Chapter 304: Let Go and Get to Work: Picking Up the Slack

In the chairman's office at Shanhe Building, Jiang Xuerou was reporting on work.

"President Wei, please take a look at the casting situation for *Eastern Palace* and *Hello Old Times*."

Taking the list, Wei Jin glanced at the main characters.

*Eastern Palace*: Male Lead: Chen Xiao; Female Lead: Nazha; Second Male Lead: Luo Jin; Second Female Lead: Li Xinru; *Hello Old Times*: Male Lead: Zhu Yilong; Female Lead: Bai Bin; Second Male Lead: Bai Yu; Second Female Lead: Gao Ye;

"Fine, let's go with this list."

In fact, Wei Jin was indifferent about casting; as long as the artists under his banner competed fairly and the directors were responsible for their projects, he generally did not intervene, unless there was an obvious problem.

But such situations occurred with extremely low probability at the increasingly mature Shanhe Media.

"The pre-production is all finished, right? Roughly when will it start?"

"Yes, the pre-production is all ready, and both dramas are prepared to start filming after the New Year."

Wei Jin nodded after hearing this. With the end of the year approaching, there was no rush for these two dramas, and no need to put the actors through the wringer.

"By the way, I remember there are many student extras and supporting roles in *Hello Old Times*, right? Leave that aspect to the Central Academy of Drama 07 Class acting major; teachers will come to coordinate when the time comes."

Since September of 2010, Ceng Li had resumed her teaching career at the Central Academy of Drama, but the 07 Class acting major she led had also reached their senior year.

Seeing that graduation was approaching and many students still had no prospects, Li Jie had also begun to worry, and she had very rarely opened her mouth to ask Wei Jin for help two days ago.

After coaxing the female lead of traditional opera into signing a series of unequal treaties, Wei Jin naturally went with the flow and agreed; in any case, it was a small matter for him.

"Very well, President Wei."

Jiang Xuerou did not ask further. Having been at the company for over a year, she had a rough understanding of her boss's private life; this was clearly the handiwork of that Oscar Best Actress who hailed from the Central Academy of Drama.

"Director Jiang, after these two dramas are launched, you should go to the screenwriting department and pick a few good scripts."

Seeming to see the confusion in Jiang Xuerou's eyes, Wei Jin added another sentence.

"The spring of the television industry has arrived; starting from this year, we can let go and get to work."

Hearing her boss's explanation, Jiang Xuerou was overjoyed.

In fact, with Shanhe Media's production capacity, starting four or five dramas at the same time was no problem at all; if the schedules were staggered, starting a dozen a year would be easy.

However, Wei Jin had always had strict requirements in this regard, and the number of projects launched each year was not high, which was undoubtedly a form of torture for the highly career-driven Jiang Xuerou.

Now that she could finally let go and go all out, Jiang Xuerou felt filled with strength from head to toe.

"Very well, President Wei, I will get right on selecting scripts." — In the film market, the box office for *Let the Bullets Fly* had already broken 600 million, and the single-day box office was still approaching 10 million; following this trend, breaking 700 million before it left theaters would not be a problem.

The total box office for *If You Are The One 2* had also reached 400 million, but its single-day box office was actually not even comparable to *Let the Bullets Fly*, which had been released a week earlier; the outcome between Jiang Wen and Feng Dapao was already very clear.

The competition for the New Year Slot had entered its final phase, and films released in January had also begun to create hype frantically; what the industry was most concerned about was *New Shaolin Temple*.

A host of creators started their promotional mode, frequently accepting interviews.

Wu Jing, with his left arm in a sling, also followed along to participate in the promotion; when asked about the reason for his injury, this guy calmly did a bit of bragging.

"When I appeared in *Brotherhood of Blades* before, I cooperated very happily with Director Wei, and later we also cooperated again on *The Martian* and *Thieves*."

The media reporters were all a bit dumbfounded. Damn it, we asked you how you got injured, why are you making such a fuss? Do you want to list every movie you've ever appeared in? Wu Jing naturally could not hear their inner voices and continued to brag:

"Out of appreciation for me, Director Wei invited me to play the male lead in *The Raid*. This is a film that explodes with male hormones, the fight scenes are quite spectacular, and my arm was injured while filming it."

When it was Liu Tianwang's turn to be interviewed, a reporter asked about the box office.

"*New Shaolin Temple* is great; there are so many people like Cheng Long, myself, Bingbing, Afeng, and Wu Jing, but if you ask whether the film's box office can break Director Wei's record, that would certainly be very difficult, haha."

Big Brother was at the filming site of *Xinhai Revolution*, and reporters also went to interview him, but this time the question was why he refused *The Thieves*.

"Don't mention it, I regret it to death. *Passengers* made a billion; *The Thieves* probably wouldn't be bad either. If there is still a chance, Director Wei, please be sure to consider me."

The next day, Wei Jin saw this news and smiled in his heart; since Big Brother had sincerely issued an invitation, he would naturally satisfy him.

"Director Wei?"

There was a noisy sound on the phone, as if he were on a film set, so Wei Jin asked tactfully: "Big Brother, is it convenient to talk now?"

"Yes, tell me what you need."

"It's like this, I have a sci-fi disaster film in my hands, and I wanted to ask if your schedule is convenient?"

Cheng Long on the other end of the phone was stunned; was his mouth blessed? But this time, he really might not have the schedule.

"Well... *Xinhai Revolution* is still filming, and I probably won't have a schedule until after February. Besides, I have a new film *Chinese Zodiac* next year, which is expected to start filming in the second half of next year, so..."

"Big Brother, time is not a problem. My pre-production time is quite long, but the filming is relatively fast; it will probably start in April and can wrap up by early June, so it shouldn't delay your affairs."

"Well... if it's not urgent, shall we meet and talk when I return to Beijing?"

"Good."

Hanging up the phone, Wei Jin felt a bit dazed. Big Brother's schedule was really packed; he was nearly 60, was there a need to push himself so hard? Wei Jin knew about the film *Xinhai Revolution*; it was initiated by Shanghai Film Group in conjunction with Changying, a patriotic tribute film benchmarking *The Founding of a Republic*.

It is worth mentioning that the investors of this film included Cheng Long and Li Bingbing. The former, as a big shot in the industry, participating in it was not surprising, but for the latter to be able to participate, one could only say she had some means.

Wei Jin reckoned that Li Bingbing must have made a connection with Shanghai Film Group.

Come to think of it, although Wei Jin and Li Bingbing had never had any cooperation, one had to admit that this woman had a very clear mind; every step she took was very steady and correct, and behind this, her gold-medal Agent sister must be the one plotting and planning.

From establishing a Studio to signing artists, and then to participating in various film and television businesses in the circle, this was undoubtedly the safest way for a star to become capital; Huang Xiaoming, Fan Bingbing, and others were all following this path.

However, Wei Jin knew that in a few years, when internet capital entered the market, it would not be so easy for star artists to ascend to capital.

Thinking of this, Wei Jin felt it was necessary to speed up the financing process for Fan Bingbing.

As for the film *Chinese Zodiac*, that was even more well-known in the industry.

Cheng Long had been paying attention to the loss of national treasures overseas and had even participated in auctions for lost overseas national treasure animal heads many times, but unfortunately, he had not been able to get his wish.

In order to fulfill his dream of bringing cultural relics back, Cheng Long prepared the film *Chinese Zodiac*.

Come to think of it, the animal heads of the twelve zodiac signs were not very popular overseas originally, and their auction prices were often not high.

It was not until 2000 that the bronze heads of the ox, tiger, and monkey first appeared at an auction in Hong Kong, which aroused the anger of the Chinese people.

To prevent the loss of cultural relics, Poly spent more than 30 million Hong Kong dollars to buy these three animal heads at that time. From then on, the price of the twelve zodiac bronze heads began to rise all the way; it was clear that foreigners had begun to use the national sentiment of the Huaxia people to make a fortune.

The theme of the film *Chinese Zodiac* was very good, calling on everyone not to participate in auctions and not to let those invaders profit.

Thinking of this, Wei Jin could not help but sigh; no matter what Cheng Long's character was like, his red heart toward Huaxia and his firm stance were absolutely beyond reproach. — The fact that Shanhe Media had money was well-known in the industry, but Wei Jin did not expect that this would also bring him an unexpected joy.

In the office, looking at the comedy star he had once liked the most, now with graying temples, Wei Jin felt a bit sentimental.

The person visiting today was none other than the number one figure in Chinese-language comedy, Zhou Xingxing, a legendary figure.

Speaking of Zhou Xingxing, there should be no one in the Asian region who does not know him or has not heard of him.

He debuted from the Hong Kong wireless training class in 1980, spent a full 8 years playing bit parts in television dramas, did not start transitioning to the big screen until 1988, and began starring in his first film in 1990.

Relying on the comedy film *A Chinese Odyssey Part One: Pandora's Box*, he established his "mo lei tau" performance style; he gained market attention because the comedy action film *All for the Winner*, which he starred in, broke box office records in the Hong Kong region.

In 1991, he starred in the comedy film *Tiaoxue Weilong*, breaking the Hong Kong regional box office record once again.

In 1995, he cemented his status in the Chinese-language film industry with the comedy romance film *A Chinese Odyssey*.

In 1999, the comedy film *Comedy King*, which he directed and starred in, won the annual box office championship in Hong Kong.

In 2003, he even became a cover figure for North America's *Time Weekly* thanks to *Shaolin Soccer*.

At this point, Zhou Xingxing had completely risen to become a pivotal comedy master in the Chinese-language film industry, and some even went so far as to propose the saying, "One Best Actor every year, but only one Zhou Xingxing every century," which was recognized by the vast majority of netizens and industry insiders.

Although there is much controversy in the industry regarding Zhou Xingxing's character, it is an undeniable fact that he has left behind many classic works in the Chinese-language film industry.

If there is any Hong Kong director left who can guarantee a film's box office profitability, it must be Zhou Xingxing.

Therefore, Wei Jin was happy to support him when he took the initiative to seek cooperation, not to mention that the film *Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons* had raked in over a billion in box office revenue.

Withdrawing his thoughts, Wei Jin picked up his teacup, took a sip, and asked, "Mr. Zhou, if I may ask, is Shanhe Media your first choice?"

Wei Jin's tone carried curiosity; come to think of it, Zhou Xingxing was very formidable as an actor, with his salary reaching eight million in the 1990s, and there was even the saying "Two Zhous and One Cheng" in Hong Kong.

But when he started his own company and became a director, his luck was poor; he happened to encounter the late period of Hong Kong cinema's glory, and although several consecutive films won critical acclaim, they lost at the box office, resulting in significant losses.

Coupled with his strained relationship with the Heung Family, when he was filming *Shaolin Soccer*, the Heung Family directly declared that whoever dared to invest in Zhou Xingxing was going against the Heung Family, causing the project to stall for a time.

Later, Zhou Xingxing learned to be smart; knowing he couldn't fight the Heung Family on Hong Kong turf, he took the initiative to lean toward Mainland China.

The project *Kung Fu Hustle* was invested in primarily by Huayi through the introduction of Feng Dapao, and both sides also cooperated very happily on the subsequent *CJ7*.

Logically speaking, Huayi should have been Zhou Xingxing's best choice.

"Well, Mr. Wei, I won't hide it from you; before coming here, I did indeed talk to Huayi, but I wasn't very satisfied with their offer, so..."

Once these words were out, Wei Jin understood; this was a case of seeing that Shanhe Media had plenty of money and wanting to come and ask for a quote to compare.

This was consistent with Zhou Xingxing's money-grubbing personality; it is said that for many of his films, in order to save on salaries, he would find people to make cameos for roles with little screen time, which was something he could compare with Ning Hao on.

"Hmm, Mr. Zhou, let's talk business; has the project budget been done?"

"Yes, 120 million RMB, the main components are..."

Zhou Xingxing seemed very eager to reach this cooperation and provided a detailed explanation of the budget composition.

"Then I wonder what the proposal from Huayi was like? Or rather, what is your psychological expectation, Mr. Zhou?"

"Well, let me state my thoughts first; the distribution and promotion in Mainland China and Hong Kong will both be handed to Mr. Wei, with a total of 60% share offered for 80 million..."

Zhou Xingxing had his own plans; if Shanhe Media agreed to this proposal, then perhaps there would be no need to consider Edko or other Hong Kong investors.

After all, whether it was Golden Harvest or Shanhe Cinema Line, their distribution and promotion strength was not something that Huayi or the various companies in Hong Kong could compare to.

"In addition, as the director, apart from the base salary, I want a 10% priority box office share. How does Mr. Wei feel about that?"

After Zhou Xingxing finished speaking, he stared fixedly at Wei Jin; this proposal was much higher than what he had discussed with Huayi, and he did not know if Shanhe Media could accept it.

"Mr. Zhou, according to your proposal, setting aside distribution profits, for the investment alone, the box office would need to be at least 400 million for Shanhe Media to have any profit margin; it seems..."

Although he knew *Journey to the West* would definitely be a big hit, negotiations are just like that; things that are offered too eagerly are not good deals, so Wei Jin naturally had to push back a little.

"Mr. Wei, I have polished this film for several years, and I have great confidence. Plus, the Mainland film market is getting bigger and bigger; I believe a box office of over 500 million is no problem..."

Zhou Xingxing hurriedly explained; he understood Wei Jin's meaning. Currently, his best result in the Mainland was only *CJ7*, with a box office barely over 200 million, so it was normal for investors to worry about returns compared to production costs.

"Well, how about this, Mr. Zhou, I won't beat around the bush; listen to my requirements first."

Hearing this, Zhou Xingxing assumed a posture of listening attentively.

"Please go ahead, Mr. Wei."

Wei Jin picked up his teacup, took a slow sip, and said, "Regarding the actors, I won't interfere, but you must give my artists priority for auditions. Furthermore, the actors you select must have a correct political stance; otherwise, I have the right not to use them."

"Rest assured, Mr. Wei, I understand."

Zhou Xingxing agreed immediately. Before coming today, he had already done his research; looking at the projects of Shanhe Media or Golden Harvest, they were very cautious about using Hong Kong and Taiwan actors, so he naturally would not touch that hot potato.

"Additionally, the film's special effects and post-production will be handed to Shanhe Ink."

Since Zhou Xingxing had inflated the price, Wei Jin had to make up for it elsewhere; besides, you get what you pay for, and this was also for the sake of the film's quality.

"That's fine, but please give me a discount, Mr. Wei, otherwise I'm afraid the budget won't be enough, haha..."

"That's no problem."

Wei Jin had no objections to this; the more work Shanhe Ink had, the lower the marginal cost would be. Even with a 10% discount, they would still make at least a third in profit.

Standing up and extending his right hand, Wei Jin wore a spring-like smile on his face.

"Then, Mr. Zhou, happy cooperation!"

Seeing this, a look of joy flashed across Zhou Xingxing's face, and he hurriedly stood up and said, "Mr. Wei, thank you for your support, happy cooperation!"

Today's first update.

(End of this chapter)