Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 437 Fame Brings Trouble (Bonus Chapter for Silver Boss [Legend from the Deep Sea])
After leaving Huayi, Liu Yifei and her entourage went straight to the Beiping Notary Office to complete the final procedures for the equity transfer.

This is a firewall procedure provided by Wenjie Legal Services to remove the loose ends of this battle.

Because the law requires disclosure to all shareholders, the news that Huayi voluntarily relinquished 10% of its equity spread quickly and soon reached the ears of other companies that were paying attention to the matter.

Aside from the sighs and lamentations of their two staunch allies, Old Ma and Deng Wendi, all the internet and film companies that had previously tacitly participated in the "Questioning the World Movement" felt a sense of unease.

They weren't afraid of getting burned by the fire; after all, they had only privately hired some online trolls to exaggerate the situation and then watched from the sidelines, never daring to be the first to speak out.

They can't be caught red-handed and cruelly stripped naked and dragged around on the ground like Huayi did.

The business world is like a battlefield. There's almost no need to guess who these companies watching from the sidelines are; simply executing them according to an arithmetic sequence won't result in too many innocent victims.

For example, there are fiber optics and Berna, which have almost formed an alliance to support each other, certain internet portals, and even Baidu, who is a member of the Taishan Club like Ma Yun.

Baidu's way of supporting its allies is even simpler: when ordinary people search for questions like "Is Lu Kuan a hypocritical capitalist?", it simply prioritizes negative answers and answers from paid trolls.

This is also the norm in the operation of society. The reason why enterprises are called legal persons is because those in power must set aside the emotional factors of natural persons and consider issues from the perspective of the company's strategic development.

Where are there so many good people who will stand together through thick and thin and help each other out? Lu Kuan has only managed to bind his domestic and foreign allies with shared interests so that they won't stab him in the back.

Just as a time-traveling "Princess Revenge" was unfolding on Xinyuan South Road, Wanda's headquarters on Jianguo Road also welcomed several distinguished guests, forcing Wang Jianlin to personally greet them at the elevator entrance.

Today, Liu Chuanzhi, Lu Zhiqiang, Li Yanhong, and others from the Taishan Association are visiting.

In terms of "generational groups", since the reform and opening up, China has roughly experienced four eras of entrepreneurs: the 1984 generation, the 1992 generation, the 1999 generation, and the 2015 generation.

As one of the top private financial groups in China, the Taishan Club undoubtedly stands out in the country today, and Chairman Liu himself is one of the very few who has consistently remained consistent across these four groups of entrepreneurs.

The reason they visited Wanda at this time was because Lao Wang invited them to participate in a small project as Wanda officially began its transformation.

Since the financial crisis first emerged in early 2008, Wang Jianlin has made several important strategic decisions.

For example, the relocation of the headquarters from Dalian to Beiping, with the new headquarters along Chang'an Avenue being significantly more impressive than the headquarters building of Wenjie Holdings, signifies that Wang Jianlin is officially leading local enterprises to transform into international giants.

Also in that year, Wang Jianlin organized the establishment of the predecessor of "Beiping Wanda Cultural Industry Group" within the company to integrate businesses such as cinema chains and film and television production, laying the foundation for the subsequent layout of the entire industry chain.

This is the main area where Wanda and Wenjie are fiercely competing in the cinema business.

The third point, and also the most important strategic decision for Wanda Group, whose core business is real estate, is to lead the company to transform from commercial real estate to integrated cultural tourism development.

This strategic decision, which has far-reaching implications, was made against the backdrop of the rise of tourism real estate in China, local governments supporting tourism as a pillar industry, and traditional residential real estate being significantly affected by macro-control policies.

Wanda Group, through its "order-based model," has partnered with multiple private enterprises to rapidly acquire land and diversify risks. This is also a key reason why he invited Chairman Liu and others to visit and provide guidance today.

The now-famous "Changbai Mountain Tourism Project," a landmark move in Wanda's transformation, has entered the "group buying phase."

Old Wang extended a group-buying invitation to several members of the Taishan Club, one of the top private conglomerates in China.

In the early stages of this 200 billion yuan project that later took shape, a total of seven private capital entities were involved:
Wanda, Lianxiang, Oceanwide, Giant, Elion, Liaoning Yifang, and Yonyou.

Among them, Liu Chuanzhi's Lianxiang, Lu Zhiqiang's Oceanwide, Shi Yuzhu's Giant, and Wang Wenjing's Yonyou were all member companies of the Taishan Club. However, Shi Yuzhu later withdrew due to financial difficulties, and Lianxiang's shares were sold to its sister company Oceanwide.

The other two companies are not formal members, but they are close partners.

Liu Chuanzhi, Lu Zhiqiang, and others accepted the invitation to visit in person. Besides being interested in this tourism real estate project, they also wanted to assess whether Comrade Wang Jianlin had the willingness and potential to be recruited into the organization.

In May, Beijing was already feeling the heat, and the Wanda headquarters building on Jianguo Road gleamed with a dazzling glassy sheen under the sunlight.

Wang Jianlin, dressed in a dark gray suit with a tie tied meticulously, stood personally at the entrance of the building's first floor to wait. He glanced at his watch; it was exactly 10:00 AM, the agreed time was exactly as scheduled.

Several black Audis slowly drove into the square. The license plates of the lead vehicle were clearly privileged, starting with the Beijing A8 license plate. The car doors opened one after another, and several key figures from the Taishan Club appeared.
Liu Chuanzhi walked at the front. Although he was over sixty years old, he was still very energetic, and his eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses were as sharp as a hawk's.

Following closely behind was Lu Zhiqiang of Oceanwide Holdings, who was slightly overweight and had a warm smile, a stark contrast to Liu Chuanzhi's imposing demeanor.

In contrast, the young and handsome Baidu president Li Yanhong is somewhat out of place. This overseas returnee is more of an idol in terms of both temperament and appearance.

Online, some people have been comparing him to Lu Kuan, because both are young, handsome, and wealthy idols.

However, the story of Li Yanhong and his wife Ma Dongmin achieving success in both love and career has always been a popular tale online.

Li Yanhong, then a senior researcher at the Silicon Valley search engine company Infoseek, succeeded in starting his own business with the help of Ma Dongmin. From the start-up capital and connections with key partners to even the "pay-per-click" model, it all came from the latter's suggestion.

In contrast, Lu Kuan, who is younger, more handsome, richer, and more charming, generates more buzz due to his industry.

However, in the past year, with the establishment of his relationship with his girlfriend Liu Yifei, he seems to have turned over a new leaf, leaving many fans who saw him as a substitute disappointed.

"President Liu, General Manager Lu, General Manager Li, welcome to Wanda for guidance."

Liu Chuanzhi nodded slightly, a seasoned smile playing on his lips, his right hand lightly resting on the third button of his suit jacket: "Mr. Wang, you're too kind. We're mainly here to learn from your experience and witness the history and style of Wanda!"

Old Wang modestly replied, "How dare I!"

Knowing his old partner's purpose today, Lu Zhiqiang lowered his stance and played along: "Old Liu said that to dare to move the company from Dalian to Beijing at this time and still have a global vision, President Wang's courage is first-rate!"

Liu Chuanzhi laughed and said, "The most important thing is that Jianlin's company is still called Dalian Wanda. This shows he doesn't forget his roots and is a man of character!"

As the two business tycoons' comments unfolded, Lao Wang's smile gradually widened, but he knew better than anyone else that some polite words were best taken with a grain of salt.

They all have a purpose.

"Please come in, gentlemen! It's extremely impolite to speak at the door."

Liu Chuanzhi politely declined, and the three top entrepreneurs from the Taishan Club, accompanied by Wang Jianlin, toured Wanda's headquarters with great interest.

The model display area showcased their commercial complex project, while the cultural strategy exhibition hall displayed an organizational chart. The slogan on the wall of the executive office area, "Leave no way out, only then can you find a way forward," drew exclamations of admiration from Liu Chuanzhi.

"Jianlin, you truly live up to your military background; this is the management imprint you left during your time in the army!"

Before Wang Jianlin could offer his usual words of modesty, Liu Chuanzhi sighed again, "Speaking of which, Ma Yun also introduced a General Manager Wang to the association. Like you, Jianlin, he also comes from a military background and is exceptionally talented."

"What a pity..."

Wang Jianlin paused, knowing that the entanglement between Huayi Brothers, the second largest film company in China, and Wenjie, the largest, had been going on for the past week, including the "treaty of surrender" that had just been reported that morning.

This is an utter disgrace!
Why would Liu Chuanzhi mention these things in front of him?
Wang Jianlin, shrewd and cunning, simply pushed the topic back: "I can hardly be considered exceptionally talented. The fact that I've built the company to its current state through hard work and perseverance is already the limit of my abilities."

"If I could learn more, I would have to learn from you highly respected seniors."

Lu Zhiqiang and Li Yanhong exchanged a glance, thinking to themselves that Wang Jianlin was cunning. The usually gentle and refined CEO of Baidu spoke for the first time, aside from the initial greeting:
“Mr. Wang, you’re in real estate, you don’t have any connection with Wenjie or that Mr. Lu.”

"However, those of us in the internet industry can't afford to ignore the developments at Zhijie these days."

Wang Jianlin continued to feign ignorance: "I've heard a lot about Mr. Lu. He's been a local bigwig in Beijing for seven or eight years, with businesses all over China and the US."

“We, Dalian Wanda, are like country bumpkins coming to the city; we haven’t had the opportunity to visit and learn from them yet.”

Old Wang also secretly tasted the saltiness with his chopsticks: "More than a year ago, this Mr. Lu spent more than 300 billion to acquire Netflix, which, along with Chairman Liu's previous acquisition of IBM's PC division, is called a source of national pride. Such boldness is something that Wanda can't even come close to."

This is a way of testing Liu Chuanzhi's attitude by comparing a young man under thirty to a business leader in his sixties.

Wang Jianlin could deduce from his attitude toward Wenjie and Lukuan what Chairman Liu's purpose was in suddenly mentioning Huayi.

Liu Chuanzhi was clearly not as shallow as Wang Jianlin had imagined. Instead, he went along with Wang Jianlin's words and said, "Lu Kuan is quite good. To be able to build a company to this level from scratch is truly remarkable."

"But he is still a bit young, and one issue is that he hasn't paid much attention to public opinion, which is a major weakness if he wants to seek a position within the system in the future."

"Secondly, they are still too closed off and unwilling to communicate and cooperate with their peers. Look at the mess they made with Huayi this time, it didn't look good at all!"

Liu Chuanzhi's mixed evaluation, though seemingly positive, is not entirely unobjective.

From Wang Jianlin's perspective, the current Chairman Liu is the Vice Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions and a representative of the National People's Congress, while Lu Kuan is merely a representative of the arts and culture sector from several sessions of the Consultative Conference.

The former is a leader who has been at the forefront of private enterprises in China since the reform and opening up. As for his mention of seeking a position, it is simply him speaking his mind.

In a 2013 interview with Enterprise, he frankly stated his three major expectations for reform by the authorities:
First, private entrepreneurs need to clearly define their legal status;
Secondly, it is necessary to protect private property;
Third, there should be clear market rules and fewer approvals required.

Those who have read Ma Yun's speech at the Bund Financial Summit in Shanghai should find this argument extremely familiar and shocking.

But in this era where the Nanfang faction is all the rage and the market faction sits high on its pedestal, Chairman Liu's rhetoric is resounding and powerful.

Would Wang Jianlin find this strange?

Not at all.

Furthermore, he himself was elected as a standing committee member of the consultative conference in 2008. Liu Chuanzhi's approach is the common path of progress for private entrepreneurs in this era.

Therefore, in Lao Wang's view, Chairman Liu's evaluation of Lu Kuan was very objective.

The latter's exceptional talent is undeniable, but he did not pay much attention to his reputation until he became the chief director of the Olympics in the last two years, at which point he seemed to have become more discreet.

Perhaps this is the downside of young people suddenly rising to high positions.

After this exchange of witty remarks, Wang Jianlin had already gained a preliminary understanding of the purpose of the group's visit.

Clearly, in addition to the Changbai Mountain project, Chairman Liu harbors special expectations for himself.

After the visit, Wang Jianlin invited the three to his office for a discussion.

As soon as Liu Chuanzhi, Lu Zhiqiang, and others entered, a young man of average build and appearance was sitting behind Wang Jianlin's computer, frantically clicking the mouse.

"Si Cong! What are you doing?" Wang Jianlin's tone was stern, which was his consistent approach to educating his children, even with outsiders present.

Wang Sicong is the same age as Liu Yifei, just turned 20 this year, and is still studying in the Department of Philosophy at the University of London. Seeing his father's unfriendly look, he quickly pressed Alt+F4 to close the Warcraft interface.

He recently saw an RPG map called Dota on HaoFang and found it very interesting, and he's become somewhat addicted to it.

"Dad, hello uncles, please chat."

"Wait a minute! No manners! Don't you know how to greet people?"

Despite Wang Jianlin's criticisms, I still need to introduce my son, since we'll be relying on him for the future of this large family business.

"President Liu, President Lu, President Li, this is my son, Si Cong. He's been a bit unprofessional, so please excuse him."

Liu and Lu nodded with smiles. Li Yanhong joked, "This isn't considered neglecting one's proper duties. Do you expect everyone to be like Lu Kuan, founding Wenjie at the age of 20?"

Wang Sicong smiled on the surface, but cursed inwardly.

He was far from being a brainless second-generation rich kid, and he could naturally tell that Li Yanhong's words were not unfounded. But why are you using me, the young master, as a scapegoat?
You're so high and mighty! You're so great! You can praise me to death all you want, why are you belittling me?
Once my Weibo account is established, I'll find a chance to roast you, you idiot!
Wang Sicong politely said hello and left, after which everyone in the office began to have an in-depth discussion about the Changbai Mountain project.

The man was interested, and the woman was interested; the meeting went relatively smoothly.

Furthermore, Wanda has indeed done a good job in all aspects. This type of group-buying project allows partners to share the risks, which is considered very high-quality in the real estate industry.

As lunchtime approached, the host, Wang Jianlin, naturally couldn't neglect his guests and hosted a banquet for the three members of the Taishan Club at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, which is also located along Chang'an Avenue.

Of those present, only Li Yanhong was a CEO with a background in programming. Having grown up under the influence of Western business culture, he wasn't particularly interested in baijiu (Chinese liquor).

The remaining three are all top-notch fighters.

For Chinese people, discussing matters over drinks has been a tradition since ancient times.

Amidst the clinking of glasses and the exchange of toasts, people are most likely to let their guard down; after a few rounds of drinks, even their brows are brimming with wisdom.

The hesitation of fingertips when raising a glass can measure the depth of sincerity; the shifting of chopsticks when offering food can reveal the weighing of benefits and losses.

Just like Liu Chuanzhi at that time.

“Jianlin, the Changbai Mountain tourism real estate is a good project. The Taishan Club will give it its full support. You don’t need to worry too much about the local area or the relationship with Beiping.”

"There's actually another issue I'd like to discuss with you today, which is also an internal matter of our organization, concerning Ma Yun of Ali."

Wang Jianlin put down his wine glass, looked at the business leader with a smile, and knew that the real show was about to begin.

The highly respected president sighed slightly. When the glasses gleamed with the light of wine, the sharp glint in his eyes became even clearer: "Ali, Wendy Deng, and Huayi have been getting very close in the past two years. Relying on the booming domestic film industry, they have started a business alliance that covers film and television works, the Internet, and e-commerce."

"Jianlin probably already knows about the news that came out this morning. I won't go into the reasons, but it's true that Huayi has suffered a heavy blow."

"Old Lu and I came here today because Wanda is also involved in the film and television media industry. We would like to ask you for advice on how to help Huayi overcome its difficulties."

These were polite words, but Wang Jianlin knew that this so-called consultation was not about asking him to give advice without any real thought; it meant that he would definitely have to personally participate in the battle.

"President Liu, Hua Yi shouldn't be a member of the Taishan Club, right? Or do you have some connection with that General Manager Wang who used to be a reconnaissance soldier?"

Wang Dajun joined the Taishan Club in later generations, but that was after Huayi went public.

On this day in 2008, the only one who could prompt Liu Chuanzhi to personally intervene would certainly not be the second-largest player in the industry.

"We don't have much connection with Huayi, we just really admire Wang Dajun, mainly because of Lao Ma, sigh!"

Lu Zhiqiang took over and explained, "It's Ma Yun who's in a rather difficult situation right now."

"Three years ago, he originally planned to just invest in Huayi Brothers and that was it. But as the domestic film industry grew, and with the sales of that TV series called 'Struggle,' he saw the potential for Taobao to cooperate with Huayi Brothers."

"In addition, with the joint venture between Deng Wendi and the internet industry such as Weibo, there have been three share issuances in the past few years. The sunk costs are too high, and now it is too late to recover."

"We, the Taishan Club, have always been like brothers, helping each other. Just like when Lao Shi was struggling with the unfinished Giant Building project, everyone helped him, which enabled him to make a comeback with Brain Gold."

Lu Zhiqiang paused for a moment, then formally stated on behalf of Liu Chuanzhi: "Jianlin, we would like to invite you to formally join the Taishan Club. In addition, let's see if we can take this opportunity to achieve a win-win situation for you and Ma Yun and slightly reverse the current situation of Huayi."

Wang Jianlin sneered inwardly. They talked about the Changbai Mountain project in the morning, and about joining the association and getting Ma Yun out of trouble in the afternoon. It seemed that they were determined to have him figured out.

Both Liu and Lu were wealthy and shrewd businessmen, adept at forming alliances and networking based on resources.

Their purpose in this trip was twofold: first, to lure Wang Jianlin into joining the association by using the Changbai Mountain project, thereby strengthening their own organization;
Secondly, by helping Ma Yun out of her predicament and Huayi's successful listing, Taishan Club aimed to acquire shares in Ali, which is the same as what Chairman Liu mentioned earlier, who proposed to Ma Yun that Ali be used as a platform for its sister companies.

While it's true that this move was a case of using someone else's flowers to present to Buddha, Chairman Liu's use of the Changbai Mountain project to restrain Wang Jianlin and Huayi's predicament to restrain Ma Yun demonstrates a remarkable grasp of timing and tactics.

The Biluochun tea in the blue-and-white porcelain cup had cooled, and a layer of fine golden hairs floated on the surface of the tea soup, just like the thoughts surging in Wang Jianlin's eyes at this moment.

His knuckles unconsciously rubbed the tablecloth, unable to suppress the throbbing in his temples.

"This is a major issue, not a choice we can make right now," Wang Jianlin said in a deep voice. "Besides, what can Wanda do? Huayi's disadvantages are far greater than Wenjie's. Wanda has no directors, no works, so how can it help Huayi?"

“You have a cinema chain, the cinema chain with the highest output per screen in the country, and you are undoubtedly the leader among private cinema chains. It will take some time for Wenjie to catch up with you.”

Liu Chuanzhi spoke calmly, as if he were talking about a trivial matter: "I propose that Wanda use its cinema chains as a valuation to invest in Huayi. They have actors, directors, and works, and you will be responsible for supplementing the most important link: cinema chains."

"Ma Yun's biggest concern now is whether Huayi can achieve its goal of becoming the first listed film and television company in mainland China by the time Wenjie also announces its listing. Otherwise, its valuation will be greatly reduced."

Wang Jianlin showed a perfectly timed expression of surprise as he watched Liu Chuanzhi slowly and methodically peel open a Yangcheng Lake drunken crab. Lu Zhiqiang and Li Yanhong both smiled at him, as if expecting some kind of response.

Old Wang pondered deeply. He had originally thought that Liu Chuanzhi was going to make an exorbitant demand for the Changbai Mountain project and ask him to step in and fight with Wenjie to get Ma Yun out of trouble.

But his suggestion wasn't obviously unfair, was it?

The film industry is now being called the aircraft carrier of the cultural and media industry, but in essence, the film industry, as the core of the industrial chain, still needs to let its works speak for themselves.

Wenjie boasts a top-tier commercial film director team centered around Lu Kuan, internet promotion channels, and cinema resources ranking fifth nationwide (second among private cinemas).

This covers the basic components of a film, from filming to release and promotion.

What if Wanda and Huayi merge?

The champion of the Lunar New Year film season in the past six months was Huayi Brothers' "Assembly". This year's "If You Are the One" is obviously another commercial film with strong product placement and profitability.

Internet promotion and derivative product monetization have led to Ali and Alispace.

Needless to say, Huayi's cinema resources are a given. In the past two years, Huayi has focused its additional funds on developing its own cinema chain. Combined with Wanda's existing resources, wouldn't it be far ahead of the competition?
As for special effects and actors, they are not the deciding factors in the outcome of local wars.

Didn't Wenjie's film also approach Zhou Xun? Does that mean that if Huayi had a universally acclaimed good project and invited Liu Yifei, she would absolutely refuse?
For the producers of a top-tier project, disagreement is also the actor's own loss.

With Wanda's support, Huayi has a good chance of breaking through its current slump, truly approaching and catching up with Wenjie, and even going public as scheduled.

This is a win-win situation for Ma Yun and Wang Jianlin. If Huayi is included, it becomes a win-win-win situation. However, the latter will have to continue to give up company shares and make concessions on the shareholding ratio.

But for the two kings now, especially those who had experienced the extreme humiliation of the morning, this cup of poisoned wine, which was like drinking poison to quench their thirst, was clearly something they were willing to drink.

The waiter quietly removed the cold dishes, and the boiled cabbage in the soup was unfolded like a lotus in the jade bowl. Wang Jianlin stared at the swaying scallop shreds on the surface of the soup and hesitated for a moment.

He was considering the risks.

Because once they enter the fray, the seemingly peaceful, gentlemanly competition between Wanda and Wenjie over cinema construction will turn into a brutal, head-on battle against Lukuan and Wenjie, after Wanda and Wenjie become allies.

After this incident, it's clear that future interactions between the two sides will be tinged with tension.

Liu Chuanzhi, being shrewd and calculating, began to gently persuade the deep-thinking Wanda boss, dispelling his doubts: "Jianlin, you can reconsider the pros and cons of this matter. We're just acting as intermediaries to see if we can help our brother company get some benefits, and at the same time, we'll connect you with other companies. It's a win-win situation!"

Seeing that Wang Jianlin remained silent, he pressed on, saying, "Regardless of whether the cooperation succeeds or not, we sincerely invite you to join the Taishan Club."

"Just like when Ah Li's Ma Yun had a problem this time, everyone helped mobilize the resources at hand to solve it. Even now, we have some small problems and need Lao Lu's help. It's the same principle."

Wang Jianlin was unwilling to give any clear indication of his intentions at the dinner table, so he feigned curiosity and asked, "What happened to Chairman Liu?"

Liu Chuanzhi waved his hand and laughed, "There are no outsiders here, so I'll just say it directly. In short, the preparations are almost complete."

"Since last year, Lao Lu has been gradually selling his shares in Minsheng Bank, preparing to further enhance the revolutionary friendship between our two companies in this Lianxiang shareholding reform."

Wang Jianlin tapped the chopsticks on the edge of the bone plate with a light touch, and the perennial frown line between his brows suddenly deepened!
He wants to privatize it!
This has almost entered a deep water zone that private entrepreneurs cannot touch, let alone a company that has attracted national attention.

Chairman Liu's "ambitions" are a bit too grand.

Indeed, the highly respected Liu Chuanzhi is now using the privatization process of Lianxiang as bait to lure Wang Jianlin. The model project showcasing the unity within the Taishan Club is the privatization of Lianxiang.

Starting in 2007, Oceanwide Holdings cashed out RMB 45.3 billion worth of shares in China Minsheng Bank through Lu Zhiqiang.

What will Mr. Lu do with all this money?
Just before 2009, Lu Zhiqiang suddenly announced that he had acquired 29% of the shares of Lianxiang Group from Guoke Holdings for 27.55 billion yuan, becoming its third largest shareholder;
Subsequently, 9.6% of Lianxiang's shares were transferred to five individuals, including Liu Chuanzhi, and finally, the Lenovo Employee Stock Ownership Association transferred 9.5% of the shares to Oceanwide Holdings. The complex and intricate capital transfer process will not be detailed here, but the final result is—

Lian thought that from now on, his surname would be Liu.

This matter did not attract widespread questioning at the time. It was not until later, when Lianxiang's "trade-industry-technology" was in fact defeated by Huawei's "technology-industry-trade", coupled with the unequal treatment that Academician Ni Guangnan suffered, that the old matter was brought up again and the public reheated it like a hot dish.

This meal was ultimately both wonderful and difficult.

But none of those present were greenhorns in the business world. Liu, Lu, and Li Yanhong, who joined today, did not rush things, giving Lao Wang time and space to think things through.

Wang Jianlin adopts a very humble attitude, but remains tight-lipped on core matters, not even uttering a single polite word.

This reflects his military character and style, making him unique among mainland entrepreneurs.

After everyone said their goodbyes, Liu Chuanzhi and Lu Zhiqiang left in the same car. Lu Zhiqiang, who was in the back seat, sipped his tea and nudged his old friend with his elbow: "Old Liu, what's the deal with Lu Kuan?"

"I'll find some time soon to invite him to dinner and have a chat."

Liu Chuanzhi laughed and said, "Speaking of which, this little guy and I are from the same hometown."

Following Leader Liu, another person from Jiangsu Province who claims to be from the same hometown has arrived.

Are you from the same village? You're from the same hometown.

Liu Chuanzhi was born in Shanghai, but his mother was from Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, and his maternal grandfather was in charge of finances for the Beiyang warlord Sun Chuanfang.

Zhenjiang, where Maoshan is located, is the starting point for this young Taoist priest's entry into the world.

Lu Zhiqiang laughed and said, "I understand your two-pronged plan, but I still think it's unlikely that Lu Kuan will join the Taishan Society."

"Oh, what do you mean?"

“Look at the welfare policies he has implemented in the industry, and look at how he has spared no effort in developing special effects technology since the beginning of his career.”

“Although we are companies in different fields, his goal is clearly to create a closed, complete industrial chain. He is an absolute dictator, and Wenjie is also highly closed.”

"To date, who knows where he got the money to acquire that foreign DVD company? Nobody knows. That's the advantage of closed-end shares."

Liu Chuanzhi sighed and said, "Who can argue with that? We all need to share resources and exchange information internally. There's no way we can get along if he does things this way."

"But ever since Ma Yun invited me to dinner that day to give me advice, there's been one thing I still don't understand."

"what?"

"Why is he pushing for Wenjie to go public? And at this time? Don't you think the timing is too coincidental?"

Lu Zhiqiang was taken aback: "What else could be the reason for going public? Who wouldn't want to postpone it if they had plenty of cash flow? It's probably because they're short of money to compete with Wanda for cinemas. Judging from this Bank of China loan, Wenjie's debt is not low."

Regardless of his character, Chairman Liu was highly sensitive to these kinds of conspiracies and schemes, and immediately shook his head and said, "Wrong, it's definitely not that simple."

He fiddled with the "four-sided lion's head" walnut in his hand, a top-grade collectible walnut from Mentougou, old Beijing: "He travels back and forth between China and the United States all year round, so his understanding of the financial crisis is more profound than ours."

“I can understand choosing to announce the ownership of the intellectual community; it’s an attempt to use its Olympic gold medal to cover up the sensitivity of public opinion.”

"But to announce an IPO at this inconvenient time..."

Liu Chuanzhi suddenly turned to look at his old friend: "Isn't it like how the Allies in World War II orchestrated Patton's assembly on the other side of Calais, luring Hitler to transfer his elite armored divisions to Calais, and then launched the Normandy landings?"

"You mean he did it on purpose?"

Lu Zhiqiang suddenly felt a chill run down his spine and continued to deduce, "That doesn't make sense either! Can he really be sure he can trick Huayi into falling for his trick?"

"Furthermore, if it weren't for his performance and contributions during the disaster, this situation wouldn't have been so easy to overcome, especially since the final evidence of financial irregularities is undeniable!"

The head of Oceanwide Holdings, who has been in the industry for over 30 years, waved his hand: "Impossible, unless he can predict the future! Knowing that no matter how he is investigated, he will have a talisman to protect him!"

"Otherwise, this move to lure the snake out of its hole will only lead to a full-scale counterattack from Ali, Huayi, and Deng Wendi. With President Ni standing behind them, and even all the competitors adding fuel to the fire, is he really so confident that he can escape unscathed?"

Lu Zhiqiang laughed and said, "Old Liu, you should know that while luring the enemy deep into your territory is effective, if the enemy you lure is a million-strong army, wouldn't that be digging your own grave?"

Liu Chuanzhi slapped his thigh helplessly: "This is also why I couldn't proceed after figuring this out these past few days."

“I’ve looked him up. Everyone says that this young man started out as a fortune teller, but his several near-death experiences were dangerous enough, let alone this time when the world was collapsing.”

"Nonsense."

Apart from Liu Yifei, who has been observing and interacting with Lu Kuan closely for the past seven or eight years, no normal person could extrapolate the possibility that Lu Kuan is a time traveler or a prophet.

Even Liu Yifei's current understanding is only based on limited speculation.

It must be said that although Boss Lu's move to put himself in a dangerous situation led to his lover, Xiao Liu, discovering some of his secrets, it was very profitable from a business perspective and in terms of continuing to spread misinformation among his enemies.

After studying this mysterious figure who rarely interacted with his peers for a long time, Liu Chuanzhi sighed, "We should still try to contact him. What if he's willing to open up his knowledge base to the Taishan Society for investment?"

"Then we don't need to go to such lengths to get Old Ma out of this predicament anymore."

"Once the Wenjie platform is launched, its e-commerce and Weibo platforms will become excellent resources for us. What more could we ask for?"

"At least he said he wanted to go public, so we can at least discuss this with him, right? Maybe we can find out if he's trying to lure us in!"

Lu Zhiqiang did not respond. This man from Weifang, Shandong Province, who had left his civil service position to start a business, always thought he had a good eye for people.

Like Ma Yun, this boss, who clearly has dictatorial tendencies, would never break the closed nature of the shareholding structure unless there is an extremely great benefit.

Unless it is breached from the outside.

Because of the feud between Huayi Brothers, Wenjie, Ali, and Wendy Deng that spread throughout the business world, Lu Kuan, who always presented himself as a director rather than an entrepreneur, became a big star.

A big name in the business world.

Not only were two bigwigs from the Taishan Club studying him, but Wang Jianlin, who was extended an olive branch at the dinner table, was also studying him.

We have to investigate. The news of someone being humiliated and having their leg broken this morning has already spread like wildfire, and Boss Lu's fearsome reputation has spread far and wide.

This was a joke. Old Wang's main purpose in studying it was to weigh the pros and cons of investing in Huayi Brothers by offering his cinema chain as a stake.

The conditions proposed by Liu Chuanzhi were not demanding, but he was always cautious, flipping through stacks of documents prepared by his secretary in his office.

"dad!"

"Have you eaten?" Wang Jianlin asked without looking up. "After you've seen your mother and uncle, hurry back to England and study hard."

As he flipped through the documents on Wenjie Holdings, he couldn't help but compare them to other people's children: "Lu Kuan is only six or seven years older than you, look at him!"

Old Wang waved the documents in his hand at Wang Sicong, who was lounging on the sofa with his legs crossed: "Before he was even thirty, he built such a huge empire, skillfully maneuvering and defeating his business rivals!"

A son should be like Sun Quan!

Wang Sicong retorted, "You know he's only twenty-six or twenty-seven? When you were that age, you were still in the army before you were discharged. Why don't you compare yourself to him?"

"Besides, I have at least seven more years. How do you know I won't be able to build such a business by then?"

Wang Jianlin gave his son a cold look, and for some reason felt an itch on his belt. He spared no effort in verbally attacking this arrogant little brat:
“We can sign a contract right now. Even if you don’t catch up with him, or even if you achieve one-tenth of his level, I’ll call you Dad.”

Wang Sicong pursed his lips and didn't say anything more. He poured his father a glass of water and asked, "Did you drink again at noon? What bait did those two old foxes throw at you to make you so flushed?"

"Changbai Mountain, Taishan Club, and investment in Huayi." Wang Jianlin stated succinctly.

Despite her scolding, she never neglected her son's upbringing.

He gestured for Wang Sicong to sit down and handed him several documents: "This is the situation of Wenjie, and these documents are the current shareholding situation of Huayi. Chairman Liu invited us to invest in Huayi and take the latter public."

Wang Sicong exclaimed in surprise, "Doesn't that mean they're going after Wenjie and Lukuan?"

The second-generation player was a little alarmed: "Then you guys better watch out. I've been digging into his past record lately, and guess what?"

"From Zhang Tianshuo to Liu Zeyu and his son, Zhou Jun, and Lu Chuan and his son, they've all been put in jail by him—"

"Oh, no, Zhou Jun was released on medical parole after his family arranged for him to be diagnosed with mental illness. Nobody knows where he is now, rotting away in some desolate place."

"And the identities of these people involved in this incident are still being circulated online."

"Hiss!" Wang Sicong suddenly felt a prickling sensation on his back: "Dad, maybe you should think about it again. I have a feeling that our relationship..."

Without hesitation, Wang Jianlin slapped his son on the head. His large, fan-like hand held no force, just like his usual methods of discipline and punishment for his children.

"What nonsense are you spouting! Look at the documents."

Wang Sicong smiled slyly, stopped joking, and focused on the temporary homework his father had assigned him.

He has already experienced many times the process of this randomness cultivating his business thinking and logical abilities.

Beneath his arrogant and domineering exterior and tone lies a meticulousness and vision just like Wang Jianlin's.

But old habits die hard. After watching for only a few minutes, Wang Sicong started chattering again: "You know, it's no wonder that Wang Dajun and Wang Xiaolei were bullied by Lu Kuan. The company's shares are so dispersed."

"I won't even mention Zhang Jizhong, Feng Xiaogang, Ma Yun, Deng Wendi and their ilk. How come Fan Bingbing can get 7.7%, and even this Yang Mi has more than 3%, and there's Zhou Xun, Huang Xiaoming and a whole bunch of others, are you kidding me?"

"Together they're a pile of shit, scattered they're a sky full of stars, right? Doesn't he worry that one day, with internal and external troubles like today, they'll really fall apart?"

Wang Sicong was a master of rhetoric, and he was used to exaggerating his discoveries and making a big deal out of them, which is consistent with the tone of voice on social media in later generations.

However, it is undeniable that such dispersed shareholding is very disadvantageous for leaders like Wang Dawang and Wang Xiaowang.

Wang Jianlin instructed his son: "No leader would not cherish the shares they hold, but you have to put yourself in their shoes and think about the development of Huayi and Wenjie over the past few years."

“You will find that almost every time Huayi issues new shares or raises new shares, it is accompanied by Wenjie’s strategic suppression.”

He flipped through a two-year-old data document on theater distribution: "In 2006, 'The Banquet' was suppressed in terms of screenings, and this year, 'The Forbidden Kingdom' was also suppressed in terms of screenings, in addition to the years of pressure from Wenjie in terms of publicity channels."

"If you were Wang Dajun, would you have approached Ali and Wendi Deng to raise funds through share issuance to build cinemas and develop your media influence?"

"Don't just talk without understanding the situation; consider the mindset of entrepreneurs at that specific point in time."

Wang Sicong stubbornly insisted, "I don't think so. He can give it to anyone, just not an actor."

"Why? Share your insights." Wang Jianlin was very patient, interacting with his son while flipping through the materials.

“I actually pay quite a bit of attention to the entertainment industry. I think that for an entertainment company, actors have a similar feeling of ‘the vassals I’m vassals are not my vassals.’”

Wang Sicong continued, "You see, an actor's professional life is nothing more than endorsements and works. Endorsements often depend on works to be realized, and works depend entirely on the director."

"It can be said that directors like Lu Kuan, Zhang Yimou, and Feng Xiaogang in China today are fully capable of making an actor famous, solely through their works."

"Then I have a question: Suppose that Huayi has only one well-known director, and the actresses don't have any good roles, what are they staying at Huayi for? Wasn't Wang Jinhua's departure precisely because Feng Xiaogang was always looking for actresses outside?"

"Fan Bingbing is a bit better off; she has her own fashion resources. Zhou Xun has established herself as a star now, so she doesn't have to worry about acting opportunities. Yang Mi, I don't know how, even managed to get a lead role in a co-production film—"

Seeing Wang Jianlin looking at him with a puzzled expression, Wang Sicong confidently concluded, "Dad, have you noticed? Almost none of these actresses were promoted because of Huayi's director resources. Why should they be so devoted to Huayi?"

"I think these are all destabilizing factors; these female celebrities are the most fickle."

Wang Jianlin frowned as he looked at his son. The topics involved film production and celebrity management, areas he had no knowledge of, left him momentarily speechless.

"Not bad!"

"As a business leader, it is essential to always pay attention to the safety of your shares. It is good that you have this awareness."

He couldn't help but bring up Lu Kuan again: "Just like Wenjie, countless people have tried to get involved over the years, but very few have been able to get even a little bit of information. It's because of the closed nature of the equity. Otherwise, Wang Xiaolei wouldn't have ended up trapping himself."

"This is a mature entrepreneur."

Wang Sicong scoffed, "Mature? I can accept your comments about Lu Kuan, but I disagree with your assessment of him as mature."

"I was following the gossip on Weibo this morning. Everyone was saying that Lu Kuan went from being a washing machine to Wu Sangui, and that he was so angry for his girlfriend that he made her accept the surrender and take the shares to humiliate Huayi."

"Is this maturity? Is this what you call a person who takes important matters seriously? Acting so impulsively, just to vent your anger for your girlfriend?"

"I'm just wondering, why didn't Gao Jun of Jiahe try to persuade him? If he could cede territory and pay reparations, why didn't he hurry up and get some cinemas from Huayi? At least he could still chase after our family."

"What's the use of those ten percent shares? Just like your calculations, he's still thinking about controlling the company? Seriously..."

Suddenly, with a loud "bang!", Wang Jianlin dropped the teacup from his hand, and the porcelain cup smashed on the composite floor of the office, splashing tea onto the cuffs of his trousers.

He abruptly stood up from his black leather office chair, bracing his hands on the edge of the solid wood conference table, his knuckles turning white from the force, and pulled out the Huayi Shares ratio table that he had just put away in the pile of old papers.

Tea stains spread across the floor, creating a dark watermark. Wang Jianlin stared at the form in his hand, his eyes slightly narrowed behind his reading glasses.

He slowly took off his glasses and wiped the lenses with his shirt cuff, a subconscious action that gave him a few seconds to think.

"dad?"

"Don't make any noise!"

Wang Jianlin's expression was stern, and with a wave of his hand, he silenced Wang Sicong in fear.

I've seen him like this many times since I was a child, and I know that if I say another word, I'll be beaten up immediately.

Old Wang's brows furrowed deeply: "Yes, two years ago, Warner withdrew from the Chinese market, and after Huayi's first share issuance, they snatched several cinemas from him."

"Why doesn't he just ask for those cinemas? He would absolutely be willing to pay for them."

"Knowing full well that they have absolutely no chance of gaining control, are they really after these ten percent of shares just to annoy their rivals?"

Wang Sicong laughed and said, "Maybe that's it. He likes his little girlfriend too much, so he might just want to vent his anger for her."

"Idiot!" Wang Jianlin completely forgot that he had just been praising his son, and turned around to curse: "If you really think that way, you're just as stupid as Wang Xiaolei, and you'll get played to death sooner or later!"

"A self-made man who became the richest man in mainland China, do you tell me he would act impulsively for a woman? Especially when it comes to such a crucial matter as striking at his opponent?"

Wang Sicong retorted, "Then tell me why! If what you say is true, what can he do with these 10 points that are neither here nor there?"

"Slap!" Wang Jianlin slapped him on the forehead again without hesitation, and said carefully, "Tell me about these female celebrities from Huayi, those so-called female celebrities who won't give you shares, the ones you just mentioned."

"What is their relationship with Lu Kuan? What exactly is their relationship?"

Wang Sicong was stunned for a moment, then understood what his father meant.

isn't it?
Do you really think Lu Kuan is after Huayi's shares? That's just wishful thinking.

However, Wang Sicong, who had been immersed in entertainment gossip for a long time, still answered honestly:

"It is said that Fan Bingbing was once sedated by Lu Kuan, but now that she has Liu Yifei, she seems to have reformed and has not had any scandals lately."

"Zhou Xun and Lu Kuan have known each other since 2001. Zhou Xun even starred in his film 'Tangshan' and won two Best Actress awards."

"Yang Mi spends all day posting her interactions with Liu Yifei on her crappy Weibo account, constantly trying to piggyback on her fame."

Wang Jianlin was horrified!
He suddenly flipped through Huayi's current shareholder list and picked up a pen to calculate carefully.

Even if we add the shares held by these three actresses to the 10% that Liu Yifei accepted this morning...

It's not a small amount, but it's not enough, far from enough.

Although the two Wangs of Huayi Brothers do not have absolute control, their shares would seem perfectly safe if any of Zhang Jizhong, Feng Xiaogang, Ma, or Deng were added to the mix.

Moreover, Fan Bingbing, Zhou Xun, and others are all veteran actresses of Huayi Brothers. Their interests have been intertwined for so many years, so why would they betray Huayi Brothers?
If they wanted to leave, Fan Bingbing would have left with Wang Jinhua long ago;
When Zhou Xun joined Huayi Brothers, Wenjie was already gaining momentum. Why didn't she just join Wenjie directly?
Whether it was the fake Moutai he drank at noon or the complicated situation in front of him that made him anxious, Wang Jianlin felt extremely thirsty.

The answers to some questions seem right in front of you, yet they're like looking through frosted glass—you can't see them clearly no matter what.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, but his thoughts were as turbulent as those of his son before him—

It was like a wild dog that had broken free; there was no way to rein it in.

Old Wang assigned a task to Wang Sicong, who would later be known as the "Disciplinary Committee of the Entertainment Industry": "Take this list and keep looking for shareholders who might be related to Lu Kuan."

"Huh?" Wild Dog's son wondered, "There are only a few women. If you want to talk about it, only Fan Bingbing has been washed by him. The others probably haven't."

"As for these men, that's even more impossible; they're not into that kind of thing!"

Wang Jianlin roared, "Bullshit! What are you thinking about all day? Can't he use mutual benefit to bind us together?"

"No, Dad, you're putting me in a difficult position. You can only know a person's face but not their heart. Who knows if these shareholders have connections with him behind the scenes? I can't tell from gossip either."

Wang Jianlin knew he had made a mistake, and somewhat dejectedly took off his glasses, looking rather like someone who had reached the end of a maze only to find a wall.

He murmured, "The only resources Huayi can covet are probably these cinemas, some of which even have better locations and higher output per screen than we do."

"I'm the first person who wouldn't believe that he acted out of a fit of rage for a woman."

"There's only one reason: he's confident he can control Huayi. That's impossible now, so it must be in the future."

Old Wang was still unwilling to give up, so he picked up the long list again and began to scrutinize each shareholder except for the two kings—

Ali, Wendy Deng, Xinlang, Feng Xiaogang, Fan Bingbing, Zhang Jizhong.

Wang Sicong curled his lip, thinking to himself that the old man had gone mad. Another one who had been driven mad by Lu Kuan, and he was even lecturing him!
"Are you crazy?" He quietly got up and slipped out of the office.

. . .

"Go crazy!"

Liu Yifei, who was having lunch with her boyfriend in the cafeteria of the Olympic Building, vividly described the scene: "As soon as I turned around, I saw him rushing towards me!"

(End of this chapter)