The king of ghost horse comedy

Chapter 66 Gentlemen's Agreement
"Mr. Zou?! Hello, please come in!" Xu Guanwen was discussing the renovation of the theater with his younger brothers, when he was told that Mr. Zou had arrived, he couldn't help coming out in a panic.

Although he now controls a theater chain and has the ability to be on an equal footing with Zou Wenhuai, Xu Guanwen still lacks confidence in the face of this former benefactor.

"Mike, I haven't been here for a while, and your company is getting more and more prosperous." After entering the company, Mr. Zou Wenhuai looked around for a week and said loudly.

"Where, where. You are far behind Mr. Zou." Xu Guanwen smiled and let Zou Wenhuai into the reception room.

Xu Guanwu, Xu Guanying, and Xu Guanjie looked at each other, but they didn't know what Mr. Zou's intention was.

There is a saying that those who come are not good, and those who are kind do not come. Could it be that he is here to make trouble today? !
The three of them followed cautiously to the conference room, and the air in the room suddenly became a little dull.

"Mr. Zou, I don't know why you are here today..." After a moment of silence, Xu Guanwen asked boldly.

"I came here today to congratulate you," Zou Wenhuai said with a smile, "I never thought that in less than a year, Mike, you will grow to a height comparable to mine. You are really a formidable young man!"

"Mr. Zou has won the award, how can I compare to you." Seeing Zou Wenhuai's words, Xu Guanwen quickly waved his hands and laughed.

"Mike, why be too modest, I know your ability, otherwise I would not have chosen to invest in you," Zou Wenhuai said with a wave of his hand, "However, your growth rate is far beyond my expectations. It seems that you need at least three years to compete against me. But I didn't expect you to use it for less than a year."

"Mr. Zou, I never mean to compete with you, I just want to make a living." Xu Guanwen laughed a little flusteredly.

Although the Xu Brothers Company has built a theater chain, its foundation is shallow, and it will not be able to compete with film giants like Golden Harvest and Shaw Brothers in a short period of time.

Therefore, he would rather lie down to accompany a few smiling faces than to be regarded as the target of suppression by their two giant crocodiles.

"Mike, in fact, everyone in this business just wants to make a living." Mr. Zou Wenhuai waved his hand and said, "But this meal depends on how you eat it. Don't overturn the pot if you don't finish the meal." .”

"Mr. Zou means..." Xu Guanwen heard something in Zou Wenhuai's words, but he couldn't fully comprehend it, so he had to ask.

"Mike, you should remember the competition between MP & GI and Shaw Brothers." Zou Wenhuai said lightly.

"That is, of course I know what Mr. Zou means..." As soon as Xu Guanwen heard Dianmao and Shaw Brothers, he understood what Zou Wenhuai meant.

In the 60s and [-]s, MP & GI and Shaw Brothers launched a bloody vicious competition to compete for the box office, causing bloodshed in the film market, and both sides suffered heavy casualties.

"After all, you and I have cooperated before, so I don't want to completely tear the skin off and take advantage of Boss Shao who is watching the battle for nothing." Zou Wenhuai said seriously, "So I want to make a gentleman's appointment with you, and we will not do it in the future. Vicious competition. I won't spend money to poach your artists, and you don't want to spend money to poach our employees; all the films that are released, the films with a large investment will be staggered..."

Xu Guanwen couldn't help being surprised when he heard Zou Wenhuai's words.

He looked around suspiciously, and saw that the three younger brothers were also surprised, and they couldn't believe what Mr. Zou Wenhuai said.

Because this gentleman's appointment is obviously beneficial to the growth of their new company.

Because it has been four years since Golden Harvest was established in 1970. If you count the idea of ​​Zou Wenhuai, He Guanchang and others to follow the film, it will be as long as decades, and there is the support of Nanyang Cathay Pacific Cinemas behind it.In terms of connections, foundation, and background, the Xu Brothers Company was completely exploded.

If Golden Harvest insists on vicious competition, such as high-priced poaching, slander and abuse in newspapers and magazines, and the prohibition of independent film companies' films being released in Xu Brothers' theaters, then Xu Brothers is likely to be driven out.

After all, everyone gathered firewood with high flames, and it was difficult to support the entire theater chain only relying on the strength of the four Xu brothers.

But now, Zou Wenhuai offered to let him go, which surprised Xu Guanwen.

"Mr. Zou, this..." Xu Guanwen didn't know what to say.

"Mike, don't think I'm plotting. To be honest, although there is a saying that colleagues are enemies, there is also a saying that water is easy to sail. Hong Kong movies are just newborn babies now, and there is still a lot of room for development. This cake cannot be made big by my strength alone, nor can my appetite alone swallow it." Mr. Zou Wenhuai said sincerely.

Xu Guanwen was so moved that he didn't know what to say.

"Mike, the Hong Kong film market is still too small, and there are not enough people engaged in the film industry. Shaw Brothers, Golden Harvest, you, and other independent production companies produce no more than [-] or [-] films a year, which is only enough to support It can afford two theaters. If one more theater is added, the output of another [-] films will be increased. However, given the quality of Hong Kong film practitioners, most of the [-] extra films must be shoddy. " Zou Wenhuai laughed.

"In the past, there was no chance or schedule for these crudely produced bad movies, which also made filmmakers try their best to make good movies and make good movies. This is a virtuous circle." Zou Wenhuai said again, "Mike, I don't want you To fill the empty slots in the theaters, you will allow those crudely made bad movies to be released."

"This..." Xu Guanwen was taken aback for a moment before he understood Mr. Zou's meaning.

Adding a theater line will indeed require a large number of films to fill the blank schedule, which gives those shoddy films a chance to be released.

Xu Guanwen naturally hated those bad movies, but if not a single bad movie was released, what if there were not enough movies?
That theater chain was not picked for nothing, and it has to pay a lot of rent every month.

"Mike, rotten slices are like rotten fruit. If you mix them in cakes, you will suffer from indigestion and diarrhea." Zou Wenhuai said meaningfully.

"Mr. Zou, don't worry, we'd rather keep the theater empty than show bad movies." Xu Guanwu rushed to the side and said.

"Okay, with your words, I didn't come in vain today." Zou Wenhuai said happily, "Mike, then you all go to work first, and I will leave."

Saying that, Zou Wenhuai stood up and walked out, leaving the four brothers of the Xu family staring at each other.

"Brother, why is Mr. Zou so talkative today? Is there really some conspiracy in the middle?" Xu Guanjie asked suspiciously.

"I feel like I'm stuck in a fog right now, and I can't see anything clearly. Mr. Zou's behavior is really unimaginable." Xu Guanwen shook his head, and Monk Zhang Er was also puzzled.

"I think she is also worried that the snipe and the clam will fight and the fisherman will gain. Instead of fighting us to the death and letting the Shaw Brothers take advantage of it, it is better to make a gentleman's agreement with us." Xu Guanwu thought for a while and said, "Anyway Golden Harvest has now recruited a group of independent production companies, and is not worried about not having film sources. On the contrary, we have to actively prepare to prevent the theaters from being vacant."

(End of this chapter)