Chapter 57: Already Prepared for a Split Personality

Apart from being a director, Zhang Huaimou was also a seasoned actor. Of course, it wasn’t that he and Sumu truly intended to con Yu Hong out of his money; this was merely a well-intentioned lie—one that benefited both parties. At this moment, Sumu was indeed worth that price. If Yu Hong refused to pay, Sumu would simply and unhesitatingly turn to the other two platforms. Loyalty and camaraderie were all well and good, but only if the base salary wasn't less than sixty million. Sumu knew exactly what he wanted at this stage of his career: he had to make money. There was no way he would humble himself and accept a lower price just for pride’s sake.

Sumu entered the private room and was introduced to Yu Hong by Zhang Huaimou. Thanks to the groundwork laid beforehand, the bargaining was skipped entirely, and they got straight to the point.

Yu Hong said, “Sumu, we at Penguin are willing to buy out your 'Son-in-law' and 'The Oath of Orchid Blue.' If you agree to star, I can personally guarantee a sixty-million fee for each drama!”

Sumu replied, “President Yu, you’re a straightforward man. Since you’ve put it that way, I have no objections. It’s settled.”

The negotiation process was remarkably smooth. Afterwards, Zhang Huaimou ordered a bottle of red wine, and the group began to chat. After a few glasses, everyone was slightly tipsy. Seizing the moment, Sumu raised his glass: “Everyone, I’d like to say a few words to celebrate our partnership today... Many thanks to Director Zhang for bringing us together, and to President Yu for his discerning eye—truly sharp! I know the competition among platforms is fierce these days, and the film division at Penguin faces no small challenge. So, we must confront the issues, analyze the issues, and finally identify the key issue! But I believe the real key to the issue... is still in solving it! And the key issue is the crucial part of resolving problems! Well... to conclude, I wish you all greater success ahead! Bigger, stronger, brighter futures!”

[Speech Proficiency +1...+1...+1]
[Skill Points +0.01...+0.01...]

Yu Hong laughed, “Excellent! Well said! Sumu, let’s add each other on WeChat! Let’s chat more whenever we have time!”

Zhang Huaimou was speechless.

...

The next day, Sumu woke naturally, having slept in after last night’s drinks. Zhang Huaimou had given him the day off, since he didn’t have many scenes left to film anyway.

[Task: Successfully sell the copyrights of three scripts and confirm your role as the lead actor in all three dramas. (Completed!) Task Rewards: [Talent Blind Box *3] [+1000 Proficiency] [Skill Points +5.0]]

As Sumu opened his eyes, he saw the task completion notification for the blind boxes. Yesterday’s negotiation had gone smoothly. Zhang Huaimou, on behalf of Huayi Films, bought “Joy of Life” from him for three million and still cast Sumu as the lead, with a fee of sixty million. Meanwhile, Penguin Productions bought both “Son-in-law” and “The Oath of Orchid Blue” for four million total, also offering Sumu the lead role in each, with a sixty-million salary for each show.

Zhang Huaimou had already made plans: the original crew would remain, and as soon as “Nirvana in Fire” wrapped, preparations for “Joy of Life” would begin. Director Zhang might be stretched thin, but Huayi had no shortage of assistant directors who could help share the workload. As for Penguin, Yu Hong said he would start reviewing the investment amount once he returned, then find directors and crews for two separate productions: “Son-in-law” would begin shooting at the start of the year, and “The Oath of Orchid Blue” would start in March.

Calculating the schedule, Sumu realized he would have to switch to a “split-personality” mode. “Nirvana in Fire” would wrap around January next year. Without even having to move, he could finish that shoot and simply cross the street to the set of “Son-in-law.” By the time “Son-in-law” was halfway through filming, “The Oath of Orchid Blue” would begin, meaning that from March onward, he’d be running back and forth between two sets. Fortunately, filming conditions for “Son-in-law” were relatively simple, so it might wrap by the end of March. But then, in April, “Joy of Life” would begin shooting, and he’d be shuttling between “The Oath of Orchid Blue” and “Joy of Life,” continuing all the way into the second half of next year.

This was more or less what Sumu had planned; he had long been prepared to live in Hengdian for a year. To make money, one had to work hard—after all, the three dramas would bring in 180 million. It was a bittersweet but rewarding prospect. There was another advantage: he could madly rack up acting proficiency. With this workload, he was sure to make significant progress. This would be immensely beneficial for making his way to the big screen and breaking into the box office juggernaut. In the end, the ultimate battleground of the film and television industry is the alluring world of “box office.” Who wouldn’t want to soar to new heights and become a heavyweight with ten billion in box office sales? One could even aim higher and strive for the global box office rankings—that’s a throne watched by the world, more convincing than any award. At the very top, international superstars stand like gods, gazing down at all below. That must be an exhilarating feeling.

Of course, all this was still a bit premature for Sumu.

From an insider’s perspective, film and television dramas are actually two distinct products, especially in terms of investment’s financial attributes and commercial value. No matter how many episodes or how much duration a series has, it can never match the direct and powerful impact of a film.

At this moment, Sumu looked at his task rewards. He’d received another 1000 points of proficiency, plus 5.0 skill points and three talent blind boxes. After some thought, Sumu decided to allocate some of the proficiency first.

Sumu: "Emotion +250, Expression +250, Line Delivery +250, Behavioral Imitation +250."
[Notification: Proficiency increased.]

During this period, Sumu had already gained a lot of proficiency in all his acting-related skills, all reaching level three. So, a few hundred points more didn’t make an obvious difference to him—just a slight increase in mastery, nothing more. Perhaps only when he surpassed level three would he experience a true breakthrough. For example, his expression control was now at level four; the more proficiency he gained, the more he could sense the subtle differences in emotional weight conveyed by different facial expressions. This was already a sign that his acting was moving to a higher level. If he kept progressing steadily, he could expect significant breakthroughs after finishing the three dramas next year.

Sumu got up and washed. He didn’t continue operating the panel. He decided to save the three talent blind boxes for later. As for the skill points, he thought it best to accumulate more and then invest them all in his basic attributes later on—especially strength and endurance, which would need a boost. Filming three dramas next year would be a real test of stamina. Both “Joy of Life” and “The Oath of Orchid Blue” would require wire work, so improving his physical fitness was essential.

...

Life on set passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, it was already late December. During this period, everyone seemed busy. Qian Jida helped Sumu handle the contracts for the upcoming dramas, shuttling back and forth between Galaxy City and Hengdian. Zhang Huaimou was busy filming “Nirvana in Fire” while also squeezing in time to plan “Joy of Life.”

Inside the RV, Sumu, still in his recently worn costume, sipped Laba porridge and sighed, “Little Orange, it seems we’re the only ones with some free time left. It’s a pity—now that President Qian has left, we can’t even make up a group of three in here.”

Little Orange asked, “Hungry?”

The driver said nothing.