I'm just trying to ride the wave of popularity!

Chapter 308 A New Project Worth 10 Billion!
In 2005, with the soaring international coal prices, coal bosses ushered in their most frenzied period of wealth explosion.

The myth of getting rich quick, extravagant lifestyles, lawless behavior, and bizarre ways of flaunting wealth.
These news events, which frequently appeared on the internet, television, and newspapers, made the term "coal boss" a synonym for nouveau riche.

Amidst public controversy, coal bosses present two drastically different lifestyles.

Some people continue to do as they please, ignoring public criticism and continuing their extravagant and decadent lifestyle.

Another group of people, after experiencing the initial frenzy of getting rich quick, suddenly developed a strong aversion to the "coal boss" identity, which is full of the stench of money.

They began to yearn to shed the label of "nouveau riche" and fantasized about one day becoming respected "entrepreneurs," not only to win genuine recognition in the business world, but also to earn the genuine respect of those outwardly polite but inwardly disgusted business tycoons...

Perhaps this is what is meant by spiritual pursuit...

……

In the decadent world of coal bosses, Li Dachun was hardly a big shot.

Two years ago, those coal bosses who made a fortune every day wouldn't even bother to give him a second glance. In their eyes, Li Dachun was just an ordinary colleague who was barely making a living, and he didn't even have the qualifications to sit at their table.

However, starting in the first half of 2004, with the rise of "Zhou Yang", the name Li Dachun began to frequently appear in the headlines of news outlets across the country.

This former coal mine owner has suddenly transformed into a sought-after local celebrity entrepreneur. From toy manufacturing to film investment, from the clothing industry to cinema chain development, he makes money on everything he invests in, appearing every bit the business genius should he be…

What's even more striking is that this former "nouveau riche boss" has started to frequently appear at international events wearing gold-rimmed glasses and giving interviews to foreign media in broken English.

That impeccably tailored suit, that deliberately imitated elite manners—he was the quintessential "cultured man."

……

Damn it!

Watching Li Dachun's pretentious demeanor on TV at the "China Thousand Enterprises Chamber of Commerce," especially with the list of titles at the bottom of the screen—"famous entrepreneur," "artist," "director," and "screenwriter"—the coal bosses present gritted their teeth in anger…

Luxury cars and mansions are nothing compared to him!
What's even more infuriating is that in the first half of this year, this guy always liked to put on a cigar and act pretentious when attending various gatherings.

He would occasionally answer a phone call, deliberately raising his voice to talk about "overseas markets" and "international strategies," his attitude making you want to slap him a few times to vent your anger.

But as much as I want to smoke this guy, I'm also genuinely envious!
These coal mine owners have also jumped on the bandwagon and invested before...

They've invested heavily in films by big-name directors, and are following Li Dachun's example by pouring money into the cultural industry.

But what was the result? The money was spent, but it didn't even make a splash, and the movie they invested in flopped completely without a trace.

I'm so damn angry...

The coal mine owners finally couldn't hold back anymore. At the dinner table, several of the usually arrogant mine owners, emboldened by alcohol, sidled up to Li Dachun, offering him cigarettes and pouring him drinks, all while subtly inquiring about Zhou Yang. One of them patted him on the shoulder and offered a toast, saying, "Brother Li, let's get rich together!" Another blushed and admitted, "I used to be a naive brother."

After drinking too much, Li Dachun, like many others, couldn't resist boasting to save face: "Alright, I'll organize a gathering, but whether President Zhou agrees depends on fate. After all, he's an internationally renowned director now, meeting only high-profile figures; his time is extremely valuable."

He paused deliberately, stubbed out his cigar in the ashtray, and squinted at everyone: "Of course, if I ask, Mr. Zhou will still give me that face. You wouldn't believe it, we were at a party in Hollywood just a couple of days ago, and he personally addressed me as 'President Li,' saying he has some small projects coming up and asking if I'm interested..."

After bragging, seeing those coal bosses excitedly rush into his villa the next day, he wanted to slap himself!

Why are you bragging for no reason? Isn't it better to make your own money?
Now that President Zhou is this kind of person, he has no shortage of money or investment. I heard that he can make hundreds of millions of dollars with just a nod. What are these coal bosses compared to him?

But now that he'd already made those boasts, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and come. When he arrived at the entrance of [Xuan Shi Entertainment], he saw countless media outlets and a group of brand representatives who dreamed of having Zhou Yang as their spokesperson…

Li Dachun suddenly felt uncertain and could only hope that Zhou Yang would answer the phone. Even if he didn't see them, answering the phone would be better than nothing...

Good luck!

Mr. Zhou still answered the phone!
Moreover, Zhou Yang was quite enthusiastic on the phone, immediately putting aside his work to meet with them...

..........................................

The meeting room is spacious.

Movie posters hung in the hallway outside the conference room...

From "Monkey King vs. Superman 2" to the recently released "Twilight," it's like a time tunnel recording the rise of [XuanShi Entertainment].

"Actually, I've known for a long time that Mr. Zhou is a person of importance..."

"Speaking of my connection with Mr. Zhou, it all started when I invested in 'The Distant Man.' At that time, Mr. Zhou was still buried in his script in his rented room, and I, Li Dachun, was the first to step forward and invest several million yuan in him! How many people laughed at me for throwing money into the water? But what happened? 'The Distant Man' grossed over 100 million yuan at the box office! Later, it was even more amazing. 'Saw,' with a budget of $120,000, managed to gross over 100 million yuan at the Hollywood box office. If you ask me, that's what you call having a keen eye for talent!"

"Of course, let's not talk about what happened in Berlin. I still remember it vividly. President Zhou came over in person and told me so many stories about the coal mines. I just made up a few stories, took a few random photos, and I was in Berlin. They didn't even care about the awards. What do you call that? That's what you call professionalism..."

"..."

Perhaps it was because Zhou Yang was very enthusiastic and respectful after answering the phone, but Li Dachun, who was originally a little uneasy, was now beaming and swaggering into the conference room, looking incredibly impressive.

After the thirty coal mine owners were seated one by one, the door opened...

"Mr. Li!"

"Mr. Zhou, haha!"

"Mr. Li, your presence today is a great honor for our company!" "Haha, not at all, Mr. Zhou. I know you're busy, and I haven't dared to bother you lately, but I've been forced into this situation by these old guys. I saw you were talking to brand representatives... I hope it's not disrupting your work?"

"Mr. Li, what do you mean by 'delay'? What kind of relationship do we have? You're being too polite..."

"Haha, let me introduce you..."

"Row!"

Zhou Yang walked briskly into the conference room with a warm smile on his face.

Li Dachun remained outwardly calm and responded enthusiastically, but inwardly he was overjoyed.

He originally thought Zhou Yang would put on airs, after all, what kind of status does he have now?
What is my own status?
But to my surprise, the other party was even more courteous than I expected. Not only did they take the initiative to shake hands and exchange pleasantries, but their words were also full of familiarity, just like good buddies!
The pomp and treatment he received made him feel incredibly proud and elated!

Especially when he introduced each coal mine owner one by one, Zhou Yang's attitude was both enthusiastic and attentive. He not only shook hands with each of them warmly, but his serious and earnest expression also made Li Dachun feel a little dizzy for a moment...

After introducing the people...

Li Dachun rubbed his hands together, his face beaming with smiles: "President Zhou, we're all straightforward people, so let's not beat around the bush. These brothers came with sincerity; they heard you were starting a new project and prepared the money without hesitation!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and winked at the coal mine owners, and immediately a chorus of agreement filled the conference room.

"Yes, yes, yes! We'll go wherever you point, Mr. Zhou!"

"Mr. Zhou, we may not have much else, but we have plenty of cash! What project do you want to work on? Just say the word, and I'll bring the money to you tomorrow—no, this afternoon..."

"Yes, yes, we all love art and especially support its development..."

"..."

The conference room suddenly erupted in noise, with the coal bosses staring excitedly at Zhou Yang, looking like a pack of wild wolves...

Upon hearing these voices, Zhou Yang seemed slightly taken aback, then subconsciously waved his hand, a complex expression appearing on his face: "Everyone, the project does exist, but investment always carries risks."

The coal mine owners erupted in uproar when Zhou Yang mentioned that "investment involves risks."

"Mr. Zhou! What are you saying? We coal miners risk our lives every day! Risk is nothing!" A burly coal boss slammed his fist on the table and stood up, the thick gold chain around his neck making people dizzy.

"Exactly! Last year, I lost 60 million in a coal mine accident without even blinking! Can you lose more money making a movie than we do mining coal?" another bald coal mine owner shouted, slamming his hand on the table.

Seeing this, Li Dachun quickly tried to smooth things over, but then a middle-aged, overweight man in a mink coat suddenly squeezed out of the crowd and stood up again: "Director Zhou! My daughter is a huge fan of yours! I promised her I would work with you. If I go back empty-handed this time, she'll beat me with a rolling pin when I get home!"

"Everyone, everyone, that's not what I meant. What I meant was that this investment is quite large, and the project is quite complex, possibly amounting to tens of billions..." Zhou Yang coughed lightly and explained, seeing the excited expressions of these coal bosses.

Before Zhou Yang could finish speaking, the conference room suddenly fell into an eerie silence.

More than thirty coal mine owners stared wide-eyed in unison.

"How much?" The fat man in the mink coat hesitated for a moment before asking again.

"The initial estimate is a scale of tens of billions. This market is huge, and we're the first to try it, so the risks are quite high..." Zhou Yang pushed up his glasses, the glare from the lenses obscuring his eyes: "I thank everyone for their support, but because this investment is huge and the project is very large, everyone should..."

"Ten billion is nothing! I thought it was a lot of money. It scared me to death. We almost had to sell our mines!"

No sooner had Zhou Yang finished speaking than someone suddenly pulled out a calculator and started pressing keys rapidly.

"There are 35 of us. If each of us invests 300 million, that's only 10.5 billion!"

"Three hundred million? That's child's play! I'll offer five hundred million, okay?"

"I'll offer six hundred million, okay? I still have some mines there, I can just sell a few of them if necessary..."

"I'll put up a billion, you think you're so great with six hundred million? You think you're so great?"

"Grass!"

"..."

In an instant, the entire conference room erupted in chaos.

More than thirty coal mine owners, as if injected with chicken blood, rushed to pull out their bank cards and checkbooks.

The scene immediately descended into chaos, with several hot-tempered bosses arguing heatedly over who got to go first.

If Li Dachun hadn't reacted quickly and intervened, these people would have almost started a fight.

Amidst this chaos, Zhou Yang's desk was soon piled high with colorful bank cards...

The coal mine owners, fearing they would miss out, slammed their cards on the table as if they were grabbing money.

Let alone 10 billion, even if Zhou Yang asked for 20 billion right now, these nouveau riche with bloodshot eyes could scrape together the money for you on the spot...

The way they're acting now makes it seem like they're not satisfied until they've emptied the entire bank.

(End of this chapter)