America: My Time

Chapter 1164 Trip to the Central Academy of Drama
Chapter 1154 A Trip to the Central Academy of Drama

"Are you sure Phoenix Group can make great strides now? This is no joke. Once we start, there's no turning back. And if this first step isn't successful, it will be bad for Phoenix Group's transformation?"

When John received the request from Wang Jinhua and Feng Xiaogang, he frowned. It wasn't that he didn't trust the two of them; he knew their capabilities perfectly well. It was just that Phoenix Group was currently undergoing a transformation. If this attack failed, it wouldn't have much impact on Hong Kong and Taiwan, but it would be a completely different story on the mainland. It would also likely have an impact on Japan and South Korea as well.

“We’re certain, and this time we’re also planning to recruit some students from the Central Academy of Drama ahead of schedule, otherwise Phoenix Group will have even more talent shortages!” Wang Jinhua and Feng Xiaogang exchanged glances, then said to John.

Phoenix Group's emphasis on talent is well-known, but the competition for talent is fierce. Although Phoenix Group has been in China for a long time, its talent pool is still far from sufficient, and there is a significant gap.

“Alright, I agree to your request. I hope you’re right. But you still need to inform the school before recruiting, otherwise it will only cause a lot of trouble. The Central Academy of Drama has a partnership with Phoenix Group. I’ll go with you!” Before the two of them even spoke, John already understood that these two had come to him not just for the project, but more for the talent.

If we want to grow rapidly, talent is essential. So, it's completely different for me to step in myself compared to Wang Jinhua and the others. If I step in myself, the Central Academy of Drama will give me some face, and I can get a good result.

"Boss, as you know, we have no choice. After all, if we want to accelerate our development, we can't do it without talent. Moreover, we've expanded too much, and we're short of people in all aspects. There's nothing we can do about it."

Although Phoenix Media has a lot of talent, neither Hong Kong nor Taiwan can recruit them. Those guys are all making new preparations to return to Hollywood. The spin-off of Paramount Pictures hasn't completely deterred them from their Hollywood plans; they're still making numerous preparations.

"It's alright, it's good that you have this idea. Perhaps my thinking is a bit too conservative. China is not Hollywood, and past experience doesn't apply here!" John waved his hand lightly, not taking the matter to heart. After all, they were thinking of the company, and as the boss, he naturally couldn't have any bad thoughts.

If China simply replicates past experiences, it may not see much development. After all, the situation here is different from that in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the United States, and even different from that in South Korea and Japan. Most importantly, in China, Phoenix Media Group does not have its own publicity force and needs to cooperate with other media companies!

Don't be fooled by John's gradual disappearance from Phoenix Media, Paramount Pictures, and Legendary Entertainment. That's just to appease the old guard in the US and the American public. Those truly in the industry aren't foolish enough to be unaware of this secret. Not to mention, Wang Jinhua is the general manager of Phoenix Media in China, so she naturally understands her boss's identity.

John would have thought about other things more carefully, but this matter was no problem. The United States was at a critical juncture, and many people were watching his every move, worried that his sudden action would affect their plans and the US election.

The atmosphere in the US changed in October, a fact John was aware of. Despite being in China, he was being watched closely by many, given the immense influence of Legendary Entertainment and Paramount Pictures. Under these circumstances, John naturally had to be cautious.

"Boss, we can't forget about Beijing Film Academy either. If you step in, you might have a better chance!"

"Okay, we'll go to the Central Academy of Drama first, and then to the Beijing Film Academy tomorrow. The problem isn't too big at the Central Academy of Drama, but it's different at the Beijing Film Academy. I don't have many connections there, so it's hard to say whether I'll succeed!"

While John was telling the truth, Wang Jinhua and Feng Xiaogang didn't see it that way. Their boss, as a Hollywood mogul, couldn't possibly lack influence, and the influence of Phoenix Media, Legendary Entertainment, and Paramount Pictures was undeniable. Others might not know their boss's influence, but it would be ridiculous for those in the industry not to, not to mention that their boss wasn't just a media and entertainment tycoon; he held many other roles as well.

The next morning, John, along with Wang Jinhua and Feng Xiaogang, appeared at the Central Academy of Drama. Upon hearing John's purpose, the academy's leaders were naturally overjoyed, as it meant their students would have brighter futures. If it were just Wang Jinhua and Feng Xiaogang appearing, it might not have had much impact, but John's presence was entirely different; it represented the power of three major media and entertainment groups!
Actors are Wang Jinhua's biggest goal. If Phoenix Group wants to expand its business, it needs more production projects, which in turn requires actors. Therefore, actors are a very important issue. It's not in Phoenix Group's interest to train talent for others. Moreover, as a multinational giant, Phoenix Group has an even greater need for talent.

"So, how many people do you think are worth signing?" After reviewing the information on the acting students at the Central Academy of Drama, John asked Wang Jinhua. After reaching an agreement with the Central Academy of Drama, the three of them had begun to learn about the acting department.

"I've looked into it. While we need talent, the Central Academy of Drama is indeed quite good. However, we need to learn more about it. There are some promising talents right now, but whether they can develop into what they are today remains to be seen."

"It's alright, we have enough resources. It's not that minor fame depends on promotion and major fame depends on fate. As long as we have enough resources, making them famous isn't a problem; we just need to make the right choices. Although we aim for all-round development, we also need to prioritize, especially with actors. We can't monopolize everything; we need to cultivate them in a targeted manner." "Actresses, compared to actors, have a wider market prospect, and this is also the legacy of Phoenix Group!" Wang Jinhua had already thought about this issue. After all, that's how Phoenix Group operates—in Japan, Hong Kong, and even South Korea. The reason is simple: there are huge profits behind it.

Phoenix Group has been collaborating with John's clothing company and promoting the company's image. Every actor signed by the company has a variety of outfits to choose from, with the goal of publicity.

"Alright, you can decide for me. After all, Phoenix Group's past experience may not be suitable for this situation. As for Xiao Hong, that's not a problem, but whether she becomes a big star depends on her own fate. We can't control all of this. Forcing her to become a star would only be a waste of resources and would be counterproductive!"

“The three from the Class of '94 can be confirmed immediately: Tao Hong, Jiang Xinyan, and Gong Beixin. The Class of '96 has quite a few promising students, but they are new to the school and it will be difficult for them to achieve anything in a short time. We urgently need talent right now!”

"That's not a problem. We're not looking for short-term development; we value long-term growth. Since we have such promising talents, let's sign them. We don't lack resources, so there's no need to be stingy. Signing only two people would be inappropriate, especially since we're the ones who came to us seeking cooperation. We should give the Central Academy of Drama some face. We need as many talented people as we can. Don't just look at the resources here; we have resources throughout Asia and even more resources in Hollywood."

John was right. They had come to them of their own accord. Even though he had a good working relationship and connections with the Central Academy of Drama, he still had to consider things carefully. He couldn't let the Central Academy of Drama feel that Phoenix Group was disrespectful. As for talent, it goes without saying. Phoenix Group now had resources all over Asia, not to mention the powerful resources of Legendary Entertainment and Paramount Pictures. So, John wasn't so cautious about talent.

They quickly made their choice and invited the representatives for a meeting. After all, even if Phoenix Group was willing to sign a contract, the other party might not be willing to accept it; it was a two-way street. None of the three students from the Class of '94 refused; they all chose to accept. Their teachers had already explained Phoenix Group's strength and reputation, and refusing would be foolish.

Then came the eight beauties from the class of '96. John wasn't bothered by it, after all, the eight beauties from the Central Academy of Drama were quite famous. However, not everyone accepted them this time. John also ran into someone he knew, their teacher Chang Li, someone John was quite familiar with!
"Looks like there really is a problem. I knew it would turn out like this!" John shook his head, a faint smile appearing in his eyes. Things were just as he had thought. Chang Li didn't want her students to get involved in this industry too early, or more accurately, she didn't want them to take on bad roles.

"I'm really a bit disappointed. They all refused. At least they won't sign with us for the first year. Teacher Chang, your personal charm is too strong!" Wang Jinhua shook her head with a bit of distress, a faint doubt showing in her eyes. Even if it was for the good of her students, there was no need to turn away a media and entertainment giant like Phoenix Group. It was a bit unreasonable.

Wang Jinhua looked at Chang Li with a bitter expression. This teacher from the 1996 acting department could understand if these people didn't know the strength of Phoenix Group, but they all knew, and were very clear about how powerful the forces behind Phoenix Group were, yet they refused. This was something Wang Jinhua had never expected.

Of course, Chang Li smiled at this result. In her opinion, asking them to accept the Phoenix Group's invitation at this time would make them confused. They hadn't even finished a semester before entering this circle, which would be very detrimental to their future development. These students had also been tempted by this.

"It's not that I'm so charming, but rather that they have to face the fact that not signing with you now is their own choice. Besides, they haven't already expressed their intention to sign with you; it's just a matter of a year. You should be able to wait that long!"

“We can certainly wait, but things will be different a year from now. Phoenix Group needs to develop rapidly right now, and its demand for talent is the greatest. At this time, we have enough resources to give them. A year from now, I'm afraid they will have more competitors. After all, we are not only choosing from the Central Academy of Drama, but also from the Beijing Film Academy. I believe they will not refuse to cooperate with us!” Wang Jinhua directly stated Phoenix Group’s actions, putting some pressure on everyone in the hope of changing the outcome.

"There's nothing we can do about it. If they can't even build a solid foundation, even if they seize the opportunity now, their future development will be hindered. And I believe you wouldn't be so short-sighted as to ignore their potential!"

Upon hearing this, John had to step in and say, "Of course, we're not short-sighted. But next year will be different. We came to the Central Academy of Drama first because of our relationship, so we'll naturally put a lot of effort into nurturing them. You know the saying in the industry: 'Small fame depends on promotion, big fame depends on fate.' By signing with us, they'll get more resources and will at least be ahead of others, achieving fame earlier. Even if they sign, it won't affect their studies. At most, they'll participate in some company projects during holidays to gain some experience! Actually, you're overthinking it. We wouldn't do anything foolish like killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. Our vision isn't that short-sighted!"

Those familiar with John naturally knew how good his Chinese was, but it was a different story for the eight beauties. They hadn't expected that John, a foreigner, could speak fluent Chinese, and their faces showed shock and disbelief! In contrast, Teacher Chang Li remained calm. After all, she had met John more than once and had many exchanges with him, so she naturally knew how impressive John's Chinese was.

"Alright, I accept your opinion. I won't interfere with their choice. But if they really sign a contract, you have to guarantee it won't affect their studies, or I'll go and demand an explanation from the old lady!"

"Don't worry, I can do what I asked!" John couldn't help but smile wryly when he saw Teacher Chang Li bring the old lady out. It would be bad if the old lady were disturbed, and John's reputation would be affected if such a thing happened. This was no small matter!
(End of this chapter)