Actor: Thank you.

A few days later, Zhang Yuan arrived at the suburban horse farm located in Lixian.

He met with director Guo Jingyu before the Lunar New Year.

He had previously invested in the films "Tie Lihua" and "Hong Niangzi" produced by the other party, and both yielded good returns.

Director Guo is now planning to start a new film called "My Natasha" after the New Year.

They cast Ya Wen as the male lead, so it's basically an internal arrangement.

Yang Zhigang has almost recovered and looks much more energetic.

He also brought Zhang Yuan's "godson" to meet his godfather.

We found the most obedient pony to pull the children's carriage.

The child is too young to ride a horse.

Brother Qian was there too. Little Yu Siyang has grown up quite a bit and can already ride a pony.

The two families had a great time together.

Zhang Yuan took out the gold watch he bought in New York and gave one to each of Guo Jing, Yu Ge, and Qian Ge.

After moving the bracelet on his wrist to the other side, Brother Qian put it on.

"Wow, that's quite extravagant."

"That's too extravagant," Guo Jing said, adding that he was also having fun.

A big gold chain, a small gold watch, and three meals of barbecue a day—that's how simple happiness is for a middle-aged man.

"By the way, your apprentice is planning to change his name," Brother Qian said, crossing his legs and smoking.

"Change your name?"

"You're not called Yu Siyang anymore?"

"I had someone do the calculations, and I changed my name to Yu Zijie."

Upon hearing this name, Zhang Yuan looked constipated.

This name... is quite characteristic of its time.

The post-00s generation being named Zijie is no different from the post-50s generation being named Jianguo or Kangmei.

What kind of bullshit master is that?

At this point, they may not realize that it will become increasingly common in a few years.

Zhang Yuan glanced at Yu Siyang, a little boy who was riding a horse not far away, and realized how pleasant his name sounded.

He glanced at Brother Qian and asked with ill intent.

"Are you sure you changed your name because of a fortune teller, and not because my sister-in-law found out about something?"

Yu Qian's mentor was Shi Fukuan.

Mr. Shi Fukuan has a daughter named Shi Yang.

Yu Siyang...

Sister-in-law Qian: Just because I don't say anything doesn't mean I don't know!

Drop drop drop.

I was just about to chat with Brother Qian for a while when his phone rang.

"My company will be having a party during the Chinese New Year. You should all come and join in the fun."

"And Director Guo, please consider what I mentioned to you before."

Zhang Yuan and Guo Jingyu mentioned that nowadays it's popular for celebrities and directors to set up their own studios or companies.

Director Guo is a renowned director, highly skilled in the television drama industry, and has basically never lost money.

Especially now that times have changed and the future belongs to the internet age, television stations will no longer have a monopoly.

Guo Jing might not believe it if others said it.

But Zhang Yuan just reaped the benefits of Youku's IPO, so this guy really needs to think about it.

Relying solely on personal relationships isn't strong enough; Zhang Yuan prefers to invest money to start a company together and collaborate on product development.

After giving him a few brief words of advice, he took his phone and walked away into the distance.

"A new friend?" Brother Qian asked.

"No... You guys talk first, I have something to do alone, don't come looking for me."

Brother Qian glanced at it and thought, "Oh ho, still keeping it a secret."

He arrived at the entrance of the horse farm, where a security guard was scrutinizing a brand-new Mercedes-Benz SUV.

Zhang Yuan waved to the security guard to leave it alone, then walked straight to the back seat, looked at the car door, and climbed in.

Under his direction, the car arrived at a warehouse in the horse farm where tools and feed were stored.

He opened the car door and jumped out. The car was turned off, and the driver's side door was quickly pushed open from the inside, revealing a man wearing a baseball cap and a large black mask.

"It's quiet here, there's no one around."

"We can chat without worry."

Zhang Yuan gestured towards his face, indicating that the other party could stop pretending.

The man took off his hat and mask, revealing a round head with a stubble beard and black-rimmed glasses.

His appearance is that of a "bear-like" man who would be very popular in the Chengdu area.

This disguise was not because he was an artist like Zhang Yuan, but because of his special identity.

"Manager Zong, it's been a long time." Zhang Yuan smiled and shook hands with the man who was cautiously observing his surroundings.

He is Zong Shuai, the head of the second team of Huayi Agency who came to pick up Huang Xiaoming from "Ip Man 2" and bring him back to the company!
Zhang Yuan was worried about Zhang Yimou's situation, as he lacked someone who could broaden his horizons.

Then I remembered this person.

Neither Yang Siwei nor Zeng Jia were allowed to make the contact; for the sake of secrecy, bodyguards were sent to stake out the location to look for the person.

To "broaden horizons," one needs to find someone with a higher position, since this time, Hua Yi takes Zhang Yimou very seriously.

This Zong Shuai has just been promoted to co-general manager of Huayi Brokerage Department.

The name is complicated, but it can be roughly understood as the deputy general manager of the brokerage department.

The general manager is still Fei Lin, an old friend of the Wang brothers.

As Fei Lin's protégé, it's only natural that he would become his deputy.

Being promoted from group leader to vice president, is that really a promotion...?

Given their relationship, the other party's caution is understandable.

The reason Zhang Yuan targeted him instead of someone else was because in his previous life, this person later switched jobs and became the vice president of Xiaoma Benteng.

However, after Big Dog Brother's death, he had some disagreements with the company and left again.

Zhang Yuan didn't need to know anything else. He only needed to know that this person was ambitious, not satisfied with the position Hua Yi had given him, and wanted to go further. That was enough.

Moreover, the fact that the agreement has now been made further demonstrates that the other party has "rebellious intentions."

"I heard you got promoted recently, congratulations."

"Hehe, you're too kind. Compared to you, this is nothing, not worth mentioning."

The other person sat with him on an outdoor chair in front of the warehouse.

We exchanged pleasantries and chatted about everyday things.

Zhang Yuan also specifically asked about Huang Xiaoming.

"How's Brother Xiaoming doing lately? It's been so long since we last met on the set of 'Ip Man 2'."

"Actually, neither of us was wrong about that matter; it was just a small misunderstanding."

"You're very generous," Zong Shuai replied with a smile, adjusting his glasses.

Then he winked and deliberately shared some "insider information".

"Xiao Ming... Mr. Fei has talked to him several times recently because his contract is about to expire."

"But the result wasn't good; Xiaoming probably won't renew his contract."

Zhang Yuan looked at him and smiled.

He knew about it, but he shouldn't have known.

Therefore, the other party is extending "goodwill".

Xiao Ming wants to leave Jia Huayi because they can't agree on profit sharing and compensation; it's that simple.

However, before leaving, he handed his precious child over to the company, making it seem like he was leaving a hostage.

I'm leaving; my wife will stay here with you.

"What about Deng Chao?" Zhang Yuan asked casually.

"Well... his contract hasn't expired yet," the other party said truthfully.

Zhang Yuan realized that he had concealed part of the truth.

Chao's contract has indeed not expired, but he has mentioned wanting to terminate it due to dissatisfaction with the company.

However, Hua Yi directly confronted him with the contract, stating that while termination was possible, he would have to pay tens of millions in breach of contract penalties.

Chao lowered his head and endured it for the time being.

Zhang Yuan pondered that he had mentioned Huang Xiaoming's matter, but had not mentioned Deng Chao's matter.

This shows that the other party is not only holding back, but also quite shrewd.

Xiaoming has already decided to leave, and it will be made public soon. There's no big problem with him saying it.

But Deng Chao had to stay at the company, so he changed the subject.

As expected, to have reached this position in his early 30s, he must be quite sharp-minded.

Zhang Yuan is truly a rare talent.

He is a rare talent, and the other party is a rare treasure.

When Zhang Yuan asked him how his work had been lately, he sighed and said that Huayi had changed. For him, the most direct change was the restructuring of the brokerage department.

Starting after the Lunar New Year, the original brokerage team became completely independent, claiming that they would no longer be directly managed by Xiao Wang.

In reality, it means turning them into small subsidiaries, responsible for their own profits and losses.

The so-called self-financing means making a profit, making the company's accounts look good, and driving up the stock price. As for how to do it, you can figure it out yourselves; I don't care.

If we lose money, we can just shut down the entire studio; it's easier and less likely to affect the financial statements.

Moreover, they simply shut down the company and dismissed all employees without paying any compensation.

So what Zong Shuai is facing is that he has been promoted to co-general manager, but his agency has been separated!
You will be outside, and your orders will not be accepted.

Now that he's become a military governor, can he still completely obey the Right Chancellor?
So what appears to be a promotion actually makes management more difficult than before.

Another important reason why both he and Deng Chao wanted to leave was...

Even if Fei Lin and Huang Xiaoming don't renew their contracts, they won't take back the Huayi shares they hold, which represent assets worth hundreds of millions.

But he and Chao Ge didn't benefit from the IPO at all!

So Zong Shuai thought, either go independent or find a company where he could reap the benefits.

Zhang Yuan had recently heard the news that he had benefited from Youku's IPO.

In just a few years, he went from being Huayi's little brother to now going against the boss!
He had watched Zhang Yuan walk this path step by step with his own eyes, so he knew it all too well.

He then agreed to meet today.

Making multiple bets is a way out in case of an opportunity.

Seeing that actor Huang Xiaoming holds shares worth hundreds of millions, would he still care about the fixed salary Huayi provides?

People are restless because of comparisons.

Just like before the reform and opening up, everyone received their salary based on their job rank, and there was no room for the trend of comparison. Naturally, the social atmosphere was not like that of later generations, where people laughed at poverty but not prostitution.

"We can communicate frequently in the future."

"I find it boring to always divide people into camps and factions."

"Hey, by the way, you're not from a military compound, are you?"

"No." Zong Shuai shook his head with a smile, but a thought suddenly struck him.

The other person was reminding me that it's useless to be divided into factions; since I'm not a child of a high-ranking official, I'll never belong to any of their factions.

"Speaking of which, if Zhang Yimou goes to Huayi, whether or not it's under your jurisdiction is none of your business," Zhang Yuan steered the conversation to the main point.

"Director Zhang is a big star, a celebrity, just like Director Feng."

"Director Feng is not under my jurisdiction," the cautious man replied.

"I see." Zhang Yuan tapped the table lightly with his fingers. "Xiao Ming is leaving again, and Lao Yizi is no longer under your control."

"Then, as a manager, you'll only have a bunch of lowly underlings left?"

General Zong wanted to argue, "Zhou Xun, Li Bingbing, and Zhang Hanyu are all here. These are just small fry."

Before he could retort, Zhang Yuan spoke up.

"It's not as good as my side, at least we have Zhang Ziyi, Huang Bo, Baoqiang, and Ning Hao."

Commander Zong: ...

If you put it that way, even though you're not exactly small fry, you're still quite powerful.

"Although I also have two agents."

“But I think you are more suited to overall management, so Huayi should let you replace Fei Lin in his position.”

“If I had your abilities, I would definitely arrange it this way.”

"He must act as a manager of brokers."

Boss Zhang started making empty promises.

But this promise resonated with the other person; that's exactly what they thought.

The prince and general Xiang Ning have the guts!

Why should you get shares while I don't?

Just because you're old acquaintances, old brothers!
What about my future?
The desires hidden deep within him are slowly being stirred up.

So, is Zhang Yuan planning to bring him to his company as the general manager of his brokerage firm?

Naturally impossible.

Yang Siwei and Zeng Jia did a good job; theoretically, Cheng Hao was their superior.

Given her sister's character, way of handling things, and their relationship, the two of them accepted it.

If someone were to be parachuted in and ride on their heads, wouldn't they rebel?

Even if they don't rebel, they'll still feel a deep-seated hatred.

That's definitely not the right thing to do, so his current behavior is just "deception".

But it's not entirely a hoax.

We need to observe him. If he truly has the ability and sincerity, then we certainly shouldn't treat him unfairly.

However, he has just been promoted, and even if he changes jobs, he will definitely want a better position and better pay, which I may not be able to afford.

"You have a keen eye for talent," the other party complimented.

"So, you're a hero then."

"I've always admired heroes and valiant men." Zhang Yuan laughed heartily.

The other person laughed along with him.

But soon I couldn't laugh anymore.

"Since we are heroes, we must do the things of heroes. I have some worries lately, and I hope you can share my burdens."

"You say."

“I’ll be frank.” Zhang Yuan looked at the other person with a half-smile: “Hua Yi has been getting along very closely with Zhang Yimou recently.”

"You should know that I also want to get closer to Zhang Yimou, but I don't know how."

"It would be even better if there were some close references."

"After all, I am a junior, and I would like to ask for the opportunity to learn from senior Huayi."

Zong Shuai's smile froze on his face.

After Zhang Yuantu revealed his true intentions, he smelled a strong stench of blood.

Only by slaying a god can one become a god!

He understood that the other party hadn't gotten this far by talking, but by fighting his way through.

The other party demanded that he submit a "pledge of allegiance"!
Want to switch jobs and get better pay? No problem.

What is the price?

We're all adults, you can't be that naive, can you?

Commander Zong was unaware of the content of the negotiations between Lao Mouzi and Hua Yi.

But given his current position and his close relationship with Boss Fei Lin, he has a chance to get something out of him.

This is also why Zhang Yuan sought him out; he is considered a protégé of the emperor of the Huayi dynasty.

However, when Zhang Yuan waited for his response, he saw not only difficulty on his face, but also fear.

This one isn't that bold.

He was afraid; he dared not.

The stakes were too high, and after weighing the options, he felt it wasn't worth it.

"Well... it's easy to talk to other people, but I'm not high enough level to handle Zhang Yimou's matter."

"Why don't you try looking at it from a different angle? Are there any other people or things that interest you?"

A pledge of loyalty is necessary, but this is too much.

"It's a pity, this is the only thing I'm particularly interested in."

"If you want to rob the imperial convoy, or seduce the empress, then we performers can do that."

"It means either don't do it at all, or do it the biggest."

"Zhang Yimou is the biggest one."

"Sigh." He sighed again. "This is difficult."

After much pleading and cajoling, the other party still wouldn't budge.

"Maybe I should go back and think about what I did here today..."

"Keep it a secret," Zhang Yuan replied immediately.

The other party drove away.

Zhang Yuan glanced at the car; it must have been a new purchase after his promotion.

"He has the skills and the ambition, but he's not bold enough."

Zhang Yuan shook his head. This kind of person is fine as a manager, but he lacks the ruthlessness to handle important matters.

Over the next few days, he stayed at home, repeatedly thinking and trying to gather information.

"Don't worry, you can't force things." Cheng Hao comforted him when she saw him frowning. "If it really doesn't work out, then just give up."

"Zhang Yimou is extremely popular."

Zhang Yuan shook his head. "It would be so disheartening if my scheme failed."

If all else fails, place a blind bet and offer the highest possible compensation.

All in is a kind of wisdom!
But before he could go all in, his assistant came into the study, swaying and shaking his head.

"Brother Zhang Yuan, there's a new unsigned letter in the mailbox outside the courtyard gate..." (End of Chapter)