Yuan Fenghui glanced at the message on her phone, paused, a mocking smile flickering across her lips before she continued walking as if nothing had happened.
Li Mengjiao had to jog to keep up.
Was Teacher Yuan walking too fast, or were her legs too short?
In Teacher Yuan’s eyes, time was precious. Walking too slowly was a waste of time, a waste of life.
Yuan Fenghui stopped abruptly, and Li Mengjiao nearly bumped into her.
“Teacher Yuan?”
Yuan Fenghui looked Li Mengjiao up and down, then chuckled after a moment, “You really are a lucky fool!”
Li Mengjiao’s face flushed, “Out of nowhere, how can you insult me like that?”
“I’m not insulting you, I’m praising you, I’m fond of you.”
Yuan Fenghui sighed sincerely.
The entertainment industry valued “luck” more than most industries.
No matter how great one’s star-making ability, a stroke of bad luck could ruin an artist.
Li Mengjiao’s luck was truly extraordinary.
If the script hadn’t been revised, her drama would’ve been in trouble.
No amount of popularity could withstand deliberate sabotage. Li Mengjiao’s age made it questionable for her to play a romantic lead in an idol drama, but the revised script was perfectly suitable.
Yuan Fenghui instructed Li Mengjiao, “You should cherish a friend like Wen Ying, got it?”
Li Mengjiao’s eyes darted, and though she didn’t know what had happened, how could she miss such an opportunity?
“Then are you going to give Wen Ying a raise? If I just cherish our friendship without a raise, what’s the use? It takes real money to keep talent!”
,This silly girl, sometimes foolish, sometimes sharp, always keeping people guessing.
Yuan Fenghui, in a great mood, didn’t bother arguing with the outwardly loyal Li Mengjiao and nodded readily, “As soon as the copyright is sold, I’ll not only give Wen Ying a raise but also a big red envelope!”
Wow, that’s great!
Li Mengjiao was curious about what had happened, but when Yuan Fenghui didn’t want to talk, her lips were as tight as a clam. No matter how much Li Mengjiao pried, she couldn’t get anything out, scratching her head in frustration.
Yuan Fenghui took Li Mengjiao to meet Director Fan, who had already watched the master tape of The Princess’s New Clothes.
Director Fan had initially planned to just skim it, but ended up watching until the final episode.
Tianjiao Film’s drama was truly a surprise for Director Fan.
So what if it’s a new company? As long as they put in the effort, a new company could still produce a great drama!
Of course, effort alone wasn’t enough; it required real financial investment.
Say what you will, Director Fan admired Tianjiao and Yuan Fenghui’s boldness. The Princess’s New Clothes was filmed when Li Mengjiao was at her lowest popularity, and the male lead wasn’t famous either. Tianjiao and Yuan Fenghui had really gone all in.
Meeting Yuan Fenghui and Li Mengjiao, Director Fan smiled, “Mr. Liu came to see me earlier.”
Mr. Liu was there to discuss advertising fees.
He also wanted the ad slots during the drama, but only if The Princess’s New Clothes aired first.
This was Li Mengjiao’s drama as the female lead!
A dairy ad playing during the drama’s breaks—how perfect.
Yuan Fenghui wasn’t surprised. Mr. Liu had already spoken to her before meeting Director Fan, and they had even discussed having Li Mengjiao shoot a few additional scenes to insert into the drama, which was part of the 2.8 million endorsement deal.
Mr. Liu had already watched The Princess’s New Clothes.
The scenes Mr. Liu wanted had already been shot by Li Mengjiao, but they weren’t edited into the earlier version because Mr. Liu hadn’t seen the final cut and didn’t know the quality of The Princess’s New Clothes.
Though Mr. Liu liked Li Mengjiao, he wasn’t foolish. He feared a poorly made The Princess’s New Clothes would lower the prestige of his group’s key product. After watching it, he regretted negotiating for so few ad inserts.
But Yuan Fenghui clearly wouldn’t agree to more soft ad placements.
This was Li Mengjiao’s first drama. The company, strapped for cash, had taken out bank loans and accepted investments from minors, all while avoiding ad placements to ensure the drama’s quality.
As long as the first drama succeeded, would they worry about getting ads later?
Yuan Fenghui’s plan for Li Mengjiao was never about quick or cheap money. Ads that didn’t fit Li Mengjiao’s image wouldn’t be accepted, no matter how much was offered.
Mr. Liu and Yuan Fenghui couldn’t reach an agreement, so he went to Director Fan to complain.
With just a few ad inserts, Mr. Liu reluctantly compromised, but he refused to let The Princess’s New Clothes give way to other dramas. He wanted maximum ad impact.
Hearing Director Fan’s words, Yuan Fenghui smiled, “What did you and Mr. Liu talk about? Does it have to do with our Jiaojiao’s drama?”
Yuan Fenghui played dumb, and Director Fan was exasperated.
“Mr. Liu came to fight for your drama’s slot, but after a deep discussion, he agreed to the station’s arrangement. We want to air The Princess’s New Clothes in September.”
The smile on Yuan Fenghui’s face vanished.
September?
The summer prime-time slot would be over, and the buzz would have cooled!
Li Mengjiao’s eyes widened: Mr. Liu’s negotiation skills were that bad? How did he end up pushing the slot back?
Yuan Fenghui’s stare was one thing, but being glared at accusingly by Li Mengjiao made Director Fan a bit uncomfortable.
Look how scared the kid is!
“Xiao Yuan, don’t rush. Hear me out. I know you were aiming for the summer slot, and you probably have other options besides our station. Delaying The Princess’s New Clothes to September is good for the station and Mr. Liu, but maybe not for you. But we have to consider all angles. After the Super Girl finale in September, audiences might drift to other channels without a competition to watch. We’re worried about that, so we need an attractive drama for September. Honestly, the station originally chose Jade Forest.”
Director Fan explained earnestly.
Yuan Fenghui gave a half-hearted smile, “So we should thank you for thinking highly of us?”
Director Fan laughed, “I do think highly of your company’s drama and Li Mengjiao’s popularity. I believe The Princess’s New Clothes can retain the audience that might leave. I’ve talked to the station, and to make you willingly agree to the September slot, we won’t shortchange you on price.”
Oh, more money?
That sounded more reasonable.
Yuan Fenghui quickly calculated in her mind.
August was the best slot.
September wasn’t necessarily bad.
As Director Fan said, after the talent show ends, audiences who’ve been caught up in the summer excitement might feel empty. A good drama then could capture their full attention.
Of course, if Hunan TV didn’t offer enough money, Yuan Fenghui still wouldn’t agree to September.
“Tell me more, I’m listening. I know you won’t let our small company lose out. We’re not like bigger companies with deep pockets. We’re counting on The Princess’s New Clothes to recoup our investment quickly.”
In other words, if the money wasn’t enough, talk of goodwill wouldn’t cut it. The small company had invested heavily and was banking on The Princess’s New Clothes selling for a high price.
Director Fan gestured a number with his fingers. Li Mengjiao didn’t catch it, but Yuan Fenghui’s heart skipped a beat.
Why was Hunan TV suddenly so generous?
There’s no free lunch. Director Fan’s high offer came with a catch: he didn’t want just first-run rights, but exclusive broadcast rights!
