Chapter 328 Cultivating the Market (Bug Fix): The wind will only carry seeds to fertile soil.

The meal ended on a sour note.

Minister He left in a huff, without even taking a bite of the noodles that were served.

Wang Xiao didn't care.

While it's true that harmony brings wealth in business, there's no way to do anything without offending someone.

Director Cao was even more straightforward; he directly took the soup bowl that Minister He hadn't touched, and started eating the noodles with his chopsticks.

It was a bit lumpy, but it was more flavorful.

Besides, it would be a waste to just throw away perfectly good noodles. Local officials these days have to be extremely frugal with every penny they have, unlike the leaders in the ministry who are so generous.

This little trick of subtly trying to sow discord was not enough to make Vice Premier Hong take notice.

He looked at Wang Xiao and asked, "This concert movie you're talking about, can it really revitalize cinemas? To be honest, the concert has already been approved, so there's no point in you saying anything nice anymore."

Director Cao slurped his noodles softly, his heart pounding with anxiety, fearing that Wang Xiao would get into trouble.

"Yes, we can." Wang Xiao nodded confidently. "We haven't even tapped one-tenth of the potential of movie theaters yet."

She explained, "Everyone says the film market is cooling down because of the impact of televisions and videotapes. Especially after the advent of color TVs, everyone preferred to watch TV at home and didn't want to spend money to go to the cinema. But—"

She pulled out a piece of paper from the documents, unfolded it, and pointed to the numbers on it, saying, "In 1980, 99.5% of American households owned at least one television set, more than 90% of households owned color television sets, and more than 50% of households owned two or more television sets. This shows that ten years ago, every household in the United States already had a television."

She pointed to the charts in the document, "But American films, represented by Hollywood, have not declined as a result; on the contrary, they have achieved remarkable success."

The chart shows the North American box office rankings for 1993.

The number one film is Jurassic Park, priced at $357,067,947.

The 21st book, The Ultimate Target, cost $32,588,094.

Xiao Gao has good eyesight; he can count numbers from a great distance.

He always knew that Hollywood blockbusters made money, but he never imagined they made this much.

The first place winner earned over 350 million US dollars, and the twenty-first place winner earned over 32 million US dollars.

My God!

Upon seeing the same number, Director Cao forgot all about eating his noodles and exclaimed in his heart: "Their 21st place is also over 300 million yuan."

This figure is so high that even the profits of large state-owned factories in China cannot match it.

America's wealth is evident in every aspect of its development.

Wang Xiao said slowly and deliberately, "The reason why the US domestic film box office is still so good despite having a large number of color TVs is that, apart from the fact that Hollywood blockbusters must be shown in theaters to create that immersive and shocking effect, the most important reason is that movies serve a social function."

She held up her finger, saying, "This is the greatest value of film, beyond providing audiences with artistic appreciation, cultural experiences, and emotional resonance."

As she spoke, she gave a thumbs-up, emphasizing the social function of watching movies.

"As our country's national strength has grown, most people have solved the problem of food and clothing, and have generated more demand for spiritual and cultural enrichment."

"Now, dance halls, nightclubs, karaoke rooms, ice rinks, and billiard rooms are thriving in major and medium-sized cities precisely because they meet people's needs in this regard."

"When the general public goes to the above-mentioned places for entertainment, they can relax, enjoy themselves, and also get together with friends to strengthen their relationships."

She cleared her throat and continued, "But most of these places are quite expensive. For example, a dance hall might only cost you three or five yuan to enter, but you can't go in without spending any money. Going to a dance hall or nightclub once and singing karaoke once can easily cost over a hundred yuan."

"But with current average incomes, most people cannot afford such expenses, so society is showing a state of polarization. On the surface, there are more leisure and entertainment venues, but the places where the general public can relax have actually decreased."

"Without suitable entertainment venues and social spaces, people will feel depressed and develop feelings of dissatisfaction."

"At this time, the existence of cinemas became a place that could attract this group of people for entertainment and leisure."

"Because a movie ticket costing five or six yuan is expensive for watching TV at home; but it's cheap compared to the cost of places like nightclubs."

A cup of white fungus and pear soup appeared in front of Wang Xiao. The white fungus was unfolded, the pear was translucent, and it emitted a sweet aroma.

Vice Premier Hong gestured to her, "Take a sip of water, moisten your throat, and continue."

Wang Xiao smiled, finished half a cup of pear soup, and while drinking the soup, went over her thoughts again before continuing.

"The reason why people are unwilling to go to the movies now is because the movies have failed to attract them, making them feel that the five or six yuan ticket price is not worth it."

"Once people feel that the money was well spent and that the entertainment was worth the price, they will be willing to go to the cinema."

"So we chose to start with concert films, selecting concerts by the world-renowned superstar Michael Jackson."

"He comes from across the ocean. Compared to Hong Kong and Taiwan stars, he is more mysterious and has a higher status. Being able to go to the cinema to see his concert is a very fashionable thing for the audience."

She didn't use the word "fashionable," but rather "stylish."

For China in 1994, "stylish" was a synonym for something more sophisticated or high-end.

That same year, the Hollywood blockbuster "The Fugitive" was introduced to mainland China for the first time. It is said that it grossed more than 20 million yuan in just one week in six cities.

This shows that the Chinese people are full of curiosity about another world across the ocean.

This curiosity allows cinemas to attract audiences without having to go to great lengths to advertise.

At this moment, "The Fugitive" has not yet been released in China, so the only example Wang Xiao can cite is "Breakdance".

In the 1980s, this American movie entered mainland China, sparking a nationwide breakdancing craze.

Michael Jackson was a master of breakdancing.

Emotionally, his appearance on screen could easily evoke the emotional resonance of the 1980s craze.

Wang Xiao further emphasized the advantages of concert movies: "Under normal circumstances, we need to keep quiet when watching movies so as not to disturb others. This is also where movie theaters are lacking compared to other places such as dance halls and billiard rooms—the sense of participation and interaction is insufficient."

"Concert movies perfectly fill this gap. Fans shout and scream during concerts, and their enthusiastic reactions are part of the concert experience."

"Watching a concert movie allows everyone to sing and cheer together, fully releasing themselves and enjoying more than two hours of time to the fullest."

"Watching a movie is equivalent to attending a concert. Glow sticks and posters are expenses that come with attending a concert, depending on one's budget."

"Moreover, most people who go to the cinema to watch a concert are fans. After the movie ends, their shared interests are likely to lead them to another gathering, such as having a meal or coffee together, which could generate more consumption. This is also a growth point for boosting the economy."

Hearing this, Vice Mayor Zhou laughed. As expected of a big boss, she can think of every single penny.

Wang Xiao laughed along and added, "Another advantage of concert movies is that they make up for the regret of the general public who can't buy tickets."

Nowadays, most concert tickets are sold internally, with only a limited number available for sale to the public.

Because of this, the fans are very resentful.

Vice Premier Hong listened attentively from beginning to end without offering any opinion.

Hearing this, he finally asked, "Are there that many fans? Enough to support the operation of the movie theater?"

“No,” Wang Xiao said honestly. “Michael Jackson’s status is high, but because his music has limited reach in my country and there is a language barrier, his number of fans may not be as large as that of big stars in Hong Kong and Taiwan.”

At this point, Director Cao became a little uneasy and even wanted to cover his face.

Oh dear, Mr. Wang, how can you speak like that? Why must a businessman be so honest?

Vice Premier Hong also looked at Wang Xiao: "Since there aren't that many fans, if a movie theater opens and only three or five fans are sitting inside, it won't even recoup the screening costs. How can that possibly revitalize the movie theater?"

"Because his fans are discerning."

Wang Xiao laughed and said, "The narrow range of channels for dissemination determines that his fans have a certain threshold. Large and medium-sized cities, decent income, and artistic youths are the general profile of them. In other words, they are fashionable people."

Minister Cao laughed upon hearing this: "You mean, let them bring other people into the movie theater?"

Wang Xiao nodded: "That's the leader effect."

Actually, the term "internet celebrity effect" is more appropriate to describe it.

However, the concept of internet celebrities didn't exist in 1994, so the only option was to be a leader.

Vice Mayor Hong nodded, but didn't let the matter rest. Instead, he continued to ask, "What about other places, small and medium-sized cities and counties? What if there aren't fans like this taking the lead?"

"They rely on television news and newspapers to run free advertisements."

Wang Xiao had already thought it through: "A concert movie is a novel concept for our country, and it inherently has news value."

"After the film was shown in big cities and caused a sensation, its news value was further amplified. With the continued coverage by reporters, small and medium-sized cities and counties will know about the existence of the concert film."

"The trend itself is to gradually spread from economically developed large cities to small and medium-sized cities, counties, and rural areas. These places are a bit far away from foreign countries for them, while large cities are their more desirable goals."

Vice Premier Hong laughed: "You've considered everything from top to bottom, inside and out."

Wang Xiao smiled and said, "I invited Michael Jackson, the world's number one superstar in music, to hold a concert because I want to do things the best and perfect."

"Good!" the Vice Premier praised her. "You have ambition! You should strive for perfection and do your best in everything you do."

Minister Cao laughed from the side: "President Wang is someone who does everything to the extreme. No matter what industry he's in, he always wants to be the best."

She turned to look at Vice Premier Hong, "She is the kind of person you were talking about who understands economics and management as well as foreign languages."

Vice Mayor Zhou sighed, "I'm ashamed to say that I never thought of these things. It shows that insight into the ways of the world is a form of learning, and that in any group of three, there is always something to learn."

It's a leader's business to be humble. Wang Xiao is a businesswoman, and a young one at that; if she dared to accept such a request, she would be incredibly arrogant.

She quickly waved her hand: "No, no, leaders, you have a broad perspective, you see further and consider issues more comprehensively, you have to consider everything from the big picture to people's livelihood. I'm a businesswoman, I'm looking at money, I'm calculating economics."

Director Cao didn't miss any opportunity to put the Ministry of Culture in its place, and deliberately sighed, "President Wang, you're too modest. You see, the survival of Shanghai cinemas should have been our concern. But we couldn't come up with a good solution, and you've already found the way."

"Noble character and integrity!" Vice Mayor Zhou echoed him, showering him with compliments as if they were free. "What is entrepreneurial spirit? Someone like you is a true entrepreneur."

Minister Cao was finally convinced by the two Shanghai officials, and had no choice but to bite the bullet and endorse Wang Xiao: "Indeed, when I was in Jiangdong, what General Manager Wang did showed a particularly strong sense of social responsibility. I remember that Wuzhou was one of the first companies in Jiangdong to pay for its employees' insurance and other benefits."

Wang Xiao nodded in agreement: "This is the government helping us private enterprises solve our direct concerns. We should definitely respond positively to such a good thing. It's a win-win situation."

Without waiting for Vice Premier Hong to speak, she began to explain her motives for going to great lengths to plan the cinema project.

"I won't hide it from you leaders, but I also had my own selfish motives in revitalizing the cinemas."

"Firstly, if cinemas collapse, all employees in the industry will lose their jobs, which will have a significant impact on society, be detrimental to social stability, and naturally also be detrimental to the overall business environment."

"Secondly, since Wuzhou has started a cultural company, it must want to make a living in this industry. Now that the market hasn't taken off, we can't just sit and wait. Instead, we need to cultivate the market and cultivate people's habit of going to the cinema."

She looked directly at the Vice Premier and said, "Minister He left in such a hurry that I didn't have time to say anything. Actually, the purpose of making and showing concert films is not to let foreign culture take over our market, but to reignite the audience's interest in going to the cinema."

"When people start to see watching movies as a regular form of entertainment, that will be the time when Chinese cinema will return to its former glory."

"It's like factory orders. Only when there are enough orders and a large enough market will the production line keep running and produce more goods."

"In any industry, only by nurturing barren land into fertile soil can seeds grow strong when the wind blows and they fall into the rich soil."

The small restaurant's windows were always left slightly ajar for ventilation, and the evening breeze at the end of September carried the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms—a strong, intoxicating aroma, like fine wine, that was impossible to ignore.

Only fertile soil can produce abundant flowers.

Vice Premier Hong sighed softly and nodded: "Cultivating the market, taking the lead before the market, and guiding the market—this concept is invaluable."

Vice Mayor Zhou and others were also shocked; they never imagined that doing business would take such a step!

Minister Cao sighed inwardly, because Wang Xiao, whom she knew, had always done the same thing.

She never waits passively; if what she wants isn't available, she creates it herself.

The phrase "no chance" probably doesn't exist in her dictionary.

Wang Xiao certainly thought so.

What does it mean to have no chance?

Back when Mr. Ma was developing Taobao, he realized the importance of electronic payment. No matter how much he lobbied, the four major banks, who were raking in all sorts of card fees and management fees, remained unmoved.

He thought it was all over, that electronic payments were doomed.

Are you kidding me?

They poached people directly from the four major banks, and managed to get the new employees to use their existing connections to get Alipay up and running.

Conditions can be created by oneself.

Wang Xiao waved his hand with a smile: "This is something I could never have imagined. It's all thanks to the country's education, which teaches us from a young age to listen to the Party and follow its lead."

Director Cao gave a thumbs up in his heart; it was a real pity that General Manager Wang didn't go into politics.

Look how well she speaks in front of the leaders.

It was clearly an autumn night, but these words made people feel as if they were bathed in a spring breeze, and even the fragrance of osmanthus flowers seemed more enchanting.

Unfortunately, the vice premier didn't seem to buy it. Instead, he shook his head and said, "This is your wisdom as an entrepreneur, your ability, and your own skill."

The implication is that we should speak frankly and avoid empty flattery and rhetoric.

Wang Xiao continued to laugh: "I'm not flattering you, I'm telling the truth. Our country is undertaking large-scale infrastructure projects, building roads and bridges, developing power grids, and providing basic infrastructure. We may not see the results now, but when the world's industries shift, this prepared land will be able to absorb the industries that move in."

Her smile deepened. "The country is setting an example for us. How can we business people not follow suit and plan ahead?"

Director Cao was truly impressed by her; she actually managed to say those words.

Listen to this, even Vice Premier Hong praised her: "Your interpretation of policies is quite profound."

Wang Xiao laughed and said, "Boss, to be honest, we business people watch the news broadcast every day. When I was in Moscow and Bucharest, I had people airlift copies of the Xinhua Daily and the People's Daily to me every day."

Vice Premier Hong laughed: "Those two newspapers are truly worth their weight in gold; the cost must be quite high."

Everyone in the small restaurant burst out laughing.

This is certainly a manifestation of strength.

How many people can afford to airlift newspapers? Even the average wealthy person wouldn't have such a grand gesture.

Oh, she can do it.

Because she owns her own air freight company.

Amidst the joyful atmosphere, Vice Premier Hong took the initiative to shake hands with Wang Xiao to say goodbye: "Then, I look forward to seeing the Michael Jackson concert movie in Beijing soon."

Wang Xiao seized the opportunity to extend an invitation: "It is our honor to have you contribute a movie ticket. Would you, Premier, be so kind as to attend the movie premiere?"

Deputy Prime Minister Hong did not refuse outright: "I will try my best, but it depends on the future. My time is not my own."

Wang Xiao quickly apologized: "I'm so sorry to have bothered you for so long. We sincerely look forward to seeing you at the movie premiere."

Deputy Prime Minister Hong nodded and asked, "What kind of support do you need for this plan to revitalize cinemas?"

Director Cao became excited.

Support is absolutely necessary; policy and financial support is truly needed.

Wang Xiao shook his head: "This hasn't even started yet, and I don't know what specific support is needed. The only thing I can think of right now is to open up the cinema market, avoid monopolies, price monopolies, and arbitrary price increases."

Honestly, she thinks five or six yuan a movie ticket is too expensive these days.

Because in 1994, the income level of ordinary people was what it was.

Many people can't even earn enough for a movie ticket in a day.

If prices are raised again, it will keep audiences out of the cinemas, and the film industry will be completely ruined.

Vice Premier Hong nodded: "This is a practical issue."

Then he jokingly remarked to the eager Vice Mayor Zhou and Director Cao, "You don't need to say anything, don't ask me for money. Where will the money come from? I have no money!"

Complaining about being poor is a daily occurrence between the Ministry of Finance and local governments.

Another burst of cheerful laughter erupted in the restaurant.

We've been eating for quite a while now, and it's getting late.

Everyone said their goodbyes and left.

As they left the cafeteria, Minister Cao teased Wang Xiao, "What are you going to do next if you don't manage to have a meal today?"

Wang Xiao shook his head: "I don't know. I only know that the concert has to be held and the movie has to be made and released. There is no other choice."

Minister Cao laughed and exclaimed, "Wang Xiao, Wang Xiao, it really is you!"

She made the right choice in introducing him, and she was happy to be the recommender.

What she didn't tell Wang Xiao was that the reason Vice Premier Hong agreed to meet her wasn't because Michael Jackson was a world-famous superstar; rather, it was because she told the Vice Premier that this young, self-made businessman was the most successful and capable person she had ever met.

This country needs officials who understand economic management, and it also needs businessmen who understand economics.

As it turned out, her recommendation was correct.

Wang Xiao is indeed adept at seizing every opportunity.

Minister Cao had other matters to attend to, so he didn't say much and left first.

Vice Mayor Zhou, concerned about his subordinates and Wang Xiao's group, asked, "Have you made any hotel arrangements? If not, come with me."

Wang Xiao shook his head: "No, thank you Mayor Zhou. Director Cao will come with us to the train station to take the night bus back."

The streetlights were quite bright, illuminating the shock on Vice Mayor Zhou's face clearly: "Oh my, Mr. Wang, you're working so hard, it really makes us cadres ashamed. The concert isn't until the day after tomorrow, you can leave during the day tomorrow."

Wang Xiao shook his head and smiled wryly: "No way, there's an auction tomorrow. If these tickets aren't sold, we'll be the ones being criticized again."

Vice Mayor Zhou also had a headache when he thought about this, and could only nod: "Then I'll have to trouble you."

He couldn't leave. The reason he was able to appear in the State Council canteen so promptly was because he was studying at the Central Party School.

A proper cadre would never be like Zhao Xiuzhi back then, who attended a training course for young cadres and then went to Hong Kong to go on a shopping spree to relax.

He ruined his own and his family's future.

Vice Mayor Zhou then inquired about their situation: "Have you bought your tickets yet? If not, I'll call and ask."

Train capacity is currently quite strained, especially for tickets from Beijing to Shanghai; it's not easy to buy one on short notice.

As soon as he finished speaking, the car came to a hasty stop. Yang Tao got out and handed over the ticket: "Boss, sleeper berth. We can't get any soft sleepers, only hard sleepers."

Vice Mayor Zhou was surprised: "Oh my, where did you get these tickets from?"

Yang Tao didn't hide anything from her superiors: "I only managed to buy a seat ticket, which I exchanged for a sleeper ticket at three times the price."

As expected, a generous reward will surely attract brave men; money can solve 99.99% of the world's problems.

Since we need to catch the train, we should get going as soon as possible.

The group hurriedly said goodbye to Vice Mayor Zhou, then got into two cars and headed to the train station.

As soon as the car started moving, Xiao Zhao began reporting the information he had gathered: "Minister He's granddaughter has a good relationship with Zhao Xiuzhi. Her granddaughter just returned from abroad a couple of days ago."

When he arrived in Beijing, he didn't even go with his boss to meet Minister Cao; instead, he went out to inquire about information.

However, time was too tight, and the information he could find out was very limited.

He couldn't figure out whether this matter was related to Minister He's sudden attack.

After all, he is a leader in the Ministry of Culture, and it's difficult for outsiders to know the details inside.

It's not surprising that the grandfather stood up for his family friend's granddaughter.

After all, in the eyes of some of the elders, Zhao Xiuzhi had only thrown a tantrum and had not caused any serious consequences. How could she be sentenced to a year in prison by the Japanese?

The culprit is so ruthless, so what if he makes her a little upset?

Of course, all of this is just speculation, without any empirical evidence.

Wang Xiao didn't want to look for any evidence.

She didn't even care why Minister He suddenly became so vehemently opposed to holding the concert.

Because whatever the reason, his sudden outburst and abrupt halt to the concert meant that he didn't care how the concert organizers would handle the situation.

He doesn't care whether she lives or dies, so why should she care about his reasons?

Is it because of his high status that he is considered particularly noble?

I'm sorry, he doesn't yet meet Mr. Wang's high standards.

"Keep an eye on them," Wang Xiao said calmly. "If they cause any more trouble, don't blame us for being impolite."

What about the leaders of the Ministry of Culture?

The cultural and educational departments have come up with all sorts of strange things.

With toxic teaching materials emerging one after another, can they say they have nothing to do with themselves?

With a head full of little braids, she still wanted to grab other people's braids.

Let's see who has more braids and whose braids are thicker.

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Yes, the box office figures for the movies mentioned in this chapter are all real; I specifically checked the data. [Let me see] I was busy picking out a gift for my mom tonight, so it's been delayed until now.