Chapter 480 266: No Price That Can't Be Settled

On October 28th, *Nezha: Birth of the Demon Child* officially announced the end of its theatrical run.

A three-month theatrical run was a rare feat in the film market.

Fortunately, the results were gratifying. *Nezha: Birth of the Demon Child* ultimately raked in a box office of 5 billion.

It ranked second in domestic film history, surpassed only by *Wolf Warrior 2*.

As the distributor, Universal Entertainment made a fortune.

After deducting various costs, the net profit from the box office alone reached 1.67 billion.

A single film earning a staggering profit of nearly 2 billion was truly terrifying.

It wasn't just Universal Entertainment that made a killing; Pop Mart also got a huge piece of the pie.

Merchandise sales alone reached 1 billion.

The three major video platforms—iQiyi, Youku, and Tencent Video—were also interested in purchasing the exclusive online streaming rights for *Demon Child*.

Qi Sheng instructed Universal Entertainment's CEO, Yuan Kai, to reject them outright.

An exclusive license was out of the question.

At most, he would grant streaming rights to all three of them separately.

By distributing it to all three, Universal Entertainment brought in 90 million.

This was 10 million less than what they would have made from an exclusive license.

But to Qi Sheng, 'was 10 million even considered money?'

...

Through Qi Sheng's maneuvers, Universal Entertainment secured the rights to two more films.

They were *Accidental Killing* and *Youth*.

Neither of these films had high production costs.

Barely 100 million, and even that figure was inflated.

Yet their box office returns were exceptionally high.

The system's mandatory acquisition price was only 200 million for each film.

Qi Sheng used the box office advance from the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China to acquire the rights to both films.

He set aside a promotional budget of about 300 million for the two films.

This left Huanyu Group's account with only about 1.06 billion in liquid assets.

Universal Entertainment's account was still short by about 600 million for the final payment on the Jingyao Qiantan T6 Building deal with Lujiazui Group.

However, there was no rush, as Lujiazui Group had given them a generous timeframe.

As long as the final payment of 1.6 billion was received by the end of the year, they wouldn't forfeit the initial 400 million deposit.

600 million was certainly not a small sum.

But that couldn't stop Qi Sheng, who had foreknowledge of what was to come.

The combined box office for *Youth* and *Accidental Killing* would be as high as 2.8 billion.

The profit from the box office alone would be no less than 1.1 billion.

'Coming up with the final payment for the deal will be a breeze.'

The release date for *Accidental Killing* was set for December 13th.

For now, Universal Entertainment's promotional focus was on *Youth*, a film centered on the theme of school bullying.

Otherwise, having two of their own company's films compete against each other would make them a laughingstock.

Though they hadn't officially moved into the new headquarters yet, a joyful atmosphere permeated Universal Entertainment.

One could say that the massive box office success of *Demon Child* was just Universal Entertainment getting lucky...

...but now, *Youth*'s box office had also surpassed 1 billion.

Could this also be considered just good luck?

Initially, not many people were optimistic about this youth film centered on school bullying.

Even Yuan Kai had been skeptical. 'A film with this kind of theme can get popular?'

But he would carry out any order given by Qi Sheng, no matter what.

As a result, not two days after *Youth* was released...

...Yuan Kai was left eating his words.

It wasn't just popular; it was a runaway success.

Universal Entertainment went full throttle, mobilizing all its channels.

They launched a massive, all-encompassing promotional campaign for *Youth*.

A promotional budget of 150 million was by no means small.

Especially for a youth film, it was considered a huge investment.

Just as frustrated as Light were, naturally, the original producers of *Youth*.

Seeing Universal Entertainment lock in a net profit of at least 300 million, the 100 million they had received suddenly didn't seem so great anymore.

By accurately picking two back-to-back blockbusters, Universal Entertainment's reputation skyrocketed.

This veteran Xiangjiang Film and Television Company had been revitalized in Qi Sheng's hands.

The production team of *Thirty Years Old*, which was about to wrap up filming, also sent an invitation to Qi Sheng.

Qi Sheng wasn't particularly interested at first, but he couldn't refuse Gu Pan's repeated invitations.

That's when Qi Sheng decided to go. He said a few words to Tan Hua, who was still reveling in her newfound beauty.

"Honey, what were you just saying?"

Tan Hua hadn't been paying attention to Qi Sheng at all; she was nearly dizzy from all the pleasant surprises.

Qi Sheng's surprises just kept coming, one after another.

Getting an allowance increase was the smallest of them.

The enhancement to her looks fulfilled a long-held wish of Tan Hua's.

Now, she had reached the tier of a stunning beauty.

In terms of looks, she was in no way inferior to Jiang Wanqiu or Zhuang Xiaomeng.

She was only a notch below the Qingqing and Chuchu sisters.

As far as Tan Hua was concerned, she was already more than content.

At the very least, she would no longer feel inferior when facing the other "sisters."

The biggest surprise, without a doubt, was Qi Sheng's promise to marry her.

Although he did mention afterward that he would also be getting marriage certificates with his other girlfriends.

But for Tan Hua, this one perfect experience was enough.

'A divorce certificate is worth less than a scrap of paper.'

'Aren't there plenty of people these days who sleep together even after getting a divorce certificate?'

'Besides, she was well aware of how unique their family situation was.'

Qi Sheng had promised to marry her first.

For Tan Hua, this was a surprise she wouldn't have dared to dream of.

"I was just asking if you wanted to go with me to Shanghai for a visit," Qi Sheng said, repeating himself with a hand on his forehead.

"I'll pass. You go and have fun."

Tan Hua smiled and waved her hand. "Wanqiu has been complaining that you haven't gone to see her, and Ruirui and Manman are waiting for you, too."

"Alright then. I probably won't stay for too long."

Qi Sheng didn't insist and left the house in the Cullinan.

After landing at Pudong Airport, Qi Sheng dispatched his personal flight attendant, Qin Qingyi, to wait for him at the Banyan Tree.

"Yes, boss."

Qin Qingyi looked a little forlorn but didn't dare to say anything.

'After all, her beauty was nothing special compared to the boss's many women.'

'It was strange, now that she thought about it.'

'The boss's ladies seemed to have gotten much prettier recently.'

'Could it be that the boss had some secret beauty treatment?'

'But when she asked Tang Qian and the others, their expressions were rather odd.'

'They even teased her, saying she might get her chance in the future.'

'But when would that chance ever come?'

...

The cast and crew of *Thirty Years Old* were filming their final scenes today.

Lin Meishan had been on set with Gu Pan this whole time.

As for Zong Lin, that girl was having a tough time at the Shanghai Theatre Academy.

It was "tough" because her acting skills completely overshadowed the other freshmen her age.

Even the graduating seniors couldn't match her acting ability.

An acting score of 79 was considered the peak for a second-tier actor.

In the world of television dramas, she was an absolute top-tier talent.

Actors with a score over 80 were generally in the film industry.

Although web series were more effective at launching careers these days, in the traditional mindset of actors, the status of a film actor was absolutely higher than that of a television actor.

"Does Gu Pan have any scenes today?" Qi Sheng asked casually as he followed Lin Meishan onto the set.

"In a bit, they're filming the scene where the three female leads have dinner together. Panpan is in the dressing room for a touch-up."

Lin Meishan had been with the production from the start, so she was naturally well-aware of the filming schedule.

Qi Sheng nodded with a slight smile. "How has Gu Pan been doing?"

"Director Zhang is very satisfied, but Jiang Shuying has been a bit disgruntled."

"She's had a few minor clashes with Gu Pan, but I've taken care of them."

Lin Meishan said it nonchalantly, but the situation was surely not as simple as she made it sound.

Being completely outshone by Gu Pan in acting, it would be strange if Jiang Shuying didn't throw a fit.

But at the end of the day, their company, Universal Entertainment, was also an investor in the series.

Even with her high status, Jiang Shuying wouldn't dare offend a veteran film company like Universal Entertainment.

Especially since Universal Entertainment had recently backed a string of hit films. It was clearly showing signs of becoming a first-rate player in the industry.

The professionals in the Chinese entertainment industry, who always had a keen sense of which way the wind was blowing, treated Gu Pan with more respect than they did Jiang Shuying, the actual female lead.

Zhang Xiaobo was discussing the previous shot with the assistant director. When he noticed Qi Sheng chatting with Lin Meishan, he quickly trotted over, his face wreathed in smiles.

"Chairman Qi, you're here!"

"Thank you for taking care of Panpan while she's been on set, Director Zhang."

Qi Sheng had heard from Lin Meishan that Zhang Xiaobo had been especially attentive lately.

The few times Jiang Shuying had thrown a tantrum, Zhang Xiaobo had reprimanded her.

After that, she naturally became much more cooperative.

Zhang Xiaobo was acting this way simply because he wanted to ride Universal Entertainment's coattails.

Qi Sheng was well aware of this but acted very cordially.

"You're too kind. Panpan's acting is so good, it's almost a waste of her talent to be in a TV series like this."

"Once filming is done, I can at least help her secure a nomination for Best Supporting Actress."

Zhang Xiaobo quickly waved his hands, offering a very measured piece of flattery.

Qi Sheng smiled and asked, "Once filming is wrapped, I hope you and the post-production team can expedite the editing. It would be best if it could air before the registration for the Bai Yulan Awards. That shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"Er..."

Zhang Xiaobo looked helpless. "Chairman Qi, *Thirty Years Old* has a lot of content. Even with aggressive cuts, it'll still be over 40 episodes. The earliest it could possibly air is before June of next year. Trying to make the deadline for next year's Bai Yulan registration is probably unrealistic."

Typically, the registration deadline for the Bai Yulan Awards is the end of March.

But it was already the end of November. No matter how much they rushed the editing, it would take at least three months.

And that's assuming it doesn't get held up during the review process; otherwise, it would take even longer.

Qi Sheng frowned slightly. It wouldn't be right to take the final cut away from Zhang Xiaobo.

Very few directors were ever willing to give up the final cut.

And Lemon Film and Television was the largest investor. They obviously wouldn't sour their relationship with Zhang Xiaobo over such a small matter.

Qi Sheng thought for a moment, then an idea came to him. He smiled and looked at Zhang Xiaobo.

"Director Zhang, what are your thoughts on our Universal Entertainment?"

"Chairman Qi, your company has had immense success in film, which shows your incredibly sharp eye for projects."

"Universal Entertainment is destined to become a top-tier film company in the industry!"

Zhang Xiaobo's heart skipped a beat. Suppressing his wildly pounding heart, he offered his praise without a moment's hesitation.

"Top-tier?"

Qi Sheng shook his head with a faint smile. "Director Zhang, I think very highly of you. If you're willing to join Universal Entertainment, I can give you an annual production budget of at least 100 million. Your personal income per series won't be less than ten million."

GULP.

Zhang Xiaobo couldn't help but swallow, thoroughly tempted by the figures.

He was considered a second-tier director in the TV industry, and his income for directing a single series was around 5 million.

But faced with the offer Qi Sheng was making, he was truly incapable of refusing.

Even if he only directed one series a year, it would be more than he earned now for two years of hard work.

Besides, it's always better to be in the shade of a big tree.

With Universal Entertainment's resources, investing in a few TV series with nine-figure budgets was child's play.

If he was lucky enough to direct two series a year, achieving financial freedom would be just around the corner.

An opportunity like this didn't come along every day.

"Thank you for this opportunity, Chairman Qi. I am willing to join Universal Entertainment!"

Without a second thought, Zhang Xiaobo bowed respectfully.

"Welcome to the Universal Entertainment family, Director Zhang. As for the editing, I'll have someone assist you to get it done as quickly as possible."

Qi Sheng smiled and extended his hand, shaking Zhang Xiaobo's.

"Of course! I will cooperate fully!"

How could Zhang Xiaobo dare to hesitate? He immediately promised his full cooperation.

When faced with an annual income in the tens of millions, something like the final cut was utterly trivial.

For Qi Sheng, spending a few extra million was a worthy price to pay to not only poach a talent but also fast-track Gu Pan to stardom.