How can you become a star without money?

Chapter 95 So, can this canal still be repaired?
99% of the banquets in the world of fame and fortune are private gatherings.

It is said that there is no good banquet, and no good gathering.

Especially banquets with fewer people.

"I'll go check on the groceries first," Hu Mei said, making an excuse to leave and closing the door behind her.

Only Wang Yao and Old Master Wang remained in the huge banquet hall.

"Is Xiao Yao's ancestral home in Jiangcheng?" Old Wang asked with a smile.

“It shouldn’t be. My grandfather said it was left in Jiangcheng back then,” Wang Yao said truthfully.

It doesn't really matter whether I say it or not, because before I met this person, my ancestors for three generations should have been thoroughly investigated.

He knows what I know, and he also knows what I don't know.

"You can be considered a descendant of a loyal martyr." Old Wang nodded with a smile. "I've heard about what you and Xiao Hu have been doing lately. The young people are very thoughtful and capable."

"Mr. Wang, you flatter me. I was just lucky," Wang Yao said modestly.

"The Book of Changes says, 'Heaven blesses those who are fortunate, and there is nothing unfavorable.' Luck is essentially a state of being, a state of being is essentially self-confidence, and self-confidence is essentially being good to oneself. Xiao Yao thinks it's luck, which means everything he does is for his own good. Not bad, not bad at all," Old Wang continued to praise.
"But this world is not just about yourself; there are many others. If you only act in your own best interests but harm others, you may end up harming yourself as well. As the saying goes, those who follow the right path receive much help, while those who stray from it receive little help, right?"

Wang Yao himself enjoys being a riddle teller.

But when you encounter a riddle teller, you'll realize just how annoying they are.

After pondering for a moment, he smiled and said, "What Elder Wang said makes sense, but I am still young and sometimes I really can't tell what is good for me and what is good for everyone. After all, my abilities are limited."

"So you have to think twice before you act, because a small action of yours can trigger a lot of chain reactions. Especially when you have more say, you have to be more cautious. Even a commoner can become a teacher for generations, and a single word can become the law of the world." Old Wang continued to be the riddle teller.

Wang Yao blinked. "Mr. Wang is very knowledgeable, so please don't make things difficult for a college graduate like me."

"Xiao Hu said you're a history enthusiast, so you shouldn't be unable to understand this sentence," Old Wang chuckled.

"Does Elder Wang think I can be like Han Yu? To participate in the creation of heaven and earth with a righteous spirit, and to concern myself with the rise and fall of dynasties with independent thought?" Wang Yao said with a simple smile.

"Aren't you good enough?" Old Wang stared at him, his gaze sharp as a hawk, not at all like the eyesight one would expect from an old man.

"Mr. Wang, you're really giving me too much credit," Wang Yao said, waving his hand.

“But you’re already doing it now.” Old Wang smiled amiably, but his tone was extremely solemn. “The Internet is a new thing, but it’s just a tool. However, this tool may have the greatest and most destructive power in human history, and you are very good at using this tool, even accelerating its growth.”

"Is it a bad thing?" Wang Yao squinted.

"I don't know, so I've come to talk to you about it." Old Wang smiled.

“I don’t have to,” Wang Yao said with a smile.

“If it were to prevent you from using it, I wouldn’t have come today.” Old Wang shook his head. “Young people don’t need to be so wary. I just want to know how you understand what you’re doing right now.”

“Clearly distinct.” Wang Yao pondered for a moment and replied with four words.

"Oh? What do you mean?" Old Wang asked, somewhat surprised.

"Nature neither favors the good nor punishes the bad, because good and bad are human standards. The only thing nature does is nourish all things that conform to the laws of nature. Therefore, Lao Tzu said that the highest good is like water, which is close to the Tao."

Before a flood arrives, one should either prepare to dredge channels or build dams. I want to do the former because I believe that dredging is worse than blocking. The impact of a single drop of water is small, but when they accumulate into a river, they can cause a disaster.

"But besides water, there's also mud in the floodwaters, so I hope that while dredging, we can also separate the mud and water. This will make it easier whether we need to clear the silt separately or divert the water later," Wang Yao said earnestly.

"So, you're going through a process of natural selection to prepare for the diversion of talent?" Old Wang looked at the overly young Wang Yao with some curiosity. "This doesn't seem like something you should be considering."

He thought everything Wang Yao did was for personal gain, but upon hearing this, it seemed to be for the greater good.

The recent public opinion turmoil is not a recent problem. It's just that in the past, everyone dealt with it by ignoring it and dividing the issue. But after Wang Yao appeared, the problems that had been suppressed before have resurfaced.

He couldn't tell whether it was good or bad, which is why he wanted to talk to him.

"You misunderstand. I'm thinking that mud has its value and water has its value. Rather than letting them drift, it's better to use them for my own purposes for now, and then hand them over to more capable people when the flood comes."

After all, it will save us the trouble of sifting through the silt, so it can be considered a good deed.” Wang Yao chuckled.

"You seem to think the flood is inevitable?" Old Wang said in a deep voice.

"Whether the flood comes or not is not up to me; I can only decide what to do," Wang Yao shook his head.

"But have you considered that what you're doing might escalate the situation or even cause a flood?" Old Wang asked gravely.

"Are you saying that the flood was caused by me? That solving me will solve the flood?" Wang Yao feigned surprise.

Old Wang fell silent. "How big are you planning to dig this canal?"

"Well, that depends on how you define it. Actually, my idea is that the water channel should be diverted eastward, and the silt channel should flow westward," Wang Yao said with a slight smile.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Old Wang was taken aback, somewhat unable to keep up with the young man's train of thought.

“The outside world is more exciting.” Wang Yao shrugged. “Myspace is an international platform, so naturally we can’t just discuss domestic news. News from outside is always more magical and impactful.”

"You mean, you divert the mud and water, letting the mud settle and flow outwards, while the water flows back?" Old Wang's mind raced.

Is the internal contradiction being shifted to the external contradiction, and in a targeted manner?
After a flood, should we leave the water and throw the silt back in?

It sounds like a good idea, but it's a bit unethical.

"It's not the act of a gentleman to shift the blame westward," Old Wang said, taking a sip of tea.

"Morality is a tool for bad people and a constraint for good people, but human nature dictates that there are more bad people than good people, so the existence of morality does more harm than good."
"I happen to be a scoundrel who only cares about profit, with no morals and certainly not a gentleman, but we thieves have our code of honor." Wang Yao grinned frankly.

Old Wang carefully examined the overly young boy once again.

Wang Yao gave him a strange impression. No matter how extraordinary someone was at that age, he should have received traditional moral education.

How can they so readily abandon morality?

They don't even act or pretend?

Is it a case of great loyalty appearing as treachery, or great treachery appearing as loyalty?

"We still need to distinguish right from wrong, good from evil," Old Wang said in a deep voice.

“Wang Shouren said that there are good and evil intentions, and good and evil only represent people’s positions and have nothing to do with the principles of heaven and justice,” Wang Yao said solemnly.

"I have no interest in fighting over petty gains, but I will fight over great virtues and righteousness over the smallest things. Young man, I hope your stance is firm enough." After a moment of contemplation, Old Wang gave his advice.

"So, can this canal still be repaired?" Wang Yao's eyes lit up.

"That's your freedom. As long as you don't break any rules or regulations, no one will care," Old Wang said with a smile.

“I have a list here, please take a look,” Wang Yao asked.

"There's no need. If something happens, the list won't save you. If nothing happens, having the list is meaningless." Old Wang smiled meaningfully.

Wang Yao sighed; communicating with these big shots was exhausting.

Fortunately, the food that followed was quite delicious, and the conversation ended up focusing on the development of the film and television industry, with some positive feedback on Kanpianer.com.

"Old Wang isn't some old-fashioned conservative. If you need any help or are unsure about anything, you can ask me to inquire for you later," Hu Mei said with a smile after seeing Old Wang off.

"What level is this person?" Wang Yao asked curiously.

"Don't ask. I can only tell you that they are the ones who specifically tell us to shut up," Hu Mei said, making a shushing gesture.

Wang Yao nodded; it was pretty much what he had guessed.

"The Women's Support Association's project is excellent, especially in the film and television industry, where the working conditions for men and women are still very different. Your project will be of great significance in promoting a more balanced development within the industry," Hu Mei said, changing the subject.

"Director Hu, you flatter me. I was just doing what I could, and I'm glad I didn't cause any trouble," Wang Yao said modestly.

“I recently had a private gathering with some friends and we discussed the significance of this matter quite a bit, and we came up with a lot of ideas. Could you give me some suggestions?” Hu Mei smiled. “After all, there are charity performances in Hong Kong, and it would seem a bit strange if we didn’t do something.” “It’s quite troublesome to hold these kinds of events on the mainland, isn’t it?” Wang Yao frowned.

Concerts in mainland China require at least a month's advance preparation and approval, while events in Hong Kong are slightly better; if the scale is not large, it can be done in half a month.

"I don't want to hold a concert, and the guests' schedules are all scattered, making it difficult to get them together. So I was wondering if there was a simple way that could still be effective." Hu Mei smiled.

Wang Yao stroked his teacup and thought for a moment, "Then let's shoot a music video. We'll invite people who want to participate in the song 'Labour,' just like we did with 'Welcome to Beijing' back then. There should be about sixty or seventy spots. We can sell the copyright, sell merchandise, and then donate a portion of the proceeds."

"This is a great idea. We don't need to gather everyone together. Each person can say a sentence and get on camera to promote the product. Xiao Ren, I'll leave this to you." Hu Mei clapped her hands.

“No problem. I’ve had quite a few people asking me about the Women’s Aid Association lately.” Ren Quan nodded.

"Xiao Yao, Kanpianer.com is now on the right track, and quite a few investors want to participate. I'd like to ask for your opinion," Hu Mei said.

“It’s good if someone is willing to give you money,” Wang Yao said with a smile.

"They suggested that we could reorganize a cinema chain to cover the globe, which would make it easier for our domestic films to get screenings overseas. After all, the promotion cost of online channels is much lower than that of traditional cinemas. Of course, you probably know more about this," Hu Mei said with a smile.

Wang Yao frowned. This model sounded similar to Wanda Pictures' approach: acquiring the international cinema chain AMC, then investing heavily in overseas films, even if they didn't get box office returns, because there were subsidies anyway.

Unfortunately, cinema assets are too heavy, and without stable cash flow, they are prone to collapse, especially when the box office returns are negative.

"I think either is fine, but to be honest, the prospects for Chinese-language films to gain a foothold in overseas markets are not very optimistic."

"Unless we invest in low-budget local films and gamble on the odds, we either have to bet heavily on big-budget productions and create global IPs to see if we can replicate the path of Marvel and DC," Wang Yao said seriously.

"So, it means the risk is too high, right?" Hu Mei said thoughtfully.

"Our film industry system still lags behind Hollywood, especially in its eagerness to expand overseas. It would be better to invest the money in domestic film production and box office revenue."
"You see, ever since celebrity-sponsored screenings started, attendance and online discussion have increased significantly. Movies as a form of entertainment still have a very low penetration rate in China," Wang Yao chuckled.

The current box office market is only worth 10 billion yuan, so there is at least ten times more room for development.

“Yes, they are indeed in a bit too much of a hurry. Let’s discuss it again.” Hu Mei nodded in agreement.

“However, there is still room for development in the Southeast Asian market. I just came back from Korea, so we can start by expanding into the surrounding Confucian cultural sphere,” Wang Yao said with a smile.

"That's fine, but the market is too small." Hu Mei smiled, seemingly unimpressed.

Wang Yao didn't say much. In fact, the Southeast Asian market is not small. After all, it is a consumer market with nearly 6 million people, and its scale is still four to five billion US dollars every year.

We chatted for a while about recent gossip in the industry. It's been almost a month since "Confucius" was released, and the final box office will most likely stop at around 1.8 million yuan, which is already the limit compared to the inflated 1 million yuan in the previous life.

With an investment of 1 million yuan, the box office needs to be at least 3.5 million yuan to break even. Coupled with the mediocre reviews, this has indeed dampened Hu Mei's enthusiasm for movies, and she is now preparing to focus on television dramas.

After the banquet ended, Ren Quan, seeing that it was still early, insisted on taking Wang Yao to experience the nightlife of the capital.

Men's nightlife consists of relatively dull and boring clubs, but the level of sophistication is definitely different.

The place Ren Quan took him to was more upscale than the place where he first met Liu Yifei. On the stage in the private room, a group of part-time actors from major dance academies in Beijing were performing a modified version of the dance drama "Dream of the Red Chamber".

In his previous life, Wang Yao enjoyed watching Yue Opera for a while and had been to small theaters a few times, but this was the first time he had watched a dance drama in a private box.

Perhaps because it was a private box, the dancers' costumes were relatively 'private'. The gossamer-thin gauze dresses, illuminated by the lights, created a hazy, ethereal effect, which, combined with the dancers' slender yet powerful muscle lines, did indeed appear elegant.

This scene inspired him to form a dance troupe. In his previous life, he had heard that Boss Xu had a private dance troupe. Wang Yao also wanted to be exposed to art more often when he was bored, otherwise he would not even have a decent hobby.

Since I'm in Beijing this time, I can go to the Beijing Dance Academy to select potential talents. Who are the current Beijing Dance Academy members?

Jin Chen? Li Yitong?
"The lead dancer is Zhang Ziyi's junior from the Beijing Dance Academy. The troupe is struggling and recently decided to try her luck in the entertainment industry. What do you think?" Ren Quan interrupted Wang Yao's thoughts with a grin and handed him a menu.

Wang Yao opened the app and glanced at the name. He raised an eyebrow slightly upon seeing it. No wonder it looked familiar; it was He Xiaoping.

"Has Feng Xiaopao been looking for you lately?" Wang Yao suddenly remembered that he still had some unresolved issues with this guy.

"Oh, I was just about to tell you that he made a point of explaining when we had dinner together a few days ago. He said it wasn't directed at Qu Shou, but simply because he couldn't stand people trying to ride on his coattails. I never expected that this would backfire so badly. He asked me to meet you another day to express his apologies."

"Actually, Director Feng is a nice person, he just talks a lot. We're in a honeymoon period with Huayi now, how about you do me the honor?" Ren Quan said with a smile.

"Sure, I'll wait until I'm done with this in a few days. By the way, do you know anyone at Jingwu?" Wang Yao asked with a smile.

"What? You've come to Beijing for a campus beauty survey too? Are you a national scout?" Ren Quan joked.

"It's an occupational hazard; I always want to poach people from wherever I go," Wang Yao said, stroking his chin.

Besides, how could we meet Feng Xiaopao without bringing Huang Xuan along?

"Isn't this ready-made?" Ren Quan said with a smile, pointing to the menu.

"That's not a good idea," Wang Yao frowned.

"Don't get me wrong, I brought you to a proper place to make friends, not some fast food place like Meishe," Ren Quan said, raising an eyebrow.

"Purely social, huh?" Wang Yao scoffed.

"Whether it's pure or not depends on the ability," Ren Quan said, winking.

"Alright, let's consider this making friends." Wang Yao turned his gaze back to Miao Miao on the stage.

"Don't look at it now, there'll be work coming up later." Ren Quan received a text message and his expression turned serious.

"What's wrong?" Wang Yao asked, puzzled.

“Cheng Long wants to talk to me, shall I see him?” Ren Quan asked.

"He's looking for you, and you're asking me?" Wang Yao said with a smile.

"Nonsense, don't you know who you're looking for?" Ren Quan rolled his eyes.

Jackie Chan must have contacted him about the matter of Little Dragon Girl, since the original post originated from a pornographic website.

“This is a difficult situation to resolve. Yang Lan wants to destroy him completely.” Wang Yao stroked his chin.

"Whether you can kill him or not is up to you," Ren Quan laughed.

"Do you think I'm a god? There are many things I can't control," Wang Yao shook his head.

"So I should just brush this off?" Ren Quan frowned.

"Just him? No one from Bernard?" Wang Yao pondered for a moment.

Since the success of the film "The Myth", Bernard and Jackie Chan have formed a deep partnership. Bernard regards Jackie Chan as the core IP for its IPO. Therefore, "Big Soldier" is a key work in which Jackie Chan gave up his salary to generate data for Bernard.

This collaboration between the two parties was the first attempt in China to establish a three-in-one interest chain structure integrating artists, investors, and technology, and it also provided a successful case for the later partnerships between Huayi Brothers and Stephen Chow, and between Fiber Optics and Xu Zheng.

However, due to Wang Yao's appearance, "The Soldier" is now facing a box office crisis. After three days of release, it has only grossed 3 million yuan, which is far below their expectations.

However, I heard that the overseas box office is not bad, but if the Little Dragon Girl incident really affects Jackie Chan's personal IP value, it will definitely have an impact on future collaborations.

After all, Jackie Chan's base is still in China, and they can't be sure how much impact Little Dragon Girl can have. Even Wang Yao is not sure for the time being.

But Wang Yao felt that neither Bernard nor Cheng Long dared to gamble recklessly at this crucial juncture.

“It should only be Cheng Long’s people,” Ren Quan nodded.

"Meeting him first is fine, let's hear his thoughts." Wang Yao narrowed his eyes.

"Then I'll invite them over; they happen to be doing an event in Beijing." Ren Quan got up and went out to make the call.

"I'm going out for some fresh air too." Wang Yao stood up. The private room was a bit stuffy; he suspected they were using oxygen.

These kinds of places use a lot of tricks. They inject oxygen in the D-section to excite the guests, and they also extract oxygen from the private rooms to excite the guests.

It's just that one type of blood flows upwards, while the other flows downwards.

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(End of this chapter)