Chapter 84

McXiaoyu's trip to South Korea went relatively smoothly, except for a bit of conflict during the negotiations with ihq.

According to the calculations of ihq's Image Business Division, the total investment for "My Sassy Girl" was around 3 million Chinese yuan. McXiaoyu contributed 1 million yuan and was entitled to 30% of the box office revenue.

McXiaoyu did not agree; he demanded 40%.

The reason was simple. The script was his, and so was the theme song, and these had to be factored in.

After several days of haggling, both parties finally reached an agreement.

McXiaoyu contributed 1 million yuan in cash, the script for "My Sassy Girl," and the theme song, and was entitled to 39% of the box office revenue. Both parties shared the film's copyright according to their investment ratios. He gave up the rights to sequels and remakes, but in return, the copyright for the theme song "I Believe" belonged to him.

McXiaoyu readily agreed.

He remembered clearly that in the strange dream, "My Sassy Girl" was not remade, and the sequel "My Sassy Girl 2" was a box office failure.

It was better to give up the rights to sequels and remakes. Instead, the theme song "I Believe" was covered by many singers, and its tangible and intangible values were both high.

After signing the contract, he had in-depth discussions about the script with the director, helped the production team finalize the lead actor Cha Tae-hyun, asked the director to train Yang Xiaoxing well, and had a barbecue with Jun Ji-hyun. When the production team officially started filming, McXiaoyu hurriedly flew back to China.

"The Return of the Condor Heroes 3" had already started filming, and Liu Tao was about to join the cast!

On the third day of McXiaoyu's trip to South Korea, "The Return of the Condor Heroes 3" held a grand opening ceremony and announced the cast list for the first time.

Almost all the main roles were replaced, causing a wave of criticism among "The Return of the Condor Heroes" fans.

In the previous two "The Return of the Condor Heroes" series, actors like Zhao Wei, Lin Xinru, and Su Youpeng had deeply impressed the audience with their performances. Many fans who had been eagerly awaiting the series found it hard to accept the large-scale cast changes, and the internet was once again filled with voices of "ruining the original."

Was it ruining the original?

McXiaoyu didn't care. What he cared about was that Liu Tao, playing Princess Musa, was a new character, so there was no audience backlash. Additionally, the actress playing Zǐwēi was Liu Qianqian, as recently reported online!

The film industry is a small world, filled with various intrigues and conflicts between actors, between actors and staff, and among staff members. Even among the lowest-level extras, there were fierce competitions for screen time.

For example, in a war scene, if a doctor asks a wounded soldier about his condition, if you speak too late, the line will be taken by another wounded soldier. The line is simple—just four words: "It's okay, it's okay." But if someone else says it, the camera will focus on them, not you.

If even extras behave this way, how much more so for a newcomer like Liu Tao, who had been given the important role of Princess Musa? It was crucial for her to find someone to protect her in the production team.

Liu Qianqian, one of the lead actresses, was a suitable protector, and McXiaoyu had the connections.

Liu Tao was not a lead actress and had a new advertising contract with Li Xue, so she did not immediately join the cast on the opening day.

Only after completing the advertising shoot did she prepare to join the cast, and McXiaoyu returned to China the day before she joined.

Upon returning, Mengren Film Company held a company dinner as usual, choosing a restaurant in Xijiang and reserving a private room. Everyone was present... well, except for Yang Xiaoxing, who was still in South Korea.

The atmosphere at the dinner was lively, and everyone was excited. Liu Tao, naturally, was the star of the evening, receiving frequent congratulations from her colleagues.

"Sister Tao, congratulations! I'll toast to you."

"Take photos and get signatures quickly, or you might not have the chance when Sister Tao becomes famous!"

"Sister Tao, can you get me a signed photo of Liu Qianqian? I'm her fan."

"Let's all toast to Sister Tao again and wish her success in the series!"

...

Everyone took turns toasting Liu Tao, and she returned the favor by toasting everyone in turn. In the end, she especially toasted three people.

"Xue, thank you for helping me secure the contract..."

"Teacher Zhang, thank you for the beautiful photos and the tips on how to look good on camera..."

"Mr. Mc, thank you for your care and support over the past few months. I will always remember it..."

That night, Liu Tao was the happiest and the first to get drunk. The dinner was not over, but she was already drowsy, leaning on Li Xue, who took care of her.

As the dinner was about to end, Zhang Xiaquan, holding a glass of wine, whispered to McXiaoyu, "Mr. Mc, Liu Tao will join the cast tomorrow. She's settled. Should we sign another artist?"

Deng Chao, with his sharp ears, immediately chimed in, "Mr. Mc, Teacher Zhang is right. Our company should sign another artist."

His shout sparked a chorus of agreement from the other employees.

"Mr. Mc, Teacher Zhang and Brother Chao are right. We have too few artists in the company."

"Sister Tao is great, but the company can't have just one artist."

"Sign another one, start with an ad, preferably for a household product, hehe."

"Are you just thinking about the perks?"

"Wouldn't you want them too?"

Li Xue also added, "Mr. Mc, sign another one from the members. They've been clamoring in the group, and many want to sign with the company."

McXiaoyu smiled. He had been thinking about this issue for a while.

Two manga, a song, two ads, a novel, and Liu Tao's promising start could prove the value of that strange dream. He wouldn't miss this opportunity to become wealthy, but the question was... who to sign?

"I think Wang Chuhan is a good choice," Zhang Xiaquan suggested.

With his lead, others also proposed their preferred candidates.

The candidates they suggested were all members under their respective management. They frequently recommended, notified for auditions, and interacted with them. If they signed and followed Liu Tao's path, they could also become artist assistants, or even... agents.

The risk was too high.

McXiaoyu shook his head secretly.

Mengren Film Company was just starting and couldn't afford any failures.

The second artist he signed must be a sure success and couldn't be a failure.

He decided to first refer to that strange dream. Once Mengren grew and had the ability to create stars, he would consider other options.

Among all the candidates proposed, only Wang Chuhan, as suggested by Zhang Xiaquan, seemed somewhat promising, but not very.

In his list of backup candidates, there were three who were better.

Deng Chao!

Huang Bo!

Yang Mi!

Deng Chao was a company veteran, the current business manager, and a key middle-level executive, so he was a bit reluctant to let him go.

Huang Bo's appearance meant he couldn't follow a conventional path and would need to take a more unconventional route, which was a bit troublesome.

As for Yang Mi... she was a bit young.

Let's take a break and think about it more tonight.

Leaving the restroom, he passed by a private room.

A waiter pushed the door open, and in that moment, McXiaoyu inadvertently saw a familiar figure...

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