The Birth of Shanghai's First Conglomerate

Chapter 50 The First Female Artist
The car reached the Second Ring Road.

Bai Xin rushed out; she was in a hurry to perform as a female Eighth Route Army soldier, the kind where a bomb could kill her instantly.

His appearance was just to show his face.

He only gets paid 300 yuan a day; he's just a nobody actor.

Before leaving, I said goodbye to him, Uncle.

Time flies; this former junior high school bully is now what people call an uncle.

He only truly knows two people in the entertainment industry.

One is Zhao Liying, and the other is director Yang Jiancheng.

In the entertainment industry, money alone isn't enough to find investment opportunities.

Good projects are even scarcer resources, and someone like him with no connections in the entertainment industry is practically a complete novice.

Besides, the more than 100 million in his pocket is nothing in the entertainment industry.

Everyone who's even slightly famous has some small goals.

Let's find an office first.

We definitely can't afford to rent the whole building, and there's no need for it.

After much deliberation, he finally rented a place in Beijing where the city's skyscrapers were most concentrated.

CBD.

This area is also the central business district of Beijing, a gathering place for bigwigs.

Chen Pingsheng rented a small office space of 500 square meters in the Guomao Building at a high price and officially launched Tengying Entertainment.

The main reason I rented here is because it's convenient.

There were two pairs of underwear next door.

CCTV headquarters building.

There's also the China Zun, the tallest building in Beijing.

Also known as the CITIC Group Headquarters Building, it is 528 meters tall.

Only in places like this can one realize one's own insignificance.

He's already rented this office; it's in a very luxurious location, and he's currently the only person there, from the boss to the cleaning lady.

Tengying Entertainment, as the name suggests, focuses on investment in the entertainment industry.

Chen Pingsheng sat idly by the floor-to-ceiling window and took the initiative to call Yang Jiancheng to let him know that he had arrived at the Second Ring Road.

If it's convenient, you can come over.

I called Zhao Liying, whom I hadn't contacted in a long time, and we'll discuss the next investment work for Tengying Entertainment after they arrive.

How exactly should this be carried out?

Zhao Liying arrived quickly; she had bought herself a small Mercedes-Benz.

If you can become a leading actor in the entertainment industry, your income can be quite high.

Buying a car and a house after watching one TV series is no problem at all.

Star power nourishes people, and Zhao Liying has completely shed her initial naivety and become a well-known artist in the entertainment industry.

"Brother Chen."

"Liying, look, thanks to you, your brother Chen now runs an entertainment company."

Zhao Liying still has a sweet smile, and there's a reason why she's so popular with audiences.

It truly warms people's hearts.

"That's a good thing."

Zhao Liying sat down opposite him with ease, and Chen Pingsheng poured her a cup of tea.

"Liying, are you almost done filming your 'Legend of Lu Zhen'?"

"Yes, Director Yang is very efficient. We'll definitely wrap up filming in another month."

Zhao Liying asked him, "Brother Chen, are you planning to sign and train artists yourself when you start this entertainment company, or are you just investing?"

"Does it make any difference?"

"The difference is huge."

Zhao Liying explained, "If you only plan to invest, then it's none of your business after the TV series airs. But if you sign an artist, and the TV series becomes a hit, your company can take a large cut of the artist's subsequent commercial performances and endorsements. Even if that artist takes on other TV series later, your company will still take at least half of their salary. That's how you have a continuous stream of income." Training artists—the income is indeed high, but the key is, he doesn't know how.

Chen Pingsheng said, "As you know, your brother Chen used to be a street vendor, and in my spare time I would help people move. I don't really know much about the entertainment industry, let alone managing artists."

"Brother Chen, I, Zhao Liying, hope to become your first artist. I hope you won't mind."

Zhao Liying stood up and said very seriously.

Without Chen Pingsheng, she might still be playing minor roles everywhere.

One should know how to be grateful. In the past six months, many large companies have wanted to sign her, but she has not agreed to do so because of this.

Chen Pingsheng waved his hand in refusal: "Don't be silly. I'm just a nobody and I don't know anything. If you come in, I'm afraid I'll just hold you back."

"Brother Chen, don't be modest. You may not understand the entertainment industry yet, but I believe you can do better than anyone else if you are given some time."

"You trust me that much?"

"That's for sure."

Zhao Liying smiled and said, "Brother Chen, you've grown Tengsheng Fruit Dried Fruit to such a large size in less than a year, haven't you?"

"The entertainment industry is just like that. The main thing is to find good scripts and good directors, and then find people who really want to be actors. It's definitely not harder than selling fruit."

"If you put it that way, then I have confidence."

Chen Pingsheng laughed and said, "We're not exactly strangers. Since you trust me, I certainly can't treat you unfairly. How about this: I'll invest in any scripts you like from now on, the company will only take 10% of your salary as the lead actor, and we'll work with whoever you want to collaborate with."

The three "ordinary" statements fully affirmed Zhao Liying's independence within Tencent Film Studio.

Such conditions absolutely do not exist in any company.

He's really delegating a lot of authority; if you don't know how to do something, don't force yourself to do it, just leave it to the professionals.

Zhao Liying never expected that she would receive such preferential treatment as soon as she joined.

The first Danfan ensured that she could freely choose scripts in the future.

More importantly, Tencent will invest in anything she personally approves of.

This is something no artist in the industry could imagine.

The second point naturally guarantees her absolute income.

No matter how large the traffic, no company will only take 10%.

The third point is even more obvious. What actors fear most is finding a good script, only to have their co-star be a traffic star with no acting skills who is simply packaged up by capital.

In that case, no matter how hard she tries, she'll still fall for it.

With these three qualities, she is definitely a unique presence in the entertainment industry.

"Brother Chen, let's sign the contract quickly, you can't go back on your word."

"Don't rush, let me give you a small gift first."

Chen Pingsheng asked her, "Where do you live now?"

"I bought a small house here myself."

“Your sister-in-law is obsessed with real estate speculation now. How about this, I’ll have her buy you a large apartment in Shijingshan as a signing gift, and we’ll still be neighbors in the future.”

Chen Pingsheng called Song Yanxi, wanting to emulate Liu Bei.

We can only follow his example, since he really doesn't understand the entertainment industry.

Even with the help of a cheat code, it's still impossible to succeed without a female strategist to guide you.

It seems unlikely that his Tengying career will truly take off.

A large apartment in Wujingshan would only cost six or seven million at most, which is less than the future income a big star could bring.

It's just a drop in the ocean.

As the first female artist under Tencent Entertainment, she even lives in a small house.

Is that reasonable?

The saying goes, "No great reward comes without great effort."

Zhao Liying was completely dumbfounded by him.

The crucial point is, she didn't even know when she became so valuable.
She's just a nobody, not even a third-tier actress.

If you run a business like that, I could eat your food for the rest of my life.

(End of this chapter)