Chapter 61: Melon business comes to you. Brother Huang gives you the capital...
The information Brother Huang provided was all gossip about Qingcheng Film and Television. Most of them were about the company taking the initiative to get artists to take on bad endorsements, bad commercial performances, and the like. When the artists refused to go, the company would use the contract to threaten them to pay penalty.
In addition, there are several artist contracts. According to the contracts, they are almost unfair contracts. Artists can only get 10% of the profits, and they also need to bear the taxes themselves. In this way, it is very likely that the artists will work for nothing and even lose money.
There are many things like taking female artists to meet big bosses and accompanying them to drink. In short, all the dirty things you can think of can be seen in Qingcheng Film and Television.
There have always been disputes between Qingcheng Film and TV and artists, and there are lawsuits every year, but small artists simply cannot defeat the huge mountain of Qingcheng Film and TV. Over time, these things seem to have disappeared, young people are still deceived, and Qingcheng Film and TV still signs a large number of artists every year and then exploits them without reservation.
Xu Qingye sorted the information into categories. He had to come up with a plan to release these things bit by bit and use public opinion to attack Qingcheng Film and Television.
In the past, Qingcheng Films was able to escape time and time again entirely because of the underdeveloped Internet. Nowadays, when it comes to public debates, it is not just who has money who will win.
Xu Qingye was just concentrating on his work when his cell phone rang again. He glanced at the caller ID and saw it was Zhou Xiong from Haohai Entertainment. It had been a long time since he last saw him and Xu Qingye could hardly remember his face.
"Teacher Xu, are you free recently? I would like to come and visit you."
As soon as the phone was connected, Zhou Xiong's flattering voice rang out, and Xu Qingye got goosebumps all over his body. He didn't act like this the last time he saw him.
"Hello, Boss Zhou. It's empty, but it's a bit cold lately. I've been working at home lately. If you have anything to do, just come to my house."
"Sorry to bother you, I'll be there in a minute."
After getting permission, Zhou Xiong hung up the phone happily.
Being interrupted at work, Xu Qingye simply took a break. He asked about the progress of the two in the work group. Cao Muan and Su Shiyi went, while Yi He went to a brand event.
They originally had no chance of getting in, but Yihe was a VIP of that brand and received an invitation letter directly. Sometimes one has to sigh at the power of money.
Soon both of them posted photos in the group. Cao Muan posted a photo of the gate of a private club, and Yi He posted a photo of the interior of the venue. There were several celebrities in the casual photos. The two people's working environments were completely different.
Cao Muan: @Yihe, can you take me with you next time? I think you need someone to carry your bags.
Cao Muan hid in the car to keep warm, looking at the eldest master's extravagant life with envy. The huge gap in wealth between her and her colleagues was also a problem. Although she was earning a lot now, it was ultimately not as much as their ancestors' accumulation.
Cao Muan: @Yihe, I always forgot to ask, which family are you from?
Cao Muan glanced outside. Su Shiyi had been in there for quite a while and it looked like he wouldn't come out for a while. Cao Muan decided to try to catch some fish first.
Yi He was probably busy, and he replied after a while.
Yi He: How can there be two families with the surname Yi in City A? Leap City and the five-star hotel where I took you to stay last time are both ours. But there should be some other assets, I’m not sure. I don’t manage the family’s industries, I just take the dividends.
Yi He replied to the message, and the group became quiet. Xu Qingye received a private message from Cao Muan.
Cao Muan: Boss, can you recruit a few more people from where? I want to start an office romance, so I need some room for choice.
After joking around with the two employees for a while, Zhou Xiong came with a gift. There was also someone following him, but his appearance could not be seen clearly because he was wearing a mask.
As soon as he entered the house, Zhou Xiong looked around. The price of this villa was not low, and it had been sold out long ago. Only the rich or noble could afford a house here. He was a little surprised that Xu Qingye lived here.
"Teacher Xu is really a hidden talent. With all your money, why don't you move your studio to the city center? It's a bit too far away."
Zhou Xiong put down the gift he bought and called out to the person next to him. The person came over and took off his mask, revealing a very handsome face.
Xu Qingye glanced at the other person, feeling a little strange.
"Zhong Yin, why don't you thank Teacher Xu quickly? It was because Teacher Xu said you were worthy of support that I gave you all the resources."
As soon as Zhou Xiong opened his mouth, Xu Qingye remembered who the person in front of him was. He looked a little different from the photo, and seemed to be more handsome. The Zhong Yin in the photo looked a little austere, but he was more mature in person.
"Thank you, Mr. Xu."
Zhong Yin expressed his gratitude sincerely and looked at Xu Qingye curiously. Before coming, he thought Xu Qingye should be very old. After all, Zhou Xiong's description of him was a little weird. He didn't expect that he was so young and his appearance was unexpectedly delicate. If he stood with Xu Qingye, no one would think he was a star.
"Don't be so polite, I didn't do anything. What do you want to talk to me about this time? It shouldn't be just to give me New Year's gifts."
Xu Qingye doesn't like beating around the bush. These two people must have come here for something.
"First of all, of course I came here sincerely to wish you a happy new year. At first, I arranged a job for Zhong Yin after you suggested it. I didn't expect it to be so smooth. After participating in a few activities, a director took a fancy to him. He just finished filming a military-themed TV series, which was selected for the national TV station. Once the film is broadcast, Zhong Yin's popularity will definitely rise. I am not only here to thank you for your advice, but also to consult Zhong Yin's future development path. Of course, I understand the rules."
Zhou Xiong took out a thick red envelope from his bag and handed it over.
Xu Qingye did not take the red envelope but looked at Zhong Yin seriously. Zhong Yin had a tough guy temperament, which was particularly suitable for military themes. Most importantly, he was handsome, the kind of good-looking tough guy.
Military-themed dramas have a smaller audience, but they are more stable, and participating in military-themed dramas can greatly enhance an artist's image. After the TV series becomes a hit, they can switch to the film industry and take the route of being a powerful actor.
It just so happens that Zhong Yin's appearance is not the type that little girls like. On the contrary, boys will appreciate it more. So Zhong Yin doesn't need to think too much and can just go on the same path.
"Zhong Yin's path is actually very simple. He served in the entertainment industry as a soldier, filmed the Army, the Navy, the Navy, and the Air Force. As long as he does not get into trouble, he will have endless films to shoot."
"Wouldn't it be too monotonous to only shoot one type of drama?" Zhou Xiong was a little worried. Few people really only shoot one type of drama. Although what Xu Qingye said made sense, he still wanted to ask more.
"If he gets tired of being a soldier, he can certainly do something else, such as a special police officer in a police drama, a general in a costume drama, or a god of war in a fairy tale drama. In short, any role that can show masculine strength is suitable for him. His muscles can be trained to look more beautiful, but they don't need to be too exaggerated."
Xu Qingye thought about it and decided that a role like his could actually have a wide range of roles, but it was tiring to shoot any role, after all, he had to show off his physique.
"That's good. The pay for military dramas has never been high. Costume dramas still make more money."
Zhou Xiong rubbed his hands. He was a businessman and had to consider income. If he wanted to make money from military dramas, he had to make movies. But as a newcomer, it was not certain whether Zhong Yin could make it that far.
"Boss Zhou, an actor's golden period is limited. Don't over-consume his energy in bad movies just for the sake of money." Xu Qingye frowned. Zhou Xiong is a profit-seeking person. Don't ruin a good talent.
"I understand. I'm not just talking nonsense. I have to find a drama that suits him. Don't worry, I won't do anything rash. By the way, our company has signed a few new people. Why don't you show me which one can become a hit?"
Zhou Xiong said as he handed Xu Qingye a few photos of a man and a woman who looked similar. Xu Qingye was speechless and didn't even bother to take the photo.
"Do you really think I can read faces? I recommended Zhong Yin to you at the beginning only because the industry was short of actors of this type. It's not some mysterious reason like I saw at first sight that he had an extraordinary demeanor and was a good candidate."
Xu Qingye felt helpless. He only remembered the names that appeared in the original text. When he was shown photos, he couldn't recognize them at all.
"I see. I am sorry for being so presumptuous."
Zhou Xiong put the photo away somewhat embarrassedly. His eyes suddenly caught a glimpse of the documents on Xu Qingye's desk. Although it was covered with something, a corner was still exposed. Zhou Xiong saw the four words "Qingcheng Film and Television".
"Excuse me, are you checking Qingcheng Film and Television?"
Zhou Xiong was still a little hesitant when he spoke. Qingcheng Film and Television was a relatively special existence in the circle. Although they were also brokerage companies, most people did not want to mess with Qingcheng Film and Television.
Xu Qingye looked down and saw that a corner of the document on the table was sticking out, so he simply took out the information.
"I'm just taking a look. Boss Zhou, do you know any inside information?"
"Qingcheng Film and Television has a shady background. Their boss started out as a nightclub owner. To put it bluntly, he is a brothel owner. You can guess what kind of person he is. They have connections in the underworld. I suggest you don't get involved. If you really want to get involved, you can start with the shareholders. Few of them are clean. Or you can just check their taxes. There will definitely be problems."
Zhou Xiong was full of disdain when talking about Qingcheng Film and Television. They were the bugs in the entertainment industry who had ruined the industry's reputation.
There weren’t so many troubles in the circle in the past. They made things dirty, and it was difficult for others to keep themselves clean.
"That's fine, I'm just a small guy and I can't compete with these big companies."
Xu Qingye threw the information aside and seemed like he really didn't care about the matter.
"By the way, Mr. Zhou, are you interested in customizing a promotional plan for our studio? It's very cost-effective to subscribe for an entire year."
Xu Qingye looked at Zhou Xiong with a smile and handed him a quotation.
Zhou Xiong took a look at the quotation, his expression did not change at all, it seemed that the price was acceptable.
"Has my sister Ma also decided on this plan?"
"Her plan is more complicated. After all, Su Tzuyu has a fan base and is more popular, so the operation is also complicated. If you need it, you only need the most basic promotional package."
"Then let's order one, and try to get Zhongyin to order a complex promotional package as well."
Zhou Xiong was not pretentious and directly agreed on a one-year contract. Xu Qingye signed the contract with him and shook hands with Zhong Yin. He was a man who respected artists and all promotional plans would be approved by the artist.
After Zhou Xiong and Xu Qingye finished chatting, it was almost time for dinner, so Xu Qingye invited the two of them to have dinner together. Unfortunately, his cooking skills were mediocre, so they could only order takeout.