1991: The Era of Hong Kong Dramas

"I wanted to see you yesterday, but I was afraid it would be too rushed and you wouldn't be ready..."

"Sit down!"

Wai Ka-fai seemed very enthusiastic. He pulled up two chairs and said with a smile, "I was very excited after receiving this script, but I also had some doubts. Now that you're here, you can help me clear up my confusion."

Huo Sheng took the chair and sat down, saying politely, "Thank you, Producer Wei."

"Don't mention it, I'm not one of those old fogies at the station."

Wai Ka-fai adjusted his glasses and continued, "Let's get straight to the point. Can you tell me about your creative process?"

Huo Sheng had been prepared all along, so he naturally didn't show any fear this time and said directly:

"I went bankrupt at the beginning of this year's stock market crash."

"Because of my greed and dissatisfaction, the money I had saved for several years was all gone overnight."

At that time, I was completely devastated, and I even had suicidal thoughts...

But can death solve the problem? That would be nothing but cowardice. True courage comes from overcoming one's suffering.

So ever since then, I've always wanted to create a film, not a simple business war or family feud. But a film that captures the tumultuous history of Hong Kong's stock market over the past two or three decades, the madness of going from heaven to hell overnight!

"I continued to ponder this inspiration and gradually wrote this script."

Upon hearing this, Wai Ka-fai's eyes lit up immediately.

Just before the Lunar New Year, he also invested in the stock market, suffered a huge loss, and had similar thoughts.

That's why he felt the story was exactly to his liking; he was satisfied with everything about it, as if he had written it himself.

What a kindred spirit!

Wai Ka-fai nodded in satisfaction and continued the conversation.

"Mr. Huo, to be honest, after reading your script, I was deeply impressed by the character Ding Hai."

He and Fang Jinxin had been brothers for thirty years, yet he ended up killing him and still thought he was in the right. What was your original intention in creating such a character?

After saying that, without waiting for Huo Sheng's reply, he continued, "You should know that Ding Xie is a very special character; he's never appeared on screen before. This is a risk, and it's also my concern. I don't know if the audience will accept this kind of invincible villain?"

"This is a very real problem," Huo Sheng thought for a moment and said seriously. "Film and television works should be a reflection of the audience's lives. If the audience can empathize with what they are experiencing, they will naturally love watching them."

Wai Ka-fai listened and nodded silently. This was true—Lacan's mirror theory stated that only when the audience sees themselves in the play will they be willing to enter the story.

"And Ting Hai is not a character detached from reality."

Seeing Wai Ka-fai nod in agreement, Huo Sheng continued, "At first glance, the character Ding might seem exaggerated, but in fact, we have all encountered such people in our lives."

They've hurt you, and there's no point in confronting them or trying to explain. They'll construct a narrative in their minds to justify themselves. They can't see your wounds; they only see their self-image that needs to be maintained.

Ting Hai is that kind of person.

Such people are not uncommon, and I believe every viewer will find something to relate to in this character.

Wai Ka-fai listened very attentively. As TVB's youngest producer, he has a strong thirst for knowledge about television production and he rarely misses an opportunity to hear other people's unique insights.

After Huo Sheng finished speaking, Wei Jiahui felt there were no problems and then said, "I have read this story carefully three times, and I am very satisfied with it overall."

It seemed he was about to say "no," so Huo Sheng waited quietly.

As expected, Wai Ka-fai pondered for a while before saying, "However, I suggest pushing the conflict a little harder and making the dramatic tension even stronger."

The Ting family is so ruthless, yet the Fong sisters were only quietly sent away and escaped a calamity. Isn't this plot too merciful?

It should be... even more brutal!

Again!

Huo Sheng sighed inwardly. Wei Jiahui's old habit of fatalism and the aesthetics of assassination had to appear, as if the protagonist's life wasn't tragic enough if his family was destroyed!

Huo Sheng knew this all too well. In the original version of "The Greed of Man," the three Fang sisters were thrown from the rooftop and died tragically in the street.

Because this scene was so tragic, TVB was bombarded with complaints from viewers after it aired, almost forcing the series to be pulled from the air.

That's why Huo Sheng made a special change, having the three sisters secretly sent to Taiwan Island, leaving them a glimmer of hope so that the Fang family's ending wouldn't make the audience uncomfortable.

Thus, a conflict arose—the original author, Wai Ka-fai, still hoped that the Fang family would suffer a complete and utter defeat, in order to demonstrate the ruthlessness of the stock market.

Huo Sheng understood Wei Jiahui's thoughts and said earnestly, "I understand what Mr. Wei means. You want to show how fate tests humanity, after all, destiny is merciless."

"Hmm, more or less!"

Wai Ka-fai felt a surge of admiration; the young man was quite perceptive.

"only……"

Huo Sheng agreed with his fatalism, then changed the subject, "The death of the entire Fang family may show the ruthlessness of fate, but to the audience, it will only feel oppressive and desperate. After watching it, all that will remain is pain, with no resonance."

But what if we write about good people who didn't all die, but instead gritted their teeth and persevered? They suffered, witnessed evil, and endured hardship, yet still remained true to themselves—wouldn't that be a deeper manifestation of contradiction?

Fate remains, darkness remains, but humanity possesses its own resilience, choosing to defy fate. Only then can the audience see themselves reflected in it—even when oppressed by destiny, a glimmer of hope still exists.

Wai Ka-fai was somewhat convinced after hearing this. It was indeed true that his style was not well-liked by the audience, but no one had explained it as clearly as Huo Sheng.

He nodded slightly. "I understand. It's true that fate is merciless, but people must resist to make the drama more compelling."

That makes sense.

Huo Sheng secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

In any case, he had to persuade Wai Ka-fai not to let "The Greed of Man" face the fate of being taken down again due to complaints.

This is his first work, and he can't afford to fail.

Following that, Wai Ka-fai shared his thoughts on several other points, offering his suggestions for revision in a sincere and candid manner. Although Huo Sheng appeared young and inexperienced, he had many unique insights and occasionally pointed out his own points of insistence, demonstrating great seriousness.

After discussing for over an hour, and seeing that they were getting along very well, Wai Ka-fai's expression became serious: "Mr. Fok, I really like this story; it has the potential to become a landmark work. If TVB is going to do it, I hope I can take the lead."

He leaned forward slightly, his tone frank, "Now, I'd like to hear what your request is."

He made his own choice and fully endorsed "The Greed of Man". Now, it's Huo Sheng's turn to make the same choice.

This was an unspoken deal. Huo Sheng asked Liu Qingyun to deliver the script; it couldn't have been for charity. He needed to ensure Huo Sheng received the reward he desired.

Moreover, through the dialogue, Wai Ka-fai is determined to get "The Greed of Man," and he will probably fight for it even if Huo Sheng asks for an exorbitant amount.

Upon hearing his question, Huo Sheng felt that Wei Jiahui truly lived up to his reputation as someone independent of any faction. He wasn't overly sentimental or rule-abiding, and he pretended not to know anything as he put away the script...

Then, without any politeness, he said:

"I want to be the sole lead writer and co-writer for 'The Greed of Man'!"