Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 591, Page 589: Reputation

Saturday, December 4th.

On a chilly winter evening in Beijing, people were already stopping in front of the newsstands on the street.

Newspapers, still smelling of fresh ink, were displayed on the stalls, and the front page or the culture and entertainment section were almost all occupied by the same topic—the double success of "Havoc in Heaven" at the box office and in terms of word-of-mouth on its opening day.

The Beijing Morning Post ran a striking headline on its entertainment section: "A whopping 4300 million yuan on opening day! 'Havoc in Heaven' breaks the record for the highest-grossing domestic film opening day." The subheading read: "Shengying Industry's blockbuster lives up to expectations; its visual spectacle ignites a viewing frenzy, and its technical awards at the China-US International Film Festival are well-deserved."

The report detailed the data: "According to incomplete statistics from China Film Group Corporation and its partner cinemas, 'The Monkey King' was released nationwide on December 3. On its first day, it had a screening rate of over 50%, and IMAX and giant screen theaters were almost full during prime time. It is roughly estimated that the box office on the first day exceeded 43 million yuan, far surpassing the record of 'Kung Fu Hustle' in the same period last year, setting a new record for the highest box office on the first day of the Chinese New Year film season."

The article continues its analysis: "The film not only achieved a successful opening at the box office, but also gained widespread recognition in terms of word-of-mouth. It received a score of 9.3 on the Maoyan Movies platform, with comments such as 'stunning,' 'the visual pinnacle of Chinese mythology,' and 'Liu Xiao Ling Tong is the real Sun Wukong' appearing frequently in the short review section."

Professional film critics also praised the film, with a special commentator for Film Art writing: "The Monkey King signifies that the Chinese film industry has the confidence to compete with international A-list productions in terms of hard power, such as visual effects, art design, and action choreography."

Its modern translation of traditional Chinese aesthetic elements is particularly valuable; it is not a simple imitation of Hollywood, but an innovative expression rooted in its own cultural genes.

The culture section of the *Youth Daily* takes an industry-centric approach: "From *Night at the Museum* to *Havoc in Heaven*: The Maturity and Confidence of Sheng Ying's Industrialization Path." The article traces the development of several visual effects blockbusters spearheaded by Wang Sheng.

"If Night at the Museum was a successful experiment in combining Chinese and Western elements, and Shake Soccer demonstrated the potential of combining genre comedy with special effects, then The Monkey King is a deep fusion of pure Eastern mythological narrative and top-notch industrial technology."

Behind this lies Shengying Media's strategic commitment to continuous investment in technological research and development, talent cultivation, and base construction. The first phase of the Huairou Zhongbei Sheng Digital Cinema Base is about to go into operation, signifying that China's film industrialization system is moving from 'catching up' to 'running alongside' and even 'leading' in some areas.

The report also quoted Han Sanping's comments: "Han Sanping, chairman of China Film Group, said in a telephone interview: 'The success of 'Havoc in Heaven' proves that Chinese filmmakers are fully capable of handling large-scale fantasy themes and presenting them to the audience with high quality.'"

This is not only a market victory, but also a manifestation of cultural confidence. The accumulation of experience in the film industry is not achieved overnight, and Shengying's explorations over the years have provided valuable lessons for the industry.

Entertainment News, on the other hand, focused more on audience reactions, with reporters randomly interviewing several viewers at the cinema. One father who brought his child to see the film said, "My child was completely engrossed. During the scene where Sun Wukong battles the heavenly soldiers and generals, he kept shouting 'So awesome!'"

I think this movie not only has great special effects, but also a positive story. Sun Wukong's indomitable and rebellious spirit has a positive influence on children.

A young couple said, "We thought we were just going to see special effects, but the plot was surprisingly solid, especially the part where Sun Wukong was imprisoned under the Five Elements Mountain, which was actually quite moving. The ending was handled very well with its open ending, creating a kind of tragic beauty."

Online discussions are equally heated. On the Maoyan Movies page dedicated to "Havoc in Heaven," there are over 100,000 short reviews, and numerous in-depth analysis posts have emerged in the long film review section.

Some film fans analyzed the film's use of colors from Dunhuang murals and Taoist paintings from an art design perspective; some meticulously dissected the breakthroughs in group animation technology during the "Battle of Heaven"; and some literature and history enthusiasts examined the film's adaptation of the original "Journey to the West" and its merits and demerits.

Overall, positive reviews were overwhelmingly dominant, with phrases like "worth the ticket price," "a benchmark for domestic special effects blockbusters," and "pre-viewing" being frequently used.

Of course, there were also a few criticisms, mainly focusing on "insufficient plot depth", "some lines being modernized and slightly out of place" and "relatively flat character development". However, most of these criticisms were based on acknowledging the film's industrial standards and were discussions of "striving for better within the good".

It is worth noting that almost none of the mainstream media reports covered Wang Sheng's personal love life or gossip.

The focus is entirely on the film itself, its industrial achievements, and its cultural significance.

This tendency toward "depersonalized" reporting is not accidental.

On the one hand, Shengying Media's strong public relations capabilities and media network ensured the guidance of public opinion; on the other hand, after years of accumulation, Wang Sheng's public image as a "leading figure in the Chinese film industry" has been highly solidified.

While the public is aware that this young tycoon is never short of female celebrities, and entertainment tabloids occasionally make snippets like "a certain female celebrity enters and leaves Wang Sheng's apartment late at night" or "a certain artist appears at a tycoon's dinner party," these gossips are always relegated to a secondary or even obscured position in the mainstream narrative.

This has ironically created a subtle public perception: Wang Sheng is not a morally perfect person, but he is a genuine industrial innovator and cultural exporter. His achievements are so dazzling that the "flaws" in his private life, in the eyes of the public, have become, to some extent, a "down-to-earth" footnote, and even added a touch of "legendary color."

Just like the tycoons and wealthy merchants in history, when people talk about their romantic affairs, they are often driven by curiosity rather than criticism, because their social contributions have built a more solid foundation for evaluation.

The recently popular TV series "Diamond Love" inadvertently provided a trendy label for this perception.

This urban romance drama, produced by Enlight Media, a subsidiary of Sheng Ying Group, and starring Huang Xiaoming, Deng Chao, Son Ye-jin, and Kim Hee-sun, tells the love story between a wealthy CEO and a Cinderella. It blends elements of business warfare, family feuds, and transnational romance. With exquisite visuals and a melodramatic and captivating plot, the show has seen its ratings climb steadily since its premiere, sparking a nationwide drama-watching craze.

In the drama, Huang Xiaoming plays the male lead, who is jokingly referred to by the audience as a "diamond bachelor" - rich, handsome, and highly capable, with a complicated love life but always retaining a pure heart.

This name quickly became popular.

In some online forums and gossip discussions, some people have started referring to Wang Sheng as a "real-life eligible bachelor".

This label acknowledges his wealth, power, and attractiveness while subtly alluding to his rich emotional life, cleverly balancing the feelings of "worship" and "voyeurism," thus becoming a widely accepted term of endearment.

……

Here.

Inside the villa where Li Xiaoran was staying, Wang Sheng had just finished dinner with Li Xiaoran and was now relaxing on the sofa.

Li Xiaoran brought over two cups of hand-drip coffee, sat down next to him, and smelled fresh after her shower.

“The media is giving it unanimous praise.” Li Xiaoran glanced at the laptop screen in front of Wang Sheng.

Wang Sheng picked up his coffee, took a sip, and remained noncommittal: "The film was made by a team, and the credit belongs to everyone. I just made sure the direction was right, found the right people, and invested enough money."

"Easy for you to say." Li Xiaoran leaned on his shoulder. "Now everyone in the industry knows that without your approval and support, it's as difficult as climbing to heaven to complete an A-level project."

Wang Sheng did not deny it.

“Oh, right,” Li Xiaoran remembered something, “I met a producer from Taiwan yesterday. He said that many Hong Kong and Taiwanese artists, as well as stars from Korea and Japan, are trying every means to develop their careers in mainland China. Their first stop is to find a way to join a management company. I heard that the doorstep of ‘Star Era’ is almost worn down by the crowds?”

Wang Sheng nodded: "Gao Yuanyuan mentioned it to me. Now, 'Star Era', 'Enlight Media', and the artist service companies we control receive a lot of inquiries every day. Especially for Korean artists, the market there is saturated and the competition is fierce. Coming to the mainland to play a supporting role or participate in a commercial performance can earn them more than they would earn from filming a movie in Korea. Even if the agency contract takes a 60% or 70% cut, they are still eager to sign with them."

"Seventy percent?" Li Xiaoran exclaimed in surprise. "That high?"

“It’s determined by the market,” Wang Sheng said calmly. “We provide a full range of services: compliance procedures, resource matching, publicity and packaging, crisis public relations, and even language and cultural adaptation guidance.”

More importantly, we can get project opportunities that they can't get themselves—films, TV series, variety shows, and business collaborations produced or invested in by Shengying Group.

For many foreign or Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan artists, this is the most effective way to quickly enter the mainland market. Whether it's to make a quick buck or to pursue long-term development, they are willing to pay this price.

Li Xiaoran pondered: "So now, in any slightly famous gala, variety show, or even TV series in China, you can always see a few faces from Hong Kong, Taiwan, or South Korea. This system is behind it all?"

"almost."

Wang Sheng withdrew his gaze and looked at her. "This can be considered a manifestation of cultural integration. Of course, the premise is that we abide by our rules and respect our market and culture. Those who put on airs, want to make money but don't cooperate will naturally be eliminated."

He paused for a moment: "For example, Son Ye-jin and Kim Hee-sun, who recently became very popular because of 'Diamond Lover.' I heard that domestic brands are lining up to have them as spokespeople. Jung Tae-won called me a couple of days ago, saying he hoped I could arrange more co-production projects so that more Korean actors could have opportunities."

“You really are a ‘bridge of international friendship’,” Li Xiaoran teased, her fingers unconsciously tracing a line across his arm.

Wang Sheng took her hand and held it in his palm: "It's just a matter of mutual benefit. I value talent, technology, and market opportunities. They value the market here and my resources. It's fair."

The two remained silent for a while, enjoying the tranquility of the winter evening.

The last rays of sunlight shone through the glass, casting warm patches of light on the floor.

“Speaking of which,” Li Xiaoran said softly, “you really don’t care at all what people say about you? ‘Eligible bachelor,’ ‘actress hunter’… some of the things they say are quite nasty.”

Wang Sheng turned his head, looked into her eyes, his gaze calm and profound: "So what if you care? Can you shut everyone up? My energy is limited, and I can only focus on what I consider important."

"Making Shengying Film Studio successful, making good films, and pushing this industry forward—that's what I can leave behind. As for my private life… I didn't break the law, I didn't force anyone, it was consensual. Let others say what they want."

He released his grip, leaned back on the sofa, and looked out at the distant mountains: "This circle is a place of fame and fortune, a place of right and wrong. Today you stand at the top, admired by thousands; tomorrow you fall, and the same group of people will likely be the ones trampling on you."

All I can do is ensure I always have choices. Whether it's relationships or career, if I have the initiative, I have nothing to fear from storms.

Li Xiaoran quietly looked at his profile. This man was indeed imperfect; he was domineering, calculating, and his emotions were, to put it mildly, "chaotic."

But undeniably, he possesses a powerful core, so clear-headed as to be almost cold-blooded, which makes him exceptionally reliable.

He doesn't deceive anyone with empty promises, but he always keeps his word; he doesn't boast about how noble he is, but few dare to cross the line he sets.

Perhaps this is why so many people, knowing he is not a good match, still rush towards him like moths to a flame.

Not only for resources, but also for this powerful and stable magnetic field.

What are your plans for tonight?

"No arrangements have been made..."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiaoran straddled Wang Sheng and kissed him.

(End of this chapter)