Chapter 142: More Trouble Arises

“Camera Group One, OK… Camera Group Two, OK…”
“The fireworks team is ready… The recording team is OK…”
Hearing the confirmations from each department, Xiao Ran’s serious expression spread across his face. This filming session could truly be called the most ambitious in Hong Kong cinema history. A total of fourteen cameras were used to capture the scene from various angles—not only the explosion on the floor but also Jackie Chan’s leap downward and the photographers dangling below, chasing the action in real time. It was nothing short of life-threatening.
Initial estimates suggested that just this one scene cost a million. Money wasn’t the issue; the problem was that such an opportunity would be hard to come by again. Moreover, it would require extensive preparation time, making it even less worthwhile. No wonder Xiao Ran, usually so cheerful, had become so serious.
“ACTION!” Xiao Ran’s shout was quickly transmitted through walkie-talkies to every department. Everyone rushed into action. Since Xiao Ran valued them so much, they definitely didn’t want to disappoint him.
Jackie Chan immediately leaped downward. Falling from a height of over thirty floors was terrifying. Yet Xiao Ran insisted he stay calm during the fall and show no signs of panic.
At that moment, the gun team and fireworks team started their tasks simultaneously. The floor trembled several times under the vibrators they set up, visible through the camera lenses, to emphasize the intensity of the explosion.
Almost at the same time, flames burst out of the windows like dragons, sending people into panic. The glass on the outside of the floor shattered instantly, as if hit by the explosion’s shockwave, falling to the ground.
Jackie Chan struggled to suppress his fear, striving to maintain a calm and composed expression. The photographer dangling below held a small camera, focusing intently on Jackie Chan’s face.
Just then, with a pop, the two of them fell into a net and were immediately pulled to the opposite building by the stunt team. Seeing this, Xiao Ran was overjoyed. As long as Jackie Chan’s performance was fine, the scene would only require static shots and some additional footage.
After checking that there was enough footage of the explosion and the flames, Xiao Ran shouted, “CUT!” Hearing this command, almost everyone on set broke into sweat. This scene had been extremely grueling, requiring more effort than filming ten movies combined.
The remaining scenes were filmed on the mainland. The next day, Xiao Ran rushed the crew there. The scenes on the mainland were mostly more emotional in tone, and progress was fast.
It was an ordinary night. Xiao Ran was in a hotel, discussing matters with Liu Jianzhong, the deputy director of the Film Bureau, and representatives from China Film Group. It was about the film’s release and cooperation. Actually, there wasn’t much to discuss. Since it could be considered a co-produced film and with government support, releasing it on the mainland wouldn’t be a problem.

As for piracy, Xiao Ran wasn’t worried at all. There was no such fast and efficient method of disc piracy yet, so there was no need to try to gain an advantage through timing. Most importantly, there was no theater distribution system in the mainland, making it difficult to organize screenings and manage them effectively.

“Mr. Xiao, our company hopes to bring this film here. Regarding the price, what do you think…” The general manager of China Film Corporation looked at Xiao Ran earnestly, trying to lower the price.

Xiao Ran smiled slightly. He had anticipated this situation. So, he was prepared as well and gave An Yuxuan a subtle signal. An Yuxuan understood and handed over a document: “When ‘North and South’ was shown in the mainland, the number of moviegoers was at least 200 million. Based on this figure, its box office revenue must have been no less than 80 million. The film ‘Shaolin Temple,’ from a few years ago, had a box office revenue of at least 140 million in the mainland.”

The general manager and Liu Jianzhong were shocked. They hadn’t expected Xiao Ran to be so well-prepared. But what shocked them even more was what came next. Xiao Ran smiled and casually said, “There are currently about 3,000 screens nationwide, not including mobile outdoor screening teams. Last year’s total box office revenue was 2.5 billion.”

At this point, Xiao Ran couldn’t help but feel deeply reflective. It was 2.5 billion now, but in over a decade, it would only be 900 million, despite soaring prices. It was clear that the mainland had lost countless viewers over those ten years.

This information wasn’t provided by Guan Xin but came from investigations, statistics, and calculations by the Investment Department of Meiyin. Long Dahai from China Film Corporation was clearly not an easy opponent to negotiate with. He quickly regained his composure and said, “Mr. Xiao, your research is mostly correct, but please don’t forget that these annual box office revenues aren’t achieved by a single film!”

“Of course, I’m fully aware of that!” Xiao Ran sat calmly on the sofa, took a sip of water handed to him by An Yuxuan, and then stared at the two of them. “That’s why I know even better what kind of box office success a film like this can achieve!”

“We’ve also done our calculations. Your film’s estimated box office revenue is around 50 million. Based on that, we can only offer you 25 million as distribution fees,” Long Dahai insisted stubbornly, refusing to budge.

“OK, it’s simple. Since you think the box office will be 50 million, let me propose another option: a guaranteed split!” Xiao Ran smiled mysteriously, making Long Dahai and Liu Jianzhong doubt whether dealing with this capitalist was the right decision. “China Film will first pay 25 million as distribution fees. If the box office exceeds 50 million, the remaining amount will still be split evenly!”

Actually, Xiao Ran didn’t really have high hopes. There was no theater distribution system in the mainland, nor a computerized ticketing system to accurately track box office figures. It would be easy for China Film to hide the actual numbers. But his intuition told him he absolutely couldn’t give up so easily—there might be some benefits to be gained in the future.

Long Dahai thought for a moment, then glanced at Liu Jianzhong. Seeing him nod slightly, he agreed. After settling this matter, Liu Jianzhong smiled and said, “Mr. Xiao, are you interested in cooperating with the mainland? For example, investing together in some films?”
“Cooperate?” Xiao Ran couldn’t help but laugh heartily. “I have no problem at all. But I want to tell you that the total investment for ‘Spy Change’ is 30 million Hong Kong dollars, and future investments will only increase. If you’re willing, I certainly have no objections!”
Long Dahai’s face turned pale instantly, and Liu Jianzhong forced a smile as well. They didn’t know the exact amount of investment for this film; they only knew that Shadow Company’s market value was over 3 billion, and it had made hundreds of millions in profits last year. What they didn’t know even more was that since Shadow Company successfully acquired Leo Company, its market value had soared to nearly 4 billion.
Come on, 30 million in investment—this was beyond what China Film Company could afford at the moment. But the fact that cooperation wasn’t possible didn’t mean there was nothing to discuss. Xiao Ran smiled broadly. “How about we go out for dinner? Maybe over dinner, we can talk about cooperation!”
At the prepared dinner, Xiao Ran put a meatball in his mouth and said lightly, “Director Liu, actually, life for people on the mainland is quite monotonous now. Movies are a source of entertainment. Right now, Hong Kong produces over 100 films a year, which are distributed in Southeast Asia and Europe and America. But why are so few films able to reach the mainland?”
“If it’s due to political factors, I don’t think every Hong Kong film has a political stance. Besides, movies are purely for entertainment.” Seeing that the two remained silent, poking at their food while staring at him, Xiao Ran smiled again. “I hope all future films by Shadow Company can reach the mainland. What do you think, Director?”
Liu Jianzhong stared at Xiao Ran, his mind filled with countless thoughts. If he could make the decision himself, he would definitely reject it immediately. But before he arrived, his superiors had made it clear to him that as long as there were no political or pornographic issues, films should be allowed to be shown on the mainland as much as possible.
“No problem!” Even a deaf person could hear the reluctance in Liu Jianzhong’s tone. “As long as they pass the censorship, there shouldn’t be any issues. But you’ll need to train some relevant talent for us!”
This was exactly what Xiao Ran desired. With such a large population on the mainland, there was an abundance of talent. It was just that the mainland’s film industry system was too rigid, causing these talents to be overlooked. For Hong Kong cinema to continue developing, it was essential to bring in talent from the mainland.
After hesitating for a moment, he refrained from suggesting that Shadow Company’s funds be used to enter mainland theaters. This matter couldn’t be rushed. Right now, only films from Yin Du and Shadow Company were qualified to be shown on the mainland, which was already a good start.
It would take at least a few more years for the mainland to accept foreign capital in its theaters; perhaps it wouldn’t be possible until after 1997. Xiao Ran was quite clear about this. Although, in a sense, he still hoped to help the mainland cinema rise, if they didn’t make an effort themselves, he couldn’t do much to help.

This situation is really tough! Xiao Ran couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Now that the company had grown, there were more and more tasks, which made him, who already preferred peace, feel increasingly annoyed.

While they were talking, An Yuxuan suddenly rushed over in panic and told Xiao Ran that something had happened in Hong Kong. Xiao Ran went to answer the phone—it was Wei Dongling calling: “A Ran, is that you? We’re in trouble. The underworld has suddenly started harassing the company’s crew and even hurt a few people.”

The underworld? A huge question mark appeared in Xiao Ran’s mind. When had the underworld dared to target Shadow? But upon reflection, he realized he had never done anything to provoke them, so there seemed to be an explanation.

After informing Guan Xin and the others and assigning the assistant director to handle the rest of the filming, Xiao Ran and Guan Xin rushed back to Hong Kong right away. He didn’t even have time to see his biological parents, though he planned to do so after the filming was done.

What exactly had happened in Hong Kong? Why had the underworld, which had always been too afraid to touch Shadow, suddenly attacked them? Xiao Ran didn’t know, which made him even more anxious to get back. The first thing he said when he saw Wei Dongling at the airport was, “What happened? Tell me in detail!”

“Let’s talk in the car!” Wei Dongling warned Yang Guang and Monkey carefully, “Be careful. It’s said someone hired a hitman to kill Xiao Ran!”

“A hitman?” Xiao Ran’s heart skipped a beat. Things had escalated to this extent—how strange. Once in the car, he stared at Wei Dongling and asked, “What’s really going on?”

Only after ensuring their safety did Wei Dongling force a smile and say, “If you’re asking about the hitman thing, I might know a little. Liang Kun heard rumors that it was Wang Minggui’s son, Wang Yang, who did it!”

“Wang Yang?” Xiao Ran took a deep breath. He had never taken Wang Yang seriously. He had heard that Wang Minggui died in the stock market crash, and Wang Yang immediately sold his family’s assets and fled—since then, there had been no news of him. “Rumors arise for a reason! When did he return?”

“I don’t know!” Wei Dongling sighed. Why so many disasters with Shadow’s rise? “But rumors say Wang Yang has connected with the Taiwan Zhulianbang and is trying to buy you out with a large sum of money.”

Yang Guang and Guan Xin listened quietly. When they heard about Wang Yang’s return, Xiao Ran glanced at Guan Xin. Guan Xin immediately nodded in understanding, picked up his cell phone, and made a call, saying just one concise sentence: “Find out where Wang Minggui’s son, Wang Yang, has been for the past six months!”

Xiao Ran wasn’t rubbing his nose now—he seemed to be fiddling with it, a habit he had when thinking. Closing his eyes slightly, he was surprised. With Wang Yang’s personality, there was no reason for him to return when neither the underworld nor the legitimate world dared to touch Shadow; he should have been enjoying himself abroad.

What did it mean that Wang Yang had connected with the Zhulianbang? Soon, Xiao Ran figured it out—it made sense. After all, it was he who had forced Wang Yu to death, effectively cutting off the Zhulianbang’s reach into Hong Kong’s film industry. He had always wondered why the Zhulianbang hadn’t come after him for revenge.

But what exactly was missing? Xiao Ran always felt he had forgotten something, something that might be very important. With no other choice, he could only ignore it for now. Thinking of the harassment from the underworld, he became even more confused and asked in a deep voice, “What exactly is this harassment by the underworld?”
*****
I’m sorry for not updating in time as I went to Shanghai for the annual meeting! I apologize to all my readers.