National Tide 1980.

Ning Weimin has many things to take care of in Hong Kong.

Investing and planning, inspecting industries, producing films, negotiating copyrights, and acting as an out-of-town film company to open up screening channels in the port city...

In short, they were all basically after money.

Even he himself didn't expect that, before he had even signed any contracts after arriving in Hong Kong, he would spend eight million Hong Kong dollars on a charity film for earthquake relief.

But what happened? Not only did he become the focus of attention in Hong Kong, but he also earned the title of "philanthropist." Oh my god, this made him feel so ashamed.

To be honest, while this amount of money might be considerable for ordinary people, it's really nothing to the truly wealthy. In Hong Kong, plenty of people can afford eight million.

The reason why it caused such a big social reaction is firstly because of his identity as a mainland Chinese—that he could do something that others would consider almost a "sucker" completely exceeded the imagination of Hong Kong people and shattered their preconceived notion that mainlanders are "poor and stingy".

Secondly, it was because he funded the investment in a public welfare film in which more than 200 Hong Kong stars voluntarily participated without receiving any payment.

The film "The Banquet" itself has inherent appeal and is widely disseminated, becoming a hot topic of conversation in the streets and alleys.

Thus, the combination of the two factors resulted in such an unbelievable outcome.

From the perspective of personal fame and increased social influence, his eight million dollars was much more worthwhile than those in Hong Kong who make large donations over a long period of time in order to become Justices of the Peace.

Spend a little money, accomplish a lot, and gain a truly good reputation.

Sure enough, the next day, when he went to see Mr. Cha Liangyong of Ta Kung Pao, who is also the master of martial arts novels, Mr. Jin Yong, this matter played a significant role in his advancement.

This not only piqued the interest of the "Master Jin" (a famous Chinese writer), but it could even be said to have given him a certain endorsement of his character.

Originally, due to political factors, Mr. Cha was unwilling to meet with people from mainland China easily.

Especially those who are not familiar with each other and have no connection.

This time, it was thanks to Lin Wenbing of Silver City Group who acted as a go-between; they only reluctantly agreed out of respect for Lin Wenbing.

Despite the meeting, Ning Weimin's attempt to purchase the copyright has not yet been successful, and the price remains undetermined.

The news that Ning Weimin donated eight million to produce a charity film spread throughout Hong Kong overnight. Even Mr. Cha, who is not interested in gossip, was taken aback when he saw the news.

He never expected that the person he was supposed to meet today would be so generous when it came to donating money for disaster relief, displaying quite the chivalrous spirit.

So at the beginning of the meeting, after Ning Weimin briefly introduced himself and presented a pair of glass grapes as a gift, Mr. Cha took the initiative to bring up the matter, his words revealing his admiration.

"Mr. Ning's gift to me is truly rare. But you are so young, yet you not only have the courage to do business, but also a compassionate heart, which is even more rare."

A single sentence bridged the gap, dispelling the awkwardness and estrangement of their first meeting.

Such an attitude and inclination naturally boosted Ning Weimin's spirits.

However, on the surface, he still maintained that slightly ashamed yet honest demeanor, waving his hand with a smile.

"Mr. Cha, you flatter me. I am not that noble. I just happened to be there and saw that this matter was meaningful, so I helped out. I never expected to gain your approval for this."

His attitude of not deliberately seeking credit or feigning arrogance was more in line with Mr. Cha's wishes.

And so, the old man and the young man chatted for almost half an hour, which was originally intended to be a pleasant conversation before getting to the main topic.

Mr. Cha was very interested in Ning Weimin's background and how he made his fortune in mainland China, and listened attentively.

He started by funding the film "The Banquet," and then talked about his life in Beijing, how he got a job at Pierre Cardin, his entrepreneurial journey in Japan, the cultural exchanges between France, Japan and China, and the business opportunities created by inventing the rolling suitcase.

Needless to say, a learned literary creator like "Master Jin" must have been greatly stimulated by Ning Weimin's incredible and extraordinary life, but also felt that they had known each other for a long time and had a very pleasant conversation.

Ning Weimin was secretly pleased, never expecting that his unintentional act would win the favor of this martial arts novelist and become the opportunity to get to know Mr. Cha.

It should be noted that, setting aside the immense commercial value of the copyrights to Mr. Cha's fourteen works, his connections and prestige in Hong Kong are extremely high.

If I can gain his approval, it will undoubtedly be much easier for me to open up channels in the cultural and media fields in Hong Kong in the future—this is much more worthwhile than spending eight million to buy any resources.

At this moment, he had to admit that this seemingly "unprofitable" donation ultimately circled back to the original intention of "going for money".

Sometimes, unintentional actions unrelated to making money can bring unexpected rewards.

"Mr. Ning, you are young and promising. I've been to the mainland many times and met quite a few people. But I've never met anyone as talented and interesting as you. Especially your luck in making money, wow, it's truly unbelievable. I'm not kidding, I'm almost thinking of using you as the model for another novel..."

The old man, though seventy, was still remarkably spry. His laughter finally steered the conversation away from idle chatter and towards the main topic Ning Weimin intended to discuss. "If that's truly the case, it would be my honor. To be honest, I deeply regret that you stopped writing so many years ago. If I could truly become one of the prototypes for the characters you created, it would be a benefit to your many readers. Not to mention the protagonist, even a minor role, a supporting character, or even a villain would be fine."

At this point, Ning Weimin stopped flattering and changed the subject, his tone becoming serious. "However, I am here today to discuss with you in person the copyright of your works. I would like to sign a comprehensive licensing agreement with you to purchase the long-term license for all your existing works, so that they can be reprinted, adapted, made into film and television, and used in various commercial applications and promotions worldwide in the future."

His tone was calm, but the content was earth-shattering.

Even Jin Yong was instantly taken aback, his eyes widening as he thought he had misheard.

"What... the copyright to all my works... worldwide?"

"Yes." Ning Weimin nodded, his tone firm.

The old man remained silent for a moment, not immediately agreeing, but simply tapping the table lightly with his fingertips, his gaze steadily fixed on Ning Weimin.

"Mr. Ning's offer is indeed quite substantial. This is the first time I've heard something like this. Copyright itself isn't an issue; I've sold it so many times before, one more time won't make a difference. I also believe that Mr. Ning must have the financial resources to dare to make this offer. But I'd like to hear—why do you insist on buying out all my works, all rights, and even globally? Especially the rights to reprint and adapt them. Are you acquiring the copyright not just for filming movies and TV series, but also for republishing the novel? And what kind of adaptation are you planning? How do you intend to alter my work?"

These words, neither too light nor too heavy, carried the integrity of a scholar and an inherent vigilance.

However, Ning Weimin's next words, while dispelling the old man's wariness, also exceeded his expectations once again, causing even this seasoned gentleman to change his expression.

Ning Weimin leaned forward slightly, his tone sincere and his words clear, “Mr. Cha, I won’t hide it from you. My first reason for wanting your copyright is naturally to make a film or television series, and a high-quality one with meticulous props and sets. I hope to present your story according to the true historical figures. But more importantly, I hope to promote your work as a representative of martial arts fiction to the world, so that as many people as possible, both Chinese and foreign, can experience the brilliance of our Chinese stories and thus accept our Chinese culture.”

These words praised the old man highly, and the old man's voice inevitably lost some of its wariness and gained more emotion.

“Mr. Ning… your words carry far too much weight. I’ve written martial arts novels my whole life, but in the end, in my view, these works are nothing more than idle books for the common people, mere entertainment. Yet you want to treat them as a major cultural undertaking, this… this…”

"Please don't say that."

Ning Weimin met his gaze with eager eyes, stopping the old man from being modest.

"The influence of your works is so great that you yourself are probably not fully aware of it. Some say that wherever there are Chinese people, there are Jin Yong's novels, and I think that's no exaggeration. Your novels are easy to understand, have strong dramatic tension, and cleverly designed plots. Most importantly, they contain rich cultural details, and their descriptions of human nature and various emotional conflicts are particularly moving. In my opinion, they are truly rare and excellent literary works that balance entertainment and cultural significance. They not only have extremely high commercial value, but are also suitable for popularizing Chinese culture among foreigners. If they could be translated into various languages ​​and distributed overseas, it would make it easier for people of other races to understand us and the values ​​that Chinese people hold regarding their country, society, and personal pursuits."

"It's a pity that although your works are deeply loved by a wide readership, there is still no complete, authentic, and well-edited set of Jin Yong's works in mainland China. As a result, many people in the mainland are reading pirated, abridged, or pieced-together versions, and there are even many counterfeit works published under your name. Readers cannot distinguish between them, so of course they are not happy reading them. Although the illustrations of the novels published by Baowentang are good, the binding is too simple. So this time, I came to you to discuss the copyright. My first plan is to systematically organize all your novels and then publish them officially in mainland China in a unified style and as a set. This will allow mainland readers to truly experience the complete world of Jin Yong's martial arts novels."

"Secondly, to facilitate the overseas distribution of your work, I plan to invite top language professors and translation talents from mainland China to translate your novel into multiple languages ​​with the same rigorous standards as 'Dream of the Red Chamber,' and then publish it through foreign publishers. I believe that Japanese, French, and English versions are suitable as initial targets. I am confident that the novel will be published in Japan and France after the translation. However, because it is necessary to convey the poetry, allusions, and chivalrous spirit within the work as accurately as possible, the translation and reprinting process will be quite time-consuming, taking about one or two years."

"In addition, to increase the diverse influence of your work and attract more young readers, I also plan to release comic book and serialized version versions of your work. Mainland artists have solid skills and orthodox aesthetics, so it is certainly easy for them to find a few famous artists to draw the serialized version. At present, it is a little more difficult to draw Jin Yong's martial arts comics using the paneling and narrative style of Japanese manga. This requires the collaboration of artists from China and Japan, and it will probably still take a long time."

"In short, what I want to do is not just buy the copyright space and make money for myself, but to turn your martial arts world into a cultural product that can represent the Chinese martial arts world. Film, books and comics are running in parallel, with the mainland as the base and overseas expansion, so that your works can truly become a cultural calling card of China that can be understood and loved by the whole world."

Cha Liangyong sat in his chair and listened quietly, his fingertips no longer tapping on the table.

In his life, he has seen ambitious people, speculators, and many film company businessmen who only want to ride the wave of popularity and make quick money.

But I've never heard anyone elevate his novels to such a level.

He also personally promised him that he would promote the official version, spread the culture overseas, benchmark against the translation of "Dream of the Red Chamber", publish it in multiple languages, create an official comic, and distribute it globally.

After a full half-minute of silence, the "Master Jin" slowly spoke, his voice less wary and more moved.

"Mr. Ning, do you know how much money, time, and manpower this will require? To me, it seems very unrealistic for you to come up with such a large investment all at once."

“I know,” Ning Weimin met his gaze frankly. “But the key question is whether it’s worth doing. Mr. Cha, I believe your book is definitely worthwhile. On a small scale, it can make me money. On a larger scale, it can boost national confidence and enhance people’s understanding of the word ‘chivalry.’ Mr. Cha, if you are willing to trust me, I can show you the results of this matter step by step according to the timeline. I dare not say anything else, but as long as I take the copyright contract back, I can start doing those things immediately.”

Throughout his life, the old man had received countless praises, but very few people had so directly and confidently elevated his "idle books" to the level of national culture.

"Aren't you afraid of losing money?" He looked up at Ning Weimin, his gaze complicated. "Overseas distribution, translation, comics, long-term operation... doing so many things at once, if you're not careful, it'll be a bottomless pit. If my works don't sell, at most it's a loss of face for me, but for you it's real money."

Ning Weimin smiled, his tone relaxed yet firm, "I've said it before, I'm also your reader. I'm just a reader who wants to preserve and share good things."

Speaking of which, let me add the most poignant line about Cha Liangyong: "I firmly believe that people from all over the world will enjoy your work once they read it. Besides, I am good at utilizing resources, and I will try my best to find ways to reduce costs. Especially for mainland China, as long as I have your prestigious brand, it would be difficult for me to lose money even if I wanted to."

Cha Liangyong suddenly laughed, his laughter carrying a hint of relief, a touch of appreciation, and a sense of relief that his long-held resentment had been so easily dispelled.

"It's hard to lose money even if you want to. You certainly have a lot of confidence in my work."

He nodded slightly. "Of all the businessmen I've met, you're the most special. Others only see profits, but you have a heart for spreading culture. Now I understand why you donated eight million to make a movie without any conditions."

At this point, his expression gradually became serious. "You want global copyright and full rights? I can give you that. But there are some things we need to clarify. I have three conditions that you must agree to." (End of Chapter)