Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 252 Heading North and Intelligence

Hong Kong, Asia's financial center, boasts a vibrant and bustling Central district filled with skyscrapers.

The renowned Emperor Group headquarters is located on this legendary land.

The Emperor Building, as the iconic building of the Emperor Group, stands out prominently among the buildings in Central.

In the most luxurious office on the top floor, Chairman Yang Shouchun stood by the window, looking down at the bustling traffic on the streets of Hong Kong.

"Yabo, did your trip north go smoothly?"

Emperor Entertainment Group President Libya stood to the side, his face respectful, and bowed slightly.

"Mr. Yang, things are going very smoothly. The investment agreement for 'Let the Bullets Fly' has been signed, and the process went very smoothly."

During these three weeks, I also paid special visits on your behalf to several leaders of CCTV and China Film Group. They warmly welcomed our investment in Beijing.

Yang Shouchun nodded slightly, a look of satisfaction on his face: "Although those leaders were probably just saying nice things, it's always a good start to be able to cooperate with Tengda and Huaying to invest in 'Let the Bullets Fly'."

Since the photo scandal last year, Emperor Entertainment's development has been quite bumpy for more than a year, but today we finally heard some good news.

Emperor Entertainment established a joint venture, Dongying Emperor Film & Television Company, with Donghai Film & Television Group as early as 2006, successfully opening up channels in the Shanghai entertainment industry.

With this collaboration with Beijing-based giants Huaying and Tengda, the cooperation channels in Beiping (Beijing) have been fully established, and Emperor Entertainment's path in the mainland film and television market is now unimpeded.

"By the way, did you meet that young tycoon from the mainland on this trip?" Yang Shouchun turned to his capable subordinate, looking at him with great anticipation.

Li Yabo shook his head: "During my time in Beiping, Mr. Song from Tengda Group was on a business trip in Donghai, so we were unable to meet."

Yang Shouchun looked regretful and sighed softly: "That's such a pity. I should personally pay him a visit when Daqing goes north this year."

Behind Li Yabo, Huo Wen, the artist director of Emperor Entertainment and a famous female agent, asked in bewilderment, "Mr. Yang, although Mr. Song is famous, he is still just a junior. Why are you so concerned?"

"You all underestimate her. What the world sees is just the tip of the iceberg." Yang Shouchun replied casually, not wanting to say more. His subordinates were not of a high enough level, and there was no point in talking to her.

Huo Wenxi was secretly shocked. Boss Yang was also a big shot in Hong Kong. In the past, the people who could make him value him so much were at least big figures like Mr. Li and Mr. Huo. This was the first time she had ever seen the boss treat a junior like this.

"Let's sit down and talk," Yang Shouchun said, walking to the boss's chair and sitting down slowly. "Strike while the iron is hot. Does the company have any projects we can continue to cooperate on with the north?"

After sitting down at his desk, Li Bobo thought for a moment and said, "The company is preparing to film a TV series version of 'The Myth,' but the lead actors haven't been decided yet. If you're interested, Mr. Yang, we can invite Tengda Culture to invest in the project."

"Jackie Chan's 'The Myth'!"

Yang Shouchun leaned back slightly, his right fingers tapping rhythmically on the table. "We can invite Tengda Culture! Also, you just said the lead actor hasn't been decided yet, is there a problem?"

He rarely inquired about such trivial matters, but since this concerned the Emperor Group's northward expansion plan, he couldn't help but ask more about the situation.

Li Yabo glanced at Huo Wenxi beside him and reported truthfully: "Director Huo and other senior executives hope that we use the company's artists. After all, it is reasonable to give them resources since they are artists we have cultivated ourselves."

However, as you know, the situation in the mainland entertainment industry in the past two years is that Hong Kong artists are not as popular as they were a few years ago, and their appeal is not as strong as before. Audience preferences and market demands are changing.

Moreover, compared to mainland stars, Hong Kong artists command significantly higher salaries, which drives up production costs.

Although Li Yabo did not say everything explicitly, Yang Shouchun, a veteran in the business world, already understood his unspoken meaning.

Due to factors such as actor fees and market appeal, the joint venture company did not want to use Emperor Entertainment's artists. The two sides could not reach an agreement, so the pre-production of "The Myth" stalled.

As the artist director, Huo Wenxi naturally had to fight for the interests of his stars. Hearing this, he hurriedly said, "Mr. Yang, the company's film and television projects naturally need to promote our own artists."

Yang Shouchun waved his hand to stop Huo Wenxi from speaking. As the chairman of the group, he had a higher position and a broader vision, and needed to consider the overall situation.

At present, Emperor Entertainment Group's primary goal is to expand its business in the north. Under this premise, the interests of a few other artists must be compromised.

"Wenxi, don't interrupt. Yabo, please continue."

With the support of his boss, Li Yabo's confidence soared: "Mr. Yang, Donghai Film and Television Group hopes we can use actors from Shanghai. I think since we're looking to collaborate with them, we should show our sincerity."

To tap into the vast mainland market, what's wrong with sacrificing one or two lead actors? What may seem like a compromise is actually a trade-off for greater cooperation and development opportunities. In the long run, this is beneficial for the company's expansion northward.

After listening, Yang Shouchun nodded in agreement. Li Yabo's idea coincided with his own, proving that he was indeed a capable assistant who had followed him for many years.

"Let's do it your way! The lead actors will be arranged by the Donghai Group."

"Mr. Yang!" Huo Wenxi looked unwilling. After hesitating for a moment, he couldn't help but speak again, "Could you keep one of the leading actresses? The one the company plans to promote, Bai Bing, is from the mainland. I think Donghai Film and Television will agree."

Since that incident last year, Emperor Entertainment's middle-aged actresses have all been swept away, and a new face of the company needs to be promoted.

“A mainland Chinese!” Yang Shouchun narrowed his eyes, seemingly lost in thought.

"Yabo, since the soldier Wenxi mentioned is from mainland China, you should talk to Donghai Film and Television. We should try to get the female lead role if possible, and try to use our own people as much as possible without affecting the cooperation."

Considering Bai Bing's special circumstances, Li Yabo agreed: "Okay, Mr. Yang."

Upon hearing this, Huo Wenxi showed a relieved expression. Being able to secure a leading role for the female lead meant that she, as the artist director, could finally give an account to her subordinates.

She sighed inwardly. It wasn't that she wasn't trying; it was just that the situation in the entertainment industry had changed dramatically after the photo scandal.

Not only were the actresses implicated severely damaged in their acting careers, but they also never recovered.

Apart from artists of Jackie Chan and Andy Lau's caliber, the status of all Hong Kong artists has plummeted, their glory days are over, and the situation is far worse than before.

"Wenxi, the Hong Kong market is limited. In the future, developing northward is an inevitable trend, and the same applies to the Xiang family. You should give your subordinates some advice. The company must grow stronger first before they can have a job."

Hearing his boss's earnest advice, Huo Wenxi quickly replied, "Don't worry, Mr. Yang, I will do a good job of persuading my subordinates."

The three then discussed the preparations for "The Myth" for a while. Huo Wenxi and Li Yabo noticed that Yang Shouchun looked a little tired, and they understood and got up to say goodbye.

As soon as he stepped out of the office, Li Yabo couldn't wait to say, "Wenxi, it's not that I don't want to use the company's artists, you have to understand the pressure I'm under."

As the president of Emperor Entertainment, I have to consider the overall interests of the company. Now we're begging them to take us along; we have no choice but to bow our heads."

After all, he still needed Huo Wenxi's strong support at work, so he patiently explained the reasons. Since the president had lowered himself to communicate, Huo Wenxi naturally wouldn't be ungrateful, and with a smile on his face, he tactfully replied:

"Lisheng, I'm not the kind of person who doesn't understand the bigger picture. I'll take care of things with the artists and I definitely won't cause you any trouble."

Li Yabo nodded in satisfaction, giving the other party face: "You and Bai Bing come to my office later, I have something to tell you. Tomorrow I will take her to meet Cheng Long first, to discuss his say in this TV series."

With everyone carrying the sedan chair, Huo Wenxi, whose exquisite face rivaled that of a star, smiled brightly: "Thank you for your kind offer, Lisheng."

Just as Emperor Entertainment was busy preparing to film "The Myth", time flew by and it was already the last day of March.

That day, Song Ci quietly visited Tengda Culture and met with Wang Zhuowei, a paparazzi who had come to Beiping.

There were only two people in the general manager's office.

Song Ci sat in the seat that originally belonged to Zhang Zhao, and standing in front of her was the famous paparazzi king in the entertainment industry.

At this moment, Zhuo Wei looked uneasy. After receiving the report from his subordinate that day, he was so angry that he cursed loudly. How could filming a celebrity cause such a big mess? He dared not refuse the richest man's request and after dawdling for a few days, he still set off for the north.

Zhuo Wei smiled obsequiously and pleaded for forgiveness: "Chairman Song, my subordinates are ignorant. Please forgive them and let them off the hook."

Song Ci's face was expressionless, his eyes deep and unreadable: "I have something to ask you."

Zhuo Wei felt relieved, as if he still had some use to him: "Tell me, I will tell you everything I know."

"You usually arrange for paparazzi to take photos secretly, so you must have captured some taboo things. You must know a lot of secret information."

Upon hearing the cold, clear voice, Zhuo Wei was terrified; this question was truly going to be the death of him.

Seeing that Paparazzi Wang was sweating profusely and stammering, unable to speak, Song Ci understood. It seemed that, as he had expected, Zhuo Wei should have a lot of juicy and valuable information.

In his past life, Zhuo Wei was a figure of fear among celebrities in the entertainment industry. His various acts of paparazzi made celebrities grit their teeth in hatred, but he still did whatever he wanted, leaving the celebrities in the entertainment industry helpless against him.

They could even appear on talk shows like "A Date with Luyu" without any fanfare, and after making a fuss for many years, all they got in the end was having their accounts banned.

The fact that he can remain unscathed despite his arrogance suggests that he either possesses nuclear-level materials or has powerful backers. In any case, he makes people hesitant to act against him, so celebrities who are extorted by him can only accept their bad luck.

Zhuo Wei hurriedly wiped the sweat from his forehead, his face filled with fear and uncertainty: "Chairman Song, I'm just trying to make a living."

There are some things I know, but I never dare to reveal them. At most, I make a little money off celebrities by spreading gossip about infidelity and scandals.

Song Ci chuckled lightly, intrigued: "Now that you mention it, I'm even more interested. How about this, tell me something you know about the entertainment industry that you haven't dared to expose."

"This..." Zhuo Wei looked conflicted. He couldn't figure out Song Ci's intention. Weighing the pros and cons in his mind, he decided to get through the immediate difficulty first. Gritting his teeth, he made up his mind and said:

"President Song, I know that many second-generation rich kids in the industry are swindling money, but their fathers are all big shots in the industry, so even if I knew, I wouldn't dare to reveal it, let alone extort money from them."

Song Ci's smile widened: "That's interesting. Tell me more, let me see what you're capable of."

Having said all that, Zhuo Wei steeled his heart and, with a "what the hell" attitude, said, "Then let me tell you about two people, the one from Hong Kong and the one who beat up his ex-girlfriend, both of them ate flour."

Song Ci nodded slightly, surprised that Zhuo Wei knew about the second generation eating flour so early.

Sure enough, the paparazzi king who was able to stand firm in the industry in his previous life must have some tricks up his sleeve. Based on these two pieces of information, as long as they don't get into any big trouble, those two fathers will have to protect Zhuo Wei for the sake of their children's future.

Song Ci decided to test the waters further, so she increased the pressure and spoke in a cold tone:
“I’m not very interested in news from the entertainment industry, and I don’t even want to hear about those second-generation rich kids who can’t be brought to the table. Tell me some news that might be useful to me, and I’ll consider letting you off the hook.”

“I understand. My men followed Zhao Zhetian last time and discovered that she and Ma Jieke were in close contact.”

Zhuo Wei gradually caught up with Song Ci's train of thought and revealed another piece of information: the reason he chose to talk about Ma Jieke was because the two had a conflict last year, but he only touched on it and didn't dare to say more.

Upon hearing this, Song Ci couldn't help but applaud: "Zhuo Wei, you have truly impressed me."

Zhuo Wei hung his head, not daring to say a word.

After a long silence, Song Ci turned her gaze to Paparazzi King and said in a low voice, "Zhuo Wei, I will invest five million in your Fengxing Studio. You can continue to recruit and expand your paparazzi team."

Upon hearing this, Zhuo Wei looked incredulous: "Chairman Song, what's going on?"

“From now on, you can continue being a paparazzi. You don’t need to report to me about the usual trivial matters in the entertainment industry, but if you have any information involving me or my rivals, report it to me immediately, like the news about Ma Jie just now.”

A shrewd and calculating glint appeared in Song Ci's eyes. One should not harbor malicious intent, but one must always be wary of others!

He reasoned that now that his family and business were large and powerful, Tengda Group was attracting unwanted attention, and it was time to establish an intelligence network. The entertainment industry, a mixed bag with deeply entrenched forces, presented an excellent entry point.

Undeniably, Zhuo Wei is a petty person, but what does that matter to him? Petty people have their uses, and they often have unexpected effects.

Zhuo Wei was overjoyed upon hearing this. The information he possessed was enough to ensure Zhuo Wei's demise. Now that the richest man had asked him to do something, he would naturally cover for him in case of minor problems, thus providing Zhuo Wei with an extra layer of protection.

"Chairman Song, I will definitely serve you well from now on."

Looking at the paparazzi Wang, who was bowing and scraping with a fawning expression, Song Ci shook her head: "He's not doing this for me! Remember, once we leave this office today, the two of us haven't seen each other."

"Understood, understood." Zhuo Wei nodded hurriedly, like he was pounding garlic.

"Alright, go ahead. I'll arrange for someone to handle things with you later."

Upon seeing this, Zhuo Wei bowed slightly, turned around to leave the office, but after taking a few steps, he turned back again: "Chairman Song, I suddenly remembered something that I thought I should report to you."

Song Ci raised her eyelids slightly: "Speak."

"My subordinates learned by chance that Kuaibo is planning something regarding minors' in-game purchases."

Song Ci squinted, alarm bells ringing in his mind. Kuaibo was on the verge of bankruptcy due to copyright infringement issues, and it seemed that the other party was going to bite Tengda before it died.

After waiting for a while and seeing that Song Ci did not speak, Zhuo Wei left the office again. As soon as he opened the door, the familiar, clear and cold voice came again.

"The investment amount has been increased to ten million! Zhuo Wei, there are some red lines you shouldn't cross. You'd better watch yourself."

(End of this chapter)