Chapter 58: What? I

“Are you sure you want to withdraw?”

“Once you exit, new capital will immediately come in, very likely diluting your existing investment. According to the contract, you’ll lose your director shares, producer shares, distribution shares—only diluted investment shares remain… Even if the box office breaks a hundred million, you won’t get much money…”

“You’ve been involved throughout—you should know, ‘Love Ferris Wheel’ is at its most critical moment, just two months away from release…”

“If you hold on for just two more months, until the film releases, our company’s subsequent systems will activate. At that point, you’ll receive nominations for Best New Director at Taiwan’s Golden Horse Awards, Hong Kong’s Golden Bauhinia Awards, and mainland China’s Golden Rooster Awards—our three major Chinese-language film awards.”

“This is your chance as a new director to enter the industry and be seen by more people!”

“The sixth generation of Chinese directors is now in the fiercest competition. Our 【Tianyu】 is actively pushing forward new directors!”

“Once you receive a Best New Director nomination, our company will position you as a leading sixth-generation director.”

“Then, you’ll stand in the brightest spotlight, watching investors from all directions rush to fund every film you want to make!”

“I know these past days have felt unfair to you…”

“But, Xiaoshi, the entertainment industry is often this harsh. You know how many actors and directors have twisted themselves into knots trying to get into our 【Tianyu】…”

“They’ve sold their homes and cars just for a chance at fame. You’ve invested less than a million and already secured so many resources—you’re already ahead of most people!”

“…”

On the set of ‘Love Ferris Wheel.’

Zheng Yichen hurried into the office and saw An Xiaoshi sitting quietly on a chair, silently studying a contract.

His face suddenly softened into a gentle smile. He sat beside her and patiently explained some things to her.

An Xiaoshi silently stared at the latest investment figures for ‘Love Ferris Wheel.’

The originally planned 2 million investment in ‘Love Ferris Wheel’ had now received its fourth round of funding—yes, an additional 1 million.

The public ledger showed increasingly detailed breakdowns, even down to the exact ingredients inside a single prop hairpiece or a single needle used on set.

An Xiaoshi stared at every line in the ledger—and now, she realized she could no longer understand it.

“This ledger is unreasonable…”

“Xiaoshi, we all know this investment is unreasonable…” Zheng Yichen, seeing An Xiaoshi look up at him, wasn’t panicked—his expression grew steadily serious: “This industry is a marketplace of fame and profit. Everything you see is about profit. We all know it. We all know that this film could’ve been made for just 1 million. But why has it ballooned so much? Have you ever wondered why?”

An Xiaoshi stared at Zheng Yichen but said nothing.

After a brief silence, Zheng Yichen’s gaze drifted to the distance, his voice deepening: “Everything in this world is a transaction. To get better things, you must give more. In fact, 【Tianyu】 isn’t just pushing ‘Love Ferris Wheel’—we’re also developing ‘Water Margin: Hero’s Nature,’ a major wuxia IP, built by the original crew from the ‘Qin’ series, collaborating with new director Liu Zhiqiang. Their goal is also a Best New Director nomination…”

“I’ve secured a whole series of resources for our ‘Love Ferris Wheel.’ The costs we’ve paid are incalculable. Naturally, we must ensure many people receive their due benefits—only then will they genuinely help us make this film. Besides, some people on set are relatives of Golden Horse Award judges—I personally flew to Taiwan to invite them. Why did I insist on Chen Liang playing the tyrannical CEO instead of the guy you picked, Zhou Yang? Because Chen Liang has both a Korean idol group background and ties in Taiwan—when the time comes, the Golden Horse judges will be more lenient…”

“…”

Under the lights.

Senior brother Zheng Yichen took a sip of tea, his voice growing slightly agitated.

This was the first time An Xiaoshi had ever seen her senior brother so emotional.

She looked up at him blankly. After a long while, she lowered her head.

“Xiaoshi, if this investment is weighing on you, I’ll personally invest another 200,000…”

“…”

An Xiaoshi kept her head down, silently staring at the ledger, saying nothing.

“Xiaoshi, you know many people are watching this project closely. If we opened up investment channels, we could attract far more funding. We’ve held off precisely to avoid diluting your shares. And Xiaoshi, you’ve already invested over a million—if you quit now…”

“I’m withdrawing my investment. I’m done with this film!”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure, Senior Brother. I’m done. If there are other investors, go ahead and bring them in—cancel my share. Return all the money I’ve invested.”

“You… do you know what the cost of this will be? This means all your past efforts are wasted!”

“I’m withdrawing my investment!”

“You… really decided?”

“Decided!”

“Alright. I’ll consult with the rest of the crew…”

“…”

…

The entertainment industry is deep.

The entertainment industry is complex.

Before entering this circle, people had warned An Xiaoshi repeatedly.

But dreams are strange things.

They drive people to fly into blazing fire, fearless of being burned to ashes.

For the dream of directing, she still plunged into this world, hoping to prove her talent and strength through her work.

But after actually directing her first film, she finally realized: every corner was a trap.

“Since filming is at a critical stage, your withdrawal now would damage the crew’s morale, so your funds cannot be refunded at this time…”

After waiting a day…

The ‘Love Ferris Wheel’ crew gave her this reply.

She called a lawyer to consult about it.

The lawyer reviewed the contract repeatedly, then finally shook his head.

The supplementary agreement in 【Tianyu】’s investment contract clearly stated: investment may be terminated mid-project, but funds cannot be refunded.

Of course, you’d still receive box office shares after release—but as Zheng Yichen said, once new investment comes in, your share will be diluted, and so will your box office cut…

You could sue!

But the agreement was signed clearly and unambiguously, and their operations had no legal violations—only possible misleading tactics. Strictly speaking, it doesn’t constitute fraud. If you sue, it’ll be a long, drawn-out legal battle.

【Tianyu Group】 has had countless such legal disputes—even lawsuits from before the year 2000 are still piling up.

“I’ve already invested so much—it’s my dream. I won’t back out. If I quit now, everything we’ve done is wasted. And you said suing would take forever… we don’t have that patience…”

She called Zhang Jingya to warn her.

But Zhang Jingya, though always rational and fully aware this was a trap, still gritted her teeth and refused to withdraw—she even planned to invest more.

On this film, they’d poured in too much effort; too many sunk costs had piled up. Human nature is loss-averse…

Since Zhang Jingya felt this way, An Xiaoshi stopped trying to persuade her.

August 8.

【Yanjing Law Firm】.

As An Xiaoshi consulted the lawyer about next steps…

The lawyer received a phone call…

Moments later.

The lawyer’s eyes widened.

“What? 【Tianyu】 sent a legal notice to a small company called 【Xuanshi Entertainment】… and instead of apologizing or stopping the infringement, the company shamelessly called the media to accuse 【Tianyu】 of bullying?”

“…”

Under An Xiaoshi’s gaze…

The lawyer immediately turned on the TV.

And there, on the 【1819】 program, that familiar figure appeared again.