Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 239 New Year, New Projects

January 9, 2009, Friday, sunny and breezy. With just over two weeks to go before the Spring Festival, the entire city of Beiping was already immersed in a joyful atmosphere of welcoming the new year.

Inside the main conference room of Tengda Group's headquarters, senior executives gathered for the annual year-end meeting.

The conference room, usually neatly arranged with tables and chairs, was now full of people, some talking in hushed tones, others flipping through documents, waiting for the meeting to begin.

Slightly different from usual, the two seats at the very head of the meeting room were empty, which made the atmosphere in the meeting room a little strange.

It was time for the meeting. Office Director Jiang Tiantian peeked around and, seeing that everyone had arrived, picked up the microphone:

"Ladies and gentlemen, due to the Chairman's illness and CEO Zhang's important business negotiations in the United States, he is unable to attend this meeting. Therefore, today's annual meeting will be chaired by Chief Operating Officer Ms. Wang Jing."

As soon as he finished speaking, the meeting room became noisy, with everyone whispering and discussing among themselves.

Some well-informed individuals had learned of Song Ci's illness and hospitalization even before the meeting, while others who had just received the news were filled with worry and hurriedly inquired about the situation from their colleagues.

Seeing this, Wang Jing clapped her hands, making a sound to signal the senior executives to be quiet.

She knew that some people were worried about Song Ci's health. After all, the chairman was the absolute soul of Tengda Group, and he absolutely could not afford to have any problems.

"Please be quiet, everyone. The chairman's health is just a minor issue. He will be recuperating in the hospital for a few days and will return to work next week."

Since the meeting notice had already been issued, and considering that everyone is busy with work and has a tight schedule before the Spring Festival, the meeting date has not been changed. The chairman and General Manager Zhang have entrusted me to chair the meeting.

Although Chairman Song cannot attend the meeting in person, everyone is required to submit their year-end reports in writing to the Chairman for review after the meeting. I hope everyone will take this seriously.

Upon hearing that Song Ci could return to work normally next week, the meeting room gradually quieted down, and everyone began to focus on the upcoming year-end conference.

Seeing that the meeting room was back in order, Wang Jing turned to CFO Chen An and instructed him, "Mr. Chen, you can start first!"

Chen An nodded, walked to the podium, opened the prepared PowerPoint presentation in his laptop, cleared his throat, and said into the microphone:

"Colleagues, let me first report on the Group's operating performance in 2008. The Group achieved remarkable results last year, with annual revenue of 125 billion and net profit of 42 billion..."

After Chen An finished his report, each business department took turns to present their year-end summaries: Toutiao, TD Games Platform, Mobile Games Department, Weibo, and so on. Each department showcased its achievements and future plans for the past year to the group's senior management.

The conference lasted from 9 a.m. until sunset.

The winter sunset streamed into the conference room through the windows. Wang Jing looked exhausted as she made final work arrangements before the meeting ended.

"Gentlemen, the business department reports are finished for today. Next Monday, the group management department will report, and the chairman will personally preside over the meeting."

As for the year-end performance evaluation and bonus distribution for each department, after Mr. Zhang returns from the United States, I will discuss it with Mr. Zhang based on everyone's performance in the previous year and then report to the chairman for a decision.

However, I can share some good news in advance: the group's operating results this year are impressive, and all departments have seen significant increases in year-end bonuses compared to last year.

Upon hearing this, the executives beamed with joy and applauded. After all, everyone was looking forward to a prosperous New Year after a year of hard work.

After the meeting, the room was empty, and the only sound was the occasional whistling of the wind outside the window.

Wang Jing sat in her seat, gently rubbing her temples. She had been in meetings all day, and had to concentrate intensely the entire time. She was now physically and mentally exhausted.

I couldn't help but admire Song Ci. In the past, when the chairman held meetings, he could accurately grasp the anomalies in the data reported by each department, often raise some key questions, and he could maintain a high degree of focus and sharpness throughout the process.

She was in good spirits during the meeting in the morning, but by 3 p.m., she was exhausted and her thinking was starting to sluggish. She had to force herself to stay awake after that.

Jiang Tiantian, who was still in the venue, walked over with a concerned look: "President Wang, are you alright?"

She understood that Wang Jing had been under a lot of pressure these past few days. The chairman was away enjoying himself abroad, CEO Zhang Yong was on a business trip to the United States, and all the big and small affairs of the group had recently fallen on Wang Jing's shoulders. It was indeed exhausting for her.

Wang Jing waved her hand wearily: "I'm fine! Tian Tian, ​​is something wrong?"

Jiang Tiantian sat down next to Wang Jing and took the opportunity to ask, "President Wang, do you think we should go to the hospital to visit the chairman tomorrow?"

There's a saying that goes, "When a leader is sick, he may not remember who visited him, but he will definitely remember clearly who didn't."

"Of course I'll go," Wang Jing blurted out without thinking. "I'll ask Shishi tonight which room President Song is staying in. Just prepare a fruit basket for me. The boss doesn't need anything, it's the thought that counts. Come with me tomorrow."

After saying that, she remembered something and added, "Tiantian, please prepare an extra fruit basket, one for General Manager Zhang as well."

Jiang Tiantian nodded: "I'll prepare everything tomorrow and pick you up by car."

Wang Jing nodded, getting up to stretch her sore shoulders and neck, and replied, "Then let's arrange it that way."

After agreeing on the matter, the two left the conference room together. Jiang Tiantian's gossip was burning: "President Wang, did the chairman really propose to Shishi?"

"Probably. Anyway, I haven't seen any other woman by President Song's side all these years. Who else could it be but Shishi?"

"That's true. I never thought that the little girl who used to slack off during her internship at the company would finally become the boss's wife. I envy Shishi for meeting such a wonderful man like the boss."

Seeing Jiang Tiantian's envious expression, Wang Jing couldn't help but tease her, "Instead of envying others, why don't you hurry up and find a partner?"

When the topic of finding a partner came up, Jiang Tiantian looked dejected: "My mom keeps urging me to find someone, and the New Year is just around the corner. Just thinking about all those aunts and uncles in my family gives me a headache. You can't rush finding a partner; you have to find the right one eventually."

Wang Jing spoke with utmost sincerity and earnest advice: "Tian Tian, ​​be realistic. Don't even think about meeting someone like President Song. There's only one Song Ci and only one Liu Shishi in this world."

You and Zhou Yu both have such high standards, using President Song as a role model. How are you going to ever find a partner like that? You're both the same age, almost thirty, so it's normal for your families to be pressuring you.

First, find someone who matches your own qualities and interests, get to know them, and then do what you're supposed to do at each stage of life.

Jiang Tiantian knew that her boss was sincere: "I understand, thank you, General Manager Wang."

"Come sit in my office. My boyfriend is on duty tonight. I'll treat you to a big meal later."

The two women walked side by side into the elevator. Upon reaching the top floor, they saw Zhang Zhao, the general manager of Tengda Culture, lingering outside the access control. Wang Jing asked curiously, "Mr. Zhang, haven't you gone home yet?"

"President Wang! Director Jiang!" Zhang Zhao greeted him. "There's something I'm having trouble deciding on, and I'd like to consult with President Wang."

Jiang Tiantian tactfully said, "President Wang, since President Zhang wants to report to you, I'll head back first."

"No need, Director Jiang, it won't hurt to listen and give me some advice."

"Let's talk in my office." Wang Jing took out her access card, swiped it to open the glass door, and led the two into the office area.

Unlike Song Ci's grand and imposing office, Wang Jing's office is decorated in a unique style, exuding an elegant atmosphere reminiscent of the water towns of Jiangnan.

The three sat down on the sofa in the reception area. Wang Jing was delighted as she recalled Zhang Zhao's report on Tengda Culture's business performance at the year-end meeting.

His gaze fell on Zhang Zhao, filled with admiration: "Mr. Zhang, your work this year has been outstanding. In terms of box office performance, 'A Little Thing Called First Love' has achieved remarkable results, successfully surpassing 100 million."

"Painted Skin" performed even more impressively, surpassing the 2 million yuan mark, and both films entered the top ten of the Chinese entertainment industry's box office rankings. The television dramas also achieved remarkable results.

At the beginning of the year, "My Love from the Star" was a huge hit across Asia, and at the end of last year, "Living with a Flight Attendant" and "Lurking" also enjoyed consistently high ratings, achieving remarkable results. Tengda Culture's year-end performance evaluation will undoubtedly be top-notch.

She built Tengda Culture from scratch, and it's like her child. Now that the company is thriving, her joy is palpable.

Zhang Zhao dared not take credit and humbly said, "I only benefited from President Song's influence."

"What's the matter? Tell me."

“It’s like this, Mr. Wang.” Zhang Zhao’s expression became serious. “Recently, Jiang Wen has a film project that’s been seeking investment. He contacted me and wants Tengda Culture to be the main investor. However, the investment amount is a bit large, and I’m not sure about it, so I’ve come to you for advice.”

"What is the budget? Which other companies are also involved in this project?"

"The current budget reported by Jiang Wen is 1.5 million yuan, with Huaying Group and Emperor Entertainment Group from Hong Kong co-investing."

Zhang Zhao looked serious. After all, Tengda Culture had always followed a low-investment, high-return strategy in the film industry, and the company had never ventured into a top-tier Chinese film production of 1.5 million yuan before.

However, if the company wants to grow and expand further, large-scale productions are inevitable. But if this project loses a lot of money, he is worried about being held accountable. All these concerns make him hesitate, so he came to ask Wang Jing for advice.

Upon hearing this, Wang Jing frowned slightly. An investment of 1.5 million yuan was no small sum. According to market rules, a box office of less than 4.5 million yuan would result in a loss.

The highest-grossing Chinese film of 2008, "Red Cliff Part I," only grossed 3.17 million yuan. Even with overseas copyright fees included, it would probably be difficult to make a profit.

"What kind of movie is this, and who are the main actors? Why does it have such a high budget?"

Zhang Zhao immediately provided a detailed introduction: "It is adapted from the novel 'Ten Night Talks,' which tells a story set in the Republican era. The main actors are Jiang Wenji, Ge You, and Zhou Runfa, with Zhou Runfa alone receiving a salary of 40 million."

"The budget is too high! I think we can reduce it by at least 20 million."

Upon hearing the film's subject matter, Wang Jing immediately smiled. Having also worked as a producer, she knew all too well that directors who tackled big projects would inevitably inflate their budgets.

Zhang Zhao understood the implication in his leader's words: "You mean, we can invest if we reduce the budget?"

Wang Jing nodded firmly and helped analyze: "These leading actors are all very popular at the box office, so the box office should be guaranteed to be 200 to 300 million. With overseas copyright revenue and joint investment from the three companies, even if we lose money, we won't lose much."

As a film and television giant, Tengda Culture has made a lot of money in recent years and certainly needs to produce a few big-budget productions to further its growth. Besides, we can also find other ways to make up for it, such as casting our own people in the cast.

Zhang Zhao breathed a sigh of relief. He himself had also wanted to invest in this project, and now that Wang Jing had said this, he felt more confident: "That's what I was thinking too. With your support, I feel much more at ease."

"The company invested tens of millions in the TV series 'My Love from the Star' before, so let's invest tens of millions in this Jiang Wen project to test the waters."

The group will no longer leech off its subsidiaries. The chairman has given you considerable autonomy; don't hesitate to be bold when necessary.

Zhang Zhao repeatedly expressed his gratitude: "Thank you for your understanding and support."

Wang Jing said in a friendly tone: "I built Tengda Culture from scratch, and I will do my best to support it wherever I can."

Oh, I forgot to ask, how are the company's artists doing these days? And how's that young lady that President Song specifically asked me to focus on developing lately doing?

"The main artists are all doing quite well. Qiao Zhengyu is filming the movie 'The Message' produced by Huayi Brothers, and Wang Luodan goes without saying, 'The Stewardess' was a huge hit, so she has no shortage of scripts."

She recently chose a film produced by Xinbaoyuan called "My Youth, Who Decides?", and the company also invested half of the money in the production. Wang Kai and Lü Yi are focused on developing serious dramas and have no shortage of good scripts.

As for Chen Xiao, after filming Tangren Media's "Chinese Paladin 3", he returned from a trip to Switzerland with the chairman and will first complete his studies at the Central Academy of Drama.

Regarding Zhao Liying, whom you're concerned about, the young lady is quite capable. She landed a role in "Li Wei the Magistrate 3," a series that's very popular, and the company agreed to her participation. The company will also arrange a leading role for her in a future project.

Listening to Zhang Zhao recount the details of the company's artist management department, Wang Jing smiled with satisfaction: "Back then, President Song was unhappy that I was involved in artist management. Now that Tengda Culture's artist management department has developed smoothly, I can say that I have finally put my mind at ease."

Seeing that Zhang Zhao seemed hesitant to speak, Wang Jing pressed him, "What's wrong? Just say it."

"Now that Qiao Zhengyu and Wang Luodan are becoming more and more popular, they are inevitably getting ambitious and want to revise their management contracts with the company. Although this is the norm in the industry, I am still considering this matter."

"Sigh, there's a growing trend in the industry these days. Stars with a bit of fame all want to follow Fan Bingbing's example and set up their own studios. I think Qiao Zhengyu has the same idea, he just hasn't told me yet."

Upon hearing this, Wang Jing opened her mouth, recalling Song Ci's assertion about artist management, and for a moment she didn't know how to answer Zhang Zhao.

As things turned out, just as the boss had predicted, the facts once again proved the chairman's foresight and wisdom.

After weighing the options in his mind, he instructed Zhang Zhao, "We can make some concessions on the revenue sharing of the management contract. This is an old rule in the entertainment industry, and it has always been the case for contracts with A-list stars. As for letting them open their own studios, let me consult with Chairman Song."

Zhang Zhao nodded: "This matter is not urgent. I just happened to be talking about this, so I wanted to give you a brief update."

(End of this chapter)