1982 Started from Hong Kong

Chapter 368 Winning over
The four great talents of Hong Kong.

Jin Liangyong's fourteen divine books take the lead.

Huang Zhan is an expert in both lyrics and music, and a master of pornographic literature.

Cai Lan...is known as one of the four great talents together with the other three.

The Mr. Ni Xie in front of us is known as the money-printing machine of words. In the 1960s and 1970s, he earned millions of Hong Kong dollars a year by writing scripts and columns. Today, his net worth is also counted in billions.

"This year I got him from Oriental Daily News and he continued to write the Yuan Zhen Xia series of novels. Mr. Ma from Oriental News paid him 10,000 yuan a month, and I raised the price to 20,000 yuan. I also paid 3,000 yuan per thousand words. He wrote more than a dozen columns a month and made millions in a matter of minutes. We bosses are just working for the writers!"

Li Zhiying always treated Zhai Yuan in a close manner, and he would put his arm around his shoulder and criticize the writers for paying too high a salary.

Then he said, "Is the Jiuyi Daily still lacking a great writer to support it? My dear friends, let Ni Xun help you open a column, co-write articles, and help me share the cost~"

Zhai Yuan silently did the math.

Our own newspaper now also has a text serial column. We didn't have time to finish the manuscript before, so we used "Mr. Zombie", the copyright of which we bought out from Huang Ying, to take the place of it, and asked a ghostwriter to continue writing and add illustrations for the movie. The total salary we paid the ghostwriter was 50 yuan per thousand words.

How could Ni Xun get 3,000 yuan for every 1,000 words he wrote? He should think of himself as a platinum god!
Li Zhiying's attitude now is even more interesting. He is willing to do business even at a loss, so why would he care about giving Ni Xun a little royalties? But whether it is inviting himself to upload today or the enthusiasm he shows all the time, all of them reflect an attitude of wanting to win him over.

Even this cruise ship drinking party tonight, with all the debauchery, seemed like he was deliberately stripping off his clothes to tell himself that he was sincere and had nothing to hide.

Zhai Yuan probably knew the other party's purpose for meeting him this time.

"Jiuyi sells at a low profit but in large quantities, and it doesn't have a cash cow like Jordan Lee that sells overseas. Even if it cooperates with Forbidden Fruit, it probably can't afford half of the royalties of writer Ni."

After thinking through the details, Zhai Yuan smiled even more and politely declined Li Zhiying's good intentions.

Ni Zhuo, who was watching closely, immediately kicked the little girl away and moved closer with his fat body. He smiled drunkenly, "Mr. Zhai, if you want to boost newspaper sales nowadays, serial columns are very important. If you don't believe me, look at how Ming Pao's sales have dropped by 40% since Jin Liangyong stopped writing. There are many people in Hong Kong who are capable of writing stories, but I'm afraid I'm the only one who can write well and deliver quickly~"

For the first time, Zhai Yuan looked carefully at the great writer Ni in front of him.

This man, who has written the most texts in human history, was over 40 years old at the time.

He was short and fat, with squinting eyes that revealed a cunning look, and a sunken nose that looked like an upside-down shell.

The thick lips under the shell continued to express their opinions: "At my age, it doesn't matter how much I make, I just hope to have another channel to speak out and discern the truth. I know Mr. Zhai is close to people from the mainland Federation of Literary and Art Circles. What can that group of termites actually do for you? Today we hit it off, so I'll give you a discount. My books usually sell 20 to copies. Even if you sell copies, I'll only charge % of the royalties. I guarantee that your newspaper sales will reach new highs!"

These words are very full of contention, but they are also the reality of the popular fiction world at that time.

Jin Liangyong has stopped writing, Gu Long has passed away, and the Hong Kong fiction community is searching for the best. With Ni Kuang ranked number one, probably no one dares to claim to be second.

"The price is fifty yuan per copy, which means ten yuan per copy. Twenty thousand copies would cost a whopping twenty-five hundred yuan per thousand words. Rumor has it that Mr. Ni can finish a 100,000-word novel in a week. Do you think my company is a money printing factory?"

Zhai Yuan smiled and joked, then asked, "If the September 1st Daily invites Mr. Ni to start a publication, what kind of stories do you plan to write?"

Ni Xian and Li Zhiying exchanged a glance, their expressions serious but revealing a bit of compassion: "Five thousand stars shone in one night, corroding China and defeating China. I am best at science fiction, and I hope to write a story about evil invading China. Don't worry about the quality. If the sales of September 1st Daily don't increase, I would rather not take the balance."

Zhai Yuan smiled without comment.

It seems that there was no mention of giving him a down payment, so where does the balance come from?
It can only be said that since Jin Gu, Ni Kuang has sat firmly on the throne of the top writer and has been placed in a high position by countless publishers and newspaper owners. His self-confidence has been extremely inflated.

Zhai Yuan looked at Ni Xun with a teasing look and asked, "I am not very satisfied with this topic. How about changing it to a topic about the rapid changes in the mainland environment and people living and working in peace and contentment after the economic reforms to boost the confidence of Hong Kong citizens? I heard that the eldest son of the Ni family, Ni Yifang, just won the medal of special model worker in the mainland. We should write more about such heroic deeds~"

Ni Zhuan's smile froze, and he instantly became like a fat cat whose tail was stepped on, almost jumping off the sofa.

As a leading figure in the literary world in Hong Kong who has been badmouthing the mainland, Ni Xu has always liked to cite the example of his own family members. He believed that his elder brother Ni Yifang would be finished sooner or later if he stayed in the mainland to support construction. As a result, Ni Yifang has repeatedly created miracles in the coal chemical industry in recent years, frequently won awards and was published in newspapers. He was even more magnanimous and told the outside world: His younger brother Ni Xu was just an ignorant child, and was a romantic writer like his younger sister Yi Shu, but he hoped that they could be as romantic as himself and believe in communism.

After the eldest son of the Ni family made these remarks, Ni Xun never mentioned his own boss again. And because his younger sister Yi Shu was close to the boss, he directly cut off contact with Yi Shu and immigrated overseas within a few years.

At this time, Zhai Yuan directly put his sword close to Ni's face and opened it to the full, and Ni's face almost turned green.

"Sit down!"

But before he could explode, Li Zhiying at the side narrowed his eyes, expressed some reprimand in his tone, and immediately held him down.

"Eh, we can't talk about this?" Zhai Yuan pretended to be ignorant and continued, "I thought Mr. Ni was taught by the big boss and would like to write this kind of story. But if it's not this type of story, I don't think it would be necessary to pay Mr. Ni a high price to write it."

Ni Zhe's face twitched and he snorted coldly: "Without me writing, the serial column of the September 1st Daily should be discontinued as soon as possible to avoid wasting space."

After saying this, he turned away.

Li Zhiying frowned, met Zhai Yuan's innocent eyes, and smiled again: "Ignore him! Yuan, I asked you to come here today, you should be able to see my sincerity, right?"

As he spoke, he pointed at the debauchery around him.

"That's Zheng Zonglin from Formosa China Publishing House, next to him is Manager Shen from Formosa China Film Group, Legislative Council candidate Hu Jianying, and the eldest son of Mr. Liu from Dongyuan Real Estate..."

After introducing several heavyweights, Li Zhiying smiled and said, "They are all the connections I have built up over the years. You are a young man in your early twenties, and it goes without saying that you have achieved what you have today. You must have received benefits from the mainland. Now you come out to work in a newspaper, but you just want to act as a mouthpiece. But what Ni Zhuo said just now is right. How much can a termite help you? Hong Kong is now dominated by British ghosts. If you want to achieve a higher position, it is important to choose the right position."

"I know you're a smart person, and I like talking to smart people. I'm not afraid to tell you the truth. I'm the author of this forbidden fruit newspaper, and it has the support of two big bosses."

When Li Zhiying said this, he raised his finger to the sky with a mysterious smile. Zhai Yuan smiled and said, "Boss Li, let's get to the point~"

Li Zhiying smiled even more, raised his glass and clinked it with Zhai Yuan's, and sighed, "But my health has been getting worse in recent years. The doctor said I have diabetes and high blood pressure. I also like to smoke a few cigarettes, so I have cardiovascular problems."

Li Zhiying raised his head and looked at Zhai Yuan, saying seriously, "Now I want to take my wife and children to the Philippines to recuperate, and I plan to find a smart person to cooperate with me and help take over my Forbidden Fruit Daily."

Zhai Yuan raised his eyebrows: "Me?"

"Yes."

"Why? It's the first time we meet, so we don't really know each other very well."

"It's the second time. The first time we met was at Elsie Tu's school."

Li Zhiying corrected Zhai Yuan with a smile, then sighed again: "Actually, I didn't choose you, but my boss is very interested in you. Jiuyi Entertainment has been established for a few years and has become the leader in the Hong Kong film industry. The sales of Jiuyi Daily on the first day of publication caught up with left-wing newspapers such as Ta Kung Pao and Wen Wei Po. You may not make enough money, but your public opinion is worth a lot of people throwing olive branches. Ming Pao and Oriental Daily have been established for decades and it is difficult to change. The bosses want to promote a newcomer, and you are the most suitable candidate."

"Of course, you don't have to worry about the problems after the return. I will go to the Philippines for a few years to recuperate and will definitely come back before 97. By then, I will still be the one to hold up the sign. It doesn't matter whether it's or forbidden fruit. You can take a lot of money and settle in any country overseas."

"Honestly, how much can you make from the film and cultural industries? I estimate that you can make tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of Hong Kong dollars a year, and you still have to work hard. But as long as you are willing to cooperate, use your reputation in the film industry, plus the sales of our two newspapers, the big bosses will spend more than that to support you. Otherwise, why do you think I am selling the Forbidden Fruit Daily at a loss? You are so close to the mainland, do they want to spend this much to support you? You are a poor guy! Of course you only care about yourself when you come out to make money, whoever pays is the boss!"

Li Zhiying finished speaking in one breath, picked up the red wine glass and drank it all, looking at Zhai Yuan with bright eyes: "Ayuan, would you consider it? As long as you are willing to nod, the Forbidden Fruit Daily will be merged into Jiuyi immediately. I will go to the Philippines to recuperate. When you feel that you have made enough money, notify me to come back."

Zhai Yuan remained silent until Li Zhiying finished speaking, then took a deep breath and smiled: "It sounds really tempting. Just by changing your position, you can make a lot of money. I am a profit-seeking person, so there is really no reason to refuse."

After that, he leaned close to Li Zhiying's ear mysteriously and said in a heartfelt tone, "In fact, the start-up capital given to me by the mainland is really very small. I have to rely on myself to bear it. From a housing estate boy to where I am today, I am already exhausted. Now I have to compete with Forbidden Fruit Daily. I have long wanted to back out."

Li Zhiying showed an expression that said "as expected".

It is reasonable that a young man in his early twenties who quickly rose to fame in the film and newspaper industries, two fields that did not make money but had the advantage in public opinion, would think that Zhai Yuan had a big boss backing him.

No one believes in starting from scratch.

Combined with his long-standing tough attitude towards the Formosa film industry and the Freedom Association, the identity of the big boss behind the scenes became clear.

Presumably, nothing can arouse the interest of foreigners more easily than successfully inciting a mouthpiece promoted by an opponent.

Li Zhiying said earnestly: "I believe that my two bosses will give you more resources, whether it is financial resources or the current Hong Kong government regulations. You must know that this city is still dominated by foreigners."

Zhai Yuan nodded in agreement and raised his glass: "Mr. Li, I wonder when I can meet the boss you mentioned? The mainland hasn't paid any wages this month, and I urgently need some cash to hold on!"

Li Zhiying was stunned when he heard this, obviously not expecting Zhai Yuan to be so direct.

He grinned, patted Zhai Yuan on the shoulder and said with a smile: "Ayuan, no matter what, you need to show your loyalty first, right? If you are willing to show your courage and sincerity, money is not a problem... But there is no rush for now, just have fun on the boat tonight. Our circle is very small, you have to learn to integrate into it first, then these bosses and councillors will trust you in the future."

After saying this, he waved his hand, and a young girl next to him immediately came closer with a flattering smile on her face.

"You have seen many beautiful girls in Hong Kong, but you may not have tried girls from Taiwan."

Li Zhiying pushed the woman directly into Zhai Yuan's arms, changed into a pair of broken Mandarin, and said to the woman with a teasing smile: "Miss Di, this is the biggest star in the Hong Kong film industry. Serve Mr. Zhai well tonight, and you can choose any movie or TV show in the future~"

"Boss Zhai~" The girl said coquettishly as she sat on Zhai Yuan's lap, holding his neck and flattering him: "My name is Lin Miaoxi, my stage name is Di Ying, and I'm currently filming some Ye Qing opera in Taiwan, but my acting skills have always been very good, more than enough for filming a movie. If you don't believe me, I'll let you check it out when I return to your room tonight~"

Di Ying?

Zhai Yuan looked at the woman in his arms who was twisting like a snake under the neon light.

She was about twenty-four or twenty-five, with delicate and sweet features and quite a bright and pretty appearance.

Now Taiwan is promoting her as the most beautiful Taiwanese opera actress.

However, Zhai Yuan's impression of her came more from a talk show in Taiwan later, in which Di Ying once proudly described how she couldn't stand Lan Juying's arrogance, so she kicked her and beat her up in public, causing Lan Juying to never set foot in Taiwan again for the rest of her life.

Apart from this, the only thing that impressed me most was the role of Auntie in "The Gangsters 2".

"A Yuan, this is your first time attending a party like this. It's normal for young people to be shy. Go to the room with Miss Di and play slowly later."

Li Zhiying bit his pipe and smiled. He pointed at the men and women around him who were used to the debauchery and laughed, "You are a newcomer. You don't have to hold a naked party like these losers."

"Since I want to integrate into the circle, how can I not learn from my predecessors? I hope to get along with everyone as soon as possible~"

Zhai Yuan narrowed his eyes and smiled, then frivolously kissed Di Ying on the face: "Miss Di, you won't mind, right?"

Di Ying blinked, not understanding what he meant.

Zhai Yuan suddenly stood up and threw Di Ying to the front of the deck, pressing her against the railing!

Accompanied by Di Ying's painful groan.

Li Zhiying raised his brows slightly.

Is the salary in the mainland really so meagre? This young man's desire for progress is obvious to everyone, but has he integrated into the society too quickly?
(End of this chapter)