How can you become a star without money?

Chapter 146 This little translator is really pretty!

A company statement is a tool for public opinion.

Statements that have been bought to generate traffic and exposure are generally intended to achieve a certain public opinion objective.

Statements without any public interest are often kept secret, as if the speaker wishes to keep them hidden from everyone.

Chengtian Entertainment's last statement was intended to boost its stock price, but it suffered a severe blow and was ridiculed by its peers for a long time, even becoming a laughing stock.

This statement is also noteworthy because the three points represent different directions of decision-making within the company.

The mutual holding of Meishe is clearly a capital operation, and it is most likely to create momentum for Meishe's IPO.

Investing in film studios is perfectly justifiable; it demonstrates a firm commitment to the cinema industry and accelerates competition with other cinema chains.

But the fact that they ultimately co-produced a film with Juli really left many in the industry puzzled.

Hasn't Chengtian Entertainment already abandoned its film production business?
Why did they pick it up again, and with Juli, this upstart company that's all talk and no action? Are they going to team up with some new forces to make a big splash?
The film industry was abuzz with discussion, as a cinema with an investment of 6 million yuan and a movie with an investment of 2 million yuan would have a huge impact on the industry.

Meanwhile, various media platforms have also made many speculative reports on "The Legend of the White Snake" which has not yet started filming, such as the lead actors and content, but the most discussed topic is...

From the early 2016 film "Confucius" to the slightly disappointing "Unknown," the standard for large-scale film productions in China seems to have generally reached the "hundred million" level, which is an important milestone and trend indicator for the entire film industry.

It must be said that the joint statement by Chengtian and Juli has indeed generated a lot of traffic and discussion, with various film and television forums discussing the comparison of the characters, after all, the IP of "The Legend of the White Snake" is already a household name.

With Zhao Yazhi in the TV series and Wang Zuxian in the film version setting such high standards, netizens speculate that Huang Shengyi will most likely play the female lead, leading to a heated debate among fans and netizens. "The White Snake" has become a hit even before filming began.

It seems that Yangzi has mastered the art of inciting conflict quite well.

As for the news about the mutual support with Meishe.com, few people are talking about it.

Even later that evening, Berna Entertainment quietly released a statement on its official website.

'Bernard will exchange 5% of its shares for 10% of Meishe.com's shares, a 1:2 ratio.'

If Wang Yao hadn't specifically assigned someone to keep an eye on and collect recent news from Meishe.com, they would have almost missed this news.

No wonder Wang Yao waited in the capital for so long without any news; it turns out Xu Chen was also quietly plotting something big.

Wang Yao expected that Cheng Tian would get involved, but Bo Ru's involvement was somewhat unexpected. He had only mentioned it briefly to lull Xu Chen into a false sense of security, but he never expected that Bo Ru would actually succeed.

It seems that Xu Chen or Meishe wields considerable influence in Beijing's entertainment circle.

But this is good, at least it can solidify Meishe's value, and then we can help Xu Chen gradually increase the company's revenue data.

I've truly dedicated myself to beauty photography.

After finalizing the follow-up marketing plan, Wang Yao couldn't help but sigh.

I checked the time and was about to call Kim Ji-won to go out for a late-night snack when I picked up my phone and a text message came in. It was from Fan Bingbing.

"Mr. Wang, I've arrived in Shanghai. Is it convenient for me to come and visit you?"

?

Wang Yao was stunned for a moment, and then the other party sent another message, changing the chisel to "find".

Oh, it was a typo.

Wang Yao chuckled and then made a phone call to the other party.

"Oh? Mr. Wang hasn't rested yet?" Fan Bingbing's voice was slightly nasal and weak.

"Just finished work and was about to go out for a late-night snack. Miss Fan, you've come to Shanghai?" Wang Yao said with a smile.

"I'm attending the 'Shiba' gala dinner the day after tomorrow, so I came early to prepare. I heard that President Wang will also be there?" Fan Bingbing asked.

“Yes, this is a great opportunity to connect with the brand, so of course we should try to get it for Miss Fan.” Wang Yao smiled.

"For me? Really?" Fan Bingbing was taken aback.

"It's mainly for you," Wang Yao corrected. "Xu Jianshu happens to be here too, why don't you come over and we can have a meal together?"

"Okay, I should be there in about half an hour." Fan Bingbing hung up the phone after getting the address.

Wang Yao left his office and went to the filming studio next door for "Fairy Robe".

To create the impression that the contestants are working tirelessly through the night, 60% of the show's filming takes place at night.

So the town, which should have been quiet at night, has been brightly lit lately.

Wang Yao easily found Xu Jianshu, who was wandering around the film crew like a head teacher, and watched the program being filmed together with others.

The filming set of this large-scale variety show is actually quite chaotic. There are nearly eighty main creators and models in the six groups, plus filming crew and staff, making it almost two hundred people. They are crammed into a makeshift, partitioned set, and occasionally pulled in by the host for comedic effect, so it's quite noisy and chaotic.

Wang Yao watched the commotion with great interest for a while. After receiving a call from Fan Bingbing, he left with Xu Jianshu and received Fan Bingbing in his office.

Because film crews often get hungry while shooting at night, and some celebrity guests bring their own private chefs, Wang Yao set up a small canteen with staff available 24 hours a day.

In a rush, I had someone prepare a simple beef hot pot for the office.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Fan Bingbing and Yang Tianzhen said apologetically after getting out of the car.

"It's alright, we're all working anyway. You didn't have any dietary restrictions when it came to hot pot, did you?" Wang Yao led them to his office.

"Mr. Wang's office environment is really luxurious," Fan Bingbing exclaimed in amazement as she walked through the rows of detached villa-style British-style buildings.

"The environment is good, and the prices are cheap. I plan to gradually develop the whole town into a celebrity side business town. For now, I'm only recruiting people in the industry to open restaurants or something similar," Wang Yao said with a smile.

"Mr. Wang, your business is really extensive. It's rumored in the industry that your company is valued at over 10 billion yuan now," Yang Tianzhen said with a smile.

"I couldn't even get this much money if I were sold. I bet Quan-ge is just making things up to raise funds. Try these special sauces; they're a secret recipe provided by Huang Shengyi's private chef." Wang Yao waved his hand and laughed.

"She really participated in your show?" Fan Bingbing asked curiously.

Celebrities are all gossipy, and they need to stay informed about any developments in the industry to avoid risks in various situations.

The entanglement between Wang Yao and Yang Zi is no secret.

“We are strategic partners with Juli, so it’s not unusual for her to participate in the show,” Wang Yao said with a smile.

"President Wang is truly magnanimous; harmony brings wealth." Yang Tianzhen nodded in agreement.

When Wang Yao and Cheng Tian reached a settlement and maintained a stalemate, it already shocked people in the industry. In this world of fame and fortune, everyone tends to go to extremes and push the boundaries. It's quite a story that Wu Kebo was almost ruined and was able to reconcile in the end.

There's a lot of speculation in the industry.

"We're all just trying to make a living," Wang Yao smiled, shifting the topic back to the banquet the day after tomorrow.

These kinds of banquets are places for female celebrities to compete and show off their beauty. It doesn't matter if you dress well, what matters is that you dress uniquely and can go viral.

Therefore, for most red carpet events, agencies will try their best to create buzz and trending topics about outfits from various angles.

Because Fan Bingbing has the Cannes Film Festival red carpet next month, she didn't try to grab attention this time and chose a proper dress, just enough to avoid being overshadowed.

"However, I heard that Dior sponsored a limited-edition haute couture gown for the gala as a gimmick for the opening auction, most likely for tonight's 'top bidder'," Yang Tianzhen revealed.

Su Mang is very experienced in organizing such parties, and he has created the gimmick of "King of Bids" and "Queen of Bids". In previous years, those who won these two awards have always become a hot topic.

Although the process is definitely confidential, someone of Fan Bingbing's stature will inevitably get some information.

"With this sponsored haute couture, it's pointless for anyone else to wear any dress; they can only steal the spotlight by not wearing anything at all," Xu Jianshu sneered upon hearing this.

"Wouldn't it be better to not wear it, but just take pictures on the spot?" Wang Yao laughed.

"Huh~ I didn't realize President Wang was so lewd." Fan Bingbing said with a look of disgust as he slurped up his wide rice noodles.

“I meant not wearing a formal dress. What are you thinking?” Wang Yao glanced at her.

"Oh." Fan Bingbing blushed upon hearing this. "President Wang's idea is great! Go in plain clothes and return in fine clothes, it has a domineering air of certainty. Why don't you go and bid for it, Bingbing?" Yang Tianzhen had a sudden inspiration.

"I heard from Su Mang that since this is Shanghai's home ground, it's natural that Shanghai actresses will be the ones to win the top spot. I guess Huang Yi is already the one chosen, so I'd better not go and risk it." Fan Bingbing shook her head.

In fact, most of the time, she is not willing to get caught up in this kind of female competition.

“It’s right not to compete. It doesn’t fit her current persona. Besides, if we really let her compete with Huang Yi, wouldn’t that lower her status?” Wang Yao agreed.

"I heard that Huang Yi's husband is quite successful; he works in finance. There have been quite a few female celebrities marrying men in finance these past few years," Yang Tianzhen gossiped.

It's obvious they're talking about Chen Hao.

"If I were Su Mang, I would have Lao Wang take Huo Siyan to participate; we'd definitely get a good price," Fan Bingbing said with a grin.

Last year, Huo Siyan was suspected of being a mistress in Huang Yi and Yang Yi's relationship, which caused Huang Yi and Yang Yi to break up. The two can almost be considered sworn enemies.

However, both of them are Wang Jianlin's right-hand men under Huayi Brothers, so they probably wouldn't do something like that.

But Fan Bingbing's idea was quite wicked.

Wang Yao pondered that if he were to hold a charity gala like this in the future, he could gather all sorts of rivals and rivals from the entertainment industry at one table and see who has the most power.

Xu Jianshu is considered a semi-insider in the entertainment industry and has good relationships with many female celebrities. When the group of them get together, they can gossip endlessly.

Wang Yao was bursting with inspiration. The brilliant ideas made him decide to organize them and find someone to write a few scripts. He probably couldn't make a movie, but he could use them as material for a web series.

Finally, the topic circled back to Wang Yao's variety show.

"Mr. Wang, are clothing brands profitable? Many celebrities in the industry have lost a lot of money in this side business. It seems that Huo Siyan's brand has also lost a lot of money." Yang Tianzhen asked curiously.

She has made a lot of money with Fan Bingbing in the past two years and is thinking about starting some side businesses.

"It depends. Traditional brick-and-mortar brands are finding it hard to make money, even celebrity-owned streetwear brands. I took a trip around Hong Kong, and the successful streetwear brands were mostly not celebrity brands. To be honest, celebrities have very limited ability to convert fans into paying customers."
Ms. Fan now has tens of millions of fans across the internet, but less than a million people are willing to spend 30 yuan to buy her albums. So celebrity endorsements are only a small part of the business. Wang Yao smiled.

"Is Mr. Wang mocking my album sales?" Fan Bingbing pouted.

Her album sales on MSN have been surpassed by Zhang Ziyi, dropping her to second place. Her popularity has also been declining recently.

"Speaking of which, Zhang Ziyi's company boss even came to see me," Wang Yao said with a smile.

"Chen Yun?" Yang Tianzhen raised an eyebrow, becoming wary. "President Wang wouldn't want to cooperate with her, would he? She's a stumbling block for our Bingbing."

"Don't worry, I wouldn't stoop so low, but if they're sincere enough, there's no reason for me not to make money, right?" Wang Yao smiled.

"Mr. Wang, you can talk to me first. If it's convenient, you can keep me informed. No matter how much the other party offers, I'll offer ten percent of hers," Fan Bingbing said seriously with a stern face.

"Miss Fan is really stingy," Wang Yao said, scoffing.

"Tsk, I speak with my abilities." Fan Bingbing chuckled.

It seems that he is not worried about Wang Yao's collaboration with Zhang Ziyi.

"Since we're already here, why don't we go check out Mr. Wang's variety show filming?" Yang Tianzhen suggested, a thought suddenly occurring to her.

She plans to have Fan Bingbing make a guest appearance later as a way to show goodwill to Wang Yao.

After all, Fan Bingbing's guest appearance will definitely be a major boost to the show's ratings and generate buzz.

“Sure.” Fan Bingbing wasn’t stupid.

“Since we’re already here, Miss Fan’s presence will definitely cause a sensation. Why not let her be a special guest?” Wang Yao agreed.

"I'm fine with it, but to be honest, I'm not very familiar with the main guests. Won't it be awkward if I force myself to act?" Fan Bingbing frowned.

"It's okay, you can be Teacher Xu's special friend, just give your comments or interact with a few groups," Wang Yao said.

"Hmm, that's a good suggestion. Is there a stylist who can touch up Bingbing's makeup?" Yang Tianzhen nodded.

She wanted Wang Yao to accept her affections, but she didn't want others to ride on her coattails.

“Miss Fan looks great in this casual outfit; she's beautiful even without makeup,” Wang Yao waved his hand.

"No, I'd better wear a mask." Fan Bingbing was a little sensitive.

“Okay, I’ll arrange a translator for you.” Wang Yao sent a text message to Kim Ji-won, asking her to coordinate with the director/PD.

"Why do we need to translate?" Fan Bingbing asked curiously while fixing her hair in front of the mirror.

“Some of the designers are from Korea. You’re good at English, right?” Wang Yao asked.

"Don't underestimate me? I'm all about the international market," Fan Bingbing said, raising an eyebrow.

"Then show off your spoken English and elevate the style of our program," Wang Yao joked.

The group chatted as they arrived at the filming location. Wang Yao beckoned to Kim Ji-won and introduced her, "This is the assistant translator. She will guide you through the script, and you just need to react naturally."

"Let's just have a simple interview and say hello," Yang Tianzhen said.

"Don't worry." Wang Yao smiled.

Fan Bingbing is quite popular in Korea. In the early days, "My Fair Princess" was not only popular in China, but also even more popular in Korea, which even triggered a joint ban by Korean television stations.

However, after filming the co-production "Sophie's Revenge" produced by Zhang Ziyi last year, she attracted the attention of many Korean directors. In addition, Fan Bingbing's reputation in the international art film field has recently improved, and she even took on a cameo role a few years ago.

Coincidentally, Kim Ji-won was one of the viewers who unexpectedly became fans of her, and she was quite excited when she met her in person.

During her conversation with the pretty young girl, Fan Bingbing unexpectedly sensed a subtle atmosphere between her and Wang Yao.

"Mr. Wang's translator is really pretty," Fan Bingbing said with a smile.

This isn't some junior translator; it's Wang Yao handing her over to expose his precious little darling!

"I plan to mentor her and make her a top actress in Korea. Maybe the two of you will even collaborate sometime then," Wang Yao said frankly.

Fan Bingbing paused for a moment, then gave Kim Ji-won a meaningful look.

Fan Bingbing's appearance as a guest on the set caused a sensation throughout the entire production team of "Fairy Robe". After all, it was an unexpected event, and Fan Bingbing was an undisputed big star to everyone present, so even Huang Shengyi felt a lot of pressure.

After Kim Ji-won visited and evaluated each group, she basically had enough material for half of the episode.

However, she and Yang Tianzhen stayed on set until the filming wrapped up before leaving, because the interview sparked their curiosity about this type of variety show and the fashion industry.

The next morning, Wang Yao woke up to find that Fan Bingbing had sent him many text messages about clothing brands and variety shows. After replying briefly, he took Kim Ji-won and Qiu Cixuan to meet with Min Genyuan, the CEO of Taihe Wheatfield.

The main reason for bringing them along was that Min Geun-won is Korean, and we were worried about awkward conversations at the dinner table. Choo Jae-hyun was responsible for livening up the atmosphere, and Kim Ji-won was brought along to help her become more familiar with the place.

Taimai started as a record company and doesn't have much business interaction with the company right now. But today's meeting isn't mainly about music records. Taimai brought together Zhao Jie, CEO of Damai.com, to discuss ticketing websites with Wang Yao.

Huaxia Online Ticketing Website was originally founded by a courier company and was initially named "Huaxia Ticketing Online". It also served as a partner in online ticketing management during the Olympics. This year, because the name could not be registered as a brand, it was renamed "Damai.com".

However, although both Kanpianer.com and Kanpianer.com are online ticketing platforms, their markets and core models are different.

DaMai.com focuses on offline theater ticketing. Zhao Jie initially discovered the business opportunity by reselling theater tickets. His courier company was on the verge of bankruptcy when he suddenly realized that he could help concerts, plays, and sports events by purchasing tickets online and delivering them by courier. He also developed the first generation of online ticketing and seat selection system.

However, Kanpianer.com has now taken the initiative in the movie ticket market by adopting a truly digital model of "online ticket purchase and seat selection + offline QR code device verification" and leveraging its advantages in publicity and distribution and cinema chains.

The reason why DaMai.com does not sell movie tickets is that it cannot cover the offline costs of ticket refunds and exchanges, so it focuses on the small theater industry, which has a low frequency of ticket refunds and exchanges.

However, the movie ticket industry is one with high refund and exchange rates. In the early days before QR codes, even with one-dimensional barcodes, there were still significant costs for manual offline ticket verification. This is the difference between the two.

Moreover, theater ticket prices can fluctuate and be speculated on, especially for popular concerts or sporting events, but movie tickets are basically fixed, so Zhao Jie has not ventured into this market.

However, as Kanpianer.com's valuation in the industry exceeded 20 billion, DaMai.com, which also operates on the 'online ticketing model', was also significantly affected, because Kanpianer.com now has the capability to undertake small theater business.

Once the other party enters the competition, the monopoly market that DaMai.com has worked so hard to build will be impacted. Therefore, Zhao Jie specifically arranged to meet Wang Yao with TaiMai.

(End of this chapter)