Chapter 193 The Tone of the Cinema
Lin Ruoyan made up her mind and stated, "Film and television media companies cover a wide range of sectors, so we need to attract more professional talent. However, regarding shareholding, we need to clarify with Luo Sihai. He should only have the fixed asset of the film and television town to use. We also need to consider his exit mechanism in the future. He's a foreigner, so if we give him a share of the profits from Hua Na, Hua Na will be more receptive."
Feng Qiang already understood, needless to say, that even if he was currently "discussing marriage" with Hua Na, and his "matchmaker," Luo Sihai, did possess the necessary expertise and was willing to work together, he would be recruited. In the future, he would have to consider withdrawing, just like Hua Na.
Lin Ruoyan then instructed, "You will be the general manager of this company, and Lao Dai will be the deputy general manager. Luo Sihai will also give him a deputy general manager to manage Hua Na, but as for his wife's position, you should ask Luo Sihai himself and see what he says. I guess he will most likely let his wife be a full-time wife."
Feng Qiang asked in confusion, "Why? I think Mrs. Luo is just as capable as Luo Sihai in every aspect, and she also has connections in the small town."
"I'm a woman, and I understand women's hearts better. I admit that Mrs. Luo is a capable woman, and she has sacrificed a lot for her husband's career, quietly supporting him for so many years. But look, every time Luo Sihai takes her out, does he take the initiative to introduce his wife's name or position to others? In fact, position is quite important. No matter how small his company is, having his wife as vice president or an all-round assistant is at least a title."
Feng Qiang nodded. Indeed, whenever the couple appeared together, Luo Sihai never introduced himself to anyone. People knew it was his wife, but they'd never seen her business card. He seemed to avoid her public appearances, and Mrs. Luo never argued for them. Could it be that Luo Sihai, in his startup days, was using his wife to save costs and distrust others? Once he and Hua Na had established their company, and Luo Sihai had finally made it big, he let his wife retire to take care of the family?
However, after several more in-depth interactions, it became clear to everyone that much of Luo Sihai's current success was due to the hard work of his wife. Mrs. Luo was more perceptive about socializing and constantly gave her husband a face.
So, if it were to maintain a long-term partnership, Lin Ruoyan might consider keeping Mrs. Luo's position. However, Luo Sihai, a strong-willed and idealistic man, had been influenced by Western ideas for too long, and his understanding of women was hindered. There were actually aspects of his personality that Lin Ruoyan disliked. Since he had already decided to dismiss Hua Na, Luo Sihai had to make the decision. If he didn't actively seek a position for his wife, Lin Ruoyan wouldn't help.
In the book's world, the reason women's rights are so fierce in developed Western countries is because they lack equality. North America, the world's largest economy, has a shockingly low female labor force participation rate, not to mention European countries. All we see are a few prominent women born out of survivorship bias, or perhaps a female prime minister or queen. Beyond that, all the seats of power are held by men.
In the country where Luo Sihai and his family have been naturalized, there's no such thing as postpartum confinement, and maternity leave and other benefits are far inferior to those in China. It's virtually impossible for wives to return to their previous careers after marriage, and many even stop working after marriage. Without their own financial security and completely dependent on their husbands, women's voices are weakened, and it becomes difficult for them to withdraw from society and return.
Luo Sihai and his wife went there to study when they were young. The cultural influence was subtle. Luo Sihai devoted himself to his ideal career, and his wife, a good wife, gave up herself for his support. It was a matter of mutual consent.
Lin Ruoyan said, "You can also ask Mrs. Luo herself if she is willing to be a full-time wife. This time, Luo Sihai was able to join our joint venture, which is a starting point for his career. If Mrs. Luo is willing to return to her family, we don't have to force it."
"Then, isn't it a pity for her talent and ability?" Feng Qiang sighed, but it was just a lip service. He had a clear understanding of the greater interests of the Lin Group. If Luo Sihai didn't fight, and Mrs. Luo didn't fight herself, then there was no need for him, an outsider, to worry about them.
Lin Ruoyan said: "Mrs. Luo has worked hard and it's thankless. It's better for her to be a housewife and worry less. Do you think a full-time housewife doesn't need any skills? Just put it simply, she can go out to the living room, go into the kitchen, drive her husband and children to and from get off work and school, that's a nanny and driver.
I also help my children with their homework, accompany them to all their extracurricular classes, and arrange various study and training schedules. Taking family trips, trips for the elderly and children, and visiting the doctor and relatives all require a lot of energy. I'm like a tutor and secretary all in one.
If an elderly family member is not well, they will have to take on other duties, such as accompanying them to the hospital. Look at all this, how can one person do it all without any ability? Even if they hired maids or full-time staff for each task, managing so many full-time staff by one person would be like running a small company.
Feng Qiang was shocked. "Mr. Lin, please stop talking. Most people can't afford your ostentation. But I see that you seem to be busy with work every day. You don't have to worry about these things."
Lin Ruoyan smiled and said, "This is the advantage of not having a husband. In addition, my child can be worry-free, and I don't have to take care of his studies. I don't have to arrange for my husband to serve my parents-in-law. I can do whatever I want. There are fewer maids at home, and fewer people means less work."
"It seems that women spend more energy and time after marriage." Feng Qiang murmured to himself. His awareness of choosing a fiancée has increased.
Now he understood why Wang Xiaohao didn't want a full-time housewife or a nanny; he wanted a business partner. And what kind of wife would he want in the future? Even if she was a full-time housewife, she would still be considerate of the many things she did around the house. That was truly admirable.
Following Lin Ruoyan's idea, she conducted several rounds of negotiations with Hua Na before finally confirming the distribution of their respective interests. The Lin Hua Na Film and Media Company, a subsidiary of the Lin Group, was officially established. Its office was located in Lao Dai's company, and several floors of his original building were rented to expand the staff on the spot.
Lin's Real Estate holds 55% of the shares, Hua Na holds 40%, and Lao Dai and Luo Sihai hold a combined 5%. To reduce Luo Sihai's stake, Lin Ruoyan relinquished control of the film and television town. The town will remain under Luo Sihai's independent management and will not be incorporated into the new company's assets.
Lin's significant stake in the company was secured by the need to build no fewer than five professional multiplexes within two years. Lin's investment in urban complexes required a cinema complex to be included, and there was a minimum limit on the number of large screens to ensure its influence on mainland cinema chains.
In addition, many of the troubles in introducing Hua Na's films into the country require Lin's manpower and effort to handle, and there is also an exclusive non-compete agreement, which means that within a certain period of time, Lin's cinemas cannot play films from other major Hollywood film companies.
Lin Ruoyan was willing to give up all of this in exchange for a higher shareholding ratio. This way, when Hua Na left in the future, she wouldn't have to make too much of a sacrifice and could get her 40% stake back. As for the other seven Hollywood studios, if they couldn't be imported for the time being, then they wouldn't be. She would just focus on developing and supporting good domestic films in the next few years. She didn't want foreign films to make too much money in China anyway.
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