Huayu Entertainment: You have been directing for three generations, are you comparing your qualifica

Chapter 70: The Light That Illuminates Chinese Cinema (Seeking First Subscription)

Inside Huayi's office.

"Director Lu, did you offend Tian Xiaole? Public opinion was originally in our favor, but he stirred things up and now we're in a very passive position."

Wang Zhongjun looked displeased as he gazed at Lu Chuan, who was on the verge of tears. He found it disgusting that a grown man would cry so easily.

"I don't understand why he's targeting me!"

Lu Chuan was indeed on the verge of tears, as this negative news broke just before the Golden Horse Awards ceremony.

He had intended to minimize the impact as soon as possible, but he didn't expect Tian Xiaole to interfere.

He originally had a very good chance of winning the award, but now the online public opinion is very unfavorable to him, and his hopes are very slim.

Wait, the Golden Horse Awards?

Lu Chuan had a sudden inspiration and looked at Wang Zhongjun, saying:
"Mr. Wang, could it be that Tian Xiaole is worried that [Kekexili] will steal the limelight from [Heart Maze], so he spoke out to amplify its influence..."

The more Lu Chuan talked, the more he realized it made sense, while Wang Zhongjun looked at him as if he were a fool.

"Would a work that wins a Cannes Jury Prize care about you?"

"Then he has no reason to target me!"

"Stop guessing here, just call and ask."

Wang Zhonglei, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.

"Okay, I'll call him."

Wang Zhongjun took out his phone and dialed Tian Xiaole's number, but the line was busy.

···
On the other side, Tian Xiaole was on the phone with Park Jong-hwa, who had returned to South Korea.

This former roommate, through family connections and his resume as the photographer of "The Maze of Hearts," directly landed a job at CJ Entertainment, and in a fairly high position.

"Old Park, I received your message. How's the box office for 'The Bouquet' with you?"

"Not bad, the box office in the first week, converted to RMB, is 13 million."

"Oppa, come quick, I can't wait!"

"Shut up, don't bother me!"

Tian Xiaole listened to the sound coming from the phone and realized that there was another reason why the call was taking so long to be answered.

"Xiao Le, when are you coming to visit? I'll show you the local customs and culture."

"You said it yourself, the next movie will be filmed in your country, and I'm going to take on ten of them then!"

To be honest, Tian Xiaole really appreciates the taste of South Korean chaebols; those long legs filling the screen are simply dazzling.

The only downside is that it's easy to encounter counterfeit products.

"Haha... You think you can do it? I can only manage three at most."

Park Jong-hwa's smile was rather lewd; he probably couldn't handle even one of them and could only use laughter to cover up his embarrassment.

This interruption almost made Tian Xiaole forget the important matter: "By the way, I'm thinking of co-producing my next film with South Korea. Is CJ Entertainment interested?"

The script definitely needs big-name actors to headline the roles of the leaders on both the Chinese and South Korean sides.

Being older represents their experience, qualifications, and abilities in the industry.

The South Korean market is very important. Partnering with CJ, a local powerhouse, can reduce a lot of trouble.

"Of course we're interested in your film. The company's top management would be very happy to hear this."

"Then I'll wait for your good news."

Just as Tian Xiaole hung up the phone, another call came in—it was from Wang Zhongjun.

As soon as the call connected, I heard someone say:

"Xiao Le, don't interfere in Lu Chuan's matter. The outcome is still undecided."

"Uncle Wang, shouldn't what we filmmakers hate most be piracy and plagiarism? Lu Chuan's behavior shouldn't encourage this trend."

Tian Xiaole's words were very firm.

"We are all on the same side, and we should unite as one, not help outsiders."

Wang Zhongjun couldn't understand why Tian Xiaole didn't understand such a simple principle.

This isn't the first or second time this has happened. Each time, it's been resolved thanks to the powerful network of connections within the Beijing film circle. The collective silence of the film association this time is the best proof of that.

“In my eyes, Chinese films are the ones who truly belong to us. If Huayi Brothers condones this behavior, I will have to carefully consider future collaborations.”

Being in the entertainment industry, a notoriously corrupt place, Tian Xiaole might lower her standards, but she's not without principles. Plagiarism is unacceptable, especially when someone tries to use their influence to intimidate others.

His voice illuminated a ray of light for the collectively silent Chinese film industry.

"Xiao Le, are you really going to end our cooperation over someone you don't even know?"

"If Huayi supports plagiarism, then it's different from my film philosophy, and ending it is normal."

Trying to build connections or get close to someone won't work on Tian Xiaole; ​​he has his own set of rules for doing things.

Look what they've driven Liu Yujun to.

Complaints to the Film Association only resulted in being passed around and ignored.

He was then confronted by Huayi's legal department, who seized upon the loopholes in his analysis, and online public opinion began to shift, putting him in a very passive position.

Fortunately, Tian Xiaole's voice gave him hope.

···
Wang Zhongjun didn't even need to think about choosing between Tian Xiaole and Lu Chuan.

One is a director who has proven himself in both commercial and artistic fields.

A film debut, all starring the lead actor, and still embroiled in plagiarism controversy.

Comparing them side by side, Wang Zhongjun felt it was somewhat insulting to Tian Xiaole.

Lu Chuan overheard the phone call.

He was somewhat restless, unsure of what Huayi would choose.

At this moment, Wang Zhongjun's face turned ashen, and his phone was creaking in his hand. This was the first time he had ever been threatened.

What's most infuriating is that there's no way to refute it.

Tian Xiaole's profitability in several consecutive films proves that his commercial films are no less than Feng Xiaogang's, and Huayi Brothers needs this ally.

As the year draws to a close, Wang Jinghua is causing trouble again, demanding the shares and dividends that were previously promised to her.

Huayi's goal is to go public; how could they possibly give it to her!
At this point, Tian Xiaole's investment share becomes particularly important.

Thinking of all this, he said to Lu Chuan, "You should admit your mistake and pay compensation to shut them up and suppress the public opinion as soon as possible."

"Chairman Wang, is there really no other way?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Chuan collapsed onto the sofa, utterly exhausted. This proved that the plagiarism was a fact, and how could he possibly continue to work in the film and television industry?

"Don't sit here, go and deal with it."

Wang Zhonglei urged impatiently.

···
Tian Xiaole's side was also restless; he received calls and messages from QQ, text messages, and phone calls from both acquaintances and strangers alike, all trying to find out what was going on.

Some said he shouldn't have helped "outsiders," while others praised him for doing a great job, saying that he shouldn't encourage bad practices.

Tian Xiaole had just finished dealing with the situation and taken a sip of water when Han Sanping called.

"Xiao Le, is that script from the bureau for your next film?"

"Yes, it's a crime-themed commercial film. The investment this time won't be small, and I plan to use well-known actors."

"It has to be a big production; small-scale projects are meaningless."

Han Sanping's tone was filled with excitement. There are only a few directors in mainland China who can make commercial films, and it would be good if they all made big-budget productions.

The market needs blockbuster films to attract audiences to theaters.

"As for investment, it would be fine if it were just the two of us. There are many unstable factors in private enterprises."

Han Sanping displayed the sharp edge of Zuo Shandiao, and liked to eat alone.

"Uncle Han, this time we plan to use a co-production model. Huayi Brothers and Enlight Media should also be involved, at least in terms of publicity and distribution, they can help."

CJ International, a South Korean company, also plans to provide some investment, as that market is very important, and only by aligning interests can there be the best cooperation.

Han Sanping was even more excited. The mainland had never cooperated with South Korea before. If they could open up the market this time, it would be another great achievement.

"That's great! Get it done as soon as possible, and I'll take care of the paperwork."

"We'll have news soon, and then we'll notify Enlight Media and Huayi Brothers to confirm the film investment."

[Bouquet] performed well at the South Korean box office, and Tian Xiaole is confident that CJ Entertainment will cooperate.

It's not just Tian Xiaole who's eyeing their market; the other side is also eyeing this market of over a billion people, just waiting to see which side can penetrate.

(End of this chapter)