Huayu: This director is so eager to improve.

Chapter 14 Deep Cooperation

"Who?" Guo Fan was taken aback. "You're not talking about me, are you? I'm nothing! I already mortgaged my photo studio, and now it's a liability!"

"I wasn't talking about money," Qi Yue leaned closer.

"I mean, Van, have you been getting quite close to a certain lady lately?"

Guo Fan's face flushed red instantly. "Don't talk nonsense. Mr. Xu and I..."

"Hey! You've already admitted it, haven't you? How did you know I was talking about General Manager Xu?"

"I....."

"After we had dinner together last time, you seemed a bit off. I heard from others that President Xu has been visiting the set quite often lately, bringing coffee and snacks for two people, and even specifically asking if you were there. Brother Fan, you're quite the charmer."

Guo Fan's ears turned red, and he stubbornly insisted, "That's because General Manager Xu cares about the project's progress! He appreciates my skills! It's an artistic exchange! Pure revolutionary friendship!"

"Yes, pure, very pure." Qi Yue nodded readily, then changed the subject.

"But Brother Van, the revolution is facing difficulties now and needs the help of pure friendship."

Guo Fan looked at him warily: "What do you want?"

"Let's ask her out and meet her."

......

The teahouse at dusk

Xu Wei walked in, her high heels clicking on the door. Today she was wearing a champagne-colored silk shirt and pencil skirt, exuding a mature and charming yet capable aura.

As soon as she entered, her gaze seemed to hook, first lingering on Guo Fan, a meaningful smile playing on her lips, before turning to Qi Yue and nodding gracefully.

"Director Qi, I apologize for keeping you waiting."

Xu Wei sat down, casually placing her elegant handbag aside with a movement that carried the rhythm unique to a mature woman.

"Guo looks very energetic today."

Her gaze swept over Guo Fan's shirt collar, which was clearly freshly ironed.

Guo Fan's ears turned red instantly, and he instinctively straightened his back, unsure of what to do with his hands and feet.

"Mr. Xu, you're joking... I just... I was just dressed casually."

Qi Yue suppressed a laugh and handed over the menu: "Mr. Xu, what would you like to drink? We'll start with a pot of Longjing tea."

"Longjing tea is good; it helps to clear heat."

Xu Wei glanced at the menu but only flipped through it casually.

"This one will do. You two invited me here today, surely it wasn't just for a simple tea party, right? Director Guo was stammering on the phone, it's really piqued my curiosity."

She rested her chin on her hand, smiling as she looked at Guo Fan.

Guo Fan felt a chill run down his spine under her gaze. Qi Yue cleared his throat.

"Mr. Xu, we invited you here today because we have important business to discuss."

Xu Wei then slightly toned down her joking expression, leaning back a little. "So, what is it?"

"It's about the project 'Yu Zui'. We'd like to discuss the possibility of further cooperation with you, Mr. Xu."

"Further cooperation?" Xu Wei raised an eyebrow, her fingers lightly tapping the table.

"How exactly will this go further? I remember Juli already invested money and was going to launch it as a key project, right?"

Qi Yue and Guo Fan exchanged a glance. Qi Yue decided to cut to the chase: "President Xu, we won't hide it from you. 'Yu Zui' is facing some internal problems with Juli. We don't want the show to just quietly fizzle out."

He paused, looking directly at Xu Wei, "So, we're going to buy back the copyright of 'Yu Zui' from Juli."

"Buy it back?" Xu Wei's smile faded, replaced by the shrewdness and scrutiny typical of a businesswoman.

Guo Fan couldn't help but interject, his tone filled with resentment: "Someone on their side is sabotaging us, and all the hard work we put into filming..."

Qi Yue pressed down on Guo Fan's arm, signaling him to calm down.

"Regarding Juling, we proposed an 'investment-to-loan' plan. Their two million investment will be converted into a loan to our platform, and we promise to repay the principal and interest. In exchange, we want to regain the complete copyright. For Juling, this is both a way to cut their losses and get rid of an internally controversial project."

"As for the money," Qi Yue looked at Xu Wei, "this is the kind of collaboration we want to discuss with you, Ms. Xu. We believe in the quality and potential of 'Yu Zui,' but we need a new distribution platform, one that is willing to give good works a chance. Ms. Xu's company's grasp of the youth market and its flexible operating model make us feel that it is the most suitable choice."

Instead of directly asking for money, he positioned Xu Wei and her company as a "talent scout" and a "new platform."

Xu Wei did not answer immediately. She picked up the slightly cooled Longjing tea and sipped it slowly, her gaze shifting back and forth between Qi Yue's resolute and clear face and Guo Fan's anxious yet frustrated expression.

The only sounds in the private room were the aroma of tea and soft breathing.

After a while, Xu Wei put down her teacup, leaned forward, and rested her hands on her chin, a posture that made her appear both professional and imposing.

"Qi Yue," she began slowly, "I admire your boldness and acknowledge the uniqueness of 'Yu Zui.' However, business is business. You want me to take over a project that was 'redeemed' from Juli, and even have to advance the redemption money? That's quite risky."

She paused, her gaze sharp: "What can you give me?"

That's a direct question; the essence of business is ultimately exchange.

Qi Yue remained expressionless and took out a thin, bound document from his briefcase.

He gently pushed the draft in front of Xu Wei.

"Mr. Xu, of course we understand that words alone are insufficient proof." Qi Yue's voice was steady and persuasive.

"Yu Zui is our first battle as Tongfan Studio, but it will certainly not be our last. We hope to establish a long-term partnership with Mr. Xu and your company."

He pointed to the draft: "This is the next project our team started conceiving while preparing for the later stages of 'Yu Zui'. The setting is more extreme, the character relationships are more complex, and the production requirements are also higher. We believe its market potential will be greater than 'Yu Zui'."

Xu Wei raised an eyebrow, picked up the draft, and quickly flipped through it.

Although it's just a preliminary concept and character design, you can see that the ideas are clear, the settings are novel, and the style continues the hardcore suspense route of "Yu Zui" but also makes some breakthroughs.

The cover of the draft simply reads: "Day and Night".

Qi Yue continued to push forward, "Mr. Xu, if the collaboration on 'Yu Zui' can be achieved and succeed, we at 'Tongfan Studio' are willing to give priority to your company in discussing distribution and in-depth cooperation for all the core projects we plan to develop in the next two years."

"Of course, all of this is based on the premise that 'Yu Zui' can have a fair starting point. What we're betting on is not just 'Yu Zui,' but also the future creative potential and market value of our team. We believe that this investment is worth Mr. Xu's gamble."

Guo Fan, listening from the side, was deeply moved. He hadn't expected Qi Yue to have even planned out the next step. He couldn't help but add:

"Mr. Xu, our team gets things done! You've seen it for yourself! Given the opportunity, we're sure to create something even better!"

Xu Wei closed the draft of "Day and Night," her gaze lingering on Qi Yue and Guo Fan's faces for a long time.

The two young men before me, one calmly strategizing and the other passionately sincere, together possess a strange persuasive power.

"Director Qi, I must admit, you're really good at persuasion. Okay, I accept this condition."