Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 120 Swarming
Upon arriving at Song Ci's side, Fan Bingbing knew that her uninvited visit was somewhat presumptuous. However, women, especially beautiful women, are always treated well, and there are probably few men in the world who would feel disgusted by a woman like her.

Fan Bingbing smiled and, knowing it wasn't appropriate to strike up a conversation with Song Ci abruptly, first asked Zhang Zhao in a charming tone, "Mr. Zhang, am I disturbing you?"

Zhang Zhao nodded in response. He had already seen Fan Bingbing walking towards him, followed closely by Wang Changtian and Li Ming. He knew perfectly well what the three of them meant, so he stopped reporting to Song Ci and waited for them to arrive.

Wang Changtian and Li Ming followed Fan Bingbing to Song Ci's side with excited expressions. Zhang Zhao knew perfectly well that they wanted to befriend the chairman.

Seeing that the boss did not intend to refuse, he did a favor and introduced them directly before they could speak: "President Wang, President Li, Bingbing, let me introduce you. This is President Song, the chairman of our Tengda Group."

Zhang Zhao acted as a go-between, and then introduced the three individuals to Song Ci.

No sooner had Zhang Zhao finished speaking than Wang Changtian, with a smile on his face, spoke first: "I have long admired President Song's name. Meeting you today, you are indeed radiant and outstanding, truly a dragon among men."

Li Ming echoed loudly, praising, "Seeing President Song, I finally understand what it means to be as handsome as jade and as unparalleled as a gentleman."

Fan Bingbing bowed slightly, elegant and dignified. Although she had her own plans, she presented a humble yet assertive demeanor in front of outsiders, speaking softly: "Hello, President Song."

"Thank you all for coming today." Song Ci nodded slightly. These three were all well-known figures in the entertainment industry in her previous life. She was not arrogant and shook hands with each of them in a gentle manner.

When Song Ci shook hands with Fan Bingbing, she clearly felt the other person scratch her palm a few times. She was surprised. Was the big star so uninhibited on their first meeting?

Looking up, the moment their eyes met, Fan Bingbing quickly lowered her gaze, her long, curled eyelashes trembling slightly, as if unintentionally revealing a hint of shyness.

"Playing hard to get, that's quite a tactic. Most young people would probably fall for it and be easily manipulated."

Song Ci calmly observed the famously beautiful and controversial queen in front of her, only to find that the other woman seemed to have noticed her looking at her.

Fan Bingbing turned slightly to the side, revealing the beautiful lines of her neck. She casually brushed a strand of hair behind her ear with a gentle and charming gesture, exuding a captivating allure. She was truly a rare beauty.

The five of them gathered together in the hall, which was already eye-catching, let alone the fact that one of them was the bright and beautiful superstar Fan Bingbing.

With the three film and television company executives beside her, Zhang Zhao and his group immediately became the focus of the entire event, and those who were observant quickly recognized the identity of the key figure, Song Ci.

"Zhang Zhao actually managed to invite President Song over too!" Yu Xin, who was chatting with Gao Yuanyuan in a corner of the hall, looked up and couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.

He caught a glimpse of Song Ci's handsome face through the gaps in the crowd, and was slightly startled, thinking that Zhang Zhao had invited the big boss over.

"Yuanyuan, come with me to see President Song quickly," Yu Xin urged the beautiful woman beside him.

He knew that the chairman of his company was a recluse, and it was very difficult for outsiders to meet him. He had been with Tengda Culture for so long, and he had only seen Song Ci a few times at the group's general meetings.

Since starring in "So Young", Gao Yuanyuan has maintained a good friendship with the male lead, Qiao Zhengyu.

Today, her friend's movie premiered, and she happily came to support her. After greeting Qiao Zhengyu, she is now chatting with her old acquaintance Yu Xin.

Gao Yuanyuan's long hair was pulled up, with a few strands falling naturally beside her cheeks. Her fair skin contrasted beautifully with her pure white evening gown, as white as frost and as delicate as porcelain. This added a touch of gentleness and charm to her, giving her a captivating glow.

She and Fan Bingbing were the two most famous actresses at the event, and also the most beautiful sights at the premiere tonight.

Hearing Yu Xin suddenly say that he wanted to take her to see some "President Song," she hadn't quite reacted yet and subconsciously asked, "What President Song? Which company is he from?"

Yu Xin rolled her eyes. This little woman is all talk and no action. She had kindly suggested that she switch jobs to Tengda and become the top female host, where she would definitely have no shortage of resources. But the other party kept hesitating, which was really annoying.

This woman is only thinking about that movie with Cheng Long. Nowadays, even Hong Kong directors are going north to make a living, and she still wants to suck up to the Hong Kong entertainment circle. She is utterly foolish.

Shaking his head helplessly, he said irritably, "Are you stupid? How many CEOs like Song do we have in Tengda Group?"

Gao Yuanyuan suddenly realized, sticking out her little tongue: "Your big boss!"

Looking at Song Ci, who was gradually being surrounded by guests, I suddenly recalled the scene at the celebration banquet for "So Young" last year, where I was ignored by the other party.

He hesitated, reluctantly saying, "Your CEO Song is too cold-hearted. I could tell from our last meeting that he's not an easy person to get along with."

I'd better not join the fun; it'll only make me look foolish. We're not in his circle, and those who try to force their way in are just wasting their time.

Yu Xin sighed and said that Gao Yuanyuan lacked vision, but her words just now also had a touch of sober-mindedness. Forced relationships are never sweet, so he could only nod helplessly and say, "Whatever."

The news spread extremely quickly, and almost all the guests in the hall who came to attend the premiere already knew that the chairman of Tengda Group had arrived.

While Gao Yuanyuan was struggling with her decision, there were many others who wanted to curry favor with Boss Song.

Zeng Jia, the artist director of Tengda Culture, is a thoughtful person. Jiang Tiantian, the company's vice president, has been promoted to the position of deputy director of the group's office.

The position of deputy general manager was originally vacant, and she felt that she had great advantages and wanted to compete for it.

It's rare for the chairman to appear in public, so she has to seize the opportunity to at least become a familiar face to the boss. If the boss doesn't even know her, how can she advance to become the vice president?

"Take care of your appearance. The three of you are coming with me to see the chairman." Zeng Jia said, straightening his slightly wrinkled collar as he gave instructions to the three artists beside him.

Wang Luodan, Lü Yi, and Wang Kai are among the few artists signed to Tengda Culture. They will definitely be there to support the premiere of the company's first film.

Upon hearing the artist director's instructions, the three quickly composed themselves and straightened their attire.

Lu Yi glanced in the direction where Song Ci was, where the big boss was surrounded by a group of people, and asked timidly, "President Zeng, is it appropriate for us to go over now?"

More and more people gathered around the big boss, and those who dared to approach him were all CEOs of film and television companies and A-list celebrities—big shots or prominent figures in the entertainment industry.

We're just a bunch of nobodys in this circle, and if we tried to force our way in at this kind of event, even the big shots wouldn't bother to give us a second glance.

When Lü Yi shared his idea, Wang Luodan and Wang Kai immediately stopped and looked at Zeng Jia, waiting for her to make the decision.

Seeing the hesitation on their faces, Zeng Jia glared at Lü Yi and scolded him angrily, "Lü Yi, shut your mouth. If you don't want to go, then stay here. You don't even fight for such an opportunity. You deserve to be ignored, and the company's resources are being taken away by outsiders."

She had no liking for this woman who was always accompanied by the deputy director of the department. At the crucial moment, she actually disrupted our morale. She was truly despicable and deserved to have the female lead of "Nightclub" snatched away by Liu Shishi.

Lu Yi was startled by Zeng Jia's rude attitude and was speechless after being rebuked. She felt a little wronged. Who in the entertainment industry doesn't want to be famous? She had been very envious when Liu Shishi made her elegant appearance just now.

I and Liu Shishi are known as the two leading ladies of Beijing Dance Academy. Why is the other party taking advantage of my company's resources to act arrogantly on Tengda's home turf?

She was just offering some advice based on the facts. The chairman was already surrounded by layers of people, and she and her group of nobodys had no say in the past, so why bother wasting her energy on the chairman?

However, she dared not object to Zeng Jia's decision and reluctantly followed along.

At this moment, Zhang Zhao slightly dispersed the crowd around him to make some space, and Song Ci was talking to Cai Yinong.

Upon seeing Song Ci again, Cai Yinong seized the opportunity, bringing Hu Ge to approach her. With the help of an acquaintance, Zhang Zhao, they quickly got a chance to talk to Song Ci.

"Mr. Song, please forgive my poor eyesight, I didn't recognize you in the elevator just now." Cai Yinong said with a smile and a humble attitude.

"Mr. Cai, you're too kind. Zhang Zhao was just telling me that Tangren and Tengda are about to start cooperating and will be one family from now on."

The Song Dynasty poem uses a double entendre. Looking closely at the face so close to his, Cai Yi-nong does indeed look somewhat like his childhood sweetheart. Adding to that, Sun Li, the former top female star of Tangren Media, they are indeed of the same lineage.

Cai Yinong failed to grasp the implied meaning in Song Ci's words, assuming that the other party valued cooperation and considered Tangren Media as one of their own. Overjoyed, she thought that with Song Ci's words, Tangren Media was determined to cling to Tengda Group's coattails.

"Yes, yes, Tengda and Tangren will be one family from now on. I would like to invite you, General Manager Zhang, and General Manager Liu to dinner after the New Year. I hope you will do me the honor."

Zhang Zhao chuckled to himself as he listened. It seemed Cai Yinong was unaware of the connection between Song Ci and Liu Shishi. If his chairman married Liu Shishi, he would be the son-in-law of the Tang Dynasty, making them family.

"Mr. Cai, you're too kind. Let's have dinner sometime." Song Ci shook her head almost imperceptibly, thinking that they should wait until their two families were truly one family before having dinner together.

As more and more people crowded towards him, Song Ci became somewhat impatient. He was not the type to be good at socializing, and this was his first time appearing in public. He had no experience, and he was finding it difficult to handle the large crowd.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries with Cai Yinong, Song Ci frowned and asked, "How long until the premiere starts?"

Zhang Zhao, observing the boss's expression, knew he was annoyed and quickly said, "It's almost time. Please go to the theater and wait a moment. I'll have the staff arrange for the reporters, film critics, and audience members to enter."

"Ladies and gentlemen, the premiere is about to begin. Please enter the theater and do not crowd here."

After finishing his sentence, Zhang Zhao, while dealing with the barrage of greetings from the crowd, pushed through the throng and escorted Song Ci into the theater.

As soon as she entered the theater, the noise subsided. Thinking of the enthusiasm of everyone just now, Song Ci said with lingering fear, "I was careless. Next time I come to this kind of event, I should bring more people."

Zhang Zhao immediately chimed in, "It was my oversight. Next time, we will definitely arrange more security personnel to maintain order and prevent any unforeseen incidents."

However, today is mainly because you are usually rarely seen in public, and this is your first public appearance. Everyone here wants to get to know you, so naturally they are very enthusiastic.

Song Ci's seat was arranged in the middle of the first row of the theater, with Liu Rong and Zhang Zhao's seats on his left and right respectively.

Secondly, the first row was occupied by some film and television company executives and managers, as well as Xu Zheng, the director of "Nightclub," and several lead actors.

The second row was occupied by celebrities and their agents, including Fan Bingbing and Gao Yuanyuan. The seating arrangement was basically based on their status within the industry, with those of higher status and greater fame sitting in the front.

Soon after guests, film critics, and reporters entered the venue, Xu Zheng led several lead actors, including Qiao Zhengyu and Liu Shishi, onto the stage in front of the curtain, and the premiere of "Nightclub" officially began.

As soon as Liu Shishi appeared, Song Ci led the applause, and those around her followed suit. As the applause from the front row spread, the audience in the back row also cheered, and the entire theater was filled with a lively atmosphere.

The spotlights flashed, shining on every star on stage. Xu Zheng, dressed in a sharp suit, waved to the audience with a confident smile.

The lead actresses, including Liu Shishi, were radiant and frequently interacted with the audience, fans, and media, giving interviews, signing autographs, and taking photos, fulfilling everyone's enthusiastic requests.

Zeng Jia noticed Wang Luodan's envious expression out of the corner of his eye: "What, are you envious?"

She was the artist director of Tengda Culture, and she was sitting in the third row with several of her own artists.

Wang Luodan nodded without hesitation, frankly admitting, "I envy you, I also want to be famous."

Hearing this, Lü Yi felt a pang of sympathy. She was also very envious of Liu Shishi on stage, as she had been left behind by her old classmate. What was even more infuriating was that the other woman was using resources from her own company.

"This is nothing. You guys, including Liu Shishi on stage, aren't even third-tier yet. The company is going to release several TV series and movies this year, so make the most of the opportunity."

Zeng Jia gets angry when the topic of opportunity comes up. Just now, she brought several artists to try and get some exposure in front of Song Ci.

However, because he arrived late, Zhang Zhao announced the start of the premiere, and he missed the opportunity, feeling that he was delayed by Lü Yi's procrastination.

Wang Luodan nodded solemnly again: "Don't worry, President Zeng, I will do my best."

After the on-stage interview and interaction session ended, Xu Zheng led the lead actors in bowing to express their gratitude before leaving the stage.

As the movie began, the lights gradually dimmed, and the entire theater quieted down. The audience began to watch the film intently on the big screen.

Song Ci turned slightly to the side: "Sister Rong, how much screen time did Southern Cinemas give to 'Nightclub'?"

Liu Rong replied softly, "Currently, we have 22% of the screenings. I have already promised Mr. Zhang that we would support our first film no matter what, and we guarantee that the screenings will not be less than 20% for the first three days."

Song Ci nodded slightly, and after a quick calculation in his mind, he figured that with this number of screenings and effective promotion, "Nightclub" should be able to gross at least 30 to 40 million yuan at the box office.

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival everyone!

(End of this chapter)