Chapter 145: I Am the Key Man You Are Looking For!

As the film began, Leonardo, looking polished and dashingly roguish, appeared before the eyes of the distributors in the theater, immediately signaling that he was the sole male lead from beginning to end.

The film didn't dawdle. Within minutes, he stepped into the phone booth. When he instinctively answered the ringing phone after finishing a call with his mistress, everyone in the room immediately recognized the voice on the other end—it was unmistakably Jin Xiong. After all, he was so famous that anyone who had seen a few of his films could recognize his voice.

The film's pacing was brisk, remaining centered entirely around that tiny phone booth. Because of the threats from the killer, Jin Xiong, everyone followed the emotional ups and downs of Leonardo. The cramped space of the phone booth created an inescapable sense of suffocation and tension, like a spiritual prison from which the protagonist could not escape.

Anxiety and suspense accompanied the audience throughout. An hour and a half passed in the blink of an eye. It wasn't until the very end, when Jin Xiong finally appeared in the flesh and delivered a cocky speech before Leonardo, that the film concluded with Jin Xiong's enigmatic smile. Only then did everyone finally let out a breath.

"A crime thriller with fantastic pacing!"

"This Wu is truly something else. Just by centering the story around a single phone booth, he managed to make the plot so gripping!"

"I originally thought that with such a short production time, it would be a rather rough film. I didn't expect it to be this brilliant!"

"The important thing is that it revolves entirely around Leonardo. He's the absolute male lead. I can already imagine the crowds of infatuated women waving their money to get into the theaters!"

Several theater chain representatives sat together, chatting. Unlike the distributors, they weren't in direct competition, so their conversation was quite amicable.

At this moment, Leonardo in the front row was also quite surprised. To be honest, Wu Yu had spent less than a month from the start of filming to post-production. The speed was so fast that it had left him secretly worried that the film's quality might not be very high.

But after watching the whole film, from his perspective, it was an absolutely brilliant crime thriller, and his own performance in it was excellent!

As the lights in the theater came up, Leonardo immediately grabbed Wu Yu enthusiastically:

"Wu Dao, the film is fantastic! You really are incredibly talented. I've never seen such a 'fast gun' as you!"

Wu Yu smiled. "Don't look at how fast I shot it; there was quite a bit of preparation beforehand. Plus, it's thanks to your excellent state of mind; otherwise, it might have taken longer."

Leonardo remarked with emotion, "It must be fate, letting me shoot *Phone Booth* in this state of mind. If it had been a month ago, I might not have performed this well!"

Leonardo was currently being praised to the skies. He felt dizzy from time to time, happy and lost, which was the exact opposite of his anxious, near-breakdown state of mind a month ago. Naturally, that wouldn't have fit the mindset of the protagonist in *Phone Booth*.

Jin Xiong was still reflecting on his final appearance in the film; it certainly had a lot of presence. In this film, he maintained a high-and-mighty posture throughout, manipulating the protagonist and toying with the police, giving off a sense of immense power—very fitting for his image as a formidable figure.

At this moment, the distributors in the theater all came over to offer their enthusiastic congratulations to Wu Yu, Leonardo, Jin Xiong, and the other main cast members.

The distributors from the major studios were unhurried. The representative from Sony Columbia calmly smiled at the others nearby:

"Gentlemen, you might be wasting your time. Wu has always had a close partnership with Sony."

Fox sneered, "Leonardo is currently in a honeymoon phase with us at Fox~"

Warner Bros. mocked, "A close partnership? Then why did he come out to produce independently? Let's skip the nonsense. Everyone, let's compete on our own merits!"

The distributors had their pride. Although they watched the film together, they wouldn't bid in front of each other; they all chose to approach the *Phone Booth* production team privately.

Wu Yu didn't mind. Although he had invited some mid-sized distributors, he had no intention of actually letting them handle the distribution; he hadn't even planned to talk to them personally, leaving it all to the producer, James, to handle.

As for Wu Yu, he was currently in friendly negotiations with the people from Sony.

"Wu, wasn't your previous collaboration with us at Sony quite pleasant? We created the success of *Frequency* together. Joining forces again will surely create another triumph!"

Wu Yu smiled at him. "Of course, I trust Sony's strength. As long as the price is reasonable, I am very willing to collaborate with Sony Columbia again!"

The person in charge from Sony held up two fingers directly:

"20 million. We'll buy out the rights to your film directly. All the conditions you mentioned before—whether it's the marketing budget or a release within a month—we can meet them all!"

Wu Yu shook his head with a light laugh. "I'll take that as a joke. I think Leonardo's salary alone is 20 million."

"25 million, Wu. A chance to double your money in a month—what is there to hesitate about?"

Wu Yu took a sip of coffee and said, "Let's talk about the distribution commission instead."

In his past life, *Phone Booth* had nearly reached 100 million at the box office even with an ordinary cast. Now that he had Leonardo and Jin Xiong, how could he possibly sell it for such a low price?!

Therefore, he didn't want to listen to any of these buyout offers. 20 million, 25 million—how could they have the nerve to open their mouths without offering at least 50 million?

Seeing that Wu Yu had no intention of selling, the Sony representative had to give up and turned to say:

"Wu Dao, the film is not bad. Usually, for such low-budget films, Sony charges 20% of the North American box office as a distribution commission. However, out of respect for you, Wu Dao, I'm willing to lower it by one percentage point. Considering the involvement of Leonardo and Jin Xiong, I'll lower it by another two points. How about a 17% distribution fee?"

Wu Yu scoffed directly:

"I don't see any sincerity from Sony. You should know the quality of this film, and you should know what it means to have Leonardo face off against Jin Xiong when everyone is currently crazy about Leonardo!"

The Sony representative wanted to continue arguing, saying:

"However..."

Wu Yu interrupted him directly: "I have Leonardo!"

"But..."

"I have Leonardo!"

"Although..."

"I have Leonardo!"

The Sony representative's face turned red.

That evening, Wu Yu and the producer, James, sat together. Wu Yu asked, "What's the situation on your end?"

James said, "They're all very eager. One small distributor even shouted a 7% rate. But I assume you wouldn't be interested in their capabilities. How about you?"

Wu Yu shook his head upon hearing this. "These major studios are too tacitly aligned. Whether it's Sony, Warner Bros., or MGM, once they get down to 13%, they refuse to go any lower."

James wasn't surprised at all. He shrugged and said:

"Major studios are like this. Marketing and distribution are their strengths and advantages. Although they compete with each other, they maintain some tacit agreements. Your foundation in Hollywood is still too shallow. If this were a *Star Wars* or *Indiana Jones* film from Lucasfilm, you might be able to sign for 10%."

Wu Yu rubbed his head. This commission percentage wasn't deducted from their own earnings, but from the total North American box office. He was certain *Phone Booth* would have a high box office, so every single percentage point could mean millions of dollars.

Although he felt 13% was acceptable, he still felt a bit annoyed that he couldn't negotiate a better deal despite having Leonardo and Jin Xiong in his hands.

James advised, "13% is actually not bad. If you can't accept it, there's another option: find several mid-sized distributors to co-distribute. You might get a lower commission, but even then, the results might not compare to a major studio."

Wu Yu naturally understood this, which was why he hadn't seriously considered mid-sized distributors.

Just then, Wu Yu's phone rang. He looked at the caller ID; it was someone from Fox.

After answering, he heard the person on the other end say:

"Hello, Wu Dao. Regarding the distribution commission for *Phone Booth*, we discussed it again and can offer you some more discounts, but there are some conditions."

Wu Yu immediately asked, "What conditions?"

"Specifically, come to our office tomorrow, and we can discuss some things in detail."

Wu Yu agreed and hung up, then asked James, "Under normal circumstances, what kind of conditions would the other party propose?"

James was also a bit confused:

"I'm not quite sure. Usually, everything is laid out at the negotiating table. It's unlikely they'd want to sign you for another film without mentioning it beforehand..."

The two discussed it for a while but couldn't figure it out. Wu Yu stopped guessing and decided he would know once he went to Fox the next day.

The next day, at the 21st Century Fox building, Wu Yu met the person he had negotiated with yesterday. However, he wasn't the one in charge; sitting in the main seat was another man in his fifties.

He smiled warmly at Wu Yu: "Wu, congratulations on making another brilliant film. A talented Chinese director like you must be the pride of your country and highly valued there~"

Wu Yu took it as polite talk and smiled back: "Mr. Bernoulli, you are too kind."

Bernoulli smiled. "Wu, I've dealt with Chinese people before. You are always very humble. Regarding the distribution fee for *Phone Booth*, I can promise to lower it by another two points, as long as you can do Fox a favor."

"Please, go ahead."

Wu Yu felt a bit strange. What kind of favor could Fox, such a large company, need from him?

Bernoulli didn't beat around the bush and said directly:

"*Titanic* is currently being sought after worldwide, but in your country, China, it hasn't been able to be released. Your censors have blocked *Titanic* for some reason, which has left us very troubled. Our distribution staff told me that in China, you have to find people with influence and connections to resolve such matters. Wu Dao, I've heard that you are currently hailed by the official press as the most talented director in China. I think with your status in the Chinese film industry, you should be able to help us solve this difficult problem, right?"

Wu Yu was stunned after hearing this. Good heavens, so that was what they were here for!

No wonder Fox found him; it turned out they had run into the "Big Scissors" (censors), a presence even Hollywood couldn't do anything about.

But Wu Yu knew that *Titanic* would definitely be released because a certain high-ranking official would eventually speak up, and the "Big Scissors" would have to let it pass immediately.

Wu Yu looked at Bernoulli across from him and felt a surge of joy. A gift delivered right to his doorstep!

Wu Yu immediately put on a confident smile, crossed his arms, and leaned back tactically:

"Hehe, Mr. Bernoulli, fortunately, I am the key man you are looking for!"

Just as Bernoulli was about to laugh, Wu Yu added immediately: "However, Mr. Bernoulli, this is not so easy; it will require me to expend some of my resources and connections. Two points are not enough; I want five points!"

Bernoulli frowned as he looked at Wu Yu, who was holding up five fingers. "Wu, five points is too much. Even if *Titanic* is released in China, we would only get 13% of the box office."

Wu Yu smiled. "I know your goal isn't just the current box office, but also to cultivate the market and conquer the Chinese audience with *Titanic*, which has already conquered the world."

Bernoulli shook his head. "We aren't that noble, making selfless contributions for the entire Hollywood industry. Fine, I can lower it by three points at most. That is the limit. But you must guarantee that *Titanic* can pass censorship and be released in China."

Wu Yu thought about it. A 10% distribution commission was a very good condition in Hollywood, on par with Lucasfilm. He smiled and said, "Deal. I guarantee that *Titanic* will be released as you wish!"

Wu Yu and Bernoulli shook hands, and then both sides signed the contract. Roughly, it stated that the distribution commission for *Phone Booth* would be 10%, and the 10 million marketing budget would be advanced by Fox. Then, both sides held negotiations with the theater representatives who were already prepared, setting the release date for *Phone Booth* on February 20th.

On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, two days before the New Year, Wu Yu walked off the plane. Although Beijing was much colder than Los Angeles, it couldn't dampen Wu Yu's burning heart.

Chinese people always have a sense of reunion for the New Year. He had originally thought he might have to spend the holiday in Hollywood, but he hadn't expected to make it back!

Sitting in the car that came to pick him up, Wu Yu thought about Fox's request and made a call:

"Hello, Factory Director Han, I've returned to Beijing. Have you managed to contact the 'Big Scissors' office for me?"

"Don't you want to go home and rest first?"

"Haha, I'd rather get it all done in one trip and then just stay home and not move."

"Hehe, I've already spoken to Section Chief Zhang over there. Actually, they already know who you are. With your current fame, you can just go there and report your name, and they won't stop you."

"Haha, Factory Director Han, you're exaggerating~" Wu Yu said modestly.

At the "Big Scissors" office, a middle-aged man enthusiastically had someone pour Wu Yu a glass of water:

"Wu Dao, I've heard of you for a long time. To have a box office of over 100 million in North America and conquer the United States—you're the only one in our country! If the reporters knew you were here, they'd probably surround our office entrance!"

Ever since the news of Wu Yu directing *Frequency* and hitting 100 million at the North American box office came back, many people in China had been boiling with excitement. The media had been eagerly waiting for him, but they just couldn't get him to return.

"Section Chief Zhang, it's just a small achievement."

Section Chief Zhang smiled:

"This 'small achievement' has really given us a lot of face! By the way, I heard from Old Han that you're here to ask about the review of imported films?"

"Don't worry, your *Frequency* is already on the import list, and it's uncut! China Film Group brought the film in at the end of last year, and the translation and dubbing are already done. It will be released during the Spring Festival in a couple of days, so everyone can see your blockbuster!"

Wu Yu had heard about this from Han Sanping when he called earlier. Now, many ordinary people were waiting for his Spring Festival blockbuster.

Wu Yu was also glad that the film was a warm, family-friendly movie. If it had been a horror film, there wouldn't be much to celebrate...

Wu Yu then smiled and said, "Thanks for the care, Section Chief Zhang. But I'm actually here today to ask about another film?"

"Oh? Which one?"

"It's *Titanic*. Fox found me and wanted me to help ask why it hasn't been able to pass." Wu Yu didn't hide it and spoke openly.

Section Chief Zhang was surprised: "You're talking about *Titanic*! You should have seen this film, right?"

Wu Yu nodded. He had naturally seen it and could guess the reason, but having been entrusted by others, he still came to ask personally.

"Then you should know—there are nude scenes in it; it's impossible for it to pass."

Wu Yu thought to himself, *As expected. * Then he asked, "Wouldn't it be fine if they just cut those scenes?"

Logically, Fox shouldn't be that stubborn, right?

Section Chief Zhang shook his head with a smile: "They don't have a problem with cutting the later scene, but they refuse to cut the first one—the nude sketch scene where she's pulled from the wreckage."

Wu Yu understood immediately. If you cut the sketch scene, the story wouldn't connect. No wonder Fox refused.

Section Chief Zhang continued with a smile: "Wu Dao, you should know that we must follow the rules and regulations. This is explicitly forbidden, otherwise, we'd be disciplined."

Wu Yu naturally understood this logic, so he didn't bring it up again. After chatting with Section Chief Zhang for a while, he took his leave.

Section Chief Zhang watched his retreating figure and shook his head with a smile. Last time, they had hinted to Fox that they couldn't solve this and that they needed to find higher leadership. He hadn't expected Fox to misunderstand and send Wu Yu over. No matter how good his films were, he was just a director; how could he interfere with their censorship?