Becoming a Movie Star, System Only Finished Loading After Ten Years
Chapter 82 - 81: I Rely on Myself (Requesting Monthly Votes)

Chapter 82: Chapter 81: I Rely on Myself (Requesting Monthly Votes)

Qi Hao felt a bit amused.

He could understand Wang Chongjun’s feelings.

That feeling of wanting to get rid of someone, but being unable to, is really frustrating.

They also couldn’t block Qi Hao because he was a genuine stockholder, no matter how small his shares were.

Alright, give you money to develop, and once you grow, you go after the shareholders.

You go against him, and you still want financing?

Without multiple rounds of financing, Mrs. Hua wouldn’t have made it to today.

Qi Hao didn’t know if he would invest if he had the chance to give Mrs. Hua money for making films.

He also didn’t know if he would take the opportunity to pose a challenge if dividends weren’t distributed on time, nor was he sure if he would exchange both dividends and investment for Mrs. Hua’s shares.

However, all these assumptions no longer mattered.

Because the system made them happen.

In a very magical, outrageous way.

The whole world knew about it, except for me, all right?

Qi Hao had become somewhat used to this tricky system.

Fortunately, now that he had figured out the whole story, Qi Hao wasn’t completely lost when Wang Chongjun spoke to him.

He immediately sighed, gazing out the window with an expression full of melancholy and sorrow, and said, "When I was young, I entered the entertainment industry against my family’s opposition, hoping to make a name for myself through my own abilities."

"Yes, every child is out to prove themselves to their parents."

Wang Chongjun quite envied Qi Hao’s parents, thinking how great it would be to have such a successor.

"Although I acquired shares of Mrs. Hua by chance, I know I can’t just sit back and enjoy, I need to rely on myself, and only by relying on myself can I go further..."

Qi Hao expressed his sentiments in a somewhat literary way.

But Wang Chongjun was tired of hearing it.

Because he had heard similar excuses countless times.

Every time he invited this stockholder to join, he used such pretexts.

Damn it, if everyone followed your standards, how would anyone survive?

Did Penguin’s early success come purely by itself or by the investment from Li Zekai?

And Ali’s boss had a wide network because of his father.

Bill Gates’ mother was an IBM executive, and his father owned a top law firm.

You either come from wealth or marry into it and then change again after you acquire it...

Otherwise, where does relying on oneself come from?

But as a senior, he couldn’t say relying on oneself was wrong, as that would destroy his image as a successful person.

Successful people think that the reason you are poor is that you didn’t work hard enough.

Rather than your background and being shameless.

So, he could only suppress his disgust and agree, "I didn’t expect you to think like this; even with your current achievements, you aren’t arrogant or complacent."

"Thank you, President Wang!" Qi Hao felt encouraged.

"However, our company is about to go public. Now we’re just one step away, and it’s time to unite our efforts for the listing," Wang Chongjun enticed with benefits.

"What does President Wang hope I do?"

Listing!

This is an enormous temptation for any stakeholder.

The Wang Brothers, Ma Yun, Jiang Nanchun, Lu Weideng, Qi Hao, Feng Xiaogang, Zhang Jizhong, etc., are all waiting to reap wealth after this wave of public listing.

Qi Hao had to admit, he held onto Mrs. Hua’s stocks instead of selling them as soon as the system handed them to him, partly because of fear of the so-called blockade from Mrs. Hua, but more importantly, it was to increase his wealth.

Gao Yang, this Coal Boss, is very reliable.

But it’s apparent this is not his ambition, at most he just uses investment in films as a cultural label.

Qi Hao wants to grow bigger and stronger, but he can’t rely on anyone.

He has many ideas, but unfortunately, none can be executed due to lack of funds.

For example, he wants to start a film and television production company so that in the future, when he gets good scripts after catching up with the timeline, he can work on projects to earn big money.

"It’s simple. All you need to do is have your studio sign a cooperation agreement with our company, and then issue an announcement."

Just as Zhang Nan had guessed.

Mrs. Hua’s best strategy is to acquire Qi Hao Studio.

But even Jiang Wen knew Qi Hao had hitched himself to the Coal Boss, a very capable one at that, and naturally Wang Chongjun was aware too.

This best strategy is better left off unsaid.

The middle strategy is to collaborate with Qi Hao Studio, forming an attached relationship, which can also resolve issues satisfactorily.

This is exactly what Wang Chongjun wanted.

Moreover, not just for the listing, if a collaboration really materializes, with any future uncertain-return projects in Mrs. Hua’s hands, she could pull the Coal Boss in to invest together.

This would significantly reduce company operational risks.

"I’m afraid that’s not possible, I have an agreement with Boss Gao!"

Qi Hao said with some regret, as if he was also sorry to miss out on such an "equal" partnership opportunity.

"Boss Gao?" Wang Chongjun was stunned.

He had thought about what reason Qi Hao might use to refuse and was prepared to persuade him.

But he didn’t expect that Qi Hao would have an agreement with that Coal Boss.

What is the agreement, not to be attached to other companies?

"Yes, didn’t we form a partnership to establish Feiyang Media? He also gave me a sum of money for Qi Hao Studio. If I can make Feiyang Media profitable within two years, the money will be considered a sponsorship. If I can’t do it, not only do I have to return the money, but I also have to pay a high usage fee. One of the additional clauses stipulates that Qi Hao Studio cannot be attached to another company."

Qi Hao said half-truthfully.

The truth is, Gao Yang indeed planned to give Qi Hao some money, with the condition of making Little Fatty Sheep profitable.

The falsehood is, this was just a verbal agreement, and there was no formal contract signed yet, so there were no so-called additional clauses.

Moreover, the fund was given to Fat Sheep Media, not Qi Hao Studio.

Fat Sheep Media entrusted Qi Hao Studio with the management, so the money eventually ended up with Qi Hao Studio.

Making a profit in two years seems simple, but many film investment companies can’t achieve it.

Out of hundreds of films made every year, less than 10% are profitable. Some are released in theaters, some sold to TV stations, others distributed as CDs...

This is an industry that can yield windfall profits in a short time but is also plagued by severe survivor bias.

Considering "October Fortress," "Wait and See," and Ye Weimin’s constant nagging about the Spring Festival travel film, it’s uncertain whether these three films can make any money.

And it would take about a year and a half for the three films to break even.

Even with sufficient funds, it’s likely that five films can’t be made within two years.

"I see..." Wang Chongjun was half-convinced.

But there was no way to verify it.

That Coal Boss was obviously in cahoots with Qi Hao.

And from a business perspective, signing a bet agreement is not uncommon.

"Actually, I think these so-called rumors, don’t all companies face them before going public? It’s just competitors throwing dirt. I find Bern particularly suspicious..."

Qi Hao used a tactic to shift the blame.

Wang Chongjun and Bern’s Yu Dong belonged to the "friendly" forces.

In fact, their circles overlap considerably, being Capital People and having endless ties with Han Sanping.

However, their paths are different.

Mrs. Hua started with film content production, while Bern began with film distribution. Despite the different entry points, both moved toward a complete industry chain almost simultaneously.

Furthermore, Mrs. Hua’s investors were mainly domestic entrepreneurs, but Yu Dong, with his Wall Street complex, attracted a group of investors with overseas backgrounds.

Due to the different investment compositions, Mrs. Hua aimed at the domestic secondary board, while Bern sought Nasdaq listing.

Entering the capital market is their most significant competition.

Last month, Mrs. Hua submitted an application to the secondary board, but due to the intensifying financial crisis, they had to withdraw the application, preparing more thoroughly and turning to the upcoming Growth Enterprise Market.

Bern was even worse off, as the overseas listing path seemed completely blocked due to the financial crisis, leaving Bern almost without hope.

Since Mrs. Hua couldn’t make it, bringing Bern down with them provided a sense of balance.

Earlier, after Mrs. Hua applied for listing, a slew of negative articles followed, clearly showing someone’s handiwork.

Qi Hao’s tactic of shifting blame wasn’t without foundation.

"Sigh, Old Yu just has some misunderstandings about me."

Wang Chongjun knew better, those allegations about the two brothers being involved in all sorts of shady deals, seducing both men and women, forcing people to jump off cars and out of windows, were undoubtedly the work of old rivals.

"Yeah, just misunderstandings."

Qi Hao wanted to roll his eyes; being in the same car with them made him feel like jumping out.

They were the true scoundrels of the entertainment industry.

Of course, that Boss Yu wasn’t much better.

"Let’s do it this way: we’ve invested in a spy thriller, how about you take on a role in it? Don’t worry, the payment will be at market price, you won’t lose out."

Wang Chongjun stepped back and opted for the last resort suggested by Zhang Nan.

Spy thriller, isn’t that "Wind Sound"?

Having done his homework, Qi Hao obviously knew what he was talking about.

But Qi Hao didn’t immediately agree and instead said hesitantly: "My schedule is quite packed recently. When do you plan to start filming this?"

This wasn’t just an excuse.

After finishing "October Fortress," he would join the cast of "Wait and See."

Based on Ye Weimin’s stance, it seemed the Spring Festival travel film aimed to start during the New Year.

"Tentatively, it’s scheduled to start mid-January, shooting near your hometown in Jinmen. You might even get a chance to visit home often."

Wang Chongjun knew there was room for negotiation when he heard Qi Hao’s question.

Frustrated, yet helpless.

As a dignified chairman, others usually went out of their way to please him, offering wives and children was no exaggeration.

Unexpectedly, there came a day when he had to ask favors from others.