Chapter 207: Chapter 207: Signing Ceremony
The characteristic of our great country is that the more formal the banquet, the less it is for eating. On the contrary, those that are less formal, such as inviting people to your home or going to a food stall together, are more likely to be for eating.
This lunch is no different. It is very formal, but it seems that so far, only Feng Yiping is eating properly. The other teachers are either talking about their impressions of Director Zhang Da's previous works, or asking about the actors who starred in them. One by one, they all want to explain the world of the spotlight in great detail, clearly and unequivocally.
However, it is not that easy. Manager Wu's speech is watertight, and what he says is just as good as saying nothing. He is on a par with those who engage in diplomacy. Occasionally, he will also tell an inoffensive piece of gossip to satisfy the curiosity of these middle-aged men sitting around the table.
After three rounds of wine and five flavours of food, the vice-principal had finished relaying Feng Yiping's words. Manager Wu, being experienced, was momentarily distracted when he heard them. To be honest, the price of 8,000 yuan really showed no sincerity. Just the travel expenses for him and Zhang on this round trip were more than 8,000 yuan.
Of course, it was just a momentary lapse of concentration, and he then insisted on the original terms. But he wondered if there was another way to handle the matter.
So he took the opportunity of going to the bathroom to report his thoughts to the deputy director of the preparatory team. Eventually, the matter reached the chairman of New Picture. Boss Zhang, a native of the northeast, was furious when he heard about it. 'If they can't even handle such a trivial matter, and have to report it, what's the point of having them?'
His subordinates then mentioned Manager Wu's idea to him. Boss Zhang was best known in the entertainment industry for his extremely bold marketing methods. Whether it was pre-production or post-production publicity, he not only had the courage to invest large sums of money, but also used surprisingly innovative methods. Many of his strategies were later used repeatedly by other domestic film and television companies as experience.
So when he heard about it, he thought, 'That's actually quite interesting.' He sat in his big chair and twirled around a bit. 'That's a good idea, but it's not enough.'
He paused for a moment, then said, 'Tell Wu that we agree to the author's request, and that the company will donate an additional 50,000 yuan to help the junior high school set up a library. Get the PR department to contact all the media outlets in China, both big and small, including the local media. and take this opportunity to ensure that when the film is being shot, everyone's attention will be focused on her. I'll go find Lao Mouzi and ask him to find time to attend the signing ceremony. This time, our goal is not only to be the headline on the entertainment page, but also to have the mainstream media report on us on the front page.'
Their first collaboration, 'Let's Talk About This', lost tens of millions of dollars, but he believed in Lao Mouzi's vision, and this time the results would definitely be good. With Lao Mouzi in charge of the movie, all he had to do was do a good job of marketing. This was really an opportunity, and this kind of publicity was also a first in the country.
So before the banquet ended, everyone knew the good news. Holding a signing ceremony was originally something planned by the leaders of the No. 1 Middle School. Now, although an additional party had been involved, involving Liangjiahe Middle School, if a well-known director like Zhang could come to the school, it would be a great opportunity for the school to promote itself.
So, in the afternoon, Mayor Fang, who had just returned to his office, received a phone call from the principal of the city's No. 1 Middle School. 'Old leader,' the principal said in the phone, giving a brief introduction to the situation, and then said, 'The signing ceremony is scheduled for next Tuesday. I wonder if you can find time to come?'
Mayor Fang said, "I'll see if I can find time to come." Then he called his secretary in and instructed him to cancel his work schedule for the following Tuesday morning.
On Monday evening, the whole family rushed to the city, and even Auntie, who wanted to see the great director in person, came along. 'Yiping, be sure to ask for a few autographs when the time comes,'
Feng Yuxuan also said, 'Yes, get a few more.' freewebnøvel.coɱ
Mei Qiuping had confirmed this news repeatedly on the way here, and now she was worried about what Feng Yiping should wear tomorrow. "Mom, of course it's the school uniform," she said. There was no choice in this matter.
As for Mei Jianzhong and the others, no one felt sorry for the money Feng Yiping had spent at this point, and they all said that he had done the right thing.
On Monday morning, the sun was shining brightly. The entrance to No. 1 Middle School was decorated with flowers. Male and female students arranged by the political and educational affairs office, dressed in neat school uniforms and holding flowers, waited on either side of the gate. The school leaders obviously treated this as a grand event.
Starting at 8 o'clock, the media began to arrive one after the other. Wang Yumin accompanied the principal of the junior high school and also came. When they saw Feng Yiping, they were both very gratified.
Grandpa, Mum and Dad also managed to find a seat at the venue. Zhou Xinyu from Jia Company also came in, but they could only stand nearby. Even so, they were very excited.
At a little after ten in the morning, Lao Mouzi and his entourage arrived directly from the provincial airport at No. 1 Middle School, accompanied by more media. Mayor Fang's car arrived almost at the same time as Director Zhang Da, followed by a group of officials. So it was at the school gate that Mayor Fang, as the host, gave a warm welcome to Lao Mouzi and his party.
In the waiting room, Feng Yiping, who was waiting here, met with Laomouzi. He was of course a little excited. Laomouzi looked older in person, and when he smiled, he made you feel very honest, but when he didn't smile, he gave the impression of keeping people at a distance.
However, they didn't have time to say a few words before the ceremony outside officially began. A large crowd of people surrounded Lao Mouzi and walked in front of him, while Feng Yiping could only walk behind him with his head down.
The venue was on the large playground, and there were four seats arranged on the stage. Lao Mouzi and Manager Wu occupied two seats, Mayor Fang took one seat without hesitation, and Feng Yiping was ashamed to occupy the remaining seat. As for the school principal, he was reduced to being the host.
As soon as the four of them stood on the stage, there was a loud clicking sound from the cameras. The other three were used to this kind of scene and remained calm, but Feng Yiping was experiencing it for the first time. He subconsciously wanted to raise his hand to block the flash, but when he raised his hand, he felt that this was not the right thing to do, so he brushed his hair instead.
As usual, there were all kinds of speeches. After Mayor Fang had spoken enthusiastically, it was the turn of Lao Mouzi. 'Thank you very much, city leaders and school teachers, and thank you very much, media friends, for your support. Today, I don't want to talk about the film I'm going to make. I just want to say that I feel very gratified. I'm gratified that we have such outstanding students,'
He pointed to Feng Yiping, 'At such a young age, he was able to create such an excellent work. I am even more gratified that at such a young age, my classmate Yiping has such a pure heart and has decided to donate all of the 50,000 yuan copyright income to his alma mater to build a library with heating facilities for his fellow alumni. My colleagues at New Pictures and I were deeply moved, so we decided to donate an equal amount of 50,000 yuan to help him fulfil this wish.'
After the speech, there was a signing ceremony and a donation ceremony. The person who accepted the donation on behalf of Liangjiahe Middle School was the director of the municipal education bureau. Such an opportunity would not have been given to the junior high school principal. There was no choice. People within the system knew better than ordinary people the importance of appearing on various news media.
Afterwards, there was a Q&A session with the reporters. At this point, even Mayor Fang, who had been thoroughly reduced to a mere onlooker, was completely ignored as the media of all sizes and shapes flocked to ask questions of Director Zhang. As for Feng Yiping, he looked at the school building and the heads of the students peering out of the windows, and felt very content.
The Q&A session lasted half an hour. Afterwards, in the school conference room, Mayor Fang had a brief meeting with Lao Mouzi, in which Feng Yiping also participated.
Mayor Fang's intention was, of course, to find a place in the city to shoot. Lao Mouzi kept his cards close to his chest. At the end, he asked Feng Yiping with a smile, 'What are your comments, Yiping?'
The principal of the No. 1 Middle School gave Feng Yiping a sharp look, saying, 'I don't have any opinions. You are a great director and a professional, and the decision you make is definitely the best. I support it unconditionally.'
The principal looked at Mayor Fang's face, which had turned a little ugly, and then at his own, which was also a little ugly. Lao Mouzi smiled. His question was also a polite one, but Feng Yiping added with a smile, 'Of course, on the premise that it doesn't affect your creativity, I definitely hope that you can film in my hometown.'
'Haha,' everyone present, including Lao Mouzi and Mayor Fang, laughed.
When it was time to shake hands, Feng Yiping shamelessly took out his notebook and asked Lao Mouzi to sign it for him. Lao Mouzi cheerfully signed it several times, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "These are all trivial matters in the future. I hope you can continue to create outstanding works. At the same time, don't let up on your studies.'
Mayor Fang also shook hands with Feng Yiping before leaving, saying, "Not bad, work hard!'
The autographs that were to be obtained were snatched up by his sister, her husband, and Li Jia. Li Jia even complained to him about why he didn't mention the company during the ceremony.
She was really very silly and naive, really thinking that the reporters would care about what an unknown nobody like Feng Yiping had to say. It's not impossible to get them to mention it in passing, but you definitely have to go around and ask each one!
At noon, Feng Yiping's family invited Teacher Wang and the school principal to a meal, and of course Feng Yiping was praised again during the meal. The school principal also said that he had decided to campaign a bit more in the city and county, and take advantage of this opportunity to see if he could get some more money. If he could raise another 100,000 yuan, he could build the teaching building directly.
Needless to say, this is actually quite reliable. By leveraging this matter, the director of the municipal education bureau has shown up, and more or less some money will be allocated. Mayor Fang originally oversaw the education sector, and now that he knows about Liangjiahe Middle School, he may be able to get some money by going to her and knocking on the right doors. Then he can go to the county and beg for more, and maybe he can really get another 100,000 yuan.
When seeing them off, Feng Yiping deliberately spoke to the headmaster for a few words. He only mentioned Feng Zhenchang in this matter, and did not involve Feng Yiping and the others. It would really not be a good thing if Feng Yiping's family had a reputation as a philanthropist.
However, it was fine to only mention Feng Yiping. He only donated the copyright fees for the novel he wrote in junior high school, and he did not donate other money. Those who want to do something bad would not be able to find any other excuses.