Fringe artists in the entertainment industry

Chapter 77 77. The first small amount of money (please read, today is very important)

It's snowing again in the capital. The last snow has just melted, and the earth has been covered with a layer of white silver.

Chen Li'an was sweeping the snow in Cheng Meiren's small yard with a broom. Cheng Meiren, wrapped in a down jacket, leaned sleepily against the door and looked at him and asked, "Are you going to the film festival?"

Chen Li'an nodded and asked, "Have you not been working recently?"

"Yes, I'm going to have a commercial performance in the next few days. There are the most commercial performances before New Year's Day." Cheng Meiren yawned, and then said with a smile: "I want to make more money, and I will support you one day!"

Chen Li'an turned to look at Cheng Meiren and said angrily: "If I want to make money, I can't make as much as I can if you take on eight commercial performances a day."

"Just brag, do you know how much a business performance costs for me?" Cheng Meiren looked at Chen Li'an unconvinced.

Chen Li'an paused, leaning on the broom, looking at Cheng Meiren and said, "Then let's make a bet, who will make more money before New Year's Day? If I make more than you, you will listen to me in everything from now on."

Cheng Meiren immediately became interested and ran to Chen Li'an and said, "Then if I win, you are not allowed to find other women and will you marry me immediately?"

Chen Li'an looked at the excited Cheng Meiren, smiled and agreed, "Okay, it's a deal!"

"Hook!"

"Hook!"

Chen Li'an and Cheng Meiren clicked their little thumbs to complete the betting ceremony.

The bet with Cheng Meiren was not a whim of the ceremony, but Chen Li'an really felt that he was too poor now. He had no savings and still owed Ji Fa more than a thousand foreign exchange.

Another reason is that Cheng Meiren has too many little thoughts now, and she has to find a way to restrain them, even if she can only control them for a while.

After Chen Li'an swept out Cheng Meiren's yard, he went out to the art museum.

There are only three days left in the film festival, and the curtain call must be perfect.

After arriving at the film festival today, Chen Li'an didn't see Xu Jinglei. Yesterday he said he was coming over today, but he didn't know what happened.

But Chen Li'an didn't care. He and Xu Jinglei were not even friends, so why bother thinking so much.

Maybe they went to play rock music. It seemed that she and Wang Shuo got together at this time.

Chen Li'an didn't think too much about these gossips, and he concentrated on finishing the film festival without being disturbed.

The next few days of the film festival went smoothly. The man in the jacket from the health care product company never appeared again, and no one in the compound made trouble again.

It seems that everything before was an illusion, and the days are as dull as an eraser erasing the ups and downs.

However, Chen Li'an knew that Master was looking for San'er behind his back to help him withstand it, otherwise things would not be so peaceful.

The only thing that gave Chen Li'an a headache was that Ma Lin, the former Beijing Daily reporter, would always spend money to buy tickets to watch the exhibition every day.

Every time I come here, I will drag a group of uncles and aunties around to ask questions. I have also approached Chen Li'an several times, but Chen Li'an never paid attention to him.

Some things are too dangerous. A little reporter who is as skinny as a monkey cannot stop a few gangsters who do nothing serious.

However, Ma Lin did not give up because of Chen Li'an's attitude of rejecting people thousands of miles away. He interviewed more than a dozen adults and aunts at the film festival and learned in detail about some false insider information and propaganda in the health care product industry.

After having a general understanding, Ma Lin went to Chen Li'an and said: "I know you are worried about my safety, but I will not give up. The health care product industry is too big. If those fake products continue to be sold, I don't know. How many people will be harmed?"

Chen Li'an looked at Ma Lin's young face and firm eyes and said, "You will be a good reporter. If someone threatens you, you can go to Zhushikou to find me."

As Chen Li'an spoke, he wrote down the compound's address and his phone number on a piece of paper and handed it to Ma Lin, saying: "This is a huge profit industry worth billions or even tens of billions. What we do is destroy people's financial paths. You should understand the dangers involved. I just opened a film festival to insinuate them, and I was threatened. If you reveal the deeper inside story, it will definitely not be peaceful."

Ma Lin glanced at the note handed over by Chen Li'an, and then said with a smile: "I'm not afraid. As a journalist, this is what I should do."

Chen Li'an silently patted Ma Lin on the shoulder and said seriously: "Remember to contact me if you need it. Although I don't have any background, I can still do it to keep you safe."

Marin grinned and said, "Don't tell me, I feel like I'm going to die, but you are a good person. I will definitely ask you for help if I need it."

Chen Li'an laughed dumbly. He didn't expect that the first good guy card in his life would be given to him by a man.

After bidding farewell to Ma Lin, Chen Li'an looked at his leaving figure. His thin body looked extraordinarily tall at the moment, much taller than himself.

After Ma Lin's figure disappeared from sight, Chen Li'an turned and returned to the art museum. Today was the last day. After the exhibition, the exhibition hall was to be vacated.

At around four o'clock in the afternoon, Gong Li came and brought a van specifically for Chen Li'an to transport his works.

Dozens of oversized photo frames cannot be carried away in an ordinary car.

Gong Li, the temporary curator, is very dedicated. Chen Li'an really likes this sensible and considerate elder sister.

As the time came to five o'clock, there was no one in the exhibition hall. Chen Li'an looked at the photos hanging on the wall, and then silently walked over and took them down with his own hands.

Gong Li followed behind and helped Chen Li'an hold the photo. Looking back on the changes this week, she felt a sense of accomplishment, as if she had made a very successful movie.

Gong Li feels that she is also a part of this film festival, and any exhibition cannot ignore the curator's contribution.

Although the film did not win any awards at the film festival, the high praise from the art circle and newspapers and magazines was no different from winning an award.

Gong Li's current identity is not only an actor in the entertainment industry, but also a new curator in the art circle, but she will have few opportunities to curate for Chen Li'an in the future.

When Chen Li'an took down all his works and put them in the car, he said to Gong Li: "Can these photos be put at your place first? I will take them away after I find the buyer."

"Okay, as long as you're not afraid that I won't return it to you." Gong Li said with a smile.

Chen Li'an laughed when he heard this and said, "I have the film in my hand. That's the most important thing."

As long as you have the negatives in hand, you can have as many photos as you want. However, Chen Li'an does not plan to continue developing and printing photos. The only ones are the most valuable.

Moreover, Ji Fa was very interested in the negatives and planned to take them to France to find a buyer.

Chen Li'an's works are very popular in Europe, especially the works about social reality, which are particularly loved by artists there.

Of course, their own artistic works are not of this style. They simply like to watch others expose social reality.

At this time, Europeans were still playing New Pop Art and also extended low-brow art, which was very different from Chen Li'an's work style and opposite in concept.

However, it is precisely because of this that it appears rare and has great market prospects.

After sending all the works to Gong Li, Chen Li'an went to Ji Fa to ask whether she was buying them as a gallery owner or as an art manager to help him find buyers.

This time Chen Li'an and Ji Fa did not make an appointment with Maxim, but found a time-honored belly-bursting restaurant in Dongzhimen. Ji Fa kept talking about drinking Erguotou again.

After the dishes were served, Chen Li'an poured Ji Fa a cup of Erguotou before getting down to business: "How do you plan to operate my work this time?"

Ji Fa took a sip from the cup, and the spicy taste instantly made her lose control of her expression.

"This wine is simply amazing." Ji Fa exclaimed, then raised his head and looked at Chen Li'an and said, "How about I buy it and give you ten thousand pounds?"

Ten thousand pounds is still very attractive in this era, but Chen Li'an feels that his work should not be worth only this much money, and this is his debut work.

A group of photography works from the 1970s by Gilbert and George, whom I met a few days ago, had a highest auction price of more than three million US dollars.

Of course, Chen Li'an can't compare with them yet, but ten thousand pounds is indeed a little less.

Ji Fa looked at Chen Li'an who was sulking and eating, and couldn't help but said: "You think the price is not right? Your work is indeed very good, but you are just a newcomer, and I am taking risks."

Chen Li'an raised his head and glanced at Ji Fa and said helplessly: "It's okay if you replace this set of rhetoric with someone else. We are partners. Put away your businessman's habits."

How could Chen Li'an believe that taking risks? If investing in himself was a risky thing, would Ji Fa sign a contract with him?

After hearing Chen Li'an's words, Ji Fa couldn't help but stick out her tongue, and with a playful and cute expression, she said with some disappointment: "Okay, the most I can offer is fifty thousand pounds. Any more will be really risky. Well, if you are not satisfied, I can only act as a manager to help you find a buyer."

If this was not Chen Li'an's debut work, Ji Fa would not choose to buy it with his own money. Instead, he would directly choose to act as an intermediary for Chen Li'an to find a buyer, and then earn a commission.

However, it is precisely because it is a debut novel that it has collection value. Although fifty thousand pounds is high, it will definitely be doubled in the future. Ji Fa believes in his vision.

Chen Li'an did some calculations in his mind. Fifty thousand pounds converted into RMB is about 420,000 yuan! I don't know if such a huge amount of money can make more money than Cheng Meiren's commercial performances, but even if it is not enough, with this money as a capital, I still have a chance to make a fortune by going to Hong Kong.

Having made his decision, Chen Li'an immediately raised his cup and said to Ji Fa: "This work belongs to you."