So what if I work with celebrities?

One sentence silenced everyone who wanted to argue; who dared to say Ilizalov was wrong?

Earning only ten thousand yuan a month, don't you want to live?

"Alright, everyone, follow me to the conference room to discuss the distribution of 'The Eight Hundred Heroes'! This theater will be given to other audience members!" Xu Zan clapped his hands and shouted.

In the conference room, Xu Zan introduced Jiao Yinghui, the distribution manager of Panda Entertainment. Although a major misunderstanding had occurred previously, causing confusion among all parties...

However, Xu Zan recognized this person as someone of importance, as the post-production quality of "The Eight Hundred Heroes" was exceptionally high. Although the blunder caused, it also brought Xu Zan into the view of higher-ups. Perhaps this is a case of good things coming to those who wait?

Most importantly, this incident exposed the unreasonable internal structure and lack of talent within Panda Entertainment. As the number of projects increases in the future, Xu Zan cannot be allowed to handle them all alone; otherwise, it would become a small workshop.

This kid offended the small underworld force called Ghost Head Knife, and they robbed his warehouse. By sheer chance, it escalated into the "Eight Hundred Heroes" heist. I heard that everyone involved with Ghost Head Knife was sentenced to at least fifteen years. Sihai had several karaoke bars and nightclubs vandalized by the Lianzhu Society, and their boss is still trying to get compensation from the landlubber.

That's why people say the world is a makeshift operation.

With Lu Weizhen setting a bad precedent, managers of other cinema chains were hesitant to negotiate higher prices and could only complain to Jiao Yinghui, "Our area is small with a small population. If we keep squeezing profits down to 30%, we'll go bankrupt in the long run!"

"Manager Jiao, as is customary, we'll split it 50/50. This time, the marketing and distribution costs will be on us!" said the cinema manager in Kaohsiung.

These people all had a shrewd plan; once they got their hands on the copy, they wouldn't let Panda Entertainment have the final say.

"This film has a large investment from China Film Group and is produced with the full effort of Panda Pictures. You've seen it yourself; the quality is even better than Hollywood war films. We also need to give our superiors an explanation. Why don't you go and talk to them?"

Having worked in the film industry for so many years, Jiao Yinghui is well aware of the shady dealings within cinemas. "If we don't produce satisfactory results, none of you here will escape punishment. If there's any suspicion of ticket scalping again, we'll report it directly to our superiors. Remember, I said suspicion!"

These threatening words greatly displeased the theater managers, but they were powerless against the powerful. Xu Zan had now caught the emperor's eye and was enjoying unparalleled fame; who would dare to thwart his ambitions?

They reluctantly accepted it; this deal, where a single copy cost 20,000 yuan, was practically robbery! Moreover, the film's revenue split was 40% to 60%, with the theaters only getting 40%.

There are approximately 300 cinemas across Taiwan, and the requirement was to cover 50% of them with copies, which means that copies alone sold for 17.5 million.

After deducting costs, the profit is only a little over eight million, but the bulk of that is China Film's profit.

After peeling back the layers, it turns out that whether pandas can make money still depends on the movie's box office performance!

With Xu Zan wielding the power of the emperor, these guys probably wouldn't dare to act recklessly and would behave themselves more than usual.

The main cast and crew all had movies to film, so they were basically all out of the public eye. Xu Zan and Mei Changling were discussing some things in the manager's office at the Panda Mall.

"We've made it through this time, but don't think everything's fine now. If you're not strong enough and don't have enough influence, you'll crash and burn sooner or later," Mei Changling said.

"Chairman Mei, I'm awake. After all, nobody can really say what color the clouds in the sky are. I'm planning to increase the number of films I shoot. How about we jointly buy a theater chain?" Xu Zan asked.

Mei Changling shook his head again, saying that he had already received great honor from the country and was not short of money, and that he would not participate in Xu Zan's project under any circumstances.

"By the way, you should thank Sylvia Chang for enabling Ilizarov to attend the premiere. You two should get along well, get married and have children in the future..." Mei Changling said.

When Xu Zan heard about marriage and having children, he could only smile helplessly. Since he transmigrated, he had never really thought about marriage. Perhaps it was his wandering nature, or perhaps it was because he felt no sense of belonging to this era.

"Chairwoman Mei, I will repay this favor!"

Mei Changling paused for a moment, shook his head, pointed at him, and laughed, "Favors can be repaid, but feelings can never be fully repaid!"

……

The next day, the United Daily News surprisingly featured "The Eight Hundred Heroes" on its front page. It should be noted that mainstream newspapers like this always prioritize politics and people's livelihood, while entertainment and novels are just peripheral topics.

The editor-in-chief of the United Daily, Gao Xinjiang, personally wrote an article about Ilizalov's visit to film workers and his attendance at the premiere of "The Eight Hundred Heroes".

"Every inch of our land was bought with blood, every ten thousand youths became soldiers..." Director Xu Zan, through "The Eight Hundred Heroes," depicts the soldiers' heroic fighting journey and the brutal scenes of war...

Gao Xinjiang was an enlightened figure who revamped the United Daily News, publishing a large number of excellent articles from both China and abroad, and even allowing intellectuals to debate within the newspaper.

He holds a pivotal position in the print media industry, and this article carries extremely high credibility. Even many writers and artists who dislike propaganda films couldn't resist checking its authenticity.

Besides, magazine reviews of "The Eight Hundred Heroes" were the most active, not only earning money from Panda Entertainment, but also providing various conspiracy theories and gossip to discuss. For a time, all kinds of magazines were reporting on the movie.

It really makes you feel like you're not Chinese if you don't watch it.

Luo Dayou decided to go to Panda Mall to see the movie after reading the newspaper. He is now an intern in the radiology department of a hospital, doing the same things every day like a "zombie".

He was already exhausted, but he had no choice because he was born into a family of doctors. His parents' expectations were too high. If he went home now and told his dad that he wanted to go sing, he would probably be beaten so badly that he would regret being born.

Although he couldn't quit his job as a doctor, Luo Dayou's musical talent was hard to hide. Two years ago, he met Lin Hwai-min through a classmate and composed music for Lin's Cloud Gate Dance Theatre.

As a descendant of the province's elites, Luo Dayou heard his elders say from a young age that there was no way to voice their political demands. Over the years of his studies, he has learned about the past and present of Taiwan and even started to imagine its future.

The inner turmoil and bitterness had nowhere to be vented.

As Luo Dayou sat in the theater, watching the intense battles and heroic sacrifices of nameless heroes in the movie, he suddenly thought of his "hometown"—Meizhou—which he had never been to.

"Give me a ladle of Yangtze River water, oh Yangtze River water..." He unconsciously began to sing Yang Xian's "Four Rhymes of Nostalgia," and a flash of inspiration struck him, prompting him to compose a new version of the song.

Songs can express one's ideals and aspirations, and Luo Dayou thought it was a good idea. Then he sighed, remembering that he had to go to work at the hospital the next day.

Ideals and reality can never be reconciled.

……

In the conference room of Panda Entertainment, Jiao Yinghui was still dealing with the managers of various cinema chains. With more than 300 copies, it was impossible to complete the production ahead of schedule.

So whoever gets the first share and how much they get means how much more they can earn. That's why these managers are arguing so fiercely. If they didn't know this was Lianzhuhui's territory, they would have rolled up their sleeves and gone out to have a showdown.

Meanwhile, Xu Zan received Xia Yun, the manager of Guotai, in his office.

"Mr. Xu, this time you absolutely must hand over the screening rights to us!" Xia Yun didn't take Xu Zan seriously last year, thinking he was just a new director.

Unexpectedly, this person is really talented. His movies sold very well in East Asia, and his previous film, "The 36th Chamber of Shaolin," even made it to the North American market.

"This is difficult, Mr. Xia. You know I have a gentleman's agreement with the Shao family. I'll leave it to you..." Xu Zan said.

"Money is not a problem. How about five million plus 40% of the box office revenue?" Xia Yun knew immediately that it was about money.

Cathay Pacific may not have much else, but it's certainly not short of money.

"Our destiny is to be bound together. How about I sell it to you as a package deal?" Xu Zan asked.

Xia Yun pondered for a moment. He had actually seen the movie "Destiny" in the theater. The plot was fine, but he felt it wouldn't make much money.

Currently, "Destiny's Touch" has only grossed seven million NT dollars in Taipei. Even if other counties and cities are included, it would be good if it could reach twelve or thirteen million NT dollars.

"No problem, any film with Brigitte Lin is guaranteed to make money in Southeast Asia! Hmm... I'll contribute three million plus 40% of the box office profits."