History of Hong Kong Island

Chapter 11 "Three Smiles"

Sitting behind the desk, He Dingxian counted 5000 Hong Kong dollars. The clean money is pleasing to the eye, and it can be used as the basic capital for starting a business.

Although it is not enough for a big water hose to play in Retiro for one night, you can invest in some small-cost businesses if you find the right opportunity.

He feels that it is not enough to be ruthless, hard enough, and eye-catching enough to do great things.

Three conditions, power, power, and money!

These three conditions are complementary and indispensable.

As a policeman in uniform, he is not considered to be powerful, but with green skins on his body, it will be a matter of time before he lifts up the epaulets step by step.

As for potential?He has already relied on the Chaoshan Gang!
As the largest hometown society on Hong Kong Island, the Chaoshan Gang cannot do small things to be appreciated by people with dignity.

But Chen Li, who has already gained a higher level of appreciation, can barely borrow Chen Li's momentum.

What about money...it is not much now, but money is the only capital that can be earned by oneself, as long as it is handled properly, there is no need to look at others.

Of course, earning a lot of money will make people jealous, so you need power to protect it, but everyone likes money, and you can't get promoted in the police force if you don't have money.

Every promotion needs to pay tribute to the ghost, but if you have no power, you can't get promoted. A Zong Hua inspector's position is 50 Hong Kong dollars, but there is no chance to buy it without backing.

There are not many people who can spend 50 Hong Kong dollars in Xiangjiang, but it is definitely more than the positions of the two chief inspectors!Chen Li agreed to sell him a position as team leader, and he really regarded him as his confidant.

In the evening, He Dingxian returned to the housing estate and took out 500 yuan to his mother: "The bonus given by the officer is used to subsidize the family."

Peng Lingshan took it happily, and He Dingxian put the wine glass in his hand, picked up the roast duck with chopsticks, put a wallet on the table, looked at Lard Boy and said, "Come across the sea tonight to talk about a business with me."

"Okay, brother Xian." Lard boy put away the disappointed look on his face, thinking that he was going to make a small fortune, but he didn't expect to get a penny.

After dinner, the two took a rickshaw to Kowloon City Ferry, took the ferry to North Point, and transferred to a rickshaw to Causeway Bay Cinema.

Lard Boy looked at the theater's signboard with a puzzled expression: "Brother Xian, do you want me to watch a movie to celebrate?"

Now Hong Kong Island theaters also run Cantonese opera, Huangmei opera, and movies. The audience for theater is not small, and the audience for movies is also increasing step by step.

The next stage will be to bring drama to the screen. The most successful films in the 50s were drama films, just like kung fu films in the 70s.

He Dingxian said with a smile: "There is such a good thing, we are here to buy goods."

"You can also buy goods in the movie theater?" Zhu Youzai smiled lewdly: "Hehehe, I understand."

He Dingxian stepped into the cinema and said: "A week ago, I saw a news in "Wenhui Pictorial". The Shaw Theater in Central has replaced new projection equipment, and the ticket price is [-]% off. All Hong Kong citizens are welcome to come."

"And then?" Lard Boy was puzzled.

"Silly boy, since the new equipment is replaced, what's the use of keeping the old equipment? Theaters will only replace one after another to attract audiences, and the obsolete equipment can only be put in the warehouse to get moldy."

"So I made a phone call to the theater manager, who agreed to buy me the old equipment for 3000 yuan each."

He Dingxian found the conductor at the front desk, cupped his hands lightly and said, "Hi, I'm looking for your Manager Zhang."

"Why are you looking for our manager?" The conductor spoke Cantonese and ignored the answer.

He Dingxian smiled: "I made an appointment to discuss business with him."

The conductor looked up at him, saw his military uniform's expression change, and said politely: "Manager Zhang's office is on the right, the one next to the toilet."

"Thank you!"

He Dingxian came to the office and knocked on the door to greet him. When he entered the door, he received a warm response from Manager Zhang.I saw Manager Zhang, wearing a white shirt and glasses, stood up behind the desk and shook hands to welcome him: "Hello, Mr. He, have you brought the money?"

He Dingxian took out the wallet in his pocket, unzipped it, and revealed a stack of Hong Kong dollars: "How is it?"

"Hehe, Mr. He, don't mind. There are too many white werewolves with empty gloves. I also work for the big boss. I don't see the money and don't deliver." Manager Zhang showed apology, and hurriedly handed over a cup of hot water.

"Take me to the warehouse to inspect the goods!" He Dingxian pulled up the zipper, also doing the job neatly.

The three of them went side by side to a warehouse in the corner of the theater. Manager Zhang lifted a black cloth to show the projector, and said proudly: "U.S. Dali company's watt-xenon lamp movie projector, put the movie disc in and it will automatically The playing screen and the lighting effect are excellent, but the disadvantage is that it is relatively bulky, and the xenon lamp is a bit old, and the light is not bright enough."

"The purchase price is 3000 Hong Kong dollars, and [-] yuan is sold to you for a big profit."

He Dingxian cast a glance: "Go up and have a look."

He and Lard Boy came to the projector together, inspecting the projector from the left and right, and smiled when he saw the production time on the fuselage: "It was produced in 45 years, and after six years of use, I will sell it for [-] yuan." , and said I made money?"

Manager Zhang was upset when he heard the words: "You don't care when I bought it, 3000 yuan is not enough for a projector? Why, you want to open a movie theater!"

He Dingxian said with a smile: "Release a film to have a look, and buy it if you can."

"No problem." Manager Zhang pointed to a box of messy video disks in the corner and said, "You take it yourself."

He Dingxian walked to a box of dusty video discs and wiped off the dust with his hands, watching discs one by one. These films were first made three years ago, and even earlier were ten years ago.

He took a film from a box and opened it, inserted the film into the projector, and turned the projection port to the wall. In the dark room, an old movie "Three Smiles" by domestic actresses for 40 years was played.

"Three Smiles", also known as "Tang Bohu Spots Autumn Fragrance", is based on the article "Tang Jieyuan's Marriage with a Smile" in "Warning the World". Laughing, thinking that Qiuxiang was interested, she changed her name and surname to sell herself to the Xiangfu as a book boy.

With his literary talent, he was highly valued by the grand master, and became the tutor of the grand master's second sons, Huawen and Huawu. Finally, he used the plan taught by his friend Zhu Zhishan to choose Qiuxiang and achieve a marriage.

Different from the well-known version of Zhou Xingchi, "Three Smiles" is a standard love story movie with a similar main line. In fact, many of Zhou Xingchi's movies can find their prototypes in old movies.

The great thing about Zhou is that he can use old stories to play new tricks, and he has figured out his own comedy style...

The "Three Smiles" was broadcast for half an hour. Manager Zhang glanced at his watch and said impatiently: "The projector has been turned a few times, and it will fail sooner or later. Do I want to watch the whole show with you?" ?”

"No, 3000 yuan, take the video disc with you." He Dingxian said.

Manager Zhang smiled: "You have a good idea, the projector and the video disc, but you don't seem to be in the same industry, maybe you want to go to the mainland to make money? Haha, this product can't be transferred much. .”

"Don't worry about it, I'll tell you how to get rich, you can do it!" He Dingxian said angrily at him, and Manager Zhang shrugged his shoulders and offered the price: "5000 yuan, projector plus video disk!"

Buying a video disc in this era means owning the commercial copyright. The price of a new video disc is above 3000 yuan, and the value of the old video disc has shrunk to [-] yuan. Many movie theaters will buy and release old movies when there are no new movies. However, old films still have circulation value in the market.

He Dingxian didn't talk nonsense, took out [-] Hong Kong dollars from his wallet and put it in his hand, and said, "I want to take Li Lihua's version of "Three Smiles" with me in the box!"

Over the past 40 years, two versions of "Three Smiles" have been shot in the domestic film market. One version was produced by Shanghai Guohua Film Company, with Zhou Xuan playing Qiuxiang, and the other version was produced by Shanghai Yihua Film Company, with Li Lihua playing Qiuxiang.

Manager Zhang thought for a moment and took the Hong Kong dollar with his hands: "Deal."

"Get the goods, leave." He Dingxian turned around and explained that Lard Boy had already picked up another version of "Three Smiles", and He Dingxian distributed a cigarette to Manager Zhang: "If the goods are okay, I will cooperate with you in the future , if there is a problem with the goods, I will take your skin off."

Manager Zhang raised his eyebrows, noncommittal: "You have the final say."

(End of this chapter)