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

The first few chapters seem to have been censored. Let's see if they can be released before noon tomorrow.

We can all watch it together then.

Since it's the first day's reward of 10,000, let's still calculate it as one 10,000 reward plus two chapters.

[Thank you so much to [殇fhc] for the generous donation!]

Let's keep counting the remaining 10,000-yuan rewards as one extra chapter. If we count them as two chapters each, I might explode.

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After Li Lin left, the filming of "Brotherhood of Blades" continued as scheduled, and before we knew it, it was the end of September.

Blueberry TV and Huayi simultaneously launched promotional campaigns for "Running Man" on various social media platforms.

The overwhelming posters, the official announcements and congratulations from the original team, and the announcements of the guest lineup for the mainland version quickly ignited the audience's enthusiasm.

This show will air every Friday at 9 PM starting October 10th, taking over the time slot of Blueberry TV's phenomenal show, "The Voice of China".

The exclusive online streaming rights were jointly acquired by Kiwi and Tencent Video, setting the stage for a massive online traffic boom.

In the conference room of Mohen Media, the relevant team worked day and night to coordinate and prepare for the final stage before the broadcast.

Meanwhile, the crew of "Twenty Your Life On" was quietly assembled, and the opening ceremony was held on the campus of a university in Shenzhen.

This drama tells the story of several girls who live in the same college dormitory. In the year before they enter society, they experience a series of setbacks, but ultimately gain love and growth in life and in the workplace.

Dilraba Dilmurat plays the cold beauty "Liang Shuang" in this drama, Meng Ziyi plays Luo Yan, who comes from a good family but has a free and easy personality, and Bai Lu plays Jiang Xiaoguo, an ordinary girl with average looks.

Shen Mo did not appear at the start of filming for "Twenty Your Life On".

He was still making his final push on the set of "Brotherhood of Blades".

But every day, he receives progress reports on various projects on his phone.

Several girls would even send him private messages about some trivial things that happened in the group.

Besides Meng Ziyi, she also insisted on ignoring Shen Mo until she had made up her mind.

On the other hand, Chen Jun, as Mohen's board representative at Huayi, called Shen Mo after attending Huayi's board meeting today.

"President Shen, the repairs to Huayi's ship are progressing faster than expected."

Chen Jun got straight to the point.

"From hitting a low of 12 yuan after the collapse of '1942' to the current 80 yuan, its market value has increased several times in less than a year."

In January and February, Jackie Chan's "Chinese Zodiac" and Stephen Chow's "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons" were released one after another and achieved good box office results, directly boosting Huayi's stock price to 21 yuan.

In April, Huayi reduced its holdings of mobile game concept stocks it had previously acquired, cashing out 380 million yuan, which helped push Huayi's stock price soar to 35 yuan.

In July, having tasted success, Huayi once again hyped up its proposed acquisition of another mobile game concept stock, directly pushing the stock price to a new high of NT$51.

Earlier this month, Huayi further jumped into the next wave of speculative stocks by acquiring a 70% stake in Zhang Guoli's film and television company, directly boosting the stock price to its current level of 80 yuan.

"When we were in the meeting just now, Wang Zhongjun was talking at length about how to reduce the homogenization of films."

Chen Jun paused for a moment, then added, "He also said that he was confident in leading Huayi to break through the 100 yuan mark in stock price."

Shen Mo scoffed upon hearing this.

"Then ask the Wang brothers if they're interested in acquiring my 5% stake through an off-exchange transaction. You don't have to wait for 100; I'll lower the price by 10 yuan now, so it'll only cost them 70."

"If you don't eat it now, the price will be different after 'Running Man' airs in half a month."

"Furthermore, if none of them are interested, then I will have to issue an announcement to reduce my holdings. Please don't blame me for the resulting stock price fluctuations."

Chen Jun was silent for two seconds on the other end of the phone, clearly processing the weight of Shen Mo's words.

"Mr. Shen, are you... leaving?"

"Once the pigs are fattened up, they should be eaten. If they're raised any longer, they'll become tough and unpalatable."

Shen Mo clearly remembered that the time was approaching.

If I remember correctly, in another month, Stephen Chow will sue Huayi Brothers because they don't intend to share the profits from "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons," citing the invalidity of their verbal promises.

Moreover, all these previous positive news announcements were just hype for hot concept stocks. Once the market calms down, the bubble will eventually burst. Even without this lawsuit, the price would have been driven down sooner or later.

This lawsuit will cause Huayi's prices, which have been rising for nearly a year, to be halved.

What angered the market most in the past was not just that they had cheated Stephen Chow, but the Wang brothers' cashing out and leaving. They and all the shareholders with family ties chose to reduce their holdings of Huayi's shares during this period, cashing out a total of more than 18 billion yuan.

This move directly halved Huayi's reputation and stock price once again.

Shen Mo wasn't worried at all about offending Huayi.

Because this private deal was a lucrative opportunity for the Wang brothers.

If they want to hold it, the price is far lower than the current 80 yuan.

If they want to cash out, they can resell it to others for a few dollars more and make a considerable profit.

With all that back and forth, how could they not make hundreds of millions more?

As for why they don't trade directly on the stock market...

That's because shareholders holding more than 5% of the shares need to give at least 15 days' notice before publicly selling their shares on the secondary market.

Once the announcement is made public, the stock price will inevitably fluctuate wildly within 15 days, and it's hard to say whether it will still be possible to sell it at 70.

If it affects the stock price, it will inevitably offend Alibaba and Tencent.

If they also start selling in the secondary market, you can imagine how badly the stock price will collapse.

Only over-the-counter transactions can completely divest 5% of the equity in one go; the secondary market simply cannot.

Therefore, the best option to preserve both face and interests is off-exchange trading.

Shen Mo chooses to pass 70 to the Wang brothers, who may then choose 75 to pass to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The SMEs may then distribute the 70s to individual investors, such as 76, 77, or even 80s, in a game of musical chairs.

More importantly, besides needing someone to take over his burdens, Shen Mo also needs someone to act as a shield.

On the day the stock price crashes, those who have been fleeced will inevitably need to find a target to vent their anger.

At that time, what people saw was that the Wang brothers bought back Mohen's shares at a low price, and then they sold them at a high price to cash out.

At this point, Shen Mo, who had already quietly left the scene, could safely hide in the background and extricate himself from the vortex of public opinion to the greatest extent possible.

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Wang Zhonglei paced back and forth in Wang Zhongjun's office, making Wang Zhongjun's head ache.

"What does Shen Mo mean by this?"

Wang Zhonglei's voice trembled with anger.

"70 yuan? Shen Mo really dares to ask for that much!"

He suddenly stopped in front of his desk and slammed his hand on the surface.

"They came in with just over ten yuan, and now they want us to leave for 70?"

"Are you using 'Running Man' as an excuse? Are you trying to threaten us?"

He became increasingly angry as he spoke, and the veins on his neck became faintly visible.

"Brother, we can't take it! Let him sell it on the stock market! I don't believe he can get it for 70."

Compared to Wang Zhonglei's irritability, Wang Zhongjun, sitting in the main seat, appeared unusually silent.

"Zhong Lei, sit down."

He slowly exhaled a smoke ring and pondered for a moment.

"Losing your temper won't solve anything."

"Brother! I can't swallow this!"

Wang Zhonglei sat down heavily on the sofa next to him.

Wang Zhongjun picked up his teacup and took a small sip.

"If he can't get it for 70, does that mean we can?"

"Don't forget, we can't let him ruin our share reduction plan."

Wang Zhonglei immediately fell silent and turned to look at Wang Zhongjun.

"Did he figure something out? Shen Mo isn't a reckless man; it's impossible that he would choose this exact time to contact us."

Wang Zhongjun nodded, looking at Wang Zhonglei with satisfaction. This younger brother was capable, but he was easily carried away.

"He chose this time and this method to propose it because he was certain that we would take over."

"And we should also thank him."

Wang Zhonglei took out a cigarette, lit it, and looked at Wang Zhongjun with a puzzled expression.

"I'm being merciful by not doing anything to him, why would I thank him? Dude, you're kidding me."

Wang Zhongjun scoffed, "How much capital and how many positive news announcements would we need to withstand the market panic caused by a major shareholder's announcement of a reduction in holdings exceeding 5%?"

"If the price drops by half, the funds we could have cashed out could be cut in half."

"If we take it on at 70 as he suggested, we can resell it at 75."

"These 5% of the shares are enough for us to make at least 1 million from the price difference."

"Do you think we should thank him?"

Wang Zhonglei opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but couldn't find any strong words. He just loosened his tie in frustration.

"So, bro, you mean... to take it?"

"Can't we just not accept it? Let him smash it. We were able to go from 12 yuan to the current 80 yuan, and we can still go back to 80 yuan or even break through 100 yuan."

Wang Zhongjun gave a cold smile. "Don't act rashly."

"Outsiders may not know, but don't you and I know it ourselves?"

"I know you don't want to go through all this trouble for Huayi, the company we founded. It represents our hard work and dedication."

"But!"

"The current stock price is just a castle in the air, it's unreal and could collapse at any time."

"All of our recent positive growth drivers—the mobile game concept, moving away from solely relying on movies, and themed film and television towns—are all valid under scrutiny."

"If we don't cash out now while the market is high, are we going to wait until the bubble bursts and then go back to making movies and earning a meager living?"

"At the current price, the shares we sell will bring us at least a billion dollars. With that money in hand, we can go anywhere in the world."

"Even if Huayi collapses, we can create several more Huayis."

"Besides, it might not even collapse. What will happen when the stock price collapses is still the core team and network of Huayi. What impact will that have?"

"So, do you think we should accept the more than one hundred million that Shen Mo gave us, or not?"

Wang Zhonglei took a deep drag on his cigarette, looking utterly helpless.

"Brother, I understand, but where are we going to get so much cash? We haven't even successfully cashed out ourselves yet!"

Wang Zhongjun paused, a shrewd calculation flashing in his eyes.

"Cash flow is indeed tight."

"But haven't Huang Xiaoming, Li Chen, and Feng Xiaogang always wanted to become shareholders of Huayi?"

"But haven't Huang Xiaoming, Li Chen, and Feng Xiaogang always wanted to become shareholders of Huayi?"

"It's time for us to unite the artists under Huayi Brothers and give them a chance to become the owners of Huayi."

"The price is 75, and it's 0.5% per person. Go ask them."

"Just say this is a perk they're getting in return for their years of working together; you know, this is way below market price."

Wang Zhonglei's cigarette was half-burned between his fingers. He took a deep drag, and his eyes lit up as he listened to Wang Zhongjun's words.

"What if you weren't the older brother?"

"That's truly remarkable!"

"This is equivalent to directly tying them to Huayi's car. Even if Huayi's market value plummets later, they won't dare to leave easily."

Wang Zhongjun smiled and nodded when he saw that he had finally caught up with the train of thought.

"Take Shen Mo's words with you: if you don't want to take it now, the price might change when Running Man airs in a few days."

"Especially Li Chen, who was deeply involved in the production of 'Running Man,' he understands the potential of the show better than anyone else."

"Understood!" Wang Zhonglei stubbed out his cigarette, stood up, and said, "I'll make the arrangements right away, and we'll talk to them one by one in private."

Wang Zhongjun tapped the table and continued to add.

"We can also contact Shuang Bing and Zhang Ziyi. Although they have left, we can still boost the stock price by getting them on board with Huayi."

"Reply to Shen Mo that we agree to his conditions in principle."

"However, the closing date and payment method need to be finalized in detail."

"Tell him that we are very sincere and hope he can understand that such a large transaction always takes some time to raise funds."

Only by keeping Shen Mo from issuing a reduction announcement can we have enough time and space to distribute our shares.

"Okay, I'll have Chen Jun handle the details and stall him for a few days." Wang Zhonglei understood immediately.

"And another thing," Wang Zhongjun looked up at him.

"Have the legal department review the case regarding Stephen Chow's profit-sharing dispute again."

"Shen Mo chose this time because he probably knows something."

"At least, before Shen Mo's shareholding is dealt with cleanly and our own share reduction plan is completed, we need to stall Stephen Chow and prevent him from causing trouble."

Wang Zhonglei's expression hardened: "I'll personally oversee it."

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In Wang Zhongjun's office.

After shaking hands, Shen Mo and Wang Zhongjun sat facing each other, while Wang Zhonglei sat on a sofa a little further away.

Wang Zhongjun personally refilled Shen Mo's teacup, saying, "President Shen's timing in coming in and out is truly admirable."

"Now that things have settled down, I'm a little curious. If it's convenient, could you reveal a few details?"

"Regarding Huayi, Mr. Shen, do you think there's something wrong with our course, or...?"

To put it bluntly: Why did you run?

Shen Mo took the teacup, felt the warmth of the porcelain, and smiled.

"Mr. Wang, you flatter me."

"When I first came in, I hoped to turn our enmity into friendship with Huayi. Holding shares was a way of showing my sincerity."

"I think Huayi and our Mohen are already friends."

"Between friends, sincerity is key. Holding shares in each other only creates distance and limits the possibility of more flexible cooperation. What do you think?"

The words were well said, but Wang Zhongjun chuckled twice, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

"Mr. Shen, you have a keen eye for detail. Are there any new plans for the future?"

Shen Mo leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice.

"To be honest, Mr. Wang, we have indeed discovered some interesting areas recently."

Wang Zhongjun's eyes flickered. Shen Mo's reputation for "Midas touch" was well-known, and he had long wanted a piece of the pie.

"Mr. Shen, have you made a new discovery? Would it be convenient to share a little bit?"

Shen Mo had been waiting for him to say that, and his smile deepened.

"Mr. Wang, are you interested? Our Mohen Fund No. 3 will begin accepting applications early next month. You can learn more about it then."

He gently swirled his teacup. "We welcome any investor, especially someone like Mr. Wang, who has just completed asset optimization and has ample funds on hand."

The words "asset optimization" struck Wang Zhongjun's mind.

His smile remained unchanged, but his eyes suddenly sharpened.

Shen Mo was indeed aware of their share reduction plan.

Countless thoughts raced through Wang Zhongjun's mind in an instant.

Is it Shen Mo's amazing intelligence capabilities, or is it something within Huayi?

He suppressed his surprise and said with a smile, "President Shen is well-informed."

"The Third Fund sounds very interesting. I will definitely study it carefully when the time comes. I can't miss such a good learning opportunity."

He didn't agree immediately, but left a clear line.

"Then I look forward to Mr. Wang's participation."

Shen Mo raised his glass in acknowledgment, everything was understood without words.

Wang Zhonglei, who had been listening in, couldn't help but interject, his tone deliberately bold.

"Mr. Shen, Running Man will be airing tomorrow. Although we are no longer shareholders, we can still continue our cooperation."

Shen Mo looked at him and smiled.

"Mr. Wang is right. Running Man is a project for everyone, and we should all work together to make it even better."

"Moreover, we have always valued Huayi's foundation and resources, and there will be many opportunities for cooperation in the future."

Wang Zhongjun also raised his glass at the opportune moment.

"Then I wish 'Running Man' a great start, and I also wish our cooperation will reach new heights in the future! Mr. Shen, please!"

"Please, Mr. and Mrs. Wang."

Watching his secretary see Shen Mo off, Wang Zhonglei finally breathed a long sigh of relief and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

"Bro, that Shen Mo is a real bastard."

"I thought it was all over, but they left a hook behind before they left."

Wang Zhongjun returned to his seat.

"If he didn't have this ability, Mohen wouldn't be where he is today."

"Fund No. 3...have your subordinates follow it closely."

"clear."

Wang Zhonglei nodded, then became somewhat excited.

"But bro, can his third fund maintain the previous returns of 400% and 325%? Does he really want to lead us to make money?"

"He's after the funds we use to reduce our holdings, but aren't we also after his profits?"

"Everyone has their own agenda, that's normal."

Wang Zhongjun closed his eyes. "Running Man will be released tomorrow. Please help promote it. This is the basis for our cooperation with him."

"Furthermore, once Running Man airs tomorrow, as long as the data isn't bad, the stock price will definitely surge."

"Take this opportunity to quickly clear out the shares we plan to reduce our holdings."

"I'm worried that things might change if we delay."