The expeditionary force began to dominate Southeast Asia by recruiting defeated soldiers

Chapter 539 Should we introduce Hollywood films? Shaw Brothers is coming?

Accompanied by Lin Yongnian, Su Manli and others, Zhang Chi continued to inspect other departments of the studio - the editing room, recording studio, and set warehouse.

Su Manli has positioned herself very correctly. A so-called movie star is no different from the actors of the past.

They all use sex to entertain people, so why not give it a try and reach the top in one step?

Unfortunately, although she tried many times to "carry the ball" towards Zhang Chi, she was tightly guarded by Chen Jingshu and found it difficult to score.

Su Manli was secretly cruel and full of jealousy towards this woman who had achieved success overnight. Why?

Li Mingzhu didn't have any extravagant thoughts. She just thought it was a chance to see her idol in person. She even took a notebook and asked Zhang Chi, the founding father, for an autograph in private.

Zhang Chi was not very interested in Shanghai playboys like Su Manli. With his status, any beauty he wanted would be prepared and sent directly to his bed.

As for Li Mingzhu, looking at this local actress with slightly dark skin and full of energy, Zhang Chi suddenly thought of a famous female action star in Nanyang in later generations.

So he pulled Lin Yongnian over and said half-jokingly, "Boss Lin, you should make more martial arts films and action films in the future. Also, don't always have men fighting. You can also train more heroic actresses and female action stars..."

"How wonderful it would be to play a female hero, a female hero, and add a different touch of color to the screen?"

In the early years of the Republic of China, martial arts novels had already become popular and were an excellent subject for being adapted for the big screen.

Lin Yongnian naturally agreed repeatedly.

After the tour, Fang Mo followed Lin Yongnian to the factory director's office.

The office's furnishings are utilitarian in style, with the Nanyang flag and Zhang Chi's standard portrait hanging on the wall, and several rolls of movie film piled in the corner.

Lin Yongnian personally made tea for Zhang Chi and Chen Jingshu, his face showing the shrewdness unique to a businessman and a hint of imperceptible uneasiness.

"Commander-in-Chief," Lin Yongnian said, rubbing his hands together with a broad smile. "Your words today have truly pointed the way forward for Nanyang Light and Film, and for the entire Nanyang cultural industry. We will strive for excellence in Huo Yuanjia, capturing the spirit and energy of the Nanyang people."

Zhang Chi picked up the teacup and blew on the hot air. "Movies are more than just entertainment, Boss Lin. They are a mouthpiece, a clarion call, one of the most powerful weapons in shaping the national spirit and spreading the national will. We must not only be able to shoot, but also to show, so that the voice of Nanyang can reach every household."

"Yes, yes, the Commander-in-Chief has great foresight." Lin Yongnian nodded repeatedly, then changed the subject, his tone becoming cautious. "Speaking of 'release', this... this theatrical distribution is the key to everything. Relying solely on our few official cinemas, our coverage is truly limited. Nanyang is vast and densely populated, and the people have a huge demand for entertainment..."

He observed Zhang Chi's expression and continued cautiously:

"The films available to the public now are mainly pre-war Hollywood releases, such as those from MGM and Warner Bros.... which are indeed very popular at the box office. Our own production of 'Fearless' is certainly good, but to reach more people and create an impact, we need a strong distribution network."

Lin Yongnian did not lie. As a new product, the main producer of movies before the war was White Eagle Hollywood. The Chinese film industry was relatively weak.

Zhang Chi was naturally aware of the problem of foreign films crowding out local theaters, so he remained calm and asked, "Oh? What does Boss Lin mean?"

Lin Yongnian took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind:

"Teacher-in-Chief, the issue of importing Hollywood films and distributing and screening our own films is a major one, with far-reaching implications. In Southeast Asia, the two private giants truly control high-quality cinema resources throughout urban and rural areas, especially in the core areas of major cities."

He paused, emphasizing, "The two Shaw Brothers (SB) and Mr. Loke Wan To of Cathay. They operated a vast cinema network in places like Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Coconut Grove, and Yangon before the war, and their roots are deep."

He bowed slightly. "Upon hearing that the Great Commander was here today, these two giants of the Nanyang film industry expressed their deep admiration for him and their eagerness to have the opportunity to listen to his teachings on the Nanyang film industry. They... are waiting in the small conference room next door. I wonder if the Great Commander..."

Zhang Chi didn't even raise his eyebrows, as if he had expected it.

After all, the intelligence agencies in Nanyang are not just sitting there doing nothing. They have been waiting for Lin Yongnian to take the initiative to propose it.

So he put down the teacup, making a slight clinking sound that was particularly clear in the quiet office.

He did not answer Lin Yongnian immediately, but turned to Chen Jingshu with a playful smile on his face:

"Jingshu, look, our Director Lin and these two 'giants' in the Nanyang cinema industry are very well-informed and act quickly."

Chen Jingshu was smart and immediately understood Zhang Chi's subtext - these businessmen had a keen sense of smell and had been waiting for this opportunity.

She smiled cooperatively and didn't respond.

Lin Yongnian's forehead was slightly sweaty, and he quickly explained:

"Great Commander, please understand. This matter truly concerns the lifeblood of the Nanyang film industry. Boss Shao and Boss Lu are deeply concerned about the development of Nanyang culture, so they've taken the liberty of requesting a meeting..."

Zhang Chi raised his hand, stopping him from speaking. "Let them in. It's perfect timing. I want to hear what these big bosses who control the lifeblood of Nanyang's light and shadow industry have to say."

Lin Yongnian was as if pardoned, and he hurried to the next door to ask for help.

After a moment, the office door was pushed open.

The first to come in were three middle-aged Chinese men with very different temperaments.

The elder brother of the Shao family is slightly plump, with a smooth smile, a well-tailored suit, a shrewd look in his eyes, and the air of a businessman who is good at dancing with long sleeves.

He took the lead and bowed deeply.

The younger brother of the Shao family was obviously younger, more energetic, and more angular. He also bowed.

The third person is Luk Yun Thao, who founded Cathay Pacific Group. He is tall and has a more elegant and restrained temperament. He wears a well-fitting three-piece suit and gold-rimmed glasses, and looks more like a scholar or banker.

His posture of saluting was also more relaxed, neither humble nor arrogant.

The three of them stood in front of Zhang Chi, their postures respectful, but there was tension and anticipation in the depths of their eyes.

How the huge pie of Hollywood movies' lucrative profits and the distribution dominance of domestically produced films is distributed depends largely on a word from the young iron-fisted leader.

Historically, the Shaw Brothers Film Company, which later became famous, had just been established not long ago. Even before that, in the 20s, it was still called Shaw Brothers Cinema Line.

They started out in Singapore, making money by showing imported Hollywood movies and a small number of Chinese-made films.

According to the original trajectory of time and space, the Shaw Brothers will turn to Hong Kong after the war and use the money earned from the Malay and Singapore cinema chains to support their filming in Hong Kong.

However, in this time and space, the current Shaw Brothers have clearly placed their bets on Southeast Asia.

As for the creation of the Cathay Group, it was a well-known Chinese industrial group in the Malay region before the war. In the original time and space, due to the changes in Malaysia (those who know the details know), Luk Yun To had to go to Hong Kong to continue his film career.

Now, because Zhang Chi has established a country in Southeast Asia, although on the surface it uses the system of the United States.

But these tycoons were all smart people. They all knew that this was the official beginning of the Chinese taking charge in Southeast Asia, so they invested heavily in expansion.

As for Hong Kong? With the mainland of Southeast Asia, which big boss would still look down on such a small city?