Back to 80: My literary life.

Chapter 778: The blockbuster is sweeping across North America
While Fang Minghua was celebrating the Chinese New Year in China, the blockbuster "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" was sweeping across North America.

On January 1, it was officially released in major theaters in the United States. In its first week, it was shown in 28 theaters across the country, with box office revenue reaching 3600 million US dollars.

At the same time, the film was released simultaneously in the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada and other countries, and the box office was still hot. In the first week of its release in the UK alone, it earned 1600 million pounds, which is equivalent to about 2200 million US dollars.

Naturally, Song Tangtang told her the news over the phone.

Every afternoon around two o'clock, Fang Minghua would always receive a call from Song Tangtang. It was ten o'clock in the evening in San Francisco at this time. Song Tangtang liked to lie on the bed and talk on the phone with Fang Minghua for a long time.

Of course, it’s not just Song Tangtang. Sometimes Li Li is also with her cousin.

"Minghua, I have good news for you." Song Tangtang's excited voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Isn't it the box office of the movie in some country?" Fang Minghua interrupted his wife, half lying on the bed, and said lazily: "I'm not your boss, there's no need to report this to me every day."

"You are my husband, why don't I make you happy?"

There's really nothing to be happy about.
But it was New Year's Day, and he couldn't spoil his wife's mood, so he asked, "Tell me, how much is the box office now?"

"It's not about the box office. Coca-Cola, Warner Bros. and we have officially signed an agreement to become the sole marketing partner for the Harry Potter movies for $1 million," said Song Tangtang.

"One hundred and fifty million! Wow, brother-in-law, the filming cost of this movie has been recovered."

It was Li Li's voice.

Why do you call me brother-in-law?

Forget it, let her call her whatever she wants.

Fang Minghua was not very excited: "They spent 150 million US dollars to buy the marketing rights of the Harry Potter series of movies. I don't think it was us who benefited from it, but Coca-Cola, right? But you all think this deal is worthwhile, so just sign it."

Fang Minghua also knew the reason why Song Tangtang was so excited. In this way, he could make a huge profit just from this one transaction without waiting for the movie box office revenue to be calculated.

Of course, corporate income tax paid to the U.S. federal, state and city governments must be deducted, which is approximately 31%. After deducting this rate, Shengshi Film and Television can obtain a profit of approximately 3000 million U.S. dollars.

"I plan to first pay back the 2500 million U.S. dollars and interest I borrowed from Ashley Press, and transfer the remaining profits back to China," Song Tangtang said on the phone.

"Don't worry, we are planning to shoot the second Harry Potter movie. Does the company have any start-up capital?" Fang Minghua asked.

"Hehe. I know. I'm just expressing my stance now, so you won't accuse me of borrowing money and not paying it back."

"Hey, Tangtang, are you trying to play this trick on me? Be careful and I'll come back to punish you!"

"How do you clean up?"

"If you don't obey, I'll spank you!"

"Bah! Hooligan! Lili is listening." Song Tangtang spat on the other end of the phone.

"She listened? Beat him too!"

"Rogue!" This was Li Li's voice.

After joking for a while, Song Tangtang said:
"Hey, Minghua, let's be serious. Did you go to visit my parents during the Chinese New Year?"

"Of course I went there in the third year of junior high school. Didn't your parents call you to tell you?" Fang Minghua asked back.

"Brother-in-law, have you gone to my house to visit my father?" The microphone was in Li Li's hands again.

"I did go to visit him. He said that after he retires next year, he will come to the United States to visit you and stay for a while. He said the climate in Los Angeles is nice and he wants to live there." Fang Minghua answered patiently.

Suddenly thinking of something, Fang Minghua said quickly: "Lili, tell Tangtang to go to Los Angeles when you have time and buy a bigger villa. When your father goes to the United States, you can move to Los Angeles to live for a while." There was a pause on the other end of the phone, and then Li Li's voice came again: "Brother-in-law, my cousin said this is unfair. You bought it for my father, why not his father?!"

what?
This?
"Okay, buy, buy, buy two villas, exactly the same."

How come when the twins were little, they would fight over everything they bought?

There was laughter from the other end of the phone, and then Song Tangtang's voice was heard:
"Minghua, I'm just kidding you. My parents don't know the inside story yet. Besides, my father has a stubborn temper. He thinks Xijing is better and doesn't like Yanjing or Shencheng! And with his status, he can't easily go abroad. Just buy it for my second uncle."

"It doesn't matter. If you find a suitable one, just buy two more. You don't have to live in the house, you can use it as an investment."

"I'll go take a look then."

The three chatted for a while, and Song Tangtang said again: "Okay, Minghua, call Lele and Ruirui over, I want to talk to them."

"Okay, I'll call you downstairs."

After Fang Minghua finished speaking, he went downstairs and said to the brother and sister who were playing, "Come to my bedroom. Your mother and aunt want to talk to you on the phone."

Ruirui, who was reading a comic, immediately threw the comic book aside and ran upstairs, saying:

"Ouou, I want to chat with Xinxin! She speaks English and Chinese at the same time, it's so fun."

His son Lele followed slowly behind.

Fang Minghua shook his head.

My daughter Xinxin can speak now and receives bilingual education. Lili teaches her English and Lili's mother teaches her Chinese.

As a result, the child babbled in Chinese for a while, and then suddenly blurted out an English word, which sounded strange.

Fang Minghua didn't care when he heard Ruirui talking to her mother and aunt, and her little daughter on the phone. He knew that they would talk for more than half an hour every day, and the long-distance call bills alone were two to three thousand yuan a month.

The two children were chatting with their mother and aunt in the room, and Fang Minghua was sitting beside them thinking about this.

When thinking about buying a house in Los Angeles for my parents-in-law, how can I ignore my parents?

Unfortunately, my parents are not interested in going abroad at all.

In fact, Fang Minghua had wanted to invite the two elders to travel to the United States, but they both refused. You want me to go to the United States, but I don’t know English and I’m blind and dumb everywhere. What’s the point?
Besides, how can a hamburger be as delicious as our Xijing roujiamo?
In Xijing, I can listen to Qinqiang opera and watch people play chess. Is there such a thing in the United States?

Fang Minghua had no choice but to give up.

Of course there are other ways.

If you have a granddaughter abroad, at least your mother will definitely go to see her.

But I can’t say this now. I have to wait for the right opportunity.

The New Year passed in such a lively and hectic manner. As soon as the fifteenth day of the first lunar month passed, Fang Minghua packed his luggage and prepared to go to Yanjing.

The first Lu Prize award ceremony will be held in Yenching.

Fang Minghua has been to various award ceremonies many times, but there is nothing to be excited about, and sometimes he even feels a little annoyed.

But I have to go this time.

The first Lu Xun Prize ceremony is of great significance, and it would be inappropriate for me not to attend.

(End of this chapter)