Huayu: This director is pretty strong.

Chapter 180 The Prelude to Heavy Industry, A Hunting Ground in a Higher Dimension

Yanying Culture, Top Floor Meeting Room No. 1.

The long conference table was filled with key company personnel on both sides.

On the projection screen, a map showing the distribution of cinemas across the country was lit up. The red dots representing those directly operated and controlled by Yanying Cinemas had already formed a continuous area in North and East China.

Chen Yan sat in the main seat, a cigarette dangling from his fingers.

"The liquidation of Jinghai's assets has been completed."

Su Wan stood in front of the screen, holding a laser pointer, her voice clear, "All thirty plots of land have been thawed, and construction teams have begun work. Before next year's May Day holiday, the number of screens in Yanying Cinema will exceed five hundred. By then, we will have at least forty percent of the decision-making power in the domestic market."

People in the meeting room were whispering among themselves.

This rate of expansion is unprecedented in the current domestic film industry.

Chen Yan raised his hand, and the room fell silent.

"This is just the hardware."

Chen Yan looked at the people on both sides of the conference table. "On the software side, Sister Lin, you need to expand your film import business. Utilize our channels in Europe to buy out some promising commercial films and fill the gaps in theaters. Yanying can't rely solely on its own small territory."

Lin Shufen, sitting in the first seat on the left, nodded: "Don't worry. I've already made contact with Gaomen. They have a few good French action films on the market that are suitable for the domestic market."

Chen Yan turned to look at the corner.

"Qingqiu"

Lin Qingqiu, wearing a white turtleneck sweater, looked up when she heard the name.

Chen Yan gestured to the legal department to hand over the documents.

"Yan Ying's lifetime contract. Signing fee of ten million, and subsequent film remuneration and revenue sharing will follow the highest-level partnership agreement."

Chen Yan looked at her. "Also, Su Wan has contacted a mental health center in Los Angeles and the Strasberg Theatre School for you. You're flying to the US tomorrow. In three months, you'll shed the shadow of 'Thunder' from yourself and come back with top Hollywood acting skills."

Lin Qingqiu did not look at the contract.

"I don't want to go."

Her voice was very soft, but everyone in the conference room could hear her: "I want to stay with the crew."

There's no place for you in the production crew right now.

Chen Yan's tone was harsh, "In your current state, you can't even manage a normal smile. How are you going to act in the next film? Going to America is an order."

Lin Qingqiu looked down at the contract, paused for a few seconds, picked up the pen, and signed her name at the end.

"Okay, let's get down to business."

Chen Yan stood up and walked to the front of the curtain.

"Award-winning art and cinema monopolies are our two legs."

Chen Yan wrote eight characters on the whiteboard: "The Night Watch and Thunder prove that we can stand tall. But, folks, times are changing."

He tapped the whiteboard.

"With the WTO just around the corner, Hollywood films will soon be coming in. The authorities need competitive domestic commercial films. The five major theater chains have joined forces with Wall Street and pooled together 200 million to let Director Zhang make a martial arts film. Their plan is simple: to overwhelm us with money. They will use a big-budget production to snatch up all the screenings, leaving our theaters with nothing to show."

No one spoke in the meeting room.

A 200 million investment in 2000 would have been enough to suppress many companies.

"Director Chen, the majority of the 15 million euros in our account will be used for the construction of cinemas."

Su Wan flipped through the report, her tone calm, "If we try to compete with them on production costs, our funding will run out."

"Who said you have to use your own money to gamble?"

Chen Yan returned to his seat and threw a script from his drawer onto the middle of the table.

"Pass it around and see."

Zhang Yuan was the first to pick it up, and after just one glance at the cover, he raised his voice.

"The Wandering Earth?! A science fiction film?"

Zhang Yuan opened the script, becoming increasingly restless as he read. "Director Chen, China doesn't even have the 'foundation' for science fiction! How much did these special effects cost?"

The script was passed around among the people.

"Bomb Jupiter? Push the Earth along?"

Lin Shufen closed the script, looked at Chen Yan, and said, "Chen Yan, even Hollywood wouldn't dare touch something like this! What are you going to use to film it? Domestic special effects can't even handle a simple explosion properly!"

"If we can't do it domestically, we'll use something from abroad."

Chen Yan tapped his fingers on the table. "Wu Gang has gone to New Zealand and is in contact with Weta Digital. The team that just finished 'The Lord of the Rings' has world-class technology."

"Where's the money?"

Su Wan asked directly, "Based on this script, the production cost is at least fifty million US dollars, or four hundred million RMB. Where are we going to get that money?"

Chen Yan walked to the French windows; the sky over Beijing was overcast and gray.

"Isn't the government supposed to support heavy industry films?"

Chen Yan turned around. "What kind of heavy industry is a 200 million yuan martial arts film? Can wielding swords and spears represent a country's industrial strength? What I want to film is real heavy industry. I want China Film Group, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, and everyone else to see what truly represents the future of the Chinese film industry!"

Chen Yan walked back to the table, placed his hands on the surface, and looked at everyone.

"Sister Lin, go to China Film Group and slam the script on President Han's desk. Tell him that the five major cinema chains are betting on martial arts films, while Yanying Film Group is betting on science fiction. Ask him if he dares to gamble on this future."

"Su Wan, prepare a compelling business plan and include Weta's letter of intent. We won't go to Wall Street; we'll go to domestic coal mine owners and real estate developers. Tell them that investing in this film will give their wealth a gilded edge of cultural sophistication."

Chen Yan straightened up.

"The five major cinema chains want to crush us with 200 million yuan in martial arts films? Then we'll use 400 million yuan in science fiction to overturn their table! From today onwards, Yanying Culture enters wartime mode! The Wandering Earth project is launched!"

The meeting room was very quiet.

Late at night, in Chen Yan's office.

The ashtray was piled high with cigarette butts.

Chen Yan sat in front of the computer, revising the storyboard of "The Wandering Earth" frame by frame.

The phone on the table rang; it was an international call.

"Director Chen, this is Wu Gang."

The wind whistled on the other end of the phone. "Arrived in Wellington, met Richard Taylor of Vita."

"What did he say?"

Chen Yan lit another cigarette.

"After looking at the concept art, he said the project was very ambitious. But there were two conditions."

"explain."

"First, a 30% down payment, $15 million USD, is required before construction begins. Second, they believe that domestic teams cannot handle the complex motion capture and green screen shooting, so they want us to send our core team to New Zealand for six months of training."

Chen Yan took a drag of his cigarette.

Fifteen million US dollars is roughly all the cash that Yan Ying has at her disposal.

The core team was reassigned for six months, and the construction and operation of cinemas across the country had to be rearranged.

Tell Richard.

Chen Yan stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray. "The money will arrive tomorrow. The people will depart next week. Also, tell him that I not only want them to do the special effects, but I also want them to send people to China to help me build our own special effects factory."

There was a pause on the other end of the phone.

"Director Chen, you've staked everything on this."

Wu Gang lowered his voice.

"How can you win if you don't bet everything?"

Chen Yan looked at the planetary engine on the screen.

After hanging up the phone, he rubbed his temples.

The door was pushed open, and Su Wan came in carrying a cup of hot coffee.

"There's news from China Film Group."

Su Wan put down her coffee and spoke directly, "President Han is very interested in the script, but he's been held back. The five major cinema chains, along with several senior figures, submitted a joint letter to the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, saying that we're aiming too high and using national resources to make an unrealistic science fiction film. China Film Group's stance is to wait and see."

Chen Yan picked up his coffee and took a sip. It was too hot, and the bitterness was too strong.

"They were scared."

Chen Yan put down his cup. "I'm afraid that if we really manage to crack the heavy industry, we'll ruin everyone's livelihood."

He pulled a thick directory from the bookshelf and placed it on the table.

That's information from large domestic heavy industry and energy companies.

"If the government won't invest, then we'll find money from the private sector."

Chen Yan pointed to the list and said, "Su Wan, tomorrow, help me make an appointment with those coal bosses from Shanxi. They have so much money they're practically burning it out, and they're just wondering what to do with it. Tell them to invest in a movie, and I'll give them a chance to go down in history."

Su Wan nodded: "Okay. Also, Director Zhang's 'A Better Tomorrow' is having a press conference tomorrow. I heard they've invited half of Beijing's stars; it's a big production."

Chen Yan walked to the window and looked at the aviation obstruction lights on the rooftop in the distance.

"Let them make a scene."

His face was reflected in the glass window.

A martial arts film with a budget of 200 million yuan, facing fierce competition from the five major cinema chains, with the authorities adopting a wait-and-see approach, and a funding gap looming ahead.

The roads are difficult to travel.

Chen Yan looked out the window for a while, then turned around and said:

"Book a flight to Taiyuan for tomorrow."

"Go see the coal mine owner?"

"No."

Chen Yan straightened his collar, picked up the script for "The Wandering Earth" from the table, and said, "I'm going to meet someone who can help me build the planetary engine."

The gates to heavy industry must be smashed open with a heavy hammer.

Chen Yan was ready to make his move.