Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 447 Delivered to the Door

On Friday, December 14th, everyone was already looking forward to the weekend and just wanted to get off work as soon as possible!

As dusk settles, the city lights gradually illuminate the night sky over Beiping.

The premiere of the movie "Chinese Zodiac" at Huaying International Cinema was a star-studded event.

"Chinese Zodiac" is Jackie Chan's 101st film and also his publicly declared last pure action film, which has attracted much attention since its preparation.

For this labor of love, Cheng Long used all his connections to promote the film.

At the premiere, one after another, celebrities and renowned directors walked the red carpet, exciting the media present, with the sound of camera shutters clicking incessantly.

"This one actually came too! No wonder he's the eldest brother, Cheng Long, he's got real influence."

"I heard she was busy preparing for her wedding and even canceled the National Drama Awards. I didn't expect her to show up at the premiere. It was a pleasant surprise."

As reporters buzzed with discussion, Liu Shishi gracefully walked onto the red carpet.

Her pretty face was lightly made up, and she wasn't wearing an elaborate gown, just a simple white trench coat over a blue turtleneck sweater, yet she exuded a gentle and elegant air, with a composed demeanor.

Liu Shishi did not linger on the signature wall and walked straight into the inner screening room.

She was initially reluctant to attend the film premiere, but considered that she was the ambassador for the return of the rat and rabbit animal heads from the twelve bronze animal heads of the Old Summer Palace.

"Chinese Zodiac" happens to be a film about the twelve animal heads and calls for the protection of cultural relics. In addition, Jackie Chan extended a warm invitation, and after much consideration, I decided to come and support the film.

"Shishi, please wait a moment, let's take some pictures!"

"Mrs. Song, please grant me an interview!"

When the reporters saw Liu Shishi heading straight for the inner area, they immediately panicked!

With the top female celebrity and the richest man's wedding imminent, even digging up some inside information is enough to make it a hot topic.

But Liu Shishi ignored these requests, simply waved and walked into the inner area without stopping.

Cheng Long was greeting guests in front of the screening room when he saw Sister Yi arrive, and he was overjoyed.

Having attended the Huo family wedding banquet and witnessed firsthand how the heads of Hong Kong's wealthy families treated the eldest sister as an honored guest, she was well aware of her status and influence.

He quickly stepped forward, greeting her with a smile: "Mrs. Song, welcome! Please forgive me for not greeting you sooner."

"You're too kind, brother. I wish 'Chinese Zodiac' great box office success." Liu Shishi replied with a smile, her gaze falling on the young man behind Cheng Long.

Noticing Liu Shishi's gaze, Cheng Long quickly introduced, "Mrs. Song, this is my son, Zuming."

She then turned to her son and scolded, "What are you all standing there for? Quickly pay your respects to Mrs. Song."

Zu Ming seemed somewhat afraid of his father, and said timidly, "Hello, Mrs. Song."

"Hello," Liu Shishi replied softly, carefully examining the famous "Dragon Prince" of the entertainment industry.

. . .

Cheng Long, with his keen insight, noticed that Liu Shishi's expression changed drastically upon seeing her son. Her undisguised impatience and disgust made his heart tighten.

He quickly and cautiously probed, "Mrs. Song, has my son offended you in any way? I'll have him apologize to you right away."

Liu Shishi was taken aback, not expecting Cheng Long to be so perceptive.

He then gave a meaningful warning: "Brother, while you're busy with your career, you also need to take care of your family. You can't slack off in disciplining your children. Otherwise, you'll end up like Zhang Guoli, and you'll regret it."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Long's pupils contracted sharply, his heart pounding with shock. He turned to his son with disbelief, his voice trembling: "You?!"

When Zu Ming realized that his most secret secret had been exposed, he panicked and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

Seeing his son's panicked appearance, Chenglong knew perfectly well that what Liu Shishi said was true.
Enraged, he raised his hand and slapped her across the face. "You beast!"

"Snapped!"

Cheng Long was a martial artist, and in his rage, he used all his strength. The slap was powerful and heavy, and Zu Ming's cheek instantly swelled up.

Zu Ming winced in pain, but dared not resist in the slightest. He simply turned his face slightly to avoid his father's murderous gaze.

With outsiders present, and this not being the place to handle family matters, Cheng Long took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his surging anger, and sternly reprimanded:
"Go home and stop embarrassing yourself here! I'll teach you a lesson when I get back."

Zu Ming felt as if he had been granted a pardon. Covering his burning face, he slunk toward the exit, his mind racing with thoughts of how to ask his mother for help, otherwise he feared he would really be in trouble when his father returned.

Cheng Long watched Zu Ming's disheveled figure leave, a trace of sadness appearing on his face.

He had high hopes for his son and poured countless resources into supporting him, but now that he has gone astray, his future is ruined. From now on, he will probably have to discipline him strictly and let him live a stable life as a wealthy man.

A pang of heartache struck him, and he turned to look at his sister, sighing softly, "It's a misfortune for our family, and I'm sorry to have troubled Mrs. Song!"

It was my neglect in disciplining him that allowed him to commit such a disgraceful act. If it weren't for your reminder, I would have remained completely unaware. Thank you so much, Mrs. Song!

Liu Shishi witnessed the whole farce, remaining calm and speaking indifferently: "Brother, your family affairs are none of my business. Now that you know about this, deal with it as soon as possible, and quit if you should."

"Understood." Cheng Long seemed to have aged several years in an instant, and his energy and spirit seemed to be not as good as before.

Liu Shishi shook her head helplessly, secretly reminding herself: I must learn from this lesson and strictly discipline my own children in the future.

Inside the screening room, many celebrities, directors, and producers had already arrived.

The lead actor in "Chinese Zodiac" is Cheng Long, and the investors are Huayi Brothers and Emperor Entertainment Group. People in the industry will give him some face and come to support him.

In a corner of the venue, Wang Zhonglei was talking to his brother when he caught sight of the elegant and poised leading lady arriving. He was slightly surprised: "Cheng Long actually invited Liu Shishi here?"

Wang Zhongjun turned around upon hearing this, a smile flashing in his eyes: "That's a good thing! We'll arrange a few press releases to ride her coattails; maybe her fans can even contribute to the box office."

There's no hope for Xiao Gang's "1942"; the only films to watch during the Spring Festival are "CZ12" and Stephen Chow's "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons"!

Wang Zhonglei grumbled, "Xiao Gang is just bored and has nothing better to do than make a famine and suffering film. People watch movies during the Spring Festival to have fun, who wants to watch this awful stuff?"

The film "1942", directed by Feng Xiaogang and produced by Huayi Brothers Media Group with an investment of 250 million yuan, was released at the end of November.

After two weeks in theaters, the box office performance has been dismal, with the total box office estimated to be no more than 4 million yuan. Huayi Brothers is set to suffer huge losses, and its stock price has already begun to fall.

Wang Zhongjun also sighed helplessly: "With the box office performance of '1942,' Xiao Gang should give up. We can start working on 'Personal Tailor' now."

As soon as she finished speaking, Liu Shishi stepped into the core area of ​​the venue. Her appearance was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly attracting everyone's attention. The celebrities, directors, and producers who were originally exchanging pleasantries and conversations involuntarily focused their gazes on her.

Deng Chao, who was standing to the side, saw the First Sister and his eyes lit up. He hurried forward to greet her: "President Liu!"

Liu Shishi smiled slightly and said gently, "Brother Chao, we're old friends. Just call me Shishi like before. There's no need to be so formal."

Deng Chao sighed inwardly, having to admit that this top female star was truly kind-hearted, without any of the haughty or domineering airs she usually had, and remained approachable in her interactions with others.

"Shishi, then I won't stand on ceremony. How are the wedding preparations with Mr. Song going?"

"Everything is almost ready."

"That's wonderful! Congratulations on your wedding!"

"What has Your Majesty been busy with lately?"

"She is filming a TV series called 'Hot Mom' by Hairun Pictures."

After chatting for a while, Deng Chao's eyes lit up, and he tentatively asked, "Shishi, I'm planning to switch careers and become a director. Would you be interested in being my angel investor?"

Liu Shishi was slightly taken aback. Seeing that Deng Chao's playful smile had faded and his expression had become serious, she knew this was important. She immediately asked, "Brother Chao, why do you suddenly want to be a director?"

Deng Chao straightened up and explained, "To be honest, I've reached a bottleneck in my career as an artist."

To advance further, it's simply a matter of accumulating seniority and winning awards, but that path doesn't hold much meaning for me. We live in the internet age, where traffic and data are everything; awards don't carry much weight anymore.

"The industry is bustling these days, with all sorts of capital flowing in, giving many people the opportunity to become directors. I also want to give it a try."

It's said that actors who excel can become directors, and I believe I have some talent in that area. Besides, I don't plan to make award-winning art films; I'll focus on comedies that audiences enjoy.

His goal is clear: to make money through high box office returns and transition into the capital market. Currently, there are essentially two paths for entertainment stars to move towards the capital market:

One option is to open your own studio or film and television company and invest in film and television projects, but this path is difficult, risky, and requires the support of industry giants.

Secondly, he could transition into directing. If one of his films becomes a box office hit, people would naturally rush to invest. After making three or four films, he could accumulate a considerable fortune. Then, he could lead the way in attracting investment and have the opportunity to turn his life around as a capitalist.

Liu Shishi nodded. Deng Chao's development strategy was exactly the same as Xu Zheng's. Both of them were actors who turned directors, and both were pragmatists.

They only make commercial films, clearly aiming for high box office returns. From a purely profit perspective, it certainly has great investment value.

If Deng Chao can replicate Xu Zheng's success and successfully transform his career, then everyone in the industry will know that it was Liu Shishi who supported him, which would be a wonderful story.

Thinking of this, she nodded slightly: "Since you're interested in changing your career path, Brother Chao, I'll be your mentor and invest in the movie! Tell me, how much funding do you need?"

"It's done! The First Sister is indeed rich and powerful." Deng Chao was overjoyed, a knowing smile spreading across his face as he happily said:
"Shishi, this movie is adapted from the stage play 'The Breakup Guru.' I had someone calculate that it would cost about 5000 million yuan."

“No problem. For specific details, just contact the studio’s general manager, Jiang Yuanyuan. I’ll let her know.” Liu Shishi readily agreed; 5000 million was just a drop in the ocean for the Song family.

Deng Chao beamed and patted his chest, guaranteeing: "I will personally play the male lead, and I will find a popular actress to play the female lead. I am confident that we can make two or three hundred million at the box office, and I will definitely not let you, the investor, lose money."

"I wish you success."

"I accept your good words!"

The two were having a pleasant conversation when a voice interrupted them.

"Good evening, Mr. Liu."

The two turned around and saw that it was Han Geng.

"Shishi, you two chat, I'm going over there to say hello to a few acquaintances." Deng Chao, quick-witted and perceptive, realized that Han Geng clearly had something to discuss with the First Sister, so he tactfully took his leave.

The eldest sister chuckled and asked, "What brings you to the premiere today?"

“Brother Chenglong is a senior in the industry, so it’s only right that he comes to show his support.” Seeing that the opportunity was rare, Han Geng thought for a moment and then got straight to the point, “President Liu, actually, I’m here today to raise investment for a movie.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Shishi blurted out instinctively, "You want to be a director too?"

"Director? No, no." Han Geng was taken aback and quickly shook his head. "Mr. Liu, I'm just trying to raise investment for the film."

“I misunderstood. Please continue.”

"I've taken on a film called 'Ex-Files,' a low-budget romantic comedy. It's short on investment, and I was originally planning to ask Huayi for investment. But as soon as I saw you, I took the liberty of asking you."

Liu Shishi looked puzzled: "You want to make a movie, won't Yuehua Entertainment invest?"

Han explained helplessly, "President Du is so busy with idol trainees that all the company's funds are invested in that."

How much funding is needed?

"1300 million is enough."

Liu Shishi's expression was somewhat strange: "You and Yuehua can't even come up with this much money? You're so famous, surely you can't even come up with 1300 million?"

Han Geng looked conflicted: "Mr. Liu, it's not easy for me to earn money. After all, movies are risky, and I can't afford to take that risk."

So even if we could raise the funds, we would still seek investment from large companies. After all, we're not as large and established as you, Tengda Culture, or Huayi. We can only try to get involved when we have a stronger financial foundation.”

Liu Shishi suddenly realized that she had always spent money casually, but she had overlooked the fact that it wasn't easy for others in the industry to make money.

Even as the entertainment industry becomes increasingly prosperous, only a handful of top-tier celebrities can truly make a fortune.

Film investments often involve tens or hundreds of millions of dollars, so celebrities must be extremely cautious when investing, as a poor box office performance could wipe out their entire fortune.

"I'm also a shareholder of Yuehua Entertainment. How can our star artist have to ask outsiders for help to make a movie? I invested 1300 million. By the way, if you want to make a movie, why didn't you contact my studio?"

"I knew you were preparing for your wedding, so I didn't dare to disturb you," Han Geng said, but he had other plans in mind.

He never planned to seek investment from Liu Shishi's studio, since with a budget of 1300 million, he could easily attract investment by simply showing his connections at any film and television company.

He wanted to save his request for help for a critical moment, in case he encountered a large-scale production with a huge funding gap, then he could ask for help then. But since it happened now, it wouldn't hurt to mention it.

“There’s a fixed process for investing in studios, and I don’t need to get involved. Okay, I’ll approve the 1300 million.”

"Thank you, Mr. Liu." After receiving confirmation, Han Geng's smile became much more sincere.

Liu Shishi nodded: "You can contact Jiang Yuanyuan for the specific details. There's no need to communicate with me anymore. For future investment needs, just follow the normal procedures."

(End of this chapter)