Chapter 1543
Shared Joy
I returned to the company at noon and ate something.
He requires himself to eat simply, and apart from the business meals hosted by the company, his own meal allowance is only about 20 yuan for a boxed lunch.
That's already very good.
Switching from a 20-yuan meal to a 200-yuan meal won't make you live ten years longer.
However, by eating cheaply himself, he could greatly curb extravagance, which is called "what the superiors do, the inferiors follow."
When employees, especially artists, want to eat a whole table of food in one work meal, they have to consider how much the boss eats.
Then, during a break, he held a brief meeting with the company's shareholders to discuss matters.
In the afternoon, as usual, we received foreign guests for a meeting.
"Mr. Tours, regarding your earlier suggestion to make a big-budget Sino-US co-production film."
"Our cross-strait film company went through internal procedures and passed the plan at the shareholders' meeting."
Zhang Yuan made his stance clear from the outset.
During yesterday's meeting, all the foreigners could clearly see his awkwardness.
Just mentioning this movie gives me a headache.
His reason was that the budget was too high, and the company could not afford to produce multiple works with such high budgets at the same time.
But once Tours had his "bright idea," the more you disagreed, the more enthusiastic he became.
They're starting to have a bit of a rebellious streak.
A person who can build a company into a company worth over a billion US dollars in just a few years is incredibly confident.
Even if it's just a fleeting thought, I'll feel like it's absolutely right.
How could my thinking be wrong?
If it weren't for this, how could the company have grown so large?
This is a common mistake made by many so-called "successful people".
An individual's partial correctness is amplified into absolute correctness.
It's like a food critic who thinks that because he has eaten and seen so much, and can even criticize a chef's dishes, his own cooking skills are better than the chef's.
Essentially, it's still self-worship and idealistic values at play.
But these are the kinds of people you can't persuade.
Zhang Yuan had been troubled by this.
Moreover, he was under pressure from both inside and outside the company, and there was no easy task for him.
Now that's settled, I agree, okay?
The foreigner was overjoyed.
The subsequent discussions proceeded quite smoothly.
This transformation occurred because of a change in his thinking.
As Brother Qian said, everyone makes mistakes. Being the only one who is sober when everyone else is drunk is not necessarily a good thing.
To blend in with the world is the way of moderation.
If I stop people from making mistakes, everyone will treat me as an enemy.
Even if you are proven right in the end, others will still resent you.
They might team up all day to find fault with you, just to vent their frustrations.
This is human nature.
So he thought it best to do the opposite!
Since everyone's going to do it, let's do it!
Not only do it, but do it on a large scale!
The film was included in the joint venture contract with Legendary Pictures as a top-tier collaborative project.
Since it's a top-tier collaborative project, it's better to share the joy than to enjoy it alone!
The following day, it was the same hotel conference room where Smith led the team when they first arrived in China.
The venue was packed again today.
Most of the people were the same ones from the last meeting.
There are only a few differences.
But the situation is completely different.
Fiber optics, Xiao Ma, Bona, and many other manufacturing companies from other regions have all arrived.
Cao Huayi, the boss of New Classics Media, the main investor behind the film "Caught in the Web," was also present.
In this kind of situation, it doesn't matter who comes. There's competition among peers, but they're not enemies, and they don't have many friends either.
But whoever doesn't come will feel awkward!
Wang Changtian and Big Dog Brother glanced around; everyone was seated, and all the expected people had arrived.
So who didn't come?
Big Dog gave the fiber optic shop owner a malicious look.
"Mr. Wang, do you think Zhang Yuan is petty?"
"Don't advise others to do good if you haven't suffered like them." Wang Changtian was quite easygoing.
“Our experiences are different from his. If we were in his shoes, we might hate him even more.”
“That makes sense.” Big Dog nodded in agreement.
Everyone else came, except for Huayi.
It's not that the other party didn't show up; it's that they weren't invited at all.
Besides this difference, there is another point that differs from the last meeting.
That's Zhang Yuan, who sat in the lower row last time, and not even in the very front row, but is now sitting in the upper row.
I'm sitting in the same row as the foreigners from Legendary Pictures!
In the blink of an eye, several months had passed, and he went from being a guest to becoming the host.
Zhang Yuan sat up there, listening intently to the numerous discussions taking place.
Besides discussing the matters for which we invited everyone today, we also discussed the fact that Huayi didn't come.
No need to discuss it anymore, I'll give you a definite answer.
"Thank you all for coming today."
"First, let me make one point clear."
"I didn't invite a certain company, but you all probably know who it is."
Hehehe... A few soft laughs came from the audience.
Young people are just straightforward.
If this gets back to those two brothers, they'll probably be furious for days.
I'll pass on the message when I get back...
A group of bosses were watching the show with a "let's have some fun" attitude.
"I won't say any more, let's get straight to the point."
Zhang Yuan didn't go into too much detail or resort to insults.
Click till.
Because he must show his full magnanimity today!
"Today is just a gathering to get everyone together and discuss filming matters."
Upon hearing this, most of the people in the audience smiled.
The reason I brought these people here today is for cooperation!
While watching Brother Qian water the vegetable garden at the Tianjingdihua Pet Park, he suddenly had an inspiration.
The dilemma I'm facing now is one I have no choice but to confront.
To keep Zhang Yimou and foreigners on the side, this has to be done.
Even if it's wrong, we should stick to it and see it through to the end.
Then I need to change my mindset.
Instead of avoiding mistakes, we should think about how to minimize the losses after making them!
Seeing Brother Qian splashing water reminded me that he would also use the same method to fertilize.
In short, it's like throwing feces...
Just like Tuer when he saw the Great Wall, Zhang Yuan immediately had a flash of inspiration!
Rather than me eating shit alone, I'd rather splatter it all over the entire Chinese entertainment industry!
It's better for me to lose money with a group of people than to lose money alone.
Anyway, everyone who's seen this project except me says it's great, so let's go for it.
Logically speaking, since Huayi tricked me in the previous competition, I should have retaliated the most fiercely.
But after thinking about it, he realized something was wrong.
If we invite Huayi as well, it might make others think we're up to something.
It would be better to retaliate and exclude others, so that they would be more convinced that the project is good.
Hua Yi escaped unscathed because of her poor relationship with Zhang Yuan...
At this moment, Zhang Yuan experienced the joy of Americans.
It is dangerous to be an enemy of a lighthouse, but it is deadly to be an ally of a lighthouse.
He could tell just by looking at how these people reacted to his sarcastic remarks about Hua Yi; he knew exactly what they were thinking.
Next, let's talk about planning.
Even if this movie were to be filmed, it wouldn't be so quick.
Such a massive investment, a project worth hundreds of millions of US dollars, takes at least a year to prepare, and some projects can take several years to even begin filming.
Even though the process was so long, everyone remained very enthusiastic.
The reason is simple: Zhang Yimou and Legendary Pictures.
These two combined seem like a sure-fire way to make money.
Moreover, large-scale productions and projects are popular now, and everyone wants to make money while also enhancing their reputation by participating in large projects.
After Zhang Yuan offered to share this major project with everyone, his call was met with overwhelming support!
"I hope to create a production of unprecedented scale that will make history!"
Clap clap clap... Everyone applauded in agreement.
Zhang Yuan smiled and looked at everyone.
See, they actually have to thank us...
More than 100 million US dollars, plus marketing and distribution costs, is a huge sum for a single company, the kind that would put all its eggs in one basket.
However, if a dozen or more companies participate in sharing the burden, the pressure will decrease dramatically.
This not only reduces losses but also helps build up popularity.
The content of his meeting with other company shareholders was that they agreed to produce it without any problem, but he would have to be in charge of attracting investment.
Now that I'm sharing my "best" project with everyone, shouldn't you all be a little more polite to me in the future?
Many of the people who came thought that this kid wanted to be the big brother.
Let's try to appease him first. As long as there's money to be made, we don't care about these things.
When they treated everyone to dinner after the meeting, it was a very pleasant and harmonious occasion.
What if we lose money in the future?
We'll talk about the future later.
There are always gains and losses in business, and there's nothing I can do about it.
Sure enough, once I changed my approach, things went much more smoothly.
And there are additional benefits.
After seeing off the Legendary Pictures delegation that day, the joint venture project was already underway.
While everything proceeded smoothly, he also began to busy himself with his own affairs.
"Painted Skin 2" has been completed and its promotional campaign has begun.
He, along with the two leading actresses and Guan Gege, went on promotional tours together.
Yang Mi called him to ask for leave, using a mix of coquettishness and tantrums, just to say she didn't want to waste time on the roadshow and could go somewhere else to make money.
Zhang Yuan wasn't entirely satisfied, but he had no choice but to indulge her.
I've traveled to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Chengdu, Changsha, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, and even appeared on several TV programs.
There's a reason why Yang Mi doesn't like doing publicity and promotion.
Not only are they extremely busy with promotional activities, but they also don't receive any appearance fees for appearing on shows, since the shows are essentially promoting them for them.
Other production teams rely on her to carry the main roles; she has no choice but to go.
She was just a supporting character in these classes, and since I was there, she skipped class to avoid it.
While promoting the film, rumors about discord between the two leading actresses began to circulate online.
It must have been that old bastard Pang Hong who did it.
Create buzz during the promotional period to grab attention and attract traffic.
During the interview, reporters also asked about these things.
Don't believe what you read online.
"Anyway, we had no problems when we worked together."
"We are all professional actors, so the so-called conflict is completely fabricated."
Of course, he had to help cover it up.
Guan Xiaotong, who was standing to the side, saw him spouting lies without batting an eye and thought to herself, "Is this the composure of an old artist?"
When asked about this, Guan Xiaotong looked around nervously.
Don't let her gossipy nature fool you; she's still quite adept at lying in public.
"Xiaotong is the darling of the crew; everyone treats her very well."
"Yes, yes, I think the crew is a harmonious family, and everyone is very kind to me." Gege received his hint and quickly replied.
Whether it's true or not doesn't matter, at least the conflict shouldn't be brought up in front of the media.
But there are always times when he's not there, and we have to handle the publicity and promotion separately.
As soon as he left, they lost their balance. The two women spoke in front of the camera, one nonsensical and the other unhappy, their words sounding sarcastic and unpleasant.
"Brother, brother, look, look at them." Guan Xiaotong plopped down on his lap and started browsing the news on her tablet.
"Get down!" Zhang Yuan hurriedly pushed him away.
If someone takes a picture of that, it'll be terrible!
She does the same thing at home with her parents.
But that won't work outside.
"You're stingy!" the young woman retorted, still unhappy.
"They won't tell the truth, will they?"
“The princess wouldn’t, but Xun Ge might not.” Zhang Yuan pursed his lips and said, “She’s not just loose-lipped, she just doesn’t think things through.”
"See? It's still me who matters." Zhang Yuan patted his chest, striking a proud pose.
"Whether on set or outside."
"With me here, they won't dare to cause any trouble."
"Now you know who to admire, right?"
I am the strongest among men; with me here, no one can cause a ripple.
"Really?" Miss Guan looked at him, suppressing a laugh.
"Tsk, you're on set too, seeing it for real."
"Hehehehe..." Gege suddenly laughed.
She covered her mouth and laughed back and forth.
"what happened to you?"
The man was so happy he squatted down and handed him the tablet.
Zhang Yuan took a look, flipped through it, and his complexion changed from rosy to ashen.
Because the wind direction has changed!
What started as a conflict between the two female leads has now turned into a conflict between them, and the blame is now being directed at him!
Rumors started circulating online that he was acting like a diva.
"Your brother was insulted, and you're so happy about it? Is that appropriate?" Zhang Yuan poked her waist with his hand.
"Don't touch it, it tickles...hehehehe."
"You managed to keep those two in check and prevent them from causing any trouble, but you ended up getting scolded yourself. It's hilarious."
The young woman laughed carefree, while he was in a less than pleasant mood.
The key point is that they accused him of being arrogant and even presented their arguments logically and with evidence.
Some photos and text content of the materials were released.
What the staff say is unimportant; they can all make it up.
The important thing is the two sets of photos.
One group was him burning incense and performing the opening ceremony alone.
He was late because he had to take leave.
It could be interpreted as a separate ceremony, not with the two female leads.
Another set of photos shows a dozen or twenty bodyguards in black standing around the film crew.
They said they were all his people, that's why he needed so many bodyguards when filming.
Zhang Yuan: ...
The hardest part is that these things are all true.
Without considering the context, it really does seem like he's acting like a big shot.
The allure of journalism.
So now the conflict between the two female leads has turned into a conflict between him and both female leads, a power struggle for status.
The entire "Painted Skin 2" crew was in complete chaos.
"Xiaotong." He waved and called over his little sister, who was laughing so hard she almost choked.
"Your brother was murdered. Even if you don't comfort me, you should at least try to tone down your laughter."
"Who do you think is behind this?"
"You have so many enemies, who would know?" Guan Xiaotong said casually.
Zhang Yuan: ...
"Come on, stick your ass out, or I'll kick you to death!"
"come over."
The man, covering his buttocks, stepped forward.
"Let me tell you, this is all done by our own people, otherwise where would the photos come from?"
"Really?" Gege's eyes lit up with gossip.
"It's most likely Pang Hong who did it!" Zhang Yuan thought, stroking his chin.
"That bastard has been unhappy with me for a long time."
"Looking at these photos, it's clear that this was premeditated."
"We planned to use it for publicity and release during the filming process."
"It will boost the film's popularity and also give me a little pushover."
"At the same time, when I started acting like a diva, the pressure on the two female leads was reduced."
"So I suspect that the publicity campaign also involves those two women's team."
"Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown," and now all the pressure is on his shoulders.
"I see?"
"It's fun." Guan Xiaotong nodded repeatedly after hearing this.
"When you encounter similar situations in the future, you must understand the underlying tactics and never let yourself be used as a pawn."
"Brother, what are you planning to do?"
She was clearly more interested in this matter.
"I won't turn against them no matter what they do during the publicity period."
"Sometimes being too rational can be a weakness."
The other party knew he wouldn't cause trouble for the crew, but they would never put that kind of pressure on Zhou Xun, because they couldn't be sure what kind of thought process Xun Ge had.
When they're really stupid, it's not impossible for them to declare in front of others, "The three armies obey my orders, I'll commit suicide and return to heaven."
"Oh, I get it." Guan Xiaotong shook her head and replied, "That's why good people always end up with guns pointed at them, right?"
"Little sister, you're one of the smartest people in the entertainment industry."
Zhang Yuan patted her head.
"Then tell me quickly, how do you plan to resolve this?"
Guan Xiaotong is really into it.
"I want to see rivers of blood!"
"You're really going all out against me." He raised his hand and pushed her away.
"What else can we do but offer a feeble clarification?"
"Being an artist is a very passive profession; you have to get used to enduring criticism."
"That's so boring. I thought you were going to argue with them."
"Little sister, even your brother isn't omnipotent," Zhang Yuan sighed.
He plans to wait until the film's release is over before doing a proper public relations campaign.
After all, I own shares in the company, so I can't afford to turn down money.
Unexpectedly, while he remained silent, someone else spoke up... (End of Chapter)