Chen Qi was as familiar with the studio director's office as anyone could be. He strolled in, plopped himself onto the sofa with a thump, poured himself a cup of tea, and looked over at Wang Yang with a grin. "Did something wonderful happen? You're practically beaming."
"I'd say it's your good news!"
Wang Yang picked up a stack of materials and handed it to him. "I've spent the past few days doing nothing but sitting in meetings, specifically figuring out how to handle your arrangements. We've finally hammered out a preliminary charter."
"Then please do me the favor of explaining it, Director. Documents are always too abstract."
"Fair enough. There are some things that really can't be put in writing anyway."
Wang Yang gathered his thoughts and said, "Under the Ministry of Culture, there is the Bureau for External Cultural Relations, which oversees cultural and artistic exchanges with Hong Kong, Macao, and overseas. A company will be established under the Bureau's name, granting you the authority to produce films on your own, the authority for overseas distribution, and the authority to cooperate with left-wing studios in Hong Kong!"
*Hiss!*
Chen Qi drew in a sharp breath of Sister Gong Xue's lingering warmth, and a wave of heat surged through him. Every single one of these was what he wanted!
Yet in the next instant, he calmed down and asked, "Just lay out the specifics, Director. What are the restrictions?"
"Ha! You're certainly sharp, kid!"
Wang Yang took a drag from his cigarette and said slowly, "When it comes to the production company, you must credit Beijing Film Studio. You can draw upon the studio's resources or find them outside; no one will interfere with you. What you shoot and how you shoot it will be entirely up to you."
"I have a condition," Chen Qi said. "I can credit Beijing Film Studio, but my company's name has to be added as well. That means two presenting entities—yours first, mine second."
From this moment on, the relationship between Chen Qi and Wang Yang had shifted. Wang Yang had helped him tremendously, and Chen Qi genuinely wished to repay him. Under reasonable conditions, he was more than willing to bring tangible benefits to Beijing Film Studio.
"Deal!"
Wang Yang nodded. "The Ministry of Culture will allocate two quotas specifically to you each year, meaning you can shoot two films a year."
"That's way too few!"
"Kid, you're a commander without an army! Two films a year is too few for you?"
"Come on, once I get up to speed, I'm practically superhuman! Five or six a year wouldn't be a problem at all!"
"Bullshit! Just start with these. If it's not enough down the line, apply for more. Third, domestic distribution of *Tai Chi* is going to China Film. All the proceeds from print sales will be handed over to you to serve as your startup capital."
"Fair enough!"
Chen Qi knew full well that the print sales for *Tai Chi* were bound to set another record. If the Ministry of Culture were to issue a direct grant instead, it probably wouldn't amount to nearly as much.
"The company's finances will report directly to higher authorities. Foreign exchange earned will go straight into the state treasury, which will then convert it into RMB and allocate it back to you according to a set percentage.
"The company can handle overseas distribution, but only for films you produce yourself. You may collaborate with Hong Kong left-wing studios, and co-productions won't count toward your quota. You'll negotiate the specifics of those agreements yourselves.
"Finally, leaving the country will be much more convenient for you from now on.
"That's about it. Anything else you want to say?"
Chen Qi pondered for a moment, then asked, "Can I develop revenue streams of my own?"
"What are you planning to do?"
"Grant me a publication serial number; I want to run a magazine. Or permit me to take out bank loans and raise capital from other sources."
"We'll have to study that." Wang Yang jotted a note in his booklet and asked, "Anything else?"
"Who's on the staff right now?"
"Someone will be sent down to serve as executive head, plus an accountant, plus you—three people in total. You'll be in charge of day-to-day operations and can recruit your own team."
"That's not so bad, then. Otherwise, I really would be a commander with no troops."
"If there's nothing else, let's talk about the company name. Our stance is that it shouldn't sound too commercialized—not like something that screams capitalist firm. Keep it understated and discreet."
"Understated and discreet, huh..." Chen Qi thought about it, then said, "How about 'China External Culture and Art Exchange Co., Ltd.'?"
Wang Yang gave him a sharp swat and scolded, "In your dreams! Sticking 'China' at the front? Is a national prefix meant for just any run-of-the-mill enterprise?"
"Then how about 'Beijing External'?"
"Still no!"
"Then let's call it Eastern Culture and Art Co., Ltd. I can't go any lower than that—it's not like we can call it Dashilar, can we?"
"We'll take it under consideration!"
Once Wang Yang had sorted through everything with him, he smoked silently for a moment before suddenly sighing. "Kid, back then you told me we'd earn foreign exchange together, and now we've achieved it. I always wanted you to join Beijing Film Studio, but you said you wanted to strike out on your own. Now you've pulled that off too."
"Don't talk like that, Director—you're making me feel bad. You've helped me so much, and I will definitely repay you! In fact, you should look at it this way: under this new setup, our ties will be even closer than before, don't you think? Besides, I still have to borrow your space for an office and put your name on our projects. Barely anything's changed!"
"Still trying to take advantage of me at a time like this! All right, all right, get out of here!" Wang Yang waved his hand to shoo him away.
Chen Qi took two steps, then turned right back around to ask, "By the way, how did your talks with China Film go?"
"Ha! China Film is in utter disarray right now. The other film studios have all converged on Beijing, every one of them looking to beat a dog while it's down and wrest distribution rights away from them."
"..."
Chen Qi hesitated, wanting to say something, then advised, "Old Director, what I'm about to say might sound out of turn, but I don't think this is the right time for you folks to fight over domestic distribution. If you really want to grab something, go after overseas rights. Venturing abroad together and testing yourselves in the fire of real commercial competition will do everyone a world of good. Let's talk more when there's time."
Wang Yang froze in surprise. When he looked up again, Chen Qi had already walked out the door.
***
A few days later.
The matter was finally settled: Eastern Culture and Art Co., Ltd. would be established, with Chen Qi in charge of film operations and permitted to launch a magazine, while everything else would follow the framework Wang Yang had laid out.
Chen Qi had made good on the boast he once made: he was setting up his own shop!
Although this outfit still faced many restrictions, in the current climate it was about as liberalized as humanly possible. He understood he was being used as an experimental reform pilot, but that didn't matter to him—as long as he could get things done.
Like China Film, this company answered directly to the Ministry of Culture.
Its scale naturally couldn't compare—just a handful of people. Even the executive head assigned to them was a retired cadre named Li Mingfu. The old man was cheerful, exceedingly genial, and had a crystal-clear grasp of his role.
Chen Qi chatted with him and found him decent enough.
After all, Chen Qi was too young to hold an overly high official post. While that was a disadvantage, it also meant he wouldn't have to deal with administrative red tape and could pour all his energy into actual operations.
For the moment, the company existed only on paper and in word; fully setting it up would take time, which gave him the perfect opportunity to recruit talent.
Word spread through the industry, and the various film studios were whipped into a frenzy, streaming into Beijing to take on China Film in hopes of snagging distribution rights... Yet Chen Qi knew that while things indeed opened up in the mid-to-late 1980s—with agency distribution, lump-sum buyouts, and revenue-sharing percentages among various settlement methods—the studios' rejoicing didn't last. What happened in the end? It was implemented for only two years before reverting right back to selling prints.
Given the unique domestic landscape, Chen Qi had now successfully bypassed that trap. Going forward, he could travel to Hong Kong and overseas with relative freedom, cooperating openly and legitimately with the leftists—and that was paramount.
He didn't want to lean on the mainland while establishing a foothold in Hong Kong; he wanted to stand firm on the mainland and conquer Hong Kong!
If those studios were smart, they would come knocking on his door seeking co-productions and letting Chen Qi carry them to greater heights, instead of bickering endlessly with China Film...
"The weight of the two capitals and thirteen provinces—half of it rests on my shoulders now!"
Chapter 179