“That’s good. Let’s give it a try! What if it works?” Tang Hao said.
Liu Yan sighed and thought, ‘Never mind. I’ll do whatever Chairman Tang wants. It doesn’t matter if he loses money.’
“That’s good! I’ll come over tomorrow!”
After chatting for a while, Tang Hao hung up.
Starting a film company was not a decision made on a whim. There were several reasons for doing it. First, he wanted to pave a path of success for Liu Bingyao. Second, he wanted to mess around with Tian Qiuming.
It was too easy to force Tian Qiuming into a dead end. It would be more fun if he could strangle that director bit by bit.
The most direct way to attack Tian Qiuming was through films.
Director Tian released a movie during the Lunar New year period earlier that year, which turned out to be a commercial success.
Nowadays, most commercial blockbusters were trash movies. Tian Qiuming’s movies were mostly trash, but they spent a lot of money on advertising, and many people got caught up in the hype.
Therefore, Tang Hao wanted to make a movie to bring Director Tian down a notch.
“That’s not very easy!” Tang Hao thought about it and furrowed his brows.
“But it’s more challenging when it’s not easy!” He muttered and grinned.
“What film should I make?” He sat down and thought for a long time.
Suddenly, an idea came to him. He stood up and searched for a name on the computer.
He tapped on the enter button and many results appeared.
He clicked on the first one and entered a blog.
A novel was serialized on that blog. The title of the story was “The Mao Mountain Taoist Master”, and it was written by a certain Mr. Ghost.
Mr. Ghost was none other than Shabby Taoist Master.
Long ago, Taoist Master Chang Qing had mentioned to Tang Hao that Shabby Taoist Master was a renowned blogger on the Internet. His writings were very popular.
He started reading from the first chapter.
“Not bad, not bad at all! If this gets turned into a movie, it’ll definitely be a blockbuster. Hmm, the original novel is also very popular. If it’s filmed, it’ll be even better.
“Oh right, we won’t need special effects! We can just fight with real weapons and sorcery. That’ll definitely be a selling point!”
Tang Hao became more excited as he thought.
No special effects could match the real deal. All the special effects studios in the country were not that great anyway.
‘If I could nail down the special effects, then the movie is well on its way to success. Anyway, aren’t Merrican movies all about special effects? The plots are generally the same.’
“Alright, that settles it!”
Tang Hao slammed the table. He was getting more and more excited.
Immediately, he picked up his phone and called Shabby Taoist Master.
“What? Shoot a film?
“F*ck! Fellow Cultivator Tang, you’re going to shoot a movie, and you want to use my story?”
On the other end of the phone, Shabby Taoist Master jumped up and down. His face was full of disbelief.
He was so excited that his body was trembling.
“Yes! There’s no reason to say no! I’m giving you the copyright, so you can shoot it however you like. What? You want me to star in it too? Of course! How could I possibly reject it?”
Shabby Taoist Master became even more excited.
Chapter 561 - I Want To Be A Director
“What? Shoot a movie?”
An afro-sporting head popped through the window. It was none other than the scoundrelly Trendy Taoist Master.
As he stared at Shabby Taoist Master, his eyes sparkled.
In the room, Shabby Taoist Master suffered the shock of his life.
He nearly cursed out loud when he turned around. ‘F*ck, does he have dog ears? Why does he always hear me? He can’t be always eavesdropping on me, right?’
“Huh? Shooting a movie? What movie?”
Whoosh! Another head popped in from another side and bumped Trendy Taoist Master’s head.
Both of the Taoist masters’ eyes were sparkling.
“Another one with dog ears?” Shabby Taoist Master cursed under his breath.
“Who’s shooting a movie?”
Thud thud thud!
A flurry of footsteps rushed toward Shabby Taoist Master and the door was kicked open with a bang. A tall and powerful-looking Taoist master came in with an ax in his hand.
“Hey, hey! What are you doing? Put down the ax!
“Also, don’t kick the door like that next time, OK? You’re gonna break it.”
Shabby Taoist master gulped hard and said nervously.
The commotion spread in all directions.
“What? Shooting a movie?”
“Who’s shooting a movie? What’s it about?”
“Hey, Xuan Ling, are you moonlighting behind us? Tell us the truth.”
One Taoist master after another came from all directions and surrounded the door.
Their eyes were sparkling as they looked inside.
Shabby Taoist Master broke out in cold sweat when he saw that.
He gulped hard and said, “Fellow Cultivator Tang… said that he wants to shoot a movie based on my novel. Also, he said that he wants me to star in it.”
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone fell silent.
It was so quiet that it was almost terrifying.
Then, everyone wailed sorrowfully.
“Oh, heavens! Is there no justice in this world? I’m more handsome and cooler than him. Why won’t he let me star in it?”
“How could that be? That isn’t fair! I want to star in it too!”
The Taoist masters started shouting.
Shabby Taoist Master wiped his sweat and said, “Um… listen to me. Fellow Cultivator Tang said that he’ll need many people to fill in the roles. He’s coming over now to discuss with us and pick the suitable actors.”
As soon as he finished speaking, his surroundings fell silent again.
All the figures froze there.
Then, they immediately went into action.
The crowd of sixty instantly dispersed and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
They rushed back to their abodes at lightning speed, took off their dirty Taoist robes, and rushed into the bathroom to take a shower.
After cleaning themselves, they sat in front of the mirror and began to trim their beards and comb their hair.
Then, they took out their treasured suits and leather shoes and put them on.
Some even sprayed themselves with cologne.
Instantly, those people changed from Taoist masters to hipsters.
Eventually, the news spread through the entire Mao Mountain.
Even the white-haired elderly Taoist masters could not resist the temptation and began to groom their appearances.
When Tang Hao arrived at Mao Mountain, he was stunned.
Everyone from Mao Mountain was gathered at the foot of the mountain gate. Many of them began to pose when they saw him approach. Many people began to flaunt their kung fu moves. Some even swallowed swords and performed other acrobatic stunts.
It was a lively scene.
Their eager gazes seemed to be saying, “Pick me! Pick me!”
Tang Hao covered his eyes, trying to spare himself from the second-hand embarrassment.
‘I get those who are posing, but why are the others performing acrobatic stunts? Were they part of a circus troupe before this?’
“I’ve heard that you want to shoot a movie, Fellow Cultivator Tang. To tell you the truth, I’m a veteran actor. I can fit into any role you give me, so I’m the best choice here. Besides, I’m so handsome. The audience will definitely like me.”
“What the f*ck are you talking about? I’m more handsome than you. Pick me if you need a star.”
The elderly Taoist masters argued and jostled among each
other.
As they argued, their faces turned red, and they almost started fighting.
Tang Hao broke out in a cold sweat. He had never thought that the Taoist masters would be so enthusiastic.
“Um… Everyone calm down! Everyone gets a chance. I’ll discuss the script with Taoist Master Xuan Ling first. Then, I’ll choose the people according to what we need.”
As he spoke, he walked toward Shabby Taoist Master.
At that moment, a figure squeezed out from the crowd and walked in front of Tang Hao. He placed a large box in his hand on the ground.
Tang Hao looked closely at him and was stunned.
The person in front of him sported an afro and was extremely fashionable. He was none other than the scoundrelly Trendy Taoist Master.
He looked at the box and saw that it was filled with CDs.
Trendy Taoist Master dragged heavily from the cigarette in his mouth and blew a cloud of smoke. He seemed melancholic and profound.
“What are you doing?” Tang Hao asked, surprised.
“I’m different from them!” Shabby Taoist Master said in a deep voice.
“How are you different?”
“They are… vulgar. They only want to act in movies and be famous, but… I’m different. I want to be a director. A director is the soul of a movie.”
His tone was deliberately low and hoarse.
“Huh? Director?”
Tang Hao was completely dumbfounded.
“That’s right, a director! I’ve always dreamed of being a director. However, my responsibilities as a Taoist master have prevented me from pursuing my dream.
“Now, the world is much more peaceful than before. We Mao Mountain Taoist masters no longer need to wander the earth like before. I can finally pursue my dream without reservations.
“I have been researching over the years. These CDs are only part of my collection. There’s more in my room. I have studied every frame and every scene of these movies.
“You can say that Spielberg is my spiritual mentor, and Stephen Chow is my idol.”
Trendy Taoist Master blew out another puff of smoke as he spoke.
The wrinkles on his face accentuated his melancholy and the vicissitudes of time.
Tang Hao was stunned. Somehow, he was convinced.
‘That’s right! These Taoist masters are also human beings with their own hopes and dreams. However, as disciples of Mao Mountain, they had to put away their dreams to uphold their responsibilities.
‘For example, Taoist Master Xuan Ling writes his novel while vanquishing evil. That’s his dream.’
“Alright, you can be the director!” Tang Hao grabbed Trendy Taoist Master’s hand and shook it hard.
Trendy Taoist Master was instantly excited. “Don’t worry, Fellow Cultivator Tang. I’ll definitely make a good movie for you.
“Those blockbuster movies on the market are all trash. I want to change the trend.”
Tang Hao smiled and said, “Very good. I’ll leave this task to you!”
Then, he walked toward Shabby Taoist Master and said, “Let’s study the script first, Taoist Master!”
“That’s right! With a good script, our success is guaranteed,” Trendy Taoist Master said.
Immediately, the people rushed up the mountain. Tang Hao, Shabby Taoist Master, and Trendy Taoist Master went into a room and discussed all night. Finally, they came up with an outline of the script based on the novel.
Chapter 562 - Too Capricious
Three days later, Tang Hao met Liu Yan in a private room in New Magical Kitchen.
Next to her was a man in his forties with a refined face.
“Nice to meet you, Chairman Tang! I have admired you for a long time!”
Seeing Tang Hao, the man hurriedly stood up and extended his hand.
Although the boy in front of him was young, he was a legend in the business world. He built Haotian Group from scratch just over a year ago.
Haotian Group’s previous quarter financial report had shocked many people.
The net profit exceeded one billion!
That was an unimaginable achievement for a new group of companies.
The man himself was a loyal user of many of Haotian Group’s products.
‘The young man is truly an extraordinary person!’ He sized up Tang Hao and thought to himself.
“Chairman Tang, this is Zhuo Hong, whom I mentioned to you before. Mr. Zhuo has worked in the film and television industry for many years and is quite famous.” Liu Yan stood from her seat and introduced the man to Tang Hao.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Zhuo!” Tang Hao smiled and shook hands with him.
“It’s my honor to be a member of the Haotian Group!” Zhuo Hong bowed slightly to Tang Hao and said excitedly.
“Now that we’re acquainted, let’s take a seat!” Tang Hao said.
“We’ve already gathered enough human resources for the company, Chairman Tang. After that will be the registration and other official procedures,” Zhuo Hong said.
“Procedures? That’s easy. I’ll make a call later and get it approved immediately!” Tang Hao said.
Zhuo Hong was stunned.
‘Wow! How arrogant can he be?
‘Haha! He must be joking!’
Liu Yan leaned over and whispered into his ear.
His entire body trembled, and he sucked in a mouthful of cold air. He was quite terrified of the young man in front of him.
‘What? You mean he has connections with the province leaders and high-ranking officials? And he knows some of the VIPs in the Capital too?
‘What a terrifying background!’
He was stunned for a long time before he came to his senses. He wiped his cold sweat and stammered, “Then… then… there’s no problem.”
‘With such a powerful background, there won’t be a problem!’ He thought to himself. He glanced at Tang Hao and was even more in awe of him.
‘What else don’t we know about Chairman Tang?’
He thought for a while and said, “Well… Chairman Tang, after the company is operational, we’ll have to make a good first impression with our first work.”
“That’s already in the works. Take a look at this script.”
Tang Hao placed a script on the table and pushed it toward Zhuo Hong.
Zhuo Hong furrowed his brows when he took it and looked at it. “Mao Mountain Taoist Master?”
Then, he briefly browsed through the script. As he read, he could not help but nod and exclaim, “Wonderful! This is quite wonderful! It’s the typical style of whimsical comedy.
“Comedy movies are the mainstream nowadays. Everyone likes to watch them. They’re relaxing and enjoyable!
“What’s rare is that there’s quite a bit of action and some moving scenes. This is amazing! Hmm, there are quite a few fighting scenes. If they can be filmed well, it’ll be even more wonderful.
“Wouldn’t the ratings board have an issue with ghosts and superstitions?”
Tang Hao said, “I’ll try my best. I’ll rely on my connections. If it doesn’t work out, we can make slight changes. That won’t affect the general plot.”
“That’s true! Right, who wrote this script? It’s quite excellent!”
“It’s a friend of mine. Look at this pen name. Ever heard of it?”
“Mr. Ghost? Hmm… that name is familiar. Oh, right! Isn’t that the famous blogger? I’ve heard of him before. So that’s how it is!” Zhuo Hong suddenly understood.
Tang Hao smiled and said, “So the script is ready. I’ve also chosen the director. Once the company is operational, we’ll pull the production team together and start shooting! We’ll try to finish this movie in about three months and release it in time for the Lunar New Year.”
“Huh? Three months?”
Zhuo Hong was stunned. His face was replete with disbelief.
“You must be joking, Chairman Tang! Three months might be enough for a romance movie, but it’s not possible to shoot an action movie
with special effects! Even half a year isn’t enough.”
“Special effects? We don’t really need special effects!” Tang Hao said.
“But…”
‘If we don’t use special effects, how should we shoot the fight scenes?’ Zhuo Hong was worried.
‘This is a fantasy movie, not a realistic movie!’
Beside him, Liu Yan held her forehead helplessly.
‘It looks like Chairman Tang isn’t serious about this. Even I know that we can’t shoot an action movie in three months. Does he think that we don’t need special effects too? That’s even more ridiculous!’
‘Also, which director did Chairman Tang hire? It shouldn’t be some random, third-rate director, right?
‘Otherwise, why would he think that we can shoot an action movie with no special effects in three months?
‘This might ruin Haotian’s brand!’
She did not dare to think about how horrible the box office and the ratings of the movie might be.
‘What kind of negative comments would it attract? What kind of impact would it have on the reputation of Haotian Group?
‘Right now, Haotian is in the limelight. Many people are looking at what we’ll do next!
‘If our first venture into the film industry is a bad movie, the negative reviews would be enough to drown us.
‘I bet there are many people who can’t wait to see us go up in flames too.
‘That’s not even considering the financial impact on the group…’
Just thinking about it gave her a headache.
‘Chairman Tang is indeed still young. He’s too impulsive and capricious!’
“How much do you plan to invest in this movie, Chairman Tang?” Liu Yan asked.
“Well, I haven’t thought about it, but I’m sure it’ll need tens of millions!” Tang Hao said.
Liu Yan facepalmed, thinking that all that money would go down the drain.
Zhuo Hong sat there with an awkward look on his face.
He was beginning to think that something was amiss.
He had thought that Chairman Tang was sincere in his venture into the film industry, but it seemed that he was only fooling around.
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