I'm not a drama freak, I can really see through the script

Chapter 423, Wang Lei's Victory and Defeat, The Passing of Dreams

"Aren't you done yet?"

Not yet.

Li Xuan has been so busy lately that he hasn't had time to date his girlfriend.

I also went to the Golden Eagle Awards and the Flying Apsaras Awards.

Fan Wei, the former top supporting actor from the Northern Circle, won the Best Actor award at the Golden Eagle Awards. He was also nominated for Best TV Series and won the Best Screenplay award for his drama "The Long Season".

At the Feitian Awards, "The Age of Awakening" won the Best TV Series award, and even actor Wang Jinsong received his first nomination for Best Actor, a position that came close to being a "TV King".

After receiving the news, Teacher Wang got completely drunk that night and even opened his ten-year-old Moutai liquor.

While drinking, he kept saying, "It was worth it, it was worth it!"

The dream I once thought was lost has come to an end.

For an actor, simply not being eliminated and staying in the industry is already the limit that an average actor can achieve.
Winning an award is the ultimate luxury.
Although Wang Jinsong hasn't received any official awards, reaching this point in the prestigious, triennial award is a significant achievement, making him a true Best Actor in the truest sense. He's an uncrowned king of television.

That's enough, that's enough.

The moment when a teacher's dream is fulfilled.

Li Xuan also sensed something in his heart.

Although I am moving forward for fame and fortune, for my own purposes, those who support me and love me will reap the rewards when they receive those things.

Li Xuan also felt a sense of satisfaction.

[Congratulations, host! You have won the grand prize and obtained the title of the seventh generation leader.]

[Health-related radiation +40% (limited to family members)]

[Acting skills influence +70% (temporary attribute limited to this production team)]

[Overall health score +20%, and will never decline below 80% of total health]

[Special Effects Master: Your deepened understanding of color allows you to more perfectly distinguish the subtleties and quality of special effects techniques, enabling you to more effectively shoot films for the new era.]

The system rewards for the seventh-generation leader have also been distributed.
Especially the health-related radiation properties that I've been longing for.
Li Xuan watched his uncle walk back and forth in the house, his footsteps making solid "thump, thump" sounds on the floor.

He's no longer lame.

A few months ago, my uncle still walked with a limp, each step feeling like stepping on nails, and he still had to force a smile while enduring the excruciating pain.

At that time, his face was a bit ashen, and there was an unconcealable weariness in the corners of his eyes and brows; he also had quite a few gray hairs.
Now, Wei Ming's face has regained its color, a healthy rosy glow, his eyes are brighter, and his voice is clearer than before.

He picked up his teacup, blew on it to cool it down, took a big gulp, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"You know what, I feel really relaxed lately," Wei Ming put down his teacup, stretched his wrists and ankles, and his face showed genuine ease. "I feel that sore and aching feeling in my bones has disappeared without me noticing. Now that I feel comfortable, I can sleep soundly."

"Is it because you won so many big prizes that I'm so happy?"

Li Xuan didn't say anything, but simply picked up the teapot and refilled his uncle's cup with water.

Looking at my uncle's face, which was no longer tense, and listening to his strong voice, I felt a sense of relief.

It feels very reassuring.

An indescribable sense of security warmed me from my chest to every part of my body.

"Maybe so."

Li Xuan smiled slightly: "Perhaps, this is a gift from fate."

"Maybe so. In any case, you are definitely my pride."

Then, Wei Ming started talking about the awards.

It seemed that, for him, recovering his health was something insignificant.

He himself was the one who cared least about his own health, but rather about Li Xuan's future.

Li Xuan was already used to it.

But getting used to something doesn't mean you have to accept it for granted.

Let us remember this warmth.
And, as Wei Ming said, the road ahead.

"Now, it's time to tally up my spoils of victory."

Li Xuan smiled at this moment.

Next.

It's Huayi Brothers.
I went to fulfill the promise Mr. Wang made to me.

……

"You're really going in by yourself?" Wei Ming finally couldn't hold back and broke the silence. "Wang Lei is no pushover. He's spent his whole life struggling in the world of fame and fortune, and he's got a lot of cunning. Now he's lost everything, and the entire Huayi is about to change hands. Do you think he can be happy about that? Won't there be some trouble with his contract?"

"Uncle, do you see any problems with the contract?"

"We haven't found a loophole yet."

Wei Ming was also present when the contract was being drafted, and he read it carefully many times.

No vulnerabilities have been found so far.
However, Wei Ming was unsure whether he was capable enough, or whether he would become senile with age.
At this moment, Li Xuan simply smiled.

"That's right. Uncle, he's a big player in the financial world, and I was worried he might cause trouble without a contract. Now that we have a contract, I trust him."

Capital is definitely not a good thing.

But the greatest asset of capital is not money, but 'credit'.

That's something more important than life itself.
Li Xuan paused, seemingly sketching out Wang Lei's appearance in his mind.

"Of course, you're right. He must be in a very bad mood. He must feel resentful, angry, and bitter... But the fact is the fact. He has already played all his cards in this game. Now, he's just waiting to see how I, the winner, will take the chips off the table."

“That’s why I’m going alone.” Li Xuan turned back to look at Wei Ming, his eyes filled with reassurance as well as an undeniable determination. “This is a game between the two of us, from beginning to end. Now it’s time for the final reckoning, and I have to give him this dignity.”

This is the final respect shown to an opponent, especially a formidable figure like Wang Lei.

Looking at Li Xuan's determined eyes, Wei Ming opened his mouth, but ultimately swallowed back the words that were about to come out.

"Then you should be careful," he could only advise. "You can't be too careful. If he wants to cause trouble, our legal team can be on standby at any time. And now, we at [Li Circle] are not pushovers either."

"Don't worry, Uncle." Li Xuan smiled. "If he's not respectable, we'll make him respectable."

As they spoke, the car slowly drove onto a secluded side street and stopped in front of a seemingly inconspicuous private club.

With its blue bricks and gray tiles, and no signboard at the entrance, it exudes a low-key charm, hidden in the heart of the city.

The driver opened the car door, Li Xuan straightened his collar, and stepped out of the car.

He looked up at the tightly closed vermilion gate and took a deep breath.

The final moment of the game has arrived.
.
,,,,,

The equity transfer agreement for Huayi was arranged on an ordinary afternoon.

The location was not at either party's company, but in a quiet private tea room.

When Li Xuan arrived, Wang Lei was already there.

He didn't bring a large legal team; he was only accompanied by Wang Haiyang. The two sat quietly at a pear wood tea table, brewing a pot of Pu'er tea.

The tea room was filled with the faint aroma of tea and an even fainter scent of sandalwood. The atmosphere didn't feel like a business negotiation about the ownership of billions of dollars in assets, but rather like a casual tea gathering between old friends.

This surprised Li Xuan.

Mr. Wang still maintained his dignity.

Li Xuan told Wei Ming and the others to wait outside, and went inside alone.

"Mr. Wang," Li Xuan greeted calmly and sat down opposite Wang Lei.

Wang Lei raised his eyes, glanced at him, and gave him a smile that Li Xuan couldn't understand. It wasn't a forced smile or a pose, but rather a... very strange feeling of relief, like a thousand-pound burden had been lifted off his shoulders.

His face was somewhat pale, his eye bags were heavy, and he had lost a lot of weight, but his eyes were clearer than ever before.

"You're here." Wang Lei poured Li Xuan a cup of tea himself. The clear yellow tea soup swayed slightly in the white porcelain cup. "Try it. This year's Bingdao spring tea is not bad."

Li Xuan picked up the teacup but didn't drink it; he just looked at him.

He had imagined countless scenarios for today's meeting.

Wang Lei might be angry and resentful, or he might be gloomy and venomous, or he might use his last bit of dignity to maintain the prestige of a financial tycoon.

But I never imagined he would be like this. Calm, even... composed.

"Mr. Wang's condition today surprised me." Li Xuan put down his teacup.

"I didn't flip the table or yell at you, which is surprising?" Wang Lei laughed, a hint of self-deprecation in his laughter. "To be honest, six months ago, I myself thought I would have done that."

He pushed a thick document in front of Li Xuan.

"Everything that needed to be cleared out has been cleared out, everything is clean and tidy. You can send someone to take over at any time," Wang Lei said casually, as if he were just saying that the weather was nice today.

Li Xuan looked at the document but didn't immediately turn to it.

That building houses a once incredibly glorious film and television empire.
It was once a capital empire that could dominate a turbulent circle.

After his own book, "The Long Season," was rejected by IPO.

It started to get a little...

confusion.

But even in chaos.

He is also the empire of the largest "army" in this circle.
A place with superior resources that can be allocated in all aspects.

"You seem... completely indifferent?" Li Xuan finally asked, voicing his inner confusion.

Wang Lei leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the old locust tree in the yard, looking out the window.

“Of course I care, how could I not? Huayi is the culmination of half my life’s work.” He withdrew his gaze, looking at Li Xuan again, a complex emotion lingering in his eyes. “But you think I’ve lost, right?”

Li Xuan did not answer; that was a fact, and no answer was needed.

Regardless of the shares he holds.

It's still a right of first refusal.

They lost miserably.

In a sense.

He then took control of and owned the giant ship.
It was handed over to Li Xuan.
“Everyone thinks I’ve lost, lost miserably, lost everything.” Wang Lei picked up his teacup and gently blew on the steam. “But I don’t think so.”

He paused, then said, word by word, "I think I won."

“My long-held dream has been to enable Chinese-language films and television to truly stand up and compete with Hollywood. I thought that I could achieve this goal by relying on capital, operations, and piling up stars, so I suppressed newcomers, monopolized resources, and used any means necessary… I thought I was building an empire, but in reality, I was just building a magnificent empty shell.”

Wang Lei's voice was very soft.
"I failed." He admitted frankly, "The shell I built was shattered by you from the inside with one punch, no, it should be two punches."

"Do you know what people are saying on the internet? They're saying that you've ushered in a 'golden year for Chinese entertainment'."

“I… Wang Lei, personally created the heyday of the Beijing circle, and also personally witnessed its disintegration. But my greatest enemy is the person I have always longed to meet… someone who can truly usher in a new era.”

"So how could I have lost?"

"I have entrusted my life's work, my unfulfilled dream, and everything I have to the 'future'."

"I have entrusted Huayi to you, the future of the Chinese entertainment industry. This is clearly the best investment I have ever made in my life."

“Li Xuan…” Wang Lei called his name, his face more serious than ever before.

"I should be the one who won."

The tea room was deathly silent.

Li Xuan was completely stunned, staring intently into the eyes of this entertainment mogul.

His greed, his pursuit of profit, his ruthlessness.

This has always been Li Xuan's feeling towards him.

I knew he was targeting me back in school, and in "The Long Season," that gamble was truly the height of greed.

He has always put his own interests first.

Prioritizing the interests of one's own social circle.

Li Xuan wanted to find even the slightest bit of pretense or scheming on Wang Lei's face.

but.

There is only one kind of honesty.
"Are you surprised?"

"My dream has never been to be a local tyrant, but to enable Chinese-language film and television to truly stand up and compete with Hollywood. I actually really like their culture, their concepts of freedom and democracy, but I know that I feel this way because I have been influenced by their works for many years."

"I believed that to achieve this goal, we must firmly grasp all resources and all talent, building an impenetrable empire. That's why I suppressed newcomers, monopolized channels, and used any means necessary..."

"As a result, just like now, my path has failed."

"You shattered capital's indifference to reality with 'Dying to Survive,' ignited the fire in the hearts of young people with 'The Age of Awakening,' and even detonated the tiger that is Jiang Wen. You fired the loudest shot at the old order with 'Let the Bullets Fly.'"

Wang Lei's gaze became incredibly profound.

The analysis of Li Xuan is very thorough.

One perspective that the entertainment industry, or even he as a capitalist, would never consider.

It is not a work from the perspective of princes and princesses or noble bloodlines.

But
Feet touch the earth.

Something solid and down-to-earth.

"Han Ping and the others are right. The current Chinese film industry is divided into 'two gods, one emperor, and one hegemon.' Zhang Yimou and Ma Xiaogang have been deified as gods, Jiang Wen is the hegemon, and you..." He stared at Li Xuan, "You are the 'emperor.'"

"One relied on tyranny, the other on talent; both became gods. And me? I was just a warlord who wanted to build a throne with money. Now I understand, a throne is not built with money, but with people's hearts and great works of art."

"My empire is just an empty shell. But my dream is not."

"Huayi was created by me to realize this dream. Now, it has become dull in my hands, but in your hands, it can expand its territory."

At this moment, Wang Lei's true nature as a ruthless and ambitious man was fully revealed.

He wasn't admitting defeat; he was making an even more thorough and reckless gamble.

"So, I didn't lose to you. I chose to entrust everything I have to someone who can fulfill my dreams."

He leaned forward, staring intently into Li Xuan's eyes.

"I've staked everything on the 'future' of the Chinese entertainment industry."

"Tell me, did I win or lose?"

Even Wang Haiyang, standing nearby, was shocked and incredulous—so this was the meaning behind Wang Lei's statement, "I didn't lose."
Indeed, Chairman Wang did not lose.

They even won.

As long as the goal can be achieved.

To include oneself as part of the "cost".

We would spare no expense.

I never expected you to think this way.

Li Xuan pondered for a moment before speaking.
"You really surprised me. You're not the person I knew before."

"If I win, I will take you in without hesitation and use you. But now you don't need to be soft-hearted or hesitant. Okay, I know you won't. The thing I value most about you is that you are never confused."

Looking at Li Xuan's eyes.

His confession seemed somewhat unexpected, but his eyes remained unmoved.

That's not the look a young person should have.

However, upon closer reflection, only someone like that could achieve such a victory.

Wang Lei stood up, straightened his collar, and seemed to have transformed back into the shrewd and strategic chairman of Huayi. "Go and see that pinnacle you mentioned. Go international and use your talent to spread our Chinese culture and ideas far and wide."

"At the end of this road, even if it's just a fireworks display, at least it will be spectacular."

After saying that, he didn't look at Li Xuan again, and led Wang Haiyang out of the tea room with steady steps and his back straight.

The dream has been handed over.

Next, it was Li Xuan's turn to take the next step.

(End of this chapter)