novellhall Chapter 4: The view of Victoria Harbour is so beautiful!
Chapter 4: The view of Victoria Harbour is so beautiful!
Peninsula Hotel, Executive Lounge.
11 o'clock.
Lin Dong sat on the sofa, and Li Jiaxin took his arm and sat beside him.
Sitting opposite were Xiang Yeqiang and his wife, along with Wang Jing. On the coffee table were several pages of a newly printed letter of intent, the ink not yet completely dry.
"Mr. Lin, let's stick to the terms we just agreed on." Xiang Yeqiang pushed the letter of intent over. "Yongsheng will be responsible for production and distribution, with Wang Jing as director and Jiaxin as the female lead. Yongsheng will only receive a fixed service fee and will not take a share of the profits."
Lin Dong nodded and then said, "For the male lead, I want Andy Lau. Eight million for the role."
Everyone was surprised, but Lin Dong ignored them and continued, "The director's fee and Jiaxin's salary will both be charged at the maximum market rate!"
Li Jiaxin and Wang Jing's eyes lit up, and they unconsciously sat up straight.
This is real benefit; in the current market, actor salaries are usually discounted.
Little did they know that if the system hadn't prevented it, Lin Dong would have been willing to open even more.
Pity.
While supporting Lin Dong by raising his finger, he added, "But I have conditions!"
Xiang Yeqiang and his wife also sat up straight.
"Project approval within one month. Filming completed within four months. Released within six months."
Wang Jing's face twitched three times.
"Mr. Lin, time is too tight." He put down his teacup and rubbed his chubby hands on his knees. "Wah Jai and I are about to start filming 'Dragon in the Jianghu,' which is the project that Xiang Sheng mentioned could let Mr. Lin invest in. I'm the director, and Andy Lau is the male lead. The schedule is already set."
Lin Dong didn't say anything.
Xiang Yeqiang glanced at Wang Jing, then at Lin Dong, and said, "The release date for 'Dragon in the Jianghu' can be postponed."
Wang Jing turned to look at him.
"Film Lin Sheng's movie first." Xiang Yeqiang's tone left no room for argument. "Postponing the start of filming for 'Dragon in the Jianghu' by a month won't be a big problem. I'll talk to Andy Lau."
Wang Jing paused for two seconds, then nodded: "Okay. At worst, we can work two teams back-to-back, and squeeze in some time."
Lin Dong held out his hand, showing three fingers.
"We'll sign the agreement tomorrow. After signing, ten million will be deposited into Yong Sheng's account for initial preparations. Another fifteen million will be deposited when filming starts. The final five million will be deposited after filming wraps up."
Xiang Yeqiang reached out his hand.
"Lin Sheng, that was satisfying."
Lin Dong grasped his hand and smiled, "Xiang Sheng, it's been a pleasure working with you."
Li Jiaxin stood up and smiled slightly at everyone present.
"Mr. Lin, Mr. Xiang, Mrs. Xiang, Director Wang," her voice was soft yet firm, with just the right amount of restraint, "thank you all. I will definitely do my best in this film."
Mrs. Xiang looked at her with a kind of loving and understanding gaze that came from someone who had been through it all.
"Jiaxin," she nodded at her, "act well. And do your best—"
She didn't finish her sentence, but just smiled meaningfully.
Li Jiaxin lowered her eyes, her lips curved slightly, but she didn't reply.
But when she sat down next to Lin Dong again, she sat even closer than before.
The group chatted for a while longer, and around 11:40, Lin Dong stood up on his own initiative.
"Mr. Xiang, Mrs. Xiang, let's call it a day."
Xiang Yeqiang's gaze swept back and forth between him and Li Jiaxin, then he nodded tactfully: "Okay, then Mr. Lin should get some rest."
He paused, then added, "There's a wine cabinet in the room; all the wine in there is mine."
Mrs. Xiang added with a smile, "Mr. Lin, the Peninsula Hotel serves breakfast until 10:30. But if you wake up late, just call the front desk and they'll deliver it to your room."
These words were perfectly worded and considerate, but everyone could hear the underlying meaning.
…………
The corridor was carpeted with thick carpets, so there was no sound when you stepped on them.
Lin Dong walked ahead, with Li Jiaxin linking his arm and following beside him.
The presidential suite's lights are motion-activated; they turn on as soon as the door is opened. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the lights of Victoria Harbour spread out like a box of shattered diamonds.
"Sit down." Lin Dong gestured to the sofa, then walked to the wine cabinet, glanced at the bottles, and said, "Red wine?"
"it is good."
He opened the bottle with practiced ease. The cork clicked as it was pulled out, and the wine poured into the decanter, its dark red surface shimmering under the light.
Li Jiaxin sat on the sofa, kicked off her high heels, and pulled her feet up onto the sofa, her skirt covering her ankles.
She was much more relaxed, not as stiff as she was at the banquet, but her back was still straight—not intentionally, but out of habit.
Lin Dong placed two glasses on the coffee table, poured wine, and sat down opposite her.
Li Jiaxin picked up her wine glass, took a sip, and looked at him through the rim of the glass.
"Lin Sheng".
"Um."
"Thank you!"
Lin Dong took a small step closer to her, lightly lifting her chin. "Just a verbal thank you?"
Li Jiaxin slightly moved her chin to pull her hand away from his, then touched his collar with both hands and said softly, "Mr. Lin, your shirt buttons are a little tight!"
Lin Dong didn't speak, just watched her movements.
Her movements were slow and gentle, and her breath fell softly on his neck, carrying the fruity scent of red wine.
The button is undone.
But she did not pull her hand back.
Her fingertips gently traced the edge of the open neckline, as if caressing the crease in the fabric, or perhaps confirming something.
Then her fingers stopped at his collarbone, her fingertips sinking slightly into the fabric of his shirt.
.........
Outside the window, the lights of Victoria Harbour went out one by one.
The sea breeze of a late March night seeped in through the cracks in the window, carrying a salty and slightly cool scent, gently stirring the gauze curtains in front of the French windows.
Only the warm light of the wall lamp remained in the room, along with the dark shadows of two people pressed tightly together.
...............
At the same time, in the executive lounge.
Xiang Ye leaned back on the sofa and loosened his tie. His mother sat beside him, holding a barely touched cup of tea.
Wang Jing folded the letter of intent and tucked it into his pocket, his chubby face still showing lingering excitement.
"Ah Jing," Xiang Yeqiang finally spoke.
"Xiang Sheng".
"You need to show me your utmost sincerity regarding this project."
Xiang Yeqiang's tone wasn't one of negotiation. "This is Lin Dongtou's first project. Money isn't the issue; the issue is making him feel that the money is well spent, that he's happy with it, and that he feels comfortable spending it."
Wang Jing nodded: "I understand."
"You don't understand." Mrs. Xiang put down her teacup, glanced at him, and said, "Tonight at the banquet, in front of everyone, Mr. Lin spent 30 million on a woman. He wasn't after box office revenue; he was after face."
She paused for a moment, then said, "If you give them enough face, it'll be easier to negotiate next time. Thirty million is just the beginning."
Wang Jing paused for a moment, then laughed: "Mrs. Xiang, don't worry. I might not be able to speak for other things, but when it comes to filming women, I'm second to none in all of Hong Kong."
He stood up and patted the letter of intent in his arms: "I made Qiu Shuzhen famous, I made Zhang Min famous, I made Zhu Yin famous. Li Jiaxin—I guarantee she'll be so beautiful in this film that she won't even recognize herself."
Xiang Yeqiang also smiled, stood up and patted Wang Jing on the shoulder.
"Okay. Get the script out as soon as possible, I'll call Andy Lau tomorrow."
Wang Jing walked to the door, then suddenly turned around, a mischievous smile spreading across his chubby face.
"Mr. Xiang, Mrs. Xiang, do you think Mr. Lin must be quite happy tonight?"
Xiang Yeqiang was stunned for a moment.
Mrs. Xiang chuckled, picked up her teacup, and took a slow, deliberate sip.
"Wang Jing, don't worry about this kind of thing. Lin Sheng is someone you don't need to worry about."
Wang Jing laughed and left.