Entertainment: 1990

Chapter 351 Power and Wealth Move People's Hearts

After staying in the office until about 2:30, Zhang Yan personally accompanied Long Wu and Liu Dehua on a stroll around Tianjin.

Because Long Wu had somewhat 'shown off' his strength in Hong Kong back then, Zhang Yan was returning the favor this time, going all out.

Tianjin TV Station.

“Zhang Yan can fully represent Tianjin TV while he is away.”

"We're from Shandong. Mr. Zhang is a very capable person!"

Dream Building.

"Yes, that large plot of land behind is also our dream come true. Two dormitory buildings definitely won't be enough to fill it, but for now, we can only do it this way."

August 1st Film and Television Base.

"If it weren't for Mr. Zhang's suggestion, we would never have imagined that building a film and television base could make a profit—could we recruit soldiers as extras? That's just a matter of Mr. Zhang saying a word!"

Northern Commercial Performance Information Distribution Center.

"This center was established at the initiative of General Manager Zhang. Currently, we have gradually evolved from simply collecting information to having the ability to help the dance troupe claim compensation."

With media scrutiny from south to north, we are confident we can improve the domestic tour environment—of course, we'll need to collect a small insurance premium first, as our expenses are also increasing.

In the evening, leaders from the management committee were invited to accompany them.

"The Economic Development Zone is now only half the size of Hong Kong Island, making it the smallest administrative district in Tianjin."

However, thanks to General Manager Zhang, we have made some progress in attracting investment in recent years, and we also have a film and television base, which occupies a large area. Therefore, the higher authorities are considering allocating more land to us, and the area will be four to five times the current size.

Haha, we don't need to worry about human resources either. We just signed a labor export contract with Mr. Zhang's hometown, and the first batch of 3000 strong laborers will enter the Economic Development Zone.

Pengcheng is certainly good, but Tianjin has its own advantages. It is one of the top chemical bases in the north, and it is also adjacent to the largest steel production base in the country..."

The fact that all the leaders were present was not just to give Zhang Yan face, but also because they had their eyes on the funds in Long Wu's hands.

Even if the source of the money is questionable, as long as it can boost the GDP of the Economic Development Zone and add to everyone's political achievements, who would bother to investigate?

Because Chen Hong was pregnant, Zhang Yan's alcohol ban was lifted, and the guests and hosts enjoyed themselves immensely that night.

As they left the restaurant, Long Wu, emboldened by alcohol, put his arm around Zhang Yan and said, "Brother, you're really making a name for yourself in Tianjin. I wonder if you have any way to get in touch with the higher-ups [Damn, they won't even let us write this, what a load of rubbish]..."

His words were both a test and an attempt to see if he could find a backer in Tianjin through a roundabout way—he had already made a sworn brother in the south, but it was too far from the capital to be of much use.

Zhang Yan burst into laughter, then patted Long Wu on the back and said, "Boss Long, you still don't know enough about the situation in the mainland. This Economic Development Zone is all high-end..."

Long Wu was stunned and wanted to say something more, but Zhang Yan had already helped him into the Mercedes-Benz, while Zhang Yan himself got into the Crown in front.

"Follow the car in front."

As Long Wu spoke, he took the towel handed to him by the driver, wiped his face hard, and said to Liu Dehua beside him with emotion, "I didn't expect the water to get deeper and deeper. If I had known earlier, I should have come to see him sooner."

To be honest, Long Wu is a little envious now.

Zhang Yan had thought that the number one film and entertainment company in mainland China was his greatest asset, but now it seems that it was just the tip of the iceberg.

There are only three satellite TV stations in mainland China. He can be the host in Tianjin and is a guest of honor on Shandong TV. It is said that he also has close ties with CCTV, and his influence even extends to county and city-level TV stations across the country.

That information distribution center is also quite remarkable. It has already established a loose alliance north of the Yellow River, and can directly contact tens of thousands of performers.

The next step is to develop it into a commercial platform and an arbitration platform. If Zhang Yan succeeds in this, its commercial value and influence will be considerable.

In addition, there is the nation's number one film and television base...

Above him, he was Lin's trusted advisor.

Locally, he and the Economic Development Zone share in each other's successes.

Moreover, Yuanmeng, founded by Zhang Yan, has no original sin and no historical burden.

This is exactly the template that Long Wu has always dreamed of!

The mainland hasn't truly developed yet; as it becomes wealthier, Zhang Yan's confidence will only grow stronger. And Zhang Yan isn't even thirty years old yet!
Meanwhile, Andy Lau, who was standing next to him, was also greatly shocked. He had thought that the scene described by Anita Mui was already extraordinary, but now it was clearly a small-scale scene.

It seems I'll have to get even closer to Zhang Sheng in the future.

…………

the other side.

Li Xue had already returned to the hotel. After taking a shower, she pounced on the bed, raised her two smooth and bare feet, and couldn't wait to have a long phone conversation with her sister, describing what she had seen and heard that day.

"The lobster we ate at noon was thicker than my leg. My assistant Lin and I tried our best to eat it, but we couldn't even finish a third of it. The rest were all packed up and taken to the film set."

It was the first time anyone on the crew had eaten something so expensive. The director even said it was because of me, and he kept subtly trying to find out what my relationship with Mr. Chen was like, hehe~”

Listening to her sister's smug description of the lavish lunch, Li Bingbing felt envious but also increasingly suspicious of Chen Hong's motives.

After all, when you give a gift, you must have something in return.

When Li Xue heard her sister's concerns, she dismissed them, saying, "Who cares what she wants? We just need to cooperate."

"You little brat, you were bought off with just one meal?!" Li Bingbing said angrily, "Would you have agreed without hesitation if President Chen asked you to sell me out?"

"That depends on who you sell it to."

Li Xue said confidently, "Sister, it wasn't because of that meal, but because I saw the difference between a small actor and a big star. Not to mention our advertising crew, the actors who came to make guest appearances were like mice seeing a cat when they saw President Chen. They didn't dare to look at him for more than a second."

Take the August 1st Film and Television Base for example. There are more than a dozen of your seniors there. They all studied at the Central Academy of Drama for four years. But what are they like now? If you ask me, they're no different from street performers!
The only one who's slightly better is Li Yapeng, but the reason he's special is because he has a past relationship with President Zhang.
I finally understand today: being a small-time actor is no different from doing odd jobs. If you want to be successful, you have to become a star—but what's the most important thing to become a star? Connections!
Think about it, Yuanmeng has already recruited more than a dozen actors from the Central Academy of Drama, Beijing Film Academy, and Shanghai Theatre Academy. They will recruit more next year. By the time you can sign a contract the year after next, you will have at least dozens of competitors!
Didn't you always say there were many people in school better than you? Without special treatment from the company, how could you have achieved such remarkable success?!

After listening to her sister's long speech, Li Bingbing fell silent in the phone booth. She had never expected that her sister's attitude would change so drastically after only one day.

But thinking back to my first time at Chang'an Cafe, I can understand her change, since the two sisters are quite similar in temperament and thoughts.

After a long pause, Li Bingbing finally asked, "So, what are your plans?"

"I want to find an opportunity to confront Mr. Chen."

Li Xue said frankly, "As long as her demands aren't too unreasonable, it's definitely better for us to take the initiative than to be forced into a situation!"

"What if her demands are excessive?"

"That depends on how much it's divided."

Li Xue countered, "Sister, there's nothing between us to hide. If you have to sell us to some big shot to guarantee your future success in this industry, would you be willing?"

"I, this..."

Before Li Bingbing could even process his own thoughts, his sister calmly said, "If you don't want to, I can go in your place."

"you……"

Li Bingbing was greatly shocked. In fact, her answer was also inclined to agree, but she couldn't be as resolute and calm as she was.

"sister."

Li Xue said calmly, "Maybe I'm just naturally better at reading people than you, so after working odd jobs for the past six months, I've learned a lot more than you have—I'd rather risk everything and give it my all than live a life like this in the future!"

"No, you don't need to go!"

Li Bingbing took a deep breath and gritted his teeth, saying, "This was originally aimed at me. If it really is... then I'll go!"

Li Xue chuckled and countered, "What if they're coming for the two of us?"

"what?!"

Li Bingbing was stunned again.

"My dear sister."

Li Xue sighed and asked seriously, "Think about it, are actors with looks and figures like ours really that rare? You don't seem to have anything special about your acting skills either—so what do you think is the real reason that President Chen values ​​us?"

(End of this chapter)