Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 425 My Celebration, His Nightmare

The 70-square-meter home theater features a double-layer soundproof wall design. The front and side walls are equipped with Auralex acoustic diffusion panels and low-frequency traps. As soon as you push open the door, the music suddenly becomes louder, like entering a concert venue.

Jay Chou and Liu Yifei both smiled and waved to him, not expecting their boyfriends and old friends to interrupt their singing. Yao Beina, Zhang Liangying, Su Chang, Tang Yan, Tong Liya, Jing Tian, ​​Wang Baoqiang, Hu Ge, and Huang Bo, who were sitting around on the sofa, all stood up at the same time.

Even if the boss is very approachable, they wouldn't dare to be arrogant.

As the song "Seven Mile Fragrance" ended, the door to the audio-visual room was pushed open again. Ning Hao and Xing Aina, who had just been strolling around the manor, came in with Liu Xiaoli, carrying fruit platters.

"Take a break and rest your voice. You have a performance tomorrow, you can't keep singing."

"thanks Mom!"

The sound system suddenly stopped, and the voices of artists and singers from the Wenjie system, as well as Tang Yan and others, greeted each other continuously.

"Boss," "Guide Lu," "General Manager Lu"

Lu Kuan smiled and said, "Hello, Tang Yan and Beina, thank you for your guest performance tomorrow."

The two women replied in unison, "No, no, it's only right."

He then glanced at Jing Tian, ​​who looked at him with a smug expression: "Aren't you filming on set? Why did Xue Xiaolu let you out?"

This refers to the "Wenjie" version of "Meteor Shower," which is planned as a blockbuster combining fashion, style, and e-commerce, exploring new paths for the integration of Weibo and e-commerce in the new era.

The series itself is also quite universal and popular, so it won't be considered highbrow and niche. It can be seen as a slightly lower-end version of "My Love from the Star" in terms of brand prestige.

Because, apart from luxury cars and cosmetics, the costumes in the show were all designed by Wang Daren Studio, which is invested in by Wenjie, and belong to their own brand.

Although the brand recognition is incomparable, if the clothing sells well due to the popularity of the drama, the profit margin and revenue will be much higher than that of the product placement brand.

However, in China in 2009, piling up top-tier brands like in "My Love from the Star" wouldn't have much significance, given the purchasing power of the public and the domestic luxury goods market.

Jing Tian had visibly lost weight, her chin was pointed, but she still looked radiant: "Teacher Lu, I did a great job, when are you going to visit me on set!"

Lu Kuan said with a stern face, "Was your performance really that good? I heard from Director Xue that he almost lost all his hair while filming for you."

"Hehe, it's not that I lost all my nutrients. I secretly bought a lot of nutritional supplements to compensate Teacher Xue." Jing Tian stuck out her tongue awkwardly, and everyone present laughed.

Everyone sat around eating fruit and drinking tea. Jaylen pretended to be displeased: "You, the host, are so unfriendly. It's already past nine o'clock. If you hadn't come, we would have gone to sleep."

"I apologize for my rudeness, but I'm glad I was able to come back today. I'll just have to make it to tomorrow's event right on time."

"How was dinner? Would you like some late-night snack?"

Ning Hao looked Lu, who had risen from humble beginnings to become a master craftsman, up and down, and teased, "You look old now. When you walk out with Yi Fei, people will say you're an old cow eating young grass!"

Xiao Liu covered his mouth and laughed, "It is now too."

Lu Kuan retorted sarcastically, "When you go out with Xing Aina, passersby can tell at a glance that you must be rich, with your buzz cut, big gold chain, and increasingly shabby attire."

"Look at Xu Zheng now, he goes out all the time looking all respectable, always dressed in a suit and tie. You are a respectable director in the industry, why don't you pay attention to your image?"

Ning Hao waved his hand dismissively, saying, "Xu Zheng is just a show-off; I'm not going to follow his example."

As if remembering something, he glanced at the crowd who were still singing and whispered, "Wu Ershan's 'Painted Skin' is almost finished filming and is expected to coincide with our Spring Festival release."

The previous version of "Painted Skin" was co-produced by Ningbo Film Studio, Shanghai Film Studio, and Hong Kong Capital, and adopted the CPEA (Contributing Film Alliance) policy for co-productions, with a Hong Kong director and mainland actors.

However, in this life, thanks to the existence of Lu Kuan's butterfly wings, Wang Changtian, who had entered the film industry ahead of time, joined forces with Bona and Huayi, two private and one semi-private capital firms, to take over the investment share.

Fiber optics now has the largest and most comprehensive entertainment news and publicity channels in the country, Yu Dong's Berna has its own cinema chain, and Huayi goes without saying. In this collaboration, they mainly provide director resources.

That is, Wu Ershan.

Before leaving, Wu Ershan was actually being groomed to be the next Ning Hao.

He started learning special effects production from "A Home Away" and was exposed to the film shooting process under the industrialized conditions of Hollywood. From the perspective of film art alone, he is an absolutely rare talent.

In particular, the director's ability to produce astonishing action scenes and effects on a low budget in "The Swordsman" fully demonstrates his excellent overall planning skills.

If his venomous tendencies hadn't been exposed, and if Lu Kuan hadn't deliberately investigated and discovered some of his inhumane and shameful past, how could Huayi have so readily brought him in as a powerful ally?
Ning Hao was also aware of this matter.

Lu Kuan is too busy and has a high status, so it's impossible for him to mingle in the industry like an ordinary director.

But Ning Hao is different. He has a good personal relationship with Xu Zheng and even some directors at Huayi Brothers, so he will promptly share any important inside information he deems important.

Wu Ershan is clearly a rather sensitive name.

However, Mr. Lu still looked nonchalant: "Never mind him. It's a good thing to make good films and expand the market. It doesn't matter who makes the films or who makes money. Domestic films need to flourish."

“You should also tell Xu Zheng this. Don’t be so afraid of everything. I have no problem with him at all.”

"Just be careful not to let Wu Ershan's true colors show."

Xu Zheng and Wu Ershan are different. The former seeks wealth, and his personal morality is none of his business. He has not said that he wants to be a righteous judge.

But for Wu Ershan, who was kicked out, although it wasn't intentional, he is now like a poisonous insect coated in sugar.

Huayi only saw that he could fill the gap in director resources, which no one else could use except Feng Xiaogang. They wondered what he would think when he chewed on the poisonous insect itself and the sticky juice and blood splattered in his mouth.

As the two chatted, Tang Yan timidly approached and said, "Director Lu, thank you for giving me this opportunity. I will definitely work hard for 'Let the Bullets Fly'!"

This is not her first film, but it is the first film invested in by Wenjie Investment. In the industry, the label of Wenjie Investment implies that it is a sure thing and that both critical acclaim and box office success will be achieved.

So far, the only films that have hovered around the cost line are Ning Hao's "Bullfight" and "Tangshan," for which the proceeds were donated, though the latter is of course a different story.

Tang Yan, as one of the few female characters in the drama, "Sister Hua," although her role isn't particularly large, still stands out in a male-dominated storyline.

However, it is up to Jiang Wen to determine and train her to determine her true quality.

"There's no need for polite words or statements. Mr. Li and I are old acquaintances. Eagle King is currently facing difficulties, so it's only right that we help each other."

"From a personal perspective, you should also realize that now is your best chance to make a name for yourself, so you must make the most of this role no matter how tough or tiring it is."

“I’ve read the script. Sister Hua is a woman who combines gentleness and heroism. You fit the character’s charming image, but you lack heroism. You need to think about it more.”

"Yes!" Tang Yan bowed her head gratefully, showing utmost respect.

Among Liu Yifei's close friends, Su Chang has a relatively more equal perspective on Boss Lu, Zhang Liangying has little contact with her and their interactions are mostly work-related, and Yao Beina is someone she meets occasionally.

Tong Liya was tricked by Xiao Liu, who was not yet an adult at the time, and dared to bury her admiration in her heart, hoping only to continue working in a company like Wenjie that was so friendly to actresses.

How will Da Tiantian's girlish feelings develop? It's unknown, but she and Liu Yifei have a very close relationship, and she can't help but be attracted to her.

Da Mi Mi and Tang Yan are relatively special cases.

The former originally had put in a lot of effort to become a business partner, but now he realized that even the big sister Bingbing might fail miserably, so how could he be qualified?

It was wise of him to temporarily suppress his thoughts, wait for an opportunity, and focus his main energy on his backup plan, Xu Duojin.

More than three years ago, and again in Shanghai this time, Tang Yan had been plotted by Eagle King to be sent to Lu Kuan's bed as a transaction.

Seeing her best friend's success, she herself couldn't say whether she was willing to flatter and half-heartedly agree out of envy.

But judging by actions rather than intentions, almost every female star in the entertainment industry dreams of instant fame and instant stardom, but she ultimately did not betray Liu Yifei and made the right decision.

Human nature is complex, as can be seen from Xiao Liu's circle of close friends.

If Liu Yifei in this life had not grown to this point through trials and tribulations, she would not have gained more insight, vision, and methods in dealing with matters on top of her originally kind and innocent nature.

Her best friends, along with Fan Bingbing, might be about to crawl into the washing machine drum at any moment, being joyfully and ruthlessly churned.

By 10 p.m., most of the guests had said their goodbyes, except for Jaylen and Mei Yanfang, who had already gone to bed, who stayed overnight in the villa in the guest building.

In reality, the artists, including Ning Hao, Bao Qiang, and Huang Bo, were just there to show their faces and make their presence known to the boss. Once they achieved their goal, they wouldn't dare to linger.

In his study, the chief director of the Olympics was still deep in thought about how to handle several programs, including "The Ancient Rhyme of Qin". He wanted to make some contingency plans in advance to prevent being caught off guard by unexpected events.

"You'll have to work overtime tonight, won't you?" Liu Yifei brought in a cup of tea and gently placed it on the table.

She then wrapped her arms around her boyfriend's neck from behind, resting her chin on his broad shoulders, her hair brushing against his earlobe as it fell, carrying the scent of orange and melon from his shampoo.

"What kind of tea is this? Did you just buy it?"

"The Baihao Yinzhen tea that my mother brought back was also a gift from someone else."

Xiao Liu gently pushed the coaster with his fingertips: "I heard from Lao Xia that each time you only steep it for less than a minute, so the tea polyphenols and caffeine are less than a third of those in strong tea. It's refreshing but not stimulating."

"Adding some dried tangerine peel strips helps with digestion and regulates qi, isn't that thoughtful?"

Boss Lu took a sip of his drink and gave Liu Yifei a thumbs up.

Xiao Liu deliberately pressed her entire weight against him, like a spoiled koala, her warm breath spraying against his neck, their little world of two was incredibly sweet.

"However, you've almost finished the black tea from Shuimo Town. I'll bring some back with me when I go to Wolong Base this time."

Lu Kuan seemed to lean forward slightly due to her weight, spilling some hot water from his teacup. So he simply put down his pen and pinched her cheek with his other hand.

"I forgot to tell you, I'm going to Wolong with you on the 11th on official business."

"Really?" Xiao Liu was a little surprised, but that was all.

She couldn't predict the future, so she just assumed it was a day for the two of them to be alone together, and besides, her trip to Sichuan and back would only take a day.

Boss Lu turned around and pulled the girl onto his lap. The solid wood chair creaked under the weight. Xiao Liu gasped and grabbed his shoulder, her lower leg peeking out from under her silk nightgown.

"The Olympic Organizing Committee leader Liu recruited me to assist Gu Yun, who was filming an official documentary, in gathering materials at the Wolong base. Currently, only Wenjie has the technology to shoot drone footage."

"This documentary, 'Eternal Flame,' is going to be included in the permanent collection of the Olympic Museum, so I became a brick that I could move wherever I was needed, lending a hand."

Liu Yifei smiled brightly: "It's great. You haven't been sleeping well lately. It's only because you're young that you can keep going."

"Going out will at least allow us to relax a bit. If we have time after filming on the 12th, we'll go to Shuimo Town to visit Dorje. It's only a few dozen kilometers away."

Lu Kuan's expression remained unchanged: "Okay, we'll see when the time comes."

"I've almost finished practicing my song for tomorrow. Don't you have any performances?" Xiao Liu thought of another topic.

"With so many artists and celebrities tomorrow, why should I, who is tone-deaf, have a chance to embarrass myself? You all go ahead and have your own show, consider this a treat for everyone."

Liu Yifei laughed and said, "Weren't you quite the show-off in Sanlitun back then? You even sang on stage, and your voice cracked."

This is a famous meme from the early days of Boss Lu, and now occasionally blurry images of it circulate online.

"Hey! I was young and naive back then. With so many beautiful women in front of me, how could I let Zhang Tianshuo embarrass me?"

The girlfriend squinted and said, "I've seen the video. The beauties you mentioned who were there at the time included Gao Yuanyuan, Wang Fei, Xun Ge'er, and Fan Bingbing. There were quite a few."

Boss Lu frowned and changed the subject: "Hey? How many years was Zhang Tianshuo sentenced to? I'll ask him another day, and if that doesn't work, I'll send him back in to work on the sewing machine for a few more years."

In a residential area in Beijing, a former rock godfather, who had just been released from prison six months prior due to good behavior, was drinking beer and having a late-night snack when he suddenly sneezed a few times.

He rubbed his nose, looked at the hateful face of a certain Olympic director on the front page of the "Beiping Daily" that he was using to wrap braised food, and angrily crumpled it into a ball and threw it away.

Six years have passed since we parted, it feels like a lifetime ago.
-
The concept of May Day as a "Golden Week" was first introduced in 2000.

The State Council extended the holiday to seven days, which spurred a surge in tourism, and the holiday economy became an important engine for boosting domestic demand.

Now, in this Olympic year, Beiping is welcoming its first peak tourist season.

According to the prediction of the Beiping Tourism Bureau, the number of visitors to the city during the relevant period will exceed 800 million for the first time, with the Forbidden City alone receiving as many as 13 visitors per day. Badaling has also begun to implement time-based visitor restrictions.

In this lifetime, Wenjie Holdings also made a small contribution to this data.

Including its subsidiaries, a total of more than 4000 employees from other provinces and cities, and more than 11000 family members will be invited to attend the celebration and take the opportunity to travel around Beiping.

Starting from April 30th, the administrative team of Wenjie Holdings launched a massive pick-up and drop-off plan.

The company mobilized more than 200 volunteers to form a "family reception team" and set up 18 eye-catching "Wenjie 8th Anniversary Reception Points" at transportation hubs such as Beiping Station, Beiping West Station, and Capital Airport.

Each location is staffed with personnel wearing matching red vests and holding signs bearing the Wenjie logo. They have been on duty in shifts since early yesterday morning.

The more than 30 rented buses, under the coordination of logistics manager Chen Zhixi, waited outside different transportation hubs to pick them up and take them directly to the hotels near the Workers' Stadium. In the evening, they could walk directly to the stadium to participate in the celebration.

We strive to provide the best service and protection for our employees' families.

The "5th Anniversary Celebration," which was postponed from the annual meeting to May, was extremely expensive, with the budget adjusted several times to a total of more than 8000 million yuan. This was only because celebrities such as Liu Yifei, Jay Chou, and Anita Mui did not ask for appearance fees.

Since you've spent the money, you should expect a good return; you can't just throw money away and get nothing in return.

So, starting a week before the celebration, online platforms such as blogs, microblogs, and Wenjie Video began to generate buzz.

The latter features a loop on the homepage showcasing the development of Wenjie over the past eight years.

Most importantly, Focus Media's advertising network, ubiquitous in high-end office buildings in first-tier cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, continuously delivers its extravagant, high-profile, and sophisticated promotional videos to the target audience.

The high-end office buildings are almost entirely populated by white-collar workers, and there are certainly many talents that large corporations hope to attract and recruit.

Isn't this exactly what Boss Lu wanted to do by holding this grand celebration amidst the escalating financial crisis and before the influx of coal bosses and internet capital?
First, we must unify our thinking internally, and then continue to fight external threats to maintain our unparalleled competitive advantage in the face of increasingly complex film and cultural industry environments.

Of course, there are also some clever ones, such as Mr. Wang, the general manager of Huayi headquarters on Xinyuan South Road in Beiping, who communicated with the property management a few days ago to temporarily shut down the elevator advertisements.

Today is Wenjie's eighth anniversary celebration, and also Huayi's internal core employee meeting. The focus is on promoting and mobilizing for the final share issuance before the IPO. How can we let Wenjie's "promotional leaflets" posted at our doorstep throw us into disarray?

Otherwise, this promotional video would look like a challenge, the kind that's shoved right in your face, enough to completely demoralize wavering employees.

At 6 p.m., the Beijing Workers' Stadium was already bustling with activity, and the afterglow of the setting sun gilded the stadium.

The long, winding queue in front of the ticket gate was filled with Wenjie employees and their families, all wearing matching blue T-shirts with the Wenjie Holdings logo printed on them.

Children, waving glow sticks, skipped and weaved through the queue, while a giant LED screen next to the ticket gates played a montage of eight years of Wenjie's development history.

From the Super Girl auditions, The Voice of China finals, Jiang Wei's Chinese Paladin, Ning Hao's Crazy Trilogy, Xue Xiaolu's Those Years, Kang Honglei's Soldiers Sortie, and Lurking...

The video showed clips of several of Boss Lu's films, from "Whiplash" to "The Sky of History," during a film festival, as well as his awards and the standing ovation from the audience.

To showcase the technological sophistication and high-end nature of the product, and also to prevent scalpers from reselling it, the company specially created rubber wristbands with built-in chips.

Different colored wristbands correspond to different departments, and people sit in different colored seating areas. If you sell your ticket to an outsider, you will be caught on the spot.

Actually, very few people do this, because the 4500 million prize pool is drawn based on the numbers on everyone's wristbands; if you don't participate, the prize is forfeited.

Although the ticket check process wasn't slow, there were simply too many people, and it still took nearly an hour to get in through all eight entrances at the same time.

The employees and their families were not in a hurry. In the refreshing May breeze, they watched with pride as the company grew over the past eight years. They were filled with emotion and pride.

"Mom, you don't know, when we were filming 'Chinese Paladin,' I was a production assistant. During the wedding scene, I was the one who carried Liu Yifei's makeup and hair, which weighed seven or eight pounds with the hair accessories! Six years have passed in the blink of an eye! Time really flies."

"This, this! I remember that car chase scene in 'A Home Away From Home' so clearly. Back then, Director Lu selected more than twenty technicians from China to go for further training. We drank with the foreigners every day to get close to them, just to learn something from them!"

"Hey! I remember this scene vividly. It was the first episode of 'The Voice of China.' The ratings were mediocre, and Director Long was extremely anxious. Now look at it? We've already sold the rights to South Korea and Japan."

The employees looked up at the images flashing on the LED screen, their eyes shining with pride, and the corners of their mouths unconsciously turned up.

Overhearing the curious and envious comments from passersby, I unconsciously straightened my back, because I also deserve some credit for these glorious moments.

Several veteran employees patted each other on the shoulder, pointed to a certain moment on the screen, their voices trembling with excitement, and whispered among themselves about anecdotes of their struggles together from humble beginnings.

For example, once when he was drinking with Boss Lu, he talked at length about public relations in the entertainment industry and celebrity secrets, which left everyone speechless.
Or perhaps she had already noticed the sweet look in Liu Yifei's eyes when she looked at her boss at some event, and had probably fallen deeply in love with her long ago.

And so on, and so forth.

Some of the younger colleagues listened intently, their eyes filled with longing, and couldn't help but ask for details. The storyteller, however, waved his hand mysteriously, but the smugness in his eyes and brows was impossible to hide.

Although the family members did not know much about the specific project, they were also moved by this sentiment.

The elderly parents, gazing at their children's proud profiles, were moved by the peace and prosperity of Beiping and quietly wiped away tears.

The children rode on their fathers' shoulders, waving glow sticks and chanting "Eternal Life in Nanjing" in their baby voices, just like the audience in the movie.

The wife held her husband's arm, listening to him recount the stories behind each achievement with great familiarity, her face filled with a gentle smile.

Someone took out their phone to record this lively scene. When the camera panned across the screen, everyone, young and old, men and women alike, gave a thumbs-up in unison, their smiles brighter than the evening breeze in May.

Meanwhile, the citizens of Beiping who came to watch the excitement and the fans of celebrities quickly gathered. Liu Yifei, Jay Chou and Mei Yanfang had the most fans. Other fans, such as Su Chang, Hu Ge and even Bao Qiang, also came to the scene, taking advantage of the May Day holiday to see if there was an opportunity to get autographs and take photos.

Of course, there were fans and scalpers who tried to buy the bracelets at high prices, but they were all firmly refused.

Let alone the thoughtfulness and respect that Wenjie Holdings shows to all its employees and their families, the recognition of everyone's contributions and the benefits it provides, and the sense of corporate honor it brings, we wouldn't sell it even if it were for tonight's grand prize of a house in Beiping!
Beijing is unusually lively tonight.

Besides the carnival at the Workers' Stadium, Huayi's core employees also had a dinner party at the hotel, where the two Wangs were preparing to paint a picture of the company's IPO.

Meanwhile, DreamWorks' "Kung Fu Panda" was released nationwide in mainland China, attracting many viewers and animation film enthusiasts who came specifically to see it.

Around 7 p.m., the stands at the Beiping Workers' Stadium, which can accommodate more than 60,000 people, were turned into a boiling blue sea by 30,000 Wenjie employees and their families.

The event will be exclusively broadcast live on Wenjie Video and Travel Channel.

The central stage is designed around the concept of a "giant ship breaking through the waves." A 360° circular LED screen with a diameter of 30 meters forms the main structure of the ship, while retractable sail-shaped secondary screens extend from both sides. Combined with a 1200-unit digitally controlled lighting matrix suspended from the top, the entire venue is illuminated as if it were daytime.

Twelve Barco 4K laser projectors projected a dynamic starry sky onto the stadium's dome, which complemented the 2000-meter LED light strip laid on the ground.

A 10-meter-wide special effects area was set up at the front of the stage, with dry ice fog machines and cold fireworks systems on standby. Meanwhile, the L-Acoustics line array speakers surrounding the entire venue were playing a mashup of the intro to "Seven Mile Fragrance," and the sound pressure made the seats vibrate slightly.

Three aerial cameras traversed the steel cable, capturing the cheers of each formation in real time.

Before the show even started, everyone was already doing the human wave.

At 7:30 sharp, the music in the venue suddenly stopped, and then all the lights went out and then the backlight came on instantly, and the official documentary "The Great Ship Sets Sail" began to play on the big screen.

A voice-over narration begins:
The year was 2001, and Chinese cinema was in a slump, with total box office revenue of less than 900 million yuan and domestic film production of less than 100 films per year.

That year, a young man came to the Zhongguancun Silicon Valley Computer City in Beiping.

A low-resolution video clip appeared on the screen, recorded by Zhuang Xu, who helped Lu Kuan register his company. In the video, a "young" Lu Kuan waved to the camera.

"Senior brother, stop taking pictures and help me sweep the floor."

"I'll clean your head, you're paying your rent, and you expect me to do your cleaning?"

The 30,000 employees and their families present burst into laughter, all watching with great interest the richest man in mainland China in 2001.

Comments flew wildly across the screen:
"The washing machine is not even 30 years old this year, damn, it feels like it's been arrogant for a long time."

"The washing machines back then were so rudimentary, they looked so damn cool, no wonder Sisi, who's all about looks, liked them."

"Why did he look like a rich man when he first started his business? His demeanor seems unchanged over the years."

It must be said that even at that time, he was still dressed properly in trousers and a shirt, looking nothing like a young man who had just decided to move to Beijing.

This is the outfit I bought with Zhou Xun and Jiang Qinqin when I was on the set of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" in Wuxi.

Lu Kuan walked closer in the video: "An employee will be coming for an interview later. He's a law master's student from Renmin University, so we need to clean up properly. We can't be too shabby."

Someone not shown in the shot exclaimed in surprise: "What? How did your shell company manage to scam such a high-achieving student?"

A soft chuckle rippled through the room. The elderly people present, including Long Danni, Yang Siwei, and Dong Shuangqiang, all knew who this person was, as well as Liu Yifei.

A short-haired girl knocked on the door and came in, curiously looking around at the consulting firm that seemed to have just been established.

Yes, at that time it was registered as a business consulting company; otherwise, this top law student wouldn't have submitted his resume.

"Hello, is this Wenjie? May I ask who is Mr. Lu Kuan, the general manager?"

The girl looked curiously at Zhuang Xu, who was holding the camera. Boss Lu, who came out of the restroom to wash his hands, smiled and walked over to shake hands: "Welcome, please sit down. Are you Sun Wenwen?"

The image was slightly blurry, and then the interview began, but the process was clearly not pleasant.

Until the girl blurted out on screen, "This isn't a consulting firm? You're making movies? Aren't they scammers?"

Everyone burst into laughter again, watching as Boss Lu, sitting opposite her, leaned on the table with an air of authority, seemingly trying to persuade her.

The following image has been blurred, so the specific content is not visible.

In the end, this high-achieving student stayed.

Liu Xiaoli, sitting in the front row, turned her head and whispered, "Qianqian, what did Xiaolu say to her?"

"It's probably one of those mystical nonsense stories; he's always lying." Xiao Liu covered her mouth and chuckled, thinking of Sun Wenwen, who was far away in North America.

Inside a luxury mansion in Los Angeles, North America, Wenwen Sun, the Chinese-American vice president of Twitter, looked at her younger self on the screen and felt a pang of emotion.

She picked up the message that Boss Lu had sent her last night, her eyes reddening.

[Remember to watch the annual meeting tomorrow. You'll always be the number 2 employee at Wenjie. After the Olympics, you can come back whenever you want.]

In 2001, Wenjie was founded.

The "Worldview Chronicle" on the screen continues, mostly featuring footage and live clips of the company's development.

On the set of "Whiplash".

"Liu Yifei!" Lu Kuan sneered, "Then why don't you just cry? Do you still remember what a character's action chain is? Do you remember what the progression of emotions is?"

"Cry? Go cry somewhere else! Don't get in my way!"

The screen was already filled with comments like "street dog" and "feel sorry for Xixi," and the Wenjie employees on site were also watching the behind-the-scenes footage with great interest.

The 20-year-old Berlin Film Festival Best Actress once broke down in tears at the age of 15 after being reprimanded by a tyrant on a film set.

Liu Yifei, sitting in the audience, watched these scenes with deep emotion, as if it were a lifetime ago.

Feng Yuanzheng, Jay Chou, Huang Bo, every artist who has worked with the company has appeared on camera, along with Ning Hao, who was in charge of photography at the time, and Tian Zhuangzhuang, who served as producer and provided support.

When Mr. Lu raised the Golden Lion trophy in Venice and proudly proclaimed, "Today I am the King of Venice!" the entire audience erupted in applause!

The screen gradually went black, and a string of subtitles lit up:
Wenjie, which was called a fraudulent company by employee number 2, produced its first feature film, "Whiplash," in 2002. It won the Golden Lion and Best Actor awards at the Venice Film Festival and grossed 4800 million yuan at the Chinese box office, ranking first that year.

At that time, young directors pioneered a marketing strategy that penetrated into second- and third-tier cities. Coupled with the traffic-generating effect of major awards, they began to make a name for themselves in the mainland film industry.

The promotional video was concise and appropriate, followed by "Chinese Paladin" starring Liu Yifei and Hu Ge, and "Crazy Stone" starring Ning Hao, Huang Bo, Wang Baoqiang and others.

Both Xiao Liu and Hu Ge became instant stars, achieving top ratings in mainland China.

Crazy Stone became a dark horse, sweeping across the country with a budget of less than 600 million yuan.

In 2002, the total box office revenue in mainland China was 9.3 million yuan, with Wenjie Holdings accounting for 6%.

In 2003, "Shoplifters" won the Jury Prize and Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival, and sparked a tearjerker storm in mainland China.

Following its success in film marketing last year, Wenjie acquired a stake in Focus Media, thus becoming the king of offline promotion.

The first subsidiary was established.

Ning Hao and Xue Xiaolu stepped into the spotlight one after another, and together with "Crazy Racer" and "Love is Not Blind", they ignited the market.

In 2003, the total box office revenue in mainland China was 10 billion yuan, with Wenjie Holdings accounting for 11%.

Then a voice-over says: In April 2003, Butian Pictures was founded.

The second subsidiary of Wenjie Holdings, this behemoth of a company, has been established, which is a crucial step in laying the groundwork for the next major work, "Alien Realm".

As 2004 arrived, the film's background music suddenly became more rousing.

The screen flashed footage of the filming of "A Home Away From Home," showing Liu Yifei and Yuan Heping's martial arts training. Exhausted after being suspended by wires for seven or eight hours, they made their ever-present peace sign to the behind-the-scenes camera.

Leonardo DiCaprio was being silly, and assistant director Justin Lin was asking Lu Kuan some questions about special effects. All the way up to the film's premiere in the non-competition section at Cannes, the entire audience stood up and applauded!
After a flurry of exciting anecdotes, came a letter of appeal written by Lu Kuan on his blog:
Let me share a number with you all. There are still 5 days left before "Alien Land" is taken off the shelves nationwide, and we are still 3.59 million away from breaking the record of 700 million!
We are very weak. Our film industry, talent pool and number of screens cannot compete with Hollywood.

But we are also strong. We have the oldest and most splendid culture, the most movie-loving audience, and the most magnificent market!
Here, on behalf of the "Alien Land" crew, I would like to appeal to everyone. If you have the ability, willingness and time to contribute to "Alien Land", please go to the cinema again.

2005 marked the th anniversary of Chinese cinema.

The day is the day to avenge our defeat!

Then came the initiative spearheaded by Liu Yifei, who appeared on camera holding a blank sheet of paper with the words "Go China Film! Go 'A Home Away'!" written on it.

Zhou Xun, Fan Bingbing, Huang Xiaoming, Zhang Jizhong, Feng Yuanzheng, Su Chang, Li Binbin, and countless other celebrities and directors in the Chinese entertainment industry have spontaneously called for people to go to the cinema to watch the film.

The rest is history.

That year's co-production "A Home Away From Home" swept the world, winning the World Film Week box office champion, breaking the record held by the Chinese people, and becoming the highest-grossing film in Chinese film history. The record of 3.61 million yuan remains unbroken to this day!

In 2004, the mainland box office reached 18 billion yuan, with Wen Jie's "A Home Too Far" together with Ning Hao's "Crazy Journey" and Xue Xiaolu's "You Are the Apple of My Eye" taking in 4.6 million yuan.

It accounts for 26%!

从2002年的6%，2003年的11%，一直到《英雄》引领的商业大潮来临时把这个数字提高到26%。

In 2004, Wenjie Holdings surged ahead, already showing the beginnings of its current status as a massive aircraft carrier.

Amid the clamor and throngs of 30,000 spectators at the Workers' Stadium, the screen suddenly flashed back to that ordinary winter afternoon in 2001.

Liu Xiaoli, sitting in the audience, suddenly opened her eyes wide, as if this official documentary about the world was about to answer her questions.

In the simple office, the young director stood up and said to Sun Wenwen, "How can a film company be a fraudulent company? The present does not represent the future."

"You can take a look. In one year, two years, or at most by 2004, the total box office of Chinese films will definitely exceed 15 billion."

"And us!"

He pointed passionately to the "Quest for the Boundary" sign at the entrance: "You and I, and countless comrades who are about to join us, will all be creators of history!"

"We will become the greatest film company and even the world's greatest cultural media group!"

"Go, Wenjie!"

Someone stood up and shouted, and the entire audience erupted in thunderous applause.

Amidst the passionate yet nostalgic music, many female employees were moved to tears.

Those flashback scenes reflect the burning youth of everyone over the past eight years.

The veteran employees of Wenjie Film and Television clenched their fists, recalling the days when they carried film materials and traveled all over third- and fourth-tier cities, and the days when they ate steamed buns on the steps of the county cinema in preparation for discussing profit sharing in the afternoon.

As the middle-aged core members of the operations department looked at the box office figures jumping on the screen, the image of the mountains of express delivery slips piled up in the office while they were checking the copies of shipping documents all night long flashed before their eyes.
The girls in the finance department smiled at each other, their fingertips still bearing the tactile sensation of manual bookkeeping from years ago. Now, the system handles nearly ten-figure sums of cash flow.

Even the youngest intern in the administration department had tears in his eyes. The stack of yellowed rental contracts that his seniors had shown him during his onboarding training were now transformed into a dazzling torrent of data on the giant LED screen.

Everyone simultaneously saw their own reflection in this string of numbers:

Those meeting minutes at 3 a.m., the grains of sand in the lunchboxes on set, and the bus that broke down during the roadshow all became the waves that lifted this aircraft carrier.

When the comparison chart of the total box office of 18 billion yuan and the 4.6 million yuan share exploded on the screen, the entire Workers' Stadium echoed with sobs that had been suppressed for many years.

As Mr. Lu said, they are not bystanders of history, but dream weavers who have touched every frame of film with their fingerprints.

They are the creators of Wenjie Holdings, and they are the creators of Chinese cinema!
This eighth-anniversary celebration, aimed at boosting morale and inspiring progress, seemed to stir people's emotions from the very beginning.

The other guests, including representatives from domestic entertainment companies, China Film Group, the Film Bureau, and city leaders, couldn't help but nod in approval.

This is the spirit of a large enterprise; this is the cohesion of a top company.

And the one who led all of this is sitting in the audience, smiling as he watches the glorious journey unfold.

Leveraging the huge profits from "Alien Land" and the established North American distribution channels, Wenjie Jiahe, Travel Channel, and Wenjie Mall were successively incorporated into its business.

Starting in 2004, Wenjie embarked on a path of unparalleled dominance in the Chinese entertainment industry.

The wonderful stories of all Wenjie employees on the screen continue. After the promotional video ends, Boss Lu takes the stage to give a speech.

But the two Wangs from Huayi, who were about to have their dinner party, couldn't stand it anymore.

"Brother, let's go eat first. I'll have Xiao Li keep an eye on any news from them later."

Why would these two have nothing better to do than sit in front of their computers and watch the propaganda activities and live video streams of the powerful "one superpower" in the "one superpower and many strong powers" scenario?
It's all because of Boss Lu, that short-sighted guy, who announced before the eighth anniversary celebration that he would be announcing news that would affect the company and the industry's development for the next ten years.

They were panicking!

"Let's go, no matter what happens, we have to get through this first." Wang Dajun stood up leisurely, straightened his suit, and walked out of the private room with his younger brother, looking very confident.

The large tables next door are where Huayi's core shareholders are having their dinner today.

"Mr. Wang!"

Dajun and Xiaolei were having a passionate conversation at the dinner table when Secretary Li, who had just taken over the task and was sitting in front of the computer, rushed over, looking panicked.

(End of this chapter)