The Heiress's Game

Meng Wanqing said that Gu Yunjin rejected her suggestion to enter the film and television industry.

Su Nianrong clicked her tongue softly. She had known Meng Wanqing for so many years and knew this woman too well—Meng Wanqing would never give up on anything just because of one rejection.

She can be patient, she can wait, she can lay a thread for years before pulling it in.

Back in Taicheng, countless men, richer and more powerful than Bai Jingchuan, pursued her, yet she chose the man who had lost his memory and didn't even know who he was. It wasn't for romance or anything like that.

As it turned out, she made the right gamble—after Bai Jingchuan regained his memory, he brought her back to Yunjing City, and the Meng family gained a foothold on both sides of the strait.

Su Nianrong admitted that she couldn't possess that kind of vision and patience.

Moreover, while others might not understand the film industry, Su Nianrong knew it all too well.

She worked as a producer in Taicheng for twenty years, shooting from the film era to the digital era, and handled no fewer than fifty projects.

Meng Wanqing's family, the Meng family, made their fortune in Taicheng through movies—Meng Wanqing's father, Meng Zhaoxian, filmed more than a dozen Qiong Yao dramas in the 1980s.

They made half of Taicheng's idol stars famous, and later transitioned to the cinema chain business, with most of Taicheng's cinemas now under the Meng family's name.

Meng Wanqing grew up on film sets, and she could figure out the tricks behind the lights and the undercurrents under the contracts with her eyes closed.

"She is indeed cautious." Su Nianrong picked up her teacup and took a sip.

"But you certainly won't just let it go like that."

"Forget it?" Meng Wanqing chuckled softly. "Nianrong, let me tell you the truth. Gu Yunjin cannot be allowed to live."

"She's only been married into the Bai family for a few months. You know what the Gu family's status is in Dahai City. The old man is extremely satisfied with this granddaughter-in-law."

She's the kind of person who doesn't need to rely on high-society social circles to elevate her status; the more like that, the more trouble she causes.

"Bai Junze is in a stable position now. He is just like his mother, strong, decisive and ruthless."

Do you think it's easy for me to make a living under his nose all these years?

He's being polite to me now because the old man is still alive.

"I dare not gamble on how he will treat me after he's gone."

"Gu Yunjin is Bai Junze's wife. The more capable she is, the more stable Bai Junze's position will be. Will I still have a place in the Bai family in the future?"

Su Nianrong suddenly realized, "So you want to drag her down before she gains power."

"How can you say I dragged her into the water? I made her walk into the water herself."

When she can no longer stand in the water, she will naturally reach for the rope I hand her. At that time—”

"By then, she will no longer be Bai Junze's support."

Su Nianrong also realized, "She is your pawn."

Meng Wanqing nodded in agreement.

"The film industry is the perfect place for this."

Su Nianrong thought for a moment, "Do you remember the period drama we co-produced the year before last?"

Starring two top-tier celebrities, it received a Douban rating of less than four points and was hailed by film critics as the worst film of the year, yet it still grossed nearly 2.3 billion yuan at the box office.

"I remember." Meng Wanqing smiled. "That film was advertised as having an investment of 500 million yuan, but the actual production cost was less than half of that."

"More than half." Su Nianrong scoffed. "It's true that they spent a lot of money on publicity and promotion, with overwhelming roadshows and trending topics. The more the audience criticized them, the faster the box office grew."

But where did those hundreds of millions of production costs go? Only we know the answer to that question.

The art director was one of Lao Zhou's men. He quoted 20 million for building a real palace set, but actually spent 2 million. The remaining 18 million changed hands twice and ended up safely in several offshore accounts.

There were more than a dozen similar loopholes, large and small, but the audit report was so flawless that no one could find anything wrong with it.

Meng Wanqing listened quietly, her expression completely unchanged.

She was more familiar with these operations than Su Nianrong. Back then, the Meng family went from theater production to film production and distribution, managing the entire industry chain from beginning to end, all thanks to this kind of shady business operation.

A blockbuster film with an investment of hundreds of millions of dollars is touted to be amazing, but what is it really like?

The script was cobbled together, the special effects were cheap, the actors didn't even memorize their lines, they just lip-synced on set, and then they had to find a voice actor in post-production.

A group of people whose combined college entrance exam scores were less than 300 stood in front of a green screen and gestured a couple of times.

The post-production team relied entirely on special effects to build up the quality. The salary they received after filming was enough for an average person who scored over 600 on the college entrance exam to work for ten lifetimes.

Most importantly, this model is extremely stable for investors – popular celebrities bring their own fan base.

With a big-name director lending their name and spending a fortune on marketing and distribution, even a terrible movie can still gross over a billion at the box office.

The investors don't make money from box office revenue sharing at all; they make money from valuation premiums in the capital market and related financial operations.

Dual contracts, tax evasion, money laundering—every link is a minefield, every link is a rope.

"I heard Gu Yunjin studied law." Su Nianrong suddenly remembered this, and her tone became more hesitant.

"Can't she see the risks involved?"

"So what if they figured it out?" Meng Wanqing said indifferently.

"Laws are written on paper, but actual implementation is another matter."

Do you think those who handle dual contracts don't have legal backgrounds? Do you think those who transfer funds overseas through multiple detours don't have finance degrees?

What she learned was a weapon in textbooks, but a shackle in reality—because she felt she understood the rules and could play within them.

But what she didn't know was that the games in the film industry are never played within the rules.

The sycamore tree outside the window rustled in the wind, and a few leaves swirled and fell onto the gravel ground in the courtyard.

Su Niannianrong stared at the few fallen leaves for a while, then turned back.

"What do you want me to do?"

This question was asked directly and decisively, without any attempt to evade the question.

The two of them have been working together in the Taicheng film industry for so many years that their interests are intertwined even more deeply than sisterly bonds.

"You're setting up a meeting, it doesn't have to be too formal. Find a few reliable people—not too shrewd, but people who seem down-to-earth and actually have projects in hand."

Whether it's drinking tea or having a meal, she'll perceive it as just ordinary industry networking. Let her see for a moment, let her witness just how lucrative this industry can be.

"Remember to call Lao Zhou and Lao Sun. Lao Zhou is the best at talking nonsense; he can turn a terrible movie into a cultural phenomenon."

Old Sun, on the other hand, is very familiar with the ways of the capital market. Let him do the math with her—how much to invest, how much to make at the box office, how to sign the betting agreement, and how to handle the premium.

If we've made her understand, moved her, and given her the idea, then we've succeeded halfway.

"And the other half?" Su Nianrong asked.

"We don't need to worry about our partners."

Meng Wanqing smiled slightly, "As long as her name appears on the list of film producers, the rest is up to you."

She had people helping her with things like dual contracts, accounting, and fund transfers.

She didn't even need to know to sit comfortably on that boat.

"By the time when she has left enough traces on this ship..."

"At that time, if she still wants to live a clean life, she will have to obey."

If she doesn't obey, these things could ruin her reputation at any time.

What does a wife who has been disgraced mean to Bai Junze?

It is a weakness, a burden, and a time bomb at the shareholders' meeting.

Do you think Bai Junze will still be able to hold onto his current position by then?

Su Nianrong knew that Meng Wanqing was scheming, but hearing her lay out her entire plan still sent chills down her spine.

But then she thought again and realized there was nothing to be surprised about. If Meng Wanqing wasn't ruthless, how could she have made such a precise move when Bai Jingchuan had lost his memory?

How could Bai Jingchuan, after regaining his memory, not only not get rid of her, but instead bring her back to Yunjing?

This woman always knew what she wanted and how to get it.

"I'll contact them when I get back," Su Nianrong said decisively, putting down her teacup.

"Old Zhou is currently preparing for a new project and is trying to attract investment everywhere, so it wouldn't be more suitable for him to contact Gu Yunjin. However, there's something I need to say upfront—"

She became more serious: "Gu Yunjin comes from an extremely wealthy family. Unlike the typical naive and innocent rich girl, she is not a country bumpkin who has never seen the world."

The reason she gave you when she rejected you that day was so beautiful.

A young lady who has been overly protected would either not understand, be dismissive, or simply say she's not interested if she were offered such a suggestion.

She rejected you, citing a business reason—"The business direction has already been decided."

This shows that she did understand you, and in an instant, she figured out the best way to refuse without hurting the relationship.

You need to be careful with this kind of person.

Meng Wanqing nodded slowly: "I know."

Because she is intelligent, we must deal with her in a smarter way.

A fool who falls into a pit will climb out and scream for help; a wise person who falls into a pit will first study its structure. By the time they understand it, the mud at the bottom is already up to their chest.

Looking at the woman in front of her, whom she had known for thirty years, Su Nianrong suddenly felt a little fortunate that she was not her enemy.

"There's one more thing," Su Nianrong suddenly remembered something and added.

"Won't Bai Junze find out? His intelligence network is no less sophisticated than ours."

Meng Wanqing smiled slightly: "He's busy. Recently, the Bai family has been in talks about a cross-border merger and acquisition, and he's been flying to four countries in a month."

By the time he's finished with this busy period, the plan will be set up. Besides—I'm not going to get involved myself.”

"Also, try to make the situation look better."

Don't be too deliberate—make her feel like she walked into this circle on her own, not that I pushed her in.

Su Nianrong nodded.

"In the film industry, the most exciting part is never on the big screen."

The two tacitly shifted the topic away from Gu Yunjin and started talking about the recent situation of their old friends in Taicheng. They chatted and laughed, as if the conspiracy they had just conspired against was nothing more than an insignificant chat.