Huayu: A Commercial Director

Chapter 342 Under the Big Screen, Going Public
Shu Can's face turned pale. Chen Shou's words were tantamount to telling her that if she really had plastic surgery, she would lose the opportunity to appear on the big screen in the future.

She debuted as a child star, but instead of choosing an arts school, she went to a finance and economics university, thus distancing herself from the entertainment industry.

When Shu Can returned to the entertainment industry, everything had changed. In addition, there were a bunch of relatives who were leeching off her. Shu Can knew very well that if she wanted to make it in the entertainment industry now, it was no longer the era where acting skills were the only factor.

Coupled with her anxiety about her appearance, she had the idea of ​​getting plastic surgery and had just gotten injections, but unexpectedly, Chen Shou noticed it.

"Director Chen, you're being too harsh," Liu Yifei said, protecting her best friend.

"I'm doing this for her own good. Of course, what happens to her is none of my business. I'm just advising her from a director's perspective. If you were her best friend, you would know better. She's not you. She doesn't have as many resources. Her time in college made her miss the best time in the film and television industry. Now it's incredibly difficult for her to return to this industry. Plus, she's had plastic surgery. Who will remember her in the future? As a director, I would never choose someone who has had work done on their face."

"Do you know why Hu Ge can't get on the big screen? Is he really not suitable? Besides the company's shortcomings, there's also the fact that his face has been disfigured. You can see it very clearly on the big screen. Think about it carefully, how many actors in that lineup have a good ending?" Chen Shou shook his head.

Shu Can's face was still pale. Liu Yifei was also very worried about her best friend. Chen Shouzhe's words were right. She had thought about it too, but since Shu Can had secretly gone to get plastic surgery behind her back, she could only choose to support her.

Gong Li happened to be there too. She sighed and said, "He's right. Actors are mainly judged by their faces. Don't even mention acting skills. Whether it's the director or the audience, the first thing they notice about an actor is their face. If your facial expressions aren't rich enough, they'll look distorted on the big screen, and you'll basically have to say goodbye to the big screen."

I don't know why people nowadays have this strange aesthetic. A smaller and sharper face isn't necessarily more beautiful. Look at Consort Yi's face; she didn't have a typical oval face, but she was very beautiful. Don't underestimate yourself.

You debuted at a very young age and have acted in countless productions. You should know you're beautiful. You've just been out of the industry for too long, which is why you lack self-confidence. Don't belittle yourself or start doubting yourself.

"I... I won't move anymore. I just had an injection," Shu Can stammered.

"That's the best approach. No surgery needed. Once the injection wears off, you'll recover naturally." Gong Li, clearly understanding the situation, nodded.

After Gong Li finished filming, Chen Shouzhe held a personal wrap party for her. In his mind, Gong Li was one of the best actresses, one of the few top Chinese actresses.

"Finally, I can afford to eat at the big tables. Now everyone's saying you're one of the top ten richest people in the country," Gong Li said with a smile.

"It's all hype. If I really had that much money, I wouldn't be making movies; I'd be living the high life every day," Chen Shou said.

"What is your dream?" Liu Yifei asked curiously.

"My dream is to play around, open a zoo, raise some animals, and then spend my days planting flowers, raising animals, fishing, and meeting up with friends for drinks and meals," Chen Shou said after thinking for a moment.

"You're only thirty and you're already thinking about retirement." Gong Li smiled. "Are you willing to give it up? Are you willing to stop making movies?"

"To be honest, I'm reluctant. I still have many movies that I haven't finished making yet. I need to make at least one a year. I spend most of my time taking care of my family. Anyway, I'm not short of money now."

“See? This is Versailles, they’re not short of money,” Urzhan said with a laugh.

Gong Li's scenes have wrapped up, but filming is still ongoing. Both "Infernal Affairs" and "The Departed" are doing well at the box office, with "Infernal Affairs" being more popular. It surpassed 24 billion yuan after two weeks of release and aims to reach 3 billion yuan.

"The Departed" is a foreign language film. It was very strong at the beginning, but it didn't do so well later. Major theaters also reduced the number of screenings. The current box office is 15 billion yuan, which is only because Chen Shouzhe is the director and Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon are involved.

However, "The Departed" is doing very well at the overseas box office, having grossed over $460 million worldwide. With an investment of $100 million, the film has already made a considerable profit. Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon both called Chen Shouzhe, explaining that they receive a share of the box office revenue, which is more than their salaries. They expressed their willingness to continue working with Chen Shouzhe and, ideally, to invest in his films.

With Yang Mi's film set to release next month on Qixi Festival (Chinese Valentine's Day), attention has shifted to Wanda Pictures. After a hiatus of several months, Wanda Pictures has finally resumed trading.

The shareholding structure was significantly altered, with Chen Shou becoming the second-largest shareholder, helping Wanda alleviate its debt crisis and saving Wanda Pictures.

Wanda Pictures has now released its results for the first two quarters.

The data looks amazing. The company has invested in and distributed all of the films it produces, and its net profit in the first half of the year has exceeded 20 billion.

It's worth noting that Wanda Pictures' net profit in the previous year was only a little over a billion dollars, and that was over four quarters.

With over 20 billion in just two quarters, Wanda has become the undisputed leader among all listed companies, with businesses including film investment, cinema chains, film distribution, and advertising.

The new prospectus clearly emphasizes the collaboration with Shouzhe Pictures and future project plans.

Among the publicly announced projects are big-budget productions such as Havoc in Heaven, The Wandering Earth 2, and Operation Red Sea.

As the chairman, Lao Wang came to support the company, and Chen Shouzhe also came to meet with Lao Wang.

"Your other company is going to be listed on Nasdaq on the 26th, right?" Old Wang said.

"Yes, it will be launched on the 26th." Chen Shou nodded.

"Not planning to go?" Old Wang asked in surprise.

"I don't have time right now. I can spare some time in China, but there's really nothing I can do about overseas. Besides, I've already outsourced it all, so let them handle it. I'm not going to go and join in the fun."

"A deal worth tens of billions, and you actually skipped it for a movie. I admire you. How did you feel about today?"

"Hoping for a limit-up."

"Hopefully, if it weren't for you, the stock would have suffered at least a week of limit-down trading."

"It's not that exaggerated. It's all mutually beneficial. Besides, Wanda's foundation is still there, so it won't be greatly affected."

"It's hard to say. The stock market is inherently unpredictable. I know you're not in it for the money, but for the power to influence things. If Wanda decides to leave Wanda Pictures one day, you'd better be prepared to spend the money."

Upon hearing this, Chen Shou looked up at Old Wang, somewhat surprised. Old Wang was implying that he was entrusting his son to someone else.

If Wanda's parent company fails to go public again and the bet fails once more, then Lao Wang will either have to sell his house to pay off his debts or follow in Jia Yueting's footsteps and leave for another place.

It's obvious that Lao Wang isn't that kind of person. He has the temperament of a soldier, and he would never back down. Besides, even if he sold his home, he would still be a billionaire, so there's no need for him to suffer in another country.

"I have too much money to eat," Chen Shou said, waving his hands repeatedly.

(End of this chapter)