Hong Kong Film Intelligence King

Chapter 108 Another Great Director
Leung Kwan, trying to remain calm, exclaimed in admiration:

"Ah Jing, well done."

"《The Girl in the Show》 was our company's first project. Originally, it was supposed to be for 'Happy Ghost' written by Ah Dao, but Ah Dao told me that you had great potential, so that's why we let you film it."

"Are you confident?"

The chubby boy was moved to tears:

"Don't worry, Brother Kun, I will do my best to make it a good film!"

Liang Kun nodded in satisfaction.

"Then I'll see how you perform."

Liang Kun beckoned, and Wang Dao came over and said:

"Brother Kun?"

Liang Kun pouted.
"A-Jing brought quite a few people, could they stay?"

Wang Dao gave him a reassuring look.

"The chubby boy brought all his relatives and friends."

Liang Kun's eyes widened in astonishment:
"Does A-Jing have so many relatives and friends?"

Wang Dao shrugged:

"His father, Uncle Lin, is a big shot in the industry. Just his apprentices alone can direct several films."

"The Hong Kong film industry is only so big; you basically run into each other all the time,"

"They represent roughly half of Hong Kong's film and television industry."

Liang Kun's Strange Path:

Is it really that exaggerated?

Wang Dao speaks the truth:

"It's not that exaggerated, but saying it's a quarter is pretty close."

Liang Kun said in a low voice:
"With so many people, could you keep a few for our company?"

Wang Dao countered with a question:
"Brother Kun, have you ever seen me do a losing business?"

Liang Kun patted him on the shoulder:

"Very good, I'll leave this to you."

Wang Dao instinctively dodged his hand, and Liang Kun was taken aback:

"What are you hiding from?"

Wang Dao asked with disdain:
Did you wash your hands?

Liang Kun was furious and pointed at Wang Dao, speechless with anger—"Is this thing going to never get over?"
Wang Dao turned and put his arm around the chubby boy, saying:

"You didn't force these brothers, did you?"

Wang Jingjing proudly puffed out her chest:

“These are all my friends. When they heard that I was coming to make a movie, they all took good care of me.”

“They all dropped everything and came to help me.”

Wang Dao said expressionlessly:
"speak English!"

The chubby boy chuckled dryly:

"My dad supports it."

Wang Dao nodded in satisfaction and asked in a low voice:
"How many of these people are unsuccessful in their careers?"

The chubby boy smiled wryly:

"If you're so successful at Jade Terrace, why would you have time to come out and run off with me?"

Wang Dao was even more satisfied:

"How many can stay?"

The chubby boy exclaimed in surprise:

"Should we keep them here?"

Wang Dao shrugged:

“Our work is very relaxed. We shoot a certain number of movies and a certain number of photo shoots every year. Except for not being allowed to work for competitor companies, we do not prohibit them from helping out at TVB Jade.”

"Our company is not short of money."

"We will absolutely not shortchange these brothers in terms of salary."

"In addition, three meals a day are provided when you are working."

"Those who live far away also receive appropriate transportation subsidies."

"Would you like to consider it?"

Even the chubby boy himself was tempted:
"Such good treatment?"

Wang Dao slapped him on the head:
"What are you so excited about? After this drama is finished, you're going to sign a contract with a big-name director."

"This little bit of benefit is nothing; you wouldn't even look at it."

The chubby boy quickly said:

"Who said I wouldn't like it?"

“No matter how small a mosquito is, it’s still meat.”

Wang Dao laughed and said:

"With your attitude towards money, you're destined to get rich."

"However, we need to take a longer-term view."

"Even if you sign a contract with a famous director, you still need to have your own film crew."

"The reason why Lung Wai is so popular is not only because of his action style, but more importantly because he has a Lung family troupe that completely obeys him."

"Little fatty, aren't you going to consider it?"

Wang Jingjing was extremely tempted, and after thinking for a moment, she still said:

"Is it too fast?"

Wang Dao sighed:

"A man who does not plan for the future will have trouble in the present. If you don't consider the long term when you do things, how can you work with me?"

"Let me ask you, what would you do if the film and television industry suddenly went into a slump, and you basically lost money on every film you made?"

Wang Jingjing thought about it carefully, and then said:

"Then I have to do everything I can to make a movie."

Wang Dao shrugged:

“There weren’t any big investments back then.”

Wang Jingjing replied without hesitation:

"I'll make even bad movies."

"As long as we can get to work, that's fine."

Wang Dao asked with a smile:

"What's the reason?"

The chubby boy replied:

"As long as there are movies to make, even bad ones, a large number of people in the industry can be supported."

"If all these professionals change careers, then the film industry is truly doomed."

"Flowers don't bloom for a hundred days, but mountains don't stay red forever. Birth, aging, sickness, and death, prosperity and decline—this is the law of nature."

"The film industry also has its own life cycle; after a decline, there will be a new peak."

Wang Dao clapped his hands and said:
"Hey, don't you understand perfectly well?"

"Should we start our own photography crew?"

The chubby boy asked cautiously:

Does the company provide firewood and water?

Wang Dao shrugged:

"That depends on how you handle it."

“If you put them all under the name of Qiankun Film and Television, then if our company has a filming assignment, these people may not be assigned to your camera crew.”

"If you're going to support yourself... then it depends on your work ability."

The chubby boy frowned and said:

"Brother Dao, let me think about it."

Wang Dao laughed and said:

"This is something we need to think about carefully."

The chubby boy didn't know what to say for a moment.

Wang Dao smiled:
"We'll think about that later. Starting today, these people will receive firewood and water from our company."

"Of course, how much they give out is up to you."

The chubby boy asked in astonishment:

"No interview required?"

Wang Dao said solemnly:
"As I said, you're the one directing this movie. Kun and I will each be listed as a producer, and Kun will be listed as a supervisor."

"In fact, you have the final say on everything in the production crew."

The chubby boy quickly asked:
"Does that include editing rights?"

Wang Dao shrugged:

"Of course!"

"It also includes editing. Since you shot the film, it will naturally be edited according to your wishes."

"I have only one request."

The chubby boy asked:
"any request?"

Wang Dao raised three fingers:
"Quality, quality, it's all about quality."

The chubby boy was overjoyed:
"Don't worry, Brother Dao, leave it to me, there won't be any problems."

Wang Dao patted him on the shoulder:

"Do your best, keep it up!"

The chubby boy perked up, his whole body brimming with energy.

His senior fellow apprentice, Lin Lingxi, came over and asked:
"Jing, was that the male lead we were going to talk about?"

The chubby boy asked in astonishment:

"Protagonist?"

Lin Lingxi exclaimed in admiration:

"He must be at least 1.87 meters tall, right?"

"And with his looks and demeanor, casting him as a contrasting assassin would definitely be a selling point."

"Movies are all about highlighting contrasts."

The chubby boy quickly said:

"Senior brother, that's one of our company's bosses, Wang Dao, Brother Dao!"

Lin Lingxi smacked his lips:

"Boss? Wouldn't that be even better?"

"Convincing him to play the male lead shouldn't be a problem, right?"

The chubby boy had no choice but to say:
"Senior brother, Dao-ge is Kun-ge's right-hand man."

Lin Lingxi's eyes lit up even more:
"You mean he's a member of the martial arts world?"

"Wouldn't it be a natural fit for him to play a character from the underworld?"

The chubby boy said with a bitter face:

"Senior brother, don't think about it so much. Let's figure out how to form a group!"

Lin Lingxi asked:
"Hasn't your script been polished up?"

“All of us fellow disciples are here to help, you just need to take care of the three meals a day.”

The little fat man said seriously:

"That won't do. Let's arrange it like a regular film crew, with the required amount of firewood and water."

"Could you please do a tally, senior brother? We'll distribute the firewood and water to everyone today."

Lin Lingxi said in astonishment:

"Are you serious?"

The chubby boy asked curiously:
"I never said I wanted you to work for free. Do you think I'm that kind of person?" Lin Lingxi's spirits lifted.
"If that's the case, then we need to have a proper discussion."

"Do you have any work after you finish filming this movie?"

The chubby boy frowned and said:

"Senior brother, do you need money urgently? How much? Is 100,000 yuan enough?"

Lin Lingxi was dumbfounded:
"Does your master give you so much pocket money?"

The chubby boy was very proud:
"How is that possible?"

“My father has to support the family. You know our family situation. I also have four younger sisters.”

"This is just a portion of my director's fee!"

Lin Lingxi was even more surprised:
"One hundred thousand yuan, or just a portion?"

The chubby boy became even more smug and couldn't help but say:

"After this movie is finished, Brother Kun will sign me a contract as a big director."

"His annual salary alone is 500,000, and he gets another 500,000 for each movie he makes..."

hiss!
Lin Lingxi's eyes were filled with complex emotions, but his expression suddenly became firm.

"Junior brother, how about I go back and talk to Master now, and I'll follow you instead?"

The chubby boy was taken aback:
"Senior brother, I can accept it if others say they want to work with me, but you've already had a successful series on Hong Kong TV... you're a rising star in the industry, are you just going to give that up?"

Lin Lingxi smiled wryly:

"The problem is that Hong Kong Television went bankrupt."

“If it hadn’t gone bankrupt, I would have had the opportunity to go even further. You know that TVB Jade is very unfriendly to staff who have moved to other TV stations.”

"Even with my master's support, Sixth Concubine still doesn't like me."

"If I continue to waste my time on Jade Terrace, I'll really be wasting my life."

"If I can't find a suitable job, I'll have to study abroad."

"Then I might as well follow my junior brother."

The chubby boy seemed to be deep in thought:
"That seems to be the case."

"I'll go back and discuss it with my dad."

Lin Lingxi was overjoyed:
"Then thank you very much, junior brother."

The chubby boy had given him a heads-up beforehand:

"Senior brother, my firewood is quite special. It's the first director I signed with Qiankun Film and Television."

He said self-deprecatingly,

"This is like spending a fortune to buy a horse's bones."

"Don't have too high expectations."

Lin Lingxi shrugged:

“I know my limitations; after all, like you, I don’t have any film credits.”

The two fellow students smiled bitterly at each other, for this was the predicament they faced—no work experience!
Without previous successful filming experience, investors are hesitant to invest money in them, resulting in a lack of films to shoot.

But without acting roles, they will never have any experience of success.

This is a vicious cycle.

Lin Lingxi patted the chubby boy's shoulder hard:

"Ah Jing, whether we can make it or not depends entirely on this movie of yours, since we are fellow disciples."

The chubby boy nodded emphatically:
"We will do our utmost!"

Just then, Wang Dao had an inspiration and went out to call for help:
"Ah Jing, send someone to me!"

Just as the chubby boy was about to speak, Lin Lingxi quickly said:

"Junior brother, I'll go."

The chubby boy nodded:

"Then you should go, senior brother."

He whispered,

"Don't be foolish. This is Brother Dao. Brother Kun listens to him on many things."

Lin Lingxi said speechlessly:

"You really think I'm a newbie who hasn't entered the workforce yet?"

"Don't worry, I won't mess it up."

The chubby boy was slightly relieved.

Lin Lingxi strode over, a smile on his face:

"Brother Dao, this is Lin Lingxi. How can I help you?"

Wang Dao was taken aback, then nodded secretly. As expected of the little fat boy's fellow apprentice, he was a master of crime films without even realizing it.

"I want to write a movie script, and you can help me with the writing."

Lin Lingxi readily agreed:
"There is no problem!"

Wang Dao led him to his office:

"Sit wherever you like, and help yourself to whatever you need."

Lam Ling-sze is quite cautious:
"There's nothing in particular I need."

Wang Dao laughed and said:

"I don't know what the chubby boy said to you, but you seem very nervous."

"Actually, it's not necessary."

"We are a legitimate company, with only a slight association background."

Lin Lingxi could only manage a wry smile; it would be a lie to say he wasn't nervous.

What kind of club background do you have?
Are you kidding me?
That Brother Kun is a bona fide Hung Hing boss, while this Brother Dao, though young, is also a true gangster. For scholars like them, it's better to be more disciplined.

Wang Dao didn't care about Lin Lingxi's attitude. As long as he put in enough effort, he believed that this master of crime films would stay.

"The story I'm about to tell is both true and not true."

"Half and half."

Lin Lingxi reminded:

"If it's based on a true story, the person's consent is required."

Wang Dao laughed and said:

"You don't need to worry about that."

"They will definitely agree to my adaptation."

Lin Lingxi nodded slightly. He believed that Wang Dao's status would definitely get others to agree, there was no doubt about that.

Wang Dao began to introduce this story:
“Ah Wo and his wife from the Kowloon City Triad Society not only sell rice noodles, but also make their own.”

"One day, while they were processing flour in a secret warehouse, they were attacked by a team led by Inspector Lin Sen from the police station."

"In the critical moment, Ahe abandoned his wife and jumped off the building to escape. Naturally, his wife was captured by Lin Sen."

Lin Lingxi looked up in astonishment:
"Brother Dao...is this a true story?"

He was sweating profusely.

Sanlian's Ahe is a fan favorite, why would they use his real name like that?
If Ah He finds out, wouldn't he give me a few peanuts?
Wang Dao shrugged:

"Didn't I say it's not based on a true story?"

Lin Lingxi smiled wryly:

"But everyone in Hong Kong knows that Ah Wo's wife has been arrested by the police and is now in Stanley waiting to be tried."

"Ahe is trying to find a way to rescue them."

"If he knew we were making up stories about him, he would definitely cause us trouble."

However, the kingly way remained unmoved.

Lin Lingxi felt a bit numb, suddenly realizing that making money as a soldier wasn't easy.

Wang Dao repeated:
“Ah-He won’t cause trouble; neither he nor his wife are trouble.”

Lin Lingxi smiled wryly:

"Brother Dao, they may not be a problem for someone as important as you, but for me, this is a matter of life and death."

Wang Dao laughed:

"Don't worry, they're not a problem for you."

Lin Lingxi was taken aback.

Wang Dao shrugged:

"There's something you probably don't know: Ah-He went to sell salted duck eggs last night."

"His wife is also under police custody, and she's basically out of the picture."

"The Three Alliances no longer exist."

Lin Lingxi was utterly shocked:

"How is this going?"

The kingly way disagrees:

“Those who sell drugs never have a good ending. Not only do the police crack down on them severely, but even their own people in the underworld will ostracize them.”

"Unjust is doomed to destruction."

"Hasn't this come true?"

Lin Lingxi breathed a long sigh of relief. Since the Sanlian Gang no longer existed and Ah He and his wife were dead, there were no problems.

Wang Dao continued:
"In his panic, Ah-He had no other choice but to ask a like-minded friend for help. This friend was Long Fei, one of the Five Tigers of Dongxing."

Linling West was completely numb:
"Again?"

This person is also a well-known figure in the online community.

Is ghostwriting really that difficult?

It looks like a job that could get you killed.

Lin Lingxi said with a bitter face:

"Brother Dao, how about we change our name?"

"I feel uneasy using my real name."

Wang Dao looked him up and down:
"Are you physically weak? Do you easily attract the attention of ghosts?"

Lin Lingxi shook his head:

"No!"

Wang Dao shrugged:

"Then what are you afraid of?"

Lin Lingxi thought to himself, "This is clearly about putting together a script, why are you bringing up ghosts?"
Suddenly his eyes widened—he stared at Wang Dao in disbelief:

"Brother Dao, what do you mean?"

Wang Dao coldly snorted:
"Longfei went to sell salted duck eggs, just like Ahe."

"Didn't I tell you? This story is half true and half false, a mix of truth and fiction."

"Besides, I conceived this story; you were just a ghostwriter."

"What are you afraid of?"

"My underlings can still handle it."

Lin Lingxi was completely relieved:
"Yes, yes, Brother Dao, please speak."

Wang Dao lit a cigarette and began to tell his story.

Ah He came to Long Fei for help, saying that if Long Fei could help him, he would owe Long Fei a favor.

So Long Fei gave him an idea: first find someone to take the blame, then go to Gu Shouzhong of Hung Hing to plead with Lin Sen.

After consulting with his two sons, Gu Shouzhong decided to go and ask Lin Sen.

Inside a restaurant, Lin Sen clearly told him that the crackdown was severe and there was no way to make an exception.

Gu Shouzhong didn't want to put Lin Sen in a difficult position, so he let the matter drop and the two resumed their friendship.

Just then, Gu Shouzhong was summoned to the front desk by a phone call. As soon as he picked up the phone, he was hijacked at gunpoint into a van and then thrown onto the highway.

Meanwhile, an assassin, under the guise of serving food, entered the couple's private room and, taking Lin Sen by surprise, killed him with a single stab...

Lin Lingxi became increasingly astonished as he listened, and finally couldn't help but say to Wang Dao:
"Brother Dao, are we going to film this script?"

"How about I take the photos?"

(End of this chapter)