Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 330 A sudden turn of events
Just as Li Chengru was about to say something, Xu Damao waved his hand, "The food is all here, let's eat and talk."

Now that they were back at the dinner table, as each dish was served, Li Chengru's Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily as he looked at the table full of seafood.

"Mr. Xu, this is too much of a expense. Just something simple will do."

"Don't spend any money! Just eat! Consider it a fellow villager's treat. Can we drink?" Xu Damao said.

"No more drinking, no more drinking, we haven't gotten to the important business yet, Mr. Xu!" Li Chengru quickly stopped him.

"Okay, let's start with a few bottles of soda, it's so hot today," Xu Damao said.

"Alright, stop standing there and start eating, it won't taste good if it gets cold," He Yuxin said.

"Oh, okay," Li Chengru said, but didn't touch his chopsticks.

"Brother Mao, your little brother seems a bit reserved!" He Yuxin said.

"Come on, eat!" Xu Damao served food to Li Chengru.

"No need, no need, Mr. Xu, I can do it myself, I can do it myself," Li Chengru hurriedly said.

"Then eat, don't be shy."

"Fine!" Li Chengru said through gritted teeth.

Since he wasn't drinking and was just eating, he naturally couldn't join in the conversation. Li Chengru could only eat in silence, and this time he couldn't stop. He had been traveling with the film crew to all sorts of places, mostly in the wild or in the countryside. He had never eaten anything like this before.

After eating until he was about 70-80% full, Li Chengru slowed down. Xu Damao handed Li Chengru a Marlboro and said, "Tell me, why did your Director Yang send such a greenhorn like you to discuss sponsorship?"

Li Chengru blushed, took the cigarette, lit it with the light Xu Damao offered, took a deep drag, and said, "I wasn't sent by the crew. I saw Director Yang was having a tough time; the equipment was outdated, they had to use dry ice to make do with the special effects for the Heavenly Palace, and the wires weren't very secure. I was in a hurry, so I volunteered. A childhood friend of mine treated me to a meal back home, and that guy got all excited and kept inviting me for days. I found out he made a fortune with you. He even said that Mr. Xu in the Special Economic Zone has a lot of connections and a warm heart."

"Heh, who's your childhood friend? Why are you praising me like that?"

"Wang Yuejin!"

"That kid, he can't handle anything serious, he just dabble in things like tape recorders, but he should have made some money," Xu Damao said.

Li Chengru was frustrated. What does "serious stuff" even mean? It's a big deal, you know.

Little did he know that the "serious stuff" Xu Damao was talking about was equipment, cars, and the like.

“Yes, yes!” Li Chengru said.

"And then, you just barged in like a fool? You've got some guts, kid." Xu Damao chuckled and exhaled a smoke ring.

"Not bad, not bad, I've been to a lot of places."

"Why don't you quit being a production assistant and work for me? I'm short-staffed too."

Li Chengru was taken aback; how did this conversation turn into poaching people?

“No, that won’t do. Director Yang has been kind to me, and I have to repay that kindness.”

"Sure, you can consider what I said after you finish filming 'Journey to the West'."

"Definitely, definitely. What about the sponsorship?"

"Yuxin, what do you say?" Xu Damao didn't answer him, but turned to look at He Yuxin.

“Tell me what you’re lacking first. I’ve been to film sets before,” He Yuxin said.

"Our crew is filming a movie about immortals."

"Oh, the main camera, high-powered dynamite lamp, wireless microphone, hydraulic lift, safer wire system, underwater camera, these are the things, right?"

"Ah, yes, yes, Mr. He is very professional." Li Chengru didn't care whether he had heard of him or not, since he could probably get his hands on him, so he just said he was short of him and even flattered him at the end.

"I've only seen it once, but when it comes to getting sponsorships, tell me, what good do we get? We can't just throw money away and get nothing in return, can we?" He Yuxin changed the subject.

"No way! How could that be!" Li Chengru exclaimed anxiously, hurriedly standing up. "President Xu, think about it, 'Journey to the West' is one of the Four Great Classical Novels. We've previewed it, and the effect was excellent. People love watching it!"

"They're reading 'Journey to the West,' what does that have to do with us?"

Li Chengru racked his brains and finally came up with, "We can add a special thanks at the end!"

"You can't decide that, can you? We've watched domestic TV dramas and movies. Joint ventures like ours can't go far, can they?"

"This"

"Xiao Li, is it alright if I call you that?"

"Ok, Ok."

"You should call your director and ask her to consult with the relevant authorities. Then, make a list of acknowledgments. The Yellow River Group should be the name of the organization you want to thank. However, you can tell her that if it's inconvenient for her to accept this, we can actually go through the Yellow River Charity Foundation for the donation. She can find out about the charity foundation. But the acknowledgments must be for the Yellow River Group," He Yuxin said.

"The one who went to eastern Hebei back then?"

"Oh, you've heard of it?"

“Who in the whole country hasn’t heard of it? Unless he’s never even read a newspaper or listened to the radio,” Li Chengru said.

He Yuxin and Xu Damao exchanged a glance, surprised that their older brother had caused such a commotion back then.

“That should make things easier. Hurry up and eat. After you finish, come back to the company with us and make a phone call,” He Yuxin said.

"I'm full, I'm full," Li Chengru said, but his eyes were still fixed on the leftover food on the table, full of regret.

"Eat up, it won't make a difference."

"Then I won't be polite?"

"Eat up, you're such a rascal," Xu Damao laughed.

After dinner, the group returned to the office building of the Yellow River Special Zone. Xu Damao took Li Chengru to make a phone call, while He Yuxin went to call his older brother.

Those devices alone would cost several million Hong Kong dollars, and he dared not make decisions on his own.

After listening to He Yuxin's explanation, He Yuzhu pondered for a moment and said, "Yuxin, there's no problem with the equipment. We can afford it. Just tell your sister-in-law later."

"So we don't have any requests?" He Yuxin pressed.

"You can mention it, but it's not mandatory. It's considered supporting the dissemination of national culture."

"The organization to be acknowledged?"

"Don't you understand the principle of asking for the moon and then settling for a bargain? How can we just ask for an acknowledgment of an organization? We also want the exclusive broadcasting rights in Hong Kong, and of course, we will also share a portion of the later revenue with the copyright holder!"

"We don't have a TV station at home!"

“It’s easy to have one, but that TV series won’t be finished filming so quickly,” He Yuzhu said.

"Oh, then I'll go talk to them right away."

"What's the rush? I haven't finished speaking yet."

"Brother, you tell me!"

“I think this TV series will be very famous. You can tell Yuyao to ask his Miss Zhong and Miss Guan, whom you care about, if they are interested in auditioning for the show. This Journey to the West series is not simple.”

"Really, bro? You predicted all of this?"

"believe it or not!"

"I believe you. I'll definitely believe what my brother says. I'll call Yuyao right now."

"Alright, call your sister-in-law first. You've got your head on that girl and can't tell what's important!"

"No, no, I'll call my sister-in-law right away."

"Hanged up. Beep beep beep."

Then He Yuxin called Xiaoman to explain the situation. Xiaoman asked him to list out what he needed and then discuss the specific amount later. He Yuxin agreed, and it was just a matter of going through the motions.

Then, He Yuxin made a phone call to He Yuyao.

"Third Brother, are you so free that you have time to call me? I'm very busy right now."

"If you're busy, you won't be at the police station. I need to talk to you about something."

"I can't help you even if you're in the mainland. Could it be about Miss Guan?"

"Whether you listen or not, it has something to do with your Miss Chu."

Listen, listen!

He Yuxin recounted the story, and He Yuyao asked, "Did Big Brother really say that?"

"What good would it do me to lie to you?" He Yuxin said irritably.

"So what do you mean? Miss Guan also asked me to speak to her?"

"This matter can be clearly explained in person. I still need to discuss it with the production team."

"Okay, I'll go."

"No need to rush, let me make a decision first."

"Then why did you tell me so early?" He Yuyao said.

"I'm afraid I'll forget."

"It's weird if I believe you!"

"That's all, I have to go now."

"Third Brother... Beep beep beep... I haven't finished speaking yet!!!"

After hanging up the phone, He Yuxin found Xu Damao and Li Chengru.

Li Chengru had just finished making a phone call, his face beaming with excitement.

"Mr. He, Director Yang said he would get back to me after consulting with his superiors, and also asked me to thank you for your help!"

“You’re welcome,” He Yuxin said. “We have two conditions: first, the end credits must include ‘Yellow River Group’; second, we want the broadcasting rights in Hong Kong. You can mention that to Director Yang later.”

Li Chengru nodded quickly: "I'll call back right away and tell them!"

"Don't rush, I have a few personal conditions."

"You say, you say!"

"There are two actresses from Hong Kong TV. I wonder if I can audition for them."

"I can get back to you right now. Audition is no problem. Finding actors is my job. But whether or not we need to hire them depends on the director. Also, we don't think we can afford that salary."

"You have that much power?"

"That's all the power I have," Li Chengru said with a smile. "You don't need to worry about the salary. You can make another call."

Half an hour later, Li Chengru hung up the phone and said excitedly, "It's done! Director Yang said that the acknowledgments are no problem, and she will also apply to her superiors for the broadcasting rights. She wouldn't have asked for this if it were another company, but she knows your group. She told us to wait for news!"

"Alright, this shouldn't happen so quickly. Let's wait for news." Xu Damao patted him on the shoulder.

"Then I'll go back."

"Don't rush, how about we have a drink tonight?" Xu Damao said.

"this."

"Alright, stop with the nonsense. There are no cars for you to leave now."

“Alright then,” Li Chengru said.

The next day, Li Chengru rushed back to the film crew and began a new round of hard labor.

Director Yang followed the procedure and submitted the report to his superiors for approval, but things didn't go smoothly. After submitting the report, nothing happened.

The response was, "The higher-ups said that sponsorship by foreign-invested enterprises does not comply with regulations, and it is still under review."

The entire crew was utterly disheartened; they had finally found a glimmer of hope, but it all fell through.

Li Chengru told Xu Damao about it, and Xu Damao told He Yuxin. Then the two of them called He Yuzhu together. Actually, they also hoped that this would work out. Which boy in China doesn't like the comic book version of "Journey to the West"? They read it a lot when they were young, and they were really looking forward to it being made into a TV series.

He Yuzhu wasn't surprised by the brothers' report; it was normal. Ten years from now, there wouldn't be so much trouble.

"Alright, let me ask about this. You guys continue to handle things well domestically."

“Understood, we didn’t slack off,” Xu Damao said.

"Keep being sarcastic. All those projects in China have been going smoothly lately, haven't they?"

"Smooth sailing. The main building of the electronics factory has been topped out, and the podium building in the CBD is almost finished. The car factory can start production before the end of the year. Sales at the refrigerator factory are also good. As for the communication towers, they can't keep up. The branch office in the flower market has been established and is selling like hotcakes."

"What about Xiaohui?"

"There has been a significant increase in new demand, for machinery and equipment, and light industrial equipment."

"Be careful, don't get into a conflict with the Ministry of Foreign Trade. You'd better ask them clearly first."

"I really didn't notice that, but customs didn't stop us," Xu Damao said.

"Customs, it's customs."

"Okay, I understand. I'll have Xiaohui take care of it later."

"You guys have quite a wide network of connections now, huh?"

"Hehe, actually it's those distributors who have the widest connections," Xu Damao laughed.

"Don't rely too much on them; we also need to open up our own market channels."

"clear."

"Yuxin, how is the domestic group doing now?"

"We're still getting used to each other."

"Speed ​​up. Also, you need to watch out for any small-time businessmen trying to get into joint ventures or similar ventures. If they're in the same industry as us, then use some methods against them."

"Ah, are we really going to deal with them?" Xu Damao asked.

"I didn't ask you to handle the domestic ones as well, but you can at least offer some reasonable suggestions so they can't gain any advantage."

"No problem, is there anything else you need, brother?"

"Da Mao, do you still remember what we talked about back then, the pharmaceutical factory? And the medical devices?"

"I remember, are we going to do it in the country?"

"Don't rush into it. Have someone travel around to different places to check on the operations of pharmaceutical factories, especially established Chinese medicine brands."

"no problem."

"One more thing, make them find out if any foreigners have come in to buy medicine prescriptions or anything like that. If so, take them all back. If they take our ancestors' things, they'll have nothing to do with us anymore, and they'll even try to make money off us," He Yuzhu said in a deep voice.

“Okay, I will send my best people to handle this,” Xu Damao said.

"If you encounter any local troubles, you can first contact Uncle Zhao, or ask the Special Economic Zone to help you coordinate. Don't try to force things."

"We know, brother!"

"Okay, that's settled for now. I'll think of a way to handle the Journey to the West matter."

"it is good."

After hanging up the phone, He Yuzhu found Zhang Zhengyang's contact information and dialed it.

"Hey!"

"Commander Zhang, this is He Fei!"

"Mr. He, is there a problem with the project?"

"No, not at all, Commander Zhang. There's something else I'd like to ask you about."

"You said."

He Yuzhu explained the sponsorship of "Journey to the West" in detail, and said at the end, "We have no other intentions. You should understand that. In the end, it is just a little support for the domestic cultural industry."

“I understand,” Commander Zhang said.

"You've been to Hong Kong, so you should know that the cultural aspects of mainland China have been largely diluted by foreigners here. So if something good comes from mainland China, it can still be promoted here."

"That's a good starting point. Here, I'll go ask around for you!"

"Then thank you, Commander Zhang."

"You're thanking the person who paid you, but I should be thanking you on their behalf. They're the ones who are narrow-minded!"

"Then I'll be waiting for your good news!"

"Haha, okay, I'll ask for you right away!"

Even with Zhang Zhengyang's involvement, the approval process still went through layer upon layer of obstacles.

From ministries to relevant departments, every link had to repeatedly verify whether the "foreign investment" status was compliant, and in the blink of an eye, it was delayed for more than three months.

He Yuxin didn't contact Rosamund Kwan because she didn't receive a letter.

However, He Yuyao brought up this matter during a meal.

"Chu Hong, there's a 'Journey to the West' production team in mainland China casting for roles. Would you like to audition?"

"Mainland production crews? Forget it, I've heard the conditions there are tough, there aren't many good scripts, and even if they're filmed, they might not be able to air in Hong Kong."

He Yuyao looked at Rosamund Kwan. Rosamund Kwan shook her head and said, "My schedule is full recently, and besides, I'm not familiar with the filming style in mainland China."

He Yuyao didn't care about this. It was an opportunity, and whether or not one could seize it depended on the individual.

The story about "Journey to the West" was just a side note, because it reminded He Yuzhu of something else.

Then he made an overseas call to Chen Sheng.

"boss!"

"How are the negotiations between AMD and IBM going?"

"The talks broke down, but IBM did purchase a batch of chips, and the new series has already been launched," Chen Sheng's voice came through the receiver.

How are our profits?

"The price is on par with Intel, but IBM hasn't pressured us to lower it."

"What about our own complete systems?"

"Sales are also good; Damao has placed a lot of orders."

"Could you set up two production lines to ship them out? Labor costs in North America are still too high, and the price is still a bit expensive in Asia."

"The production line is fine, but it's still difficult to ship it out."

"Then you should prepare first, prepare five. I'll figure out how to handle the transportation."

"it is good."

"What about the security company?"

"The security company is doing quite well; business in Los Angeles is much better than in New York."

Because of public safety?

"Yes, boss, there's something else I need to report to you."

"Oh, what's the matter?"

"Regarding the hotels, we had previously acquired two, both under the Grand Hyatt brand. Luckily, we acted quickly, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to acquire them at all."

"Are you planning to do business with the Olympics?"

"Yes, I thought the boss hadn't noticed. I was planning to give you a surprise."

"I called today to ask about this matter."

"It seems our investment direction was correct," Chen Sheng said with a smile.

"You can't just focus on the Olympics; the renovations need to keep up."

“We’ve decorated it to the standards of the Grand Hyatt New York, so it’s guaranteed to be eye-catching. You don’t need to worry about business in the future either. This place is close to Las Vegas and Hollywood, and the more upscale the hotel, the more sought-after it is,” Chen Sheng said.

“Okay, we can keep an eye on the hotel and the surrounding industries. If the Chinese restaurants need help, we can bring people from Hong Kong to support you.”

"That's great, there are still some customers for Chinese food here."

"I think you're the one who wants to eat it."

"Hey boss, you should also take care of those of us who live far away."

"Okay, find a good place and then go directly to my old man to coordinate the manpower."

"Ok."

(End of this chapter)