Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 94, Section 93: Father Gao: What's Your Strength? (Part 1) (Revised)

Monday, October 7, 1996.

The hustle and bustle of the National Day holiday has barely subsided, and Beijing is now bathed in the bright sunshine of a clear autumn day.

The guards standing at the entrance of Beijing Film Studio still stood ramrod straight, and the studio area had long since returned to its usual busy pace on weekdays.

Around 9:30 a.m., a middle-aged man wearing a slightly worn but neat dark blue Zhongshan suit, glasses, and with a refined demeanor arrived at the window of the guardhouse next to the gate of Beijing Film Studio.

With a hint of hesitation and scrutiny on his face, he looked at the sign "Beijing Film Studio" at the entrance, and then at the various people coming in and out, before stepping forward to speak to the old man in the gatehouse.

"Excuse me, sir. I'm looking for Mr. Wang, the general manager of Shengying Media."

The middle-aged man's voice was gentle, but it carried the clear and logical quality of an intellectual: "I am the parent of one of his... friends, my surname is Gao."

Old Zhang, who was drinking tea from an enamel mug in the gatehouse, raised his eyelids upon hearing this and sized up the man in front of him, who looked like a government official or a technician.

Upon hearing that he was looking for "General Manager Wang of Shengying Media" and that it was "a friend's parent," Old Zhang's attitude immediately warmed up.

"Looking for General Manager Wang? Please wait a moment, I'll get in touch with him right away." Old Zhang put down his teacup, skillfully picked up the old-fashioned factory internal telephone, and dialed the number for Shengying Media's dispatch center.

Mr. Gao stood outside the window, waiting quietly, but his eyes were unconsciously observing his surroundings.

He saw the old man at the gatehouse answer the phone and say politely into the receiver, "Hello, is this the dispatch center of Shengying Media? This is Old Zhang from the gatehouse. There's a comrade surnamed Gao here. He says he's the parent of a friend of General Manager Wang and is looking for General Manager Wang... Yes, his surname is Gao... Okay, okay, I'll wait for news."

After hanging up the phone, Old Zhang smiled at Gao's father and said, "Comrade, please wait two minutes. They said they'll send someone to pick you up right away."

A slight thought crossed Gao's father's mind.

From the quick response and polite attitude of the reception staff, he vaguely sensed that the "General Manager Wang" his daughter mentioned did indeed hold a high position within the Beijing Film Studio and was by no means an ordinary young entrepreneur.

While waiting, Gao's father casually asked Old Zhang, "Master, may I ask what kind of work this General Manager Wang is mainly responsible for in our factory? Young man, you're very capable."

Upon hearing this, Old Zhang immediately became talkative, saying with a hint of pride, "Oh, you've come to the right place! General Manager Wang is our factory's current manager!"

He gave a thumbs up, "Don't let his young age fool you, he's got real skills! He owns Shengying Media Company, which rents space in our factory's main building. He makes...wedding movies, yes, he specializes in filming wedding videos for rich people, and each deal is worth hundreds of thousands!"
He solved a major problem for the factory, freeing up a lot of equipment and manpower. Even Factory Director Han treats him like a treasure!
He recently won a national award, something like the Youth Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Award, amazing! Our factory hasn't had someone like that in years..."

Old Zhang kept praising him, while Gao's father listened quietly, but his heart was filled with turmoil.

A single order worth hundreds of thousands?

A national award?

The factory manager's favorite?
These pieces of information, pieced together, gave him an initial impression of the young man he was about to meet that far exceeded his expectations.

The daughter's description of the "big boss" and "very powerful" seems to be more than just an exaggeration by a young girl.

Just as I was pondering this, a young woman in her early twenties, dressed in a well-fitting business suit, walked briskly from the direction of the main building of the factory area, with a professional and friendly smile on her face.

"Hello, are you Gao Yuanyuan's father?" the woman asked politely as she approached.

Mr. Gao snapped out of his thoughts and nodded, saying, "Yes, I am Gao Yuanyuan's father."

"Hello Mr. Gao, I am Li Tingting, the head of the artist department at Shengying Media. I am fully responsible for signing artists. Please follow me." Li Tingting stepped aside to lead the way, her posture respectful yet generous. "Thank you for your trouble, Manager Li." Mr. Gao thanked her and followed Li Tingting into the Beijing Film Studio compound.

Passing through the Soviet-style factory buildings, we arrived at the first floor of the main building.

The entire floor is now used by Shengying Media. The office area is clean and bright, with the sounds of telephones ringing, typewriters typing, and people talking in hushed tones, exuding a vibrant energy.

Mr. Gao nodded to himself; the company's atmosphere was indeed extraordinary.

Li Tingting led Gao's father to an office with a sign that read "Artist Management Department Office".

Li Tingting pushed open the door and stepped aside, saying, "Mr. Gao, please."

Mr. Gao strode into the office.

……

"Manager Li, I apologize for the intrusion and for disturbing your work," Mr. Gao said politely as he sat down on the sofa in the office's reception area.

"Mr. Gao, you're too kind."

Li Tingting sat on the sofa opposite and personally picked up the teapot on the coffee table to pour a cup of hot tea for Mr. Gao: "Yuanyuan mentioned to me that you might come. I have been looking forward to meeting you."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Li Tingting looked at Mr. Gao, smiled slightly, and said with certainty, "Mr. Gao, if I'm not mistaken, you must be an engineer, right? Someone who works in a technical field."

Mr. Gao paused slightly as he was about to pick up his teacup, a hint of surprise flashing across his face: "Oh? Manager Li... how did you know?"

Li Tingting smiled, her tone relaxed: "A feeling. It's just an intuition. Judging from your demeanor, your speech, and these hands..."

Her gaze swept over Gao's father's fingers. "His knuckles are rather thick, and his nails are neatly trimmed but have slight wear on the edges, as if he frequently handles blueprints, tools, or instruments. Coupled with your calm and methodical demeanor, you're very much like the technical backbone of our factory. I deal with the master craftsmen in various workshops of the Beijing Film Studio every day, so I'm quite familiar with this kind of temperament."

Mr. Gao was even more surprised.

He is indeed a senior engineer at a research institute under the Ministry of Aerospace Industry, responsible for the research and development of precision instruments.

Unexpectedly, this young girl was so observant that she could guess the truth with great accuracy based on just one meeting and a few words.

This insight should not be underestimated.

He picked up his teacup, took a sip, concealing his inner turmoil, and smiled, "Manager Li has a good eye. I do indeed work in a technical unit. It seems you're not only good at business, but also have a knack for judging people."

"Mr. Gao, you flatter me."

Li Tingting waved her hand modestly, then changed the subject and returned to the main point: "Actually, whether I'm good at judging people or not, Yuanyuan is a good example."

The first time I met her at her school, I felt that this girl had a very special image and temperament, and was good material to be an actress.

That pure, innocent feeling, along with her expressiveness in front of the camera, shows great potential.

(End of this chapter)