Huayu: Inside and Outside the Entertainment Industry

28: Tips

Although Han Wen already had a plan and preparations in mind, he did not expect that those who were targeting him would come knocking on his door so quickly.

Just over half a month later, two young men who looked to be in their thirties and were not particularly good-looking appeared outside Hanwen's counter.

Before the other party even had a chance to introduce themselves, Han Wen recognized one of them as Feng Xiaogang, the famous director in the entertainment industry.

Feng Xiaogang is still very young and has not yet officially started directing films. He is not well-known in the entertainment industry and is in the initial stage of accumulating resources.

Han Wen had never seen or recognized the other young man, whose appearance was no less striking than that of the renowned director Feng.

"Young man, let me introduce myself. My name is Feng Xiaogang, and I work at the Jinghua Television Art Center."

"I work as an art assistant, designer, and screenwriter." Feng Xiaogang leaned against the counter, picking his teeth with a toothpick while looking at the Korean text, and introduced himself: "You probably didn't know me before, but it doesn't matter, we know each other now."

This is Li Xiaoming, a screenwriter and my friend.

Ming and I came here for no other reason than to get the TV series rights to "Beijingers in New York" that you have.

Teacher Cao said he entrusted you with the copyright of this book, and you even revised and supplemented its content for him. Therefore, he asked us to talk to you in person.

This isn't a secret; word got out a long time ago. You're an author too, practically part of the industry, so you should have heard about it.

Hey buddy, name your price, be quick about it, give me some face, okay?

"Screenwriter Feng, my name is Han Wen. You can call me by my first name." Han Wen shook his head and smiled, "I'm sorry, I don't have any plans to license the TV adaptation rights for this book at the moment."

"Why? That's not what Teacher Cao said on the phone. You're holding onto this copyright so tightly, you should give me a reason." Feng Xiaogang was taken aback, picked up a toothpick, stopped picking his teeth, and asked in confusion.

"I feel that the value of this book is on the rise, and it would be a shame to license the TV adaptation rights now."

"I will have a good talk with Teacher Cao about this matter. I believe he will understand my thoughts and support my actions." Han Wen replied, "So, I plan to consider this matter again in a few days."

"You should wait for the right price." Li Xiaoming laughed: "Young man, do you understand the saying 'a snake trying to swallow an elephant'?"

It's just business; the price is negotiable. You can name your price first, and if it's suitable, Xiaogang and I will finalize it today. If not, we'll find another opportunity to discuss it.

"I'm sorry, screenwriter Li, I'm very busy with business right now. I don't have time to receive you or discuss this matter." Han Wen refused again. "Also, I have to go to Shanghai for the novel's publication. I don't know exactly when I'll be back."

If you are truly interested in this copyright and determined to acquire it, I hope you will have some patience.

"Once I finish my business in Shanghai and return, it will be about time. Then, everything can be discussed."

"If you don't come back for a year or two, are we supposed to just keep waiting like this?" Feng Xiaogang said somewhat unhappily, "You suddenly ran so far away, are you deliberately hiding from us?"

If you go back on your word, we won't be able to find you even if we wanted to.

"Screenwriter Feng, you're overthinking it. My business is all here, how could I not come back?" Han Wen shook his head: "Don't worry, I'm a man of my word, I would never lie to anyone."

Feng Xiaogang is a native of Beijing, though not a local tough guy. However, his relationships are indeed complicated.

Therefore, he really didn't take Han Wen, this kid from out of town, seriously.

If Han Wen dares to make fun of him or fool him, he can easily gather a bunch of cronies to overturn Han Wen's little business.

"Alright, Han Wen, I've got your words in mind. I've got your stall in mind too." Feng Xiaogang nodded, looked at Han Wen, and pointed to the counter next to him: "Since we've run into each other, let me give you a little pointer."

Jinghua City is unlike any other place; it harbors hidden talents and powerful figures. On the surface, everything appears calm, but beneath the surface, turbulent undercurrents surge.

It's not easy for an outsider like you to make a name for yourself and establish yourself here.

Therefore, relationships, connections, and background are all very important to you.

As the saying goes, at home you rely on your parents, but away from home you rely on your friends. Although Ming and I aren't some big shots, we're not some nobody without any connections either.

So, if you need any help in the future, please let us know.

Of course, first of all, you have to be worth us doing this for.

"I understand, Screenwriter Feng." Han Wen thought for a moment before nodding. "Don't worry, I won't forget your advice to me today."

"It's good that you remember, just don't forget. When you come back from Shanghai, Ming and I will come to find you again." Feng Xiaogang nodded, satisfied with Han Wen's performance, and said to Li Xiaoming, "Ming, let's go."

"You've come all this way to Zhongguancun, aren't you going to build a computer to take back with you?" Li Xiaoming asked with a smile.

"That piece of junk is selling for 20,000 yuan, I don't want it." Feng Xiaogang shook his head: "I don't even know how to use it, would I buy it just to display it?"

"If you don't know how to use it, you can learn. It's very easy." Han Wen smiled and took the opportunity to introduce his products: "The computer parts here are all sourced from Huaqiangbei, absolutely legitimate channels."

However, the price was several thousand yuan cheaper than the machines sold at other counters.

Computers can be used not only for typing, but also for typesetting and printing, making them perfect for screenwriters like you.

I used to write articles using an electronic typewriter. But now I use a computer. It's not only convenient, but also incredibly fast.

"Screenwriter Feng, screenwriter Li, come here for a moment, I'll show you how."

The two of them didn't have anything else important to do today, so after hearing what Han Wen said, they weren't in a hurry to leave.

She moved closer to him and watched as he skillfully fiddled with the computer on the counter.

They had seen computers before, but none of them knew how to use them.

Therefore, every time a script was written, it had to be sent to a typing shop for printing. Not only was it slow, but it was also very troublesome.

Moreover, the more actors in a production crew, the more scripts are needed. Since almost every main actor has a copy, this expense is not insignificant.

But at this moment, when they watched Han Wen effortlessly operate the keyboard and mouse, typing out hundreds of words in a minute, they were not only amazed but also moved.

"Is this thing really that useful? Is typing easy to learn?" Feng Xiaogang asked after watching it for a while.

"It's easy to learn. I have a special tutorial here. Go back and practice a lot, and you'll learn it in just a few days." Han Wen didn't even look at the keyboard, his fingers continuing to tap away: "A computer and a dot matrix printer are very cheap. Because we're acquaintances, I can give you and screenwriter Li a discount, at cost price. I definitely won't make any money off you."