Chen Li, or Old Chen as she was known, was in fact a woman. In fact, most of the top agents in the industry today were women.
Huang He hadn't changed the agent's income rules. Just like before with Tangren, agents received a 20% cut from the total income of the artists under their management.
However, Tangren had altered the artist revenue-sharing model, and consequently, the income of artists' agents. For example, with all her artists gone, Chen Li was now left with only a basic salary each month.
Therefore, this time, coinciding with Huang He's visit to the company for inspection, Chen Li had brought in five or six new talents, all fresh-faced youngsters, intending to sign them as her artists.
Chen Li could only sign these newcomers now. Anyone with even a modicum of fame had outright refused after hearing about Tangren's income policy.
But these newcomers weren't foolish; they wouldn't sign with Chen Li without any guarantees. They demanded at least a major role in a television series for their debut, otherwise, they wouldn't sign. After all, Tangren's revenue-sharing system was truly a rip-off.
Chen Li was helpless with these individuals. She couldn't offer any guarantees and could only bring them to Boss Huang for a look, hoping to secure his verbal commitment so she could sign these newcomers.
Of course, Chen Li had also hinted to some of the female newcomers to be more accommodating and to make the boss happy. They didn't resist this idea much. After all, entering this industry meant accepting its unspoken rules. It was the same for everyone; only by selling oneself could one get ahead.
However, Li Guoli was somewhat displeased with this. He was an old-school director and disliked these messy affairs, but he couldn't say much either, as Chen Li relied on these newcomers for her livelihood.
"Actually, Boss, I think this institutional reform of yours is good in the long run!" Li Guoli said, slightly enlivened.
"Oh? What do you mean?"
"The boss's triple revenue-sharing system means the better the quality of the work, the more income it generates. In fact, if a production can break even, then the director and actors will earn a comparable income. If it can earn double the profit, then the income for the actors and directors can surpass their previous salaries."
"This way, whether it's the director or the actor, once they take on a project, they will inevitably be more invested. Even if it's just for their own income, they will strive to produce the best quality work. This is a win-win for Tangren and its staff!" Li Guoli stated.
"That sounds reasonable, but it's too wishful thinking!" Chen Li waved her hand. "Director Li, this isn't the television industry of the 90s anymore. Don't you feel that the atmosphere in the industry has become increasingly impetuous?"
"Old actors and old directors are fine, but these young actors, just starting out, have no works, no acting skills, and even no basic morals. At best, they have a good appearance, and then they all expect to become famous overnight."
"Take the 'Book and Sword Encounter Record' we filmed before, what were those newcomers like? Not only were they slacking off on set, but they couldn't even remember their lines or control their expressions, maintaining the same expression from beginning to end. Can such a series be watched?"
"And it's not just the actors; many screenwriters are like this now. The more famous a screenwriter is, the more scripts they take on. Some people take on four scripts at once. How can they write good works like this? They can only copy and paste, make it as melodramatic as possible, and the final output is always something that makes your teeth ache."
"Especially the Hong Kong and Taiwan idol dramas that have become popular now have completely ruined the atmosphere of the entire industry. Today, these newcomers all ask me if I have any idol dramas to act in. The men must play domineering CEO roles, and the richer their families, the better. The women must play Cinderella roles, the poorer their families, the better. It's as if they can become famous by just acting in an idol drama!" Chen Li became more animated as she complained. Li Guoli couldn't help but join the discussion. Just as they were about to drift further, they didn't notice Huang He entering the room.
"Director Li, long time no see!" Huang He greeted with a smile. Director Li and Chen Li finally reacted and quickly greeted Huang He.
"This is Leng Zhiruo, the elder sister of Zhimeng, and also the president of our Jiangnan Commercial Group. She's doubling as my secretary today!" Huang He introduced Leng Zhiruo with a smile. Li Guoli and Chen Li quickly asked for clarification.
However, Chen Li's expression seemed a bit subdued.
"What's wrong?" Li Guoli asked in a low voice.
"This Leng Zhimeng is too beautiful. She outshines all the newcomers I brought, making me embarrassed!" Chen Li said helplessly, enraging Li Guoli, who glared at her.
"Alright, let's get to the point. Director Li mentioned several projects that have investment opportunities and need my decision. So, what are these projects? I'm very curious!" Huang He smiled.
"Here they are!" Li Guoli quickly handed over the prepared documents to Huang He and then introduced them one by one.
"The first one, I believe, is a guaranteed money-maker. It's a co-production between mainland China and Taiwan, directed by Lai Shuiqing, 'The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber.' Although 'The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber' has been filmed countless times, they were all produced in Hong Kong and Taiwan. This is the first time a mainland director is directing, with a large number of mainland actors participating."
"In terms of actors, the male lead, Alec Su, is very popular. Although the several female leads are not yet famous, they are all exceptionally beautiful. I know their costume designer; they are best at showcasing beauty. Most importantly, this time we have the mainland's 'Iron Triangle' joining, which is Zhang Guoli, Wang Gang, and Zhang Tielin!"
"You must be very familiar with these three. They became famous for 'The Emperor and I' and later filmed two more seasons of 'The Eloquent Scholar.' Both achieved high ratings. Among the old artists in the country, they are the most popular. With them co-starring, I believe the attraction of the entire series to the audience is unquestionable!"
"By investing in this, we can definitely make a decent profit!" Li Guoli said.
"Hmm, Director Li indeed has sharp vision. I am also very optimistic about this project!" Huang He nodded and then asked, "How much investment does this series require?"
"The total investment is 20 million. We currently need about 8 million more. In fact, Lai Shuiqing is not short of money; he can find investors immediately. It's just that he heard Tangren was recently acquired and urgently needed results. Coupled with our good relationship, he proactively offered us this opportunity. Under normal circumstances, he would have already found investors!" Li Guoli explained.
"Very good!" Huang He nodded. "So, can we recommend some of our own actors for this drama?"
"This..." Li Guoli hesitated. "It's not impossible, but the main roles are actually already finalized, and we are not the primary investors. If it's for a few supporting roles, it's not a big problem. However, for the main characters – Zhang Wuji, Zhao Min, Zhou Zhiruo, Xiao Zhao – it's more difficult. Yin Li, due to the amount of screen time and the need for a disfigured appearance in the early stages, is less of an issue."
"Then that's acceptable. In fact, I am also very satisfied with these leads and have no intention of replacing them. However, since we are investing, we also need to find opportunities for our signed artists. So, whatever roles we can secure for them, you must strive for them, even if it's just minor supporting roles, that's still good!"
"Oh, right. There is a very outstanding supporting role, the Yellow-Robed Woman. She's a memorable character, and we can try to get her," Huang He said with a smile.
"The Yellow-Robed Woman?" Li Guoli was stunned for a moment, not understanding who this character was. Leng Zhiruo, on the other hand, asked curiously, "This Yellow-Robed Woman is the descendant of the Condor Heroes who defeated Zhou Zhiruo, right?"
"So that's how it is! President Leng is indeed very knowledgeable; she remembers all of this!" Li Guoli and the others realized, then praised her.
"No, I just watched 'The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber' several times, that's why I remember so much. Who told me to be named Leng Zhiruo, and it just happened to match Zhou Zhiruo's name!" Leng Zhiruo said with a wry smile. Everyone then noticed that Leng Zhiruo's name was indeed the same as Zhou Zhiruo's.
"If it's this role, then we can actually recommend Zhimeng to play it. Her swordplay and movement techniques are simply too perfect for this role."
"So, this one is decided? We'll invest 8 million?" Li Guoli asked tentatively.
"We will!" Huang He said readily. "Not only will we put in this 8 million, but if more investment is needed in the future, we can also provide it. I am very optimistic about this production. Since we are investing more, we will naturally earn more, so it's not a loss!"
"Good!" Li Guoli smiled. He hadn't expected the first project of the day to go so smoothly. Chen Li was also very happy. Without her saying anything, Huang He had proactively secured many roles for the company. Later, she could use these roles to pacify those newcomers and get them to sign quickly.
"Then the second project for investment is also a Jin Yong drama, 'Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils.' This is a big production by director Zhang Jizhong, with CCTV as a backer. Actually, it wasn't supposed to involve us. But the original investment of 40 million yuan was exceeded by about 10 million yuan, which requires finding investors within the industry!" Li Guoli said, but judging by his expression, he didn't seem very keen on recommending this project.
"What's wrong? Are there any issues with 'Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils'?" Huang He asked curiously.
"It's like this. Because the original investors of this series have strong backing, they are unwilling to give up their profit-sharing rights. They are only willing to borrow 10 million yuan as a loan. After the production makes money, they can return 11 million yuan to us, but they won't give us any profit share."
"So I don't think this is a good project. After all, this series is still in the preparation stage. By the time it's filmed and released, it will be 2003. If we have to wait for it to generate income to repay the loan, it might be delayed until the latter half of 2004."
"This way, there will be a gap of up to two years. Lending money like this seems unprofitable, and there's also huge risk. If the drama turns out to be a flop, then we'll lose all our capital!" Li Guoli stated.
"Indeed!" Chen Li chimed in, "From my years of experience, this investment is a scam for fools. We shouldn't agree to it."
"Is that so?" A smile appeared on Huang He's lips; it seemed he had another good idea.