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

After all the film's main cast and crew walked the red carpet, the Jade Theatre officially began checking tickets and admitting guests.

Xu Ke, accompanied by his girlfriend Shi Nansheng, also went through the ticket check with the crowd. As a member of the New Wave directors, he was very curious about the promotional video edited by Li Jiangbo.

The term "New Wave" originated from a magazine.

In August 1978, a film magazine called "Close-Up" published an article titled "The New Wave of Hong Kong Cinema: Reformers Challenging Tradition," which for the first time used the term "New Wave" to define the films made by directors who had returned from studying abroad in the late 1970s and early 1980s, based on the scenery and culture of Hong Kong.

Notable directors of later generations include: Ann Hui, Patrick Tam, Fang Yuping, Zhang Guoming, Yu Yunkang, etc., all directors of the urban new wave.

These people, despite being at the height of their fame, mostly produce films that are critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful.

When Xu Ke learned that Li Jiangbo was going to hold a movie premiere, he immediately called the Time News and reserved movie tickets for the premiere.

As he walked forward, someone tapped him on the shoulder.

Xu Ke turned his head and saw that it was Xu Anhua, who was on good terms with him.

Xu Ke immediately smiled and said, "An Hua, you're here too?"

Xu Anhua took a step to the left, stepping aside to reveal the others. "It's not just me, there's also Puzhi, Yunkang, and Jiaming!"

Xu Ke laughed loudly, "Haha, I knew you guys couldn't contain your curiosity."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, everyone followed the crowd forward.

After everyone found their seats, they were surprised to find that their seats were next to each other.

Xu Anhua nudged Xu Ke on the shoulder and laughed, "Any new films coming up lately?"

Xu Ke shook his head. "I just came to see Director Li's new movie to find some inspiration! By the way, Director Li, did you study abroad?"

Tan Jiaming laughed and said, "Are you really unaware, or are you pretending not to know? Director Li started out making erotic films, and it seems he learned from the great director Li Hanxiang."

"Then why do I feel that Director Li's films are even more New Wave than those of us New Wave directors?"

Leung Po-chi chuckled, "Actually, his film 'Happy Ghost' had a bit of a New Wave feel to it, quite different from the old filming techniques. What I admire most is the promotional video that TVB aired; that technique...tsk..."

Yu Yunkang also exclaimed in admiration, "Indeed, his technique makes him seem more like a New Wave director, while we look like country bumpkins!"

Upon hearing this, everyone burst into laughter.

Finally, the reporters entered. They were invited by Li Jiangbo, so they didn't have to rush in with the audience and could even shoot some footage to use as tomorrow's headline news.

When they entered the theater, they found that all the seats were already taken, leaving only the third row for them.

The Jade Theatre can accommodate more than a thousand people. Apart from the reporters invited by Li Jiangbo, the rest of the audience bought tickets to watch the movie. At a ticket price of 20 yuan, the premiere only grossed a little over 10,000 yuan.

But thanks to this premiere, Li Jiangbo's film "A Better Tomorrow" can generate a significant increase in box office revenue.

As the theater lights gradually focused, Zhao Yazhi and Pan Yingzi, dressed in evening gowns and holding microphones, walked onto the stage.

Both women bowed to the audience. Zhao Yazhi, holding the microphone, spoke first: "Thank you to all the friends and media reporters present for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend the premiere of 'A Better Tomorrow'..."

Finally, the two announced in unison, "Next, please welcome Leslie Cheung to perform the song 'The Way We Were'."

Xu Ke looked around and whispered to Shi Nansheng beside him, "They're putting on a show before even showing the film. This is kind of interesting!"

"Enjoy it attentively."

After the host left the stage, Leslie Cheung took a deep breath before slowly walking onto the stage. He had rehearsed this song for a long time; he didn't want to embarrass Time Pictures or Li Jiangbo.

But before going on stage, his legs were still a little weak, and his mind was filled with the hats he had thrown out during past performances, which flew back into his hands.

As the prelude to "The Way We Were" began, Leslie Cheung immediately got into character, his clear yet melancholic voice resonating throughout the theater.

"A gentle laugh brings me warmth..."

Tan Jiaming nodded slightly. "The voice is captivating, the emotions are conveyed accurately, but I've never heard of this person before!"

Xu Anhua closed his eyes in rapture, "Hmm! It sounds good. I knew he played the lead role in 'Happy Ghost'."

As the music ended and the applause had not yet subsided, the stage lights suddenly became rhythmic.

Teresa Carpio, dressed in a long black dress, gracefully walked to the center of the stage.

When the rhythm of "Shanghai Bund" started, the audience below the stage screamed.

The moment they opened their mouths, everyone was captivated. Teresa Teng and Frances Yip had completely different voices; one was deep and affectionate, the other was melodious and lingering. However, both voices were indeed beautiful.

"The waves surge and flow, the mighty river never ceases its roar..."

Fang Yihua looked at Wang Tianlin beside her with a puzzled expression. Wang Tianlin smiled awkwardly and said, "This song was written by Bozai. At the time, we only bought the usage rights."

Fang Yihua rolled her eyes at Wang Tianlin, said nothing more, and turned back to continue watching the performance.

Zhou Runfa and Zhao Yazhi, dressed in costumes from the TV series "Shanghai Bund," danced on stage as backup dancers for Teresa Teng.

Shao Yifu gave Li Jiangbo a meaningful look, "Bo-zai, you..."

Li Jiangbo smiled but didn't say anything.

What? I filmed it, and I own the copyright to the song. Can't I even let people sing it?

The audience below the stage screamed in surprise. Almost everyone had seen last year's "Shanghai Bund". Some even shouted Xu Wenqiang and Feng Chengcheng.

As the performance ended, Teresa Teng slowly walked off the stage, with audience members shouting, "One more song!"

Li Jiangbo pondered for a long time. Should he start a record company? Although he only had Teresa Teng under his wing, her stage presence was undeniably professional...

A round of applause pulled him back to reality. On stage, Rosamund Kwan, Zhu Lin, Cherie Chung, and a children's choir were performing "Tomorrow Will Be Better".

Li Jiangbo frowned as he looked at the three of them. He had originally wanted to have the then-unknown Anita Mui mentor them. However, Zhao Yazhi hadn't been able to win over Anita Mui's mother, so he could only have them perform with the children's choir.

At this moment, some people in the audience couldn't help but clap along.

While watching the program, Shao Yifu whispered to Li Jiangbo, "Bo-zai, this song is great!"

Yu Yunkang turned to Liang Puzhi and sighed, "The song choice was good, and the timing was right. It wasn't overly sentimental, but it was effective."

After all the songs were performed, more than a dozen men dressed in black martial arts uniforms lined up and went on stage. These were the bodyguards that Li Jiangbo had hired from the mainland.

The captain, who was leading the group, clasped his hands in a salute and gave a low shout, and the group got into fighting stances.

In the following minutes, the audience was stunned by the display of solid martial arts fundamentals, with powerful punches and kicks; the hard qigong performances, such as breaking bricks with bare hands and thrusting steel spears into throats, left them speechless and exclaiming in amazement.

Every solid impact was clearly audible, a testament to genuine skill without any embellishment.

The reporters practically stood up, stretching their arms to take pictures; this is definitely going to be the most eye-catching photo news tomorrow!

The New Wave directors also dropped their relaxed expressions.

Zhang Guoming's eyes widened. "Where did they find these martial arts stuntmen?!"

Fang Yuping murmured, "They don't seem like Dragon Tiger Martial Artists. Look how ruthless they are."

Li Jiangbo watched the performance on stage and smiled slightly. These people had all been on the battlefield. How could the Dragon Tiger Martial Arts Masters compare to them?

Meanwhile, Uncle Shell, the head of Hutchison Whampoa, who was in the audience, couldn't help but shudder as he watched the performance on stage. He was very glad that he hadn't refused to sign the papers that day.

As the performance ended, all the lights went out, leaving only a faint reflection from the screen, and thunderous applause continued for a long time.