1991: The Era of Hong Kong Dramas

Film screening room.

"If there's nothing else that needs adjusting or revising, let's finalize this version tomorrow and submit it."

Wai Ka-fai pressed the STOP button on the player, turned to look at the other two main creators, and asked with a nervous expression.

Huo Sheng shook his head. Actually, the question wasn't really directed at him. He had already participated in a lot of the rough cutting work, so naturally he couldn't have much of an opinion.

This question was mainly directed at Yuan Yingming.

Yuan Yingming stared at the frozen image on the monitor for several seconds before finally straightening up from his chair, rubbing his face, and saying directly, "Thanks for your hard work, let's go with this version!"

The three of them spent about seven or eight hours watching the first ten episodes in the screening room today, and they were all very satisfied with this rough cut.

Although it's a rough cut, the quality is already very close to the final product. Apart from some sound effects not being adjusted properly, there's nothing wrong with it.

Wai Ka-fai nodded, took out the videotape, put it into a black box, and solemnly locked it.

He didn't rush to leave, but remained seated at the table, forcing himself to perk up, and said with a smile, "I must be hungry after watching for so long. Come to think of it, we haven't gotten together since filming started. How about we have a drink together today?"

Yuan Yingming also felt his stomach was empty at this moment, and nodded.

Although Huo Sheng didn't have much of an appetite, seeing that the two of them seemed inclined to drown their sorrows in alcohol, he laughed and said, "Alright, let's have some!"

Near the Clear Water Bay film set is Sai Kung Market Seafood Street, a top choice for TVB employees to have a late-night snack after work.

After Wai Ka-fai carefully placed the bottom strap, the three of them strolled over, and there were already quite a few people sitting at the roadside food stalls.

They ordered a plate of typhoon shelter-style stir-fried crab and a braised platter, along with a chilled San Miguel beer.

Huo Sheng had never tried Hong Kong-style braised soup before. Curious, he counted the ingredients: goose meat, eggs, dried tofu, and pork belly. It was cooked in a rich broth and had a greasy aroma.

Seeing his expression, Wei Jiahui assumed he was hungry and picked up a piece of something that looked like either goose tongue or goose gizzard for him. "Ah Sheng, don't just look, eat something first."

Huo Sheng laughed and said, "Alright, then I won't stand on ceremony."

After spending some time together, they grew much closer. He was the youngest among them, and Wai Ka-fai and Yuen Ying-ming treated him like a younger brother, taking good care of him in their daily lives.

Before long, the six large jugs of frozen fresh meat arrived, and the three of them, without dawdling, took a sip first.

In late March, the Hong Kong nights are pleasantly cool, with tender new shoots emerging from the banyan trees and a salty breeze. After a half-serving pitcher of ice-cold beer, everyone felt much more comfortable.

Wai Ka-fai smiled and started the conversation, "Ah Sheng, this is your first time coming out since you joined TVB, right?"

"yes."

Yuan Yingming sighed, "Although Asheng is only nineteen, he's more grounded than us. When I was nineteen, I was still fighting with my gang."

Wai Ka-fai chuckled: "Are you going to join the fight or get beaten up?"

"You think you know everything? Come on, have a drink!"

The two have worked together for many years and know each other very well.

The three of them took another sip, and Wai Ka-fai asked, "Ah Sheng, we haven't talked yet, whose TV series do you like the most?"

"I... I don't really like anything."

Huo Sheng couldn't say that his favorite TV series was "The Great Buddha+", so he could only pretend to be clueless.

Wai Ka-fai was somewhat incredulous: "You write scripts so prolifically, you don't usually watch dramas?"

Huo Sheng frankly said, "I watch them but only analyze the scenes; I rarely actually watch what the TV series is about."

Wei Jiahui gave up on talking to him, lowered his head and took a big gulp of wine. He remained silent for a long time, and when he looked up again, his face was already flushed.

He finally asked hesitantly, "Do you think 'The Greed of Man'... is feasible?"

Neither Yuan Yingming nor Huo Sheng uttered a sound, and Wei Jiahui didn't ask any more questions. The food stall was silent for a moment, like a graveyard.

From a professional perspective, the quality of this film is undoubtedly excellent, far exceeding the level of typical TVB dramas. However, the problem is that it is not meant to be judged by the audience, but rather its fate is decided by Mona Fong or a small group of people on the organizing committee.

They are not professional judges; their tastes are varied and unpredictable. Whether they like it or not, no one can guarantee.

Even if Huo Sheng was a time traveler, it wouldn't matter.

Wai Ka-fai and Yuen Ying-ming are highly skilled, and the filming was excellent. The editing was also good, and none of the actors dragged the film down; they all gave their best performances.

In his opinion, it's better than the original, but whether it suits Fang Yihua's taste is anyone's guess.

Did you watch it with great interest or with disdain?

It's hard to say!

The three of them didn't say anything, and took another swig.

Yuan Yingming took out a pack of 555 cigarettes, handed one to Wei Jiahui, then turned and offered one to Huo Sheng. He hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to give it to him or not, as he was halfway through extending his hand, realizing that Huo Sheng didn't smoke.

But Huo Sheng took it from him and lit it with a lighter, trying to use the smoke from one hand to counteract the harm from secondhand smoke.

A cloud of smoke immediately filled the air.

The less effort someone puts in, the more confident they are in themselves. On the contrary, those who truly put in the hard work are more worried that all their efforts will be in vain, and they feel conflicted and distressed, unable to express it in words.

They have done everything they could and tried their best, so the closer they get to the result, the greater the pressure and the more frustrated they feel.

Yuan Yingming already had thinning hair, and with all the anxiety he'd been experiencing lately, he'd been rubbing his forehead, making his bald patches visibly noticeable. Wei Jiahui, on the other hand, failed to quit smoking and has started puffing away again.

Currently, the only relatively normal member of the "Great Era" creative team is Huo Sheng, the novice screenwriter.

However, without the glorious historical achievements of "The Greed of Man", he might not be so normal.

The pressure is immense!

Over there, Wei Jiahui took a few puffs of his cigarette before reluctantly putting it down, while Yuan Yingming finished his cigarette one puff after another, stubbed it out on the table, sighed, and asked, "How's 'Human, Ghost, and Fox' going?"

Huo Sheng was also completely confused, regretting that he hadn't watched enough movies. What on earth was "Human, Ghost and Fox"? He couldn't remember a single thing about it, and what was its reputation like?

His lack of understanding of the enemy put him at a disadvantage in this situation.

Wai Ka-fai gave a wry smile: "I don't know the specifics, I only heard that it's an adaptation of 'Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio.' They finished it two weeks ago, and even bought and uploaded the background music."

"What's Fang Jie's attitude?"

"I don't know, but you all know that Liang Jiashu has always been taken care of by Sister Fang."

Yuan Yingming was mentally prepared, but the harsh reality still made him feel uncomfortable.

In TVB, not having a faction is like being an unwanted stepchild; nobody likes you.

The atmosphere at the table grew heavier. The photos were clearly well taken, but there was still a sense of uncertainty.

Wai Ka-fai took another swig, trying to cheer himself up, and comforted them, "Don't put too much pressure on yourselves. Do your best in tomorrow's work. Even if you don't make it into the anniversary celebration, don't worry about anything. We don't need to fight for a day or two. We can build a good reputation in the late-night slot."

Yuan Yingming nodded, while Huo Sheng was speechless. "Stop comforting us. You seem to be under the most pressure. Even your black-rimmed glasses can't hide your dark circles. Go home and get some sleep."

He sighed and said, "Brother Jia Hui, don't put too much pressure on yourself. Everyone's watching."

"I understand!" Wai Ka-fai nodded.

The three of them, who failed and were responsible for taking the blame, secretly comforted each other for a while at the dinner table, trying to relieve each other's stress. Whether it actually relieved their stress was hard to say, but their relationship improved considerably.

In a sense, this can be considered as sharing hardships.