Scholars in the courtyard.

Chapter 3094 Film Promotion Research Institute
Guan Zhiyong and An Zhongsheng chatted as they walked into the office.

"Old An, I'll report this to General Manager Yang!"

Guan Zhiyong smiled and looked at An Zhongsheng, who nodded indifferently.
It wasn't that he had lofty sentiments, but rather that he clearly understood Yang Xiaotao's character.

Whoever's credit it is, it belongs to them.

I know it perfectly well.

"Hello, Secretary Liu, this is Guan Zhiyong. I'm looking for General Manager Yang!"

Liu Lixue's voice came through the phone, and Guan Zhiyong immediately greeted her.

"Oh, Mr. Yang has returned to the courtyard house?"

"Oh dear, I forgot!"

As he spoke, Guan Zhiyong slapped his forehead, "Well, I'll be there in a bit, thanks a lot!"

"Yes, when are you going? What's with the tea and water service? You're the guest, we'll be the ones serving you water!"

"Okay, okay, see you in a bit!"

After hanging up the phone, An Zhongsheng was still in a daze when Guan Zhiyong quickly stepped forward and said, "Come on, Mr. Yang is treating us to dinner tonight."

"We agreed on this before the New Year, but I almost forgot because I was so busy. Luckily, Secretary Liu reminded me."

"Or we can both cry tomorrow morning!"

After saying this, An Zhongsheng remembered the dinner party and quickly got up to say, "Let's go, let's go buy some gifts while it's still early!"

"Yes, yes, yes! We can't go empty-handed!"

The two hurriedly ran out, and the office staff thought something had happened. But when they saw them get downstairs, they got into a car and drove off.

It wasn't until the very end that I heard the deputy factory director say a few words: tonight is a dinner gathering for the elderly at their Hongxing Machinery Factory.

In an instant, many people felt a pang of sadness!
The courtyard house is bathed in night.

Yang Xiaotao opened the pot lid and smelled the aroma of fish.

I drove back in the late afternoon to prepare the ingredients.

I told Bai Jingshu before the New Year that I would treat everyone to a meal.

As a result, I was so busy during the few days of the Lunar New Year that I didn't have time, and it wasn't until after the first month of the lunar calendar that I remembered.

True to his word, and since Yang Youning had just returned from Hong Kong, Yang Xiaotao decided to treat him to a meal as a welcome-back dinner.

"Dad, it smells delicious!"

Miao Miao stood to the side, smelling the steam rising from the pot, and swallowed hard.

Dudu stood on tiptoe, trying to get a better look, while Duanwu was taking notes in a notebook, and Yueyue was counting on an alarm clock.

Yang Xiaotao smiled smugly after hearing this, "Remember, when you look for a partner in the future, make sure she can cook!"

Miao Miao blushed, "Who wants to date? I don't want to."

Yang Xiaotao took a deep breath. "It won't work if we don't have a girlfriend."

Miao Miao pouted, "Why not?"

"Didn't Aunt Xiao'e not get married?"

Yang Xiaotao frowned. "Your Aunt Xiao'e was married, but she couldn't find a suitable partner, so she got divorced."

"But Aunt Xiaoxue isn't married either, is she?"

Yang Xiaotao was speechless. "How can these be the same?"

"Don't learn from them, learn from the aunties and older sisters in the neighborhood, understand?"

Miao Miao nodded silently, and then saw Ran Qiuye walk in. "The guest has arrived, you should go and greet him quickly."

Yang Xiaotao nodded, then pointed to the fish in the pot and said, "I've made double portions of all the dishes. You girls can go to Old Master Ye's place later, we can take care of things at home ourselves."

Ran Qiuye nodded, "Drink less, we all have to go to work tomorrow."

She wasn't worried about her husband; if he drank too much, at most she'd have to work a little harder tonight and get up a little later tomorrow morning.

But if someone drinks too much and something happens, they'll feel really bad about it.

Yang Xiaotao nodded, "Don't worry, there's plenty this time."

Ran Qiuye nodded and then helped tidy up the kitchen.

Yang Xiaotao then walked out of the room and into the courtyard.

"Mr. Yang, I'm not late, am I?"

A man wearing a uniform from the Hongxing Machinery Factory walked in, carrying a bag of candy and wearing a big smile.

"Old Zhou, you're not late, you're too early! I just finished cooking and you're already here. What a coincidence!"

The man who came was Zhou Shenghong, the factory manager of the timber mill. Now he not only manages the timber processing plant, but also has the most carpenters in Beijing.

He also participated in the processing of armored vehicle and aircraft fuel tank parts, and helped Yang Xiaotao find some special wood.

In short, this is a group of people who are skilled, have craftsmanship, and have a tradition.

Who knows, it might come in handy someday.

"Hey, Mr. Yang, Old Zhou's nose is no joke. Back in the day, with just one sniff of any kind of wood, no matter how realistic it was, a fake was still a fake."

Zhou Shenghong spoke in a familiar and friendly manner, his expression conveying warmth.

Zhou Shenghong, an old fox, had long since figured out who Yang Xiaotao was.

Given their private relationship, as long as they stay within the rules set by Yang Xiaotao, don't mess around, and don't have any ulterior motives, they can live a comfortable life both at work and in life.

Not only will he be comfortable, but the 'craftsmen' under him will also be comfortable.

If Yang Xiaotao were to take a liking to you and get you involved in a project, that would be quite remarkable.

The method they used to install wooden wedges inside the aircraft fuel tanks last time really made their carpentry team famous.

And the carpenters who participate in it benefit greatly.

As the two entered, Ran Qiuye, Lou Xiao'e, Liu Yuhua, and a few others came out laughing. Zhou Shenghong greeted them again, then handed the candy to Duanwu, praising the child's cleverness.

Yang Xiaotao was about to pour water when Zhou Shenghong took the kettle from him. "Mr. Yang, there's no one else here, we're all family, I can do it myself."

“That won’t do. Once you’ve entered this courtyard, you’re guests. How can we expect guests to pour their own water?”

Yang Xiaotao picked up the teapot and poured water for the other person, so Zhou Shenghong had no choice but to sit down.

After the two talked for a while, they heard footsteps outside again. Looking up, they saw Wang Fa, Sun Guoguo, and Wang Guodong walking in together.

"Brother Wang, Uncle Wang, Uncle Sun, come in quickly, we just made some tea."

Yang Xiaotao went out to greet them, and Wang Guodong walked in first with a hearty laugh. Sun Guo looked calm, but his heart was burning with excitement.

He did feel somewhat disappointed after the news about the High-Tech Industry Research Lab was announced.

But after receiving the call about tonight's dinner party, I felt like I had made up for it.

At the same time, I realized that I hadn't seized the opportunity back then, which led to the current situation.

Of course, there are many other things involved. For example, those guys who moved out of this yard—if they hadn't caused trouble, things wouldn't be like this today.

He had no choice in the matter.

"We're here pretty early."

Wang Fa laughed, and Yang Xiaotao poured water for the group, "They probably just got off work, they'll be here in a bit."

Wang Guodong glanced at Zhou Shenghong and said, "Old Zhou, we came right after work. You're here even earlier than us. Did you leave work early?"

"I think it's reasonable to tell Director Zhao to thoroughly investigate the attendance records of your wood factory."

Zhou Shenghong wasn't annoyed by this. "Investigate, investigate all you want."

"Our Lao Zhou is as good as gold, he's not afraid of being tested by fire. Check him all you want."

Wang Guodong chuckled, "You old Zhou are really something else, you're more like a piece of wood than gold."

Zhou Shenghong became even more smug upon hearing this, "Old Wang, let me tell you, this good timber is more expensive than gold."

"Come on, it's still wood, Old Wang doesn't recognize it."

"Look at you, you've never seen anything good before."

"If you have anything good, bring it out."

"That won't do. If you see it, you won't be able to get it back."

"Go to hell."

The group chatted and laughed, and soon Yang Youning, Xu Yuanshan, and Chen Gong arrived together.

The conversation then turned to Hong Kong films. "I have to say, Hong Kong's film industry has developed rapidly, and its cinemas are much bigger and more numerous than ours."

As Yang Youning sat in his chair and talked about Hong Kong, a hint of emotion crossed his face. He then asked, "Do you know how many cinemas there are in Beijing?"

Zhou Shenghong immediately replied, "I know, there are thirty-two cinemas now."

Yang Youning nodded and continued, "Do you know how many cinemas there are in Hong Kong?"

Everyone shook their heads, and then Yang Youning continued, "One hundred and thirteen cinemas, with a total of 150,000 seats."

"So many? How many people are there in total?"

Wang Guodong asked curiously.

Yang Youning shrugged. "It's worth at least a few million, otherwise it wouldn't have sold five million at the box office."

"Millions? My goodness."

Zhou Shenghong's mouth dropped open, feeling that the fact that this movie could sell for millions was simply beyond his imagination.

"Hey Director Yang, how much did our movie sell for?"

Zhou Shenghong asked impatiently, but Yang Youning looked at Yang Xiaotao.

When he came back, he had asked Yang Xiaotao whether he should announce it to everyone. Yang Xiaotao told him to wait until the dinner table. Seeing that Yang Xiaotao was silent, he understood what was going on, so he said, "Wait, we'll announce the good news together when everyone is here."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Shenghong immediately understood that he must have earned a lot this time.

Soon, Bai Jingshu, Guan Zhiyong, Zhao Chuanjun, and several others arrived one after another.

With more people in the room, it became even more lively.

With the help of Lou Xiao'e and Liu Yuhua, the food was brought out, and everyone gathered around to officially begin eating.

"Come on, let's toast Old Yang first. He brought us a big surprise this time he came to Hong Kong."

"Let's have a drink with Lao Yang first."

Yang Xiaotao started by setting the mood, and Chen Gong and the others also raised their glasses to Yang Youning.

"You people, you're trying to get me drunk before I've even eaten any food."

Yang Youning said happily, but picked up his wine glass and said steadily, "Perfect timing. Just now, Lao Zhou asked us about the screening of our movie in Hong Kong. Now that everyone is here, I'll give you an update."

Cough
Clearing his throat, Yang Youning's hand holding the wine glass trembled slightly before he solemnly said, "This film was shown in eighty cinemas in Hong Kong, and the total number of viewers reached 1.15 million."

"Based on a ticket price of five yuan, our movie box office is 5.75 million yuan."

"According to the agreement with the cinema, and after converting it into our money, it would be around one million."

"That means we made a million dollars from just one movie."

Yang Youning announced it happily, and everyone showed expressions of surprise and delight.

Cheers! Cheers!

For a moment, everyone raised their glasses and clinked them together.

"I didn't expect this movie to make so much money!"

"If this were used to sell rice cookers, how many would we sell?"

After downing a glass of wine, Zhou Shenghong immediately began to express his feelings.

Everyone else found it unbelievable.

When Yang Youning initially wanted to take the film to Hong Kong, everyone thought it was a cultural exchange and didn't consider making money from it.

Or rather, I thought about it, but I never imagined it would be so profitable.

How much did this movie cost to make?
The performers in the cultural troupe receive salaries.

The film produced was made from nine rolls of film.

It's fair to say the cost is incredibly low.

But turning back would mean a million dollars.

That's too easy.

If you calculate the time frame, it's less than a million a year.

If they filmed ten or so of these, wouldn't that bring in nearly ten million in revenue a year?

This is more profitable than some big companies.

Yang Youning put down his chopsticks and nodded. "That's right. During the few days I stayed there, looking at the daily box office figures, it felt like there was a pile of money on the ground that I could just bend down and pick up and put in my pocket."

"I can hardly believe it myself."

At this point, Yang Youning looked at Yang Xiaotao again and said, "I think we need to increase our investment in movies."

"After all, this is an emerging industry."

Yang Xiaotao took a bite of the braised pork. After hearing Yang Youning's question, he didn't answer immediately, but asked, "Old Yang, you went to Hong Kong for a trip. What was your biggest impression?"

"Feelings?"

"Yes, our people went to Hong Kong last time and had some impressions. I'd like to hear your opinion."

Yang Youning put down his chopsticks, his expression solemn.

He then said earnestly, "My biggest impression is that the pace is very fast, not only at work, but also in life."

"Perhaps it's this fast-paced lifestyle that makes people there choose to go to the cinema to relax."

"Of course, their income level can also support going to the cinema."

At this point, Yang Youning's expression turned serious again, "And their film industry is developing very rapidly."

"Because of the large audience, more films are being produced."

Yang Xiaotao nodded, then asked again, "So, have you seen any of the movies that were released at the same time?"

"went."

"Are there many people?"

Some have more, some have less.

"Which are more and which are less?"

Yang Xiaotao's series of questions and Yang Youning's quick answers left the people at the table somewhat overwhelmed.

But I could still understand what the two were talking about.

"Among the movies I've seen, imported foreign films are more popular, mainly because they are of higher quality and have more novel content."

"I watch fewer local movies because they are of lower quality."

After a moment of contemplation, Yang Youning gave his answer.

Yang Xiaotao nodded, "So, if you want to make money, you still have to make good movies, movies that audiences like."

"Moreover, film is also an important means of cultural dissemination."

"If we don't hurry up and promote our national culture, it will benefit foreigners and may even damage our own image."

"We cannot give up this high ground."

Everyone present was a high-ranking member of the Ninth Department, so they naturally understood the meaning behind Yang Xiaotao's words.

Yang Youning's eyes lit up. "So, does that mean we should increase our support for the film?"

Yang Xiaotao nodded. "This incident involving Hong Kong films serves as a reminder that the cultural field is also a battlefield."

"We cannot ignore this, much less relax our vigilance."

"so!"

Yang Xiaotao paused for a moment and looked at Yang Youning.

Seeing this, everyone else also looked at Yang Youning.

"I plan to report to my superiors and establish a Film Promotion Research Institute under the High-tech Industry Research Office."

"I am mainly responsible for the production, filming, review, external publicity, and personnel training of the film."

"The goal is not just to make a profit, but more importantly, to promote our excellent culture and, ideally, to participate in and win awards at international film festivals."

"We should strive to participate in events like Cannes and Venice, so that the whole world can know about us."

Yang Xiaotao spoke softly, but the room fell silent.

Only after Yang Xiaotao finished speaking and looked at Yang Youning did he say the words that everyone present had been waiting for: "Old Yang, I want you to take charge of the research institute's work."

In an instant, Yang Youning felt as if his heart was about to jump out of his chest, and only one thought echoed in his mind: 'Finally, it's my turn!'