Chapter 00101: Hong Kongers Are Also Country Bumpkins
# Hong Kongers Are Also Country Bumpkins
Chapter 101
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 101: Hong Kongers Are Also Country Bumpkins
Night, Room 302.
The weather was getting warmer.
Chen Qi, wearing a sleeveless shirt and thin pants, sat at his desk, engrossed in writing.
The Great Wall Company had been a great help this time, sending people to accompany the Yuan brothers on their trip north, saving them a lot of trouble.
The bond between them was undeniably deep.
Chen Qi had always been clear about gratitude and grudges.
If you gave him a bowl of rice, he would return a feast.
If you glared at him, he would wipe out your entire family.
He wanted to repay them in some way, and the only thing he could offer at the moment was a script.
Writing plays for the leftists was quite troublesome.
Nowadays, the leftists were also bound by many restrictions.
For example, feudal superstitions couldn’t be filmed—except for Liaozhai, because it was a classic, and the same went for Journey to the West.
Secondly, local Hong Kong plays couldn’t be written.
Chen Qi had never been to Hong Kong, so how could he write about it?
Big productions were also out of the question.
They were costly, time-consuming, and the leftists had very few directors and actors available.
Without big stars to anchor the production, it would be doomed to fail.
Chen Qi’s goal was to make quick money with low-budget films.
They couldn’t be too ahead of their time, or the audience wouldn’t accept them.
They had to be simple and straightforward.
After much deliberation, he settled on the horror genre.
No ghosts allowed, but monsters were fine, right? Supernatural abilities were also acceptable, right?
Once he decided on the genre, he started listing potential films:
Island of Fear? Trash.
Unless they got actresses like Amy Yip, Veronica Yip, and Peng Dan to star, with the three of them standing on the bow of a ship in swimsuits, leaning forward to show off their assets like Yang Mi.
The Eye? A good film, with a supernatural twist, but it wasn’t simple or straightforward enough.
It was the kind of film that could win both critical acclaim and box office success, but releasing it now would be a waste.
The Wicked Ghost? Forget it.
That one had real ghosts, and Chu Renmei was a frequent guest in online novels about multiple universes.
After some more thought, he turned his attention to Hollywood, planning to borrow some ideas and adapt them.
With a sea of material to draw from, inspiration hit him like a burst dam, and his creativity flowed like a spring.
He quickly jotted down a synopsis:
A group of young people go camping in the countryside.
Their car suddenly gets a flat tire, and they’re stranded in a remote area with no way to call for help.
By chance, they discover a mountain cabin filled with terrifying weapons, jars containing dozens of human teeth, bloody severed limbs, and a grotesque, mutated cannibal!
All the young people are killed, except for one girl who manages to escape.
She encounters a journalist who has come to the countryside for an interview.
Together, they battle the cannibal and eventually uncover the secret: the cannibals are actually descendants of the Japanese!
Back when the Japanese occupied Hong Kong, they conducted biological experiments here.
After Japan’s defeat, they withdrew but abandoned the researchers.
The researchers, infected by a virus, mutated and hid in the mountains, where they had children who also mutated, becoming incredibly strong, mentally impaired, and bloodthirsty…
Chen Qi finished the draft in one go and nodded in satisfaction.
Not bad, not bad!
With some time to spare, he decided to outline another story:
A group of people go camping—yes, camping young people are the first major group in horror films.
This time, they’re all women who accidentally discover a mysterious cave and decide to explore it.
Inside, they find monsters!
These monsters resemble humans but have no vision, relying solely on hearing to hunt.
They are incredibly agile and quickly slaughter the group of cannon fodder.
The female lead struggles and struggles but ultimately fails to escape.
And what are these monsters?
Well, back when the Japanese occupied Hong Kong, some civilians fled to the mountains to hide.
A few of them hid in this cave and never came out, eventually mutating into monsters.
They were pitiful creatures!
These two stories were adapted from Wrong Turn and The Descent, both classic low-budget horror films.
Chen Qi’s adaptations didn’t involve much localization, except for the element of Japanese invasion.
The Japanese occupied Hong Kong from December 25, 1941, to August 15, 1945, commonly referred to as the “three years and eight months.”
While Hong Kongers often fawned over the British and Americans, they had no love for the Japanese.
They frequently beat up Japanese villains in movies.
Unlike Taiwan, which had been under Japanese rule for 50 years and had developed a certain affection for them, Hong Kongers had no such feelings.
These two films were guaranteed to make money, as long as the leftists didn’t mess things up.
If handled well, they could even be sold overseas, where this style was even more popular.
Chen Qi had even thought of the director: Mou Tun-fei, known for Men Behind the Sun and The Young Heroes!
Chen Qi genuinely wanted to give the leftists a boost.
He wasn’t stingy with his ideas.
If the leftists did well, his own future would be easier.
…………
On the set of Tai Chi, the scenery was already being built.
The exterior of the Seven Heroes Tower would be filmed on location, while the interior would be built on set.
Each of the seven masters had their own unique style.
The first to be filmed was Kim Bong-jin, a Korean wanderer skilled in leg techniques, who had once killed a Siberian tiger and a black bear.
The set was decorated in a traditional Korean style, with classical screens, long tables, and tea sets.
Li Wenhua inspected the set and said, “Qingli, how about hanging a few shaman masks on the wall?”
“Whatever you say, we’ll do it.”
A man in his forties responded lazily.
His name was Zhao Qingli, and he was the props master.
“Then get to it. Make a few more masks!”
Li Wenhua frowned slightly.
He didn’t like this guy, but he had no choice but to use him.
As mentioned earlier, the Beijing Film Studio had four creative teams, each with its own director, assistant director, cinematographer, art director, and so on.
Each team worked on their own projects without interfering with the others.
Li Wenhua was part of this team, so he had to use the people from this team.
Starting a project meant subsidies and benefits.
If he didn’t use these people and brought in outsiders, there would be trouble.
Zhao Qingli had been working as a props master at the studio for years, training apprentices.
He shouted to his young assistants, “Director Li has spoken! What are you waiting for? Go find some masks!”
Once the apprentices left, he smiled and said, “Director Li, we’ve worked together for years, so I’ll be honest with you. You’re a veteran, with real talent. Why are you being so polite to that outsider? That kid is only 20 years old. What does a 20-year-old amount to in this studio? Just because the studio head favors him?”
“Don’t talk nonsense. We’re working well together. Just finish setting up the scene.”
Li Wenhua didn’t want to discuss this and walked away.
Zhao Qingli smirked.
Many people in the studio disliked that kid, and he, along with Huang Jianzhong and his group, were among them.
…………
“Second Brother, do you think we’ll succeed this time? I still feel like we’re being a bit reckless.”
“We’re already here. Can we just turn back? Let’s treat it like a job. And remember, we’re using fake names. Don’t reveal our real identities.”
“I know!”
“Sigh, we’ve never worked with the mainland before. I wonder what the actors are like. If they don’t meet our standards, it’ll be a real headache.”
Meanwhile, on their way to the Beijing Film Studio, the Yuan brothers were whispering to each other.
The Yuan family had seven children, with Yuen Woo-ping being the second eldest.
He had also formed a sworn brotherhood, ranking eighth, and was later respectfully called “Eighth Master” in the martial arts world.
This time, they had come north under the guise of being technical staff from the Great Wall Company, using pseudonyms.
They arrived at the studio early in the morning, at the same soundstage, where the crew had already gathered.
“Hello, sir!”
“Hello, teacher!”
“Hello, master!”
Jet Li, Yu Cheng-hui, and others came forward to shake hands, addressing them in various ways.
Yuen Woo-ping smiled and greeted them, secretly observing them.
He suddenly felt a sense of balance: Who said the Yuan family was the ugliest? The mainlanders looked pretty strange too!
“We’re new here, and this is our first time working with everyone. Let’s communicate well and discuss things if any issues arise.”
Yuen Woo-ping stood in front of the group and said, “I’m not familiar with all of you yet, but I’ve heard that you’re all martial arts champions. Could you show us your skills? That way, I can design moves based on your strengths.”
“No problem!”
“Let’s see who goes first…”
Chen Qi stepped forward, pointing at Jet Li. “Xiao Li, you go first!”
“Alright!”
When it came to martial arts performances, Jet Li feared no one.
He took off his jacket, stepped forward, and demonstrated a set of Fanzi Quan.
Fanzi Quan had a long history, emphasizing eight flashes and twelve flips.
It was compact, powerful, and fast, with fists raining down like a storm, the stance low and agile.
It was a common martial arts routine.
This was Jet Li’s specialty.
His performance was smooth and fluid, each move executed seamlessly, like a string of firecrackers going off—crisp, fast, and dazzling.
It was commonly known as the “Fanzi Firecracker Chain!”
“…”
The Yuan brothers were stunned!
The first requirement for martial arts routines was smoothness, precision, and natural power.
Jet Li was a master at this.
Where could you find such talent in Hong Kong?
That’s why, when he first arrived in Hong Kong, the film industry treated him like a treasure.
He also had strong overseas appeal.
While he never topped the annual box office in Hong Kong, at his peak, his salary was second only to Jackie Chan, higher than Chow Yun-fat and Stephen Chow, because his films sold well overseas.
Stephen Chow was a legend in the Chinese-speaking world, but his brand of humor didn’t translate well overseas.
His true international breakthrough came with Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle—ultimately, it still came down to kung fu.
“Good, good… you, you…”
Yuen Woo-ping was a bit tongue-tied.
Chen Qi helped him out. “Show us your best move!”
“No problem!”
Without hesitation, Jet Li took a few steps back, did a short run-up, and leaped into the air, spinning 360 degrees before landing with a spinning kick, steady as a rock! This was a combination move from the “Optional Long Fist” routine in martial arts competitions.
“He can also do a one-handed spear thrust in mid-air, spinning kick into a split with a bayonet stab…”
“Alright, alright! We’ve seen enough. He’s top-notch. Let’s see the next person!” Yuen Woo-ping quickly interjected.
“…”
Jet Li clasped his hands in a salute, then turned back to the group, winking at them as if to say: Hong Kongers are just as clueless—they’re country bumpkins too!
(End of Chapter)