Hong Kong Film Intelligence King

Chapter 227 Gu Xiaoyu Asks for Help

In the past few days, Gu Xiaoyu from Hong'an has been going to Qiankun Film and Television Company quite often.

The chubby boy laughed:
"The big star is here again!"

Wang Jingjing wouldn't have dared to tease Gu Xiaoyu like that, after all, he was the third young master of Hong'an. According to Dao Ge, Gu Shouzhong had already designated him as the next leader of Hong'an.

That's a real underworld boss.

Regardless of how big or small Hong An is, to the chubby boy, he is an absolute big shot.

Usually, the chubby guy would avoid such a big shot.

But who can blame him when he's now Qiankun Film & Television's first signed director?
With Hung Hing's patronage, the chubby guy found himself popular wherever he went, and even some well-known underworld figures treated him with great respect.

Directors are the best at understanding people's hearts, and he immediately realized—the big tree I'm backing seems to be something special.

In addition, Gu Xiaoyu is now a real big star.

The release of "The Emperor's Disciple" raked in five million dollars at the box office in just one weekend, which simply stunned the Hong Kong film industry.

Gu Xiaoyu and Liang Zhenbang were incredibly popular; they were true superstars.

"Ah Jing," Gu Xiaoyu greeted with a smile, "Is Brother Dao here?"

The chubby boy laughed:
"You've come at the right time, Brother Dao is here."

“He’s been very busy lately, going to Mount Wutai all the time.”

Wang Dao is genuinely busy. At the celebration party for "Chasing Girls," the question he asked Uncle Six wasn't meant to tease him. His manners aren't that low.

Wang Dao genuinely wants to buy ATV.

As someone who's been through it all, I understand the importance of promotion.

In this day and age, the media is the easiest way to clear one's name.

Television is the best, followed by newspapers, and then magazines.

This has led to a situation where many people who want to find him often can't find him at the company.

Gu Xiaoyu is a case in point; he has already made the trip back and forth several times.

"Ah Jing, thanks." Gu Xiaoyu strode towards Wang Dao's office. "I'll treat you to dinner later."

Wang Dao couldn't help but smile as he looked at Gu Xiaoyu, who was panting heavily.

"Agu, you clearly have my phone number, you can just call me."

"I've heard you've come several times already."

Gu Xiaoyu caught her breath and said seriously:

"I have something to ask Brother Dao."

Wang Dao raised his eyebrows.

Many people call him "Brother Dao," but most of those calls come from his own club members.

After all, he was the right-hand man of Brother Kun and the White Paper Fan of the triad; his status and position were evident, so it was normal for him to call him "brother."

Occasionally, guys like Han Bin would also call themselves "Brother Dao," which was a bit of a joke.

It's unusual for someone like Gu Xiaoyu to call herself "Brother Dao".

He's the designated Crown Prince of Hong'an, and he's older than me. We get along well, so why is he suddenly calling me "brother"? Something's fishy!

"Come on, no rush to talk business, have a cup of tea to calm down." Wang Dao gently pushed her, and Gu Xiaoyu didn't stand on ceremony, taking the cup and gulping it down.

Wang Dao rolled his eyes:
"You're just wasting my pre-Qingming Longjing tea. Next time, I'll just give you coffee instead."

Gu Xiaoyu was stunned:
"I'll bring you a few pounds when I go back to my hometown!"

Wang Dao clapped his hands and said:
“That’s fine. I only want Longjing tea from Shifeng Longjing Village. I don’t want Longjing tea from other places.”

Gu Xiaoyu nodded repeatedly:
"no problem."

After calming down for a while, Gu Xiaoyu asked:

"Brother Dao, are you the head of your marketing department?"

Wang Dao laughed and said:

"This is an open secret in the company. What, do you want to learn from this experience?"

Gu Xiaoyu said with embarrassment:

"Our family's movie theater has just started construction, and it won't be finished until next year."

That's not what I meant.

He leaned forward, his eyes becoming fervent.

"Brother Dao, you were the one who spearheaded the box office predictions for these two movies, right?"

Wang Dao asked in bewilderment:
"Does your Gu family also want to enter the film and television industry?"

"Qiankun Film and Television Company's achievements aren't that amazing, are they?"

Gu Xiaoyu quickly waved her hand:
"No, Hong An has no intention of entering the film and television industry."

He simply said it directly.
"Brother Dao, I want to ask you something. How should Hong An go about transforming his career?"

Wang Dao looked at Gu Xiaoyu in surprise:
"Hong'an's transformation?"

"Is this Uncle Zhong's idea?"

Gu Xiaoyu smiled wryly:

"My thoughts."

He explained,

"I made 'The Emperor's Disciple,' but I didn't feel anything while I was filming it. It was only after watching it with my wife that I suddenly had this idea."

"Thanks to Brother Kun, we escaped Long Fei's schemes and tricks."

"But who knows if there will be guys like Xia Fei or Feng Fei next time?"

"I have almost no recollection of people who run organizations and die peacefully."

“I don’t want my family to end up like in the movies, where my father is forced to flee, my eldest brother dies tragically, my second brother is paralyzed from the waist down and spends his whole life in a hospital bed, and my youngest brother is consumed by regret…”

Wang Dao praised:
"No wonder Uncle Zhong chose you to be the leader; you didn't mention your own ending in the movie."

Gu Xiaoyu said bluntly:

"I'll accept whatever the outcome once I've embarked on this path; there's no other way."

"Of course, who wouldn't want a happy ending?"

Looking at Gu Xiaoyu, Wang Dao was quite surprised:

"If you want to change your career path, why are you asking me for advice?"

This is something Wang Dao finds particularly difficult to understand.

“Since completing his studies, Brother Kun has adopted a rather unique way of managing the gang,” Gu Xiaoyu said seriously. “Recently, Brother Kun has been able to turn the tide at will. In just a few days, he has taken over a quarter of the territory in Yau Tsim Mong. Apart from Bearded Yung of the Yi Tzu Tsui gang, there is no other gang in Mong Kok that can rival Brother Kun.”

“Kwan Gor even took over half of Portland Street in Yau Ma Tei. This is a feat that no one has ever accomplished before.”

“I think Brother Kun is undergoing a transformation, and Brother Dao, as Brother Kun’s right-hand man, should know this very well.” Gu Xiaoyu had clearly done a lot of research.

Wang Dao frowned and said:
"You should actually talk to Uncle Chung about the club's transformation, why are you coming to me?"

It's called a transformation, but it's really just a whitewashing.

“My father is getting old, and the transformation of the gang will take a lot of energy. Besides, not all the uncles in the gang may agree.”

Gu Xiaoyu slowly explained, "As for why I wanted to find Brother Dao... it's simply because your prediction was incredibly accurate."

“That’s not a reason,” Wang Dao said with a smile and shook his head. “You should know that I just predicted the box office more accurately.”

Gu Xiaoyu suddenly became somewhat uneasy. Wang Dao noticed his expression and was taken aback. An unbelievable idea popped into his mind.

"You didn't investigate me, did you?"

Gu Xiaoyu quickly stood up and apologized:

"Brother Dao, I didn't investigate you. I just chatted with Brother Kun and Jiang Sheng."

"They speak very highly of you, Daoge."

"The person with the white paper fan lives up to their name."

Seeing his flustered look, Wang Dao waved his hand in a gesture of comfort:

"Why are you so nervous? It's nothing."

“Kun-ge and Jiang-sheng both speak highly of Dao-ge. I think we're about the same age, so Dao-ge should be able to understand my predicament,” Gu Xiaoyu said.

Wang Dao asked him to sit down:

"Transforming a student organization can be difficult in some ways, but it can also be easy in others."

"That's wonderful, please enlighten me, Brother Dao." Gu Xiaoyu was overjoyed, not expecting Wang Dao to actually say it.

This was completely beyond his expectations; he had thought he would have to make five or six trips to learn the method from Wang Dao.

"Don't get too excited yet." Wang Dao, seeing Gu Xiaoyu's excited expression, gave him a heads-up. "If you want to transform the gang, you must first be the one in charge. Without power, what good will it do even if you want to transform it?"

Gu Xiaoyu was also very open and honest:
"My father, eldest brother, and second brother have all spoken to me. If nothing unexpected happens, I will inherit my father's position."

He touched his hair, looking quite troubled.

"In my opinion, it's best to leave the leadership to the eldest or second eldest brother, and I'll just help them with their tasks."

"But now, it seems impossible at all."

"I'll have to be the one to make the decision," Wang Dao said, feeling a pang of emotion.

"Many of us who are out in the world aim to become the person in charge in our lives."

“Like Binni of Hetu, he was the most popular candidate in every election, and everyone recognized him as the next leader of Hetu.”

"The result is always that he dies from the extreme heat."

"Han Bin eventually saw through the filth of the Hetu election and, disheartened, switched sides to Hung Hing."

"The group also fell apart because of Binni's departure."

"There are few peaceful handovers like the one in Hong'an."

"The dragon head is in the Three Killings position, so it's not easy to do."

“I know,” Gu Xiaoyu said calmly. “But since my family chose me, I have to take responsibility. After all, all the money I’ve used to grow up has been earned by my dad from the gang.”

Wang Dao looked at Gu Xiaoyu in surprise; she was quite frank.

Unlike the others who tried to argue, he readily admitted that he had indeed benefited from Hong An's status as the third young master, which was truly endearing.

"It's good that you're aware of this."

Gu Xiaoyu didn't want to discuss his problems; in his view, they weren't even worth discussing.

"Brother Dao, the position of leader of Hong'an can only be mine, so what should I do?"

Hong An was a family-run business. In fact, Hong Xing, Hong An, Hong Fu, and the now-vanished Hong Yi were all family-run businesses. The rule was passed down from father to son, from elder brother to younger brother, unless all the male members of the founding family died out or they passed away, in which case the leadership would fall into the hands of someone else.

In contrast, those with the prefix "和" used elections as their method.

However, once money is involved, things completely change.

He Liansheng was controlled by Deng Bo, and He Xingsheng was controlled by Shen Ye. In other words, He Yisheng and Fei Xiang were not controlled by him, but were handed over to Nan Ge.

In essence, they are all the same thing.

“There are several types of transformation. Is it a complete transformation or just a transformation of your family?” Wang Dao pointed out the key point. “If it is a family transformation, it is simple and easy to operate.”

"It's simply a matter of selecting a suitable person from the organization, training him to become the next leader, and then you immigrants can retire gracefully."

"I'm afraid that won't work." Gu Xiaoyu thought it over carefully and finally shook her head. "If our family withdraws, what about our old brothers?"

Looking at Wang Dao, Gu Xiaoyu remained frank: "We're all involved in gangs, and the older brothers have more or less taken control of certain things in our organization. Wanting to retire peacefully is simply unrealistic."

"No one can guarantee that they won't sell us out."

“I do not doubt their loyalty, however, in certain high-pressure situations, loyalty is almost non-existent.”

"We want to take the initiative."

Wang Dao nodded slowly. Gu Xiaoyu's words were straightforward, insightful, and realistic.

Leung Kwan's catchphrase is that making money is the most important thing in life. When there are enough benefits, there is no room for loyalty.

Loyalty is an absolute luxury.

“If we’re going to transform, then we’ll transform the club along with us.” Gu Xiaoyu clasped her hands together and said earnestly, “Please give me a method, Brother Dao.”

"You really think highly of me," Wang Daozhi shook his head.

Gu Xiaoyu appeared particularly serious: "I trust Brother Kun and Mr. Jiang's judgment."

"Neither Brother Kun nor Jiang Sheng said I would definitely provide a solution, right?" Wang Dao complained. "However, it's not like there's no way."

Wang Dao took out a Marlboro and tossed one to Gu Xiaoyu, who quickly lit it for him.

"Now I'm going to ask you a serious question: Is your Gu family willing to give up Hong An?"

"This..." Gu Xiaoyu fell silent for a long time before finally saying, "I can't bear to part with it."

Gu Xiaoyu explained:

"People like us are used to the ways of the underworld, and we are used to having a force at our disposal. Without such a force, we would feel insecure."

Snapped!
“I understand your concerns,” Wang Dao said with a smile. “Then it’s simple.”

"Brother Dao, do you have a solution?" Gu Xiaoyu asked in surprise.

Wang Dao raised his finger and said:

"Two million, and I'll design a program for you."

He looked at Gu Xiaoyu, about to speak, then waved his hand and said...
"Don't rush. I suggest you go back and discuss it with Uncle Zhong before coming to see me."

"It's settled. Bring two million, and I'll hand this over to you and take responsibility for explaining everything clearly."

"If you are not satisfied with my proposal, you can refuse the deal."

Wang Dao looked at Gu Xiaoyu with a half-smile.
"You don't want to owe me a favor without paying, do you?"

Gu Xiaoyu felt a chill run down his spine. He suddenly remembered a scene from "The Emperor's Disciple": Ahe's wife was captured by Lin Sen, and he wanted to rescue her. In his desperation, he sought out Long Fei and said that if he could come up with a solution, he would owe Long Fei a favor.

Then Long Fei retracted his favor, and Ahe lost his life.

Gu Xiaoyu immediately understood the meaning of Wang Dao's words and quickly expressed her opinion:
"Don't worry, Brother Dao, I'll go back and discuss it with Dad right now, and I'll give you an answer tonight."

"There's no need to rush," Wang Dao said with a smile, waving his hand. "I'll give you three days. If you don't get a reply in three days, you don't need to tell me. I'll just pretend it never happened."

Upon hearing this, Gu Xiaoyu quickly replied, "I will definitely give you an answer."

Having said that, Gu Xiaoyu stood up and said,

"I won't bother you any longer, Brother Dao. Goodbye."

Wang Dao smiled and saw him out, then turned and went to Liang Kun's office.

"Gu Xiaoyu came to see you? What urgent matter does he have that he's brought several times?" Liang Kun asked casually.

Wang Dao then recounted the whole story to Liang Kun:
“Gu Xiaoyu is quite a clever person,” Liang Kun remarked. “I didn’t see through him at his age.”

“What are you comparing Kun and Agu to?” Wang Dao rolled his eyes. “Agu is the third young master of Hong An. To us scoundrels, he was born at the top of the underworld. He has seen a lot and his considerations are definitely different from ours.”

Handsome Kun nodded slowly:

"That makes sense."

After looking at Wang Dao, Liang Kun was very curious:

"Do you really have any idea?"

Wang Dao shrugged:

"Yes, I have!"

"The Gu family doesn't want to transform the gang along with them; they actually want to maintain control over it."

"This operation is too simple; it only requires a few steps."

"There's absolutely no difficulty involved."

"As expected of you, Ah Dao," Liang Kun said without even asking about the specific measures, directly affirming, "Is the Gu family's transformation the same path as ours?"

“No, that’s not it,” Wang Dao said bluntly. “Our transformation is a transformation we’re taking with us. We’re going to become real rich people.”

"The transformation of the Gu family is merely a superficial whitewashing; the two are completely different in difficulty."

"So, the Gu family isn't on our side?" Liang Kun lost interest in asking any further questions after hearing this.

Wang Dao was utterly speechless.

"Brother Kun, do you think the Gu family doesn't want to transform the family along with its brothers?"

"It's not that they're unwilling, it's that they're completely unable to do it."

"To transform the business with my brothers, the first thing we need is a lot of capital."

"There are also jobs that can accommodate tens of thousands of people."

"Otherwise, what will happen to the brothers if they don't have jobs?"

“Agu is good, but even a skilled cook can't cook without rice. He doesn't have the financial resources, and even if he had the will, he doesn't have the strength.”

“Even if we force our brothers to transform, if there aren’t enough jobs, or if we can’t support them, we are very likely to suffer a backlash.”

“I understand,” Liang Kun’s eyes flashed with a sharp light. “There is only one way to settle so many people: start a business.”

"Only factories and companies can accommodate so many people."

Wang Dao shrugged.

Liang Kun suddenly remembered something:
"Tomorrow is another day for the clubs to hand over their accounts. Do you really recommend handing over the ownership of Portland Street to the corporation?"

"That's a huge income."

Wang Dao looked at Liang Kun with confusion:

"Brother Kun, are you feeling sorry for him?"

“Go away, what do I have to feel sorry for?” Leung Kwan laughed and scolded. “Po Lan Street is an important stronghold in Yau Ma Tei. In theory, it should be watching out for us and helping each other.”

"But what if some guy who doesn't get along with us suddenly appears..."

"A guy who doesn't get along with us?" Wang Dao looked at Liang Kun with amusement. "As long as he's not an idiot, he'll definitely get along with us."

Handsome Kun pressed on, asking:
"What if he's determined to go against us?"

Wang Dao coldly snorted:
"The Righteousness Group isn't completely wiped out, and He Xingsheng won't retaliate? Or there are other groups; there will always be those who harbor resentment towards us."

"By then, what's so impossible about the Portland Street branch disappearing?"

The two looked at each other and burst into laughter!

Want to take over Mong Kok? Dream on!
(End of this chapter)