Chapter 19: Finalizing the Film Investment

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Zhou Qizhong ended up watching six episodes, admittedly skipping through parts, but it still took him over two hours. That alone said a lot. If this had been a lousy drama, how could the deputy director of the purchasing department spend so much time watching it? After finishing, Zhou rubbed his eyes and turned to Chen Mo. "Honestly, it exceeded my expectations. Looks like I should start calling you Director Chen from now on."

"I'll need your continued support, Director Zhou," Chen Mo replied with a smile.

"The production is quite good, but..." Zhou Qizhong shifted his tone.

Chen Mo wasn’t surprised—haggling over price was standard practice.

"But what? Please go on, Director Zhou," Chen Mo prompted.

"But your drama—the lead actress Zhao Liying and the lead actor Zhang Ruoyun—aren't very famous. The whole series lacks standout publicity points," Zhou frowned.

"You're right, Director Zhou. This drama does lack big-name actors, but it's a remake of ‘Meteor Garden,’ and I have the remake rights. So naturally, I can use the original version for promotion," Chen Mo explained confidently. His authorization wasn’t granted lightly. Having bought the rights, he could openly promote using the original, even compare the two versions. If Blueberry TV supports enough, they could even invite the original cast for joint promotion. Ask Yu Youde if he’d dare to do that!

This was Chen Mo’s advantage, and he was determined to highlight it—otherwise, buying the rights would have been a waste.

Chen Mo went on, "Also, this drama can be used to stir up buzz by comparing it with Yu Youde’s version of ‘Watching Meteor Together.’ We’ll see who’s the genuine article and who’s the impostor."

He left it unsaid, but competitors were rivals, and Blueberry TV and Mango TV were naturally vying against each other, though less overtly.

As Chen Mo said, the two dramas would inevitably be linked, providing plenty of fodder for publicity. He owned the rights and wasn’t afraid at all.

Of course, finalizing this deal immediately wasn’t realistic.

Sure enough, Zhou Qizhong soon told Chen Mo he needed to consult with the station. This wasn’t an excuse; rather, it showed Zhou took the drama seriously. Otherwise, he could have decided unilaterally.

Chen Mo had no objections but said, "Director Zhou, you know the connection with Yu Youde’s version, so if possible, I hope we can finalize this soon."

Zhou nodded with a smile. "Of course, I understand. Regardless of the outcome, I’ll get back to you as soon as possible."

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Back in Beijing from Hangzhou, Chen Mo received a call from Ning Hao inviting him to the studio to discuss investment. Chen Mo had promised earlier, and the funds were ready—the compensation payments had already arrived, enough to invest in Ning Hao’s new film.

At this time, Ning Hao’s now-famous Bad Monkey Pictures hadn’t been established yet, but he had already set up his own film studio.

"You're here? How’s it going? Sold it yet?" Ning Hao asked as Chen Mo arrived.

"Not that fast, but it shouldn’t be a problem. It mainly depends on how much it sells for," Chen Mo said confidently.

"Let’s go inside and talk," Ning Hao led the way.

After sitting down, a woman came out. Ning Hao introduced her, "This is my wife, Xing Aina. Aina, this is Chen Mo, the one I told you about!"

"Hello, sister-in-law!" Chen Mo greeted politely.

"Hello, Chen Mo. What would you like to drink?" Xing Aina smiled.

"Just plain water, thanks."

She quickly poured separate glasses for Chen Mo and Ning Hao, then said, "I'll leave you two to chat."

Ning Hao handed Chen Mo a script. "Here’s the script. Take a look."

Chen Mo glanced at the title: Crazy Stone. Of course, he knew this film well but still flipped through it.

"I plan to use a multi-thread narrative structure, so the script might seem a bit chaotic," Ning Hao explained.

"What about the actors? The original cast?" Chen Mo asked curiously.

Time had passed, after all.

"Yeah, mostly the same. But times have changed; the budget is much higher now—around 12 million yuan," Ning Hao nodded.

"How much is still needed?" Chen Mo inquired.

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"I’ve saved some money over the years and pulled in some investors, but there’s still a gap of 6 million," Ning Hao said.

This film had become something of a nightmare for him; the previous incident had clearly affected him deeply.

"Alright, I’m in!" Chen Mo agreed. Although the investment wasn’t as high in the previous life, several years had passed, so the budget was reasonable.

Besides, Chen Mo remained confident in the film despite the years.

"Thanks! By the way, want to do a cameo?" Ning Hao asked, relieved.

"I think I’ll pass," Chen Mo hesitated but shook his head.

He did have his own plans. ‘Watching Meteor Together’ was unlikely to lose money. The first round might not bring big profits, but as long as Blueberry TV bought the initial airing rights, he was confident about earning in subsequent rounds. That, of course, depended on how seriously Blueberry TV treated the drama. If they valued it enough, they might buy the full TV broadcasting rights outright.

After ‘Watching Meteor Together’ aired, Chen Mo expected to gain some recognition, but he hadn’t decided whether to continue making TV dramas or switch directly to films.

If he stuck with TV dramas, having this collaboration and good viewership would make future productions easier.

Films, especially theatrical releases, were quite challenging. Ning Hao and he were on different paths. Though Ning Hao had suffered setbacks in recent years, he was still a proper director and even an award-winning one—not major awards, but enough to signal status.

Actually, Chen Mo wanted to start with online films. He had many years of experience in that field and was most proficient there.

Although the concept of online movies hadn’t been fully established yet, that wasn’t a problem. He could reach out to video platforms early, pioneer the field, and be the first to capitalize.

But therein lay the challenge: the market for online feature films hadn’t truly formed, so the impact was uncertain.

Still, this was a good thing. Although online films weren’t accepted by the mainstream film industry in later years, in the early days, they weren’t so unwelcome.

Moreover, if he could be a trailblazer and achieve good results, he wouldn’t need to seek theatrical film projects later—partners would come knocking on his door.