Chapter 125: An Unexpected Visitor

"So, this must be young Mr. Zhang. A true young talent, indeed!"

Li Li of Huace Film & TV praised him with a smile. He was a tall, thin man who carried an air of shrewdness.

Several other executives from various film companies nearby also stood up to greet him. Usually, it was the authors who had to curry favor with them, but standing before them was a man who had dared to initiate a cross-border lawsuit in the United States. They had no choice but to treat him with caution.

Zhang Chu smiled modestly, playing the role of a young man who was not particularly eloquent. "Director Li is too kind. I’m just writing some casual pieces; I never expected so many people to enjoy them."

A female vice president sent by Yida Film, who appeared to be in her thirties, spoke up: "That is far too modest. Your *Psychological Crime* is written remarkably well. In fact, we had been studying your book even before it was officially published; it is perfectly suited for a film adaptation. Yida Film has substantial capital and our own theater chain, making us an excellent partner."

"My seniors, I don't know much about the film industry. You can discuss these matters with my literary agent, Mr. Zhou Kang. As the saying goes, everyone has their own specialty; it's better if I just stick to writing."

Zhang Chu didn't want to get bogged down in the tedious negotiations, so he pushed everything onto Zhou Kang. He was content to sit back and reap the rewards—which was exactly why he had given up 10% of the profits to hire an agent in the first place.

As a writer, it was inconvenient and exhausting to spend time on slow negotiations. Entrusting the work to a professional could maximize his interests. Since these film companies had been tracking his work since he started serializing *Psychological Crime* on Weibo, it was clear that their interest in acquiring the rights was quite strong.

In truth, Zhang Chu wasn't sure where to peg his market value. A lump sum of five million felt a bit like a loss; after all, there were two types of rights involved. Five million for each—film and television—would have been more reasonable.

However, he knew that might be asking for too much. Strictly speaking, he was still a newcomer, and his work hadn't been fully tested by the market; there was no historical performance to use as a reference.

Many authors sold their first works for a pittance, only to see their prices skyrocket ten or even fifty times over for their second work, once they had a hit adaptation to give them leverage.

The five million offered by Huace Film was already a sky-high price for a newcomer, but since Menglong Culture was a business-oriented company, they had to aim for a higher figure. That was the nature of profit-seeking!

Zhou Kang naturally began exchanging pleasantries with the executives. He knew they wouldn't commit to a specific figure right away; just having them stay for ten minutes was a feat in itself. After all, there was much to be done at the trade show. This was merely an introduction, a prelude to future contact.

...

Zhang Chu was curiously browsing other recommended works when suddenly, a short, stout old man with gray hair appeared before him.

"Are you Zhang Chu?"

The old man looked at the author photo on the back of the copy of *Psychological Crime* he was holding, then looked up at the young man in front of him.

Zhang Chu didn't deny it. Thinking he had encountered a reader, he nodded and said, "Yes, that's me. Would you like an autograph, sir?"

The old man shook his head. "I don't want an autograph."

Having offered a signature for the first time only to be rejected, Zhang Chu finally understood what it meant to be embarrassed.

"I want to talk to you about the film adaptation. Here is my business card."

With that, Zhang Chu found himself holding a thin card. It bore the name "Xu Ji Film Studio." There was no title under the name, but the name "Xu Ji" said everything—the studio was his!

"Xu Ji? That name sounds familiar," Zhang Chu thought, searching his memory. He felt like he had heard it somewhere before.

Suddenly, a movie title flashed in his mind, and he blurted out, "Did you direct *Burning Sun*?"

The old man chuckled. He had assumed this youngster wouldn't know his work, so he was relieved to be spared the self-introduction. "I did. What did you think of it?"

"It’s an excellent film. Both the plot and the actors' performances were superb—very tense!"

Zhang Chu had indeed seen the film; it was one of the few sincere crime-suspense films produced domestically in recent years, and it had also been adapted from a novel.

Xu Ji had more than just that one film to his name. He was one of the most famous directors in the country, hailed as a "Maker of Best Actors and Actresses," having shot numerous legendary films, particularly in the suspense genre.

In recent years, as the Chinese film industry had been flooded with subpar movies, the old director had become one of the few remaining bastions of quality.

To avoid being conned, Zhang Chu activated the "external help" function within his system. A mere 500 prestige points were a drop in the ocean for a wealthy man like him, who possessed thirty million. He carefully compared the person in front of him with the data on the internet—it was indeed Xu Ji himself!

A smile spread across Xu Ji's wrinkled face. He pointed to a seat not far away and said, "Sigh, I have to admit I'm getting old. Shall we go sit over there and talk?"

"Of course, no problem." Zhang Chu wondered to himself why Xu Ji hadn't gone to Menglong Culture, but had come directly to him instead.

After the two sat down in a corner of the venue, Xu Ji spoke earnestly: "Your *Psychological Crime* must have a prequel or a sequel, right? I read the chapters online, and yesterday I bought the physical book to finish the finale. Fang Mu definitely isn't dead; this must be setting up for a sequel. But since Fang Mu's life hasn't been fully detailed, are you planning to use a prequel to tell his story?"

"Director Xu has a sharp eye. This is only one part of the *Psychological Crime* series; there are others, though I haven't written them yet."

Zhang Chu could hear the sincerity in Xu Ji's words. Not every big-name director would take the time to read these works carefully.

"I knew it," Xu Ji said, looking as pleased as a child. "If I were to adapt this film, I would cut out the connections to the rest of the series and film it as a standalone crime story, because we don't have enough screen time to explain everything to the audience."

Most directors would try to turn it into a film franchise, producing parts one through seven, but Xu Ji was doing the opposite, wanting to create a standalone piece.

Zhang Chu trusted Xu Ji's directorial ability, but that didn't mean he was willing to hand over the rights without ensuring his own interests were protected. Just as he was about to ask about the terms, his phone rang. It was Zhou Kang.

"Hello? Zhang Chu? If you're still at the venue, come back quickly. Some foreign rights buyers have come to our booth and want to talk to you."