On the way back, Zhao Ziqiu held the black Polaroid photo in her hand.
Li Mu drove to Wang Yanan and her mother's apartment first. He wanted to send them home first, then send Zhao Ziqiu back to Beijing University, and finally go back to school with Hu Zhengdao. However, Wang Yanan said, "Beijing University is just nearby. Why don't you send Ziqiu back to her dormitory first? Zheng Dao will accompany me and my mother upstairs. After you send Ziqiu back, you two can go back to school together."
Li Mu agreed. The five of them said goodbye outside the unit. Li Mu stopped the car and sent Zhao Ziqiu back to Beijing University.
Zhao Ziqiu didn't say much on the way. Li Mu also felt that the atmosphere was a little awkward, so he walked in silence most of the time. When they arrived at Zhao Ziqiu's dormitory, she turned around, waved the photo in her hand, and said to Li Mu, "Thank you. This is the best gift I have ever received."
Li Mu was slightly touched. The last time a girl said something similar to him was when he developed the photo on Ginkgo Avenue and gave it to Su Yingxue. Coincidentally, both women said the same thing, and the reason was also the photo.
Li Mu said, "It's good that you like it. It's getting late. Hurry up."
Zhao Ziqiu nodded. She wanted to say something but gave up. She just said in a daze, "Be careful on the way back."
They said goodbye. Li Mu and Hu Zhengdao met up and went back to the National People's Congress together.
In the car, Hu Zhengdao said, "Ziqiu came very early today and hasn't left."
Li Mu nodded but didn't say anything. Hu Zhengdao said again, "Yanan said she was waiting for you. I think so too."
Li Mu asked him, "Is that why you called me to rent a car and take Auntie to Chang 'an Street?"
"Yes." Hu Zhengdao said, "I didn't want to trouble you."
Li Mu said, "This isn't trouble at all. In the future, don't treat me like an outsider."
Hu Zhengdao said, "Ziqiu treats you so well …"
Li Mu was speechless. It seemed that both of them were deliberately trying to change the topic.
Hu Zhengdao saw that Li Mu didn't reply, so he said, "I've said too much. You're much more knowledgeable than the rest of us. I'm sure you already have a plan for this kind of thing."
Li Mu didn't say anything. In fact, he didn't have any plans. Other than his career, everything else was a mess.
…
The next day. Li Mu didn't go anywhere. He was chatting with his buddies in the dormitory while waiting for two news. One was whether Chen Kun was willing to join the cast. The other was whether Du Wei's sister, who was far away in the US, was willing to let Du Wei play the female lead after reading the script of "Oldboys."
Before lunch, Li Mu received a call from Ning Hao. Ning Hao said in a slightly exaggerated voice, "Hello. Is this Boss Li? "
Li Mu nodded and said with a smile, "If you have something to say, say it quickly …"
Before Li Mu could finish, Ning Hao interrupted, "That, Chen Kun agreed. His management company also agreed. We can sign the contract anytime. I'll check with you. If there's no problem, I'll sign the contract after lunch."
"Isn't he in Shanghai?" Li Mu asked in surprise, "He came back early?"
Ning Hao said, "No. I'll just go to their management company and sign the contract. I'll go directly to their management company and sign the contract. Oh right, after signing the contract, I'll have to pay 50% of the pay three days before filming starts. "
"No problem." Li Mu said, "Hurry up and get yourself a mobile phone. Get rid of your pager, so you don't have to call public phones all day long."
Ning Hao smiled and said, "That won't delay things. If I have something to talk to you, I'll call your mobile phone. If you have something to talk to me, call me. Call me and I'll call you back within five minutes. "
Li Mu said, "If I ask you to buy one, just buy one. Buy one that costs around a thousand yuan and bring the receipt to me for reimbursement."
Ning Hao said, "That's not very appropriate …"
Li Mu scolded, "Look at you. I'm sponsoring a mobile phone, but you don't even dare to accept it. If I really gave you a few million to film a movie, would you dare to accept it? "
Ning Hao was anxious and blurted out, "I'll go buy a mobile phone after signing the contract!"
Satisfied, Li Mu said, "Come to the National People's Congress in the evening to find me. We'll decide on the shooting schedule."
Ning Hao asked him, "Has the female lead been confirmed?"
Li Mu said, "There should be a letter before evening. It doesn't matter if there's a letter or not. Let's decide first. If it doesn't work, we'll change the female lead. I think Wang Luodan, a freshman from your university, is not bad. "
Ning Hao exclaimed, "Big brother, where did you meet her? Why haven't I heard of her? "
Li Mu said, "A buddy recommended her, but I still hope that the girl in my heart will play the role."
Ning Hao said, "Okay, let's talk face to face in the evening."
After hanging up the phone, Li Mu began to worry. Du Wei had said that she would reply to him as soon as possible, but there was still no news until now. He had contacted her once yesterday, and she said that there should be a result during the day. Li Mu looked at the time. It was already half past eleven in the evening in New York. Normal people would be asleep by then. He reckoned that there would be an 80% chance that it would be another day.
If Du Wei really couldn't do it, then the second candidate in Li Mu's mind would be Wang Luodan. In his previous life, this actress should have been admitted to the Yanjing Film Academy in 2001. Although she had acted in a few movies between 2004 and 2006, they were all unremarkable supporting roles. It was not until 2007 when she played the second female lead in "Struggle" that she became famous. In Li Mu's eyes, Wang Luodan was a more unique actress. Although she was not very beautiful, when she first debuted, she did have a youthful aura. Unfortunately, after she became famous, she took the wrong path and did not maintain the characteristics of her performance in "Struggle". In the end, Bai Baihe took advantage of the situation and replaced her, causing her to fall into an awkward situation that was neither popular nor popular.
Li Mu had not seen Wang Luodan in 2001, but he felt that she was more suitable for this role. If Du Wei really couldn't do it, then he could only look for Wang Luodan.
Sun Jian, Hu Zhengdao, and Liu Nian all had homeschooling lessons in the afternoon. Xue Jianfeng and Li Yawei were going to the internet cafe to play "Legend of Mir". Li Mu followed them to the internet cafe for a while and entered a local Cs game absent-mindedly to kill time while waiting for news from Du Wei.
Du Wei was also very anxious at this moment.
From the bottom of her heart, she really wanted to take on Li Mu's micro movie. Not only because of the simple plan and Zhang Kexuan, but also because the plot of the movie had moved her. However, her sister, who was on the other side of the ocean, didn't feel the same way. The moment she finished reading the script, she had already given the movie a comment: Unbearably tacky.
Just like what Li Mu was most worried about, Du Wei's sister was a downright artistic youth. Moreover, she was a high-class artistic youth. Li Mu's route of using dreams and youth to stir up emotions was too common for her, who had lived in the United States for many years. She didn't want her sister to act in this kind of movie. In other words, she didn't want her sister to come into contact with the film industry at all.
Du Wei knew her sister too well. She always liked to deny the public and stand out from the masses. For example, in her eyes, the classic movie "Titanic" was a tacky romance movie. Only "Casabianca" was an immortal romance movie. She even looked down on "Titanic". How could she look up to Li Mu's 40-minute micro movie script?
However, Du Wei wholeheartedly wanted to give it a try. She kept saying good things to her sister, trying to change her sister's prejudice against "Old Boys". However, it didn't seem to have any effect.
Du Wei tried to let her sister listen to "Old Boys" first, hoping that the song would move her first. Unexpectedly, her sister replied on QQ, "You study music, why are you still interested in this kind of pop music?"
Du Wei said, "I've always liked pop music more … Besides, this song is so well written, and the lyrics are so inspirational …"
Her sister snorted and said, "I only like Etta James when it comes to music."
Du Wei was speechless. She felt a little regretful. If she had known this would happen, she wouldn't have told her sister about this. She could have just acted first and reported later. However, she had been used to asking for her sister's opinion for so many years. As long as her sister didn't allow it, she had never done it.
Her sister, who was on the other side of the ocean, sent a final message, saying, "Weiwei, it's already one o 'clock at night. I'm really sleepy. I'm going to sleep first. Don't think about the movie. Focus on studying at university. If you really want to be an actress in the future, I can introduce you to Hollywood. There are many more opportunities here than in China. Moreover, I also know many friends in the Hollywood film industry. "
Du Wei cursed unhappily in her heart. She didn't doubt that her sister really did know a few Hollywood friends in the United States, but she knew clearly that Hollywood was not a good place for Chinese people. Up until now, the Chinese movie stars who had really made a name for themselves in Hollywood were Jackie Chan and Jet Li. Moreover, they were both action stars. Other Chinese people who acted in Hollywood would only be A-list supporting characters no matter how many movies they acted in. It was impossible for them to have a good opportunity.
Moreover, Du Wei's aesthetic standards were not the same as her sister's. Her sister felt that "Old Boys" was vulgar, but she felt that this micro film was not bad at all. On the contrary, it contained a lot of logic.
The song "Old Boys" had already encouraged countless people. If the movie was made, who knew how much of an inspirational effect it would have on the masses. Du Wei really didn't want to miss such a meaningful thing.
After hesitating for an hour, Du Wei picked up her phone and called Li Mu.
Just as Li Mu was in a daze going through the tunnel at the top of the warehouse in CS, he was suddenly shot in the head by a police officer who jumped in.
Just when he was feeling depressed, Du Wei's call came.
Li Mu hurriedly picked up the phone and asked, "Xiaowei, how is it?"
Du Wei hesitated for a moment and said, "My sister doesn't agree …"
Li Mu was instantly disappointed. This feeling was as if the girl he loved had finally rejected him.
However, Du Wei immediately said, "Although my sister doesn't agree, I still want to try it myself!"
Li Mu suddenly became energetic and asked, "Really?"
"Yes!" Du Wei said firmly, "I've decided to act in this micro film!" It was not out of Li Mu's expectations that Du Wei's sister would object. Fortunately, Du Wei made her own decision at the critical moment. Otherwise, Li Mu could only settle for the next best thing and go to Yanjing Film Academy to find Wang Luodan, who had just started her first year.
Li Mu asked Du Wei, "Why does your sister object?"
Du Wei said without thinking, "She thinks the story is a bit cliché."
After saying that, Du Wei realized that she shouldn't have said this, so she hurriedly explained, "My sister wants me to do my job well. She wants me to finish my university in peace."
Li Mu was somewhat depressed. Although the elements of youth, nostalgia, and ideals were a bit cliché, they were down to earth. He was just exaggerating youth and ideals. It was not like those youth films in the future, which were full of car accidents, terminal illnesses, pregnancy, and going abroad. Was it necessary to care so much about its elegance?
Li Mu asked Du Wei, "Your sister doesn't want you to act, but you still joined in. Is it too difficult for you?"
Du Wei said, "The AI will hide it from her and her family. After filming, if she sees the finished film, she will tell the truth. If she sees the finished film after filming, she will at most say a few words about me. "
As she said that, Du Wei thought of a question, "Oh right, some of the scenes in the script are to be filmed in Haizhou. How long will it take? I'm going to school every day. I'm afraid I won't be able to explain it to my family if I go out to film! "
Li Mu asked her in surprise, "You're going to university, but you're still going to be a day student?"
Du Wei nodded and said gloomily, "I originally wanted to live in the dormitory and go home once a week, but my sister told my parents that I must be a day student. She said that she was afraid that I wouldn't be able to adapt to the school's living conditions and that I would learn bad things after leaving my parents' control." “
Li Mu thought for a moment. He said, "If the shooting of the plot in Haizhou goes well, the official shooting should be completed in a few days. I'll ask the planner to try to coordinate it. When the time comes, we'll go to Haizhou to prepare first. You can come back when everything is ready. Then we'll focus on shooting all the scenes in Haizhou, and you can go back to Yanjing first." “
Du Wei asked, "How long will it take? I'll find a way to coordinate the time."
Li Mu said, "About three days if we're fast."
Du Wei said, "Okay, when will we start shooting? I'll ask the school for leave in advance. "
Li Mu said with a smile, "If you don't have a problem, our whole crew will be ready. The soonest will be next week, and the latest will be the week after. I'll let you know as soon as the time is set. "
Du Wei said, "Okay, then I'll wait for your news, Brother Li Mu."
Li Mu thought of something and said, "By the way, we haven't talked about the pay yet."
Du Wei asked with a smile, "How much can you pay me?"
Li Mu said, "Name your price."
Du Wei thought for a moment and said, "I don't want money, but Brother Li Mu, you have to do something for me."
"Tell me."
"My school will have a performance on New Year's Day. I want to sing a song, and I want Brother Kexuan's band to accompany me live."
Li Mu said without hesitation, "I promise you on behalf of them!"
Ning Hao bought an ordinary Nokia mobile phone. He excitedly came to the National People's Congress to look for Li Mu. The current Ning Hao was indeed a complete loser. From his appearance to his temperament to his clothes, there was basically no artistic aura. His whole state in life was very similar to the taxi driver he played in "Crazy Race". He loved to laugh, and sometimes his smile was a little scary.
The two of them found a random restaurant outside the school. Ning Hao smiled and handed the receipt for the mobile phone to Li Mu. He said with a smile, "Mu Ge. I shouldn't let you pay for the mobile phone, but I'm really in financial trouble now. How about this, I'll write it down first and deduct it from the rest of my pay later. "
Li Mu waved his hand and gave him the money according to the amount on the invoice. He said, "Just take it as an early bonus. Besides, you are several years older than me. You look more than ten years older than me. Don't call me Brother Mu. Just call me by my name."
Ning Hao said, "That's not appropriate. I'm not talking about the name. I'm talking about the money. Your movie is destined to lose money. How can I ask for more?"
Li Mu asked him in reply, "Why do you say that my movie will lose money?"
Ning Hao smiled awkwardly. "Isn't it obvious? I invested two million yuan, but I can't get it on the cinema chain. How can I recover the cost? "
Li Mu said with a smile, "You don't have to worry about that, but this movie will definitely not lose money. Hurry up and make a plan for the shooting. Let's shoot Haizhou's scenes first, and then shoot Du Wei's scenes. After that, we'll shoot the other scenes."
“OK。” Ning Hao nodded. "It'll only take two or three days. I've already contacted the equipment and so on. When the time comes, we can rent a bus and transport people and equipment in one go. It'll only take a little more than ten hours to get to your home."
Li Mu said, "Don't rent a bus. Rent a truck and let the equipment go first. All the crew will take a plane. The car will drive all the way back to my home. It's not a high-speed journey. It's more than a thousand kilometers. It'll take more than ten hours. People will be tired when they get there, so it's better to separate from the equipment."
Ning Hao said, "The plane ticket is so expensive that it hurts."
Li Mu said, "At least it's less worrisome than a car. The most important thing is that it's safer."
Ning Hao nodded and said no more. Speaking of safety, he was really worried that something might happen to the crew if they rented a long-distance bus and drove more than a thousand kilometers in it. Renting a bus seemed to save money, but safety was also very important.
After dinner, Ning Hao went back overnight to do the planning and preparations. Li Mu called Hui Ka Ming and asked him to meet for a chat the next day. Hui Ka Ming had also helped him a lot during this period. Li Mu knew that he wanted to invest in Makino Technology. His next step was to get a Series B financing, and Hui Ka Ming was also a good choice. He had a good relationship with Chen Ze, so he could help Chen Ze occupy a few suitable spots. Makino Technology was growing too fast, and there would definitely be people who wanted to force their way in. There had to be people in the government and business sectors. He might as well let in people he was familiar with and had some connections with.
However, Li Mu did not intend to talk to Hui Ka Ming about Makino Technology's Series B financing the next day. His' Old Boys' micro movie's pre-production was almost done, and they could start filming soon. Makino Image had a simple project contract, so it would not be a problem to borrow their reputation to get some investments. Hui Ka Ming's connections in this area would definitely be deeper than his, so he might as well ask him to help get some sponsors.
Money was a small matter, but the biggest goal was to use Hui Ka Ming more often. Relationships depended on relationships, so he wanted to use him more often. Both of them would be more familiar with each other, and it would be easier for him to get financing in the future.
Back in the dormitory, Li Mu carried a notebook and imitated Jiang Wen's unique storyboard style. He drew a few ridiculous storyboards. Li Mu, who had no painting skills, made the characters in the storyboards look extremely ugly. Xue Jianfeng came over to take a look and was shocked. "Li Mu, what the hell are you drawing? It doesn't look like a human, and it doesn't look like a ghost."
Li Mu replied, "It's called art. You don't know shit."
Xue Jianfeng pursed his lips. "I'll smear my eggs with ink. It looks better on paper than your drawing. "
…
The next afternoon, Li Mu had a lunch date with Hui Ka Ming. During this period of time, Li Mu would often ask for help from Hui Ka Ming, and Hui Ka Ming would never get tired of it. Chen Ze had told him that Li Mu was an interesting person who was worth befriending. Therefore, Hui Ka Ming instinctively felt that the reason why Li Mu frequently asked for help from him was because he was considering a partnership with Makino Technology. Otherwise, with Li Mu's intelligence, if he didn't want him to invest in Makino Technology, he wouldn't owe him any favors.
Furthermore, Makino Technology had just been split, and Baidu had transferred all its shares to Easy Listening Technology. As for Makino Technology, Li Mu had more than enough shares to sell.
After figuring this out, Makino Technology's enthusiasm towards Li Mu increased by several levels.
The two sat down at the table and exchanged some pleasantries. Then, Li Mu went straight to the point and told him about his plan to make a movie. Then, he said, "Right now, other than the title sponsorship for Makino Technology, I haven't decided on any other sponsors. I don't have any business connections in this area, so I need your help. There are a lot of advertisement placement opportunities, and if I don't find a chance to sell them, it would be a waste."
Hui Ka Ming was slightly surprised by Li Mu's plan to make a movie, but he quickly calmed down and asked Li Mu, "What are you going to sponsor?"
Li Mu said one by one, "You see, since it's a movie, there must be clothes, right? A clothing brand is one of them. Besides, the campus scenes in my movie are quite heavy, so the bicycle brand is another one. There's also a drink, since I'm going to have a campus band, the main singer Zhang Kexuan will drink a bottle of drink, so the advertisement will be implanted in the movie. Then, there's the mobile phone. After entering the social scene, the mobile phone's appearance rate is quite high. Besides these, beer is also a good advertisement placement opportunity."
Hui Ka Ming thought for a while and asked him, "What about the car? Do you want to implant the car? "
Li Mu said, "The male lead in the movie must drive the cheapest car, so he chose the Alto. The male antagonist's car must be a publicly recognized luxury car. Currently, there are only three brands, BMW, Benz, and Audi. Forget about the Alto, if you can help me get one of these three brands, I'm sure I'll be more than willing to help."
Hui Ka Ming said, "Benz, I have friends. I can help you contact them. I think they will be interested in the Simple Plan."
In fact, even Xu Jiaming himself did not believe what he said. Although the Simple Plan was famous, it was not enough to attract the attention of a top international brand like Mercedes-Benz. Therefore, if it was just business, Mercedes-Benz might not even look at such an investment proposal. However, it was different if Xu Jiaming were to step up. Mercedes-Benz had a large amount of marketing and promotion expenses every year. With Xu Jiaming's reputation, it was very easy for them to sponsor a few hundred thousand yuan.
Hui Ka Ming thought for a while and said, "Why don't you give my Ming Cheng Capital a chance to show its face? Don't you have a talent show in your movie? Why don't you let my Ming Cheng Capital sponsor your talent show? What do you think? "
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
