A century-old wealthy family that rose from Shanghai

As the second-in-command of the production department at Times Pictures, Zhong Yuanguang was sitting in his office, looking rather uneasy.

In the nearly two years since he joined the production department, he has become a laughing stock in the department for pushing 'Jack Cheng'. Even so, he does represent the Chen family.

But this time it's different. Jack Cheng has already finished filming "Snake in the Eagle's Shadow" and it will be released at the end of February. Behind this film is Ms. Chen Mengyi pushing for it. If it fails, it will undoubtedly ruin Sir Chen's 'succession plan'.

Of course, Chung Yuen-kwong was not without confidence this time. After all, Jack Cheng in "Snake in the Eagle's Shadow" was no longer "Bruce Lee's successor," but had found his own path.

"dong dong"

"Come in"

It was Jack Cheng who entered. He said respectfully, "Godfather, you wanted to see me?"

Zhong Yuanguang recognized Jack as his godson because Sir Chen had introduced him to him, and he trusted Sir Chen's judgment.

He handed the script for "Drunken Master" to Jack Cheng and said, "Jack, this is your next movie, and we will still fully support you this time!"

Jack, the "godfather," was moved.

Since joining Time Pictures, his godfather has supported him in making four films. The first three have flopped, and the fourth, "Snake in the Eagle's Shadow," is currently being promoted for release.

Unexpectedly, his godfather's support for him remained unchanged.

"These two scripts are different, so you'll definitely succeed. Just focus on filming and don't worry about anything else!"

"Yes, godfather!"

Zhong Yuanguang suddenly said, "By the way, Miss Chen will be the producer this time, so you better watch out."

Jack shrank back and laughed, "Don't even mention Miss Chen being the producer, I'd have to be careful no matter who's the producer."

Zhong Yuanguang nodded; that was the truth. However, he deliberately mentioned that Chen Mengyi would be the producer, merely to give a heads-up. At this time, many people at Era Pictures knew that Sir Chen's daughter had already worked in three departments in three years, clearly indicating that she was developing in the direction of becoming the successor.

In everyone's opinion, the Chen family may be intentionally taking back control of Era Films, which undoubtedly makes Sir John Chong, Raymond Chow and others somewhat uneasy.

Of course, many people believe that it is reasonable for the Chen family to take back Era Films, since the founder was Sir Chen and the major shareholder has always been Ping An Investment.

At this time, Raymond Chow, Robert Ho, and Leung Fung were also having a gathering at a tea restaurant.

During the conversation, Ho Kwun-cheung said, "Man-wai, Chung Sze-yuen has used a lot of resources to promote 'Snake in the Eagle's Shadow' in order to push Jack Cheng. It seems that he is determined to create a box office star! But I have some objections to the waste of resources like this!"

Raymond Chow looked thoughtful, and then said, "Zhong Shiyuan represents the Chen family, which I think everyone knows, so we can only support him, after all, we are just employees."

He Guanchang and Liang Feng immediately became serious; they had already considered one possibility.

Liang Feng said directly, "It seems that Sir Chen intends to support his daughter, but Miss Chen Mengyi has already gained experience in three departments over three years. If this continues, what will happen to us?"

Will he lose power to someone else?

Raymond Chow is currently the CEO and General Manager of Times Film Productions, wielding considerable power. Although theoretically there is a Chairman of the Board, Chuang Chu-kau, Chuang's focus is currently on his work at TVB, making Raymond Chow the undisputed head of Times Film Productions.

Meanwhile, Raymond Chow's partner, Robert Ho, was the head of the production department, and Leung Fung also held a senior management position, forming a professional management team.

Although they had always known that Times Pictures' real estate business was controlled by a force that seemed to be the 'Chen family', they had managed to keep things peaceful.

However, since the transfer of Zhong Shiyuan to the position of deputy director of the production department in the past two years, and the transfer of Chen Mengyi to the production department last year, it is clear that the Chen family is making arrangements.

After thinking for a moment, Raymond Chow said, "No matter what, we're all just employees. If the Chen family takes back control, it's unstoppable, since they hold 60% of the company's shares. However, I think our salaries are excellent, and Era Films is impeccable, so it's best not to think too much about it for a few years!"

Nowadays, Hong Kong cinema is basically monopolized by two major groups, and some independent film companies can only rely on these two companies. Therefore, Raymond Chow would absolutely not be willing to give up his current status and salary to start an independent film company.

He Guanchang nodded and said, "I didn't think much of it. It's just that Zhong Yuanguang's aggressive manner is a bit uncomfortable!"

Raymond Chow said, “As long as I’m here, you’ll be the head of the production department, so there’s no need to worry. Also, this time, ‘Snake in the Eagle’ is a bit different and may achieve good results. In addition, Ms. Chen Mengyi will be the producer of Jack’s next film. You should support her work; she is very capable.”

"Okay, I understand!"

February 21, Saturday night.

The streets of Mong Kok were brightly lit, with vendors pushing their carts out one after another. The aroma of roasted chestnuts and the fresh scent of fish balls mingled with the evening breeze. The most bustling stall was the sugarcane stand on the street corner—dozens of young people in jackets and jeans were gathered around it, the famous "Sugarcane Biting Gang" of Hong Kong cinema. They gnawed on the sweet sugarcane while chatting and smoking, naturally discussing tonight's highlight at the Times Cinema: the midnight screening of "Snake in the Eagle's Shadow."

"I heard it's that 'Bruce Lee successor' again? His previous movies were so bad they were unwatchable. I hope he doesn't waste his money on the movie ticket again tonight!" A young man with dyed blond hair spat out sugarcane residue, his tone sarcastic.

"It's hard to say. I heard from the theater staff that this time the style is different, it's going for a humorous approach." Another boy wearing glasses pushed up his glasses, still clutching the movie ticket he had just bought. "Anyway, midnight screenings are cheaper, so it won't hurt to watch it."

A group of people chatted and laughed, chewing on half-eaten sugarcane, as they walked toward the Mong Kok Cinema, owned by the Times Cinema chain—unaware that their "casual viewing" was about to witness the comeback of a kung fu film.

At this moment, in the back row of the theater, Yuen Woo-ping and Jack Cheng were huddled in their seats, deliberately pulling their hat brims down low. Yuen Woo-ping was wearing a simple jacket, his palms were sweaty—this was his first time directing a film independently, and although Ng See-yuen was guiding him, he still couldn't help but feel nervous in front of a full audience.

He secretly glanced at Jack Cheng beside him. Jack's hand, which was gripping popcorn, was so tight that his knuckles were white, and his lips were pressed into a thin line. Three movies had flopped in a row, turning him from "Bruce Lee's successor" into a laughing stock in the industry. Tonight's midnight screening was almost his last chance.

The so-called midnight screenings are essentially a "litmus test" before a film's official release—if the audience reaction is poor, the production team still has time to re-edit or even reshoot; but if it can't even hold up in midnight screenings, the film is basically doomed to failure. As the lights dimmed and the screen lit up, both of them were on tenterhooks.

At the beginning of the film, Jack Cheng's character "Jian Fu" appears dressed in coarse cloth shorts and with messy hair. He's not the imposing knight-errant of traditional kung fu films, but rather a lazy, cunning street urchin. When he's punished by his master and secretly makes faces at a pillar, the first burst of laughter comes from the audience. When he spars with his opponent and doesn't use hard, forceful moves, but instead defuses the crisis with humorous actions like "monkey stealing peaches" and "slipping away on grease," the entire audience erupts in laughter. Even the "sugarcane-biting gang" in the front row forgets to eat their sugarcane and laughs uncontrollably, slapping their thighs. There are no dull philosophical lines, no deliberate imitations of Bruce Lee's roars, only hard-hitting kung fu paired with down-to-earth comedic scenes—Jian Fu gets beaten black and blue by the villain, but still stubbornly insists, "I let you win on purpose"; he hides in the woodshed to practice his kung fu, accidentally knocks over an oil drum, and gets covered in oil like a little kitten... Every scene hits the audience's funny bone, yet doesn't lose the thrill of a kung fu movie.

In the back row, Yuen Woo-ping gradually loosened his clenched fist, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up—he could clearly hear that there was no mockery in the audience's laughter, only pure joy; the occasional comments were all about "this kung fu is interesting" and "much better than previous kung fu movies".

He glanced at Jack Cheng, whose eyes were shining and who was nodding slightly along with the audience's laughter, his previous tension completely gone.

When the film ended and Jane Fook defeated the villain with "Snake in the Eagle's Shadow," and the word "The End" appeared on the screen, the entire audience fell silent for a few seconds—then thunderous applause erupted, some people whistled, and others shouted "One more time!"

The young members of the "Sugarcane Biting Gang" stood up and applauded, with the blond boy shouting at the screen, "Jack Cheng! This time you finally did it right!"

Taking advantage of the applause, Yuen Woo-ping and Jack Cheng quietly slipped out of the theater through a side door. Standing on the street in Mong Kok, the evening breeze blowing on their faces, the two smiled at each other, their eyes slightly red.

"It's done...we really did it!" Yuen Woo-ping's voice trembled. To receive such a response for his first time directing, all the pressure vanished in that moment.

Jack nodded vigorously, speechless—from being questioned as "unreliable" to tonight's laughter and applause, he had finally broken free from the shackles of being "Bruce Lee's successor" and found his own path of "humorous kung fu." He looked up at the illuminated sign in the theater, with only one thought in his mind: Tomorrow, no one will laugh at him anymore.

Just as "Snake in the Eagle's Shadow" was sweeping the Hong Kong film industry, a government land auction concerning the future of the real estate market was underway at the Hong Kong government's main venue.

In 1975, Hong Kong's real estate market had only "slightly recovered." Of the 37 square feet of land auctioned throughout the year, most were industrial land, and the government's total revenue was just over HK$6000 million, averaging less than HK$200 per square foot.

At the start of 1976, the market showed different signs. The first few residential land parcels sold at the government land auction today had reached HK$400 to HK$500 per square foot. Many real estate developers said: "Hong Kong real estate is really recovering."

The auction hall was packed, with heads or representatives of major Hong Kong real estate developers all present: Lu Xiaoqing (head of Cheung Kong Property Holdings) of Cheung Kong Group, Huang Tingfang and his son of Sino Land, Cheng Yu-tung of New World Development, Kwok Tak-seng of Sun Hung Kai Properties, Lee Shau-kee of Henderson Land Development... Everyone's eyes were fixed on the auctioneer on the stage, especially when the information about the "Tsim Sha Tsui East commercial land" was announced, the atmosphere at the scene instantly became intense.

"The next plot of land to be auctioned is located in the Tsim Sha Tsui East Reclamation Area. It has an area of ​​3.1 square feet and a buildable floor area of ​​33 square feet. The starting price is HK$6000 million, and each bid must be at least HK$10!" As soon as the auctioneer finished speaking, a murmur of discussion broke out in the room.

Tsim Sha Tsui East, an area formed by land reclamation in the 1970s, has a total area of ​​about 170 million square feet. At that time, it was still a mudflat - no shops, no houses, and not even a few decent roads.

Acquiring this plot of land means starting "from scratch," requiring not only significant upfront investment but also the risk of "the business remaining sluggish after completion."

Many real estate developers frowned, wondering, "Is a starting price of 6000 million too high?"

The Wong Ting-fong family of Sino Land, however, had their eyes shining. As representatives of Southeast Asian conglomerates developing in Hong Kong, they had always been optimistic about the scarcity of land in Hong Kong—although Tsim Sha Tsui East was currently quiet, it would eventually become a new business center as Hong Kong expanded eastward. More importantly, they judged that the competition on site would not be too fierce, and they might be able to "snag" this plot of land at a bargain price.

"6100 million!" Huang Zhixiang (son of Huang Tingfang) was the first to raise his paddle, his tone somewhat tentative.

"6200 million!" Lu Xiaoqing matched the offer without hesitation, his face showing no sign of wavering.

The instructions he received from Chan Man-kit were very clear: "Acquire this plot of land; this is the first step for Cheung Kong in its expansion into Tsim Sha Tsui East."

The subsequent bidding became a "two-person game" between Cheung Kong and Sino Land:
"6500 million!" Huang Zhixiang gritted his teeth, trying to force his opponent to back down by raising the price.

"6600 million!" Lu Xiaoqing remained calm, raising his paddle without slowing down at all.

Real estate developers and media reporters at the scene held their breath—according to the rules of Hong Kong's real estate market, if the transaction price of a "land king" is 4% higher than the reserve price (i.e., HK$8400 million), it means that the real estate market has officially recovered; if it is higher than 7% (i.e., HK$1.02 million), it is a sure sign of a "booming market".
As the price steadily approached 8400 million, the discussions at the scene grew louder and louder.

“8000 million!” Lu Xiaoqing’s voice was clear and strong. This price was 33% higher than the reserve price and only 400 million away from the “recovery line”.

Huang Zhixiang looked at his father, Huang Tingfang, his eyes full of inquiry. Huang Tingfang gently shook his head—he had his own calculations: there were still twenty or thirty plots of land in Tsim Sha Tsui East waiting to be auctioned. If the price was driven up too high now, it would be difficult to acquire land at a lower price later. Moreover, as a Hong Kong real estate behemoth, Cheung Kong's financial strength far surpassed that of Sino Land. Going head-on would only result in losses.

"8020 million!"

Huang Zhixiang made a few final bids.

"8500 million!"

Lu Xiaoqing immediately raised the price by 20, his voice filled with unwavering determination.

Huang Tingfang gave up completely and shook her head at her son.

The auctioneer called out three times in a row: "8500 million for the first bid! 8500 million for the second bid! 8500 million for the third bid! Sold!"

The moment the hammer fell, applause erupted in the room—HK$8500 million, 41.7% higher than the reserve price, far exceeding the "recovery threshold"! This means that Hong Kong's real estate market has officially bid farewell to its slump and entered a new growth cycle.

As the event ended, many real estate developers surrounded Lu Xiaoqing to congratulate him. One of them asked curiously, "Mr. Lu, why is Cheung Kong so optimistic about Tsim Sha Tsui East? It's still just mudflats there!"

Lu Xiaoqing responded with a smile: "Yes, once we establish a business, everyone will be more willing to invest!"

Everyone laughed. Lu Xiaoqing meant that Cheung Kong Holdings could invest first, and if everyone thought it was good, they could invest later.

This reflects both Cheung Kong's domineering presence and its desire to "get along harmoniously" with its real estate colleagues.

Back at Cheung Kong Holdings, Chen Wenjie was in a good mood upon learning that he had secured the property for 8500 million.

"Next, we just need to wait for the adjacent land to be auctioned off, and then we can make comprehensive plans together!"

Lu Xiaoqing said, "The Hong Kong government may not auction off the adjacent site next time, but may auction off other sites in order to drive up the price of land in Tsim Sha Tsui East."

"It's alright, we at Changshi have plenty of patience and strength."

Lu Xiaoqing nodded. Unbeknownst to him, the second generation of the Chen family had become increasingly stable. (End of Chapter)