Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 464, Section 462: It's too ugly, throw it away.
As night slowly falls in Los Angeles, the hustle and bustle of the daytime fades away.

In the penthouse suite of the Four Seasons Hotel Wilshire in Beverly Hills, Wang Sheng had just finished the final check with his lawyer regarding the contract details for "Spy House".

He stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the endless lights of this "City of Angels," like stars scattered across the earth.

Only a few ambient lights were on inside, providing soft lighting.

The fatigue from a day of intensive meetings and cross-border communication slowly dissipated in this rare moment of solitude and tranquility.

Just then, the satellite phone on the coffee table rang, breaking the silence in the room.

Not many people know this phone number.

Wang Sheng picked up the phone, walked to the sofa, sat down, and pressed the answer button.

"Hey?"

"Shengzi!" Han Sanping's voice was loud and clear on the other end of the phone, filled with barely suppressed excitement. Even across the vast Pacific Ocean, one could feel his pride and joy. "Are you resting?"

"Just finished working and was about to rest."

Han Sanping said excitedly, "Today, the front page headlines of all the major newspapers in the country are all about 'The Museum'!"

"We have received the message. This is the result of everyone's joint efforts, and it is also inseparable from your and China Film's strong support in distribution and policy."

"Hey, we're family, no need for formalities!"

Han Sanping interrupted his modesty, speaking sincerely, "China Film Group is an investor and co-distributor. When the market is good and the scale is large, we are proud and have a strong backbone! This shows that our approach of promoting the cinema chain system reform and encouraging private capital to participate in content production is correct! You, Wang Sheng, are a benchmark that has been forged on this path!"

He paused, his voice filled with undisguised praise and even a hint of pride: "Now, inside and outside the industry, who doesn't know that you, Wang Sheng, are my most valued student, Han Sanping? Although I, as your teacher, haven't really taught you anything properly, I've actually made a lot of money following you, haha!"
But seeing you get to where you are today makes me truly happy! I know perfectly well what those people are thinking, their sour grapes mentality—let them be sour!

Han Sanping's words were straightforward and honest.

In the intricate web of personal relationships within the Chinese film industry, the "mentorship" system is incredibly complex.

Although Wang Sheng later added the fact that he had formal training and was deeply involved with a large faction within the film system (officials from the Beijing Film Academy's management department), he started his career at the Beijing Film Studio and had close ties with Han Sanping. He was already widely regarded as a core figure of the "Han faction" and even the "Beijing Film Studio reform faction."

Having such a successful "student" who constantly creates miracles is undoubtedly a significant asset in consolidating Han Sanping's position and influence in the industry.

"Teacher, you flatter me. Without your support and trust back then, Shengying wouldn't be where it is today," Wang Sheng said sincerely.

This is the truth. In the early stages of his business, Han Sanping's endorsement and the resources of Beijing Film Studio were key to his ability to quickly change the situation.

"Together we achieve success, we achieve success together!"

Han Sanping laughed heartily, then his tone turned to concern, "Let's get down to business. Is everything going smoothly for you over there? Hollywood is a murky place, with complicated interpersonal relationships. It's a completely different system from China. We can discuss cooperation, but be careful with everything you do. Make sure you understand the terms and choose the right people."

“I understand, teacher. New Line Cinema and Disney are both established companies with clear rules, and so far the negotiations have been going smoothly.” Wang Sheng gave a brief report on the progress of the co-production versions of “Spy Kids” and “The Pursuit of Happyness”.

"That's good. Your efforts to establish a foothold over there are not only for Shengying, but also to give Chinese filmmakers a boost and explore a new path to international success. Don't worry about things back home; with me here, things won't fall apart. I'll be keeping an eye on the follow-up matters of 'The Museum' and the preparations for Shengying's IPO," Han Sanping reassured him.

"With a teacher in charge, I feel completely at ease," Wang Sheng said.

"Okay," Han Sanping responded, his tone becoming unusually serious. "One last piece of advice: when you're out there alone, you must be careful! Not just in terms of business, but your personal safety is even more important! In America, gun ownership is free, and the security situation is not like back home. When you're out and about, make sure you have bodyguards, and try not to go to unfamiliar places at night. Do you understand?"

"Yes, teacher, I will be careful. Please take good care of yourself back home and don't overwork yourself. The New Year is coming soon, so I'd like to wish you a Happy New Year in advance!"

"Okay, okay! You too, take care of yourself!" Han Sanping replied with a smile.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, the two ended their transoceanic call.

After finishing his call with Han Sanping, Wang Sheng called Gao Yuanyuan back.

The phone rang several times before being answered, and the faint babbling of a child could be heard in the background.

"Hello?" Gao Yuanyuan's voice came through, with a hint of laziness and softness at the end, sounding like she was in a good mood.

"It's me, you haven't rested?" Wang Sheng's voice unconsciously softened.

"No, I just finished feeding them and have pretty much put the two little darlings to sleep." Gao Yuanyuan's tone carried the weariness and sweetness of a new mother. "And you? It's quite late in Los Angeles now, isn't it? Are you done with your work?"

"Yeah, I just got back to the hotel. I was thinking of you and the kids, so I called," Wang Sheng said.

"We're doing great. The weather here in Yalong Bay has been nice the whole time. The babies have gotten a bit tanned, but they're both very healthy," Gao Yuanyuan rambled on about her children's recent condition. "It's just... sigh, to be honest, I think they're still a bit wrinkled, not fully grown yet, and they look a little ugly..."

Her words were tinged with disdain yet also full of affection—a typical "motherly" way of complaining.

Wang Sheng chuckled: "Kids are all like that, they change every day. They'll look good in a few months. You've worked so hard, take good care of yourself."

"Okay," Gao Yuanyuan replied, then her tone became excited. "I saw the news! 3.68 million! My goodness! That really surpasses Titanic! The whole country is buzzing about it! You're amazing!"

Even while recuperating in Qiongzhou, she kept a close eye on Wang Sheng's news.

This achievement fills her with pride.

"As expected."

"So you're famous in Hollywood now, aren't you? A lot of... well, big Hollywood stars want to get to know you?" Gao Yuanyuan's tone carried a hint of barely perceptible probing and jealousy.

Upon hearing this, Wang Sheng decided to tease her and deliberately said in a lighthearted tone, "To be frank, you've definitely gained some fame. There are indeed... quite a few actresses who want to pay you to collaborate with them."

"Hmph!" Gao Yuanyuan's disgruntled voice immediately came from the other end of the phone. "You womanizer! I knew you'd do this! I can't be bothered with you!"

She said she couldn't be bothered to deal with it, but she didn't hang up the phone.

Wang Sheng smiled, knowing when to stop, and chatted with her about life in Qiongzhou, asking about the family's nanny and medical team.

Gao Yuanyuan gradually forgot her slight jealousy and enthusiastically talked about her plan to take the children back to Beijing when they were a little older, around the middle of the year, when the weather was warmer and more stable.

We chatted about everyday things for a while.

Wang Sheng seemed to remember something, and his tone became slightly more serious: "Yuanyuan, there's something you need to remember. Be careful to keep people with colds or fevers away from you and the baby. Also, tell the medical staff and nannies who are taking care of you and the baby to take care of their health and ask for leave to rest if they feel unwell."

Wang Sheng couldn't say it outright, so he could only offer this seemingly overly cautious reminder.

Gao Yuanyuan clearly didn't realize the deeper meaning behind his words, only thinking that Wang Sheng was concerned, and said with a sweet feeling in her heart, "Oh, don't worry, don't worry! The environment here is fine, and everyone is healthy. Don't worry about it, just take good care of yourself over there."

Wang Sheng knew that saying more would be pointless and might even lead to unnecessary speculation, so he stopped insisting and simply added, "In short, it won't hurt to be more careful."

"Okay, okay, you nag," Gao Yuanyuan said reproachfully, then yawned. "I'm a little sleepy, I want to take a nap. You should get some rest too, don't overwork yourself."

Okay, go to sleep. Goodnight.

"OK, good night."

(End of this chapter)