radicalducati Chapter 14: Holding Company
Chapter 14: Holding Company
Sunlight on April Fool's Day streamed through the blinds of the new office in West Los Angeles, carrying the faint scent of new furniture mixed with the aroma of roasted coffee.
Five people, or more accurately, four were physically present, while one was on screen sitting around a table covered with documents.
The black and white text of the "Top-Level Structure and Equity Incentive Plan (Draft) of Chasing Light Holdings" appeared particularly solemn under the light and shadow.
Jiang Yu's gaze slowly swept over each face.
Zhou Mu, with his slightly messy hair, is a pure embodiment of technical genius.
Wu Na sat ramrod straight, her eyes blazing with fury. This former Industrial Light & Magic Chinese-American had a fiery temper.
Chen Jingming, a newly joined talented student from Peking University's Guanghua School of Management, is thirty-four years old. Behind his frameless glasses, his eyes are calm and sharp.
David Cohen, a former Paramount producer, conveys the anticipation of a Hollywood veteran with his slightly forward-leaning body language.
And on the 15-inch screen was Yang Siwei. It was the early hours of the morning in Beijing, but she showed no signs of fatigue and her eyes were bright.
"Chasing Light Holdings, registered in Macau." Jiang Yu's voice was not loud. "The initial capital is US$50 million, which I will provide. The five of you will be the co-founders."
He paused, letting the weight of the word sink in.
"Everyone, each of you will be entitled to 5% of the after-tax profits of your respective subsidiaries—Light Chaser Digital, Light Chaser Investment, Light Chaser Pictures North America, and Light Chaser Pictures China—as an annual dividend."
This offer far exceeds the incentives commonly given to key technical personnel or executives in Hollywood or even Silicon Valley.
It is not a simple pay package, but a partnership agreement that deeply binds the fate of individuals with that of the company.
This means that if the entire Light Chaser system grows into a behemoth, they will be part of the behemoth, not just its keepers.
The 5% profit dividend from subsidiaries ensures direct returns in the short and medium term, and is closely linked to operating performance.
Chen Jingming was the first to break the silence. He adjusted his frameless glasses and asked the core question: "President Jiang, what is the initial capital of Chasing Light Investment and the scope of my authorization?"
"Amounts under five million do not require reporting."
Jiang Yu looked at him and said, "Your primary task is not to make money, although you must make money. Before the end of the year, assemble a top-notch research team and, regardless of cost, thoroughly dissect the US MBS, CDO, and CDS markets. I don't want reports embellished by Wall Street investment banks; I want risk assessments based on the most fundamental data and closest to the truth. My premise is the highest level of vigilance; your task is to prove it or disprove it."
Chen Jingming's pupils contracted slightly; he was all too aware of the meaning and potential danger behind this instruction.
This requires top-notch quantitative analysts, talent familiar with Wall Street's complex derivatives pricing models, and even some "non-public" data channels.
This is no longer a simple investment company, but a financial intelligence and analysis center hidden behind the scenes.
"I understand." He nodded slowly, his voice steady. "We need a completely independent team, a physically isolated database, and budgetary authority beyond what is typically required."
"Give it all." Jiang Yu said without hesitation. "Starting from the end of next year, focus on US stocks, Hong Kong stocks, and North American Chinese tech stocks. In the primary market, pay attention to digital entertainment, internet applications, and underlying technology tool companies in both China and the US. In the early stages, your core focus should be on that."
Wu Na then spoke, her pace faster than usual, "President Jiang, Zhou Mu and I have already outlined Guangying Digital's current technological reserves and customer expansion path. Based on our existing patents and our collaborative track record with films like *Taken*, *Twilight*, and *The Forbidden Kingdom*, if we can recruit 8-10 mid-to-senior level graphics engineers and TDs within three months, we are confident that we can reliably undertake special effects packages for large-scale Hollywood productions, and simultaneously launch the intensive development of our self-developed toolchain. I need a clear R&D budget and independent hiring decision-making authority."
"The annual R&D budget starts at ten million US dollars, with no upper limit. Additional funding can be requested based on project and technology milestones."
Jiang Yu's reply was equally swift: "You will be fully responsible for recruitment. The salary standard will be 15% higher than that of equivalent positions in Silicon Valley, and top talents can be given stock options. The goal of Light & Shadow Digital is not to become another imitator of Industrial Light & Magic or Weta Digital, but to become one of the standard setters for future visual technologies. This awareness must be instilled from the very first person we recruit."
Wu Na took a deep breath, her eyes shining even brighter, and nodded heavily.
David Cohen couldn't hide his excitement. He rubbed his hands together: "At Light Chaser Pictures in North America, the script outline and scene breakdown for '2012' have been completed according to your directions, and they're truly impressive. We've already contacted Roland Emmerich's team, Lionsgate, and Searchlight Pictures through various channels, and the initial feedback has been very positive. Other rights acquisitions are also ongoing, currently focusing on the North American teen fantasy and light science fiction genres, where prices are still relatively low."
Yang Siwei on the screen immediately answered, her voice coming through the speaker: "President Jiang, in China, the first round of acquisitions of online literature and online film and television copyrights is basically complete. According to your list, the key works have been locked in. The production team is being set up, and we are also beginning to screen IPs suitable for localization."
"Very good." Jiang Yu leaned forward slightly, his fingers interlaced on the table. "David, the core focus in North America right now is on advancing 'Twilight' and '2012.' Other copyrights are just seeding, no rush. Siwei, the domestic team needs to be built quickly. The core behind-the-scenes personnel, especially the cinematographer, art director, and action director, need to be recruited from top production teams in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and mainland China. At the same time, start developing the script for 'The Witch,' and as for the director... we can try contacting Du Qifeng, but we need to prepare backup plans."
Zhou Mu finally scratched his messy hair, but his question was still about technology: "President Jiang, Wu Na and I discussed that real-time global illumination solution based on a hybrid of ray tracing and radiosity algorithms. To break through the bottleneck of the existing engine, we might need to customize a new shader compiler and hardware acceleration architecture. Our current capabilities..."
"Then we'll poach talent," Jiang Yu said decisively. "From game companies, academic institutions, and the R&D departments of large software companies. Alternatively, Light Chaser Investment can cooperate by investing in small graphics technology companies that have unique technologies but lack funding. What I need is a breakthrough in the underlying toolchain; cost is not the primary consideration."
The detailed terms were discussed one by one, and questions were raised, answered, and recorded.
The lines on the blueprint go from vague to clear, from concept to actionable steps.
As the meeting drew to a close, the invisible framework of an empire had quietly taken shape on this Californian afternoon.
Jiang Yu: Chairman and CEO of Zhuiguang Holdings. Responsible for overall strategy, core capital allocation, and key resource integration.
Chen Jingming: CEO of Light Chaser Investment. Responsible for global capital operations, macro risk assessment, and primary market investment.
Wu Na: CTO of Guangying Digital. Leads technology research and development, team building, and tackling key technical challenges in major projects.
Zhou Mu: Chief Scientist at Guangying Digital. Focuses on cutting-edge algorithm breakthroughs and core technology research.
David Cohen: President of Light Chaser Animations (North America). Responsible for Hollywood IP management, film and television project development and production.
Yang Siwei: President of Light Chaser Pictures (China). Responsible for IP operation, localization production, and team building in the Chinese-language market.
With clear division of labor, well-defined responsibilities, and deeply intertwined interests, the division of labor is clear.