Murphy's response put Yang Yi at ease.
"Sir, you might not know this, but I'm not in the entertainment industry. I don't know much about how TV dramas are made, but I hope my book can be turned into a classic series, not a terrible one," Yang Yi said with a smile.
Chen Fengchen raised an eyebrow, displeased. "Are you saying I'm a director who makes bad shows?"
"Director Chen still holds a lot of authority in the TV drama field," Murphy whispered to Yang Yi.
Yang Yi gently patted Murphy's leg. Though separated by a layer of fabric, the summer shirt was as thin as a cicada's wing, and the plump elasticity was clearly felt through his hand.
"Not at all! I'm just not familiar with it! So a few days ago, I looked up some of the TV dramas you've directed in the past."
"I've directed plenty of military-themed shows!"
"Yes, I can tell. Whether it's battle scenes or dialogue between characters, you handle them skillfully, pacing them just right, and the characters' emotions are portrayed in great detail," Yang Yi nodded. "The only flaw..."
Chen Fengchen couldn't believe a young upstart would dare say his shows had flaws. He felt a bit annoyed but still chuckled, "Oh? Go on, then."
"The battle scenes are too fake! It's just a few dozen extras running back and forth. The so-called hail of bullets looks like a few strings of firecrackers buried in the ground exploding, and the guns they wave around seem like they're pulling triggers, but there's only sound and no real action!" Yang Yi pointed out without hesitation.
In his past life, people called that "five-cent special effects"!
Chen Fengchen was taken aback, his face reddening. Yang Yi was right—he had indeed skimped on explosive effects in his productions, preferring to focus on character details and close-ups.
In other words, he prioritized heart over adrenaline—hardly enough to get anyone's blood pumping.
"*Soldier Assault* is one thing, but *Bright Sword*—without grand, epic battle scenes, you can't capture the feel of it!" Yang Yi continued.
Chen Fengchen wanted to say, "Maybe I'll just do *Soldier Assault* and forget *Bright Sword*," but he couldn't bear to let it go. The thought of fighting the Japanese in *Bright Sword* still got his blood boiling, even at his age.
Of course, *Soldier Assault* also suited his taste. As long as he put his heart into it, that show wouldn't turn out badly!
But he couldn't direct two shows at once, nor did he want to hand *Bright Sword* over to someone else. The only option was to buy both and do one a year.
The problem was, how could he meet Yang Yi's demands?
"Special effects are expensive, and this is just a TV drama," Chen Fengchen tried to complain, but by now, he had unknowingly lost the upper hand.
"No matter how expensive, we have to make a classic. If you can't find the right place in Beijing, enough quality extras, or the necessary supplies, I can suggest this: come to our Jiangcheng and shoot at the Jiangnan Military Region. Their general personally promised that if you need support for *Bright Sword* and *Soldier Assault*, they'll give it their full backing!" Yang Yi chuckled. "With a major military region backing you, are you still worried about finding explosive experts?"
These words were actually offered by Qiu Weiguo and the others, with General Lu Pengju nodding in agreement.
"You have such deep ties with the military?" Chen Fengchen couldn't help but look at Yang Yi with newfound respect, feeling his background was unfathomable.
Between "marrying" a big star and having connections with a military general, it was hard for Chen Fengchen not to misunderstand.
Yang Yi knew the truth but didn't clarify. He just smiled vaguely and said, "After all, I'm a former soldier myself."
"With the Jiangnan Military Region's support, I'll give it my all and make you a war drama with grand scenes!" Chen Fengchen gritted his teeth.
"Not only that, I hope Director Chen will carefully select the right actors. Fame doesn't matter—what's important is absolute passion for acting and the ability to capture the characters' traits, like Xu Sanduo's naivety or Li Yunlong's cunning and roughness," Yang Yi said.
Chen Fengchen scoffed at Yang Yi's new demands, lifting his chin. "Young Yang, you're underestimating me. I'm known in the industry as a stubborn mule. No matter who sends an actor my way, if they don't meet my standards, they won't get cast!"
"That's true. Director Chen has a great reputation for selecting and training new actors," Murphy said to Yang Yi from the side.
"Alright then, sir, please name your price! If it's reasonable and meets the two conditions I mentioned earlier, I'll hand over the rights to both books," Yang Yi said with a slight smile. "Of course, I hope you can produce them quickly. Four years—if it takes longer than that, I reserve the right to reclaim the rights."
Chen Fengchen wasn't too concerned about that. He'd planned to buy them quickly and start production anyway.
But just moments ago, he had asked Yang Yi for a price, and now the ball was back in his court. He had to think carefully before making an offer.
"Five million—five million per book, plus six percent of the revenue share," Chen Fengchen said.
Five million for film and TV rights wasn't bad—it was above average in the industry. But the six percent revenue share needed consideration; the norm was between five and eighteen percent. Six percent was just a hair above the minimum set by the copyright association.
Yang Yi didn't expect to get eighteen percent unless his work was exceptional and he could also handle the scriptwriting. But Yang Yi had no time to sit with Chen Fengchen and work on scripts!
"Five million only covers the TV rights, but I want fifteen percent of the revenue share!" Yang Yi said firmly.
"Impossible!" Chen Fengchen jumped up in agitation. "Even Liu Shuping doesn't dare ask for a fifteen percent share. You're a new writer—how could you get fifteen percent?"
Liu Shuping was a renowned traditional literary author in this world. His works had been adapted into several popular TV dramas, and he commanded the highest share possible, setting the industry benchmark.
But Chen Fengchen claimed he couldn't get fifteen percent—Yang Yi had his doubts. Who knew if the old man was lying? Liu Shuping had never disclosed his contract details.
"So it seems you don't have much confidence in my work, sir. How about we sign a betting agreement?" Yang Yi flashed his "sincere" smile again.
If Chen Yijie were there, having suffered a major loss before, he'd definitely warn Chen Fengchen never to bet against Yang Yi!
But no one advised Chen Fengchen, and he perked up with interest. "A betting agreement? Sure, let's hear it!"