Once they were seated, Xu Zheng was the first to speak to Jiang Cheng. "Chairman Jiang, I've heard from Mr. Wang how optimistic you are about this subject matter—thank you from the bottom of my heart!"
"In truth, I started preparing this drama a long time ago, but finding people who share my vision is, honestly, next to impossible. I never imagined that across the vast land of China I'd meet someone who sees eye-to-eye with me. I'm truly honored."
Hearing Xu Zheng spout such fawning words, Zhang Cheng at his side couldn't help but sneer inwardly.
He muttered under his breath, "Actors really are something—able to say things like that without batting an eye."
Yet even as he thought this, Zhang Cheng stood up, glass of red wine in hand, and offered a toast to Jiang Cheng.
"Thank you very much for your gracious invitation today, Chairman Jiang. Like President Xu, we feel deeply honored. To be honest, Happy Company started out putting on skits; when we first dipped our toes into film, nobody believed in us."
"Even when our movie premiered, we had to keep an ultra-low profile. We begged and schemed just to get it shown alongside a blockbuster, hoping audiences might remember us. I never dreamed we'd finally make it and snag an invitation from you, Chairman Jiang."
Though Zhang Cheng's words dripped with irony to the ears of the Wang Brothers.
With Jiang Cheng present, the two could only sit there, smiling stiffly.
Listening to the torrent of flattery from Xu Zheng and Zhang Cheng, Jiang Cheng knew the investment was already in the bag.
No doubt they'd reached an internal consensus before he even arrived.
Jiang Cheng smiled and, without mincing words, laid out his real thoughts.
"I may be young, but dramas that rely on hyped-up star power to grab eyeballs are an eyesore to me. That kind of plot is pure fan-economy sheep-shearing—no substance whatsoever."
"The problem is that many films nowadays have worthless stories. Big budgets and lavish spending don't help if the actors can't act and the work has no soul; the result is cookie-cutter assembly-line products."
"When promotion rolls around, they resort to flaunting sex appeal, manufacturing gossip, and chasing buzz, treating the audience like idiots."
Jiang Cheng tore into every ill of the current film and TV industry.
Fresh from Zhang Cheng's veiled barb, the Wang Brothers now felt Jiang Cheng's blunt words were aimed squarely at them.
After all, this was exactly their company's marketing playbook.
Though livid inside, they dared not show the slightest displeasure on their faces.
They could only nod as if suddenly enlightened and deeply grateful.
Xu Zheng and Zhang Cheng had been unsure of Jiang Cheng's real motive for suddenly wanting to invest in their films.
But after hearing this speech, their view of this well-connected young scion shifted.
Wasn't this exactly the sort of Second-generation rich who had money, contacts, and rock-solid values?
Amid their shock, Jiang Cheng continued, "I only had to take one look at 'Drug Deity' to be hooked by how starkly it reflects real social problems."
"Works that show the hardship of ordinary people's lives may not be favored by the industry, but personally I'm extremely optimistic about their prospects."
"Even if the final box-office response is merely mediocre and it causes no splash, I still consider it an excellent film—absolutely worth investing in."
His words made Xu Zheng immediately straighten up; he nodded repeatedly, the sycophantic smile gone from his face.
He said with genuine feeling, "Chairman Jiang, to tell you the truth, this drama is adapted from real events. Some felt the subject was too sensitive and worried it wouldn't pass censorship—or that it would have to be gutted to get approved, losing its original flavor."
"So we opted for a small production. Apart from me, we didn't use a single traffic-star. Lowering costs was only one reason; more important, as you said, many of those idols only have traffic—no acting chops to speak of…"
He sighed heavily and went on, "Even if the response is weak, I'll press on. Grass-roots culture and grass-roots life must get the attention they deserve!"
"Films are ultimately about profit, yes, but I hope this one can spark social discussion—ideally even policy attention—so families crushed by medical bills might get some help…"
When Xu Zheng finished, Zhang Cheng and Shen Teng looked awkward.
Their own movie 'Richest Man in Modu' had none of that social conscience.
Happy Company's films relied on gags and belly laughs.
Take the earlier 'Charlotte': though its theme urged people to cherish those before them, the tone was nonstop hilarity, built on running jokes.
This time 'Richest Man in Modu' was no different.
Zhang Cheng asked a little sheepishly, "Then Chairman Jiang, what do you think of our 'Richest Man in Modu' script?"
Jiang Cheng replied straight out, "It's a blast—face-slapping, funny."
Seeing Jiang Cheng sum up their movie in a handful of words, Zhang Cheng could only force a laugh.
Though the assessment was spot-on.
Still, hearing it put so bluntly felt… odd. Watching his boss's awkward expression, Shen Teng beside him almost burst out laughing.
Zhang Cheng quickly added, "Chairman Jiang, that summary is brilliant!"
Jiang Cheng answered, "I'm just an investor. Naturally I admire works that hold social value and meaning."
"But a comedy about flaunting wealth suits my taste too—it's fresh. For a comedy, making the audience feel great and making them laugh is already half the battle…"
After brief exchanges, they moved to the main agenda.
Jiang Cheng nodded, turned to Xu Zheng, and asked, "Director Xu, how are preparations for 'Drug Deity' going?"
Xu Zheng replied at once, "The total budget won't exceed a hundred million. Joy Media will tentatively put up twenty percent, Bad Monkey Pictures twenty-five percent, and for publicity and distribution…"