Chapter 174: JB Drama

August 27, 2003, Beiping Wenjie Media.

The air pressure in the conference room was very low.

Lu Kuan sat at one end of the conference room, flipping through the documents in front of him; the summer air conditioning was set very high, high enough to make everyone present feel a chill throughout their bodies.

Except for A-Fei, who was sitting in the second row, everyone else had a blank expression, not knowing why the boss was so full of hostility today.

"Lu Yao."

"Here, Boss."

"I asked you to communicate with Yao Jia at the Hunan Station last week regarding the second-round broadcast rights for *Chinese Paladin*, so why haven't I seen your report materials yet?"

"President Lu, didn't you already ask me to hand this matter over to President Zhong..."

Back when the company was short on talent, Lu Kuan had relied on Lu Yao to go to the Hunan Station to discuss cooperation, and this matter had always been followed through by him.

Ever since Zhong Zhong Lifang was promoted from Vice President of the Film and Television Production Department to General Manager, matters related to her expertise had been handed over between departments; why was President Lu coming to him again...

Lu Kuan's expression was unkind: "Hand over? What hand over? Work is a collective effort; doesn't a work process require coordination between departments?"

"You were responsible for this matter from the beginning; even if you handed it over, you should still know the basics when I ask you about it!"

Damn!

Did the boss take the wrong medicine today!

Sun Sun Wenwen quietly walked to Lu Kuan's side and whispered.

"Boss, Xu Xu Xiyuan is outside making a scene, demanding to see you."

Lu Kuan frowned in confusion, suddenly remembering the dozens of unread messages and missed calls on his phone over the past few days.

"Make her wait."

"Yes."

The management on both sides of the conference table kept their eyes on their noses and their noses on their mouths, terrified of making eye contact with Lu Kuan.

"Zhong Zhong Lifang!"

"Boss, I already reported the latest progress to you verbally last Saturday, and the paper documents have also been delivered to your office, currently awaiting your approval!"

Damn, so thorough, nothing to pick on.

"Hmm, come to my office after the meeting."

"Alright, next, I have a few work deployments."

Everyone at the scene let out a sigh of relief in unison, followed by the rustling sound of pages turning as everyone picked up their pens to await the leader's instructions.

"First, the previously formulated promotional plan regarding Liu Liu Yifei joining Wenjie is cancelled. Lu Yao, the artist contract you previously filed with the legal department is void. Go find Yang Yang Siwei to sign a new contract regarding the future revenue-sharing agreement between our company and Liu Liu Yifei's studio."

"President Lu, Yang Yang Siwei she..."

"Oh, I forgot to tell you, Yang Yang Siwei has resigned. From now on, for cooperation with Liu Liu Yifei's side, just find her to communicate."

Lu Yao felt his head spinning; his own top right-hand man had resigned, and he was actually the last to know.

Others were harboring their own little schemes; according to rumors from the legal department, the boss was going to sign the favored actress Liu Liu Yifei from Red Star Dock to Wenjie.

What kind of situation was this?

That was the hottest young starlet right now! How many people were eyeing Yang Yang Siwei's position!

There was a burst of whispering below; there would be more entertainment news to watch in the next two days!

"Second, for the project initiation of *Lurk*, Zhong Zhong Lifang, you must handle it well. This time, we will not cooperate with any film and television companies or television stations. I require you to pull together a television production team of our own in the shortest possible time—I mean a full set of personnel!"

"From Shanying, Dongyang Dongyang Qingyu, Hunan Station, Tangren, Zhouyi—go poach them one by one."

"As for the director, I have already communicated with Mr. Jiang Wei from the Beijing Film Academy. He will coordinate with our project schedule; you go find him to connect after the meeting."

"Have Zhang Zhang Songwen, Huang Bo, and the others go for auditions. If they can do it, they're on; if not, they're off."

"Yes, Boss."

He was determined to win over the Travel Channel; he needed a hit series to break the deadlock and boost ratings and channel popularity.

He had written this script right when he was reborn and had never found a suitable opportunity to use it; it was just right to return it to its rightful owner and let Jiang Wei film it.

"Third, Ning Hao's *Crazy Racer* and Xue Li Xiaolu's *Love is Not Blind*—hurry up with the script filings. Get the filming permits before casting ends and do the pre-promotion warm-up."

"Fourth, Xiao Jin is here, right? Where is Xiao Jin?"

Jin Jin Zhiwen adjusted his glasses and stood up: "Director Lu, I'm here!"

"Hmm, sit down."

"Under the first-level internal organization, the Film and Television Production Department, a second-level organization, the Color Ring Studio, will be added."

"Xiao Jin, you take your people and, according to the list I gave you, go buy songs and sign singers."

Jin Jin Zhiwen looked at the list in his hand in a daze; who were these people, what were these songs—he hadn't heard of a single one.

*Mouse Loves Rice*, *Pig's Song*, *Lilac*, *Above the Moon*...

Looking at the singers: Luo Lin, Ling Hua, Zeng Yi, Pang Long...

The copyright for *Mouse Loves Rice* was sold by Yang Chengang to Wang Tian Qiwen in April 2003, and later the two were entangled over the original singer; in this life, he would just buy out the copyright completely, clean and simple.

Dao Lang's *The First Snow of 2002* was actually written in January 2004; right now, he had just released his *Western Region Love Songs*.

Pang Long's *Two Butterflies* was also born in 2004; these two could be signed or copied.

But adhering to the principle of "using the original ingredients for the original dish," it seemed safer to restore the world line of the future.

After all, their personal styles were quite strong; changing someone else might not necessarily capture that feeling.

"Everyone, take a look at the research material produced by the company's strategic office regarding the color ring business currently being launched by China Mobile; everyone needs to pay attention to this."

"Xiao Jin will act as the head of the Color Ring Studio; get the song copyrights and singer signings handled well."

China Mobile began piloting the color ring business in Beiping, Magic City, Guangdong Province, and Zhejiang Province in May.

The next step was to promote it nationwide; the timing for intervention now was just right.

The color ring business couldn't even be called a blood-making machine; it was simply a blood bank. Since being inspired by South Korean operators and introduced to the mainland in 2003, the user base had grown explosively year by year.

Statistics from the future show that the number of national color ring users in 2004 was 20 million, growing to 40 million in 2005, and by the end of 2009, the national user base exceeded 90 million.

Zhong Zhong Lifang spoke up: "Boss, the company doesn't have many music-related talents. If Manager Jin is the only one responsible right now, it might be a bit strenuous."

"If it's strenuous, then recruit people! What are you, the General Manager of this business division, for?"

"Our core purpose is to hoard copyrights for color ring songs. Don't think these songs are tacky; tacky to the extreme is elegant!"

"As content creators, our channels will mainly be blog sites, and we should also talk to other portal websites."

The revenue-sharing ratio between the SP for the color ring business and China Mobile is 15% and 85%.

The SP still has to distribute the 85% they receive to downstream: CP (content providers) and singers; this ratio is generally 50%-60% in the future.

If the company produces the songs and creates the color rings itself, it can eat up the entire 85% profit. Even if singers are signed, since the songs are mainly provided by the company, it can continue to suppress prices and lower the sharing ratio; either way, it's a huge profit.

This wave of dividends can be enjoyed for at least ten years; next is just a steady stream of copyright fees.

President Lu concluded: "Alright, that's all for now."

"Hu Ge is here, right?"

A tall, thin junior student in the corner of the third row stood up.

"Director Lu, I'm here."

"Hmm, come to my office."

Hu Ge had participated in the entire meeting and saw how this famous, dictatorial director in the industry was also dictatorial during meetings.

His temper was truly bad, and his presence was truly terrifying!

He had long been very curious about Lu Kuan. When chatting with the director of *Chinese Paladin*, Jiang Wei, the other party admitted that his choice of actor was decided directly by Lu Kuan.

When had Director Lu seen him?

"Sit down, we are about the same age, don't be so restrained."

"Eh, yes, Director."

Only then did Hu Ge shift his bottom slightly further into the sofa, feeling a bit uneasy about why Director Lu was looking for him today.

Lu Kuan asked while signing financial documents: "Are you familiar with Liu Liu Yifei?"

"Ah? I guess... not familiar! Not familiar!"

Holy crap! Hu Ge's impulsive "I guess I'm familiar" came to an abrupt halt; he suddenly thought of the gossip rumors about the relationship between Director Lu and Liu Liu Yifei...

Lu Kuan looked up and glanced at him: "What are you nervous about?"

"No... not nervous."

"It's just that we looked out for each other while filming, and we met a few times when running promotions last month. Overall... not very familiar, not very familiar."

"She doesn't talk much on set either; she practices her morning exercises every day when she gets up, and then just sits on a chair by herself reading books or something."

Lu Kuan used the internal line to tell Sun Sun Wenwen to take the materials away for filing, then closed his pen cap and walked over to sit on the sofa.

"Hmm, I don't mean anything else. The second-round broadcast rights will be sold soon, and you guys will probably still have to run promotions in cities like Beiping, Shanghai, and Guangzhou."

"And that *Happy Camp* at the Hunan Station, they arranged a special episode for your cast, right?"

Hu Ge replied obediently: "Yes, Director Lu, we will go to record it in a while to coordinate with the second-round broadcast."

"Hmm, if anything happens... you tell me at any time."

"Understand what I mean?"

Hu Ge was stunned for only half a second before hurriedly answering repeatedly: "Understand, understand, understand, understand!"

"Hmm."

"By the way, what are your own thoughts on your future development? Lu Yao is managing you right now, right?"

"Yes."

"I still want to be a good actor. As for songs, *June Rain* and *Carefree Sigh* have been quite popular recently, but I always feel I'm not cut out for that."

Lu Kuan nodded: "That's fine too."

"How about this, Director Ning Hao's new film, which is also a sequel in the *Crazy Stone* series, is preparing to enter production; you should go audition for it."

"I will give him a heads-up, but you must seize the opportunity yourself."

"Whether it works out or not, I will not interfere; everything will be decided based on the director's opinion."

Hu Ge stood up excitedly: "Thank you, Director Lu! Thank you, Director Lu! I will definitely work hard!"

"Mm, just make sure you do your 'work' well."

Hu Ge felt a jolt; as a professionally trained actor, he keenly caught the logical emphasis on those two words.

The secretary knocked on the door: "President Lu, Miss Xu has arrived!"

Hu Ge tactfully stood up: "Director Lu, I'll take my leave."

Sun Sun Wenwen also carefully closed the door and, along with A-Fei, cordoned off the area around the office, not allowing anyone to approach.

She had heard rumors about her boss's quirks...

President Lu looked at the crazed beauty who seemed like a lunatic and laughed: "What's wrong, Miss Xu? Why the rush?"

"Director Lu, do you really dislike me that much..." Xu Xu Xiyuan said, acting cute while on the verge of tears.

She understood very well that only when she softened up could the other party harden.

Lu Kuan frowned, speechless.

Can't you just go look in a mirror, for God's sake?

He leisurely lit a cigarette: "Speak up, what do you want to do? What do you want?"

Xu Xu Xiyuan looked innocent: "What do you mean? Are you insulting me?"

"I came here on my own initiative because I like you, and I think we have the potential to develop, it's not what you think!"

President Lu looked at his watch impatiently: "I have things to do this afternoon, don't waste time."

Xu Xu Xiyuan bit her lower lip, sat down beside Lu Kuan, and wrapped her arms around his.

"Director Lu, can you not be so heartless to me? I haven't gone a single day in these past few months without thinking of you, I..."

Lu Kuan felt a wave of irritation; he was already feeling troubled by the whole Liu Liu Yifei situation, and now a crazed lunatic was here to add to the mess.

"Miss Xu, do you have a younger brother in school, or an elderly mother who needs medical treatment?"

Xu Xu Xiyuan was stunned: "Director Lu, what do you mean?"

"Nothing, seeing you reminded me of an old acquaintance."

President Lu thought of Li Shanshan from the Qiao Jiangnan Foot Bath No. 77 in his past life, who had a brother in school, a disabled father, and a critically ill mother.

He had finally topped up her card with ten thousand yuan just to get her to stop the chatter.

"How about this!"

Lu Kuan stood up and stubbed out his cigarette.

"Wenjie has a film with a supporting actress role; you should go audition for it."

"The role isn't big, there aren't many lines, and the pay is very low, so if you don't mind, give it a try."

Xu Xu Xiyuan felt her persistence had yielded some small results and said excitedly: "Director Lu, is it your next film?"

"It's a company project, I'm the executive producer."

"But I'll say this first: I'm only recommending you for the audition. Whether you get it or not is up to you; the final decision rests with Director Xue Li Xiaolu."

Although Xu Xu Xiyuan was a bit disappointed, she had at least gained something, which was better than being dragged down by a failed *Meteor Garden 2*.

The crazed beauty rubbed her slender hands and forcefully pressed Lu Kuan's forearm into her body, exerting every ounce of her charm.

Lu Kuan felt a faint bulge and a rush of blood; he had been eating a bit too "vegetarian" lately.

However, he didn't want to get involved with this lunatic; it was too much trouble!

Remembering Wang Wang Weizhong's polite words on the phone, he decided to just treat it as building a connection with this Taiwan variety show mogul; there would inevitably be resource exchanges in the future.

"Director Lu~ are you free tonight? It's my first day in Beiping, can we have dinner together?"

"No, I have an appointment with Han Zong from China Film Group to discuss business tonight, it's not appropriate to bring you along."

"I'll have someone get you a script later; hurry up and study the character's image. If this supporting role is played well, it really grabs the audience."

Xu Xu Xiyuan thought to herself: I still have to read the script? Whether I can play it or not isn't up to you, Lu Kuan?

Lu Kuan made a call to Xue Li Xiaolu right in front of her, finally sending the nuisance away.

Xu Xu Xiyuan left with her assistant, satisfied, getting into a car at the base of the Wenjie building; not far away, a Santana 2000 was parked, and the "click-click" of a camera shutter was unusually piercing.

The area near Xiaoxitian in Beiping is known as a culinary desert.

However, for leaders of Han Han Sanping's level, they usually frequent private restaurants hidden deep in sparsely populated hutongs and small alleys.

No storefront, no sign, no ordering from a menu, by reservation only.

Today, there were only three people in Han Zong's private room, and they were already eating busily.

"Little Lu, I've discovered that your alcohol tolerance is truly incredible!"

Gao Gao Chengsheng agreed: "Drinking while sweating, and occasionally going to the restroom—you're really something else."

Lu Kuan patiently picked the bones out of the shad on his plate.

"President Han, this Luzhou Laojiao liquor from your hometown is still the best; it doesn't make you feel drunk."

"Look at Director Gao, he's been grinning from ear to ear since he started drinking!"

Gao Gao Chengsheng's face darkened; this kid only picked on the soft targets, staring at him to tease and pour more drinks.

"Director Lu, slow down, no one is going to fight you for that shad."

Han Han Sanping laughed heartily: "Indeed, this thing was specially prepared by the owner at Old Gao's request. This is authentic Yangtze shad, shipped over from your Jiangsu Province."

"Only you have the patience to pick out the bones one by one; if we had that much time, we would have finished our meal already!"

"Han Zong, although you are a leader, you really don't have much research on food."

"Take this shad, for example; the owner must have been cheated. This batch of fish tonight is definitely farmed."

Han Han Sanping was puzzled: "Why? How can you tell?"

"It's too simple. You aren't from Jiangsu. This shad is a migratory species; it migrates from the ocean to the Yangtze River every spring. This is not the time of year to be eating this."

"It's definitely farmed; 300 yuan per jin is the absolute limit."

"Authentic ocean shad is over 2,000 per jin, and river shad is at least 3,500; the price goes up every year."

Gao Gao Chengsheng was stunned; as for Han Han Sanping, it went without saying—every time he arranged a banquet, it was put on a tab, and he had never cared about the price.

The owner was a fellow townsman of Han Zong; it seemed he needed a little talking to.

"By the way, Han Zong, the release schedule for *The Thief* has been set; it's a few days later than *Heavenly Heroes*."

*Heavenly Heroes* premieres on September 23rd; it seems *The Thief* is preparing to hit the National Day slot again, just like *The Drummer* last year.

"Little Lu, the timing for *The Thief* and *Heavenly Heroes* overlaps. Aren't you afraid of being overshadowed by the blockbuster and losing your audience?"

Lu Kuan chuckled; if it weren't to step on this fake blockbuster to get ahead, I wouldn't necessarily be aiming for October!

President Lu said confidently: "In the future domestic film market, competition is the norm. Besides *Heavenly Heroes*, there are Hollywood blockbusters before and after it. If we are all timid and shrinking, we might as well not film at all."

Han Han Sanping looked at Lu Kuan, who was bowing his head to pick out fish bones, and couldn't help but nod.

Setting aside his artistic achievements in film, in terms of market insight and global vision, this kid is a unique figure in the current domestic film industry.

"Alright, let's talk about that Travel Satellite TV you mentioned. What's the situation?"

The meat of the matter had arrived, and Lu Kuan began to leisurely pitch this joint venture project.

Han Han Sanping nodded as he listened, and halfway through, he had Gao Gao Chengsheng go out to make a few calls to inquire about the situation.

To snatch food from the mouth of Poly Culture, one must make thorough preparations.

"Overall, I agree with this plan, but you have to give me a reason."

"China Film Group can step in to help you solve the issue of state-owned asset shareholding, but on what grounds would China Film Group intervene?"

"We are a state-owned enterprise that makes films; getting involved in your TV station without a legitimate reason—Poly will have objections, you know!"

Lu Kuan began to explain it to him in detail.

"Han Zong, actually, between films and TV dramas, there is a more compromise-oriented form of media."

"This is what I saw when I went to the United States to attend Sundance and investigated their film and television production industry. They call it American TV series; it's actually American television drama."

"Its quality and content are less than a film, but more than a TV drama. One episode is 60 minutes short, and long ones can even reach 90 minutes; a whole series is only a dozen episodes."

Han Han Sanping was puzzled: "Isn't what you're talking about the TV movies on the Movie Channel? It's just that TV movies don't have that many episodes."

"A bit like it, but there's a difference."

"The biggest feature of this form of media is writing while filming!"

"They are divided into broadcast seasons and off-seasons. Every year from September to April of the following year is the broadcast season; the remaining four months of the blank season are used to plan scripts and collect audience feedback."

Gao Gao Chengsheng had never heard of this concept before and asked curiously: "Is there enough time? Why not finish filming and production before broadcasting?"

"There are benefits. The biggest advantage is that the screenwriters and directors can adjust the plot in a timely manner based on audience feedback."

"For example, in the current *Chinese Paladin*, if Zhao Linger dies in this episode, then I'll end the season here and leave the audience hanging."

"At this time, we enter the blank season and start constant marketing and topic hype, just like the form *Chinese Paladin* is using on the blog network right now."

"Then we look at the situation and increase or decrease the plot; whether to write her back to life or add other characters or plotlines, it's all possible. Everything is audience-centric."

Han Han Sanping and the others looked at each other, feeling that this concept was both strange and familiar—it was just adjusting the production and broadcasting of domestic TV dramas in a way that was closer to the market.

But if they followed this path, as long as the creative team was professional enough, it was indeed better than the current practice of filming dozens of episodes and then throwing them into a warehouse because they couldn't be sold.

Gao Gao Chengsheng said: "The cost of this kind of high-quality drama shouldn't be low. A season is only a dozen episodes, and the duration is long; it's equivalent to a micro-film or short film."

"It's not low, so the success of this model has prerequisites."

"For a dozen episodes to attract an audience, every episode must have a small climax, quickly pulling emotions and providing feedback. Therefore, the requirements for subject matter, special effects, and the professional ability of the cast and crew are extremely high."

"In other words, Han Zong, you two need to put in some effort on the censorship standards. What other stations can't show, we can show; what they can't film, we can film!"

"Of course, the content won't be overly trashy; in terms of political stance, it will be absolutely 'red and professional'."

"Next is the special effects work. If we want to set ourselves apart from ordinary television dramas, it comes down to two things: the plot and the spectacle, so that the audience can feel like they are watching a blockbuster movie right at home."

"As for the cast and crew, we can even consider inviting film actors to participate. Since there are only a dozen or so episodes per season, the audience will watch them over and over again, so we must ensure the quality of every single episode."

Han Han Shanping rubbed his stubble-covered chin: "Hmm, I think it's doable. Let's call it a seasonal drama!"

J8 drama...

Old Han, you really know how to name things.

National Day is coming soon, and I'm sure all you readers will be out late having fun. During this period, I'll update right after 12 o'clock~~~ Wishing you all a happy National Day~~~





(End of this chapter)