Chapter Thirty-One: Huace Film and Television?

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The grassland scenes went remarkably smoothly, taking only four days to complete.

Yet once filming wrapped, Zhang Qianjun had no desire to return. Far too many people had been asking about To Our Youth these past few days. In the end, he had no choice but to have Li Yanjing issue a notice stating that the project was still in preparation and would not be considered for launch until after October.

He had thought things would quiet down after that. Instead, the announcement confirmed the project’s authenticity to the many companies that had assumed its original author was merely making exaggerated claims for publicity. Calls began pouring in from every direction. Zhang Qianjun finally switched off his phone altogether, changed to the number he had used back in his hometown of Qiantang, and instructed Li Yanjing, “Call me only for urgent matters. Use WeChat for everything else.”

He was not the only one. Kan Qingzi also began receiving all kinds of calls, to the point that she switched off her phone as well, relying entirely on WeChat and QQ for her daily communications.

On their final day with the production crew, the two of them discussed matters and decided to take advantage of this period of evading the limelight. They would drive south along the coast from Xiamen all the way to Nan’ao Island. The route was less than three hundred kilometers—perfect for a short trip.

The next day, they took a car to Yulong Airport and boarded an afternoon flight.

“What are we going to do once we get to Hohhot?” Kan Qingzi asked listlessly about their itinerary.

“What can we do in two hours? Rest and wait for the connecting flight.”

Zhang Qianjun answered casually.

Since boarding the plane, he had been staring into space. Kan Qingzi could not help feeling puzzled.

“You’ve been daydreaming all day. What’s wrong? Are you worried about your movie?”

In Kan Qingzi’s way of thinking, the thing Zhang Qianjun cared about most was his film.

“No. I was just thinking that I absolutely have to get a private jet someday.”

Kan Qingzi burst out laughing. Her boyfriend was becoming more and more carried away.

“Do you have any idea how much one of those costs?”

“Not really. I hear a Gulfstream costs three or four hundred million, and the annual operating expenses must be at least ten million.”

Kan Qingzi had initially been rather intrigued, but the moment she heard that, she slumped against the seatback.

“Then forget it. First class on an A320 is perfectly good enough. My company makes me fly economy.”

They barely spoke during the rest of the journey. After arriving at Gaoqi Airport, they checked into a hotel. The next morning, Zhang Qianjun rented a Porsche 911, claiming that he wanted his girlfriend to get some practice in before her new car arrived.

Kan Qingzi beamed with delight and announced that she would show Zhang Qianjun what it meant to be the goddess of the Island Ring Road.

“There are cyclists on this road, so you have to drive slowly. And even on the expressway, you’re not allowed to race.”

Seeing her boyfriend’s solemn expression, Kan Qingzi felt somewhat helpless. She had only been joking. Why did he have to take everything so seriously?

“I know, I know. I was only saying it.”

“If you’re already willing to say it, who knows what you’ll dare to do later? We’ve only just started enjoying the good life, and you’re already planning to make room for a mistress?”

Kan Qingzi could tolerate anything but that. The moment she heard the word “mistress,” she immediately protested.

“Is it really that serious? Tell me, are you thinking about finding one? The moment I arrived on set, I noticed that Liu Yifei was looking at you strangely. She even waited until I went to the bathroom to come talk to you. What could she possibly have to say that she couldn’t say in front of me?”

Zhang Qianjun burst out laughing.

“Liu Yifei becoming your best friend while serving as my mistress? Qingzi, I’ve discovered that you’ve become remarkably imaginative lately. If that really happened, you could write a book about it. Call it The Male Lead Falls for Me at the Start—Who Knew the Mistress Would Be Liu Yifei. As long as the book’s fans don’t report it until it gets taken down, it might actually become a hit.”

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Kan Qingzi laughed as well.

“Hahahaha! And you say I’m imaginative? You’re the one with the wildest ideas, even asking me to write a book. I really should write that title down.”

The two of them chatted and laughed as they fastened their seat belts. Just as they were about to set off, Zhang Qianjun said solemnly once more, “Drive safely, and don’t get into arguments with anyone on the road. Otherwise, you’re not driving the 911 anymore. I’ll buy you a Volvo XC90 instead, and that’s what you’ll drive from now on.”

“Oh, honey, no! I don’t want such an old-fashioned car.”

Kan Qingzi thought Zhang Qianjun was making a mountain out of a molehill. She did not know that he was being completely serious. In his memories, Paul Walker had died in the passenger seat of a Porsche 911. Since the world after his rebirth was already following a different course, he intended to avoid every possible threat to their lives.

The scenery along the Island Ring Road was undeniably beautiful. Kan Qingzi was so delighted that she ate an extra bowl of rice at lunch.

That evening, after they checked into a hotel, Zhang Qianjun unexpectedly received a call.

“Uncle Zhao, hello.”

A booming voice came from the other end.

“Where are you? You haven’t visited in ages. Are you going home for the summer? Come and visit with your father.”

“I’m traveling around Gulangyu Island. I may not go home during the summer, but once I return to Qiantang, I’ll definitely visit you.”

“Good, good. Something’s come up. A friend contacted me and said that one of his friends wanted to get in touch with you.”

“Your friend’s friend contacted you through your friend to get in touch with me?”

“That’s right. He says he’s in the same line of work as you, making television dramas. It’s a local Qiantang company called Huace.”

“Huace? Their business is actually very different from mine. Why are they looking for me? Uncle Zhao, will this cause you any trouble?”

“Trouble? Nonsense. They came begging me for help, and I’m still baffled by it. Someone came to me over a young man’s business, and I thought you’d gotten yourself into trouble somewhere.”

“Have your friend contact me directly. I’ll do my best to cooperate.”

“No need for anything elaborate. Just make sure everyone saves face.”

After hanging up, Zhang Qianjun was somewhat puzzled. Wasn’t Huace primarily a television production company? They were not even in the same field. Besides, in his impression, Huace was a professional production company that had only entered talent management and development relatively late.

Before long, another call came through. A middle-aged woman’s voice sounded on the line.

“Hello, is this Mr. Zhang, president of Solar System Media? I’m Zhao Yifang, the person in charge of Huace Pictures.”

“Hello, Ms. Zhao. This is Zhang Qianjun. May I ask why you wished to speak with me?”

Director Zhao chuckled.

“Mr. Zhang, have you heard of Huace before?”

“You’re my senior, so please just call me Qianjun. Of course I’ve heard of Huace, though I don’t know much about the company. I only know that you’re a major force in television drama and are said to be the leading television production and distribution company in the country.”

“I wouldn’t dare claim we’re number one, but we are certainly among the top three. Huace was founded in 2005 and went public on the Growth Enterprise Market last year. To strengthen our television production capabilities, we are currently seeking to acquire Shanghai Kedun Culture. As another important pillar of our media strategy, we are also very optimistic about the future of China’s film industry. So when we happened to learn that you were from Qiantang, Qianjun, we hoped to have a chance to speak with you.”

Zhang Qianjun was unconvinced. What did she mean by saying that they had learned he was from Qiantang and wanted to speak with him? They had obviously heard about To Our Youth and decided to approach him.

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“Ms. Zhao, I have very little experience with this sort of business discussion. Why don’t you get straight to the point and tell me exactly what you want?”

Zhao Yifang thought to herself that he was still too young and had no patience at all. She then said, “Huace has very high hopes for Solar System Media—or, more precisely, for you. We’re optimistic about your development in film, and we can fully open our media and television resources to you as well.”

Zhang Qianjun considered this for a moment.

“You mean you want to acquire my company?”

“That isn’t entirely accurate, but you could put it that way.”

“How much?”

Zhao Yifang froze for a moment. What a reckless young man, she thought. He was extraordinarily direct.

“Two hundred million. Huace would acquire seventy percent of Solar System Media. From then on, you could choose from all of Huace’s film and television resources. You would become Huace’s leading male star, while your film company could remain independent. Whether you wanted to produce films or sign new talent, you would retain full autonomy. Believe me, you won’t find a more sincere offer anywhere on the market.”

Just nod once, and half a private jet would be his?

“Ms. Zhao, I’m flattered by your confidence in me. The terms your company is offering are truly sincere. I never imagined I could be worth so much.

“But I’m accustomed to being free and unrestrained. My film company only has around a dozen people, most of them my classmates. At present, I’m focused entirely on film, and I’m not especially interested in talent management. I’m grateful for your kindness, but I’m afraid I’ll have to decline.”

Zhang Qianjun thought he had made his refusal perfectly clear. He did not realize that the other party was completely unmoved.

“Qianjun, this is only our first conversation. We’ll continue communicating in the future, and if any of the terms are unsuitable, they can be negotiated. As I said, we have great confidence in you, and we’re the company offering you the most sincere terms. Once you return to Qiantang or the capital, we can meet and discuss this in person.”

Hearing her say that, Zhang Qianjun could only agree repeatedly and promise to stay in touch after he returned.

After putting down the phone, Zhang Qianjun sat there weighing the pros and cons. Yet no matter how he looked at it, the arrangement seemed unsuitable. Huace lacked China Film’s distribution and cinema-chain resources, and its scale was far smaller as well. Turning to Huace for a bit of immediate cash would be a losing proposition.

Kan Qingzi noticed that he had fallen silent after hanging up and could not help worrying.

“What’s wrong?”

At the sound of his girlfriend’s voice, a sudden idea flashed through Zhang Qianjun’s mind.

I’m not interested in making television dramas, but Qingzi is.

He was also reminded that Kan Qingzi’s current agency, Rongxinda, was a terrible place to be. Both Li Qin and Kan Qingzi had moved to new companies after their contracts expired. No matter how inexperienced Huace was at developing talent, it was still far better than Rongxinda.

He would have to take this partnership with Huace seriously. If he did not become Huace’s leading man, he could make her Huace’s leading lady instead.

With that thought, Zhang Qianjun turned to his girlfriend and gave her a sly grin.

“Darling, your lucky break has arrived.”

Seeing his expression, Kan Qingzi assumed she understood what he meant. She folded her hands in front of her chest and pleaded, “I’m actually pretty hungry. Can we eat first?”

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