Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 567 The Most Popular Couples in the Chinese Entertainment Industry

With the popularization of the Internet and the entry of various capital, the Spring Festival of 2010 was significantly more "entertaining".

It wasn't just celebrities like Bingbing and Xiao Liu who received relatively high levels of discussion; the entire Spring Festival period was a vibrant display of diverse opinions, especially the discussions about the Spring Festival Gala that started on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

The first song that director Lang Kun played as his "nostalgia card" was the Taiwanese band "Little Tigers".

Reunited after more than a decade, the once youthful boys are now approaching middle age. The Little Tigers' appearance that night became the biggest highlight of the Spring Festival Gala, with many young viewers humming along. The topic on Weibo also competed for the top spot with "Uncle Benshan absent from the Year of the Tiger Spring Festival Gala".

Another "nostalgia card" was played by Wang Fei, who appeared on stage wearing the latest collection of the recently deceased British fashion genius Alexander McQueen.

She slowly rose from the platform, and a huge, three-dimensional, deep blue planet appeared above her head, slowly rotating. Then, Li Jian's song "Legend" floated out in the ethereal voice of this music diva:
"Just because I glanced at you in the crowd..."

This is Wang Fei's first major performance after returning to the music scene five years after marrying into a singing family. The Spring Festival Gala production team had generated a lot of buzz about it beforehand, making the outside world very much looking forward to it.

However, the opinions were mixed. While fans were celebrating, there was also a lot of noise questioning whether she was lip-syncing.

In addition, news continued to emerge about Liu Qian's magic tricks being deciphered in his second year on the Spring Festival Gala, and about him locking in the Liaoning Provincial Spring Festival Gala because he missed Uncle Benshan.

As a former top female singer, Wang Fei has been the subject of much discussion regarding her lip-syncing and the loss of her former charisma and presence after her comeback. Many of Wang Fei's fans have gone to the Weibo and Tieba forums of the singer to curse the "scumbag" who ruined their goddess.

After all, not every celebrity couple or boyfriend/girlfriend has a harmonious relationship with their fans.

I'd like to specifically name "Washing Machine" and "Fairy Fans" here. This is a rather peculiar relationship between fan groups in the Chinese entertainment industry. They are neither friends nor enemies, depending solely on whether they share a common enemy.

If there is a need, unite against external threats; if not, unite internally.

Killer dog...

Of course, with a beauty like Xiao Liu as the washing machine's permanent bed partner, the laundry detergent and liquid are quite satisfied, so they don't strongly refute the "kill the road dog" slogan.

They just occasionally reminisce about the days when there was a replacement, and look forward to the little washing machine growing up as soon as possible.

Perhaps capitalizing on the enduring popularity of celebrity couples like Wang Fei and Ya Peng, and last year's Na Ying and Gao Feng, the Nanfang Metropolitan Daily, which had just undergone a major personnel reshuffle, took advantage of the Spring Festival to collaborate with Tencent on a special selection of celebrity couples in the Chinese entertainment industry—"The Most Popular Couples in the Chinese Entertainment Industry."

The reason for choosing Tencent is that it currently has the highest number of users and activity among portals. Moreover, both companies are located in Guangdong Province. The deeper, unspoken reason is that both have had "disagreements" with Mr. Lu.

Although it's just a neutral selection process, it's always more pleasant to collaborate with like-minded people.

The so-called "Celebrity Couples Ranking" is just like the "Four Little Actresses" selection initiated by Nanfang Weekend, which is also a media outlet under the Nanfang Group. It's a routine operation.

Since it's a special selection, of course there has to be a ranking, even if it's just for entertainment, otherwise how can it cause fans to fight?
So the magazine added two more entertaining than rigorous evaluation criteria to each couple: sweetness level and wealth level.

As the name suggests, it refers to the emotional intensity and economic strength of a couple or lovers.

The core significance of these two indicators lies in transforming the public's vague voyeuristic desire and straightforward envy towards celebrity couples into a seemingly intuitive and quantifiable entertainment-oriented evaluation system.

This accurately captures the two lifelines of the entertainment industry: emotional topics are the perpetual motion machine for maintaining popularity, while wealth and power are the most direct symbol of status.

"Sweetness" is quantified by "sweetness" in public interactions, social media posts, and moments captured on camera, satisfying fans' CP (couple) mentality and the gossip needs of passersby.
"Wealth value" takes into account factors such as career prospects, commercial endorsements, and family assets, catering to the public's imagination of "strong alliances" between celebrities.

This is an evaluation system that lacks rigor but is highly widely disseminated.

At the same time, this kind of ranking is more likely to cause heated discussions and flame wars than a simple Hupu male and female god selection. As mentioned above, not every celebrity couple or partner has a harmonious relationship with their fans.
If a couple or pair of lovers ranks low or doesn't even make it into the final top ten list, wouldn't they attract a lot of flame wars between fans from different camps or even within the same camp?

The Metropolitan Daily's plan was very effective. Starting with the discussion about Wang Fei after the Spring Festival Gala, they quickly began the preliminary selection process. Using the most powerful gossip studios in the industry as sources and combining public voting scores, they first selected the top ten couples.

To be selected as a couple, they must meet the following criteria: they are currently popular and generate discussion, they have had well-known works in the past two years, and both of them are people in the entertainment industry or related fields.

Otherwise, there would be too many celebrity couples since the last century, which would not meet Nanfang's need to pursue current news trends.

The pop diva and Jing Gege were naturally the first pair to climb to the top of the trending searches. This pair, who are generally considered to be "strong woman and weak man", saw their popularity soar with Wang Fei's comeback at the Spring Festival Gala with "Legend" and the upcoming "Love Will Continue to the End" being prepared by the duck shed.

Another similar couple is Wen Zhang and Ma Yili, a relationship between an older woman and a younger man. They got married last year and announced the birth of their daughter this year, almost in sync with Lu and Liu, except that they received a little less attention.

However, with the success of LeTV Culture's "Dwelling Narrowness," Wenjie's "Naked Wedding Era," and the currently filming "Snow Leopard," the voices mocking Wenzhang as a "resource-hungry woman" from Ma Yili's fans have become increasingly quiet.

In addition, there is also the model couple in the entertainment industry, Tong Dawei and Guan Yue, both of whom are Manchu.
Charlene Choi (Ah Sa) and Ronald Cheng, the couple embroiled in a "secret marriage scandal," have recently had a high number of appearances in mainland cinemas, especially due to their collaboration with Fiber Optics.

The former includes films like "Triple Tap" and "Hot Summer Days," while the latter includes films like "Metallic Attraction: Kung Fu Cyborg" and "Just Another Pandora's Box."

It must be said that the selection event launched by Nanfang Metropolitan Daily was excellent in terms of strategy and mobilization capabilities, continuing the success of previous "Four Little Actresses" selections.

So, despite having the "Four Little Actresses" as a cautionary tale, the magazine still received many "commercial orders," spending money on this marketing campaign that seemed destined to be a huge success.

For example, Huang Xiaoming wanted to make a name for Yang Ying, a beautiful model he had just acquired, and to express his love for her.

Through the introduction of this celebrity shareholder of Wuyue Culture, Yang Ying managed to get his new girlfriend, after Li Feier, into the cast of "Hot Summer Days," which included Charlene Choi, Jacky Cheung, Rene Liu, Daniel Wu, Nicholas Tse, and others.

In the previous life, the production team was an investment project of Huayi Brothers, Fox, and Star TV. In this life, Huayi Brothers disappeared, and Wuyue Culture looked down on it, so the opportunity fell to Fiber Optic Berna.

Yang Ying, making her acting debut, plays a girl with a "first love face," and is said to appear on screen without makeup, delivering a mediocre performance.

Huang Xiaoming, who has loved androids all his life, made a tough decision and, with the gentle entanglement of Baby Xiaoyi, spent money and connections to get his duo into the final top ten list.

The Nanfang Metropolitan Daily, a newspaper under a group that claims to be the most profitable newspaper group in mainland China, has also begun to "sell advertising space".

Anyone who meets the organizer's internal criteria of "having recent works, high popularity, and hype" will be paid for their services.

For example, in the case of Huang Xiaoming and Yang Ying, if you find Huang Xiaoming's ex-girlfriend Li Feier and manipulate things a little, it becomes a melodramatic drama of an ex accusing his current girlfriend of being unfaithful and cheating, while also brazenly showing off their affection.

The second person to find the Metropolitan Daily was Zhang Ziyi.

At the beginning of this year, she was embroiled in a major scandal involving a "charity fraud" scandal. The scandal involved a fundraising event at the Cannes Film Festival two years ago, which was revealed by reporters this year to have not been fulfilled, causing a major blow to her reputation.

This is one of the origins of the nickname "Auntie Door".

The strategy of the second Chinese actress to rise to fame in Hollywood after Gong Li is simple: through this selection, the public's attention will be forcibly shifted from the questionable issue of "charitable integrity" to the more topical and prestigious "powerful alliance between an internationally renowned actress and a Jewish tycoon".

Furthermore, remedial measures to directly address the issue of fraudulent donations were arranged in the previous two months, which can be considered a proper remedy.

In a press release sent to the Metro newspaper by her team, she was urged to compete fiercely for and secure the top ranking in "wealth points," with a focus on promoting her relationship with her Jewish boyfriend, Vivi Nevo.
It emphasizes the latter's prominent status as Time Warner's largest individual shareholder and a media mogul, and the top global capital circles he represents.

Zhang Ziyi wants to send a signal to the public:
With her wedding approaching, she has long since transcended the petty gains and controversies of the domestic entertainment industry.

She has already entered the social stratum defined by international capital and top-tier wealth, and has no need to, nor does she care to, break her promise over a mere million-dollar donation.

Especially now that Liu Yifei has become a top star among the new generation of actresses, both she and Yang Mi have realized how important it is for a female celebrity to have a husband who looks very presentable!
For these female celebrities who sell themselves to anyone, this is a sure way to drive up the price of abalone!

I don't know if it's because they heard that Aunt Men was making some moves, but apart from Xun Ge'er, who has already made headlines for her relationship with Wang Shuo, one of the so-called "Four Young Masters of Beijing", almost all the actresses of the same generation are trying to get on the list.

One of them is the swallow that will give birth in April.

Her conditions were better than Zhang Ziyi's. Although her husband Huang Youhu's appearance was not particularly impressive, he was still a wealthy businessman with multiple investment companies under his name and had also invested in his wife's Tangde Film and Television.

In her previous life, this company was the key to Yanzi and Bingbing's "reconciliation of the century." Now, Bingbing, who is the president of the country's top listed entertainment company, naturally doesn't care about it anymore.

This is also one of the important reasons why Yanzi is determined to make a comeback after giving birth. With her movie "14 Blades" this year, she is returning to the center of the stage and trying to continue to compete with the woman she regards as a "maid" in her career.

A dazzling array of choices can be overwhelming. In the 2.0 era of Chinese entertainment, most male and female celebrities are driven by a frenzy for fame and status. And these are not the only ones who want to participate in the first hype of the new year.
However, there are too many clever people, such as Yang Mi and her boyfriend, who are both planning to make a big deal out of this matter.

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, on the North Fourth Ring Road of Chaoyang District, there is a high-end villa area called Dongshan Villa, which was developed four years ago.

Dongshan Villa is a high-profile residential area in Beiping where celebrities have purchased properties. In 2010 alone, celebrities such as Yanzi, Wang Fei and his wife, Zhou Xun, and Na Ying moved in.

The reason why it was able to be marketed effectively in the entertainment industry is that Wang Wei, the owner of Dongshan Villa Real Estate, was originally one of the people in the entertainment industry.

In 2010, in addition to its original high-end residential real estate, Wang Wei's Taihe Group also established Taihe Music by acquiring Wheatfield Music, which had singers such as Chun Ge, Man Wenjun, and A Duo under its wing.

However, he started investing in Huayi around 2000, when Huayi's full name was "Huayi Taihe".

Before Huayi rose to prominence, he had considered bringing Zhang Guoli and Feng Xiaogang out to work independently, but the plan was shelved due to differences in investment amount and operating methods.

In this life, Wang Wei remains a shareholder of the original Huayi and the current Wuyue, but since the Zhou Jun era and through the subsequent dozen or so share issuances and adjustments, his shareholding has become extremely small.

Fortunately, he also invested in LeEco Culture, a rising star in the entertainment industry, which is scheduled to go public in August this year. This made Mr. Wang, who lamented that he missed out on Wuyue, feel quite gratified. So this morning at 8 o'clock, he personally went to the gate of the villa area to welcome a shareholder of LeEco Culture, who is also the new vice president.

Lots of gold.

The winter sun in Beiping carried a touch of chill as it shone on the grand yet tranquil entrance of Dongshan Villa.

Taihe's boss, Wang Wei, was waiting there wearing a finely made Chinese-style cotton coat. When he saw the familiar Rolls-Royce Phantom arrive, a warm smile spread across his face.

As soon as the car came to a stop, Xu Jin got out first, followed by a middle-aged man carrying a briefcase with a meticulous expression. This was Lao Xu's lawyer.

Wang Wei greeted him with a smile: "Happy New Year, Mr. Xu! Welcome, God of Wealth!"

For real estate developers, coal bosses, who hold huge sums of money and stand at the crossroads of the times, are nothing short of gods of wealth.

Xu Duojin now has the demeanor of a vice president. He glanced at his watch and said, "President Wang, you flatter me. Mimi should arrive at ten o'clock. I'm early."

Wang Wei chuckled inwardly, knowing perfectly well why he had come so early.

This was because his father, Lao Xu, had already informed him by phone in advance. This was to make arrangements with him, the real estate company owner, under the guise of "adding insurance" to the house.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Wang Wei led the two into a private meeting room used to receive top-tier clients.

The interior was warm and cozy, with hot tea and fruit platter laid out on the mahogany coffee table. Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows was a view of the frozen lake, creating a private and luxurious atmosphere.

Wang Wei cut to the chase: "Our Dongshan Villa complex only has 78 detached houses in total. The 1150-square-meter house your girlfriend Yang Mi has her eye on is one of only 6 available. The other houses are owned by Li Lianjie, Gong Li, and two foreign businessmen. Even if I give Boss Xu a huge discount, it can't be lower than this price..."

He held out one palm, indicating a number of fifty million.

Old Wang Wei was shrewd. Seeing Jin's simple and honest face, he took the initiative to help him out: "Brother, although I am just a poor man now, the entertainment industry started in Beiping. I started watching these men and women cause trouble back in 2000."

"So I completely understand you..."

“President Wang!” Xu Duojin interrupted him with a smile, “Thank you for your understanding. We’re just talking business, no need for further words.”

He gestured to the man in the suit next to him, "Let's show a few contracts to Mr. Wang first. He's a professional, so he can give us some feedback."

Wang Wei was taken aback. Looking at the man's unfathomable gaze behind his glasses, he thought to himself that he was a naive man with a dark heart. He then smiled and picked up the several contracts that the lawyer had already laid out to look at.

"Shareholder Agreement of Beiping Yangmi Culture Media Co., Ltd.", "Agreement on Concerted Action", "Shareholder Loan Agreement", etc.

The more Taihe Real Estate executive looked at it, the more alarmed and moved he became.

These Xishan businessmen are really shrewd; they practically studied the Company Law thoroughly just to buy a house for their girlfriends.

However, this was nothing unusual for Wang Wei. Everyone knows what kind of female celebrities are. Where can you find so much true love these days?

Even with Liu Yifei and that other woman, he didn't believe it was pure true love. This female celebrity has always been too good at making money; who wouldn't be envious?

In the era when the entertainment industry was far from having the dominant position it has today, apart from Lu Kuan who won her over, everyone else wanted to destroy her, such as Zhou Jun of Huayi and all the domestic entertainment companies, and even Hong Kong and Taiwan companies.

As one of Huayi's shareholders, Wang Wei knew all too well.

The only sound in the room for a moment was the soft rustling of papers turning. After a long while, Wang Wei looked up again with a knowing smile on his face. "Mr. Xu, you may do as you please today."

Many Jin smiled innocently, but didn't reply. He just raised his hand to look at his watch, his gaze sweeping over the increasingly bright sunlight outside the window.

……

At 10:15 a.m., a royal blue Z4 slowly came to a stop. The door opened, and a beautiful foot wearing a red Christian Louboutin studded high heel peeked out first.

Da Mimi was wrapped in a white mink coat, her long black hair was loosely draped, and huge sunglasses covered half of her face, but could not hide the bright smile on her full red lips.

"Xiao Xu, I'm late!" She took off her sunglasses, revealing a beautifully made-up face. Her eyes sparkled with a hint of allure as she strode towards her boyfriend.

"I went to my uncle's house this morning to deliver New Year's gifts. There was a bit of traffic on the way, so I was delayed for a while." Her voice was sweet and coquettish. She naturally reached out and took Xu Duojin's arm, leaning her body slightly against him in an extremely intimate manner.

Feeling the fullness of his forearm, Duoduo Jin smiled and said, "Should I go visit my uncle's house too?"

"Go away! Who told you to shout like that? It's not even close to happening yet!" Yang Mi gave him a charming glare, then said seriously, "I really want to thank you, Xiao Xu, for this marketing arrangement..."

"Let's talk as we walk." The second-generation coal miner put his arm around her shoulder and walked towards Wang Wei's office. "This is a good thing for you and for LeEco Culture. There's nothing to thank me for." "My father has already asked someone to speak to the Metropolitan Daily. It's definitely going to be in the top ten. The specifics will depend on how it's done."

"Since we're going to compete, we need to put on a good show. The houses in Dongshan Villa are also very valuable investments, and living here is a symbol of status."

Xu Jin affectionately pinched his girlfriend's pretty face, pretending to forget the disgusting words he had overheard her saying at the door that day. "No matter what others think, in my eyes, whatever Liu Yifei deserves, you deserve too." (Chapter 555)
"Honey, you're so good to me~" Da Mimi almost wanted to strangle the coal tycoon with her sweet voice, then she sighed with emotion: "I've been in the industry for so many years, and I still have some money, especially these past two years since I met you."

"So you don't need to worry about buying a house this time. Uncle Xu has already helped me get a discount. I can still afford the down payment. All I have to do is work hard to earn money and pay off the loan. I'm still so young, I can work hard."

Even as she spoke in a seemingly tactful way, Yang Mi's mind was still filled with images of Liu Yifei's calm and collected face, and the invisible, suffocating wealth empire behind her. A pang of bitterness and an even stronger competitive spirit surged within her.

He's the richest man in the world, yet I'm still struggling to make a down payment on a house...

"What are you saying!" Xu Duojin looked at the female star with displeasure: "I've arranged everything, you don't need to worry about it."

His dark face deepened with a憨笑, and he gave Yang Mi a tight hug around the waist, almost causing her to lose her balance and fall into his arms. Then, with the latter blushing and coquettishly complaining, they walked towards the teahouse they had visited once before.

"Oh! Welcome, Mr. Xu and Mr. Yang, the great star!" Wang Wei remained unmoved behind the tea table, gesturing for the two to sit down. "I came early this morning to prepare some fine tea, just waiting for you two!"

He skillfully poured tea, the amber-colored tea soup tracing a gentle arc, and in an instant, the aroma of tea filled the air: "This is Jin Jun Mei tea that I just got before the New Year. It has a top-grade honey aroma, which is perfect for the festive atmosphere. Please have a taste."

Yang Mi naturally recognized this former shareholder of Huayi Brothers and current shareholder of LeTV Culture. In the past, she was just an insignificant star and actress, but now that she bought a villa, he had personally received her and spoken to her with great courtesy.

She felt incredibly comfortable at that moment. Even though she knew perfectly well that Wang Wei was doing it for Xiao Xu... no, for Lao Xu... or rather, for money, it still gave this native Beiping girl a sense of floating on air, as if she had transcended social class.

Damn it! This level of pleasure already makes me so happy, I wonder how much pleasure Liu Yifei must feel when she's writhing and pleasuring herself under the richest man.

"Honey? Honey?" Many Jin patted the back of her hand gently in a gentlemanly manner.

"Hmm? Oh!" Yang Mi smiled and said, "I'm sorry, I've been staying up late lately reading scripts and I've been a little distracted."

"Miss Yang is so dedicated. No wonder she's made a name for herself in the huge entertainment industry," Wang Wei said casually, then repeated, "President Xu just told me that he's planning to set up a company for her to buy this villa, which is worth about 5500 million yuan. What do you think?"

A sudden sense of unease rose in Da Mimi's heart. "I...I don't quite understand, what does this mean?"

"Is that so? I've been in the real estate business for fifteen or sixteen years now." Wang Wei, like a responsible older brother, explained seriously while fiddling with his prayer beads:
“It has become common practice in the industry to hold high-end properties in first-tier cities under the name of a company. Not to mention, some of the top clients I have come into contact with, including a few big shots who are not willing to be named, all operate this way.”

He paused deliberately, his gaze sweeping over Yang Mi, seemingly unaware that the top female star he was about to mention was her inner demon: "And the richest woman who has a good relationship with Miss Yang..."

"Huh? Liu... Qianqian? What happened to her?" Da Mimi's doubts about starting a company and buying a house were instantly dispelled by this name.

Wang Wei laughed and said, "I've only heard about it. It's all over the real estate circles in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou that this Miss Liu has set up an investment company that specializes in investing in real estate in first-tier cities, as well as Hengdian..." (Chapter 564)
"It's said that they bought the children along with them because they want to keep them with them for the filming of 'The Book of Peace' in the next two years, so they buy them wherever they go."

He pretended not to see Yang Mi's somewhat impatient expression. "While she was looking for a house, she also participated in real estate fund investments. Part of it was used to improve her quality of life by living in the property herself, and the other part was purely for asset allocation and value preservation and appreciation."

"What are the benefits of doing this? On the one hand, it can play a good role in asset isolation and avoid some potential risks."

"On the other hand, it offers greater flexibility and room for maneuver in tax planning and future financial arrangements, making it much wiser than keeping it in an individual's name."

Wang Wei's words were like fine needles, precisely piercing the most sensitive and vulnerable corner of Yang Mi's heart.

When the words "the richest man's wife" and "Miss Liu" entered her ears, the deliberately maintained calm expression on her face instantly froze like a frozen lake, so stiff it was almost about to crack.

This woman, who started seeking attention and fawning over big-name directors at the age of fifteen, seems to be strolling through the most prestigious real estate developments in every first-tier city, casually purchasing properties with the ease of buying a bottle of mineral water.

Just like the extravagantly luxurious manor she visited when she was still her "best friend".

But what about yourself?

After working for two or three companies over the years, I've finally achieved some success. I bought a villa for my parents to live in, but I still have to deal with the second-generation coal miners and listen to their professional jargon.

Thus, the doubts and confusion in my heart about purchasing a house in the name of the company quickly crumbled as Wang Wei deliberately provoked me and my burning jealousy rose up.

Just like what my boyfriend said to me at the door:

Whatever Liu Yifei deserves, I deserve too!
"Xiao Xu, what do you think?" Yang Mi subconsciously straightened her back, as if that would help her resist the enormous gap that was pressing down on her, and asked the man.

Xu Duojin poured some tea for his girlfriend, then said gently, "Liu Yifei's approach is actually a common tax avoidance and asset management method in the industry. Just like Zhao Benshan recently bought a private jet, which is also registered under his own company's name. It's quite normal."

His honest face held a reassuring confidence as he continued to explain to Yang Mi: "The biggest advantage of using the company's name is that it can legally and compliantly save a lot of money. Think about it, such a large sum of money for a house purchase would incur significantly higher deed tax if it were handled by an individual."

"By putting the house in the company's accounts, the house becomes a fixed asset of the company. The costs of future renovations, property management, and even hiring a nanny can be counted as the company's operating costs and can be used to offset the income of your personal studio. The savings can be substantial."

Yang Mi wasn't stupid. She couldn't help but wonder how she could ensure that the ownership of the company's property belonged to her since it was the company's property.

If I didn't contribute any money, that would be fine, but if I did contribute, where would I go to complain about all sorts of problems that arise later?
Female celebrities are so exhausted from the stage that they can't rest for a moment until they're in bed. Do you think it's easy for them to earn this little bit of money?

Wang Wei and Xu Duojin deliberately used Liu Yifei to provoke her, but when it came to money, Da Mimi, after a moment of irritation, suddenly became clear-headed. She looked at the real estate developer casually and asked, "When Qianqian's company buys a house, is it registered under Wen Jie's name, Lu Kuan's name, or her own name?"

You're bringing up Consort Liu, right?

I can use it too!

However, her little scheme resulted in a period of unnecessary guilt—

Xu Duojin said without hesitation, "No matter what others say, I've already said it at the door: this company will be established in your name, with you holding 99% of the shares and me holding 1%."

"This 1% is to prevent it from becoming a sole proprietorship, to set up a firewall between you and the company, you should understand this."

"Ah? I know, I know about limited liability companies." Da Mimi was overjoyed, secretly wondering if she had been too cautious.

“My plan is this.” The second-generation coal miner’s face was full of anticipation for the future and a wonderful life with his girlfriend. “The new company will be called Yangmi Culture Media. You will be the registered and de facto absolute controller. I will inject 5500 million yuan under the guise of a loan as actual funds for purchasing a house.”

Loans are another sensitive word, but this time, before Da Mimi could instinctively be wary and suspicious, Xu Duojin's meticulous answers and considerations gently enveloped her.

Just like she wrapped up the second generation.

"The funds for the house purchase will not be transferred to the company through capital increase, because that would change your shareholding ratio. We will use a shareholder loan. I will provide the company with an interest-free long-term loan specifically for the purchase of this property. This is also to take into account the risks on my father's side."

Wang Wei suddenly realized and lightly tapped the table, saying, "I see. Xiao Xu, you're thinking long-term."

Da Mimi looked at him with bright, beautiful eyes: "Mr. Wang, you mean..."

The real estate developer chuckled, "Miss Yang should know more about the Xu family's background than I do."

“If tens of millions of yuan in cash are directly deposited into the company account, the tax bureau will immediately take notice. What is this money considered? Is it a ‘shareholder gift’ or ‘income from unknown sources’? If it is a gift, the company will have to pay corporate income tax, and if the dividends are distributed to you personally, you will have to pay personal income tax again, resulting in a huge loss both ways.”

"What's more troublesome is that the Xu family's main source of funds is their coal mining business. This type of cash flow is large, and tax audits are very strict. If a huge sum of money is transferred directly from the coal mining company's account to your cultural company, it will attract unnecessary attention and scrutiny from regulators. If it gets thoroughly investigated, it will be a risk to your public image."

Wang Wei, with the insight of a seasoned businessman, said: "But 'shareholder loans' are standard corporate financial operations. They have compliant loan agreements, clear accounts, and stipulate no interest and extremely long repayment periods. They are completely within the framework of tax law and are the cleanest and safest way."

These words, overheard by the astute Yang Mi, completely ignored the risks associated with her coal mine owner boyfriend, and became several key phrases:

Interest-free, long-term, 99% control.

As long as I don't contribute any money, even if I eventually fall out with Xu Duojin, at worst you can take the house back as a shareholder who took out the loan. What loss would I suffer?

After much deliberation, I decided to start with a common practice in the industry: setting up a company to purchase real estate.
The terms and conditions were carefully considered for her by Jin;
This includes the risk-prevention rhetoric that, from Yang Mi's current perspective and understanding, is also unable to reveal the underlying legal traps—

She couldn't find a single flaw.

This shows that Yang Mi is cunning and calculating, except when it comes to Xuezi. Some other female celebrities wouldn't even have her level of vigilance and thoughtfulness; they would have readily agreed to the conditions.

Yang Mi knew she shouldn't hesitate any longer, because the questions she had just asked had subtly revealed her guarded nature.

This honest and devoted man, Xu Duojin, is already so loyal to me. Isn't it a bit too much to make unfounded suspicions?
"Xiao Xu, I'll do whatever you say." Da Mimi smiled radiantly. "I only have one request: I have to contribute money as well, otherwise it really wouldn't be fair."

"You..." Xu Jin's expression changed drastically, as if he was blaming his girlfriend for making him lose face in front of Wang Wei. How could he ask his woman to pay for a house he was buying for her?

“My brother is here, so I shouldn’t say much.” He looked at his girlfriend with a solemn expression: “If you can’t get over it, you can treat this as business.”

"Business?"

“Of course,” Xu Duojin said with a smile. “I am now the vice president of LeEco Culture, and you are LeEco’s top female star. We will be going public this August.”

“Now I’m using my own money to help you boost the rankings in the Metropolitan Daily, which is also for the sake of your TV dramas, movies, and endorsement deals. It’s to enhance and increase the value of the company. Isn’t this business?”

"So all you need to do is put up a symbolic 99 yuan as paid-in capital to establish the company, just enough to make it look presentable, don't worry about anything else!"

Da Mimi covered her mouth and giggled, giving him a charming sidelong glance: "Which woman did you learn to talk so well from!"

"Haha, it's still more fun being with you young people." Wang Wei clapped his hands and laughed, then took the two to see the extremely valuable luxury villa, and the matter was settled.

After seeing off the couple, each with their own ulterior motives, he returned to the teahouse and couldn't help but marvel at the bizarre and unpredictable nature of this circle.

I imagine that the billionaire and the top female star who are so successful in their public appearances must be engaged in even more intense power struggles behind the scenes.
He picked up several contracts that the wealthy lawyer had left in the tea room, wondering if they would soon become the "Avada Kedavra curse" for Honey.

What is the fatal flaw in this plan?
The "piercing the corporate veil" in the sense of the Company Law is a core system that is often used as a contract trap.

It is true that Yang Mi holds 99% of the shares in the limited liability company, but this company, with a registered capital of only 100 million yuan, is required to hold and operate assets worth more than 5000 million yuan, which in itself constitutes "significant capital insufficiency".

As a creditor, Yang Mi can use this as grounds to apply to the court to "pierce the corporate veil" when asserting her claims in the future, arguing that the company is essentially a "shell company" used by Yang Mi to evade personal liability and lacks the ability to independently bear risks.

If successful, Yang Mi will be jointly and severally liable for all of the company's debts with all of her personal assets, with devastating consequences.

Da Mimi had a good plan: if things went wrong, she could just return the house to him. But if Duo Duojin wanted to maximize her value, would he really stop there?
Once this scheme is set up, in the hands of an experienced lawyer, it can easily become a multi-pronged attack against her!
For example, using the identity of a "legal representative" to create a personal unlimited guarantee trap;
For example, maliciously creating "legitimate debts" through related-party transactions to exploit people.
For example, manipulating "concerted action agreements" to siphon off assets at low prices.

To assume the utmost malice towards these black-market businessmen who were "licking blood from the edge of a knife" a decade or two ago—

Many companies can even be designed to engage in illegal activities such as issuing false invoices and illegally absorbing public deposits. As the legal representative, Yang Mi will be the first to face the risk of criminal investigation.

Even if she is eventually proven innocent, the lengthy legal process could destroy her career and force her to pay exorbitant legal fees and fines, resulting in a huge amount of debt.

These are all methods and means that the second generation of coal miners can use to control this female celebrity in the Chinese entertainment industry.

The law is a powerful weapon; it all depends on who wields it.

Yang Mi was incredibly careful in this round, almost stepping into every possible trap. However, while there are many illiterate people in the entertainment industry, almost everyone is ignorant of the law.

Given the circumstances, it's quite normal that she was caught in the heat of the moment, unable to see through the trap using her own knowledge and legal expertise.

Does she really want to take these unfamiliar terms back to an expert for analysis, thereby infuriating Jin, who will then severely reprimand her for her sincere sincerity being met with such unfounded suspicion, and then they will part ways?
There is no such thing.

The entertainment industry, this glamorous arena of fame and fortune, is essentially a hunting ground that uses desire as bait.

Which of the women sitting in front of these "President Wangs," "President Xus," and even the former "President Lu" today doesn't harbor a desire to transcend social classes and covet top-tier resources?

The traps are so effective because they precisely target the desires in their hearts: greed for wealth, obsession with fame, and anxiety about competing with their peers.

The only antidote to not being fooled is to be content.

But in this circle that encourages ambition, those who can control their greed and be content with a simple life are unlikely to appear in such a setting.

For example, back in the days starting from the Hongxingwu Incident, there was that guy called "General Lu" Liu Xiaolv who repeatedly miscalculated.

But Yang Mi, already possessed by inner demons, was determined not to resist such temptations, not only for the valuable villa, but also for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for hype.

……

With the major plans finalized, Xu Jin, a graduate of the Beijing Film Academy's directing department with a minor in film management, was put in charge of managing his girlfriend's marketing strategy as the vice president of LeEco Culture.

Soon, a bombshell news item was released: "Yang Mi spent a huge sum of 80 million yuan to buy a top-tier luxury mansion in Dongshan Villa in full." Along with this, a large number of paparazzi also captured irrefutable evidence of Yang Mi's relationship with industry insider Xu Duojin.

The press releases varied widely, exaggerating her image as an independent woman who "established her own media company and started a new chapter in her career," and portraying the extravagant purchase of the house as proof of her recent career boom.

Driven by the red envelope giveaway, entertainment reporters from all walks of life followed suit, linking the news of Yang Mi spending 80 million yuan on a property purchase with the news of Jin Yong's praise, which quickly fermented into a hot topic of discussion during the Spring Festival and also pushed the young couple onto the list of trending searches selected by the Metropolitan Daily.

The biggest obstacle facing him and Yang Mi now is undoubtedly the "richest couple" who have already topped the online polls in the Metropolitan Daily.

Obviously, there are only two indicators: sweetness level and wealth value. Even if you give a low score to the former, who can compare with the richest person in terms of wealth value?
However, Xu Duojin, who had planned a series of schemes including Yang Mi buying a house, already had a countermeasure.

(End of this chapter)