Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 170, Section 168: "The Love Line Between Beijing and Hong Kong"

January 28, 1998, Wednesday, the first day of the Lunar New Year.

The festive atmosphere of the New Year in Beijing was made particularly clear by the winter sun. At night, the red paper scraps left by firecrackers covered the alleys and lanes, and the air was still faintly filled with the smell of gunpowder and the aroma of food wafting from each household.

Early in the morning, Wang Sheng was woken up from his bed by his mother, Zhang Xiulan.

Although he is now a young CEO with considerable wealth and a vast business empire, in his parents' eyes, he is still the child who needs to follow the etiquette of holidays and festivals.

Wearing the new clothes his mother had prepared—a fine navy blue cashmere sweater with a black down jacket over it—Wang Sheng, along with his parents Wang Baoguo and Zhang Xiulan, carrying the New Year's gifts they had prepared, went to visit his grandparents.

The smell of old furniture and tea still lingers in my grandparents' house.

Upon seeing their only grandson, the two elderly people beamed with joy. They held Wang Sheng's hand and asked him all sorts of questions, from company business to his health, their chatter filled with concern.

Wang Sheng listened patiently and talked with him for quite a while.

Before leaving, he gave his grandparents a thick red envelope containing two thousand yuan.

"Oh my, so much! Keep it for yourself, you need money for many things in your business!" Grandma quickly declined.

"Grandma, please accept this. I can earn money now, so it's only right that I take care of you and Grandpa. Buy some good food and some new clothes." Without saying a word, Wang Sheng stuffed the red envelope into his grandmother's hand: "I dare not give you too much, in case you are reluctant to spend it. Save it."

Grandpa chuckled and patted Wang Sheng on the shoulder: "Kid, you've got guts, good for you! But don't overwork yourself."

We had a sumptuous and traditional family reunion dinner at my grandparents' house at noon, and the atmosphere was naturally very pleasant.

In the afternoon, Wang Sheng followed his parents to his maternal grandparents' house.

The process is almost identical: concern, nagging, a lavish meal, and a red envelope of the same thickness.

The maternal grandparents also initially declined, but after Wang Sheng's insistence and their parents' support, they reluctantly accepted the gift, though their eyes were full of satisfaction.

After a long day of work, feeling the most genuine care and expectations from his family, Wang Sheng felt a sense of peace.

This is completely different from his usual strategic brilliance in the business world and his commanding presence on the film set; it's a different kind of genuine warmth.

In the evening, Wang Sheng told his parents that he wouldn't be coming home that night.

Wang Sheng drove to Li Xiaoran's residence.

Li Xiaoran opened the door. She had just taken a shower, her hair was still damp, and she was wearing a soft coral fleece loungewear set. Her face was bare of makeup, yet she looked fresh and beautiful.

Upon seeing Wang Sheng, a smile immediately bloomed on her face, and she stepped aside to let him in.

"Somersault Cloud, look who's here!" Li Xiaoran called out into the house.

Somersault Cloud lay lazily on the cat tree; even on Chinese New Year, it didn't want to move.

"You heartless bastard."

Wang Sheng took off his shoes, handed his coat to Li Xiaoran, walked towards Somersault Cloud, picked it up, sat on the sofa, and angrily rubbed its head.

Li Xiaoran poured him a cup of hot water, sat down next to him, and naturally rested her head on his shoulder: "You must be tired after running around all day?"

"It's alright, it's just that my ears are getting calluses from all the nagging." Wang Sheng teased the cat in his arms.

The two played with the cat for a while and chatted.

Wang Sheng's hands wandered restlessly over Li Xiaoran's body.

Men and women sitting side by side will always trigger passive skills.

For example, a woman might like to pinch a man's nipples, and vice versa.

Li Xiaoran playfully slapped him, but didn't actually refuse; her cheeks flushed slightly, and her eyes sparkled with a hint of allure. After teasing him for a while, Li Xiaoran glanced at the wall clock.

"It's almost 7:30, 'Love in Beijing and Hong Kong' is about to start!" She picked up the remote and turned on the TV.

The logo of Hunan Satellite TV appeared on the screen.

This fashionable urban romance drama, facilitated by Wang Sheng, directed by Cai Yinong and Li Guoli, and produced by Enlight Media, ultimately sold its exclusive first broadcast rights to the rapidly growing Hunan Satellite TV for a sky-high price of 20 yuan per episode.

The series has 20 episodes and a total price of 4 million yuan. Although it did not fully cover the production cost of about 8 million yuan, the product placement in the show has already recouped more than 2 million yuan.

The subsequent second and third rounds of broadcasting rights and the distribution of audio-visual products will almost certainly recoup costs and generate profits, which also proves Wang Sheng's accurate vision in content production and business operations.

The opening theme song started playing on the TV, and the stylish visuals and attractive male and female leads quickly caught the eye.

Wang Sheng held Li Xiaoran in his arms, watching TV while absentmindedly fiddling with the hem of her clothes.

At first, Li Xiaoran was focused on the plot, but as Wang Sheng made his movements, her body gradually went weak. She twisted slightly, but instead of pushing him away, she leaned closer to him and let him do as he pleased.

Wang Sheng's thoughts drifted away.

He recalled that at exactly 7:00 PM, almost all television stations across the country simultaneously broadcast the news from CCTV-1.

He also thought of the recent CCTV advertising bidding, in which Aido VCD won the bid at a price significantly lower than the previous two winners – Qinchi Winery.

In my memory, neither of the two champion bidders fared well afterward. Qinchi's collusion scandal broke out, leading to its rapid downfall, while Aido VCD also faced difficulties in future fierce competition and internal management, ultimately ending in a dismal failure.

Wang Sheng couldn't help but sigh when he thought about how Hu Zhibiao, the owner of Aido VCD, had a good cooperation with his "Movie World" audio-visual chain last year, giving away a lot of discounts, which made selling Aido VCD players a major source of income for the chain stores.

The business world can change in an instant.

"It's starting! It's starting!" Li Xiaoran, who was leaning against Wang Sheng, suddenly spoke up, interrupting his thoughts.

Wang Sheng composed himself and looked at the television screen. At 7:35 PM, the first episode of "Love Line Between Beijing and Hong Kong" officially began.

The tight plot, stylish outfits, the blend of Beijing and Hong Kong's cultures, and the subtle chemistry between the male and female leads quickly drew Wang Sheng into the story.

He could sense that the drama met the current young people's imagination and aesthetic needs regarding urban relationships, and the ratings should not be bad.

The two episodes aired back-to-back, and it was almost 10 p.m. when they finished.

As the end credits rolled, Li Xiaoran was still somewhat reluctant to leave.

"That's it? It's actually quite good," she commented.

Immediately afterwards, the competition to narrow down the top 60 to the top 30 in the "Super Girl" competition began.

The competition format is a brutal two-on-one battle, and only about 15 pairs of contestants can be shown in one episode, which means that the qualifying rounds will be broadcast in two episodes.

When the camera focused on Zhang Bozhi from the Central and Southern regions, Li Xiaoran's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

On television, Cecilia Cheung's mixed-race beauty was even more prominent thanks to careful packaging and the program's key promotion. When she sang, she had a unique temperament that was both pitiful and hardworking, and she had an excellent sense of camera presence.

Upon seeing Cecilia Cheung, Li Xiaoran was reminded of Wang Sheng's "heroic rescue" of her in Hong Kong and subsequent signing of her contract, and a sense of bitterness and crisis inexplicably welled up in her heart.

This woman is so beautiful, and her fame is rising so fast...

She suddenly turned around, straddled Wang Sheng's lap, wrapped her arms around his neck, and blocked his view of the TV.

"I'm not watching anymore." Li Xiaoran pouted, her tone carrying a hint of spoiled arrogance and unquestionable authority: "Let's... go to 'sleep'."

(End of this chapter)