1978: Female educated youth, don’t want an illiterate husband

As night fell, Hu Jian dragged his weary body back to the hotel, clearly having exhausted himself preparing for the premiere of "Romance on Lushan Mountain".

Seeing that Deputy Factory Director Zhao, who shared the room with him, had returned, he casually asked, "Old Zhao, did Cheng Xuemin and the others cause any trouble today?"

Upon hearing this, Deputy Factory Director Zhao quickly replied, "It's nothing. I just strolled around the market, exchanged some ideas about film art with the foreigners, and learned about their market situation."

Now that it has been realized that Cheng Xuemin is a key figure pushed out by the old factory directors Xu Sangchu and Wang Yang to reform Chinese cinema, Deputy Factory Director Zhao must provide them with cover and not let Hu Jian be distracted by the situation on Taiji's side.

Therefore, he deliberately omitted details about Jet Li's performance and poster promotions, only mentioning trivial matters.

"Young people just love to stir things up. What do they know about film art?" Hu Jian said dismissively, his tone laced with disdain. "Let them do what they want. Tomorrow's premiere of 'Romance on Lushan Mountain' is the main event. Keep a close eye on them and don't let them stray too far."

"Don't worry, Director Hu, I'll stay by your side every step of the way," Deputy Factory Director Zhao nodded and assured him.

"Alright, thank you for your hard work, Lao Zhao!"

Hu Jian seemed genuinely tired; putting himself in his shoes, he clearly took Bolin's participation in this exhibition very seriously.

After all, this is the first Chinese film to go abroad and reach the international stage, and it was also brought out by him, Hu Jian, leading the team.

Regardless of the final results or whether or not I win an award!
With just this first film, first time, and first person, Hu Jian can occupy a significant place in the history of Chinese cinema.

This is an honor worth remembering, and Hu Jian will definitely do his best to make it a success.

The next day at 2 p.m., the main cinema of Bolin was packed to capacity. The premiere of "Romance on Lushan Mountain" attracted almost all the media and film critics present!

The Western world has always been filled with curiosity about this mysterious Eastern country.

Chairman Bauer sat in the front row, while the translator beside him whispered the film's background: "It is said that this is China's first romance film, which is already a very rare achievement in their country."

Hu Jian and Xie Jin stood at the entrance of the screening room, watching the audience enter one after another, their faces filled with undisguised excitement.

Xie Jin straightened his Zhongshan suit and said to Hu Jian, "Old Hu, I hope to show them a different China."

"Definitely!" Hu Jian said confidently. "This is a work we carefully selected. It contains love, patriotism, is politically correct, and is artistically sound."

Gong Xue stood to the side, her palms sweating with nervousness, because Cheng Xuemin was not by her side on such an important day.

Gong Xue felt somewhat envious of Zhu Lin. At this moment, they were in another cinema, witnessing their historical miracle together.

Because Gong Xue already knows!
Since there were only two female members in the group, Gong Xue and Zhu Lin, they were naturally arranged to share a room.

So last night, when they returned to their respective hotels, Zhu Lin had secretly told her about Tai Chi.

Gong Xue was genuinely shocked and nervous.

She never expected that Cheng Xuemin brought Tai Chi to Bolin Film Festival with the intention of bypassing China Film Group and promoting Tai Chi at the festival himself, thus selling its overseas distribution rights.

Bypassing China Film Group, how much courage does that take?

Moreover, this was a violation of organizational discipline, no wonder Cheng Xuemin kept his distance from Director Hu of China Film Group from the very beginning.

It turns out that Director Hu, who had been avoiding China Film Group, was planning this all along!
I'm so excited, so nervous, and so looking forward to it!

After hearing Zhu Lin's inside story, Gong Xue realized that Cheng Xuemin's main battlefield was not on her side at all, but on Zhu Lin's side.

Suddenly, I felt that my own Lushan Love story was bland and tasteless, and I wished I could go and support Tai Chi.

But reason told her!

can not go!
If he were to abandon "Romance on Lushan Mountain" and rush to the premiere of "Tai Chi", Director Hu of China Film Group would inevitably see through Cheng Xuemin's motives, and then all his efforts would be in vain.

So he couldn't go; he had to stay in Lushan Love and, incidentally, keep an eye on Director Hu of China Film Group. Thinking about his responsibilities, Gong Xue became even more nervous and excited.

I'm even more excited to see how well Cheng Xuemin's "Tai Chi" performs at its premiere!

Soon, the film "Romance on Lushan Mountain" officially began, and the screening room gradually quieted down, with only the hissing sound of the film reel turning.

Chairman Bauer, sitting in the front row, leaned forward slightly, his eyes behind his glasses scrutinizing him.

Hu Jian sat next to him, occasionally whispering to the translator to ask about the audience's reaction. When he received the reply that "everyone is watching very attentively," a smug smile would appear on his lips.

When Zhou Yun and Geng Hua met in Lushan, the beautiful scenery of the lake and mountains in the shot drew exclamations of admiration from the audience.

However, as the plot progressed, the initial novelty wore off. The overly blatant political propaganda, the contrived confession scenes, and the "conservative romance" in which the male and female leads maintained a constant distance made Western audiences, accustomed to bold expressions, increasingly uneasy.

"Is this what they call a 'romance'?" an Italian journalist muttered under his breath. "More serious than our documentaries."

The West German film critic next to him nodded in agreement, saying, "It's all slogans and preaching; there's not a trace of genuine emotion. The female lead does change her clothes frequently, but unfortunately, the plot is too boring."

A French journalist in the back row was fiddling with his camera. He took a few photos of the Lushan Waterfall that appeared repeatedly on the screen, then turned to his companion and said, "This looks more like a tourism promotional video, doesn't it?"

When the film was two-thirds of the way through, the first audience member got up and left.

Then, as if a domino effect had been triggered, more and more people quietly stood up, their footsteps making soft rustling sounds on the carpet.

Hu Jian was so excited by Zhou Yun and Geng Hua's "revolutionary kiss" that he didn't notice the increasing number of empty seats behind him.

Chairman Bauer, standing next to him, looked utterly embarrassed and bewildered. Had he not felt it inappropriate to leave early, he probably would have simply walked away.

Gong Xue's heart sank.

She saw the West German journalist who had interviewed her the day before also leave, shaking his head as he went.

When Zhou Yun and Geng Hua shouted "I love my motherland" in unison atop Mount Lu at the end of the film, an awkward chuckle rippled through the theater.

Many audience members began to leave early, their footsteps sounding particularly jarring in the quiet theater.

Although Xie Jin couldn't understand what the foreigners were saying, there wasn't a single applause during the entire screening, and many audience members left early, looking as embarrassed as if they were constipated.

Although Cheng Xuemin had already warned him that "Romance on Lushan Mountain," despite being our first groundbreaking romance film, was still confined to the cage of serious themes, and no matter how creatively it was made, it would still be a film with political propaganda.

It's clear that there won't be a good market at the Bolin Film Festival, so Xie Jin should be prepared and not have too high hopes; participation is the most important thing.

Is this even human language?

Cheng Xuemin's "Tai Chi" has a market and is welcomed and applauded by foreigners, but Xie Jin's "Romance on Lushan Mountain" is not.
Ok!

Although Xie Jin felt that Cheng Xuemin's words were unpleasant and like a jinx, he actually knew in his heart that he would fail.

But in the end, it turned out that Cheng Xuemin's words, compared to the situation on the ground, weren't actually that harsh.

Xie Jin is really upset and embarrassed right now. If he had known that his mother would be like this, he shouldn't have brought "Romance on Lushan Mountain" with him.

The spot should have been given to Cheng Xuemin's Taiji; it originally belonged to Taiji.

Old Xie is suffering!

Despite being severely impacted, he still had to stand firm at his post until the very end, keeping Hu Jian of China Film Group tied to "Romance on Lushan Mountain" so that he wouldn't have time to deal with Cheng Xuemin's Tai Chi.

After all, their goal from beginning to end has always been Tai Chi, Tai Chi, and more Tai Chi.

Both his "Romance on Lushan Mountain" and Deputy Factory Director Zhao were smokescreens arranged to cover for Cheng Xuemin.

So if you think about it, as long as Cheng Xuemin's Tai Chi succeeds, it doesn't matter if Xie Jin loses face!

Besides, compared to his old buddies back home, Xie Jin is still pretty awesome!

After all, his films have gone abroad and reached the big stage of international film festivals, and this is the first time in history that his films have gone abroad!
Even if he didn't bring anything back, those who came after him would still have to follow Xie Jin around and eat his ass!
So, that's enough!

Just pretend you don't understand, since he can't understand what those foreigners are saying anyway.

At this moment, Xie Jin, like Gong Xue, was curious about how Cheng Xuemin's Tai Chi was progressing.

Please don't let it end up like his Lushan Love Story, which, as people in Hong Kong would say, resulted in a mess!

Haha!

There was no way they would cover themselves up, because at that moment, the screening of "Tai Chi" in the surrounding cinemas had reached its climax.

Li Lianjie's character, Yang Yuqian, has officially begun his ascent of the tower, which is arguably the most exciting and thrilling part of the entire movie.

"That was amazing! It's even more aesthetically pleasing than Bruce Lee's kung fu!" A beautiful American publisher excitedly slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "This is real Chinese kung fu!"

"Chinese Kung Fu is awesome!"

"Holy crap, this is the legendary Chinese Kung Fu! This is too amazing, too fantastical!"

Nikolai Ding, a West German journalist who had just come from Lushan, heard exclamations coming from the movie theater next door and was very puzzled: "Chinese kung fu? Is this also a Chinese film?"

"Hey, what's going on inside? Is it another Chinese movie?" Nicholas Din asked curiously as a figure rushed out of the room.

"Chinese Kung Fu, the Chinese Kung Fu in this movie is so incredibly cool! This is the best movie I've ever seen in my life, in a word, awesome!" The man gave a thumbs up and shouted wildly.

"Is this really Chinese Kung Fu? It's so cool! Then why did you run out here?" Nicoladin was confused. If it's so cool and good-looking, why did you run out here in the middle of the game?
"I just ran out here to tell you guys how cool Chinese Kung Fu is!" Then, like a lunatic, he just rushed in, leaving Nicola Ding completely baffled.

But he still quickly followed, wanting to see just how cool the Chinese kung fu was inside.

It's boiling!
Just as Nicoladin entered, Yang Yu cleanly and efficiently passed through the first barrier, instantly causing a stir and applause throughout the venue!
Zhu Lin sat next to Cheng Xuemin, feeling the atmosphere of the scene; it was really, really tense!

What if these people get too excited and lose control?
Huang Jianzhong was quickly jotting down the audience's reactions in his notebook:
"In the 38th minute, everyone applauded; in the 52nd minute, someone whistled, which sparked another round of enthusiastic applause; in the 70th minute, the entire stadium stood up..."

These statistics speak the truth far more than any award.

Eight fight scenes, eight exhilarating fight scenes, ignited an unprecedented frenzy in the audience!

Before the end credits of "Tai Chi" had even finished playing, Cheng Xuemin said to Deputy Factory Director Zhao next to him, "Director Zhao, could you please take Zhu Lin back to the hotel later? We might be a little late!"

"Is it about to begin?" Deputy Factory Director Zhao asked in surprise, his face showing shock.

Because Deputy Factory Director Zhao knew that if he went back to deal with Hu Jian from China Film Group, it would be difficult for him to participate in the upcoming business negotiations.

"Strike while the iron is hot!" Cheng Xuemin pointed to the still cheering audience and continued, "They're all fired up right now, it's the perfect time to sign the contract."

"Alright, then I wish our Tai Chi great success! I'll be waiting for you at the hotel!" Deputy Factory Director Zhao didn't waste any more words. After offering his best wishes, he led Zhu Lin and left first.

Actually, Zhu Lin wanted to stay at this point, but she couldn't disobey Cheng Xuemin's arrangement.

Then Cheng Xuemin kept Huang Jianzhong behind to take care of him and asked him to lead the people to the hotel next door.

"Auntie, is everything ready?"

The hotel had made preparations in advance, and upon seeing Cheng Xuemin return, they quickly opened the door to welcome him in.

"Everything is ready. As you requested, all contracts are in the same format, with full copyright buyout and no box office revenue sharing!"

"Xuemin, your model is correct. Although the film market in Europe and America is very developed, their box office revenue sharing model is extremely exploitative!"

"If they want to sign a profit-sharing contract with you, never agree, otherwise you'll probably end up with nothing!"

The aunt had already laid out all the prepared standard contracts in front of Cheng Xuemin and explained them to him.

"Thank you for reminding me, Auntie. I know what I'm doing!" Cheng Xuemin nodded, then said to Li Lianjie, "Li, you stand at the door and block the way. I'll call the next person, then you let them in. Don't let them all squeeze in at once!"

"I understand, Brother Cheng. I will definitely guard this gate for you!" Li Lianjie was very nervous, but also very excited and expectant.

"Should I excuse myself for a moment?" Seeing this, the aunt asked, trying to avoid any appearance of impropriety.

"No need, Auntie. I might need you, the veteran, to help me check things out later!" Cheng Xuemin waved his hand, indicating that there was no need for his aunt to avoid suspicion. Anyway, he was doing all this behind China Film Group's back, and everyone here was one of his own, no outsiders.

"Does Auntie look old? Is she an old general, or is she two at once?"

Aunt Gu Qiuna thought to herself that she hadn't spoiled her nephew-in-law for nothing when she heard that there was no need to avoid suspicion. But who knew that the boy would directly call him an old general, which instantly made Gu Qiuna unhappy.

Women care about age the most. Even though she's already thirty-seven or thirty-eight and almost forty, calling someone an old man so directly would make anyone angry.

"Oh?! No, no! Auntie, you're in your prime. When you stand next to my daughter, no one will say you're aunt and aunt, they'll definitely think you're sisters!"

Cheng Xuemin was exasperated. His unintentional remark had directly touched a woman's sensitive spot, and he certainly deserved to be scolded!

"That's more like it!" Gu Qiuna nodded in satisfaction, then said, "Okay, then I'll keep an eye on things from the side. If there's a language barrier, I'll be your translator!"

"Don't underestimate your aunt! She's fluent in five Western European languages! She can also have everyday conversations in Japanese and Korean!"

"So you won't make a mistake by keeping your aunt here!"

Gu Qiuna showed off a little again, but what she didn't know was that Cheng Xuemin also knew all the languages ​​she knew.

"Brother Cheng, Brother Cheng, Director Huang has brought a lot of foreigners with him, what should I do?"

Li Lianjie suddenly called out from the doorway, instantly energizing Cheng Xuemin. It was time to truly reap the rewards!

Then, he shouted to Li Lianjie at the door, "What else can we do? Tell Lao Huang to have them all sit outside first, and let them in one by one as I call them!"

"Okay, okay, I'll have Director Huang have them wait outside and release them one by one!"

Not long after, Huang Jianzhong came in, sweating profusely. When he saw Gu Qiuna in the room, he nodded after a moment of surprise.

I had met her before and knew that she was Cheng Xuemin's aunt from overseas. It just so happens that she also came to the film festival this time.

"Old Huang, did they all follow us here?"

Cheng Xuemin handed Huang Jianzhong a cup of tea and asked.

"They're all here! They've all come over as soon as they heard Tai Chi was here!"

"There are at least twenty or more!"

Huang Jianzhong took a sip of tea and nodded repeatedly.

"Alright, Lao Huang, you'll be in charge of registration later!" Cheng Xuemin didn't waste any more words and said to Li Lianjie at the door, "Little Li, you can start letting people out!"

"Okay, got it, Brother Cheng!"

As the host country, the first to enter was a publisher from West Germany, who went straight to the point:

"Mr. Cheng, we can offer one million US dollars to buy the full copyright of Tai Chi in the Western European market!"

As expected, they are all big players. They immediately wanted to buy out the entire copyright of Tai Chi in all Western European countries. They want to monopolize it.

Aunt Gu Qiuna wanted to translate for Cheng Xuemin, since the other party was speaking French, and although Cheng Xuemin's English was good, he would definitely need a translator for French.

But before she could even begin to translate, Cheng Xuemin waved his hand and replied in fluent French, "Too low!"

"One million US dollars for the entire Western European market? That's too low a price! You can rewrite your offer, or let me meet with the English publisher first before we discuss it further?"

Gu Qiuna was immediately taken aback. She hadn't expected her nephew-in-law to be so fluent in French; it was simply unbelievable.

The French publisher was genuinely surprised to find that Cheng Xuemin could understand French and communicate with him so fluently.

He then added to his offer, saying, "Well... Mr. Cheng, we can add another 20% to the box office revenue share, is that alright?"

Box office revenue sharing!

Upon hearing this, Gu Qiuna realized that these publishers were indeed resorting to their old tricks, trying to dig a pit for her nephew-in-law.

A 20% share of box office revenue, plus a one million yuan buyout of the copyright—this price is indeed very considerable.

After all, given the atmosphere of the Western European film market, it is common for a popular film to gross over ten million US dollars at the box office.

So, based on a box office of ten million US dollars, 20% would be two million US dollars, plus a one million dollar guarantee, which would be three million US dollars, a very considerable and high amount.

But listen carefully, it's box office revenue sharing, not box office revenue sharing. One word makes all the difference.

Because box office revenue sharing is only a share of the distribution profits; you only get a share if you make money, and you don't get a penny if you don't make money.

Anyway, the distribution rights are in their hands. No matter how high the box office is, how much profit they make is up to them.

They almost always advertise to the outside world how many box office records they broke and how many box office numbers they achieved.

But when the accounts were finally settled, they hadn't made a single penny; on the contrary, they had lost hundreds of millions of US dollars. Could they possibly get a share of the profits from them?
Therefore, Aunt Gu Qiuna should remind her nephew-in-law not to fall into the trap of these tempting dividends.

However, she was too late. Her nephew-in-law's French was so good that she couldn't keep up with their negotiations.

Before Gu Qiuna could warn her about the trap, Cheng Xuemin readily agreed, instantly plunging Gu Qiuna into shock.

Cheng Xuemin readily agreed, saying, "Of course! If you can offer 20% of the box office revenue, we can sign the contract immediately!"

"Okay, okay, thank you, Mr. Cheng! Well then, I wish us... no, Mr. Cheng, you must have misheard me. I meant box office revenue sharing, not profit sharing!"

The French publisher was overjoyed when Cheng Xuemin readily agreed.

But it didn't take long for him to realize that he was playing word games with others, but they were playing word games with him in return!
He quoted a 20% share of the box office revenue, but the other party agreed to a 20% revenue split!
Dividends and profit sharing – the difference of just one word can mean a difference of millions of US dollars!
"I'm not mistaken, it's about box office revenue sharing! If you can sign, we'll sign immediately!" Cheng Xuemin had mastered this whole system in his past life!
Were we really fooled by these Western Europeans?

What a load of bullshit box office revenue sharing! It sounds incredibly prestigious, impressive, and sincere, but in reality, it's nothing!
Cheng Xuemin knew far too many cautionary tales like these!
Not to mention that "Shaolin Temple" became a blockbuster in the US two years later, grossing over 100 million at the box office, we ended up with nothing.

There's not much to say about this, since the global distribution rights for "Shaolin Temple" were basically sold off by China Film Group to American distributors at a loss!

But Titanic is the most bloody example. It was a global blockbuster with box office revenue of over 10 billion, but because it was a box office revenue sharing contract, when it came time to settle accounts, they found that the box office revenue was over 10 billion, and they ended up losing money!
Where the hell can you reason with this?

……

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