Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 467 Overtaking on a Curve
The morning sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains, weaving a fine, golden net on the bedroom floor. The air conditioner vents emitted a very soft hum, slowly dispersing the lingering, sensual atmosphere of last night's lovemaking.

Liu Yifei woke up first due to her biological clock and glanced at the two sparkling rings on the bedside table.

Then, he carefully propped himself up on his elbow and, by the light, examined the sleeping profile of the person beside him:

Lu Kuan's newly grown stubble on his chin had a bluish tinge, and there were still light red teeth marks left on his shoulder from when she bit him when she was aroused. The thin blanket had slipped down to his waist, and he could still feel several scratch marks on his strong back when he reached out.

It was a memorable and crazy day.

Whether it's day or night.

She loved the feeling of having no spiritual or physical barriers, of completely merging herself into her lover's body, and the feeling of last night...

Mentioning this, Xiao Liu shook her boyfriend awake with some concern.

"Hmm? Don't exercise today, sleep with me a little longer..."

The hardworking old ox was too weak to even open his eyes, but he stretched out his arms and tightened his embrace around the beauty, greedily inhaling the fragrance of her fresh flesh.

Xiao Liu couldn't wake up the villain who was pretending to be asleep after a long time, so he chuckled, pinched the villain's nose, and then shoved his own mouth against him.

"Hmm..." Lu Kuan reluctantly opened his eyes: "What are you trying to do, you woman nearing thirty?"

The washing machine knows how to cause trouble; it can instantly lock down vital parts, and there's always the risk of everything going wrong.

Liu Yifei said fiercely, "Say that again?"

"You bastard, you only like 20-year-olds, huh? 21 isn't good enough anymore?"

Xiao Liu couldn't get over the "20-year-old" thing, mainly because she had been brainwashed by both Xi Ji and Bing Bing, and also because of her understanding of her own man.

"No, no! 21 years old is an upgraded version, with longer battery life, like last night."

"Hahaha!" The girl laughed and ruffled his hair, then remembered the important matter: "I was just about to ask you, last night... what should we do?"

Actually, the work clothes were used up the second time, otherwise the bewildered Da Tian Tian wouldn't have won the big prize.

Boss Lu blinked innocently, "You're in your safe period, it's nothing."

Xiao Liu still felt a slight shiver when he recalled the last burning sensation at midnight. After a long while, he stammered, "Should I buy some medicine?"

"Why would you take medicine when you're perfectly healthy? It's unnecessary." Lu Kuan propped himself up on his arms, pinched her pretty face, and chuckled, "What a coincidence! Didn't something happen like that last time?"

"The date is still one day off, it feels a bit... something." Liu Yifei pouted, then looked at him with sparkling eyes.

"The road is wide, but what if... what if I really am pregnant?"

The air in the bedroom seemed to freeze.

Lu Kuan suddenly froze, his fingertips unconsciously caressing the skin at her waist. This was the first time in his two lives that he had faced this problem.

It was somewhat terrifying, and somewhat unfamiliar.

Lu Kuan's gaze fell on his girlfriend's face. The morning light danced through the gauze curtains on her eyelashes, making her eyes, which were always full of stars, appear exceptionally bright.

She tilted her head slightly, her red lips pursed in nervousness, her hair disheveled and scattered on her snow-white shoulders, yet exuding a vibrant life force.

Lu Kuan suddenly said, "If you're pregnant, just give birth! Do you even need to ask?"

Liu Yifei smiled and said, "You're really shameless. You're thinking about getting a girl pregnant before you've even registered your marriage!"

This was the first time the young girl had felt this possibility was so close to her own life, and she couldn't help but worry a little: "Isn't it a bit too early?"

"It's alright. You'll be 22 next year. Many female college students will graduate, get married, and have children. Girls from rural areas will get married even earlier."

Lu Kuan got out of bed and put on his clothes, then said gently, "Don't think about it too much. The chances are too small. If it really is, then we can only say that he is the chosen one."

He glanced at his watch: "I didn't finish speaking in yesterday's video conference. I'll be at the company all day today. I'll slip away as soon as I wake up."

Liu Yifei looked at her anxious boyfriend without comment.

Whether it was psychological or something else, for a moment she felt something warm filling her chest, and her slender fingers gently brushing across her lower abdomen.

In a daze, it seemed as if I had touched some kind of sacred connection.
-
Nine o'clock in the morning, at the Wenjie Building.

Boss Lu, who had made a triumphant return, specially brought Zhuang Xu and Dong Shuangqiang to scan the headquarters building floor by floor, making an appearance after being absent for more than half a year, and also to encourage the employees.

Lu Kuan, whose title of "strongest post-80s generation" has not yet been stripped, has transformed into a handsome sun for all employees, whose radiant light warms people's hearts.

Despite the joke, the employees of Wenjie were not pretending at all; they genuinely respected and trusted their boss.

Which other boss in the industry treats their employees like this?

The employee housing fund, which started at the end of 2003, incentivized and supported employees from other places to buy houses and settle down in Beiping. The subsequent skyrocketing housing prices proved the greatness of this policy.

The virtual shareholding plan at the annual meeting gave employees a sense of ownership and allowed them to participate in the company's development and growth. Not to mention how many families were saved by the unexpected turn of events at this annual meeting.

In addition to these, there's Mr. Lu's personal leadership charisma, industry reputation, and artistic standing.

In particular, being named to participate in the legislation of the Film Promotion Law and being included in Time magazine's historic selection are both sources of great pride for everyone.

In fact, Wenjie's business model, corporate structure, and leadership characteristics have long been the subject of management research in major universities in the industry.

Chen Zhixi knows this best; just last month, she personally received visiting delegations from Renmin University and other universities.

The general consensus among scholars, industry experts, and investors is:
As a role model for business leaders, Lu Kuan is able to transform personal achievements into shared organizational assets.

Employees, inspired by the prestige of being at the top of the industry, develop a sense of professional pride in "walking alongside giants." This psychological contract is far more profound than material incentives and will drive individuals to spontaneously align themselves with the company's vision.

A leader's industry dominance serves as an endorsement of the team's capabilities. Employees, continuously immersed in top-level standards, will proactively push their skill limits.

Just as top athletes are more likely to break through their limits under the guidance of champion coaches, business organizations also follow the group evolution law of "benchmarks raising the whole".

At 10 a.m., this young president, who has many titles such as "champion coach", "the red sun of the world", "the strongest post-80s", and "Liu Yifei's fiancé", began to deal with the backlog of official business.

These are basically unresolved issues that started in May and have continued to this day. Since May, the earthquake, the Olympics, and public opinion controversies have indeed affected the progress of some work.

The subsidiary managers who were present exchanged a few pleasantries in the conference room and then began to report one by one.

Travel Channel's Long Danni volunteered to be the first to come, hoping to wash away the shame of being criticized last year. This time, the station's performance was indeed impressive.

"President Lu, distinguished leaders, I would like to report on the work and achievements of the first three quarters."

"First of all, the finale of 'Meteor Shower' at the end of this month achieved remarkable results, ranking first in the country in terms of average viewership ratings during the same period. In addition to our usual spy, fantasy, and suspense themes, we have added a new youth romance idol drama to our repertoire, attracting many viewers in this age group."

"At the same time, Jing Tian saw the biggest increase in popularity among the lead actresses, with her Weibo followers exceeding 700 million, almost surpassing some second-tier actresses. Moreover, the persona she cultivated during that live broadcast was very successful, but..."

Boss Lu looked up: "What?"

"Mr. Lu, this girl is really great. I recommend that the company sign her."

Lu Yao, who is in charge of artist management, explained: "I reported to my superiors before that Jing Tian's situation is quite special, she..."

“How about this!” Lu Kuan interrupted the two: “I’ll meet with Lu Zheng tomorrow. Lu Yao, you and Yang Siwei can discuss and come up with a plan for a celebrity studio.”

"Celebrity studio?"

Lu Yao and Yang Siwei, the former partners, were both completely dumbfounded.

In her previous life, the first celebrity studio in China was established by Bingbing, who left Huayi Brothers in 07. Yang Siwei was the one who helped her with management and planning.

Clearly, times have changed, and such historical stories are no longer repeated.

"You can think of it as Liu Yifei's previous studio, only it will be affiliated with a large company, such as Wenjie, which will jointly dedicate itself to Jing Tian's personal development."

Lu Kuan explained, "Her family situation is rather unique, and it wouldn't allow her to be completely affiliated with any specific company."

"But we'll be dealing with her quite a bit in the future. There's no reason to promote someone for nothing. This girl is down-to-earth, has a strong sense of variety, and can be a valuable addition to our talent pool of performing artists."

Lu Yao nodded in agreement and prepared to come down and discuss the specific model with Yang Siwei.

Actually, Xiao Liu's studio had already shown some interest in this before, but Wenjie did not invest in it. However, the two sides still cooperated closely because of Lu and Liu's relationship.

Wenjie can perfectly monetize Liu Yifei's traffic. Liu Yifei needs the excellent works provided by Wenjie, as well as a washing machine.

This is crucial, you could say it's indispensable.

"Long Danni, you can continue."

"Yes."

"Meteor Shower brought in a total of 4.8 million yuan in advertising revenue for the station, including pre-roll and mid-roll creative ads, such as customized storylines and corner ads for brands."

"In addition, several top satellite TV stations, including Jiangsu TV, Zhejiang TV, and Dragon TV, have inquired about the second-run broadcast rights, with expected revenue of around 3000-5000 million yuan."

"Third, due to the previous sale of the overseas rights to 'The Voice of China,' there have been inquiries about the show in Southeast Asia, where youth idol dramas are popular. It is estimated that the overseas rights will bring in around 800 million yuan."

Long Danni summarized: "Because of the use of young actors, the production cost of this drama was only 4000 million yuan, and the publicity was also self-sufficient, with the total cost not exceeding 5000 million yuan, resulting in a very ideal profit situation."

Boss Lu nodded and led the applause, which filled the conference room.

He wasn't particularly surprised, and he wasn't too concerned about the profits, since achieving the strategic goals of "Meteor Shower" was the most important thing.

Liu Qiangdong, quick-witted and astute, took the initiative to continue the conversation: "Let me start by reporting on the recent development of Jie Mall. Taking advantage of the success of 'Meteor Shower,' I also want to thank Longtai for their support."

Long Danni smiled and said, "You're too kind, we're all family."

Boss Lu nodded, and Dongzi said in a deep voice, "Let's talk about PaymentTong first. This time, the traffic generated by 'Meteor Shower' has really given us a boost."

"Since the show started airing, it has brought more than 600 million registered users to the mall and Alipay."

"Although 90% of the purchases are affordable clothing priced under 100 yuan, these are mainly online shoppers aged 18-30, and this number will definitely increase as the TV series airs its second run."

"By listing affordable clothing items featured in 'Meteor Shower' and providing a quick and easy shopping experience by directly clicking on the video link, we have greatly enhanced users' enthusiasm for using the app."

"I think one very important point is that our accounts are universally applicable across all platforms. You know, internet platforms shut out many potential customers just by going through the registration process, but we're different—"

"Watching dramas on Wenjie Video, clicking on clothing links directly takes you to the online store, or clicking on marketing links on Weibo; conversely, after shopping, you can also leave a comment on Weibo with one click, which is crucial!"

Liu Qiangdong became more and more excited as he spoke, which made the other subsidiary managers very envious.

Because Wenjie Mall is very likely to become the first listed subsidiary besides Focus Media, and its future market value is definitely not just the size of a subsidiary.

With the tide rising, as long as Liu Qiangdong doesn't mess things up, he is very likely to become the third vice president of the holding company and acquire shares.

Dongzi continued his introduction without distraction: "As of now, the total number of registered users on the mall is 6500 million, Taobao has 8600 million, and the total number of online shoppers nationwide is about 1.3 million."

"In terms of page views (PV), which is used to assess user activity, the mall had 5 billion PV in August, and Taobao had 72 billion PV. However, due to the security restrictions for the Olympics, logistics were affected overall this month. Our logistics were relatively better because we have our own logistics network."

"The situation is completely the opposite for PaymentTong. Our total number of registered users has now exceeded 100 million, and Ali is reportedly around 75 million. This is mainly due to our absolute advantage in the early expansion of our nationwide utility payment services."

Liu Qiangdong, while praising Lu, didn't forget to flatter him: "President Lu, this is mainly due to your personal influence and your relationship with the local government, which has provided tremendous assistance to our work."

Lu Kuan ignored his flattery: "How's Tencent's Tenpay going?"

Tenpay is a rising star outside of Wenjie and Ali, but its development momentum in the past six months has not been weak at all, mainly due to the direct conversion of its huge number of Tencent users.

"Their registered users should be around 4000 million, which is quite a bit suppressed by the two of us. They mainly focus on payment cooperation in the aviation and tourism sectors, and their Paipai.com is actually not very impressive."

Boss Lu nodded. In the previous life, Tenpay failed to develop due to its inherent weaknesses, and it seems that he is following the same path in this life.

What is the core reason why Alipay was able to defeat Tenpay?
Tenpay is highly dependent on Tencent's resources, while Alipay relies on Taobao's e-commerce ecosystem to achieve full-scenario coverage and expands its user base through public services such as public utility payments.

This version of PaymentPass combines the advantages of both Tencent and Ali.

In terms of user conversion, PayTong has a huge number of users on Weibo, Blogcn, Zhijie Video, and even Douban.
Needless to say, the payment of fees in the mall and life services is another matter; otherwise, Lao Ma wouldn't have been suppressed and forced to make a deal with Chairman Liu.

After listening to Liu Qiangdong's report, Lu Kuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

It can be said that among all of Wenjie's subsidiaries and sectors, the Mall and Payment Connect are the most central to its development.

Because the other subsidiaries are all closely focused on the development of the film industry, with him, the world of directors, and the overall prosperity of the Chinese film market, they can simply follow the times and develop steadily.

However, the mall project is relatively independent and has always faced strong suppression from its big brother, Ali.

Although the mall is still lagging behind in terms of user scale, with the synergy of its two strengths in logistics services and payment integration, as long as it continues to develop step by step, overtaking others is not out of the question.

However, the time traveler was not too confident. Facing prominent figures like Ma Yun, Liu Chuanzhi, and Wang Jianlin, he was afraid that if he was not careful, his weaknesses would be exploited.

The latter, in particular, has already seen the two sides exchange a few blows.

It can only be said that his premonition was correct; in the shadows, Old Ma had already prepared a surprise attack on his base camp as an important strategic deployment.

Liu Qiangdong's report was coming to an end: "Ladies and gentlemen, as of now, among the 3.2 million internet users in the country, our user penetration rate is as high as 30.5%, which means that 3 out of every 10 people are using Alipay."

"Next, following Mr. Lu's instructions, we will continue to collaborate with other departments in the group to integrate the 'Meteor Shower' model and cooperate with insurance, aviation, and travel booking platforms."

His voice rose and fell with emotion: "Here, I, Lao Liu, also pledge that by the end of 2009, I will make the number of PayEase users exceed 2 million, surpassing PayPal to become the world's largest electronic payment platform!"

"Great! Very energetic!" Boss Lu encouraged.

The crowd applauded again, and their gazes towards Dongzi changed. This guy is too talkative; the difference is obvious when compared to Long Danni's report.

He started by thanking his allies, then flattered the leader, glossing over the gap between himself and Ali, focusing on the trend of unified payment, and finally elevating the discussion with a pledge of commitment.

You deserve to be in this position, Dongzi! You're so smug!
Mr. Lu was indeed delighted to hear this report. This was an important strategic deployment for the group, and it was also a behemoth that could grow into a company comparable to the entire industry in the future. He couldn't help but take good care of it from the very beginning.

"Thank you for your effective work, Mr. Liu. I would like to make a few requests."

Everyone, including Liu Qiangdong, turned the pages in unison.

"First, please have the mall work with other departments in the company to start the deployment of mobile payment."

"Everyone should have seen Apple's mobile phones, which are what Steve Jobs called smartphones. This is undoubtedly the future direction."

"The latest version of the iPhone has now launched the APP function. All companies that can access mobile devices, such as Zhijie Video and Weibo, should actively embrace this trend. YouPayTong is one of them."

"Not to mention the current mainstream Windows Mobile, Symbian, and iPhone OS, we also need to pay attention to Android's system software. Dongzi, you should contact Anna Huang in the US directly. She represents me and holds shares in Android, so she will support you."

Liu Qiangdong readily agreed, but he had some doubts in his heart.

He had already been researching this mobile strategy, but this was the first time he had ever heard of the Android system, and he was even more unaware that his boss owned shares in the Android company.

A few years ago, Mytube was sold, and Lu Kuan held shares in Android. Not many people paid attention to this, but what everyone was concerned about was his huge profits.

In fact, Android only released its first test version last November, and it is far from mature.

Boss Lu was just being prepared.

Liu Qiangdong then asked, "President Lu, currently, PaymentTong's main profit still comes from charging merchants a transaction fee of no more than 1%, but that's barely enough to maintain technology and software upgrades. What about the future..."

"Don't rush," Boss Lu began to paint a rosy picture: "Let's do this math problem now."

"Currently, the deposit agreements we have reached with banks, based on an average settlement cycle of half a month, have a current fund size of about 60 billion yuan, but the annual interest income is only a little over 2 million yuan, which is indeed not much."

"But the main reason why we dare not make big moves right now is that the payment license issue is still unclear."

"Think about it, four or five years from now, when our fund pool reaches 3000 billion or 5000 billion, what if we let users transfer their funds into a money market fund and we take a share of the management fees? Would that work?"

"Going a step further, how about we take some of the users' money and lend it to other users?"

This not only stunned Liu Qiangdong, but also everyone who knew a little about the industry.

Zhuang Xu, in particular, was filled with apprehension. Having come from CICC, he knew all too well the unsettling nature of this operation. Was he trying to steal the business from the banks?

Can they make you feel better?

Before anyone could raise any questions, Lu Kuan gestured downwards to calm everyone down: "This is just an extra question. After all, the license plate issue is still under consideration by the higher-ups. Don't be anxious or afraid. I'm even more timid than you are, and I won't rebel against anyone."

"Hahaha!" Laughter erupted in the office, but the others were genuinely laughing and looking at Dongzi with amusement.

Let's see if you still dare to be so smug!
Dongzi smiled too, but his smile was bitter.

He felt that if they continued to rush ahead as Mr. Lu suggested, the legal risks for him as the general manager and legal representative would be very high.

However, considering the boss's connections with higher-ups, there's no other way but to bite the bullet and do it.

Find wealth in danger!
Lu Kuan suddenly remembered something: "Has Huayi Brothers finished filming 'If You Are the One'?"

Gao Jun replied, "Filming is expected to wrap up next month, and the film will be released in late December during the Lunar New Year season."

"Oh, let's keep an eye on this and see how well Ali, Huayi, and Alispace's imitations of our 'Meteor Shower' turn go. Also—"

He then turned to Long Danni: "Has our variety show 'If You Are the One' been approved yet?"

"We submitted it, and they can issue the license number immediately. Actually, it was a bit difficult at first. The bureau was worried about it being vulgar or tasteless. But in the end, it was your influence, boss, that made it work. As soon as the news of the Film Promotion Law came out, it was passed."

Boss Lu smiled. It's a good thing that his subordinates know how to leverage their influence, as long as they use it for the right purposes: "Just be careful. It's fine to create a buzz, but don't make it too vulgar."

"receive."

Following this, Jiang Beichun gave a work report, stating that Focus Media's business is a sunset industry, and its role as a tool for public opinion should be maintained, which was unremarkable.

Zhijie Video has firmly secured its top position thanks to this exclusive Olympic broadcast. It is just waiting for Zhuang Xu and the Ministry to negotiate and prepare to launch a copyright war at the right time, sweeping away all the leftovers and building a resource barrier for its film library.

The other subsidiaries are all doing well and nothing particularly special. This includes the cinema chain construction of Wenjie Jiahe. Currently, the first, second and third-tier cities in China are approaching saturation. Further expansion will require further penetration into lower-tier cities, but that's a story for another time.

After a morning of meetings, Boss Lu called Xie Ning from Butian Pictures, along with Yang Siwei and Gao Jun, to his office after lunch.

Currently, Wenjie has a total of eight subsidiaries, and together with the Internet Business Unit headed by Zhang Jinyin, there are a total of nine core-level personnel.

Zhang Jinyin has been providing cloud computing services at Wenjie since 2005. In his previous life, he was the head of Ali's data security team and the person in charge of Ali Cloud.
Including Chen Zhixi from the President's Office, and the two Vice Presidents Zhuang Xu and Dong Shuangqiang, there are twelve core personnel.

Yang Siwei, the newly established general manager of Starlink, which is responsible for the coordinated operation of "Meteor Shower," the online store, and Weibo, has become the thirteenth person in the company after Boss Lu.

"Xiao Yang, you're now firmly in the thirteenth position. What are your thoughts?"

Yang Siwei, seemingly simple-minded, replied: "I don't have any particular feelings. I'm just working diligently, serving the company, and serving President Lu and his wife."

"There's a hint of flattery in that." Boss Lu frowned.

"I'm not being obsequious!" Yang Siwei tried to explain: "After all, there are still many things on Xixi's side that I can't get rid of for the time being, such as these recent public opinion storms, I still need to provide more services."

Xie Ning and Gao Jun listened with great interest, feeling that the company's core management team was all very capable.

Whether it's Liu Heng, who sells his face and buys copyrights everywhere on video websites, Jiang Beichun, who was once thought to be defecting due to the anti-corruption plan, or Liu Qiangdong, who is always loud and boisterous but actually meticulous.

There's also Zhong Lifang, Lu Yao, Long Danni, and especially Yang Siwei in front of us, who's incredibly cunning.

Take Liu Yifei's case for example. Whether she couldn't get rid of it or didn't want to, outsiders have no way of knowing.

Clearly, even if Yang Siwei were to step down as the general manager of Starlink, she would not completely relinquish control over Liu Yifei's affairs. This is the core of the matter and the key to her rise from a "Phoenix" to a meritorious official.

What a joke! After years of hard work to be incorporated, one should not forget the path one came from.

Boss Lu didn't expose her little scheme; he just wanted to serve his girlfriend well, so he gave her a special instruction.

"After the September arts festival ends, Xiao Liu will be back to filming and working. Let's reorganize the disbanded team."

"No need to hire bodyguards, Mia from abroad will come. As for the assistants, drivers, and makeup artists, you can handle it. Do I need to say more?"

Yang Siwei stood up abruptly: "We will definitely complete the mission. We will use the older generation who are suitable, and we will conduct background checks on new recruits for at least three generations to ensure that they will not cause any problems!"

Lu Kuan laughed and said, "Alright, you can go now. Make sure you get the investment in Jing Tian Studio sorted out. Be firm in your negotiations. Lu Zheng is begging us, not the other way around."

"Roger that!"

Xiao Yang was a little uneasy.

She handled everything from start to finish with "Meteor Shower," including that live broadcast. Apart from Liu Yifei, this was the first time in years that she had seen the company promote another female star so much.

Could this sweet girl be having some kind of shady dealings with the boss?
There's definitely something fishy going on; it's not just with the boss, but even more so with the boss's wife.

Lu Kuan then turned to Xie Ning: "Have you read the project proposal for 'Ball Lightning'? I've marked the key special effects parts."

"Yes, the first version of the feasibility report has been completed. I brought it with me and am ready to report to you."

Boss Lu waved his hand: "Don't rush. Let me first talk to you and Lao Gao about the future development trend. This involves your special effects and his two aspects: 4K and IMAX cinema construction."

"You should all be familiar with Avatar, which I mentioned before. Guo Fan and Lu Yang from the Pan-Asia Film Academy are still interning."

"Based on information coming back from the front lines, this will be a groundbreaking work that will shake the world—"

Lu Kuan said in a deep voice, "I'm talking about the front lines, and also the world. You two should be able to realize what level of film this is."

Xie Ning and Gao Jun exchanged a glance; they seemed to have never heard such a level of warning from Boss Lu before.

"You all know that the next movie is science fiction, so why release it at this time? Besides exploring the industrialization of film, or continuing to improve our special effects level through 'learning by doing' so that it can reach the world's first-class level as soon as possible, the most important reason is that I lack confidence."

Mr. Lu frankly said, "The more I learn about Avatar through Guo Fan and others, the less confident I am in competing with it. It is far from being a competitor like Hendrik Willem Van Loon's Around the World in 80 Days, which Avatar faced four years ago."

"Therefore, we can only continue to learn and reap the benefits of the sci-fi blockbuster and high-end digital cinema that it brings, through the necessary technical accumulation before the filming of 'Ball Lightning' this year."

"This involves you, Lao Gao." Boss Lu's sudden change of topic made Gao Jun sit up straight.

"In the next year, we will double the number of 4K screens in cinemas in first-tier cities, and no less than 10 in each of the second- and third-tier cities. I haven't done any research on this number, so please go back and calculate the costs and submit a plan to me."

"In addition, IMAX should be fully covered in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, as well as provincial capitals and sub-provincial capitals such as Tianjin, Nanjing, Suzhou, Lin'an, Ningbo, Chengdu, Chongqing, and Jinan. First-tier cities should have 2-3 IMAX screens, and other cities should have at least 1 screen."

Xie Ning was fine with these earnest instructions, but Gao Jun complained bitterly.

Putting aside Mr. Lu's intentions for the moment, the first thought that flashed through his mind was that he was about to throw money around again.

In 2008, the cost of a 4K cinema, including a 4K digital projector, metal screen, multi-channel surround sound system, decoration and supporting facilities, was less than 600 million yuan.

An IMAX theater is even more extravagant, with hardware heavily reliant on imports. The cost, including the renovation and maintenance of the IMAX projection system and the giant screen, is as high as 2300 million.

Even in 2024, there will only be about 750 IMAX theaters nationwide.

In first-tier cities, the price is 30 yuan in Beijing, 41 yuan in Shanghai, and about 25-30 yuan each in Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

Even if Gao Jun didn't know this data, seeing the big boss's "ambitious" plan to expand from one IMAX in Wangfujing to more than a dozen IMAXs across the country, which would cost several hundred million yuan, he knew that this would be another huge expense.

And that doesn't even include 4K theaters!

He demanded double the amount in first-tier cities and no less than 10 yuan in each of the second and third-tier cities, which means the investment was even higher than that of IMAX.

Why such a sudden leap forward?

Lu Kuan naturally couldn't reveal all of the prophet's predictions, but could only gently guide people with existing industry data: "Everyone who watched 'Kung Fu Panda' in May should have had some profound thoughts."

"I won't discuss the cultural elements involved today; I'll just give you a statistic that I'm sure you can see—"

"Kung Fu Panda grossed nearly 600 million yuan on only 9 IMAX screens in China, accounting for almost 4% of the total box office. What about 4K screens? Did Gao Jun pay attention to this data?"

Gao Jun said in a deep voice: "It accounts for about 20%, but considering the total number of 4K screens at present, it is indeed worth thinking about."

In the previous era, up to 2010, Avatar raked in 1.6 million yuan on only 14 IMAX screens nationwide, accounting for 11% of the total box office.

That year, only UME Huaxing Cinema and Wanda Cinema Shijingshan Cinema in Beiping had IMAX theaters, and the price of a single ticket had been inflated to 1000 yuan, yet demand still exceeded supply.

In 2024, IMAX, with 1% of the screens nationwide, contributed nearly 6% of the box office of "Ne Zha 2", demonstrating its significant ability to command a premium for ticket prices.

In this life, Jiahe has two strategies for development and expansion to cope with the competition from Wanda's invincible business model.

First, they should preemptively occupy the third- and fourth-tier cities that are poised for explosive growth;
Secondly, starting with "Tangshan," shot with a 4K camera, the company has been committed to creating a high-end cinema image and has been at the forefront of 4K and IMAX construction.

If at that time it was still being gradually advanced as a strategic step, then the instructions Gao Jun received today are to fully play this card within the next 10-12 months of construction.

Because the "catalyst" for this card—Avatar—is coming. This movie is Hollywood's sharpest weapon for conquering the world, but it may well become an aid in the hands of time travelers.

Gao Jun pondered for a moment and said, "What Mr. Lu means is that he predicts that Avatar will lead to a surge in demand for 4K and IMAX viewing. We are entering this market ahead of time not only to maintain the brand image of high-end cinemas, but also to take advantage of this trend to cultivate user loyalty."

"Yes, you could say it was as popular as Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Titanic, or even more popular back in the day."

Lu Kuan then went into more detail: "Since the company was founded, we have been the industry leader in almost every sector except for the shopping mall and cinema chains, where the competitors ahead of us are strong and have a first-mover advantage."

"The online marketplace is gradually finding a way to break through the impasse, but what about cinemas? How can they compete with Wanda?"

Following his line of thought, Gao Jun explained: "Wanda actually has fewer screens than us, and the gap is widening, but Wanda's output per screen is almost twice that of the industry average, which is terrifying."

"Just as you mentioned earlier, Mr. Lu, the output per screen for 4K and IMAX is even more staggering. This is an area worth exploring, which is..."

Mr. Lu smiled and waved his hand: "Don't worry about the funding problem, I will solve it for you. Even if you are in dire straits, you must prioritize it."

"Butian Pictures and the online store can't afford to give you any more money. Butian Pictures is also struggling to prepare the pre-production special effects for 'Ball Lightning,' as they need to import a lot of technology this time."

He hesitated for a few seconds: "Let's wait a bit. This time I'm going to the United States for an interview with Time magazine. Let's see if I can scrape some money back to spend."

In September 2008, Lehman Brothers went bankrupt and AIG was taken over by the government, officially turning the subprime mortgage crisis into a global financial crisis.

Paulson's short positions in bank stocks, such as those against Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, could be partially cashed out.

"By the way, Gao Jun, you can look into this when you have time..." Lu Kuan stopped mid-sentence, looking at the bewildered General Manager of Wenjie Jiahe.

"Never mind, let's get down to business!"

Actually, he was thinking about how scalpers were driving up the prices of 4K and IMAX tickets for Avatar in his previous life, and he wanted to mention the issue of online ticketing.

However, considering the arduous task Gao Jun is currently undertaking, and the fact that launching online ticketing now would inevitably involve massive spending, it was decided not to discuss it for the time being.

Avatar won't be released for more than a year, so it would be great if the theater could be renovated in that time.

We'll see about the rest later.

The following day, August 27, 2008, film industry reporters received a notification and rushed to the Media Hotel in Beiping.

Following the Olympics, Zhang Yimou, one of the two award-winning directors, held a press conference to officially announce the approval of his next film project.

(End of this chapter)