Fooling Huayu for Thirty Years

Chapter 550 The Battle for "King of Kung Fu"! Ma Xun VS Jia Yueting!
The movie "The Forbidden Kingdom" might actually be able to turn the Wong brothers' fortunes around.

The reason this movie is so good is that Huayi Advertising, a mainland Chinese company, didn't have a large stake in it.

That's right, Jia Yueting did take over Huayi Brothers, but what he mainly acquired was the advertising company.

That one was called an advertising company, while the other, the Wang brothers, established a film and television company with the same name in preparation for a future IPO.

They both call each other brothers, but one is from an advertisement and the other is from a movie.

It's obvious that the division of labor is different.

However, in order to go public, some of the better projects were transferred to film and television companies.

This is easy to understand; it's all for the sake of going public and making the accounts look better.

Let alone the Wong brothers, anyone who sees "The Forbidden Kingdom" will agree that it's an absolutely lucrative project.

Therefore, it will definitely be included in the newly established film and television company.

This move gave the Wang brothers an opportunity, namely that Jia Yueting was taking control of the original advertising company.

He certainly didn't ignore this film company, but he didn't manage to get the lion's share either.

In fact, in this kind of situation, a certain company may have another company outside, or even an external circulation system.

This is all too common in the business world; in fact, the more famous the company, the more likely it is to do this.

It's not just about having multiple burrows; it also has some other special uses.

For example, a well-known beverage company, Haha, does it this way.

We consumers may recognize the brand, but in reality, it's a large company with smaller companies inside, and various supply chain companies on the outside. The ones who actually make money are the "certain groups," which are a few suppliers controlled by a certain person.

To be honest, the methods they used weren't particularly novel; they just made some people think they were 'stupid'.

Simply put, whatever the parent company produces, it inevitably requires a supply chain. And when we look at the financial statements of a well-known company, well…

Why aren't we making money?

It has a great reputation, a very rich product line, very high sales, frequent advertising, and a turnover of over 10 billion.

But when you look at the profit, wow, it's only ten or twenty million?
After reviewing such reports, one can't help but feel that the company's boss is truly carrying a heavy burden and facing immense difficulties; it's truly not easy for him.

But what is the truth?

It's simple. I sell a bottle of water for two yuan, but I have to pay the supplier one yuan and ninety cents.

There are even more expensive ones, for example, the parent company's shipping price is 100 yuan, but the supplier has to pay 200 yuan.

Then you won't be able to make any money.

To the average person, wouldn't these company executives all be idiots?

Can't you even do such a simple calculation?

But is the cost really that high?
As Mr. Cao Dewang once said: Selling water is the most profitable business. I have a relative who sells water, and there are practically no costs involved.

Anyway, that's what he said.

This story is meant to tell us ordinary people that when we think a group of smart people are doing something stupid, we should think carefully about why they are doing something stupid.

Perhaps, possibly, or certainly, they had a compelling reason to act foolishly.

This applies to companies in the real economy, while in the entertainment industry, Huayi Brothers is a prime example.

However, the situation has changed.

"As far as I know, Jia Yueting really wanted to get the project into his hands, but Boss Wang was adamant about not doing so."

Li Xue wiped his mouth before finally explaining the whole story.

Her older sister stood shyly to the side, saying that it was best for her younger sister to handle the matter with Ma Xun.

As for anything else... I just want to enjoy myself.

However, it's good that the sisters cooperate so well, after all, in terms of business, Li Xue is indeed much more talented than her sister.

Ma Xun lay comfortably in a wicker chair, basking in the California sun while enjoying the story told by the Ice and Snow Sisters...

My mind is naturally contemplating many questions.

In fact, as soon as Ma Xun heard the general details of the project yesterday, he had already keenly realized that "The Forbidden Kingdom" could be put to good use.

To put it simply, from any perspective within the original timeline, this is a blockbuster.

The Wang brothers of Huayi Brothers not only had high expectations for this film, but they also invested a great deal of resources and energy into it.

Of course, any boss in the entertainment industry would do the same.

It wasn't because of her, but because of Brother Lung and Jet Li.

This marks the first time these two kung fu superstars have teamed up in a movie.

It's important to know that the two of them actually had a grudge against each other.

Although it wasn't said publicly, the two definitely didn't get along; anyone who's seen the movie "High Risk" knows that.

Interestingly, their relationship is largely due to Fatty Wang.

Or rather, the real sworn enemies were Fatty Wang and his elder brother Long.

Before "High Risk", they had collaborated on a film called "City Hunter".

In this movie, Big Brother Long and Fatty Wang had quite a few arguments.

Indeed, the film was actually quite well made, and the eldest brother, Long, even gave his first performance as Chun-Li in her most beautiful form.

But it seems that it was because of Chun-Li that their relationship soured.

We thought it was alright, and the overall style of the film seemed pretty good, but the initial expectations for this movie were extremely high.

This is a genuine adaptation of the Japanese anime "City Hunter," unlike the previous ones where they were paid for and were simply copied.

Originally, the copyright was not easy to negotiate, but when Hojo Tsukasa heard that it was his older brother Ryu who was making this movie... well, whatever!

Hojo Tsukasa instantly became a big fan of Ryu.

To be fair, Jackie Chan's international influence is absolutely unmatched among domestic celebrities.

Then there's also Josie Ho, Leon Lai... and Fatty Wong even got his girlfriend in the cast.

In short, this film has an absolutely top-notch cast.

However, after the film was completed, there seemed to be some regrets.

However, in the eyes of us movie fans, it's just a minor flaw.

That said, the second most influential country in the world is...

That's right, it's Jet Li.

The movie "The Forbidden Kingdom" is a collaboration between the top two most influential Chinese stars on the international stage.

A film like this is a treasure to anyone who sees it.

The most crucial issue has also been resolved: the relationship between the eldest brother, Lung, and Jet Li.

From Li Xue, Ma Xun learned an important piece of information.

Besides the Wong brothers, another important investor in "The Forbidden Kingdom" was J&J.
Isn't this company name strange?
It's not surprising; it was actually opened by Big Brother Lung and Jet Li together.

Simply put, they participated in this film as investors.

This can be considered a solution to the issue of actor compensation, but from another perspective...

It was possible to persuade these two big names not only to co-star but also to become investors.

The Wang brothers must have put in a lot of effort.

Unfortunately, everything has changed now. Huayi is in trouble, and all that Boss Wang can do now is try his best to keep it.

But this...

"Does Boss Wang have any other strong bargaining chips?"

The real key issue is Ma Xun's question.

Li Xue is also shrewd; she was prepared in advance. "Currently, Boss Wang is actually using connections in Hong Kong."

“Hong Kong…” Ma Xun understood immediately. “So, the two of them are actually backed by Yinghuang?”

Upon hearing this, Li Xue nodded, a look of admiration on his face.

That's right, she never mentioned this detail, but Ma Xun guessed it directly.

This is clearly a testament to Ma Xun's skill.

"Eagle Glory will also act as the distributor for this film in Hong Kong."

Li Xue completed this information.

Ma Xun thought for a moment, "How close could the relationship be between Boss Wang and that Boss Ying Huangyang?"

Of course, the Ice and Snow Sisters could understand this iron.

"That's uncertain."

Is Li Xue setting another question?

Ma Xun laughed, "We're all just in it for mutual benefit. Now that Boss Wang has lost power, Jia Yueting's opportunity has arrived. He should have already contacted Boss Yinghuang, right?"

This is a very important issue.

If Jia Yueting had any contact with the owner of Yinghuang, then maybe Old Yang would kick out Boss Wang.

After all, it's a very simple choice.

The Wang brothers are finished; in the business world, there's no point in even thinking about them anymore.

You must understand one thing: when faced with interests and money, don't talk about past friendships, how we're good brothers, or that I've treated you to meals before.

That's all useless. Even brothers, parents, and children can turn against each other.

There are many such examples, especially in Hong Kong.

News about inheritance disputes in Hong Kong is almost a daily occurrence, with new developments every single day.

But if Jia Yueting doesn't have it... Li Xue smiled, "Boss Jia is in contact with the American side."

On the US side?

Upon hearing this, Ma Xun couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Jia Yueting, you probably never imagined that your groveling to the Americans would actually harm you!"

What does it mean?
It's very simple. Jia Yueting went in the wrong direction, which gave Ma Xun an opportunity.

“Very good, then…” Ma Xun was about to say something when Li Xue gave him a look.

Oh, I got it.

Li Xue then said, "The boss of Yinghuang is currently in the United States."

It turned out to be the case.

No wonder the Ice and Snow Sisters came over so proactively; it turns out Li Xue had already seen the opportunity here.

Ma Xun thought for a moment and said, "As you know, I'm not good at making empty promises. Even if I manage to get 'The Forbidden Kingdom' made, then, Sister Bing, you still won't be able to be the female lead."

These words, "Sister Bing," warmed Li Bingbing's heart.

"I see."

Actually, she has a strong personality, but she has to keep it to herself in front of Ma Xun.

That makes things much easier.

Ma Xun asked Li Xue, "When do we meet Boss Yang?"

Li Xue laughed and said, "You are so smart, so naturally the sooner the better."

After saying that, she and her sister sat down obediently side by side again.

Ma Xun is now...

It seems that seeing Boss Ying Huangyang isn't in such a hurry.

……

Although I said I wasn't in a hurry, I still met with Boss Yang very soon.

"Oh dear, Mr. Yang, we..."

"Haha... I've heard so much about you, Mr. Ma. Hello."

"Alright, alright, come on, I know the rules, have some tea first."

"So good."

The two met at a Cantonese restaurant in Chinatown.

In a way, this is the country where two Chinese people should meet most in the United States.

In addition, they also need to order some food.

However, they didn't order any.

The reason is simple.

"This place is...you know, they also have those fortune cookies."

Mr. Yang is quite interesting; he directly pointed out the key point.

Ma Xun smiled after hearing this, understanding everything.

Fortune cookies are basically the quintessential item of Chinese food in the United States.

If this thing exists, then it must be American-Chinese food, and the dishes are different from those in China.

By the way, many people have probably only heard of fortune cookies, but don't know what they look like.

To put it simply, the note inside will probably say something like:
Confucius is telling you today that you will have good luck.

Seriously, this is a fortune cookie... I bet any true Chinese person would smile.

Confucius didn't care about luck.

But these foreigners in America believe it.

They even placed Confucius in Parliament.

Let's not even talk about Confucius and fortune cookies.

Ma Xun and Boss Yang had a good chat, and soon it was time to get down to business.

"Boss Wang hates you very much."

"Oh, I know that."

"Ha... Mr. Ma is indeed a remarkable person."

"Boss Yang, let's be frank, how can we get Boss Wang to let go?"

"Let's get straight to the point: how can we get him to give you his share, right?"

Ma Xun nodded without hesitation.

In fact, Ma Xun had already made preparations before coming.

This is nothing more than a transaction; Boss Wang is just trying to set a price.

I can afford it, that's all that matters.

Fortunately, I, Ma Xun, still have some strength and should be able to afford it.

But that's what Boss Yang said.

“Mr. Ma, Boss Wang actually only has one condition.”

"Okay, I'm all ears."

"It's very simple, it's about making him the owner of Huayi again."

"Oh……"

Ma Xun was somewhat surprised, because this Boss Wang really couldn't see the situation clearly.

Given your current situation, you still want to regain control of Huayi?

You, Boss Wang, should be thinking about how to protect yourself, okay?
This shows just how greedy this guy is.

Ma Xun smiled and said, "Didn't he think about rescuing his younger brother?"

Yes, that's something that Boss Wang should be doing too.

Boss Ke Yang smiled and shook his head; there was more to his smile than met the eye.

Ma Xun didn't laugh this time. He immediately said, "This condition is really quite demanding. I need to think about it."

At this point in the business deal, the negotiations were actually on the verge of falling apart.

We're all business people, so we know exactly how to negotiate a deal.

In fact, the boss makes decisions very quickly and decisively.

At their level, every time they discuss business, it seems like they start by talking about things unrelated to business.

But when it comes to making a decision, it doesn't take long at all.

Because many things had already been evaluated and prepared beforehand.

If cooperation is meant to happen, it will happen; if it is meant to fall apart, it will fall apart.

And now, considering...

It'll probably collapse halfway.

"Okay! I hope we can still cooperate."

"What Boss Yang said makes sense," Ma Xun nodded in agreement.

And so they left the Cantonese restaurant in Los Angeles. Before leaving, Ma Xun took a fortune cookie.

It contains the words of Confucius, but the content...

As soon as Ma Xun got back to his car, he called Jia Yueting directly.

That's incredibly decisive!

That's right, it won't waste any time.

It's nighttime where Jia Yueting is right now.

"Mr. Ma?"

"It's me, I won't take up much of your time."

"Okay, please go ahead."

"What exactly do you want from the movie 'The Forbidden Kingdom'?"

Goodness! They've gone straight to the point.

Jia Yueting didn't hesitate, and he said very directly, "Of course I'll get it."

"What happens after that?"

"After that, I plan to replace the female lead."

This……

That makes sense, since the most important characters in this movie are Big Brother Lung and Jet Li.

But Ma Xun mentioned a name, which surprised Jia Yueting.

"You're planning to cast that girl named Jing Tian in the role?"

These words naturally reached Jia Yueting's ears via the signal, but the accountant remained silent for a long time...

(End of this chapter)