The Red Era: Living in Seclusion in a Siheyuan as a Boss

Chapter 804 The Arrival of a Golden Age of Culture and Entertainment!!!
As the year 2000 marked the beginning of the 21st century, Tokyo University ushered in an opportunity for rapid development, and the lives of ordinary people improved along with the progress of the country, presenting a vivid social picture.

As the bells of the new century rang out, a new era arrived as scheduled, and the night sky that year was adorned with dazzling celebratory fireworks.

At the Century Altar in Yanjing, tens of thousands of people and compatriots scattered around the world celebrated together as the exciting 21st century finally arrived!

With all sectors flourishing, the cultural and entertainment industry, as a major manifestation of the arrival of a prosperous era, is also "rising higher and higher like sesame flowers blooming."

In the cinema, the swordplay of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" captivated audiences; on the streets, Jay Chou's "Starry Night" played on Walkmans; and in front of the television, the reruns of "My Fair Princess" still brought laughter to the whole family.

This is an era of explosive growth in cultural consumption. VCD players have become a standard feature in newlywed families, and internet cafes are packed with young people exploring the world of the internet.

In Pudong New Area, a grand light show is being held at the foot of the Oriental Pearl Tower, with laser beams outlining the brilliant number "2002" in the night sky.

Meanwhile, in the various technology companies in Zhongguan Village, programmers are working overtime to prepare for the upcoming internet wave.

In the subway station, people use brand-new public transport IC cards to pass through the turnstiles with a "beep". This convenient payment method has also taught many elderly people how to use high-tech products.

In the farmers' market, vendors used the newly popular mobile phones to contact suppliers; on campus, students circulated the latest Chinese edition of "Harry Potter"; in the square, middle-aged women danced to the melody of "Meet in 1998".

Every ordinary day tells a story of the vitality and energy of this extraordinary era.

Although the first black-and-white television set in China was successfully trial-produced by the Dongdajin Port Radio Factory as early as March 17, 1958.

But it wasn't until the 1980s that television began to become widespread (Liu Zhiye's previous life was after the 1990s).

Hunan Cable Radio and Television Station, which now consistently ranks first among provincial satellite TV stations, began its trial broadcasts as early as the early 1990s.

By the mid-6s, ZY TV had conducted six large-scale live broadcasts, among which the Hong Kong handover coverage was the largest live broadcast since the establishment of ZY TV.

With a medium for dissemination, products such as movies, TV series, and variety shows derived from it began to enter the public eye.

The cultural and entertainment industry has always been closely related to the economy.

In the mid-1990s, T Province's GDP was approximately US$260 billion, about 19% of Dongda University's GDP (46% in Liu Zhiye's previous life).

In 1997, Hong Kong's GDP reached US$1.85 trillion, surpassing that of Beijing (US$650 billion, with Liujiazhuang area accounting for US$500 billion), Shanghai, Guangdong Province, and Bao'an Special Economic Zone in the same year.

Hong Kong films and Taiwanese variety shows in the 1980s and 90s are also known as the golden age.

In Hong Kong, the most intense competition is between TVB, founded by the Shaw family, and Asia Pacific Film & Television Group, owned by the Liu family's overseas capital.

The once-popular Miss Asia pageant was organized by ATV, which in turn controlled the whereabouts of most artists. Zhang Manyu, Zhong Chuhong, Lin Jiaxin and other actresses who later became very popular all came from Miss Asia.

Besides Sister Wa, ATV also had its own TVB Artist Training School, which trained many big stars for Hong Kong's film and television industry.

Stars such as Zhou Yunfa, Zhou Xingchi, Liang Chaowei, Liu Dahua, Guo Fucheng, Zhang Jiahui, and Liu Jialing, as well as director Du Qifeng, all came from this training school.

ATV also produced Hong Kong TV dramas such as "I Have a Date with Spring", "I Have a Date with a Vampire", "International Police", "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils", "The Legend of Xie Diao", "The Greed of Man", "A Better Tomorrow", and "Huo Yuanjia".

In 1999, ATV took advantage of the popularity of the domestic TV series "My Fair Princess" and its ratings soared throughout Asia.

Zhang Guorong, who became extremely popular in Asia, entered the music scene by winning the runner-up title in the Hong Kong region of the Asian Singing Contest held by ATV. He then signed with ATV and filmed many TV series.

In the early 1990s, ATV launched a brand-new variety show called "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," hosted by the famous host Chan Kai-tai. The show sparked a nationwide quiz craze as soon as it aired.

During the broadcast time, tea restaurants on the streets turn up the TV volume, and diners answer questions while eating, creating a lively scene.

A few years ago, ATV co-produced "At the Threshold of an Era" with the mainland, which was broadcast simultaneously in the Asia-Pacific region, and the business war-themed plot resonated strongly.

In the drama, Gallen Lo's character, Yip Wing-tim, becomes a new generation of business idol, and the titanium-framed glasses he wears once sold out.

At the same time, TVB was not to be outdone, launching the medical drama "Healing Hands", and the "Ching Chi-mei CP" of Bowie Lam and Flora Chan became a hot topic of conversation.

The rise of the internet has injected new vitality into the cultural and entertainment industry.

Xinlang.com pioneered the launch of celebrity chat rooms, and when Lau Tat-wah was a guest, the server crashed for two hours.

Qidian Literature website has gathered a large number of online writers, and Pi Zi Cai's "First Intimate Contact" was quickly bought by ATV for film and television adaptation.

In Zhongguancun, Yanjing, Baidu began providing MP3 search services to netizens, and Zhou Jielun's "Nunchucks" consistently topped the download charts.

With the rise of internet digital music, mobile music has become increasingly popular.

In Huaqiangbei, Baoxian County, counterfeit mobile phone manufacturers have developed "music phones" with 30 built-in MP3s, heralding the arrival of the mobile entertainment era.

The booming cultural and entertainment industry has also boosted the surrounding economy.

At the entrance of Yanjing Xidan Audio-Visual World, fans lined up for a kilometer to buy F4's "Meteor Rain" album;
The "Asia-Pacific Cinema City" in Shanghai launched "couple seats" for the first time, and weekend screenings need to be booked a week in advance; in Tianhe Computer City in Guangdong Province, young people are scrambling to buy "multimedia computers" that can play VCDs.

These consumption scenarios, imbued with the marks of the times, together weave together the most moving cultural landscape of the early 2000s.

Hong Kong entertainment has dominated Asia for years, and the "Asia Pacific Film Group" has made a fortune.

This attracted more investors to the entertainment industry, making Tokyo's entertainment industry the world's second largest, second only to Hollywood in America.

Lam Kin-yue, son of Lam Pak-yan of the Lam family in Hong Kong, and several filmmakers founded Media Asia Films in Hong Kong, which produced films including "Initial D" and "Love in the Buff".

The Yang Shoucheng family, whose status is comparable to that of the Lin Boxin family, established Emperor Entertainment Group in 1999 and signed many singers, including Twins, Xie Tingfeng, Chen Yixun, Rong Zuer, and Teacher Chen.

Meanwhile, the Yung Sing Film Company, founded by the Xiang brothers, gradually rose to prominence, producing many box office hits.

The competition among capital undoubtedly brought Hong Kong a glorious moment that remains unsurpassed to this day. On the other hand, the close relationship between wealthy businessmen and artists has become a topic of conversation for countless people.

"Capital has a very clear positive effect on the cultural and entertainment industry. If capital is used in the right works, it will naturally produce a series of good works. Proper use is very important."

Province T is more outstanding in variety shows and idol dramas.

Asia Pacific Film & Television Group acquired several large entertainment companies in T Province.

They created variety shows including "Kangxi Coming", "Guoguang Help", "Guess Guess Guess", "Super Star Avenue", and popular variety shows that swept across Asia such as "The Prince Who Turns into a Frog", "Smiling Pasta", "It Started With a Kiss" and "My Lucky Star".

Meanwhile, the mainland entertainment market is also quietly rising.

In 1998, Hunan TV launched "Happy Camp," ushering in a new era for variety shows in mainland China.

The show adopts the relaxed style of Hong Kong and Taiwan variety shows, and the hosting duo of He Jiong and Li Xiang quickly became a favorite among audiences across the country.

Every Saturday night, countless families would tune in to their television sets, and this program also made the first batch of mainland entertainment stars famous.

At the Yenching Film Studio, a new generation of directors is emerging.

Feng Shaogang's "The Dream Factory" pioneered the concept of "New Year's films," and Ge You's dry humor performance style was deeply loved by the audience.

Zhang Yimou's "My Father and Mother" won the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival, marking the beginning of Southeast University's films entering the international stage. The pop music scene was also experiencing a surge of activity.

Singers such as Na Ying and Wang Fei began to emerge, and their album sales repeatedly broke records.

The European and American pop music introduced by Guangdong Province's "Pacific Audio-Visual Company" has provided new creative inspiration for mainland musicians.

In Sanlitun, Beijing, the first batch of music bars began to appear, becoming a gathering place for artistic youths.

The rapid development of the Internet has brought new opportunities to the entertainment industry.

Tencent's QQ chat software quickly became popular throughout the country, and online chat rooms became a new platform for young people to communicate.

Sohu, NetEase, and other portal websites have launched entertainment channels, and celebrity gossip has become a hot topic among netizens.

This brand-new form of entertainment dissemination is quietly changing the entertainment habits of students at Southeast University.

Against this backdrop, Dongda's entertainment industry has ushered in an unprecedented golden age of development.

From traditional media to emerging online platforms, from imports from Hong Kong and Taiwan to original local productions, diverse entertainment content is meeting the needs of different groups and laying a solid foundation for the cultural and entertainment prosperity of the new century.

Some people will discover that the company quietly driving this development behind the scenes is actually a financial giant, "Liu's Financial Investment Group".

The "Dongda Culture Fund" under the "Liu's Financial Investment" Group has successively invested in "Huayi", "Yanjing Culture" and "Tangren Film and Television", and has also supported the social media giant Tencent as an "angel investor".

In the "Dongda Cultural Fund" office on the top floor of the Yanjing International Trade Building, Liu Yiming, an outstanding second-generation member of the Liu family, often tells the company's senior executives: "Cultural investment should be viewed ten years from now."

This foresight led the "foundation" to add 30 million yuan to the budget during the filming of "My Fair Princess," resulting in a comprehensive upgrade of the costumes and props in the show; when "Super Girl" faced a broken funding chain, it was the "cultural foundation" that provided timely assistance of 50 million yuan, ultimately making this phenomenal talent show a success.

The Liu Group's strategic planning during the entertainment industry transformation at the turn of the century was truly ingenious.

In 2001, the "Culture Foundation" keenly recognized the value of online literature IPs and took the lead in investing in the establishment of "Qidian Chinese Network," which included a number of popular online novels in its film and television adaptation reserve.

In the landscape of China's entertainment industry, the Liu family's "Liu's Film and Television Media Entertainment Group" can be considered a leader in the industry.

This powerful entertainment group has built a complete industry chain layout, with its businesses covering three core sectors: film and television production, variety show development, and artist management.

As an industry leader, Liu's Entertainment Group not only has a professional film and television production team, investing in and producing many high-quality films and television series every year, but also creates several phenomenal variety show IPs.

Its large talent agency has gathered many top-tier artists, providing the group with strong content production and artist resource support.

The person in charge of this economic company is a woman.

In the ever-changing world of the mainland entertainment industry, there is one woman whose name is enough to make half the industry take notice—Wang Jinghua.

She is a legendary figure in the entertainment industry, a "Miss Chinese International" whose gaze can determine an artist's fate and whose words can shake the entire industry landscape.

Speaking of Wang Jinghua's legendary story, it truly is a grassroots success story that started from scratch.

In the early 90s, when most people didn't even know what a "broker" was, Wang Jinghua was already working her way up in various entertainment venues in Beijing.

Back then, she was dirt poor. She would carefully consider her wallet before taking a taxi, and she would try to save money whenever possible when ordering food.

But this seemingly unremarkable woman, with just her words and a lot of courage, managed to package a group that didn't even have a well-known name as "Brother," making a splash in the industry.

That year, a turning point completely changed Wang Jinghua's life trajectory.

An acquaintance suggested that she try her luck in the film and television industry, so Wang Jinghua did not hesitate and applied the "promoting talent" model she had figured out in the music industry to the film and television industry.

This seemingly insignificant event has stirred up a massive wave in the deep waters of actor management.

What people talk about most is the legendary story of how Wang Jinghua won over Chen Daoming.

It's well known that Chen Daoming is notoriously difficult to work with. He can make directors' heads ache by choosing scripts, and he'll even change the script on set if he doesn't like the lines.

Such a veteran actor behaves like an obedient student in front of Wang Jinghua, even calling her "sister".

Not only that, Wang Jinghua also brought out talented actors like Hu Jun and Li Shuishui, who are now all box office guarantees capable of carrying a film.

Wang Jinghua's brilliance lies in the fact that she has completely refreshed people's understanding of the "agent" profession.

In her eyes, an agent is not just a simple resource broker, but an all-around manager for the artist.

From selecting scripts to refining lines, from costume design to emotional guidance, even the type of hotel to stay in and the temperature of the shower water all require her approval.

When an artist is sick, she is more worried than their family; when an artist cries, she immediately transforms into a psychologist.

In the words of her peers, "Sister Hua is not an agent, she's the artist's mother."

Wang Jinghua's office always has an exquisite tea set, which is said to be a birthday gift from Chen Daoming.

Whenever a new client comes to discuss a contract, she personally brews a pot of tea and observes them discreetly amidst the fragrant aroma.

There's a joke circulating in the industry: "Any artist who can drink three cups of tea from Miss Chinese International without showing any fear is basically guaranteed to become famous."

In 1995, Wang Jinghua brought the artists she had personally trained to join "Liu's Entertainment Group," transforming the then-emerging entertainment company into an industry leader.

At the annual meeting of "Liu's Entertainment", Wang Jinghua always sat in the middle of the first row.

Once, a new director accidentally took her seat, and everyone present gasped in shock.

But to everyone's surprise, she just smiled and patted the other person on the shoulder: "It's good that young people are energetic. Remember to bring out a Best Actress next year to see me."

The following year, the director indeed mentored a Best Actress winner at the Magnolia Awards.

From then on, "following Sister Hua means you'll get to eat meat" became a common understanding in the entertainment industry.

Under the leadership of Wang Jinghua, the talent agency under "Liu's Entertainment Group" has formed a complete internal ecosystem of artist resources, which is simply a "star-making factory".

In Wang Jinghua's office, the "celebrity wall" covered with photos of artists is considered a "feng shui treasure" in the entertainment industry. Whenever a new artist signs a contract, she personally selects an auspicious day and solemnly nails the photo to the wall. Everyone in the industry knows that artists who have their photos nailed to the wall by Sister Hua's personal hand are guaranteed to become hugely famous within three years.

One rainy night last year, Wang Jinghua was watching a graduation performance at the Beijing Film Academy when she spotted an inconspicuous girl in the corner.

This girl named Zhao Liying was not particularly outstanding among her classmates at the time.

Wang Jinghua, however, defied public opinion and signed her, personally guiding her to hone her acting skills.

A few years later, Zhao Liying starred in "The Journey of Flower," which became a ratings phenomenon and a hit.

Wang Jinghua's secret to creating stars lies in her unique "three-degree rule": an artist's image must withstand 360-degree scrutiny, their acting skills must have 90-degree explosive power, and their interpersonal skills must be flawless from 180 degrees.

(End of this chapter)