Chapter 1547
Trading
Over the years, Zhang Yuanyuan has summarized one lesson learned.
That is, when encountering problems, it is best to fight a battle first, make your attitude clear, and then negotiate.
It's like buying a fierce dog and feeding it well; one day it might bite you when you're not careful.
You have to let your dog know that there are consequences for messing with people before it will recognize you as its owner.
Just like how you have to beat up a Pokémon before you can play Pokémon, it's the same principle.
He's now thinking that the collaboration went too smoothly.
Big TV stations are really powerful.
Even though they were later squeezed out by internet platforms, a few major platforms remained standing.
The reason remains the same: it's a franchise, and they're considered part of the system, part of the local official propaganda system.
After the era of the great wave of television stations passed, smaller stations disappeared, and resources were concentrated in the larger stations, which continued to thrive.
Variety shows, whether music or obstacle course reality shows, now have no choice but to collaborate with television stations.
Because the "separation of production and broadcasting" policy from above will not be released until next year.
These days, large-scale programs can't be produced independently; they have to be broadcast on a provincial TV station to pass the censorship.
Unlike later productions, these could be made separately and then sold to television stations.
Now, that guy from Zhejiang TV is blocking you from doing anything without me.
Since you've come to my territory, I have to make sure I'm full before you get any of the benefits.
Before the show became a hit, things were fine, but after it became a hit, too many interests were involved, and too many people wanted a piece of the pie, making it more troublesome.
After putting down his phone, Zhang Yuan took a while to calm himself down.
Jiang Yilang kept secretly watching him, thinking that he looked incredibly handsome when he was angry.
"Brother Long."
He got up and called for help.
"Help me find someone to do something."
“This person…” Zhang Yuan used his phone to go online and found a photo of Li Daimo on Baidu Baike.
"Have someone keep an eye on this bald guy and record any issues he might have, including gambling, prostitution, or drugs."
When facing a behemoth, the most important thing is not to ensure your own victory, but to ensure mutual destruction. The next best thing is to ensure that even if the other side wins, it will pay a huge price.
But when fighting, you can't just think about "the thrill of battle," you also have to leave room for maneuver.
If you're going to fight and negotiate at the same time, at least you need someone to talk to.
We can't just kill off the peacemakers and centrists right away and leave the hardliners; that would be pure troublemaking.
So he got up and went to the reception room.
What were you two doing, sneaking around like that?
Before even entering the house, I noticed two little girls sneaking around behind me like shadows.
That's too gossipy.
"I just care about you," Miss Guan replied with a playful smile.
You can tell from the way she looks that she's trying to eavesdrop.
"Just rest quietly, I have things to do."
After saying that, he gave his assistant a look, signaling her to send the person away.
He rubbed his face vigorously, composed himself, and then pushed the door open to go inside.
As soon as he entered the room, Feng Shaofeng, who was sitting inside looking uneasy, got up.
It was still that same carefree laugh.
It wasn't intentional, that's just how they look.
This guy was in a panic, not only because he felt guilty, but also because Zhang Yuan's attitude was very stern and his tone was quite harsh when he came over.
He didn't know that someone had angered the other person, and thought that he had caused the anger.
But when he stood up, he found that the other person's expression was as gentle as a spring breeze.
"Brother, you're here?"
"Did that gust of wind blow you here?"
"You should have told me in advance so I could have prepared a feast for you," Zhang Yuan said with a smile, shaking hands firmly.
Feng Shaofeng: ...
what?
What does this attitude mean?
End-of-life care?
That's so unusual.
This, this, this...
They completely overwhelmed him.
"Come, come, sit down and let's talk slowly."
"Aunt!"
"Why aren't you serving tea? This is so disrespectful."
"I'm sorry, I've been too busy at home and haven't been able to entertain you properly."
Feng Shaofeng was completely bewildered and didn't know how to react.
What brings you here today?
Zhang Yuan asked with an innocent look on his face.
"When I was doing publicity and promotion before, I was a bit..."
"Oh!" Zhang Yuan slapped his forehead: "I had forgotten if you hadn't mentioned it."
"Oh dear, what a mess this is."
"A man who isn't a bit of a playboy in his youth is wasting his youth; that's understandable."
"I have never been one to interfere in my subordinates' love lives."
Young Master Feng scratched his head. "You didn't say that when we were on set."
He took me very seriously.
"It's your company that's causing more trouble."
"Let's not beat around the bush, Huo Siyan and that person's relationship... right? Hehehehe." Zhang Yuan made a knowing look.
Feng Shaofeng could only respond with an awkward laugh.
"So this involves two separate issues."
"One is my girlfriend, the other is a fleeting affair."
"We must not let the outside world know."
"If your girlfriend finds out, it won't be good for your acting image."
"If the company finds out about your casual affair, it won't be good for your job."
Feng Shaofeng's problem now isn't sleeping with women; he's never been an honest man to begin with.
The problem lies in the identity of the person sleeping with you.
This is actually called being blinded by one's own involvement.
Zhang Yuan knew that even if Xiao Wang found out, the other party would pretend not to know.
But the other party didn't think that way. They found it exciting to play around with the boss's woman.
After the initial excitement, once you enter a period of calm and your mind returns to normal, you'll feel fear.
Zhang Yuan deliberately pointed out his predicament.
"It's tough being a person, especially for celebrities."
"It takes many years to build up fame, but only a moment to destroy it."
"I've seen too many people become the target of public criticism because of relationship problems."
"But don't worry, only heaven, earth, you, and I know."
"I'll also tell Guan Xiaotong to keep quiet..." Zhang Yuan seemed a little guilty when he said this.
It's really difficult to keep my gossipy little sister quiet.
"Thank you so much." Feng Shaofeng quickly expressed his gratitude.
“But…” But Zhang Yuan quickly gave him a twist.
I was so nice, was it all for nothing?
Will I keep your secret for free?
After explaining the consequences, you need to state the conditions.
"I also need your help with a small matter."
Feng Shaofeng's mind went blank for a moment before he realized what was happening.
I said that you just explained the consequences so clearly, otherwise you wouldn't be able to keep your mouth shut.
Not only was I not strict, I also let Guan Xiaotong go out and chat about gossip.
Within three days, the entire city of Beijing knew about it, even more so than the intelligence stations at the village entrances.
Zhang Yuan continued to smile, subtly manipulating the situation.
Mr. Feng, you wouldn't want the company to know you slept with the boss's mistress, would you...?
Feng Shaofeng's heart pounded wildly.
"Smiling tiger" is not even a sufficient description of the person in front of him; the difference in their skill level is at least three levels higher.
After reaching an agreement with this person, I saw them off with a smile.
"You two can go out to eat by yourselves, or I'll have the auntie arrange a meal for you."
"I have to go out for a dinner party."
"Brother, I still think you looked cooler just now," Jiang Yilang said, seeing that he had cheered up again.
“I think you look better when you’re happy,” Ms. Guan offered the opposite opinion.
Zhang Yuan shook his head. "Different people have different tastes, and there are only two girls, yet their tastes are completely different."
On his way to the appointment, he called Huang Xiaomao, who was in charge of the performance company.
"what?"
The other person was very surprised when they heard what he said.
"Should I repeat it again?"
What surprised him so much was that Zhang Yuan had asked him to spread the word about attracting sponsors for "The Voice of China".
Instead of looking for advertisers, they looked for partners, such as television stations.
Find a new employer after your contract with Lantai expires.
"Wouldn't doing this be too hurtful to them?"
Huang Xiaomao is a rather composed person, which is a nice way of putting it.
To put it bluntly, it's conservative. The show is currently airing and we're openly looking for a new platform; isn't that just asking for trouble, a slap in the face to Zhejiang TV?
"Just do it." Zhang Yuan didn't care what he thought.
I care about the other person's feelings, but does the other person care about mine?
Not only that, but he also ordered Jia Shikai to immediately hire online trolls to spread the news that "The Voice of China" would change hands afterward.
My lord, times have changed!
We live in the internet age now; things are very different from before.
After taking care of all that, he went to the dinner party.
"Hello, Teacher Liu."
"Director Hao."
"Director Huang."
"Dean Jiang."
I had dinner with people from the Central Academy of Drama today.
The ranks of officials range from teachers to department heads, admissions officers, and deans.
After entering the room, Zhang Yuan glanced around and saw that the table was about half full of people. He would be eating "government meals" there in the future.
That's a matter for the future; for now, since they're in a position of power, we can't be impolite.
Among the people at this table, the only one he was relatively familiar with was the head of the performing arts faculty group, namely Liu Tianchi.
Her husband is Zu Feng, who played Li Ya in the TV series "Lurking".
This person is a professor in the Department of Performing Arts and was also a "Zhang Yimou Girl".
When he filmed "To Live", he played Fengxia, the daughter of the male lead, Fugui.
I act less now, but I do a lot of stage plays and also provide acting training.
Her team was responsible for the artist training for "The Flowers of War".
Leveraging his position as a professor in the Performance Department of the Central Academy of Drama, he "colluded with outsiders" to make a fortune in the arts entrance exam education industry.
If you take classes with her, your chances of getting into the Central Academy of Drama will be much higher.
She will also help you make connections at the Central Academy of Drama in advance.
This kind of thing is forbidden in regular schools, but it's very common in art schools, whether it's performance, fine arts, or music; it's even considered an industry norm.
This is called "a master teacher leading you into the door".
If you don't offer tributes to renowned teachers, who will guide you into the field?
Sure enough, the "famous teacher" brought his students to the dinner party.
"Hello."
"Hello..." A girl who looked a little naive shook hands with him and greeted him, not daring to look up at him.
This girl was none other than Qiao Xin, who would later become somewhat famous.
He's the one who acted alongside Liu Tao in "Ode to Joy".
Before entering the Central Academy of Drama, Liu Tianchi's family had already found her, and she then entered the Central Academy of Drama with the highest score in her major.
He was under 18 when he enrolled.
Furthermore, Liu Tianchi directly introduced her to his friend Kong Sheng, and she signed a contract with Daylight Entertainment before even graduating.
They started from a very high level, all because their family was wealthy.
Now that Noon Sunshine has received investment from him, Liu Tianchi specially brought this girl along to give him a heads-up.
“They’re all on our side. They’re good students recommended by Teacher Liu. They’re bound to be extraordinary in the future,” Zhang Yuan hurriedly said.
"Come visit my company tomorrow, and we can talk privately."
“I’ll have my agent talk to you too.”
"That's great... Quickly thank them." Liu Tianchi nudged his student.
"Thank you, but I have class tomorrow," the girl replied, somewhat bewildered.
"It's alright, then come whenever you're free. I'll be waiting for you anytime."
As for the girl's appearance... well, she's just average.
His facial features are not bad, but his face shape is a disadvantage; it's the kind of face that looks rather clumsy.
But this "average" only seems average in comparison to the top beauties in the entertainment industry.
She would be considered a great beauty among ordinary people.
His talent is just average, and as for his family background...
Others may not know, but Zhang Yuan does.
Saying that her family is well-off is both true and false.
There have been rumors that she lives in a luxury villa area in Shanghai, namely the Sheshan Villa District, where a single house costs over 100 million yuan.
The situation remains the same; it's both right and wrong.
The house and wealth all belong to her father, but this rich father is not her biological father!
It was after her mother remarried that she married a very wealthy man.
The material conditions are certainly not bad, but ultimately they are not one's biological child.
Even stepfathers have biological children.
So there's nothing wrong with her enjoying all of this now, but what's the price?
She was beautiful and became a star, and at her peak, she was quite popular.
But these are just layers of added benefits, buffs given to her.
The ultimate goal was to send her away for a "peaceful marriage."
Only after being properly nurtured and having their self-worth enhanced can they qualify as potential partners in business marriages.
Just like Princess Wencheng, the title of "princess" must be given first.
Empress Dowager Erfeng would not use her own daughter for a political marriage; she would have to choose someone from the imperial clan.
Her situation was similar to that of Princess Wencheng. Her stepfather's biological children inherited the family business, while she went to marry a foreign ruler to consolidate her relationship with other wealthy families.
Using marriage to maintain and bind the interests of a group sounds outdated and corrupt, but it has to be said that it works.
Relatives by marriage are still relatives; having a connection through marriage is always closer than relying solely on contracts and collaborations.
So Zhang Yuan looked at the girl with a complicated expression.
It was both a blessing and a curse.
Even if you live a life of luxury, you still have to bear family responsibilities.
If you don't act well, you'll end up like "Zhaojun leaving the border."
But this kind of "misfortune" is something ordinary people can't even get by climbing over a wall.
Many girls work themselves to the bone to marry a rich second-generation heir but still can't achieve it, and she might not even be happy to "win without lifting a finger".
Therefore, although she came from a well-off family, this girl was a "late bloomer" and was not raised as a "princess".
Therefore, she lacks the natural confidence and poise of a rich girl and appears somewhat timid.
I didn't quite understand what they were talking about.
He's an artist after all; he speaks in a rather artistic way.
The management team at the Central Academy of Drama started with "I have a wish" and raised topics such as renovating the school's playground and transforming the cafeteria.
I was trying to subtly suggest that he spend money.
Oh, this shouldn't be called spending money, it should be called "donation".
He also said that after fulfilling his "wish," he could have all the hindrances and be directly recommended for postgraduate studies without having to go to school or take exams.
We know you're busy, but we can handle it.
But he was met with a cold rejection from Zhang Yuan.
"I came to the Central Academy of Drama because I wanted to learn something," he said with righteous indignation.
If we really do it like they say, what if someone reports us later?
What if you go in and then blurt me out as well?
I still want to work for an official organization.
"Therefore, I will personally participate in all exams and pass them in accordance with the school's regulations."
“I also refer to the procedures for graduate student matters myself, and everything is done according to the process.”
"Keep it on file according to the rules."
"As a well-known artist in the Chinese entertainment industry today, I should shoulder social responsibility and not break the school's rules for my own sake."
Others may fear exams, but I'm not illiterate.
These words left the leaders completely bewildered.
Are the rules at our school ever any better...?
It's not always like this.
These guys are all at a loss, just like Feng Shaofeng before them, completely clueless.
"Actually, I also have a wish: I hope the school can make things easier for me when it comes to taking leave."
"But I would show up for every professional course and communicate with the teachers in person."
You have to recognize the person; otherwise, if someone checks, they can't say I haven't attended a single class.
Better safe than sorry.
“If this wish can be fulfilled, I think…” He glanced at Liu Tianchi.
"Does our performing arts department have a problem with outdated equipment?"
"some."
Bro, yes!
Liu Tianchi understood and immediately replied.
"Our desks, classroom TVs, and air conditioners are all many years old."
"That won't do. The Central Academy of Drama is the highest hall of performing arts schools in our country. Using outdated equipment would make us a laughing stock."
If foreigners see this, they'll think we can't afford to learn from them!
"It's also detrimental to teaching quality." Zhang Yuan nodded and smiled.
Renovating a playground can easily cost several hundred million to tens of millions of yuan.
You could replace some classroom appliances and it would only cost a few hundred thousand.
The other leaders also laughed.
A deal was successfully struck amidst toasts and laughter.
Only Qiao Xin was unaware of what everyone was laughing at.
Once these are taken care of, you can wait to take the campus recruitment exam and complete the enrollment procedures.
Meanwhile, news that "The Voice of China" was about to change hands quickly topped the entertainment trending search list... (End of this chapter)