Huayu: This director is pretty strong.

Chapter 153 The Ban and the Train Heading North

BJ, Top floor conference room of China World Trade Center Phase III.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows is the hazy skyline of Beijing.

Five people sat in a row in front of a long, rectangular mahogany table.

Zhang Jianguo, a representative of Wanda Cinemas, pushed a thick document onto the center of the table.

The paper rubbed against the mahogany tabletop, making a rustling sound.

"You've all seen the market stabilization agreement."

Zhang Jianguo leaned back in his chair, his hands crossed and resting on his abdomen.

Mr. Li, the general manager of Dadi Cinemas, picked up a pen, removed the cap, and signed his name on the last page.

"A 0.5% screening rate, with only one early morning or midnight screening per day."

Mr. Li threw his pen on the table. "Chen Yan won an award in Europe, and he really thinks he's something special."

Representative Wang from China Film Group typed on his laptop keyboard, the screen's glow reflecting off his glasses.

"The press release has been sent to major portal websites."

Representative Wang turned the computer screen towards the crowd.

The bold headline in black font stands in the center of the screen: "Chen Yan, with foreign capital, disrupts the domestic cinema ecosystem."

Mr. Liu, the general manager of Jinyi Cinema, picked up his teacup and brushed away the floating tea: "His independent film fund in Europe is just taking away our livelihood. We set the rules, and it's not up to some greenhorn who makes art films to overturn the table."

Mr. Zhao from Hengdian opened the newly signed agreement, the red official seal particularly glaring.

"He controls Tianjin Cinema and two hundred independent cinemas in northern China."

Mr. Zhao cautioned, "If he schedules screenings all day, he will still take a share of the box office revenue."

Zhang Jianguo scoffed.

"Two hundred dilapidated cinemas, with equipment that's been outdated for ten years. The projection quality is simply not up to par."

Zhang Jianguo stacked the five signed agreements together, "to force his film 'Broken Bridge' to a mere 0.5% screening slot, so that he would realize who really calls the shots in the domestic market."

……

Yanying Culture Headquarters.

Zhang Yuan pushed open the door to the chairman's office, clutching a stack of newspapers in his hand.

"Press releases from the five major cinema chains are flying everywhere."

Zhang Yuan slammed the newspaper on his desk. "They portrayed us as a cancer in the industry, saying we relied on foreign powers to bolster our own position."

Chen Yan sat in the large boss's chair, his gaze not lingering on the newspapers at all.

He was holding a statement from Citibank in Europe.

The sound of high heels clicking on the carpet came as Su Wan entered the office.

"The first payment from the European Fund has been settled."

Su Wan placed a form next to Chen Yan, saying, "The news from Pierre's side is that the French independent cinemas are preparing to release 'Broken Bridge' simultaneously next month."

Chen Yan's finger tapped on the form.

"Go check the list of foreign blockbusters that the five major cinema chains will import in the second half of this year."

Chen Yan looked up.

Su Wan opened her notebook and grasped her pen.

"Focus on checking the revenue-sharing films of the six major Hollywood studios."

Chen Yan stood up and walked to the French windows. "They want to cut off our screenings, so we'll cut off their film sources."

"Harvey is putting pressure on Hollywood, and the six major studios may not be willing to back down."

Su Wan made a record.

"Harvey's reach doesn't extend to all the studios."

Chen Yan turned around, his back to the sunlight streaming through the window, and said, "Use that 15 million euros of offshore funds to go to Los Angeles and find those medium-sized film studios that can't get domestic import quotas."

"Should we just buy out their mainland China distribution rights?"

Su Wan put down her pen.

"Buyout".

Chen Yan said in a flat tone, "Then we'll license these films to two hundred independent cinemas in the north for free."

Zhang Yuan grabbed the newspaper on the table, crumpled it into a ball, and accurately threw it into the trash can in the corner.

The crumpled paper hit the bottom of the metal bucket with a dull thud.

"Fifteen million euros."

Chen Yan walked back to his desk. "Buy out the rights to their B-movies. Action movies, horror movies, sci-fi movies—buy them all, as long as they can pass censorship."

Su Wan quickly wrote down the product category name.

"The five major cinema chains rely on Hollywood blockbusters to attract audiences, so we fill the northern cinema chains with the same films."

Chen Yan tapped his knuckles on the table. "They've locked down our screening schedule, so we'll overwhelm them with a deluge of films. Compile a list of films to be imported by the five major cinema chains and give it to me by tomorrow morning."

Su Wan closed the notebook and turned to leave.

Zhang Yuan pulled out a chair, sat down, and took out his phone.

"The renovation of Tianjin Cinema has been completed, and all the newly installed digital projectors have been tested and debugged."

Zhang Yuan pulled up the text message: "How's it going with Lin Shufen?"

Chen Yan picked up a fountain pen and wrote the two characters "Red Star" on a piece of white paper.

"She arrived in Harbin yesterday and is currently in contact with the owner of the Red Star Cinema."

Chen Yan put down his pen. "Keep a close eye on Lu Haiming's old dog."

……

Office on the second floor of Red Star Cinema, Harbin.

Water gushed from the old radiators, making the indoor air stuffy and stale.

Lin Shufen sat upright on the leather sofa with her legs crossed.

Across from the coffee table, a bald man named Wang Biao was twirling two walnuts in his hands.

The wood grain rubs against each other, making a creaking sound.

"Mr. Lin, it must be tiring for you to make this trip in this cold weather."

Wang Biao stopped what he was doing.

Lin Shufen pulled an acquisition agreement from her handbag and pushed it to the center of the coffee table.

"Yanying invested 20 million yuan to acquire Red Star Cinema and its 30 franchise stores as a package deal."

Lin Shufen got straight to the point.

Wang Biao didn't even glance at the agreement.

He reached out and picked up a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes from the table, then took one out.

The henchman next to him immediately stepped forward and lit a lighter.

Wang Biao took a drag, exhaling thick smoke into the air between the two men.

"Twenty million."

Wang Biao flicked his cigarette ash. "Back when President Lu invested in building materials for me, even a small fraction of that amount was more than this."

"Lu Haiming went to jail, and his Hengtong Building Materials went bankrupt."

Lin Shufen stared directly at Wang Biao, "The cinema equipment you have is all outdated from ten years ago. Twenty million is an overpayment."

"The equipment is old, but I have the territory."

Wang Biao pointed out the window with a cigarette between his fingers. "The projectionists in these thirty theaters in Harbin, Changchun, and Shenyang are all my people. Without my approval, no outsider's film can be shown here."

Lin Shufen's fingers pressed against the edge of the agreement.

"Director Chen said we'll settle it with money."

Lin Shufen's tone was extremely cold.

"Smash it flat?"

Wang Biao slammed his cigarette butt into the ashtray, sparks flying everywhere. "Fine. Acquisition is out of the question. Red Star Cinema can use the Yan Ying sign."

Wang Biao extended five thick knuckles.

"A five million yuan annual franchise fee. 70% of the box office revenue will be split between Red Star and the franchisee."

Wang Biao leaned back on the sofa, feeling utterly confident.

Lin Shufen stood up, picked up the agreement, stuffed it back into her bag, and zipped it up.

"You have too big an appetite, you can't eat it all."

Lin Shufen looked down at him.

"President Lin."

Wang Biao didn't get up, continuing to play with the walnuts in his hands. "The roads in these three northern provinces aren't like those in the capital. They're slippery, and you can easily slip and fall."

Lin Shufen turned and walked towards the door.

"see a visitor out."

Wang Biao called out from behind.

Lin Shufen pushed open the door.

Four men in black jackets were standing in the corridor.

They stared coldly at Lin Shufen, and after two seconds, they slowly made way for her.

Lin Shufen walked down the stairs, her high heels echoing clearly in the empty hallway as they stomped on the concrete steps.

……

Harbin, Shangri-La Hotel.

As night fell, heavy snowflakes pounded down on the streets, quickly covering the road surface.

Lin Shufen sat on the sofa in the suite, flipping through the documents in her hand.

Assistant Xiao Chen pushed open the door and came in, handing over a stack of faxes.

"Mr. Lin, the digital projectors from Europe will arrive at Dalian Port tomorrow."

Xiao Chen pointed to the customs clearance documents.

"Arrange a convoy to pick up the goods in Dalian."

Lin Shufen flipped through the documents. "They were shipped directly to three backup warehouses in Harbin. Wang Biao isn't giving any leeway; our paperwork for buying land across the street to build a new cinema is stalled."

"The Municipal Construction Commission is making excuses, saying that approval is required."

Xiao Chen stood to the side.

"Contact Director Liu of the Municipal Construction Commission; I will visit him in person tomorrow."

Lin Shufen put down the fax.

The landline in the room suddenly rang, the ringing sounding unusually jarring in the quiet suite.

Lin Shufen picked up the receiver.

"President Lin, something's happened!"

The truck convoy leader's anxious voice came through the phone: "Our transport route has been leaked, and our convoy is blocked by several dump trucks at the highway exit outside Dalian Port!"

Lin Shufen paused in her work.

"Is the person alright?"

"The person is okay, but the car won't move. The other party won't get out, so they're blocking the road, clearly not letting us pass."

Lin Shufen hung up the phone.

She walked to the window and pulled back the curtains.

Five Jinbei vans were parked on the snow outside the hotel gate.

The glaring headlights shone directly onto the hotel's glass doors.

The car door was flung open with a whoosh.

More than twenty men in military overcoats jumped off the vehicle, carrying rusty iron bars and pickaxe handles.

They lined up in a row, completely blocking the hotel's revolving door.

Xiao Chen's expression changed, and he rushed to the window to take out his phone.

"Call the police."

Lin Shufen stared at the crowd downstairs.

Xiao Chen dialed the number, but all he heard on the phone was a busy signal.

"No signal."

Xiao Chen looked at the words "No Service" on the screen.

Lin Shufen turned and walked towards the door, pulling open the suite door.

The elevator doors at the end of the corridor opened at that moment.

Three men in military overcoats strode out, their iron bars dragging on the thick carpet with a dull thud.

Lin Shufen quickly retreated back into the room, slammed the door shut, and locked it.

She pulled the black satellite phone out of her bag and dialed a number.

"Director Chen."

Lin Shufen stared at the violently shaking door panel.

Outside the door, an iron bar had already slammed heavily onto the solid wood door panel.

Wood chips flew everywhere, and the lock cylinder emitted a teeth-grinding metallic twisting sound.

"The convoy was intercepted, and the hotel was surrounded."

Lin Shufen spoke quickly into the phone, the door panel teetering on the verge of collapse from the impact.