So what if I work with celebrities?

The premiere of "New Fist of Fury" was held at Cathay Cinema, whose largest theater can accommodate over a thousand people at the same time, making it one of Taipei's top theaters.

Jackie Chan led his stuntmen in a martial arts performance at the theater entrance. On the left, lion dancers were playing with a ball, while on the right, fist and foot kung fu was displayed with great power, creating a lively scene.

Luo Wei also invited some veteran stars from Taiwan, such as Qingshan and Xie Lei, to play the nostalgia card, which attracted countless long-time fans.

Xu Zan wasn't doing this to give Luo Wei face, but to support Cheng Long. He took the opportunity to chat with him for a few minutes, basically saying that he had high hopes for Luo Wei but not for Cheng Long.

Although movies are cloaked in the guise of art, they are ultimately commercial products. They cannot win acclaim simply through excitement or singing.

The most crucial factor is still the quality of the film.

Wang Yu only reappeared in the public eye after the court issued the fine. He made a big show of it, sending flower baskets and bringing more than a dozen of his underlings to support him at the movie screening.

"Brother, don't even mention it. Ever since I came back last month, I've been doing community service, serving tea and water to a bunch of old guys. It's killing me. These guys are deliberately making things difficult for me!"

"This matter could be a big deal or a small deal. If it weren't for the fact that you're a big star, you might have to go to Green Island to study!" Xu Zan joked.

"Ha~" Wang Yu nodded helplessly, "I have a villa in Yangmingshan. Don't think it's too small. If it weren't for my brother's help, I would have been really embarrassed this time."

Xu Zan didn't stand on ceremony. The villa was estimated to be worth over two million, but it was what he deserved.

Wang Yu is quite loyal, and he gave Xu Zan 5% of the shares in his real estate company, so Xu Zan could get a few hundred thousand yuan every year.

"Brother Wang, I made a promise to an official that I would let some of my juniors go to the counties and cities below to develop, and I urgently need your help with the project."

"No problem, it's just a matter of advance funding! I'll definitely do a great job on the project. Don't worry, your fellow townsman is my fellow townsman!" Wang Yu patted his chest and assured him.

The reason Xu Zan secretly sponsored fellow Shandong natives to go to lower-level counties and cities was that some of the big places were already in the pockets of high-ranking officials from other provinces.

Therefore, the only option is to adopt a strategy of "encircling the cities from the countryside" and strengthen the penetration of Confucian culture to counter the local religious culture of small counties and cities.

It has to be said that Taiwan is a rather chaotic place. The majority of the population is of Hokkien descent, and their folk rituals and practices are particularly prevalent, compounded by Christianity.

It's not easy to gain a foothold in a hodgepodge of random things.

People from Shandong are good at Confucianism, and with the addition of business design, they should be able to establish themselves. As for the future, it depends on the overall situation.

However, Hsu Tsan is well aware that the current leader is vigorously promoting the so-called "anti-Taiwan youth" campaign, allowing certain forces to enter the upper echelons, which will ultimately lead to the loss of power.

Xu Zan sat in the theater and watched this imitation of Bruce Lee's "New Fist of Fury," and could only say that it was extremely ugly.

It's 1976 now, but the overall choreography and plot still feel like something from five years ago. How can the audience possibly accept that?

The occupancy rate was 60%, but by the afternoon it had dropped to less than 30%.

If it weren't for Luo Wei's connection with Cathay, this show would probably have been taken off the air immediately.

In the afternoon, Xu Zan went to a post-production outsourcing company, took a look at the rough cut prepared by the editor, made some adjustments, and then met with the company manager.

"Make sure someone is on hand to watch over the film and prevent any problems!"

"Don't worry, Director Xu, this place is remote, not many people come here!" Manager Jiao Yinghui told him that there were people specifically looking after it. "By the time I get back from my business trip, it will basically be finished!"

……

The three-day film showcase at the Golden Horse Awards has come to an end. Few films in the exhibition area were sold, as most companies have their own connections.

Few companies may have resources in the North American market, but they still have many connections in Southeast Asia and Japan.

Hu Yinmeng told Xu Zan that Mei Changling was waiting for him at a coffee shop, and the two quickly drove there.

Mei Changling seemed to be in a good mood. "What would you like to drink?"

He told Xu Zan that the Golden Horse Awards were brought forward this time because China Film Group wanted to quell negative public opinion and use a new event to dilute the so-called unspoken rules.

"Someone is using this as an excuse to cause trouble. If you don't deliver a satisfactory answer, both of us will be in trouble. You should understand what I mean."

"Chairman Mei, don't worry, I've seen the rough cut, it's fantastic, absolutely beyond the audience's expectations," Xu Zan said.

"That's good. By the way, don't be discouraged if you don't win an award. You have a long road ahead of you." Mei Changling gave him and Hu Yinmeng a deep look before leaving with his secretary.

He didn't win an award, probably because the Golden Horse Awards committee had already announced the results. Someone like Mei Changling, who controls a lot of resources in the Taiwanese film industry, how could he not know? The awards are practically decided by his word.

"Brother Zan, the internal power struggles within China Film Group are fierce, Chairman Mei, he..." Hu Yinmeng didn't finish her sentence.

"I know that choosing either the old leader or the young deputy will easily offend the other. But a local official is worse than a distant one."

Xu Zan's vision is not so narrow as to confine himself to the internal workings of China Film Group; his sights are set on the real upper echelons.

As long as that person is pleased, no matter who the Central Film Studio replaces, can they make things difficult for him?

These past few days, filming for "Destined to Be Favored" has wrapped up, and Chen Yaoyi has returned to Taiwan with the crew to begin post-production.

After returning, Brigitte Lin immediately went to Panda Entertainment Company, carrying large bags and small packages, including some Hong Kong specialty snacks.

I also bought a lot of men's clothes, both inside and out, including suits, shirts, belts, and leather shoes. I'm just missing underwear.

Looking in the mirror, Xu Zan had to admit that the clothes were of very good quality, and they looked very sharp and handsome on him, making him look like a business elite from a movie.

"Brother Zan, I bought this from a long-established tailor shop. The owner used to make suits for people like Cheung Wok-hoi and Marlon Brando." Lin Qingxia buttoned up his clothes and straightened his collar.

"Unfortunately, the owner suffered a stroke, and now his son is running the business."

Xu Zan vaguely remembered that the father of a certain Hong Kong star was a tailor, but she couldn't remember who it was for the moment.

"How was your trip over the past month?"

"Sigh! How boring. Director Chen's directing is not as good as yours. I wish you were in Hong Kong." Brigitte Lin opened a bag of candy and was about to throw it into her mouth.

Xu Zan grabbed it, "You need to eat less sugar, if you don't want your looks to ruin before you're thirty!"

"Huh? Eating candy will make you ugly?" Lin Qingxia spat out the piece of candy in her mouth and rinsed her mouth with water.

After she ran back, she subtly inquired about Xu Zan's next film and whether there was a female lead in the cast.

Xu Zan naturally has plans for his next film; he will definitely be filming "Snake in the Eagle's Shadow" and "Drunken Master" next year.

As for art-house romance films, they can't be released either. Taking advantage of the booming manufacturing industry in Taiwan and the period when female workers have purchasing power, we would miss a great opportunity if we didn't make films on this subject.

This year, "Miss Granny" got off to a great start, but other film companies followed suit, only to produce poorly made versions. They thought musicals would be a hit, but all ten or so of their films flopped.

Seeing the huge success of "The 36th Chamber of Shaolin," Guo Nanhong followed up with a film called "The Eighteen Bronze Men of Shaolin Temple." The plot was too cliché, but he still made some money.

……

At the Golden Horse Awards ceremony, the host was Ding Maoshi. After a series of performances by various celebrities, he announced the list of winners.

At first, they were all small awards, such as the Special Award for Most Significant Achievement in Representing the Times, Best Documentary Planning, and Best Art Direction for a Color Film.

Then, starting with Best Sound Recording, "Plum Blossom" went on to win awards, including Best Music for a Non-Opera Film, Best Cinematography for a Color Film, Best Screenplay...

"Oh, next up is Best Director. The nominees are Liu Jiachang for *Plum Blossom*; Jin Han for *Tears of Blood and Love*; Li Xing for *Azure Sky*; and Xu Zan for *Strange Girl*!"

As Ding Maoshi called out the names, the nominated directors would stand up and wave, and the spotlight would shine on them.

Xiao Fangfang whispered to Qin Xianglin, "Who do you think will win the championship?"

"Uh... Li Xing."

"Is Xu Zan not suitable?"

"Maybe it will work?" Qin Xianglin said uncertainly.