February 2, 2008.
The film *Shendu: Youth’s Journey*, co-invested and produced by Liansheng and Tianjiao with Wen Ying as the screenwriter, held its press conference.
The film stars Yun Chen as the female lead. The female lead role did not go to fellow Tianjiao artist Li Mengjiao but to Jiaxin’s Xu Mei instead!
Director Zhang personally served as the producer.
At the press conference, to demonstrate his emphasis on a good story, Director Zhang openly admitted that the script alone had cost 5 million. The attending journalists erupted in astonishment.
“5 million for a script?”
“Isn’t that too expensive!”
“Does the film have a very high total investment?”
Director Zhang stated that the film’s budget was 60 million. The journalists were stunned. “Only 60 million production budget?”
60 million for a film was not a low budget.
But with 5 million already spent on the script, that left only 55 million, did it not?
What kind of script was worth 5 million!
Even though the screenwriter was “Fish Swimming Against the Current”, how did she have the confidence to demand such a high price?
Looking at the cast: Yun Chen and Xu Mei as the male and female leads, Zhang Yangning in a supporting female role.
There were a few familiar veteran actors among the supporting cast, but none had significant box office draw.
Good heavens. “Fish Swimming Against the Current” had never written a film script before. Yun Chen and Xu Mei had no experience carrying a film as leads. Wasn’t *Shendu: Youth’s Journey* clearly aimed at harvesting fan tickets?
One journalist pressed Wen Ying on her feelings about pricing a script at 5 million.
Wen Ying thought for a moment and answered seriously, “This price can make every screenwriter’s thoughts flow like a fountain.”
Cough. That answer was a bit too practical.
Due to similar themes and nearby release schedules, *Shendu: Youth’s Journey* was inevitably compared to the film previously announced by Huanyu.
Unlike the youthful inexperience of *Shendu: Youth’s Journey*’s main creatives in the film industry, the Huanyu-announced film featured a Best Actor winner as the male lead, a highly popular Best Actress from the past two years as the female lead, a renowned director, and a long-time collaborating screenwriter.
With such a luxurious lineup and Huanyu’s announced budget exceeding 100 million, if the two films released in the same slot, audiences would surely choose Huanyu’s!
“Normal viewers would all pick Huanyu’s. *Shendu: Youth’s Journey* might get quite a few fan tickets.”
Yun Chen had risen to fame through idol dramas, with female fans everywhere.
Xu Mei’s ups and downs in the entertainment industry were legendary in themselves, and she had a group of die-hard fans.
Needless to say about Wen Ying: bestselling author plus popular blogger. The readers willing to spend money on her were probably no fewer than a celebrity’s fans!
“So, spending 5 million on the script wasn’t buying the story itself but buying her popularity…”
Some self-proclaimed clever people deduced Director Zhang’s intentions.
Yuan Fenghui asked Wen Ying what she thought. Wen Ying did not mind. “Judge the deed, not the heart. Regardless of why Director Zhang was initially willing to pay 5 million for my script, the fact is that my script sold for that high price. If *Shendu: Youth’s Journey* is recognised by audiences after release, I will have contributed a little to my peers.”
Wen Ying felt she was promoting the industry’s respect for “content creation”. Her peers did not see it that way.
Screenwriters accustomed to being squeezed by capitalists did not rally behind Wen Ying or take the opportunity to raise prices. Instead, they stood on the opposite side and furiously criticised her.
They accused Wen Ying of wasting the film budget.
They believed Wen Ying was not a pure screenwriter. She was using her fame as a bestselling author and popular blogger to disrupt the market rates in the screenwriting world!
Just before the *Shendu: Youth’s Journey* press conference, the “Second Annual Writers’ Wealth List” was released. Wen Ying topped it with 15.5 million in royalty income!
Last year, she ranked third with 15.5 million in royalties. This year, she had jumped to first!
This data was not entirely accurate but was fairly close to Wen Ying’s total royalty income for 2007.
Her two earlier published books continued to earn money for her. *Xun Yong*, published in 2007, contributed significantly to her annual royalties.
*Xun Yong* hit the market in February 2007. As of January 31, 2008, Ding Chao’s statistics showed it had sold 2.05 million copies. Reaching 2 million copies was a key milestone, meaning Yuan Fenghui could finally take her agent commission from Wen Ying!
Just from *Xun Yong* alone, Wen Ying gained 11 million in royalties. Adding *Teen Idol* and *Starry River and You*, her total annual royalty income definitely exceeded 15.5 million. The “Second Annual Writers’ Wealth List” had been quite conservative in estimating her earnings.
This “Writers’ Wealth List” was already stimulating enough.
A few days later, news broke that Wen Ying had quoted 5 million for a film script, making some people extremely envious.
Wen Ying had anticipated public backlash but had not expected the waves to be so fierce.
She was somewhat bewildered. “I set a good example for my peers, telling them that stories are the core and creation is valuable, trying to improve everyone’s treatment. Why are they so united in cursing me?”
If they were going to curse, they should at least wait until *Shendu: Youth’s Journey* released and flopped at the box office before doing so!
Xie Qian, of course, knew the reason.
Wen Ying dared to quote 5 million because she had the confidence.
It was a custom script anyway. Director Zhang had approached her. If he did not accept the price, no deal.
Wen Ying had annual royalty income in the tens of millions.
She had dividends as a Tianjiao shareholder.
She had also profited from the stock market and could invest 20 million in “You Ni Group Buying”.
Not taking Director Zhang’s project would not affect Wen Ying’s quality of life at all!
Other screenwriters were different.
Professional screenwriters might not sell even one script in a year.
Those with other jobs and income were fine. But full-time screenwriters might rely on selling scripts to support their families… A screenwriter might think their script was worth 1 million, but a film company would only offer 500,000 or less. The screenwriter had no other choice but to submit.
Those senior figures who had toiled in the industry for years suddenly hearing that a junior like Wen Ying could sell a film script for 5 million would naturally feel a bit uncomfortable.
But that discomfort should not be the reason for their uniform attack on Wen Ying!
Xie Qian hit the nail on the head. “When things are abnormal, there must be a demon. I suspect Ran Keqing is stirring trouble behind the scenes.”
Xie Qian really did not want to mention “Ran Keqing”’s name.
But with Wen Ying’s intelligence, how could she not guess it?
Thinking of the fried egg Wen Ying had poked and ruined before, Xie Qian vaguely felt it was better if he pointed it out proactively.
Wen Ying indeed gave a light hum. “Miss Ran is not just targeting me. By whipping up this public opinion storm, her main goal is to lower public expectations for watching *Shendu: Youth’s Journey*.”
The script is not worth 5 million.
Harvesting fans.
Wen Ying relying on fame to encroach on the film budget.
Dissatisfaction from fellow screenwriters towards Wen Ying.
With these messages flying everywhere, neutral audiences would develop antipathy towards *Shendu: Youth’s Journey*.
Before the film even released, its reputation was already damaged. This was exactly the result Ran Keqing wanted.
Huanyu truly was an industry leader, with rich experience in guiding public opinion.
Director Zhang was truly furious and personally called President Ran.
Films are films. Each side shoots their own. During promotion, everyone can show their skills. There was no need to snipe *Shendu: Youth’s Journey* to death!
President Ran was very polite on the phone, speaking candidly with Director Zhang, saying they were old friends for many years and Huanyu would not treat Liansheng this way.
“There must be some misunderstanding here. Old Zhang, Keqing isn’t targeting you. You’ve just been caught in the crossfire!”
President Ran knew his daughter’s actions lacked magnanimity, but he had no intention of making her change.
Why should she change?
From President Ran’s standpoint, having built the business to the top of the industry, letting his daughter suffer grievance from a little writer would be unreasonable!
Director Zhang felt uncomfortable but kept his tone polite. “But Liansheng has already started this project. If I proceed with filming, I’ll be sniped by Xiao Qing. If I withdraw, I’ll lose money…”
President Ran laughed. “Old Zhang, what joke is this? Who makes money on every investment?”
—If you lose, accept it!
Director Zhang nearly had a heart attack on the spot.
What kind of friend was this?
Since the Ran father and daughter acted unrighteously first, Director Zhang could not be blamed for not being loyal.
In several meetings between Tianjiao and Liansheng, Director Zhang was full of gunpowder, boiling down to one core idea: *Shendu: Youth’s Journey* must crush Huanyu’s film!
“That Ran girl thinks drinking foreign ink for a couple of years makes her invincible? When I was making my way in this industry, she hadn’t even shed her baby hair!”
Director Zhang cursed Ran Keqing like this even in front of Wen Ying and others.
The two films would not release for over a year. The promotion war began now.
Ran Keqing had seized the initiative. But *Shendu: Youth’s Journey* was not without chances of victory. Wen Ying, Yun Chen, and others truly had many fans. These fans would automatically promote *Shendu: Youth’s Journey* online.
Passers-by might think the film was aimed at harvesting fans from the start, but fans were perfectly willing to be harvested!
It was just a movie ticket, after all.
Everyone had the money for that!
As the Spring Festival approached, the internet was buzzing.
Xie Jinghu had not paid attention to Wen Ying before. Since learning she was Xie Qian’s girlfriend, Xie Jinghu kept a close eye on her.
Since he had not yet found someone to replace Wen Ying, Xie Jinghu tried to get closer to her.
With Wen Ying under attack, Xie Jinghu felt his opportunity had come!
Unable to reach Wen Ying directly, Xie Jinghu had Assistant Qi call.
Assistant Qi reluctantly conveyed Xie Jinghu’s “good intentions”. Wen Ying shook her head and refused. “This is my matter. It has nothing to do with President Xie. How could I trouble President Xie to help!”
Xie Qian helping was natural. After all, Ran Keqing was originally a bad romantic entanglement provoked by Xie Qian.
Xu Mei accepting the female lead role at extremely low pay was Xie Qian helping.
Now that Xie Jinghu expressed a desire to help, Wen Ying did not want any connection with him!
After hanging up, Xie Jinghu sneered. “She truly does not know what’s good for her.”
Assistant Qi subtly spoke up for Wen Ying. “From another angle, Student Wen is quite principled. If it were someone else, knowing your status, who wouldn’t try to get close? Yet she firmly refuses your kindness… And she is truly impressive. Daring to quote 5 million for a film script, and someone actually accepted it.”
The future daughter-in-law is so talented. Aren’t you happy about it, President Xie?
Assistant Qi almost wanted to kneel before Xie Jinghu. President Xie, please do not cause trouble!
