Fooling Huayu for Thirty Years

Chapter 517 Deception! Unite the bosses! Suppress Feng Xiaogang! "Assembly" is won!
"2000 million!"

“2100 million!!”

The auction for the film "Assembly" is still ongoing, with bids from all sides continuing to rise.

However, this upward trend is not as strong as before.

Of course, this is normal. In fact, many of the bigwigs in the conference room had already discussed this beforehand.

Everyone probably has a pretty good idea of ​​how much box office revenue the movie "Assembly" will generate.

It's estimated to be around 100 million.

Zhang Zhao, sitting in his chair, was quite clear about the price range that the big shots were willing to pay.

He pushed up his glasses and glanced at Long Wu and Wang Yingxiang not far away.

These two guys must be in cahoots.

The bosses on the mainland side have already communicated, but what about those on the Hong Kong and Taiwan sides?
Zhang Zhao looked at Chen Guofu again and noticed that there was sweat on Chen Guofu's forehead.

It is clear that there were problems with this auction.

Ma Xun made the offer. Well, to be precise, Ma Xun didn't actually make a offer; he just had Li Xiaoran, who was sitting next to him, make the offer.

This is to show all the big bosses that Li Xiaoran is my person, she can make the offer, and besides, she is the female lead in this drama.

Of course, no one knows the true situation of this movie at the moment. After all, it hasn't been filmed yet, and no one is sure how much screen time the female lead actually has.

Regardless of the circumstances, it was clear that Ma Xun was determined to win.

What should I do?
Zhang Zhao's visit this time was actually on behalf of Jia Yueting.

When he was still working for a state-owned film and television company, Jia Yueting tried to recruit him.

They offered very favorable terms.

So Zhang Zhao and his wife Huang Ziyan joined Leshi.

The reason is actually quite simple: they offer more.

This time, Boss Jia gave Zhang Zhao a task.

We must win "Assembly"!
No matter the cost!

But that won't work now, because if it were half the box office, the bidding has already reached over 2000 million.

According to previous estimates, this movie will only gross a little over 100 million yuan. In other words, if the bid reaches 30 million yuan, then there will be no profit.

As for the copyright issues overseas, that's utter nonsense.

Feng Xiaogang's movies don't even get much box office revenue in the south, let alone overseas.

At most, he could make some money in Japan, but Ma Xun knew this path inside and out.

Zhang Zhao is now facing a huge problem: if he were to forcefully acquire the rights to "Assembly," the asking price would certainly far exceed the future profits.

So, after the movie was released and it ended up losing money...

What will Boss Jia do to Zhang Zhao?
Or, to put it more broadly, what would happen to the couple?
Some people might think that Jia Yueting had already agreed beforehand to acquire the film at any cost, right?
Zhang Zhao, aren't you doing things according to Jia Yueting's requirements?

Anyone who thinks like that is definitely a newbie in the workplace!

Zhang Zhao was the top scorer in his hometown's college entrance examination. After graduating from Fudan University, he went to study in the United States, then entered the Shanghai Film Studio and later CCTV media... In short, he is a seasoned veteran in the workplace.

He was very clear that if the "Assembly" project lost money in the future, and he, who was in charge of securing the project, was severely reprimanded by Jia Yueting, it would be considered a light punishment.

It's possible that he and his wife will be killed and kicked out of the entertainment industry.

Even though Zhang Zhao and his wife have good resumes and won't have trouble finding jobs, Cola is actually a pretty good company, and Jia Yueting is quite a guy.

So……

Fortunately, he is a smart man.

"Ahem!" Suddenly, Zhang Zhao coughed, then raised his hand and said, "Excuse me, I'm not feeling well. I was wondering if we could pause for a moment?"

pause?

This is indeed quite abrupt. If it were a legitimate auction, you would have resolved your own issues and not interfere with our auction house's business.

Is that right?

But the good thing is, this isn't a proper auction!
Those who come here are all big shots, and this Zhang Zhao is also a prominent figure.

Moreover, both Chen Guofu and Feng Xiaogang knew that he was one of Boss Jia's men.

How could I possibly refuse to give them face?
In fact, Chen Guofu had been waiting for Zhang Zhao to make an offer, because that would reveal Boss Jia's attitude.

But Zhang Zhao is really good at keeping a straight face; this guy is pretty impressive.

just now……

"Oh, of course! Our bidding has indeed been going on for quite a while, how about we take a half-hour break?"

After Chen Guofu said that, hey! Something interesting happened!
"I think it's good."

"Ok, Ok."

"It is indeed a bit boring."

"Oh, let's have some coffee and something to eat."

The bigwigs actually agreed.

That's really something!

It seems everyone has realized that our current bidding strategy isn't working.

At that moment, Ma Xun finally stood up and spoke.

"Dear bosses, since everyone agrees to suspend, why don't we just have a meeting and discuss it further?"

Meeting?
Research?

This sounds like a term used within the system, but the key question is, how can you say it to someone's face?

That's right, neither Chen Guofu nor Feng Xiaogang have left.

This is simply treating them like they're not... wait a minute?
Long Wu laughed first, "Great, I support Mr. Ma's idea."

Ok?
His reaction was admirable, but everyone quickly figured it out.

We're the bosses!

No matter how famous Feng Xiaogang and Chen Guofu are, they are still working for us!

Although, from a capital perspective, people will flock to whoever can make money.

To put it bluntly, it's about licking boots.

But, you need to distinguish between the two kings, okay?

Ultimately, we are the bosses.

Ma Xun's words make it very clear: why do we need to fight and kill?

In that instant, Zhang Zhao suddenly understood something.

Why is Li Xiaoran the one who keeps bidding?

Is it possible that Ma Xun wanted to talk to these big shots, and by not offering a price, he was indicating that he did not intend to be their enemy?

Thinking about this, Zhang Zhao felt more and more that this was the right thing to do!

Ma Xun is really something else!
So what do we do now?
Zhang Zhao was originally the one who initiated the pause, but he suddenly realized that the protagonist of this 'pause' had become Ma Xun!

This... bastard!
In fact, Zhang Zhao had no idea that Ma Xun had actually seen him a long time ago.

If it were the original timeline, Zhang Zhao should still be working at Enlight Media in 2006.

That's right, his career path should have been to leave the system and join Guangxian to assist Wang Changtian.

But now that Ma Xun has appeared, he is no longer needed.

Being recruited by Accountant Jia can be seen as a kind of historical repair.

Since Ma Xun knew all this, he simply regarded Zhang Zhao as Jia's stand-in.

It must be said that Leshi Films did a good job in the original timeline, and the credit for that belongs to Zhang Zhao.

But now, let me, Ma Xun, tell you.

"Everyone, I have something I'd like to say here. Actually, we all know about the problems with mainland Chinese films. Although everyone is optimistic about 'Assembly,' the question remains: how much will it actually gross overseas? The risk is still too great, isn't it?"

Ok?
To say it publicly?!

Ma Xun's words made Long Wu and Wang Yingxiang very happy.

Because they understood that if Ma Xun was now saying there was a risk, he was definitely going to do something.

Ma Xun then said, "How about this? Everyone, lend me a hand and let me take down this 'Assembly'. Then I'll share some with you all, how about that?"

What do you mean?
Long Wu and Wang Yingxiang could understand it.

They spend the money and only take the box office revenue from Hong Kong and Taiwan.

In other words, Ma Xun further broke down "Assembly".

But he did say he would lend me a hand!
Give me the money!
The results may sound the same, but they are actually different.

After the separation, the responsibilities and powers became clearer.

Moreover, Ma Xun has essentially lost two very strong opponents.

The other bosses thought to themselves, "Damn it, how are we going to compete with Ma Xun?"

If we group Ma Xun together, these bosses are another group. Without Long Wu and Wang Yingxiang, it would be difficult for them to compete with Ma Xun! But, there is still one person they can rely on.

Many business owners have set their sights on Zhang Zhao.

Everyone understood that Zhang Zhao represented Jia Yueting.

So, without Long Wu and Wang Yingxiang, wouldn't it be just Jia Yueting and Ma Xun who still have a fighting chance?
Zhang Zhao, can you stand up straight?!

Ma Xun naturally understood this as well, and he simply stared back at Zhang Zhao.

He smiled and said, "Mr. Zhang, this is our first meeting, but I have heard of you before. You were the top scorer in the college entrance examination, and I admire you very much."

what?
To be honest, Zhang Zhao rarely mentions being the top scorer in the college entrance examination.

He actually knew that... Ma Xun is amazing!
Of course, since they are all top scorers in the college entrance examination, this fact can't really be kept secret.

If we investigate, we will definitely find out.

This also means that Ma Xun had conducted a detailed investigation into Zhang Zhao, and so...

Zhang Zhao was truly panicked!
In fact, Ma Xun did not conduct any investigation; this was an advantage he had as a time traveler.

It works great now that I'm using it!

But that's certainly not enough.

Just as Zhang Zhao was having a lot on his mind, Ma Xun suddenly struck first!

Ma Xun mentioned something very unusual, which had nothing to do with the auction.

"I don't know if everyone remembers, but it was the 'Young and Dangerous' series. In the third installment, the style suddenly changed."

You all probably remember that.

Ok? ? ?
What exactly is being said?
Many bosses frowned, but Long Wu and Wang Yingxiang understood almost instantly.

"It's simple, it's just the Golden Harvest logo added."

Long Wu spoke as if it were nothing, but that one sentence was enough!

What exactly is this saying?

It's actually quite simple. The first two films in the "Young and Dangerous" series were entirely the work of Fatty Wong and his henchmen Man Chun and Lau Wai Keung.

Wang Pangzi was the boss at the time. Wenjun and Liu Weiqiang were a screenwriter and a director, respectively. They put together a very simple team. Shanji and the others used to be dancers, and had worked as backup dancers and extras many times.

To put it bluntly, he's practically unknown in Hong Kong's entertainment circle.

After the release of "Young and Dangerous", it became an instant hit!

The fire was absolutely raging.

The second episode is coming soon, and it's still a hit!

At this point, seeing that the show had become a hit, Golden Harvest came in.

By simply offering money outright, they were essentially forcing Fatty Wang to sell to them.

Fatty Wang had some ability, but not much. He was very flexible and unassuming. At that time, Fatty Wang was someone no one in Jiahe could afford to mess with.

So I sold it.

It's sold. What do you call that?

The money's in hand!

However, when it came to filming the next scenes, Golden Harvest took charge of directing everything.

Jiahe's requirements were very simple... approve!
The approval is for approval in other places, such as Singapore and mainland China.

Because it was 96, and the handover was imminent, Golden Harvest was even considering that the movie might be released in mainland China.

However, to be on the safe side, they required Fatty Wang and his team to produce two films before July 1997.

This led to the creation of the third and fourth installments.

In reality, both of these works are quite chaotic.

You can say anything, even something as nonsensical.

The third part was a bit better. The crow at the beginning... Anyway, this guy later got seriously ill, and he was scolded when he went out. He had no choice but to fast for three months and stay at home to atone for his sins.

In fact, in the scene with the crow, it's quite obvious that the director was letting his imagination run wild.

Hong Kong is a very superstitious place; who would have dared to film like this before?

What's most baffling is that this drama, "Covering the Sky with One Hand," actually dropped a huge bombshell.

It turns out that Chan Ho-nam was an undercover police officer!
Holy crap!

Some people will definitely say, "That's not right, he's not like that."

This undercover agent was actually part of the original concept, but it wasn't in the Hong Kong version; it was in the Singapore version.

This setting made the plot very disjointed and chaotic.

If we watch the Hong Kong version, we really feel that the connection is not smooth.

So, Ma Xun brought this up here... isn't that simple?

If we, the big bosses, had acquired this film, "Assembly," at a high price...

So, isn't this just like when Fatty Wang took money from Golden Harvest and started making random films?

They are exactly the same.

Although Feng Xiaogang may still care about his reputation, the money is already in his pocket.

Why work so hard?
In fact, this kind of thing happens a lot in the film and television industry.

The most obvious example is... sequels are always bad!
Yes, this is why sequels are so prone to becoming bad movies.

Directors and screenwriters only take filmmaking seriously when they're broke.

They've got money now... all that hard work filming, wasn't it all for this? Just put Feng Xifan and Wei Xiaobao in their shoes.

This is human nature!
Isn't Feng Xiaogang just someone who believes in so-called human nature?

Now, everyone understands.

Ma Xun's directness in front of Feng Xiaogang and Chen Guofu was absolutely right!

We need to let them hear it, let them know that we bosses aren't easily fooled!
However, there still doesn't seem to be any specific measures to address Zhang Zhao.

Yes, Ma Xun certainly has it.

He then said with a smile, "This time, Director Feng and Mr. Chen are going to auction 'half' of 'Assembly'. Why don't I take this half? As for Mr. Jia, Mr. Zhang, you definitely have something to say, so you should take the other half."

Ah this...

Got it!
Accountant Jia's task for Zhang Zhao was to definitely succeed.

Isn't this also a form of taking down a target?

Zhang Zhao suddenly realized what was going on, while Chen Guofu and Feng Xiaogang were getting anxious.

But then Ma Xun added, "Of course, Director Feng will still be the director. However, we have no problem with the important parts. I estimate that if the investment for this movie is 5000 million, it should be enough."

In other words...

That was the last thing said.

Because it had already been auctioned for over 20 million, and you should know that what was being auctioned was the distribution rights.

To put it bluntly, this money is meant for Feng Xiaogang and his team to make a movie.

Now let's use the investment ourselves. Feng Xiaogang can be a director, but he's just a director.

Ma Xunming is clearly trying to sideline Feng Xiaogang.

What can Feng Xiaogang do?
"Old Zhang, we..."

Trying to build connections?

After Feng Xiaogang said this, everyone suddenly understood!

Because Feng Xiaogang has actually severed ties with Jia Yueting this time!

That's right, he and Chen Guofu wanted to acquire the distribution rights for this film, and they even had Jia Yueting's people participate in the auction, which means that this film has nothing to do with Jia Yueting.

Of course, you can't get that connection!
Zhang Zhao interrupted Feng Xiaogang, saying, "Old Feng, I've thought it through. I've considered it, and Mr. Ma's plan is excellent."

That's it!

Isn’t that settled?

Upon hearing this, all the bosses...

"Okay, I support Mr. Ma!"

"Mr. Ma will lead us to make money!"

"This movie absolutely needs Mr. Ma!"

Alright, everyone immediately 'united' with Ma Xun.

The auction, let alone the fact that it took place, was... well, if you really have to say, a success in itself.

However, Feng Xiaogang and Chen Guofu were extremely angry.

Ma Xun, of course, didn't care what those two thought.

Anyway, he finally got his hands on "Assembly"!

(End of this chapter)