Literary Master 1978.

Chapter 428: Palme d’Or, have you ever won it?

Xu Guanwen laughed. "Of course, I may not be successful if I look for you to cooperate with me. But I know that if I still look for those people I have cooperated with before, I will be following the old path."

“This new path may not be smooth, but it may be a shortcut to another success.

If I take the old road, I can see the scenery all the way to the end.”

Listening to Xu Guanwen's words, Lin Chaoyang fell silent.

He had to admit that Xu Guanwen was a very clear-headed person who knew exactly how to achieve his goals. No wonder he had achieved such great success in the film industry.

While he was silent, Xu Guanwen continued to talk to himself:

“Mr. Lin, I haven’t read any of your works as a screenwriter in the mainland, but I have read “The Last Emperor” and “The Chess Master”.

In my opinion, your creative style is very different from that of filmmakers in Hong Kong. It has a moderate, peaceful and upright temperament.

This style may not be so popular, but I think it is a creation that combines popularity and artistry.”

If we were to sum up the characteristics of Hong Kong films in two words, it would probably be - excessive.

Everything is excessive, everything is crazy, which is the most realistic portrayal of the Hong Kong film industry in the 1980s, 1990s.

Xu Guanwen's words certainly contained some compliments to Lin Chaoyang, but they also contained some of his own insights.

Xu Guanwen spoke for a long time and finished all the lines he had prepared, but Lin Chaoyang remained silent. Xu Guanwen couldn't help but feel a bit of a headache, as he couldn't figure out what Lin Chaoyang was thinking.

"Chaoyang..."

Li Hanxiang was observing the situation and was about to say a few words on behalf of Xu Guanwen when Lin Chaoyang spoke up.

“Michael, movies are ultimately about collective wisdom, and you came to me simply because you value my ability to write scripts.

But there are too many factors that determine the success or failure of a film, including director, art, photography, distribution...

With so many factors at play, even a good script may not lead to success.”

Lin Chaoyang's words sounded like they were meant to create fear in Xu Guanwen, but Xu Guanwen heard a hidden meaning.

"Mr. Lin, you are right. But the script is the foundation of a play. It must be the basis for the success of a movie. A good script is the prerequisite for the success of a movie.

Besides, you should trust me.

I dare not say anything else, but the film I, Xu Guanwen, want to make will not lack funds, and I can find the best production team in Hong Kong."

Xu Guanwen's words were full of domineering power, but who can blame him for being Xu Guanwen?
For an actor whose movies have topped the Hong Kong film industry's annual box office for five consecutive years and broken Hong Kong's box office record three times since its founding, it would be almost impossible for him to form a team and transform himself.

Of course, the premise is that he cannot fail.

Even if Tom Cruise had three flops in a row, those production companies wouldn't dare to use him again. That's the reality in the film industry.

When you succeed, your farts smell good. When you fail, everything you say is just farts.

Xu Guanwen's words were a bit arrogant, but they also demonstrated his determination.

Lin Chaoyang stared at him, and Xu Guanwen's eyes were firm.

Lin Chaoyang asked: "Michael, have you ever thought about what would happen if the movie did not do well at the box office or failed?"

Xu Guanwen smiled carefreely, "At worst I can go back and act crazy and stupid."

"By that time, the audience may not buy it." Lin Chaoyang said dimly.

Hearing this, Xu Guanwen fell silent. After a long while, he said, "Everyone has his own era. What's over is over."

There was a hint of determination in his words, and a kind of tragic grandeur like the whistling wind and the cold Yi River.

Li Hanxiang laughed and said, "Don't be so exaggerated. It's normal to fail when making a movie, right?"

Xu Guanwen's expression also relaxed. "No one wants to fail. Of course, success is the best. Mr. Lin..."

Feeling Xu Guanwen's sincerity and determination, Lin Chaoyang took the initiative to say, "Old Li should have told you before that I don't really want to write scripts now. Writing movie scripts is really not profitable for me."

Xu Guanwen's eyes lit up, "We can still negotiate the price..."

Lin Chaoyang waved his hand and said, "Based on my understanding of the Hong Kong film industry, you may not be able to give me a price that satisfies me."

His words made Xu Guanwen look a little embarrassed. Li Hanxiang had previously offered Lin Chaoyang a sum of 20 Hong Kong dollars, but the other party remained indifferent. This appetite was indeed too big.

But this time Xu Guanwen made up his mind that as long as Lin Chaoyang could write a script that satisfied him, he wouldn't mind paying a fortune for it.

“Michael, you are eager to transform now. You can pay a price far exceeding the market price for a good script, but doing so will obviously involve great risks.

How about this? I can write the script for you. If you are satisfied, you don't need to pay me for the script, you just need to put it into the investment.

When the movie is released, I just want my share of the profits, how about that? "

Xu Guanwen never expected that Lin Chaoyang would have such an idea, and he was in hesitation for a moment.

Li Hanxiang looked at Lin Chaoyang with a strange look in his eyes. Based on his understanding of Lin Chaoyang, all the arguments before were probably just for these last few sentences, right?

The Hong Kong film industry has been booming in recent years, with hot money continuously pouring into the industry. When a movie is successful, it is normal for the boss to give red envelopes to important figures such as the director, screenwriter, and main actors.

Some bosses value talent and will give dividends and support talent to start their own businesses. Xinyicheng and its many satellite companies are the products of this trend. Therefore, Xu Guanwen and Li Hanxiang had no objection to screenwriters taking dividends, but they had never experienced Lin Chaoyang's proposal to convert the script into an investment and participate in the profit sharing in the later stage.

The benefits of this approach are obvious to investors. With less investment, the risk naturally becomes smaller, especially since Lin Chaoyang's script is not cheap.

But the downside is that if the movie is really successful, a portion of the profits will definitely have to be distributed.

In essence, this operation is the same as paying book royalties, where creators and institutions share the risk.

Xu Guanwen thought for a while and asked Lin Chaoyang: "Then how do you calculate your profit?"

"If the movie doesn't make money, I won't take a penny. If it does, I want 10% of the total revenue."

When Xu Guanwen heard the words “not a penny”, he felt relieved, but then he heard the number “10%” and his brows immediately frowned.

"Isn't this number too high? You alone took 10% of the profits."

Lin Chaoyang said calmly, "You spent hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong dollars to buy a script from me. If it makes a profit of three or four million, it may not be worth it. If the movie fails, I wrote the script for you for nothing. If it succeeds, I'll get more money. Isn't that normal?"

Xu Guanwen was speechless. He pondered for a long time and finally made up his mind, "Okay, I promise you!"

If it were an ordinary Hong Kong screenwriter, he would naturally not receive such treatment, but who can blame Lin Chaoyang for not having a single defeat since he entered the film industry?
What's more, Xu Guanwen is now eager to transform. It can be said that he is desperate to try any possible means or that he is eager to recruit talented people. Anyway, he has grabbed a screenwriter like Lin Chaoyang who has top creative ability, and he will never let go easily.

After making his choice, Xu Guanwen stopped worrying and asked, "Mr. Lin, do you have any idea for the script?"

"I've been writing a new work recently, and I think this story is more suitable for your transformation."

Xu Guanwen: ...

Li Hanxiang: ...

So you've dug the pit and are just waiting for me to jump in, right?
Xu Guanwen's eyes were full of resentment, but Lin Chaoyang had no psychological burden at all.

"How about I tell you this story first?"

After hearing what he said, Xu Guanwen immediately put aside his thoughts and asked expectantly, "What is this story about?"

Lin Chaoyang lowered his voice and said to Xu Guanwen:

"Michael, have you ever thought about what would happen if you suddenly woke up one day and found that all the people, things and objects around you were unreal?

My parents are fake, my wife is fake, my childhood friend is fake, even the sun is fake! Everything is fake!
What will happen to you?

For some reason, even though Lin Chaoyang hadn’t started telling the story yet, Xu Guanwen suddenly felt a chill running through his body.

“Is everything fake?”

He felt a chill in his heart, "If that's the case, I might go crazy, right?"

Lin Chaoyang did not continue speaking, but Xu Guanwen's curiosity had been aroused by Lin Chaoyang's words, and he asked anxiously:
"And then? How did the story develop? Why is it all fake? Am I being controlled by a bad guy?"

The continuous questioning fully revealed his inner curiosity. Lin Chaoyang did not keep the person in suspense and continued to speak in a calm voice.

He talked for more than half an hour. Xu Guanwen and Li Hanxiang were completely immersed in the story he had woven and could not extricate themselves.

After Lin Chaoyang finished speaking, he sat there drinking coffee for a few minutes before Li Hanxiang came back to his senses.

He grabbed Lin Chaoyang's hand and said, "Chaoyang, give me this script! I'll shoot it, and I'm sure I can do it well!"

Xu Guanwen was shocked by his actions and was about to accuse Li Hanxiang of cutting him off when Lin Chaoyang said:
"You? You can't film this book!"

Li Hanxiang yelled, "Why can't I take pictures?"

"If I say you can't shoot it, then you can't shoot it."

Li Hanxiang was very angry. He thought of what Lin Chaoyang said to him a few days ago and said angrily, "Okay, you are a dog-eyed person, aren't you?"

"Hey, hey, hey, is it okay to attack others personally?"

Seeing that Lin Chaoyang did not agree to Li Hanxiang's request, Xu Guanwen was no longer anxious. He pulled Li Hanxiang and said, "Mr. Lin must have his own ideas. Don't make trouble for now."

"What do you mean I'm making trouble?"

It would have been fine if Xu Guanwen didn't say anything. As soon as he started talking, Li Hanxiang became even angrier.

He was the one who originally set up the matchmaking for this matter, but now Lin Chaoyang and Xu Guanwen are in cahoots with each other. How can he not be angry?
Lin Chaoyang said at this time: "Old Li, Michael wants to transform this time. If this script is well made, it can win awards. Your technique is old-fashioned, and you will suffer a loss if you participate in the awards."

Hearing this, Li Hanxiang almost jumped up. He had been a director all his life, but was told that his techniques were "old-fashioned" by a screenwriter who had never made a movie.

To Li Hanxiang, these words were no different from a child pointing at him and calling him impotent!

It's really intolerable, what can't be tolerated!

"My skills are old? My skills are old? Do you know anything about movies? Haven't I won a Hong Kong Film Award? Haven't I won a Golden Horse Award?"

Facing the furious Li Hanxiang, Lin Chaoyang remained calm and composed, and uttered a few words softly.

“Have you ever won the Palme d’Or?”

Li Hanxiang stood there in shock.

(End of this chapter)