Chapter 191: Starting the Plan

"Alright, sir."

Moments later, Wayne met the five "gifts" Annie Hearst had sent on the terrace.

Jang Hye-jin and Son Ye-jin, who had just entered the entertainment industry, Han Ga-in and Lee Si-young, who were still just college students and models, and Jun Ji-hyun, who was about to become one of South Korea's top national goddesses, soon to surpass even Jo Mi.

Upon seeing the five women clearly, Wayne, who had initially felt somewhat disappointed, suddenly looked surprised.

He had previously wondered if he could attract Jo Mi or Jun Ji-hyun with the "second female lead" role in Wanted, but he hadn't expected Annie Hearst to directly bring Jun Ji-hyun over.

Wayne had to admit, Annie Hearst had done an excellent job!

Moreover, this demonstrated how obedient South Korea was in front of their "American father."

It also highlighted the astounding global influence of the Hearst Corporation.

Wayne's wealth now, even without counting inflated assets, amounted to about $1.7 to $1.8 billion when including stocks and real estate appreciation.

However, in terms of influence, he estimated he wasn't even close to the level of the Hearst Corporation.

"It's still a long way to go."

Time was precious.

Wayne only sighed briefly before eagerly taking the five women to a guest room for coffee.

As expected, none of them had much stamina.

This caused the "tea party" to last less than three hours before it had to stop.

Otherwise, these five would have been broken.

"Send them to the house on 10 Roxbury Street," Wayne said, looking at the five women who would need at least two to three days to recover. Shaking his head, he put on his clothes and left the room, giving instructions to Maida.

"Also, prepare the clothes and daily necessities they'll need."

"Yes, sir."

Wayne intended to keep all five of them, but moving them into the manor was obviously out of the question. After all, they were all already 19 years old, so living outside was no problem—especially since they would be living together.

After checking the time and seeing there was still some time before dinner, Wayne returned to the second-floor terrace, sipping fragrant coffee while enjoying the Los Angeles sunset. He made a call to Annie Hearst.

"Hi, Aunt Annie. I've received the gifts, and I really like them."

"As long as you like them. The others were easy to arrange, but I had to put in some effort for Jun Ji-hyun."

"Haha, trust me, you'll soon see that it was worth it."

"Are you referring to her upcoming movie My Sassy Girl?"

"Exactly. I've read the original novel, and Jun Ji-hyun's image perfectly matches the heroine. Just from that alone, regardless of the film's box office performance, her popularity will see a significant boost."

"Alright then, let's wait and see. But don't forget what you promised me."

At her words, Wayne paused for a moment before remembering what she meant. With a smile, he replied, "Toys are just toys. Amanda is different from the others. But it seems like she's not that interested in managing the company?"

On the other end, Annie Hearst was swiveling in her chair, overlooking the bustling streets of New York through the large floor-to-ceiling windows. Despite her perfectly applied makeup, a trace of helplessness appeared on her face.

How could she not know what her daughter was like?

It was unclear if she had been influenced by the Trump family, but Amanda Hearst, like Ivanka, was very interested in modeling, which had been giving her quite the headache.

When she sent Amanda to Wayne, part of her intention was to let her daughter experience what it felt like to be financially dependent on others, hoping it would help Amanda "get back on track." However, it seemed the results weren't as effective as she'd hoped.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure she behaves!" Annie Hearst said through gritted teeth.

Wayne couldn't help but smile and offered some advice: "Amanda is still young. Pushing her too hard will only backfire." Then, he changed the subject.

"By the way, Aunt Annie, there's something I'd like your help with."

"Oh? What is it?"

Annie Hearst perked up again, curious.

"I'm interested in acquiring a New York streetwear brand and expanding it by buying a textile factory here in Los Angeles. When the time comes, I might need your help with that."

"No problem, it's no big deal." Anne Hearst agreed readily without even thinking about it. As she said, it really was just a minor favor for her.

"With your status and influence, entering the fashion industry is definitely a wise move, but just focusing on streetwear isn't enough. I think you could expand into women's clothing as well."

Wayne raised an eyebrow.

He wasn't sure if Anne Hearst knew that he had acquired two modeling agencies, but her suggestion hit the mark perfectly.

"I've considered it, but my target isn't America, it's Asia—specifically East and Southeast Asia."

In terms of women's clothing, he planned to take over the Tokyo Fashion Show market.

Anne Hearst's face lit up with a thoughtful expression, and then she couldn't help but laugh.

To her, Wayne's close relationship with Sony, and having her acquire SM Entertainment, was clearly laying the groundwork for this. In fact, from the moment he accepted her investment and became friendly with her, he might have already been eyeing the influence she holds over the global fashion industry, controlling half of it through her four major fashion magazines.

But she wasn’t displeased by this realization—on the contrary, she was quite pleased with Wayne’s foresight.

After all, she and Wayne were partners. The more successful he became, the more she would benefit.

And if Wayne could grow Helmera Pictures into one of the big seven studios, it could also elevate her standing within the Hearst family, helping her eventually take control of the entire Hearst empire.

"No problem. When the time comes, I'll give you my full support," Anne Hearst promised solemnly.

This made Wayne once again marvel at how fortunate he was to have found such a great partner.

"Thank you, Auntie Anne. By the way, I have a gift I’d like to give you."

"Oh? What gift?" Anne Hearst asked, her interest piqued.

"A rapidly growing pie that, in the next ten years, will generate at least a billion dollars in annual revenue."

Anne’s interest grew even more. Just as she was about to ask what pie Wayne was referring to, a thought suddenly struck her, and she realized what he was talking about.

"You mean the Chinese market?"

"Exactly!" Wayne explained, "China now has over 1,700 movie screens, and based on current growth rates, that number could increase five or six times over the next decade, reaching over 10,000 screens!"

"Plus, unlike Japan, Korea, Hollywood, or even Europe, Chinese entertainment companies can manage film production, distribution, and talent management all at the same time."

"And the profit-sharing model is only slightly higher than in Japan and Korea. New talents generally split their earnings 80-20, and they typically sign contracts that last eight to ten years."

"So, I want to invest jointly with Auntie Anne, under the name of Wayne Group, to establish an entertainment company in China. It will primarily focus on talent management, with film investment as a secondary business."

"We'll bring something fresh and new to this massive market of 1.3 billion potential customers, which is still in its early, wild growth stage."

Anne couldn't help but laugh, thinking Wayne was joking with that last statement.

But Wayne was being sincere. Reflecting on his past experiences, after much consideration, he couldn’t resist the urge to try and make a difference in the Chinese entertainment industry as well.

Moreover, as time went on, Hollywood blockbusters were increasingly reliant on the Chinese market.

If it was inevitable, why not act now, while the Chinese entertainment industry was still in its early stages of wild growth?

"Alright, I’m in. How much investment are we talking about?"

"Ten million will be enough. We'll each invest five million dollars, taking a 50% share. However, the company's establishment will require your help."

"No problem."

The two then discussed the specifics.

After hanging up the phone, Anne Hearst immediately called her secretary to set the plan in motion.

One has to admit, in terms of talent, Anne Hearst, backed by the Hearst family, was far stronger than Wayne at the moment.

However, China is different from other countries.

While Anne Hearst could easily set up such a company anywhere else in the world, receiving all kinds of incentives, China was the exception.

But given the current positive relationship between China and the U.S., it should still be manageable in the end.

The biggest challenge for the new company now was selecting a CEO.

Wayne already had someone in mind.

"Hello, Mr. Yuen? This is Wayne."

Wayne personally called Master Yuen and Jet Li, inviting them to meet and chat that evening.

Both Yuen and Jet Li were flattered.

Though they knew Wayne must have a favor to ask, both agreed without hesitation.

Not to mention, the subsequent installments of the "Resident Evil" series, "The Bourne Identity," "Taken," and the upcoming "Wanted" were all projects Wayne had worked on with Yuen’s stunt team.

In fact, Wayne was Yuen’s team's biggest client.

As for Jet Li, he had already been cast as the butcher in "Wanted," with just a few minutes of screen time earning him $4 million—something he had never experienced before.

They didn’t rely solely on Wayne for their success in Hollywood.

But if Wayne wanted to blacklist them, he could easily do so.

After all, the big seven studios and several major distributors were all trying to cozy up to Wayne.

Especially after the success of "The Notebook," and with the news of his collaboration with Leonardo DiCaprio, Wayne’s influence surpassed that of any single major studio, as long as he stayed out of international distribution and continued offering favorable DVD revenue-sharing terms.

"I want to establish an entertainment company in China, primarily focusing on talent management and film investment. I need your help."

Once the three sat down, Wayne wasted no time in stating his purpose.

Master Yuen and Jet Li looked puzzled.

They weren’t surprised Wayne wanted to establish an entertainment company in China—after all, with the box office success of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," the Chinese entertainment industry had started to attract some attention from Hollywood.

But their main influence was in Hong Kong, not mainland China.

If Wayne wanted connections, he should be talking to Zhang Yimou.

Seeing their confusion, Wayne smiled and explained, "The Hearst Group will be involved as well, so establishing the company shouldn’t be a problem."

At this, both Yuen and Jet Li were visibly shocked.

They had been in the U.S. long enough to know about the Hearst Group, one of the top three media companies in America and globally.

Before they could gather their thoughts, Wayne continued, "But they want me to appoint the CEO since it was my idea. I’ve already found someone, but I need your help."

Now they understood.

The person Wayne had in mind must be from Hong Kong.

Although Master Yuen mainly worked as a stunt coordinator in Hollywood, he was a highly influential director in Hong Kong.

Jet Li, though born in mainland China, had made his name in Hong Kong.

Even after Jet Li and Jackie Chan moved to Hollywood, Hong Kong's entertainment industry continued producing stars like Chow Yun-Fat, Stephen Chow, Tony Leung, and Andy Lau.

But in terms of fame and influence, Jet Li and Jackie Chan were still the top names.

With both of them involved and backed by a global media giant like the Hearst Group, it was almost impossible for anyone to refuse the offer.

Master Yuen glanced at Jet Li, then asked, "Who does Mr. Wayne have in mind?"

"Fiona Sit’s manager, Mani Fok."

They exchanged a glance.

They knew Fiona Sit, but they didn’t know her manager.

At this point, Mani Fok wasn’t yet the director of Emperor Entertainment’s artist department. While she managed a few artists, other than Fiona Sit, the others like Edwin Siu, Charlene Choi, and Twins weren’t names Master Yuen and Jet Li were familiar with.

"She’s a manager under Emperor Entertainment. In addition to her, I also want Fiona Sit, Twins, Edwin Siu, and a few other artists under her."

"Also, I’d like Mr. Jet Li to join WME. You can bring your manager along if you like, and sign with my new company, leaving your Chinese business to us."

"In return, I’ll offer you a lead role in a $50 million action film."

"It could be directed by Master Yuen."

"If it does well at the box office, we can turn it into a franchise."

Both Yuen and Jet Li leaned back slightly, stunned by the offer.