Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 611 Little Liu will be on the Spring Festival Gala, and the richest man will give out money!
Mr. Lu naturally had no idea how many future Chinese film professionals in the audience would be influenced by him, nor could he have predicted how many infatuated girls would fantasize about him throughout the morning.

His charm acted as a complex and fatal catalyst for the young female students in the audience, some of whom were in their prime or already somewhat worldly-wise.

Especially for girls who have already attended university for several years or even glimpsed the realities of society from the margins, it's almost like a carefully prepared aphrodisiac.

For example, Nazha, who has been a model in Ruili for two years.

His suave demeanor in the classroom goes without saying; the focused furrow of his brow when explaining camera shots; the confidence with which he effortlessly draws precise storyboards on computer graphics software; his erudition in quoting "One Hundred Years of Solitude" to compare the temporal and spatial structure of film; and the occasional dry humor...

All of this creates an image of a talented and powerful man, enough to make a girl from Xinjiang, who has already seen the splendor of Shanghai in Ruili, yearn for him.

But what truly makes this attraction skyrocket, even taking on a magical realism feel, is the ongoing myth of capitalism outside the classroom.

Just yesterday and today, during the few hours they sat listening to the lecture, two of this man's huge subsidiaries went public in New York and Hong Kong respectively, just as the aftermath of the financial crisis had completely dissipated and the global economy was stabilizing and improving, propelling him to the throne of Asia's richest man.

And there he stood, calmly discussing film composition and insights into human nature.

This extreme contrast has caused quite a stir in the hearts of many girls.

They clearly understand the weight of wealth in this world and know the power, resources, and lifestyle that are enough to overturn the imagination of ordinary people behind the words "Asia's richest man".

They had also witnessed the ostentation and frivolity of some so-called successful people, but Lu Kuan displayed a complete indifference to great success.

This indifference is not feigned, but rather a genuine confidence and relaxation born from transcending wealth and focusing on higher pursuits.

Artistic talent, enormous wealth, a perfect family life... these elements that people dream of are perfectly combined in him, yet he puts them aside with ease, returning to his most basic identity as a teacher and the role he is temporarily playing.

For women who are worldly-wise, this combination of top power, exceptional talent, and understated elegance is like the strongest pheromones. It is no longer a romantic fantasy of a young girl in love, but a more mature and dangerous attraction.

Naza left feeling utterly bored. She was determined to get into the Beijing Film Academy next year, as that was practically the only place she could connect with this person.

Meanwhile, the highly anticipated IPO of Zhijie Video concluded its first day of trading, with its market capitalization reaching HK$16 billion (US$35 billion) by 270:00 PM.

This valuation is quite ideal, even exceeding Wenjie's expectations, because Zhijie Video in this life is far from being the first domestic video company to go public.

In early December this year, Youku.com was listed on the New York Stock Exchange. On its first day of trading, its market value soared by 151%, reaching a high of $25 billion.

LeEco Culture, which is set to list in the US at the end of this month, is also attracting attention. Judging from the scale of Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs acting as joint lead underwriters, as well as the news that the international placement of LeEco Culture has been oversubscribed by dozens of times, it all indicates that this internet company, which has added a film sector compared to its previous existence, is a hot topic.

The separately listed subsidiary, Wenjie Video, achieved a first-day valuation of over $35 billion, which is already at the ceiling level for video companies in this era.

Investors are primarily attracted by three major advantages: top-tier exclusive content, self-developed streaming technology, and traffic import from the Wenjie system. The valuation is somewhat close to that of Netflix in its previous era.

In this life, Netflix had already been privatized by the transmigrator.

Many netizens, while enjoying the spectacle, are curious as to why Wenjie Mall and Zhijie Video are being listed separately in different markets this time.
On December 25th, Liu Qiangdong, Vice President of Wenjie, who had already returned to China, answered this question from reporters, revealing his signature smile—a smile that was slightly naive yet sharp-eyed:
"This is a well-thought-out top-level design, and it was a decision made under the leadership of our helmsman, Mr. Lu Kuan, mainly for two reasons."

"First, this is a professional focus that can unlock the core value of the two subsidiaries."

“Wenjie Mall is an e-commerce retail platform. Its core value lies in supply chain efficiency, fulfillment capabilities, and GMV growth. Its benchmarks are Amazon and eBay. The North American capital market has mature valuation models and a large number of industry analysts who understand and recognize its story.”

"Zhijie Video is a content streaming platform. Its core value lies in user time spent, content library barriers, and brand advertising potential. Separating these two aspects allows each business to be valued more clearly in its respective field, avoiding a 'conglomerate discount'..."

Dongzi proudly showed off an English phrase with a northern Jiangsu accent: "This word means 'group discount,' which is the phenomenon where the valuation of a large group is discounted due to the complexity of its business."

“But now that we are listed separately, investors can choose to invest purely in the ‘leading Chinese e-commerce company’ or the ‘leading Chinese streaming company’, making the choice much clearer.”

“Secondly,” he said patiently to the camera, displaying the increasing demeanor of a group vice president, “In the Hong Kong stock market, especially for technology stocks, investors value clear profit paths and cash flow. Video platforms are content consumption platforms, and Hong Kong stock investors are more likely to understand their user stickiness, paid subscription rates, and content cost control.”

"Moreover, Hong Kong stocks have attracted a large amount of Asia-Pacific funds that are optimistic about China's domestic demand market and the upgrading of cultural and entertainment consumption. They are the natural confidants of Zhijie Video. We are now like sending each child to the school that appreciates their strengths the most so that they can achieve the best development."

People are in high spirits when they have good news. From now until the New Year, the employees who are already high-profile and unnoticed in the industry will obviously be able to continue to be successful.

The ripples spread rapidly from Wall Street and Central to the work and lives of every ordinary employee.

In the words of some Weibo influencers, employee badges with the "WJ" logo have become a veritable badge of honor in the eyes of insiders, and even casually showing the strap of the badge in a coffee shop can attract attention.

Employees of other companies have to go through a lot of trouble to explain "Our company makes...", while employees of Wenjie only need to casually say "I'm from Wenjie", and the other party will immediately give them a "Got it, awesome" look.

In addition, the name "Wenjie" has become a hard currency in both markets.

One is the rental market.

Landlords, knowing it's from Wenjie, naturally assume they have a more positive image, higher quality, guaranteed wages, and lower risk of default.

One is the matchmaking market.

In Beijing's matchmaking corner, the resumes of employees from Wenjie have become one of the most sought-after credentials. When introducing their children, matchmakers will specifically emphasize: "This kid works for Wenjie! The one that went public in the US a few days ago! Stable, promising, and they even have virtual shareholdings! The benefits are excellent!"

Previously, civil servants and state-owned enterprise employees, who might have been more popular, are now slightly less competitive in the face of giants like Wenjie, which represent "new economy, high growth, and room for imagination in terms of compensation." Employees' right to choose a spouse has increased exponentially along with the company's market value.

Of course, among all these discussions, the topic of "the richest man" is always the most popular.

Rupert Hoogewerf, a foreigner, was the first to respond, analyzing the arguments and evidence regarding "Lu's Boss surpassing Li Ka-shing" on Weibo and Twitter:
In the past two days, many friends have been concerned about a question: With the successful listing of two companies under the Wenjie Group, has Mr. Lu Kuan's net worth reached the top in Asia?

Our team conducted a preliminary calculation based on publicly available data.

In the previous calculation, Mr. Lu Kuan's net worth was approximately US$211 billion. This time, the listing of the two core assets of the Wenjie Group has brought about a huge increase in value.

The combined value of these two newly listed equities is approximately US$130 billion. Combined with the natural growth in the value of other unlisted assets held by Wenjie Holdings, such as Weibo and PayEase, Mr. Lu Kuan's total personal assets are estimated to have reached approximately US$341 billion.

Over the past year, the global capital market has recovered from the financial crisis. In particular, the infrastructure assets, water utilities, power grids, and ports in Europe and especially the UK, in which Mr. Li has a large portfolio, as well as real estate in Greater China, have all seen steady growth, resulting in considerable book value appreciation.

We estimate that its asset value has also increased significantly, currently totaling around US$310 billion.

However, the wealth structure of this Hong Kong tycoon remains extremely robust, with utilities, ports, telecommunications and real estate around the world providing a huge and stable cash flow, demonstrating his deep foundation and ability to weather economic cycles.

Mr. Lu Kuan's achievement signifies that, driven by the capital market, the new economy giants represented by the Internet and new technologies have surpassed the traditional wealthy families mainly engaged in real estate, infrastructure, and other traditional industries in terms of the speed of wealth creation.

His ascent to the top is a microcosm of an era.

Of course, we must emphasize that this is still based on instantaneous paper wealth at market prices.

Mr. Li's business empire is so deeply rooted and its cash flow so stable that it is incomparable to the market value of any listed company.

However, it is undeniable that Mr. Lu Kuan has actually reached the pinnacle of Asian wealth through the success of the Wenjie Group.

We will provide a more detailed and rigorous listing and interpretation of this in the 2011 Hurun Rich List.

……

People across Greater China, including those in Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, have different thoughts on the news of Mr. Lu's ascension to the top.

Needless to say, the atmosphere of the upcoming Lunar New Year has become even more festive because of this news.

Lu Kuan and Xiao Liu's fans spread the news, but even casual observers who didn't follow them felt proud that mainland entrepreneurs had reached the pinnacle of wealth.
Some people on the island are naturally devastated. Just over a month ago, "Golden Horse is dead" had almost become the hottest phrase of the year on the Chinese internet. Now, seeing this person's wealth ranked first in Asia, this frustration is only compounded.

It's a bit like hammering another solid nail into a coffin that hasn't been buried yet;

As for some people in Hong Kong and the arts community, their feelings are actually quite complex.

Because this mainland tycoon didn't get along with the so-called Hong Kong entertainment circle from the beginning of his career, and now he's even more shrewd in his actions, having crushed a certain Ma, coupled with several unpleasant incidents in the past two years:
When Mr. Lu criticized the Golden Horse Awards this year, he mentioned the lack of representative authoritative awards for Chinese-language films, which displeased the Hong Kong Film Awards' organizer, Film Biweekly. In addition, his objective evaluation of Wanda's overseas expansion was not optimistic, which attracted a lot of criticism in Hong Kong, such as Huang the Beast; (Chapter 576)
The second instance was the ruthless mockery of mainland tycoons who "scrambled lottery tickets" after buying Crystal Palace, only to be slapped in the face.

With the season nearing its halfway point, Crystal Palace are currently second in the Championship, just six points behind leaders Queens Park Rangers.

As a result, the richest person in mainland China has now not only reached the top!
He even surpassed Mr. Li, the richest man in Hong Kong, whom you are so proud of, to reach the top!

Still, with the imposing air of "returning after killing the horse," it served as a significant deterrent to a small group of bad elements!
Who are the bad guys?
The true colors of Huang, the beast, will be revealed in subsequent events, along with countless hidden mouthpieces, like the shameless remarks in the second batch of recordings of Wong Kar-wai recently exposed.

This is all too common in the arts and culture world.

So mainland netizens happily went to a team-building event, naturally choosing some sarcastic and unpleasant individuals.

"Wow! So the richest man in Asia has changed! Li Ka-shing's life's work was easily surpassed by a washing machine before he was even thirty? Is this the pride of Hong Kong that you all so proud of?"

"Money isn't a big deal for them; a few billion more or less makes no difference. But what makes Washing Machine better than Li Jiacheng is that he cherishes his wife like a treasure, unlike someone else... who died with his eyes wide open in disbelief..."

"The 'Lion Rock Spirit' that some people keep touting is just about buying land, collecting rent, and building infrastructure? For decades, it's still the same old three things: docks, water and electricity, and real estate. What is Lu Sheng doing? E-commerce, streaming media, and the cultural industry! That's what we call the new economy. You're still figuring out how to exploit residential users in various ways, while we're already building the next generation of internet ecosystems. How can we compare when we're on different levels?"

"I visited Hong Kong once more than ten years ago. Because I speak Mandarin, some Hong Kong people were afraid of me and called me a 'Northerner.' Of course, some kind people also gave me directions. But I felt very uncomfortable being discriminated against by my relatives, after all, we had already returned to the motherland at that time. Over the years, I've seen you guys get weaker and weaker. Last year, Shanghai's GDP surpassed Hong Kong's, and now Mr. Lu has surpassed Mr. Li Ka-shing. Even if it's not per capita, and I don't get any money, it's still great."

"Those Hong Kong entertainment figures who followed Jinma and Zhu Yanping to the north to make a living and suppressed mainland actors, such as Wu Yusen, have they been a bit wet in the last two months? The mainland has a washing machine that has really washed away all your filth!"

This team-building activity, filled with laughter and banter, vividly portrayed the changing times symbolized by the road widening and climbing to the top in Hong Kong's cyberspace through sharp contrasts and internet-style humor.

This makes those past feelings of superiority seem particularly pale and ridiculous in the face of reality. However, Mr. Lu has no plans to transform Hong Kong Island in the same way he transformed Kinmen and Mazu. There are still differences between the two places. Only a portion of the people in Hong Kong who are more extreme due to the influence of colonial culture and anarchism are affected by it. The majority of them still have a strong sense of belonging.

On the other hand, since it's currently beyond their reach, everything here should be based on official information. Perhaps he'll be needed to play a role in events a few years from now.

Mainland netizens are having a blast with their year-end team-building activities, but Hong Kong isn't without its "enemies" too. While Huang and his ilk dare not speak out for the time being, the die-hard anti-government newspaper, Apple Daily, is not to be outdone.

Two years ago, they mocked Lu Kuan for being subordinate to Li Jiacheng with a sense of superiority;

Now, faced with the established facts, the newspaper has found new excuses to evade responsibility.

[Reported by this newspaper] Recently, the mainland e-commerce platform Wenjie Mall and the video website Zhijie Video were listed in the United States and Hong Kong, respectively. The net worth of its controller, Lu Kuan, has skyrocketed, and he has been dubbed the so-called "new richest man in Asia" by Hurun and other institutions. This has triggered a flood of mainland netizens to Hong Kong's cyberspace to carry out an extremely childish and "nouveau riche" carnival-style provocation.

In response, this newspaper believes it is necessary to clarify the facts to set the record straight.

Firstly, virtual market value is ultimately an illusion, while real assets are the stabilizing force.

Lu Kuan's soaring wealth is entirely due to the short-term frenzy surrounding his internet and technology concepts in the US and Hong Kong stock markets.

This kind of wealth built on price-to-earnings ratios and price-to-dream ratios is like a castle built on quicksand; the lesson of how the tech stock bubble burst at the slightest touch is still fresh in our minds.

In contrast, Mr. Li Jiacheng's wealth is built on tangible, hard assets that generate stable and substantial cash flow, such as ports, power grids, water utilities, telecommunications spectrum, and commercial real estate all over the world.

These assets can weather economic cycles and benefit people's livelihoods; they are truly "never-ending" businesses. Comparing the wealth of ephemeral stock prices with rock-solid real industries is tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock.

Secondly, policy dividends have fostered bloated giants, while market experience reveals the true strength of established giants.

Some analysts point out that LuKuan's businesses, especially e-commerce and streaming media, have greatly benefited from the mainland's huge protected market and specific policy preferences, and its success has a strong "greenhouse flower" character.

Mr. Li Ka-shing's business empire started in the fiercely competitive Hong Kong and expanded step by step to the world entirely through market competition. His business acumen, risk management capabilities, and international vision have withstood the test of more than half a century.

How can he be compared to a "lucky one" who is only 29 years old and relies on the domestic market and policy support?
Temporary stock price fluctuations are nothing more than a game in the capital market.

True wealth lies in the ability to control the real economy, the resilience to weather economic cycles, and the influence on the global landscape.

Mr. Li Ka-shing represents a Hong Kong spirit rooted in the rule of law, the market, and professionalism. His wealth and historical status are far beyond the reach of any "new tycoon" relying on hype and barriers to the mainland market.

The clamor and malice of mainland netizens are nothing more than a pitiful attempt to find solace in their monotonous lives. They cannot shake the foundation of Hong Kong as an international financial center, nor can they conceal the unfathomable depths of the Li family's business empire.

He who laughs last laughs best.

……

In the internet age, any attempt to make a definitive judgment about Lu Kuan, a figure who combines enormous wealth, top talent, a symbol of the times, and a controversial personality, is futile.

To some extent, this chosen one of our time is like a prism, refracting the light of the world into completely different colors, reflecting cheers, jealousy, anxiety and reflection, which together constitute a never-ending panorama of public opinion.

All the narratives surrounding him, whether positive or negative, will never cease as long as he remains at the forefront.

However, the person involved treated it as casually as he did during his lecture at Beijing Film Academy that day. This period of more than half a year was also his period of seclusion after he vehemently criticized Ma.

The richest man's wife was equally composed. She had been in Beiping for the past two months filming the third season of "The Book of Peace," and had once again entered the "flow state" of an actor.

The main filming locations for this season remain China Film Group Huairou Base, Hengdian, Wuxi Three Kingdoms City, and Zhuozhou Film and Television City. However, due to the naval battles in the Three Kingdoms storyline, filming will also be added in Jingxiang and Jinling to enhance the immersion and realism of the storyline.

This is why the whole family can settle down in Beiping before the Spring Festival, allowing her to take care of both her on-set work and her husband's teaching duties at the Beijing Film Academy, without having to travel between other film sets.

Even though this "House Sister" has purchased accommodations near every film set to ensure the children's living conditions.

The Huairou base will construct core interior scenes of the Wei Palace in Luoyang, the Wu Palace in Jianye, and the Shu Palace in Chengdu as needed for court meetings and political intrigue dramas. At the same time, it will construct key indoor scenes such as the Cao Prime Minister's Mansion, the Sima Mansion, and the courtyards of prominent families in Jiangdong to showcase the undercurrents of politics.

All the grand war scenes, such as the battles of Guandu, Red Cliff, and the large-scale battles of the Eight Princes, will be filmed in a high-tech studio using green screens and a large number of extras on location. The footage will then be composited with the location footage in post-production to create an epic feel of thousands of troops.

Overall, the series is well-balanced in its level of detail and summary, showcasing the spirit of the times through specific examples. For Western audiences, understanding the specific plot points that set up and introduced the situation is not difficult.

Overall, however, the third season is by far the biggest challenge for the production team.

The main issue is that domestic audiences are too familiar with this period of history, and the most difficult thing for works of art is to "please" this group. Last year, the release of "New Three Kingdoms" sparked some ridicule and controversy.

The production team claimed to be creating a Three Kingdoms period that was more historically accurate, but the bold deletions and alterations to classic plots from "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" are somewhat astonishing.

For example, the plot of "The Oath of the Peach Garden" is glossed over, and the dialogue is highly colloquial and even modern. Cao Cao's blunt statement "I love you to death" leaves the audience speechless.

To many viewers and fans of the Three Kingdoms, these actions are offensive to the memory of traditional culture, diminish the weight of history, and appear incongruous.

For the global drama series "The Book of Peace: The Fierce Soul," it should not be a simple reenactment of history, but rather an immersive and grand exploration of power, humanity, and ideals, guided by Gu Nan, and a magnificent display of the shining stars of that brilliant era.

The key to this season's continued success lies in whether it can allow audiences from both the East and the West to see, beyond the ancient clash of swords, the struggles, the brilliance, and the dilemmas that still resonate with the contemporary world.

This is not only about telling China's story, but also about engaging in a profound dialogue with the world about history and the future.

……

This year seems to be a year in which mainland Chinese internet companies and Chinese concept stocks have “shown their prowess” on the US stock market. As we entered January 2011, the third mainland Chinese video company to go public this year was born.

LeEco Culture officially listed on Nasdaq.

Compared to its predecessor, this internet company, which has significantly introduced black gold investment and made large-scale involvement in film and television production, is somewhat similar to "Xiaowenjie" or a combination of Wenjie Film and Zhijie Video. Naturally, its valuation is much higher than that of a pure video company.

In a sense, Jia Yueting should thank Lu Kuan, the time traveler, because it was the latter who, by taking advantage of the situation and using the cultural flagship of Wenjie, led to a box office boom in mainland China, thus giving LeTV Culture a richer imagination for its listing.

By the close of trading on January 1st, LeEco Culture's market capitalization reached $42 billion. Photos of Yang Mi "personally" ringing the bell spread across the internet, making her very proud.

Because she purchased the original shares, Yang Mi is now considered a female billionaire with a net worth of over 100 million yuan, although it is currently only on paper and is still within the lock-up period.

She also wrote extensively on her Weibo, thanking her company, fans, agent, and others, and officially announced that the "Tiny Times" series of fashionable urban dramas, which has already been approved, is ready to start filming and will be released next year.

The public relations team acted quickly, labeling Yang Mi, Liu Cixin, and CEO Bingbing as the three richest female stars in the Chinese entertainment industry, using this as a typical example of how celebrities can be transformed into capital.

After returning to China, Yang Mi gave an exclusive interview during the New Year's Day holiday.

In the interview, the female celebrity no longer just talked about scripts and roles, but also talked at length about her insightful vision. She recognized the potential of LeEco Culture's "platform, content, and terminal integrated" ecosystem early on and made a decisive angel investment.

She cleverly linked her sensitivity to fashion with her investment acumen, and in the interview, she contributed memorable quotes such as "Investing is like choosing scripts and fashion items; it requires foresight and the courage to take risks," which garnered a lot of praise from fans.

Through these combined strategies, Yang Mi successfully squeezed every last drop of profit from LeEco Culture's IPO, transforming herself into a powerful "multi-core" entity that combines the roles of star, investor, and producer.

In her view, this move was far more sophisticated than simply making films; she was no longer a pawn of capital, but had become the player in the game.

Just like someone else.

"By the way, where is Liu?" asked one of Yang Mi's fans.

Especially after Yang Mi, who returned from LeTV's IPO, officially announced that she would be joining the 2011 Spring Festival Gala, some of her fans were tempted to provoke the supporters of the top female star in the Chinese entertainment industry.

This is the kind of phased, verbal sparring that's the most common "round-based" celebration in the fandom ecosystem.

Their behavior, both now and in future generations, follows an ironclad rule: when in power, they are arrogant and domineering; when out of power, they disappear without a trace.

When they are triumphant, they will launch a full-scale attack online, exaggerating their partial victory into a historic outcome.

For example, with LeTV Culture's listing, Yang Mi's soaring net worth, and her official announcement of joining the Spring Festival Gala, her fans are like they've been given a shot of adrenaline, instantly entering a "state of readiness."

They formed an expeditionary force and poured into every corner of social media, especially under topics related to celebrities such as Liu Yifei and Su Chang, and began a highly aggressive team-building activity.

Some create rhetoric to artificially elevate the message:

"Congratulations to Little Fox on acquiring the new title of 'Capital Honey'! The most successful example of a celebrity transitioning to capital! She must be the first female star in China to ring the bell on Nasdaq, right? No arguments allowed!"

Some of these comparisons and accusations are attempts to gain fame through opportunistic tactics.
"Hey, aren't some fans always bragging about being Buddhist-like? I wonder how they feel about seeing this message?"

Some data-driven celebrations are self-hypnotic:
They hyped up financial data such as "market capitalization of $42 billion on the first day" and "stock price increase of XX%" into trending topics, paired them with beautifully edited photos of Yang Mi at the NYSE, creating a false impression of overwhelming strength to deceive casual observers. Any dissenting opinions were labeled as "sour grapes" or "jealous," and mocked with phrases like "your fans will never reach this level in their entire lives."

However, the day after LeTV Culture went public, and just as Yang Mi's fans were celebrating, the Spring Festival Gala production team "inappropriately" announced that the "Very Sweet Duo" would be appearing on the Year of the Rabbit Spring Festival Gala, and even released a short interview with them on "I Want to Go to the Spring Festival Gala - Spring Festival Gala Express".

At this point, there was only one month left until the Spring Festival Gala.

This is quite different from the production team's long-standing practice of "rehearsing first and then revealing the exact program content at the end to maintain suspense."

At the same time, Wenjie officially announced a message as part of its event marketing plan. The message was somewhat incomprehensible, but seemed to carry the scent of money:
[Sending Blessings Across the Land, Shaking to Welcome the New Year—WeChat Joins Hands with the Spring Festival Gala to Invite People Nationwide to Share 5 Million Yuan in Cash Red Envelopes!]

All netizens watched the "Spring Festival Gala Express" program, which had just finished buffering, and saw the female stars from all walks of life sitting on the stage.
Looking again at the outrageously extravagant and blatantly obvious title of Wenjie's WeChat ad, one might instantly guess what's going on.

Is the newly crowned richest man in Asia about to splurge on washing machines?
(End of this chapter)