Xu Wangqiu was not polite, and sat down directly. The tea set that Shaw is using is a purple clay pot, although Xu Wangqiu does not understand, but the shape of the purple clay pot in front of him is very unique, the body of the pot is a hexagonal shape, the abdomen gradually converges into a six-petal rib round mouth, and the lid of the pot is also a six-petal round strip decoration of daffodils, which is consistent with the ribs of the body of the pot.

Run Run Shaw picked up a teacup, scalded it with boiling water, then picked up the purple clay pot and poured a cup. He put the cup on the tea offer and sent the tea to Xu Wangqiu: "How about you taste this tea." ”

Xu Wangqiu took the teacup with both hands, sniffed it lightly with his nose, only to feel the fragrance in his nose, which made people feel refreshed, took a sip, and praised sincerely: "Although I don't know much about tea, this tea is definitely a good tea." Just let me, a person who doesn't know the tea ceremony, drink it, and it will inevitably be suspected of burning the qin and boiling the crane. ”

Hearing this, Run Run Shaw smiled and said, "Mr. Xu is modest. Mr. Xu may not be particularly proficient in the tea ceremony, but he is definitely not a person who does not understand. People who really don't understand the tea ceremony won't take cups like you, let alone take small sips like you. Instead, he picked up the cup and drank it all in one gulp, as if he were drinking. Once I invited Sammo Hung to tea, he drank it all in one gulp, and said to me, Uncle Six, your cup is too small, it's too unpleasant to drink like this!"

Xu Wangqiu laughed when he heard this: "This Sammo Hung has an interesting person. ”

After chatting a few words, Run Run Shaw looked at Xu Wangqiu and said: "Although our Shaw Brothers joined the Freedom Association and belong to Youpai Company in the eyes of many people, I still admire Changfeng Xinren very much, and they have a good relationship with Liao Yiyuan." In the past ten years, Changfengxin has declined due to various reasons, and it is rare to see Changfengxin's movies, and now Changfengxin has become a silver capital and has begun to rise again, I am happy for Liao Yiyuan and them. I've heard people say that the silver capital is rising again, and you are the biggest contributor. ”

Xu Wangqiu waved his hand and said modestly: "I just made a small effort, the rise of the silver capital is mainly backed by the mainland and the huge market of one billion people. For the film industry, the most important thing is not the output, nor the quality, but the market size. As long as there is a large enough market, the low level can become high, and the low output can become more, and eventually the film industry will definitely rise. ”

Shaw couldn't help but be impressed by Xu Wangqiu when he heard this, this young man is really not simple, he saw the problem very thoroughly, and he saw the core at once, he said seemingly casually: "I don't know what Mr. Xu thinks of Xiangjiang movies." ”

Xu Wangqiu said lightly: "The rise of Xiangjiang films is a historical accident, and the decline of Xiangjiang films is a historical inevitability. ”

Run Run Shaw was not surprised, and asked, "Why do you say that? Now the box office of movies is rising year by year, and the box office records of movies are constantly being broken, and many people say that this is the best era of Xiangjiang movies. ”

Xu Wangqiu said lightly: "You are an expert in Xiangjiang films, you should know that the quality of Xiangjiang movies is not as good as Dongying, and it cannot be compared with Hollywood, but due to the crimes committed by Dongying in World War II, in the entire East and Southeast Asian regions, Dongying movies cannot be released, Hollywood can enter, but the focus of Hollywood's efforts is in Europe." In countries and regions such as South Korea and Malaysia, even if they can make movies, the production level is very low, and it can be said that the entire region is in a blank state. In addition, these countries and regions have many Chinese audiences, or are deeply influenced by Chinese culture, so Heung Kong Films easily occupies these markets.

However, after Hollywood films completely conquer Europe, they will definitely make efforts in East Asia and Southeast Asia. If you've invested in Hollywood movies, you should know the level of Hollywood movies now. In front of Hollywood blockbusters, Xiangjiang Movies does not have much competitiveness. And with the rise of the economies of East Asian countries and regions, the government will also protect local films and carry out the present for overseas films. The market that Xiangjiang Films occupies now will be lost one by one in the future. The Heung Kong market will only get smaller and smaller, not bigger and bigger, and in the end, only Heung Kong itself remains. And at that time, there was no difference between a Xiangjiang movie and a dead one. ”

Run Run Shaw sighed slightly in his heart, in recent years, Xiangjiang films have developed well, but the overseas market has been shrinking, but he did not reveal his thoughts, and said with a smile: "You seem to have forgotten the mainland." Now that China and Britain are negotiating, the return of Hong Kong has become the trend of the times, and after the return of Hong Kong, everyone will be a family. Hong Kong Films will be able to enter the mainland market. The mainland has a population of one billion, and Heung Kong Films should have better possibilities by relying on the mainland market. ”

Xu Wangqiu smiled faintly: "In the sixties and seventies, Shaw Brothers movies dominated the Xiangjiang market, but now Shaw Brothers movies are not very popular in Xiangjiang. Because Shaw Brothers makes Chinese films, and most of them tell ancient Chinese stories. This genre is appealing to older audiences, but not to younger audiences. Most of the current audiences were born and raised in Xiangjiang, and they don't have much affection for the mainland, they are not interested in ancient China, they want to see the local stories of Xiangjiang, and they want to see the people and things they are familiar with.

The same is true in the mainland, where the standard of entertainment films is relatively low in the current year, and Hong Kong movies will be very popular in the next decade or so. However, with the rise of the mainland economy, with the improvement of the standard of mainland films. Domestic audiences will inevitably turn to their own movies, because Xiangjiang movies are all about Xiangjiang and talk about life in Xiangjiang, which is definitely not as attractive as the people and things around them. Therefore, Xiangjiang films will definitely be marginalized in the mainland, which is a historical inevitability. ”

Fang Yihua said: "Director Xiangjiang can also shoot mainland themes and movies that mainland audiences like to see." ”

Xu Wangqiu shook his head lightly and said: "Impossible, directors of Xiangjiang grew up in the cultural circle of Xiangjiang, they don't understand the culture of the mainland at all, and it is difficult to make movies that mainland audiences like to see." Isn't the same true for Shaw Brothers? There are many excellent directors in Shaw Brothers, such as Zhang Che and Li Hanxiang, and so on, so why don't they switch to making local themes in Hong Kong? Because they grew up in the mainland, they can't shoot the current Xiangjiang society at all.

More importantly, many people in Xiangjiang look down on the mainland, like you who come to Xiangjiang from the mainland, but many directors who were born in Xiangjiang and grew up in Xiangjiang will have a sense of superiority and look down on the mainland when facing the mainland. I am also a bit of a famous person in the film industry, I have been to many countries and regions, and I have always been more respected. But today in your Shaw Brothers, one of your security guards pointed to my nose and said, "Mainlanders are not qualified, and mainlanders are spitting......"

When Run Run Shaw heard this, he hurriedly said: "It's because we didn't discipline our subordinates well, and I ask Mr. Xu to forgive me a lot." He turned his head to Yihua and said, "Has anyone dealt with it?" ”

Fang Yihua nodded and said, "I've been expelled." ”

Xu Wangqiu waved his hand and said, "I'm not trying to pursue anything. Just from this incident, we can see the mentality of Xiangjiang people. I'm a well-known director, but a mere security guard dares to treat me like this, and I have such a strong sense of superiority, and others can imagine it. Most of these young directors who were born and raised in Xiangjiang look down on the mainland, and if the Xiangjiang film collapses, they will not think of developing in the mainland, but going to Hollywood, Dongying, and even South Korea. Only when all roads are blocked will they think about developing in the hinterland. However, they are still arrogant in their hearts, they look down on the mainland, and they also look down on the mainland audience, and it is difficult for them to make movies that the mainland audience likes to see. ”

Xu Wangqiu said that it was a fact, the last generation of Xiangjiang films collapsed in the late 90s, and famous directors, such as Xu Ke, Wu Yusen, Chen Kexin and others, chose to go to Hollywood for development, while those who were less famous went to Dongying and South Korea for development. When they were swept away by these markets, they were turned to the mainland.

Yu Dong once said: "After the financial crisis, a group of Xiangjiang directors went to South Korea to co-produce with South Korea, but the Korean market and Korean directors got up and beat them out; Now, mainland movies are up, and these directors have come to the mainland. Therefore, Yu Dong compared Xiangjiang filmmakers to nomads, living in pursuit of water and grass.

Xu Wangqiu has the same point of view, he can cooperate with these Xiangjiang filmmakers, but he will not see them as his own. Because he knows that if the mainland market collapses one day, these people will not be like themselves, trying to save the market, and desperately trying to pull mainland movies out of the quagmire, but turn around and leave, and go to another place with abundant water and grass.

Run Run Shaw fell silent after listening to Xu Wangqiu's words, he knew that what Xu Wangqiu said was the truth. After a while, he stared into Xu Wangqiu's eyes and said slowly: "Our Shaw Brothers are different, our directors and staff are all from the mainland. Is it possible for Shaw Brothers to enter the mainland market on a large scale in the future?"

"I'm afraid it's hard. Xu Wangqiu took a sip of the teacup and said with a smile, "Britain leased Xiangjiang for a period of ninety-nine years. If Hong Kong wants to return, it should be in 1997. Before the return of Hong Kong, it is impossible for the mainland market to be truly open to Hong Kong. Because we have to protect our own films, it is impossible to release Hong Kong films into the mainland on a large scale, even if they are co-productions. Shaw Brothers films are too old-fashioned in terms of subject matter and shooting techniques, and even if they are co-produced, it is difficult to become the first choice. ”

Xu Wangqiu chatted with Run Run Shaw for a long time, talking about movies and the future of films, about the Hong Kong market, about the mainland market, and about Hollywood...... The two have different backgrounds and a huge age gap, but they are both people who love movies. talked about the movie endlessly, and I felt a little like I wanted to see it.

In the evening, Run Run Shaw asked Xu Wangqiu to go to the famous Fulinmen in Xiangjiang to eat shark fin. The meal was eaten until nine o'clock in the evening. Then Run Run Shaw asked the driver to drive and sent Xu Wangqiu back to Yindu.

After returning to the villa, Shaw sat on a chair and let out a long sigh: "If we can enter the mainland on a large scale, it is possible for Shaw Brothers to recover the decline, but now it seems that it is impossible." We have reached the point where we have to make a choice, and Shaw Brothers and TVB can only choose one. ”

Shaw has discussed this issue with Fang Yihua many times, Shaw Brothers and TVB are a pair of contradictions, and if Shaw Brothers wants to reverse the decline, they must change the current system, give celebrities high salaries and dividends like Golden Harvest. But in this way, it will inevitably greatly increase the cost of TV dramas and have a serious impact on TVB. If the current system continues, TVB will be able to achieve excellent development, while Shaw Brothers will not be able to attract enough talents, and it will not be able to beat companies such as Golden Harvest at all. After the export company launched the co-production policy, Run Run Shaw once saw hope, but after communicating with Xu Wangqiu, this hope was dashed.

Fang Yihua stared at Shao Yifu and asked softly, "Have you already decided?"

Run Run Shaw sighed softly and said: "No one is good for a thousand days, and no flower is red for a hundred days." I have been in the film industry for more than ten years, I have been beautiful, I have also been lost, there is nothing to regret, it is time to quit!"