Chapter 86 of 100

Chapter 86

14 min read3,493 words

"Mr. Shen, I can't believe you actually agreed to such harsh conditions," Zhu Xing He said boldly as they were leaving, "Although Stephen Chow himself is very influential in Hong Kong, it's just Hong Kong, a small place. If it weren't for the mainland, who would care about such a place? Pengcheng and Puhai are much more important, and most importantly, it has a permanent population of less than six million. In my view, the Hong Kong market has already been developed to its limit. The box office for 'God of Gamblers 2000' was less than 20 million..."

"Do you mean you think this place is no longer important, and you don't want to stay here anymore?" Shen Zhenghui closed his eyes and nodded, "I'll talk to President Fukuda."

"Ah, ha, hehe, that's not what I meant," Zhu Xing He was embarrassed, "I was just worried."

"Don't worry," Shen Zhenghui said seriously, "It's precisely because the Hong Kong film market is no longer viable that Stephen Chow has the role of a box office savior." He paused, "I think we can recover most of our costs in Hong Kong, and in Japan, it will be pure profit. The box office in Japan, well, I'll conservatively estimate it won't be lower than 'Cruel History of North High School.'"

"Do you mean this film could gross 200 million yen in Japan?"

"I think it's about right. If the promotion and distribution are done well, it could exceed 200 million yen," Shen Zhenghui nodded.

Zhu Xing He took a deep breath. This meant 120 million Hong Kong dollars in Japan. Spring Day Films also had its own theater chain. If it was all shown through Spring Day Films' theaters, the 120 million Hong Kong dollars would all be Spring Day Films' income. According to this income projection, investing 50 million would be a highly profitable business, let alone the box office in Japan, plus DVDs and merchandise. If Shen Zhenghui's judgment was correct, this would be a money-making venture that would make his hands cramp from counting.

If all of this could be achieved, it wouldn't matter if Stephen Chow had a bad temper. Even if he were a tyrant on set, people would be willing to crawl and polish his shoes!

"Go back and prepare. Stephen Chow will definitely come to sign the contract with us," Shen Zhenghui said.

Back at the Spring Day Films office, Shen Zhenghui found that Tōryō Kaoru and Aonuma Tomoaki had already returned and were sitting on the sofa.

"Didn't I tell you to go out and shop?" Shen Zhenghui asked.

"It wasn't interesting," Aonuma Tomoaki replied, "I came back early to wait for you."

"What shopping?" Tōryō Kaoru said angrily, "So many people followed me and Aonuma-san, and they even took photos openly. It was so annoying. Aonuma-san wouldn't let me hit those people, so I had no mood to shop at all."

Shen Zhenghui looked at Zhu Xing He.

Zhu Xing He pursed his lips, "It must be the paparazzi from 'Apple Daily.' They've got their eyes on us."

"Aren't they tired of being so high all the time?"

"You're not in Hong Kong every day," Zhu Xing He said, "Like Stephen Chow, who works every day and has no scandals, 'Apple Daily' rarely publishes news about him unless something really happens."

"Like our meeting today?" Shen Zhenghui thought, "Did you notice any paparazzi taking photos of us today?"

"Ah, I didn't notice," Zhu Xing He was taken aback, "Should I check?"

"Forget it," Shen Zhenghui waved his hand, "I can't send people to kidnap their editor and cut off his fingers."

Only Tōryō Kaoru showed a surprised expression.

"It's a joke!" Shen Zhenghui glared at her, "Forget it. We'll keep a low profile for a few days. Once we sign the contract with Stephen Chow, we'll go to Taiwan." He looked at Aonuma Tomoaki, "You should be more relaxed then."

"I'm not sure. Aonuma-san has more fans in Taiwan than in Hong Kong."

Shen Zhenghui smiled bitterly and said to Aonuma Tomoaki, "How about we go to the mainland next time?" But thinking of his own troubles in the mainland, he immediately rejected his own suggestion, "Forget it, let's go to America or Europe. People there don't recognize us."

Tōryō Kaoru's eyes were sparkling.

The next day, Shen Zhenghui was on the cover of 'Apple Daily' again. This time, the paparazzi had new findings. They not only learned that Shen Zhenghui met with Mr. Zou and Stephen Chow at this restaurant but also, through bribing the waitstaff, found out that he discussed film collaboration with Mr. Zou and new film investment with Stephen Chow. They even published a special article about the four of them each eating a bowl of noodles, mocking the frugality of the Japanese and Stephen Chow. Because of this report, the news of Aonuma Tomoaki shopping in Hong Kong streets couldn't attract much attention.

This news caused a significant stir in the Hong Kong entertainment industry. For a while, the entry of Japanese capital into Hong Kong seemed to become a hot topic. Even though Japan was also hit hard by the financial crisis, in the minds of Hong Kong people, Japan and the United States were still synonymous with wealth and power.

The entry of Japanese capital, as reported by 'Apple Daily,' sparked a restless mood in the entertainment industry. Film professionals kept visiting the Spring Day Films Hong Kong office, either to sell already completed films to the wealthy "Japanese" or to seek investment. According to the report, Spring Day Films had already reached cooperation agreements with companies like Media Asia, Emperor, Golden Harvest, and Starlight, so naturally, some people had certain fantasies, thinking they might cleverly deceive the "Japanese." As a result, Shen Zhenghui and Zhu Xing He suddenly found their workload increasing dramatically. Shen Zhenghui had to wait at the office for Stephen Chow's response. For several days, he was besieged by various visitors, repeating the same public relations phrases countless times, politely indicating that they didn't have that much money and only cooperated with major companies, and that Japan wasn't a garbage can that could take in any film—would you make a 3D version of *?

For several days, Shen Zhenghui was extremely annoyed, but he also had some unexpected gains. A screenwriter named Mai Chaohui submitted a script. When Shen Zhenghui saw the title, he was amused. The script, tentatively titled 'Infernal Affairs,' told a very cliché and simple story, with only the line of a police officer going undercover in a triad. Compared to the final film, it was not yet rich enough. This screenwriter, Mai Chaohui, probably came with the hope of getting some money from the Japanese by chance.

"This story is very simple, but it has great potential and can be written better," Shen Zhenghui thought for a moment and said, "Is this Mr. Mai's work?"

"I wrote it with a friend," said Mai Chaohui, who had been a director and actor in his thirties and was still a bit nervous, "I think if we spend more money and put our hearts into it, it will be a good film."

"Yes," Shen Zhenghui nodded, looked up, and said to Mai Chaohui, "But many films don't have enough money or enough effort, and they end up being bad films."

Mai Chaohui licked his lips and didn't respond.

"Does Mr. Mai want to direct it?"

"I'm still a newcomer as a director and have no fame. Investors will definitely want a famous director. I'd be happy to be an assistant director," said Mai Chaohui.

"Spring Day Films' main business in Hong Kong is to collaborate with local companies to produce films and distribute them in Japan. We can't directly invest in and produce films ourselves, as that would be too risky for us," Shen Zhenghui said seriously.

Mai Chaohui couldn't hide his disappointment.

"Here's what I suggest. I'll introduce you to Mr. Lin at Media Asia. I really like your script, but if the investment is less than 60 million, it's better not to make it. If Mr. Lin decides to produce it, Spring Day Films is willing to invest and take shares." As he spoke, he took a piece of paper and wrote a note to Lin Jian.

"I'm sorry, I can only write in simplified Chinese." After writing, he handed the note to Mai Chaohui. Mai Chaohui looked at it and was surprised. Shen Zhenghui had written a list of actors on the note, including the names of famous actors like Liu Tianwang, Liang Yingdi, Zeng Yingdi, and Huang Yingdi. "The story is good. Think carefully when you shoot it. With so many famous actors, the market shouldn't be a problem."

Compared to Shen Zhenghui's confidence, Mai Chaohui was full of doubts. "Mr. Shen, can I ask why you chose Media Asia? They haven't produced many films in recent years, and their investments are small. Wouldn't Golden Harvest and Emperor be better?"

"Golden Harvest and Emperor?" Shen Zhenghui repeated the names. He couldn't say that these two companies would be ruined by their own big productions and wouldn't have the money to invest in your film. This was also why 'Infernal Affairs' was later produced by Media Asia. Currently, Media Asia was under significant financial pressure, and Shen Zhenghui was willing to help them.

"You can also talk to Golden Harvest and Emperor," Shen Zhenghui said, "You can discuss with these two companies. Spring Day Films is willing to invest and handle distribution in Japan, with an investment ratio not exceeding 40%. The terms are the same for any company."

Mai Chaohui was taken aback. He was a minor figure, but Spring Day Films' promise could be a bargaining chip for him to seek investment. However, an investment of 60 million, with 60% being 36 million, was a significant amount of money in Hong Kong. Mai Chaohui left the Spring Day Films office with this comforting gain.

Shen Zhenghui endured the wait for Stephen Chow's response. During this time, he had to entertain the Hong Kong film professionals who visited, which made him very frustrated. In contrast, Aonuma Tomoaki had a much easier time. She stayed in and had Tōryō Kaoru buy her a few books about films and actors, immersing herself in study. Shen Zhenghui guessed that Stephen Chow must have taken his conditions to other Hong Kong film investors, but he couldn't easily give up. He also couldn't proactively contact Starlight, so he had to wait patiently. In the meantime, Lin Jian and the Xiang family visited him, inviting him to dinner and playing sports, trying to deepen their personal relationship. Lin Jian specifically asked about Mai Chaohui's script. After listening to Shen Zhenghui's explanation of the purpose and intent of investing in a big film, he didn't mention it again, probably preparing to raise funds and take a big bet. Although he was burdened with a billion in debt, he also had a billion in assets.

Just as Shen Zhenghui was feeling bored after a week in Hong Kong, he suddenly received a surprising phone call.

"In Hong Kong?"

"Yes!"

"I'm also in Hong Kong. Let's meet up!"

"Uh... okay."

"Just you, don't bring your Japanese girlfriend," the other party said.

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