Chapter 36 A Win-Win Investment!
In the corner of the Iris Bar, Liang Xue raised her Long Island iced tea again. She took a big gulp, pressed the service bell to order another, and only then slowly began to speak.
“Mr. An, you know me—you probably know I’m not very popular, right?”
Without waiting for An Liang’s reply, Liang Xue continued.
“Our SHN group has many members, but only that once-in-a-generation beauty really stood out. The rest of us—myself included—are not even in the same league,” she said with a touch of self-deprecation.
Indeed, among all the members the group had had over the years, only that one girl truly made it big. The others really didn’t measure up.
“This web series project—it’s actually just a low-budget one. According to our agency, they want to get 5 million in investment from Jinshi Mingyue Entertainment, and the company will put in 2 million themselves. Add some lesser-known actors, and the plan is to make a 12-to-16-episode youth inspirational drama,” Liang Xue explained.
“The company wants to split 50% of the profits with Jinshi Mingyue, which makes this collaboration a bit tricky,” she said, a little vaguely.
“My task is to facilitate the collaboration—and become the female lead in the web series,” she added.
An Liang sighed inwardly—so complicated, as expected from that industry. The agency had big dreams—just 2 million of their own, a few unknown actors, and they wanted a share worth 5 million.
That was like asking fleas on a monk’s head to jump on command—wasn’t it obvious what that meant?
No wonder President Jin was so “affectionate” toward Liang Xue. He probably assumed she’d give in. Most unknown artists probably would—but definitely not Liang Xue.
An Liang raised his kumquat lemon juice to her, and Liang Xue clinked her glass of Long Island iced tea with his, taking another big gulp—clearly drinking away her sorrows.
“Now that President Jin left without a word, the deal’s probably off. Won’t your agency make things hard for you?” An Liang probed.
Liang Xue downed the rest of her drink in one go, ordered another, and then replied, “The agency won’t really make it hard for me. This was always a deal based on mutual benefit. If I accepted certain conditions, they’d invest, and I’d be the lead. If I didn’t, then I wouldn’t get the role or the investment.”
After she said that, she raised her drink again to clink glasses with An Liang and continued, “This kind of thing is common in our industry. If I won’t accept it, someone else will.”
“No exceptions?” An Liang asked curiously.
“Of course there are!” Liang Xue replied. “Some people have strong backgrounds. Some bring their own funding. Some have insane talent and luck. Those are exceptions.”
An Liang was curious.
“What’s the web series like? Isn’t it hard to recover costs with such a small budget?”
“Small budgets are actually easier to recoup,” Liang Xue revealed some inside info. “Small budget doesn’t mean low quality. Most of the money goes into production. Actor costs are usually low, so it’s easier to go viral.”
“Plus, with today’s online distribution channels, sign a deal with a guaranteed minimum and a percentage of the profits, and with a 7 million total investment, it’s very likely to break even. Then there are all sorts of licensing rights. It’s hard to lose money,” she added.
“And if it does go viral, there’s a chance to make a fortune,” she added with emphasis. “More importantly, you can promote the artists you like—wouldn’t that be a win-win investment?”
She made a solid case!
An Liang couldn’t find anything to argue with. From Jin Ming’s perspective, it made perfect sense. Investing 5 million in a web series with low risk of loss, high chances of virality…
Plus, he got to pick the female lead!
If there was no loss, it was basically a free ride.
And if it goes viral?
He’d make a huge profit!
[Ding!
Random Mission: Invest in the web series “Our Promise”
Option 1: Invest 5 million, unlock the Friendliness Scan System, and earn 10 million in profit.
Option 2: Decline the investment and earn the title 【Unmoved by Temptation】.]
Was there even a choice to make?
This was truly a Winner’s Life System—the options it gave were all pure winning paths.
“I choose Option One!” An Liang replied without hesitation.
After making his choice, he looked at Liang Xue and asked, “What’s the name of your web series?”
“Our Promise,” she replied. “It’s a light, youthful drama. No romantic entanglements, just a focus on working hard and chasing dreams—full of positive energy.”
She added, “I read the script. It has real potential. There’s no emotional trauma, just a message that hard work pays off—it really resonates with today’s youth.”
An Liang smiled.
“So, do you need an investor?”
Liang Xue froze for a moment.
“You’re investing?”
“Who else?” An Liang replied.