Deceiving Chinese Entertainment Industry for Thirty Years 23

Chapter 23: Hong Jie’s Return, an 80/20 Split

Two months later.

It was summer.

Filming for that North American movie wrapped.

As soon as Chen Hong got off the plane, she headed for the old city area.

Not long after entering the hutong (traditional alleyway), she saw a “new” courtyard.

Unlike the other small courtyards, the gate alone showed its “newness.”

A red gate, freshly painted.

It even had an antique-looking door knocker.

Although it looked aged, it was obviously new.

However, the door knocker was quite good-looking. It was some kind of beast, wasn’t it?

Chen Hong wasn’t familiar with these folk customs, but she knew there must be some meaning behind it.

She immediately grasped a door knocker.

A “bang bang” sound echoed inside.

After a short while, the door opened.

“Hong Jie, you’re back from overseas in such a hurry, who are you missing?”

Of course, it was Ma Xun who opened the door.

This guy was quite unrestrained, immediately making a teasing remark.

Chen Hong, upon hearing this, couldn’t help but roll her eyes at him, “Even if I’m missing someone, it’s none of your business!”

This was a retort, but Ma Xun seemed unfazed, just smiling.

He ushered Hong Jie inside.

As soon as Hong Jie entered the courtyard, she was pleasantly surprised.

“Not bad, you’ve fixed up this courtyard nicely.”

Grey bricks and green tiles, clean windows and bright rooms. A persimmon tree and a stone table. It was a very nice small Siheyuan (traditional courtyard house).

“I’ve been busy with this courtyard for a while now.”

This was the truth, Ma Xun admitted.

He sold the 300-second advertisement to Bai Daqing, after all.

This guy was indeed someone who could get things done.

Bai Daqing had already sent over 1.5 million yuan as a deposit.

The remaining payment would be made after the TV series aired.

So, Ma Xun had received 900,000 yuan.

With this money, plus the previous 200,000 yuan and the proceeds from the Hong Kong film copyright,

he had about 1.2 million yuan.

Ma Xun used this to buy the courtyard.

It cost him over 600,000 yuan.

He then spent another 100,000 yuan on renovations.

Fortunately, renovations weren’t expensive these days.

That’s how the courtyard looked the way it did now, as Chen Hong saw it.

In fact, courtyards like this in the Capital City weren’t cheap these days.

Over 600,000 yuan was an absolute fortune for an average family.

With that kind of money, people these days preferred to buy apartments.

Actually, anyone who has ever lived in a single-story house knows.

The quality of life is poor.

You have to queue up for public toilets in the morning, and most of them are still dry toilets.

Just this alone is enough to make people dream of living in an apartment building every day.

Ma Xun mainly focused on improving this aspect, and luckily, there were some policies in the Capital City to help.

He wouldn’t go into detail about these policies.

Ma Xun briefly explained, and Hong Jie casually asked some questions.

Then…

“What’s the meaning of that door knocker?”

“Taotie (a mythical gluttonous beast).”

“Ah? What does that mean?”

“An ancient mythical beast, greedy and ferocious.”

“Oh, I’ve heard of it. So you put this kind of beast on your door, are you planning to emulate it?”

“Hong Jie, this is folk custom, it’s about feng shui (geomancy), what do you know? Many door knockers use this mythical beast.”

“But in my opinion, you’re even greedier than this Taotie.”

Hong Jie’s words made it clear what she wanted to talk about.

“The sun is scorching outside, let’s go inside to talk.”

Hong Jie nodded.

The two entered the main house.

After entering, with her luggage beside her, Hong Jie took off her coat.

She was wearing a white, tight-fitting, bodycon dress today.

Bare legs, no stockings.

She looked mature and sexy.

Ma Xun couldn’t help but feel his eyes light up.

Hong Jie was a rare beauty.

She was 28 this year, in her prime.

Anyway, Ma Xun thought she was at her best age.

Without saying much, Ma Xun sat on the sofa and patted the cushion beside him.

This detail was meaningful.

Hong Jie glanced at him before sitting down.

This was her response to Ma Xun.

Now, they could have a proper conversation.

“You’re not planning to be a famous director’s wife anymore?”

“I never said that.”

“So you’re still planning to borrow some ‘seeds’ from me?”

“Ma Xun, you have such a foul mouth!”

“I’m talking about farming.”

“You’re so bad!”

Hong Jie was truly captivating.

Even though she was a little angry now, her gentle scolding was still mesmerizing.

Ma Xun thought to himself: When this woman gets seductive, she’s no Diaochan (a famous beauty in Chinese history), she’s clearly a lucky omen.

“Seriously, Hong Jie, what are you planning to do?”

Yes, they needed to have a serious conversation.

But today’s Hong Jie seemed to want Ma Xun to be anything but serious.

She leaned forward slightly, bringing them much closer.

“Before I left, you mentioned something to me, you haven’t forgotten, have you?”

Thankfully, she spoke quite seriously this time.

Ma Xun’s eyes fell upon a expanse of white, almost making him lose his composure.

He steadied himself and said, “Of course, I haven’t forgotten.”

He pointed to the coffee table in front of the sofa, where a newspaper lay, and handed it to Hong Jie.

“What’s this?” Hong Jie took the newspaper, puzzled.

“Look at the TV program, CCTV-6.” Ma Xun smiled, pointing it out.

Hong Jie followed his instructions and quickly noticed the problem.

“A Chinese Odyssey? What’s going on with this movie? It’s going to be broadcast twice a week?”

Newspapers of this era would carry television program schedules. Viewers could check what would be shown in the coming days and manage their time accordingly.

But anyone could see.

This movie called A Chinese Odyssey was appearing with unusual frequency.

Ma Xun chuckled, “Maybe it will be broadcast five or six times a week in the future.”

Ah?

This, this…

Hong Jie had discovered the problem, but she couldn’t fully understand it yet.

“Is this the deal you made with Sun Donghai?” But she could guess.

Ma Xun slapped his hand on his thigh, which happened to be Hong Jie’s thigh.

He laughed, “You’re so smart.”

Hong Jie couldn’t help but roll her eyes at this action, “You’re such a rascal!”

Ma Xun leaned closer and teased, “How much of a rascal I am, you’re very clear about that, aren’t you?”

So bold!

Hong Jie’s pretty face flushed, but she was still captivated by this “business.”

“Is this business like this? You buy the copyright of Hong Kong films from Hong Kong, and then sell them to CCTV-6 for broadcast?”

Ma Xun shook his head with a smile, “Your business is too orthodox, you can’t make money doing business like that.”

Hong Jie didn’t understand, “Then tell me… ah~”

Ma Xun’s hands were not idle; in fact, he was anything but idle.

“The business is like this. First, get the Hong Kong movies to broadcast, and then pay according to the situation after broadcast.”

Hong Jie was shocked!

“Those guys are triad members (members of organized crime), how dare you?”

That was true.

But Ma Xun said while touching her, “Because they are triad members, we can do this business. Hong Kong films are no longer doing well, those triad bosses are looking for ways out.

But now there’s only one way, going north. So I ask you, with their identities, do they dare to talk business with CCTV?”

Hong Jie wasn’t stupid; after listening, her train of thought became clear.

“Right! We have the upper hand in the mainland!”

Hong Jie, having cooperated with Hong Kong and Taiwan many times before, had always been unhappy with the people there.

The treatment was different, and they acted superior.

Bah!

After listening to Ma Xun’s words, she could finally outmaneuver those people from Hong Kong and Taiwan.

How satisfying!

Satisfying! Ah~

“You!” Hong Jie forcefully pushed away Ma Xun’s hand.

Ma Xun was indeed a little too much.

Look what he did to Hong Jie.

However, he did this for a reason.

On the one hand, it was a test.

Sometimes it’s like this, the body doesn’t lie.

And on the other hand… turning a good woman into a flirtatious woman, isn’t that a great thing in life?

Of course, Ma Xun had seen it from the start.

Hong Jie was the kind of woman who looked dignified but was wild at heart – a lady of refined upbringing.

He wasn’t being random.

“How do you feel about this business?”

Let’s talk business.

Hong Jie calmed down and said, “You’re already cooperating with Sun Donghai, why are you looking for me?”

Ma Xun looked helpless, “Aren’t you that stupid? Are there only one television station in mainland China? Is there only one Dragon Five (referencing Hong Kong action films) making films in Hong Kong? Is only his background in the underworld?”

This series of rhetorical questions made Hong Jie understand everything.

Right!

They do theirs, we do ours.

“What if we clash in the future?”

Hong Jie’s question was clever.

“We,” “they,” both included Ma Xun.

Ma Xun laughed, “The answer, of course, depends on you.”

These words had many subtexts.

Hong Jie smiled, “Ma Xun, you’re really ruthless.”

But then Ma Xun said, “Let’s talk about the profit split, 80/20.”

“Ah?” Hong Jie was stunned, “Could it be…”

“What are you thinking? Of course, I’ll take 80%.”

Ma Xun was indeed ruthless; in the face of profit, even a beauty like Hong Jie wouldn’t get any more.

Chen Hong was confident in her beauty; many men would speak softly in front of her.

But only this Ma Xun.

So bad!

But…bad in a way that she liked.

“But 20% is too little!”

Obviously, Hong Jie had already agreed, but she disagreed with the profit distribution.

Ma Xun knew he had won, “Too little? I’m going ahead with Sun Donghai, which is like clearing the way for you, and you’re just picking up the benefits.”

Hong Jie was speechless for a moment.

Ma Xun continued, “And after we establish a company, we can expand other businesses. I have two new people here, you need to sign them.”

This naturally referred to Gao Yuanyuan and Hao Tong.

Hong Jie rolled her eyes at him, not asking about this in detail, but the profit share…

“80/20 is still too little.”

“I’ll make you the legal representative.”

This…

Hong Jie had never started a company or done business before; she was indeed tempted.

“But it’s still too little.”

“Don’t you understand? My focus is on you.”

Keep on flattering.

Hong Jie made another request.

“I want to invest in making movies.”

“What?”

“I told you before, my acting career is coming to an end, so I want to direct my own.”

“You want to be a director?”

“Is that not possible? You can help me too! I can tell you also understand movies, from before when we were taking pictures.”

Finally understood.

It turned out she didn’t want to be a famous director’s wife; she wanted to be a famous director herself!

Ma Xun smiled, “Then it depends on whether you can convince me!”

Then, he lifted Hong Jie’s leg onto his shoulder…

Thank you everyone! Sincerely thank you!

Yesterday, it seems like I broke into the top ten of the new signed authors list in the category. Thank you, thank you!

I will definitely work hard, the better the results, the sooner the serialization will be, and I can update more quickly, please support me, thank you everyone.

(End of Chapter)

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