Chapter 122: Establishing a Talent Agency

(Thanks again to Brother Long Shao for the reward. I’ve been coding until now, but I haven't managed to get much done. I’ll post one chapter in the middle of the night and keep working hard during the day to see if I can make my wish come true. I hope you will all continue to support me. Many thanks from Heiche!)

"Alright then. I don't have a diamond ring here anyway, and proposing like this is too informal. If others found out, they might think you’re just after my house," Wu Xiang said with a smile. He had already made up his mind; since he loved this woman, he might as well give her her freedom.

"Hehehe... *muah!*" Hai Qing was overjoyed and gave Wu Xiang a kiss.

"Hehehe..." Wu Xiang was tickled by the kiss.

"Oh, by the way, Xiao Wu, I’ve actually landed a role. It’s for *Jade Goddess of Mercy*, and Director Ding Hei chose me personally." Hai Qing looked as if she were presenting a treasure, her mouth rounded in excitement, the smile in her eyes impossible to hide.

"That’s great!" How could Wu Xiang not know? This was her first role after graduation. It seemed he hadn't changed history too much after all.

"You have no idea, Director Ding Hei is so funny. After watching our stage play, he just said, 'Bring me those two girls who played Lian Yi and Hu Niu.' At the time, I wondered if the director was nearsighted—both those roles were played by me!" Hai Qing couldn't keep it inside; she would have burst if she hadn't told someone.

Hearing this little story, Wu Xiang immediately seized the opportunity to compliment his girl. "That’s because you portrayed the characters so well; he only saw the characters, not you."

"Giggle..." Who wouldn't be happy to hear that? Wu Xiang’s flattery was top-notch. Hai Qing continued, "Later, he invited me and a few others from the crew to dinner to meet. He didn't say much, and I didn't recognize him at the time, didn't know he was Ding Hei. When we got to dinner, I saw his attitude was good and he was very polite, so I said to the others, 'Your driver is a pretty nice guy,' hahahaha..."

Once she finished, Hai Qing couldn't stop laughing.

It was true—mistaking a big-name director for a driver was something only she could pull off. But if you looked at Ding Hei’s appearance—short, a bit dark, and chubby—he really did look like a driver.

"Hehehehe..." Wu Xiang didn't want to laugh, but he could barely hold it in.

"Hehe, do you think I’ll become famous from this one show?"

"You and your fame—did the director fire you yet?" Wu Xiang teased.

"That big director is very cultured; he didn't lower himself to my level, giggle..."

Wu Xiang knew the outcome of Hai Qing’s role in that show: the show would be a hit, but she wouldn't become a household name. However, he couldn't say that. He simply said, "I wish you success! You will definitely succeed! My little Hai is absolutely fine at acting!"

"Giggle..." Hai Qing was delighted. Everyone loves hearing that.

"Right! Also, if you really do get pregnant, stop filming. Let’s just get married and settle down!" Wu Xiang brought up the issue.

"Oh! If I really were pregnant, do you think I’d let you off the hook?" Hai Qing felt wonderful inside, though her words were fierce.

"That's good. Oh, and when you're filming, if there are any kissing scenes, remember: camera angles! Use camera angles! Don't do it for real!" Wu Xiang remembered that Hai Qing could be quite intense.

"Oh, don't worry!" Hai Qing laughed. Her boyfriend was just too prone to jealousy.

"And absolutely no bed scenes!"

"I'm not filming adult movies!"

"You know, it would be so much better if you acted in my films! I’ve actually got a plan, and the script is already being written—a role as a female nurse for the Eighth Route Army."

"Xiao Wu, just let me go out and try my luck. I don't want people saying later that I only became famous because I had a director for a boyfriend."

"Fine, but you must be careful. Don't let anyone take advantage of you!"

"Giggle..."

Wu Xiang had turned into a regular monk. The trouble was, this circle was messy, and his girl was just too worrying...

Wu Xiang was indeed working on plans for a new film. Funding wasn't an issue now, and the script was relatively easy to write since it was an adaptation. The copyright negotiations were ongoing, but there shouldn't be any major problems.

But that was just a plan. Right now, Wu Xiang's main focus was the promotion of *Emperor Wu of Han*. With the release date just over two months away, this was the critical period for publicity.

The production of *Emperor Wu of Han* was complete, and post-production was finished; they were just waiting for the release. The film had significantly exceeded its budget. The original estimate was 20.5 million, but it ended up costing over 25 million—meaning Wu Xiang had tossed in another 5 million.

Naturally, since he had invested more, his share of the profits should have been higher—that was only fair. However, because "Commander Huang" had put in a lot of effort, the August First Film Studio wanted a larger share of the profits. That was also reasonable, but given how much extra Wu Xiang had invested, they finally settled on him taking 12%, though they had initially asked for 15%.

Wu Xiang spent more money but still didn't get the lion's share. The reason was simple: a production of this scale required massive marketing costs. This meant China Film Group and Bona also had to increase their investments.

For his previous films, they hadn't spent much on promotion. Wu Xiang had used some clever tricks, hired some ghostwriters to pen articles, and caught the timing of the era. They hadn't spent big money on traditional media advertising. But this time was different; it was a major production, and it wouldn't be right not to advertise.

Advertising was expensive—truly expensive. While not as exaggerated as it would become later, it still cost a pretty penny. Wu Xiang was low on ammunition, so he had to rely on China Film Group and Bona. Thus, the profit-sharing ratio didn't change much, and Wu Xiang actually ended up with two percentage points less to give to Commander Huang.

They hadn't even released the film yet, and they were already thinking about how to split the money.

"For our promotion this time, in addition to all the standard methods, we are planning a special approach. One month before the release, we can select a few top-tier theaters in one or two major cities for advance screenings, ideally limited to media and reporters. This way, we can naturally generate all sorts of articles in the press..."

A young man in the Bona conference room spoke confidently to Wu Xiang and Yu Dong. Wu Xiang remembered his introduction: his name was Zhu Xuebin, and he had just graduated.

Wu Xiang realized this was what would later be known as "point screenings." Not bad—using this tactic for his blockbuster was a solid idea.

"A talent, he has potential." After Zhu Xuebin finished, Wu Xiang gave his approval. He was speaking to Yu Dong, and the implication was clear.

"Hehe, not as talented as you," Yu Dong joked. "This plan works?"

"It works!" Wu Xiang felt this was the best they could do. They already had the preliminary promotion from the Bayannur tourism project, followed by large-scale traditional media, and now this point screening. With his own layout on the internet, that was about as good as it gets. What else could they do?

"Then we'll proceed with this plan. You better cooperate, kid. Don't get annoyed when we schedule interviews for you," Yu Dong warned him in advance.

"Not annoyed, not annoyed." Even if he was, he had to do it. It was like a boring chore; even if you weren't in the mood, you had to push through it to get the job done.

This was his blockbuster, after all. If it lost money, it was his own problem.

Honestly, it wasn't bad. He was already a major shareholder in Bona, so he had a say in many matters, and it was much easier than running a distribution company himself.

Wu Xiang felt increasingly clever.

In the days that followed, Wu Xiang was basically like a celebrity on a press tour, constantly doing interviews and appearances.

However, Wu Xiang knew how to create work for himself. Having seen Zhu Xuebin at Yu Dong’s, Wu Xiang felt he should start building up his own talent pool. The first person who came to mind was Li Xue'er, Li Bingbing’s younger sister. He realized he had completely forgotten about her lately.

Wu Xiang found a spare moment and invited Li Xue'er to meet at a café.

"Tell me, what do you want?" After some pleasantries, Li Xue'er went straight to the point.

Wu Xiang could tell she was on her guard. It seemed she had encountered some very unpleasant things before.

This was the entertainment industry, after all. If there were no darkness or "unspoken rules," could it even be called the entertainment industry?

But he wasn't one of those guys. He was Wu Xiang, and his heart was already taken. So, Wu Xiang smiled and said, "I have no ulterior motives. I just want to invite you to come and help me."

"Help you?" Not 'hit on you'? Or 'keep you'?

Things were a bit better now, but in the past, many bosses and directors liked to use acting roles as leverage. If it wasn't her, it was her sister. Fortunately, the Li sisters weren't the type to trade themselves for money or...

"Yes, come help me. I plan to set up an agency, and you can be the general manager. All I want is that when I’m filming in the future, it’ll be a little more convenient to get the actors I need." Wu Xiang was playing the long game; he needed someone to help provide talent—enough resources—otherwise, his future production costs would only keep climbing.

"General Manager?" Li Xue'er seemed skeptical. If he wasn't hitting on her, that was one thing, but he wanted her to be a manager? Had Director Wu lost his mind?

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." Wu Xiang found the question interesting.

"This..." Faced with such a temptation, would Li Xue'er give in?

"You should know, I can help your sister. I can make her famous—even more famous!" Wu Xiang started to lure her. In truth, Li Bingbing was already somewhat famous.

It was *Young Justice Bao*, the show that plagiarized *Kindaichi* and *Conan*, that brought Li Bingbing into the view of the general public. Although she had performed well in *Seventeen Years*, that film had a limited audience. In *Palace of Desire*, she wasn't a lead, and the presence of Zhou Xun, Chen Hong, and Guei Ya-lei was too overwhelming. So, it was truly *Young Justice Bao* that put her on the map.

But she was only "a little" famous now, not a star. It was all a result of step-by-step hard work, and after so many films, she finally saw hope.

"Fine! I'll do it!" Regardless of whether this Director Wu had other intentions, Li Xue'er would risk it for her sister's sake!

"Excellent!" Wu Xiang achieved his goal, but he immediately moved to the next step, pulling out a stack of materials. "If you have the time, go meet these people and have a talk with them."

"Huh?" Li Xue'er took them and looked—it was a list of names...

(By the way, let me say this in advance: Heiche begs you all, let me save up some manuscript chapters. Many thanks.)