So what if I work with celebrities?

Lu Weizhen is the owner of a cinema chain in Taichung. It turns out that he also has a distant cousin, which is why his business is thriving and he is undisturbed.

Unfortunately, my cousin angered someone and ended up in jail.

After making numerous inquiries, Lu Weizhen finally learned that it was the famous director Xu Zan.

Now, he lives in constant fear, terrified that one day he'll end up in jail too. "I should never have cheated him!"

In this era, the cinema business is all about profiting from both upstream and downstream partners.

Partnering with small film companies involves inflating box office figures and costs to maximize profits. When it comes to ticket pricing, good films see a slight increase of 5 yuan, while bad films see a significant decrease of 30 cents.

Its main theme is "Dedicated Service"!

Faced with a behemoth of a public transport system, one can simply sneak in without paying and make a little extra money.

These past few years, they've made a fortune distributing Taiwanese and Hong Kong films, but why haven't they mentioned Hollywood blockbusters?

Isn't it because we're afraid to lie to foreigners?

A while ago, the robbery of "The Eight Hundred Heroes" caused quite a stir. My nephew called and said that he wanted to open a film company and run a movie theater in Taipei.

Upon hearing this news, Lu Weizhen was so frightened that he couldn't sleep, fearing that his eldest nephew would tell his cousin, "Dad, I want this!"

With guidance from friends in the industry, he immediately set off from Taichung and rushed to Taipei overnight to attend the premiere of "The Eight Hundred Heroes".

Films produced by public entities, such as "Eternal Glory of Heroes," "The Great Motianling," and "Plum Blossom," all have guaranteed minimum income.

Local military personnel, civil servants, and teachers distribute movie tickets so that cinemas don't lose money. With their support, cinemas can make some money, more or less.

If you can build a good relationship with them, you might be able to get subsidies directly.

This time, "The Eight Hundred Heroes" is practically a pledge of allegiance. High-ranking police officers have all been arrested. Which theater owner would dare not show up to support it?

Lu Weizhen has seen many storms and thunderstorms over the years, but rarely has he seen a rainbow. If you want to avoid being struck by lightning, you have to pay tribute, whether it's US dollars or local specialties from the mountains.

Giving a token gesture doesn't guarantee success. But not giving a token gesture definitely means failure.

The premiere was held at the Panda Grand Theatre, which is the largest cinema under Xu Zan's company. It is one of the top cinemas on the entire island.

Panda Cinemas is quite interesting. While other smaller cinemas are located near densely populated residential areas, this largest cinema has complete commercial facilities.

The underground floor is a parking garage. The ground floor houses well-known Taiwanese, Hong Kong, and Japanese brands, as well as gold and jewelry, luxury watches, and cosmetics. The second floor features men's and women's clothing and footwear. The third floor offers restaurants and entertainment. The fourth floor is entirely dedicated to cinemas.

Lu Weizhen was picking out watches on the first floor when someone tapped him on the shoulder.

"Yan Ji?"

"Boss Lu, what a coincidence! I bet you're here for the premiere, right?" Yan Ji said with a smile.

This person is also a cinema owner in Tainan. Unlike Lu Weizhen, who opened cinemas in counties and cities, he opened cinemas in towns and cities, which is a kind of rural-to-urban approach.

The two were quite competitive. Lu Weizhen knew that Yan Ji would definitely open a movie theater in the county, so the two never got along.

"You want a propaganda video too?"

"Haha, I don't necessarily need other people's, but how could I miss out on such a great director as Director Xu? Hahaha!" Yan Ji laughed.

When they arrived at the elevator, they were stunned. There stood a row of men in suits standing at the elevator entrance, clearly from the military.

The two exchanged a glance, both knowingly thinking that some important person had come to conduct research.

ding dong~

The elevator doors opened, and Xu Zan and Mei Changling stepped out.

Lu and Yan greeted them, and the two nodded to them before leaving through the gate without pausing.

Not long after, a group of people walked in, with reporters and photographers recording the whole thing, and flashbulbs constantly going off.

Ilizalov entered with several officials. Instead of going straight to the elevator, he visited each shop with Xu Zan's help.

He chatted with these shop owners, discussing everything from customer traffic and product prices to the source of goods and customer needs. The important figure, with a smile, asked very detailed questions.

"How did you come up with the idea of ​​building an online store like this?"

"I studied the Chinese Department Store, but it integrated various business categories..."

Instead of taking the elevator directly to the fourth floor, the two took the escalator and explained the situation floor by floor.

Lu Weizhen and Yan Ji felt they had made the right decision to come; this kid was terrifyingly capable of inviting such a big shot.

"Hey, look at Ming-Chi from CMC Films, Taiwan Films... isn't that Miss Fang from Shao's? And those are the Ma brothers?"

Then all the capable people from various units arrived. The two of them counted them, and there were nearly a hundred of them.

They didn't dare take the elevator and instead went up the stairs. They were stopped at the entrance of Hall A, where two people searched them to make sure they didn't have any dangerous items before letting them through.

In the center of Hall A sat officials of all ranks, behind them were the bosses of major film companies, directors, and distributors, followed by three rows of celebrities, and a row specifically for reporters.

Qin Han and other actors from the main creative team had designated spots. He had to greet every superior he met, since many of them were his uncles or elders.

His father and uncle held high positions, but unfortunately, the world has changed, and the rain can no longer be sheltered from the storms of their generation.

"I'm not reconciled!"

Gu Minglun laughed and said, "Brother Sun, Director Xu is about to make it big; we have to latch onto his coattails!"

Qin Han nodded awkwardly. He had offended at least one "big shot," but he wasn't worried about not having any roles to play. After all, the market was booming, and there were bosses everywhere offering him roles.

Just then, a man walked onto the stage, holding a microphone, and said, "Everyone, please take your seats quickly, the master has arrived!"

The room fell silent as everyone returned to their seats to await the important figure.

Two staff members opened the door to Hall A, and then Xu Zan walked ahead to lead the way for Ilya Zalov. The two did not exchange any words at this point.

Ilizarov smiled and waved to the people present, and then a series of camera flashes went off. He then sat in the best viewing spot, surrounded by a few close advisors.

Once everything was ready, Hsu Tsan quickly stepped onto the stage. TTV's famous host, Tien Wen-chung, is one of the most popular hosts today.

"The premiere of the film 'Eight Hundred Heroes' is now beginning!"

"Thank you very much, sir, and all the distinguished guests. Ladies and gentlemen, today we are honored to present the latest masterpiece by the renowned director Xu Zan!"

"Thank you all for coming today. On behalf of Mr. Xu Zan, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to you all."

"Mr. Xu Zan's films are not only loved by domestic audiences, but are also exported to North America, where they are highly recognized..."

Tian Wenzhong formally introduced Xu Zan's resume, and at this moment, in his words, Old Xu was practically the future of Taiwanese cinema.

Directors Li Hsing, Pai Ching-jui, and King Hu laughed as they sat in the audience:

"Is this a case of the younger generation surpassing the older?"

"I heard this movie was exceptionally well-made. Ding Shanxi kept praising it at various drinking parties, calling it the best war film made by Chinese people."

"Oh? He's changed his ways."