Rebirth: I became rich by farming

Chapter 620: Chapter 620 Investing in Film (4/5)

Qiuhe asked, puzzled, "Sister Yiran, what do you mean by that? Is there a difference between TV dramas and movies?"

"Of course, there’s a difference! TV dramas are broadcast on television, and if the acting is bad, you can always change the channel and come back once the bad part is over. But you can’t do that with movies. You’re stuck with a face for an hour or two—who could stand watching that? And if online reviews are bad, it really affects the box office. When box office numbers are impacted, it becomes hard to make money. It’s not just about one person getting criticized; everyone’s hard work might go to waste. If the investor doesn’t make money, the loss doesn’t just fall on one person, but a whole chain of things."

Others will think you’ve made a poor casting decision and worry about your choices next time. Of course, it’s not just about having an eye for talent. If we don’t make money this time, there definitely won’t be just one issue to blame—there will be a whole slew of problems that follow. The more problems there are, the harder it becomes to make money."

"There are so many intricacies involved," Yan Keke remarked.

He Yiran replied, "Intricacies? Starting from a businessman’s perspective, it’s all about profit. This person must be coming on board with funding, right? He has some backing and a sugar daddy?"

Mengzhen nodded. "How did you know? His sugar daddy is the biggest investor in this movie."

"Well, that explains it. The guy funding this movie must be the main investor, and with no money, how could you directors tolerate such poor acting? If the film is released, it will just tarnish his reputation, so there’s no getting out of it. And who’s going to fill such a big financial hole? As soon as any sucker comes along, the director would immediately cut the actor loose."

Mengzhen raised her hand, "Me, I want to fill it. I want to be that sucker, but I haven’t found the opportunity yet."

"You really are..." He Yiran was speechless, somewhat at a loss for words, but then thought it might actually work. "It’s not impossible. Director An will come to you if he knows you have money and are willing to invest. Him asking you versus you offering makes a huge difference. Ah, I don’t feel at ease with you handling this alone. How about I stay with you for a few days? The director has been ranting and raving for so many days; I reckon he’s reached his limit."

Fan Tianyu immediately shouted, "Hey, hey, hey, aren’t you forgetting about me? I won’t let her do anything rash."

"True, Fan is older and tends to be more thorough in his actions than you. You should listen to her opinions on some things."

Mengzhen was speechless. She wasn’t thorough? She was over 30 this year, okay? Her mental age was much older than these people’s. Yet, despite her internal disagreements, she didn’t show it and said with a smile, "Right, I’ll listen to the two of you. As long as you don’t object, I’ll be investing under the name of Xiyuan."

However, their discussion took Huang Jing by surprise. Investment, and one that would oust Ren Li? How much money would that require? Turns out Mengzhen wasn’t just attractive—she was also a rich and pretty girl.

Yet investment wasn’t so simple, given the complicated relationships involved. But who could have expected that the next day, the parties with mutual interest would sit down to discuss the investment? Naturally, it was An Fang who took the initiative.

After spending the morning cursing and yelling at Ren Li, Director An’s patience had truly worn thin. A whole day had passed and the entire crew had been waiting on just him—imagine how frustrating that was when they hadn’t managed to finish a single scene in a whole day. A random extra could act better than him.

Tired from all the cursing and no longer wishing to continue, Director An took barely a few seconds before he couldn’t help but find Mengzhen.

Whether Xiyuan would or could invest, he felt he had to try. If it didn’t work out here, he would have to look for another investor immediately, but Ren Li must be kicked out of the cast.

For this very possibility, braving the scorching sun, Director An invited her into his tent and started discussing the matter.

"Zhenzhen, as you’ve seen, our crew is in a bit of a situation. The one or two weeks I promised you might not be enough..."

Director An said a lot of things that skirted around the main issue until finally getting to the point. But when it came time to be direct, he hesitated, fumbling for words. Despite knowing what Director An wanted to say, Mengzhen, recalling He Yiran and Fan Tianyu’s insistent advice from the previous day, didn’t jump in to take over the conversation.

In the end, Director An couldn’t beat around the bush any longer and voiced his thoughts, "Zhenzhen, Fan, I won’t hide it from you any longer. The biggest investor in this film is Ren Li, but I just can’t tolerate his acting any more... If it continues this way, it will not only affect the quality of the film but also extend the shooting schedule, and the box office is likely to flop."

Fan Tianyu, unable to bear Director An’s roundabout way of talking, interjected, "If you have something to say, just say it."

At those words, Director An paused, clearly finding it hard to ask for such a substantial amount of money, but eventually he said with difficulty, "I don’t know if Xiyuan invests in projects, but I would like to invite you to invest in our current film."

"Invest in this film?" Fan Tianyu glanced at Mengzhen, saw her holding back a smile without interrupting, and realized she intended for him to handle the negotiation. He asked, "I’ve been on set for several days now, and I can see what’s happening. You’re asking for an investment to let... that guy leave, aren’t you?"

"Yes, but it’s not just that. Even if you don’t invest, I will make Ren Li leave. It’s just that when he does, it will be difficult to immediately cover the financial gap. It will certainly delay the progress to raise money while also shooting. Plus, I am very confident about my film. This film will surely make money."

Fan Tianyu laughed, "Director An, you’re quite confident."

Without saying anything more, Director An started to feel anxious, for Fan hadn’t given any indication that he’d listen to a pitch or invest any money.

Just when Director An thought he would be turned down, Fan Tianyu said, "How much investment do you need to cover this shortfall?"

To Director An’s delight, he realized Fan was implying a willingness to invest. He wouldn’t miss such an opportunity and quickly replied, "Ren Li invested 30 million. Can you match that amount?"

Seeing Director An’s troubled face, Mengzhen thought it was going to be a huge sum, only to discover it was just 30 million in total. She blurted out in surprise, "Is this small investment so hard to recoup?"

But as soon as she spoke, Mengzhen felt it was the wrong thing to say. Even such a "small" sum was beyond her earning ability in her past life. When it comes to making money, those who know how grow richer, while those who don’t, stay the same.