1982 Started from Hong Kong

Chapter 469 Brown Sugar Water and the Office

The days of running around have temporarily come to an end, and Zhai Yuan has returned home triumphantly with the artists who attended the Golden Horse Awards celebration.

As is customary, local reporters lined the streets to welcome him, covering not only the entertainment section but also the financial and political sections, attempting to pry details of the '50 billion yuan Jinling City Project' from Zhai Yuan.

However, all of them were turned away by General Manager Zhai with a simple "no comment".

Among them were some sharp-eyed reporters who spotted Ye Quanzhen, dressed in the most unconventional way. Since Mr. Zhai refused to speak, the heavily disguised Ye Quanzhen immediately became the talk of the town, with flashes going off everywhere. Some people were already speculating about the relationship between this mysterious guest and Mr. Zhai.

Could she be the daughter of a political figure from Taiwan?
Is it possible that he has connections with Wang Yung-ching, Sun Chung-mou, or Tsao Hsing-cheng?
With a $50 billion investment, is this person a bargaining chip for a political-business marriage?

Never mind! Let's take the photos first, and we can figure out the details later!
It's no wonder Yeh Chuan-chen had such a high starting point; on her very first day in Hong Kong, she became the subject of countless gossip tabloids.

"Take Ah Zhen back to the company first, and then take her to the hospital when there are fewer people around at night."

Since Sister Nan was not in Hong Kong, Zhai Yuan entrusted Ye Quanzhen to Ann Hui's care.

It's true that Zhao Lirong was right to say that Taiwanese artists were just actors in the old society, with a very low status. Even decades later, they can't compare to the mainland performing artists who are often respectfully addressed as "teacher," regardless of their status. It's as if they've stirred up trouble among artists.

Yeh Chuan-chen was chosen as the lead actress by Tam Ka-ming from thousands of models. On the one hand, she was beaten black and blue on the set in Taiwan. On the other hand, the relentless filming schedule caused her to develop nephritis and gain weight. Tam Ka-ming was not satisfied with the filming, so Chu Yen-ping threatened Yeh Chuan-chen that she had to lose weight and not affect the schedule, otherwise her parents would have to pay a large amount of liquidated damages.

As a result, not long after the crew of "Snow Is Burning" started filming, seventeen-year-old Yeh Chuan-chen was exhausted and nearly died.

"It's just a job; Taiwan really doesn't treat actors like human beings."

"Sister Nan, it's just that the triads in Hong Kong have been more stable in the last two years, otherwise things wouldn't be much better."

"I think we should learn from the mainland and give actors a job so they won't be bullied."

Sitting in the car, Ann Hui held 'Ye Quanzhen Plus's' hand with some heartache and chatted with Zhai Yuan for a while about the current state of the actors' environment.

"It's a matter of opinion~" Hearing Sister Hua's praise for the mainland actor system, Zhai Yuan smiled noncommittally and leaned back in his chair: "Some things are too much of a good thing. If everyone is an artist, this industry is doomed."

…………

Having mostly dealt with business in Taiwan, I took a break in Hong Kong for a while, driving my cousin Hai Mei to and from school every day, and occasionally giving guidance on vocal techniques to the Girls' Generation members. The Golden House Club also extended a warm invitation to President Zhai to provide guidance on their work.

Mr. Zhai had intended to rest and recharge, but he felt even more tired upon returning than when he was outside.

There's nothing I can do; at their age and my age, sometimes it's just hard to control myself.

"Cut! Put this one away, add some lighting to Ah Jie's right cheek, and we'll shoot another one for insurance purposes."

One day in June.

Zhai Yuan visited the set of "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer". This version of "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer" did not have Xu Guanjie, but Li Lianjie instead. The director also changed from King Hu to Xu Ke and Chen Xiaodong as co-directors.

However, Hsu Ke still called several times to invite King Hu to serve as the film's art director.

In a parallel universe, Hu Jinquan and Hsu Chin-chuan had a complete falling out because of their differing ideas about this film. Now that Hu Jinquan is no longer directing, the atmosphere on set seems quite harmonious.

"Sister Hua, how's Lao Xu's collaboration with your master going?"

When Zhai Yuan arrived at the set, the crew was filming an interior scene. After nodding and greeting the staff, he saw Ann Hui offering a cup of tea to her mentor, King Hu. Zhai Yuan smiled and asked a question.

“Not bad.” After saying that, Ann Hui pulled Zhai Yuan aside and whispered gossip, “Actually, there were some frictions. My master was not very satisfied with the look of Qingxia Dongfang Bubai. He wanted to make it like Xu Feng’s style in ‘A Touch of Zen.’ Xu insisted on the Japanese style. Later, Xu said that this version of Dongfang Bubai’s look was your choice, so my master stopped insisting on it.”

Zhai Yuan nodded. The design of the film version of Dongfang Bubai was taken from Imagawa Yoshimoto, the daimyo of the Sengoku period known as the "Number One Archer of the Orient". It was indeed difficult to get a filmmaker like King Hu, who was fond of traditional ink painting and opera, to accept it. However, it had already been tested by the market. In the current situation where martial arts films are declining, if no breakthroughs are made, it will be another critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful film like "The Storm of Yingchun Pavilion".

“There has to be a trade-off between commerce and art,” Zhai Yuan said with a smile. “Your master has made so many martial arts films. I think with today’s advanced technology, we can try remaking them. The old ‘Dragon Inn’ was pretty good. I’ll talk to him when I have time and ask him to sell me the rights.”

Ann Hui gestured towards King Hu's direction with her chin: "Why don't you talk to him now?"

Zhai Yuan glanced at Director Hu, who was looking at Brigitte Lin's Japanese-style outfit with a bad attitude, and shook his head repeatedly: "Let's not. If we go up now, we'll inevitably get lectured, and I hate being lectured the most."

Most people can't accept new things and new elements, but the trend of the times always moves forward. Several years later, these Hong Kong and Taiwan stars have become just another face in the road in the eyes of the new generation. Clinging to tradition will inevitably lead to commercial setbacks. Just like when Jay Chou's fans denigrated Teresa Teng when he debuted, the audience of the three giants of Song Lianglong looked down on Jay Chou, and later Kun Kun's dream girl even looked down on heroes all over the world...

In later years, King Hu and Hsu Ke had a falling out and he left the production team. Hsu Ke then made a major overhaul and reshot the film, which resulted in a huge box office success for "Swordsman". This made many Hong Kong and Taiwan film companies realize that old-school directors like King Hu were completely out of fashion, and his commercial resources plummeted from then on.

It's just a cycle. The new generation has seized the power of discourse, and naturally, they're embracing products that reflect their childhood memories.

Everyone is King Hu.

It's worth mentioning that this time, because the male lead of "Swordsman" was replaced by the younger Jet Li, the role of Yue Lingshan, which was originally to be played by Ye Tong, was also replaced by a younger actress.

"Godfather."

Ye Quanzhen, dressed in a black cloth and white collar chivalrous outfit, jumped out of the makeup cart and ran to Zhai Yuan.

Following Noriko Sakai and Li Zi, President Zhai has added another new goddaughter.

After recovering from her injuries for about a month, Ye Quanzhen has now fully recovered. Her body, which had been swollen due to kidney disease, has shrunk considerably, and the baby fat on her face is no longer visible. Combined with her height of 168 cm, she appears particularly tall and slender.

In the first version of "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer," Zhai Yuan always felt that the pairing of Xu Guanjie and Ye Tong was a bit off, appearing rather old-fashioned. Now, with Li Lianjie and Ye Quanzhen being seven or eight years apart in age, they finally have the feel of a senior brother and junior sister.

"Oh~ Ah Zhen is here?" Zhai Yuan pinched Ye Quanzhen's cheek and teased, "Are you feeling better? Let your godfather check you out."

This scene made Ann Hui roll her eyes. She remembered what Shi Nansheng had said before: this Mr. Zhai was good in every other way, except for his hobby of collecting dolls. If he were an older man, she could criticize him a bit. But Mr. Zhai was only in his early twenties, younger than Linghu Chong. Where could she find a reason to complain?

While Zhai Yuan was flirting with Ye Quanzhen, another girl came bounding over from the makeup truck outside. She was even more enthusiastic and threw herself into Zhai Yuan's arms, clinging to him like a koala.

"Godfather~"

Lan Fenghuang Sakai Noriko snuggled into Zhai Yuan's arms and affectionately rubbed her cheek against his, which made Ye Quanzhen turn his head to look.

The Japanese girls were indeed more uninhibited.

Lan Fenghuang, another supporting actress in "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer," was originally supposed to be played by Yuan Jieying from the original film. However, after learning that Miss Yuan was currently having an affair with the wealthy businessman Liu Luanxiong, Zhai Yuan chose Noriko Sakai from "Girls' Generation" to cooperate with the Japanese promotional campaign. Also joining Lan Fenghuang was another supporting actress with the third most screen time in the film.

Ren Yingying, Zhang Min.

Twenty-year-old Zhang Min didn't run into the deadbeat Xu Jiasheng this time. Instead, she was signed to 91 Entertainment by Zhai Yuan. After her two debut works, "Magic Crystal" and "The Romancing Star," disappeared from the Hong Kong film industry due to the butterfly effect, "Swordsman" became her first new film in the film industry.

"Mr. Zhai."

"Hmm, Amin, are you getting used to life on set?"

"All is well, thank you Mr. Zhai for the opportunity."

The conversation with Zhang Min was pointless. Zhai Yuan could easily tell that this woman dressed as a Miao girl often flirted with him when she saw him, but she was still a notch below Guan Zhilin in terms of skill.

Upon seeing the big boss visiting the set, Zhang Min once again asked bluntly, "If we have the chance after filming wraps up, could you please treat Mr. Zhai to a meal?"

"I might not have the time."

Zhai Yuan patted Noriko Sakai on the back, urging her to get off him, and smiled at Zhang Min, saying, "I have some serious business to attend to right now. Next time, next time for sure."

A hint of disappointment flashed in Zhang Min's eyes, and she snuggled closer to Zhai Yuan: "Then Mr. Zhai, you must do me the honor of thanking you next time."

Zhai Yuan grinned, his gaze sweeping over the voluptuous actress: "Okay, how will you thank me?"

Zhang Min winked at President Zhai: "At least come over for a cup of brown sugar water, okay?"

No sooner had Ren Yingying left than Xu Anhua couldn't help but tease, "It's rare that Mr. Zhai could remain unmoved by such a woman in his arms."

"What kind of talk is that!" Zhai Yuan rolled his eyes at her, then laughed and said, "Sister Hua has been in the film industry for so many years, do you think you can't see what these female stars are thinking? I'm afraid that after I went to her house today and drank brown sugar water, when 'Swordsman' went to the mainland to film, even Xu Ke and the others wouldn't be able to control this woman."

Hui Ann-wah glanced at Zhai Yuan in surprise. She had come to the set to take care of her mentor, King Hu, and had also gotten to know the group of actors. It was obvious that Zhang Min was the only woman in the entire group who was trying to curry favor and build connections everywhere. Perhaps she hadn't had any work since entering the industry and even had to make a living by handing out flyers, which is why she took the opportunity to act herself whenever she saw a chance.

Ann Hui smiled and said, "We often see actresses with connections in the industry. Being in power doesn't necessarily make them arrogant. I haven't seen your two goddaughters bullying others."

Zhai Yuan scoffed and retorted, "That's because I raised him well."

As for Zhang Min, in Zhai Yuan's memory, she was even more difficult to get along with than Li Lizhen.

He dared to hire someone to beat up Wang Jin just because he had clung to Xu Jiasheng. He slapped the stylist because Ye Zimei's look in the movie was more eye-catching than his own. Being late or leaving early on set was commonplace for him. He offended too many people, so much so that Xu Jiasheng found a new lover and disappeared from the Hong Kong film industry.

So let's leave it for now. Even if we're going to drink brown sugar water, we'll have to wait until filming for "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer" is finished before we talk about it.

For the next while, Zhai Yuan wandered around the set again and met the two male and female leads of the film, A-Jie and Qingxia. He couldn't resist ruffling Lin Qingxia's hair, which made her roll her eyes again.

It wasn't until the afternoon that Toshie drove to the film set to find him.

“Mr. Zhai, I have already reached an agreement with Ms. Fang. Three studios in Clearwater Bay will be dedicated to filming for us, and we will not need to pay for the venue rental. If her Metropolitan Film Company has a new film, she wants it to be released simultaneously in theaters on October 1024th.”

Upon meeting, Secretary Li immediately reported to Zhai Yuan the contents of his meeting with Fang Yihua that day.

"This Miss Fang really knows how to do business."

Zhai Yuan shook his head with a smile: "I am, after all, a shareholder of TVB. Why should I be so particular about borrowing a venue?"

Lizhi smiled and then asked mysteriously, "Mr. Zhai, do you know who will play the male lead in the next Metropolitan Film Festival production?"

Zhai Yuan rolled his eyes: "Stephen Chow! Do you think I don't read the news?"

Just like the original timeline, Zhao's Films ceased production, and the film industry ushered in its peak. So Ms. Fang quickly reorganized a Metropolitan Film Company, and even the leading cast was still the newly popular King of Comedy.

Although Stephen Chow has switched between 91 Entertainment and Choi Chi-ming Film Company, he still has several film contracts with TVB.

Bosses like Li Xiuxian and Xu Jiaqiang are willing to pay Stephen Chow hundreds of thousands or millions in film fees, but Metropolitan is really squeezing him to death.

So much so that Stephen Chow's film contracts with TVB were not fulfilled until the Metropolitan Opera ceased operations. However, at that time, it was the peak of the infighting among the various factions within TVB, and no one cared about these film contracts. Later, as the market gradually declined, most of them expired and were disposed of.

"Alas! The king of comedy I nurtured with my own hands actually wants to kill me!"

Zhai Yuan sighed in grief, and under Li Lianjie's strange gaze from not far away, he hugged Li Zhi and loudly accused her.

Secretary Li, feeling both helpless and embarrassed, patted Zhai Yuan on the back: "Alright, now that the photography studio is settled, Zhu Yanping is still waiting for your instructions on the next step."

"Oh right!" Zhai Yuan pulled away from Li Zhi's embrace and asked, "Are the actors from Taiwan in position yet?"

Lizhi replied, "It's pretty much settled. There are a few things Zeng Zhiwei is still negotiating with, but it won't affect filming."

Zhai Yuan nodded and said, "Then let's call Chunqiu School first and ask Sister Ling and the others to bring over the group of students from the training class. Also, contact Guan Weiming and ask Kuaibo to allocate a production line for me within half a month at most, specifically for recording this new series."

"Half a month has passed so quickly?"

"That's already considered slow. I originally planned to release a show about once a week, but considering the adjustment period for everyone..."

Zhai Yuan put his arm around Li Zhi's hourglass waist, greeted the staff, and swaggered out of the film set.

Just before getting into the car, the phone in Secretary Li's bag suddenly rang.

Lizhi answered the phone and said a few words to the other end, then covered the receiver and looked at Zhai Yuan: "Mr. Zhai, it's a deputy director surnamed Li from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange office who's looking for you."

Upon hearing this name, Zhai Yuan paused, his eyebrows involuntarily furrowing.

Here it comes: TSMC's ambitious $50 billion plan has finally attracted attention from mainland China.

(End of this chapter)