Soul Returns to Hong Kong: From Tailor Shop to Richest Woman

After arranging two fountain pens and blank paper neatly on the coffee table, Lin Ying glanced at the wall clock, turned around, walked to the corner of the living room, and picked up the landline microphone that had just been installed.

Lin Ying dialed the number for Lin Kee Tailor Shop in Sai Wan.

"Mommy, it's me." Lin Ying immediately explained, "Uncle Su is coming to our new house with Su Cheng and Su Jun to discuss the next film. If you don't have any urgent work at the shop, come back first. It's not right for a business deal worth hundreds of millions to be arranged without an adult present to receive the guests."

Upon hearing this, Lin Lanying on the other end of the phone immediately put down the fabric she was holding: "You're right! No matter how smart you are, you're still a child. Mommy will close the shop and go home right now!"

Less than half an hour later, Lin Lanying burst through the gates of Taikoo Shing, carrying two large bags of things. "Aying, I just stopped by the market downstairs and bought half a roast goose, some live grouper, and some prawns. Since the owner is here, let's have them stay for dinner."

"Okay, thank you for your trouble, Mommy."

Lin Qian had just placed a plate of sliced ​​apples on the coffee table when the doorbell rang. Lin Ying went to open the door and pulled it open.

Su Zhihao stood outside the door, with Su Cheng and Su Jun almost buried in their belongings behind him. Su Jun was tightly clutching a brand-new game console and a women's backpack; Su Cheng was carrying an extravagantly packaged fruit basket; and Su Zhihao himself was carrying a box of roast goose from Sham Tseng in one hand and two large bags of Kowloon City braised dishes in the other.

The way the three of them were acting made them look more like they were there to propose marriage.

"Second Uncle, you're too kind," Lin Ying quickly invited him inside.

Su Zhihao lifted the braised sauce slightly, laughing nonchalantly, "I'm late, I detoured to buy something on the way and was delayed a bit. What's so polite about me bringing a gift for my editor? It's just a small token!"

Su Zhihao strode into the house, his eyes sweeping around the living room. He exclaimed sincerely, "Ah Ying, Lao Peng's new house is so spacious! It was worth the money!"

Su Jun squeezed through the door carrying the game console and said awkwardly, "Lin Ying, I spent a long time picking out this console. If you don't need it, you can..."

"Don't think about it anymore, put it down." Su Cheng slapped Su Jun on the back of the head and forcibly shoved the game console into the arms of Lin Qian, who was standing next to him with equally blank eyes.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Lin Lanying took the roast goose and braised meat and went into the kitchen. Lin Qian took Su Jun to the bedroom to play games and read comics, leaving only the people in the living room to discuss serious matters.

Lin Ying walked to the coffee table and sat down, her hand resting on a blank sheet of paper. She glanced at Su Cheng, who was sitting obediently opposite her, then looked at Su Zhihao: "Second Uncle, we're discussing the new development plan, which involves the later plot and business direction. Should we have these two children step aside?"

"No need." Su Zhihao waved his hand, took out a cigar from his pocket, thought for a moment, and then put it back. "I promised these two good-for-nothings a while ago that once I made money, I wouldn't rush to marry a stepmother, and even if I did, I would make sure they had a place in the family. But the condition was that they had to be in the top ten of their class in every exam. Now that the rules are set, they have to grow up; especially Su Cheng, he's getting older, he can't just keep studying and giving wrong medicine. From now on, he needs to experience society."

Su Cheng sat next to him, his ears slightly red, but he still maintained his composure.

Lin Ying took a pen and quickly wrote two lines on a piece of white paper, then pushed it in front of Su Zhihao.

"Second Uncle, the zombie comedy formula of 'Die in the Light' is already overdone; this time, we're going to start something new. There are four core elements: gangsters, brotherhood, gambling, and an ordinary guy becoming a gambling king."

Su Zhihao glanced at the words on the paper and straightened up.

"What do local and Southeast Asian audiences like to watch?" Lin Ying explained the plot. "They like to see the underdog rise up, they like to see the brotherhood in street fights, and they especially like the thrill of hundreds of thousands or millions of chips piled up on the gambling table. We write about a small character who is trampled underfoot, but in the end, he wins back all his wealth at the gambling table by using his brains, cheating, and courage, and drives the villain to the brink of despair."

"Awesome!" Su Zhihao slapped his thigh. "I know gangsters like the back of my hand! This plot sounds amazing! It's guaranteed to be a box office hit!"

Su Cheng, who was listening intently from the side, said, "So making movies is just like doing business; it's all about understanding people's hearts."

"However, if we want to really make this genre a big success, the local market won't work." Su Zhihao stroked his chin. "Gambling films definitely have a market in Southeast Asia and even further afield, but to build this line, I can't handle it with just my current setup. Boss Peng is indispensable."

Su Zhihao picked up the landline phone from the TV cabinet: "Old Peng, Taikoo City, Aying has new stock! If you don't come, you won't get a share of the big profits!"

Twenty minutes later, the doorbell of Taikoo Shing rang again.

Mr. Peng, dressed in a casual suit, carried two elegant bags filled with imported chocolates, cookies, and coffee beans. He smiled and handed the bags to Lin Lanying, who came out of the kitchen. After exchanging pleasantries, Mr. Peng sat down directly opposite Su Zhihao.

After listening to Lin Ying's retelling of the gambling movie about an ordinary person becoming a gambling king, Boss Peng lit a cigar and nodded with satisfaction: "This script is good. It will definitely be a hit. Su Lao Er's underworld experience combined with Xiao Lin's brains as a screenwriter, this is a money-making business."

After praising Boss Peng, he changed the subject, "But, screenwriter Xiao Lin..."

"This time I want to go big. My import/export lines and channels are mainly aimed at entering the real overseas European and American markets. Earning two or three million locally is the absolute maximum, but if one film becomes a hit overseas, that's ten times the profit! The Chinese gambling kings might not resonate with that. Do you have any themes in mind that directly target foreigners?"

Su Zhihao paused, wondering if Lao Peng had such a big appetite? Ten times the profit?

Lin Ying's fingers traced the pen. The European and American markets? The appetites of big capital are indeed different; a flood of memories of the globally popular IPs from her past life flashed through her mind. Lin Ying immediately wrote a line on the second sheet of paper.

"Boss Peng, what if we add some magic and special effects?" Lin Ying looked up. "Let's write a story about a Chinese sword cultivator, a cultivator from the Shu Mountain Sect, who goes to a Western magic academy as an exchange student."

Boss Peng immediately asked, "What exactly do you mean?"

"An Eastern cultivator, carrying talismans, a wooden sword, and array formations, suddenly barged into an ancient Western magic school filled with foreigners chanting spells and waving wands."

Lin Ying quickly sketched out the scene in language understandable in this era: "He doesn't understand their magic, and they look down on his martial arts. But when faced with a crisis, when Western black magic fails, the Eastern youth draws his sword and draws talismans, breaking the deadlock with a single strike. It blends the clash of Eastern and Western cultures, factional struggles within academia, and the contrast between magic and cultivation!"

This fantastical setting of East meets West was enough to break existing box office records in Hong Kong in the 1980s.

"Shoot this!!!" Boss Peng slapped the sofa armrest: "That's it! This kind of cultural clash and mystery is what foreigners love! This isn't just one movie, it's a treasure trove that can be made into several more!"

Boss Peng didn't give anyone a chance to interrupt, immediately deciding, "I won't hire a director from Hong Kong, I'll hire one from overseas! The vast majority of the film's exterior scenes will be shot in castles abroad! Only a few scenes will be filmed in the main characters' hometowns in Hong Kong!"

This means that the investment amount will reach tens of millions.

Just as Su Zhihao was about to speak, Boss Peng had already moved on to the equity negotiation stage.

"This project is extremely risky and requires a huge investment. I'll be the main investor and controller." Boss Peng stared at Su Zhihao and Lin Ying. "I want 60% of it."

Su Zhihao's face darkened. Last time, the Su family dominated the "Death by Light" incident, accounting for 50%. This time, Lao Peng took away 60% of the profits. Wouldn't he become a follower? Su Zhihao wanted to speak unhappily, but he swallowed his words.

Su Zhihao was a shrewd man of the underworld, well aware that he had no ability to extend his reach into Boss Peng's circle.

Ignoring Su Zhihao's dark expression, Boss Peng turned to Lin Ying: "Screenwriter Lin, your subject matter is excellent, its value is immeasurable. I'll give you 20% of the net profit."

Twenty percent! Lin Ying tapped the paper lightly with her fingertips. Twenty percent of a market capitalization of tens of millions was a rare technical investment ratio.

Boss Peng then turned his gaze back to Su Zhihao: "Brother Zhihao, let's be frank. When it comes to international projects like those in Europe and America, all the partners are overseas. I can easily find a local Hong Kong producer to bypass you and go it alone."

Su Cheng, listening nearby, felt a chill run down his spine. When his father encountered a project, the first person he thought of was Boss Peng. Boss Peng wanted to take all the profits for himself and kicked his father out, yet he was so self-righteous. This was the reality of business negotiations in society.

"But I'm a person who remembers favors." Boss Peng, with a cigar between his fingers, softened his tone, employing a mix of kindness and pressure. "We had a pleasant collaboration last time. I'll give you 20% of the profits. You don't need to worry about those messes overseas; I'll handle the director and marketing. You'll only be responsible for coordinating all the filming locations, personnel, and miscellaneous matters in Hong Kong. Don't think 20% is too little; this is a huge business. If it really becomes a hit overseas, your 20% will be much more than you earned with 50% last time!"

Su Zhihao gritted his teeth, quickly calculated in his mind, and finally nodded; Old Peng was right, if the big ship didn't include them, the Su family wouldn't get a single penny.

"What about gambling films?" Su Zhihao pressed on, unwilling to give up on the local business. "Are you still going to participate in gambling films?"

Boss Peng chuckled and leaned back on the sofa: "Since you want to be in charge of the gambling film, I won't take the lion's share. Just give me 20% of the profits, consider it a distribution fee for helping you get the gambling film distributed through overseas videotapes and second-tier theaters. The remaining 80% can be split between you and screenwriter Xiao Lin, or you can simply not give me a share and handle the distribution yourself."

Boss Peng looked at Su Zhihao meaningfully: "But Su, you can get a bill later and compare them. See which side gets more money in the end, the one where I take 20% from those who use my overseas distribution channels, or the one where you work hard to get the channels and get 100%."

Su Zhihao understood that Boss Peng was teaching him the rules of leveraging capital: distribution channels are king, and this was a direct difference in strength.

"Alright! Old Peng, I give up." Su Zhihao grabbed a water glass from the coffee table and took a sip. "The gambling film distribution channel is yours! 622 it is, I'll follow you and pull off a big one!"