How can you become a star without money?

Chapter 255 It's really hard to do some legitimate business.

The two have had little contact since their last trip to Hong Kong.

After two months apart, Fan Bingbing found Wang Yao increasingly pleasing to the eye. People always tend to have some filters and obsessions about things they don't have.

"I am truly flattered that President Wang has taken the time out of his busy schedule to summon me." Fan Bingbing's foxy eyes held a hint of amusement.

"Don't be alarmed yet, I have important business to discuss with you," Wang Yao said with a smile.

"Hey!" Fan Bingbing blushed. This kid was really annoying. He was so flirtatious when chatting, but he wouldn't take what he wanted.

“Skyfire is preparing to acquire AMC Theatres and needs to issue bonds for financing,” Wang Yao said.

"? Mr. Wang, you're not asking me for money, are you? You think too highly of me." Fan Bingbing was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this, and then a hint of wariness appeared in her eyes.

“Didn’t I tell you before about the Hollywood second female lead project? It’s been finalized now. It’s an adaptation of the story of a legendary American female CEO, called ‘Queen of Silicon Valley.’ The second female lead is her capable assistant. She has a significant role and a great character. She’ll be around ten minutes long, and the price is reasonable.” Wang Yao handed over a script.

Skyfire's acquisition of AMC Theatres was aimed at opening up the international market, and it would inevitably need a high-profile, attention-grabbing film to attract the attention of audiences and industry professionals. The current CEO of Yahoo, Carole Bartz, has enough of that kind of buzz and story.

More importantly, Wang Yao needs to find a sufficiently influential partner in the West to promote the development of Ms and MLS (Mulan Street International Edition) in the Western market.

Yahoo's main business is basically obsolete, and its market value of 20 billion dollars is only supported by its holdings in Alibaba and Yahoo Japan. Bartz has basically no direction to take now, but MS now has more than 70 million users in Asia, and the number of users in China alone is close to 30 million.

If we can find an opportunity to open up the European and American markets, we can quickly recover our peak user base of over 100 million, catching up with Twitter and challenging Facebook. Moreover, as a music social networking platform with a precise LGBT niche, we are highly competitive.

If we can persuade Yahoo to invest, and leverage Yahoo's existing market share in search business to combine with MS and MLS, we can achieve a closed loop of 'search + social media + content e-commerce', which could provide Yahoo with a new revenue model.

If this model proves effective in Q4, then Bartz will be able to revive Yahoo! once again. This legendary female CEO will become a milestone figure, providing strong support for both box office revenue and Wang Yao's ambitions in the global market.

Wang Yao aims to elevate Bartz to a legendary status, then collaborate with Deng Wendi. The two female CEOs, dominating Silicon Valley, will lead to an irreversible wave of admiration for strength among Western women.

Wang Yao can provide these two women with sustained popularity and stories behind the scenes, and with the backing of the Yahu and News Groups, he can secretly infiltrate the Western market with his henchmen.

Therefore, it is necessary to please Bartz. Moreover, as long as Bartz brings hope of a comeback to the Tiger, the box office of this movie "Queen of Silicon Valley" will definitely create a miracle, and at the very least, it will become a must-see movie for Western women's growth.

Wang Yao revealed half of his plan to Deng Wendi, who was even more excited than him. After all, becoming Bartz's successor, a legendary female CEO in Silicon Valley, was far more attractive than the old man's wife. She took the script that Wang Yao had revised and went to the old man's second daughter to obtain Fox's production and distribution resources.

Once AMC's screening schedule is added, everything will be basically ready.

"Nancy Meyers, the director? Is that the director of last year's 'Love Is Complicated'?" Fan Bingbing asked in surprise after glancing at the main cast and crew.

Even in Hollywood, there are only a handful of accomplished female directors. Moreover, Nancy's self-written and directed romantic comedy, "Love Is Complicated," grossed over 200 million yuan with an investment of over 80 million yuan, making her one of the few female directors to profit in the commercial field.

Fan Bingbing has been studying the Hollywood market for the past few years, so he naturally has some understanding and attention to these top producers and directors.

“That’s right. ‘Queen of Silicon Valley’ is also an urban female comedy in the workplace style, which suits her well. Moreover, she has strong writing skills, and with Anne Hathaway and Cate Blanchett as the two leads, it’s basically a box office guarantee.” Wang Yao nodded.

Cate Blanchett is currently cultivating a strong female image, and this film will undoubtedly boost her public image and generate more buzz.

Anne Hathaway is currently at the peak of her popularity and audience appeal, with "Put Your Head on My Shoulders" coming up before the end of the year and "Love & Other Drugs" following her previous film.

"Such a good cast, and you're giving it to me as the second female lead?" Fan Bingbing swallowed hard, her eyes filled with greed.

"Of course it's not free." Wang Yao smirked.

“Five million? No problem.” Fan Bingbing raised an eyebrow slightly.

Of course she remembered Wang Yao's offer.

"And your Hollywood and international endorsement deals for the next three years will need to be signed with Skyfire Entertainment." Wang Yao nodded.

"This is an outrageous amount of smoking," Fan Bingbing retorted instinctively.

She had indeed considered signing with Wang Yao, as he not only had abundant resources but also the potential to rise in rank. However, she simply couldn't accept the 90% commission, even for international business.

"His salary is 800 million," Wang Yao said with a smile.

"That would kill me! How could I face anyone if word got out? I need different terms, or a different contract. I need to keep my pay, otherwise it will affect my career!" Fan Bingbing's face flushed red because she really wanted this opportunity.

But after taking a cut, he was left with only 80 yuan in salary, which was less than Li Bingbing's. How could that be worthy of her status as the top actress?

Currently, Zhang Ziyi is the highest-paid actress in China, but her salary dropped to around two million after the ink-splashing incident. Zhou Xun earned over two million this year for "Confucius," while Li Bingbing has consistently earned around 150 million. Because she takes on many roles, her average salary is also around 150 million.

“I’m talking about US dollars.” Wang Yao raised an eyebrow slightly.

Fan Bingbing is definitely going to sign an S contract, and Wang Yao plans to boost her value with this film. Her record-breaking $800 million salary will solidify her position as the top actress in China, and she could even squeeze into the second tier in Hollywood.

If she successfully stars in the film and it becomes a box office and critical success, she will gain both fame and fortune. Of course, the price is that Skyfire S-class will take 90% of the profits. Even so, she will still receive a salary of $80, which is nearly five million Chinese yuan, several times higher than her current salary of over one million yuan.

Moreover, her signing was strategically significant, as it provided a basis for future signings of other individuals with a 90% revenue share.

Even Fan Bingbing signed with you, are you even more famous than her?

Fan Bingbing was stunned, staring blankly at Wang Yao, her mind completely blank.

If it were in US dollars, wouldn't that be higher than Chow Yun-fat's salary on paper?

Even if the commission is only a small percentage, it's still close to five million!

Oh, wait, I spent five million to buy this resource!
That's an amazing calculation!
Not a drop left! Freebie!
Fan Bingbing felt her blood rushing through her body at breakneck speed, and her heart was throbbing with pain from the rapid heartbeat.

Because she knew very well that even if she worked for free, or even lost money, she would not be able to resist the opportunity and the pay if Wang Yao could really offer her this role.

No, in fact, no actress in China could resist it.

"If this film is successful, even if it doesn't break into the Western market, it will at least secure top-tier status in Asia. I can't guarantee anything else, but with 2-3 films a year, a dozen or so commercial endorsements, the international revenue should easily reach 2-3 million US dollars annually."

Regarding your domestic revenue and resources, we will symbolically take 10% as team expenses. Except for projects that negatively impact your commercial value and reputation, the company will not excessively interfere.
"However, if your image is damaged or losses are incurred because of domestic issues, the penalty for breach of contract would be enough to cover the losses of the past ten years or so." Wang Yao wore a warm smile, his obsidian eyes exuding a certain sinister and intimidating power. Fan Bingbing bit her tongue, using the pain to pull herself back to her senses, and took a deep breath: "Mr. Wang, you're not playing with me, are you? Am I really worthy of your favor?"

Assuming her salary is $800 million, the total cost of the film is likely to exceed $5000 million, and if the box office is less than $1 million, it could very well lose money.

From Fan Bingbing's perspective, she felt the risks were so great that she began to doubt her own worth.

"These are not things you need to worry about. You just need to think about whether you can develop steadily over the next three years and avoid causing trouble," Wang Yao said with a slight smile.

"If this is really the resource allocation, I'll be more obedient than a dog," Fan Bingbing scoffed.

“?” Wang Yao raised an eyebrow.

What outrageous things are you spouting?

"No, I'm scared." Fan Bingbing held her face in her hands, propped her elbows on the table, and stared at Wang Yao, her voice trembling slightly.

"You can go back and discuss it properly with Yang Tianzhen." Wang Yao shook his head, indicating that he was not in a hurry.

“No, opportunities are fleeting. I just need to find a source of security.” Fan Bingbing’s voice was low, and his eyes, red with excitement, revealed restlessness.

“These resources and guaranteed returns are all stipulated in the contract. It guarantees you at least $1000 million in revenue every year. If that’s not enough, the company will compensate you. You also have the right of first refusal from Tianhuo Shares in the future,” Wang Yao explained.

That means spending less than ten million yuan a year can keep Fan Bingbing's name as a living advertisement to support Tianhuo's stock, which is very cost-effective.

“That’s not enough. I need to see your sincerity.” Fan Bingbing shook his head.

"Then what do you want?" Wang Yao frowned.

"We shouldn't let the good stuff go to outsiders. I'll sign up for the A-level trial first, and we'll talk about the S-level later." Fan Bingbing took a folder out of his bag and slammed it on the table.

Wang Yao knew what was inside without even opening it: "? Employee benefits before the cooperation has even started?"

"Will you do it or not!" Fan Bingbing slammed her hand on the table, her face flushed red, whether from shyness or excitement, it was hard to tell.

"Damn it, it's so hard to do any legitimate business," Wang Yao sighed.

Yang Tianzhen stared blankly at the folder Fan Bingbing handed her, her head buzzing as she looked at the 'slave treaties' filled with them.

The 90% commission rate, in particular, made her feel suffocated.

Looking again at Fan Bingbing's haggard yet unusually rosy and beautiful face, and the lingering sensual atmosphere in the room, he asked with a twitching smile, "Did you enjoy it?"

"Don't ask anymore." Fan Bingbing covered her face.

"You fucking had a blast? This one shot wiped out at least 90 million of your annual income?! What kind of guy is he, Jin Di'ao???" Yang Tianzhen roared, somewhat losing her composure.

She's been with Fan Bingbing for so many years. Although she thinks Fan Bingbing is a bit love-struck, she's at least a normal person, especially when it comes to career matters. But today, she feels that Fan Bingbing is a bit unfamiliar and outrageous.

Fan Bingbing's annual revenue is at least 100 million yuan. With the industry market booming in the next few years, it's possible that she could earn over 1 billion yuan a year, just like top Hollywood artists.

But after signing the contract, Wang Yao took all of it. Even "vampire" wouldn't be enough to describe the percentage he took, especially from a top-tier artist!
He didn't even treat Fan Bingbing like a human being!

What angered her even more was that Fan Bingbing didn't treat her like a human being either!
They actually got so worked up about something as trivial as a man and a woman.

Although she knew that Fan Bingbing might be aiming for a higher position, they had discussed it several times and concluded that given Wang Yao's current wealth and the age and status difference between the two, Fan Bingbing's chances of succeeding were close to zero.
This is practically free!

No, it's even worse—they're paying out of pocket!

"Ugh! You're so rude! Can't you at least look at the contract properly?" Fan Bingbing's voice was hoarse, and her body ached so much that she couldn't muster any strength. She could only tap lightly on another contract.

While cursing, Yang Tianzhen began to carefully review the terms of the Skyfire S-level contract, trying to find loopholes to overturn the contract or renegotiate it. However, she soon realized that she had only focused on the risk clauses and commission rates and had overlooked the fact that the contract was for Fan Bingbing's international profits.

Fortunately, Fan Bingbing's main revenue still comes from China, with international revenue accounting for at most one-third, so the losses are manageable.

But after seeing the second "Queen of Silicon Valley" project contract, he immediately shut his mouth, frowned, and read it repeatedly, word by word, more than a dozen times. Finally, he washed his face, looked at Fan Bingbing lying on the bed, pretending to be asleep and looking as lazy as a cat, and sighed softly.

"Did you have a blast with this gold digger?"

On August 8.15th, the controversy surrounding Apple's "bearded family" had completely subsided, and after breaking through 70 billion, the stock price of Le's began to correct, falling by 5% at the opening, with no sign of major players supporting the stock and allowing the market to flee.

As a result, Tianhuo Entertainment, which has a direct equity connection with the company, also began to decline. However, with the release of an official announcement by Tianhuo, the decline turned into a flash crash.

1. Wang Jinhua's team has officially joined Tianhuo Entertainment, serving as the company's COO and CEO of several related subsidiaries.

Second: Li Bingbing Studio joins Tianhuo.

Three: Fan Bingbing Studio joins Tianhuo.

Fourth: Tianhuo International Project [Sanqing·Genesis 101] Girl Group Audition, in partnership with Benshan Media, Bona Entertainment, Sohu Video, Leshi Video, Xinghuo Literature, A Station and other companies, has officially launched recruitment for all companies/individuals in Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.

Fifth: Tianhuo, Xingmei, Kanpianer.com, and Yaolai Cinema Line formed a cinema alliance.

Each of the five announcements was enough to shake the Chinese entertainment industry; they were all top-notch positive news, yet they caused the stock price to collapse directly.

Just because of Article 6 of the announcement.

Six: Due to its expansion of overseas business, Tianhuo Entertainment has officially launched convertible bonds with the approval and filing of the board of directors/shareholders' meeting. The bonds will be issued at the maximum price of 7.5 yuan per share, which is 130% higher than the current share price. If the share price rises in the future and triggers the "forced redemption clause", Tianhuo will not need to repay the principal and will directly convert the bonds into shares in proportion.

The bond issuance reached a staggering 10 billion yuan, directly covering 40% of the net assets.

According to the disclosed data, combined with previous debts, Tianhuo's debt has soared to over 60%, and the reason for issuing bonds is to acquire the international cinema chain AMC, a risky asset valued at over 60 billion yuan, which is more expensive than the entire Tianhuo.

A company with a market value of less than 30 billion yuan forcibly acquires an asset valued at 60 billion yuan, and AMC is also an extremely high-risk asset with a debt ratio of over 60%. Not only do shareholders not understand it, but even industry peers don't understand it.

What's going on here?
(End of this chapter)