Chapter Nine: When a whale falls, a myriad of life thrives. A Chinese Odyssey!

"What should I say when I go back?"

"Tell him we are very sincere."

"Will he believe it?"

"We don't even fully trust him yet! But that's how business goes; risks are inevitable. The current situation is that we have the connections he lacks, and he has the films we lack."

"Should I just tell him that?"

"You can even say this: I, Ma Xun, know his current true situation."

"Huh?"

"Heh... The Hong Kong local market is too small, the path in Taiwan Province is completely blocked, and Southeast Asia has been a dead end for a long time. Never mind Long Wu—where else can Hong Kong cinema go?

Only north. That is their only, and final, lifeline.

He’s lucky he met Sun Donghai and me.

If he’s unlucky, he’ll be dealing with the likes of Bai Xiaohang.

Whether he wants to get slapped and do business on his knees, or make a fortune in harmony with us—I believe Brother Wu from Hong Kong is a smart man."

...

The heavy rain eased slightly.

Ma Xun stepped out of the small red sedan. Ye Quanzhen drove back to the Overseas Chinese Hotel, while Ma Xun walked.

By doing this, even the paparazzi wouldn't notice anything amiss.

Ma Xun had to return to the hotel. He still had to continue playing the role of the photographer from Hong Kong who had studied in the United States.

But an accident occurred.

As he walked into the lobby, the front desk greeted him immediately.

"Mr. Ma, Mr. Feng left a letter for you."

"Oh."

Ma Xun took it, and he knew without looking that this letter was special. It was quite thick. Even without opening it, he could tell by the feel—it was likely ten thousand yuan.

I see. My pay.

"Mr. Feng said that as for the room..."

Before the receptionist could finish, Ma Xun smiled. "I understand."

He simply took the envelope and left. The real photographer was probably on his way, and it would be troublesome if they were to meet.

Now I've got money in my pocket. I can find somewhere to stay for the night anywhere in the capital!

...

The night passed without incident.

Ma Xun didn't treat himself poorly. He found a rather nice hotel and had a comfortable sleep.

As for Ye Quanzhen’s loyalty, he wasn't worried at all. That woman hadn't asked anything later, which meant Ma Xun hadn't revealed any of his true background. Why worry?

And it would be even better if Long Wu heard every word of that conversation.

*You don't know my background, but I know yours!*

I, Ma Xun, am in the shadows, and you, Long Wu, are in the light. The advantage is mine.

Naturally, his mood was quite good.

Right, there was one more thing. Inside the envelope Feng Baiyuan gave him, besides the ten thousand yuan, there was a brief note. In the letter, Director Feng was incredibly embarrassed. He basically wanted to say that he had no choice. After all, since I was an imposter, he feared that if this dragged on, things would get complicated, so let’s end our cooperation here.

Naturally, he also mentioned the "identity" issue. Feng Baiyuan swore in the letter that he would insist to the end: you are a professional photographer from Hong Kong who returned from studies in the United States, and you were just helping out as a favor.

As far as Director Feng was concerned, that was who you were.

On this point, Ma Xun trusted him. If he didn't keep his mouth shut, the one in big trouble would be him.

He figured he wouldn't have any further dealings with this director. In fact, if this guy saw him again, he’d probably walk the other way.

That was fine, too.

Ma Xun looked back at his experiences over the past two days. He had gained over two hundred thousand yuan, had a great beauty throw herself at him, scared off the "God of War of Haidian," and fooled Ye Quanzhen.

How could he not feel exhilarated?

But this was only the beginning; what followed was the key. He would have to face Long Wu directly...

Before that, Ma Xun needed to buy some equipment. In this day and age, if you’re traveling around, there are certain things you must have: a "Big Brother" mobile phone and a pager.

People who haven't lived through this era probably find it hard to understand. Why have a pager if you have a mobile phone?

Of course, it wasn't because he was kind; it was because the phone was expensive! It was a mobile phone, so you had to be mobile while using it, and the money in your pocket would "move" along with it.

Ma Xun first got a SIM card, then bought the phone and the pager. Mobile phones weren't as bulky as before, but they were still heavy.

Once everything was set, he headed to Yuetan Park to find Sun Donghai. They had an appointment.

...

"Brother, I thought about it all night and still couldn't figure out how we’re going to make money."

"If you could figure it out, what would you need me for?"

"Brother, just tell me. I’m so anxious I’ve got blisters in my mouth."

"It’s not time yet. If I tell you too early, I’m afraid you’ll let it slip."

"My mouth is shut tight!"

"Forget it!"

Sun Donghai asked as he drove. He really couldn't help it. Yesterday’s chat had been too brief; Ma Xun only said they were going into the business of Hong Kong film copyrights, but not the specifics.

Sun Donghai hadn't slept all night, pondering this. But now, Ma Xun was still keeping his lips sealed.

*I just won't tell you, what are you going to do about it?*

Sun Donghai looked ordinary, like an NPC, but he was definitely not stupid. In the future, he would have a net worth of tens of billions, playing the real estate and film industries with ease.

If I told him now, I’d have nothing left to do. I can't be that fool who teaches his apprentice only to starve himself.

Moreover, Ma Xun still needed to make good use of Sun Donghai. Don't forget what was said in the restroom: Sun Donghai had connections at CCTV.

Exactly—Ma Xun intended to use those connections!

Soon, the car arrived at the nightclub entrance. Ma Xun didn't rush to get out.

"Got something to say?" Sun Donghai was excited; was he finally going to get the answer to the mystery in his heart?

Ma Xun smiled. "Have you ever heard the saying, 'When a whale falls, everything else thrives'?"

"Huh?"

Seeing the blank look in Sun Donghai's eyes, Ma Xun confirmed his confusion.

"When a whale in the ocean dies, it sinks to the bottom—that's a 'whale fall.' During this process, countless marine creatures come to feed on its body, and subsequently, countless new marine lives are born."

After hearing this, Sun Donghai gave a thumbs up. "Brother, I can tell you're saying something profound, but I really don't get it."

Ma Xun knew he’d be like this.

"For the past twenty years, Hong Kong cinema has gone through a golden age. Its martial arts action films were world-class, even Hollywood couldn't compare. Now, that golden age is over, and Hong Kong cinema is like a dead whale..."

Before he could finish, Sun Donghai slapped his thigh.

"Brother! I get it! The whale has fallen, and now it’s about who can eat this big, fatty piece of meat!"

Ma Xun nodded.

Sun Donghai continued, "So, we’re the turtles in the sea!"

Ma Xun couldn't keep a straight face. "Do you have any culture at all? Those are sea turtles!" *Pah! We aren't sea turtles either!*

"Haha... just kidding."

This guy! But the point had been conveyed.

The business of Hong Kong film copyrights that Ma Xun proposed was precisely to "catch the whale fall."

But as for how to negotiate this business... let's talk about it once we're inside!

Unexpectedly, just before entering, Sun Donghai asked one more thing: "What about the capital?"

Ma Xun smiled. "We’re doing a cultural business—talking about money? How tacky!"

Luckily, Sister Hong wasn't there, or who knows what kind of look she'd have given him.

Sun Donghai muttered to himself... *Could it be that my brother can do business without any money?*

...

Led by a waiter, the two soon arrived at the nightclub manager's office. Brother Wu was there, along with Ye Quanzhen and his wife.

"Your arrival brings great light to my humble abode."

He knew how to talk. They had only met yesterday, yet today they were as familiar as friends of ten years.

After some pleasantries, everyone sat down. Ma Xun and Ye Quanzhen shook hands gently. There was a spark; it seemed she had delivered the message.

Regarding Ye Quanzhen, Ma Xun’s plan now was to have her go undercover and activate her when the time for battle came.

"Thank you both for yesterday..."

This was the start of the business talk. At first, they talked about miscellaneous things, but his wife was impatient and coughed twice. Brother Wu knew it was time to get to the point.

"Gentlemen, regarding the copyright matter we discussed yesterday..."

That was enough of a lead-in. Ma Xun picked it up. "Actually, we plan to acquire the copyrights to some Hong Kong films and broadcast them on mainland television stations..."

He said it very simply, and his tone was flat. But both Long Wu and Sun Donghai were shocked internally.

Because this business hadn't existed before!

Ma Xun wanted to "catch the whale fall." His plan was to secure Hong Kong film copyrights and broadcast them on mainland TV stations—not in theaters!

Broadcasting movies on TV wasn't new, but in the past, they were always old, classic films like *The Great Escape* or *Tunnel Warfare*.

What they were going to do now was "new" films! Films that had only been released in Hong Kong within the last year or two.

Don't doubt it—this was absolutely a fresh venture. Ma Xun was so certain because it had to do with the movie channel. This channel, known in the future as the "Sixth Princess," had only been testing last year and officially launched on the 1st of this year.

In other words, no one had ever done this before!

Sun Donghai and Long Wu were both businessmen; they saw the "profit potential" in an instant. One had the connections, the other had the films. Both were struggling to keep their smiles from widening.

Ma Xun naturally noticed the change, and he felt even more smug.

He finished his sentence, but then the question came: "Gentlemen, which films do you intend to acquire, or how many?"

Long Wu naturally had to ask.

"Big Boss, this is a brand-new model, something that hasn't been done before, so we’ll start by testing the waters. Let’s take one film first and see how it goes."

Ma Xun's response was flawless, and then he added, "How about *A Chinese Odyssey*?"

When the title was mentioned, Sun Donghai felt nothing, but the expressions of Long Wu and his wife changed immediately.

Ye Quanzhen, standing to the side, also frowned.

*Why are you bringing up this film!*