Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 925 Teacher Chen's Former Residence
"Congratulations? What are you congratulating?"

Director Chen, still slumped in his chair, lamenting over his half-empty pack of cigarettes, said without thinking, "If it were the approval for the scenic film, then there's no need to say anything; Commissioner Yang has already told me. No need for introductions either; I'm married. I just transferred jobs a few days ago; there's no chance of a promotion. I've also won the Lu Xun Literary Prize; the certificate arrived before the announcement. The film award will have to wait until next year."

What else is there to congratulate?

Upon hearing this, Director Wu couldn't help but feel a pang of envy. He pulled up a chair and sat down opposite him, saying sourly, "You've achieved success in both your career and family life; your life is complete, huh?"

Chen Fan flicked his cigarette ash. "It's not that bad. Haven't you noticed that my wife and I are living apart now? Ideally, she would be assigned to a job in the provincial capital now, and work in the same unit as me. That would be perfect."

He sighed and said, "It's a pity. She still has a year and a half before graduation, and she's basically going to be assigned to the textile system. It's unlikely that Shanghai will let her go, so she can't come back. I'll just have to keep trying."

At this moment, he was thinking to himself that it was all his fault for being too cautious back then, always worried that someone would sabotage them from behind, and that he had sent both of them to Shanghai.

Otherwise, I could go to Jiangnan University. Yunhu is not far from the provincial capital. Anyway, I have to go back to the provincial capital for classes two days a week, so it won't interfere with my family reunion.

Congested.

Hearing his words, Director Wu felt a little better and advised, "It's good to have some minor imperfections in life. Besides, there's a saying that 'distance makes the heart grow fonder.' Just think of it as a little spice to enhance your relationship."

Chen Fan turned to look at him, hesitated for two seconds, and said, "How about you and your sister-in-law live apart for a while and see if it creates something beautiful?"

Factory Director Wu's face darkened. "I'm talking to you, why are you dragging me into this?"

He paused for a moment, then quickly changed the subject, "Oh right, I was just saying I was going to tell you some good news, but you kept rambling on and on, I almost forgot."

As he spoke, a wide smile spread across his face, his mouth agape. "Last month, Comrade Liao from Hong Kong bought the first part of 'Monk Comes Down the Mountain,' right? They took the copy back and quickly applied for the permit. Starting from June 1st, it was released in more than a dozen cinemas."

Upon hearing this, Chen Fan straightened up and looked at him. "The box office is quite good?"

"It's more than just good; in Comrade Liao's words, it's a huge explosion."

Factory Director Wu beamed with joy, gesturing with his hands as he said, "Yesterday I received a call from him with good news. As of June 18th, the total box office revenue of more than a dozen cinemas has exceeded six million, and we are now ranked third in Hong Kong's annual box office chart."

Moreover, more independent cinemas are now interested in joining in screening the film, and he estimates that the final total box office could exceed ten million Hong Kong dollars.

The highest-grossing Hong Kong film this year was a movie released in February and March called "The Young Master," which is a bit of a mouthful, but that's not important. What's important is that this film grossed over HK$11 million. If "Monk Comes Down the Mountain" can surpass it, it will definitely cause a huge sensation in Hong Kong society and help Zuo Du Film Company regain its prestige.

Actually, while boosting the morale of Hong Kong Left Team Film Company certainly pleased Director Wu, it wasn't the reason for his excitement.

Previously, Liao Yiyuan was influenced by Chen Fan and when he purchased the screening rights, he discussed a fixed amount plus revenue sharing. The fixed amount was US$20,000, and the revenue sharing was not profit but box office revenue. As long as the profit income exceeded the fixed amount of US$20,000, Jiang Film Studio could enjoy 3% of the box office revenue.

The current box office is over 600 million, so they can get 18 to 20. If they can eventually surpass that junior's performance, even if we calculate it as 1100 million, they will still get 33 Hong Kong dollars in share.

This was free money, and it was even valuable foreign exchange. The leaders of Jiangying Film Studio, headed by Director Wu, were so happy that they couldn't sleep.

With this funding, we could buy a few advanced international cameras, and also acquire some much-needed film equipment. Otherwise, it would be quite embarrassing to always be using equipment that Chen Fan borrowed from his cousin's company.

Speaking of Director Chen's cousin, that's the main reason why Factory Director Wu rushed over today.

Director Wu chuckled as he pulled out a cigarette from his pocket, offered one to Chen Fan, and said, "Director Chen, look how big a sensation our film has caused in Hong Kong, almost the same as in the mainland. This shows that your work also meets the aesthetic standards of overseas audiences."

So, whenever you have some free time, ask your cousin if you can get this movie shown in the US, so it can be released sooner and we can earn dollars sooner.”

He hadn't forgotten what Chen Fan had said: to sell the movie to his cousin for a base price of $300,000, and after recouping the cost, he would receive a 2% cut of any excess.

Although two locations seem less than three in Hong Kong, it depends on the specific location. If it could be shown in the US and Western Europe, it would make much more money than in Hong Kong.

Then let's see who dares to say that Jiangying Studio only makes stage plays!
At this moment, Chen Fan was thinking about how much box office "Monk Comes Down the Mountain" would ultimately earn in Hong Kong.

Historically, "Shaolin Temple" was released in Hong Kong from January 21 to March 3, 1982. It was mainly shown in theaters by the Left Team and supplemented by scattered individual cinemas. The final box office was more than HK$16 million, ranking fourth in the box office chart that year.

That year's highest-grossing film was the classic Hong Kong movie "Aces Go Places," which raked in HK$26 million at the box office, shocking the entire city.

However, movie ticket prices rose significantly back then, and the film market was more prosperous, so it cannot be directly compared to now.

In the 1980s film market, "Young Master" was released at the beginning of the year and broke box office records, becoming the first Hong Kong film to break ten million dollars and firmly occupying the top spot in the annual box office chart for the entire year.

For a time, a certain dragon was incredibly popular, but he kept his eyes fixed on the sky and couldn't even find money while walking.

If we only consider the quality of the film, Chen Fan is confident that "Monk Comes Down the Mountain" is far superior to "Young Master". However, it is a pity that for a film from the mainland, and starring a group of people who have never been heard of before, even if it receives rave reviews after its release, it is easy to imagine how effective it will actually be.

It's important to understand that the impact of "star power" in the film industry cannot be simply dismissed with the word "wonderful."

The fact that "Shaolin Temple" lost so much that year cannot be denied that the "Xu Family Duo" played a significant role.

Two years later, despite its simple story, "Shaolin Temple" surpassed "Wheels on Meals" at the box office, which meant that Leonardo DiCaprio and his co-stars had gained recognition from Hong Kong audiences, thus erasing the "star aura."

Therefore, Chen Fan was not as optimistic as Director Wu and Liao Yiyuan. In his view, getting around ten million in box office revenue would be a great victory.

If we can win the box office championship in the end, that would be great, but even if we don't, it's not a pity.

Another possibility is that the right-wing film company hasn't made a move yet. If they decide to use a new film to counter "Monk Comes Down the Mountain" and prevent it from reaching the top, that's entirely possible.

There are still too many variables, so it's best to keep a calm mindset.

Making money is the most important thing.

Before he knew it, Chen Fan realized what was going on and looked at Director Wu with annoyance, saying, "I think you're just impatient because you saw how much money you made in Hong Kong, so you're urging my cousin to release it as soon as possible."

Factory Director Wu clenched his hands and said in a serious tone, "Earning foreign exchange is of utmost urgency. Only by making more money can we buy equipment and make more good movies. It's not shameful."

Chen Fan clicked his tongue and said, "To be honest, I really don't know how the movie theater acquisition is going. How about this, I'll call them later and ask. If that doesn't work, we can send someone over to sign the contract and transfer the fixed payment, okay?"

Factory Director Wu clapped his hands, his lips pursed in excitement, "I've been waiting for you to say that!"

Chen Fan laughed and waved to Bian Huifang, who was not far away, "Pack your things and let's go."

Factory Director Wu quickly got up and followed behind, "Slow down, slow down, Director Chen, look, the second part is finished filming, when can you finish the post-production?"

Chen Fan tossed away his cigarette butt, glanced back at him, and said helplessly, "You wouldn't be thinking of releasing this film in Hong Kong first, would you?"

Factory Director Wu slapped his thigh excitedly and laughed, "Great minds think alike! When Comrade Liao called yesterday, he mentioned it, and I thought it made sense. We should strike while the iron is hot! The first movie is currently showing in Hong Kong. Once that movie is released, we can immediately put the second movie on the screen. Wouldn't that be perfect?!"

Chen Fan stopped and said to him, "First of all, I'll finish the post-production as soon as possible, but I've been busy for almost two months, so I need to rest for a few days first. Is that too much to ask?"

Factory Director Wu blinked, wanting to say what was there to stop? Let's bring out the spirit of the Great Leap Forward and fight for a hundred days... Then he remembered that Director Chen was too young and had never worked in steelmaking... The main thing was that the director's eyes were a little off at that moment, making the factory director a little hesitant to confront him.

He could only hesitate for two seconds before weakly saying, "It's not excessive."

Seeing that the factory manager was so sensible, Director Chen's expression relaxed slightly. He nodded gently and continued, "Secondly, even if the post-production of the second film is completed, I don't recommend releasing it immediately."

Factory Director Wu blurted out, "Why?"

Chen Fan looked at him and said softly, "Think about it, when you watched the first one, didn't you really want to watch the second one?"

Factory Director Wu immediately nodded, "Yes, is there a problem?"

Chen Fan smiled and said, "For the audience, there's no problem; it's only natural. However, if we want to make a third, fourth, and fifth installment, we can't release the second one too early."

If you satisfy the audience's needs all at once and give them a thoroughly enjoyable experience, then the sequels won't be as appealing.

Factory Director Wu frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and said, "It's like eating. You can't eat too much at once; you have to leave a little bit uneaten so you can think about what to eat next. If you eat too much, you won't want to eat anything. In old terms, you'll have indigestion."

Chen Fan snapped his fingers. "That's exactly right."

After saying that, they continued walking.

Factory Director Wu quickly ran two steps to catch up, asking, "So where are you going now?"

Chen Fan looked up at the large birds circling overhead and laughed, "Let's go back to my hometown and rest for a couple of days."

……

Lujiawan, the former residence of Teacher Chen?

Chen Fan lay on a deck chair, holding a fist-sized purple clay teapot in his hand, enjoying the cool breeze blowing from the woods, feeling very comfortable.

However, when he heard the words "Teacher Chen's former residence," his forehead immediately covered in black lines. He turned to Captain Yang next to him and said helplessly, "I haven't completely moved out yet. I still come back here for the New Year, and I come back whenever I have time. How can you say it's my former residence?"

As he said this, he felt a little relieved that it wasn't "Teacher Chen's former residence." Although "former residence" doesn't specifically refer to a house where a deceased person lived, it can also mean a place where a living person once lived. But perhaps because it's been used so often to refer to the deceased, it always feels a bit creepy.

Captain Yang, with a pipe in his hand and his crossed legs still shaking, looked at him and said, "You don't live here permanently, so how can it not be your old residence?"

"Let me tell you, I consulted Master Lu about this name, and he said it was acceptable, which is why I told others about it."

Chen Fan clicked his tongue. "I guess Fourth Master had no choice but to say yes because you pestered him so much."

"That's also possible."

Captain Yang shook his head and said to him, "Anyway, I've already prepared the sign. I'm just letting you know now, so you can have someone hang it on the door of the educated youth's room later."

Chen Fan blinked. "It's hanging on the door of the educated youth settlement?"

Captain Yang nodded. "Ah, what else?"

He sighed as he spoke, "There's nothing I can do. You're a celebrity now, and every now and then some literary youths come over saying they want to pay homage to the places you used to live."

A few question marks appeared above Chen Fan's head. To pay homage?
Is this word appropriate?
Captain Yang didn't care about his choice of words and kept talking, "In the past, it was fine if it was just people who came to visit and learn, but now there are more and more people, and they are becoming more and more diverse. All kinds of people come here, and they all like to squeeze into your place."

But you have so many valuable home appliances at home, what if someone steals them? Who will be responsible?

So, I discussed it with Lao Liu and Lao Huang, then went to the brigade headquarters to discuss it, and then asked Uncle Lu for a solution. Finally, we came up with this idea.

He pointed down the slope and said, "No one lives in that former residence of educated youth anymore, so they renovated it and turned it into Teacher Chen's former residence, modeled after some old residence in Yunhu City."

Anyway, all those things you used to have—mosquito nets, straw bedding, kerosene lamps, pin tumbler locks, wooden basins, and so on—are no longer needed. So I had them all moved in, tidied things up, and restored the place to how you used to live. It's kind of like giving those people a place to be kept in check.”

After taking a couple of puffs of his pipe, Captain Yang grinned and said, "You know what, after it was fixed up, no one dared to come here again. Later, we restored the library where the educated youth used to study and added some household tools."

Now, Teacher Chen's former residence has become a must-visit attraction in Lujiawan, and many people come here every day.

Once the signboard was hung up and a name was established, it would be even more legitimate, and as Master Lu would say, it would become a scenic spot in Lujiawan.

Chen Fan pursed his lips; this was truly a bizarre sight.

Garlic Bird, whatever makes you happy.

(End of this chapter)