Internet moguls are being held hostage by the entertainment system!

Chapter 152 The Friend Introduced by Young Master Wang
In the banquet hall of the Wanda Vista Hotel.

Chen Xiu's outfit today is a brown suit jacket with a beige shirt, but she is not wearing a tie, and her hair is not her usual side-swept style, but simply styled into a side-parted, fluffy look.

The overall design, while formal, exudes a relaxed feel, perfectly matching the theme of the celebration banquet.

As they entered the banquet hall, people who had arrived earlier turned to look at Chen Xiu, with his location as the focal point.

In addition to local film and television industry bigwigs in Beijing, celebrities and directors were also invited to the celebration banquet.

Looking around, the place is dazzling with stars and bustling with activity.

The group of people standing in the center of the banquet hall were the true protagonists of this celebration banquet, namely the creative team of "Detective Chinatown".

With the film's box office surpassing 10 billion, each of them deserves a share in this achievement.

On everyone's resume, the words "Representative work: Detective Chinatown" will be added.

Chen Xiu glanced at Chen Sicheng and Xiao Yang, who were greasy to varying degrees, and Peng Yuchang, who looked shy, before finally fixing her gaze on Dilraba, whom she hadn't seen in a long time.

Today, the young lady wore a black velvet backless dress. Her short, medium-length hair was all combed back, covering most of her fair and delicate back.

Beneath her round, full forehead, two beautifully drawn, curved willow-leaf eyebrows that taper towards the back of her face. Her sculpted, delicate European-style nose paired with fiery red lips is a classic choice for fair-skinned individuals like Dilraba.

The dress was adorned with rhinestones from the back to the chest, adding a touch of sparkle to the otherwise monotonous black. The long skirt reached all the way to the knees, revealing two fair and slender legs clad in black high heels with rhinestone-studded toes.

The overall look makes Dilraba look very aloof, and the baby face that hasn't completely disappeared adds a touch of pure sensuality to her appearance.

Chen Xiu and she exchanged a glance, and then a knowing smile appeared on both of their faces.

During this period, Dilraba traveled all over the country with her team to promote "Detective Chinatown".

When I came back the day before yesterday, I was completely exhausted. It took me two days to recover some of my energy.

At that moment, the creative team was being interviewed by reporters. Chen Xiu did not choose to join them, but instead turned around and went to the other side alone, where she approached Cheng Wu from Tencent Pictures.

"Mr. Cheng, congratulations!"

"I should be the one congratulating you."

Cheng Wu's serious face melted away like snow in spring. She raised the champagne in her hand and said, "Tencent only has a 10% investment share. Datang Pictures is the main producer of 'Detective Chinatown.' President Chen, you've won this first battle in the film industry beautifully!"

"Hehe, how did making a movie get involved in war... But I've actually gained quite a bit of insight into war lately."

Chen Xiu vaguely threw out this sentence without explaining, and went straight to Cheng Wu's side, taking a glass of the same champagne from the long table.

Seeing his actions, Cheng Wu leaned closer and whispered, "I heard that Ye Ning is thinking of leaving Wanda?"

Chen Xiu glanced at Cheng Wu, pondering the meaning behind his words.

"I heard from Wang, the richest man in China, that they are still trying to retain him. But it's hard to say, everyone has their own ambitions!"

"If he leaves, Wanda Pictures' internal management structure will have to be restructured. Will that affect the preparation of the sequel to 'Detective Chinatown'?"

"Oh, you're worried about that. Of course it won't affect anything. As you just said, Datang Pictures is the main producer. How Wanda Pictures' management changes is none of our business."

At this point, Chen Xiu glanced at Wang Zhonglei, who was standing across the table, out of the corner of her eye while drinking champagne.

If I remember correctly, after Ye Ning left Wanda, she went to Huayi to take charge of their film business.

This choice is neither right nor wrong; after all, everyone has their own aspirations.

However, Wang, the richest man, must harbor some resentment about this.

Otherwise, Wanda Cinemas wouldn't have given "special treatment" to films produced by Huayi Brothers. This incident even led to a battle between Feng Xiaogang and Chen Xiu's nephew on Weibo.

The film production company isn't exactly a top player, and the cinemas don't depend on you for their livelihood. Yet you still go and offend the cinema owners. It's like lighting a lantern in a latrine!
While Chen Xiu was lost in thought, Cheng Wu, having received his confirmation, smoothly moved on to the next topic.

"Mr. Chen, since it's not affecting anything, can we expedite the preparations for the sequel to 'Detective Chinatown'?"

"The movies won't be out of theaters until the Spring Festival, so let's take it slow."

Chen Xiu extended the champagne in her hand to Cheng Wu, lightly touching his glass, appearing completely unhurried.

After "Detective Chinatown" finishes its theatrical run, Datang Pictures will begin its Series A financing round.

Based on the current box office revenue of the film, Datang Pictures, which holds a 52% investment share, will receive approximately 1.7 million yuan in box office revenue.

After deducting taxes, the net profit is around 1.2 million.

Based on the current average price-to-earnings ratio of 15 to 20 for film and television companies, Datang Film and Television's valuation should be around 24 billion yuan, not including the value of its artists and IPs.

Chen Xiu did a quick assessment and concluded that, based on the "Detective Chinatown" IP and the already well-known artists Dilraba and Peng Yuchang, Datang Pictures' valuation would not be less than 30 small goals.

With this valuation, you can basically raise at least 3 million yuan. Once you have the money, many things will be much easier!

Just as Chen Xiu was about to talk to Cheng Wu about financing, a flamboyant and arrogant voice forcefully interrupted their conversation.

"Chen Xiu, you're here! I've been looking for you for ages."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xiu and Cheng Wu both stopped and turned to look at Young Master Wang, who was walking towards them from the side.

Before the people arrive, the sound comes first.

Even though they were still more than ten meters apart, Wang Sicong shouted it out without any restraint. Those around him, upon seeing it was him, all showed expressions of unsurprised indifference. Cheng Wu had never had any connection with Wang Sicong, nor did she particularly want one, so upon seeing him approach, she casually made up an excuse and left ahead of him.

Chen Xiu, who remained where she was, looked Wang Sicong up and down with a strange expression.

He thought his outfit was casual enough, but compared to this young master Wang, who was casually strolling around with a long-sleeved sweater, jeans, and sneakers, he still seemed small-minded.

"What are you looking for me for?"

"Of course I'm calling you because I have good news! Are you free? I'd like to introduce you to a friend!"

"I just arrived not long ago, it's not appropriate for me to leave now..."

"I didn't ask you to leave. That friend of yours is also an invited guest today. Come on, let me take you there."

As he spoke, Wang Sicong walked over and grabbed Chen Xiu's forearm, trying to pull him back in the direction he had come from.

However, after pulling twice, Wang Sicong found that he seemed to still be in the same place.

Turning his head, he saw Chen Xiu still standing there, leisurely drinking champagne, motionless, as if completely unaffected by him.

"What are you doing? Let's go."

"What did you just call me?"

Chen Xiu held the champagne glass in one hand and glanced sideways at Wang Sicong.

When the topic of address came up, Wang Dashao, who had been quite enthusiastic, suddenly became a little deflated, and his gaze toward Chen Xiu was filled with hesitation and uncertainty.

"Well, didn't we agree that we'd each keep to our own business outside?"

"Hmm, so which of us is the older brother?"

"Oh, it doesn't matter who's the older brother and who's the younger brother! When we're drinking, I often call people 'older brother,' and when we're out, I call them 'younger brother.' It's normal."

Wang Sicong patted Chen Xiu's arm, trying to brush off the topic.

This performance left the other people in the banquet hall completely astonished.

Everyone present knew how domineering Young Master Wang was in the entertainment industry, but today, his attitude towards Chen Xiu was not at all like before; instead, it carried a sense of negotiation and flattery.

Upon witnessing this scene, the same thought flashed through everyone's mind: It seems that the rumors about the richest man, Wang, valuing Chen Xiu highly are true...

Chen Xiu ignored the gazes of the others; he simply confirmed the form of address with Wang Sicong once again.

"You don't really want to call me 'brother,' do you?"

"If we can avoid calling, that would be best..."

"Then call me Uncle, my nephew."

Chen Xiu gently swirled her champagne glass, letting the amber liquid swirl within, her expression calm and composed as she witnessed Wang Sicong's expression crumble.

After a two-second standoff, Wang Sicong's lips twitched down, and he looked at Chen Xiu with narrowed eyes. Finally, he reluctantly spoke.

"Brother, I'll call you brother, okay?"

"Heh, not bad. What do you want?"

"We've finally gotten down to business. It's not appropriate to discuss this here. Come with me."

Wang Sicong tried to pull Chen Xiu's forearm again, but this time he didn't use any force and Chen Xiu followed behind him at a leisurely pace.

Wang Sicong secretly grimaced, resigned to his unfortunate situation of having an "uncle," since it was Wang the richest man who had given him this opportunity, and he couldn't return it.

He now only hopes that this "uncle" can play a role in making his investment more secure in cashing out.

Chen Xiu followed behind Wang Sicong and walked towards a corner of the banquet hall. From a distance, he saw a figure in a black suit standing straight.

When Wang Sicong stopped, Chen Xiu finally came face to face with the person who was clearly waiting for her.

The other person had a neat buzz cut and a baby face that had lost its youthful glow, making him look somewhat weathered and rugged. When he met Chen Xiu's gaze, he also revealed that enthusiastic smile that seemed to be trying to attract investment.

"Mr. Chen, hello, I am Wu Jing."

"Hello, he said he'd introduce me to a friend, and it seems like it's you."

Chen Xiu shook Wu Jing's outstretched hand, glanced at Wang Sicong, and then looked back at Wu Jing, wanting to hear what the two had to say.

As a result, Wu Jing also looked puzzled, probably because Wang Sicong hadn't informed him beforehand.

Seeing this, Chen Xiu turned to Wang Sicong with a smile that remained unchanged and said, "Nephew..."

"Let me explain the situation."

Wang Sicong spoke first, attempting to save face for himself.

Meeting Chen Xiu and Wu Jing's gaze, he coughed lightly and said, "It's like this, Wu Jing previously filmed a military-themed movie, which did quite well at the box office."

"He's preparing to film a sequel, and there's a rich second-generation character in it. He said it was designed for me, but I'm not that professional! So I wanted to ask you, Brother Xiu, to play the role. What do you think? Isn't this idea perfect?"

(End of this chapter)