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

"Counselor Li!"

After pacing back and forth in thought, Cheng Xuemin stopped, turned around, and his face no longer showed the initial shock, but instead a calm expression, as if he were deep in thought.

He carefully chose his words and said slowly, "Thank you to the country, thank you to Director Liao and all the leaders for your trust!"

"Now that I, Cheng Xuemin, have accepted this responsibility, I will definitely shoulder it and do my utmost to strive for the best outcome!"

He didn't immediately pat his chest and guarantee victory like a passionate young man, nor was he blinded by the authority granted to him.

Counselor Li observed this and nodded inwardly. Composure is the foundation for achieving great things!

"However!" Cheng Xuemin's tone shifted, his eyes sharpening. "Precisely because the responsibility is so great, we cannot act rashly, nor can we allow ourselves to be led by the nose!"

"Nako Tsuchiya brought up the bet again in public today, firstly to put pressure on him, and secondly to test him!"

"She knows we need time to make a decision internally, and she wants to catch us off guard. Ideally, she wants to force me to agree hastily when I'm emotionally agitated or unprepared, so she can manipulate the terms of the agreement or use the time difference to do something underhanded!"

Counselor Li raised an eyebrow slightly: "You mean?"

"Leave her hanging!" Cheng Xuemin uttered three words, his tone calm to the point of being cold. "Now that we have the authorization, we should be even more patient and composed. She's anxious, but we can't be!"

"The most urgent task is not to immediately challenge her, but to handle our own affairs well, and at the same time, figure out her hand and possible underhanded tactics!"

"Take good care of our own affairs?" Counselor Li pressed.

"Right!" Cheng Xuemin's thoughts became clearer, and his speech quickened. "First, let's leave them hanging!"

"Secondly!" he said, his eyes gleaming. "The premiere of 'Redemption' was a success, but that's only the first step. The key to victory lies in the spread of word-of-mouth, media reviews, and the judges' opinions!"

"We must strike while the iron is hot and use all available resources to promote 'Redemption'! This isn't about the bet, but about the honor the film itself deserves!"

"Only if our film is strong enough and wins the hearts of enough people will we have a chance to win the bet and make it difficult for the Japanese side to use their underhanded tricks!"

Under the watchful eyes of the public, if *The Redemption* wins widespread acclaim, would they dare to defy public opinion and resort to underhanded tactics to suppress it? The cost would be very high!

“Third!” Cheng Xuemin paused, a shrewd glint in his eyes, “and also the most practical thing right now, selling films!”

"The screening of 'Redemption' has ended, and we must immediately launch the global rights sale. This is an important business objective of our trip, and also the best way to demonstrate the market value and appeal of 'Redemption' to everyone, including Nako Tsuchimino!"

"A film that is a great success at Cannes will inevitably have its copyright in high demand. Selling the copyright well and at a high price is the most direct affirmation of the film's quality and can also help us accumulate more capital and negotiating power."

Counselor Li nodded repeatedly as he listened. Cheng Xuemin's analysis was clear, logical, and well-organized.
It has both strategic vision and concrete measures, making it seem less like a young person suddenly given great power and more like a seasoned veteran!

"Excellent! Comrade Xuemin, you've considered everything very thoroughly!" Counselor Li praised. "So, where do you plan to start? What kind of cooperation do you need from the embassy?"

Cheng Xuemin nodded and said, "We may need the embassy's help to collect recent Cannes news reports about 'Kagemusha' and information on possible public relations activities by the Japanese side during the film festival, so as to know our enemy and ourselves."

"No problem, I'll arrange for someone to keep an eye out!" Counselor Li agreed readily.

"As for selling the film and other promotional activities, I'll handle that myself." A renewed fighting spirit ignited in Cheng Xuemin's eyes. "I have someone in mind!"

"Perfect timing! Let's also take this opportunity to gauge the box office performance of 'Shaolin Temple' and see just how much real money we have!"

After a brief discussion with Counselor Li about some details and contact information, Cheng Xuemin left the meeting room.

Instead of returning to the hotel immediately, he asked his aunt, Gu Qiuna, who was traveling with him, to contact someone.

Half an hour later, on the terrace of a seaside café in the old town of Cannes!

The salty sea breeze caressed my face, carrying the warmth of the sun.

Cheng Xuemin sat under a parasol, with a cup of almost untouched espresso in front of him.

He gazed calmly at the shimmering sea, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the table.

"Cheng! My dear friend! Cheng!"

A voice filled with exaggerated surprise rang out, accompanied by hurried footsteps.

A middle-aged white man wearing a floral shirt and sunglasses, with a slightly overweight build, strode over and opened his arms from afar. It was Brian, the North American independent film producer!

"Brian, long time no see!" Cheng Xuemin stood up, a perfectly timed smile on his face, shook hands firmly with Brian, and then gave him a hug.

Brian smelled strongly of cologne, mixed with the faint aroma of a cigar.

"My God! Cheng! You've really stirred things up this time!" Brian, as soon as he sat down, eagerly took off his sunglasses, revealing a pair of shrewd blue eyes. He lowered his voice, but couldn't hide his excitement, and said:

"I just came out of the theater! Redemption! God, I can't believe my eyes! It's amazing! Unbeatable! I bet the Palme d'Or is yours! Those judges must be blind!"

He spoke extremely fast, his spittle almost hitting Cheng Xuemin's face; he was clearly very excited!
As a shrewd global film distributor, he knew all too well what it meant for a film to cause such a sensation in the main competition at Cannes!
It means awards, it means reputation, and even more so, it means a flood of box office revenue and US dollars!

"Thank you, Brian! I'm glad to hear that!" Cheng Xuemin smiled and gestured for the waiter to bring Brian a cup of coffee as well. "It seems you have a lot of confidence in 'Redemption'!"

“Confidence? No, no, no, Cheng, this isn’t confidence, it’s absolute certainty!” Brian waved his arms. “I’ve been in the film business for over twenty years, and my intuition has never been wrong!”

"Redemption is the most powerful, moving, and impactful film I've seen at Cannes in recent years! Bar none! It's not just a good story, it... it hits the mark here!"

He patted his chest hard!
“Then!” Cheng Xuemin picked up his coffee, took a small sip, and looked calmly at Brian. “Let’s talk about *Shaolin Temple*!” “I remember, our first box office settlement was scheduled for now?”

When the film "Shaolin Temple" was mentioned, Brian's excitement subsided slightly, but the light in his eyes shone even brighter, like the light of someone who had seen a gold mine.

He rubbed his hands together, leaned forward, and said in a warm and urgent tone:
"Cheng! I was just looking for you! 'Shaolin Temple'! My God! You're practically a magician who turns lead into gold!"

"Do you know how much of a storm it has stirred up in North America, Europe, Australia, and even parts of Latin America this past month?"

As he spoke, he eagerly pulled a thick document from his briefcase and slammed it on the table!
"This is a summary of box office statistics for major global markets up to yesterday, along with a preliminary report verified by our accounting firm!"

Brian's voice trembled with excitement as he continued, "Cheng, we've struck it rich! We've all struck it rich!"

Cheng Xuemin's heart skipped a beat when he heard the word.

But he remained expressionless, simply reaching out to take the document and looking down at it.

The document is in English and contains a lot of data!
But Cheng Xuemin, who is knowledgeable in all five countries, can easily understand it!
Those key figures, in particular, were especially striking to Cheng Xuemin!

In North America: The number of theaters showing the film gradually increased from the initial 300 to 1200. The film grossed $800 million in its opening week, then dropped to $980 million in its second week, stabilized at $850 million in its third week, and still grossed $800 million in its fourth week!
Current total box office: $3330 million!
Moreover, it still has strong momentum, and the final landing point in North America is likely to exceed 4000 million!
Europe (mainly in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, etc.): Total box office revenue of approximately US$1520 million.

Australia and other regions: Approximately US$550 million.

Worldwide box office: Approximately $5400 million!
This is just the data after one month of release!
And this was done without a particularly large amount of advertising investment!
With its unique kung fu charm and novel story, "Shaolin Temple" has sparked a sustained movie-going frenzy and positive word-of-mouth worldwide, especially in North America!
Cheng Xuemin's fingers tightened slightly as he gripped the document.
$5400 million!
According to the revenue-sharing agreement he signed with Brian, the Eastern Depot would receive 35% of the box office revenue exceeding $3000 million.

In other words, in just one month, he could earn nearly five million US dollars from box office revenue alone!

And this is just the beginning. The movie is still showing, and there are long-term revenue streams such as videotapes and television rights!

More importantly, these box office figures and market response are real and substantial!
It proves the commercial value of Cheng Xuemin and his films more powerfully than any other language!
This proves the enormous potential of films produced by the Eastern Depot in the global market!
"See? Cheng! I wasn't wrong, was I!" Brian, seeing the glint in Cheng Xuemin's eyes, became even more excited and said:

"This is just the beginning! I'm already in talks with Paramount and Warner about expanding distribution! And there are at least five companies bidding for the videotape rights!"
Conservatively speaking, the total revenue from just one film, *Shaolin Temple*, over the next three years will be no less than fifty million US dollars! My initial twenty million dollar buyout fee was absolutely worth it!

Cheng Xuemin closed the file, looked up, and smiled sincerely: "Congratulations, Brian, and congratulations to us too, this is truly a remarkable achievement!"

“It’s our shared achievement, Cheng!” Brian corrected, his eyes then becoming even more fervent, like an eagle eyeing its prey. “So, Cheng, my brother, shouldn’t we talk about the next installment?”

"Redemption! You have to give me its global distribution rights! Name your price! North America, Europe, Asia—I want it all!"

"Buyout! Revenue sharing! We're open to discussion! I can even pay a huge upfront payment!"

He was impatient, fearing that Cheng Xuemin would be snatched away by other film companies eyeing him covetously.

In Cannes, a popular film in the main competition, especially one with rave reviews like "Redemption," is a hot commodity in the eyes of all film distributors!
Cheng Xuemin did not answer immediately. He picked up his coffee and took another small sip, using this action to calm himself down and organize his thoughts.

The box office success of "Shaolin Temple" was like a shot in the arm, greatly relieving the tension in his nerves caused by the bet.

This also gave him a more solid foundation for his judgment and the clues in his mind!

“Brian!” Cheng Xuemin put down his cup, leaned back slightly, and relaxed a bit, but his eyes became even more focused. “I’m certainly willing to talk to you about the copyright for ‘Redemption.’ We’re old friends, and we’ve had a very pleasant working relationship!”

“Yes, yes, yes! Old friend! Best partner!” Brian nodded repeatedly.

“However!” Cheng Xuemin changed the subject, “Before we talk about ‘Redemption,’ there’s something I need your help with. It would also add a little… security and a bit of fun to our upcoming collaboration.”

"Help? Fun?" Brian was taken aback, then patted his chest. "Tell me! In Cannes, and even in the entire European film industry, I, Brian, do have some connections!"

Cheng Xuemin leaned forward, lowered his voice, and said in a calm tone that carried an undeniable force: "Help me spread the word!"

"For example, the global distribution rights for the Chinese film 'Redemption' are about to be put up for bidding."

Interested distributors can attend an informal reception tomorrow afternoon in the conference room of the Carlton Hotel, where I will meet with everyone. But the important thing is…”

He paused, looking directly at Brian: "When the rumor is released... of course, it's a rumor, but I want it to sound true!"

Brian was taken aback at first, then his eyes widened slowly, and his face showed understanding, followed by a complex expression of shock and then excitement!

Having spent so many years in the film industry and business world, he instantly understood Cheng Xuemin's intentions.

“Cheng…you’re going to…” Brian’s voice also lowered, filled with disbelief and a hint of admiration, “You’re going to use the Japanese’s influence to raise the price of ‘Redemption’? And…create buzz and attention?”

“It’s not just about raising the price!” Cheng Xuemin’s lips curled slightly, his eyes deep. “I want everyone to know that ‘Redemption’ is a hot commodity, one that even our competitors have to take seriously, and even want to snatch it!”

"I want to maximize the hype and buzz surrounding 'Redemption' before the premiere of 'Kagemusha'!"

"I want all the judges, all the media, and all the film distributors to still have the applause for 'Redemption' echoing in their minds and remember that 'Redemption' is a film that even the Japanese tried every means to suppress or compete for!"

"Is this... psychological warfare? Or... marketing?" Brian licked his slightly dry lips.

"It's an open conspiracy!" Cheng Xuemin corrected. "Isn't Tsuchiya Naoko trying to see my hand and force me into a trap? I'm not going to respond to her directly!"

"I'll first use the market's reaction, the real money offered, and the enthusiasm of all the film companies to tell her, to tell everyone, the value of 'Redemption'!"

……

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