n

n

nChapter 228 – The Path Winds Through High Peaks

nLu Chen was very young and hasn’t had much experience in society.

nBut he has three rich life memories, and a heart and vision far higher than his peers.

nTherefore, Lu Chen could easily see the deep disdain and impatience hidden in Zhu Minghe’s eyes. Obviously, the other party didn’t really want to cooperate, so he put forward various conditions to make him back out.

nUnless Lu Chen could agree to it all.

nBut how was that possible?

nThe request made by Zhu Minghe was to have Baolong Pictures have overall control, the director and the main actors would be determined by them, and most of the fund would be settled by Lu Chen. The fat meat was swallowed, and the bones were spit out. They didn’t want to touch the risk at all.

nLu Chen wasn’t a fool. If nothing else, he would not agree to change the ending of the story.

nIn fact, there was no need to discuss it at all.

nIt was perfectly normal for such a situation to happen. Although someone asked this favor from him1, it was still Lu Chen who took the initiative to come to their door. Baolong Pictures was not an ordinary film and television production company. This was nothing more than the so-called big store deceiving customers.

nIt would be much better if Chen Fei’er came forward in person, but it was a pity that she had entrusted this favor to a friend.

nDepending on Lu Chen alone2, it was obviously not enough.

nIf he was an ordinary screenwriter who wrote a screenplay and wanted to give it to Baolong Pictures, not to mention investment, director, and actors, he wouldn’t even be able to meet Zhu Minghe.

nThe entertainment industry, including the film and television industry, has a strict hierarchy, and one’s position determined one’s level.

nIn this circle, he has no position at all.

nHow could Zhu Minghe treat him seriously?

nLu Chen didn’t feel angry or annoyed by this. After all, his own requirements were also very high. it would be abnormal if the other party had no objection. It was nothing more than asking an outrageous price as a payback.3

nBut now there was no more bargaining.

nLu Chen listened patiently to Zhu Minghe’s opinion, then pondered for a moment, and said, “Manager Zhu. It seems that there is a bit of a disagreement between us. Thank you very much for taking the time to see me. Thank you!”

nEven if the business talks didn’t go through, one couldn’t lose one’s benevolence and righteousness4 – That goes for oneself, for the other party, for everyone. Even if there was a disagreement, there was no need to fall out.

nBe polite and keep a respectful attitude, so that the next time they meet, they could still have a talk.

nMany newcomers just didn’t understand this and only came to realize the truth after they had been badly battered.5

nLu Chen would not make such a mistake.

nIt was easy to understand what kind of person Zhu Minghe was.

nOn the contrary, it recovered some of his good impression of Lu Chen. He said with a smile, “You’re welcome. Sister Li of Rainbow knows the boss of our company. If you have any other good screenplay in the future, come to me directly.”

nThe “Sister Li” that Zhu Minghe mentioned was the general manager of Rainbow Agency Company in Beijing. She and Chen Fei’er were friends.

nIt was through this Sister Li that Chen Fei’er introduced Lu Chen to Baolong Pictures.

nBaolong Pictures sent Zhu Minghe over.

nBut this favor was not important enough to make Zhu Minghe put aside the problem of principle and put up with Lu Chen.

nHe didn’t know that it was Chen Fei’er who really pulled the strings.

nFortunately, Lu Chen was very sensible, so that both sides could step down gracefully.

n“Thank you!”

nLu Chen stood up, held out his hand and shook hands with Zhu Minghe: “I hope there will be an opportunity for cooperation next time.”

nZhu Minghe said with a smile, “You’re welcome. Goodbye!”

nThe two sides said goodbye. Zhu Minghe left with his secretary, while Lu Chen continued to stay.

nHe thought about calling Chen Fei’er, but after getting to her name in the phone address book, he didn’t press it.

nLu Chen instinctively didn’t want to bother Chen Fei’er.

nOr maybe it was his pride as a man, but he didn’t want to complicate the relationship between them.

nHe swiped through his address book to find Chen Jianhao’s number. He wanted to ask Boss Chen if he was familiar with any film and television companies.

n“Hello, Mr. Lu Chen…”

nJust as Lu Chen was looking up Chen Jianhao’s cell phone number, a greeting was suddenly heard next to him.

nIt was quite strange.

nLu Chen couldn’t help turning his head. He saw a thin middle-aged man appeared beside him with a smile on his face.

nThis middle-aged man looked like he was in his 40s. He has dark skin and a plain appearance. He has small eyes, flat nose and a bit of buckteeth. The feeling he gave others when he smiles was somewhat jovial except there was a sort of astuteness in his eyes.

n“May I ask who you are?”

nLu Chen was stunned. He didn’t know the opposite party at all.

nThe middle-aged man stepped forward and held out his hands to him: “Hello. I am Lu Yi, the business manager of Qiande Brothers Pictures. Can we have a chat?”

nLu Chen hurriedly stood up and shook hands with the other party: “Hello, Manager Lu, please have a seat.”

nThe name Qiande Brothers Pictures was unfamiliar to him.

nThere were too many film and television production companies and studios in Beijing. Especially in the last decade when the entertainment industry has exploded. Entertainment agents and film and television production companies seemed to have sprung up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, competing fiercely for a bigger and bigger market share.

nLu Chen was curious about why this man from Qiande Brothers Pictures took the initiative to call out to him.

nLu Yi directly revealed the answer to this mystery: “I’m really sorry. Just now I was sitting here and heard a lot of your conversation with Manager Zhu Minghe. I’d like to ask if you can let me have a look at your screenplay.”

nSeeing that Lu Chen still had doubts, he smiled and said, “Look at me being anxious… Let me introduce myself first!”

nOf course, Lu Yi did not introduce his own identity, as has been said before. What he explained to Lu Chen was Qiande Brothers Film Company he worked for.

nQiande Brothers Pictures was established in 2010. It was a very young company in the industry, but it has invested in a number of films and TV series and has dozens of singed actors and artists.

nIn terms of scale and strength, Qiande Brothers Pictures was far behind Baolong Pictures, an established company, but it was not without advantages, that was, it was the best at films and TV series with the genre of urban youth idol.

nIn 2013, their youth idol drama “My Heart As Before”, once won the highest national audience ratings of 1.7%, which could be regarded as a small hit.

nHe said that It was just a coincidence. Lu Yi was waiting for a client to arrive at the avant-garde coffee shop.

nAs a result, as he was waiting for the client, he heard the conversation between Lu Chen and Zhu Minghe.

nHe didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but he became interested in Lu Chen’s screenplay and couldn’t help but come over to ask.

nLu Yi said bluntly: “if it’s those ordinary screenwriters, then I am definitely not interested. There are 80,000 if not 100,000 people who can write screenplays in Beijing, but you are different.”

nHe smiled and said, “I’ve listened to your songs and bought your album in QQ Music. I believe in your talent!”

nSo, that’s it!

nLu Chen suddenly realized that he was still a fan of his.

nMost of his songs, especially the folk songs, were tinged with a strong sense of nostalgia, so he attracted a group of fans who have already entered the society and were in their thirties and forties.

nThese fans were not usually fanatical fans, but they were financially independent. They were an important part of Lu Chen’s “You Who Sat Next To Me” album sales on QQ Music’s website.

nSince that was the case, Lu Chen readily took out the outline again and handed it to Lu Yi.

nTo be honest, the business manager of Qiande Brothers Pictures was a low position, but it was an opportunity that came to him.

nWhile Lu Yi was carefully reading the outline of “Autumn in My Heart”, Zhu Minghe returned to the company.

nBaolong Pictures was in the Art Park and was close to the avant-garde coffee shop. It was only a 5-minute walk.

nWhen he returned to the company, he went directly to the office – he had just been informed that there would be a meeting.

nIn the meeting room, many senior executives of the company, such as deputy general manager, art director, agency manager, public relations manager, production manager and so on, were already there, but the general manager has not come yet.

nSeeing Zhu Minghe, the agency manager, who usually had a good relationship with him, smiled and asked, “Old Zhu, where did you go? just now there was no one in your office, not even the secretary, did you… Hehe!”

nHe showed a smile that every man understood, which caused the other executives in the room to laugh, and the atmosphere became lively.

nZhu Minghe didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry: “Old Chen, you’re really running on me!6“

nHis female secretary has just been recruited. She was very beautiful, but she was assigned to him by the company. She was not really his little honey7, but in the eyes of others, it was inevitable that she was a little bit of that.

nZhu Minghe had to explain: “It was a newcomer that Boss Wang asked me to contact, someone who has relation to Sister Li of Rainbow Agency Company. He wrote a screenplay and wanted to shoot a TV series. I just went to talk to him.”

nOld Chen asked curiously, “Who is it? What screenplay? How did it go?”

nAs the head of the agency department, he was particularly sensitive to the new screenplay, because once the company started shooting a new show, the first thing to consider was the artists signed by the company – fertile water should not be let out of one’s own fields8.

nBaolong Pictures has recently made big moves, and the topic of this meeting was precisely related to this.

nZhu Minghe said: “It’s a singer named Lu Chen. He’s very young. What he wrote was about youth idol drama. He wanted to be the leading actor and has acting addiction.”

nWhat he said was a little obscure, but everyone understood it.

nThe production manager said, “Lu Chen? I know him. He is the singer who has been in the limelight recently and has been rumored with Chen Fei’er. The video of him saving people in Hangzhou is all over the blog!”

n“Un…”

nZhu Minghe nodded and said, “That’s him. I had some intention, but the screenplay he wrote was a melodrama, and the female lead died in the end. He not only wanted to be the leading actor, but also decide the director and female lead.”

nLao Chen immediately laughed and said, “How is that possible?”

nIf Lu Chen was a big name in the circle, it was understandable and acceptable that he put forward such a request.

nBut Lu Chen was not. He was a true newcomer in the film and television industry.

nHe wasn’t even a newcomer.

nIt was understandable that Lu Chen wanted to enter the film and television industry, but he has to follow the rules.

nYoung people really didn’t know the complexity of things.

nZhu Minghe spread his hands and said helplessly: “Yes, so I refused, there is no way to agree.”

nAll the executives in the room understood – If Zhu Minghe had agreed, it would have been a joke.

nHe just treated it as a joke.

nIncluding Zhu Minghe, everyone soon left the matter behind.

n

n