wavenovel Chapter 1254, Page 9
Chapter 1254, Page 9
Chapter 1254, Number Nineteen
Although Chi Jingyuan was smiling, his tone was clearly noncommittal and his attitude was somewhat ambiguous.
It has to be said that although he hadn't paid much attention to Netflix since the last time they failed to reach an agreement, and he hadn't even remembered the name of the female person in charge, he still felt a little annoyed when the matter was brought up again.
...Looking at it from another angle, although he didn't remember the name, the impression the other person left on him was really deep.
But so much time has passed, and since Chi Jingyuan is willing to meet today, he obviously doesn't care about what happened before... However, he still needs to show his attitude, at least so that he can get more things in the negotiations.
"I know about this too."
Seeing Ji Kyung-won's expression and smile, Kang Dong-han paused slightly, then nodded and said, "Actually, I really agreed with Minister Lee Ji-hee's idea of inviting Kyung-won to star in the show... or rather, it was the idea that was shared by everyone in our Peninsula Netflix original content department at the time."
"Everyone believed that if we had invited Kyung Won and Suzy, two actors with very high popularity and influence, to play the lead roles in the new drama, it would have definitely made a great breakthrough in the Peninsula market where we had not achieved much success."
Surprisingly, Jiang Donghan did not avoid the question; instead, he talked about their previous work.
However, he is really good at talking; at least his words are much more pleasant than those of the previous Li Zhixi.
"It was only after you and Suzy both declined, and without being able to invite any more actors of considerable stature, that I felt the original self-produced drama project needed to be changed and made more conservative... Unfortunately, at that time I was only a deputy, and the decision was mainly made by Minister Lee Ji-hee."
At this point, Jiang Donghan glanced at Chi Jingyuan's expression, shrugged, and showed a hint of regret, while also expressing a faint sense of relief: "Fortunately, Minister Li Zhixi has now been transferred back to the American company to be in charge of employee administrative support."
Hearing the undisguised hint of relief in his words at the end, Chi Jingyuan couldn't help but laugh.
Putting aside everything else, the new person in charge, Jiang Donghan, has a really good attitude and is very good at talking. With just a few words, he not only praised Chi Jingyuan but also put himself on the same side as him.
Upon hearing the news of Li Zhixi's transfer, he shook his head, and the lingering dissatisfaction about the failed collaboration gradually faded away.
Seeing Chi Jingyuan's reaction, Jiang Donghan felt relieved. They exchanged a knowing smile, but quickly suppressed it and said in a serious tone, "The final self-produced drama plan has not changed. We still invested a lot of resources that we didn't have easy time accumulating, but... the final result is disappointing. Many reasons led to the failure of the self-produced drama."
"A considerable amount of resources were invested, but no corresponding results were achieved. In fact, the audience's trust and precious time were wasted. This project can be described as a huge failure."
""
Jiang Donghan did not shy away from discussing the company's failures; he spoke about them directly, which made him appear quite candid.
Upon hearing this, Chi Jingyuan simply nodded slightly, offering no words of comfort or attempt to smooth things over... That drama was truly a complete failure. As Nafi's first self-produced drama, it was released quietly and then quietly disappeared from the online streaming platform. If it weren't for Bae Suzy, he would never have even heard of it.
And... it's actually okay to fail.
Chi Jingyuan actually felt no regret at all; on the contrary, he was happy to see this result.
If he doesn't fail, how can we highlight Li Zhixi's previous ignorance and arrogance, and how can we emphasize his good judgment and importance?
Sure enough, Netflix contacted him again, and the fact that Jiang Donghan, a senior executive, appeared in front of him with such an attitude is a positive sign after a 'major failure'.
"..."
After discussing the failure of the drama series, Jiang Donghan paused for a few seconds, took a sip of coffee, and then his tone changed, becoming more forceful: "However, this setback has also given us a lot of experience..."
"Although the previous project failed... I, and the entire department, still firmly believe that our original idea and plan were correct. The best actors and the best scripts are the key to Netflix's success in opening up the market."
“We had a long meeting and discussed it, and we still feel that Jingyuan Xi, such an excellent actor, is our best choice.”
He looked at Chi Jingyuan with eyes full of approval, and the praise in his words would have made anyone else feel a sense of happiness from being recognized.
"I am truly honored that Donghan said that."
However, Chi Jingyuan only smiled slightly and did not give any clear reply.
Jiang Donghan didn't continue speaking, but instead changed the subject and asked with concern, "Is Jingyuan still very busy lately?"
"I've been quite busy lately, and I just got back from Japan." Chi Jingyuan nodded.
"Speaking of Japan, aigoo, 'Uchiage Hanabi' was such a success. Even I, who don't usually follow the Japanese music scene, have heard it many times. Even people at the US headquarters have asked me about this song..."
Jiang Donghan seemed to be waiting for Chi Jingyuan to bring up the topic of 'neon' or 'fireworks'. As soon as Chi Jingyuan mentioned it, his eyes lit up and he excitedly started talking about it.
He looked proud, as if the success of "Fireworks" was not just Ji Kyung-won's success, but the success of the entire peninsula, and he, an American of the peninsula, was also very honored.
And he's really good at talking. He doesn't use the old-fashioned, straightforward boasting style. Instead, he talks at length about the conservatism and xenophobia of the Japanese entertainment industry, how stubborn the people there are, how difficult it is for foreigners to succeed in Japan, and about those so-called promotional songs from previous years that were completely ineffective and just filler...
This kind of rhetoric is much more pleasant to hear than direct flattery, and it doesn't feel awkward.
And to be honest, even though Chi Jingyuan knew his purpose, he couldn't help but feel a certain resonance with him and found it quite pleasing... because he had personally experienced the conservatism and xenophobia of the Japanese.
"...Jingyuan has achieved considerable success in the three most important markets of East Asia: the Korean Peninsula, Japan, and the mainland. It's truly amazing."
He concluded with a look of admiration, as if he had laid the groundwork, and then finally got to the point: "So I've always felt that our initial idea was correct, it's just that we missed it last time because of some things... I wonder if we'll have the opportunity to cooperate this time."
"Please say."
Ji Jingyuan and Park Jae-hyun, who was next to him, exchanged a glance, perked up, nodded, and became serious.
The reason I came today is because I'm interested in collaborating.
"I'm sure Jingyuan has already guessed it. The reason I'm here this time is the same as last time: I still want to invite Jingyuan to be the male lead in our new self-produced drama." Jiang Donghan formally announced the invitation.
"It's still a self-produced drama... so where's the script?"
"The script has not been finalized yet."
"Not confirmed?" Chi Jingyuan was quite surprised to hear this, and his gaze towards him was somewhat strange... Last time, Li Zhixi was so unprofessional, yet he still brought a script. I thought you were very professional just now, but it turns out you're not even as good as Li Zhixi.
As if sensing the meaning behind Chi Jingyuan's gaze, Jiang Donghan immediately explained:
“It’s not that we don’t have scripts. We’ve bought a lot of excellent scripts over the years, and we have plenty of scripts in our script library… But this time, our project is focused on the main creative team, especially the actors. We can’t select scripts until the lead actors are confirmed… or to put it bluntly, until we’re sure we can work with key actors like Kyung Won-ssi.”
"Our goal is to first determine the director and actors, and then, based on the actor's characteristics, select a script that suits him."
After giving a serious explanation, and seeing that Chi Jingyuan's expression had improved somewhat, Jiang Donghan breathed a sigh of relief and then dropped a bombshell: "We value Jingyuan's suggestions very much. If Jingyuan is willing to join, he can have the right to make suggestions on the selection of scripts, and also have relevant rights on the script content, casting, and so on."
Upon hearing this, Chi Jingyuan remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was quite surprised.
Although he didn't say it explicitly, his meaning was clear... If he was willing to act, Chi Jingyuan could choose the script he liked, and even change it according to his ideas. He could even participate in the selection of actors.
...This has completely fallen under the control of the director, or rather the producer, or even the agency behind them.
"I don't want to be a producer..."
Despite being offered very high compensation, Chi Jingyuan's reaction was rather lukewarm.
"This is merely a reflection of status and ability, not a right that ordinary actors can easily obtain." Jiang Donghan subtly gave him another compliment.
Chi Jingyuan now understood how this guy got promoted...
"..."
After a moment's thought, Chi Jingyuan nodded slightly and continued, "Are there any requirements for the show's performance, or rather, related data?"
With such favorable conditions offered, of course there's an ulterior motive.
“We have our own internal rating system, but right now the most important thing for Netflix is to open up the Peninsula market and expand our brand awareness and influence.”
Jiang Donghan gave a brief introduction, and then looked at Chi Jingyuan with a confident smile and said, "So actually I'm not worried about this... because as long as we can get you to act, Jingyuan-xi, we've already achieved 80% of our goal."
As he spoke, he looked into Chi Jingyuan's eyes with genuine sincerity: "If it's Jingyuan-xi, we won't care about the success of a single drama. We can sign a long-term contract with you, two dramas in four years, or three dramas in five years, etc., with the same terms for each one..."
…………
After saying goodbye, Ji Jingyuan sat in the back seat of the van, reflecting on the key points of his conversation with Jiang Donghan. Park Jae-hyun, sitting in the passenger seat, casually asked, "How did it go this time?"
"This time their attitude was indeed much better..."
Thinking of Jiang Donghan's series of praises and groundwork, as well as the conditions he offered at the end, Chi Jingyuan nodded slightly in agreement.
"I think so too."
Park Jae-hyun smiled gently and agreed to the intervention.
In situations where Ji Jingyuan personally intervenes, he usually makes the decisions himself, as his manager doesn't usually get involved. However, having listened to the entire negotiation process, he felt that this collaboration was quite promising.
...Although Netflix is currently stuck in the peninsula's television drama field and has done nothing, he has always felt that Netflix has great potential and is more inclined to cooperate. Otherwise, he wouldn't have helped to make connections this time after the last unpleasant incident.
"Just looking at the performance conditions that Director Jiang offered later, it can be said that this is the treatment that only top-tier actors can get... or even many top actors cannot get. These are conditions and resources that are usually exchanged privately with the actors' agencies."
Thinking back to what had just happened, Park Jae-hyun added.
"It is indeed quite sincere, but..."
Chi Jingyuan also let out a sigh of relief.
Although Jiang Donghan's words were rather official, the meaning was actually quite clear.
He has the right to make suggestions about the script; he can modify it according to his own preferences, even if the writer has already provided the script.
He can even participate in the casting process and offer suggestions for the roles... Judging from his attitude, it's highly likely that his suggestions will not be rejected.
Although Ji Kyung-won had often been involved in casting decisions before, including his own and Bae Suzy's, those were all obtained through his family background and connections... But this time, he did not rely on his connections, and the other party valued him to a large extent.
This feeling is quite different.
As for things like pay, needless to say...
Moreover, as long as he is willing to participate, he can even sign a contract for several years in a row, with all benefits based on that... Obviously, the other party is very welcoming of him joining the Netflix family and wants to bind him directly to the company.
Even Ji Kyung-won, who had anticipated Netflix's failure in their previous collaboration and the flop of their first original series, was somewhat surprised by the terms offered in this new, more courteous reconciliation.
"but……"
Although he was relatively satisfied with the compensation, he still frowned and hesitated: "They haven't even finalized the script yet. How can I make a judgment if I can't see the script?"
"...Although I have the right to suggest scripts, where am I supposed to find scripts for them? Although they say they can open up their script library for me to choose from, who knows what the quality will be like? Judging from their previous self-produced drama, it's probably all stuff that the major TV stations have rejected."
Although the actors are important, Ji Kyung-won knows in his heart that the script is the most crucial thing... Although the other party said they didn't care about the results, if he really wanted to act, he would of course aim for success.
Without a script, he lacks confidence, and it would be embarrassing if he flopped.
Without even a basis for judgment... are we supposed to use the reverse reasoning method?
"and……"
As he spoke, Chi Jingyuan leaned back in his chair, looking somewhat lazy and tired, and said, "Moreover, in recent years I've done one drama a year, and I've tried many roles, such as campus dramas, idol dramas, workplace dramas, suspense dramas... and the results have been quite good. Even if I were to film another one, it would be difficult to surpass it."
"And to be honest... repeatedly playing the same role really feels meaningless."
But upon hearing his words, Park Jae-hyun laughed in annoyance and objected: "Look at what you're saying. There are only a few types of dramas, especially on the Korean Peninsula. Although there are many types, most of the dramas are still idol romance. Who says that once a drama has been filmed, it can't be filmed again? What are actors with limited acting range supposed to do?"
"..."
Upon hearing this, Chi Jingyuan suddenly thought of his senior, smacked his lips, and felt that he might have been a bit too much and arrogant.
He chuckled sheepishly, "That's not what I meant. I just wanted to try something new... No matter how many films I make, they won't surpass 'Goblin' in terms of success."
Park Jae-hyun laughed upon hearing this, turning to look at him teasingly and jokingly:
"New? How about you try the 19+ version this time?"