Chapter 519 Asia Television

On the last day of May, Hengdian Film and Television City was bathed in bright sunshine, and the crew of "The Imperial Doctress" was busy.

People were coming and going on the set. Liu Shishi, dressed in a deep blue official dress, stood tall and straight as she recited her lines to the camera with great emotion:

"This little prince was born by the will of God to reward the Queen's kindness."

In front of the monitor, director Li Guoli stared at the screen intently.

Seeing that Liu Shishi portrayed the dignity and poise of a female medical officer just right, he couldn't help but nodded approvingly, but then frowned slightly.

The performance is impeccable, but the overly soft original voice is slightly inconsistent with the character's temperament. It seems that re-dubbing is inevitable in the later stage.

"Pass!"

It was almost noon and the sun was shining brightly in the sky.

When Liu Shishi heard the director's command, she breathed a sigh of relief and her body and mind immediately relaxed.

She carefully took off the intricate 翟冠 on her head and handed it to the makeup artist waiting beside her. She nodded to Huang Xuan and Li Chengyuan, then lifted the hem of her skirt and walked lightly towards the rest area.

As soon as I turned around the palace wall set, I saw executive agent Jiang Yuanyuan and two assistants waiting outside the set.

Lin Xia held a box of exquisite fruit slices, while Su Xiaoxiao held a few cups of cold drinks with water droplets on them.

"What's so special about today?" Liu Shishi raised her eyebrows in surprise. Although she and several leading actors often treated the entire crew to drinks, they had never been so extravagant.

He glanced at the colorful packaging of iced milk tea, took his thermos cup from Jiang Yuanyuan, and sipped the warm health-preserving tea.

A mysterious smile appeared on Jiang Yuanyuan's round face. She leaned in and whispered, "Boss Cai is here today. These were specially prepared by her Mr. Wang."

"Sister K is in love?" Liu Shishi's eyes widened and she almost choked on her tea.

He quickly tightened the lid of the cup, grabbed Jiang Yuanyuan's arm, and asked repeatedly, "Tell me in detail! Who is it that moved Sister K?"

Jiang Yuanyuan took the opportunity to put her arm around Yijie and walked towards the lounge while explaining, "It's Wang Yi, the vice president of Sohu Games. He's two years younger than President Cai.

We met last month when we were negotiating the licensing of the mobile game "Xuan-Yuan Sword". He was very attentive to me and would send flowers and gifts to the company every now and then.

He gestured with his chubby hands, "This morning, they even sent over a whole truckload of tea and snacks, saying it was a token of their appreciation for the Tangren crew."

Listening to her friend's vivid description, Liu Shishi smiled slightly: "Sister K has devoted herself to her career over the years, and now she has finally met someone who understands her."

She raised her hand and gently stroked the pearl tassel hanging on her cheek, and her tone turned serious, "I just hope that this king will treat her sincerely."

"I think it's pretty close." Jiang Yuanyuan lowered her voice. "Boss Wang even found out that Boss Cai is allergic to mangoes, and the drinks he sent were specially made."

While chatting and laughing, they had already arrived at the door of the lounge.

Liu Shishi saw at a glance that Cai Yinong was putting on makeup, and indeed his face was as rosy as a blossom and he looked full of energy.

Playfully, she slipped behind him and jokingly said, "Sister K is so radiant today. Could it be that she is being nurtured by love?"

Cai Yinong's hand trembled, and the lipstick was almost misplaced. She pretended to be angry and said, "You are the only one who talks nonsense!"

Then he pointed to the seat next to him and said, "It's a good thing you're here. I have something important to discuss with you."

Liu Shishi and Jiang Yuanyuan sat down as instructed. A stack of documents lay quietly on the wooden table beside them.

"Shishi." Jiang Yuanyuan suppressed her smile and pushed the document in front of Yijie. "I'm afraid the studio can't accept the "Legend of Ban Shu" submitted by Jingtian."

"Why is this happening?" Liu Shishi was stunned.

Jiang Yuanyuan sighed helplessly: "The studio's account is already stretched to the limit, and we still owe the bank a 50 million loan."

Liu Shishi opened the financial statement in surprise.

Lines of entries clearly show that the studio has invested in four TV series, six movies and a variety show, with a total investment of 296.6 million.

These projects have either not been broadcast or are still in the production stage, and there is no sign of recovering funds.

"What should I do?" She frowned in embarrassment. "I promised Tiantian that I would seriously consider it."

His eyes subconsciously turned to Cai Yinong, but he saw the other party waving his hands repeatedly.

"Tangren is also in a difficult situation now." Cai Yinong tapped the armrest of the chair with his fingertips.

"With two major productions, 'Xuan-Yuan Sword 2' and 'The Female Doctor', currently in production, and investments in 'Nirvana in Fire' and talent shows, game development is a bottomless pit of money."

Looking up, I saw the first sister's eyes wandering, and I understood and said, "Don't try to get your hands on my private treasury. Although Mr. Song indulges you and doesn't care about money, you still have to keep your public and private accounts clearly separated."

Jiang Yuanyuan quickly responded, "It would be better to wait until these current projects are broadcast and the funds are recovered before investing in new projects."

"But what about Tiantian!" Liu Shishi bit her lower lip lightly, unable to bear to disappoint Jingtian.

Seeing this, Cai Yinong smiled meaningfully and said, "I understand your thoughts. But in business, sometimes it is necessary to make appropriate trade-offs."

Liu Shishi nodded as if she understood something and decided to follow Sister K's advice.

"I understand." He gently closed the file, a relieved smile on his lips. "Then we'll talk about it when the time is right."

Jiang Yuanyuan was obviously relieved and quickly put the budget sheet back into the file bag.

Cai Yinong patted Yijie's shoulder with relief and said, "It's great that you think so. We shouldn't be too aggressive in company operations."

The three of them then discussed the major recent affairs of Tangren Film and Television and the studio one by one. By the time the last topic was settled, it was already time for lunch for the crew.

Su Xiaoxiao came in carrying a few food boxes: "Senior Sister, Mr. Cai, Sister Yuanyuan, let's have lunch first."

As the assistant spoke, he opened the lunch box. The dishes were fresh, with a good balance of meat and vegetables. It was obvious that they were preparing a special meal.

The three of them thanked him and took the lunch boxes. Although it was a simple meal, they ate it with great care.

Liu Shishi ate a few quick bites and put down her chopsticks. "Sister K, Yuanyuan, enjoy your meal. I'm going to go find Director Li and ask for leave."

Cai Yinong's brows flickered with frustration when he heard this. The female lead was constantly taking leave, and even with her special status, the filming schedule was seriously delayed.

He suppressed his emotions and asked calmly, "What's the urgent matter?"

Liu Shishi paused, looked back, and smiled softly, "My father-in-law's fiftieth birthday is in two days, so I have to go back to Peking."

After saying this, he left without staying any longer.

Looking at Yijie's slim back, Cai Yinong and Jiang Yuanyuan looked at each other and saw a hint of caution in each other's eyes.

The richest man's father is celebrating his birthday. As people close to Liu Shishi, they should prepare a birthday gift carefully to show their appreciation.

Liu Shishi didn't pay attention to what the two were thinking. She went straight to the director's rest room and noticed that the atmosphere was different.

Director Li Guoli and assistant directors Zheng Weiwen and He Zhenghua were sitting together, talking in low voices.

There was an lingering gloom on the faces of the three people, and a dull feeling of boredom filled the air.

"Director, Director Zheng, Director He, what's going on? You all look so worried. Could it be that the crew has encountered some difficulties?"

Li Guoli saw that it was Sister Yi who arrived and stood up to greet her, "It's Shishi. Have you had lunch yet? If not, I'll have the staff bring one over right away."

"Thank you for your concern, Director. I just used it with Sister K and the others." Liu Shishi nodded slightly and turned her gaze to Zheng Weiwen and He Zhenghua who were sighing on the side.

He chuckled and joked, "Look at how gloomy Director Zheng and Director He look. Could it be that Director Li caught them doing something wrong and they're being scolded?"

Li Guoli waved his hand, motioning her to sit down on an empty chair nearby. He sighed, "No, no. We were just talking about Asia Television."

Zheng Weiwen echoed solemnly, his words tinged with reminiscence and emotion: "Mr. Liu may not know that Zhenghua and I both started out at Asia Television in our early years. That was kind of where we started in the industry."

"Asia Television?" Liu Shishi's eyes flickered with doubt as she heard this. She sat down and assumed a listening posture. "I've heard of this station before, but it seems to have become less popular recently. What's wrong with it?"

Seeing the confused look on Yijie's face, He Zhenghua explained in detail: "Mr. Liu, Asia Television is the first TV station in Hong Kong and the first Chinese-language TV station in the world.

Originally known as Rediffusion Television, it operated as a cable broadcast until 1982, when it was renamed Asia Television. During its heyday, it produced many beloved classic dramas and was unrivaled in its popularity.

After a pause, his voice deepened a bit: "The good times didn't last long. After that, ATV faced long-term competitive pressure from TVB.

Although it once challenged its rivals with excellent works such as "The Good Earth" and "Heavenly Silkworm Change", it is still at a disadvantage in overall ratings and it is difficult to recover.

After entering the new century, due to the uneven quality of programs, frequent changes in equity, and turbulent management, the operating conditions have deteriorated.

Now, it has even fallen to the point of owing employees their salaries. It is clear that the business cannot continue and is on the verge of collapse! "

Speaking of his former employer, Zheng Weiwen sighed: "How sad! The world's first Chinese-language TV station was once so glorious!

Now it's facing bankruptcy and closure! I watched him build a mansion, I watched him entertain guests, and now I see it collapse!"

Even the usually calm and composed Li Guoli was filled with emotion, his voice filled with nostalgia for the past:

"In the past, ATV did produce many classic films and TV series with far-reaching influence, such as "Heroes of the East" and "My Date with Spring", which can be said to be a frequent production of excellent works.

Not only that, it has also trained a large number of well-known artists such as Zhang Guorong, Li Ming, and Zhang Jiahui. Who would have thought that it would now reach the end of its road and be about to end in disgrace?

"Bankrupt?" Liu Shishi was a little surprised, her red lips slightly parted.

She was well aware of the name of ATV, but she had never expected that this old TV station had reached its end.

He Zhenghua sighed softly, "It hasn't been officially declared bankrupt yet, but it's only hanging on with its last breath."

Zheng Weiwen said quietly, his words revealing both reluctance and expectation: "Although ATV is facing serious financial difficulties, as Hong Kong's first free TV station, it holds a precious TV license.

"Add to that the vast library of film and television content accumulated over decades, and the company still has a lot of history. If a consortium is willing to acquire it, inject huge capital, and then carry out drastic reforms, it may be possible for it to be revived."

The speaker may not have meant it, but the listener may have taken it seriously. Liu Shishi listened intently, her heart stirring. After a moment's hesitation, she casually inquired:

"Hearing what several directors have said, ATV might still have a glimmer of hope. But I wonder who the current shareholders of ATV are?"

He Zhenghua answered immediately, "Currently the largest shareholder is Mr. Huang Bingjun, who holds 52.4% of the shares.

Another major shareholder is Antenna Investment Company, whose boss is Mr. Cai, Chairman of Want Want Group.

Li Guoli had been paying attention to Liu Shishi's expression. Seeing that she was listening attentively, a surprising idea suddenly flashed through his mind.

So he half-jokingly probed, "Shishi, you've inquired about the shareholder structure. Could it be that you're thinking of acquiring Asia Television?"

These words were earth-shattering!

Zheng Weiwen and He Zhenghua were both stunned, and then looked at Sister Yi with disbelief.

Facing the three directors' ardent gazes, Liu Shishi smiled and asked in an enigmatic manner, "Director, do you think it's not okay?"

At this moment, she was thinking about this matter rapidly in her mind.

Acquiring a TV station with a rich historical heritage and potential value is undoubtedly an extremely tempting idea.

This will allow her to go from being a top actress to a media leader with control over media channels and strong industry influence, and build her own media empire.

However, my mind races, and I know that everything has two sides, and opportunities always coexist with challenges.

Asia Television has a long history of problems and has been facing huge operating losses for many years. Once taken over, huge amounts of money must be invested to maintain daily operations.

More importantly, the need to produce competitive new shows to reshape the brand is undoubtedly an extremely heavy and risky financial burden.

Li Guoli narrowed his eyes and carefully observed the subtle changes in expression on Yijie's face. He knew in his heart that she was not talking nonsense, but was really considering this possibility seriously.

His expression became serious, he put away his joking intention, and gave a serious suggestion: "Shishi, if you have lofty ambitions and want to build your own media empire.

Moreover, they are willing to bear the huge risks, pressure and financial investment that comes with it.

Then, acquiring Asia Television may be a historic opportunity that can propel your career to unprecedented new heights."

"Thank you for the reminder, Director. It's good advice, I'll keep it in mind." Liu Shishi calmed herself down and temporarily suppressed the myriad thoughts in her mind.

Whether to acquire Asia Television is a major matter involving a wide range of issues and cannot be decided overnight. It requires long-term consideration and thorough investigation and evaluation.

Changing the subject, she returned to the main point of her visit, smiling sweetly, "Director, I'm here to ask for leave. I have to return to Peking on the 3rd."

In addition, there will be a Magnolia Awards Ceremony in Donghai in the middle of the month, and I also need to attend it."

Li Guoli's face was filled with helplessness when he heard this. He waved his hand and said, "Okay, okay! You've already spoken, how can I refuse your respect?

Just remember to arrange your schedule well and don't delay too long. Hundreds of people on the crew are waiting for you!"

(End of this chapter)