Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 542, Section 540: State Banquet and Hostility
The morning's talks concluded in a friendly and strategically significant atmosphere.

As arranged by the Korean side, the luncheon was held at the Shilla Hotel's most representative Korean restaurant, "Na Yeon".

This place is famous for serving the finest royal court-style Korean cuisine and is the preferred venue for entertaining state guests and dignitaries in Korea.

The restaurant's private rooms offer a private and elegant ambiance, with views overlooking parts of the hotel's gardens through the windows.

The long dining table was covered with a clean white tablecloth and decorated with exquisite traditional Korean porcelain.

Wang Sheng took his seat as the guest of honor, flanked by Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism Park Jin-hwan and Chairman of the Film Promotion Committee Lee Kai-dong, with industry tycoons such as Jung Tae-won, Lee Mi-kyung, and Lee Soo-man accompanying him in turn.

The luncheon dishes were extremely "luxurious," fully demonstrating the refinement and sense of ritual in Korean cuisine:

Appetizers/side dishes: More than ten kinds of side dishes, far exceeding the usual number, including kimchi, marinated crab, cold spinach salad, honey-glazed black beans, etc., are served in small plates.

The Nine-Fold Board is an exquisite octagonal lacquered wooden box. In the center is a vegetable pancake as thin as a cicada's wing, and around it are eight compartments containing finely shredded vegetables of five colors (carrots, cucumbers, mushrooms, etc.) and meats. Guests can take the pancakes themselves, wrap them up, and eat them. The taste is fresh and elegant.

Shenxianlu is a traditional imperial hot pot with a clear and delicious broth. It contains various mountain delicacies, seafood, meatballs, and vegetables, and is continuously heated on an alcohol stove, symbolizing good fortune.

Korean beef ribeye steak, made with top-grade Korean beef, is presented using a simple grilling method. The meat is tender and juicy with evenly distributed fat, melting in your mouth, and served with salt and a special sauce.

Samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) uses young, tender chickens, stuffed with glutinous rice, red dates, chestnuts, and a Korean ginseng root. It is simmered for a long time, resulting in a milky white soup and tender chicken meat, making it a nourishing summer dish.

Although it is not summer now, its distinctiveness makes it a popular choice for banquets.

Grilled sea bream: Fresh sea bream is lightly grilled, resulting in firm and delicious flesh, and then drizzled with a special sauce.

Stone pot rice and stewed beef bone soup are the main dishes. The stone pot rice has a crispy crust, which is paired with a fragrant stewed beef bone soup.

The dessert is a traditional Korean fruit platter, including honey fruit, tea snacks, and a bowl of refreshing omija tea to finish the meal.

During the meal, the discussion shifted away from in-depth business details and towards more relaxed cultural exchanges, culinary experiences, and optimistic prospects for future collaborations.

Wang Sheng behaved with propriety, showing appreciation for each dish and occasionally exchanging ideas with everyone present about Korean cooking concepts, creating a harmonious atmosphere.

He only scratched the surface, remaining clear-headed and restrained.

The lunch lasted about an hour.

Afterwards, Wang Sheng was arranged to rest briefly in the presidential suite of the Shilla Hotel.

He declined any "special programs" that Jung Tae-won had hinted at arranging, and simply took a nap alone in his suite.

……

At 2:30 p.m., the convoy carried Wang Sheng and his entourage to the CJ Entertainment Production Center in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul for a visit.

CJ Entertainment, as South Korea's largest entertainment media group, had a production center that represented the highest level of the South Korean film industry at that time.

The tour process was efficient and professional.

First, we went to the digital post-production center to watch the ongoing retouching process of some special effects shots for "Taegukgi," and learned about CJ's investment in digital intermediate (DI) and CGI technologies.

The film was released in early 2004 and broke box office records.

Next, we went to the recording studio and mixing room to experience the advanced equipment used for sound effects production for the movie "Oldboy," and felt the meticulous pursuit of Korean film sound design.

Next, we visited the costume and prop warehouse and the art studio, where we saw a large number of "meticulous" costumes and props prepared for historical and modern dramas, as well as concept art being drawn by the art director for the next blockbuster.

He then had a brief meeting with a well-known director under CJ.

I had a brief exchange with director Park Chan-wook (director of "Oldboy"), who is currently preparing for his new film. Both expressed mutual appreciation, and Park Chan-wook expressed his admiration for Wang Sheng's ability to cross over between genre films and art films.

Throughout the visit, Wang Sheng observed carefully and asked professional questions. He clearly felt the rapid progress of the South Korean film industry in terms of standardization and professionalism, as well as its ambition to align with Hollywood.

Time passed slowly.

4:00 PM (KBS 1TV News Panorama / MBC News Desktop): As a state-run and mainstream television station's afternoon news program, it first briefly reported the news that "Chinese entertainment giant and internationally renowned director Wang Sheng visited South Korea and held talks with government and cultural industry figures to discuss the future of Sino-Korean film cooperation," accompanied by official footage of the meeting entrance at the Shilla Hotel's State Guest House that morning.

5:30 PM (SBS 8 O'Clock News/KBS 2TV Evening News preview): More detailed reports began to appear, mentioning Wang Sheng's representative works, and playing clips of Baby VOX performing and Wang Sheng watching with a smile.

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM (Main news time slots on major television stations, such as KBS 1TV's "News 9", MBC's "Newsroom", and SBS's "8 O'Clock News"): The reporting reaches its climax.

The news article provided a detailed overview of Wang Sheng's resume:

China's youngest billionaire, founder of Shengying Media Group.

The films he directed and produced, "First Love" and "My Sassy Girl," sparked cultural phenomena across Asia.

Night at the Museum achieved a global box office miracle, breaking records for Chinese-language films.

He just received 18 Oscar nominations and won two Oscars.

The "Midas touch" who successfully operated projects such as "Saw" and "Spy Kids" in Hollywood.

The footage interweaves images of him getting out of his car in front of the Shilla Hotel, holding talks, entering the luncheon (with a few scenes where filming was permitted), and visiting the CJ Production Center.

The news anchor's tone was full of admiration, describing him as "the director of an oriental miracle that has swept the globe" and "a symbolic figure in China's cultural industry."

Entertainment news programs (such as "Entertainment News" and "Midnight TV Entertainment," which usually air after 10 p.m.) focus more on Wang Sheng's personal charm—his age of 27, his composed demeanor, his handsome appearance (the camera deliberately captures close-ups), and his amazing achievements in Hollywood.

The media used exaggerated language, such as "a chaebol scion who looks like he stepped out of a financial magazine cover" and "a foreign behemoth with the power to overturn the landscape of the Korean entertainment industry."

At that time, South Korea had a population of approximately 4800 million and a high concentration of media, especially with extensive coverage of its radio and television networks.

After this round of intensive, multi-channel rolling reports from afternoon to evening, the name "Wang Sheng," along with his achievements and image, has indeed become a household name in South Korea in a short period of time, and has caused a great sensation in the South Korean entertainment industry.

Established actors like Jang Dong-gun and Lee Byung-hun, upon seeing the report, while admiring his achievements, couldn't help but compare it to their own hardships in Hollywood, feeling a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex emotion encompassing feelings of admiration, regret, and a subtle competitive spirit).

Ambitious trainees or newcomers who were not yet famous, such as G-Dragon, who was a trainee at X Entertainment at the time, or some who had just started training as trainees for Girls' Generation, were filled with longing and inspiration when they saw Wang Sheng standing at the top of the world at the age of 27, and regarded him as the ultimate goal to strive for.

Young actors like Song Hye-kyo and Rain (Jung Ji-hoon) overheard their seniors and colleagues discussing this Chinese colleague who had suddenly arrived in South Korea and caused a sensation.

……

Zheng Xuntuo, the boss of Sidus HQ (the company that Jun Ji-hyun was working for at the time), spat as he watched Wang Sheng calmly and collectedly on TV, and complained to his confidant: "This Chinese guy is not here to cooperate, he is clearly here to steal our jobs!"
He has money, fame, and connections. How can we compete with the projects and actors he sets his sights on?
"Will all good scripts and directors have to pass through Sheng Ying's eyes first in the future?"

His concern is that Wang Sheng's capital and global influence will disrupt South Korea's existing ecosystem and pricing power.

Some small and medium-sized brokerage firm owners who rely on local protectionism and specific personal connections also have similar unease and resistance, believing that Wang Sheng is a powerful outsider who will disrupt their business.

……

Zheng Taiyuan was overjoyed as he read the news report.

He is too closely tied to Wang Sheng. The more powerful Wang Sheng is and the greater his influence on South Korea, the higher his value becomes.

He did consider arranging for some of his female artists or those he was close to to "visit" Wang Sheng in the evenings, hoping to deepen their "friendship" in this way.

However, Wang Sheng's side politely but firmly refused.

Wang Sheng has always adhered to the principle of not engaging in "deep exchanges" with local female artists in other countries that go beyond working relationships. This is not only to protect his own reputation, but also a kind of caution when in a foreign land and a clear-headed restraint against external temptations.

After all, Dongzi's example serves as a stark warning.

(End of this chapter)