Chapter 4
In a secret private room of a high-end cafe in the center of Haicheng.
Liu Yifan's team's emergency meeting had already lasted half an hour. The atmosphere was as heavy as the low pressure before a storm.
"Crazy! This guy is absolutely crazy!" Liu Yifan's agent Yang Wei, a woman in her forties known for her shrewdness and strength, put the tablet computer on the table, making a crisp sound.
The screen displayed limited public information about Zhou Pingan and his Anping Battery Factory, as well as a project contact letter sent by Su Ying through official channels, which was cautiously worded but contained shocking content.
"A battery maker is spending hundreds of millions on Yifan to make a movie that might never be released? And they're calling it 'Freeze the Moment of Youth'?"
Yang Wei's voice was filled with suppressed anger and disdain. "I've seen this scenario too many times! Either it's a super fan with too much money to spare, using such extreme methods to chase their idol; or there's an ulterior motive behind it, money laundering? A setup? Pulling Yifan into this to gild him? Each one is a huge trap! A huge trap!"
The publicity director pushed his gold-rimmed glasses and spoke cautiously, "The risks Sister Wei mentioned do exist. Furthermore, the phrase 'preserving youth' is easily misinterpreted by the media and the public, which is very detrimental to Yifan's image. It's easy to be labeled 'outdated' or 'anxious about aging', or even spark even worse speculation."
The team's legal advisor nodded. "From a legal perspective, this non-commercial, non-specific investment agreement has extremely ambiguous responsibilities and enormous potential risks. If problems arise midway through the project, disputes could be extremely complex."
Almost everyone was overwhelmingly opposed to this. This was based on the entertainment industry's survival instinct—maintaining the highest level of vigilance against any "generous gifts" that were out of the ordinary and of unknown origin.
Liu Yifan sat at the main seat, wearing simple casual clothes and no makeup, her face a hint of fatigue from staying up late filming. She said nothing, gently stirring her coffee with a spoon, her gaze fixed on the busy street outside the window, her emotion invisible.
Yang Wei looked at her, her tone slowing down, but still firm. "Yifan, I know the recent drama hasn't been well-received, and you're feeling disappointed. But times like this are especially critical, so we shouldn't rush into anything. This Zhou Ping'an has a very strange background. We must reject him, and do it decisively, leaving no room for any illusions."
Liu Yifan finally raised her head, her gaze sweeping across every face in the team filled with worry and opposition. She sighed softly, her voice a little hoarse, but remarkably calm.
"Sister Wei, everyone, I understand your concern, and I'm grateful." She paused. "To be honest, when I first heard the news, my first reaction was...offended."
She frowned slightly, as if searching for the right words. "I feel like I've been treated like... a piece of exquisite porcelain about to expire, and someone wants to quickly seal it up while the packaging is still beautiful. It makes me very uncomfortable."
The team members nodded, this was the core of their concerns.
"But," Liu Yifan changed the subject, a hint of confusion in his eyes, "If it's true, as the information suggests, that Zhou Ping'an is the owner of a legitimate tech company, not some reckless upstart, then he'd spend hundreds of millions just to... satisfy a fan's collecting addiction? That doesn't make sense. And why didn't he come to me directly, but instead approached the director first to ask for a plan?"
She opened the tablet, and three completely different project abstract titles appeared on the screen, from Chen Jing, Wu Tong, and Lin Na - "Temple of Light and Shadow: On the Construction of Absolutely Pure Aesthetic Space", "Sensory Revolution: The Ultimate Image Experiment Based on Real-time Rendering and Motion Capture", and "Time Wrinkles: A Dialogue on Memory, Performance, and Authenticity".
"Chen Jing, I know him. He used to be very famous, but then... he seemed to have disappeared. Wu Tong, a technical geek. Lin Na, a documentary genius." Liu Yifan's fingertips traced over the three names. "The fact that these three people, who are completely unrelated and all incredibly proud, could come up with a plan for a 'crazy' project at the same time suggests that this matter might not be as simple as we think."
Yang Wei couldn't help but interrupt: "Yifan, no matter how good the plan is, it's just a castle in the air! The key is the nature of this project itself..."
"Nature is defined by people, Sister Wei." Liu Yifan interrupted her, his gaze clear and resolute again. "If we don't even understand what the other party wants to do or what they are capable of, and we reject them out of sheer speculation and fear, isn't that also unprofessional?"
She looked around at the crowd, her tone carrying a calmness and decisiveness rarely seen in an artist of her stature: "I admit, I'm anxious about my current situation. I don't want to keep filming dramas that I can't even stand watching. I long to encounter truly challenging work that will last. This opportunity, no matter how bizarre or dangerous it may seem, represents resources and unconditional support for creation that we will never find in the normal commercial system."
She took a deep breath and made a decision: "Rejection is easy. But what happens after that? Continue to linger in bad movies, waiting for the next 'good opportunity' that may come somewhere?"
"My opinion," Liu Yifan concluded, "is that we don't necessarily have to agree right away. But we have to make contact first. If their idea really convinces me, and if the contract can ensure our control and security..."
She didn't finish her words, but her meaning was clear. What she wanted was not a handout, but a "partner" who could provide unlimited ammunition. The artistic soul of the project must be controlled by her and a director she recognized.
Seeing the long-lost sparkle in Liu Yifan's eyes, a passion for performance itself, Yang Wei knew it was useless to persuade him. She knew Liu Yifan well; she was usually easygoing, but when it came to the core of her artistic pursuits, she was more stubborn than anyone else.
"Okay." Yang Wei compromised, but her professional instincts made her immediately enter risk control mode. "We can contact you, but we must follow the strictest procedures. Let's first establish a formal communication channel with Su Ying and ask her to provide more detailed credit certificates and project plans..."
The team immediately shifted from “whether to refuse” to “how to contact safely” and began to operate efficiently.
Liu Yifan looked out the window again, the neon lights of the city flickering in her eyes.
The name Zhou Ping'an, along with his bizarre plan, was like a stone thrown into the lake of one's heart, stirring up not only disgust, but also a huge wave of vigilance, curiosity, and a faint trace of...expectation.
She was very curious about what kind of "amber" the mysterious battery boss and these three top "crazy" directors could piece together to encapsulate her fleeting youth.
Two days later, Zhou Ping'an received a call from Su Ying.
"Mr. Zhou, we've received preliminary feedback from Liu Yifan's studio." Su Ying's voice was as efficient as ever. "They didn't reject us outright, but they put forward very strict pre-negotiating conditions. They required us to provide detailed credentials and project plans, and explicitly stated that the final artistic leadership must be in the hands of a director approved by Ms. Liu."
Zhou Pingan listened to Su Ying's report without any surprise on his face. He pondered for a moment and said:
"Tell them that everything will be done according to the most formal business procedures. We will fully cooperate in providing the credit certificates and project plans they request, ensuring the authenticity and transparency of the information. At the same time, tell them: I understand and respect their caution."
He paused, then continued in a steady tone, as if describing a feasible future technological solution:
"As for a longer-term cooperation model, I have a preliminary idea that can serve as a testament to our sincerity for their reference: If we can reach a consensus on the project concept, we can explore the possibility of establishing a dedicated project company, led by Ms. Liu. She can hold a controlling stake to ensure independence in artistic decision-making. We will be responsible for injecting funds based on budgetary needs, and the use of funds will be audited to ensure that every penny is used for the film's creation."
Finally, his tone remained calm, yet with an unquestionable determination, as he added the most crucial sentence:
"Also, please make sure to clearly convey my most important point: regarding this company and this film, my personal goal is simply to get this film made. I will not participate in any subsequent operations, and I do not demand any form of financial return. All rights and interests can be locked in through clauses, reverting to the project itself or Ms. Liu herself."
"Therefore, our first priority at this stage is to ask them to review the proposals of directors Chen Jing, Wu Tong, and Lin Na based on their professional judgment. Everything should start with recognition of the creative work itself."
Su Ying conveyed Zhou Ping'an's complete statement to Liu Yifan's team word for word.
A long silence fell on the other end of the line. Even the knowledgeable Yang Wei was completely speechless. Standard procedures like credit certificates and project plans were understandable, but the combination of "establishing a company, relinquishing controlling stake, injecting unlimited capital, and not seeking any financial return" completely transcended the scope of commercial negotiation.
"Mr. Su," Yang Wei took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice professional and steady. "I need to confirm my understanding: Mr. Zhou is saying that he invested hundreds of millions of dollars for the sole purpose of completing this film. As for any copyright, distribution, or other derivative rights generated by this film, he has no intention of obtaining them."
"Yes, Mr. Yang. Mr. Zhou's core demand is to 'make this movie'. The specific distribution of rights and interests can be agreed upon in detail through legal clauses, on the premise of ensuring that the artistic leadership of the project belongs to Ms. Liu." Su Ying's answer was clear and affirmative.
After hanging up the phone, Liu Yifan's team held another emergency meeting. The atmosphere was more solemn and... weird than the last time.
"This is completely out of the ordinary," the legal advisor said first, his brow furrowed. "It defies basic business logic. Something must be wrong when things are out of the ordinary. We must assume there's an extremely high risk involved."
Publicity Director Li Rui nodded in agreement. "The motive is completely incomprehensible. The risk of public opinion is extremely high. It could easily be interpreted as some kind of illicit relationship or money laundering."
Yang Wei concluded: "From a purely business and public relations perspective, my advice is to decline. The benefits of this project are illusory, but the potential risks are real."
Everyone looked at Liu Yifan, who had been listening quietly. She frowned slightly, her fingers unconsciously twisting around the handle of her coffee cup. She seemed not to be analyzing the risks, but rather... sensing something.
"Sister Wei," she finally raised her head, her eyes a little confused but clear. "Legally, if we sign this contract firmly, can we keep all our rights and interests firmly in our hands? Can we ensure that even if he regrets it later, he can't take anything away?"
"In theory, yes," the legal advisor replied cautiously, "but only if he is willing to sign such an 'unequal treaty'."
"Then let's negotiate a contract." Liu Yifan's tone was calm, yet filled with an unquestionable determination. "Let him sign it."
The team members were stunned.
Liu Yifan looked out the window, as if trying to organize her words, her voice lowered. "I don't care what he's thinking. I don't understand the risks you're talking about. But... 'not seeking any financial return', 'just to make this movie'..." She repeated these two sentences, turned her head, and glanced at the crowd. "How many investors dare to say that? How many?"
She paused and expressed her most core intuitive judgment: "If he dares to ask, we dare to accept it."
Then, she glanced at the worried-looking team members and suddenly asked a simple yet fatal question:
"Let me ask you, if the situation were reversed and another female star got the offer for this project, do you think I would be willing to compete with her for the lead role?"
The conference room fell silent. Yang Wei and the others were speechless. The answer was self-evident—a project like this, backed by top-tier funding, with the actors fully empowered by the artistic direction, and with the purest goals, would be a dream project that every top actress in the industry would vie for. The opportunities it presented far outweighed any quantifiable risks.
Liu Yifan didn't wait for their answer, her decision was already clear:
"So, stop focusing on the risks. Now, we have the ticket. Besides..."
Her eyes fell on the names of the three directors on the tablet, and a hint of curiosity and desire that hadn't been seen in a long time, a pure actor's curiosity and desire, flashed in her eyes:
"I want to see what those three directors are capable of first. If their proposal is rubbish, then forget it. If...if it really impresses me..."
She didn't say anything else, but her meaning was clear.
Yang Wei immediately understood Liu Yifan's intentions. His boss wasn't making a business judgment, but rather a decision based on a near-gambling instinct and the artist's capriciousness. As his agent, her job was to minimize the risk given his capriciousness.
"I understand." Yang Wei instantly entered execution mode. "The legal team will immediately begin drafting the most stringent rights protection contract framework. I will personally verify the other party's creditworthiness. Yifan, you take a look at the plan first."
The meeting ended. Liu Yifan remained alone in the conference room, picked up her tablet, and clicked on the first proposal. Her decision-making process was simple: Zhou Ping'an's "crazy" promise eliminated the interference of capital and created an opportunity for her to let the work speak for itself.
She only needs to answer one question: Of these three directors, whose ideas are worth risking her time and reputation?
As for who Zhou Ping'an is and why he did this, it became the least important question to her.
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