China Entertainment's whatever you want

In order to film "The Vanished Man", Gu Wei has turned down a lot of work invitations recently, but after New Year's Eve, he will still have to ask for leave to return to Beijing.

The acquisition of Wanda Film's equity by Weiming Tianxia has finally reached its final stage.

"Mr. Gu, congratulations. Wanda Cinemas will be in your hands from now on."

"I'm a professional at building houses, and you're a professional at making movies. I believe that under your leadership, Wanda Cinema will definitely have a bright future and reach new heights!"

After the contract was signed, Mr. Wang, the general manager of Wanda, took the initiative to shake hands with Gu Wei politely.

"Not at all, Mr. Wang, you flatter me."

I do have some experience in the film and television industry, and I hope it can be of some help to Wanda Cinema.

However, the company's continued growth and success depend on the support of all shareholders.

Wang Jianlin understood what Gu Wei meant and smiled broadly: "Now that I've transferred my shares to President Gu, I will definitely support President Gu in the future board meetings!"

Although he transferred most of the shares held by Wanda Group, he still personally holds a small portion of the shares.

Even after changing from controlling shareholder to shareholder, his shareholding still gives him considerable influence on the board of directors.

However, the sale of 20% of Wanda Film's equity serves two purposes: firstly, to raise money to pay off debts, and secondly, to signify that Wanda has relinquished control over Wanda Film.

His decision to sell his shares to Gu Wei naturally signifies his support for him as the new controller of Wanda Cinema.

"Well then, Mr. Wang, I look forward to cooperating with you in the future!"

"Happy cooperation!"

With the contract signed, the acquisition was successfully completed, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief and was very happy.

Wang Jianlin looked at Gu Wei, who was dressed in a sharp suit and looked handsome, and maintained a smile on his face, but felt a little uncomfortable inside.

As the head of Wanda Group and a former richest man in China, he was well aware of the vast resources and immense wealth that Gu Wei, this so-called big star, controlled.

In recent years, Wanda Group has gradually declined, and Gu Wei, seeing the booming development of his business, seems to see his former self.

But Gu Wei is much younger than he used to be, even a few years younger than his son.

In an instant, the phrase "A son should be like Sun Quan" came to mind.

Thinking of her son who only knew how to eat, drink, and have fun, her displeasure intensified.

After all the procedures were completed, Wang Jianlin and his entourage came out of the [Weiming Tianxia] building. His assistant opened the car door, and he got into his black Mercedes-Benz S600.

Once in the car, Old Wang grew increasingly angry and couldn't help but take out his phone to call his son, who was far away in Japan.

After the call connected, he made up some excuse and started lecturing, leaving the other person, Si Cong, completely bewildered. He couldn't figure out what was wrong with the old man today, and wondered if he had gotten into trouble again recently.

No, I haven't done anything lately, nor have I said anything inappropriate online.

Just as Young Master Wang was completely confused, Wang Jianlin, who had finished scolding him, casually asked a question over the phone.

"What are you doing now?"

"Um~ Shopping with friends"

"Boyfriend or girlfriend?"

"what?"

Wang Sicong turned his head and glanced at his girlfriend and a few friends he usually hung out with.

They knew that Young Master Wang was on the phone with his grandfather, so they all carefully kept quiet.

"Yes, I have them all. They're all friends I play with regularly."

"I remember you said you knew Gu Wei?"

Yes, I know him.

His villa in Beverly Hills is right next to our house; he's our neighbor.

We used to play games together.

What's wrong? "

After Si Cong finished speaking, Wang Jianlin remained silent for two seconds.

"You should contact him more often in the future, visit him more often, and cultivate a good relationship with him."

Learning from him is much better than hanging out with your current bunch of shady friends.

"Uh, I understand~"

Wang Sicong thought to himself, "Is it because I don't associate with him? He's so successful and busy, we don't really hang out together."

After exchanging a few more words, Wang Jianlin hung up the phone.

Si Cong put down his phone and scratched his head. He was really confused about why he had received the call and why he had been scolded for no reason.

His girlfriend, who was closest to him, overheard a bit of the phone conversation and cautiously asked, "Your dad is very strict. Is he difficult to get along with?"

"No, he probably had something unpleasant happen to him today. We don't usually talk like this," Si Cong explained.

"I see."
What kind of daughter-in-law do your parents prefer? Someone outgoing or someone quiet and reserved?

The girlfriend's words made it clear that she wanted to use this opportunity to find out some information about her future in-laws.

Hearing her say that, several of Wang Sicong's friends who often hang out with her looked at her with amusement.

Wang Sicong turned to look at her and said dismissively, "They don't care about these things, as long as I like it, that's all that matters."

After he finished speaking, his girlfriend pouted slightly in dissatisfaction, and their friends around them all laughed.

This group of people is definitely centered around Wang Sicong, but his friends are all from well-off families, mostly second-generation rich kids. Only his girlfriend comes from an ordinary family. She is able to travel around, stay in big villas, and ride in private jets with him because she is dating Wang Sicong.

She wasn't unaware of Wang Sicong's past relationships, but girls always feel they'll be different in a relationship.

Her friends, on the other hand, saw things more clearly and knew that she was only being short-term.

Wang Sicong himself probably thinks the same way.

So meeting the parents was simply not on his agenda.

We were just dating, it was consensual, and I even spent so much money on you.

Isn't it normal to break up after a while?

Wang Sicong was a little confused at the moment, but that night he found out why the old man had made that phone call during the day.

After the equity transfer agreement was signed, Wei Mingtianxia held a celebration party that evening.

This matter was naturally reported by the media.

In fact, the transfer of shares in a listed company, especially a 20% stake, is impossible to keep secret, and Wanda Film will have to issue an announcement.

The open announcement by [Weiming Tianxia] lays the groundwork for future cooperation with [Wanda Cinema].

#Wanda Cinema changes hands!#
#Wang Jianlin sells shares to repay debts, Gu Wei will become the actual controller of the company!#
#Weiming World acquires Wanda Cinema, completely integrating the upstream and downstream of the film and television industry to form a closed-loop ecosystem!#
#Wanda Film plans change of control! Company stock suspended from trading#
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The news media reported on it extensively, and there was much discussion online.

This equity transfer signifies Wanda Group's formal withdrawal from the competition in the cultural and entertainment industry.

Back then, Wanda Group was full of vigor, buying up land and spending money everywhere. Now, it can't even keep control of Wanda Cinema. The current situation of Wanda Group is truly lamentable.

Conversely, after nearly a decade of development, [Weiming World] was already one of the giants in the domestic film and television industry. After acquiring control of [Wanda Film], it became a leader in the domestic entertainment industry in terms of both scale and revenue. After signing the contract, Gu Wei stayed in Beijing for a few more days to streamline the work at [Wanda Film].

During this period, he received calls from various business partners, bosses, and friends.

For example, Chairman Fu of China Film Group, Wang Changtian of Enlight Media, Yu Dong of Bona Film Group, Wang Zhongjun of Huayi Brothers Media, Chen Yuan of H&R Century Pictures, Gong Yu, President of iQiyi, Sun Zhonghuai, President of Tencent Video, and so on.

Aside from congratulating Gu Wei, these people basically wanted to invite him to dinner sometime to discuss future collaborations.

Gu Wei responded verbally, but he genuinely couldn't find the time and could only say that they could arrange to meet again when the opportunity arose.

The change of ownership of Wanda Cinema has generated considerable public discussion and prompted many media outlets to delve into the various entertainment and media companies under Gu Wei's control.

You wouldn't believe it until you dig deeper; Gu Wei's various companies are involved in every aspect of the film and television industry, and the "Weiming Tianxia Group" has become an undeniable force in the Chinese entertainment industry.

The company's core businesses include Weiming Tianxia Film & Television Company, Weiming Tianxia Brokerage Company, and Weiming Tianxia Animation Production Company; Jiaxing Media and Wajijiwa Entertainment, in which Gu Wei holds shares and serves as the major shareholder; and Wanda Film, which he recently acquired.

These companies dominate various fields, from film production, animated film production, TV series production, film distribution, theatrical screenings to artist management, idol trainee development, variety show production, artist business, and product development.

In addition, Gu Wei also owns Wuyou Media, currently the largest MCN company on Douyin.

In the short video field, this company also dominates, with numerous top-tier internet celebrities boasting millions of followers.

"I'm available anytime, but it depends on you, Mr. Gu."

A few days ago, Chu Ran mentioned that she had been following Mr. Gu's film "Where the Wind Blows," and really liked it, and wanted to ask him for acting advice in person.
Song Qian has always admired you, it's just a pity we didn't have the opportunity to work together.
Okay, you're busy.

Let's make another appointment sometime.

After hanging up the phone, Jia Shikai's fawning smile gradually faded.

Yuekai Entertainment deals with artist management and TV series production. Logically, he should be showing goodwill to Gu Wei, who has film and television resources, but there's no need for him to fawn over him like this.

However, Jia Shikai is an ambitious man.

He worked his way up from a small-time agent to the owner of a film and television company, all thanks to his ever-ambitious spirit.

In the film and television industry, to become a true giant and large company, relying solely on artist management is not enough; you need your own resources and involvement in film and television production.

He has been producing TV dramas for the past two years, collaborating with platforms to film them, and things are starting to look promising.

However, getting involved in the film industry is not so simple.

The best approach is to first work with these major companies in the film industry, and then gradually explore related business opportunities.

Weiming World, which controls Wanda Cinema, is undoubtedly the best choice.

Gu Wei has so many major IPs under his umbrella; any one of them could be incredibly profitable.

In the afternoon, Wang Churan, who had just returned to the company after recording an interview, was called to the office because her new drama "I Heard You Like Me" was about to be released.

She thought her boss wanted to see her about something, but as soon as she sat down, she was bombarded with questions and concern.

She was a little confused, but when Jia Shikai said that if she saw Gu Wei next time, she should ask him to go out for a meal, Wang Churan finally understood.

She readily agreed, though she didn't know when that next time would be.

Stepping out of the office, Wang Churan was in an exceptionally good mood and couldn't resist sending a few messages to the WeChat account that was already pinned to the top of her chat list.

It's the kind of message like "Are you there?", "Are you busy lately?", or "I miss you," along with a beautiful close-up selfie.

The lack of an immediate response was within Wang Churan's expectations.

She stared at her phone screen and muttered to herself, "Why do I feel like such a simp?"

Then she pouted, making a cute expression: "So what if I'm a simp? There are plenty of people who want to simp but can't."

Haha, is this what it feels like to have connections and backing in the entertainment industry? It's so awesome!

Gu Wei didn't reply to the WeChat message because he was too busy right now.

I received several phone calls in a row, and then communicated with Chen Hongtao, the current CEO of Wanda Cinema, about company affairs.

After officially acquiring the shares, Gu Wei applied to convene a board meeting and was elected chairman of Wanda Film with a high number of votes in a shareholder vote.

"As of the beginning of this year, based on the financial report of the fourth quarter of last year, Wanda Cinema currently has 877 cinemas in operation in China, with 7338 screens, including 709 directly operated cinemas with 6159 screens and 168 light-asset cinemas with 1179 screens."

Last year, the company achieved a cumulative market share of 16.5% and a single-quarter profit of 690 million yuan, far exceeding the combined profits of the five listed cinema chains: Shanghai Film, Hengdian Film & Television, Jinyi Cinemas, Happiness Blue Ocean, and Wentou Holdings.
The company's existing IP reserves include series such as "Someday or One Day", "Folded City", and "Shenzhou".

Although the profit was not high, the return on investment was good.

Gu Wei had a general understanding of what Chen Hongtao was reporting. Whether it was content IP or cinema infrastructure, Wanda Cinema was undoubtedly a valuable asset.

Wanda Group sold shares because its parent company was heavily indebted and struggling to survive, leaving it with no choice but to sacrifice a pawn to save the king.

"I know there must be some people in the company who are feeling uneasy right now."

There's no need to worry about that. The company won't see any major changes in personnel in the short term; only the finance department will experience some changes.

The business focus remains primarily on cinema chains.

In terms of film and television production, we will have more cooperation with [Weiming Tianxia] in the future, which will become another important revenue point for the company.

After chatting with Chen Hongtao for a while about the company's future plans and strategic positioning, the CEO was very obedient. He listened attentively to everything Gu Wei said and actively agreed with him, almost openly pledging his loyalty to Gu Wei, the new chairman.

Chen Hongtao works for Wanda Group and previously served as the general manager of Wanda Commercial Management. He is a professional manager.

His transfer to Wanda Cinema as CEO was basically the highest position in his career.

What he fears most right now is that Gu Wei, the new chairman, will come in and, in order to take control of the company, parachute in a new president to replace him.

Given the current state of Wanda Group, losing this president position could very well result in him being demoted several levels.

Whether you continue working at Wanda Cinema or return to the parent company, Wanda Group, there won't be any good positions available.

As for leaving to find another job, given the current state of the film and television industry, he wouldn't be interested in small companies because the pay is too low, and big companies wouldn't hire him.

Therefore, he tried his best to demonstrate his attitude and strive to become the new chairman.

Gu Wei also saw through Chen Hongtao's thoughts, but he had no intention of replacing him for the time being.

Yang Liwen and Zhao Mingcheng both have their own projects at [Weiming Tianxia], so it's impossible for them to be transferred over to take charge of [Wanda Cinema].

I feel that several of my deputies in the company are still lacking in ability.

Wanda Cinema is no less large than Weiming World in terms of scale and even has a larger number of personnel. Gu Wei had doubts about whether they could be able to smoothly take charge of the company after being parachuted in.

He had investigated Chen Hongtao and knew that he was a professional manager with no problems in terms of ability. He hadn't made any mistakes during his years in charge of Wanda Cinema, and the company had developed relatively smoothly.

So as long as he is obedient, Gu Wei doesn't mind letting him continue as president.

In modern society, talk of loyalty is nonsense; Gu Wei only believes in shared interests.

And coincidentally, he is best at sharing the spoils with his partners and subordinates.

This is something that is widely acknowledged in the entertainment industry.

Which company that collaborates with Gu Wei doesn't make a fortune?

His company's senior executives and employees are among the best in the industry in terms of salary, and they all have all the stock options they are entitled to.

This is one of the reasons why his companies have been able to develop rapidly over the years.

He has the ability to grow the pie and is generous with the profits for those who work for him; what employee wouldn't like a boss like that? (End of Chapter)