Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 413, Section 411: Whom do you need to answer to when you're out in the game?

2002 4 Month 22 Day.

In the early hours of the morning on Hong Kong Island, the neon lights were still on, but the daytime hustle and bustle had settled into the deep breaths of the city.

However, for media professionals on Hong Kong Island, this was destined to be a sleepless night.

In the Next Media building in Quarry Bay, the Oriental Press Centre in North Point, the TVB City in Tseung Kwan O... countless newsrooms are brightly lit, with the sounds of keyboards, telephones, and editors shouting all mixed together, creating an atmosphere as tense as the front lines of a battlefield.

The 21st Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony has just ended, but the real battle has only just begun – grabbing the front page the next day and interpreting tonight's events!

The "final deadline" for daily and morning newspapers hangs like the sword of Damocles over our heads, usually between midnight and one or two in the morning.

Tonight, the time for this sword to fall seems exceptionally urgent.

The most important awards of the ceremony are presented around 10:30 to 11 pm, leaving the editorial department with only one or two hours of golden window for reaction, writing, typesetting and printing.

"Quick! Clear the front page! Make way for Wang Sheng and the Hong Kong Film Awards!" The editor-in-chief of Oriental Daily roared at his team, his cheeks flushed with excitement. "'The King of Mainland Entertainment Blasts the Hong Kong Film Awards, Pointing Out Five Major Dilemmas for Hong Kong Films'! Is that headline powerful enough? As for the picture, I want a close-up of Wang Sheng's most incisive expression while he's giving his comments from the audience!"

The deputy rushed over: "Editor-in-chief, shouldn't we balance things out a bit? After all, 'Shaolin Soccer' won Best Film, so Stephen Chow is a big winner too..."

"Balance? Balance my ass!" The editor-in-chief waved his arm. "It was expected that Stephen Chow would win the award, but Wang Sheng's attack was truly earth-shattering!"
What do readers want to see? They want to see this kind of juicy, gory scoop!

Hurry up and write down your analysis of those five points he mentioned—no, six! Dig deep into the 'Hong Kong film dilemma'!

Meanwhile, a more complex mood permeated the editorial department of Apple Daily.

The editors were both excited to have caught such explosive news, but also felt a little uncomfortable with Wang Sheng's condescending and outspoken attitude.

"Wow, this North guy is so arrogant!"

A young editor, typing rapidly on the keyboard, couldn't help but complain, "In front of the entire Hong Kong film industry, he criticized every nominated film, and then said that 'Shaolin Soccer' winning the award was just 'symbolic'? Who does he think he is?"

"Who is it? It's the God of Wealth who can make your newspaper sell like hotcakes!"

The senior editor coldly interrupted, "Stop talking nonsense and hurry up and write! If you want a unique angle, write 'Mainland capital tycoons arrive, Hong Kong Film Awards bow down? The power game behind Wang Sheng's decisive words!'"
Yes, that's exactly the kind of questioning and impact we need!

The more moderate and rational editorial department of Ming Pao, on the other hand, tries to find depth amidst the noise.

"Wang Sheng's views are sharp, but not entirely without merit."

The editor-in-chief of the culture section pushed up his glasses. "The issues he pointed out, such as the balance between art and commerce, genre limitations, and the cultivation of new talent, are indeed chronic problems of Hong Kong films and even Chinese-language films as a whole."

Our commentary will approach this from this angle, and could be titled "Wang Sheng's candid advice: The survival anxiety of Hong Kong films behind the Hong Kong Film Awards."

Newspapers large and small, including Sing Tao Daily, Sing Pao, and Sin Pao, were all mobilized urgently. Reporters followed up with celebrities and directors who attended the celebration banquet, trying to get their first reactions to Wang Sheng's remarks; commentators wrote furiously, analyzing the potential impact of this "bombardment" on the future landscape of the film industry in Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong; layout designers stared at the screen, stuffing lines of passionate text and on-site photos into the constantly adjusted layout...

In the darkness of Hong Kong, invisible radio waves carried the news of "Wang Sheng's attack on the Hong Kong Film Awards," which spread rapidly throughout Hong Kong and began to spread to the other side of the strait and the entire Chinese world.

……

At the semi-official Hong Kong Film Awards celebration dinner held at a five-star hotel near the Hong Kong Island Cultural Centre, the atmosphere was subtle and complex.

The champagne tower sparkled, the food was plentiful, and celebrities and bigwigs gathered, but the volume of conversation seemed to be lower than in previous years. Many people's eyes were intentionally or unintentionally glancing towards the entrance, as if waiting for a certain figure.

Stephen Chow, as the director and lead actor of "Shaolin Soccer," the biggest winner of this year's competition, naturally became one of the focal points.

He held his wine glass, his face beaming with the joy of winning the award, but there was a hint of weariness and perfunctoriness in his eyes.

People kept coming up to congratulate him, and then casually asked, "Sing, where's Mr. Wong? Didn't he come to celebrate with you?"

“Mr. Wang is a little tired and is going back to the hotel to rest.” Zhou Xingxing responded politely, following Wang Sheng’s prior instructions. “He asked me to thank everyone for their kindness on his behalf.”

This answer clearly failed to satisfy everyone's curiosity.

"tired?"

Someone muttered under their breath, "He probably knows his words have caused trouble and doesn't want to face it, right?"

"Face? Who do you think the king of the Chinese entertainment industry needs to face?"

Someone nearby scoffed, "He speaks for himself based on his abilities. The North American box office of 'Shaolin Soccer' speaks for itself, and Sheng Ying Media's distribution channels speak for themselves. What he said today may have been harsh, but it might not be a bad thing."

"Yes, those words are a wake-up call. Are Hong Kong films really... a bit stagnant?"

Similar discussions were taking place quietly in various corners of the banquet.

Although Wang Sheng was not present, his words and influence lingered like an invisible ghost throughout the celebration banquet.

Immediately afterwards, the "Shaolin Soccer" crew held an internal celebration banquet at another private club.

Wang Sheng's absence, as an investor and key driving force, is also noteworthy.

Stephen Chow once again took the lead, representing the crew and Wang Sheng to accept everyone's congratulations.

"Mr. Stephen Chow, does Mr. Wong have any opinions about us?" A crew member whispered to Stephen Chow while offering a toast.

Stephen Chow patted him on the shoulder and comforted him, "Don't overthink it. That's just Wang Sheng's personality; he's straightforward."

He was referring to the issue, not the person, when he said those things.

Moreover, without him, there would be no "Shaolin Soccer" as we are today, nor our success in North America. Let's drink and have a good time!

That being said, the shockwaves caused by Wang Sheng's sharp comments were clearly not something that could be easily quelled with a few words of comfort.

...The Peninsula Hotel, Hong Kong Island.

Inside the suite where Wang Sheng was staying.

Compared to the media frenzy and the celebration banquet outside, this place was exceptionally quiet.

The heavy curtains blocked out the night view of Victoria Harbour, leaving only a few wall lamps emitting a dim, soft glow.

Wang Shenggang had just finished showering and was sitting on the sofa in the living room, leisurely sipping a glass of red wine, wearing a comfortable bathrobe.

The doorbell of the suite rang softly.

After confirming through the peephole, the assistant silently opened the door.

Standing outside the door were Cecilia Cheung and her agent, Li Xiuxiu.

Cecilia Cheung wore a fitted black dress, her makeup was exquisite, and she had a bright smile on her face.

Li Xiuxiu, on the other hand, wore a smart suit skirt and black stockings, exuding the vibe of a sophisticated urban woman.

"Brother Sheng!" Cecilia Cheung's sweet voice rang out as she walked in first, naturally sitting down next to Wang Sheng and taking his arm. "Congratulations! You were so handsome tonight! I was embarrassed for them by what they said."

Wang Sheng didn't reply, but instead beckoned to his assistant, who leaned in to listen.

Wang Sheng whispered a few words of instruction, and his assistant acknowledged the order and left the room to inform Li Xiaoran that President Wang had an appointment for the evening.

……

There were three people left in the room.

Cecilia Cheung remained seated close to Wang Sheng, but her posture was more relaxed, leaning almost half her weight against him. She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling: "Brother Sheng, you were absolutely terrifying at the awards ceremony. But you were also incredibly impressive!"

Wang Sheng smiled, said nothing, but simply reached out and naturally put his arm around her shoulder, his fingers unconsciously caressing her smooth shoulder.

His gaze passed over Cecilia Cheung and landed on Li Xiuxiu, who was standing by the coffee table, looking somewhat reserved but deliberately maintaining a professional smile.

Li Xiuxiu felt Wang Sheng's gaze, her body tensed almost imperceptibly for a moment, then she put on an even more docile smile, lowered her eyelids slightly, and avoided his scrutinizing gaze.

Pretending to be serious~
"Xiuxiu," Wang Sheng said, "Don't stand, sit down."

"Thank you, Mr. Wang." Li Xiuxiu did as she was told and sat down on the single sofa to the side. Her posture remained upright, but her legs, which were clad in black stockings, unconsciously pressed even closer together.

Seeing this, Zhang Bozhi chuckled and said to Wang Sheng with a hint of coquetry, "Brother Sheng, look at Xiuxiu, she gets so nervous every time she sees you. You're not going to eat me."

Upon hearing this, Wang Sheng's gaze swept over Li Xiuxiu's forced composure before returning to Zhang Bozhi's bright smile.

"Is that so?" His tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable air of control. "Perhaps she's not used to it yet."

These words made Li Xiuxiu lower her head even further, her ears turning slightly red.

Zhang Bozhi moved even closer to Wang Sheng, almost breathing into his ear: "Brother Sheng, why don't you give her a few more chances and let her get used to it..."

Her voice was seductive, and one hand had already slid restlessly to Wang Sheng's chest.

Wang Sheng didn't stop him; instead, he took a sip of red wine from the glass that Cecilia Cheung offered to his lips.

The sweet liquid slid down his throat, and his eyes appeared somewhat deep in the dim light.

He didn't look at Li Xiuxiu again, but whispered to Zhang Bozhi, "Go and pour her a glass of wine."

Zhang Bozhi understood immediately, smiled sweetly, got up, picked up the decanter and wine glass, and walked gracefully to Li Xiuxiu.

She bent down to pour the wine, her movements slow and deliberately elegant, and handed the glass filled with the crimson liquid to Li Xiuxiu.

“Sister Xiuxiu,” Cecilia Cheung’s voice was sickeningly sweet, “this is a gift from President Wang.”

Li Xiuxiu looked up at the wine glass in front of her, then quickly glanced at Wang Sheng, who was sitting in the main seat, looking relaxed as if he were watching some performance. She took a deep breath and accepted the wine glass with both hands: "Thank you, President Wang, thank you, Bozhi."

Her fingertips lightly touched Cecilia Cheung's as they exchanged a brief but complex glance.

Cecilia Cheung retreated to Wang Sheng's side and snuggled into his arms again, like a cat that had found its owner.

Wang Sheng then turned his gaze back to Li Xiuxiu, seeing her holding the wine glass and looking somewhat at a loss, and said calmly, "Drink it."

The tone of the command left no room for argument.

Li Xiuxiu tilted her head back and drank the wine in her glass in one gulp.

Perhaps because she drank too quickly, or perhaps because she was nervous, a drop of alcohol spilled from the corner of her mouth, slid down her fair neck, and disappeared into the neckline of her suit skirt.

She put down her wine glass, her cheeks quickly flushing red, whether from the alcohol or something else, it was hard to tell.

A hint of satisfaction flashed in Wang Sheng's eyes as he watched this scene.

He patted Cecilia Cheung's waist, gesturing for her to get up.

Cecilia Cheung stood up obediently.

Wang Sheng also stood up, his tall figure casting a shadow under the light, enveloping Li Xiuxiu who was sitting on the sofa.

Li Xiuxiu wisely knelt down.

(End of this chapter)