Huayu: This director is so eager to improve.

Chapter 3 Your Son Wants to Make a Movie

Heze, Shandong is Guo Fan's hometown.

Qi Yue had been there once in his previous life when he was on a mission; it was a typical small northern town.

To the people there, the title of graduate student at the film academy might not be as valuable as that of a clerk in a neighborhood office.

Guo Fan didn't take the civil service exam but came to Beijing to study film, which was a decision that went against his ancestors' wishes.

One week later, in an old residential area in Haidian District.

Wang Hongwei lives on the fourth floor of a six-story slab building, which has no elevator.

The hallway was filled with old furniture that people couldn't bear to throw away, and the walls were a bit peeling, but they were very clean.

Qi Yue and Guo Fan exchanged a glance as they stood at the door of room 402.

Qi Yue wore a well-fitting dark gray shirt, while Guo Fan, for the first time ever, wore the suit jacket that always hung in the studio—although the cuffs were a bit wrinkled, he at least looked like a proper person.

It was Wang Hongwei himself who opened the door. He was wearing a cotton-linen shirt, much more approachable than he had been at school.

"You're here? Come in."

The room was more spacious than I had imagined. The decor was simple but sophisticated, with a full wall of bookshelves filled with film theory, script collections, and industry reports.

Several copies of the latest viewership ratings data were scattered on the coffee table; a black-and-white photo of the old Beijing Film Academy campus hung on the TV wall.

There were already four people sitting in the living room.

After Wang Hongwei's introduction, Qi Yue learned that the slightly overweight middle-aged man by the window was the vice president of the content acquisition department of a video platform, surnamed Li.

The bespectacled woman sitting on the armchair drinking tea is the owner of a new production company. Her surname is Xu, and the company specializes in content aimed at young people. Last year, one of their low-budget web dramas unexpectedly became a hit.

Two other people who looked like investors, dressed casually but wearing expensive watches, were talking in hushed tones.

"Sit down." Wang Hongwei gestured for the two to sit on the empty seats on the sofa. "Don't be shy, we're just having a casual chat today."

They said it was just a casual chat, but the atmosphere was tense from the start.

Vice President Li spoke first, his tone gentle but his words barbed, "Teacher Wang told me about your project. Undercover police, web series... the direction is good. But I've looked at your resume, and at most you've only directed a few TV CGs. To be honest, I have some doubts about your ability to produce a feature film. How about this, you just sell the script to our company, and I guarantee I can give you a satisfactory price."

Qi Yue and Guo Fan exchanged a glance, knowing that the other was testing them.

"Is this Mr. Li?" Qi Yue said calmly, "We will not sell the book 'Yu Zui'."

Guo Fan took a soft breath beside him, but didn't say anything.

Qi Yue continued, "It's not because of the price, but because only we know best how to shoot it. You're right, we've indeed never shot a feature film before, but precisely because we have no baggage, we dare to tell a police story in a completely new way."

Vice President Li raised an eyebrow, neither confirming nor denying.

Ms. Xu, who was sitting to the side, put down her teacup and asked with interest, "A completely new way? Tell me more about it."

Qi Yue turned to her, speaking slightly faster: "In traditional police dramas, the protagonist is either a perfect hero or a tragic tough guy burdened by a past. But Yu Zui is different—he's a policeman full of flaws, greedy, lecherous, and cowardly. He went undercover not for justice, but to survive and to collect the bonus."

He paused, observing the expressions of the people present.

"Viewers might criticize such a protagonist, but they'll still follow him. When ordinary people face danger, their first reaction isn't bravery, it's fear; when faced with temptation, their first thought isn't resistance, it's wavering. Yu Zui is that 'ordinary person.' He'll use underhanded methods to complete his missions, he'll swear, and he'll use petty tricks, but it's precisely these 'imperfections' that will make young viewers feel more connected to him."

Guo Fan then interjected; his voice was a little strained, but his logic was clear.

"From a production standpoint, the cost of this series can be controlled. The main scenes are concentrated in urban villages, small internet cafes, and old warehouses. These places have low rental costs but high visual quality. We don't need large-scale scenes; what we need are down-to-earth details and a fast-paced narrative."

Qi Yue took a thick storyboard from his bag and pushed it to the center of the coffee table.

"These are the storyboards and shooting plans for the first two episodes of 'Yu Zui'. You're right, we lack experience, so we've been extremely meticulous in our preparations—every camera position, every lighting effect, and every editing point has been repeatedly reviewed."

Vice President Li raised an eyebrow and picked up the storyboard to look through it.

At first, I just glanced at it casually, but after reading a few pages, I slowed down.

These storyboards are extremely detailed, even down to the aperture value, lens focal length, and the layout of the movement tracks, as well as alternative shooting plans for different weather conditions, as meticulous as industrial blueprints.

"Did you draw this?"

Guo Fan nodded, his voice a little tense but clear: "Yes. I majored in cinematography and post-production at the film academy, and I drew the storyboards myself for the short films I worked on before. I haven't shot any feature films, but the shooting logic is the same."

Ms. Xu, the woman with glasses, suddenly spoke up: "What about the costs? What are your plans?"

Qi Yue pulled out a spreadsheet. "Three million. We calculated three budgets—the simplest version can be filmed for two million, but the quality will be compromised; the best version is four million, which can barely reach the level of a quasi-TV series. We'll take the middle one."

The woman with glasses looked at the form in her hand, which was filled with quotes for every item, including equipment rental, venue, actors, and post-production.

"I can rent equipment from a friend's studio, saving 30% by the day; the venues are mainly in Tianjin and Yanjiao, which are half the price of Beijing; the actors are a mix of newcomers and cost-effective veteran actors..."

When Guo Fan said these things, there was a light in his eyes, the kind of almost fanatical light that only shines when talking about technical details.

One of the two investors suddenly asked, "What if we lose money? Three million is no small sum for you."

Qi Yue remained silent for two seconds.

Then he said, "You won't lose money."

"So confident?"

"It's not confidence, it's calculation." Qi Yue took out the last document from his bag. "By the end of this year, 3G networks will be fully available, and 4G is on its way. With faster internet speeds, watching videos on mobile devices will become the norm. By this time next year, the market size for online dramas will at least double what it is now."

He pointed to the steep rising line on the chart: "We're entering the market now, building the ship when the water level is lowest. When the tide comes in, the ship will naturally float up, and what we need to do is make sure the ship is sturdy enough to be the first to break through."

The living room was quiet for a moment.

Wang Hongwei remained silent, simply brewing his tea slowly.

At this moment, he handed each person a cup.

"Try it, this year's pre-Qingming Longjing tea."

Amidst the fragrant aroma of tea, Vice President Li suddenly smiled: "Teacher Wang, your student... is quite interesting."

Then he looked at Qi Yue and Guo Fan, "Gentlemen, let's discuss the investment plan in detail."

......

It was past nine o'clock at night when I left Wang Hongwei's house.

The old neighborhood was quiet, with only a few streetlights casting a dim yellow glow. The early summer night breeze carried the fragrance of locust blossoms and felt cool on my face.

Guo Fan walked to the trash can and finally lit the cigarette he had been holding back all night.

His hand trembled slightly as the lighter clicked and the flame shot up.

Qi Yue leaned against the wall without saying a word.

After a long while, Guo Fan took a deep drag of his cigarette and slowly exhaled.

"Qi Yue," his voice was a little hoarse, "we...did it work out?"

"It's done," Qi Yue said.

Silence followed again. Then Guo Fan suddenly burst into laughter, and as he laughed, his eyes reddened.

"Damn it..." He wiped his face, "I wasn't this panicked when I mortgaged the photo studio."

Qi Yue walked over and patted him on the shoulder.

"Brother Vanadium," he said, "this is just the beginning."

Guo Fan stubbed out his cigarette: "I need to call my dad."

"Now?"

"Hmm." Guo Fan took out his phone. "I have to tell him that his son will never need to take the civil service exam again."

He paused, then spoke slowly and deliberately:

"Because his son is going to make a movie!"

The moment the call connected, Qi Yue saw Guo Fan turn his back and his shoulders sway slightly.

The night breeze carries the sounds of distant noise and the fragrance of nearby flowers.

The two walked out of the residential compound side by side. The streets were bustling with traffic and neon lights were flashing. In the distance, the skyscrapers of the Guomao area were brightly lit, like golden peaks standing in the night.

Qi Yue raised his head and looked at the deep purple night sky over the capital.

That place is the pinnacle of countless people's dreams, and also the starting point of countless people's downfall.

But at this moment, they hold three million in their hands, and a ticket to the game.

Holding a world that you can build yourself.