Exciting 1979!

Chapter 465 What? Not even a million?
The predecessor of "Madman Comics" was the Shangguan brothers' "Good News". They sold their business and apprentices to Wei Ming and joined Huang Yulang. However, Huang Yulang's power has now been lost.

In the current Hong Kong comics scene, the Madman and Jade Brothers groups account for roughly 6:3 of the market share, with the remaining 10% coming from independent publishers like Old Master Q.

Aside from the fact that Yulang's group can still maintain some dignity in terms of single-volume sales, Yulang's group has a clear advantage in both magazine sales and merchandise development.

Wong Yuk-long did consider using unconventional methods to hinder the development of "Madman Comics," such as crippling the hand of one of the most popular lead artists.

But Liu Rulong was no pushover either. Despite his adorable, panda-like appearance, he was a ruthless man who later became the third-in-command of a gang in Japan.

He kept a close eye on Yulang International's reaction. After Huang Yulang showed signs of trouble, some suspicious gangsters immediately appeared near Yulang International. Then, dozens of blood-stained dead rats suddenly appeared on Huang Yulang's bed, which frightened Huang Yulang so much that he immediately asked someone to shake hands and make peace.

If it weren't for the fact that Wei Ming was the big boss of Kuangren Comics and needed to be mindful of his reputation, Ah Long probably would have gone head-to-head with Wong Yuk-long.

Ah Long not only had connections within the Big Circle Gang, but also got to know several brothers surnamed Xiang through Lao Gui, and through Wei Ming, he also got to know many high-ranking Chinese officials stationed in Hong Kong. He had plenty of cards to play.

Since then, Yulang International has been in a slump. Even the chief writer of "Chinese Hero" joined Kuangren Comics, and the story of Chinese Hero was almost cut short.

Against this backdrop, the Shangguan brothers knew that there was no future in staying at Yulang International, but they were afraid that they would not be able to compete with Liu Rulong if they started their own business, so they began to get involved with Kuangren Comics.

“These two are different from the others. Most of the cartoonists in the company are their apprentices. I am worried that they will interfere after they come in, and I am also worried that they will not follow my instructions, which would also be a problem.”

Wei Ming: "But by breaking away from Yulang International, they not only dealt a blow to their rivals, but also strengthened themselves."

"Yes, so I have to get them to leave Jade International. I'm thinking of having them not join the company, but instead signing a cooperation agreement. This way, they can remain independent individuals, their dignity can be preserved, and it won't affect the overall trend of Madman Comics. If they have good works, we can let them serialize them."

“A win-win solution.” Wei Ming nodded. “We need to think this contract through carefully. We can discuss it with my aunt. We need to treat him differently from the company’s own contracted cartoonists. Even if Yulang International goes bankrupt in the future, we will still welcome Mr. Huang Yulang to submit his work to Kuangren Comics.”

The two then continued to discuss the later plot of "Dragon Ball," with Wei Ming revealing some details about the Piccolo Daimaō Saga and even the Saiyan Saga.

However, those things might not be covered until next year or later; it's truly an epic story.

Because of the huge success of "Dragon Ball", Langning Factory has now started developing toys based on the manga. Ah Long is now quite wealthy, and with the sharp drop in housing prices, he and his wife have started looking for a house.

The two of them had lunch together nearby. During the meal, Ah Long confessed to Wei Ming, "Ah Ying might have guessed about you and Ah Min. I don't know if she told Second Sister."

Wei Ming nodded calmly. Ah Long admired him. This was probably the self-cultivation of a scumbag. He would feel guilty if he chatted and laughed with female colleagues at the company.

In fact, Wei Ming knew that Sister Xue and Sister Lin must also have their suspicions, since they had been hearing the name Zhou Huimin frequently in mainland China recently.

An album titled "Impression Zhou Huimin" with the title track "Pink Memories" is quietly becoming popular in mainland China. Only then did they realize that Wei Ming had secretly written so many songs for his pen pal in Hong Kong, and many of them were blush-inducing love songs.

Wei Ming also knew that it would be very difficult to get Xue Jie and Lin Jie, who had already accepted each other, to accept another little sister. Amin certainly didn't want anyone to share her brother Amin with her, but he couldn't bear to part with any of them.

Men, thy name is greed!
After dinner, Wei Ming drove to pick up Amin and then went back to the hotel. Wei Ming wanted to change into something more formal, but Amin didn't mind; she was in the audience at the back.

Although Vivian Chow is a celebrity now, she is not a professional and is not keen on appearing in the public eye. She just wants to accompany her boyfriend to complete a job.

This proactive approach of reducing her public exposure has actually made fans more willing to buy her albums, because apart from listening to her records, Vivian's fans rarely have the opportunity to hear her sing in public.

~
The second Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony was much more formal than the last one. Not only were there many stars in attendance, but major companies also came to show their support. In addition, the organizers sold the broadcasting rights to TVB, so the grand awards ceremony can be seen on television tonight.

One of the key reasons TVB was willing to invest money was to counter ATV's flagship program, "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," which airs tonight.

Qiu Degen is now convinced that this is a program idea worth millions, but Wei Ming received far more than a million. The program's title sponsorship was directly given to Holiland, along with two minutes of mid-roll commercials. Only now does he realize how valuable the title sponsor is. Several well-known Hong Kong jewelry companies wanted to pay a high price to sponsor the program, but unfortunately, they signed a three-year contract with Holiland.

However, advertising during other time slots also brought ATV considerable revenue. Originally, it was thought that the shows that spent a lot of money each episode would only lose money and gain publicity, but now they are already making a profit through advertising fees. Even if they really gave out a million-dollar prize, they would still make a profit.

The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts Opera House, located in Wan Chai Bay, has just been completed with funding from the Hong Kong government and the Hong Kong Jockey Club. As for enrollment, it will have to wait until next year.

Wei Ming and Amin arrived here at seven o'clock, and this time they even arranged a red carpet.

Amin didn't want to be in the spotlight, so she took her ticket, put on a mask, and went to the audience entrance.

Wei Ming walked straight onto the red carpet. In front of him walked Chen Huimin, a man who was as famous as Ah Min. He was nominated for Best Actor for his role in "Love Street", which surprised Wei Ming.

After taking his seat, Wei Ming saw someone sitting to his left – it was Hong Jinbao.

"What a coincidence."

"Yes, you've been nominated for quite a few awards this time."

Hong Jinbao asked, "Guess how many I can get?"

He was nominated for three awards: Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Action Choreography.

Wei Mingdao said: "Two, I guess. Best Director will definitely go to Director Xu Anhua."

Before Fatty Hong could say anything, a voice came from behind him: "Then I'll take your good wishes."

“Aunt Xia.” Wei Ming turned his head and saw that Xia Meng was already sitting next to him.

"So how many awards do you think 'Boat People' will win?" she asked with a smile.

Wei Ming replied, "Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay should be a sure thing. If we add two more minor awards, then Bluebird will definitely be the biggest winner tonight."

Upon hearing Wei Ming's words, Xia Meng gestured to Xu Anhua in the back row. She had also heard it and gave a shy smile, waving her hand in a flustered manner to indicate that it was impossible.

Last year's "Boat People" was indeed a pleasant surprise, with box office earnings reaching 1500 million, making a fortune even without relying on the Taiwanese market.

The film received rave reviews and was nominated for most of the Hong Kong Film Awards, which solidified Xia Meng's strategy of collaborating with mainland China on art-house films.

She recently received another script, which has a dual female lead setting, but it requires a female lead from mainland China.

Before the awards ceremony started, Xia Meng casually asked Wei Ming, "Are you familiar with Siqin Gaowa?"

"I'm not as familiar with Gong Xue and Zhu Lin as I am with them. We've got some connections, so what's up?"

"Qingniao's new film is planning to cast her. Could you please submit the script to me when you return to Beijing?"

Siqin Gaowa, a Hong Kong film, Wei Ming knows, it must be "Like Water Flowing Years", the film that made Siqin Gaowa the first mainland actress to win a Best Actress award in Hong Kong.

Because of the script's setting, only Siqin Gaowa could play this role; neither Xue Jie nor Lin Jie would be a good fit.

The other female lead is quite similar to Sister Xue in appearance and temperament; she is a beautiful and refined woman. Unfortunately, Sister Xue doesn't have the same vibe as Hong Kong people, as she has never been to Hong Kong.

"No problem," Wei Ming readily agreed.

Just as he finished speaking, he heard someone talking to Hong Jinbao next to him. He turned his head and saw a bald man, it was Mai Jia.

Although Hong Jinbao and Mai Jia were rivals, they were also friends, and the two had a very pleasant conversation.

Karl Maka was riding high, and "Aces Go Places 2" was still a huge hit, even Jackie Chan was no match for it. Oh, wait, this time it was Jackie Chan + Wei Ming.

At first, he was really scared, thinking that Wei Ming's script was some kind of evil. But what happened? He was still defeated by him.

“Hey, isn’t this Mr. Wei? Bai Ming, come over and get acquainted,” Maka said to Huang Bai Ming beside him. “You’re both Ming. In the field of screenwriting, besides you, Mr. Wei is the best.”

The underlying meaning is clear: it's implied that Wei Ming's script is inferior to Huang Baiming's.

Huang Baiming adjusted his glasses and quickly said modestly, "Mr. Wei's scriptwriting is just an occasional pastime; it's not fair to compare."

This bald guy is really disgusting. Although Huang Baiming is relatively modest, Wei Ming can only choose to disgust him in order to disgust Mai Jia.

He laughed and said, "Wong Pak-ming's scripts are truly unparalleled in Hong Kong. Most of Cinema City's best-selling scripts are written by him. I admire him very much. By the way, Mr. Wong, with 'Aces Go Places' being such a box office success, how much was your scriptwriting fee?"

"This...this is a trade secret, I can't disclose it," Huang Baiming said with a reserved smile, though he was actually quite satisfied.

"What trade secret? What's so secret about it? I just said that Boss Zou gave me a screenwriting fee of 100 million for writing 'Plan A'."

"How much?!" Huang Baiming was shocked. Not to mention the screenwriting fee, even the profits from "Aces Go Places 2" that ended up in his pocket were less than 100 million!

If you only look at the Hong Kong box office, this film can only be said to be hovering around the break-even point, or even slightly losing money. It made some money by relying on overseas copyrights. However, Wong Pak-ming is the smallest shareholder of Cinema City. But because of his status as a shareholder, the script fee was given at his discretion, and he did not insist on it.

Seeing that Huang Baiming's resolve was wavering, Mai Jia, as the largest individual shareholder after the financial backer, quickly mocked, "Anyone can brag, a million? Do you really think this is Hollywood?"

Having been ridiculed before for asking for "one million," Karl Maka has learned his lesson this time, admitting that Wei Ming might get that price in Hollywood, but this is Hong Kong.

Wei Ming chuckled and looked at Hong Jinbao.

Fatty Hong sighed. He didn't really want to get too close to Wei Ming. This man was from the mainland, and who knew what the final outcome of the negotiations between the Hong Kong British government and the mainland would be?

However, as someone in the know, he could only say, "Bald guy, Mr. Wei is telling the truth. He really did get 100 million for the script of 'Project A,' and Mr. Zou even prepared the check." Huang Baiming's mood became even heavier. Is the moon in mainland China really that round?

Karl Maka wanted to say something to salvage the situation, but the awards ceremony had already begun.

Wei Ming glanced around and didn't see Mr. Zou, but he did see Uncle Shao, many familiar faces, and Amin sitting in the back waving at him.

The two emcees came on stage, Josephine Siao and Tsang Chi-wai.

Tsang Chi-wai is the director of the "Aces Go Places" bi-part series, the highest and second highest-grossing director in Hong Kong history. He is small in stature but holds his head high, though he is still half a head shorter than Josephine Siao.

Both of them are very humorous, and the opening was very cheerful. When TVB started broadcasting the Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony, ATV had just started the latest episode of "Holiland Millionaire," and Cai Lan was still full of witty remarks.

Two minor music awards were given to two niche films, and then Hung Chin-po heard his own name called. He had indeed won Best Action Choreography for the second consecutive year. There was no way around it; he was just that good.

Moreover, "Boat People" did indeed win two minor awards: Best Art Direction and Best Newcomer.

This year's Best Newcomer category has six nominees, including Andy Lau and Ma Si-chen for "Boat People", Pat Ha for "Nomad", and Irene Wan for "Pretty Girl" and "Miss Schoolgirl".

When Andy Lau heard "Boat People," he was overjoyed, while Xu Jinjiang, watching on TV, sighed, still hoping his ex-girlfriend would win an award.

However, after the presenter finished talking about "Boat People," he added, "Maschen, congratulations!"

Andy Lau: "..."

Xu Jinjiang, watching on TV, felt sorry for Andy Lau again. His ex-girlfriend didn't win an award, but at least his classmate did.

As Wei Ming predicted, the Best Screenplay award went to Qiu Gangjian for "Boat People." Wei Ming thought he was supposed to present the Screenplay award, but it turned out he was supposed to present the Best Film award.

This result made Fatty Hong start to have some expectations. He thought, "Wow, could I really become a movie star?"

However, the next award presented was not one of the four major awards, but a lifetime achievement award. This was not the case in the first edition. Starting from this edition, the award presenters were two Shaw Brothers directors from the era before Li Hanxiang. It was obvious who the winner was. Amid applause, Uncle Six made a dazzling appearance.

Mona Fong didn't come today; she's staying on TVB tonight. As the awards become more prestigious, TVB's ratings are also rising, and they might even be able to tie with ATV.

However, when it came to the Lifetime Achievement Award, TVB's ratings suddenly dropped, which infuriated Mona Fong. "Are you looking down on our Uncle Six? Without Uncle Six, where would all these TV dramas come from for your entertainment and relaxation?!"
However, after Run Run Shaw stepped down, the ratings continued to decline when the Best Director award was presented, and the Best Director winner, as Wei Ming had predicted, was Xu Anhua.

The next award was for Best Actor. Hung Chin-po sat up straight, Karl Maka was no longer joking around, Leslie Cheung had an unwarranted expectation, George Lam was very relaxed, and Chan Wai-man clenched his fist.

"Winner: Karl Maka for *Aces Go Places*!"

Hong Jinbao turned to look at Wei Ming, his expression aggrieved. "You were so accurate before, why is it not working for me?"

"I haven't finished yet. There's one more, Hong Jinbao from 'Beware of Pickpockets.' Congratulations to both of you." Cheng Long winked at his senior brother on stage; he was definitely doing it on purpose.

Hong Jinbao's chubby face twitched with laughter. Damn, it was a double yolk!
It's rare for two people to share the Hong Kong Film Awards in its history, and it's unfortunate that these two happened to be one.

On the other hand, at TVB, Mona Fong finally realized why the ratings weren't rising: it was because ATV's ratings were increasing.

The reason why ATV's ratings have soared is because someone is answering questions with unstoppable momentum, and they have already reached the fourteenth question. Even Wei Lingling, who wanted to watch her nephew present the award, switched her TV to ATV.

Moreover, the contestant said he would keep answering until the end, and crucially, he even had an off-site appeal for help that didn't work.

"I choose C," contestant Zhang Xuanlong said casually.

Cai Lan asked with a smile: "Aren't you going to change it? The first three questions all had the answer C. Think about the probability involved. Do you need to ask for help from outside the room? You have another trick up your sleeve."

Zhang Xuanlong pushed up his glasses: "No need to think about it, it's C. I lived in mainland China for more than 20 years, this question is no problem for me."

Zhang Xuanlong, male, 27 years old, from Quanzhou, Fujian Province. His grandfather was an overseas Chinese from Mauritius and his maternal grandfather was a professor at Xiamen University. He came to Hong Kong with his father five years ago and now helps his father manage a small company called Jinshan.

Later, he took over the company and skillfully navigated relationships with major companies such as Sitong, Lenovo, and Founder, while also discovering two key talents, Qiu Bojun and Lei Jun.

Zhang Xuanlong is a smart man. He had his eye on the show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" as soon as it came out. He watched every episode after that, summarized the patterns in the questions, and also enriched his knowledge in many areas such as astronomy and history. Only after half a year did he sign up for the show and wait in line for two months before it was his turn.

Seeing that he couldn't sway him, Cai Lan clapped his hands and said, "Congratulations on getting it right. You said you would continue to challenge for the final million-dollar prize, right?"

"Yes," Zhang Xuanlong said firmly.

Cai Lan: "Very good, then let's watch an advertisement first. The show will get even more exciting after the advertisement."

Then the advertisement was placed with Langning Toy Factory's claw machine business.

Wei Lingling glanced at Lizhi: "Okay, change the channel, switch it back in a minute."

TVB is currently awarding Best Actress, with nominees including Sylvia Chang ("Aces Go Places"), Cherie Chung ("Mint Coffee"), Lam Pik-kei ("Pretty Girl"), and Cora Miao and Ma Si-chen ("Boat People").

The award ultimately went to 17-year-old newcomer actress Lin Biqi for her role in "Pretty Girl." She essentially played herself in the role. With this award, entertainment reporters should know how to write about it.

There's a Vivian Chow in the film industry.

Moreover, after filming this movie, Lin Biqi basically retired from the entertainment industry and later married Teresa Carpio's brother to be a devoted wife and mother.

After the newly crowned Best Actress gave her acceptance speech, Wei Ming and Run Run Shaw went on stage to present the Best Film award.

Lizhi wanted to look at Wei Ming a few more times, but Wei Lingling decisively said, "Change the channel!"

Reluctantly, she switched the channel back to ATV; Cai Lan had already finished reading the question.

This is a picture-based question. You need to find the pattern in the picture on the screen and choose the correct answer. (See picture ↓)
The audience gasped in astonishment. It was such a rare question, one that practically eliminated the possibility of asking for help over the phone. How could anyone possibly explain such a complex pattern over the phone?

Poisonous, extremely poisonous!
Most viewers felt that the show's producers were deliberately making things difficult for the contestants, simply because they didn't want to give away the grand prize.

However, Wei Lingling easily gave the answer: "Choose D".

"Huh?" Lizhi was taken aback; she hadn't even understood the question yet.

Wei Lingling added, "It seems that Boss Qiu really wants to give away the grand prize. This question is actually not too difficult."

Although she wasn't a math major, she had done many similar brain-training problems, so finding the pattern wasn't difficult for her.

Player Zhang Xuanlong opted to seek help from outside the arena.

He called his father, but there was a one-minute time limit.

Zhang Xuanlong calmly told his father why he hadn't gone home, and then said to him, "Dad, how about you sell the company to me? Do you think 100 million is enough?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?" The father on the other end of the phone was completely confused.

Then Zhang Xuanlong hung up the phone before the time limit: "I choose D."

"Are you sure? C, are you really not going to consider it?" Cai Lan continued to bluff him.

Zhang Xuanlong smiled and shook his head, sticking to his choice.

At this time, ATV's ratings were still climbing, so much so that TVB, which was presenting the Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Picture, plummeted to a very low level.

Wei Lingling laughed and said, "He made the right choice. This is a good thing for the millionaires. It has been airing for more than half a year. The best results were achieved by the three stubborn guys who failed on the 15th question. Naturally, this caused a lot of controversy. Now, finally someone has actually won the million."

She had just finished speaking to Lizhi when Cai Lan stepped down from his seat, shook hands with Zhang Xuanlong, and said, "Congratulations, you were absolutely right. Now the HK$100 million is yours!"

Lizhi glanced at Wei Lingling, then quickly switched the channel to TVB. However, Wei Ming and Run Run Shaw had already left the stage, and even Xia Meng and Xu Anhua, who were accepting their awards, had finished their speeches and were about to leave. The Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony thus came to an end.

The awards ceremony was a great success, and the winning works and individuals were well-received, but the viewership ratings were a major disappointment.

Afterwards, Cheng Long invited Wei Ming to a party, but Wei Ming declined, saying that he and Amin hadn't had enough time together yet.

Actually, Jackie Chan wanted to talk to Wei Ming about the script. Although "Project A" did not beat "Aces Go Places 2" at the Hong Kong box office, it was a winner in any overseas market and a huge victory for his career. He seemed to know what path to take next.

"What about tomorrow? How about we go visit the set of 'Lucky Stars' together?" Jackie Chan invited.

Wei Ming looked at Hong Jinbao, who was comparing his trophy with Mai Jia's. Hong Jinbao quickly said, "Oh, welcome, welcome. After all, this is a story you wrote."

Karl Maka knew that the story of "Lucky Stars" came from the comic book written by Wei Ming. He whispered, "It's another work by Mr. Wei. I wonder if it can surpass 'Aces Go Places'."

This bald guy is so annoying! Wei Ming was about to talk to Huang Baiming about the million-dollar thing again when Mai Jia quickly pulled Huang Baiming away.
……

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