Dreams of the Fragrant River

The Taiping Theatre is a three-storey building. From Des Voeux Road West, cross a promenade and a small open-air courtyard to the ticket hall. After passing the ticket hall, go up a few steps to the main entrance hall of the theatre. [;Starting]

Although the Taiping Theater has closed, Yuan Bifu still asks people to clean it regularly, and sometimes also accepts some concert business. Kang Jianfei pushed in the door and reached out to touch the wall, but it was not as dusty as he imagined.

After walking a few steps and turning the corner into the theater, Kang Jianfei was amazed by the quaint and luxurious theater decoration.

Different from modern luxury cinemas, the luxurious decoration of Taiping Cinema is full of antiques, making people feel as if they were in a cinema a hundred years ago.

Kang Jianfei looked up and saw a pair of high couplets on the pillar of the theater. The book said: "The imitation of Taikoo clothes can be used to punish people. The singing and dancing on the platform means that Qu Gao and widow are nothing more than horrifying knowledge."

Jiang Zhiqiang, who followed Kang Jianfei, touched the seats of the theater and couldn't help sighing, "If I could have such a theater, this life would be enough!"

Kang Jianfei joked: "Brother Jiang likes Taiping Theatre so much, why don't you be the theatre manager."

"I don't have time," Jiang Zhiqiang waved his hands again and again, he said, "Such a big theater is a hundred times more difficult to operate than a small theater. Fortunately, you bought the theater and the land. If you rent this theater to operate If so, I can't guarantee that I will be able to earn the rent back."

Kang Jianfei smiled and said, "It doesn't seem easy to see Shao Daheng. It was only after so many years of operating Lee Stage that he let go."

The Lei Stage, a luxury theater that is as famous as the Taiping Theater, has been leased to Shao Yifu for more than ten years. A cinema belonging to the Shaw Brothers Cinema Line. It was not until the first two years of Shaw Brothers' films that Shao Yifu gave up the act of renting and using the stage, otherwise the daily rent would be too much for him.

Jiang Zhiqiang watched the theater's furnishings while walking and said, "More than ten years ago, I was only 10 years old. At that time, the Lee Stage and the Taiping Theater were sold out. There are more than 180 theaters in Hong Kong. It is equivalent to twice the number of theaters now. Unfortunately, after the economic downturn, especially after the stock market crash, more than half of the theaters were closed.”

Kang Jianfei said with a smile: "Judging from the current economic development speed of Hong Kong, in a few years, the number of cinemas in Hong Kong will probably reach another peak."

Jiang Zhiqiang pouted and said, "The premise is that the Liberation Army does not come over."

Kang Jianfei asked with a smile, "Are you worried about this too?"

Jiang Zhiqiang sighed and said, "Can you not worry? If I hadn't been reluctant to part with the movie theaters passed down by my father, my brother and I would have immigrated out earlier, so we wouldn't have to stay in Hong Kong all day worrying about wars."

Kang Jianfei was silent for a while. Even Jiang Zhiqiang, who has traveled to Europe and the United States in his teens and has a broad vision, thinks so. It seems that the Sino-British negotiation has an impact on the people of Hong Kong. Far beyond his imagination. Ordinary citizens, especially those who have property and status in Hong Kong, are more concerned about gains and losses. Fear of losing everything overnight, anxious to sell the property at a low price and go overseas.

The two walked from the first floor to the second floor of the theater, and the view from here was even more spectacular. All the way to the third floor, the seats on this floor are all welded by iron bars, I heard that it is to deal with the rampant "psyllium".

Kang Jianfei sat on it and felt it for a while, feeling a little stubborn, and said, "The seats on the third floor need to be changed again."

Jiang Zhiqiang said: "The theater manager has found one for you. His name is Zhang Moren. He is a former friend of my father. He is in his fifties. He has opened several small theaters. He is also Hu Yixing's apprentice and assisted Hu Yixing in running the business. Liyuan Playground."

"Oh, that's a character, why don't you have your own business now?" Kang Jianfei asked.

Jiang Zhiqiang explained: "You may not believe it. A few years ago, he spent most of his life savings to buy a piece of land in Sheung Wan to build a big theater. What happened to him?"

Kang Jianfei said, "A fire broke out in the theater?"

Jiang Zhiqiang shook his head and said, "The theater is haunted!"

"Haunted?" Kang Jianfei was quite surprised by this answer.

Jiang Zhiqiang sighed and said, "It's just haunted. Originally, the theater was in a good location and business was good. As a result, one day it was rumored that the theater was haunted, and more and more people said that they saw ghosts in the theater. A viewer died of a myocardial infarction while watching a movie, and it was rumored that he was killed by a ghost. Do you think this theater can still be opened?"

It is definitely possible to drive in the mainland, but it is definitely not possible to drive in Hong Kong.

Kang Jianfei sympathized: "This old gentleman is unlucky enough."

Jiang Zhiqiang said: "That theater spent all his money, and he also borrowed money from the bank. It was haunted to the end, and he lost all the small theaters he used to run."

"Tell him to go to DreamWorks to find me tomorrow." Kang Jianfei said that he asked Jiang Zhiqiang to help him find a reliable theater manager. A luxury theater like the Taiping Theater can't be run very well by people who don't have the skills. Otherwise, Yuan Bifu would not have preferred to go out of business rather than open a business, because she runs a loss every day.

…………

…………

A dry and thin old man walked into DreamWorks. He was wearing a blue suit that had been washed white, and his silver hair was neatly combed. Although the body is a little rickety, it does not give the impression of being old-fashioned, and walking is very spirited.

Many DreamWorks employees looked at him curiously, wondering who this strange old man was.

"Hello, old man, who are you looking for?" Li Shan came up with a folder and asked. She originally starred with Wen Bixia and Li Saifeng, and later joined DreamWorks as a clerk. Now she has become a small steward with five employees under her control.

The old man said clearly: "I'm from Zhang Mo, and I made an appointment with Mr. Kang Jianfei."

"You look for the boss, I'll take you there," Li Shan smiled. "This is the secretary department, and the boss's office is over there."

Zhang Moren followed Li Shan all the way, and after meeting Chen Shuli, was invited into Kang Jianfei's office.

"Mr. Zhang, please take a seat!" Kang Jianfei laughed.

Zhang Moren was not polite, and sat down with a big horse, and drank the oolong tea brought by Chen Shuli with Erlang's legs crossed.

Jiang Zhiqiang didn't make it too clear yesterday. Kang Jianfei talked with Zhang Moren and realized that the old gentleman's experience was not easy.

Zhang Moren's original name was Zhang Si, who was originally the slave of the "traitor" Zhang Shankun. When he was in his teens, he followed Zhang Shankun to make movies in Shanghai. The name Zhang Moren was chosen for him by Zhang Shankun.

Zhang Shankun is a movie genius of a generation. Although he wears the hat of "traitor" on his head, he cannot deny his contribution to Chinese movies.

In the Hong Kong film industry in the late 1940s and early 1950s, the situation at that time was that the princes were fighting for hegemony, and the three most powerful film companies were all founded by Zhang Shankun.

It is a pity that this person has a bad reputation (traitor), and the company he opened must let someone else be the boss. As a result, the company was kicked aside as soon as it developed. Now the famous Great Wall Film Company, in fact, the real founder is Zhang Shankun, and later became a leftist company after a series of reorganizations.

Zhang Moren followed Zhang Shankun to work in six film companies including Huaying, Zhonglian, and Great Wall. Later, he was responsible for the management of theaters and cooperated with Shao Yifu, Lu Yuntao and others.

As for what happened after that, Jiang Zhiqiang had already said that this man lost all his savings because the theater was "haunted" and now manages a neighborhood cinema.

Regarding this character who has been in the Hong Kong film industry for decades, Kang Jianfei does not doubt Zhang Moren's ability at all. He asked a few questions casually, and some professional answers Kang Jianfei could not understand at all.

As for Zhang Mo's former traitor, Kang Jianfei didn't bother to ask about it. Kang Jianfei not only did not dislike it, but he valued him very much. Zhang Mo people can follow Zhang Shankun, the master for so many years, and even follow the "traitor" after the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, which shows that this person will not betray the master, and there is no need to worry about him betraying himself.

Kang Jianfei said: "I now have the Taiping Cinema in Western District, the Queen's Cinema in Central, and the Yau Ma Tei Cinema and Oriental Cinema in Kowloon. It will probably take a few months for the latter two theaters to open. Your task is to manage this well. Of the four cinemas, you will take care of the Taiping Cinema yourself, and you will find the managers of the remaining three cinemas. Do you understand?"

Zhang Moren nodded and said, "Understood."

Kang Jianfei said: "These four cinemas must join the new era cinema chain, of which Taiping Cinema and Queen Cinema can be used as leading theaters to make up for the shortage of large theaters under the new era. The new era cinema chain is a temporary cinema chain. If you don't understand the operating rules, you can ask Jiang Zhiqiang."

"No problem." Zhang Moren said confidently.

Kang Jianfei said: "I won't give you a fixed salary. Your income is pure profit from the four theaters~www.wuxiaspot.com~ If the theater loses money, then I'm sorry, you don't have a penny of salary. What do you think? "

Zhang Moren blew a sip of tea and said with a smile: "Then I will take advantage of the owner. 2% of the theaters make a lot of profit."

Kang Jianfei smiled and said, "It's pure profit, not gross profit. Don't get me wrong, old man."

"Don't worry, old man, I haven't set my ears yet." Zhang Moren said with a smile.

It was the first time for Kang Jianfei to be called "Dongjia". He felt like he had become a landlord in the old society, which was more interesting than being called a boss.

Kang Jianfei said: "That's it, the four theaters will be left to you to take care of, and you can decide who to hire. I will go to Taiwan and the United States during this time. When I come back, I hope everything goes well in the theaters. ."

Tomorrow is the Golden Horse Awards ceremony, and Kang Jian flew over to take a look. As for going to the United States, it is because he has spent too much money recently. He is going to make an American movie to earn some dollars, otherwise he will die of poverty, and he still owes the bank more than 100 million in loans.