Hong Kong films: From street thugs to Hong Kong financial tycoons

The sunlight in Tsim Sha Tsui was blinding.

Downstairs at Tianqiang Entertainment Company, pedestrians on the sidewalk had already kept their distance, watching the shocking scene before them with expressions of horror and awe.

"Whoosh!"

Fifty men in suits, dressed in Armani haute couture black suits and wearing tactical sunglasses, parted to the sides in perfect unison.

Just like Moses parting the sea, a vacuum passage was forcibly carved out on this bustling street, absolutely forbidden to ordinary people.

"Da, da, da."

Lin Yao walked out with his hands in the pockets of his casual trousers and chewing bubble gum casually.

Half a step behind him, Qiu Shuyi, who had just escaped the den of iniquity, was now clutching the hem of Lin Yao's suit like a frightened Persian cat.

Those big, watery eyes were filled with shock, confusion, and a strong, fervent desire to cling to this golden leg even at the cost of death.

Nonsense, how could he not be a fanatic? Just now in the office, Xiang Tianqiang, the triad boss who scared all the minor celebrities in Tsim Sha Tsui so much that they couldn't sleep at night, was like a lapdog wagging its tail in front of this young man.

Twenty million yuan in cash, packed in sacks, was smashed without warning; they even arrogantly threatened to kill Xiang Tianqiang's entire family.

This is an ultimate display of wealth and power that even movie productions wouldn't dare to depict!

"Boss, the car is ready."

Like an elegant British gentleman, the dog opened the door of the bulletproof luxury car and professionally placed one hand on the roof.

"Go up there, my money tree."

Lin Yao turned his head and smiled kindly at Qiu Shuyi.

Overwhelmed with gratitude, Chingmy Yau climbed into the back seat of the outrageously luxurious car. As soon as she sat down, Sister Thirteen strode in and slammed the door shut.

"Gulp."

Looking at Thirteen Sister's cold face, Qiu Shuyi nervously swallowed. She had personally witnessed this big sister carrying two sacks full of 20 million in cash with one hand without even breaking a sweat. She was definitely a terrifying existence at the level of a female assassin!

"What are you looking at? Haven't you ever seen a beautiful woman before?"

Thirteen Sister narcissistically smoothed her short hair, then gossiped and leaned close to Lin Yao, whispering and winking as she said:

"Ah Yao, you've really ripped off this deal. You spent 20 million just to be a hero and save a damsel in distress. Do you even know that 20 million could buy you all the top female dancers in Hong Kong for a whole month?"

"Sis, I've already told you, your vision isn't even as big as the sewer drain of your solid gold toilet."

Lin Yao leaned back lazily in the leather seat, casually took out an expensive bottle of Evian mineral water from the car refrigerator, unscrewed it, and handed it to Qiu Shuyi, who was still shivering.

"Take a sip of water to calm your nerves. From today onwards, you are the number one female artist signed to Yaosheng Pictures. Your base salary starts at one million, with additional pay for filming, and year-end bonuses. As for the penalty for breach of contract..."

Lin Yao chewed on his bubble gum, a domineering and arrogant smile curving his lips: "The penalty for breach of contract is zero."

"What?!"

Chingmy Yau's hand holding the mineral water bottle suddenly trembled, and she didn't even notice the water spilling onto her skirt. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Mr. Lin... Mr. Lin, you're not kidding, are you? A base salary of one million, with no penalty for breach of contract, what are you after?"

In the ruthless and cutthroat world of Hong Kong's entertainment industry, there are no capitalists who do charity. When others sign newcomers, they sign contracts that start at ten years, with a base salary of only a few thousand dollars, which is incredibly stingy.

This guy offered a million-dollar base salary and didn't even ask for a penalty for breach of contract. Could it be... that he's after her body?

Thinking of this, Qiu Shuyi's pretty face flushed slightly, and she bit her lower lip involuntarily. If it were this incredibly handsome and incredibly wealthy boss, it might not be so bad!

Just as Chingmy Yau was having a crazy little drama playing out in her mind about a domineering CEO falling in love with her.

"What's the point?"

Lin Yao glanced at her with disdain.

"I'm after you because you can earn me 10 billion in the future. With your face, your figure, and your unparalleled, pure yet alluring charm, you're a terrifying human money-printing machine!"

Lin Yao pointed to the driver in front: "Go to Clearwater Bay, Shaw Brothers Studio headquarters."

Then he turned to look at Thirteen Sister and Chingmy Yau, his eyes flashing with a cold and profound capitalist glint.

"Now we have the Shengshi Cinemas super sales terminal, the Starlight Building hardware base, Lin Zheng's reliable production team, and now a top-notch diva as a cash cow..."

"But that's not enough."

Lin Yao knocked on the car window.

"Lin Zheng is good at making zombie movies. Although they're profitable, the output is too low. I have over 30 billion in cash flow. If I only make one movie a month, what's the difference between that 30 billion sitting in the account, gathering dust, and a pile of waste paper?"

"So, today we're going to Shaw Brothers Studio to buy some films. I'm going to wholesale a few genius filmmakers who are shameless, willing to churn out terrible movies for money, but who can still make them box office hits!"

……

2 PM, Clearwater Bay, Shaw Brothers Studio.

As an absolute behemoth that dominated the Hong Kong film industry for decades, Shaw Brothers was actually in a rather awkward period of contraction in 87.

The big boss has shifted his focus entirely to the television industry, resulting in a severe downturn in film studios. Many once-famous directors, screenwriters, and actors are now idle, with no work to do and just waiting to die.

It was on such a dreary afternoon.

"squeak--!!!"

Lin Yao's luxury convoy drove rudely into the gates of Shaw Brothers Studio, so much so that even the security guards at the gate were too frightened to stop it.

As soon as Lin Yao and his men got out of the car, they heard a heated argument coming from an office building not far away.

"Wang Sanri, are you fucking greedy for money?"

A well-dressed Shaw Brothers executive was pointing at a young director in his early thirties, who was as fat as a ball and wore black-rimmed glasses, and cursing him.

"Look at this garbage script you wrote, 'The Romancing Star,' it's full of scatological nonsense, has absolutely no artistic merit, and you still want to invest two million?"

"We at Shaw Brothers are the face of Hong Kong cinema, how could we possibly make such a vulgar and terrible film!"

The executive angrily threw a thick stack of scripts at the fat director's face.

The fat director, known as Wang Sanri, was now awkwardly bending down to pick up the scripts scattered all over the floor, but there was no shame on his fat face. Instead, it shone with a stubborn, shrewd light.

"Mr. Li, can art put food on the table?"

Wang Sanri waved his short, thick arms excitedly.

"Audiences today are under so much pressure. They go to the movies to laugh and relax."

"My script may be cliché, but I'm willing to stake my 200-pound weight on it all: with a budget of just two million, I can finish filming this movie in seven days, and it'll definitely rake in over ten million at the box office!"

"Ten million? You're dreaming! Get out of here! Take your garbage script and get out of Shaw Brothers! We at Shaw Brothers don't keep trash like you who insult the art of film!"

The executive waved his hand impatiently, as if shooing away flies.

Wang Sanri clutched the script tightly, his eyes red-rimmed. He knew his work was tacky, but that was what catered to the market.

He didn't want to make any award-winning art films; he just wanted to make money. But now, in this film industry where seniority matters, nobody was willing to invest in this fat guy!

Just as Wang Sanri was feeling disheartened and preparing to take his script to Victoria Harbour to enjoy the sea breeze,

"Da, da, da."

With crisp footsteps approaching, Lin Yao, hands in his pockets and accompanied by a formidable entourage of bodyguards, strolled leisurely to the center of the corridor.

He bent down slightly, casually picked up a page of the script that had just been scattered on the ground, and glanced at the lines on it.

Yes, it's vulgar, lowbrow, and nonsensical, but this is the invincible business secret to sweeping Hong Kong's box office in the future!

"Your name is Wang Sanri?"

Lin Yao, holding the script page, raised an eyebrow and looked at the fat man in front of him, who was covered in sweat.

[Ding! Host has encountered a special talent!]

[Target: Wang Sanri (Nicknames: King of Bad Movies, Business Genius)]

[Hidden Attributes: Unbeatable shooting speed, keen business acumen; given sufficient funding, he can churn out more than ten box office hits for you within a year—a rare and highly efficient money-printing machine!]

Upon hearing the system's notification, Lin Yao's smile instantly turned into that of a capitalist's wicked humor. It was like going to the market to buy cabbage, only to have the vegetable vendor give you a thousand-year-old ginseng root for free.

"I...I am...who are you?"

Looking at the young man in front of him, surrounded by men in black, who was even more handsome and had a powerful aura than the superstars on TV, Wang Sanri nervously swallowed.

Who I am is not important.

Lin Yao lazily flicked the page of the script, then looked at the Shaw Brothers executive and gave a contemptuous sneer.

"The important thing is that I think your Shaw Brothers might be a little crazy. Why not use such a great business genius instead of making those art films that even dogs wouldn't watch?"

"Who the hell do you think you are, daring to cause trouble on Shaw Brothers' turf?"

The executive immediately flew into a rage and pointed at Lin Yao's nose, ready to start cursing.

"Snap!"

Without Lin Yao even needing to speak, Sang Gou glided forward with a smooth step, grabbed the executive's fingers, and brutally twisted them backward.

"Aaaaaah!!!"

With a piercing, pig-like scream, the executive knelt on the ground, cold sweat pouring down his face.

"When the boss is speaking, you are not allowed to point at him; that's basic politeness."

The dog, wearing sunglasses, straightened his suit with a gentlemanly air.

Wang Sanri was so frightened that his whole body trembled, and he subconsciously hugged the script in his arms tightly. Was this some kind of gangster messing around?

Lin Yao ignored the groaning executive on the ground, walked directly to Wang Sanri, and slowly took out the Montblanc checkbook from the inside pocket of his suit.

"Swish, swish, swish."

With a flourish of his pen, Lin Yao tore off a check and slapped it onto Wang Sanri's greasy, chubby face.

"You just said this film needs a two million investment, right?"

Lin Yao chewed his bubble gum, his voice like a devil's whisper, "Here is a check for ten million in cash."

"boom--!"

Wang Sanri stared at the long string of zeros on the check, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. His breath caught in his throat, and he stood frozen in place as if struck by lightning.

He only wanted two million out of ten million, and this living bodhisattva gave him five times that amount?

"Didn't you say it would take seven days to film?"

Lin Yao approached Wang Sanri domineeringly, his eyes flashing with the madness and oppressive power of capital.

"I'll give you another million as a bonus. My request is that you finish filming 'The Romancing Star' within five days. You can choose any actor you want, and you can throw money at any star in Hong Kong."

"As long as you can help me spend this boring money and earn more money, I'll take care of all your scripts from now on, no matter how bad or vulgar they are."

"My company, Yaosheng Capital, is your biggest financial backer in this lifetime!"

Wang Sanri trembled violently, clutching the ten million yuan check tightly, tears and snot streaming uncontrollably from his eyes.

What a kindred spirit! This is the real kindred spirit! Everyone else criticizes him for making trashy videos, but this super-rich tycoon not only approves of his trash but also spends ten million to buy it.

"thump!"

Wang Sanri's knees buckled, and she hugged Lin Yao's leg, crying like a 200-pound chubby girl.

"Boss, my sugar daddy, you're like a second parent to me!"

Wang Sanri roared excitedly.

"Don't worry, forget five days. As long as the funds are in place, I'll work day and night for three days straight, and I can finish this film for you. If I don't make any money, I'll cut off my two hundred pounds of fat and give it to you as a snack!"

"Alright, alright, wipe your snot clean, don't get my Armani dirty."

Lin Yao pulled his leg out with disgust. He turned his head and looked at Qiu Shuyi, who was standing to the side, completely dumbfounded. He waved to her in a friendly manner.

"Shuyi, come here."

Chingmy Yau stepped forward cautiously.

Lin Yao pointed domineeringly at Qiu Shuyi and issued an ultimatum to Wang Sanri: "She must be the female lead in this film. I want you to bring out her pure and alluring charm in this film."

"I want every man in Hong Kong to lose sleep over her after watching this movie!"

Wang Sanri looked up at Qiu Shuyi, and a professional yet lewd glint instantly flashed in his small, beady eyes.

"Absolutely top-notch! This is absolutely top-notch!"

Wang Sanri was so excited that he kept slapping his thigh.

"Boss, you have an excellent eye! That figure, that aura—she's a natural-born movie star! Don't worry, I'll revise the script right away tonight. I guarantee that once this movie is released, Ms. Qiu will be a sensation throughout Asia!"

"very good."

Lin Yao nodded in satisfaction, turned and walked towards the luxury car. Today's tedious task of purchasing goods was successfully completed.

The last two pieces of the entertainment empire's puzzle—a top-tier actress and the king of mass-produced bad movies—have been completely put back in place.

During this slow period of capital digestion, Lin Yao intends to demonstrate to those self-important old Hong Kong money families what true mass-production-driven dimensional reduction is all about in the real economy.

"Let's go back to the manor."

Lin Yao got into the car and closed his eyes comfortably. "Tonight I'm going to take a milk bath and see if Thirteen Sister's blindingly bright gold toilet is any good."

As the roar of the convoy faded into the distance, the entire Shaw Brothers Studio fell into a deathly silence, except for Wang Sanri, who stood there with the ten million dollar check, letting out a perverted, maniacal laugh.

An earthquake is about to begin in Hong Kong's entertainment industry.