HBWnovel Chapter 219 The Reporters' Encirclement
Chapter 219 The Reporters' Encirclement
With extensive newspaper coverage and word-of-mouth among those who had seen the film, "Hurricane Hong Kong" quickly became a must-see movie for Hong Kong residents.
Because if you don't watch, when other people are talking, you have no idea what they're saying and can't join in.
Wang Hao, the director of "Hurricane Hong Kong", became famous overnight. When he received the notice that he would be making a second and third installment, he was so excited that he trembled all over!
He got out of the car and practically ran to Lin Zhou's office. He rushed to Lin Zhou, grabbed his arm, and his voice trembled:
"Boss! It's a success! A complete success! I've been making movies for years, and I've never had a film that could drive audiences this crazy! This effect is simply unprecedented!"
Lin Zhou was startled by his actions, then nodded slightly and said calmly:
"Thank you for your hard work, Director Wang. The efforts of the entire crew have not been in vain."
Wang Hao, still unable to hide his shock, lowered his voice and pressed on:
"Boss, I have to ask, there were no such realistic explosions, car chases, or gunfights during filming. Where did these post-production special effects come from?"
"I've never seen such advanced technology in Hong Kong, or even in Hollywood!"
Lin Zhou smiled faintly and said calmly:
"Hollywood definitely doesn't have this technology! I went abroad once and asked a few friends who work in technology to help with the post-production. Their team is very talented in film and television special effects, and their technology is far ahead of the rest of the world."
Wang Hao suddenly realized and nodded in approval.
"So it's a top-tier international technical team! No wonder it was so impressive!"
"Boss, you have such a wide network of connections! You even managed to hire a top-notch technical team like this!"
"And with this technology in hand, Zhonghua Film & Television will become number one in Hong Kong!"
Wang Hao, still somewhat unwilling to give up, pressed on with the question:
"Boss, could you introduce me to that team? I'd like to learn from them, even if it's just as an assistant or doing odd jobs!"
Lin Zhou gently shook his head, his tone leaving no room for argument:
"I'm sorry, Director Wang, I have signed a strict confidentiality agreement with them, so I cannot disclose any information. Moreover, this technology will not be made public for the time being, and they will only be serving Zhonghua Film and Television's own projects for now."
Although Wang Hao was disappointed, he didn't dare to ask any more questions and could only nod repeatedly:
"I understand, I understand. It's a trade secret, I shouldn't ask any more questions."
At this moment, Manager Zhang from Zhonghua Cinemas rushed over, his face almost overflowing with excitement. He reached Lin Zhou and said urgently:
"President Lin! Fantastic news! All twelve of our cinemas are completely sold out today, with even the corridors and aisles packed with viewers. Many people are even watching it multiple times!"
Lin Zhou's expression remained unchanged as he looked up and asked, "How are the pre-sales going?"
Manager Zhang replied in a very fast voice:
"Tickets for tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, the day after that, and even for the next week are all sold out. There are still hundreds of moviegoers at the ticket office who refuse to leave, demanding that we add more screenings immediately!"
"Many other cinemas have also called, asking us to allocate more screenings to them!"
Wang Hao, who was standing to the side, also gasped when he heard this.
"Sold out in a week? That's unprecedented in Hong Kong film history!"
Lin Zhou remained unmoved upon hearing the result, simply giving the following instructions:
"To meet audience demand, add as many shows as possible, notify all departments to provide good service, keep ticket prices unchanged, and do not take this opportunity to raise prices."
"Yes! I'll arrange it right away!" Manager Zhang immediately turned and ran away.
When Lin Zhou got off work, he drove to the entrance of the industrial park, where a large number of reporters had been waiting for a long time. As soon as they saw Lin Zhou's car come out, they swarmed around him.
Upon seeing this, the driver immediately slammed on the brakes, and the crowd instantly surrounded the car. Even through the car windows, microphones and cameras swarmed around, flashes going off incessantly.
When the security personnel on duty at the entrance saw that the boss's car had been stopped, they quickly ran over to maintain order and keep the people away from the car.
Although the crowd was pushed aside, they continued to shout:
"Mr. Lin, could you please tell me whether the special effects technology for 'Hurricane Hong Kong' came from the US or Europe?"
"Mr. Lin, what was the production cost of this movie? Do you expect it to gross over 20 million?"
"Mr. Lin, will Zhonghua Film & Television continue to produce such blockbusters?"
"Mr. Lin, is it possible to sell this special effects technology? Many film companies have expressed their willingness to pay a high price for it!"
Lin Zhou asked the driver to wait a moment. He rolled down the car window and, facing numerous cameras, spoke in a calm and powerful tone:
"The source of the special effects technology is a trade secret and cannot be disclosed."
"As for box office revenue, I'll leave that to the market to decide; I won't make any predictions."
"Furthermore, Zhonghua Film & Television will continue to invest to bring better works to the audience."
Undeterred, a reporter pressed on, asking, "Mr. Lin, if you're willing to sell your technology, there's bound to be an astronomical offer. Are you really not considering it?"
Lin Zhou's eyes turned slightly cold, and his tone was resolute: "The technology doesn't belong to us, and even if it belongs to our group, we won't sell it, no matter the price."
The moment those words were spoken, all the reporters present were stunned.
The statement "The technology is not ours" was ignored by everyone; all they heard was "We won't sell it."
"Not selling? Mr. Lin, that's a huge sum of US dollars!"
"Mr. Lin, are you planning to reject all cooperation offers from film companies?"
Lin Zhou stopped responding, and with the security personnel preventing him from doing so, the driver slowly drove away.
Back home, Su Wanqing, who hadn't gone to work that day, gently took Lin Zhou's hand upon his return, her brows slightly furrowed.
"Ah Zhou, what you said just now was too harsh. Those overseas film companies have a lot of influence. If you refuse them directly like that, you'll easily offend people."
Lin Zhou was wondering what Su Wanqing meant when Lin Xiaofeng, nestled in his mother's arms, explained to him, "Dad, you were on TV just now!"
Lin Zhou instantly understood, reached out and touched his son's head, then turned to look at Su Wanqing:
"Even if we don't offend them, they'll still be eyeing us. With such advanced special effects, the number of people who are jealous could stretch from Tsim Sha Tsui to the New Territories. Rather than trying to cover it up, we might as well just be upfront about it."
Su Wanqing sighed softly, "I'm just worried that the bigger the tree, the more the wind will blow against it. You're too popular now, and it's easy for you to attract trouble."
Lin Zhou patted the back of her hand, his tone calm: "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. If there's trouble, we're not unprepared."
The next day, when Lin Zhou returned to the villa, the security captain immediately strode forward, his expression serious:
"Boss, today, three cars without license plates or with fake plates have been loitering around the villa. We've driven them away many times, but they just watch from a distance and don't come any closer. The license plate information is all fake."
Lin Zhou's eyes darkened: "Strengthen security. Double the number of security personnel inside and outside the villa. The safety of Madam and Young Master is the top priority. Any strangers who approach must be apprehended immediately."
"Yes!" The security captain immediately turned around and made the arrangements.
Su Wanqing's face paled slightly as she gripped Lin Zhou's arm tightly. "Zhou, are they already watching us?"
Lin Zhou reassured him, "It's just a test, don't worry. I personally designed the security at home; not even a fly can get in."
But Lin Zhou knew very well that the explosive popularity of "Hurricane Hong Kong" and his refusal to sell special effects technology had completely threatened the interests of overseas forces.