Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 942: Follow the guidance
"There isn't a single person capable of being a general?"

Chen Fan looked at her in surprise, thought for a moment, and asked, "Does that also include behind the scenes?"

Zhao Wanru nodded helplessly, "That also includes those behind the scenes."

After a pause, she explained, "I won't say much about the actors. Although we don't have any big-name stars, we have managed to recruit some talented newcomers and veteran actors."

The key is behind the scenes. We originally planned to build our own behind-the-scenes team. Anyway, the company isn't short of money; we can afford to support them even when we're not filming. Using our own people is always better than temporarily hiring an outside team.

But so far, we've hired dozens of people scattered around, including photographers, lighting technicians, sound engineers, art directors, costume designers, makeup artists, prop masters, and even production assistants, but not a single one of them has any experience leading a team.

Not to mention the indispensable director and producer in a film crew.

She shook her head as she spoke, a hint of doubt on her face. "The salary we offer is top-tier. If you're making a film, there will be additional pay. Compared to other companies that only offer a meager base salary, and the pay for films varies, our conditions are almost the best in Hong Kong."

But I just can't recruit anyone, and I can't figure out what the problem is.

After she finished speaking, she turned to look at Chen Fan, "The Zuo Dui Film Company did send me a message. If we need any help, just let them know. Their people are always available to support us, whether they are in front of the camera or behind the scenes."

But what I'm thinking is, if Qianfan Company has to borrow people from other companies even for filming, especially for important positions like director and producer, then there's no point in keeping this Hong Kong branch open. It would be better to just treat it as a market.

After she finished speaking, Zhou Yali immediately said, "Mom, didn't Uncle Hongchang ask around?"

The Hong Kong branch is currently without a head, and the person in charge is Fang Hongchang, whom Zhou Zhengdong lent to the company. He is now assisting Zhao Wanru in carrying out the work as vice president.

"How not?"

Zhao Wanru said, "But no matter how we inquired, all the people we invited said that they were under contract and, in accordance with the spirit of the contract, were not suitable to switch jobs."

She chuckled coldly, "Hmph, when did Hong Kong filmmakers become so contract-abiding? Aren't there plenty of backstabbing among them?"

After he finished speaking, the room fell silent.

After a brief silence, Chen Fan let out a long breath and grinned, "It seems that 'Monk Comes Down the Mountain' won't be able to be shown in Taiwan for the time being."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Wanru suddenly had a flash of inspiration and turned sharply to look at him. "You mean, it's Taiwan that's behind this?"

Chen Fan nodded first, then shook his head. Seeing that the three of them looked puzzled, he smiled and said, "This matter must have been orchestrated by the Information Bureau behind the scenes. The Liberty Council will step in to talk to them, so that the impact can be minimized. Besides, these people are not qualified to have the Information Bureau speak on their behalf."

Compared to the Qianfan branch, which barely exists, the Freedom General Association, which directly determines their box office revenue, will undoubtedly have far greater influence.

Hearing this, Zhou Yali frowned and asked in confusion, "Aren't they afraid of offending us?"

Chen Fan curled his lip and said, "They're really not afraid."

Zhao Wanru nodded slowly, seemingly lost in thought, and continued, "That's right. The Hong Kong film industry didn't have a European or American market before. If it were just the Asian market, they wouldn't need our help. Since they have nothing to ask for, they naturally have nothing to fear."

Zhou Yali continued, "But isn't Deputy Director Song of the Taiwan Information Bureau currently discussing cooperation with Uncle Hongchang regarding the European and American markets...?"

Before she could finish speaking, Chen Fan said, "It's the Hong Kong filmmakers who aren't cooperating, what business is it of theirs?"

Zhou Yali was stunned for a moment, and after two seconds, she shook her head repeatedly, "No, no, we are not the police. We don't need evidence, we only need to suspect."

Chen Fan laughed and said, "That's right, no evidence is needed. We can also directly terminate our cooperation with the Information Bureau, but that would be like tearing off the mask of civility, and it wouldn't be so easy to cooperate again in the future, not to mention there are other drawbacks."

Zhao Wanru, who was standing next to her, also said, "Now the Information Bureau certainly needs us to act as a bridge to help them promote their cultural industry to the European and American markets, and it would be best if we could establish connections with some high-level officials in European and American countries."

Conversely, we also need support from Taiwan to ensure the smooth operation of our cultural and entertainment activities in Hong Kong.

Otherwise, what's the point of us coming in early? Like the film companies on the left, struggling under the pressure from the right, what are we even doing here?

Zhou Yali's mind went blank for a moment. "But they're making things difficult for us again."

Zhao Wanru smiled helplessly and said to Zhou Yali, "My dear daughter, if you were the general manager of the Hong Kong company right now, how would you handle this?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yali looked completely bewildered. "Huh?"

Seeing her expression, Zhao Wanru shook her head and said, "Look, this is why Daddy and Mommy are worried about you. When things are going smoothly, you can do a good job step by step, but once a problem arises, you are helpless."

After she finished speaking, she turned to look at Chen Fan and smiled, "Xiao Fan, you definitely have a way, right?"

Chen Fan chuckled and said, "There's definitely a solution. However, I think it's better to let Yali try it out first for such a minor problem."

Zhou Yali stared blankly at him and muttered softly, "This is a small problem? I have absolutely no clue."

Seeing that she was indeed confused, Chen Fan smiled and could only help her analyze the situation step by step, "I've heard what you said about the industry reception you held in Hong Kong. At that reception, your aunt's words were a direct slap in the face to the Freedom Association."

A more moderate approach would have been to first visit Mrs. Zhang, explain our intentions, and then have her report to the Information Bureau. Once the Director agreed, we could then jointly propose the initiative at the reception.

This matter doesn't have much of a negative impact on them, and given our influence, the likelihood of them agreeing is 100%.

This ensures the smooth running of the Hong Kong Film Awards and related associations without causing conflicts.

After saying that, he shrugged, a hint of mockery on his face. "But in doing so, we are essentially showing weakness and putting ourselves in a lower position. Even if we appear to be equals on the surface, once word gets out, in the eyes of all Hong Kong filmmakers, we will be just like them, submitting to the Freedom Association."

This is completely contrary to our original intention of entering Hong Kong ahead of schedule.

At this moment, Zhao Wanru also understood Chen Fan's idea, so she cooperated and said to her daughter, "That's right, that's why I decided to give them a hard time back then."

If we can't overtly and covertly prevail over the Liberty Council, then the point of our early arrival is completely lost. The left wing doesn't need an ally severed ties with the right wing; they need someone who can play both sides and unite the entire Hong Kong film industry.

Zhou Yali stared blankly ahead, her gaze unfocused, and murmured, "So complicated."

Seeing her expression, Zhao Wanru shook her head and said, "That's not all. Their Deputy Director Song from the Information Bureau traveled all the way from Taiwan to Hong Kong to attend the reception. You could say they gave us a lot of face, so even if we guessed that they were the ones pulling the strings behind the scenes, we couldn't just cut off our cooperation with them directly."

After all, what everyone saw was that Deputy Director Song gave us face, but who can verify what he did behind the scenes?

If we were to unilaterally terminate the cooperation, then we would be in the wrong.

As Xiao Fan just mentioned, it's not possible for "Monk Comes Down the Mountain" to be released in Taiwan for the time being. This is because they were polite first, and then they rejected our application for release, so it wouldn't seem too unreasonable.

Their actions this time are undoubtedly telling us that they will not let us manipulate them, which is why Xiao Fan said the movie cannot be released.

not to mention……"

She paused for a moment, then said meaningfully, "Their move is also a test."

This time Zhou Yali understood and quickly said, "Let's test our abilities and see if we can break their little tricks."

Zhao Wanru held her forehead and shook her head again.

Zhou Yali's face froze. "What's wrong again?"

Ye Yufeng, who was standing next to her, took her hand and said with a smile, "Do you think Qianfan Company can't handle this kind of problem?"

After the two analyzed the situation, Zhou Yali understood the crux of the problem: the issue wasn't whether they could recruit Hong Kong filmmakers, but whether Qianfan Company could successfully launch its own production.

If it works, it means the blockade is ineffective; if it doesn't, it means we can be manipulated, and in future cooperation, we'll be easy prey. She immediately shook her head and said, "Of course not, as long as we come from the United States..."

Halfway through her sentence, she finally realized what was happening, raising her right hand in a moment of sudden understanding. "Ah, I know, I know! They're testing our ability to respond, and then deciding how to cooperate with us!"

Zhao Wanru sighed softly and said, "I was caught up in the situation and didn't understand it for a while. In the end, Xiaofan was the smartest. He not only figured out the cause and effect immediately, but also came up with a solution."

Xiao Ye was also quite good; after hearing Xiao Fan's advice, she immediately understood.

Only you, silly girl, have finally figured it out.

She then looked up at her daughter and said, “You’re right. They’re testing our response, not doubting our ability to break the deadlock. But if we use your method—borrowing resources from the US to break the deadlock—even if we manage to break through their blockade, we’ve actually lost.”

This means that we don't consider ourselves part of Hong Kong cinema, but rather as an outsider who can only use our power to intimidate others, yet is powerless against their underhanded tactics.

Therefore, we need to have a big question mark about their influence in future cooperation.

Therefore, we can only solve the problem by addressing it locally, which means we will play the game with them within the rules.

Now, let me ask you this: if your opponent makes a move, what is your response?

"What's so difficult about this?"

Without hesitation, Zhou Yali pointed at Chen Fan, "I'll put one of my brothers in!"

After a brief silence, Ye Yufeng lay on the sofa clutching his stomach and burst into laughter, while Zhao Wanru covered her face and shrugged, feeling both annoyed and amused.

Zhou Yali herself felt no shame whatsoever, and was even arrogant and smug.

Only Chen Fan gave her a thumbs up, "Not bad. If you can't do it yourself, find someone who can. That's a good way to utilize resources. As a business manager, you have no problem with that."

Zhou Yali grinned from ear to ear, "Right? I think so too."

Chen Fan picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "However, when someone else only plays a small three, you immediately play a double bomb of the two kings. Isn't that a bit of a waste of resources?"

Zhou Yali's expression stiffened slightly, and she blinked. "Then what do you suggest we do?"

She didn't know if the other person was a mistress, but she was very clear that using her younger brother first was indeed a bit of bullying.

Who is my brother?

He was able to propel the Jiangying Film Studio, which hadn't made a film in eight hundred years, to new heights with just two movies, not to mention the experienced behind-the-scenes filmmakers in Hong Kong.

So what if we lack generals and commanders? Who is better at using people than you, brother?
As long as my brother takes charge, there's no problem that can't be solved.

Chen Fan exhaled a long breath, cracked his neck, and said to Zhou Yali, "Why do you think those Hong Kong filmmakers, whether they're lighting technicians, cinematographers, directors, or producers, would listen to the Freedom Association?"

Once here, Zhao Wanru and Ye Yufeng fell silent, watching Chen Fan patiently guide Zhou Yali, to see how far she could ultimately be inspired.

Zhou Yali thought for a moment, then said hesitantly, "Because of profit?"

Chen Fan smiled and nodded, "That's right, it's because of interests. They're worried about being blacklisted by the Freedom Council, and the incentives we offer aren't enough. After all, we're new here, so what good is a high salary?"
If we can't establish ourselves in Hong Kong, we can just pack up and leave. Can they leave? And what can they do then? They'll just go back to where they were before.

Zhou Yali blinked. "Yeah, what can they do?"

Chen Fan's face stiffened; he almost choked on her question.

So what exactly did this girl manage in the company for two years?

That makes sense, though. She's still just a college student who hasn't graduated yet, so her current performance is already quite good.

Being the chairman of two major conglomerates is far from enough.

He sighed softly, took out a cigarette, lit it, then leaned back on the sofa, looking at Zhou Yali without saying a word.

Zhou Yali's eyes darted around several times, racking her brains, and finally she remembered something. "Ah, I know, now we should consider how to win over these filmmakers and dispel their doubts."

At this point, our first task is to assess our strengths.

Chen Fan's eyes lit up, and he nodded at her, "Yes, yes, what are our advantages?"

Zhou Yali looked at him, then at her mother, and after thinking for a moment, said, "Our advantage is that we're rich?!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Fan couldn't help but chuckle.

Zhao Wanru covered her face again, while Ye Yufeng lay sprawled on the sofa, laughing and bouncing around.

Zhou Yali immediately got angry, "That's exactly right."

Chen Fan smiled and nodded repeatedly, "Ah, right, right, he's rich, no problem. You can continue."

Zhou Yali pursed her lips and hummed twice, then thought for a while. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and she pointed at Chen Fan, saying, "Brother, you don't need to do it yourself, but can you at least give me a script?"

Chen Fan chuckled and said, "Well, my script can be considered an advantage. And then what?"

"Then?"

Zhou Yali raised her head, her brows furrowed, and lightly touched her lips with her finger. "And then...?"

She tried hard to recall what Chen Fan and her mother had just said, a hint of hesitation flashing in her eyes, "Then, how do I find a way to dispel their worries?"

Chen Fan smiled and nodded. "That's true. So, what are your plans?"

Zhou Yali's features scrunched up, and after a long while, she let out a long sigh. "No wonder McKinsey's consulting fees are so expensive. It turns out that solving obstacles in a company's development really takes a lot of effort."

Chen Fan took a drag of his cigarette, flicked off the ash, and looked at her with a smile, "Actually, you've already come up with about 80% of the solution."

As he spoke, he started counting on his fingers, “You see, first of all, making movies requires money, so we need to prepare a large sum of money to prove our determination and strength, to show that we intend to develop in Hong Kong for the long term, rather than just making a quick buck and leaving, or simply treating this place as a market, so that they can feel at ease.”

Secondly, there are script resources, and further still, film ideas. These don't necessarily have to be my own works; Qianfan Company's own library of works, as well as published works by partners like Takahashi Publishing, can all become the subject of film adaptations.

For a good director, a good script is definitely enough to attract him. If you can organize screenwriters and adapt several excellent film scripts, you will definitely be able to attract several good directors to join you.

Finally, as you just mentioned, how to dispel their concerns.

At this point, Chen Fan smiled meaningfully and turned to Zhao Wanru, "Aunt, the person in charge of the Hong Kong branch hasn't been decided yet, right?"

Zhao Wanru immediately shook her head, "Your request is too hasty. We haven't finalized a suitable candidate yet."

She had barely finished speaking when she suddenly realized what she meant and looked at Chen Fan with surprise, "You wouldn't be thinking of... appointing a Hong Kong person as the person in charge, would you?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yali suddenly realized something, jumped to her feet, clapped her hands, and exclaimed, "That's right! What could be more reassuring than letting them take charge themselves?"

(End of this chapter)