Super Zoo

Theoretically, Li Wanting's thinking wasn't wrong at all. Suming was a young and vigorous man, and men of his age were never without a libidinous streak, liking pretty girls and hoping pretty girls liked them back. They might fantasize about having multiple wives and concubines, and if their body permitted, thirty wives and forty concubines would be even better. But he didn't want to get involved in any "unspoken rules" of the industry. It wasn't that he had a particularly lofty moral standard; it was that he hated hassle. In bed, handing over some money afterward and ending the relationship would be simple enough, but with women in the circle, it wasn't so easy. A moment of impulse could lead to a heap of complications to deal with afterwards, and he couldn't be bothered with that. Besides, walls have ears, and if he really got involved with a female actress, it would eventually come out. By then, as the saying goes, "As the twig is bent, so is the tree inclined," and the nascent Taoyuan Film and Television would inevitably be tainted with unscrupulous practices that might affect movie quality and casting decisions, which would be a true loss. His purpose in establishing the company was to make money, not to play with women, especially at a time when the company was still green and in need of finding and training genuinely talented artists. Moreover, there was Nangong Yan. That girl was shrewd. After getting into filmmaking, he inevitably came into contact with more and more beautiful actresses, and even female stars. As an investor, he had the power to make an actress famous with a single word. In such circumstances, it would be hard for any woman with a bit of concern not to worry. Yet, Nangong Yan had never mentioned anything of the sort to this day. Did Nangong Yan lack sensitivity? Suming never thought so. Nangong Yan's emotional and intellectual intelligence was above average; she couldn't possibly be so insensitive. Suming understood her too well. The key to their relationship was trust. The very fact that Nangong Yan never mentioned anything spoke volumes of her silent expression of trust. Her silence didn't mean that Nangong Yan never thought about it. Her not speaking up was actually a clever move, avoiding putting any pressure on herself. If she had been the type to nag incessantly and constantly guard against her husband's infidelity, Suming would have been fed up long ago. People can be paradoxical; the less she said anything, the more Suming found himself guessing her thoughts, even hoping that she would show a hint of jealousy from time to time. As for the fairy-like Li Wanting, she indeed left a rather deep impression on Suming. She was beautiful, and women who could play music often had multiple talents. She knew how to behave and when to advance or retreat, and those were all her shining points. After leaving the Demonic Taoyuan Region, Suming looked at the elegant and refined business card in his hand, thought for a moment, and passed it to Nangong Huang. "Brother-in-law, you really don't have any thoughts about her?" Nangong Huang didn't take the business card, and asked with a teasing smile. "I really don't," Suming shook his head. "You could though," Nangong Huang mused aloud. "I think, brother-in-law, the bigger your business grows, the less likely you'll never have any other women. Instead of finding someone who is troublesome and doesn't understand the situation, this one might be better. I've observed Li Wanting, and she's a sensible person who won't cause you trouble. Don't look at me like that; of course, I hope you only have my sister in your heart forever, but is that possible?" "I must say, you know quite a bit," Suming appraised his brother-in-law up and down, realizing he had underestimated him. "I'm not an idiot. I understand perfectly what those girls upstairs are thinking," Nangong Huang said. "Glad you understand. You're still young, and there's nothing wrong with interacting with women, but make sure no one uses you as a pawn. Take the business card—I reckon this lady has some connections at the art school. If you ever need help there, for big issues approach the principal, but for small matters, she might be more convenient," Suming said. Nangong Huang finally took the business card, "Brother-in-law, are you really not considering it?" "You, kid, just need to have a clear mind when it's your turn! Don't worry about my affairs," Suming patted Nangong Huang's shoulder. What Nangong Huang said wasn't wrong, but there was no need to let something that might happen in the future happen now on purpose. In matters of the heart, Suming preferred to keep things pure and not mix in too many complications. Wang Jin and Jiao Shou, riding on two wild boars, ambled in front, pointing at a mountain across the way and asked curiously, "Mr. Su, what is that place over there?" Three mountains arranged in a Z-formation, one the Ink-wash Garden, another the Demon Domain Taoyuan, leaving one more mountain. Compared with the other two mountains, this one was the largest, with a total area several times greater than the other two combined. However, the vegetation on the mountain was sparse, the stones rugged. From a distance, it appeared rather bare, with only a few patches of small forests randomly distributed on the mountain. It seemed like a barren mountain. "There's no development up there yet, just a snake farm," Suming said. There wasn't much there at the moment, but Suming had already planned for the future. Savage Taoyuan. In the future, this mountain would serve as an outdoor habitat for large animals and predators, with protective equipment encircling the area. Visitors could enter in sightseeing vehicles and come into close contact with the beasts. In the following days, Wang Jin's film crew and actors arrived one after another. Compared to the small crew formed by Guo Zijian, Wang Jin's was a massive operation, with nearly 60 people including those responsible for the boxed meals, all staying at a nearby hotel. Suming took Nangong Huang and Jiao Shou with him and greeted the two main actors. Stars are quite different off-camera than on, and whether it was due to work fatigue, travel weariness, or something else, they seemed somewhat aloof. After exchanging a few polite niceties, Suming excused himself. Everything was going smoothly with Wang Jin's shooting, while Suming dealt with the zoo's work. Three days later, Suming welcomed a blond-haired, blue-eyed foreigner in his office. "This is Mr. Pantela from the Disney Film Company. Mr. Pantela, this is the owner of Taoyuan Film and Television Company, and also my boss, Mr. Suming," Jiao Shou introduced. During the time that Jiao Shou and Nangong Huang were studying in Xiangjiang, apart from attending negotiations for Huaxia Star's distribution rights in Asia arranged by Suming, they were tasked with searching for a movie distributor in North America. Taoyuan Film and Television's reciprocity to Huaxia Star Group was limited to overseas distribution rights in Asia; the rights outside Asia remained in Suming's hands. However, mainland and Hong Kong and Taiwan films have historically struggled in North America, making the distribution rights outside Asia almost negligible. Film companies aren't exactly secretive organizations; contact details, addresses, clearly posted online, Jiao Shou and Nangong easily found a few. After preliminary discussions, only one company was interested in distribution—Disney Film Company. The Disney Film Company, a subsidiary of Disney, started with Mickey Mouse, ventured into live-action films in the forties, and later acquired giants of independent cinema Miramax and 3D animation powerhouse Pixar, solidifying its position as a top-tier film company. Both the Cat and Suming were keen to taste the North American film industry's big pie.