Basketball miracles

Chapter 158 [People Who Understand Film]

After chatting for a while, and with the atmosphere quite right, the two went into the room for a more in-depth conversation.

Rosamund Kwan's fighting ability is still very weak, but Xiao Tu has gotten used to it and will be gentler.

At noon, Xiao Tu personally cooked the meal.

Seeing Xiao Tu put on an apron and go into the kitchen to cook, Rosamund Kwan felt it was all too real.

Xiao Tu's appearance hardly suggests he could cook, yet he could make delicious braised chicken wings and tomato, diced meat, and egg soup. He finished quickly and skillfully, before the rice was even cooked.

The two chatted while eating, and Rosamund Kwan talked about some of her experiences on set, mainly venting her frustrations.

Xiao Tu discovered that Rosamund Kwan and Jackie Chan not only had no relationship whatsoever, but Kwan even disliked each other. This was because Jackie Chan was unhappy with her playing the female lead and repeatedly criticized her on set, believing that her performance was not outstanding enough.

In a parallel universe, Rosamund Kwan, a mere "flower vase" actress, has had more scandals this year than even the big stars. Hong Kong media even reported that Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan had a falling out because of her, and that she went to Jackie Chan's house to confront Joan Lin, among other things.

Rosamund Kwan couldn't hold back and came forward to respond to the matter, saying, "My parents divorced because of a third party, so I would never be a third party."

The audience didn't believe her, and her subsequent actions proved them wrong.

Xiao Tu caused a butterfly effect; now the film crew has finished shooting peacefully, and Rosamund Kwan hasn't been involved in any scandals with anyone.

Because Rosamund Kwan has a different mindset, she has someone to rely on and a way out, so she doesn't need to lower herself to curry favor with big-name male stars in Hong Kong.

In this parallel world, she hadn't had any acting work for a year and a half. She finally had a chance to become famous, and she had to seize it. After meeting Jackie Chan, she wanted to curry favor with him, so naturally, she tried to be nice to him during their time together.

Only by cultivating good relationships with film industry heavyweights can she have the opportunity to collaborate with them again and take her career to the next level.

After meeting Xiao Tu, Rosamund Kwan bought a villa in the United States and settled down. She doesn't necessarily have to return to Hong Kong to film movies; it would be great if she could become famous, but it doesn't matter if she can't. Of course, there's no need for her to deliberately please anyone.

Compared to Xiao Tu, Rosamund Kwan felt that Jackie Chan wasn't that great. Jackie Chan was only famous in Hong Kong and Japan; he failed twice in his attempts to break into Hollywood.

Furthermore, Jackie Chan is just an actor from humble beginnings, not a tycoon. Many Hong Kong female celebrities aspire to marry into wealthy families, and Jackie Chan doesn't currently meet those criteria. Where does he get that much charm?
Xiao Tu won the NBA championship at the age of 19, won many individual honors, and chatted and laughed with Hollywood stars.

Rosamund Kwan had seen these performances; Xiao Tu dunked over the Terminator during All-Star Weekend. American media frequently report on Xiao Tu's news; he's far more famous and earns much more money than Jackie Chan.

In terms of appearance, the tall and handsome Xiao Tu completely outshines all the male celebrities in Hong Kong. When Rosamund Kwan is with him, she feels petite and vulnerable, as if she's back in her student days. However, when filming in Hong Kong, she's often criticized for her height, and has to bend her knees to pose when taking photos with male stars.

Jackie Chan is said to be 174cm tall, about the same height as Rosamund Kwan. When the two stand together, Jackie Chan doesn't really exude the aura of a "big brother".

Most importantly, although Xiao Tu has a girlfriend, they are not married. Rosamund Kwan felt that the chances of her reputation collapsing if she were with him were much smaller, and even if it were reported by Hong Kong media, it wouldn't matter.

She had already calculated everything clearly: unless Xiao Tu didn't want her anymore, she wouldn't consider finding a rich older man in Hong Kong.

If Xiao Tu could really arrange for her to play a supporting role in Hollywood, she believes the pay would be much higher than if she were filming in Hong Kong.

"Cannonball Run" was said to be a movie tailor-made for Jackie Chan by Golden Harvest, but in reality, it was just a movie where Jackie Chan and Michael Hui played supporting roles, and they were even playing Japanese characters.

Hollywood isn't an easy place to make it in; Rosamund Kwan is content with any supporting roles.

Rosamund Kwan doesn't mind Xiao Tu cheating on her, but she's afraid he'll turn his back on her and suddenly break up with her.

If you dare mess with me, you've hit a brick wall, because I have no chance to fight back.

Her ex-husband could easily manipulate Rosamund Kwan back then, leaving her with nothing. Dating an American star like Xiao Tu, she has even less leverage to cause a scene.

Rosamund Kwan was annoyed because Xiao Tu couldn't stay at her house that night and went back to his hotel. The high-end hotel must have been very comfortable, and she couldn't go with him; she didn't have the courage to face Madonna.

Furthermore, they couldn't go shopping like ordinary couples. Even though Xiao Tu wasn't that famous in Hong Kong, his height was too conspicuous. Before the film's release, Rosamund Kwan didn't want any unnecessary trouble; she hoped to become a sensation in Hong Kong with this film and prove herself.

Xiao Tu wouldn't suggest going out; they could only go out together when Chris was free. His holiday in Hong Kong would be more boring than he expected; he'd have to stay home most of the time.

The holiday passed by incredibly quickly. Xiao Tu spent his days eating, drinking, and having fun, spending time with his girlfriend at home or in a hotel.

Xiao Tu's only training was to learn kung fu at a famous Hung Kuen martial arts school in Yau Tsim Mong.

The 1980s were the golden age of Chinese martial arts, with over 400 martial arts schools in Hong Kong and more than 10,000 practitioners. The area from Yau Tsim Mong to Sham Shui Po was the most densely populated with martial arts schools.

Xiao Tu learned the Gongzi Fuhuquan (工字伏虎拳), the mother style of Hung Kuen (洪拳). This is a style of boxing that Huang Feihong popularized and made famous. In order to be a better match for Aunt Thirteen, he felt it was necessary to learn it.

This style of boxing emphasizes a stable waist and stance, powerful arm movements, and is commonly known as "Iron Horse," with legs planted firmly on the ground like iron pillars. Xiao Tu believes that this style of Hung Kuen is related to playing basketball, as a stable lower body is essential in any position.

Xiao Tu only trained for a week before understanding what the "King of Kung Fu" talent meant. He learned kung fu incredibly quickly; he had awakened his Sharingan, and could memorize routines after watching his instructor demonstrate once. With just a little practice, he surpassed his teacher. The routines he learned included various footwork and hand shapes of Hung Kuen, powerful, fierce, and imposing.

Xiao Tu trained for a week because he paid the fee; in reality, he only trained for two days before he couldn't find anyone to spar with at the boxing gym.

The aggressive, high-impact style of boxing suited Xiao Tu perfectly. No one could withstand a single, rapid punch from him; his power was immense, and his speed terrifying. Even the 180cm tall gym owner didn't know how to describe him; just looking at him intimidated him, let alone training with him.

Future netizens will think that Xiao Tu is not fighting Hung Kuen, but JOJO's "Ora Ora Ora Ora".

Hong Kong media did not report any news about Xiao Tu. Hong Kong doesn't broadcast the NBA; people are more interested in football. They're not completely ignorant about basketball, but nobody cares.

Chris didn't have many scenes; he was quickly sent out by Madonna to play with Xiao Tu.

As a result, a very eye-catching combination appeared on the streets of Hong Kong, with countless people wondering why a beautiful Hong Kong woman would act as a tour guide for two tall foreigners.

However, the Lucky Stars production team didn't need to use Rosamund Kwan to promote the film, nor did they care about her relationships. The Lucky Stars franchise was a hugely popular IP; the comedic stars, along with Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan, were what truly drew audiences to the theaters.

While eating hotpot at noon that day, Chris sighed, "Dude, you're going to kill me. When I get back to the set, Madonna will definitely ask me what we did and who she is."

“It’s okay, just say you met Sheryl’s good friend in America, and then she took us around Hong Kong.”

Chris smiled wryly and said, "Are you sure she won't suspect anything if you say that?"

"She might doubt me, but she won't hold a grudge against you, and I don't think she'll be angry. She's been putting all her energy into this terrible movie lately, trying her best to prove her acting skills."

Madonna is ambitious and wants to become a global star. Even if she suspects Rosamund Kwan and Xiao Tu have a relationship, she won't panic. Compared to her career, this is just a small matter.

Chris sighed, "Can you please stop saying this movie is bad? I'd like to boost my popularity."

"It's really bad. Don't get your hopes up. Just listen to me and go back to audition for 'Platoon.' With your looks and presence, you shouldn't have a hard time getting a supporting role."

Xiao Tu met the famous director Oliver Stone at a party last month. After chatting for a while, he learned that Stone was preparing to film the first installment of the Vietnam War trilogy, "Platoon".

In 1987, Oliver won the Academy Award for Best Director at the 59th Academy Awards for his war film "Platoon." This film is very famous and has been shown in China.

Chris Evans could definitely make a name for himself on the big screen even if he played a supporting role. The film has many young actors, including Johnny Depp, who wasn't yet famous, who played a minor role, getting shot in an ambush by the Vietnamese. He didn't have much screen time.

It's impossible for Chris Hemsworth and Charlie Sheen to compete for the lead role; the latter's resume is much more impressive.

In his early career, Charlie Sheen was very serious, had outstanding acting skills, and was also handsome. By the time he acted in a Vietnam War film in the 90s, he had become a mischievous eagle who could use chickens as bows and arrows to kill enemies.

Rosamund Kwan asked with a laugh, "Would you tell Madonna that she acted in a bad movie?"

"Of course, her last movie was also terrible, I'm just being honest. This time she's gone even further, I think she should be able to win a Golden Raspberry Award." Xiao Tu felt that Madonna's decision to act in movies was purely a lack of self-awareness.

Chris said, "It's not up to you. How many movies have you even seen?"

"I've seen at least eight hundred, if not a thousand, okay? I can even remember the names of all the male and female leads," Xiao Tu said confidently.

Rosamund Kwan's eyes widened. "Impossible, right?"

"Really, if you don't believe me, just name any movie, and I can tell you the name of the main character."

Chris, of course, didn't believe him and asked, "Then do you know Billy Wilder's 'Some Like It Hot' (the classic Marilyn Monroe film)?"

"Of course, everyone knows Marilyn Monroe."

What are the names of the male and female protagonists in that movie?

"The boy is called Xiao Shuai, and the girl is called Xiao Mei."

"..." Chris's expression was priceless. "Aren't you kidding me?"

When Xiao Tu watched movies on Bilibili in his previous life, those were indeed the two names.

"Passionate as Fire" tells the story of Xiao Shuai and his friend Da Zhuang, who are being chased by Sang Biao. If things don't go as planned, something unexpected is about to happen. The two disguise themselves as women and infiltrate Xiao Mei's band. Xiao Shuai tries to impress Xiao Mei by pretending to be a wealthy man, while Da Zhuang attracts the attention of a real tycoon, leading to many hilarious situations.

Xiao Tu was deeply impressed; it was a very cheerful old black-and-white film, and he was a person who understood movies.

(End of this chapter)