Reborn in the Entertainment Industry: This Top Star Has Real Achievements

While Li Xiang was busy planning the signing, a meeting concerning the company's future was also taking place in the top-floor office of Huace's headquarters building.

Besides CEO Zhao Fang, all the company's senior executives also gathered together.

Zhao Fang was the first to speak, inquiring about the feedback from the IPO roadshow.

Upon hearing reports from her subordinates that the response was quite positive, her tense expression eased somewhat. She waved her hand to dismiss most of the attendees, leaving only the core executives.

"The listing is basically settled. The next step is to figure out how to boost the stock price after the listing."

After saying that, she turned to the manager in charge of the film and television sector: "The TV drama sector has a solid foundation, so there is no need to worry about it for the time being."

But how is the structure of the film section progressing?

The supervisor looked troubled: "It's not completely sorted out yet. We're in the midst of a film and television boom right now, and the big-name directors are either impossible to poach or have contracts with them, so we can only work things out little by little."

Zhao Fang nodded in understanding, knowing that this matter could not be rushed: "Then let's start with investment."

By releasing information, we indicate our intention to expand into the film business, which will eventually allow us to gain access to core resources.

After a brief pause, she suddenly brought up a film: "What do you think of the movie 'Wind Blast'?"

"The Wind Rises?" The film and television director was slightly taken aback.

"Filming for this show has already wrapped up, but Huayi Brothers is the main producer, and our company only invested in a small portion, so our say is limited..."

Director Gao's directing skills are beyond doubt, but the film's visual appeal is rather average. Some parts are too stiff and rigid, and its market acceptance is hard to say.

"Oh, right," the film and television director said, as if suddenly remembering something.

"I heard that the final product of 'Under the Hawthorn Tree,' which was released a month earlier than 'Wind Blast,' is quite outstanding."

When "Under the Hawthorn Tree" was mentioned, Zhao Fang naturally thought of Zhang Yimou. Her fingertips paused on the edge of the table, but she finally shook her head and said, "Director Zhang definitely can't get it."

"Indeed," a vice president chimed in.

"I've dealt with Director Zhang a few times. He's a man of great loyalty and integrity. As long as there's no major trouble on Zhang Weiping's side, he's unlikely to change his mind easily."

Several people present had more or less come into contact with Zhang Yimou, and they all nodded in agreement upon hearing this.

At this moment, Zhang Hui, the newly established general manager of the film and television brokerage management center, suddenly spoke up: "Although we can't poach Director Zhang, others have a chance..."

Another supervisor instinctively responded, "But the 'Zhang Yimou Girl' has already been signed to Zhang Weiping. The news caused quite a stir back then, so I'm afraid we won't be able to snatch her away."

I'm not talking about the "Zhang Yimou Girl," but rather the "Zhang Yimou Boy."

The moment those words were spoken, the conference room fell silent, and several pairs of eyes turned to him—clearly, the title had successfully piqued everyone's interest.

Zhang Hui then said unhurriedly, "Actually, I had already contacted this 'Zhang Yimou' leading man a few days ago. Not only us, but several companies in the industry are paying attention to him."

A vice president standing nearby immediately became interested: "Mr. Zhang, do you mean this 'Zhang Yimou' leading man hasn't signed with New Pictures?"

"Indeed not," Zhang Hui nodded, "and he wasn't selected through open auditions, but rather directly chosen by Zhang Yimou."

These words made the atmosphere in the meeting room even more lively.

After all, everyone knows that New Pictures is closely tied to Zhang Yimou. You can see that all the new "Mou Girls" have been signed directly to them, but this "Mou Boy" is an exception.

Seeing everyone's high spirits, Zhang Hui continued, "This young man's name is Li Xiang. He is a good friend of Director Zhang—that is, the nephew of that great photographer Wang."

He is currently a freshman in the Performing Arts Department at the Taipei Film Academy. I'm not entirely sure of the specific reasons, but Director Zhang did indeed give him this opportunity.

According to information I gathered from the production crew, they all said he had outstanding acting skills and was highly regarded by his school teachers.

More importantly, Director Zhang went so far as to shift the focus of "Under the Hawthorn Tree" entirely to him, even revising the script.

This statement contained a great deal of information, so much so that even Zhao Fang couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

She believed in her company's intelligence capabilities, and since Zhang Hui had already set his sights on Li Xiang, he must have thoroughly investigated his background, so these reports were likely true.

But she still had doubts: "Director Zhang isn't that kind of person, and besides, all the 'Zhang Yimou girls' have signed with New Pictures."

"Even with its strong new visuals, it can't overcome Director Zhang's personal feelings," Zhang Hui immediately responded.

"You know, Director Zhang has been bringing Li Xiang along for the past few days of interviews. I heard that Mr. Zhang of New Pictures was quite unhappy about this, but there was nothing he could do about it."

"So, you intend to make him one of our company's top artists?"

"That's right, I've been following up on this matter."

"The previous attempts to reach an agreement with several companies failed because his photographer uncle at the Beijing Film Academy blocked everything during his final exams a while ago."

As soon as the exam ended, I contacted them again, and we've already communicated two or three times. Currently, the main sticking point is the contract term.

The meeting room was silent for a few seconds. Zhao Fang tapped her fingertips lightly on the table, a thoughtful look flashing in her eyes.

The fact that Zhang Yimou rewrote his script and even took him on promotional tours despite New Pictures' objections speaks volumes about this newcomer's stature.

"We'll have to wait until 'Under the Hawthorn Tree' is released to see how valuable this kid is, but since Director Zhang is willing to put in so much effort, he can't be bad."

Mr. Zhang, you must keep a close eye on this matter. However, regarding the timeframe, we should try to negotiate if possible—this kid is a film actor, unlike newcomers in television dramas.

"If a newcomer to television dramas is given a few more roles, they may be able to make a name for themselves in a few years."

However, the film industry is different. Our company is only just starting out in this area, and if we want to explore and cultivate it on our own, it will probably take three to five years to achieve any results.

"Therefore, as long as the other party's demands are not too outrageous, other conditions can be negotiated, but the core years must not be reduced."

After all, this is a rare film talent, personally nurtured by Director Zhang. If we miss this one, who knows when we'll find another.

Everyone present nodded in agreement.

Everyone knows how high the threshold is in the film industry. Apart from top directors like Zhang Yimou, who dares to say that making a movie can make a newcomer famous?

Look at the film industry these days; it's mostly the same familiar faces, with very few newcomers making a name for themselves.

Because movies have high barriers to entry and high risks, even if a company invests heavily in resources, it may not be able to make a splash.

Zhang Hui also understood the deeper meaning behind the boss's words: he valued Li Xiang's potential but was unwilling to compromise on core interests.

"Understood, I will handle things carefully. I will try my best to get him to accept the company's bottom line. If we really can't reach an agreement, we'll see if we can compromise on other terms."

In short, we absolutely cannot let this piece of meat slip away.

Seeing that Zhang Hui understood her intention, Zhao Fang nodded in satisfaction, then turned her gaze to everyone present:

"Now that the artist management department has been established, it cannot be treated perfunctorily. It must be responsible not only to the company, but also, after the IPO, to the shareholders—"

Since the established stars have already been snapped up by various companies, the only option left is to find opportunities among newcomers.

"However, this isn't entirely without its advantages." Zhao Fang changed the subject.

"If we can successfully promote new talents and achieve tangible results, it will be a great help to the company in terms of both business expansion and stock price increase."

Therefore, this matter still requires your continued attention.

Zhang Hui immediately replied, "Don't worry, Mr. Zhao. In terms of resources, we really can't compare to established companies like Huayi."

But Wang, the photographer, has been in this business for so many years; he knows all the ropes. His frequent contact with me suggests he already has his reasons.

An executive nearby chimed in, "In what way are we inferior to Huayi? We'll be a listed company soon, and our scale isn't smaller than theirs."

Besides, everyone knows the saying, "It's better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix."

"He's the first newcomer we've groomed to focus on developing at our company, and we'll definitely allocate the most resources to him. If he goes to Huayi, will he even get a chance?"

Several shareholders nodded in agreement: "That makes perfect sense. If I were in their shoes, I would also choose our company. They have no reason not to be tempted by such a generous offer."

The atmosphere in the office immediately became lively. Just moments ago, they were pondering how to break through the deadlock in the film sector, and now it seemed they had found a key breakthrough.

Signing Li Xiang would not only add a promising new talent to the company, but also allow them to connect with Zhang Yimou.

This is undoubtedly a powerful boost to the company's fledgling talent agency and film business.

Zhao Fang didn't say anything more, but simply picked up her water glass and took a small sip. This company, which was about to cross the threshold of listing, desperately needed such a breakthrough opportunity.

Therefore, she didn't mind offering some preferential treatment at the beginning of the cooperation. After all, the company could earn much more from the stock market in the future.