PNB Chapter 27: The Last Fish That Slipped Through the Net in the Era of Big IPs
Chapter 27: The Last Fish That Slipped Through the Net in the Era of Big IPs
In the days that followed, Guan Shengbai perfectly played the role that a supporting character should play.
The idea I shared with director Ding Cheng during the costume fitting that day seemed like just a fleeting thought.
During the subsequent filming, apart from his excellent performance as "Ah Kun," he did not offer any further opinions on the script or the character.
He arrives at the film set on time every day, gets his makeup done, and waits in a corner. When it's his turn to act, he goes on set, and after filming, he quietly retreats to the side.
This obedient and rule-abiding attitude actually made Ding Cheng think more highly of him.
Having spent decades working on film sets, Ding Cheng has seen far too many young people.
Some are eager to show off as soon as they debut, wishing they could teach the director a lesson in every scene.
Some people get carried away after being praised once, and the next day they start being late and acting like big shots.
Guan Shengbai, this young man, clearly has ideas and talent, but he knows how to keep his sharp edge hidden.
Knowing when to speak and when to shut up.
This sense of propriety is truly rare among young actors.
Therefore, Ding Cheng's attitude was noticeably gentler when filming the subsequent scenes of Guan Shengbai.
After a few takes were completed, he would even ask, "Xiao Bai, what do you think?" Guan Shengbai would just smile and reply, "The director decides," never taking the opportunity to improvise.
The days of filming went by quickly.
Guan Shengbai's scenes were not many to begin with, only a dozen or so, which were filmed over ten days.
Even when he's not filming, he's still busy.
He was either studying the script of "No War in Beiping" in the hotel or talking on the phone with his newly hired assistant, handling some things remotely.
Assistant Xu Kai arrived in Beijing on the third day after Guan Shengbai joined the crew.
Guan Shengbai didn't have any scenes to film that afternoon, so he met the young man at a tea restaurant near the film set.
Xu Kai is three years older than him. He has a neat buzz cut and his eyes look like slits even when he opens them to their maximum size. Paired with a round face, he has a natural comedic charm.
But Guan Shengbai knew that beneath this harmless appearance lay a mind more shrewd than anyone else's.
In his past life, it was Xu Kai who brought him into the industry and taught him the ins and outs of crisis public relations, making him practically his mentor.
He is shrewd, yet extremely warm to his own people, and very tight-lipped.
So in a sense, Xu Kai was one of the few people Guan Shengbai knew well and could trust in his life.
At this point in time, Xu Kai was working as a clerk at a tech company, working nine to five every day, and had absolutely nothing to do with the entertainment industry.
Guan Shengbai dug him out because of the "Keteng was beaten incident" a while ago.
In that incident, Guan Shengbai played the role of the behind-the-scenes manipulator.
But all the information leaked to the paparazzi and the posts that stirred up trouble on forums and message boards were all orchestrated by Xu Kai.
This was a test given to him by Guan Shengbai, and Xu Kai's answer was a perfect score.
From then on, Xu Kai developed an immense respect for Guan Shengbai, a young actor who was only a few years older than him.
It wasn't just Guan Shengbai's methods and courage, but also the composure and strategic thinking he displayed during that crisis, which far surpassed his peers.
So when Guan Shengbai offered him the job as an assistant, Xu Kai resigned without hesitation.
Guan Shengbai had already reported the matter of hiring an assistant to Zeng Jia.
Zeng Jia asked a few questions about Xu Kai's background, but Guan Shengbai only said that he was introduced by a friend, so she didn't ask any further questions.
After all, given Guan Shengbai's current status, he pays his own assistant's salary, which saves the company a lot of trouble.
However, the tasks Guan Shengbai assigned to Xu Kai went far beyond the scope of being a personal assistant.
"Could you help me investigate these IP addresses?"
When Guan Shengbai first met Xu Kai after joining the crew, he handed him a form.
The list contained seven or eight novel titles, including online novels and physical books.
Xu Kai took it and glanced at it, without asking why, he just nodded.
This touching lasted for more than ten days.
When Guan Shengbai's scenes in the "Police Story" crew were nearing completion, Xu Kai arrived with the investigation results.
The results were not optimistic.
"Shandong Film and Television has acquired the film and television rights to 'Nirvana in Fire,' and director Kong Sheng's project is expected to start soon in the next few years."
Xu Kai sat in a booth at the tea restaurant, opening a notebook filled with all sorts of information.
"The copyright for 'The Journey of Flower' is held by Ciwen Media, and I heard that filming will begin next year. 'The Three-Body Problem' goes without saying; it was acquired by Yoozoo Games several years ago."
Guan Shengbai leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, without saying a word.
He was actually aware of all of this.
By 2013, it was indeed too late to try and snatch up those IPs that would later become huge hits.
Although the wave of adapting online novel IPs into film and television has not yet fully erupted, those truly visionary investors have already secured the most lucrative opportunities.
"The situation with 'Ghost Blows Out the Light' is quite complicated. The copyright has been split too much, with each company holding a portion of it, making it very difficult to integrate and causing trouble in the aftermath."
Xu Kai continued, his brows furrowing slightly, "The film and television rights for 'Love O2O' are held by Huace Media. Although it hasn't started yet, the contract is already signed."
He paused, then turned to the next page.
"If 'Three Lives Three Worlds, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms' is really as valuable as you say, then it's a huge bargain."
The author hasn't signed a contract with any company yet, but...
Xu Kai looked up at Guan Shengbai and said, "I had someone make a tentative contact, and they asked for 2.5 million."
Two and a half million.
Guan Shengbai's lips twitched slightly when he heard the number.
This price is nothing compared to the value this novel can create in the future.
But at this moment, even pawning his underwear wouldn't raise that much money for him.
"What about Chang Shuxin?"
Guan Shengbai was asking about the author of "Yu Zui".
"Yu Zui was only started being serialized on Qidian.com this month, so it's still in its early stages. No one has inquired about the film and television rights yet."
Xu Kai flipped through his notebook. "Chang Shuxin has written a few books before and has some fame, but she's not exactly a star. The data for 'Yu Zui' hasn't taken off yet, so if we negotiate now, the price shouldn't be too high."
Guan Shengbai nodded, not rushing to express his opinion.
"And there's 'The King's Avatar'."
Xu Kai continued his report, "This book is quite popular on Qidian, but the film and television rights haven't been sold yet. I heard that someone inquired about the price of the comic book license, and the asking price was supposedly 12 yuan."
12 million.
This number made Guan Shengbai's heart skip a beat.
In later generations, the IP value of "The King's Avatar" will be calculated in hundreds of millions, but at this moment, its comic license has only sold for 120,000.
"The last one is 'Joy of Life'."
Xu Kai closed his notebook, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.
"This is a bit complicated. The copyright was bought by Hainan TV in 2009, but it's been sitting there for years with no activity, so the project is practically dead. If we can find the right person to make the connection, we might be able to snag a bargain."
Guan Shengbai picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip, and looked past the glass window of the tea restaurant onto the gray winter street outside.
The information Xu Kai reported largely matched the information he remembered.
He can currently only lock in three major IPs: Yu Zui, The King's Avatar, and Joy of Life.
One is still being serialized, but no one has claimed the copyright.
The licensing rights for a comic book from a previous life were sold off at a bargain price, and the film and television rights were even cheaper.
A copyright has been gathering dust for four years, and everyone has forgotten its existence.
These three undiscovered gems are his next targets.
"Go and make contact with Chang Shuxin first."
Guan Shengbai put down his teacup and looked at Xu Kai, "We need to finalize the film and television rights for 'Yu Zui' as soon as possible. Don't be too picky about the price, but make sure the contract terms are clear and there are no hidden problems."
Xu Kai nodded and wrote this down in his notebook.
He didn't ask questions like "Where will the money come from?" because he knew that since Guan Shengbai had asked him to talk to them, he must have a way to solve the funding problem.
"What about 'The King's Avatar' and 'Joy of Life'?"
"Don't rush with 'The King's Avatar'. First, find out who owns the copyright and what their asking price is."
Regarding "Joy of Life"...
Guan Shengbai paused for a moment, then said, "Let's talk about it after I finish filming 'No War in Beiping'."
Xu Kai closed his laptop, picked up his coffee, and took a sip.
Although he hadn't been with Guan Shengbai for long, he had gradually figured out the young boss's way of doing things.
Plan carefully before acting, remain calm and composed, and make sure every step is perfectly timed.
This composure further strengthened Xu Kai's resolve to work for him.
"Oh, right, Brother Bai." Xu Kai suddenly remembered something and put down his coffee cup.
"Your 'No War in Beiping' is starting filming in early April?"
"Um."
"During that time in between—"
"Take care of what you're doing first."
Guan Shengbai stood up, picked up his coat draped over the back of the chair, and said, "After I finish filming here, I'll go back to the company first. Sister Jia might have some other arrangements."
Xu Kai also stood up and watched Guan Shengbai put on his coat. His tall and straight back looked particularly confident in the dim light of the tea restaurant.
"Please keep a close eye on the copyright issue and contact me anytime there are any developments."
After saying this, Guan Shengbai waved to Xu Kai, pushed open the door, and walked out of the tea restaurant.
The cold wind from outside blew in, causing the notebook on the table to flip through several pages with a rustling sound.
No one could have guessed that the information contained here would be the last big fish to slip through the net in the upcoming "big IP era" of the entertainment industry.