Chapter Twenty-Five: We Can Be Patriotic Too!

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Regarding *Hear Me*.

Ma Xun had not chosen it on a whim.

The film itself had an excellent story.

Its writer and director was Zheng Fenfen.

She later came to the mainland to pursue her career, and her best-known work was *Take My Brother Away*.

Yes, the version starring Zhang Zifeng and Sun Qian.

In the original, the female lead was Chen Yihan, the supporting female role was played by Shen Jiayi, and the male lead was Peng Yuyan.

At the time, all three were arguably at the peak of their careers.

Shen Jiayi was not especially famous back then, but she was in far better shape than the “little steamed bun” she would become later.

As for Ma Xun choosing this film...

It was a romance, so the production costs would be very low.

This one relied almost entirely on the three actors’ performances. As for the locations, the swimming pool would probably be the only expensive one.

And the actors’ fees would certainly be modest.

Gao Yuanyuan and Hao Lei were both his people.

Sister Hong would almost certainly sign Chen Kun.

Ma Xun had not mentioned him, leaving Sister Hong room to make her own discoveries.

That way, she could enjoy the satisfaction of finding a new talent.

The combined pay for the three actors would probably come to no more than fifty thousand yuan.

There was no need to doubt it. At the time, that was already considered a decent fee.

Given their fame and status, it was truly not a small sum.

In those days, graduates of prestigious art academies such as the Central Academy of Drama, the Beijing Film Academy, and the Shanghai Theatre Academy often could not find work. That was hardly even news.

Ma Xun remembered that when Brother Ming graduated, he had not dared ask for payment for his first film.

He had worked on it with Yao Qianyu.

I, Ma Xun, am a conscientious boss.

Add in all the miscellaneous expenses, and if this film cost even a million yuan, that would practically be Ma Xun being robbed!

But Ma Xun had another ingenious calculation in mind.

He had made the matter perfectly clear to Sister Hong.

“Our film may have a small budget, but at the box office, it will definitely beat *Qin Song*!”

After all, the other film was a forty-million-yuan blockbuster.

“But I’m certain we’ll win!”

*Qin Song* had a famous anecdote attached to it.

Its investor was Hong Kong’s Ocean Film Company, whose owner was Chen Zhitao.

There were two brothers in the family.

When Boss Chen invested in the film, he was driving a Mercedes-Benz.

But by the time the film was released, he could only afford to take a Xiali.

In other words, he did not even dare hail a taxi as cheap as a Lada!

He had been utterly ruined.

There was a story behind it, but there was no need to go into it now.

Ma Xun was absolutely certain of victory.

Besides, making this film now offered another hidden advantage.

*Seventeen-Year-Olds Do Not Cry*.

Yes, that television series was their advantage.

Simply put, once the series aired, the three of them would become familiar faces to a great many viewers.

Perhaps they would not become superstars.

But they would certainly accumulate a considerable amount of popularity.

After *Seventeen-Year-Olds Do Not Cry* aired, they could release *Hear Me*.

They would use the series’ momentum to promote the film.

With that combination of moves, Ma Xun estimated conservatively that the film would earn at least five million yuan at the box office, even if it failed to break ten million.

Afterward, there would also be room to profit from the rights and other arrangements.

One had to remember that the original *Hear Me* had not been especially popular domestically.

Overseas, however, it had been a tremendous hit.

South Korea had even remade it in 2024.

The possibilities for exploiting the rights were enormous.

In short, Ma Xun was setting up a business that could only make money and never lose it.

And with a single film, he could win over Sister Hong completely.

Even if she eventually became a great director, that would be a matter for the future.

In other words, in the relationship between Ma Xun and Sister Hong, Ma Xun would unquestionably be the dominant party.

An eighty-twenty split. Hmm... She could be the legal representative.

Ma Xun really was a bit wicked.

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For *Hear Me*, he only needed to find time to write the screenplay.

The rest could be left for Sister Hong to handle.

Of course, they were still in the preparation stage.

*Seventeen-Year-Olds Do Not Cry* was still being filmed.

In another two or three months, production would wrap, and *Hear Me* could begin.

The timing was practically perfect.

For now, Ma Xun would attend to the matters already at hand.

Sun Donghai had called earlier.

Long Wu had arrived.

...

Outside the nightclub.

Ma Xun and Sun Donghai still did not hurry out of the car.

“Brother, about our negotiations this time...”

“Brother, I understand. We’re going to push the price down, right?”

“How do you think we should do that?”

“Well... heh-heh... don’t I have a good brother? I’ll do exactly as you say!”

Sun Donghai looked like a shameless man who had already decided to cling tightly to the strongest connection he could find.

He had no other choice.

What they were about to discuss with Long Wu was, naturally, their future cooperation over the rights.

But after *A Chinese Odyssey* aired on CCTV’s Movie Channel, it achieved an astonishing and entirely unexpected success.

A great many young people were talking about the film, and quite a few newspapers had even begun publishing articles about it.

The movie had truly become a sensation. CCTV’s Movie Channel practically wanted to broadcast it every day.

Their success was, of course, a wonderful thing.

But it also made negotiating a lower price much more difficult.

Who would not understand that?

Long Wu was no fool. He knew perfectly well that they had succeeded.

Sun Donghai had placed all his hopes in Ma Xun.

But did Ma Xun have a way to solve the problem?

“When the time comes, cooperate with me. Do exactly as I say.”

“Yes, sir!”

Sun Donghai even gave him a salute.

Ma Xun could only smile helplessly. Still, there was nothing to do but negotiate.

The two soon entered the nightclub and met Long Wu.

“I knew our cooperation would achieve tremendous success! Ha-ha-ha...”

The laughter of Fifth Brother from Hong Kong was so exuberant that his mouth seemed ready to split all the way to Causeway Bay.

“Of course! Who are we? This was a sure thing from the start!” Sun Donghai joined in enthusiastically.

Ma Xun was naturally delighted as well.

The three men got the conversation off to a lively start.

Laughter rang out without pause.

They even opened a bottle of whisky.

Long Wu’s wife and Ye Quanzhen were not present this time.

They were all men, so they could speak with considerably greater abandon.

And there was more good news to come.

“You two brothers have no idea. That bastard Fan Liu looks absolutely miserable whenever he sees me now. Ha-ha-ha...”

Long Wu was positively ecstatic.

Just as Ma Xun had predicted, it truly was a satisfying feeling.

Since matters had come to this, what about the money from *A Chinese Odyssey*?

“Fan Liu doesn’t even bring up the money anymore. When I say I want to pay him, he refuses. So naturally, I don’t want to pay him either!”

Wonderful!

The deal had directly turned into a cost-free business.

“Fifth Brother, you’re incredible!”

“Fifth Brother, you’re so generous!”

Sun Donghai and Ma Xun had practically transformed into the heads of a praise club.

They praised Fifth Brother until he was floating on air.

Of course, the two of them understood perfectly well that if he was willing to waive the money for this film, he would certainly demand more for the films that followed.

Had the negotiations become more difficult?

Ma Xun began by saying, “Fan Liu will definitely use this opportunity to sell a large number of *A Chinese Odyssey* videotapes on the mainland.”

By now, he was no longer pretending to be a Hong Konger.

Long Wu immediately nodded. “Exactly. That bastard will definitely do that!”

He might be giving up the rights fee, but Fan Liu certainly intended to make money.

The fee they had originally negotiated for the rights had been extremely low.

If Fan Liu demanded that money, he would lose face.

And if word got out, it could affect his stock price.

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After all, you were the chairman of a listed company. If you chased after such a tiny sum, would people not assume you were short of cash?

People should not underestimate news like that. It could genuinely send his shares plunging.

So the smartest course of action for Fan Liu was to forgo the rights fee.

He could then profit by selling videotapes and other audiovisual products.

Now that the film had become a hit, sales of related products would naturally rise as well.

He might even sell bootlegs.

Many people would find it unbelievable that a tycoon who owned the legitimate rights would voluntarily sell pirated copies, but that was actually standard practice in the piracy market.

There was only one reason: it was more profitable.

But there was no need to discuss Fan Liu any further.

They had to turn their attention to their future “cooperation.”

Ma Xun got straight to the point.

“Fifth Brother, we’re planning to acquire five films in one go. Brother Hai and I have already discussed the prices.

“For films released within the past one or two years, we’ll pay one hundred thousand yuan.

“For films released more than three years ago, eighty thousand.

“And for films more than five years old, fifty thousand.”

What?

Sun Donghai was stunned when he heard the offer.

Brother, I wanted you to drive down the price, but this does not count as driving down the price.

This is outright freeloading!

Sun Donghai felt an inexplicable sense of dread.

Long Wu’s expression also changed dramatically.

Fortunately, their previous cooperation had been extremely pleasant.

“Mr. Ma, isn’t the price you’re offering a little too low?”

Too low?

There was no need to rush. Ma Xun would explain it all—properly persuade him.

With a solemn expression, he continued, “Fifth Brother, you should know that the rights to old films are not worth much to begin with.”

Fifth Brother nodded.

That was indeed how the film market worked.

“Actually, in this kind of rights business, our share is only the smaller part. I believe you had already thought of the real prize long ago.

“You want your films from Win’s Entertainment to be released on the mainland, don’t you?”

Although Ma Xun ended with the tone of a question, Long Wu’s eyes immediately lit up.

“Mr. Ma, I knew I couldn’t hide it from you!”

He burst into laughter, and Ma Xun laughed along with him.

Sun Donghai hesitated for a moment before joining in.

Exactly!

The rights to old films were only a small business.

Long Wu had wanted to move north for a long time.

And he certainly was not coming north merely to sell old films.

The rights to new films cost far more.

In fact, new films involved more than just rights fees. There were theatrical releases and many other matters as well.

That sort of business was worth tens of millions.

Sun Donghai finally understood Ma Xun’s methods.

So their next step was to arrange for a new Hong Kong film to be released on the mainland?

He could not help feeling excited.

This was a major business deal.

Ma Xun put it this way:

“According to the latest relevant regulations on the mainland—in other words, the administrative measures introduced in 1993...”

Ma Xun was not making this up. Those “measures” were precisely the foundation that would later allow films such as *The Big Brother* and *Ah Sing’s* movies to enter the mainland market.

Long Wu nodded repeatedly.

Ma Xun then put on his most official expression.

“Mr. Long, Hong Kong will be returning to China next year. So what position will Win’s Entertainment ultimately occupy? Have you thought about that?”

In that instant, Long Wu was shaken.

In truth, Ma Xun had adapted the speech from the scene in *Young and Dangerous 4* where Jiang Tiansheng held a cigar on a yacht.

And then...

He would step onto the stage, take up a microphone, and sing *Entering a New Era*!

The transition had appeared in Ma Xun’s mind completely of its own accord.

And he actually sang rather well.

So what about Long Wu?

“I’ve thought it through! We can be patriots too!”