thefictionvixens Chapter 75 The True Colors Are Revealed
Chapter 75 The True Colors Are Revealed
The air in Beijing in August was stiflingly stuffy.
The asphalt road, which had been baking in the sun all day, was still radiating heat into the air at night.
Huayi didn't hold the dinner at a fancy hotel, but rather at a semi-private Cantonese restaurant behind the Kunlun Hotel. The place wasn't big, but it was quiet, and many people in the industry liked to meet there for business.
When Lin Ruiyang arrived, the private room was already occupied.
When he pushed open the door, the eldest Wang, Wang Zhongjun, was sitting in the main seat, whispering something to Feng Xiaogang beside him, while the youngest Wang, Wang Zhonglei, was standing by the window making a phone call.
The food on the table hadn't been touched much, but half a pack of cigarettes had already been smoked, and the air was filled with the mixed smell of cigars and Zhonghua cigarettes.
As he entered, all three of them looked over at the same time.
"Director Lin is here."
Wang Zhonglei stood up first, a smile on his face.
Lin Ruiyang nodded: "President Wang."
The two shook hands.
They were very polite, but that was all they were polite about.
Because everyone knows that the essence of this meal is not about making friends.
As soon as Lin Ruiyang sat down, Feng Xiaogang glanced at him with a cigarette between his fingers.
"How's filming going in Hollywood?"
"It's alright." Lin Ruiyang took the hot towel handed to him by the waiter.
He wiped his hands, casually tossed the towel onto the bone china plate, and spoke in a relaxed and nonchalant tone:
"With a base of 20 million US dollars, Fox and PPR are keeping a close eye on things, and the financial audit is conducted every Monday. There are more regulations than in China, and it's not as flexible."
Twenty million US dollars, which is more than 160 million RMB.
In 2005, when a domestic period drama could be touted as a "masterpiece" with a budget of 30 to 40 million yuan, this figure lightly landed in the private room, causing the atmosphere to suddenly become heavy.
Feng Xiaogang smacked his lips, and a strong sense of rejection and sourness flashed in his signature eyes.
He is the uncrowned king of the Lunar New Year film season in mainland China. Wherever he goes, he is surrounded by stars and worshipped by everyone. Naturally, he looks down on young people who step on everyone's heads as soon as they go abroad.
"Look at him, this big director who came back from Hollywood is so arrogant." Feng Xiaogang said with a forced smile, poking his half-smoked cigarette hard in the ashtray, his tone somewhat sarcastic.
"I had to beg and plead with Mr. Wang to get a sponsorship of 20 to 30 million yuan, which would have cost me a whole year's worth of favors. Director Lin, on the other hand, just needs to say a few words in Hollywood and he can fund several of our films."
No wonder the newspapers outside are saying every day that you've overturned the mainland's格局 (geju, a concept encompassing overall structure, overall situation, and overall development). These young people nowadays, they're barely able to walk and already want to run around in Beijing. Taking too big a step can easily lead to a disastrous outcome.
These words were laced with venom; the arrogance of a veteran director in Beijing's elite circles and his suppression of the nouveau riche were laid bare.
Wang Zhongjun, holding his cigar, remained silent, wearing only that cunning and hypocritical smile, letting Feng Xiaogang humiliate Lin Ruiyang.
In their eyes, no matter how capable Lin Ruiyang is, once he returns to the mainland, he still has to play by the rules of the game in the industry.
Lin Ruiyang sat in the chair, his expression unchanged, still very relaxed.
He knew these people's true colors all too well; these so-called industry giants were all driven by a robber's logic of "those who obey me prosper, those who oppose me perish."
Today's meal, ostensibly a welcome dinner, is actually nothing more than an attempt to see if we can turn him into another stepping stone on Huayi's path to listing, given his rising popularity in Hollywood.
If they wanted to take him down, they naturally had to first intimidate this young man in his early twenties with their imposing manner. Feng Xiaogang played the villain, while Wang Zhongjun watched coldly from behind, their good cop/bad cop roles playing out perfectly.
"Director Feng, what you said really makes me feel uneasy. Those press releases in the newspapers are nothing more than exaggerations by domestic media in pursuit of popularity. If you actually believe them, then you've fallen for the media's trick."
My little dabbling is basically just working for the Big Six in Hollywood, dancing in the shackles of capital. As for wielding influence in the mainland film market and getting people to willingly spend their money, I still have a lot to learn from you and the two Mr. Wangs.”
This response was impeccable; it was ostensibly flattering, but subtly melted away all of Feng Xiaogang's sharp edges.
Feng Xiaogang snorted coldly. Although he was still a little embarrassed, he finally stopped making sarcastic remarks.
"Oh, Director Lin, that's just Xiao Gang's temper. Everyone in the industry knows he has a sharp tongue, so please don't take it to heart."
Seeing that the atmosphere was getting a bit tense, Wang Zhonglei, who had just been on the phone by the window, immediately put on a very warm smile, picked up a wine glass and walked over, perfectly smoothing things over.
"Director Lin, Xiao Gang is just envious of you. Our domestic film market is really like a workshop now. Last year, Xiao Gang's 'A World Without Thieves' only made a little over 100 million yuan at the box office, which is only a little over 10 million US dollars. It didn't even reach the production cost of your movie."
"You've truly grasped the essence of the film industry abroad, and it's an honor for us to have the privilege of sitting at the same table with Huayi Brothers upon your return. Come on, Director Lin, let's have a toast to welcome you back!"
Lin Ruiyang stood up with a smile, clinked glasses with Wang Zhonglei, and made sure to maintain appearances.
Seeing this, Wang Zhongjun also flicked off his cigar ash, his cold expression instantly melting away, replaced by a highly appreciative elder's face:
"Director Lin, Xiao Lei is right. The domestic market is indeed a bit small right now, but that's precisely because it's small, there's a lot of potential for future growth. Huayi is currently seeking a listing, and we need the concept of internationalization."
"You have Fox and European luxury goods groups overseas, and Pioneer Pictures domestically. If our two companies can deeply integrate, then in the future, no one else will have a chance in the Chinese film industry."
This is where the true intentions are revealed.
While refilling Lin Ruiyang's tea, Wang Zhonglei, with a forced smile, revealed Hua Yi's core objective for the evening:
"Yes, Director Lin. As long as you agree, Huayi Brothers can use its top-tier cinema resources to fully support the guaranteed distribution and import of 'The Devil Wears Prada' in mainland China. We can even fully invest in your Pioneer Pictures' next project in mainland China, with no upper limit on funding!"
If you're short of actors or connections, Xiaogang and we can create a whole solution for you. No other company in the entire country can offer that.
By having Feng Xiaogang act as producer for a young man in his early twenties, and ostensibly offering unlimited co-investment, the real intention was to completely control Lin Ruiyang's project through Huayi Brothers.
Lin Ruiyang sneered inwardly.
No upper limit on funding? Huayi now has to rely on sponsorships everywhere to even make its own films. They're just using their brand to fool the capital market and cash out in the stock market.
Moreover, as a reborn individual, he knew all too well how foolish it was to tie his future to these capitalist vultures.
"Chairman Wang, President Wang, I, Lin Ruiyang, will remember Huayi's sincerity. To have Director Feng help steer the ship is a blessing that one could only dream of in China."
"But I'm still relatively new to Hollywood and don't have much of a say. I personally want to try my luck there a bit more before seeing how things go... I can look into it again when I come back and there are suitable projects."
Lin Ruiyang's reply was impeccable, sincere in tone, yet it subtly concealed his refusal, leaving room for maneuver.
Wang Zhongjun's eye twitched almost imperceptibly, and the fake smile on his face faded slightly.
In the mainland film and television industry, few dared to so casually slap the face of Boss Wang. But he was extremely shrewd; he merely exhaled a puff of smoke, a half-smile playing on his lips, and said:
"It's good to take a chance; young people have ambition. However, the domestic situation is also quite turbulent. If Director Lin ever feels that the shackles of Hollywood are too heavy, Huayi Brothers' doors are always open for you."
"Then I'll thank Chairman Wang in advance."
Afterwards, Lin Ruiyang found an excuse to get up and take his leave.
Wang Zhonglei made a few perfunctory attempts to persuade Lin Ruiyang to stay, then personally escorted Lin Ruiyang out of the private room.
As soon as the door closed, the air in the private room instantly turned cold.
Feng Xiaogang slammed his chopsticks on the table, sneering repeatedly.
"Hey Mr. Wangs, do you see that? They're so arrogant, they don't even care about our mainland territory. They're using Hollywood as a shield, treating us like thieves."
Wang Zhongjun stubbed out his cigar, a sinister glint in his eyes: "I've seen plenty of ungrateful young people. Xiao Lei, send someone to keep an eye on his movements at China Film Group."
Since they can't be used to my advantage, I must guard against them according to the rules. Huayi's business must not be overturned by some powerful outsider.
On the way back, the night breeze blew in through the car window, finally dispelling the sticky cigar smell on my body.
As soon as Lin Ruiyang got out of the car, his cell phone emitted a crisp notification sound.
He reached over the screen and saw an extremely long string of numbers with the US international dialing code.