Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 495 The End of the Huayi Era! (Thanks to the esteemed author Shangxian for joining the Alliance and for this extra chapter)
In this era, not many Chinese people consult the so-called "old almanac" anymore. As long as you have a clear plan in mind, everything will be fine.

Ironically, both the challenger and the defender of Huayi's equity stake were remarkably confident in their positions.

Before leaving home in the morning, both sides believed they could secure more than half of the voting rights of the shareholders present.

However, when the total shareholding exceeds 100%, it is clear that at the intersection of these two sets, there are imposters, rebels, and wavering individuals.

Today's shareholders' meeting is the time for everyone to shed their first layer of pretense.

In Wenyuhe Prefecture, Liu Yifei, who had just gotten up, was still in the dark and had no idea what was about to happen today.

"Huh? Are you going too?" Xiao Liu looked curiously at her husband as he changed into a suit and came downstairs. He had just flown back from the United States a few days ago and was still feeling a bit jet-lagged.

Boss Lu lied: "I'm not going. I'll go to the company after I drop you off."

He should have avoided suspicion, regardless of whether that suspicion was already openly acknowledged by discerning people.

In fact, in the past two weeks, there have been many voices pleading, dissuading, and proposing that they do not want to see the industry become too monopolistic.

If a film release during the Lunar New Year, Spring Festival, and Valentine's Day holiday seasons has 5-6 films vying for market share, and these films are of consistently high quality, as in the past, then Wenjie will possess the same "superpower" as China Film Group:
Use movie release dates to target competitors.

One relies on administrative power and Hollywood imports, while the other relies on the reputation and quality of its works by its own directors, led by Lu Kuan, over the past seven or eight years.

It's not hard to imagine that behind these voices are the Berna Fiber Optic Alliance, Wanda, and all the other film and entertainment companies.

After all, nobody wants to be bullied by a behemoth for a long time, living in darkness.

These voices included those from higher authorities and relevant associations; some had already reached Lu Kuan's ears, while others were not qualified to speak with him.

But since the matter hasn't been completely settled, no one should jump to conclusions, just in case...

What if it's not him?

Before a concerted effort is formed in public opinion and administration to address the near-monopoly of the opposition to the issue, no one dares to be the first to speak out.

"Come and eat!" Liu Xiaoli and Afei brought out an exceptionally lavish breakfast from the kitchen, their mouths watering at the sight of Liu Yifei.

The girl already had a good appetite, and with the twins absorbing nutrients in her belly, she had an even better appetite and ate heartily at every meal.

Looking at the breakfast spread on the table, Liu Xiaoli smiled and said, "Sissi rarely goes to work today, so she didn't cook according to the nutrition team's requirements. Let's eat some home-style food."

Although it's described as home-style cooking, it actually takes into account the nutritional needs of pregnant women:

Red date, longan and white fungus soup nourishes blood and calms the nerves; the gelatinous substance in white fungus promotes fetal brain cell development.

Pork liver and spinach porridge is designed to address the risk of anemia during the second trimester of pregnancy. Pork liver is rich in vitamin A and iron, while millet contains B vitamins that promote absorption.

Besides some whole grains and dry food, there are also walnut and black sesame soy milk and warm milk with chopped walnuts for my daughter to choose from.

A blend of Chinese and Western styles is needed; otherwise, eating and drinking the same few things all the time will get boring.

Liu Yifei has already started eating: "This is the first time in my life I've felt so hungry. Seriously, I felt like my stomach was sticking to my back as soon as I opened my eyes this morning."

“Sisi is lucky; she hardly has any morning sickness, just like me.” Liu Xiaoli took a sip of porridge and said with some emotion, “She’s already over 18 weeks along, and tomorrow is her prenatal checkup. Time flies.”

Afei wolfed down his food expressionlessly for a while. After hearing Liu Xiaoli's words, and thinking that he could finally finish up something today, he was eager to go out and get used to the vehicle he had modified for half a month.

He was still somewhat agitated, wishing he could crush the poisonous insects as soon as possible to prevent future trouble.

Xiao Liu watched him push open the door and leave, then looked at her husband in surprise and said, "Why did Afei eat so little today? Usually, the two of us are always the last to finish eating."

"Never mind him, he probably just doesn't have a good appetite today." Boss Lu said casually, as he served himself another bowl of pork liver porridge.

The expectant father looked at his wife's belly, which was noticeably fuller than when she had a single pregnancy: "We'll find out the baby's gender tomorrow, aren't you excited?"

Liu Yifei looked up at him with a happy expression: "I'm not excited at all. I never even thought about it. I'd accept it even if it's a kitten. Anyway, it's all my child."

"Go away! Don't talk nonsense!" Liu Xiaoli frowned at her daughter, then looked at her two children and laughed, "This time you can't hide it anymore. As soon as your big belly is revealed, everyone will know you're pregnant."

Boss Lu gave his wife a thumbs up: "Domestic paparazzi and entertainment reporters should all give you an award. You two are the best partners when it comes to creating news."

"Let's see if Huayi's change of ownership will grab the headlines, or if Liu Yifei's pregnancy will win over more viewers."

Xiao Liu laughed and said, "Reporters aren't as stupid as you. They'll write 'Pregnant Liu Yifei causes Huayi to change hands,' getting two hot topics in one go."

Unlike the cautious confidence and trepidation of the defending champion Huayi, neither Lu Kuan nor Liu Yifei seemed to regard today's highly anticipated extraordinary general meeting of shareholders as anything significant.

As the Maybach 62S drove onto the airport expressway, Liu Yifei, sitting in the back, inexplicably felt a bit bumpy, so she moved closer to her husband to sit more steadily: "Shouldn't this road be repaired?"

"It's not that the road needs repairing, it's that the car needs replacing." Lu Kuan laughed and made up a story: "Afei didn't notice when he picked me up from the airport and hit the curb. We temporarily modified some parts to make do."

"If I keep driving it, I can buy a new car."

Liu Yifei said reproachfully, "What a waste! I'm used to this car. If it can still be driven, don't change it. We don't actually use it much anyway."

“I haven’t left the house since you went to America.”

Ring ring ring!
Boss Lu's arm was held by his wife, and the girl helped him take his phone out of his pocket, looking at the washing machine teasingly: "It's freezing weather, Bingbing's calling, he calls you every two or three days these days, hmph."

The washing machine, with a strong survival instinct, looked at her speechlessly: "Weren't you listening the whole time? They were all talking about Huayi's affair!"

"She did public relations with the few people below her who held small shares; this is normal normal communication!"

"We're in America? How would I know what you were talking about?" Liu Yifei smiled and pursed her lips: "Hurry up and answer."

"Hey?"

The leading actress on the other end of the phone said, "We're just one traffic light away from Huayi's headquarters: Two of the remaining contestants are probably skipping the event, probably because they can't afford to offend either side. The rest will proceed as usual."

"Okay, I got it." Lu Kuan asked casually, "Where are you? Are there many reporters?"

Bingbing peered out the window. In fact, she had already circled this road at least five times, nervously observing every suspicious vehicle, but to no avail.

"Not bad... Huh?"

Lu Kuan asked expressionlessly, "What's wrong?"

"No...it's nothing. There are a lot of traffic police and reporters here to maintain order today, but they were all kept outside the cordon."

"Okay, we'll be there in half an hour."

As Bingbing got closer to the Fenglian Building, even though the car's heater was on high, his knees still trembled and leaned against each other.

Feeling that if she continued talking, the person would notice something was off, the leading lady chatted for a few more minutes and then hung up the phone.

Her head bumped against the car window with a light but firm touch. Her knuckles, gripping her phone tightly, turned slightly white, and her nails almost dug into her palms, yet she felt no pain.

What should I do...? Should I say anything...?

Where is that heartless madman now?

Bingbing's throat bobbed as he looked out the window at the blurry figures of pedestrians in the snow, but the saliva he swallowed felt like it was mixed with ice.

Ever since she learned the secret and Zhou Jun's insane plan, she has been suffering in agony every single day.

She had to admit that the devil had planted a seed in her heart, making her constantly rack her brains for ways to maximize her benefits.

The leading actress is still hesitating.

Although he was unaware of Zhou Jun's plan, given the deal he made with Wang Xiaolei, he was bound to first thwart Lu Kuan's plot to gain entry. Logically, he should launch a fierce attack after the meeting.

This also gave Bingbing time to delay making a final decision.

She had almost torn her heart to pieces.

After hanging up the phone, Lu Kuan suddenly started talking to Liu Yifei about today's voting:

Do you believe Yang Mi?

"I believe her." Xiao Liu laughed. "I believe in her cleverness and ability to judge situations. Let's see how things go today, and then I'll tease her a bit."

Boss Lu nodded, then suddenly asked Liu Yifei a question that puzzled her greatly:

"So, do you believe Fan Bingbing?"

"Wh...what do you mean?" Liu Yifei could hardly believe her ears. Was she really experiencing pregnancy-induced brain fog?
What has happened these past few days that makes him suspicious of who initiated this challenge? Weren't they having a great conversation on the phone just now?

Afei glanced nervously at the rearview mirror, thinking he was about to tell Liu Yifei everything.

Lu Kuan still didn't reveal the truth. He had already arranged everything, and Xiao Liu wouldn't even have the chance to see the possible tragedy.

Telling her now will only increase her tension and anxiety, and will also needlessly attract attention.

Boss Lu laughed and said, "Let's say we're making a movie, and the plot goes like this—"

"Someone contacted the female lead, Bingbing, and offered her a deal that combined both kindness and threats. If she switched sides at the last minute, her wish would be fulfilled."

"The only consequence might be physical harm to me."

What do you think she will choose?

Lu Kuan was unwilling to talk about the harm he would cause to his wife and children, not even verbally, and simply treated himself as a character in a story.

However, the scenario wasn't quite right, and Liu Yifei replied without hesitation, "She wouldn't."

"What's the reason?"

The young woman looked at her husband with sparkling eyes and said gently, "I've had similar conversations with her, though I'm speaking from a position of privilege. When she said she had feelings for you, I questioned her—"

"Your so-called achievement of your goals requires guiding and enticing Lu Kuan to amplify the evil side of his own character. Is this what you call love?" (Chapter 394)
Xiao Liu was unwilling to discuss the topic of mistresses behind people's backs, but smiled gently and said, "I criticized her for always seeing the evil side of people, but I won't only see the evil side of her either."

"People are complex, and so are you and me."

“Especially if it were you, I believe she wouldn’t make the wrong choice, she wouldn’t be willing to give up.”

Liu Yifei sighed, "To be honest, I don't have any ill feelings towards her now, but there are some bottom lines that I can't compromise on, not even a little bit."

Lu Kuan stared at his wife for a moment, her long eyelashes casting a soft shadow under her eyes, like ink spreading on rice paper.

As she spoke while looking out at the snow falling outside the window, the white mist she exhaled condensed into fleeting water droplets on the glass, reflecting the fragile yet stubborn clarity in her bones.

Xiao Liu countered, "Then do you believe her?"

"Me?" Boss Lu's gaze drifted to the car window, where snowflakes gently tapped against the glass.

"I hope she can make me believe."

The good see good, and the evil see evil, just like a mirror reflecting objects. When the mirror is clean, the reflection is clear; when the mirror is cloudy, the image is obscured.

At one time, all he saw in this world were the great evils and wrongdoings.

The snow in Beiping fell heavier and heavier, and Liu Yifei, who was more than 18 weeks pregnant, became increasingly tired and took a nap leaning on her husband's shoulder.

The car's heater caused the fog on the windows to gather and disperse repeatedly. Looking out the window, the messy tire tracks and footprints on the snow were quickly buried by the new snow, like all the calculations and secrets that were never spoken.

. . .

Bingbing's driver stopped the car in front of the gate. The gatekeeper raised the barrier and let them in. Bingbing rolled down the window and asked, "Sir, are outside cars not allowed in today?"

The gatekeeper naturally recognized the famous actress, who was usually good at winning people over: "No entry, no entry. The meeting is in chaos today, and we're afraid some reporters or paparazzi might sneak in. The police officers are helping to maintain order outside."

"Okay, see you later, sir."

"Hey! Okay!"

Bingbing breathed a sigh of relief and instructed the driver, "Don't turn off the engine right away. Let's sit for a while and turn on the defroster."

"Yes."

She didn't want to arrive too early, lest she see the Wang brothers and have them nag her again. Besides, she was also restless and wanted to take another look at her surroundings.

The fog on the car window was gradually blown away by the warm air. Fan Bingbing stared at the snowflakes falling outside the window, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the edge of her phone, the screen lighting up and then turning off.

"Drip drip!"

The sharp horn suddenly shattered the silence of the carriage, and Fan Bingbing shuddered, her phone slipping onto the floor mat with a "thud".

She looked up abruptly and, through the right-hand car window, met a pair of sinister eyes.

Wang Xiaolei's face was pressed against the outside of the driver's side window, the unhealed scar on his brow bone gleaming bluish-purple in the snowy light, but the corners of his mouth were tugged into a half-smile.

"Bingbing, good morning."

Fan Bingbing showed no intention of getting out of the car to talk to him; instead, she nervously looked around and mouthed, "Where is he?"

A cold wind, carrying snowflakes, rushed into the half-rolled-down car window, making her shiver.

Unfortunately, Wang Xiaolei wasn't much more relaxed than her. He gave an awkward, half-smiling expression and drove away.

Wasn't he afraid? He didn't even dare to bring up the issue with Bingbing again.

That day, being led by Zhou Jun to seduce Bingbing felt more like a crime of passion.

Now that the die is cast, and given Wang Dajun's stern reprimand last night, he still retains a degree of awe.

Aside from Zhou Jun, a rotten ghost and drug addict whose life has been ruined and who is obsessed with taking revenge on society, Wang Xiaolei, although also facing serious mental problems, is still a normal person after all, just like Bingbing.

When faced with a potential bloody, horrific, and violent crime, a normal person's adrenaline surges through their blood vessels like boiling water, causing their pupils to dilate, their heart to race, and even their breathing to feel like it's burning.

No one is not nervous.

In fact, Wang Xiaolei didn't know where Zhou Jun was. He even wondered how that poisonous insect could get in with such tight security outside.

However, being able to stay away from Fenglian Building can at least help me distance myself from some of the connections.

He thought to himself, "This is like trying to hide something obvious."

The snow fell heavier and heavier, covering the glass curtain wall of the Fenglian Plaza building with a layer of gray-white gauze. The falling snow particles swirled in the cold wind, like countless tiny blades cutting through the stagnant air.

On the flagpole in front of the building, Huayi's company flag hung low under the weight of the snow, its scarlet logo blurred into a dark spot in the snow.

At the congested train gates, all the excited reporters and fans were kept out.

Just as Bingbing observed, the Chaoyang branch seemed to have anticipated the large crowds and bad weather today, and deployed a large number of police officers.

The moment Bingbing and Wang Xiaolei's car entered the gate, it caused quite a stir. Now everyone is waiting for Liu Yifei and the other celebrities. It's easy to imagine that today's news will generate unprecedented buzz.

Zhuo Wei, China's top paparazzo, the king of gossip on Weibo, and the founder of Fengxing Studio, was also "present" today.

Zhuo Wei and Wenjie have always maintained a somewhat distant cooperative relationship. As the leading paparazzi in the entertainment industry, he needs the opportunity to freely express his opinions on Weibo, the largest online platform.

Meanwhile, Lu Yao and Yang Siwei from Wenjie's brokerage department also need Zhuo Wei to provide them with assistance in certain areas.

Thus, the two sides maintained a tacit understanding, just like how Boss Lu used him to bring down Song Quede in 04, achieving limited cooperation.

The top paparazzo continues to have an outstanding track record in the past two years:
In 06, Gao Yuanyuan interfered in the relationship between Xia Yu and Yuan Quan, and obtained photos of the former spending the night with him.

In 07, photos of Yanzi and table tennis player Wang Liqin embracing were exposed, along with Gu Changwei's "car sex scandal" in the same year.

And the apartment door where Zhang Guoli and Shen Aojun were seen entering and leaving together late at night this year.

The top paparazzo was standing in the snow, looking with some confusion at the two cars parked side by side not far away, followed by a security vehicle containing Mia.

One of them was Mr. Lu's Beijing A·LL825 license plate. The Beijing A license plate was issued before 1996, and he had to ask someone to part with it last year through connections.

But the other one left him somewhat uncertain.

Most people wouldn't recognize this Hyundai Elantra, but he knew it was an official vehicle of the Municipal Public Security Bureau's Criminal Investigation Division, as could be seen from its Beijing O license plate.

In Beiping, the license plates of ordinary police departments are all in the Beijing D series. Beijing O is generally only used by agencies that need to enter the areas of central government agencies to handle cases. The municipal bureau should only have one or two such vehicles.

"Hey! Isn't that Boss Lu's car? Let's get closer, the snow is too heavy!" Zhuo Wei's old partner Feng Ke was also very professional, and pulled him towards the intersection.

"Don't go! You can't film this."

Feng Ke was dumbfounded: "Why?"

"For no reason, it's pointless to take pictures, and it will only cause trouble."

While the two were talking, Boss Lu got out of the car and shook hands with a man in a casual coat, while Liu Yifei did not get out of the car.

"Don't look anymore, that's Old Zheng from the Criminal Investigation Division, an old guy in the bureau."

Feng Ke laughed and said, "Huayi isn't a military enterprise or a high-tech company with classified information. Or are they afraid that a full-blown fight will break out at today's shareholders' meeting?"

Zhuo Wei did not respond, but went to the advantageous position occupied by the studio assistant to take a picture of Liu Yifei who was about to arrive.

It seems that Boss Lu wanted to avoid any appearance of impropriety.

As expected, after the Beijing O car left, another black sedan slowly drove up. It was Wenjie's car, and Chen Zhixi was sitting in the passenger seat.

Lu Kuan climbed back into the Maybach: "I'm leaving now. I'll pick you up at noon, but I probably won't be there by then." Xiao Liu, still a little sleepy, hugged her husband: "You're coming to pick me up? I'm not a child anymore. How about we go to the cafeteria for lunch? I feel like I've had enough of the food at home."

"It's all right."

Seeing him push the door open to leave, Liu Yifei suddenly pouted and said coquettishly, "Hey, do you remember what day it is tomorrow?"

Here comes a collection of questions about women's death. Fortunately, this is an easy question, because Xiao Liu just posted it on her wedding day in September.

"We first met on December 21, 2001, right?"

"Hehe, tomorrow is our eighth anniversary. I'll finish my work today and go to the hospital for a prenatal checkup to see the baby tomorrow. That's great! I can't wait."

Lu Kuan smacked his lips. This plot was actually a bit like, "I'll retire after this job," "I'll go back to my hometown and get married after this war," and "This is a picture of my daughter, isn't she cute?"

Fortunately, I am a time traveler, so these regrets in my life will not happen in reality.

He kissed his wife on the forehead: "There are a lot of people today, so don't leave Mia and Afei's sight, and don't go into any messy places."

"Huh? I know, I'm not stupid!" Xiao Liu said, both amused and exasperated.

Boss Lu seemed particularly slow today. He patted Afei on the shoulder again and left without saying a word.

After the modification, the bulky Maybach was quite noisy when starting. Liu Yifei clicked her tongue and said, "It seems like it should be replaced. It feels like the car and the road width are not normal today."

Ah Fei pursed his lips tightly as he drove through the surging crowd of reporters and fans. Liu Yifei rolled down the window slightly to greet everyone before entering the gate.

Mia's car kept a certain distance behind as they drove towards the underground parking lot. Just before they entered, the cold-faced bodyguard's sharp eyes glanced casually at a certain spot.

Everything is fine.

Then shareholders arrived one after another, and the noise in front of the gate shook the snow, which was about an inch thick, off the withered locust branches in the fence.

The machine then snapped with a "crack," smashing onto the lens of a reporter's camera outside the cordon, sparking a chorus of curses.

The snow continued to fall, and the leaden sky pressed heavily down on the Fenglian Building, as if a silent strangulation was about to begin.
-
They arrived at the seventh floor, and the elevator doors slid open silently. Afei and Mia stood in front of her and behind her, protecting her. Today, the young pregnant woman was wearing soft snow boots, dressed quite casually.

The black shearling coat draped loosely, barely concealing her growing belly. The curly texture of the Altai lambskin had a matte finish, and the somber color made her look even more sophisticated against her pretty face.

Perhaps the violet acetate sunglasses on her nose are the only embellishment that highlights her status as a female celebrity.

"XiXi, congratulations!" Zhou Xun didn't want to exchange pleasantries with Wang Dajun and Xiao Lei's staff from Huayi, so she simply looked out at the snow scene from outside the conference room and spotted Liu Yifei first.

Xiao Liu hugged her with delight: "Sister Xun, you're here so early."

"There's nothing to do at home." Zhou Xun carefully moved away from her belly and whispered enviously, "How many months pregnant are you?"

"I'm a little over 18 weeks pregnant and going for my prenatal checkup tomorrow."

Xun Ge'er, who is currently in a passionate relationship with makeup artist Li Daqi, is very envious. This is the longest relationship she has ever had, lasting for 5 years since the end of 03.

Zhou Xun laughed and said, "That's great, these two little ones are so lucky."

They seemed to take today's vote completely indifferent, a stark contrast to the solemn faces of the Huayi employees passing by in the corridor.

Everyone looked at Liu Yifei with curiosity. Although rumors of her pregnancy had been circulating for over a month, it was still against the behavior of a female celebrity to openly admit it in public.

However, when people thought back to six months ago, when the cold-faced, cool man behind her kicked their boss, Mr. Wang, into a crippled dog and escaped unscathed, it didn't seem so hard to understand.

Unlike Bingbing, Zhou Xun, and Yang Mi, who still have to work hard, even if she retires and goes home to be a wife and mother, it's no big deal. She is still the most powerful woman in the entertainment industry.

"Sissi, you're here?" It was Da Mimi who spoke, walking over with a cheerful look on her face as she walked over in her high heels.

Actually, she was terrified.

The coal mine owners who supported her in getting roles in "The Forbidden Kingdom" and "Painted Skin 2" received special attention from Liu, the leader of the railway department, who asked her to support Lao Ma's side.

This was facilitated by Qigong master Wang Lin (middle of the image below).

Seeing Yang Mi's hesitant expression, Zhou Xun turned her back and raised an eyebrow at Xiao Liu: "I'll go in first."

"Ok."

it is more than words.

If we're talking about how well I know Yang Mi, besides my old acquaintance Liu Yifei, it's Zhou Xun, my senior from both Rongxingda and Huayi.

Da Mimi, wearing high heels and almost as tall as Liu Yifei, put her arm around her best friend's shoulder and walked to a corner: "Qianqian, there's something I need to tell you..."

"what?"

"My boyfriend is very wealthy... his family business is being threatened."

Yang Mi, with a hint of tears in her eyes, preemptively chimed in, "The coal industry has been in a slump these past two years due to reforms. Qianqian, you don't know the operational path of coal, which is production, transportation, and sales."

"The railway is the main artery of coal production, and now... a leader has put in a good word for us."

Da Mimi stopped abruptly, naturally unable to reveal which leader it was.

This time she wasn't lying. The main coal-producing areas of Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Inner Mongolia are far from the main consumption areas of East and South China, and railways are almost the only economical and efficient solution for transporting coal across such long distances.

However, for highly planned entities like railways, capacity gaps and quotas have become key targets for many financial institutions and the families behind them, which is one of the reasons why they were manipulated this time.

Yang Mi's purpose in saying this was to gain Liu Yifei's understanding so that, if her vote wouldn't affect the overall situation, she would vote for the opposing side.

She took out the money from the stocks she was holding on behalf of someone else, and her boyfriend's family compensated her a little more to return the money to Xiao Liu.

But what if Consort Liu doesn't agree...?

Then it will be difficult for Da Mimi, the nine-tailed fox.

Voting for Lao Ma would offend Liu Yifei and Lu Kuan, making it difficult to survive in the Chinese entertainment industry in the future.

In the world of investment, even the black money background that he relied on is difficult to maintain, or at least has to be greatly reduced.

Without them, we'll forever be breathing in Liu Yifei's exhaust fumes.

She knows how much illicit money is about to flood the film market, so how could she easily give up such resources?

Not everyone is as fortunate as Liu Yifei, who is known for her stubbornness.

Dilemma.

But why should Liu Yifei give her a friendly look? She simply couldn't be bothered to argue with this fake friend.

All she wants to do right now is eat well, drink well, and be in a good mood so she can give birth to her baby. She doesn't want to waste her breath on these trivial matters and make herself unhappy.

Xiao Liu narrowed his eyes slightly, the morning light outside the corridor casting shadows on the girl's porcelain-white face.

She touched the uniquely designed wedding ring on her hand, then left with a single sentence, her expression almost blank.

"It's up to you."

"Qian..." This was the first time Da Mimi had ever seen her "best friend" act like this.

Those clear phoenix eyes were like a frozen lake; this subtle detachment was more terrifying to her than anger.

The tall, muscular blonde female bodyguard, over 1.8 meters tall, blocked the path of the simp Da Mimi, leaving only a silhouette that she could only look at from behind.

Liu Yifei, who had turned her back, had a sly look on her face and a mischievous smile. Although she couldn't get a perm because of her pregnancy, she couldn't hide her sassy and roguish charm.

The innocent and carefree Little Sweetie might act a little crazy, but the scheming Big Honey also needs to be given a warning.

The latter three percentage points were not actually within her consideration. Just like what she said to Lu Kuan in the car, it was just to tease her and see what choice Yang Mi would make later.

The meeting started at 9:30, and people began to enter the meeting room one after another.

Because of the nature of this extraordinary general meeting, most people came and sat in groups.

The two Wangs from Huayi sat in their usual seats, with Ma Yun and Deng Wendi lined up in order.

When Wu Ershan saw Liu Yifei enter, he instinctively tried to raise his buttocks to greet her, but then stopped abruptly, probably realizing the issue of his own position.

Xiao Liu smiled and nodded to the "defending champion" who was staring at her. The subtle atmosphere in the room seemed to be altered by her plump pregnant body, and a warmer tone appeared inexplicably.

Wang Xiaolei stared at Afei outside the door with a gloomy expression. The latter ignored his gaze and looked solemnly at the commotion inside the conference room.

With his broad back, slender waist, and upright posture, one had no doubt that if Liu Yifei showed any unusual behavior, he and the blonde woman beside him would arrive in an instant.

Wang Dajun and Ma Yun, on the other hand, were quite composed and greeted each other with smiles.

Wendy Deng acted as if nothing had happened: "Ms. Liu, are you really pregnant? Congratulations!"

"Thank you," Xiao Liu replied casually. No one took it seriously, knowing that the wives of these two wealthy men, one Chinese and one foreign, had a past feud.

When her gaze fell upon Huang Xiaoming and Zhang Jizhong again, the girl's smile softened, and she sat down under everyone's watchful eyes.

Beside Bingbing.

The leading actress was inexplicably nervous, and she couldn't quite explain her current state of mind.

Seeing her come in safely, Bingbing felt a tingling, numbing sensation run down her spine, as if she had escaped an invisible judgment.

You can see the glow on this expectant mother's face, a glow imbued with pregnancy hormones;
She thought of how she had begged Xie Jin in Shanghai before her funeral to give up everything just to have a child.

A surge of intense jealousy and resentment welled up inside her, mixed with the shackles of the oppressive power exerted on her by the transmigrator over a long period of time, making it hard for her to breathe.

Then, thinking about how she was now carrying that man's child, and how all he had to do was close his eyes and sit still in this room after the meeting...

The thought tightened in my heart like a venomous snake.

Her terrifying thoughts were suddenly interrupted.

"Okay, everyone."

With a solemn expression, Wang Xiaolei straightened the microphone in front of him:
"Since Chairman Wang Dajun is the subject of the proposal at this extraordinary general meeting of shareholders, the meeting will be chaired by the Vice Chairman, namely myself, Wang Xiaolei."

"Please have our staff verify the shareholder's identity first."

Company Secretary Hu Ming said in a gentle voice, "Please provide your shareholder account documents and ID cards for verification."

As the staff were going through their routine, Liu Yifei noticed Bingbing's slightly trembling knees touching and asked, "Are you cold?"

Bingbing turned her head and smiled slightly, "A little, today... the wind is strong and the snow is heavy."

"Yes, I was driving very slowly on the road just now, because if I went too fast I wouldn't have been able to brake."

This casual remark sent a chill down the actress's spine, and Zhou Jun's maniacal laughter involuntarily flashed through her mind.

I'm mentally ill... I can't stop myself...

"Ms. Fan Bingbing?"

The secretary of the board, Hu Ming, spoke twice. Bingbing looked up in surprise and saw that everyone was looking at her. Only then did she come back to her senses.

Wang Xiaolei was secretly delighted. Judging from her absent-minded appearance, she must be secretly panicking because she was about to betray the president's wife of Wenjie.
"According to the provisions of the Company Law, I will repeat today's procedures once again." Wang Xiaolei stared at Bingbing's face. She was the key to today's victory; if she switched sides, their side would surely win.

"First, please have Ms. Fan Bingbing read out the motion to remove him from office."

"Next, Chairman Wang Dajun will answer questions from shareholders and make his defense, followed by a vote."

Wang Xiaolei paused, then looked at Fan Bingbing with a gloomy expression: "Please."

Bingbing, who had been deep in thought, suddenly smiled and gently pushed the proposal document forward with her fingertips. She was quite adept at handling such situations.
"As an individual shareholder holding 7.7% of the shares, I have serious doubts about Huayi's long-term development strategy and the capabilities of the current management team."

"First of all, compared with leading companies in the industry such as Wenjie, the company has long relied too much on director Feng Xiaogang and Lunar New Year film IPs, and has failed to effectively develop diversified content tracks, resulting in its market share being continuously squeezed by competitors such as Wenjie."

. . .

The first point is already a bit off-putting; you can't really compare things like that, can you?
If failing to do this is considered dereliction of duty by management, then all the bosses in China's cultural media and film industries should resign.

Wang Dajun remained expressionless, Wang Xiaolei's face was ashen, and Feng Xiaogang grinned.

However, for the latter, this proposal was actually a compliment. Kuzi was secretly pleased. Now even the CEO of the top private cinema chain was favoring him. He had great confidence in last year's "Assembly" and this year's "If You Are the One".

But this Bingbing... is going to mess up the publicity.

But as hurtful as it may be, Bingbing's point is beyond reproach; shareholders certainly hope that management will emulate the best companies in the industry.

"Secondly, the company continued its aggressive expansion of cinemas despite the financial crisis, ignoring objective development laws and blindly issuing new shares to shareholders such as Ali and Ms. Wendy Deng."

"On the one hand, it severely dragged down the company's cash flow, and on the other hand, it forced small and medium-sized shareholders to invest in the company, otherwise their shares would be diluted."

“But since 04, the equity and financing funds of us minority shareholders have been tied up for a long time, and the listing plan has been delayed. I think this has seriously damaged the interests of minority shareholders.”

"Third, inadequate preparations for the IPO and imbalanced artist management..."

Bingbing listed seven or eight accusations against Wang Dajun and his management team, some of which were sharp criticisms of current affairs, while others were purely unreasonable.

But everyone's just listening for fun and going through the motions; who doesn't know the real reason behind it?
Time ticked by, and Wang Dajun, Wang Xiaolei, Fei Qi, and other members of the management team engaged in heated debates with the questioning shareholders, hoping to exert influence on some of the smaller shareholders and demonstrate their competence as chairman and president.

The electronic clock in the conference room struck 10:40, and the verbal sparring subsided slightly.

Wang Dajun remained calm and responded to each point one by one, then suddenly asked in return:
"Mr. Chen, I believe I've always worked very well with Xinlang. Could you please tell me why they suddenly have such strong opinions about me and the company's management?"

The "President Chen" he mentioned was not Chen Tianqiao, but Chen Tianqiao's younger brother, Chen Danian, who was also a founding member of Shanda.

After Shanda acquired Xinlang, it appointed him as its vice president.

Chen Danian's square face naturally gave him a serious look: "President Wang, as far as Xinlang is concerned, we don't really appreciate the way Huayi's current management is doing."

"What?" Wang Xiaolei said with a forced smile, "President Chen, could you elaborate? We've been working together for so many years, and bringing this up could be an opportunity for improvement."

"Or is it that Xinlang was lured and misled by one of Huayi's competitors, which led to its decision to ruthlessly kill its ally?"

"Xiao Lei!" Wang Dajun raised his hand to interrupt him: "Let's keep business to ourselves and not get sidetracked."

Chen Danian said jokingly, "Do I need to say anything more? Mr. Wang's words have already shown a strong inclination, but if you insist on saying something, then I would be impolite to refuse."

"What I dislike most about Huayi is that the management team, with the two of them at its core, can never shake off the small workshop mentality. They treat the entertainment industry like a vegetable market, artists like bargaining chips, and media battles like a shrew's rant."

Wang Dajun said with restraint, "Isn't that a biased statement?"

“Is it biased?” Chen Danian laughed. “Putting aside other things, Ms. Liu Yifei, who is present today, is the wife of Mr. Lu Kuan, the president of Wenjie, a partner of Shanda. In 2004, she was subjected to a series of online attacks by Song Zude and others. Wasn’t that from Huayi?”

"Slander! How dare President Chen make such baseless accusations?" Wang Xiaolei's eyelids twitched, and for a moment he felt a sharp pain in his brow bone!

Last night, during his tearful confession in Wang Dajun's office, he lamented that he regretted provoking Lu Kuan in the first place, and that this incident in 2004 was the one that truly forged a deadly feud.

Chen Danian ignored him and nodded seriously to Xiao Liu, saying, "Ms. Liu, I'm sorry to use you as an example; I didn't mean to offend you."

Liu Yifei was thoroughly enjoying the show when she fiddled with the ring and said with a smile, "Mr. Chen, please do as you please."

Chen Danian turned to Wang Xiaolei, who had a fierce look on his face: "Today, we're all behind closed doors. There are no reporters or outsiders. Everyone here is a director, actor, producer, or internet professional. We're all people working in the entertainment industry."

“It was no secret at the time that Song Zude spoke out for himself online, claiming that he was misled by Xiao Wang and a former vice president of Huayi.”

Wang Dajun said somewhat impatiently, "President Chen, there's no point in talking about these unfounded rumors. They have nothing to do with my question, okay?"

Chen Danian, however, is a meticulous person. In his previous life, he had a major falling out with Chen Tianqiao over their aggressive business strategies and was about to resign.

He wasn't going to tolerate these two brothers: "Mr. Wang, perhaps you could be a little more patient. Are you really not connected?"

Chen Danian looked around:
"Everyone knows about Shanda's acquisition of Sina in 04. We are a US-listed company. Those who follow us can see that among Sina's shareholders is an investment fund registered in North America called Gunner." (Chapter 246)
Ma Yun was somewhat alarmed, but the fact that her heart was pounding was an unsolved mystery, something Chen Tianqiao had previously refused to tell him.

It seems the problem lies with this Gunners Fund.

"What if I told you two that when we acquired Xinlang in 2004, the gunman fund we purchased in the overseas secondary market came from Mr. Lu's Wenjie in North America—"

"Do you still think there's no connection?"

Wang Xiaolei's mind went blank for a moment, followed by a wave of his usual nerve pain, which made his head ache terribly.

Ma Yun and Deng Wendi were shocked. It turned out that he had already set his sights on Huayi as early as 2004, or rather, he had laid a trap. In that case, their two families had really been just helping each other out.

The issuance of new shares increases their value, thus benefiting Mr. Lu, who already held shares.

Wang Dajun was utterly incredulous. How could anyone harbor such malicious intent?!

Chen Danian did not stop exposing the brothers' shortcomings: "As I just mentioned, I do not appreciate the past behavior of Huayi Brothers. Every artist is forced to smear themselves or make fun of themselves, or Huayi Brothers hires online trolls to smear competitors. They maintain their so-called industry status by using such despicable means."

"It was precisely because of your baseless rumors about Ms. Liu in 2004 that Mr. Lu reached a cooperation agreement with Shanda and jointly completed the acquisition of Xinlang, preventing it from becoming your breeding ground for rumors and slander."

"After I say this, do you still think there's no connection?"

"Mr. Wang Xiaolei?"

shock!
(End of this chapter)