Huayu 1999: Starting with nothing but getting something for nothing

What a pleasant surprise! Of course, Berna has just been established and needs to make a name for itself in the industry, so Yu Dong must be working like crazy to release it. How can this not be a happy event?

For Yang Che, this news was the biggest gain from his visit to the Shanxi Provincial Film Studio today.

"You young man, you speak so cautiously and deliberately, that's not good. You should speak appropriately for your age. Don't be afraid of making mistakes, especially since you're an artist."

Yang Che smiled and said, "I've always been a slow learner."

Li Shuihe smiled and said, "Ulan told me about the reform of China Film Group today. She said it was all things you mentioned, which is why she invited you here to talk."

Yang Che glanced at Ulan Tana: "Oh."

"I think what you said is very good. The national box office has now fallen to around 8 million yuan, with fewer than 100 films produced annually. Film studios have production rights but no money, while private capital has money but no avenues for investment—like when you tried to buy a studio logo. Reform is imperative, but it's difficult. Do you have any concrete ideas?"

As Li Shuihe spoke, his eyes were fixed on Yang Che.

Yang Che paused for a moment, then shook his head vigorously. He had no intention of getting involved in the historical tide, not even in the small film industry.

"Just chatting."

"Director Li, I'm a self-taught writer; I learned scriptwriting techniques on the job. How could I possibly have a deep understanding of the industry? But I think you don't need to worry too much, Director Li. I heard that the WTO accession negotiations included the import of Hollywood films, right? That's like a catfish..."

Ulan Tana couldn't help but ask, "Yang Che, what are you thinking? After Taiwan allowed Hollywood movies to run freely, Hong Kong movies went downhill, not to mention their local films."

Yang Che glanced at Li Shuihe and saw him smiling and watching the show. He said, "This is not the same thing. The nature is different, the market size is different, and more importantly, Sister Tana, you must believe in the ability of Chinese filmmakers and the wisdom of the leaders."

These words made Li Shuihe and Wulantana's lips twitch uncontrollably.

However, the topic was not discussed further.

It was the early morning of November 15, 1999, the 25th and final round of negotiations between China and the United States regarding China's accession to the WTO.

At that time, there were still 7 issues that could not be resolved, including the film import project.

The US plane is confirmed to fly back to the US on the morning of the 15th. This may be a pressure tactic, or it may be that the US has really run out of patience.

With time running out and neither side willing to compromise, the negotiations reached a stalemate.

Therefore, the negotiation team adopted the strategy of "agreeing to the first three, then issuing an ultimatum: if you don't concede on the last four, then forget it."

Then the 15-year marathon of rejoining GATT and joining the WTO came to an end, and China's economy officially took off.

(You can search for this process yourself; I can't go into too much detail here, but in short, you can see the older generation's forbearance, pressure, and decisiveness.)

Later, those involved recalled: "The four issues we insisted on not giving up on, such as automobile trade, were our bottom line. This reflects our judgment on priorities. At that juncture, someone had to make a decision and seize the fleeting historical opportunity; otherwise, we don't know how many more years we would have had to wait."

The reason I'm telling you all these stories is to say that I truly, truly value film and have put in a lot of effort for it.

The US demands are: a significant increase in import quotas and permission for wholly-owned cinemas and distribution companies.

The end result was that the exclusive right to approve imported films was maintained, the quota was expanded only slightly, and what some people called a ridiculous "domestic film protection month" emerged...

Furthermore, this negotiation served as a "reverse incentive," finally prompting a change in the cultural voices that had remained unmoved for over a decade.

After China officially joined the WTO, the cinema chain system was also officially implemented.

In the following eight years, the number of movie screens in China increased from less than two thousand to nearly one hundred thousand, and local film studios were completely relegated to the dustbin of history.

But things in this world are always unpredictable.

…………

Let's get back to the main topic.

Li Shuihe gave Yu Dong his phone number and said he would let him know in advance.

Yang Che actually wanted Han Sanye, the current director of the Beijing Film Studio—no, not yet Han Sanye, but Director Han's phone number.

When it comes to getting to know someone, is it important to be yourself? Not really, the person who recommends you is the most important.

But what gives Li Shuihe the right to do so?

Yang Che wisely refrained from mentioning it, chatted for a few more minutes, and then left after arranging to meet Ulan Tana in the capital.

In the following days, Yang Che helped his parents find a shop on Yingze Street, 55 square meters, with a monthly rent of 1500 yuan and a three-year lease.

Yang Che had intended to find a source of MP3 players, but found that there were none available. However, he did manage to contact portable music players, educational devices, and language repeaters. These were from reputable manufacturers and sourced from Huaqiangbei, with considerable profits.

Take a tape recorder as an example. The purchase price is 45 yuan per unit, and the selling price is 150 yuan. Of course, some tapes or something will be given away for free, but that's only worth 10 yuan at most. That means the gross profit per unit is nearly 100 yuan.

Nowadays, there isn't a single store in Longcheng that sells language repeaters...

Well, before "My Sassy Girl" even had a chance to secure sponsorship, the distribution deal for Mom's repeater was already sorted out.

In short, the parents used all their savings of 5 yuan to open this store, but it wasn't enough; they were still short 2 yuan for the goods. When they were about to borrow from relatives and colleagues, Yang Che stopped them.

"Don't owe her a favor. I estimate Mom will earn back that 20,000 in less than two months."

After another round of explanations, Wang Weiqing, the mother, still accepted her son's 30,000 yuan, um... an extra 10,000 yuan as emergency funds.

Besides his parents' affairs, Yang Che also went to Wangfeng Coal Mine to "report on his work" to Fan Zeping.

I also contacted the people introduced by Ulan Tana, but we didn't talk in detail. We just agreed to meet in Beijing to talk.

And so, on the morning of July 20th, with his parents watching him go, Yang Che, who had already obtained the filming permit (script filing receipt), boarded the train to Beijing.

Hmm... I left the starting village with my savings account of 396 million.