Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 121 New Year's Eve
Song Ci tilted her head, lazily staring at the big screen, and casually asked Liu Rong to her left, "Sister Rong, are there any big movies being released this Spring Festival?"

Liu Rong understood the chairman's meaning. After thinking about the film schedule and cast, she introduced to Song Ci: "There are two films that we need to keep an eye on. They may be the main competitors of 'Nightclub'."

One of them is "Fearless," starring kung fu legend Jet Li, which also happens to premiere today.

Another film is "The Savage Secret," directed by Hong Kong director Wong Kam and starring Cecilia Cheung and Leo Ku, which is scheduled to be released on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

During the Spring Festival film season, theaters will primarily allocate screenings to these two films. Other films will be smaller productions, and screening schedules will be adjusted based on audience attendance.

Song Ci nodded slightly. Needless to say, the Kung Fu Emperor's star power and box office appeal are enough to make all the theaters give him face. "Fearless" will definitely be the number one film in terms of screenings.

As for "The Savage Secret", the lead actress Zhang Baizhi was a "pure and innocent" icon before the photo scandal and had a certain box office appeal.

It's understandable that Liu Rong would prioritize these two films based on market demand. Although "Nightclub" is produced by Tengda Culture, southern cinemas also need to make money and cannot support it regardless of cost.

The Film Bureau's golden dragon logo flashed on the big screen, followed by Tenda Culture's orange "Tenda" logo. After the production team and other program information appeared one by one, the movie "Nightclub" officially began to be shown.

Song Ci also composed himself, straightened his posture slightly, and focused intently on watching Liu Shishi's big-screen debut.

I'll also compare it with the "Nightclub" from my previous life to see how well Xu Zheng directs. I'll also see if my decision to support him as a director a few years ahead of time, despite all the objections, was counterproductive.

Although "Nightclub" is a low-budget production without flashy special effects or thrilling twists, it still has plenty to offer viewers.

The film has a very tight plot, with the story taking place in a convenience store and spanning only one night. This high concentration of space and time results in a dense plot and a fast pace.

Moreover, it employs a multi-narrative technique. Although there is a clear main storyline, it is actually divided into several smaller stories with rich individual plots. This multi-narrative approach makes the film feel like a cohesive whole.

As the screenwriter of "Nightclub", Song Ci optimized and modified some plots based on the old version of the previous life, avoided some problematic points, and made the overall development of the story more reasonable and logically more natural.

The script is more rigorous and excellent than in the previous life. As long as Xu Zheng doesn't mess it up, it should be a low-budget film that achieves great results with a small budget, making it a successful first battle for Tengda's foray into the big screen.

As the plot unfolds, some viewers are infected by the humorous and witty lines in "Nightclub," and bursts of cheerful laughter can be heard.

Song Ci read the poem very carefully, and you can tell that Xu Zheng put in a lot of hard work in filming "Nightclub". The visuals are vivid and coherent, and the directing is quite professional.

The character He Sanshui, played by the actress, perfectly embodies the personality traits of the role, and her banter and banter with other characters are handled just right.

As expected of one of the few men in China who could carry the box office in his previous life, he truly has a talent for comedy.

My childhood sweetheart played the cashier in the film. Although her acting skills were still a bit immature, she was generally decent and didn't drag the other actors down.

Before they knew it, the movie was already halfway through, having run for over an hour. Song Ci, recognizing Xu Zheng's directing skills, commented to Zhang Zhao:
"Xu Zheng's directing is alright. He signed a five-film directing contract with the company, so we can give him more responsibilities later. He has a lot of talent for making comedy films."

"It's thanks to your discerning eye, Mr. Song, that you recognized such talent." Zhang Zhao genuinely admired his boss. When Song Ci suggested that Xu Zheng direct and star in the film, he thought his boss had lost his mind.

Today marks the premiere of "Nightclub," and with Zhang Zhao's discerning eye, he can naturally see that Xu Zheng's filming is indeed remarkable.

As the old saying goes, a fine horse is common, but a discerning eye is rare. It seems that many people in the entertainment industry are lacking an opportunity.

Zhang Zhao thought for a moment and realized that his boss must have some unique qualities to have achieved such a great career at such a young age. His ability to recognize talent alone was something that others could not match.

Another half hour passed quickly. Song Ci calculated that there were about ten minutes left in the movie, and to avoid being surrounded by people again, she decided to leave first.

He took out his phone. The theater was dimly lit. Song Ci squinted and stared at the small phone screen as he began to type a message for his girlfriend.

"Shishi, I'm about to leave first. Wang Shan is waiting for me downstairs. Do you want to come back with me?"

Soon her phone vibrated, and Liu Shishi replied with a text message: "You go first, darling. There are still reporters interviewing after the movie ends. Director Xu will treat everyone to a late-night snack after the movie, so I won't go back with you."

"Then be careful and don't stay out too late."

Don't worry, darling.

"Old Zhang, Sister Rong, I have something to do, I'll be going now." After exchanging text messages with Liu Shishi, Song Ci said goodbye to the two of them and prepared to leave.

Snapping out of his reverie from the movie, Zhang Zhao hurriedly said, "Then I'll see you off, Mr. Song."

Seeing this, Liu Rong advised, "Let me do it, Mr. Zhang. You are the host today. The movie premiere is about to end, and you will have to stay here to greet the guests. I also have something to do and need to leave first. I can see the chairman off."

Zhang Zhao thought for a moment and realized that he really couldn't get away, so he said with a sigh of regret, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Mr. Liu. Mr. Song, please forgive me for not being able to entertain you properly today."

Song Ci patted Zhang Zhao on the shoulder and said with a smile, "We're all family, no need to be so formal. I wish 'Nightclub' a great box office success, see you after the New Year, Lao Zhang."

"Lend your auspicious words!"

As Song Ci gracefully departed, he passed by the front row and happened to see Liu Shishi, who was also sitting in the first row.

The two were of one mind, their eyes meeting in an instant, their gazes filled with tenderness and longing.

Song Ci and Liu Rong returned the way they came. While waiting for the elevator, Liu Rong recalled the flirtatious glances exchanged between her boss and Liu Shishi and couldn't help but ask, "President Song, you seem to really like Liu Shishi."

Liu Rongjiu lived in the south and only came to Beiping occasionally when he had meetings or went on business trips. Although he knew that Liu Shishi was the boss's girlfriend, he had also heard some gossip about the chairman.

However, since I don't work at the group headquarters, the information is delayed, and those rumors are like looking at flowers through a fog, making it impossible to know whether they are true or false. I couldn't help but speak up just now.

When Liu was mentioned, Song Ci couldn't help but smile gently: "I really like her. Shishi and I are childhood sweethearts and have known each other for more than ten years. We spent our youthful years together. I plan to get engaged to her after I graduate from university, and we will get married when her career is more stable."

Liu Rong was also a company veteran, having joined Tengda even earlier than Zhang Yong. Song Ci had previously brought Liu Shishi to company meetings, and several senior executives knew about their relationship, so Song Ci didn't hide anything from her.

Looking at her boss, who had fallen in love, Liu Rong couldn't help but marvel at the wonder of fate. One was a successful Peking University graduate, and the other was an unknown actor in the entertainment industry.

These two seemingly unrelated individuals are actually childhood sweethearts. With the chairman's looks and wealth, he could easily find a girl who is both talented and beautiful, and whose family background is even better than Liu Shishi's. They say marriage is the grave of love, and young people in their twenties are usually at their most playful age, yet their boss is already planning to marry his girlfriend. Indeed, love really is irrational.

Having witnessed countless separations between couples in her middle age, Liu Rong suddenly felt she believed in love again and sincerely offered her blessings:

"You and Miss Shishi are a perfect match, a match made in heaven. I congratulate you in advance, and I will definitely ask for a toast at your wedding."

Liu Rong offered her congratulations, making Song Ci beam with joy: "Of course, you'll definitely be invited to the wedding banquet."

The indicator light came on, and the two entered the elevator and returned to the parking lot.

In the elevator, Song Ci recalled Liu Rong's report in the car on the way there and shared her well-thought-out thoughts:

"Sister Rong, I've thought carefully about the matter you mentioned when you came here, and I feel that now is not the right time. Let's put it aside for now."

Seeing Liu Rong's puzzled expression, Song Ci explained: "Baoli Culture is, after all, a state-owned asset. Although it is currently facing operational difficulties, it is far from being at its wit's end."

Besides, with the behemoth that is Poly Group backing them, even a weakened giant is bigger than a horse. I think they can hold on for at least another two years, and they won't easily sell assets unless absolutely necessary.

Hearing her boss's considerations, a hint of disappointment flashed in Liu Rong's eyes: "I was too impatient. I also heard that Baoli Group was preparing to divest its non-performing assets, and I thought this was a good opportunity to strengthen the company!"
If the company can acquire some of the assets of Poly Culture and take over the Shenlong and Wanhe cinema chains, it can definitely leap to become the largest media company in China.

Although Song Ci was also interested in Poly Culture, acquiring state-owned assets is not so easy, especially when it involves a super state-owned enterprise like Poly Group.

He offered a word of comfort: "The timing is unknown, but opportunities always favor the prepared. Sister Rong, you can keep an eye out for them."

Liu Rong nodded. She would be ready at any time, waiting for the right opportunity. If the acquisition of Baoli Culture was completed, she would also be eligible for a promotion.

The elevator arrived at the parking lot. "Don't you need me to see you off, Mr. Song?"

Song Ci waved her hand and took a step forward. "I've sent a driver to pick me up; the car is parked up ahead. Happy New Year, Sister Rong!"

Following the premiere of "Nightclub," and with the Spring Festival approaching, the bustling New Year's market in Beiping was brightly decorated, filled with the festive spirit of the New Year.

Song Ci and Liu Shishi strolled hand in hand among the dazzling array of stalls, happily buying New Year's goods.

As she passed a stall selling Spring Festival couplets, Liu Shishi enthusiastically picked up half a couplet, stretched out her arms, and pulled the couplet diagonally from her ears to her waist.

She poked her little head out and asked with a grin, "Yiyi, what do you think of this couplet? It feels so auspicious."

Looking up, Song Ci saw a couplet that read: "May fortune, wealth, and luck abound; may your family, people, and career prosper." A simple and auspicious blessing.

He nodded indulgently: "I'll do as you say and buy this one."

The bright red Spring Festival couplets accentuated Ms. Liu's fair and delicate face. Upon hearing her boyfriend's agreement, she immediately said happily to the shop owner, "Take this one, please wrap it up for us."

"Alright!" The boss was overjoyed to have made another sale. He carefully rolled up the Spring Festival couplets and handed them to the customer.

The two continued strolling around, enjoying the warmth and beauty of the New Year holiday.

When they arrived at a lantern stall covered with colorful ribbons, Liu Shishi exclaimed excitedly, "Wow, those lanterns are so beautiful, darling, I want them!"

"You don't need the lantern anymore. You're a grown woman now, why are you still playing with little lanterns?"

"No, no, I want you to buy it for me, Yi Yi."

Liu Shishi gently shook her boyfriend's arm, her eyes full of anticipation. Her slightly pouting lips resembled a delicate flower, making one want to kiss her.

Song Ci looked at Miss Liu tenderly, smiled and gently stroked her delicate nose. He felt a mixture of helplessness and affection for his girlfriend's childishness, and could only give in: "Alright, alright, I'll buy it for you."

"Yi-yi, you're the best!" After saying that, Liu Shishi looked around and, seeing that no one was paying attention to them, shyly planted a light kiss on her boyfriend's cheek.

Miss Liu's eyes sparkled like glittering stars, her face radiant with happiness and sweetness. In front of Song Ci, she was like a spoiled child, freely displaying her charm and cuteness.

Because 2006 was the Year of the Dog, Song Ci chose a festive puppy lantern for his girlfriend, Liu Shishi, to hang at home and add to the holiday atmosphere.

Song Ci gazed at the smiling Liu girl carrying a small lantern before her, and suddenly recalled the amusing stories of their childhood.

Holding hands and carrying small lanterns, we strolled through the lantern displays during the Lantern Festival. It turns out that we have so many wonderful memories without even realizing it!
Liu Shishi looked around, her eyes dazzled by the various stalls, wanting to buy a little bit of everything she saw for the New Year.

At a stall selling candy and dried fruit, Liu Shishi, a little foodie, was unable to resist the delicious food in front of her and busied herself picking out several of her favorite snacks.

While helping his girlfriend pack the candy into bags, Song Ci asked, "By the way, Shishi, I forgot to ask you, how was the box office performance of 'Nightclub' on its opening day?"

Excluding "Nightclub", there were seven other films released during the 2006 Spring Festival, including "Fearless", "The Savage Secret", and "King Kong", making the competition extremely fierce.

Mentioning the movie, Liu Shishi's pretty face flushed with excitement, and she said with great enthusiasm:

"Director Xu told me that 'Nightclub' grossed 428 million yuan on its opening day, second only to 'Fearless' starring Jet Li, and it has received good reviews. The total box office is expected to be no less than 5000 million yuan."

Song Ci felt the same way and said happily, "Congratulations! My Shishi will be a 50 million box office heroine from now on. Her career has officially set sail."

A hint of pride appeared on Liu Shishi's face, but she still said modestly, "It's mainly thanks to Senior Brother Qiao. 'My Own Swordsman' is still airing on CCTV, and he's incredibly popular right now."

With Yan Ni also in the movie, many people went to see it because of the two of them, and I benefited from that too.

After buying candy, the two continued to wander through the market, buying some fruit and small decorations, until the shopping bags became increasingly heavy and difficult to carry.

Song Ci and Liu Shishi then returned home laden with their purchases, ready to welcome a warm and sweet Spring Festival.

(End of this chapter)