Huayu: Hard fight against Zhang Weiping at the beginning

Chapter 406 Recruiting troops
It's a mess, a mess~
Since the end of Jiahe's press conference, all kinds of gossip have been circulating in the circle.

Jiahe changes owner?

Many people didn't believe it at first.

Are you kidding me?
That's Golden Harvest.

But more and more news confirms that this seems to be true.

There has been news on the Internet that the print media is in trouble. Today's edition has already been printed and sold, and the factory is working overtime to print more.

Ordinary people don’t know much, and only a few well-informed people gossip to people around them, but most people just listen to it for fun.

In the afternoon, the freshly-made and still-warm newspapers began to be distributed in large quantities to various distribution channels. The newspapers on the newsstands all had large headlines:
"Golden Harvest held a press conference, Zou Wenhuai announced his retirement, and the shares were transferred to mainlander Zhang Chen~"

"A famous director from the mainland quietly took over a long-established Hong Kong film company, which may affect the future trend of the Hong Kong film industry~"

"Hong Kong Golden Harvest Films changes hands, mainland China's big director finally becomes Hong Kong boss~"

"Zhang Chen frankly said that I bought Golden Harvest because I couldn't stand the Academy Awards~"

"Golden Harvest may become a tool to deal with the Academy Awards~"

A series of shocking headlines, all saying the same thing - Jiahe changes ownership!
The media's presence was overwhelming, and the gossip fire of ordinary citizens began to burn fiercely under the media's fanning the flames.

Jiahe~
Golden Harvest, which had accompanied them throughout their lives, created countless classics, and brought out Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, and Sam Hui, was actually sold to a mainlander.

Countless people were shocked~
In their hearts, Jiahe represents their youth and is a part of their life memories.

In a sense, Golden Harvest can even represent Hong Kong films.

And now, it was suddenly sold without any word.

And it was sold to the guy who caused a big fuss at the Academy Awards.

Many people feel uncomfortable.

The various reasons behind Zhang Chen's disturbance at the Academy Awards have long been exposed by the nosy Hong Kong media. Many people support Zhang Chen in theory, but not necessarily emotionally, as Zhang Chen is not a Hong Konger after all.

So many people jumped out to say sour words:

This is a disgrace to the Hong Kong film industry. Zou Wenhuai has lost his integrity in his later years. He is so old that he actually did such a thing.
It's over, Jiahe is not the same Jiahe as before~
Jiahe has become the eagle claw of the imperial court. Boycott Jiahe, start with me~
I predict that starting from Golden Harvest, Hong Kong movies will lose their Hong Kong flavor.
Hong Kong movies are over. Legendary Films was acquired by a mainland Chinese film company.
A lot of people who don't like Zhang Chen, and even don't like the mainland, started to complain and speak ill of him.
But there are also many people who are optimistic:
I hope Jiahe can regain its youth in Zhang Chen's hands~
Jiahe has finally resumed work, which also means more job opportunities~
This is the voice of filmmakers.

Hong Kong is so small, and the market capacity determines the number of films produced.

The suspension of Golden Harvest production meant that the relevant film practitioners lost a job opportunity. Now that Golden Harvest has announced the restart of its production business, the happiest people must be these Hong Kong film practitioners. Only when Hong Kong films prosper again can they make money~
Ordinary people are similar, especially those who have a complex about Golden Harvest. They recognize Golden Harvest and think it is the pride of Hong Kong.

At the same time, I am very worried about its half-dead state in the past two years.

When I heard that Zhang Chen, a big mainland director, had taken over Golden Harvest, I felt both excited and a little resistant.

Many young people also made their voices heard:
I don't care whether it's mainlanders, Hong Kongers or Vietnamese who have joined Golden Harvest. The only thing I'm happy about is that "The Man from Nowhere" is finally going to start filming.
"Hurricane" was the annual champion last year. It not only has a large number of fans in mainland China, but also has many supporters in Hong Kong.

These people are generally young and have no attachment to Golden Harvest, but they can't wait to see "Hurricane".

The situation in mainland China was similar. As the news spread, the Internet and media began to focus on the matter.

Almost all popular forums are talking about this~
Zhang Chen is mighty and takes first blood~
Good job, win Golden Harvest, give the Academy Awards a slap~
In particular, Zhang Chen also said that I decided to acquire Golden Harvest because of the Academy Awards.

You do the first day, I do the fifteenth. Zhang Chen couldn't wait until the fifteenth, so he returned the slap on the second day.
Young people enjoy watching the fun.

Moreover, Zhang Chen’s approach really fits their excitement points.

In a brainless urban drama, a rich young man went to a company to apply for a job, was humiliated by the company leader, and then turned around and bought the company, slapping him in the face~
Everyone loves this kind of pretentious and face-slapping plot~
The news continued to ferment and spread, mainly because this was a TV series, a sequel to the big fuss at the Academy Awards.

A big mainland director, in order to vent his anger, actually acquired a veteran Hong Kong film company. Was this copied from a TV drama script?

But this is fucking true!
The most excited ones are undoubtedly the fans of "Hurricane", as the sister film "The Man from Nowhere" has finally been released.

Someone left a message in the Hurricane forum: "It's worth it that I sent so many blades, the filming of "The Man from Nowhere" is finally going to start~"

Someone immediately responded: "Brother, it's just the announcement of the film list. Everything is unreal before the filming starts. We can't stop sending razor blades~"

"Yes, we can't stop~"

"Can't stop +1"

Lu Yang looked at page after page of +1 posts and fainted in the toilet. The razor blades he had received were enough to make another movie of "Young and Dangerous".

The media always chase hot topics, and soon one media listed a series of Zhang Chen’s achievements:

"Darkness Invasion" started off with some success.

Then "The Shallows" became famous all over the world.
"Manslaughter by mistake", a martial arts master~
Taken, forging godhood~
Now he has quietly taken over Jiahe and become the boss of a listed company, which is equivalent to establishing a new school.
A winner in life~
The key is that he is only 22 years old and hasn't graduated yet.
A guy who hasn't even graduated from college has already become a business tycoon.

In mainland China, Zhang Chen has long been one of the top four directors, but this title has gradually been abandoned because there are more and more outstanding directors. Even Ning Hao has a work that has grossed over 100 million yuan. Will there be only five or ten top directors in the future?
Anything becomes worthless once it is sold wholesale.

So now Zhang Chen’s title is the number one Chinese director. Judging purely from the box office, the only one who can compete with him is Zhang Yimou.

But how old is Zhang Yimou and how old is Zhang Chen?
Not to mention that Zhang Yimou can only produce one movie a year, but Zhang Chen is a prolific director, producing at least two movies a year.
Mainland media reports generally tend to be positive:

Zhang Chen saves the declining Hong Kong entertainment~
Sit back and watch how Zhang Chen's heart drives the old Jiahe ship to set sail again~
Zou Wenhuai handed over the baton to Zhang Chen, which was the wisest choice. He found a good helmsman for Golden Harvest.
Zhang Chen brings honor to the people in mainland China, so of course everyone has to praise him.

There is also a refreshing feeling of being dethroned as a god.

Hong Kong films have always been regarded as the most advanced productive force in the film industry. Although they have not been doing well in the past two years, their influence is still there.

Now my house has been stolen by a mainlander~
In a short period of time, news about Zhang Chen and Jiahe occupied all major pages of almost all media, and the matter actually showed a trend of transforming from entertainment news to a social hot spot.

But no one thought there was anything abnormal.

In mainland China, Star Entertainment has long been the number one film company in the mainland, and Zhang Chen has long been the number one person in mainland films. "Taken" is even the box office record holder for Chinese-language films.

What's so strange about taking over Jiahe under such power?

……

Huayi
When the Wang brothers saw the news, they didn’t know what to feel.

They had been seeking to take the company public, but they never expected that Zhang Chen would be the first to do so.

It's okay, brother. Zhang Chen took over Golden Harvest, which is a Hong Kong-listed company. It's not in the same field as us. If we work hard, we can still become the first listed entertainment company in the mainland.

The younger brother Wang Zhonglei comforted his elder brother in this way, and his elder brother seemed to listen to him, but both brothers knew that this was just deceiving themselves.

Golden Harvest is indeed not a mainland entertainment company, but Zhang Chen is.

Although it is not Star Entertainment that went public, it no longer has the title of number one in mainland China.

Even if Huayi successfully goes public, it can only be ranked second.

……

In the office of China Film Group, Han Sanping smiled and told his secretary: "Xiao Wang, take out my best tea bag and brew it. Today is a good day~"

The secretary also knew what was going on and poured tea with boiling water with a smile.

There are no fancy utensils, just a big teacup.

Han Sanping smelled the unique fragrance of the tea, blew a breath to blow the tea leaves away, and the tea entered his mouth with the aroma.

After a long while, he smacked his lips and said, "This kid is really tight-lipped. He didn't reveal a single word when we were chatting here..."

……

It was a different scene in Orange Sky Entertainment. Wu Kebo was so angry that he smashed the cup.

After working hard for half a year, making countless phone calls, and even flying to Hong Kong to discuss the matter in detail, he was ultimately intercepted by Zhang Chen.

Zhang Chen intercepted Jiahe, which directly disrupted his series of deployments.

All his original operations were based on taking over Golden Harvest. Only after taking over Golden Harvest would Japanese investors have more confidence in him and there would be a steady stream of investment.

Only after he took over Golden Harvest did he have the money to shoot "Red Cliff".

With "Red Cliff", Orange Sky Entertainment finally has a representative work in the circle.

Now, with the failure of the acquisition, everything is in vain.

……

At Wu Yusen's home, Zeng Zhiwei, Chapman To and others were all there, and the TV was still playing this kind of news in a loop, no matter which channel you turned to.

For a while, it seemed that the only thing in the world was Zhang Chen's taking over Jiahe.

"This idiot, I didn't keep an eye on him, and he actually got the upper hand~"

From the moment Zhang Chen successfully took over Jiahe, everyone knew that this mainlander had completed his transformation and they could no longer suppress him.

He is the king of the mainland.

Now that the other side has successfully taken control of this small piece of land in Hong Kong, it is conceivable that the days ahead will be difficult.

"How's Red Cliff going over there?"

Zeng Zhiwei also hoped that Wu Yusen could compete with Zhang Chen, but the latter shook his head: "I don't know~"

He said he didn't know just to avoid appearing timid. In fact, he knew very well that without Golden Harvest, there would be no "Red Cliff".

If we take over Jiahe, everything will be easy.

No one can say for sure whether Wu Kebo can still get funds from his Japanese father without Golden Harvest.

Listening to the conversation between the two, Chapman To was secretly regretting in his heart. If he had known this would happen, why did he offend Zhang Chen in the first place? Now even Zeng Zhiwei can't protect himself. He was blind to flatter him.
While some are happy and some are sad, more mainland film and television companies have seen opportunities.

Zhang Chen’s success in taking over Jiahe actually has little to do with them.

Xingchen Entertainment has already become a dominant force. Whether it acquires Golden Harvest or not will not affect its position as the number one private film and television company in mainland China.

The real good news is the film list announced by Golden Harvest - "The Man from Nowhere", "Extreme Job" and "Ip Man".

Chen Xi announced that Golden Harvest will release three dramas this year, and this is an opportunity.

Everyone knows that the success of Xingchen Entertainment depends on Zhang Chen.

Now that Zhang Chen has taken over Golden Harvest, does it mean that Golden Harvest will become the second Star Entertainment, producing hit products frequently?

The investment relationships of Xingchen Entertainment have basically been determined. Apart from a few fixed cooperative companies, it is difficult for other companies to join.

But Golden Harvest is different.

Today's Golden Harvest is like a newborn. It is producing three big dramas at the same time, and the amount of funds required must be huge.

This is a good time to get on board.

……

In Hong Kong, Chen Xi is being interviewed by the media.

"Excuse me, will Golden Harvest continue to participate in the Academy Awards in the future?"

"of course not."

Chen Xi said decisively: "Since Director Zhang has said that none of the film projects related to him will participate in the Academy Awards, then Golden Harvest will naturally not participate."

Chen Xi didn't even need to discuss this matter with Zhang Chen. Without this level of coolness, how could he establish himself as a person who dared to love and hate?

Furthermore, as a mainlander controlling a Hong Kong company, the first thing he had to do was to show off his strength! The reporter asked another question: "Golden Harvest announced that it would launch three movies at once, with themes including urban action, kung fu and comedy, all of which are traditional Hong Kong themes. People outside the country are generally questioning whether Golden Harvest's three new movies will not be able to adapt to the local environment~"

Chen Xi smiled when he heard this question.

"I know that many Hong Kong media have been badmouthing Golden Harvest these past two days, especially these three films, thinking that we don't have Hong Kong genes and the films we make will be weird~
But what I want to say is that you are worrying too much.

Zhang Chen is the best filmmaker in mainland China, and the scripts of these three dramas were all written by him.

It is no exaggeration to say that if these three films were filmed in mainland China, each of them would likely have a box office of over 100 million yuan. Putting them in Golden Harvest is just like a shot in the arm. We hope to let the market see the rise of Golden Harvest.

In addition, Director Zhang has great respect for movies.

Previously, in our "Kowloon Walled City", we used many Hong Kong actors in order to restore the style of Hong Kong films to the greatest extent.

We also plan to continue doing this with these three Golden Harvest films. See, we don’t mind working with Hong Kong filmmakers.

The future of Hong Kong films lies in the Mainland, and we are undoubtedly the best leaders."

Seeing that Chen Xi was not embarrassed, the reporter asked another question: "After director Wong Kar-wai learned that "Ip Man" was included in the list of films released by Golden Harvest, he tactfully said that there was no need to compete for the subject matter..."

Chen Xi was confused: "Steal the subject matter?"

The reporter didn't know if she was pretending, so he explained: "Director Wong Kar-wai is also planning to shoot Ip Man, and he started in 02. It's called The Grandmaster: Ip Man..."

Chen Xi was surprised, she really didn't know about this.

But he immediately frowned again: "It started filming in 02? It hasn't been finished yet?"

The reporter nodded: "Well, Director Wang's filming speed has never been fast~"

Chen Xi shrugged: "Then we can't control it. Ip Man is Bruce Lee's master and a public figure. Everyone can take pictures.

If he can shoot it, then naturally I can too. Besides, he started shooting in 02 and it took him 4 years to finish. I can't possibly wait for him to finish before I can shoot.

Moreover, we filmed "Ip Man" with the permission of the descendants of the Ip family, and Mr. Ip Chun was also the Wing Chun consultant for the film..."

After all this, even the reporter didn't know how to refute, so he simply turned to another direction:
"Some media reported that you were the vice president of Xingchen Entertainment before you took over Golden Harvest. You have no relevant work experience in Hong Kong. So how can you manage Golden Harvest well?"

This question was beyond Chen Xi's expectations. She thought the Hong Kong media would only make a fuss about Zhang Chen, but she didn't expect that someone would question her resume.

However, she is still confident in this regard: "I did not have any work experience in Hong Kong before, but in Xingchen Entertainment, I am the chief producer. All the projects of Xingchen Entertainment, except Director Zhang's own, have to go through my hands. I don't think managing Golden Harvest will be more difficult than this~
Of course, I don’t deny that I don’t know much about Hong Kong and I can’t even speak Cantonese, but that’s not a problem.

In order to solve these localization issues, the company invited Ms. Shi Nansheng to be my deputy to help handle the company's daily affairs~"

Zhang Chen had been prepared for this and visited Shi Nansheng together with Chen Xi on the day of signing.

Nansun Shi is a genius. It is not easy for a woman to thrive in the Hong Kong film industry.

If she hadn't helped manage Cinema City, it would have collapsed long ago.

Now she and Xu Laoguai have not divorced yet, and they are still a good couple.

It is obvious that Xu Ke has been in poor form in the past two years and has entered a period of decline. Every movie he has made has been a failure.

Xu Ke was not there when Zhang Chen and the others visited. After the filming of "Seven Swords" failed, in order to give an explanation to Ciwen Media, he went to help tinker with the TV version of "Seven Swords".

Shi Nansheng agreed without much thought.

After Tsui Hark failed with "Seven Swords", the days after that would probably be difficult for him. Her joining Golden Harvest could be seen as a way to leave a way out for Tsui Hark.

If Xu Ke has a good relationship with Golden Harvest and considers the Buddha's favor rather than the monk's, he will not be without films to shoot in the future. If he has films to shoot, there is a possibility for him to make a comeback.

After the interview, the reporter felt a little frustrated.

She had collected a lot of difficult questions before coming, but they didn't seem to be difficult for the other party, and Chen Xi handled them with ease.

She originally wanted to interview Zhang Chen, but couldn't find him, so she had to switch to Chen Xi. However, she didn't expect that Chen Xi was not an easy person to deal with.

After the interview, Chen Xi returned to his office in Jiahe.

The office was spacious, not as cramped as Hong Kong companies usually are. Chen Xi sat in the boss chair and turned around. She actually felt like she was dreaming.

Dong Jianqiang contributed a lot to the acquisition of Golden Harvest, but in the end, Zhang Chen did not choose Dong Jianqiang to be the CEO of Golden Harvest, but chose her instead.

Her position at Xingchen Entertainment has been completed, and Zhang Chen’s only requirement for her is to manage Golden Harvest well.

This will become her new battlefield.

Just as I was thinking about this, there was a knock on the door behind me.

She remembered that the door was not closed, and when she turned around, it was Shi Nansheng.

The latter stood at the door with a smile on his face, knocking just to get her attention.

"Sister Nansheng~"

Zhang Chen once said that many affairs in Hong Kong depend on Nanshen Shi. After all, Chen Xi was parachuted in, and no matter how capable he is, he doesn't understand the affairs here as well as the local natives.

Shi Nansheng smiled and walked a few steps closer: "The people you asked me to find for you have arrived. Do you want to meet them one by one, or all at once?"

"Let's meet together."

"Okay, I'll go get them over."

Shi Nansheng left and came back with Zhen Zidan and Andy On after a while.

"Please take a seat~"

Chen Xi gestured with his hand.

The two people opposite looked a little embarrassed, but still sat down with a smile.

Shi Nansheng didn't care and served them some fragrant tea, then sat down beside them.

Zhen Zidan and Andy On are both tough guys on screen, but they are a little nervous facing Chen Xi, a person whose background they have no idea about.

Although the other party is a woman, she is the CEO of Golden Harvest and is a person who is paid for her job.

What’s more crucial is the person behind the other party, who has defeated the Hong Kong film industry.

Chen Xi didn't try to be pretentious, but he also didn't try to be approachable.

He said in a businesslike manner, "It was Director Zhang's idea to call you two here, but Director Zhang is not here at the moment, so let me and you two talk."

These two people became even more nervous.

The two looked at each other, with hope in their hearts. Could it be that their luck was about to change?

Chen Xi didn't waste any words and looked at Zhen Zidan first: "Mr. Zhen Zidan, you all know about the film list released by Golden Harvest, right?"

Seeing the other party nod, Chen Xi continued, "Director Zhang intends to let Mr. Zhen Zidan play the role of Ip Man, who will also be the male lead of this movie. What do you think?"

Zhen Zidan was ecstatic inside, but he wanted to appear calm, but he couldn't help but smile on his face.

Just as he was about to express his opinion, Chen Xi waved his hand and said, “I’ll say it all at once. Director Zhang has clearly stated that Ip Man will be a series of films, and it is expected to be three films. If it is well made, it will become your masterpiece.

You may become another Hong Kong Kung Fu superstar after Cheng Long and Jet Li, but we also have additional requirements. You should know our relationship with the Academy Awards and even some Hong Kong filmmakers. We need you to make a choice, and during the contract period, you are not allowed to appear in any works of other companies related to Ip Man..."

After Chen Xi finished speaking, Zhen Zidan was stunned. He understood the second sentence. Hong Kong movies are very trend-following. If "Ip Man" becomes popular, there will definitely be a lot of copycat works. Maybe they will invite him, the screen Ip Man, to take advantage of the popularity.

Chen Xi’s statement is to prevent this situation from happening.

This is easy to understand.

But the first sentence is to make him take sides.

In other words, after joining "Ip Man", he became a member of Golden Harvest.

During the time at Golden Harvest, I had to stay consistent with the company. It would be impossible to have the best of both worlds when facing the Academy Awards, people like Rainie Wu, Stephen Hung, and Eric Tsang.

It’s okay for other people, but Zhen Zidan is having trouble with the Academy Awards and Hong Jinbao.

Seeing his hesitation, Chen Xi did not force him. "It's okay. Mr. Zhen Zidan has one day to think about it. Even if the cooperation fails, we are not enemies. Sister Nansheng, please send Mr. Zhen off for me. Mr. An Zhijie and I will talk about other things."

When Zhen Zidan heard Andy On's name, his heart skipped a beat.

Chen Xi said that he would give him a day to think about it, but he was sure that as soon as he dared to take a step out of this door, Andy On would immediately poach his people.

The third person after Cheng Long and Jet Li~
It's enough to turn against each other.

He can think of what the other party will say. Zhen Zidan needs to consider it, but I don't.
Thinking of this, Zhen Zidan immediately expressed his opinion: "Don't think about it, Mr. Chen, I agree to all your conditions~"

Chen Xi smiled, very satisfied with Zhen Zidan's attitude, but still asked politely: "Mr. Zhen, are you really not going to consider it again?"

"No need~"

Zhen Zidan was very decisive, there was no need to think about it.

The opportunity is right in front of you, if you don't grab it, it will slip away.

He has waited for ten years and can't wait any longer~
"Well, congratulations on becoming the first signed actor of Golden Harvest. Sister Nansheng, take Mr. Zhen to sign the contract immediately."

Zhen Zidan followed Shi Nansheng away, and before leaving, he saw a look of disappointment on Andy On's face.

I was right. This guy was thinking the same way. Fortunately, I made a quick decision.
After the two left, Chen Xi looked at Andy On with a smile again, not caring about the unnatural look on his face.

"Don't be disappointed, Mr. Andy On. Director Zhang has other plans for you~"

Andy On, who was just regretting not being able to intercept the opportunity, now had a different expression: "I wonder how Director Zhang arranged for me?"

"First of all, Director Zhang hopes that Mr. An will play a villain in the early part of Ip Man~"

Chen Xi was talking about looking for it in Jinshan. The original version by Fan Shaohuang was actually quite good, but Zhang Chen had his own plans, so he could only say sorry to Xu Zhu.

Andy On nodded, not surprised by this.

He has mostly played villain roles, so it is normal that he was found again in "Ip Man". This is not a surprise.

Andy On waited for the next words, and Chen Xi continued: "Director Zhang hopes that you can become the number one villain in Hong Kong action movies. I am not afraid to tell you directly that Director Zhang does not like Zou Zhaolong, and your role is to replace him.

Of course, we will also take practical actions. Next year, Golden Harvest will release a double-hero movie, starring you and Zhang Jin. This movie is considered a spin-off of Taken..."

Chen Xi is talking about "Deliver Me from Evil", another movie about salvation.

The original work is the second collaboration between Hwang Jung-min and Lee Jung-jae, and is also a follow-up to "Taken". It is even better than "The Man from Lonely Planet", and can be included in the "Taken" universe.

After Chen Xi finished speaking, he looked at Andy On's reaction. The latter's face was first shocked, and then turned into surprise.

There is no need to explain who Zhang Jin is. He became a household name after "Hurricane". He is the male lead in the recently popular "The Man from Lone Ranger".

It's really a life experience.

He and Zhang Jin knew each other before. Frankly speaking, Zhang Jin was just a nobody in the Hong family class, and his status was far different from his.

Now, he has become a hot star, while I am still standing still.

The only reason for the reversal of status is that the other party joined the "Hurricane" universe. Now I hear that I can also join, how can I not be excited.

"Thank you Director Zhang for your appreciation. Zhijie will definitely do his best~"

……

It's the end of the month, please give me a monthly ticket

(End of this chapter)