Jiang Xiaoli stroked her chin and thought for a moment, "Brother Yuan, did Shen Zhaokun mention why the investors withdrew their investment?"
Zhong Yuan shook his head. "We didn't discuss that in detail. Little Pear, do you think it's okay for me to invest some money?"
Jiang Xiaoli saw that he didn't answer directly, "Brother Yuan, you wouldn't be this generous to all the online friends you know, would you?"
Zhong Yuan rolled his eyes at her. "Do you think I'm stupid? Even if I wanted to invest, I would definitely do my research beforehand!"
She nodded. "Okay, if you want to invest, you can arrange to meet him and I'll go with you to talk. By the way, how much does his movie cost?"
Zhong Yuan laughed, "Little Pear, do you really think investing in making movies is a good idea? Hehe, I don't know the exact amount needed, I only heard that the person who withdrew the investment said it was 3 million."
"Okay, then contact him and let me know when you've arranged a meeting."
"No problem, I'll call him right now! The film crew has stopped working, he's probably hiding somewhere playing video games and wasting his time!"
This film, "The Outstanding," has been a hit for many years. As soon as it was released, it attracted a large number of movie fans, and pirated VCD copies of "The Outstanding" sold out.
The only regret about this movie is that the production budget was insufficient, resulting in many sets and props that were not exquisite enough.
Jiang Xiaoli chuckled lightly; this problem was easily solved when she encountered her.
Perhaps Zhong Yuan's promises were too tempting, because Shen Zhaokun immediately said that they could talk about it today, and he planned to bring the script to meet with them.
Shen Zhaokun's home is in the east of the city. When I arrived, they were having dinner.
He looked embarrassed. "I'm so sorry, I was too excited and didn't check the time. You guys eat first, I'll go out for a walk and wait for you."
Zhong Yuan grabbed him immediately, "Old Shen, what are you doing? We're just online friends meeting for the first time, isn't it only right that I treat you to a meal? We can chat while we eat."
Jiang Xiaoli smiled and said, "Yes, come and sit down, it's just a matter of adding a pair of chopsticks."
Shen Zhaokun thanked him before taking his seat.
Zhong Yuan introduced Jiang Xiaoli and the other two to him.
Shen Zhaokun immediately blushed with excitement, "Boss Zong, President Jiang, I've heard so much about you, I never expected that the bosses introduced from afar would be you two."
Zong Jiayu smiled and said, "It's fate that we met, so please eat more and don't be shy."
Jiang Xiaoli tilted her head and asked Zhong Yuan, "Brother Yuan, is your online name 'Far Away'?"
Zhong Yuan nodded. "It's quite poetic when combined with my name, isn't that amazing?"
Dafu complained, "What kind of poetry is there in the distance? Why are you so good at patting yourself on the back?"
Jiang Xiaoli advised, "It's not bad, it's not bad either."
Turning to Shen Zhaokun, she asked, "Director Shen, what's the current status of your film crew? Is it temporarily suspended or disbanded?"
Shen Zhaokun looked somewhat ashamed. "We've temporarily disbanded. Renting venues, equipment, and paying for the actors' lost work time are too expensive. But I assure you, if we find the money, the crew can rebuild immediately!"
Jiang Xiaoli nodded in understanding, "Would it be convenient to ask the previous investors why they withdrew their investment?"
Shen Zhaokun sighed, "Although my novel 'Outstanding' has male and female leads, it is also an ensemble piece, with several other supporting characters having quite a few scenes as well."
The investor's initial requirement was to provide a girl for the second female lead. However, just two days after filming began, this girl started demanding to play the lead role. When I refused, they withdrew their investment.
Upon hearing that this was a viable option, Zhong Yuan enthusiastically said, "Hey, Lao Shen, how about I invest some money and you give me a minor role? I don't have high expectations, just a line or two will do!"
Shen Zhaokun hesitated for a moment, then said, "If my crew can restart filming, I can arrange a role for you if you want to."
Jiang Xiaoli said with a smile, "Brother Yuan, I didn't know you had a dream of becoming an actor."
Zhong Yuan took a bite of food. "I'm just curious. I watch other people's movies and TV series all day long. Wouldn't it be great to experience them myself?"
Shen Zhaokun reminded, "Actually, filming movies and TV series is quite hard work, and many actors have to put in a lot of effort for their roles."
After dinner, Jiang Xiaoli quickly flipped through the script that Shen Zhaokun had brought.
She rolled up the script and held it in her hand. "Director Shen, how much investment do you need for this movie?"
Shen Zhaokun immediately tensed up, "Actually, we've already sorted things out before filming started. With the funding coming in, we can finish filming quickly. Five million, or even three million, is fine too. We just need to simplify the costumes and props..."
Jiang Xiaoli spoke directly, "Director Shen, if I were to invest in this film, I would hope that every aspect, from location and props to costumes, actors, and post-production, would be done to the best of my ability."
Shen Zhaokun pursed his lips. "President Jiang, but that would require a large amount of capital..."
She asked with a smile, "Is 10 million enough?"
"Ten...ten million? Mr. Jiang, are you sure?" Shen Zhaokun stammered.
Zhong Yuan was also a little shocked, "Little Pear, are you going for the 'splurging money girl' route today?"
I saw a building I liked this afternoon, and now I'm going to spend another 10 million!
Jiang Xiaoli chuckled lightly, "Director Shen, do you think 10 million is enough according to my requirements?"
Shen Zhaokun quickly calculated for a moment, "If the requirements for each link are raised, it may exceed 10 million, and it will probably need around 15 million."
His current production team uses the cheapest and most fake props and costumes. If they wanted to increase realism and use high-standard costumes and props, the cost would skyrocket.
After a moment's hesitation, Jiang Xiaoli agreed, "Okay, I'll provide 15 million, but I'll send an accountant to oversee the funds. Is that alright?"
"No problem, no problem!" Shen Zhaokun readily agreed.
That's 15 million! He's already starting to think about how to present those scenes that he didn't dare to film before due to cost constraints.
Seeing his expression, Jiang Xiaoli smiled and said, "Director Shen, I like to be upfront about things. Our goal is to make a good movie, but everything has its limits, you understand?"
In her past life, she had read many news reports about directors who treated investors' money like dirt, shooting the same scene dozens or even hundreds of times for their own perfectionism, and frequently extending the originally scheduled shooting period by two or three times.
Shen Zhaokun immediately understood what she meant. "President Jiang, don't worry, I understand. I will definitely complete the filming on time and with high quality."
"That's fine then."
Jiang Xiaoli introduced Dafu directly to him, saying, "You two can discuss the rest."
Shen Zhaokun nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, Mr. Fu, please take good care of me."
Dafu smiled and said, "Director Shen, you're too kind."
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