Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 369 The Two Brothers' New Mission

Sure enough, a few days later, He Yuzhu called He Yaozu and He Yaozong, who was on summer vacation, to his study.

The cicadas chirped incessantly outside the window, and the air conditioning inside was blasting, but the two boys were so nervous that their palms were sweaty.

"Everyone, take a seat."

"Yes, Father!" the two brothers replied respectfully.

"What's wrong? Are you all nervous?"

"A little!" The two brothers nodded in unison.

"What are you nervous about?"

"This is the first time my father has spoken to us like this," He Yaozu said.

"I see. Then you guys stay tense, I'll talk about mine."

The two brothers looked at each other, and He Yuzhu continued, "Yaozu did a good job on the trade side. I have a new task for you two brothers."

The two brothers looked at each other and saw expectation in each other's eyes; they had companionship now.

He Yuzhu took two thin folders out of the drawer and pushed them across the table.

"The group plans to establish a cultural company, mainly engaged in film and television investment and production. The starting project is this TV series, 'Lurking,' and you will take the lead."

He Yaozu picked up a document and opened it.

He Yaozong also came over to take a look.

After reading only a few pages of the synopsis and character biographies, the two men's expressions changed.

"Dad, this..." He Yaozu looked up, his tone hesitant, "This story seems..."

“Like what happened to your great-aunt and great-uncle back then, right? That’s right, it’s them,” He Yuzhu said.

"Did my Aunt Ping give me this script?" He Yaozu asked.

“No, I wrote it,” He Yuzhu said.

"Then, shouldn't we tell them?" He Yaozu asked.

"Wouldn't it be better to film it and show it to them?" He Yuzhu said.

"I really don't know whether to be pleasantly surprised or shocked," He Yaozong said.

"Yaozong, what did you say? Speak louder!" He Yuzhu had actually heard him clearly, and looked at his second son with a half-smile.

"No, it's nothing. I just thought Auntie and Uncle would definitely like it."

"That would be best, but if you don't like it, then you haven't done a good job."

"Ah!" The two brothers were completely stunned.

"What do you mean, 'huh'? Do you dare take this job? If you don't, I'll find someone else."

The two brothers exchanged a glance, gritted their teeth, and said, "We'll take it, we'll take it."

"That's good. This is an artistic adaptation based on their experiences. The subject matter is quite sensitive, but it's very significant. You should first ask a few directors in Hong Kong if they dare to film it. If they don't, then you should go to the mainland."

"Dad, how much are you planning to invest?" He Yaozu asked.

"Didn't you make a fortune? Give us a tenth of it to test the waters."

"so much?"

“Brother, it’s not much. Look at this scene, it’s hard to find. And the props, costumes, actors, and director, all of them cost money.” He Yaozong nudged his brother. This kid really went to study directing and screenwriting, but he’s only learned the basics.

“Oh, oh, that’s all then!” He Yaozu replied.

"Alright, let's start today, let's start with registering the company, go ahead."

The two brothers left the study with the documents in their hands, standing in the hallway with their heads drooping.

"Brother, what should we do?" He Yaozong scratched his head.

He Yaozu, clutching the folder, said, "Let's go, let's go ask Mom first, let's get the company under control first."

The two brothers walked down the stairs one after the other and found Xiaoman in the side hall.

"Registering a company isn't difficult; just find Attorney Zhou, he knows the process. As for filming TV dramas, in Hong Kong, you should first ask Shaw Brothers and ATV."

“Attorney Zhou is easy to talk to, but we don’t know anyone at Shaw Brothers or ATV. Could we use Huang He’s name?” He Yaozu said.

"Of course you can, but how you use it is up to you," Xiaoman said with a smile, looking at the two nervous brothers.

"Oh!" The two brothers exchanged a glance, somewhat disappointed. It seemed that their mother would only hint at it briefly, probably because their father had already given instructions.

"Alright, go do it. We'll deal with any problems that arise."

"Okay, thank you, Mom!"

In the following days, the two first went to see Attorney Zhou.

The process of registering a company is more complicated than you might imagine; the various forms and documents can be overwhelming.

Ho Yiu-cho was in charge of the coordination, while Ho Yiu-chung was busy flipping through the Yellow Pages and making phone calls to the production departments of Shaw Brothers and ATV.

When the call was made, the other party, upon hearing that it was a newly registered company that wanted to produce a TV series set in the Republican era, immediately stopped responding.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Ho, our film schedule is completely full recently."

"This type of subject matter carries too much market risk, making it inconvenient to cooperate."

After a series of setbacks, He Yaozong became somewhat discouraged.

When the two ran out of ideas, they turned to He Yuzhu.

“That’s normal. You should go to the mainland and find your third uncle and aunt. Ask them to introduce you to some directors and ask them about their situation.”

"Okay, we'll set off tomorrow."

“Take your sister back with you too, your grandma must miss you.”

"understood."

The next day, the three siblings crossed the border, and Xu Damao took them to Huacheng Airport. He also called He Yuxin in Beijing to ask him to pick them up.

He Yuxin was taken aback when he heard that his nephew and niece were coming back. He thought they weren't coming back for the summer vacation, and the vacation was already halfway over.

It was already evening when the plane landed in Beijing.

He Yuxin came to pick them up at the airport in person. When she saw her nephews and nieces, her face immediately lit up with a smile: "I thought you weren't coming back this year! Your grandma keeps talking about it."

"Third Uncle!" the three young men called out in unison.

He Yaozu briefly explained what his father had told him.

He Yuxin pondered for a moment: "It's indeed most appropriate to ask your third aunt about this. She knows quite a few people in the industry. However..."

He paused, then lowered his voice: "This topic is indeed sensitive, you should be prepared."

Back home, Chen Lanxiang greeted her grandchildren with affection.

After dinner, He Yaozu and his brother found Gong Xue and explained their purpose.

After reading the script outline, Gong Xue remained silent for a long time.

“This script is really well written,” she said softly, “but it’s definitely not easy to film. How about this, tomorrow I’ll take you to the Beijing Film Studio to find Director Han; he’s filmed quite a few historical dramas.”

The next day, Gong Xue took the two brothers to the Beijing Film Studio.

Director Han, in his fifties and wearing glasses, received them very politely. He carefully read through the script outline and listened to He Yaozong talk about his thoughts on camerawork and narrative.

“The story is good, and it will definitely be a good film.” Director Han put down the script and sighed. “But this kind of subject matter is subject to censorship. And the budget is not small either. The sets, costumes, and props all need to be exquisite. It won’t be less than two million.”

“Money is not a problem,” He Yaozu said hurriedly. “We can invest.”

Director Han shook his head: "It's not just about money. How about this, leave the script with me first, and I'll see if I can find a way to get it. You guys should also ask around at a few more places."

In the following days, Gong Xue took them to meet two more directors and even to the August First Film Studio. The reactions were similar—the subject matter was sensitive and the risks were too great.

The two brothers were somewhat frustrated.

When He Yaozong called He Yuzhu that evening to report the situation, his tone was dejected.

On the other end of the phone, He Yuzhu didn't seem surprised: "Since we can't film it for the time being, let's put it on hold for now. You can take this opportunity to travel around the mainland, do some research on what kind of TV dramas people like to watch, and see what kind of films can be released."

After hanging up the phone, He Yaozong looked at his brother and asked, "Did Dad expect this to happen?"

He Yaozu nodded: "I guess so. Then let's do as Dad said and go do the research first."

Upon hearing this, He Yuxin sent Li Chengru to be their guide.

Li Chengru rode over on his motorcycle. When he heard that the purpose was to investigate the film and television market, he laughed and said, "I know this very well! Let's start by visiting the video arcades in Beijing. They know best what the common people like to watch."

In the days that followed, the three of them became regulars at various video arcades.

They found that martial arts films and Hong Kong urban comedies were the most popular, while mainland Chinese slice-of-life dramas also had a market, but most of them were about everyday family matters.

Once, at a video arcade near Xidan, they discovered that a TV series reflecting the reform and opening up was extremely popular.

Li Chengru leaned closer and whispered, "See? Ordinary people like to see things that are close to their lives, but they also need to have something new and exciting."

He Yaozong took out his notebook and wrote it down.

After visiting video arcades for a few days, they started visiting cinemas, theaters, and even the rehearsal spaces of several arts groups.

He Yaozu and his brother, along with Li Chengru, spent several more days visiting cinemas and theaters. The long lines outside the cinemas were mostly made up of young people, with posters for martial arts films being the most eye-catching. Inside the theaters, the audience was mostly older. The model operas were no longer being performed; the newly staged plays were mostly slice-of-life dramas, with actors on stage delivering their lines clearly and attentively, while the audience watched intently.

They also visited the rehearsal spaces of several arts groups. In one practice room, several young people were rehearsing a newly choreographed dance, their movements still a bit clumsy. The older teacher leading the group saw Li Chengru and nodded in greeting.

"Comrade Li, what brings you here today?"

"Let me show you two." Li Chengru offered a cigarette. "This is Comrade He from the Yellow River Group."

The old teacher sized up the He brothers, took the cigarette, and said, "Yellow River Group? I've heard of it. What are you doing here?"

“We want to know what people like to watch these days,” Ho Yiu-cho said.

The old teacher lit a cigarette and shook his head: "These days, it's tough. The older generation complains that new plays are bland, while the younger generation finds old plays too boring. It's not easy to put on a new play, and even if you do, you don't know if anyone will watch it."

After leaving the rehearsal hall, none of the three spoke. As evening fell, they returned to courtyard number 95. Gong Xue was with Chen Lanxiang, enjoying the cool air in the courtyard. Seeing them return, she waved.

"How is it?" Gong Xue asked.

He Yaozong handed over the script: "I've been to almost every theater. Video arcades love to show martial arts movies, and so do cinemas. Theaters are mostly frequented by regular audiences, and they don't put on many new shows."

Chen Lanxiang waved her fan and said, "If you ask me, the old plays are still the best. The new plays are all so complicated and I can't understand them."

He Yaozu smiled but didn't reply.

That evening, He Yaozu called Hong Kong. He Yuzhu listened to the call and remained silent for a while.

"In that case, let's put it aside for now. You should stay in Beijing for a while longer and spend time with Grandma." "What about the company?"

"I'll just leave it running for now. We'll talk about it when the opportunity arises."

After hanging up the phone, He Yaozu relayed his father's message to his younger brother. He Yaozong was somewhat disappointed, but didn't say much.

In the days that followed, the two brothers would sometimes go to the electronics store during the day, and sometimes accompany Chen Lanxiang to visit neighbors and buy groceries.

He Yaozong also took some time to go to the library a few times and find some books on drama to read.

A little over a week later, Li Chengru arrived at the courtyard on his motorcycle.

"Young Mr. He, there's something I'm not sure if you'd be interested in." He pulled a few crumpled pieces of paper from his pocket. "A friend of mine is in the audio-visual products business and said he can get his hands on videotapes from Hong Kong and Taiwan. I thought you wanted to know about the market, so I went to take a look."

He Yaozong took the papers, on which some film titles and synopses were handwritten.

"You can get all of these?"

“He said he could, but the price wasn’t cheap,” Li Chengru said in a low voice. “They’re all copied, the picture quality is so-so, but the content is fresh.”

He Yaozu frowned: "Is this legal?"

Li Chengru chuckled: "These days, nobody's strict about it. People like to watch it, so if there's demand, there's a market."

The two brothers exchanged a glance, and He Yaozong spoke up: "Why don't we take a look first?"

He Yaozu thought for a moment and nodded: "It's fine to take a look."

The next day, Li Chengru took them to a small courtyard in the northern part of the city. The room was filled with videotapes, and several people were busy copying them. A tall, thin man came up and greeted Li Chengru.

"Brother Li, what brings you here today?"

"I brought two friends to take a look." Li Chengru offered a cigarette. "What's new lately?"

The tall, thin man sized up the Ho brothers and took down a few tapes from the shelf: "New Hong Kong films, martial arts films, and a few romance films."

He Yaozong picked up a box with a handwritten title on the cover and a blurry portrait of a martial arts star.

"The image quality is terrible."

“They’re all like that, since they’re copied.” The tall, thin man chuckled. “As long as the content is good, that’s fine.”

They picked out a few tapes and paid a deposit. Back in the courtyard, He Yaozong couldn't wait to find a video recorder to test them. The picture quality was indeed mediocre, and the sound was a bit noisy, but the content was certainly fresh, with dazzling martial arts moves and a tight plot.

Chen Lanxiang passed by the door and glanced at it: "What are they doing? It's all a mess."

But He Yaozong looked at it very carefully, and even took out a notebook to write something down.

That evening, He Yaozu called his father and talked about the audio-visual products. He Yuzhu listened to the call and pondered for a moment.

"This won't last long. But since you've seen it, learn more about it. Be careful and don't cause trouble."

"Got it, Dad."

After hanging up the phone, He Yaozu relayed his father's message to his younger brother. He Yaozong nodded without saying a word.

A few days later, He Yaozong went to see Li Chengru again.

"Brother Li, do you think it would be feasible if we officially imported some Hong Kong films?"

Li Chengru was taken aback: "Formal import? That would have to go through China Film Group, and the procedures are very complicated. Besides, it's hard to say whether they would even be willing to do it for a new company like ours."

He Yaozong didn't say anything more, but in the days that followed, he went to the library even more often and asked someone to find some information about film distribution.

Time flies, and it was already the end of August. The Ho brothers were preparing to return to Hong Kong.

Before leaving, He Yaozong handed a thick notebook to He Yuxin.

"Third Uncle, this is what I've been compiling over the past few days. Maybe I'll be able to use it sometime in the future."

He Yuxin took the notebook, flipped through a few pages, and found it filled with various film titles, audience reactions, and market analyses.

He handed the notebook back and patted He Yaozong on the shoulder: "Yaozong, you've put your heart into this. You'll definitely succeed on this path in the future."

On the plane back to Hong Kong, Ho Yiu-chung kept looking out the window.

He Yaozu looked at his younger brother but didn't say anything.

As the plane landed, Ho Yiu-chung suddenly spoke up: "Brother, I think that project will definitely be filmed in the future."

He Yaozu nodded: "Well, let's wait and see."

It was already late when I got back to my house in Hong Kong.

The air conditioning in the room was still running at full blast, and He Yuzhu was sitting in the living room reading the newspaper.

"Father!" the three siblings called out in unison.

He Yuzhu put down his newspaper and glanced at them. "You're back? How's Grandma?"

“Very good, I was just wondering when you would like to come back for a visit,” He Yaozu replied.

He Yuzhu nodded, his gaze shifting to the thick notebook in He Yaozong's hand. "What did you bring back?"

He Yaozong handed over the notebook. "Market research I did in mainland China, and some ideas."

He Yuzhu took the notebook and flipped through it page by page. The only sound in the room was the rustling of the pages turning. After a while, he closed the notebook.

"Rest first. Come to the study tomorrow morning."

The next morning, the two brothers arrived at the study on time. He Yuzhu was already sitting at the table, with the notebook open on it.

“Since filming in mainland China is not possible for the time being, what are your plans?” He Yuzhu asked.

He Yaozu first said, "We can film some other subjects in Hong Kong first to gain experience."

He Yuzhu looked at He Yaozong. "What do you think?"

Ho Yiu-chung was silent for a moment. “I want to try other approaches. Perhaps we can find a Hong Kong director to film it, but mainly shoot on location in mainland China.”

He Yuzhu tapped his fingers on his notebook. "Do you know why this project is important?"

The two brothers exchanged a glance, and He Yaozu replied, "Because the story of our great-aunt and great-uncle is worth remembering."

“Not only that.” He Yuzhu stood up and walked to the window. “There are many stories like this, but very few are filmed. Just because it’s not suitable now doesn’t mean it won’t be suitable in the future.”

He turned to look at his two sons. “The company is already registered, so we can’t just sit idle. Yaozong should go to the trading company to learn how to operate it. Since Yaozong is interested in production, he should use his spare time to find an internship at TVB or ATV.”

He Yaozong was taken aback. "Internship?"

“Start with the basics. Production assistant, assistant director, anything goes.” He Yuzhu returned to the table and sat down. “You need to know how this industry works.”

The two brothers nodded in agreement.

A few weeks later, Ho Yiu-chung got a job as an assistant in ATV's production department through his father's connections.

On the first day, I was assigned to work as a production assistant for a film crew set in the Republican era.

The scene was chaotic, and the executive director was furious.

"What's wrong with the props department? This table is clearly made with modern technology; the mistake is obvious as soon as the camera pans across it!"

He Yaozong followed the props team to the warehouse to exchange furniture.

In the sweltering heat, he carried an antique-style table back home, his shirt soaked with sweat.

The executive director was taken aback when he saw him. "Are you new here? Mr. He's son?"

He Yaozong put down the table and wiped his sweat. "Yes, where should I put the table?"

The executive director pointed to a spot and glanced at him a couple more times.

When filming wrapped up that day, the assistant director approached him. "Tomorrow you'll work with the directing team as a script supervisor."

He Yaozong nodded. "Thank you, director."

When He Yaozu got home that evening, he saw the blisters on his younger brother's hands and frowned. "How did you get that?"

"Moving furniture." He Yaozong quickly rinsed off. "Brother, you're right, it's important to start from the basics."

He Yaozu remained silent for a moment, then took a document out of his briefcase.

"The trading company has recently been in contact with Japanese video recording equipment manufacturers."

The two brothers sat at the dining table and talked until very late.

Soon, He Yaozong was able to skillfully perform the roles of script supervisor and stage manager.

He Yaozu, on the other hand, came into contact with more film and television equipment suppliers through his trade business.

One weekend, He Yuzhu called the two of them to his study. "Any new ideas?"

Ho Yiu-chung spoke first. "The cost of a Republican-era drama is higher than I imagined. The sets and props need to be exquisite, and the budget for each episode is at least HK$150,000."

Ho Yiu-cho continued, "The mainland market is still developing, but the videotape market is growing rapidly. Perhaps we can start by producing some lower-cost programs."

After listening to his two sons' reports, He Yuzhu tapped his fingers lightly on the table a few times.

"What's the biggest difference between filming in Hong Kong and on the mainland?" he asked.

Ho Yiu-chung spoke first: "Hong Kong values ​​efficiency more. Sets can be built quickly, and shooting can be done quickly, with more than a dozen shots completed in a day. The director has the final say, and investors generally don't interfere with the specific shooting process."

Ho Yiu-cho chimed in: "The mainland places more emphasis on procedures. Every step requires approval, and the script has to be submitted for review at each level. But they are more meticulous about historical details and will invite experts to look at costumes and props."

"What about the cost?"

“Labor costs are high in Hong Kong, but the reuse rate of scenes is high. Labor costs are low in mainland China, but the cost of shooting on location is high.” Ho Yiu-chung opened his notebook. “To shoot the same scene for a day, the cost in Hong Kong is three times that in mainland China, but the Hong Kong crew only needs half the time in mainland China.”

He Yuzhu nodded: "Regarding the review process?"

Ho Yiu-cho produced a document: "Hong Kong basically doesn't care about the content, as long as it's not illegal. In mainland China, the script needs to be submitted for review in advance, and it needs to be reviewed again after filming is completed. Especially for Republican-era themes, multiple departments need to jointly approve them."

Where are the actors?

“Hong Kong actors are professional, but their pay is high. Mainland actors are paid less, but they need to coordinate relationships with their production companies,” Ho Yiu-chung added. “Mainland China mainly uses actors from various film studios, which need to be seconded in advance.”

He Yuzhu stood up and walked to the window. "What if the two sides cooperate? Hong Kong provides the funding and technology, while the mainland provides the venue and personnel."

The two brothers exchanged a glance. He Yaozu spoke first: "The policy is still unclear. I heard that Pearl River Film Studio has a co-production project with Hong Kong, but it requires special approval."

Ho Yiu-chung added, "Moreover, the work habits on both sides are different. Hong Kong crews are used to working overtime, while mainland crews leave on time. It takes time to adjust."

He Yuzhu turned around: "You two will split up and conduct research. Yaozu will learn about co-production policies, and Yaozong will study production management. I need to see a detailed plan in three months."

"Yes, father."

Ho Yiu-chung hesitated for a moment: "If co-production is feasible, could we restart the 'Lurking' project?"

He Yuzhu shook his head slightly: "Let's keep that script for Yaozong to film later. You guys find a new script. Didn't your third uncle collect a lot of stories before? Just choose from those."

"it is good!"

(End of this chapter)