Chapter 00151: Promotion
# Promotion
Chapter 151
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 151: Promotion
The two of them changed into their training uniforms and strode onto the stage, clasping their hands in greeting to the audience below.
The reporters quickly snapped photos.
These two weren’t exactly household names, but they were somewhat well-known in Hong Kong, with dozens of disciples under their tutelage.
Wherever they went, they were respectfully addressed as "Master"!
The crowd cleared the stage, and Yu Hai and Master Luo, who practiced Hung Kuen, stood in the center.
The host went through the formalities, introducing them with a lot of chatter.
"..."
Yu Hai glanced back and saw Chen Qi looking worried.
"Their hands are heavy! Can you handle it?"
Damn it!
Yu Hai turned back and stared at Master Luo.
He observed that Luo was short, stocky, and robust, with a solid stance and powerful arms—a typical martial artist.
But who was he? He was a true inheritor of the Seven-Star Mantis Fist!
His master, Lin Jingshan, had served as an instructor under the warlord Zha Yupu and was known as the "Strange Hero of the Central Plains."
His grandmaster, Fan Xudong, stood two meters tall and was nicknamed "The Giant."
His strength was like that of an ox, and in those days, when martial arts competitions had no weight classes, he was practically invincible, having won a gold medal in a Far East competition.
Going further back, there was Wang Yunsheng, a martial arts scholar during the Guangxu era, who founded the Seven-Star Mantis Fist style!
In many professions, lineage and heritage are highly valued.
Yu Hai’s martial arts lineage was clear and prestigious, with a high standing in the hierarchy.
As for this Master Luo, who knew where he came from? And yet, he dared to claim his hands were light?!
Yu Hai was starting to feel a bit annoyed.
The two stood facing each other, exchanged a respectful bow, and then each took a step back, slowly beginning to circle each other.
"Coach Yu’s style is rooted in the Seven-Star Steps, blending hardness and softness, with both feints and real strikes. It’s said that they even practice striking wooden dummies and rehearsing the Twelve Strikes of the Body—truly impressive!" the host continued to babble.
"As for Master Luo, we’re quite familiar with him. He’s appeared on TV many times, emphasizing strong bridges and solid stances, using his breath to generate power... Wow, look at his footwork! It’s as steady as if his feet have taken root in the ground! When he throws a punch, it’s bound to be stable and powerful, with overwhelming momentum..."
"Bang!"
The host’s words were abruptly cut off, as if someone had suddenly grabbed his throat.
Master Luo, right in front of him, staggered backward and unceremoniously sat down on the ground.
"..."
The scene became extremely awkward.
Master Luo looked bewildered, unsure of what had just happened.
He was just following the choreographed moves! He threw a punch, expecting Yu Hai to dodge, and then Yu Hai would counter, and he would block...
"Master Luo?"
"Master Luo?"
The host, quick on his feet, rushed over.
"Are you okay?"
"I’m fine! Just a slip-up. Let’s go again!"
Master Luo pushed him away, glaring at Yu Hai, his temper flaring.
That punch was really heavy! He immediately assumed his stance and charged forward again...
Bang!
Once again, he was sent tumbling like a child.
Yu Hai’s fingers, thick as small radishes, clenched into a fist, and when he struck with real force, few could withstand it.
After knocking the man down twice, Yu Hai felt it would be too much to continue.
He quickly ran over to help Master Luo up, apologizing, "I’m sorry, Master Luo! I didn’t control my strength properly. My apologies!"
"Get away from me! Don’t touch me! You mainlanders have no martial ethics... Ouch!"
"I must have been out of my mind, lost my senses, to come here! Don’t bother inviting me again—I won’t come!"
Master Luo cursed as he stormed off the stage, ignoring the event’s schedule.
"Hahaha!"
The reporters didn’t care about the awkwardness.
They were doubled over with laughter.
This was worth it—this scene alone would make for great news.
Master Liao felt a pang of anxiety and glanced at Yu Chenghui, who, with his bald head and thick beard, looked like a final boss.
Yu Chenghui smiled and said, "Just a friendly spar, nothing serious!"
"No, no!"
"We’re all martial artists. Why take it so seriously?"
Master Liao quickly scurried over to Fu Qi, muttering things like "I suddenly feel unwell," "Let’s not ruin the harmony," and "I’m not scared or anything," which made Fu Qi laugh.
The atmosphere on and off the stage was filled with amusement.
Master Liao, being crafty, decided not to compete.
If he didn’t compete, there would be no winner or loser.
Once this wave of news passed, he’d still be a respected figure!
Since there was no more competition, the event came to an end.
Regardless of how they felt about it, the reporters found the event colorful and full of material.
They could write about the movie *Tai Chi*, the interviews, and the martial arts demonstration.
Of course, the angle they took and whether their reviews were positive or negative depended on their own perspectives.
...
Afterward, the group changed back into their sportswear and boarded a minibus.
As soon as they got on the bus, an official from the mainland delegation scowled and said, "Xiao Chen! Explain yourself. What just happened?"
"What?"
"Who told you to speak? Who gave you permission to say those things? This is Hong Kong! One careless word could lead to a diplomatic incident. Do you think you can take responsibility for that?!"
"Hey, hey, what’s going on?"
Before Chen Qi could respond, Fu Qi and Xu Dunle stepped in front of him.
"He spoke well. What’s wrong with what he said?"
"Those are reporters! What if they twist his words when they write about it? We can’t afford that!" the official retorted.
"You’re overestimating them!"
Fu Qi snorted.
"They’re good at writing about entertainment gossip, horse racing, stocks, and feng shui. They can mock us for being backward, but when it comes to reporting on what just happened, they don’t have the guts. At most, they’ll criticize the movie a bit."
"Do you think if Xiao Chen had stayed silent and you acted all friendly, they’d praise us? Wrong! They’d just think we’re weak and easy to push around," Xu Dunle added.
"But, but—"
"This is our event. If anything goes wrong, we’ll take full responsibility!"
During this period, there was a certain understanding between the British Hong Kong government and mainland China.
In 1898, the Qing government had signed the *Second Convention of Peking* with Britain, leasing the New Territories for 99 years, which would expire in 1997.
The British used this as a pretext to test China’s stance on Hong Kong, suggesting that after 1997, the British should continue to administer the New Territories.
The central government, of course, refused, stating, "If you disregard our advice and take unilateral measures, you can imagine the reactions we might have..."
But this issue had to be discussed.
Until formal negotiations and a resolution were reached, both sides hoped to avoid any major incidents.
For the Hong Kong media, the British Hong Kong government had to prohibit both "praising the mainland" and "excessively criticizing the mainland."
As Fu Qi had said, mocking the mainland for being backward or poor was acceptable, but crossing certain lines was not.
Earlier that year, a Taiwanese film called *The Coldest Winter in Peking*, which negatively portrayed mainland China, had been banned in Hong Kong on the grounds that it "affected relations between the Hong Kong government and neighboring regions."
With Fu Qi and Xu Dunle vouching for him, the official had no choice but to back down, though he shot Chen Qi a glare and added him to his list of troublemakers.
The next day.
Various media outlets published their reports.
The left-leaning newspapers gave straightforward coverage, but the local tabloids went all out:
"*Tai Chi* Elementary School Delegation Comes to Hong Kong for Sports Event!" This one was accompanied by a photo of the group in their sportswear.
"Mainland Martial Arts Master Storms Hong Kong, Sends Master Luo Flying Five Meters!"
"Master Liao Flees in Fear, Peeing His Pants!"
Apart from mocking the sportswear for being outdated and the movie *Tai Chi* for being unimpressive, the tabloids also gave a vivid account of the martial arts demonstration, describing how the mainland master had swept through Hong Kong’s martial artists, leaving the Hung Kuen practitioners in disarray.
This kind of talk, regardless of its accuracy, managed to anger one person: Lau Kar-leung!
Lau Kar-leung’s father, Lau Cham, had studied under Lam Sai-wing, who in turn had studied under Wong Fei-hung...
As such, Lau Kar-leung considered himself the true inheritor of Hung Kuen.
Any slight alteration or disrespect to the style was like a personal insult to him.
When Jet Li later filmed *Once Upon a Time in China* and performed Wong Fei-hung’s signature "No Shadow Kick" while flying through the air, Lau Kar-leung had mocked him relentlessly.
Now, with the newspapers claiming that Hung Kuen was inferior, Lau Kar-leung couldn’t let it slide.
He stepped forward, saying, "What kind of Hung Kuen does Master Luo practice? Who knows where he learned his moves? Real Hung Kuen focuses on using the body to regulate breath, breath to generate power, and sound to enhance force. Seven-Star Mantis Fist is a deviant path—it’s no good!"
The tabloids were thrilled and rushed to the *Tai Chi* crew for a response.
They had figured out that asking anyone else was pointless—they needed to talk to the handsome guy in the suit.
Sure enough, Chen Qi expressed surprise.
"Who’s Lau Kar-leung? Never heard of him. I’ve heard of Jackie Chan—he’s really popular. Is Lau Kar-leung popular?"
"An old master? Oh, if he’s an old master, then he should retire and make way for the younger generation... I don’t know, I’m just talking nonsense."
"We’re here to promote a movie, not to fight. If Master Lau wants to compete, we can arrange something in the future. I hear he has a movie out too. Why not let the audience decide? Their opinions are the most authoritative."
Lau Kar-leung was furious, but given his status, he couldn’t possibly engage in a public duel.
As for the media reviews of *Tai Chi*, they were divided.
Some praised it highly, while others trashed it.
But at least the movie had gained attention, and many Hong Kongers now knew that a mainland film was about to be released.
In the blink of an eye, it was February 3rd—the official release date of *Tai Chi*!
(There are two more chapters tonight...)
(End of Chapter)