Chapter 281: Distracting Is Better Than Suppression

“The underworld cannot be eradicated; gambling is better than distraction, and distraction is better than suppression!” The leader muttered to himself before gradually opening his eyes and saying to Xiao Ran, “How long do you think it would take to minimize the harm caused by the underworld?”
Xiao Ran was momentarily stunned—this was indeed not easy to answer. After some thought, he felt that with Guan Xin’s firm control, the gangs no longer posed much threat. “Leader, I think this is the period when the underworld’s harm is at its lowest. However, I believe it can be reduced even further. I hope the central government can send someone to assist in managing the underworld and relieve some of my concerns.”
Xiao Ran was completely sincere. As the world’s richest man, if he were ever linked to the gangs, his reputation would be ruined. It was urgent for him to distance himself from them.
“I trust you!” The leader suddenly flashed a mysterious smile and reassured him, “You’re still in charge of controlling Hong Kong’s underworld. Currently, only you have the authority to do so. But on the day of return, the British might try to take action. You’ll need to plan carefully to ensure everything stays under control.”
Xiao Ran was shocked. It turned out he would still be in charge after all. But upon reflection, it made sense—Guan Xin was merely the actual controller, but his reputation paled in comparison to Xiao Ran’s. Sending someone else to take over would surely lead to resistance. Considering how many times Xiao Ran had to prove himself in the underworld to earn respect, it was clear why.
Suddenly, it clicked for Xiao Ran—he understood why they went through such a detour. The leader was testing his ambition. Wiping sweat from his brow, he was glad he hadn’t thought about using the underworld for personal gain. If his answer had been wrong, the underworld might have changed hands before he even returned to Hong Kong.
“Can you weaken the underworld’s power on that day?” This time, the leader’s question carried a hint of negotiation. “If we can undermine their influence as much as possible, things will be much easier in the future!”
“The leaders can’t be moved because they’re obedient. That’s why we can control things through them!” Although Xiao Ran hadn’t been involved in underworld affairs for a long time, he understood this immediately. “We can target their mid- and lower-level members to create a deterrent effect!”
The leader nodded slightly. “Since you’re not running for the position of special administrative region chief, who do you think would be a suitable candidate?”
Xiao Ran was stunned—did he have to decide the candidate himself? Soon he understood: the leader wanted him to support a certain person. “Leader, I believe I’ll strongly support whoever gets elected!”

But he was still a bit off—the leader wanted him to cooperate not only with the special zone governor but also to show him great favor. It was only later that Xiao Ran learned that the leader had told the subsequent special zone governor that it was Xiao Ran who recommended this person. As a result, the government provided strong support for many matters related to Future Shadow, needless to say. It was then that Xiao Ran realized the leader had already arranged many things. (Actually, the election for the special zone governor had already produced a result in December 1996, but let’s just go along with the plot for now.)

The leader nodded and asked with a hint of a smile, “What do you think will be the development of the international situation?”

Xiao Ran immediately wore a bitter smile. He wasn’t a politician, so how could he predict the international situation? Moreover, history changed too much, making it difficult to foresee the future. Still, he tried his best to give his answer: “The United States will become a superpower. I hope our country becomes stronger and stronger, as that will definitely be beneficial to the film industry!”

“What are your thoughts on the film industry, in a more long-term perspective?” The leader looked at Xiao Ran seriously. This policy, which affected the future, required seriousness.

“The film industry is a cultural product, and the core of Future Shadow Group is culture. As long as culture is promoted, it can achieve the best possible results!” Xiao Ran hesitated for a moment. He knew the leader wanted to know his demands, so after some hesitation, he took the opportunity to speak up: “I hope the country doesn’t interfere in the film industry. If we want to thrive, we need to go market-oriented, and market orientation means no interference.”

“Also, I think the Film Censorship Board must be independent of the Film Bureau, and the censorship system should be fully open.” As he said this, Xiao Ran was extremely cautious: “Leader, you know that films are also a form of public opinion.”

The leader nodded indifferently, signaling for Xiao Ran to continue. Xiao Ran glanced at the leader’s expression and saw nothing unusual before continuing: “The film industry needs to be fully open, at least fully open to Hong Kong films. We must have comprehensive domestic protection policies for the introduction of foreign films.”

“I think Hong Kong can become a global film center. We will target the whole world. By then, Hong Kong will be another Hollywood with a more perfect system, a window to the mainland!” Xiao Ran spoke all this carefully, afraid of touching on any sensitive topics.

The leader pondered for a while before slowly saying, “Hong Kong is an international financial city with policies different from the mainland, and it is highly liberalized. That’s why you chose Hong Kong, right? But don’t worry. The central government has no intention of interfering in Hong Kong’s affairs and will even offer support at the right time. Your idea is good—using such a highly liberalized city as a base!”

After talking for a long time about many things, Xiao Ran suddenly remembered something and couldn’t help but tell the leader, “Leader, Kinetic Energy Company controls oil in Russia. If the central government needs it, I can sell it to the Petrochemical Company!”

The leader remained silent for a while before finally sighing and saying, “Xiao Ran, I won’t live much longer, and I can’t be sure about what the future holds. Oil will be a strategic resource in the future. Once you control a sufficient amount of energy, you’ll have leverage for negotiations. Stay here and use that oil as your bargaining chip!”
Xiao Ran was slightly taken aback. He had originally planned to sell off everything at a bargain price, but the leader refused. After thinking it over, he understood—the leader was worried that certain policies might not be properly implemented in the interior after he left, so he left the oil for Xiao Ran to use as a bargaining tool.
Xiao Ran wasn’t too worried. He was currently working on acquiring oil wells in the Middle East. If that succeeded, Phantom would still be an energy company, even though it controlled oil. In fact, Kinetic was involved in more than just oil—it was also researching and investing in energy sources like solar cells.
“Xiao Ran, with such vast wealth under your control, many countries will be envious. You must be cautious. How about this…” The leader suddenly smiled. “I’ll select two guards from the security team to protect you.”
“Bodyguards from Zhongnanhai?” Xiao Ran was shocked and even blurted it out. Good heavens, even Yang Guang and the others were already so powerful. If it were Zhongnanhai bodyguards, they would likely be even more formidable. Yet he also knew well that the leader’s move wasn’t just to protect him—it had other intentions as well.
“Xiao Ran, have you ever thought about…” The leader paused before saying slowly, word by word, “becoming the vice president of the country?”
Xiao Ran immediately felt dizzy. First, the leader of a special zone, now vice president of the country? The temptations were too strong. But he quickly realized that he wasn’t qualified not only for the position of leader of a special zone but also for vice president of the country—unless the central government granted him special treatment!
Before Xiao Ran could respond, the leader sighed deeply. Of course, he knew Xiao Ran was too young. But he really hoped to bring this world’s richest man into the government—though not necessarily with real power; just a nominal role would suffice. Most importantly, he admired Xiao Ran’s skills and thought it would be a shame if he didn’t get involved in politics.
Fortunately, it was just a joke. Xiao Ran understood—just like the father of Crown Prince Rong, who was a famous businessman but still became vice president in the government. But he didn’t want that; he wanted to live freely.
Next, the leader introduced several important figures in the government to Xiao Ran, probably to lay the groundwork for future developments. That day, Xiao Ran stayed at the state guesthouse overnight. The next morning, as he left, he saw Yang Guang and Monkey giving him a helpless look.
Following their gaze, he saw two stern-looking young men approaching him. They weren’t very tall, slightly shorter than Xiao Ran, but they seemed very energetic. Xiao Ran was momentarily stunned, then remembered what the leader had said the previous day and immediately understood—these two were the Zhongnanhai bodyguards.

At that moment, Xiao Ran felt a bit regretful—why wasn’t it a woman? That way, she could serve as a bodyguard for Lin Qingxia. With Yangguang and Monkey by his side for so long, he trusted them completely. Adding two more people now felt a bit uncomfortable.

“Mr. Xiao, hello! We’ve been ordered to protect you!” The two of them looked exactly like soldiers, no wonder Yangguang and Monkey, who came from the State Security Bureau, dismissed them.

Xiao Ran smiled broadly and patted their shoulders, which were very strong. “I’m sure your superiors told you that starting today, you’re no longer guards. From this very minute onward, you’re my bodyguards, and you’ll be paid by me!”

At the mention of salary, Yangguang and Monkey’s faces lit up. Being personal bodyguards for Xiao Ran would be incredibly comfortable. Moreover, they weren’t the only bodyguards—just the personal ones. High salary, good benefits—where else could they find such a job?

Though they weren’t entirely convinced by the Zhongnanhai bodyguards, they still welcomed these two, thinking they could share some of their responsibilities in the future. That way, they could spend more time with their wives at home.

After all that chaos, with Huang Qun seeing them off and giving them gifts to take to Xiaoling’er and Xiaoqing, Xiao Ran finally understood before boarding the plane. The Zhongnanhai bodyguards were good at defense, while Yangguang and Monkey excelled at offense—no wonder Xiao Ran had been shot even though someone was clearing the path.

On the plane, Xiao Ran quietly reflected on his conversation with the leader. They talked a lot this time, and many things about the future were decided at that moment. The Zhongnanhai bodyguards, Zhang Yan and Liu Xi, were quickly annoyed by Yangguang and Monkey.

At first, Yangguang and Monkey were as serious as those two bodyguards and looked down on Xiao Ran. But after spending time with him and getting to know him better, they were influenced by his straightforward personality and often joked around.

So now, watching the two bodyguards keep glancing at Xiao Ran, who kept tapping his fingers, they couldn’t help but laugh, “A Cu, A Xi, don’t disturb Brother Ran now. He’s thinking—it’s his habit!”

The two were stunned. But avoiding Yangguang and Monkey’s harassment wasn’t easy. “Never underestimate Brother Ran. When we first worked with him, we also looked down on him. We thought, ‘He just has some money—what right does he have to have me protect him?’ You’ll understand later—some people have that kind of leadership charm!”

Zhang Yan and Liu Xi stood stiffly, not moving a muscle. Protecting the leader was what they wanted. What was there to protect about a rich man like Xiao Ran? With all that money, couldn’t he hire hundreds of bodyguards? But even though they thought that, flying on a private plane felt great, especially when there were only a few of them in such a huge plane.

Xiao Ran didn’t really like flying on private planes because he had watched “Year 2000,” where a missile brought down an airplane. No matter if you were the world’s richest person or not, once the plane crashed, you’d die instantly.

After considering their previous conversations, Xiao Ran urgently needed time for reflection. 1997 was a crucial year; whether he could retire with honor depended on his performance this year, at least that’s what Xiao Ran believed. This year, he not only had to defeat his competitors but also rely solely on his own skills to claim the title of Best Director.

Xiao Ran had prepared many “gifts” for Hollywood this year, including Jurassic Park 2, The Fast and the Furious 3, Mission: Impossible, Toy Story 2, The Ring, Sixth Sense, and Titanic. There were also Yu Yayu’s directed films Battle at the Edge of the World and Men in Black, along with True Lies.

These eleven films were the highlights of Shadow Studios this year, with a total investment of over 2 billion Hong Kong dollars. Among them, Titanic and Battle at the Edge of the World had the highest investments. Xiao Ran aimed to outperform Hollywood in terms of box office earnings and critical acclaim with these films, writing the most glorious chapter in his retirement story.

Often, running a film studio isn’t like ordinary business practices. What truly proves a company’s strength isn’t just its assets but rather its hit films each year. It’s a simple principle—just like DreamWorks, no matter how hard they try, their scale and funding limitations make it difficult for them to produce a large number of films annually, let alone consistently dominate the box office.