Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 31: Victory Celebration Banquet
On May 6, 1996, around 6 p.m.

The afterglow of the setting sun draped the Beijing Film Studio in a warm golden veil.

Compared to the gradually quieting factory area, the factory canteen is becoming increasingly bustling with activity.

Those who received the invitations—new and old employees of Shengying Media, representatives of employees' families who had purchased profit-sharing rights, and some department heads with close relationships with the factory—arrived one after another.

Han Sanping was away on a business trip and couldn't attend, so the factory office director attended on his behalf to make a statement.

The air was filled with the aroma of dishes carefully prepared by the canteen chefs, mixed with the smell of smoke, tea, and lively laughter, creating a warm and harmonious atmosphere.

The monkey, dressed in a white shirt and trousers usually worn by cadres and leaders, moved among the crowd with a smug look on his face. He loudly directed a few temporary helpers to set up tables and chairs, arrange cold dishes, distribute cigarettes, and place cases of Yanjing beer in place, trying his best to maintain order, acting like the company's "third-in-command".

"Hurry up, everyone! Bring the beer over here! Peanuts and melon seeds for every table!" He had a loud voice, patting one person on the shoulder and nudging another on the back from time to time, busy as a bee.

Meanwhile, Wang Sheng, along with Da Liu and two other strong young men, was speeding towards the train station in a Jinbei minivan decorated with big red flowers.

The car window rolled down, and the warm evening breeze blew in, carrying the unique scent of dust and locust blossoms characteristic of May in the north.

Wang Sheng's mood was as urgent and expectant as the car's speed. Chen Liang and his team's trip was crucial to the company's low-end business; those 150 Panasonic M9000s were key to quickly capturing the market and fulfilling their promise to all factory employees.

……

Just as the atmosphere in the cafeteria was getting into a good mood, a slight commotion suddenly came from the entrance.

Everyone's attention was drawn to her—Li Xiaoran had arrived.

She was clearly dressed up carefully, wearing a trendy yet elegant light pink dress. Her hair was softly draped over her shoulders, and her face was lightly made up. Under the bright lights of the cafeteria, she seemed to have her own soft glow, instantly becoming the focus of everyone's attention.

"Ouch!"

Someone let out a soft gasp of surprise first.

Immediately afterwards, the entire hall seemed to have been hit by a pebble, and the ripples spread rapidly.

"Look! It's that girl from the commercial!"

"A veil kiss! It really is her! She looks so much better than on TV!"

"My goodness, she's so fair-skinned!"

"Tsk tsk, look at her, figure, no wonder she came from a dance troupe..."

"Holy crap! If I could marry her, I'd gladly give up ten years of my life!"

"To die beneath a peony is to be a romantic ghost!"

"..."

The more he talked, the more out of control he became, and it looked like he was about to veer even further into vulgarity.

Some hot-blooded young men even shamelessly tried to go up and shake hands.

Seeing this, the monkey frowned, darted to the front of the crowd, and suddenly raised its voice, adopting the air of a 'third-in-command':

"What are you doing?! Wipe your drool! Look at how pathetic you all are!"

He glared at the most restless guys and said, "These are distinguished guests invited by Brother Sheng! They are heroes of our Shengying Media! Show them some respect! If anyone starts howling like a hungry wolf and startles the guests, don't blame me for having someone drag him out, and he can forget about working for the company again!"

The monkey was very familiar with these kids, and when he put on a stern face to scold them, he was quite intimidating.

The crowd fell silent at his shout, then burst into laughter, instantly dispelling the subtle awkwardness and restlessness.

"The Monkey King has spoken! I won't dare anymore!"

"Yes, yes, yes, it's fine to watch, but we can't let Shengying Media down!"

"Miss Li, please come in, please come in!" someone called out cleverly.

Li Xiaoran clearly hadn't expected her appearance to cause such a commotion. Two blushes appeared on her face as she felt a little embarrassed. But seeing that the monkey had brought the situation under control in time, and hearing the good-natured laughter and greetings from the crowd, she smiled gracefully and, guided by the monkey, found a relatively quiet spot to sit down.

The surrounding gazes remained eager, but now held a greater degree of respect and curiosity.

……

At the train station, Wang Sheng and his team successfully picked up Chen Liang and his group, who were traveling a long way. A truck followed behind the Jinbei van, carrying 150 heavy cameras and related equipment.

Seeing that the equipment was intact, Wang Sheng felt a huge weight lifted off his shoulders. He patted Chen Liang on the shoulder forcefully: "Thanks for your hard work. I'll treat you guys to a welcome-back dinner when we get back..."

……

The convoy returned to the Beijing Film Studio and drove directly to the main building entrance.

The equipment room next to Shengying Media's office had been simply renovated, with burglar bars and a security door installed, and shelves placed inside. A burglar alarm system was a bit expensive, so it wasn't installed yet; they would consider it later if they moved offices. Everyone worked together, carefully moving the boxes of equipment inside as if they were precious treasures, and stacking them neatly.

Looking at the packing boxes that filled almost half the room, everyone's faces were filled with tired yet incredibly excited smiles.

These are their "weapons and ammunition" for conquering cities and seizing territories!
……

When Wang Sheng arrived at the factory canteen with Chen Liang, the security officer, the technician, and Chen Liang's seemingly shrewd and capable cousin, it was already past 7:30 p.m.

Wang Sheng had just stepped into the factory canteen when someone with sharp eyes shouted, "Brother Sheng is back!"

In an instant, the entire cafeteria seemed to be set on fire!
"Brother Sheng!"

"Mr. Wang!"

"Shengzi! Over here!"

Almost all of the hundreds of people, whether sitting or standing, stood up.

The children of Beijing Film Studio employees, newly hired staff, veteran workers... they clapped enthusiastically, their faces beaming with genuine smiles, their eyes fixed on the young man among them, who was only nineteen years old but had led them to forge a new path.

Many young men crowded around, vying to shake hands with Wang Sheng and pat his arm; the atmosphere was so enthusiastic it almost lifted the roof off.

Wang Sheng nodded and shook hands as he walked towards the main table through a passage spontaneously cleared by the crowd.

He saw his parents, who looked proud; he saw Chen Yu, Li Tingting, and other girls, their faces flushed with excitement; he saw Monkey and Xiaobing waving vigorously at him; and he saw Li Xiaoran, who was sitting a little further away, looking at him expectantly and clapping enthusiastically.

Upon reaching the main table, Wang Sheng did not immediately sit down.

He turned around, faced everyone present, and raised his hand in greeting.

The applause and cheers gradually subsided, and everyone looked at him with expectant eyes.

Wang Sheng's gaze swept across the entire room, his voice clear and powerful: "Dear uncles and aunts, brothers and sisters! Why are we gathered here today?"

"Let's make our Shengying Media's opening day a resounding success! Let's ensure the smooth completion of the filming for our first 'Golden Jubilee Collection' package nationwide!"

Cheers and applause erupted from the audience.

“For our brothers, you, and this new brother who joined us,” he pointed to Chen Liang’s cousin, “they traveled thousands of miles south, escorting our future, 150 pieces of equipment, not a single screw missing, and they came back safe and sound!”

In an instant, thunderous applause erupted, and Chen Liang and the others stood tall with their chests puffed out.

"For our twenty-odd new colleagues who have joined the company, and for the more than one hundred brothers who will soon receive training and work together to conquer the world!"

More new faces applauded excitedly.

"Moreover, it's because of the trust they placed in us that all the old and young men of the factory invested their hard-earned money! For the sake of us, the children of Beijing Film Studio, we didn't wait for handouts; we forged this path to survival and wealth ourselves!"

This sentence completely ignited everyone's emotions, and cheers and applause surged like a tidal wave.

Wang Sheng waited until the noise subsided before taking a beer from the person next to him.

He raised his glass high, surveyed the room, his eyes sharp and full of passion.

Suddenly, a slightly unruly smile appeared on his lips, and his voice rose abruptly, ringing out: "All men are brothers under heaven; in times of turmoil, peace is paramount! For our livelihood, for our wealth, for Shengying Media—"

He paused, then roared with all his might:
"cheers!"

"cheers!!"

"For Shengying Media!!"

"To survive! Let's do it!!"

"Homage to the Boss!!!"

Just then, someone shouted, and clearly, the rumors circulating in the martial arts world had reached the ears of these disciples. Immediately, all the disciples shouted in unison, "Homage to the Chief!"

boom--

The entire cafeteria seemed to be shaken by the shout. Everyone raised their wine glasses, teacups, and rice bowls with great enthusiasm, responded in unison, and then tilted their heads back and drank!
What a magnificent sight...

Looking at Wang Sheng, who was being lifted high and thrown around by Chen Liang and his men.

Li Xiaoran's eyes were filled with envy and admiration.

A photographer, carrying his equipment, silently recorded everything.

(End of this chapter)