For the Chinese, the year is not over until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

On the afternoon after Lin Chaoyang finished his phone call with Xie Jin, Li Tuo was planning a party tomorrow. Among the people around him, Lin Chaoyang's family was the only one with good living conditions, so the gathering place was naturally chosen at Lin Chaoyang's house.

But it's not the Overseas Chinese Apartment, but in Mianmian Hutong.

The place here is large and there are many rooms, so you can have as much fun as you want.

Xie Jin rushed to Mianmian Hutong in a hurry, and when he knocked on the door of the courtyard, he saw people drinking and drinking in the courtyard, and couldn't help complaining to Lin Chaoyang.

"You're such a cool kid!"

Lin Chaoyang ignored his complaints and pulled him onto the table. After the introduction, he said to Xie Jin: "Isn't this just for you to catch the wind and wash away the dust?"

Then Lin Chaoyang said to everyone: "Director Xie is famous for being able to drink a thousand cups without getting drunk. He is known as the Immortal of Wine. Weren't you guys pretty good at drinking just now? Come on, let's have a go at it with Director Xie."

Pushing Xie Jin to the wine table, Lin Chaoyang successfully escaped and stood aside watching Li Tuo. Zhang Chengzhi and others surrounded Xie Jin like hyenas.

"Chaoyang, Director Xie is tired from traveling, don't let them go too far." Tao Yushu persuaded worriedly.

Lin Chaoyang sneered, "Don't worry. Even I can't knock these guys down. They are just delivering food."

Sure enough, less than half an hour after Lin Chaoyang finished speaking, everyone else on the table except Xie Jin was still leisurely picking up vegetables and eating, was already unconscious, and some even got under the table.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, how embarrassing!" Lin Chaoyang said sarcastically, and carried everyone to the kang to sober up.

Xie Jin had eaten and drank enough and said, "You are so bad, you are causing trouble to the east."

“You’re going to scold the cook when you’re done eating, right?”

After joking for a while, the two got down to business.

"I've been telling you about "High Mountain" for more than half a year, but you actually broke your promise and wanted to give it to someone else." Xie Jin came up and accused Lin Chaoyang from the moral high ground.

"I didn't promise you. Let's just discuss the matter. If someone gives you a lot of royalties, I will definitely give it to them!"

"We are engaged in artistic work, and always thinking about royalties will limit your artistic creation."

"I create to earn royalties. If I don't want royalties, my creation will be restricted."

…

Seeing that Lin Chaoyang's brainwashing failed, Xie Jin had no choice but to change his direction and asked: "How much royalties did they give you?"

"This... it's not convenient to disclose."

Xie Jin narrowed his eyes and said, "I think you are trying to trick me into cheating and asking me to increase your royalties in some way, right?"

Lin Chaoyang was calm and composed, "I won't tell you just because I'm afraid you'll think too much and think I'm driving up prices. You're familiar with the people at Yanying Factory, so you can ask them about it yourself. Can I still lie to you about this kind of thing?"

Usually things get familiar, but at this time the two sides are competitors, so if you ask yourself, it will be strange if they can tell you the truth.

Xie Jin thought this in his heart and said, "I wouldn't dare to tell you what you said."

"That's right. How dare I talk nonsense when you are always in front of me!"

Xie Jin further advised: ""High Mountain" is a rare and good work. There are many literary works in China that describe war themes, but this work is unique because it involves the relationship between Vietnam and even the Soviet Union.

Gratitude and resentment."

"It is different from other foreign wars in China's modern history. The nature of this war is full of strong patriotism.

More importantly, your novel breaks through an unwritten commandment of military literature for decades and touches very sharply on the real-life contradictions and even corruption in military life.

This can be called a milestone in our military literature creation.

Such a good work must be handed over to a suitable person..."

As Xie Jin talked, he changed his angle again. This time he wanted to argue that the novel "High Mountain" would only be given to a famous director like him so that it would not be buried.

"I've been talking for a long time, but you still don't mention the royalties. I think you're not sincere."

Lin Chaoyang couldn't help but said in the end.

Xie Jin saw that the conversation had no effect, so he had no choice but to give a number, "Three thousand yuan."

"I just said you are not sincere, forget it, I'll talk to Yanying Factory and Bayi Factory."

"Then how much did you say?"

"Ten thousand!"

Xie Jin was startled, his eyes behind the lenses seemed to see a ghost, "Sell my scale and see if it's worth ten thousand!"

"My royalties are not random. It has been almost a month since "Wrangler" was released? How much did the movie tickets alone cost? How much did the copies cost?

The influence of "Mountain" is greater than "The Wrangler". Your film system took my novel and adapted it, and you made a lot of money. I can have some soup, right?"

Xie Jin said sincerely: "It's not your calculation. Our studio didn't get the box office, and the copies were sold by the distribution company. What our studio earned was buyout money. It's good if we don't lose money."

"I would say that your film industry has huge problems right now. Those who invest don't make money, and those who make money don't invest. If this continues, big problems will occur sooner or later."

"Don't make your vision so grand. Let's talk about the movie in front of you first. Ten thousand is too high. Not to mention our Shanghai Film Studio, even the studios in China don't have this price!"

"It didn't happen before, but it doesn't mean it won't happen in the future. Lao Xie, we have to look at the problem from a development perspective."

The two thieving art workers are trying to brainwash each other, but unfortunately they are both thousand-year-old foxes, and neither can do anything to the other.

After negotiating for a long time, the final manuscript fee was stuck at 4,500 yuan.

"Forget it, I'm not short of money anyway."

After talking for a long time, Lin Chaoyang finally said impatiently.

Xie Jin knew that he was playing hard to get and felt that now was not the time to be anxious, so he chatted about "Wrangler" for a while and left.

After coming out of Mianmian Hutong, Xie Jin ran to Yanyingchang Guest House, where he stayed most of the time when he came to Yanjing.

When he arrived at the guest house, Xie Jin gathered his old friends together.

At the wine table, Chen Huaikai asked: "Lao Xie, it's just the New Year, what kind of talent do you have?"

"Aren't we preparing to film "Qiu Jin"? Come and see the actors."

Xie Jin started telling lies. Hearing what he said, Jiang Huaiyan on the side did not feel any vigilance in his heart. "You are truly a model worker. "Wrangler" has only been released for a few days, and you are already working on a new project."

"I can't stop. Seeing that Ben is turning 60, I will shoot one more movie if I can."

Xie Jin's words made several old friends sigh. Jiang Huaiyan is okay. He is in his prime in his forties, and he is engaged in drama creation. It doesn't matter if he is older.

Chen Huaikai and Cheng Yin, one is sixty-two and the other is sixty-five. They have become older and older in the past few years and feel that their energy is not as good as before.

Cheng Yin finished filming "Xi'an Incident" last year. If nothing else, this should be the last work of his director career, because he will soon become the dean of the Yanjing Film Academy and will focus on teaching and management positions in the future.

.

After chatting for a while about Cheng Yin's work, Xie Jin lamented for his old friend, saying that without him, Yan Film Studio has lost another general. Then the topic naturally switched to the film project recently approved by Yan Film Studio.

Jiang Huaiyan did not doubt that he was there, and casually mentioned several movies that were being planned and prepared, including "Garland Under the Mountain".

"You are going to film "Garland Under the Mountain"? Has the script been written?" Xie Jin asked.

"No. The adaptation rights haven't been obtained yet. The last episode of "An Unfinished Game of Chess" offended Chaoyang. Now we're going to ask for the adaptation rights. How can it be so easy to get?"

Jiang Huaiyan looked sad when he talked about this. Xie Jin asked again: "We are all old friends, isn't it?"

"Well, he didn't say he wouldn't give it, but he shouted out a sky-high royalties. Who can't see it? He just doesn't want to give it to us."

"Then what is your factory going to do?"

"What can we do? Now that he has the initiative, we can only increase his royalties. Anyway, Lao Wang said, do your best and obey fate."

After leading the conversation for a long time, it was finally time to get to the meat of the show. Xie Jin was about to find out what the price of Yan Film Studio was. Chen Huaikai on the side suddenly asked: "Old Xie, this year's Golden Rooster Award and Hundred Flowers Award are yours again."

Is it a hit?"

"I don't dare to say that. It all depends on the judges and the audience."

He replied to Chen Huaikai, anxious to inquire about the manuscript fee, and planned to ask Jiang Huaiyan, but Chen Huaikai mentioned the award again, and Xie Jin had to be distracted.

Once the topic has been diverted, it is not easy to come back to it.

Until the end of the wine party, Xie Jin didn't find a suitable opportunity to ask again.

Chen Huaikai and others came out of Xie Jin's room smelling of alcohol. His eyes, which were originally a little cloudy, became clear after leaving the room.

"Huaiyan, I'm afraid Lao Xie is coming here with bad intentions this time!"

Jiang Huaiyan nodded clearly, "I didn't pay attention before, but then you kept changing the topic, and I thought about it. I'm afraid he came here for "Mountain" this time, this old fox!"

Jiang Huaiyan's tone was a bit angry, and Chen Huaikai said: "He collaborated with Chaoyang on "Wrangler", and the effect was so good, he has an advantage over us."

Hearing this, Jiang Huaiyan looked melancholy, "That's right!"

He thought for a moment and seemed to have made up his mind, "Lao Wang doesn't have the courage to do this. It's certain that "Mountain" will win an award after filming. At the worst, we should just give him more bonuses!"

He said a few words to himself, then raised his feet to leave.

"Why are you going?" Chen Huaikai asked.

"I'll go talk to Chaoyang again."

"What time is it?"

"I have to go at any time. Lao Xie has already called on me. This matter cannot be delayed."
To be continued...