“These short-sighted people you’re talking about, Sister Shan—who are they?”
“The company’s shareholders and the CEO.”
“Sister Shan, are you planning to quit?” Luo Ming asked cautiously.
“How could that be!”
“So you’ve found another company?”
“I still have shares in this company!”
“Then why would you be so reckless as to go against the higher-ups?” Luo Ming asked, completely confused.
“Higher-ups? Ha! Just follow my lead in a bit.”
Hearing this, Luo Ming glanced at Sister Shan’s eyes. He couldn’t exactly say her eyes were small, just that they weren’t very big. Once the meeting started, if he sat too far away, he wouldn’t be able to read her signals at all!
But Sister Shan didn’t give Luo Ming a chance to speak. She just pulled him straight into the elevator.
And it was even the executive elevator!
The people inside the elevator didn’t seem to think there was anything wrong with Sister Shan coming in. Instead, one of them greeted her warmly. “A-Shan, morning!”
“Morning, Brother Tong. Wenwen, this is President Tong, the company’s largest shareholder—the kind who has veto power.”
Luo Ming was a bit surprised when he heard this.
Under the domestic shareholding structure, the so-called veto power mainly depends on the percentage of shares a shareholder holds. If a shareholder’s stake reaches 34 percent, they gain veto power over major matters. If a shareholder’s stake exceeds 50.1 percent, then they have veto power over ordinary matters as well. This means that a single shareholder can cast an opposing vote on the corresponding issue and block it from passing.
Of course, the above is only in theory. In reality, if someone holds more than 34 percent of a company’s shares, that shareholder basically controls the entire company.
Sister Shan had deliberately emphasized this, probably to tell him that this ordinary-looking middle-aged man was the real decision-maker behind Huayue Entertainment.
Realizing this, Luo Ming gave President Tong a slight bow as a greeting. “Hello, President Tong. I’m Lin Shuwen.”
“I’ve heard A-Shan mention you before. She thinks very highly of you, so don’t let her down.”
“I’ll do my best.”
President Tong chuckled and stopped paying attention to Lin Shuwen. Instead, he started chatting with Sister Shan about the company’s recent situation.
Luo Ming stayed quiet and just listened from the side.
Soon, the elevator reached the twelfth floor. Sister Shan shot Luo Ming a look, signaling him to follow. Then the group of four walked together to the company’s largest conference room.
Chen Sichu was quick-witted enough to open the door for the big shots. President Tong thanked her and walked into the meeting room.
Sister Shan’s seat was in the shareholders’ section, and she pulled Luo Ming over with her.
“Sister Shan, is it really okay for me to sit here?” Luo Ming asked quietly.
“Just sit down!”
Half an hour later, the company’s executives and shareholders had all arrived one after another.
As expected, President Tong sat in the main seat.
A person dressed like a secretary received a signal from President Tong, stepped forward, and announced, “The 12th general shareholders’ meeting of 2013 now officially begins.
First agenda item…”
“Sister Shan, this is a shareholders’ meeting?”
“It’s just a name. What the meeting decides and discusses is the company’s future development direction. Besides, around 10 percent of the company’s shares are held by various artists. That’s why artists and their agents are asked to attend.”
Listening to Sister Shan’s explanation, Luo Ming suddenly understood. Huayue Entertainment’s way of operating was somewhat similar to Qigu Culture from Cool Dog in his previous life.
These meetings were usually long and tedious, and Luo Ming was listening so long that his eyelids were fighting each other.
Suddenly, Sister Shan poked “Lin Shuwen” in the waist, and Luo Ming snapped awake instantly.
“Sister Shan?”
“Pull yourself together and listen carefully! This agenda item is very important!”
Hearing this, Luo Ming turned his head toward the female secretary at the front. “Ninth agenda item. CEO Zhu, together with seven shareholders, proposes that the company allocate a large amount of next year’s resources toward a Korean-style girl group. Shareholders, please vote by show of hands. Those in favor, please raise your hands.”
Most people at the table raised their hands in agreement.
Boy groups and girl groups from South Korea really were popular. Relying on fan economy, it was easy to make money. TF, Kun Kun, XZ, WYB, Rocket Girls… all these traffic stars made money by harvesting the fan economy.
“Those opposed, please raise your hands.”
Scattered here and there, five or six people raised their hands, including Sister Shan.
“Sister Shan, you really are planning to jump ship, aren’t you?” Luo Ming muttered inwardly.
But the next second, Luo Ming was completely slapped in the face, because President Tong, sitting in the main seat, raised his hand.
The shareholders immediately burst into an uproar.
“President Tong actually disagrees?”
“But didn’t CEO Zhu and the others say President Tong approved this plan?”
“I thought this plan was pretty good too!”
“Actually, I always felt China wasn’t suited for developing girl groups.”
“Shut up! You were the fastest one to raise your hand just now!”
The shareholders were all talking at once, completely failing to notice that CEO Zhu, seated to President Tong’s right, had a face so dark it was terrifying.
“Everyone quiet down!” CEO Zhu shouted, then stood up and asked President Tong directly, “Boss, why did you vote no? Didn’t you agree before?”
President Tong frowned, clearly unhappy with CEO Zhu’s attitude, but with so many people present, he didn’t lose his temper outright. Instead, he had the secretary play a PowerPoint presentation.
The content on the slides made the shareholders’ faces change drastically.
CEO Zhu was also stunned.
“Sister Shan, is this real? The higher-ups are going to restrict artists from South Korea?” Luo Ming asked in surprise.
In his previous life, China had done something similar, but that was around the end of 2016, and it had happened for some unspeakable reason. But this was only 2013! That event hadn’t happened yet!
“It should be true. It’ll probably be implemented next year. But considering international relations, the higher-ups won’t directly issue a document for this kind of thing. They’ll just let entertainment companies like ours read between the lines.”
“So Sister Shan, you already knew about this?”
“I’ve been in this industry for fifteen years. Of course I have some connections.”
For a moment, Luo Ming didn’t know what to say. Finding out earlier than the company’s CEO—Luo Ming could only say one thing: “Impressive!”
“This is nothing. But since the higher-ups are restricting artists from South Korea, our domestic artists will definitely get better opportunities for development. Wenwen, do you understand what I mean?”
Luo Ming nodded.
“Good. Then cooperate with me next. Opportunities are for those who are prepared.”
“The ninth agenda item has not passed. All agenda items are now concluded. Do any shareholders wish to add a new item?” the secretary asked.
“Add a new item. Let everyone discuss the company’s development direction for next year,” President Tong said.
“A new agenda item has been added temporarily: the company’s development direction for next year. Shareholders, please speak freely.”
“I think we should still focus on filming TV dramas. That path is within the company’s comfort zone.”
“I think we should try investing in movies instead. The company has to transform eventually.”
“We can’t do the Korean-style girl group, but we can make some adjustments! Change the concept a bit—for example, a Chinese-style girl group. What do you all think?”
“I think it could work!”
“That’s a good idea.”
Just when the Chinese-style girl group proposal was about to pass, Sister Shan suddenly pulled Luo Ming to his feet and said, “Dear shareholders, how do you know that my Wenwen’s new song hit over one million views within 24 hours of release, and over 300,000 downloads?”
The meeting room instantly fell silent.
