Chapter 593: No One Can Default and International Vision

The ringing of the telephone made Mr. Serui, who was reading the newspaper, shift his gaze from the news to the somewhat old dark red telephone.

He put down the newspaper in his hand, took off his glasses, and picked up the phone. "This is Keargan Cinema Management Company, I am Serui."

Mr. Serui is the president of Keargan Cinema Management Company, which is a family business.

Mr. Serui's grandfather built the first cinema. At that time, the novelty of movies attracted many curious people to enter the cinema, allowing them to earn their first pot of gold.

The old man believed that this was a brand-new entertainment project that would inevitably move toward glory because it was not as incomprehensible as opera, and at the same time, the price of watching a movie was low, which anyone could afford.

The most people in this world are not those rich people, but the poor.

The difficulty of getting five cents from every poor person is far lower than the difficulty of getting five million from the rich. Mr. Serui's grandfather continuously invested the money he earned into opening new cinemas.

Before the guy who shouted "five cents to watch a movie" appeared, they could guarantee a healthy business situation.

The annual gross profit was between three hundred thousand and five hundred thousand, depending on whether there were blockbuster movies.

But after the slogan and business strategy of "five cents to watch a movie" came out, their profits began to plummet.

Because they were afraid that other people's five-cent tickets would snatch their customers, everyone was lowering the price of tickets.

At first, none of them were willing to lower it. He also participated in some social activities organized by cinema chain operators, and everyone discussed keeping the price together.

But as some people secretly started to lower the price of movie tickets at midnight shows, the price war broke out completely.

It didn't take too long for the price of movie tickets in Jinzhou to drop to five cents. It can be said that in the two years before the sound film came out, shooting a movie was a gamble, and playing a movie was also a gamble!

If you win the gamble, you can make money.

If you lose the gamble, you will lose money.

The entire cinema chain has fourteen cinemas, operating in Jinzhou, and the business is not bad.

Jinzhou is a prosperous and wealthy place, where a group of the richest and most powerful people in the Federation live.

Anything that leaks out from between their fingers is enough for the people here to be full and satisfied.

This is the place with the highest consumption level in the entire Federation, but people's wages are also very high.

In the average wage of ordinary people counted by the federal government, the average wage level of fifty-one dollars and fifty cents leads the entire Federation.

It is even twice the average wage of people in some remote areas!

This also makes people here more open and trendy in terms of consumption concepts, and willing to accept some new things.

So... their business is actually not bad.

But good business cannot cover up the fact that the cinema chain has been losing money in the past few years. If it weren't for Mr. Serui thinking that these are all "ancestral properties" and he wants to pass them on, maybe he would only have half of the cinemas left in his hands now.

He sold all his villas, cars, etc., and used the money from the sale to maintain the cinemas.

If the sound film had come any later, maybe he wouldn't have been able to hold on!

But fortunately, the sound film came, came with an unstoppable momentum, and the cinema instantly came back to life and started making big money.

Everything he once lost was earned back in a very short time by playing movies, earned back many times over.

Movie tickets are no longer five cents, but twenty-five cents, thirty cents, thirty-five cents!

Recently, some cinema operators in Jinzhou have been discussing whether to raise the price of movie tickets to over forty cents!

In short, his life is very happy now.

The wife who quarreled with him all day over some small things has become docile, and is even willing to take the initiative to help him release pressure through oral sex.

The two children who were always indifferent to him have also become sensible and obedient, knowing to hug him when he comes home and tell him "Welcome home."

If someone asks him how many steps it takes from hell to heaven, he will definitely answer that person, only one step—becoming rich.

I should change to a better-looking phone, this one is too old!

While thinking about this, he said the words he had said many times into the microphone in a formulaic way.

"Mr. Serui, I am Wanli Pictures."

When he heard this name, Mr. Serui frowned, and then a mocking smile appeared on his face.

A movie company from a small place actually wants to share the box office with him?

He participated in the film festival and exhibition activities in Xigu City and fell in love with the new genre film "The Mystery of Angel Lake" at a glance.

He inquired with the producer and was willing to buy out the movie for eight thousand dollars to play in his fourteen cinemas.

The result was not negotiated. In the end, he even offered a price of twelve thousand dollars, but the production company did not agree. They only accepted box office revenue sharing.

No way, he agreed.

In the specific operation, he found that the other party actually had no good way to determine how many tickets he had sold, so a thought of defaulting arose in his heart and could not be extinguished.

He didn't pay any money for this movie, but relied on it to make tens of thousands, and it is still making profits.

"You guys again?"

His voice grew louder unconsciously. "Shet, I've already told you."

"That mystery movie you shot doesn't care about anyone in Jinzhou, and no one likes to watch it. I haven't even sold a thousand movie tickets yet!"

"If you want money, no problem, I will mail one hundred dollars to you. Don't call me every day, I don't have time to waste with you greedy bugs!"

He glanced at the steaming coffee and newspaper, as well as the pipe placed on the side. He had an afternoon to spend quietly here.

The voice in the receiver was relatively young and strange, not the people who called in the previous few times. "Mr. Serui, other cinemas in Jinzhou have reported good box office results. Did you make a mistake?"

Mr. Serui cursed twice. "What the hell does that have to do with me?"

"Listen, young man."

"I don't care about your movie. It doesn't sell here. I've already taken it off the playlist, understand?"

"Also, don't call me again!"

The young man's voice in the receiver did not become abnormal because of this. "Do you know the consequences of doing this?"

"Consequences?" Mr. Serui laughed twice. "Does it mean you will come over and bite me twice?"

"Haha!"

He hung up the phone with a bang, then shook his head and picked up the newspaper again.

For him, this is his job. As long as he sits here, then every once in a while, the ticket office will send a box of money over.

His workers count the money in front of him, arrange it neatly, and then put it into an iron box.

At night, he will send a part of it to the bank to save it.

Work is like this, simple, easy, and not troublesome.

He didn't take the small movie company far away in Likalai State to heart. This is Jinzhou, not their kind of small place.

Lanse put down the phone, extinguished the half-cigarette in the ashtray, and looked at the director. "Anything else?"

The director took out several cinemas and their detailed information. "Some of these also say that no one watches, and some have reported the box office, but have not transferred the money."

Lanse got it and looked at it. It is all over the country. This is indeed a headache, but it won't work if he doesn't do it.

"Is the situation of other movie companies the same?" Lanse asked. He seemed to have some new ideas.

The professor shook his head. "Currently, only we are using the box office revenue-sharing model. They still use the buyout screening method."

After all, buyout screening has lasted for so many years, and for production companies, they can recover costs at once, avoiding many troublesome problems.

For movie investors, they also prefer the buyout screening model. After the movie is finished, the payback period is very short, which is conducive to their capital mobilization and adjustment.

Looking at Lanse's expression, the director's voice lowered slightly. "But in fact, everyone is willing to use this model. Previously, two movies sold nearly ten million in total, but they only sold for less than three million at the film exhibition."

"More than seven million in profit was eaten by the cinema, and the production company is also discussing that they can actually get more from it."

"And they can sell for so much money, itself is also selling the price up with the gimmick of the first sound film, etc." "Now even if it is the same movie, maybe seven or eight hundred thousand is the limit."

"And our movie already has about that much profit."

Lanse glanced at the list again. The cinemas involved were scattered here and there, involving more than a dozen cities in seven or eight states.

When he was thinking, the room was very quiet. After two minutes, he asked, "If we can ensure that box office revenue sharing can work, and maximize the benefits generated by the movie."

"Do you think there will be movie companies that will give their movies to us for distribution?"

The director reacted after a while, with an uncertain expression on his face. "Should be, right?"

"After all, as long as we prove this, they should be able to understand that this can allow them to earn more money."

Yes, definitely!

Lanse looked at Aierwen. "Arrange it, I hope these cinemas and their operators can transfer the money they owe me to the company's account as soon as possible."

"If someone doesn't cooperate...", he lowered his head slightly, and Aierwen immediately understood.

No errors, read it all at once!

No one can default on Lanse's account and still live happily.

"I know how to do it." Aierwen took the list and looked at it. "I'll go arrange it now."

Lanse added, "I will go to this Keargan Cinema myself."

He happened to have something to go to New Jin City. With the reopening of the casino and the funds squeezed out of the Koda family, the first batch of money has started to flow.

He can not go to New Jin City and transfer the money directly to the account designated by Tang Mu.

But he can also go there, let them know where this money comes from, and who gave it to them.

Giving benefits must be given to the practical place.

The director had a surprised expression on his face. "Will this... attract some trouble?"

Lanse shook his head, leaned on the chair, crossed his legs, and smiled. "In terms of operating a movie company and shooting movies, you are a professional."

"But in this regard, I am the professional."

Lanse's consideration is very simple. He wants to earn money from criminal businesses, and he also wants to earn money from legal businesses. Moreover, movies are an industry with huge future potential and huge influence.

The entire federal social system has various problems, such as people in the upper class never treating people at the bottom as human beings, and those masters even said such things.

They think ordinary people are not human, the elite class is barely human, and only the upper class is human.

Some people also chatted privately and thought that the reproductive rights of inferior people should be deprived because inferior people should not continue to breed.

But people have to admit that they seem to be inseparable from these numerous social underclasses, so whoever has greater influence on the social underclass will occupy more initiative in economy, politics, and all aspects.

Mastering more profitable distribution capabilities, movie companies will rely more on him. Before they can do this themselves, they must listen to Lanse.

When they can do it themselves, Lanse has already used this time difference to complete more things, more layouts, and make his position more impregnable!

Think about it, those movie stars and actors with huge popularity publicly express some views favorable to him, or stand on his side at critical moments. Even if one day he stands in the dock, those prosecutors have to be careful with their wording.

In the Federation, prestige is the best amulet.

Police officers in the city can kill an ordinary person no one knows for a reason, but they have to be doubly careful when dealing with those well-known figures, and consider not being troubled in turn.

This is the benefit of prestige.

Lanse needs prestige.

At the same time, this also represents huge economic benefits. When movie companies find that they can obtain more benefits from here, they need to pay Lanse a sum of money if they want to find Lanse to help with distribution.

The money Lanse can earn from here is no longer a small number. It is a percentage of the total box office of all movies in the Federation every year, not a specific number!

With benefits and prospects, there is driving force.

Soon the young men of the Lanse family began to take action.

Lanse also took the train to New Jin City.

Two days later.

When Lanse got out of the station, the surging feeling of the era became very clear again. He stood on the steps of the station, as if he could hear the heartbeat of the "blood flow" in this city and this country when it pumped.

The heartbeat of the era!

Everything here is full of things that make people full of strength!

He told the truth, he likes this city.

Standing on the steps for a while, adjusting his mood slightly, his gaze fell on Tang Mu on the sidewalk under the steps, and he shook hands with Tang Mu.

"Why did you think of coming here in person?" Tang Mu welcomed him into the car on the side of the road, and Lanse's motorcade was also here.

He came by train, and the motorcade came directly from the interstate highway. At this time, the speed of the train and the car was about the same. As long as it kept driving, the car could be faster.

After all, the time for cars to refuel is much faster than the time for trains to add coal and water.

Lanse sat in the car and swayed back and forth, not letting his butt press his clothes. "I will send the first batch of money in advance, and by the way, talk to the Senator."

"In addition, I have some small things to deal with here."

Tang Mu said jokingly, "The Senator has time in the evening, but it will be a little late."

Lanse nodded. "No hurry, take the Senator's business as the priority, these are just small things for me."

Tang Mu said with a smile, "This is not a small thing for you."

He knew how much money Lanse sent this time, so he said that.

After the two chatted simply, Lanse asked, "I read the newspaper recently, the conflict between us and Dantela seems to be escalating. Is there any decision in Congress?"

Tang Mu looked at Lanse with some surprise.

If these words came from the mouths of those politicians, celebrities, and experts, he wouldn't feel strange.

But coming from the mouth of a gang leader, it would give him a very absurd feeling.

Since when do gang leaders need to have international vision and a high degree of political sensitivity?

If gang leaders were all like this, wouldn't the Federation change?

He was just dazed for a moment, then nodded with a smile. "This is not a secret. The federal government will not compromise with the Dantela government. There is actually no possibility of compromise between us."

He seemed to want to say something but stopped. Lanse sighed. "War is coming after all."

Tang Mu asked, "Why do you think so?"

Lanse looked at him as if he were looking at a fool, which made Tang Mu feel a little ashamed. "I'm just testing you."

"I hope you are really testing me!" Lanse topped back, but soon he and Tang Mu both laughed.

Neither of them continued to delve into this topic. Tang Mu knew the "standard answer," so he was not so interested in Lanse's answer, as long as the result was correct.

Tang Mu invited him to a meal. The dinner in the Federation was just like that. Lanse even felt it was not as delicious as the stubborn old man Anderson made.

After eating, he was taken to the villa where Senator Cleveland worked. This is where he worked and rested.

It is called a villa, but it is more like a large office with a place to rest.

Although Congress provides an office for every senator, the small office cannot hold the senator and his team.

So besides having to be in the office when on duty, they work elsewhere at other times.

Near nine o'clock in the evening, the senator came back from the outside with the smell of alcohol.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 594 =====