Chapter 302: Rejecting Berlin, the Crazy Zhang Weiping, and the Resentment of the Assistant

In the film market, after reaping the final weekend's dividends, *Now You See Me 2* finished its theatrical run; after 31 days of release, it reported a box office of 375 million.

Wei Jin was already very satisfied with this figure, but when he thought about the revenue-sharing ratio for imported films, he felt a sting of pain; 13% was truly too low, and the lion's share of the profit was eaten up by China Film Group.

At the same time, the domestic film circle had gained another director with a 400-million box office: Jiang Wen.

*Let the Bullets Fly* was truly running wild and killing it in this New Year Slot; after 11 days of release, the box office reached as high as 428 million, and crucially, the daily box office was still maintaining around 30 million.

The media were all predicting that, following this trend, there would be no problem for this film to play out its full one-month theatrical window, and perhaps in a few days, Jiang Wen would storm into the 500-million club, 600-million, or even higher.

Looking at the data on Yinxiang Net, Zhou Yun's face was filled with a look of surprise.

"Old Jiang, according to this trend, is it possible for us..."

Before his wife could finish, Jiang Wen interrupted her directly.

"Don't even think about it. Look at the projections on Yinxiang Net; we are trailing *Passengers* by over 100 million in the same period. We can't catch up. I'll be satisfied if I can surpass *Aftershock*."

"That's true, Wei Jin is indeed formidable."

Zhou Yun sighed in genuine admiration, but then immediately looked at her man with a beaming smile.

"But Old Jiang, you're also great. Those investors who used to treat you like a plague, aren't they all scrambling to come to you now?"

During this period, Zhou Yun had truly felt the warmth and coldness of human relationships. A blockbuster commercial film had thoroughly cemented Jiang Wen's status in the industry as an all-around director capable of both directing and acting, and flourishing in both art-house and commercial cinema; investors could be said to be swarming in.

"These bastards are very realistic, fawning over the high and trampling on the low. In the future, when dealing with them, I need to keep my wits about me. These people are not like Boss Yang, who is an honest person."

Compared to Jiang Wen's high spirits, Feng Dapao was suffering a bit of a slap in the face.

*If You Are The One 2* had been released for two days with a box office of 91 million, and this guy had high-profilely shouted that he would take back the box office record he had lost not long ago.

As a result, the third-day box office dropped directly to 30 million. Currently, it had been released for five days, and the cumulative box office was no more than 180 million. Following this trend, let alone catching up to *Passengers*, it was feared that it couldn't even beat *Let the Bullets Fly*.

Quite a few troll netizens ran to the bottom of Feng Dapao's Weibo to mock him: "Director Feng, Director Feng, when will you be number one in Huaxia?"

This question directly caused Feng Dapao to lose his composure in anger; he rarely closed his Weibo comments, out of sight, out of mind. —— Inside the conference room of Shanhe Building, Wei Jin and a group of company executives were holding a meeting.

The project *Dixing Yinxing* did not actually have a very high level of shooting difficulty; the key lay in the fact that the pre-production was too time-consuming and laborious. Just the "LightBox" composed of those 1.8 million LED light sources was enough of a hassle.

Additionally, there were professional puppetry remote-control personnel—that is, the team helping the crew achieve the zero-gravity effect—who also needed to be recruited in advance.

As for the 3D equipment and motion photography gear, Cameron's team had them ready-made; they could just be rented directly.

However, because it was the first time conducting 3D shooting, Wei Jin was also afraid the crew wouldn't keep up with the rhythm. To facilitate the team's mastery of the technology, he had already arranged for them to join the crew of *Flying Swords of Dragon Gate* to observe and learn.

All in all, the workload for this pre-production was not ordinary.

But fortunately, after years of training, the team at Shanhe Media, while not daring to claim they could surpass Hollywood, was nonetheless the undisputed number one team in Asia. Doing these things could be considered familiar territory, so Wei Jin didn't need to worry too much.

"The specific situation is like this. I hope everyone will divide the work and cooperate to complete the pre-production as soon as possible."

After more than three hours, Wei Jin, having finished the project meeting, spoke to the group of management.

"Rest assured, Boss Wei, we guarantee to complete the mission."

The management of each department, carrying excited feelings, adjourned the meeting and began to work.

The countdown for *Dixing Yinxing* had begun. The pre-production for this film would take at least three or four months, and the post-production would take at least over half a year. The entire production cycle was estimated to be no shorter than *The Martian*.

However, Wei Jin was not in a hurry; in fact, the later the time, the more advantageous it was. After all, the domestic film market was constantly growing every day.

Just as he walked out of the office, Wei Jin received a phone call.

"Mr. Fischer?"

"Oh, Wei, you still remember me, that is truly great."

Fischer on the other end of the line was clearly very happy. When the two first met, he was just a receptionist for the film festival. Although he had managed to get into the selection committee over these years, compared to Wei Jin's achievements, the difference was far too great.

"It's like this, I heard you shot an art-house film called *Whiplash*?"

"Yes, the post-production of the film is already finished, and it is currently undergoing review in Huaxia."

Wei Jin did not hide it; he had basically guessed the intent of this call.

To tell the truth, the Berlin International Film Festival had extraordinary significance for Wei Jin.

His debut work, *Buried*, had won the Outstanding Artistic Achievement Award, which brought a lot of help to his career. Last year, he had even captured the Golden Bear, obtaining the supreme honor of the Berlin International Film Festival and stepping the review panel firmly under his feet.

In the eyes of the outside world, Wei Jin was definitely considered a direct protégé of the Berlin International Film Festival.

"Wei, you are an internationally renowned director and a Golden Bear Award winner. I represent the organizing committee in extending an invitation to you: bring *Whiplash* and come to Berlin."

"Mr. Fischer, I am truly sorry. Due to the subject matter, this film is not very suitable for Berlin."

Wei Jin could only politely refuse; otherwise, wouldn't it be too much of a slap in the face to shout about targeting Venice while in front of Berlin?

"Oh, that is truly a pity."

"Mr. Fischer, I am still very young, and there will be many works in the future. My bond with Berlin will not be broken."

"Haha... well said, Wei. Then I look forward to your even more brilliant works making an appearance in Berlin." —— Approaching New Year's Day, news came from Hunter's side: *Twilight 4* had finished its theatrical run, with a North American box office of 228 million USD and a global box office reporting 725 million USD.

"Boss, do you think the North American market is getting smaller and smaller?"

Wei Jin naturally understood Hunter's meaning. The global box office of *Twilight 4* and *Twilight 3* did not differ much, but the North American box office differed by nearly 100 million. What did this mean? It meant the North American market was shrinking, while the global market was expanding at high speed.

"So, do you know why I have always required global releases? Aside from exporting Huaxia Culture, the most important thing is to let Summit Entertainment continuously perfect its global distribution channels..."

What Wei Jin said was the truth. The several blockbuster series he had created for Summit Entertainment over these years had brought in at least over a billion USD in profit, but he didn't care about these. What he valued more was the intangible distribution channels; this was the key to Chinese-language films being able to head toward the globe in the future.

"Boss, your decision-making is truly too wise. How do you say it in Huaxia? 'Far-sighted,' right?"

Listening to Hunter's somewhat broken Chinese, Wei Jin laughed and scolded him.

"Alright, stop the flattery. How is the preparation for *The Hunger Games* going?"

"The pre-production is already complete, and we can start filming once the roles are cast. But Boss, are you really not considering leaving a role for the bosses' wives?"

Wei Jin shook his head; it seemed this guy Hunter was determined to carry his flattery career to the end. "There is no need. For films adapted from such best-selling novels, it is best not to deviate too much from the original work..."

Wei Jin had actually thought about this question too. The effect of series films in promoting people was indeed quite good, but it was a pity that he hadn't read the original novels for either *Twilight* or *The Hunger Games*, so he couldn't copy them in advance; otherwise, changing the settings would have been possible.

But according to the current situation, if his own women were to participate, they would definitely be minor vase roles, and Wei Jin couldn't be bothered to spend the effort.

"By the way, has the release window for *Twilight 4 (Part 2)* been set?"

This series was about to conclude, and Wei Jin also hoped for a perfect ending; choosing a suitable release window was very necessary.

"Because these two parts are highly related in plot, the company's assessment decided that the interval should not be too long, and it has already been set for June next year."

"Fine, let's do it that way."

Hanging up the phone, Wei Jin continued to browse the news online.

*The Flowers of War* held a media meet-and-greet, all the main creators appeared, and Zhang Weiping disclosed the funding sources for this film to the outside world in detail for the first time.

"For *The Flowers of War*, I have staked my entire net worth, taken out a loan of 600 million, and am the sole producer.

I have great confidence in Director Zhang Yimou. With the expansion of the domestic film market, this film will be released next year. A domestic box office of 1 billion is no problem, and the producer can take 400 million.

As for the remaining 200 million, with Bale's drawing power, it will definitely be easily recouped from the overseas market. After all, Bale's past investment return rate is 1 to 55, haha."

Seeing this, Wei Jin shook his head. He really didn't expect Zhang Weiping to dare to play such a big game, rejecting all institutions and companies that wanted to invest, and taking out a loan to make a movie.

Is this guy so greedy for a monopoly that he doesn't even want his life? Did he never think about what he would use to pay it back if the box office wasn't ideal? Mortgage Zhang Yimou?

As for the overseas box office, is Bale's drawing power his own? It was bestowed by Batman. Why doesn't he try other types of films?

"Sure enough, whom the gods wish to destroy, they first make mad" — Beijing, inside the Yanjiao Villa.

After a bout of entanglement, Liu Yan pressed against Wei Jin's chest with a flushed face, her Innate Spiritual Treasure almost deformed from the pressure.

Seeing this, Wei Jin couldn't help but lift Liu Yan up slightly, holding the Dharma Treasure with some pity.

"Be careful, what will you do if you crush it?"

"Boss, you say nice things, but I never see you contact me. If it weren't for Xiaobai and me making an appointment with you today, I don't know how long I would have had to wait."

Liu Yan's tone was a bit resentful. She was already 30 years old, and it was normal to want some exercise. The last time she was intimate with a man was before the National Day.

"You, if you miss me, just call."

Wei Jin also knew that he was indeed unable to be in two places at once, but if he really squeezed his time, he could still find an hour or two, at least enough to satisfy her.

However, as soon as these words were spoken, Xiaobai, who was still working hard underneath, wouldn't have it and began to look up and complain.

"Boss, you're lying again. I've called you several times. If it weren't for Sister Liu Yan tagging along, you probably wouldn't even pay attention to me. You are so heartless."

Speaking of this, Xiaobai felt a bit aggrieved. If she had known, she wouldn't have debuted. Haven't you seen Zixuan now enjoying exclusive favor, nourished by the rain and dew? Even though she is older than her, that skin is truly something else.

"Ahem, Xiaobai, that was just bad timing, right? I promise it won't happen next time, okay?"

Wei Jin reached out and pulled Xiaobai into his arms, kneading her bouncy, perky buttocks with one hand while speaking softly.

This matter really couldn't be blamed on him. He didn't know if Xiaobai just had bad luck, but every time she called, Wei Jin happened to be with one of his main consorts, so naturally, he couldn't take care of this little Assistant.

Seeing that the two former Assistants were full of resentment, Wei Jin could only change the subject while his hands continued to point and guide.

"Liu Yan, *I Am a Singer* is about to start recording, right?"

"Yes, recording officially starts after New Year's Day."

Liu Yan nodded. As the host of this program, she knew the progress better than anyone.

"But Boss, is the 2% guaranteed floor too high?"

This time, the contract signed with Mango TV was 30 million plus a 20% advertising share. Based on a 2% viewership rating, for every point it rises, the share of revenue increases by 10%.

Liu Yan was a bit worried about this. With the advent of the internet era, the viewership ratings of television stations are getting lower and lower, and 2% is already a number that many popular variety shows cannot reach.

"You don't need to worry about this. Relying on this guest lineup, breaking 2% is no problem."

Wei Jin was very confident. Professional Singers competing on the same stage, PK and elimination without reservation, the competition is extremely cruel, more competitive than *Masked Singer*, which can be said to be full of selling points.

The currently confirmed initial Singers are: Sun Nan, Huang Qishan, Sha Baoliang, Yao Beina, Yu Kewei, Qi Tan, Lin Zhixuan; the substitute Singers are Yang Zongwei, Huang Guanzhong, Zhou Xiaoou, Xin Xiaoqi, Peng Jiahui.

These powerful Singers, with the support of luxury audio equipment, will definitely let the audience enjoy an auditory feast, and the ratings won't be bad.

"Besides, this isn't a bet. If it really doesn't reach 2%, at worst we'll just earn a little less."

Wei Jin was telling the truth. The production cost of this program was 40 million, but the built-in title sponsorship and product placement advertisements had already raised 60 million, plus Mango TV's 30 million, already achieving a profit of 50 million.

"Hmm, that's true. Hmm~~ Boss, be gentle."

Liu Yan tapped the man lightly, her face full of shyness, as if releasing some kind of signal.

Bai Bin, who was leaning on the man's shoulder to the side, heard Liu Yan's cry of pain and only then discovered that the two were already going at it hot and heavy.

"Boss, I want it too."

Bai Bin reached out and grabbed, looking at Liu Yan with some envy. Some innate advantages really couldn't be envied.

"Xiaobai, I only have one mouth, haha."

Wei Jin looked up and teased, waving his hand in front of his eyes.

"It seems our Xiaobai is already hungry. Very well, cheer for me."

Without waiting for the man's instructions, Bai Bin lowered her head slowly with a flushed face.

"Hmm, very good."

That night, Wei Jin took turns applauding for the two Assistants, finally venting the resentment of the two beauties, everywhere... First update of the day.

(End of this chapter)