Xiang Lintao read through the script twice, then studied E-Route's sponsorship contract in silence for a while. He kept Chu An and Lu Mingze waiting for a full two hours before finally looking up at them.
With a serious tone, he said, "I'll cover the penalty for E-Route's breach of contract."
"Now, Director Lu, how much sponsorship are you looking for? As long as it's within the reasonable range for industry standards, I'll agree."
He sounded generous, but it was the cunning of a seasoned businessman. What he really meant was: don't quote an outrageous figure—it has to fall within industry norms.
Lu Mingze opened his mouth, ready to name what he thought was an astronomical amount. To him, 3 million RMB seemed like a jackpot.
But he suddenly realized—damn, he didn't even have the authority to decide!
So he shut up and coolly pointed to Chu An, silently saying: He talks. I'm just the mascot here.
After waiting two hours, Chu An finally got the floor. Instead of quoting a price, he said calmly, "There's a standard rate for standard sponsorships—but I think what Greenfield wants goes way beyond a normal sponsorship, right?"
He raised his hand and started counting off on his fingers:
"First, gaming elements typically can't get past censorship and onto CCTV. But this drama can."
"Second, combining aerospace and entertainment raises the social profile of video games. And not just any game—we're talking about your game."
Chu An gave a faint smile, letting that last line hang in the air.
"Third, the proportion of the story involving the game is extremely high. There's no other form of advertising that can deliver this level of exposure."
"Fourth, the esports storyline builds the emotional peaks of the series—perfect for promoting competitive events."
"Fifth, your in-development game is a perfect match for the game featured in the script. In fact, you could borrow elements from the show to improve your game design. And we won't charge extra for that."
"Finally—and most importantly…" Chu An's expression grew sharp. "Your company wants to challenge Star Overlord, the undisputed king of RTS games. If you want to break into the market—"
"Enough!" Xiang Lintao cut him off.
This young man hit every sore spot.
The moment he mentioned Star Overlord, Xiang lost his composure. That game dominated the RTS scene worldwide. Greenfield's own game, Race Wars, was nearly finished, ready for release. But they had been hesitating, afraid it would be crushed by Star Overlord without proper marketing.
This script? It was a lifeline.
Xiang had hoped to lowball his way in like E-Route, but clearly, that wasn't going to happen. Chu An understood the game better than he did.
And Xiang realized: no matter how low a price he offered—just high enough to beat E-Route and cover their penalty—Chu An would accept. Then turn around and use the Greenfield deal to secure an even better one elsewhere.
Because that's exactly what they were doing.
After a long pause, he said, "Fifteen million!"
He looked directly at Lu Mingze, convinced this serious-looking director was the real decision-maker.
"That's all the cash Greenfield can free up. If Director Lu still feels that's not sincere enough… then I've got nothing left."
Lu Mingze nearly had a stroke. Fifteen million?! Was this still the world he knew?
It was a jaw-dropping figure for sponsorship—if word got out, it would shake the entire entertainment industry for months.
Too bad he didn't have a say. He knew his role. He glanced at Chu An: Say yes already! It's 15 million!
But Chu An was hesitating.
Lu Mingze was about to explode. Don't get greedy! That's not fifteen hundred yuan—it's fifteen million! How much more do you want?!
What he didn't know was, Chu An was operating on a different level entirely.
Finally, Chu An spoke. "Fifteen million… is too much."
"What?"
"???"
Neither Lu Mingze nor Xiang Lintao were sure they heard correctly. Too much?
Chu An casually continued, "Ten million. Plus 15% profit share from Race Wars. And 50% of merchandise revenue."
Xiang Lintao: "…"
Sign it. Sign it right now!
Either this guy was an angel—or a fool. Profit sharing only mattered if there were profits. It wasn't money out of pocket now.
And frankly, Xiang didn't even know if Race Wars would survive launch.
Meanwhile, Lu Mingze was losing his mind. Is he allergic to money? We just lost five million!
After they left Greenfield's office, Lu couldn't hold back any longer.
"Are you out of your mind? They were offering 15 million, and you—what the hell are you doing talking about profit-sharing? That's not even real money!"
"Can you do math? Can you even count?!"
Chu An shut him down with a single glare. Outside the set, Lu Mingze was no longer the boss—just a balding middle-aged man without a clue.
"First of all," Chu An said, "in terms of media buzz, 10 million and 15 million have the same effect."
Either figure would stun the industry.
"Second, the 15% profit share and 50% merchandise cut are just bonuses. If they refuse, I'd still take the 10 million."
"Then why not take the 15?" Lu Mingze was baffled.
Chu An replied, "With 15 million, we'd have a budget surplus. No bank would approve a loan."
"But with 10 million, it's different."
Lu Mingze: "????????"
We're… getting a loan?
Wait—we can even do that?!
Chu An didn't bother explaining further. He had everything lined up: CCTV for the premiere, partnership with the Space Agency, high-value brand sponsorship… only one thing left.
He suddenly asked, "Who's the most popular female star right now—biggest fan base, most youth appeal?"
Lu Mingze was confused at first, but then said, "Xu Shu, of course."
Chu An frowned. "She's too young."
He was right. The heroine in You Are My Glory, Qiao Jingjing, spans from high school to her thirties. Xu Shu was only seventeen.
But Lu chuckled. "Then you haven't seen her in Peaceful Times. Played from sixteen to forty with zero awkwardness—she nailed the role. That's why she's so famous."
Playing older is easy. But playing older and making it convincing? That takes real talent.
Even Lu, a known perfectionist, looked genuinely impressed.
"Some media say no actress will top her popularity in the next 20 years. Might be a bit exaggerated—but not by much."
Chu An had seen Peaceful Times and knew exactly how good she was. In fact, if he ignored her reputation, even Chu An—who'd seen it all—had to admit her potential was unmatched.
The problem?
She was signed to Tiandu Entertainment. And that made things complicated.
After a moment's thought, he muttered, "Forget it. We'll just use her name to bluff for now."
Lu Mingze: "???"
Bluff what??
—
Two days later, Shengjing Development Bank.
Chu An arrived with a stack of documents: a co-production agreement with the Space Agency, an official endorsement letter from the Broadcasting Bureau, a full project plan for You Are My Glory, the script, a detailed budget, Greenfield's high-priced sponsorship contract, a procurement letter from CCTV, Lu Mingze's studio licenses, and—most crucially—the claim that top actress Xu Shu had been cast as the lead.
He'd hoped to actually sign a big-name actress. But if she was the best, then she was the only option.
Luckily, everyone knew she was currently working with Lu Mingze, so they assumed she'd naturally star in his next drama.
It took little effort for Shengjing Bank to approve a loan of 15 million for production and post-release marketing.
Lu Mingze was stunned all over again. We can actually get loans for this??
In this alternate timeline, state guidance allowing banks to finance cultural projects had existed since 1995. But banks had been cautious—there were easier ways to meet their lending targets during China's rapid growth.
Yet this wasn't a typical case.
Looking at Chu An's stack of documents, the credit officer didn't doubt for a second this would be a blockbuster.
It met all the criteria, so the loan was quickly approved.
Lu Mingze was ecstatic. Haven't even started shooting and we've already secured 25 million!
"I'm rich!" he cried.
"Now we can shoot The Best of Us lying down! Upside down if we want!"
He puffed up with pride. "Xiao Chu, let's head back to Ningyuan!"
Chu An: "Yeah, no. Cool it."
Lu Mingze: "???"
Chu An looked at him with pure disdain. Lu was starting to get used to that look.
"Are you tired of directing? Want to end up in prison instead?"
"Huh?"
Chu An sighed. "Greenfield's money, the bank loan—those are earmarked funds. You think that's your pocket money?"
"Touch a cent of it for The Best of Us, especially with Tiandu breathing down our necks, and we're dead."
He laid into him so thoroughly that Lu had nothing left to say.
"But… then what was the point of all this?" he mumbled. "We have money but can't use it. What about The Best of Us? What about Tiandu?"
Chu An replied calmly, "Don't worry."
He paused, then said with quiet confidence:
"Everything's ready. Now it's time to deal with the funding—and with Tiandu."
Lu Mingze: "…"
His bald head gleamed, and he looked adorably confused.
So all this effort… was just prep work?
"What exactly are you trying to do? Blow up Tiandu's headquarters?!"
Chu An: "If someone's blowing it up, that's your job. What's it got to do with me? I've got no beef with them."
Lu Mingze: "…"