Chapter 170: Love and Hate

The Hong Kong Arts Centre was actually quite large, but Xiao Ran still felt it fell far short compared to the 24th Golden Horse Awards held at the Red Hall. He thought that perhaps next year they would find a more spacious venue—maybe the Red Hall would be a good choice.

This year, the Golden Horse Awards finally placed Phantom Company in the most prominent position, which meant it held the leading role in Hong Kong’s film industry. Of course, this was an exaggeration, but it was certain that Phantom’s lineup this time was incredibly strong.

Famous stars like Mei Yanfang, Zhang Guorong, Zhou Runfa, Lin Qingxia, Zhong Chuhong, and many others were all part of Phantom. Those who were gaining popularity such as Liu Hua, Zhang Manyu, Wu Junru, Wang Zuxian, Su Renyao, Feng Feier, Liu Qingyun, Wu Zhenyu, and the sister duo also belonged to Phantom.

There were also Du Qifeng and Wu Yusen, who had impressed people with their action movies last year, along with Xu Ke, Huang Baiming, and Wang Jiawei. Several emerging directors promoted by Xiao Ran had also achieved notable success—these were all part of Phantom.

If one had to rank the lineups of Hong Kong’s four major companies, Phantom could almost represent the entire Hong Kong film industry. Apart from Cheng Long, Hong Jinbao, and Wan Ziliang, who didn’t belong to Phantom, the best actors in Hong Kong tended to align with them. As for the behind-the-scenes team, Phantom was even stronger—any crew assembled from their ranks would likely be qualified to win awards at the Golden Horse Awards.

Of course, having factions doesn’t mean everyone has to sit in the same group. At least Xiao Ran felt it wasn’t necessary; the separation was too clear, making things seem overly cold. Besides, Phantom currently had good relations with Deppa and Tianluo, only having some conflicts with Cathay.

The time before the event was the best chance to build relationships and talk to people, and Xiao Ran had no reason or way to miss such an opportunity. After scanning the area, he saw that Lin Qingxia hadn’t arrived yet. With a faint smile, he met Leung Chao-wai. Xiao Ran truly felt both love and hate for this actor.

He loved him because he really admired this handsome man with his deep gaze. He hated him because this guy was originally supposed to work with Phantom, but once Phantom took over ATV, TVB immediately refused to let him act for them. It had to be admitted that TVB’s desire for dominance was extremely strong—even stronger than Xiao Ran’s.

Xiao Ran felt frustrated. Rumors among industry insiders suggested that Shaw Brothers was about to make a comeback, meaning Phantom would inevitably engage in a fierce competition with them. It was frustrating—he clearly didn’t want internal strife but still had to deal with these unnecessary people over pointless matters.

Thinking about TVB’s future dominance, Xiao Ran couldn’t help but frown slightly. He wasn’t very familiar with television dramas and found it hard to understand how ATV had handed over its dominant position to TVB in history. But based on his current understanding of business, it was easy to draw a rough conclusion.

He knew that, in theory, ATV had a high chance of losing to TVB. But he believed that bureaucratic rigidity might be one reason—something that Wei Dongling had already taken action to address by establishing new systems. Another reason was that ATV was inferior to TVB in terms of creativity and also lagged far behind in terms of its star system; at least, in Xiao Ran’s memory, he had never heard of many outstanding stars from ATV.

Thinking of this, Xiao Ran had an idea—future variety shows could draw inspiration from TVB’s successful programs like “Award Gatekeeper,” which had been popular for a full decade and was considered the most watched show in Hong Kong. As for TV dramas, more effort definitely needed to be put in. Wei Jiahui was indeed a talent, and he could be allowed to continue honing his skills in the television industry while helping to create classic ATV dramas.

What gave Xiao Ran the most peace of mind was the star promotion plan—he wasn’t worried at all. After all, he had discussed it with Wei Dongling: actors needed to be trained, and television stations were undoubtedly excellent places for that. As a result, few graduates from the Shadow Training Department were kept on immediately; most were sent to ATV.

Once these actors worked at ATV for a few years and then returned to act, it would create a solid talent pipeline. Shadow could continuously supply high-quality talent to ATV, while ATV would provide experienced actors to Shadow. Superstars like Fa Ge, Liu Hua, and Leung Chao-wai—all came from television stations, which clearly proved that television stations could help develop talent.

As he walked and thought, he reached Leung Chao-wai’s side. The person originally sitting there quickly and respectfully gave up his seat, saying, “President Xiao, please sit!”

Xiao Ran nodded at him and thanked him before looking at Leung Chao-wai and saying calmly, “Ah Wei, I really don’t understand why you’re unwilling to leave TVB and pursue a career in movies, which would be the best path for you!”

It wasn’t that he didn’t understand—it was simply that Leung Chao-wai was naturally indifferent and disliked complications, a fact known throughout the world. Just look at the 24th awards ceremony, where he achieved the miracle of winning five acting awards, yet he remained very composed.

“I… I think things are quite good at TVB. At least it’s stable here!” Although Leung Chao-wai and Xiao Ran had a good personal relationship, business matters still needed to be handled professionally. “Besides, you know my contract with TVB…”

Xiao Ran couldn’t help but shake his head. Leung Chao-wai really… It seemed he truly needed to be motivated by being with Liu Jialing. “Your contract with TVB isn’t much longer. As long as you’re willing to stay quiet for a year, or if Shadow pays the breach fee, it’ll work. I think you just haven’t thought it through yet, Ah Wei. Don’t hesitate—seize opportunities when they arise.”

The conditions Xiao Ran offered Leung Chao-wai were extremely attractive: Shadow would cover the breach fee, which amounted to just three films, with his contract payments remaining unchanged. Under such conditions, even Liu Hua, who had been sidelined, would surely agree.

But the person by Xiao Ran’s side was Liang Chaowei, which made Xiao Ran feel extremely frustrated. It wasn’t the situation itself that upset him, but rather Liang Chaowei’s attitude and personality. Liang naturally preferred a comfortable life. He was already highly valued at TVB, and with such a favorable environment, it would be difficult for him to switch to Magic Shadow.

“How about this, Ran Ge? Let me give it some thought!” Liang Chaowei still lacked the air of a carefree yet mature individual; he appeared rather inexperienced.

Still thinking it over? Xiao Ran was frustrated—this had been under consideration for months already. Fine, if Liang Chaowei didn’t want to become famous, then let him stay in obscurity. It was a shame for such a good actor. Standing up with regret, Xiao Ran left behind one last sentence: “At TVB, you’re busy every day. At Magic Shadow, it’s much easier—you can shoot several films a day. Think it over by yourself!”

Hearing Xiao Ran’s final words, Liang Chaowei suddenly felt tempted. TVB was currently considering renewing his contract, and he was hesitating. Everyone in Hong Kong knew that joining Magic Shadow was an excellent path—anyone with talent had a chance to stand out there, and he was well aware of this.

He himself didn’t know why he couldn’t make up his mind. As for money, he didn’t earn much now, but it was enough for his expenses. Yet everyone knew that Magic Shadow offered the best benefits in Hong Kong—Brother Fa’s four million was no joke. As for giving full play to one’s abilities, Magic Shadow provided ample room for that, which was also well-known throughout Hong Kong.

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that anyone Xiao Ran took a liking to would likely do anything to join him. Of course, this mainly applied to those who weren’t already very famous. Liang Chaowei was aware of this, but he still couldn’t decide.

Yet now he was tempted—not for anything else, but because of Xiao Ran’s casual words. He didn’t like overly demanding work, and Magic Shadow clearly met that requirement. After hesitating for a moment, he remembered the rumors about Magic Shadow and Xiao Ran. There was a saying in the industry that Xiao Ran had great ambitions, determined to grow Magic Shadow into a force that could compete with Hollywood.

He thought it might be time for him to make a decision. Still, he really had to admire him. If it were someone else, getting Xiao Ran’s favor would likely make them follow eagerly. Yet he still took months to decide reluctantly—truly admirable.

Of course, Xiao Ran had no idea about Liang Chaowei’s internal struggle. He was currently held by Wang Jing, with the beautiful Miss Qiu by his side. Wang Jing, smiling broadly, pulled Xiao Ran to sit down before asking, “A Ran, why won’t you distribute my films?”

“A Jing, you guy…” Xiao Ran was speechless. It wasn’t that he refused to distribute them—it was that Wang Jing’s films were quite crude and didn’t meet Magic Shadow’s standards at all. Though his earlier works were passable, at least the filming equipment was of good quality, and the picture quality was on par with Magic Shadow’s.

Wang Jing is indeed very skilled at crafting storylines, but his scripts often lack logical consistency. It doesn’t really matter—comedy films are like that. However, as Wang Jing produces more films each year, Xiao Ran can’t possibly release them all.
“Your storylines are really good. If possible, I’d like to bring you to the Phantom Writing Team!” Xiao Ran said with a wry smile. With his current connections and status, he wasn’t afraid of Wang Jing at all. But since Wang Jing was his friend, he felt he needed to explain: “It’s just… don’t you realize your own flaws?”
Wang Jing was stunned, as were Qiu Shuzhen and Chen Baixiang. Everyone agreed that Wang Jing’s films were actually quite good. Xiao Ran’s words seemed baseless, which explained their confusion.
Seeing that they didn’t understand, Xiao Ran suddenly realized he might be able to change Wang Jing’s style. After pondering for a while, he said earnestly, “Ajing, your strengths lie in your flexibility and cleverness—you’re really good at designing storylines. But have you ever thought about the concept of ‘quality over quantity’?”
“You produce so many films every year. Even if you’re a genius, you’ll run out of energy in ten years!” Xiao Ran thought silently before continuing, “Do you know what ‘quality over quantity’ means? Just look at the box office performance of ‘Spy Conspiracy’—that should give you an idea. Also, your attitude toward creation isn’t sincere enough. You know, sometimes sincerity is what truly moves people!”
Wang Jing shook his head; he wasn’t too interested in this idea. But he was indeed curious about the box office of “Spy Conspiracy.” Xiao Ran sighed inwardly—this man was hopeless. “Why don’t you try making only two films a year and put more effort into the cinematography and scenes? I’ve always believed that a film’s success depends on a comprehensive approach, not just a good script!”
This idea intrigued Wang Jing a bit, but Xiao Ran found it utterly pointless. Wang Jing had always been like this—what good was talking so much? With a sigh, he turned his gaze to Qiu Shuzhen, his sexy and beautiful favorite, then glanced at Wang Jing again. “Repeating yourself is destroying yourself. From a friend’s perspective, this is all I can say to you!”
While searching for Yang Qi, Yang Qi suddenly appeared in Xiao Ran’s sight. The two approached each other and slapped each other’s shoulders cheerfully. Xiao Ran couldn’t help but tease, “This time it’s Phantom’s turn—you must have come for nothing!”
“It doesn’t matter!” Yang Qi laughed. “Tianluo was founded not long ago, and its main goal is to establish itself in the box office. I’ll come back next year to compete with you and see who’s better!”
Xiao Ran resisted the urge to laugh out loud. He liked Yang Qi just like this—this was healthy competition, exactly what he wanted. He made a gesture at Yang Qi, showing a welcoming expression. “Welcome to challenge Phantom!”

“There’s no need for me to take on the challenge now.Jia He (Jia He) is planning to knock Phantom off their throne and reclaim the title of Hong Kong’s top film company!” Seeing Xiao Ran staring at him in shock, Yang Qi shrugged and said, “Don’t ask me; it’s just a rumor! Zou Wenhuai and He Guanchang are very dissatisfied withJia He (Jia He)’s performance this year. But don’t worry, they wouldn’t dare play any tricks on you.”
“I’d welcome it! Competition fosters fighting spirit!” Xiao Ran remarked. He really hoped to avoid internal strife in Hong Kong, especially since South Korea had already imposed restrictions on foreign films this year. If more restrictions were lifted on Korean movies, it could become a challenge in the next decade.
“Fighting spirit?” Yang Qi’s eyes suddenly lit up, as if a 200-watt bulb had gone on. With a sly smile, he said meaningfully, “What a great idea of fighting spirit! I guess that rumor isn’t false after all!”
Xiao Ran was momentarily stunned before realizing he had been thinking about Hollywood the whole time and used such a powerful term as “fighting spirit.” Unexpectedly, Yang Qi was quite perceptive and immediately grasped the implication. He also smiled mysteriously and didn’t answer directly: “If you think it’s true, then it is!”
“You kid…” Yang Qi punched Xiao Ran hard. “It seems I need to raise some funds quickly, or I really won’t be able to keep up with you!”
Xiao Ran smiled. If Yang Qi could really do it, that would truly fulfill his wishes. ExcludingJia He (Jia He), if Phantom, Deppa, and Tianluo joined forces to challenge Hollywood, it would be an absolutely spectacular scene—hard to imagine.
After taking just a few steps, they heard a somewhat hoarse and strange voice calling out behind them. Xiao Ran turned around and was shocked to see Zeng Zhiwei. Their relationship was quite good, but what could Zeng Zhiwei possibly want from him now?