Chapter 124: Shortsighted (2/10)

"Mr. Michael, welcome, welcome!"

"Mr. Zhu, I have heard your name mentioned many times in Hollywood, and I must say, I have already used your company's products!"

Zhu Lan paused, glancing at Michael Bay. It was true, he looked quite young!

"Please, have a seat!"

Kong Yan placed a cup of coffee in front of Michael and stepped aside. Michael did not look at the coffee; instead, he began flipping through the script. The more he read, the deeper his brow furrowed.

Invited by Mo Qi, Michael had come to China. Initially, he had been reluctant, but Mo Qi had put direct pressure on the board of directors, leaving Michael with no choice. He had intended to just go through the motions, but now, seeing the script, he was stunned.

The script itself was not particularly brilliant—Michael had seen many that were better. What shocked him was the description within the pages.

"Mr. Zhu, is this...?"

Michael could not be certain. If the script was truly as described, this might be an extraordinary opportunity.

"You have absolutely no need to worry. I have already secured agreements with my military contacts. Everything in the script is achievable. Two divisions, an army of over thirty thousand soldiers—I trust you understand the implications of that?"

"This... this..." Michael could no longer describe his state of mind. An army of over thirty thousand troops! Looking across the entire world, there had never been such a massive lineup. Even if there were, it would only be actors playing the part. But this script called for actual professional soldiers, active-duty personnel. That changed everything.

While not a military enthusiast, Michael had directed "Transformers," so he understood better than anyone that if the equipment described in the script were truly presented on screen, it would leave audiences absolutely stunned.

"Mr. Zhu, may I ask about the budget?"

Zhu Lan nodded with a smile. "The budget for *Space Revolution* is 500 million USD. Of that, 140 million is for the military, 160 million for the star-studded cast, 70 million for props, and the remainder is entirely for special effects."

Michael nodded. "Mr. Zhu, are you launching an all-star cast?"

Zhu Lan nodded. "From the leads to the minor roles, I will be using an all-star cast, covering talent from across Asia, Europe, and every corner of Hollywood."

Though he had suspected it, hearing Zhu Lan confirm it left Michael in shock. 160 million in expenses was enough to produce a Hollywood blockbuster on its own, and that was just for the actors.

"What reason could I possibly have to refuse?"

Zhu Lan smiled. "Welcome to *Space Revolution*!"

"Pleasure working with you!" Michael and Zhu Lan shook hands.

"As for the actors, someone will assist you later. Of course, you are also welcome to invite your preferred actors. I will give you five slots. How does that sound?"

Michael was stunned, then smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Zhu!"

Five slots might seem small, but Michael knew Zhu Lan was doing him a favor. A director’s greatest wish is to have a good actor—an actor who fulfills their needs. Hollywood actor fees are exorbitant, and stars of a certain caliber won't just join a film because you offer money; they need to see if the movie has market potential.

*Space Revolution*, even if it were mediocre, would be a massive commercial success based on these elements alone. Whoever managed to land a role in it would be adding a significant chapter to their life.

***

In the six months since the launch of the Fantasy Technology official website, the number of followers had grown from a few thousand to over forty million.

Half of these were from abroad, where the sales of the Genetic Optimization Serum had been so explosive that many people had become aware of Fantasy Technology’s existence.

On the internet, nothing could stop Red Queen. The website featured versions in over a hundred languages. When you logged in, it automatically converted the version based on your IP address, though you were free to switch to others.

Currently, the four main sections of the Fantasy Technology site were the most popular, with millions of people browsing information there every year.

"Renowned Hollywood Director Michael Bay to Helm Fantasy Pictures' First Film, *Space Revolution*!"

As soon as this headline dropped, the internet exploded!

Before anyone could even comment, an even more explosive piece of news emerged:

"*Space Revolution*, produced by Fantasy Pictures with a 500 million USD investment, will invite global stars to participate. It is set to be the most shocking and captivating commercial blockbuster of 2016."

A 500 million USD investment?

This news was even more shocking than Michael Bay's involvement.

Many people might not grasp what 500 million USD represented, but those who did understood perfectly. If the investment were truly at that level, *Space Revolution* would become the most expensive film in the world, instantly shattering global records.

"Damn, my eyes are falling out of my head. I can't believe there’s such a massive investment in a domestic production!"

"Everyone, wash up and go to bed! This is just a gimmick for Fantasy Technology to attract attention. Don't be fooled!"

"Another major topic, Fantasy Technology is really something!"

"To the guy above, you don't know a damn thing. Fantasy Technology is the most profitable company this year, with monthly revenues exceeding 500 million USD. Their total assets are valued at over 200 billion USD. What do you know? Is 500 million a lot? It’s like five bucks to them. Support Fantasy Pictures, support domestic films!"

"The guy above has been brainwashed; there's no saving him."

"If you're sick, go get treated. Don't give up on the treatment!"

"Whose dog got out and is barking at people? Take it back!"

"Sorry, my dog ran out again. I'll take it back immediately and stew it for dog meat tonight!"

In comparison, more people did not believe that a domestic company would invest 500 million USD to film a movie. 500 million USD was over 3 billion RMB—such a massive amount of capital could fund a dozen epics. One film? Who would believe that?

Even in Hollywood, such an investment would be hard to fathom.

The average person didn't believe it, but some did. Those who understood what kind of company Fantasy Technology was knew that 500 million wasn't actually that much.

Unfortunately, even when someone spoke the truth, who believed it?

It was understandable; under the heavy shadow of many corporations, particularly Canglong Investment, Fantasy Technology wasn't very famous. While information could be found online, much of it was fabricated, and people just laughed it off—no one took it seriously.

Netizens in the south were more inclined to believe it, but 99.99% of people north of the Yangtze River would not believe the news.

"People online still don't trust us. The PR department is moving too slowly!"

At the meeting the following day, Zhu Lan produced a survey report asking the question: "Do you believe in *Space Revolution*?"

The report showed that while seven million people had responded, 93% did not believe it, only 1.4% believed it, and the rest were indifferent.

Seeing the report, the people in the conference room fell silent.

"I know the company's difficulties, but I do not want to see any rumors circulating within the company. If anyone disrupts the order of the company, Fantasy Technology has no place for such uncommitted people!"

Zhu Lan didn't care what the outside world said—he had long known what Fantasy Technology faced—but this couldn't happen inside the company.

"Boss, I will handle this issue!"

Zhu Lan nodded. "I will only say this once. No matter what decisions the company makes, I do not want them influenced by the outside world, or for anyone to bring outside influence into the company to affect our growth and production!"

"Understood!"

Zhu Lan waved his hand. "Dismissed. Fan Xiang, stay behind."

Fan Xiang, the head of Fantasy Pictures, had once been a moderately famous star. Over a decade ago, he had a falling out with company executives and was blacklisted. Since then, he had become a talent scout. He had discovered many stars and was highly valued by many firms, but his temper was too difficult; he couldn't tolerate any "sand in his eyes." Despite his skill, he couldn't handle internal corporate competition, and over the years, he had clashed repeatedly with his own talent and companies.

Six months ago, Fan Xiang left Asian Pictures. Many companies had extended offers, but Fantasy Pictures provided something he couldn't refuse: absolute management authority.

Theoretically, Fan Xiang was the absolute manager of Fantasy Pictures, with the Fantasy Group acting only in a supervisory capacity. Of course, that was just for the public. Zhu Lan gave a lot of leeway to various departments, appearing to have no oversight, but the real monitoring was done by Red Queen through the network and internal cameras. Zhu Lan only appointed one or two people as visible supervisors; the secret monitoring of all departments was handled by the AI. If you did something against the company's interests, sorry, but Fantasy Technology had no use for you.

Since its founding, over twenty members of management had been fired for various reasons. Now, many in management knew that Zhu Lan had a monitoring system they couldn't detect, capable of overseeing everything in the company.

Zhu Lan never explicitly stated this, but everyone knew, and no one dared to ask. Zhu Lan gave them enough authority; if you asked for more—say, total freedom?—well, there were plenty of people outside looking at your position, and plenty inside doing the same.

Many of Fantasy Technology's management had been promoted from the ground up. For example, Nong Yixiang, who had been hired as a clerk; when her predecessor was caught embezzling, she was promoted from the bottom, and her salary jumped from 6,000 to 100,000.

Everyone at Fantasy Technology knew that management was promoted from within. If you did well, the boss would naturally see it.