Huayu: This producer has no bottom line.

Chapter 33 Who Will Wear the Cheongsam?

Not long after I returned to Dawang Road, Youku's contract arrived.

The efficiency was faster than expected; it seems Gu Yongqiang was truly in a hurry.

Ren Pingsheng brewed a cup of tea and opened the emails, reading them one by one.

Most of the terms were consistent with what was discussed at the meeting, but there were two hidden clauses.

Firstly, the settlement cycle for tiered revenue sharing has been extended to a quarter. The difference between monthly and quarterly settlements creates a three-month cash flow gap, which is irrelevant to Youku, but a fatal issue for startup teams.

Secondly, the definition of "exclusive" during the exclusive premiere period has been expanded to include video content from Ren Pingsheng's personal account within the scope of restrictions.

Clever tricks.

Ren Pingsheng spent ten minutes writing a reply email, highlighting the two clauses he suggested modifying in red, clearly stating his bottom line of no compromise.

After sending the email, I leaned back in my chair and rubbed my temples.

With the money issue almost settled, the next important task is casting.

The structure of "Report to the Boss" is very special, with four main actors who are always on the show, and a constant stream of guest supporting roles.

In the original version, Bai Ke, who played the adorable mushroom-headed producer, and Xiao Ai, the brilliant screenwriter, were both present.

The eccentric director Liu Xunzi Mo and Zhang Benyu, along with their ambitious and wealthy boss, are probably still working as producers and editors at Tudou.

You can invite them, but it's not necessary.

Dapeng and Qiao San had already developed a good rapport from their previous two dramas, so switching roles between them felt perfectly natural.

They also belong to another original cast.

As for guest appearances in supporting roles.

Ren Pingsheng's lips curled into a sly smile.

Many future superstars were just unknown extras at this point, some even still in school.

If we could trick them into joining a film crew one by one before they become famous, they could play a bunch of extremely stupid and silly roles.

Later, when these people became famous in the Chinese entertainment industry, netizens suddenly dug up information and discovered that they had all embarrassed themselves in an old web series called "Report to the Boss".

The thought of that scene is incredibly exciting.

He might even gain another title: the number one talent scout in the Chinese entertainment industry.

Having made up his mind, Ren Pingsheng picked up his phone and dialed the first number.

"Where is Qiao San?"

There was a lot of background noise coming from the other end of the phone, like from a shopping mall or a restaurant.

"Director Ren?" Qiao San's voice was tinged with surprise. "I'm in Xidan, shopping with my girlfriend."

"Are you free tomorrow? Come to Dawang Road."

"what?"

"Filming a movie."

"Director Ren, I heard about what happened when you came out of the search arc." There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone, then Qiao San lowered her voice and asked, "Where are you?"

"In Yanjing."

"When?"

"End of the month."

"Okay, I'll release my schedule."

After hanging up the phone, Ren Pingsheng dealt with the storyboard for a while.

At eight o'clock in the evening, Dapeng sneaked over.

He was dressed casually, his baseball cap pulled low, and the first thing he did upon entering was to lock the door.

"Is it really necessary?" Ren Pingsheng glanced at him.

"You don't know anything. I'm Alex's top surveillance target now," Da Peng said, taking off his hat and sitting down on a stool. "By the way, let me tell you something. He invited a big shot to the company."

Ren Pingsheng poured him a glass of water. "Zhao Baogang?"

Da Peng's hand trembled as he held the water. "How did you know?"

"Just a guess."

"You guessed again?" He almost spilled the water.

"The relationship between Sohu and Xinbaoyuan is there. When it comes to negotiating the online rights for 'Marriage Defense,' they use the second season of 'Men's Diary' as a condition to get Zhao Baogang involved. Everyone can do the math."

Da Peng opened his mouth, then closed it again.

He found chatting with Ren Pingsheng increasingly boring; everything in this man's mouth sounded like he'd read a script beforehand.

Ren Pingsheng didn't continue the topic, but clapped his hands twice.

"Brothers, stop what you're doing, I have something to announce."

Bai Ke looked up from his script, Xiao Ai took off her headphones, and Zhang Yibo moved a stool over to join them.

Exhaustion was etched on several young faces.

"The cooperation with Youku is basically finalized. It's an exclusive first broadcast buyout plus revenue sharing with GG. If all goes well, the advance payment should arrive in the next few days."

These words were like a reassuring pill, instantly calming everyone's anxiety.

Xiao Ai was so excited she almost jumped off her chair: "Brother Pingsheng, did it really work out?"

"It's true, we're already working on the contract."

Bai Ke let out a long sigh of relief, loosening his grip on the pen one by one.

Zhang Yibo was so excited he rubbed his hands together: "Director Ren is awesome! So when do we start filming?"

"Don't rush, let's decide on the roles first."

Ren Pingsheng walked to the whiteboard, picked up a marker, and said, "Four main actors, Peng, you play the eccentric nouveau riche boss who's addicted to playing games and makes empty promises all the time."

Da Peng stroked his chin and chuckled, "I'm good at this. Alex gives me free lessons every day."

"Xiao Ai, you'll play the genius screenwriter. Luo Hongming, you'll play the adorable mushroom-headed producer. As for that chuunibyou director with big wavy hair, I've called Qiao San over to talk about it tomorrow."

"Qiao San?" As soon as he finished speaking, Da Peng's expression changed, as if he had remembered something extremely terrifying.

"Wait, wait!" Da Peng retreated repeatedly. "Ren Pingsheng! You're not really going to make me and Qiao San cross-dress again, wearing cheongsams and high heels, are you?"

Da Peng's wail instantly set off an uproar in the studio.

Bai Ke and Xiao Ai simultaneously imagined Da Peng and Qiao San wearing tight-fitting cheongsams and high heels, exchanging flirtatious glances.

"Brother Peng, you're sacrificing yourself for art, I think you can do it!" Bai Ke was trying hard not to laugh.

Zhang Yibo was already framing the shot with his hands, saying, "Don't worry, Peng-ge, I'll definitely capture your most charming side!"

"Get out! I'd rather die than wear a cheongsam!" Da Peng's face turned red.

"Alright, stop flattering yourself," Ren Pingsheng interrupted the crowd with a smile. "You're willing to disgust yourself, but I'm not willing to disgust the audience."

"For this kind of role, of course I'd cast a real beauty."

Upon hearing that it was a real beauty, the eyes of the rough men present all lit up.

"Ping Sheng Ge! Who did you find? Is it Baby again?" Zhang Yibo leaned closer, his face full of anticipation.

Ren Pingsheng didn't respond.

He turned to the side, his gaze lingering on Bai Ke and Xiao Ai.

The two men felt uneasy under Ren Pingsheng's gaze.

"Ping...Ping...Brother Sheng, why are you looking at me like that?" Bai Ke instinctively covered his chest. "I'm not wearing a cheongsam either!"

"No, no, I won't wear it either," Xiao Ai chimed in from the side.

"Hongming, I remember you're from the Broadcasting Department of Nanjing University of the Arts, right?"

"Yeah...yes." Bai Ke was puzzled by the question.

"Don't you have a junior classmate named Ni Ni?"

In Ren Pingsheng's mind, the image of Zhao Yumo, dressed in a cheongsam and exuding charm, had already appeared.

Judging by the timeline, Ni Ni will soon be participating in the auditions for "The Flowers of War." At this point, this rough gem should still be an ordinary college student on the campus of Nanjing University of the Arts.

Since the film "The Message" is to be adapted, who is more suitable than this future "Zhang Yimou Girl" to wear that retro cheongsam and show the ultimate allure that blends coolness and charm in front of the camera?

"Ni Ni?" Bai Ke was taken aback. "Brother Pingsheng, how do you know our junior?"

"Never mind that," Ren Pingsheng walked over and patted Bai Ke on the shoulder. "Big Hammer, I'm giving you a tough task."

"Let's go to your alma mater together tomorrow and trick this junior into coming to the film crew."