nucmednet Chapter 5 is like a simp.
Chapter 5 is like a simp.
Jiahe, General Manager's Office.
Zou Wenhuai stared at the report, lost in thought.
The first day's sales were 21,000, and the second day's sales were 140,000.
This film, titled "The Painful War," is a montage of numerous documentaries from World War I and World War II. Calling it a "film" is an insult to the art of cinema.
There is no story development or logic to speak of; it is filled with bombing and various military exercises, and it is not even clear who the main character is. It is a chaotic mess where one person finishes their act and another takes the stage.
But it actually succeeded!!
Except for the first day when there was no publicity and the box office was a meager HK$2.1, it skyrocketed to HK$14 on the second day, and by the third day it was comparable to Bruce Lee's "The Big Boss".
however!
The production cost of "The Big Boss" was US$10, which was HK$66 according to last year's exchange rate. It eventually grossed HK$350 million at the box office.
The estimated total box office for "The Devastating War" is HK$320 million, while the production cost is only HK$2000, which is only one-thirty-third of that of "The Big Boss".
Of course, their ultimate commercial value cannot be compared.
Moreover, "The Tragic War" has no copyright to speak of, and Shaw Brothers, Edko Films, and various small theater chains have taken notice and started to edit similar films together.
A week later, as similar films were released one after another, their box office share was divided up, and the final box office was estimated to be only around HK$200 million, which was already a huge profit.
Although the success of this film was incomprehensible to everyone in the industry, including him, it did not prevent Zou Wenhuai from seeing its powerful money-making ability.
However, nowadays they dare not breach the contract!
Knowing that it was a shell company and incapable of effectively supervising the 16 joint cinema chains under Golden Harvest, that bastard hired Howard to compile box office statistics at a high price.
As a merchant bank under HSBC, the "supreme ruler of Hong Kong's economy," the professionalism of the statistics provided by HSBC surpasses that of Golden Harvest, a cinema chain. This move can be described as using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
From borrowing money to edit the film to issuing IOUs for the minimum guarantee fee, and then hiring John Bogle at a high price to calculate the box office, that bastard seemed to have been on guard against Golden Harvest all along, and was not worried at all about the possibility of losses.
In such extreme cases, either the mad dog is willing to gamble with his life, or he is certain that the film will be a success.
Of course, regardless of whether it was a gamble or overconfidence, with the involvement of Walmart, the estimated HK$200 million box office was completely out of reach for Golden Harvest.
As a theater chain, Golden Harvest only dared to bully production companies; how could it dare to challenge HSBC's legal department? Even Shao Daheng was just a rabbit in HSBC's eyes.
Raymond Chow's consideration was not to pocket the money, but to delay the box office settlement as much as possible.
Since the United States announced last year that gold was decoupled from the dollar, asset prices and currencies have been completely unleashed, and deposit and loan interest rates have risen rapidly.
Based on the current one-year deposit interest rate of 5.25%, if the box office really reaches HK$200 million, you can get HK$10.5 in interest income after depositing for one year.
For every day of delay, nearly HK$300 in interest would be credited to his account. Naturally, Chow Wen-huai wanted to keep this money as long as possible, especially since the way to operate wealth through capital is not just about earning interest.
Said Cao Cao, Cao Cao.
A receptionist in a miniskirt knocked on the door, and Chen Guanjiang, carrying snacks, greeted her with a fawning smile: "Uncle Zou! Freshly baked chicken pies, still piping hot..."
"Ah Jiang, you're so kind. Please, have a seat..."
Zou Wenhuai adjusted his glasses and smiled back, "The box office response to 'The Tragic War' is very good! I didn't expect that newsreels could be edited into a gold mine."
"Without you, I wouldn't be where I am today!"
"Oh, not at all, Ah Jiang, you're really something else."
"Sailing on the sea depends on the helmsman, and all things grow by the sun."
“…………”
After a few words of mutual flattery, the atmosphere became awkward.
Zou Wenhuai hadn't expected this kid to be so good at bickering, no less so than a seasoned veteran in the business world. He was as obsequious as a lapdog, practically growing a tail to wag from side to side.
Just a week ago, tensions were high, but as long as interests aren't involved, Zou Wenhuai is Uncle Zou, and Chen Guanjiang is Ah Jiang.
When it comes to one's own benefit, one's own interests are paramount.
Chen Guanjiang had no choice but to break the ice by asking, "Uncle Zou! When will the box office figures for 'The Tragic War' be settled?"
"Ah Jiang! Based on the current box office figures, the film will take at least another twenty days to finish its run. After that, we need to compile the box office figures from 16 cinemas and do repeated calculations to ensure accuracy."
I knew Chen Guanjiang would be anxious for money. There's no company in the world that isn't anxious to get their money back, but I've never seen a company that's so eager for money after only four days of a movie's release.
"How long after the filming ends will the payment be settled? You should at least give me a deadline!"
Chen Guanjiang knew all too well about Golden Harvest's shady dealings. The company was owed box office revenue, and the actors were owed their salaries. Talking about conscience with capital was no different than talking about chastity with a whore.
Zou Wenhuai's smile faded as he said, "After it's finished showing in Hong Kong, it will be released overseas. The release and end-of-screening times are different in different countries and regions..."
Logically speaking, that is indeed the case.
Films that perform exceptionally well at the domestic box office naturally seek to rake in money overseas, especially in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, where the culture is not too different from Hong Kong's, as well as island nations and South Korea, which love martial arts films.
But "The Painful War" is different. Anyone can cut out a lot of footage, change the prefix to sorrow or suffering, and release it to make money. Overseas distribution is just nonsense.
Once the movie is out of theaters and the box office figures are tallied, then there's the haggling with overseas distributors. This whole process takes at least four to six months, and the key point is that this is a legitimate and normal business practice.
"A thousand-year-old fox, stop with the ghost stories..."
Chen Guanjiang chuckled and said, "Huoduoli has already given a minimum box office estimate of HK$200 million. Whether you like it or not, this money will end up in my pocket sooner or later."
"We should still fight for what we can." Zou Wenhuai wanted to keep the money as much as possible.
He can say all that nice stuff, but when it comes to interests, Old Deng's face changes faster than a dog's.
"How about we each take a step back?"
Chen Guanjiang stated firmly, "For HK$100 million, I will sell the copyright of 'The Tragic War' along with its box office revenue to Golden Harvest."
"HKD 100 million?"
With a projected box office of HK$200 million, Chen Guanjiang only asked for HK$100 million, leading Zou Wenhuai to think he was hallucinating.
"right!"
Chen Guanjiang took out the film reel, tore it up, and continued, "This is a token of our sincerity, including box office revenue exceeding HK$100 million."
This era is covered with "thick snow";
This area has "long slopes";
The sooner you get your Snowball Wealth rolling, the higher the returns you'll get.
Without connections or power, it's perfectly normal for people to be bullied.
Rather than complaining or fighting for so-called justice, Chen Guanjiang would rather relinquish some interests and take control of the situation than wait for the uncertainties of six months or a year…