Chapter 269: Rehearsing the Withdrawal of Investment

Not only this film studio but also the vast majority of others adopted the same attitude. Especially when it came to two popular actors, they kept pushing them around and refused to take them on no matter what. Xiao Ran understood this well—these celebrities were too expensive for the film studios to afford.
It was only after Huang Qun ran around trying to mediate that they finally convinced the studio bosses and Wei Changqing to slash their salaries to 20%. Even then, someone as high-profile as Wei Changqing was still not highly sought after, as his 20% salary already amounted to eight hundred thousand.
This was utterly ridiculous—Hong Kong and Hollywood were eager to spend big money to hire top talent, yet the mainland still refused them even after such a significant salary cut. It was simply incomparable.
However, other problems arose during filming. For example, Wei Changqing was originally supposed to direct another film, but he was extremely dissatisfied with the efficiency and techniques of the studio’s photographers and sound engineers, and he didn’t even receive respect. This already stubborn young man demanded a change, wanting a new team, but the studio was upset, seeing it as a challenge to their authority, and immediately removed him from his directing role.
Just as Wei Changqing was furious and ready to return to Hong Kong, Huang Qun sent people to persuade this talented director. In the end, he was forced to direct one of the two heavily funded films produced by China Film Group.
When Xiao Ran heard this news, his first thought was: Has China Film Group gone crazy? Hiring Wei Changqing to direct a commercial film? He wouldn’t even know how to die. Wei Changqing belonged to the category of artistic directors like Wang Jiawei—only he wasn’t as extravagant with money, wasn’t slow, and had sharp insights.
When Wei Changqing directed *Léon: The Professional*, Xiao Ran, as the producer, noticed this serious problem and quickly brought in Chen Muwei to assist him in directing. Otherwise, that film would never have achieved good box office results…
If China Film Group hired Wei Changqing to direct an action film, it was definitely a fatal mistake. Xiao Ran could even imagine that film suffering massive losses during the summer blockbuster season. But what disgusted Xiao Ran the most wasn’t that—it was that China Film Group made the mistake of letting a director skilled only in artistic genres direct an action film. Such thinking was simply absurd.
If it were the Phantom Planning Department handling it, such a blunder would never happen. Every planner knew exactly which directors were suited for which types of films. Artistic directors certainly could direct commercial films like action movies, but it required the planner to observe and select them—for instance, a director with strong and sharp visual skills would be more qualified, as action films also needed such sharp visual handling.
If someone like Wang Jiawei were to direct a police thriller, it would be a disaster. Of course, more often, Phantom would use production guidance to help unfamiliar directors try to make a transition.

Moreover, there’s another approach—collaborative direction. For example, Wei Changqing and Chen Muwei collaborated on “Lethal Weapon,” just as Liu Mei and Liang Jun did for “Jurassic Park.” Such collaborations require both parties to complement each other; one of the reasons “Infernal Affairs” was successful was the complementary balance between Mai Zhao Hui and Liu Wei Qiang in terms of overall strategy and details.
This approach is very popular nowadays because genius directors are extremely rare. So, those who excel in only certain areas usually choose to collaborate with those who excel in other areas to achieve complementarity. Currently, there are at least four pairs of regularly collaborating directors in the film industry. This can largely make up for the lack of talent in ordinary directors, giving them a chance to create classics as well.
No wonder Xiao Ran disdained China Film Group’s planning skills. However, he didn’t show his feelings but said with a smile, “That’s great! It clearly highlights your role as a practical person!”
“What practical person!” Huang Qun suddenly realized he shouldn’t complain in front of Xiao Ran. He immediately put aside his gloomy expression and said seriously, “I’m here this time in a personal capacity—there are some matters they want me to clarify in person!”
Xiao Ran shrugged. If he still couldn’t guess Huang Qun’s purpose now, he would truly deserve to die. Sure enough, Huang Qun’s expression was serious as he stared into Xiao Ran’s eyes. “The Queen’s birthday is approaching, and your name is on this list of recipients for honors. How do you explain that?”
Xiao Ran stared back and said slowly, word by word, “Then what do you think I mean? With what those in power did last year, do you think I and Hong Kong’s film industry still have any choice?”
“Explain more specifically…” Huang Qun sighed. He knew it was impossible for him to overpower Xiao Ran in terms of presence—Xiao Ran had risen through the harsh business world and didn’t care about such pressure.
“It’s simple. You can choose to exclude Hong Kong’s film industry, and I can choose to shift my career elsewhere,” Xiao Ran said with a calm smile. He suddenly realized it was better to clarify some things now when no one was around. “I’m sure the British government will welcome me warmly and definitely won’t hold me back with censorship!”
Huang Qun smirked coldly and stared at Xiao Ran. “I’m afraid you don’t want to go to Britain but to the United States! Didn’t your acquisition of Universal last year serve as preparation for this? Back then, those in power thought you were bringing honor to Chinese cinema, so they said nothing.”
Xiao Ran was stunned. He thought the government had already seen through his plan to use the acquisition of Universal to exert pressure, but from Huang Qun’s words, it seemed they hadn’t realized it. This was great—Xiao Ran couldn’t help but feel pleased. This might give him many advantages.
Trying hard to suppress his smile, Xiao Ran stood up, went to the wine cabinet, and handed Huang Qun a bottle of wine and a glass. He then took a glass and poured some water into it. After taking a sip to feel the coolness spread throughout his body, he said coldly, “So you think I should stay in Hong Kong and wait to die? I’m Chinese, but I’m also a businessman. Without long-term interests, what makes you think I’ll stay?”

“Great wine! Where is it from?” Huang Qun took a sip and couldn’t help but praise it before continuing calmly, “Higher-ups said it’s not about deliberately embarrassing Hong Kong’s film industry, but the requests you’ve made all touch on our bottom lines, making it hard for us to agree. Moreover, we didn’t reject them immediately; we just delayed it a bit!”
“That’s wine produced by a winery in France bought by Qingxia. It’s not bad!” Xiao Ran smiled lightly before pondering for a moment. He set down his glass and tapped his fingers on the table, “If we’re to fully enter the mainland market, censorship reform is essential. Otherwise, it will only doom Hong Kong films. Last year, you planned to go it alone—if that failed, you’d surely turn to us. But if it succeeded? Hong Kong films would probably be forgotten.”
“Well…” Huang Qun felt awkward. That was indeed the higher-ups’ plan. Even after returning, Hong Kong films wouldn’t be under the central government’s control, so it was better to support industries under their own control. But he quickly found his words, looking at Xiao Ran solemnly, almost radiating a sacred aura, “Then you shouldn’t try to move your business to the United States either. You’re now the richest Chinese person—do you realize what negative impact that could have?”
It was time to soften his stance! Xiao Ran assessed the situation and seized the moment. Pretending to hesitate for a moment, he then spoke slowly and sincerely, “I wouldn’t choose such a method unless it’s absolutely necessary. After all, this is where I’m familiar. But if you want to support the film industry, you must pay a price—no one can get anything without sacrificing something!”
Huang Qun couldn’t help but sigh in relief. When he learned that Xiao Ran was about to be knighted by the British Queen, he was stunned. He quickly realized that Xiao Ran wanted to shift his business, possibly also to put pressure on the central government.
What would happen if Xiao Ran did shift his business? It depended on the timing. If he moved the film industry while everyone in Hong Kong knew censorship wouldn’t be relaxed, it would surely trigger a chain reaction. This was entirely conceivable—as the richest Chinese person and the most valuable company in Hong Kong, Xiao Ran’s every move would have a huge impact.
The simplest proof was that when Xiao Ran discussed the De Fuong and Wo Hoping deal with Li Ka-shing, the stocks of both companies rose, especially the latter’s. After Xiao Ran became chairman of Wo Hoping’s board, its stock price nearly doubled.
Another example: Nowadays, every time Phantom produces a film, it receives enthusiastic invitations from other countries, along with favorable policies that help cover its growing production costs. Since Phantom’s films attract many Asian tourists, they greatly boost the economy.
“Besides, Old Huang, you know that other countries encourage us to shoot there and offer great incentives. The mainland doesn’t give any preferential policies to Hong Kong films, yet we still use the mainland as our main filming location. The surge in tourism over the past few years surely owes much to Phantom!” This time, Xiao Ran wasn’t mocking but speaking sincerely.

Huang Qun was speechless again. Xiao Ran was absolutely telling the truth—some countries even offered quite high refund rates. This meant that whatever amount the Hong Kong film crew spent in that country could be refunded at a favorable rate upon departure.
What then had the mainland given Hong Kong’s film industry? Aside from the existing incentives in joint ventures, there were no advantages in terms of production. It was no exaggeration to say that Xiao Ran had already been extremely generous. If he weren’t Chinese and needed to enter the Chinese market, he wouldn’t have bothered with so much.
“You know, some things just take time!” Huang Qun had to admit Xiao Ran’s point. He had originally intended to persuade Xiao Ran, but instead, he was persuaded by him. “The country is still in its infancy, so it’s inevitable that some things aren’t done well, or even done wrong. But all of this needs time to improve.”
Xiao Ran sighed deeply, leaning back on the sofa. “If I didn’t understand this, I wouldn’t have the patience to wait. As you know, in business, time is money. Running such a large business group isn’t easy.”
Seeing that Huang Qun still wanted to say something, Xiao Ran smiled slyly, waved his arm vigorously, then suddenly leaned forward and said quietly, “If you want to go it alone, I’ll give you that chance. But after the summer vacation, I expect an answer from you as soon as possible. Otherwise…”
Huang Qun knew there was nothing more to say. He thought the only thing he could do was to report everything as planned. He stood up, hesitated for a moment, and then told Xiao Ran, “Actually, we’re already considering introducing a rating system. If nothing goes wrong, it shouldn’t take too long to implement it. But regarding the censorship system, we can’t open it up to the level you’re asking for for now!”
Xiao Ran’s body trembled slightly. He had finally achieved this victory. If Huang Qun weren’t here, he would have wanted to shout in joy right away. This hard-won victory meant that with the mainland market, Hong Kong films would have their own backing.
Once the market matured and a complete commercial system was in place, it would be like Hollywood. Even if Hong Kong’s four major studios collapsed, it wouldn’t have a fatal impact. This was what he had always pursued—only then could a stable market, a solid film industry, be established.
On the surface, Xiao Ran remained calm, but suddenly remembering something, he quickly brought it up, “Lao Huang, foreign movies have been introduced, but don’t forget to implement domestic film protection policies like France has. Just look at the global influence of Hong Kong films, and you’ll get an idea.”
As he walked to the door and opened it, the doubt that Huang Qun had hidden in his heart finally grew stronger, forcing him to turn around and ask, “Xiao Ran, do you really think you can make a place for yourself in Hollywood?”
“Why not? Isn’t Universal a proof?” Xiao Ran smiled faintly, showing that mysterious and confident smile. “What I want isn’t just a place; I want to set the rules in Hollywood. As you can see, the rules of future Hollywood will be determined by me!”

In the afternoon, Xiao Ran invited Huang Qun and Wei Dongling to his home for dinner. Setting aside the arguments from the day before, the atmosphere was quite harmonious. During the meal, the two children kept running around in the garden, and it was only their grandmother who stepped in to feed them. Before going to the preview screening of “True Colors” after dinner, the three of them went to the garden to check on the children, while Li Jiaxin happily patted her belly and sought advice from Lin Qingxia. Now, Wei Dongling also had a happy expression on his face—he was about to become a father. Wasn’t that something to be happy about? Xiao Ran glanced back at Li Jiaxin, who was smiling brightly, and deliberately sighed, “Pitiful, sad, despisable—the most beautiful Miss Hong Kong has to maintain a rather unsightly figure just because she got pregnant so quickly!”