Reborn in the Hong Kong entertainment industry in the 1980s

"Really? That's such a pleasant surprise! It's a pity I have to go back to China soon and won't be able to enjoy the delicious Michelin-starred cuisine," Hu Xiaoxiao said regretfully.

What Michelin? To her, nothing is as appealing as a simple farmhouse-style poached chicken.

Hu Xiaoxiao arrived in Hollywood, and the food was the thing she found hardest to adjust to. During this time, she was tormented by the terrible food to the point of wanting to quit acting, and even deeply regretted taking the role in the first place. If she had known, she wouldn't have cared what her company thought; even if Hollywood offered her a much higher salary, she wouldn't have come.

She can endure the hardships of work, but not the hardships of food.

Besides choosing a suitable costume, the most important reason for her return to China, which accounted for 99% of her reasons, was that she was hungry and wanted to eat her fill before coming back.

She even planned out which restaurant to go to and what dishes to order after she got back.

Philip asked with a slightly ingratiating tone, "Miss Xiaoxiao, how many days are you going back to China?"

"Undecided." Seeing that Philip looked distraught, Hu Xiaoxiao smiled and replied, "There are still several days before filming starts. This film mainly focuses on the male lead, so I don't have many scenes. I've seen the schedule the crew gave me, and I'll return to Hollywood when my filming time arrives."

Once the start date was confirmed, a rough schedule was drawn up, arranged according to the order of filming locations. Although this schedule would change slightly during filming, it remained largely the same, based on filming locations. Hu Xiaoxiao's scenes were basically filmed on the same set as the male lead, but the first few scenes the male lead filmed were pre-production scenes, and Hu Xiaoxiao wasn't in them. After the male lead finished filming his pre-production scenes and moved between several locations, he finally had scenes with Hu Xiaoxiao.

Therefore, Hu Xiaoxiao had plenty of time. She couldn't stand the food here and planned to stay in China for a while longer before coming back.

Philip was very anxious and repeatedly told Hu Xiaoxiao, "If the filming goes smoothly, or if there are any unexpected events, the schedule will be changed, and your scenes may be moved up. You have to come back as soon as possible."

"Mr. Philip, please rest assured that I am not only very professional but also very dedicated when it comes to filming," Hu Xiaoxiao said.

Having been tormented by Hu Xiaoxiao so many times, Philip was skeptical. He turned to Dong Peiyu and told her to remind Hu Xiaoxiao.

“I will, Mr. Philip, it’s my job. I think you should have confidence in Miss Xiaoxiao. No one has ever said anything bad about her work. Professionalism and dedication are Miss Xiaoxiao’s greatest strengths.” After saying this, Dong Peiyu began to talk about business, taking out a stack of documents from her briefcase to discuss today’s work.

The document that Dong Peiyu took out was a letter of intent for cooperation, regarding the collaboration between "Magic Contract" and Shengshi for distribution in Hong Kong and mainland China.

With such a high investment, Hamlet Company putting in so many resources, and Hu Xiaoxiao joining the cast, "The Magic Contract" is sure to be a huge success in Asia.

If you're not enthusiastic about making money, what is there to be enthusiastic about?

Therefore, Dong Peiyu seized the opportunity and came over to discuss the collaboration on "The Magic Contract" with Philip.

"The Magic Contract" is a big-budget production, and it's also the first Hollywood film that Shengshi has acquired distribution rights for, involving huge profit sharing. The cooperation negotiations between the two parties will certainly not be settled in one or two rounds.

A letter of intent is a preliminary negotiation before a contract is signed, outlining initial ideas and agreements for future cooperation.

Dong Peiyu's visit was to first communicate with Philippe about their intentions, and then the relevant department of Shengshi Company would discuss the details with Hamlet Company.

Philip didn't expect Shengshi to act so quickly; they had just finalized things here and were already discussing distribution.

He didn't want to sign off on the distribution rights so quickly.

He certainly didn't intend to go back on his word and refuse to cooperate with Shengshi; he did want to cooperate with Shengshi, after all, Shengshi's strength was indeed very strong.

But he wanted to whet Shengshi's appetite. With a production as large as *The Magic Contract*, they should hold the initiative, adopt a high-handed approach, and make Shengshi look up to them. If Shengshi lost ground, Hamlet Company would be in a favorable position in negotiations. Even if Hamlet Company only increased its share by one percent, it would still generate a significant amount of profit.

“Oh, Miss Dong, we need to discuss distribution after the film is finished,” Philip said.

How could Dong Peiyu not know what he was thinking? In the business world, the various schemes and tricks are no different from battles on the battlefield; a slight misstep can lead to a huge loss. Don't be fooled by the casual interactions between friends; those who betray you most ruthlessly are your business associates.

Dong Peiyu smiled and asked, "Does Hamlet Company already have other partners in Hong Kong and the mainland? Are you planning to give the distribution rights to other distribution companies?"

"Of course not, we are the partners. The distribution of 'Magic Contract' will not be given to anyone other than Shengshi," Philip said sincerely.

"In that case, the sooner we reach an agreement, the sooner Shengshi can start its publicity and distribution, which will be more beneficial to the film's box office performance."

"I just think there's no rush, there's still a long time before it's released."

Philip was unwilling to sign the distribution rights to Shengshi so early. Hamlet Company was the one who provided the money and did all the hard work. Shengshi was taking away so much profit for nothing, making it seem as if Hamlet Company was working for Shengshi.

Therefore, even if they sign a contract, they will still receive several percentage points more in revenue sharing than the market average.

He believed that Shengshi deserved to make concessions for "The Magic Contract," even if they earned less, they were still making a profit, weren't they?

Hu Xiaoxiao took a small sip of red wine and watched Philip and Dong Peiyu argue. Philip, who seemed to be a very gentlemanly man, was like a hungry wolf on the grassland when it came to talking about interests.

She gently placed the wine glass on the table, leaned back against the sofa, and smiled.

If the distribution rights for "Magic Contract" are not given to Shengshi, they will be given to other companies. But will other companies be able to secure investment for "Magic Contract" like she did?

will not!

Although she didn't invest any money in the film, what she contributed was equally valuable.

Did they take advantage of her and then want to abandon her?

A cunning and shrewd businessman.

Fortunately, she had dealt with these kinds of people many times before and had long anticipated how quickly these unscrupulous businessmen would turn their backs on her when it came to interests.

This was also the ultimate purpose for which she came here with Dong Peiyu today.

That was just a warning; now we're getting serious.

“Mr. Philip,” Hu Xiaoxiao finally spoke.

Upon hearing Hu Xiaoxiao's voice, Philip felt a slight chill for some reason. He put on a friendly smile and looked at the wine glass in front of Hu Xiaoxiao. "Miss Xiaoxiao, would you like me to refill your wine? No problem, I'd be more than happy to."

After saying that, Philip went to the wine cabinet, took out his treasured wines, and uncorked them with an elegant, slightly slow movement. At that moment, he was pondering Hu Xiaoxiao's next move and how he should respond.