Chapter 104: Signing Artists

In late autumn, Jingcheng was wrapped in a thin mist. Cai Wen sat in the hotel café, watching the ginkgo leaves swirling down the boulevard through the floor-to-ceiling window, his fingers tapping the coffee cup unconsciously. As the glass door swung open and shut, a figure in dark blue swept in with the cold wind—Chen Daoming wore a wool overcoat, a cashmere scarf draped casually around his neck, every gesture pure theatre.

"Director Cai, sorry to keep you waiting." After sitting down, Chen Daoming took the Pu'er tea the waiter offered. "Feimin wants to sign artists."

Cai Wen slid over the proposal, its cover stamped with the gilded words "Trilogy of the Era": "Exactly." He paused. "On the pay, we're proposing a 70-30 split."

Chen Daoming's fingertips traced the script outline on the table, and he suddenly chuckled: "Director Cai is frank, I'll give you that."

"Which is exactly why we need talented newcomers to back us up." Cai Wen pulled a stack of data from his briefcase. "These are Director Xiang's box-office records in Xiangjiang, and..." he lowered his voice, "Director Xiang says that in the future he'll take our signed actors to break into overseas markets."

Chen Daoming's hand holding the tea paused slightly, a flicker of interest rising in his eyes: "Overseas markets? Now that's interesting. Give me two days to think it over."

On the third day after seeing Chen Daoming off, Cai Wen showed up again at the old-style tube-shaped apartment block of the Central Drama Academy family quarters. Wang Zhiwen, wrapped in an old sweater, leaned against the mottled door frame, a half-smoked cigarette between his fingers: "Director Cai, I just turned down three bit-part roles. You coming to find me now—aren't you afraid of throwing your money down the drain?"

"I'm afraid you won't even get the chance to float." Cai Wen stuffed a bag of hot sugar-roasted chestnuts into his hand. "Director Xiang wants to sign you. Interested?"

Wang Zhiwen flicked the ash off his cigarette and suddenly laughed out loud: "A 70-30 split? You've got some nerve throwing out terms like that. But..." he crushed out the cigarette butt, "I want script-approval rights."

"Deal!" Cai Wen immediately pulled out a contract. "Director Xiang says a truly good actor should have the ability to judge and argue over a script."

At the same time, Xiang Fei was sitting face-to-face with Li Youbin inside a production crew's tent in Hengdian. This tough-guy actor, fresh from filming "Death Certificate," frowned as he held Feimin Entertainment's offer contract: "A 70-30 split."

Li Youbin rubbed the profit-sharing clause on the contract: "Aren't you afraid I'll refuse?"

"I am, but I trust myself more." Xiang Fei stood up to pour tea.

Li Youbin suddenly burst into hearty laughter: "Fine, I'm in!"

When Cai Wen found Zhou Xun at a small theatre in Hangzhou, the strikingly spirited girl was backstage gnawing on a steamed bun. "Cai-ge, I'm just an extra," Cai Wen explained the reason to her, and Zhou Xun was smoothly signed.

At the victory banquet, the crystal chandelier made Feimin Entertainment's name shine brilliantly. Xiang Fei, champagne in hand, walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and watched Cai Wen chatting and laughing with Chen Daoming, Wang Zhiwen, and the others.

"Wen-ge, it's all thanks to you." Xiang Fei clinked glasses with him. "From building the team to signing these four, in such a short time..."

"Don't get ahead of yourself." Cai Wen pointed at Zhou Xun, who was running lines with Li Youbin in the distance. "This is just the beginning. I hear there's a student at Beijing Film called Huang Xiaoming, and Liu Ye over at the Central Drama Academy..."

Xiang Fei burst out laughing: "Looks like we'll have to buy another floor of office space!" He raised his glass. "To Feimin Entertainment, to the future!"

In the banquet hall, amid the clinking of glasses, Chen Daoming flipped open the script for a new project, Wang Zhiwen argued fiercely with the screenwriter over the lines, Zhou Xun excitedly mimed her character's movements, and Li Youbin clapped Cai Wen on the shoulder with a great laugh. This entertainment company, just now rising, was like the dawn sun, casting its light across the entire world of film and television.