Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 548, Section 546: The Red "Bomb"

In late June, the heat in Beijing was already intense, with the sun baking the asphalt roads and sending up distorted waves of heat.

Leaving the bookish yet vibrant campus of Beijing Film Academy, Wang Sheng's black Mercedes-Benz S600 drove into the underground parking garage of Jingxin Building. A brief moment of coolness enveloped him, and then he was taken by elevator into another completely different world—the core of the Sheng Ying Empire, where capital, power, and light and shadow intertwine.

The top floor, where the chairman's office is located, is kept at a constant temperature and humidity, quiet and peaceful. The smooth, mirror-like marble floor reflects the simple yet expensive modern furniture, and outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows is a bustling view of the capital city stretching to the skyline.

The top floor of the Jingxin Building was rented and renovated last year.

Currently, the group's core business departments have all moved to this floor, while other subsidiaries and business units are downstairs.

Wang Sheng took off his suit jacket and casually handed it to his personal assistant who came to greet him. He loosened his collar and had just sat down in the large office chair when the rhythmic sound of high heels clicking on the ground came from outside the door.

Company Secretary Li Tingting walked in carrying a folder.

She still looked as shrewd and capable as ever, wearing a well-tailored business suit and her hair neatly styled in a bun. However, the youthful naiveté of her younger days had faded, replaced by a more composed and dignified air befitting someone in charge of the confidential affairs of a large corporation.

As one of the earliest members of the Beijing Film Studio's elite who followed Wang Sheng in building his empire, she, like Chen Liang, had long been a director of the group and a key figure in the "sons' faction" within the Sheng Film Group.

"Chairman Wang, how did the defense go?" Li Tingting placed the folder on the table, her tone familiar yet concerned.

Inside, these elderly people still maintain a casual tone, a mark left by years of working side by side.

"It's just a formality." Wang Sheng waved his hand, picked up the hot tea his assistant had just brewed, and blew on it to warm it up. "Director Zhang and the others are even more concerned than I am. What's up, something wrong?"

A subtle smile appeared on Li Tingting's face. She pulled out a bright red envelope with a gold-embossed "double happiness" character that stood out from the surrounding documents and pushed it in front of Wang Sheng.

"Here, just received, a 'red bomb' (wedding invitation)."

Wang Sheng raised an eyebrow and picked up the envelope with some surprise.

Once he reaches his position, ordinary wedding and funeral invitations rarely reach him. Those that do end up on his desk are either very close relatives or people of extraordinary status.

He opened the invitation, his gaze sweeping over the names of the bride and groom, and his expression immediately became quite interesting.

"Chen Liang?! This kid...is getting married?!" Wang Sheng's voice was filled with disbelief, then he laughed and cursed, "Damn! Jumping into the grave of marriage so early? That's not fair, such a big thing, and not a word of it leaked beforehand!"

The invitation clearly stated:

Groom: Chen Liang

Bride: Su Ping

We are pleased to announce that our wedding ceremony will be held at 11:58 a.m. on Sunday, July 18, 2004, in the banquet hall of the Beijing Berui Hotel. A wedding banquet will be prepared, and we cordially invite Mr. Wang Sheng to attend.

Seeing Wang Sheng's reaction, Li Tingting couldn't help but laugh: "My dear Chairman Wang, wake up! We're no longer those eighteen or nineteen-year-old kids running around the compound like crazy."

"You, me, Chen Liang, and the rest of us are all approaching twenty-seven or twenty-eight. In ordinary families, our kids are old enough to run errands. Isn't getting married normal?"

Wang Sheng stroked the raised gold lettering on the invitation, shook his head, and said with a touch of emotion, "That's true... but it feels a bit sudden. This kid is tight-lipped. When did he hook up with her? I've never heard him mention it."

“Chen Liang said that you were busy with the start of filming for ‘Havoc in Heaven’ a few months ago, and then you were overseeing the preparations for ‘Seoul Farewell’, flying all over the world. He didn’t dare to bother you with this ‘small matter.’ It’s safer for me to pass on the invitations. I’m afraid you’ll forget about them if I give them to you directly.” Li Tingting explained, her tone filled with understanding for her old friend.

Wang Sheng nodded, understanding Chen Liang's concerns.

As Shengying Media grew larger and larger, he indeed became busier and busier, devoting almost all his energy to the group's strategy and those few large projects worth hundreds of millions.

Although his feelings for his childhood friends remain strong, he has indeed become less involved in their personal lives, especially their romantic relationships.

He knew that these children of Beijing Film Studio members, now all held high positions of power and influence, and each had their own exciting love lives.

There are those with complicated and tangled relationships like his with Li Xiaoran and Gao Yuanyuan, and there are also playboys who believe in the supremacy of single life and frequent brothels.

Unexpectedly, Chen Liang, who didn't seem particularly active in matters of love, became the first in their small circle to quietly walk down the aisle.

“Marriage… a pure grave.” Wang Sheng muttered unconsciously, as if speaking to Li Tingting, or perhaps lamenting to himself.

He waved the invitation in his hand and asked, "Who is the bride? Which girl is so capable that she can win over our CEO Chen?"

Li Tingting, clearly well-prepared, immediately replied, "She's not in the industry. Chen Liang met her as a bridesmaid at a high-end client's wedding a while ago. According to those who saw her, the girl seems a bit... well, in Chen Liang's own words, 'clumsy,' but quite cute, innocent, and from an ordinary intellectual family in Beijing." "A bridesmaid? He hooked up with the bridesmaid at someone else's wedding?" Wang Sheng, upon hearing this, gave an "I see" look and laughed, "That Chen Liang, he's really something else! Someone invited him to do business, and he just ran off with the bridesmaid! Did the client cause him any trouble afterward?"

“No, I heard the client was quite happy and thought it was a wonderful story.” Li Tingting also smiled. “Moreover, I think Chen Liang was serious this time. His eyes were different when he mentioned that girl.”

Wang Sheng leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the table.

He was naturally delighted with Chen Liang's marriage and genuinely happy for his brother. Chen Liang, as his staunchest supporter and executor from the beginning of his business, now heads the cornerstone business of Shengying Media—Shengying Wedding Video Division.

This business is no longer the small workshop that relied on the resources of the Beijing Film Studio to get jobs.

With Chen Liang's meticulous management over the years and the support of Sheng Ying Group's vast resources, it has developed into a huge network covering the whole country.

Wang Sheng quickly reviewed the data for this business in his mind.

Currently employing a "direct operation in key cities + franchise in ordinary cities" model, Shengying Wedding Photography had over 400 stores nationwide by June 2004.

In the core business districts of first-tier and new first-tier cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, the stores are all directly invested and operated by the company to ensure service quality and brand image. In a large number of second-, third-, and fourth-tier cities, the company attracts high-quality local wedding planning teams through strict franchise standards, and unifies the brand, technical standards, and material supply.

This expansion speed was reasonable and rapid in the Chinese business environment of 2004. It drew on the models of the emerging chain retail and catering industries at that time, and relied on Sheng Ying's brand effect and financial advantages to quickly seize the market.

Focusing on the core wedding video service, Chen Liang's team keenly captured the trend of consumption upgrading in the wedding market.

They not only provide video recording, but also offer a range of services such as wedding planning, wedding photography, bridal makeup, and dress rental, forming a complete wedding service industry chain.

More importantly, relying on the first-hand information and trend insights they accumulated at weddings regarding bridal makeup, styling, and fashion, they successfully developed the "Shengying·Fashion Bride" series of fashion magazines.

This magazine was initially just an internal communication and reference book for brides to choose from, but with the help of Shengying Group's strong entertainment resources (artists, stylists, photographers), capital investment, and channel advantages (it can be distributed through cooperative newsstands, hotels, high-end shopping malls, and Shengying's own stores), it quickly made a name for itself in the industry.

It precisely targets brides-to-be and young women who pursue a high quality of life, covering topics such as wedding dress trends, beauty and skincare, honeymoon travel, and emotional stories. It is well-produced and boasts abundant celebrity resources.

By 2004, "Shengying Fashion Bride" had become an undeniable force in the domestic fashion magazine industry, with its single-issue circulation consistently ranking among the top in its category and its advertising revenue substantial, making it one of the industry's top publications.

In turn, this has brought huge brand premiums and customer traffic to the wedding video business.

It can be said that wedding videography remains one of the businesses with the most employees, the most stable cash flow, and the widest social reach under Shengying Media Group. It is an important "cash cow" and the cornerstone of the group's brand.

As the person in charge of this business, Chen Liang's position and power within the group are self-evident.

When a brother like this gets married, Wang Sheng felt that he had to give him a wedding gift that was substantial enough to show his affection, both publicly and privately.

What should I give as a gift?
money?
That's too vulgar, and Chen Liang's own group shares and dividends are already astronomical.

Antiques and calligraphy? They don't seem practical enough, and they don't really reflect the "nouveau riche" or "pragmatic" style of these people.

After thinking for a moment, Wang Sheng decided that he should just be an ordinary person.

"What are you thinking about? What big gift are you planning to give?" Li Tingting asked with a smile when she saw that Wang Sheng hadn't spoken for a while.

“I was thinking, how about giving them a house and a car?” Wang Sheng looked up at Li Tingting. “A villa, in a good location, with a large area, and the decoration… never mind, just give them a bare shell, let the young couple decorate it to their liking. As for the car, pick a good one, something stable and suitable for family use.”

Li Tingting nodded, not surprised by the suggestion.

This is very much in line with Wang Sheng's style of treating his own people—direct and straightforward.

“Okay, I understand. I’ll have the assistant in the board secretary’s office immediately gather information on currently available top-tier villa developments, as well as luxury car brands and models that meet your requirements.” Li Tingting acted swiftly, immediately taking out her work tablet to start taking notes. “Any specific requirements? For example, regional preferences, budget range?”

Wang Sheng waved his hand casually: "As for the location, it should be in Haiding or Chaoyang, not too far from the company, with a good environment and a not-too-mixed social circle. As for the budget... there's no upper limit, just pick the best. The same goes for the car, it needs to be safe, comfortable, and prestigious. You decide, just list a few options and let me make the final decision."

"Okay, I'll take care of it right away." Li Tingting noted down the requirements, closed the tablet, and glanced at the invitation in Wang Sheng's hand. "Then... July 18th, Borui Hotel, what's your schedule?"

"Nonsense, Chen Liang is getting married, no matter how important the matter is, you have to put it aside for me!"

Wang Sheng said without hesitation, "Make that day free for me, cancel all my other plans. I need to go and see who this person is who can subdue our General Manager Chen."

Li Tingting smiled and replied, "Understood. I'll go make the arrangements now."

(End of this chapter)