Chapter 1491
Huge Funds
Zhang Yuan made an appointment with the legendary person over the phone to meet in North America as soon as possible.
"Oh, you're leaving?"
"So eager?"
Sisi, who had just finished a stroll around the Alps with her mother, was somewhat surprised to receive his call.
"Yes, after I finish the brand's event, I'm going to North America."
"I have business to discuss." He rubbed his temples, also feeling a pang of regret at having to leave this beautiful place.
Actually, the beautiful scenery isn't that important. Given the pace of development of the old French Plain White Banner, if I come back in 50 years, it will still be exactly the same, without any changes.
It's mainly about people.
He is not only someone who accompanies others, but also a human being who needs companionship from others.
Therefore, we have recently started planning to "reduce production".
As his fame grew, his salary also increased, and there were already very few production teams that could afford to hire him.
He needs to filter and select more, reduce his workload, and then he'll have time for life and other things.
"The business you're talking about, you're not talking about the kind of business at auctions, are you?" Little Dragon Girl asked softly.
After meeting up with her mother, she briefly explained what had happened.
Liu Xiaoli has eaten rice for decades longer than her, so she's very experienced.
"This is a good thing."
That's how business is.
"Old Chen did this kind of thing back then too, how much...right? Those people's wives and children were all supported by these guys."
"The fact that he can even lend a hand is an opportunity that many people would kill for!"
Many others would love to kneel but wouldn't even get the chance.
"Just pretend you've never heard of it, never seen it, and don't tell anyone else."
"If anyone asks, just say you don't know," Liu Xiaoli said while drinking her coffee.
But she was only in her early twenties, and although she said she didn't care, she was still a little worried.
The main concern was that Zhang Yuan might mess things up, and also that he might be up to something he didn't know what he was up to.
"Don't worry, it's not that kind of business, it's normal business."
"On the contrary, it's more complicated."
Just like getting into Tsinghua and Peking Universities through special talents is different from the college entrance examination where thousands of students compete for limited spots, the difficulty is definitely different.
Take care of yourself.
"Don't worry, you and Aunt Liu have fun. Call me if you need anything."
He wasn't worried about the mother and daughter; they were rich and powerful, and not the type to cause trouble.
After arriving in Paris, he soon met up with acquaintances.
Zhang Yuan was previously Montblanc's brand ambassador in China, and now, after winning the award, he has been upgraded to the Asia-Pacific brand ambassador.
In Europe and America, the spokesperson is Nicolas Cage.
Although he has had some trouble in the past two years due to tax and marital scandals, he is not yet the "King of Bad Movies" he later became, so he has many endorsements.
After him, Hugh Jackman became the spokesperson.
The two attended an event together at the store in Paris, signed their names with a diamond pen, and exchanged a few words.
It only takes an hour or two to go through the motions.
There are a few more events in China after that, which will be in a few months.
Cage talked to him about the movie, "The Flowers of War," which grossed over $100 million at the box office.
This not only led to another Oscar nomination for him, but also made him popular again in the Chinese market, with many companies offering him film contracts.
He's not like Bale, who makes money whenever he can and has probably raked in quite a bit.
This is beyond Zhang Yuan's control; whoever loses money is the one who's unlucky.
What is our relationship, and why should I pay him so much?
Others would win at least several million US dollars; the cost would be enormous.
The guy was really kind; after making money, he wanted to thank him, so he insisted on treating him to foie gras and caviar.
We found the best restaurant in Paris and had a blast.
She is indeed very generous, but she spends money like water.
Knowing he was going to North America, I even changed my flight to be on the same flight as him so we could chat on the way.
Before boarding the plane, he made several phone calls back home.
First, there's Jia Shikai's side.
“I saw the news about Siam online.”
"Well done."
They first gave their approval.
At his request, based on the tourism incidents of the previous few days, a discussion on the risks of traveling to Siam was launched on various forums, Baidu Tieba, Weibo, Kaixin.com and other social media platforms.
News about tourist accidents in Siam has suddenly increased on the Chinese internet.
Violent crimes, such as robbery, theft, and kidnapping, have also been unearthed and made public.
It works, and it's pretty good.
But for Zhang Yuan, "not bad" wasn't enough.
Either don't do it at all, or do it thoroughly!
"But it can be better."
Do you know who the main consumers of tourism are?
"Elderly people?"
Zhang Yuan thought about it. There were indeed many elderly groups, but these people didn't spend any money!
"The largest group of tourists, who are also the most vocal on the internet, are young and middle-aged women."
"Men just play around and don't make a fuss."
"Women, on the other hand, travel beautifully every day."
After all, if you go to the matchmaking market and look around, out of ten women, five of them will list their hobbies as travel, baking, and fitness.
Most women's hobbies, in the end, are about consumption, not learning.
“So, we’re ruining, no, slandering, not exactly…” Zhang Yuan pondered his words.
Jia Shikai was very suspicious that his boss had spoken his mind.
"This is a warning to domestic consumers to be cautious when traveling abroad."
"We are doing a good thing."
Jia Shikai: Ah, yes, yes, yes, yes.
"Therefore, your public opinion guidance needs to have a clearer target audience, rather than just throwing punches at thin air."
"It needs to be precise."
"Moreover, facts and data are not important." Zhang Yuan shook his head with a smile.
People start attacking each other online, regardless of the facts.
"To achieve a good effect, you have to go for the magical and terrifying elements."
"Find some urban legends and mix them in, understand?"
"I think... I understand."
"Don't make it sound like that." Zhang Yuan was annoyed by such ambiguous statements: "Have you ever heard of a freak show?"
"Do you know that kidneys are eaten without anesthesia?"
Have you ever heard of a missing wife?
Jia Shikai thought to himself, "My boss has such a wide range of knowledge; he's even heard all the gossip."
Unfortunately, Zhang Yuan knew that these might not be urban legends.
Siam boasts the highest level of organ transplant surgery in all of Asia, but its other medical standards, except for sex reassignment surgery, are not very advanced.
This is called practice makes perfect.
As for why we're so familiar, don't ask.
Gambling, prostitution, and drugs are all developed there; not only are they developed, but they're also legal.
Later, even hemp leaves became legal.
There are also more serious human trafficking and telecommunications fraud operations, which are also real.
What makes Siam so remarkable is that it doesn't do these things itself; it mainly acts as a transit point for the surrounding areas.
Then we can get back to the topic of why they are good at organ transplant surgery.
The best in Asia, with an extremely high success rate. Some wealthy white people come here every few years to replace parts for themselves.
Letting women know that going to this place will involve dismantling their bodies and, before that, subjecting them to various hellish experiences, is far more effective than simply listing accident statistics.
Let the other party communicate with Yang Siwei, who understands women and audiences better, and then spread the news further.
He called 523 again.
Originally, I was supposed to join the crew to film "Painted Skin 2" immediately after the New Year.
But I need to go to North America first, which will probably take a few days.
"Aren't you going to film anymore?"
A phone call startled 523, who was making final preparations before filming and had all the props in place.
The filming location for this movie is the same as that for "The Warlords," in Cuandixia Village, Mentougou District, on the outskirts of Beijing.
"Don't just listen to half of what I say."
"I said I can't go for the time being, not that I won't go at all."
"Not even for now!" the other person yelled in a rough voice. "As a professional actor, how can you change your schedule so easily?"
Who will be responsible for the losses suffered by the film crew?
“The investors are in charge,” Zhang Yuan replied calmly. “Coincidentally, I happen to be an investor.” 523’s temper, which had just flared up, instantly deflated.
What you said makes a lot of sense...
Zhang Yuan is an investor; I'll bear any losses myself.
"As a director, you should have the ability to adapt to changing circumstances."
"If I were stranded on some small island, or in a war-torn country and couldn't get back, would you turn off your phone?"
"Ah, in which country are you at war? Where?"
"North America."
523: ...
Shooting every day, isn't that war?
"Both female leads will definitely be there, so you can start filming their scenes first."
"You guys handle the opening ceremony, but help me make a life-size standee and figure out where to put it."
"Um...where are you going?"
"It's a small matter, just a small project worth a few hundred million, nothing serious."
523 dared not speak; there's no such thing as bragging.
They suspected he was out chasing girls and having fun, but his status as an investor prevented him from saying much.
"A little director," Zhang Yuan said with a light laugh, tossing down his phone.
He's a bigger star than 523 now; even on set, it's uncertain who's in charge.
Soon after, producer Pang Hong called him to inquire.
"There's an urgent matter to discuss, a small project worth a few hundred million."
"If it's delayed, I couldn't make up for it even if I filmed ten 'Painted Skin' movies."
Pang Hong also thought he was bragging.
Projects that cost hundreds of millions of dollars without even being mentioned.
How much did "Painted Skin 2" cost?
"If all else fails, then according to our contract, you can send an official letter to me demanding compensation."
"We'll discuss it when the time comes."
"You..." The other person was speechless, choked by his words.
If you dare to demand compensation, I will vote against it as an investor.
You think you can out-argue me?
Pang Hong was very unhappy about this.
If it were someone else, he would definitely say that.
"If you're not going to come, then don't come at all!"
Producers have to have a temper.
But when facing Zhang Yuan, he couldn't hold back.
Because he knows this kid is cunning enough that if you tell him not to come, he really won't.
You can listen to advice when you shouldn't.
Without him, this show would be ruined.
He hung up the phone angrily, clearly very unhappy.
Zhang Yuan boarded the plane with an indifferent expression.
I chatted with Cage the whole way and learned a lot about his acting skills.
This guy is a true expert; he's figured out how to act a long time ago.
After landing in Los Angeles, this person even invited him to dinner that evening.
They're too enthusiastic; I can't push them away.
Then they took a car to Burbank, a city more than ten kilometers away.
This place is known as the "Media Capital of the World".
The studios of Warner Bros., Disney, NBC, and PBS are all located here, right next to Hollywood.
Legendary Pictures' headquarters are also located here.
Compared to those established companies, they have high-rise buildings as their headquarters.
The office of this legendary company, which has only been established for about ten years, is already quite shabby.
It's just a row of two-story houses, not very big in total.
"Ha, it's nice to meet you."
"I'm a big fan of yours!"
Smith, the international business manager who spoke with him, hugged him upon meeting him.
The guy was 190cm tall, with blond hair and teeth so white they reflected light—the quintessential image of a successful American.
I gave him a brief tour of the company; it's relatively new and doesn't have a large portfolio yet.
The company's most valuable IP is the American comedy "The Hangover".
With a budget of $3500 million, it grossed nearly $5 million at the box office.
This is Legendary Pictures' largest single revenue to date.
Even though The Hangover Part II had a slightly higher budget, it still grossed nearly $500 million at the box office.
That's why The Hangover made so much money.
The success of the previous two films emboldened Legendary Pictures to break away from Warner Bros. and produce Pacific Rim on its own.
They have worked with Warner for a long time, so they understand Warner's operations better.
Just look at how many DC superhero movies they've ruined and you'll understand.
Warner Bros. is arguably the Hollywood Big Eight studio with the most severe internal strife and infighting.
It would be a miracle if Warner Bros. invested in a hardcore special effects blockbuster like "Pacific Rim," which lacks a strong intellectual property, doesn't include romance in its script, and is entirely focused on special effects.
If they can't even make a decent film out of such a huge Batman IP, how can you expect them to do this?
Even Legendary didn't dare to take Warner's money.
Because once you take the money, you'll suffer from Warner Bros.' problems, with a bunch of executives interfering and the project becoming uncontrollable.
These combined factors explain why Zhang Yuan is standing here today.
“Zhang, I know that besides being a well-known artist, you are also a very successful film and television investor.”
"Kick-Ass is doing very well. You have a good eye for talent."
"Thank you." Zhang Yuan calmly looked at the other person.
"The profits from 'Lurking' are even higher, so it seems your success is no accident," the other person continued to praise.
"It seems you've conducted a thorough investigation into me," Zhang Yuan said without mincing words.
"When I look for investment projects, I value the people more than the works themselves."
"That's right!" The other person leaned forward excitedly.
"Director Toro told me that you had spoken with him before and were very interested in this mecha-themed movie."
“Actually, I’m mainly interested in Toro,” he emphasized.
I can't just say I absolutely have to do this movie, otherwise what's the point of even discussing it?
“That’s even better. Toro has already signed a contract with us and is confirmed to direct this film.”
“We have detailed plans, scripts, character sets, and workflow arrangements.”
"If you are interested, I can give you a complete set of information for your reference."
“I’m a very direct person.” Zhang Yuan didn’t respond.
"Jiecha" means I'm very interested in it.
"So, let's talk about why you invited me here."
"I don't think it's for showing me the artbook."
"Hehehe, I like straightforward people. Only confident people are straightforward, and only confident people can succeed." The other person continued to say nice things.
"Based on current estimates, the budget for special effects in this project will be relatively high."
“Since you’re interested in the project, why not give everyone a chance to collaborate?”
If you need money, just say you're asking. Why give me a chance...?
Zhang Yuan felt quite contemptuous of it.
"How large is this collaborative project?"
"Almost..." The other person smiled, revealing their bright white teeth, and gestured with their hand to represent a universe at their fingertips.
"7000 million US dollars."
Upon hearing this number, Zhang Yuan immediately wanted to curse.
The next thing I wanted to do was call Pang Hong and 523 back.
I told you we were negotiating a project worth hundreds of millions, and you still didn't believe me!
To be honest, it's the foreigners who have big mouths, able to come up with such numbers.
Your total budget is less than 2 million, and you're asking me for 7000 million.
I'll take care of everything for you!
Of course, he didn't dare say that, for fear that the other party would "take it as a promise."
He did some quick calculations and realized that the exchange rate of the US dollar had been relatively low in recent years, so it was only a little over 6.
That's over 4 million!
Seeing his serious expression, the other party spoke.
“I know that this is indeed a very large sum of money.”
“No.” He interrupted the other person as soon as they opened their mouth.
“I don’t think it’s that big,” Zhang Yuan replied confidently.
"I think this kind of investment project is too small!" (End of Chapter)