Huayu: I Have a Doraemon

Chapter 30 Transaction Completed

The sudden invitation to join the production team left Lin An somewhat at a loss.

He subconsciously turned his gaze to Zhang Hua, hoping this veteran teacher from the Beijing Film Academy could help him make a decision.

Zhang Hua put down his thermos and said slowly:

"What does Mr. Ji mean?"

Ji Tao said expressionlessly:

"Screenwriter, on set, 4,000 per episode, credited."

Yu, Wang, and Ning: "..."

Absolutely heartless!

Zhang Hua's pupils contracted slightly, clearly surprised by Ji Tao's extravagant gesture.

Four thousand yuan per episode—this is a treatment only senior professional screenwriters can enjoy. The money is secondary; the trust it represents is the key.

Joining a production team is not a buyout; it involves signing a formal contract and making content decisions!

Lin Cong, who had calmed down, also cast a strange look at Ji Tao.

According to her understanding, Ji Tao's position at Asia Pacific Audio-Visual was only that of a senior manager in the planning department. In "Internet Addict's Diary," he was only responsible for follow-up and supervision and did not have the right to sign screenwriters.

Lu Xiaopin seemed to have thought of something, and his eyes flickered.

Lin An sat at the end of the long table, his fingers unconsciously tapping twice on his knees.

Four thousand per episode.

That would be 40,000 for ten episodes.

Based on the calculation of 800 yuan deducting expenses and 20% personal income tax, the final amount received will be 33600 yuan.

This not only makes it easy to pay off debts, but also leaves a large surplus.

He had heard that a table at "Heaven on Earth" only cost 1000... If he didn't order drinks or tip recklessly, he could go there for a month straight.

hehehehe...

Just as Lin An was lost in his fantasy, Zhang Hua ruthlessly interrupted him:

"Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Ji, but my abilities are still limited, and my most important task right now is to continue learning."

"Teacher Zhang is too modest. Even though I am not a professional, I can see that this is an extremely excellent script, in no way inferior to that of a professional screenwriter."

While Ji Tao responded with a smile, he was already cursing in his heart:

You shameless old man, Lin An is just a literature major in a continuing education program. When did he become your student?

How could a professor at the prestigious Beijing Film Academy so blatantly form cliques?

Bah! Despicable!

Zhang Hua remained unmoved: "He's young, and his skills are still a bit lacking."

After speaking, he looked at Lin An standing to the side:

"I've read the complete script, and there are still quite a few areas that can be improved."

Lin An gradually regained his senses from the illusion of "Heaven on Earth" and nodded, saying:

"I see."

He used his ability cassette tape to evaluate this "Not Watching the Spring Festival Gala" piece. The plot was indeed ingenious enough, but the details were not polished enough, and there was a lot of room for improvement in the wording and layout.

With this level of skill, being a regular screenwriter wouldn't be a problem, but working on set would be a stretch.

Zhang Hua was very satisfied with Lin An's answer, and a smile bloomed on his wrinkled old face:

"Not arrogant or impatient, that's good."

Lin An straightened his back, instinctively wanting to reply with "You too," but he held back and instead said:

"The student does have areas for improvement, and I hope the teacher will provide more guidance in the future."

For example, introduce me to Li Yang, the director of "Blind Shaft".

Zhang Hua nodded with a smile, clearly enjoying Lin An's flattery.

What teachers enjoy most is being admired by their students.

If this student is also a genius, that would be even better.

"Don't worry, as long as you keep working hard, becoming a top-notch screenwriter is just a matter of time."

He picked up his thermos, took a slow sip, and spoke with an unhurried and composed tone, displaying an air of superiority.

"Once this matter is settled, I'll introduce you to other production teams. Sitcoms are too narrow a field; your career shouldn't be limited to this."

Lin An was so moved that he almost burst into tears on the spot.

If it weren't for the age difference, he would really like to become sworn brothers with this old man, like half-brothers.

Ji Tao watched quietly as the old man and the young man engaged in a "private deal" right in front of him, his mind racing with a thousand curses.

Bah! Shameless!

The film and television industry is developing slowly because it's been disrupted by small groups like yours!

Lin Cong ignored these irrelevant remarks and steered the conversation back on track:

"Since Lin An is unwilling to join the production, let's go with a buyout. My bottom line is eight thousand, plus credits."

What do you mean your bottom line is 8,000? Did you ask me, the planner, before offering this price?

Ji Tao's face twitched. In all his years in the industry, he had never seen business discussed like this.

Incompetent teammate!

Lin An was also completely baffled by Lin Cong's actions.

He couldn't help but ask, "Director Lin, aren't you and Director Lü in the same film crew?"

What's so great about robbing this?

Lin Cong glanced at Lü Xiaopin and snorted coldly:

"Now we're in the same production crew, but it's not like we'll be in the same production crew for life."

Lü Xiaopin shook his head with a wry smile.

Ji Tao's face also turned ugly, as if he had recalled some unpleasant past events.

"Is that even possible?" Lin An blinked, surprised by the complex relationships among the crew members.

Hmm, that's not entirely incomprehensible. Honors are finite to some extent, and it's definitely better for one person to enjoy them alone than for two people to share them.

This is similar to how artists crave leading roles for female or male characters, rather than ensemble casts.

Alas, he still lacks understanding of the film and television industry and hasn't truly demystified it... Here, most people are in a state of both cooperation and confrontation.

Remember this!

Well, it seems like he doesn't need to keep that in mind... Others need to be wary of those complicated schemes, but he has a cheat code... Lin An's lips curled up slightly, and he relaxed completely:

"Eight thousand is fine, how do I pay?"

Lin Cong ignored Ji Tao's look, which was as if he had eaten shit, and said calmly:

"I'll bring you a copyright transfer agreement tomorrow morning. It'll be paid in cash to avoid you having to pay taxes."

This is illegal, you know...? Lin An nodded slightly, then said:

"If I could write a script like this again, would you take me on?"

Lin Cong paused for a moment, then broke into a bright smile:

"Of course! As long as the quality is guaranteed, the price will remain the same!"

Lin An smiled and nodded, quite satisfied.

Seeing the two of them reach an agreement so easily, Lü Xiaopin felt her teeth ache.

He could almost see what would happen after this episode aired:

The audience roared with laughter, colleagues showered him with praise, and hosts took turns interviewing him. The name "Director Lin Cong" appeared on the streets and alleys.

And all of this has nothing to do with him!

The more money-strapped Lü Xiaopin thought about it, the angrier and more aggrieved she became, to the point that her expression became distorted.

Yu, Wang, and Ning, who were in the corner, were in a similar state, or even worse.

Compared to Lü Xiaopin, they had a greater sense of confusion and curiosity.

Ning Caishen, the least senior of the three, couldn't help but say:

"Director Lü, Director Lin, President Ji, I know this script is very interesting and has a high probability of being a success, but it doesn't have to be..."

He paused mid-sentence, then quickly looked at Lin An and lowered his head to say:

"Sorry, I didn't mean anything by it, I just wanted to learn a bit."

Lin An waved his hand. He was in a good mood after just closing a big deal and didn't care about such a small matter.

However, he was also eager to know the criteria for judging the value of a script, so he turned his gaze to Lin Cong.