Exciting 1979!

Chapter 439 A Million-Dollar Idea
Anita Mui had only listened to Vivian Chow's studio recordings. Songs from the studio were definitely meticulously crafted and repeatedly revised, and in her opinion, they could not represent a singer's true ability.

Hearing Zhou Huimin perform live today surprised her; it turns out the young lady really does have some talent.

Although her stage movements weren't as varied and graceful as her own, her shy performance evoked a feeling of falling in love. No wonder she's called the goddess of first love. If this segment were broadcast on TV, wow, it would probably charm a whole bunch of middle school students.

Of course, the quality of this new song also enhanced her performance; it's probably another work by Wei Ming.

Deric Wan continued to ramble on, "He really has the air of a star. I bet he scores even higher than you."

“It’s normal that I didn’t perform well at first,” Anita Mui defended herself. “It was my first time on this kind of stage, and I had no experience.”

Especially since the person who sang the song was sitting in the audience, she was a little nervous, but she will definitely not make the same mistake again next time.

Anita Mui glanced at the rather handsome Deric Wan and asked, "What, you've taken a fancy to him?"

Wen Zhaolun scratched his head awkwardly: "How could I be worthy of her? If it were two years ago, I could still think about it, but now she's a rich heiress."

"Wasn't it the same two years ago?"

"No, actually her family's circumstances were very bad before. She was born after her father's death, and her mother raised her single-handedly. Later, she started a business called Holiland, and that's how she gradually built up her fortune." As fellow secondary school students, Zhou Huimin's many rumors circulated widely in various secondary schools in Hong Kong.

Huh? She was also a posthumous child?!
Anita Mui looked at the bright and youthful girl on the stage with surprise. She was also a posthumous child, but unfortunately, she didn't have the same mother.

Look at other people's mothers, then look at your own. Anita Mui shook her head. Comparing goods is like throwing them away, comparing people is like dying.

Other contestants went on stage, performed, received scores, and then left the stage. But Zhou Huimin was different; after singing, she chatted with the judges for a while.

All four judges gave her a perfect score of 10, including Wong Jim, who initially had some reservations, but whose expression towards Vivian Chow even showed a hint of kindness.

It wasn't that she reached a flawless state, but compared to the other contestants, Amin's performance of this song was indeed flawless.

After all, other people's songs can be compared with the original singer. No matter how well Anita Mui sang, she couldn't compare to Jenny Tseng's many years of skill and stage experience. But Vivian Chow is the original singer of this song, so no matter how she sings it, it's correct.

“Vivian, I’m really surprised and delighted to see you on this stage,” Jenny said first.

"Thank you, Jenny. It's great to see everyone."

Leslie Cheung asked with a smile, "This song is called 'Pink Memories,' whose pink memories are you talking about?"

Zhang Guorong is the youngest judge and has the closest relationship with Amin, so his questions are quite gossipy.

Vivian Chow feigned an attack and said, "Memories of summer."

Despite his shrunken body, Teddy Robin exuded righteousness: "Hey, you know perfectly well whose memories these are, yet you still ask. You're a bad guy, Amin, don't pay him any attention."

Zhang Guorong innocently said, "Actually, I'm a good person. Also, I'm very happy to see Amin. I look forward to your next performance."

"Thank you, Young Master Rong."

Sitting in the main seat, Wong Jim asked, "Is the next song also a new song?"

Vivian Chow: "Yes."

“Sometimes it can get boring to always work with the same person. You could consider other lyricists, like me.” Wong Jim seemed to want to break up Ah Ming and Ah Min, but he was just doing it for the sake of it.

Those backstage were even more envious when they heard this; top lyricists were vying to write songs for her. She truly is a princess!
Amin blinked. "Ah, collaborate with you? Aren't you known for your bold and unrestrained style? This doesn't suit my taste."

However, out of politeness, she still said, "Thank you, it's my pleasure."

Zhang Guorong immediately said, "Uncle Zhan, you could also consider me."

Wong Jim waved his hand dismissively: "Let's discuss it again."

There were still contestants after Amin, and it was getting late. The emcee, Cai Fenghua, came over to cue the process, and Zhou Huimin finally stepped down from the stage. Wei Hong and Lin Ni, her family members in the audience, also got up and left.

However, when they arrived at the entrance, they saw Zhou Huimin leading a domineering woman out; she was one of the contestants from the previous round.

Amin warmly introduced, "Sister Hong, Sister Ni, this is Anita Mui, a friend I just met. Let's have dinner together."

Anita Mui looked surprised. "They're friends already? So fast?"
The preliminary round ended today. The results were announced the next day. Wei Hong accompanied Amin at home to wait for the news. As expected, Amin successfully advanced to the top 30 and will participate in the semi-finals on Friday.

Anita Mui's family was also waiting, but while she got her turn, her sister Ann Mui, who also participated in the competition, did not.

Anita Mui's mother angrily berated her older sister, then patted Anita Mui on the shoulder: "Little sister, the family is counting on you. Also, you should break up with that Paul as soon as possible. If you can win a prize and sign with Capital Artists, you'll be a singer in the future!"

Anita Mui snorted inwardly, but outwardly nodded and said, "I'm going to practice my singing to prepare for the semi-finals."

"Go quickly, everyone, don't disturb her!"

~
On this day, filming for "The Witness" also wrapped up.

The actual filming only took eight days, but the pre-production preparation took some time, and there was still editing and post-production work to be done. Fortunately, there were no special effects, so normal editing and color grading were sufficient. Wei Ming and Zhang Shuping were in charge of the project, and Zhang Yimou also wanted to participate.

These are all things for later; the most pressing matters now are the wrap party and the settlement of salaries.

Wei Ming found a seafood restaurant. The crew consisted of only a dozen or so people, and it cost him several thousand Hong Kong dollars. Everyone said that Director Wei was generous, just like Jackie Chan from the mainland.

These words were spoken by Da Sha, who heard them from his friends in the Jackie Chan Stunt Team. Everyone knows that Jackie Chan is generous to his brothers.

Wei Ming thought that the kid should probably be discharged from the hospital by now.

When Wei Ming got home that evening, he asked Amin to go out for a walk and told her that he had finished filming.

"Oh, so does that mean you don't have to film tomorrow?"

"correct."

"So, can I sleep in late tomorrow? Can I stay up all night tonight?" Amin asked again.

Wei Ming looked at Amin strangely: "Amin, what do you want to do?"

Vivian Chow patted him on the shoulder: "Alan called me today and invited you to his house to watch the World Cup final, Italy vs. West Germany. He also said that many of your friends will be there."

Wei Ming: "Oh, the World Cup? I'll go take a look."

"Aren't you going to take me with you?" Amin asked.

"How am I supposed to mentor you? The finals are in the middle of the night, right? A bunch of grown men, and I'm mentoring a little girl like you." Wei Ming poked her head to tell her not to overthink it.

"Then spend more time with me now."

They were downstairs at that moment. Wei Ming looked up and said, "But I always feel like someone is watching us."

Vivian Chow chuckled: "Don't do anything reckless, my mother won't say anything."

"I didn't do anything reckless," Wei Ming thought to himself. "I'm just afraid you'll do something reckless and ruin my image in your aunt's eyes."

"How much are you making now?" Wei Ming hadn't gone home yet and hadn't seen Xiao Hong, so he had to ask Amin.

"Each person earned more than ten thousand."

A profit of over ten percent is quite considerable, and it earns more than Wei Ming's investment approach.

We still need professionals like Xiaohong, otherwise when will we be able to live in a luxury mansion in Hong Kong?

Even if Wei Ming were to offer all his wealth now, it wouldn't be enough to buy a top-tier villa in Hong Kong.

Tam Yung-lun lives in the Mid-Levels area of ​​Hong Kong Island. Although it is a luxury house, it is not a villa. Although he is popular now, he can't compare with the top tycoons. Singers and stars have not yet reached their most profitable time.

Wei Ming drove there, and when he arrived it was already midnight. The competition hadn't started yet, but quite a few people had come. Zhong Zhentao, Chen You, and Chen Baixiang, whom he already knew, were all there, as was Zeng Zhiwei, whom he had met once before.

Hong Jinbao was also there. If Cheng Long hadn't been recovering from an injury at home, he probably would have come too, as he also really enjoys playing football.

Tan Yonglin immediately introduced Wei Ming to the people he didn't know, including Fatty Hong and Yin Zhiqiang. They ate kebabs and fried chicken while watching the TV.

Like Tan Yonglin's father, Yin Zhiqiang is a real football team member and is still playing now. Acting is just a side job for him. However, his later girlfriend is very famous, named Michelle Yim, and he also has a sister-in-law named Shirley.

The main lineup of the future Hong Kong Celebrity Soccer Team is basically here, and the initiators are Yin Chi-keung and Tam Yung-lun.

Seeing that they were all wearing the jerseys of Italian and West German teams, Wei Ming felt a little out of place.

However, Tan Yonglin had already prepared: "Amin, I'm so happy you could come. Wear whichever team you support."

Wei Ming glanced at the data and saw that the support for both teams was roughly equal. West Germany had won the World Cup twice before and had performed exceptionally well in recent years, making them a traditionally strong team.

Italy has won the World Cup twice, but those were decades ago, before Mussolini stepped down.

However, their unexpected advancement to the finals has given people a lot of hope.

Wei Ming chose Italy and asked, "Are you guys still betting on football?"

Hong Jinbao said, "What's the point of watching football if you don't bet on it? Do you watch Marseille without betting on the horses?"

Zeng Zhiwei said with a sly grin, "It was a pretty bad loss. I thought Brazil would definitely win against Italy, but well, hehe."

Before the World Cup began, Brazil was the biggest favorite, but they were eliminated in the quarterfinals, and Italy was completely ignored. Because Brazil lost to Italy, Hong Jinbao firmly opposed Italy and bet on Germany to win.

Wei Ming shook his head. It was a pity that he came to Hong Kong too late. If he had bet on Italy to win before the match started, his chances of winning would have been at least ten times higher.

All he could clearly remember was that Italy beat West Germany, and the score was vaguely 3 to 1. In his previous life, he didn't care about football at this time, but he had some impression of it when he watched the World Cup finals in later years.

Tan Yonglin said, "Ah Ming, what's wrong? You want to try it too? You can do it now, just make a call."

"So convenient?"

Tan Yonglin: "We are all veteran players and we know the bookmakers very well, but you'd better hurry, the game starts in half an hour."

At this point, you can't make much money betting on winning or losing, so you should definitely bet on the score.

Wei Ming didn't intend to make a fortune from this. The butterfly effect had already reached Hong Kong, and who knew when it would reach Europe and America.

So Wei Ming said, "Let's play a small game. Give me ten thousand. I bet Italy will win, three to one. Anyone else betting the same?"

Chan Pak-cheung laughed and said, "I'm three to one, but I think West Germany will win."

Wei Ming's score is the first one; everyone's scores are basically different, it all depends on who has the best luck.

Tan Yonglin paid the 10,000 yuan for Wei Ming, which was considered a bet.

Rossi scored for Italy right from the start, a prime example of a prodigal son returning home, and he made a significant contribution to the Italian team this time.

Then Italy's Tardelli scored, and finally Altobelli scored the third goal!
3-0, it'll be 3-0 soon!
Zeng Zhiwei put down the Holiland fried chicken in his hand, bowed to the air, and said, "That's enough for now, don't go in any more."

It seems he scored three to zero.

Italy failed to score again, but West Germany pulled one back, making it 3-1.

Kenny Bee hoped West Germany could score another goal, but the score remained deadlocked until the end of the match.

Everyone looked at Wei Ming. This guy is so lucky! Just now, he didn't seem to know much about football. He didn't recognize anyone.

Wei Ming shrugged: "Maybe this is a newbie perk. Allen, how much did I make this round?"

Tan Yonglin: "It should be around 11. It would be great if you invested more."

Wei Ming was content with his lot; if he invested too much, what if the other party didn't honor their commitment?

He laughed and said, "Hey, so my trip to Hong Kong to film this time was basically free."

He then suggested, "Since you all love football so much, why don't you form your own football team? Find some celebrities who also love playing football, and you can play against other groups in the future. The ticket sales can go to charity. Wouldn't that be great?"

Hong Jinbao touched his nose. Charity? What kind of charity is this?

However, Tam Yung-lun is a smart man. Wei Ming's charity event last year made him a Hong Kong celebrity, and even an international celebrity. He also became a guest of honor of many wealthy people, which is something that musicians or even writers cannot achieve.

Besides Yin Zhiqiang, he was the best football player among them, at least he could be an organizer. He even thought about making "Friends" the team song!

Tan Yonglin and Yin Zhiqiang exchanged a glance, their minds in sync, both agreeing that the idea was feasible.

"Amin, we'll seriously consider your suggestion. Do you want to participate?"

Wei Ming waved his hand with a smile: "I don't know how to play football, but if you come to the mainland for friendly matches in the future, I can be the goalkeeper and let you kick me."

I went to the mainland and spent the whole night there. I finally heard this sensitive word. There have been a lot of rumors lately, which have even affected the stock market and the real estate market. These celebrities are also on edge. They don't like being second-class citizens in Hong Kong, but they also don't want their assets to be confiscated.

Therefore, many people are resistant to the mainland's takeover of Hong Kong, but they are also reluctant to leave Hong Kong, the fertile ground where they can make money.

"Amin, do you think the mainland will really negotiate with Britain to take back Hong Kong?" Tam Yung-lun asked.

"Definitely, and we expect to start talking about it very soon."

"Can it be taken back?" Zeng Zhiwei, with his hoarse voice, asked.

Wei Ming: "Absolutely. If you have any questions, you can watch the documentary that was recently released by the leftists."

Britain struggled immensely against Argentina; what can the old Britain possibly use to fight against the new China?

"What happens after we take it back..." someone asked worriedly.

Wei Ming yawned: "I really need to go back to sleep now. I still have to edit the video tomorrow. To sum it up in one last sentence: I'll continue singing and dancing as usual."

Everyone knows that Wei Ming holds a high political position in mainland China; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to enter and leave Hong Kong so freely. His words, to a certain extent, represent the intentions of those above him.

These six words reassured several people in the entertainment industry who had ulterior motives. At least they thought the confiscation wouldn't happen; it would just mean a change of rulers over the people of Hong Kong.

The next day, Wei Ming got up a little late. When he arrived at the Great Wall Company's editing room, Zhang Yimou and the others were already waiting for him.

Wei Ming rolled up his sleeves: "Let's get to work!"

Fu Qi also came over to take a look. After watching just a few clips, he exclaimed that Xiao Wei was no ordinary person. This style was unprecedented and even more innovative than the New Wave.

Don't underestimate this short film; it might inspire many great directors. However, the content is quite explicit, and it's hard to imagine that it was made by a virgin.

Xiao Wei, right?

On the second night of post-production, Wei Ming met with Qiu Degen, the new boss of ATV.

When he saw Wei Ming take out a several-page proposal from his bag, Boss Qiu took it expectantly, wondering if the idea was really as magical as Wei Ming claimed.

The title reads in bold four characters: "Millionaire".

That's right, it's that legendary British variety show from the 90s, whose rights were later bought by television stations in dozens of countries around the world for localization, including ATV and CCTV.

The host at ATV at the time was Chan Kai-tai, the one who played the Dragon Knight. That was ATV's last glorious moment.

CCTV's "Happy Dictionary" is basically derived from this, but it's unclear whether it has copyright.

The Oscar-winning film "Slumdog Millionaire" was also based on this show.

"Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" can be considered one of the most brilliant formats in the history of television variety shows.

Wei Ming applied for copyright before coming here.

Chiu Te-ken nodded. This name suited the tastes of Hong Kong people; who wouldn't want to be a millionaire?

One million dollars in Hong Kong can buy a very nice house, a respectable car, and still have some left over, which is something many people can't achieve even after a lifetime of hard work.

However, upon seeing the brief introduction above, Qiu Degen's expression immediately turned sour.

What? You mean I pay someone to become a millionaire?

"Are you sure you're going to give out this grand prize?"

"Of course, but you have to answer 15 multiple-choice questions correctly."

"What if the contestants actually got all the answers right?!" Chiu Te-ken could hear the pain in his heart. Although he wasn't as stingy as Run Run Shaw, his first priority after taking over RTV was to reduce expenses, but this program...

“Mr. Qiu, you should be worried that no one can take the 1 million, not that someone actually takes the 1 million.”

"What do you mean?"

"If someone actually won a million dollars through your TV quiz show, how much influence do you think that would have?"

Upon hearing this, Chiu Te-ken fell silent. Then, this program would probably attract the attention of most Hong Kong people on the night it aired!
This is one million!
If TV dramas were more compelling, they might not be able to surpass TVB, but at least they wouldn't be completely suppressed like they are now.

Thinking about these details, Chiu Te-ken continued reading; the following section detailed the variety show's setup.

There are 15 questions in total, ranging from easy to difficult, covering various subject categories. The further you go, the less likely you are to answer correctly.

Of course, the monetary gains are also increasing.

The first question is worth 1000 yuan if you answer it correctly, the second is 2000 yuan, the third is 3000 yuan, the sixth is 10000 yuan, the twelfth is 150,000 yuan, then 250,000 yuan, 500,000 yuan, until the last question is worth 1 million yuan!
Furthermore, a "safety net" will be set up for questions 5 and 10.

In other words, if a contestant gives up on the ninth question, they can still receive the prize money for the eighth question; if they answer it incorrectly, they can still receive the prize money for the fifth question, instead of ending up with nothing.

To make the show more interesting, Wei Ming designed three tips, and contestants can increase their chances of winning by asking for help from outside the venue, asking for help inside the venue, and eliminating incorrect options.

After Wei Ming explained the rules of the game, Qiu Degen became increasingly excited and even tentatively asked, "Can I let one of my people claim the 100 million?"

Wei Ming pointed seriously to a line of text: "Employees and their families of ATV and its sponsors are not allowed to participate here! This is an ironclad rule. Once the audience's trust is lost, the program is finished. Don't forget, ATV also has TVB as a competitor. Even if you have no problems, they will try to find some, let alone if you really have problems."

Qiu Degen laughed heartily: "That's right, integrity is the foundation of business. I certainly wouldn't do that. I'm just worried that Mr. Shao might copy such an interesting plan. How would I deal with that?"

……

(Today's guaranteed minimum)
(End of this chapter)