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Park Jeong-Ho arrived quietly and without fanfare.
The South Korean SPG Entertainment Company's representative in China brought only a single assistant and, despite his low-key approach, came directly to the studio for a visit.
He looked to be in his early forties, tall, slim, with a serious demeanor. His narrow eyes, partially hidden behind a pair of black-rimmed glasses, gleamed with a sharpness that suggested a calculating and resolute nature.
Clearly, he was not an easy man to deal with.
Coupled with the information Lu Chen had gathered from Chen Fei'er the night before, he had already formed a fairly accurate first impression in his mind.
Still, on the surface, Lu Chen remained polite and welcoming. "Mr. Park, it's a pleasure. Welcome to my studio."
Park Jeong-Ho shook Lu Chen's hand, and a faint smile broke the otherwise stern expression on his face as he spoke. "I've heard a lot about you, Mr. Lu. I hope this unannounced visit isn't too much of an inconvenience."
His Mandarin was near-perfect, precise, and articulate. Aside from a slight stiffness in tone, you wouldn't guess he was Korean.
Lu Xi chimed in with a friendly smile, "You're too kind, Mr. Park. Please, come inside so we can talk."
"And this is...?" Park Jeong-Ho looked somewhat surprised as his gaze shifted toward Lu Xi.
Lu Chen introduced, "This is my manager, and also my elder sister, Lu Xi."
"Ah, so you're Miss Lu Xi!"
Park Jeong-Ho nodded in realization and gestured to his assistant. The assistant immediately stepped forward and presented a beautifully packaged gift box.
"It's our first meeting, so this is just a small token of respect. I hope you'll accept it, Miss Lu."
Lu Xi was slightly taken aback, but she nonetheless accepted the gift. "Thank you very much!"
They all took their seats in the reception room, where Little Mei served freshly brewed tea to the guests.
Park Jeong-Ho didn't rush into business right away. Instead, he engaged Lu Chen and Lu Xi in some casual conversation. This, of course, was a classic negotiation tactic, light chatter to lower the other party's guard, while subtly assessing their personality, temperament, and interests. With that insight, he could adjust his strategy accordingly.
Despite his stern appearance when he first entered, Park Jeong-Ho proved himself quite the conversationalist when it came to industry gossip and anecdotes. He even went out of his way to praise Lu Chen's originality and talent, saying that Lu thoroughly deserved the Best Newcomer and Best Composer awards at the recent Asian Chinese Music Awards.
He had attended the awards ceremony himself and had seen Lu Chen accept the honors in person. This kind of open, friendly exchange helped bridge the gap between the two sides, transforming the atmosphere from formal to lively and warm.
Although Lu Chen remained cautious throughout, he had to admit that this Korean businessman was no amateur. Everything about his words and mannerisms was deliberate and polished.
After wrapping up the topic of the music awards, Park Jeong-Ho smoothly transitioned to 'Autumn in My Heart'.
"It's the best TV drama I've seen this year!" He didn't hold back in his praise: "The storyline, cinematography, and soundtrack are all top-notch. I truly hope this series can be introduced to the Korean market and reach our domestic audience."
"That's precisely why I'm here."
With those words, Park Jeong-Ho's confidence became even more evident.
"Our company, SPG Entertainment, has strong partnerships with both KBS and MBC."
KBS and MBC, the Korean Broadcasting System and Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation, are South Korea's two biggest television networks. For 'Autumn in My Heart' to air on either would be a monumental success.
Unlike in China, Korean audiences have a strong preference for variety shows and TV dramas. Young people there still rely on traditional television to watch these programs, whereas in China, the market is more segmented between online platforms and TV networks.
In Korea, a "national drama", meaning a truly phenomenal TV show, can pull in ratings over 50%. That kind of viewership is almost unimaginable in China today; it's something more akin to the television era of twenty or thirty years ago.
To be honest, both Lu Chen and Lu Xi were surprised by Park Jeong-Ho's overly positive attitude.
As the saying goes, "Only picky buyers are real buyers." In negotiations, it's common for the other party to downplay the value of your work to gain leverage. Rarely does someone start with lavish praise.
But once they got into the actual terms, Lu Chen and Lu Xi quickly realized they'd been a little too naïve.
Park Jeong-Ho offered 800 Million Korean won for the licensing rights to 'Autumn in My Heart'. On paper, it sounded like a massive figure. But in reality, that converted to less than 5 million yuan, certainly not as generous as it initially seemed.
As a distributor, SPG Entertainment would act as the middleman. They'd definitely make a profit reselling the drama to Korean broadcasters. Considering how tough it is for foreign content to break into the Korean market, the offer wasn't unreasonable by industry standards.
There had even been a case where a major Chinese production company invested over 100 million yuan into a 45-episode historical drama, only to sell it to a Korean distributor for just 500 million won. It was later revealed that the middleman alone pocketed a 200 million won kickback, almost like giving the show away for free.
'Autumn in My Heart' only had 20 episodes. For a drama to sell at that price, even after becoming a huge hit in China, was still quite the achievement and definitely something that could be used for publicity.
But, of course, there were strings attached.
Park Jeong-Ho also had his eyes on Lu Chen's upcoming drama and proposed an investment deal, with a hefty appetite. Now, under normal circumstances, getting investment should be a good thing. But it depends on the context.
The massive ratings and cultural impact of 'Autumn in My Heart' had made Lu Chen's new project one of the hottest properties in the domestic market. Investors were lining up to throw money at him, so he was hardly desperate for funding.
With the success of 'Autumn in My Heart' as a foundation, as long as the new drama wasn't a total flop, Lu Chen's name alone as the lead actor virtually guaranteed profitability, and there was little risk of financial loss.
More importantly, allowing someone to invest often means giving them a say in casting and production decisions, which could turn into a major power play.
SPG Entertainment had long operated in China, training artists and participating in various dramas and variety shows. They knew the industry inside and out. Sending Park Jeong-Ho to negotiate over the import rights of 'Autumn in My Heart' was clearly a cover; their real objective was the new drama.
Lu Chen and Lu Xi exchanged glances when they heard the conditions Park proposed.
These terms were unacceptable.
Thanks to the success of 'Autumn in My Heart', Lu Chen was now in a position of strength. He had no objection to bringing in investors for his new show, but SPG Entertainment was not the right partner.
He was well aware that, compared to a large company like SPG, even a foreign one, his own studio was at a disadvantage. If he accepted their investment, there was a real risk of losing creative control.
Most importantly, his current priority was to establish a strong foothold in the domestic market. Breaking into Korea would be great, but not if it came at the expense of his own interests.
After thinking it through, Lu Chen said directly to Park Jeong-Ho, "Mr. Park, I'm afraid I can't accept those conditions."
His straightforward rejection left Park Jeong-Ho visibly stunned.
He had come brimming with confidence, certain that the combined offer of SPG's investment and access to the Korean market would be irresistible.
'Who could say no to that?'
But he hadn't expected Lu Chen to turn him down so flatly.
(End of chapter)