Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 279, Section 277: Stephen Chow's Medical Consultation
The last few days of 1999 passed quietly amidst the continued viewing frenzy of "Happy Family" and the media's summaries and heated discussions about "Wang Shengnian".

Wang Sheng's work focus has almost entirely shifted to the "Lurking" production team.

The "Jincheng Station" film set became the place where he spent the most time.

He spent time with veteran actors such as Wang Zhiwen, Jiang Wenli, and Li Youbin, meticulously refining each scene and every glance.

The texture of the era, the tension of espionage, and the complexity of human nature are all extracted and solidified onto the film through this almost demanding pursuit.

The atmosphere on set was serious yet efficient. Everyone was inspired by Wang Sheng's devotion to his work and his clear artistic pursuit, and they all devoted themselves wholeheartedly to the project.

Meanwhile, the headquarters of Shengying Media and Enlight Media in Jingxin Building, though without Wang Sheng in charge, presented a different kind of bustling scene during the year-end season.

The heads of each business line led their teams, busy with annual summaries, performance calculations, and planning for the coming year.

Customized wedding films, Golden Jubilee Collection, Image Memory Project, TV and Film Division, Long-running TV Series Department, Cinema-level Film Business... The massive "Shengying Group" machine operates efficiently and systematically within the framework and direction set by Wang Sheng.

The cash flow is extremely healthy, even robust.

This year, a total of 232 TV movie projects were produced, with each film selling for approximately 800 million yuan. These were divided between Shengying Media and Beijing Film Studio, leaving 400 million yuan remaining. After further division, Shengying Media received approximately 200 million yuan. After taxes were paid, approximately 3 million yuan remained.

The TV movie project is a key project to build Beijing into the "China Film Capital". With the support and promotion of relevant departments, the films produced have no trouble selling. They can be distributed among all the prefecture-level and above TV stations across the country. This is a major guarantee for the steady development of Beijing's film and television industry. In the current booming TV market, it is impossible for it to be interrupted.

Including the revenue from the previous two years, Shengying Media earned approximately 800 million yuan from television and film, resulting in an enviable huge amount of funds sitting on its books.

Compared to this, other businesses are utterly insignificant.

Personalized customization remains the company's second-largest source of profit, contributing over 100 million this year.

Television drama production, theatrical films, Golden Jubilee Collection, video memory, television program production... these businesses are all in the tens of millions, mainly used to support staff, but together they generate hundreds of millions in profit.

All things considered, its annual revenue justifies its title as a leading private film and television company in China.

Although Wang Sheng was on set, he did not loosen his control over the company.

At the end of December, he personally signed an order to distribute "Millennium New Year Red Envelopes" to all employees (including those affiliated with Enlight Media and its various business groups) of Shengying Media and its affiliated companies (including Enlight Media and its various business groups) to celebrate the upcoming year 2000 and to thank everyone for their hard work throughout the year.

The instructions were clear: regardless of rank, from senior executives like Li Tingting and Cai Yinong to the lowest-level interns, dispatched employees, and temporary coordinators of the production crew, everyone would receive the same amount of 200 yuan in cash.

The news caused a huge sensation and cheers as soon as it was announced within the company.

Two hundred yuan was by no means a negligible amount for an ordinary employee, especially a low-level employee, at the end of 1999.

This is almost equivalent to a third or even more of many people's monthly salary.

More importantly, this "sunshine-style" equal distribution sends a strong signal: in the company family, the labor of every member deserves respect and recognition, and President Wang has not forgotten anyone's contribution.

"Mr. Wang is so generous!"

"Holy crap, two hundred for everyone? How much money will that cost?"

"Look at your ignorant attitude. Mr. Wang gives out money like this every year."

"Say no more, from now on I'll work for Boss Wang!"

"Shengying Media, awesome!"

Such discussions resounded in every corner of the company.

The finance department worked overtime to coordinate with the bank and prepare cash. On the day before New Year's Day, they distributed red envelopes containing two brand-new 100-yuan bills to each employee.

The employees who received the red envelopes all had genuine smiles and a sense of pride on their faces.

The real two hundred yuan brings a sense of accomplishment and happiness that is far more compelling than any empty slogan.

……

Time turned to 2000.

The filming of "Lurking" is progressing steadily as planned, and Wang Sheng is immersed in the world of creation.

On January 17, a Monday, seven days after the first round of screenings of "Happy Family" ended, the final box office figures, after precise statistics, were finally placed on Wang Sheng's desk.

Ninety-three million two hundred thousand yuan.

This figure undoubtedly broke Wang Sheng's personal box office record and firmly secured the second place in the 1999 domestic film box office (second only to "The Birth of a Warrior"), leaving "Flying Colors" and "First Love" behind.

However, it still fell short of that symbolic, milestone "hundred million yuan" mark by a mere seven million. Wang Sheng looked at the report, his face expressionless, neither satisfied nor disappointed.

He knew all too well how difficult it was to break 100 million yuan at the box office in this era, given the limited number of screens, average ticket prices, the impact of piracy, and statistical methods.

"The Birth of a Nation" is an exception, combining favorable timing, location, and human factors.

For a purely commercial comedy like "Happy Family," 9320 million is already a huge affirmation from the market, almost reaching the ceiling of the current market environment.

"It's still not quite there," he muttered to himself, casually setting the report aside.

Just then, his Motorola Pocket Edition 328, which he had placed on the table, rang.

I glanced at the caller ID; it was a familiar Hong Kong Island number.

Wang Sheng pressed the answer button, and Zhou Xingxing's highly recognizable voice, tinged with fatigue and urgency, came from the other end.

"Mr. Wang, I'm sorry to bother you. It's me, Xingzai."

"Xingzai, long time no see, how have you been?" Wang Sheng leaned back in his chair, his tone relaxed.

The two have kept in touch since their collaboration on "30 Days" and are considered friends.

"Thanks to Mr. Wong, things are going alright." Stephen Chow made a small talk, then quickly got to the point: "Mr. Wong, I watched your movie 'Happy Family,' and it was really amazing! The story was adorable, and the 'dream family' concept was novel and touching. I... I have some ideas, I wonder if I can discuss them with you?"

"Oh? Go ahead." Wang Sheng roughly guessed the other party's intention.

“I want to remake ‘Happy Family’,” Stephen Chow said directly, his tone both tentative and expectant. “I want to adapt it into a local Hong Kong story. As for the copyright fee, Mr. Wong, you name your price, and I’ll try my best to meet it.”

Wang Sheng answered with a smile almost without hesitation: "Sure. It's an honor for Xingzai to have your story. You can send someone to discuss the details with my company's copyright department."

"Thank you so much, Mr. Wang! I'm so grateful!" Zhou Xingxing on the other end of the phone visibly breathed a sigh of relief, his tone much more cheerful.

But he seemed to have something more important to say. He paused, his voice becoming more serious, even carrying a hint of imperceptible pleading:

"Mr. Wang, there's something else I'd like to ask for your help with. I'm currently preparing for a new movie, a story about combining kung fu and soccer, with an inspirational theme. It's tentatively titled 'Shaolin Soccer'."

Wang Sheng's eyes flickered slightly.

Stephen Chow continued, his speech quickening, as if he wanted to lay bare all the difficulties in one breath: "I've been pondering this idea for a long time, and I think it has great potential to combine our Chinese kung fu culture with the world's number one sport to create something new. But... sigh!"

He sighed, "You know the state of the Hong Kong film market right now; it hasn't fully recovered from its slump. This film requires a lot of special effects, so the production cost will be quite high. I've spoken with several production companies I'm familiar with, and they all feel that the subject matter is too new and risky. Kung Fu plus football? They don't see the potential and aren't very willing to invest too much money. And..."

Stephen Chow lowered his voice, tinged with a hint of helplessness: "There are some rumors circulating that I have high standards for filming, that budget overruns are common, and that I sometimes have some... friction with my partners. These rumors have somewhat affected investors' confidence."

Wang Sheng listened quietly, fully aware of the predicament Zhou Xingxing was facing.

At this time, although Stephen Chow was already a comedy king, his "genius" creative concepts, strong personal style, and extreme demands on films did indeed clash with traditional and conservative film investors.

It's not surprising that the subversive genre fusion of "Shaolin Soccer" is considered a high-risk project from a commercial perspective.

The rumors circulating about him being "difficult to work with" and a "tyrant on set" have further deterred investors.

Originally, the financing process for "Shaolin Soccer" was extremely tortuous and was once on the verge of failure.

“Mr. Wong,” Stephen Chow’s tone became incredibly sincere, even carrying a hint of desperation, “I don’t just want to make a Hong Kong film. I have high hopes for the mainland market, and I want to use this film to truly penetrate the mainland! I want to make it a co-production!”

But given the current situation, I'm afraid I can't handle it on my own. Mr. Wang, I've witnessed your influence and vision in mainland China. So, I'd like to ask if you're interested in investing in "Shaolin Soccer"?

He almost pleaded, "I really need you to lend me a hand. This film is very important to me."

The surroundings quieted down, with only the slightly tense breathing of Stephen Chow on the other end of the phone.

Stephen Chow hasn't made a fortune through real estate speculation yet. He still needs connections to secure financing and expand into the mainland market. In his eyes, Wang Sheng is no different from the industry leader.

In a few years, when the real estate market takes off, Stephen Chow might not have this attitude anymore.

“Xingzai,” Wang Sheng’s voice was steady and strong, carrying a reassuring power, “It sounds like a very interesting project. How about this, it’s hard to explain over the phone. If you’re free these next couple of days, come to Beijing and we can discuss it in person.”

On the other end of the phone, Stephen Chow seemed to have a huge weight lifted off his shoulders: "Great! Great! Thank you so much, Mr. Wang! I'll arrange the trip immediately and fly over as early as tomorrow or the day after!"

"Okay, then I'll wait for you."

After Wang Sheng finished speaking, he hung up the phone.

(End of this chapter)