Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 447: Going off the beaten track
In the stillness of the night, Lu Kuan quietly got up and glanced at Liu Yifei, who was fast asleep, in the moonlight streaming through the window.

The girl curled up in the thin blanket, the small mole on the tip of her nose appearing and disappearing with her even breathing.

He leaned down and placed a light kiss on his fiancée's forehead before tiptoeing toward the study.

I can't sleep because the road is so wide.

The fragrance of locust blossoms wafted in through the half-open window. He didn't turn on the light, letting the moonlight flow like a river on the solid wood floor.

He found it hard to describe his feelings at that moment, recalling how the tears on the girl's eyelashes refracted the moonlight into a rainbow when Liu Yifei said, "Let this day no longer be just a sad commemoration."

The true death of a person is being forgotten.

These words kept echoing in his ears.

Liu Yifei wanted to bring this name, which was deeply buried in her heart, into this home in her own way, so that this dear soul would forever surround the people she loved.

In a way, aren't she or they the observers of the quantum state?

This suddenly reminded Lu Kuan of the heartbreaking ending in "Ball Lightning".

After Lin Yun disappeared, a "blue quantum rose" was left in the vase of the male protagonist, Dr. Chen.

This rose is a personification of Lin Yun's quantum state, representing her continued existence in another form.

The rose only appears when it is not observed, and disappears once it is observed, which is a metaphor for the elusiveness of the quantum world and Lin Yun's eternal "possibility", similar to "Schrödinger's cat".

In Liu Yifei's unintentional revelation, Zeng Wenxiu and Lin Yun's concepts converged: they both became observed quantum states, forever frozen in the superposition of life and death.

Thus, a science fiction adaptation idea was born in his mind.

Lu Kuan didn't turn on his computer. He was used to sketching with charcoal pencils when writing scripts, outlining the initial inspiration.

So, with a Staedtler charcoal pencil held between his slender fingers, the tip gently rubbed against the snow-white sketch paper, as if waiting for the perfect moment to put pen to paper.

Moonlight streamed through the half-open blinds, casting dappled shadows on his sharply defined profile.

Beneath Lu Kuan's slightly furrowed brows, his eyes, described by the media as "able to see through the souls of actors," were now fixed on a point in the void.

The unshaven stubble on his chin cast a bluish shadow, which was gilded in the warm light of the desk lamp, adding to his decadent artist-like air.

"Combining Lin Yun's quantum state with the observer effect of memory..."

His handwriting was sometimes hurried and sometimes slow, like playing a moonlight sonata. He would suddenly stop writing at the crucial point and rub the armchair that Liu Yifei often sat in with his fingertips.

The scent of jasmine from the girl's hair still lingers there.

As dawn broke, Lu Kuan finally drew a simple rose on the edge of the manuscript paper and wrote the date "9.9" next to it.

. . .

Morning light filtered through the half-drawn gauze curtains, and the fragrance of locust blossoms, carried by a gentle breeze, mingled with the lingering charm of last night, floating and sinking in the air.

Liu Yifei felt refreshed after a good night's sleep, and looked down at her boyfriend who was fast asleep on the bed—

He was completely buried in the down comforter, with only half of his face showing. The stubble on his chin was even more clearly visible in the morning light, and his brows were slightly furrowed, as if he was still struggling with the script in his dream.

He was indeed struggling with the script; he had only been asleep for half an hour.

"Get up! Washing machine!" Xiao Liu leaned down and poked his cheek, her voice tinged with laughter.

Lu Kuan gave a vague "hmm," without even lifting his eyelids, but his arm swiftly reached out and pulled her directly into his arms.

Liu Yifei was caught off guard and fell onto the man's chest, tickling him with the ends of her hair.

Boss Lu lazily tightened his arms, his voice still hoarse from sleep: "Sleep for another five minutes..."

Liu Xiaolv teased him in a coquettish tone: "Some people just like to talk big, like 'yin-yang replenishment,' 'a good horse needs a good saddle,' and 'a good ox needs a good land.'"

"Look at you, you're exhausted too! You can't stop swimming after two weeks of this, get up!"

Lu Kuan chuckled softly, then grabbed her wrist, flipped her over, and pulled her into the bed. He lowered his head and nuzzled her neck like a big wolfhound.
"Then let me charge my batteries for a bit and I'll get up."

Feeling the warm breath on his neck and Pinocchio's nose growing larger, Xiao Liu worried that he would be assaulted by the pervert again early in the morning, so he gritted his teeth and thrust backward.

"Ouch!"

"Hehe! Serves you right!"

Seeing that he seemed genuinely tired today, Liu Yifei let out a cry and started snoring softly again, then stuck out her tongue and walked away.

When she finished swimming and returned to her room to shower, the washing machine remained motionless in the same position. If it weren't for the slight rise and fall of its chest, she would have rushed over to give it CPR.

The virtuous fiancée knew he had probably been working late into the night, so after washing up, she went to the study to help her boyfriend pack his briefcase and curiously discovered a simple line drawing.

Xiao Liu gently picked up the manuscript paper with her fingertips. The morning light spread a soft, warm color on the paper. The roses drawn with charcoal pencil stretched freely, and the lines on the edges of the petals were rough but vivid.

She noticed a sharp crease on the flower stem, as if it had been repeatedly rubbed.

The ink smudged slightly on the date "9.9", and the last digit ended with a trembling, frayed edge, clearly indicating that the writer had lingered there for a long time.

"what!"

The girl, engrossed in watching, was suddenly attacked from behind by the washing machine. Because she felt safe at home, she didn't react too violently.

The sensation on her delicate little buttocks alone was enough to betray her identity as a philanderer.

"What are you looking at so intently?" Boss Lu's voice was still hoarse from the morning. He rested his chin on her shoulder and nuzzled her. His left hand had already slipped restlessly under the hem of her silk pajamas, his palm caressing her flat stomach.

"You came to revise the script in the middle of the night yesterday?"

"Yes, after repeatedly reading several science fiction works by Wang Jinkang, He Xi, and Liu Cixin, including many Galaxy Award works that we have sponsored since 2004, we finally chose 'Ball Lightning'."

Lu Kuan nibbled at his girlfriend's earlobe affectionately: "You inspired me last night, my muse."

Liu Yifei felt itchy and numb, and giggled as she turned her head away from him: "Really? Did you shout like Homer in the middle of the night?"

"Huh?" Boss Lu was genuinely impressed this time: "Your art paper making is quite impressive now, you've even brushed up on Greek mythology?"

"Don't look down on me! I know way more than the average actor now, okay? I'm involved in all sorts of things!"

The conversation between the two contained a subtle veiled meaning; Xiao Liu was referring to Homer's opening cry in the Iliad:

"Muse, tell me of Achilles' wrath!"

Thus, the Muses became the source of divine inspiration, and they are also the collective name for the nine goddesses who govern art, science, and civilization.

Therefore, in the history of Western art, it has become a symbol of all people, things and events that inspire creative desires, and artists complete self-projection and emotional transformation through the muse.

"Since I inspired you, then I'm in a role in this movie, right?"

Boss Lu smiled professionally: "You're not a new actress, do you think it's that easy? Come to my room tonight, the director will give you some pointers on the scene."

"No, you're like an exhausted ox!"

"How dare you!" Lu Kuan hugged his girlfriend from behind. She turned around and looked at him seductively, biting her lower lip, naturally immersing herself in the role of a flirtatious young couple.

Liu Xiaoli only goes to the kitchen to prepare dinner in the morning and rarely comes up to the second floor. Afei never comes up except to eat.

These two can do whatever they want without anyone bothering them.

"Apologize! Admit your mistake! I was lying!" Afraid of being exonerated, Xiao Liu immediately waved the white flag and shook the sketch in his hand to divert his attention.

"Did you paint this rose? Is it an important image in 'Ball Lightning'? I haven't read that novel."

Mr. Lu, using this as an excuse, said, "No, this painting is for you. You are the yellow rose."

"Huh?" She was completely confused by what he said.

However, the transmigrator, who no longer cared about occasionally revealing minor details, pinched her shapely buttocks and walked away.

As usual, Liu Xiaoli prepared breakfast for the young couple, ate a little herself, and then prepared to tend to the flowers and plants, look after the pets, and tend to the ever-growing organic vegetable garden.

The veteran artist's return to rural areas for re-employment is even busier than when he was helping his daughter with household chores.

"Mom, don't rush off. We have some official news to tell you."

"Hmm?" Liu Xiaoli opened her eyes wide with delight, and just by looking at her daughter's smiling face, she could guess part of the reason.

Liu Yifei seemed a bit apprehensive about returning home, nudging her still sleepy boyfriend with her elbow and signaling him to speak.

"Uh..." Boss Lu swallowed the shumai in his mouth: "Xixi and I discussed a date. We plan to get our marriage certificate on September 9th after the Olympics, and the wedding will also be on that day two years later."

"Great! Great!" The old mother was overjoyed. Her chopsticks fell to the edge of the bowl with a "clatter," and the fine lines at the corners of her eyes suddenly smoothed out, like ripples on water touched by a spring breeze.

I was worried about this yesterday because I hadn't heard anything yet, but today I won with a clean sweep of hands.

"Early autumn in September is neither too hot nor too cold; this is a good day!" She suddenly stood up, her clothes brushing against the lilies on the table, causing the dewdrops on the petals to fall.

Liu Xiaoli hugged Lu Kuan and Xiao Liu excitedly, then sat down next to her daughter: "I can inform everyone at your maternal grandmother's and paternal father's houses now, and ask them to be prepared to come and celebrate with you."

Mr. Lu nodded: "Living at home is very convenient for eating, drinking and getting around."

"We were planning to take a vacation right after the Olympics ended, get our marriage certificate and go on a trip with Qianqian before moving on to the next phase of our work."

"Good, good." Liu Xiaoli's smile never stopped after she won the game: "You two are simply the most career-minded young people I've ever met. You should take a break when you need to."

“I went for a walk this morning and saw that the light in Xiaolu’s study was still on.”

The old mother couldn't wait for them to travel around the world for a whole year. She had a little scheme in mind: she hoped that the trip would result in a secret pregnancy!

Surely a couple of this social standing wouldn't get married while heavily pregnant?
Having a child signifies an approaching wedding date, and if the child is successfully born, then everything that should be done in this life according to the traditional Chinese family concept will be accomplished.

Besides tending to flowers and plants, raising cats and walking dogs, she can also enter a new stage of life.

As for the impact on her daughter's career, perhaps the old mother stopped worrying about such things three years ago when she herself transformed into Don Quixote Fey.

Could it get any worse than that time?

Moreover, given Liu Yifei's current career path as a performing artist, whether or not she has children will only affect whether her teenage fans will be betrayed again.

As for commercial performances and endorsements, Yang Siwei has been trying to persuade him for so long without any success, so they are not even on her radar.

Or rather, as the wife of the richest man, she can choose to endorse anything other than top luxury brands and charitable causes, depending on her mood.

"Sisi, if you have time, call your dad and tell him too."

"Well, I see."
-
As June arrived and the opening ceremony of the Olympics drew ever closer, the completion of the main structure of the Bird's Nest meant that on-site dress rehearsals and dress training were quickly put on the agenda, putting increasing pressure on the Olympic creative team and directing team.

To avoid program leaks and paparazzi filming, training and rehearsals could only be scheduled at night. This resulted in the Olympic chief director, who had just set a wedding date, becoming a man who rarely went home and was "spending the night away from home" every few days.

Liu Yifei would occasionally come to keep him company, but seeing that she couldn't help him at all, she stayed at home and focused on studying acting theory and scripts.

Meanwhile, as post-disaster production recovery work proceeded in an orderly manner, people across the country gradually returned to normal. While mourning and offering assistance, news from the mainland entertainment and film industries continued to emerge.

First, on June 2nd, the China Film Festival Association held a symposium in Beijing to release two reports: the "2008 China Film Industry Research Report" and the "2008 China Film Art Report".

This symposium was of a very high standard, with leaders from the Zhongxuan Literature and Art Bureau and the Federation of Literary and Art Circles attending and delivering speeches, completely surpassing the scale and scope of the previous event.

The underlying reason is beyond doubt: Chinese films of this era have reached and are moving toward a visible state of prosperity in terms of scale, advanced ideas, and cinema construction.

Following the trend, Mr. Lu, who personally participated in this period of history, was also invited to attend. He gave a brief speech as the vice president of the association and left after only half an hour.

He was the lowest-ranking official present, but no one dared to complain about his lateness, early departure, or hasty arrival and departure. They all politely stood up and applauded him as he left.

On June 5th, the Shanghai International Film Festival contacted Wenjie for various reasons, hoping to invite Lu Kuan to become the chairman of the jury for this year's film festival. After receiving a clear rejection, they instead invited Wang Jiawei.

The reasons for this include Xie Jin's suggestion, the good news from Shanghai due to the rapid implementation of the Disney project, and the desire of people like Zhao Benshan to leverage his rising fame to enhance the event's prestige.

Just like the Shanghai Film Festival two years ago, it was through him that several international superstars and famous directors were invited.

Even the three major European film festivals rely on Hollywood stars to boost their prestige, let alone a mainland Chinese film festival that is virtually unknown on the international stage.

Seemingly to confirm the encouraging figures and positive trends listed in the "2008 China Film Industry Research Report," the domestic film industry has been making headlines since June.

Huayi Brothers, which has been weathering some storms recently, has announced that the investment promotion activities for Feng Xiaogang's "If You Are the One," which is aimed at the Lunar New Year film season, have come to a perfect end.

Even before filming has begun, thanks to the star power of Fan Bingbing and Feng Xiaogang, as well as the support of Ali and Wendy Deng, the film has already attracted 14 brands, including BMW, China Merchants Bank, and Hainan Airlines, with advertising revenue for the film exceeding 7000 million RMB.
This number has far exceeded that of the previous life.

This is a prominent manifestation of the prosperity of the film industry in this era, and also a highlight of Bingbing's personal commercial value in this life. In the domestic entertainment industry, there are only two or three people who can be compared with her.

At the same time, Ma Yun personally facilitated the launch of the officially established "Taobao Mall" (the predecessor of Tmall) and tied it to the movie, introducing flagship stores of thirty movie stars, leading actresses, and Huayi Brothers partners on the event page.

Most of the products featured were clothing and cosmetics endorsed and promoted by Bingbing, as well as a "watch a movie and win a round-trip trip to Sanya" event in collaboration with Alispace and Huayi.

Users can participate in the lucky draw by booking tickets through the Taobao Mall event page one month before the Lunar New Year film season and paying with Alipay.

In addition to genuine products from the flagship store and samples, the prizes include meet-and-greets with celebrities such as Fan Bingbing and Ge You, autographed photos, and original soundtrack CDs. The top prize is a bundled trip with Hainan Airlines.

This news has sparked heated discussions within the industry.

The reason for the heated discussion is firstly that industry insiders are surprised that Huayi was able to quickly get back on track after suffering such a blow, which is worthy of its foundation and strength as the second largest in the industry. They are also impressed by the firm support of foreign aid such as Ma Yun and Deng Wendi.

How could you not be determined? You've already given the bride price and are just waiting to get married. Now you're hopelessly infatuated. If you pull yourself out, Huayi will sue you for being too strong.

Secondly, it's also because in recent years, the benchmark marketing solutions in both the film and internet industries have been concentrated in two companies, Wenjie and Zhijie, or rather, in the hands of Mr. Lu.

However, Huayi and its allies' strategy and model for "If You Are the One" are indeed a step ahead of Wenjie in this era.

This is also because Wenjie Mall has been catching up with Taobao in its development. Without this channel to monetize traffic, Boss Lu had no need to launch this combination of tactics that would later become common in the future too early. Obviously, the battle between Alipay and Zhifutong is still in full swing, and Ma Yun and Ali are just in a dilemma, forced to take a risky move.

Fortunately, the results were quite good.

Industry experts are generally optimistic about the collaboration between Alipay and Huayi Brothers. By deeply integrating with Huayi Brothers' film "If You Are the One," Taobao Mall can attract a large number of users to register, use Alipay for payment, and develop the habit of shopping on Taobao Mall through the film's marketing activities.

Meanwhile, Ali e-commerce previously mainly targeted small and medium-sized sellers, but this collaboration with top celebrities and high-end brands such as Huayi and Fan Bingbing has enhanced the platform's brand image, enabling it to transform from a "low-price market" to a "quality e-commerce".

Furthermore, through movie ticket pre-sales and lucky draws, Taobao collected a large amount of user consumption preference data, providing an important basis for subsequent precise advertising and user profile optimization.

Competitors in the mainland film and internet industries couldn't help but marvel at the unwavering determination and decisiveness of Ma Huateng, Wang Dajun of Huayi Brothers, and Wendi Deng in breaking the deadlock.

It is truly remarkable that they have been able to maintain such strategic focus and strive towards the goal of listing despite the "partial loss of sovereignty".

Everyone couldn't help but turn their attention to Wenjie and Boss Lu, wanting to see their response and reaction.

In response, Zhuang Xu, Vice President of Wenjie, who was in Beijing attending the "2008 China Internet Innovation Summit and Digital Entertainment Industry Forum," stated in an interview:

Wenjie is pleased to see that domestic peers are exploring new paths for collaboration between film and internet companies.

At the same time, Wenjie will also make its own efforts for the continued prosperity of China's film and cultural industries.

Although the company's president and key figure, Mr. Lu Kuan, are now fully engaged in the Olympic campaign, the company's scientific and rigorous organizational structure and the unity of purpose following the implementation of virtual shares have kept it on the right track.

Zhuang Xu then asked Dong Shuangqiang, who was also attending the meeting, to introduce Wenjie's development plan for the second half of this year.

Directed by Xue Xiaolu and starring Jing Tian, ​​a non-celebrity known as the "campus belle" of Beijing Film Academy, "Meteor Shower" will be broadcast on Travel Channel during the summer.

The film "Lost in Thailand," starring Ning Hao and Wang Baoqiang, is expected to be released during the Lunar New Year holiday season.

Iron Man, a collaboration between North American studios, Disney, and Miramax, will be released globally this summer, while Twilight 3 will be released globally during Christmas.
Furthermore, in communication between Wenjie and Disney, in order to promote the Disneyland project which will begin construction next year and to raise funds for disaster relief, Disney will organize a performance tour of its animated stars in China in July.

Unlike before, this time all the fairy tale characters will speak in Mandarin. Children from the disaster area will be invited to Beijing to watch the performance free of charge, and all proceeds from ticket sales and merchandise sales will be used for psychological counseling for children after the disaster.

Clearly, this is yet another instance of Wenjie and Lukuan leveraging their international influence to make charitable contributions to disaster relief.

At the same time, it also fulfills the goal of its ally Disney to exert influence in mainland China. Coupled with the already agreed-upon Shanghai Disney project, it can be described as a win-win situation.

When asked about Lu Kuan himself, Dong Shuangqiang only revealed that he will return to directing after the Olympics, and that there are currently two projects under discussion, but he is not at liberty to disclose them at the moment.

In contrast, a special article in the China Film News commented on the topic, titled "From 'If You Are the One' to 'Iron Man': Domestic Marketing Frenzy and International Industrial Ambition".

The commentary first pointed out the major actions of the two companies at different stages of development, and affirmed their joint contributions to innovation in Chinese films and the Internet.

Huayi and Ali's model seems to be an upgraded version of the strategy that Wenjie used a few years ago to monetize through movies, Liu Yifei, ringtones, and fast-moving consumer goods.

The marriage of film and e-commerce marks the official entry of mainland Chinese film marketing into the era of "data feedback".

By leveraging Alispace's social sharing strategy and linking it with Huayi Brothers' cinema schedules, a closed loop is formed, from online buzz to offline consumption.

However, it is worth noting that Huayi Brothers has not launched any projects with international ambitions since the failure of "The Forbidden Kingdom".

Its business logic remains within the traditional framework of "celebrity IP + New Year's film season," and its content innovation capabilities have not shown any breakthrough compared to Wang Dajun's stated goal of "introducing strategic investors" for listing.

In contrast, Wenjie recruited allies in Japan and South Korea through the Pan-Asian Film Academy, established itself in North America through Miramax and Disney, not to mention the influence it gained in Southeast Asia through the acquisition of Golden Harvest in 2004.

The ambitions of director Lu Kuan in film industrialization and cultural export that we see today have actually been present throughout his eight-year career.

Especially after using Netflix's DVD distribution channels to warn certain unfriendly individuals who were making outrageous remarks, and after negotiating with Disney to reach an agreement on a charity performance and sale of fairy tale characters, we are able to more clearly realize—

This time, Chinese companies are no longer playing the role of foolish, wealthy nouveau riche, but rather the true builders and decision-makers of the industrial chain.

Don't forget that the Pan-Asian Film Academy will be recruiting again this September. According to information obtained by reporters, there have already been more than 500 self-recommendation emails from all over the world.

Several of their seniors, such as Guo Fan and Lu Yang from China, have already interned in North America for over a year and are about to get their first opportunity to shoot a feature film.

I wish Chinese cinema a brighter future, and I hope there will be more film companies like Wenjie and Huayi Brothers to contribute to the glory of Chinese cinema.

There is much discussion in related industries in mainland China, with everyone having their own assessment of the current situation.

But as someone in the family, I know my own situation. Even though I had already minimized the impact of the current unfavorable situation and come up with a clever marketing strategy of combining the Internet with movies, Ma Yun still contacted the highly respected Chairman Liu to seek some help from the organization.

On the evening of June 20th, at No. 24, Daxingfeng Hutong, Xicheng District.

Behind an unassuming black lacquered wooden door lies an elegant private restaurant, Mei Family Banquet.

This courtyard, converted from Mei Lanfang's former residence, retains the blue bricks and gray tiles from the Republican era. Above the door is a plaque inscribed by Mei Baojiu, and there is a small plum blossom copper nail as a mark.

Around 7 p.m., Lao Ma, who had just finished the "Internet Innovation Summit and Digital Entertainment Industry Forum", rushed over.

Because the venue had been booked by several wealthy mainlanders, the waiter quietly closed the black wooden door in the twilight after he entered, instantly shutting out the hustle and bustle of the city.

The waiters at the Mei family banquet silently led the way. The shadows of palace lanterns on the eaves were reflected on the blue brick floor. In the main hall, "Zhuiyuxuan", the original costume of "The Drunken Concubine" was hung in the central hall, and the gold thread embroidery gleamed coldly under the glass cover.

"President Liu, everyone, I'm late."

Wang Jianlin and Li Yanhong were the first to stand up at the table. Liu Chuanzhi was two seconds late. He stepped forward and shook hands with him politely: "You are the keynote speaker of the forum. So what if you are late? You can just have a couple more drinks, right?"

Old Ma readily agreed: "Of course, we're all good friends today, and a thousand cups of wine are not enough when drinking with a bosom friend."

Today's dinner party consists of three members of the Taishan Club plus a highly sought-after person in their eyes—Wanda Lao Wang.

Chairman Liu had previously visited Wanda with General Manager Lu of Oceanwide Holdings, and on behalf of Ma Yun, proposed that Wanda invest in Huayi, but the latter declined the next day.

The refusal the next day seemed to be without careful consideration, quite perfunctory, and showed no regard for the risk of offending a senior.

This reflects Wang Jianlin's decisiveness as a former soldier: if he had to offend someone, so be it, but the core interests of the company could not be harmed.

But this polite refusal, coupled with the fact that he was able to take the time to attend this banquet today—a "trap" he knew all too well about after learning who would be there—shows the shrewdness of this business tycoon.

Wang Jianlin's suspicions about the equity of Huayi have lingered in his mind and he has never been able to make a real determination, but he is determined not to get involved in this mess.

Liu Chuanzhi sat in the main seat in the due north direction, and Lao Wang sat in the first seat to his right, as the guest of honor.

Li Yanhong was also here today to help cheer and encourage others, so Ma Yun naturally gave him the second-highest seat, to Liu Chuanzhi's left.

Old Ma himself sat at the bottom of the table, his attitude warm and humble, showing none of the high spirits he had displayed on the forum just now.

Behind closed doors, everyone knows each other's situation, right?
After a few toasts, there were no formalities or vulgar rules typical of business banquets. Everyone toasted each other freely, sharing interesting anecdotes and stories from their respective industries.

Liu Chuanzhi first made a vague opening remark, which can be regarded as a way to get Ma Yun to start.

"I saw an article in Caijing magazine this afternoon, written by one of Hu Suli's reporters. The wording was quite sharp, but I think it makes a lot of sense."

"Editor-in-Chief Hu? She's impressive." Wang Jianlin raised an eyebrow, clearly having long admired the co-founder of Caijing Magazine.

Editor-in-Chief Hu is a prominent figure in China's financial magazine industry, with an impressive background, and has generally contributed to press freedom, especially the standardization of China's securities market.

Opinions vary regarding her stance and character, such as how many accolades and accolades she received from Western foundations and journalists' associations, and how she later supported Lian Xiang and said no to those who questioned her.

Liu Chuanzhi said leisurely, "This article elaborates on the future development prospects of the Wenjie system and points out how the abundant cash flow after Zhijie's listing will support the expansion of the cinema business."

As he spoke, he lightly tapped the old mahogany table with his fingertips. Wang Jianlin sighed inwardly; this was the first sign of a trap.

"At the end of the article, the reporter gave a fair assessment of the current competitive relationship between Huayi and Wenjie, which I believe is fair—"

"Huayi sees the world, but Wenjie sees the whole world."

"Hahaha!" Ma Yun clapped his hands and laughed after hearing this, as if the matter had nothing to do with him: "This sentence has the sharpness of a journalist, I like it, and besides, it is indeed true."

Old Ma sighed deeply: "To be honest, this year is crucial for both Ali and Huayi. We are implementing the 'Big Taobao Strategy,' and Huayi is making final preparations for its IPO, but..."

With a bitter expression, he raised his glass and drank: "As everyone knows, it's not appropriate for me to blame Huayi, but it's all for the sake of everyone's career."

"But this fall was indeed quite hard."

Li Yanhong smiled without saying a word; his words carried a hint of historical significance.

He doesn't believe that the swift investigation and "anti-road campaign" launched by Huayi were not initiated without Ma Yun's involvement. Huayi's resources alone couldn't have created such a spectacle, could they?

Liu Chuanzhi chuckled and said, "Who hasn't struggled and worked their way up from the mud? Look at Jianlin, he resolutely left the government to start his own business, and he also took some detours. But look at him now."

"Jianlin, try this 'A Dream in the Garden'. It's made with a broth made from three-year-old duck and matsutake mushrooms from Yunnan Province. It captures the essence of the poem 'The Peony Pavilion,' which says, 'Without visiting the garden, how can one know the beauty of spring?'"

Wang Jianlin took the initiative to pick up his soup bowl and politely served soup to the senior member: "Okay, okay, Chairman Liu, you go first."

Li Yanhong chimed in, "President Wang, I admire you. Baidu only acquired land in Shangdi and Xierqi after its IPO in 2005, and we've already retreated to areas outside the Fifth Ring Road. Wanda, on the other hand, is directly expanding along Chang'an Avenue. That's some boldness!"

"President Wang, let me toast you. You truly live up to your military background!"

Wang Jianlin waved his hand modestly: "Not at all! Country folks have never seen the world, so they just rely on their clothes and find a good spot to show off a little."

He reached for the food with his chopsticks, but the tender duck meat fell apart under his touch.

Liu Chuanzhi smiled and handed him a serving spoon, placing it beside the plate: "Jianlin, this dish is too soft, so it's better to use a spoon."

"Your knife skills are truly remarkable. I'm rather clumsy, please excuse my poor skills." Old Wang said this, but he still struggled to pick up some duck meat with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth, smiling at everyone.
"The hand strength I developed in the army has been put to good use by this chef from Jiangnan."

Mei Lanfang's ancestral home was Taizhou, Jiangsu Province, so his family banquets naturally featured the flavors of Jiangnan.

The three of them were taken aback by his demeanor. They had only heard of Wang Jianlin of Wanda Group before, but after these few encounters, they found him to be truly extraordinary.

Roughness reveals order, smoothness conceals sharp edges, speech is measured, and actions are measured.

This contradictory nature is just like Wanda's business empire, using the most glamorous office buildings to house the most down-to-earth businesses, carving out its own unique path amidst the cracks of legitimate businesses.

Ma Yun sighed inwardly. Compared to Lu Kuan, another troublesome figure, this was clearly another formidable opponent like a swarm of locusts crossing a river. He could neither deceive him nor use the name of the Taishan Society to suppress him.

Treat different people differently. Old Ma immediately raised his glass and said, "Jianlin, last time the chairman asked you for advice on Huayi for me. Although the two parties failed to reach a cooperation agreement in the end, I still appreciate your kindness. I'd like to toast you."

Wang Jianlin smiled warmly, his attitude even more humble than Wang's, and stood up to return the greeting: "It's not that I'm unwilling, but that I simply can't."

He explained sincerely, "Wanda's cinema chain is tied to its commercial real estate. It's indeed difficult to value it if you use that as a basis for equity investment."

"Secondly, Wanda's cinema chain is still relatively pure. Whether it's Huayi, Wenjie, or other film companies, as long as the quality is up to standard and the people like the movies, we will release them."

"But once you're tied to Huayi, it's impossible to remain neutral."

Wang Jianlin spoke frankly: "To be honest, the most profitable works in China right now are still those by directors from the Wenjie group. Even if we invest in Huayi, from a business perspective, we still have to give Wenjie the highest number of screenings."

Ma Yun's alien-like face froze on the spot. She smiled bitterly and downed her drink. This experience had completely disillusioned her.

The other two members of the Taishan Club at the table exchanged glances, both expressing their admiration for Wang Jianlin's style.

Chairman Liu and Li Yanhong certainly didn't empathize with Lao Ma's situation; on the contrary, they were happy to see him suffer.

If Ahri doesn't suffer a major setback, how will Mount Tai seek to acquire a stake?

But this fall can't be too big. If it's a complete collapse and Wenjie Mall catches up too quickly, then it will lose its value.

This is also why he, a highly respected senior figure, has been paying close attention to Huayi, Wenjie, and Ali during this period.

Besides using the guise of advocating for member companies like Ali, it's also because there's profit to be made.

“Alright, Jianlin is a frank person, and it’s very comfortable to be friends with someone like that. Let’s put this topic aside for now.” Liu Chuanzhi tried to ease the atmosphere at the dinner table. Seeing that there was really no chance, he knew that if he forced the man to leave because he had something come up.

Actually, even though Old Wang appeared calm on the surface, he was also struggling a little inside.

With his son's intentional or unintentional hints, Wang Jianlin, who has developed strong suspicions about Lu Kuan's covetousness of Huayi's shares, is now facing a choice.

Should we share our guesses with Liu Chuanzhi, Ma Yun, Wang Dajun, and others?
If the inquiries about boundaries and road widths truly harbor thoughts of encroachment and barbaric behavior—

Now that it's been said, Huayi will definitely be on guard, but he's unsure how far Wenjie has progressed in his covert operations, and Huayi's fate is uncertain.
If he hadn't spoken up, Wang Jianlin would have assumed that Huayi would be doomed, given the cunning and shrewdness Lu Kuan displayed in this incident.

If Wenjie acquires control of Huayi, it can make a fortune in the cinema industry and accelerate its pace in catching up with Wanda.
However, if Huayi falls apart, Wanda could try to acquire Huayi's star and director resources, such as directors like Feng Xiaogang, who have been at the forefront of countless conflicts in the past. There's also the tense relationship between Chen Sicheng, Wu Ershan, and Wenjie, which his son Si Cong explained to him.

Including Xu Zheng, these valuable director resources will become a great supplement to Wanda's cultural industry empire.

At that time, "Wanda Media Group" could also become a film company integrating production and distribution, and all that is missing from the comparison with Wenjie is an ally in the Internet channel.

But his advantage in theatrical distribution is enormous.

If it weren't for the emergence of the new technology, Wanda Cinemas would have jumped to the top of the national box office with a 15% share next year, and would have remained at the top from 2009 to 2024 – how terrifying!

Just like Wenjie Mall, which has been struggling to catch up with Taobao in this life, Wenjie Jiahe is also forging ahead on the road to pursuing Wanda.

Time travelers are not omnipotent.

Especially for transmigrators who have expanded their industries so extensively, it's impossible for them to gain an advantage in every sector. They can easily defeat these outstanding individuals simply by relying on their prophetic abilities.

Even while deliberately maintaining the closed nature of its shares, it is still struggling to keep its working capital tight.

Now, for Wang Jianlin, who is considering whether or not to reveal his conjectures to Ma Yun and others, the real question he needs to weigh is this:
It would be more threatening to Wenjie if they could obtain Huayi's cinema resources (even if it couldn't exceed 10,000 yuan).
Or would it be better to watch from the sidelines as Huayi falls apart, while Wanda takes advantage of the situation by securing the excess director resources and some excellent actors through advance planning, even if it's just to let their interested son, Si Cong, handle it?
It has both advantages and disadvantages, making it difficult to choose.

It was this hesitation that led Ma Yun to casually propose a collaborative idea without consulting Liu Chuanzhi and others.

If Lu Kuan were here right now, even as an opponent, he might be amazed and marvel at Ma Yun's unconventional approach.

"President Wang, Chairman Liu, Yan Hong." Old Ma seemed to have already recovered from the bitterness he had just experienced.

Have you heard of Gewara, a movie ticketing website that was launched in Shanghai earlier this year?

He thought for a moment, then, fearing the others might not understand his intention, explained, "Or perhaps Damai.cn, the website that provides ticketing system services for the Olympics?"

(End of this chapter)