1982 Started from Hong Kong

Chapter 473 Not Human

Before January was even over, Yu Feihong and Zhou Ping asked the school for leave and made preparations to go home for the Chinese New Year.

Lunar New Year's Eve is the most important event.

These days, apart from dedicated workers like Lao Tao, migrant workers all over the country look forward to family reunions and New Year's Eve dinners, and it's rare to hear of anyone not being home for the New Year.

With the two girls gone, the huge mansion felt rather deserted.

Zhao Meizhen would deliberately choose days when Zhai Yuan was present, chatting idly with the Filipino maid. After only a few words, she would start sighing repeatedly: "Oh dear! We have the money, but not the family. I wonder when we'll be able to have a baby. I mean, while I can still move around, I can help take care of the grandson, don't you think, Maria? It's not like we can't afford to raise him..."

Zhai Yuan lay on the sofa without changing his expression, holding a copy of the September 1st Daily, which featured a protagonist who was oblivious to everything else.

It's not that we can't afford to feed them, it's just that we're not getting a harvest from the broadcast planting!
"Sigh! We're old now, and people just pretend they don't hear us when we talk. They go upstairs to sleep, and I don't care anymore!"

Seeing that Zhai Yuan didn't react for a long time, Zhao Meizhen raised her voice and said something again, then slowly walked upstairs.

Usually, if the other party still refuses to accept this tactic, the elders are at a loss.

Zhai Yuan kept his eyes down, not even lifting his eyelids.

Zhao Meizhen dawdled for a long time without getting a response, then shook her head in annoyance and went upstairs by herself.

five minutes later,

Zhai Yao ran downstairs again, plopped down next to Zhai Yuan, and asked bluntly, "My mother asked me to ask you when you're getting married this year?"

Zhai Yuan glanced at his younger sister, put down the newspaper in his hand, and asked earnestly, "Yaoyao, do you want to get married?"

Zhai Yao was stunned for a moment, then shook her head frantically.

“That’s it.” Zhai Yuan continued, “If I, as a big shot, got married this year, wouldn’t it be your turn next year? Right now, I’m the one standing in front of you, you should be grateful!”

A look of understanding gradually appeared on Zhai Yao's face.

"So if your mother talks about this kind of thing again, you should advise her not to be anxious and to speak up for me."

"it is good!"

Zhai Yao, who had been persuaded to defect by Zhai Yuan's three sentences, nodded vigorously.

After a moment of silence in the living room, Zhai Yao's expression changed several times before she tentatively asked, "But boss, Hai Mei has been with you for so long, and you have so many sisters-in-law around you, there must be one or two... I mean, do you have any illegitimate children outside?"

Zhai Yuan flicked Zhai Yao's forehead with his finger and said unhappily, "Am I the kind of irresponsible man?"

Zhai Yuan rubbed his forehead in pain and chuckled, "Actually, it wouldn't matter if I had one. I'd also like to hold my nephew and niece."

"no!"

"Oh...not a single one?"

"Not a single one!"

Upon hearing this, Zhai Yao gave a soft "oh," stared at the big shot for two seconds, and cautiously asked, "Are you impotent?"

Zhai Yuan flew into a rage: "What kind of talk is this! What kind of talk is this!"

Zhai Yao was quick-witted and agile. Seeing that the big boss was about to get up, she jumped up from the sofa first and dashed upstairs in a flash.

Zhai Yuan sat back down in his original seat with a disgruntled expression, thinking to himself, "What's wrong with young girls these days?"
What indecent language! I'm reporting Bachelor's College tomorrow! Who gave you permission to teach sex education?!

On second thought, it might not really be the academy's fault. Zhai Yao is already twenty years old this year, and she was almost sold into prostitution when she was a teenager, so she has seen a lot.

However, as the family's life improved, both Zhao Meizhen and Zhai Yuan continued to treat her like a child.

"I'm not good enough? Then I'll take my chance!"

Zhai Yuan grumbled as he picked up the newspaper again, glanced at it, and threw it back on the table.

Zhou Haimei, Zhou Huimin, Ye Yuqing, Li Lizhen, Li Saifeng, Bai Anni, Li Zhi, Deng Leling, Nishikyo Michiko...

Zhai Yuan was silent for a moment, then picked up his older brother's phone, walked out of the living room to the garden, and dialed Shi Nansheng's number.

"Hey, Sister Nan!" Zhai Yuan walked a few steps on the grass, glanced back upstairs, and continued, "Have you all had your company's physical exams this year? Are you arranging them? It's okay, I was worried that everyone would find it too troublesome to go, so I'll set an example and ask you to put me on the waiting list..."

…………

Since its establishment, 91 Entertainment has pioneered one of the industry's first employee benefits: a free annual health check-up.

With the establishment of the cultural and entertainment group and ample cash reserves, the system was restructured to operate twice a year.

Leaving aside martial arts masters who are prone to injury and illness, Zhai Yuan also needs to consider artists like Lam Ching-ying, who were plagued by illness in their previous life.

Early detection and treatment won't cost much.

In the days leading up to the Lunar New Year, nearly half of Hong Kong's entertainment industry workers flocked to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, creating a scene comparable to an annual party.

Zhai Yuan, setting an example, took a deep breath and walked into the examination room with a solemn expression.

After a physical examination from top to bottom, head to toe

Looking at the report, all the indicators were normal.
Zhai Yuan chuckled and strode out of the hospital with his head held high.

"How are you, Uncle Zhan? Irritable bronchitis? Quit smoking!"

"Hey Zhengying, how did you write your medical report? It says mild fatty liver. Remember to abstain from alcohol as advised by your doctor!"

"Hormonal imbalance? It must be from filming too much and working day and night. Sister Hong, why don't you consider staying at my place for a couple of nights? My bed is huge..."

The physical examination is over.

Zhai Yuan then spoke privately with Shi Nansheng for a few more minutes, instructing the heads of various departments within the entertainment group to prepare for the annual meeting, emphasizing that the formalism still needed to be employed.

"Jurassic Park is still working on its computer-generated special effects. The mainland films Farewell My Concubine and Red Sorghum have already been completed, but both films are too tragic and seem unsuitable for the Lunar New Year season."

Shi Nansheng reported, "So I arranged for New City's 'Family Reunion' and Win's Entertainment's 'Supreme Ruler' to air one after the other. In addition, Wang Jin is helping Win's Entertainment rush to produce 'The Romancing Star'..."

Then, she briefly explained the plot of the two dramas to Zhai Yuan.

Shi Nansheng continued, "Furthermore, Jiahe is currently promoting two films, 'The Flying Tigers' and 'Miracle,' while Xinbao Cinemas is displaying posters for MGM's 'Brothers' and Universal's 'The Brothers'..."

In 88, Zhai Yuan no longer focused on movies, and the creative work of Hong Kong filmmakers gradually returned to normal. Even Wang Jin revived the old film "The Romancing Star".

Most of the independent film companies were absorbed by the company, and the major owner was changed to 91 Entertainment Group, which is fine as an way to expand the film supply.

Zhai Yuan roughly recalled the films Shi Nansheng mentioned, none of which had any major highlights. This year's Lunar New Year film season doesn't have a blockbuster like "God of Gamblers," and he didn't participate in the creation of any of the three major cinema chains. It's still unknown which one will win the championship.

But it doesn't really matter, in the end everyone has to release CDs to get a share of the profits!
"Just do as you arrange, Sister Nan."

Zhai Yuan smiled and said, "Next year, I still can't focus too much on 91 Entertainment. However, I can guarantee one big-budget production like 'Jurassic Park' each year, plus a few smaller-budget films to fill the gap." This was a slightly arrogant statement, as if Zhai Yuan's involvement in the creation of films would guarantee box office success.

However, Shi Nansheng did not feel there was anything wrong with it. Right now, 91 Entertainment is supporting half of the Hong Kong film industry, and it is all thanks to this Boss Zhai who established his own school!

“I know, Mr. Zhai, you have a big business deal to do, 50 billion US dollars!”

Shi Nansheng smiled and said, "In short, the company is now on the right track. Besides me, there are other production assistants, and the Film Association has new talents joining the industry. Unless it is a major decision, it will not trouble you, Mr. Zhai, to take personal action. I cannot guarantee anything else. I will definitely present positive results in the company's year-end financial report. Mr. Zhai, please go and attend to other matters."

Zhai Yuan nodded and smiled, "I'm relieved to hear you say that, Sister Nan."

……

The film project is temporarily on hold.

Next, it was time to promote and distribute the short drama series "Dragon King" produced by Chu Yen-ping.

In the last few days of January, a news story was published in various newspapers and magazines in Hong Kong.

'Miss Hong Kong's most beautiful actress, Li Jiaxin, was secretly photographed, her skin partially exposed, arousing desire!'

'From innocent beauty to seductive woman? Miss Hong Kong winner adds another twist, her exposed breasts shocking Hong Kong!'

An insider revealed that Li Jiaxin was allegedly betrayed by her ex-boyfriend, whose private videos were leaked without her knowledge!

Immediately following this, a wave of spontaneous public opinion among lewd men arose.

The photos published in the tabloids were so heavily pixelated that they were more like bulletproof vests. Amidst the public's discussion, several more clips on CDs were leaked, showing Li Jiaxin changing clothes and showering from a candid perspective...

The leaked clips appear erotic, but in reality, they only show Li Jiaxin's shoulders, back, and thighs.

The airplane collided with the kite, what a coincidence!
From the perspective of the candid shot, there were two window bars that, at the most tricky angles, blocked Li Jiaxin's vital parts, one above and one below.

The overall scale is not even comparable to her later films, "Wicked City" and "Fallen Angels".

Even so, all related CDs in the city were still completely sold out.

Some unscrupulous merchants burned pirated DVDs, cutting and pasting in some pro-Japanese films, making it impossible to distinguish between the real and fake ones later on.

"Oh dear! I told you long ago, very few of these Miss Hong Kong contestants are innocent!"

"That's right, she plays the innocent girl in front of the camera, but it turns out she's already been taken advantage of by her boyfriend!"

"No, the movie I watched didn't show anything at all, and the content was even less explicit than Kara Hui's photo album!"

"You still say you didn't get a picture? I saw it clearly, that grape with her slender waist, she's simply a stunner!"

"Huh? In the version I saw, she was fighting with two black guys? And she was even shouting loudly in English!"

"Hey bro, how many minutes is your version... whatever, just want to borrow it and take a look."

It's not our place to fan the flames.
In just a few days, both real and fake videos have been circulating widely.
Originally, Li Jiaxin was showering and changing clothes alone.
Later it evolved into two people, three people, and then into something other than people...

After the public outcry subsided, Zhu Yanping and others in charge of the project in the conference room of 91 Entertainment had different expressions.

Li Jiaxin sat in the corner, her eyes red.

After all, she was only eighteen or nineteen years old. Unlike later years when she was used to big scenes, Li Jiaxin had not yet experienced this kind of public opinion violence.

"You old-fashioned bastard!" Zhai Yuan rubbed his face, looked at Zhu Yanping and cursed, "What exactly did you leak out?"

“Mr. Zhai, I’m innocent!” Zhu Yanping said, laughing and crying at the same time. He explained, “Only the scene of Miss Li taking a shower is real. Moreover, there was double protection during the filming process, including transparent latex clothing and blind spots. Only 1000 discs were burned in total, and there are still 200 discs left to be distributed.”

Zhai Yuan shook his head helplessly: "But the guys in the public relations department did a simple count, and there are at least 50,000 CDs on the market now that are using Li Jiaxin's name."

Everyone fell silent for a moment, wanting to laugh, but seeing the pitiful Li Jiaxin, they forced themselves to keep a straight face.

"It might not be a bad thing! This news has already spread to Taiwan, and the publicity is incredibly profitable!"

Tsang Chi-wai's hoarse voice rang out. As the distributor of "Dragon King" in Taiwan, the short guy took the initiative to ease the atmosphere: "Jiaxin, don't cry! It's nothing! This is the money that celebrities make. Who doesn't get scolded? Clarify it later. At worst, just say that I was wearing a wig in the video. I started out dressed as a woman!"

Zeng Ai-zai was quite adept at easing tensions; with just a few words, low laughter filled the meeting room.

Li Jiaxin stopped crying and started laughing. Then Zheng Yijian, Yan Qianwen, and Zhong Shuhui offered a few words of comfort, and the atmosphere became more relaxed.

"If I do this kind of publicity, will I become famous?"

Li Jiaxin twitched her high, straight nose and asked with red eyes.

Zeng Zhiwei: "It must be! You're so beautiful, who in the whole city doesn't know the name Li Jiaxin?"

Chu Yen-ping: "That's how the entertainment industry is. No matter what method you use, at least you'll be remembered by everyone. The worst thing is when people don't even know your name."

“Yeah, right~” Zhai Yuan also comforted him, “If this ‘Dragon King’ flops, I’ll guarantee you a big-budget theatrical production.”

After he finished speaking, the eyes of the other actors in the conference room, regardless of age, lit up.

I can also have a wardrobe malfunction!

I can be insulted too!
I can be two people, three people, or even not be human!

……

The incident of the Miss Hong Kong being secretly photographed has been brewing for more than a week, but the heat is gradually fading.

Following closely behind, the Wah Yan Department Store in the three new districts of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon launched a massive advertising campaign for the drama series starring Ekin Cheng.

Short drama series!
A brand new term has emerged in the public eye.

The creative team personally appeared in front of various VCD stores and gave interviews to reporters.

Following Zhai Yuan's instructions, Zhu Yanping focused on explaining to the media what a short drama is, and Zheng Yijian and the others then recounted their respective filming processes.

However, in terms of popularity, nothing can compare to the relentless pursuit of Li Jiaxin by the cameras, who relentlessly probed her for details.

at the same time,

Buses at various stations were plastered with promotional posters for "The Dragon King".

Newspapers and magazines gave it extensive publicity under the title of "Disruptive Innovation."
TVB and ATV would insert one or two of their most attention-grabbing sample episodes during prime time...

As the year draws to a close, the promotional campaign for "Dragon King" has overshadowed the Lunar New Year films released by the three major cinema chains.

The September 1st Daily News ran a front-page slogan:

Shocking the world! "The Dragon King" makes a powerful debut, marking a turning point in film and television history for 91 Entertainment and ushering in the era of short dramas!
On February 2nd, a global release will take place, with "Dragon King" accompanying you through the Spring Festival!
Available at newsstands and DVD shops throughout Hong Kong!

(End of this chapter)