During my years at China Entertainment

Chapter 829 The Benefits of Having Connections: Liu Shishi, Starving

The whirlwind of the night has passed, but the news that the Bazaar Charity Night raised a staggering 50 million yuan is still trending on the headlines.

However, a new regulation issued by the relevant authorities just before noon caught the industry off guard.

Numerous film and television companies, entertainment companies, and production companies have turned their attention to Shanhe Media, with a hint of schadenfreude.

Many in the industry believe that "Where Are We Going, Dad?", one of the three most popular reality shows in the Chinese entertainment industry, is probably doomed.

This regulation targets minors—specifically, starting from the first of next month, all child stars under the age of 10 will be prohibited from engaging in commercial advertising endorsements and commercial performances!
In other words, the families who are guests on the fourth season of "Where Are We Going, Dad?", which has not yet started filming, will not be able to benefit from the show's popularity.

"President Wei, thankfully we made arrangements in advance; otherwise, if we had been caught off guard, the losses could have been substantial."

In the office, Zhang Yipei talked about this matter, and seemed somewhat relieved, while Wei Jin also expressed his agreement.

This is the advantage of having connections in higher positions; a single message can prevent significant losses.

Because the guests were finalized in advance, the bidding process for title sponsorship and advertising for the fourth season of "Where Are We Going, Dad?" went very smoothly.

Besides the 5 million yuan sponsorship fee from Yili, the revenue from other print advertising also reached 4.2 million yuan.

Even so, 40% of the advertising quota was still withheld by Hunan TV.

After all, as a broadcasting platform, the latter cannot open all its advertising resources to Shanhe Media; they also need to make money!

Even so, after deducting the production cost of over 200 million, Shanhe Media still made at least 700 million from this round, making a huge profit!
However, if all this work only begins after the policy is introduced, not to mention the difficulty of recruiting guests and the potential for breach of contract, the advertising revenue alone will be reduced by at least two or three hundred million!
"Alright, let's not talk about that. How's the negotiation with Hunan TV going?"

When Wei Jin received the message from Lao Chen, he had already thought that the variety show "Where Are We Going, Dad?" still had potential.

Although it may be difficult to invite big-name celebrities to participate in the future, the viewership rating should still be consistently above 1%.

This result is somewhat of a double-edged sword for Shanhe Media, but it doesn't mean there's no residual value to be extracted.

At least in terms of copyright, Hunan TV should be interested, just like with "If You Are the One" back then!
"Mr. Wei, the communication is not going smoothly. They only accept a one-time buyout, and the price they asked for is 300 million. They will not accept our profit-sharing agreement."

"Knock knock knock~~"

Upon hearing this, Wei Jin frowned, tapped the table, and fell into deep thought.

To be honest, this price isn't low, but it's still a bit short of his target price.

After a long while, he raised his head and instructed, "Here's what we'll do: you continue negotiating with them. A buyout isn't out of the question, but 500 million is my bottom line!"

Additionally, you could contact other TV stations and even video websites; those with whom you can agree on advertising revenue sharing should be given priority.

"Okay, Mr. Wei."

In the film market, it took 10 days for "Black Coal, Thin Ice" to finally break the 200 million yuan mark at the box office, reaching 2.04 million yuan.

But those in the industry know very well that this number has basically reached its limit, because today, the highly anticipated film "Lost in Hong Kong" was released.

It must be acknowledged that with the influence of the previous installment of the series exceeding 10 billion yuan, and the support of the two major production companies, Ali and Fiber Optics, "Lost in Hong Kong" has become incredibly popular!

From the morning onwards, the headlines of all portal websites and film and television news sections were filled with news of the release of "Lost in Hong Kong".

The average screening rate given by cinemas was even more alarming to everyone in the industry—it was as high as 58.73%.

An average screening rate of over 50% is something we haven't seen in the film industry for many years. The last time it was like this was with "The Martian."

Of course, compared to "The Martian" which secured a high number of screenings during the fiercely competitive Lunar New Year season, "Lost in Hong Kong" only benefited from the less popular September release period, and this advantage will only last until the eve of "Project Gutenberg's" release.

Regardless, everyone in the industry knows that the opening day box office of "Lost in Hong Kong" will likely be quite impressive.

Even the theater chains seem to be getting impatient, and after almost every screening, they will proactively release the attendance figures to attract audiences!

However, by the afternoon, the film industry's attention was drawn to the news released by Huayi Brothers.

Two years after the cash-grabbing flop "Personal Tailor," news of Feng Xiaogang's new film has finally surfaced.

"Feng Xiaogang Studio, a subsidiary of Huayi Brothers, announced the official establishment of Dongyang Meila, a film and television company wholly owned by director Feng Xiaogang!"

"The film 'I Am Not Madame Bovary,' co-produced by Huayi Brothers, Dongyang Meila, and Yaolai Pictures, directed by Feng Xiaogang, and adapted from Liu Zhenyun's novel of the same name, has been officially approved. A public casting call is now open to the film and television industry."

"Director Feng Xiaogang stated in an interview that 'I Am Not Madame Bovary' has profound themes and explores human nature, and will surely become one of the most outstanding representative works of his career!"

"."

As the news spread, many industry peers wondered if Huayi had finally come to a change of heart? Why was their new project being cast through open auditions?
Although Huayi Brothers has been cutting back on its talent agency business since the year before last, it still has quite a few celebrity studios under its umbrella.

Moreover, in the past two years, projects led by Huayi have rarely flowed into Yenei, let alone projects led by Feng Dapao.
However, compared to the production companies' doubts, celebrities in the industry are quite tempted, especially female celebrities.

Just from the name of this project, it's clear that it's a female-led film, and it's also a new project by a famous director, which is really rare.

"What? Yuqi, you have ideas too?"

In the office, after signing a few documents, Wei Jin looked at Chen Yuqi, who was engrossed in scrolling through her phone, and couldn't help but make a joke.

"Boss, how could I possibly be involved in a project like this? I'm just curious, why would Director Feng set up a new company to invest?"

The assistant's clear eyes held a hint of confusion, which, combined with her naturally girl-next-door features, made her quite endearing.

Wei Jin couldn't help but pull her into his arms, fondling the softness beneath her bodycon skirt as he explained.

"What's so hard to understand? Those two brothers are definitely up to something, planning to tell a story in the capital market and make a quick buck."

Wei Jin remembered very clearly that Huayi in his previous life had done quite a few of these kinds of shady things.

It's nothing more than using projects to inflate the valuation of shell companies, then using Huayi's status as a listed company to issue new shares through private placement, acquire them at a premium, and cash out.

Of course, stock market investors aren't fools; they won't buy into it so easily.

This will inevitably involve a profit-sharing agreement, just like when they acquired Zhang Guoli's company.

"I see. Boss, you know so much."

"Smack!" Wei Jin gave Yuqi's pert buttocks in her black stockings and bodycon skirt a hard slap. "Hmph, Yuqi's little mouth is so sweet. Come on, let the boss have a taste."

After speaking, Wei Jin captured those soft, youthful red lips with his lips, and his hands unconsciously took control of the situation.

"Hmm~"

Under Wei Jin's superb kissing skills, Chen Yuqi gradually succumbed, responding passionately while her small hands wandered restlessly.

After all, the selection of a new assistant has already been put on the agenda, and she doesn't have many days left to be by Wei Jin's side, so she has to seize the opportunity.
"Produced by Ali Pictures, Fiber Optic Media, and Zhenledao, written, directed and starring Xu Zheng, with Bao Beier, Du Juan, Zhao Yanzi and others joining the cast."

The third installment in the "Lost in..." series, "Lost in Hong Kong," raked in a whopping 2.02 million yuan at the box office on its opening day, accounting for a staggering 84% of the total daily box office!

"Lost in Hong Kong broke records for opening day and single-day box office for comedy films with 2.02 million yuan on its opening day!"

"According to industry insiders, the final box office of 'Lost in Hong Kong' will definitely surpass that of its predecessor, 'Lost in Thailand,' and may even break through 20 billion yuan, setting a new record for comedy films!"

"Due to the strong performance of 'Lost in Hong Kong,' the daily revenue of two Hollywood blockbusters, 'Mission: Impossible 5' and 'Minions,' has plummeted, and they are about to be taken off the screens."

"."

As expected, with its extremely high number of screenings, "Lost in Hong Kong" achieved phenomenal success on its opening day.

After a series of media reports came out, all the industry peers were envious!

However, compared to its impressive box office performance, the critical reception of "Lost in Hong Kong" can only be described as mixed.

On its very first day of release, the film received a score of less than six on Impression.com, a stark contrast to its predecessors!

Furthermore, the internet is filled with a lot of criticism, especially directed at Bao Beier, which is countless.

Criticisms included "over-the-top acting," "deliberate imitation," "feigning ignorance," "forced humor," and "the biggest flaw in the film."
In short, the fiber optic leader was ridiculed and denigrated by the entire internet.

But Lao Wang, the producer, didn't care at all. When he called Wei Jin, he was extremely proud of himself.

However, it's understandable, given that fiber optic stock prices have been soaring since the morning.

By the afternoon close, the gains had approached seven percent, instantly increasing Old Wang's net worth by over a hundred million. Who wouldn't want to have a couple more drinks in that situation?!
"It's a pity, though. Although Xu Zheng is a co-director of the company, he has an exclusive agreement with Huanxi. If there is a sequel after 'Lost in Hong Kong,' it will have nothing to do with fiber optics."

So, you're really living the good life, bro. You just lie there and earn almost half of the box office revenue, plus you can still enjoy the profits afterward. Tsk tsk tsk."

"Brother, that's enough! Let's not even talk about how much fiber optics will get in box office revenue. Just look at how much the stock price will rise by 20% or 30% in just one month of release. You should be satisfied!"

Old Wang is really pretentious. Wei Jin didn't tolerate him and immediately retorted, but the "exclusivity agreement" claim was indeed true.

According to Wei Jin, Huanxi Media signed priority investment agreements with all the directors who joined the company, thus gaining exclusive rights.

Moreover, as a core clause of Dong Ping's "Great Directors Alliance Plan", the priority investment right is tied to shares - that is, the more shares you have, the longer the priority period will be.

Xu Guangtou seems to have signed a six-year contract, so it's unlikely we'll see a sequel anytime soon.

Even if Xu Guangtou could wait, Dong Ping would never allow such a popular IP as the "Lost in..." series to gather dust in a warehouse!
However, the copyright agreement for the "Lost in..." series signed by Wei Jin and Xu Guangtou is completely free from the restrictions of the right of first refusal, so it's no wonder that Lao Wang is envious.

"Brother, you're wrong. The release period for 'Lost in Hong Kong' isn't just one month. It grossed over 20 million on its opening day and is definitely heading towards 2 billion. How could the authorities not grant it an extension key?"

"Don't say a month, give me at least half a month's extension, otherwise I'll go all out and make a scene, hahaha."

Goodness, Old Wang is really getting cocky. He's saying things like that. He's completely disregarding "Dynasty Warriors".

No wonder! With box office exceeding 2 million on its opening day, and on a weekday no less, who in the industry wouldn't be smug?!

"Sure, I'll cheer you on and give you some support, haha."

After get off work, Wei Jin left the company and went to a private restaurant to welcome the cast and crew of "Peerless".

However, since the crew consisted mostly of Hong Kong filmmakers, Wei Jin didn't have much to talk about with them, and the whole process was rather uneventful.

After the welcome banquet, the crew checked into the hotel arranged by the company in advance, while Wei Jin took the expectant Liu Shishi to the Xishan Villa.

Unexpectedly, as soon as she got into the car, Liu Shishi pressed the partition on the back seat and squatted down on her own.

Feeling the caress of those slender, delicate hands, Wei Jin's lips curled into a playful smile. "Shishi, why are you in such a hurry?"

Liu Shishi gave him a charming glare, said nothing, and went about her work.

A moment later, she finally saw her long-missed friend.

Although her best friend was listless and didn't greet her excitedly, the familiar smell alone made Liu Shishi swallow hard.

Those long, beautiful legs, encased in black stockings, also involuntarily came together, as if this could suppress the surging poetic sentiment.

……

"Shishi, why are you so weak today? Why don't you get some rest tonight? There's a premiere tomorrow."

"I don't want it!"

What a joke! Liu Shishi had finally gotten a chance to play cards, so she immediately refused Wei Jin's "kind offer".

Then she looked at him with a pitiful expression, her red lips pouting high, "And you say that? It's all your fault! It's been more than three months, and you haven't even come to see me. Are you really that busy? Humph!"

"Shishi~~ Don't be upset. Aren't you going to be on a TV show and doing interviews in the capital these next few days? I'll stay with you, okay?"

Wei Jin couldn't help but reach out and touch her delicate face, feeling a little guilty.

As Liu Shishi said, everything in the company is on track, and there is actually not much time that he needs to be in charge.

But with so many women in the capital, Mr. Wei can't just abandon the base and go on business trips every now and then to have affairs, can he?

All he could do was make the most of their time together to fill the void in her life, so he gently patted Liu Shishi's pretty face and said softly:
"Alright, Shishi, let your brother take good care of you from now on."

~~~
(End of this chapter)