Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 286, Section 284: Hua Liu is the coolest!
In March 2000, a fresh "Chinese wave" was quietly surging in South Korea, breaking the previous market pattern of Hollywood and local productions sharing the market.

On its opening day, "First Love" achieved higher-than-expected attendance thanks to the strong appeal of the theme song "Courage" sung by Park Jung-hyun and the film's own high quality.

In the days that followed, this well-made and emotionally resonant Chinese youth film, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, caused ripples to spread rapidly.

Word-of-mouth, the most magical factor in the film and television industry, is beginning to show its power.

"A movie that will bring back the feeling of first love!"

"The young Chinese actors are so charming, and the story is so touching!"

"I never imagined that China could produce such a delicate and beautiful love story; it completely overturned my impression!"

"The song 'Courage' and the movie are a perfect match!"

Similar reviews circulated by word of mouth among early online forums, on campuses, and among young white-collar workers.

The promotional campaign meticulously planned by Thai Won Entertainment continued to gain momentum, and the screening rate of "A Little Thing Called First Love" in major cinemas steadily increased from 12% on the first day to 18% on the weekend, with some cinemas even opening screenings during prime time.

Finally, the box office statistics for the first three days (March 10-12) were released, and the results surprised the entire South Korean film industry:
The movie attracted 82 viewers in its opening weekend!
Based on the average South Korean movie ticket price of about 6000 won, the box office for the opening weekend was estimated at 49.2 billion won, which is more than 400 million US dollars!

This data not only easily surpassed most domestic art films and low-budget comedies of the same period, but also posed a threat to the opening performance of some Hollywood blockbusters.

For a Chinese youth romance film, this is undoubtedly an unprecedented miracle!
"President Wang! We did it! We did it!"

In his office, Zheng Taiyuan held the newly printed data report for the first weekend, his hands trembling slightly with excitement.

He almost immediately grabbed the phone and dialed the number of Li Tingting, the assistant general manager of Shengying Media, his voice slightly hoarse with excitement.

"Assistant Lee! The first weekend figures are in! 82 visitors! 49 billion won! It's a hit! A complete hit!"

Jung Tae-won couldn't hide his elation: "The market is incredibly hot right now, with many media outlets requesting interviews, and audiences wanting to learn more about the lead actors. How about... how about we invite Ms. Gao Yuanyuan and Mr. Huang Xiaoming to Korea for promotional activities? All expenses, including appearance fees, travel, and accommodation, will be covered by Tae-won Entertainment!"

Li Tingting on the other end of the phone was clearly also infected by the joy, her tone filled with delight: "President Zheng, congratulations! This is truly a remarkable achievement! I will report to President Wang immediately. In principle, we support the artists' promotional trip to South Korea. However, we need to process the visas for the two artists first."

In 2000, the required documents for Chinese citizens applying for business and cultural exchange visas to South Korea were relatively complicated, mainly including:
Valid passport, visa application form, and photo.

Invitation letter from the Korean side (issued by Thai Won Entertainment, specifying the purpose of the invitation, itinerary, and who will bear the expenses).

A photocopy of the Chinese company's business license and proof of employment (issued by Shengying Media).

Itinerary.

Sometimes it may be necessary to provide certain proof of assets.

Li Tingting informed Zheng Taiyuan of the visa requirements, and the two immediately went their separate ways to prepare.

However, things soon took an unexpected turn.

The unexpected popularity of "First Love" in South Korea, and the positive discussions it sparked about contemporary Chinese youth culture and urban landscape, have attracted the attention of relevant Chinese cultural departments.

At a time when the country is advocating for cultural outreach and promoting cultural exchange between China and other countries, the success of this film is seen as a positive signal and a typical example.

With the coordination and promotion of relevant departments, Gao Yuanyuan and Huang Xiaoming's visa applications to South Korea entered the "green channel," and the procedures were processed very smoothly and quickly, almost without any obstacles.

Meanwhile, in Tianjin, the crew of the TV series "Lurking" successfully wrapped up filming.

Wang Sheng had just finished a tense post-production meeting when he received Li Tingting's report.

Has it exploded in South Korea?

Wang Sheng had some expectation of this outcome, but the level of enthusiasm seemed to have slightly exceeded his expectations: "Okay, since it's a good thing for cultural exchange and the government supports it, then let's go. I'll lead the team myself."

……

A few days later, Wang Sheng, along with Huang Xiaoming, who had gained international recognition for "Postmen in the Mountains" and whose popularity soared in South Korea with "First Love," and Gao Yuanyuan, who was hailed as "the nation's first love" and was also receiving much attention in South Korea, arrived at Incheon International Airport in South Korea by plane.

The airport exit was already packed with South Korean media who had rushed to the scene and a small number of fans who had known the news in advance.

When Wang Sheng, dressed in a casual suit, walked confidently ahead, followed by the handsome Huang Xiaoming and the pure and beautiful Gao Yuanyuan, the flashbulbs went off immediately, eliciting screams from the crowd.

"Gao Yuanyuan! Saranghaeyo!"

"Huang Xiaoming! Oppa!"

"Director Wang Sheng!" The familiar Chinese and broken Korean cheers mingled together, showing the unexpected welcome this "Chinese Wave" advance team received.

Zheng Taiyuan personally went to the airport to greet him, his face beaming with excitement. He shook hands with Wang Sheng tightly, saying, "President Wang! It's wonderful that you could come in person! This is truly historic!"

The next few days were packed with activities and activities.

Gao Yuanyuan and Huang Xiaoming participated in many popular South Korean variety shows and radio interviews, further winning the hearts of South Korean audiences with their proper speech and charming Eastern faces.

Especially in a popular variety show called "Night Heart," the two interacted as arranged by the program, recreating classic scenes from the movie, which caused gasps of surprise on the set.

Wang Sheng, under Zheng Taiyuan's arrangement, held a series of meetings that were more business-oriented and official.

Zheng Taiyuan used all his connections to host a small thank-you and networking dinner.

In addition to several officials from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and representatives from the Korea Film Council, the attendees also included several prominent figures from the Korean entertainment industry:

Lee Soo-man, founder of SM Entertainment: At this time, with the success of H.O.T. (debuted in 1996) and S.E.S. (debuted in 1997), SM Entertainment had become the dominant force in the Korean idol industry and was ambitiously planning the next generation of idols.

He looked at the young producer from China, who had created a market miracle, with a hint of scrutiny and curiosity.

Lee Ho-yeon, the founder of DSP Media, owns popular groups such as Sechs Kies (debuted in 1997) and Fin.KL (debuted in 1998), making it a significant force that rivals SM Entertainment.

Park Jin-young, the founder of JYP Entertainment: He is a top musician. Although the company was founded in 1997, it was already considered a promising company because of its creative ability and the trainees it was training (such as Rain, who later became a superstar, and was in a tough training period at the time).

Yang Hyun-suk, the founder of YG Entertainment: A legendary figure who came from Seo Taiji and Boys, YG was founded in 1996 with a style that leans towards Hip-Hop. At that time, the most famous artist under its banner was 1TYM, who became a sensation with "I Know". The company was also quietly building up its future strength.

In the banquet hall, people were toasting each other.

Zheng Taiyuan enthusiastically introduced Wang Sheng to the bigwigs, his tone filled with pride and honor.

"President Wang Sheng is one of China's top producers and directors. His company, Shengying Media, has a very high market share in the Chinese film market! The success of 'A Little Thing Called First Love' proves President Wang's vision and the huge potential of the Chinese market!"

Lee Soo-man adjusted his glasses and spoke to Wang Sheng in fluent business English: "President Wang's works are impressive. The operation of the idol industry and the combination of film and music are directions we are all exploring. I wonder if President Wang is interested in idol dramas?"

Wang Sheng responded calmly, maintaining both humility and confidence: "Chairman Lee's SM Entertainment is a benchmark in the idol industry, worthy of our learning. The integration of film and music is an inevitable trend, and Shengying is actively making plans in this area. If suitable projects come up in the future, we look forward to collaborating with outstanding Korean teams and artists."

His gaze swept across the crowd, and he keenly noticed that among the entourage of Lee Soo-man and Park Jin-young, there were some young men and women with youthful faces but bright eyes. They followed quietly behind the first generation of boy and girl groups, their eyes filled with awe for their seniors and a desire for the future.

Wang Sheng understood perfectly; these were probably the "next-generation weapons" that companies like SM and JYP were secretly cultivating.

Perhaps among them is a figure who will one day sweep across Asia, but he won't recognize him.

Yang Hyun-suk expressed his intention to cooperate more directly on music copyright and Hip-Hop cultural exchange.

Wang Sheng exchanged views on industry development with these South Korean entertainment giants and explored possible cooperation models between China and South Korea in the film, television, and music fields.

He clearly sensed that a force called "Korean Wave" was gathering momentum here, ready to surge into Asia.

Today, he stands here with the initial results of the "Chinese Wave" initiative, which undoubtedly adds an important bargaining chip for future dialogues.

Even after the dinner, Jung Tae-won was still in a state of excitement. He held Wang Sheng's hand and said sincerely and eagerly, "President Wang, this collaboration is just the beginning! I hope to bring more of your works to the market, and we can even discuss co-productions! The Korean market, no, the Asian market, needs excellent producers like you!"

Wang Sheng also acknowledged his efforts, smiling and saying calmly, "President Zheng, thank you very much for the surprise you brought me. I think we can begin the next step of in-depth cooperation."

"Oh?" Zheng Taiyuan hurriedly asked, "What kind of cooperation?"

Wang Sheng: "You know 'Happy Family' and Stephen Chow, right?"

"Your reputation is legendary. Oh, right, I forgot to congratulate Director Wang on achieving over ten million US dollars in box office revenue with 'Happy Family' during the Lunar New Year season in your country. That's truly remarkable." Zheng Taiyuan bowed slightly, expressing his awe and respect for Wang Sheng.

"President Zheng, you're too kind. Let me continue with the collaboration. Stephen Chow plans to remake 'Happy Family' himself. It would be a three-way collaboration between you, me, and him, a Sino-Korean co-production project, to be released in South Korea and Hong Kong, and to continue developing the international market."

Jung Tae-won hesitated for a moment, then said, "Mr. Wang, the co-production needs Korean actors..."

Wang Sheng smiled slightly: "Sure, we can use any Korean director."

Stephen Chow doesn't really care much about directing this remake; he's currently focused on making "Kung Fu Soccer," a 4000 million yuan investment.

Jung Tae-won was overjoyed. Using Korean actors and directors was very important, and even more so for gaining access to the Chinese market. He squeezed Wang Sheng's hand again, bowed slightly, and said, "Mr. Wang, then, please stay in Seoul for a few more days so we can discuss things in detail and I can extend my hospitality..."

(End of this chapter)