There was nothing strange about the summer season of 1988 for the audience. The theater was still as lively and the film was as exciting.
But for Hong Kong film practitioners, it is an experience that many will never forget.
From August 2nd to September 1st, in the past month, the two movies "Police Story Continuing" and "The Gambler" were stabbed and punched, causing smoke to fill the major theaters in Hong Kong.
In its first week of release, "Police Story 2" was superior and took the lead at the box office.
But starting from the second week, "The Gambler" surpassed "Police Story 2" in the single-day box office for many consecutive days.
This week, "Police Story Continuation" earned HK$11.75 million, a box office drop of less than 30%. The performance was quite solid and in line with the usual standards of Cheng Long, a kung fu superstar.
But compared with the incredible performance of "The Gambler", "Police Story Continuing" seems to be inferior.
The box office of "The Gambler" this week was 12.46 million, a box office drop of less than 20%.
For a commercial film, such a box office decline cannot be described as healthy, it is simply a small miracle.
After the box office data of "The Gambler" was released, it immediately attracted a lot of attention from the Hong Kong film industry.
Everyone knows that this summer's peak showdown in the film industry is not only a competition at the box office, but also a grand ceremony for the coronation of a new king.
The reality is pretty much what everyone thought. In the third week, "The Gambler" continued to gain momentum and grossed 9.41 million at the box office.
"Police Story Continuation" only had a box office of 6.74 million, and the box office gap between the two parties completely widened.
By the time it was released on September 4, "Police Story" had a cumulative box office of HK$36.15 million, while "The Gambler" had a cumulative box office of HK$41.42 million.
At this point, the 1988 summer season, which was the most intense confrontation in the Hong Kong film industry, came to an end, but the aftermath of this battle between dragons and tigers is still in Yanyan.
The enthusiastic audience is talking about how Stephen Chow has reached the top as a king and is unparalleled in the limelight.
The criticism from many film companies continued from the time the two films were released to their release.
Originally, the summer season was a battleground for various film companies in Hong Kong. At this time every year, each film company would come up with their own hit films.
The competition for summer movies is fierce, but there are also a lot of people entering theaters. As long as the quality of the movie is up to standard, it is not difficult to make money, and you might even be able to make a big profit.
But no one expected that this year's summer releases "Police Story 2" and "The Gambler" would perform so fiercely. More than ten films of the same period died on the spot the week they were released.
Even Chow Yun-fat, who is known as the "two-week success", was unable to struggle in this hand-to-hand combat.
"The Young Master" starring him and Anita Mui was released on July 30 and was released on September 2. The final box office reached 13 million, not to mention other films in the same period.
"Police Story 2" and "The Gambler" were like two street tigers, which not only cut off the livelihood of many films in the same period, but also scared major movies to withdraw their films that were originally scheduled to be released in the summer.
It wasn't until half a month after the two films were released that their box office dominance gradually declined, and then some films began to dare to be released.
On the day "The Gambler" was released, Classic Pictures held a grand celebration banquet at the Peninsula Hotel.
Not only were hundreds of film company bosses, stars, directors and others present, but it also attracted dozens of reporters from all over Hong Kong.
To the outside world, Classic Pictures is an independently operated film company, but in the Hong Kong film industry, its background is no secret.
At this celebration banquet, director Wang Jing and leading actor Stephen Chow were the undisputed protagonists. Tao Yushu attended as the boss of a distribution company and received a lot of attention, but she deliberately kept a low profile and did not attract much attention.
When the celebration banquet came to an end, Wang Jing and Zhou Xingchi were invited to a small box. They were both a little drunk because they were so happy today.
"Mrs. Lin!"
Seeing Tao Yushu sitting in the box, Wang Jing and Stephen Chow sobered up a bit from their drunkenness.
Tao Yushu's face was filled with a smile, "Did you have fun today?"
"happy!"
The two of them were indeed very happy today. The movie was a hit, they had gained both fame and fortune, and they were surrounded by stars. How could they not be happy?
But when they were suddenly called into such a small room when they were happy, both of them felt a little unsure, and they didn't even have the confidence to answer.
"Relax! It was a good thing to have you both here."
Listening to Tao Yushu's words, Wang Jing and Stephen Chow felt a little relaxed.
At this time, Wu Meizhen walked into the box and handed two documents to Tao Yushu. The documents were placed on the table, but Tao Yushu did not take them, but pushed them directly towards the two of them.
"Let's take a look!"
Wang Jing and Stephen Chow looked at each other, walked forward, picked up the documents, and suddenly looked surprised.
"Mrs. Lin, this——"
Tao Yushu waved his hand and said with a smile: "Don't worry, you will still receive the dividends. This is an extra gift for you. Wang Jing and Zhou Xingchi each held a house transfer agreement. The transferred house was actually located in Ligende Pavilion.
Not many people know about Tilikantek Pavilion, but many people know about the luxury houses in Mid-Levels. Tiliguntok Pavilion is one of the luxury houses built in Mid-Levels District in the 1980s.
In 1981, when housing prices in Hong Kong were at a low, the price of a Tili Gent House was HK$1,000, but the selling price had already doubled, reaching as high as HK$2,200.
The property that Tao Yushu gave to Wang Jing and Stephen Chow covers an area of ​​2,000 square meters. It is a genuine mansion with a thousand square feet. The market price is as high as more than 4.5 million Hong Kong dollars.
A white-collar worker in Xiangjiang who works all his life without food, drink or money can probably buy a house.
Two such properties cost up to HK$9 million.
Even though Wang Jing is now rich, he was still shocked by Tao Yushu's generosity.
Because Mrs. Lin just said that the dividends will be paid correctly, and the dividends will be added to the house. How much money did he make from this movie?
Wang Jing was dazed for a moment and couldn't quite figure it out.
Stephen Chow on the side is still in a clear spirit, but his heart is also pounding. This is a thousand-foot mansion in the middle of the mountain. "Mrs. Lin, this is too expensive. We have already received dividends!"
After finally calming down the shock and greed in his heart, Wang Jing said, and Zhou Xingchi also echoed, "Yes, Mrs. Lin, we have already received enough dividends."
Tao Yushu said with a smile: "Dividends are a normal reward, and this house is an additional reward. "The Gambler" is the first movie in Hong Kong to have a box office of over 40 million Hong Kong dollars, and it won the title in a competition with Cheng Long's movie
You deserve such a reward."
"The Gambler" was a hit at the box office, and Wong Jing and Stephen Chow received huge dividends, plus two luxury houses worth thousands.
Wong Jing estimates that the money and house they will share will not be less than 18 million Hong Kong dollars, which may account for one-third of the film's overall revenue. This salary is almost the same as that of Cheng Long, and much higher than that of Chow Yun-fat.
Of course, Wang Jing and Zhou Xingchi did not regard money as dirt. Facing Tao Yushu's generous gift, they were excited in their hearts, but they still had to show restraint on their faces.
"Okay! This is the reward for the first movie to break 40 million box office, and it won't be given every time. How much money you can make in the future depends on your own performance."
Tao Yushu asked the two of them to accept the agreement in a strong tone, and told them that after signing the agreement, they would go to Wu Meizhen to go through the transfer procedures tomorrow.
Finally, she stood up and took out two sets of keys and handed them to Wang Jing and Stephen Chow respectively.
"If you have time tonight, you can go check out the house. The night view on the mountain is beautiful!"
Tao Yushu's tone was ordinary, but it revealed a huge temptation that was hard to resist.
That’s a mansion in the middle of the mountain!
Wang Jing is a bit better. His family background was good in his early years. He made money in the past two years and bought a house in Kowloon. Although the price is not comparable to the luxury houses in Mid-Levels, it is still a large house.
Stephen Chow's family was poor when he was a child and he lived in the Kowloon Walled City. It was not until he worked at TVB for two years that he and his mother jointly bought a 500-ton property in Ho Man Tin. The housing conditions were much better than before.
In the past two years, he has made much more money from acting in movies than before. He also planned to buy a big house after making enough money. Unexpectedly, today his boss actually gave him a mansion in the middle of the mountain!
Holding the key in his hand, Zhou Xingchi was in a trance. All kinds of tragic experiences from childhood to adulthood flashed through his mind, and a sense of fantasy that dreams came true suddenly rose in his heart.
"Thank you, Mrs. Lin!" When he said these words, his throat became a little tight.
Tao Yushu nodded, "Go ahead."
Wang Jing and Zhou Xingchi came out of the box and couldn't help but glance at each other again. They both saw a kind of eagerness to try in each other's eyes.
The celebration party was coming to an end, and with an idea in mind, the two of them ran out of the Peninsula Hotel without hesitation.
Stephen Chow did not go to Mid-levels immediately, but took a taxi back to Ho Man Tin.
"Mom! Little sister!"
Stephen Chow broke into the house and woke up his sleeping family, which caused a burst of complaints, but he took the family out of the house regardless.
"Xingzi, where are you taking us so late?" Mother Ling Baoer asked.
"Mom, you will know when the time comes!" Stephen Chow did not answer his mother directly, but kept it secret.
His sister Xingxia's curiosity was aroused and she kept asking questions, but Zhou Xingchi was determined and kept silent all the way.
"Hey! Brother, why are we going further and further away? You don't want to take us to the middle of the mountain to see the moon, do you?" Zhou Xingxia said jokingly to Stephen Chow.
"You'll know when you get there."
Stephen Chow's words still whet people's appetites.
The taxi drove into Alberguet Road, and the mid-level mansions on both sides flickered and disappeared in the night. Garden Terrace, Imperial Garden·
Zhou Xingxia looked out the window, feeling an inexplicable expectation suddenly arise in her heart, and then this expectation turned into fear.
She suddenly stopped talking. She didn't dare to speak or ask, for fear that this might just be a dream of hers.
When the taxi stopped, Stephen Chow got out of the car with his mother and sister. He stood in front of two brightly lit buildings, pointed ahead and said:
"Mom, little sister! From now on, we will live there!"
Building T1, Diligende Court, is a rare super high-rise residential building in Hong Kong today.
In the coastal city of Xiangjiang, the highest altitude of 217 meters allows you to overlook Xiangjiang from any angle.
Ling Baoer and Zhou Xingxia looked in the direction of Zhou Xingchi's finger, as if they were looking at the jade buildings in the sky.
Before they could ask any more questions, they were already pulled upstairs by the impatient Stephen Chow.
The mansion in Liqianchui is very big. Stephen Chow and his family have never lived in such a big house in their lives. The house is empty, without any furniture or appliances, and even the words they speak are echoed.
But this is not the most shocking thing. The family of three walked around the house, and Stephen Chow turned off the lights.
I pulled my mother and sister to the floor-to-ceiling window.
Xiangjiang in the night is like a stunning beauty dressed in light gauze. She appears seductively before your eyes, arousing the deepest desires in people's hearts.
High-rise buildings are lined up in rows, glowing with colorful colors. The red is warm, the blue is deep, and the yellow is brilliant. The interweaving of lights of various colors makes the whole city seem like a city that never sleeps.
The lights on bridges and roads outline bright jade belts, and the traffic is busy and the flow is endless.
There are dots of lights on the sea further away, which are cargo ships and cruise ships entering and leaving the port. They are driving slowly on the sea, looming, adding a different kind of tranquility and tranquility to the lively night scene in front of you.
"Wow! This is the night view seen from the middle of the mountain!" Zhou Xingxia's face was pressed tightly against the glass, as if she was looking at the world in a dream.
Stephen Chow understands his sister's inner shock very well. Looking down from this mid-level mansion, you can have a panoramic view of the entire night view of Hong Kong.
It is a kind of extreme prosperity and splendor, which makes people deeply attracted by the charm of this city, as if they are in a dream-like world, intoxicated by the bright lights and endless hustle and bustle.
After a brief shock, his mother Ling Baoer finally asked: "Xingzi, did you buy this house?
How much did it cost?"
Now that his son has become a big star and is earning more and more money, it is completely acceptable for Ling Baoer to buy a luxury house, but he may have to repay the loan.
Stephen Chow shook his head, "I didn't buy it, it was a gift from my boss."
"Sent?"
His sister Zhou Xingxia burst out with a sharp voice, her tone full of disbelief, and even his mother Ling Baoer looked at him in surprise.
"The Gambling Man was a huge success and became the first local film to have a box office of over HK$40 million. The boss said he would give me a reward, and the director also had a plan."
Ling Baoer and Zhou Xingxia were so shocked by this huge surprise that they couldn't react for a moment. After a while, Zhou Xingxia exclaimed:
"Brother, isn't your boss too generous? A house this big should cost at least three million, right?"
"More than that, I want 4.5 million." Stephen Chow has always wanted to change his house, so he is very concerned about housing prices. After listening to his sister's words, he blurted out the answer.
"4.5 million? I'll give it away if I say so!"
Zhou Xingxia's words expressed the feelings of her mother, Ling Baoer.
She still remembers that two years ago, her son suddenly ran home one day and said that he had signed a contract with a film company.
I'm going to act in a movie.
At that time, Ling Baoer thought that her son was telling lies. He used to be a host at TVB and often talked about acting in TV series. But when the TV series was broadcast, Ling Baoer searched around and found no sign of his son.
But what happened later made Ling Baoer unexpected, and her son actually acted in a movie.
From the third male lead to the first male lead, from obscurity to being famous all over Hong Kong.
In just two years, his son became the most popular movie star in Hong Kong. Ling Baoer still feels like he is dreaming about it.
She looked at the big house in front of her, feeling a mixture of surprise and relief in her heart, and finally said: "Xingzi, you have found a good boss!"
Stephen Chow nodded heartily.
The bustling summer season is over, and Lam Films has gained a comparative advantage in the head-to-head competition with Golden Harvest.
It is tantamount to declaring its own strength to the entire Hong Kong film industry and establishing its dominance in the film industry.
But this dominance is not yet stable, and Lam Pictures still has more things to do.
For example, creating more high-quality projects, expanding its own distribution channels, and strengthening international cooperation-
Every job requires huge time, energy and capital costs, but Tao Yushu enjoys it and even has the energy to take care of the management and development of Yulang Institution.
In mid-September, Yulang Agency announced that it had reached a strategic agreement with Huacheng Publishing House in the Mainland.
Starting from November, classic works such as "Dragon Tiger Gate", "Chinese Heroes", "Tathagata Palm" and "Drunken Master" by Yulang Agency will be successively published in the "Manhua King" magazine published by Huacheng Publishing House. "Manhua King" is the first magazine in the Mainland
A semi-monthly comic magazine.
In addition to its works appearing in mainland comic magazines, these works will also be published in the mainland market in the form of single volumes in the future.
As soon as the news came out, the stock price of Yulang Institution rose.
In the capital market, the most important thing for a listed company is not how good its performance is, but how good it is at telling stories.
Yulang Agency obviously knows what it means.
In the minds of many people in Hong Kong, the mainland's economy is backward and not a high-quality market.
But in the eyes of capital, what they see is a vast market with a population of one billion.
In such a populous country, even if only one thousandth of the population reads the comic works of Yulang Agency, that is an audience and sales of one million copies!
Such a scale can never be achieved solely relying on the Xiangjiang market.
Therefore, from a capital perspective, no one dares to underestimate the mainland's market potential, even if its economy is not currently developed.
The good news of reaching a strategic agreement with a mainland publishing house has been digested for nearly a week. The stock price of Yulang Institution has risen by more than 50%, with a market value approaching 1.6 billion Hong Kong dollars. It is getting closer and closer to returning to its peak.
On Friday night, Tao Yushu ordered a late-night snack for the employees who were still working overtime at their work stations, and then she walked out of Yulang Building amidst cheers from the employees.
The black Mercedes-Benz was parked downstairs of the company, and the driver Xu Weiguo was already standing in front of the car door waiting.
After getting in the car, Xu Weiguo gently closed the door and returned to the driver's seat. After a few seconds, the car started smoothly.
Tao Yushu's eyes wandered on the street for a while, and he asked suddenly: "Xiao Xu, haven't you been home for half a year?"
"Yes, Mr. Tao." Xu Weiguo replied meticulously.
"Missing home?"
Xu Weiguo hesitated for a moment, "I don't want to, I don't want to either."
Tao Yushu said nothing, waiting for his explanation.
"I grew up in Shandong and stayed in Yanjing for eight years. It's hard to leave my hometown.
People have to live, and thanks to you, I can now earn more in one month in Xiangjiang than I did in my hometown for three years. Life at home is much better than it was back then.
If you ask me to go back now, I will definitely not go back."
Listening to Xu Weiguo's words, Tao Yushu chuckled. She liked this feeling of bringing hope to other people's lives.
"Have you ever thought about bringing your parents, wife and children to Xiangjiang?"
Xu Weiguo laughed and said: "How dare you think about it! The housing prices in Xiangjiang are too expensive."
Xu Weiguo is nominally Tao Yushu's driver, but actually also works as a bodyguard. His monthly salary is 15,000, which is far higher than the average white-collar worker in Xiangjiang.
"If you like it for a few years, you can make a down payment first." Tao Yushu suggested.
"You are right. But for me, Xiangjiang is not home after all."
Hearing what Xu Weiguo said, a complicated look flashed in Tao Yushu's eyes.
"Yes, Xiangjiang is not home after all!"
Back home, Tao Yushu was in a low mood. Lin Chaoyang thought she was tired and urged her to take a bath and go to bed.
Tao Yushu stopped him, "I have something to do today."
"What's up?"
"Today Yu Ye Zhanhua from the Youth Chamber of Commerce came to me. She said that this year's top ten outstanding young people will be selected soon.
She wanted to nominate me."
Youth Chamber of Commerce, the International Youth Chamber of Commerce, Yu Ye Zhanhua is the president of the Hong Kong Federation.
The International Youth Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit youth organization established in the early 20th century with the purpose of cultivating young leaders and entrepreneurs around the world.
It is one of the largest youth leadership organizations in the world and works closely with many international organizations including the United Nations Economic and Social Council and UNESCO.
"Isn't this a good thing?"
"Overall, it's a good thing. But she means that I need to join the Youth Chamber of Commerce and the Hong Kong Women's Association first before things can progress."
Lin Chaoyang pondered slightly, Yu Ye Zhanhua's request is understandable, who doesn't want to nominate one of their own!
"You don't want to?"
Tao Yushu hesitated and said, "It's just that I haven't overcome the hurdle in my heart. I used to think that it would be good to just have an identity and do business with peace of mind, but this year there have been more and more invitations to such organizations and activities."
Lin Chaoyang understood the thread in Tao Yushu's heart. She had always been proud of being a Chinese with upright roots.
There is some resistance to the contact between the Hong Kong government and official organizations. "This kind of thing is the icing on the cake, it depends on you. I personally think that joining is still beneficial, not only to better integrate into the business society of Hong Kong, but also for the domestic government."
Happy to see it come to fruition.”
Tao Yushu thought for a while and understood what he meant. This was the "TZ value" that Lin Chaoyang's friends often joked about when he was in the mainland.
"I'll think about it again."
Lin Chaoyang joked: "I want to be named one of the 'Top Ten Outstanding Young People' but I haven't had the chance yet. Now that someone wants to nominate you, you still don't cherish it."
Tao Yushu rolled her eyes at him, "Do you think they never thought of nominating you?"
"What's the meaning?"
"The Youth Chamber of Commerce has really considered nominating you. After all, you won the Renault Literary Award last year and brought glory to Hong Kong!
Unfortunately, when I checked later, I found that you were just a sojourner, and then they thought of me."
"Hong Kong's Ten Outstanding Young People" is an event organized by the Youth Chamber of Commerce in 1970 to commend young people with outstanding achievements and contributions to society.
Nominally, all young people in Hong Kong between the ages of 20 and 40 can run for election, but most of the time candidates for outstanding youth are monopolized by political, business, cultural and sports figures. Xu Guanwen won this honor in 1977.
Lin Chaoyang has won international literary awards. If he is really from Hong Kong, he definitely deserves the status of an outstanding youth.
He said proudly: "So you still have something to do with me? Tell me, how can you thank me?"
The topic changed in an unnoticed moment, with charming eyes and a heated atmosphere.
In the quiet of the night, in the bedroom, a groan-like sigh came out: These long legs are killing me!
Early the next morning, Lin Chaoyang drank a large glass of milk. Xiao Dongdong, who was worried that he couldn't drink the milk, handed him his share.
"Dad, drink it."
"Why don't you drink?"
"I'm afraid, Dad, you're not enough."
Dongdong's casual excuse made Lin Chaoyang suspect that this kid was thinking about himself.
After looking at his son's innocent look that day, Lin Chaoyang decided not to argue with him and drank half a glass of milk for him.
After breakfast, Tao Yushu went out radiantly. Lin Chaoyang's persuasion last night was very effective.
A few days later, Tao Yushu officially joined the International Youth Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong General Association and the Hong Kong Women's Association.
She now controls one of the largest film companies in Hong Kong, and also controls a listed company with a market value of more than one billion. Her wealth and influence are far beyond ordinary people. Joining these organizations is simply a piece of cake.
After joining an organization, it is natural to attend events.
Before National Day, the Youth Chamber of Commerce held an event at the Four Seasons Hotel, and Yu Ye Zhanhua asked Tao Yushu to attend no matter what.
This year's Outstanding Youth Selection is about to begin, and this event is somewhat of a canvassing exercise.
Tao Yushu didn't like such an occasion very much, but she had to go through the cutscenes. Fortunately, Lin Chaoyang was with her.
The purpose of most social activities is to socialize, and the same is true for the activities of the Youth Chamber of Commerce. There were nearly a hundred guests, both men and women, all in their thirties and forties. There were very few young people in their twenties.
.
This situation is understandable when you think about it. Although the Qing Chamber of Commerce has the word "青" in it, the word "business" is equally important.
There are very few people who start from scratch at this age, and those who rely on family influence often don't like such activities.
Lin Chaoyang accompanied Tao Yushu to the event, and met a few young people with whom he could make friends.
For example, Huo Dongge's eldest son Huo Zhenting, who is better known as Jingjing's father-in-law, and Zhuang Chongwen's eldest son Zhuang Shaoliang.
Tao Yushu was dragged to socialize by Yu Ye Zhanhua, and Lin Chaoyang stood chatting with Huo Zhenting and Zhuang Shaoliang.
His net worth is far less than that of Huo and Zhuang, but neither Huo Zhenting nor Zhuang Shaoliang dare to neglect him.
On the contrary, it is taken very seriously.
Ordinary writers Huo Zhenting and Zhuang Shaoliang looked down upon them, but at Lin Chaoyang's level, he seemed to be expected to become the founder of a country's literary world in a few decades, and it was said that Lin Chaoyang had a lot of connections in the court.
Of course, you should make friends with such a person.
"Mrs. Lin is so gentle and generous, but also smart and capable. Mr. Lin is so lucky!'
"Brother Zhenting, you're welcome. There is an old saying that fools are blessed, and that probably refers to people like me."
Lin Chaoyang laughed and looked harmless.
Zhuang Shaoliang watched Lin Chaoyang and Huo Zhenting chatting and laughing, smiling with his face, but sighing in his heart.
Who would have thought that this gentle and elegant young man from Mainland China would emerge from the stock market crash and plan to swallow up a listed company like Yulang Institution?
Zhuang Shaoliang was born into a wealthy family. Even if he had family support, he would never dare to easily start such a cruel business battle.
"Is this Lin Sheng?"
Chapter completed!