Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 415 Take the initiative
An incident began to escalate in early February, sparking heated discussions on the internet both domestically and internationally, and having a profound impact on all parties involved.

The younger version of Zhao Benshan announced his indefinite retirement from the entertainment industry and moved to Canada;
Gillian Chung issued a public apology under the company's arrangement, saying that she was very silly and naive. Subsequently, her endorsement was withdrawn, and her scenes in Chen Kaige's "Mei Lanfang" which was being filmed were cut.

The image of the artists under Mr. Li's management was damaged, advertising and film projects were urgently adjusted, and the market value evaporated by hundreds of millions of Hong Kong dollars.

During the overseas roadshow for "The Sky of History," Liu Yifei overheard Li Shoucheng calling for help, asking Mr. Lu to assist with public relations on Blogcn and Weibo.

The movie has already finished its run in theaters, and this Hong Kong old tycoon immediately went north to invite him over under the pretext of co-founding a company with Shanghai Film Studio. His intentions are obvious.

To please the washing machine, one inevitably has to resort to tricks like having a beautiful woman throw herself into one's arms.

Even if she trusts her boyfriend, why would she want him to undergo these unnecessary tests?

Why not just stay home and go to get off work with me every day, locked up in the Olympic building and working for the country?
Her unease stems from her insight into the ecosystem of power that systematically corrupts human nature; when networks of interests entangle individuals, moral self-discipline is easily diluted.

The key issue is that she doesn't have much confidence in the sexual morality of washing machines either!
In Liu Yifei's mind, Lu Kuan's sexual self-discipline was only out of his emotional commitment to her, a reconciliation with his inherently promiscuous nature in order to avoid hurting her.

Just like Fan Bingbing said when he begged for peace with her, as long as Liu Yifei herself opens the door for him to indulge, the washing machine will immediately turn into a wild dog that has broken free!
Love runs deep, so does hate – this is what Xiao Liu hated most about washing machines during her teenage years.

"How's the atmosphere at the Beijing People's Art Theatre? Have they started rehearsing yet?"

"Ah."

Liu Yifei, expressionless, picked up a piece of stir-fried pea shoots with her chopsticks, her slender fingers holding the tender leaves, and slowly put them into her mouth.

She chewed slowly, her eyelashes drooping, casting a small shadow under the light, concealing all the emotions in her eyes.

Just this one question?
Not enough, not enough.

Lu Kuan keenly sensed that something was wrong with her mood, or rather—she had no intention of hiding it at all.

Those usually bright and sparkling phoenix eyes were now slightly narrowed, the corners of her mouth were taut, and even the way she picked up food was more forceful, with the tips of her chopsticks making a crisp sound as they tapped against the edge of the porcelain plate.

He found it somewhat amusing; this person wanted to control himself but couldn't bring himself to do it.

The contrast between possessiveness in relationships and restrained reserve, the constant interplay between rational understanding and emotional impulses, ultimately present a naive charm that brings a knowing smile.

A proud and adorable Liu Xiaolv leaps off the page.

Lu Kuan had a desire to flirt with her, but pretended not to notice anything amiss.

He then ladled out a bowl of conch soup and slowly pushed it in front of her, the spoon lightly tapping against the rim of the bowl with a soft "ding".

"You've really put effort into this soup; the collagen has been extracted. It's good for girls to drink more of it." He then deliberately rubbed his fingers against the back of her hand, a provocative gesture.

Liu Yifei seemed oblivious, not even raising her eyes. She simply stirred the soup in the bowl with a spoon, the golden color of the soup reflecting the light, making her fingertips appear even whiter.

The girl scooped up a spoonful of food with a blank expression, slowly blew on it, and remained calm amidst the rising steam, revealing no emotion.

He knew what she was thinking.

She knew he knew what she was thinking.

But he pretended not to know that he knew she was thinking...

This left Xiao Liu quite perplexed.

The naturally proud young woman wanted to say something to assert her status as the official girlfriend, but then felt that she might be meddling too much and appear petty.

So I started to struggle with myself and with the washing machine.

The elderly mother, Liu Xiaoli, went back to her hometown in Jiangcheng and wouldn't return until after the Qingming Festival. As a result, their first dinner together was filled with an eerily quiet atmosphere.

The walnut wood dining table is set with three dishes and a soup, a standard setup for a young couple's daily life. It's not particularly luxurious, but the ingredients are of decent quality.

Braised pork belly, stir-fried pea shoots, crab meat lion's head meatballs, and fish maw and conch soup.

The braised pork belly goes without saying, and the crab meat lion's head meatballs were a semi-finished product sent by Chef Qiao. The crab meat and black-haired pork belly were hand-chopped into a paste, mixed with water chestnut pieces to add a crispness, and simmered in a clear broth over low heat, with a few goji berries on the surface.

The pea shoots were also sourced from Chef Qiao's own channels. He only picked the two tender leaves at the very top, stir-fried them quickly over high heat with garlic slices, and they tasted much better than salad for Liu Yifei, who was trying to maintain her figure.

Unfortunately, these female celebrities, despite cooking delicious meals, dare not eat to their heart's content in order to maintain their figures, and instead slowly and deliberately sip their soup.

Seeing that the dog of a man across from her had already filled his second bowl with rice, the marbled pieces of meat trembling, the sauce dripping from his chopsticks onto the rice, spreading out a small patch of oily sheen.

What a show-off! I really want to eat meat! I really want to punch him!
Liu Yifei felt increasingly uncomfortable, sensing that she was about to develop breast nodules if things continued like this.

So the noise of poking the bottom of the bowl with chopsticks became even louder, almost implying the worst, except for not directly confronting the washing machine.

"Burp!" Boss Lu put down his chopsticks as if he hadn't heard, and picked up the soup bowl again: "Xixi's cooking is so delicious."

"Wow! Look at this soup! As soon as you lift the lid, the rich aroma of collagen mixed with the fragrance of dried tangerine peel wafts out. And these conch slices are so chewy! It's amazing!"

Liu Yifei dismissed his words as nonsense and gave him a cold look: "Stop making small talk. Go wash the dishes after you finish eating."

"Why do you have to do it yourself? Let the cleaning lady come tomorrow."

“I gave them a break. My mom wasn’t here, so we could have a week of just the two of us.”

Xiao Liu gave a final, strong hint: if the washing machine continued to play dead, he would grant his wish.

Boss Lu was a master tightrope walker. Seeing that he was about to fall off the cliff, he gently took half a step back.

"Oh, I see. That's really unfortunate. How about you take a day off and come to Shanghai with me?"

Liu Yifei raised an eyebrow: "I'm not going. I've already agreed to report to the Beijing People's Art Theatre tomorrow. Taking leave right at the beginning doesn't show a serious attitude towards learning and improving myself."

"Should I just cancel the trip? It doesn't seem right to take leave again after only being back at the Olympic Building for less than a week."

Xiao Liu immediately picked up the unfinished soup bowl in front of him, took the plate, and went to the kitchen: "What does this have to do with me? You figure it out yourself."

She poked her head out again, her wisps of hair by her ears resembling the tassels of a red-tasseled spear, giving her an aggressive look: "Come in and wash the dishes. Don't act like a big shot, lounging on the sofa."

"You eat with your mouth greasy while you're eating, and then just wipe it off and leave it?"

It's a double entendre.

It's similar to phrases like "Do you still remember Liu Xiaolv from Sicily?" or "In the end, it was all for naught."

Lu Kuan walked into the kitchen, wrapped his arms around her slender waist from behind, bent down and rested his chin on the girl's fragrant shoulder: "You called me the washing machine, not the dishwasher. I don't know how to wash dishes!"

Xiao Liu carried a faint, sweet scent of orange blossom. Perhaps it was the warm scent that tickled him, and as he tried to turn away, he accidentally pressed the switch on the washing machine.

The moment her pert little bottom was gently pressed against something, a blush crept up the tips of her ears, and she turned to look at her boyfriend with a displeased expression:

"You won't wash dishes unless you call a dishwasher, right?"

"Then why aren't you called a pile driver? Does it interfere with your bad deeds? Shameless!"

Mr. Lu was amused by her and burst into laughter. His proud little girlfriend's sharp tongue had improved, and their banter was quite amusing.

"Alright, alright, stop being so temperamental. I understand what you mean." The man took the opportunity to grasp her wet wrist, his fingertips caressing the delicate skin on the inside of her wrist bone. His other hand was still around her waist, and he pulled her closer to him.

Liu Yifei struggled but couldn't break free, so she simply let him hold her. However, a slight smile crept onto her lips before she quickly suppressed it, feigning indifference: "What do I mean? I don't mean anything!"

Mr. Lu couldn't help but chuckle at her insincere expression. He gently traced circles on her waist with his fingertips, feeling the adorable reaction of her skin tightening instantly.

Just before they began climbing the snow-capped mountain, Liu Yifei instinctively grabbed his mischievous wrist and pouted her rosy lips.

Her eyes still held a hint of embarrassment and annoyance: "You always bully me. Were you trying to make a fool of me just now?"

"No, absolutely not!" Boss Lu took the opportunity to give her a light kiss on the lips: "I asked you to come along, but you just didn't want to."

Liu Yifei glanced at him sideways, and then, as if suddenly remembering something, grabbed the washing machine by the collar and said angrily, "It's better to guide than to block. Come upstairs with me!"

"I'm going to make your legs go weak when you get on the plane tomorrow!"

"Huh?" The washing machine seemed a little uncomfortable with her unrestrained attitude: "I just finished eating, isn't it a bit inappropriate to do strenuous exercise?"

The girl jumped onto her boyfriend, who instinctively supported her hips and legs, his palms immediately sinking into her soft warmth: "You can lie there like a corpse today, and watch how I deal with you!"

A common tactic that someone enjoys seeing: boasting before the game, then looking miserable afterward.

In March, the thin ice on the Wenyu River had melted, and the reeds swayed rustling in the night wind, carrying moisture into the manor and adding a touch of dampness to the spring chill.

Even more enchanting is the silhouette of lovers on the second floor of the mansion, bathed in the soft moonlight streaming in through the window, casting a warm and intimate atmosphere on the white walls of the bedroom.

The overconfident Mulan, who had previously boasted that she would "create" bold and heroic words, has now turned into cowardly words of surrender.

The winding folds of the silk fabric record the trajectory of shifting power, until this beautiful world returns to tranquility.

Liu Yifei's forehead was covered in sweat, with a few strands of hair sticking to it. She forced herself to be strong and said, "I'll give you ten minutes to rest. Is that enough?"

She was determined to sacrifice herself for her boyfriend, using her body as medicine to perform chemical castration before his departure.

However, due to her limited abilities, the dosage of this medicine was too small to pose any threat to the patient.

Boss Lu chuckled and didn't answer. He carried the girl, who looked like a lump of mud, to wash her body before they returned to bed and fell asleep in each other's arms.

In the stillness of the night, the only sounds in the entire manor are the soft rustling of the reeds along the Wenyu River and the occasional rustling of sleepless waterbirds skimming across the ice, their wings cutting through the cold mist.

Liu Yifei lay on the man's chest, no longer mentioning her earlier statement about "draining the pond to catch all the fish," only her subsequent words of joyful coquetry.

"Don't you think I'm being petty?"

"No, isn't it normal to have a strong desire to control? I'm a little bit like that too!"

Liu Yifei thought to herself, "Is that just a little bit?"

You're quite ill!

She felt a sense of contentment after the union of body and soul, and then said gently, "Actually, I was just a little upset. It's because all your business partners have such bad reputations, and I was afraid you would be corrupted by them."

Harvey: ?
Li Shoucheng: ?

Do you think your boyfriend is some kind of saint?

That's such a double standard!
Lu Kuanyi said righteously and sternly: "A gentleman seeks harmony but not uniformity. How could I possibly collude with them? Cooperation is limited to the business sphere."

"Yes, I believe you if you dare to say it." Little Liu clung to him like an octopus:
"When will we be able to video chat on our phones? That way, I can call you anytime I want to miss you, right?"

You want to install surveillance cameras on the washing machine so you can check on it anytime, anywhere, right?

In 2008, China Mobile and China Unicom launched video service halls, but before the commercialization and popularization of 3G, these services were essentially castles in the air and had very little practical use.

2008 was also the year Apple and Android launched their app stores, but initially only utility apps were available, and video apps were nowhere to be seen.

"It will be soon. Then all the couples in China will be able to keep each other by their belts."

"Vulgar!" Liu Yifei giggled. "Wouldn't you be ecstatic to have you tucked into a girl's waistband, you lecherous scoundrel?"

Then she let out a startled "Ugh!" as if she had been physically silenced by the flower thief, only letting out a few rapid, delicate gasps.

Their laughter and conversation gradually subsided, and they drifted off to sleep, accompanied by the low, gentle night breeze outside the window.
-
At the same moment that Wenyuhe Mansion fell into a deep sleep, the lights were still on in the chairman's office of Huayi Headquarters Building on Xinyuan South Road in Chaoyang District.

After returning from their victory celebration, Feng Xiaogang, Wang Dajun, and Xiao Lei were smoking cigars in their office, chatting and laughing about various matters in the industry.

"The Sky of History" was released in China at the end of February and lasted for more than a month, stirring up a patriotic hurricane across the entire land of China.

From the re-airing of "Tangshan," which was criticized by industry insiders for its unseemly profiteering practices before the Lunar New Year, to "Sky," which is temporarily slated to become the domestic box office champion in 2008, Mr. Lu has earned too many tears from the Chinese people.

There are tears of emotion here, as well as the despair of competitors from various industries across the country.

First, Zhu Dake, with his keen political sense, gradually backed down after He Zhenhua of the People's Daily published "The Sword," and stopped frantically arguing with netizens to prove that he was being cyberbullied by Boss Lu's fans.

In mid-March, as the box office of "The Sky of History" was soaring, he posted his last Weibo and blog posts, and then closed his comment section:

For two weeks, some directors’ fanatical fans subjected me to cyberbullying with the most vulgar genital insults and the dirtiest sexual insults.

These mobs even inquired about my address online. Is this the true face of the patriots you claim to be?

When the discussion degenerates into a frenzy of excretion, I no longer bother competing with maggots for food; this dialogue based on literary criticism is no longer necessary.

Starting today, I will be closing the comment section. Please enjoy yourselves in the information cocoon created by Director Lu.

The old scoundrel was cunning. He used a feigned retreat to advance, portraying himself as the perfect victim, as if he wasn't the one who had provoked and insinuated from the beginning.

He distorted the academic controversy into a private moral issue of "fan cyberbullying," using extreme cases to smear all supporters. This not only avoided the core contradiction set by the People's Daily, but also labeled Mr. Lu as "condoning cyber violence."

Zhu Dake began to lie low and act like a coward, unaware that he had already caught the eye of the "narrow-minded" abbot, who was now plotting how to break his shell.

However, he is indeed one of the more troublesome members of the public intelligence community.

Because he doesn't accept money, and there's nothing particularly incriminating about him.

He has built a very solid public image for himself, and even now, some netizens still believe that he is just stating the facts.

How strange!

Besides Zhu Dake and "Nanfang," who are at the forefront of the "anti-road" movement, mainland film companies are also adjusting their competitive strategies and development paths based on the changing circumstances.

For example, Huayi Brothers, the perennial runner-up in the mainland film industry, is now the three people in the office chatting and laughing, surrounded by cigarette smoke, enjoying themselves immensely.

"Mr. Wang, I had a truly wonderful New Year! Fanzi keeps praising me, saying that I had such good foresight not leaving Huayi back then and investing in every private placement!"

Little Cannon grinned, and even the white patches on his face seemed to cheer with joy. It was true that he was flattering him, but he was genuinely happy inside.

From December 2007 to the beginning of 2008, all three films in which Huayi Brothers participated were box office hits.

The film "Assembly" starring Xiao Gangpao has grossed nearly 2.6 million yuan at the box office.
Wu Yusen's "Red Cliff Part I," in which he co-invested, was mainly invested by Chengtian and China Film Group, with the latter participating in distribution. It achieved a box office of 3.14 million yuan, second only to "The Sky of History."
Another surprise was Xu Zheng's "Fate Calls Transfer," which was actually a joint production with directors like Liu Yiwei. It grossed 3500 million yuan at the box office, but it made a considerable profit compared to its low production cost.

Just as the leaders of the Film Bureau reported during the recently concluded National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the mainland film industry is booming in terms of industry scale, capital inflow, and development trend, with unlimited prospects.

This is also the main reason why Xiao Gangpao's joy was overflowing in his words today.

With the film industry pie getting bigger and bigger, those involved can all make a fortune and ride the wave of success.

Huayi Brothers, whose listing date is basically confirmed, and its trusted director, are clearly going to be the most hyped pig.

It wasn't that he forgot about Wenjie; it was because Wenjie's equity structure had always been closed, and apart from a few subsidiaries, there were no plans to go public.

With the qualifier "first to go public", Huayi becomes the highest pig in the Chinese entertainment industry.
Of course, in someone's eyes, Huayi is also the fattest pig.

Over the years, Wang Dajun has become increasingly composed. He smiled and waved to Feng Xiaogang, saying, "We will never treat those who stand with the company through thick and thin unfairly."

"Whether it's Xiao Gang, or Bing Bing, who was the first to stay before Sister Hua left, you are now top-notch figures in our industry."

"Huayi is all thanks to you guys; otherwise, my brother and I would be starving!"

These words delighted Feng Xiaogang. In the domestic director circle, he didn't expect to surpass Lu Kuan, Zhang Yimou, and others in international awards and prestige, but he was still confident in the box office performance.

Wang Xiaolei's words implied a greedy ambition: "It's a pity we didn't invest enough in 'Red Cliff Part I.' Who would have thought it would sell for over $5000 million in Japan? That's incredible!"

"No wonder Lu Kuan keeps promoting making blockbusters and developing Hollywood's so-called film industrialization. This one movie is enough to keep us busy for a year."

"What a pity, that bastard Wu Kebo got his fill."

Intimidated by Boss Lu's methods and power, everyone in the Boss Wenjie only dared to observe from afar, silently learning and secretly sabotaging him if anything went wrong.

But the second brother, Huayi, also disliked the third brother, Chengtian.

Given the chance, Wang Xiaolei still wants to teach Wu Kebo, this entertainment capitalist with Japanese investment, a lesson, so they won't be able to overtake him again. At least judging from a blockbuster like "Red Cliff Part I," Chengtian does have some talent.

Feng Xiaogang laughed and said, "Blockbusters are definitely profitable, but they are also risky. Haven't you seen that Chen Kaige is now honestly making his dramas and art films?"

"Commercial films are something that not everyone can pull off."

He said it with a hint of pride, but the pants certainly had reason to be proud.

His work includes the Lunar New Year film "The Dream Factory". He has been deeply involved in the commercial film industry for many years and can be considered a creative director who is very close to the audience.

In particular, this year's "Assembly" with a group of "grassroots actors" and a meager investment defeated the extravagantly funded "The Warlords", shocking the industry.

Before the sensation caused by "The Sky of History" this year, the biggest news in the domestic film industry was the huge success of "Red Cliff" and the outstanding performance of "Assembly".

It's no wonder that the film festival leaders excitedly announced various data at the meeting. Since 2008, Chinese cinema has indeed been thriving, thanks to the support of policies over the years and the flapping of the butterfly's wings.

"Brother, I heard that Lu Kuan's office is over a thousand square meters, taking up an entire floor. When are we going to get a piece of land outside the Fifth Ring Road?"

Feng Xiaogang chimed in, "That's a great idea! Let's go public! With President Ma and President Deng as our strong allies, we can make rapid progress after the IPO, and then..."

He grinned and began to dream: "I don't think it's impossible to surpass it!"

Wang Dajun smiled noncommittally, showing a relatively clear understanding of the current state of the industry and the scope and boundaries of its development.

Especially after the confrontations of previous years, they have been in a state of dormancy.

Of course, they are very willing to do things like the recent incident involving Nanfang, Zhu Dake, and online trolls who sabotage the project.

The inability to find any substantial evidence has almost become an unspoken rule in the industry.

As the three chatted and laughed, Wang Dajun's secretary brought over some documents.

“Okay, put it on the table.” Wang Dajun perked up and waved to the two of them: “This is information I got through a friend in the Film Bureau. Wenjie also has three films this year. We still need to learn more from the industry leaders.”

"Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win every battle! Boss Wang is a really good boss!" Little Cannon flattered, then leaned closer to examine the detailed data—

For films produced by Wenjie, China Film Group is either an investor or distributor, and given its official status, it's normal for them to be able to obtain data.

All Wang Dajun wanted to do was to emulate industry pioneers and constantly assess the gap between himself and his competitors.

However, after the three of them glanced at the data, their earlier celebratory cheers seemed to lose some of their luster.

The data provided by the Film Bureau to a third-party business consulting firm estimated that the total revenue of the films "Detective Chinatown 2", "Secret", and "The Sky of History" was approximately 3.8 million RMB.

The discrepancy between the actual figure of 4 million and the actual figure is mainly due to the lack of detailed marketing information for "The Sky of History" in Hollywood. North American publishers used internet channels to save a considerable amount of marketing expenses.

Little Cannon was speechless, not expecting to be proven wrong so quickly.

While everyone can see the box office figures, in terms of final profitability, Wenjie Holdings extracts far too much profit from each film.

This is where Wenjie truly differentiates itself from other film companies, because Boss Lu has been building this self-sufficient industrial chain since 2002.

The special effects fees, marketing and distribution fees, theater revenue sharing, and profits from merchandise sales that other film companies share can all be collected by Wenjie Holdings within its film industry chain.

Even the money that Chengtian and Huayi earn from movies has to be "tribute" to Wenjie for publicity and theater revenue sharing.

This makes the other competitors grit their teeth in hatred, yet they are helpless.

This is also why Huayi wants to form an alliance with Ali and Wendy Deng to vigorously develop Alispace within its ecosystem and its own cinema chain.

Wang Dajun sighed: "The profits from these three films are almost equal to the total net profit of all our films this year. No wonder Lu Kuan has been exploiting us to the point of exhaustion and expanding recklessly in recent years."

"I heard that they recently established a derivatives company in North America, which means they have almost perfected the vertical integration of Wenjie."

In economics, there's a technical term called "transaction cost internalization."

Wenjie Holdings has grasped the entire value chain, from script development to special effects production, from theatrical release scheduling to merchandise sales.

Aside from sharing some resources with allies based on exchange value, they can basically get the most lucrative profits and even plunder the delicacies from others' bowls, making the industry chain quite mature.

Feng Xiaogang said seriously, "Nothing else matters, but Wenjie's cinema chain is currently second only to Wanda among private enterprises. I wonder if it can rank fourth in the country now. That's the scariest thing."

"Take 'Assembly' for example. All the theaters gave 'The Warlords' priority, but we made a big comeback and stood out. However, we also lost the audience in the early stages."

"But the scope is different. 'The Sky of History' got top-tier screenings right from the start. This film is not his 'A Home Away'! People trust Lu Kuan, and he has a lot of screens under his control."

"This way, we skipped the word-of-mouth fermentation period and got a huge hit right from the start, which led to the subsequent success."

Wang Xiaolei said in a low voice, "Actually, we're not bad either. Last time, we snatched some of Warner's assets from Lu Kuan and we're also working on our own cinema chain."

He turned to Wang Dajun, who was calmly flipping through the data: "Brother, shouldn't we speed things up a bit? Wenjie is now using the entire company's resources to support cinema development, and his vision..."

Wang Xiaolei was unwilling to boost others' morale, but Boss Lu's industry insight was beyond doubt.

You could say he's ruthless, like how he targeted Huayi Brothers with sudden, unexpected moves, just like he did with the screenings of "The Banquet" a couple of years ago.

But after saying that, you still have to hold your nose and learn their marketing and industry practices. Who would turn down money?
Wang Dajun smiled wryly: "Gangzi, Xiaolei, I understand what you're saying better than anyone else."

"Right now, Wanda and Wenjie are leading the way. Next, it's up to us, Fiber Optics, and Berna to compete for market share. Who would complain about having too many screens under their control?"

The chairman of Huayi spread his hands and complained bitterly: "The key problem is that we don't have money!"

"Take Xiaogang's 'If You Are the One' in the second half of the year as an example. This is our core strategy with Ali and Wendy Deng. However, the initial funding will have to wait until 'The Forbidden Kingdom' premieres in April to receive some of the funds."

"Recently, there have been rumors in the industry that Pearl River Cinema Line and Jinyi Cinema Line in Guangdong Province are being sold or merged and reorganized. I'm really envious!"

Feng Xiaogang and Wang Xiaolei both sighed heavily. The latter said in a deep voice, "Brother, let's continue with the private placement? I think President Ma and President Deng can see the vast potential of the mainland film industry after this Lunar New Year season."

He pointed to the documents on his desk with his finger: "Or we could use the news about Wendy Deng to provoke her. She tried every means to prevent Lu Kuan from winning the award in Hollywood, but in the end, the result was the same."

"To truly defeat Wenjie, targeting Lu Kuan alone won't work. We must take advantage of the IPO to learn from his experience in building a mature industry chain, and the first step is the cinema chain!"

Special effects companies need to accumulate technical expertise; it took Butian Pictures nearly six years to become one of the top special effects companies in Asia.
For internet channels, we have allies Ali and Wendy Dunn's Alispace, which is sufficient for now;
Huayi Brothers boasts a strong lineup of directors, including Feng Xiaogang, Xu Zheng, and He Ping, which is quite impressive in the industry.

There's also Wu Ershan, who left the entertainment industry, and is currently discussing the script for "Painted Skin" with Guangxin, who prefers him to handle the project.

After all, he was a professional who had learned special effects from the master Lu back then.

As for the private placement mentioned by Wang Xiaolei, it could once again boost the development of his own cinema chain, just like last time, but it also has many drawbacks.

Wang Dajun raised an eyebrow and slowly said, "Gangzi is here today, so he's not an outsider. Let me say something."

"It's true that we can get money through private placement. Actually, you don't need to use Wendy Deng to provoke Wendy Deng with Wenjie and Lukuan. She called me yesterday and suggested that we cooperate with Wanda."

“But you have to think about it, the two of us brothers only own a little over 40% of the shares now, and even with Xiaogang’s share, it’s still less than 50%. If we were to issue more shares, we wouldn’t have the money right now.”

"They were never at the safe line of absolute control to begin with, and with this shift in balance, Ma Yun and Deng Wendi's shareholding ratio will increase again."

"Furthermore, I don't think the company's star shareholders will necessarily follow suit; if everyone dilutes their holdings..."

Wang Xiaolei and Feng Xiaogang looked at each other, both frowning as they pondered the pros and cons.

Wang Dajun's meaning was clear: he was worried that things would change within the company.

Which is easier to get along with: Zhejiang businessmen represented by Ma Yun or Hollywood capital represented by Wendy Deng?

Allies may be allies, but if Huayi itself is to break open, those who smell the blood might be the first to rush at it, even more so than Wenjie.

Human nature cannot withstand the test, and businesses are even less capable of feeling anything.

Private placement, or targeted issuance of new shares to specific shareholders or investors, is a common financing operation for both listed and unlisted companies.

The advantage of private placement lies in its simple decision-making process.

In particular, for unlisted joint-stock companies like Huayi, according to the Company Law, as long as shareholders with more than 2/3 of the voting rights agree, the registration can be completed in less than a month after the application is submitted, thus obtaining much-needed funds for development.

But for company founders like the Wang brothers, and given Huayi's current development situation, the private placement is increasingly resembling a poisoned chalice—a drink meant to quench thirst.

They fear losing control of the company.

Every private placement results in a dilution of shares for the other shareholders who abstain from voting.

The key point is that Ah Li and Wendy Deng still have considerable wealth, but the two brothers from Huayi and many other artists do not!

However, without a private placement, Huayi currently lacks sufficient funds to support the development of its cinemas and pursue a complete industry chain similar to Wenjie in their minds.

The scene of the three of them looking at the industry report with envy will undoubtedly continue to repeat itself, forever remaining the second-place company in the industry with no chance of turning things around.

What can I do?

After the issue was raised, Xiao Gangpao fell silent, because he was unwilling to spend any more money.

Two years ago, because of the film "The Banquet", Ah Li and Wendy Deng were targeted by the industry. Under Lu Kuan's "encirclement and suppression" strategy, they fell into his trap.

The private placement at the time aroused dissatisfaction among many celebrity shareholders.

After all, celebrities like Fan Bingbing, Yang Mi, and Zhou Xun, as well as directors like Feng Xiaogang and Zhang Jizhong, did not earn nearly as much as they did in the "era of fun and excitement" that followed.

Everyone is in a dilemma: they don't want their equity to be diluted, but co-investing with investors like Ali and Wendy Deng is too difficult.

Just like Bingbing pretended to complain to Wang Xiaolei, everyone hopes that Huayi will go public as soon as possible, so that the celebrities who scrimped and saved to buy so many shares can finally see a return on their investment.

After all, they weren't time travelers like Boss Lu, and they didn't have a clear understanding of Huayi's performance after its listing.

In her previous life, Zhou Xun even refused to participate in the rights issue and didn't buy a single share.

Wang Dajun, a former reconnaissance soldier, is a calm and steady man. He hesitated for a long time on the issue of private placement due to his concern for control of the company, but his younger brother Wang Xiaolei felt that he was too conservative.

"How about amending the company's articles of association? Locking up voting rights and setting up A and B shares."

Wang Dajun shook his head: "Wendy Deng will not agree, not to mention Ma Yun. We don't need to consider the extra voting rights. Their money is not coming in for us to use for free."

The Company Law contains provisions on equal voting rights for all, but there are exceptions.

This means that each company's articles of association can be amended and patched through shareholder meetings to ensure that the founders' voting rights always exceed 50% or even higher.

Netflix's former CEO Hastings, China's Ma Yun, and later Liu Qiangdong all adopted the same approach: introducing strategic investment while maintaining their decision-making power.

However, this would require a shareholders' meeting and approval from shareholders representing more than two-thirds of the voting rights, which is highly unlikely to succeed.

Even if they succeed, Ma Yun and Deng Wendi will definitely be the first to withdraw their investment and rebel.

These are all top-tier hunters from both China and abroad. It's already quite good that they don't want to take advantage of Huayi. Do you think they would willingly hand over their money to you and let you, the King and Queen, do whatever you want?

In other words, if it weren't for the closed nature of the equity structure of Wenjie, the industry leader, who would invest in Huayi?
Feng Xiaogang hesitated and said, "Bosses, let me try to persuade them."

The two brothers turned their heads to look at this big-name director from Huayi Brothers, who was also a director and shareholder they trusted.

Others may not be capable of betraying you, but they are not as reliable as old buddies who have been with you for so many years and whom you can entrust your career to.

"Old Zhang has 6% now, and Bingbing has 7%. As you said, they have all been with the company for many years."

“Especially Bingbing, she earns a third of the company’s artist management profits and brings so many fashion resources. I think we can do some work with her.”

“If we can confirm that they are of one mind with us and will not be swayed by Ahri and Wendy Deng, then I think you don’t need to worry too much about the negative consequences of the private placement.”

"After all, Mr. Ma's Taobao has always been closely pursued by Wenjie Mall, and Deng Wendi and Lu Kuan have always had a bad relationship. We are in the same boat."

The Wang brothers' expressions softened slightly upon hearing this.

Yes, that man is so powerful that his competitors have no choice but to unite to fight him.

But Mr. Ma is an exception here.

He was thinking of shifting the tide, but Youwenjie Mall was right behind him, and there's no reason to guard against thieves for a thousand days.

Then I might as well enter your film industry and Weibo sphere and compete with you for food, as a form of restraint, and besides, the previous results have been quite good.

Wang Dajun nodded silently: "Gangzi, then I'll trouble you to sound out the artists first."

"Hey, you guys are all so slow. I'm going to call Bingbing first." Wang Xiaolei was a bit impatient and couldn't wait to grab his phone and head to the corridor.

If Huayi had been suppressed as relentlessly as it had been in the previous two years, with no hope in sight, it wouldn't be in such a hurry to facilitate this final share issuance before its IPO.

Especially after Zhou Jun was taken down, Huayi was left with no power to fight back.

However, in the past two years, thanks to someone's deliberate efforts in raising pigs and surrounding and attacking key targets, Huayi has indeed made significant progress.

Seeing a glimmer of hope to surpass the competitors, who wouldn't want to give it their all?

This cup of poisoned wine was poured by Boss Lu himself for the two brothers, and also for Ahri and Wendy Deng. It was up to them whether they drank it or not.

Shortly after, Wang Xiaolei returned to his office: "Bingbing will be returning to Beiping in a couple of days. Let's have a meal together and chat then. She's been enjoying Huaiyang cuisine lately, and I know a good one."

Feng Xiaogang laughed and said, "Mr. Wang is still considerate of his employees. Otherwise, we would all be willing to work hard with the company and move forward!"

Wang Xiaolei waved his hand proudly: "No, it's all thanks to you guys."

The image of Fan Bingbing in front of these former bosses is no longer that of a working girl.

As Xiao Gangpao said, she is Huayi's highest-earning female artist and a person who can empower other female stars through the fashion resources she controls.

Wang Dajun asked one more question: "Is Bingbing still in Jinling?"

"Yes, I'm doing promotional work for 'The Forbidden Kingdom' with Yang Mi."

The role of Bingbing in "The Forbidden Kingdom" was obtained through Lionsgate, and the reason behind it is self-evident.

The role that Da Mimi played was achieved through her boyfriend's wealth, which was considered a top-tier resource for her.

Wang Xiaolei added, "However, she's going to Shanghai tomorrow. I heard Xie Jin isn't feeling well, so she's going to see her master."

"Yes, he's a sentimental person." Wang Dajun nodded.

Bingbing likes to create hype, and she's very good at it.

She has attended Xie Jin's birthday celebration every year for the past few years, and this teacher-student relationship that started when she was sixteen has won widespread praise.

Including her current position as the head of the Xi'an Film Studio's acting troupe, coupled with her unparalleled success in the fashion field among female celebrities in the Chinese entertainment industry, she is already at the top level in terms of both fame and status.

This is completely different from the various sensationalized scandals she fabricated in her previous life.

This is a chosen one in the entertainment industry who can shine on his own with just a little sunshine.

The following day, the young couple, who had experienced a night of light rain and strong winds, woke up in their luxurious bed at the Wenyu River Mansion.

Liu Yifei frowned slightly in the morning light, her long eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings before she slowly opened them.

The silk quilt slipped off her shoulders, revealing a faint red hickey on her collarbone.

The girl subconsciously moved closer to the man beside her, clinging to him like an octopus, continuing to enjoy the brief tenderness before their parting.

At this moment, Liu Yifei, who was as happy as a flower, was unaware that—

Bingbing, the chosen entertainment industry player who once begged her for help but failed to get what she wanted, is already on her way to Shanghai, ready to take the initiative.

(End of this chapter)