Return to Hong Kong Island for a Century

Chapter 207 Conflict (Third Update, 4400+ words)

PS: That concludes today's 10,000-word update. Sorry, I'm done updating. The neighbors are doing renovations, and the electric hammer keeps going at it.

Li Song didn't know if Ma Shengli was referring to the TV station.

There are some things that Li Song is better off handling himself.

Like this TV station incident, if we need help from the mainland to resolve it...

It might actually cause more trouble.

My current identity is pretty good!

My current status as a Hong Kong businessman includes companies located on Hong Kong Island.

One natural advantage is that it is now within the Commonwealth.

If your company is located in mainland China, you will face many troubles and restrictions.

This is also why Li Song wanted to set up the headquarters on Hong Kong Island.

For motorcycles exported, the sales company on Hong Kong Island commissions its mainland branch to produce them.

The sales company on Hong Kong Island signed a contract manufacturing agreement with a manufacturing company on the mainland.

This applies not only to motorcycles, but also to future vehicles such as cars and boats with outboard motors.

In addition, Hong Kong Island is a free port!

Therefore, it can avoid a lot of trouble, restrictions, and procedures.

After hearing Li Song's answer, Ma Shengli stopped talking.

Ma Shengli was referring to the television station, because the mainland is still paying close attention to Li Song's every move.

It's impossible for the mainland not to know about news that has been reported in Hong Kong newspapers.

After speaking with Li Song, Ma Shengli went back to report on his work.

Li Song also needed to work, as he needed to sign some documents from the BMW motorcycle factory!
All funding to suppliers requires Li Song's signature.

There are also some financial documents, such as some advance payments.

In addition, there are other large-scale uses of funds.

Then another half-hour meeting was held to listen to these executives report on their work!

Then we arrived at the marine outboard motor manufacturing plant.

I listened to the report from here.

Then in the afternoon, we flew directly to Chang'an.

Chief Engineer Ma and his team at Changan BMW Aircraft Manufacturing Company are conducting technical studies!
Li Song was also there for the meeting; regardless of whether there was anything to discuss, he wanted to hear feedback from his subordinates.

There are no problems with Changan BMW Aircraft Manufacturing Company receiving strong support from its superiors.

Chief Engineer Ma's team was also determined; if their families wanted to live in apartments, they had to meet the boss's requirements.

In addition, the people in these teams also wanted to save face.

After all, the rest of the team stayed in the bustling city.

If I don't achieve anything after arriving in the Northwest, I'll really be ashamed to face anyone.

Then the next morning, I took a plane to Kyoto.

Li Song doesn't need bodyguards in the country, but Section Chief Zhou always accompanies him!

On the afternoon of September 3, 1980, Lau Ka-lok received the TVB license incredulously!
Furthermore, this television license does not have the required educational hours like those stipulated by CTV.

The treatment is the same as that of the two current wireless television stations.

Liu Jiale still remembers the middleman's surprised look.

When the middleman notified Liu Jiale to complete the formalities, Liu Jiale requested to amend the application.

The middleman felt that the application could not be changed any further, otherwise the governor would lose face.

After all, the Hong Kong newspapers had already reported it.

Getting a TV license now is already a good thing; we still need to amend the application.

In the end, Liu Jiale could not persuade him otherwise, so he had to amend the application. Of course, it was agreed beforehand that if the application was amended this time, the intermediary would not refund any fees.

I didn't expect that this change request would be accepted.

Surprisingly, they received approval and license very quickly.

This speed is too fast!
The middlemen all suspected that Liu Jiale's boss had given the governor some incredible treasure.

Liu Jiale kept quiet after obtaining the TVB license.

Because in just a few short days, many people took the opportunity to inquire about information to say some harsh things.

Moreover, Liu Jiale has become somewhat low-key after spending a long time with Li Song.

Just like people on Hong Kong Island have no idea that the magazine has already exported animated films to Hollywood.

Liu Jiale kept a low profile, but the other two TV stations were shocked.

The owner of TVB was absolutely shocked when he heard the news!
So he invited the governor to dinner under the pretext of finding out what was going on.

However, the governor refused Mr. Shao's request.

RTV was also caught off guard by this sudden news.

You should know that RTV (Rediffusion Television) has been able to completely dominate TVB (Television Broadcasts Limited) because of Ghost Blows Out the Light.

Now Uncle Three has his own TV station!

So, if Uncle Three has a good script in the future, won't he give it to other TV stations?

Mr. Huang, the owner of RTV, called Liu Jiale and said, "Mr. Liu, congratulations! We're colleagues now. If you have any good scripts, don't keep them to yourself."

What Mr. Huang is most proud of is that he paid a high price to acquire the copyright of the Ghost Blows Out the Light TV series. At the time, many people laughed at him, but from the moment it started airing, many people praised him.

This one TV series threw TVB into disarray.

"Mr. Huang, you're too kind. Our TV station is the younger generation, and we should learn from you, our senior!" Liu Jiale knew how to be polite and flattered the other person.

"Sigh, now that Uncle San has his own TV station, we'll probably have a hard time getting good scripts!" Boss Huang sighed again.

“Huang Sheng is mistaken. Our boss probably won’t be writing articles himself anymore; he has other businesses.” Liu Jiale knew, of course, that Li Song wouldn’t have time to continue writing articles, but Li Song could continue to teach others how to write.

The magazine's new novel, featuring a special forces soldier who travels back in time to the Chongzhen Emperor, has received a lot of criticism, but it's also quite popular.

The new issue of the magazine has only been out for two days, and already many people have been calling to inquire about the novel.

Moreover, this is also a new direction for writing.

Some editors at the magazine are already considering traveling back to the Three Kingdoms period.

After all, the Three Kingdoms period was more widely accepted abroad than the Ming Dynasty.

Mr. Huang was pleased to hear this, but also somewhat disappointed, because he feared it would be difficult to replicate the success of Ghost Blows Out the Light!
"Mr. Liu, I have never had the chance to pay my respects to my third uncle. I wonder when he will be free?"

“Our two television stations will need to cooperate closely in the future, after all, TVB has such a strong foundation,” Mr. Huang added.

Liu Jiale certainly understood what the owner of RTV meant: the two companies should join forces!
Furthermore, Liu Jiale also knew that Li Song's TV station mainly produced variety shows and music, and he probably wouldn't be involved in many TV dramas.

Therefore, there shouldn't be much intense competition between them.

After obtaining the television station license, Liu Jiale is preparing to apply for a patent for the variety show format of "The Voice of China," which can be patented internationally.

Previously, because they hadn't obtained the television station license, Liu Jiale didn't dare show anyone what Li Song had shown them.

“Our boss is away on a business trip again. When he comes back, I will definitely tell Mr. Huang that I believe our two TV stations have a very good foundation for cooperation!”

"Also, Mr. Huang, you might want to take a look at one of our newly published novels. We've already received quite a few calls about it in just two days!" Liu Jiale promoted the newly published novel to the other party. "Then I'll look forward to good news!" Mr. Huang was delighted to hear this, because Liu Jiale's words implied that the two companies could cooperate in the future.

Mr. Shao, the owner of TVB, did not call Liu Jiale.

The relationship between TVB and Wonderful Magazine is somewhat delicate.

The copyright for the Ghost Blows Out the Light TV series was lost because of Mr. Shao's stinginess.

The film adaptation of "Treasure Hunt: Temple Run" has once again fallen through due to Mr. Shaw's stinginess.

Mr. Shao also regretted it a bit. If he had known that Li Song had connections in Hollywood, he would have spent a lot of money to acquire him.

Who would have thought that Li Song, at such a young age, would be friends with big Hollywood producers and directors!
Whether this film by Golden Harvest will make a profit or a loss remains to be seen.

However, it already has a well-known reputation in Hong Kong.

Therefore, Boss Shao felt that he and Li Song were somewhat incompatible.

However, Mr. Shao was not optimistic about Li Song starting a television station.

Because a television station cannot be established simply by having money.

Look at how many TVB dramas they've produced over the years, but so what? They still went bankrupt last year.

There are many divisions of labor within a television station; take a TV series as an example.

From screenwriter to cinematographer, then to director, and finally to actor.

With so many people involved in making a film, if any step goes wrong, problems will arise.

Although Wonder Magazine has obtained a television station license, it has no staff.

Therefore, Mr. Shao demanded that his artists re-sign high-value breach of contract contracts.

This is used to restrict the artists under their management.

When ATV heard that Mr. Shao had done this, they also quietly renegotiated contracts with their artists.

However, Liu Jiale soon received the news that Wang Jing had complained to him: "Mr. Liu, Boss Shao is really something. He wants us to sign a new contract again, sets a high penalty for breach of contract, and doesn't give us any promises."

Upon hearing this news, Lau Ka-lok knew what TVB was up to.

So he asked with a smile, "Would you be interested in coming to our TV station, Xiao Wang?"

Wang Jing was somewhat surprised to hear this, but then immediately understood: "Mr. Liu, you've obtained a television station license?"

"Yes, Boss Shao is well-informed. We just got the TV show filming done, and he's about to sign contracts with you guys, stipulating hefty penalties for breach of contract!"

"We just don't want you to come and film for our TV station."

"Boss Shao's move was indeed brilliant." Liu Jiale praised him on the surface, but he didn't really take him seriously.

Because Liu Jiale has seen a new path.

If animated films can be co-produced with mainland China, why can't TV dramas?
Our own TV station doesn't have directors, producers, or cameramen right now, but they do in mainland China.

As for artists, I can take this opportunity to poach some of them and also cultivate my own.

If TVB can run artist training classes, why can't we run our own?
"Great, great!" Wang Jing was very happy about Liu Jiale's invitation.

So he immediately accepted the invitation.

Wang Jing knew that even though he had signed a contract with TVB, he was still a junior, because there were so many other directors.

The more crucial reason is that his father works at TVB, and he went to another TV station. Isn't that better? No matter which TV station does well, it won't affect his family.

"Xiao Wang, if you come to our TV station, I can't guarantee anything else, but you'll get at least one movie a year, and each movie will have an investment of no less than one million."

"But there's something you can do before you come. Boss Shao's contract requires a hefty penalty for breach of contract, so you should demand a raise!"

"If Boss Shao doesn't give you a raise, then you can leave. That way, you won't seem heartless!" Liu Jiale gave Wang Jing another bad idea.

If one person asks for a raise, then everyone else will definitely ask for a raise as well.

"Anyway, our TV station is planning to give a raise!" Liu Jiale knew that since he would still manage the TV station himself, he only needed to bring up the matter of a raise, and Li Song shouldn't object!

"Okay, I'll think about it and then!" Wang Jing wasn't stupid; he knew the consequences of his demand for a raise as soon as he heard that.

"OK then!"

After hanging up the phone, Liu Jiale decided to set fire to the two TV stations.

So they placed a job advertisement in the Xinwanbao newspaper, a job advertisement for a TV station. Qimiao Magazine had obtained a TV license and was preparing to set up a TV station. Experienced employees would all receive a raise upon joining, but the amount of the raise would be negotiable.

In fact, Liu Jiale underestimated the speed at which information spreads within the industry.

The Hong Kong Island Television network is both a large and a small industry.

When Boss Shao suddenly wanted to change the penalty for breach of contract, it naturally aroused suspicion among some people, who then inquired about the matter everywhere.

Some people know people in the TV station's approval department, and they can find out the answer with a little inquiry.

Wang Jing also discussed it with his father and decided that he would go to the newly established TV station of Qimiao Magazine.

Because it was a startup there and didn't have many directors, I had to follow seniority at Shaw Brothers.

If I went to the newly established TV station of the magazine, then I would be a veteran.

Wang Jing himself wasn't enough; he also had to bring along some staff members because he couldn't direct a film alone. He needed actors, photographers, lighting technicians, prop masters, and stuntmen.

Once everyone is in order, I can get to work right there.

So the news naturally spread, and by the time it was published in the newspaper the next morning, many people in the circle knew about it.

A group of employees at TVB first demanded a pay raise before signing new contracts.

Most of this group are looking to switch jobs!

Because in a company, there are always some bosses who like to give important positions to others, and there are always some bosses who don't value them as much.

People like those at Shaw Brothers Studio also demanded renegotiated contracts, specifying a minimum number of films to be produced each year.

But how could Boss Shao possibly sign such a contract?

The two sides reached a stalemate.

Seeing that the two sides were deadlocked, Liu Jiale published a commentary in the New Evening Post, criticizing some bosses for only exploiting their employees without giving them feedback.

They also stated that risk and reward are directly proportional, with one earning a few thousand Hong Kong dollars a month while owing tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in breach of contract penalties.

There are also people who can't make many films a year and don't earn much money, yet they sign contracts with high penalty clauses for breach of contract.

This is a slave contract!

This is the behavior of slave owners!

Liu Jiale personally intervened because he knew that if the stalemate continued, the artists would still be helpless.

Because artists need to pay rent, eat, and have families who are always waiting for money, while capitalists don't.

Ultimately, the artist had no choice but to compromise.

This is why strikes in the West often lead to compromises later on.

This is because employees are naturally in a weaker position when facing their boss!
As soon as Liu Jiale stepped off the stage, the owner of Golden Harvest immediately followed suit. Golden Harvest had also signed Ah Long for a high price back then.

Ah Lung was also an artist under Shaw Brothers back then, but because he was too stingy, he signed with Golden Harvest at a high price.

Mr. Shao's side was not to be outdone, stating that his company's contracts with the artists were none of anyone else's concern.

Furthermore, it was said that obtaining a television station license does not guarantee the ability to operate a television station; Jiayi is a prime example!
It also made the artists think clearly that it would be better to stay at TVB than to go to a TV station that was destined to go bankrupt.

Meanwhile, Liu Jiale was contacting Li Song because so many people were contacting him, and there were many issues involved, as some people still had contracts and others were discussing salary issues.

Although the TV station makes its own decisions, it still needs to consult with the boss.

(End of this chapter)