Chapter 1498
Party A and Party B
Ignoring Yang Mi's thoughts, and adopting a wait-and-see attitude, they temporarily let her behavior run its course.
We'll have to see what she does.
He then got into a car and drove to the Wanda Hotel in Chaoyang District, Beijing.
In a corner of the hotel lobby, a figure dressed in a black chiffon dress, wearing exquisite earrings and bracelets, and carrying a designer handbag, was elegantly waiting while sipping tea.
He stood up straight, calm and composed, and looked quite elegant.
Zhang Yuan stood a short distance away and observed for a few seconds.
She comes from a well-to-do family and has cultivated a good temperament.
The idea of sitting and standing properly sounds simple, but most people from underprivileged families actually can't do it.
"Hi." He stepped forward and greeted them.
Bai Bing immediately put down his teacup.
She wore a hat and sunglasses to try and conceal herself, afraid of being recognized.
Her fame increased significantly after the TV series "The Myth".
"You've arrived."
Clang.
The teacup wasn't placed steadily and almost fell.
Upon seeing him, her composed demeanor vanished, and she clearly showed signs of emotional fluctuation.
When two people meet on a narrow path, the brave will prevail; whoever panics first will lose.
The principles governing romantic relationships are similar to those governing other aspects of life.
However, when it comes to matters of the heart, there's no need to determine who wins or loses.
You've truly lost when you're trying to win or lose.
Therefore, when Zhang Yuan saw the other party's condition, he did not feel excited or proud; instead, he felt a little guilty.
"Let's go, we've reserved a private room upstairs."
"Who are you having dinner with?" Miss Bai immediately stood up, smoothed out the wrinkles left from sitting down around the waist and hips of her dress.
"Are we eating alone, just the two of us, or are there other people with us?"
Zhang Yuan could tell that she probably wanted to eat alone.
"It's a dinner party; I need to meet with potential business partners."
He took another close look and examined the person closely. The person's attire was quite exquisite and meticulous, and it would definitely take several hours to complete the task.
Let's take the elevator together to the restaurant upstairs.
This Wanda Hotel is located in the CBD of Beijing, a 3-40 minute drive from the Capital Airport, and not far from the China World Trade Center.
I don't know if it was to appear more sophisticated or if it was just the manager's taste.
The hotel's restaurants offer more upscale cuisines, including Shanghainese, Japanese, and French dishes.
Restaurants that specialize in local cuisine are actually mid- to low-end establishments.
French food is too much work, and Japanese yakitori requires at least a hundred skewers to feel full, so I ordered Shanghai cuisine instead.
Zhang Yuan has always admired Japanese office workers; they can drink all night with just three skewers of grilled chicken—they really save on food.
Give the Japanese a Northeastern-style roasted chicken frame, and they won't submit to the Three Great Whites.
"Oh, am I late?" Leading Bai Bing to the private room, the waitress opened the door to find several people already seated inside.
"No, we're nearby, it's like going home."
"Come, sit down."
Mr. Lu and Jingdian have arrived.
Miss Jing is eating a fruit salad.
It's great to have someone to serve you; you can eat whenever you want without worrying about having to wait for all the guests to arrive before serving the food.
"Hello!" Jing Tian looked up and waved to them.
They had just finished filming together not long ago, and the two women were quite familiar with each other.
Therefore, bringing white ice today is relatively appropriate.
"You came with him today?" Jingtian stood up to welcome Bai Bing.
"You always bring different people with you, at least one of them is someone I'm familiar with."
Zhang Yuan: ...
Upon hearing this, Bai Bing's expression immediately darkened.
It's different every time...
"Hehehe, did I say something wrong?" Jing Tian said with a silly laugh.
Just as Zhang Yuan was about to nod, a deep laugh came from the head seat.
"Haha, it's normal for a young man to be a bit of a playboy."
Zhang Yuan: ...
Did I ask you to help me get out of this mess?
I wanted to curse, but I couldn't, because I came here today specifically to meet the person who was speaking.
"Hello, Mr. Zeng."
"Hello, please have a seat."
The person he met today was Zeng Maojun, the general manager of Wanda Cinema.
This person just took office this year.
At that time, Wanda Pictures did not yet exist; it was still called Wanda Cinema and Wanda Cinema Line.
Later, these were packaged together as Wanda Film Group and listed on the stock exchange.
Wanda Pictures is a subsidiary of Wanda Cultural Industry Group.
Anyway, it's all layered and complicated, after all, Wanda's operations are too big.
He is currently the vice president of the cultural group and is temporarily serving as the general manager of the cinema chain. After the integration into Wanda Pictures, he will immediately be promoted to president.
He will be the top executive in Wanda's film and cinema chain for the next 10 years.
Of course, he's the top leader at the execution level, but it's Old Wang who really sets the strategy.
The catalyst that led to the complete falling out between Huayi and Wanda was another vice president.
That person graduated from the architecture department and is a veteran with considerable contributions.
But this person was a graduate of Renmin University and a senior engineer at Beihang University, with a solid military-industrial background.
Wanda Group has a strong military background, so although both are general managers, this person is actually closer to the core.
Some things are unavoidable, especially in the military, it just depends on your background.
Otherwise, the children of high-ranking officials wouldn't have controlled the film and television industry for so many years.
Cold dishes were served first: braised gluten with four kinds of vegetables, candied dates, blueberry yam, smoked fish, sweet and sour pork ribs... Most of them were sweet, which girls love.
Zhang Yuan took a quick bite; it wasn't as sweet as the ones in Shanghai.
He doesn't like eating sticky, chewy foods like sweet and sour pork, sweet and sour pork ribs, or candied sweet potatoes when socializing, as it affects his performance in social situations.
"Mr. Zeng, it's our first meeting today, so I'd like to offer you a toast." Zhang Yuan raised his small, full glass.
The other person glanced at it; it was so full it could practically slosh out with the slightest movement. Quite satisfied, they raised their glass as well.
The two drank their drinks in one gulp and chatted amiably.
Zhang Yuan clearly sensed that the people in the Wanda Group were rather... how should I put it.
You could call it "rustic" or "simple".
It's not that they're unsophisticated, but even when they wear suits, their demeanor is completely different from those guys from the Southern Clique who mainly work in finance.
Old Wang, the head of the family, prefers leek dumplings to delicacies, and his family follows suit.
He's quite good at communicating with people in the real estate industry, after all, that used to be his profession.
"Mr. Zeng, I recently saw some data. Wanda Cinemas is not far from becoming the number one cinema chain in China."
"No!" the other party waved their hand dismissively. "Your information is outdated."
"We will create the single-brand cinema chain with the highest market share nationwide within this year!"
"And that's not our goal."
"Our goal is to build the world's largest cinema chain!"
Wanda: My goal is the stars and the sea.
This isn't just idle talk; Wanda started negotiations with AMC Theatres in North America last year, and it's already finalized.
They will then acquire this large overseas company, which owns 8000 screens in North America and 300 theaters in Europe, for $26 billion.
The offer was $26 billion, while also having to assume hundreds of millions of dollars in debt owed by the other party.
After the acquisition was completed, Wanda became the world's largest cinema operator.
In short, a few days ago, in response to the US stock market financial crisis, China injected massive amounts of money into infrastructure projects, and Wanda Group made a fortune!
too rich.
So now we're investing everywhere and spending money.
But like many businesses, once the money was spent, it never came back.
"Congratulations!" He raised his glass again.
After finishing his drink, he glanced at the unmoved Bai Bing and could only pour himself another drink.
"The good results that our film industry across the Taiwan Strait has achieved in the past two years are largely thanks to the strong support of Wanda Cinemas."
"I hope to continue working closely together in the future." "Especially on some of the projects we're currently working on."
"By the way, our company's romantic film 'Love is Not Blind' is about to be released. Mr. Zeng, please give it your consideration and give it more screenings."
"It's nothing. As long as the grades are good, it's definitely worth encouraging," the other person said magnanimously.
"You only get encouragement if you get good grades..." Zhang Yuan listened to the other person's words and pondered their attitude.
After eating for a while, he got down to business.
"Since you said Wanda's goal is to become the world's largest cinema chain."
"A good cinema chain also needs good films to attract consumers."
"I think our company has great potential. Do you think there's a possibility of long-term cooperation?"
"If you want to sell your shares in Cross-Strait Films, we welcome it and are willing to offer above-market prices." The other party's words were very aggressive.
I want to cooperate, you want to eat me...
The real estate business has been too easy to do these past few years. Not to mention the top companies, even the bosses of mid-sized companies are getting incredibly arrogant.
People like Lao Wang and Xu Pidai are so arrogant that they want to go to the Heavenly Palace.
Buying things everywhere is just like a nouveau riche going into a luxury store.
"Pack up everything I've touched!"
Zhang Yuan glanced again at Bai Bing, who was silent beside him and wore his signature smile.
Bringing a woman to dinner isn't just about wearing a pendant; it's about showing off and displaying one's abilities and charm, like wearing an expensive watch.
Women also have to speak up for men, especially about things that men find difficult to say or to smooth things over.
"Mr. Zeng, that's not what I meant."
"I am currently in talks with Legendary Pictures in North America."
"It's the Hollywood film company that collaborates with Warner and has made rapid progress in recent years."
"I hope to reach a cooperation agreement with them to jointly develop the Asian market."
"To collaborate on the production and distribution of film works."
"But production alone is not enough without the support of theaters."
"So I'd like to talk to you about whether you'd be interested in playing together."
Zhang Yuan knew he was still too weak, especially in front of these big companies.
Bringing Wanda on board would also increase one's bargaining power when negotiating with Legendary.
Only by integrating production, distribution, and theatrical release can a work be given its best performance.
"Moreover, having a joint venture makes it easier for Wanda Pictures to invest overseas," Zhang Yuan hinted.
With an "intermediary," transferring money is convenient.
But whether he was drunk or too confident about acquiring AMC, the other party waved his hand and spoke.
"With money, you're the boss wherever you go."
Why would you need a joint venture for overseas investment?
"Just acquire it directly!"
"As for film and television production, just buy a few production companies."
"The premise of a joint venture is cooperation, and cooperation requires that the two parties have equal strength."
"In today's market, there are countless movies throughout the year, but the only problem is that there are no places to show them, there aren't enough screening slots, and there's a lack of films in theaters."
“I think if we really want to cooperate, we should invest in your company. That’s what cooperation should be.”
"I have no intention of selling my company shares at the moment," Zhang Yuan replied politely.
I thought to myself, thankfully, the company has managed to retain its shareholders through dividends over the past two years, preventing the company's shares from being easily lost.
Otherwise, it's not impossible that I might turn around and find that these guys are so blinded by money that they've sold me out.
"Actually, when it comes to cinema chains, there's also China Film Digital, which has the broadest industry chain."
"The joint cinema chain in Shanghai has the highest spending per screen."
"Hengdian Group is also developing cinema business, and it has a strong ability to penetrate the surrounding areas, especially third- and fourth-tier cities."
"But I believe that Wanda Cinemas, backed by the giant Wanda, has the greatest capabilities and potential, so it is very sincere in its desire for comprehensive cooperation."
"But it's not the only option," Zhang Yuan stated his position neither humbly nor arrogantly.
He didn't expect that, despite having Mr. Lu, a Wanda shareholder, present, the talks wouldn't go smoothly.
"Then it's up to you," Mr. Zeng said without any politeness.
"Xiao Zhang, your company is doing well," Boss Lu said in a gentle tone.
"But ultimately it did not go public, and its financing capabilities and potential were limited."
"As a listed company, we certainly prefer to cooperate with other listed companies."
"Currently, Orange Sky, Huayi, and Enlight Media are also listed on the mainland."
"To do big business, you need to form strong alliances."
“I am interested in your proposal, but company decisions are not made by one person alone.”
"Understood," he replied calmly.
They understand everything perfectly well; that's called the client's mindset.
In their eyes, the cinemas are the client, and the production companies are the service providers.
Furthermore, while we cinema chains can invest in film production companies, you lack the ability and funds to do the same for cinema chains.
The disparity in strength is obvious.
Sigh... there's always someone better.
Whether something is successful depends on who it is compared to.
He did not get the answer he wanted after finishing the meal.
That taught him a lesson.
The world is material; relationships alone are not enough. Ultimately, it comes down to strength.
They drank a lot of alcohol, but accomplished nothing.
On his way home, he pondered quietly.
"Are you in a bad mood?" Bai Bing asked from the side.
He didn't answer, but instead asked a question.
Do you enjoy drinking parties like today's?
"There's no such thing as liking or disliking," she replied.
"Smoking, drinking, talking loudly, toasting on stage, and scheming behind the scenes—this is the kind of situation I often face."
"It is a blessing to be an actor, a simple actor who only needs to focus on the work of acting itself."
He turned to look at the other person, his gaze meeting their eyes.
"Do you want to be a pure actress, or a social woman who needs to frequently appear at these kinds of drinking parties?"
"At the same time, she used her looks and celebrity status to seduce many men and women with ill intentions."
"Not only do you have to socialize, but you also have to constantly observe the situation, provide assistance and cooperation, and at the same time, you have to be sharp-eyed and discreet."
"Because you will hear and see many mind-blowing things at these drinking parties."
Are you willing to endure these things and accept them as part of your daily life?
He asked her out today not for dinner, but to broaden her horizons.
She didn't attend as an actress as usual, but as a female companion.
"But..." she hesitated after hearing this, "But Jingtian seemed very relaxed and didn't do anything?"
"She can't play the lead role because she can't do anything. You've been in the industry for many years, and even though you're signed with a big company, you can only play supporting roles for her."
"Think about why this is, and think about why she can be so carefree at the dinner party."
Zhang Yuan sighed: "People are different."
"If you're with me, it won't make things easier; on the contrary, it will be very tiring."
"You need to think carefully about going from your comfort zone into the jungle where the strong prey on the weak."
“I can sense that you’re not quite comfortable in this kind of setting.”
She's completely different from people like Fan Bingbing; she's much quieter.
"Alright, let's not talk about these serious topics."
Where are you planning to go now?
"Wherever you go, I'll go." Bai Bing fiddled with her newly permed, long, wavy hair.
"Ok."
Zhang Yuan understood that the other party had not understood or even heard what he was saying.
Because my mind isn't on this.
He was talking about reality, while the other person only cared about feelings.
Forget about assisting in the business; I don't have the ability or the inclination.
If I only wanted to be a simple actress, she would be a very good choice.
Unfortunately, I am not.
At his signal, the car drove towards the "Love Fills the Courtyard" restaurant. (End of Chapter)