But then, why do so many companies still prefer to have a multitude of shareholders?

Truth be told, it all boils down to benefits. Take an entertainment company, for example. You need connections with television stations, right? So, you have to seek out resources in that area and then relinquish a portion of the benefits—namely, shares. That’s how you get others to play along, so everyone can make money together.

By the same token, if you want to establish a foothold somewhere, you must offer up sufficient benefits. After all, trying to hog all the profits is the biggest taboo in this circle; nobody likes it, no matter where you go.

Consider big-name stars and directors joining your venture. If you don’t offer shares, who’s going to sign on? Even if they did, if they’re getting paid the same regardless of effort, everyone would be tempted to slack off. After all, their pay wouldn’t decrease.

But offering shares changes things. If the company’s value increases, so does the wealth in their hands. For stars and directors, wouldn’t that incentivize them to work hard and perform at their best?

This is especially true for directors. Just paying them a salary might lead to them slacking off or indulging in some “artistic creation” that ends up losing you money. But if their own interests are at stake, no matter how tempted they are to be reckless, they’ll have to think twice. If they lose money, all their work will be for nothing. They have to be cautious!

Don’t overestimate a director’s integrity. When it comes to squandering resources, these folks can be more reckless than anyone. If you don’t keep them on a tight leash, they’re liable to go completely off the rails.

Furthermore, you have the cinema chains, the publicity departments, the “national team” investors, not to mention the Capital Circle, Northwest Circle, Shanghai Circle, Hong Kong Circle, and a whole host of other influential groups. All told, you’re dealing with vested interests from many different quarters.

You need to concede enough benefits to all these parties; otherwise, they’ll make things difficult for you and try to sabotage your efforts.

If you’re always trying to keep everything for yourself, essentially snatching food from their mouths, who else would they target for destruction if not you?

Although, even if you do concede benefits, they might still try to undermine you. After all, your slice of the pie is small, and without you, they could grab even more.

Nevertheless, with this layer of connection, they’re less likely to engage in open hostility and make things overly unpleasant. On the surface, everyone acts like one big family and will certainly show more restraint.

And that very restraint might be the slim chance your company needs to survive and break through the challenges.

Regarding this, Hou Yichuan had analyzed it with perfect clarity.

Chu Tian asked, “So, you’re saying we need to give up most of our profits to appease them?”

To be honest, Chu Tian was very reluctant. It wasn’t because he was stingy and unwilling to part with those shares, but because he felt giving them to such a group was a complete waste.

It wasn’t just his own abilities; he held a vast amount of resources, the essence of an entire world. What level of success couldn’t he achieve? Unless the entire world united against him, fiercely suppressing him, he would eventually rise to prominence.

But he was also very clear that with these resources, reaching the pinnacle would be significantly easier.

But what about when the company grew larger? Then, these so-called interest groups would become a bunch of parasites, dead weight holding them back. He utterly despised them.

Hou Yichuan didn’t know the source of Chu Tian’s confidence, nor what trump cards he held. However, the reason he never had any issues with his boss was that he had personally witnessed just how formidable his boss could be.

Currently, all the company’s profitable ventures—be they films, TV series, variety shows, or music—were, without exception, the boss’s handiwork. Such talent would be world-shocking anywhere, yet his boss seemed completely unfazed by it.

In his view, Chu Tian was the strongest pillar of support. Otherwise, no matter how capable Hou Yichuan himself was, elevating the company to its current state would have been an impossible dream.

Hou Yichuan said, “President Chu, I understand your point, but this is the current reality. We don’t really have a choice. However, we do have other methods.”

From Chu Tian’s tone, it was clear he didn’t want to entangle their interests too much with other parties. This just went to show what an excellent professional manager Hou Yichuan was; he hadn’t just prepared one plan—he had plenty of ideas.

“Our company is undergoing restructuring, isn’t it?” Hou Yichuan continued. “I was thinking that the group headquarters doesn’t actually need to divest too many shares. Instead, we can use the subsidiaries to bring various parties on board. Even if these individuals become redundant later, we can include a clause in the agreement to reclaim the shares when the time comes.”

Things were definitely not as simple as Hou Yichuan made them sound. However, Chu Tian had also learned a fair bit about management recently, so he could grasp the underlying logic.

They could cooperate for now. If, down the line, the potential for cooperation diminished, they could forcibly buy back the shares at a price slightly above market value. That might actually work.

Chu Tian replied, “Alright, there’s no rush. The company’s restructuring isn’t complete yet. It won’t be too late to consider this once everything is settled.”

Hou Yichuan merely wanted to give him a heads-up. Whether the plan would be implemented ultimately depended on Chu Tian’s decision. So, he brought it up now, intending to discuss the specifics later.

“Okay, I’ll think it over,” Chu Tian said.

They had discussed what needed to be discussed, and even touched upon some matters that perhaps shouldn’t have been. Both men then parted ways, their minds preoccupied with various concerns.

Afterward, Chu Tian worked nonstop for two days, handling his pending tasks. He then flew directly with a small team to the film set to meet Wei Chuan.

Wrap-up ceremonies were nothing new, having occurred multiple times before, so the primary focus was on the personnel.

Upon arrival, he first had a lengthy discussion with Wei Chuan. They ultimately decided to retain these people, and in addition, smoothly finalized Wei Chuan’s decision to join the company.

This was an idea Chu Tian had come up with on the spur of the moment while discussing the share distribution issue with Hou Yichuan earlier. It was a case of putting newly learned knowledge to immediate use. He was surprised that Wei Chuan agreed as soon as he broached the subject.

He was quite surprised, unaware that Wei Chuan had actually been waiting for him to make such an offer.

Honestly, what director wouldn’t appreciate a boss who is easy to communicate with, generous, willing to invest money, and doesn’t micromanage?

As some directors might say, who would want to give up such a good “sucker”?

But Wei Chuan himself didn’t think Chu Tian was a sucker. He didn’t know what others thought, but he was certain that while Chu Tian might not say much, he understood a great deal. If you thought he was easy to fool, you might find yourself kicked out in no time.

Chu Tian was perhaps the type who observed quietly but understood everything. Petty schemes were like jokes to him; to truly consider him a sucker was the real folly.

What Wei Chuan truly valued was Chu Tian’s character: his ability to judge people, his willingness to trust those he employed, and, most importantly, his dedication to pursuing excellence. This was a stark contrast to the frenetic atmosphere prevalent in the current market.

The whole industry seemed to have gone mad, obsessed with churning out films to get listed and rake in cash. No one cared if the production quality was good or bad, as long as they had trending celebrities who could attract an audience and generate revenue. Who wouldn’t be tempted by such an effortless way to make money?

Money seemed as easy to get as picking it up off the street. Who in their right mind would bother with quality? It was time-consuming, expensive, and sometimes, a few trending celebrities yielded better results. Wasn’t that insane?

But only people like Wei Chuan saw the situation with utmost clarity. Perhaps it was due to his age and greater experience, or maybe his calm and traditional character.

In his view, this frenzy was only temporary. Ultimately, the focus would return to evaluating the quality of the work and true capabilities.

Those companies currently enjoying immense, seemingly unparalleled success might make a lot of money, but they were unlikely to last. Conversely, those who focused on diligent, hard work were the most likely to have the last laugh.

This was also why he had agreed so readily to join Chu Tian’s company—not just because filming under him was comfortable and proceeded smoothly, but also because he genuinely saw great potential there.

As for his son, Wei Liangxiao, being there? That was of no concern to him. Wei Chuan had practically forgotten all about this son.

Chu Tian said, “Thank you for your trouble, Director Wei. Later on, we’ll still need you to help manage these people.”

“No problem,” Director Wei replied. “They can stay with me for the time being. However, since they come from all over the country, their work location might be a bit tricky.”

“That’s easy to sort out,” Chu Tian assured him. “President Hou has already made arrangements. The office space is just downstairs from the company building. Besides, these individuals aren’t regular office staff who need to be at their desks constantly. Let’s give them a break for now. We might have new projects later, and we can bring them in then.”

Once everything was settled, Chu Tian hurried back to the Capital. Hou Yichuan had just called to inform him that the broadcasting platform and schedule for the new variety show had been finalized, and Chu Tian needed to return to oversee its progress and results.

As for *Candle in the Tomb*, Wei Chuan took charge of the remaining tasks, including all post-production work. Chu Tian had delegated all of this to Wei Chuan; as an experienced director, he was more knowledgeable in this area than anyone else.

Of course, Chu Tian also left a small workgroup behind to help coordinate these aspects. After all, it involved collaborations worth tens of millions, potentially even over a hundred million, so utmost caution was essential.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep