Mysterious Assistant of the Washed-Up Queen-Chapter 551 - 348: Movie Wrap-up, Who Stays and Who Leaves?_2

Wrapping up is great, just fantastic! We don't have to be so on edge anymore. More importantly, now that filming has wrapped, if nothing unexpected happens, we should be able to make the Spring Festival release slot at the end of the year. Everything is still on schedule.

If filming didn't wrap up soon, he felt like he'd go crazy. But the director was Wei Chuan, after all. Not only was Wei Chuan a top-tier director, but he was also Wei Liangxiao's father. Given Chu Tian's relationship with Wei Liangxiao, Wei Chuan was somewhat of an elder. It wouldn't be appropriate for Chu Tian to rush him, so he could only wait anxiously.

No wonder he couldn't contain his excitement and exclaimed when he suddenly received such great news.

"Ah, it's not that it was fast; I was just too eager before," Wei Chuan said. "Initially, I was only interested. But once we actually started, I realized there were too many issues to resolve. If we had prepared thoroughly, it wouldn't have taken this long or cost so much money."

Hearing this, Chu Tian quickly interjected, "Director Wei, you're being too modest. Who doesn't know about your vast experience and outstanding abilities? If it were anyone else, they probably couldn't have achieved what you did."

"Besides, we're producing a high-quality work here, not some shoddily made product. As long as the final film is excellent, what does a little extra expense matter?"

"Moreover, your involvement has given the production a significant boost—something others couldn't hope for even if they begged. If you keep talking like that, you're practically slapping my face!"

That was indeed the truth. If someone else had been in charge, filming might have progressed faster. But in terms of quality, frankly, it was highly unlikely they could have matched what Wei Chuan achieved.

After all, in his previous life, he had seen many works in this series. To say they were particularly outstanding would be a stretch; most of them were just riding on the coattails of the IP.

Why was that? Was it a reluctance to spend money? Or were the stories not captivating enough?

Neither. It was actually a lack of reverence for the work. This led to filmmaking that, while not utterly careless, was certainly driven by a mindset of cashing in on the IP.

There was no dedication to polishing the story, nor the perseverance and determination to turn the work into a timeless classic.

Putting other things aside, if you were to compare the same film from the two different worlds, the one from his previous life could at best be considered a derivative work. However, Chu Tian wanted the current film to be on par with classics like the "Lord of the Rings" series from that other world.

Naturally, achieving this would require a completely different scale of money and effort.

"Alright, alright, stop putting me on a pedestal," Wei Chuan said. "That's all just empty reputation. Besides, not all the films I've directed were box-office hits. Anyway, when do you plan to come over? I'll arrange some time, and you can see how you want to handle things."

Before Chu Tian could even respond, Wei Chuan continued, "Oh, and I must remind you, I've spent a lot of energy training these people. I don't need to tell you how much money you've spent, right?"

"Putting other things aside, just this team alone—I dare say they could hold their own even if you took them to Hollywood. If there's any major domestic production, this team could step in and handle it. You really should consider it."

"My point is, you should see if you can sign them. We've trained them; it would be a shame for someone else to reap the rewards. Even if no one else poaches them, it's a pity to disband a team that has already gelled so well."

After listening to him, Chu Tian's mind stirred. He more or less understood Wei Chuan's intentions.

In fact, calling to tell him about filming being wrapped up was secondary; these people were the real focus.

The wrap celebration and related matters were easy enough to arrange. Given Wei Chuan's reputation and status, Chu Tian's attendance was expected and appropriate. However, it was clear Wei Chuan himself found it awkward to bring up the matter of the team directly, as it might seem like he was pushing the boss to do him a favor by hiring them. But their relationship was more like a friendship, so such formalities weren't strictly necessary. Still, the main point was indeed these people.

Chu Tian pondered. Indeed, it was true. He had spent a significant sum training this team. This included purchasing new equipment, hiring instructors, collaborating with international teams, running specialized training courses, and teaching them new things on set—hand-holding them until they became qualified film industry professionals.

This team had not only mastered the industrialized standards of film production but had also participated in every stage of a major production. At least tens of millions had been spent on them. To disband them now would be an outrageous waste.

But should he take them on? This wasn't just one or two people; it was hundreds!

Besides, it wasn't as simple as just saying they'd sign, was it? First, would their current companies even release them? Even if they did, would the crew members be willing to join Unlimited Entertainment? If they joined, how would they be managed? Would there be enough large-scale productions in the future? Would there still be a need for such a specialized team?

He needed to consider all these problems. His company wasn't a small operation anymore where decisions could be made impulsively. If he made a snap decision, Hou Yichuan would definitely quit.

So, it was better to discuss it with Hou Yichuan first before making a decision.

"Director Wei, I understand," Chu Tian said. "Actually, I'd like to sign them too. But as you know, my company, Unlimited Entertainment, is still relatively small. It would be challenging to absorb so many people all at once. Please give me some time to discuss it internally. We can talk in more detail when I come over."

Wei Chuan, of course, knew this, but he was pressing the issue for a reason.

"Alright, take some time to think about it, but try to be quick," Wei Chuan advised. "I've heard that Huayi Entertainment might have its eye on this team. They might not necessarily try to hire everyone, but they've been attempting large-scale productions to break into the international market. You need to decide carefully."

Wei Chuan's message was quite tactful. He was implying that since Chu Tian had funded their training, there was a degree of loyalty and connection, making it easier to sign them now.

If he let them go now, that connection would eventually fade. Finding them again in the vast talent pool would be difficult, and even if he did, they wouldn't come at the same price.

If Huayi Entertainment poached them, trying to recruit a comparable team later would be practically impossible. After all, Unlimited Entertainment was still a small fry. Huayi Entertainment, on the other hand, was backed by Huatai Group and was a publicly listed company. For the crew, the choice would be a no-brainer, right?

After thinking it through, Chu Tian silently nodded. Then, realizing Wei Chuan was still on the line, he quickly affirmed, "Okay."

After hanging up, Chu Tian pondered for a moment. The more he thought about it, the more inclined he was to bring this team into Unlimited Entertainment.

He remembered hearing about the immense hardships faced during the filming of that famously challenging sci-fi blockbuster in his previous life. He also deeply understood the effort he had poured into nurturing this team in his current life.

He wasn't the type to let such an investment go to waste, especially with the resources he now controlled. It would be a real pity to give up on this team, as he would surely need them for future projects. Signing them was definitely the best solution.

But the key issue was that managing so many people would require a tremendous amount of effort. He himself didn't mind the prospect, but Hou Yichuan would likely be overwhelmed. That was his biggest concern.

Hou Yichuan wasn't in the office today; he was out negotiating with broadcasting platforms. Chu Tian would have to wait until tomorrow to discuss it with him.

With this weighing on his mind, he didn't sleep well after his video call with Xu Qingqiu. He got up early the next morning and went to the company to wait for Hou Yichuan.

"Well, well, President Chu! Did the sun rise in the west today?" Hou Yichuan said as he hurried in, his tone teasing. "What brings you here so early? You're not planning to ask for another day off, are you?"

Chu Tian looked at Hou Yichuan's sarcastic greeting and rolled his eyes.

"Alright, cut the crap," Chu Tian said. "Come over here, I need to talk to you about something."

"Okay, let me just put my stuff down," Hou Yichuan said. "Oh, have you had breakfast? I've got buns, but only one soy milk, so I'm not sharing that."

"Hurry up. I've already eaten," Chu Tian replied.

By the time Hou Yichuan put his bag down and came over with his breakfast buns and soy milk, Chu Tian had already brewed some tea.

"Drinking tea this early in the morning?" Hou Yichuan asked, raising an eyebrow. "What's wrong? Did you have a fight with Qingqiu or something?"

"No, I just need to discuss something with you," Chu Tian said. "How are things on your end? Did you manage to sell 'The Voice' yet?" 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Almost," Hou Yichuan explained. "You know Lemon TV is pretty wealthy, but they're not keen on making last-minute changes to their programming schedule, so they weren't very enthusiastic. East Sea TV somehow scraped together some funds and offered sixty million. They'd forgo all advertising revenue in exchange for exclusive broadcasting rights. Lanjiang TV, on the other hand, wants half the ad revenue. They offered eighty million for the broadcasting rights, plus another seventy million for production costs, totaling one hundred and fifty million."

"So, what are your thoughts?" Chu Tian asked.

"I'm actually leaning more towards East Sea TV," Hou Yichuan said. "Firstly, their reputation is slightly better. Secondly, we've worked with them before, and it went smoothly. Lastly, as you predicted, the advertising revenue for this show is likely to be substantial, so their terms—forgoing ad revenue for a lower rights fee—seem more suitable for us."

Chu Tian nodded. After some mental calculation, he also leaned towards East Sea TV's offer.