Chapter 00170: One Movie Equals a Province
# One Movie Equals a Province
Chapter 170
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 170: One Movie Equals a Province
In the courtyard of a large compound, Fu Qi had been waiting in the office for over ten minutes when Liao Gong, a man with a plump and prosperous appearance, pushed the door open and walked in.
This unit was at the ministerial level, but Liao Gong himself held an even higher position.
"Xiao Fu, we must be on the same wavelength. I was just about to call you to come to the capital," Liao Gong said with a childlike grin as he sat down.
"You must have many stories to tell after your trip. Care to share?"
"To be honest with you, I came specifically to bring good news!" Fu Qi replied.
"Oh? What good news do you have?" Liao Gong asked, intrigued.
"The first piece of good news is that *Tai Chi* has been showing in Hong Kong for over 20 days, and as of yesterday, the total box office has reached 17 million Hong Kong dollars! Not only is this our best performance, but it’s also the highest-grossing film in Hong Kong’s history since its opening as a port!" Fu Qi announced proudly.
"Really?" Liao Gong was visibly shaken.
"This is a big deal. You mustn’t exaggerate!"
"How could I dare deceive you?" Fu Qi handed over a meticulously prepared album filled with photos and accompanying text.
"I’ve compiled all the activities and media coverage of *Tai Chi* during its run in Hong Kong. Take a look…"
Liao Gong glanced at the first page, which featured a bold headline from a Hong Kong newspaper: "*Tai Chi* Dominates Hong Kong, 17 Million Beats Jackie Chan’s Record!"
Although the headline was a bit sensational, the content was solid.
The original news article read: "Last year, Jackie Chan’s *The Young Master* raked in 11 million at the box office. Who would have thought that just a few months later, the mainland film *Tai Chi* would surpass it by 6 million and is still growing slowly? It seems that mainland films are not as backward as we imagined. This has been a real lesson for Hong Kong filmmakers…"
"Good! Very good!" Liao Gong was about to slam the table in approval when Fu Qi flipped to the next page.
"These are photos from the *Tai Chi* crew’s promotional activities. They visited 16 theaters in three days to meet with the audience. Look at how enthusiastic the audience was…"
The photos showed scenes of the crew interacting with the audience.
There were shots of the audience cheering and clapping like a thunderstorm, Jet Li warmly embracing a young boy who was moved to tears, and even fans chasing the crew out of the theater, nearly catching up to their car…
The following pages were filled with extensive media coverage, lavish with praise, as well as interviews and magazine covers, all highlighting the immense popularity of *Tai Chi* in Hong Kong.
"Ah…" Liao Gong grinned from ear to ear, feeling lightheaded and momentarily at a loss for words.
In mainland China, including among the higher-ups, Hong Kong was widely regarded as a developed society, prosperous in every aspect.
They often watched specially provided Hong Kong films, knew about Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, and understood that the industry there was market-driven, focused on box office success.
But!
No one could have imagined that the tables would turn, with a mainland film smashing Hong Kong’s box office record!
The mainland had always taken the "elite" route, accustomed to being accommodating to Hong Kong, and this sudden reversal was hard to digest.
"Xiao Fu, why did it take you so long to bring such good news?" Liao Gong asked, beaming and nodding repeatedly.
"Well done, you and the Beijing Film Studio have made a great contribution. This kind of promotion is stronger than anything else. It seems that the people of Hong Kong still have their hearts turned toward the motherland."
"Speaking of contributions, I have another piece of good news!" Fu Qi, like a magician, pulled out another album.
"Later, when the team went to Berlin, I also attended the film festival. I witnessed firsthand how much foreigners loved *Tai Chi*."
The album contained news clippings from the Berlin Film Festival, original English articles with translations, and numerous photos.
Liao Gong, who had spent years overseas in revolutionary work during his youth and was fluent in multiple languages, quickly scanned the materials.
His expression turned to one of astonishment.
"Foreigners love *Tai Chi* this much?"
"To be precise, they love Chinese martial arts, and *Tai Chi* is undoubtedly the pinnacle of martial arts films today!" Fu Qi explained.
"This time, the mainland sent two films: *Swallow Returns* for competition and *Tai Chi* for exhibition. I’m not here to tattle, but I must report this truthfully," Fu Qi continued.
"The China Film Corporation sent a representative who only cared about *Swallow Returns* and completely ignored *Tai Chi*. They didn’t organize any activities for it. Except for Xiao Chen, who knows some English, the other three were clueless. I couldn’t stand it, so I borrowed a translator for them. Later, when *Tai Chi* was screened, no one expected it to cause such a sensation. The festival’s newspapers were full of praise, and it instantly became a hit. Film distributors from various countries came knocking. I must confess, since overseas film festivals deal in U. S. dollars, we saw this as a great opportunity to earn foreign currency. So, we took the initiative and negotiated with them, even though we were technically overstepping our authority. Fortunately, everything went smoothly, and in the end, we sold…"
Fu Qi mentioned a figure.
"How much?!" Liao Gong shot up from his seat, even more incredulous than when they were discussing Hong Kong.
He stared intently at Fu Qi, his tone serious.
"Xiao Fu, this is a matter of great importance. You must not be exaggerating or playing games with me! Do you know what this amount means? Last year, Guangxi’s total foreign trade was 6.002 million U. S. dollars, and Shandong’s was 3.29 million! Your one film equals the entire foreign trade of a province!!! You must take responsibility for what you’re saying!!!"
(I’m not making this up; there’s evidence.)
"Precisely because this is a matter of great importance, I came specifically to report to you…" Fu Qi handed over another set of documents and explained, "We sold the rights to dozens of countries. 20th Century Fox in the U. S. alone paid 3 million dollars…"
He observed Liao Gong’s expression and continued, "During the screenings, I saw with my own eyes how the foreigners applauded nine times throughout the film. Some even stood up and clapped. Almost every time a thrilling fight scene ended, there was a wave of applause. They loved our martial arts so much that two young guys even ran out of the theater, shouting to passersby about how amazing the film was! You can’t imagine how I felt at that moment—proud, yet also a bit heartbroken…"
"…"
Liao Gong silently reviewed the documents, verifying their authenticity.
After a long while, he looked up and asked, "What was the production cost of *Tai Chi*?"
"1.08 million RMB, shot over several months. Of course, there were additional expenses for promotion," Fu Qi replied.
"How much did you contribute?" Liao Gong asked.
"I was more on the logistical side. In terms of creativity and production, Xiao Chen was the main contributor. However, after they returned, the China Film Corporation gave them a hard time and even took him in for questioning, accusing him of having ideological issues. This is truly unfair. I was with him the entire time in Berlin. I know exactly what kind of person he is."
"…"
Liao Gong said nothing more.
After a few casual remarks, he let Fu Qi leave.
He paced around the room for a while, then suddenly called in his trusted secretary.
"Tomorrow is Sunday. Take the film reel to the leadership compound and tell them I’ve got a great film. I’d like to invite everyone to watch it tomorrow!"
…………
"Come get your wontons!"
"Wontons for sale!"
At the foot of the ancient Qianmen Gate, Huang Zhanying energetically began his day’s work, shouting enthusiastically early in the morning.
The cooperative’s goods were becoming more diverse, but unfortunately, there was still no proper storefront.
They had only upgraded the original stall.
"Director Huang! Director Huang!"
"Big news!"
"What’s all the fuss? Did we reclaim Taiwan?"
"Oh my, just look at this!"
A young girl who had recently joined the team held up a copy of the *China Youth Daily* as if presenting a treasure.
"This is the legendary Teacher Chen! My goodness, he’s simply incredible!"
Huang Zhanying snatched the paper and took a look.
His thick eyebrows shot up, and his eyes widened, making him look like the fierce Zhang Fei or the lively Li Kui from the legends.
"Well, well, that guy’s showing off again!"
(End of Chapter)