Chapter 1515
Your Satisfaction Guaranteed
Zhang Yuan used to really like Stephen Chow's "Forbidden City Cop".
This film is quite bizarre, with a strange and eerie style, martial arts elements, and parodies of aliens.
Stephen Chow even added a lot of his own personal touches to it.
In particular, he angrily criticized the Hong Kong Film Awards, mocking them for not awarding him the prize.
In this respect, Stephen Chow and Jay Chou are somewhat similar.
Both men surnamed Zhou used their expertise to mock the judges and vent their anger.
Besides mocking the awards, he also vividly remembered a scene from the film.
That was when Afa asked for the luminous pearl from the emperor's dragon crown as a reward, and after taking it home, he showed it to his wife and Qincao.
Based on their different reactions, it was determined that Qin Cao was the King of No Form.
Because no woman can resist the allure of such exquisite jewelry.
If someone can keep their eyes straight ahead, then they're not a woman!
Li Ruotong and Liu Jialing's performances under Stephen Chow's guidance were indeed a bit exaggerated, but that's the gist of it.
According to Zhang Yuan's own observations, almost none of the women around him could resist trying on expensive jewelry or admiring themselves in the mirror.
This is human nature.
Women are like crows; they can't help but swoop down at anything that's shiny.
Men, on the other hand, are like beavers.
It's the kind of creature that gathers branches and builds dams in the river.
What man would see a dead tree branch that looks like a sword and just leave it there instead of taking it home?
Not to mention ordinary people, the teacher once found a particularly straight stick and took it with him everywhere as a walking stick.
Later, when Ho Chi Minh visited, he asked the teacher to exchange his walking sticks, wanting this particular stick, but the teacher was reluctant to give it to him.
This is human nature.
When one's true nature is awakened, reason cannot stop it.
Just like Guo Jinming now!
When that limited edition Hermès Birkin bag made of crocodile skin, worth several million, appeared before him.
Zhang Yuan swore he had never seen anyone's eyes focus to such a degree.
He was afraid that Xiao Si's eyes could shoot lasers and burn two big holes in the bag.
It's that hot!
Seeing this, he was quite satisfied.
It seems that my advance planning has been very effective.
It was worth all the money I spent.
He seems to adhere to the principle of "recruiting talents without being bound by convention" when doing things.
I don't care about character or anything like that.
The most important thing is ability, especially the ability to make money.
The four Tiny Times films alone grossed over 20 billion yuan at the box office.
Moreover, the cost of this type of urban romance drama is not high, and the profit margin is quite considerable.
This only accounts for the revenue from the book "Tiny Times".
Don't worry about whether his acting is bad or has any artistic value.
It's not as bad as everyone says, just a bit bad, but still much better than many self-important directors.
Because Xiao Si is very clear about what he is doing.
This is similar to Yu Zheng; when it comes to making money, there's nothing shameful about it.
Making a profit is the bottom line; there's nothing harder in the world than making money.
As for this person's character, let's not even talk about it, because there's absolutely no character to speak of.
But Zhang Yuan didn't take it seriously.
Having a bad character isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Because of his character flaws, he is more likely to have weaknesses that he can exploit.
I shared my ideals with some people and discussed creative work.
For someone like him, talking about money is enough.
Zhang Yuan is now quite adept at dealing with backstabbers.
"Could you take a look at this bag? What do you think?" Zhang Yuan asked with a slight smile and a gentle tone.
Very good!
Xiao Si was practically drooling.
Seeing his state, Zhang Yuan was completely certain of his sexual orientation.
Does it have any collectible value?
"Yes, yes..." Xiao Si's eyes were fixed, and he could barely speak.
That's perfect!
I just want to collect it.
Speaking of which, this bag or this house, which is more valuable?
Of course, it's a house!
Which is more shocking?
It's also a house.
But which one does he want more?
It must be a bag!
Because he knew he couldn't keep the house.
He could even manage to squeeze this bag on tiptoe.
In addition, you have to understand the mentality of these people.
How many women live in a 15-square-meter rented room, squeeze onto buses to and from get off work, earn only a few thousand yuan a month, and have to haggle over the price of a few meat buns for breakfast?
But as soon as Apple releases a new model, these people line up and take out loans to buy the top-of-the-line version.
Even with holes in their socks, they still buy luxury handbags worth tens of thousands of yuan.
Because they can carry their phones and bags around and show them off anytime, anywhere, they can fulfill the false image of a successful person they've created for themselves.
No matter how messy or dilapidated your home is, as long as you don't let others come over, they won't know.
Therefore, many people who are inherently showy will buy bags and cars, but not houses.
Zhang Yuan also encountered this.
At a class reunion dinner, one of my older classmates poured him drinks and served him food like crazy, showing him incredible hospitality.
After several rounds, having drunk too much, this man pulled him aside, pointed to his wrist, and angrily questioned him.
"Don't you recognize Rolex?"
What appears to be fawning is actually a way of showing off.
Xiao Si is that kind of person.
After he transferred from Sichuan to Shanghai for university, he felt inferior because many of his classmates were decked out in luxury goods.
He also claimed that all the students at Shanghai University were wealthy locals.
That's because he only sees rich people and only wants to associate with them.
After he became successful, he often mentioned the time when he was "mocked" by saleswomen in luxury stores in his early years.
People might not have been mocking him; they were just stating a price. But his inferiority complex made him feel that every word was a thorn.
So after he got rich, he spent all his time showing off.
But deep down he's still a country bumpkin.
Because this guy has a history of wearing Chanel lambskin shoes in public.
I went out and found that the sole of my shoes was torn. I complained about it online and was told by Chanel that their shoes have lambskin soles and cannot be worn on the street.
The truly wealthy never put their feet on the ground. They travel by car, and when they get out of the car, they go inside. They don't stroll on the asphalt road and let people see their feet.
So-called luxury goods are only for ordinary people; for the truly wealthy, they are just everyday items.
When Yang Mi visited his house, this guy could clearly remember and state the price of every single item in the house.
I'm really concerned; I have to let people know.
So, it's normal to feel inferior because of this kind of deep-seated inferiority complex... after all, with this appearance and height, it's quite normal.
For someone with this somewhat distorted mindset, the allure of a top-tier luxury handbag is far greater than for an ordinary person.
This is the "personalized customization" that Zhang Yuan did for him.
His eyes were glued to the Hermès bag.
"Teacher Guo, Teacher Guo, what do you mean?" Zhang Yuan urged casually.
"Great! This is definitely worth collecting!" Xiao Si swallowed hard and said in a tight voice.
"You said it's worth collecting, then there must be a reason."
"Where did you buy this? It must be a limited edition, right?"
"I picked it up from Hermès headquarters in France a while ago. Some friends in Hong Kong said it was collectible and ordered one for me."
"I don't understand it either, and I don't usually use it."
The French headquarters took it... Upon hearing this, Xiao Si had already imagined himself being "conferred" the title in full regalia.
If he goes, he can bring a whole photography team to produce great shots.
Seeing his reaction, Zhang Yuan began to tell a story, describing in detail the events of the day he retrieved the bag.
Especially the suitcase the other party used, the velvet lining inside, how the lining felt, and how strong the Frenchman's accent and nasal tone were.
He was almost intoxicated by what he heard, as if he could already smell the sweet scent of the French air. He smacked his lips a few times, the taste of French mineral water still lingering in his mouth.
pretty!
"You seem to like it quite a bit?" Zhang Yuan asked, feigning nonchalance.
"Hehehe, everyone likes it, but what about the price of this bag?"
"40 euros."
Xiao Si gasped.
Several million!
I quickly reached out and touched it a few more times; it was ice-cold.
"It's still a pity." Seeing this, Zhang Yuan looked up at the ceiling.
“Like this house, I don’t have time to live there.”
"This bag is the same; I can't carry it outside."
"Because my on-screen image has to be down-to-earth, it can't be too extravagant."
"I guess I'll just have to put this bag in the safe since it's in my possession."
Tsk tsk tsk... Xiao Si felt it was a pity when he heard this.
If I carried this on my shoulders!
I must treat all my friends to a meal, especially my former classmates and friends, so they can see what I'm made of.
The bag I'm carrying right now costs hundreds of thousands of euros!
Many people go to class reunions just for this.
"Ah, as the saying goes, a fine sword is given to a hero."
“I don’t understand it, nor do I need it. But you, Teacher Guo, are both knowledgeable and have a passion for fashion.”
"It's better than..."
"Lend it to me for two days... no, I need it for filming later." He spoke hastily, almost blurting out the truth, and quickly came up with a plausible excuse.
"No, no, no, I already said that I don't rent out houses, I only lend them out."
“A bag is different from a house; you can’t just borrow it from someone else.”
"I'll just give it to you, that'll solve everything!"
Upon hearing this, Guo Jinming's head buzzed, and his blood pressure spiked.
If I were given this... I'd be flying!
It's a limited edition; I'll definitely bring it with me for future media interviews.
We want the whole world to know!
He began to imagine walking the red carpet with this bag, and when people asked if the bag was still pretty, he would casually reply.
"Oh, it's just a limited edition."
"It's only 40 euros, it's nothing."
The thought of himself being able to act like this almost made the guy stand up straight!
"You're really giving it to me?"
"Don't joke with me, I'm serious." He looked at the bag with greedy eyes, then tried to hide his gaze and looked at Zhang Yuan.
"I have many flaws, but my friends all say that my greatest strength is that I keep my word."
"Then I..." Xiao Si was about to reach out, but he continued speaking.
"But in the end, it is still a valuable item."
What do you mean by "not bad"...? Judging from his tone, Xiao Si not only didn't find it annoying, but also thought that this was what a CEO's temperament should be like, which perfectly matched her imagination.
"I don't usually give that expensive gifts to my friends."
“But if it’s a gift for a business partner, that’s a different story.” Zhang Yuan waved his hand, and as he spoke, he had his assistant retrieve the bag, put it back in the suitcase, and close it.
The "golden legend" vanished from Xiao Si's sight, leaving only a deep emptiness.
Only then did his blood boil and he calmed down a little.
"What kind of partner are you referring to?"
He still wanted it.
I just understand that it's not something I'm taking for free.
It doesn't matter if the hook is straight or the bait is salty, as long as you can catch fish.
Zhang Yuan had been fishing for so long, all for this cunning big fish.
Just tell me if you want it or not.
Now, the decision-making power for the film "Tiny Times" is not solely determined by Guo Jinming.
But he still has a lot of influence, because the IP wouldn't work without him.
The other partners also had to take his opinion into consideration.
Xiao Si certainly wants to make money from this film and improve his status in the industry.
But one thing is one thing, and another thing is another. Public matters are public matters, and private desires are private desires.
Filming now involves multiple parties and is an official business.
But this bag represents personal desire!
Humans are often driven by personal desires to prioritize public duty, especially greedy people.
Because personal desires are all for myself, while public affairs should be shared by everyone.
Zhang Yuan had a firm grasp on this person's nature; he intended to use this multi-million dollar bag to catch a fish worth billions.
There are no personal feelings involved, only cold numbers that will appear in the account in the future.
"I've always been a person who collaborates with others, not projects," Zhang Yuan said with an arrogant CEO-like expression, raising his index finger and gesturing.
"Given my current production capabilities and company size, collaborating on just one 'Tiny Times' project seems too small-minded."
“I know you started your own company a couple of years ago.”
"I would like to make a strategic investment in your company on behalf of my own company."
"In this way, we will become long-term partners, and you will also have access to funding to do more of what you want to do."
"If you want to produce any work in the future, not limited to movies, we can collaborate immediately."
"The film industry across the Taiwan Strait will become your strongest support for your future foray into the film and television industry."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Si straightened his back considerably.
That's so grand!
The mere mention of "strategic cooperation" reignited his vanity.
Moreover, I won't lose out; the other party is investing in my company, and I can get the money.
There will also be a large company to help me keep other partners in check.
The best part is they even included a free bag...
"I'll think about it."
“I am personally very interested.”
"But ultimately, it still involves the film adaptation project of 'Tiny Times'."
"But I already have several partners in discussions for this project."
“It’s okay.” Zhang Yuan replied calmly, “You take care of the creation, and I’ll take care of these people.”
"It's about cooperation, we can all make money together, I believe they will agree."
"And I can assure you that since my debut, I have never failed to do anything I wanted to do."
He then extended his hand.
Hearing this "domineering" statement, Xiao Si wanted him to play a domineering CEO even more.
The two shook hands and reached a preliminary agreement.
Regardless of the partners, the most crucial factor is Xiao Si himself.
However, he is not very familiar with the entertainment industry at the moment, and needs to rely on some people and connections to get involved in this venture.
With me here, will we still need these people in the future?
After talking with the other party, the purpose of this first meeting was basically achieved.
He didn't invite the other person to dinner, saying he would talk to them after he had sorted things out.
They then left the house together.
As she was leaving, Xiao Si looked back inside with lingering reluctance.
He wanted to become like Zhang Yuan, and he wanted to climb the social ladder by using Zhang Yuan's connections so that one day he could receive the same treatment as Zhang Yuan.
This ambition and greed were just right for Zhang Yuan.
After leaving Shanghai, I flew directly back to Beijing.
I received an international call as soon as I landed.
The information that that fat bastard Harvey helped me gather has arrived... (End of Chapter)