I Inherited 5,000 Years of Family Property

Chapter 169 Do I Care About Money?

"Who?" Everyone's gaze in the resting room was focused on the entrance.

Dai Qingying had a big ego, which was common knowledge to all. Most observed it but at most would only gossip about her behind her back.

This year, 27-year-old Dai Qingying was absolutely considered a forceful actress among the young generation of leading ladies in Huaxia, and not only that, but she also had a certain standard in music. Her professionalism was unquestionable. Coupled with the backing of Dahe Culture, she had been raised in a privileged environment.

Those actors who had worked with her actually harbored considerable grievances towards her, including some directors, but due to her background, no one would confront her directly. Even after seeing the movie's box office and the TV series' ratings, their discomfort would disappear. In the entertainment industry, only profits are permanent.

As for Dai Qingying's fans, they were an immense force. Her tens of millions of fans across the internet, known as the "Dai Family Army," would fight against heaven, earth, and the air—any slight against Dai Qingying, and they would attack relentlessly and sparingly.

There was once a male actor who, having worked with Dai Qingying, made an offhand remark about her diva behavior. The aftermath wasn't pretty—every day he was hounded by candid photos from her crazy fans, his personal life turned into a complete mess, and he eventually became depressed and withdrew from public view.

But this was also a reflection of her ability, as there were few actors in the whole of Huaxia who could inspire such unity among their fans.

So even the director didn't dare offend Dai Qingying! And one of their investors, Wang Ling, although not afraid of Dai Qingying, had to consider his father's opinion, making the situation quite delicate.

This was the first time since the filming had begun that someone dared to openly challenge Dai Qingying and even tell her to "get lost."

"Click!" Zhang Menglong pushed the door open and stepped inside, "If I hadn't come here in person, I wouldn't have known our crew actually had such people. A big forest attracts all kinds of birds indeed!"

"Mr. Zhang!" Upon seeing Zhang Menglong, the director finally showed a look of relief. During this time, he had to endure the pressure from Dai Qingying's side and control the shooting progress; he was truly on the verge of going bald.

He couldn't muster the courage to talk to Zhang Menglong about raising the salary, and now that Zhang Menglong had arrived on set and had heard the matter with his own ears, the pressure seemed to have nothing to do with him anymore, as Zhang Menglong was the biggest decision-maker in the entire crew.

"Miss Dai, you can leave. I remember your salary is 80 million, and the penalty for breaching the contract is 20 million. Just transfer the remaining 60 million back, and we'll call it even," Zhang Menglong said coldly.

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"Mr. Zhang, are you serious?" Dai Qingying could tell from Zhang Menglong's tone that there was no room for turning back, not even a hint that he was open to negotiation.

When the 80 million was in her hands, Dai Qingying had secretly cursed Zhang Menglong as a fool. What dreams and ideals were all nonsense—making money was what was real. Who pays upfront before even filming begins? Must be someone with more money than sense.

That 80 million had already been almost entirely spent by Dai Qingying. Forget about 60 million, she couldn't even come up with 30 million.

But she believed that her acting skills along with her status in the crew could definitely persuade Zhang Menglong.

"Mr. Zhang, what I said just now was just a joke. You know the conditions here are poor, and I was merely considering our colleagues in the crew," Dai Qingying said.

"Really? How come I've heard that someone requires hot baths with milk every night, asks for food that's only available a hundred kilometers away, and repeatedly threatens the director by refusing to shoot?"

"Mr. Zhang, what you heard is just rumors. If you don't believe me, ask them. I've never done such things," Dai Qingying immediately threatened the other actors with her gaze.

"Yes, Mr. Zhang, everything Sister Dai said is true!"

"Do you think I'm deaf?" Zhang Menglong laughed, "So all the words I just heard outside the door, were they spoken by ghosts?"

It was the first time Zhang Menglong encountered such blatant lies.

"You, you, and you, the lot of you can leave too," Zhang Menglong said without any mercy, "I'm paying so much money for you to act in a movie, not to enjoy yourselves like lords, nor to form cliques and cuddle for warmth. With a yearly salary near a hundred million, after-tax pure income, if you take the money, then do your job properly. If you can't do it, then get lost!"

"Mr. Zhang, don't you think you're being a bit too harsh?" Dai Qingying's face turned dark in an instant. She knew Zhang Menglong was capable, so she didn't dare to act recklessly in front of him, "Mr. Zhang, our shooting schedule has been underway for some time now. Even if you want to change actors, have you thought about the time cost and other basic costs involved?"

"Ye Wenjie is a very important character in the first part. If you replace me, it means all the previous shooting work was for nothing."

"Hahaha, costs?" Zhang Menglong laughed, "You seem to have misunderstood something. Do I make movies to make money?"

A hint of confusion crossed Dai Qingying's face. If not for making money, was he making movies out of boredom, just for fun?

"But Mr. Zhang, if we change actors now, our shooting schedule will be delayed by at least a month from the original plan, and many actors' subsequent work will be affected," the director said with some difficulty.

"For everyone who remains in the crew, including the extras and other staff, the salary will be increased by 20% on the original basis, as compensation for the delay in the shooting schedule!"

At this news, many staff and actors' eyes lit up, 20%--that was not a small number, especially for those actors with tens of millions in salary. With such a move, that's several million or even tens of millions! Even if there were any losses due to the delayed schedule, they could easily make it all back.

"Mr. Zhang, I know you're wealthy, and this money is nothing to you, but have you thought about the impact on the market if we delay by a month?" Dai Qingying still didn't give up.

"Miss Dai, when did I ever say that I intended to release this movie to the market?"

This retort from Zhang Menglong left Dai Qingying dumbfounded.

"I've never made a movie for the sake of making money. In fact, I might not even bother to release it in cinemas after I'm done filming. What if I just take it to my own private theater and watch it with a few friends? I've never had the slightest interest in money. Do you think I care about those things?"

Zhang Menglong continued, "Starting over with a new actor, restarting all the shooting work, so what? I can spend a little more money, which I would be only too happy to do!"

"Finance team, the rest is up to you. If they do not comply with the content in the breach clause, come straight to me. I have several law firms under my name, ready for a lawsuit at any time. They laze around the company all day long; it's about time to find them some work to do."

Zhang Menglong's tone was calm, but the decisiveness in his words was not hidden. Regarding this matter, he didn't hesitate for even a second. He had come here today to terminate the contract with Dai Qingying and her cronies!

"And one more thing!" Zhang Menglong added, "From now on, if anyone like this appears again, they're fired on the spot. If I'm not around, find Wang Ling. If someone reports it, just one report gets a reward of a hundred thousand!"

"Awesome!" Wang Ling slapped Zhang Menglong on the shoulder, "In this world, you're probably the only one who dares to make movies like this!"