Chapter 1968 Irresistible

The text message Ye Jing received was, of course, sent by Zhao Fusheng.

Naturally, the content wasn't that much—only four words: "Let him go abroad."

The rest was added by Ye Jing himself.

His thinking was clear: since Zhao Fusheng wanted Zhang Mo to go abroad, then he should never come back.

This was the last thing he could do for Zhang Guoli.

Ye Jing knew well that what Zhao Fusheng hated most was not so-called unspoken rules—after all, being in this circle, some things were unavoidable.

What he detested was when someone touched the people around him.

For example, if today Zhang Mo had been plying someone else with drink.

Even if Zhao Fusheng had encountered it, he might not have bothered to interfere.

Not to mention whether there was any enmity between him and Zhang Mo, or whether he was familiar with Zhang Guoli—simply in Zhao Fusheng's inherent view, he always believed that everyone must be responsible for their own choices.

Zhao Fusheng had mentioned this to Ye Jing more than once.

In a place like the entertainment industry, it was impossible to eradicate things like unspoken rules.

But there was a premise: even if you wanted to do bad things, at least you shouldn't be too unsightly about it.

You couldn't force someone to do something they clearly didn't want to do.

In Zhao Fusheng's view, that would be too despicable.

For instance, if a certain actress knocked on the director's or lead actor's door in the middle of the night, the lead actor's or director's upbringing might make them refrain from commenting, but even if something happened, it was a matter of mutual consent, and outsiders had no right to interfere.

But!

For Zhao Fusheng.

The people around him could not be touched.

For example, there were also unspoken rules in business. Often, advertising companies had to pay a price to win advertising contracts from advertisers.

Sometimes it was money, sometimes it was people.

Zhao Fusheng could allow kickbacks, but he absolutely would not allow people from Future Advertising to secure deals through seduction.

This was something Ye Jing had heard from Zheng Yao a long time ago.

Because the heads of Future Advertising back then were all beautiful women, they often encountered overt and covert hints.

But Zhao Fusheng would rather give up those deals than allow Zheng Yao and the others to go out drinking with people to drum up business.

Such a person, as a boss, was undoubtedly excellent.

At the very least, you didn't have to worry that he might betray you at some point or abandon you for certain benefits.

Although it seemed a bit ridiculous.

But this kind of persistence undoubtedly won people's hearts.

"Old Ye, I really didn't mean to."

Seeing Ye Jing about to leave, Wang Zhonglei quickly grabbed him, his face full of apology.

"I know, and Fusheng knows too."

Ye Jing nodded and glanced at Wang Zhonglei: "But regarding this matter, you'd better tell Big Wang and have him apologize in person."

After thinking for a moment, Ye Jing added: "Also, let's temporarily suspend our cooperation between the two companies."

Having witnessed this incident, he was honestly very dissatisfied with Huayi.

I entrusted my actress to you to help nurture her, not to send her out for others to exploit.

Today, Zhao Fusheng happened to run into this. If Zhao Fusheng hadn't come and Zhang Mo had succeeded with Liu Yan, Ye Jing couldn't imagine what Zhao Fusheng's reaction would be when he found out.

A billionaire with hundreds of billions in assets—how much turmoil could he stir up in the entertainment industry?

Who could imagine?

Thinking about it, Ye Jing grew angrier. He shot a fierce glare at Zhang Mo and his father, then turned and left without another word.

Watching Ye Jing's retreating figure, Wang Zhonglei sighed.

To be honest, he felt wronged too. He had clearly told his subordinates not to provoke people from Future Film and Television. Who would have thought that Zhang Mo, that bastard, would be so reckless as to do something so stupid.

"Zhonglei..."

Zhang Guoli looked up pitifully at Wang Zhonglei.

Although he had some influence in the film and television circle, he knew very well that he was nothing compared to the Wang brothers.

But the Wang brothers were even less than nothing compared to Zhao Fusheng.

That was the gap.

"Listen to me."

Wang Zhonglei sighed heavily: "Simply treat the wound and send Zhang Mo abroad. Today, Zhao Fusheng is clearly really angry. Send Zhang Mo away before he changes his mind, otherwise, I'm afraid I won't be able to protect him either."

This was the truth. If Zhao Fusheng really demanded that Huayi hand over the person, the Wang brothers would not tear their faces with Zhao Fusheng over Zhang Mo.

They were businessmen. Businessmen do things with a focus on maximizing profit. In other words, no matter what they do, there must be some benefit to be gained.

Even if they were to fall out with Zhao Fusheng, Huayi Brothers would at least need to get something out of it.

To put it simply, making them offend someone like Zhao Fusheng would require benefits substantial enough to move them.

They were not Ye Jing. Ye Jing's career was Future Film and Television, and everyone knew that once Future Film and Television went public, Zhao Fusheng would give Ye Jing shares.

Under such circumstances, even if Zhao Fusheng flew into a rage today, Ye Jing would still listen with relish.

Because Ye Jing knew that if Zhao Fusheng said nothing, that would be the most terrifying outcome, for it would mean that he, Ye Jing, was no longer trusted by Zhao Fusheng, or even that Zhao Fusheng was ready to abandon him.

Having tasted the flavor of power, having tasted the flavor of commanding the wind and rain in the circle, who would willingly give it up?

No one.

The taste of being able to decide others' futures with a single word is addictive.

And now, the Wang brothers were the same. They also did not want to offend Zhao Fusheng, lest the guy, in a fit of ruthlessness, throw caution to the wind and directly step in to acquire Huayi, which would be trouble.

This was no joke. Huayi's equity structure was not a one-man show for the Wang brothers. If Zhao Fusheng really made up his mind, acquiring Huayi would be a matter of minutes.

At that point, Wang Zhonglei thought, his elder brother Wang Zhongjun might even grab a gun and shoot Zhang Mo.

In the 1980s, Wang Zhongjun and a few colleagues jumped into business and founded the magazine Shopping Guide, but only one issue was published before it was ordered shut down by the authorities as an illegal publication, and the magazine died in the womb.

Before going into business, Wang Zhongjun was a leisurely editor at the Materials Publishing House. After suddenly becoming unemployed, he sat at home every day, watching his father-in-law, mother-in-law, and wife leave for work one by one. During that time, he even got into a fight with a neighbor.

In his distress, Wang Zhongjun truly felt for the first time that a man cannot go a day without money and fame; otherwise, even the dogs on the street would look down on him. He thought about going to the United States to first get a foreign degree.

His wife, Liu Xiaomei, thought it over for a day, and the next day she said to Wang Zhongjun, "I've quit my job. We'll go to the U.S. together. You study, and I'll work to support you."

Wang Zhongjun's eyes brimmed with tears.

Later, he went to the United States.

And Wang Zhonglei, who loved watching movies, at a gathering organized by classmates, saw one tall, beautiful girl after another walk in. He was a bit dazed because everyone who came in was so good-looking.

Only then did he realize that not far from his home was the Central Academy of Drama.

Wang Zhonglei took a liking to one of the girls, but in the end, he didn't even hold her hand. Yet the idea of entering the film and television circle took root from then on.

The development of private film and television in China was a very tortuous process.

At the end of 1994, the first private film and television enterprise in the country, Jiasi Advertising Culture Development Co., Ltd., was established, launching TV programs such as Film and Television Express and Entertainment Express, covering over 200 local TV stations.

Huayi was also founded that year, but at that time, their main business was advertising. Whether making movies could turn a profit, due to policy and market restrictions, the Wang brothers had no idea at all.

In fact, not only Wang Zhongjun and Wang Zhonglei had no idea, but most film investors also had no idea.

On September 1, 1995, the then Ministry of Radio, Film and Television issued the Interim Provisions on the Administration of Film and Television Production and Operation Institutions, Article 5 of which stipulated that individuals and private enterprises should, in principle, not establish film and television production and operation institutions, and foreign organizations and individuals should not independently or jointly with domestic organizations and individuals establish operating institutions in China.

This policy caused private capital and overseas investors to dare not rashly invest in the film industry, and domestic film investment began to slow down.

Starting from 1996, the number of films produced gradually decreased, and by 1999, the total box office of Chinese films hit a historical low, with annual box office revenue of only 800 million yuan.

It was hard to believe that this was even less than one-fifth of the box office of a single film in later years.

At that time, Xiao Gangpao was still box office poison. Having had three consecutive films banned, he was at the lowest point in his life, even doubting whether he had chosen the wrong profession.

During the day, he looked at the pigeons flying over Tiananmen Square, filled with melancholy.

At night, he had to treat leaders to dinner to get a chance for his films to pass censorship, flattering them at the table: "Who are you? You're standing on Tiananmen Tower, looking at Beijing and saying there are too many lights here, a bit dazzling, and the lights here would all have to be turned off immediately."

In 1998, the Wang brothers set up a film office within their advertising company.

Their first trial was Ying Da's TV series Psychological Clinic, which made money.

The two brothers began to feel that the film and television industry was really good.

In the past, doing advertising, they were caught in the middle; doing film and television, they immediately stood tall. Most importantly—it was quite profitable.

Then, they plunged headlong into the film and television circle and never came out again.

Funding was a major issue.

Having planned for a long time, Wang Zhongjun, through the BMW car club, got to know Wang Wei, chairman of Taihe Holdings. In the end, Wang Wei invested 25 million yuan, acquiring 45% of Huayi's shares, and the company was renamed Huayi Taihe.

Wang Zhongjun recalled: "This cooperation was decided over a few drinks between brothers, slapping our foreheads. I only later learned that this was called private placement." But the real situation was not as simple as he recalled; he was not a novice in investment, but rather a master of capital operations.

By 2004, worried about intensified external competition in the film and television industry, Wang Zhongjun decided to increase capital and expand shares.

At this time, Tom Group, which had been seeking opportunities in China, expressed interest in investing.

Thus, Tom Group invested $10 million in Huayi, of which $5 million was used to purchase 27% of Huayi's equity, and the other $5 million was used to subscribe to Huayi Brothers' convertible bonds with an annual interest rate of 6%.

To ensure he did not lose control, Wang Zhongjun repurchased Taihe's shares for 75 million yuan.

Thus, the company's share change was completed.

Of course, in this life, due to Zhao Fusheng's appearance, Huayi's equity structure was now very complicated.

But even so, Wang Zhonglei was well aware that if Zhao Fusheng really wanted to acquire Huayi, it would not be too complicated.

Because Huayi's goal was to go public.

Once listed, it would be a game of capital.

In essence, it was a contest of who had more money.

Wang Zhonglei did not think that he and his brother were richer than Zhao Fusheng.

Even though his brother was very skilled in capital operations, the problem was that it was still within a certain range. For a tycoon of Zhao Fusheng's level, if pushed to the wall, he would just use money to smash you. Unless Huayi also came up with hundreds of billions, how could they compete?

More importantly, Wang Zhonglei knew very well that for Zhao Fusheng, Future Film and Television was just an insignificant part of his business, while Huayi was something he and his brother could not afford to lose.

That was the gap.