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

The conference room was instantly filled with these charismatic figures!

Besides the aroma of coffee, the air was filled with the scents of cigars, cologne, and the silent power struggles.

"Mr. Cheng, it's a pleasure to meet you!" Carrick stepped forward, shook hands with Cheng Xuemin with a moderate firmness, displaying the restraint of an old-fashioned British gentleman, and introduced himself in greeting:

"John Carrick of 20th Century Fox. Congratulations on winning the Palme d'Or! It's a well-deserved victory!"

"Thank you, Mr. Carrick, please have a seat!" Cheng Xuemin said neither humbly nor arrogantly.

“Warner Bros., Michael Chen!” The Chinese representative wearing gold-rimmed glasses handed over his business card. His Mandarin was very standard, with a slight American accent. “Mr. Chen is young and promising. He has brought glory to Chinese-language films, no, to world films.”

"You flatter me! Mr. Chen, please!" Cheng Xuemin greeted him with a smile.

"Sam Rosenthal, Columbia!" The bald, fat man smiled broadly, shaking hands. His enormous gemstone ring gleamed under the light as he introduced himself.

"Mr. Cheng, we in Colombia prefer to do business with talented and courageous partners. We at headquarters have heard about your remarkable achievements in Cannes and are very...impressed!"

“Mr. Rosenthal, you’re too kind. Please have a seat.”

Several Hollywood moguls took their seats one by one on the right side of the long table, their movements composed, but an invisible spark was already flying between them as they exchanged glances.

Brian wanted to sit down right next to Cheng Xuemin on his left, but Cheng Xuemin gestured for him to sit down on the right, a little further away. His enthusiasm remained, but his eyes showed a hint of urgency.

Fang Yihua, Zou Wenhuai, and Lei Juekun sat on the left side towards the back, which was considered the audience seats!
Fu Qi had already arranged for someone to add chairs!

After the three sat down, they exchanged glances, each seeing an indescribable meaning in the other's eyes.

They came to broaden their horizons, but the scale of this event seemed to be even larger than they had anticipated!

Under everyone's gaze, Cheng Xuemin sat down again in the main seat.

He leaned back slightly, casually placing his hands on the table with his fingers interlaced. His gaze slowly swept across the room, finally settling on the faces of the three Hollywood representatives on his right, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"First of all, thank you all for coming from afar and for your interest in 'Redemption'," Cheng Xuemin began, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears. He continued:
"Time is precious, so let's not stand on ceremony! Mr. Fu Qi should have already conveyed my basic ideas regarding the global distribution of 'Redemption' to everyone!"

"Regional authorization, guaranteed minimum plus revenue sharing, seeking long-term, in-depth, and mutually respectful cooperation!"

“Mr. Cheng is a man of few words!” Carrick was the first to speak, leaning forward with his hands on the table, his posture extremely imposing. “Fox appreciates a direct attitude!”

"Now that Mr. Cheng has clarified his approach, let's get straight to the point. We have complete confidence and assurance regarding the North American market; this is our plan!"

He gestured to a blonde female assistant who was accompanying him.

The female assistant immediately took out a beautifully bound blue folder from her elegant briefcase and handed it to Carrick with both hands.

Carrick took it, but instead of opening it, he pushed it directly in front of Cheng Xuemin.

"Exclusive distribution rights in North America, including Canada. Guaranteed minimum price: $22 million!"

Carrick's voice was steady, but each word sounded like a hammer striking the table: "Forty percent of the box office gross profit goes to you!"

"In addition, we will cover all publicity and distribution costs, and promise a minimum opening scale of 1,000 screens, as well as full public relations support for our bid for the next Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film!"

A minimum of twenty-two million US dollars guaranteed!
Gross profit margin is 40%!
When this number was announced, several suppressed gasps filled the conference room.

It wasn't from Hollywood, but from the left side of the gallery!
Fang Yihua paused almost imperceptibly in the hand holding the teacup.

Raymond Chow's smile froze for a fraction of a second.

Lei Juekun's eyes widened instantly, and his fingers unconsciously scratched at the armrest of the chair.

Twenty-two million US dollars!
At the current exchange rate, that's close to 200 million Hong Kong dollars!
This is just the minimum guarantee, not including any subsequent revenue sharing!

You should know that nowadays, the highest-grossing movies in Hong Kong are considered blockbusters if they can gross over 20 million Hong Kong dollars at the local box office!

How much was the budget for Cheng Xuemin's film?

Although they didn't know the exact figures, they heard it was an art film, shot on Great Wall's own set, and at most a few million Hong Kong dollars!

This rate of return...

Lei Juekun felt his throat was a little dry and subconsciously licked his lips.

He recalled the films his Golden Princess had produced this year. To attract stars and create grand scenes, the investments were substantial, but the box office results... sigh!

Brian's expression, however, was rather unpleasant!

He offered 30 million for a global buyout in Cannes, which he considered an astronomical price, but now Fox is asking for 22 million just for a North American guarantee. How can they compete with that?
He quickly said, "Cheng, our MGM..."

“Mr. Cheng!” Michael Chen of Warner Bros. interrupted Brian unhurriedly. He pushed up his glasses and took a white folder from his assistant.

He then gently placed it in front of Cheng Xuemin and said, "Warner's sincerity lies not only in the price, but also in their respect for the film itself and their long-term planning."

He opened the folder and pointed to a page: "In North America, we'll also guarantee $22 million, and we can negotiate a 42% revenue share!"

"Furthermore, we are willing to sign a five-year priority cooperation memorandum, under the same conditions, for projects led by you, Mr. Cheng, Warner will have priority investment and global distribution rights!"

"Furthermore, for 'Redemption,' we will launch a global charity screening program called 'Light of Hope,' donating a portion of the proceeds to relevant humanitarian organizations. This will not only enhance the film's prestige and social impact but also greatly benefit our awards season public relations efforts."

We believe that only through such collaboration can the artistic and commercial value of "Redemption" be maximized, rather than simply being treated as a one-off transaction!

Five-year priority cooperation right!
Charity screening tour!

Michael Chen's proposal, which focuses more on the long term and reputation, is equally attractive!
Carrick frowned, about to speak.

"Hahahaha!" Rosenthal from Colombia let out a hearty laugh, patted his round belly, and handed over a gold folder. "Both of your proposals are very attractive!"

"However, when it comes to business, sometimes it's better to be simple and direct. Mr. Cheng, our Columbia has a guaranteed minimum of $25 million in North America. The profit split is 45%, and..."

He deliberately dragged out his words, his small eyes gleaming: "We can accept using a portion of Columbia's publicly traded shares, or the revenue rights from certain future film projects, to offset up to 30% of the guaranteed payment." "This means, Mr. Cheng, you will not only receive a large sum of cash immediately, but also have the opportunity to become a shareholder of Columbia and share in the future profits of Hollywood. This kind of deep partnership is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

Equity swap! Share the profits!
Even Carrick and Michael Chen were slightly moved by this condition!

Colombia has gone all out, which also reveals their enormous ambitions!
They were not only interested in the movie "Redemption", but also in Cheng Xuemin's future potential, and wanted to use profits to firmly bind him to their cause!
Twenty-two million, twenty-two million plus long-term cooperation, twenty-five million plus equity binding...

The three Hollywood giants bared their fangs right from the start, offering increasingly aggressive bids and tempting terms!
The air in the meeting room seemed to freeze, with only the sunlight slowly moving across the table and the slightly heavy breathing of a few people.

In the audience, Raymond Chow picked up his teacup, wanting to take a sip of water, but found his hand was trembling, so he had to put it down again!
He whispered to Mona Fong beside him in Cantonese, "Miss Fong, this...this is robbery!"

"It's just a movie, does it have to be this exaggerated?!"

Fang Yihua's face remained expressionless, but the shock in her eyes was impossible to conceal. She replied in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"Mr. Zou, they earn US dollars; they're not from our world!"

Lei Juekun had no interest in their whispers. He stared intently at the three folders of different colors in front of Cheng Xuemin, his mind buzzing.

A minimum guaranteed sum of US$22 million, and it's only in North America!
Is this supposed to be a movie?
Is that printed on a US dollar bill?!

He thought of the film reels that had flopped at the box office and were piling up in his company's warehouse, and felt a tightness in his chest.

Back then, the Golden Horse Awards were urging them to teach mainland filmmakers a lesson. Did they choose the wrong side?
With Cheng Xuemin, this monster, on Changcheng Lao Zuo's side, will there still be a place for people like them in the Hong Kong film industry in the future?

Cheng Xuemin seemed not to hear the whispers in the audience, nor did he immediately look at the three proposals.

He didn't even look at the highest bid from Colombia!

He simply sat quietly, his fingers tapping lightly on the smooth cover of the black notebook, his gaze calmly sweeping over Carrick, Rosen, and the others.

“Thank you all for your sincerity!” Cheng Xuemin finally spoke, his voice still steady. “I acknowledge the value of the North American market. And the terms you have offered are very attractive!”

He then changed the subject: "However, I noticed that all of you have proposed exclusive licenses for North America!"

"This seems to differ somewhat from my envisioned principle of optimal matching in regional cooperation!"

"While the North American market is important, Europe, Latin America, and the Asia-Pacific region are equally important sources of box office revenue. Putting all your eggs in one basket concentrates risk and may not maximize overall profits."

He picked up the golden folder from Columbia, but didn't open it. He simply pointed at it with his finger: "For example, Mr. Rosenthal's stock swap plan is very creative!"

"But Columbia's strengths seem to lie in North America and Latin America, and its operations in European art-house cinemas and awards seasons don't seem to be as strong as Fox or Warner."

As the Palme d'Or winner, *Redemption* is likely to exceed expectations in the European market!

Rosenthal's smile faltered slightly.

Cheng Xuemin then looked at Michael Chen: "Mr. Chen's long-term cooperation and philanthropic plans show great foresight!"

"But Warner Bros.' distribution capabilities in Asia, especially in the East Asian market, don't seem to be the strongest? And the emotional core of 'Redemption' might resonate more strongly in the East Asian cultural sphere!"

Charity work?
Forget it!

In his heart, Cheng Xuemin immediately rejected Warner's empty promises!
Because all he wants now is to generate foreign exchange for the country, where would he get the US dollars to help or do charity?
And it's going abroad?
Only someone with a screw loose would agree to sign with Warner!

Finally, without waiting for Warner to speak, Cheng Xuemin looked directly at Carrick and said, "Mr. Carrick's $22 million guarantee and Oscar PR are very solid!"

"But in practice, can Fox's global network truly go all out in every region, or will it have some focus?"

"What I need is to find the most eager, most skilled, and most capable chefs in each region who can make this dish the most valuable, not to hire a seemingly all-around chef who might be too busy to handle everything and just assign tasks to his subordinates!"

Carrick frowned: "Mr. Cheng, Fox's global network has been proven over decades to be the most efficient..."

"Efficiency is not the same as effectiveness, Mr. Carrick."

Cheng Xuemin gently interrupted him, then pulled out several pre-prepared, simply printed documents from under the black notebook in front of him and handed them to Fu Qi, who was standing next to him.

Fu Qi immediately stood up and distributed the documents to the three Hollywood representatives, as well as the representatives from Shaw Brothers, Golden Harvest, and Golden Princess who were in the audience.

"This is my preliminary draft of the regional plan for the major global markets, as well as the proposed cooperation framework and guaranteed price range for each region."

Cheng Xuemin's voice echoed clearly in the quiet conference room, "North America is just one of them!"

"Europe, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, and even the Middle East and Africa each have their own characteristics and potential!"

"I hope that everyone here, including our local colleagues, can propose more targeted cooperation plans based on the regions where they are most proficient!"

“We are not auctioning off an item, but looking for a group of partners who can work together to make the pie the biggest and then divide it fairly according to their respective contributions.”

Everyone immediately looked down at the documents in their hands.

The document is not thick, but it is well-organized.

The global market is divided into seven or eight major regions, each followed by a brief market analysis, target audience forecasts, suggested distribution strategies, and a prominent reference minimum investment amount range.

hiss!
This time, even the three Hollywood representatives who were used to big scenes couldn't help but gasp in surprise!
It's not because these numbers are too high, but because of the systematic nature and control of this plan.

This is not a film distribution plan at all; it's more like a strategic blueprint for a multinational corporation to expand into the global market!

This blueprint was casually presented at the negotiating table by a young director from mainland China who had just gained international acclaim, making these Hollywood veterans see what it was all about!

He not only has a clear understanding of the value of his films in different markets, but also knows the strengths and weaknesses of global distribution networks like the back of his hand!

He's even using this plan to evaluate these so-called giants in reverse.

Which territory do you have the strongest hold on to?
Show your true skills and grab it!
……

Please vote with monthly tickets and subscribe to the full chapter! Thank you! Thank you! (End of Chapter)