My teacher is Bruce Lee, who dominated Hollywood.

Chapter 25 Going to Hong Kong

Stepping back into the CEO's office in Burbank, Qin Han's situation was now vastly different.

Last time, he was harassed by the receptionist and surrounded by security guards, and almost didn't get to see Ashley in person.

This time, he was invited in respectfully, riding in Warner's extended Lincoln.

The office was still luxuriously furnished. Ted Ashley was sitting at his desk waiting. When he heard the door open, his face immediately lit up with a smile.

"Welcome, Mr. Qin, and... Mr. Morgan."

Ashley walked around the large desk and extended his hand: "Fred did a good job; this time he didn't mistake you for a deliveryman and turn you away."

A slightly self-deprecating opening statement clearly stated Warner's attitude.

Qin Han politely shook hands with him, then naturally stepped half a step to the side, letting Andrew stand in the center.

"Mr. Ashley is joking. The accident last time was a misunderstanding. This time, let's talk business properly."

"This Mr. Andrew Morgan is the negotiating representative of Raymond Chow, President of Golden Harvest Pictures."

"As for me..." He took a half step back, adopting an indifferent expression: "I just happened to be here to mooch a coffee."

Ashley paused slightly, his gaze shifting between the two for a moment.

Qin Han was the key figure who could influence Bruce Lee's decisions, and also the breakthrough point for him when he was poor and desperately needed money.

But he was like a slippery eel, keeping himself completely out of the fray.

"Alright, Mr. Morgan, please have a seat."

He quickly adjusted his strategy and gestured to his secretary to bring him coffee.

"Since Mr. Zou has entrusted you with full authority, we don't need those pointless tests anymore."

He took out the book "Lorna Barrett's Hollywood" and placed it on the table, saying, "I've read this report. I'd like to know, what kind of contract did Golden Harvest and Universal sign?"

This was a very rude question, but Ashley asked it with complete confidence.

He was putting pressure on the seemingly young negotiator in front of him.

Andrew was naturally prepared and met his gaze directly.

"Mr. Ashley, that's a betting agreement."

"Golden Harvest covered all the costs of film conversion, dubbing, poster materials, and upfront promotion expenses."

"Universal Pictures doesn't need to take any risks; it only needs to provide theater resources."

As one of Hollywood's top "predators," Ashley instantly grasped the key point.

No wonder that shrewd Sidney agreed to cooperate!

This is practically getting something for nothing!

The fact that Golden Harvest dared to sign such a contract shows that they had absolute confidence in the box office performance of "The Big Boss".

Looking at his own contract—although he only spent $20,000 to buy it out, if Shaw Brothers' films were of lower quality than Golden Harvest's, or even worse, and were completely outclassed by Golden Harvest's films…

So Warner Bros. lost more than just box office revenue; it also lost the invaluable title of "defining kung fu films."

"It seems Mr. Zou has a lot of guts," Ashley commented with a forced smile.

"Mr. Qin, I don't understand." He tried again to bring Qin Han into the negotiation: "Since Golden Harvest was willing to take such a big risk to gamble against Universal, why didn't Bruce just come to Warner directly?"

Qin Han blew on the steaming hot coffee in his cup and smiled slightly:

"Mr. Ashley, when you came last time, you said you wanted the writing team to re-evaluate the script."

"We've been waiting for your call, but unfortunately we haven't received it; instead, we received news from Hong Kong that Warner's representatives went to Shaw Brothers, and Golden Harvest is about to go bankrupt."

Ashley was slightly embarrassed by the snub: "That was a business investigation, Qin, a normal business investigation."

"Of course, we understand." Qin Han's smile widened.

"So Mr. Zou feels it's necessary to contact Universal. As for the specific details, you should discuss them with Andrew."

"My mentor is a contracted actor with Golden Harvest. He has the final say on the contract, not me."

After saying that, he started drinking his coffee again, clearly showing an attitude of "refusing to cooperate".

Ashley cursed "little fox" inwardly and could only turn his attention back to Andrew.

"Mr. Morgan, let bygones be bygones. Warner still hopes to work with Bruce."

He unbuttoned his suit jacket, placed his hands on the desk, and earnestly extended an invitation to Andrew:

"We can renegotiate the 'Enter the Dragon' project. The salary is negotiable, and the previous script can be revised according to Mr. Qin's suggestions."

"No," Andrew interrupted his speech.

Now that Qin Han has set the stage, I must put on a good show.

"Mr. Ashley, simply revising the script is not enough."

"First, the script must be rewritten, and Mr. Qin Han must serve as the lead screenwriter. Golden Harvest has the final say on the plot."

Ashley's brow furrowed into a deep frown.

Why cast a Chinese person who has never worked in Hollywood as the lead screenwriter?

This is utter nonsense.

"Secondly, and most importantly—" Andrew didn't give him much time to think:

"This movie can't be filmed in Hollywood; it has to be filmed entirely in Hong Kong."

"watt?!"

Ashley suspected there was something wrong with his ears.

"Mr. Morgan, are you kidding me? This is Hollywood, the heart of world cinema!"

"We have state-of-the-art studios, top-notch lighting technicians, and a fully automated production line!"

"Why leave all this out and go to Hong Kong to shoot an A-list production?"

Faced with his roar, Andrew remained unusually calm—long before Bruce Lee and Raymond Chow left, the four of them had already discussed Warner's negotiations countless times.

"Mr. Ashley, Hollywood really does have everything."

"But there's one thing missing—a martial arts master who truly understands kung fu."

"A martial arts master?" Ashley was taken aback, then realized what he meant.

That's right, this is a kung fu movie, a genre that has never been filmed in Hollywood before.

"Kung Fu is not like the wild punches in Western movies; it requires a high degree of teamwork between opponents."

"This kind of teamwork is something only Hong Kong stuntmen who have been working on film sets for over a decade can achieve."

"Bruce's movements are too fast. Hollywood stunt performers can't keep up with his pace, which only slows down the filming process."

Ashley fell silent.

If what Andrew said is true, then filming in Hong Kong seems to be an unavoidable choice in order to ensure the quality of the action sequences.

and……

His businessman instincts kicked in, and he quickly calculated the costs—labor costs in Hong Kong were ridiculously low.

The money spent on shooting a movie there might not even be enough to build an exterior set in Hollywood.

If we can reduce the budget, wouldn't the profit margin be even greater?

Thinking this through, Ashley's anger gradually subsided: "Alright, Mr. Morgan, your reasoning convinces me."

"In that case, Warner Bros. is willing to fully fund the production of this film." He threw out the bait, along with a hook hidden beneath it: "In return, Warner Bros. will take 80% of the final box office profits and have exclusive distribution rights in all regions worldwide."

In the corner, Qin Han, who had been silent all along, coughed softly.