Chapter 434: Xuanwu Gate

While turmoil was brewing outside and film and television capital was conferring on countermeasures, Fang Hong was out with his family, currently in a spacious, bright restaurant.

The four of them sat together, drinking coffee and eating pastries.

They were discussing the wedding. Liu Xiaoli, dressed like a noble lady, said: "You two don't need to worry about the wedding. Your mother and I can handle it."

"Yes, you just go ahead and handle your own affairs," Xu Liyun chimed in.

"How could I not worry? It's my wedding! I definitely have to be the one calling the shots." Liu Tianxian wore a fur coat and brown sunglasses, looking very trendy.

Outside she dressed like this; at home she just threw on whatever.

As she spoke, she patted Fang Hong beside her, seeking his support: "Right?"

"Yes, yes, yes." Fang Hong nodded, picked up the bread in front of him, and took a bite.

"Xiao Fang, what's going on with your hand?" Liu Xiaoli pointed at his hand, finding it very strange.

Fang Hong looked at his own hand, set down the bread, then placed it under the table, as if afraid to let anyone see it.

"Let me see." Liu Xiaoli beckoned with her hand.

"Better not, it doesn't look good." Fang Hong was embarrassed.

"It's fine, take it out and let my mom see."

Liu Tianxian found it funny. She lifted his hand and held it up in front of her mother to look at, then said coquettishly: "Pretty, right? I painted them for him."

"You painted them like a girl's. Will you stop bullying Xiao Fang?" Liu Xiaoli saw Fang Hong's nails all sparkly and felt her daughter was just being ridiculous.

Xu Liyun said nothing; she had known about it for a long time.

"Who says I'm bullying him? These are couple's nails—they represent that he loves me."

Liu Tianxian and Fang Hong interlocked their fingers to show her mother, then Liu Tianxian said to Fang Hong: "Have I been bullying you?"

"No, no." Fang Hong shook his head in denial.

Liu Xiaoli glared at her daughter, too lazy to scold her—she'd painted the poor man's nails until he looked like a sissy.

Liu Tianxian, seeing her mother's expression, deliberately kissed the back of Fang Hong's hand with her lips.

Fang Hong, meanwhile, had the look of a little bottom.

Liu Xiaoli clicked her tongue with a look of distaste, shook her head, and gazed into the distance—truly, neither man nor woman in the proper sense.

She saw that Xiao Fang was usually quite assertive in front of others, neither servile nor overbearing, taking on anyone who crossed him—how did he turn into this in front of her daughter?

Liu Tianxian laughed out loud, finding it very amusing.

Xu Liyun said nothing either. The little quirks of a young couple—in her eyes, a man should be tolerant of a woman, and a woman should manage the household.

And she quite liked how Liu Tianxian managed the household.

The group was just messing around. Liu Xiaoli ignored her daughter and asked Fang Hong: "Xiao Fang, what do you think of this year's film and television stocks? Is there any room for them to rise?"

Last year she bought Huayi stock and pulled out in time, making a killing. She wanted to do it again this year—after all, Fang Hong was a big shot in this field and should have insider information. She'd tasted the sweetness.

"I can't be sure about that," Fang Hong said.

He'd turned the film and television market upside down—how could he possibly predict it now? If he really could predict it, no one should buy anything; everything would crash.

"Aren't you going to a meeting? You must know some insider information, right?" Liu Xiaoli said.

Last year the big meeting had just wrapped up; at the start of this year the film and television culture industry would surely hold a meeting, get together, and take in the spirit from above.

"Actually, this market has always been trending upward—it's been like that these past few years. But as for which company's stock to buy to make money, I don't think any of them will make much, because either they've collapsed on their own, or I've taken them down." Fang Hong didn't hide it, speaking arrogantly.

These days there aren't that many listed film and television companies—just Huayi, Bona, Enlight, LeEco, Huace, and the like.

The top tier is just Huayi, Bona, and Enlight.

Huayi is now half-hearted, Bona is on the US stock market, and Enlight is half dead—all stirred up by Jade Rabbit.

Liu Tianxian became obedient, listening without interrupting.

"You sure talk big, hehehe."

Liu Xiaoli covered her mouth and laughed—that was awfully arrogant, but it did seem to be the case now.

She added: "What about LeEco? It seems LeEco is really hot right now. Lots of celebrities have bought shares in that company—even Lao Mouzi has joined."

"No good. If it really were any good, they wouldn't be making a big show of telling you. Remember—anything that makes money, whether it's the stock market or anything else, is never trumpeted loudly. If it really made money, the institutions would have snapped it up long ago. It's only when it doesn't make money that they trick you into the pit." Fang Hong said.

LeEco is indeed very hot right now—running a video platform, making phones, and getting into films. Lao Mouzi's "Coming Home was invested in and produced by LeEco.

It's just that none of the films have performed well.

There are also dozens of celebrities buying in as shareholders—popular stars like Guo Jingming, Sun Honglei, Huang Xiaoming, Deng Chao, Sun Li, and so on are all invested—a picture of flourishing prosperity.

One could say it's at its peak, but they're all leeks. Celebrities are the most uncultured, shortest-sighted group of all.

How to put it—they're used to making quick money and simply don't think long-term. Running restaurants to scam people, fundraising, online loans, finance—you see these people everywhere in those fields.

How many are there like Fang Hong, investing continuously for four or five years without interruption?

There are some, but not many.

Ren Quan and Hu Haiquan are among the best of them, but do others bring celebrities along to play?

Ren Quan only brought along Li Bailian, but their relationship is genuinely solid. Li Bailian counts as Ren Quan's angel investor—she invested before he even rose to prominence.

Huang Jiaozhu can only count as half—one who invests a lot but doesn't make much.

Ninety percent of investments lose money, but if one hits big, that ninety percent can all be recouped at once.

So even when celebrities invest, they use their fame to make money—they have a natural advantage, harvesting ordinary people.

"I see." Liu Xiaoli fell into thought.

She'd always invested in stocks and funds—her younger brother worked in that field and could provide some tips. Otherwise she wouldn't have been able to give Liu Tianxian such good living conditions.

Before Liu Tianxian became a celebrity, even as a child in the United States, her living conditions were already excellent—by her teens she already had a laptop.

That thing cost tens of thousands back then, so one can imagine Liu Xiaoli could make money too.

"If you really want to invest, invest in something else—new energy or electronic technology. For example, BYD, BOE, Luxshare Precision, and so on." These were tech companies Fang Hong knew by heart and that were destined to rise later. Of course, many weren't listed yet, like CATL.

He added: "If you want to be cautious, buy BOE first. I estimate that stock will rise—within the next month or two."

"Really?" Liu Xiaoli's eyes lit up.

Fang Hong leaned in, cupping a hand beside his mouth: "Huawei will get blocked on screens by Samsung, and will turn around and throw its full support behind the rise of domestic screens. The other phone makers will definitely be scared too, and BOE is a top-tier screen maker. You tell me — won't this stock go up?"

Liu Xiaoli listened, nodding blankly. If it really was like this, this would count as trade secrets.

"Don't tell anyone else, just make money yourself." Fang Hong reminded her.

He was afraid Liu Xiaoli would once again lead a pack of rich housewives to strike it rich, and then when someone wasn't satisfied and kept coming to fish for information, it would be quite a hassle.

"No, wait — how do you even know this stuff?" Liu Xiaoli came back to herself, deeply puzzled. Fang Hong does film and the internet, which has nothing much to do with the tech industry.

"At a gathering of business friends, they mentioned it in passing, and I just listened a bit." Fang Hong made it up on the spot.

Hearing this, Liu Xiaoli's face took on a thoughtful look.

Liu Tianxian sipped her milk tea beside them. Her mother had always had a hobby of stock trading.

She'd lost some money, and she'd made some money.

Completely unlike Xu Liyun, who was steady and proper.

Liu Tianxian held the milk tea up to Fang Hong's mouth. Fang Hong took a sip, then heard his phone ring. Seeing it was Zhang Hongsen calling, he picked up directly.

"Director Zhang, hello." Fang Hong said.

"Are you free? Come over to Xuanwumen." Zhang Hongsen spoke very directly, no small talk with him.

Xuanwumen was the address of the Film Bureau.

"I'm keeping someone very important company. What's the matter?" Fang Hong could roughly guess — if nothing was up, this man wouldn't have him running over to the Film Bureau.

The other three listened, each with their own expression. You really know how to play it.

"What else could it be? The good deeds you've done — those people have all come knocking on my door."

Zhang Hongsen said this, paused, then went on: "Not to criticize you, but you could go through the Film Bureau. It's not like we wouldn't handle it for you. Every time you have to sue someone."

"I just figured you were busy, didn't want to bother you." Fang Hong argued back.

Going through the Film Bureau would never have gotten "The Monkey King" and "From Vegas to Macau" pulled from theaters. The Film Bureau wants a flourishing film market, a hundred flowers blooming — not one house dominating.

It's not the same responsibility as a court!

"Cut that act out with me. Do you have time or not? Come over and we'll see how to handle this." Zhang Hongsen said.

"But I have someone very important to keep company here. How about tomorrow — I'll go tomorrow, alright?" Fang Hong couldn't really brush off Zhang Hongsen's face either.

After all, the man was the one who had authority over him.

"You just have to drag it out?" Zhang Hongsen said.

"It's not that I want to drag it out. I really do have someone very important to keep company." Fang Hong just wouldn't go. He wanted to make those people wait a day, then make another trip.

What kind of status is that — see them just because they say so? Does he have no face?

Liu Xiaoli and the others listened, also feeling puzzled. They really weren't that important!

If you want to go, then go. You don't need to mind them.

"Who is it, that the great Principal Fang has to keep them company?" Zhang Hongsen didn't believe he had anything going on — it wasn't far, and he was already at this level.

"Someone very important. My mother-in-law is right here. If you don't believe me, talk to her." Fang Hong handed the phone to Liu Xiaoli, signaling her to help him out with a few words.

Liu Tianxian silently mouthed something to her mother. She knew the situation.

Liu Xiaoli was very smart. Taking the phone, she said: "Director Zhang, we're in the middle of discussing the children's marriage. Relatives, friends, and elders are all here. Right now Xiao Fang really can't get away."

"Oh, is that so." Zhang Hongsen couldn't make things difficult then.

It was the young couple's lifelong event, with relatives and elders present. If he left, how disrespectful would that look.

"Tomorrow, tomorrow there's nothing going on. Let him go over then." Liu Xiaoli said.

"Alright then!" Zhang Hongsen had no choice.

After Liu Xiaoli talked it through, she handed the phone back to Fang Hong. Fang Hong took it and said: "You heard that, right? It's not that I don't want to come over. It's really important."

"Fine, fine, I got it. Handle your own business first." Zhang Hongsen could only let it go — he'd deal with it tomorrow.

"Hold on, Director Zhang."

Fang Hong stopped him from hanging up and asked: "The thing about Heavenly Palace I mentioned to you before — can it blow up? It's been so long and I haven't heard a peep from you. My film is about to start shooting."

"It can blow up. Just stay neutral — you don't need to deliberately favor anyone." Zhang Hongsen said.

That's good then, that's pretty lenient.

Only Fang Hong was curious: "Why are you only telling me now?"

"I forgot."

Zhang Hongsen's tone was flat. Having said that, he hung up.

If Fang Hong hadn't asked, he'd been planning to drag it out on him too — who told him to be so arrogant.

Fang Hong silently cursed at the phone.

"Xiao Fang, why don't you go?" Liu Xiaoli asked.

"If I scamper over there like an eager puppy, those people will think I have no real power, think I'm just that kind of guy. But if I drag it out a bit before going, it makes the other side look up to me. Plus, it shows I can even turn down a leader of the Film Bureau.

That way they feel even more pressure psychologically. When it comes time to negotiate, I'm the one in the driver's seat — not passive, not equal. I'm the dominant side."

Fang Hong explained.

"I see." Liu Xiaoli indicated she understood.

It's a psychological game. First make the other side lose their nerve. Crushing them with strength is one thing, psychological warfare is another.

After all, they came to the Film Bureau seeking fair arbitration!

Looks like her son-in-law was quite skilled at playing on people's hearts.

(End of chapter)