Chapter 19: Tao Mi
Editor: Henyee Translations
The shooting of Balala the Fairies ran into trouble almost as soon as it started.
The young actress playing Ling Meiqi changed her manager at the last moment. The new manager was her own mother and a very greedy woman. She didn't like the salary they agreed on, which turned into a dispute with the company.
The salary they had agreed on was 10,000 for a single episode and 520,000 in total.
The mother, a.k.a. the newly appointed manager, wasn't happy about the figure and asked for a rise to 50,000 for an episode. That, or they would quit.
That was a rise of five times and something Meng Lang would never agree to.
They had signed a contract and she was asking for a pay rise now? Who was she kidding?
Meng Lang said no to that unreasonable request.
The mother made no more requests after that.
However, on the first day of shooting, the young actress, playing Ling Meiqi, started acting in an uncooperative way under her mother's instruction, giving Meng Lang, the director, a hard time.
Various shooting incidents made Meng Lang realize that the mother and daughter had done them on purpose.
Thanks to the uncooperative main actress, the shooting was making slow progress, which frustrated Meng Lang. He summoned the mother/manager and delivered an ultimatum.
Get on with the acting or get out!
The mother didn't realize that Meng Lang was genuinely angry and still asked for a pay rise. This time, Meng Lang was infuriated. He stopped the shooting altogether, fired the unruly actress, and restarted the casting for the role.
The outsourced legal department also started gathering evidence and relevant information and was going to sue the inconsiderate young actress for "refusing to perform contractual obligations".
Just then, someone gave Meng Lang a phone call.
The caller was an influential figure in the industry and too important for Meng Lang to reveal his name.
All in all, with such a patron behind that actress, Meng Lang fought back his frustration and withdrew the lawsuit.
Of course, the other party didn't choose to patch up the quarrel free of charge.
The man made Meng Lang a promise, saying that as long as Balala the Fairies turned out to be a decent show, it would be broadcasted on CCTV-14—China Central Television's children channel—through the purchasing channels.
That was a hell of a promise!
Meng Lang said yes. He chose to take the offer and replace his main actress quietly.
Meng Lang had no idea what the relationship was between the actress that Mr. Big, nor did he want to. Since the other party was at fault first, Meng Lang had no problem with accepting that favor.
A few days later when Meng Lang found a new actress, he received a piece of information.
That inconsiderate young actress had been signed by another TV series, only this time, her mother had for some reason quit her job as her daughter's manager.
A new manager and a new contract?
Tsk, tsk…
So, it seemed that the girl was really the one getting all the attention. As for some money-mad woman, it seemed that she would be in trouble.
…
After talking about the shooting of Balala the Fairies, Meng Lang suddenly recalled what he heard from Ishikawa earlier that day.
Hence, he asked, "Dad, do you think we can sell yo-yo overseas?"
"Of course we can!"
Old Meng snorted. "It's a toy, not a firearm. We'll have a market anywhere there are children. There's no restriction on yo-yos. We can sell it anywhere we want."
"Glad to hear that!"
Meng Lang was relieved. He decided to have the marketing department do some research on the overseas toy market, so that they could see if they could talk some foreign toy manufacturer into producing yo-yos and earn foreign money.
Mr. Old Meng was right. Toys were naturally accepted cross borders and as long as they could pass the inspection, they could usually be sold across the world without difficulty.
Of course, one could produce them in other countries, but whether or now would they sell was a different story.
All toy markets were different. Yo-yos might not have had what it took to be sold well globally. He would have to look into that through analysis.
Mr. Old Meng was even more excited than Meng Lang was when he heard that TBS was going to broadcast the show.
"That's amazing! I'll have the factory make some yo-yos with Japanese packaging, so that we can sell them in Japan after TBS starts broadcasting.
"Dad, calm down!"
Meng Lang was speechless and had to calm his old man down. "Have you found a local partner yet? Without a local distributor, we won't make it!"
After all, it was a different market with a different language and customs. Without a local toy distributor, Pengda Toy Factory would even be able to ship the goods out.
"We have distributors! They've visited us already. And toy manufacturers, too. It's just that they couldn't find you, so they came to me…"
After that, the old man went back into the room and came back with a stack of cards.
"These are all foreign distributors. Some of them are toy manufacturers to ask about licensing.
Mr. Old Meng's smile was very bright. "Those were some nice people. They were very polite when they left me their cards and called me Mr. Meng and Boss Meng…"
All salesmen were nice like that, okay?
Meng Lang ignored his old man like always. Picking up a card with telephone numbers and an email address, he checked the company online and saw that it really was a toy manufacturer registered abroad.
That was a big deal!
After emptying the pockets of kids in this country, they were going to rob the kids in other countries of their pocket money, too!
It was getting better and better!
Selling the house to shoot Blazing Teens had to be the best decision he had ever made.
The best one!
Without Blazing Teens, he would never know that making a feature show in this alternative universe would be so profitable!
…
The following day.
In Pengda Pictures in the Senhai Building.
Meng Lang gave the job of contacting foreign toy manufacturers to his hard-working employees.
He arrived at the company today like he did every day, but with another important task. He was here to meet the new actress for Ling Meiqi.
Her name was Tao Mi.
It was an interesting name, which sounded just like "washing rice" in Chinese.
She was a lovely girl with a face that would make one cry "how cute" as soon as they laid eyes on her. She was a 15-year-old girl and was in her second year in middle school.
Meng Lang had mainly chosen her for her face. After all, this was a show that depended on good-looking characters, especially after the transformation. Everyone had to be pretty enough!
Tao Mi was a little nervous under Meng Lang's gaze and held her hands tightly together.
Next to her, the manager smiled. "President Meng, do you have any problem with her appearance? Is it the long hair? We can always cut it…"
"Call me Director Meng!"
Once that was straightened out, Meng Lang said, "The hair's fine. I just think she's a little short."
A little short… "He says I'm a little short?"
Tao Mi was baffled. By what standard was she short? She was a second year middle school student and 153 cm tall. How was that short? With some high heels, she would be almost as tall as some grownups.
Would that be considered short?
"Meiqi is the big sister in the show, so it's better she's a bit taller than Meixue. The girl playing Meixue is also about this height…" Meng Lang rubbed his chin.
Two 150cm sisters?
Ssss!
That might have actually been more interesting than the original version!
Meng Lang looked down at Tao Mi's feet, then asked, "Have you worn elevator shoes before?"
"I have!"
Tao Mi nodded.
Meng Lang nodded, then took her to the dressing room. "There's a fairy outfit inside. Please put it on and let me have a look."
"Sure, President Meng!" The manager nodded, then took Tao Mi into the dressing room.
"It's Director Meng!"
-- Gift
received