Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 216, Section 214: I've invested in this project.

Fan Xiaopang left the office with a satisfied and light step.

No wonder he's from the same hometown as Song Jiang.

After Wang Sheng sighed silently, he picked up the TV and movie budget sheet again. Before he could even read two lines, his phone on the table vibrated again, displaying the words "Zhang Bozhi" on the screen.

Wang Sheng pressed the answer button, and immediately Zhang Bozhi's warm voice, which sounded obviously tired but was trying to keep up her spirits, came from the other end of the phone. In the background, one could also faintly hear car horns and the noise of a crowd.

"Brother Sheng! I just finished my last commercial performance in Shenzhen! I'll be in Beijing tonight!" Her Mandarin had a soft Cantonese accent at the end, and she spoke quickly, with an excited, boastful tone: "I didn't rest a single day during the Spring Festival. I took on more than a dozen commercial performances, from Guangzhou to Shenzhen, and every single one was sold out! Sister Cai and Sister Li said I'm super popular right now!"

Wang Sheng's calm tone carried a hint of barely perceptible concern: "I know. Money can never be earned enough, take care of yourself."

"Relax, relax, I'm young, I can handle it!" Cecilia Cheung chuckled on the other end of the phone, then lowered her voice, adding a touch of coquettishness: "Brother Sheng... I have a variety show performance at the Workers' Stadium in Beijing tomorrow afternoon, and I'll be there this afternoon. I miss you so much, how about we have dinner together tonight?"

"What time will you arrive? I'll have the driver pick you up; you can choose the location."

"Really? That's great!"

Cecilia Cheung's voice instantly brightened: "I'll arrive at Beijing Station around 4 PM! No need to trouble the driver, the company has arranged for someone to pick me up. I'll text you the place I booked! See you there!"

After hanging up the phone, Wang Sheng composed himself and refocused on his work.

The morning passed quickly as I reviewed documents and listened to Li Tingting's report on the progress of the new office area's improvements.

After lunch, Wang Sheng took a short nap.

Just after 2 p.m., the front desk called: "Mr. Wang, Mr. Zhao Benshan and Mr. He Qingkui are visiting. They said they made an appointment in advance."

"Please invite them to my office." Wang Sheng straightened his collar and sat up straight.

……

Soon, the office door was pushed open.

Zhao Benshan and He Qingkui walked in.

"Mr. Wang! Happy New Year! I wish you a belated Happy New Year!" Zhao Benshan's voice was loud and clear. He clasped his hands together and his face was full of sincere smiles.

He Qingkui smiled and nodded in acknowledgment, carrying a rather substantial and exquisite gift box in his hand.

"Teacher Zhao, Teacher He, welcome, welcome, please have a seat." Wang Sheng stood up to greet them, shook hands with them warmly, and led them to the sofa in the office reception area.

Li Tingting brought in three cups of hot tea at just the right moment.

She didn't actually need to do this small task, but Li Tingting knew that she wasn't particularly capable. She was able to get to the positions of assistant general manager and head of artist management department entirely thanks to Wang Sheng's support, so it was better for her to do some things herself.

"Mr. Wang, your new office is really impressive! It's much more spacious and brighter than the one at the Beijing Film Studio!" Zhao Benshan exclaimed sincerely as he looked around the spacious and bright office.

“After going independent, we need a proper storefront.” Wang Sheng smiled and turned his gaze to the gift box that He Qingkui had placed on the coffee table: “You two teachers are too kind. You’ve come all this way, why bring anything?”

"Oh, Mr. Wang, you're being too polite!" Zhao Benshan quickly waved his hand and personally opened the gift box. Inside was a small, exquisitely crafted golden Buddha statue with a kind face. The Buddha sat cross-legged, one hand forming a mudra, and the other holding a gold ingot.

"Mr. Wang, this was specially blessed by a high-ranking monk at the Yonghe Temple by Lao He and me!" Zhao Benshan carefully took out the small golden Buddha and placed it on the coffee table in front of Wang Sheng, his expression serious: "For no other reason than to wish you, Mr. Wang, a prosperous new year, abundant wealth, and all things going smoothly, and to lead us all to make a fortune!"

He Qingkui added from the side, "Yes, Mr. Wang, it's just a small token of our appreciation. It has a good meaning, so please don't refuse."

Looking at the small golden Buddha that gleamed in the sunlight, Wang Sheng understood.

This gift is not only valuable, but more importantly, it carries sentiment and meaning.

Those in the industry are well-informed; who doesn't know that Shengying Media just "split up" with Beijing Film Studio?
Zhao Benshan and He Qingkui's actions were not only a New Year's greeting but also a gesture—they still recognized Wang Sheng as their "patron" and were optimistic about his development after he became independent.

In fact, although rumors of a "split" have been circulating, it's clear to everyone that Han Sanping hasn't lost power or stepped down. Instead, he's been promoted to the core of the newly formed China Film Group, serving as vice chairman and vice general manager, wielding even greater power. This newly established China Film Group integrates core state-owned film resources such as the former China Film Corporation and Beijing Film Studio, monopolizes the distribution rights of imported films, and controls the distribution channels and production resources of the vast majority of domestic films. It's no exaggeration to say that it is currently the dominant force in the Chinese film industry.

As one of Han Sanping's protégés, Wang Sheng's cooperative relationship with Beijing Film Studio (now Beijing Film Production Company) was not severed; it simply shifted from internal collaboration to commercial cooperation.

He took over the vast business network that he had jointly developed with Beijing Film Studio over the past three years, which directly or indirectly provided tens of thousands of jobs. Its financial strength, production capabilities and market channels have not diminished, but have become more flexible and have great potential due to independent operation.

Many people believe that Wang Sheng and his companies, Shengying Media and Enlight Media, remain a powerful force in the national film and television industry that cannot be ignored.

"Teacher Zhao, Teacher He, I appreciate your kind gesture."

Wang Sheng accepted the gift without any pretense of refusal, and gestured to Li Tingting to put the small golden Buddha away carefully: "I also wish both of you teachers a new year in which your careers will reach new heights and that you will create more excellent works."

After exchanging pleasantries, we got down to business.

He Qingkui took out a thick script from his briefcase and handed it to Wang Sheng with both hands: "Mr. Wang, this is the first draft of the script for 'Liu Laogen' that we mentioned to you before. Please take a look."

Wang Sheng took the script; the three large characters "Liu Laogen" on the cover were powerful and vigorous.

He calmed down and carefully flipped through the pages one by one.

The script tells the story of Liu Laogen, a farmer from Northeast China, who leads his fellow villagers to open Longquan Mountain Villa and develop rural tourism. In the process, he struggles against various internal conflicts and external obstacles, and ultimately achieves success.

The language is vivid and lively, full of the local flavor and wisdom of life in Northeast China. The characters are vivid, especially the protagonist Liu Laogen, who is stubborn, cunning, yet kind and righteous, perfectly embodying the image of a new era farmer entrepreneur.

Compared to the first part of "Liu Laogen" that Wang Sheng remembers, it is almost the same, with the core plot and character relationships basically the same. Only some details and individual scenes have been adjusted to better suit the era and censorship requirements.

It took more than an hour.

Wang Sheng closed the script, looked at Zhao Benshan and He Qingkui, who were sitting opposite him and seemed a little nervous, and said with a satisfied smile, "The script is very good. It's down-to-earth, realistic, and the characters are believable. The conflicts are also quite intense. We, Shengying Media, will invest in this project. We'll fully fund it."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Benshan and He Qingkui's faces instantly lit up with immense joy, and they were so excited that they almost jumped off the sofa.

"That's wonderful! Mr. Wang! Thank you so much!" Zhao Benshan grasped Wang Sheng's hand tightly.

He Qingkui also thanked them repeatedly. They had put a lot of effort into this script, and now that they had received Wang Sheng's recognition and strong support, how could they not be excited?
"However," Wang Sheng changed the subject, looking at Zhao Benshan and asking seriously, "Mr. Zhao, what are your thoughts on the selection of the director? Do you want to do it yourself, or will our company arrange a suitable director?"

This question surprised Zhao Benshan.

He didn't expect Wang Sheng to be so generous and trusting, not only investing the full amount but also being willing to listen to his opinions on such a crucial position as director, and even letting him take on the role himself.

In the original timeline, the director of the first season of "Liu Laogen" was Zhao Benshan himself. He co-directed with his collaborators, successfully blending his stage performance style with the television drama narrative.

Zhao Benshan lowered his head and pondered for a moment, clearly having weighed the options in his mind.

Finally, he raised his head, his eyes filled with determination and confidence: "Mr. Wang, if you trust me, Zhao Benshan, I'd like to give this directorial role a try! Although I've never properly directed a TV series before, I've spent so many years on stage, and I have some experience in how to make the audience laugh and how to tell a good story. Besides, no one understands the character Liu Laogen better than me!"

His tone was firm, carrying a spirit of never giving up.

Wang Sheng looked at Zhao Benshan and saw the fire in his eyes.

Having Zhao Benshan direct and star in the film would undoubtedly preserve the original script and his unique artistic style to the greatest extent possible, presenting both risks and opportunities.

“Great!” Wang Sheng slapped the armrest of the sofa almost without hesitation: “Since Teacher Zhao is confident, then you will be the director! The company will provide you with the most professional executive director, cinematographer, art director and other behind-the-scenes team to ensure the production quality. If you need any support, just tell President Cai or talk to me directly.”

Wang Sheng's straightforwardness and trust moved Zhao Benshan to tears. He stood up abruptly and grasped Wang Sheng's hand tightly again: "President Wang! I have nothing more to say! I, Zhao Benshan, will remember your kindness for the rest of my life! I will definitely make 'Liu Laogen' a great film for you and turn it into a classic!"

After seeing off the grateful and enthusiastic Zhao Benshan and He Qingkui, Wang Sheng returned to his desk. His phone lit up; it was a text message from Zhang Bozhi with the name and address of a restaurant.

"it is good."

(End of this chapter)