Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 118 Everyone has something to gain
Fan Bingbing exudes endless gentleness and charm with every smile and gesture, her laughter radiant.
"Mr. Zhang, you're too kind. Just like Mr. Wang, you can call me Bingbing."

She adopted a very humble attitude. Although top-tier female stars may seem glamorous, their status in the industry is still several levels lower than that of film company bosses.

This is also why she made up her mind not to renew her contract with Huayi Company and to open her own studio to go it alone. She wanted to make a comeback and become a capitalist.

Fan Bingbing was adept at social interaction, chatting and laughing with the three CEOs, and the conversation naturally turned to film and television collaborations.

Zhang Zhao has been in high spirits these past few days. "My Own Swordsman" has become a huge hit, and another TV series produced by Tengda Culture, "My Old Classmate," is about to be broadcast on Beiping Satellite TV.

With success in both film and television, he was truly in high spirits, his smile never fading as he spoke eloquently to the three men, explaining his insights and plans for the future of the film and television market.

Wang Changtian and Li Ming nodded in agreement from time to time, strongly agreeing with Zhang Zhao's views and feeling that Tengda Culture's rapid rise was due to its leader's competence.

When talking about project collaboration, Zhang Zhao looked at the beautiful woman in front of him with anticipation: "Bingbing, your image and temperament are very suitable for the female lead in a big production that our company is preparing to produce."

A hint of excitement flashed in Fan Bingbing's eyes, and she asked curiously, "Mr. Zhang, what kind of work is it?"

Zhang Zhao gave a brief introduction: "It's a fantasy urban drama."

Fan Bingbing was a little disappointed when she heard this. What she wanted to do most right now was to take on a movie role. "Fantasy urban drama" didn't sound very promising.

However, he still had a smile on his face and spoke humbly and politely, showing that he was very interested: "I wonder if Mr. Zhang would be so kind as to give me the opportunity to cooperate."

Speaking of cooperation, Zhang Zhao suddenly became serious: "Bingbing, I told you about this project because I hope to cooperate with you. We can discuss the specific details later."

Zhang Zhao's remarks came on a whim. The company is about to film a campus trilogy, and after the trilogy is completed, Tengda is expected to start preparing to film "My Love from the Star," written by its own boss, in the second half of next year.

Regarding the female lead in the drama, he felt that only Fan Bingbing could bring the character to life. When communicating with Song Ci, the boss also felt that among domestic actresses, Fan Bingbing had the highest compatibility.

Today, Fan Bingbing happened to be in person, and because he sincerely wanted to cooperate, Zhang Zhao couldn't help but bring up the matter. However, he still had an emperor above him, so even if it could be done, the specific details still needed to be considered.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Zhang." Fan Bingbing was delighted that the other party had shown goodwill and intended to invite her to play the female lead. As for whether or not she would participate, she would decide after receiving the script.

However, Fan Bingbing felt that getting to know Zhang Zhao and obtaining information about a film and television project was worthwhile and a huge gain.

"Mr. Zhang, how could you forget your brothers when you have a good project? If you have a funding gap, just ask. We at Xiaoma Benteng will definitely support you."

Li Ming chimed in with a smile, explaining that his company, Benteng, was looking to increase its film and television production and was very interested in getting involved when he heard that Tengda had a project.

His attitude towards Fan Bingbing was completely different. Sometimes, competitors are enemies. Zhang Zhao replied perfunctorily, "It's no big deal. I just mentioned it casually. I will definitely inform President Li when the project is officially approved."

Other film and television investments are fine, but "My Love from the Star" is a key project that Song Ci has been paying close attention to. According to the chairman's consistent style, this drama will definitely be produced solely by Tengda Culture, and other companies will not be given the opportunity to get involved.

Fan Bingbing handled the three film and television company executives with ease, chatting and laughing as several celebrities walked the red carpet. At that moment, another car drove up to the starting point of the red carpet.

Sitting in the passenger seat of the car, Cai Yinong turned around and instructed, "Shishi, don't be nervous when you and Hu Ge walk the red carpet, and pay attention to your demeanor."

"Sister K, aren't you coming with us?" Liu Shishi had originally planned for the three of them to walk the red carpet together, but Cai Yinong wasn't going, leaving only her and Hu Ge, which made her feel quite awkward.

Seeing that the young girl was a little nervous, Cai Yinong encouraged her, "I'm not a celebrity, so I won't try to attract attention. See you in the cinema lobby later, good luck, Shishi."

As the car door opened, Hu Ge and Liu Shishi walked onto the red carpet. The handsome man and beautiful woman's appearance together naturally attracted attention, and the reporters picked up their cameras and snapped away.

"It's Hu Ge! He's so handsome!" Some young female viewers recognized Tangren's top star.

Hu Ge stood tall and straight, wearing an exquisite black suit, a white shirt, and a classic red tie. He looked simple and elegant, exuding a calm and handsome charm, like a gentleman straight out of a fashion magazine.

As soon as he appeared, many female fans screamed. His starring role in "The Little Fairy" is currently airing on Chongqing TV, and with Tangren's marketing prowess, his popularity is soaring.

As Hu Ge strolled down the red carpet, he was beaming with pride. The only slight imperfection was that the girl beside him seemed a little distant from him.

Unlike other male and female celebrities who walk hand in hand, Liu Shishi simply walked side by side with him, making it seem like their relationship was just average.

This was Liu Shishi's first time walking the red carpet. Under the spotlight, she felt both nervous and excited. Her heart was pounding like a drum, and she walked each step carefully, as if she were walking on clouds, afraid of making the slightest mistake.

Today, Liu Shishi wore an elegant dress, like a flower quietly blooming in spring. The dress's color was fresh and light, like ink wash painting, understated yet possessing a unique charm. The hem of the dress swayed slightly, as if carrying a gentle breeze.

Her accessories were also extremely simple, with a pair of small, delicate earrings peeking out from her hair, radiating a soft glow. The bracelet on her wrist was exquisite without being ostentatious, complementing the overall outfit perfectly.

If Fan Bingbing, who had just walked the red carpet, was radiant, charming, and alluring, then Liu Shishi at this moment was gentle, pure, aloof, and elegant, giving people a completely different feeling.

Together with Hu Ge, Liu Shishi carefully wrote her name on the signature wall. At this moment, Liu Shishi was no longer nervous.

Standing on the stage at this moment, facing the reporters' photos with composure and confidence, she was like a newly blossoming flower bud, both shy and brave, welcoming her own brilliant moment.

While Liu Shishi and Hu Ge were basking in the spotlight on the red carpet, Cai Yinong instructed the driver to take the car to the cinema parking lot. She would not be walking the red carpet; instead, she would go directly from the parking lot to the cinema lobby to attend the premiere.

Wearing a white women's suit, Cai Yi-nong saw the elevator doors about to close and quickly called out to the figure inside, "Please wait for me to get off!"

At the same time, she quickened her pace, her high heels making a loud "clack-clack-clack" sound.

The elevator doors, which were about to close, slowly opened again. Cai Yinong jumped into the elevator in a few steps, calmed his rapid breathing, and said, "Thank you."

Inside the elevator were a man and a woman. The slightly older woman had a gentle smile on her face: "You're welcome!"

Cai Yinong discreetly observed the two distinguished individuals beside him. The woman was also dressed in a well-tailored brown suit, with a similar air to his own, clearly a powerful career woman.

He then turned his gaze to the young man in front of him, secretly surprised; the young man was almost too handsome. He wore a long trench coat, had a very handsome face, and his eyes were as deep as cold stars. He had an extraordinary, ethereal air about him, and he looked somewhat familiar, but Cai Yinong couldn't quite place where he had seen him before.

Thinking that today is the premiere of "Nightclub" hosted by Tengda Culture, I secretly wondered if it was some newly debuted male star who came to support him.

The elevator doors slowly closed again. Since the venue was booked out today and there were no other people around, Cai Yinong guessed that the two people in front of him were also attending the premiere.

So he took the initiative to strike up a conversation: "Thank you so much for your help earlier. I'm Cai Yinong from Tangren Media. Are you two also attending the premiere of 'Nightclub'?"

The older woman nodded gently: "So you are Mr. Cai from Tangren. I've long admired your name. It's fate that we meet here. I am Liu Rong from Southern Cinema Line Company."

"Hello, Mr. Liu!" Cai Yinong was overjoyed and his face lit up with delight. He was surprised to meet a bigwig in the film industry here. He quickly reached out to shake hands and greet him.

Liu Rong politely shook hands with Cai Yinong, and the two formally introduced themselves. They chatted casually with smiles, "Thank you, President Cai, for coming to support Tengda. What brings you here today?"

Tengda Culture and Southern Cinema Line are essentially one entity, and Liu Rong is practically a host today. Since others have come to support Tengda, it's natural to express gratitude.

Cai Yinong seized the opportunity to get closer to her: "President Liu may not know, but Liu Shishi, the female lead of 'Nightclub,' is our Tangren's top female star. I came here with her today."

"So that's how it all started. Zhang Zhao did mention it to me. Shishi is a very capable actress, talented and hardworking, with a bright future."

Liu Rong smiled and showered Liu Shishi with compliments, but her gaze involuntarily fell on the man beside her. Liu Shishi was his girlfriend, and seeing that he was unmoved, she secretly laughed to herself.

The young man in the elevator was Song Ci. It was an open secret among the senior management of Tengda Group that Liu Shishi was his girlfriend, so Liu Rong knew about it.

When Cai Yinong entered the elevator, Song Ci recognized Ms. Liu's good boss, but feeling that she had nothing to talk about with Cai Yinong, she kept quiet.

Today marks Xiao Qingmei's first big-screen debut as the female lead in a film, and it's also the premiere of Tengda Culture's first film. He should come and see it for both personal and professional reasons.

Originally, Song Ci wanted to walk the red carpet with his girlfriend, but Liu Shishi declined due to concerns. Coincidentally, Liu Rong had something to discuss with him, so he came to the premiere with Liu Rong.

Upon hearing Liu Rong praise his top female star, Cai Yinong seized the opportunity and said, "This is the first time our Shishi has played the lead role in a movie, so we'll need Mr. Liu's support in terms of screenings."

Cai Yinong naturally hopes that the movie starring Liu Shishi will have the highest box office. However, in order for a movie to have a high box office, in addition to good quality, it is inseparable from the support of theaters to schedule screenings. Liu Rong is the head of the second largest theater company in the country, and scheduling screenings is within her power.

Liu Rong nodded slightly: "President Cai, rest assured, the Southern Cinemas will definitely give their full support for the screening of 'Nightclub'." Zhang Zhao had already communicated with her, asking her to support the company's first film in terms of screenings, and she had agreed.

The elevator slowly ascended and soon arrived at the cinema floor. The heavy alloy door creaked open again.

Song Ci stepped out, brushing past Cai Yinong, and exited the elevator first. Before leaving, her cool voice reached the ears of the two ladies.

"Sister Rong, I'll leave on my own after the event, no need to see me off."

Liu Rong nodded in response: "Yes, President Song!"

Cai Yinong was taken aback. He had thought the young man and Liu Rong were not together, but judging from their tone, they clearly knew each other, and it was a conversation between a superior and subordinate.

A sense of surprise crossed his mind: "President Liu, who is he?"

Liu Rong suppressed a laugh: "Oh, that's Chairman Song from our group."

"Song Ci, Chairman of Tengda Group?"

Cai Yinong compared the face he had seen earlier with a photo he had seen online before, and it was indeed the person on the rich list.

A wave of annoyance washed over him. How could he have been so blind to not recognize the person? This person was a super big shot with a promising future. He had missed a golden opportunity to get to know him.

It's not surprising that Cai Yinong didn't recognize her. Song Ci has always been low-key, rarely goes out, and doesn't accept media interviews, so it's normal for others not to recognize her at first.

The most widely circulated photo on the internet before was the one Liu Shishi posted online during the school heartthrob competition. Later, Song Ci instructed the person in charge of Toutiao.com to remove the photo after the school heartthrob competition ended.

Later, when the top leaders of Beiping went to Tengda for research, Song Ci made the news, but at that time he was made up and deliberately dressed himself up in an old-fashioned manner, and even wore a pair of non-prescription glasses to cover it up.

So although he is famous, strangers who meet him for the first time rarely recognize his identity except for those who know him well.

Seeing Cai Yinong standing in the elevator in a daze, Liu Rong reminded him, "Mr. Cai, please let the elevator arrive. I have something to attend to, so I'll take my leave first."

"Please make yourself at home, Mr. Liu." Cai Yinong walked out of the elevator absentmindedly, still regretting his earlier failure to recognize someone important. It wasn't until he saw the bustling premiere venue that he slowly came back to his senses.

The premiere of Tengda was a grand affair. Cai Yinong looked around and saw that many film and television company executives, as well as celebrities such as Fan Bingbing and Gao Yuanyuan, had arrived, making quite a spectacle.

She traveled all the way from the East China Sea to Beiping, not just to watch a movie, but primarily to discuss cooperation and expand her network. She quickly searched for a suitable target in the crowd.

As Song Ci exited the elevator, she shook off Liu Rong and Cai Yinong and was about to search for Liu Shishi in the crowd when she was spotted by the sharp-eyed Zhang Zhao.

Zhang Zhao was chatting enthusiastically with Fan Bingbing and others, but he kept his eyes peeled and watching out for anyone who might approach.

After all, he was the host, and he had to entertain the distinguished guests. When he saw Song Ci arrive out of the corner of his eye, he quickly said, "Excuse me, gentlemen."

Zhang Zhao hurriedly walked up to Song Ci, who was looking around for his girlfriend: "Chairman! You've arrived."

Upon seeing that it was Zhang Zhao, Song Ci asked, "Where are Director Xu Zheng and the lead actors?"

Zhang Zhao understood his boss's intentions perfectly: "President Song, Shi Shi, Xu Zheng, and the others have already entered the screening room. They will be giving interviews to reporters later, and there are some things they need to discuss beforehand."

(End of this chapter)