Huayu Chunqiu, starting from being adopted by a fairy mother

Chapter 426 The Rise and Fall of Hong Kong Entertainment
Tsui Hark has directed many films, and many of them can be considered classics.

If you were to ask him which film left the deepest impression on him, "New Dragon Gate Inn" would definitely be one of them.

This play is unforgettable for him, for the audience, and for industry professionals.

In 1992, Hong Kong films released "Justice, My Foot!", "Royal Tramp", "King of Beggars", "Swordsman II", and "New Dragon Gate Inn".

At that time, Hong Kong's martial arts film industry was booming. Ng See-yuen bought the copyright to "Dragon Inn" and went to the mainland to find the Xiangjiang Film Studio to cooperate.

Both sides have finalized their filming plans: exterior scenes will be filmed in Gansu, and interior scenes will be filmed in Hong Kong.

Cai Ziming suddenly approached him, saying he also wanted to remake "Dragon Inn," and that the crew was already assembled, only lacking the copyright. He would invite Tsui Hark to direct, with Li Lianjie playing the male lead, Michelle Yeoh the female lead, and Max Mok the antagonist.

Cai Ziming wanted Wu Siyuan to transfer the copyright to him, and he forcefully stated that whether Wu Siyuan agreed or not was fine, he was going to make the film anyway.

What troubled Wu Siyuan even more was that the other party had connections in the mainland and had secured relationships with them, leaving the co-production partner, Hunan TV's Xiaoxiang Film Studio, with no choice but to accept.

Wu Siyuan rushed to the mainland to negotiate with the co-production partners, but before they could reach an agreement and filming was about to begin, Cai Ziming had an accident, with the script of "New Dragon Gate Inn" lying scattered nearby. Blood stained the pages, showing the scene where Zhou Huai'an rescues the orphan on a rainy night.

Li Lianjie flew back to Yandu overnight, not even having time to pack his suitcase, making it impossible for him to play the male lead. Michelle Yeoh sought other opportunities, choosing Jackie Chan's "Police Story 3." Just then, Max Mok was embroiled in a scandal, and all three lead actors were involved in some issues.

Xu Laoguai also behaved himself. He and Wu Siyuan were old friends, so the two projects were merged, and he and Shi Nansheng joined Wu Siyuan's team.

Li Lianjie was Tsui Hark's first choice for the male lead, while Wu Siyuan's first choice was Tony Leung Ka-fai.

Brigitte Lin originally wanted to play Jin Xiangyu, but the director tricked her into playing Qiu Moyan instead. Later, due to an eye injury, Brigitte Lin withdrew from the production, forcing Tsui Hark to change the ending, find a stand-in, and have her die in the line of duty.

By a twist of fate, "New Dragon Gate Inn" came into being.

Liu Jing is very clear about this past; when he first started out, he collaborated most with Li Lianjie.

"What ideology?" Bai Bing asked in confusion. As a member of the Spring and Autumn Period, how come I don't know that we have an ideology?

"He doesn't value traditional culture, and the costumes he makes are just a mess when he's filming. Chunqiu is very serious about costumes, props, and sets, demanding that everything be historically accurate. Even Tsui Hark can't do that. His reputation as a genius largely comes from his unrestrained imagination and his courage to innovate. One is a strict historical replica focused on authenticity, while the other is unrestrained and imaginative. The collaboration between Chunqiu's team and Tsui Hark was a difficult process." Lao Cai, having been involved in the Hong Kong film industry, is quite familiar with the styles of various directors.

Bai Bing didn't take it seriously. "You think it's not a good fit? My boss will definitely find a way." Are there any problems in this world that can stump a boss? Yes, he can't have children, and he's not good at getting women to give birth.

"Boss, why not try 'Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame'? It's a big-budget production with an investment of over 100 million."

This project was brought in by Chen Guofu. The script development took ten years, with an initial budget of 100 million yuan. The aim was to create an epic Eastern fantasy suspense production.

Huayi's project was naturally led by Huayi itself. Chunqiu provided the filming location, equipment, costumes, props, and technical support, taking a 20% share.

The male lead, Andy Lau, was cast by Tsui Hark, while the female lead went through many twists and turns.

Huayi is going to promote Li Bingbing, and the competition for the top spot is basically a done deal.

Chunqiu wanted to promote Yuanyuan and was very firm in her stance.

Ultimately, a compromise was reached among the parties involved, and the female lead, Shangguan Jing'er, ended up in Zhou Xun's hands.

"Although our technology is ahead of the domestic level, it is still behind Hollywood. The post-production of Avatar is finished. Back then, I suggested that Lee Chung-hwa of Samsung send some people to learn from the crew. These people should be back by now." Liu Jing sighed. Catching up takes time; you can't get fat overnight.

He wanted to learn from them under the name of Chunqiu Film & Television, but Cameron completely ignored him. In Hollywood, Lee's name still carries weight; even without acquiring Lionsgate, Chairman Lee has connections.

"President Cai, our boss really treats you like one of his own. He doesn't hide such confidential matters from you at all."

Bai Bing's facial expressions were very rich, and her words were full of hidden meanings.

She still remembers that Lao Cai didn't talk to her about "Xuan-Yuan Sword" earlier.

Old Cai's face darkened; she understood what he meant.

Such a grudge from a young woman is not a good thing for companies like those in the Chunqiu Group.

Liu Jing didn't notice the strange behavior of the two. He took a sip of tea, looked at the rim of the cup, and realized it had been used before.

Bai Bing licked her lips, her smile widening. "My saliva tastes good, doesn't it?"

"The decline of martial arts dramas is due to multiple factors, and we can't blame Xu Ke entirely." Liu Jing looked at the rosy lips, wanting to get rid of Lao Cai as soon as possible; he hadn't interrogated the little assistant yet today.

"Wood, this is the new script, take a look." Old Cai, unaware of Liu Jing's thoughts, handed over a stack of documents.

"President Cai, it seems you have a problem with him?" Bai Bing asked curiously. She wasn't as gossipy about entertainment industry gossip as Yang Mi and Shu Chang, but since it was offered to her, she didn't mind gossiping a little.

"What could I possibly have to say about him? I just have some feelings. This year marks the centenary of Hong Kong cinema, and I did some work on the Hong Kong Film Awards back then. Half of the history of Hong Kong cinema is martial arts action films. And in that half of history, Tsui Hark's name is indispensable." Old Cai took a sip of tea, which seemed to taste even more mellow.

"I've heard my boss say that although the history of Hong Kong cinema is short, it has been like the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, a time of unification and a time of division. A hundred years is full of wonderful experiences, enough to write books about."

Bai Bing smiled brightly as she spoke, casually switching to fresh tea leaves.

When the boss arrives, of course we have to bring out the new tea. Manager Min brought out some newly released tea for the boss to try, and Lao Cai benefited from it.

There are actually even better teas, reportedly costing hundreds of thousands of yuan per box.

This was sent by Jing Tian. She was selected as one of the four little actresses, and although she came in last, she was very happy.

The hibiscus flower she gave to her good brother must be of high quality; she brought the best from home. "If we're going to write this history, no one is more suitable than Golden Harvest. Your boss can gather the materials; he might actually be able to write a history of Hong Kong, no, of Chinese cinema." Old Cai's eyes were unfocused, and he didn't notice Bai Bing's actions.

She thought back to when she first debuted, when the entertainment industry was much more exciting than it is now.

These days, it's all about stabbing people in the back; nothing beats the thrill of stabbing someone to their face.

Putting everything else aside, the selection of the "Four Little Actresses" wasn't as exciting as the previous one. Everyone was so timid and hesitant, so polite and courteous—it wasn't even as interesting as a beauty pageant.

Young people these days lack vitality; actresses are becoming more and more like decorative vases, and actors are becoming more and more like effeminate men.

"Mr. Cai, could you tell me about Tsui Hark? I've seen quite a few of his films, but I don't know much about him." Bai Bing wasn't just making conversation; she genuinely wanted to learn more. If all went as planned, she would be involved in one of Tsui Hark's films soon. Old Cai's earlier comments hadn't been very pleasant, and she felt she could glean some interesting insights from him.

"When I first heard of Tsui Hark, he had already been famous for a long time. The Hong Kong film industry has always been very stratified, with factions, power struggles, and seniority-based ranking. Your boss is right, there were periods of warring states and periods of unified rule. The first peak of Chinese-language cinema didn't actually happen in Hong Kong, but in Shanghai. Later, with the outbreak of the Battle of Shanghai, Shanghai was no longer peaceful, and a large number of artists went south to Hong Kong to seek development. Then, with the outbreak of the Liberation War, another large number of artists fled, even more rapidly. A large influx of talent into Hong Kong brought technology and capital, ideas and vitality, which is why Hong Kong became the center of Asian culture and arts. Most of the first generation of filmmakers in Hong Kong came from Shanghai, from the mainland. At that time, Shanghainese was more widely spoken than Cantonese." Cai Yinong opened up, and although she was usually quiet, she was actually quite talkative, provided she wanted to talk.

"President Cai, please try this. Our boss won Best Asian Film, and President Min specially sent over this Qimen black tea. I usually don't even dare to drink it." Bai Bing poured a cup for the boss first. The boss was looking at the script that Lao Cai had brought over, so they couldn't let the conversation fall flat.

She wanted to see it too, but Lao Cai wouldn't let her. The script was called "The Weaver Girl at the End of the World." She wanted to see which roles would be suitable.

Old Cai was pondering Bai Bing's words: "Why are you reluctant to drink the tea that General Min gave to Liu Jing?" These words sounded awkward, but upon closer examination, they revealed a profound meaning.

"Wow, this tea is really good..." Old Cai smelled the aroma, and it seemed to be more expensive than the ripe Pu'er tea from before.

One sip of tea, and a hundred flavors flood my mind; it's definitely more expensive than the ripe Pu'er tea I just had. Compared to this cup, the 18,000 yuan ripe Pu'er is utter garbage.

"Mr. Cai, what happened next? Did it enter the Spring and Autumn Period?"

"The Spring and Autumn Period, huh? Hong Kong entertainment is truly a Spring and Autumn Period." Old Cai snapped back to reality, the words "Spring and Autumn Period" swirling in his mind. I'm in the Spring and Autumn Period right now.

"In the early days after liberation, let's call it the Spring and Autumn Period. The Hong Kong film industry had three major factions: Cathay Organisation under Loke Wan Tho, Shaw Brothers under Shaw Brothers, and Great Wall, New Union, and Phoenix, representing left-wing films. It was truly a time of flourishing diversity; the vibrant film industry was just beginning to take shape. Everyone was competing, not fighting. Left-wing films, unable to gain a foothold in Taiwan, gradually shrank. Loke Wan Tho died in a plane crash, and Cathay Organisation lost its pillar. Eventually, Shaw Brothers became the dominant force, while Golden Harvest established its own independent entity, and Cinema City rapidly rose to prominence." At that time, D&B Films was riding high, and the four major studios entered a period of fierce competition, with Hong Kong cinema rapidly evolving. When I started working, Shaw Brothers withdrew, D&B Films declined, and it was the peak of the rivalry between Cinema City and Golden Harvest. It was a bloodbath; it was a fight to the death. When Liu Jing debuted, D&B Films was completely finished, while Win's Entertainment rose to prominence, ushering in another era of three-way competition. In 1995, the Taiwanese market completely opened up to Western films, ceasing to support Hong Kong cinema, and from then on, Hong Kong cinema lost its giants…”

Bai Bing hesitated, then said, "I wanted you to talk about Tsui Hark, not about the history of Hong Kong cinema."

She couldn't help but mutter to herself, "Why do I always feel like the Spring and Autumn Annals is just a pornographic book?" No, it's definitely not just my opinion, it's what my boss makes me think that way.

"To understand Tsui Hark, you have to know the context of Hong Kong film history. He grew up in Vietnam and received an American education. When he first returned to Hong Kong, like many directors who are active today, he started in television..."

Old Cai spoke at length for more than twenty minutes.

Liu Jing quickly flipped through the script of "The Weaver Girl" and listened to Lao Cai talk about Xu Ke's story, many of which he hadn't seen in the Golden Harvest archives.

"...I think Xu Ke is indeed talented and lives up to his reputation as a genius. But the current expectations for him in the Chinese entertainment industry are somewhat overestimated," Lao Cai concluded.

"Really?" Bai Bing murmured. This isn't even legendary, not as legendary as my boss.

What does it matter how famous a director is? What does it matter how many films he makes? Boss Min's journey from actor to one of the top 100 richest people is a true legend.

"Of course, I'm just chatting with you two. Don't let my rambling affect your judgment," Old Cai couldn't help but remind you.

"Don't worry, it won't happen," Liu Jing promised.

Old Cai took a sip of tea to calm her nerves. So many years had passed, and Liu Jing was still the same Liu Jing—how boring! If she didn't drink some water soon, she worried she'd choke.

"Pfft..."

Bai Bing couldn't help but chuckle, her eyes filled with laughter and affection. My boss is always so funny.

"Are you really going to remake 'A Chinese Ghost Story'? Back then, they used Nakamori Akira as the model, which ultimately made Joey Wong a star. You're not going to use Liu Yifei as the model, are you? Consider Shi Shi. Actually, Shi Shi is not bad either, and she's more cost-effective." Old Cai glanced at Bai Bing. Ha, vixen. Those eyes of hers, even when looking at a dog, they're full of affection.

“President Cai, there’s a character in the script who looks a lot like Nie Xiaoqian. She was Yan Chixia’s former lover. If Shishi doesn’t mind, I’ll talk to the boss and ask him to reserve that role for her.” Bai Bing said with a smile.

Old Cai's expression froze. If she really did that, Liu Shishi might turn against her. Last time, because of the matter of the descendant of Nuwa, the obedient girl slammed her fist on the table; when an honest person turns against someone, it's a real falling out.

"Hmm! 'Dragon Inn' is pretty good too. Xu Ke is trying to make up for the regrets of the past." Old Cai stopped talking about Nie Xiaoqian. Since the script was based on Liu Yifei, Liu Shishi definitely had no chance.

"Boss, I heard that 'New Dragon Gate Inn' wasn't actually Tsui Hark's work, but rather directed by Lee Wai-man. Why do you all think this show is Tsui Hark's masterpiece?" Bai Bing asked, puzzled.

"This film is adapted from King Hu's 'Dragon Inn,' but Tsui Hark had a falling out with him. Ng See-yuen promised not to let Tsui Hark direct it, and only then did Tsui Hark grant the authorization. Lee Wai-man was actually the executive director, but Tsui Hark was the actual director; he just wasn't credited." Old Cai, who also knew about that period of history, answered on behalf of Liu Jing.

"Oh, I see." Bai Bing suddenly realized, thinking to herself, "Old Cai is such a busybody. I know that, I just wanted the boss to answer. If you answer for the boss, how am I supposed to provide emotional support? That old woman doesn't understand anything."

"Wood, how are you guys planning to adapt this? What do you think of Shishi? You can't just keep using Liu Yifei all the time, you have to consider sharing the spoils too... cough cough, well, I mean fair and just." Old Cai's usually stern face showed a rare hint of embarrassment.

Liu Jing's face turned dark.

If Little Lion had said those words, the atmosphere would have been completely different. He might have hugged his junior sister and comforted her.

When Lao Cai said that, he got goosebumps.

Bai Bing looked at him strangely. "Old Cai, do you also want to be like President Min, an old cow eating young grass?"

Alas! She shuddered, unable to bear to look.

"Today I talked to him about 'A Chinese Ghost Story,' and Tsui Hark talked to me about 'Dragon Inn.' In the end, Shi Nan suggested a buy-one-get-one-free deal, but neither of us replied. It's still far from certain, and you're more anxious than him."

(End of this chapter)