Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 281, Section 279: My 1999
On the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, fine snowflakes began to fall in the sky over Tianjin, casting a thin layer of silvery white over the desolate exterior of the "Tianjin Station" office building.

The last scene in the afternoon is a seemingly ordinary conversation between Yu Zecheng (played by Wang Zhiwen) and Cuiping (played by Jiang Wenli) in their cramped home, under the dim light of a lamp, which is actually full of undercurrents.

Wang Sheng stared at the monitor until Jiang Wenli's subtle expression—from bewilderment to sudden understanding, her eyes instantly brightening yet forcibly suppressed—was perfectly captured before he called "Cut."

"That's a wrap!" Wang Sheng stood up, clapped his hands, and attracted the attention of the entire crew.

The cold air caused his breath to condense into white mist, but his voice remained clear and loud: "I hereby announce that the 'Lurking' crew is wrapping up early and going on holiday!"

The set fell silent for a moment, then erupted into small cheers and whispers.

Although I knew there would be a holiday before the New Year, I didn't expect Director Wang to be so decisive and give us a break on the afternoon of the 29th of the twelfth lunar month.

"Listen to me, everyone,"

Wang Sheng raised his voice, silencing the noise in the room: "Two days off, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. We'll be back here on the morning of the second day, starting work on time! Remember, nobody be late. We can't let the rhythm of this play break!"

"Understood, Director Wang!" everyone responded in unison, their faces showing relaxed smiles.

After working so hard on filming for so long, being able to go home for the Chinese New Year, even if it's just for two days, is a great comfort.

Wang Sheng nodded to the production manager next to him.

The production manager immediately understood, took out the red envelopes he had prepared beforehand, and began distributing them according to the list.

"Come on, Director Wang is handing out New Year's red envelopes! Line up, everyone gets one!" the production manager shouted.

The thickness of the red envelope varies from person to person.

The lead actors, including Wang Zhiwen, Jiang Wenli, and Li Youbin, along with the heads of various departments such as photography, art direction, and sound recording, received a thick stack of documents.

Even the lowest-ranking workers in the stagehands, props, and costume departments received a substantial red envelope containing exactly two brand-new 100-yuan bills.

"Two hundred yuan! Director Wang is so generous!" A young stagehand clutched the red envelope, his face flushed with excitement.

This is almost half a month's salary for him.

"Work hard! Following Director Wang, we won't be treated badly!" An old lighting technician next to him smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

Seeing the crew members' beaming smiles after receiving their red envelopes and the lively scene of them exchanging New Year's greetings, Wang Sheng smiled, turned around, and began packing his things.

He handed over the follow-up work to the executive director and production manager, then, with his assistant, braved the increasingly dense snowflakes and left Tianjin by car.

By the time the car got onto the highway leading to Beijing, the snow had become quite heavy.

Outside the window, everything was a vast expanse of white, and the world seemed exceptionally tranquil.

Wang Sheng leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes to rest, but the tumultuous events of the past year involuntarily flashed through his mind.

……

Around 5 p.m., the car entered the familiar Beijing Film Studio residential area.

Compared to the ever-changing capital city outside, time seems to flow much slower here. The red brick buildings, the mottled walls, and the children playing and setting off firecrackers exude an old-fashioned yet warm and quaint atmosphere.

Wang Sheng asked the driver to park the car a short distance away, and then walked to his apartment building.

He now owns many properties in Beijing, including two villas: one in Lijing Garden, one of the earliest villas sold to foreign buyers, and the other in the newly built Jiahao Villa District.

The large-sized apartments were located in upscale apartments near Chaoyang Park and luxury residences near Wangfujing, both representing the highest quality of living in this era.

He advised his parents to move to a villa or a large apartment, where there would be more space and a better environment.

But both her father, Wang Baoguo, and her mother, Zhang Xiulan, refused.

“Why move there? It’s all empty upstairs and downstairs, there’s no one to talk to. This place is much better, Old Zhang and Old Li are here, it’s convenient to play chess or chat.” That’s what Wang Baoguo said at the time, his tone leaving no room for argument. Zhang Xiulan chimed in, “Exactly, we know all the neighbors, it’s reassuring to live here.”

Wang Sheng went with them.

As long as the two elders are happy, it doesn't matter where they live.

As I pushed open the door, a familiar aroma, a blend of food and warmth, wafted towards me.

"Dad, Mom, I'm back."

"Oh my, Shengzi's back!" Zhang Xiulan, wearing an apron, poked her head out of the kitchen, her face beaming with joy.

Wang Baoguo was sitting on the sofa reading a newspaper. Hearing the voice, he put down his newspaper and smiled, "Is there traffic on the road? Is the snow heavy in Tianjin?"

"It's alright, the road is a bit slippery, but if you drive slowly, it'll be fine," Wang Sheng replied as he changed his shoes.

Just then, a dark shadow darted out from the balcony, sniffing around Wang Sheng's trouser legs and making a "woofing" sound in its throat. It was none other than Tu Song "Di Gua," the Chinese rural dog that Fan Xiaopang had given him.

A year has passed, and it has grown a lot from that tiny little thing. Its fur is black and shiny, and it is full of energy.

"This is really noisy..."

Wang Sheng smiled, squatted down, and reached out to rub its head.

Sweet Potato seemed to have a vague memory of its owner, who rarely came home. It was a little annoyed by being rubbed, so it twisted its body, kicked its hooves wildly, and tried to get rid of its clutches, while making dissatisfied "humph" sounds.

"Oh ho, still not convinced?" Wang Sheng laughed, and rubbed the dog's head harder, making the sweet potato wobble all over. "Little brat, you've eaten so much of our grain, and you still dare to bare your teeth at me?"

Zhang Xiulan came out of the kitchen carrying dishes and saw this scene. She laughed and said, "Don't always bully it. Xiao Fan comes to see it often. Every time he comes, he brings a lot of things, dog food, toys, and snacks. It's piled up all over the balcony."

And...look, your bedroom is practically a warehouse, filled with all the nutritional supplements and health products she sends over. Your dad and I can't possibly consume all of them."

Wang Sheng released Digua, who quickly scurried to Zhang Xiulan's feet for shelter. Wang Sheng stood up, understanding dawning on him.

This girl is ambitious and driven, and her ambition is written all over her face. She's trying every trick in the book to win over his family.

"If you can't finish it, share it with the neighbors," Wang Sheng said nonchalantly. "That girl is rich now, don't be polite with her."

What he said is true.

Shengying Media's revenue sharing ratio with its artists is considered very lenient in the industry, basically 50/50, and it does not force artists to accept advertisements or commercial performances.

In Wang Sheng's words, "If you have ambition, take on more projects; if you don't, just be a couch potato. The company is big and can afford to support you."

This lenient policy, coupled with the company's strong resource allocation, has made the artist management departments of Shengying Media and Enlight Media highly sought-after places in the industry.

Cai Yinong's Enlight Media artist management department has expanded rapidly in the past two years, signing more than 100 artists. The list includes many names that will be familiar to later generations: Huang Xiaoming, who gained international attention with "Postmen in the Mountains" and whose popularity soared with "A Little Thing Called First Love"; Li Bingbing, who honed her acting skills in many films and TV series and began to show her talent; and Cecilia Cheung, who became a sensation in mainland China with "Super Girl" and "The Four" and also enjoyed abundant resources in the Hong Kong entertainment industry.

There were also Huo Siyan and Gillian Chung, whom Cai Yinong had casually signed... The list was handed to Wang Sheng several times, but he would just look at it and put it aside. As far as he was concerned, there were simply too many women to sleep with.

Dinner was plentiful, consisting of Wang Sheng's favorite home-style dishes.

The family sat around the dining table, chatting about everyday things.

Wang Baoguo asked about the filming of "Lurking," while Zhang Xiulan was more concerned about his health, nagging him not to overwork himself.

After finishing his meal, Wang Sheng helped his mother clear the dishes and watched TV with her for a while before his phone rang.

It was Chen Liang calling, saying that all the brothers were back and wanted to meet up at their usual spot.

Wang Sheng said goodbye to his parents, put on his coat, and went out.

The gathering was held at the same barbecue restaurant they frequented before they became successful, a place brimming with the lively atmosphere of a street food stall. The private room was bustling with activity and filled with lively chatter.

When Wang Sheng arrived, Chen Liang, Monkey, Da Liu, Xiao Bing, and Xu Ling were already there.

Several years have passed, and the naivety of the past has long since faded, replaced by a greater sense of composure and presence in everyone.

"Brother Sheng!" Upon seeing him enter, everyone stood up, their faces beaming with genuine smiles.

"Sit down, everyone sit down, don't be so polite with me." Wang Sheng waved his hand with a smile, took off his coat and hung it on the back of the chair.

The monkey quickly poured him a beer: "Brother Sheng, we've been waiting for you! Did you just get back from Tianjin?"

"Yeah, I just gave the crew the day off this afternoon." Wang Sheng took his glass and clinked it with each of them. "You've all worked hard. You did a great job this year!"

"Even if it's not great, we're still working for you, Brother Sheng!" Big Liu said in a loud voice, "If it weren't for you leading us, we'd probably be somewhere else right now."

Xiao Bing nodded repeatedly: "Yeah, Brother Sheng, think back to '96, we had to beg and plead to get a commercial shot. Now... hey, it's like a dream!"

Everyone sighed with emotion.

From the struggling "Shengying Media" of 96, who were racking their brains for a few thousand or tens of thousands of yuan, to today's private giant with astonishing annual revenue and business covering all aspects of the film and television industry chain, these five original veterans, jokingly referred to as the "Shengying Five Tigers," witnessed and participated in creating this miracle.

After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere became even more lively.

After chatting about their recent situations and interesting anecdotes in the industry, Wang Sheng put down his wine glass and cleared his throat.

Knowing he had something important to say, the group quieted down.

"Since everyone's here today, let me talk about the personnel adjustments after the New Year." Wang Sheng's gaze swept over the group: "Monkey, you organize the business of Golden Jubilee Collection and hand it over to Xu Ling after the New Year."

The monkey paused for a moment, then nodded: "No problem, Brother Sheng."

Although he was somewhat surprised, he never questioned Wang Sheng's decision.

Xu Ling looked at Wang Sheng with a complicated expression. She had been doing very well in the private customization business, and now she had been transferred back to the capital to take charge of one of the core businesses, Golden Jubilee Collection, which was obviously a sign of being given important responsibilities.

Wang Sheng continued, "Xu Ling is returning to Beijing to take charge of the Golden Jubilee Collection. Monkey, you're going to Shenyang to take charge of the Chuang Guandong Film and Television City project. I've already set up the framework for the preliminary preparations there, and we need someone trustworthy and capable of keeping things under control. You're suitable."

The Chuangguandong Film and Television City is a crucial part of Wang Sheng's future strategy, involving a huge investment. Entrusting it to Monkey demonstrates his trust in him.

"Da Liu, Xiao Bing, your positions will remain unchanged for now. Da Liu, continue to deepen and solidify the image memory business, and Xiao Bing, continue to manage Sheng Ying Labor Services. We will make further arrangements when new business expansions occur." Wang Sheng looked at the other two.

Da Liu and Xiao Bing replied in unison, "Understood, Brother Sheng!"

"Chen Liang, you and Yu Dong, continue working together to stabilize the personalized customization business. This is one of our core businesses, and we can't let our guard down. Similarly, we'll only move in when new business comes along," Wang Sheng said to Chen Liang in closing.

Chen Liang nodded steadily: "Don't worry, Brother Sheng."

When making arrangements for these old brothers who had followed him from humble beginnings, Wang Sheng considered both the company's development and their personal abilities and relationships.

No one objected to his arrangements; on the contrary, they were filled with anticipation for the new challenge.

After the business was finished, the atmosphere relaxed again.

The group continued drinking and chatting, reminiscing about embarrassing moments in the early days of their business and discussing their future plans.

Speaking of his soaring income, Monkey counted on his fingers: "With business bonuses and commissions, hehe, I can buy a villa!"

The crowd laughed and scolded him for showing off, their cheers almost lifting the roof off.

In 1999, it finally came to a complete end.

(End of this chapter)