After being evaluated by the "Star of Entertainment" golden finger, this script received an SSS rating.
SSS means it’s a script guaranteed to be a blockbuster.
Even if Zhou Yi hadn’t seen that movie in his past life, based on the Star of Entertainment’s rating, he wouldn’t hesitate to invest in it.
Upon hearing Zhou Yi’s words, Song Mu and Xu Wenjin were stunned for a moment before their faces lit up with joy.
Xu Wenjin was so moved he nearly choked up.
"President Zhou, thank you so much, I..."
Song Mu patted his back reassuringly.
Then he turned to Zhou Yi and asked,
"President Zhou, may I ask how much you’re planning to invest? The budget for this film is... quite substantial."
At this point, Song Mu’s confidence wavered again. They had only managed to secure a little over a million in funding so far, part of which came from their own families.
But to make this film properly, they needed at least 20 million—and that was already cutting costs by avoiding big-name actors.
"How much do you need?"
"Twenty million."
Song Mu’s voice faltered as he said the number.
Zhou Yi frowned slightly. He vaguely remembered that in his past life, the promotional materials for this film had claimed a budget of over 70 million. Why was it only 20 million now?
"President Zhou, we’re truly at our wits' end. We promise every penny will go into the production—you can even send someone to oversee it. And we won’t waste money on A-list actors. The story comes first; the cast is secondary."
Then it dawned on Zhou Yi—in his past life, most of the budget had gone to actor salaries.
No wonder they only needed 20 million this time.
He could easily invest the full 20 million himself, but he saw this as an opportunity to bring in some influential figures.
Like Kong Xiaohe’s father, for instance.
Since he already knew this film would be a hit, why not rope in a big shot to make some money together? That way, when future opportunities arose, they’d be more inclined to include him.
For the next blockbuster script, he’d invite the same investors again, building trust and credibility.
Over time, more and more people would come seeking collaborations.
He aimed to become a legend in film investment!
The elite circles of Huaihai were a world he was determined to break into. Going solo was too risky.
The only question was whether Kong Xiaohe’s father had enough clout. It was worth testing the waters—even a few million would be a good start.
He was confident the script would win over Kong Xiaohe’s father.
With Kong Xiaohe’s real-life story as proof, his father would surely be moved.
Noticing Zhou Yi’s sudden silence, Song Mu tentatively asked, "President Zhou, what are your thoughts? Or if you’d prefer, you could invest a portion first. Once we’ve shot half the film, I can show you the footage. Maybe that’ll give you more confidence."
Zhou Yi smiled. "I can invest 10 million upfront. But what if you can’t secure the rest?"
"No matter what, I will make this film happen. There’s always a way... I’ll find a solution."
Song Mu wanted Zhou Yi to see his determination—he would never give up on this project.
Zhou Yi suddenly said, "Can you give me another copy of the script?"
Song Mu hesitated. "Do you need to review it again, or...?"
Film scripts weren’t something to hand out casually. Plagiarism was rampant in the industry, and he had to be cautious.
"I can help you secure more funding."
The moment Zhou Yi said this, both Song Mu and Xu Wenjin froze.
President Zhou investing 10 million was already beyond their wildest expectations. Now he was offering to help them find additional investors? This was too good to be true.
They were at a loss for words to express their gratitude.
Before they could start thanking him again, Zhou Yi waved them off. "No need for that. I can’t promise anything, but I’ll try."
Song Mu and Xu Wenjin handed over their copies of the script, their hearts filled with hope for good news.
"President Zhou, when would you be free? Let me treat you to a meal."
"Save the dinner for when I actually secure the investment. I’ll assign someone to liaise with you about the film. Keep up the good work."
Zhou Yi gave Song Mu an encouraging pat on the shoulder.
"President Zhou, I never expected you to believe in us so much."
"Because this film’s significance is extraordinary. One day, you might just change the world with it."
At least in his past life, that film had sparked massive public discourse and even led to legal reforms.
Zhou Yi was certain the same would happen in this world.
His words filled the two with immense motivation. As they walked out of Huanyu Entertainment, their faces were bright with smiles and anticipation for the future.
"I told you—President Zhou is different. His vision is far-reaching."
"Not just that. Investing in us was a huge risk for him. Even now, it feels like a dream."
"You’re telling me."
The two young men stepped out into the sunlight.
In the years to come, they would become the hottest new directors in the film industry.
After seeing them off, Zhou Yi sent a message to Kong Xiaohe.
[Zhou Yi: Xiaohe, would it be convenient for me to visit your family soon?]
This was his way of reminding Kong Xiaohe about their earlier agreement—introducing him to business connections.
[Kong Xiaohe: This Saturday works, Yi-ge! I didn’t bring it up earlier because you’d just gotten back, and I wanted to let you settle in first.]
Kong Xiaohe had already discussed this with his family, and his father was prepared.
He’d planned to bring it up with Zhou Yi in a couple of days, but Zhou Yi beat him to it.
[Zhou Yi: To be honest, I have an excellent film script here. I wanted to ask if your family would be interested in investing. I’m putting in 10 million myself—trust me, this film will be huge.]
[Kong Xiaohe: Yi-ge, how much more do you need?]
[Zhou Yi: Another 10 million. Your father could bring in friends to co-invest. It’s a guaranteed profit.]
[Kong Xiaohe: 10 million is no problem. See you Saturday!]
Zhou Yi stared at his phone, stunned.
"No problem" for 10 million?
Kong Xiaohe agreed just like that?
Huh... What kind of background does his family have?
Originally, Zhou Yi had planned to approach Su Ning if Kong Xiaohe’s side fell through, seeing if her brother might join the investment.
The Su family was another heavyweight in Huaihai’s business scene.
A strange suspicion crept into Zhou Yi’s mind—was Kong Xiaohe more influential than he’d realized?
After a moment’s thought, he sent Su Ning a message.
[Zhou Yi: You there, Ning-ning? Got a question for you.]
When he needed something, it was "Ning-ning." Otherwise, it was just "Su Ning."
Asking Su Ning was the safest bet. In Huaihai’s elite circles, the wealthy mostly knew each other.
They moved in the same social orbit—she might know, or at least help him find out.
[Su Ning: What’s up? Go ahead.]
[Zhou Yi: Do you know Kong Xiaohe? Or any wealthy businessmen in Huaihai with the surname Kong?]
Su Ning: "I've heard of him, but I don't actually know him. He's the son of Huaihai's richest man—didn’t you know the Kong family owns that title?"
Zhou Yi: ????!
He had no idea! If he’d known, would he have treated Kong Xiaohe like that?
Zhou Yi was completely stunned.
The person he’d casually helped out… turned out to be the son of Huaihai’s wealthiest family???