Chapter 422: First Meeting with Bruce Lee
After nearly ten days, Yang Wendong had finally resolved the issues surrounding KFC. Even without Colonel Sanders in the future (due to retirement), the company had the capacity to grow on its own. In the original timeline, the reason it expanded slowly was simply due to long-term lack of capital.
But now that Yang Wendong had acquired it, he was definitely going to support it with everything he had. Just the fact that it controlled the diets of hundreds of millions of people gave it immense influence.
In the future, PepsiCo's restaurant division would become one of the largest employers globally. Although the workforce was dispersed, front-end procurement still couldn't be overlooked. If Yang Wendong could eventually control some of the grain supply, and combine that with chicken farms and food processing plants, then he could create a complete closed-loop system.
However, reaching that stage was still far off. No matter how much money he had, business expansion required time. Even with franchising, aspects like talent training and site selection consumed enormous time and energy.
For now, there was no rush. He just needed Sanders and the future management team to lay a solid foundation step by step. Yang Wendong's role would simply be to focus on making money in other sectors and then, at the right time, inject funds to help KFC grow rapidly.
On December 16, Yang Wendong accompanied Bai Yujie to Hollywood for the first time.
"Brother Dong, I watched an American movie a few days ago. It was pretty good," Bai Yujie said as she walked. "Do you think we could screen American movies in Hong Kong?"
Yang Wendong chuckled, "It's possible, but they usually don't perform very well—unless it's a film that's already a big hit in the U.S. Only then might Hong Kong consider bringing it in. The logic's the same as how Southeast Asia only used to buy Hong Kong films that had high local box office numbers."
Before Yang Wendong acquired the Luk family cinema chain, only a few third-party Hong Kong films were sold to the outer provinces. Southeast Asian cinema networks accepted films from various countries, but they still had their own filters.
That's why, when Changxing Group's overseas cinema chain opened up to Hong Kong-made films, it meant everything to local film companies, stars, and the support personnel tied to the industry.
"Yeah, I looked up some box office numbers—American films earn way more than ours," Bai Yujie added. "If one day Hong Kong movies could be screened in America, that'd be amazing. I bet Zou Wenhuai would be over the moon."
"Haha, I'd be just as thrilled," Yang Wendong replied with a shake of his head. "But that's a tall order. Getting Hong Kong's cultural products into the U.S.? It's ridiculously hard. Even if I invest and buy theaters here in the States, local audiences still wouldn't watch them."
Even capital operations had to have profit goals. Even for strategic investments, one had to aim for breaking even or at least minimize losses.
When he bought the Luk family cinema chain, the main reason was that Luk Yuntao was also Chinese. His life's work in the Southeast Asian theater business was focused on the local Chinese community, which easily accepted Hong Kong films. That's why Yang Wendong paid a hefty sum to acquire it. Otherwise, even if the real estate side was profitable, he'd have just bought land and built office buildings—easier to manage in the long run.
"Well then, let's check out some other places," Bai Yujie said.
"Sure, the scenery around here is pretty good," Yang Wendong replied.
This trip to Hollywood was purely for fun—he had no intention of trying to break into this market. Not now, and probably not even many years down the line. If he ever did try, the best approach would be to ally with one of the local giants and work together.
After a few days of sightseeing and visiting famous spots, Yang Wendong and Bai Yujie found themselves in downtown Los Angeles on a street that featured a martial arts school called "Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute."
L.A. also had a Chinatown, filled with shops that had Chinese signage. But on this street full of English shop signs, this one stood out. Judging from the lively atmosphere inside, business seemed to be doing quite well.
As they stepped inside, a doorman quickly approached and asked in English, "Sir, are you here to learn martial arts?"
He also glanced at the six burly bodyguards standing near Yang Wendong. Through the glass door, he could see a few more men in black positioned around nearby corners. And it was winter—nobody would stand outside in the cold unless they had to. This Asian man clearly wasn't an ordinary visitor.
Yang Wendong replied in Cantonese, "Just here to take a look."
"You're from Hong Kong?" the doorman immediately asked.
Yang Wendong nodded. "Yes."
Accents were easy to distinguish. Many people in the U.S. spoke Cantonese or Mandarin, but the difference was still noticeable. Even in Hong Kong, you could tell who was from Guangdong based on their accent.
"Please, come inside," the doorman said, leading them in. Another staff member took over and began introducing the martial arts school.
Inside, a group of about a dozen blond-haired, blue-eyed foreigners were practicing martial arts.
"How much does it cost to learn martial arts here?" Yang Wendong asked out of curiosity.
A Chinese-American woman named Anna replied, "That depends on how long they register for. The longer the enrollment, the cheaper it is per session. On average, about five dollars per hour.
Also, it depends on who's teaching. If Mr. Lee teaches personally, it's over $200 per hour."
"Hmm… Mr. Bruce Lee should be in L.A. right now, right?" Yang Wendong asked.
He had come here for one reason—to meet Bruce Lee. This legendary Chinese superstar, a blazing icon in international history, was unmatched in fame. It was a shame he passed away so young. Otherwise, his achievements could have been unimaginable.
Though Yang Wendong didn't plan on bringing him back to Hong Kong for films just yet, since he was in the U.S. and knew Bruce Lee was in L.A., it made sense to meet him. Besides, he had been a fan since childhood in his previous life.
Anna replied, "Yes, Mr. Lee is currently in Los Angeles. But he's quite busy and needs to return to Seattle before Christmas. If you have something to say, I can pass it on to him."
"Here, give him this card," Yang Wendong said, handing over his gold-trimmed business card. "Just let him know I'd like to meet him."
In 1964, Bruce Lee hadn't officially entered Hollywood yet, but his fame was already substantial in the U.S. He was one of the very few Chinese capable of starring in American productions due to his growing popularity.
In 1962, Bruce Lee defeated a Japanese karate master and later disarmed four knife-wielding attackers with his bare hands. Last year, he defeated reigning three-time champion Vic Moore in the National Karate Championships and was then invited to perform at the Long Beach International Karate Championships. His demonstrations of blindfolded striking and one-inch punches caused a sensation.
Meeting him wasn't easy—someone that famous was bound to have filters in place.
"Yang Wendong?" Anna glanced at the card. "From Changxing Group in Hong Kong? You're the boss of a Hong Kong company?"
"That's right," Yang Wendong said with a smile. "Is Mr. Lee here today?"
It was clear Anna didn't know much about Changxing Group, which was understandable. In this era, information moved slowly, and few people in the U.S.—even Chinese—knew about Hong Kong's major corporations. Many of them had grown up in the States and were second- or third-generation immigrants.
"Yes, he's here. I'll take your card up to him now," Anna said, realizing Yang Wendong wasn't an ordinary guest. A normal person couldn't afford that many bodyguards.
On the third floor of the school, a young man in his early twenties was working out. Suddenly, Anna entered.
"Mr. Lee, there's a Hong Kong Chinese gentleman downstairs who'd like to meet you," she said. "He doesn't seem ordinary—here's his card."
"Not ordinary?" Bruce Lee stopped training and took the card. Upon seeing the name, his expression shifted dramatically. He immediately stood up and asked, "Where is Mr. Yang?"
"Downstairs," Anna replied, now realizing that her instincts had been right.
Bruce Lee quickly grabbed a towel, wiped the sweat off his face, and said, "Let's go."
Moments later, they descended the stairs. Bruce Lee saw Yang Wendong and immediately stepped forward. "Mr. Yang, I've heard so much about you."
"Mr. Lee, nice to meet you," Yang Wendong said with a smile, extending his hand.
Bruce Lee had originally come from Hong Kong and left in 1957. If he still followed Hong Kong news, it wasn't surprising that he'd heard of Yang Wendong.
"Shall we go upstairs to talk?" Bruce Lee offered.
"Sure," Yang Wendong agreed. There were too many people around—it wasn't a good place to talk privately.
Soon they were in a traditionally decorated room on the third floor, complete with old-style Chinese furniture. Bruce Lee personally made tea and asked, "Mr. Yang, how can I help you?"
"It's nothing major," Yang Wendong said with a smile. "I've heard of your name and came to pay my respects. In the martial arts world, you've done Chinese people proud."
Even in the age of firearms and advanced technology, there was still respect for physical prowess. Sports and martial arts had global appeal. Top athletes in football, basketball, and running were as famous as entertainment stars.
"Haha, I have a bit of a name," Bruce Lee replied humbly, then said, "But compared to you, Mr. Yang, I still have a long way to go."
"We each have our strengths. I'm just a businessman," Yang Wendong replied. "Actually, the second reason I'm here is to ask if you'd be willing to endorse some of my products."
"Endorse?" Bruce Lee paused. "I've never done that before."
"Well, there's a first time for everything," Yang Wendong laughed. "And endorsements can also help build your reputation. You could even appear on TV—it would be good exposure."
In this timeline, Bruce Lee's fame was still developing. Business investments often bet on potential—just like how, in the previous life, many brands signed athletes before the Olympics, hoping they'd win gold. When they did, it was a huge payoff.
"What kind of product?" Bruce Lee asked.
"It's hard to say for now," Yang Wendong replied. "My company has a wide range of products. If you're interested, someone will reach out to you for detailed discussions. We'll hear your preferences, then determine the timing, fees, and so on."
If it hadn't been Bruce Lee, Yang Wendong wouldn't have bothered meeting in person.
"Alright, we can talk about it," Bruce Lee nodded. "If the deal makes sense, I'm open to it."
"Great. Someone from my U.S. team will contact you soon," Yang Wendong said. After a pause, he added, "By the way, Mr. Lee, I've heard you're planning to enter Hollywood?"
It wasn't exactly a secret. Bruce Lee's growing fame had already caught the attention of Hollywood executives.
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