Hong Kong Entertainment 1979: A Beating Up the Manager at the Start

The red sedan drove out of the airport and merged into the traffic.

Lin Qingxia and Li Jiangbo chatted while looking at the scenery outside the window.

There weren't many cars on the street, but there were many bicycles. The sound of bicycle bells rang everywhere, a stark contrast to the bustling traffic of Hong Kong.

Looking out the car window at the scenery, Li Jiangbo casually asked, "Ms. Lin, when are you planning to go to Shandong?"

Lin Qingxia turned around and said, "Let's wait a couple of days! There's no rush."

"Do you want me to go with you?"

"How could I possibly accept that? Director Li is already being very kind by bringing me along. If I were to delay Director Li's plans any further, I would truly regret it."

Li Jiangbo stopped insisting and turned to chat with Director Zhou about movies.

Suddenly, Lin Qingxia turned around and asked, "By the way, Director Li, what movie is Li Hanxiang filming?"

"The Burning of the Yuanmingyuan"

Lin Qingxia's eyes widened. "The Eight-Nation Alliance? That must have been a huge event!"

Li Jiangbo nodded. "Yes, I called before I left and found out that tonight should be the last scene, and we should be burning down the replica of the Old Summer Palace."

Lin Qingxia was stunned.

They just burned down the Old Summer Palace? What kind of filming is this?

Isn't it said that mainland China is very poor? How dare they film like this?

It's no wonder Lin Qingxia had this idea.

When filming in Taiwan and Hong Kong, none of the scenes are large-scale. Even if there are, they are all fake sets.

Therefore, both Hong Kong and Taiwan have certain limitations and cannot produce many grand scenes.

The car headed north, and the scenery outside the window changed from buildings to farmland.

Lin Qingxia's excitement grew stronger and stronger. The thought of seeing familiar faces in an unfamiliar place thrilled her.

More than an hour later, the car stopped in an open area.

Lin Qingxia got out of the car and was stunned.

Li Jiangbo was also stunned, he hadn't expected Li Hanxiang to go to such lengths.

Before me stood a massive complex of antique-style buildings, complete with palaces and pavilions—everything one could want.

Although a closer look reveals that it is a staged scene, its sheer scale is astonishing.

Li Jiangbo looked at these buildings, but a ulterior motive was brewing in his mind.

He thought to himself, if we could bring these workers to Hong Kong and build a film and television center, wouldn't that be a piece of cake?

If I were to acquire RTV in the future, I would then have to compete with Shaw Brothers.

At that time, Shao Daheng might not even let him go to Clearwater Bay to film!

Therefore, it's better to have your own than to have your own parents.

It will take some effort to hire these workers.

Lin Qingxia, standing to the side, was completely dumbfounded. "This..."

Factory Director Zhou chuckled, "Miss Lin, is this the first time you've seen something like this? To support Director Li Hanxiang in making this film, we mobilized craftsmen from all over the country, and it took us more than two months to build it."

"Originally, we were just going to build a set. But the leader thought it was too stingy and made the decision to build a real one."

Lin Qingxia was speechless. Did being stingy give her the right to be so wasteful? This building must have cost at least tens of thousands, right? And it was all burned down like that?

Each lost in their own thoughts, the two followed Director Zhou inside.

After walking for about five minutes, I saw Li Hanxiang standing behind a camera, holding a director's megaphone, shouting something at the top of his lungs.

After the two approached, they did not disturb them, but simply watched quietly from the side.

After Li Hanxiang finished shouting that line, he turned around and saw Li Jiangbo and Lin Qingxia, and his face immediately lit up with joy.

"Oh, Director Li! Long time no see! You've finally arrived! And not only that, you've brought along the Taiwanese star of Qiong Yao's dramas."

As he spoke, he grasped Li Jiangbo's hand, winking and making faces at him as he did so.

Li Jiangbo slapped his forehead. "Director Li! Don't talk nonsense. Miss Lin is here to find her relatives."

At this moment, Lin Qingxia stepped forward and shook hands with Li Hanxiang, saying, "Director Li, it's been a long time."

Li Hanxiang nodded. "It's been a long time since I've seen Qingxia. I remember the last time we worked together was on 'Perfect Couple: Dream of the Red Chamber.' If you need anything while you're in the mainland, just ask him. He'll definitely be able to help you."

After he finished speaking, he pointed to Li Jiangbo standing to the side.

"Yes! I didn't expect Director Li to have such a good memory. But logically speaking, since Director Li was the first to come to the mainland, shouldn't he have come to you if he needed anything?" Lin Qingxia asked doubtfully.

Li Hanxiang smiled but remained silent.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Li Jiangbo met the actors from the film crew.

Li Hanxiang said, "You know what, these young Gu, Zhang, and Chen are really quite good. They learn things very quickly and are also willing to work hard."

Li Jiangbo joked, "Such outstanding talent, and you've been filming for so long? Are you not treating money like it's money?"

Li Hanxiang immediately panicked and waved his hands hastily, saying, "No, no, absolutely not. Besides, these major sponsors are watching me every day, how could I dare to act recklessly?"

Upon hearing that Li Jiangbo had arrived, Chen Kaige, Zhang Yimou, and Gu Changwei immediately put down what they were doing and came over.

Before they even got close, Li Hanxiang gave them a good scolding.

"Go away, we haven't finished work yet! If you want to catch up, wait until we finish work."

The crowd dispersed in a flurry, each returning to their respective posts.

As darkness fell, Li Hanxiang looked at the sky, then at his watch, and raised the director's microphone.

"Attention all units! This is the final rehearsal! We'll officially begin work after that!"

Everyone got busy again.

Li Jiangbo and Lin Qingxia stayed beside Li Hanxiang, watching without saying a word.

The final rehearsal was successfully completed.

Li Hanxiang took a deep breath. "Turn on the mic!"

As the clapperboard fell, the camera began to rotate.

Li Hanxiang began to run alongside the machine.

Gunshots rang out in the empty space, and the soldiers of the Eight-Nation Alliance rushed into the Yuanmingyuan like beasts to begin looting.

At some point, a fire was lit. At first, it was just a few sparks, but then it quickly spread and became a sea of ​​fire.

The fire quickly turned the entire sky red, and the actors dressed in Qing Dynasty costumes ran, screamed, and fell in the flames.

Foreign soldiers chased after them, firing guns and brandishing butcher knives.

Even though he knew it was fake, Li Jiangbo still clenched his fists.

Even as a time traveler who had witnessed the prosperity of the future, a sense of humiliation arose in his heart.

Li Hanxiang stood behind the camera, his eyes fixed on the scene, but the veins on his hand holding the director's microphone were bulging.

Lin Qingxia stood beside Li Jiangbo, looking at the sea of ​​fire before her, a strange feeling welling up inside her.

That feeling was frustrating and powerless.

Now she finally understands why her parents wanted her to find her relatives and why they often say that fallen leaves return to their roots.

This scene took a very long time to film.

Until there was no one left in the room, until the firelight engulfed the entire scene.

Li Hanxiang then shouted, "Stop! That's a wrap! Filming is finished!!"

There were no shouts, no expressions of relief.

They simply gazed at the firelight, their thoughts drifting elsewhere.