1982 Started from Hong Kong

Chapter 192: Box Office Success
6 month 17 number.

Three hotly discussed movies, "Crazy Love", "Borrowing Seed" and "Shocking Change", have been released from major theaters one after another.

Even Base Camp 1024 has begun to reduce its screening schedule, with the five theaters showing the film on alternate days.

Box office results are out.

"Irresistible Passion" had a production cost of HK$160 million and grossed HK$1327 million at the domestic box office.

"The Massacre of a Family" cost 120 million Hong Kong dollars to produce and grossed 1190 million Hong Kong dollars in the local box office.

"Shock Wave" had a production cost of HK$260 million and grossed HK$890 million at the domestic box office.

"Professional matters should be left to professionals."

Zhai Yuan was very disappointed with Wu Yusen. If he had not gone to the set to save the situation during the filming, the box office of "Shock Wave" would probably have been even lower.

When it comes to filming scenes with women, you have to look to Wang Jin.

In May, the worst month for the schedule, Zhai Yuan raked in over 30 million yuan at the box office with three low-budget movies. Although the outside audiences did not react much, the practitioners in the film industry were excited.

Most of the pornographic films in the past decade were produced in Japan and South Korea, and there are only a few local Category III films. The reason is that they are not profitable.

However, this time, Zhai Yuan not only filled the gap in Hong Kong's pornographic films, but also received nearly ten times the return, which can be said to have left an important mark in the history of Hong Kong films.

Local production companies, large and small, are eager to try.

Many scouts suddenly appeared on the streets of Hong Kong, specifically targeting young and beautiful girls. Businessmen were dazzled by the high returns, but few people thought about how many favorable factors of time, place and people these three movies 1024 had.

"The right time, right place and right people, that's why it's called Sanhe."

At Sanhe Company, located near Jiuyi Entertainment, the main creators of the three films gathered together.

But it’s just the screenwriter Zhai Yuan and two directors.

Xu Jiaqiang made a rare appearance, and like Chen Lan, he looked as cheerful and cheerful, without any of the old-fashioned look of Long Wu in "God of Gamblers".

This newly born illegitimate prince took the initiative to give Zhai Yuan a cigarette and said, "Mr. Zhai, there is nothing to say. If you need me in the future, just let me know."

Zhai Yuan smiled. The only way he could use him at the moment was through his relationship with Xinji.

Axe Jun became the temporary leader and took good care of the Xu group, but that was actually all. It was okay for them to handle minor incidents locally, but if they really encountered a difficult problem, they could not expect the society to solve it.

Do you mean that I want you at Xinji to snatch a lithography machine back for me?

Zhai Yuan smiled and said, "Brother Qiang, help me contact the people from the Fulong Gang and establish a good relationship with that Japanese guy named Xixie Yannan."

Wang Jin and Wu Yusen were also in the office. When they heard this, they turned their heads away and pretended to be deaf and dumb.

With just one sentence from Zhai Yuan, Xu Jiaqiang, who had been so confident just now, looked embarrassed. Xinji couldn't even figure out such a small matter, so the relationship between him and the Fulong Gang was at most a matchmaking relationship.

Xu Jiaqiang said with a stiff upper lip: "I will do my best to cooperate."

Zhai Yuan nodded indifferently. In the first place, no one expected him to do much for this matter. In the final analysis, money would still be needed to pave the way, so there was no need to rush for the time being.

"The two directors have handled a lot of the three plays this time. Go to the finance department tomorrow to get a dividend bonus."

Zhai Yuan turned the topic back to the movie.

Wang Jin said with a smile: "Boss, the box office is very successful this time, are you going to hold a celebration banquet?"

Zhai Yuan said dissatisfiedly: "Didn't we have a meal during the banquet scene in Crazy Passion? Team building, celebration banquet, and annual meeting are all included this year."

"..."

A group of people were shocked by his train of thought. Did you learn this from Uncle Zhao Liu?
Chen Lan chuckled and said, "Okay~ The producer of this movie is Sanhe Company, so of course we two will come to hold the celebration party. I will inform everyone of the specific location tomorrow."

Xu Jiaqiang agreed, "How about the Rich Man? Let's book two big rooms and have everyone sit together for some fun."

The three dramas made a lot of money this time. Not only did they not have to pay the actors, but they also saved a lot of publicity and promotion costs thanks to Zhai Yuan's marketing.

Jiuyi and Sanhe divided the spoils.

Xu Jiaqiang and his wife received more than 5 million Hong Kong dollars.

Zhai Yuan made a net profit of about eight million yuan by relying on the commission from 1024 cinema chains.

As for the remaining half of the box office, after paying taxes and sharing with other theaters, it was all distributed.

In addition to box office revenue, the 1024 theaters also earned additional revenue during this period.

Before May, the five cinemas had only about 1024 members, but as of late June, the total number of members has exceeded the mark.

More than 4,000 membership cards were sold, with an average revenue of more than 6 million.

It took only about two months from project approval to release and then to the end of production for the three films, and Zhai Yuan earned 14 million yuan in the local market alone.

Zhai Yuan said to Xu's parents-in-law, "Collect all the copies tomorrow and send them to other markets for a second round of screening."

Xu Jiaqiang and Chen Lan nodded repeatedly. Sanhe covered the production costs this time, and the share of the local profits was barely enough to cover the cost, so they had to rely on other places to make money.

Chen Lan said regretfully: "It's a pity that I can't sell it to Baodao."

Zhai Yuan smiled and said, "It's only a matter of time."

No one present understood the meaning of his four words. Judging from the current situation, the Freedom Federation will still be strong, especially since the Xu family is involved in the Yiqing project, which involves the Metropolitan Police Department and the Control Yuan. Even if Xu Jiaqiang wrote a letter of repentance to show his loyalty, it would be of no use.

However, Zhai Yuan knew it very well. He estimated that Comrade Nicholas would be gone in the next two years. By then, no one would care about such trivial matters in the film industry.

…………

After leaving Sanhe, Zhai Yuan and Wu Yusen returned to Jiuyi Entertainment.

On the way, he asked Wu Da Nao Tou: "Are you going to Thailand to film next week?"

Several scenes in "Wushuang" involve Thailand, and such scenery is definitely not possible to build locally.

Wu Yusen nodded and said, "We are tentatively scheduled to depart next Monday."

Zhai Yuan said: "When you revisit the old place, be sure not to cause any accidental discharge of the gun again, and be very careful with the prop guns."

Wu Yusen touched his forehead, remembering the last time an actor was injured while filming "Heroes Without Tears" in Thailand, which resulted in the film being shelved. He couldn't help but feel a lingering fear.

Zhai Yuan had high expectations for "Wushuang". After thinking for a while, he said, "Why don't you find a prop master from Hong Kong and ask him to go to Thailand with the equipment."

Wu Yusen said, "I understand. Don't worry, boss. I will pay attention to safety this time."

Speechless all the way.

The two walked into the office building of Jiuyi Entertainment side by side.

While waiting for the elevator, Zhai Yuan thought of another thing.

He asked Wu Yusen: "After returning from Thailand, can we finish filming, edit it several times and wait for it to be released?"

Wu Yusen calculated the time and said, "Almost, but it won't be in time for the summer season, it should be the Lunar New Year season."

It's already June, and the summer vacation will end at the end of August.

Zhai Yuan said "oh" thoughtfully.

The shooting period of such a big production is still very long, and the final box office may not be as high as the three pornographic films shot in one month this time.

However, the company and the theaters must have a few top-notch films to support their reputation.

He said to Wu Yusen, "Don't worry about the summer season. Wang Jin's God of Gamblers is about to wrap up and will be released in July." He then said, "But the publicity can be done in advance. You can create some news when you go to Thailand."

Wu Yusen asked in confusion: "How do we do this?"

Zhai Yuan smiled and raised his eyebrows, saying, "For example, firing the gun again."

Wu Yusen shuddered when he heard this, and said with a wry smile: "Don't play tricks on me, boss!"

The elevator door opened and the two walked in.

Zhai Yuan pressed the floor key and turned his head to Wu Yusen and said, "I'm just kidding. You're going to use counterfeit money for this shoot. Find a random place in Thailand, mix the real money with the counterfeit money and spend it. Then let the local police catch you and lock you up for a few days. If this gets reported back to Hong Kong, it will definitely make the front page."

Wu Yusen: “…”

The elevator door opened again, and Wu Yusen looked conflicted as he walked into the office lobby of Jiuyi Entertainment.

He asked Zhai Yuan: "It's no problem if I get arrested, but what if I get sentenced?"

Zhai Yuan looked at him sincerely, patted his shoulder and said, "Don't worry, all counterfeit banknotes have props and it was a misunderstanding when you entered the police station over there. You will be fine."

Wu Yusen scratched his head, feeling that this was not credible.

"You've seen the box office of 'Shock Wave'. You made such a horrible movie and still earned 890 million. Why? It's because we did a good job in promotion!"

Zhai Yuan's bewitching voice sounded: "Director, you already won the annual box office champion in your home country last year. Don't you want to win again this year? Punching Jiahe and kicking Xinyicheng are right in front of you. You can choose the path you want."

Wu Yusen's eyes gradually became fierce, and he stared at Zhai Yuan and said, "Pick! I'll do it!"

Zhai Yuan patted his shoulder and said, "Beautiful! Contact Shi Qiuyi tomorrow and I will buy you another Academy Award for Best Director!"

Wu Yusen was not very interested in the self-entertainment-oriented Academy Awards, so he pulled Zhai Yuan towards the meeting room.

He said with an attitude of not fearing death, "I haven't thought of the storyboards for the scenes in Thailand yet. Boss, please give me some ideas first. I will work on it after the film is finished. If things go well, I can come back to participate in the editing."

"Okay... wait a minute!"

Zhai Yuan was pulled by him and walked two steps. His eyes flashed and he saw a beautiful figure at the workstation in the corner.

My pace slowed down unconsciously.

He looked at Wu Yusen and said seriously, "Director, I think this matter should be carefully considered. So, you go to the Legal Department's Shen Wei first and consult him about the legal issues of China and Thailand, and then we can talk about the storyboard script."

With just a few words, Wu Yusen was tricked into going to find Shen Wei.

Zhai Yuan took a step forward and slid to the corner.

In the corner, Zhou Huimin was sitting at her workstation, wearing headphones and writing and drawing on a musical score. A lock of hair fell from her temples, covering half of her delicate face.

Zhou Huimin had a very serious expression on her face. She had joined 91 Entertainment for almost two months, and during that time she had only been responsible for composing two pieces of background music, "Shocking Change" and "Borrowing Seed", and she had not completed them independently.

Although Zhai Yuan did not give her any business pressure, she still felt uneasy with a monthly salary of 3,000 yuan.

So during this period of time, Zhou Huimin came to the company on time almost every day, worked on her creations at her workstation, and practiced singing in the recording studio, hoping to create something presentable as soon as possible.

"I've been so busy with those three shows lately that I haven't even remembered to care about the new employees."

Zhai Yuan stood beside Zhou Huimin, looking at her indifferent and focused expression, feeling filled with guilt.

Zhou Huimin was totally unaware that there was someone beside her. She gripped the tip of the pen with her onion-like fingers, looking focused. She frowned and bit her lips from time to time. Zhai Yuan found her little movements pleasing to the eye.

Wu Yusen actually wants to get me to work on the storyboard script, what bullshit!
Zhai Yuan stood there for a while, and when he found that he had not attracted her attention, he pulled a chair from the side with a big movement and sat down next to her.

Zhou Huimin caught sight of the movement around her from the corner of her eye, and her attention was finally distracted. She turned around and found that Zhai Yuan was very close to her. Zhou Huimin was frightened and let out a soft cry.

"Mr. Zhai." Zhou Huimin hurriedly took off her headphones and stood up from her seat.

"Sit down and talk. I'm not a cannibal."

Zhai Yuan smiled and put down his hand, pretending to be curious and looking at the music score on her desk: "I'm busy, am I disturbing you?"

Zhou Huimin waved her hand and said no. She sat back in her chair with a bit of embarrassment. After a pause, she raised her head and asked, "Do you have any work for me?"

The tone is quite expectant.

Zhai Yuan shook his head and said, "No, I just came to ask if you are used to the company."

Zhou Huimin asked anxiously, "Really?"

Zhai Yuan was puzzled and asked, "What else?"

Zhou Huimin smiled awkwardly and said, "I feel like I've been in the company for so long, but I'm just a dispensable person, and I'm still getting a very high salary..."

Zhai Yuan smiled and said, "No, the two movie soundtracks you created before were very popular, and those two movies sold very well."

Zhou Huimin asked in surprise: "Really?"

After getting Zhai Yuan's affirmative answer, she said a little embarrassedly: "But I only participated in the creation of those two original soundtracks and didn't contribute much. I feel sorry for Mr. Zhai's trust and cultivation."

The beautiful girl timidly spoke a few words from the truth, and instantly captured Mr. Zhai's hand.

Zhai Yuan felt that as a vase, Zhou Huimin's emotional value was worth her monthly salary.

"It's okay, take your time. The company will be doing post-production on a gambling movie in a while, and I have some ideas for the original soundtrack. You can help me perfect it then."

He just found a random excuse so that Zhou Huimin could continue to slack off with a clear conscience.

Zhou Huimin glanced around and asked quietly, "Isn't it another movie like that?"

She participated in the production of the soundtracks for "Borrowed Seed" and "Shocking Change", but she has never seen the original films.

However, with the recent publicity on the streets, Zhou Huimin also knew that she had participated in the production of two pornographic films, and she felt a little unnatural in her heart.

Zhai Yuan smiled and said no, and then he briefly told her the plot of "God of Gamblers". Only then did she feel relieved.

Zhai Yuan teased, "Are you afraid of being scolded by your aunt?"

Zhou Huimin smiled and said wittily: "I didn't even mention those two dramas to her, otherwise I would have lost this job."

Zhai Yuan said: "Don't worry, the movie is produced by Sanhe and has nothing to do with Jiuyi."

Zhou Huimin hummed, looking expectantly: "Then let's make the music for God of Gamblers?"

After saying that, he felt a little abrupt and added: "If you are not busy, Mr. Zhai."

"No, I'm so bored."

Zhai Yuan stared at Zhou Huimin, thinking that Wu Yusen would not go to Thailand until next Monday, so he should wait until tomorrow to discuss the storyboard.

Zhou Huimin noticed his slightly scorching gaze, her face slightly reddened, and she avoided his gaze and said, "Then let's go to the recording studio downstairs now?"

Zhai Yuan took in her little expression, smiled and said hello. Just as he stood up, his brother in his arms suddenly rang.

He gave Zhou Huimin a look that told her to wait, then took two steps away and answered the phone.

Zhou Huimin sat on the chair, holding up her chin and looking curiously at Zhai Yuan not far away. She found that his face looked serious. She guessed that Mr. Zhai had important things to deal with and she would be idle again.

After a few minutes, Zhai Yuan said "hello" a few times into the receiver and hung up.

He stood there thinking for a moment, then put his thoughts aside and looked at Zhou Huimin again, smiling: "Let's go? To the recording studio."

(End of this chapter)