Chapter 55

Lei Tao entered the room only two minutes ago, but his mental state seemed to have changed completely.

He straightened his back, looked more energetic, and appeared several years younger.

"Mr. Hu, when will the contract be signed?"

They had only exchanged a few words when Lei Tao was already impatient.

His gaze fell on the stack of money, and his meaning couldn't be clearer.

Hu Zhenzhen burst out laughing.

"Don't rush, let's talk about the script first."

When the topic turned to his profession, Lei Tao's eyes sharpened considerably.

But he still hesitated, not daring to speak as frankly as before.

"Ask whatever you want."

He doesn't know how to speak tactfully. He thinks he's already been very polite, but to others, it still sounds harsh, like he has a bad temper.

Chen Kai, standing behind him, couldn't help but frown.

Hu Zhenzhen didn't care about his tone. She turned the tablet in her hand towards Lei Tao and said, "Could you still write a piece of this caliber?"

"I can't write it down."

Lei Tao answered quickly, which surprised Hu Zhenzhen.

"Can't write anymore?"

Lei Tao nodded. "Yes, I'm no longer interested in this kind of sentimental youth literature, and I won't write such bad works anymore."

A poor work.

Hu Zhenzhen couldn't help but laugh.

"Is this work bad? I think it's pretty good. The online reviews are all very positive about this TV series."

Lei Tao is not one to reminisce about the past.

Over the years, he has never been appreciated. After the book "Eighteen Adults" was sold, it was also modified quite a bit.

Although the final product was similar to his original manuscript, there were still many changes to the details. Lei Tao didn't like others touching his work, so naturally he didn't like this work that he had once written.

"The female lead in this drama originally had her own career storyline, but the drama changed it. The original script was about the male and female leads becoming shining stars in their respective fields and then reuniting, but it has been turned into this. I don't like it."

Lei Tao put it bluntly.

Hu Zhenzhen was taken aback, recalling the scene from earlier.

I found that what he said was true; the female lead's storyline was rather weak, and compared to the male lead's, it didn't have any particularly outstanding aspects.

"So you mean you can write a better script now?"

Lei Tao straightened his back and puffed out his chest.

"I can."

Those three words, spoken with conviction, represented his belief.

"Do you have any recent works? I'd like to read them in advance. If they pass my test, I hope to start the TV series project after the East District Film and Television Base is officially established."

Upon hearing this, Lei Tao became even more excited.

Hu Zhenzhen meant that she wanted to give him a chance.

As long as the script for the TV series is acceptable, the filming schedule will be arranged directly.

This was very different from what Lei Tao had experienced before, but for him, it was an excellent opportunity.

"If you sign my script, can I become the head screenwriter?"

This is the point that Lei Tao cares about most.

All the scripts he had written before were his hard work. After they were bought, they soon resorted to the tactic of replacing the screenwriter and firing him.

Over the years, Lei Tao has learned his lesson.

If Hu Zhenzhen doesn't intend to use him as the head screenwriter, then he can work on two scripts that aren't particularly well-crafted.

Lei Tao would only consider bringing out his hidden script if she intended to hire him as the head screenwriter.

Hu Zhenzhen understood his implied meaning.

"Of course, every screenwriter is the soul of the script. If you put a different soul into what you wrote, it will lose its original flavor."

Having worked on so many film crews, Lei Tao had never heard anyone talk to him about these things before.

For a moment, he stared at Hu Zhenzhen's face, his heart filled with turmoil.

The saying "A thoroughbred horse meets a discerning eye, and Bo Ya meets a kindred spirit" perfectly describes this situation.

Lei Tao was so excited he could hardly speak, "Do you really think so?"

"Of course," Hu Zhenzhen replied with a confident smile.

"A good screenwriter plus a good director is the beginning of a good drama. If the actors are also more serious and responsible, then there is more than an 80% chance that the drama will become a masterpiece."

"I don't want to make those fast-food TV dramas. If Jianghu Pictures is going to do something, it has to be a high-quality production."

Few people can say something like that directly.

In today's profit-driven society, it's already considered good if you encounter investors who are willing to pay attention to the logic of the script.

Some investors come to the TV drama industry and invest tens of millions of yuan just to promote a certain star, without caring about the feelings of the screenwriters and directors at all.

In the script, the role played by the star must be the most outstanding.

Even if someone was originally just a supporting character, their screen time would be increased again and again at their request, and some of their screen time would even be more than that of the female lead.

When the series aired, the original plot was edited into a mess, and the storyline was chaotic, so it's no wonder it received bad reviews.

In Lei Tao's view, this behavior is simply creating visual garbage for the audience.

But that's just the way things are in the industry now; if you want to get money from investors, screenwriters and directors always have to back down again and again.

It's fine if the actors who are being promoted work hard and improve, but if they are the ones who only stand out because of the contrast with their peers, then the show becomes even more unwatchable.

Lei Tao had seen too many of these kinds of things, which is why he was particularly unwilling to revise his manuscript.

He was deeply moved by Hu Zhenzhen's words.

"Yes, a masterpiece!"

He was so emotional that he practically shouted the words, which startled Hu Zhenzhen.

Chen Kai, standing behind him, frowned even more deeply, patted Lei Tao on the shoulder, and reminded him, "Screenwriter Lei, please keep your voice down a little."

Lei Tao is simply an honest person, not someone who lacks manners.

After being reminded by Chen Kai, his face flushed red, and he apologized sheepishly, "I'm sorry, I was too excited. I've never met an investor like you, Mr. Hu, I..."

He didn't know how to describe his feelings.

Even a screenwriter who spends all his time immersed in words and writing scripts sometimes finds himself at a loss for words.

"I am truly honored to have met you."

In his excitement, he only managed to utter this one sentence, and then felt embarrassed by how sentimental it was, gripping his pants tightly with his hands.

"Don't be shy, let's talk about the employment contract."

Seeing that he was indeed a serious person and not as impetuous as other people in the industry, Hu Zhenzhen took the initiative to say, "The contract term I'm asking for may be relatively long, but the benefits will definitely be excellent, with a salary increase opportunity every year."

Lei Tao was stunned from the moment he heard these words.

Screenwriters in the industry make a living from their scripts; there's no such thing as a pay raise or pay cut.

Only jobs that offer a fixed salary can negotiate raises or reductions.

Does this mean that President Hu intends to pay them salaries monthly?

He had a question in his mind, so he asked it out.

"Yes, the directors, actors, and screenwriters we signed are all our own people. They are treated the same as the back-office staff in the company. They are all paid monthly salaries, and bonuses will be given according to the performance after the TV series is officially released."

This was the first time Lei Tao had ever heard of giving money like this.

In their line of work, it's normal to get paid every four or five months.

Some aspiring screenwriters don't even make it to the point of actually writing a script before their savings are emptied.

The industry is corrupt. If a TV series they produce can be released, that's fine, but if it can't be released, the first ones to default are the screenwriters and actors.

Lei Tao had gotten used to being paid only once every few months, and when Hu Zhenzhen suddenly brought up the topic of salary, he was momentarily at a loss as to whether he should inquire about the base salary.

Fortunately, Hu Zhenzhen brought it up on her own initiative without him having to ask.

"The chief director and chief screenwriter are paid 30,000 yuan per month, but there is a requirement that they must complete at least one work per year."

Hu Zhenzhen presented a contract to Lei Tao.

What she described verbally was simple, but what was written in the contract was a very complex and meticulous matter.

Lei Tao had suffered many losses due to contracts and knew that these things should not be signed casually, but when he saw the contract that Hu Zhenzhen gave him, he was immediately tempted.

"President Hu, please rest assured, I am not someone who will take advantage of others. You are willing to give me this trust, and I will not let you down."

Lei Tao's assurances were sincere, and every word came from the bottom of his heart.

A fixed monthly salary of 30,000 yuan may not be much in the entertainment industry, but for him, it was the best treatment he could get.

Moreover, Mr. Hu also said that there would be a bonus after the TV series is released.

The contract mentioned the bonus.

Bonuses are based on the number of views and the quality of the TV series. As long as the series becomes popular and is widely talked about, each employee involved in the series will receive a bonus proportional to their participation.

Lei Tao glanced at it and realized that the prize money would be at least five figures, and possibly six or seven figures.

This was something he would never have dared to imagine before.

After saying this, Lei Tao readily signed his name on the contract.

Before Hu Zhenzhen could even discuss other benefits with him, he had already signed the document and then turned back to Chen Kai to ask, "Do we have ink? Do we need to put a handprint on it?"

"Please wait a moment," Chen Kai said, taking out ink pads from a nearby drawer.

The two completed all the procedures for signing the contract in just a few seconds.

Hu Zhenzhen was both amused and exasperated. "You trust me that much? Aren't you afraid I'm a liar?"

Lei Tao said with a serious expression, "President Hu, don't worry, I know you're not that kind of person."

After he said that, Hu Zhenzhen didn't know what to say, so she could only talk about the future work environment.

"The film and television base in the East District is not yet completed and is under construction, but I have already decided on the office address, and it will be officially opened in the next couple of days. If you are interested, you can come and take a look at the company."

Even Chen Kai was unaware of this, and he looked up in surprise.

"Boss, has the company's location been finalized?"

"Yes," Chen Kai said. Hu Zhenzhen was afraid of giving herself away, so she simply said that she had bought a fully renovated building.

Chen Kai appeared somewhat dejected, and said with his head down, "I will hire workers to clean the building the day after tomorrow."

These things are usually handled by him, so the fact that he's not being asked to do them might have caused some misunderstandings for Chen Kai.

Upon seeing his expression, Hu Zhenzhen quickly made an excuse, "I haven't seen that building yet, Chen Kai. Also, could you please go and inspect the renovation for me? If there's anything that's not right, please have someone fix it as soon as possible."

Upon receiving her order, Chen Kai felt relieved.

"Okay, boss, please rest assured."

Hu Zhenzhen turned to Lei Tao, "If screenwriter Lei doesn't mind, you can go with Chen Kai to take a look and choose an office you like on the 28th floor."

Screenwriting requires a private environment.

Hu Zhenzhen understood this and decided to set up a private office for each of her contracted screenwriters.

Even when writing at the company, create a quiet atmosphere for them.

Lei Tao never expected that he would have an office.

For so many years, he has always written at his desk at home.

Some neighbors, unaware of his job, assumed he was a gigolo who just stayed home doing nothing, and often gossiped about him.

If he had an office in the office building that was his own, he could move there to write scripts and wouldn't have to put up with the neighbors' disapproving looks anymore.

Lei Tao was so happy that he slapped his thigh and stood up.

"Great! Shall we go now?"

“No,” Chen Kai pressed his shoulder and made him sit down again. “Screenwriter Lei, have a couple of sips of tea. We’ll go in two hours.”

His words were tactful, and Lei Tao realized that leaving so easily was a bit inappropriate.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Hu, I was just too excited."

"It's okay," Hu Zhenzhen always said, showing more tolerance towards capable people.

"Can we talk about the meticulously crafted script you mentioned?"

With the contract signed, Lei Tao felt confident and cooperated fully.

"Yes, I've been polishing this script for three years. It's the most brilliant script I've ever written."

Lei Tao took out his phone. "I have an electronic version. I can send it to you directly."

Hu Zhenzhen was overjoyed to see the finished product.

"That's great. Let's add each other on WeChat. After I've read the script, I'll give you an answer as soon as possible and let you know whether it's okay or not."

As Hu Zhenzhen spoke, she pushed the 30,000 yuan in her hand forward.

“Screenwriter Lei, please keep this 30,000 yuan.”

Thirty thousand pieces stacked together are slightly thicker than ordinary bricks.

Lei Tao hadn't received this much money in a long time.

Even though it was an advance on his salary, he still felt a little guilty taking so much from Hu Zhenzhen.

He sat in his chair, his back still straight, and after thinking for a long time, he suddenly asked, "Mr. Hu, does our company need any directors?"

Of course it's lacking.

Jianghu Film Studio currently only has Lei Tao as an employee. He probably doesn't know this yet, thinking that Hu Zhenzhen has already hired many people.

Hu Zhenzhen didn't contradict him, and went along with his words, saying, "Yes, I'm willing to accept anyone who is talented, but of course, a person's character is also very important."

"Don't worry, Lu Ye's character is absolutely impeccable."

Lei Tao's hands crumpled his pants. "But he's good at visuals and action, not at original stories."

Nowadays, the requirements for directors are very high. It is best if they can direct, act, and write their own scripts.

They really wanted to find a multi-talented person to lead the production team for a fixed salary.

Lu Ye has both obvious strengths and weaknesses. He takes beautiful pictures and can always find the best angle for composition, but he really doesn't have much talent in creative work.

In his first film after graduating, investors saw that his scenes were beautifully shot and immediately invested 20 million, only to lose it all.

That movie was dubbed a "super pretty face" in the film industry. Even now, many viewers still watch it because of its beautiful visuals, only to leave comments in the comment section saying that the plot is really bad.

This experience made Lu Ye see himself clearly.

He's notorious in investor circles; everyone knows his storytelling is subpar.

At first, quite a few people were willing to use his services.

After all, for a director, making a good film is the most important thing. If the script is not good, you can always find an excellent screenwriter to make up for the shortcomings.

But soon, they realized something was wrong.

Lu Ye is the kind of person who likes to smuggle in his own agenda.

He thought the scenery was beautiful, so the camera would unconsciously focus more on the background scenery, and during editing, the camera would prefer to cut to the beautiful actors.

When considered within the context of the entire film, these two points lend it an artistic flavor.

It's clearly a commercial film, but it insists on going for an artsy, intellectual style, which the general public definitely won't accept. Naturally, the films that Lu Ye directed afterward also flopped.

Lei Tao was his good friend and knew about his little quirks.

There's a reason why Lu Ye loves to photograph scenery: the actors there weren't very serious about their roles, and their acting wasn't very good either.

In Lu Ye's opinion, isn't she just all looks and no substance?

He only saw this much, so naturally he could only film this much; he couldn't film anything else.

After several disappointing film projects, no investor dared to invest in his movies anymore.

Lu Ye then switched to the advertising industry, and made a lot of money by shooting beautiful footage.

Lei Tao had contacted him before and learned from him that he was planning to save money to make his own movie.

Even a low-budget production would cost at least 20 to 30 million.

Given Lu Ye's savings capacity, it would have taken him at least forty years to accumulate enough money, but Lei Tao didn't say anything discouraging at the time.

After all, he only had a few thousand dollars in savings, and he was too ashamed to mock someone with 40,000 dollars in savings.

"Lu Ye?"

Hu Zhenzhen became interested. "Could you tell me about his previous works?"

Lei Tao couldn't help but feel nervous, sweating for his old friend.

"He has directed three movies and two TV series, all of which were successfully released. Now he is working as an advertising director."

It's something worth pondering that a director who has successfully made movies and TV series would go and shoot commercials.

Lei Tao was too embarrassed to mention Lu Ye's box office performance, but if Hu Zhenzhen was interested, she could easily find the ratings and box office figures for his films online.

And that's exactly what she did.

When the 3.5 rating popped up, Hu Zhenzhen choked for a moment.

"This director Lu Ye's work, hmm... is quite unique."

It took Hu Zhenzhen a long time to come up with this evaluation.

Upon hearing this, Lei Tao knew that Hu Zhenzhen hadn't appreciated Lu Ye's past achievements.

That makes sense. With such a big boss, and the series he's preparing to produce are all high-quality productions, seeing a 3.5 rating always makes people suspicious.

“He’s actually quite capable,” Lei Tao explained to his friend.

But the movie's rating speaks for itself, and given his personality, a few words of praise would be the most he could offer; he couldn't really say anything insincere.

Hu Zhenzhen could see his sincerity.

"Don't lie to me, is he really that amazing?"

For Lei Tao to recommend him like this, this person must know him quite well, right?

With this in mind, Hu Zhenzhen did not immediately reject Lu Ye.

“He is very talented,” Lei Tao knew that a few words wouldn’t convince him, so he took out his phone and pulled up a clip of Lu Ye’s advertisement.

"How about I call him over so you can talk to him face to face?"

Lei Tao really wanted to help him.

After all, Lu Ye had helped him a lot during his difficult times.

Hu Zhenzhen was watching an advertisement filmed by Lu Ye when she heard Lei Tao's words and nodded.

Since she's short-staffed right now, it's understandable to let this director give it a try.

"Then let's invite Director Lu over as well."

Lei Tao immediately beamed with joy, went outside, and made a phone call to Lu Ye.

"Old Lu, come to Woshan Villa right now, quick, there's a boss here who wants to see you."

Lu Ye, on the other end of the phone, looked up at the sky.

"Seriously? What kind of day is it today that you, Lei Tao, are actually saying nice things to investors?"

It was precisely because Lu Ye knew Lei Tao that he was so surprised.

His brother is known in the film and television industry for his eccentric personality. Every boss who has dealt with him ends up leaving this comment.

Over the years, Lu Ye has never met a boss who is satisfied with Lei Tao.

Similarly, Lei Tao was also dissatisfied with them, often muttering about how outrageous the investors' demands were.

This person actually took the initiative to call him on behalf of the boss.

This is even stranger than the existence of zombies in the world.

"Stop talking nonsense, hurry up and come. If you miss this opportunity, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

Lei Tao's words were very decisive. After saying that, he sent him an address and hung up the phone.

Lu Ye was completely baffled, not knowing why he had made such a fuss.

But his words were too definitive.

No matter how Lu Ye thought about it, he felt that something was wrong, so he decided to go and take a look.

What if his straightforward friend gets scammed again? If he goes, at least he can get the person back.

With this in mind, he hailed a taxi and headed straight for the Woshan Villa.

When they arrived at the entrance of the residential area and got out of the car, Lu Ye noticed something unusual.

Even if someone who lives here were to lie, they wouldn't lie to someone as penniless as Lei Tao.

Could it be that a big boss has actually taken a liking to him?

It's not impossible, after all, Lei Tao's script quality speaks for itself. His scripts have been sought after many times, and many people have wanted to collaborate with him, but they have all been deterred by his personality.

Lu Ye nervously straightened his clothes and made a phone call to Lei Tao.

A moment later, a luxury car drove down the hillside and stopped in front of Lu Ye. "Director Lu, right?"

“Yes,” he nodded, and the person inside immediately called out, “Get in the car, Director Lu, the boss is already waiting for you.”

This was the first time Lu Ye had ever seen such a scene. He nervously got into the car, wanting to ask the driver a few questions.

"Excuse me, who is our boss?"

The driver was very enthusiastic and polite, "Didn't we mention that I wasn't on the payroll? Yes, it's General Manager Hu, Hu Zhenzhen, General Manager Hu."

Unlike Lei Tao, who had been out of the spotlight for several months, Lu Ye was very familiar with the name.

Hu Zhenzhen has been trending on social media a lot these past few months and has gained considerable public recognition. Lu Ye felt a pang of anxiety when he heard her name.

I never expected that I would actually be meeting a wealthy boss today.

He swallowed hard. "What's our CEO Hu's personality like?"

No sooner had he asked the question than the driver slammed on the brakes and took him to his destination.

"Don't worry, Mr. Hu is very easy to get along with."

Lu Ye heard the driver's words before getting out of the car, and he still couldn't help feeling uneasy.

"That Lei Tao is really something. He's usually so quiet and always gets scammed, but I never expected him to actually meet a big boss this time."

He muttered to himself as he entered the house, led by the nanny.

Before he even reached the door, Lu Ye could hear sounds coming from inside the house.

"Brother Yang, wait for me!"

The young girl's clear, crisp voice delivered the lines, yet it still managed to give Lu Ye goosebumps.

His steps quickened suddenly, and he hurried towards the door, knocking on it.

"Hello! I'm Lu Ye."

Lu Ye's purpose was clear: to interrupt this awkward movie-watching session.

However, he did not expect that his arrival would not only not interrupt Hu Zhenzhen's viewing of his movie, but would even make her more interested.

"Upon closer inspection, Director Lu's visuals are indeed very beautiful. No wonder even though the plot has been criticized so much, many people still come to watch it a second time."

As Lu Ye listened to the awkward dialogue in the movie, he sat in his chair with his head down and could only mutter, "The only advantage it has is the visuals."

He said that, but he didn't really have any illusions.

Mr. Hu has seen all the terrible works he's done since he started working, so he probably doesn't have much of a chance this time.

Just as the person was feeling down, Hu Zhenzhen asked a question.

"If I gave you 100 million, could you make a movie of the caliber of 'The Wrongfully Accused'?"

The sentence lingered in Lu Ye's mind for a while before he realized what it meant.

How many?

One hundred million!

Lu Ye raised his head aggressively, "Don't worry, even if it's 'Flying Birds,' I'm confident I can make it for 100 million."

The bird he was referring to had just won the Best Film award at Cannes.

These words sounded a bit like youthful arrogance, but Hu Zhenzhen didn't dislike them.

She clapped her hands and continued, "With that 500 million, are you confident you can surpass Asuka?"

Lu Ye's eyes widened in astonishment.

In all his years in the industry, no one has ever given him such a large investment.

In an instant, Hu Zhenzhen was no different from the God of Wealth in the temple in his eyes.

He knew in his heart that whether he could turn his life around after years of setbacks depended on this day.

Lu Ye's voice was trembling with nervousness, but his words remained firm: "I can!"

"That's ambitious!"

Hu Zhenzhen applauded him again and tossed a card out of the drawer next to her.

"Words are no proof; how about we take a gamble?"

“Here’s 20 million. If you, Director Lu, sign a contract with me and can produce a TV series with a score of 9 or higher this year, I’ll invest 1 billion in you to make a movie that will truly take the world by storm.”

How many?

Lu Ye didn't even dare to swallow his saliva this time, fearing that what he had just heard was his hallucination.

What's wrong with this Mr. Hu? How come the investment amount has doubled while he's talking?

This time his voice truly began to tremble, but in his eyes, a long-dormant ambition rekindled.

"How about it, Director Lu? Do you dare to take a bet?"

When Hu Zhenzhen asked this question, Lu Ye answered without hesitation.

"bet!"

As soon as he finished speaking, his name was written on the paper.