1982 Started from Hong Kong

Chapter 504 A dark and windy night

In the latter half of November, public opinion in Hong Kong media fluctuated wildly.

First, news broke that Zhai Yuan had been beaten, complete with photos and other evidence, suspected to be retaliation for proposing amendments to the New Territories Ordinance.

Subsequently, prominent figures from various villages in the New Territories came forward to clarify that the conflict stemmed from a dispute over irrigation water between several villages, and had nothing to do with anything else.

The legislators, led by Du Yip-sze-yan, questioned this claim and demanded that the police conduct a thorough investigation.

Following closely behind, police officers led by Li Junxia stood up to support the local gentry, citing past cases of village brawls as evidence.

Amidst the chaos of public opinion,
TVB broadcast another news story live: thousands of men from the New Territories beat drums and gongs in various villages, and a life-size effigy of Zhai Yuan was specially made and paraded through the streets in a prison van before being taken to the execution ground and beheaded. The scene was once larger than the annual Fire Dragon Festival.

Abstract and outrageous...

"Damn you, you troublemaker!"

As Zhai Yuan watched the television screen, where the head of the doll bearing his name was severed with a single blow, and the surrounding New Territories men erupted in thunderous cheers, he couldn't help but curse out loud.

On November 29, Ren Jianhui, a famous Cantonese opera star from Hong Kong, passed away due to pulmonary edema.

Taking advantage of the news of Sister Ren's death, Councilor Zhai, who had just been beheaded, went all out and personally took charge of the publicity work of the "September 1st Daily".

In collaboration with film and television magazines such as Film Biweekly, a column titled "Examining the Century-Old Predicament of Hong Kong Women Through Appreciating Yam Kim-fai's Cantonese Opera Art" was published.

The troublemakers in the New Territories are numerous and powerful. As a cultured person, Councilor Zhai disdains engaging in any physical confrontation with them.

Then we should take advantage of this momentum, unite with our thousands of fellow countrymen, continuously expand social attention and support, and flexibly seize the initiative.

The column immediately sparked heated discussions in the public sphere upon its publication.

The magazine's cover design features stills of Yam Kim-fai and Ng Kwan-lai from the Cantonese film "The Legend of the Phoenix".

The back cover features a poster for the Cantonese film "Women's Rights," which was released around the same time as this film, evoking a wave of nostalgia for a generation.

In the commemorative program during TVB's prime time slot, 91 Entertainment specially invited a group of Cantonese opera stars to participate, led by Sister Pak Suet-sin, including the four leading actresses Tsui Yan-yan, Chan Yim-nung, Hung Sin-nu, and Fong Yim-fan, as well as middle-generation stars Lung Kim-sang, Leung Po-chu, Chan Po-chu, Nancy Sit, Chan Ho-kau, and Josephine Siao.

That is to say, Cantonese opera is now in decline, but twenty years ago, this lineup was definitely on par with Asia's top group.

Behind him stood a group of famous actresses.
Facing the camera, Pak Suet-sin slowly said, "Sister Yam, throughout her life, stood on the stage of Cantonese opera, which was dominated by male actors, and was recognized by both inside and outside the industry as one of the best female actors in both civil and military roles, and was on par with the male actors in both civil and military roles."

"Not limited by gender, but driven by talent, this spirit is also a microcosm of Hong Kong women's pursuit of independence and resistance against old customs over the past century."

"However, even today, Hong Kong still uses blood ties as a shackle, treating a woman's birth and gender as a threshold. How is this any different from locking women in their boudoirs a hundred years ago?"

The day after the program aired, popular movie stars from Hong Kong, Singapore, and all over Malaysia, regardless of gender, responded to Pak Suet-sin's remarks in major newspapers.

Every sentence makes no mention of Ding Quan, yet every sentence is about Ding Quan.

New Territories rural gentry swiftly retaliated, allowing the media to stand on another moral high ground and bombard Zhai Yuan with accusations of using a dead person to advance his career and exploiting the memory of the deceased Ren Jianhui.

Zhai Yuanli ignored him and directly had the September 1st Daily publish a photo of himself with Bai Xuexian.

In the photo, Zhai Yuan and Sister Xian stand side by side, with a banner behind them reading "Bai Xuexian Commemorates Ren Jianhui by Establishing the Ren Bai Charitable Foundation".

Ren Jianhui and Bai Xuexian have collaborated as a stage couple for decades, and in the eyes of all the audience, the two are inseparable. When a photo was published, the audience, who had previously been wary of Zhai Yuan's claim of "using a dead person to climb the ladder," all switched sides.

Even Ninth Sister herself hasn't said anything, so when did it become the place for outsiders to point fingers!

Even if Representative Zhai uses this opportunity to amplify public opinion, what losses will you suffer?

For hundreds of years, who has been dividing up land and passing on businesses? Who has been closing doors and creating locks? Now people say women are fighting too much?
Seeing that the situation was very favorable, the September 1st Daily News then went along with the trend and published another article about Ting Kuan in the New Territories.

The title is "You think Ding Quan has nothing to do with you because you're already used to bowing your head."

Unbeknownst to them, a supreme martial art was beginning to emerge in Hong Kong.

…………

"These city folks really have nothing better to do than eat their fill and not poop!"

Tuen Mun, New Territories

Liu Huangfa glanced at today's newspaper and smiled dismissively.

The newspaper reported that public support for the proposed amendments to the New Territories Ordinance has reached a new high.

But so what?
"If public opinion polls were so effective, Hong Kong should have returned to China in the 60s, wouldn't you agree?"

Sitting in the meeting room of the rural council, Liu Huangfa's gaze swept over the group of rural gentry and councilors. All the councilors who met his eyes smiled and agreed.

"But it's not right to keep letting this young man named Zhai Yuan run around like this."

One of the local gentry members at the table slowly spoke up: "There's a pretty girl in our Big Tree Village who, after seeing too much news like this lately, actually went to the city to file a complaint."

Liu Huangfa asked with great interest, "What environment? Tell me about it?"

The local gentry smiled and said, "It's a family surnamed Deng. The couple had three daughters in a row. Later, they passed away, leaving behind three ancestral houses and two plots of farmland. According to custom, these ancestral properties are to be passed down to the youngest son's family. This youngest son is quite sentimental, so he only took two ancestral houses and the farmland, leaving one ancestral house for his three nieces to continue living in. He only charges a small rent, thinking that they can move out when they get married in the future."

The local gentry nodded in agreement after hearing this, as they all agreed with this approach under the clan system that had been in place for many years.

"Who knew they'd fail so badly this time!" The local gentry from Dashu Village continued, "The eldest daughter of that Deng family recently believed the news and actually took her two younger sisters to court, intending to fight for the ancestral property left by her dead father. It's simply outrageous!"

"What then?"

"Of course it was a very ugly affair," said the village gentry. "Her uncle and aunt's good intentions were taken for granted. Although they won the lawsuit, their Deng family branch lost all face and was ridiculed by the villagers for not even being able to control their younger sisters. I just held a clan meeting at the ancestral hall yesterday and had those three shameful girls stripped of their Deng surname and driven out of the village. Then I applied to the court for an injunction to have the bailiffs keep an eye on them and prevent them from coming near Dashu Village again."

A bailiff is the chief bailiff of a judicial organ, responsible for supervising and enforcing judgments.

After the story was told, the local gentry in the meeting room all shook their heads with smiles, occasionally making sarcastic remarks about the gentry of Dashu Village not knowing how to discipline others.

Liu Huangfa chuckled twice after hearing this, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

He slowly folded the newspaper in his hand and tapped it on the table a few times, immediately silencing the meeting room.

Liu Huangfa's voice lowered: "In the past, even if girls had any thoughts, they would keep them to themselves and not dare to openly go out and compete with men. Now, after watching TV and reading the newspapers, everyone thinks they are some big shot, and they talk about equality and laws all the time."

"You even have the guts to go to court and sue your own uncle. Screw you, this whole trend was started by that scoundrel Zhai Yuan! One bad apple spoils the whole bunch."

"Of course we're not afraid of him causing trouble in the city, but we're worried that all the girls in the village will think they have hope, just like in the case of Big Tree Village, and start having other ideas. If this continues, will there be any peace in the New Territories?"

Lau Wong-fat leaned back in his chair, his gaze sweeping over the group of gentry, and asked meaningfully, "So, my old friends, only by making Zhai Yuan, this ringleader, completely shut up can the New Territories return to peace... In short, I don't want him to finish this New Year. What do you all think?"

Deng Zhaotang sat down next to Liu Huangfa, picked up his teacup and took a sip, taking in the expressions of the group of gentry. A smile with an ambiguous meaning appeared on his lips.

…………

Entering December signifies bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new.

Articles advocating for women's rights continue to appear in newspapers, but they are gradually disappearing from the front page, leaving only a few columns to maintain their popularity. After all, with the year-end approaching, everything must give way to 91 Entertainment's Lunar New Year film season.

Moreover, this year's Lunar New Year films are of extraordinary significance.

"The perfect blend of technology and thrills – Jurassic Park is set for a Lunar New Year release."

"Pioneering a New Era of Science Fiction – Zhai Yuan Personally Directs 'Jurassic Park,' an Epic Production by 91 Entertainment, Coming Soon"

"A visual feast of the prehistoric world never before created – Jurassic Park takes you into the kingdom of dinosaurs."

Street corners, advertising light boxes, subway platforms, and newsstands
The streets were plastered with brightly colored and exaggerated Jurassic Park promotional posters.

In the center of the poster, a Tyrannosaurus Rex with its gaping maw and sharp fangs appears ready to pounce on the viewer at any moment.
Behind the dinosaurs are dense primeval jungles and billowing volcanic ash, creating an atmosphere of a mysterious and perilous prehistoric world.
In the film, the main actors, including Wan Ziliang and Zhong Chuhong, are shrunk and placed in the foreground, struggling to escape, with a life-or-death escape imminent.

Below, it is written in eye-catching words:

The curtain rises on December 12th, as prehistoric behemoths make a stunning debut in Hong Kong!

91 Entertainment's PR department hasn't put in this much effort for a long time.

Unfortunately, this sci-fi epic, which cost tens of millions of US dollars and took two and a half years to produce, is the company's largest project since its inception.

In comparison, even Chen Shilong's "The Monster of Hiroshima" can only be considered a practice piece for "Jurassic Park".

In any film company, if a production of this scale flops, the company can immediately declare bankruptcy.

After the media's relentless marketing and publicity campaign,

Even before the movie was released, it was already generating a lot of buzz on the streets.

"Dinosaurs? Such a niche subject. Another monster-eating movie?"

"I heard that the movie 'Prodigy Yuan' used a lot of computer special effects. I wonder if it's as good as 'The Terminator'."

"Wan Zi and Hong Gu haven't been seen in public for a long time; it turns out they've been filming this big production."

While male viewers were still considering the cost-effectiveness, female viewers had already begun booking tickets.

Nothing more than a banner of feminism.

Even riding this wave of female-centric trends, the newly launched Tuantuanyuan snacks and beverages were further fueled by Zhai Yuan's use of Peng Jiayan's legendary entrepreneurial experience as a marketing point.

As its market share has surged dramatically, Peng Jiayan, director of 'Tuanyuan Foods' and a former advocate of feminism, is now increasingly realizing the value of what Michelle Feihua once told her.

'Feminism is a business'

…………

The night was deep, and the cold wind was sharp as a blade.

The streets were silent.

A bedside lamp was lit up in the room. Zhai Yuan held the already sleeping Zhou Haimei in his arms, his eyes half-closed in a daze.

A poster hangs in the corner, which is the promotional text for Girls' Generation's performance at the Tokyo Dome.

The dim yellow glow of streetlights could be faintly seen outside the window.

…………

As night fell, a black van without license plates slowly drove into Deep Water Bay and stopped in front of several garden villas not far away.

The car door opens,

Huangpu native Guo Yonghong jumped out of the car, followed by several muscular young men.

“16 Deep Water Bay, that’s the building in front of us.”

Guo Yonghong got out of the car, lit a cigarette, leaned against the car door, and pointed to the location where Zhai Yuan lived.

"I've already sent people to find out that Zhai Yuan doesn't keep dogs at home. A while ago, his driver and several bodyguards were on night duty, but they haven't been seen recently..."

Guo Yonghong, with a cigarette butt between his teeth, quietly explained the surroundings, then threw the cigarette butt on the handrail and stomped it out. He pulled out a Black Star pistol from his pocket, cocked it, and said fiercely, "Uncle Fa ordered that Zhai Yuan not make it through this year's Spring Festival. He's done something!"

Several figures rapidly approached the garden villa in the darkness.

Guo Yonghong went around to the back of the villa, easily unlocked the side door with a wire, and with a gentle push, the group entered the garden silently like ghosts.

Using the same method, Guo Yonghong unlocked the living room door, gripped the black star tightly, held his breath, and went inside.

The room was dark.
In the tranquil environment, only the slight hum of the air conditioner and the low roar of the distant waves could be heard.

At the same time, several young men each drew a sharp knife from their backs, the blades gleaming brightly in the moonlight shining through the window.

It was already past midnight, and the living room was empty.

Guo Yonghong led his companion up the stairs, and after turning a corner, a bedroom door came into view.

Through the crack in the door, you could see a faint light shining inside.

…………

Zhai Yuan lay on the bed, yawned, looked down at his sleeping cousin, smiled, and leaned down to kiss her on the corner of her mouth.

Hai Mei's cousin responded groggily, wrapped her arms around Zhai Yuan's neck, and unconsciously lifted her firm thighs to press against him.

Zhai Yuan smiled and closed his eyes to rest.

Suddenly, a faint sound of footsteps came from outside the door.

knock knock --

Zhai Yuan frowned slightly, opened his eyes and looked towards the door, asking, "Who is it?"

…………

In the dim light, Guo Yonghong exchanged glances with his companions, took a deep breath, and suddenly kicked out with all his might!
The bedroom door was flung open with a bang, causing the paintings on the wall to tremble slightly.

Guo Yonghong stepped inside, and by the light of the desk lamp, he raised his Black Star pistol, aimed it at the bed, and without the slightest hesitation, pulled the trigger!
bang bang bang-

A series of gunshots suddenly rang out.

The bullet pierced the bedding and struck the bedside table.
Shattered glass splattered everywhere...

(End of this chapter)