Huayu: Hard fight against Zhang Weiping at the beginning

Chapter 678 President Chen has a very good temper
The headquarters of Golden Harvest is located on the 24th floor of Capital Centre, 151 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong.

At the entrance, the Golden Harvest logo, which I've seen countless times in movie opening sequences, shines brightly.

Thanks to Zhang Chen not changing the name after the acquisition, the Jiahe brand was preserved intact.

In the lobby near the entrance of Golden Harvest, photos of stars from various eras are displayed, including Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and Sam Hui...

Standing here is like witnessing the rise and fall of Jiahe.

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps came from the lobby, followed by a slightly flustered voice from the front desk trying to stop them.

“Mr. Wang, you can’t do this. Mr. Chen is busy and needs an appointment…”

"Step aside!"

A furious voice rang out. Wang Lihong, dressed in a well-tailored black suit, had a dark cloud over his usually gentle face, and the veins on his forehead were throbbing slightly.

He pushed aside the receptionist blocking his way and walked straight inside, ignoring her attempts to stop him.

The receptionist was sweating profusely, trying to keep up while trying to stop him, but Wang Lihong was too fast for her, and she couldn't keep up with him at all, even though she was wearing high heels.

At this moment, Wang Lihong was burning with rage. The dismal sales figures after the release of "Love Announcement" kept flashing through his mind, and the anger in his chest seemed about to erupt.

This film is his labor of love. It was his first time writing, directing, and starring in the film. He personally handled every aspect, from script polishing to casting, shooting, and editing, and devoted countless hours and energy to it.

He originally had high expectations for this work, regarding it as a stepping stone for his transition to directing.

But who could have imagined that Golden Harvest would give him less than 10% of the screenings? This was undoubtedly a fatal blow to a carefully crafted debut film.

Despite being one of Hong Kong's leading film and television companies, Golden Harvest only has a little over 200 employees, and its offices are just on the ground floor of an office building.

The office area consisted entirely of workspaces separated by transparent glass, making everything easily visible. Wang Lihong quickly spotted Chen Xi's office among them.

Seeing him stride toward Chen Xi's office, the receptionist behind him became even more anxious, disregarding the risk of falling, and desperately tried to stop him.

"Mr. Wang, you can't..."

"boom!"

Despite the receptionist's repeated attempts to stop him, Wang Lihong still pushed open the door to Chen Xi's office. The loud noise made Chen Xi, who was looking down at documents, look up.

"Mr. Chen, he forced his way in, I..." The receptionist looked aggrieved.

Chen Xi waved her hand: "Alright, this is none of your business, you can go now."

The receptionist, feeling as if granted a pardon, hurriedly left.

Chen Xi calmly looked at the uninvited guest in front of her.

"Mr. Chen!"

Wang Lihong walked to the desk, placed his hands on the table, leaned forward slightly, and his eyes were full of anger: "You have to give me an explanation. Why does 'Love Announcement' only have less than 10% of the screenings? That's my debut film. Do you know how much effort I put into it?"

Chen Xi put down her pen, leaned back in her chair, crossed her arms in front of her, and looked at him calmly without speaking immediately. The atmosphere in the office instantly became tense.

Seeing that she remained silent, Wang Lihong's anger flared even more, and he continued, "I know you're in charge of Golden Harvest now, holding the power over scheduling, but this can't be so unfair, can it? I poured all my passion into this movie, so just because it's not a big-budget production, does it deserve to be treated like this?"

Chen Xi finally spoke, her voice calm yet carrying a barely perceptible chill: "On what grounds?"

"What?" Wang Lihong was completely confused.

"What gives you the right to barge into my office like that and even question me? Who gave you the courage?"

Wang Lihong was momentarily speechless: "Uh... I..."

But this was quickly replaced by a feeling of displeasure.

Originally, "Love Announcement" was intended to be released during the National Day holiday, which is the golden period for the film market with large audience traffic and high box office potential. He was full of confidence in this.

But Jackie Chan approached him and said that Zhang Chen's "Mission: Impossible 4" would also be released during the National Day holiday.

Jackie Chan suggested he change the release date, but Wang Lihong was initially unwilling. He had put a lot of effort into "Love Announcement" and believed it was no worse than any other film.

But what the older brother said also makes a lot of sense. As a newcomer, you are facing a conflict with the release date of a film by a famous director, Zhang Chen. If you were a theater chain, what would you choose?
In order to get more screenings for "Love Announcement", Wang Lihong moved the release date forward to the May Day holiday. However, unexpectedly, Golden Harvest, the largest cinema chain, only gave it 10% of the screenings.

"I took Jackie Chan's advice and changed the release date to get a better screening slot, but you only gave me 10%..."

Wang Lihong's voice carried a hint of grievance and resentment.

Chen Xi looked at his excited expression as if he were a clown. She picked up a document from the table and threw it directly in front of Wang Lihong: "Take a look for yourself. 'Love Announcement' grossed less than HK$10,000 on its opening day in Hong Kong. With such a result, how many screenings do you think I should give you?"

When Wang Lihong picked up the document and saw the data on it, his pupils suddenly contracted, and the anger on his face instantly froze, replaced by disbelief.

"No...it's impossible, how could it be so low?"

He muttered to himself, his fingers trembling slightly, "Something must have gone wrong. My movie can't be this bad..."

……

Shortly after Wang Lihong stormed into Jiahe, two special guests arrived downstairs at the office building.

Xie Miao and Wu Jing stood at the entrance of the Golden Harvest Film Company office building, looking up at the towering building with a mixture of curiosity and trepidation on their faces.

Xie Miao was wearing a simple white T-shirt and jeans, and her hair was cut very short, making her look neat and tidy.

Although he had acted in "Kowloon Walled City", the film was shot on a set built in mainland China to meet the requirements of co-production. In fact, he only came to Hong Kong once for the film's promotion, but he had long forgotten where Golden Harvest was.

Fortunately, Wu Jing was by his side.

Unlike Xie Miao, Wu Jing is quite familiar with Hong Kong. He spent several years there in his early years. Although he didn't make a name for himself, he visited every nook and cranny of Hong Kong and speaks fluent Cantonese, indistinguishable from a local.

"Brother Jing, yes, this is it, exactly as I remember it." Xie Miao said softly, looking at the office building in front of him.

Wu Jing took off his sunglasses, looked around, and said with a smile, "Alright, stop acting like you've never been here before. Let's go in..."

Take the elevator directly to the 24th floor. As soon as you exit the elevator, you see the reception desk of Jiahe. Wu Jing said to the receptionist in fluent Cantonese, "Hello, this is Xie Miao. He has an appointment to meet with Director Shi today."

The receptionist smiled politely, picked up the phone, dialed a number, said a few words, and then said to the two of them, "Excuse me, Director Shi is out. Would you please wait a moment?"

Xie Miao and Wu Jing nodded and sat down on the sofa next to them.

Xie Miao was a little nervous, his hands on his knees, rubbing them incessantly. Wu Jing wasn't much better off.

Not long after, the elevator doors opened, and Shi Nansheng, dressed in a business suit, stepped out. The receptionist immediately said, "Director Shi, these two are here to see you."

Shi Nansheng turned her head and saw Xie Miao. A gentle smile immediately appeared on her face: "Xie Miao, you're here. Oh, Wu Jing?"

Wu Jing had spent a few years in Hong Kong, so Shi Nansheng knew him.

"Sister Nansheng, I'm not familiar with Hong Kong, so I brought Brother Jing along. Is that alright?"

"It's alright." Shi Nansheng shook hands with Xie Miao and Wu Jing in turn.

"Come on, I'll take you to see President Chen..." Shi Nansheng said, leading the two of them inside.

The receptionist wanted to say something, but because of Xie and Wu, she ultimately remained silent.

Along the way, Shi Nansheng warmly greeted the two, inquiring about their recent work situation, and the atmosphere was quite harmonious.

Xie Miao and Wu Jing gradually relaxed and started chatting with Shi Nansheng.

"Sister Nansheng, is President Chen not known for his bad temper?"

Xie Miao had heard some legends about Chen Xi. In the Hong Kong film industry, Hung Chun-po was known as the "Big Brother," while Chen Xi was known as the "Big Sister."

This title was given not only because she took care of her subordinates, but also because she was combative.

Upon hearing this, Shi Nansheng laughed and said, "That's not true. Those are just media rumors and misinformation. President Chen actually has a very good temper. He's just a bit direct sometimes. You don't need to be nervous."

After finishing speaking, seeing the expressions on their faces, Shi Nansheng added, "Back in the early days, when Star Entertainment took over Golden Harvest, Hong Kong filmmakers were dissatisfied and targeted her everywhere. At that time, Chen Xi inevitably offended some people, and since the Hong Kong media was in their hands, her reputation wasn't very good. But actually, she's a very nice person..."

Xie Miao and Wu Jing exchanged a glance and both breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Soon, the group arrived near Chen Xi's office. Through the glass curtain wall, they could see that there were people inside.

Shi Nansheng led the two to the office door and was about to knock when the door was suddenly pulled open. Wang Lihong hurriedly left, but Chen Xi's angry roar suddenly came from inside: "You damn bastard!"

With a first-day box office of less than HK$10,000, you still have the nerve to stand here and ask me to increase your screenings?

Look at the rubbish you've taken. I gave you the formula, and you still can't take good pictures.

A bad boy meets a goddess, an ordinary girl meets a top student; they truly loved each other, but fate played a cruel trick on them, separating them.
Is it really that difficult to make a good youth film if you understand these four sentences?
"You still think 10% of the screenings is too little? Let me tell you straight, that 10% is only because of Jackie Chan. Otherwise, I wouldn't even give you 1%. Get out of here..."

Wang Lihong left in a disheveled state, and almost bumped into Shi Nansheng as he left.

Chen Xi watched Wang Lihong flee in disarray, rubbed her temples, and showed a trace of fatigue on her face.

Outside, Xie Miao and Wu Jing stared blankly at the scene.

Goodness, was that Wang Lihong who just ran out?

Why is Wang Lihong being criticized like this?

As expected of a big shot, the two fell silent for a moment.

Then they both looked at Shi Nansheng and said, "Nansheng, didn't you just say that President Chen actually has a very good temper?"
A hint of embarrassment flashed across Shi Nansheng's face. She coughed twice and then looked at Chen Xi: "President Chen, what... is going on?"

"That damn 'Love Announcement' is a box office flop, yet it blames me for not giving it enough screenings~"

Chen Xi grumbled unhappily, "They can't even pick actors properly, no wonder it flopped. Of all the actors they could have chosen, they used Liu Yifei!"

These past two years have truly been Liu Yifei's darkest period, marked by a string of bad luck, as if she's been subjected to a backlash.

They outmaneuvered Huayi Brothers and were subsequently targeted by them in various ways; a classic case of overestimating their own abilities.

Hiring an unreliable designer led to a counterfeit dress scandal; it was entirely their own fault.
A perfect start has been ruined by criticism over the past two years.

Adding to the woes, her godfather went to jail, and her powerful backer collapsed. And incredibly, she keeps stepping on landmines; of all the products she could endorse, she chose to endorse Sohu Weibo.

This led Sina Weibo to directly treat her as an enemy. Of course, she is an enemy. Attacking her is equivalent to attacking a competitor. Even if Liu Tianxian wanted to clear her name, she couldn't.

She starred in "Love Announcement," reportedly through an introduction by Jackie Chan.

Wang Lihong is Cheng Long's younger brother, and the two have a very good relationship.

Jackie Chan contributed a great deal to the production of "Love Announcement".

Wang Lihong's public image has not collapsed in the past two years.

After the scandal broke, rumors circulated that Wang Lihong flirted with Liu Yifei during the filming of "Love Announcement," and it's unclear whether he succeeded in winning her over. No, I don't know if the rumors are true.

By the way, Jackie Chan has also publicly praised the young lady as a Hollywood superstar and the next Gong Li.

But everyone knows that Cheng Long's judgment is similar to that of football legend Pelé; he usually goes against the grain. Whoever he praises is bound to fail miserably.

Chen Xi complained for a while before realizing that Shi Nansheng must have come specifically to find her: "What, is there something you need?"

Shi Nansheng hummed in agreement: "It's Xie Miao. Didn't you say you wanted to talk to him?"

Chen Xi also saw Xie Miao and Wu Jing outside. The two greeted each other in unison, "Hello, President Chen~", their tone somewhat reserved.

Chen Xi waved her hand: "Come in and sit down."

She pointed to the chair in front of the desk, then looked at Shi Nansheng, "Nansheng, you sit down too."

Xie Miao and Wu Jing exchanged a glance and cautiously went inside.

Chen Xi sat behind his desk, rubbing his temples. When he saw them come in, he lowered his hand, and the anger on his face faded, replaced by calm.

"Please excuse my poor appearance~"

The two dared not laugh and quickly waved their hands, saying, "It's nothing, it's nothing~"

After the three sat down, Chen Xi was silent for a moment before speaking: "Xie Miao, the movie 'Kowloon Walled City' was well made, and your performance was outstanding. I have high hopes for you."

Hearing Chen Xi's praise, Xie Miao immediately breathed a sigh of relief and a shy smile appeared on her face: "Thank you for the praise, President Chen. I still have a lot to learn."

"Humility is a good thing, but you also need to have confidence."

Chen Xi smiled, then changed the subject, "I heard you haven't signed a management contract with a company yet, is that right?"

Xie Miao paused for a moment, then nodded: "Yes, Mr. Chen, I am still a free agent."

"That's just right."

Chen Xi leaned back in his boss's chair and looked at Xie Miao: "Sign with Golden Harvest. Golden Harvest is going to give you a big push from now on."

Chen Xi didn't utter a single unnecessary word.

"what?"

Xie Miao thought he had misheard, his face filled with disbelief.

"Sign your agency contract with Golden Harvest, and they'll really promote you!"

Chen Xi repeated, "I never make empty promises. Golden Harvest has a major project coming up, 'The Ghostwriter,' and I plan to cast you as the male lead. Moreover, it's a series of films, so if the first one is successful, there will be many more opportunities to follow."

Xie Miao's heart was pounding, and he was so excited that he could hardly speak.

Being promoted by Golden Harvest and starring in two film series was an incredible surprise for him.

Wu Jing, who was sitting next to him, also showed an envious expression when he heard the news.

He had been working in the entertainment industry for many years and had always longed for a chance to play a leading role, but he had never been able to get it. Seeing Xie Miao get such an opportunity, he was happy for Xie Miao, but also a little disappointed.

The typical person is both afraid of their brother suffering and afraid of their brother driving a Land Rover.

Xie Miao took a deep breath, trying to calm her excited emotions, and bowed deeply to Chen Xi: "Thank you, President Chen! I am willing to sign with Jiahe. I will definitely work hard and will not let you down!"

"very good."

Chen Xi nodded in satisfaction. "Nan Sheng will contact you about the specific contract details later."

Xie Miao nodded in agreement. Then he suddenly remembered Wu Jing beside him. With a thought, he mustered up his courage and said to Chen Xi, "President Chen, I have a favor to ask."

"Oh? Go ahead." Chen Xi looked at him.

“Brother Jing is also a very good actor and has excellent kung fu skills. Do you think it would be possible to arrange a role for him as well?”

Xie Miao pointed at Wu Jing, her eyes filled with a pleading look.

Wu Jing knew Xie Miao would definitely fight for him, but now that it was this crucial moment, he was also a little excited and quickly added, "I'm not picky about roles, I'm fine with any role, big or small, even a villain~"

Having worked in the Hong Kong entertainment industry for many years, he knows all too well the importance of opportunity.

The size of the role doesn't matter; what matters is making sure others remember you.

Chen Xi glanced at Wu Jing, then at Xie Miao, pondered for a moment, and said, "I know Wu Jing's abilities; his kung fu is indeed excellent. However, he can't play any of the roles in the movie 'The Ghostwriter.'"

what?
Upon hearing Chen Xi's words, Wu Jing's face first showed astonishment, then frustration, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his heart.

Xie Miao was also a little anxious and was about to say a few more words for Wu Jing when Chen Xi spoke up again. She looked at Wu Jing and smiled slightly: "Because I originally planned to let him play the male lead in 'The Ghostwriter 2'."

"what?"

Wu Jing suddenly raised his head, his eyes wide open; happiness had come too suddenly.

"The male lead in 'The Ghostwriter 2'?"

"Ah."

Chen Xi nodded, and then gave them a brief account of the story of "The Ghostwriter".

"Ghostwriting is a profession, similar to bounty hunters. They take on bounties, capture criminals, and collect their rewards. Xie Miao's character, the blind swordsman, is one of the four great ghostwriters, and your character, the Mad Dog, is also one of them. Then, in the third movie, the two of you will cross over..."

Wu Jing was trembling with excitement. He clenched his fists, suppressing the urge to cheer, and bowed deeply to Chen Xi: "Thank you, President Chen! Thank you for giving me this opportunity! I will definitely seize it and will not let you down!"

"I believe you."

Chen Xi smiled and said, "Actually, I made this decision a long time ago. I even consulted Director Zhang beforehand."

Xie Miao and Wu Jing were both somewhat surprised. Director Zhang, only Zhang Chen could be addressed like that by Chen Xi. So, does that mean Zhang Chen also thinks highly of him?
The two of them immediately felt as if their bones had become two ounces lighter.

Chen Xi did indeed consult Zhang Chen; the Ghostwriter universe is extremely important to Golden Harvest.

Star Entertainment has a mecha monster universe and a spy universe, and Golden Harvest, headed by Chen Xi, also wants to have its own universe, so she attaches great importance to "Ghostwriter".

While *Kowloon Walled City* was a decent film with respectable box office and critical reception, its realism made it prone to censorship issues, hindering the development of a long-term franchise. *The Ghostwriter* and *Brotherhood of Blades*, on the other hand, offered greater creative freedom, allowing for the construction of unique worldviews.

Zhang Chen doesn't care whether Wu Jing or Shi Xiaolong stars in "The Ghost 2" or not, since they both have baby faces, and there's no reason why Shi Xiaolong can star but Wu Jing can't.

But there's one condition: Wu Jing must leave Sun Entertainment.

Sun Entertainment is Alvin Chau's company, and Zhang Chen has no desire to be associated with them, much less cooperate with them in laundering money.

Zhang Chen's meaning was the same as Chen Xi's meaning. When Wu Jing learned that he was to leave Sun Entertainment, a hint of conflict appeared on his face.

Having lived in Hong Kong for several years, he knew a fair bit about Sun Entertainment's background; it was definitely not clean, but the person in charge, Paco Wong, had indeed treated him well.

But the struggle was brief; Wu Jing quickly made a decision: "No problem, I'll go back and ask the company to terminate my contract."

Wu Jing really went all out; this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and if he missed it, it might never come again.

"Good, you figured it out yourself, that's great!"

Chen Xi began to look at Wu Jing with new respect.

Xie Miao was also very happy, as he had earned an opportunity for his good friend, and the two would have another chance to act together.

Both of them were filled with hope for the future. They knew that joining Golden Harvest and receiving their support would be a huge turning point for their acting careers.

"We will definitely work hard, Mr. Chen," the two said in unison, their eyes filled with determination.

Chen Xi nodded in satisfaction. She believed that as long as the script was polished well, coupled with the strength of Xie Miao and Wu Jing, the Ghostwriter series would definitely become Golden Harvest's flagship series and support Golden Harvest's cinematic universe.

The atmosphere in the office became exceptionally harmonious, a stark contrast to the tension that had arisen during Wang Lihong's previous visit.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling on the three of them. Shi Nansheng had a premonition that it wouldn't be long before photos of the two of them would be hanging on the wall of the hall.

……

Somewhere, Wang Lihong was on the phone complaining to Cheng Long: "Brother, what I just said was exactly what Chen Xi said. This is outrageous..."

People in the industry generally call Jackie Chan "Brother Jackie Chan," but Wang Lihong, relying on his good relationship with Jackie Chan, directly calls him "Brother."

As soon as Wang Lihong finished speaking, Cheng Long knew he couldn't get involved in this matter.

Who is Chen Xi? In the martial arts world, she would be Zhang Chen's top horse. Zhang Chen wouldn't punish his top horse just because of Cheng Long's words; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to lead the team in the future.

He carefully considered his words: "Lihong, if I were you, I would apologize to Chen Xi."

Wang Lihong was dumbfounded; this wasn't what he expected. "No, brother..."

Seeing that the young man didn't understand, Jackie Chan decided to be direct: "Golden Harvest Cinemas is the number one cinema chain in Hong Kong, mainland China, and Southeast Asia. Let me put it this way: unless Zhang Chen doesn't support her, she is invincible in the film industry. Everyone has to be mindful of her. It's very unwise for you to offend her!"

……

I watched "The Chinese People's Volunteers" yesterday and was greatly disappointed.

I think "Caught in the Web" and "The Chinese People's Volunteer Army" are the pinnacle of Director Chen's work.

(End of this chapter)