Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 597, page 595: A Special New Year's Gift
February 8, 2005, the 2th day of the twelfth lunar month.

The winter sun in Beijing shines through the glass curtain wall of the office building onto the reception desk of Shengying Media Group's headquarters in Jingxin Building.

At nine o'clock in the morning, the last batch of employees clocked in one after another, all with relaxed smiles on their faces.

Huang Wenjuan, the group's human resources director, stood on one side of the lobby, watching her colleagues from the finance department place red envelopes on the long table.

The envelope was printed with the words "Shengying Media" in gold foil and a rooster pattern representing the Chinese zodiac animal for the New Year. Below, the employee's name was neatly written in black pen.

"General Manager Huang, this year's red envelopes are even more generous than last year's," said Xiao Li from the finance department with a smile as he checked the list.

Huang Wenjuan pushed up her glasses: "Chairman Wang instructed that the group will not hold an annual meeting or celebration, and the money saved will be distributed directly to the employees. This year's performance is good, 'Havoc in Heaven' has exceeded 500 million, and overseas cooperation is also going smoothly, so the bonuses will naturally be thicker."

She picked up an envelope and weighed it in her hand; inside was a full two thousand yuan in cash—the standard year-end bonus for an ordinary employee.

Depending on length of service and job level, the amount ranged from two thousand to twenty thousand yuan. In Beijing's job market in 2005, this was already a considerable amount of extra income.

At 10 a.m., the various departments began to receive their red envelopes in batches.

"Zhang Ming, Animation Production Department."

"To!"

"Li Fang, Film and Television Investment Department."

"I'm coming!"

The employees lined up to sign and receive their gifts, their faces beaming with joy.

Some newly hired young people even excitedly opened the envelopes on the spot, and couldn't help but let out a low gasp when they saw the thick stack of brand-new hundred-yuan bills.

"My husband works for a state-owned enterprise, and his year-end bonus is only 1,000 yuan, which has to be paid in three installments," Sister Zhao from the distribution department whispered to her colleague. "Our Chairman Wang is so generous; he gives it to us in cash."

"I heard that colleagues who stay and work overtime this year will receive triple pay."

"real or fake?"

"Of course it's true. My cousin works for a movie theater company, and he got extra pay yesterday because of the holiday schedule. I'm so envious..."

Similar conversations circulated quietly in the tea rooms and corridors on various floors.

After nine years of development, Shengying Media Group has grown from a small company with only a dozen people at Beijing Film Studio into a film and television empire with nearly 10,000 full-time employees.

Its business spans multiple fields, including film production and distribution, TV series production, cinema operation, artist management, animation special effects, audio-visual publishing, game operation, and cultural tourism real estate.

With such a large organization, Wang Sheng finds it difficult to call out the name of every employee as he did in the early days of the business.

But he maintains his emotional connection with grassroots employees in the most direct way—the red envelopes before the Spring Festival every year, and the strict, almost harsh, internal supervision system.

Three years ago, the group established a "Discipline Inspection and Supervision Department" directly under the Chairman's Office. It was not under the jurisdiction of the Human Resources Department and was only responsible to Wang Sheng.

One of the responsibilities of this department is to ensure that all benefits, bonuses, and subsidies are delivered to employees in a timely manner, and to strictly prohibit managers at any level from withholding, intercepting, or apportioning them in any disguised form.

Two mid-level managers were dismissed and their careers were officially terminated after they "borrowed" departmental team-building funds.

This incident caused a stir within the group and made the grassroots employees truly believe that Chairman Wang's words, "to distribute the money to everyone," were not just empty words.

At 11 a.m., Wang Sheng, accompanied by several senior executives, came down from his top-floor office to inspect various departments.

He wore a dark gray cashmere coat today, with a light blue shirt underneath, and no tie, which made him look approachable yet stylish.

When he arrived at the film and television production department, several young screenwriters were gathered together discussing something. When they saw Wang Sheng come in, they quickly stood up.

"Hello, Chairman Wang!"

Happy New Year, Chairman Wang!

Wang Sheng waved his hand: "Sit down, everyone, don't be shy. What are you chatting about so lively?"

The young screenwriter in the lead seemed a little nervous: "We're discussing the cultural exam content for the 'Star Trail Project,' and we're giving each other questions to test our knowledge."

"Oh?" Wang Sheng became interested. "What kind of questions will be asked? Tell me."

Another girl wearing glasses mustered up her courage: "I asked him what impact the An Lushan Rebellion had on the style of poetry during the High Tang period."

Wang Sheng looked at the male screenwriter who had been asked the question: "How did you answer?"

The male screenwriter was a little nervous: "I said... After the An Lushan Rebellion, the magnificent, bold, confident and high-spirited style of poetry in the High Tang Dynasty gradually shifted to a more melancholic and introspective style, focusing on personal fate and the suffering of the people. For example, Du Fu's 'Three Officials' and 'Three Separations' are representative works of this period."

“That’s a good answer.” Wang Sheng nodded. “But you could be more specific. The core spirit of Tang poetry is ‘grandeur,’ a grand vision and a broad perspective. After the An Lushan Rebellion, this grand vision was shattered, and poetry began to turn inward, focusing more on individual emotions and realistic details. This is not just a change in style, but a shift in the spirit of the times.”

Several young screenwriters listened attentively, some even taking notes.

Wang Sheng continued, "Those of us who make film and television works, especially those making historical or contemporary films, must understand history and culture. I'm not saying we should all become historians, but at least we should know what the 'spirit' of each era is. The grandeur of the Tang Dynasty, the rationality of the Song Dynasty, the everyday life of the Ming Dynasty... Once we grasp this 'spirit,' the characters and stories will have a foundation."

He paused, then said gently, “The cultural test of the ‘Star Trail Project’ is not meant to stump you, but to guide your learning. For Chinese films to truly stand up, they cannot rely solely on technology and capital; they also need cultural depth. You are young, and this is the perfect time for you to learn.”

"Thank you, Chairman Wang. We will definitely work hard," the young people said in unison.

Wang Sheng smiled and turned to the accompanying executive: "These young people are good, they have ideas. We can give them some opportunities for the screenwriting team of next year's key projects."

"Understood." The head of the production department quickly wrote it down.

The inspection lasted for an hour.

Wang Sheng visited seven or eight departments and had brief exchanges with nearly a hundred employees.

Wherever he went, he would ask about work, life, and difficulties. He would give instructions on the spot if he could solve them immediately, and have his assistant write down and follow up on those that could not be solved immediately.

This "management by walking around" approach has been Wang Sheng's habit for many years.

As the group expands, he can no longer do everything personally as before, but at least at every important juncture, he must ensure that grassroots employees feel the presence and attention of their boss.

……

At 2 p.m., Wang Sheng's black Mercedes-Benz S600 drove into a villa area outside the North Fourth Ring Road.

This is the property that Wang Sheng bought for his parents. It's a detached villa with front and back yards, a quiet oasis in the bustling city.

Wang Sheng's parents usually live here, while Wang Sheng and Gao Yuanyuan have another place to live in the city with their child, but they always get together during holidays.

"Dad, Mom, I'm back."

"You're back?" Zhang Xiulan looked up. "Where are Yuanyuan and the baby?"

"Be back in a moment."

Zhang Xiulan: "Oh right, Director Han said he's coming over for dinner tonight, and Jia Nu is coming too."

Wang Sheng took off his coat and hung it on the hanger: "I know, we talked on the phone this morning. Teacher Han isn't going back to her hometown this year."

"What?"

"They said the Film Bureau has an emergency meeting that's scheduled for the second day of the Lunar New Year. It's too much of a hassle to travel back and forth, so I'll just stay in Beijing."

Wang Baoguo put down his newspaper: "Director Han has it tough too. He's such a high-ranking leader, yet he still has to work during the New Year."

“Dad, now you should call him Chairman Han,” Wang Sheng corrected with a smile. “Chairman of China Film Group, not factory director.”

“It’s all the same, it’s all the same.” Wang Baoguo waved his hand. “In our eyes, he’s still the same Director Han from the Beijing Film Studio back then.”

……

At 3:30 p.m., Gao Yuanyuan returned with her two children.

Two-and-a-half-year-old Wang Xian and Wang Ruoruo can already run and jump. As soon as they entered the door, they rushed to their grandparents.

"Grandma! Look at my new clothes!"

"Grandpa, this toy car lights up!"

The two children proudly displayed their spoils, making Zhang Xiulan and Wang Baoguo beam with joy.

Gao Yuanyuan changed into slippers and walked in. Today she was wearing a beige turtleneck sweater, dark gray wide-leg pants, and a light brown cashmere coat, simple yet elegant.

……

At six o'clock in the evening, the doorbell rang.

Han Sanping and Han Jianu arrived. "Teacher Han, please come in." Wang Sheng opened the door to welcome them.

"Chairman Wang, excuse me." Han Sanping, dressed in a dark blue Zhongshan suit, looked energetic. He carried two boxes of tea and a bag of toys.

Han Jianu followed behind him, wearing a light pink down jacket, a beige scarf, and her hair tied in a ponytail, revealing her smooth forehead.

She was eighteen years old and had grown into a graceful young woman, with features that combined her mother's delicate beauty with her father's heroic spirit.

"Hello, Uncle Wang!" Han Jianu greeted him with a smile, her eyes curving into crescents.

“You’ve grown up, Jia Nu,” Wang Sheng said with a smile. “The last time I saw you, you were still in high school. Now you’re a college student.”

"Of course, I'm already in the second semester of my freshman year."

After everyone entered the house, there was another round of pleasantries.

Zhang Xiulan pulled Han Jianu aside and asked her all sorts of questions, while Wang Baoguo and Han Sanping chatted about the film market.

The two children were initially a little shy when they met the new guest, but they were immediately won over when Han Sanping took out two exquisite gift boxes from the bag.

"Grandpa Han, what is this?" Wang Ruoruo asked, blinking her big eyes.

"open to take a look."

Wang Xian eagerly unpacked the package, inside which was an exquisitely crafted wooden puppet of Sun Wukong, with movable joints and a small golden cudgel.

Inside Wang Ruoruo's box was a fairy doll dressed in ancient costume, with flowing clothes and exquisite headdress.

"Wow!" the two children exclaimed simultaneously.

"Do you like it?" Han Sanping squatted down and patted their heads.

"I love it! Thank you, Grandpa Han!"

Han Jianu also took out two small boxes from her bag: "Sister, you have a gift too."

There are two sets of picture books: one is a comic book version of "Journey to the West", and the other is "Stories of Traditional Chinese Festivals".

"Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Miss Gao Yuanyuan said with a smile as she took the picture book."

"Of course, I am their aunt," Han Jianu said playfully.

That's true. Although Han Jianu is only sixteen years older than Wang Xian and Wang Ruoruo, according to seniority, Wang Sheng calls Han Sanping "Teacher," so Han Jianu is indeed the aunt of the two children.

Dinner was sumptuous. The long table was filled to the brim, and eight people sat around it in a warm and lively atmosphere.

"The 500 million yuan box office of 'Havoc in Heaven' is of extraordinary significance," Han Sanping remarked. "In 1996, the total box office nationwide was less than one billion yuan. Now, one film accounts for half of that year's total. What does this show? It shows that the market has grown and the audience has returned."

"It's mainly thanks to the support of Professor Han and China Film Group." Wang Sheng raised a glass. "Without cinema reform and channel development, even the best movies wouldn't sell this many copies."

“It’s mutually beneficial.” Han Sanping waved his hand. “But the road ahead is even more crucial. Industrialization, standardization, and internationalization—these three ‘izations’ must go hand in hand. Especially that ‘Star Track Project’ you’re working on; I’ve heard the industry’s reaction is quite mixed?”

Wang Sheng nodded: "There are supporters, there are observers, and there are opponents. But this matter must be done. The industry cannot rely on personal connections, relationships, and luck forever. There needs to be a set of rules that everyone agrees on."

"It's tough," Han Sanping said, taking a sip of his drink. "Touching vested interests is harder than touching the soul. But no matter how tough it is, we have to do it. If Chinese cinema is to truly stand up, it's not enough to just have a few big directors and big stars; we need a whole healthy talent development and evaluation system."

The two were chatting about important industry news, while Han Jianu was also whispering to Gao Yuanyuan.

"Sister Yuanyuan, your 'Starry Era' album is doing really well lately. Zhang Hanyun's album is selling well; a lot of girls at our school have bought it."

"It's alright. It's mainly because Hanyun works hard, has a good voice, and is willing to learn."

"I heard you hired a professional vocal coach and an academic tutor for her?"

"Yes. The child is only sixteen years old. We can't just focus on making money. He needs to solidify his studies and build a strong foundation."

Han Jianu's eyes revealed envy: "I really envy her for having a boss like you. Many of my seniors at school have signed with agencies and are constantly running around doing promotions and shooting commercials. They have no time to study at all."

Gao Yuanyuan smiled: "So you should cherish your time at school. Only by combining theory and practice can you go further."

“I know.” Han Jianu nodded, then suddenly lowered her voice, “Sister Yuanyuan, I have an idea…”

Dinner lasted until after 8 p.m.

After clearing away the dishes, everyone moved to the living room to watch TV. The Spring Festival Gala had already started; although the programs are criticized every year, it remains an indispensable background noise on New Year's Eve.

The two children couldn't stay awake any longer and fell asleep on the sofa around 9 p.m. Gao Yuanyuan and Zhang Xiulan carried them upstairs to their children's room.

Wang Sheng brewed a pot of Pu'er tea and sat with Han Sanping at the tea table by the French windows.

"Teacher Han, are your elderly relatives okay with you not going back this year?" Wang Sheng asked.

"I've already explained it over the phone," Han Sanping sighed. "The meeting on the second day of the Lunar New Year is very important, as it involves the film industry plan for the next five years. As the person in charge of China Film Group, I can't be absent."

He paused, then looked at Wang Sheng: "Actually, there's something else. A leader from the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television privately told me that they might launch the 'National Key Film Project' next year, selecting three to five films each year with significant cultural and artistic value, and providing them with comprehensive support in terms of policy, funding, and publicity. The subject matter that you and Zhang Yimou created is very likely to be selected."

Wang Sheng: "This is a good thing."

“But the requirements will be very high.” Han Sanping said seriously, “The political direction, historical accuracy, artistic level, and industrial specifications must all be top-notch. The pressure will be immense.”

"I'm not afraid of pressure, I'm afraid of not having the opportunity." Wang Sheng poured tea for his teacher. "Director Zhang Yimou's team has been working for almost two months. The script outline is basically complete, and the historical research is very solid. If it can be selected for a national project, we are confident that we can do a good job."

"It's good that you have confidence." Han Sanping nodded with satisfaction. "But I have to remind you that this kind of subject matter is very sensitive. We need to show the bravery of the Volunteer Army, but we can't glorify the violence of war; we need to embody patriotism, but we can't be narrow-minded nationalist. Finding the right balance is more difficult than making ten commercial blockbusters."

“I understand,” Wang Sheng said solemnly. “Therefore, the preliminary preparations will be very thorough. The script will be reviewed by multiple departments, including the Academy of Military Sciences, the Party History Office, and the Museum of Literature and History, and the filming plan will be repeatedly reviewed. This is not an ordinary film; it is a collective memory of a generation and a component of the national image. We will treat it with the most professional and prudent attitude.”

As the two were talking, Han Jianu came closer.

"Dad, Uncle Wang, what are you talking about that's so serious?"

"Let's talk about work," Han Sanping said with a smile. "What, college students want to participate too?"

"Of course I want to." Han Jianu sat down in the chair next to Wang Sheng. "Uncle Wang, I just told Sister Yuanyuan about an idea, and she thought it was good too. Now I'd like to formally report it to you?"

Wang Sheng laughed: "Oh, a formal report indeed. So, what are your thoughts, Senior Sister Han?"

Han Jianu cleared her throat and sat up straight: "I want to establish a 'College Student Film Creation Fund' to specifically support students from art schools such as Beijing Film Academy, Central Academy of Drama, and Shanghai Theatre Academy in making short films, documentaries, and experimental films. The amount doesn't need to be too large, just tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of yuan will do, mainly to help them solve the problem of start-up capital."

Wang Sheng and Han Sanping exchanged a glance, both becoming interested.

"Go on," Wang Sheng said.

“The biggest difficulty for film students now is the lack of money to make their films.” Han Jianu had clearly thought about this for a long time and spoke clearly and logically. “Although the school has equipment, film, locations, actors, and post-production all cost money. Many talented students have to make do with what they have for their graduation projects or even abandon some creative ideas because they can’t raise the money.”

“If there were a special fund that selected a number of outstanding creative proposals each year and provided them with financial support, then firstly, it would help these young people turn their ideas into works; secondly, good works could participate in domestic and international film festivals, accumulating experience for students; and thirdly—” she looked at Wang Sheng, “it might even help Shengying Group discover some potential talents.”

Wang Sheng nodded: "The idea is good. But there are a few problems in implementation. First, where will the money come from? Second, how will the selection be conducted? How can fairness be guaranteed? Third, how will the use of funds be monitored?"

"Money..." Han Jianu blinked, "I'm here to beg for alms from Uncle Wang."

Wang Sheng was amused by her: "So you were waiting for me here."

Wang Sheng looked at Han Sanping: "Teacher Han, what do you think?"

Han Sanping pondered for a moment: "The idea is good. But Jia Nu, you need to think it through. You can't do this kind of thing based on a momentary enthusiasm. The foundation needs to operate in the long term and requires a dedicated team to manage it. You are still a student, and your studies should be your priority."

“I can do it with my classmates,” Han Jianu said, clearly prepared. “Several of my classmates in the management department are interested. We can also ask the school’s teachers to be our advisors and guide us.”

The selection process will be open and transparent, with all submitted proposals reviewed anonymously by industry experts and university professors. Every expenditure of funds will be documented with receipts, and the results will be regularly publicized.

She became more and more excited as she spoke: "Dad, don't you always say that Chinese films lack talent? This is cultivating talent! Those who can make good films while still in school are very likely to become excellent directors, screenwriters, and producers in the future. We invest a little money now, and we may reap a lot in the future."

Wang Sheng listened quietly, then picked up his teacup and took a sip.

“Three million.” Wang Sheng put down his teacup and looked at Han Jianu. “I will personally contribute three million as seed money. But I can’t give you this money directly.”

Han Jianu's eyes lit up: "Then how do I give it to you?"

“Establish a special sub-fund in the name of the ‘Beijing Film Academy Education Development Foundation’.” Wang Sheng’s plan was clear. “You communicate with the school and follow the formal procedures. The fund will be managed by the school’s foundation. You and your team will serve as the student executive committee, responsible for project solicitation and initial selection. The final list must be submitted to the foundation for review. All processes must be compliant, and all accounts must be made public.”

He paused, then added, "In addition, Shengying Group can send a financial advisor to guide you in budgeting and reimbursement. Remember, this is not child's play; it's a real charitable fund. If done well, it will be a good deed; if done poorly, it could cause trouble. Especially since your father's identity is sensitive, you need to be extra cautious in everything you do."

Han Jianu nodded repeatedly: "I understand, I understand! Don't worry, Uncle Wang, I will definitely follow the rules strictly!"

(End of this chapter)