Chapter 48

Seeing that Shao Dahan had put on such a shameless demeanor, Wu Cheng was also helpless. In the end, he lightly coughed and said, "Actually, the idea is quite simple. Nowadays, in Hong Kong and Taiwan, who writes martial arts novels better than Mr. Jin Yong? As long as TVB adapts Mr. Jin Yong's martial arts novels into TV series, wouldn't that be great? For example, the novel *The Book and the Sword*!"

Upon hearing this, Shao Dahan couldn't help but look at Wu Cheng with some surprise. In the end, he laughed and scolded, "You little monkey, did you plant a spy in our TVB?"

Wu Cheng innocently blinked his eyes and then smiled bitterly, "No way! Are you really planning to adapt this novel? I said it was a coincidence, but you old man definitely won't believe me, right?"

Shao Dahan smiled lightly and said, "At most, it can be considered a case of great minds thinking alike! This idea has only been briefly discussed among a few of us executives, and we haven't even decided which one to shoot yet. But do you really think *The Book and the Sword* is good?"

Wu Cheng sighed in relief and shrugged, "Actually, any of them would be fine. I just think that my sister Zhi is very suitable for the role of Huo Qingtong in *The Book and the Sword*. She also has a contract with TVB. What do you think about giving her this role?"

Shao Dahan pointed at him a few times and said, "You little monkey, I knew you wouldn't do anything without a benefit. Actually, I think the role of Huo Qingtong would also be very suitable for Miss Wang Mingjuan, after all, she is one of our TVB people."

"Although my sister is also suitable, don't you think it would be a waste not to use my sister Zhi, given her current popularity?" Wu Cheng smiled, "Of course, I'm just suggesting it casually. Whether to use her or not is up to you."

Seeing Wu Cheng's uninterested attitude, Shao Dahan was also somewhat helpless. He pointed at him and smiled, "The 'Five Lucky Stars' helped Golden Harvest make a lot of money. Have you considered cooperating with us Shaw Brothers? Money, people, or theaters, you decide. What do you think?"

Wu Cheng looked at Shao Dahan and found his expression quite serious, so he couldn't help but fall silent. Cooperating with Shaw Brothers wasn't impossible. After all, with his current strength, it was unlikely he could set up his own theater chain. It was either cooperate with Golden Harvest or Shaw Brothers, depending on which side showed more sincerity. Compared to Golden Harvest, if Shaw Brothers could offer the same conditions, cooperating with them wasn't impossible. But would Shaw Brothers be willing?

Wu Cheng thought for a moment and said, "Uncle Six, to be honest, it doesn't matter who I cooperate with. But the premise is, what conditions can you offer to East Dragon? After all, East Dragon International isn't just me making the decision. I have to explain to the other shareholders."

"What kind of conditions do you want?"

"Not too high, just the same conditions as Golden Harvest. If you can do that, I'll prioritize you. How about that?"

Shao Dahan smiled slightly and sighed inwardly. This proposal was good, but offering the same conditions as Golden Harvest was basically impossible.

Of course, Wu Cheng was also aware of Shaw Brothers' situation, so he was just saying it. Compared to Golden Harvest, Shaw Brothers was more conservative. Some things, they might not be unwilling to change, but they couldn't.

At this moment, Wu Cheng saw Mr. Zhong leading Joey Wong, holding a glass and talking to someone. When he looked at Wu Cheng, Mr. Zhong also looked at him, but Joey Wong pouted and turned her head to the side, seemingly angry with Wu Cheng.

Of course, this couldn't be blamed on her. Who could blame her for seeing Wu Cheng intimately talking to Zhao Yachi and not going to find her first? He didn't treat her like a girlfriend at all! So it was natural for her to be angry.

Wu Cheng waved to Mr. Zhong and the others. Mr. Zhong said "Sorry" to the person and then brought Joey Wong over, "Sir Shao, hello. A Cheng, what do you need?"

"Uncle Six, let me introduce you. This is Mr. Zhong, my business partner and the owner of Phoenix Fashion. This is his precious daughter, Joey Wong. I believe you are familiar with her. I think TVB and Phoenix Fashion can actually collaborate in some ways..."

Sir Shao nodded at Mr. Zhong, his attitude quite calm. But Mr. Zhong didn't find anything wrong with it. After all, Sir Shao was a tycoon, and nodding and smiling at him was already a great honor.

"You little guy, are you thinking of ways to take advantage of us TVB again!"

Wu Cheng smiled and shook his head, "This time, it's not about taking advantage, but saving TVB money." Wu Cheng winked at Joey Wong and continued, "Think about it, if all the costumes for TVB's fashion dramas were provided for free by Phoenix Fashion, how much prop costs could TVB save? To be honest, your prop team is really frugal. They reuse props, and a single candle can last for years. I'm speechless. Especially for fashion dramas, many costumes don't fit the actors at all."

Wu Cheng's complaints made Shao Dahan's lips twitch, but he still maintained his smile, albeit a bit unnaturally.

Wu Cheng didn't mind, taking advantage of his youth to continue, "Think about it, Uncle Six! In the future, every time TVB starts a new fashion drama, a fashion company will tailor-made costumes for your actors. How would that look? Wouldn't it be more stylish and of higher quality than just grabbing any costume? Higher quality means better reputation, and better reputation means higher ratings. For TVB, it's a no-cost deal!"

Shao Dahan just smiled. After Wu Cheng finished, he laughed and asked, "What do you want from TVB? I believe the sky won't just drop a pie, and you little monkey aren't a philanthropist."

"Even simpler!" Wu Cheng snapped his fingers and smiled, "Just add a line 'Thanks to Phoenix Fashion' at the end of each episode. Of course, if the production teams can thank Phoenix Fashion for their sponsorship, that would be even better. For you, it's just a matter of saying a few words, right?"

Shao Dahan finally understood Wu Cheng's intention. He shook his head and smiled, "With your sharp mind, why don't you do other businesses instead of stirring up trouble in the entertainment industry? You're clearly thinking of ways to advertise, but you can make it sound like you're doing others a huge favor. I have to say, you're quite a clever one."

"What do you think, Uncle Six? If it doesn't work, we'll have to find someone else!"

"Are you a cat? You're already getting your fur up after just a few words!"

"I'm a tiger! I'm also a feline!"

"..."

Wu Cheng's words left Shao Dahan speechless, and he couldn't help but laugh. Even Joey Wong couldn't help but giggle. When she saw Wu Cheng looking at her, she couldn't help but give him a glare.

After chatting with Shao Dahan for a while, Wu Cheng was pulled aside by Mr. Zhong, who frowned and whispered, "A Cheng, if we do this, won't our company have to release several ordinary clothing lines at the same time?"

Wu Cheng shook his head and smiled, "Mr. Zhong, don't do that! We should focus on mid-to-high-end products. We should only make costumes that fit our brand for the main actors. For those that don't fit, we can leave them to other companies. If Mr. Zhong has friends, he can bring them in to help. We can eat the meat, and let some friends drink the soup. Of course, it depends on whether they are willing to do the troublesome work."

After talking with Mr. Zhong, Wu Cheng didn't have time to tease Joey Wong before he saw Zou Wenhui and He Guanchang coming over.

"Earlier, I saw you chatting happily with Sir Shao. What's up? Is East Dragon planning to cooperate with Shaw Brothers?" Zou Wenhui's tone was mocking, clearly looking down on Shaw Brothers.

Of course, Golden Harvest had the right to look down on Shaw Brothers. After all, in recent years, Shaw Brothers had always been outperformed by Golden Harvest in box office earnings. It was no wonder he was feeling overconfident.

Wu Cheng smiled and raised his glass, indicating, "Cooperation is always possible, but it depends on whether the conditions are agreeable. East Dragon is small and weak, and it's tough to survive between two top players. Uncle Zou, you're not trying to take advantage of me again, are you?"

Zou Wenhui's face turned dark, clearly annoyed by Wu Cheng's lazy attitude. On the other hand, He Guanchang was more friendly, smiling, "A Cheng, you're joking. Your East Dragon became famous with *The Five Lucky Stars*. Who in Hong Kong doesn't know? Now you're shooting your second film, and many people are eagerly waiting. By the way, have you secured a theater chain for your second film?"

Wu Cheng smiled, "If your Golden Harvest is willing to split the box office 50-50, I have no objections. I'm just afraid that Uncle Zou will feel he's taking a big loss and won't want to cooperate with me!"

Zou Wenhui was so angry he wanted to spit blood. He felt that Wu Cheng was being unfair, and every word seemed to be mocking him, just like he mocked Shaw Brothers.

"What about the overseas distribution rights? Are you selling them outright?" He Guanchang asked.

Wu Cheng smiled, "It's a bit early to talk about that. Why don't we wait until the film is out and then sit down to discuss it? What do you think?"

The three chatted for a while, and then Wu Cheng said goodbye to them and went to talk to others.

Zou Wenhui huffed and whispered to He Guanchang, "A Chang, I'm leaving first!"

"A Huai, are you really angry with that kid? I think he's just trying to provoke you!"

Zou Wenhui laughed lightly, "Do you think I don't know I'm just putting on a show for him? That kid thinks he can make me lose my temper and take advantage of me, but I'm just pretending! If East Dragon refuses to cooperate with us, we'll use *Half a Pound, Eight Ounces* to counter him and see if he can still laugh!"

He Guanchang was speechless. If that really happened, the most depressed one would probably be that kid Wu Cheng!

From this, it seemed that Wu Cheng would find it hard to avoid cooperating with Golden Harvest.