When Quan Jiu received Zhao Ziwen's call, she was a little surprised, but as a screenwriter, the director's connections were extremely important. Moreover, she genuinely wanted to collaborate with Zhao Ziwen, so she readily agreed to his invitation to meet.
At two in the afternoon, Quan Jiu arrived at Yanfei Cafe as scheduled. As soon as she entered, a man in a sharp suit and tie walked towards her with a straight posture.
The man was tall, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist that made the suit look very stylish. Beneath his sharp eyebrows were a pair of handsome, peach-blossom eyes that seemed full of affection even when he wasn't smiling, making him very captivating.
Nearby female patrons were already swooning, with some even discreetly taking photos with their phones. After the man glanced at them, they immediately turned crimson with embarrassment.
Quan Jiu recognized the man and extended her hand first to greet him, "Director Zhao, hello. I'm Nine."
A flicker of surprise crossed Zhao Ziwen's eyes. Although he had seen photos, they clearly didn't capture even a tenth of the real person. He was indeed right to come.
He politely shook her hand. "It's an honor. I never expected the rumored 'Goddess Nine' to be so young."
After a few pleasantries, Zhao Ziwen led Quan Jiu to a seat and then got straight to the point.
"I've seen all of Goddess Nine's previous works, and I've actually wanted to collaborate with you for a long time but never had the opportunity. Today's meeting is to see if we have a chance to work together." As he spoke, he handed over his portfolio. "These are the works I've directed over the years."
Quan Jiu accepted the portfolio and then handed over her own. "Director Zhao's film and television works often feature fantastical and imaginative themes, and I happen to have a script with a similar theme."
Zhao Ziwen had only intended to glance politely at the script, but the very first sentence captivated him: "I died again, this time, it was in a car accident."
He instinctively kept reading, completely unaware that he was flipping page after page. By the time he reached the last page, Zhao Ziwen let out a long, satisfied sigh. When he looked up, the cafe lights had already been turned on.
The woman opposite him was engrossed in typing. Her already moon-like beauty, coupled with her focused expression, was exceptionally captivating.
Zhao Ziwen subconsciously didn't want to disturb her and flipped the script back to the first page, wanting to read it again.
"Finished? What do you think? I wrote this script a few years ago and will continue to revise it. You can offer your suggestions," Quan Jiu said, closing her notebook.
Zhao Ziwen apologized, "Your script was too captivating. I got so engrossed that I lost track of time."
"It's alright, I wasn't idle either," Quan Jiu said, gesturing to her laptop.
Zhao Ziwen sighed, "I've always been picky about scripts, but I truly couldn't find any fault with your work. You are indeed a born storyteller."
"Director Zhao is too kind," Quan Jiu smiled. "My fee is five hundred thousand per episode. We've agreed on thirty episodes, totaling fifteen million. If Director Zhao can accept, we can sign the contract anytime."
Fifteen million was certainly not cheap, but a good screenwriter, especially a renowned one like Nine, was worth the price, as the script is the heart of any film or television production.
Zhao Ziwen said, "It's very reasonable. I have no problem with the price. I'll have my assistant send you the contract later. Also, it's already dinner time. May I invite you to a casual meal?"
"Perhaps another day. I have two children waiting for me at home," Quan Jiu politely declined.
Zhao Ziwen was surprised, a deep sense of regret washing over him. "Then let's arrange another time when we're both free."
Only after Quan Jiu left did Zhao Ziwen sigh with immense regret, "What a shame." He had no interest in a beautiful jade piece that was missing a corner.
...
On Monday, after signing contracts with Wang Can and Zhao Ziwen, and receiving the forty-seven million payment from Tonghua Art Museum, Quan Jiu headed to the Administration for Industry and Commerce with the necessary documents for company registration.
After spending the afternoon completing the registration matters, Quan Jiu received a call from Wang Feifei.
"Nine Nine, I found out about the person you asked me to inquire about. He Miao has been very close with Shen Lu recently. They seem to be plotting something, acting very secretive. You need to be extra careful. Both of them have had issues with us before. If they team up, it's definitely nothing good."
Quan Jiu remembered Shen Lu. If Shen Lu and He Miao were in league, it meant both of them knew about her past.
"I understand," Quan Jiu said gratefully. "When you have time, come over for dinner."
Wang Feifei chuckled, "I'm free today. I'll head over now. I haven't seen my godson and goddaughter in a while."
"Just come, don't buy anything. We have everything at home," Quan Jiu advised.
After hanging up, considering Wang Feifei's fondness for seafood, Quan Jiu bought a large amount of seafood from a nearby market, planning to make a seafood hot pot.
...
When Wang Feifei arrived, Quan Jiu was washing crayfish, and the two children were playing with puzzles in the living room.
Wang Feifei hugged Mimi and Tutu tightly and then went to Quan Jiu's side to help prepare the crayfish.
Seafood preparation was troublesome. By the time the four of them finished eating, it was almost ten o'clock. Wang Feifei then played with Mimi and Tutu while Quan Jiu took out her laptop to continue working.
Wang Feifei leaned over to take a look and asked curiously, "PPT? What are you doing with this?"
"A University's Film Academy has invited me to be a lecturer for their acting department's intensive training. It starts next Monday and will last for a week."
Wang Feifei exclaimed happily, "That's great! You can take this opportunity to scout for talented students and sign them in advance."
Quan Jiu smiled. "That's exactly what I'm thinking. The school is an excellent source of talent."
Wang Feifei said with fighting spirit, "I'm also going to start directing my own projects in the latter half of the year. My dad will fund me. It would be foolish not to use money. I won't be as stubborn as Jiang Nancheng, who insists on separating himself from the Jiang family."
"That's because your family supports you. Jiang Nancheng's entire family doesn't support him, so it's quite difficult for him."
"But with your 'Floating Life,' he's sure to make a name for himself this time." Wang Feifei envied, "With Wang Can and Zhao Ziwen on one side, how can a small fry like me compete with them?"
Quan Jiu smiled and poked Wang Feifei's arm. "Alright, alright, you're going to drown me in jealousy. Don't worry, for your first directed series, I'll definitely be your editor."
Wang Feifei beamed and hugged Quan Jiu. "My Nine Nine is the best. Oh, and I'll be sleeping at your place for the next couple of days. My parents are pushing me into blind dates again, scheduled from this week to next. I can't fight them, so I'll avoid them."
Quan Jiu readily agreed.
...
Soon it was Friday, and the staff responsible for A University's acting department's intensive training were making final checks.
Suddenly, the person in charge, Xiao Liu, rushed into the large training classroom with a hurried expression and said to the main person in charge, "Teacher Yan, Jin Xue's agent called. She's suddenly requesting split training sessions, saying that simple training lacks novelty. She wants Jin Xue to be trained separately from Nine, and then they will each rehearse a short play for a school-wide performance competition."
Yan Chi said displeasedly, "How can we have split sessions? This is collective training, not a competition between two people."
Xiao Liu said with a wronged expression, "I said the same thing, but the agent said if they don't split the sessions, Jin Xue won't participate. Nine's lesson plan is only enough for two and a half days of teaching, and it's definitely difficult to have her prepare extra content now."
Yan Chi slammed the table in anger. "Jin Xue is doing this on purpose. She's unhappy that we're comparing her with Nine, so she's deliberately causing trouble at the last minute. She didn't mention this days ago, but only on the last day today, clearly confident that we won't be able to find a replacement."
"So what do we do now?" Xiao Liu was at a loss.
Yan Chi thought for a moment. "I'll call Nine first and ask for her opinion. If she disagrees, then we'll have our school teachers fill in."
...
When Quan Jiu received Yan Chi's call, she was making final revisions to her lesson plan. After hearing Yan Chi's words, Quan Jiu agreed without hesitation.