Fooling Huayu for Thirty Years

Chapter 494 I'm Going to Kill Hua Yi! (Two Chapters Combined)

One movie bankrupted a film company...

Don't be surprised; this kind of scenario has been repeated ever since the birth of cinema.

Even among the eight prestigious Hollywood film studios, many have gone bankrupt at some point.

In the US, after a bankruptcy, there's a bankruptcy trusteeship to keep the business afloat for a while. Maybe some new capital will come in, or the business will improve, and it will recover.

In short, going bankrupt because of a movie is not that outrageous at all.

The truly outrageous thing... is like that scene in the drama "Dae Jang Geum" where Dae Jang Geum uses her culinary skills to prepare a Manchu Han Imperial Feast for the Ming Dynasty envoys.

No, we're just saying that when these two terms are put together, it's like "Ming Dynasty envoy" and "Manchu-Han Imperial Feast"... That's why we say Koreans are a bunch of idiots.

Interestingly, perhaps because it's so outrageous, very few people in China care about this plot point right now.

And now, Huayi is also facing this problem.

The investment in making "The Banquet" alone exceeded 130 million.

Afterwards, Huayi Brothers invested a huge amount of advertising resources, heavily advertising the film on almost all television stations.

Currently, "The Banquet" has not yet grossed over 100 million yuan at the box office.

Based on the current revenue sharing model among domestic filmmakers, even if this film ultimately grosses over 100 million yuan, the total revenue would only be around 30 million yuan.

More than 30 million is clearly not enough to cover the investment cost of 130 million.

There's no way to break even on such a large advertising investment.

It's worth noting that Huayi is still an advertising company, at least that's what it's called.

So, what can be done about such a huge loss?
Although nothing has been settled yet, if the Wang brothers don't come up with a solution, then Huayi is truly beyond saving.

This loss is too huge; a simple estimate is at least around 200 million.

That's already the bare minimum. The two of them also added in the subsequent copyright revenue from the movie. In addition, they also invested in some TV series, so maybe they can make a comeback.

In fact, their investments in film and television dramas are all based on bank loans. The so-called subsequent copyrights are not even enough to cover the interest on the bank loans.

Because the subsequent rights to a movie are entirely tied to its box office performance. For example, "Hero" did well at the box office, so the rights sold for a high price.

Okay, let's not dwell on that now.

How can we cover this deficit?

"It's not difficult!"

Chen Guofu arrived and immediately uttered two words.

The Wang brothers were overjoyed.

Regardless of how many bad ideas Chen Guofu came up with before, the fact that he still dares to offer suggestions now is a good thing!
There's nothing they can do; the Wang brothers are now almost at their wits' end.

And Chen Guofu, as the strategist, certainly didn't act recklessly.

"Currently, we still have two major projects, which can turn the situation around. Moreover, having projects can give banks confidence in us. As long as these two projects are done well, we will definitely be able to overcome the difficulties."

The word "difficulty" is very important. It is clear that Chen Guofu has already understood the core issues of Huayi.

The Wang brothers already treated him as an absolute confidant.

And now, the two projects that Chen Guofu has proposed are...

"Perhaps Love? That one..."

"Is 'Silk' not a good movie? It can't be shown in mainland China. At most, it can be shown in Taiwan and Hong Kong."

Yes, those are the two projects, but the problem is that both of them have their own issues.

"Perhaps Love" is an art film, so even if it becomes a box office hit, it would be lucky to get 5000 million at most.

The amount allocated to Huayi Brothers would be at most a little over ten million, and this film also received funding from Hong Kong and Taiwan.

To put it bluntly, this number is still not enough.

Also, that "Silk" is a horror movie!
How do horror movies get into mainland China?
What is the maximum box office revenue for Hong Kong and Taiwan?

Even if the film grosses over 100 million, the amount Huayi Brothers will receive from it won't be much.

Actually, there's a problem here, which is... that is, Sister Mao originally invested in "Silk".

Why would she invest in a film that can only be shown overseas?

Clearly, there are many details involved.

Forget it, let's just be frank.

Sister Mao was also thinking of running away.

Whether this movie makes money or not is irrelevant. The key point is that Sister Mao's money was actually a portion of Zhou Zhengyi's money from before, and a portion of that money was legitimately transferred overseas.

At least, Sister Mao can go to Hong Kong; she has that as a backup plan.

Now these two films...

The two questions raised by the Wang brothers were actually part of Chen Guofu's calculations.

"Gentlemen, we should now do copyright business, which means selling the distribution rights of these two films as a package!"

Good guy!
Earn money directly.

However, there is still a problem: even after a successful sale, the money cannot cover the huge loss.

However, it does buy the Wang brothers a lot of time.

After all, they had some money, which they could use to pay off the bank interest first.

When a company truly goes bankrupt, it can be simply understood as the bank losing trust in the company and refusing to lend to it.

That's just how modern business is.

Conversely, as long as a company can maintain the trust of banks and continue to receive loans, it can survive even if it is in a state of long-term loss.

Some companies even thrive despite losing money, and banks, fearing their demise, simply keep them afloat.

If the rights to the two films are sold... then at least Huayi Brothers can hold on for a while.

Moreover, if a certain TV series or movie becomes a hit in the future, then the Wang brothers will have weathered the crisis!

Chen Guofu's method is quite good, but there are some problems with it.

"We must convince Sister Mao about the 'Silk' project and prevent her from making any changes."

Yes, this is something to be aware of.

The Wang brothers looked at each other, both of them truly at their wits' end.

"Okay! Let's do it!"

I've made up my mind!

Two projects sold as a package!

……

Palm Springs, USA.

There's actually no sequel to Cloverfield yet; at most, Ma Xun applied for a patent for the script in advance.

However, the female lead has already been cast.

Scarlett Johansson has really been enjoying herself these past few days... cough cough, no, she was discussing the script with Ma Xun.

An actress and a director, and this director is also an investor and a big boss.

So, as they discussed, their conversation naturally led to their bedroom activities. Isn't that reasonable?
There's nothing wrong with it.

But on this day, when Ma Xun and Scarlett Johansson were discussing the script by the pool...

"Wow~ I didn't expect you to be in such a good mood, Mr. Ma."

Zhang Ziyi, wearing sunglasses, appeared by the pool.

Why is she here?

"What~" Scarlett exclaimed, rolled her eyes at Ma Xun, and then walked away first.

Scarlett Johansson was clearly very clever; she simply exchanged a brief glance with Zhang Ziyi and then left.

Clearly, she had figured it out, and she had no intention of getting involved between Ma Xun and Zhang Ziyi.

You should know that this is Ma Xun's rented place, and according to the law, this place is now his property.

Therefore, Zhang Ziyi was able to enter and even appear by the pool.

It's obvious that Ma Xun did it on purpose.

Isn't it a wonderful thing for this international star to see him and Scarlett Johansson enjoying themselves in the water?

Naturally, Zhang Ziyi understood, and was therefore very angry.

"Alright, you've succeeded. Now let's get down to business."

When Zhang Ziyi said this, Ma Xun hadn't said a single word to her yet; he had simply come out of the pool and shown off his muscular physique.

You know, in just these few days, Scarlett and Ma Xun's V-lines have already appeared.

Yes, it's like exercising; it burns quite a bit of calories.

After reading it, Zhang Ziyi couldn't help but roll her eyes in secret, but in reality, her heart was racing.

Ma found a bath towel to put on, then lay down on a lounge chair by the pool. Zhang Ziyi came over and sat on another lounge chair.

"Hey, who told you to sit here?" Ma Xun's opening line was quite harsh.

Zhang Ziyi was furious, but there was nothing she could do. "Alright then, Mr. Ma, may I sit here?"

Ma Xun laughed heartily, "Of course."

This seemingly small detail is actually quite important.

The subtext is: I give it to you first, then you can take it; no, if you take it, then I have to give it to you.

Zhang Ziyi probably understands.

"Mr. Ma, I've come here today to discuss future cooperation with you."

That's right, that's the purpose of Zhang Ziyi's trip, and it's also what she mentioned on the phone before.

Ma Xun also gave this international movie star a taste of her own medicine.

but now……

Why should I cooperate with you?

Is that tone a rejection?

Zhang Ziyi was even angrier, but she knew she had to hold it in. "Mr. Ma, I am very sincere."

Ma Xun laughed, "Where is your sincerity? I can't see it."

Zhang Ziyi said confidently, "Am I not good enough?"

Ma Xun understood what she meant, "Just because you, Zhang Ziyi, are an internationally renowned Chinese actress? I must say, you are indeed very famous, and you are very popular in our country."

But what is your current situation?
Do you think I don't know?

How much criticism did you receive for the film "Memoirs of a Geisha"?

And also, wasn't "The Banquet" a complete mess this time?
What do you have to be proud of in front of me?

This combo completely overwhelmed Zhang Ziyi!

"Why...why are you humiliating me like this?!"

Finally, the international movie star could no longer contain his anger.

Ma Xun laughed, "You called me, you came here on your own initiative, I gave you this chance to talk to me, do you think I'm humiliating you like this?"
Was what I said a lie?

This... was a decisive blow!

That's right, everything Ma Xun said is true.

Memoirs of a Geisha was heavily criticized in China.

"The Banquet" was completely ruined.

If telling the truth is considered an insult, then Zhang Ziyi is finished.

We've lost! Utterly lost!
Zhang Ziyi was unusually downcast at the moment. This time, instead of sitting, she knelt down in Ma Xun's direction.

This doesn't look like a kneeling posture, but it conveys the meaning. Clearly, Zhang Ziyi still wants to preserve a little bit of her dignity.

Ma Xun could tell, "What other bargaining chips do you have to offer?"

This time, Zhang Ziyi was extremely decisive, only saying one word.

"I."

Ma Xun laughed after hearing this, "You? Didn't you see Miss Scarlett Johansson just now?"

This is amazing!

Zhang Ziyi could see it, and she understood what Ma Xun meant.

Actually, that's really too ruthless.

However, when she's compared to Scarlett...

Look at people!

On this planet, it's considered one of the best.

You, Zhang Ziyi, didn't even have that, how can you compare to such an exceptional person?

despair!

A profound despair!
However, Zhang Ziyi was a smart woman after all, and she immediately thought of a problem.

If that's the case, why did Ma Xun send him over in the first place?

Just then, Ma Xun lifted Zhang Ziyi's chin.

"My international female star, I really have no interest in your body, but you are famous enough. I know that you came to me because you have suffered another setback, right?"
"That Director Li, you're not in his film, right?"

Another blow!?
Zhang Ziyi was indeed heartbroken because she was truly hurt by the issue of that film.

That film is "Lust, Caution".

After the success of "Brokeback Mountain" in 05, director Li released news about this movie. Now, half a year has passed, and many female stars want to star in "Lust, Caution".

Zhang Ziyi even took the initiative to extend an olive branch, and she even wore a cheongsam.

However, Director Li didn't give her any information at all.

In public, Director Li has only given one candidate so far.

She is the one who just starred in "Chinese Paladin".

Unfortunately, this is clearly unlikely.

However, Zhang Ziyi has now realized that she has no chance of getting the role in "Lust, Caution".

Zhang Ziyi's current situation can be described as extremely bad, and Ma Xun's previous comments were all correct.

And so, Zhang Ziyi, who still held the title of international movie star, came to find Ma Xun. So… was this man playing me?
Zhang Ziyi thought to herself, but she didn't say anything.

Ma Xun liked her reaction. What's with all the arrogance she's showing off to me?

Then he continued, "Do me a favor, and I'll give you a resource."

"What is it?"

"I heard that Huayi Brothers is going to sell the distribution rights of two films as a package deal."

"What... what can I do?"

Ma Xun and Zhang Ziyi looked at each other and said, "The auction for this hairstyle will probably be held in Hong Kong. You can bid for me."

"what?!"

Zhang Ziyi was shocked!
Because she understood that this was tantamount to going against the Wang brothers!
In the current Chinese entertainment industry, Ma Xun is quite capable, but the Wang brothers are not far behind.

Zhang Ziyi did come to Hollywood to try her luck, but she's very smart; she has never said that she will stop acting in domestic films.

Moreover, so far, her attempt to break into Hollywood has been quite unsuccessful, and the backup plan she had prepared back then now needs to be used.

Although "The Banquet" was a failure, it was still a good resource.

Zhang Ziyi had no reason to fall out with Huayi or have a falling out with the Wang brothers.

Moreover, if things fall apart, what will the bosses in the entertainment industry think of her?

You, Zhang Ziyi, are ungrateful!

Yes, this is not only offending a powerful force in the Chinese entertainment industry, but it could also be cutting off their own escape route!

How could Zhang Ziyi not hesitate at this moment?
Ma Xun knew she would react this way, and laughed, "Can't you see the situation? The Wang brothers are selling their two movies as a package deal; they're facing a major crisis this time!"

In other words, if you do this job for me, those two might just disappear from the entertainment industry.

This makes sense.

but……

"What do the other bosses think of me?" Zhang Ziyi couldn't help but ask directly.

Ma Xun continued with a smile: "The lead actress for the sequel to Cloverfield has been decided as Scarlett Johansson."

My original plan for this project was a three-part series. The third part would be about solving the mystery, which is the setup from before. All the mysteries would be solved in the third part.

You are more than qualified to be the female lead in this third installment.

Bribery!

This is clearly a bribe!
Zhang Ziyi has to admit that she is really interested in this movie.

Currently, "Cloverfield" is receiving rave reviews.

The versions we see in China are always different, but most moviegoers think this movie is incredibly creative.

As Ma Xun said, this third part is about solving a mystery, and... the female lead.

The key point is that this is a Sino-US co-production!

Ma Xun could tell from the change in Zhang Ziyi's color that she had taken the bait.

In fact, Zhang Ziyi starred in the third Cloverfield film, but not as the female lead.

Moreover, in the original timeline, this movie was set many years in the future.

It should be said that this third part is very hardcore, and it provides a great deal of classical interpretation of quantum mechanics.

For example, there have been reports of electrical wires being found inside people's bodies, and people being trapped inside the walls of space stations.

These are all problems caused by spacetime interference.

It's pretty scary.

However, this third installment wasn't very good.

But that's all. It's perfect for catching Zhang Ziyi now.

As for the Wang brothers' actions... Ma Xun naturally obtained the information through Li Xue.

Li Xue's current situation is uncertain; she doesn't know much about Huayi's situation.

Ma Xun, however, was much more decisive. He directly concluded that Huayi was doomed.

After all, acquiring the distribution rights to two movies at once probably means they're desperate for money.

As for how much money "The Banquet" lost, well, hehehe...

As for having Zhang Ziyi help him make an offer, that was naturally arranged in advance.

just now……

"Okay! I listen to you!"

"Very good! Go to Hong Kong and make preparations."

……

Hong Kong.

"Dark horse! Cloverfield's box office surpasses $100 million!"

"Breaking news! This critically acclaimed sci-fi film is coming to Hong Kong soon!"

"Cloverfield should have been released in Hong Kong a long time ago!"

Breaking news! Bingbing is coming to Hong Kong soon!

Mid-January is usually a time when Hong Kong films are in the spotlight.

The Spring Festival in 2006 was in January.

Surprisingly, everyone seems to be paying more attention to Cloverfield.

Unfortunately, this movie is indeed trending towards becoming a global phenomenon.

Although it's not the box office champion, it has already achieved remarkable success in the United States.

It has surpassed 100 million in mainland China again.

It looks like it has a chance to break 2 million.

This is absolutely a very successful movie.

Moreover, this is a Sino-US co-production, and Bingbing can even be said to have successfully entered Hollywood.

In Hong Kong, there's a lot of pandering to the US right now, and the Hong Kong film industry is especially eager to curry favor with Hollywood.

Therefore, Hong Kong media even used many positive words to comment on the movie and Bingbing.

This is a very rare occurrence.

The Hong Kong media's words are simply vicious.

But now that it's been changed, it's actually quite good.

Just as the successful science fiction film "Cloverfield" was about to be released in Hong Kong.

There's something else happening.

In a high-end office building in Central.

An auction is underway for the distribution rights to two films.

Actually, this wasn't really a proper auction.

Basically, it's a group of bosses gathering together, and then everyone makes an offer.

The advantage of this kind of bidding is that it can result in a good price.

After all, there are plenty of bosses, so who knows what price they'll offer?

"Dear esteemed guests..." We even had a master of ceremonies today.

It is naturally Chen Guofu.

He knew a little bit of Cantonese, but gave up after saying a couple of sentences.

"Today we're here to discuss the distribution rights for the films 'Perhaps Love' and 'Silk'..."

Okay, I'll just say it directly here, because everyone should understand.

The distribution channels for these two films have already been established. Currently, the bids are essentially for the box office revenue share and future copyrights of both films.

That's right, we're selling it all! Selling it all at once!

It wasn't a formal auction, and many of the business owners present were acquaintances.

Let's be straightforward and get straight to the point.

It's said to be selling distribution rights, but in reality, it's just selling box office revenue and copyright.

Furthermore, "Perhaps Love" is about to be released in Hong Kong, targeting the Lunar New Year season there.

So, this auction was actually...

"Wow, isn't this just a gamble on the box office?"

Lin Jianyue was present, of course. He was originally one of the investors, and now he didn't mind taking them all.

As soon as he spoke, the others couldn't help but exchange some words.

“That doesn’t seem to be much money.” The person speaking now is one of the directors of Mei Ya.

Lin Jianyue is from Huanya, and he actually plans to integrate Meiya in the future.

Are they all from the same group?

We can't say that right now.

Suddenly, the mainland boss spoke up.

"I do really enjoy gambling, haha..." Zhang Xinming had come to Macau to try his luck and heard about this.

This boss is still incredibly powerful; it seems that the previous losses couldn't hurt him at all.

That's true. As long as he can keep mining coal, his money will keep flowing in.

This guy is no ordinary person, ranking among the top three in Shanxi.

"Alright! Let's begin!"

Another mainland boss, Mr. Li from Xiaoma Benteng, has spoken.

Very good, really very good.

It looks like quite a few people want to take the gamble.

Of course, Chen Guofu also had a backup plan: people from Longxiang, a major film company in Taiwan, also came.

This truly gives the feeling of a battle of heroes vying for supremacy.

Seeing this, the Wang brothers' palms sweated; they were very nervous.

After all, how many of these can be sold is crucial to their ability to continue Huayi Brothers' success.

And this time...

Qin Hong and Sun Donghai were also present, but they remained silent, seemingly uninterested in the distribution rights.

In addition, Zhou Xun, the new leading lady of Huayi Brothers, was also present, after all, she is the female lead in "Perhaps Love".

But at that moment, suddenly there was another person at the scene.

"Everyone, I'm sorry I'm late."

Zhang Ziyi? !

Why is she here?

The Wang brothers were somewhat confused, but Chen Guofu, with a furrowed brow, gave them an answer.

"Oh, Ms. Zhang, do you perhaps represent Pegasus International Film Company of the United States?"

Chen Guofu was reading aloud a piece of paper, which clearly contained the company's name.

Zhang Ziyi nodded, "That's right, it can also be translated as Pegasus, the constellation from Saint Seiya."

Her words elicited laughter from everyone.

Indeed, she was deliberately trying to make the bosses laugh.

In that case, let's begin.

The Wang brothers, however, felt something was amiss and kept wiping their sweat with their hands.

"This Zhang Ziyi..."

"She must have someone backing her!"

Since the identities of the two brothers cannot be confirmed, the auction will have to continue.

With the two bosses' approval, Chen Guofu said, "Let's begin."

But at the beginning...

"Twenty million!" Zhang Ziyi, who arrived last, was the first to make a bid!

This price... isn't low at all!

What we're auctioning off now is a share of the box office revenue, which is one-third of the total box office revenue.

While everyone was hesitating, someone made a decisive move.

"3000 million!" Zhang Xinming arrived.

And so, an auction began!
……

Inside a prison in Shanghai.

Zhou Zhengyi never expected that the person on the other end was really Ma Xun.

Previously, even though this guy did want to see him, Zhou Zhengyi could have refused.

But I still couldn't resist meeting him.

Ma Xun came to see him specifically this time, of course.

"Mr. Zhou, it's been a long time."

"Ma Xun, what exactly do you mean?"

"I came to see you for one purpose only."

"What purpose?"

"I'm going to kill Hua Yi, and kill the Wang brothers!"

Why... why kill them all, but then come to see Zhou Zhengyi?

It was indeed strange, but Zhou Zhengyi's brows were furrowed into a deep frown at that moment!
Clearly, Ma Xun wasn't going in the wrong direction!

(End of this chapter)