Chapter 130: Bidding Frenzy

The West Gate of Yanda, also known as the Alumni Gate, was funded by alumni and constructed in 1926. Now approaching its centennial, the gate stands guarded by two majestic stone lions, with its vermilion doors and the golden characters "Yanjing University" inspiring a sense of reverence. This is the heritage of China's premier institution, and Zhang Chu felt an immediate affinity for the place.

Early in the morning, the Yanda campus was already bustling with activity as upperclassmen arrived ahead of schedule. At the beginning of September, the campus remained lush, with only a few temperate trees shedding leaves in the autumn breeze. The clear, resonant sound of students reading aloud filled the air. Zhang Chu strolled through the grounds, catching glimpses of hidden pavilions nestled among the dense trees.

Guided by a map, Zhang Chu headed toward Weiming Lake. The scene—verdant trees, asphalt paths, students walking in small groups, and foreigners whizzing past on bicycles—was tranquil and serene. By the lakeside, elderly faculty and retirees were already engaged in their morning exercises. Though some walked with a slight gait and sported gray hair, they were full of vitality, long accustomed to their morning routines under the willow trees. In the nearby gazebo, students were already immersed in their studies, the academic atmosphere thick and palpable.

The Yanda campus is vast. As Zhang Chu walked, he matched the map on his phone to his surroundings; he would be spending the next four years here, and there was no harm in familiarizing himself with it early. As the autumn breeze picked up, couples clung to one another, fingers intertwined. Zhang Chu, however, was in a league of his own—he didn't fear the cold!

Just as he was being endlessly stung by the sight of these couples, his phone rang. It was Zhou Kang.

"Uncle Zhou, what can I do for you?"

At Menglong Media, Zhou Kang said with a hint of excitement, "We have received preliminary offers from several companies, all with varying terms. Are you busy right now? If not, why don't you come to the office so we can discuss the results?"

Exhausted by the torturous Beijing traffic, Zhang Chu flatly refused. "You can tell me over the phone. I’m planning to check out the library later and don't really have the time."

Zhou Kang didn't mind. After all, the employer is king, and since no agreements had been finalized—these were merely initial expressions of interest—he and his team were the ones handling the negotiations anyway.

"Huace Film & TV made the first offer. They proposed a package deal for both copyrights, totaling 8 million RMB, though they’ll claim 10 million publicly. Additionally, they’ll promote the original work during the marketing of the film and TV series, and you will be credited as the author in the opening titles."

For Zhang Chu, who currently had only 620,000 RMB in savings, 8 million was quite tempting. Huace was also one of the country's first publicly listed companies focused on television drama, known for both the quantity and quality of their productions. However, Zhang Chu intended to hear the other offers first; there might be something better.

"Besides Huace, there’s Director Xu Ji’s studio. They’re offering 2 million plus a 2% profit share for the film rights to *Psychological Crimes*, and Director Xu is willing to include you in the screenwriting credits. As for Ciwen, they want both sets of rights and have been quite generous, proposing a structure of 4 million plus 5 million."

Zhou Kang was secretly overjoyed. He had made the right choice in becoming Zhang Chu’s sole literary agent; the revenue from this one author already exceeded that of several others combined. Previously, selling film rights for the writers he represented was a grueling task, often requiring him to beg and plead for bargain-basement prices. Now, major companies were actively seeking him out, allowing him to hold his head high.

"Yida Pictures offered the most. They want both film and TV rights for *Psychological Crimes* and have put up 12 million. However, Yida Group’s current performance isn't great, and I’m concerned that might impact their film division."

Zhang Chu pondered deeply. What kind of success did he want for *Psychological Crimes*? Did he prioritize high box office numbers? Suspense, mystery, and thriller works don't typically draw massive crowds; the audience is primarily male and relies heavily on word-of-mouth. If the quality is poor, high box office returns are impossible. If *Psychological Crimes* were turned into a flop, Zhang Chu felt he would be doing a disservice to the original novel.

"What do you think the box office potential is? If we partner with Director Xu Ji, would that 5% share exceed 5 million?"

"Director Xu’s works have a solid baseline. If he casts popular and talented actors, a box office of 200 million RMB is guaranteed, meaning a 2% share would be around 4 million. Adding that to the 2 million copyright fee, that’s about 6 million. But if the box office hits 500 million, your film rights alone would earn you 12 million." Zhou Kang sighed. Xu Ji had been producing films through his own studio lately. If only he would partner with a major player like Huace, Ciwen, or Yida—with the backing of a large company and Xu Ji’s quality, the box office would be unstoppable!

Zhang Chu thought it over and asked, "If you press Director Xu’s studio, can you negotiate a higher share? 2% feels a bit low."

"You don't know the hunger of the masses, my friend. Many actors can't even get a box office share, let alone a newcomer like you. It seems Director Xu really loves *Psychological Crimes*. I'll see if we can negotiate that 2% further."

"I want to split the film and TV rights into two separate products to maximize profit. After all, Huace, Ciwen, and Shanying are primarily television-focused; they are perfectly suited to buy the TV rights."

Zhou Kang nodded in agreement. "I'll contact them later and play to their respective strengths. By the way, CBS has also made an offer: 1 million USD. They’ve indicated that if you write a second *Sherlock* installment and the quality remains high, they are willing to increase the price."

"And what about the BBC?"

1 million USD was roughly 6 to 7 million RMB—a very encouraging figure, especially considering *Sherlock* hadn't even met the audience yet. Perhaps that was the key for the broadcasters; most viewers were unfamiliar with the story, offering a sense of freshness and preventing spoilers.

"The BBC offered 800,000 pounds. They also require you to handle the English translation, fearing that someone else might alter the script or the characters."

800,000 pounds was roughly equivalent to 1 million USD. There was still no news from HBO or FOX. Zhang Chu knew he shouldn't be too greedy; 1 million USD was a respectable figure for a Western writer. "Continue to engage with them and see if we can improve the price and terms. Tell them they can rest assured—I’ve already started translating *Sherlock*."

Since *Sherlock* was originally a British series, all Zhang Chu had to do was restore it to its original form, which was even simpler than writing the novel.

"By the way, if I provide the English script for *Sherlock*, will that give us more leverage?"

Zhou Kang didn't know whether to be skeptical or hopeful. "Why don't you try? Write one act first."

He simply couldn't fathom the world of a genius!