Reborn in the Chinese Entertainment Industry: My Childhood Sweetheart is Boss Yang

The hustle and bustle of Nanluoguxiang is shut out outside the wooden gate of the Gu family courtyard.

Although this courtyard doesn't have the grandeur of a princely mansion like those in Fuxiang Hutong, it has the advantage of being a standalone property. In this area today, it's only because Comrade Gu Jianjun had such sharp foresight back then, taking advantage of the opportunity to buy out his years of service, that he gritted his teeth and acquired this base.

When Gu Heng pushed open the door and entered, he exuded confidence.

Now, Mr. Gu is a wealthy man with a hit drama series in his hands and tens of millions of dollars in his pocket. He is a successful man returning home in glory.

However, reality gave him a resounding slap in the face.

Under the grape trellis in the yard, Gu Jianjun sat with his legs crossed, a transistor radio crackling as it played Shan Tianfang's storytelling. His mother, Liu Jing, sat on a small stool, picking green beans with lightning speed, as if she had a grudge against them.

"Dad, Mom, I, Hu Hansan, am back."

Gu Heng put his backpack on the stone table and struck what he thought was a very cool pose.

Liu Jing paused in her work, looked up, and squinted at him for three seconds.

Then, the bunch of green beans in her hand was ruthlessly thrown back into the basket. Empress Dowager Li wiped her hands, rushed over in a few steps, and cupped Gu Heng's face in her hands, turning it left and right to look at it.

"Oh dear! My son!"

Liu Jing looked heartbroken, as if Gu Heng hadn't gone to film a movie, but rather to dig coal in Shanxi for three months.

"How did you get so dark? Is the sun in Chongqing toxic or something? Look at your forehead, you don't even need to turn on the lights at night, it's reflective!"

Gu Heng felt like his cheeks were about to be rubbed off by his mother, and mumbled an explanation: "Mom... this is called a healthy tan... do you know Louis Koo? He tanned on purpose..."

"Don't mention that guy surnamed Gu to me. He's handsome, you're just plain tacky!" Liu Jing added mercilessly. "You're going to the film academy in a few days. If you go looking like that, people will think you're working part-time delivering coal!"

Just as Gu Heng was about to be subjected to an even more intense verbal attack, Comrade Gu Jianjun, who was next to him, finally turned off the radio.

He picked up the chipped enamel mug, slowly sipped the jasmine tea, and his eyes showed a hint of appreciation.

"Alright, alright, what's all the fuss about?" Gu Jianjun glanced at his wife. "I think this kid is pretty good. He's strong and looks like a man. What's so good about him being all clean-cut like a young girl? Only you old women like pretty boys."

"Gu Jianjun, you old geezer, what do you know!" Liu Jing turned around and glared at him. "Our son is going to be a big star! He's going to be on TV! Have you ever seen a big star who looks like he just crawled out of the ground?"

"Isn't Li Yunlong from 'Bright Sword' quite popular? He didn't even wear makeup."

"You..." Liu Jing was furious. She turned around and vented her anger on Gu Heng, slapping him on the back. "Come inside right now! Mom made you some pork rib and winter melon soup to cool you down! Look at your chapped lips, people would think we've been abusing you."

Gu Heng was jolted awake by the slap and quickly went along with it: "Alright! Mom still loves me the most!"

Sitting in his old rattan chair, which had been around for quite some time, Gu Heng let out a long sigh of relief.

Although he is the powerful CEO Gu in the outside world, a financial leader who can chat with bigwigs in the industry, as soon as he enters this room, he becomes the brat that his mother complains about because he is too dark-skinned and his father complains about because he is unreliable.

This down-to-earth feeling of being "disliked" finally put his calculating mind, which was always busy in the business world, at ease.

"You little rascal." Gu Jianjun handed his son a Hongtashan cigarette, not caring whether he smoked it or not. "I heard from your mother that you've got something big going on this time? Investing and filming, huh? You haven't embarrassed the Gu family, have you?"

Gu Heng took the cigarette, but didn't light it, just twirled it in his hand: "Just dabbling, mainly to gain experience. Dad, don't worry, I have a sense of right and wrong, I won't do anything I'm not confident about."

"As long as you know what's going on, that's fine." Gu Jianjun wasn't the kind of parent who pried into everything. As long as his son didn't break the law, he had a completely laissez-faire approach to raising him. "No matter how high you fly outside, don't forget where your roots are. Also, don't bully Mimi. Uncle Yang and Aunt Yang were just saying yesterday that if you dare to bully Mimi, they'll break your legs."

Gu Heng's lips twitched slightly: "Dad, you really are my dad. I'm just grateful I wasn't bullied by that girl. Didn't you see how arrogant she was on set..."

"That's because that girl is lively!" Liu Jing came out of the kitchen carrying a large bowl of pork rib soup and happened to hear this. "Mimi is such a good girl. She's pretty and has a sweet tongue. If she could be my daughter-in-law, I would be laughing in my dreams."

Gu Heng wisely chose to keep quiet and gulped down the pork rib soup.

Arguing with your mom about whether Yang Mi is a "good girl" is just asking for trouble.

……

After happily spending a few days as a "useless" person at home, Gu Heng had to switch back to "President Gu" mode.

At the end of August, the air conditioning in Vision Capital's office was blasting.

Chen Kai placed a thick file folder on the executive desk with great care, as if it contained something fragile.

Or rather, it was his broken heart.

"Mr. Gu, all the formalities have been completed."

Chen Kai's usually sophisticated face was now filled with pain, his features almost contorted in agony.

"Northern Huading is in a hurry to recoup funds for their new project, and we paid in full cash. They were overjoyed and almost presented us with a banner of appreciation. The paperwork went smoothly all the way through, with special approvals and processing. We just got the documents back this morning."

Gu Heng reached for the file bag and pulled out the dark red notebook inside.

Turning to the first page, the property owner's name is prominently displayed in large characters: "Gu Heng".

No. 15 Fuxiang Hutong.

In Gu Heng's eyes, those words were a dazzling "two hundred million".

"How much did you pay?" Gu Heng asked knowingly, wanting to see Chen Kai's constipated expression.

"Eighteen million."

Chen Kai's voice trembled, as if someone had cut a piece of his flesh. "President Gu, this is 18 million in cash! In this day and age, if that money were invested in a new development in the current housing market, it would be enough for dozens of apartments, and the rent alone would make your hands sore. You insist on buying that dilapidated courtyard..."

He really couldn't understand it.

He had inspected the courtyard in person. Although the location was indeed a prime, unparalleled area, it was a chaotic mess, like a large tenement with illegal structures everywhere. If people wanted to live there, the repairs and cleaning alone would cost at least another hundred thousand to two hundred thousand yuan.

So much precious liquid capital, just to buy a piece of sentimentality?

That's only because of Gu Heng; if it were anyone else, Chen Kai would have already thrown his resignation letter in their face.

"Old Chen, your vision is too narrow."

Gu Heng threw the property certificate into the safe and slammed the door shut.

"Some things are non-renewable. You might think 18 million is ridiculously expensive now, but in two years, even if you offer 180 million, they might not sell it to you. That's called—"

Gu Heng paused, then revealed a profound smile: "Collecting time."

Actually, this is called collecting dumplings.

Chen Kai opened his mouth, but in the end, he swallowed his words back.

have to.

You're the boss, you're rich, you can do whatever you want.

"Let's not talk about that." Gu Heng sat back in the large boss's chair, his fingers lightly tapping the table. The tapping sound immediately brought Chen Kai back to his senses. "Has the payment for 'Bright Sword' arrived?"

Mentioning this, Chen Kai's slightly sour face instantly blossomed into a golden chrysanthemum.

"We've arrived! It's exploded!"

He excitedly pulled out the latest financial statements from his briefcase, gesturing wildly, "Hairun is incredibly efficient! The first revenue share just came in yesterday. Also, the bidding for the second-round broadcasting rights has begun, and several satellite TV stations are fighting tooth and nail for them! Some stations are even willing to pay a deposit in advance!"

"Mr. Gu, aside from the 18 million for the house purchase, the cash flow we have on the books right now..." Chen Kai gestured a number that would take ordinary people's breath away, "In this industry, apart from those few giants, we are definitely among the most powerful."

Gu Heng glanced at the numbers on the report and nodded in satisfaction.

That's the power of a hit drama.

In an era when the film and television industry was still in a state of unbridled growth, a phenomenal work was enough to make a small company take off and complete its initial capital accumulation.

"Leave enough money for company operations and the later promotion of 'Stone'." Gu Heng closed the report, his eyes suddenly sharpening like an eagle eyeing its prey. "Don't let the remaining money go to waste."

Chen Kai immediately grabbed a pen to take notes and reflexively asked, "What is it?"

"Apart from the Moutai you bought before, all the remaining funds should be mobilized."

Gu Heng stood up, walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, and looked down at the rapidly developing city.

In the second half of 2005, the share reform was fully rolled out.

An unprecedented bull market is brewing. It's a myth of wealth creation, a feast that no one who has been reborn can afford to miss.

The bigger the waves, the more expensive the fish.

"CITIC Securities, Chihong Zinc & Germanium, Yunnan Copper." Gu Heng rattled off several names without turning his head. "No need for analysis, no need for hesitation, build positions in batches, take as much as you can."

Chen Kai paused, somewhat hesitant, before continuing, "President Gu, the stock market has been hovering around 1,000 points lately. Everyone's watching and waiting, saying the bear market hasn't bottomed out yet..."

"That's why we need to buy it, otherwise we won't be able to buy it..." Gu Heng turned around, a meaningful smile curving his lips. "Old Chen, have you heard what that guy said? Be greedy when others are fearful."

"What we need to do is open all the pockets before the wind blows and wait for the money to fall in."

"The wind is coming soon."

Looking at his boss's almost demonically confident expression, Chen Kai felt a chill run down his spine.

Although reason told him that this was a gamble, every past experience reminded him—trust Mr. Gu, and you will live forever.

"Understood." Chen Kai closed his notebook, took a deep breath, like a soldier heading to battle, "I'll go arrange the traders right away."

"Go ahead." Gu Heng waved his hand. "Remember, even if you have to smash the keyboard, you have to grab enough chips for me."

Watching Chen Kai's departing figure, Gu Heng leaned against the window and chuckled softly.

Since I've been given a second chance at life, wouldn't it be a waste of my time to travel through this world if I didn't take advantage of it?

As for acting? That's just a side job.

Being a big shot in the financial world, promoting the people you want to promote, making the films you want to make, and incidentally stirring up trouble in this world of fame and fortune—that's the real business.

Just then, my phone rang.

The caller ID was a picture of a cat with its claws outstretched—that was something Yang Mi had forcibly set on his phone.

"Feed?"

"Old Gu! Come quick! I'm in Xidan, I've got my eye on a dress, but I don't have enough money! Help!"

On the other end of the phone, Yang Mi's confident voice came through.

Gu Heng glanced at the bustling scene outside the window and smiled helplessly.

Well, I just made some money, and now someone's already helping me spend it.

"Wait, I'll be right there. Remember to buy me ice cream, I want two scoops."

"Okay, okay, you're so long-winded, like an old man!"

After hanging up the phone, Gu Heng picked up his car keys.

No amount of financial tycoons or business empires can stand aside before the call of their childhood sweetheart.

This is life.