Chapter 473 Work Begins

Philip slowly refilled the glass in front of Hu Xiaoxiao, reciting the story of red wine and his appreciation of fine wine like reciting poetry.

Hu Xiaoxiao listened to him patiently and praised him, "Mr. Philip is very good at wine tasting, just like he is very good at business."

After taking a sip of red wine, Hu Xiaoxiao changed the subject and said, "Speaking of business, Shengshi will focus partly on publishing."

Whether in Hong Kong or mainland China, a large number of films are released each year, with the number of films released in mainland China particularly increasing year by year. It goes without saying that Shengshi owns the largest cinema chain in Hong Kong, and film companies are begging Shengshi for distribution. Since entering mainland China, Shengshi has partnered with major film and television companies and has plans to build the mainland's leading cinema chain, so its distribution business in mainland China looks promising.

"I wish Miss Xiaoxiao's business will grow bigger and bigger." Philip said his congratulations, but he couldn't help but feel jealous. She was so young, so much younger than him, and yet she became a regional film and television tycoon, with absolute power of speech, much better than him.

"Yes," Hu Xiaoxiao said, "Shengshi's distribution business is not only for internal distribution, but we've also decided to import films to other countries. 'The Magic Contract' will tentatively be the first film Shengshi will import to Baogang. However, if Mr. Philip has other ideas, Shengshi won't wait for Hamlet's opinion. We will cooperate with other Hollywood film companies. Mr. Philip, if any imported film conflicts with 'The Magic Contract', I can only apologize in advance."

Philip's face instantly turned bad. "Ms. Xiaoxiao, what do you mean? You are the heroine of "The Magic Contract". Shouldn't you contribute to the movie "The Magic Contract" and make more money? How can you let "The Magic Contract" give way for other films?"

Hu Xiaoxiao answered him with the realistic attitude of a businessman: "If 'The Magic Contract' doesn't bring more profits to Shengshi, why should I accommodate 'The Magic Contract'? No matter how much money 'The Magic Contract' makes, if Shengshi doesn't get a share, it means nothing to me. As for the female lead, I have already received my salary. No matter how much the others earn, it has nothing to do with me."

"Ms. Xiaoxiao, I didn't say I wouldn't give the publishing rights to Shengshi. It's just a business matter. We need to discuss it in detail and slowly, right?"

"Indeed, Mr. Philip is right. If you want to talk, we're here for you. If you prefer to take it slow, we can talk for a year or two. However, film scheduling resources are very scarce, and the mainland quota is even tighter. They won't wait, and I think Hamlet Company is well aware of this."

Every year, countless foreign films attempt to enter the mainland film market. However, quotas are limited, leading to fierce competition among film companies to secure a spot, employing a variety of tactics. Some even resort to collaborating with mainland companies to co-produce films, which are exempt from quota restrictions.

I believe that with the development of the mainland film market, there will be more and more co-productions.

Although Hu Xiaoxiao stars in "Magic Pact" as the female lead, it is not a co-production. Firstly, Shengshi's mainland Chinese subsidiary did not participate in the investment, and secondly, without mainland approval or licensing, the film had to compete for a quota in order to enter the mainland film market.

As the director of Hamlet and producer of "The Magic Contract," how could Philip not understand these principles? Why was he willing to pay Hu Xiaoxiao so much? Wasn't he eyeing the film giant that was collaborating with Shengshi? Wasn't it to leverage Hu Xiaoxiao's connections, get some flexibility on quotas, and secure more screenings?

Now that Shengshi is also going to cooperate with other Hollywood companies, Shengshi will certainly only help the Hollywood film companies that they cooperate with to help them obtain quotas and screenings, and among these companies there must be competitors of Hamlet.

Philip began calculating the pros and cons of various interests in his mind, wondering how to gain as much benefit as possible. Hu Xiaoxiao had already stood up and said, "Mr. Philip likes to make money, and so do I. So whoever can bring me the most profit, I will choose to cooperate with. You guys talk, I'm leaving first. I'm going back to China tomorrow and need to buy some souvenirs for my friends."

After saying that, Hu Xiaoxiao picked up her bag and left.

Philip was so anxious that he wanted to catch up, but Dong Peiyu stopped him and said with a smile, "Mr. Philip, I am the one who negotiated with you on behalf of Shengshi. You'd better not bother Miss Xiaoxiao."

What else could Philip do? He could only sit down and discuss the letter of intent with Dong Peiyu.

He was extremely upset. Isn't it said that beautiful women are not smart? Why is this Miss Xiaoxiao as cunning as a fox? He can't get any advantage from her.

In the evening, Hu Xiaoxiao received a call from Dong Peiyu. The negotiations for the distribution rights were going smoothly, and the subsequent work could be handed over to the employees of Shengshi Feilai’s distribution department in Hollywood.

Dong Peiyu smiled and said, "When Philip saw that you were more profit-oriented and ruthless than him, he finally got anxious and took the initiative to negotiate the issuance of the book even more than us."

"He is anxious, but we don't need to be anxious." Hu Xiaoxiao said calmly.

Hu Xiaoxiao's methods of dealing with unscrupulous businessmen have always been simple and direct, and they kill with one blow.

The ability to do this relies entirely on strength. Whoever controls the resources has the right to speak.

In the face of absolute strength, no matter how many conspiracies and tricks there are, they will be exposed.

Hu Xiaoxiao put the matter aside, packed several large boxes of luggage, and couldn't wait to return home.

After returning to China, she spent her days eating and looking for Chinese clothes to match her costumes. To this end, she made a special trip to the mainland and asked Mr. Wang from the partner company for help to select a costume that suited her needs and a prop that perfectly matched her image.

After the filming of "Magic Contract" started, the intense shooting began. This movie had been delayed for too long, so once the filming started, the progress was constantly rushed.

The actor who plays the male lead Noah is named John, a male star that Hamlet Company has been promoting in recent years.

Although John has not been famous for long, he is nearly 30 years old and has climbed up from the bottom of the social ladder. He has good acting skills and is very dedicated.

Perhaps it is because he has a lot of life experience that he is more calm than younger actors.

After finishing the early scenes, today finally came his first scene with the heroine Li Lin. This scene was also the first time he met Lin Lin in the movie.

The set has been prepared and a three-story library has been rented. The library is very large and, due to its age, has a sense of antiquity, which is very consistent with the scenes in the script.

John had already changed into his costume, a white shirt underneath and a grey casual suit outside.

He has a pair of deep and charming ice-blue eyes, slightly curly brown hair, three-dimensional and cold facial features, and a clear jawline.