Chapter 16

The next day, when Chen Jiaxuan knocked on her own door with a box of milk, Lin Han had not even reacted. He drowsily opened the door and said to her, "Why are you here so early?"

"The plan for a day lies in the morning. Hurry up and get up to run. After running, you'll be full of energy for the whole day." Chen Jiaxuan showed off her sports attire and then pushed Lin Han into the room. "Hurry up, change your clothes."

"I'm not going. I want to sleep. I stayed up until two or three in the morning reading a novel. I'm so tired now!"

After saying that, Lin Han yawned and ignored Chen Jiaxuan, walking into the bedroom on his own. The warm room had heating, so he lay on the bed and fell asleep.

However, Chen Jiaxuan wouldn't let him off so easily. "Whether you're writing novels or making movies, you need to have a good physical condition. Your body is the capital of revolution. After running a few laps, you'll feel refreshed and be able to write a lot when you come back."

"I'm not going. You can go by yourself." Lin Han buried his head in the pillow and said in a grumpy voice. Running in the morning is not a wise choice, especially in the cold winter.

But Chen Jiaxuan was determined to get Lin Han up. Ignoring the difference between male and female, she directly uncovered the blanket and opened the window, letting in the cold air.

Lin Han, who was sleeping, immediately curled up into a ball. The sudden cold air got rid of all his sleepiness, so he had to angrily get up and say, "Okay, okay, okay. I'm afraid of you. You go out first, I'll change my clothes."

After achieving her goal, Chen Jiaxuan walked out like a victorious general, leaving Lin Han shivering in the cold wind.

After changing into his sports attire and grabbing his keys, Lin Han followed Chen Jiaxuan out of the community and started warming up in the nearby park, then began jogging.

"Do you know? I've always felt guilty. If it weren't for me recommending you to film 'Escape from the Solar System', you wouldn't be in this situation now. Maybe you could have directed a movie on your own without carrying all this blame." After running for a while, Chen Jiaxuan supported her knees with her hands and said breathlessly. During these days, she finally figured out the tricks inside the movie "Escape from the Solar System". The seemingly big-budget and high-profile production turned out to be full of dirt and hidden agendas.

Seeing a bench nearby, Lin Han walked over and sat down, asking in surprise, "Can you tell me what's going on?"

Chen Jiaxuan leaned against the back of the bench, looked up at the gloomy sky, and said in a low voice, "Actually, this production is just a front for money laundering. They use big IPs and good actors to cover up for them. The 300 million investment is probably whitewashed and transferred to personal accounts, with about 250 million. No wonder no director was willing to take over in the first place. Only us idiots rushed up to be the hero."

Using films to launder money is not uncommon in the entertainment industry. The latest example is "Ip Man 3" starring Donnie Yen, which was targeted by the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film, and Television as a typical case.

The so-called 300 million investment in "Escape from the Solar System" actually had very little actual cost. The special effects were minimal and of poor quality, hence the nickname "five cents special effects". There weren't many science fiction scenes, nor did it require many props. They only needed to pay the fees for a few actors and deliberately increase the expenses for promotion and distribution. With money coming in from one hand and going out from the other, the actual money spent on the movie was probably only a few tens of millions.

There is a website under the Film Bureau that lists many co-produced films with foreign countries, but many of these films are not seen in the market. However, they continue to be made every year. Movies are meant to make money when they can, and lose money when they have to. Those who are passionate about movies now will definitely lose money, and making money is out of the question.

So as long as the movie can be released, it's considered fulfilled. It doesn't matter how high the box office is. Therefore, when "Escape from the Solar System" received negative reviews right after its release, the investors didn't have any emergency measures to respond. They let the situation develop on its own without any crisis public relations.

Seasoned professionals in the entertainment industry were unwilling to direct this movie. In order to shift the blame, the investors chose a new director. They trust new directors not to fight for power within the crew and not to demand high fees. Afterward, they can be the scapegoat. Lin Han was indeed being put to good use.

Money laundering is not uncommon in the entertainment industry, but at that time, both Chen Jiaxuan and Lin Han were intoxicated with joy. Having just graduated not long ago, being able to direct such a well-known movie, they didn't have the energy to deal with other things. Their heads were filled with the fortune that fell from the sky.

But reality proved that there's no such thing as a free lunch. The failure of the entire crew was attributed solely to Lin Han. Without a background, it was impossible to wash away the accusations.

After understanding the truth of the matter, Lin Han wasn't too surprised. Instead, he comforted Chen Jiaxuan, "What's done is done. There's nothing we can do now. Just be more careful in the future. I will probably continue writing science fiction novels."

"Do you think you don't need a literary agent to write novels? Who will help you expand the copyright of your novels, negotiate with publishers for better deals? I specifically learned about the literary agent system in the United States, which is very suitable for you. You can write quietly while leaving everything else to me. I can find suitable publishers for you, handle marketing promotions, and even translate your novels into other languages in the future without bothering you."

In fact, literary agents in China are still in their infancy. Authors usually have to personally approach publishers or contact book reviewers and the media for promotion when publishing a book.

Lin Han touched his chin. He hadn't thought about this before. Chen Jiaxuan was indeed the best choice as his literary agent. She was originally from the entertainment industry and had a comprehensive understanding of various fields, including publishing, film and television, as well as animation, games, the internet, and legal knowledge.

"It sounds pretty good. I trust you can fight for the best interests for me. But right now, I can't afford to hire you. Let's talk about it after I become a bestselling author?"

Chen Jiaxuan shrugged, "But I want to sign with you now. 10% commission. I have a keen eye for spotting talent. You'll definitely get popular sooner or later, so let's settle it now and prevent others from stealing you away."

A 10% commission is not considered much, and could even be considered a fair price. After all, literary agents should strive to maximize the author's interests. When a book is pirated, they have to fight for the author's rights. A single work has at least 20 different channels for realizing its value, such as digital copyrights, film adaptations, stage plays, theatrical adaptations, serialization in magazines, and more. It's impossible for an author to handle all these matters themselves if they want to concentrate on writing.