The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 524: Chapter 524: New Investment Project

Seeing her younger sister ready to spread her wings and soar, Han Xiaorui smiled.

Her sister was about to start a new life abroad. Han Xiaorui wished her all the best, hoping she would return after her studies to serve their country.

The past year had brought rapid development, but also a great deal of chaos.

But that was all in the past now. After the Spring Festival, it would be 1990.

Entering the 1990s, all sorts of developments would advance in tandem, but they would also face many challenges.

However, Han Xiaorui didn’t plan on expanding for the next couple of years. She would only focus on scaling up her existing investments.

Before the new year, the aquarium and water park in White Crane Village were finally able to distribute dividends.

Just as with Qingshan Bay, the dividends were distributed per person on the household registry.

Based on the profits, each person registered could receive 3,100 yuan.

Although it wasn’t as much as Jinshan Bay’s payout, a family of three would receive 9,300 yuan.

A family of four would receive 12,400 yuan, instantly making them a ”ten-thousand-yuan household.”

The villagers of White Crane Village were overcome with gratitude; they finally had a source of long-term income.

Moreover, many residents of White Crane Village also worked at the aquarium and the water park. Their monthly salaries were enough to cover their family’s living expenses, which meant the dividend money could be saved in its entirety.

Every household was brimming with festive cheer.

The dividend in Jinshan Bay was even higher this year, at 6,300 yuan per person. Over the course of the year, eighteen people in Jinshan Bay had gotten married.

Women who got married no longer transferred their household registration out. Instead, they had their husbands transfer their registrations in. When they had children, the children were also registered in Jinshan Bay.

The men who married certainly didn’t transfer their registrations out. As for their new wives, their registrations were hastily transferred in the day after the marriage was registered.

After getting married, they tried to have children quickly. They were very swift about it, and the village welcomed nine new babies this year.

A baby who was only three days old received a 6,300 yuan dividend all the same, as soon as they were registered.

They could get rich from the dividends alone. With so many opportunities in Jinshan Bay, how could its hardworking people possibly grow complacent and lose their ambition?

Many of them seized these opportunities, finding suitable jobs and starting their own businesses.

The money they earned far exceeded the dividends.

For them, not working felt the same as losing money.

During the Spring Festival of 1990, the movie *My Hero* was released nationwide.

Compared to the introspective films made by some of the country’s directors, especially those by directors who fancied themselves profound, this movie from Shencheng Film Studio, told from the perspective of a police dog, was a novelty.

The cases were bizarre, the police were dedicated, and the clever, quick-witted police dogs always managed to provide more clues for the investigation.

After the police dog suffered a brutal head injury, it refused to be discouraged and persisted with its training. This brought not only the handler in the movie to tears, but the audience as well.

It showed that even with a physical disability, as long as you don’t give up on yourself, you can always start over.

Uplifting, entertaining, and suspenseful, the film possessed great viewing pleasure, artistic merit, and commercial appeal.

It was a movie for the whole family.

In any case, the people of Jinshan Bay and the surrounding areas all brought their children to see the movie.

Some didn’t just watch it once; they went back for a second or even a third time.

Han Xiaorui booked a screening hall for a whole day and gave movie tickets to all her employees.

Employees could bring their household registration book and claim tickets based on the number of people listed, limited to immediate family.

Since they didn’t have to work over the holiday, the employees brought their entire families to see the movie.

This movie was undoubtedly another success.

It wasn’t just a massive hit in Shencheng; it was a success everywhere else too.

Building on the success of the previous film, *War of Resistance Against Japan: Treasure Hunter*, in Southeast Asia, countries in the region began actively pursuing the rights to import Shencheng Film Studio’s new film, *My Hero*.

The acquisition price was quite high, a reflection of the film’s massive success in its home country.

After all, audience tastes are often universal, especially within Asia’s Confucian cultural sphere.

If it was a huge hit in China, it wouldn’t fare poorly elsewhere.

The last film was about the war against Japan, so it wasn’t imported there. This one, however, was about police dogs.

Kuno Hiroo, who was in town on business, saw the film and was deeply impressed.

”Have films from Hua Country gotten this good? The story is so moving, the cinematography is very advanced, the plot is tight, and the dog’s performance is absolutely stunning. This is a truly rare, excellent film.”

Kuno Hiroo, who was a guest at Han Xiaorui and Ye Feng’s home, was lavish with his praise for the film.

Han Xiaorui raised an eyebrow. ”You want to import it?”

Kuno Hiroo nodded. ”Of course. A great film is a treasure for all humanity. I want more people to see it. I own a cinema chain, and I’d like to acquire the distribution rights.”

Han Xiaorui smiled. ”I only handle the investment. Shencheng Film Studio is in charge of production and distribution. If you want to import it, I believe you’ll also have to go through the state media administration. You should contact the studio directly. Many other countries in Southeast Asia are also importing it, so there’s already a precedent.”

”Alright. I really didn’t expect that two films you invested in back-to-back would become such massive hits. Congratulations,” Kuno Hiroo said.

Han Xiaorui waved her hand dismissively. ”You’re too kind. I only provided the funding.”

”It’s not the same. I heard that you provided the outline and concept for both films. Now that two have been smash hits, will you be making a third, or a fourth?” Kuno Hiroo asked.

Han Xiaorui thought for a moment. ”The response to *My Hero* has been great, so Shencheng Film Studio is already preparing to film a sequel. There are just so many stories about that particular police dog.”

”As for other genres, I’m not an author or a screenwriter, so I can’t really offer much advice. Of course, if a good script comes my way, I’ll still invest.”

Kuno Hiroo smiled. ”You have an incredible eye for investment. In just a few short years, you’ve amassed so many assets and projects.”

Han Xiaorui shook her head with a laugh. ”I wouldn’t dare compare myself to a financial powerhouse from the Capital City like you! The Kuno family has far more investments now. You’re the one with the real eye for it!”

Kuno Hiroo then asked, ”But I’ve noticed you haven’t taken on any new projects in the past year. Is it because you haven’t found anything suitable?”

Han Xiaorui nodded. ”Yes. For one, it’s because there haven’t been any suitable projects. For another, I’m planning to focus on expanding the scale of my current ventures, so I’m not looking to add new ones for the time being.”

”The fact that you’re asking makes me think you have a good project in mind. Tell me about it. Maybe I’ll be interested?”

Kuno Hiroo thought for a moment, then smiled. ”Motorcycle manufacturing? Are you interested?”

Han Xiaorui immediately shook her head. ”Not at all. There are many established vehicle manufacturers in the country who would have an advantage. I’m not skilled in that industry, I don’t understand it, and I don’t have the right people for it. Rushing in blindly would be a huge hassle.”

”If you want to partner with me or do business together, you’ll have to pitch something that I’m interested in, or at least something within my area of expertise.”

Hearing this, Kuno Hiroo smiled. ”You’ve guessed correctly. I do have a project that I’m sure you’ll be very interested in.”

Han Xiaorui’s interest was piqued. ”What is it? If we can work together, I won’t let you get the short end of the stick. It’ll be mutually beneficial!”