Chapter 227: Seeking Investment

Watching the backs of the group as they left, Yu Youwei seemed to wake from a dream; she hurriedly chased after them, looking at Bao Qiang, then at Bo Ge, and finally, her gaze returned to Xu Zheng.

She said full of anticipation, "Um... would it be convenient to take a photo with you all? It's my first time meeting celebrities, and I'd like to keep it as a memento."

Xu Zheng was long accustomed to such requests and readily agreed; Bao Qiang and Bo Ge did not refuse either, as they were, after all, friends of an "acquaintance."

Especially since she was a beauty!

Immediately after, the three of them surrounded Yu Youwei, and Shen Yan was responsible for using his phone to freeze this moment forever.

"Click!" Done!

Returning to her seat full of joy, Yu Youwei kept her eyes fixed on the phone screen, where a real, existing photo was displayed. Her pretty face flushed with excitement, and the corners of her mouth lifted involuntarily.

Unable to suppress the joy in her heart, Yu Youwei showed the phone to Wu Yue'er and Shanni.

"It doesn't feel any different from in the movies." Wu Yue'er's expression was indifferent; compared to celebrities, food was clearly more tempting.

She picked up a piece of chicken from the pot and put it in her mouth; it was tender, smooth, and soft, with top-tier flavor.

Shanni's reaction was exactly the same; after praising it a few times, she continued to bury her head in her meal.

Influenced by the two, Yu Youwei gradually calmed her surging emotions. That's right, so what if they were celebrities? It didn't have much to do with her anyway.

The only thing worth noting was why Shen Yan would know such people.

Whatever, let's post a status update first to blow up the feeds of all her friends.

"Pretty lucky, bumped into celebrities on the first day of checking in."

Attached the group photo below.

Once the status was posted, the response was truly enthusiastic.

Luo Qiqi: "Ahhh! It's Zhu Bajie! (Excited)"

Yuan Mingqing: "Are there really celebrities everywhere in Hengdian? Met three just by eating a meal, amazing (Thumbs up) (Thumbs up)"

Zhu Baoping: "You met them, help me ask for an autograph from Andy Lau!!!"

Yu Chengdong: "Youwei, Dad likes Xu Sanduo, can you get an autograph?"

Passerby A: "It makes me itch to go, about to set off."

Pang Weijie: "Really want to go!!!"

Private room upstairs.

Different from the noisy environment of the main hall, it was quiet and peaceful here, and the soundproofing was evident; under the bright incandescent lights, the four of them sat down one after another.

Bo Ge and Bao Qiang were not familiar with Shen Yan, so after a brief exchange of pleasantries, they began to whisper to each other. Xu Zheng did not know much about Shen Yan, only that Shen Yan had considerable family wealth and an extraordinary bearing.

Holding the idea of giving it a try, Xu Zheng went straight to the point: "Little brother, it's like this, you know I'm an actor, and I have a movie in hand that needs investment. I wanted to ask if you have any interest."

Hearing this, Bo Ge and Bao Qiang both cast their gazes over. The young man before them was only in his twenties, dressed like a student; they hadn't expected him to be a person of such impressive substance.

No wonder Xu Zheng was acting so enthusiastic.

So he was looking for investment, Shen Yan realized inwardly, but remained calm on the surface: "I am naturally interested in making money, but each situation must be analyzed specifically. I imagine this movie isn't being viewed favorably, otherwise, you wouldn't be looking for an outsider to pull investment from."

"That is indeed the case!" Xu Zheng laughed dryly.

At the same time, he held Shen Yan in higher regard.

Although the other party was young, his mind was quite clear, and he hit the nail on the head when looking at problems.

Today's young people are truly not to be underestimated.

Seeing that Shen Yan was not opposed to investing in the movie, he began to explain the reason: "The reason those investors are unwilling to invest isn't because there's a problem with the movie itself; the script and such are all okay. The main reason is..."

He paused and continued to state: "Because this movie will be directed by me personally. Actually, this isn't my first time being a director. Back in '03, I directed a TV series, and the response was quite good."

"It's just that this is my first time venturing into film directing, so investors inevitably have doubts."

Perhaps because he had hit too many walls during this period, Xu Zheng looked quite haggard, his eye sockets slightly sunken with a faint layer of blue.

He truthfully stated his current predicament, hoping to move Shen Yan with the greatest sincerity.

And Shen Yan's reaction surprised him quite a bit; he only heard Shen Yan say with a calm expression: "Do you have the script? Take it out and let me see it first."

Not refusing outright meant there was still room for negotiation.

Xu Zheng hurriedly said that he had come out in a rush and didn't bring the script, but he could briefly narrate the general content of the story. Shen Yan did not refuse.

Immediately after, Xu Zheng began to narrate: "Company executive Xu Lang, in order to fight for the company's management rights, decides to go to Thailand personally..."

After all, the script had copyright protection, so Xu Zheng wasn't worried about Shen Yan pulling any tricks. Because it was a comedy, Xu Zheng mainly emphasized some of the funny plot points and the main storyline.

Through his narration, Shen Yan confirmed that this movie was "Tai Jiong." After its release, it took home a great result of 1.2 billion at the box office, directly breaking the box office record for films in China.

At the time, it caused a huge stir in the entertainment industry, shocking everyone.

Xu Zheng even used this to make a name for himself in the director circle.

However, for a work to succeed, both quality and opportunity are indispensable.

After listening to the general content of the script, Shen Yan nodded slightly, his fingertips tapping on the tabletop. He pondered for a good while before saying: "The plot sounds pretty good. What is the total investment for this movie? How much is the shortfall?"

"The total investment is expected to be around 35 million, and there is currently a shortfall of 20 million."

Hearing this, how could Xu Zheng not know that Shen Yan was interested? He almost jumped three feet high with excitement, the corners of his mouth unable to stop rising.

When you reach the end of your rope, there is a way out; when you think there is no hope, there is a new turn. He had only held the idea of trying, never expecting to truly meet a benefactor.

Bo Ge and Bao Qiang were both happy for their good friend, and at the same time, the thought of building a connection arose in their hearts.

Who doesn't like a capital tycoon? You never know when you might have a place where you need to ask for their help.

Shen Yan asked again if the leads had been decided.

Xu Zheng said the three leads would be played by him, Bao Qiang, and Bo Ge; there was absolutely no problem with their acting skills.

Shen Yan nodded slightly; this configuration was exactly the same as the original.

Shen Yan indicated that investment was possible, and he would not interfere with casting or filming, but a clause had to be added to the contract: he would personally arrive on-site to supervise, and if the filmed footage was unsatisfactory, he had the right to withdraw his investment and exit halfway.

Of course, Shen Yan was investing to make money and wouldn't nitpick; as long as the film quality passed, everything would be fine.

Since someone was finally investing and it wasn't an excessive request, Xu Zheng naturally agreed to everything.

However, coming out this time was hurried, so there was certainly no time to sign a contract, and with Bao Qiang and Bo Ge present, there were many things Xu Zheng found inconvenient to say.

Fortunately, Shen Yan would be staying in Hengdian for three days, so there was no need to rush for this moment.