Chapter 416: The Birth of the TVB Artiste Training Class
"An artiste training class? Alright, I'll go back and work out the details," Zou Wenhuai readily agreed.
Simply waiting at the company for people to come forward and say they wanted to act was far too inefficient. Establishing a formal training school would allow them to gather young people in one place, teach them in a unified way, and manage the process much more effectively.
Yang Wendong added, "I'm not particularly specialized in film or television, so I can only offer limited guidance. From now on, keep an eye on how things are done in Hollywood—study their methods, but don't blindly copy. Learn the good parts."
"Yes, understood," Zou Wenhuai nodded.
"Alright, let's wrap it up here. I'm looking forward to seeing a Hong Kong-made film become a hit across all of Asia," Yang Wendong said with a smile.
The course of history had already changed. Perhaps films that wouldn't have swept across Asia until the 1980s or 1990s could now do so as early as the 1970s under his guidance—especially when it came to Bruce Lee.
But according to the most recent information Yang Wendong had gathered, Bruce Lee was still teaching at a dojo and hadn't yet gone to Hollywood. Without being snubbed there, Bruce Lee might not even consider coming back to Hong Kong, or he might not take Hong Kong's film industry seriously.
Still, if his presence in Hong Kong meant the local film industry developed earlier and more professionally, maybe things would play out differently. But right now, it wasn't the right time. Bruce Lee was still too young, and without the pressure and setbacks from Hollywood, it was hard to say whether he'd ever reach the heights he did in the original timeline.
Zou Wenhuai then asked, "Mr. Yang, what should we call this training class? Changxing Artiste Training School?"
"Let's not use the Changxing name for this small academy," Yang Wendong said after some thought. "TVB is also in urgent need of talent. Let's call it the TVB Artiste Training Class. But it'll be jointly managed by your company and TVB. You can divide the trainees between yourselves as needed."
The name "Changxing" now carried tremendous weight in Hong Kong. Only core companies or those with extraordinary potential could use it. Attaching it to a modest training school wouldn't be appropriate.
"TVB Artiste Training Class? Understood," Zou Wenhuai nodded with a grin. "I bet Mr. Qi will be thrilled when he hears this."
—
After meeting with Yang Wendong, Zou Wenhuai sat in the back of his car, thinking carefully about how to execute all the instructions he'd just received.
With someone like Yang Wendong, most directions were general. He rarely gave step-by-step instructions. It was up to his subordinates to interpret and execute. You didn't go back and ask him about trivial details—if you had to, what use were you?
In the process, you might please the boss or make mistakes. But that was part of the learning curve for a professional manager. Understanding the boss's intent and executing with precision was the key.
Take the issue of raising actor salaries, for example. Yang Wendong didn't give a number. That meant Zou Wenhuai had to decide how much to raise it. Too little or too much would both be problematic.
When he returned to Tseung Kwan O, Zou didn't go straight back to his office. He asked his driver to take him to the film studio, where Jimmy Wang Yu was shooting a film.
From a distance, Zou watched as Wang Yu, on horseback, fought off a group of attackers. His martial arts looked fierce and elegant; the extras were soon left bruised and battered.
"Cut!" the director shouted.
Medical staff quickly ran over to treat the injured actors.
This was one of the biggest benefits of the film studio—they had an on-site clinic with medical professionals on standby during fight scenes. It ensured immediate treatment, avoiding the old scenario of toughing out minor injuries or rushing major ones to hospitals—wasting time, effort, and money.
Wearing his period costume, Wang Yu saw Zou Wenhuai and quickly set down his prop weapon, jogging over with a smile. "Brother Zou!"
"Wang Yu, you're doing well," Zou smiled, then said, "Go ahead and finish up. I'm just here to observe. Once you're done, let's have dinner."
Although they now had a formal boss-subordinate relationship, both men had worked at Shaw Brothers before and were already familiar. Sharing meals wasn't unusual.
"Sure," Wang Yu nodded before returning to set to continue filming.
In Hong Kong's current film scene, martial arts films were largely devoid of plot. They were all about action, and if the fights looked good, the audience would love it. A martial artist who could also act convincingly and with flair was extremely valuable.
Wang Yu was exactly that kind of star.
By the time it got dark, the shoot had wrapped up for the day. After freshening up, Wang Yu joined Zou Wenhuai at a restaurant near the studio.
"Come in, I've already ordered," Zou said with a grin.
"Looks delicious," Wang Yu said, sitting down without ceremony. "This studio has been a game changer. In the past, we had to shoot in remote mountains. Sometimes we even had to walk part of the way. Food was awful.
Now, everything's on-site. We don't have to rush around in the morning and evening. Even meals are better than before."
"True, you should really thank Mr. Yang for that," Zou said with a chuckle.
In the past, filming—especially period dramas—had to be done in remote areas, to avoid modern buildings. Transportation and logistics were a nightmare. Now, even though the studio couldn't solve every problem, most scenes could be filmed in-house, which drastically reduced workload.
"We've even built a studio that's larger and better than Shaw Brothers'," Wang Yu added. "Our shooting schedules have shortened, the scenes look better, and the movies are more polished."
"And that's not all. You've heard about our recent acquisition, right? Over 80 cinemas in Southeast Asia?"
Wang Yu nodded. "Of course. That news fired us all up. If the company's making big money, our bonuses will go up too."
Changxing Film was different from Shaw Brothers. In terms of salary, they treated people better—from background extras to leading actors, from assistants to directors, all earned significantly more than they had under Shaw.
"That's just part of it," Zou said seriously. "Wang Yu, about what you mentioned last time—Mr. Yang has agreed. The company will now start increasing pay for leading actors, directors, and screenwriters."
"Really?" Wang Yu's eyes lit up.
Even though switching from Shaw Brothers to Changxing had already brought a huge raise, no one ever thought they were making enough—especially when outsiders offered him three months' salary for just one week of work. Who wouldn't be tempted?
But Wang Yu had principles. He knew his fame was built through the company's resources, and he respected Zou Wenhuai. So instead of demanding more, he had only hinted subtly.
Zou said, "Mr. Yang's position is that top-tier talent—actors, writers, and directors—who can create hit films for the company, should be entitled to a share of the box office.
How much? That's still under discussion. I'll conduct a market analysis, write up a detailed plan, and submit it for Mr. Yang's approval. For now, I just wanted to let you know—your patience will be rewarded."
"Understood," Wang Yu nodded. "Please help me thank Mr. Yang, Brother Zou."
"No need to say it aloud. As long as you're grateful in your heart, that's enough," Zou Wenhuai replied with a smile. "But if you work hard enough to become the most famous martial arts star in Hong Kong—or even in all of Asia—then you might just get the chance to meet Mr. Yang in person. You can thank him then."
One of Yang Wendong's long-term goals was to cultivate actors with influence across Asia. If someone achieved that level, they would definitely have a chance to meet him.
"I'll give it my all," Wang Yu said earnestly.
Becoming a star across Asia was something he had never dared to dream of before. But now, under the umbrella of a powerful conglomerate like Changxing Group, it suddenly felt possible.
Zou Wenhuai added, "There's one more thing I want to discuss with you. Mr. Yang is preparing to open a formal academy, one dedicated to nurturing—"
After listening to the plan carefully, Wang Yu said, "That sounds like a great idea. If it succeeds, the Hong Kong film and TV industry—and even music and hosting—will have a steady talent pipeline."
"Exactly. That's what Mr. Yang envisions," Zou said with a laugh. "But how to go about it, I'm not entirely sure. You came from an ordinary background—what's your take?"
Wang Yu thought for a moment and replied, "I'm strong in martial arts, so for that area, we just need to look for people with a solid foundation. For other disciplines, it's probably similar—but ideally, we should pick people who at least have some educational background.
Educated people tend to learn faster, adapt more easily, and already have the mindset to cooperate with structured training."
"That aligns with my thinking," Zou said. "There's another piece of good news—Mr. Yang has decided to focus on promoting you, to make you the idol of Hong Kong's younger generation."
"Really?" Wang Yu's eyes lit up, but then he quickly realized, "Ah—I see. Mr. Yang wants to use me as a role model to attract more students."
"Haha, smart guy," Zou said, raising his glass. "It's good for you, too. The more famous you are, the more you'll earn—and the more people will look up to you."
Wang Yu nodded, "In that case, thank you, Brother Zou, and please thank Mr. Yang for me as well."
"No need to be polite. Let's work together to make the company great," Zou said seriously. "Mr. Yang's ambitions are massive. He has his sights set on half of Asia. If he succeeds, companies like Shaw Brothers and Cathay will be nothing more than weeds by the roadside."
With Changxing Group's immense resources, there was no reason to get involved in Hong Kong's modest film market—unless the real aim was to conquer the broader Asian cultural scene. Compared to the Group's total wealth, the combined box office of all of Hong Kong was just a drop in the ocean.
—
The news that Changxing Film Company and TVB were joining forces to build an Artiste Training Academy in Tseung Kwan O quickly spread throughout Hong Kong.
"TVB Artiste Training Academy?"
Young people who saw the headlines in the papers were instantly intrigued.
"You mean you can get formal training to become an actor now? That means… anyone might have a chance to become a star?"
It wasn't just the newspapers—TVB itself ran features encouraging young, ambitious Hongkongers to come to Tseung Kwan O and chase their dreams of becoming a star.
After a few days of promotion, a flood of young people responded. They arrived at a renovated warehouse, now temporarily serving as the makeshift academy.
"Everyone, please write your resume clearly. Leave your contact details. If you qualify, we'll send you a letter," a woman with a megaphone announced loudly.
But the crowd quickly grew out of control. Security from Changxing Industrial in Kwun Tong had to be called in to restore order.
By the end of just one day, the academy had received over 2,000 resumes.
That evening, Zou Wenhuai and Qi Ruifan, head of TVB, arrived to inspect the site.
"Mr. Zou, Mr. Qi," the woman in charge said as she handed over the paperwork, "We received 2,623 applications. But we've reviewed some, and many don't meet our standards.
People came from all sorts of backgrounds—factory workers, older folks… even after we explained the criteria, they insisted on submitting their forms."
Zou smiled, "That's normal. With the way we promoted this, a lot of people misunderstood. Just don't respond to those applicants. Focus on young candidates with education, preferably recent graduates. Then we can train them from scratch."
Qi Ruifan nodded, "Exactly. If we don't find anyone with experience, then we find a blank canvas. Look for those who are good-looking, then train them slowly.
Everyone starts somewhere. If they're willing to learn, we'll provide the equipment, hands-on opportunities, and professional guidance. Some of them are bound to reach our standards."
"Understood," the woman replied and went off to manage the paperwork.
Zou turned to Qi and said with a smile, "Once we've got this academy running, give it two years—we won't be short of talent anymore."
Qi Ruifan nodded. "I have another idea: let's also train behind-the-scenes technicians, like lighting engineers. Right now, these roles are all inherited through families. We don't have enough people. Sometimes we can't even shoot at night due to lack of crew.
This academy should solve all talent bottlenecks. With enough people, we'll have enough programming. Mr. Yang told me—TVB is still just getting started."
"Just getting started?" Zou asked, puzzled. "Isn't TVB already the top station in Hong Kong?"
TVB had beaten out Rediffusion TV in just a few months. It was free, had better content, and its viewership had skyrocketed.
Qi shook his head. "It's not that simple. Your movies have done well these past two years, but is that enough for Mr. Yang? He's focused on the entire Asian market. And so are we."
"But… TV stations can't go international, can they?" Zou asked.
TV stations were state-controlled media in most countries. Foreign stations couldn't broadcast domestically, and even if they could, language and content differences made overseas expansion very difficult.
Qi explained, "We're not trying to export the station—we're exporting TV content: dramas, variety shows. Mr. Yang already told me—he doesn't care how well we do in Hong Kong. He cares about how well our programs perform in Taiwan, Singapore, and Southeast Asia."
"I see." Zou nodded thoughtfully. "So he didn't build TVB just for Hong Kong. It's just like what he's doing with the film company."
"Exactly. My current task is to cultivate enough talent to make that vision a reality," Qi said seriously.
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