"Knock, knock, knock."
Crystal tapped on Ou Yunchen's office door.
"Come in."
Crystal: "Mr. Ou, Manager Liu has arrived."
Ou Yunchen: "Let her in."
Liu Jinhua entered the office and placed piles of scripts on the coffee table.
Crystal poured her some water. Liu Jinhua, parched, drank it all down in gulps.
Liu Jinhua: "Mr. Ou, these scripts..."
Ou Yunchen interrupted her.
Ou Yunchen: "Crystal, you can go out for now."
Crystal nodded at Liu Jinhua and Ou Yunchen and politely withdrew.
Liu Jinhua continued.
Liu Jinhua: "Mr. Ou, these scripts were reviewed by Zhou Man and me. We think they are all suitable."
Ou Yunchen leaned forward, his index finger sliding down the scripts one by one.
Liu Jinhua: "Twenty in total, twenty scripts."
Ou Yunchen: "You want me to read all of these?"
Liu Jinhua: "Zhou Man and I weren't sure of your exact preferences, so these twenty cover various genres."
"Oh, right, these few with red covers are ones that Zhou Man and I believe will be steady earners for commercial films. And these few..."
Ou Yunchen grew impatient.
Liu Jinhua: "Mr. Ou, are you perhaps not satisfied with these?"
Ou Yunchen: "What did you and Zhou Man say?"
Liu Jinhua: "Nothing, we didn't say anything... You wanted to invest in films, so we... we found some scripts..."
Ou Yunchen: "Do you think we can compare to Yan Shizong's films if we make these?"
Liu Jinhua: "As for making money, it really depends on market reaction. It's like your financial projects, a game of chance..."
Ou Yunchen: "Alright, as you say. If we consider this film investment a fifty-fifty chance, we'll make a profit if we win, and consider it a lesson if we lose."
"What impact can this have? In the film industry, what value do Xi'ou Entertainment, or Zhou Man, truly hold?"
Liu Jinhua: "Mr. Ou, I don't quite understand what you mean..."
Ou Yunchen: "We can't compete head-on with Yan Shizong. If Yan Shizong were unsure about his 'Danube of Roses,' he wouldn't be promoting it so heavily."
"We're pitting our weakness against his strength. In the end, we can only lose. Do you understand?"
Liu Jinhua: "Zhou Man and I don't want to see Xi'ou defeated. After all, our opponent is Yan Shizong. Even if we lose, we don't want to lose too badly..."
Ou Yunchen: "Find niche films."
Liu Jinhua: "That's too risky. Zhou Man wouldn't agree either."
Ou Yunchen: "Yan Shizong's foresight is that 'Danube of Roses' will be a massive hit. But Zhou Man's foresight is that this film will win awards. That's why she knew Yan Shizong was heartbroken when he snatched the copyright."
Liu Jinhua: "Then what should we do?"
Ou Yunchen: "Lull Yan Shizong into a false sense of security. You can continue searching for these commercial films with Zhou Man."
"But you must find a script that can also win awards. Zhou Man's strength lies in her knowing what a good film is. What moves her can also compete with 'Danube of Roses,' which she lost out on."
Liu Jinhua: "Mr. Ou, I'll say something, and please don't be surprised."
Liu Jinhua: "Given Yan Shizong's stature, he has considerable influence in the film industry. If his films are submitted for awards, we won't be able to compete..."
Liu Jinhua: "Can you... understand what I mean?"
Ou Yunchen glanced at his watch. He had no desire to argue with Liu Jinhua about whether they should compete for awards against Yan Shizong. However, after the summit, he had already planned how to make Yan Shizong truly appreciate Xi'ou's capabilities.
Ou Yunchen: "You and Zhou Man are only responsible for finding the most award-worthy works. I'll handle the rest."
Liu Jinhua: "Mr. Ou, this time I truly think you're dreaming."
Ou Yunchen patted Liu Jinhua's shoulder and stood up.
Ou Yunchen: "That's all for now. I have a phone call to make."
Even as he ushered her to the door, Liu Jinhua was persistent, repeatedly and desperately advising Ou Yunchen to seriously consider her counsel.