Vicious dogs in Hong Kong, entrepreneurs practicing evil cultivation

"Do you think I care if you're a kid or a paparazzi?"

Chow Wen-huai's finger almost poked Chan Kwun-kong's nose: "Ten thousand Hong Kong dollars, give me the film! If not, you think you can get it exposed and wait for Golden Harvest to make a movie for you? Don't dream about it!"

"You're asking for too much..."

Liu Jinghua gently persuaded him, "Golden Harvest isn't a one-man show by Mr. Zou; it needs to be responsible to the other shareholders. Filming and releasing a movie costs at least HK$30..."

The persuasive tactics of the "good cop" appealing to emotions and the "bad cop" explaining the reasons, completely fooled Chen Guanjiang like a child. However, Chen Guanjiang's mental age was not as naive as his face suggested.

"When did I ask you to pay with silver?"

Chen Guanjiang chuckled and said, "Lend me HK$10,000 to make a movie. The minimum guarantee fee and the outstanding amount can be deducted from the box office revenue. I can write an IOU."

Today, there are only four cinema chains in Hong Kong that can be called cinema chains: Shaw Brothers, Golden Harvest, Edko Films, and the cinema chains controlled by several left-wing film companies such as Great Wall, Phoenix, and New Union.

Shaw Brothers cinemas are the most powerful, controlling nearly 130 cinemas throughout Southeast Asia and having the Nanyang Cinema Circuit as their foundation, giving them extremely strong overseas distribution capabilities, making them the undisputed industry leader.

Golden Harvest Cinemas ranks second. Although it was established only three years ago, it has an exceptionally deep foundation. It acquired the former film production company and owns a joint cinema chain consisting of 16 cinemas in Hong Kong.

As for Edko Films, which ranks third, it only has five leading cinemas. It is struggling to survive between Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest, and it does not have the capacity to distribute a film entirely.

As for left-wing cinemas, they only screen mainland films and do not screen foreign films, and they do not aim to make a profit.

Among them, Shaw Brothers had strong production capabilities, and all the films released were movies produced by themselves.

Golden Harvest was a fledgling company with insufficient production capabilities, so other production companies could release their films in their affiliated theater chains as long as they paid a "minimum guarantee fee".

Based on an average guarantee fee of HK$300 per cinema per day, the cost of a single day of screening is as high as HK$4800, and the cost for a screening period of at least one week is HK$3.36.

Even the money Chen Guanjiang used to buy a camera was borrowed from his family, so how could he afford the minimum guarantee fee of HK$3.36 per week?

Rules are rigid, but people are flexible. Since these rules were set by Golden Harvest, Golden Harvest also has the right to change or delay the collection of the minimum guarantee fee.

"Are you trying to get something for nothing?"

"Don't put it so harshly, you just want to get something for nothing!"

“…………”

Chow Wen-huai didn't understand the difference between the two and continued to play the bad cop, saying, "Stop talking nonsense! What's the point of making such a fuss over a chicken? Believe me or not, I'll call Ma and we'll go boating together."

Liu Lianghua, blushing, quickly followed up, "If the tickets don't sell, we'll lose at least HK$30,000, and you won't get anything. Wouldn't it be better to just take HK$10,000?"

Chen Guanjiang took out another photo, waved it around, and said, "Back then, when Mr. Zou rebelled against Shaw Brothers, wasn't he gambling with his entire fortune? Now he's run into a bunch of paparazzi and gotten bitten. Who's going to take the fall?"

Zou Wenhuai took the photo, his eyes wide, and roared, "Give me the negative!"

Liu Lianghua glanced at it and was equally excited. It was a photo of Li Xiaolong having a meal with his wife Linda and Ding Pei.

"Hehe, no way!"

Chen Guanjiang's grinning face resembled that of a vicious dog that had caught its prey.

His face was stern on the table, but under the table, he was stirring up trouble.

Li Xiaolong secretly hooked his arm around Ding Pei's hand, the Cartier wedding ring on her ring finger sparkling. The sparks between them were full of stories and irony.

This is normal in the entertainment industry.

Besides his subordinate wife Liu Jinghua and his first wife Yuan Xihua, Zou Wenhuai also had a lover, Wu Shufang, with whom he had two illegitimate children. His casual affairs were countless.

Once they rise to a certain social class, such behavior almost becomes a social activity to enhance their relationship. As long as no children are born and there is no dispute over property, the original wife will hardly mind.

but! !

It doesn't matter how you play in private, but you absolutely cannot expose it. If you profit from your screen image, you can't tarnish it.

Li Xiaolong is, after all, a married man. Once exposed, it will affect his commercial value and thus damage Golden Harvest's interests. Even killing Chen Guanjiang would not help at that point.

"We agreed to borrow money to make a movie!" Liu Jinghua quickly pulled up the corner of her clothes.

"Young man, you've got guts! I'll remember this!"

Zou Wenhuai snorted coldly and reluctantly wrote down the bank draft, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.

"I will never forget the well-digger when I drink the water. Thank you so much, Uncle Zou, for your help! I will surely repay you handsomely in the future." Fearing that the other party would go back on his word, Chen Guanjiang wrote the IOU, pressed his fingerprint on it, left a few kind words, and hurriedly ran away.

"That little bastard!"

Liu Lianghua's expression changed from before, and she said angrily, "Although it's a sensitive time right now, there are still people willing to do this. Should I ask Luo Wei to find someone to deal with him?"

"Need not."

Zou Wenhuai laughed loudly, "That brat is just a mangy dog. He probably doesn't mind getting a beating. At this critical moment, ten thousand Hong Kong dollars won't cause any deaths."

Although he's despicable, it's undeniable that this little rascal possesses wisdom beyond his years and is shameless, making him a difficult person to deal with, like a leech.

As he said, when encountering a vicious dog on a narrow road, a normal person would choose to let the dog pass first rather than compete with it for the right of way and risk being bitten. Even if the dog is killed afterward, it doesn't change the fact that the person was bitten.

Of course, the most crucial thing is having an IOU. Box office revenue will prioritize settling the minimum guarantee fee, and the losses will still be within acceptable limits. Otherwise, no matter what, it would be impossible to borrow money.

"That's too lenient on him, isn't it?" Liu Jinghua was still unwilling, a stark contrast to her previous amiable attitude.

"A mad dog gambling with its life, so arrogant and self-righteous!"

Zou Wenhuai said confidently, "Did you think we couldn't deal with him except through underhanded means? As long as this money is in Jiahe's account, I can do whatever I want with it..."

"Haha! I get it, then we'll have to vent our anger properly!"

The two exchanged a smile, their unspoken understanding unspoken.

Since the film is shown in theaters owned by Golden Harvest, the box office revenue naturally goes into Golden Harvest's accounts, and the initiative is in their hands.

Holding a HK$1 IOU from Chen Guanjiang and a HK$3.36 guarantee fee debt, if the box office results don't reach HK$4.36, they can sue this bastard.

If the box office results are decent, Golden Harvest can make a small profit and, incidentally, turn the profit into a loss in their accounts. Even if things don't go well, they can delay the settlement of the box office for a year or two and teach that bastard a lesson.

If it becomes a box office hit, then that's a different story!

If it really makes HK$500,000 at the box office, who would care about a little damage to their reputation? It's just a minor setback.

Hiring a lawyer? Going to court? We're not afraid!

Can that bastard afford the minimum HKD 10 in legal fees from the initial lawsuit to the trial, and from the first instance to the final appeal?

Small people with no money or power are destined to be bullied by capital, just like how Golden Harvest was manipulated by Shaw Brothers in the past.