noveltune Chapter 220 The Hollywood moguls come knocking
Chapter 220 The Hollywood moguls come knocking
The eighth day of the first lunar month in 1982.
The festive atmosphere of the Lunar New Year and the holiday are over, but the streets of Hong Kong are still decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, exuding joy everywhere.
However, Chung Wah Building in Yuen Long welcomed a group of uninvited guests in the morning.
Lin Zhou had just arrived at the top-floor president's office, and before his fingers could even touch the documents on the desk, the office door was pushed open from the outside.
The new secretary, Xiao Zhou, rushed in, nearly dropping the folder she was carrying.
Having been trained by Chen Man for a period of time, she was now breathing rapidly and her voice was trembling.
"President Lin, something terrible has happened! This is extremely serious!"
Lin Zhou raised his eyes, his expression calm and composed. He lightly tapped the table with his fingertips, his tone indifferent: "What's the panic? The sky isn't falling. Tell me slowly, what happened?"
Xiao Zhou took several deep breaths before he could finally steady himself and reported in a very fast voice:
"A large group of people have arrived at the reception room, blocking the door and refusing to leave. They insist on seeing you, and we can't stop them!"
"Who are these people?" Lin Zhou raised an eyebrow slightly, already having some guesses in his mind.
"The chief representative of MGM Studios in China, the head of Paramount's Asia-Pacific region, Mr. Zou from Golden Harvest, and representatives from several independent film companies in Europe and America—a total of more than a dozen people!"
Xiao Zhou spoke rapidly, rattling off the list one by one, "They all have the same story: they're all after the special effects technology of 'Hurricane Hong Kong'!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Zhou's lips slowly curled into a cold smile.
coming.
It was even faster than he had expected.
"Hurricane Hong Kong" has been released for just over a week, and its box office has soared. It has not only swept the Hong Kong film industry, but also opened up overseas distribution channels through the trading partners of Zhonghua Group, and had a small-scale screening in European and American theaters.
The movie's stunning explosions, city car chases, and realistic physical destruction scenes completely stunned Hollywood.
In the world film industry in 1982, such special effects were a game-changer.
Lin Zhou slowly stood up, straightened his crisp suit collar, and looked cold and composed.
"Let's go and meet them."
Pushing open the heavy solid wood door of the reception room, the previously noisy discussion inside came to an abrupt halt.
A dozen pairs of eyes fell on Lin Zhou simultaneously, some with curiosity, some with inquiry, some with greed, and a hint of barely perceptible fear.
Almost everyone in the room stood up at the same time, and the atmosphere instantly became extremely tense.
The MGM representative at the head of the group was a middle-aged man with blond hair and blue eyes. He saw Lin Zhou enter.
He strode forward, extended his hand, and wore a polite smile.
"Mr. Lin, it's an honor to meet you! We've come specifically for 'Hurricane Hong Kong,' the special effects technology of which has already astonished the entire European and American film industry!"
Paramount's Black representative followed closely behind, his tone revealing undisguised urgency:
"Mr. Lin, we've seen the complete film, and the special effects are top-notch, even by Hollywood standards! Our company is very sincere and hopes to discuss in-depth cooperation with you!"
Representatives from several other European and American film companies echoed this sentiment, their eyes burning as they stared at Lin Zhou, as if he were a moving mountain of gold.
Mr. Zou sat on the sofa in the corner, his face extremely pale, but he did not speak first. He just silently looked at Lin Zhou with a complicated expression.
Golden Harvest, a long-established local film company in Hong Kong, originally wanted to take advantage of the success of "Hurricane Hong Kong" to get a share of the pie. However, now that overseas giants have come to their door and are clearly trying to steal the technology, they are naturally not happy.
Lin Zhou ignored the outstretched hands of the crowd, walked straight to the main seat in the reception room and sat down, his demeanor composed and his aura commanding, without any unnecessary formalities.
"Since you've come all this way, please speak frankly and directly, without beating around the bush."
In one sentence, he directly broke through the superficial politeness.
The MGM representative withdrew his hand, his smile now radiating confidence, as if victory was assured.
He stepped forward and quoted an exorbitant price:
"Mr. Lin, MGM is extremely sincere and willing to offer three million US dollars to acquire your entire special effects technology, related equipment, and complete production plan in one go! As long as you nod your head, the funds can be deposited into our account at any time!"
Three million US dollars!
As soon as the number was announced, a low gasp filled the meeting room.
Three million US dollars in 1982 was equivalent to nearly twenty million Hong Kong dollars, totaling 1770 million.
The price was enough to buy half a bustling street in Hong Kong. Everyone present felt that Lin Zhou had no reason to refuse such an exorbitant price.
The MGM representative was even more confident, waiting for Lin Zhou to nod in agreement.
Lin Zhou had said countless times that the technology wasn't his own, but no one believed him, so he stopped pretending and laid his cards on the table.
He doesn't even consider that if this technology appeared abroad, it would have been used to make money long ago. Western countries would never hide their new technologies!
Facing the gazes of the crowd, Lin Zhou uttered two words in a detached tone:
"Not for sale."
The air froze instantly.
The MGM representative's smile froze instantly, his pupils contracted slightly, and he thought he had misheard:
"Mr. Lin, what... what did you say? Three million US dollars! That's the price quoted for top-tier Hollywood special effects! It's an astronomical sum!"
I said, I'm not selling.
Lin Zhou repeated himself, his tone leaving no room for negotiation, cold and hard as iron:
"Special effects technology is a core secret of Zhonghua Film & Television and will never be sold to outsiders."
The Paramount representative immediately became agitated, stepping forward and raising the price:
"Mr. Lin, Paramount is offering five million US dollars! Plus a permanent 2% cut of global box office revenue! If you're willing to transfer the technology, we can continue to negotiate!"
Five million US dollars, plus permanent revenue sharing!
This offer would drive any movie boss in Hong Kong crazy on the spot.
Lin Zhou still shook his head slightly, his expression unwavering, as if it were not an astronomical figure, but just a string of insignificant numbers.
Lin Zhou doesn't lack this kind of money. Zhonghua Group is such a large company, and its annual profits are in the hundreds of millions.
Mr. Zou finally lost his temper and spoke up to advise:
"Mr. Lin, we're all just trying to make a living in Hong Kong. Leave some room for maneuver, so we can meet again in the future."
"If you hoard the technology and enjoy it all by yourself, the entire film industry will have a problem with you, and your future path will probably be difficult."
These words carried a hint of warning, but also a hint of caution.
Lin Zhou looked up at Mr. Zou, his eyes calm and unwavering, and said indifferently, "Mr. Zou, I didn't say I wouldn't cooperate."
"Cooperation?" Mr. Zou frowned, not understanding Lin Zhou's meaning for a moment.
"Yes, cooperation."
Lin Zhou leaned forward slightly, his gaze sweeping over all the overseas representatives in the room, his tone firm and assertive:
"Zhonghua can co-produce films with any film company in the world. We, Zhonghua, will be fully responsible for the special effects. You will be responsible for providing funding, locations, and actors. The profits will be distributed according to the investment ratio."
"But there is one thing—the ownership of the technology must be 100% in the hands of Zhonghua."
Upon hearing this, the MGM representative immediately shook his head, his tone resolute:
"No way! We need the technology itself, not co-produced films! Only by mastering the technology can Hollywood make its own blockbusters, instead of being controlled by others!"
The Paramount representative immediately echoed this sentiment, his face showing displeasure:
"Mr. Lin, you're only providing services without transferring core technology, which is meaningless to us! We cannot accept such conditions!"
They wanted fish, but Lin Zhou only gave them fishermen.
They wanted to swallow the core technology whole and break free from dependence, but Lin Zhou didn't give them that chance at all.
Other representatives also voiced their opposition, and the meeting room became noisy again, with everyone looking grim and putting pressure on Lin Zhou.
Lin Zhou slowly stood up, exuding a powerful sense of pressure. His cold gaze swept across the entire room, and although his voice was not loud, it accurately reached everyone's ears, carrying an undeniable authority.
"Gentlemen, I will only say this once."
"Those who only want to buy out the technology can leave now; I will not entertain any more clients."
"If you're genuinely interested in making movies and making money together, have your lawyers bring a formal contract to my team. Zhonghua Film & Television's doors are always open."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Zhou ignored the fluctuating expressions on everyone's faces, turned around and left, his back view resolute and without the slightest trace of lingering affection.
Inside the meeting room, a dozen overseas representatives stood frozen in place, trembling with anger, yet dared not actually chase after them to stop them, much less openly turn hostile.
They were furious, yet helpless.
Back in the office, Secretary Zhou cautiously followed, her face worried, and asked in a low voice:
"Mr. Lin, won't your direct refusal...won't it anger them? These companies have enormous influence in Western countries. What if they cause trouble behind our backs? Won't we be in big trouble?"
Lin Zhou walked behind his desk and sat down. He picked up the warm water on the table, took a sip, and looked indifferent, as if he had just rejected not Hollywood giants, but a few insignificant passersby.
"They will hate me, they will curse me, they will try every means to cause me trouble, all of this is to be expected," Lin Zhou said calmly. "But they dare not, and will not, really turn against me completely."
Xiao Zhou looked puzzled: "Why?"
"Because 'Hurricane Hong Kong' has already become a hit." Lin Zhou tapped the table lightly with his fingertip.
"What they want most right now isn't to bring me down, but to get a piece of the pie. Without my special effects technology, they would never be able to make a blockbuster like this in their lifetime."
Just then, the office door was gently pushed open, and Su Wanqing walked in carrying a steaming cup of tea.
Seeing Lin Zhou's calm expression, she finally felt relieved.
"Finished talking? They didn't give you any trouble, did they?"
Lin Zhou took the teacup and gently grasped her slightly cool hand. He felt warmth in his palm and a gentle smile appeared on his face, a stark contrast to his cold and hard demeanor in the reception room just moments before.
"Don't worry, your husband never falls for threats," Lin Zhou said casually. "The more you push me, the less I'll back down."
Su Wanqing sighed softly, her eyes filled with worry: "I'm not afraid you can't beat them, I'm afraid they'll resort to underhanded tactics if they can't win openly. Hong Kong is a place where all sorts of ruthless people come and go."
Lin Zhou's eyes turned slightly cold, a hint of fierceness flashing in them. He said softly, "If you really want to resort to underhanded tactics, then let's see whose methods are more ruthless."