Chapter 278: Agent Jing Tian, Codenamed Little Cutie

Jing Tian began her global promotional tour in late June, and after subsequently attending several events held by foreign brands, she finally returned after more than half a month.

Arriving at Dongshanshu and seeing Jing Tian, whom he had not seen for a long time, Wei Jin pulled her into his embrace, greedily breathing in the young girl's natural scent.

"Tian Tian, you seem to have lost weight."

"No way, Brother, I eat so much every day, I just can't seem to gain any weight."

Jing Tian lay in Wei Jin's arms, rubbing her smooth forehead against his stubble, which he hadn't had time to trim; it felt itchy, but she enjoyed it very much.

It was strange to say, but Jing Tian's appetite was quite large, yet she really didn't gain weight easily; in this regard, she was much better than Liu Yifei, as the latter would develop a double chin if she didn't manage her diet slightly.

"Wait a few years until we have a child, then we'll see if you gain weight."

"Hmph, if I really get fat, I won't see anyone until I've slimmed down again before going out."

Jing Tian thought of how Xing Aina looked just after finishing her postpartum confinement and found it a bit hard to accept.

"Don't worry so much; whether you are fat or thin, I love you all the same."

Wei Jin held the young girl's pretty face in his hands, staring straight into her large eyes, and said with complete sincerity.

"Brother, kiss me."

Jing Tian naturally understood the man's heart, and amidst her happiness, she took the initiative to offer a sweet kiss.

"Mmm~~"

Tasting Jing Tian's red lips, Wei Jin became somewhat lost in the moment.

This kiss did not stop until both of them were nearly unable to breathe.

With fingers interlaced, the two strolled over to a bench in the garden and sat down.

Jing Tian leaned her head on Wei Jin's shoulder, enjoying this rare, warm moment.

Having not seen each other for a long time, the two naturally could not avoid doing some bashful things.

After the pleasure, Jing Tian, with a rosy face and still panting slightly, leaned against Wei Jin's chest, feeling the man's warmth.

"Brother~~"

The young girl seemed hesitant to speak, as if she didn't know how to start.

"Hmm? What is it?"

Wei Jin lifted the young girl up to sit on his lap, looked up at her, and asked with some curiosity.

"About *Pacific Rim*, when Lu Shu came to pick me up today, I mentioned it in passing. Although he didn't say anything, I could tell that Wanda likely wants to participate."

Jing Tian never interfered in Wei Jin's business affairs, but this time, her tongue slipped and she leaked information about the project, which made her feel quite annoyed.

"Did I cause you trouble?"

"Silly, these are small matters. Besides, it will be announced soon, and Lu Zheng will know then anyway."

Wei Jin supported Jing Tian's full, perky bottom, feeling quite moved; the young girl truly always put his interests first.

Wei Jin had originally intended to bring Wanda into this project as well.

Firstly, both sides had always cooperated very happily; secondly, Wanda's current number of cinemas was second only to Shanhe Cinema Line, especially in the number of 3D and IMAX screens, which was the highest in the country, so it would definitely be helpful to the project; there was no reason to leave them out.

Besides, given the relationship between Lu Zheng and Jing Tian, if they really asked, could he even refuse? It was better to just go with the flow and do them a favor, which would count as gaining another ally—why not?

"That's good."

Hearing this, the young girl breathed a sigh of relief; she was just afraid that because of her, she would make things difficult for Wei Jin.

Seeing Jing Tian's expression, Wei Jin's playful side surged; with a serious face, he said in a solemn tone:

"Although it was an unintentional mistake and did not cause serious consequences, as an agent, Jing Tian, you have ultimately leaked classified intelligence. This commander intends to punish you severely; do you submit or not?"

Seeing the man's act, Jing Tian knew immediately that a new game had begun, and she immediately started to cooperate.

"Commander, Agent Jing Tian, codenamed 'Little Cutie', is willing to accept punishment."

Hearing the codename the young girl had made up herself, Wei Jin almost couldn't keep a straight face, but for the sake of tonight's fun, he forcibly continued the game.

"Good. In view of your loose lips, today's punishment is that when you receive the military rod education in a moment, you are not allowed to make a single sound. Otherwise, fifty lashes will become one hundred. Do you understand?"

As he spoke, Wei Jin had already stood up, the large military rod in his hand looking incredibly ferocious, twitching as if eager to strike the delicate girl before him.

"Understood. If I make a single sound, Little Cutie is willing to be punished indefinitely."

Wei Jin nodded, preparing to carry out the punishment.

"Whack! Whack! Whack!"

Wei Jin showed no mercy, not holding back with a single strike, hitting the young girl until she cried out for her father and mother.

That night, Agent Jing Tian, codenamed Little Cutie, took at least several thousand lashes; it was too miserable. Since Warner had already given a clear answer, it meant that the cooperation for *Pacific Rim* would basically not go wrong, and the rest was merely the division of interests.

Furthermore, even if the final negotiations broke down and Warner truly did not participate, Summit Entertainment could grit its teeth and do it alone, so Wei Jin planned to talk to Han Sanping first.

After all, as long as it was a co-production, it would inevitably involve China Film Group. Besides, Wei Jin had already stood Han up before, so this time, it could be considered a form of compensation for him.

Arriving at China Film Group with practiced ease, the receptionist gave Wei Jin a sweet smile.

She knew that every time Wei Jin came over, Han Dong's mood would be good for several days.

Walking straight to Han Sanping's office, Wei Jin got straight to the point and stated his purpose.

"You're talking about a 150 million USD co-production? You're not lying to me?"

Han Sanping truly hadn't expected that the big project Wei Jin said he wanted to introduce to him would be such a massive one; this happiness had come too suddenly.

"Han Dong, stay calm."

Warner was indeed very efficient; the budget had already been worked out, which was one of the reasons Wei Jin was certain they wouldn't abandon the project.

Seeing Wei Jin's calm and collected appearance, Han Sanping's emotions also cooled down; he was the head of China Film Group, after all, and couldn't be looked down upon by this kid.

"What is the specific situation of the project? Tell me."

"Here, take a look at the script first."

Wei Jin took the script out of his briefcase and handed it over. After Han Sanping took it, he stopped talking, and for a time, only the sound of pages turning remained in the office.

A few minutes passed, and Han Sanping closed the script, letting out another sigh of admiration.

"Mecha fighting monsters, this is following the path of Transformers; your style is truly versatile."

It is no wonder Han Sanping sighed; in reality, most domestic directors or screenwriters are only skilled in one approach. Someone like Wei Jin, who writes and directs his own work while being able to handle different styles, is truly rare to see. After a moment of sighing, Han Sanping continued to ask the most critical question.

"This project, will you be directing it?"

"I'll pass. I really can't muster any interest in this kind of popcorn movie that relies purely on visual effects to win."

In fact, when Avatar previously broke the box office record, Wei Jin really did have the thought of using this film to take back the box office record; otherwise, he wouldn't have this Chinese script in his hands.

However, after thinking it over, he still rejected the idea. This type of film is quite boring to shoot, and Wei Jin does not want to turn himself into a filmmaking machine.

Moreover, his energy is always limited, and Summit Entertainment cannot support too many projects at once. I am afraid such collaborations will be frequent in the future.

This collaboration can also be considered a test of the waters. Dumping scripts that he is not interested in or that are difficult to localize onto Hollywood, while sitting back to share the profits and taking domestic actors overseas, can be described as killing many birds with one stone.

"But if that's the case, we can only cede the leading role to Warner. Do you have confidence in the project?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Jin was actually a bit touched. Come to think of it, Han Sanping should be his number one die-hard fan; as long as he is directing, he is optimistic about it no matter what. But once it is someone else, he cannot help but start worrying about the profitability. He is truly a bit "cute."

"Don't worry, Chairman Han. For this kind of sci-fi blockbuster, as long as the special effects can keep up, there is absolutely no problem with profitability."

In his past life, Wei Jin was very interested in this series and read a lot of relevant information.

In fact, the performance of the original Pacific Rim was not very good, but there was a reason for that.

First is the issue of promotion and distribution; the original distributor, Warner, did not focus on this film, which was led and produced by Legendary Pictures. Second is the issue of the release window; the film was released during the Summer Slot, and everything released at the same time was a family-friendly movie. This theme of mecha fighting monsters was indeed very unpopular.

Third is aesthetic fatigue; the original film was released in 2013, and by then, Hollywood had been pushing visual blockbusters for several years in a row, and audiences were already weary.

But now, coming out two years early, plus his own reputation as a screenwriter, and choosing a suitable release window, Wei Jin believes that the audience will still be willing to pay for it, and the box office will definitely be different.

"Good, I'll listen to you."

Han Sanping is also a decisive person. If Wei Jin is optimistic about it, then what is there to worry about? Just follow along.

"However, regarding the paperwork, I will need you to put in more effort, Chairman Han."

"That's no problem. I will handle the paperwork personally. Besides, your script has very upright values; I'm afraid the approval process will be smoother than you can imagine."

Wei Jin nodded upon hearing this; he had made quite a few adjustments to this script.

In past sci-fi films, it was always the Americans who protected humanity and saved the Earth. This time, Wei Jin added many Huaxia elements to highlight the Huaxia image, which will definitely satisfy domestic audiences and the top brass.

"This time domestically, is it just the two of us?"

Since he had decided to get on board, Han Sanping naturally cared about how big a piece of the cake China Film Group could take.

"Wanda has already leaked some news, and with their theater layout, I think we can bring them on. As for others, they aren't qualified."

To be honest, the profit prospects of this project cannot compare to Inception, and Wei Jin wouldn't mind pulling in a few more companies, but counting through the top domestic companies, there really isn't one that can bring equivalent resources to the table.

Originally, with Bona's size backed by Poly, they would have been qualified, but Yu Pangzi's interference in the casting made Wei Jin keep a grudge against him.

"Then let's make it the three of us. When are you going to North America?"

"Hey, Chairman Han, why can't it be them coming over here?"

Han Sanping was somewhat suspicious and uncertain upon hearing this. Good heavens, is he already on equal footing with the Big Six? But then he became thoughtful.

"Tell me honestly, kid, what exactly is your relationship with Summit Entertainment?"

It is no wonder Han Sanping was suspicious. Over these years, Wei Jin's cooperation with Summit has been too close. Whether it is global distribution or selling out copyrights, Summit Entertainment almost unconditionally agrees to Wei Jin's requests; it is definitely not as simple as a mere cooperative relationship.

"Besides being a strategic partnership, I have a little bit of shares."

Since he couldn't hide it, Wei Jin didn't mind revealing a bit of news. People in the country would probably find it hard to imagine that he is a major shareholder holding over 70%.

"How much is 'a little bit'?"

Han Sanping was overjoyed. He knew that with Wei Jin's mind, he wouldn't be satisfied with just a little bit; at least 10% or more, right?

"That's not important. What's important is the future; there won't be a shortage of such co-productions."

Upon hearing this, Han Sanping's eyes grew brighter and brighter, and his old face crinkled into a smile.

"Good, good."

Among the several industry companies Wei Jin cooperates with, Old Wang from Enlight is still someone you can work with.

He said he would provide roles, and he really sent over the audition notice. Unfortunately, the mature artists at Starry Sky Culture either had acting contracts and couldn't fit the schedule, or they didn't like the project. In the end, only Zhu Yilong and Gao Ye went to audition.

The result of the audition was not surprising; they successfully got two roles, which made the two newcomers feel that signing with Starry Sky Culture was truly worth it.

One must know that film resources are always scarce for actors in the entertainment industry.

As newcomers who had just graduated, being able to participate in a 30-million-budget film right away was simply great luck.

However, Old Wang is also quite cunning; the next day he announced the start date and cast for Painted Skin: The Resurrection.

He emphasized that the special effects would be handled by Shanhe Ink, and the participation of artists under Starry Sky Culture, making it seem as if this project was supported by Shanhe Media behind the scenes.

If it were just that, it would be a qualified promotional stunt.

But the problem was that the director, Chen Jiashang, actually shouted that the film's quality would be on par with Painted Skin.

Once this news came out, it was immediately mocked by netizens. With a total investment of 30 million, I'm afraid it wouldn't even cover the special effects costs of Painted Skin; how could they have the nerve to compare? Because of this, Old Wang even specifically called Wei Jin to explain.

"Brother Wei, this is just a film promotion tactic, please don't take it to heart."

"Chairman Wang is overthinking it, it's just a small matter."

Wei Jin didn't have any thoughts on this. Hong Kong directors bragging is a traditional skill; Wang Pangzi's Future Police even dared to compare itself to The Martian, so what's wrong with Chen Jiashang shouting a slogan? After chatting for a few sentences, Wei Jin hung up the phone. He was somewhat speechless about this project from Enlight.

It is clearly a project led by Enlight, yet their own artists can't carry the banner and can only play bit parts in the film, while the leads are all from other companies.

That would be fine, but the key is that there are big problems with the casting; Old Wang probably won't make much money.

Shaking his head and ignoring it, Wei Jin flipped through an invitation on the table.

Opening it, good heavens, the Qin Brothers are truly capable; the incident at the club caused such a stir, and now not only are they fine, but they also poached Chang Jihong's team.

One must know that Chang Jihong and Wang Jinhua were once known as the two ace agents of the entertainment industry.

However, with Chang Jihong taking Jiang Wenli, Liu Ye, and others to leave for Xingmei, Hairun is probably going to decline from here on out.

For old-school domestic film and television companies, survival is becoming increasingly difficult. First update of the day.

(End of chapter)