How can you become a star without money?

Chapter 100 "Justice Descends from Heaven" [10,000-word update, please subscribe]

On February 2.19th, numerous topics emerged related to the Little Dragon Girl incident.

With the added impetus from the old wave, people from all walks of life have begun to discuss the topic of 'fatherly and motherly love'.

Women, led by Yao Chen, argue that the father's financial burden is not an excuse for "absentee parenting," and that many single mothers are now earning money while raising their children.

However, her views have not yet had a chance to spread and gain acceptance.

She then faced cross-platform attacks, and Ms. Ni, a veteran single mother, expressed a completely different viewpoint on Myspace.

Single mothers also cannot balance their careers and families. Most children raised in single-parent families are not only orphans but also left-behind children who have lost their mothers, so there is no balance to speak of.

If you earn a lot, of course you have time to take care of your children and can hire a nanny, but what about single mothers who don't have much earning power?

Have you ever been a single mother? You're just spouting nonsense.

This down-to-earth and personal perspective instantly resonated with many netizens, who ironically criticized Yao Chen, questioning her lack of understanding of the world.

Li Yinhe then shared another little-known fact on Myspace, further amplifying the discussion on this topic.

"A mother's love is the greatest because it is innate; a mother is born knowing that her child is her own."

But fatherly love is different. A father cannot be certain that his offspring are his own, so fatherly love is something that needs to be learned and experienced. This is the fundamental difference between the explicit nature of maternal love and the implicit nature of paternal love.

China is a country with a "mother-seeking culture." When a child has a problem, the first reaction is to look for the mother. This is not only because mothers take on the domestic responsibilities of the family, but also because of the single phenomenon of a "widowed" culture.

Rather, the entire culture is repressive towards men, making them unable to express themselves. For example, you all know about Yue Fei's mother, who was loyal to the country, and Mencius' mother, who moved three times to find the right environment for her son. But few people know or care about who Yue Fei and Mencius' fathers were, because it is naturally assumed that women hold the main responsibility and power in educating their children.

But this is not the case. Yue Fei's father, Yue He, was a local wealthy landowner with a kind and compassionate personality. All of Yue Fei's education after his birth was planned by his father. Yue Fei's ability to grow into a pillar of society could not have been solely due to his mother's efforts.

Therefore, our culture often views fatherly love as "murderous," because the definition of fatherly love is silent sacrifice and giving. Arguing about fatherly love versus motherly love is largely meaningless, as these are two incomparable things.

The topic of Li Yinhe remained a hot topic for some time afterward.

Popularity will drive conversions.

As of February 20, the daily box office of "Big Soldier" had gradually stabilized at over 10 million yuan, and after 6 days of release, it had reached nearly 80 million yuan.

It fell short of expectations by breaking 100 million in its first week, but it was much better than imagined. Although it missed the two key dates of the New Year, the winter vacation is about to end, and a new wave of movie-going is expected.

"The Soldier" successfully took over from Wang Jing's two films, rightfully regaining the top spot in the Spring Festival film season. Wang Jing even released a special poster to mark the succession.

The box office potential of "Unknown" and "The Secret" has run its course. After all, they were too bad. After eating up the audience in the family-oriented category for half a month, they returned to the regular market and the negative word-of-mouth exploded.

Huayi Brothers' "All Love" didn't have much promotion, and because it didn't make any mistakes, its opening week box office will break 8000 million yuan, making it the second highest-grossing film during the Spring Festival.

The third-ranked film was "14 Blades," which should have been a box office hit, but due to Wang Yao's repeated mishaps, it took 18 days to break 100 million yuan.

Next, Zeng Ziwei's "72 Tenants" capitalized on the popularity of the Women's Aid Association's charity campaign, and coupled with its decent quality, it grossed nearly 40 million yuan in 10 days.

The landscape of the Spring Festival film season is basically set. The only film that could pose a threat to "Big Soldier" is the foreign film "Sherlock Holmes," but this situation has exceeded Bernard and Jackie Chan's expectations.

Wang Yao's plan was well-structured and more effective than they had anticipated, which strengthened their confidence in future cooperation.

"Words are unnecessary; the thanks are in the wine. Thank you, Yao, for your help." Cheng Long specially arranged a celebratory banquet to express his high regard for Wang Yao.

"Brother, you're too kind. It's just my duty. If I can handle it well, everyone will be happy." Wang Yao clinked glasses with him.

"Ah Yao not only helped me salvage my reputation this time, but also relieved a worry of mine. Although you were the one who posted those words, the group name should have taken them to heart."

Recently, he's been concerned about my health and has even personally handled Xiaolongnu's affairs. This change is even more important to me. "I don't know if it's his true nature or just his performative personality, but Cheng Long's eyes actually reddened a little.

“That’s how the father-son relationship is in China; they can only understand each other when they’re lying in a hospital bed. At least my elder brother has achieved success in his career,” Wang Yao comforted him.

“Indeed, a man’s most important thing is his career. People come together because of money, and people leave when money is gone. But as you get older, you inevitably become a bit more sentimental.” Cheng Long laughed heartily, then took another sip. “I heard that Yao’s current company is invested in by Meishe Investment?”

“Yes, but I own 45% of the shares.” Wang Yao smiled.

“Meishe is alright, but the operation is too small. Have you thought about moving to a bigger stage? Dongfang Xin will definitely contact you in the next couple of days, and she might invite you to join Berna,” Cheng Long probed.

"Joining Bernard is unlikely; I'm used to a relaxed lifestyle," Wang Yao said with a smile.

“That’s how capable people are. Back then, I fought my way up with my fists so I would never have to be subservient to anyone again.” Cheng Long nodded approvingly.

"Berna and I are now in a somewhat intertwined relationship, with some deep-seated conflicts of interest involving nominee shareholdings. But to be honest, their professionalism is still inferior to yours."
Ah Yao, are you interested in a collaboration? You plan, I'll execute, and we'll split the profits like brothers.

"At your age, shouldn't you be thinking about finishing this job and calling it a day?" Wang Yao joked.

Jackie Chan is also someone who values ​​money a lot, although not as excessively as Stephen Chow, but he is no less so.

"Don't let my age fool you, I'm almost sixty. I'm still full of energy and can't sit still. Plus, I have a wish I haven't fulfilled yet." Jackie Chan took a sip of his drink and said in a deep voice, "Hollywood."

This has been his lifelong obsession.

"To be honest, I've always thought it's a strange thing that we spend our whole lives trying to gain the approval of outsiders." Wang Yao narrowed his eyes.

“You don’t understand. There’s almost a 30-year age gap between us, so you don’t understand the thoughts of our generation. Actually, you don’t need to understand. As long as we can cooperate, that’s enough.” Cheng Long smiled and shook his head, showing a very open-minded attitude.

Upon hearing this, Wang Yao thought for a moment and said, "Actually, the simplest way is to use barbarians to control barbarians. We can acquire cinema chains in the West, cultivate talent, and then cultivate audiences. It should take about ten years to cultivate a generation."

"Still the same old 'culture and popularization' approach? Is there a shortcut?" Cheng Long laughed.

"Overtaking on a curve? Yes, but opportunities are few and far between." Wang Yao rubbed his chin, a few ideas flashing through his mind.

"How do we do it?" Cheng Long asked, intrigued.

"It's the same old formula, just a new twist." Wang Yao smiled. "The cultural influence of films is still too slow to spread. YouTube has a growing global user base, so we can use short videos for international distribution in the future."

Foreigners don't understand our movies because they don't understand our culture and can't relate to it. If we can consistently influence their perceptions, then we might be able to establish a foothold in the Hollywood market by finding suitable themes in the future.

"It sounds interesting, but will it be complicated to operate?" Cheng Long was somewhat tempted.

“It’s alright, but we can test it out in the domestic market first, because most domestic audiences don’t really understand our culture, so we need to put a lot of effort into building a strong audience base.” Wang Yao smiled.

"Popular support?" Cheng Long muttered to himself. "I used to think I had a solid enough popular support, but now it seems that a small affair almost threw me into a panic."

"So a false base of support isn't a real base," Wang Yao laughed. "Brother, you've gained a new base of support this time. Are you going to continue consolidating it, or put it on hold for now?"

"Is there a difference?" Cheng Long's spirits lifted.

He did indeed discover many new things from this public opinion event.

"Actually, the public only has two demands for celebrities: entertainment or leadership. Which one do you want to be, big brother?" Wang Yao asked rhetorically.

“Of course, it’s the leader. I’ve been doing this for forty years, and I’m getting a little tired of it,” Jackie Chan laughed.

“Then we must do what is appropriate for a leader,” Wang Yao said in a deep voice.

“A role model?” Cheng Long frowned.

"Altruism." Wang Yao shook his head and uttered two words.

"What does altruism mean?" Cheng Long asked, somewhat confused.

“Say what he says, think what he thinks, do what he does,” Wang Yao chuckled. “Speak for him, do things for him, think for him?” Cheng Long understood immediately.

"Big brother has great wisdom," Wang Yao exclaimed.

"I wouldn't dare say that, this is quite interesting," Cheng Long grinned.

"Look, now you've pointed out the problems of Chinese father-son relationships, paternal and maternal love, and third parties. You're speaking up for him, and then you're thinking about how to do things for him," Wang Yao guided.

"I'll go and solve these problems?" Cheng Long was taken aback.

That's giving him way too much credit.

“We don’t solve the problems; we just bring them to the forefront for everyone. In return, those who agree will become the foundation, and even if the problems aren’t solved, they will still be willing to contribute.” Wang Yao shook his head.

“Making this kind of movie? But art films aren’t my forte.” Jackie Chan frowned.

“Then let’s make a documentary,” Wang Yao said with a smile. “The problem with art films is that they are abstract, but documentaries are different. As long as there is a sentence like ‘This story is adapted from reality,’ even the most abstract expression will become concrete.”

“But the subject matter needs to be big enough, there aren’t many adaptations like this.” Jackie Chan frowned.

"Pulling up a radish brings up a whole lot of mud; there's no shortage of material. It mainly depends on what people want to see. This time, the 'major principle' aspect of your character can be further developed. I have a friend with a compound surname; his surname is Shangguan, and his given name is Zhengyi."

Wang Yao tells the story of a lone hero who fought against child trafficking for three years and saved hundreds of trafficked children.

After hearing this, Cheng Long was deeply moved and exclaimed, "What a great hero!"

"I run an e-commerce business, and this friend and I have set up a fund with a program called 'Baby Come Home,' which prints missing person notices on every package."
If my actions lead to a family reunion, my e-commerce business will gain a foundation. Similarly, if your film influences a real-world outcome, your public image will be strengthened.

When you've built up a solid foundation, you've essentially formed a genuine fan base. At that point, no matter what you do, you'll have people supporting you. This kind of support is fundamentally different from the fans you've built up before. Fans value your work; if your work is good, they'll praise you, and if it's bad, they'll still criticize you.

"But the foundation of a persona is built upon you as a person. Even if your work isn't good, because it's your work, people will still look for problems within themselves," Wang Yao explained slowly.

The commercialization of realistic films began this year. Hollywood's "The Social Network," based on a true story and featuring a star-studded cast and a genre-based narrative, has driven a significant turning point in the film market.

Korean films like "Hope" and "Silenced" have further driven changes in real-world laws.

Subsequently, the entire film market discovered a new track, especially in developing countries. China Film Group had already made achievements in this field. "Jiao Yulu" directly established Li Xuejian's reputation for life, as did "Dying to Survive" and "Mountain Flowers".

Since the 14 film "Dearest," this genre has consistently accounted for 20% of the Chinese film market share.

This is an absolute shortcut. With Jackie Chan's existing influence, Wang Yao felt that he could create a 'living saint' in the film industry, and the commercial value behind that would be almost immeasurable.

Jackie Chan was very interested in this proposed direction, but he also considered the risks involved. Just as Wang Yao said, altruism is effective, but it is also very likely to lead to being held hostage. He hoped to have the opportunity to realize his awesome dream of becoming the king of Hollywood.

But I never really thought about taking the path of building a strong grassroots foundation.

Regardless, it's worth a simple attempt, since these kinds of realistic films don't usually require a huge budget.

Moreover, the theme of combating child trafficking aligns with the persona he has always wanted to cultivate. After a brief discussion, the two decided to try collaborating on a project first, as he didn't have any other projects this year.

Cheng Long directly partnered with the company, investing in and establishing [Star Dragon Studio], holding a 60% stake, while Wang Yao contributed his technology, holding a 40% stake.

Then, a project budget was drafted.

Because it's a realistic adaptation and a public welfare theme that's inherently easy to generate buzz, we won't consider big names too much when it comes to actor salaries, since Jackie Chan is there to keep things under control.

20% for actor's fee, 40% for filming, 30% for publicity and distribution, and 10% for miscellaneous expenses.

In the end, Cheng Long decided to invest a medium-sized amount of 1000 million.

He was in charge of investment, filming, and execution, while Wang Yao was in charge of publicity and distribution. The project was named "Justice from Heaven," and he went to prepare the production team.

The next day, Wang Yao received an invitation from Dongfang Xin to visit Berna Company. In the lavishly decorated conference room, they began the first round of cooperation negotiations.

"First of all, thank you Mr. Wang for the plan, which has helped 'The Big Soldier' ​​recover from its box office slump. According to your predictions on Kanpianer.com, the total box office before the film's run ends may approach 2 million yuan." Dongfang Xin's attitude was much more friendly than before.

"It's my job, as long as I didn't mess it up." Wang Yao smiled.

"After several high-level meetings within the company over the past two days, everyone is very interested in President Wang joining Berna. I wonder what President Wang's thoughts are?" Dongfang Xin asked directly.

“I’m sorry, I’m used to being a self-employed individual and not quite suited to the model of a large company. If Bernard is willing, we can customize a cooperation,” Wang Yao politely declined.

"Mr. Wang, please don't rush. Take a look at the price we've offered." Dongfang Xin smiled slightly and handed him an acquisition contract.

The company is acquiring Tianhuo Media with a valuation of 3000 million, which means Wang Yao can directly cash out 1350 million from his shares. At the same time, if Wang Yao is willing to join Bona, he will receive an annual salary of 200 million plus 6% stock options, and will continue to be in charge of Tianhuo Media's original business line.

This is equivalent to Wang Yao going from being the boss of Tianhuo to the director of Berna, then having a huge amount of cash in hand, along with a stable annual salary job and stock options that could be worth hundreds of millions in the future.

Bernard's offer was undeniably sincere.

Unfortunately, Wang Yao wasn't interested in any of these things.

"Thank you for your recognition, everyone at Berna, but everyone has their own ambitions." Wang Yao smiled and stamped the contract.

“Okay, we respect Mr. Wang’s choice. Then we can only settle for second best. This is our plan for the IPO this year. Please give us your feedback, Mr. Wang.” Dongfang Xin seemed unsurprised and handed over another document.

"No, no, this wouldn't be necessary. Wouldn't it involve trade secrets?" Wang Yao said with a smile.

"No, everything is publicly disclosed during the IPO process. I just wanted to see if Mr. Wang has any other projects that could add value," Dongfang Xin said with a smile.

Wang Yao glanced at it and found that Berna's listing mainly relied on three parts: investments in more than a dozen films this year, the support of in-depth cooperation with Cheng Long, Gong Li, Fan Bingbing and others, and the value of physical cinemas and online platforms.

The company also disclosed that its net revenue last year was close to US$4000 million, and it expects to exceed US$5000 million this year, with net profit exceeding US$1000 million, and it will maintain a growth rate of 15% every year thereafter.

Several other investment firms have given valuations of around $7 million.

This valuation is half that of Huayi, which went public on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange last year. Huayi's initial valuation was around 14 billion US dollars.

However, as the first Chinese film and television company to go public overseas, this achievement is actually quite good, considering that the Chinese market is still too small for the US stock market.

So the stock price fell below the issue price on the day it went public on the US stock market, and its hopes of bringing in foreign investment also failed. After working diligently for five years, Huayi and Fiber Optics had both grown to a market value of tens of billions of US dollars, while Berna was still stuck at a market value of one billion dollars, falling tenfold behind.

Ultimately, Bernard had no choice but to repurchase shares and delist, and later relisted on the A-share market.

However, due to wasting five years and running out of funds, they fell behind their peers.

“From a project perspective, Bernard has done everything he should have done.” Wang Yao felt that there were actually no major problems with the plan.

"So, in Mr. Wang's eyes, there is still room for appreciation?" Dongfang Xin raised an eyebrow.

Wang Yao nodded.

"Yes, IP address."

　July has passed in the blink of an eye; it was truly a chaotic month.

　　Readers in coastal areas, please be aware of typhoons and rainfall. Readers in the Central Plains, please be aware of high temperatures; I've heard it's going to be extremely hot.

　　I hope August brings favorable weather and I don't get writer's block TAT.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)