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

After the performance, Li Jiangbo and Zhang Xinyan discussed various matters, including casting and filming locations for "Shaolin Temple".

When the topic of filming locations came up, Li Jiangbo's brows furrowed into a knot.

"Director Li, there's another problem, which is the filming location. I heard from Director Chen Wen that the Shaolin Temple area is now overgrown with waist-high weeds, a desolate wasteland, and there isn't even a decent road."

"Moreover, there are hardly any martial monks in the temple, only about ten old monks over seventy years old."

Upon hearing Zhang Xinyan's words, Li Jiangbo remembered that more than fifty years ago, the Shaolin Temple had been burned to the ground by the warlord Shi Yousan.

Things like boxing manuals and Buddhist scriptures were also burned cleanly.

From that time on, Shaolin Temple's fortunes declined day by day. The monks either left or died.

He pondered for a moment, then said, "Director Zhang, how about this? You go find someone to scout locations, and we'll just hang up the Shaolin Temple sign and film there. I refuse to believe we can't find a suitable place to film in the whole country."

Zhang Xinyan slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Director Li is right! Okay, I'll find someone to scout locations right away."

After discussing their matters, the two parted ways.

Li Jiangbo returned to the hotel and went to find Lin Qingxia first.

He knocked on the door, and only after receiving Lin Qingxia's permission did Li Jiangbo push the door open and enter.

As soon as I entered the room, I saw Lin Qingxia sitting by the window, lost in thought, holding a note in her hand.

"Miss Lin, have you eaten yet?"

Brigitte Lin shook her head and uttered three words expressionlessly, "I can't eat."

Li Jiangbo frowned and said worriedly, "You can't not eat. Otherwise, your health will collapse before you even find your sister."

Before Lin Qingxia could refuse, he went straight to the bedside table where the phone was, picked it up, and dialed the service desk.

"Hello! Is this the service counter? Do you still have anything to eat?"

A waiter's simple voice came from the other end of the phone, "Sir, we still have some food here. Would you like me to bring it over?"

"Bring it to room XXX."

Not long after, a waiter wearing a floral shirt brought the food and placed it on the coffee table in the room.

After the waiter left, Li Jiangbo said, "Have some. Although it doesn't have the same color, aroma, and flavor as Hong Kong and Taiwan, it has its own unique taste."

Lin Qingxia ate some food after being persuaded by Li Jiangbo, but then said she was full.

Li Jiangbo didn't try to persuade her further. After Lin Qingxia put down her chopsticks, he picked up his own chopsticks and began to eat heartily.

After he had eaten and drunk his fill, he took out a cigarette and offered it to Lin Qingxia.

"Want one?"

Lin Qingxia shook her head. "No, thank you."

Li Jiangbo lit a cigarette and asked, "Can you tell me the specifics about your sister?"

Brigitte Lin nodded. "I heard from my parents that they left my eldest sister during a turbulent time. At that time, my eldest sister was only four months old. My poor eldest sister lost her parents when she was only four months old."

At this point, she was already sobbing uncontrollably.

Li Jiangbo sighed, tore off some paper, and handed it to Lin Qingxia.

Brigitte Lin took the tissue, wiped her tears, and continued, choking back sobs, "I wonder if my eldest sister... has been doing well... all these years."

Before she could finish speaking, she started sobbing again.

Li Jiangbo tore off some more papers, handed them to Brigitte Lin, and then asked in a deep voice, "Do you have a specific address?"

It took Lin Qingxia a while to react, and she quickly handed the note in her hand to Li Jiangbo.

"Yes, it's Linquanzhuang in Laiyang City, Shandong Province. My father wrote it for me, so it shouldn't be wrong."

Li Jiangbo glanced at the words on the note, nodded, and remained silent.

After Lin Qingxia calmed down, she looked up at Li Jiangbo and asked, "Director Li, did your business go smoothly today?"

"It's alright, it's just that there are some problems with the film crew."

Lin Qingxia asked curiously, "What trouble?"

Li Jiangbo then briefly recounted what he had discussed with Zhang Xinyan that day.

When he finally mentioned the martial arts team, he couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"You know what? I went to the Yanjing Wushu Team this afternoon."

"A martial arts team? The kind of team that trains in kung fu?"

Li Jiangbo nodded. "Yes. Director Zhang took me there, saying he wanted me to check out a movie role, but who knew he already had someone in mind."

"There are already people here, why would I call you?"

He shook his head. "I don't know, but I guess this guy probably pulled me into the crew because he was afraid of being scolded by his superiors if the filming wasn't good."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "However, this guy has a really sharp eye. Take the lead actor he chose, for example. He's only eighteen years old, but he's already a several-time national martial arts champion."

Lin Qingxia exclaimed in surprise, "That amazing?"

"And that's not all! Those young men, the youngest of whom is only ten years old, all have excellent martial arts skills. Their somersaults, stunts, and weapon handling are all incredibly smooth and fluid. I feel they are on par with the stuntmen in Hong Kong."

At this moment, a smile finally appeared on Brigitte Lin's face. She regretted not going with Li Jiangbo to broaden her horizons today.

After Li Jiangbo talked about a few more martial arts team members, she interjected, "Director Li, do you think these people will all go on to make movies?"

Li Jiangbo pondered for a moment, "I can't guarantee that, but I'd like to poach that kid Li Lianjie to make movies in Hong Kong."

"Then I really need to make time to meet Li Lianjie, who is so highly praised by Director Li."

"There will be opportunities, there definitely will be!"

The two chatted for a while longer until it got completely dark.

Li Jiangbo checked the time and said, "Miss Lin, get some rest. I'll accompany you to Laiyang tomorrow."

Lin Qingxia was taken aback. "Director Li, aren't you going to make a movie?"

Li Jiangbo waved his hand, "I'm not filming, I'm just a producer. Besides, those things aren't urgent, there's still some time before filming starts. But this matter of yours can't be delayed any longer."

Brigitte Lin's eyes reddened slightly, and she choked up as she said, "Thank you, Director Li."

"No need to thank me. We're both Chinese, it's only right that you help me and I help you. Besides, I brought you here, so it's my responsibility to bring you back."

After saying that, he left without looking back.

The next morning, the two boarded a train bound for Shandong.

Trains in the early 1980s were slow and crowded.

The green train was full of all sorts of strange and wonderful people.

Li Jiangbo would be truly worried if Lin Qingxia were to go to Shandong alone to search for her relatives.

He asked someone at the Beijing Film Studio to get him two hard sleeper tickets, hoping to make the journey more comfortable.

The train journey took a day and a night, and the two finally arrived in Laiyang City on the evening of the second day.

This is where Li Jiangbo's role becomes apparent.

He first asked someone to find a guesthouse in the county town with similar facilities, where he rested for one night.

The next day, Li Jiangbo got another car.

The two drove towards their final destination.