Chapter 499 Jane is in the Emperor’s Heart
Yulang Building is ten stories tall and has a construction area of ​​approximately 9,000 square meters.
It doesn't sound big, but for a listed company like Yulang Agency, whose industry is content creation, it's already big.
Before Lam Films moved in, there was still a lot of vacant office space here.
After moving into Yulang Building, Lin's Pictures occupied the ninth and twelfth floors of the building. Tao Yushu set up a special screening room in the northeast corner of the ninth floor.
Along the way, Yu Yuxi and Zhang Yimou were filled with surprise and shock.
Through the greetings of the staff, it was not difficult for the two of them to judge that these people were actually employees of Lin Chaoyang and his wife.
A whole building, hundreds of employees, what is this concept?
The Xi'an Film Studio where Zhang Yimou works is as big as that, and the number of employees is not much greater than here.
But what the two of them were more curious about was the building they were in. They didn't know whether they rented or bought it.
I heard that housing prices in Hong Kong are astonishing, with tens of thousands of Hong Kong dollars per square meter. A building of this size should cost at least tens of millions of Hong Kong dollars, right? Even renting it would cost a lot of money, right?
Although they were full of curiosity and surprise, neither Yu Yuxi nor Zhang Yimou asked about this matter.
After arriving at the screening room, Tao Yushu introduced them to the two old men already waiting here.
"This is director Li Hanxiang, and this is director Wu Siyuan. Both of them are now artistic consultants of Lin's Pictures."
Needless to say, Li Hanxiang has been making money with Lin Chaoyang since the establishment of Lin's Pictures. Wu Siyuan was roped into the chariot of Lin's Pictures this year.
In the past six months, the production volume of Lin's Pictures has increased dramatically. After securing the Freedom Association in October, Tao Yushu hired Li and Wu as company consultants.
Although the two of them have passed their creative peak period, in terms of artistic awareness and creative experience, they are probably a few steps ahead of young directors.
After chatting for a while, the movie started to show.
The story of "Red Sorghum" is set in Gaomi, Shandong during the Anti-Japanese War. It tells the story of my grandmother (Jiu'er) and my grandfather (Yu Zhan'ao) who broke through the feudal shackles and ran a winery together after going through hardships.
But unfortunately, when the Japanese invaded China, my grandfather took his fellow workers to fight against the Japanese. In the end, my grandmother and the wine shop clerk were killed by the Japanese because of this.
The plot of the movie basically restores the novel, and the most intuitive feeling is the strong colors and bold style.
It is more extreme than "Yellow Earth" filmed by Zhang Yimou before.
The shooting technique of "Red Sorghum" is very artistic, and this kind of movie has a slight threshold for ordinary viewers.
But one good thing about Zhang Yimou is that he doesn't like to pretend to be sophisticated like Chen Kaige, so as long as the audience is patient, it is not difficult to watch his movies.
After the movie screening ended, Zhang Yimou looked at Tao Yushu and Lin Chaoyang nervously.
It has been nearly three months since the production of the film was completed. During this period, "Red Sorghum" was screened at Yan Film Studio, Xi Film Studio, Film Bureau and other places.
Both leaders and peers have high evaluations of this movie. These evaluations gave Zhang Yimou great confidence.
But what makes him nervous about today's screening is that Lin Chaoyang and his wife are investors. While satisfying his own artistic pursuits, Zhang Yimou also hopes to satisfy these two bosses who have spent real money.
"Director Li, what do Director Wu think?" Tao Yushu did not comment first, but asked Li Hanxiang and Wu Siyuan for their opinions.
"The photo was taken very well." Li Hanxiang was the first to confirm.
"This movie is different from many mainland movies I have seen before. The contrasting composition is very good and has its own characteristics, which plays a role in promoting the development of the plot.
The movement shots are also very expressive, with restlessness and agitation, emotions and desires all shown.
The most impressive thing is the use of color. I can only say that Yimou is a genius photographer."
Li Hanxiang succinctly talked about what impressed him most about "Red Sorghum". He is the director, and his analysis point of view is from a professional standpoint, not the way ordinary audiences watch movies.
After he finished speaking, Wu Siyuan also added a few words, which were also praised.
The two people's statements made Zhang Yimou feel a little happy. At this time, Tao Yushu said: "What the two directors said is very pertinent. The movie was indeed shot very well, and Yimou put his heart into it!"
Finally receiving Tao Yushu's affirmation, Zhang Yimou was happy and at the same time relieved of his mental burden.
After chatting about movies for a while, Tao Yushu glanced at the time and said, "I'm getting off work soon. I'll meet Yuxi and Yimou tonight. Director Li and Director Wu can join us."
Li Hanxiang and Wu Siyuan agreed with a smile.
The evening banquet was held at Jumbo Seafood Restaurant in Aberdeen. Yu Yuxi and Zhang Yimou were intoxicated watching the night view of Hong Kong.
After chatting during the dinner, the two of them learned that it turned out that Lam's Pictures had recently acquired a listed company in Xiangjiang, which was the Yulang Agency they had seen for a hundred days.
Listening to the figures that easily amounted to hundreds of millions of Hong Kong dollars, the two of them couldn't help but secretly dumbfounded.
They couldn't believe that Lin Chaoyang and his wife had such profound strength.
The next morning, Tao Yushu, Yu and Zhang took a flight to West Berlin.
This year's West Berlin Film Festival coincides with the Chinese New Year, and she has to wait until after the New Year to go back.
Lin Chaoyang stayed in Xiangjiang for a day, met with Zhuang Chongwen, briefly communicated with him about the preparations for the literary award, and then flew back to Yanjing.
Snowflakes are falling and the north wind is blowing.
Lin Chaoyang encountered a rare heavy snowfall in Yanjing on the day he came back. After getting out of the taxi and smelling the biting air, he couldn't help but sniffle.
Looking around, the entire Chang'an Street and even the city of Yanjing are covered in white and white.
Lin Chaoyang carried his luggage and turned from Daliubukou Street to Xiaoliubukou Alley. The footprints he left along the way were soon covered by falling snow.
After knocking on the door, after a while, laughter and the sound of footsteps falling on the snow came from the yard.
The courtyard door opened, and Tao Xiwen, who was already in the third grade of junior high school, stood at the door, with Dongdong following his legs.
"Uncle, you are back!"
"Xiwen has grown taller again!" Lin Chaoyang smiled and greeted Tao Xiwen.
"Dad! Dad!"
Dongdong jumped eagerly for fear of being ignored.
"Uncle, let me get it for you."
Tao Xiwen took over Lin Chaoyang's luggage with great discernment. Lin Chaoyang let him take it and then picked up Dongdong.
First, I took a sip on his face, and then asked, "Have you missed Dad?"
Dongdong, who was already over five years old, still had a chubby face. He answered clearly, "I thought about it!"
Lin Chaoyang asked again: "Where is my sister?"
"My sister is playing with Brother Wu.'
Lin Chaoyang looked at Tao Xiwen curiously, "Where is your sister-in-law?"
Tao Xiwen touched his nose and didn't know how to answer, "I'm in the house."
The words he said were as good as those he had not said, giving off a sense of deja vu that "this matter has nothing to do with me."
Little guy, he is not big, but he is very thoughtful.
Walking into the inner courtyard, Lin Chaoyang saw Tao Xiwu who was taking care of his children in the east wing. He pushed the door in and saw Yan Yan squatting on the ground playing house.
After holding his daughter and kissing her twice, Lin Chaoyang went to look for Tao Yumo.
In fact, there is no need to look for her, she is in the main room, but she is too addicted to games at the moment and has not heard any movement in the courtyard.
It wasn't until Lin Chaoyang pushed the door open that she realized someone had entered the house.
"You are quite dashing!"
Lin Chaoyang's tone was faint, making it difficult to tell whether he was happy or angry.
When she saw him for the first time, Tao Yumo felt guilty subconsciously, but quickly calmed down.
"Brother-in-law, why are you back?"
Lin Chaoyang glanced at her speechlessly, "I can't go back to my house?"
"That's not what I meant. I asked you why you didn't tell me in advance when you came back."
"What are you talking about in advance? So that you can be prepared to destroy the body and eliminate all traces?"
"What do you mean I destroy corpses and eliminate traces! What's wrong with me playing a game?"
Tao Yumo's tone was both aggrieved and a little angry. If you want to find a reference point, it would probably be the drunken uncle of the emperor: I have been fighting for a lifetime, but I still can't enjoy it?
Lin Chaoyang did not answer her words, walked over, turned down the volume of the TV, and began to clean up the melon rinds and paper scraps on the floor.
Tao Yumo still didn't understand that her brother-in-law was trying to irritate her with his actions.
She snorted coldly and muttered: "You are so cool in Xiangjiang!"
Lin Chaoyang smiled and said: "Yes, we are cool, thank you for your hard work."
Feeling guilty, Tao Yumo changed the subject and said, "You're the only one who's back? Where's my sister?"
"Your sister went to West Berlin to attend a film festival. She probably won't be back until after the New Year."
"ah?"
Tao Yumo couldn't hold back the surprise and disappointment in her heart. She didn't care whether her sister could come back for the New Year.
What she was concerned about was that if her sister didn't come back, when would she have to see the two little ones go?
I still have a weekend to work!
Lin Chaoyang guessed her thoughts and joked: "With Xiwen and Xiwu here, what can you say?"
Tao Yumo said without confidence: "I don't understand what you are talking about. I have four children to look after by myself."
"Really? That's really hard work!" Lin Chaoyang joked and asked Tao Xiwen, who was standing at the door, "How much does your sister-in-law pay you two brothers a day?"
Tao Yumo immediately glared at Tao Xiwen, who was too hesitant to speak.
He finally found an opportunity to do "work-study" during the winter vacation, and he cherished it very much.
"Have you thought about it? My uncle plans to take you to Maxim for a big dinner during the Chinese New Year!"
Maxim Western Restaurant, a Western restaurant with a per capita consumption of more than 100 yuan in the 1980s.
Lin Chaoyang's conditions were very tempting. Tao Yumo instinctively had no confidence in his eldest nephew. He was about to give him a wink to tell him to withstand the enemy's sugar-coated bullets, but it was too late.
"Fifty cents!"
Lin Chaoyang chuckled and said to Tao Yumo: "Fifty cents? You are too evil. Is this considered child labor?"
"Why are you hiring child laborers? They are part of a work-study program." Tao Yumo said vehemently, and then gave his eldest nephew a fierce look.
"Brother-in-law, you've been on a plane all day, are you tired? Sit down and have a rest. I'll pour you a cup of tea."
Tao Yumo changed his arrogant attitude and became attentive.
She is not afraid of her brother-in-law, but she is afraid that her brother-in-law will complain to her sister.
After the joke, Lin Chaoyang asked: "Where is Adi?"
When Tao Yumo returned to Yanjing, Tao Yushu specially asked the nanny Adi to come back with her to take care of the two children.
"I went to buy groceries. I'll probably be back soon!'
Not long after the two of them finished talking, Adi came back from shopping for groceries. After eating, the snow outside stopped.
The next day, Lin Chaoyang planned to go to his parents' place to meet the Tao family, but Lin Erchun came first.
When he saw Lin Chaoyang coming back alone, he asked curiously: "Where is the jade book?"
Lin Chaoyang then told Tao Yushu about attending the West Berlin Film Festival. Lin Erchun looked complicated for some reason after hearing this.
"Yushu has worked hard for this family!"
Comrade Erchun sighed unconsciously when he said this, as if he was silently complaining about his son's hard work.
"It's hard for me to write."
Lin Chaoyang's words did not arouse the sympathy of Comrade Erchun. Instead, he looked disgusted, "You have worked hard? I would still believe you if you tightened the point on your chin!"
Lin Chaoyang subconsciously touched his chin. He wasn't fat at all. He even had a jawline.
Lin Erchun didn't know that Lin Chaoyang was back. He came to Xiaoliubukou Hutong to see his grandson and granddaughter.
The child couldn't sit still and said a few words to his grandfather, and then both children ran away to play.
"I heard from Yu Mo that your business in Xiangjiang is quite big. What other companies have you acquired?"
"Yeah. I bought a company to make it bigger and stronger."
"Otherwise, you have to be a college student. Look at you, after graduating from junior high school, you can do nothing but write books."
Um?
Lin Chaoyang was caught off guard by his father's disdain. That's not what you said a few years ago!
"Our family is really blessed to have a daughter-in-law like Yushu!"
That's almost it, I am your son after all!
After understanding Lin Chaoyang's eyes, Comrade Erchun finally stopped talking.
Lin Chaoyang changed the topic to his big business of house leasing. When talking about this topic, Lin Erchun talked eloquently.
In a flash, he has been doing this business for three years, and he has collected nearly 30 courtyard houses in his hands. These courtyard houses are spread all over the four-nine cities, with different sizes and construction years.
If it is placed in future generations, it will be a huge wealth.
Lin Chaoyang really wanted to say to Comrade Erchun, in fact, you are the most profitable one in our family.
In addition to nearly 30 complete courtyard houses, Lin Erchun also owns nearly a hundred bungalows, most of which are located in large courtyards outside the city.
These days, most of the houses are public houses, there are not many private houses, and there are even fewer transactions.
Lin Erchun has been trying hard to acquire houses in the past three years, but he has only saved so many houses.
"What you said just now is right, make it bigger and stronger. I find that the more houses there are, as long as they are well managed, some things will be less troublesome..."
Lin Erchun couldn't help but get excited when he talked about business. This excitement was partly because of the money he made, and partly because he felt that he was always useful and had become a residual talent in the world of Yanjing.
"At least I can make this amount this year——"
Lin Erchun made a gesture towards Lin Chaoyang, and a thumb was missing from his slap: 40,000 yuan.
When he talked about it, he couldn't help but sigh. After working hard in the countryside all his life, he never expected to become a capitalist in Yanjing.
"Dad, 'capitalist' is not popular anymore, we have to call ourselves entrepreneurs."
Lin Erchun is very clear about his position, "What kind of entrepreneur is he? He is just a rent collector."
He added: "Don't tell me, I found that you are not good at work, but you have good taste. Not only can you marry a wife as good as Yushu, but you are also very accurate in reading the market."
"What do you mean?"
"House prices in Yanjing have risen again!"
At this stage, although commercial housing pilot projects have been launched in China, essentially there is no real estate market yet, and welfare housing is still the main source of housing for urban residents.
Lin Erchun said that housing prices in Yanjing have risen again, not from a macro perspective, but from the private housing transactions he has experienced.
Compared with three years ago, private housing transaction prices in Yanjing have increased significantly.
"In the past, how much did a courtyard near the Second Ring Road cost? The cheap one was 3,000 yuan, and the expensive one was 4,000 yuan. It was enough for anything.
Now, if you pay less than five thousand yuan, no one will even look at you.
Throat, according to this method of growth, when will it be the first time?"
In the era when commercial housing was not so popular, the growth of housing prices was the real indicator of marketization. On the contrary, it was the form of later generations where the government provided land and developers operated -
“No matter how high the price increases, in the final analysis there is a market because there are people who need houses.
The people have no money, their wages are low, and the number of private houses is still small, but housing prices are still rising, which shows that housing conditions have not only not improved, but are further deteriorating."
Lin Erchun nodded and gave Lin Chaoyang a rare compliment, "Okay, it's not in vain that I have been taught by Yushu. This knowledge is better than mine."
I thank you!
The next day, Lin Chaoyang planned to go to the mall to buy some new year goods.
There had just been a heavy snowfall and the roads were not easy to drive. When we arrived at the mall, even though he was mentally prepared, Lin Chaoyang still retreated when he saw the thick crowd.
The dual-track system is running in parallel, the economy is overheating, and money is being issued excessively. Since this year, ordinary people have clearly felt the pressure of inflation.
It’s the New Year’s Eve again, and the rush to buy products is naturally more intense than in previous years.
Lin Chaoyang knows that the current rush to buy is already the mildest in the next few years.
He thought for a moment, and instead of wandering around in the mall, he went to the Friendship Store and the Overseas Chinese Store to do some shopping, loaded the car with everything, and then drove to Yanda.
When he arrived at the downstairs of Langrun Lake Apartment, he opened the trunk, carried the things upstairs with his left hand and right hand.
When they met Tao's father and Tao's mother, the two old men couldn't help but ask about Tao Yushu. When they heard that their daughter was now abroad, Tao's mother couldn't help but complain.
"I don't care about anything just to make money. I don't care about my children. I won't go home during the Chinese New Year————"
"Okay! Just come back later, it's not like I won't come back."
Father Tao interrupted her and asked Lin Chaoyang: "Xiwen, how is Xiwu doing at your place?"
"It's good. Now I'm older and sensible, and I know how to look after my younger brothers and sisters."
Tao's mother smiled happily, "It's better than his father's when he was a child. His father knew how to bully his younger brothers and sisters when he was a child."
The uncle who was not present was shot in the knee by an arrow, and Tao's father then became concerned about Lin Chaoyang and his wife's experience in Xiangjiang in the past few months.
After having dinner at Tao's house at noon, he went to the Overseas Chinese Apartment and had a meal with his parents in the evening.
The Spring Festival passed by suddenly, and on the third day of the Lunar New Year, I went to Du's house for dinner. Lin Chaoyang met Du Feng. He had gained weight again compared to the last time they met.
Lin Chaoyang knew that this was probably the result of drinking and socializing, so he advised: "Take it easy, money is not earned in a day, don't ruin your body."
"It's okay. The main thing is that I eat so well and go out to restaurants every day."
Du Feng didn't care much.
In the 1980s, people did not yet think of thinness as beauty. Instead, wealth and abundance were symbols of a prosperous life.
Du Feng excitedly pulled Lin Chaoyang and talked about the clothing city.
Yanjing Asia-Europe Garment City's development momentum in the first year was good, which gave him great confidence. Last year, he invested heavily in replicating two clothing cities in Shanghai and Shijiazhuang.
The model is almost the same as that in Yanjing. The difference is that the style in Shanghai is higher. Du Feng rented a store of nearly 5,000 square meters on Nanjing Road and invested nearly 3 million yuan.
The people in Shanghai are very particular about their accent and are more willing to spend money on clothes than the people in Yanjing.
On the first day of opening of the Shanghai store, sales reached 269,000 yuan, making it an instant hit.
Sales dropped slightly after that, but soon stabilized and continued to rise steadily.
Nine months after it opened, its profit almost equaled that of the Yanjing store.
Compared with the rapid growth of the Shanghai store, the performance of the Shijiazhuang store was mediocre.
"Including the profit of the Shijiazhuang store, we made a total of 20 million yuan last year!" Du Feng said at the end, his eyes shining with pride.
"I plan to open two more stores next year." Du Feng's words were full of ambition.
"Just make your own arrangements."
Du Feng knew that his sister and brother-in-law were engaged in the big business of acquiring listed companies in Xiangjiang, and they looked down upon his small business.
He couldn't help but think about it, "Brother-in-law, what do you think when our clothing city develops and expands, we go to Xiangjiang to sell it?"
"Do you think it is so easy to go public in Hong Kong? Instead of going public in Hong Kong, you would rather go public on the mainland."
"We don't even have a stock exchange, how can we list it?"
"If we don't have it now, it doesn't mean we won't have it in the future." Lin Chaoyang said.
Du Feng looked into Lin Chaoyang's eyes and felt that his brother-in-law's words must not be random. He asked secretly: "Brother-in-law, do you have any inside information?"
"No. I just think that the opening up of the financial sector is also part of reform and opening up.
Du Feng nodded thoughtfully, feeling that what his brother-in-law said made sense.
The next day, Lin Chaoyang went to Wang Meng's house.
Seeing Lin Chaoyang coming to the door with something, Wang Meng joked: "Is this considered bribery?"
"Then you must not answer the call. If you do, I will report you later."
After making a few jokes, Wang Meng asked Lin Chaoyang to sit down and poured him a cup of tea.
Lin Chaoyang came today because of the literature award. He had to talk to Wang Meng about the situation first.
"As for the demands you made, some people will definitely disagree.
The important literary awards held in China have always been led by the Literary and Art Association. According to your statement, the Literary and Art Association has a lot of work to do but has much less power."
Lin Chaoyang took a sip of tea and put down the cup.
"That's wrong. No matter how much life you have, can it be more than the life of the Mao Dun Literature Prize?
In fact, this is still an award led by your Literary and Art Association. I cannot spend too much thought on this kind of literary award, and you will still be the main one in the future.
Nowadays, some comrades feel that they have less power, and simply regard the awarding of awards as a ban on the literary association. They feel that the literary association should have the final say on how to award awards, and Mr. Zhuang only needs to be responsible for paying.
To put it bluntly, it is the arrogance of those in power."
Lin Chaoyang spoke mercilessly, and Wang Meng looked worried, "You are here just to criticize our literary association?"
"If you complain less, I won't say these things."
"Everything has been taken care of for you, why don't you just complain a little bit?"
"You just got the advantage and behaved well. You gave out hundreds of thousands of yuan a year. Why don't you give me some advice?"
The two of them each had their own reasons. After arguing for a while, Wang Mengcai said: "Okay. Anyway, the Cultural Association has agreed to your request. You can go to the Cultural Association in two days and discuss the details with Comrade Cheng and others."
"become."
Lin Chaoyang came here just to talk to Wang Meng. After talking about the awards, Wang Meng became concerned about the couple's development in Xiangjiang.
Asked about the inside story of Lam Films’ acquisition of Yulang Agency.
"Do you still care about this?"
"It's not that I care, it's that someone cares." Wang Meng's eyes seemed to be full of meaning and thought-provoking.
He added, "The development of you and your wife in Xiangjiang has always been the focus of New H Society's comrades in Xiangjiang."
Wang Meng's words can be summed up in four words: Jane is in the heart of the emperor.
Lin Chaoyang explained to him the ins and outs of the acquisition of Yulang Institution. Wang Mengmei asked: "That Li Zhaofu, does he have any requirements for providing you with funds?"
"No. He was ostracized by the Hong Kong government and almost went to jail. Now he has faded away from the world and is no longer involved in worldly affairs."
"This person has made great contributions to Hong Kong's financial industry and is willing to unite Chinese capital and Chinese brokers. He has some sentiments. It is a pity to withdraw like this."
Lin Chaoyang understood what Wang Meng meant by "a pity". The return of Xiangjiang was imminent, and the authorities needed to unite all walks of life in Xiangjiang and control key positions.
"There's nothing I can do. After all, I haven't returned yet, and the Hong Kong government still has the final say. My little arms can't twist my thighs."
Wang Meng asked again: "I heard, how many media outlets does Yulang Organization have?"
"Not bad. There are four companies including "Tian Tian Daily", "Youth" and "Fresh Magazine", and their operating conditions are pretty good. "Tian Tian Daily" is developing particularly well.
When we acquired Yulang Agency, these media were also a very important reason."
Wang Meng smiled, "Why do you think the media is important?'
"The media is the right to speak. When Hong Kong returns, we Chinese people also hope to do our best for the country."
Wang Meng felt that Lin Chaoyang's words were a bit disgusting, so he deliberately said them to him.
"What's that expression on your face?" Lin Chaoyang asked him.
"It's nothing, you two are very thoughtful." Wang Meng gave Lin Chaoyang a rare compliment.
Then he said: "If your company needs funds or help in the future, you can contact several companies..."
Several of the companies mentioned by Wang Meng are state-owned enterprises operating in Xiangjiang. Lin Chaoyang shook his head, "The less contact we have with state-owned enterprises, the better."
Wang Meng pondered for a moment, and understood his concerns, and said: "That's fine. But this way, you and your wife will have to work harder in Xiangjiang."
"Knowing how hard we work, just be polite to me, and I will be your TZ target from now on."
Wang Meng laughed and cursed, "If you say you are fat, you will gasp."
Then he said seriously: "Do your best and don't be burdened with your thoughts. It's best if you can help. It doesn't matter if you can't help. Don't let others get in trouble."
This last sentence is somewhat unprincipled. Wang Meng said it as a friend.
Chapter completed!