CHAPTER 603: CHAPTER 581: SECRETARY SHI

Jun Jiu recalled what the secretary had said to him and repeated, "This piece of land, later the person who took office spent a lot of effort trying to replant flowers and trees, to restore the original ecological environment. But who knew it would be so strange that weeds and wildflowers grow quite a bit, yet bigger trees just can’t survive.

Years have passed, and it’s still a bare patch there. It’s okay in spring and autumn when grass covers it, but come winter, the wild grass withers, the yellow-brown soil surfaces, looking like a huge wound, very unsightly! The animals on Little Deer Ridge have thus become fewer and fewer, mostly gathering at the back mountain, and it’s very hard to see them at the front..."

Yan Yueqing became interested, "You mean, we’ve picked up a bargain?"

"Of course, we have picked up a bargain!"

Jun Jiu leisurely explained, "Many people want to develop this piece of land, but apart from real estate and commercial residential land, all other types of construction may not generate any return. Many bosses appreciate the scenery of Little Deer Ridge, but after hearing all about the development regulations, things like you can’t destroy the existing natural environment, you can’t develop housing on it, and you have to maintain and continue its original ecosystem for years to come... Tsk, it’s like freshly fallen chestnuts, everyone craves its deliciousness, but no one dares to peel the outer thorn."

Yan Yueqing nodded, "Investors naturally want returns as quickly as possible. If this land can’t develop real estate, other projects may not return the investment, and even the future maintenance could be a huge expense."

It’s not like you are generating electricity out of love; who would want to throw money into the water and not even see a splash?

"Exactly, to invest here, you need to have a lot of courage." Jun Jiu shared a bit of gossip, "The secretary told me that previously, a big boss also considered developing it into a film base. After all, with natural conditions there, once built, it would definitely attract countless crews.

But unfortunately... it could only build traditional and Republic-era-style buildings; modern architecture simply wouldn’t fit in. Sneaking modern elements into ancient buildings would seem completely out of place! Only building ancient structures would require a huge investment... At that time, domestic costume dramas weren’t doing well, the old Hengdian, temporary sets, and many scenic spots that already had ancient buildings were enough for those crews to choose from.

Building a film base on Little Deer Ridge, its fame wouldn’t match Hengdian, its scenery wouldn’t compare to others, and the construction cost would be exorbitant! To break even, the daily rent would have to be a sky-high price unless a very wealthy crew wants it, otherwise... people would settle for less."

The budget for a project is only so much, during the preparation phase, apart from the initial funds, the rest mostly relies on sponsorship and investment.

The actors’ salaries are the bulk, scene setup, venue rental, post-production, and places needing special effects, all these add up to a lot of money!

What if there’s not enough money?

Cut it!

Cut the post-production, cut the venues, cut the publicity, can you even cut the actors’ salaries?

So, building a film base is easy, but breaking even is very hard!

The expensive rent alone is enough to scare away many crews.

For wealthy crews, there are many places to choose from; they might not even look twice at a newly built film base! While everything inside is fresh, does it suit their crew might be another question.

After such selection, very few crews will come.

How likely is it that a blockbuster will emerge from these crews?

Without a hit, attracting audience attention is even harder, not to mention promoting the base accordingly.

In summary, to develop a base here, you’d have to meet the following requirements:

Have lots of money.

Don’t expect immediate returns.

Have lots of money...

It’s almost as if this was tailor-made for Yan Yueqing!

She didn’t expect such a coincidental situation.

While finding a parking spot, Jun Jiu laughed as he reversed, "The secretary didn’t dare sign with President Yue for Hundred Beasts Mountain. After all, with Little Deer Ridge’s precedent, if Hundred Beasts Mountain were ruined by those facilities, P City’s tourism would suffer! However, he especially wanted to promote the establishment of the base and loosened the conditions once we decided to choose Little Deer Ridge. The construction process has been smooth all the way, not encountering any trouble! This ribbon-cutting ceremony, the secretary came early, the opening of the film base can indeed add a bright point to his political career."

Needless to say, this investment is really big.