I am a Big Player
Chapter 538 - 532. Qinghe Film and Television (Part 3)_1

Chapter 538: 532. Qinghe Film and Television (Part 3)_1

Zhang Ming was well aware that people like Ren He were typically the type who would bring everyone up with them—an ascension through association. His close friends would never end up in truly dire straits, as Ren He would never just stand by and watch them flounder.

Just from what Zhang Ming knew, Xu Nuo, Ren He’s middle school classmate, had become the president of Qinghe Group, Yang Xi had reached the status of an international superstar, and Zhou Wumeng was now living the life of her dreams. Not one of them had been left behind.

So, it was perfectly normal for him to suggest three roles for his dormitory friends. Moreover, Ren He had put it politely, stating that if their acting didn’t meet Zhang Ming’s expectations, they could switch to other roles.

Ren He’s way of speaking was also quite interesting: Zhang Ming could change their roles, but they absolutely had to take part in the movie! Zhang Ming couldn’t refuse.

Logically, such a demand might be considered offensive, but Zhang Ming felt it was fine. As a producer who was also an investor, demanding just three supporting roles was something that would’ve had Zhang Ming waking up laughing in the past.

Others may not have been aware, but he knew that the second female lead in "Kunlun" was actually arranged by the investor!

What puzzled Zhang Ming was that Ren He did not seek to assign Yang Xi any roles, nor did he plan to have her make a cameo. When Zhang Ming asked Ren He if there was a plan for Yang Xi, his reply was that her acting wasn’t up to par—she should stick to singing. This fully demonstrated Ren He’s respect for the art of filmmaking, and Zhang Ming found it very satisfying.

Furthermore, Ren He’s final suggestions were intriguing.

In his previous life, the role of Bao Shihong, played by Guo Tao, was a central character, and Ren He insisted on casting a seasoned actor with serious chops.

For the character Dao, played by Liu Hua, Ren He thought it was vital to find an actor who could embody Dao’s somewhat dim-witted nature, yet possess a ruthless streak.

What baffled Zhang Ming the most, however, was the character Heipi—Ren He had an unusually high number of requests for this apparently minor role...

Despite being a rather small part in the grand scheme of the movie with not many scenes, Ren He seemed particularly fond of this character.

In reality, the character Heipi, portrayed by Huang Bo in his previous life, was Huang Bo’s breakout role. Ren He didn’t arrange for one of his own brothers to play it because of the character’s peculiar traits—a rough-and-ready nature, street smarts, scruffiness, a bit of arrogance, and a lousy local dialect among other characteristics; only Huang Bo was up to the task.

His own brothers weren’t up to it, so Ren He didn’t want them to ruin the role now. Maybe in two or three years, they might be able to pull it off, but definitely not at present.

Ren He was extremely fond of the actor Huang Bo and the character Heipi. If someone could master this role, why wouldn’t Ren He bestow upon him a taste of riches through this film?

That’s why Ren He strongly suggested that Zhang Ming put extra effort into this role.

When the script surfaced and met Zhang Ming’s expectations, the collaborative relationship between the two was established. What remained was negotiating the terms of their collaboration.

To be honest, Zhang Ming was even more excited about this collaboration than Ren He. When he saw the script for "Crazy Stone," he truly believed the words Zhou Wumeng had told him: this young man has the ability to turn decay into magic.

How long did Chen Da take to craft the script in his former life? A full two years!

And here was Ren He, presenting a satisfactory script in just a few days, complete with character designs and storyboards—it was nothing short of miraculous and saved Zhang Ming a great deal of trouble!

Especially since the script’s creator had master-level drawing skills, he was able to convey a clear sense of the storyboards and character designs, which allowed Zhang Ming to gain a rapid and clear understanding of the entire script.

Comfortable! This collaboration felt incredibly comfortable! That was the palpable sensation for Zhang Ming!

At that moment, Zhang Ming suddenly remembered that a painting by Ren He was now going for 11.7 million US dollars on the market—the true value after the hype had waned, and equilibrium was reached.

Considering this, Zhang Ming carefully preserved Ren He’s original drawings, planning to use photocopies instead. These manuscripts might become very meaningful in the future...

While An Si and Liu Erbao were still in the comfortable preparation stage, Qinghe Group’s team traveled to the Capital to set up the Qinghe Film and Television Company, a subsidiary of Qinghe, with the formal registration process handled by Qinghe Group’s professional team.

Finance, human resources, administration—these teams consisted of outstanding talents diverted from Qinghe Group, now serving as middle management in Qinghe Film and Television.

And the president of Qinghe Film and Television was Zhang Ming.

Initially, the Qinghe Group’s team that came to the Capital was excited by the prospect of one day visiting the legendary Courtyard House of the company’s "big boss." That feeling within Qinghe was almost akin to making a pilgrimage, thrilling everyone.

The most mysterious and prestigious figure within Qinghe was undoubtedly the "big boss."

However, when they learned that the "big boss" had enlisted director Zhang Ming, they were utterly shocked!

Who was Zhang Ming? It was no exaggeration to say that everyone grew up watching his films and TV series. The shows he directed accounted for a substantial part of everyone’s entertainment life.

And just like that, the "big boss" recruited such a renowned director?

In fact, Ren He had clarified this point: it wasn’t a recruitment—it was a collaboration!

Initially, Ren He planned to offer Zhang Ming a salary, with varying amounts based on the movie tier. However, Zhang Ming chose not to take the salary—he wanted a stake in the company.

This meant he was directing "Crazy Stone" completely free of charge, but he held a share in every bit of Qinghe Film and Television’s revenue.

Such a decision was extremely risky. After all, who could guarantee that a newly founded company would be profitable? Zhang Ming’s choice of partnership was undoubtedly a great gamble.

The final arrangement was that Qinghe Group invested 16 million yuan for an 84% stake, while Zhang Ming, contributing nothing, received a 16% share—a technical stake, making it the highest private share in any Qinghe subsidiary.

Zhang Ming was already not short of money. Rather than a salary, he decided to try trusting Ren He. A 16 million yuan investment wasn’t much, but after reading the "Crazy Stone" script, Zhang Ming had full confidence in the future of Qinghe Film and Television.

Thus, Ren He said that their relationship was a partnership, not about recruitment or control. In terms of seniority or stature, how could he even be qualified to recruit the likes of Zhang Ming and Zhou Wumeng?

But internally within Qinghe, everyone felt that this was the "big boss" flexing his power, essentially an act of recruitment...

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Adding a Chapter for Azzz, the Alliance Leader—also kindly requesting a Monthly Pass.