Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 577, Section 575: What's wrong with being a dog?
The 2004 National Day Golden Week came to an end in an unprecedented way.

This is a landmark moment for the mainland Chinese film market.

With Wang Jiawei and his film "2046" being removed from mainstream cinemas by an invisible hand, Lu Chuan and his film "Kekexili," which was embroiled in a plagiarism scandal, were completely shelved after issuing a public apology and compensation, and any potential noise was completely eliminated.

The entire market spotlight is focused unreservedly on a few works that conform to the rules and tastes of the "Shengying Group".

"New Police Story," starring Jackie Chan and distributed by Shengying Media, is undoubtedly the biggest winner.

With the continuous support of "S-level" promotional resources and almost unparalleled screening guarantees, the film's box office soared.

When the seven-day National Day holiday ended and the final statistics were released, the entire industry was once again speechless—the cumulative box office exceeded 3 million RMB!

It set a new record for Jackie Chan's second-highest box office gross in mainland China and temporarily took the top spot at the box office in 2004, leaving the Hollywood blockbuster "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" far behind.

The market's choices are cold and real.

Thus, in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, amidst countless dinners, tea breaks, and private conversations among industry insiders, a phrase, half jealous and half helpless, began to quietly circulate:
"See? Being Master Sheng's dog will get you high box office returns."

These words are harsh, even malicious, but they reflect a complex mentality when faced with absolute power and enormous capital.

It is both a form of "praise to kill" for the successful, attempting to put Wang Sheng and his partners on the spot, implying that their success does not stem from the works themselves, but from monopoly and compromise; and a blatant provocation, attempting to sow seeds of suspicion between Wang Sheng and Jackie Chan, Stephen Chow, and all the collaborators who depend on the Sheng Film Group—you are nothing but Wang Sheng's "lackeys," and without him, you are nothing.

However, such rumors are as insignificant as a feather to Shengying Group, which has long established its own business logic and competitive advantage.

In his office on the top floor of the Jingxin Building, Wang Sheng listened to Li Tingting's summary of various market feedbacks and industry discussions without showing the slightest ripple on his face.

"To flatter to death? To sow discord?"

Wang Sheng dismissed it: "That's a narrow-minded view."

He stood up, walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window, and looked down at the increasingly prosperous capital city below.

The autumn air is crisp and clear, and the sky is a deep blue.

"They only see that 'New Police Story' made 3 million yuan, and they only see who we can put on the show and who we can take off the show."

But what they fail to see, or rather deliberately ignore, is that behind these 3 million yuan lies the hardware upgrade of thousands of screens in our "China Film Grand Cinema" chain, our standardized cinema management services covering the entire country, the convenience of ticket purchasing and positive word-of-mouth brought by the "Maoyan Movies" platform, and our complete industrialized process from script development, production management, publicity and distribution to merchandise development.

Wang Sheng's voice was calm, yet it carried an undeniable power.

"Public opinion attack? We act in accordance with the law and regulations, respect copyright, and protect original works. What's wrong with that? Wang Jiawei's films don't meet the mainstream audience's aesthetic standards, and the market doesn't buy them. Are we supposed to force the audience to watch them? Lu Chuan's films involve copyright disputes, and theaters have temporarily suspended screenings based on commercial risks and public opinion. Isn't that the most basic market behavior?"

"Do they think they can shake us by seizing some so-called 'dirt'?"

Wang Sheng turned around: "Shengying Media directly employs more than 5,000 people. If you include closely cooperating companies, cinema staff across the country, contracted artists, and behind-the-scenes teams, tens of thousands of people rely on our industry chain for their livelihood! The market value of hundreds of billions of yuan in the A-share market is linked to the vital interests of countless institutional and retail investors. The country is promoting cultural system reform and encouraging the cultural industry to grow bigger and stronger. Shengying is a benchmark for actively responding and achieving results!"

He paused, then said, "Want to mess with us? Think it over first. Can you afford to disrupt such a leading industry that drives domestic demand, creates jobs, contributes tax revenue, and exports culture?"
Faced with such a massive scale and tangible socio-economic benefits, personal likes and dislikes, industry feuds, or even meticulously fabricated so-called "dirt" is as insignificant as a feather!

Li Tingting stood solemnly.

She knew that this was the keynote for dealing with similar public opinion storms in the future—not getting bogged down in specific right and wrong, but directly flexing her muscles, demonstrating her scale, and elevating the issue to the level of industry development and social contribution.

This is a calculated strategy, a confidence based on absolute strength.

……

Just as the dust settled from the National Day film season, definite news came from South Korea.

The Sino-Korean co-production film "Seoul Farewell" (formerly "A Separation"), directed by Wang Sheng and with Huo Jianqi in actual direction, and starring Ryu Seung-ryong, Li Bingbing, Fan Xiaopang, and Lim Yoon-ah, has officially completed post-production and has been successfully submitted to the main competition section of the 55th Berlin International Film Festival (2005).

This film was conceived with the aim of attracting international film festivals from the very beginning.

Wang Sheng, with his "prophetic" vision of future film and television works, cleverly transplanted a story originally set in Iran to the social context of South Korea, exploring the ethical dilemmas, immigration issues, and class differences of middle-class families in the context of globalization. His profound humanistic concern and accurate social observation are precisely the types favored by the Berlin Film Festival.

Although Wang Sheng himself was busy with domestic affairs and did not participate in the entire filming process, his control over the script's tone, the actors' performances, and the final editing direction ensured the film's artistic quality.

……

At the same time, another highly anticipated project also officially launched a nationwide audition for actors.

Based on in-depth cooperation with the General Administration of Sport of China, a biographical film (tentative title) based on Liu Xiang's legendary 110-meter hurdles victory at the Athens Olympics is being prepared by director Chen Guoxing, who has assembled a large preparatory team including senior screenwriters, sports consultants, and professional track and field coaches.

The audition announcement was simultaneously released on Shengying Media's official website, partner media, and the "Maoyan Movies" platform. It clearly stated that the audition was for young actors whose image, temperament, and physique were similar to Liu Xiang's, and that the selected candidates would undergo several months of intensive professional track and field training.

The announcement immediately sparked a nationwide registration frenzy.

This is not only an opportunity to become famous overnight and enter the big screen, but also carries the glory of portraying national heroes and participating in the memory of the times.

Countless young people with dreams of becoming stars, as well as some actors with existing acting experience, submitted their applications, hoping to land this highly prestigious role.

Wang Sheng's requirements for the project team can be summed up in just eight words: "Respect the facts and strive for excellence."

What he wanted was not just a timely work to capitalize on the current trend, but a cinematic classic that could stand the test of time and truly showcase the style and spirit of Chinese athletes.

(End of this chapter)