Huayu: Hard fight against Zhang Weiping at the beginning

Chapter 684 The Wind Reversed
Hong Kong, Golden Harvest

Due to the sharp fluctuations in the stock price, the company convened an emergency board meeting.

Chen Xi was not originally eligible to participate, but last year, because of Jiahe's outstanding performance, Zhang Chen gifted Chen Xi 5% of Jiahe's shares, thus making Chen Xi eligible to participate.

Moreover, Chairman Zhang Chen was unable to attend due to filming abroad and entrusted Chen Xi with all his powers, so Chen Xi presided over this board meeting.

In the meeting room, the shareholders' expressions were not good. A middle-aged shareholder spoke first: "President Chen, Zhang Chen's personal scandal has seriously affected the company's stock price. We demand an explanation and we cannot allow our interests to be harmed!"

Other shareholders echoed this sentiment, leading to a somewhat chaotic scene, with some even shouting, "If all else fails, we'll just elect a new chairman."

Chen Xi remained calm. She tapped the table and looked around at everyone: "We're going to change the chairman again. Who should we replace him with? Come on, whoever thinks they are qualified to be the chairman, step forward and let me see."

Chen Xi's firm stance immediately silenced the group of old men.

Chen Xi chuckled: "Changing the chairman? How did you even come up with that idea? Have you forgotten what kind of life you were living before Director Zhang came?"
Back then, Golden Harvest's stock was like toilet paper. Who made Golden Harvest's stock more than quadruple? Who made you guys make a fortune?
They want to change the chairman? Fine, go ahead and change him. Start a vote now and see how the outside world reacts.

I'm putting this out there: if Golden Harvest announces a change of chairman and the stock doesn't drop by half, I, Chen Xi, will change my name backwards..."

Chen Xi's words left these people no room for maneuver whatsoever.

They're all such scoundrels; if you don't scold them for two days, they think they're all that again.

The board members who were just shouting were now all red-faced.

According to age, Chen Xi was considered their junior. Being scolded by a junior and unable to retaliate was incredibly frustrating.

They really couldn't talk back, because they never intended to change the chairman; they just wanted to cause a scene and gain some benefits for themselves.

Unexpectedly, Chen Xi did not play by the rules at all.

Chen Xi's expression softened slightly when he saw that no one dared to cause trouble again.

Zhang Chen had told her that when dealing with these people, you should scold them if you need to, but you can't just suppress them all the time. You have to give them a treat after every beating.

Give both grace and power!

Now that we've established our authority, it's time to extend our favors.

Chen Xi adjusted his tone before saying, "Regarding the stock price, there's no need to worry. I just spoke with Director Zhang on the phone, and he's already taken measures. In addition, the company will launch the 'Ghostwriter' universe, which includes two film series, 'Ghostwriter' and 'Brotherhood of Blades,' and will also collaborate with Star Entertainment's 'My Own Swordsman' and 'Magpie Swordsman'..."

As Chen Xi spoke, his assistant simultaneously projected a PowerPoint presentation.

As the shareholders of Golden Harvest looked at the series of good news presented on the PPT, along with the impressive investment return forecasts, their expressions finally softened.

The middle-aged shareholder who had just raised the issue asked hesitantly, "Can this IP really work?"

Chen Xi smiled confidently: "The concept of the 'Ghostwriter' universe was proposed by Director Zhang, and the script was also written by Director Zhang in his early years. When have you ever seen Director Zhang's film projects lose money?"
I dare say, as long as we announce this news, the stock price will not only rebound, it might even double.

The shareholders looked at each other, and no one raised any further objections. The meeting ended in approval.

……

Zhang Chen's Weibo post announcing his relationship was like a bombshell dropped into a calm lake, instantly creating a huge wave in the media.

A dozen minutes later, Fan Xiaopang's studio also updated its Weibo account, posting a similar message.

At that time, the entertainment editors were preparing for the evening's breaking news. As soon as this news was released, the topic selection groups of major media outlets were in an uproar, and the editors were scrambling to adjust the headline layout.

Originally planned topics such as "airport photos of a top male celebrity" and "red carpet look of a female star" were instantly pushed to the sidelines, and even the server briefly froze for three minutes due to the surge in traffic.

In less than ten minutes, the three topics #ZhangChenFanXiaopangRelationship#, #ZhangChenOfficialAnnouncement#, and #FanXiaopangNewBoyfriend# shot up to the top three of Weibo's trending topics at lightning speed, with the word "hot" following closely behind each trending topic.

This news has dominated the headlines of major entertainment news outlets, with each headline more eye-catching than the last—"Shocking News! Zhang Chen and Fan Xiaopang's Secret Romance Exposed, Studio Officially Announces" and "From Collaborative Rumors to Sweet Confirmation of Love: The Timeline of Zhang Chen and Fan Xiaopang's Love Story."

Reporters' phones went off like crazy, flooding the phones of both parties' agents. Some even waited downstairs at Star Entertainment Company, their flashes creating a continuous barrage in the night, all in an attempt to capture the first reaction of the parties involved.

On social media platforms, the topic garnered over one billion views and more than 30 million discussions in just three hours, with comments refreshing at a rate of hundreds per second.

The reactions from netizens were varied and completely caused an uproar.

In the Weibo comment section, someone posted three "Holy crap" to express their shock: "My goddess is actually dating Zhang Chen? What an amazing couple! I was following their gossip yesterday, and today they officially announced it. This plot is more exciting than a movie!"

Some fans of the couple were overjoyed, posting stills and videos of the two from their previous collaborations: "I knew something was off between them! Zhang Chen's eyes were full of love for Fan Xiaopang at the awards ceremony, and now that it's officially announced, my CP has come true!"

Many netizens also left comments with a joking tone: "Zhang Chen is amazing, he actually managed to win over Fan Bingbing, who is the 'ceiling of mature women' in the entertainment industry. I'm so envious! Should we start calling you a 'winner in life' from now on?"

Even before the official announcement, Star Entertainment's online marketing team was already on standby.

At this moment, in accordance with their pre-arranged plan, they quickly launched their offensive on major platforms such as Weibo, Douban, and Zhihu.

In response to the widely circulated scandal of "Zhang Chen being kept by a sugar daddy," online trolls began to coordinate their opinions, with some feigning objectivity and analyzing: "The so-called 'sugar daddy' rumors are nothing but baseless gossip. At the time, Zhang Chen and Fan Xiaopang were just working together, and both teams clarified this. Now that their relationship has been exposed, it only proves how outrageous the previous rumors were."

Some people even compiled a "sweet interaction collection" of the two, accompanied by captions like "a perfect match" and "a match made in heaven," portraying Zhang Chen as a "hard-working and promising young man" and Fan Xiaopang as a "goddess with discerning eyes," attempting to shift public attention from negative rumors to the relationship itself.

With the intensive guidance of online trolls and the active support of fans, public opinion gradually shifted.

Initially, many people mentioned the "sugar baby" scandal and questioned the authenticity of the relationship. However, as more and more "evidence" emerged, and the relationship itself was already quite newsworthy, netizens' attention gradually shifted to "sweet interactions" and "compatibility." The criticisms slowly decreased, and the voices of blessing increased.

Most netizens expressed their willingness to believe that the two were a real couple. Some rational netizens analyzed: "If you think about it carefully, when the two met, Zhang Chen was just a small director, while Fan Xiaopang was already a famous actress. In terms of status and resources, Zhang Chen was no match for Fan Xiaopang. Their statuses were completely unequal. How could there be any talk of 'keeping' her? It was obviously a normal relationship."

Even Zhang Chen's parents believed it to be true.

The night the official announcement was released, Zhang Chen's mother called hurriedly, her voice full of excitement and curiosity: "Son, are you really with that Fan Xiaopang? When did this happen? Why didn't you tell us? What's she like? When are you going to bring her home so we can meet her?"

Faced with his mother's barrage of questions, Zhang Chen could only bite the bullet and make up a story, saying that the two of them "developed feelings for each other over time." He also specifically instructed his parents, "It's still a secret. There are many reporters outside, so you must not tell anyone to avoid getting into trouble."

He really wanted to tell his parents the truth, but Zhong Lifang had specifically told him not to.

Older women love to gossip, and Zhong Lifang was afraid that Zhang's mother might let slip the secret while bragging to others, which would render all their efforts futile.

However, one group's attitude towards Zhang Chen has become particularly bad—that is, Fan Xiaopang's male fans.

Upon learning of their idol's relationship, male fans were instantly plunged into the grief of "heartbreak," and the comments section was filled with lamentations.

Someone said with a wronged expression, "My youth is over. My goddess is dating someone, and it's Zhang Chen! I'm not having it!"

Some people even shouted angrily, "Zhang Chen, you just wait! How dare you steal my goddess away! I'm going to settle the score with you!"

Although it was just said in anger, it was enough to show the excitement of the male fans. The comment section was noisy and the scene was very lively.

To further solidify the authenticity of their "relationship," Zhang Chen, following his team's plan, began frequently bringing Fan Xiaopang to various variety shows to flaunt their affection.

At the recording site of a highly-rated talk show, the stage was decorated in a warm and romantic style, and the audience was filled with fans and viewers.

The host, holding the microphone, smiled at the two: "Welcome Zhang Chen and Xiao Pang to our show. Seeing how well you two are doing today, it seems your relationship is truly bringing you happiness. Could you tell us how you two got together? I'm sure many viewers and fans are very curious about this."

Zhang Chen glanced at Fan Xiaopang with a "gentle" smile on his face and casually made up a story: "Actually, we confirmed our relationship after 'The Shallows.' Because of filming, Fan Xiaopang would wear a swimsuit and dangle in front of me every day. Her figure is really amazing."

At that time, I was just a small-time director who had only made one film, and I hadn't even graduated from university yet. I had never seen anything like this before, and I was completely captivated.

Fan Xiaopang immediately protested from the side: "Hey, the way you're saying it makes it sound like I deliberately seduced you. It was for filming, okay? Besides, that wasn't a swimsuit, it was a surf suit!"

Zhang Chen immediately surrendered: "Yes, yes, it wasn't you who seduced me, it was me who was lustful~"

The interaction between the two immediately drew laughter from the host and the audience.

Fan Xiaopang smiled in agreement, his eyes showing a shy expression, looking very sweet.

Their way of getting along is exactly like that of a couple, and no one would doubt that they are acting.

Zhang Chen continued, "But at that time I only had a crush on her. We officially became a couple when I caught a bad cold and fever while filming. When she found out, she specially came from the set and even made soup for me herself. Seeing her busy taking care of me, I felt at that moment that I couldn't miss this woman, so I mustered up the courage to confess my feelings." The audience immediately applauded.

Fan Xiaopang chimed in, "Actually, I felt that he had a tough time back then, working hard all by himself in a big city, and having no one to take care of him when he was sick. I just wanted to do my part as a friend. I never expected him to confess his feelings because of this, which was quite unexpected."

The two of them, singing in unison, vividly recounted their fictional love story.

The host then turned the microphone to Zhang Chen and asked with a smile, "So, do you think Fan Xiaopang fits your image of a girlfriend?"

Zhang Chen widened his eyes dramatically: "What are you even talking about? That's Fan Xiaopang, the most beautiful woman in all of China, bar none."

Zhang Chen's antics immediately drew another round of laughter. As far as I can remember, Director Zhang hasn't been this funny in a long time.

Zhang Chen continued, "What I like most about Xiao Pang is her personality. She's very straightforward and says what she thinks without beating around the bush. It's very comfortable to be with her; you don't have to guess what she's doing. Most importantly, she's very independent. She's not the clingy type. She has her own career and ideas, which I really like."

The audience below the stage once again erupted in applause and cheers.

Zhang Chen also interacted with the audience, jokingly saying, "But I'm also quite troubled right now~"

What's troubling you?

"Do you know what people are saying about me online right now? They're calling me 'public enemy number one,' and a huge bunch of her male fans want to 'take me down' because I won over their goddess. Look at those guys over there with their dark faces..."

Zhang Chen then pointed to several male audience members in the audience seats. The men were taken aback, but one of them, who also had a performative personality, immediately raised his fist in response, which drew laughter and good-natured whistles from the audience, pushing the atmosphere of the entire recording venue to a climax.

……

On the way back from the show, Zhang Chen received a call from Dai An.

"Boss, someone has made a bid for us!"

In the past two years, due to Cube's outstanding performance, many companies have wanted to acquire Cube and have made offers. In the past, Diane would directly reject the offers from other companies.

The Purge series, The Hold Your Breath series, The Twilight series...

The cube is a gold mine, the kind that continuously produces gold.

Zhang Chen didn't notice the excitement in Diana's tone: "What's different this time?"

"This time, it was one of the Big Six that offered us a price."

After Diane's explanation, Zhang Chen understood the key point.

In the past, the Big Six have made offers, but the prices have always been conservative, around two or three hundred million.

Other second-tier companies offered similar prices.

But this year's Twilight Saga 3 really spurred them on.

Last year's "Twilight 2" grossed $2.58 million in North America, with a staggering $7270 million on its opening day, even surpassing "The Dark Knight".

This is already incredibly amazing.

The Twilight 3, released in June this year, was even more outrageous, taking in $300 million at the North American box office.

Keep in mind that this film only cost $6800 million to make.

Moreover, the media ratings and critic scores are terrible.

IMDb currently has an average rating of 4.5 from nearly 20,000 users, Rotten Tomatoes gives it a paltry 29% freshness rating, 43 media outlets give it a C- rating, and theatrical audience rating is also a pitiful C.

Roger Ebert, hailed as North America's top film critic, wrote in his column: "The characters in this film should be arrested. I have no idea what they're doing there. Watching this film is like slowly driving a tractor."

But the box office was high, and fans used their movie tickets to slap film critics in the face.

Now the Big Six couldn't sit still any longer. The Twilight series isn't just three books; the bestseller is still being written, which means there will be a fourth and fifth installment.

Twilight 2 cost $4800 million to make but grossed $5 million worldwide. How much will Twilight 3 achieve?

Six internal assessments, at least 6 million.

The six major IPs also want such an IP, but the success of the Twilight series is due to the success of the novels themselves, and such good things are rare and hard to come by.

What should I do?
Simple, just acquire it.

Warner Bros., Disney, and Sony are vying for bids...

Even Universal and Fox, who are at odds with Zhang Chen, made offers.

"What's the highest they've bid?"

"$7.2 million."

Diane stated a number, and fearing Zhang Chen might not understand the implications, she added, "This price is already quite high."

"Is that high? I seem to remember that Lionsgate spent $9.15 million to acquire Summit back then," Zhang Chen retorted.

Diane: "Lionsgate did use $9.15 million to acquire Summit, but $5 million of that was Summit's debt, so the real price was actually $4.15 million."

"Is that right?"

Zhang Chen was a little unhappy. He wanted to say that Wanda spent $35 billion to acquire Legendary Pictures, but that hasn't happened yet.

How about we sell the cube to Wanda?

You're overthinking it. What Wanda wants is a cinema chain. Legendary Pictures has cinema chains, but Cube doesn't.

“Boss, we probably have to sell this time,” Diane said suddenly, her voice serious.

"why?"

"Because the cube is so profitable, we earned at least $200 million in revenue sharing from Twilight 2 alone, and Twilight 3 will only earn more, not to mention we have other series."

Right now in Hollywood, we're a prime target, the most eye-catching kind.

Our revenue is already number one after the top six, but we don't have any powerful backing.

No one would allow an independent production company to have such a status, let alone an independent production company controlled by foreigners.

"If we insist on not selling, we'll face countless underhanded tactics. Delaying profit sharing is just the most basic method. If they want, they might even use an executive order, finding some pretext of endangering national security, to seize the company. In that case, we won't get a single penny."

Diane's account made Zhang Chen frown. The US's acquisition of Alstom and the Netherlands' acquisition of Wingtech Technology followed the same pattern.

"Is there really no other way?"

Diane: "Believe me, Boss, I also own company shares. If I could, I would prefer to be profitable in the long run, but they won't allow it. This is America, the dog-eat-dog world of America."

"What about your suggestion?"

"Leave the negotiations to me. The first priority is to deeply bind us to Warner Bros., so that we are intertwined. I will try my best to retain some shares for ourselves. If that doesn't work, then we'll make them pay enough cash."

"OK."

Zhang Chen decided to let Dai An talk freely and see how far they could go.

After hanging up, Zhang Chen's expression was not good. He had thought about this day long ago, but he didn't expect it to come so soon.

(End of this chapter)