Chapter 277 Extra: Film and Television and the Space Elevator
Feng Qiang was diagnosed with three highs in his most recent physical examination. He turned down many social engagements and started paying attention to his health. He soaked wolfberries in a thermos when he went out, went to bed early and got up late, and walked 10,000 steps every day.
When the group's senior executives had a dinner together, he sat next to Chen Jun.
Chen Jun is currently the general manager of Lin's Real Estate's overseas department. He's aged significantly since his marriage, most notably gaining weight and losing his hair. However, his years of martial arts training have kept him in good shape, and his annual checkups haven't revealed any issues. He feels healthy and enjoys everything he eats.
I heard that Chen Jun spends more than 300 days out of 365 days a year overseas, and he and his wife Hua Mengmeng are rarely together, but their relationship is surprisingly stable. A few days ago, Feng Qiang saw that Hua, the general manager of the hotel business department, was pregnant, and he couldn't help but sigh.
"Old Feng, are you still choosing a wife?" Chen Jun was waiting to hold his baby, and he couldn't help but make a joke when he saw the single guy.
Feng Qiang laughed and replied, "Oh, it's my fault that I didn't have your courage back then. The company was full of elites, so how could I dare to pursue them? Now I'm old and in poor health, and no one wants me. I'm not choosing a wife, I'm waiting for others to choose me."
Chen Jun feigned surprise and said, "Boss Feng, your words are too fake, aren't they? Anyone with eyes can see that all those beautiful girls in your film and television company are waiting for you to pass by, trying to show their affection, hoping to become Mrs. Feng."
When working with Hua Na, Feng Qiang was initially obsessed with the feeling of being admired, as if he had become a male movie star himself. Later, he gradually realized what these beautiful women were after: money, power, fame, and material gain, not him as a person. If he weren't in this position, he would still be just a bag carrier and errand boy. Even if he was as handsome as Pan An, few would give him a second glance.
Therefore, he put all his attention on doing his job well, and the only occasional flirtations were at the dinner table. After finishing his work and leaving the dinner party, he basically did not respond to the emotional exchanges of those people.
"Alas, after being so used to seeing all these charming beauties in the entertainment industry, it's hard for ordinary women to accept them. My family always says I'm neither high nor low, and I still don't have a steady girlfriend at 35 or 36." Feng Qiang complained, "I don't even dare to go home now. If I go back, I'll definitely be forced to get married."
Chen Jun saw that Feng Qiang was genuinely worried, so he stopped joking and said, "I heard from a friend that his friend in Beijing is short on money for a movie and is trying to raise money. He asked if I wanted to invest. I don't understand the script, but I heard it's adapted from a novel by a well-known domestic science fiction writer. I even bought the novel and was hooked. I've read all of his published works."
Feng Qiang asked, "Could the director you mentioned who's short of money be Director Guo?"
"Yes, his last name is Guo. He didn't have enough budget from the beginning, so he hired unknown actors for the lead roles. Their combined salary was only over a hundred thousand. The crew also had to beg for money, borrowing location locations and props."
"This..." Feng Qiang is from the circle, so naturally he has heard of this person.
Director Guo was obsessed with that writer's novels and was determined to bring them to the big screen. However, domestic science fiction films had been on hiatus for so many years, and Hollywood's powerful output had become so popular that audiences had become entrenched in their tastes. Even if you painstakingly produced an excellent film, it might not be well-received. Furthermore, Director Guo was broke and had to scrape together his own ideas.
At first, Director Guo even talked about inviting big Hong Kong stars to star in the film, but in the end, no famous people were invited, and the total cost was not even enough to cover a fraction of the salary that the big stars would need for a cameo appearance. Later, he tricked a well-known mainland actor into starring in the film for free.
The actor named Wu had a drink with Director Guo and was "touched" by his eloquence, so he went to the crew. Director Guo promised that he would only make a cameo appearance for three days, but since he left, it has been almost a month and he still hasn't appeared. The director added more scenes to him at the last minute, and his role has become longer and longer.
"Mr. Chen, I asked someone in the industry, and Director Guo's funding gap is over 60 million yuan," Feng Qiang confessed. "This isn't an investment that ordinary people can participate in."
Chen Jun had no prior knowledge of film and television investment. He'd spent almost all of the money he'd earned from hard work over the years, buying school district apartments in Beijing and Shanghai with Hua Mengmeng. If he had any extra money, he'd definitely invest it in his own hotel chain; that was a surefire way to make money.
Although the film and television company that Feng Qiang is in charge of is also under the Lin family, there is no guaranteed profit in investment activities such as film and television. He just said it casually, but now that he heard that the gap is so big and the director is still trying to use resources in various ways, he is not optimistic about it.
Feng Qiang said, "I'll go and inquire about this matter. If it's really a good project, the company will definitely invest in it."
In addition to projects developed by themselves, film and television companies will definitely invest in good projects when they encounter them.
Feng Qiang really went to investigate the project, but Chen Jun had long forgotten about it.
Unexpectedly, a few days later, when Chen Jun was on a business trip in Africa, he received a message from Feng Qiang saying that Director Guo’s science fiction film had already received money. The male actor named Wu was "tricked" into joining the crew as a guest star, and then became the leading actor. His salary then turned from zero to negative 60 million, and eventually evolved into "bringing money into the crew."
Feng Qiang judged this film might actually succeed. At least the funding was in place, and the special effects were reportedly being worked on seriously. Even if they were using a cheap, university-educated special effects studio, it was still better than having no special effects at all. A sci-fi blockbuster set in the universe definitely needed some special effects.
In the blink of an eye, it was the Spring Festival, and the film was released. It was a box office hit and was hailed as the pioneering work of the first year of domestic science fiction films.
At the annual meeting that year, Feng Qiang, a bit drunk, pulled Chen Jun aside and vented his frustrations, "It's all my fault for my lack of foresight. I missed the opportunity. If our company had invested in Director Guo earlier, we would have definitely made a killing. Do you know what the box office was? It's estimated to be at least 4 billion yuan. No one anticipated this back then. Besides that actor surnamed Wu, there were basically no other well-known actors, and this was a purely domestic science fiction film. It seems the trends in the domestic film and television market are changing."
Chen Jun persuaded Feng Qiang for a few words and then suggested, "Such a good movie should have a few sequels, right? We can just follow up and invest some money in it."
Feng Qiang's spirits brightened. "That's right, we still have advantages. For example, the second part of that movie requires a lot of overseas filming locations. We can fully cooperate and not only provide financial support."
Chen Jun nodded. "Yes, we have both the people and the land. There are a lot of people on the project who have nothing to do. They can be extras when we're filming overseas, setting up the stage and the scenery. Our site is also large enough."
Compared to the difficult filming of the first film, after the film's success, many investors were interested in filming the second part. Director Guo didn't just take money from anyone. He used the investment he received to build the actual sets and hire top experts as consultants.
The special effects are, of course, a step up, with much of the filming using real machinery and equipment. The frenetic, massive construction scenes would be unthinkable for any other team, but only Chinese, especially those in the construction machinery field, are completely comfortable with them, as they're what they do on a daily basis.
There is space, manpower, and money. The workers are busy using the equipment, either playing someone else or themselves. It doesn't matter whether there is a camera or not, everything is filmed so naturally.
Lin's Pictures' inclusion in the investment shortlist is also due to the strength of the entire Lin Group. This not only includes real estate, but also extensive collaboration in technology and industry. This integrated resource allocation by the group gives it a significant advantage over companies that simply provide financial support.
In addition, the group's current technological capabilities can also serve as technical consultants and can even develop customized products specifically for film needs.
The space capsule arm that Lin Mengxi participated in researching has already been launched into space and has played a role. This is different from the robot used for hemorrhoid surgery. It is truly independently developed by Chinese people and has been invested in globally.
Previously, everyone only knew this concept from Hollywood movies, but now we've made it a reality. What foreigners boasted about in movies back then was finally achieved by the Chinese people through their hard work and diligent research. This kind of achievement and pride is irreplaceable.
Now, Lin Mengxi has also become a member of the scientific expert advisory group in the second film crew of Director Guo’s movie.
Lin Ruoyan rarely sat down to eat with her son. He had lived on campus for years since college, and since his doctorate, he had been confined to a secret research base, rarely leaving. This time, he was allowed out because he was giving a lecture as a scientific advisor on a film set, and after that, he snuck back home. His total vacation time was less than 24 hours.
"What did you give to the crew consultant?" Lin Ruoyan asked curiously.
Lin Mengxi replied with a smile, "They want to create a space elevator scene and ask about the basic principles. In fact, we are also studying this. Western scientists proposed some principles decades ago. Nowadays, the level of technology has greatly improved. If we really want to build a space elevator in reality, once the basic materials are perfected, it is not a fantasy."
"Why are you eating so fast? Do you have a date with your girlfriend?" Seeing that her son was not in the mood to talk in detail, Lin Ruoyan lowered her head and gobbled up her meal. After she was full, she changed her clothes and dressed up. She was more serious than when she went to give a lecture to the crew in the morning. She always felt that something was wrong.
Lin Mengxi answered generously: "When I entered the university I attended, I was considered a citizen of the state. Food, accommodation, and job placement were provided. There were also internal social activities, and they said they would introduce me to a wife.
Mom, even though you've been single and happy these past few years, I've learned a painful lesson from Dad. He always told me that as a man, you should find a wife early and never delay marriage. If you see the right one, you should lock in and get the marriage certificate immediately. Otherwise, a single misstep will lead to eternal regret. Now he can only sleep alone, secretly watching your interview videos for comfort. It's so pitiful. I can't follow his path.
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