Chapter 109: The Five-Hundred-Million Blockbuster

Inside the room, Zhu Lan had recovered considerably. He rose from the bed, walked over to a chair, pulled it out, and sat down.

“Boss, I don’t know what it means to regret or not regret. I only know whether the calculations are right or wrong.”

Zhu Lan said nothing for a moment. “Make the arrangements. Have the entire Biology Division move in. Clear Building Six for me within a week.”

“Understood, Boss!”

Zhu Lan waved his hand, and the Red Queen tactfully withdrew.

After a night’s rest, Zhu Lan called a meeting the next day and announced the existence of the Azure Base. He did not reveal its location, though everyone could make a reasonable guess. As for where the entrance was, however, probably no one knew.

The passage from the previous day had actually been constructed by the Red Queen over the course of two days. If necessary, it could be sealed completely, so Zhu Lan had nothing to worry about.

After assigning a great many tasks, Zhu Lan dismissed everyone, leaving only Lan Tianxin and Nong Yixiang behind.

“How is the asset reorganization coming along?”

“Boss, it’s finished. Only the final procedures remain. We can establish the corporation at any time.”

Zhu Lan nodded. “Notify Su An in the legal department. Make the preparations. We’ll establish Fantasy Group after the New Year.”

Lan Tianxin nodded.

“Have us acquire a film company.”

“What?”

Zhu Lan had changed topics so abruptly that Lan Tianxin could not keep up.

“What is it?” Zhu Lan asked, looking at her in confusion.

Nong Yixiang, standing nearby, felt that Zhu Lan was indeed a difficult employer. She could not help shaking her head sympathetically at Lan Tianxin. Who would have thought that Manager Lan had managed to endure such a demanding boss for so long?

“Boss, are you sure you didn’t misspeak?”

“Of course I’m sure. Is there a problem?”

Lan Tianxin smiled bitterly. “Boss, a film company? Are you planning to make a movie?”

Zhu Lan nodded. “Is there a problem?”

Lan Tianxin was momentarily speechless. There really did not seem to be anything wrong with it. If Zhu Lan wanted to make a movie, what was the problem?

“Boss, this… this…”

Lan Tianxin did not know what to say.

Zhu Lan smiled faintly. “Actually, this is merely a strategy.”

“A strategy?”

“How are things progressing in Chenwen Port?”

Lan Tianxin frowned. “Not very smoothly. The matter concerning the celebrities is still unsatisfactory.”

Zhu Lan nodded. “Then it’s settled.”

“What does that have to do with making a movie?”

“Wait!”

Lan Tianxin had barely finished speaking when she suddenly understood. She looked up at Zhu Lan in astonishment.

“How is it? Isn’t my idea excellent?”

Lan Tianxin gave a bitter smile. Her boss really did have an unusual way of thinking.

Zhu Lan’s plan was simple. Acquire a film company, then announce a new movie. The film only needed to be sufficiently attractive. When the time came, would they still have to worry about failing to draw celebrities to Chenwen Port?

“Do you understand now?”

Lan Tianxin nodded. “I understand.”

“Complete it as soon as possible.”

“Boss, even if we advertise it, without something substantial to offer, we still may not be able to attract anyone.”

Zhu Lan smiled mysteriously. “Don’t worry. I have a way.”

“What is your plan, Boss?”

Zhu Lan knew Lan Tianxin was uneasy.

“I’ve already prepared the screenplay. It only needs a few revisions. We should be able to begin filming after the New Year. If everything goes smoothly, we may even make the Christmas release window next year. As for the production budget, let’s start with five hundred million dollars.”

“Five hundred million dollars?”

Lan Tianxin had long known that Zhu Lan treated money as though it were worthless, but investing five hundred million dollars in a single film would still be enough to shock the entire world.

After all, Hollywood blockbusters were the most expensive films in the world, with productions costing hundreds of millions. And those figures were calculated in U.S. dollars.

Titanic, famously known as the great shipwreck blockbuster, was said to have cost four hundred million dollars, though its actual budget was slightly more than three hundred million. Its worldwide box office reached 2.1 billion dollars, representing a return of more than a thousand percent.

“You don’t need to concern yourself with that figure. Just release the news. While the acquisition is under way, announce the film as well. The two matters must not interfere with each other.”

Lan Tianxin was full of doubts, but she still nodded.

“Leave now.”

Zhu Lan thought for a moment, picked up the telephone beside him, found a number, and dialed it.

The phone rang several times.

“Hello?”

“Mr. Mochi, I’m sorry to disturb you so late.” Zhu Lan was speaking Chinese, but the phone contained a translation device that rendered his words into the other party’s language. The other party’s speech was translated in the same way.

“Who is this?” The man on the other end clearly did not recognize him.

“Mr. Mochi, you truly are a man of importance with a poor memory. This is Zhu Lan of Fantasy Technology.”

“Zhu Lan?”

The other party was evidently trying to recall who he was.

“Mr. Zhu? So it’s you! I didn’t recognize your voice at first. My apologies.”

Once he remembered Zhu Lan’s identity, the man immediately apologized.

“There’s no need for that, Mr. Mochi. I’ve long admired Axis United.”

Mochi Davinloss was someone Zhu Lan had met while negotiating the agency rights for the Gene Optimization Fluid. Although they had exchanged only a few words, the president of Axis United had been exceptionally amiable. Even after losing the bidding, he had politely told Zhu Lan that he hoped they might cooperate in the future.

Axis United was an energy company jointly established by American and Arab royal interests. Its primary business was petroleum. Because of its position in the oil industry, Axis United held substantial stakes in companies across many American sectors. According to incomplete statistics, Axis United Investment held shares in at least two hundred American companies and wielded considerable influence in every major field. There were even rumors that the company could affect many decisions made by the U.S. government.

“Mr. Zhu, what can I do for you?”

“Mr. Mochi, you’re a perceptive man. There is indeed something I’d like to trouble you with. After considering the matter carefully, I found you the most agreeable person to approach. Originally, I intended to contact the man from Sterling Group.”

“Mr. Zhu, you flatter me. As long as it isn’t too difficult, I’ll certainly do what I can.”

Mochi Davinloss was no fool. During the earlier bidding for the agency rights to the Gene Optimization Fluid, he had offered only eighty million dollars because the future of the genetic market had been unclear. Axis United now regretted that decision bitterly. The Gene Optimization Fluid had become an unprecedented sensation worldwide, and every one of the agents was making enormous profits.

Even with a wealthy chairman, who would ever think they had enough money?

Many of the companies that had attended the original agency auction were now filled with regret. If they had been willing to invest more back then, they would already have recovered their costs and made a tremendous profit. In the years to come, the agency rights would be nothing less than a mountain of gold.

Was Mochi a fool? Certainly not. There were currently only seven agents, and all seven were merely secondary agents.

Although Fantasy Technology had never announced when the primary agency rights would be put up for auction, many people were already preparing for that unknown bidding conference. If secondary agents could make such astonishing profits, what would the primary agents earn? They might even recover the agency fee alone.

Now that Zhu Lan had asked him for a favor, Mochi did not even ask what it was. He nearly agreed on the spot.

Zhu Lan naturally knew what the man was thinking. He was very eager to release the primary agency rights, but they were a burning-hot prize. The moment he revealed even the slightest intention, he would be torn to pieces. The speed at which the seven agents were accumulating wealth was plain for all to see.

Countless people were watching the primary agency rights, especially the domestic companies led by Azure Dragon Group. They had nearly placed a knife against Zhu Lan’s throat already.

Because the rights were such a dangerous prize, Zhu Lan had never openly revealed his intentions. Many international conglomerates had inquired with Fantasy Technology, but Zhu Lan had given them only one answer: the market was still under investigation, and the matter would be considered after the survey was complete.

“It isn’t anything major.”

“I’m preparing to make a film, with an investment of approximately four hundred million dollars. As for directors from my own country, I’m afraid I don’t trust them. Hollywood has many excellent directors, and I’d like to ask you to help me bring in a major one. Naturally, the compensation will be no less than what Hollywood offers.”

“That’s all? Easy enough. Which director do you want? I’ll contact him for you.”

“Either Roland Emmerich or Michael Bay would be fine.”

“Consider it done. Wait for my call.”

“Thank you, Mr. Mochi.”

The call ended. Mochi had not asked a single question about the primary agency rights.

Zhu Lan nodded in satisfaction. It seemed that keeping those rights in his hands still had its uses.

Roland Emmerich, director of such outstanding films as The Day After Tomorrow, 2012, White House Down, and Independence Day, was perfectly suited to the large-scale production Zhu Lan had in mind.

Michael Bay, director of major productions such as Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Transformers: Age of Extinction, and Pearl Harbor, was equally appropriate.

The matter of the director was essentially settled, and half of Zhu Lan’s concerns disappeared.

He did not believe he would be unable to hire one of them. Money alone might not be enough, but with the president of Axis United personally making the request, even high-ranking American officials could probably be invited—provided the benefits were sufficient.

Axis United held shares in numerous major Hollywood companies and even served as their controlling shareholder in some cases. Bringing in a director would hardly be difficult.

Once they agreed, Zhu Lan knew the matter was settled. Regardless of what happened, one of the two would surely come.

The director was no longer a concern. Now everything depended on the film company.

Zhu Lan already had a vague idea for the screenplay.

This would be the first film he made as an experiment, but he had conceived it on a massive scale.

What did Zhu Lan lack most at present?

A rapid means of transportation.

As for transportation, cars were nothing special.

Airplanes? A little too slow.

Spacecraft? That would be better, but manufacturing one would be somewhat difficult.

So Zhu Lan intended to challenge something far more difficult: spatial transmission.

Devices capable of spatial transmission existed in many films, but they were invariably depicted as failed experiments. Moreover, such technology was far too dangerous. What Zhu Lan needed was a safer form of spatial transmission.

The spatial transmission device in Big Hero 6 had once been the one Zhu Lan favored most. Unfortunately, for some unknown reason, he was unable to materialize that device—or many of the other technologies from the film. He had no choice but to seek another solution.

He searched through countless movies, but none contained a suitable device. Even when one did, it was merely an unfinished prototype.

Thus, the experiment at the heart of Zhu Lan’s new film would revolve around a spatial transmission device.

To be continued.