Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 953 Allied Forces
After chatting for a while, Director Wu finally understood.

Originally, Yang Chenfeng and his group were recruited by Chen Fan himself, but they were temporarily placed at Jiangying Studio for the purpose of filming "Monk Comes Down the Mountain".

Jiangying Studio didn't lose out either. Not only did it successfully assist Chen Fan in making three movies, but it also independently produced two episodes of a TV series. Although they were only broadcast on TV stations, apart from using cameras, the filming process was actually similar to that of movies, and they made a lot of money. Each TV station sold the series for 50,000 yuan, and with more than 20 TV stations combined, they earned more than they did from making movies.

Without the help of Yang Zhenlong and his team, this TV series would not have been made.

Perhaps it was simply the end of their fate. Today, Chen Fan came over and said he wanted to take people away. What could he say?

After taking a drag of his cigarette and flicking off the ash, Director Wu looked up at Chen Fan and said with a soft laugh, "I can release them on behalf of the company, but whether Lao Yang and the others want to go to Hong Kong is none of my business."

Chen Fan smiled and said, "Of course. I'll talk to them later, but I'll need your help to find a meeting room and invite Elder Yang and the others over."

Factory Director Wu gestured, "I'll have Director Lao arrange it right away."

A dozen minutes later, a group of people came out of the actors' troupe. Yang Zhenlong, Zhao Lingdong, and Han Qingshan walked in front, followed by about twenty people, heading straight for the government building.

These are some of the "martial arts masters" that Chen Fan invited from Beijing last year; they are all the backbone of various sects in Beijing.

There were 56 people who came at the beginning, but most of them had their own work units, or some of the older men were too lazy to move around. After filming the first movie, they all returned to their original work units in Beijing.

If the Hong Kong film companies were willing to put in the effort to find all those people according to the cast list, they wouldn't be much worse than the current cast at Jiangying Studio.

However, what they wanted was not a martial arts master, but Yang Zhenlong, this "big star," so no one went to them.

Chen Fan sat in the main seat of the conference room, with Zhou Yali and Jiang Lili on his sides.

Seeing his downcast eyes, Zhou Yali asked softly, "How do you plan to talk to them later?"

Chen Fan glanced at her, shook his head, and said, "There's nothing to talk about. I'll just give them a heads-up and arrange for them to go to Hong Kong, that's all."

Zhou Yali's eyes widened. "Are you really that confident you can convince them?"

Chen Fan smiled and said, "It's not that I'm confident I can persuade them, it's that I'm confident I can subdue them. Originally, this matter was entirely beneficial to them, the only problem was that Old Master Yang and the others might have some reservations and might not be willing to work for capitalists."

If I give them a way out, they'll most likely go, half-heartedly.

Zhou Yali stretched out a finger and wiped away imaginary cold sweat from her forehead. "You're really rude."

Then, out of curiosity, she asked, "Not that? What were you thinking about just now?"

Chen Fan clicked his tongue and said, "I was thinking that last year I found fifty-six people to film a movie. After filming, thirty of them went back to Beijing. Apart from four or five retired old men and women, the rest are still working at their original units."

They're not important cadres, yet the unit can't do without them. So,..."

Zhou Yali's eyes lit up as she interrupted him, "So you want to recruit them to Hong Kong too?"

Chen Fan smiled and nodded, "You've been in Hong Kong for several days now, so you must know quite a bit about the Hong Kong film industry, right?"

Seeing Zhou Yali nod, he continued, "Except for a very few art films, Hong Kong movies nowadays are basically inseparable from fighting action, and all the martial arts actors mainly come from a few stunt teams, namely the Sammo Hung Stunt Team, the Jackie Chan Stunt Team, the Lau Stunt Team, and the Yuen Stunt Team."

When Qianfan Company first entered Hong Kong and wanted to make good films, it, in principle, couldn't do without these teams. I was thinking that if we could form a martial arts team entirely under Qianfan Company, perhaps we would have more freedom.”

Just as Zhou Yali was about to nod, she suddenly had a thought and said, "I heard that the Hong Family Stunt Team, the Jackie Chan Stunt Team, and the Yuen Family Stunt Team all originated from the Yuen Family Stunt Team of the former China Academy of Drama. Although the Liu Family Stunt Team is not closely related to them, its founder, Liu Zhan, was a disciple of Lin Shirong and a grand-disciple of Wong Fei-hung. It is an organization that combines Hung Kuen with martial arts, and is a half-martial arts school and half-martial arts instructor.

In general, they are all local martial arts masters with established backgrounds. If we rashly assemble our own team, will it cause conflicts?

Chen Fan turned to look at her, somewhat surprised. "You even thought of that. Not bad."

Zhou Yali snorted twice and raised her head arrogantly, "Don't look down on me. I'm just not as good as you. Compared to other people my age, I'm not bad either."

Jiang Lili nodded repeatedly and raised her right hand, saying, "I agree."

Her persuasiveness might have been stronger if she hadn't covered her mouth with her left hand while chuckling.

"Okay, I know you're special."

Chen Fan laughed twice and said, "You're right. If Qianfan Company sets up its own martial arts team, it will definitely cause dissatisfaction among several local teams."

However, would you halt your own development pace simply because your competitors are dissatisfied?

Zhou Yali instantly understood Chen Fan's meaning and nodded in realization, "I understand. Just like Dad always says, you have to be strong yourself to forge iron. As long as we are strong, our opponents can only watch helplessly no matter how dissatisfied they are."

Chen Fan smiled and nodded, "That's exactly the point. Whether it's doing things or being a person, it's impossible to please everyone. The key is whether everything you do helps you and the company grow. That's your main goal and the path you should take."

If your opponents are dissatisfied, it means you did the right thing. If anyone tries to trip you up, openly or secretly, then find a way to deal with them.

The process of solving problems is also a process of personal growth. And if the problem is too big to solve, then…

He suddenly stopped, looked at Zhou Yali, and asked, "What do you think we should do?"

Zhou Yali's eyes darted around slightly, and she tentatively asked, "Should we sue for peace?"

Chen Fan raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "I thought you were going to say you'd just quit, but that's acting impulsively. Remember, necessary compromises and concessions aren't shameful. The key is still that..."

Zhou Yali said with a smile, "Whether it has helped me grow or whether I have gained any benefits."

Chen Fan gave a thumbs up, "Very good, congratulations on answering correctly."

Seeing Zhou Yali's cheerful expression, he smiled and said, "However, when making concessions and compromises, we should also pay attention to one thing: setting clear boundaries in advance."

Although we often say that principles are meant to be broken, they are truly indispensable if you want to stand firm and go far.

If you're willing to compromise and sacrifice everything for profit, you're putting the cart before the horse and will ultimately suffer losses.

After he finished speaking, Zhou Yali couldn't help but shake her head and sigh, "Sometimes I even doubt who is older between us. It's one thing for him to be smarter than me, but he also understands social dynamics better than me. That's just too much."

Chen Fan laughed and leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs. "Actually, these things aren't complicated. Just read more books and use your brain more, and you'll understand."

Beside him, Jiang Lili couldn't help but lower her head, trying not to let him see the pity in her eyes. If Xiao Fan's family hadn't experienced such a misfortune, he might still be just like his cousin, clueless about the world.

There's no such thing as being born with exceptional social skills; it's simply a matter of encountering many people and situations, and learning from mistakes. Zhou Yali, however, was pondering Chen Fan's words, not about interpersonal relationships, but about how to utilize these people in Hong Kong to maximize profits.

Just as the conference room fell into a brief silence, footsteps sounded outside the door, followed by a knock.

Chen Fan stood up and called out, "Please come in."

Yang Zhenlong immediately pushed open the door, saw Chen Fan, and laughed, "I was wondering who was calling us for a meeting. It's you."

He led the way in, followed by the others who filed in.

Chen Fan smiled and cupped his hands in greeting, "Old Yang, it's been a long time."

Yang Zhenlong returned the greeting and said with a smile, "We just met last month, how can it be that we haven't seen each other for so long?"

He walked straight up to Chen Fan, gestured, pulled out the nearest chair and sat down, then continued with a smile, "But come to think of it, you haven't been to the factory for a while since the movie finished filming. What have you been busy with?"

Chen Fan first greeted Zhao Lingdong, Han Qingshan and others behind him, then pulled up a chair and sat down, smiling, "I've been busy running around. I just got back from Guangdong yesterday and came here early this morning to finish the post-production."

He pointed to Zhou Yali and Jiang Lili as he spoke, "We've met before, so I won't introduce them."

"I've met you before, Mr. Zhou. This is your wife. She is indeed naturally beautiful and extraordinary."

Yang Zhenlong chuckled, exchanged greetings with the two men, and then looked away.

This is an old-fashioned way of doing things. If you are a guest at someone's home, after the female relatives have been introduced, you should leave and avoid them.

Of course, this wasn't necessary, but he didn't even glance at it twice.

While they were exchanging greetings, everyone else found a seat.

Next comes the usual two-piece set: serving cigarettes and pouring tea.

Once the room was filled with smoke, resembling a fairyland, Yang Zhenlong said to Chen Fan, "You must have something important to discuss with Director Lao by having him invite us here today. We're all family here, so just tell us what you need. We'll do what we can to help, and for what we can't, we'll try our best to get it done."

Zhao Lingdong and Han Qingshan also chimed in, readily spouting江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry) jargon.

Chen Fan smiled and cupped his hands in thanks, "Then I'll thank you in advance."

He put his hand down, turned to look at Zhou Yali, then turned back to the three of them and said, "To put it simply, my cousin has opened a film company in Hong Kong and is planning to invite you all to come and help out."

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire conference room fell silent. Everyone first looked at Chen Fan, and then they all looked at Yang Zhenlong and the other two.

Of the twenty-odd people here, half were disciples of the three men, and the other half, though not disciples, were still subject to their seniority.

Not to mention that when they stayed behind, their elders had given them instructions: they had to listen to Elder Yang no matter what, or else they would be whipped when they got back.

Of course, for such important matters concerning one's future, one must report to one's family afterwards. If the family has any objections, that is a matter between them and Mr. Yang and Director Chen, and has nothing to do with these younger generations.

They have no choice but to obey.

Hearing Chen Fan's words, Yang Zhenlong was stunned for several seconds before blinking and saying with some hesitation, "Speaking of which, your cousin is your family, so your business is my business. Originally, it was a family matter, and everything could be discussed, but you have to go to Hong Kong."

He clicked his tongue, took a drag of his cigarette, and looked clearly reluctant. "It's a capitalist society where Westerners are in charge. It doesn't seem appropriate for us to just rush over there like this."

Seeing his reaction, Zhou Yali couldn't help but look at Chen Fan, her eyes full of surprise.

She thought that as long as Chen Fan brought it up, these people would readily agree. After all, there were already signs of a "craze for going abroad" this year, and no matter where she went, people she met liked to ask her about things in America, especially when they heard that American stores didn't require coupons, that you could buy whatever you wanted, and that there was a wide variety of goods; their envy was almost palpable.

So when Chen Fan said that Old Master Yang might politely decline, she just took it as a joke.

Unexpectedly, my brother was right.

Chen Fan didn't take Yang Zhenlong's words seriously and went straight to his own, saying, "After you go there, you'll be paid according to Hong Kong standards. The minimum basic salary is two thousand Hong Kong dollars, and you, Old Zhao, and Old Han will get the highest, five thousand each."

If it's a movie, the payment will be calculated according to Hong Kong's rules.

He looked at Yang Chenfeng and smiled, "As for how much the film salary is in Hong Kong, I heard that some people from Hong Kong have approached you before, so you should know by now."

Yang Zhenfeng's eyes shone as he nodded repeatedly, "I understand, I understand."

He turned to look at his grandfather, his eyes full of anticipation.

Two million, two million, two million... how am I supposed to spend it all?!

Yang Zhenlong was quite happy when he heard that his monthly salary was five thousand, which was much higher than those juniors. However, his expression suddenly changed, and he looked at Chen Fan and asked, "Brother Chen, over there, I really only have one hundred thousand. Is that much less than Xiao Feng?"

Chen Fan immediately shook his head and laughed, "How could that be? Although you're just a supporting actor, you're still a major supporting actor with a lot of screen time. How could you be satisfied with just 100,000 yuan?"

He gestured as he spoke, "If you had gone there, the minimum would have been this amount at the beginning."

Yang Zhenlong's heart skipped a beat as he looked at it. "Six hundred thousand?"

Chen Fan nodded, "If the subsequent movies are very popular, the price can continue to rise."

He suddenly chuckled as he spoke, “It’s a capitalist society, just like the famous opera stars in Beijing back in the day. Whoever is more famous gets more invitations and higher fees. It has something to do with seniority and ability, but not much.”

Yang Zhenlong smacked his lips and chuckled, "If you put it that way, then I understand."

But as soon as he finished speaking, he put on a hesitant look.

Chen Fan glanced at it and laughed, "You're still worried about working for capitalists? Let me put it this way, my cousin went to Hong Kong to open a company at Mr. Xia's invitation. We also have a few film companies in Hong Kong, but they're not in a good position and need some outside help. So, you joining us would be like being allies."

Yang Zhenlong suddenly looked up. "Friendly forces?"

Chen Fan nodded slightly, "Yes, friendly forces."

Yang Zhenlong slapped his thigh and said, "Let's do it!"

(End of this chapter)