Entering the Chinese entertainment industry is like entering a deep sea

Chapter 852 New Journey

Zeng Jia and Zhao Ruoyao were talking back and forth, but Yang Mi made a mistake once and then made it a second time.

Even if Liu Qianqian is willing to lend her the money, wouldn't she have to make movies to pay off the debt in the future?

-

On an ice sheet in Antarctica, in an endless white world, there is only the low growl of the wind sweeping across the ice and the noisy calls of a flock of penguins.

Li Chen and Liu Yifei, wrapped in thick red winter coats, sat behind a sheltered snow slope, watching a group of Adélie penguins waddle by in the distance, like a miniature army in tuxedos performing some kind of comical ceremony.

Liu Yifei's face was slightly red from the cold, but her eyes were bright and sparkling; she was completely captivated by these adorable creatures.

Li Chen held up a telephoto lens to capture the penguins' adorable antics.

The satellite phone rang at an inopportune moment, sounding particularly jarring in the pure silence.

"It's Mindset." Liu Yifei glanced at the caller ID, answered the phone, and put it on speakerphone.

Yang Siwei's penetrating voice immediately pierced through the cold Antarctic wind.

"Sisi! Boss! Where are you two? Can't we find a place with a signal? I need to ask the boss for permission." Yang Siwei's voice sounded anxious, and there seemed to be constant WeChat notification sounds in the background.

Liu Yifei laughed, "We're watching penguins in Antarctica. What could be bigger than your boss having his gloves stolen by penguins?"

A penguin nearby was tilting its head and examining the gloves that Li Chen had placed to the side.

"Penguins?! My goodness. You two are a match made in heaven. The boss is a god forever, plus you, a celestial being fallen to earth!"

Yang Siwei choked for a moment, then immediately got back to the point: "It's a happy occasion, but it's broken the rules. Xiao Lu and Xiao Tong! They're together! They kept it a secret from me, and they got photographed! Weibo is in an uproar! The servers have crashed!"

"What?!" Liu Yifei was so shocked she almost threw the phone into the snow, her eyes wide open, instantly forgetting the penguin in front of her.

"Really? When did this happen?!"

Upon hearing this, Li Chen simply put down his camera, his expression so calm it was almost indifferent.

"That's it? I understand. You can handle it yourself!" Li Chen said.

Both Liu Yifei and the person on the other end of the phone fell silent.

Two seconds later, Yang Siwei's voice was filled with disbelief: "No way, boss? Is this your reaction? The two of them broke the contract and were secretly dating? Are you going to do anything about it?"

The call was disconnected, and Yang Siwei, holding the phone, felt completely overwhelmed.

Right after the National Day holiday, Yang Mi posted a Weibo message: "We have a past together, and we each have a future."

Weibo's resilience has never been able to withstand the power of Rong Chen's top influencers.

The buzz surrounding Yang Mi's departure from Jaywalk Studio hadn't died down when the revelation of Lu Han and Guan Xiaotong's relationship crashed Weibo.

On the same day, a selfie of Chen Kaige's 17-year-old son, Arthur, who looks like Wu Qian, also went viral.

The Li family's round-the-world trip ended in December 2017.

The day after he returned, Guan Xiaotong came to visit.

Over the past two months, deer resources have been visibly downgraded and frozen.

Its exposure plummeted to rock bottom.

The huge penalty for breach of contract alone made Lu Han question the meaning of life.

But only Rong Chen's own people knew these things.

Lu Han reluctantly admitted it.

Guan Xiaotong's biggest fear is that Yang Siwei will take the most severe punishment, directly sidelining Lu Han and using the long contract term to wear Lu Han down until he voluntarily terminates the contract.

This would be a fatal blow to Lu Han's career.

Don't be fooled by Lu Han's status as a top star. Rongchen is a place where, to put it bluntly, top stars are as common as dogs.

So many people are eagerly waiting for Lu Hanteng's position!

In the Central Villa District, Li Chen and Liu Yifei's villa lies quietly in a meticulously maintained garden, seemingly a world apart from the hustle and bustle of the city center.

Back home, jet lag hadn't completely worn off, and the tranquility and subtle weariness of returning from a long journey still lingered in the house.

Afternoon sunlight streamed through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, casting long patches of light on the floor.

Li Chen was reviewing company newsletters in his study, while Liu Yifei was arranging flowers in the adjacent lounge, enjoying the last moments of peace before resuming work. But this peace was soon shattered.

A slight commotion came from the front yard, and the butler's somewhat troubled voice came through the walkie-talkie.

"Sir, Miss Guan Xiaotong has arrived. She says she would like to meet you and your wife."

After a pause, the butler added, "Her eyes were red, as if she had been crying."

Li Chen and Liu Yifei exchanged a glance, their understanding unspoken.

Yang Siwei did not report the consequences of Lu Han's relationship being exposed afterward, but only revealed the punishment measures to Liu Yifei.

"Please let her in," Li Chen said calmly, putting down the briefing.

A short while later, Guan Xiaotong was led in.

The nation's sweetheart was wearing a simple white down jacket, without any makeup. Sure enough, her eyes and nose were red, like a frightened and aggrieved little rabbit, completely lacking her usual radiance.

As soon as Guan Xiaotong saw Li Chen and Liu Yifei, her lips trembled and tears fell like beads from a broken string.

"Brother Li, Sister Yifei," Guan Xiaotong said, her voice choked with emotion and thick with nasal discharge.

Liu Yifei, being soft-hearted, immediately put down the flower branch and went to greet her, putting her arm around her shoulder and leading her to sit down on the sofa, then handed her a tissue.

"Little Tong, don't cry, don't cry, tell me slowly, what happened?"

Guan Xiaotong sobbed, her words incoherent: "It's because of what happened between me and Brother Lu. Sister Siwei...she...she's angry!"

Li Chen sat down on the single sofa opposite, looking at Guan Xiaotong calmly without interrupting.

"Sister Siwei has stopped all of Brother Lu's appearances, and several endorsements that were agreed upon have also fallen through. The brands are also demanding huge breach of contract penalties." Guan Xiaotong became more and more anxious as she spoke, grabbing Liu Yifei's hand as if she were grasping at a lifeline.

"Sister Yifei, Brother Li, I know we were wrong. We shouldn't have kept it from the company, but... but I can't control my feelings. Please, please talk to Sister Siwei on his behalf. Don't keep ignoring him; he'll die."

Guan Xiaotong's concerns were not unfounded.

Yang Siwei is clearly making an example of Lu Han this time, and Lu Han is the perfect target.

Moreover, Yang Siwei is now practically the de facto controller of Rongchen, wielding increasing power and employing increasingly sophisticated methods, making it impossible for artists to joke with her.

Liu Yifei gently patted Guan Xiaotong's back, looking at Li Chen with a questioning gaze.

She felt a little reluctant, after all, she had watched Guan Xiaotong grow up.

Guan Xiaotong looked at Li Chen with teary eyes, her tone full of pleading and a glimmer of hope: "Brother Li, you know, I've believed in you and admired you since I was a child."

"Back when we were filming 'Shoplifters,' I didn't know anything, and you taught me step by step. In my heart, you're like my older brother. This time, please help me one more time, okay? We really know we were wrong!"

Li Chen finally spoke slowly, his voice gentle yet leaving no room for argument: "Xiao Tong, don't cry. Qianqian and I both know about this." "First, let me ask you, are you and Lu Han serious? Or is it just a passing fancy, or something to play around with?"

Guan Xiaotong paused for a moment, then nodded vigorously, her eyes filled with utmost seriousness: "It's true, Brother Li. We are truly together."

Li Chen nodded: "Alright, in that case, as your older brother, I wish you both the best. There's nothing wrong with feelings; at your age, it's perfectly natural for you to be in a relationship."

Just as a hint of joy appeared on Guan Xiaotong's face, Li Chen's next words plunged her heart into despair once again.

“But, Xiao Tong, the person sitting here talking to you right now is not just your Brother Li, but also the founder of Rongchen Film Industry and the manager of this company.”

"The company has its own rules and procedures. You and Lu Han are adults, and you signed a contract, which is clearly written down and stipulates the requirements for artists to report their relationships and the responsibilities for breach of contract."

"Since you two chose to conceal it, you must bear the consequences of your choice. This isn't directed at either of you; it's the rule."

"Brother Li" Guan Xiaotong got anxious and wanted to argue.

Li Chen raised his hand, gently but decisively stopping her: "In my opinion, the way you think is not beyond the scope of the company's rules."

"She was even enforcing company rules. If I were to disrupt company rules and interfere with her decision today because of your tears, how would the company be managed in the future?"

"What will other celebrities think? Will they be able to get special treatment if someone makes a mistake, comes to me to cry, and then I do it?"

"The company's rules not only protect the company's interests, but also every artist who abides by the rules. Today, Lu Han broke the rules, and if there is no consequence, it would be unfair to those who abide by the rules."

Li Chen's voice wasn't loud, but every word struck Guan Xiaotong's heart.

"I can't start this."

Guan Xiaotong's face gradually turned pale.

Liu Yifei watched from the side, sighing inwardly.

She fully understood her husband's decision and knew it was the ruthlessness necessary to manage a company. So all she could do was hold Guan Xiaotong's trembling shoulders tighter, offering silent comfort.

Seeing the girl's distraught appearance, Li Chen remained silent for a few seconds before softening his tone slightly.

"Let him face it himself. If he can't even weather this storm, he doesn't deserve to be at the top, let alone be with you."

"The real punishment is not the downgrading of resources, but whether he has the courage and ability to start over."

Guan Xiaotong's shoulders shrugged slightly. After a long while, she said in a voice barely audible, "I understand, Brother Li. I'm sorry to have disturbed your and Sister Yifei's rest."

After saying that, she stood up, wiped away her tears haphazardly, bowed to Li Chen and Liu Yifei, and then left the villa quickly with her head down.

Liu Yifei saw her to the door, watching Guan Xiaotong's slender figure disappear at the end of the driveway, and returned to her study with mixed feelings.

"Isn't that a bit too harsh?" Liu Yifei asked softly.

Li Chen walked to the window, looked at the desolate winter scenery outside, and slowly said, "Jade that is not carved cannot become a useful object. This applies to the company, and it also applies to people."

"The mindset is teaching them their first lesson in the harshest way: in this circle, willfulness and tears are the most useless things. What matters more than everything else is the spirit of contract and the rules."

Two days later, Yang Mi came to visit again.

However, Yang Mi did not cry and sob like Guan Xiaotong when she left.

Instead, she had a smile on her face. She had established her own studio with only three shareholders: Yang Mi, Yang Chunling, and Yang Xiaolin.

-

In January 2018, the winter nights in Beijing were enveloped in a chilling cold where breath turned to frost, but inside the banquet hall of the Bulgari Hotel on the East Third Ring Road, a bustling and vibrant scene unfolded.

The annual gala of Rongchen Film Group is being held here; it's less of an annual meeting and more of a post-coronation celebration.

The crystal chandelier bathed everyone in golden light, and the air was filled with the sounds of fine champagne bubbles, the rustling of clothes, and smug laughter.

In the most prominent position in the hall stands an ice sculpture, not the traditional dragon and horse auspicious symbol, but two exquisitely replicated trophies: the Oscar 'little golden man' and the Cannes 'golden palm'!
Below the ice sculpture are engraved the shining names of the past year: "Wolf Warrior 2" and "Wanxiang Island 2"!
Li Chen stood in the center of the crowd, holding a wine glass, yet seemed detached from it all.

Liu Yifei stood beside him, wearing a lotus-colored floor-length dress. Her beauty was still breathtaking, but her brows now held a more serene maternal glow than when she was a young girl.

Holding her husband's arm, she acted with grace, and the couple occasionally exchanged a smile, displaying perfect understanding.

"Director Li! Congratulations! This year's results are unprecedented and unlikely to be repeated! The 61 billion yuan box office of 'Vientiane Island 2' is a global phenomenon!" La Peikang, his face flushed from drinking, patted Li Chen's shoulder vigorously.

Liu Yifei tilted her head slightly, her lips barely moving, and her soft voice drifted into Li Chen's ears: "I feel like my face is about to freeze from smiling. It's more tiring than filming an action scene all day."

Li Chen subtly squeezed her hand and chuckled softly, "Bear with it. There won't be many more occasions like this in the future."

"Tired?" Liu Yifei seemed completely unsurprised by her husband's question.

Li Chen put his arm around his wife's shoulder and said, "Mmm."

Liu Yifei nodded gently: "Brother Chen, don't you feel a little empty inside?"

Li Chen did not answer immediately, but glanced back at the banquet hall, which was littered with cups and plates. The ice sculptures of golden palms and small golden figures shimmered with a cold and dazzling light under the lights.

"It's not that it feels empty; it's that after standing on the mountaintop, you realize there are even higher mountains ahead, and the ground beneath your feet may have already started to crumble."

Liu Yifei looked up, somewhat puzzled, at her husband.

Li Chen smiled at her but didn't explain further.

Even after the Spring Festival, people in the industry were still reeling from the shock of "Wanxiang Island 2" breaking 70 billion yuan at the box office.

Li Chen launched another satellite.

Sina Tech Report
"Rongchen Group ventures into car manufacturing! Li Chen acquires Changjiang Automobile for 30 billion yuan and renames it 'Longji Intelligent'!"

"On March 5, 2018, before the afterglow of the Spring Festival had faded, the Chinese business community was hit with a bombshell. An investment entity under Li Chen, chairman of Rongchen Film Group and an internationally renowned director."

"Yesterday, we officially reached an agreement with FDG Electric Vehicles (HK.00729) to acquire 100% equity of its nearly bankrupt Hangzhou Changjiang Automobile Co., Ltd. for a total consideration of RMB 30 billion."

"After the acquisition, Yangtze Motors will be officially renamed 'Longji Intelligent Automobile Co., Ltd.', marking the official entry of this giant in the cultural and entertainment industry into the field of new energy vehicle manufacturing."

Li Chen's unexpected move has drawn constant criticism from the outside world.

However, some discerning individuals saw through Li Chen's plan.

Liu Yifei's ByteDance group has a huge traffic entrance, Youku is a content platform, and Rongchen's group is a content producer.

Intelligent electric vehicles are considered the most important next-generation mobile intelligent terminals. By investing in vehicle manufacturing, companies aim to seize future traffic and data entry points and achieve a super ecosystem closed loop of 'content + technology + terminal'.

Of course, this is also in response to national strategy, as new energy vehicles are a key national strategic development direction.

Entering the market at this time aligns with policy guidelines and can garner support from local governments, such as the Hangzhou government's high regard for this project.

The term 'Longji Intelligence' further highlights Li Chen's ambition.

The dragon represents China, and the horse is a fine steed, implying that its products will be positioned in the high-end intelligent electric vehicle market, rather than the low-end market, and may compete with NIO, Tesla and others.

Fan Bingbing now looks up to her brother Chen with awe.

Fan Bingbing couldn't understand why someone would spend 30 billion yuan so readily.

What did they buy with 30 billion? It's like buying an expensive ticket and a ready-made stage for 30 billion.

She should just focus on making "Cellphone 2".
(End of this chapter)