Chapter 00111: A Heart of Red
# A Heart of Red
Chapter 111
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 111: A Heart of Red
The people from the Great Wall Company flipped through the script, and the first thing they saw was a grotesque, mutated, and deformed ogre.
A massive head, bald in the middle with a pointed top and protruding bones.
Two bluish-purple birthmark-like marks hung on the skull.
Triangular eyes, one big and one small.
A huge nose that took up a third of the face.
A mouth open wide, revealing beast-like sharp teeth...
This was a male.
Behind him was a female, and then a child standing two meters tall.
It turned out to be a family of three.
Beside them was a written description: Descendants of infected biochemical experiment researchers left behind when Japan occupied Hong Kong.
They were siblings by blood and had a child together.
The child had some intelligence and immense strength.
They accidentally killed a couple, tasted human flesh, and became addicted to it, taking pleasure in hunting passersby...
Further on, there were more written drafts and sketches.
The people from Great Wall were shocked:
This kind of setting was considered extremely dark even in Hong Kong, and yet it came from a young man from the mainland, complete with sketches! This meant that what Chen Qi had handed them wasn’t just a script, but almost a complete film.
He then glanced at Dark Descent, which had a similar style, equally dark.
"Xiao Chen, what’s the meaning of this?"
"You know I’ve always liked to let my imagination run wild. I’ve read a lot of miscellaneous books, and I have a lot of similar ideas in my head. But you know the environment on the mainland—it’s impossible to realize them there. Secondly, I’ve been paying attention to your situation, so I came up with some ideas. If I’m wrong, please forgive me."
Chen Qi paused and continued, "The left-wing faction has been stagnant for the past few years. Not only have they not produced anything, but they’ve also exhausted all the funds, resources, and reputation they had accumulated. Now they’re in an awkward position, struggling to develop... Am I right?"
"Ah, that’s exactly the case!" The other person sighed.
"If the left-wing faction wants to rise again, they need to produce a few standout films first, make some money. Without money, nothing can be done, right?"
"We understand this, but..."
"But you’re lacking resources and don’t know where to start?"
"You really know us well. Seems like you’ve done your homework!" The other person suddenly laughed.
"Because I admire everything you’ve done to establish yourselves in Hong Kong, and I want to help in some way. You’re working on Shaolin Temple now, and to be honest, that’s a political task—you have to do it. Most of your resources are tied up in Shaolin Temple, and Director Zhang is slow at filming. You can’t just spend two years doing nothing but producing Shaolin Temple, right? So I thought, why not make some low-budget, profitable films? I’ve done a lot of research, including the materials you sent me from Hong Kong. I found that movies about ghosts, monsters, and scaring the audience often do well. Like in 1974, when your box office rankings had The Exorcist at fifth place, right?"
"Yes, yes, that’s a classic Hollywood horror film about a Western priest exorcising a demon."
"Oh, you call it a horror film. Anyway, I focused on that direction and came up with these two scripts. No big scenes, no big-name actors, so the cost shouldn’t be too high. I set the background as descendants of Japanese soldiers, so the mainland won’t object."
Despite the so-called "honeymoon period" between China and Japan, it was all based on developmental needs.
In reality, there was no honeymoon.
Let’s just say, even during the most amicable period in the 1980s, anti-Japanese films never stopped in China.
Or rather, from the founding of the nation to the present, anti-Japanese themes have always been at the forefront of the mainstream.
Otherwise, there wouldn’t be so many ridiculous dramas under the guise of anti-Japanese themes—tearing apart Japanese soldiers with bare hands, hiding grenades in pants, buns that could both be eaten and used as bombs, and the Eighth Route Army soldiers always dressed impeccably with better equipment than the Japanese...
"Of course, this is just my personal opinion. I’m young and inexperienced, so if I’ve said anything wrong, please don’t mind."
"No, no, you’re absolutely right!"
At this moment, the people from Great Wall felt incredibly conflicted.
They had hoped for some support from the mainland, but in the end, it was an unknown young screenwriter who had handed them two solid scripts.
The situation was quite simple.
After the reform and opening-up, the mainland’s policy toward Hong Kong shifted to "elite unification."
What did that mean?
It meant that the mainland sought to win over the elites in Hong Kong’s political, business, cultural, and even entertainment circles, focusing on the upper echelons.
Even Jin Yong’s visit to the mainland next year was a result of this elite unification.
So in this environment, the left-wing faction’s situation was as awkward as it could be.
"I’m just a small figure, but my heart is sincere and true. When I met Fu Qi and Shi Hui last time, I regretted not having the chance to talk more. I have a letter here, and I hope you can pass it on to them to express my admiration."
Chen Qi spoke from the heart, genuinely fond of this couple.
Their daughter was also very beautiful.
"Alright, I’ll definitely pass it on!"
"Thank you. These two scripts are quick and straightforward. If handled well, they could be released in a few months... Ah, if only I could visit Hong Kong and see the film environment there firsthand, I might gain deeper insights. But it’s hard to get out."
Visit Hong Kong?
The people from Great Wall had a thought and took a closer look at Chen Qi.
He was young and capable—no need to mention that, as they had seen firsthand how he managed things on the set of Tai Chi.
More importantly, he had a broad perspective.
With just a bit of information, he had analyzed and judged Hong Kong’s situation so accurately, almost like a strategist planning victories from a thousand miles away.
The left-wing faction was in dire need of talent, and this was the perfect time.
He suppressed this thought, planning to report it to Fu Qi when he returned to Hong Kong.
…………
As for his attitude toward Hong Kong, Chen Qi always advocated two words: "Take it down!"
Unfortunately, the current environment didn’t allow for a direct approach.
He couldn’t strike hard, so he had to use a softer touch.
He had crossed over, and while he could let go of pursuing Gong Xue, He Qing, Chen Hong, or Tao Huimin, he had to make his mark in Hong Kong’s entertainment industry!
"Knock, knock, knock!"
Just as he had sent off the people from Great Wall and was about to sleep, there was a knock at the door.
Liang Xiaosheng came in with a stack of papers.
"Xiao Chen, I’ve finished the first half of Shanghai 1937. Would you like to take a look?"
"Oh, sure!"
Chen Qi took it and skimmed through it, focusing on the beginning and the end.
He smiled and said, "Old Liang, your skill at writing popular fiction has improved a lot. You’re much better than me now."
"Actually, once you get the hang of it, it’s not that hard to write."
Liang Xiaosheng lit a cigarette, feeling rather proud.
Since last September, every two months, Chen Qi had been publishing the first half of The Cotton Robe and Invincible Mandarin Duck Legs in Story Magazine, while they collaborated on the second half and Wudang.
Liang Xiaosheng earned 88 yuan for each installment, and in just half a year, he had made 264 yuan.
With money in his pocket, a man’s confidence grows.
Now, he spoke with his chest puffed out.
Shanghai 1937 was also a famous work from the 1980s, directed by Zhang Che when he came north.
It told the story of a group of people fighting against the Japanese in old Shanghai.
One of the characters was "Little Knife Yang Fan," played by Dong Zhihua.
Dong Zhihua was Dong Zijian’s father, the one who wielded the Five Ancestors Pole in Kung Fu Hustle.
Seeing Liang Xiaosheng leisurely puffing on his cigarette, Chen Qi chuckled and said, "Old Liang, our 'Aqi and Agui' duo is becoming more famous by the day. I heard you went out to eat at a restaurant the other day. What, are you giving up on serious literature now?"
(End of Chapter)