Chapter 126: Overseas Television Station

"Foreign copyright buyers?" Zhang Chu asked, puzzled. "What do they want with me?"

"They want to buy the television adaptation rights for *Sherlock*!"

Zhou Kang’s words were stunning. Even though they were primarily promoting *Psychological Crime* today, it turned out that *Sherlock* was the one being sought after.

Zhang Chu glanced at Xu Ji, who was sitting across from him. Making no attempt to hide it, he pressed for details: "Which copyright holders exactly? I’ll be back right away."

"There’s only one translator here with them, and he’s not very good. I only know that one is from the BBC, and there are a few others from the United States." Zhou Kang had long since forgotten his English; he could only catch the simplest words and was unable to communicate with the foreign buyers.

After hanging up, Zhang Chu apologized to Xu Ji: "Director Xu, I have an urgent matter I need to attend to at our booth. Let’s discuss things in more detail another time."

"I’ll come and see the excitement too, if you don’t mind?" Xu Ji stood up. He was genuinely worried that *Psychological Crime* might be bought by foreigners and ruined. These days, good scripts were hard to come by, and since he had finally found a domestic one, he had to treasure it.

Zhang Chu didn’t reveal whether the foreign buyers were there for *Psychological Crime* or *Sherlock*; either way, having one more person around didn't matter.

"Of course, you're welcome! Your presence would truly be an honor!"

The sixty-something-year-old Director Xu walked with brisk, energetic steps, following closely behind Zhang Chu toward the Dream Dragon Culture booth.

By now, a crowd of onlookers had gathered outside the booth. Since most faces at the film and television copyright trade show were Chinese, the sudden appearance of so many fair-skinned, light-eyed foreigners was quite eye-catching. Many reporters had also caught wind of the news and rushed over, assuming that *Psychological Crime* was what had attracted these foreign buyers.

...

"You’re finally back." Zhou Kang hurriedly pulled Zhang Chu aside, his eyes catching sight of Xu Ji trailing behind. "Is this Director Xu?!"

"It is. I was just talking to Director Xu about the script adaptation for *Psychological Crime* when you called me back in such a rush. Who exactly are these people?"

"The BBC from the UK and CBS from the US, and I think HBO is here too. It seems they have their eyes on *Sherlock*."

Wu Tong added from the side. Seeing that both of Zhang Chu’s books had become hot commodities in the eyes of film and television producers, she felt even more inclined to tie Zhang Chu firmly to their chariot.

After clarifying the situation, Zhang Chu said to Zhou Kang, "Uncle Zhou, please entertain Director Xu for me. I’m going to go talk to those foreigners and see what they really want."

"Alright, alright. Have you made any promises to Director Xu yet?" Zhou Kang was worried that Zhang Chu might be easily swayed. Even though Xu Ji was a big-name director, he was known for being quite persuasive, and the film rights for *Psychological Crime* could not be given away so easily.

People’s hearts were restless, but Zhang Chu forced himself to stay calm. "Not yet. Just treat him as a potential partner for now."

With that, Zhang Chu straightened his clothes and walked toward the foreigners waiting in the adjacent lounge.

...

"Joseph, it’s been a long time. I never expected us to meet in China!" A white man with a thick beard greeted someone warmly.

The other man reached out a hand and laughed, "Baker, does your HBO want his story too?"

"With news this big, who wouldn't? This is a story from our side of the pond; it should be left to the BBC to film."

People in the television industry were inevitably familiar faces. These four networks were all among the best in the business. Since *Sherlock* looked promising, they intended to buy it. Anyone familiar with American television would know the BBC, HBO, CBS, and FOX. Domestic audiences were most familiar with the BBC’s documentaries, HBO’s premium drama series, CBS’s flagship comedies and reality shows, and FOX’s own roster of hit dramas.

When Zhang Chu walked in, the group stopped their small talk and focused their attention on the young man in front of them. What kind of person could write such compelling work and actually sue the Conan Doyle Estate?

Baker studied the boy carefully. He looked barely twenty, looking even less mature than his own son who had just started university.

With his handsome, clean-cut features and a bright, warm smile, he looked like a young idol, yet he was the target of their trip.

"You must be Zhang Chu? I’m Baker from HBO. It’s a pleasure to meet you." The burly, bearded man extended his hand.

The translator, who had been invisible for a while, stepped forward, ready to interpret for Baker, but was stunned to hear Zhang Chu respond in an exceptionally fluent, Oxford-accented English.

"It is indeed me. I have watched many programs from your network; they are all excellent!"

Having recently drawn the "Primary English Mastery" skill, Zhang Chu’s time had come. His pure Oxford accent surprised the representatives, especially Richard from the BBC, who asked directly: "Wow, have you lived in London before?"

England had always been known as a land of gentlemen, and the British accent was often called the sexiest in the world. Once the standard for public schools and universities like Oxford and Cambridge, it had been adopted by radio stations as the standard, and even many native Britons could not speak with such precise, clear diction.

"Not at all. I have lived in China my whole life. I just watch your BBC programs and listen to your broadcasts often, so I picked it up." Zhang Chu had no qualms about blowing his own trumpet. While the system’s primary-level mastery didn't make him the equal of Shakespeare, Shelley, or Dickens, it was more than enough for daily communication and usage.

The translator finally remembered: this young man chatting so easily with the others was a genius who had scored a perfect mark on his college entrance exam English test!

Without even realizing it, Zhang Chu had gained another point of prestige—contributed by the translator—all while effortlessly showing off.

"Gentlemen, I apologize for being blunt, but why do you want to film this series? It doesn't even have an English version. Have you really read the book?"

As a straightforward guy, Zhang Chu asked the question that had been lingering in his mind. His *Sherlock* only existed in Simplified and Traditional Chinese; the two versions existed only because they were easily convertible without the need for translation.

Joseph, wearing black-rimmed glasses, smiled and replied: "I haven't read your book, it’s true. But I know it tells the story of Holmes living in the modern world. Believe me, there are already many netizens in the United States curious about this premise. We happen to need a story like this, and we have employees who know Chinese who have read and evaluated it. Based on the reviews and your global popularity, we want to buy the rights directly."

Joseph’s words were met with nods of agreement from the others. How could such large companies not have Chinese or Chinese-heritage employees? Furthermore, they were among the media outlets that first reported on Zhang Chu suing the Conan Doyle Estate. Every television project they undertook went through rigorous analysis before moving forward.