1982 Started from Hong Kong

Chapter 109 Letter of Repentance

"Boss, the theater chain in Canada can pay up to 20,000 US dollars, plus 10% of the cost, to buy out the distribution and screening of the movie."

Zhai Yuan walked out of the factory production line holding his brother's phone. After the roar of the machines died down a bit, Shen Wei's voice came from the receiver.

"The highest?"

“The highest.”

"The people of Gama are really poor. So let it be."

Zhai Yuan hung up the phone and did some calculations in his mind.

So far, six overseas cinema chains have contacted us for the distribution and screening of "This Man From Earth". With the addition of the Mada cinema chain today, the film has received an additional $200,000 in revenue, plus each cinema chain will receive a box office share ranging from 10% to 25%.

More than 200,000 US dollars, almost enough to pay off the money borrowed from the bank.

Zhai Yuan looked back at the production workshop where the Guan's Cassette Factory sign was still hanging, and then glanced at Guan Weiming, the owner of the cassette factory who was following him closely.

With a bright smile on his face, he said, "Boss Guan, I will transfer the remaining balance to your account tomorrow. Happy cooperation!"

"Happy cooperation!"

Guan Weiming smiled even more happily. The business of his small cassette factory had been getting worse and worse recently. He thought that it would be squeezed out by the big factories and face the risk of closure. Unexpectedly, this young man who he had dealt with several times suddenly called him and took over the business including the machines and workers at a high price.

"So, are you planning to close down or build a new factory across from me?"

Zhai Yuan put his arm around Guan Weiming's shoulders affectionately and teased.

"Boss Zhai, you are joking. You have achieved such results at such a young age. How dare an old man like me compete with you?"

Guan Weiming thought about when he met Zhai Yuan a year ago, he was still a kid living in a housing estate and scalping tickets in front of the theater.

In just one year, he became so wealthy that he couldn't help but sigh: "The market is changing faster and faster now. I can't keep up with the times. It's better to retire."

"You're saying you want to retire before your two children have even graduated? That's too early. Are you interested in staying in the factory?"

Zhai Yuan asked, and then said: "Boss Guan, you have been in the industry for more than ten years, and the workers here respect you. I am a newcomer and have a lot to learn from you. Why don't you stay and work in the management? I will pay you."

"This..." Guan Weiming hesitated.

"Don't think about it. Do you think you can enjoy a peaceful life with both sons and daughters? You will spend a lot of money on gifts and dowries in the future, and you won't have to take care of your grandchildren? What if they get sick? Anyway, I buy insurance and provident funds for my employees."

Zhai Yuan patted him on the back, directly hitting the middle-aged man's heart: "It's inflation, Boss Guan. Prices are rising so fast now. You can't just sit there with millions of savings and live off them. If you want to retire at your age, be careful that you will spend all the money in the bank and get mad at your children in the future!"

Guan Weiming was a little stunned. Is this something an eighteen-year-old young man could say?

Seeing his expression, Zhai Yuan continued, "Although this cassette studio will no longer be called Guan's, it is after all your hard work. Since I bought it, I want to make it bigger and stronger. Don't you want to stay and be a witness?"

The lethality of this sentence was not as great as before, but it still made Guan Weiming feel uneasy.

He looked at Zhai Yuan with a wry smile, obviously wanting to say something but being too embarrassed to speak.

Zhai Yuan was too lazy to talk nonsense and asked directly, "Boss Guan, 8,000 yuan plus year-end bonus, and company shares if you work for three years, do you want to do it?"

"it is good!"

"That's right, Manager Guan!"

By letting Guan Weiming manage the cassette venue, Zhai Yuan knew that he could be a hands-off boss for a while.

From the beginning to the end, the treatment he gave to the other party was much higher than the market price, which was also a compromise made in an emergency.

"This Man From Earth" relies on the hype to sell a wave of video cassettes. If it procrastinates on things like acquiring the cassette factory, it would be a case of losing the big picture for the small.

"Manager Guan, the current production progress is still too slow. Two thousand videotapes a day is too few. Think of a solution."

Zhai Yuan is still holding on to the distribution of the video cassette of the film, hoping to get it into stock in Taiwan and Taiwan before it is banned.

At present, the local cassette rental business has become mature, and judging from the current production progress of the cassette factory, it is obviously slow.

"No problem. I'll get a few more machines from my acquaintances."

Guan Weiming's connections in the industry over the years were revealed at this time.

After he finished speaking, he asked with some concern: "Is the box of movies produced now really that popular?"

Zhai Yuan smiled and did not answer directly, but asked another question.

"I also have a film company. Are you interested in being the boss for a few days?"

"what?"

Guan Weiming thought he had misheard and looked at Zhai Yuan in surprise.

He bought the cassette factory at a high price and now he wants to give me a film company. Who is this noble man?
……

"With a cost of 10,000, we made 200 million US dollars, and a new local billionaire has been created."

"A local director made a small fortune with a small investment, and his net worth skyrocketed by over 2 billion Hong Kong dollars overnight."

"This Man From Earth is being praised by British and American politicians and businessmen, and the director is actually from Hong Kong."

A few days later, one morning, a mysterious new wealthy director appeared on the front pages of newspapers at newsstands of all sizes on the streets of Hong Kong, and his movie was sweeping the city.

Even major newspapers such as Wen Wei Po, Ta Kung Pao and Oriental News published this news.

After all, the overseas newspapers are right in front of us, even British and American newspapers have published it. No matter whether it is a rumor or what the content is, we will publish it first. Anyway, we are just disseminators.

A movie made by a Chinese was praised by foreigners, and all of them were powerful foreigners? Countless Hong Kong citizens felt a sense of national pride.

Following Bruce Lee and Cheng Shilong, another local figure has emerged who has made a name for himself.

In addition to pride, more people are envious and jealous.

What does it mean for a movie to earn 200 million US dollars? Last year, Universal's "ET the Extra-Terrestrial" grossed nearly 800 million US dollars worldwide, breaking the box office record in film history, but before that, 200 million US dollars had a high probability of topping the global box office charts.

And with the production cost only US$10,000, it’s pure profit!

Everyone is curious, who is this mysterious director and new rich man?
But from the information we have learned so far, the other party has not revealed his identity at all, and only the name of a production company is posted in the newspaper.

Nine One Entertainment.

The reporters took great pains to find the company's sign in an office building in Kwun Tong.

But the door was locked and no one was inside.

What's going on? Is he planning to retire after making enough money?

Just when everyone was curious.

A man named Guan Weiming stood up and took the initiative to accept interviews from the media.

"Hello, friends from the news media, I am the boss of 91 Entertainment."

Guan Weiming is indeed a veteran, and he is not afraid of the camera: "I am also the director of the movie "This Man From Earth". In the past ten years, I have been running a video cassette production factory in Kowloon, so I have watched and learned a lot of movies at home and abroad. This time I tried to make a movie casually, but I didn't expect it to cause such a big storm. I am really terrified."

When this is said, it sounds like "I thought this thing was quite interesting, so I filmed it and posted it online, and I didn't expect it to suddenly become popular."

It was obviously written by Zhai Yuan.

……

"We will release this film simultaneously in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and the video cassette is also in the process of being produced. I hope everyone will support the local film industry."

On TV, Guan Weiming's interview is still going on.

Feng Cuifan turned off the TV and looked at the other core members of the Freedom Association who were sitting in a circle in the room with a worried look on his face.

"Is the boss of 91 Entertainment rebelling? He's bypassing the headquarters and releasing his movies overseas. Who gave him the courage?"

This was the time when the Freedom Association had absolute control over the Hong Kong film industry. Any film that was produced would be banned if shown in theaters with red backgrounds. It was even more of a taboo to release it overseas without going through the review of the Association. Who knew if there would be any scenes praising the mainland in the film?

Another mustache man sitting next to him slowly said, "In my opinion, this news may not be true. Two hundred million box office? How can it be so outrageous?"

"Whether it's true or false, it can't violate national laws."

Feng Cuifan knocked on the table and said, "Recently, these people in the film industry have become more and more restless. They are all running to the mainland, and now they even dare to avoid censorship. We must use some iron-fisted measures to make an example of them."

Upon hearing this, all the key members nodded in agreement.

Feng Cuifan thought for a moment and continued, "How about this, we'll start with Li Hanxiang and Liang Jiahui, and immediately contact Formosa to issue a ban on them. As for the director on TV just now, since he's a first-time offender, let him write a letter of repentance to admit his mistakes, otherwise his movie won't be shown."

The order was quickly passed on.

Then it was sent to the office of Jiuyi Entertainment.

"Luckily I was prepared!"

Zhai Yuan had guessed early on that the Freedom Association would do this, and he was prepared to go against the Freedom Association, but since he had shown his face in front of Feng Cuifan before, it was inconvenient for him to show up, so he pushed Guan Weiming directly to the front.

Zhai Yuan was not surprised to hear Guan Weiming say that someone called him and asked him to write a letter of repentance.

"I have never seen what a confession letter looks like. Let me see it for myself."

Taking the document sent by the Freedom Association from Guan Weiming, Zhai Yuan quickly glanced at the format of the so-called letter of repentance and couldn't help but laugh and curse, "The temple is small but the evil spirits are big."

Guan Weiming smiled and asked, "Boss, what should we do now? Should we write it?"

He doesn't care whether he writes a letter of repentance or not, he is just a tool anyway.

"Nonsense, I pushed you to the front of the stage just to do this, write it now!"

Zhai Yuan took the paper and pen and handed them to Guan Weiming. He read the form of the confession and said, "I say, you write."

Guan Weiming got ready to write at his desk.

Zhai Yuan spoke slowly: "I am Guan Weiming, the boss of Hong Kong 91 Entertainment. Because I just entered the film industry, I didn't know the regulations of the Federation to privately shoot movies and release them overseas without censorship. Now I have learned of the Federation's requirements and fully cooperate with all censorship. Therefore, I am writing this letter to prove my loyalty to the Federation. I am not guilty of ignorance, and there is no way..."

"Have you finished writing?"

"It's finished."

Zhai Yuan took the letter of repentance and read it through. Guan Weiming's handwriting was quite good.

"We will always deliver it to them soon. Otherwise, what will we do if they don't allow our movie to be shown?"

Zhai Yuan urged him sarcastically, and then said, "I will send a new roll of film tomorrow. You can re-burn tens of thousands of videotapes and mix them with the cassettes you are going to sell to Taiwan."

Guan Weiming was puzzled: "What do you mean?"

Zhai Yuan smiled and said, "Nothing much. We'll just shoot a post-credits scene and give the citizens of Taiwan a little surprise."

(End of this chapter)