Chapter 124: Sought After by Film and Television Companies

A true journey to the West must have both laughter and tears. Zhang Chu was not entirely certain whether his rendition of the story between Zhu Bajie and Gao Cuilan would be met with more praise or criticism. However, since the goal was to subvert the classic, he had to do it thoroughly; the original romance was, after all, quite poetic and beautiful.

After finishing his lunch, Zhang Chu had barely had a moment to rest when his temporary agent, Zhou Kang, came knocking at his door.

"Is this the place you rented? You aren't planning to live in the dorms?" Zhou Kang surveyed the room. Renting an apartment with this kind of decor and size near the Yanda campus certainly wouldn't be cheap.

"I suppose I'll be splitting my time between both. Besides, university life is quite flexible."

Zhang Chu had long outgrown his impulsive youth; he had no interest in navigating the complex dynamics of dormitory life, and many things were simply inconvenient to do in a shared room.

Although Zhou Kang was an elder, now that their relationship had shifted to that of literary agent and client, it was best not to pry too much.

Instead, Zhang Chu reminded him, "Uncle Zhou, please don't report back to my father. If he finds out, he might just call me up to give me a long lecture."

"Fair enough, but you still need to attend your classes on time. Don't go skipping them." Zhou Kang didn't want Zhang Chu's reputation as a star student to crumble; it had become an essential part of his public image.

"Alright, alright. Let's head to the venue. Almost every major film and television production company in the country will be at today's copyright trade fair, along with many overseas firms. We might not close a deal on the spot, but it’s a great opportunity to build our reputation."

Once a novel is adapted into film or television, it triggers a massive surge in the audience and readership. People are generally more receptive to visual media, and Zhang Chu hoped his two books would find a good home, ensuring a steady stream of prestige points.

Relying on the recent surge of points from his legal battles was not a sustainable strategy. Releasing new works and seeing his older ones adapted into different formats—that was the proper path for growth.

A horse cannot grow fat without night grass, and a man cannot get rich without a windfall; these lawsuits were simply Zhang Chu’s windfall.

After locking the door, Zhang Chu drove with Zhou Kang toward the exhibition center. Along the way, he pondered what kind of price he should set for his two works. He knew nothing about film and television copyrights and was worried he might easily be taken advantage of.

...

On the final day of the "Books of China" grand book fair, the venue was packed with staff from film studios, publishing houses, and literary agencies, along with authors of all stripes.

In this era where the "IP" concept reigned supreme, authors of every genre wanted a slice of the pie. They hoped to promote their works to achieve both fame and fortune.

Zhang Chu and Zhou Kang were like small ripples in a vast ocean, completely inconspicuous in the crowd.

"Huace Media has contacted our company; they’re interested in your work. Additionally, Kate Media, Chuanyuan, and Phoenix Interactive Entertainment have all made inquiries. Don't worry, you're in good hands."

The venue was overflowing with people. Zhang Chu could see competitors everywhere on the posters: online fantasy novels, urban romances, campus dramas, contemporary workplace stories, suspense thrillers, and even horror and supernatural works.

His own book, *Psychological Crime*, was among the twenty-seven featured works displayed around the center. Zhang Chu had no idea which company would eventually produce it.

Although suspense and mystery novels were a niche in the publishing world, they had a significant audience in film and television, making them highly sought after for adaptations.

Since Zhang Chu now had his own literary agency, *Psychological Crime* no longer needed to be branded under the Nanhai Publishing House, but instead carried the logo of his own Yanjing Menglong Cultural Media Company.

When the two finally navigated the sea of people and reached the Menglong exhibit, a crowd had already gathered.

A middle-aged man in a suit looked as if he had just been saved. He walked up and grabbed Zhou Kang’s arm. "Old Zhou, you’re finally here! You didn’t pick up when I called. These are all representatives from film companies; they want to inquire about the copyright status of *Psychological Crime*."

Before he could finish, the man spotted Zhang Chu behind Zhou Kang and immediately reached out a hand. "You must be Zhang Chu. Our company is honored to be your agent."

"This is our General Manager, Mr. Wu," Zhou Kang whispered to Zhang Chu, worried that the young man might be dismissive.

Politeness costs nothing. Zhang Chu wouldn't act out in public, so he shook Wu Tong’s hand and replied, "I’m surprised this is our first meeting. I’ll have to rely on you and Uncle Zhou to look after my work in the future."

Wu Tong lowered his voice to speak to them, "Right now, everyone is after *Psychological Crime*. Huace Media wants both the film and television rights. Meanwhile, major players like Guangli, Yida, and Haiquan are eyeing the film rights. Over there are representatives from Haiquan, Huanwen, iQIYI, and Tencent Video; they’re looking for the television rights, and the latter two specifically want to produce web dramas."

"Did they mention their terms?" Zhou Kang asked. These big companies were notoriously stingy and had the most rigid, ironclad contracts, though the likelihood of a successful production was higher than with smaller studios.

"Huace offered a total of five million yuan for a full buyout of both film and television rights."

The number sounded large, but Zhang Chu wasn't easily swayed. He frowned and said, "IP is so valuable right now; why is Huace offering so little?"

"That’s actually on the high side. Do you know what iQIYI offered? Their bid for the web drama rights was only one million."

"That’s pocket change!" Zhang Chu had no intention of settling for a web drama; a television broadcast would reach a much larger platform.

Zhou Kang spread his hands helplessly. "You’re currently famous for *Sherlock Holmes*, but no domestic company could ever secure the rights to adapt that. While *Psychological Crime* has decent reviews, it was only just released. It’s not guaranteed to be a hit yet."

These companies were essentially making a venture capital bet, hoping to snap up the rights before *Psychological Crime* became a massive sensation. Once it sold hundreds of thousands of physical copies, the price would certainly not be what it was today.

"If the terms aren't good, we don't need to rush. Let's wait for a better offer," Zhang Chu said. He didn't want to sell himself short. With the current IP craze, prices were rising rapidly.

Wu Tong agreed, "Don't worry. This affects our commission too; we won't let you be taken advantage of. Let's go in and meet with these companies."

Copyright trading was all about high asking prices and tough bargaining; it couldn't be settled in a single conversation. It required patient negotiation and compromise.

That was no longer Zhang Chu’s concern. He only needed to know the outcome: if it met his expectations, he would accept; if not, he would refuse. It was as simple as that.