The Entertainment Industry in Turmoil: Young Actresses All Want to Rise to the Top

Just as Shen Mo had anticipated, Hua Yi's invitation arrived.

One weekday evening, Wang Zhongjun abandoned the idea of ​​having Sha Yi act as an intermediary, and instead asked Han Sanping to act as an intermediary to give Shen Mo a heads-up beforehand, and then he took the initiative to call Shen Mo himself.

His tone was calm, as if he were simply inviting friends for a casual get-together.

When Shen Mo received the call, he was looking at the post-production progress report of "The Journey of Flower". After a moment's thought, he agreed.

When the other party politely asked him to choose a location, he immediately chose Xue Lu, not only because of its elegant tea aroma, but more importantly, because it was his home turf.

When the Wang brothers arrived, Shen Mo was already sitting inside. Upon seeing the two enter, he calmly stood up to greet them.

Wang Zhongjun extended his right hand first, a perfect smile on his face, "President Shen, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule."

Shen Mo shook hands with him, his grip steady and even. He then turned his gaze to Wang Zhonglei behind him and said, "Mr. Wang, you're too kind. It's my honor to have been invited by you two seniors."

Wang Zhonglei twitched the corners of his mouth and gave a stiff "hmm," but his smile was somewhat unnatural, far less smooth than his brother's.

Just as the three of them sat down, Li Yitong gracefully arrived with tea and snacks.

She sat down naturally beside Shen Mo, gently placed the celadon saucer on the tea table, then looked up and smiled slightly, "Please forgive any shortcomings in our hospitality, Mr. and Mrs. Wang. I am Li Yitong from Mohen."

Wang Zhongjun immediately stood up, raised his hand to gently grasp the fingertips that Li Yitong had extended, and then quickly let go. "President Li is too modest. I have long heard of the elegant fragrance of Xuelu tea, and seeing it today, I can confirm that it truly lives up to its reputation."

The tea master who followed Li Yitong in was about to demonstrate the brewing process when Li Yitong waved her hand slightly, saying, "Let me do it. You can go out first."

She took the teapot and smoothly completed the steps of warming the cups, adding tea leaves, and waking the tea.

As the golden tea liquor was poured into the aroma-smelling cups, she explained softly, "This is Phoenix Dancong tea, freshly picked this year. Please try it and see if it suits your taste."

When Wang Zhongjun took the teacup from Li Yitong, he deliberately used his fingertips to gently support the bottom of the cup, lowering its height.

Wang Zhonglei, standing to the side, stared at Li Yitong's hand, which did not lower the teacup at all, his eyebrows twitching slightly, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes.

After drinking the tea, Wang Zhongjun started the conversation, "President Shen, there might have been some... misunderstandings between our two families before."

Wang Zhongjun wasn't afraid of Shen Mo, or rather, Mohen. To put it bluntly, Mohen's influence in the entertainment industry is still not as great as Huayi's.

However, Shen Mo's extensive investments and connections in the capital sector, coupled with the recent involvement of Tencent and Baidu in entertainment content production, have created significant, though not fatal, threats and pressures for Huayi.

However, what is most important to the Wang brothers is Shen Mo's act of raising his placard, which has resulted in him now being qualified to join the Huayi board of directors.

With another director from Tencent on the board, given the current relationship between Shen Mo and Tencent, it's unlikely that he can prevent the other party from joining the board.

Moreover, if the two parties join forces, it will pose a fatal threat to Huayi's operations.

Wang Zhongjun carefully chose his words, speaking sincerely, "In the business world, some friction is inevitable."

"You young people are so ambitious and enterprising, while we old folks sometimes can't keep up with the times."

"Let bygones be bygones. I hope Mr. Shen won't take it to heart."

He made no mention of the failure of "1942" and its market value loss, nor of the frustration of being shorted, only lightly glossing it over with "misunderstanding" and "concept," thus preserving the greatest possible dignity for himself.

Wang Zhonglei listened from the side, his expression changing, but he finally picked up his wine glass and said in a muffled voice.

"Mr. Shen, I, Lao Wang, am a rough man. If I have offended you before, this cup of tea is my apology."

Having said that, he drank it all in one gulp.

Shen Mo looked at the scene before him and understood. He raised his teacup and gestured gently to the two people opposite him, then blew away the rising steam and took a sip.

He didn't follow up with the other party's apology, as that would have seemed petty.

"Mr. Wang, you flatter me. Market competition is all about using different methods; there's no question of offending anyone."

"Moreover, we are now shareholders of Huayi. Since we have already made a share purchase, it means that we will not get off the bus at least in the short term. We believe in Huayi's prospects and are willing to move forward together."

"Huayi is a benchmark in the domestic film and television industry, and there are many things we at Mohen can learn from them. I have always believed that healthy competition is essential for the development of the industry."

Shen Mo casually defined the past confrontation as "market competition" and "each relying on their own means," accepting the other party's offer of a way out while also maintaining Mohen's position, without showing the slightest smugness or weakness.

A hint of admiration flashed in Wang Zhongjun's eyes. This young man was more composed and experienced than he had imagined.

He smoothly continued, "Mr. Shen is right, healthy competition!"

"So, the reason we invited Mr. Shen here today is to see if there's any possibility of cooperation between our two companies, besides competition?"

"So, the reason we invited Mr. Shen here today is to see if there's any possibility of cooperation between our two companies, besides competition?"

"After all, Huayi has its channels and foundation, while Mohen has its creativity and sharpness. A strong alliance may well create greater value."

Shen Mo put down his wine glass, adopting a willingness to listen, "What specific ideas does Mr. Wang have?"

"I'd like to know first whether Mohen has any plans to join Huayi's board of directors."

Upon hearing this, Shen Mo took the teapot from Li Yitong and immediately began refilling the tea for the two kings.

He did not answer immediately. After filling the teapot to about seven-tenths full, he gently placed it back, making a barely audible sound.

He raised his eyes, his gaze calmly meeting Wang Zhongjun's probing eyes, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Mr. Wang, that's a very direct question." Shen Mo's voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet tea room.

"As a shareholder of Huayi, it is Mohen's duty to exercise his shareholder rights and pay attention to the company's development. As for the board of directors..."

He paused briefly, as if choosing his words carefully, or perhaps observing the other person's reaction, "A seat is certainly necessary."

"It's not about interfering with Huayi's specific operations. Mr. Wang has been at the helm of Huayi for many years and has a wealth of experience, which we fully respect."

"What Inkmark hopes for is a smooth communication channel to ensure that our voice as a major shareholder can be heard, especially when it comes to the company's long-term strategy and major investment decisions."

He didn't aggressively demand multiple seats or key positions, but he wanted to plant a seed of doubt, at least to deter Huayi from easily taking action against Mohen.

"However," Shen Mo changed the subject.

"Personally, I think that right now, it's more meaningful for both of us to explore how to substantially expand the pie than to focus on a single board seat."

"If Huayi's profound foundation, vast distribution network, and abundant artist resources can be effectively combined with Mohen's exploration in content innovation, IP operation, and marketing planning, the resulting energy will surely be greater than 2."

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze sweeping over the Wang brothers.

"For example, some of Huayi's classic IPs might be revitalized through the perspective of Mohen."

"Some of Mohen's large-scale projects also require Huayi's strong channel support."

"In fact, we can even form a certain degree of strategic synergy when dealing with overseas market expansion or certain crises."

Shen Mo skillfully avoided the sensitive topic of "joining the board of directors." He responded to Wang Zhongjun's probing and even painted a tempting picture of cooperation.

Then the ball was kicked back to him, telling him: the value of cooperation far outweighs the struggle for a board seat.

Wang Zhongjun's eyes flickered as he listened, and he had to raise his opinion of Shen Mo even higher.

This young man knows how to push his luck, how to retreat in order to advance, and how to make empty promises.

Although Wang Zhonglei still harbored resentment towards Shen Mo, his expression softened somewhat upon hearing about "making the pie bigger" and the possibility of concrete cooperation.

Capital is driven by profit; if a win-win way to make money can be found, then past unpleasantness can perhaps be temporarily set aside.

The aroma of tea still lingered, but the atmosphere inside the private room had quietly shifted from the initial tentative exploration and subtle confrontation to a pragmatic discussion of future possibilities.

"We've noticed the success of Inkmark's 'Little Series' and the numerous IPs it holds." Wang Zhongjun leaned forward slightly.

"Perhaps some of our artists would be a good fit for Inkhen's future projects..."

Wang Zhonglei added from the side, "I heard that President Shen owns the copyright to 'Running Man'?"

Shen Mo nodded. "That's right. We plan to launch the Running Man project after the TV series 'The Journey of Flower,' which will be released on May 7th, ends."

Wang Zhonglei glanced at Wang Zhongjun beside him, and a barely perceptible smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

Click on me?

"If President Shen and President Li don't mind," Wang Zhonglei continued, picking up where Shen Mo left off, "we could participate in the marketing of 'The Journey of Flower' to show our sincerity and make up for the previous misunderstandings."

Upon hearing this, Shen Mo smiled warmly, then picked up his teacup, and Li Yitong followed suit, gesturing to the two kings.

Gradually, the atmosphere in the private room shifted from the initial slight awkwardness to a genuine business discussion.

Shen Mo listened patiently, occasionally asking questions or offering his opinions, while Li Yitong acted as a waiter, interjecting at opportune moments to break up the conversation and create a relaxed atmosphere.

Shen Mo understood that Huayi's initiative to back down and propose cooperation was based on the powerful strength and unstoppable momentum that Mohen had demonstrated.

However, this does not mean that the previous hatred has disappeared; it has only been temporarily suppressed.

Ironically, for Shen Mo, investing in Huayi was not about actually cooperating.

Besides joining the board of directors and making some money, it can also clear away some unnecessary obstacles for Mohen, and gain more room for development and resources for Mohen.

"I find the suggestions from the two Mr. Wangs very constructive."

Shen Mo finally spoke slowly, a business-like smile on his face, "Regarding the specific cooperation model, you can have your subordinates connect first and come up with a few feasible solutions, and then we can discuss them in detail."

Upon hearing this, Wang Zhongjun knew that his goal for the day had been achieved, and his smile became even more sincere.

"Alright! It's settled then! Come on, Mr. Shen, let's have another drink to celebrate our future cooperation!"

The latest update is now live and awaits your interpretation.