1987 coincided with the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Republic.
On August 1st, as a gift film, the TV series "Wulongshan Bandit Suppression" was broadcast in prime time on the national television station in mainland China.
This TV series tells the story of our army wiping out the remaining bandits in western Hunan during a special period and restoring a peaceful world to the people.
But somewhat unexpectedly, after the TV series was broadcast, what was remembered by mainland audiences was not the positive hero who suppressed bandits, but Shen Junyi, who played the role of the bandit leader "Dragon Mountain Leopard".
In addition, there was an Anti-Japanese War movie "The Battle of Taierzhuang" released at the same time. Because it accurately and truthfully reflected the cruel history of the Anti-Japanese War, it awakened the common memory of Chinese descendants on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and the three places, and also received unprecedented attention.
When this movie premiered in Hong Kong, it attracted tens of thousands of people to watch it and grossed HK$1.7 million at the box office in four days.
Although this figure cannot be compared with a purely commercial film, as a mainstream film produced in the mainland, it is already a good box office work. At least it can earn back the shooting cost by relying on the box office in Hong Kong City.
In particular, this film has done a great job in promoting cross-strait communication.
At the same time, on August 3, at the invitation and arrangement of Ning Weimin, the 27-person crew of the 1987 version of "A Dream of Red Mansions", led by the group leaders Dai Linfeng and Ruan Ruolin, finally flew to Tokyo, Japan.
According to the plan, the crew of "Dream of Red Mansions" will carry out cultural exchange activities for about 12 days in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka from now on, as well as promotional activities related to the TV series.
The significance of this matter is equally important and cannot be underestimated.
(Seventeen members of the crew of "A Dream of Red Mansions" visited Hong Kong in May 1985)
You know, unlike three months ago when the crew of "A Dream of Red Mansions" visited Hong Kong at the invitation of ATV, this time the crew members actually went abroad.
And it was larger than when they went to Hong Kong City, with ten more members.
Prior to this, the only people sent abroad from the mainland for relevant cultural exchanges were workers in the film industry.
The creators of TV series like the crew of "Dream of Red Mansions" have never had such an opportunity to go abroad.
This is completely the first of its kind, and it undoubtedly means that the mainland TV drama industry has begun to gain a certain cultural influence overseas, which is enough to go down in history.
If we also take into account the considerable cultural gap between the two countries, "Dream of Red Mansions" was broadcast in the morning drama period of TBS TV station and still achieved an astonishing ratings of 18%.
Then we can regard their collective visit to Japan as a landmark event and a good start for mainland TV dramas to successfully establish themselves overseas.
Therefore, Ning Weimin attached great importance to this matter and made a great noise.
On the day of pick-up, not only did he and Matsumoto Keiko come to the airport in person, but two senior cadres from Kiri Film Factory, Director Akira Okamoto and Director Mitsuru Watanabe, also came with them.
In addition, even Shochiku Pictures and Taurus Palace, two cooperative units with whom they have a good relationship, also came to join in the fun and sent their own artists and representatives.
In terms of media, in addition to TBS TV station and "Mainichi Shimbun", which are both part of the Tokyo Broadcasting System, they are definitely must-sees.
Ning Weimin also took the initiative to invite the NHK TV station, which was relatively pro-China at this time, and another major newspaper affiliated with the Fuji group, Sanseibun Shimbun.
There are also two sports tabloids that were willing to refute Matsumoto Keiko's rumors.
Putting these media together, there were five or six newspaper reporters with cameras, two anchors, and two cameras waiting for interviews, which was not too shabby.
Ning Weimin even arranged for someone to send flowers to each crew member.
As well as Fog Production's own professional cameramen and directors, they will record all the activities of the "Dream of Red Mansions" crew during their visit to Japan, and will eventually edit it into a documentary.
So when the plane arrived, the passengers on board walked out of Japanese customs.
The crew of "Dream of Red Mansions" received a welcome far beyond their imagination and much warmer than when they visited Hong Kong.
A dedicated person gave each member of the delegation a bouquet of flowers with a cordial and enthusiastic attitude.
The reporters fired at the members of the delegation intensively with long guns and short cannons, and there was a wave of flashes.
In particular, Ouyang Fenqiang and Chen Xiaoxu were the focus of the most intensive "firepower".
To be honest, not only the crew members of "Dream of Red Mansions" did not expect that they would receive such a warm welcome, they were flattered by such a large-scale welcoming scene and couldn't help but get excited.
Even the passengers who were on the same plane with them were shocked by such a grand welcome ceremony and interview procession.
It was only at this time that many Japanese passengers on the same flight realized that these Chinese people had a great background. They turned out to be famous actors in China.
In this way, unknowingly, it caused a little sensation in the airport terminal.
But it must be said that although the welcome ceremony was not small, it was not as disorderly and chaotic as in the port city.
After all, all media today can be considered our own.
There are no paparazzi reporters who swarm the interviewees without quality, and no one will deliberately "lead" or "stumbling" the interviewees like the Hong Kong reporters.
Moreover, Ning Weimin also invited the crew to the lounge of the airport as soon as possible so that they could be interviewed here to avoid causing trouble to the airport.
So even though the reporters had a lot of questions and the interview lasted half an hour, both the media and the crew were very relaxed and happy, and the atmosphere was particularly harmonious and harmonious.
No one felt any discomfort or unhappiness, and both parties met in a very friendly manner when they parted ways.
It can be said that this welcome ceremony was quite successful.
Next, of course, Ning Weimin arranged for everyone to board the Yamato sightseeing tour bus and go to the hotel where the crew stayed.
The first thing that needs to be explained is that at this time, Ning Weimin was not short of money.
In addition to the fact that his businesses are making him money day after day and he has accumulated a lot of cash.
The key is that the 15 billion yen that Kenichi Sagawa transferred to him by selling the stocks, and the 30 billion yen that Sumitomo Bank loaned him again, have all been received by now.
Therefore, Ning Weimin now has as much as 500 million US dollars in wealth at his disposal, and he is fully prepared for the upcoming "Black Monday."
The only thing he regrets is that the current Japanese stock market has not introduced a short-selling mechanism, otherwise it would be a double blessing.
Secondly, Ning Weimin is also a person who has a strong sense of national origin and cares about friendship and friendship.
This time he invited the crew of "Dream of Red Mansions". Although there was no lack of philistine motives, he wanted to take advantage of the big IP of "Dream of Red Mansions" and use the cast and crew to make profits for his own industry and conduct commercial promotions.
But he is also willing to do his best to spread Chinese culture and promote cultural exchanges between the two countries.
He has always believed that in order for the Japanese to truly bow their heads and admit guilt for the crimes they have committed, and to treat the Chinese people as their grandsons, it is not enough to rely solely on the transcendence of force and technology.
That can only make them submissive, not convinced.
I want to truly convince the Japanese and admire and fear China from the bottom of my heart.
Then we must crush them all in terms of culture, entertainment, material enjoyment, and economy and trade, and tower over them.
Let them realize that Li Gui is Li Gui and Li Kui is Li Kui. They cannot afford to live without the big tree of China.
As a result, my will is depressed, I have to admire you, and I have to rely on you.
That is the correct way to completely eliminate their evil thoughts and achieve peace in Asia.
Needless to say, Ning Weimin certainly could not let the Japanese underestimate his fellow Chinese compatriots, and the dignity they deserve was indispensable.
For this reason, he was not stingy in his reception standards, just like he did when he received a delegation from investors of Tan Gong Restaurant.
Not only did he arrange the crew of "Dream of Red Mansions" at the Okura Hotel, which has a close relationship with the Republic.
He also spent money to buy 200 meal tickets for the revolving buffet restaurant on the top floor of the Okura Hotel and handed them to the group leader to facilitate the crew's meals in the past few days.
In other words, during the few days the crew stayed in Tokyo, even if there were no banquet arrangements, all twenty-seven members of the crew could dine at the restaurant at any time with their tickets for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Not only that, Ning Weimin also gave each person an pocket money of 100,000 yen for daily expenses.
They also had some of the costumes provided by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Cardon for "Crazy Rich Asians" delivered to the hotel for everyone to choose from.
These two measures were a huge surprise and immediately won the hearts of the entire crew.
You know, although for these domestic actors at this time, whether they go to Hong Kong or go abroad, everyone has "costume management fees."
But it’s only about 500 RMB.
With the money in hand, the crew members could at most buy a suit in the "Red Capital" in China and have their hair done at the "Silian Barber Shop".
So the reality is that no matter how many people go abroad, these people who go abroad still have no money and can hardly buy or do anything.
The most you can do is wander around in the streets and satisfy your cravings through your eyes, ears and nose.
This was the case when the crew of "A Dream of Red Mansions" went to Hong Kong City in May this year.
Everyone went to the streets to see the bustling night view of the port city. Under the neon lights, they were reluctant to even buy a cup of "Yuanyang" and eat a "pineapple bun".
The tie used by Ouyang Fenqiang was even borrowed from "Li Wan"'s lover.
When the whole group completed their mission and left the port city, they didn't take anything they bought in the port city with them.
Everyone just did what they could and bought some sunglasses, lighters, scarves, socks and other small things.
This sense of loss due to lack of money can only be felt by mainland celebrities in the 1980s.
To be honest, even in this day and age, it is very difficult for mainland actors to go to a Hong Kong city, which is enough to make people around them envious.
But for the experience of going to Hong Kong to promote ATV, the crew members didn't feel that it was very interesting after they came back.
Not to mention how tired they were from the busy schedule, the key point was that they didn’t feel like they had learned anything or bought anything good.
It is also because of this that when we came to Japan this time, the whole group had no extravagant expectations of shopping or shopping.
Because everyone knows that things in Japan are more expensive than those in Hong Kong City. If you can’t afford them in Hong Kong City, let alone Japan.
Unexpectedly, Ning Weimin would be so generous.
Not only have we arranged such a luxurious and comfortable living environment for you, but we have also prepared two such gifts for you.
This is definitely a turn of events, a miracle that no one expected at all!
Wouldn’t everyone be cheering for joy?
Who can control this kind of joy from the heart?
Not to mention that all the actors and technical staff were overjoyed, even "Bao Dai Chai" was elated, and everyone almost shouted "Long live the show" three times.
Even Ren Dahui, a well-informed production director, did not expect that such a big pie would fall on his head just after arriving in Japan.
He didn't know the exact value of the brand-name clothes that Ning Weimin let them choose freely, but Ren Dahui knew very well that one hundred thousand yen in foreign exchange could be converted into RMB for more than six thousand.
This number is almost the salary of each of them for several years.
After three years of filming "Dream of Red Mansions", "Jia Baoyu" only received a salary of 2,880 yuan.
Ning Weimin made such a big move, and everyone had a share, which was completely beyond Ren Dahui's cognitive ability.
So even though his brain was stunned by this windfall, he still maintained a certain ideal and really didn't dare to reach out.
After exchanging glances with the two group leaders, they all reached a tacit agreement, and then immediately called an emergency stop.
Everyone expressed their gratitude to Ning Weimin for his generosity and hospitality, but they never dared to make the decision and let the crew members accept it privately.
For no other reason than to be afraid of making mistakes.
As a result, their statement immediately brought the jubilant atmosphere to a standstill, and everyone else was dumbfounded.
But just when everyone thought that the duck they got was about to fly, fortunately, Ning Weimin had already anticipated this. He knew what the situation was in the country, and he already had sufficient reasons to deal with this situation.
"Leaders, don't be too busy refusing. I know you have concerns in your hearts, but I also have a few words from my heart that I want to say to you. First, from an emotional point of view, you and I are not outsiders.
They were all born under the red flag. But I went abroad for a few years and did make some money abroad. So as the convener who invited everyone here, I have the obligation to take good care of everyone. The economic gap between Japan and China is too big.
I have no other intention in giving you this money. It is just like entertaining my relatives in my hometown. I just hope that everyone can be more convenient in Japan and have more fun. Is it necessary for relatives to be so divided?
?”
"Secondly, from the perspective of conscience, I should also contribute this money. The TV series "Dream of Red Mansions" can be filmed so well and this masterpiece can be successfully made into a film and television. It is a great contribution to all of you. How do you think about our crew?
I know a little bit about those who filmed movies. It took three years, regardless of fame and fortune, and really put a lot of effort into creation. Everyone ate rice bran, wore silk and satin, and played the role of young masters. They spent all their limited funds on clothes.
, on the road to transformation, without wasting a penny of filming funds. It is this rigorous creative attitude that made this TV series a classic. I dare to assert here that with this version of the TV series, there will be no need for others to film it in the future.
, and it’s impossible to make a better film than this one.”
"So, from the perspective of a descendant of China, I am not only deeply and honored by this TV series, but it is also a great honor to invite you all to Japan this time. Moreover, I can also represent this TV series through
of overseas copyrights, and have received continuous economic returns in Japan. It makes sense, shouldn't I thank you all? Without your efforts and such a good TV series, how could I have made money? So even though I
I have already paid the copyright fee to the TV Drama Production Center. But I still hope to give you a little more financial thanks. Aren’t we in our country calling for joint donations? I am responding to the call. If I don’t do this, I will feel a little guilty.
Already."
"Finally, I have an honest reason. Because the money is actually a kind of remuneration distributed according to work. To be honest, I invited our crew to come out this time. Even if it is a cultural exchange activity, it actually has a certain commercial aspect.
Purpose. Yes, the TV drama production center and I hope that through this promotion, we can expand the influence of this TV series overseas and further increase the ratings of Japanese audiences. But while achieving this goal, I also want to promote related books
And the sales of goods can make money from it.”
"For example, I arranged for everyone to attend the opening ceremony of two branches of Tan Gong Restaurant, and I also hope to ask several main actors to spare a day to help me shoot some GG scenes in Japan. If you participate in it, you are working for me. Could it be that
Is there any reason to use people in vain? So if everyone is really embarrassed about accepting the money and is afraid that it will not be easy to explain when they go back, we can sign a labor contract and clarify the employment relationship. Earning money through work is always a fair and just matter.
Bar?"
Courtesy! Profit! Love!
In every aspect, Ning Weimin took full advantage.
It also came up with specific practical ways to solve the problem.
No one at the scene expected that Ning Weimin would have such eloquence and such character, and they could not help but feel deeply warm and admired him greatly.
As for the two team leaders and the production director, they were speechless at this time.
Especially when there are many crew members looking at them eagerly, it is difficult for them to say "no".
So several leaders met and discussed again, and finally reached a consensus and nodded with tacit understanding.
"Okay, just sign a labor contract. Since you mentioned this, it's hard to refuse such kindness, so we have to be respectful and obey orders." Both leaders expressed their stance.
The production director turned to everyone and said, "Let's just accept the money first, but I have something to say first. No one should be in a hurry to spend it. We will have to hand over part of it when we return to China. The specific amount will be discussed later.
OK. That’s it. Let’s all thank Manager Ning.”
Ever since, the atmosphere at the scene changed again in an instant, and the sun was shining and the atmosphere was full of joy again.
"Thank you, Manager Ning!"
These five simple words were shouted by all the cast and crew members from the bottom of their hearts, making them beautiful and sweet to the ears.
This is not surprising. Although it is impossible for all the money to fall into everyone's own pockets, this is also the optimal result.
It's better than not getting a penny. No one misses Ning Weimin.
Especially Deng Jie, who plays Wang Xifeng, may be born out of nature, or she may not have come out of the role yet.
Or perhaps because she just participated in the drama "Two Sons Open a Shop" this year, she and Shen Lin followed Chen Peisi to attend Ning Weimin's wedding.
They have dealt with each other for a long time and are far more familiar with each other than others.
At this time, in front of Ning Weimin, she, the "hot chick," was more open-minded than the others.
He actually said, "Oh, look, take a look. It turns out that we in Rongguo Mansion still have rich relatives. Now we don't have to worry about it. Having our house confiscated is nothing. No, I asked Manager Ning
Fortunately, we suddenly started shaking again..."
This is just right, a very immersive joke, and it has the final word.
The scene immediately burst into laughter.
Even Ning Weimin was amused.
From this, he could completely feel how close and harmonious the people in the crew were getting along with each other.
I guess it was probably commonplace during the three-year filming period for such jokes to happen to each other.
It's no wonder that Feng Lazi's husband will say something like that in the future - "Since the mainland has a crew, I haven't seen a crew that has such a good relationship as yours. It's so good that I'm almost jealous!"