Chapter 600: The bigger your heart is, the bigger your dream will be
Looking at Cheng Xuyuan who was asked to leave by Sidiwen, Wu Guoliang sighed softly.
Although I know this writer, it is just an acquaintance.
If you want to build a closer relationship, you need to work harder.
But he will be leaving Los Angeles soon. Will he still have so many opportunities? Just as his thoughts were surging in his mind, he heard Shen He suddenly said, "Do you think we will have good things next?"
Wu Guoliang smiled. He really wanted to say that it was just a polite remark.
Or maybe this is a classic line from The Pursuit of Happyness.
But when he was about to say this, his words suddenly changed to: "Maybe, I think it's better to have it."
Shen He smiled gently. In the past two days since she came to the United States, she has gone from being full of anticipation to being a little uneasy.
Because she found that she could not see her own future.
This made her feel anxious and confused.
As a distinguished guest, Cheng Xuyuan was not sent to the hotel until the end of the cocktail party by Sidiwen.
Although he didn't drink much, Cheng Xuyuan still felt a little dizzy. After taking a short shower, he finally came to his senses.
The figure of Bertoci appeared in his mind at this moment.
From the conversation with Bertocchi, Cheng Xuyuan felt that Bertocchi was very eager to film the subject of The Last Emperor.
As long as you use it properly and act as a go-between in this matter, you can not only become the screenwriter of this drama, but also make some money from this movie.
My current income in the United States is already three to four million US dollars.
If you invest in The Last Emperor, you can earn at least another three or four million!
But in terms of investment, I still need a company! While thinking, Cheng Xuyuan fell into a deep sleep. The next morning, Cheng Xuyuan just opened his eyes and heard the doorbell outside.
I glanced at my watch and saw that it was only seven o'clock.
This is a five-star hotel? How could someone knock on the door so early?
Although Cheng Xuyuan didn't want to pay attention, the knocking on the door continued.
In desperation, Cheng Xuyuan could only open the door in his pajamas.
He was about to lose his temper, but he saw Bertoci standing at the door with red eyes.
Bertoci didn't notice Cheng Xuyuan's angry expression at all. He walked towards Cheng Xuyuan's room and said loudly: "Dear Cheng, your suggestion is really great."
"I watched the emperor's life you mentioned last night. I think it would definitely be a good movie if it could be made into a film."
Looking at Bertoci who looked somewhat excited, Cheng Xuyuan said helplessly: "Mr. Bertoci, I think you are right."
"Would you like some water or coffee?"
Hearing Cheng Xuyuan's question, Bertoci waved his hand and said, "Give me a cup of coffee."
"My head is a little stiff, and I need him to exercise my brain."
Cheng Xuyuan looked at the serious Bertoci and thought to himself, in your current state, why do you still need to exercise your brain?
But in the end, he was still offered a cup of coffee by Bertoci.
While drinking coffee, Bertocchi began to talk about his ideas for the play.
Cheng Xuyuan discovered that the great director was indeed a great director. Based on the brief outline he had given him, he had almost finished the plot.
Although the plot is a bit rough and there are still flaws in some places.
But it must be said that the skills of a great director are not comparable to those of ordinary people.
Cheng Xuyuan knew that if he wanted to become one of the leaders in this cooperation, he had to show his ability to convince Bertoci.
Otherwise, although he would not be kicked out, he would only be regarded as one of Bertoci's subordinates.
So after Cheng Xuyuan took a sip of the water cup, he smiled and said, "Mr. Bertoci, I think we should start with these aspects for this play."
"The first aspect is succession..."
Bertocchi's eyes gradually widened. If what he had just told Cheng Xuyuan was the main theme of this movie, then Cheng Xuyuan's explanation at this time was the plan for how to shoot the entire movie.
If we follow Cheng Xuyuan's arrangement, not only will it be very easy for him as a director, but even if we change the director, it will still be very exciting.
As thoughts flashed through his mind, the confidence in Bertoci's heart began to falter.
At this moment, he was actually afraid that Cheng Xuyuan would shoot the film himself, or find another director to shoot the film.
So, after Cheng Xuyuan finished speaking, he was the first to applaud and said, "Dear Cheng, Mr. Sidiwen said you are a genius."
"I didn't quite believe it then, but now I do."
"You are not only a genius in writing, you are also a rare genius in film."
At this point, he said with a hint of enthusiasm: "Let us work together to make this drama a good one."
“I believe it will become a classic.”
Cheng Xuyuan smiled and said, "Dear Director Bertocchi, I believe in your vision. If we can shoot this drama together, it will definitely be a great success for both of us."
"But the problem now is that we need to choose a location to shoot this drama."
“It’s best to choose a location that’s authentic.”
Cheng Xuyuan's words made Bertoci stunned.
But he was also a smart man and immediately understood what Cheng Xuyuan meant.
After a moment of silence, he said solemnly: "Cheng, this is not an easy task."
Cheng Xuyuan smiled and said, "Yes, so we need to introduce new partners."
"Only when we have more partners can our filming go smoothly." At this point, Cheng Xuyuan mentioned the movie Shaolin Temple that he is currently co-producing with .
Bertoci is a smart man. After listening to Cheng Xuyuan's talk about the Shaolin Temple model, he said in a deep voice: "Do you think we can adopt the Shaolin Temple model?"
Cheng Xuyuan smiled and said, "Mr. Bertoci, we need a lot of local actors in this play."
“By following this model, we can get the most support.”
“Not only can it reduce costs, but it can also have many excellent actors.”
Bertoci's expression turned serious. For him now, money was not a big problem.
His biggest problem now is the venue and actors.
And shooting this drama requires some special venues.
As thoughts flashed through his mind, Bertoci said, "Mr. Cheng, I think I can agree to your proposal."
"But the filming of a movie requires a team."
"So I need to ask my friend for his opinion on this matter."
Cheng Xuyuan was not angry at Bertocchi's statement. He felt that Bertocchi's words showed his sincerity in cooperation.
He smiled and said, "Mr. Bertoci, I look forward to working with you."
"I think there are many things we can talk about."
Bertoci was filled with anxiety at this moment, so he wanted to say goodbye now and discuss Cheng Xuyuan's proposal with his company.
But just as he was about to leave, Cheng Xuyuan smiled and said, "Mr. Bertoci, I have to go to New York in the next few days to participate in some activities that have been scheduled long ago."
"If you want to find me, you can contact Mirren Publishing House to ask about my schedule."
"Of course, if you're not too anxious, you can find me at the Oscars."
"Then we'll talk face to face."
Looking at Cheng Xuyuan's indifferent expression, Bertoci felt a little emotional.
He had already been impressed by the talent of the young man in front of him, but now it seemed that the young man's abilities were far more than what he saw.
He is not only a screenwriter, but also a writer! A famous writer!
A writer who wins the Prix Goncourt can be considered successful in any way.
"Mr. Cheng, I believe that when we meet again, we will be partners."
After seeing Bertoci off, Cheng Xuyuan stayed in Los Angeles for another two days before boarding a plane to New York with Sidivin watching him off.
Si Diwen has been very busy recently, not only because of the Oscar awards, he is also preparing other new dramas.
Cheng Xuyuan ignored all this.
As a successful director, Si Diwen is free to decide what to prepare.
This time, in addition to Mr. Miller, the editor Mike from Millen Publishing House also picked up Cheng Xuyuan at the airport.
Although Mr. Miller is old, he is still in very good spirits.
Standing next to Mr. Mike, Mike seemed a little listless.
When the two saw Cheng Xuyuan, they came up to him with smiles on their faces.
Especially Mr. Mike, who immediately hugged Cheng Xuyuan and said, "Dear Cheng, I thought you were going to stay in Hollywood and not come over?"
Although Cheng Xuyuan didn't like this kind of hug, he followed the local customs. Cheng Xuyuan hugged Mr. Mike and said with a smile: "How can I not come when we have an appointment?"
"I'm afraid you'll come to Los Angeles and catch me."
After making a few jokes, Cheng Xuyuan said respectfully to Mr. Miller: "Mr. Miller, I haven't seen you for a long time. I am really happy to see that you are still in such good health."
"Xuyuan, thank you for your concern. How is Mr. Wan's health?" Mr. Miller asked with a smile.
Although he often corresponded with Mr. Wan, when he met Cheng Xuyuan, Mr. Wan's student, he naturally had to greet Mr. Wan.
After a brief conversation, Mr. Miller took Cheng Xuyuan to a car parked outside the airport.
The person driving the car was editor Mike. While driving, he casually said to Cheng Xuyuan: "Mr. Cheng, we have made a plan for this book signing event."
"Please check it later. If there are no problems, we will proceed as planned."
Cheng Xuyuan did not refuse this: "Okay, I'll go back and take a look."
This time, Cheng Xuyuan's accommodation was the Plaza Hotel arranged by Milen Publishing House.
In this hotel located in a prime location in New York, Mirren Publishing House booked a suite for Cheng Xuyuan.
Although Cheng Xuyuan did not ask about the price, just by looking at the luxurious decoration of the hotel, he knew that staying here for a day would definitely not be cheap.
After Cheng Xuyuan checked in, Mr. Miller had lunch with him and then said goodbye and left.
Although he is in good spirits, he is old after all, so he still needs to go back and rest when it is time.
After dinner, Mike invited Cheng Xuyuan to a nearby bar.
Cheng Xuyuan did not refuse the invitation. Under the guidance of Mike, the two came to a relatively quiet bar.
The soothing music and the exquisite decoration give this place a unique flavor.
Mike ordered a bottle of red wine and chatted with Cheng Xuyuan while drinking.
Most of them were talking about the books that had sold very well this year.
"Mr. Cheng, I think your works are all very good, but it's still not easy to get into the top three of the bestseller list."
"The most outstanding works on our bestseller list right now are those about mystery or detective stories."
"Of course, it would be best if we could add a little mystery."
Mike said this with a smile, "You have come to the United States, and I see that you are very familiar with some of the conditions in the United States."
"I wonder if you'd be interested in writing a few books on this subject."
When Cheng Xuyuan heard what Mike said, several books flashed through his mind.
He felt that if these books were published, they would definitely be bestsellers.
After all, works of pure literature often cannot compare to popular works in terms of sales.
However, he did not respond immediately. Instead, he smiled and said, "Mr. Mike, if I write a book on this subject, what price would you give me?"
"Mr. Cheng, are you still not satisfied with the current price?"
"We treat you like a famous writer." Mike put down his glass and said solemnly.
At this moment, his eyes were fixed on Cheng Xuyuan, with a hint of expectation in his expression.
Although Millen Publishing is a large publishing house, it has also recently encountered several competitors, especially Random House, which is now in a dominant position.
All these have put pressure on Milen Publishing House. If they want to make a comeback, in addition to doing a good job on their own, they also need the participation of famous authors to improve the quality of their books.
As an editor, Mike has a lot of tasks on his mind.
Cheng Xuyuan himself is an author with good performance under his command. If he can write popular works, it will be of great benefit to him.
Treatment as a famous writer? Cheng Xuyuan smiled and said, "Mr. Mike, can I still enjoy this kind of treatment now?"
When Mike heard this, his face changed.
Although the Goncourt Prize that Cheng Xuyuan won is not from the United States, it is equally influential.
It is not an exaggeration to regard Cheng Xuyuan as a famous writer.
After hesitating for a moment, he said in a deep voice: "Mr. Cheng, we are old friends, and there is no need for me to beat around the bush with you on this."
"I have no right to give you the treatment you would receive as a famous writer."
"But I can increase your share of the royalties based on the number of copies sold."
"If you are confident in your book, we can agree on a tiered profit-sharing agreement."
After saying this, Mike looked at Cheng Xuyuan with some trepidation.
After all, many famous artists don't like the idea of determining the profit sharing ratio based on sales volume.
Because this may be seen as a lack of confidence in their strength.
Just when Mike was hesitant, he heard Cheng Xuyuan ask, "What's the highest percentage of your profit-sharing agreement?"
Mike groaned for a moment and said, "If the sales of one of your books can reach one million copies, then our share of the profits can be 15%."
After hearing this number, Cheng Xuyuan hesitated for a moment and said, "What if it reaches 10 million copies?"
Mike's eyes widened suddenly, and he felt like you were kidding.
But in the end, Mike smiled and said, "If you sell 10 million copies, we can give you 20% of the profit."
In Mike's opinion, after he had said all this, the two of them should talk about other things.
After all, 20 percent is already the ceiling.
But Cheng Xuyuan didn't expect that he would continue, "What if it reaches 30 million copies?"
Thirty million copies, and the smile on Mike's face instantly disappeared.
Is Cheng Xuyuan kidding himself? Although the sales of his works are not bad, the gap to 30 million copies is too big.
"Cheng, I think there is no point in discussing this now."
"In fact, if you can reach 10 million copies, everything will be very easy."
"I think you still have to keep your feet on the ground."
"Even if I write a book for you and it sells 3,000 copies, I'll give you 30 percent of the royalties, but you can't even reach 10 million. It's completely meaningless."
After saying this, Mr. Mike's expression was full of solemnity.
Cheng Xuyuan looked at the serious Mr. Mike and smiled, "Mr. Mike, we have a saying, the bigger your heart is, the bigger your dream will be."
"If I don't even dare to pursue sales of 30 million copies, then how can you expect me to write better works?"
Looking at Cheng Xuyuan's calm face, Mr. Mike also calmed down.
He smiled and said, "Mr. Cheng, it's not that I don't believe you, it's just that the number you mentioned is too shocking."
"Since you are here for this purpose, I will make a decision."
"If you can reach 30 million copies, I can promise you a 30% share of your profits."
"I will go and convince the top management of our company about the content of this contract."
Cheng Xuyuan picked up the wine glass and said, "Then I'll trouble you, Mr. Mike. Let's make it a deal."
Although he didn't believe Cheng Xuyuan could do it, Mike still picked up the glass and drank with Cheng Xuyuan.
After putting down his glass, Mike said to Cheng Xuyuan, "Mr. Cheng, what are you going to write in this book?"
"Do you have a direction?"
Cheng Xuyuan looked at Mike who was expecting something, smiled and said, "I was originally going to call this book A Song of Ice and Fire, but after thinking about it, I decided to call it A Game of Thrones."
"I hope your book will sell well." Mike said with a smile.
Cheng Xuyuan said calmly and confidently: "Thank you for your good words. When I make money in the future, I will treat you to a good meal and good wine."
Mike had no hope for this good wine.
But on the surface, he still smiled and said, "Xuyuan, I really hope that you can fulfill this promise."
Mike's words made Cheng Xuyuan smile gently.
He is very confident about this matter.
(End of this chapter)
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