Chapter 26 - Film Companies Stirring, The Grand Bidding Begins!

Chapter 26: Film Companies Stirring, The Grand Bidding Begins!

[Ah, entering sage mode again?!].

[No way, brother, you need to pull yourself together! There’s still one hour and fifty minutes left in this competition! Why are you resting?!].

[Forget it. No matter how much we shout, Lu Chen won’t hear us. Let’s go check out the other rooms first.].

[We’ll come back later.].

[For those staying, please remember to notify the other live streams later! Thanks in advance!].

As Lu Chen rested, many viewers left the live stream temporarily to check out other competitors.

In the judges’ room.

“Shall we also take a look at the other contestants?” Suggested Xiao Sa.

The judges nodded.

“We should have done this earlier. Honestly, we’ve been stuck in Lu Chen’s stream for too long!” Complained Chen Sicheng.

The other three judges glanced at him but kept silent, choosing not to comment.

The group resumed their patrol of the other streams.

______

Meanwhile, off-screen—Major film companies seized this brief interlude to hold meetings instead of watching other competitors’ streams.

After all, the overwhelming popularity of Lu Chen’s stream was already a testament to its potential.

_____

At Jiaxing Media’s headquarters, Yang Mi sat with a serious expression, addressing the senior executives.

“What do you all think of this story?”

“Boss, I still maintain my original opinion. I believe this series has the potential to become a hit. While the character relationships are a bit complex, we must recognize one thing: complex relationships can ruin a series, but they can also make it extraordinary. Based on Lu Chen’s current ability to develop the plot, I believe he has the skills to create an outstanding story,” said Sister Qin from the production department.

“I agree. The storyline involving Lin Yaodong and clan culture is particularly well-crafted. If the overall quality is above average, even if the series doesn’t explode in popularity, its buzz will still be significant. Audiences seem to really like Uncle Dong as a character,” added another executive.

Yang Mi nodded.

“I share your views. Personally, I’m optimistic about this series.”

“So, boss, are you suggesting we prepare to bid?” Sister Qin asked.

“We’ll wait and see how the opening scenes are handled. If the introduction is well-executed and grabs attention, I’ll decide to participate in the bidding immediately!”

“Agreed!”

“I second that!”

Yang Mi’s opinion received unanimous support from the executives.

For a film and media company, good ideas and strong scripts are the foundation of survival and success. For a small company, a single hit series could propel them into the ranks of second-tier film companies.

Two or more hits could elevate them to first-tier status. With five or six hits, they’d undoubtedly become an industry leader.

Ten or more hits? They’d dominate the industry as a giant! This is why screenwriters hold such a high status in the industry.

If a listed company could sign a top-tier screenwriter, their stock price would likely soar!

For a company of Jiaxing’s current scale, they couldn’t afford to miss any great stories.

______

At the same time, over at Huayi Brothers—The two brothers were still drinking.

“Brother, what do you think of this story so far?”

Shaking his glass of premium imported wine, Wang Zhongjun joked, “Sit and watch, lie down and watch—how else?”

In the film industry, only his elder brother could joke with him like this.

Wang Zhonglei handed him a cigar with a laugh.

“Brother, I’m thinking we should bid for this story later.”

Wang Zhongjun gave him a piercing look, clearly asking, Why?

“Here’s my reasoning, brother. First, this story is trending right now, isn’t it? I just checked—besides the popularity of the live stream, there are already several related trending topics on Douyin.

So, if we bid for it later—whether or not we actually buy the script is another matter—we’d at least be capitalizing on the buzz, right?

On one hand, it shows our company’s support for new screenwriters, reinforcing our status as an industry leader.

On the other hand, even if we don’t end up acquiring the story, we’d only lose 10% of the bidding fee as a transaction cost. The entry bid is just 100,000 yuan, so a 10,000-yuan expense for exposure is, in my view, a worthwhile investment.”

Wang Zhongjun frowned slightly, contemplating for a moment before responding.

“But have you considered what would happen if the story falls apart early on? If we jump the gun and bid prematurely, it could make us look ridiculous.

People might mock Huayi for being reckless or accuse us of riding the wave of hype. If that happens, it wouldn’t just be a minor embarrassment—it could harm our stock prices, which would be far more costly.”

Wang Zhongjun broke out in a cold sweat. “Brother, you really think things through. I hadn’t considered that angle.”

“No rush. Let’s wait and see. Some ‘firsts’ are worth chasing, but others aren’t necessary. Even if someone bids before us, so what? All they’re getting is an early opportunity to negotiate. Huayi Brothers isn’t desperate for that.”

“I understand!”

Wang Zhonglei nodded repeatedly.

______

At the same time, at Zhengwu Sunshine Company.

“Brother Hou, Master, I think this story has potential! At least, the framework looks solid. Look, the police side has at least two storylines—Li Weimin and Li Fei on one line, Zhao Jialiang on another.

“Over in Tazhai, you have Lin Yaodong’s three branches, the major drug lord Liu Haoyu, and the ‘protective umbrella’ line tied to Tazhai.

“There are so many narrative threads! If handled properly, this series could absolutely become a hit!” Li Xue analyzed excitedly, clearly sensing the makings of a blockbuster.

“You said it yourself—if handled properly! The key question is whether the writer has the ability to pull it off,” Master Kong Sheng responded, pouring cold water on the enthusiasm.

“I’m not underestimating Lu Chen, but we have to admit that he’s a recent graduate and a newcomer to the industry. Can you guarantee he’ll successfully weave all these threads together?”

“This…” Li Xue faltered, unable to refute her master’s skepticism.

Hou Hongliang, who had been silent for a while, finally spoke.

“Brother Kong, Li Xue, I’ve made up my mind. If Lu Chen’s introduction remains above average, I’ll bid immediately.

If the story doesn’t pan out, we can always back out midway. At worst, we lose a bit to the transaction fee.”

Kong Sheng asked, “What’s the bidding threshold this year?”

“100,000 yuan.”

“And the increments?”

“Each bid must be a multiple of 50,000 yuan, capped at 500,000.”

“If the bid fails, does the production team fully refund the amount?”

“Yes, unless we withdraw midway, in which case there’s a 10% handling fee—at most 50,000 yuan.”

“Alright, then go ahead. I have no objections.”

“Me neither!” Li Xue chimed in.

“Good, I’ll prepare now,” said Hou Hongliang, pulling out his phone and logging into the live stream platform’s backend.

Each film company had access to an exclusive bidding portal through the app. If a story caught their attention, they could place a bid instantly.

Hou Hongliang first deposited 100,000 yuan as a starting fund, ready to bid at any moment.

While winning a bid didn’t mean the project was immediately secured, it did grant the bidder priority for a face-to-face negotiation with the contestant.

For film companies, such opportunities were invaluable. If the negotiation succeeded early, it would be a win-win. Even if it didn’t, the bid amount would be fully refunded.

Unless they chose to withdraw midway—In which case, a small handling fee was a reasonable cost.

“It’s all set. Now we just wait for Lu Chen to start writing.”

Hou Hongliang glanced at the time. Three minutes had passed, but Lu Chen still showed no sign of getting up. It seemed this time, he was taking longer to deliberate.

“Should we check out the other live streams for now?” Li Xue suggested.

Hou Hongliang and Kong Sheng nodded.

“Sure, let’s take a look around.”

Just as they were about to leave Room 48 to explore other streams, something astonishing happened!

In Lu Chen’s live stream, a golden token appeared, radiating auspicious cloud effects, dominating most of the screen!

On the token, four gilded characters gleamed brightly—”Huan Yu Films!”