke firm and clear.

After Xia Yutong filled in the numbers, she turned the contract over and pushed it to the other side.

Both parties signed in the signature column.

Exchange contracts and sign them again.

Zhang Mingyuan put down his pen and let out a long sigh.

He pushed the signed contract to his assistant.

Instruct your assistant to immediately complete the copyright registration change procedures.

Zhang Mingyuan stood by the window, watching his assistant's figure disappear around the corner of the old street.

He turned around and rubbed his hands together.

"President Jiang, I'll treat you to lunch. There's a local Shanghainese restaurant next door that's been serving braised pork for over ten years."

"Mr. Zhang, you've gone to a lot of trouble."

The restaurant is right next to the teahouse.

The boss knew Zhang Mingyuan and led him directly into a private room by the window.

The dishes were served quickly; the braised pork was still bubbling in the casserole when it was brought out.

The sauce is thick and the pork skin is translucent.

The soup of Yan Du Xian is milky white, and the salted pork is cut into thin slices and sinks to the bottom of the bowl.

Zhang Mingyuan picked up a piece of braised pork and put it into Jiang Han's bowl.

"After I bought the rights to The Three-Body Problem, I was so excited that I couldn't sleep for several nights."

"I tell everyone I meet that I'm going to make a domestic sci-fi blockbuster."

"Later, the funding chain broke, so I sold everything I could, except for the copyrights."

The middle-aged man drank some baijiu (Chinese liquor), and when he got emotional, his eyes even turned red.

"I can't bear to part with it; I feel like if I sell it, I'll really have nothing left."

Zhang Mingyuan picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp.

Xia Yutong sat quietly to the side.

She couldn't understand why someone who sold their property successfully at a high price would look sad.

In contrast, Jiang Han took the initiative to pat Zhang Mingyuan on the shoulder.

He understood the other person's feelings.

This is a kind of romance unique to men.