After getting the news from Zhao Jian, Zhang Yuan put down his phone with a serious expression.

"what's wrong?"

Liu Shishi, who had just taken a bite of creamy lobster pasta and still had some milk on the corners of her mouth, saw that he looked not well and asked with some concern.

"There's some trouble in the imperial capital, so I need to deal with it later."

Zhang Yuan immediately adjusted his expression.

The two of them haven't seen each other for a long time, and not being able to meet occasionally only adds to her troubles.

For this time's "New Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio", Boss Cai finally offered him 150 million.

Although it doesn't seem like a lot, it is a unit drama after all, and the shooting period is quite short, unlike "The Legend of Sword and Fairy" and "The Return of the Condor Heroes" which often take nearly half a year.

All in all, it took him just over a month to shoot this film.

Moreover, Boss Cai even adjusted the schedule of the entire crew for him, which can be said to be a great honor to him.

At the same time, because of the contract agreement, even Huang Xiaoming's salary was only one million, which was much lower than his.

Even a small actress like Yang Mi, although she is the heroine of a unit, her salary is only 50 yuan.

But she was already very happy, because she was shooting a film for her own company Rong Xinda with the presence of Li Shaohong, a domineering and stingy old lady, and her pay was even worse.

It was the same when filming The Return of the Condor Heroes. Zhang Yuan’s pay was only over 200,000 yuan, which was a lot of money for a little Guo Xiang like her.

Because Liu Shishi lacked acting experience, Chun Chun was arranged by him to join the group, and her pay was even lower, less than 400,000.

But like Yang Mi, this is much higher than her previous pay.

Not only did she treat herself to a lavish dinner, she also planned to buy a bunch of bags and toys early on. Even before her film pay came in, she had already spent all this money in advance.

Zhang Yuan heard her excitedly talking about her plans to buy bags, sunglasses, and floral dresses, and he shook his head inwardly.

This little girl is such a spendthrift.

In the future, when her pay for films increases and her advertising revenue also increases, I must help her make a financial plan.

Zhang Yuan was really worried that she would go bankrupt at any moment.

She is one of those young girls with a simple mind and uncomplicated thoughts. Whenever I get along with her, I feel relaxed.

After finishing the meal with her, the little lion hooked his arm and walked out of the restaurant.

"This is Hengdian, there are paparazzi everywhere, it's easy to be photographed on the street."

"Oh..." She reluctantly let go of her arms.

"Junior brother, I haven't been here very often. How about you accompany me to visit Hengdian?" She was full of anticipation, her eyes reflecting the stars.

"By the way, I plan to stay here for a few days. My parents will come over to visit too. I'll take you to meet them."

"Uh..." Zhang Yuan hesitated.

It's not appropriate to meet my parents right now...

Although we have Mr. Yuan's relationship, it makes sense for us to meet.

But this time it really doesn't work.

"I'm sorry, I have to rush back to the imperial capital, so I can't accompany you this time."

"I'm leaving now."

"Ah."

Zhang Yuan doesn't want to either.

Just now while eating, he was thinking about what type of room to stay in that night.

But the situation is urgent.

Just now in the restaurant, while Liu Shishi went to the bathroom, he called Shu Chang several times, but the calls were all busy.

With Shu Chang's brain, he shouldn't have made such a low-level mistake as conflicting contract schedules.

Zhang Yuan guessed that she must be actively dealing with the situation as well.

But I was still worried, so I decided to go back and solve it myself.

Forget about others, but we can't just ignore him singing.

Since he doesn't care, no one really cares about her.

"Hmm..." The little lion bit his lips and made a sound similar to a kitten's purring. He was obviously sad that he had to leave in a hurry after only a few hours of their meeting.

Zhang Yuan glanced at his phone and calculated the flight time, and found that he could spare about half an hour.

"There's a small alley over there, it's dark and noisy, there shouldn't be anyone there."

"Hey!" The junior sister immediately perked up, and the two of them walked over stealthily, looking forward and backward.

The two of them kissed and touched each other in the dark corner for a long time, until the little sister's body was soft and hot, sticking to him like a piece of rice cake just out of the pot, and Zhang Yuan stopped.

If you don't stop, something bad will happen.

After the little lion said goodbye to him reluctantly, he boarded the flight back to the imperial capital.

Before boarding the plane, he called Cheng Hao and asked her to go to her home and school to find Shu Chang so that he could question him in person after returning home.

Sitting on the plane, he thought about it carefully.

"Zhao Jian is also a seasoned expert..."

He recalled that Zhao Jian was the first to say that the film was short of money. Only after he expressed his interest and willingness to invest did he talk about Shu Chang's contract.

If he refuses to pay, will the other party still say anything?

That's not necessarily the case.

When you are in the underworld, it is better to keep out of trouble. What does it have to do with him as a martial arts director who will be the leading actor? He is not responsible for casting.

"As expected, both money and favors are indispensable."

Hurrying back to Pi Tiao Hutong.

As soon as I entered the house, I saw Cheng Hao and Shu Chang sitting opposite each other in the small courtyard.

Both of them lowered their heads, looking a little depressed.

"What's the matter? Tell me what's going on." He put down his backpack and came up to the two of them without wasting a moment.

"The contract for singing..."

"Let her speak for herself."

Cheng Hao was about to speak when he was interrupted.

This is a very serious matter. If not handled properly, it will affect the artist's future.

And Zhang Yuan must know Shu Chang’s attitude, whether she is trying to do another role for money.

If this angers the crew, no matter how good their relationship is, I will not forgive them easily.

"The crew of The Lotus Lantern contacted me a long time ago, and I have auditioned several times."

"After they selected me, they wanted to sign a contract with me, but I deliberately delayed it for a few days."

Shu Chang didn't dare to look him in the eye, and lowered his head and spoke in a low voice.

"Why do you have to wait a few days?"

"Because if I delay for a few days, my agent contract will expire, and I will be able to sign with your company."

Zhang Yuan frowned and glanced at Cheng Hao.

The good sister nodded and said, "Yes, the contract for "The Lotus Lantern" was obtained after Chang Chang and I signed the agency contract."

Zhang Yuan's heart softened.

He understood why Shu Chang had to delay for a few days.

After the contract with the agent ends, sign a contract with him and the share will belong to him.

Since she had to share the money anyway, she thought it would be better to make some for herself.

"What about the conflicting film contracts?" He thought for a moment, adjusted his mood, and asked again.

"Well, that was signed by my agent, no, my former agent." Shu Chang was annoyed and ashamed.

"I didn't know he had signed me up for a crew."

"You don't know...didn't your agent tell you?"

"No." Changchang shook his head: "The play is called "Three Drops of Blood". It's a costume drama. The budget is not high and there are no big stars starring in it."

"I haven't even seen the script, and I won't take on a low-budget film that may or may not perform well on air."

Shu Chang is actually very smart. She knows very well that she is quite popular now and is one of the top young actresses. Why would she take on a low-budget costume drama?

The films she took on were all like "The Untold Story" and "The Lotus Lantern", which were either based on famous works or were big-budget and big-production films.

"So when did your agent sign the film "Three Drops of Blood"? " Zhang Yuan seemed to have some idea of ​​what was going on.

"Just about a week ago."

"Was it after you confirmed that your contract would not be renewed?"

"Yeah." Changchang nodded vigorously.

"What about the agent who signed the film contract? Where is he now?"

"I've been calling but I can't get through to him."

Roar... Zhang Yuan basically had a rough idea of ​​what was going on.

The world is full of goodwill, and the world is all good.

What is Shu Chang’s current situation?
She made her debut in her teens and starred in "The Secret History of Xiaozhuang" when she was fourteen or fifteen. Since then, she has played important supporting roles in several major works every year.

After The Untold Story, she starred in several big-budget TV series. She is not just a rising star, she is already a star!

What does fame bring?
Money!

As her agent, I saw more and more film contracts and advertisements, and her pay and contract prices were getting higher and higher.

But at this moment, you told me...

"I'm sorry, but we're not renewing the contract."

"I'm going to join another agency."

How do you think the agent feels?
A cash cow is lost!

Cut off someone's financial resources and kill their parents!
We have been working together for many years and have developed feelings for each other...that won't help.

The greatest pain in life is that the person is still there, but the money is gone.

Have you made a lot of money from Shu Chang before?

Then why can't I make money in the future?

People are like this. They take for granted what they have obtained.

Once you lose it, you will feel resentment.

But, up to this point, the problem is not really a big deal.

It is very common for artists, their agents and their agencies to break up and get back together.

There are many conflicts and breakups, which is not uncommon.

But there are two problems with Shu Chang.

First, as she said, she deliberately delayed signing the contract with "The Lotus Lantern" just to let Zhang Yuan earn the money.

She was happy to give Zhang Yuan a share of the profits from his work.

But in the eyes of the former agent, it was very unpleasant.

It was clearly me who contacted for the job, but in the end the money went to someone else.

Secondly, people will also want to know, if you don’t cooperate with me, who are you planning to work with?
If Shu Chang signed a contract with famous companies such as Huayi, Hairun, and Rong Xinda, his former agent probably wouldn't dare to make a fuss.

Fear of retaliation.

But when I asked, what was it?
An agency opened by a young artist?
There aren't even a few people?

Even though Zhang Yuan is quite famous, in the eyes of outsiders, he has not signed a contract with any big company, so he is also considered to have no background.

Seeing this combination, the agent was furious and ready to do evil!
Gan!
Don't let me make money?
Bah, I have to make some money no matter what before I run away!
The investment in "Three Drops of Blood" was not high to begin with, but the agent offered a salary of up to three million.

Naturally, the crew disagreed at first.

But the broker said the payment method is negotiable.

Pay 50% before filming begins, and the remaining 50% after the show airs.

The film crew also had some ideas.

If the broadcast effect is good, I will give you money.

If the broadcast effect is not good and I lose money, then I can just throw up my hands and deny paying the second half, right?
The film company's little tricks played into the agent's hands.

After paying an advance of 1.5 million yuan in salary, the crew could no longer contact the agent.

I called Shu Chang and found out that she had signed a contract with "The Lotus Lantern".

The crew of "Three Drops of Blood" got furious and said they would file a lawsuit in court.

This matter also reached the producer of "The Lotus Lantern".

The result was that Shu Chang didn't get a penny, but he wanted to sue her and fire her at the same time.

He sang and explained to both sides, but ended up being scolded by both sides.

After listening to this, Zhang Yuan was silent for a while and then spoke.

"So, if Zhao Jian didn't call me and tell me, how long were you going to keep it a secret from me?"

Shu Chang's lips trembled as he answered cautiously.

"I was afraid that I would cause you trouble as soon as I arrived, so..."

"This is a big deal. The longer you delay, the more problems will arise."

"You did a terrible job!"

Changchang shuddered all over and was speechless.

"Look up and look at me." Zhang Yuan said seriously.

She then raised her little head, which had not been raised all night, and squinted as if she was looking directly into the midday sun.

"Hey...next time, remember to tell me first, understand?"

Zhang Yuan sighed heavily.

It's not all her fault.

"Yeah." Changchang raised her hand and wiped away her tears.

"She is still young and could be easily fooled, but we are adults and the heads of the company. We should not make such a simple mistake."

He turned to Cheng Hao and said.

The good sister nodded with some guilt.

She had been worried before Zhang Yuan came home.

She didn't know how to solve this problem.

She was also afraid that Zhang Yuan would blame her.

But when she heard him say that he shared the responsibility with her, she felt a lot more relaxed.

"Take this as a warning. Next time when new people come, you must do a background check in advance."

"Hey." Cheng Hao responded seriously.

"Well, it has already happened, so don't be sad or upset."

"Now we need to consider how to solve this problem." Zhang Yuan looked at Cheng Hao: "As a leader, do you have any ideas?"

"I thought I'd call the police first and arrest that former agent."

"Heh..." Zhang Yuan chuckled.

"They may have taken a smuggling ship to Thailand, and then transferred to Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia."

Cheng Hao was wondering, how come you are so familiar with this escape route.

That's because she hasn't watched "Detective Chinatown"...

"At a time like this, arresting people and seeking justice is meaningless."

"In the entertainment industry, the first priority in dealing with problems is to reduce the impact."

“Because for an artist, reputation is the most important thing.”

Zhang Yuan stroked his chin and thought for a while: "I think we should lower our posture and talk to the two crews first."

"How to talk?"

"First of all, I won't go to the Three Drops of Blood theater to sing."

"So, our choice is nothing more than spending money to settle the matter and prevent the other party from making a big lawsuit and affecting Chang Chang's reputation."

"That means I have to pay triple the compensation. Not only will I not get a penny, but I will have to pay 4.5 million for nothing!" Cheng Hao's greed for money came up again.

"Anyway, in my heart, Chang Chang's reputation is worth four and a half million."

"Besides, at a time like this, the least important thing is money."

"If you save the land but lose the people, you will lose both the land and the people. If you save the people but lose the land, you will save both the land and the people. Do you understand?"

"Changchang, can you come up with this money?" Zhang Yuan asked.

She shook her head: "I don't have that much cash, I've bought a house..."

Zhang Yuan thought to himself that they had listened to him and bought some real estate.

"Okay, I still have several million in my account, which should be enough. Good sister, please contact the crew of "Three Drops of Blood" tomorrow. As long as they don't make it public, I will pay for it."

He originally intended to keep this money to invest in "Wulin Waijiao".

"Brother Yuan, don't spend so much money on me..." Changchang said with both emotion and reluctance.

"You think too much. It's not free. It's on the agency's account. You have to work to pay it back."

"Use this money to buy yourself a lesson. Be careful when you are out in the future. You must be on guard against others, even if you have been with them for many years."

This is also a lesson for us." Zhang Yuan looked at Cheng Hao.

"Next, it's time for 'The Lotus Lantern.'" Zhang Yuan patted Changchang's shoulder.

"Did the producer scold you?"

"Well, he said I was immoral, unprofessional, and a liar." Shu Chang said very aggrievedly.

"It's okay. I'll give him a reason not to be angry."

"What are you going to do?" Cheng Hao asked curiously.

"Sing, have you ever experienced the joy of bringing money into a group?"

Shu Chang opened his eyes wide and then shook his head.

"It's okay, you will experience it soon!" (End of this chapter)