[Chapter 775: Wild Growth]
The happy days always seemed too short. Despite the reluctance, Suzuki could only temporarily say goodbye to his two daughters.
The kids needed to spend some time with their grandparents. Well, what William White could manage was about that much.
What? Just a jerk.
Well, no need to explain. The world was like that; kind people often got deceived. Honest folk tended to be bullied.
As long as one wasn't deceived or bullied, what was the big deal about a little gossip? After all, William White had pretty thick skin.
Although Suzuki's parents weren't fond of this guy, they adored the two little girls. So, it was a good idea for the kids to spend more time with them. Japan did have its merits; they excelled at managing details.
William White had already spoiled his two daughters. It wouldn't hurt for them to learn a little discipline here; after all, tomboys could be really trying.
...
The plane landed at South Bay Airport in Hong Kong. Although it was a new airport, it didn't seem particularly impressive.
"Sir, we've settled everything. You can sign the contract anytime."
"Good, thanks for your hard work, Filson."
"Sir, let me introduce you. This is the big guy from South Bay, and this is..."
The man in front of them wasn't unfamiliar to South Bay. With the popularity of VCDs and VCRs, William White was quite famous there.
After all, his movies and those few songs were still popular in China. Add to that his status as the world's richest man, it was hard not to know him.
"Sir, someone just told me good news. They'll be allocating ten movie quotas each year, based on revenue sharing."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course! However, some issues can't be resolved. I went out a couple of days ago, and still no solution for the game cartridges and VCDs."
"Ugh, since we're developing the economy, it's tough. Besides, in the initial accumulation of capital, no one is truly clean."
Filson understood what the boss meant. Plundering resources and selling slaves is what Europe does. Otherwise, how can you become the center of the world?
You must know, without this capital, how could one industrialize? Without industrialization, how could any country ever open its doors?
...
Since they had finalized the investment, dinner was naturally quite relaxed. As for other activities, there really weren't any; it wasn't like they were individual business owners taking the whole crew out for a feast.
"Window of the World? Sounds interesting, are they already open?"
"Almost! Just a few more months, but they're getting close."
"Alright, let's go see it today."
The accompanying big shots couldn't quite understand. With such a big mobile phone factory, the guy didn't seem to care at all. Yet, he seemed to hold great hopes for this Window of the World.
Of course, William White was optimistic. In the coming years, China would be busy building amusement parks -- not just European castles but water parks as well.
As for the outcome, it was certainly going to be quite tragic. In William White's memory, the only attraction that managed to operate successfully was the Window of the World.
Theme parks really weren't all that entertaining, especially when you were gouging tourists. Even in China, with its large population, there weren't that many fools.
"Disney theme park? No, not yet, but will definitely come in the future."
Disney's investments were quite substantial, starting at a minimum of a billion dollars. Even if they came now, there'd be no supporting facilities.
Moreover, the GDP from service and entertainment industries was quite low in China at that moment.
...
[Chapter 776: Hong Kong Movies]
"Raymond, your company is nearly going public, right? Why are you still chasing around here in South Bay?"
"Haha, William is joking. It's just a minor affair; we'll be going public around the end of the year."
The crossing was clearly close by, yet this guy insisted on taking a yacht across the sea. Alright, a billionaire certainly had to keep up appearances.
"Raymond, I've heard others say it's the golden decade for Hong Kong movies. Do you have any big plans for this year?"
"To be honest, I'm a bit embarrassed. I really don't understand today's movies anymore. It's all about speed. A simple outline with just a few dozen words and these guys are ready to shoot.
The craziest part is that there are still plenty of investors interested. Frankly, I've never seen such a bizarre market."
"Ahem, that's not good; playing around with the title of Asia's Hollywood isn't suitable."
"Haha, there's really nothing we can do. Nowadays, the investors call the shots. They dictate how to shoot, and the directors have to follow their lead. Various film companies sprang up like mushrooms after the rain. William, if you asked me how many film companies there are in Hong Kong now, I honestly couldn't say."
"What about distribution? Is there a way to film without making the distributors go crazy?"
"Now that's another can of worms. The entertainment scene in Hong Kong is an absolute mess. Without those gangsters to keep order, it would truly be impossible. As for distributors, even if nobody wants to deal with those guys, no one would dare to provoke them either."
"Haha, that's true. The United States is a bit different; they also have gangsters, but they wouldn't meddle in these legitimate businesses."
Speaking of gangsters, both of them decided to drop the topic. You couldn't say you didn't need it because when you did need it, it looked very unpleasant.
Hong Kong was all about speed; they had pushed this quickness to the extreme.
But the problem with movies is that it's best to take your time. Screenwriters didn't know what they were writing, directors didn't know what they were shooting, and as for the actors -- if your pay was high enough, who cared?
"Raymond, why don't you come over to my place for dinner tonight?"
"Sure, William. Have you had any updates lately?"
"This year is off the table; it's the century of cinema. We're preparing to make a bid for the Oscars. Maybe next year, we can see about collaborating. What, still lingering on Hollywood?"
"William, you're joking. What filmmaker wouldn't want to try their luck in Hollywood? By the way, we're filming a kung fu movie recently. How's it going? Give me some guidance."
"Oh, is it a Jackie's movie?"
"Yup, Drunken Master II."
"Great! I'll check it out tomorrow. The theme has become a bit niche. Raymond, it's hard for us foreigners to grasp why getting drunk makes one stronger. Do they have to get drunk before they fight?"
Raymond Chow looked a bit taken aback. Well, ever since The Last Dragon, America had developed a deep-rooted impression about martial arts films from Hong Kong. If you didn't let out a few strange sounds, they wouldn't consider it a kung fu film.
...
"Raymond, don't stop; just let them keep going."
Drunken Master II was actually of pretty decent quality. Unfortunately, if it had been released a few years earlier, the outcome might have been drastically different.
In recent years, the quality of Hong Kong movies had noticeably declined, and those overseas buyers had lost interest. As for Taiwan and the Asian market? Haha, their choices were quite limited.
"Raymond, let me take a look at the script."
"Sure."
The script left him feeling overwhelmed. Alright, there was just a broad outline; the shot breakdown was nothing but fluff.
"Raymond, who's the director?"
"Ah Lau Kar-leung! Over here, and also, Jackie, come here."
"Hello, Brother William."
"Alright, Jackie, you've hurt yourself again. Can't you use a stunt double? No insurance company in America is willing to cover those injuries anymore."
"It's fine, Brother William. I'm originally a martial artist; it's better for me to get in there myself than send those brothers to take the risk."
Regardless of Jackie's character, this guy truly put his life into filming.
"I've read the script; it's really good. However, the group of shots we just did can't be left as is. The comical fights aren't enough; we need to add something more. As for what to add, I'm not sure.
By the way, Raymond, what's your plan for this movie? If it's just for Hong Kong, forget what I said. People here probably still prefer the hard-hitting style. If you intend to dip into Hollywood, to be frank, besides the Chinese community, Americans won't understand it."
"Ahem, Brother William, we certainly want to go to Hollywood, you know. After Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, we haven't had anything of substance."
"This movie has potential. Raymond, you can invest a bit more. By the way, isn't your IPO supposed to happen at the end of the year? You wouldn't lack funds now. If you can meet my requirements, White Films will help you with distribution."
*****
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