Chapter 151: Accelerating the Pace

In his 70-square-meter Chinese-style bedroom within the courtyard house, Boss Lu suffered from insomnia.

Since his rebirth, he had always maintained a carefree attitude toward life, playing around, messing with starlets, making movies, and grooming young girls.

However, his chance encounter with Zhang Zhang Chunru at the Berlin Film Festival had made him somewhat anxious.

Historical disaster films are difficult to make.

A subject matter that tears open the scars of one's compatriots is even harder to film.

His original intention, of course, was to use the film to tether Zhang Zhang Chunru, so she wouldn't collapse and commit suicide a year later.

He wanted to hire Zhang Zhang Chunru as a screenwriter and consultant, letting her live in the mainland long-term to escape the harsh environment of the United States.

It was also to escape the omnipresent CIA and the right-wing forces of the invaders.

For Zhang Zhang Chunru, setting a goal for her—a goal she had pursued her entire life—was the hope she needed to live.

This film didn't have to be a box-office hit, but it had to be critically acclaimed.

This was also to win positive reputation and political capital for himself.

Including various mainstream films in the future.

A core theme with correct values, special effects above the standard, a narrative structure that uses the small to reflect the large...

He wanted this mainstream film to truly attract audiences from the country and the world based on its quality, not just its subject matter.

The Berlin Film Festival was an excellent partner; they were a political indoctrination center that loved films of this tone.

The 2003 Berlin Film Festival concluded; *Blind Shaft* won the Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution, while *Hero* fell short, taking home only a consolation prize.

However, news immediately arrived that Zhang Zhang Yimou's film had been shortlisted for an Oscar, so it couldn't be said he came away empty-handed.

Boss Lu directed the film sales process throughout; *Blind Shaft* negotiated with distributors from over 20 countries and regions, reaching various long-term and buyout copyright agreements.

He swapped his long-term revenue share for a payout to Li Yang, taking away approximately 2.4 million USD in direct earnings based on his initial investment of 2 million RMB.

It seemed like a lot, but once he thought about the 500 million needed to acquire Wenjie Jiahe in a year...

Sigh!

Dawn had broken; no more sleeping, time to get up and make money!

The mountain king began to patrol his territory.

He first stopped by the special effects company; the office was located in the Zhongguancun Science Park and named "Sky-Mending Pictures."

Xie Ning was in charge of management; core personnel included those poached from Taiwan's Xiji Animation and the mainland's Hualong Digital, and Lu Kuan also hired visual effects artist Hongda Huang from Hong Kong.

This man was selected by Columbia Pictures in 2005 and later worked on the special effects for films like *New Police Story*, *Fearless*, and *A Battle of Wits*.

The first business for Sky-Mending Pictures was *Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils* and the currently filming *Chinese Paladin*.

The former didn't have many special effects projects, but it had the advantage of a large production budget;

*Chinese Paladin* was a project into which both Wenjie and the Xiang station had poured their hearts, sparing no effort in special effects production, striving to pioneer domestic xianxia dramas.

Back in the Wenjie Culture office, Zhuang Xu and Wang Wang Xiaolei had already been drinking tea for half an hour.

"Boss Lu!"

Wang Wang Xiaolei stood up excitedly to greet him.

A year ago, he had been "beguiled" by Seeing Lu Kuan into dropping out of school to return home and start a business; his perception of Seeing Lu Kuan had shifted from suspicion to acceptance, and now to reverence.

The concept of Blog Network wasn't that astonishing to him.

But the series of dazzling marketing projects starting from entertainment stars, cultural celebrities, and grassroots stars was the key to Blog Network's initial traffic.

The topic of Anita Mui's cancer, Zhou Zhou Jielun's first film, Liu Liu Yifei's Venice red carpet.

Including the casting hype and voting jointly released by the Xiang station and Wenjie a while ago, as well as the Golden Horse Awards controversy.

Blog projects from portals like Sina and NetEase also launched at the beginning of the year, appearing aggressive, but they were still far behind Wenjie's pace.

First, the number of domestic internet users was limited, and Blog Network had already cultivated strong user stickiness; especially since they had left so many posts and replies on Blog Network, they wouldn't easily switch platforms.

Second, Blog Network possessed the largest group of stars on the entire web; in Xiangjiang, Anita Mui took the lead, and recently Emperor Group had also frequently shown goodwill, arranging for their artists to join;

In the mainland, directors and screenwriters from the Beijing Film Academy, various actors who came upon hearing the news, as well as Yanda Huayi, Enlight Media, Bona, and even certain Beijing-circle figures under the influence of China Film Group had all registered accounts.

In Taiwan, the most popular Zhou Zhou Jielun led the way, with middle-men like Chai Yin Zhiping and Wang Wang Zhongwei acting as godfathers and godmothers to drive traffic.

These were all resources Seeing Lu Kuan had developed while running roadshows.

It was precisely because he had a constant stream of good projects in his hands that he could exchange them with various circles and share what each other lacked.

Seeing Lu Kuan didn't go to the Blog Network headquarters often; calling Zhuang Xu and Wang Wang Xiaolei over today was to arrange targeted marketing for the first half of 2003.

There was one month left before the Beijing authorities reported the first imported case.

"The two of you, I've received intelligence from friends in Xiangjiang and Guangdong that there are multiple outbreaks of a respiratory disease with unknown sources raging there; the situation may not be optimistic."

"I think Blog Network needs to prepare in advance."

He dared not be too certain, nor could he gloss over it lightly; otherwise, if these two didn't take it seriously, it would inevitably affect the later marketing results.

Zhuang Xu frowned: "This kind of thing is very taboo; one must be cautious."

Wang Wang Xiaolei had a quick mind; following the logic of Seeing Lu Kuan's previous "wild operations," he immediately formed a framework for a plan.

"If it really spreads to the north, we could certainly make good use of our role as a center for online public opinion."

Boss Lu tapped the table, setting the tone for the matter.

"Regardless of whether it's true or false, let's take precautions; I have a few requirements."

"First, 【Audit Upgrade】."

"The scale of Blog Network's audit staff and compliance plans must be upgraded. If the epidemic scales up, this will be the first time Blog Network faces a nationwide public opinion event. Facing the government and the masses is a completely different audit standard than facing the entertainment and cultural circles."

Zhuang Xu nodded: "We have always had zero tolerance for politically sensitive speech; this is also your requirement, and we currently have good relationships with many official units."

Seeing Lu Kuan acknowledged: "As a tool for public opinion, we must clarify our position; it can be summed up in eight words."

"Be close to the government, stay away from politics."

Wang Wang Xiaolei and Zhuang Xu's eyes lit up; this was incisive.

"Second, 【Units Joining the Network】."

"Take this opportunity to open official blogs for relevant units across the city, such as epidemic prevention and health departments, propaganda departments, and public security departments. You go handle the client relations for grassroots departments, and I will find people to lobby the higher-level units."

"With these higher-level departments setting the example, it won't be difficult for vertical management departments nationwide to open official accounts on Blog Network later."

Wang Wang Xiaolei blurted out excitedly: "Then wouldn't we become both a civilian public opinion center and an official public opinion center?"

"Exactly. You must grasp the degree of this; auditing and compliance are a very important link. Algorithms must iterate, personnel must increase, and the sensitive word database must be updated."

"Third, 【Print Media Joining the Network】."

"Conduct a carpet-style sweep of print media in the Beijing area and bring them all into the blog army."

Boss Lu was thirsty from talking; just as he picked up his teacup, Wang Wang Xiaolei couldn't wait to express his opinion.

"Boss Lu, the difficulty of this is likely to be quite high; after all, print media and online media naturally have a competitive relationship."

Boss Lu thought to himself that this Xiaolei Wang didn't have enough experience yet; no wonder he couldn't do well with Fanfou.

"Print media and internet media are not only competitive but also complementary."

"This complementarity is reflected in the method of dissemination, style, number of users, and one very important point at present."

"The issue of public opinion standards."

Every word and sentence in print media goes through strict censorship by the authorities, while the standards on blogs are much looser.

In later generations, there were a bunch of posts on Tianya pointing out the country's faults; as long as they weren't too excessive, one didn't see the authorities targeting them much.

If you don't believe me, look at the *Beijing News* that is about to be established in 2003; they will surely be the first to be willing to come to the blog to blather and grandstand.

"Introducing print media to open blogs is mainly to enrich our product content; we cannot let the blog be completely entertainment-oriented, or our target customers will be too few."

Those who chase stars and watch gossip are at most young men and women in the 18-35 age bracket; potential customers beyond that also have great potential for excavation.

Professional print media are providers of high-quality content; the information they share for free in blog posts will become the reason many people who rely on print media in this era will use blogs.

Boss Lu spoke at length; it was only mid-February, and that was all he could tell them for now.

When the event progresses to the white-hot stage, the event marketing targeting hot spots will continue to strike while the iron is hot, not missing any opportunity to drive traffic and shake off competitors.

Zhuang Xu suddenly spoke up: "By the way, we have a good grasp of the political standards, but a new problem has emerged."

He went to Seeing Lu Kuan's computer, opened the blog interface without hesitation, and entered the homepage of the user "Muzi Mei."

*Love Letters*.

The writing style is explicit, the content is open, and the credibility of the first-person perspective is extremely high; it can be called a masterpiece.

"This was reported by the audit staff yesterday; there have been similar situations before, but this is the first case with such high heat."

Seeing Lu Kuan dragged the mouse to the bottom interactive comment section; the post, which had been up for two days, already had 3000+ comments.

The appeal of adult content is evident.

"Keep it, wait and see."

A natural traffic machine, the first internet celebrity of the big entertainment era; if we don't squeeze her value dry, are we going to send her to Sina or NetEase?

After the two left with their tasks, Lu Yao immediately came in to report on work.

The development of the several "powerhouse" actors under the banner was proceeding according to plan, and the newly signed Hu Ge was also given a role in *Chinese Paladin*.

But in terms of signing directors, the personnel were a bit too stretched.

For Boss Lu now, the 500 million acquisition fund he envisioned for Wenjie Jiahe was like a gambling agreement, forcing him to accelerate the pace of expanding his film and television territory.

Scripts and ideas can be copied, but someone has to implement them, right?

*Crazy Stone* had already wrapped up and entered the post-production stage; Seeing Lu Kuan prepared to arrange the next film for Ning Hao immediately, just taking time out to run the promotion.

The year 2003 was a bit too early; the domestic film industry had just started to rise, and there were really not many young directors emerging. Where could he dig up some good seedlings...

The guys with good commercial film box office in later generations, like Guo Fan and Wen Muye, were all in college; it wasn't suitable to pull up seedlings to help them grow. The only one who could be enlightened by him and brought to quick success like Ning Hao now is...

Seeing Lu Kuan thought of Wu Wu Ershan. (Note 1)

He should still be running an advertising company now.

Other directorial resources still need to be excavated from the Beijing Film Academy; Jiang Wei and Zhang Zhang Jiandong are both highly skilled at making television dramas, and teacher Xue Li Xiaolu from the Directing Department can be tapped to shoot "chick flicks" and youth films.

Seeing Lu Kuan carefully noted the leader's recruitment requirements, preparing to meet with Wu Wu Ershan that afternoon.

"Mr. Lu, Zhong Zhong Lifang has also arrived. Shall I invite her in?"

"Yes."

Zhong Zhong Lifang previously worked in the Market Network Department of Phoenix Satellite Television in Xiangjiang and, in later years, was headhunted by Big Dog Brother of Galloping Horse to serve as a professional manager.

She is also a rare, multi-talented individual who understands both cultural media and market marketing.

This was arranged by Seeing Lu Kuan, who asked Jiang Jiang Zhiqiang to put in a good word with Phoenix Satellite Television; she is currently resigned and studying for her master's degree in the UK, set to graduate in June.

"Hello, Mr. Lu."

"Please sit, Ms. Zhong."

Seeing Lu Kuan leisurely sized up this professional manager who, in later years, would be rumored to have an affair with Master Huang.

As expected of someone from a television station, her temperament and poise were quite outstanding.

"Mr. Lu, it is an honor to receive an invitation from your company. I hope we can have a mutual exchange today."

She tried hard to package herself as a collaborator rather than a job seeker, after all, it was Wenjie that had received Seeing Lu Kuan's instructions to extend an olive branch to her.

In her eyes, Wenjie Culture is a rising star in the domestic film and television circle.

But this company is full of mystery in the public eye because all of Wenjie's high-level strategic decisions and recruitment instructions come from Seeing Lu Kuan himself.

They have also never released any job postings for leadership positions in their business divisions to the outside world.

Even if they did, it would be like today, with Seeing Lu Kuan personally conducting interviews and making decisions on whether to hire and what the relevant compensation would be.

As for the current Wenjie, everyone only knows it is a film and television production company centered around the director Seeing Lu Kuan, and it has also signed some obscure artists.

These artists do not have many public engagements, so it is difficult for outsiders to probe the true nature of this company.

Boss Lu flipped through the resume in his hand: "Ms. Zhong, you studied international marketing abroad, right?"

"Yes, I majored in marketing and minored in film and television production."

"Hmm, that is quite in line with the company's hiring needs."

"We have also conducted a background check on your work history at the Phoenix Station Network Department, and your past achievements are quite good. Let's do this."

"You will first serve as the Deputy General Manager of the Media Operations Department and the Film and Television Production Department. Our company doesn't have many artists for now, so the work will be a bit lighter."

"Your focus should be on film and television production. The company will continue to sign full-time and part-time directors in the near future and open up film collaboration opportunities for them. You will be the production manager, and I will mentor you personally."

Zhong Zhong Lifang was stunned.

Strictly speaking, media operations and film and television production were her original main fields and specialties, but even if she were confident in her ability to do these jobs well, who would entrust someone with such heavy responsibilities right from the start?

Is this young director not afraid that she might mess it up?

Seeing Lu Kuan is, of course, not afraid; for one, he will lead Zhong Zhong Lifang in making a film, and for another, Zhong Zhong Lifang is the true core figure of Galloping Horse in later years.

In other words, it would be a breeze for her to go and start her own film and television company as a boss right now.

The key is that her characteristics as a multi-talented individual are extremely scarce: she understands production, marketing, mergers and acquisitions, and financing.

She once helped Galloping Horse complete a sky-high financing deal of 750 million.

She also once ventured alone into Manhattan, New York, to engage in a head-on battle with the six major Hollywood studios, eventually capturing the famous American special effects company, Digital Domain.

This will also allow her to shoulder the burden and share his worries when Wenjie Culture gets involved with Wenjie Jiahe in the next year or two.

A hero needs three helpers; with a severe short-term goal, Seeing Lu Kuan had no choice but to speed up the pace, recruit talent on a large scale, and accelerate the company.

This film and television industry chariot of Wenjie, which has already begun to take shape, is also about to go full throttle and gallop in the center of the domestic entertainment stage.

Note 1: Some book friends might think his stance is biased.

Observe a bit more; everything will be based on the official attitude. If it is confirmed, he will be dealt with in the book.





(End of chapter)