Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 59: I am the mainstream
The following day, July 24th, early morning.

Wang Sheng's biological clock ensures he wakes up on time.

He carefully pulled his arm out of Li Xiaoran's pillow, got dressed, and went out to buy breakfast.

Li Xiaoran woke up this time too. She sat on the bed with her blanket in her arms and stared blankly for a while. Then she remembered that she had important things to do today, so she got up to wash up.

……

Wang Sheng returned quickly with breakfast.

Li Xiaoran, who was playing with the Somersault Cloud, saw the soy milk and fried dough sticks in Wang Sheng's hand and naturally took them to eat.

"Come with me to pick someone up in a bit," Wang Sheng said while drinking soy milk, worried that Li Dabai had had too much fun last night and had forgotten about the important matter.

"I know, I know...it's Factory Director Han's little princess." Li Xiaoran blinked. "Should I behave well?"

She didn't really want to curry favor with Han Jianu; she just felt that it might help Wang Sheng and prove that, apart from not being able to cook, she was still quite useful.

"Just be natural. Children are sensitive, so don't be too deliberate," Wang Sheng advised.

……

After finishing breakfast, the two got ready and went downstairs together.

I left the residential area, took a taxi, and arrived at the Beijing Film Studio.

On a summer morning, the sunlight was already quite scorching.

As we approached Han Sanping's apartment building, we saw a little girl in a floral dress and carrying a backpack standing at the building entrance, looking around curiously.

"A beautiful woman!"

Wang Sheng shouted.

Upon hearing the sound, Han Jianu turned around and immediately ran over like a little bird: "Uncle Wang! You're here!"

She first called out to Wang Sheng, then her gaze curiously fell on Li Xiaoran, who was dressed neatly and beautifully beside Wang Sheng. She blinked her big eyes and greeted her sweetly, "Hello, sister!"

That "Hello, sister!" was crisp and sweet, making Li Xiaoran's heart flutter with joy. A smile instantly bloomed on her face as she squatted down and said softly, "You must be Jia Nu? How lovely! Hello!"

Wang Sheng, standing to the side, instantly fell apart: "Jia Nu, didn't we agree that you'd call me 'brother'? How come you're calling me 'uncle' now?"

With an innocent and naive look, Han Jianu glanced at Wang Sheng, then at the smiling Li Xiaoran, and declared confidently, "Daddy's colleagues are uncles and aunties. Uncle Wang is Daddy's colleague. This pretty older sister is Uncle Wang's friend, so she's the older sister!"

The logic is clear and impeccable.

"Hahaha..." Li Xiaoran couldn't help but laugh at the clever little devil, her laughter shaking her head, and she glanced at Wang Sheng triumphantly.

Wang Sheng could only reach out his "devilish claws" and "angrily rub" Han Jianu's little head again.

Han Jianu giggled as her hair was ruffled, dodging away, "Ouch, my hair's all messed up!"

"Set off."

Wang Sheng, holding Han Jianu's hand, walked with Li Xiaoran toward the factory gate.

Wang Sheng had already instructed his assistant to make arrangements, contacting the factory's car fleet to have a black Santana and a driver waiting there.

The driver was a tall, strong man surnamed Yang. He had a kind face and had served in the army in his younger days. He was skilled in martial arts and was more than capable of being a bodyguard.

"Master Yang, thank you for your hard work today," Wang Sheng greeted him politely.

"Mr. Wang, you're too kind. It's my pleasure," Master Yang replied with a smile, opening the car door.

Wang Sheng had Han Jianu and Li Xiaoran sit in the back seat, while he himself sat in the passenger seat.

"Beautiful lady, where would you like to go?" Wang Sheng asked, turning around.

"The zoo! I saw on TV that there are giant pandas!" Han Jianu immediately raised her hand, then asked cautiously, "Is it okay, Uncle Wang?"

Wang Sheng thought to himself, "You're from Chengdu, right? Logically speaking, you shouldn't be tired of seeing this already."
But then I thought about it again, and it seems that Han Sanping hasn't gone back in the past few years, so Han Jianu probably hasn't seen the iron-eating beast that everyone in Sichuan province has for a long time.

Wang Sheng: "Of course! Let's go to the Beijing Zoo!"

……

The history of giant panda breeding at Beijing Zoo can be traced back to 1995. In recent years, Beijing Zoo has made great achievements in giant panda breeding technology. In 1992-1993, the first cub "Yongliang" was successfully raised entirely by artificial means and did not drink its mother's milk. In 1995-1996, the newborn cub "Shanshan" was raised entirely by artificial means.

Looking at the adorable giant pandas, the majestic tigers, and the elegant giraffes... Han Jianu's face flushed with excitement as she held Li Xiaoran's hand and asked her all sorts of questions.

Li Xiaoran was very patient, accompanying the little girl to see the animals, explaining them to her, or discussing with the little girl "Why is this?", and the two quickly became familiar with each other.

This is the most tiring part of taking kids out to play.

It requires constant thinking and organizing of language to explain complex things in a way that children can understand, and it also requires dealing with all sorts of imaginative "whys".

Wang Sheng and Master Yang followed behind, one responsible for buying water and ice cream, carrying a backpack and taking photos, and the other responsible for keeping an eye on their surroundings. Their division of labor was quite clear.

Hearing the various questions raised by Han Jianu, Wang Sheng suddenly thought of the science popularization animation track.

Ok……

It seems that Beijing Film Academy has an animation major?
Go back and study it.

……

at the same time.

The Beijing Film Studio's Arts Department is efficiently carrying out the tasks assigned by Shi Dongming.

Xiao Han first contacted Zhao Benshan's agent and assistant, Zhao Gang, through the connections of the Arts Office.

Zhao Gang's acquaintance with Zhao Benshan began at a friend's gathering in 1992.

At that time, Zhao Benshan had already made a name for himself through his Spring Festival Gala skits, while Zhao Gang was a businessman engaged in the seafood business and had also worked in a song and dance troupe.

Two years ago, after Zhao Gang's business suffered a setback, Zhao Benshan admired his righteousness and resourcefulness, so he invited him to be his agent and bodyguard, thus beginning a long-term cooperative relationship between the two.

Later, Zhao Gang also played the role of "Gangzi" in "Ma Dashuai".

Upon receiving a call from the Beijing Film Studio's Arts Office, and hearing that it was a project of the Beijing Film Studio, with Wang Sheng of Shengying Media as the director and producer, Zhao Gang dared not be negligent.

Having spent a long time in the martial arts world, he knew the capital city was a dangerous place.

Zhao Gang did not reply immediately. Instead, he called several well-informed friends in Beijing's arts and culture circles to inquire about the background of Shengying Media and Wang Sheng.

The information that came back after making this inquiry surprised Zhao Gang.

It turned out that Wang Sheng was no ordinary son of the Beijing Film Studio; he was a figure who had been stirring up trouble in Beijing in recent months, directly and indirectly supporting thousands of people. He had a close relationship with Han Sanping, the director of the Beijing Film Studio, and was clearly a newly rising power with astonishing influence. He quickly reported the situation in detail to Zhao Benshan.

Zhao Benshan was in the capital at the time handling some business.

After listening to Zhao Gang's report, he pondered for a moment.

The fact that his program was canceled because he was late for the 94 Spring Festival Gala still haunts him.

Zhao Benshan knew that the capital was a place where hidden talents and powerful figures roamed, with many rules and extensive connections.

Wang Sheng is no ordinary person; he must be quite capable to have managed to set up such a large operation at this time.

Moreover, the prestigious reputation of the Beijing Film Studio holds a natural appeal for an actor like him, who comes from humble beginnings and desperately wants to integrate into the mainstream and gain wider recognition.

Making more friends like this and broadening your horizons is definitely a good thing.

“It’s good that Beijing Film Studio took the initiative to contact us.” Zhao Benshan said to Zhao Gang, “You should reply to them and say that I happen to be in Beijing and want to see when it’s convenient for Director Wang to meet and chat.”

"Understood, Brother Shan."

Zhao Gang agreed and immediately called the Beijing Film Studio's Arts Office back, speaking warmly and politely, expressing Mr. Zhao's willingness to cooperate and his desire to meet in Beijing.

Meanwhile, the arts office also contacted Guo Da and Gong Hanlin.

Guo Da received the invitation and, upon hearing that it was a project from the Beijing Film Studio and a family comedy, expressed great interest and readily agreed to further discussions.

After carefully inquiring about the role requirements, Gong Hanlin politely declined, giving a straightforward reason: "Thank you for thinking so highly of me, Mr. Wang, but I'm afraid my face isn't quite right for playing an old man, and the audience might easily lose immersion in the role. I'd rather leave the opportunity to a more suitable actor."

The staff of the Arts Office recorded these details in detail, summarized them, and reported them to Wang Sheng's assistant, Li Tingting.

Li Tingting immediately used the phone provided by Wang Sheng to send the message to Wang Sheng, who was at the zoo with her.

……

At the zoo, Han Jianu was watching a monkey show, her face still flushed with excitement.

Li Xiaoran stayed by her side, patiently telling her little facts about animals, and the two chatted and laughed.

When Wang Sheng received Li Tingting's call, he went to a quieter place to answer it.

"Mr. Wang, the Arts Office has replied. Mr. Zhao Benshan's response was very positive; he's in Beijing and hopes to meet with you to discuss things in detail. Here is his contact information..."

Li Tingting reported clearly and quickly: "Teacher Guo Da also expressed interest and said we could talk, and left his contact information. Teacher Gong Hanlin declined, saying that he felt his appearance might not be suitable for playing an old man."

Wang Sheng wrote down Zhao Benshan and Guo Da's contact information and said, "Okay, I understand."

……

hang up the phone.

Wang Sheng first dialed the number Zhao Gang had left behind.

The call was answered quickly; it was Zhao Gang's voice: "Hello?"

"Mr. Zhao Gang? I am Wang Sheng from Shengying Media." Wang Sheng's tone was calm.

"Oh, Mr. Wang! Hello, hello! Brother Shan has been waiting for your call!" Zhao Gang's voice immediately became enthusiastic.

"You're too kind, Professor Zhao. I heard you're in Beijing. Is it convenient for you tonight? I'll host a banquet at Wumingju, where we can eat and chat, and discuss the script and collaboration in detail." Wang Sheng extended the invitation, choosing Wumingju, a place that was both classy and culturally rich.

"Convenient, convenient! Brother Shan is free tonight! Wumingju, right? Okay, okay, we'll be there on time!" Zhao Gang readily agreed.

"Alright, then it will be 7 PM tonight at Wuming Residence. I look forward to seeing you there."

After hanging up with Zhao Gang, Wang Sheng immediately contacted Guo Da.

Guo Da readily agreed to the invitation to Wumingju at 7 p.m.

Finished the phone call.

Wang Sheng pondered Gong Hanlin for a moment, oh, he had indeed overlooked something. The other party was the opposite of Lao Zhao and Lao Guo; he looked young rather than old.

Oh well, it's just a supporting role anyway, we can just find a suitable male actor later.

(End of this chapter)