vstars Chapter 38 First Investment
Chapter 38 First Investment
"You're going to vote? Don't be ridiculous."
Xu Ke is worried about funding; he must make up the two million shortfall before leaving for the mainland.
I'm not in the mood for joking with Tang Long right now.
Xu Ke knew his situation all too well; it was already quite impressive that he could come up with a million.
Huh?
One million doesn't seem like a small amount.
What's more, he has an uncle, Tang Jia, who is wealthy.
Tsui Hark knew he made a profit from the movie "The Blade".
"Director Tsui, I'm not joking. I wrote the script for 'New Dragon Gate Inn,' and naturally I hope the movie can be completed and released smoothly."
"Are you really going to invest this money?" Xu Ke's expression became much more serious.
"Ready to throw."
"I won't ask you where this money came from, but you should know that film investment can be profitable or loss-making."
If you end up losing money, you need to think carefully about the consequences.
"I understand, but I have confidence in you, Director Xu, and I also have confidence in this script."
Even if I lose money, I'll accept it. It's only two million.
"I can make it back by making a few more movies; at worst, I'll work for free for two years."
What he said does make some sense. He's no longer an unknown nobody, and making money is much easier for him now than when he was a stuntman in the Cheng family troupe.
Two million isn't a lot.
If the movie really loses money, I'll give him more gigs once my finances improve.
"Okay, since you're willing to invest these two million, I won't go looking for more investment. The money needs to be in my account before I leave for the mainland."
This saved him a lot of trouble. Despite his success, it wasn't easy for him to get money out of other people's pockets.
Especially considering that "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer" didn't make any money.
Of course, he could eventually get the two million investment by swallowing his pride, but who would be willing to lower themselves like that?
After making the agreement, the two left the film crew together.
Xu Ke even thoughtfully drove him to Taikoo Shing.
Tang Long stared at the direction the car had gone, speechless.
In hindsight, this investment was worthwhile.
The first few years of the 1990s were the most glorious time for Xu Ke. With his connections, his path would be much easier.
Moreover, "New Dragon Gate Inn" was never going to lose money.
The original time-travel movie was released in 1992 and grossed more than HK$21 million at the box office.
Compared to the original, the cast of the current film is not much different.
The only variable might be Tang Long, whose fame is less than that of Leung Ka-fai in 1992.
He won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor for his role in "92 Legendary La Rose Noire".
His starring role in "The Lover" was well-received at the overseas box office, breaking the record for co-production films in France, which earned him a certain degree of international recognition.
However, the competition among martial arts films in 1991 was far less intense than in 1992.
Even if he was a drag on the team, the star power of Xu Ke, Brigitte Lin, and Zhang Manyu still made a strong impression.
Given the quality of the film, it shouldn't be difficult for Tang Long's version of "New Dragon Gate Inn" to gross around 20 million yuan at the box office.
If you can't break even domestically, you can definitely make money overseas.
Although "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer" suffered losses, it was still, like its Hong Kong counterparts,
The film has also sparked heated discussions in Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and other places, and its influence is already growing.
The box office performance of "New Dragon Gate Inn" outside of China is unlikely to be too bad thanks to the hype surrounding the new martial arts genre.
The original film, "New Dragon Gate Inn," grossed over 60 million New Taiwan Dollars in Taiwan alone, which is equivalent to nearly 20 million Hong Kong Dollars.
Of course, the success of a film depends on the right timing, location, and people, not simply on controlling variables.
Who knows, his version of "New Dragon Gate Inn" might be a box office hit, far surpassing the original.
Regardless, Tang Long is confident in the film and willing to take the gamble; even if he loses, he can cover for himself.
The problem now is how he will raise those two million.
The only money he had was the 600,000 yuan profit share from the movie "The Blade" that Tang Jia had given him.
In addition to the HK$500,000 salary for "New Dragon Gate Inn", there is still a shortfall of HK$900,000.
I can only trouble Tang Jia again and ask him to lend it to me first.
Back home, looking at the neatly tidied house, Tang Long knew that Liu Jialing had come to clean it again.
This kind of thoughtful care is quite effective on guys.
Sometimes Tang Long really wanted to just be with her.
But considering that both of them were very career-oriented, they hesitated.
Moreover, if the two of them actually live together, the novelty will wear off quickly, and it might not be as wonderful as it seems.
Isn't this the reason why so many loving couples end up divorcing after marriage?
The two of them are getting along very well now; it's warm and comforting.
After filming for more than a month straight, and in the form of period martial arts dramas, Tang Long felt quite tired when he finally relaxed.
After lying at home for a day, Tang Jia called him the next afternoon to invite him over for New Year's Eve dinner.
In the past, the two families would eat New Year's Eve dinner together, but last year Tang Jia went to Canada, so Tang Long ate alone.
This situation is very common in the south.
As long as the elders are still alive, even if they have married or separated from their families, the whole family will still gather together for New Year's Eve dinner.
Tang Long specially bought a bottle of good wine to take with him.
Compared to Tang Long's loneliness, Tang Jia's family was much more prosperous.
He has two older cousins, but neither of them entered the film and television industry.
One of his cousins became a lawyer and worked at the renowned Law Firm of Lawrence Law, and was also the role model that the original owner's father always talked about in front of him.
One of my cousins works as an electronics engineer in the United States; he's also young and accomplished.
My two cousins are both married and have a total of five children.
Tang Jia was thinking about retiring before he was even sixty, simply because his two sons were successful and had given him five grandchildren to play with.
After the New Year's Eve dinner, my two cousins went to play cards, while my aunt watched TV in the living room with her two daughters-in-law and grandchildren.
Tang Jia led Tang Long to the study; he found it easier to talk to his nephew.
How's the filming of "New Dragon Gate Inn" going?
"Everything is going well. I just wanted to discuss the movie with you, Uncle."
"What is it? Tell me."
Tang Long briefly explained to him his idea of investing in the project "New Dragon Gate Inn" because it lacked funding.
"When do you need the money? Tomorrow is the first day of the Lunar New Year, and the banks are closed. I'll transfer one million to you the day after tomorrow."
Tang Long was taken aback upon hearing this; his uncle was indeed very helpful.
They didn't ask any questions, they just transferred the money.
"Uncle, don't worry. We'll leave for the mainland on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year. As long as the money arrives on the fifth day, that's fine."
"Don't delay. Now that you've made up your mind, let's get this over with as soon as possible."
At nine o'clock, Tang Long said goodbye and left, as he would stay home to celebrate the New Year.
Since there were no other relatives to visit, and I didn't have to travel too much after the New Year, I just went to Cheng Xiaodong and Xu Ke's house to pay my respects.
The day after Tang Jia transferred the money, Tang Long arrived at the film studio.
Nansun Shi had already prepared the contract. After the lawyer reviewed it and found no problems, he signed his name on the contract.
"Mr. Shi, the two million will arrive in your account today."
Shi Nansheng's attitude was noticeably warmer at this point, no longer as businesslike as before.
"Ah Long, isn't Tangde Film Studio your uncle's company? Did Tang Jia and Tang Sheng also invest in it?"
"He didn't invest; he's already transferred the company to my name."
"You young people are really bold. Director Xu thinks highly of you and hopes to work with you more in the future."