So what if I work with celebrities?

After returning home from the China Film Group Corporation, Xu Zan suddenly felt like an elderly person living alone.

The cramped room was so quiet that you could hear the dripping of the kitchen faucet. He quickly tidied up the room.

Then he sat at the dining table in the living room and lit a Marlboro. Amidst the swirling smoke, he gazed at the house where he had lived for over twenty years.

Perhaps it's time to say goodbye!

Since filming "Joyful Encounters" began in May, we've already made quite a bit of money. We've earned 35,000 yuan just for the director and actors' salaries, and another 6,000 yuan from the profits from props, boxed lunches, and the contractors insisted on paying us.

Besides, the revenue sharing from the song "Olive Tree" is settled almost every month, totaling around 300,000 yuan.

This money should have been handed over to the gang, but when the sailor learned that "Joyful Face" had sold for HK$1.5 million in Southeast Asia, he generously handed over the song's copyright proceeds to Xu Zan as his personal property.

Moreover, the sailor verbally promised to give Xu Zan a large red envelope at the end of the year, which he estimated would be at least two or three hundred thousand.

Excluding the cost of the motorcycle, Hsu Tsan could actually buy a small apartment in a nice location in Taipei.

The real estate market in Taiwan is currently booming. Even with the current emperor's intervention to regulate the market, prices have continued to rise after the oil crisis subsided, driven by economic growth.

High-end apartments in good locations cost around 10,000 yuan per square meter, while those in the suburbs are cheaper; you can buy a detached house in a town for tens of thousands of yuan.

Dang dang dang.

Hearing the sound, Xu Zan turned to look out the window. Hu Huizhong's small face was pressed against the window, and she smiled at him.

"Brother Zan, you're home?" Before the words were even finished, he had already run into the house.

She stood by the table, deliberately shaking her hand to reveal a watch that looked like a brand name product.

Xu Zan grabbed her hand and pulled her closer, so Hu Huizhong ended up sitting in his lap. Before she could struggle, he kissed her.

"Wait... I... um..." Hu Huizhong's mouth was gagged again.

After kissing for a while, Xu Zan felt her go limp in his arms. He then took her hand and looked at it, "Wow, not bad, an Omega women's watch, and it's gold-plated. It must cost at least eight thousand yuan!"

"Hmm..." Hu Huizhong's voice was barely audible as she leaned on his shoulder, her face and neck flushed red, like a ripe shrimp.

"Hey, stop touching me! You're making my clothes all messed up! Humph, even Tang Chongsheng knows to buy me gifts, what about you!"

"A gift? Aren't I the greatest gift?" Xu Zan had Hu Huizhong straddle him and kissed her again.

Hu Huizhong shook her head and muttered, "No, no, this isn't what I expected."

"I have an interview tomorrow, so dress up nicely! Don't embarrass me!"

The news of "Joyful Face" selling well in Southeast Asia quickly reached Taiwan, and major mainstream media outlets also published a special report on it in the corner of their supplements.

Following its huge success in Taiwan and Southeast Asia, "Joyful Encounters" was released in Hong Kong. With Shaw Brothers' promotional efforts, the film generated considerable buzz.

Reporters from Sing Tao and Oriental Daily News conducted special interviews with Hsu Tsan and Hu Huizhong. A reporter from Oriental Daily News even specifically asked if they could create a romantic rumor about the two.

However, Xu Zan rejected it. While such hype may be effective quickly, it could cause problems for future development.

The box office performance of this film in Hong Kong had no special significance for Xu Zan, because the film had already been sold to Shaw Brothers, and whether it was a big hit or not was irrelevant to him.

He never expected the Southeast Asian box office to reach three million US dollars; it was just to curry favor with the Shao family so that there might be future collaborations.

That's how business works. It's not just about the investor's financial strength, but also their channels and resources. Clearly, Cathay is far inferior to Shao's.

Most importantly, there weren't any competitive films released at the same time. One was Shaw Brothers' co-production "The Fallen," another was Hsieh Lee's "The Woman from the Society," featuring the original "bald-headed beauty," and yet another was First Film's "Thirteen Mismatches." Judging from the titles, they were all films about disreputable professions.

A few days later, Hsu Tsan received an invitation from the Golden Horse Awards, and "Joyful Encounters" received nominations for Best Feature Film, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Original Song.

After the news spread, the Xu family's phone kept ringing.

"Director Xu, I wish your film 'Joyful Encounter' will win an award... I am Sylvia Chang."

It has to be said that the Taiwanese film industry is really small; many actors can find connections through a few intermediaries. Not only Sylvia Chang, but Hu Yinmeng also reached out through the Central Motion Picture Corporation, hoping to participate in Hsu Tsan's next film.

Time flew by and it was almost the end of October when the Golden Horse Awards ceremony was held.

Xu Zan, arm in arm with Hu Huizhong, who was wearing a black evening gown, walked down the red carpet and posed for photos with reporters at the entrance of Zhongshan Hall.

Hu Huizhong's smile was stiff, and she whispered, "Brother Zan, is my outfit okay? Is my makeup intact?"

"Relax! Just pretend you're kissing me," Xu Zan whispered, holding her waist as they walked step by step toward the lobby.

Many celebrities are here today. Qin Xianglin is arm in arm with his girlfriend Xiao Fangfang, with Brigitte Lin standing beside them. Deng Guangrong is arm in arm with Lin Fengjiao. Qin Han... Dillon and David Chiang...

Most of these are related to movies, while some are people of similar star power.

Actresses like Brigitte Lin, Chin Hsiang-lin, and Hsiao Fang-fang represent "Girlfriend"; David Chiang and Dillon represent "The Beauty of the Nation"; Deng Guangrong and Lin Fengjiao represent "My Land, My People"; Hu Yinmeng and Gu Minglun represent "Where the Clouds Remain"; Fu Sheng and others represent "The Five Ancestors of Shaolin"...

The Golden Horse Awards of the 1970s differed from those of later years, bearing a strong bureaucratic culture. After the numerous stars had taken their seats,

The Director-General of the Information Office and the President of the Film Association each delivered reports on the development of the film industry in Taiwan and offered their future prospects.

Teresa Teng briefly returned to China and was invited here to perform the song "Goodbye, My Love".

Xu Zan was assigned to the third row, and compared to the top directors and stars in front of him, he lacked some depth and experience.

But putting aside his seniority, he had countless hands to shake tonight, with many celebrities taking the initiative to chat with him, hoping for future collaborations.

Deng Guangrong is quite interesting. He looks tall and imposing, and speaks very politely, explaining the sudden change in his schedule last time.

Since we were all like-minded, we arranged a friendly match with the sailors.

Several directors approached Hu Huizhong, wanting to invite her to act in their films. However, at this time, she was semi-retired from the entertainment industry, and her family had given her a firm order to finish university.

There were several hosts on stage, including Teresa Teng, Gao Lingfeng, Shangguan Lingfeng, and Gu Minglun.

They cracked jokes, especially Teresa Teng, who, true to her reputation as a comedian, told jokes to Kao Ling-feng as the awards were presented in an orderly fashion.

The Best Feature Film award went to "My Land, My People," and director Li Xing stood on the stage to give his acceptance speech.

Five films, namely "Joyful Face", "Long-lasting Love", "Female Soldier's Diary", "Where the Clouds Are Deep", and "Girlfriend", won the Outstanding Feature Film Award.

Xu Zan stood on the stage with a group of directors for a group photo.

More than ten minutes later, Teresa Teng, holding a card, called out, "Best Supporting Actor Award: Xu Zan for 'Joyful Encounter'!"

Hsu Tsan walked onto the stage, shook hands with Teresa Teng and Kao Ling-feng, and accepted the trophy from Teresa Teng.

"Director Hsu, this is your first time attending the Golden Horse Awards, and you've already won two awards. Is there anything you'd like to say?"

"Thank you so much for the judges' recognition. I will continue to work hard." Xu Zan smiled at the audience, holding the trophy. Before leaving, she whispered to Teresa Teng, "Ms. Teng, would you like to speak with me alone for a while?"

The Best Actor and Best Actress awards went to Qin Xianglin and Lu Yan, respectively. The Best Director award went to Liu Yi, director of "Longing for Each Other".

……

After the awards ceremony, Hsu Tsan approached Teresa Teng, not only to discuss film matters, but more importantly, to ask for her autograph.

"Director Xu, would you like me to sing a few movie theme songs?" Teresa Teng's voice was gentle and warm. "Do you have any demos?"