Global Film Emperor

Chapter 437 Some things can only be judged as right or wrong over time.

"I don't care what methods you use! Whatever you try! Whether you pull strings or beg and plead, 'The Immortal' must be released on time! The screening slots for 'The Immortal' during the Spring Festival have already been set, and now this mess has happened. People have already canceled their pre-sale tickets. Do you know how big of a loss this is! If you need money for public relations, the company will provide it. No problem with how much you want. I just need to see the poster for 'The Immortal' and the release date still as expected!"

Inside the conference room, a man's roar echoed. Even though the conference room was well-soundproofed, it couldn't stop the sound from being heard. Then came the sound of porcelain shattering. The trainees passing by the door couldn't help but shrink back, not daring to even whisper, and hurried away with their heads down.

A few drops of water were slowly dripping from the edge of the table, and the documents on the table were already soaked. The water was even threatening to flow onto other people's documents. Even so, everyone could only look down nervously at the non-existent dust on their feet and dared not pick up the papers that were about to be soaked in water.

"Public Relations Department, Minister Qin, can you tell me, is all that over ten million I take out every year just lying around on the streets? Even if you threw it into the river, it would make a splash, right? Over ten million a year! Do you know how much that covers? Do you know how many kilograms that is? All that money just makes your waistline get bigger every year? And you get fat and bloated like a pig?"

"Dong dong dong..."

The porcelain shards, along with the documents, were flung to the ground with an arm. The carpet covered the floor, so the crisp sound couldn't be heard, but the muffled thuds only fueled everyone's emotions. Minister Qin remained silent, but a flush of red gradually rose from his neck until it reached his head, making his head feel like it was boiling over.

Ignoring the dampness of his shirt collar, Lee Sun-kyun held a cigarette between his fingers, pulled it away from his lips, and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke. The cigarette, which he had just lit, was stubbed out on the table by the water stains. He was somewhat agitated, so he casually threw the cigarette butt on the ground, unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, stood up with a cold smile, pointed at the executives he had angrily berated but who dared not utter a word, and twirled his fingers.

"If we can't find a way to get the movie released on time, you, you, you, and you all get out of here and watch yourselves."

He picked up the suit jacket hanging on the back of the chair, shook it a few times, and hung it back on his left forearm. He pushed open the door, and a trainee who happened to be passing by bowed nervously to greet him when he came out.

"Hello, Mr. Li."

"What's so good about it?"

He berated the little girl until she cried, but the little girl knew in her heart that she was destined not to receive an apology from Mr. Li. She bowed again and then walked away. Mr. Li also left, walking in the opposite direction from the little girl, his anger blazing.

He needs to vent, even if it's just using others as a dumping ground for his negative energy. As someone in a position of power, he has the ability and the right to do so, even though he knows why "The Immortal" was blocked by the authorities.

Three hundred and fifty million yuan, the largest investment in the company's history, was thus strangled, unable to move, and even breathing became difficult. It tried to struggle, but could not escape the giant's grasp.

Now, along with "The Immortal", Qian Shijia is also struggling to breathe and has been completely exhausted. If the lead actors from several other companies sue the company for breach of contract, it will cost a lot of money. He is starting to panic because it is almost the end of the year and he will have to deliver Qian Shijia's financial statements at the group's annual meeting.
Shame!

He needed a drink to temporarily relieve the pressure. He went downstairs, opened his car door, and slammed it shut with a bang, regardless of whether it had a suction cup or not. Like a fish about to suffocate, he fidgeted restlessly in the seat. After thinking for a while, he finally rolled down the window and lit a cigarette under the "No Smoking" sign.

"Doo dooo dooo dooo dooo..."

The phone rang, and after glancing at the caller ID, my pores instantly opened, releasing moisture. Soon, a drop of water condensed on my forehead and slid down onto the phone screen.

He pursed his lips, not seeing his own pale face reflected in the rearview mirror. He took a deep breath and swiped to answer the call. As if possessed by a spirit, the drop of water landed precisely on the answer button and the call-end button. Then, the screen went out of control; he had accidentally touched the wrong button and hung up the phone.

"Fuck him!"

For a moment, he wanted to smash his phone, but before he could even raise it, he gave up the idea. He turned his head to look out the car window, but there was no one around. He breathed heavily and clenched his fist, slamming it hard against the steering wheel.

"drop!"

The horn blared loudly enough, but for Lee Sun-kyun, the second phone call was far more terrifying. Trembling, he lit a cigarette to calm himself, wiped the screen on his clothes, and answered the call. "Dad, what's up?"

"Is there something wrong with the company?"

"I've run into a small problem, but I can handle it."

"You can't handle it. People in the cultural and sports industry are most afraid of the government opening a seal. With just one order, ten years of foundation can be easily destroyed in an instant."

"I……"

"I thought I would be at ease with you taking over Qian Shijia after the lesson you learned from opening the entertainment company last time. But now, you've still made such a mess. Come back to the group on Friday for a meeting."

"I know dad."

After hanging up the phone, he finally did what he hadn't dared to do before: he threw the phone out, and it smashed into the load-bearing wall of the garage, shattering into pieces with no chance of reviving. Then, he slammed on the gas pedal, running over the phone's corpse, and sped up the extremely steep slope of the garage.

……

Unbeknownst to Li Shanjun, after hanging up the phone, his father placed his hands on the table and stared at the retro landline on the desk for a long time. His gaze was fixed on the phone, but his eyes kept wandering.

Finally, he extended his hand, which was wrinkled but still showed signs of being pampered, picked up the receiver and placed it to his ear. With his right hand, he dialed the landline dial, turning the dial all the way down to the hole marked with the number 1. He released his hand, and the dial quickly returned to the center. A dozen seconds later, he dialed the number. Hearing the busy tone indicating no answer, he pursed his lips, put his dentures in his mouth, and coughed lightly. When the call was connected, he smiled through the phone.

"Hey Lao Hu, playing golf? Got some time? Let's chat."

"What are you talking about... Ah, it's like this, what are your thoughts on the current state of Qian Shijia?"

"Haha, you really don't hold back when it comes to your words. What if I said I hoped you would come back to take charge? Yes, how about giving you all the group's resources? Don't put it so harshly. What do you mean by 'a good horse doesn't eat the grass it has already grazed'? As the group's pillar of strength, you should say that you are an old horse in the stable, still aspiring to gallop a thousand miles."

On the other end of the phone, Hu Zhiguang took off his sunglasses, hung them on his chest pocket, handed the golf club to the caddie, took off his white gloves and casually tossed them onto the windshield of the sightseeing bus, sat in the back row, crossed his legs, and looked at his grandson chasing a Pekingese on the lawn with a very calm expression.

"Chairman Li, when I inscribed the name Qian Shijia, I explained why it was called Qian Shijia. It means 'the universe is bright and clear, and the deeds are excellent.' It means 'the deeds are understood by the world, and the name 'Jia' is a kind of expectation and reward for myself. I wanted to retire at sixty-five, but I left at fifty-five. The 'Jia' and 'Jia' are gone. Naturally, I became depressed because of this and dared not take on any role as a pillar of strength. Now I am just an old man taking care of my grandchildren. Although I have left, there are still feelings involved. I still pay attention to and watch the series of choices that Chairman Li has made for the sake of profit. Now, the character 'Qian' is gone. If I go back, I still cannot face my colleagues and the children who have placed their hopes on me. If my colleagues and children are gone, then the deeds and the world are gone. What is the point of me going back? My expectations, my hopes, my beliefs have all returned to dust. There is no way to rebuild them. Now I hope that Chairman Li can understand me. At sixty, one should be able to hear and understand. I should listen to my children's opinions and leave all my energy to the descendants."

He said a lot, his meaning was very straightforward and not subtle. Chairman Li understood and fell silent. He knew very well that the choice he made back then would hurt Hu Zhiguang, and hurt him deeply. He also blamed fate for playing tricks on him. He never expected that he would still be hoping for Hu Zhiguang's return. All the losses would have to be borne by him, who made the wrong choice back then.

Li Dong forced a smile, which reached Hu Zhiguang's ears, but Hu Zhiguang did not laugh and silently waited for the laughter to stop.

"Old Hu, you're absolutely right, hahaha, beep..."

The laughter stopped, the call ended, and Hu Zhiguang put away his phone, calmly gazing at the blue sky and white clouds, the lawn and the lake, a beautiful picture of children and Pekingese.

"..."

(End of this chapter)