Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 89, Section 88: Thirty Warlords Meet in the Capital
At the end of the wrap party.

It was already past nine o'clock at night.

As the autumn nights in Beijing grow cooler, the streetlights cast dappled shadows of trees onto the somewhat empty streets.

Wang Sheng and Li Xiaoran were in the car on their way back to their residence.

Li Xiaoran's face was flushed from drinking, her arm naturally linked with Wang Sheng's, and she pressed her whole body into Wang Sheng's arms, saying all sorts of flirtatious 'love words'.

Just then, Wang Sheng's Nokia 2110 in his pocket beeped at an inopportune moment.

Li Xiaoran tactfully let go of his hand and sat up straight.

Wang Sheng took out his phone and glanced at the caller ID; it was Han Sanping calling.

He pressed the answer button: "Uncle Han, you're still up so late?"

The voice on the other end of the phone sounded quite tired: "I just settled in the factory managers who were late."

For the past two weeks, Wang Sheng has been busy filming, and Han Sanping hasn't been idle either.

He visited and extended invitations to thirty film studios.

These thirty film studios included giants like Changchun Film Studio and Xi'an Film Studio, as well as small studios that were practically defunct, such as Chongqing Film Studio, Henan Film Studio, and Hebei Film Studio, which needed to be affiliated with larger studios to obtain filmmaking qualifications. There were also studios that were just getting by, such as Tianjin Film Studio, Emei Film Studio, Pearl River Film Studio, and Xiaoxiang Film Studio.

The main approach is to use a saturation-style invitation strategy.

Oh right, I didn't go to the Shanghai Film Studio.

Han Sanping successfully hosted the 5th Golden Rooster Awards and the 8th Hundred Flowers Awards in 1985, so he has connections with these film studios.

Wang Sheng asked, "Are all the heads of the thirty film studios here?"

"Correct!"

Han Sanping raised his voice a few decibels, "Taking advantage of the National Day holiday, I've invited all the film studio heads I could get and those who were interested in cooperating to come to Beijing. Pearl River Film Studio, Xi'an Film Studio, Emei Film Studio, Xiaoxiang Film Studio... a total of thirty studios came! The studio directors and deputy directors in charge of distribution are all staying at our studio's guesthouse right now!"

Despite having anticipated it, Wang Sheng still secretly took a breath.

Thirty!
This encompasses almost all film studios across the country. Han Sanping's actions and influence this time far exceeded Wang Sheng's previous expectations.

"Factory Director, you've really gone all out!" Wang Sheng exclaimed sincerely, his tone brimming with just the right amount of admiration: "Thirty powerful figures! To be able to invite so many dignitaries to our little corner of the world, there are very few people in this industry who have that kind of influence."

A slightly smug chuckle came from the other end of the phone, clearly pleased with the compliment: "Stop flattering me! They're here for the opportunity to make money, not for me personally."

Tomorrow morning at nine o'clock, in the factory's main conference room, we will have a formal meeting and discussion.

Don't even think about shirking your responsibilities. You came up with the core idea, so you need to come up with a plan on how to negotiate and how to distribute the benefits.

I need to clear my head tonight so I don't embarrass myself in front of the senior colleagues tomorrow.

"Don't worry, Factory Manager, I understand the importance of this." Wang Sheng immediately stated, "I already have a preliminary framework for the plan, and I guarantee it won't disappoint you. I just didn't expect you to be able to gather such a complete team. Now our business can really expand significantly."

"Hmm," Han Sanping's tone turned serious, "This is a rare opportunity, but it's also a mixed bag. Everyone's situation is different, and their appetites are different. Some want to take advantage of us, while others are afraid of being swallowed up by us."

Tomorrow's meeting needs to both paint a rosy picture and clearly establish the rules to avoid future disputes. You're young and quick-witted, but you must also be mindful of your approach; you can't be soft when you need to be firm, and you must also show composure when it's time to compromise.

"Understood, Factory Director. We'll use a combination of soft and hard tactics, tie interests together, and prioritize the overall situation," Wang Sheng concluded.

"Alright, you should get some rest too!"

……

Seeing that Wang Sheng had finished his phone call and was now clinging to him again, Li Xiaoran asked curiously, "What thirty film studios?"

"Uncle Han has invited the directors of thirty film studios to a meeting at the Beijing Film Studio, and I will be attending tomorrow as well," Wang Sheng said briefly.

Li Xiaoran didn't understand: "How many film studios are there in the whole country?"

Wang Sheng frowned: "Probably... a little over forty."

"Wow!"

Li Xiaoran hugged Wang Sheng's face and kissed him several times: "My man is amazing."

"Xiaoran..."

"Ok?"

"The garlic smell hasn't gone away yet." "Ugh! Go to hell!"

……

The following day, September 30th, early morning.

The canteen at Beijing Film Studio was much busier than usual.

The directors and deputy directors of thirty film studios from across the country had breakfast here, arranged by Han Sanping, which could be considered an informal meeting.

The cafeteria chefs specially prepared several more dishes, including soy milk, fried dough sticks, steamed buns, fried liver, and millet porridge, all with distinctive Beijing characteristics.

In the huge cafeteria, dialects from various regions mingled, and smoke filled the air. Many heavy smokers ate and smoked at the same time, creating a lively atmosphere with a subtle sense of competition.

Wang Sheng arrived at the cafeteria on time, and was slightly taken aback by the scene as soon as he entered.

Looking around, most of the men were middle-aged, in their forties or fifties, with different temperaments. Some were dressed meticulously in Zhongshan suits, some were casual and pragmatic in jackets, some had worried expressions, and some had shrewd eyes.

Han Sanping was moving among them, greeting everyone warmly, behaving like a true host.

"Oh, Mr. Wang is here!"

Han Sanping, with his sharp eyes, spotted Wang Sheng and immediately beckoned him over. Then, he loudly introduced this rising star of the Beijing Film Studio to everyone: "Ladies and gentlemen, this is Wang Sheng, a young talent from our Beijing Film Studio, the general manager of Shengying Media, and a recipient of the Youth Science and Technology Innovation Award! He single-handedly started the wedding film project and the upcoming Lunar New Year drama 'Family Harmony Brings Prosperity'!"

In an instant, dozens of eyes focused on Wang Sheng.

Curiosity, scrutiny, admiration, doubt... a mix of emotions.

Wang Sheng instantly felt an invisible pressure, but he remained calm and smiled as he nodded to those around him: "Good morning, factory directors and leaders. I am Wang Sheng, welcome to Beijing Film Studio."

"Haha, you're really young and promising!" A middle-aged man with a heavy Cantonese accent and a slightly overweight build spoke first: "Mr. Wang, that 'personal customization' you're doing in the south is making us very envious!"

"Director Han, that's not very fair," another director, speaking with a Qin accent and with a lean face, joked. "With such a good way to make money, why didn't you call us earlier? Did you have to wait until Little Wang had almost finished eating the meat before calling us for some soup?"

Xi'an Film Studio was not among the original "eighteen warlords".

The crowd burst into laughter.

Han Sanping wasn't annoyed and replied with a smile, "Old Zhang, what you're saying is true. Before, the conditions weren't right! Now that Wang Sheng has paved the way, our alliance has a foundation, so we immediately invited everyone here. Let's all make money together!"

At this moment, a factory director from Northeast China with a loud voice interjected: "Old Han, you've really made a big fuss this time! You've gathered the heads of thirty brother factories from all over the country to your Beijing Film Studio. Good heavens, this is quite a spectacle. Anyone who didn't know better would think you were summoning thirty warlords to march on the capital to defend the emperor!"

He laughed as he spoke.

This remark caused everyone to burst into even louder laughter.

Someone chimed in: "Exactly! Old Han, you're so capable, able to get all these big shots involved, why don't you become a minister or something, and lead us brothers? You could wipe out all those provincial film companies."

"Go away, stop teasing me!"

Han Sanping waved his hand dismissively with a laugh, but the smugness in his eyes and brows was undeniable: "I, Han Sanping, will only cook as much rice as the pot can hold. I'll be content if I can bring together our brothers from the film system to do something practical and find a way for the factory workers to make a living. Minister? That's something for the leaders to consider."

Amidst the laughter and conversation, everyone gained a new understanding of Han Sanping's influence, and at the same time, they became even more curious about Wang Sheng, who could stir up such a storm. People would come over from time to time to talk to Wang Sheng, asking about business details or expressing their intention to cooperate.

Wang Sheng handled the situation calmly and with a humble yet respectful attitude, demonstrating both his familiarity with his work and the humility of a junior, leaving a good first impression on everyone.

Breakfast ended in an atmosphere that seemed relaxed but was actually fraught with tension.

Han Sanping glanced at his watch, stood up, and cleared his throat: "Gentlemen, have you eaten enough? Let's move to the conference room, make some tea, and have a good chat about serious business. We need to come up with a plan today on how to make money!"

"it is good!"

"I'll follow Director Han's instructions!"

Everyone responded.

Han Sanping glanced at Wang Sheng and nodded slightly.

Wang Sheng understood, knowing that the real test was about to begin.

He took a deep breath and followed Han Sanping and many other factory directors toward the large conference room at the Beijing Film Studio, which had hosted countless important meetings.

With the arrival of the thirty allied powers, whether they can successfully "unite" and build the envisioned nationwide television drama distribution network depends on this morning's negotiations.

(End of this chapter)