Chapter 486: Cracking the Code of Wealth
After dinner, it was already past nine o'clock. We agreed to meet again later, and then went back to school.
At nine o'clock the next morning, Lu Yiming got up, brushed his teeth and washed his face. He was about to go out for breakfast when Wu Zhijie called him. There was a hint of pride in his words, as if he wanted to take credit for it.
I could only hear him respectfully reporting his achievements over the past few days on the other end of the phone: "Mr. Lu, I have acquired five old houses according to your plan, and I have already got the best price for you. Moreover, they are all the top locations that you decided on before, and they are high-quality properties with independent property rights."
This is great news indeed!
When Lu Yiming heard this, he was immediately very happy and felt very pleased.
After all, the transaction prices of these old houses will be in the billions in the future, but now they are only priced at a few million. Even if a huge amount of money is spent on decoration and publicity, the final profit will be at least 1,000%, which makes them high-quality assets.
Therefore, Lu Yiming was not stingy with his praise for Wu Zhijie: "Boss Wu, you have worked hard. Boss Wu has to do these professional things."
Seeing that his efforts were recognized and praised by Lu Yiming, Wu Zhijie couldn't stop smiling and said modestly: "Boss Lu is so polite. I just do my job well. It's what I should do."
Although Lu Yiming was his daughter's classmate, he was his junior in terms of seniority, so there was no need for him to be so humble or even fawning.
It is said that people should not bend their backs for a few pieces of rice, but what if it is ten pieces of rice, or even fifty pieces of rice? Can you really stand up straight?
Only when you reach middle age will you understand the importance of money, because you are no longer alone.
As a man, you have to support your family. Without money, you can't do anything.
That's why Wu Zhijie lost his face and clung to Lu Yiming's golden thigh.
Now, he no longer has to worry about business. The company is making a lot of money and has a bright future. Just from Lu Yiming alone, he has earned several seven-figure commissions in the past few days. After calculating, it is even more than what he has earned in the past few years combined.
This shows how important it is to have someone to support you.
So much so that he, who has always been a materialist, now wants to listen to his wife Tang Qianqian's advice and ask him to find some time to go to the temple to burn some incense as a way of fulfilling his wish.
However, there is no rush for burning incense. Instead, Mr. Lu is worried about the Yan family garden, so he cannot be anxious.
Seeing that Mr. Yan's attitude seemed to have softened recently, Wu Zhijie suggested quietly, "By the way, Mr. Lu, do you want me to talk to Mr. Yan privately and feel out his reaction first?"
As an excellent real estate agent, it is Wu Zhijie's instinct to be concerned about the financial backers' needs, which is why he is so proactive and positive.
Lu Yiming was still very satisfied with his attitude, but he still shook his head and said, "Boss Wu, there's no rush for this matter. And it's not our turn to bring it up. Just wait."
When Wu Zhijie heard this, he immediately found it difficult to understand: "Boss Lu, if we don't mention this matter, can Mr. Yan take the initiative to bring it up? I pestered him to sell it before, but he refused. If we don't contact him now, wouldn't that be playing into his hands? Can Mr. Yan take the initiative to talk to us? This is unlikely..."
Lu Yiming smiled and did not explain. Instead, he said in a profound way, "Nothing is absolute in this world. Maybe he suddenly figured it out."
Although Wu Zhijie still didn't understand, he couldn't persuade him anymore after hearing what Lu Yiming said. He thought that maybe Mr. Yan wouldn't give in, and Lu Yiming wanted to give up, but couldn't say it out loud.
Thinking of this, Wu Zhijie sighed and said, "Well, let's just go with the flow."
After finishing the call with Wu Zhijie, Lu Yiming finished his breakfast and immediately made a long-distance call to King Liu who was busy in Hollywood, the United States.
"Lord Liu, I haven't contacted you for a long time. How is the filming of the movie going?"
King Liu suddenly received a call from Lu Yiming. He was surprised but in a very good mood. He smiled happily and said, "It's Mr. Lu. Long time no see."
"I have finished my part in Resident Evil. I will be returning to Hong Kong in a few days and will start working on the Asian Emerging Directors Competition. What's up, Mr. Lu, do you have any instructions?"
Lu Yiming smiled and said, "I don't dare to take your orders. I just want to ask you, Lord Liu, for help with something."
King Liu, who had been able to develop in Hollywood with the help of Lu Yiming, immediately agreed: "Please go ahead."
Then Lu Yiming told him about his plan: "As for me, I want to make a TV series. The story revolves around Zhonghai's old houses. It's an urban workplace drama. The main plot is about the male and female protagonists, who are regional managers of two real estate companies. During their competition, as real estate agents, they not only help their clients settle down, but also witness the joys and sorrows of their clients' lives."
This TV series is actually the "An Jia" that Lu Yiming had watched in his previous life. The main plot can be used directly, and the details can be taken care of by a professional screenwriter. There are many excellent film and television screenwriters in Hong Kong, so there is no need for him to take charge.
The reason why he asked King Liu for help in this matter was mainly because the quality of Hong Kong TV dramas these days was very high, with full plots and vivid characters, which could barely meet Lu Yiming's expectations.
King Liu himself had acted in an urban workplace drama, so he was not unfamiliar with it. He immediately said cheerfully, "No problem. By the way, what's your budget, Mr. Lu?"
Lu Yiming said calmly, "I have never filmed a TV series, so I don't understand the market. How about this, I will invest 10 million first, and we will talk about it after filming starts. If it's not enough, I can always increase it."
Lu Yiming was not familiar with the production costs of TV dramas. Many of the bad dramas he had watched in his previous life had a base cost of tens of millions, and some even claimed to have investments of over 100 million.
So Lu Yiming himself didn't think it was a big deal to take out 10 million.
But King Liu has been in the industry for so many years, so he is very clear about the market. He smiled bitterly and said, "Boss Lu, it doesn't cost much to make a TV series, especially a TV series about life and emotions. Your 10 million is enough to make a movie."
Lu Yiming was a little surprised: "It's actually cheaper to make a TV series than a movie? A movie is only over an hour long, while a TV series has dozens of episodes."
King Liu didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so he had to patiently explain the difference to Lu Yiming: "Mr. Lu, the price is not calculated like this. We are partners, so of course I won't lie to you. Do you know how much it cost to shoot a costume drama like "My Fair Princess"? It cost less than 10 million."
"How many millions of dollars can be used to make "Return of the Pearl"? Is this money enough to pay the actors?"
In the entertainment industry news that Lu Yiming learned about in later life, the pay for leading actors was often tens of millions or even hundreds of millions, making it seem like it was normal to spend more than one billion to shoot a TV series.
As a result, the effects may not be as good as those of old TV dramas.
Especially "Return of the Condor Heroes", the production cost was only a few million?
King Liu said: "The main actors of "Return of the Pearl" actually didn't get much pay. The highest paid actor was Zhao Lijuan who played Concubine Ling, who only got 5,000 yuan per episode, and that was because she was a national first-class actress. As for the other main actors, the good boy Su Youpeng got 2,000 yuan per episode, and the other main actors only got a few hundred yuan more than him."
Lu Yiming was filled with regret after hearing this. He never expected that some big stars who would become famous in the future would only receive tens of thousands of yuan for a movie now?
This is too miserable. It makes anyone who hears it sad and cry.
He felt that it was a good thing that he did not choose to be an actor after his rebirth.
Otherwise, with this little income, will it be enough for food or drink?
So, why do you have to be an actor when you can do something else? Why do you have to enter the entertainment industry when you can enter any other circle?
"So little?"
On the other end of the phone, King Liu looked helpless: "This is the price for a costume drama. The cost of shooting an urban workplace drama is lower than that of a costume drama. After all, we can shoot on location, while costume dramas are more troublesome. The costumes for the extras alone cost a lot, and there are special requirements for the location."
After hearing the explanation from King Liu, Lu Yiming also understood a lot of the tricks in this industry.
However, after careful consideration, Lu Yiming said, "I won't shoot such a shabby movie. Just give me a budget of 10 million, work harder on the scenes, and try to get the effect I want."
King Liu was puzzled, so he wanted to persuade him again: "Really, Mr. Lu, five million is enough. After all, this kind of thing, whether it is popular or not depends on luck. Let me be frank, if it is not popular, the loss will not be a small amount."
Over the years, King Liu has been in debt, losing money on every movie he makes. He has extensive experience in losing money.
Lu Yiming smiled and said, "It doesn't matter whether it's popular or not. What I want is influence."
"Influence?"
King Liu was completely confused about Lu Yiming's train of thought, so he couldn't help but ask, "Isn't the purpose of making a TV series to make money? But your subject matter and plot are not the main theme."
However, Lu Yiming's attitude remained unchanged: "None of this is important. Just tell me if you can do it. I want the best screenwriter, the best director, and the best actors to do their best to create a high-quality TV series with a huge social impact."
Since Lu Yiming said so, King Liu naturally did not persuade him any more and immediately said, "Okay, I promise to do everything according to your request."
The two of them then decided on the general direction of the cooperation. The specific details were naturally arranged by King Liu, and Lu Yiming did not continue to intervene.
As the newly-crowned richest man in Xia Country, Lu Yiming's every move naturally attracted attention.
Therefore, when people learned that Lu Yiming spent 10 million yuan to invite King Liu to film the TV series, and that the main location of the story was Zhonghai, the entire Zhonghai entertainment circle was in an uproar.
That’s the legendary King Liu!
And what kind of operation is it to spend 10 million to make a TV series?
Among the domestic TV dramas produced around the 1990s, except for "Water Margin" produced by CCTV which cost 43 million yuan and "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" which cost 170 million yuan, neither "Journey to the West" nor "Dream of Red Mansions" broke the 10 million level.
Moreover, the filming costs of "Water Margin" and "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" were mainly spent on the construction of the venues and the expenses of the extras in the war scenes. After all, they are historical costume dramas, so it is normal to spend a lot of money.
As for ordinary TV drama crews, having two to three million in funds is already considered quite good in the industry. Most poor crews have funds below one million.
Especially for urban workplace dramas, apart from the actors' salaries, the rest of the cost is not much at all.
Therefore, 10 million yuan for filming is enough to create a lot of hype in this era.
The locals in Zhonghai, in particular, discussed this matter enthusiastically. They were all wondering why the richest man Lu gave up his business and stock speculation and came to film a TV series?
Another ten million spent?
Is it true that making TV series is very profitable?
The same question also lingers in the minds of China Overseas business celebrities.
In a high-end teahouse, Wei Dong and several friends in his circle were also discussing Lu Yiming's investment in a TV series.
"This Lu Yiming seems to be a little too proud. He actually wants to spend 10 million to make a TV series, and it's an urban life drama."
"Is it possible that making TV series is so profitable that even the richest man is tempted?"
Someone who seemed to have invested in TV dramas laughed and said, "You can't make money from TV dramas. Even the popular "Return of the Pearl" didn't make as much money as everyone else could make from going to the stock market to reap profits for a month. And if it doesn't take off, you'll lose a ton of money."
The current economic situation in the country does not yet provide the soil for the entertainment industry to explode.
This is because the economic foundation is not good, so no matter how hard people in the entertainment industry try, it will not make much sense.
So it is obvious that in the China Overseas business circle, no one is optimistic about Lu Yiming's operations.
However, Wei Dong doesn't see it that way.
He has been studying Lu Yiming recently. Although people around him assert that Lu Yiming has become arrogant after making money, he does not think so.
Because Lu Yiming's record was too amazing, he always won by surprise. And whatever Lu Yiming did, it turned out that he had a very clear purpose, and he didn't seem like a person who would drift.
He felt that if he could figure out why Lu Yiming wanted to invest in a TV series, he might be able to make some money from it.
However, Wei Dong had no clue from the conversations of these people.
Isn’t “Return of the Condor Heroes” popular enough?
It is popular across the two sides of the Taiwan Strait and Hong Kong, and across the country.
What's the result?
I still don’t make money by doing business and cutting leeks.
Then why does Lu Yiming still want to do all this?
Isn’t it nice to happily reap profits in the stock market?
After drinking tea and returning home, Wei Dong was still thinking about this matter.
Seeing that he looked distracted, Chen Jinxia asked with concern, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Wei Dong shook his head: "No, have you heard about Lu Yiming investing 10 million to make a TV series? When I was drinking tea with someone just now, they all said that making TV series is not profitable. Even if this TV series is popular, it will not be able to make back the investment unless it is as popular as "Return of the Pearl"."
"So I was thinking, if there is a high probability that he won't make back his investment, then why does Lu Yiming still want to shoot? Logically speaking, he wouldn't do anything that has no benefits."
As the saying goes, all the people in the world are busy seeking profit. Especially as a businessman, you will never think about doing business at a loss.
Chen Jinxia also felt a little strange, but as the saying goes, those involved are often confused while bystanders can see things more clearly. Everyone, including Wei Dong, focused on whether Lu Yiming spent 10 million to make a TV series and whether this TV series could help him earn back the 10 million. However, Chen Jinxia was an outsider and her thinking was different.
From another perspective, she asked Wei Dong a question: "Has Lu Yiming done anything else recently besides filming this TV series?"
Wei Dong frowned and thought about it, then said, "Besides investing in movies, he seems to be busy running a fast food brand and bought a building from Yanlord. But these are completely unrelated things. Is there some secret hidden in them?"
Chen Jinxia is a local, and her main pastime is to go shopping, chat and play mahjong with other rich wives. She thought about it and suddenly thought of something: "There is one more thing, you may have forgotten. The recent rumor is that he wants to buy Yan's Garden, but Mr. Yan refuses to sell it, and the two of them had a conflict because of this."
" Is there such a thing?"
Wei Dong had a thoughtful look on his face. After a while, he slapped his thigh and said, "I understand! I understand. Old house!"
"Old house?"
This time it was Chen Jinxia's turn to be confused.
"right!"
Wei Dong, who finally figured out the secret, was very excited. "According to the information I got, the TV series invested and filmed by Lu Yiming mainly revolves around visiting old houses. And his conflict with Mr. Yan was also about old houses! Lu Yiming wanted to use a big-budget TV series to hype up Zhonghai's old houses."
The more he thought about it, the more he felt that this possibility was very high.
The number of old villas in China Overseas is constant. Although it seems that few people in China are willing to spend money to buy them now, this may not be the case in the future.
After all, the historical heritage and cultural value are there, just like antiques, unique, and naturally have extremely high collection value.
How do antiques get their value?
Isn't it just by telling stories?
As long as the story is told vividly enough and there are people supporting it, the price will go up!
After all, when rich people have money, they naturally have the need to show off.
If you want to show off, you must first have a good story!
This is exactly the routine with antiques, and the money earned is from the rich. The same . Lu Yiming wants to buy a villa, so he wants to shoot a TV series like this to hype up the old villas.
It doesn’t matter whether the TV series is popular or not!
As long as we can publicize the existence of the old house and hype up the price, gain market recognition and the favor of the wealthy, then when the old house is sold, the money from filming the TV series can be recovered in minutes.
"Lu Yiming's real intention is not to drink."
Wei Dong, who thought he had cracked Lu Yiming's business secret, was as happy as a child.
"Wife, you are really my lucky star. Haha."
Wei Dong hugged Chen Jinxia and kissed her fiercely, saying, "Wife, hurry up, let's go buy some old houses while no one is paying attention! Buy as many as we can. Haha, I'm going to make a fortune! This Lu Yiming thought he had done it perfectly, but I saw through his intentions. I might be able to snatch a batch from him!"
Chen Jinxia said hesitantly, "This old house is not cheap. How do you know he wants this? What if we are wrong?"
"Impossible! I'm confident that he did it for this! I'll find a way to take over the building in a moment!"
Wei Dong no longer cared about so many things. He had always been proud and would never submit to others, so he urgently needed to prove his status as a business genius by making money.
At least, he couldn't lose too much to Lu Yiming.
Seeing that Wei Dong completely refused to listen to advice, Chen Jinxia felt helpless.
As her husband's bedmate, she naturally knew why her usually gentle and polite husband was acting so competitive at this moment.
It is really that small Zhonghai cannot accommodate two young and energetic geniuses.
