Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 436, Section 434: Television Debate (Part 2)
Yan Xiaoqiang's face looked somewhat ashen under the blazing studio lights. Wang Sheng's rebuttal about "cultural confidence" versus "cultural inferiority" was like a precise scalpel, dissecting the logical paradoxes and emotional tendencies hidden in his remarks.

He opened his mouth, wanting to rummage through the old books on "motivational theory" or "effect theory" for more weapons.

But Hu Manli, who couldn't hold back any longer, had already taken the lead.

She realized that her two companions' attacks not only failed to shake Wang Sheng, but instead allowed him to use their own strength against her, shifting the tone of the debate to a level more favorable to him: "industrial development" and "cultural confidence."

She had to steer the conversation back to her area of ​​expertise, one that was more morally critical, and launch a more fundamental offensive.

"Mr. Wang Sheng!"

Hu Manli's voice carried the sternness unique to a cultural defender.

She even leaned forward slightly, staring intently at Wang Sheng, trying to exert pressure with her presence. "You keep emphasizing the market, industry, and output, which makes it seem like everything is geared towards 'success'."

But have you considered, or deliberately avoided, whether the logic of capital has superseded the principles of cultural creation in the business empire you've built and the market-oriented path you advocate?

Before Wang Sheng could answer, she quickened her pace and threw out a series of sharp questions: "Has Shengying Media, with its strong capital and channels, already formed a certain degree of market monopoly?"
Does this squeeze the survival space of low-budget films, especially those that do not have strong commercial attributes but have unique artistic value or profound humanistic concern?

You keep talking about a hundred flowers blooming, but in reality, isn't it giants like you who use the invisible yardstick of box office and screen time to stifle true diversity?
Is the inherently greedy nature of capital leading Chinese cinema down a misguided path of profit-driven stagnation and entertainment to the death?

Hu Manli's offensive directly targets the classic contradiction between capital and culture, a common weapon used by liberal intellectuals to criticize market-oriented reforms, and is highly inflammatory and morally sophisticated.

She attempted to portray Wang Sheng as a cold-blooded businessman alienated by capital and indifferent to the health of the cultural ecosystem.

Many viewers at the scene and in front of their televisions, especially those who had doubts about the market economy or were deeply affected by its "negative" impact, were moved by these words and began to re-examine Wang Sheng and the "Shengying Model" he represented.

Wang Sheng listened quietly, his face still showing no emotion, even more so than when he dealt with Yan Xiaoqiang.

He waited until Hu Manli finished speaking before slowly opening his own mouth, his tone as steady as if stating a given fact:
“Ms. Hu, you have slapped a huge label on me and Shengying Media—'market monopoly,' 'suppressing diversity,' and 'capital greed.'”

He shook his head slightly, a hint of helplessness even curving his lips. "But unfortunately, this hat is also based on imagination rather than facts."

"First, regarding monopolies."

Wang Sheng's gaze swept across the camera, as if addressing all potential competitors: "The Chinese film market is growing rapidly and has enormous potential."

Shengying Media has only achieved some temporary success by making judgments about the market and content amidst this trend.

Did we prevent other companies from making movies? Did we monopolize all the cinemas in the country? Did we control all the directors and actors?

nothing.

The market is open, and competition is fierce. Shanghai Film Group, Xi'an Film Group, Changchun Film Group, Huayi Brothers Media Group, Huayi Brothers Media Group… so many excellent peers are thriving, so how can there be any talk of monopoly?

"Secondly, regarding the squeezing of space for art films."

Wang Sheng's tone became more sincere, "Ms. Hu, you may only see our commercial success, but selectively ignore our efforts for art films and diverse genres."

I have already mentioned "Postmen in the Mountains", "Red Flag", and "The Birth of a Warrior".

Some of these films won awards, some received critical acclaim, some were box office hits, and some may not have performed as well at the box office, but we still invested in them!
Why? Because we believe the film industry needs diversity!
A portion of Shengying Media's annual profits is regularly invested in the "Shengying New Power" fund, which is dedicated to supporting emerging directors and projects with artistic exploration.

This can be corroborated by leaders of the Film Bureau, teachers at film academies, and many independent directors.

He paused, then threw out an even more impactful fact: "Moreover, Ms. Hu, you criticize capital, but do you know that it was precisely because of the profits brought by Shengying Media's commercial success that we were able to save film studios across the country and preserve the spark of Chinese cinema for today?"

Only then can we support projects like "Night at the Museum," which often involves investments of hundreds of millions, and challenge the visual spectacle of Hollywood. Only then can we have the confidence to invest in artistic explorations that we know are unlikely to recoup their costs in the short term.
Without the support of commercial success, many cultural ideals remain mere castles in the air. Isn't this a more responsible and constructive form of cultural commitment?

Instead of hysterically refuting, Wang Sheng built a solid defense using facts and logic.

He cleverly transformed "capital" from an object of criticism into a tool supporting "cultural ideals," thus defusing Hu Manli's moral accusations.

Stubborn people like Hu Manli are most afraid of real data proving their innocence.

Many viewers in front of their television sets couldn't help but recall Wang Sheng's "spark theory" from six years ago.

Yes, his original intention was to make Chinese films better and better.

Isn't it getting better and better now?

That hateful American imperialism...

Her expression changed slightly, and she forced herself to argue, "But this cannot cover up the profit-seeking nature of capital! Your support for art films may just be a gesture, or a way to obtain a better policy environment! What you are really passionate about are commercial genre films that can make big money!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Sheng suddenly smiled, a smile tinged with pity and insight: "Ms. Hu, you seem to have presupposed a premise: that commercial success and cultural values ​​are absolutely opposed."

But if you look at the history of world cinema, Chaplin's comedies, Hitchcock's suspense, Kurosawa's epics, Spielberg's science fiction... Which of these masters' classic works did not achieve huge commercial success while also becoming immortal cultural treasures?

Why is it that in China, and specifically in my case as Wang Sheng, must commercial success necessarily come with an original sin?

He stopped looking at Hu Manli and faced the camera again, his voice clear and powerful: "I believe that a healthy industry environment allows different types of films to find their own audience and space to survive."

Commercial blockbusters can make money and then use it to support artistic exploration and talent development; conversely, innovation in art films can inject new vitality into commercial films.

This is a virtuous cycle, not a zero-sum game as you might imagine.

Shengying Media is working hard to build such an ecosystem.

We are not afraid of competition; we welcome it, because only through full competition can truly excellent Chinese films emerge that can both win over the market and stand the test of time!

At this point in the debate, the three challengers took turns addressing almost all the mainstream criticisms leveled against Wang Sheng and Shengying Media, ranging from cultural subjectivity and artistic value to capital critique.

However, Wang Sheng remained calm and composed, responding to each move with a counter-strategy.

His response was not entirely an academic theoretical refutation, but rather a logical deduction based on practice and a list of facts, interspersed with profound insights into the current state of the industry and a clear outline of its future path.

In contrast, as the debate progressed, Hu Manli, Yan Xiaoqiang, and Zhang Yuan became increasingly agitated, and their statements inevitably contained logical flaws, emotional accusations, and even factual errors.

Hu Manli's face was ashen, trying to maintain her dignity but unable to hide her anxiety; Yan Xiaoqiang's brows were furrowed, and he would occasionally interrupt, but Wang Sheng would always easily shut him down; Zhang Yuan, on the other hand, was more often caught in the dilemma of theoretical self-consistency, finding it difficult to connect abstract theory with the vivid reality of industry.

The atmosphere in the studio had shifted without anyone realizing it.

The audience's attention increasingly focused on Wang Sheng.

He stood there, upright and composed, speaking with clear logic and effortless quotations, sometimes as steady as a mountain, sometimes as sharp as a knife, maintaining an almost nonchalant sense of control throughout.

In front of their televisions, countless viewers, even those who don't fully understand all the technical jargon and industry logic, can intuitively feel this difference in atmosphere.

"It seems... Wang Sheng's words make more sense?"

“Look at those three people, their faces are all red, and they're speaking in a hurry. But look at Wang Sheng, he's remained calm and composed.”

"Exactly, it feels like Wang Sheng is reasoning and presenting facts, while those other guys seem... like they're arguing?"

"Regardless of who is right or wrong in the content, judging from this situation, Wang Sheng has won."

In such televised debates aimed at the general public, especially when the issues are complex and it is difficult to immediately determine right from wrong, the format often has a greater influence on the audience's judgment than the content.

Most viewers are not professional film critics or industry researchers, and they find it difficult to digest all the arguments and evidence in a short period of time and make a completely rational decision.

They rely more on intuition: Who is more confident? Who is more composed? Whose logic is clearer? Who seems more like the one who "possesses the truth"?
This perfectly replicates the classic effect of the famous televised debate between Kennedy and Nixon in 1960.

Listeners who listened to the debate on the radio mostly thought Nixon's arguments were solid and that he won the debate; while viewers who watched it on television were captivated by Kennedy's youthful, confident, and composed on-screen image and considered him the true victor.

In the visual age, image and presence are powerful tools of persuasion.

At this moment, Wang Sheng is just like Kennedy back then.

He may not be flawless in every theoretical detail, and the views of his three opponents are not entirely without value.

However, on the stage of live television broadcast, the strong self-confidence based on practical success, the composure in the face of attacks, and the ability to clearly express complex issues constitute an unparalleled "image advantage."

This advantage penetrates the screen and directly affects the subconscious of hundreds of millions of viewers, making them tend to believe that this young man is more credible and that the direction he represents is more likely to be the future.

The host, He Jiong, glanced at the timer and realized that the scheduled debate time was about to end.

He intervened at the opportune moment, made a concluding statement, thanked the four guests for their insightful exchange, and reiterated the original intention of the debate to promote thinking and communication.

When the camera finally focused on Wang Sheng's calm and slightly smiling face, the winner of this nationally sensational televised debate had essentially been decided in the public's mind.

After the debate, Wang Sheng quickly left the studio under the escort of bodyguards, refusing all attempts to interview him by the media.

Once inside the car, he rubbed his slightly throbbing temples; the continuous high-intensity mental battle had taken a heavy toll.

But he knew that this hurdle was over.

After this battle, the shackles of "cultural surrender" and "original sin of capital" that were placed on Sheng Ying and him will not completely disappear, but their power has been greatly weakened.

(End of this chapter)