Chapter 1576
A Small Matter
Inside the office, after someone of Zhang Yimou's stature made the final decision, Zhang Yuan turned on his phone and started communicating with the outside world.
"Hey, my phone's dead."
"Oh dear, that's how Apple phones are. They deteriorate after a few months, and the battery life is too short."
He used his phone as an excuse.
I said Apple batteries are bad, do you have any objections?
Of course I know he's talking nonsense, but I can only pretend to believe him.
We can't just fall out with them, can we?
We're too busy trying to appease them.
Let's hope there isn't another major battle like the one before.
They all remembered why the company was founded.
However, at first they thought it was just a communication platform, and Zhang Yuan was just a messenger.
I didn't expect this company to make money.
I plan to give this kid some leftovers and have him work as a middleman, that'll be it.
Who would have thought that it's now uncertain who's providing for whom?
He then made an internal call to Zeng Jia, instructing her to inform everyone in the company that, in addition to their regular bonuses, each person would receive an upcoming iPhone 5 as a prize at the end of the year.
Those who don't want the phone can receive an equivalent cash discount.
The company is preparing for an IPO, so it must demonstrate its financial strength in advance.
And I want to tell everyone that this is my decision.
People will also remember me.
With several hundred employees, the total cost isn't too extravagant and won't cause any major disruption.
He had just taken a short break when Lin Jianyue from Huanya called him.
The call was mainly for Shu Qi, the actress still under his name.
“Zhang Sheng, what you’re doing is a bit unfair.”
"Reputation is very important to a woman."
Zhang Yuan almost burst out laughing when he heard this.
You and Shu Qi are the least qualified to say that!
Shu Qi stopped talking about it and wanted to put the clothes she had taken off back on, one by one. As for why she had taken them off in the first place, that was none of your business.
Don't ask!
Anyone who asks that question is disrespecting women.
The Tianya forum has thoroughly investigated her past and family history.
Her real name is Lin Li-hui, and Shu Qi is her stage name.
She always said that her family was poor, but in reality, they weren't that poor.
Ultimately, her making Category III films is the same as Tang Wei making "Lust, Caution".
To make money?
there must be.
But most people are just eager to become famous.
You chose to act in this kind of film in order to break into the entertainment industry and become a star.
Moreover, although her debut film was a Taiwanese erotic film, she really became famous with "The Jade Girl Heart Sutra", which was the film she co-starred in with Hsu Ching-Chiang.
The mastermind behind this was Wang Jing, who was involved in the iron station incident.
Back then, it was all arranged by Wang Jing when Chingmy Yau went to film Category III films; that fatso just loved that kind of thing.
He was adept at luring women into prostitution, especially by "forcing good women into prostitution."
So saying that reputation is important for girls is bullshit.
As for Lin Jianyue...
Why did the stunningly beautiful Joey Wong retire from the entertainment industry and remain unmarried for life?
It's all because of you!
Ultimately, Lin Jianyue has some mama's boy traits.
He was with Joey Wong for many years, but his mother disapproved of him and said that famous line.
"Just pretend you're sleeping with a chicken."
This statement caused Joey Wong to become withdrawn and disappear from the entertainment industry.
You're still talking to me about this?
I have never seen such a shameless person!
"President Lin, I would like to make a statement and clarification. Shu Qi's photos and content originally came from Tianya Forum and were reposted to Weibo."
"Neither Tianya nor Weibo has any of this content been found by me."
I just stirred things up; I wasn't the one who started it, so there's nothing wrong with it.
"Also, Shu Qi's 'Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons' has just finished its theatrical run, grossing over 12 billion yuan."
"She's become famous, but has she ever thanked me?"
"Have you thanked the company?"
"He meddled in the opinions of unrelated people without any gratitude, and ended up ruining his reputation."
"Furthermore, from the mainland to Hong Kong, everyone knows that I have a conflict with Donnie Yen."
"Eat my food, then smash my pot!"
"I'm already being lenient by not confronting her about it."
"I'm still waiting for her call, waiting for her to tell me in person what she wants."
Lin Jianyue was stunned by his sudden change of attitude.
You think you can reason with me?
I can turn you from plaintiff to defendant in no time.
"Mr. Lin, I have to say something."
"I am very dissatisfied with Shu Qi's performance in this incident, and you should take this as a warning."
"Can such a two-faced and ungrateful person really be loyal to your company?"
"Be careful not to mistake someone for someone else."
Zhang Yuan knew that Shu Qi's contract with him was nearing its end, and it was a time when they were struggling with the decision of renewing it.
I didn't originally intend to do anything to her, but if she dares to cause trouble and doesn't show loyalty, then don't blame me for taking her hand and ruining her.
"Then you can't drag so many people into attacking Zidan."
Lam Kin-yue was still unhappy; in the end, the Hong Kong entertainment circle was messed up this time.
No matter how eloquent you are, you can't heal the wounds in my heart.
"To tell you the truth, I did this all out of good intentions, for the sake of the company."
"These artists who speak out will later become star shareholders of the company."
"Now they have gained the audience's favor because they spoke out on this matter."
"And this alliance is also a warm-up for the later announcement of these people joining the company."
"These factors will all affect the listing and future stock price."
"It's none of our business if outsiders argue; the real issue is the company going public!"
You dare to talk to me about serving the country?
The weight of the Chinese film and television industry rests on my shoulders, encompassing Beijing, Beijing, and thirteen provinces.
Everything I do is for the company, do you have a problem with that?
Yunnan Baiyao (a traditional Chinese medicine) cannot heal emotional wounds, but RMB (Chinese currency) can.
It has excellent hemostatic and analgesic effects.
Upon hearing this, Lin Jianyue immediately felt better.
As long as the company goes public and makes a lot of money, the mere hatred of killing one's father is child's play.
After managing to fool this person, Jiang Zhiqiang called him again.
Are you feeling better?
I thought he was upset because of Yang Mi.
We also saw him forming cliques.
People in Hong Kong are saying that the gangs on the mainland are very rude!
The key is that we can't win even if we fight, and we can't resort to things like censorship.
Who will be banned?
Whom do you want to ban, and who do you have the ability to ban?
It would be more likely that a gang leader in mainland China would blacklist you with a single sentence.
The offensive and defensive strategies have shifted!
This is not the 8s or 90s, nor the 00s.
Ten years later, the influence of Hong Kong's entertainment circle is clearly inferior to that of the mainland, and its decline is common knowledge.
Only a few diehards are still basking in yesterday's glory.
Jiang Zhiqiang knew best his "destructive power" and also knew that he didn't do things solely to lose his temper.
So we came here to test the waters and confirm if the taste is right.
He repeated what he had said to Lin Jianyue to him again, and Boss Jiang generally agreed.
"By the way, Wang Jing, what do you think?"
"Did you ask me, or did he ask me?"
"Hehehe..." Jiang Zhiqiang laughed after being questioned and his situation exposed.
Young people remain as sharp as ever.
"It's all the same, we help each other."
"If you approve of him, then I have no problem."
"We will continue to cooperate."
He couldn't be bothered to discuss the other party's attitude; he already knew what that fatso's attitude was.
Seeing that he had no intention of expanding the scope of his attacks, this time it seemed more like a lot of noise but little action, a grand gesture followed by a gentle downfall.
Mr. Jiang understood; he was probably telling the truth when he said it was to create hype for the company.
They also understood that he was recklessly displaying his strength.
This method of presentation is similar to Zhao Gao pointing at a deer and calling it a horse; whether it is a horse or a deer is not important.
The important thing is that you have to hit wherever I point.
"Just so you know, I'm coming to Hong Kong right away to discuss something with everyone."
"Oh... okay, the usual place?" "Okay, see you at the usual place."
He hasn't been to Hong Kong for a while now, finding it too troublesome. He usually works remotely and only meets up for important matters.
I put down my phone and went out to catch a plane to Hong Kong.
After leaving the airport, he went straight to the private room of the big restaurant he always went to when he came to Hong Kong for meetings.
Sweet abalone, high-flying shark fin, basically all kinds of abalone, sea cucumber, shark fin, and fish maw.
Let's eat and chat first.
We didn't start talking about serious business until desserts like mango pomelo sago were served.
Most of the Hong Kong businessmen looked alright, because he was chatting and laughing during the meal and didn't seem like he was about to go crazy.
Jiang Zhiqiang even said that he had already talked to them and that the matter was over.
It seems that it's truly over.
Only one of them didn't look well.
Huang Baiming, as the boss of Zhen Zidan, should not get too excited.
"Huang Sheng".
Unexpectedly, he didn't talk to Zhang Yuan; Zhang Yuan found him first.
I'm sorry about this.
"But I had no choice; it was all for the company."
"I think you can understand."
Huang Baiming still wore his signature smile and didn't say much.
"If it's convenient for you, could you please contact the Cai family and put in a good word for me? Thank you."
Donnie Yen's sister-in-law married into the Choi family, while Wong Pak-ming's daughter married into the Lam family; both were prominent Hong Kong families and had a good relationship.
The combined wealth of both families is greater than that of Zhang Yuan... for now.
He said that he didn't actually need the other person to greet him.
He didn't believe the Cai family would cause him trouble over something so trivial.
Moreover, I live in Beijing, so it won't be easy for them to find me.
If they really want to cause me trouble, there are plenty of people who can step in; I won't miss him.
He said that simply to indicate that it was time to stop, while also saving face for the other party.
"This meal is on me today, and I'll open a few bottles of good after-dinner wine to rinse my mouth later."
"I met with everyone mainly to talk about Stephen Chow."
"I think this is extremely excessive!" Huang Baiming was the first to speak.
After all, he and Stephen Chow had a past relationship that wasn't very pleasant.
So, who at this table got along well with Stephen Chow?
"Yes, yes, that's too much."
"Ha, Sing is still the same, he only cares about money and not people."
"This kind of person has no feelings; they're an ungrateful wretch who can't be tamed."
Zhang Yuan did not refute, but simply listened and nodded.
That's why he said Stephen Chow has an inferiority complex personality disorder, because a typical manifestation of this personality disorder is difficulty in cooperating.
In particular, it is difficult to cooperate with people outside the small circle of family.
His company is managed by his older sister.
This group of people represents half of the Hong Kong entertainment circle, and when they talk about him, they all complain and curse. If he's not difficult to work with, then no one else is.
His reputation in the industry is so bad that he's practically unique.
Everyone was united in their hatred of the enemy, and Zhang Yuan did not immediately refute them; he even nodded in agreement.
We also have to consider the feelings of the shareholders.
"What everyone said makes sense."
“I already felt his strictness when I was filming in my early years, and this time I have a deeper understanding of everyone’s feelings.”
"What made me furious was that he actually dared to ask me for extra dividends."
"I wanted to call my bodyguards to beat him up right then and there."
"If anyone knows of any assassins, please introduce me to one."
"He never considered that 5000 million in dividends would be enough to buy several of his lives!"
"That's right!"
"It's a pity the Xiang family didn't actually kill him back then."
Zhang Yuan thought to himself, "Then why don't you cut them down?"
Is it because he has an invincible body that he can't be cut down?
Waiting for others to make a move, while you either stand by and watch or offer hindsight advice, what's the point?
"But his box office is high right now."
"It is even the highest-grossing Chinese-language film for the time being."
"Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons" is currently showing overseas, including in North America, and is performing quite well.
The global box office is expected to exceed 2 million US dollars!
It could even compete for the highest-grossing Chinese-language film worldwide.
This is also the source of Stephen Chow's confidence to ask for money.
That's awesome!
Making several thousand US dollars from this film will be no problem for the company.
Even the net profit is around 5000 million US dollars.
"No matter how bad his character is, or how much of a scoundrel he is, we can't ignore the fact that he's the highest-grossing director right now."
“He’s not the only director who makes money.” Someone immediately retorted.
"From a tactical point of view, getting rid of him is the most cost-effective and appropriate option."
"But from a strategic point of view, if we get rid of him, he will go and cooperate with other mainland film and television companies."
"This will increase the strength of our opponents."
"Therefore, I believe there are only two paths: if we can't get it, we should destroy it or temporarily win it over."
Upon hearing this, everyone gasped in shock.
This kid is ruthless than all of us!
"It would be too costly to destroy him."
"Therefore, after analysis, I believe that temporarily winning them over is the most appropriate course of action."
“Especially since our company wants to go public, having his cooperation agreement will definitely boost the stock price.”
“He doesn’t even need to act. As long as he’s on our side, we can gain favor from the capital market.”
"Just like director Zhang Yimou."
"As for the 5000 million dividend he wants."
"This will definitely be reflected in the company's market value."
"I hope to gain everyone's understanding."
"It's not that I like him that much, but it's a choice I made after considering all factors."
He came with the momentum of a major victory in public opinion, hoping to gain everyone's support.
Short-term efforts can yield higher long-term returns, so it's worthwhile.
"I assure you all that we will absolutely not give him any company shares, and we will not allow him to truly become one of us and boss you around."
"The kind of person he is, is used when he is virtuous, and discarded when he is not."
"We're just using him for profit."
The words may be unpleasant, but these people are happy to hear them.
If he were to forcefully support Stephen Chow at this moment, he would be more likely to face opposition.
I agree with you, and I hate him too; he's trash.
But garbage can make us money, so let's all put up with it... that's roughly the idea.
Only by blending in with the world can we achieve our goals.
"What about the money?"
"With so much money, are you going to pay for it or should we?"
"Yeah, tens of millions, you make it sound so easy."
"Yes." Zhang Yuan nodded with a smile: "I made it sound very easy."
"It's as easy as refusing company bonuses these past few years."
The crowd fell silent.
I've lost at least tens of millions of dollars, did I say anything?
It's because I have a long-term vision and plan for the future.
"Let me put it this way," he sighed.
"I will take full responsibility for Stephen Chow's affairs."
"I will take responsibility for any problems that arise."
"Let's raise a glass to the future of the company."
He took responsibility.
The rest of them looked around and then all raised their glasses.
Zhang Yuan had only one feeling in his mind.
This company would have gone out of business long ago without me...
He spent a fortune to keep Stephen Chow, of course, it was for the money.
But I only told these people half of it.
What he wanted was the movie "The Mermaid"!
Billions in box office revenue!
How much money can I make?
In addition to the profits from the movies, as he said, the profits will be reflected in the company's stock price by two, three, or even four times!
How much is that?
It's worth noting that the movie "Ne Zha 2" nearly tripled the stock price of fiber optics!
Its market capitalization increased by more than 700 billion in just three months!
This is equivalent to more than five times the box office revenue of a movie.
Compared to that much money, tens of millions is really just a small number, nothing to worry about. (End of Chapter)