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The registration process for Huayu Film and Television Culture Company was completed very quickly.

In recent years, Tianchao Auto's legal department has registered various subsidiaries, brand trademarks, and import and export qualifications no less than a hundred times. They are extremely familiar with the procedures of industry and commerce, taxation, and banking.

The legal department prepared the registration materials and submitted them. In less than two weeks, the business license was issued.

The company was officially established, and its registered address was chosen in an office building in Chaoyang District, Beijing, not far from the headquarters of Tianchao Auto and Mingju Real Estate, which is only a ten-minute drive away, making daily communication convenient.

Of course, as a startup, Suning didn't have so many requirements.

Once the company becomes a group, it will definitely need to build its own headquarters center.

After all, this is also an expression of corporate culture and a necessary procedure for formalization.

In addition to Mingju Real Estate and Tianchao Auto, Suning now also owns Siyi Import and Export Trading Company, which it acquired, and has recently registered Huayu Film and Television, marking another significant step towards becoming a group company.

After Huayu Film and Television Company was established, Suning called Zhou Xingping (Brother Zhou) and the heads of various departments together for the first preparatory meeting.

The conference room was small, with a dozen or so people sitting on either side of a long table. Among them were veterans from the film and television industry whom Zhou Xingping had recruited from outside, as well as finance and legal personnel transferred from Tianchao Automobile.

Su Ning sat at one end of the table and, without giving a long speech, clearly stated the rules.

"I only want to talk about one thing at this meeting today—President Zhou will be fully responsible for the daily operations of Huayu Film & Television." Su Ning looked at everyone present. "I will only send two people. One is the CFO, and the other is the Legal Director. Financially, every investment project exceeding 500,000 requires the signatures of both President Zhou and the CFO. Legally, all artist contracts, project investment agreements, and copyright contracts will be reviewed and filed by the Legal Department."

Then, Su Ning looked at Zhou Xingping beside him and said, "President Zhou, these two people weren't sent to cause you trouble. You charge ahead, and the finance and legal departments will ensure the proper handling and security of the supplies. I won't interfere with your operational autonomy."

Zhou Xingping readily agreed: "President Su, don't worry! Once the rules are established, everyone will have peace of mind. I've seen too many companies in the industry that have a lot of money, but their accounts are a mess, their contracts are not standardized, and when something goes wrong, they can't even find someone to stand up and take responsibility. Now that you've set up the framework for finance and legal affairs, I feel much more at ease."

"Okay! I hope you understand, Mr. Zhou."

In fact, Zhou Xingping understands better than anyone that Suning's arrangement is not because they don't trust him, but precisely because they trust him that they set the rules first.

Moreover, Huayu Film & Television's legal and financial personnel are all close associates of Tianchao Auto and Mingju Real Estate, which means that when they go out to negotiate cooperation with others in the future, they will be backed by the legal and financial credit of the entire Tianchao system.

This kind of endorsement is more effective than having ten million in cash sitting in the bank.

……

After the meeting, Zhou Xingping did not rest but immediately began recruiting soldiers.

Having worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade, he suddenly had all his connections and resources at his disposal.

Zhou Xingping started calling directors, screenwriters, producers, and actors he knew in the industry one by one to invite them to dinner, and first signed contracts with industry professionals with whom he had previously had pleasant collaborations.

Restaurants in Beijing serve everything from hot pot and roast duck to Cantonese and Sichuan cuisine, with one meal after another, and all sorts of people at the tables.

There are directors who have made award-winning art films, veteran producers who have worked on television programs for more than ten years, screenwriters who have written scripts for several hit TV dramas, and young creators who are just starting out but whose works are very solid.

After a few meals, the news that Huayu Film & Television was recruiting spread throughout Beijing's film and television circles.

Although it is a startup, it is backed by China Automotive, so the news spread very quickly.

People in the industry may not necessarily know the models and configurations of Tianchao Auto, but everyone knows the reputation of Tianchao Auto and Mingju Real Estate.

Some actors proactively asked others to submit their resumes.

Some have signed contracts with other companies but haven't been able to get any acting roles, and they want to switch companies but don't dare to.

Some of them are newcomers who haven't signed with a company yet, but after hearing about Huayu Film & Television's conditions, they want to give it a try.

Zhou Xingping talked to each person one by one, not caring about their background, but only whether they had acting skills.

Zhou Xingping has only one criterion for hiring: good at the job and with few problems.

Zhou Xingping has a keen eye for talent; in the early days of Huayu Film & Television, almost no one was brought in through connections.

……

After the team was assembled, the legal department officially took the stage, and their first battle was a direct confrontation with Chu Caiyuan.

Chu Caiyuan's previous threats actually relied on two things: first, taking advantage of Shen Ranran's lack of legal knowledge, and second, being certain that Shen Ranran couldn't afford a good lawyer.

Before Huayu Film & Television was established, Chu Caiyuan's combination of tactics was indeed effective.

After all, a small-time actor with no connections would tremble at the mere mention of "legal proceedings," so how could he possibly dare to actually sue him?

However, Huayu Film and Television's legal team took the original contract that Shen Ranran had signed and studied it. Several people circulated it around the meeting room and almost burst out laughing.

The legal manager in charge of this case is Cheng Lun, a key employee transferred from the legal department of Tianchao Auto.

Cheng Lun dissected and annotated Shen Ranran's contract clause by clause, circling the key terms in red pen several times. "President Zhou, this contract has major flaws in three key clauses."

Zhou Xingping said, "Manager Cheng, please explain in more detail."

"First, the exclusivity clause is ambiguous, failing to clearly define the boundary between 'performance activities arranged by the company' and 'performance opportunities contacted independently by the artist.' Shen Ranran's contracts for roles she took on independently state 'personally contacted and exclusively receiving payment,' a clause clearly stated in black and white. How can Chu Caiyuan sue her for breach of contract? Second, the breach of contract clause contains a severe imbalance of rights and obligations, unilaterally binding the artist while the company bears almost no responsibility. Such clauses are considered manifestly unfair in judicial practice and are unlikely to be supported by the court. Third, in the profit-sharing clause, the company's verbal promise of 'resource investment' lacks any corresponding quantitative standard in the contract. He claims to have invested resources, but where is the evidence? There is none. This type of contract is easily overturned in court."

After listening, Zhou Xingping leaned back in his chair and chuckled, "Then you draft the lawyer's letter! Be polite in your wording, don't give him any leverage, but list out every single flaw in the contract for me."

"clear."

Manager Cheng spent a day writing the lawyer's letter.

The wording was very sophisticated, without any threats or provocations, and it was entirely in legal language. It simply listed out the legal flaws in the contract one by one, with an index of relevant legal provisions and judicial interpretations attached to each one.

Then, Shen Ranran's personal statement was attached: "Ms. Shen Ranran, an artist, wishes to terminate her artist management contract with your company through friendly negotiation."

Finally, they added a special note: "If your company has any objections, we will protect the artist's legitimate rights and interests in accordance with the law."

……

The day the lawyer's letter arrived at Chu Caiyuan's company by registered mail, Chu Caiyuan's face turned green after opening the envelope and reading it.

Chu Caiyuan's first reaction was not to call a lawyer, but to dial Shen Ranran's number directly.

As soon as the call connected, Chu Caiyuan launched into a tirade of abuse, questioning and threatening for nearly ten minutes.

When Chu Caiyuan's voice was hoarse from yelling, Shen Ranran finally spoke up, "Mr. Chu, are you done? Please contact the legal department of my current agency regarding the contract. I won't discuss this with you personally. I'll send you Manager Cheng's phone number via text message. Don't call this number again."

After saying that, he hung up and sent Manager Cheng's business card number to Chu Caiyuan's mobile phone.

Chu Caiyuan was naturally unconvinced.

After hanging up the phone, he immediately instructed his subordinates to find a lawyer.

The lawyer Chu Caiyuan hired, Huang, was quite well-known in Beijing's legal circles, specializing in commercial contract disputes.

Attorney Huang took the lawyer's letter from Huayu Film and Television and read it twice, then read Shen Ranran's original contract once. After reading it, he put the two documents on the table and remained silent for a while.

Chu Caiyuan grew anxious: "Attorney Huang, say something! Can this case even be won?"

"President Chu, to be honest with you, this contract does have major flaws. The exclusivity clause is too vague, and the breach of contract clause is one-sided. If it goes to court, the chances of winning are not high. It's not about the money; it's that the contract itself is untenable."

"Can't we delay it? Can an actress like her afford to wait a year or two?"

Attorney Huang shook his head: "It can't be delayed. The other side has a professional legal team; they'll play along for as long as you drag it out. Their legal department employs over a dozen lawyers who work regular hours and get paid; litigation is routine for them. Every day you delay, you'll have to pay more in legal fees, and in the end, you'll suffer the greater loss. Moreover, once it goes to litigation, all these flaws in the contract will be exposed in court, and if they get reported by the media... Mr. Chu, which side do you think the media will take? Huayu Film and Television is backed by Tianchao Auto and Mingju Real Estate; to put it bluntly, they're the kind of rogue companies that make a living by litigating."

"..." Chu Caiyuan fell silent instantly.

Attorney Huang helplessly pushed the lawyer's letter back, "President Chu, I suggest you sign a termination agreement with the other party. Take advantage of the fact that they are still willing to negotiate amicably and the terms won't be too harsh. If you wait until they file a lawsuit, it won't be a matter of negotiation anymore; it could very well drag your company down."

"Is there no possibility of resistance?" "President Chu, you should know that real estate and car companies are constantly involved in litigation; they are absolute professionals in legal proceedings. Moreover, your company doesn't seem to have much resilience under pressure."

"..."

After seeing off Attorney Huang, Chu Caiyuan was naturally unwilling to give up.

In the time that followed, Chu Caiyuan made countless phone calls and asked countless people, but the answers he received were all pretty much the same...

You can't win a lawsuit against the legal department of China's Tianchao Automotive.

Finally, Chu Caiyuan signed the termination agreement with a grim face.

……

When Shen Ranran received the termination agreement, she immediately called Zhuang Zhuang.

As soon as the call connected, Shen Ranran excitedly exclaimed, "Zhuangzhuang, I'm free!"

Zhuangzhuang laughed and said, "Now that you're free, hurry up and take on some roles! I heard that President Zhou's scripts are piling up like a mountain."

Shen Ranran smiled and said, "Okay, I'll go to the company to look at the script tomorrow."

Zhou Xingping acted swiftly; once the artist resources were integrated, he immediately began leading his team to look at film and television investment projects.

His desk was always piled with scripts and proposals from all over the country. Some were new works by well-known screenwriters, some were debut films by young directors, and some were co-production proposals from television stations.

1997 was a peak year for the initiation of domestic film and television projects, with private capital beginning to enter the industry, and good scripts and good directors were all looking for funding.

Zhou Xingping had a keen sense of opportunity and sifted through dozens of projects to identify a few that he thought had potential. He then compiled these into an investment proposal and sent it to Suning's office.

Suning opened the project list and looked at each one from top to bottom.

The first project was an urban romance drama. The director had a good reputation in the industry, and he had read the script, which was well-written.

The second project is a period drama that tells the story of old Beijing's hutongs, and the cast includes several veteran actors with solid acting skills.

Suning continued scrolling down, then paused for a moment.

This drama is a classic that has been repeatedly rebroadcast in later generations.

If I remember correctly, this show broke several ratings records when it first aired, and it was rebroadcast every summer and winter vacation for more than a decade.

Without saying a word, Su Ning continued scrolling down and saw another familiar name...

It was a movie, the script of which was adapted from a novella by a well-known writer. The director was a professionally trained actor, and although he wasn't very famous at the time, Su Ning knew that this director would later win more than one Golden Rooster Award.

There were two other items on the list that Suning also remembered, both of which later made their mark on film history.

Suning flipped through the list from beginning to end, without crossing out any items or adding any annotations.

Finally, he closed the list and handed it back to Zhou Xingping, saying, "Mr. Zhou, the projects you selected are all good. I won't interfere with Huayu Film and Television's business; invest if you think it's worthwhile."

Zhou Xingping took the list and said, "Thank you for your trust, Mr. Su."

"Keep up the good work! The film and television industry still has a bright future."

"clear."

When Zhou Xingping walked out of the Suning office, he ran into his assistant, Xiao Zhao, in the corridor.

Xiao Zhao noticed the project list in Zhou Xingping's hand and asked, "Did President Su approve it?"

Zhou Xingping was still somewhat incredulous: "It was approved. Not a single word was changed."

Xiao Zhao smiled and said, "You'll get used to it. That's just how President Su is. He doesn't use people he doesn't trust, and he doesn't doubt people he uses. If he says he won't interfere, he really won't. Just go ahead and do it."

……

That day, Shen Ranran, who had just finished filming, came to Zhuangzhuang's place again. The two of them had now become best friends who could talk about anything.

"Zhuangzhuang, can I ask you something?"

"what?"

"Does President Su like you?"

Zhuangzhuang paused for a moment while drinking water.

She quickly put down her cup and turned to look at Shen Ranran: "Ranran, what nonsense are you talking about?"

“Look! Back then, when you were cornered by Kang Shunyin, President Su drove by and saved you. You didn’t really want to go to Shanghai, so he transferred you to be his assistant. When you asked him to help me with my troubles, he not only gave me President Zhou’s business card, but later he also opened a film and television company specifically for me. Although he said it was because he saw an opportunity in the film and television industry, you can’t deny that this film and television company was opened because of my situation, can you?”

"..." Zhuangzhuang opened her mouth, as if to say something.

But Shen Ranran didn't give Zhuangzhuang a chance to interject. "Also, you're a salesperson in the real estate department with no administrative work experience, and he directly transferred you to the president's office as a personal assistant. Do you know how many people in the company are talking about this behind your back? They all say that President Su never created a personal assistant position, but suddenly he did, and even transferred someone with absolutely no experience from the sales department. Think about it yourself, is this normal?"

"..."

Shen Ranran looked at Zhuangzhuang with a complicated expression. "Zhuangzhuang, have you ever seen a boss start a film and television company just to help an employee's friend?"

Zhuangzhuang remained silent for a while.

She had thought about these questions herself, and more than once.

Zhuangzhuang always feels a great sense of security whenever Suning appears at a crucial moment.

After doing it so many times, it's impossible not to have some thoughts in your mind.

“Ranran. Mr. Su helped me out of kindness. He’s not from our world. I follow him every day and see things very clearly… He doesn’t have that kind of thing in his life. Apart from work and necessary business socializing, he hardly has any private relationships with anyone. He’s not the kind of boss we think he is.”

“…” Shen Ranran looked at her but did not reply immediately.

Zhuangzhuang lowered her head. "Besides, just because President Su helped me doesn't mean that. He's helped many people, not just me. Don't overthink it."

Shen Ranran glanced at Zhuang Zhuang, a half-smile playing on her lips. "Fine, keep lying to yourself!"

"Just focus on your work and stop worrying about me. If President Su really has feelings for you, it's because he registered the company specifically for you."

"Hehe, I wish he would have feelings for me, but unfortunately I haven't had much contact with him."

"Hmph! Now that you're an actor in President Su's film and television company, you'll have many more opportunities to interact with him in the future."

"That's true! If you're not interested, then I'll take the initiative."

"..." Zhuangzhuang was immediately speechless.

“Zhuangzhuang, no matter what President Su means to you, there’s one thing I see clearly: you’re completely different when you’re with him compared to when you were in the sales office. You’ve become much more confident, and your words and actions carry a sense of composure and confidence. This confidence isn’t just given to you by President Su; it’s also something you’ve earned through your own hard work.”

"..." Zhuangzhuang did not respond immediately after hearing this.

After a while, Zhuangzhuang looked at Shen Ranran leisurely and said, "Ranran, you're right. No matter what, I'm grateful to President Su. He changed my destiny. Before, when I was in the sales office, I only thought about how to sell more houses and get more commission. Now I follow him every day, watching how he makes decisions, how he deals with people, and how he manages to complete projects when everyone is pessimistic. I've learned more in these few days than I did in the previous twenty years."

Shen Ranran nodded. "Zhuangzhuang, I'll say it again... You're by President Su's side, so you have the advantage of proximity. Whether President Su means it or not is irrelevant. But you should at least ask yourself what you really think. Otherwise, you might feel regret and sadness when someone else gets him."

"..."

...(End of this chapter)