Independent Film Studio

Time had passed quickly, and half a month later, Jiang Cheng was studying in his dorm when his phone rang. He picked it up and saw that it was a call from Xu Guoqing.

He answered and heard Xu Guoqing's cheerful voice on the other end, "Hello, Acheng, do you have a moment?"

"Yes, Uncle Xu, what's up? Did something happen?" Jiang Cheng asked.

"Nothing serious, it's just that there have been some developments regarding the matter you asked me for help with last time."

"Really?" Jiang Cheng exclaimed in delight, "What about it?"

"Yeah, I had someone inquire for over half a month. Interestingly, there's an entertainment company for sale in Wuhan. I sent someone to inspect it; it's not a large operation, just one office building, it has 2 floors and occupies over 500 square meters of space. However, they have complete documentation and filming equipment, and their finances are clean with no outstanding debts, showing significant growth potential," Xu Guoqing said.

"Oh?" Jiang Cheng asked in surprise, "So, why is the company up for sale?"

"I heard that the owner of this company suffered from acute meningitis due to overwork a while ago and was hospitalized for several days but couldn't make it. The owner's family doesn't want to continue running the company, so they want to sell it."

Hearing this news, Jiang Cheng couldn't help but sigh, perhaps thinking about his past life. He couldn't help but sympathize with this unfortunate owner he had never met.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Jiang Cheng asked over the phone, "So, Uncle Xu, how much are they asking for?"

"They're asking for two million US dollars."

"What?!" Jiang Cheng exclaimed, "Two million US dollars, over 16 million RMB? Isn't that outrageous? Do these people have any sincerity?"

Xu Guoqing replied, "If the asking price weren't high, would it have gone unnoticed? However, I've contacted them, and it seems like they might be willing to negotiate on the price, but they want to talk face-to-face with potential buyers."

After a moment of contemplation, Jiang Cheng asked, "So, where are these people now? In Wuhan?"

"Yes, but I heard they are not originally from Wuhan; they should be from Beijing. It seems they will be returning there in a couple of days. Before that, if there's no buyer in sight, they'll consider splitting and selling the company."

"So, you mean I have to make a decision in these next few days if I want to buy?"

"Yes," Xu Guoqing confirmed, "Acheng, do you really want to buy an entertainment company? You're still a newcomer; isn't it a bit too soon?"

"No, Uncle Xu, you've misunderstood me. It's not an entertainment company I'm after; I don't have the foundation or capability for that right now. I just want to start my own production studio."

"What's the difference?" Xu Guoqing wondered.

"Of course, there's a difference!" Jiang Cheng explained, "A film production studio is smaller in scale, and a company would only need a few dozen people. The company's business is solely focused on film and music video production; we won't produce large-scale TV dramas or represent artists. An entertainment company, on the other hand, is typically a large conglomerate involved in various areas like film and TV investment, production, distribution, cultural publishing, 3D animation, and artist management. The two are not comparable."

"Ah, I see. So, this so-called film production studio is basically a small-scale entertainment company that specializes in making films and music videos. You're just using different terminology?" Xu Guoqing realized.

"Yes, you could say that. In Europe and the United States, such companies are known as independent film production companies. They produce films independently and don't seek additional investors. It's just a different term here in China," Jiang Cheng chuckled.

"It's a great opportunity to dip our toes into the film industry independently, heck we could probably get Cousin Xu onboard as well. As we slowly build things out."

"Youngsters nowadays!" Xu Guoqing couldn't help but shake his head with a smile. "Do you really want our whole family to work for you?"

"Hehe! It's just that we know each other well, and besides, 'A friend in need is a friend indeed.' I won't shortchange Cousin Xu. A yearly salary of 100,000 with additional bonuses for specific tasks, how does that sound?" Jiang Cheng laughed.

The "Cousin Xu" Jiang Cheng mentioned was Xu Lirong, Xu Guoqing's only son, who had recently obtained his lawyer's qualification certificate but was currently unemployed. Jiang Cheng had been quite close to him during childhood, and although they hadn't kept in touch as much as adults, they still had a good relationship.

Jiang Cheng's offer was quite generous, far beyond what most fresh college graduates could hope for.

"I won't interfere in this matter; you can discuss it with him yourself. I won't meddle in the affairs of the younger generation," Xu Guoqing replied, shaking his head.

"Alright! Uncle Xu, can you help me book two flight tickets to Wuhan for these next few days? It turns out that there are no classes at the college during this time, so I'll go to Wuhan to meet with these people." Jiang Cheng said, a glint of determination in his eyes.

"Sure, I'll arrange for Xu Lirong to accompany you on the trip. You can discuss the matter of him being your personal lawyer when you meet," Xu Guoqing agreed.

"Great! Thanks, Uncle Xu! I'll treat you to tea when I return!" Jiang Cheng expressed his gratitude.

"Youngster, it seems that I haven't wasted my efforts on you," Xu Guoqing said with a smile.

"By the way, Uncle Xu, what's the name of that talent agency company? And how should I address those people?" Jiang Cheng suddenly thought of this and asked.

Xu Guoqing pondered for a moment before responding, "The company is called 'New Century Entertainment.' The former owner's surname was Lin, but now her sister is in charge. I don't know her exact name."

"New Century Entertainment? Surname Lin? And they're from Beijing?" Upon hearing this information, Jiang Cheng fell into deep thought. For some reason, the surname triggered a familiar feeling, like he had heard it somewhere before.

"It looks like there might be some gains this time," Jiang Cheng muttered to himself.