1982 Started from Hong Kong

Chapter 465 Cai Songlin

It is located in Jiufen Village, under the jurisdiction of Ruifang Township, near Keelung City, Taiwan.

In the past, Japanese soldiers mined gold here. Although the mines have now closed, the street layout still retains the style of the Japanese occupation period. Narrow stone steps wind through the mountains, with low brick and wood houses on both sides. The abandoned mine pits and rusty railway tracks are like a scar embedded in the mountainside.

Although the village is no longer as prosperous as it once was, it has unexpectedly become a special location for filming local movies and TV dramas. Most of the scenes involving the mountain town and old streets are filmed here.

At this very moment, Tam Ka-ming was sitting in the director's chair, holding a bowl of taro and sweet potato, pointing and directing the props team who were setting up the set.

Immediately, a Toyota sedan slowly drove into the street and stopped a dozen meters away from the film crew, honking its horn repeatedly.

Drop drop!
"Hey director, it's past three o'clock, let's wrap up and have some tea!"

Seeing that the horn had successfully attracted Tan Jiaming's attention, the car door opened, and the short and stocky Zeng Zhiwei jumped out of the car, winking and making faces at Director Tan from a distance.

"Zhiwei~"

Tan Jiaming stood up with a smile, gave a few instructions to his assistant, and greeted Zeng Zhiwei: "How about it? You don't have to accompany the big boss today, so you have some free time to visit me on set?"

"Big bosses have plenty of girls to keep them company, when will it be my turn?"

Zeng Zhiwei smiled and glanced at the bustling film crew before asking, "Which company are you helping with this film?"

"A scholar, huh?"

Tan Jiaming took out a cigarette case, separated two cigarettes, and gestured behind him, saying, "Zhu Yanping found investors and asked me to make a commercial film. He even borrowed Simon Yam from the company to play the male lead."

Zeng Zhiwei looked over and saw that Simon Yam, the rising tough guy actor from 91 Entertainment, was sitting at an outdoor table touching up his makeup.

Unlike Hong Kong's film market, Taiwan's film industry has never seen a dominant force like "Chow's," "Golden Harvest," or "September 1st," which monopolized the theater and production markets. As a result, independent production companies have had a great deal of room to survive.

In theory, when independent production companies become mainstream, directors will have more say and will not need to conform to mainstream commercial films. They can give full play to their personal style. Just as 'Chang Feng Xin' declined and 'Zhao Shi' turned its attention to the television industry, and in the years before 'Jiahe', 'New City' and '91 Entertainment' took off, a large number of independent production companies emerged in Hong Kong, and a hundred flowers bloomed, giving rise to the concept of 'New Wave' for the first time.

However, due to Taiwan's long-standing distorted censorship system, not to mention the New Wave, the local entertainment industry, from directors to actors, has been trying to develop their careers in other places. Even someone as popular as Brigitte Lin had to shift her career focus to Hong Kong.

"Taiwan is short of talent!"

Tam Ka-ming, with a cigarette in his mouth, chuckled and said, "I heard that Chu Yen-ping originally wanted to invite Man Chi-leung to be the male lead this time, but after communicating with the company, the contract department staff only agreed to send out Simon Yam, who also demanded that he stay in a star-rated hotel and be picked up in a luxury car, with a more extravagant entourage than Hollywood stars."

Zeng Zhiwei chuckled upon hearing this. He thought that 91 Entertainment's actions were nothing short of showing off to the Taiwanese filmmakers. If they were willing to agree to these demands, there would still be opportunities for cooperation in the future. If they felt that this was too much, then they could take their own small-time Taiwanese opera actors and go play by themselves.

As for whether the head of the contract department received instructions from Boss Zhai to do this?
Of course not, our department has its own business considerations!
"Actually, it's not that there's a lack of talent, it's just that it's hard to find good things in a cesspool."

Zeng Zhiwei laughed and said, "As far as I know, Taiwan has just changed its leader and the censorship system is gradually being relaxed. In three to seven years, it may well set off another new wave."

Patrick Tam smiled noncommittally and shook his head, saying, "Three, five, seven years? Do you think Hollywood blockbusters are static? If you're slow on one step, you'll be slow on every step. In this era of commercial films, who's going to stand still and wait for you to develop?"

"Talking about these things is too profound~"

Zeng Zhiwei waved his hand, unwilling to delve deeper into the topic. He took out the 'Schindler's List' from his pocket, shook it, and smiled at Tan Jiaming: "But rather than letting Hollywood blockbusters by white devils destroy the entertainment industry in Taiwan, why not let them switch to Hong Kong? They'll be one family with the same ancestry, so why bother with the AB distinction anymore?"

"What's coming from?"

Patrick Tam took the list with a puzzled look, glanced at it and found that it was full of well-known Taiwanese filmmakers. He joked, "Is this a list of people to be executed?"

"Almost done~ The big boss instructed me to poach everyone on this list and bring them back to 91 Entertainment."

Zeng Zhiwei winked at Tan Jiaming, and seeing the expected look of surprise on the other's face, he put his arm around Tan's back and continued to laugh, "What a coincidence that you're working for Chu Yen-ping! Let's ask this king of commercial films, who's known as the most profitable filmmaker in Taiwan, to come out and chat for a bit~"

……

The film crew in Jiufen, a mountain town, temporarily stopped work and took a break after Tan Jiaming was pulled into a car by Zeng Zhiwei.

As the Toyota sedan drove out of the street, Tan Jiaming, still sitting in the car, was shocked by Boss Zhai's extravagant spending.

He repeatedly looked through the list in his hand, and couldn't help but shake his head and sigh: "So it really is an execution list, but this bullet is aimed at the entire entertainment industry of Taiwan."

Even with the impact of Hollywood blockbusters, Taiwanese films have been struggling to survive, like an elderly person relying on oxygen to stay afloat. However, Zhai Yuan's move today is like cutting off the lifeline of the industry, almost severing the oxygen supply to the island's entertainment sector.

"You can't say it like that. Taiwanese filmmakers who are willing to switch sides at least have work and money. Mr. Zhai's 'gun of kindness' only fires kind bullets, after all."

After Zeng Zhiwei finished speaking with a chubby smile, he turned to Tan Jiaming and asked, "Oh right, I forgot to ask you, what's the name of the movie you and Zhu Yanping are working on this time? Mr. Zhai said that if the producers and directors from Taiwan are willing to switch sides, we'll book their screenings in Hong Kong on October 1024th, and we'll meet every now and then. That's the perfect offer for him."

"These conditions are really..." Tan Jiaming clicked his tongue, finding it both funny and absurd.

Unfortunately, the term "Hui-Taiwan" had not yet become popular at that time, otherwise Tan Jiaming would have blurted it out.

In an effort to poach Taiwanese filmmakers and dilute their own screening share in Hong Kong, only 91 Entertainment, which monopolizes the DVD distribution market, dares to do this. Otherwise, even a single-sector cinema giant would be dragged down by a backlog of films due to high production volume in no time.

Leaving aside the official entertainment departments and big bosses of production companies in Taiwan, for individual Taiwanese filmmakers, 91 Entertainment is now doing charity.

After sighing, Patrick Tam pondered for a moment and said, "The film I'm working on with Chu Yen-ping this time is called 'Snow Is Burning,' a typical Taiwanese commercial film about adultery and murder. The story is a little less innovative, but with some polishing, it's enough to get 1024 screenings."

“Okay~” Zeng Zhiwei nodded with a smile: “If Zhu Yanping is willing to switch sides, his film ‘Snow Is Burning’ will be the first Mandarin film to be released on October 1024th… So, Brother Jiaming, please polish it up as much as possible, and make this film a hit. After that, I will recruit and hire people based on this list, and I don’t think I will have to spend too much time talking.”

Upon hearing this, Tam Ka-ming vaguely sensed that with the closure of the Freedom Society and the establishment of the Film Association, the balance of power in the Hong Kong and Taiwan film industries would be reversed. He rubbed his face vigorously, never expecting that the story of "Snow Is Burning," which he and Chu Yen-ping had hastily discussed, would become the catalyst for changing this situation.

Looking at the street scene flashing past the window, Tan Jiaming sighed and grinned at Zeng Zhiwei: "So you want me to be the stepping stone, but I don't know if Zhu Yanping has the guts to offer this first pledge of allegiance."

The director of this film, "Snow Is Burning," is Patrick Tam, and the producer is Chu Yen-ping, but the investor behind it is the renowned Scholars Ltd. in Taiwan.

The scholar's boss, Cai Songlin, is one of the top private film companies and also has a gang background.

In a parallel universe, Cai Songlin is even the behind-the-scenes financier of Xu Jiaqiang's "Yongsheng Entertainment".

"That's true. Even if Zhu Yanping is tempted, it depends on whether Boss Cai is willing to release him."

Zeng Zhiwei nodded slightly, then flashed his signature slick smile: "But it doesn't matter. We small fry will deal with small fry. As for big fish like Cai Songlin, of course, Mr. Zhai, with his even bigger fish, will handle the negotiations..."

…………

"I'm sorry, Mr. Cai, the person in charge of Zhonggang Communications just sent a message saying that Samsung Group of South Korea has some business issues they would like Mr. Zhai to decide. Mr. Zhai is currently on the phone with them and cannot come in person, so he specially instructed me to entertain you. Please forgive me if there is anything impolite about this."

A few days ago, on the eve of the Golden Horse Awards ceremony, Lin Dengfei of China Film Group hosted a banquet for Zhai Yuan. When Zhai Yuan publicly claimed that he wanted to start a "New Freedom Association", Cai Songlin, a big spender from Taiwan, had already witnessed the arrogant and domineering style of this boss Zhai.

He never expected that when he came to visit today, he would be turned away and not even get to see the person in question. They just made up some excuse to leave this entertainment tycoon on the sidelines.

Ironically, the pretext they came up with was quite reasonable. Zhai Yuan's collaboration with Samsung in the Hong Kong-China telecommunications sector, or his semiconductor business with Japan, had already been extensively publicized by the Taiwanese newspaper "September 1st Daily." From any perspective, these projects were far more substantial than the small-scale ventures in the film industry, so prioritizing one over the other was perfectly normal.

In the open-air garden of Zhishan Villa, Cai Songlin, dressed in a sharp suit, sat at a table with a refined smile on his face.

"Miss Shi, you're too kind. Mr. Zhai has a big business deal to do, how could he be so impolite?"

At the age of forty, Cai Songlin had a square face, slightly high cheekbones, and a well-defined jawline, making him a typical handsome man from Fujian Province. In his speech, he did not seem like a gangster, but rather had a refined and scholarly air.

Looking at the two women sitting opposite him, Shi Nansheng and Xu Anhua, Cai Songlin's smile remained unchanged. He half-jokingly said, "Besides, today I not only met the female strategist of Jiu Yi Entertainment, but also reunited with Sister Hua, the benefactor of my Scholar Company. It is I, Cai, who should be talking about honor!"

In the early 1980s, less than two years after its founding in Taiwan, Scholar Film Company first managed to carve out a niche for itself among struggling private film studios with a copycat film called "Strange Fist, Strange Moves, Strange Master". It was only after acquiring the rights to Ann Hui's "Bumping into the Street" that it became a box office hit in Taiwan, which allowed the company to finally establish itself in the film industry.

At that time, Scholar Film Company still had several shareholders. Cai Songlin overcame all objections to acquire the copyright of "Bumping into the Right Place". This not only turned the company around but also squeezed out the other shareholders, led by Liang Liang, the deputy secretary-general of the Taiwan Film Critics Association. He turned Scholar Film Company into his own business. To some extent, calling Ann Hui a "benefactor" was a deliberate attempt to get closer to her, but it was not without purpose.

"Mr. Cai is still so polite when he speaks."

Ann Hui smiled and waved her hands repeatedly, saying sincerely, "During the years I was blacklisted by the Freedom Association, it was only because scholars bought the copyrights of those films that I was able to pay the rent. You have more benefactors than me."

Upon hearing this, Cai Songlin couldn't help but exchange pleasantries. After the pleasantries were over, he turned his gaze to Shi Nansheng's face again and said with a smile, "Ms. Shi, you've been in the film industry for so many years, as you know. In the past, when Hong Kong films were distributed in Taiwan, it was always just a few film companies like us who paid for the exclusive rights. Especially us academics, we bought up all the Hong Kong film rights every year within the number of films allowed by the government. We also had quite good relationships with various companies in the past."

Mr. Zhai is now a young and accomplished individual, with a significant influence in the Hong Kong film industry. He has proposed uniting film talents from both Hong Kong and Taiwan for collaborative development. I don't know what others think, but I, Mr. Cai, wholeheartedly support this initiative. I also hope that our Scholar Film Company can continue to cooperate more closely with 91 Entertainment in the future, working together to contribute to the film industry in the Chinese-speaking world. This was my original intention in founding Scholar Film Company.”

Shi Nansheng nodded in deep agreement, his eyes filled with admiration, clearly impressed by Cai Songlin's noble artistic sentiments.

However, I was already rolling my eyes inwardly.

Today, lifting martial law on Taiwan is an inevitable policy. With the curfew lifted, even the country folk in the south of the island have started partying every night. The booming entertainment industry is an inevitable trend, and for all those involved, it is like a gold mine waiting to be mined.

Cai Songlin's motivation for the film is fake; his real motivation is money.

Seeing that 91 Entertainment was gradually monopolizing Hong Kong's film resources, he was worried about what reason to visit them and curry favor. Coincidentally, his younger brother Zhu Yanping brought news today, giving him the opportunity to take the initiative to contact them.

Is the Hong Kong Film Association's plan to recruit film talent from Taiwan putting the island's entertainment industry in jeopardy?

What business is it of my Scholar Film Company?!
At that time, apart from a handful of film studios including the Central Motion Picture Corporation, who in Taiwan would use an all-Taiwanese cast to make a film? It was obvious that nine out of ten films made there would lose money!
To make money from producing films, from head to toe, from directors to actors, one still needs Hong Kong filmmakers to uphold the reputation.

Not to mention private companies like Scholar Film Company, which, like other film companies, actually profit from distribution and investment. Films from Hollywood and Japan account for 50% of their revenue, while the remaining half comes entirely from Hong Kong films.

"To be honest, Mr. Cai, I met with Mr. Xu from Xiehe Company just two days ago."

Shi Nansheng hesitated for a moment, then gave Cai Songlin a troubled smile: "Mr. Xu's company has also made a lot of contributions to the distribution of Hong Kong films in Taiwan in the past. This time, they are the first film distributor to take the initiative to stand up for the Hong Kong Film Association in the 'September 1st Daily'. Mr. Zhai is very satisfied and has agreed to sign five of our company's films with Concorde, hoping to release them during the Lunar New Year season at the end of the year..."

"Xu Anjin from Peking Union Medical College Hospital?"

Upon hearing this name, Cai Songlin unconsciously frowned.

As a tycoon in the publishing industry, Cai Songlin is all too aware of today's market trends.

When 91 Entertainment's "Mr. Vampire" became a huge hit, it led to 90% of the film crews in Taiwan starting to shoot zombie movies. Actors dressed in Qing Dynasty official robes were jumping around everywhere, so much so that the police stations in Taiwan were frequently receiving calls from citizens who claimed that certain areas were haunted or haunted by zombies, giving rise to a lot of urban legends.

Then, two more heavyweight films, "The Silence of the Lambs" and "God of Gamblers," ignited the sluggish film market. These were the first films released in Taiwan by 91 Entertainment after the collapse of the Freedom Society. Maggie Cheung became an overnight sensation in Taiwan, and Stephen Chow's popularity rivaled that of Chen Shilong. The box office was almost on par with Hollywood blockbusters.

Unfortunately, both films were released in Taiwan through the distribution channels of Jiahe and Zhaoshi. The Hong Kong films were left untouched, and these private film distributors didn't even get a sip of the soup.

Looking at these film distributors in Taiwan today, they all outwardly express indignation at Zhai Yuan's arrogant remarks, but privately they all desperately want to get into the Hong Kong Film Association.

Regardless of whether 91 Entertainment will produce another blockbuster like "God of Gamblers" in the future, just right now, if they can acquire the distribution rights to the other party's previous films such as "A Better Tomorrow," "Project Gutenberg," "God of Gamblers," and "The Host," which have stood the test of the market, they will definitely be able to secure their position as the leading film distributor in Taiwan.

What kind of person is Xu Anjin?
Looking at Formosa Publishing Company, it is nothing more than the worst of the worst. Does it think that by being the first to pledge loyalty, it can soar to new heights?
(End of this chapter)