Chapter 58: Missing Out on Her Will Surely Be a Lifelong Regret

A dozen minutes later, Li Wenyu and Fat Bing had watched Jiang Shuying's crying scene for a while.

Exchanging a glance, he smiled and said, "The performance is passable. Mr. and Mrs. Jiang, what are your thoughts on Time Media signing little Jiang to a five-year contract?"

"During the contract period, the company will provide her with a monthly base salary of 2,000 yuan, and we will also support her continued education, including joining production crews for practical training and development."

"As for future performance revenue splits, we generally start at fifty-fifty. As you become increasingly famous, you can strive for sixty or seventy percent, ..."

He formally discussed the general terms of the contract with Jiang Shuying's parents once more, summarizing, "Compared to other film and television companies, Time's contract is quite generous and accommodating."

"There is only one condition: upon the expiration of the five-year contract, under equal conditions, should other companies also wish to sign little Jiang, we hold the legal right of first refusal for renewal."

"She is sixteen now, and in five years she won't even have graduated from her senior year of college. This represents the company investing various resources to nurture her for five years."

Ever since they were first approached, Jiang's parents had been pondering this matter.

Hearing it formally brought up again today, they still felt a little nervous. While the two of them were still considering how to respond, Jiang Shuying herself nodded and said, "I'll sign. Mom and Dad, please help me sign too."

She flashed a sweet smile at Li Wenyu and Fat Bing, "Outside of my studies, I've gone to the Shanghai Theatre Academy and inquired about many things. Director Li is currently not just the most influential top director in the mainland."

"The conditions offered to me during the probationary period are the kind of preferential treatments found only once in a thousand. I trust Director Li."

Many ordinary teenage girls harbor star dreams.

At the dawn of the 21st century, Fan Bingbing stood as the highest-shining representative of what almost any ordinary girl could dream of. Coming from an ordinary family, she had spent her teens hanging around film crews, once dismissed as having the destiny of a mere maidservant for life.

This had already been popularized countless times in the Tencent Fan Bingbing online community.

Blessed by a divine director and fiercely claiming the top spot on the 2001 list of Asia's Most Beautiful Faces, she was not only crowned the number one beauty, but her starring films also shattered 700 million Hong Kong dollars in global box office earnings.

She left former socialites and bosses far behind in the dust, staging a royal comeback that delivered the ultimate face-slap to her doubters.

A single advertisement brought in millions, and taking on a new film earned her five to six million in salary.

She could truly be called the ultimate benchmark for an ordinary girl's counter-attack!

Though her version of "ordinary" was a bit prettier, she became the ultimate idol for girls like Jiang Shuying, who had grown up pretty and accustomed to hearing compliments about her looks since childhood.

The path Fat Bing had walked was the glorious highway that Jiang Shuying, Yang Mi, and even Liu Shishi—who was currently under evaluation—most wanted to tread and replicate.

Regardless of her parents' worries, standing right before her was the master director who had single-handedly conjured the miracle and wonder that was Fat Bing.

If she missed this divine opportunity, she would surely regret it for the rest of her life.

***

While Jiang's parents were still stunned, Jiang Shuying urged them on again.

Li Wenyu chuckled, "Don't think you have to pick up a pen and sign immediately. I'll have the company send over the contract, and you are welcome to hire a lawyer."

"If Time wants to grow big and become one of the leaders in the Chinese entertainment industry, we must have the magnanimity of a leader. Once the contract arrives, Mr. and Mrs. Jiang can hire professional lawyers to help review it and offer suggestions."

He re-examined Jiang Shuying for a few moments, feeling a slight surprise inwardly. In the original timeline, this wooden beauty was notoriously free of drama and easy to fool...

She entered the Shanghai Theatre Academy as the top scorer in the artistic entrance exams, and while still in school, she caught the eye of capital, effectively latching onto a sugar daddy. After graduation, she was hoodwinked into spending three years in exile abroad.

By the time she returned, her sugar daddy had long since found a new love and abandoned her.

Even when encountering new sugar daddies later, she remained remarkably drama-free, acting even more obedient than Kathy Chow, who had spent years as Wang Jing's kept woman.

Back when Kathy Chow was a mistress, she would throw tantrums at the drop of a hat and fly out of Hong Kong just to make Fat Jing chase after her and coax her back.

He had not expected Jiang Shuying to possess such self-determination and persistence at the age of sixteen.

For the rest of the time, Fat Bing fully displayed her high emotional intelligence and amiable nature, using her superstar status to comfort an ordinary couple at close range and look after young Jiang Shuying.

Fat Bing handled things with far more meticulous care than he did.

When the two of them drove away from the area, having agreed on a signing date for the next day or two, they were now on their way to the Ming Dynasty Wanli Period Film and Television Street.

Fat Bing laughed ruefully, "Watching these young girls chase their dreams feels just like seeing myself back then."

"They've truly met a good boss."

Before Li Wenyu could reply, Fat Bing suddenly slapped the car seat and exclaimed, "Oh right, my younger brother's birthday is coming up. What do you think I should get him? He's turning two soon, and my parents are still biased toward sons."

Li Wenyu, "..."

Chengcheng was already two years old. While there were many rumors in later generations, he also remembered that during these exact years, Fat Bing had proactively explained to the media that Chengcheng was simply born because her parents wanted a boy.

She had magnanimously stated that since she had made it big, she would have the money in the future to support her younger brother.

During the One-Child Policy era, the older generation's preference for sons meant it was quite common for families with two or three daughters to continue giving birth to boys at an advanced age; even Director Zhang Yimou had paid millions in fines just to have children.

As Li Wenyu casually offered a suggestion, his phone rang. Pulling it out, he saw it was Wang Jing, so he gestured and answered the call.

Fat Jing's laughter came through the receiver, "Director Li, long time no see. My abrupt intrusion is because I have a favor to ask, hoping Director Li can help me out."

"I'm not trying to take advantage of you with empty words. I heard that Director Li has signed a few young girls and is preparing to cultivate them vigorously? You are welcome to send people over to my film crews to visit and learn at any time."

***

"Including all the film crews under China Star, we will treat them like prized young saplings throughout production, striving to broaden their horizons while helping them learn more things."

The first time Fat Jing and Li Wenyu met was the night Leslie Cheung handed him a 7.48 million Hong Kong dollar check, and the second time was at the Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony.

They didn't have a deep friendship, but they had exchanged numbers and could chat.

Curious, Li Wenyu asked, "You need my help? What could I possibly do for Director Wang?"

Fat Jing's laughter carried a slightly sleazy undertone, "Well, the two Heung gentlemen want me to reboot the second installment of *Kung Fu Cult Master*. I feel this film holds a certain weight in the hearts of mainland fans."

"Heung-sen has gone to invite Jet Li. Besides wanting to invite Maggie Cheung, I also want to get Joey Wong to come out of retirement, but Joey ignores me completely. That's why I wanted to seek out Michelle Lee, but after inviting her several times, I was rejected as well... I heard she is preparing for Director Li's project? Her management contract has even been transferred to you."

"I won't delay her too much, at most asking her to come out and act for a month."

Li Wenyu was slightly bewildered. Jet Li's version of *Kung Fu Cult Master* was getting a sequel?

It made complete sense. In the mainland, *The Shallows* had exploded with a box-office hit of 121 million RMB, which was basically equivalent to 120 million HKD.

Because of money, Tsui Hark's *The Legend of Zu* suffered a massive failure, prompting him to dig out *Black Mask*, which had been shelved for several years, to film a sequel.

For China Star and Wang Jing, a sequel to *Kung Fu Cult Master*...

Was also a goldmine!

*Kung Fu Cult Master* was released in Hong Kong in 1993, pulling in 11.8 million HKD at the box office. Was it a bomb? At that time, Jet Li was a golden signboard.

In that era, as long as Jet Li starred, distribution rights in South Korea basically sold for no less than 1.3 million US dollars (over ten million HKD), Japan for no less than 1 million dollars, and Taiwan for no less than 10 million HKD.

*The Shallows* had sold a total of 28 million across Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia, and various other places. Ten years prior, starring Jet Li and sold piecemeal, it easily fetched 40 million HKD.

European and American video cassettes and DVDs, waiting five or ten years, basically brought in a few million dollars more!

Why didn't they film a sequel in the original timeline, you ask? *Kung Fu Cult Master* was backed by Heung Tai-sui to promote Maggie Cheung, but Fat Jing gave too much screen time and focus to Kathy Chow. After filming wrapped, Fat Jing was actually beaten up by men sent by Heung Tai-sui.

Later on, when Jet Li went to mix in America, Heung Tai-sui and Heung Tai-hing found themselves unable to reach that far.

Now, Heung Tai-sui and Maggie Cheung had broken up years ago, and he had already elevated a new lover to chairperson of a listed company, currently at the height of doting on his little sweetheart.