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

The following morning, Huayi released a new announcement.

That detailed list documented the shareholdings of dozens of top-tier celebrities and directors, including Huang Xiaoming, Li Chen, and Fan Binbin.

The announcement emphasized that the shares repurchased from Inkstone Capital have been used to strengthen ties with core creative personnel in order to build a more solid business community.

Following closely behind, the celebrities on the list took to social media to speak out.

Huang Xiaoming's "We'll weather the storm together, and I trust Huayi," Fan Binbin's "Thank you for your companionship along the way, and I look forward to even better works," and so on.

Despite their cautious wording and avoidance of specific controversies, their collective appearance still demonstrated their support for Huayi.

With the full support of Huayi's public relations department, some mainstream media outlets began to adopt milder views such as "taking a rational view of commercial disputes" and "Huayi's core business remains solid."

It did indeed stop the bleeding.

The stock price, which had been plummeting, has slowed its decline significantly and even experienced a slight technical rebound.

On the candlestick chart, that alarming long bearish candlestick seems to be showing signs of stabilizing.

The heavy atmosphere in Wang Zhongjun's office finally began to circulate a little more.

"It seems we've weathered this hurdle for now."

Wang Zhonglei stared at the red numbers on the screen and let out a long sigh of relief, though the fatigue still lingered on his face.

"As long as the stock price can stabilize, the negative news can be gradually absorbed."

"We'll deal with Stephen Chow's side later..."

There's always room for maneuver.

Wang Zhongjun wasn't as optimistic as his younger brother, but his tense nerves relaxed slightly.

He was just about to instruct that the next step should be to closely monitor public opinion when his phone on the table suddenly vibrated.

Wang Zhongjun felt a sudden tightness in his chest and answered the phone.

The other person didn't exchange pleasantries, spoke in a very low voice, and spoke extremely quickly.

"Mr. Wang, something's wrong."

"Some very specific rumors have suddenly started circulating in the market, saying that you two brothers have reduced your holdings of Huayi shares, which were held by yourselves and your family on your behalf, through off-exchange transactions over the past month, potentially cashing out more than one billion yuan..."

"The sources of the news are diverse, but it spreads very quickly, and people in several core stock forums and private equity circles are already discussing it."

"What?!"

Wang Zhongjun's expression changed drastically, and his fingers gripping the phone tightened suddenly.

Is the information accurate? What is the source?

"The investigation is still ongoing, but the description is very detailed, including the time period of the share reduction, the buyer, and the specific percentage, all of which are quite accurate."

"It doesn't seem like a baseless rumor."

"Mr. Wang, if this news is confirmed or even spreads, the stabilizing effect of the previous list of artists holding shares will probably collapse instantly."

"And it will trigger an even more severe crisis of trust."

"After all, if the major shareholders are all running away, why should the minority shareholders and celebrity shareholders stay?"

After hanging up the phone, Wang Zhongjun's face was so gloomy it could drip water.

Wang Zhonglei sensed something was wrong from his brother's expression and snippets of conversation, and asked urgently.

"Brother, what's wrong? What happened again?"

Wang Zhongjun spat out these words through gritted teeth, looking coldly at his younger brother.

"The news about our share reduction was leaked."

"impossible!"

Wang Zhonglei suddenly stood up, his face drained of color.

"We operated so discreetly, using the people we trusted most and offshore structures, and each operation was small-scale and conducted in a decentralized manner. How could we have missed anything?"

"Now is not the time to investigate how it leaked!"

Wang Zhongjun roared, interrupting him, his temples throbbing with veins.

"The problem is, once this news gets picked up and amplified by the media, all our previous efforts will be in vain!"

"The stock price is going to crash!"

Wang Zhongjun slammed his hand on his mahogany desk, marking the first time in recent years that the usually composed man had lost his temper.

He could almost picture the scene: the stock price chart, which had just stabilized, might suddenly plummet.

As if to confirm his nightmare, Wang Zhonglei's phone also started ringing incessantly at almost the same time.

On the computer screen, the faint red that had just appeared on the slowly rising K-line disappeared instantly, and the stock price turned downwards, even faster than before!

"Investigate! Investigate immediately! Where did this news originate? Who is spreading it!"

Wang Zhonglei roared into the phone, his voice distorted with anger and terror.

However, in the internet age, especially in the capital market, the speed at which such "rumors" spread is particularly astonishing.

Moreover, carefully crafted messages are often difficult to trace back to their original source.

After all, this message could have come from an overseas forum account, an encrypted communication group, or from an "insider."

It's also possible that it's available through all channels.

What's even more fatal is that the truth of the news is not important; what matters is that it hits the most vulnerable nerve of Huayi's stock price at present.

If the major shareholders in power all abscond, then the facade of a stable foundation that Huayi had painstakingly built will become nothing but a castle in the air.

Within just half an hour, topics such as #WangBrothersCashOutAndLeave# and #HuayiMajorShareholderRunsAwayFirst# began to climb the social media trending list and rose at an astonishing speed.

Some financial media outlets have already caught wind of this and have begun to investigate. Although they still use words like "rumor" and "allegedly," it is enough to bring a fatal blow to Huayi's stock price.

In fact, if the Wang brothers had not reduced their holdings at this time, they would have only needed to publish a detailed announcement of Huayi's equity changes on the stock exchange's official website to deal with these rumors.

However, they dared not issue the announcement because they had actually reduced their holdings.

Although they do not reduce their holdings by 5% at once like Mohen, they are required to make a public announcement within three days.

However, once the details of the changes in the small shares they held on behalf of relatives and friends are made public, everyone will know that the Wang brothers have absconded.

Therefore, Huayi's public relations team only dared to draft statements to denounce market rumors, but dared not release any public information.

But this time, they faced a carefully planned, subtle attack.

Rebuke? It's useless.

Deny it? Then issue an announcement.

By the end of October, the weather in Beijing was gradually turning cooler. Although the air conditioning was on in the office, Wang Zhongjun still felt cold all over.

"Who is it?"

He gritted his teeth and muttered to himself.

"This is going to ruin Huayi!"

"This method is organized and involves a team."

"Too fast, too toxic, the collaboration is fantastic!"

"What exactly are they trying to do?"

He turned around abruptly and said to Wang Zhonglei, who looked bewildered.

"Quickly! Contact all major shareholders, especially Alibaba and Tencent!"

"We'll hold a shareholders' meeting this afternoon; let them help us hold things together."

"Also, prepare the company's working capital. No matter what, we must support the stock price when it opens tomorrow!"

Meanwhile, on the top floor of another building in the capital, Shen Mo received a report from Zhao Feng.

"Mr. Shen, the rumors about the Wang brothers reducing their holdings are already starting to have an effect."

"Huayi's stock price is under pressure again, which greatly increases the safety margin of our short positions."

Shen Mo picked up his teacup and took a small sip.

"Yeah, when a wall falls, everyone pushes it down."

He muttered to himself.

"I've drawn the first brick; now it's time for someone else to take over."

In the afternoon, the rectangular conference table at Huayi was filled with important shareholder representatives.

Wang Zhongjun sat in the main seat, with Wang Zhonglei sitting close to him. Their faces looked somewhat ashen under the overhead light.

Representatives from Alibaba and Tencent sat side by side, their faces expressionless, but the scrutiny and displeasure in their eyes were almost palpable.

Other institutional shareholders and celebrity shareholders also had various expressions.

At the beginning of the meeting, Wang Zhongjun tried to control the pace.

The company is currently facing "the troubles of false rumors" and "the pressure of malicious short selling".

It also emphasized that Huayi's core business is solid.

Finally, we urge shareholders to unite and overcome these difficult times together.

However, before he could finish speaking, the penguin representative interrupted him without any politeness.

"Chairman Wang."

"The rumors circulating online, especially those about the Wang family significantly reducing their holdings in the company, have caused a great deal of noise and seriously affected market confidence and the interests of all our shareholders."

We need a clear answer.

Are these rumors true or not?

"Have either of you reduced your holdings in the past period?"

"If it's reduced, by what specific percentage?"

The question went straight to the heart of the matter, without any roundabout approach.

The conference room fell silent instantly, and everyone's eyes were focused on Wang Zhongjun's face.

Wang Zhongjun's Adam's apple bobbed, his hand under the table clenched slightly, and he remained silent for a few seconds.

However, this silence itself is an answer.

Remember our domain name: [domain name omitted], you can read our content anytime.

When he spoke again, his voice carried a forced calmness.

"Everyone, the current stock price of Huayi is affected by the market, which is harming the interests of all of us."

"The most urgent task is to work together to stabilize the situation and defend against external attacks."

"I hope everyone can consider the bigger picture, trust the management team, trust Huayi's strength, and work together to overcome this challenge."

"We will also use Huayi's working capital and reserve funds for market value management."

He tried to steer the conversation toward solidarity, using shared interests to obscure the main point and garner support.

But the Alibaba representative immediately took over the conversation, speaking in an even more impolite tone than the Penguin representative.

"Chairman Wang, you can't say that."

"The premise of the overall situation is information transparency and a foundation of trust."

"If major shareholders have chosen to reduce their holdings, how can you expect other shareholders to consider the bigger picture?"

The penguin representative adjusted his glasses and added.

"Furthermore, based on our understanding..."

"During this period, some of Huayi's projects have also been stalled or re-evaluated."

"It's hard not to wonder whether the company's cash flow is really as robust as the announcement claims."

"Chairman Wang, whether or not to reduce your holdings is not just a personal financial decision for you, but also a right that all Huayi shareholders should be aware of."

"This news is spreading like wildfire, and you have a responsibility to provide the most direct clarification."

Is it difficult to request the stock exchange to disclose the latest changes in shareholdings in a timely manner?

The two worked in unison, giving Wang Zhongjun no chance to change the subject.

At this moment, they not only represent the interests of their own company, but also, to some extent, voice the concerns that other small and medium-sized shareholders dare not express openly.

The air in the meeting room was almost frozen, and the faces of several celebrity shareholders were pale.

Unable to contain himself, Wang Zhonglei hurriedly tried to explain.

"Those are all market rumors! Someone is maliciously shorting the market! We should unite against them now!"

"Mr. Wang!"

The Alibaba representative raised his voice and stared at him coldly.

"Whether it's a rumor or not, you know best in your hearts!"

"What we need are facts, not slogans!"

"If the facts are as you claim, why don't you dare to make them public openly and honestly?"

"If that's not the case," he paused, then gave a cold laugh.

"That would be fraud and irresponsibility against all shareholders!"

"The stock price was 90 last week, now it's less than 60."

"You'd better think about how to explain this to Ali!"

The penguin representative also raised his hand expressionlessly and uttered a sentence.

"Penguin, I second that! This isn't over!"

Wang Zhongjun felt a wave of dizziness, and his face turned a dark red.

He knew that any chance of gaining support from Alibaba and Tencent was completely dashed.

Even bigger problems might arise later...

The shareholders' meeting ended in discord, failing to reach any substantive support agreement. Instead, it highlighted the rift between Huayi's other shareholders and the major shareholders, the Wang brothers.

Wang Zhongjun didn't know what "never-ending" meant by the ongoing conflict between Alibaba and Tencent, but for now, he could only do his best to support the stock price.

In terms of media relations, they went all out.

Overnight, a series of meticulously planned in-depth analytical articles began to appear in the headlines and prominent positions of mainstream financial media and entertainment sections.

Huayi Brothers: Resilience Amidst Storms, the Fundamentals of a Leading Company Remain.

A Rational View of Shareholder Reduction: Strategic Adjustment and Long-Term Value Are Not in Conflict

Stephen Chow's dispute may be resolved amicably; Huayi Brothers demonstrates its sincerity in resolving the issue.

In terms of financial support, Huayi also began to invest real money, using its working capital to grit its teeth and hold on.

At several key psychological support levels, large buy orders were placed to create the illusion of a "rock-solid bottom" and prevent the stock price from sliding further into the abyss.

Then, during periods of relatively quiet trading, funds are suddenly concentrated to quickly drive up the stock price by several percentage points, creating a technical rebound pattern that suggests "mysterious funds are buying at the bottom" and "the price can't fall any further," attracting followers and easing selling pressure.

Meanwhile, they spread "positive" news through unofficial channels such as stock forums, combining factual and fictional information in an attempt to reverse market sentiment.

However, the market's reaction remained cold and cruel.

No matter how well-written Huayi's public relations articles are, or how resolute its financial support appears.

That core question has always lingered in the minds of every investor.

How much did the Wang brothers actually reduce their holdings?

"You talk a good game, but dare to reveal your holdings?"

"They've already run away, leaving retail investors to take the fall?"

"Every time you try to pull it up a little, it crashes down. It's obvious you can't hold it up. Why waste your reserve funds? You can't protect it."

From another perspective, every carefully organized market rebound by Huayi actually became the best opportunity for the short sellers to increase their positions and launch attacks.

In the operations room of Mohen Asset Management, Zhao Feng's team monitored every abnormal purchase order made by Huayi.

"Mr. Zhao, there are over 50,000 buy orders piled up at position 58, which should be a key support level for them," one of his traders reported.

"Let's test the waters," Zhao Feng instructed succinctly.

Soon, several sell orders of thousands of shares tentatively hit that price level.

Huayi's buy orders stubbornly absorbed a portion of the losses, demonstrating its determination to support the market.

However, more scattered small and medium-sized sell orders began to emerge, consuming the funds of the buy orders.

Their pace of taking over the shares slowed down, leading Zhao Feng to conclude that Huayi's funds for supporting the share price at that point were not unlimited.

"Okay, let's make a big bet."

A sudden sell-off of over 8,000 lots, like a heavy hammer blow, instantly broke through the 58 yuan defense line, driving the stock price below 57.5 yuan.

Huayi's market-stabilizing funds seemed to hesitate for a moment and did not immediately follow up to rebuild the defense line.

Selling pressure from those who had been waiting on the sidelines quickly followed, causing the stock price to fall further.

The same scenario played out repeatedly within a week at different price points.

Huayi's public relations efforts may have made things appear calm on the surface, but the bloody battles in the capital market have never stopped.

Huayi's working capital is being depleted at an alarming rate, while its stock price continues to fluctuate within a slow downward range.

The so-called stabilization is nothing more than a brief respite during the downtrend.

There are no buyers who genuinely believe in the story; it's just the helpless persistence of those who are trapped and the precise strikes of short sellers.

As Wang Zhongjun watched the rapidly shrinking funds in the company's accounts and the increasingly clear trend on the K-line chart, a chill crept into his heart.

He finally realized that someone was targeting Huayi.

Instead of leveraging their strengths in public opinion, content creation, and networking, they directly targeted the financial market, an area where Huayi was not well-versed.

He understood that this defensive battle was unlikely to succeed, as the short sellers' financial reserves far exceeded those of Huayi Company.

If he used the billions of yuan he had from selling his shares, he might be able to protect the stock, but he didn't want to do that!

If he used the billions of yuan he had from selling his shares, he might be able to protect the stock, but he didn't want to do that!

A week later, after listening to Zhao Feng's report that he had once again successfully suppressed Huayi's rebound, Shen Mo said to Chen Jun beside him.

"Notify Alibaba and Tencent that Huayi's ammunition is almost depleted."

"We can move on to the next stage."

Subsequently, the two announcements were released one after the other.

[Announcement Regarding Alibaba's Plan to Reduce its Holdings in Huayi Shares]

[Announcement Regarding Tencent's Plan to Reduce its Holdings in Huayi Shares]

The announcement stated...

"Based on a reassessment of the target company's recent governance, market environment, and our own investment strategy."

"In order to optimize the portfolio structure, the Company plans to reduce its holdings of Huayi Brothers Media Co., Ltd. through centralized bidding or block trading after 15 trading days."

The two announcements were very similar, except that the other company changed "optimizing investment portfolio" to "focusing on the layout of core strategic resources".

The two announcements were like two precise, powerful punches, slamming into the already fragile lifeline of Huayi's stock price.

The market was in an uproar!

If the previous rumors about the Wang brothers reducing their holdings were just that—rumors—the public reduction plans of Alibaba and Tencent, two major strategic shareholders, are now a significant development.

That's a sure sign of a bearish outlook.

Stock market investors can practically vote with their feet; they are strongly bearish!

Panic erupted like a flood bursting its banks.

Huayi's stock price was immediately driven down to the daily limit by a massive sell order, with the sell orders piled up and showing no signs of opening.

Although there were occasional sporadic struggles in the market, they were quickly overwhelmed by a more intense wave of selling.

Market confidence has completely collapsed, and institutions and retail investors are fleeing in a frenzy, fearing that if they are even a step too late, they will lose everything.

Huayi's market support funds this week vanished instantly, like snowflakes thrown into boiling water, only exacerbating market panic.

Wang Zhongjun ordered the use of more funds to support the market, but faced with overwhelming selling pressure and a completely reversed market expectation, any resistance seemed futile.

On this day, Huayi's market value evaporated by more than several billion, and its stock price approached the lowest point after the disastrous failure of "1942" last year, with no sign of stopping its decline.