Literary Master 1978.

Chapter 482: Blockade and Response

Tao Yushu's personality has always been calm and generous, and she rarely reveals her emotions completely. But when she came back tonight, her behavior was completely different from usual.

"The Hong Kong and Kowloon Freedom Federation suddenly issued a ban order, requiring Hong Kong actors and directors not to cooperate with our Lam Pictures."

"Where did the news come from?"

"The actors and directors of several films that the company is currently shooting have received notices."

Tao Yushu's tone was full of annoyance.

Although this situation was anticipated, it was not a pleasant feeling to be threatened and unable to do anything about it.

"A few directors are a little bit better, but the actors are a little timid."

As human beings, we seek benefits and avoid harm. The actors' worries and fears are understandable.

The attitude of the Hong Kong and Kowloon Freedom Federation represents the attitude of the pseudo Cultural Bureau of Taiwan. Once they are banned for cooperating with Lam's Film Company.

What they are facing is not the situation where one or two films cannot be made, but that no investor dares to use them anymore.

After all, Taiwan is now the largest overseas market for Hong Kong films, and no film producer wants to lose such a big piece of fat meat.

It’s easier for directors, at most they can use pseudonyms to shoot films, but actors make a living by using their faces, so they can’t avoid it even if they want to.

There are no movies to shoot and no place to find food. No one wants to end up in such a miserable situation just because of filming a movie.

"Don't worry. The most important thing right now is to stabilize people's hearts. Aren't those actors afraid of being banned? Give them a contract.

Based on their status, Lin Pictures will give them 10 film contracts in the next five years, with pay 20% higher than the market price.

Tell them that it is up to them whether to sign the contract or not, it is just a guarantee we provide so that they don't have to worry.

These actors have cooperated with us before, so they should not be banned.

I promised them to finish their scenes first."

Lin Chaoyang's expression was calm and clear, which immediately calmed Tao Yushu's somewhat flustered mood.

"Okay, I'll do it tomorrow."

“Have the contracts with those companies been signed?”

"It's signed, and the investment funds have arrived."

Lin Chaoyang nodded. "It's good as long as the money arrives. I can tie up as many people as I can now."

When he said this, a hint of joking appeared on his face. Tao Yushu said, "You are still in the mood to laugh!"

"What if I don't laugh? Am I going to cry?"

Lin Chaoyang looked relaxed and continued, "The biggest reliance of Taiwan is nothing more than their market, but except for The Truman Show and A Better Tomorrow, our films have never been shown in Taiwan.

It should be said that they had adopted a blocking stance towards us from the very beginning, but they just hadn't made it public before.

I guess this time they were stimulated by our collaboration with Yindu and Xi'an Film Studio on "King of Children".

After the initial panic, Tao Yushu's mood relaxed.

"That's right. We don't have the Taiwan market to begin with, so now we need to attract those partners.

I guess the bosses of these companies will call me tomorrow..."

As she was speaking, her cell phone rang.

Tao Yushu answered the phone, "Hello, Director Wu. I just heard about it too. Don't worry, it won't have any impact on our Lin Group. Our films are rarely shown in Taiwan..."

Tao Yushu talked on the phone for nearly ten minutes. After hanging up the phone, he smiled bitterly and said to Lin Chaoyang:
"Wu Siyuan heard about the rumors spread by the Hong Kong and Kowloon Freedom Federation and was worried that it would be affected. He tried to break the contract in words and deeds."

Lin Chaoyang heard what Tao Yushu said on the phone just now, and he could guess what Wu Siyuan said.

She warned Wu Siyuan in a stern manner about the consequences of breaking the contract, and then gave him a sweet treat by saying that he could continue to participate in Lin's Pictures' films in the future.

"That was a good response. This matter had nothing to do with them, and the ban couldn't affect them. He was just worried that the movie would fail and he would lose money."

Tao Yushu sighed, "Yes, but I'm afraid of people like him who just follow the trend."

"It doesn't matter. People like this will go wherever the wind is stronger. If they are really like Feng Cuifan, then we will have a hard time dealing with them."

Feng Cuifan is the Rhino in the "Lucky Stars" series and the backbone of the Hong Kong and Kowloon Freedom Federation.

Tao Yushu said: "Wu Siyuan is fine. What I am most worried about is the cinema chain. Golden Harvest and Cinema City will definitely take advantage of this news. I am afraid Shaw Brothers will also take the opportunity to cause trouble."

“The strength of the two southern lines is a little bit weak, but it is better to have them than not, and that is our basic base. Shaw Cinemas will definitely raise prices, and it doesn’t matter if we share some of the profits.

Making money has never been our first priority. The most important thing is to survive and live a better and better life.

Hong Kong's film industry may seem to be flourishing, but in reality it is just a slow process. Only the one who laughs last is the winner."

Listening to Lin Chaoyang's words, Tao Yushu nodded.

“I originally planned to release ‘An Autumn’s Tale’ in July to compete against Golden Harvest’s ‘Eastern Condors’, but now it seems safer to release it earlier.

If the box office is successful, it can boost morale, but I am afraid that the box office will not be ideal."

Lin Chaoyang smiled and said, "You have to have confidence in Ah Fa. He is very popular now. From last year to now, no matter how bad the movies he starred in were, they all made less than 1000 million at the box office. "Autumn Fairy Tale" is of good quality, so the box office will not be bad."

Tao Yushu felt a lot more relaxed after hearing this.

After talking to her for a while, Lin Chaoyang finally said, "Call Ajing and ask him to come to the company tomorrow."

"Ask him to go to the company? Why?"

"Restock the Lin family with some ammunition!" Lin Chaoyang smiled, with a hint of mystery in his expression.

Tao Yushu was curious because of his mysterious attitude, but Lin Chaoyang said he would tell her later.

She added: "The comrades introduced by Du Feng have been arranged. I am wondering whether I should bring some more people from Yanjing."

The increasingly obvious hostility from the Taiwan Straits and the Hong Kong and Kowloon Freedom Federation made Tao Yushu feel a little uneasy.

She is not afraid of fair competition, but she is afraid that the other party will use some despicable tricks.

Lin Chaoyang was caught off guard and felt that Tao Yushu's idea was right.

But Tao Yushu was a little worried about how to arrange the arrangements for the new people.

"They come here to be martial artists, and we give them a good martial arts director. Two or three low-budget action films a year are enough to support a group of people."

No matter how many soldiers you have, their quality is not important.

Lin Chaoyang believed that the person sent by his uncle Du Ruolin must be of good quality.

"This is a good idea. I will contact my uncle now."

After Tao Yushu finished speaking, he excitedly went to make a phone call. After more than 20 minutes, he came back and made an OK gesture to Lin Chaoyang with a bright smile on his face.

It feels good to have someone's support.

The next morning, Wang Jing drove his newly bought Mercedes-Benz to the downstairs of Prince Building. After getting out of the car, he couldn't help but admire his beloved car, then turned around and went upstairs.

After joining Lam Films for more than half a year, he shot two films for Lam, both of which grossed more than HK$2000 million locally, not including the box office in other places.

Thanks to the huge sales of these two films, he himself also received dividends of nearly 700 million Hong Kong dollars.

This does not include the brand value generated by Wong Jing Film Studio, which is affiliated with Lam Films, due to the huge success of "The Romance of the Condor Heroes" and "Best Friends".

In the eyes of many media reporters, Wong Jing has become the "second Tsui Hark".

But Wong Jing knows very well that he is much luckier than Tsui Hark.

Although Tsui Hark opened a film studio and seemed independent, the big boss behind him was actually still Boss Lei, and he still relied on Cinema City for film production and distribution.

Nowadays, the internal fighting in Cinema City is getting more and more intense. Mai Jia's family is the only one in power and has a lot of control over others. In the final analysis, the money has not been distributed properly.

There are not many good bosses as generous as Mr. and Mrs. Lin in the Hong Kong film industry.

"Mrs. Lin!"

When Wang Jing arrived at the office, he saw Tao Yushu writing and drawing on paper with his head down, and greeted him.

"Ajing is here, sit down!"

After Wang Jing sat down, Tao Yushu chatted with him for a few words. He looked relaxed and not depressed at all.

After chatting for a while, she asked, "Have you heard the rumors these past two days?"

Wang Jing's face turned serious and he nodded.

He thought Tao Yushu asked him to come to the company to comfort him, "Mrs. Lin, don't worry, those things outside will definitely not affect my filming for the company!"

Wang Jing's assurance was powerful. Given his materialism, he certainly couldn't be that kind of loyal minister or good general, but his words were not entirely false.

The Hong Kong and Kowloon Freedom Federation has a great influence in the Hong Kong film industry, but it is not yet to the extent of covering the sky with one hand.

Especially now that Lin's film industry is thriving, the ban may have some impact, but in the short term, Lin should not have any major problems.

As long as he can make money, Wang Jing will not change jobs easily.

He has been working in the Hong Kong film industry for ten years and knows all too well what kind of people the bosses out there are.

Ever since "The Romance of the Condor Heroes" became a hit, he has been contacted by movie company bosses, some of whom offered even better conditions than Lam Pictures.

But Wang Jing knew clearly that if he really changed jobs, it would be good if half of the promised conditions could be implemented.

Tao Yushu smiled and seemed very satisfied with his statement.

Then he asked Wang Jing, "How is the script going?"

After the release of "Best Friends", Wang Jing did not continue filming, but took a few days to relax, and then closed the door to write the script.

The box office of "The Romance of the Condor Heroes" and "Best Friends" both stopped at 2000 million. He plans to polish a high-quality script and strive for a higher box office result.

On the one hand, it is to earn more dividends, and on the other hand, it is to make a push for the position of a top director in the film industry.

Without a film that grossed more than HK$3000 million at the local box office, he is still a little bit away from being one of the top directors in the Hong Kong film industry.

"I've written most of it. I'll be able to finish it next month."

Tao Yushu nodded slightly. She didn't rush to speak, but handed over the notebook in her hand, "Take a look at this."

Wang Jing took the notebook and quickly glanced at the contents. His face changed slightly, "Mrs. Lin, this is..."

"Please perfect these three scripts. Let Ah Fat play the leading male role in God of Gamblers, Ah Sing in Saint of Gamblers, and Andy Lau in The Gambler. He is currently contracted to work at Entertainment.

Your film, The Supreme, will start filming next month after it is finished. It can be regarded as a pioneer for films of this type. "

In the notebook that Tao Yushu handed to Wang Jing, there were the plot summaries and outlines of three movies, namely "God of Gamblers", "The Saint of Gamblers" and "The Gambler".

Among these three movies, "God of Gamblers" and "Casino Tycoon" were originally directed by Wang Jing. The other "The Saint of Gamblers" is also an imitation of "God of Gamblers", and can be said to be in the same vein as the previous two works.

Taiwan is now beginning to put extreme pressure on Lin's Pictures, and Lin's Pictures must take action. The "God of Gamblers" trilogy is the big move that Lin Chaoyang has prepared for Lin's Pictures.

In 1989 and 1990, the three films "God of Gamblers", "The Saint of Gamblers" and "Casino Tycoon" all grossed more than HK$4000 million in their local box office, and together they earned HK$1.2 million in Hong Kong.

If foreign countries are included, the cumulative box office exceeded HK$3 million, almost sweeping the Hong Kong, Taiwan and Southeast Asian film markets that year, and bringing about a wave of gambling films.

This allowed Yongsheng, a film company that started out as a H-boy club, to quickly rise to become an important force in the Hong Kong film industry.

In addition, "God of Gamblers" also allowed Chow Yun-fat to reach new heights, "Casino Tycoon" made Andy Lau a box office star, and "The Saint of Gamblers" made Stephen Chow the "Star Master".

Actors, directors, screenwriters... a number of filmmakers have become more famous because of the success of these films.

Such films, which can not only generate huge profits for the film company but also promote people, are exactly what Lin's Film Company urgently needs. "I'll give you one year, with a total investment of 4000 million. Can you finish these four films?"

Tao Yushu didn't give Wang Jing much time to think and asked straight to the point.

Wang Jing was shocked by Tao Yushu's generosity.

Shooting four films a year is definitely a bit tight for many directors, but it is not a difficult task for Wang Jing.

It can even be said that three months is a long time to make a film, and he cares more about the "4000 million" mentioned by Tao Yushu.

The investment of 4000 million for four films means that the cost of each film is 1000 million, which is definitely a huge investment in the current Hong Kong film industry.

For ordinary movies, only stars of Chow Yun-fat's level can get such investment, but Tao Yushu clearly said that only "God of Gamblers" would have Chow Yun-fat as the lead actor.

Wang Jing asked tentatively: "Mrs. Lin, 4000 million seems a bit too much."

Tao Yushu smiled and said, "A lot? I plan to increase the salary of everyone in the crew by 20%."

Hearing this, Wang Jing was immediately surprised.

Hong Kong's film market has been booming in recent years, and actors' pay has also risen accordingly. It has become normal for first-line stars to receive more than 100 million yuan for a single film.

But more often than not, the rise and fall of actors' pay still depends on the performance of the movies they star in. Wang Jing has never heard of any film company boss taking the initiative to increase actors' pay.

What's more, Tao Yushu's salary increase is not only for the actors, but also for all the members of the crew, with a 20% salary increase at once.

From this perspective, an investment of 1000 million per piece is not too much at all.

No one who can be a boss is a fool.

Wang Jing knew that Tao Yushu was a generous boss, but he also understood that Tao Yushu would never be kind without reason.

Considering the ban on Lam's film company by the Hong Kong and Kowloon Freedom Federation in the past two days, he immediately understood that Mrs. Lam was planning to use the method of throwing money around.

Why can the Hong Kong and Kowloon Freedom Federation command the Hong Kong film industry and almost everyone dares to disobey?
Isn't it because they control the channels for Hong Kong films to enter the Taiwan market? To put it more simply, they control the lifeline of a considerable number of Hong Kong filmmakers.

Once the ban order is issued, intimidated by the power of the Hong Kong and Kowloon Freedom Federation, Lam Films is likely to be isolated by the entire Hong Kong film industry.

Lin's Pictures has little room for maneuver in this situation, and spending money is undoubtedly the simplest and most effective way.

Some top stars and directors may be afraid of affecting their financial prospects and hesitate to cooperate with Lin Pictures, but for most filmmakers, they will not miss such a good opportunity to make money.

Wang Jing claims to understand the psychology of Hong Kong film industry professionals very well, so he is deeply impressed by Tao Yushu's actions.

Everyone knows the principle of cutting off an arm to survive, but very few can actually do it.

Tao Yushu's decision also gave Wang Jing more confidence in the future of Lin's Pictures.

"Colleagues in Hong Kong are blessed, especially the low-level staff in the crew. They should worship you, Mr. and Mrs. Lin." Wang Jing complimented with a smile.

Lam Pictures' salary increase for its employees not only benefits its own crew, but is also indirectly forcing other film companies in Hong Kong to increase salaries for their employees.

Although it is impossible to raise the salary level all at once, in the long run, as long as Lin can hold on, it will inevitably become a trend.

However, doing so is bound to offend many film companies.

Wang Jing only had to think about it for a moment before he realized that the Lin family was no longer afraid of offending anyone.

With the threat from the Hong Kong and Kowloon Freedom Federation in front and the hostility from Golden Harvest and Cinema City behind, if you continue to hesitate and hesitate, you will only end up in failure. It is better to give it a try.

Anyway, the remaining small and medium-sized companies will hardly pose any threat to Lin’s Pictures.

In a short moment, Wang Jing had already imagined in his mind all the ways Tao Yushu would deal with this crisis and the reasons behind them, and he thought he had figured out his boss's thoughts.

"Mrs. Lin, if we're going to shoot God of Gamblers, will there be any problems with Ah Fa?"

Tao Yushu looked calm, "It's not a big problem. He makes our movie, so at worst he won't show it in Taiwan. If the Hong Kong and Kowloon Freedom Federation dares to ban him, the film producers in Taiwan will be the first to object."

Wang Jing couldn't help laughing when he heard this.

The movie "A Better Tomorrow" made Chow Yun-fat famous throughout East Asia. As far as Wong Jing knows, he is currently filming five films. If we count the ones that have been signed but not yet released, there are at least ten films in total.

Most of these films have already been bought by Taiwanese film producers. It is true that the Hong Kong and Kowloon Freedom Association is very powerful in Hong Kong, but the Taiwanese film producers are their ancestors.

Isn't it seeking death to cut off the wealth of your ancestors?
When it comes to banning people, the treatment depends on the person.

After Wang Jing left, Tao Yushu called Tao Yumo and ordered, "Yumo, take people to register a few more film companies."

Tao Yumo didn't understand what she meant. "Sister, why do you register so many companies?"

As soon as she asked the question, she realized, "A cunning rabbit has three burrows?"

Tao Yushu smiled, said nothing, and agreed with her statement.

"You will be in charge of these companies from now on. There is no need to produce high-quality products. Just do it as efficiently as possible.

I contacted the people at Yindu and asked Wandao to sell these films.”

Tao Yumo immediately understood what she meant and joked, "Sister, you are trying to infiltrate the enemy!"

"In order to deal with the ban by the Taiwan Island, our company has spent so much money. Can't we make some money from them?" Tao Yushu said easily.

This trick was taught to Tao Yushu by Lin Chaoyang.

Changing one's name and establishing oneself as a satellite company and cooperating with film producers in Taiwan to break through Taiwan's ban is not Lin Chaoyang's first idea. Yindu Organization is doing this now.

This situation reached its peak after entering the 1990s. Satellite companies such as Jinhe, Yingzhidao, Huaying, and Yinghuan Production under the Yindu Organization almost infiltrated the island of Taiwan like a sieve.

The most exciting thing is that the movies produced by these satellite companies will be released in Taiwan first, and then the film producers in Taiwan will return the copyright to Silver Metro, so that the movies can continue to be released in Hong Kong.

Don’t those Taiwan and Taiwan film producers know the ins and outs of these satellite companies?
Of course they know it, but who can resist money?

After working all day at the company, Tao Yushu was still thinking about company matters on his way home from get off work.

It has been a month and a half since the company’s last movie “Best Friends” was released, and the company currently has more than HK$1.1 million in funds in its account.

She had plenty of ammunition, otherwise she wouldn't have dared to offer 4000 million at once to propose the plan for Wang Jing to make four films a year.

In addition, there are the satellite companies that she asked Tao Yumo to register, which will require an investment of at least 20 to 30 million yuan, plus the company's other film production plans.

Even if we can attract some investment from outside, most of the money in the account will probably be consumed in the next year.

Fortunately, in the next few months, "Autumn Fairy Tale", "A Lang's Story" and "The Rich and Powerful" will be released one after another. I hope that they can help the company to make some money back.

Tao Yushu felt a headache just thinking about it. Why was it that the more money he earned, the less money he had to spend?

When she returned home, Lin Chaoyang was not there.

He agreed to give lectures to students at Lu Xun Academy of Literature and has returned to Yenching.

"Sister Yushu!"

When Maggie Cheung saw Tao Yushu coming back, she quickly greeted her, with a hint of concern in her eyes.

"Maggie, you're here. Please take a seat. I'll go change and clean up."

When Tao Yushu came out of the room, Maggie Cheung took the initiative to say, "Sister Yushu, I know everything. If you Lin's company is short of actors, I'm always available."

Listening to her words, Tao Yushu felt a little warm in his heart.

It is easy to add icing on the cake, but it is difficult to send charcoal in the snow.

"It's okay. I've already arranged everything. There shouldn't be any major problems for now."

Maggie Cheung was filled with worry yesterday when she heard the news that the Hong Kong and Kowloon Freedom Federation had banned Lam's Film Company.

In order to help Tao Yushu, she has made up her mind. It's nothing more than being banned for a few years. If she can't bear it in the end, the worst that can happen is she will write a letter of repentance. Now she only hates that she can't help Tao Yushu.

"Sister Yushu, is it really okay? I saw it was reported in the newspaper today."

Tao Yushu said in a gentle voice: "There is definitely an impact, but it's not that big..."

Tao Yushu talked to her for a while about Lin's current situation, and Zhang Manyu felt relieved. She asked again: "Why didn't my brother-in-law come back?"

"He will be back in Yanjing for a while and will be back in the second half of the month."

At noon on the second day after returning to Yenching, Lin Chaoyang came to the Lu Xun Academy of Literature near Balizhuang in Chaoyang District.

Lu Xun Academy of Literature moved to Shilibao only a few years ago. The school building is not big, and the only buildings in the academy are a gatehouse and a five-story building.

There are many trees planted in the yard, mostly ginkgo trees and fruit trees, and there is also a pavilion.

The only relatively spacious place is the basketball court in the yard.

After Lin Chaoyang registered with the security guard and entered the yard, he heard shouts coming from the basketball court.

There seemed to be about twenty or thirty people crammed into the small venue. They didn't look like they were playing basketball but rather like they were fighting over a basketball.

As soon as Lin Chaoyang entered the yard, someone noticed him. A scraggly little dog ran out from the crowd and greeted him.

"Teacher Chaoyang!"

"Yu Hua, are you from this class?"

"Yes, not only me, but also Mo Yan. I heard that you also know Liu Zhenyun, he is also in this class."

Yu Hua enthusiastically introduced to Lin Chaoyang the situation of their class. There were 48 students in his class, and there were several auditors.

The two chatted for a while, and Lin Chaoyang was invited to Tang Yin's office to chat for a while.

Two minutes before the class officially started, Tang Yin accompanied me into the large conference room on the fifth floor. This is where the Lu Academy's student classes are usually held.

Before the lecture, Lin Chaoyang took a look at the roster. In addition to a few people he knew, there were many famous writers in this class.

For example, Chi Zijian, Bi Shumin, Xu Xing, Yan Geling, Hong Feng and so on.

Not only in later generations, but even now, quite a number of these people have already gained national fame and are the best among young writers.

Otherwise, they would not be qualified to study in Luyuan.

"Our class is really full of talented people!" Lin Chaoyang joked, and there was a burst of laughter from the audience.

Most of the writers present were middle-aged and young people. Lin Chaoyang was younger than many of them, but no one dared to look down on him.

Even in the eyes of many people, Lin Chaoyang has now become an idol-like figure. The reason is naturally that his works are widely circulated and deeply rooted in people's hearts.

Lin Chaoyang first called out the names, checked their names and appearances, and then began the formal teaching.

“Our class is called ‘Creative Practice and Research’, and I think many of you here have been engaged in literary creation for longer than I have.

It’s called a class, but it’s more of an exchange and discussion…”

The morning passed quickly as Lin Chaoyang talked, and when the bell rang, many people felt a little reluctant to leave.

After the class, Lin Chaoyang didn't leave in a hurry, but communicated with everyone for a while.

"Chaoyang, come and have a meal with us and try our Luyuan food."

While Lin Chaoyang was chatting with the students, He Zhenbang came over and pulled him to the cafeteria.

Lin Chaoyang declined politely. After some people left, he had the opportunity to talk to Liu Zhenyun alone.

After graduation, Liu Zhenyun was assigned to the Farmers’ Daily. He has continued to write in recent years and has published several works.

He is not very famous, but he has long gone beyond the category of literary lovers.

"We haven't seen each other for a long time. Let's have dinner together tonight," said Lin Chaoyang.

(End of this chapter)