Chapter 425 If you're going to cheat someone, you have to do it openly.
After receiving some crucial information from Wei Laisong, Shao Donglin rushed back to Shougang that very night.
Putting aside how he thanked Wei Laisong for giving him vast resources and connections, it's perfectly normal for a childhood friend to lend a hand.
The key person who introduced them is incredibly impressive. The founder of DaMi (a Chinese food company) and a major shareholder of Columbia Pictures—he must be one of the most influential Chinese people, right?
People who don't watch movies are unaware of Columbia's reputation.
On the way back to Beijing, I had many thoughts.
The network has been established, but it seems that the big boss isn't very interested in the movie!
Reselling videos can indeed make some money, but there are so many things you can do about it, and every branch of the business can be lucrative!
After returning to Beijing, he didn't immediately go to find Xing Baohua's girlfriend, but instead used his connections to get Zhang Yimou's phone number.
It just so happened that director Zhang Yimou was also in Beijing, and they arranged to meet that day to talk.
They're all in the same circle. Although Zhang Yimou and Shao Donglin don't know each other and I've never heard of them, we're familiar with each other's workplaces. According to unwritten rules, they're considered superiors, just not directly related.
Those who work in dubbing have absolutely nothing to do with him.
But when someone invites him out for a chat, he'll at least give them face. Chinese people value relationships; once you're strangers, you get to know them better, and eventually you become friends.
The female lead in the award-winning film was, at that time, Zhang Yimou's undisclosed girlfriend.
"Empress Gong" is a title bestowed upon her by later generations; she has won countless awards and is considered one of the top film stars in China.
Zhang Yimou brought her out to broaden her horizons, partly to increase her popularity, and partly because he thought she might get a good role to participate in.
After sitting down, we chatted politely for a bit. Since we were all strangers, no one I knew was there to strike up a conversation. So I started asking if anyone knew someone, saying we were really close.
We're all in the same circle; I know everyone.
After a few drinks, Shao Donglin started bragging. "Do you know where I was the other day?"
Zhang Yimou really wanted to spit in his face. He's not your shadow, so how would anyone know where you've been fooling around?
Like a straight man in a comedy duo, he asked in return, "Where have you been?"
"Luzhong Rice Group".
"Director Lin, if you want to buy a mobile phone, you don't need to go to the manufacturer. I have connections that can help you get a few units."
"If I can use you to get the goods, then I'm done with this. Let me tell you, my childhood friend is in central Shandong..." He said, giving a thumbs up.
He continued, "They called me a while ago and asked me to go to central Shandong to meet an important person, Xing Baohua, the rice mill manager. Have you heard of him?"
Zhang Yimou nodded, while Gong Li shook her head.
"Do you know who owns Columbia Pictures in America?"
Gong Huang interjected, "You already said it's a film company from the United States, so whose else could it be? It's unlikely that the US bought it!"
"That's right, but it's not rice. Due to poor communication, things aren't going smoothly on our end. Strictly speaking, Columbia Pictures in the United States was acquired by HK's Haina Investment."
I just found out the details myself! HK Haina has acquired over 50% of the shares, giving it absolute control. So, do you know who Haina's major shareholder and owner is?
"Could he also be the owner of the rice business, Xing Baohua?" Brother Mou said.
"Oh right, it's this amazing guy, a true Chinese. I went over there to discuss a collaboration with him, but he was too busy, so he gave me the phone number of the president of Columbia University and asked me to come and talk to him. I have a lot of ideas in my mind, but I just haven't sorted them out yet."
After Shao Donglin finished speaking, Brother Mou's eyes lit up. He smiled and raised his glass, offering a toast as he said, "Director Lin, tell me what you think, and I'll help you sort it out."
A single drinking session can establish a unique network of relationships within the country.
Shao Donglin first said he would help Zhang Yimou distribute the film in the United States.
Let me scratch the back of my head and explain to this person: Did you attend the Berlin Film Festival recently? There was a screening session, which was shown not only to the audience but also to the distributors who bought the films.
If it's valuable, they'll spend money to buy the copyright.
And just like that, the European and American copyrights were sold for $200,000.
They even sent an international telegram to Xi'an Film Studio to apply for approval before it was finally approved.
Shao Donglin was clearly out of the loop and hadn't heard about this matter, so he chuckled and said, "There's still a chance. If you have a good script, I can help you get introduced to it. Maybe we can attract investment from Columbia. That's much better than selling the rights; we can earn US dollars directly."
One drinking session, with a mix of boasting and empty promises, led Brother Mou astray.
Gong helped the drunken Mouzi back, and even said on the way, "I don't think this guy from the department seems very reliable."
"People are getting restless these days, relying on connections to get ahead. The methods Director Lin mentioned sound a bit reckless! Let's find out some information; maybe we can actually stir up some trouble."
The news of Haina acquiring Columbia Pictures was indeed reported, but it made people think it was a Hong Kong company.
They didn't dig any deeper; only a few people knew that the real major shareholder was a Chinese person.
Whether in mainland China or Hong Kong, no one could truly understand Xing Baohua's intentions in acquiring Columbia Pictures.
Columbia Pictures should continue operating as usual, acquiring films as normal. Furthermore, Xing Baohua has already instructed Robert Iger to establish offices in various continents, and film acquisition will continue as before, whether at Asian or European film festivals.
These kinds of professional tasks should be left to professionals.
Xing Baohua and his team in the laboratory finally overcame the color problem of the monitor.
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