Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 166, Section 164: Who's the Lazy Winner? (Revised)

On the afternoon of January 5, 1998, the chill in the courtyard of the Beijing Radio, Film and Television Department did not dissipate much after the indoor meeting ended.

The leaden sky hung low, foreshadowing the possible arrival of another winter snow.

As the coordination meeting adjourned, the participants gradually left the conference room and gathered in twos and threes under the eaves, either chatting quietly or waiting for their respective vehicles.

Wang Sheng, Han Sanping, Zhu Yongde, and Wu Mengchen, the four main figures who had just clashed openly or covertly at the meeting, inevitably met again in this narrow space.

The air seemed to freeze for a moment before Zhu Yongde broke the silence.

His face wore a smile that had been cultivated over the years, a smile that blended shrewdness and politeness. His gaze lingered on Han Sanping's face for a moment before slowly turning to Wang Sheng, his tone carrying a hint of insincere admiration:

"Director Han, it's true that times create heroes, and heroes are also made in the right time."

He drew out his words, as if savoring each one: "It's truly enviable that the old Beijing Film Studio has been able to regain its former glory and experience a second spring. Especially with the emergence of a young talent like Director Wang, who has a unique vision and remarkable skills. One film has stirred up half the industry, which has both broadened our horizons and made us old guys feel immense pressure."

These words, while seemingly praising Beijing Film Studio and Wang Sheng, actually contained a hidden barb, implying that Director Han Sanping relied more on Wang Sheng's "sudden emergence" and "methods," while his own abilities were overshadowed.

Attributing the revival of the Beijing Film Studio to "the times" and a certain "person" makes the implication self-evident.

Han Sanping was a man of great stature; how could he not understand the implied meaning?

His face remained as calm and composed as a mountain. He chuckled, raised his hand, and patted Zhu Yongde's arm. The gesture seemed intimate, but his response was anything but submissive: "Mr. Zhu, you're too modest. When it comes to ability and courage, who can compare to you? Shanghai is a deep and complex place, with deeply entrenched forces on the ground. You and Mr. Wu were able to unite these resources into one force, creating the impregnable 'Shanghai Film and Television Group' we have today. That's true vision and courage!"

He glanced at Wu Mengchen's slightly reserved face and continued, "Our little stunt is just a desperate measure to find a way to make a living for the ten thousand or so people in the factory."

Unlike you, Mr. Zhu and Mr. Wu, who, with the advantages of being located in the Pearl River Delta, have integrated resources and built barriers—no, I mean, constructed a system—that's true composure and a focus on the big picture.

Han Sanping cleverly repackaged the label of "local protectionism" with positive terms such as "building a system" and "focusing on the big picture," and then quickly slapped it back on, pointing out that the essence of Zhu Yongde's integration of Shanghai's resources was also a form of "drawing a line in the sand," and even more exclusive because of its larger scale and closer integration.

Zhu Yongde's eye twitched almost imperceptibly. Just as he was about to speak again, Wang Sheng, who had been quietly observing from the side, interrupted at the opportune moment.

He wore a slightly shy smile typical of young people, and spoke sincerely, seemingly oblivious to the subtle tension in their conversation.
"President Zhu, President Wu, Director Han, you are both too modest. Whether it's the exploration of Beijing Film Studio or the integration of Shanghai Film Group, in the end, it's all about hoping that China's film market can be more active and have a wider path."

The market is like a great river; it cannot be nourished by just one or two tributaries. What is needed is for all rivers to flow into the sea, each with its own purpose, so that they can eventually converge into a mighty force.

The success of "30 Days" is inseparable from the trust and support of Director Han and the concerted efforts of the alliance members, as well as the potential opportunities brought by a large market like Shanghai in the future.

Our Shengying Media has simply caught a lucky break and made a small attempt. There is still much to learn, especially from the mature and standardized market system under your leadership, Mr. Zhu.

Just then, Han Sanping's car and the car that was picking up Zhu Yongde and Wu Mengchen arrived at the bottom of the steps almost simultaneously.

Wu Mengchen gave Wang Sheng a deep look, his gaze more scrutinizing than admiring. He finally nodded to Han and Wang, forcing a formulaic smile: "Director Han, President Wang, now that the department has established its principles, I hope the subsequent cooperation will go smoothly. I'll take my leave first."

After speaking, he turned and strode quickly toward his car, his posture upright, exuding a unique Shanghai-style reserve and efficiency.

Zhu Yongde patted Wang Sheng on the shoulder: "Let's work together sometime."

"must."

Han Sanping and Wang Sheng watched them get into the car before walking to their own black sedan.

The car's heater was on full blast, making it feel like a completely different world from the cold outside.

The vehicle slowly drove out of the ministry compound and merged into the sparse traffic of Beijing in winter. Han Sanping leaned back in the comfortable rear seat, closed his eyes to rest for a moment, and suddenly said, "This old Zhu, he's not having an easy time either."

Upon hearing this, Wang Sheng looked at him.

Han Sanping kept his eyes closed, as if talking to himself, or perhaps to Wang Sheng: "The situation in Shanghai is more complicated than here. Shanghai Film Studio is a long-established powerhouse with a solid foundation and arrogant people; Yongle, which was transformed from the original film distribution and screening company, and the TV station, are all formidable opponents."

Old Zhu was able to unite these various forces into a conglomerate and secure his position at the top. Behind the scenes, he must have put in a tremendous amount of effort and balanced countless interests. His consolidation and corporatization were, to some extent, forced upon him. Without consolidation, internal chaos would ensue, let alone dealing with external competition.

He appeared to be upholding the old system at the meeting today, but in reality, he knows better than anyone that a revenue-sharing system is the inevitable trend. He simply wants to use this opportunity to set the revenue-sharing ratio and settlement cycle in a way that is more favorable to him, and incidentally force the more conservative provincial companies below him to transform along with him, making it easier for him to manage them in the future. He is using our strength to accomplish his own goals.

Wang Sheng nodded silently.

Zhu Yongde is indeed a remarkable figure. His obstacles do not stem from conservative ideas, but rather from the need for power struggles and internal integration.

"Let's not talk about him anymore." Han Sanping waved his hand, opened his eyes, his gaze regaining its usual sharpness, and turned to Wang Sheng: "Our own affairs are more important. The meeting said that we need to produce a stable output of theatrical films. How are the plans for those projects you mentioned before going? We can't do something like '30 Days' and launch a surprise attack. We need to have a plan."

Wang Sheng sat up straighter, clearly having already planned ahead: "Director Han, we have already made preliminary plans for four projects to ensure uninterrupted production this year."

"Oh? Tell me more." Han Sanping became interested.

"The first one is 'Postmen in the Mountains' directed by Huo Jianqi," Wang Sheng introduced. "It is adapted from the short story of the same name by writer Peng Jianming. The script was written by Huo's wife, Su Xiaowei. It tells the story of a rural postman who is about to retire and takes his son, who is taking over his post, on his last mail route, and the emotional bond between father and son."

The style will be warm and realistic, with a touch of prose poetry. Filming is expected to begin in late March or early April, once the weather in Southwest China warms up, with location scouting and casting underway in the Xiangxi region. These two months will primarily be for pre-production, location scouting, and casting.

Han Sanping pondered for a moment and said, "Old Huo is suited to this kind of style, the story sounds good, and the cost should be controllable. We can do it."

"Secondly, there's Wu Yiyi's 'Crazy Lottery 2'," Wang Sheng continued. "Taking advantage of the fame and audience base that 'Crazy Lottery' gained in the TV movie field last year, we're upgrading this IP to a theatrical version. The script framework still revolves around the chain reaction triggered by the lottery, but the characters and story will be completely redesigned, continuing the style of dark humor and multi-line narrative. Director Wu is quick, and the team is readily available. If we hurry, we can start filming at the end of this month and strive for a March release to quickly recoup funds and maintain market buzz."

"Yes, strike while the iron is hot. This arrangement is good." Han Sanping nodded in approval.

"The third project will be handed over to director Zhang Yang. He has a great feel for urban themes. This time we're making a youth film, tentatively titled 'Beijing Bicycle'."

Wang Sheng: "The story revolves around several high school students and a precious mountain bike, involving youth, dreams, friendship, and budding love, reflecting the lives and psychological state of urban teenagers in the late 1990s. Filming is expected to begin in March."

Han Sanping didn't understand the content, but nodded and said, "It can be considered as fulfilling the promise I made to that kid."

"The fourth project is directed by Huo Zhuang. I plan to have him direct the film version of 'The Four Great Constables'."

Wang Sheng explained, "Last year, I had the company acquire the adaptation rights to several martial arts novels through cooperation channels."

He omitted the details of how he acquired the information and went straight to the result: "Among them, we plan to first launch the TV series version of 'The Four Great Constables'."

"The Four Great Constables? The one by Wen Ruian?" Han Sanping confirmed.

"Yes. Ruthless, Iron Hand, Chasing Life, Cold Blood—the characters are vivid, the stories are highly episodic yet interconnected, making them very suitable for adaptation into a series."

Wang Sheng explained, "For the TV series, I'm considering Li Guoli as the director. He has extensive experience in TV drama production in Hong Kong, and his understanding of the martial arts genre and his control over pacing are excellent, which would complement our mainland team perfectly. Scriptwriting and pre-production will begin immediately after the Spring Festival, and we aim to start filming by the middle of the year."

Han Sanping nodded slightly: "You decide what to do."

As he spoke, Han Sanping looked out the window and muttered to himself: What's wrong with winning with half the effort?

(End of this chapter)