I'm A Baller

Chapter 411: Would It Work?

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The old gangster’s movie premiere was full of stars.

There were too many media outlets, so Wang Yan didn’t join An Xiaofang in the fun. He pulled Wang Muye to a cinema near the water cube and bought tickets to enter.

It was a little weird for two men to watch other movies, but watching old gangsters was actually a good fit.

Many men from the capital came in groups to watch the movie. It was rare for the number of males audiences to surpass the number of female fans.

Before the start of the movie, at 6:30 pm the movie theatre was almost full. The attendance rate was around 90%.

Wang Yan secretly observed and asked softly, “What do you think of the box office earnings?”

Wang Muye casually replied, “Based on those actors, it would make around 200 million in the next two days. We would look at the quality next.”

It made sense.

Best actor, best actress, Little Steel Cannon, and two male idols. It was a lineup to be envied.

The two of them watched the movie in peace. From time to time, a comment would pop up.

Wang Yan’s first thought was, “The first half of the movie was too gentle and slow paced and the plot was too loose.”

Wang Muye’s focus was completely different, “The presentation of the movie along with the design of the scenes was very good. The lines were laid out well!”

As they continued watching, Wang Yan frowned, “The plot development was a little insulting to the audience’s IQ.”

Wang Muye nodded in agreement. Then, he found another good point. “The tragic feeling of the hero in his twilight years was presented well.”

“If the backbone of the plot was too fragile, it will be broken at the slightest touch.”

“But the spiritual core should be able to trigger a resonance — the reason why I am Luthor is the fault of the times. I could lose, but I will not be convinced.”

Wang Yan finally agreed, “Although it was a little cheap, this film has hit the nail on the head. It was rare and valuable.”

This movie was considered a good one it’s because the current movie market was filled with bad movies.

If Wang Yan were to rate the movie, he would give it a maximum of six out of ten points.

The early stage was supported by acting skills, superstars, and the charm of the capital dialect. It was not much better than the original The Witch movie.

Although the early stage of the original The Witch movie was tedious, the plot did not disperse. It was always pushing forward.

“Let’s take this as a lesson. When we film The Witch, the early stages should be beautiful.”

Wang Yan came to a conclusion, it was to stick to the core theme of today’s movie.

Wang Muye nodded while he pondered.

Wang Yan and Wang Muye’s had a great cooperation. He was a very focused young director. It was rare for him to have that kind of passion for movies.

After watching the movie, the two of them took a car to the nearby Pangu seven-star hotel to attend the thank-you banquet.

It was not an exaggeration to say that half of the entertainment circle had come today.

Huayi, Little Steel Cannon, and the director, its power was astonishing.

Not to mention a layman like Wang Yan, even An Xiaofang, a famous producer, was not considered a big shot in today’s occasion.

Wang Yan was happy and relaxed as he searched for female celebrities everywhere.

When he had nothing to do, he sneakily turned on the radar and scanned their actual looks and special points under their makeup.

Hiss… Hiss!

What an eye-opener!

The special points of many famous female stars were pitifully low.

Long term high-intensity work with irregular rest schedules, were the reasons for heavy makeup.

As for the core reason… ahem, there was none!

Looking at the big crab that bared its fangs and brandished its claws on the buffet table, Wang Yan silently broke off a crab claw and kept what he did into his heart.

In the scene, Wang Yan finally saw Zha Zha.

A beauty score of 99 was like a benchmark in Wang Yan’s heart.

With full makeup, her beauty was lethal.

Then, there wasn’t a single female celebrity around. It was probably because they were afraid of the contrast of beauty.

It wasn’t just her. The other female celebrities who were famous for their beauty were the same. All of them were far apart from each other.

Even if there weren’t any media reporters, they would still maintain their distance from one another.

Bing Bing, Ya Ya, Hot Bar, and Secret… Under that thick makeup, they were all top-notch beauties.

However, Bing Bing’s score was the lowest. Ya Ya was too thin and weak that it made one’s heart ache. Hot Bar’s heavy makeup made her look old. And Secret was in a terrible state as she was so tired. In the entire venue, Zha Zha had the highest score.

As expected, she was the legendary barefaced beauty.

Immediately after, Wang Yan saw one of the second female contestants, Wang Haiou.

Surprisingly, she maintained her score. She looked mature and charming.

After observing her for a moment, he imagined how she would look with a femme fatale makeover, and what kind of effect it would have after it was done. Wang Yan nodded in satisfaction.

It was indeed suitable.

Women — especially female celebrities — were always very sensitive to this kind of observation.

Wang Yan was looking at her when she suddenly turned her head and looked over.

When their eyes met, Wang Haiou was slightly stunned.

It was probably because they didn’t know each other very well.

Wang Yan’s appearance was rated 83, he was considered handsome compared to the average males but in the entertainment circle, it was nothing.

She had come into contact with the handsome guys who were rated 90 points, so she wouldn’t be surprised by Wang Yan’s appearance.

She was definitely thinking: “Who was that? Why was he looking at me like that?

Wang Yan nodded at her, but Wang Haiou frowned slightly and turned her head away as if she didn’t see him.

Oops…

Wang Yan could understand the situation. Anyone would have paid attention during such an occasion.

However, he felt a little unhappy.

Young people were all the same. Being able to control their emotions didn’t mean that they didn’t have any emotions.

Should he replace her as the second female lead?

That could not be possible!

A good film was the most important thing. If the character’s temperament and image suited her, then she had to be hired.

At most, they wouldn’t give her a lecture…

After strolling around as if it was a shopping mall, Wang Yan was pulled into Director Ning’s circle by Wang Muye.

Director Ning, Mr. Bo, Mr. Zheng, Bao Bao, half of the Chinese comedy circle were all together.

They were good people, easygoing, and didn’t put on airs. However, they didn’t have many common topics to talk about, so they could only engage in small talk.

Wang Yan did not insist, he said, “If Muye’s new film lacked investment, feel free to look for me. You could decide on the requirements.”

He made Ning Haozheng gave a thumbs up and called him a righteous person.

To be on good terms, one must be sincere.

The last thing Wang Yan lacked was money. He invested 18 million without batting an eyelid.

So what if he lost a little money?

On one hand, he encouraged Wang Muye. On the other hand, he sold a favor to Director Ning and Mr. Zheng. At the same time, he built a good relationship with the Han family. No matter what, it was a win.

As for the script of that movie, it didn’t matter.

Wang Yan couldn’t even be bothered to look at the realistic subject.

After chatting for a while, An Xiaofang finally had the time to drag Wang Yan to “pay his respects”.

Wang Yan couldn’t be bothered to be acquainted with any actors, even if it was a female star.

The main purpose was to meet the directors, investors, and the cinema’s department to promote Wangting Film.

Da Peng, who was filming the real pancake man, had a cordial relation with Wang Yan — As he had a younger sister who loved pancakes so much…

Chen Zhacheng made Wang Yan unhappy. This fellow was too arrogant.

They chatted for a while and he spoke with an authoritative tone, “Wang Yan, it’s a good thing that young people have the guts to mess around. You have the potential. I’m a good judge of people and would never misjudge. However, it’s not that easy to be a director. If you run into issues that can’t be resolved on set, feel free to call me.”

Was it bad?

Not really.

It was his attitude. He was like a successful senior, giving advice to a junior.

His sense of superiority was overflowing. He really didn’t coddle Wang Yan.

An Xiaofang turned around to comfort Wang Yan, “Don’t lower yourself to that person’s level. He had always been like that. Narcissistic, big mouth, and he dares to spew everything out.”

Wang Yan had heard a little about this person.

During last year’s interview, Chen Zhacheng spoke with extreme honesty, “Sometimes I feel that polygamy is the right practice. The motivation for many successful men is women. They want to have a lot of women, beautiful women. This is a desire and it’s natural. We shouldn’t avoid it.”

When it came to why he wanted to be a director, he expressed, “I’m an affluent person. Just being an actor couldn’t bear the weight of my affluence.”

He scalded his wife with a cigarette butt and declared proudly, “The scar was still there!”

What could Wang Yan do when he met such a person?

He had to endure it for now!

There was really no way to argue on today’s occasion. Moreover, Wang Yan did not have any results that could make him feel pain. The circle was different. It was meaningless to talk about money.

Don’t give me a chance, or I’ll give you a piece…

Cough, cough, brother crab, put down the pincers, I was just trying to liven up the atmosphere…

Kept in his heart, the vengeful Wang Yan followed An Xiaofang to another place.

The highlight was to greet the main creative team of the Old Gangsters’ movie.

Director Guan was dressed simply and did not talk much, but he was a very individualistic and stubborn director. In comparison, Director Ning was much more tactful and down-to-earth.

Therefore, when they met, Director Guan did not pay much attention to Wang Yan.

Guan Hu looked down on Mr. Mei who was born with a silver spoon and also a player. He felt that those people did not have the sincerity to make a movie.

Wang Yan laughed and did not continue to make his move but he was more or less impressed.

A filmmaker’s enthusiasm and attitude toward a movie were a blessing for the audience. It was also a blessing for the development of the country’s cultural sector. Regardless of their strength, every exploration was beneficial to the nation.

If they could not get along with each other, they could just go about with their own business!

Little Steel Cannon’s attitude was even colder than Guan Hu’s. He was haughty as if he was a big shot.

On the other hand, Wang Sanshi of Huayi was respectful toward An Xiaofang, and he was very curious about Wang Yan. However, he was a slick person, and people disliked that.

Freshmeat Fan Fan… When he saw An Xiaofang he avoided her as if she was the God of Plague.

An Xiaofang was so angry that she gritted her teeth.

Wang Yan maintained his attitude very well. It was normal for rookies to be ignored when they entered the entertainment circle as they did not have much fame.

Wang Siming had attended a few entertainment circle banquets, and it was the same. It was not like what outsiders had imagined, where female stars and bigwigs were fawning over each other.

Female stars were actually hiding from Mr. Wang. They could not afford to lose their reputation.

The big shots were warier of Yida Film. They were never willing to include Yida on good projects, and they only talked about business when they were competing to schedule films.

The ones who fawned over Mr. Wang were mainly the traffic and third-rate female stars. They were really coaxing him like he was their biological father.

Wang Yan did not have that strength now, and it had nothing to do with money. He was just one cinema away.

If he could take over Yida’s cinema, he would ascend to heaven on the spot, even more so than a crab.

Unfortunately, he could only think about it for the time being.

The most important thing at the moment was to be a good producer and director and pave the way for Wangting Entertainment.

After earning one round, he suffered a lot of anger, and yet the harvest equated to nothing.

If he had to comment, he understood what was going on in the entertainment circle even more.

In this space, everyone’s ultimate goal was money, however, money was not the most important thing.

Money was more like a side effect, naturally.

How ridiculous would it be if the vainest and flashiest circle looked down on money?

However, this was the truth.

Mr. Mei wanted to spend 10 million on someone for one night, that was fine, but no matter how much money he spent, he would never be respected by the circle.

If one does not have any achievements, resources, and talent, he would be deemed as a nobody.

If you had talent, no matter how bad your character was or how ugly you looked, there will be people who would worship you — such as Chen Zhacheng or Little Steel Cannon.

Thus, Wang Yan found the motivation to work harder.

You guys don’t take tycoons and handsome guys seriously, right?

Just you wait, when I start making art, I’m afraid you guys won’t be able to handle it!

This movie, I’m going to direct it!

Wang Yan had originally planned to let Wang Muye be the first director, but Wang Muye had already signed with Ning Hao’s company, it was equivalent to doing charity, and it wouldn’t have any effect on promoting Wangting Film.

Now, Wang Yan had moved on.

He shall take up the chief director’s position and Wang Muye would be the second director. For publicity roadshows, he would let Wang Muye lead the team, with Fu Yushi and Na Wu accompanying him.

He wanted to be a producer, director, and screenwriter, but he doesn’t want to reveal his face. He going to be a mysterious person.

If worse comes to worst, he would use money to shut down any gossip.

Nowadays, it was easy to deal with the media. As long as there was money and they were willing to spend it, anything could be done.

When it came to playing with money, just bring it on.

Once he made up his mind, Wang Yan was relaxed. Looking at everyone in the hall, he felt that they were nothing more than a bunch of puppets.

With such a mentality, Wang Yan went to look for Zi Tao.

Four of his teammates who had returned to China were present.

However, the four of them did not have much interaction. It was the so-called rule of one mountain cannot contain two tigers.

They shook hands and exchanged a few pleasantries. Before Wang could get to the main topic, Zi Tao beat him to it, “Anybody was trying to get in the movie lineup during the summer season?”

Huh? Interesting…

Wang Yan smiled casually, “I planned to, what do you think of the release date?”

Zi Tao gritted his teeth in bafflement, “If you could guarantee that it will be released during the summer break, I would accept it.”

Wang Yan was stunned, it actually went smoothly?

An Xiaofang thought about it for a moment and came to a realization.

She reminded Wang Yan softly, “The Grave Robber Notes movie was scheduled for the summer break. To Youth 2’s filming has not been completed yet, but it’s most likely to be released during the summer break…”

So?

“The two main actors of those two films are Xiao Lu and Fan Fan…”

Oh!

They were Zi Tao’s teammates!

Wang Yan finally understood. It was because Tao Tao had been provoked for some reason and wanted to compete with his teammates?

“That’s right!”

Zi Tao nodded frankly, “I don’t want to be compared to others and being told that I can’t do it. I want to prove that I’m not inferior to anyone! No matter what it is!”

Wow, this person was really straightforward, it was a rare sight!

Wang Yan did not understand Zi Tao in the past, but now he was somewhat appreciative of him.

Straightforward people were usually a little rash, but they weren’t too bad. It should not be troublesome to bring it up.

After thinking about it, Wang Yan became pretentious.

“As long as you put all your effort into the movie and everyone cooperates, I think the filming schedule should be in time to compete for the summer break. The quality of the movie is the responsibility of the director’s team, but whether the character is outstanding or not, you can control it in your own hands.”

Those words moved Zi Tao more than any flattery. He immediately extended his hand to Wang Yan.

“It’s a deal! I’m a professional when it comes to filming!”

What a joke, where did you get your confidence from?

Wang Yan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but he really liked the enthusiasm that the other party showed.

There was traffic, it was cheap, and he was holding his breath. It should be very useful.

Wang Yan didn’t participate in the discussion about the price and the schedule.

The final price was set at 5 million per month. It was lower than the normal price, but it was very sincere.

It was because the project team was sincere. Zhang Jin, the nominal male lead, was only paid 2 million. The difference was more than double.

The movie industry was cruel. Without the appeal of the box office, everything was empty.

So what if he got the best supporting actor for “Grandmaster”?

The box office was not high, to begin with. Moreover, that small amount of box office earnings was the credit of the director, King of Sunglasses, the lead actor, and the movie queen.

If it were not for the fact that An Xiaofang had a very good relationship with Zhang Jin’s lover, Cai Shaofen, Zhang Jin would not even have the chance to audition. He would have to compete with others.

The first and third female leads, as well as first and second male leads, had been decided and the remaining roles could be auditioned normally.

The date was set on December 28th, before the New Year.

The second and fourth female lead, along with a bunch of supporting roles. It was very simple.

For the second female lead, Wang Yan was actually very interested in Wang Haiou. However, since they were not familiar with him, they had to go through the procedures.

The three main targets, plus the actresses from the major companies, would be given to whoever performed the best.

After setting the date and sending out the invitation to the audition, An Xiaofang cracked a joke.

“After the audition, there would be some time before the contract is sent out, if you were willing, you could be the groom every night. There won’t be any trouble. How about it? Do you want to give it a try?”

“I’m not that kind of person.”

Wang Yan appeared calm, aloof, and quiet, which made An Xiaofang clicked her tongue in wonder.

However, Wang Yan had originally planned to tell her, “I won’t go for the interview, you guys take care of it.”.

In the end, he changed his mind and kept quiet.

Uh, he was just curious, just taking a looking and won’t do anything…

Really!

The scary thing was that An Xiaofang believed it.

The scarier thing was that even Wang Yan couldn’t believe it himself…

In this world, the rich were always in a dilemma!

Fortunately, before that, there was a Christmas dinner with the Dance group, which could help Wang Yan calm down.

Would it work?

It would… right?