My teacher is Bruce Lee, who dominated Hollywood.

Chapter 165 The New York Harvest Plan

As an independent director rooted in the streets of New York, Martin has always scorned the self-proclaimed highbrow stage art of Broadway.

Faced with Martin's sarcastic remarks, Qin Han did not immediately refute him. He cut off a small piece of ribeye steak with traces of blood, chewed it slowly, swallowed it, wiped his mouth with a clean white napkin, and then looked up.

"Martin, your prejudices are still stuck in the 1960s."

Qin Han's tone was calm, yet it conveyed a sense of certainty: "You're right, Broadway was indeed once aloof and unattainable. But after the Vietnam War and the economic recession—in this dilapidated 70s, Broadway, having been brutally beaten down by the realities of society, was no longer an ivory tower that only knew how to sing hymns."

"Believe me, hunger will force those geniuses hiding in theaters to take to the streets. Soon, you will see a completely different Broadway, a Broadway full of rebellion."

The other three people at the table were drawn in by Qin Han's charlatan-like tone, and even Paul, who had been silent all along, stopped eating.

Seeing their surprised and uncertain expressions, Qin Han simply smiled slightly. Some things are better left unsaid.

In the early 70s, a terrible social atmosphere forced Broadway to undergo an unprecedented transformation.

Starving playwrights abandoned princes and princesses and wrote a series of operas that reflected reality:

The Biography of Pi Ping: A Novel Exploring the Confusion and Rebellion of Young People Against the System

The new Wizard of Oz features an all-Black cast and brings Motown music and soul to the stage.

"Companions" exposes the hypocrisy of middle-class marriages without reservation.

Even the revenge tragedy "Sweeney Todd," with its stage splattered with blood —

These groundbreaking works, destined to be recorded in history, are currently buried in the minds of those playwrights, waiting for the moment they will burst forth.

This trip to New York wasn't just about finding one or two composers to write music for Mickey Mouse's fairy tales.

On the eve of this great transformation, those artistic masters were like blind people groping in the dark, unaware of the valuable inspiration they held in their minds.

He wanted to get in early with capital and buy up assets before these "theater rats" fully woke up!

Qin Han put down his knife and fork, making a crisp clinking sound on the porcelain plate, interrupting everyone's thoughts.

"I went to New York to plant the seeds of Hans Films in the most fertile soil of Manhattan before all the Hollywood studios could react."

"Once they truly create those groundbreaking works, Han's Film Studio will be an inescapable ideological imprint on their path to fame and fortune!"

Qin's calculations were very clear: although the people on Broadway were poor, their inherent intellectual pride had not been completely eradicated.

To win over these people, simply throwing money at them may not be effective immediately, and might even provoke their rebellious tendencies.

Therefore, to communicate effectively with them, you must bring out your strongest cards.

The first one is Disney's "sincerity." In this era, Disney's music distribution channels are an irresistible temptation for any musician who longs for their work to be heard by the world.

The second card he played was his timeless understanding of the script.

What those masters lacked most was not sympathy, but kindred spirits who could understand the core of their works. With these two qualities, they could knock on the back door of the theater and would certainly not be turned away.

Moreover, a complimentary feast awaits me on this trip to New York.

"Michael, when you come to work tomorrow, check on the movements of a film crew for me." Qin Han tapped the table lightly twice.

Michael stopped cutting the steak and looked up at his boss.

"Hercules in New York, please help me find a movie called 'Hercules in New York.' It should be a low-budget B-movie."

Michael frowned slightly, his mind racing through the information he'd recently gathered. He hesitated before speaking, "Boss, a B-movie? Han's Films' focus is entirely on A-list big-budget productions right now. Is a film of this caliber really worth your personal attention?"

After receiving information about the bodybuilding competition in Hong Kong, Qin Han had been thinking about when would be the best time to contact the "Governor".

After much thought, I realized that only when he suffered a setback with his debut work would I have a good reason to approach him.

As a rising star in the bodybuilding world, Arnold Schwarzenegger is doing very well and is not a down-on-his-luck figure waiting to be "saved".

Based on the production cycle, this crew should be filming in New York right now.

"I don't care about the movie itself. It's just that the lead actor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is someone I think is a friend worth having."

"I'll find out their exact filming location. I'll take this opportunity to visit the set on my way to New York."

Upon hearing the name, Michael gave an "I see" look, but his professional agent instincts kicked in and he raised a question: "Boss, if you're looking to sign this bodybuilding champion, I must warn you, Hollywood doesn't buy into muscle-bound guys."

"That Austrian's English accent is terrible, his acting is stiff, like a granite block, and quite a few people are already waiting to see him make a fool of himself."

"Until he gets a suitable script, he'll probably continue to be a laughingstock in Hollywood." Qin Han wiped his fingers with a napkin. "Besides, he's already a top-tier superstar in the bodybuilding world, owning his own gym and mail-order business; he's not short of money at all. He acts simply because he enjoys it!"

"What he needs most right now is a stage that can cover up his accent and acting shortcomings, and perfectly amplify his physical explosiveness. And Han's Films happens to have just such a card in their hands."

Michael suddenly realized: "You mean—UFC?"

"That's right." Qin Han nodded approvingly. "The first No-Limit Fighting Tournament will soon officially begin in Los Angeles, and that Austrian himself is a fanatical fighting enthusiast and a worshipper of strength."

"Get the invitation ready. When I visit him in New York, I'll use the excuse of inviting him to watch the game to get closer to him."

"Given his status in the bodybuilding world, even just sitting on the sidelines is a silent defeat!"

A flash of understanding crossed Michael's eyes, and he immediately wrote a note in his notebook.

With the important matters settled, dinner was drawing to a close.

Martin Scorsese made no attempt to hide his urgency: "Qin, I'll fly back to the East Coast as soon as possible. If you really want to come with me, I can help you buy the tickets."

Paul Schrader, sitting opposite him, was much quieter.

At that moment, he was using an almost pious gesture to dab the last bit of steak juice on the plate clean with bread.

Only after stuffing the bread into his mouth did he wipe his hands and look at Qin Han and Michael.

"Um—Mr. Qin, Michael said that the advance payment for the script from Hans Film Studio will be deposited into my account tomorrow morning."

"I think—before discussing the specifics of working on 'Taxi Driver,' I need to rent an apartment first."

"I haven't slept under a roof in months. I need to take a hot shower, eat a few normal meals, and wash away this sewer stench."

Seeing the once-famous screenwriter in such a sorry state, Qin Han nodded slightly in understanding.

He thought for a moment and gave me an apartment address in Los Angeles.

"Paul, if you haven't decided where to rent yet, I suggest you check out this neighborhood. A lot of the new guys Han's Film Studios have signed live there."

"For example, Sylvester Stallone, who wrote Rocky, and the couple who just moved here from Maine a few days ago, the man's name is Stephen King."

Qin Han leaned back in his chair, his tone casual: "You can choose to live near them. That guy named Stephen has all sorts of whimsical ideas in his head."

"Both of your scripts have a sense of despair in them. Perhaps you can come up with something interesting while you're smoking on the balcony."

Paul Schrader's eyes lit up.

For a creator, nothing is more exciting than having like-minded peers as neighbors.

"Stephen King? I'll remember that. Thank you for your suggestion."

Dinner concluded in a very harmonious atmosphere.

Qin Han took a taxi back to his villa in West Hollywood.

Pushing open the courtyard gate and stepping onto the cobblestone path, a short, sharp whooshing sound entered my ears.

"Swish—smack!"

He knew that voice all too well.

He walked around the bushes in the front yard and, by the dim light of the wall lamp in the courtyard, saw the figure with his upper body bare, sweating profusely in the night wind.

At this moment, the master was only wearing half-finger boxing gloves and performing the most basic series of blows on the sandbags hanging on the tree trunk.

Each jab and side kick is accompanied by a unique breathing rhythm, and the latissimus dorsi muscles on his back are like two fully opened cobra skins, full of a suffocating explosive feeling.

Upon noticing Qin Han's footsteps, Bruce Lee halted his attack.

"You're back? You've been so busy lately, it looks like my shares are about to multiply several times over again." His voice carried a hint of teasing.

Qin Han took off his suit jacket and draped it over his arm, then walked over with a smile: "Don't worry, Master, the harvest season is just around the corner. I will definitely keep my promise."

He frowned slightly as he watched Bruce Lee maintain his high-intensity training late into the night.

After experiencing several crises in succession, Bruce Lee's sense of crisis as a martial artist was fully activated.

He took the already rigorous training to an even higher level.

"Master, there's still some time before the UFC fight starts, so you can actually relax a little."

Bruce Lee didn't reply. Instead, he walked to the stone table in the courtyard, picked up a thick kraft paper notebook, and said, "You know me, I'm definitely not someone who can stay idle."

He handed the notebook to Qin Han, his eyes gleaming with an extremely fervent light: "Dragon and Tiger Fight is finished, and I've come up with a brand new story."

Could it be—

Qin Han immediately took the notebook and turned to the first page.

The paper contained a sketch of a five-story Chinese wooden pagoda.

Next to each floor, the names of various martial arts schools, types of weapons, and brief biographies of the figures are all densely packed in Chinese characters.

On the top floor, four large characters are written in striking red ink: "Death Game".

It really was it!

"Game of Death" is Bruce Lee's unfinished work from his previous life.

In his vision, this is not just a simple kung fu film, but a visual thesis he uses to expound the ultimate philosophical concept of Jeet Kune Do!

The protagonist needs to challenge masters representing different martial arts styles, one by one, from Filipino magic wands, Japanese karate, Korean aikido, all the way to the terrifying black giant who is over two meters tall at the top.

Every battle is a process of breaking the framework of traditional martial arts and emphasizing "water-like" adaptation and counterattack.

However, in his previous life, Bruce Lee passed away suddenly after filming less than a third of the footage.

Later, in order to make money, film companies hired all sorts of shoddy stand-ins and used clumsy editing techniques to piece together the remaining film reels into a terrible, unwatchable fake.

That was a regret that will forever remain in the hearts of countless action movie fans!

And now, this complete manuscript, which carries the master's thoughts, is truly in my own hands.

Qin Han felt his throat go dry: "Is this your next plan?"

He tried to keep his voice steady, but the excitement in his eyes was impossible to hide.

“That’s right.” Bruce Lee pulled out a wicker chair and sat down, looking intently at Qin Han: “In my initial vision, the guardians of each floor of this tower had to be top-notch masters from various schools of martial arts in the real world.”

"Only by engaging in unreserved clashes with true masters in front of the camera can Jeet Kune Do's core philosophy of breaking down illusions be proven to the world. Those fake moves that rely on wires and trampolines to fly around are simply not worthy of this film."

"But Hollywood can't find that many martial artists who truly know kung fu. So, I plan to go back to Hong Kong."

"Back to Hong Kong?"

"Yes. Hong Kong is the crossroads of martial arts across Asia, and many masters of Southeast Asian styles have opened schools and taken on students there. I want to take advantage of this gap before the UFC officially starts to go back and visit them one by one."

"Let's explore the area first, get a feel for things, have some private discussions, and finalize the truly capable team."

Bruce Lee stood up, exuding an unstoppable aura of sharpness. "Once everything on our end is in place and filming officially begins, we won't waste time looking for people anymore."

From a film production perspective, this is definitely an extremely wise preparatory step.

Once the full version of "Game of Death" is released, its sensational effect will be no less than that of "Enter the Dragon".

However, security is an unavoidable hurdle.

Washington’s “Japan faction” has suffered a major blow and has been forced to lie low, but Japan’s influence in Hong Kong is very deep and they are unlikely to give up so easily.

"Master, the idea for this 'Death Game' is absolutely perfect, but you can't go back alone."

Sensing the seriousness in Qin Han's tone, Bruce Lee frowned: "Han, you know me. Those rats hiding in the shadows who only know how to shoot in the dark can't scare me."

"I know, but now, we're not the same 'lone wolf' we used to be, without any resources."

"Have Bruno lead a team, select a few skilled fighters from Han's Security, and have them go back with you. We can't have you distracted by watching for snipers outside the window while you're exchanging martial arts insights with other masters, can we?"

Bruce Lee looked quietly at his student, who, even now a rising star in Hollywood, still showed the purest care and protection on his face.

A relieved smile appeared on his lips.

"No problem, let Bruno pack his luggage. I'll arrange a flight to Hong Kong in the next couple of days."

Hearing that his master had finally listened to his advice, Qin Han felt a weight lifted from his heart: "What a coincidence, I also need to book my plane ticket. I'm flying to New York in a few days."

Bruce Lee raised an eyebrow in surprise: "Going to the East Coast? What new tricks are you up to now?"

Qin Han laughed heartily and raised his right fist at Bruce Lee: "Master, when we meet back in Los Angeles, let's see who can handle things better!"

The two lightly bumped fists: "It's a deal! Don't lose to me in New York!"

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