Huayu: Hard fight against Zhang Weiping at the beginning

Chapter 685 Finally, I can get my revenge.
As August drew to a close and the last screening of "The Equalizer" by Star Entertainment came to an end, its box office figure settled at 380 million yuan.

This number is already quite impressive among the films released this year, but Lu Yang knows that it's because the big productions from various companies haven't been released yet.

The film market is generally more active in the second half of the year, with the summer, National Day, Lunar New Year, and Spring Festival seasons accounting for two-thirds or even three-quarters of the annual box office.

With "The Equalizer" grossing 3.8 million yuan, according to industry practice, a grand celebration banquet should be held to invite media reporters, the main creative team, and partners to gather together, both to reward the team and to take the opportunity to promote the company's strength.

But in the conference room of Star Entertainment, the plan for the celebration banquet had just been placed on the table when Zhong Lifang personally pressed it down to the bottom of the pile of documents.

Meanwhile, the highly anticipated sci-fi blockbuster "Edge of Tomorrow" also officially opened for release.

Similarly, no premiere was held in the industry.

All actions revolve around the word "listing".

The securities firms have given clear instructions that the company must maintain an absolute low profile during the listing quiet period and must not make any moves that could attract market attention, even positive performance promotions must be handled with caution.

The entire Star Entertainment seemed to have been muted, with even the receptionist lowering their voices when greeting customers.

Actually, it is possible to hold a celebration banquet and premiere.

In the original timeline, Huayi Brothers went public on October 30th, but just three days before the bell-ringing ceremony, they held a grand celebration banquet for "The Message".

However, Zhong Lifang was even more cautious, making sure that there would be no mistakes in the listing process.

We've endured so much for so long, it's just a matter of time before we give up.

While Star Entertainment deliberately remained silent, Feng Xiaogang and his wife were far from idle.

The couple has recently continued to uphold the spirit of mutual support and frequently "speaks out" on Weibo.

"The Equalizer has grossed over 300 million at the box office, so why wasn't there even a celebration banquet? Could the box office figures have been inflated?" Feng Xiaogang made a sarcastic comment above, while Xu Fan liked it below.

Just two days later, Feng Xiaogang chimed in: "I heard that a certain sci-fi film is a big hit this year, but it doesn't even dare to hold a premiere. Could it be that it lacks confidence in its own work and is afraid of exposing its shortcomings in advance?"

Xu Fan liked the post again below the Weibo post.

This isn't the first or second time this has happened. For the past month or so, the couple, nicknamed "Little Cannon" and "Little Cannon," have been making all sorts of sarcastic and unfriendly remarks since Zhang Chen hasn't responded.
Every time he faced off against Zhang Chen, he was left speechless. When had he ever been so smug?

Zhang Chen was seething with hatred. Every time he couldn't help but want to retaliate, Zhong Lifang would call him in advance: "Don't be impulsive. Every minute and every second is related to the success or failure of the listing. The quiet period is like walking a tightrope, and there is no room for the slightest mistake. Let them say what they want. When the bell rings, all doubts will be dispelled. At that time, I will not stop you from responding however you want."

She would also give him a fan she bought during her trip, with a poem printed on it: "Don't get angry, anger will make you sick and no one can take your place..."

What could Zhang Chen do? He could only post a Weibo message: "Let the bullets fly for a while longer."
I was just venting, but then I got a call from Jiang Wen: "Hey bro, my movie hasn't even finished filming yet, and you're already promoting it for me!"

Zhang Chen: "..."

……

It was a certain day in September 2010, the day Xingchen Entertainment officially listed on the ChiNext board.

The square in front of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange was already filled with crowds and flashing cameras early in the morning.

Outside the cordon, financial reporters and film and television industry observers from all over the country gathered to witness the listing of Star Entertainment.

Further away, many movie fans holding posters of films produced by Star Entertainment held up signs that read "Wishing Star Entertainment a successful IPO," their faces full of anticipation and excitement.

The listing ceremony officially began at 9:30 a.m.

The core team of Star Entertainment was all present. Zhang Chen was wearing a dark suit with a gold listing commemorative badge pinned to his chest. Behind him were Star Entertainment's two top lieutenants, Dong Jianqiang and Zhong Lifang, followed by Chen Xi, Chen Xiaowei, Ning Hao, Lu Yang, Guo Fan, and so on.

The group couldn't hide their excitement.

Caijing magazine had already reported that the top three shareholders of Xingchen Entertainment were Zhang Chen, Dong Jianqiang, and Zhong Lifang.

Zhang Chen holds 26% of the shares, Dong Jianqiang 14%, and Zhong Lifang 11.9%, with their combined shareholding exceeding 51%.

The remaining shareholders, Chen Xi, Chen Xiaowei, Ning Hao, Lu Yang, and Guo Fan, also hold shares in Star Entertainment, albeit in small amounts.

On stage, the head of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange held a microphone and announced the stock code of Xingchen Entertainment, "3000XX". As soon as he finished speaking, thunderous applause and the clicking of camera shutters rang out from below the stage.

The opening price of 98.52 yuan was displayed in real time on the electronic screen at the ceremony site.

Last year, Huayi Brothers, the first listed film and television company, went public with an opening price of 63.66. Star Entertainment, which went public a year later due to its late submission, had an opening price far exceeding that of Huayi.

However, no one thought it was abnormal. Star Entertainment's performance far exceeded that of Huayi Brothers, not to mention that "The Equalizer" and "Edge of Tomorrow" were both huge hits before the company went public.

The subsequent bell-ringing ceremony brought the event to a climax.

This time, Zhang Chen, Dong Jianqiang, and Zhong Lifang were responsible for ringing the bell.

Zhang Chen didn't cause any trouble. The bell-ringing ceremony in recent years has been quite formal, unlike in later years when a bunch of celebrities rang the bell, like Zhao Yanzi, Zhang Ziyi, Li Lianhua, and Fan Xiaopang...

Later generations sought fame by leveraging that fame, but Zhang Chen didn't need that; he was already famous enough.

The three of them walked up to the bell-ringing platform together. As the golden bell hammer fell with the countdown "3, 2, 1", the crisp sound of the bell resounded throughout the square through the sound system. The stock price on the electronic screen instantly began to rise, and cheers and shouts erupted from the crowd.

Many reporters crowded to the front row, vying to capture this landmark moment.

Colleagues from the film and television industry congratulated each other from below the stage.

……

华谊兄弟
If anyone is more concerned about its IPO than Star Entertainment, it's Huayi Brothers.

Huayi Brothers, owned by the Wang brothers, is the first listed film and television company in China, but everyone knows that they only hold the title of number one. In terms of performance and influence, Huayi is not as good as Star Entertainment.

With Star Entertainment's IPO, the Wang brothers also want to know how different it is from their own Huayi Brothers.

The Wang brothers stared at the computer screen: "Damn, their opening price is 98.52, much higher than our 63.66!"

Wang Zhonglei shouted in displeasure from the start. Wang Zhongjun didn't say anything, quietly smoking his cigar. Seeing this, his younger brother Wang Zhonglei also lit one for himself.

The office was filled with the click of a cigar tong, followed by the sound of a lighter burning.

Since the product went public, the two brothers have switched from cigarettes to cigars, which they think are more stylish.

After a day, Star Entertainment's stock price finally stabilized at 198.71, having even reached a high of 270.33.

With a total market value that quickly exceeded 200 billion, his net worth is equivalent to two Huayi Brothers or 50 Eagle Kings. Zhang Chen's personal net worth also exceeds 52 billion, and this only includes Star Entertainment, not Golden Harvest.

The Wang brothers exchanged a glance, both seeing displeasure in each other's eyes.

But there's nothing I can do about being unhappy.

On a television program, Zhang Chen was being interviewed by Fortune magazine. He appeared confident and spoke eloquently.

How did you feel after the company went public?

"I don't have any particular feelings, but I feel like the financial pressure won't be as great in the future."

"Was Star Entertainment under a lot of financial pressure before?"

"Of course. Look at Star Entertainment's current film projects, they often invest over 100 million US dollars. In addition, we also own PPTV, Maoyan.com and Star Paradise, which are all big spenders."

"But you guys earn a lot too! I heard a single movie can make hundreds of millions!"

"Do you know how long the return cycle is for movies? It's usually more than two years. And in business, there's no such thing as making money without losing money. The film industry is notoriously unstable in terms of income. Many companies go bankrupt directly after a big-budget production fails."

Star Entertainment is good; so far, no project has suffered losses, but that doesn't mean it won't in the future. Sudden wealth will definitely attract envy, and Zhang Chen doesn't want to stir up any resentment.

"So, what are your plans for using the funds raised from the IPO?"

"Of course, it will continue to be invested in films. Star Entertainment will focus on blockbuster films with Eastern culture in the future. The preliminary projects are the 'Journey to the West' series and the 'Ghostwriter' series in cooperation with Golden Harvest..."

Zhang Chen's answer wasn't particularly impressive; it was merely average. The host wasn't satisfied, feeling it was unlike Zhang Chen at all.

Do you know your current net worth?

Zhang Chen shook his head: "I don't know, and I never care about these things." The host persisted: "With Star Entertainment's IPO, your personal net worth has exceeded 50 billion, and adding Golden Harvest, it's probably around 80 billion."

Zhang Chen shook his head: "I told you, I don't care about any of this. Whether it's 80 million or 8 billion, it won't change my life. If we're talking about financial freedom, I've already achieved it."

Seeing Zhang Chen's attitude, the host changed his perspective: "Some people have calculated that this listing of Star Entertainment has created 7 billionaires, more than 20 multi-millionaires and more than 200 millionaires at once."

This time, Zhang Chen finally showed interest.

"This is the part I'm most satisfied with."

He picked up the ceramic cup on the table and took a sip of water. "Actually, it doesn't matter to me whether Star Entertainment goes public or not. I have Golden Harvest, and I have enough money to live on. But in the end, I still chose to go public because Star Entertainment doesn't belong to me alone, but to everyone."

When the company was first established, there were only 10 people, many of whom were recent graduates. Later, various talents joined the company, and it has grown to what it is today.

People who choose to follow Star Entertainment definitely want to develop their careers.

When a company thrives, it should naturally give back to its employees, and going public is the best way to achieve this.

So I persuaded everyone in the company to buy shares. Now that the company is listed, those shares have turned into cash. This is my way of giving them closure.

Besides the three giants Zhang Chen, Dong Jianqiang, and Zhong Lifang, the others Ning Hao, Lu Yang, Guo Fan, and Chen Xiaowei also hold shares, but not many, around 1%.

Star Entertainment is now worth 20 billion, and even 1% of that is 200 million, so they are all billionaires now.

As for Chen Xi, she already was; she not only owned shares in Star Entertainment, but also shares in Golden Harvest.

Department heads are mostly worth tens of millions, and even ordinary employees who bought shares back then are now worth millions.

Interview programs are generally not very long. In the final stage, the host usually asks the guests to make some self-reflections, summarizing the pros and cons and their gains and losses.

"At the end of the program, as is our custom, we'd like to invite guest director Zhang Chen to share his insights on the successful IPO of Star Entertainment."

After the host finished speaking, he looked at Zhang Chen with a smile and was already preparing to give his final thank-you speech.

But then he noticed that Zhang Chen hesitated for a moment.

"Actually, Star Entertainment's IPO this time hasn't gone smoothly at all."

"?"

The host was stunned, sensing an underlying meaning in Zhang Chen's words. She quickly looked at the program director, who immediately gave her the order through her earpiece: "Keep asking him the questions!"

The host immediately switched to a professional smile: "Oh, it seems there are some hidden details about the listing process that we don't know about. Director Zhang, could you share them with us?"

Zhang Chen picked up his cup again and took a sip: "First, let's talk about the smear campaign against me and Fan Xiaopang."

On the eve of Star Entertainment's IPO, a scandal suddenly broke out involving me, the company's founder, having an affair with a female celebrity. It's obvious to anyone with a brain that someone was trying to sabotage our company's listing.

Luckily, I was in a good position; we were just dating, not actually being kept by someone, so the other party didn't get what they wanted.

"Director Zhang, can you reveal who launched this sabotage? To ruin the IPO, what kind of deep-seated grudge could they possibly have?"

The host looked excited. "That's it, that's the taste!"
Through his earpiece, the director was also urging him to dig up more information.

Although we are a financial magazine, it's okay to occasionally publish some celebrity gossip.

"Who else could it be but Huayi Brothers?"

Zhang Chen made no attempt to hide anything: "Does everyone know about the quiet period before an IPO?"

This interview was conducted without an audience, so no one was expected to answer his questions. Therefore, Zhang Chen answered his own questions: "Many people may not know that there is a quiet period before an IPO. As the name suggests, during this period, companies that are about to go public should keep a low profile. This is mainly to ensure fair disclosure of information, maintain market order, and protect the interests of investors."

During this quiet period, it is not convenient for us to issue statements or conduct large-scale publicity campaigns.

So, despite the huge success of "The Equalizer," no celebratory banquet was held.

The highly anticipated film "Edge of Tomorrow" was released without a premiere.

This is actually a huge loss for us, but we have to do it in order to go public. Even when I post on Weibo, I can't say anything outrageous.

Then, a couple surnamed Feng started causing trouble.

To be sarcastic, "Why didn't 'The Equalizer' hold a celebration party? Was it because of box office fraud?"

Tomorrow I'll make a sarcastic remark: "Is the reason 'Edge of Tomorrow' isn't holding a premiere because they lack confidence in the film's quality?"

I just want to ask you, Huayi Brothers has been listed on the stock exchange, don't you know why we don't hold premieres and celebration parties?

What are you pretending for here?

Isn't their goal to force us to issue a statement, then drag us into a media storm, thereby affecting our IPO?

What the hell!
Now that it's successfully listed, I need to have a good talk with the Wang brothers and Feng Xiaogang!

Zhang Chen spoke with great passion, and the host was deeply moved.

She used to host financial interviews and was used to listening to the rich brag, all of them pretending to be refined and cultured, thinking she didn't know what kind of people they were behind the scenes.

Zhang Chen is different; he has absolutely no celebrity airs and even curses on the show.

But it seems to lower the show's prestige a bit.

But at this moment, her heart told her not to worry about it so much, so be it. She also liked to hear gossip, especially from the people involved.

Everyone knows there's something fishy going on between Huayi Brothers and Star Entertainment.

But when Zhang Chen confronted them directly and analyzed each and every one of these matters clearly, it was a different experience altogether.

Huayi Brothers deserve to die! How dare they take advantage of Star Entertainment's quiet period to provoke them in various ways!
Now, Star Entertainment is starting to fight back.

Zhang Chen continued, "What annoys me the most is that they used 'Cell Phone 2' to smear Fan Xiaopang."

Will Huayi Brothers really make a sequel to "Cell Phone 2"? They probably don't even have a script yet. Mentioning this project is just disgusting.

Fan Xiaopang was greatly troubled by this. During that time, she was almost synonymous with mistress, and many people on the Internet attacked her because of these so-called false rumors.

Huayi Brothers likes to use movies to amplify things that don't actually exist.

The movie "Cellphone" had a huge impact on Cui Yongyuan back then. A perfectly good CCTV host was accused of "keeping a mistress".

Now, "Cell Phone 2" is doing the same thing again, trying to ruin Fan Bingbing's reputation with the same tactics, and even attempting to drag me down with it.

Zhang Chen paused, his gaze suddenly sharpening as he looked at the camera and said, word by word, "Compared to you, you've messed with the wrong person. Unlike Xiao Cui, who's a cultured man who cares about face and reputation, I, Zhang Chen, am a rogue."

If you try to use thuggish tactics against me, don't blame me for retaliating in kind.

I hereby formally announce that Star Entertainment will be launching a film project titled "I Am Not Madame Bovary".

The story is simple: a woman gets into the Central Academy of Drama, falls in love with her diction teacher, and through hard work, eventually becomes his girlfriend.

Then, while she was filming, rumors of an affair with the director surfaced.

When her boyfriend found out about the affair, he threw all her luggage out of the house in a fit of rage.

Later, a married screenwriter pursued this woman relentlessly. The screenwriter abandoned his wife and daughter for her. However, fate intervened, and the screenwriter, through a chance encounter, was promoted to director and became increasingly successful. In the end, the two lived happily ever after.

After Zhang Chen finished speaking, there was a long silence in the room, and the host didn't know how to respond.

She didn't know about Madam Feng's past before, but even if she was stupid, she would know that it was referring to Madam Feng by combining the context and the fact that the screenwriter became a director.

That's incredibly outspoken!

Zhang Chen is practically trying to tear Feng Xiaogang's face off and stomp on it.

It was brilliant, but she really didn't know how to respond, so she looked to the director for help: "Director, are we sure we can air this part?"

(End of this chapter)