Chapter 38 - 5 Million

Song Luli woke up to the sound of her phone ringing.

She lifted her head, patting down her bed, feeling the softness of the sheets beneath her fingertips, until she found her phone. She answered it quickly.

"Hello?" she said in a low whisper of the morning.

"Luli! I received the invitation from your mother-in-law. But I don't have a new dress for the occasion," her sister whined.

"Meiling. There's still time," Song Luli answered, wondering why she needed to hear about it.

Song Meiling was quiet for a moment until she said, "Yes. Yes."

"Anything else?" Song Luli pressed.

"Erm...I have no one to go with when I pick it out. Can you come with me?" Song Meiling asked her.

Song Luli let out a weary sigh. "I'll go," she responded.

She heard her sister squeal with excitement over the phone. Song Luli flinched, placing the phone far from her ear, hanging up the call.

She then shuffled out of bed to quickly shower and change.

She went to work, finding Lan Shufen sitting in her office chair with his legs casually propped on the table. He was juggling an apple from hand to hand. Song Luli knitted her brows, waving her hand, shooing him off her chair.

Lan Shufen stood up; his dark wavy hair tumbled over his glasses. He placed his hands in the pockets of his oversized sweater. "I've completed the final revision," he said to her.

Song Luli smiled subtly. "All right," she began. "Then, we can finally speak to the executive producer about the screenplay."

Lan Shufen nodded and followed Song Luli as they left the office, heading to a quiet restaurant with a waterfront view for brunch. An executive producer was meeting them to move forward with production.

Lan Shufen kept gazing around the restaurant as if it was his first time leaving his house.

"Stop gaping," Song Luli warned and whispered to him.

Lan Shufen straightened, trying to keep his cool. It wasn't often that he would socialize. He would often stay in his room for hours, either reading books and manga, writing, or researching.

When he heard Song Luli succeeded Song Entertainment, he took the opportunity to reach out to her, knowing that she might be someone that cared about the industry.

Lan Shufen continued to walk when he bumped into a stool. He composed himself quickly by sitting on a seat carefully next to Song Luli across the producer.

Song Luli addressed the producer and introduced him to Lan Shufen.

"I think it would be in your best interest to take this screenplay into consideration," Song Luli told the producer.

The producer was a man in his late thirties, sharp and clean-cut, stylish. He took the screenplay, reading the first few pages and briefly skimming the rest. When he finished, he glanced up at both of them while still holding the script.

"What work has he done before?" the producer questioned Song Luli, pointing at Lan Shufen.

Lan Shufen grinned innocently, as Song Luli eyed him.

"He's a new writer, freshly graduated. He doesn't have much experience in the industry, but he has potential," she said unwaveringly.

The producer glanced at Lan Shufen. "It's remarkable," he admitted with a regretful tone. Song Luli knew that most producers have an ego, and they don't often praise the work if it did not benefit them. And Song Luli hadn't made any offers yet.

"I'm sure this project will win over viewers and audiences globally," Song Luli said to him.

"Your offers?"

"Starting rate is four million Yuan," Song Luli said to him. What Song Luli offered him was a cut of earnings. He would be the one to work on the project, marketing the film, and he gets to choose how involved he would be on the project.

Lan Shufen was stunned by the number. It hadn't occurred to him how the costs and prices worked in the industry. But it seemed to pique the producer's interest. "Though it seems interesting, I might invest in a Holiday Romance film instead," the producer said.

Song Luli narrowed her eyes, raising her chin, appearing to be on his level. "I assure you that Holiday Romance is not suitable for investment," she said.

"How so?" asked the producer, challengingly.

Song Luli straightened her body. "Well. If it were a drama, then it would be interesting, so long as each character is multi-faceted. But that's not the case with holidays. Some characters are one-dimensional; there is no room for development, and not to mention the over-exhaustive use of specific cliché tropes. That would hurt your business," she answered confidently.

The producer smiled. He arched a brow glancing over the screenplay again. "I was thinking six million," he said.

"Five million," Song Luli responded with a blunt tone. Her face held a cold sharpness to it, like thawing lakes from winter to spring.

The producer's smile broadened. "I will accept the offer," he said.

Lan Shufen's eyes widened. He didn't expect Song Luli to convince anyone to take on his idea. It was a competitive industry.

Satisfied, Song Luli rose from her seat to shake the producer's hand, and Lan Shufen mimicked her movements. The producer straightened the lapels of his jacket, giving them a curt nod before leaving.

Lan Shufen was rooted in his seat, unbelieving.

"How did you convince him?" he asked Song Luli softly.

Song Luli smiled. "That is a respectable man in the industry. I've known him through my father. He weighs in ideas and is good at determining what will sell and what will not. If I had asked anyone else, they would be demanding for more, or they wouldn't take me seriously because I'm a woman," she said to him.

"So it was the connection of your father that got us this?" he questioned.

Song Luli smiled. "No," she said. "Being a Song means nothing when you're dealing with those who have power over the industry. It was your idea that he liked. Do not doubt your talent."

Lan Shufen was stunned. He pressed his glasses against the bridge of his nose, smiling sheepishly. "Thank you," he said to her.

He worked hard to get where he was, but Song Luli didn't give herself credit for her confident poise, for her pitching structure. He wondered if she wasn't able to see her capabilities, or if she knew well-enough and was comfortable with the fact that there was nothing wrong with being a strong woman.

Song Luli walked away. She then paused at one of the pillars, waiting for him to catch up to her, and they went back to the office.

...