Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 234 What brand of washing machine do you have?
According to later statistics, the number of Internet users in the country exceeded 2004 million in 30, of which 5000 million were under the age of .

Judging from the registration information on Blog.com, out of the 5000 million people in this life, 800 million are fans of Xiao Liu’s blog.

Her anti-piracy appeal on the Internet has made a huge impact, first by catching bugs and providing URLs to netizens in exchange for signed T-shirts;

When the pirated websites were almost completely blocked, there were fans who came to post their movie tickets, claiming that they had watched the movie two or three times and also asked for a T-shirt;
Then came waves of people showing off their tickets, pictures of watching "Zhu Xian", etc.

Endless interaction and endless fun.

On the evening of August 2004, 8, Boss Lu received a call from a migrant worker named Xiao Liu at a hotel in Chedun Film and Television City.

"Ok?"

"Uh-huh?! I'm so tired of signing autographs!"

Lu Kuan put his phone aside, turned on the hands-free mode, and continued drawing the storyboards for tomorrow's scenes.

"That's an exaggeration, isn't it? How many pirated websites are there? You could sign a hundred T-shirts at best, right?"

When Liu Yifei heard this, she was furious. It was obvious that he didn't pay attention to her blog!
Now it’s not a question of whether it’s pirated or not, it’s a question of showing off your tickets and she’ll sign and give you a T-shirt!

The T-shirts were provided by several factories that Dongzi bought with the investment of the boss of Nalu in Yiwu and Dieshiqiao, Nantong. They specialize in making peripheral products for the Wenjie film and television projects.

Due to the objective publicity effect brought about by her move, the sales of peripheral products in the newly established Wenjie Mall also began to break the ice.

However, due to the lack of effective payment methods at this stage, a very small amount of payment relies on fans to directly transfer money to the bank offline.

A large number of consumption scenarios still take place in cinemas, but for this 75-yuan T-shirt, the cinema has to take a 15% commission.

"One hundred? Come on, let's open Penguin Video and I'll show you if there are half a room full of clothes."

Penguin officially launched the video version in April this year. It became a trend as soon as it was released, and Internet cafes of all sizes were equipped with cameras as standard.

Xiao Liu, the surfing girl in this life, is naturally not far behind.

Of course Boss Lu didn't care. He just turned it on since his laptop didn't have a camera anyway.

It just so happens that the supervisor, a female worker named Xiao Liu, works for me, which is pretty good.

The beta version was a little unstable and failed to connect after several attempts. Boss Lu put down his pen and paper and debugged it.

"Hey, hey, can you hear me?"

Liu Yifei’s “big head” suddenly appeared on the computer screen, staring blankly at the camera.

"Why can't I see you?"

“I don’t have a camera!”

Xiao Liu was furious: "I help you make tens of millions a year, and you don't know how to buy one with the money?"

"Are tens of millions a lot? I spent 3000 million just for a drink with Dongzi. You still need to work harder, Xiao Liu."

Boss Lu looked at the "sales champion" in his hand with a smile, and heard from Yang Siwei that he had recently taken on two more endorsements, both of which were brought by the promotion effect of "Foreign Land".

No matter how he exploits others, he certainly feels no guilt.

Would she be so famous without me?

If you want to get something, you must give it first. She is worthy of being a girl with top economic value in the domestic entertainment industry. This investment is worth it!
Liu Yifei picked up the camera with dissatisfaction and looked around at the pile of T-shirts in her boudoir.

"The road is so wide, my hands hurt from signing!"

"You're so stupid. Why don't you just ask Yang Siwei to find someone to write it for you? Why bother with that?"

Concubine Liu Yi sneered, "I'm not like some washing machines who are liars and brag without even thinking."

"My fans love me so much, how could I possibly lie to them?"

"Besides, there are a lot of people showing off two or three movie tickets now, and I'm all for your box office!"

Lu Kuan looked at her "evil deeds and evil appearance" on the screen for a while, then picked up the paper and pen to draw.

"It's okay, hang up, I'm busy!"

"No, you have to stay with me no later than how late I sign in today!"

Maybe because she felt that she had made money for this bastard, Xiao Liu spoke very firmly at this moment, and even acted like a spoiled child unconsciously.

"Okay, then I'll continue drawing the story..."

The phone suddenly rang, and Boss Lu silenced Liu Yifei on the screen.

Xiao Liu put down the marker in his hand and listened attentively to the movement on the other side.

Zhao Benshan's honest voice came: "Director Lu, didn't you take a break?"

"No, Mr. Zhao, I came to the premiere that day. After the filming, I was busy with interviews and didn't send you off. Please forgive me!"

"Hey, why are we being polite to each other? From now on, if you need any directions, I, Old Zhao, will definitely be there!"

Boss Lu thought to himself that Mr. Benshan must have something important to do today, so why was he being so humble?

"Teacher Zhao, what are you doing?"

"Oh! That's right. We're going to fight the Japanese at Workers' Stadium on August 8th. I have several VIP box tickets here. Do you need any?"

This is referring to the 2004 Asian Cup final.

"Hey, Mr. Zhao, how did you know I'm a football fan?"

Zhao Benshan was really surprised that he had hit the jackpot. "Really? Hey, what man doesn't love football?"

In fact, he contacted some well-known entrepreneurs and bosses in the circle at the request of Liaoning FC's Zhang Shuguang to see if he could get some sponsorship for Liaoning FC.

Zhao Benshan is a veteran football fan. He would take over Liaoning FC and become its chairman around 2005. As soon as he took office, he brought in 5000 million in sponsorship fees for his hometown team.

However, he was soon deceived by match-fixing and left the field.

Not everyone can play this thing.

Boss Lu hadn't guessed his intention yet, but he was still willing to go watch a game and cheer for the Chinese national football team against the Japanese.

The Chinese national football team at that time was not as weak as it is in later generations. If it were not for a misjudged goal in the Asian Cup final in the original time and space, the Chinese national football team might not have lost.

It was the 63rd minute of the game. The corner kick taken by Shunsuke Nakamura was suspected to be scored by Koji Nakata with his hand. The Kuwaiti referee Said ruled that the goal was valid.

Football matches are full of uncertainty, and the Greek mythology that Boss Lu had quietly observed before could not be replicated in this life.

It's worth going to this game to join in the fun.

After hanging up the phone, Xiao Liu's voice came: "Did you just talk about the football game?"

"Children should stop prying into adults' matters."

Xiao Liu gave him a blank look and asked, "Do you still want to open a store to sell merchandise?"

"Zhao Benshan asked me to watch the Asian Cup final, but you don't understand. Just focus on filming and making money for me!"

"Why wouldn't I understand? I've watched football in America too!"

Lu Kuan laughed and said, "You're talking about American soccer, it's different."

Concubine Liu Yi pouted: "I want to go too."

"Besides, Shidu is in the suburbs, and it's not far to Gongti. I can just go there after the show."

She is currently working on the set of "Zhu Xian", and the seasonal drama from July to October is going well.

Among them, Wahaha sponsored the seasonal theater at a high price of 4000 million, and the advertisements in the same period before and after were also sold at high prices.

With good programs building a nest and attracting golden phoenixes such as Mengniu and Wahaha, Travel Channel has completely turned around and its economic value has jumped into the top five domestic satellite TV stations.

On August 2004, 8, two weeks after its release, "Alien Land" disappeared from pirated websites and continued to rise, with the box office figures in mainland China reaching 5 million.

At the same time, a symposium on the successful experience of "Foreign Land" is underway in the Chinese Film Archive behind Xiao Xitian (China Film).

After being released, excellent domestic TV series and movies that have excellent performance, positive ideas, and provide beneficial spiritual and cultural food for the general public generally cannot avoid this process.

For example, two years after "Hero" achieved a box office of 2.5 million yuan, the Film Bureau organized three high-level seminars to discuss the lack of cultural value of domestic films under the commercial film model and the development trend of domestic films.

For example, after Xiao Liu's later work "The Story of Rose" was taken off the screen, organizations such as the TV Drama Association also took care of this matter.

The purpose is, firstly, personal publicity for the crew and actors, secondly, another form of commendation for the counterpart units, and so on.

"Alien Land" has grossed over 4.3 million US dollars overseas, and has grossed 1.5 million in mainland China after being released for half a month. It can almost be said to be the top news in the domestic film industry this year.

So the specs today are pretty high.

Lu Kuan, Liu Yifei, Liang Jiahui and other main creators of the crew were all dressed in formal attire and sat down with serious expressions. Looking at the leaders opposite them, they were almost all from the top counterpart units.

Old Han from China Film Group, Director Tong from the Film Bureau, and Director Wang from Radio, Film and Television, but it was obvious that they were also waiting for the arrival of the big leader.

It was not until 9: in the morning that several secretaries accompanied Deputy Minister Luo of the Ministry of Central Defense into the conference room, and everyone stood up and applauded.

Minister Luo shook hands cordially with the participants and thanked everyone for coming.

Passing by Xiao Liu, who was wearing a professional suit and no makeup today, Minister Luo looked at Liu Yifei, who was younger than his own daughter, with satisfaction.

"Hello, Comrade Xiao Liu, your performance in the movie was excellent. It really captured the spirit of the Chinese people!"

"Thank you, Minister Luo!"

Xiao Liu pursed her lips and smiled shyly, appearing dignified and proper in front of outsiders, without showing any sign of the lively and excited look she had when she was with Lu Kuan.

The handshake between the leader and Lu Kuan lasted a little longer. Minister Luo patted the young director's arm affectionately. The two exchanged a few words and then took their seats.

Minister Luo said: "We are excited by the global popularity of 'Alien Land'. In addition to obtaining a significant financial return for our investors, we are also delighted to see the spread of Chinese culture in the West through film."

"At last year's Pomegranate Festival, the central government proposed the concept of cultural industries. The 2004 film 'Alien Land' undoubtedly maximized the economic and social value of film as a cultural commodity, demonstrating... promoting..."

After Minister Luo came Director Wang of the Radio, Film and Television Bureau, followed by Director Tong of the Film Bureau.

Tong Gang reported a set of numbers, which cheered up the somewhat sleepy Boss Lu for the first time!
"In 2003, the number of screens in my country increased by 500 year-on-year. By the first half of 2004, the number of screens nationwide had increased to nearly 2500."

The pen in Lu Kuan's hand trembled.

2002、2003年全国也就1500左右的银幕数，如果他没记错的话，后世2500块这个数字要到06年左右。

It seems that this world's "Stone", "Racing", "Love Is Not Blind" and Lu Kuan's own three films, like a catfish, have truly stimulated the vitality of the industry.

This is a virtuous cycle. As more and more commercial films and genre films attract more audiences, more hot money will flow into the film industry.

In addition to film investment, some of this hot money will be invested in cinemas.

Especially this year, the country has just introduced reforms to the cinema chain system, opening up the restriction that foreign investment is not allowed to hold more than 75% of the shares in first-tier cities.

The joint efforts of the industry and relevant departments have led to a rapid increase in the number of screens in the past three years compared to previous years.

Lu Kuan has a stronger expectation that "Alien Land" will surpass "Titanic". In 1998, there were only about 300 screens nationwide, but now there are more than 8 times that number!

However, with only 300 screens, the movie grossed 3.59 million yuan, which shows the movie's shocking dominance at the time.

After Director Tong comes Old Han, who is the direct domestic contact person for the "Foreign Land" project and the first contributor.

Without him, although "Alien Land" is also a phenomenal work born out of the excellent policies of the relevant departments, without the share of China Film, it always feels a little lacking in confidence when it comes to claiming credit.

But Lao Han started to regret it last month. In order to save $300 million in investment, he chose to participate in the profit sharing instead of buying out. How foolish!
"Leaders, 'Alien Land' has been released for half a month. Now I will give you a data report."

"Since its North American premiere on June 6th, the North American box office has reached $20 million, $1.48 million in Japan, $3328 million in South Korea, $2729 million in France, and $2544 million in the UK..."

"After just two weeks of domestic release, the film grossed 1.5 million RMB. According to estimates, by the time it wraps domestically, 'Alien Land' is expected to gross $4.8 million worldwide, more than double its 2003 domestic box office!"

There was a lot of discussion at the scene, and the leaders all folded their arms, nodded and smiled at each other, as if the whole country was celebrating together.

Just as Boss Lu had planned, this film "Foreign Land" is not only a strong proof of his identity as the first commercial film director in China;
It is also a "Three Gorges Dam"-level project that can benefit all parties from the underworld to the government.

In addition to the superficial economic benefits, there are more hidden benefits, such as the approval of his films in the future, and the investment in various sensitive resources...

After the leader finished speaking, Minister Luo coughed twice into the microphone and said, "Comrade Lu Kuan, you are the most popular person and the most meritorious person today. Can you also say a few words to us?"

Boss Lu acted like a beginner, feeling awkward: "Well...Boss, I only know how to make movies, but I'm not good at speaking. I'm afraid I'll say the wrong thing!"

Xiao Liu, who was sitting next to him, wanted to roll his eyes when he heard this.

It’s just that today’s occasion is special, so I just quietly drew a Pinocchio on the notebook with a nose that grew to the sky.

Minister Luo chuckled and said, "Young people shouldn't be too modest. I saw that your speech at the Beijing Film Academy Forum was quite insightful."

Boss Lu was not embarrassed or angry after being exposed. In fact, he wanted to say something bold and just lay the groundwork in advance.

"Okay, then I'll just give you my humble opinion."

Lu Kuan raised the microphone and said, "Just now, the leader talked about the ways and means of spreading the excellent Chinese culture, especially the issue of exporting it through films like 'Foreign Land'."

“I think the first thing we need to address is our core demands.”

"Our entire industry and relevant departments are promoting the export of films and culture. We must see results after spending money."

"Do you want to hear the sound of a money bag or a book bag?"

Tong Gang laughed and said, "What you mean is, are we pursuing economic benefits or cultural influence?"

"Yes."

Minister Luo frowned: "Isn't this contradictory? Your "Foreign Land" is very well done."

Lu Kuan explained: "The approach of "Alien Land" is clever, and it can be naturally embedded because of the subject matter. However, under the premise of ensuring the quality of the film, not all films are suitable for this."

"It's a matter of choosing a focus. Take the United States, for example, which is a benchmark in the film industry."

"Last year, the domestic box office in the United States was 95 billion yuan, but the overseas box office was as high as 110 billion yuan. Their films are obviously centered around science fiction, action, drama, animation, and other genres."

"France and the United States are different. They take the art-house route, providing high export subsidies to domestic art films every year, promoting their own culture and making a loss to gain publicity. There's nothing wrong with that."

"I think the country needs to first establish a policy direction and then loosen up the industry."

Minister Luo pondered for a few seconds, as if he had guessed what he wanted to say.

No wonder it took so long to lay the groundwork, but now the truth is revealed.

"What if it's a commercial appeal, Comrade Lu Kuan, tell me what you think."

"Let go of the restrictions on directors and relax the standards in censorship. I'm not talking about Zheng Zhi, but the most convenient themes for Chinese-language films to go global, such as police and gangster, kung fu, and of course science fiction, horror, etc."

There can't be ghosts, and they can't become spirits after the founding of the People's Republic of China. This is really awkward and makes people laugh and cry.

Minister Luo threw the question to Lao Tong.

Tong Gang is very familiar with responding to these questions, and I don’t know how many times he has dealt with them.

"You just mentioned Hollywood, so let's take Hollywood as an example."

"There are many cases where films that are too restrictive in subject matter and censorship have poisoned audiences' minds and caused social unrest."

"For example, in 1981, the American actor Hinckley shot Reagan because he was obsessed with Jodie Foster in 'Taxi Driver.'"

"We have a lot of this in our country too. Back then, the Hong Kong Young and Dangerous series was imitated by many teenagers, which had a very negative impact. These are all clear evidence!"

After hearing this, Boss Lu smiled and thought to himself that he shouldn't have mentioned it. This gap could not be opened no matter what.

You can eat whatever oil you want, drink whatever milk you want, but you can’t watch whatever movies you want.

The seminar ended quickly. Just as Boss Lu had expected, such meetings were mostly about showing off achievements and expressing opinions.

There is no need to say much about the praise.

The statement is that following the various loosening policies at the beginning of the year, we will continue to guide and promote the prosperity of the domestic film industry and the construction of theater chains, and firmly support the major policies proposed by Shi Liuda to promote the rapid development of the cultural industry.

However, Boss Lu’s attendance and speech were not in vain.

Because from the debate among the Seven Gentlemen of Beijing Film Academy to the outstanding achievement of "Foreign Land", his tacit cooperation with the authorities also received invisible rewards.

On August 2004, 8, the 6th Provisional Executive Committee of the China Directors Association was held, and Comrade Lu Kuan was added as Vice President of the Association.

This was driven by Director Tong, Lao Han, Lao Tian, ​​and Lao Mouzi.

In the news broadcast on the same day, a two-minute short message caused heated discussion among all movie fans.

Recently, the China-Myanmar co-production "Alien Land" has been an unprecedented hit worldwide, with a box office of 4.5 million yuan to date, attracting great attention from people around the world.

This morning, a symposium on "Foreign Land" was held in Beijing, organized by the Ministry of Culture, Radio, Film, and Television, and the China Film Archive.

This was followed by the speeches of several leaders, and also a shot of Boss Lu’s personal speech for more than ten seconds.

Online movie fans and anti-fans who are used to making fun of Boss Lu are simply going to die!

How come this washing machine and dragon knight, which should have appeared in the "domestic area", appeared in the news broadcast?
This world is so crazy!
Liu Yifei's fans, however, were keen on talking about Xiao Liu who was sitting next to Boss Lu in the message screen. He was wearing a well-fitting OL outfit and looked so well-behaved!
Unlocked another character.

What made Mr. Lu most pleased was the box office figures on the second day. The box office curve, which had been slightly declining, was boosted again because of the effect of "News Broadcast"!

What he didn't know was that from then on, many enterprises and institutions across the country spontaneously organized bookings of the venue with great policy sensitivity.

The trade unions in state-owned enterprises may not be good at other things, but they are good at taking employees to the movies.

In the past, they were all boring mainstream movies that no one wanted to watch for free. This time, it was the world-famous sci-fi blockbuster "Alien", and even those who had already seen it were still willing to watch it again.

Boss Lu also struck while the iron was hot and went all out, taking advantage of the favorable situation to accept invitations from highly rated TV programs such as Chai Jing's "Face to Face" and the movie channel's "Light and Shadow Star Podcast", and continued to promote the box office.

This time, the screening period of "Alien Land" is as long as two months, which is the same treatment as "Hero" in 2002.

It’s just that the box office growth trend in the first month will drop sharply after a period of growth.

Because with the release of blockbusters such as "House of Flying Daggers", the audience of "Alien Land" has basically watched it for the first and second time, and the theater's screening schedule will decrease.

If the first few days saw a surge in the daily figures of 2000 million, then the next few days were a struggling struggle with an average of 100 million to 300 million per day.

Boss Lu is looking forward to that final number, the number that will make him go down in film history...

The next day, Beijing Workers' Stadium.

This is the first time that Boss Lu has watched a game live in his life.

He was wearing sunglasses and smoking near the VIP channel. Ah Fei stood at the intersection and looked around, intending to cover for Liu Yifei later.

Otherwise, with her current popularity, it might cause chaos.

Xiao Liu came over in casual clothes, looking like a girl next door, but was hit head-on by Boss Lu.

"What are you wearing?"

Concubine Liu Yi gathered her hair beautifully and turned it around: "Isn't it pretty?"

"The Japanese are nicknamed the Blue Warriors. Today's away jersey is blue. You're still wearing blue clothes. Are you planning to betray your country?"

Concubine Liu Yi was dumbfounded: "Ah? I don't know!"

"Ball blind, you have to come."

Xiao Liu punched Lu Kuan's arm in dissatisfaction, and now he was using his fists with ease: "Stop talking nonsense and take off your coat and give it to me."

"Can't you take it off?"

"No, it's a bit revealing inside..."

Boss Lu couldn't take off his thin casual suit to change her, so he asked A Fei to help her hold the clothes.

The journey was not smooth, as staff members frequently took out paper and pen to ask Liu Yifei for her autograph, all of which were for her sons and daughters at home.

Boss Lu didn’t have so many fans, so he walked into the box first, waving his hands.

Workers' Stadium now has the highest status in the country. Before the Bird's Nest, it has always served as the national stadium.

The three people walked in after checking their tickets. The professional staff certainly did not ask for autographs. Instead, they quickly helped the customers hang up their clothes and asked about their dining needs.

Lu Kuan looked around at the decoration and furnishings of the 8-person box, opened the window and felt the enthusiasm of the fans, feeling very happy.

"Lu Kuan, let me tell you, I brushed up on my football knowledge yesterday!"

Boss Lu asked indifferently, "What is offside?"

"Uh..."

"A Fei, explain it to her. Don't embarrass yourself by asking her when there are so many people around."

Ah Fei grew up in Hong Kong, where football fan culture is flourishing and there are many people who gamble on football, so naturally he understands it.

Boss Lu stood up and paced back and forth, wondering about Lao Zhao's intention in inviting him to watch the game.

Is it just simple social interaction?
In sports-developed countries such as Europe and the United States, stadium boxes are an excellent platform for high-end public relations and business negotiations between companies.

Unlike serious negotiation situations, here both sides can naturally lower their guard and discuss matters harmoniously because of their common interests and the enthusiasm of fans.

"Director Lu, I'm late, sorry!"

Zhao Benshan was wearing a national football team jersey and was followed by a medium-sized man with glasses.

Before he could even introduce himself, the man rushed over: "Director Lu! Nice to meet you, I'm Zhang Shuguang from Liaoning FC!"

"I just saw you appear on the news yesterday. Wow, this movie is selling well all over the world. It really brings honor to our country!"

Boss Lu was a football fan in his previous life. Although he was disappointed with the domestic football environment, he still couldn't help but pay attention to it.

As soon as he saw this person, he knew what Lao Zhao was planning.

It’s time to beg for money!

Zhao Benshan smiled and shook Lu Kuan's hand. "Director Lu, I'll tell all the staff at Benshan Grand Stage the day after your movie opens!"

"You must take your family to see it. It's a real expense. I, Old Zhao, will pay for it!"

Regardless of whether it was true or not, Boss Lu still smiled and greeted the two of them with a few words of thanks.

"Um, Xiao Liu, come here."

Lu Kuan then introduced Concubine Liu Yi to them.

With Zhao Benshan's sharp eyesight, of course he could see that the relationship between these two was unusual. They even went to watch the game together. Were they not afraid of being photographed by the media at all?
He was overthinking it. Boss Lu was the father of the entertainment reporters. Without him, half of the entertainment reporters in Beijing would have starved to death.

Whether to take the photo or not, I'm not afraid.

"Oh my, this girl is much prettier in real life than in the movie!"

"Thank you, Mr. Benshan."

Zhao Benshan kept praising her like she was free, thinking that if this girl is happy, doesn't that mean you, Lu Kuan, are happy?
He is overthinking it. You want to take advantage of Boss Lu and take money out of his pocket. How can he be happy?
Zhang Shuguang was a little impatient. He exchanged glances with Lao Zhao and then considered speaking: "The road..."

Boss Lu pretended not to hear and clapped his hands: "The opening whistle has sounded, let's go watch the game first!"

He pulled Concubine Liu Yi over as a shield: "Xiao Liu, come here, let me tell you about the formations of both sides today."

The two of them pushed open the glass door and stood on the terrace, leaning against the railing side by side.

"Look, we're in a 442 formation..."

The evening breeze blew on her face as the summer heat gradually subsided. Concubine Liu Yi supported her chin with her hand, not having the slightest interest in looking at anything. She just tilted her head to look at the man beside her.

She enjoyed this time alone like an ordinary person.

Zhang Shuguang whispered to Zhao Benshan in the private room, "Old Zhao, this guy is a master of Tai Chi. Should we just..."

Zhao Benshan thought to himself, what an idiot! How could I not know that this little rascal likes to practice Tai Chi?

Last year, I almost drove myself to death in the Spring Festival Gala studio.

But no matter how anxious you are, could now be the right opportunity?
He cryptically nodded at the backs of the young man and woman: "You want to interrupt other people's good things, and you still expect them to do things for you?"

"What do you think?"

After saying that, he sat down in front of the live TV in the room and said, "Sit down and watch the game for a while. I have to make the Japanese lose here today!"

"Tell me? Why don't you tell me?"

Xiao Liu listened attentively to Lu Kuan giving her scientific knowledge, and urged him to continue in dissatisfaction.

What the hell? If the shield blocks the arrow, why are you still holding it?
"I'm tired of talking, just watch it for yourself!"

Liu Yifei made a small fist gesture behind his back. Sometimes she really wanted to beat this bastard to death.

"Shit! That was almost it!"

Veteran Li Ming made a cross from the field, and Li Jinyu got the ball in front of the goal, but unfortunately the ball hit the crossbar and flew out.

Liu Yifei was really bored after watching for a while. The Japanese scored a goal in the 22nd minute and the scene became agitated again.

She took out her cell phone and poked Lu Kuan's arm with her finger.

“Take a picture of me.”

Boss Lu was speechless: "A key battle in the Anti-Japanese War, taking a picture of Mao?"

Liu Yifei ignored him and called the cold-faced bodyguard over: "A Fei, take a picture for us. See that big light behind the gymnasium? Give me an overexposed effect!"

Ah Fei was stunned. What the hell is overexposure?

Are you guys so professional at taking photos now?
Lu Kuan couldn't help laughing as he looked at her: "You're really good, you even learned how to overexpose."

"That is!"

Liu Yifei took the man's arm and moved close to him without any guard, using her experience in filming to find the shot.

There was a "click".

If this were the content of Xiao Liu's blog tonight, there would probably be even more broken hearts online.

"Don't post nonsense, I'm a person of status now, I have to pay attention to my reputation!"

Concubine Liu Yi scoffed, "What identity? Should I say what brand it is? Siemens or Little Swan?"

"How dare you! I'm currently the Vice President of the Directors Association, a member of the Beijing Democratic Progressive Party's executive committee, and a senior advisor to the Academy of Broadcasting Science!"

"How is it? Is it cool? I can't even write it on my business card."

Xiao Liu was about to retort when he suddenly saw a familiar figure on the terrace of the private room next door, and he pointed to Lu Kuan cleverly.

Lu Kuan turned around and met Zhou Jun's eyes. Zhang Nara was also staring at him and Liu Yifei with complicated eyes.

"Director Lu, what a coincidence? Are you here to watch the game?"

Lu Kuan seemed not to notice Zhang Nara beside him: "Investment banking is so busy, how come Mr. Zhou has the leisure time?"

"Oh, look, the two Mr. Wangs from Huayi invited us. We're all football fans, so it's hard to refuse such a kind invitation, haha."

Boss Lu smiled and said, "The ball you are talking about is a meatball, right?"
Zhou Jun had asked Dong Shuangqiang to invite him several times before, but he didn't expect Lu Kuan to keep refusing.

Logically speaking, he should be aware of his own identity, so why is he so unkind?
To show my sincerity, I even took money to do the job and helped him solve the problem of Ideal Building. Shouldn't the relationship between the two parties be taken to the next level?
Zhou Jun didn't believe that he could see his true purpose.

The atmosphere was a little awkward for a moment, and both sides greeted each other and returned to the private room.

In another VIP room, Da Wang and Xiao Wang were drinking beer and watching the game.

"Nala, why don't you drink some too? Keep Mr. Zhou company."

Zhang Nara was still immersed in the young man and woman she had just seen, and then she realized: "Ah? Okay, us Korean girls can drink quite well!"

She took the beer handed to her by Wang Xiaolei: "Kangsa Hamida~~~"

He turned around and clinked glasses with the smiling Zhou Jun. His smile was so sweet that Zhou Jun couldn't take his eyes off him.

The two brothers by the bar looked at each other and knew what was going on.

Zhou Jun looked at the two people who had been trying to please each other for a while, and said with emotion: "When it comes to people, it's better for people with similar temperaments to work together."

"To be honest, the company is very optimistic about the domestic film market. You may not know some of the data, but there is definitely room for growth in the film industry, and we're going to make a lot of money!"

"I myself am also interested in making some private investments."

Wang Xiaolei eagerly opened another beer for him, "Mr. Zhou, would you mind giving me some pointers?"

"Have you ever considered taking Huayi public?"

"Going public?"

The film industry requires huge investment. A film will go through many difficulties from project establishment, shooting, promotion and release. Any problem at any step will cause investment risks.

Especially after Cell Phone was targeted by its competitors, the two brothers ran their business even more cautiously.

Except for Boss Guabilu, for all other film practitioners, making movies is an industry that requires a lot of capital and has high investment risks.

It would be great to be able to go public and raise funds.

What's more, the two brothers also have the ambition to integrate the industrial chain, otherwise they would not seek to acquire shares in the distribution business of Xi'an Film Studio and participate in cinema investment.

These are all projects that require a lot of money, just like the world where the speed at which you make money can never catch up with the speed at which you spend it.

Wang Xiaolei was very excited and just as he was about to open his mouth to express his opinion, his brother gave him a look and said no.

He knew this person's power and background, so he was naturally worried that he might be trying to get something from a tiger.

Wang Dajun pondered, "Huayi's business path is not yet mature. The artist training model and film and television production cycle are relatively long. In this respect, we are not as good as Lukuan."

Zhou Jun nodded. "I've recently done some careful research on the company Wenjie. As you said, their artist training and film and television production complement each other."

"Like Hu Ge and Liu Yifei, who were made famous by the Chinese Paladin."

"Ning Hao and Huang Bo, who were made famous by the Stone film series, and so on."

He paused, then took the cigarette Wang Xiaolei handed him. "Especially Liu Yifei. Oh, by the way, I don't quite understand this girl. She's not signed to any company, so how can she get so many resources in the industry?"

This question hit the nail on the head, and even Jang Nara couldn't help but prick up her ears to listen.

Wang Xiaolei had a lot to say about this matter. He recounted the important things that happened to Liu Zeyu, which made Zhou Jun secretly shocked.

"Looks like he's really a thorny guy, huh? Haha, if anyone tries to touch his woman, he'll chop off their hands."

He frowned again: "That's not right? Then why does Liu Yifei open her own studio now?"

Wang Xiaolei shook his head: "I really don't know about that. Maybe the two parties have some kind of private agreement?"

Wang Dajun asked suspiciously, "Boss Zhou is so concerned about Concubine Liu Yi, is it possible?"

"Hey! You all only look at her face, but you don't know her true economic value."

The two brothers looked at each other and asked, "What do you mean?"

"This is according to the results we obtained from a business research agency."

"Taking into account all her endorsements, film fees, commercial performances and other activities in 2003, her pre-tax income was around 3500 million."

Zhang Nara was secretly amazed when she heard this. She wished she could also earn that much money so that she could support her father's drama club.

Wang Xiaolei asked doubtfully, "Is this... okay? The two Bingbings in our company are not much different."

Zhou Jun sneered: "Almost? I haven't finished yet!"

"Wenjie sold the ringtones she recorded online through Blog.com's SP channel, and all the songs she recorded have been downloaded over 9000 million times."

"In the current market, non-popular songs cost 1 yuan each, while popular ones cost 3 yuan. Let's take the middle value of 2 yuan."

"The copyright is in the hands of Wenjie. After deducting the 15% from China Unicom and China Mobile, they can get 85%. You can calculate how much it is."

According to statistics, the most popular ringtone song in 2004 was Zheng Yuan's "Ten Thousand Reasons", with a total download volume of million.

Wang Xiaolei felt his throat go dry as he listened to the staggering figures.

"One... one hundred and fifty million or more?"

Next door Lu Kuan: Hush! Keep your voices down! Don't let Xiao Liu hear you! Otherwise, he'll get into trouble with me again.

Wang Xiaolei was unconvinced: "Aren't they still using Blog.com's channels? They still have to pay Blog.com a share of the revenue!"

Zhou Jun smiled but said nothing. Ever since he became interested in Wenjie and Lu Kuan, he found that every move made by Boss Lu was related to Blog.com.

Are the two parties in a partnership that is more like one than another, or...

Could it be Lu Kuan’s own company?

His fellow countryman Zhuang Xu is just a cover?
"Even if you deduct your share, what will happen?"

"Is this the annual revenue of Huayi's film and television business?"

The remaining three people in the room were a little depressed.

Big and Small Wang: It turns out that the most profitable thing in the world is not movies.

Jang Nara: It turns out that Consort Liu Yi made so much money for him, no wonder...

Zhou Jun coughed softly. "I'm not saying this to discourage you, but I think you should learn from the fandom community and master this method of creating stars and leveraging internet resources and popularity to engage in fan economy marketing."

"I just missed one point. The peripheral products of 'Alien Land' and 'Zhu Xian' are selling very well in theaters now, and a considerable number of the buyers are fans of Concubine Liu."

Wang Xiaolei slapped his thigh fiercely: "If I had known earlier, I would have signed her no matter what!"

Wang Dajun said dissatisfiedly, "You signed? Even if you signed, could you produce as many works as Lu Kuan to promote her? Could you design such a development strategy and achieve such marketing results?"

Zhou Jun nodded: "Dajun, what you said hits the point. The most terrifying thing for Lu Kuan about Concubine Liu Yi is not discovering or controlling this person."

"It's about believing in her value, investing resources, and reaping the benefits."

"If you consider the artist Liu Yifei as a commodity, he first invested the most resources in her and then profited from her in every possible way."

"From film and television production to advertising endorsements, product sales, and fan economy development, this is what truly makes people applaud!"

He said to the two brothers sternly, "This model is like a textbook. I think you can also find an actress with acceptable age, image, and artistic talent to package and operate it."

Hearing this, Zhang Nara, who was standing behind Zhou Jun, unconsciously puffed out her chest.

(End of this chapter)