Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 502: Reaching the Top of the Rich List

The night of December 8, 2003, was a sleepless one for the vast majority of Shengying Group employees.

It wasn't because of an all-night celebration—although the company's successful IPO would be enough to excite any proud employee—but because of a brief but earth-shattering message sent after the afternoon trading session ended, via the company's internal OA system, departmental work groups, or directly via text message:
"To express our gratitude to all employees for their years of hard work and dedication to the company, at the suggestion of Chairman Wang Sheng and with the approval of the Board of Directors, we will issue special commemorative bonuses to eligible employees."

The payment standards are as follows: three years of accumulated working hours (including qualified temporary workers) - 1000 yuan; two years of accumulated working hours - 500 yuan; other on-the-job employees - 300 yuan.

The red envelopes will be directly deposited into your salary accounts before midnight tonight. Let's continue to work together to create a bright future for Shengying!

When the news broke, there was an unbelievable silence at first. Then, cheers and screams that almost lifted the roof off erupted in various offices, project departments, post-production rooms, and even in Shengying Group units as far away as Huairou Film and Television Base and cinemas across the country!
"A thousand dollars! I really got a thousand dollars!" A young animator who had been with the company for just three years looked at the text message on his phone, pinched his arm excitedly, winced in pain, but smiled like a child.

In 2003, this amount of money was equivalent to more than half a month's salary for him, a real "huge sum".

"Old Wang is really generous! He even counts us 'temporary' crew members!" A lighting assistant who had been working with the "Kung Fu" crew for several months and whose contract was about to expire looked at the text message notification of the payment and his eyes reddened.

This feeling of being respected and included in the "one of us" category is far more heartwarming than money itself.

……

Roughly estimated, the Shengying Group includes Shengying Media, Enlight Media, Shengying Special Effects, China Film Shengshi Cinema Line (management team), and related business segments such as artist management, publishing, and games, with nearly 20,000 qualified employees.

This time, tens of millions of yuan were spent!
Without complicated procedures or delays caused by layers of approval, the promised bonus arrived on time on the symbolic night of the first day of listing.

Countless employees' home phones were flooded with calls at that moment, all excitedly sharing this sudden joy.

To many ordinary employees, the story of how many billions boss Wang Sheng raised through the IPO is just a financial news tale. What they truly care about are the tangible "IPO dividends" that are deposited into their bank accounts—one thousand, five hundred, or three hundred yuan.

At that moment, the company's cohesion and employees' sense of belonging were pushed to their peak by this simple, direct, yet incredibly sincere gesture.

……

Compared to the widespread celebration among employees, the company's listing celebration banquet in Shanghai appeared particularly "proper" and low-key.

The banquet was held in the banquet hall of a historic and elegant old hotel near the Bund. There was no red carpet show, no big-name celebrities from the entertainment industry were invited to ride the wave of popularity, and no eye-catching performances were arranged.

Those present were mainly the company's management team, core personnel, the team from the sponsoring institution CICC, important strategic partners, and... several heavyweight political figures.

When the leaders from Shanghai appeared in the banquet hall, there was a slight commotion, followed by even more enthusiastic applause.

Their presence was of great significance, not only as a gesture of respect to a newly listed company, but also as a clear endorsement of the strategic position of Shengying Media in the cultural industry.

In his brief speech, the leader did not mention the stock price and market value in detail, but instead pointed out from a high-level perspective: "The successful listing of Shengying Media is a vivid manifestation of the close integration between the construction of Shanghai as an international financial center and the construction of a cultural metropolis."

We hope that Shengying Media can take its listing as a new starting point, adhere to its core business, and be bold in innovation. It should not only be a top performer in the capital market, but also a practitioner of cultural confidence and a pioneer in the dissemination of excellent Chinese culture, making greater contributions to the prosperity of socialist culture and meeting the spiritual and cultural needs of the people.

Wang Sheng's thank-you speech also perfectly matched this tone.

He thanked everyone for their support, reiterated the company's responsibilities and mission, and spoke in a calm and humble tone, attributing his personal success entirely to the times, policies, and the team's efforts.

The banquet was lively yet dignified, with practical and constructive exchanges, resembling a high-level working seminar, far removed from the glamorous feasts that outsiders imagine as intertwined with the entertainment and financial circles.

Wang Sheng, holding a wine glass, exchanged pleasantries with each leader and important partner, adopting a very humble posture. He knew that the bigger the tree, the more the wind would blow against it, and the more successful he was at this moment, the more cautious he needed to be.

By elevating the celebration banquet to a higher level and focusing on industry and macroeconomic aspects, we can effectively avoid certain potential negative associations and further consolidate good relations with local government and business circles, paving the way for the company's future development.

……

Before the excitement surrounding the IPO had even died down, another piece of good news followed.

On December 15th, the eleventh day of "Kung Fu Hustle's" release, Sheng Ying Media officially announced its box office success: the film's total box office nationwide has strongly surpassed 200 million RMB in just ten days!
This number has once again ignited the market.

2 million in ten days!
This means that "Kung Fu Hustle" is very likely to break the 300 million yuan mark at the box office, and may even challenge for a higher record.

Its undeniable market performance has proven the strength and sustainability of Shengying Media's content production capabilities.

The capital market reacted quickly. After a brief period of consolidation, Sheng Ying Media's stock price rose again, firmly standing above the 35 yuan mark, and the company's total market value exceeded 43 billion yuan.

Content is king, distribution channels are secondary. The ability to consistently produce hit content is the core foundation supporting Shengying Media's high valuation.

The box office success of "Kung Fu Hustle" has reassured investors and temporarily rendered those doubts about a "bubble" seem weak and powerless.

But anyone with a discerning eye can see that this is the "first Chinese film stock" that has been artificially promoted by the general direction of cultural industry development, and at least 50% of it is inflated.

……

Also in mid-December, the "2003 Hurun Rich List," which had been delayed due to the upcoming listing of Shengying, was finally released.

On the homepage of the list, the portrait of the young man with a calm smile, occupying the largest space, is none other than Wang Sheng.

Top of the list: Wang Sheng.

Wealth: RMB 228 billion (based on the closing price of Shengying Media on the first day of its listing).

Although the market had anticipated this, the official release of the list still caused an unprecedented sensation.

"China's youngest richest person has been born!"

"The cultural and media industry has produced its first billionaire!"

"Wang Sheng: An Eight-Year Miracle from a Child of Beijing Film Studio to China's Richest Man!"

Major media outlets rushed to report on it, and Wang Sheng's name and his entrepreneurial story became household names at that moment.

In 2003 China, the richest man, a young man in his twenties from the cultural industry, had a symbolic significance that went far beyond the wealth itself.

He has become an idol for countless young people and a role model for entrepreneurs, marking a profound shift in the path of wealth accumulation in China.

(End of this chapter)