The Venice Film Festival was coming to an end, and Deng Guangrong and his entourage, who had come and gone home in high spirits, chose to return to Hong Kong after the first day of the festival's trading day. Those who chose to leave on the same day also included Hou Hsiao-hsien and others from Taiwan.

won the Golden Lion Award, but the movie was cheaper than the two Silver Lion Award winners, and director Hou Xiaoxian was somewhat depressed. Although it is not the first time he has participated in such an international grand prix, he is the main investor in the film "City of Sadness", and he is also the main seller of Taiwanese media tycoon Qiu Fushengli. Previously, the No. 1 Wufa Film Company in West Germany came to the door to buy out, and the price given at the beginning was only RU million German marks, which was equivalent to more than 12 million Taiwan dollars.

However, although this price is not conspicuous in Europe, it is a huge income for Taiwanese films. Since the end of the 70s, Taiwan's local films have completely declined, and five out of ten films that can grossing more than 10 million dollars a year are from the United States and four are from Hong Kong, and only occasionally a locally produced film can win more than 10 million Taiwan dollars at the box office. If it weren't for the fact that the Taiwan Provincial authorities give a certain amount of financial support to movie theater dealers every year, Taiwan's local films would have died long ago under the repeated bombardment of Japanese films, Hong Kong films, and Hollywood films.

Wufa RU 10,000 marks made Qiu Fusheng's heart moved, but he was a businessman in the end, although he was a little unruly, he still talked with Wufa for a few more days, and finally after Wufa raised the price to one million marks, Qiu Fusheng made the decision to sell "City of Sadness".

Although "City of Sadness" is cheap, one million marks is equivalent to 15 million Taiwan dollars, which is not unacceptable. In addition, Qiu Fusheng is still his most important investor, and Hou Hsiao-hsien, a great director of literary films from Taiwan, can only accept the fait accompli with dissatisfaction, and after the two sides signed the transaction procedures, he proposed to return to Taiwan.

Hou Xiaoxian and the others left, and Lin Xiaozhi didn't care. Even Shadow Hero's gang had left Italy, and he didn't really care. It's just that Zhang Manyu didn't show her intention to be attracted to Xinya until she left, which made him a little disappointed, but it also made him sure that I am afraid that some powerful film company contacted her early in the morning. Otherwise, although this beautiful woman who has good acting skills, but is still considered a vase by the Hong Kong film industry, it is impossible for her to sit so firmly in Diaoyutai, just waiting for someone who is tempted by her to come to offer.

Zhang Manyu's departure made Lin Xiaozhi, who could not bring the most award-winning international actress in the Chinese film industry in the future, into a disappointing mood, but his little girlfriend Li Jiaxin was very happy. As soon as she was happy, she even pestered Lin Xiaozhi to accompany her to have another day of fun in Venice, and leisurely went to Venice's golden beach to enjoy an afternoon of sunbathing, obviously in a good mood.

Although Lin Xiaozhi has explained to her many times that she only frequently contacts Zhang Manyu for work, this little woman is still very resistant to Zhang Manyu's existence in her heart. And not only was she very nervous about Lin Xiaozhi's sudden approach to Zhang Manyu, but even Assistant Wu, who had been following Lin Xiaozhi all the time in Xinya Company, and his beautiful secretary Zhou Huimin, she had a feeling of insecurity in her heart. If she wasn't worried that her opening would make Lin Xiaozhi misunderstand her, she would have instigated her man to fire the two women who made her feel very insecure, especially the female secretary of Lin Xiaozhi who was no less beautiful than her, Zhou Huimin.

New Asia is still negotiating with Wufa Film Company and the British distribution giant OD, which suddenly came out of the big trading day in the last few days of the Venice Film Festival. Although Wufa Film Company has raised the price not low, ODNl, as the largest cinema developer and distribution giant in the United Kingdom, and at the same time looking at the whole of Europe and even the world, is also a large cinema operator that can rank in the top 20, and its demand for movies is far greater than that of West German Wufa Film Company, which is mainly engaged in film production and occasional guest distributors, and therefore the price is constantly climbing

According to the latest news from Zheng Fei, who is negotiating with OD, a deputy purchasing director of ODN who is in charge of negotiating with them has raised the price to nearly 00,000 pounds, which is more than twice the price issued by Ukraine. The reason why Lin Xiaozhi is still asking Zheng Fei to talk to ODN again is because ODN not only wants to go to all the European rights of "Friend", but also boasts that Haikou wants to take away its distribution rights in North America.

This made Lin Xiaozhi frown slightly, black humor movies are not small in the North American market, especially in the United States, and they are operating better, and it is not impossible to sell more than one million dollars, so he is a little unwilling. When ODN bought out the film "Old Ranch" from Denmark a few days ago, which was similar to "Cinema Paradiso", the extravagant spending of 1.9 million pounds and only buying its European distribution rights made Lin Xiaozhi have some more expectations in his heart, and he vaguely felt that maybe 00,000 pounds was not the limit of ODN, and they could raise the price a little more.

"Mr. Lin, thank you for your hospitality during this time."

Zhang Yimou and the delegation from the mainland are also leaving, when the Venice Film Festival is the last day, Lin Xiaozhi wandered around the venue and met the sullen old Mouzi, the two who have met in the past week or so have met a few polite words, Lin Xiaozhi invited him into a nearby café, the two just sat down and chatted a few words, and even the waiter didn't have time to bring the coffee over, Zhang Yimou informed him of the news, "We are about to return to China, thanks to your many hospitality during this time, I haven't had time to reply to the invitation, it's a pity, don't be polite to me at this meal today, I'll invite you."

"You're going back so soon, aren't you going to spend a few more days in Venice?"

Lin Xiaozhi smiled: "Director Zhang is polite, everyone is a compatriot when he goes out, not to mention that I also admire Director Zhang's talent very much, just make a friend, what are you polite to me." This Hong Kong is about to return, in the next few years, I can't say that our New Asia Film Company will consider developing to the mainland, when the time comes, if you Director Zhang Da still remember me Lin, when I go to the mainland, please be a guide, take me to taste your authentic Shaanxi cuisine? ”

A meal in Venice is not cheap, and it costs about 50,000 to 100,000 lire for less. The food in a café like the one they are sitting in now is not worth a hundred or two hundred lira and nothing to eat. This amount of money is nothing to Lin Xiaozhi, but in his previous life, he was also born in the mainland after all, and he still has some impressions of the eighties and nineties, and he knows very well that the money for enjoying a meal here is not less than the hard work of many 10,000 households in the mainland for half a year and a few months. Zhang Yimou, who makes movies, may be rich, but he may not be able to afford luxury.

As soon as he said this, Zhang Yimou's face really looked a little better. Lao Mouzi, who has only become popular unexpectedly with a red sorghum film in the past two years, has just realized the transformation from a commoner to a well-off, and is far less wealthy than later generations. Since he accidentally met the owner of this young film company from Hong Kong in St. Mark's Basilica some time ago, although he didn't know why the other party was so polite to him, Zhang Yimou did feel the other party's kindness. In the past two weeks in Venice, Lin Xiaozhi has invited him to dine with him several times, and this is still after he has politely refused many times.

The venue of the Venice Film Festival is so big, there are not many participants from Asia, and the organizing committee also arranged four teams from the mainland, Hong Kong and the mainland together. As a result, Zhang Yimou had the intention to avoid the polite Lin Xiaozhi, and he was blocked many times. At first, Lao Mouzi was still wondering if the other party had any idea of beating him, but later when he inquired, he learned that the other party was from a wealthy family in Hong Kong, and Lin Xiaozhi himself also owned a film company with a large scale. Think about the other party is a billionaire, he Zhang Yimou is just an ordinary filmmaker in the mainland, what idea can the other party beat him.

When chatting with Lin Xiaozhi, I also heard him mention that he also likes to make movies, and he is also the first to talk about movies, and he also has a sense of being taught from time to time. He only thinks that Lin Xiaozhi really admires him very much because of his movie, and his doubts are scattered at the same time.

"Your company is going to develop in the mainland?"

Zhang Yimou was a little surprised when he heard this, he was not ignorant of the current situation on the mainland. In fact, since the storm blew, the entire continent seemed to have been spurned by the whole world, and not only the blockade from Western society almost hit the mainland's economy that had just started in the past ten years of reform. Even in Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, a large number of media have intensively criticized the mainland. Lao Mouzi even had a feeling that the current mainland was like a class enemy in a chaotic period, with hostile eyes everywhere.

Zhang Yimou also heard that Hong Kong is now almost hostile to the mainland as locusts and cockroaches, especially in the entertainment and film circles, such as Mei Yanfang and Shum Jianxun, who have huge influence and appeal like taking the lead in denouncing the mainland, and some mainland filmmakers who came to work in Hong Kong a few years ago have now become scolding and hostile to existence. Not to mention losing his job, he also has to face the hostile gaze of Hong Kong filmmakers. In the midst of the sadness, many mainland filmmakers chose to leave Hong Kong and return to the mainland.

At this time, a Lin Xiaozhi came out to say that he was going to develop on the mainland, and it was no wonder that Zhang Yimou was surprised.

"What's so surprising about this" Lin Xiaozhi said with a smile: "Hong Kong is still a few years away from the return, although mainland films have developed rapidly in recent years, but after all, they have been used as a means of propaganda to develop, and there are still some differences with mainstream films in the world." We in Hong Kong are known as the 'Oriental Hollywood,' and literature may be short-footed, but commercial films are not much worse than American films. I have heard that there are now specialized businessmen in the Pearl River Delta region who have started to buy second-hand video tapes from Hong Kong for resale to the mainland, and I have heard that the demand for video recorders in the mainland has also increased in recent years. Hong Kong has nearly 6 million residents, but 2 to 3 million people have a good habit of watching movies, and the mainland is said to have a population of more than 1 billion, and even if we only develop a tenth of the potential audience of these billion people, it is still a huge market. We at New Asia are committed to becoming a world-class film company, and of course it is impossible to miss the mainland."

"That's right, it's just that Mr. Lin ......" Zhang Yimou hesitated for a moment, almost subconsciously looked left and right, as if there was a pair of invisible eyes staring at him around him, and after a while, he lowered his voice and said: "From the standpoint of a friend, I don't recommend that your company take risks now." Wait, when the storm subsides, it's not too late to make a decision."

The mainland is very chaotic now, to the extent that even filmmakers like Zhang Yimou, who are promoted by the radio and television system, speak very cautiously. Zhang Yimou can remind him a sentence or two, and it can be seen that his deliberate friendship during this period of time has not been for nothing. Lin Xiaozhi smiled when he heard this and didn't talk to him about this topic again, just about to speak, suddenly a report that he had read flashed in his head. He remembered that it seemed that around 89, it was said that it was because of the scandal with Gong Li that his wife went to the Western Film Studio, which made Zhang Yimou, who had always had the best face, disgraced, and was suspended for a period of time by the leadership considering the adverse effects.

It seems that because there is no movie to shoot, and it is a 'big crime' to have an affair in the mainland these years, Lao Mouzi's original image of Wei Guangzheng was notorious because of the exposure of his personal affair with Gong Li, and he had to temporarily leave the mainland to avoid the limelight in Hong Kong. Who knew that after Lu Dao went to Hong Kong, he met Cheng Xiaodong, who was preparing to shoot Li Bihua's novel "Qin Warriors", and had a headache because he needed to go to the mainland for filming. Lao Mouzi is a personal masterpiece, and he saw this opportunity at a glance, so he actively helped Xu Ke Studio Company and Xi'an Film Studio to thread the needle, and finally not only contributed to the filming of "Qin Warriors", but also got the roles of the male and female protagonists of "Qin Warriors" with his scandalous lover Gong Li, and at the same time, Western Film Studio also received millions of Hong Kong dollars in box office dividends because of its manpower and other shares in "Qin Warriors", so Lao Mouzi regained the favor of the senior management of Western Film Studio.

At that moment, his mind became active, "Listening to what you said, it seems that the mainland is indeed too muddy for the time being, and our company should wait and consider developing the mainland market." But Director Zhang, are you interested in coming to Hong Kong to make movies? Movies in the mainland are too literary and artistic, or they are purely for publicity, and it is difficult to make any money. ”

After ......the reform and opening up, under the rapid change of mainland policies, everything is in line with money. One billion people, 900 million businessmen, and 100 million are waiting, this line written by a certain singer in Taiwan is exactly the real scene of the mainland in the first 10 years of reform, which desperately wants to get rich quickly, and Zhang Yimou is naturally not exempt from vulgarity.

Seeing that Zhang Yi's strategy was a little moved, Lin Xiaozhi hurriedly added another fire and said: "It's different here in Hong Kong, a movie that works well, it is a little difficult to sell 20 or 30 million Hong Kong dollars, but it is not difficult to make a few million." ”

Zhang Yimou's directing skills are still good, of course, this purely refers to his directing skills in making literary and artistic movies. When it comes to making commercial films, Hong Kong is not less than what he is good at. However, Lao Mouzi has a dazzling photography technique, and Lin Xiaozhi admires Lin Xiaozhi very much for his investment in "Red Sorghum", which makes him very impressed by the color, influence, and lens capture. Just this photographic skill, let alone looking at Asia, even if you look at Europe and the United States, there are few photographers who are better than him.

For Zhang Yimou, who is eager to become famous, Lin Xiaozhi's temptation is not insignificant, but after a fierce struggle in his heart for a while, he still shook his head and declined: "...... Thank you Mr. Lin for your kindness, and I will have a chance to watch it again in the future."

Lin Xiaozhi was just about to persuade him again, when suddenly the mobile phone that he had temporarily handled here after coming to Venice rang. He could only give Lao Mouzi an apologetic look, and then connected the phone.

"Hey"

He spoke Cantonese, and it was not convenient to handle mobile phone business in Italy, so Lin Xiaozhi still asked the hotel where they stayed to come forward on his behalf to get two numbers, one mobile phone in his hand, and the other in the distribution manager Zheng Fei, and except for the group of New Asia who came to Venice, almost no outsiders knew about his new number.

"Boss, it's over" Sure enough, it was Zheng Fei, his voice was very loud and loud, and as soon as the phone was connected, Zheng Fei couldn't wait to say a word quickly, and he could hear that he was very excited now.

"The ODN side suddenly relented, and they almost agreed to our requests"

"What?"

Lin Xiaozhi's eyes widened in surprise, and then his face was full of joy, "ODN really agreed?" ”

Although Ye Weixin did not win any awards at this year's Venice Film Festival, they all think that at this year's Venice Film Festival, there are not no films with quality above "Friends", but those are pure literary films. There is no film that can balance artistry and commerciality as well as "Friends", and black comedy is still very marketable in Europe. Because of this, Lin Xiaozhi's requirements for "Friend" are not low, and he uses this movie as the first card for New Asia to start its European popularity, so when negotiating with the distributor, he offered a low-priced European distribution right of no less than one million pounds, and since ODN wants to take away the European and American distribution rights, they will not sell it at all without one and a half million pounds.

At the same time, he also made two conditions for Zheng Fei to strive for. For example, getting the contact information of ODN company paves the way for the release of New Asia's later films; The second additional condition of New Asia is that ODN can choose to go to Hong Kong to sign a contract with New Asia.

The first of these is nothing, ODNl, as the largest cinema and distribution company in the UK, has a great demand for films, so naturally it does not mind giving a stable contact to New Asia. But the second article is not easy to say, because Lin Xiaozhi not only has the intention of using European publishers to raise the popularity of New Asia by issuing it at sky-high prices, but also has an attempt to hide in it, that is, he hopes to take the opportunity to sell his "Killer Leon" to the United Kingdom, and chooses to enter the UK by sharing.

This is not an easy task, because foreigners prefer to buy out Hong Kong films at a low price. So far, there are few films in Hong Kong that have enjoyed the box office dividends after the film is released in Europe and the United States, not only because foreigners are unwilling to give a share, but also because they are reluctant to let the old-fashioned foreigners buy out the 'sky-high' price. A buyout fee of one or two million pounds is sometimes impossible to get the distribution rights of a single country for a film in the European and American film circles, but for Hong Kong films, it is a huge amount of money. Golden Harvest's ambitious desire to enjoy huge box office dividends like local American films in the early years was the same, but the low dividends of several films, sometimes even barely able to make investment, and after not making money a few times, even Golden Harvest began to like being bought out and lost the courage to share.

"Killer Leon", Lin Xiaozhi wants to gamble

"Boss, it's true, the buyout fee of 1.65 million pounds, as well as the conditions we proposed, ODN agreed to it all"

Zheng Fei's excited voice came from the mobile phone, and in Zhang Yimou's surprised eyes, Lin Xiaozhi clenched his fists hard, his face was full of excitement and excitement.

The trip to Venice was a complete success