Huayu98: Starting with mentoring pop divas

Andy Lau joined in with a smile, further enhancing the already lively atmosphere created by Li Shuo's cooking performance.

Looking at the source of his teppanyaki mastery skill, a reward from the system, the male protagonist of the movie "Blind Detective" sat across from the control panel with an expectant look on his face.

A strange, absurd feeling of being "immersed" arose in Li Shuo's heart.

"Hello, Uncle Hua!" Li Shuo greeted him with a smile and a nod as he worked on his hands.

"Hey~ Call me Brother Hua! Wow, it smells so good! I can smell it from way over there."

Andy Lau blended in naturally and then looked at Wong Jing.

"Brother Jing, is this young man Li Shuo, whom Sammi asked to take care of? Did you help with his plan to film in the United States? Sammi specifically called to remind me."

Wang Jing immediately perked up, pointing at Li Shuo with the excitement of discovering a treasure.

"More than just good at it! I'm even planning to ask a senior director from Hong Kong who works in America for help. Andy, you have no idea, this kid is amazing! Just now on set, there was a communication problem with Ms. Yada, and he sorted it out in fluent Japanese. That's not all, the camera crew was short-staffed, and he stepped in and took over the camera. His basic skills are solid! And now it's even more incredible, look at his teppanyaki skills, I'd believe it if you said he came from a family of culinary masters!"

Upon hearing this, Andy Lau looked at Li Shuo again in surprise.

"No way? That's all-around amazing?"

He then said to everyone, "When Sammi asked me to play a few songs he wrote, the quality was absolutely professional! I originally thought he was just a genius in music creation, but I didn't expect him to be such a talented and handsome guy."

These words immediately caused a stir at the table.

Huang Sanshi paused with his chopsticks, his eyes widening.

"Wow! Really? You wrote a song? And the Hong Kong music diva values ​​it so much?"

Qu Yin also covered her mouth in amazement.

"Wow, Li Shuo, you've been hiding your true abilities all along!"

The two, who had just been enjoying a meal and chatting, were even more surprised to learn that Li Shuo grew up in Beijing. Their relationship had already become much closer.

Shu Qi, who had been eating quietly, suddenly raised her head.

Those eyes, which had been filled with weariness, suddenly lit up and looked straight at Li Shuo.

She also dreams of being a singer and has a natural admiration for talented music creators; at this moment, her eyes began to show an undisguised curiosity.

Li Shuo seemed unfazed by everyone's stares, and humbly continued flipping the food on the hot plate.

"No, no, you're too kind, seniors."

Huang Sanshi, who was standing next to him, was quite amused. Although he hadn't managed to show off his "skills," he didn't feel overshadowed at all. On the contrary, he felt proud of his fellow villager Li Shuo's performance.

He gathered all the ingredients and the meal plan himself. The chef is from my hometown in Beijing, and he felt very proud to have this meal!

The atmosphere grew increasingly lively.

After a satisfying meal, the conversation drifted off into casual topics.

Having just heard that Li Shuo was going to the United States to film a horror movie, Qu Yin unconsciously brought up the Japanese film "The Ring" which has recently caused a stir in Asia!

"That Sadako is so scary! I heard it terrified a lot of people when it was shown in Japan. I'm afraid to answer the landline at night now..." she said, shivering as she spoke.

Girls are always both afraid and curious about this kind of topic.

Shu Qi couldn't help but whisper in response.

"I borrowed that videotape, and now I regret it... The quieter it is at night, the more creeped out I feel... I have my assistant with me every day..."

Li Shuo then translated the conversation into Japanese for Yada Hikaru, who was listening to the discussion and seemed a bit confused.

The other person nodded immediately, adding with a mysterious expression, "When it was released, many people screamed in the cinema. Some even... chained up their TVs at home."

After listening to Li Shuo's translation, Shu Qi didn't find it amusing at all; she even considered trying it herself when she got back.

The women chatted about their feelings, while director Wong Jing and Andy Lau talked from the perspective of industry insiders.

Wong Jing stroked his chin and said self-deprecatingly, "The original novel has a good story foundation, and the adaptation is also good. It crams fear into everyday life—telephone, television—you can't escape it. Then look at our Hong Kong horror films..."

He sighed.

"It's not that we don't want to make them, it's that the market won't allow it. Hollywood is pressing in, piracy is rampant, and investors only dare to bet on comedy and action. Horror films? The budgets are meager, we can't produce decent special effects, and all we have left are old tropes like 'Seven Days to Resurrect' and 'Zombie Master,' which audiences are already tired of."

Andy Lau couldn't resist eating another piece of grilled abalone, his expression turning serious.

"What Brother Jing is saying is the current situation. But the creative process itself has also reached a dead end."

He put down his chopsticks.

"Why were the early 'Haunted House' films so scary? They relied on local folklore and resentment. What about now? Today's 'horror films' in Hong Kong are too superficial."

He looked at Li Shuo and continued, "Take zombie movies for example. 'Mr. Vampire' was the pioneer, and Master Lam Ching-ying became a golden brand. But what happened later? As soon as they saw how much money they made, everyone rushed to imitate and make similar films, hoping to make quick money. They made film after film, Taoist priests, disciples, Qing Dynasty official robes, added some boring comedy, and even some eroticism? They completely wore away that mysterious 'evil aura.' Either they tried to imitate Western zombies, but only learned the superficial aspects, and ended up failing at both, losing touch with reality."

Andy Lau wiped his mouth and concluded, "So when I heard that this young man wanted to go to the United States to make an independent horror film, I actually admire him a bit. At least, the younger generation still has ideas and the ability to execute them."

As the two filmmakers shared their analysis and regrets about the current state of Hong Kong horror films, Li Shuo, who was brushing honey onto a plate of sweet grilled pineapple, twitched slightly at their words.

"Who said... we don't have any good horror stories to film here?"

He turned down the heat, put down the brush, and spoke softly, yet the table fell silent.

"Hmm?" Qu Yin opened her eyes wide with curiosity.

"Is there anything scarier than Sadako crawling out of the TV?"

Several men also showed expressions of interest.

Wang Jing initially didn't take it seriously, but thinking about the series of unexpected events Li Shuo had brought today, she couldn't help but sit up straight.

"Oh? Li Shuo, you're saying you have something on hand? Tell me about it."

Li Shuo thought about it... Okay, she's the one!

He cleared his throat and adopted a low, slow tone, as if he were telling a story on a midnight radio station.

"Speaking of which, a few years ago my dad bought an old house on Hong Kong Island. He liked it because it was quiet and cheap, and he wanted to repurpose it."

His gaze slowly swept over the crowd, lingering particularly on the faces of several women.

"The house looks alright on the outside, but inside... there's always a lingering, faint musty smell, like something is slowly rotting in the walls and under the floor. The neighbors all say that a family of three used to live there. The woman's surname was Ye, and her name was Ye Jiazi. She was very withdrawn, and then... she mysteriously disappeared."

He spoke calmly, but deliberately paused at the phrase "disappeared without a trace."

"My dad sent someone to do a quick cleaning. The worker came back and said that at the very back of the attic, there was a small, locked room. The lock was rusted shut, but the area under the door... was exceptionally clean, without a speck of dust, as if something... often crawled out of there."

Shu Qi unconsciously hugged his own arm.

Qu Yin moved closer to Huang Sanshi.

Li Shuo's voice became even softer, and the sound of the waves in the background seemed to have disappeared from everyone's ears!

"The strangest thing is that people always hear strange 'creaking...creaking...' sounds coming from that empty house, especially on rainy days, like someone being choked and struggling to breathe. And...the sound of children playing marbles, rolling back and forth on the ceiling...but there's no one upstairs at all."

He paused, looked at the breathless expressions on everyone's faces, and slowly uttered a sentence.

"Later, a prospective tenant, refusing to believe in such superstitions, actually pried open the small attic room... Guess what he saw?"

A sea breeze swept through the hall, carrying a cool sensation.

The ladies at the table had already unconsciously clenched their hands, both afraid and unable to help but widen their eyes, waiting for what would happen next.

Wong Jing and Andy Lau exchanged a meaningful glance, clearly both captivated by the opening scene, which was brimming with local suspense.

Looking at the expressions on everyone's faces, Li Shuo thought to himself with amusement.

Sadako from "The Ring" versus me, a "bandit version" of Kayako from "Ju-on" (Ye Jiazi)—can I handle having a child with me?!