Those Years When I Was Forced to Top the Forbes List

Chapter 356 PE Layout
"Curse of the Golden Flower" was released a month ago.

It cost 360 million yuan, involved 20,000 extras, and featured important actors such as Chow Yun-fat, Gong Li, Jay Chou, and Liu Ye, as well as 4 million chrysanthemums.

Zhang Yimou spent this money very wisely.

This movie, filmed in the living room of a nouveau riche, is largely forgotten for its ethical plot, but almost everyone remembers its decor, the men's glittering gold, and the women's pristine white.

Whether this film is big or small, at least the male viewers who have seen it generally approve of it.

Very big.

The box office performance was also quite good, and it was the top-selling film in mainland China in 06. It is expected to break even in domestic theaters.

Chen Xuebing recently planned to invite a big-name celebrity family from the film. He originally intended to joke about why the son wasn't there, but then he remembered that Gong Li's husband was also on the list of those accompanying him, so he decided against it.

Her husband used to be the president of British American Tobacco in Hong Kong. He was rich and powerful. A few years ago, he resigned due to the financial crisis and smuggling incidents. He then became the president of the Asian region of a financial foundation. His income is probably not as high as before. When Gong Li announced her comeback, the former president became her personal assistant. He often follows his wife around. Now he is waiting outside the airport with his assistant team through the regular disembarkation channel.

Chen Xuebing had heard many such stories and could only lament that the lifespan of a tycoon's wealth was even shorter than the blooming period of a female celebrity.

The two big shots were quite reserved when they first met Chen Xuebing. They were both somewhat shocked by Chen Xuebing's youth. Since there were no assistants around to remind them, they seemed to have forgotten their lines, or perhaps they were not sure if Chen Xuebing was the wealthy businessman who had invited them. They were a little unsure of what to say to Chen Xuebing. After shaking hands with Chen Xuebing and exchanging pleasantries, they boarded the business bus together.

The atmosphere only warmed up after the car left the airport and the assistant team got into the car at the intersection outside.

After hearing something from an assistant, Gong Li took the initiative to greet him: "President Chen, it really is President Chen! I thought..."

"Did you think I was General Manager Chen's son?" Chen Xuebing joked.

Gong Li seemed a little embarrassed, but she was still quite direct: "Anyway, you don't look that old. May I ask how old you are?"

Chen Xuebing has never revealed his age to the outside world, and his school has also asked him to keep his status as a university student confidential. These things are not conducive to his entry into the country's strategic industries. Now that his net worth is increasing and his appearance is becoming more and more mature, no one has doubted his abilities because of his youth for a long time. Instead, his youth has become a sharp mark.

However, Chow Yun-fat and Gong Li's teams only knew about Chen Xuebing based on some one-sided reports, and they were not even clear about what industry Chen Xuebing was in.

Chen Xuebing came with a relaxed attitude. These days, few things can interest him; movies are one of the few exceptions. These two are also actors he admires, so he didn't put on airs and joked around with a lighthearted smile.

"I watched you and Chow Yun-fat grow up, so how old do you think I am?"

Gong Li's smile vanished instantly, and she looked away: "You're so glib."

Chow Yun-fat, always one to joke, flicked his finger at Chen Xuebing, his smile slightly exaggerated: "Have you ever seen my 'Shanghai Bund'? The 1980 version!"

"I love you, I hate you, do you know?" Chen Xuebing sang a line and then laughed, "Brother Qiang, how about a duet at the karaoke bar tonight?"

Chow Yun-fat burst into laughter: "Hahaha, you sang well! But people say my voice sounds like a ghost! It's not as good as yours!"

Upon hearing "KTV," Gong Li glanced at her team. A female assistant immediately stood up and walked to Chen Xuebing's side, saying:
"Mr. Chen, are we going to karaoke again tonight? Sister Li isn't feeling well and can't drink much, what do you think?"

Chen Xuebing then regained his composure, pondered for a moment, and said, "No need to drink alcohol, I'll have someone secretly replace it with water. Tonight, everyone here is my business partner. We're just having dinner to have a good time. You're all actors, so just treat it as a performance and give me some face."

"Hmm," the female assistant hesitated for a moment, then said, "The original plan was to have dinner, but karaoke tonight doesn't quite suit Sister Li's status. Could we not go?"

Chen Xuebing frowned but didn't say anything.

Ren Ying quickly came over and pulled her female assistant to the front of the bus to negotiate terms. Gong Li's agent also joined in.

Discussing price increases on the spot was rather awkward, and Chen Xuebing was somewhat displeased. He turned to Gong Li and said, "Is it inconvenient?"

Gong Li hesitated for a moment and said, "It's not that I'm inconvenienced, it's all about my agency. Mr. Chen, please don't mind. They have to take care of my image. You know, I have to accompany people to KTVs and drink with them. It wouldn't be good if someone took pictures of that."

“It’s alright, Mr. Chen, I like you as a friend. I’ll go with you tonight!” Chow Yun-fat patted Chen Xuebing’s arm, smoothing things over.

Gong Li rolled her eyes at him: "Does that make me seem petty? Your Mandarin is so bad, what can you say when you get there? Alright, I'll talk to them later! Mr. Chen, if it doesn't work out, don't blame me."

Gong Li was actually saving Chow Yun-fat's day. Chow Yun-fat is a big star with a high status, and it would have a negative impact if he were photographed attending a business drinking session at a KTV.

Chen Xuebing's expression softened slightly.

"Dinner is usually held in a fixed location, which makes it difficult to discuss certain matters. So we decided to arrange karaoke at the last minute to facilitate individual communication with some business partners. Both dinner and karaoke will be held at the Jinjiang Hotel, which offers a private environment and a piano. But it's not a big deal. If it's inconvenient for you, you can skip it."

After saying that, he laughed again:
"However, not many celebrities have the opportunity to have dinner and sing karaoke with me."

They both laughed, not taking it seriously.

The two had met many super-rich businessmen from outside mainland China, many of whom would rank high on the list if they were in mainland China.

It's unclear whether this person made the list yet.

After a while, Ren Ying returned, walked to Chen Xuebing's side, leaned down and whispered with some guilt, "They said it's difficult to arrange activities tonight."

Chen Xuebing raised his eyebrows: "It's nothing."

Ren Ying bit her lower lip, her expression becoming increasingly conflicted: "I'm sorry, Chairman, I didn't arrange this matter well."

"It's okay, sit down."

Chen Xuebing knew she was very responsible at work, and seeing that she looked uncomfortable, he smiled and comforted her, making room for her to sit down.

Ren Ying sat down, her brows furrowed, clearly unhappy.

"What kind of company is this? They're so difficult to talk to."

She raised her voice a little, intentionally so that the other people in the car could hear her; she was actually venting her anger.

The two celebrities in the back row looked somewhat embarrassed.

Chen Xuebing chuckled: "Film companies aren't easy to manage either. There are many issues that ordinary companies can't handle. You should learn about it. When you have time, I'll invest in a few film companies for you to manage, and then you'll understand the difficulties."

Mr. Chen's dissatisfaction did not need to be conveyed in a direct manner.

The moment those words, brimming with capitalist flavor, were uttered, the air on the bus seemed to freeze.

How many film companies are there?

What kind of boss is this? You want to buy the company? Are you serious?

Upon hearing this, Ren Ying's courage immediately grew: "Then, are you going to acquire this Jet Tone Film Company?"

The female assistant in the front row felt a chill run down her spine, sensing a hint of being laid off.

Ren Ying, however, was subtly giving Chen Xuebing a meaningful look.

Chen Xuebing laughed, realizing that Ren Ying was just trying to scare the female assistant and agent.

However, Gong Li signed with Jet Tone Films, which is owned by Wong Kar-wai, and the signing was for Wong Kar-wai's resources.

"This company isn't listed either. Even if we want to acquire it, it depends on whether Director Wang is willing to sell. Let's wait and see, and try to find a listed company." Ren Ying was being insincere, but he wasn't lying, because he remembered a film company that had caused quite a stir in the capital market, but it wasn't listed yet.

Weibo and iQiyi both need some support in this area, so it's worth investing in.

Now, everyone's expression changed. Gong Li leaned back a little and whispered to Chow Yun-fat, asking him something. Chow Yun-fat looked at Chen Xuebing's back and shook his head repeatedly, indicating that he didn't know.

While the two team members were secretly glancing at Chen Xuebing, he suddenly remembered something and asked, "Sister Li, I heard that you wore more than 300 meters of Shu embroidery in your costume for 'Curse of the Golden Flower'?"

"Yes." Gong Li's attitude became much more serious, and she leaned forward slightly.

“I’ve always been interested in traditional culture,” Chen Xuebing said with a smile. “I’m planning to invest in a high-end handmade clothing factory that makes traditional ethnic costumes. We could also make some hand-embroidered period costumes. Could these kinds of costumes be used in movies?”

Chow Yun-fat's eyes lit up upon hearing this: "It's useful! Mr. Chan makes this too?"

"Diversified development".

Chen Xuebing said casually, then pondered for a moment, and suddenly said to Ren Ying, "Why don't you contact Jet Tone Films and ask Wong Kar-wai if he wants to list on the mainland and if he's willing to accept a merger? If he's interested, we can work on it. Let him name a price, and we'll take a stake."

Ren Ying was stunned for a moment.

Are you serious?

After getting off the bus at the Jinjiang Hotel, Ren Ying made arrangements for the two celebrities and their teams to check in, and then hurriedly went out to find Chen Xuebing.

Chen Xuebing also came in with his laptop, and asked her to book another room.

After checking in, Ren Ying followed Chen Xuebing into the room.

"Are you really going to vote?"

"Hmm, what's wrong? Wasn't I just trying to get revenge for you? Fire that team."

Chen Xuebing turned on his computer with a slightly mocking tone and unhurried manner.

Under normal circumstances, Ren Ying would definitely have noticed Chen Xuebing's teasing, but this time she was really anxious.

"I was just kidding! Besides, Gong Li's team isn't entirely arranged by the company; she has a dedicated overseas operations team!"

Chen Xuebing then smiled and waved his hand, "It won't cost much! Have you heard of Wong Kar-wai?"

"I've heard of him, the famous director!"

"Anything else? Have you seen any of his movies?"

"I haven't seen it. I think I have, but it wasn't good."

"That's right. Wong Kar-wai doesn't make money from his films, and they're not made for the general public. Most of his films lose money. But his brilliance lies in winning awards, international awards at that. He wins awards for every film he makes, so all the stars flock to his invitations. He wins awards for his art films and then makes money through contracts with the artists who become famous. I'm looking to collaborate with him because I'm interested in the signing resources his company has, and also because of him. You can contact him without worry. He's a big director with tons of resources, so he's not that easy to get involved with. If you want to collaborate with him, you have to show how great you are."

"Then we don't need to make money in the entertainment industry! What's that little bit of money to you?"

Ren Ying had become somewhat arrogant and looked down on the entertainment industry that everyone yearned for.

She had contacted CCTV advertising, and this time when she contacted the celebrity agency, she also saw the prices of many celebrities. Except for a few veteran stars, the others were very cheap. With the profits of Gu An, it wouldn't be a problem to call up the entire entertainment industry in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan to endorse her. Once you see through some things, you can demystify them.

“I’ve already said, this company isn’t important; we make money from the listed company.”

Chen Xuebing waited for the computer to boot up, searched for a name, browsed through the relevant information, and then beckoned her over.

Ren Ying walked closer and saw: "Huayi Brothers?"

“Yes.” Chen Xuebing browsed for a while longer, found a public financial report, looked at it, and smiled knowingly, as many memories matched up one by one.

"See? They've completed their shareholding reform and have been introducing shareholders for the past two years. Their goal is definitely to go public. Here, their 2006 profit was 2356 million, total assets were 2.16 million, and total share capital was 1.24 million. You contact them. I want to increase my investment by 35% and become their strategic shareholder. The goal is to help them go public and become the first listed film and television company in mainland China. The investment price cannot exceed 100 million."

Ren Ying suddenly realized that there didn't seem to be any film and television companies listed on the A-share market yet.

But she had already spotted some reports.

"But back in 05, Wang Jinghua, a key agent at this company, left with dozens of artists! Chen Daoming and Hu Jun both left! And now..."

Chen Xuebing has returned to the interface he was just browsing.

Ren Ying continued reading: "Li Bingbing, Fan Bingbing, Su Youpeng, Ruby Lin, Zhou Xun, He Zhuoyan, Zhao Liying... I've never heard of anyone except the first five. Wow, Ren Quan? Ren Quan is in there too! This company is pretty good!"

His tone suddenly changed.

When Chen Xuebing saw her infatuated face, he realized he had discovered her taste.

I was speechless for a moment.

Where did your arrogance go?

Noticing Chen Xuebing's gaze, Ren Ying blushed slightly: "He also has the surname Ren! We're from the same clan!"

Chen Xuebing chuckled.

"This company also has Feng Xiaogang, so it's not lacking in appeal. Several stars signed this year, but relying on Feng Xiaogang as a director isn't enough. I asked you to contact Wong Kar-wai to see if he'd be willing to merge with us and create the number one film and television stock. Tell him that when we make a move, we not only want to be number one in mainland China, but also number one in China. Ask him if he wants to be a shareholder of this listed company."

Having said that, he said leisurely, "I'm leaving this matter to you. We won't go through the Long March. You know the proper order of things, right?"

Ren Ying instantly understood: "First, contact Huayi Brothers to invest, then contact Wong Kar-wai, and then broker a deal between the two companies. But if we don't go through Changzheng, will the shares be registered in your name or held by Gu'an Holdings?"

"It's all the same. Put it in my name."

The holding group is 100% owned by him, which is no different from putting it under his personal name. However, Huayi Brothers is not big enough, so it is unnecessary to put it into the holding group's strategic system.

Moreover, this company has had many disputes in the later stages, and its artists have a lot of brainless fans, which could easily damage the reputation of Gu An.

There's no need to send it to Shunwei Capital. Shunwei's management will also receive dividends. Huayi Brothers is already a mature film and television company and doesn't need operational guidance.

Although Huayi Brothers' future market value is good, it is just a tool to help their internet strategy attract traffic and make money. They can use some means to help them expand and increase their market value. Once they are done, they can find a suitable opportunity to exit. There is no need to linger. It is just right to hand it over to Ren Ying.

“Hmm,” Ren Ying hesitated for a moment, then said, “The head office does have money now, but it needs to buy land in Sichuan, a headquarters building in Shanghai, invest in Qidian Technology, and buy shares in Panzhihua Iron & Steel. Funds are actually quite tight. The investment in these two companies will be at least 200 million, right? Anyway, the investment from BOE will be coming out soon, so why not use the TMT fund?”

Chen Xuebing smiled and lit a cigarette.

"Private equity investment is an important investment direction for us in the next step. After the TMT fund completes this dividend distribution, I will apply to the China Securities Regulatory Commission to convert it into a perpetual fund. We will also introduce some trust funds for subsequent capital increases, and the fund size will be very large."

"I intend to build this fund into a flagship private equity fund for the Long March project. We need to quickly complete several successful IPO projects and become a benchmark for high returns. Huayi is just a mid-term project. Unless it reaches the pre-IPO stage, it is not worth the TMT fund's investment."

(End of this chapter)