Chapter 248: Runaway

【Rebirth Begins in 2002 Chinese Entertainment】【】

People in Jingcheng love alcohol; their fondness for it is hard for ordinary people to imagine.

Whether it's a family celebration, thanking someone, asking a favor, or networking for work…

In short, alcohol expresses all of Jingcheng people's emotions, good or bad.

Not to mention business deals—scenes where alcohol is mandatory—most are settled over the drinking table.

And when it comes to the drink of old Jingcheng residents, it's undoubtedly the famous Er Guo Tou!

Of course, Director Feng would never invite Cheng Chen to drink Er Guo Tou.

Feng Xiaogang simply took out the key to the safe and grabbed a few bottles of fine liquor from his office.

He wasn't trying to hide it from Cheng Chen either, so when Cheng Chen happened to glance over, he was instantly thrown for a loop.

It turned out the safe was stocked entirely with liquor, and quite valuable at that.

Everyone else uses their safes to store secrets or valuables, but he went ahead and used his to hold liquor.

Of course, given the price tag on those bottles, it was well worth using a safe to store them.

"It's only because it's you—otherwise I really wouldn't take liquor out of my precious little treasury. Come on, today we don't stop until we're drunk!"

Feng Xiaogang packed the liquor into a wine box and said with a smile.

Seeing Feng Xiaogang's grinning expression, Cheng Chen thought it over but decided not to expose Director Feng's scheme of using him as an excuse to drink.

When it comes to drinking, in the eyes of a true drinker, anything that happens can serve as an excuse to have a drink.

……

Feng Xiaogang brought Cheng Chen to an upscale private club.

The place was just like the one Cheng Chen had taken Jay to drink at yesterday—very discreet, also a members-only private club.

For a place like this, you can't even qualify for membership without spending at least a few hundred thousand yuan a year.

After the two sat down, it wasn't long before the server brought out the dishes. Seeing this, Feng Xiaogang laughed and said:

"The food here is decent—it's all custom-made to my taste.

So the moment I walk in, the kitchen already knows what to prepare.

But the food is secondary; today we're mainly here to drink."

Watching Feng Xiaogang's utterly impatient expression, Cheng Chen finally understood the resolve behind what he'd said to Xu Fan.

This guy really would risk his life for a drink!

While waiting for the dishes, Feng Xiaogang opened the liquor he'd brought and poured it into a decanter.

Instantly, the aroma of liquor filled the entire room, but it was extremely potent—one whiff alone was enough to make someone lightheaded.

"We've known each other for quite a while, but we've never actually had a drink together.

Everyone in the circle knows I love to drink and I drink often. You, kid, always claim you can only handle a little.

But I don't buy it—come on, let's have one together!"

Feng Xiaogang said with a smile, raising his glass.

Cheng Chen quickly picked up his glass and said:

"Director Feng, I should be the one to toast you. In the entertainment world you're my senior, and at work you're the director—so I'll down this glass first as a sign of respect!"

With that, Cheng Chen tilted his head back and drained the glass in one gulp.

Feng Xiaogang burst into laughter and said:

"You're a straight shooter, kid—this is how drinking should be! Come on, I'll down mine too."

After a few glasses, the atmosphere at the table really picked up.

Feng Xiaogang held the decanter, swirled the clear liquid inside, his face flushed, and said:

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【Rebirth Begins in 2002 Chinese Entertainment】【】

"Last month, a friend brought someone to see me, wanting a favor. Knowing I like to drink, he brought a few bottles of fine liquor..."

Was Feng Xiaogang about to tell a story? Cheng Chen set down his glass and listened with a smile:

"How should I put this about that guy—

He did have some connections, but he was just putting on airs."

As he spoke, he mimicked the man's mannerisms, swirling the glass in his hand, and said:

"Director Feng, let me tell you—drinking liquor is about tasting it. When tasting, the space should be well-lit but soft, with a temperature of 20 to 25 degrees being best, and humidity around 60..."

"In addition, the temperature and humidity should be kept constant, with no other odors in the air, no noise or other external disturbances that might affect the tasting—these are the basic conditions required for tasting liquor.

Other conditions include laying a white tablecloth on the table and preparing the corresponding tasting glasses, which should be transparent and colorless so you can clearly see the color and viscosity of the liquor when tasting..."

As he went on, seemingly getting more and more irritated, Feng Xiaogang slammed the table:

"Damn it, what kind of nonsense is that? When I, Old Feng, drink, I always toss it back in one gulp—taste it? Screw that!

If a friend hadn't been there, I'd have kicked him out long ago—sitting there yapping while we try to drink.

That's also where it all fell apart between us. When he left, that bastard actually said that as a director, I didn't even know how to properly taste liquor.

Said I drink too crudely. Damn it—we all live in this crude world, who's not crude? Who's better than whom? Am I right or not?"

Feng Xiaogang asked, looking at Cheng Chen.

Cheng Chen smiled and nodded—he could easily picture Feng Xiaogang hopping mad at the time.

That was just Feng Xiaogang's personal style.

Don't forget he also had the nickname "Feng Pants."

There are a few stories behind that nickname. One says that when Feng Xiaogang was young, he was especially thin.

And his family wasn't well off, so he always wore a pair of baggy, oversized pants.

From afar, it looked like nothing but pants, so people started calling him Feng Kuzi!

Another version says Feng Xiaogang struggled early on and only became a famous director through Wang Shuo.

Wang Shuo originally had no interest in associating with Feng Xiaogang—he was a kid raised in a big courtyard in Jingcheng.

He had connections, background, and talent; Feng Xiaogang, in his youth, was destitute and simply not worthy of associating with him.

But Director Feng was good at navigating relationships and had an exceptional memory.

So Feng Xiaogang met Wang Shuo through other directors, constantly fawning over him, fetching tea and pouring water, until Wang Shuo gradually accepted him.

Several of Feng Xiaogang's successful films and TV dramas were adaptations of Wang Shuo's works.

Later, Feng Xiaogang's constant clinging to Wang Shuo was jokingly compared to being like pants!

Of course, regardless of which version is true, neither paints a particularly honorable picture.

This also explains why he could never be like certain artists who are overly particular—in old Jingcheng terms, he was a hunbulin.

It's tied to his upbringing and life experiences.

To understand Feng Xiaogang, the film Old Cannon, later directed by Guan Hu, fits him well.

He portrayed the brotherhood and loyalty of that era, stubbornly clinging to his own code.

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【Rebirth Starting from Huayu 2002】【】

In his alley, the Sixth Elder was upright, loyal, even a bit eccentric, yet respected by many.

He refused to accept aging—he felt he had just passed fifty, far from old, and still carried within him the old-world spirit of his youth.

What impressed Cheng Chen most was the scene where Feng Xiaogang, as the Sixth Elder, put on a military uniform and strapped on a long blade.

The moment he lit a cigarette for an old man on a misty morning before battle.

Just for this role, Feng Xiaogang won the Best Actor award at the 52nd Golden Horse Award.

After hearing Feng Xiaogang's words, the only term Cheng Chen could think of was "hunbulin."

But he couldn't say that—he still had to work under him—so Cheng Chen chose another word and raised his thumb:

"Awesome!"

"Hahahaha, awesome? Pfft! I just couldn't stand that old bastard's pretentiousness. Come on, drink!"

"Drink!"

As they drank and chatted, a bottle of 53° baijiu was quickly finished.

"They said you couldn't drink, but half a jin down your throat and you're still fine—hahahaha! Tonight, drink your fill—another bottle!"

Cheng Chen was slightly drunk; someone like Feng Xiaogang, who spent his life at drinking tables, had at least one and a half jin of capacity.

Cheng Chen had about the same—if he drank slowly, he could handle even more.

But Feng Xiaogang drank fiercely, often downing a glass in one go; when he wasn't satisfied, he switched to larger cups.

This reckless drinking style was truly heart-stopping to watch.

Just after Feng Xiaogang opened another bottle, his phone rang.

"Hello? What's up? I'm drinking!"

As Feng Xiaogang listened to the caller, his hand pouring wine trembled violently, then he fell silent for a long while.

Seeing his expression, Cheng Chen thought something must have happened.

Sure enough, after hanging up, Feng Xiaogang sat there stunned for a long time.

"Director Feng, if you've got something to attend to, let's reschedule. Shall I call you a driver?"

Both had been drinking—driving was out of the question.

But Feng Xiaogang shook his head and sighed:

"The sky's about to change… Ah, never mind. You'll find out through the media soon enough."

Just as Cheng Chen wondered what big event this could be, Feng Xiaogang blurted out:

"Sister Hua… left Huayi."

Hearing this, Cheng Chen froze—this had just happened now…

Wang Jinghua, known in the industry as Sister Hua.

Wang Jinghua was born in 1968; her family background was ordinary—her parents were common people, and their household conditions were modest.

Yet her boldness and courage far surpassed others; as a child, she was always the most decisive among her peers.

When Wang Jinghua was young, opera was in vogue, and she developed a deep interest in the field, setting herself a goal early on.

Later, Wang Jinghua was admitted to the Huaxia Opera Academy, where she immersed herself in a rich artistic atmosphere.

It filled her with joy, and she looked forward to one day standing on stage.

But fate was unkind—her appearance limited her artistic development.

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【Rebirth Starting from Huayu 2002】【】

In an entertainment circle full of beauties, Wang Jinghua's looks were only average, making it hard to break out.

Thus, after graduation, she did not become an actress but entered the entertainment industry as a photographer.

Along the way, Wang Jinghua met all kinds of actors and witnessed the cruelty of reality.

Some had outstanding looks and solid acting skills, yet still couldn't become popular—there were countless such people in the industry.

Watching these frustrated actors, Wang Jinghua conceived an idea:

She would promote and make famous those talented stars.

This was perhaps the most direct motivation of early talent agents.

In fact, at the time, the Mainland had no concept of "talent agent"—this role was more like an artist's "nanny."

They took care of their daily needs—food, clothing, shelter, and transportation—and secured suitable resources for them, merely serving the artists without the later-generation "power of life and death."

After several years of hard work, Wang Jinghua's name became widely known.

Soon after, she gradually brought Yang Xue, Tong Dawei, and others under her wing.

Then came the renowned Chen Daoming, who also became one of her artists.

The timeline reached the year 2000, when Zhong Lei and his brother founded Huayi Brothers.

By then, Wang Jinghua was already a household name in the industry.

Thus, the Wang Brothers specifically invited her to join Huayi Brothers as Chief Agent, and even promised her a share of the company.

In this way, the Wang Brothers provided the platform, while Wang Jinghua provided the artist management model, and the two sides began their collaboration.

At that time, Wang Jinghua was no longer a rookie just entering the industry; the resources she controlled could determine an actor's future.

With power in hand, Wang Jinghua's words grew firmer than before.

It was said that once she assigned Li Bingbing a role, but Li Bingbing hesitated whether to accept it.

In response, Wang Jinghua called him directly and said:

"If you don't want to be an actor, go home and have babies."

Li Bingbing was terrified and immediately apologized; from then on, he never questioned Wang Jinghua's arrangements again.

Within just a few years, Wang Jinghua consecutively launched a string of big stars, and she gradually came to be regarded by the industry as the "Number One Agent."

In 2005, Wang Jinghua left Huayi Brothers.

That year could be called the most difficult one for Huayi Brothers.

Because of Wang Jinghua's departure, Huayi Brothers seemed to have lost half its territory overnight.

Most of the artists followed Wang Jinghua in switching to Orange Sky.

Among them were Chen Daoming, Xia Yu, Liu Jialing, Liang Jiahui, and others.

It wasn't that the artists had deep ties with Orange Sky—they simply chose to trust Wang Jinghua.

The industry rumor went: "Follow Sister Hua, and you'll get meat to eat."

This revealed Wang Jinghua's standing in the entertainment world.

The Wang Brothers were so furious they jumped up and issued a "threat":

"It'd be different if I left, but Huayi can do without anyone!"

Of course, this remark sounded more like a tantrum born of humiliation.

In reality, after losing Sister Hua and a large group of artists, Huayi suffered heavy losses.

First, after Wang Jinghua left, artist management collapsed completely—it was utterly disastrous.

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【Rebirth Starting from Huayi Entertainment 2002】【】

Almost every so often, an artist would leave.

To retain artists, the two brothers "cut their own flesh to offer shares."

Huayi kept handing out shares, and more and more artists came to claim a piece of the pie.

Huang Xiaoming also saw the value in their shares, joined Huayi, and later rode the wave to success.

But Huayi Brothers, because of this, began to decline…

Seeing Feng Xiaogang so upset, Cheng Chen didn't know what to say—he had long known about Wang Jinghua's departure.

Wang Jinghua was a woman with strong will; at this moment, she chose to switch to Orange Sky.

But in fact, after only a few years at Orange Sky, she chose to leave again.

Each time she left, a large group of artists followed her—perhaps this was the source of her charm?

"Forget it, forget it. Can't stop the rain from falling or a mother from having children—it's beyond control."

Feng Xiaogang sighed.

Cheng Chen nodded, but inside he was thinking: how could he profit from this situation?

……

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