Chapter 191: Slaying the Wolf (Part 1)
Li Chen hadn't gone in yet.
Ning Hao and his wife came out when they heard the noise.
Seeing Li Chen get out of the car, Ning Hao couldn't help but mock himself to his wife.
"Look, we're both directors, but how can the gap be so big?"
"He has a luxury car with a dedicated driver, while I travel with a taxi driver."
Xing Ai'na didn't give her husband any face at all.
"That's enough, you. I told you to buy a car, but you're too stingy."
"Besides, Director Li is the number one box office record holder in the country."
"How did you become a member of the 100 million box office club? Don't you have any idea!"
Li Chen heard Xing Ai'na's jab and stepped forward, laughing, "Sister Xing, how did you ever fall for Ning Hao?"
"You didn't fall for him because he's good at managing money, did you?"
Xing Ai'na kicked Ning Hao: "Learn from Director Li, see how he handles things and how he speaks."
"Alright, I'm convinced. It's rare for you, Director Li, to be so kind. You even called my stinginess 'good at managing money.'"
The couple chatted as they welcomed Li Chen into Bad Monkey.
Li Chen sat on the sofa, and Xing Ai'na poured him a cup of tea.
Li Chen relaxed, crossing his legs: "No need to be polite. Bring out the script."
Ning Hao chuckled: "You really are impatient."
Xing Ai'na handed the script to Li Chen: "Director Li has a lot on his plate. You're not like him, busy with nothing all day."
Li Chen put down the teacup, picked up the script, and saw that it was indeed crazy racer. He flipped through it for more than ten minutes.
Putting down the script, Li Chen nodded: "Multiple storylines intertwined, starting with racing, ending with racing. It's a good script."
"With your current reputation, you shouldn't be short on investment, right?"
Ning Hao received a one million yuan salary for filming ip man.
For Ning Hao, this was already very high.
After all, at that Time, he was just a small director who had won some minor awards and had no box office guarantee.
But now it was different. ip man's domestic box office exceeded 100 million, and its global box office was over 40 million US dollars.
Ning Hao's reputation soared, and his director's salary also climbed rapidly.
"Indeed, I'm not short on investment, but one should never forget the source of one's success. Both Xiao Na and I feel that we should still bring you in."
"The cost isn't high, 10 million yuan. My idea is for you and Han Dong to each take 40%, and I'll take 20%."
Li Chen nodded, not finding anything wrong with it.
"How about this, let's announce it as 12 million, and you, I, and Han Dong each take one-third."
"You're a member of the 100 million club after all, your director's fee should increase."
Ning Hao laughed: "Alright, I'll listen to you."
Xing Ai'na nudged Ning Hao: "You don't even say thank you, making it sound like Director Li took advantage of you."
Li Chen smiled: "You're welcome, Sister Xing."
"By the way, ip man has a sequel, right?" Ning Hao asked curiously.
Li Chen nodded in affirmation.
"If the sequel needs me, just let me know. Thinking about this makes me laugh."
"Wang Jiawei's the grandmaster has been in preparation since Hong Kong's return."
"It's been almost ten years, and it still hasn't started filming. On the other hand, ip man's sequel is already on the agenda."
Li Chen made no comment, changing the subject: "So, it seems that this year, besides Director Yi Mou and Sister Lu."
"It seems all the 100 million-grossing directors have been busy."
Ning Hao and Xing Ai'na also nodded: "That's right. Director Chen's forever enthralled is said to start filming in May."
"Director Feng's assembly has also completed its initial cut."
Ning Hao remembered something and asked, confused: "What exactly is going on with Lu Chuan's film?"
"A while ago, there were very detailed rumors online that the script was rejected."
"But Lu Chuan vehemently denied it, saying the rumor-mongers had ulterior motives."
Although Li Chen knew that Lu Chuan was lying, he didn't say so directly.
"It's not necessarily groundless. This kind of subject matter is a double-edged sword."
"If not handled well, it can lead to ruin. He's not the only one who wants to film that subject."
Ning Hao's words made Li Chen pay attention.
He had been so busy lately that he hadn't had Time to look at the news online.
After returning from Bad Monkey, Li Chen went back to the villa.
The news online these past two days was all about China Film Group Corporation Emperor Motion Pictures Brokerage Company.
Old Yang's phrase, 'Join China Film Group Corporation Emperor Motion Pictures, and I guarantee you'll have fans in every corner of the world,' was truly a great gimmick.
Coupled with Jackie Chan and Little Swallow, these veterans of Emperor Motion Pictures making an appearance.
This newly established brokerage company immediately had the qualifications to challenge Huayi Brothers and Orange Sky Entertainment.
The media jokingly called it the coming of a three-way standoff.
He wondered what kind of scene it would be when Yang Siwei established Yixin Entertainment in the second half of the year.
He heard Yang Siwei say that Fan Bingbing had set her sights on Haonaner (Good Man).
She also sounded him out to see if Rongchen Film and Television had any interest.
If so, she would retreat gracefully.
Although Li Chen didn't care about Haonaner (Good Man), Huayi Brothers and Orange Sky Entertainment probably wouldn't stand idly by.
Fan Bingbing's 'everything is difficult at the beginning' was just starting.
There were indeed many reports online about Lu Tailang's film.
Huang Xiaoming and Qin Lan broke up last year.
It seemed that it was because of this film that she got together with Lu Tailang.
With the capital chain broken, Qin Lan was truly generous, always giving money and herself whenever she was in a relationship.
The next day, at the company, Li Chen called Yang Siwei over.
Knowing that this film was disgusting, he couldn't do nothing.
Yang Siwei took the USB drive: "What is this, Boss?"
"This was sent to me by a netizen, probably wanting to use my words to sabotage Lu Chuan's film."
"You go take a look first, then we'll talk."
Yang Siwei nodded and returned to her office.
Less than twenty minutes later, she rushed back.
The expression on her face was still somewhat puzzled.
"Boss, this doesn't look fake; it looks like it's from someone close to Lu Chuan."
"Otherwise, they couldn't have made up such a script."
Li Chen nodded: "I think so too."
"Since both you and I believe this is true, then do you think I should help this netizen?"
"How can I make a decision for the Boss? But if it were me, I would do it without hesitation, otherwise, the nine years of compulsory education would have been for nothing."
"A beast is always a beast!"
"Well said! I'll help with this, not for that netizen, but to be true to my conscience."
Yang Siwei smiled: "Boss, how do you want to do it?"
"You find a way to make the contents of the USB drive a hot topic, and then naturally, enthusiastic netizens will find me to speak out."
Before Li Chen finished speaking, Yang Siwei instantly understood.
"Then, Boss, you can use your influence to make a public statement."
"That way, no one will dare to defy public opinion and give this film the green light!"
Li Chen snapped his fingers: "Smart, my years of cultivating you haven't been in vain."
"Remember, make sure to do it without leaving any traces. No one must know that we spread this news."
Yang Siwei was a little excited: "Don't worry, Boss. These past few years, I've only been passively dealing with others' dirty tricks."
"It's Time for me to take the initiative and strike from the shadows!"
Li Chen smiled: "Go ahead, be bold. The contents of this USB drive are all facts anyway."
Yang Siwei left full of confidence.
Li Chen sat in the leather executive chair in his office and muttered to himself.
"Is this considered self-produced and self-sold?"
Sina Entertainment News
"kung fu king's platinum female leads finally settled on Li Bingbing and Liu Yifei."
"It is reported that the two have entered a martial arts school for closed training, and the film will start shooting in Shanghai in early May."
Southern Weekend reported
Reprinted from Tianya Forum
"The script for 'Nanjing, Nanjing' is suspected to have been leaked. A netizen named Lu Tailang claimed to be an insider from the crew."
"On Tianya Forum, he exposed the script content of 'Nanjing' and confirmed that the online rumors about 'Nanjing' being rejected due to script reasons were true."
"The post was widely reposted and sparked extensive discussion among netizens."
"This reporter contacted Director Lu Chuan and producer Xingmei, but was unable to reach either of them."
Qin Hong looked at Lu Chuan's pale face and the shattered vases on the floor, not knowing what to say.
"Who is trying to ruin me! This is trying to kill me!"
Lu Chuan was still screaming.
Qin Hong sighed: "How about we just call it quits when the money runs out? I checked the person who leaked this, it's a newly registered account."
"Nine Times out of ten, it's someone close to us."
Qin Hong didn't continue, but Lu Chuan understood what he meant.
If even those around him didn't understand, how could this film be made?
At this moment, public opinion online had already exploded.
