Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 341, page 339: Practice Makes Perfect
Inside the private room, warm yellow light flowed over the exquisite porcelain and the delicious Cantonese dishes, creating a harmonious and slightly tipsy atmosphere.

Jackie Chan's proposed collaboration was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, stirring up layers of thoughts in Wang Sheng's mind.

Faced with the invitation from this international superstar, Wang Sheng did not immediately agree. Instead, he picked up his teacup, using the rising steam to conceal his rapidly working mind.

He pondered Jackie Chan's significance.

Indeed, at the beginning of 2001, Jackie Chan was undoubtedly at the pinnacle among Chinese movie stars worldwide.

He is the first Chinese male star since Bruce Lee to truly establish himself in the mainstream Hollywood commercial market and possess extremely high box office appeal and global recognition.

Jet Li began to make a name for himself in Hollywood with films such as "Romeo Must Die," but his influence and box office stability were far less than those of the established "Rush Hour" series. Chow Yun-fat, on the other hand, was in a relatively bottleneck period in his development in Hollywood due to the underwhelming response to films such as "The Replacement Killers" and "Anna and the King."

Jackie Chan, after successfully entering the North American market with "Rumble in the Bronx" in 1995, achieved an astonishing global box office of $2.44 million with "Rush Hour" in 1998, which propelled him to the position of a top-tier action comedy star and made him one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood at the time.

His films, especially in the Asian and North American markets, are almost a guarantee of box office success and action-comedy.

This superstar status, proven in the international market, is unparalleled by other Chinese actors.

As a result, Jackie Chan's salary has skyrocketed, reaching a figure that astounds most Chinese film producers.

According to Wang Sheng's recollection, Jackie Chan's salary for a single film at that time was at least between 1500 million and 2000 million US dollars, not including possible bonuses.

This is undoubtedly a huge expense for Shengying Media, which, despite having revenue exceeding one billion, needs to be frugal and has diversified operations.

Thinking of this, Wang Sheng put down his teacup, a half-serious, half-fake helpless smile on his face, and said in a somewhat joking tone, "Jackie Chan, you are a world-renowned 'big brother,' and your film salary is now astronomical."

Our Shengying Film Studio is a small, unremarkable business. The cost of producing a film wouldn't even cover a fraction of your salary. I'm really hesitant; we simply can't afford it."

Upon hearing this, Jackie Chan was not displeased at all; instead, he burst into laughter, appearing very magnanimous.

He waved his hand, personally poured tea for Wang Sheng, and said sincerely, "Mr. Wang, you're being too polite. Remuneration is just numbers, it's fixed. But cooperation is flexible, and friendship is priceless."

He leaned forward slightly, lowered his voice, and spoke with the shrewdness of a businessman and the straightforwardness of a江湖人 (jianghu person, a person from the martial arts world), "The most important thing is that we can cooperate with a partner like you, Mr. Wang, who has vision, courage, and control over a vast network of channels in the mainland."

Whether a film project is profitable or not is sometimes not the only consideration. The project's impact, subsequent development—for example, a film studio? Or other derivative businesses? There are plenty of opportunities!

His words were quite meaningful, implying that cooperation could go beyond simple payment of fees and move towards a deeper level of shared interests, such as jointly investing in real projects and sharing longer-term benefits.

Wang Sheng understood immediately, and the classic fight scenes in Jackie Chan movies, often accompanied by a lot of broken furniture, flashed through his mind. He had a flash of inspiration and continued to probe in a joking tone: "Oh? Derivative business? Like... investing in a furniture mall?"
"Judging by the amount of furniture used in your movies, Mr. Jackie Chan, opening a chain of furniture stores specifically for filming might be more profitable than making movies."

Upon hearing this, Jackie Chan was taken aback at first, then reacted and pointed at Wang Sheng, laughing so hard he almost fell over. Even Chan Chi-keung next to him couldn't help but laugh.

Jackie Chan: "Hahaha! Mr. Wang! You're really joking! Good, good, good! This is a great idea! From now on, my film crew will all buy furniture from your furniture store, Mr. Wang. If anything gets damaged, it's on me. It'll boost domestic demand!"

The atmosphere became more relaxed through the jokes.

After laughing, Jackie Chan's expression gradually became serious and profound. He sighed, his tone carrying a hint of homesickness: "Mr. Wang, to be honest, although I'm in Hollywood now, and it seems glamorous, with 'Rush Hour 2' being filmed, I know in my heart that it's not my home."

I, Jackie Chan, am Chinese. My audience base is in Asia, specifically in mainland China. Seeing the mainland film market heating up day by day makes me genuinely happy, and I truly want to come back and contribute to our own film industry.

Having experienced the failure of his attempt to break into Hollywood, even now that he is a big star and extremely popular in Hollywood, Jackie Chan's sense of crisis has not lessened much. He is very clear about where his base of support is.

Of course, the sense of responsibility and belonging that these words reveal as a representative figure of Chinese cinema is also genuine.

Wang Sheng's smile faded, and he nodded slightly: "Brother, you're very kind. Chinese cinema truly needs a role model like you to return and work together to develop it. I appreciate your sentiments."

He paused for a moment, then said, “I am very interested in the collaboration. But we need a suitable opportunity, a good story that can fully utilize your strengths and align with the international market and the depth of our cooperation. This cannot be rushed; let me think about it carefully.”

Seeing Wang Sheng's sincere attitude, and realizing he wasn't making excuses, Jackie Chan felt reassured, and his smile became even brighter: "No problem! No rush, no rush! I'll probably be busy filming 'Rush Hour 2' for a while longer. After I finish this film, I'll definitely come back to the mainland to pay you a special visit, Mr. Wang. I hope to hear good news from you then!" "You're most welcome," Wang Sheng raised his teacup, offering tea instead of wine, "At that time, I will definitely give you a satisfactory answer, Brother."

"Okay! It's a deal!" Jackie Chan raised his glass and lightly clinked it with Wang Sheng's.

The guests and hosts enjoyed themselves immensely, and the meeting concluded in a harmonious atmosphere.

Wang Sheng personally escorted Jackie Chan and Willie Chan to the restaurant entrance, watched their car drive away, and then turned to get into his own vehicle.

Night had fallen, but the streets of Beijing were still bustling with traffic and flashing neon lights.

Wang Sheng leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes to rest, but his mind kept replaying his conversation with Jackie Chan.

Collaborating with Jackie Chan presents both benefits and risks, but it is undoubtedly a brilliant move that can greatly enhance Sheng Ying Media's international reputation and production standards.

The key lies in how to design a cooperation model and find a good project that can achieve great results with minimal effort.

……

More than half an hour later, I returned to the large apartment where I lived with Gao Yuanyuan.

Wang Sheng opened the door with his key, the motion-sensor light in the entryway turned on, and the room was quiet.

He changed into slippers and was about to go to the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water when he heard a faint sound from the television coming from the living room.

Wang Sheng was somewhat surprised. He went over and saw Gao Yuanyuan curled up on the huge sofa in the living room, covered with a soft cashmere blanket. A midnight movie was playing on the TV, and the light and shadow on the screen flickered on her face.

Gao Yuanyuan went home for the Chinese New Year a while ago, and it's only the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, so Wang Sheng thought she hadn't returned yet.

She seemed so engrossed in watching that she didn't even notice Wang Sheng opening the door and coming in.

"Yuanyuan?" Wang Sheng called softly.

Upon hearing the sound, Gao Yuan turned her head sharply and saw Wang Sheng standing at the entrance of the living room. Her eyes instantly lit up with surprise, like stars being suddenly illuminated.

She almost immediately threw off the blanket, jumped off the sofa barefoot, and like a fledgling returning to its nest, quickly rushed into Wang Sheng's arms, wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, and buried her cheeks deeply in his chest, which was still chilly from outside.

"You're back!" Her voice was muffled, filled with deep dependence and joy. "I've missed you so much these past few days!"

Wang Sheng was knocked back slightly by her bump, and feeling the soft body in his arms and her undisguised longing, his heart softened.

He reached out and put his arm around her, stroking her long, smooth hair that still smelled of shampoo, teasing her on purpose: "Oh? How much do you miss me? I've been looking at Fan Xiaopang these past few days, and I occasionally think back to how you looked when you were all puffed up in anger."

"You!" Gao Yuanyuan instantly raised her head, her bright eyes filled with coquettishness and slight anger, and punched his chest twice in frustration. "You're so annoying! Don't think about her! And don't look at her and think about me!"

Her fierce and aggressive demeanor, coupled with her innocent yet slightly stubborn face, created a unique charm.

Wang Sheng chuckled softly as he looked at her angry yet helpless expression.

Seeing him smile, Gao Yuanyuan felt both embarrassed and annoyed, and wanted to say something more.

Wang Sheng didn't give her another chance. He suddenly bent down, put one hand under her knees, and with a little force, lifted her up horizontally.

"Ah!" Gao Yuanyuan exclaimed, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck. "What are you doing!"

"Let's put it into practice and see just how much I miss you."

(End of this chapter)