Chapter 121: The Film Devil

**Chapter 121: The Film Devil

Chris Nolan gazed intently at Lin Qingshan before extending his hand and greeting, "Hello, I'm Chris Nolan."

Yang Dahai was momentarily stunned. Could it really be the Chris Nolan he knew?

But now was not the time to dwell on this. He was about to translate for Lin Qingshan when Lin Qingshan responded, "Hello, I'm Lin Qingshan, the author of 'Cyberpunk 2077: Edgerunners.'"

He spoke fluent English with a subtle accent from Xinxiang, which surprised everyone present.

It was unexpected that Lin Qingshan spoke English so well.

In the Republic, speaking English is not unusual. Chris Nolan's introduction, "I am…" was straightforward and understandable.

However, Lin Qingshan's fluent introduction of the title "Cyberpunk 2077: Edgerunners" showed that his spoken English was impressive.

In the Republic, even if someone passes English exams with high scores, their speaking skills might not be as polished. Only students majoring in foreign languages or studying abroad typically have strong spoken English.

Yet Lin Qingshan was just a manga artist, who usually wouldn't need advanced spoken English skills.

So, his fluency was quite surprising.

Indeed, Lin Qingshan had acquired the skill of official language translation through his system tasks. He could handle translation in all major UN languages, including English.

Knowing Lin Qingshan had no communication barriers made Chris Nolan and Miles even happier.

"Is this person..."

Yang Dahai smiled at Chris Nolan and asked.

Although Chris Nolan had become a top director, most people only recognized the name, not necessarily his appearance. In the West, many people share common names, like James among African American men or Emily among white women.

"So, this is Chris Nolan, the director of 'Inception,'" Miles said. "Chris is very eager to get this script."

"Let's move inside and sit down to discuss," Yang Dahai said with a smile.

"Sure," Miles and Chris both nodded.

They entered the meeting room, took their seats, and began their discussion.

"My friends, you should know why we're here," Miles said directly. "WB is very keen to collaborate with your company and acquire the film rights for 'Edgerunners.'"

"So, how much is your company offering? Are you buying just the film rights or the TV rights as well?" Yang Dahai asked with a smile.

"If possible, we want both," Miles stated candidly.

WB wanted the rights for both film and TV adaptations!

"Then what's the price?" Yang Dahai asked.

Miles pondered for a moment and said, "Five million dollars. How does that sound?"

"Five million dollars for both film and TV rights? That's too low," Yang Dahai chuckled.

[Translator: sauron]

"It's not low. The film rights for 'Jurassic Park' were only two million dollars," Miles said. "Five million for both film and TV rights shows our sincerity."

"Add another two million. I can't believe 'Edgerunners' is worth less than 'Jurassic Park,'" Yang Dahai countered. "Plus, 'Edgerunners' has a market in the Republic, which should be profitable for you."

"No, seven million is too high. There's no such thing as guaranteed profit in filmmaking."

"One-time offer of six and a half million. That's our bottom line."

"I can offer an additional fifty thousand, but that's it. We also need to budget for the special effects in 'Edgerunners.'"

…

The negotiations became as haggling as street vendors. This was the real business world, simple and straightforward.

"Six million! That's the maximum we can offer!" Miles finally said.

"Hmm…"

Yang Dahai hesitated, "Do you know what Fox offered?"

"How much?" Miles frowned.

"Eight million."

Yang Dahai said with a smile.

He wasn't exaggerating; Fox had indeed offered eight million dollars for the rights to 'Edgerunners.'

Miles, sweating, was frustrated with Fox for driving up the price.

But seeing Yang Dahai's smile, he had a sudden realization.

"But since you didn't outright reject our offer, it means you must have some idea, right?" Miles asked.

"Exactly. The difference between two hundred thousand more or less in the film rights doesn't matter much," Yang Dahai said. "What we really want is... a great film."

"Got it. You want to use the 'Edgerunners' film to boost your reputation."

Miles understood.

"So... we can accept six million, but we need a reason," Yang Dahai said, raising his hands. "You need to give me—no, give Mr. Qingshan a reason."

He looked at Chris Nolan, his point clear.

Chris Nolan looked at Lin Qingshan and said, "Actually, before coming here, I watched the entire 'Edgerunners' manga at least ten times."

"Honestly, I'm amazed by Mr. Qingshan's intense creativity and talent."

Lin Qingshan felt a bit embarrassed by the praise.

"The cyborg modifications and the depiction of cyber-psychosis are not just about body modification or mental illness."

"Most sci-fi futures are pristine and orderly, with a sense of mechanical worship. However, the future society in 'Edgerunners' is different—damp, dark, and decayed. It depicts a world where human culture and mental states have collapsed, leaving only ruins and tragedy."

Chris Nolan continued, "It's a grotesque, vast, tragic, and romantic work that is intensely intoxicating. It's a masterpiece that makes fans dizzy with its brilliance. I can only describe it as a tremendous success."

"This is why I want to make this film—because it can achieve even more on screen."

His eyes were fiery. "It can provoke deep reflection in viewers, just like my 'Inception' or 'The Dark Knight,' and bring new waves of thought to cinema and the world!"

Lin Qingshan blinked. Hearing Chris Nolan's words, he would gladly call Chris Nolan the film devil!

---

Looking at the comments, I might have been too hasty.

Writing a book often means not pleasing everyone, and preferences vary. I'll stick to my original approach.

I'll write the plot slowly and update more frequently.

I'll detail the original plot, and then write about the perspectives of readers, viewers, and industry professionals, with occasional daily and supporting storylines.

Feel free to skip ahead if needed. Read what you like.

Thanks for your support!

(End of Chapter)