How can you become a star without money?

Chapter 134 Can't we stay?
Wang Yao has some nostalgia for Stephen Chow from his childhood; after all, no matter what, his movies at least have something to offer.

The kernel is very stable.

“Mr. Wang is truly a promising young man; your name is now widely known throughout Hong Kong,” Yu Wenfeng complimented.

"I heard that President Wang acquired Sister Kimi's company? That's quite a move." Zhou Xingxing casually strolled around Wang Yao's new office, feeling as relaxed as if he were back home.

"We have some business dealings, which conveniently fills a gap in our fashion business," Wang Yao said with a smile.

"The fashion industry is good, but the cycle and investment are too heavy. Kanpianer.com is quite interesting. There are still many opportunities in the mainland internet industry," Stephen Chow said with a smile.

"Is Stephen Chow interested in investing?" Wang Yao narrowed his eyes.

"Making money, of course I'm interested," Stephen Chow shrugged and smiled.

"He's like an old glutton, only taking in and never giving out," Yu Wenfeng said casually.

"How is this location in Shanghai?" Zhou Xingxing asked, ignoring the other person's teasing, while gazing at the scenery outside the window.

“This location is comparable to Tsim Sha Tsui in Hong Kong,” Wang Yao thought for a moment.

"How much per foot?" Zhou Xingxing asked curiously.

"Shops are priced at 30,000 to 50,000 yuan per square meter, and residential properties at 20,000 to 40,000 yuan per square meter. However, the land itself is quite valuable, and the entire development is worth approximately 50 to 60 billion yuan," Wang Yao explained.

"Wow, that's really good! It feels like it could even go up a bit more." Stephen Chow squinted his eyes.

“Mr. Wang invited us here, surely not to discuss real estate projects?” Yu Wenfeng said with a smile.

“Indeed, I’m currently working on a variety show, and I feel that Zhang Yuqi would be a very suitable guest,” Wang Yao said with a smile.

"Her?" Stephen Chow frowned upon hearing this.

Her expression was somewhat subtle, but her attitude seemed rather cold, probably because Zhang Yuqi had previously violated company rules and acted on her own initiative.

"How did President Wang and our Yuqi meet?" Yu Wenfeng was also a little curious.

Zhang Yuqi's current boyfriend is Wang Xiaofei, but for Wang Yao to go to the trouble of having Wang Jing arrange a meeting between them, using such a significant personal connection, it's clearly not just for a small variety show collaboration.

A woman's intuition told her that this was starting to get interesting.

“I went to Shanghai to collect folk opera materials before, and it just so happened that Brother Ren Quan introduced her to be my tour guide,” Wang Yao briefly explained.

“That’s quite a coincidence. She didn’t even graduate from the Shanghai Opera Academy.” Yu Wenfeng’s smile was subtle.

“I’ve started two clothing brands. Zhang Yuqi’s style is perfect for being a spokesperson, but our company has rather special conditions for signing spokespeople,” Wang Yao explained, referring to the management model.

"So, Mr. Wang wants to poach people?" Zhou Xingxing sat down opposite Wang Yao, seemingly ready to start a business deal.

"I've heard that your company seems to be considering restructuring its artist management business?" Wang Yao asked in return.

In 09, several key artists from Stephen Chow's company terminated their contracts, including one of the partners, Tin Kai-man, his frequent supporting actor Lam Chi-chung, and Chan Kwok-kwan.

The main reason is that Stephen Chow's career focus has shifted to other areas. These artists all rely on resources for their livelihood. Since the boss doesn't make films anymore and doesn't allow them to take on jobs outside, they naturally dispersed.

“Mr. Wang is very well-informed.” Yu Wenfeng smiled. “Zhang Yuqi is our current main artist, and Stephen Chow is a money-grubber, so you may have to spend a lot of money.”

"Another guest on my new variety show is Huang Shengyi." Wang Yao curled the corners of his mouth, his smile somewhat amused.

Sure enough, both Zhou Xingxing and Yu Wenfeng's expressions changed at the same time.

Stephen Chow is a man who wears his heart on his sleeve, and his face instantly turned incredibly gloomy. "What does Mr. Wang mean by this? Are you using me as a talking point?"

Without even thinking twice, he felt that bringing together Huang Shengyi and Zhang Yuqi, two actresses from different generations and both old and new stars, was just a way to sacrifice him and create hype.

Back then, Huang Shengyi's contract termination caused a huge uproar, which not only seriously affected his image, but also implicated the company. Several of his trusted agents betrayed him, and the landlady even covered for him.

It almost made him think he had been sidelined, which is why he has been so strict with his control over the company in recent years. Of course, he also realized that cultivating artists now is different from his time, especially for mainland artists, where the situation is more complicated.

Therefore, the name Huang Shengyi is almost a taboo word for him.

"I didn't mean that. It's just that the roles happen to match. But it's easy for public opinion to stir up trouble, so I greeted Stephen Chow first," Wang Yao said with a smile.

"What you're saying, Mr. Wang, sounds interesting. So, whether Zhang Yuqi participates or not, we can't avoid this public opinion?" Yu Wenfeng said calmly.

"Mr. Wang's methods are indeed extraordinary," Zhou Xingxing said with a forced smile.

"You two don't need to be nervous. I make a living from traffic, but I do have some experience in how to do it. What I mean is, since the artist division of Xinghui Company is a burden, why not cooperate with me?" Wang Yao said with a smile.

"Hmm? Does Mr. Wang want artists, or the entire Star Returns?" Stephen Chow's expression softened a bit.

Oh, so you came here for the company?

For him, the company was no longer of any value.

The value of an entertainment company lies in its three main components: IP, production team, and artists. The biggest IP of The Return of the Stars is Stephen Chow himself, while the production team and artists are almost negligible.

But if we can sell this empty shell, it would be a good business.

"The most valuable asset in the entire Star Trek series is Stephen Chow himself, but it seems you're not planning to focus your energy on the film and television industry anymore?" Wang Yao said with a smile.

"To be honest, Mr. Wang, I'm quite tired of filming, and there's not much left to film. I'd like to switch gears. By the way, the animated version of my film 'Chang's 7' will be released in July, which is also in the family-friendly category. Would you mind helping me promote it?" Stephen Chow grinned.

"An animated version? Is it a sequel?" Wang Yao feigned curiosity. "No, it's just the movie version with some added details," Yu Wenfeng revealed.

Stephen Chow opened his mouth, but did not offer any explanation.

I've heard of people turning animated films into live-action films to make money, but turning a live-action film into an animated film to make money is really despicable.

"Are there major changes to the plot?" Wang Yao asked, frowning.

"We've added a lot of details," Stephen Chow said with an awkward laugh.

"Actually, animation is a good industry." Wang Yao pondered for a moment and then changed the subject.

Yu Wenfeng couldn't help but chuckle, finding the young man quite amusing.

"Compared to live-action productions, it does have a significant advantage, but the production cycle is too long, and without a good story, it's difficult to attract audiences. Our animation industry still can't compare to the Japanese market." Stephen Chow started discussing this seriously.

"The 'Pleasant Goat' IP has already shown its ferocity during the Spring Festival season, and Berna may take the lead in promoting animated films next year," Wang Yao said with a smile.

"But the movie 'Rainbow Cat' which was released around the same time was quite dismal. I heard it lost a lot of money at the box office. It cost tens of millions to produce, but only a few million in box office revenue. Oh, and it was also complained about, wasn't it?" Stephen Chow seemed to have made a special effort to find out.

"They were complained about first, and then their company wanted to use the movie version to boost box office revenue and influence, since the animation wasn't generating much revenue for the time being, and their company is quite large," Wang Yao explained.

"Oh? It seems Mr. Wang is also interested in this section?" Zhou Xingxing raised an eyebrow.

“Animation is the easiest form of cultural and creative industry to generate IP. The future will definitely be the IP era, which is why I asked Wang Jing to work with everyone to ask Cheng Tian for the copyright.” Wang Yao smiled.

“But after Mr. Wang and Cheng Tian started their cooperation, they put this matter aside,” Zhou Xingxing said, frowning.

He also wanted to get back the copyrights that were tied up all day. If the animated version of "Chang'e 7" did well at the box office, he would re-release all his previous classic movies in animated form and make another round of box office revenue.

That's what you call making the most of a single fish.

How much does it cost to adapt an animated film? "Chang'e 7" only cost a few million, not even enough to cover his personal salary. He thinks this kind of low-risk, high-return business is a good one.

"I'm currently negotiating further cooperation with them. After all, we know the IP is valuable, and Mr. Wu isn't stupid; we need to work things out slowly." Wang Yao waved his hand.
"My idea is that since Stephen Chow's focus is not on cultivating artists and the entertainment industry, why not cooperate with me? I will continue to use your popularity to package your image on the Internet, but you won't have to do any work."

"How will it be packaged?" Stephen Chow asked with great interest.

“It’s somewhat similar to naming rights,” Wang Yao explained. “For example, I might invest in some comedy variety shows/movies later, and I can use your name to boost the buzz and popularity. In this way, even if you don’t have any new works later, you will still be active in the public eye, and when you want to make movies again, fans and audiences will not forget you.”

"What if you use my name to do something reckless?" Zhou Xingxing was both tempted and worried.

He is a very internally conflicted and even somewhat hypocritical person; he is a typical person who wants both.

"That's a strange question, Mr. Stephen Chow. What good would it do me if your reputation were ruined? We're here to make money together," Wang Yao chuckled.

“That makes sense, but the relevant regulations for cooperation still need to be clearly written down,” Yu Wenfeng added.

“Of course.” Wang Yao nodded.

The value of Stephen Chow's appeal to nostalgia is considerable.

"In exchange, I'll give you Zhang Yuqi?" Zhou Xingxing asked, frowning.

"Of course, if Mr. Stephen Chow is not interested in this kind of cooperation, I can let her pay the penalty for breach of contract herself. However, if the price cannot be agreed upon, there will definitely be a lawsuit, and it will not be a good thing for either of you."

"Besides, in my variety show, she can help you salvage the negative public image you had when you sued Huang Shengyi." Wang Yao smiled warmly.

But anyone could hear the threat in it.

“President Wang has indeed thought things through thoroughly.” Yu Wenfeng nodded and kicked Zhou Xingxing.

“I’ll consider the collaboration. If I’m willing to collaborate, what percentage of the box office revenue can you guarantee for ‘Chang’an 7’? Back then, Fatty Wang said you guaranteed him 1:4,” Stephen Chow asked with concern.

Wang Jing must have been exaggerating; the ratio was clearly 1:3.
However, Wang Yao didn't expose the truth. "I'm not too sure about that either, but if Xu Jiao is also handed over to me for management, we could try to guarantee 300 million with 1500 million?" Wang Yao pondered for a moment.

"1:5? Hmm, I'll go back and do the math." Stephen Chow squinted.

If it's really that high, it means he could earn two million after deducting production costs. Don't underestimate that; it's practically free money, and there are other movies that could be adapted into animation later on.

"By the way, if Mr. Stephen Chow is looking to invest in real estate projects, he might consider this place. I think this kind of cultural tourism and residential complex is quite good," Wang Yao recommended as he saw them off.

“Okay, I’ll check it out.” Zhou Xingxing waved his hand with a smile.

Back in the van, both were preoccupied with their own thoughts.

"What do you think of this person's suggestion?" Stephen Chow asked first.

“Your focus isn’t on Xinghui Company, and even old colleagues like Tian Qiwen have left. Right now, I’m helping you manage things, but what will happen when I’m gone? Will you manage the company yourself? Can you manage it well? With your suspicious nature, you want to do everything yourself? You’ll just exhaust yourself!” Yu Wenfeng sneered.

“I’m not being paranoid, but I just feel… well, I can’t really explain it to you. He’s using my name to do projects, and I’m getting shares, so it’s kind of a disguised endorsement deal, right?” Zhou Xingxing’s mind was working very fast.

“I think it’s good. This Mr. Wang is very good at handling public opinion. He has turned so many negative events around. Although you have a decent reputation, you have offended people in the industry and are now abandoned by everyone. You really need to maintain your reputation. Look at Wang Jing, she is now known as the savior of Hong Kong films. She is so powerful.” Yu Wenfeng sneered.

"What's the use of being powerful?" Stephen Chow scoffed.

The two fell silent again until they returned to the company. Yu Wenfeng got out of the car first, and Zhou Xingxing reached out to pull her back.

"Is it okay if we don't leave?"

(End of this chapter)