Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 519, Section 517: Each Generation Has Its Own Path
Having finally escaped the enthusiastic encirclement of various "lords," Wang Sheng and Han Sanping walked side by side out of the somewhat dull conference room in the General Administration building.

In early spring in Beijing, the afternoon sun brought a touch of warmth, dispelling the illusion of constant temperature created by the air conditioning in the building, and also slightly dispelling the restlessness that lingered in Wang Sheng's heart.

Once inside Han Sanping's understated but spacious Audi A6, isolated from the outside world, Han Sanping relaxed and leaned back in the leather seat. He turned his head, his face displaying a mixture of relief, teasing, and a touch of complexity, as he looked at his excessively young and frighteningly accomplished disciple beside him.

"How does it feel?" Han Sanping asked with a smile, his voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible sarcasm. "Our richest man in Chinese cinema is now a real hot commodity. I bet those guys would love to invite you back and treat you like a god of wealth."

Wang Sheng rubbed his temples. Even with his energy and skill, dealing with such high-intensity meetings and subsequent "encirclement" left him feeling mentally exhausted.

He twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing a helpless smile: "Teacher, please don't make fun of me. We're all developing the cultural industry for the country and the people, and our enthusiasm is understandable. But this 'treasure trove' isn't an industrial product that comes off an assembly line; it can't just be copied."

Han Sanping nodded in deep agreement, his smile fading, and his tone becoming more composed: "The points you set at the meeting today were excellent. Cultural confidence, industrialization, and social benefits—you grasped the fundamentals and silenced many critics. From now on, certain unhealthy practices in this industry will at least need to be curbed on the surface."

He paused, his gaze thoughtfully drifting towards the rapidly passing street scene outside the window, and slowly said, "The rules have been established, which is a good thing. But whether these rules can be enforced, whether they can become an industry consensus, is ultimately beyond the capabilities of a single company, even your Shengying. It takes time, and even more so..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but Wang Sheng understood the unspoken message—that he needed the endorsement of power and continuous impetus.

A brief silence fell over the car, broken only by the steady hum of the engine and the indistinct noise of the city outside the window.

Suddenly, Han Sanping turned his head, his gaze refocusing on Wang Sheng's face. His eyes sharpened, yet held a hint of elder-like concern. He abruptly changed the subject, his tone becoming somewhat subtle: "Official business is over, let's talk about something personal. Kid, is there something quite a big 'personal matter' you've been forgetting to report to your teacher?"

Wang Sheng was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, and quickly went through the thought process in his mind.

After Shengying Group went public, all its major business operations, capital flows, and strategic plans were completely transparent to its strategic investor, China Film Group, and relevant regulatory authorities, with no concealment whatsoever. What other "major event" could there be?
His face showed just the right amount of confusion: "Teacher, what do you mean? Sheng Ying is completely transparent to you and to those above you in every aspect."

Han Sanping was furious at his "innocent" look. He snorted and pointed at him with his finger: "Playing dumb with me? I'm talking about your personal life! You little brat... are you a father now?"

Wang Sheng quickly realized what was going on.

The two "elder guards" who took turns standing guard around him served not only as protection but also, to some extent, as eyes and ears of those above.

Although Gao Yuanyuan tried to keep a low profile about giving birth to twins in Qiongzhou, it was almost impossible to completely hide it from the two professionals around her.

It was only a matter of time before the news reached Han Sanping through some channel.

Having figured this out, Wang Sheng showed no sign of panic or embarrassment at being exposed. Instead, he laughed, a relaxed and carefree smile. He leaned back, finding a more comfortable position: "Hey, I thought it was something serious. So, teacher, you know you've become a grandfather?"
That's right, Xianxian and Ruoruo are one year and five months old. They're in Qiongzhou, being looked after by their grandmother and Gao Yuanyuan. We were originally planning to bring them back to you to see when they were a little older.”

His matter-of-fact tone, which even carried a hint of "you're quite well-informed," left Han Sanping speechless for a moment.

Looking at Wang Sheng's young, handsome face, which was full of success and confidence, he felt a mix of emotions.

Should we blame him? From what standpoint? Wang Sheng is young and unmarried, at the peak of his career, and his personal life... In this circle, he has several close female friends, and even has children born out of wedlock. Although this does not conform to traditional values, it does not seem incomprehensible at their level.

Moreover, Wang Sheng did not conceal this fact and took responsibility for it.

Is it a pity?
Indeed there is.

Han Sanping genuinely admires Wang Sheng, not only for his business acumen, but also for his understanding and strategic planning of the industry and his pioneering spirit.

Deep down, he may have considered whether, after he retires in the future, he could bring Wang Sheng into the system and let him take over the responsibilities of China Film Group, or even more important ones. With his abilities, he might be able to truly lead Chinese cinema to a deeper level of transformation and rise.

However, Wang Sheng now has this "complex" personal relationship. Although it may not be the decisive factor, it will eventually become a variable that needs to be weighed in certain considerations.

"You..." Han Sanping finally just sighed, shook his head, and said in a complicated tone, "At such a young age, you've already achieved this much in your career. There are some things... I can't say too much about them."

However, you need to have a sense of right and wrong in your heart.

"A tall tree catches the wind. You're now the head of a company worth tens of billions, an industry benchmark, and countless eyes are watching you. A peaceful home and a stable rear are sometimes more important than fighting on the front lines." He knew that Gao Yuanyuan wasn't the only woman around Wang Sheng; Fan Xiaopang, Li Xiaoran, Zhang Bozhi… all seemed to have close relationships with him.

In his view, this situation poses a significant hidden danger.

Wang Sheng sensed the concern and underlying worry in Han Sanping's words. He toned down his playful expression, his gaze becoming calm and profound: "Teacher, I understand what you mean. Thank you. However, I'm used to being carefree and can't stand too much restraint, whether in life or... work."

He deliberately emphasized the word "work".

Han Sanping, being a man of great stature, immediately discerned the underlying meaning. He stared at Wang Sheng and said, "What? What are your own plans for your future? Do you only want to stay in Shengying and keep your little corner of the world? With your abilities, you deserve a bigger stage."

Wang Sheng laughed, his smile revealing a clear understanding: "Teacher, to be honest, these past few years, I've been working day and night, from convincing you to use the resources of Beijing Film Studio to support my wedding video production, to establishing Shengying, forming alliances, promoting the reform of the cinema chain system, and challenging Hollywood, until now that the company has gone public... Looking back, I have actually exceeded my initial goals."

His gaze fell on the ancient yet rapidly modernizing city outside the car window. His voice was calm yet powerful: "I merely took advantage of the prevailing trends of the times, the reform of the cultural system and the development of the market economy, and used some clever tricks to revitalize the Chinese film market, which had been dormant for many years and was almost destroyed by imported blockbusters."

This has encouraged audiences to return to cinemas to watch domestic films, attracted capital investment to the industry, and given industry professionals hope and a future.

"Now, the market foundation is somewhat solid, the rudiments of industrialization have emerged, and I've established the rules for future development at the meeting. The rest..."

He paused, his tone tinged with a hint of etherealness, "We can only leave it to time. Let's see if this land can grow the towering trees we hope for, and let's see if those who come after us can follow this path and forge a wider world. That's about all I can do."

Han Sanping frowned slightly. He sensed a hint of retreat in Wang Sheng's words, which surprised him and made him feel even more regretful: "Entrusting the future to time and those who come after you? Wang Sheng, have you considered that if you don't have enough power and influence, the rules you set today, the blueprints you've planned, could very well be completely changed or even scrapped and started from scratch after you turn around? Without the guarantee of power, ideals are nothing but castles in the air."

This is based on his personal experience as a leader within the system over many years.

Wang Sheng turned his head and looked at Han Sanping, his eyes as clear and firm as they were eight years ago: "Teacher, if that's the case, then it's not something I should consider, or rather, it's not something I should forcibly try to change."

He said slowly, “Each generation has its own path to walk, and each generation has its own mission. My mission is perhaps to be a ‘disruptor’ and a ‘game-changer,’ to throw a boulder into the calm lake and stir up a thousand waves.”

As for how far these waves will ultimately propel the ship, and what kind of new ecosystem will eventually form on the lake, that's beyond my complete control.

"The only thing I want to do now is, while I'm still on this boat and have the strength to row, to do everything in my power to push Chinese cinema to the highest peak in history that I can see! To let the whole world see, to let all future filmmakers see—"

Wang Sheng's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a resolute force, as if he were making a vow:

"So this is what Chinese films can be like!"

“At least this way,” he said, a confident and proud smile curving his lips, “even if there are ups and downs in the future, because we have reached such heights, the lower limit for those who come after us won’t drop too drastically. Because they know that we have done it before, and that we can do it anyway.”

The car fell silent again.

Han Sanping remained silent for a long time, simply looking at Wang Sheng, at the almost idealistic gleam in the young disciple's eyes that seemed completely out of place with his age and wealth.

He suddenly realized that what Wang Sheng was pursuing was perhaps never the eternal consolidation of his personal power and position, but rather to ignite a fire, illuminate a path, and set a benchmark.

This path may be more difficult and more lonely than he anticipated.

The Audi drove smoothly along Chang'an Avenue. Outside the car window, Tiananmen Square, the National Centre for the Performing Arts, the Great Hall of the People... these buildings symbolizing power and culture passed by one after another.

Han Sanping finally let out a long, silent sigh, patted Wang Sheng on the shoulder, and said nothing more.

He knew that some paths could only be walked by the person involved.

Although the path Wang Sheng chose was different from what he expected, its destination may be just as glorious.

(End of this chapter)