Although Ma Rongzhen had fallen on hard times, he had spent decades struggling in show business and had seen it all. The moment he heard Lu Chen's question, he immediately understood what had happened.
"No!" he answered without the slightest hesitation. "Even if someone did ask me, I would never leave the production unless you personally told me to, Young Lu!"
Lu Chen and Chen Wenqiang exchanged a glance, both seeing the same sense of relief in each other's eyes. If Ma Rongzhen had walked away too, the production really would have been in serious trouble.
Lu Chen smiled. "That's good. Don't worry, I'm definitely not letting you go. Let's work together and make this film the best it can be."
The old actor's character was beyond question. He was someone Lu Chen could truly trust.
Ma Rongzhen asked with concern, "Young Lu, did Liu Zhaohui quit?"
Lu Chen and Chen Wenqiang were both taken aback.
Chen Wenqiang asked in surprise, "Brother Rongzhen, how did you know?"
"That guy..." A look of disdain flashed across Ma Rongzhen's face. "He's slippery, and he's scared of death. Give him a little scare, and he'll immediately back down. There's nothing surprising about it."
It was obvious Ma Rongzhen looked down on Liu Zhaohui. The two of them had probably had some history.
Lu Chen wasn't interested in their personal grudges. What concerned him was Ma Rongzhen himself. "Uncle Ma, aren't you worried? Honghua has Sheng Yitang backing them."
Ma Rongzhen chuckled. "What do I have to be afraid of? I've got nothing left to lose. If Sheng Yitang comes after me, I'll fight them to the end. This isn't the Hong Kong of decades ago. The Jiang Family can't cover the sky with one hand anymore!"
He spoke openly and without hesitation. "Back when I still had money, if Sheng Yitang had targeted me, I probably would've backed down just like Liu Zhaohui. But now? I'm not afraid of anything. My wife and kids left me long ago. The only family I have left is my old mother. If they don't mind stirring up public outrage, then let them do whatever they want. If Jiang Chenghua dares to cut off my livelihood, then I'll take my mother and camp out in front of his father's house. We'll see who's the one that ends up losing face!"
Lu Chen was left speechless, but he was finally able to put his mind at ease about Ma Rongzhen. "Even so, be careful. Watch out for dirty tricks."
Ma Rongzhen laughed. "Young Lu, I doubt they're interested in driving me away. My reputation in show business isn't exactly great."
'Box office poison.'
Lu Chen suddenly remembered Ma Rongzhen's nickname and couldn't help smiling.
With a sigh, Ma Rongzhen said, "Honestly, the best way to deal with something like this is to get a big shot to mediate. It's a shame I don't have any influence left. Sorry I can't be of any help."
"Don't say that," Lu Chen replied, shaking his head. "Uncle Ma, just staying with the production is already a huge help to me."
Despite the endless problems facing the crew, filming couldn't stop. Otherwise, the losses would only grow. Lu Chen didn't try to persuade anyone who wanted to leave. Whoever wanted out was free to go; you couldn't force someone to stay.
As for Liu Zhaohui, he had been hired by Jiayang Film Industry, so it was up to Jiayang to deal with the consequences.
That evening, Zhou Yi called Lu Chen again. Honghua had sent word through a middleman with their terms for a "settlement."
"Buying into the film is non-negotiable," Zhou Yi said over the phone, his voice sounding exhausted and drained of energy. "As for how much they'll own, that can be discussed when everyone sits down together. But the middleman said their minimum demand is 35%. Honghua also plans to establish a new film company that will become the shareholder representing them and take part in the production and distribution of the movie."
The moment Lu Chen heard they wanted at least a 35% stake, the last trace of hope he had disappeared. These gang-backed forces were unbelievably greedy. Giving them even one percent would be asking for trouble.
Still, he patiently listened as Zhou Yi continued. "There's one more condition. Honghua wants to appoint their own director and producer. The male and female leads can stay the same."
That was enough. Lu Chen couldn't listen anymore.
The two most important people on any film production are always the director and the producer. Sometimes one person fills both roles, but more often than not, the two of them together determine the fate of the film.
Honghua didn't just want a share of the investment; they also wanted control of the director's and producer's positions. In other words, they wanted to hold the life and death of 'A Chinese Ghost Story' in their own hands.
How could Lu Chen possibly agree to that?
"Boss Zhou, you don't need to say anything more. I won't agree to a single one of their demands. If they're determined to keep causing trouble, then I'll fight them to the very end." Lu Chen's reply was firm, filled with unshakable determination and confidence.
He would never bow his head.
Zhou Yi wasn't surprised at all. If he were in Lu Chen's shoes, he'd rather shut the entire project down than accept such outrageous terms. Agreeing would be no different from kneeling before them.
After a moment of thought, he shared his own suspicion. "Young Lu, I don't think their real goal is getting a bigger share of the film. I think they want to drive you out of Hong Kong."
Putting himself in Honghua's shoes, Zhou Yi reasoned that if they really wanted to seize 'A Chinese Ghost Story', now wasn't the right time to make their move. The best opportunity would be when filming was already halfway finished.
By then, Lu Chen would have invested a huge amount of money into the production. Walking away would mean enormous losses, and he might be forced to give in. But demanding shares, the director's seat, and the producer's role right at the beginning, did they really think everyone else was an idiot?
That was why Zhou Yi believed Honghua's true objective was simply to force Lu Chen out of Hong Kong.
Lu Chen thought the theory made a lot of sense, but he couldn't understand one thing. "If I leave, what does Honghua gain?"
As far as he knew, there was no conflict between him coming to Hong Kong to make a movie and Honghua's restaurant business. In fact, he'd even ordered boxed lunches from them before.
Zhou Yi replied, "I don't know either. But I do know Jiang Chenghua is a very shrewd man. He never does business at a loss, and he doesn't waste time or effort on things that hurt others without benefiting himself. So all I can do is keep looking into it. In the meantime, make sure you stay safe."
After ending the call with Zhou Yi, Lu Chen thought for a moment before dialing Wan Yong.
So many incidents had already happened. Although the production had reported everything to the police and filed complaints with the Film City Management Authority, protecting the crew ultimately depended on themselves.
That night, Lu Chen had Wan Yong personally stay behind at the set to guard the equipment. After carefully giving Wan Yong a few instructions, Lu Chen finally went to bed.
Early the next morning, he was awakened by the shrill ringing of the telephone.
His eyes snapped open. He immediately rolled over, reached for the landline on the bedside table, and put the receiver to his ear. "Hello?"
Wan Yong's excited voice came through the line. "Young Lu, we've caught two of the guys who've been causing trouble!"
What?
Lu Chen was instantly wide awake.
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(End of Chapter)
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