Chapter 65: King Li of Tang Crosses Boundaries to Become a Director

"All joking aside," Li Jingkun said, "you'll have plenty of opportunities to play the female lead, but the chance to attend classes at the Beijing Film Academy won't always be there. Having the opportunity to learn is rare and a true blessing. Once you graduate, you won't have the same status or mindset to come back and study."

Zhao Tiantian was already a junior, which made her even less inclined to attend classes. She always felt that shooting one more drama would be better. Much like many overnight stars, once they gained a bit of fame, very few were willing to return and study seriously.

Online roll call for certain actors like Liu and Yang.

"You might see your classmates and celebrities like Da Mimi being very popular right now, and they've gained a lot of opportunities, but they've also lost a lot. At the very least, it will be very hard for them to calm down and study in the future. Perhaps the issue of their acting skills will follow them forever.

Of course, it's not necessarily a bad thing; it depends on personal choice. If someone purely wants to make money and doesn't care about being a skilled actor, that's fine. After all, personal happiness is what matters most."

Zhao Tiantian said, "So you always attend classes on time, and even when you shoot web shorts, you schedule them during the holidays?"

Li Jingkun replied, "Attending classes is a must for mastering basic fundamentals. You also need to review and learn new things privately on your own; the school can't possibly teach you everything. Of course, practice is crucial too, and learning while practicing is the most effective approach. You have to absorb knowledge before you can output it."

Zhao Tiantian nodded. "Alright, I'll listen to you. I'll attend more classes from now on."

"How are things with your web short?" she asked. "Did you sell it?"

"Not yet. We're still negotiating, no rush."

"What's your next plan then? Are you going to shoot another web short?"

"Definitely not. I'm planning to make a movie."

"A feature film?"

"Yes."

"Not bad, you move pretty fast. Is the script finished?"

"Not yet, still polishing it."

"Let me read it when it's done, okay? If it's well-written, I'll invest in it."

***

The next day, Zhang Yongxing contacted him and asked to meet up. Accompanying him was his superior, a manager named Wang Qian.

Although they figured the web short had few other prospective buyers, they faced considerable competition themselves, and they weren't fools. If Li Jingkun suddenly had a whim and went to another company, they might lose out entirely. So, a little extra cost was better than losing it, and it was better to finalize things early.

***

Li Jingkun, however, had no idea they were in such a hurry. He guessed they would have discussed a counteroffer, though likely not reaching the 1.8 million mark, and would want to negotiate further.

When they arrived, they offered 1.3 million for a full buyout. They also promised a homepage recommendation spot, a guaranteed promotional period of a certain duration, and that the director and main cast would need to cooperate with a few promotional events or interviews.

To be honest, this offer was quite acceptable, primarily considering the benefits for the cast members.

However, his company hadn't been officially registered yet. Although the office address and other details were sorted out and the paperwork had been submitted, it would still take at least another week to be approved, meaning they couldn't sign the contract today.

Seeing that he remained silent, the other party assumed the price was still unsatisfactory. The two exchanged glances, and Wang Qian said, "How about this, let's add another 100,000, making it 1.4 million total? I think we've shown a lot of sincerity. We also hope to continue collaborating if there's a chance in the future."

*What the hell?* Li Jingkun thought. *I was just spacing out for a second and they added 100,000 just like that? Can we do that again?*

He was somewhat surprised, but he certainly had no objections to getting more money.

"When approximately will it go live?"

"Not that fast. We still need pre-release buzz, promotion, and so on. Building up the hype beforehand is crucial. Don't worry, we have experience in this area, and we've launched self-produced shorts before."

"Alright then, 1.4 million it is. However, the company I just registered hasn't been officially approved yet. We might need to wait a few days before we can sign."

"......"

And so the matter was settled—a quite favorable outcome for both sides.

***

Registering a limited liability company required at least two people, so Li Jingkun roped in Wang Yang and Guo Junli to fill the roles temporarily. They could be replaced later once a general manager or other staff were recruited.

For the short term, however, they wouldn't be leaving, since the film and television company was now registered and they would definitely continue shooting projects in the future, giving them ongoing opportunities for practical experience.

The company was named Beijing Longqi Film and Television Co., Ltd. Li Jingkun was the legal representative, shareholder, and executive director, Wang Yang was the supervisor, and Guo Junli held the title of manager for the time being.

"How much money did you make?"

A week later, after successfully signing the contract with Kuku Video, he invited the main cast members out for a meal and shared the news with them. Naturally, they were all excited and chattered animatedly. Someone inevitably asked how much it was sold for, but Li Jingkun didn't disclose the amount.

"You're getting red envelopes and a free meal, why ask so many questions?"

Indeed, the main cast members received additional red envelopes. Strictly speaking, giving these red envelopes was optional. Giving them could make one look generous, but it also depended on how the recipients perceived it. If the amount was too large, they would assume you made a fortune; if it was too small, they would guess your earnings and complain that you were stingy.

Nevertheless, Li Jingkun still handed out a red envelope to each of them (the three main leads, plus Wang Yang and Guo Junli). Whatever they wanted to think was up to them—he had simply done what he felt was right.

***

"Wow, thank you, boss! This feels pretty thick!"

Cai Wenwen happily accepted the red envelope. At the very least, her excitement and sincerity seemed genuine, and she felt she was saving face—yes, her three friends had tagged along again. This time, Li Jingkun had invited them, for the same reason: the crew had too few guys, and having a few more girls helped balance the ratio.

"Wow, that's awesome! How much is in there? Let me count." Cai Wenwen's friends chimed in, crowding around to count the money. They were genuinely envious; at least for now, Cai Wenwen's career path was looking the best.

"We have more activities after the meal. We're going to KTV later."

Naturally, Young Master Li was footing the bill.

"Where are we going to sing?"

"Can we invite people?"

"Are they pretty girls? If they're pretty girls, then yes."

......

"Post-80s Writer Li Tangwang Crosses Over to Direct, Debuts Feature on Kuku Video."

"The Most Low-Key Post-80s Writer Switches Careers to Become a Director?"

"Li Tangwang, Author of *Master of Yin and Yang*, Neglects Writing to Shoot Web Shorts?"

"Following *Hip-Hop Quartet*, Kuku Video Continues to Roll Out Self-Produced Dramas."

Kuku Video began promoting *Days Floating in the Air*, initially leveraging Li Tangwang's name and touting him as a young writer crossing over to direct. Much like the "11 Degrees Youth Movie Series" planned for next year, they all advertised hiring figures like Zhang Yadong to cross over into directing.

Li Tangwang's name still held some clout. After all, with three novels under his belt—the last of which was a serialized series—he had accumulated a solid base of popularity and fans, successfully attracting quite a few viewers.

"When did Li Tangwang start making movies?"

"It's a web short, a three-episode short. Big guy, please read the titles carefully, will you?"

"If you're not going to use your eyes, you can donate them."

Thanks to *Those Years 1009* for the 200 tip, thanks to *She Comes from the Painting* for the 100 tip, thanks to *Ya mm* for the monthly ticket, and thanks to all book friends for their recommendation votes.

Many people are concerned about the female lead; she will appear later. However, I've always wanted to handle her introduction as reasonably as possible—for instance, making her an alumnus a year or two apart from Da Tiantian and the others, which would make their acquaintance more plausible.

Lastly, I'm asking for investments; we haven't reached 100 yet. Thank you.