Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 247 The Future of the Tang People

After introducing the basic information of the two newly signed artists, Cai Yi-nong stood up with an upright posture.

"Let's go, Shishi. Li Chengyuan, Jin Chen, and Yuan Hong are in the next conference room with Director Li. I'll take you to meet them."

Liu Shishi nodded slightly and followed Cai Yinong's footsteps, full of curiosity to see what the two new artists from Tangren looked like. She guessed they would also be beautiful women, after all, Sister K's aesthetic sense was always on point.

At this moment, Li Guoli was sitting with several of the lead actors of "The Weaver Girl" in the meeting room, seriously discussing the script.

Yuan Hong remained calm. He was a seasoned veteran who knew the director's style inside and out and could easily grasp the content the director wanted to present.

Li Chengyuan is also a graduate of the Central Academy of Drama, with a solid theoretical foundation. She listened attentively to the director's explanation, grasped the director's meaning immediately, and answered questions with clear thinking, showing that she was very capable.

Jin Chen, being a complete novice in acting, sat there looking bewildered and lost, unsure of what to do in the face of the complex script and professional discussions.

Li Guoli patiently explained the script to her in the simplest and most understandable language, and occasionally used vivid examples to help her understand.

"Director Li, Lao Yuan!" As soon as Cai Yinong pushed open the door, Liu Shishi's clear and loud voice came through.

When facing acquaintances, Sister Yi is quite lively and energetic. As soon as she enters the meeting room, she takes the lead and greets them first.

Li Guoli looked up at the sound and smiled kindly: "Shishi, you're back!"

"Shishi, you've become even more beautiful in just over a month."

Upon meeting him, Yuan Hong showered him with praise, saying that he had recently landed a leading role and was overjoyed, his whole being radiant with happiness.

Upon seeing the three arrive, Li Chengyuan and Jin Chen hurriedly stood up, appearing slightly reserved, and said in unison, "Hello, President Cai, Hello, Teacher Hu, Hello, Teacher Liu."

"No, no, no, we'll be colleagues from now on, no need to be so formal, just call me Shishi."

Liu Shishi waved her hand, her face beaming with a friendly smile, revealing two shallow dimples, making her look gentle and charming.

At the same time, he carefully examined Li and Jin. His gaze first fell on Jin Chen, the young and naive one, whom he assumed was her.

The little girl has a delicate face, bright and expressive eyes, a straight nose, and full lips. She looks very comfortable and natural, radiating youthful vitality.

Another artist, Lee Sung-won, has a very approachable and gentle demeanor, with an elegant temperament and a smile that is like a breath of fresh air.

The company's top female executive was being polite, and Jin Chen and Li Chengyuan obviously wouldn't take it seriously just because they met for the first time.

They had long heard of Tangren Media's leading lady; online rumors said she was gentle, unassuming, and unassuming.

However, online information is only 30% true and 70% false. You can only know what the "number one sister's" true personality is like by getting to know her.

Looking at the elite team in the conference room, Cai Yinong couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. The company's top female executives are now thriving, achieving success in both television and film; the top male executives have also fully recovered their careers.

Tangren has completely emerged from the shadows of a few years ago, and now with the addition of fresh blood, the company's future is bright.

"Cheng Yuan, Jin Chen, and Shi Shi, I don't need to introduce you. You must have learned about her online. Today, let's get to know each other formally and help each other and live in harmony in the future."

"That's enough for today. You young people chat, I'll go back to my office first."

Li Guoli understood Cai Yinong's purpose in coming over; he simply wanted the company's artists to get to know each other and build relationships.

Cai Yinong brought the people over, and having achieved his goal, he didn't linger and left the meeting room with them, leaving the space to the five artists from Tangren Media.

Sure enough, the atmosphere in the meeting room immediately became lively as soon as the two left.

Jin Chen was young and lively. Unable to contain his excitement, he looked excited as the director and the female boss left.

"Senior Sister, I'm your fan! You don't know, your legend still exists at Beijing Dance Academy. I especially love your portrayal of Lin Shui in 'A Little Thing Called First Love'."

The two former stars of the Beijing Dance Academy, Liu Shishi and Lü Yi, transitioned to the entertainment industry and both achieved great success. This undoubtedly gave the later girls of the Beijing Dance Academy a glimmer of hope, showing them another path for development.

Putting aside artistic value, the development prospects of the dance world, whether in terms of economic value or social recognition, are indeed not as good as those of the entertainment industry.

That's why, after receiving an offer from Cai Yinong, Jin Chen agreed to sign with Tangren Media without hesitation, hoping that one day she could become a household name and a big star.

Li Chengyuan sat quietly to the side, like a quietly blooming orchid, reserved and demure.

She is quite introverted, and as a graduate of the Central Academy of Drama, she understands the complexities of the entertainment industry to some extent. She knows that no one who can make it big in the industry is a simple character.

The seemingly gentle and amiable Liu Shishi, the top female star of the company, has become a popular young actress in the entertainment industry at such a young age. One can only imagine the hardships and wisdom behind it.

He secretly pondered: If he and Jin Chen join Tangren Media, how will the company's resources be allocated in the future?

Whether Liu Shishi might feel that the two women would threaten her position at the company and thus target them remains to be seen. Therefore, it's best to be cautious during their first meeting.

"Thank you. Welcome to Tangren Media." Liu Shishi beamed as she talked about her proudest work, her fondness for the young girl in front of her growing stronger.

Both of them are graduates of the Beijing Dance Academy, and they joined Tangren Media when they were eighteen or nineteen years old. When they saw Jin Chen, the First Sister seemed to see her own stubborn self who rejected Song Ci's beautiful words back then.

Yuan Hong leaned back lazily in her chair, her posture casual, and asked nonchalantly, "Shishi, have you finished filming your scenes in 'The Founding of a Republic'?"

Liu Shishi shrugged: "The shot is only about a minute long. Not counting the time to report to the crew, the actual time spent filming is only about half a day."

Hu Ge's eyes were full of envy: "It would be great to have even one minute of screen time. I wouldn't even be qualified to participate; they wouldn't even look at me."

Liu Shishi didn't know how to comfort Lao Hu. She and he were just equals. If it weren't for Mr. Song's intervention, she probably wouldn't have been able to act in such a significant tribute film.

To break the sudden awkwardness, the eldest sister quickly changed the subject, keeping everyone in suspense: "Old Hu, you've lost out big time!"

"What's wrong?" Hu Ge asked in surprise, and the others also turned their attention to the eldest sister.

Liu Shishi chuckled and explained, "My husband, Mr. Song, said that 'Du Lala's Promotion' has the potential to be a huge hit. It's a pity you're not in it. When we were on the set of 'The Founding of a Republic,' Tong Dawei asked me to introduce him to the crew several times. I couldn't refuse, so I had to recommend him to the crew."

"This is such a great, wildly popular drama. I was thinking that instead of letting someone else benefit from it, you should take the role. It's a pity you have a scheduling conflict; you're going to be filming 'Bitter Coffee.'"

Upon hearing this, Hu Ge's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately regretted rejecting Liu Shishi's kindness.

After all, Mr. Song has a keen eye and his screenwriting skills are renowned in the industry. Since he said it has the potential to be a huge hit, the ratings of "Du Lala's Promotion Diary" must be extraordinary.

The first brother gave a helpless bitter smile, his face full of regret: "It's too late to say anything more now. I just hope that when 'Bitter Coffee' is released, it won't clash with your 'Go Lala Go!'."

"Shishi, think of me when there's good news, you can't be biased towards one another." Yuan Hong squinted, pretending to complain, her words seemingly casual but actually subtly probing the top sister.

In the entertainment industry, a place of fame and fortune, knowing how to actively seek resources is an essential skill for survival. The squeaky wheel gets the grease, and you can't survive in the entertainment industry without thick skin.

"Don't worry, Lao Yuan. Focus on finishing filming 'The Weaver Girl' first. I'll definitely help you find projects later." Liu Shishi promised her old friend with sincere eyes.

Although she wasn't as close to Yuan Hong as she was to Hu Ge, they were still friends of many years, and helping her introduce some film and television projects was just a small favor.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Hong's face lit up, completely trusting the eldest sister's promise. She recalled that New Year's Eve when the richest man's marriage certificate was released, instantly elevating Liu Shishi's status.

Anyone in the know understands that this woman is destined to become the undisputed queen of the entertainment industry, and her words carry considerable weight.

Jin Chen seemed to understand the conversation between the three senior figures from Tangren Media, but couldn't quite join in. As a newcomer to the industry, she had only a vague understanding of the complex relationships and resource management within it.

Li Chengyuan, on the other hand, was always observing people's expressions and deciphering some clues. She keenly captured a few key points and kept them in mind.

Liu Shishi, the company's top female executive, wields considerable influence and seems to control significant resources outside the company. Even senior colleagues Hu Ge and Yuan Hong rely on her greatly. And Mr. Song, mentioned in the earlier conversation, also appears to be an important figure.

The group chatted about work for a while, and the topic unknowingly turned to some gossip within the industry.

Yuan Hong said mysteriously, "The industry has been quite turbulent lately. Since Fan Bingbing opened his studio and achieved success, Huang Xiaoming, Ren Quan, and Li Bingbing also partnered to open an investment company last year."

Industry heavyweights are reportedly considering leaving, and rumors suggest that Tengda Culture intends for Qiao Zhengyu to start his own independent studio.

Liu Shishi exclaimed in surprise, "Senior Brother Qiao is opening a studio? I haven't heard of that."

Seeing the first sister's reaction, Yuan Hong was speechless and thought to herself: You share a bed with the big boss of Tengda every day, how come you know nothing about what's going on at Tengda?

"Not only Qiao Zhengyu, but also Zhang Ziyi, Zhao Zhetian and others are interested in starting companies and bringing in some film and television giants as shareholders. If this continues, it will become a trend for A-list celebrities to open their own studios in the future."

Hu Ge chimed in from the side, her brows slightly furrowed, her expression serious, as if she were pondering the impact of this trend on her future development.

Yuan Hong, on a sudden inspiration, glanced meaningfully at the eldest sister and eagerly suggested:
"Old Hu, Shishi, how about the three of us chip in and start an investment company? Let's try investing in some small film and television projects first. The entertainment industry is booming these days, and investing in film and television should be profitable."

Once the thought arose, countless wonderful ideas could no longer be suppressed. As long as Liu Shishi could be involved, it would be equivalent to clinging to Boss Song's thigh.

You can easily make a fortune just by casually drinking some soup; it's practically a bright road to financial freedom.

Upon hearing this, Hu Ge swallowed hard and subconsciously looked at Liu Shishi. He and Yuan Hong were very in sync, and in an instant, Hu Ge understood his good brother's intention. His gaze also became eager and fiery, and he was full of anticipation for Liu Shishi's reply.

Liu Shishi gently shook her head, her tone calm yet resolute: "No interest."

She has no desire for money now. If she really wanted wealth, she would have agreed when Song Ci offered her shares in Tengda Group.

Given Tengda Group's current valuation, even a 1% stake would be worth at least a billion. Since we're already investing with Zhang Tong, there's no need to go through the trouble of starting from scratch.

When Yuan Hong saw that the eldest sister refused, she wanted to persuade her again, trying to convince her with her silver tongue.

Hu Ge quickly stopped his good brother with a look, saying that some things should be left unsaid and not rushed.

Since Shishi is unwilling now, we shouldn't force her. We should try to persuade her another time. Continuing to talk about it might offend her.

Yuan Hong was filled with resentment, her expression shifting several times before she finally gave up in frustration. But her slightly clenched fist revealed that she hadn't truly abandoned the idea.

Seeing that his good friend was sullen, Hu Ge thought for a moment and decided to give a heads-up about the things Cai Yinong had discussed with him a few days ago.

"Huayi Company will be listed in the second half of the year. If Huayi's stock price rises after listing, Sister K may also consider implementing an internal employee stock ownership plan, just like Huayi, to prepare for Tangren's future listing. Of course, if Huayi's stock price falls below the issue price after listing, then everything will be over."

Hu Ge spoke slowly, her gaze sweeping across everyone's faces. Her words weren't meant to be unfriendly to the two newcomers, and were also meant to offer them some glimpses of hope. But primarily, they were addressed to Yuan Hong and Liu Shishi.

Yuan Hong is a veteran of Tangren Media. If employee stock ownership is implemented, he and several directors of the company will definitely have priority to subscribe for shares in the first round.

As for Liu Shishi, the situation is different. She is the second largest shareholder of Tangren Media. Implementing an employee stock ownership plan will inevitably dilute her equity. If the top female star strongly opposes it, Cai Yinong's plan will be difficult to implement.

Therefore, Hu Ge's disclosure of this news at this moment is also an attempt to test Liu Shishi's reaction.

Yuan Hong immediately perked up and asked curiously, "Why did Sister K suddenly have this idea?"

"After all, times have changed. In recent years, companies like Huace and Huanrui have gradually risen to prominence, and people are looking to change. If they want to retain talent, they can only learn from Huayi."

If Huayi can successfully go public, it will prove that this is a broad and promising road, and companies like Enlight Media and Bona will follow suit.

Yuan Hong seemed to be thinking about something. Just as Hu Ge said, if he couldn't get the male lead role again, he was prepared not to renew his contract with Tangren after it expired and to seek other opportunities. However, if he could have shares in the company, the situation would be different.

"Don't worry, I will support Sister K's decision." Liu Shishi neither commented on Cai Yinong's employee stock ownership plan nor whether the company goes public in the future will have little impact on her.

Of course, it would be best if the company could go public, but she still longs for the title of vice chairman of Tangren Media.

Thinking about attending important occasions with Song Ci in the future, this title, along with that of the chairman of Tengda Group, would at least give him some prestige, wouldn't it?

(End of this chapter)