novellhall Chapter 101 The Game of Fame and Fortune: The Last Nail
Chapter 101 The Game of Fame and Fortune: The Last Nail
Inside the rosewood-wood private room, smoke gathered and dispersed in the lamplight.
Wang Jianguo hung up the phone and slammed the two walnuts, which had been polished until they were shiny and smooth, onto the table.
"Zhao Minghai is a man who values his reputation the most."
Wang Jianguo stared at Chen Yan as if he were a monster. "If you poke him with this piece of paper, he'll go crazy."
Chen Yan smoothed out the wrinkles in his coat and pressed his fingers on the cover of the blood-red ledger.
"Only mad dogs bite."
Wang Jianguo stared at the ledger, his breathing becoming heavier. He grabbed another red telephone on the table and dialed a number.
"Old Zhe, this is Wang Jianguo. Put down your tea and come to Jianguomen. I have a deal to make that can uproot Zhao Minghai."
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.
"address."
Wang Jianguo gave the address, hung up the phone, and dialed a second one.
"Mr. Shao, it's me. Do you want Zhao Minghai's cinema? Bring your men and come over immediately."
"Hey Wang, have you taken the wrong medicine?"
A capable female voice came from the phone.
"I'm not crazy, Zhao Minghai is. The time bomb under his butt has been lit."
After making three phone calls in a row, Wang Jianguo put down the receiver, picked up his teacup, and drank it all in one gulp.
"I've brought the men you need; they're all shrewd. If this set of rules can't keep them in check, you won't be leaving this room today."
Chen Yan didn't speak, but simply turned to the first page of the account book.
On that surface, next to Lu Minghai's name, the word "dadian" was marked in red ballpoint pen, stained with long-dried dark blood.
Ten minutes later, the door to the private room was pushed open.
Walking in front was a man in a moon-white robe, Zheyan, the chairman of Shili Media.
Behind him followed a young man named Bai Zhen, carrying a briefcase, with bright and clear eyes.
Zheyan pulled out a chair and sat down, his gaze lingering for a moment on the ledger on the table.
"Hey Wang, what could possibly be so important that you'd dig up your most treasured number in the middle of the night?"
Wang Jianguo pointed at Chen Yan: "Chen Yan, Director Chen. What he has in his hand is to take Zhao Minghai's life."
Zheyan then looked at Chen Yan properly, his eyes calm and unperturbed.
"The director of 'Thunder.' I'd like to take a look at this stuff."
Chen Yan didn't move, but stretched out a finger and gently tapped the edge of the ledger.
"Mr. Zhe, after reviewing this account, it's time to get involved. Have you thought it through?"
Zheyan smiled slightly, his lips flat.
"At my age, I love getting involved."
He put on a pair of thin-rimmed glasses and opened the account book.
The only sound in the private room was the rustling of papers turning over.
Zheyan's fingers stopped when he reached page fifteen.
He took off his glasses and handed them to Bai Zhen behind him.
After Bai Zhen finished reading, he leaned down and whispered in Zhe Yan's ear: "The revenue figures for those three cinemas all match up."
"Zhao Minghai prides himself on his cleanliness in his work."
Zheyan looked at Chen Yan, "Lu Haiming hid this for ten years, how did you get it?"
"Given by a dead man."
Chen Yan's voice was flat: "Under the clock tower in Tianjin, before he died, he was still clutching this in his hand."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the door was pushed open again.
A short-haired woman wearing a burgundy leather jacket walked in; she was Shao Wan, the head of Shaw Brothers Studio.
Behind her followed a solemn-faced middle-aged man, Mo Yuan, a veteran of China Film Group.
"I heard there's a big deal going on? I'll come and join the fun."
Shao Wan pulled out a chair and sat directly opposite Chen Yan, reeking of tobacco.
She glanced at the account book on the table: "You think you can cripple Zhao Minghai with this?"
Mo Yuan didn't sit down, but stood by the window, his voice deep and resonant: "Chen Yan, how do you plan to end this?"
Chen Yan stood up, unfolded the yellowed letter, and placed it on the account book.
"Zhao Minghai banned my movies because he was afraid of this. He thought that if he covered my mouth, everything would be fine."
He looked around.
"But he not only wanted me to show him a movie, he also wanted me to vomit up everything he had eaten."
Chen Yan pushed the account book to the center of the table.
"Minghai Group's three core cinemas have the best locations and the latest equipment, yet they consistently incur a loss of 30 million yuan annually. This is his money laundering tool."
"I want the operating rights to these three cinemas."
Shao Wan scoffed, "You wish! Those three cinemas have assets worth two hundred million. What are you going to offer in exchange?"
"May you all have peace of mind."
Chen Yan tapped his fingers on the ledger. "If these names appeared on the front page of tomorrow morning's newspaper, who among us could say they have a clean backside?"
The air in the private room grew cold.
Zheyan picked up his teacup and blew on it to cool it down. "Bai Zhen, call Zhao Minghai."
Bai Zhen took out his phone, dialed a number, put it on speakerphone, and tossed it onto the table.
"Feed? Who?"
On the other end of the phone, Zhao Minghai sounded somewhat impatient, and there was the sound of a woman's coquettish laughter in the background.
Zheyan looked at Chen Yan and slowly said, "Minghai, it's me."
"Master Zhe? What brings you here...?"
"Your 'night watchman' has failed in his duty."
Zheyan interrupted him, "There's a kid named Chen Yan sitting right across from me right now, holding a bloodstained ledger in his hand."
There was a deathly silence on the other end of the phone.
The woman's laughter stopped abruptly, followed by the sound of cups and plates shattering.
"...What does he want?"
Zhao Minghai's voice changed, becoming hoarse as if he were holding pebbles in his mouth.
Zheyan remained silent.
Chen Yan reached out and picked up the phone.
"Mr. Zhao, this is Chen Yan."
"Chen Yan...where the hell are you! How much money do you want?"
Zhao Minghai's voice roared.
"I want you out of this industry."
Chen Yan spoke slowly and deliberately, his voice not loud, but clear enough for everyone in the private room to hear clearly: "One yuan, transfer all operating rights of those three cinemas to my Yan Culture. Within ten minutes, have your people bring the official seal and all the necessary documents to Jianguomen."
"You're dreaming! I'll kill you!"
"This is the price list for General Manager Zhe and General Manager Shao to see."
Chen Yan's tone was flat and even. "If you don't agree, they'll sign the asset stripping agreement right now and completely sever ties with you. Guess what will come out first tomorrow morning: your news or the bank's notice freezing all your assets?"
Chen Yan moved the phone in front of Zhe Yan.
Zheyan coughed into the microphone.
"Minghai, choose between cutting off your arm to save your life or courting death."
"ah--!"
A beast-like roar came from the other end of the phone, followed by a dull thud as something heavy hit the wall.
For a long time, only dejected breathing could be heard.
"……I see."
The phone hangs up.
Bai Zhen took out the transfer agreement that he had already prepared from his briefcase.
Zheyan signed the document and handed it to Shao Wan.
Without hesitation, Shao Wan's pen tip glided across the paper.
Finally, there's Mo Yuan.
The agreement was covered with the seals of industry giants.
At the bottom of the agreement, Chen Yan signed his name, his handwriting sharp as a knife.
……
BJ, an interrogation room in a prison.
Lu Haiming, dressed in prison clothes with gray hair, stared intently at Liang Qinian opposite him.
"Don't wait any longer, your backer has fallen."
Liang Qinian pasted a newly received fax onto the glass of the visiting window.
Lu Haiming moved closer, his pupils suddenly contracting.
Agreement Regarding the Transfer of Cinema Assets Under Minghai Film Industry
Transferor: Zhao Minghai.
Transferee: Yan Culture Media Co., Ltd.
Transfer amount: One yuan.
"One dollar..."
Lu Haiming's body trembled violently, and the iron chains binding his hands and feet rattled.
"He sold me...he sold me...for only one dollar!"
He collapsed, sliding down the cold iron chair to the ground, making a hoarse sound in his throat, like a fish thrown ashore.
The empire he built with human lives and half his life was ultimately worth only one dollar.
……
Two o'clock in the morning.
The headquarters of Stellar Cinemas was brightly lit.
Wang Jianguo stood in the center of the dispatch hall and roared into the microphone: "Pass the word down! All Stellar Cinemas nationwide, immediately empty all theaters! From now on, for 24 hours only, show only one movie: 'Thunder'!"
"Tickets are half price! They'll say it's a gift from Stellar Media Group to their audience!"
"All losses incurred will be charged to my personal account!"
On the big screen, the red area representing the screening rate of "Thunder" is expanding rapidly at a visible speed.
Five percent, fifteen percent, forty percent...
Chen Yan walked out of the Star Media headquarters building, and Wu Gang drove up in his Santana.
"Old Chen, what's the next step?"
Chen Yan turned around, glanced at the noisy building, opened the car door, and got in.
"Inform Lin Shufen that the celebration banquet can be held now."
He paused for a moment, then added, "Furthermore, in the name of Yan Culture, we hereby announce the official establishment of our first cinema chain."
The car started and merged into the empty streets late at night.
Chen Yan didn't look at the lights outside the window. He took out the folded, yellowed letter from the innermost pocket of his shirt.
The letter was found next to the mute man's body at the foot of the clock tower in Tianjin.
He unfolded the letter and, by the light of the streetlamp, his gaze fell on the last signature.
The name of the person who personally handed him the poisoned wine during his most glorious moment in his past life.
Seeing Chen Yan's actions in the rearview mirror, Wu Gang asked, "Old Chen, have you... finished collecting the debts?"
Chen Yan folded the letter back into place, placed it on his chest, and gently pressed his fingertips against his heart.
"All collected?"
He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.
"No."
"We've only just received the interest."