So what if I work with celebrities?

Due to the robbery incident involving "Eight Hundred Heroes", only a limited number of copies were produced temporarily, mainly to meet the needs of the Taipei market.

The contract manufacturers were working day and night, and boxes of copies were hauled away after the cinemas provided the corresponding receipts. On the truck, they couldn't help but complain about spending a lot of money and having to wait in line. It's true that the tables have turned.

1976 was a banner year for martial arts films in Taiwan. In June, Chu Yuan's "Meteor, Butterfly, Sword" was released, and Gu Long's name was known to everyone in Taiwan.

Upon its release, the film grossed ten million NT dollars at the Taipei box office alone, proving once again that Chu Yuan is a true master director.

Tu Zhongxun's "The Assassin," Guo Nanhong's "Shaolin Wooden Men," and Wu Siyuan's "Southern Fist, Northern Leg" also achieved impressive box office results, in addition to the excellent precedent set by Xu Zan's "The 36th Chamber of Shaolin."

Five kung fu and martial arts films made it into the top ten highest-grossing domestic films in Taipei. The remaining three were art films and two were political propaganda films, "Plum Blossom" and "Yangtze River Storm".

Originally, there weren't any big-budget productions airing at the same time as "The Magic Blade," and based on the market analysis of "Meteor, Butterfly, Sword," this show was expected to be a huge hit as well.

Unexpectedly, "The Eight Hundred Heroes" came out of nowhere.

Huang Jiaxi from Shao's even made a long-distance call to discuss with Xu Zan whether they could schedule their meetings differently, as Shao's business has indeed been quite difficult in recent years.

There were only a few films that made HK$1.5 million that year, including "Meteor, Butterfly, Sword" and "Playing with Flowers".

How can the boss of a company that claims to be the largest film company in Hong Kong deliver such results? Even if the boss doesn't say anything, the people below have to think this way in order to prove their worth.

"Old Huang, I can't handle this anymore. The higher-ups have instructed that China Film Group is in charge, and all major cinema chains must follow their orders!" Xu Zan said with a smile.

"Sigh, as you know, films released in Hong Kong need to pass the censorship of the Kowloon Drama Association, so we don't have many scheduling options," Wong Ka-hei said.

Xu Zan and the Shao family were merely business partners, so naturally he wouldn't argue with those above him for their sake. At this moment, he remembered what Mei Changling had said.

Sylvia Chang and Brigitte Lin both gave excellent performances for him this time, so he decided to reciprocate by giving them a film.

"Old Huang, I'm planning to make a film and would like to invite director Li Hanxiang. Could you help me make the connection?"

"Oh? No problem! What kind of movie are you making? What kind of actors do you need?" Huang Jiaxi asked excitedly. This was another sales opportunity.

"I've seen how popular 'Dream of the Red Chamber' has been these past two years, and I want to make a film about it!" Xu Zan said.

The theme of "Dream of the Red Chamber" has been popular for centuries, and no period drama has ever failed to adapt it. After all, it has been famous for hundreds of years and is well-known to the general public.

In the 1960s, the Shanghai Yue Opera Troupe from mainland China came to Hong Kong to perform. Xu Yulan and Wang Wenjuan performed "Dream of the Red Chamber". Xu Yulan's performance of Jia Baoyu smashing the jade directly captivated the Hong Kong audience.

This marked the beginning of the filming of "Dream of the Red Chamber" in Hong Kong.

Listening to Wong Ka-hei recount the stories of Dream of the Red Chamber in Hong Kong over the years, Xu Zan couldn't help but marvel at the abundance of talent in mainland China.

The inspiration for Chu Yuan came from a mainland theater troupe's performance in Hong Kong. He made it into a Cantonese film, which became a box office hit, even surpassing the popularity of Bruce Lee at the time.

"As for the actors, I'll bring some to see Li Hanxiang. How about the investment, the usual arrangement?" Xu Zan asked.

"Alright, by the way, be careful when you come to Hong Kong. I heard that Boss Liu is very unhappy that you sold 'The Eight Hundred Heroes' to Shaw Brothers and Cathay at the same time," Huang Jiaxi said in a low voice.

The two had been working together for a long time, and Huang Jiaxi was able to get extra money from Xu Zan when they collaborated, so their relationship was naturally quite good.

"Thanks, Lao Huang, I understand."

Hsu Tsan hung up the phone and was about to invite Sylvia Chang and Brigitte Lin to a dinner party at her villa in Yangmingshan, but she was interrupted by an "uninvited guest".

"Brother Zan!"

A beautiful woman appeared as if she were riding on wheels of fire; before Xu Zan could react, she had already fallen into his arms.

Hu Huizhong straddled his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck, and said with teary eyes, "Hmph, you don't even look at me, I can't even catch a glimpse of you."

Xu Zan was arrested recently, and she couldn't help him. Her parents were just nobody; how could they possibly have access to high-ranking officials?

When she heard that Xu Zan had come out, she rushed to Panda Entertainment Company, but couldn't find him. She went to his apartment but couldn't find him either.

Hu Huizhong thought that his parents had forbidden him from going out because they said he was "not allowed to play with disreputable people," which made Xu Zan mistakenly think that he was hiding from her. So when the curfew was lifted, he couldn't wait to run to the company.

"Zan-ge, my parents keep me locked up at home and won't let me go out. Even when I go to class, my brother has to come with me, and I have to go straight home after school."

Xu Zan pinched her plump, collagen-rich cheeks, which looked so soft and supple, then sniffed them. "Smells so good!"

"Oh, you're so naughty!" Hu Huizhong patted his chest, then lay down on it, saying, "I also want to act in movies, but I'm afraid you won't want me anymore."

"What? Did your parents let you act in a movie?" Xu Zan squeezed her cheeks with both hands, finding her pouty lips quite cute.

"I don't care about them. I'm an adult, I can make my own decisions!" Hu Huizhong said earnestly.

Xu Zan pondered for a moment: Should he include her in "Dream of the Red Chamber" as well? He hadn't been near any women these days, and his hand unconsciously touched his thigh.

"Wow, your hands are so cold!" Hu Huizhong shivered, but didn't move, and listened attentively to Xu Zan's heartbeat.

"I do have a role in a play, 'Dream of the Red Chamber.' If you want to act in it, you can..."

"I'll play Lin Daiyu!" Hu Huizhong blurted out. "Brother Zan, will you play Jia Baoyu?"

"Ha, I won't act. I plan to let you play Xue Baochai." Xu Zan picked up Hu Huizhong, and the two walked to the lounge inside the office.

"Brother Yu, you have to be nice to me later!" Hu Huizhong said playfully, flipping her hair.

……

Luo Dayou was deeply moved after watching "The Eight Hundred Heroes" and promoted the movie to his friends. The first person he contacted was Wang Zhenhua, a friend from the "Rocks" band.

"I was watching a movie and it gave me the idea to re-compose music for 'Four Rhymes of Nostalgia,' listen to it!" Luo Dayou pulled his friend aside and began to play the piece.

His raspy voice was still listenable, and Wang Zhenhua didn't pay much attention at first. But after listening for a while, he found the song very interesting, as it used the guitar, a Western instrument, to demonstrate the playing techniques of traditional Chinese instruments.

"Your song is amazing, do you want to publish it?" Wang Zhenhua said.

"How could I possibly have any connections?" Luo Dayou said dejectedly. "Besides, you know how few people know that a song can only earn three thousand yuan? I'd rather keep it!"

Three thousand yuan isn't even as much as his salary. It's such a waste to sell a song he painstakingly created for such a low price. He doesn't have the money to self-publish it either.

"You know Liu Wenzheng, right? He seems to be preparing to shoot a movie recently, and I heard he's looking for a composer. Do you want to give it a try? If you succeed, with Liu Wenzheng's help, you'll be stepping into the music industry!" Wang Zhenhua said.

"Come on, I'll treat you to a movie!" Luo Dayou's eyes lit up, and he pulled his friend to go see a movie.

Compared to yesterday, the cinemas were unusually crowded today. The two of them went to several cinemas but couldn't buy tickets. They finally managed to buy two tickets with not-so-good seats at the Panda Cinema next to an apartment building.

"Isn't 'The Eight Hundred Heroes' incredibly popular?" Wang Zhenhua asked in bewilderment.

"The rumors about Xu Zan have been circulating for a long time. Aren't you curious enough to go see a movie?" Luo Dayou asked, holding a movie ticket and looking for a seat in the theater.

In the past, audiences could sit anywhere in the theater after buying tickets, since theaters would issue damaged tickets to audiences in order to evade ticket sales, making it impossible for the authorities to collect taxes.

But this movie was strange; everyone had to sit in their assigned seats. When some audience members protested, the cinema manager bluntly declared, "Take it or leave it; we're a legitimate cinema!"

On Double Ten Day, Taipei cinemas were basically packed. Military personnel, civil servants, teachers, and students all flocked to the theaters, holding their movie tickets and grumbling as they entered.

After all, issuing movie tickets doesn't mean they're free; the cost will be deducted from their wages.

"Holy crap!" With each gunshot, blood spurted from the soldier's wound, a truly visceral sight. The men's palms sweated with excitement; this was far better than any art film!

I no longer want to force myself to spend money. Anyway, I think this movie is worth it and is in no way inferior to Hollywood blockbusters.

"Let me tell you, this movie is the new work of Xu Zan, the director of 'The 36th Chamber of Shaolin,' it's bound to be amazing!" the student group discussed.

As members of the "National Salvation Corps," they had watched "The 36th Chamber of Shaolin" in the activity room. It was so exciting that these teenagers watched it countless times, practicing the moves from the movie and hoping to become martial arts masters themselves.