Chapter 95

The Peninsula Hotel is located at 22 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, facing Victoria Harbour. It has over 300 guest rooms and a long history in Hong Kong—though not that long, having been in operation for 28 years. It was once selected by the British Army as a temporary camp and also served as the Japanese command post during World War II, enduring many hardships before the war ended.

Despite this, the hotel's charm remains undiminished, and it is a favorite among Hong Kong's elite, who often hold banquets and other events here. Just like tonight, a director of Jardine Matheson is celebrating his wife's birthday, inviting a large group of people.

"Governor, I have always believed that Hong Kong is a place worth investing in. I am optimistic about Hong Kong's economy. Of course, this is not the main reason for my acquisition of TVB. I always have some wild ideas and hope to express them through film and television, and acquiring TVB is a trial run," Li Xu said with a smile, holding a glass, to the MacLehose couple in a corner of the Peninsula Hotel's hall.

"Hong Kong is a beautiful place, and I believe Mr. Li will like it," MacLehose nodded. "Of course, I hope you will invest cautiously."

"I will, Governor," Li Xu maintained his smile and then said meaningfully, "I remember that Governor visited Beijing two years ago? It seems the northern side indicated that they would reassure Hong Kong investors?"

"Of course," MacLehose's eyelids didn't even twitch, a true professional politician. "They are civilized people who know what a prosperous Hong Kong needs and how valuable it is."

"That's good," Li Xu made a relieved expression. "I plan to stay here for several more years, and this was my first choice for an internship after graduation. Stability is naturally the best."

After all, wasn't that what they wanted to hear? That's why, as soon as he arrived tonight, executives from British capital groups kept coming over to build relationships and probe his intentions. Although his family has had intricate ties with East Asian conglomerates since his grandfather's time, Li Xu himself had no particular relationship with them.

After chatting for a while, he realized that these people were actually worried about his intentions, which was... amusing.

Well, it's understandable. Hong Kong is essentially a British capital enclave, and due to its small size, not many American capital investors care about it.

But Li Xu is different. Regardless of his background and family strength, he started developing games and toys at the age of 12, invested in Apple and Microsoft, and made a fortune in silver last year. These are not secrets and can be easily found out with a bit of effort.

A young man who has just turned 18 and already has a net worth of nearly 1 billion dollars, coming to Hong Kong to acquire a TV station, naturally makes people speculate.

After all, the British still had some plans at this time—indeed, even after 1984, they continued to have some plans. It wasn't until 1992, when Christopher Francis Patten, also known as Chris Patten, became the Governor, that they finally gave up their illusions and started to act openly. Jardine Matheson also moved out of Hong Kong at that time.

Given this, Li Xu naturally had to make a statement, especially since he had acquired one of the two major TV stations in Hong Kong.

In fact, he wanted Hong Kong to remain stable more than MacLehose and the others—no, to maintain the development trajectory he remembered. This way, he could profit from the Hong Kong stock market next year.

Interest requires money to support it, so his main focus now is on making money, more money.

"Hello, Mr. Li," a voice came from the side.

Li Xu turned to look and raised an eyebrow. Honestly, having seen many photos of him in traditional Chinese attire in his past life, seeing him in a suit now felt a bit strange.

But he still extended his hand without showing any surprise and said in Cantonese, "Hello, Sir Run Run."

"Your Cantonese is very good," Sir Run Run showed a surprised look.

"I've watched many Cantonese films, and most people in San Francisco's Chinatown speak Cantonese," Li Xu explained briefly, then shifted his gaze to the elderly man standing next to him, who looked about the same age but was clearly older.

"This is my elder brother, Runmei," Sir Run Run introduced immediately.

"Hello, Mr. Runmei," Li Xu's eyes lit up, and he immediately extended his hand.

"Hello, Mr. Li," the other man smiled.

Then Li Xu asked directly, "Mr. Runmei, are you interested in investing in Hollywood films?"

Runmei and Run Run were both taken aback. Who asks someone right away if they want to invest in a film?

"I happen to have a script I'm collaborating on with Paramount. It's a small investment, but the returns should be good. Perhaps Mr. Runmei is interested," Li Xu said with a smile.

"May I ask... what kind of film is it?" Runmei asked after some thought.

"It's a drama about a naval pilot and a girl's love story, very inspiring," Li Xu summarized briefly. "The production is in the planning stage, and the budget is about 7 million US dollars. I and Paramount each put in half. If Shaw Brothers is willing to join, you don't need to put in much, just one-seventh."

The two Shaw brothers exchanged a glance, puzzled by his enthusiasm. Finally, Runmei smiled and asked, "Mr. Li seems very optimistic about this film?"

"I invested in both of Lucas' Star Wars films, and the first one was only possible because of my funding, which gave him the leverage to negotiate with Fox," Li Xu said, though this was a bit of an exaggeration, it didn't stop him from boasting.

"Additionally, my latest investment will be released in June this year, and I'm confident it will make me a lot of money," Li Xu said confidently. "To be frank, my eye for films is worth praising."

Run Run didn't show much reaction, but Runmei seemed a bit interested, though he frowned, looking a bit hesitant.

1 million US dollars isn't much, and with the current Hong Kong dollar pegged to the US dollar, it's about 4.6 million HKD, a significant amount for a major production. However, if the director were someone like George Lucas, it wouldn't be a problem, but Li Xu asking for investment without providing detailed information seemed suspicious.

"How about this," Li Xu smiled and turned to Run Run. "Sir Run Run, why don't we convert the compensation for Ya Zhi's contract into an investment? I'll count it as double, how about that?"

Run Run was taken aback and immediately laughed. "If Mr. Li wants Ya Zhi's contract, I'll just give it to you."

"That wouldn't be right, we can't break the rules," Li Xu said, raising an eyebrow.

"Why is Mr. Li so enthusiastic?" Runmei interjected, asking directly.

"It's simple, I came to Hong Kong to make friends," Li Xu shrugged. "I don't care about the profits here; I just want a place to turn some of my ideas into films."

"Why not in Hollywood?" Runmei asked again.

"Because it's too complicated there, and it's much cheaper here," Li Xu said bluntly.

Runmei didn't mind and thought for a few more minutes before saying, "I would like to see the detailed information."

"No problem, Mr. Runmei, I'll have someone fax the information to you," Li Xu said, pulling out his business card. "If you decide, please give me a call."

"Certainly, certainly," Runmei also gave him his card.

After a few more words, the Shaw brothers left. Run Run didn't mention Ya Zhi at all, as if the previous conversation never happened.

But Li Xu knew that the matter wasn't over. Run Run was just dragging it out to find out the relationship between Ya Zhi and him.

Of course, the money should still be paid, as he said, to maintain the rules. And after that...

As for the film investment, the possibility of Runmei agreeing was very high. If anyone loved films, it was Runmei among the Shaw brothers.

Most of the time, Shaw Brothers' films were managed by Runmei, while the famous Run Run was more interested in television.

In the 1980s, although Shaw Brothers reduced production, they managed to maintain it. However, after Runmei's death in 1985, the cinema chain was quickly sold, and Shaw Brothers finally closed in 1987.

The decision to abandon films and focus on television was made by Run Run.

In other words, if Runmei had successfully ventured into Hollywood and lived another seven or eight years, the landscape of Hong Kong cinema would have been very different.

Indeed, in the early 1980s, due to the continuous success of Golden Harvest in foreign markets—such as the famous "The Cannonball Run"—Shaw Brothers couldn't resist going to Hollywood. They invested in a film that left a significant mark in the history of science fiction and was left with a bloody nose. This film was Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner."

Although the film received high praise and influenced many future films, good reviews couldn't be converted into profits. With an investment of nearly 30 million US dollars, it only grossed a little over 30 million, and even if Shaw Brothers didn't contribute the majority, the loss was still significant.

This, combined with the failure of their attempt to emulate "Star Wars" with "Starcrash," led Run Run to decide to close Shaw Brothers' production studio. This wasn't entirely baseless; after all, he wasn't a time traveler and couldn't see the future.

Therefore, at this time, before they fell into the "Blade Runner" pit, Li Xu used "An Officer and a Gentleman" to "lure" Runmei, along with his own reputation, making the possibility of Runmei agreeing very high.

After all, several people who needed saving were at TVB, and it was necessary to build a relationship with the Shaw brothers. Besides, he wasn't managing TVB—oh, it should now be called Sky TV.

In any case, he wouldn't be involved in the specific operations. If TVB were to be beaten down, he could always step in to help. Besides, TVB had the powerful weapon of Jin Yong's copyrights and the Miss Hong Kong pageant. How bad could it get?

If he could stir up the landscape of Hong Kong cinema, the Hong Kong cinema he remembered, it would be very satisfying.

After all, no matter how much Hong Kong cinema struggled, the outcome was already determined, just like how Doraemon would always have a grandson named Shizuka, whether he married Shizuka or Chisato.