The Red Era: Living in Seclusion in a Siheyuan as a Boss

Chapter 800: A miraculous survival promises great fortune!

Just as Shao Yifu's consciousness was fading, the roar of a ship's horn came from afar.

An American merchant ship found him, and the crew quickly rescued the dying young man from the East.

Under the careful care of the ship's doctor, Shao Yifu finally regained his senses.

He clutched the bank drafts and purchase lists he kept close to his body, secretly vowing to complete the task assigned by his elder brother.

Upon arriving in San Francisco, Shao Yifu, despite his exhaustion and weakened state, immediately threw himself into his work.

Shao Yifu would spend his days shuttling between various film equipment companies, and at night he would stay in the cheapest hotel in Chinatown, haggling with businessmen in broken English.

After three months of hard work, Shao Yifu finally managed to purchase a complete set of sound film shooting equipment with his limited funds, and also made a point of getting to know several Hollywood sound technicians.

In the spring of 1932, Shao Yifu returned to Southeast Asia with valuable equipment and new technologies.

By this time, the Shaw Brothers had already established 12 cinemas in Southeast Asia, forming a rudimentary cinema network.

In less than a year, the Shaw Brothers produced the first sound film made by Chinese people, "Bai Jinlong".

Upon its release, every show was sold out, and it ran for several months, becoming a sensation in Shanghai, Guangdong, and Hong Kong, enjoying unparalleled popularity.

Due to the success of "Bai Jinlong", Tianyi Film Company decided to open a branch in Hong Kong to mainly produce Cantonese films, while also expanding its reach to the entire Southeast Asian film market.

In early spring, Shao Yifu stood at the dock of Victoria Harbour, watching as the latest equipment shipped from Southeast Asia was carefully unloaded.

The sea breeze, carrying a salty, damp scent, brushed against his face. He remembered his elder brother's parting words: "Make Chinese films have a voice on the world stage."

Preparations for the Hong Kong branch are underway in full swing.

Upon his arrival, Shao Yifu personally oversaw the construction of the studio and specially designed soundproofing devices according to Hollywood standards.

He also hired Chen Zhiming, a recording engineer who had returned from America, at great expense, and the two often stayed up late into the night to fine-tune a sound effect.

When the first Cantonese audio film, "Song of the Fishermen," began filming, the entire crew held their breath in anticipation.

When the leading actress, Anna May Wong, sang her first line of Cantonese opera, the audience erupted in thunderous applause.

Shao Yifu stood behind the monitor, his eyes slightly red—his clear and melodious singing, through advanced recording equipment, perfectly showcased the charm of Lingnan culture.

On the day the film was released, long lines formed outside the Queen's Theatre.

When the shimmering Pearl River appeared on the screen, gasps of amazement rippled through the audience.

As the plot unfolded, sobs and laughter echoed throughout the theater.

When the film was shown in Malaysia, several elderly Chinese men with white hair held Shao Yifu's hands and thanked him repeatedly, saying, "Finally, we can hear our hometown dialect spoken in a movie!"

The success of "Song of the Fishermen" led Shaw Brothers to open seven cinemas in Southeast Asia.

Singapore's Sin Chew Daily praised it as "a new era for Oriental Films".

But Shao Yifu was not complacent; he had already begun preparing for his next project.

He wanted to build the largest film studio in the Far East in Kowloon Tong, dreaming of spreading more Chinese stories around the world.

At the construction site in Kowloon Tong, the roar of pile drivers never ceases, day and night.

Wearing a safety helmet, Shao Yifu inspected the dusty construction site.

He held the latest design drawings sent from Hollywood in his hand, occasionally marking them against the construction progress.

The workers all knew that this young boss was a perfectionist when it came to every detail—the soundproofing cotton in the photography studio had to be laid in three layers, the corners of the recording studio walls had to be rounded, and even the mirrors in the dressing room had to be imported from Italy.

One morning after the rain, Shao Yifu found several wild azaleas that had been crushed at the construction site.

He crouched down and gently stroked the dew-covered petals, suddenly recalling the silk flower that Huang Liushuang wore in her hair in the poem "Fisherman's Song".

In that instant, a bold idea flashed through his mind: to make a film with Lingnan opera as its soul, so that the world could hear the intricate and varied story of Chinese opera.

Three months later, when the first phase of the Kowloon Tong Film Studio was completed, Shao Yifu had already invited the famous Cantonese opera singer Xin Ma Shizeng.

In a specially built circular recording studio, the veteran artist sang "The Princess Changping" with such passion that even a passing Hollywood technical consultant stopped in amazement, exclaiming that it was "an Eastern opera miracle."

Shao Yifu stood in the control room, looking through the glass window at the old artist's trembling beard, as if he could see countless Chinese stories riding on the wings of sound waves, flying to the distant other side of the Pacific Ocean.

At the same time, the purchasing team he sent to Beiping brought back precious Peking Opera mask designs and recorded the pipa music played by Pingtan artists in Suzhou.

These sounds and images are carefully preserved in a temperature- and humidity-controlled film library, like seeds being planted and waiting to sprout.

Shao Yifu knew that when these cultural treasures met modern film technology, they would surely shine with a brilliance that would attract worldwide attention.

With brothers united, their strength can break metal. In recent years, Shaw Brothers has owned more than 110 cinemas and 9 amusement parks in Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Malaysia, Java, South Vietnam, and Borneo, and has established a complete film distribution network, dominating the Southeast Asian film market.

With Shao Yijie in Shanghai and Shao Yike and Shao Yifu in Southeast Asia, the Shaw Brothers film empire began to take shape, echoing each other from the north and south.

But war is coming!

At that time, as war drew near, the situation in Shanghai became increasingly dire.

After the Kuomintang signed a "ceasefire agreement" with the Japanese pirates, many films about resisting Japanese pirates were banned.

Shao Yijie was filled with patriotic feelings, and "Tianyi Film Industry" also produced some films that exposed reality, which has already been targeted by...

Seeing film companies being shut down one after another, Shao Yijie, on the advice of his younger brother Shao Yiren, honestly took a step back and returned to the old path of folk tales.

However, times have changed, and traditional stories lost their appeal due to the chaos of war at the time.

With everyone living in dire straits, who wants to read about gods, monsters, or love stories?

As a result, the business of "Tianyi Film Industry" continued to decline.

With the sound of gunfire at Lugou Bridge, Shao Yijie finally made up his mind to end his film production work in Shanghai, transfer all funds and equipment to Hong Kong, establish "Nanyang Film Company", and officially shift his focus to the Cantonese market.

Back then, life was tough in old Shanghai, but was life easy in old Hong Kong?

The Shao family had been operating in Shanghai for a long time and had some influence, as well as connections with all sorts of people.

Upon arriving in Hong Kong, before filming even began, the local bullies came knocking. The Shao brothers, unwilling to be bullied, refused to pay protection money.

The effect was immediate: the new film studio inexplicably caught fire, all the old film reels brought from Shanghai were burned to ashes, and even the newly purchased equipment was reduced to ashes in the fire.

Seeing all his years of hard work go to waste, Shao Yijie couldn't bear the blow and fell seriously ill.

After recovering from his illness, he resigned from his position as general manager, handed over all business management affairs to his second brother, and returned to live in his old house in Shanghai.

The Shao brothers originally trusted their eldest brother the most, but after Shao Yijie stepped down, the three remaining brothers developed resentment towards each other.

Shao Yifu stood before the charred ruins of the film set, his fingertips tracing a half-burnt piece of film, the hoarse words of his elder brother echoing in his ears as he left Hong Kong: "Guard the roots of the Shao family."

Rainwater mixed with ash meandered into a river on the bluestone slabs, reflecting his tightly pursed lips.

Three days later, he met with the leader of the Chaozhou gang at a teahouse in Wan Chai.

On the sandalwood tea tray, Shao Yifu pushed the gold bars he brought from Southeast Asia across the table, but suddenly stopped the other party as he reached out: "I want to see your boss."

Amidst the uproar, he pulled out an English land deed and slammed it on the table—it was a "harmonious wealth" deed obtained in exchange for three acres of land in Kowloon Tong.

That night, Shao Yike secretly arrived in Hong Kong with funds raised in Southeast Asia. The two brothers talked late into the night in a warehouse in Yau Ma Tei, and the numbers circled in red ink on the ledger were shocking: reconstruction required HK$300,000, but there were only HK$80,000 left in the account.

Back when it was "Tianyi Company", Shao Lao Er controlled the company's finances, while Shao Yi Ke and Shao Yi Fu were developing the market in Southeast Asia. There were not many conflicts between them.

However, after the eldest son stepped down, the second son took control of the company, renamed Nanyang Film Company as "Shaw Brothers", and became the general manager himself, while the eldest son, Shao Weimei, was in charge of the company's finances.

In the eyes of the third and sixth brothers, the business, which was originally shared by the brothers, was now being dominated by one family, which was intolerable.

The two brothers in Singapore originally did not intend to break with their second brother, Shao Yiren. However, after the company was reorganized, Shao Yiren took charge of filming and production, while the Southeast Asian side was only responsible for distribution.

With the venue empty and no movies showing, even the most skilled cook can't make a meal without ingredients.

Left with no other option, the two brothers from Southeast Asia had to transfer funds to the Hong Kong film company, requesting them to produce the film as soon as possible to meet their release requirements.

Who would have thought that Shao Yiren didn't have the same artistic aspirations as Shao Yijie?

He was a finance professional, and Shao Lao Er was only responsible for maximizing profits. He would cut corners here and there, resulting in shoddy films that no audience was willing to pay for.

In order not to damage their reputation, the two brothers in Southeast Asia had to search for film sources everywhere, struggling to make ends meet.

To turn against them or not?

The two brothers didn't dwell on it for long. As the war spread, a few years later, Japanese pirates occupied Hong Kong.

Then the Pacific War broke out, and Singapore, Malaysia, and the whole of Southeast Asia fell to the Japanese.

Hundreds of Shaw Brothers' cinemas were reduced to ashes in the war, and even Shaw Brothers' rich husband was imprisoned by the Japanese invaders for "making anti-Japanese films".

Later, with the help of his wife Huang Meizhen and friends, Shao Yifu was released from prison.

After being released from prison, Shao Yifu and his third brother Shao Yike made a decision: to lie low and wait for an opportunity to make a comeback.

Before the War of Resistance against Japan, Shao Yifu was approaching thirty and still had no wife.

In those years, he was busy with work and had little opportunity to date, thus remaining single for a long time.

Of course, Shao Yifu himself was the one who kept putting it off, because he had a girl in his heart but no chance to be with her, so he simply didn't mention it.

That was back in 1929.

By chance, the Shaw brothers met Yu Dongxuan, a famous Singaporean tycoon.

Yu Dongxuan was an overseas Chinese from Guangdong Province. His father, Yu Guang, made his fortune in mining and then founded the pharmacy "Yu Rensheng".

Yu Guang died young, and Yu Dongxuan was still a minor at the time. Without the pillar of the family, the family was on the verge of collapse.

Unexpectedly, Yu Dongxuan was even luckier than his father. He spent money searching for minerals in the forest and found more than a dozen tin mines. He immediately turned the tables and became known as the "Tin King".

Later, with the rise of the rubber industry, Yu Dongxuan used the money he earned from tin mining to invest in the rubber industry, and still made a fortune.

The Yu family was revived under his leadership, and together with the Chen family of Malaysia, they became known as the wealthiest Chinese families in Southeast Asia.

With money and free time, Yu Dongxuan began to venture into the real estate industry.

He bought two theaters in the city center and hired a designer from England to renovate them, which became the predecessor of the "Great China Theater".

At first, this place only showed Cantonese opera. Later, it was rented to Shaw Brothers and they started showing movies. That's how I met the Shaw Brothers, who were deeply involved in the film industry.

On one occasion, Yu Dongxuan invited the Shaw Brothers to his home as guests.

As soon as Shao Yifu entered, he was immediately drawn to the graceful young woman next to Yu Dongxuan, who was dressed in a silk dress, a women's hat, and white high heels, and whose demeanor was fresh and refined.

Upon seeing this, Yu Dongxuan introduced her to the Shaw brothers: "This is Miss Huang Meizhen."

Huang Meizhen comes from a wealthy merchant family and is one of Yu Dongxuan's many female "friends".

Yu Dongxuan welcomed Shao Yike into the room to discuss cooperation, while Shao Yifu was received by Huang Meizhen.

The two strolled under the wisteria trellis in the Yu family garden. Huang Meizhen held an ivory fan, gently waving it and releasing a faint fragrance.

She talked about her time studying in London, where she loved watching Charlie Chaplin's silent films, and her eyes and brows were full of life.

Shao Yifu was listening intently when he accidentally stepped on her skirt. As he hurriedly apologized, she covered her mouth and chuckled, saying, "Mr. Shao is even more interesting than the comedians on screen."

"Hehehe... Although I am a filmmaker, I am not good at acting, so I can't compare to Mr. Chaplin..." Shao Yifu was captivated by Huang Meizhen's smile and blushed as he tried to cover it up.

Huang Meizhen had considerable insight into film, and was also exceptionally beautiful. After a heartfelt conversation, Shao Yifu couldn't help but be tempted.

However, Huang Meizhen was already married, and Yu Dongxuan was their brother's benefactor, making this matter extremely difficult.

They say love is like a cough, you can't cover it up.

Later, Shao Yifu returned from America after a near-death experience. Huang Meizhen was waiting at the dock. When she saw her beloved standing in front of her, she couldn't help but rush into his arms and embrace him, weeping.

Having survived a life-or-death ordeal, the two decided to no longer hide their relationship and frankly tell Yu Dongxuan about their love.

Unexpectedly, Mr. Yu Dongxuan was also a shrewd person. After hearing this, he laughed heartily: "I had already noticed your affair. A gentleman helps others achieve their goals. Since you and Meizhen are truly in love, there's no need to worry about so much. Do you expect Meizhen to spend her whole life with this old man?"

Thus, the affair between the two before the war became public, and Shaw Yi-fu and Wong Mei-chen got married in Singapore.

Yu Dongxuan also gave a wedding gift of 50 yuan to congratulate the couple on their marriage.

This unusual relationship between the three was not ridiculed, but instead became a popular story.

Wu Dafang said that Ms. Huang was 5 years older than Mr. Shao. The two had 2 sons and 2 daughters, and their marriage lasted for 50 years.

After World War II, the Shaw brothers, Shaw Yi-fu and Shaw Yi-ke, in Southeast Asia immediately rallied and took advantage of the opportunity to further expand their war achievements while everything was in ruins.

With the film industry at its core, the company aggressively developed theaters, cinemas, entertainment centers, and amusement parks. By 1952, the Shaw Brothers Company owned more than 500 cinemas in Singapore and Malaysia, as well as two large amusement parks. Together, the two men built an entertainment empire.

Meanwhile, Shaw Brothers and his company in Hong Kong were on a downward spiral.

As mentioned earlier, Shaw Yat-jen did not share his elder brother's passion for film; he treated it merely as a business and was not sensitive to the subject matter or current events in his films.

Moreover, at this time, another financial tycoon was sharpening his knives at the Hong Kong film industry. He was Lu Yuntao, the son of Lu You, one of the "Four Heavenly Kings" of Southeast Asian Chinese entrepreneurs.

Lu Yuntao's family has many businesses, including finance, real estate, shipping, and hotels. So, although both of them come from wealthy families, it is impossible to compare Shao Yifu and Lu Yuntao in terms of wealth.

Lu Yuntao studied literature and history at Cambridge University in England. After inheriting the family business, he founded a film distribution company.

Later, a subsidiary was established in Hong Kong, extending its reach into film production and intending to develop the film industry.

The Shaw brothers all came from the old society. They were good at portraying traditional stories, their filming techniques were conservative, and their ideas were relatively old-fashioned.

Lu's style is more Westernized, with a more modern choice of actresses and subject matter.

Not to mention their substantial financial support, which directly impacted every aspect of the Shaw Brothers' business empire.

With Lu's "Cathays" in front and "Great Wall" behind, Shao Yiren's talent and resources kept slipping away, and he had no good solutions.

Faced with the strong rise of Luk's Cathay Organisation, Shao Yiren's situation became increasingly difficult.

He tried to keep the operation afloat by cutting costs, but this only led to a decline in film quality and a significant loss of viewers.

(End of this chapter)