The world begins with Hong Kong movies

Chapter 343 Activity and Entertainment Center
While mainland artists and cultural workers were holding a meeting at a less-than-star hotel, a group of Hong Kong celebrities were also having a gathering.

The gathering took place at the former site of Fengrui Film and Television.

This is an old-style mixed-use commercial and residential building, twelve stories high.

Placed in the high-rise-filled Mong Kok area, it is not eye-catching at all, and even looks a bit old, with mottled walls that indicate it has been there for quite some time.

Needless to say, this old office building, formerly the headquarters of Fengrui Film and Television, was already bought by Wu Feng.

However, the group has a new headquarters building, and given the benefits of having many affiliated companies working together, the entire group has moved there.

The original film and television company building was directly converted into dormitories for celebrities.

In addition, there are leisure and entertainment centers, as well as training centers.

Despite the building's old-fashioned exterior, the interior is quite stylish.

There are bars, upscale restaurants, karaoke lounges, gyms, and a small upscale cinema.

To put it simply, this is the artist activity center under Fengrui Film & Television.

The privacy here is excellent, allowing celebrities to relax and unwind without worry.

Those who know, know how difficult the paparazzi in Hong Kong Island are.

Even if celebrities go to the Peninsula Hotel or other famous five-star hotels, they can't necessarily guarantee privacy.

But here, you don't really have to worry about these issues.

Those who can enter the building must be celebrities under Fengrui Film & Television, which alone can prevent most information from being leaked.

In addition, the security personnel here are all veterans from mainland China.

They have little connection with Hong Kong Island, so they are reliable, at least in the short term.

The security guards here are rotated every year to avoid unexpected situations, which is good for everyone.

The service staff here have all undergone rigorous screening.

More often than not, the celebrities here do it themselves.

Moreover, the Hung Hing Sai Kung branch kept a very tight watch on the building's perimeter and even the entire block, providing an extra layer of security.

Because of the excellent security here, the celebrities and artists from Fengrui Film and Television all have rest rooms here.

The larger ones are fifty or sixty square meters, and the smaller ones are about thirty square meters. They are all well-decorated rest rooms, no less than suites in star-rated hotels.

Especially the company's artists who haven't yet become famous, they mostly live here; the environment is quite nice.

Even famous celebrities, when they want to relax, mostly choose to do so here rather than going to nightclubs outside.

Initially, this was just a leisure and entertainment center for the stars and artists under Fengrui Film and Television, as well as the contracted behind-the-scenes staff.

With virtually no outsiders around, they can relax more and don't have to worry about getting into trouble from paparazzi photos.

We're all colleagues; nobody dares to play dirty tricks.

If discovered, the consequences will be absolutely terrible!
Most importantly, the environment here is very safe.

You won't suddenly run into a gang leader, nor will you suddenly be harassed by rich young men or women.

This is already quite good for Hong Kong celebrities.

The emergence of Wu Feng, coupled with the strong rise of Fengrui Films and Qiankun Films, led to the early start of the golden age of Hong Kong films.

The Hong Kong film industry is booming, with Cinema City, Golden Harvest, D&B Films, and FXCM being the four most powerful film companies.

Below are Qiankun Film & Television, Metropolitan Film & Television, and other companies.

Even the film company he co-founded with Lung Kan, the Mong Kok gang leader, and his henchman Kwan Tsz-sum, could barely squeeze into the ranks of second-rate film companies.

Because of the success of related products, especially the release of arcade and home cartridge games, film companies had a strong ability to make money, making the Hong Kong film industry more powerful and influential than in normal times.

Putting everything else aside, the level of dedication that major film companies put into making movies is unmatched in normal times and spaces.

In normal times, the reason why the Hong Kong film industry is so popular is not only due to the surge in professional talent, but also mainly due to the large influx of funds from Taiwan.

It's so popular that selling trailers is considered equivalent to selling pre-sale apartments—it's unbelievable.

The influx of external funds has led to an astonishingly high rate of film production in Hong Kong, resulting in a continuous stream of high-quality films.

The upper echelons of Hong Kong's film industry are all incredibly greedy.

They are taking advantage of the situation to inflate the value of celebrities in order to gain more profits.

However, the influx of funds from Taiwan is driven not only by the need to wash rice but also by the desire to make money.

The Hong Kong film market is only so big!

Even including the Southeast Asian market, the scale is not very large.

The Taiwanese market is only so-so. The real big markets are still Little Life and the Universe, but not many Hong Kong films can enter these two countries, and even fewer can generate a viewing frenzy.

When the interests can't be agreed upon, the funds from Taiwan will naturally collapse.

With Southeast Asian countries beginning to protect their own film markets and restricting the entry of Hong Kong films, the so-called golden age of Hong Kong films came to a complete end.

This is the normal timeline of the development of the Hong Kong film industry.

Wu Feng's emergence changed the development trend of the Hong Kong film industry.

Currently, Taiwanese funds continue to flow into the Hong Kong film market in large quantities.

However, the major film companies in Hong Kong are not particularly eager for funding from Taiwan.

Especially when it comes to film copyrights, there's absolutely no way they'll back down.

Under these circumstances, the Hong Kong film industry is developing at a much more prosperous pace than in normal times.

Putting aside everything else, the celebrities and artists of Fengrui Film and Television have benefited immensely.

Actresses like Wen Bixia, Li Saifeng, and Weng Hong would be considered second-tier actresses during the golden age of Hong Kong cinema in normal times.

Because of the intense competition among actresses in Hong Kong, it is extremely difficult for them to rise to the top, and they have to pay a considerable price.

But now, they have become top actresses in Hong Kong.

Whether in terms of fame or income, they are at the top-tier level.

Fengrui Films protected them very well, and they basically did not encounter those unpleasant things like forced buying and selling.

At Fengrui Film & Television, as long as you work hard and perform well, you'll always have your moment to shine. There are no messy, so-called rules.

Many female celebrities have always had a good impression of Fengrui Films, and quite a few want to join the company.

The reason, of course, is to seek protection from Fengrui Films.

It's fair to say that the stars and artists at Fengrui Films are among the most relaxed in the Hong Kong film industry.

Wu Feng is not a pushover!
The social environment and entertainment industry environment on Hong Kong Island are far from friendly. He didn't want the stars he had painstakingly cultivated to fall into ruin due to a lack of knowledge and vigilance.

The losses were no joke.

He had given relevant reminders to employees seconded from the mainland, let alone his celebrity artists.

Every so often, an internal alert meeting is held.

Inform other companies' celebrities and artists about the bad things that have happened to them recently, so that they are aware of the situation and can be more vigilant.

Putting aside other things, bars that also function as dance halls are high-risk areas for accidents, and unexpected incidents often occur there.

Many celebrities have suffered greatly while partying in bars.

Even the so-called big brother of the film industry, Hong Xinbao, has suffered losses; the clear scar on the corner of his mouth is the best proof of that.

Unfortunately, many celebrities enjoy going to places like bars.

Wu Feng had done a good deed, so he simply converted the film company's former office building into an internal activity and entertainment center.

Unless there's something special going on, the company's celebrities usually hang out in the bars and entertainment venues inside the building.

You can be very relaxed, at least you don't have to worry about being photographed by paparazzi.

Later, the stars and artists of Qiankun Film and Television also gradually regarded this place as their main place for relaxation and entertainment.

According to them, this was the intention of Boss Lung Kwan.

The stars we've worked so hard to cultivate don't want to get into trouble while partying in nightclubs; that would be a huge loss.

In addition, the privacy here is very well done.

Most importantly, no gang members will cause them trouble.

The erotic films produced by Qiankun Film Company are quite famous in Hong Kong.

The erotic film market in Hong Kong is also extremely competitive.

Behind the scenes, there are bound to be instances of poaching talent, and even underhanded tactics like coercion and bribery, which celebrities simply cannot withstand.

It's impossible for Brother Kun's reputation in the underworld to be enough to make all the triad bosses wary.

He can only take care of one or two top stars at most; as for other erotic film stars, he can't take care of them.

Wu Feng is different; he's a real big spender!
The key point is that they have television stations and newspapers at their disposal. Few triad bosses are willing to appear on television and in newspapers frequently; that would be courting death.

Furthermore, the strength of the Hung Hing Sai Kung branch is not to be underestimated.

Although Wu Feng rarely participates in gang affairs, any gang leader who ignores his strength is simply out of their mind.

In short, Liang Kun encourages the stars and artists of Qiankun Film and Television Company to actively visit the internal entertainment venues of Fengrui Film and Television.

Having already spoken to Wu Feng beforehand, there was no reason for him to be turned away.

The two companies have a very friendly relationship, so naturally the relationships between their star artists are also good.

In fact, it is very beneficial for them to have frequent contact.

Some internal information about Fengrui Film & Television, such as the list of films that are about to be filmed, can be seen in advance at the gathering.

For some suitable roles, Qiankun Film and Television's stars and artists can try to secure them; that's the opportunity.

Celebrities and artists from Fengrui Films who are interested in starring in erotic films to increase their fame can also connect through this relationship.

Of course, it's not just celebrities; directors and screenwriters who have stories or ideas about romance can also easily communicate and collaborate.

Even if we don't actually achieve complete resource sharing, at least there will be many more opportunities, which is good for the artists of both companies.

Similarly, whenever the stars and artists of Qiankun Film and Television have free time, they will eagerly come to the activity and entertainment center to play.

Even if you don't get the chance, being able to relax and have fun is a good thing, isn't it?

This situation persisted for a very long time.

But at some point, celebrities from other film and television companies also began to appear at Fengrui Film and Television's event and entertainment center.

The news reached Wu Feng's ears immediately. He felt something was strange, but he didn't do anything.

With the guarantee of celebrities and artists from Fengrui Film & Television, the event entertainment center will naturally not turn anyone away.

Initially, they were just friends of the stars and artists under Fengrui Films, all colleagues in the Hong Kong entertainment industry, but only of average fame.

After visiting, they fell in love with the peaceful and comfortable environment here.

To reiterate, there are simply too many members in Hong Kong's triad societies.

Nightclubs are hotspots for accidents, yet many celebrities choose them as their only leisure and entertainment venues.

You can't exactly go to listen to opera or watch traditional Chinese opera, can you? How many people can understand it?
But gradually, more and more celebrities came to the entertainment center.

Even big-name celebrities like Leslie Cheung and Anita Yuen often come to the activity and entertainment center to play.

According to them, all they wanted was peace and quiet.

However, they were also quite interested in Fengrui Films' internal publications, which were only available to insiders.

In fact, it was just a copy of the so-called internal company popularity ranking created by Sina Weibo in later years.

Fengrui Film & Television has grown to the point where it has over thirty stars and artists under its wing, and is now able to conduct internal evaluations.

The popularity ranking is based on a combination of monthly, quarterly, and annual income, as well as other influencing factors and various other algorithms, all calculated by professional computer software.

Of course, the most important factor is income.

Such popularity charts have remained popular for generations to come, not to mention the Hong Kong entertainment stars of that time, who were all quite interested in them.

Special income category is prominently featured in the internal magazine, attracting everyone's attention.

Every month when the internal popularity rankings magazine comes out, the event and entertainment center has the largest number of celebrities.

Not only are there artists from Fengrui Film & Television itself, but also many male and female stars from other companies.

Every time, you can hear their exclamations of surprise, as if they've never seen anything like it before, which is quite funny.

In reality, they were shocked by the revenue figures listed on the popularity chart; they weren't joking.

The income levels of celebrities in Hong Kong's entertainment industry can only be described as severely polarized. Those with greater fame earn more, while those with less fame earn less.

Why do so many female celebrities aspire to marry into wealthy families, or at the very least, into famous tycoons?

It's not that their income level can't keep up with their elevated horizons and excessively high consumption levels.
It's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality. This perfectly describes the lives of female celebrities in Hong Kong, and it's also the sharpest weapon that Hong Kong's tycoons use to manipulate them.

Ultimately, isn't this situation simply because of low income?

If your income is high enough, the situation is completely different.

(End of this chapter)