Entering the Chinese entertainment industry is like entering a deep sea

Chapter 777 Fun Facts from the Awards Ceremony

Li Chen had a clear idea of ​​who should be cast in "Parasite," so he gave the list directly to Yu Miao and asked her to coordinate her schedule.

This film is an ensemble piece, so there's basically no need to consider acting awards. Apart from South Korea awarding itself that year, it hasn't received any acting nominations internationally, whether at Cannes or the Oscars.

Therefore, Li Chen did not intend to include any personal agenda, such as having a few Chinese actors appear on the show.

Zhang Yixing and Song Qian were perfectly capable of playing the two roles in this drama, and their Korean was also excellent.

However, CJ was afraid that Li Chen would use his position for personal gain, so they publicized Li Chen's noble character and claimed that he came to help South Korean films go global, and that the entire cast was composed of South Korean actors.

With such a serious accusation leveled against him, Li Chen was unwilling to argue with CJ over one or two insignificant roles.

It remains to be seen whether the final product will shine at the Oscars like it did in its previous life.

In the end, a South Korean film will make Lee Chen, the screenwriter, director, and producer, famous.

Li Chen really wanted to see what Li Meijing's expression would be like then.
-

The meeting between Li Chen and the big boss Wang made Zhang Yiming, who was living in the Rongchen Film Industry headquarters building, eager to make a move.

"President Li, I have lived up to your expectations and have not let down the two bosses' hard-earned money. After a year of research and experimentation, Toutiao Music Short Video has finally been born."

Zhang Yiming came downstairs excitedly, looking for Liu Yifei was the same as looking for Li Chen.

The two are husband and wife as one; Liu Yifei's belongs to Li Chen.

Li Chen laughed and said, "Let's go, let's go take a look together."

Compared to Zhang Yiming's excitement, Li Chen was much calmer.

Toutiao Music's short videos are just the first step in a long journey. There's still a long way to go. Without financial support and a reasonable roadmap, don't even think about turning Toutiao Videos into Douyin (TikTok).

Douyin also gradually grew stronger through a series of acquisitions and many detours.

Over the past year, m.ly music has been quietly launched last year.

It's that music-based short video social app that was later acquired by Douyin for $10 billion!

"Mr. Zhang, you're familiar with the app m.ly, right?"

"Mr. Li, you can just call me Yiming. I know that this app is currently very popular among American teenagers. I've heard that m.ly is currently undergoing its first round of financing."

Li Chen nodded, and the two entered the elevator: "Have you ever thought about taking it over now that it's just starting out?"

If TikTok acquires this app now, it can also establish a global presence in advance, making it difficult for Trump to block it even if he wanted to.

Zhang Yiming has gotten to where he is today, so he must be very smart.

"Mr. Li, do you mean to expand overseas?"

Li Chen nodded without hesitation and asked, "Is your target only domestically?"

"That's not all. Acquiring musical.ly is just the first step. We need to address our shortcomings in technology, content, social networking, and monetization. We're not just going to acquire this one company. I heard that the founder of m.ly is also Chinese."

Zhang Yiming thought to himself that the man in front of him had a far superior sense of the big picture and vision compared to many of his peers.

While you're focusing on the domestic market, others are already setting their sights on the global market.

Accompanied by a group of people from the lab, the two watched the music short video app together.

Although it's only 15 seconds long so far, we've finally seen the beginnings of Douyin.

Li Chen was momentarily lost in thought.

Next, once this app is launched, it will likely shake up all three major tech giants: BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent).

"President Li, President Li?" Zhang Yiming called out quickly when he saw Li Chen lost in thought.

"what?"

"Mr. Li, how about we name this app? It was you who suggested the music short video idea."

"Yes, Mr. Li, how about we give it a name?"

Zhang Yiming and the engineers in the lab spoke up one after another, all of them looking excited.

Li Chen looked around and asked with a smile, "What are your thoughts?"

Zhang Yiming smiled and said, "I've thought of a name: Sound Wave."

Li Chen nodded: "How about calling it 'Douyin'? The English name will be TikTok!"

"Shaking?"

"Shake it!"

"Great, this sounds much better than Mr. Zhang's sound waves."

Excited laughter erupted from the crowd.

Zhang Yiming also thought it was a good idea, and so the name Douyin was decided.

Zhang Yiming and Li Chen returned to the office. Zhang Yiming reported to Li Chen that they planned to spend three months testing the system and strive to launch it before the end of June.

"Mr. Li, what kind of support can you provide? You're Yifei's husband, you can't be stingy!" Zhang Yiming said, half jokingly and half seriously.

With the resources he currently possesses, if he unleashes his full potential, Douyin's launch will undoubtedly be a tremendous boost.

Even if BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent) join forces, Zhang Yiming is not afraid.

"The video length still needs to be increased; 15 seconds is too short, it should be at least 30 seconds."

"As for support, don't worry. Rongchen's domestic resources will be fully open to Douyin, whether it's celebrity endorsements or online and offline support."

With those words, Zhang Yiming was content.

This person is a major shareholder of Weibo and Youku, and has also swapped shares with Wanda. It can be said that he controls traffic in one hand and the platform in the other. He could easily defeat any of the BAT companies.

-

Surprisingly, Yang Mi actually managed to persuade Xue Xiaolu.

"Sister Lu, it's up to you to decide." In Li Chen's office, Xue Xiaolu, whom he hadn't seen for a long time, told Li Chen that she had finally decided to give the female lead role in "The Love Letter" to Yang Mi.

It's because she had promised Yang Mi that she would consider her, and since they were both from the Beijing Film Academy, and Yang Mi always called her Teacher Xue.

“If you’re the investor and you disagree, then I have a legitimate reason to refuse her. Mimi’s acting skills are what I’m most worried about. I’ve seen her work over the years, and frankly, her performances lack depth and dimension.”

Li Chen laughed and said, "Sister Lu, I don't have much to say. Actually, the combination of Jiajia and Zhang Jiayi was very effective in the first part."

"Moreover, for a series of films, it's best not to change the male and female leads easily, because everyone has preconceived notions and habitual thinking. Si Cheng's sequel to 'Detective Chinatown' also features the original cast."

"Of course, this is just a suggestion; the choice is ultimately yours."

Xue Xiaolu, being observant, clearly understood what Li Chen meant.

“Okay, I understand. Actually, I didn’t want to replace Jiajia either, since Jiajia is still your artist,” Xue Xiaolu said with a smile.

Lu Yang also came to seek Li Chen's opinion.

Li Chen couldn't help but laugh. He hadn't expected Yang Mi to cast such a wide net, even managing to win over Lu Yang as well.

When talking to Lu Yang, Li Chen was much less polite.

"The first choice is artists under the company. Jiang Shuying is performing well, there is no need to replace her."

Yang Mi, who was working on the set of "Ode to Joy," suffered a series of setbacks in one day.

My face was more bitter than a bitter gourd.

"Liu Qianqian, people forget you when you leave. I feel like I'm drifting further and further away from my senior and you after I left the company."

"What do you mean? Why are you suddenly saying all this?" During the lunch break, Yang Mi insisted on dragging her to eat together, and started talking nonsense. "Sigh, I'm destined to miss out on 'Finding Mr. Right' and 'Brotherhood of Blades 2.' Is it because of that nonsense I said about being an 'outsider' the other day?"

"I see," Liu Yifei laughed. "You're overthinking it. Didn't I tell you that day that the company's core projects will definitely prioritize signed artists? Otherwise, why would they follow Rong Chen?"

"Besides, look at you now, you're as busy as a spinning top, shuttling between three film crews a day. If I were Sister Lu or Director Lu, I wouldn't choose you either."

Yang Mi looked miserable after hearing this: "What can I do? I'm severely sleep-deprived every day, and I'm almost getting depression."

Liu Yifei didn't respond. Everyone has their own choices. Since you've chosen to start your own business, you'll have to bear the storms yourself.

You can't keep expecting Rong Chen to give you special treatment. If your husband keeps giving you special treatment, you'll probably start to feel jealous.

-

On the day of Sina's 15th anniversary celebration, all the artists under Rongchen's management who were not currently filming received an invitation from Sina.

Judging from the lineup of celebrities on the red carpet released by Sina, it almost brings together top A-list celebrities and big names from all walks of life from both sides of the Taiwan Strait and Hong Kong.

Shuang Bing, Huang Xiaoming, Deng Chao, Zhu Yilong, Zhang Ziyi, Yu Dong, Wu Yifan, Liu Ye, Chen Kun, Huang Guanzhong, Zhu Yin, Li Yuchun, etc.

On the way there, Li Chen heard Yang Siwei tell him something very interesting.

Yang Siwei's former assistant has recently gained some fame.

According to Yang Siwei, she took on a role in a web series called "Go Princess Go". Among the actresses in the industry, Chen Xiaoyun is the most successful in changing her appearance, but Zhang Tianai is not bad either.

Zhang Jiao has truly become a completely different person from Zhang Tianai.

From the morning onwards, Weibo became a sea of ​​messages from celebrities, who all sent their best wishes, while those walking the red carpet naturally showed off their outfits.

When Li Chen arrived as a special guest, most of the red carpet had already been covered.

The rest of the backstage area is mostly filled with big names, with Yu Dong and Zhang Ziyi being the most prominent.

"Boss, it's Zhang Ziyi and Yu Dong." Before even getting out of the car, Yang Siwei spotted the two very clearly.

One is fat and the other is thin. If Zhang Ziyi were a little taller, she would almost be mistaken for a fat and thin monk.

"Is it true that her brother disrupted the marriage proposal that was reported online the other day?" Li Chen asked curiously.

Yang Siwei laughed and said, "Of course it's true. The relationship between the two siblings was just so-so to begin with. Moreover, Zhang Ziyi's mother is a billionaire and she herself is an international superstar. The fact that she chose Wang Feng is said to have made her mother and brother furious."

As soon as Zhang Ziyi saw the Rolls-Royce, she knew that Li Chen had arrived.

On-site staff opened the car door.

Zhang Ziyi and Yu Dong walked up together.

"I knew it was Director Li who was bringing up the rear. Now I'm completely convinced." Yu Dong walked up with a big laugh.

This fat man has been enjoying great success lately, seemingly having shaken off the shadow of his divorce last year.

"The Taking of Tiger Mountain" and "From Vegas to Macau II" together grossed 15 billion yuan at the box office.

Aside from Rongchen Films, Bona Film Group was the most successful during the Spring Festival.

"Mr. Li, Siwei, congratulations!" Zhang Ziyi took the initiative to hug Yang Siwei cheek to cheek, and then extended both hands to shake hands with Li Chen, her posture quite appropriate.

With Li Chen present, Yang Siwei didn't rush to retort. Instead, she and Zhang Ziyi walked aside and said with a smile, "You should congratulate yourself. You've gained both wealth and beauty, and Wanda's stock price has risen again. You should thank my boss properly."

Zhang Ziyi glanced at Yu Dong and Li Chen beside her, then leaned close to Yang Siwei's ear and whispered with a smile, "You tell me how to thank them, and I'll thank them that way, isn't that enough?"

Yang Siwei thought to herself, "You'd better save your breath; you're not my boss's type."

Li Chen gave Yu Dong a few perfunctory words before finally walking down the red carpet with Yang Siwei.

The moment the two entered the venue, they became the center of attention.

Li Chen glanced around casually, his gaze lingering briefly on Li Bingbing and Wu Yifan.

These two are dressed like the Black and White Impermanence today, except they're sticking out their tongues.

Cao Guowei personally came to greet him, saying in an annoyed tone, "If you're any later, the red carpet won't be able to wait!"

Yang Siwei quickly smiled and said, "Chairman Cao, please don't be offended. I left home late today, which caused some delays."

"If I can come, you can still say something. If I don't come, let's see what you have to say." Li Chen, dressed in a light gray suit, stood straight with sharp eyes, standing between Cao Guowei and Yang Siwei, which was quite conspicuous.

Cao Guowei snorted and said, "You might as well just rely on your physique to make a living, so that no one else will have anything to eat."

The people in the room had different thoughts.

"Chairman Cao personally greeted him. This kind of treatment is only seen from President Li and that official tonight," Big Baby said enviously, standing next to Huang Xiaoming.

"Once you have half of Mr. Li's wealth, you'll be the star wherever you go." Huang Xiaoming didn't want to discourage his darling, but he also didn't want her to be unrealistic and think about unrelated things all the time.

Fan Bingbing stepped forward and walked to Yang Siwei's side, smiling, "Brother Chen, we all thought you weren't coming."

"us?"

"What, are you planning to make it official?" Li Chen asked in surprise.

Upon hearing this, Fan Bingbing unconsciously glanced at Cao Guowei, then frowned and glared at Li Chen before laughing, "If it were you, Brother Chen, I would announce it without hesitation!"

Yang Siwei then said, "Save your breath. Your partner and my boss are one and two, respectively!"

Cao Guowei didn't understand what kind of sign language the others were using, but Li Chen laughed.

'琛' is pronounced with the first tone, while Fan Bingbing's '晨' is pronounced with the second tone. Yang Siwei's explanation is not wrong.

Fan Bingbing's face flushed, and she could only secretly pinch Yang Siwei as revenge.

However, she was extremely curious about how Brother Chen knew she was planning to make an official announcement, even guessing the creative use of "we".

It's really quite unbelievable.

With Li Chen's arrival, everyone was finally together.

Cao Guowei escorted Li Chen all the way to the front row. The artists present seemed to be signing in, and anyone with ambition would humbly run over to Li Chen to show their faces.

His humble posture and stance clearly highlighted the reality of the entertainment industry, where people elevate the powerful and belittle the weak.

Even someone with Huang Xiaoming's influence was half-bending over, talking to Li Chen about something. All the onlookers could see was Huang Xiaoming nodding frequently and occasionally clasping his hands in thanks.

"October 8th? I'll see. Congratulations in advance on winning your sweetheart's heart. You've finally achieved your happy ending."

"Thank you, Mr. Li. I will personally deliver the invitations another day."

Li Chen nodded with a smile, and Huang Xiaoming turned around and went back to the back row with satisfaction.

Fan Bingbing had just been teased by Li Chen and Yang Siwei when she was attacked by Huang Xiaoming at the awards ceremony.

Li Chen sat in the audience, while on stage were several award recipients for outstanding contributions: Huang Xiaoming, Fan Bingbing, Li Bingbing, Li Yuchun, Twins, and Yang Siwei, who replaced Liu Yifei on stage.

Everyone had an acceptance speech; after Huang Xiaoming, it was Fan Bingbing's turn.

Huang Xiaoming didn't forget to promote "My Sunshine".

Unexpectedly, Fan Bingbing followed suit, and after giving her acceptance speech, she gave a funny smile and glanced at Huang Xiaoming next to her.

He immediately followed up with, "If you don't watch 'Ever Since We Love,' then you shouldn't watch 'My Sunshine.'"

Laughter immediately erupted from the scene.

The host asked, "What did Xiaoming say?"

Huang Xiaoming glanced at Fan Bingbing with a smile: "I've known Bingbing for many years, and she's a grown woman now, and she's in a relationship."

The scene was one of stunned silence.
(End of this chapter)