Chapter 461: Three-Party Collaboration

The next day, in Jiuding Tower, within Xia Yu's office, Xia Yu and Jiang Zhiqiang signed the company equity transfer and employment contracts. Anle Cinema and Anle Film Company were sold together for HK$18 million, and Xia Yu directly handed Jiang Zhiqiang a large cheque from Jiuding Bank.

As Xia Yu put away the equity certificate, Jiang Zhiqiang looked down at the agreement and the HK$18 million cheque in his hands, cutting off his last lingering thoughts. After some consideration, he asked, "Boss, I have this large sum of money, but I'm not sure where to invest it for now. Can I entrust Jiuding Securities to manage it?"

Xia Yu raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised, but he readily agreed, "Sure. I'll inform Wang Qi later. You're colleagues now, so no need to be formal. When you decide how much to invest, just give the money to him. No need to worry about losses."

Jiang Zhiqiang smiled and said, "I'm not worried. If Jiuding Securities can't make money, then no securities firm or fund in Hong Kong would be able to."

This light compliment made Xia Yu chuckle and shake his head.

"By the way, Zhiqiang, the cinema line will be under your management from now on, but before that, I need to discuss some matters with you."

"Qianqian, please ask Liu Tianci and Liu Shihao to come in."

After speaking to Jiang Zhiqiang, Xia Yu turned to Li Qian, who had been quietly waiting beside him.

Upon hearing the familiar and unfamiliar names, Jiang Zhiqiang straightened up, sitting upright in anticipation. He knew Liu Tianci was the general manager of Jiuding Bank, and his involvement signaled the importance of this meeting.

"Boss!"

Soon, Liu Tianci, the general manager of Jiuding Bank, and Liu Shihao, the general manager of Jiuding Real Estate, entered the room.

The company's integration was still underway, but the structure had already been established. Each company's name had been registered, and to ensure a smooth integration, Xia Yu had already appointed managers. Liu Shihao, who had performed outstandingly at Wharf Properties, had been promoted to lead Jiuding Real Estate.

"Take a seat!"

After inviting them to sit, Xia Yu introduced everyone.

"This is Liu Tianci, the general manager of Jiuding Bank, and this is Liu Shihao, the general manager of Jiuding Real Estate."

"This is Jiang Zhiqiang, the former owner of Anle Cinema, who will now serve as the general manager of Global Cinemas."

"Hello!"

Jiang Zhiqiang hurriedly shook hands with the two, feeling both excited and enlightened. It turned out the cinema line would now be called Global Cinemas.

"I asked you both to join because there are some collaborative matters that will involve all three of you."

After a brief introduction, Xia Yu continued, noting the attentive silence of the three men. "Tianci, moving forward, Global Cinemas will be acquiring independent cinemas in Hong Kong. You'll need to provide financial support and any other assistance you can offer."

"Understood! No problem!" Liu Tianci nodded quickly, readily agreeing.

Jiang Zhiqiang felt a surge of relief. With the backing of Jiuding Bank, he could pursue the acquisition of cinemas without any worries.

"Zhiqiang, the creation of Global Cinemas needs to be balanced. The cinemas must be evenly distributed, so be mindful of multiple factors when selecting acquisition targets."

"However, you must acquire the Tai Ping Theatre, and additionally, investigate Lei's Lee Shing Cinema Chain and see if it's possible to acquire it. If you can, it's okay to pay a premium."

Jiang Zhiqiang's whole body shook as he nodded solemnly. "Got it, Boss!"

He hadn't expected Xia Yu to not only have him acquire independent cinemas but also to target Lee Shing Cinema Chain.

But given Xia Yu's wealth and Jiuding Bank's financial backing, it wasn't impossible.

If they successfully acquired the Lee Shing Cinema Chain and Tai Ping Theatre, combined with the existing Anle Cinema, the top theaters would undoubtedly surpass Shaw Brothers Cinemas. Just a few more acquisitions would cement their dominance in Hong Kong's cinema market.

Xia Yu had another thought he hadn't shared: acquiring Lee Shing Cinema would block Lei's entry into the film industry. This would prevent the emergence of both Golden Princess Cinema and Cinema City, which would be beneficial to him.

"Shihao, your task will be to handle the renovation and remodeling of Global Cinemas. Get it done as quickly as possible," Xia Yu instructed Liu Shihao.

"Understood!"

After agreeing, Liu Shihao paused briefly before asking, "Boss, is there anything specific I should keep in mind during the renovations?"

"There is. My concept for the renovations hasn't been seen in Hong Kong yet, but it won't be unfamiliar to you."

"Currently, cinemas are low-rise buildings with very low land utilization, leaving much value untapped."

"For cinemas in central locations with heavy foot traffic, demolish and rebuild. The new cinemas should be five to six stories high, with underground parking. The ground floor will host a large supermarket—Wellcome Supermarket will be invited to join. The second floor will have shops for rent, selling clothing, jewelry, and other items. The third floor will feature dining and leisure areas, including tea houses, cafes, and chess rooms."

"The fourth floor will be a children's play area where Jiuding Anime's 'Manga House' will be established. The fifth floor will house the cinema and stores selling movie-related products. If there's a sixth floor, it will be rented out."

"This concept is a mini commercial complex led by a movie theater, offering leisure, entertainment, dining, and shopping to provide a unique movie-watching experience."

As Xia Yu spoke, the eyes of the three managers lit up, especially Liu Shihao, who had a particular passion for commercial complexes.

"Do you understand how to proceed?" Xia Yu asked Liu Shihao.

Liu Shihao nodded enthusiastically, "Boss, I understand. I'll make sure to execute your vision."

"And there's one more thing concerning the interior design of the cinemas."

"Currently, cinemas have a single large screening area, which doesn't offer the best experience and often leads to wasted resources. Moving forward, cinemas will be converted into multi-screen theaters, with various screening rooms classified into large, medium, small, and micro, offering seating capacities of 50, 100, 200, and 500 seats."

Xia Yu then turned to Jiang Zhiqiang, explaining, "With multiple screening rooms, each room can have different minimum booking prices. This allows films that might not otherwise get screen time to have a chance, which benefits us financially."

Jiang Zhiqiang nodded in agreement, understanding the rationale.

Global Cinemas, with its smaller screening rooms in prime locations, would reduce costs for production companies, encouraging them to take a gamble, thus boosting revenue.

At this moment, a subordinate entered, informing Xia Yu that someone named Wu Siyuan, who had one of Xia Yu's business cards, had arrived at the company. Xia Yu instructed the subordinate to bring him in.

"Boss, we'll take our leave now," said Liu Tianci and Liu Shihao as they left, while Jiang Zhiqiang stayed behind.

Soon, Wu Siyuan, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, was escorted into Xia Yu's office.

Upon seeing Jiang Zhiqiang in Xia Yu's office, Wu Siyuan's eyes widened in shock. Just a few days earlier, he had sought out Jiang Zhiqiang for help regarding the release of "Drunken Master," so he was quite familiar with him.

Seeing Jiang Zhiqiang here, smiling at him, Wu Siyuan felt a chill down his spine and a sense of foreboding.

After nodding to acknowledge Jiang Zhiqiang, Wu Siyuan cautiously approached Xia Yu, shook his hand, and greeted respectfully, "Mr. Xia, hello!"

"Mr. Wu, please take a seat!"