Chapter 144 Prelude
In the president's office of the Little White Building of Hengdian Tangren Film and Television, Cai Yinong looked at the mountain of documents on his desk and felt a headache. He rubbed his sore temples involuntarily.
Today is Saturday, September 9th. It has been a week since the car accident. Fortunately, Hu Ge and his assistant Xiao Zhang are out of danger after several hours of emergency rescue.
However, the boss suffered serious facial injuries and will need a long time to recover from the physical and psychological trauma. His acting career has been temporarily interrupted, and the artist management affairs of Tangren Film and Television, with Hu Ge as the core, have almost all come to a standstill.
She has been very busy these days. She has to calm the emotions of the company's employees and stabilize the morale of the Tangren team. Externally, she has to temporarily stabilize the brand while dealing with the media bombardment, carefully considering the wording of each response, and maintaining Hu Ge's image.
The busy day and night this week made Cai Yinong look haggard, with dark circles deeply imprinted in his eye sockets, and his originally delicate makeup could not hide the fatigue on his face.
Knock knock knock, there is a knock on the door.
"Come in."
Li Guoli, the director of The Legend of the Condor Heroes, pushed the door open and walked to the desk to sit down. Seeing Cai Yinong's listless appearance, he sighed and said with concern:
"You should also take a rest. If you fall down again, Tang will be finished."
Cai Yinong nodded, and she still gritted her teeth and insisted: "Don't worry, Mr. Li, I know you have been troubled recently." Li Guoli is a partner of Tangren Film and Television, serving as the company's chief director and artistic director, and his status is no less than hers.
Li Guoli sighed again: "We are all from the same company, it's too polite to say such things."
He had originally planned to retire after working for another two or three years, but after encountering this incident, it would take Tangren Company one or two years to recover. It seems that this old man will have to toil for Tangren for a few more years.
Li Guoli had mixed feelings about the company's top boss's car accident. On the one hand, he was deeply concerned about Hu Ge's injuries.
On the other hand, the daily expenses of the "Legend of the Condor Heroes" crew were flowing like water, and time was running out. Waiting for Hu Ge to fully recover and perform seemed to be a luxury decision.
He couldn't help but think of replacing the male lead. After all, the shooting progress could not be delayed indefinitely. The pressure from investors, the actors' schedules, and the ever-increasing shooting costs were all heavy burdens. The crew of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" was in a panic, and he, as the director, was also under tremendous pressure.
After hesitating for a moment, Li Guoli still stated the purpose of his visit: "Boss Cai, the situation of the company and the crew has been temporarily stabilized, and I have to say something.
I want to change the male lead, although it may not be appropriate to say it now. But for the smooth progress of the entire "Legend of the Condor Heroes" project, it seems inevitable. The filming team and other actors cannot wait for Hu Ge indefinitely. "
Cai Yinong shook his head, his eyes were extremely firm: "Boss Li, changing the male lead now would be like adding insult to injury for Hu Ge. This is too much of a blow to him. He is at the lowest point in his life now. We should lend him a helping hand instead of abandoning him. I don't agree to changing the male lead!"
Li Guoli frowned and tried to persuade him earnestly, "Boss Cai, I don't want to change people either, but the situation forces me to do so. Besides, the company is not giving up on Hu Ge. When he recovers, he will still be the top player in Tangren, and he can choose any role he wants.
The filming of The Legend of the Condor Heroes has only started for a month, so there is still time to replace the male lead. The longer it is delayed, the more disadvantageous it will be for us. If the filming is interrupted, it will be difficult for the TV station and Tengda to explain.
You have to know that our contract with Tengda has a time limit for filming. If it exceeds the time limit, we will need additional compensation. Tangren cannot afford to delay. You are the president of Tangren and you must be rational and not let your emotions get the better of you. "
"Okay, Mr. Li, stop talking! I will never agree to change the male lead." At this time, Cai Yinong showed extraordinary decisiveness and sternly rejected Li Guoli's idea of changing the male lead.
Seeing that Li Guoli was hesitant to speak, Cai Yinong comforted him, "Let's finish filming the other people's scenes first, and put aside the part involving Hu Ge.
As for the effectiveness, I will communicate with Tengda Culture. The company should not panic about the funds. Next month, Young Generals of the Yang will be broadcast. As long as the ratings are good, it will sell for a good price, which can temporarily alleviate the company's financial pressure. "
Seeing that Cai Yinong had made plans, Li Guoli said no more, although he felt that Cai Yinong was a little too naive to pin his hopes and future on Tengda's concessions and a film called "Young Generals of the Yang Family".
But she is the president and largest shareholder of Tangren Company after all. Now that things have come to this, he can only take a step back and wait and see how the situation develops.
Seeing that persuasion was fruitless, Li Guoli was about to leave the office, and before leaving, he gave a careful reminder:
"Boss Cai, you can't put all your hopes on others. The business world is like a battlefield. We, Tangren, have always shared the ancient costume market with Zhouyi, but it is a hot commodity in the eyes of others. The company must prepare for the worst."
"I'll pay attention." Watching Li Guoli leave, Cai Yinong's voice was filled with a deep sense of powerlessness.
While the Tangren Company was in a state of panic, during the Saturday break, Song Ci quietly came to Tengda Culture, where he had not been for a long time.
The general manager's office is spacious and bright. Different from Wang Jing's fresh style at the time, Zhang Zhao decorated his office in an antique style with a unique charm.
Song Ci stood in front of the shutters, looking down at the prosperous city of Beiping below. The streets were full of cars and people. The bright summer sun cast a golden veil over this ancient yet modern city.
Zhang Zhao made a cup of fragrant tea and handed it to the boss: "Boss Song, please have some tea."
Song Ci turned around and took the teacup, and couldn't help but sigh: "Beiping is becoming more and more prosperous, and it is changing every day. After the Olympics, the land and housing prices will soar.
By the way, Lao Zhang, what are you going to do about the Tengda Culture Office Building incident we talked about last time?"
Seeing the tall and strong Zhang Zhao standing in front of him, Song Ci felt very awkward, so he added: "Let's sit down and talk."
The two sat down on the sofa and continued with the previous topic. Zhang Zhao sorted out his thoughts and reported:
"Mr. Song, our team has discussed this and we all agree that it would be better to buy a few floors of an existing office building. Building a building like the group did would take a long time and the land would be hard to come by."
Song Ci nodded slightly: "It is indeed more convenient to buy ready-made ones, but office buildings like Zhongao Building are not cheap now."
Zhang Zhao had a good understanding of the property market and introduced it: "Zhongao Building is a Class A office building. The current average price in the Beijing market is between 12,000 and 15,000 yuan per square meter.
We are already in communication with the owner and want to buy these two floors. The other party is also willing to sell and offers 13,000 yuan per square meter. We are still discussing the price. "
Song Ci thought to himself, why would you need to hesitate when buying a house in 2006? He made the decision directly: "No need to discuss, just follow the asking price of 13,000 per square meter. If you delay, something will change. And we should buy as many floors as possible."
Zhang Zhao said in embarrassment: “Boss Song, when the Tengda Building is completed, Tiangong Special Effects downstairs will be moved away, and there will be two floors that will be enough for Tengda Culture to use as an office.
The first floor of Zhongao Building is 2,000 square meters. Buying one more floor would cost 26 million. Unless the group supports it, the company will be short of funds.”
"Don't even think about the group's support. If you don't have enough money, just take out a loan. Let me introduce you to an ICBC leader in a few days, and you can apply for a loan from him."
Song Ci said as a matter of course that the interest on bank loans was only a few dollars, and the housing prices in Beijing almost doubled in a year, so it would be a sure-fire business to acquire more fixed assets.
"It's easier for me to handle it now if you say so. I will get this done this month." Zhang Zhao nodded. He was not someone who was inflexible.
But he has to be cautious when spending the company's money, and bank loans also require the group's approval. Now that the big boss has nodded, he has more room to maneuver.
Song Ci lowered his head and blew away the foam on the tea leaves in the cup. He took a sip and the fragrance of tea instantly filled his nose. The refreshing taste lingered on the tip of his tongue. He couldn't help but praise, "Your tea is good, Da Hong Pao?"
Zhang Zhao smiled and said, "Yes, it's authentic Wuyi Mountain Dahongpao. Wang Changtian from Guangguang gave me a few kilograms last time. If you are used to drinking it, you can take some away later and keep it in the office to entertain guests."
Song Ci chuckled and shook his head. A gentleman would not take away what others love. How could he want Zhang Zhao's tea? "Speaking of Wang Changtian, how is the movie we cooperated with Guangguang going?"
The filming of the movie version of "So Young" was completed in the first half of the year. In the second half of the year, Tengda Culture and Light Media collaborated to shoot another movie "Brave Heart", a police and gangster action film.
The film production cost 20 million, with Guangxian investing 30%. The male lead is Qiao Zhengyu, the top star of Tengda, and the female lead is someone from Guangxian, the female star Zuo Xiaoqing.
Song Ci had no impression of "Brave Heart" as he had never heard of this movie in his previous life. However, he heard from Zhang Zhao that the script was well-written, the story was full of ups and downs, the box office could not be said to be a big hit, and with popular star Qiao Zhengyu starring in the film, it should not be a problem for the film to make money.
"The filming is going very smoothly and is expected to be completed by the end of the year. It is tentatively scheduled to be released in the summer of next year."
Song Ci sighed: "This year, Tengda Culture produced three TV series and two movies, which is considered to be very productive. It finally looks like a small giant in the Beijing circle."
"It's you and President Wang Jing who laid a good foundation for the company." Zhang Zhao praised.
"Sister Jing certainly has made contributions. Now you are the helmsman of Tengda Culture. In just over a year, Tengda Culture has developed by leaps and bounds, and it is also due to your wise leadership." Merit is merit, and Song Ci naturally would not deny Zhang Zhao's efforts.
"Thank you for your recognition."
Song Ci leaned on the sofa, crossed his legs, and said casually: "I came here today because I have something to discuss with you. I want to hear your opinion."
Zhang Zhao quickly perked up and sat upright, knowing that the highlight of the day had come. The chairman would not come to visit for no reason, so his sudden visit must be for something.
Song Ci took another sip of tea before saying leisurely, "Have you heard about the Tangren Company?"
"I know a little bit. I heard that Hu Ge was seriously injured."
Song Ci sighed inwardly. Even after he reminded him like that, Hu Ge still couldn't dodge it. Could it be that this was really a disaster? Fortunately, his assistant was rescued in this life, so his good intentions were not in vain.
"Hu Ge probably won't be able to make a comeback for at least half a year."
"It's just his bad luck. I just want to ask you for your advice. You promised Hu Ge the male lead in Oranges in Huainan. According to the original shooting schedule, he will definitely not be able to make it. Should we change the role or wait until he recovers?"
Song Ci said without hesitation: "The company will shoot "Oranges Born in Huainan" according to the normal plan. You can choose another male lead and I will not interfere." Hu Ge is not an artist of Tengda, he will not let the entire crew wait for him alone.
"Okay." Zhang Zhao agreed quickly. "Oranges in Huainan" was about to start filming, but the male lead couldn't come. If Hu Ge hadn't been appointed by the chairman, he would have wanted to replace him long ago. Now he could give an explanation to Zhuang Liqi and let the crew start work as scheduled.
Song Ci looked solemn, "Old Zhang, do you think this incident will have a big impact on Tangren? Will it go bankrupt?"
Zhang Zhao was surprised. Did the boss think that Tangren Film and Television would go bankrupt?
He said carefully: "Boss Song, I personally don't think so. Although Hu Ge is the core artist of Tangren Company, if something happens to her, it will indeed have an impact on the business development of Tangren.
But Tangren's powerful behind-the-scenes production team is not affected. It is a bit exaggerated that the company went bankrupt just because the artist got into a car accident. Of course, Tangren must have been hit hard and will need some time to catch their breath."
Song Ci did not comment on Zhang Zhao's opinion. Tangren is indeed not at the end of its rope at the moment. Once "Young Generals of the Yang Family" is banned, Tangren will lose all its money. In addition, the copyright of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" will expire, and then it will really be on the line between life and death.
Song Ci did not beat around the bush with Zhang Zhao and told him the purpose of his visit today: "Old Zhang, you know the relationship between Shishi and I. I plan to let her join Tangren as a white knight. At the critical moment, you come forward to put some pressure on Cai Yinong."
He thought about it for a long time and felt that it would not make much sense for Tengda Culture or himself to invest in Tangren. It would be better to let Liu Shishi become a shareholder of Tangren.
In this way, Miss Liu can work for herself, have her own career, and get more training and grow quickly.
He also predicted that if Tangren really went bankrupt, his girlfriend would definitely ask him for help. Miss Liu still had some feelings for Tangren, otherwise she would have jumped to Tengda Culture long ago.
When Zhang Zhao heard this and connected the events before and after, he immediately understood the chairman's plan. He wanted him to play the bad guy and push the matter further.
Once the contract between Tengda Culture and Tangren expires, we will put pressure on them to withdraw our investment, and with the penalty for breach of contract, Tangren will probably be doomed if no one rescues it.
If Cai Yinong does not want to see Tangren, the company he founded, go bankrupt and his half-life's hard work go to waste, he must accept financing and investment from others. With the chairman's arrangement, Liu Shishi can easily obtain shares in Tangren.
"I understand, Mr. Song. I will take care of this matter later. Miss Liu, just wait and wait to become a shareholder of Tangren." Zhang Zhao was slightly surprised after he figured it out. Sure enough, the person who could build such a big business must not be a good person. He was destined to be the bad guy.
Song Ci was satisfied and chuckled, "Don't push me too hard, we'll all be a family from now on."
(End of this chapter)
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