Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 383 Breaking News
During the Spring Festival, Beijing was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, but the influx of tourists from all over the country caused traffic on the main roads to move at a snail's pace.

On the way back, the car moved slowly through the long line of traffic. Wang Changtian leaned back in the back seat, his thoughts wandering.

After weighing the pros and cons, I ultimately decided not to get on the Wang brothers' "ship".

Although Tengda is powerful, it is not domineering and its behavior is much more disciplined than that of the Wang brothers.

In the film and television industry, content is king. No single company can monopolize it. Now that the market is growing bigger and bigger, why go against Tengda for short-term gains?
While stuck in traffic, Wang Changtian, feeling bored, took out his phone to browse Weibo and get the latest trending news.

"Why is Liu Shishi trending again?!"

Seeing the newly released trending search terms, I subconsciously clicked to find out more.

The page displayed: "According to an employee of Tengda Group: This morning, the richest man in China, Song Ci, along with his wife and popular actress Liu Shishi, visited Tengda headquarters to extend their greetings to the employees on duty during the Spring Festival holiday."

This marks Liu Shishi's first public appearance at Tengda Group as the chairman's wife.

Several photos were also attached, showing Liu Shishi smiling broadly, surrounded by a group of Tengda executives, busy distributing red envelopes to employees.

Wang Changtian sighed softly, saying that from before the millennium to the present, whether in Hong Kong, Taiwan, or mainland China, there have been many examples of actresses marrying into wealthy families, but compared to Liu Shishi, they seem insignificant.

The wife of Asia's richest man, the owner of a multinational corporation worth hundreds of billions of US dollars—what does that mean? In the entertainment industry, such a status is simply a game-changer.

Just as Wang Changtian was pondering how to get close to Liu Shishi by taking the route through her wife, a new piece of news quickly rose to the top ten of the trending topics list, instantly catching his attention.

10. Having more children than allowed

I quickly checked the related reports and found that it was actor He Jun who publicly revealed the information:

After learning the whole story, Wang Changtian was slightly taken aback. There had been rumors in the industry last year, but no one had paid any attention to them.

After all, such things are trivial matters for the wealthy and famous. Even if they are exposed, they can simply pay a fine and be done with it.

Making a big fuss about this would not only offend the national advisor to the death, but would also inevitably lead to a boycott from the entire industry. It would be a lose-lose situation and utterly pointless.

In an instant, a glint flashed in Wang Changtian's eyes. He quickly dialed his assistant's number and decisively ordered, "Investigate the matter of having more children than allowed immediately!"

Amidst the surging public opinion and heated discussions among netizens, the bosses of major film and television companies in the entertainment industry used their unique abilities to quickly uncover the whole story.

It turns out that the actor He Jun who made the report is related to Zhang Weiping's assistant, Wang Xiaohua. It is obvious who was behind this.

Rumors had circulated in the industry that Zhang Yimou and Zhang Weiping had had several disagreements since the filming of "The Flowers of War," and their relationship was no longer what it used to be, with them about to part ways.

Now it seems that the two have broken up, and Zhang Weiping, wanting revenge, instructed He Jun to report Zhang Yimou.

The collaboration between Zhang Yimou and Zhang Yimou, which lasted for more than ten years, has finally come to an end. This has stirred up the interest of many film and television company bosses, who are now considering recruiting Zhang Yimou.

Who is Zhang Yimou? He is the pioneer of the commercialization of Chinese cinema and the creator of the "blockbuster era".

From art films to commercial blockbusters, from traditional themes to modern narratives, he is an industry benchmark and "national master" leading the innovation of Chinese films!
Whichever company successfully signs Zhang Yimou will wield immense influence in the film industry.

At noon, warm sunlight streamed into the car through the windows. Liu Shishi, having finished her visit to Tengda employees, was on her way to her parents' home with Song Ci to offer New Year's greetings.

In the back of the car, Liu Shishi nestled lazily in her husband's arms and sighed softly, "Yiyi, it's been eight years, and you've built Tengda into what it is today. You've really done a lot."

Song Ci embraced his wife, gently massaging her waist, and gazed at the bustling street scene outside the car window: "Once the arrow is released, there's no turning back. Since Tengda has come this far, we can only move forward, forward!"

Suddenly, feeling a vibration from her trench coat pocket, Liu Shishi took out her phone and saw that it was Cai Yinong calling. She immediately answered the call.

"Happy New Year, Sister K!"

"Happy New Year, Shishi! Is it a convenient time to talk?" On the other end of the phone, Cai Yinong was worried that Shishi might not be able to answer the phone because she was still sending red envelopes on Tengda.

"It's convenient, I'm in the car right now."

"Did you see Zhang Yimou trending on social media?" Cai Yinong's voice revealed a sense of urgency and excitement.

Liu Shishi was a little puzzled by K-jie's excitement: "I saw it, it's just having more children, it's not a big deal, is it?"

"Having more children than allowed is definitely a minor issue, but Zhang Yimou is about to part ways with New Pictures. Do you think Tangren Media can cooperate with him?"

Liu Shishi was slightly surprised by K-jie's idea of ​​bringing the National Director under her wing: "K-jie, Tangren Media isn't very attractive to Director Zhang, is it?"

Cai Yinong, with a sly smile, said, "If Tangren doesn't work out, there's always you! The richest man's wife's studio must be attractive, right?"

Upon hearing this, the top female executive was stunned: "Huh? You want my studio to sign Director Zhang?"

"Shishi, the Imperial Advisor is a golden brand in the domestic film industry. Aren't you tempted?"

Liu Shishi hesitated. While she respected the renowned director, she had never considered recruiting him.

Hearing their conversation, Song Ci interrupted, "There's no need!"

Seeing his wife's puzzled expression, Song Ci gestured for her to turn on the speakerphone and calmly analyzed, "Zhang Yimou is indeed a top director, but his actual value to a film and television company is limited."

Putting aside the high cost of signing him to a company, given his creative style, he can only produce one work every two years, making the production cycle too long.

Moreover, these kinds of top directors value creative freedom, making it difficult for their companies to interfere with filming and personnel decisions. Not to mention, he also has to juggle numerous official projects, severely diverting his attention.

Song Ci was well aware that with the arrival of the era of internet traffic, domestic film box office records were constantly being broken, and a large number of outstanding new generation directors emerged.

As for veterans like Zhang Yimou, although they hold prestigious positions, their aura has faded considerably. Personally, I feel that signing them would not be as beneficial to the commercial value of film and television companies as it used to be.

This analysis silenced Cai Yinong, and her initial enthusiasm gradually cooled down. She had to admit that the richest man's words were all reasonable.

For Tangren Media, which aims to go public and rapidly increase revenue and profits, signing the national director is like a double-edged sword.

Cai Yinong sighed, "Thank you for your guidance, Chairman Song. I'll think about it some more." Song Ci smiled and said, "Tangren's TV drama production team is mature. If you want to go public, you should produce more TV dramas and web dramas. The two campus web dramas you sold to Toutiao Video before should have yielded good returns, right?"

Cai Yinong couldn't help but laugh out loud. Tangren's first foray into web dramas had indeed yielded some success.

Campus-themed web dramas require little investment, are completed quickly, and with a few product placements, they can easily recoup their costs and generate profits. It is indeed a new sector worth exploring.

After being persuaded by Song Ci, Cai Yinong gave up the idea of ​​signing Zhang Yimou, but other film and television companies were eager to bring this leading figure in Chinese cinema under their wing.

In a private KTV room in Beiping, Qin Lan, Gan Wei, and other members of the Teddy Sisters group gathered to continue their annual Spring Festival reunion.

"...Happy breakup, I wish you happiness!" Qin Lan held the microphone, her singing echoing in the private room, a heart-wrenching melody.

Xiong Naijin quietly approached Huo Siyan and whispered in her ear, "Second sister, did eldest sister really break up with Lu Chuan?"

Huo Siyan glanced at the figure standing in the center of the private room, singing passionately, and nodded slightly: "It was my eldest sister who initiated the breakup."

"Ah! How could this happen?" Xiong Naijin exclaimed, covering her mouth.

In her view, Lu Chuan was one of the best among the new generation of directors in the industry, a true rising star with a bright future. It was hard to understand why Qin Lan would take the initiative to break up with him.

Li Xiaolu curled her lips, her face full of disdain: "What's the use of a director who can't get high box office? Lu Chuan incurred a lot of debt when he made 'Jinling! Jinling!' before."

This time, "The Last Supper" has caused Emperor Entertainment to lose a fortune again, and Mr. Yang probably wishes he could drown him in the Huangpu River.

Even after such a disastrous failure, his older sister advised him to try making commercial comedies, but he accused her of being materialistic and lacking artistic understanding, saying, "Why stay with me if you're not going to break up with me? To help me pay off my debts?"

"So that's how it is," Xiong Naijin realized. Given Lu Chuan's current situation, not only does she lack film and television resources, but if she were to get married, she would also have to pay off debts. She couldn't expect to enjoy a happy life. Breaking up was indeed a wise move.

"Third Sister, you're so lucky. Nai Liang listens to you completely." Xiong Naijin said with envy. Among the Teddy Sisters, Li Xiaolu is the most fortunate and happy in matters of the heart, with Jia Nai Liang devoted to her.

Moreover, Jia Nailiang comes from a wealthy family; his parents are in the real estate industry in Harbin and have substantial assets. If Li Xiaolu marries into his family, she will definitely be a rich young mistress.

"Nai Liang is indeed quite good." Gan Wei couldn't help but praise him. Although Boss Jia was rich, he controlled her finances very strictly, and she couldn't spend money as she pleased at all. He was far more obedient to Li Xiaolu than Jia Nai Liang was.

"Ah Liang is too dull. I don't find anything interesting about being with him," Li Xiaolu said, waving her hand dismissively.

"Don't just talk about me. Second sister, are you really with Du Jiang? He's been in the industry for so many years and he's still not famous, he's just a nobody!"

"Hmm!" Huo Siyan responded softly, feeling somewhat uncomfortable upon hearing Li Xiaolu's evaluation of her boyfriend.

"Okay." Seeing Huo Siyan's reaction, Li Xiaolu stopped talking. In fact, deep down she wished that none of her sisters' boyfriends could compare to hers.

“Du Jiang is a really good person,” Huo Siyan couldn’t help but defend her boyfriend. The reason she accepted Du Jiang’s advances was because she felt his sincerity.

She knew very well that as a renowned socialite at Huayi, no successful man would marry her. She was already content to have found a man who didn't mind her past and was devoted to her.

After Qin Lan finished her song, she picked up her wine glass, took a sip of red wine, and exhaled with a sigh of relief, feeling much better. "What were you talking about?"

Xiong Naijin casually replied, "I was talking about Mimi. I guess she won't be coming today."

"She's about to become a billion-dollar box office star, incredibly famous, with endless interviews and announcements, she can't possibly care about us small characters." Qin Lan's tone was sour, with a hint of undisguised dissatisfaction in her words.

It was the huge success of "Goodbye Mr. Loser" that led to the lackluster performance of "The Last Supper," which became the catalyst for her breakup with Lu Chuan.

"Who does she think she is? The leading lady is Liu Shishi. She only gains traffic by flaunting her breasts. Isn't she ashamed?"

Li Xiaolu was indignant. She won the Golden Horse Award for Best Actress at the age of 17, had a bright future, and even became the second Golden Eagle Goddess. But now she has been surpassed by several actresses born in the 85s, so she naturally felt bad.

Huo Siyan gently shook her head: "Mi Mi has benefited more from this movie than Liu Shishi. Her popularity is terrifying right now."

“Superficial popularity is no match for real money,” Gan Wei said enviously. “My husband said that Liu Shishi is an investor in ‘Goodbye Mr. Loser.’ If the box office reaches 10 billion, she will make at least 1.5 million.”

"That's outrageous?" The women present were stunned. The return on a single movie was comparable to the annual profits of many listed companies, which was truly astonishing.

Li Xiaolu, burning with jealousy, sneered, "The screenwriter of this movie is Song Ci, and she only got it because of her man! I don't believe there's a cat in this world that doesn't steal fish."

Men, you know, all like young and beautiful women. In a few years, when Liu Shishi is old and faded, will her man still pamper her like he does now? Did you see the Weibo posts today? Zhang Yimou is a perfect example!

Xiong Naijin was still reeling from the shock of Liu Shishi making 1.5 million yuan, muttering to herself, "With so much money, does a man's affection still matter?"

Li Xiaolu was speechless for a moment, and not wanting to bring up Liu Shishi again and upset her, she changed the subject: "Fifth Sister, LeTV Pictures is lacking a big-name director to support its image. Isn't this a good opportunity?"

Gan Wei chuckled lightly: "You don't need to tell me that. My husband has already flown to Chang'an to meet with Director Zhang."

The women exchanged glances, surprised by Jia's swift action, and eagerly asked, "What terms does LeEco plan to offer to sign Director Zhang?"

Gan Wei elegantly raised her wine glass, swirling the red wine inside, whetting everyone's appetite before slowly saying, "Not counting the director's salary and box office revenue sharing, Lao Jia offered 100 million for three years just for the signing fee."

They will also give LeEco Pictures a 1.5% equity stake and guarantee creative freedom. In addition, a dedicated section for Director Zhang's films will be available on LeEco TV Super TV.

By using internet platforms to access third- and fourth-tier cities and overseas markets, he aims to meet the needs of young people, a concept he has consistently advocated.

The private room fell silent instantly, with only the colorful neon lights flashing.

Huo Siyan was stunned for a long time before he came to his senses: "Mr. Jia, you really have a big hand! Fourth Sister, I just heard you say that LeEco is really going to launch a Super TV?"

"Of course!" Gan Wei said firmly, her eyes full of pride. She knew Jia Yueting's ambitions very well.

The husband sees the Super TV as a key part of the LeEco ecosystem, with the goal of integrating LeEco's content resources through smart TVs.

Liu Shishi's husband doesn't just talk about ecosystems and closed loops all day long. With the Super TV, her husband can also build a full-scene ecosystem that integrates computers, mobile phones, TVs, and cinemas.

Who isn't a woman of an internet tycoon!

(End of this chapter)