Chapter 138

In March, producer Yu Shengli of "The Inspector of the Great Song" called to confirm that the female lead role of Yinggu had been internally assigned to Qin Lan.

For this, Seeing Yan Li also expended some resources and favors, but for his wife, he was willing to accept it.

Afterward, Seeing Yan Li focused his main energy on the distribution of "Water Moon Grotto."

"The Detective Di Renjie" was still in post-production, and CCTV had already internally reserved its first broadcast window, leaving little room for distribution maneuvering.

"The Seven Fairies of Joyful Heaven and Earth" had not even finished filming; although many TV stations were paying attention, their attitudes were ambiguous and they were still in the early stage of probing prices, so there was no rush.

Seeing Yan Li still placed great importance on the "Water Moon Grotto" project.

Its production company, Zhou Yi, had considerable name recognition, and the project itself attracted significant industry attention; if handled well, it could not only make money but crucially boost Yi'an's reputation.

As previously mentioned, Yi'an was still in its early stages with limited capital.

Distribution could be considered Yi'an's most notable advantage compared to other film and television companies.

Seeing Yan Li not only viewed distribution as a major revenue pillar for the company but also intended to use it to continuously accumulate industry connections and prestige, even leveraging it as a springboard to participate in other projects.

Thus, the "Water Moon Grotto" project was essentially Seeing Yan Li's live advertisement.

If even a well-known company like Zhou Yi was highly satisfied with Yi'an's distribution capabilities, Yi'an would never again have to worry about distribution or project collaborations.

Seeing Yan Li brought the same intensity he had shown during the distribution of "Conquest," personally leading the team and flying to six cities within a week, outmaneuvering TV stations at every turn.

…

Jingcheng, a certain hotel

Jiang Xuerou, Zhou Yi's boss lady and also the boss lady of "Water Moon Grotto," chatted casually with several film and television company bosses.

This year, a certain bureau issued the "4+x" regulation and naturally invited representatives from some film and television companies to discuss and offer suggestions.

Those invited were naturally among the most prominent companies in the television drama field.

Executives or senior staff from Hai Run, Zhou Yi, Jin Ying Ma, Huayi, Tang Ren, Rong Xinda, and Warner Bros. Suzhou were all present.

Zhang Dahuizi, the currently hotshot producer, was also invited and became the center of attention at the event.

"The Legend of the Condor Heroes" was currently extremely popular, and media reports claimed each episode sold for over one million yuan.

As all were involved in television drama production, how could they not pay attention to such market-breaking transactions, potentially altering the entire industry landscape?

Thus, Zhang Dahuizi became the darling of every boss, subjected to constant probing and indirect questioning.

Zhang Dahuizi, a seasoned veteran himself, neither confirmed nor denied anything, accepted all flattery, and revealed not a single word.

Some believed his posture and considered whether to raise their own project prices accordingly.

Others questioned whether anyone still believed in 500,000 to 800,000 yuan per episode in today's market—1 million yuan seemed too high.

Not to mention Zhang Dahuizi was famously a master of hype; perhaps he was confusing the public by stacking multiple rights together to inflate his own value.

Jiang Xuerou, Zhou Yi's boss lady, paid little attention to this, instead speaking with Cai Yinong of Tang Ren and Li Xiaowan of Rong Xinda.

All three were female bosses and female producers, all focused on television dramas, each with notable achievements, and thus frequently mentioned and compared together.

As a result, their relationship was not particularly friendly; they were constantly competing with each other.

Yet because they were all women, they formed their own small circle, so during such events, they usually gathered together to socialize.

"I heard your company is planning to film 'Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio'?"

Jiang Xuerou looked at Cai Yinong; the question carried a hint of probing, as "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" was a major project, crucial for launching stars.

Indeed, upon hearing this, Li Xiaowan, who had previously seemed uninterested, leaned over and offered that if Tang Ren lacked personnel, Rong Xinda could lend a hand.

Although there were occasional frictions among them, opportunities for mutual benefit were frequent.

As always, the film and television industry and the entertainment world were deeply intertwined—you in me, me in you; competition did not preclude cooperation, and those who maintained rigid separation and refused all contact were the minority.

Cai Yinong was straightforward: "Strange Tales" was an anthology series, and since Tang Ren lacked sufficient personnel, she had no objection to exchanging roles for favors and resources.

She also recommended another game-adapted drama, but Jiang and Li listened and showed little interest.

Cai Yinong did not mind and turned to Jiang Xuerou: "I heard your new drama switched distribution companies—how capable are they?"

Among these three companies, Li Xiaowan of Rong Xinda graduated from Peking University, grew up in the Beijing Film Studio, and her partner Li Shaohong was a renowned female director and a leading figure in mainland Chinese cinema.

Thus, Rong Xinda had no shortage of distribution resources; "The Emperor in Han Dynasty" and "Red Oranges" were both premiered directly on CCTV.

Zhou Yi and Tang Ren lacked the strength and connections of the two Lis; both had grown through a series of moderately successful projects.

Zhou Yi's strength lay in screenwriting and creation, while Tang Ren excelled in its mature production team centered on Hong Kong and Taiwan; distribution had always been a weakness for both.

Many of their representative works were first broadcast repeatedly on local channels, gradually building momentum before finally airing on satellite television.

This was an advantage—their dramas were popular and had strong influence, helping to launch stars—but the disadvantage was slow capital recovery and financial strain on the company.

Tang Ren was better off, able to secure some Hong Kong and Taiwan capital support; Zhou Yi had always operated alone, and if its funding chain broke, trouble would be severe.

Precisely because of this, Jiang Xuerou had taken the risk of partnering with Seeing Yan Li's Yi'an, hoping its distribution capabilities could ease Zhou Yi's pressure.

Jiang Xuerou sipped her coffee: "It's hard to say yet—we've negotiated with two terrestrial channels, but no word from satellite TV stations."

"Normal. Satellite broadcasting isn't that simple. Take it step by step, first build momentum on terrestrial channels."

Cai Yinong offered reassurance; this was the usual distribution pattern for both Tang Ren and Zhou Yi—they had all gotten through it this way.

Jiang Xuerou smiled wryly; she knew perfectly well that this was how things were done, but why had she sought out Yi'an if not to get on satellite TV sooner?

Yet upon sober reflection, she realized she had indeed been a bit greedy.

Even if Yi'an's distribution capability surpassed Zhou Yi's, it still required time—better to let the drama ferment on terrestrial channels first before aiming straight for satellite; expecting immediate satellite launch was simply too demanding.

As they were speaking, Jiang Xuerou's phone suddenly rang; she pulled it from her bag and smiled at Cai Yinong.

"Speak of the devil—he's the head of the distribution company I contacted."

Saying this, she stood up and walked aside to take the call, while Cai Yinong continued speaking with Li Xiaowan, trying to persuade the top actress, Young Master Zhou, to join "Strange Tales."

Li Xiaowan gave no clear answer, saying she needed to see the script's cast and roles, and must consult Zhou's opinion—she was currently more inclined to act in films.

As the two were playing their usual diplomatic game, they suddenly heard Jiang Xuerou exclaim in shock: "550,000 yuan per episode?!"

Not only Cai Yinong and Li Xiaowan, but several nearby film and television company bosses also turned their heads toward her.

Realizing her lapse, Jiang Xuerou forced a smile and nodded to the crowd, then quickly walked to a corner with her phone.

"Yan Zong, you're not lying to me, are you?"

Seeing Yan Li couldn't help smiling on the other end of the line; after working on the project "Water Moon Grotto," he'd spoken to Jiang Xuerou more than a few times, but this was the first time he'd heard the word "you" used respectfully.

"Jiang Zong, I must clarify: this 550,000 is the joint offer from the Sichuan and Guizhou satellite channels—equivalent to 275,000 per episode—and once sold to these two, it will definitely affect future distribution to other satellite channels."

Jiang Xuerou nodded quickly: "I understand. Since the distribution rights are entrusted to Yan Zong, it's up to you to decide."

Come on, if Zhou Yi handled this, not only would it take forever to even contact satellite channels, she'd be praying to the gods if he got 400,000.

She'd dealt with those TV station people before—they were sharp-eyed and ruthless, each one a nightmare to negotiate with.

"Alright, I'll keep following up. If there's progress, I'll notify you."

Seeing Yan Li wasn't surprised by Jiang Xuerou's reaction; she couldn't possibly be dissatisfied.

"Water Moon Grotto" has 30 episodes; at 550,000 per episode, that's 16.5 million total.

And what was the total investment for this drama?

Although publicly touted as Zhou Yi's "cost-no-object," "splurging 20 million," the actual cost was only 15 million.

After all, the costume, makeup, and set quality of "Water Moon Grotto" were right there, and most of the main actors were their own company's artists, so salaries were controllable—figures like Cai Shaofen and Chen Farong had slightly lower popularity inland and could be pressured on price.

If not for the heavy use of special effects, the famously frugal Zhou Yi could've kept costs under 10 million.

To be honest, when Seeing Yan Li first learned the cost of "Water Moon Grotto" from intelligence, he was stunned.

It was damn frugal!

He'd been called "Yan the Skinflint" on the "Huan Tian Xi Di Qi Nüxi" set, and he'd thought he was bad enough.

But after comparing himself to these veteran film and TV elders, he realized he was still green.

Still, feelings aside, Seeing Yan Li had no intention of copying or learning from Zhou Yi; in his view, this extreme cost-cutting approach was unacceptable.

Money was saved, but quality was sacrificed!

To be honest, the costume, makeup, and sets of "Water Moon Grotto" were so terrible even he, as the distributor, wanted to complain.

When TV station staff first watched the footage, none of them failed to frown; he'd even seen some get up and walk out. Later, Seeing Yan Li had someone edit a few episodes into a plot-focused condensed version, which finally got the TV stations interested.

Because of this miserable costume, makeup, and set design, distribution became much harder—and gave TV stations more room to pressure prices.

Seeing Yan Li still had some professional ethics: for projects he invested in, he went with the flow, but for projects he controlled, he pursued aesthetics and quality.

The costume, makeup, sets, and scenery of "Huan Tian Xi Di Qi Nüxi" couldn't be called outstanding, but they were definitely above standard.

With a 20-million investment, although Seeing Yan Li didn't put in a single cent, he didn't pocket a single penny either.

Even the money squeezed from actor salaries went into costume, makeup, sets, and special effects.

Leaving plot and acting aside, the exquisite care shown in "Huan Tian Xi Di Qi Nüxi" utterly crushed "Water Moon Grotto" and its "shoddy production."

When showing "Huan Tian Xi Di Qi Nüxi" to TV stations, Seeing Yan Li felt a touch of pride—he could brag wildly and raise prices with confidence.

For "Water Moon Grotto," Seeing Yan Li sometimes felt embarrassed by the TV stations' disdainful glances; he couldn't even spin a decent lie, repeating over and over that the plot was fresh and brilliant.

Even under these conditions, Seeing Yan Li overcame countless difficulties—not only securing satellite broadcast quickly, but also recouping his investment and making a small profit outright.

If he could negotiate one more satellite channel, plus ground channels, DVD rights, and second- and third-round broadcast rights, those would all be pure profit, estimated at 10 to 20 million.

To be honest, Seeing Yan Li was a little envious.

Zhou Yi's name actually worked well—TV stations recognized it, were willing to pay, and even paid more readily than they had for Seeing Yan Li's "Snow Goddess Dragon."

But Jiang Xuerou and Zhou Yi themselves couldn't find the right buyers, and even if they did, they couldn't get solid offers or maximize profits.

Zhou Yi's dramas and reputation, combined with Seeing Yan Li's distribution, were like a tiger gaining wings, a fish returning to water, like Seeing Yan Li and a soldier sharing a blanket—just two words.

Powerful and beautiful!

Seeing Yan Li casually calculated his own earnings: Zhou Yi wasn't like "Snow Goddess Dragon," he had solid backing, so his share was low—only 12%. If things went smoothly, his dividend should be 3 to 4.5 million.

The earnings were still quite impressive—more work, more reward.

In a year or so, handling a few such projects was worth operating several film and TV productions, and crucially, there was no risk.

While pondering this, his phone rang—a text from Jiang Xuerou, revealing she was in Jingcheng for a meeting and could help promote Yi'an.

"..."

Seeing Yan Li fell silent for a moment, then sent Jiang Xuerou a text.

【Sister Jiang, I thought about it—can we push the price further? I have confidence in our drama; we can sign a guaranteed viewership contract to raise the per-episode price to 600,000.】

Jingcheng, hotel

Jiang Xuerou handed the text directly to Tang Ren's Cai Yinnong, pretending to sip coffee, her eyelids trembling slightly.

Could "Water Moon Grotto" really sell for 600,000 per episode?!

Was this Seeing Yan Li guy pulling a scam on the TV station people—did he take naked photos of them?

Cai Yinnong stared at the text for a full half-minute, then immediately pulled out her phone to jot down a number.

"Yan Zong of Yi'an, right? I'll call him later."

Li Xiaowan didn't have high demands for distribution cooperation, but after hearing Jiang Xuerou's figure, she cleared her throat lightly.

"Add me in too."

At this moment, several CEOs who'd been watching this exchange came over to inquire; Jiang Xuerou and Seeing Yan Li had silently made a deal, so they naturally praised it loudly.

Many companies struggling with distribution, like Tang Ren and Zhou Yi, became deeply interested.

Even Hai Run's boss, Liu Yanming, came over to write down Seeing Yan Li's number.

In recent years, Hai Run had centered on its "Hai Yan Dramas," releasing blockbusters like "Never Close My Eyes," "What Can Save My Love?," and "Jade Guanyin," supplemented by hits like "Heavy Case Unit 6" and "The Young Master's Sword."

With many dramas and each one a hit, they were overwhelmingly dominant, quietly becoming the de facto leader in the TV drama field.

Hai Run's dramas certainly didn't struggle to sell—but not struggling to sell and selling at high prices were two different things.

For companies like Zhou Yi and Tang Ren, who lacked distribution ability, Seeing Yan Li was a gift in the snow.

For companies like Rong Xinda and Hai Run, who could distribute themselves, Seeing Yan Li offered a bonus flourish.

Right now, everyone was just watching, waiting to see whether Jiang Xuerou and Seeing Yan Li were bluffing or truly had the chops.

When "The Cave of Water and Moon" is actually sold at a high price, some companies will likely come knocking; if a string of good news follows, perhaps next time they meet, Seeing Yan Li will be one of them...

(End of Chapter)