Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 299 Play
June is sunny, and the summer is lush and green.

Inside the Capital Theatre, crystal chandeliers hanging from the dome emit a dreamlike glow.

Like scattered stars, it adds a unique touch of romance and elegance to the entire space.

In the second-floor viewing area, Liu Shishi sat in the middle seat, wearing a mask and a cute little round hat.

Her beautiful eyes sparkled as she curiously surveyed this renowned art palace.

Looking around, the theater's interior decorations and facilities do not give people a sense of being outdated or old-fashioned.

Instead, the passage of time has imbued this place with a sense of solemnity and elegance that remains timeless, with every detail seemingly telling tales of past glories and stories.

After looking away, Liu Shishi asked her mother with a grin, "Mom, when did you start liking to listen to plays?"

After the press conference for the wrap-up of "Scarlet Heart" yesterday, she returned to Beiping in the afternoon. Today, her mother called her to the Capital Theatre to watch a performance by the Beijing People's Art Theatre.

Having not seen her daughter for a while, Liu's mother missed her dearly, and her maternal love overflowed: "You're usually on set, and your dad's career is booming right now. When I have free time, I go to see plays and listen to concerts with my friends."

"Wow, Mom, you're living such a carefree life now."

Mrs. Liu smiled broadly; her life was indeed relaxed and comfortable, with nothing to worry about.

A couple of days ago, my son-in-law told me that my daughter was so immersed in the role of "Scarlet Heart" that she was exhausted, so I thought I'd take her to see a play to help her relax.

With some time left before the event started, Liu Shishi, feeling bored, took out her phone and started browsing Weibo.

Opening her Weibo homepage and seeing her 1680 million followers, Ms. Liu's eyes crinkled with joy. Seeing her Weibo followers increase a little each day gave her a strange sense of satisfaction.

The comments section was filled with discussions from fans and netizens about the second press conference for "Scarlet Heart" yesterday morning.

"After watching yesterday's wrap-up press conference, I understand why Shishi was the only one dressed in modern clothes at the start-up press conference."

“When the other actors wore period costumes, the older sister’s modern clothes suggested the disconnect between Ruoxi’s ‘modern soul’ and the ancient time and space; while when everyone appeared in modern clothes, the older sister’s period costume reinforced the character’s sense of destiny of being ‘trapped in history’.”

"Even the promotional materials have the genes of a time-travel drama. The details are perfect. Tangren Media has really put their heart into this."

Browsing through the comments, Liu Shishi couldn't help but smile. Compared to the previous theme of "Everyone is ancient, but I am modern," yesterday's press conference theme was "Everyone is modern, but I am ancient."

The strong visual impact created by the contrasting clothing, and the "time-space displacement" effect, quickly sparked discussion among the media and audiences.

Seeing her daughter grinning foolishly, Liu's mother wanted to tease her: "I've read the original novel of 'Scarlet Heart' too. So many princes like you, but your looks aren't good enough."

Liu Shishi raised an eyebrow, unconcerned: "Whether the prince likes it or not is not important. It's enough that someone loves my type."

"You brat, you're getting cocky now!" Mrs. Liu said with a laugh, then suddenly remembered something, "Oh right, your in-laws moved out of the neighborhood."

Ms. Liu was taken aback: "They moved away? I didn't hear Yi Yi say that. How could they have moved away so suddenly?"

"I probably didn't tell you on New Year's Day because you were on set. I ran into your mother-in-law that day, and she said that relatives and friends kept coming to ask her for favors, and she couldn't stand it anymore, so she moved away."

Liu Shishi was momentarily dazed. The old house in the neighborhood held so many beautiful memories for her and Mr. Song. Now, hearing that her in-laws had moved, she felt a deep sense of loss.

Mrs. Liu sighed, "Sigh, your father and I discussed it the other day, and we were also planning to move. But we've lived here for so many years, and we can't bear to part with our neighbors. We're still hesitating."

“Why don’t you move too? You’re not short of money. Move to a nicer neighborhood. The old house is getting on in years.” Liu Shishi was quite open-minded. Then she asked, “Mom, where did my mother-in-law move to?”

"Your mother-in-law was moved to the staff dormitory at Beihang University. The university allocated the house to her. Your father and I have seen the new house. It's near the university and the environment is quite nice."

"Tonight, Yi-yi and I will discuss it and see if we can buy some things to familiarize ourselves with the place."

Mrs. Liu nodded slightly and said earnestly, "There are only three days left until the Dragon Boat Festival. It's a good time to visit your parents-in-law. You are usually busy on set, but you can't neglect etiquette during festivals. It's the most basic respect you can show to your elders."

Liu Shishi kept her mother's teachings in mind. Just then, the stage curtain slowly rose, and the play "The Mutiny" officially began. She composed herself and focused on enjoying the play.

In the center of the stage, a long oak table gleamed with a cold light. Twelve naval officers gathered under the spotlight, each with a serious and focused expression, instantly drawing the audience into the tense plot.

"I am the law!" Captain Quig, played by Feng Yuanzhen, delivered a clear and powerful line, each word carrying immense force and resounding with passion.

"You accuse me of madness, yet you dare not admit your own cowardice." Wu Gang's first mate, Green, also delivered a stunning performance, his hoarse roar resounding with awe.

Watching the wonderful performances on stage, Liu Shishi couldn't help but exclaim: "The teachers from the Beijing People's Art Theatre performed so well! Especially Teacher Feng, whose portrayal of An Jiahe in 'Don't Talk to Strangers' is still unforgettable."

Hearing her daughter mention the perverted doctor "An Jiahe," Liu's mother couldn't help but shudder; he was every housewife's nightmare.

"Indeed, his acting was so realistic back then that it scared people to death."

Still shaken, Liu's mother seemed to remember something after speaking, and leaned slightly closer to her daughter, whispering in Liu's ear, "Shishi, Mom, ask me, did I hit you on New Year's Day?"

Liu Shishi looked bewildered, finding her mother's question quite absurd: "Mom, what are you thinking? Yi Yi and I are getting along great. We've never even argued, let alone hit each other."

Hearing this, Liu's mother felt much relieved, but couldn't help muttering, "I just heard that some rich people have wild ways of doing things. And some men have a destructive streak. I'm afraid that if I'm under a lot of pressure at work during the New Year's holiday, I'll come home and take it out on you."

Liu Shishi recalled the details of her husband's daily life and shook her head: "My husband is very normal. He has no violent tendencies. He would never lay a hand on his beautiful wife."

Seeing that her daughter's expression seemed genuine, Liu's mother was even more satisfied with her son-in-law: "I was just thinking the wrong thing because you mentioned 'An Jiahe' in advance. It's good that nothing like that happened. I was just worried that you would be wronged. Domestic violence is something that should never happen."

After the brief incident, the mother and daughter continued to enjoy the play. The actors' vivid expressions and powerful lines on stage made the audience feel as if they were there, experiencing the charm of art.

"The actors' performances are really amazing. No wonder Lao Hu went to the drama club to hone his acting skills."

"Hu Ge went to act in a stage play!" Liu's mother was a little surprised. Tangren's top actor became very popular after the broadcast of "The Myth". It is commendable that he was able to calm down and hone his acting skills in the drama club at the height of his popularity.

"Yes, his acting was previously overshadowed by Teacher Zhang Shi, and he couldn't accept being called a male version of a pretty face, so he went to the drama club to hone his skills. He turned down several scripts, and Sister K was so anxious."

"Zhang Shi's portrayal of Zhao Gao was truly outstanding. Compared to him, Hu Ge's acting skills are indeed far inferior."

"And what about me? How's my acting?"

Feeling her daughter's hopeful gaze, Liu's mother curled her lips and spoke the truth without any mercy: "It's just so-so. The plot and the character itself are a big advantage for you. If someone else played Lü Su, as long as they weren't too bad, the audience would still be disappointed."

"Hmph!" Upon hearing this, Liu Shishi's face flashed with a hint of resentment. She chose to ignore her mother's complaints and focused her attention back on the stage. Time flies, and a few days passed in the blink of an eye. It was June 17th, the Dragon Boat Festival holiday.

A luxury car slowly made its way through the congested roads of Beiping toward the Capital Workers' Cinema.

"Sister-in-law, where is my brother?"

Sitting in the back row, Liu Yuqing was very excited. Today, she was going with her sister-in-law to attend the premiere of the movie "Lost in Thailand" and to see the big stars in the entertainment industry.

"I'm having a conference call at home, but something came up and I can't go to the movies."

"Okay." Although the little girl was not happy that her brother stood her up, she was quickly filled with excitement about attending a premiere for the first time.

"Sister-in-law, do you want to walk the red carpet with me?"

Looking at her sister-in-law's bright, hopeful eyes, Liu Shishi chuckled and said, "It's a pity that Director Xu's movie doesn't have a red carpet event."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yuqing breathed a sigh of relief, but a sense of disappointment lingered in her heart.

"By the way, Yuqing, do you really want to apply to the Beijing Film Academy?"

The young girl peeked at the driver and her sister-in-law's assistant in the front seat, a hint of wariness on her face.

She shifted closer to Liu Shishi, deliberately lowering her voice: "My dad won't let me go to Beijing Film Academy. But my brother has already arranged it for me. I can choose between Tsinghua and Peking University, and I'll go through the special admission route."

Liu Shishi thought to herself that her sister-in-law was quite cautious when she went out, but there were indeed some things that should not be known to outsiders.

"It's better not to go to Beijing Film Academy. The entertainment industry isn't as glamorous as you think."

Although Liu Yuqing was young, she had a clear understanding of the ways of the world. She blinked and said seriously, "Actually, it doesn't matter which university I go to. Anyway, my father and brother won't harm me, and I'm willing to let them arrange it."

"Good girl." Liu Shishi gently stroked her sister-in-law's beautiful black hair.

The vehicle drove to the cinema parking lot, and Liu Shishi, along with her assistant and Liu Yuqing, went straight into the screening hall.

Xu Zheng was greeting guests at the entrance of the hall, dressed in a sharp black suit, his signature bald head particularly striking. Upon seeing Liu Shishi arrive, he hurried to greet her.

"Director Xu, I wish you great box office success." The leading lady was poised and elegant, smiling charmingly. Her exquisite white evening gown shone like moonlight, dazzlingly beautiful.

It immediately attracted the attention of many people, including passing staff and guests who came to the premiere.

Xu Zheng's face was plastered with a fawning smile: "Thank you for your kind words, investor! Shishi, please come in."

"Then I'll go in first and see Director Xu." The leading lady lifted her skirt slightly, swaying as she walked into the inner area.

After a while, Tao Hong came to her husband's side. She had just gone to the restroom and unfortunately missed meeting Tangren's top female star.

She gestured towards the slender figure's back and said with her lip, "Is that Liu Shishi, the investor you've been trying so hard to win over?"

Xu Zheng nodded slightly, secretly rejoicing that he was wise enough to get Liu Shishi to invest.

The movie "Lost in Thailand" is about the Spring Festival travel rush. Logically speaking, it would be best to release it around the Spring Festival, when the topic of the Spring Festival travel rush is most popular.

Unfortunately, the Spring Festival film season is fiercely competitive these days, with big-budget films featuring big stars, leaving little room for small productions like "Lost in Thailand" to get screenings.

He first discussed the release date with the theaters, and the initial date was early June. That was an extremely awkward time; students were busy with final exams and had no time to go to the movies.

Students have always been one of the main moviegoers, and without them, the box office would be greatly affected.

Fortunately, he brought up Liu Shishi, and the Southern Cinema Circuit was the first to relent and give him face. Seeing this, the major cinema circuits finally agreed to adjust the film's release date to the Dragon Boat Festival holiday.

In this way, the situation is completely different. The Dragon Boat Festival itself has a short holiday, and in a few days, major universities across the country will start their holidays one after another.

Students will go to the cinema in their free time. Compared to the original release date of early June, the current release date has a clear advantage and the box office prospects are much brighter.

Tao Hong didn't delve into why Xu Zheng was trying to recruit a young actress as an investor. However, she had been married to Xu Zheng for many years and knew her husband's character well, knowing that he wouldn't get up early for nothing: "I'll meet him later and introduce him to me."

"Liu Shishi's background is not simple, so be nicer to her later. As long as 'Lost in Thailand' does well at the box office, I will definitely make a sequel, and I'll ask her to invest in the next one." Xu Zheng said seriously, his tone carrying a hint of admonition.

Listening to her husband's earnest advice, Tao Hong became curious: "What's her background?"

"It's hard to say." Xu Zheng kept it a secret. Although he and Tao Hong were husband and wife, they were separate in their careers, so there were some things he couldn't say too much about.

"Hmph!" Tao Hong glared at Xu Zheng and turned away angrily.

Just then, I caught a glimpse of a male celebrity out of the corner of my eye, walking towards us with a憨厚 (honest and simple) smile. "Oh, Baoqiang is here."

Inside, the place was bustling with activity, and Liu Shishi ran into an acquaintance.

"Liying, what have you been busy with lately?"

When Zhao Liying saw that it was the boss's wife, her eyes lit up and she was quite excited: "I'm filming the movie 'The Laughing Swordsman' in Teacher Benshan's crew."

She came to show her support because she had worked with Xu Zheng on "Li Wei the Magistrate 3" and they had a certain relationship, and also because "Lost in Thailand" was invested in by Tengda Culture.

"Senior Sister, who is this?" Zhao Liying asked curiously, noticing the little girl looking around beside the proprietress.

"This is my sister-in-law, Liu Yuqing. She came with me to broaden her horizons." Liu Shishi gently put her arm around the little girl's shoulder and introduced her: "Yuqing, this is Zhao Liying, my friend."

Liu Yuqing greeted her with a smile, "Hello, Sister Zhao."

Zhao Liying quickly returned a gentle smile: "Hello, Miss Liu."

Liu Yuqing was humble and polite, but she dared not be negligent. After all, the sister-in-law of the top sister was the sister of the richest man.

She initially thought the girl was a newcomer signed by Tangren Media because of her pretty face, but she didn't expect her to be so important, as she was actually a relative of the chairman.

(End of this chapter)