Chapter 00203: The Great Benefactor
# The Great Benefactor
Chapter 203
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 203: The Great Benefactor
The composition of the Boxers was extremely complex, consisting of poor farmers, craftsmen, small merchants, workers, as well as some government soldiers, wealthy gentry, and even princes and nobles.
In the later stages, many ruffians and scoundrels also infiltrated their ranks.
They could be broadly divided into three categories: official regiments, private regiments, and fake regiments.
Official regiments were those that accepted the Qing court's recruitment, received their pay, and followed their orders.
Private regiments were self-organized by the people, setting up their own altars.
Fake regiments were either those who did not submit to the Qing government's rule and posed a threat, or those who disguised themselves as Boxers to commit crimes and oppress the innocent.
There are records stating, "Those who follow the teachings all disguise themselves as fake Boxers, seeking revenge and killing everywhere, especially in the western part of Beijing."
In the Beijing Film Studio's soundstage, the intensive training for "Tai Chi 2" was underway, with Teacher Chen personally conducting the lessons.
He Qing and Tao Huimin sat obediently on small stools, taking notes in their little notebooks.
Donnie Yen was also there, maintaining his usual aloof demeanor, sitting alone to the side.
"The Red Lantern Sect was a female organization within the Boxers. The women all wore red clothes and trousers, carrying a red lantern in their right hand and a red fan in their left. The eldest sister was known as the Yellow Lotus Holy Mother, the highest leader, played by Ge Chunyan. Following her was the Double-Faced Bodhisattva. Your setting is that of conjoined twins. Come on, you two, stand up!"
Chen Qi made them stand up, their backs tightly pressed against each other.
"Actually, they are deformed conjoined twins, used to deceive and mystify people, dressed as Bodhisattvas, with one face in the front and another in the back, hence the name Double-Faced Bodhisattva..."
Sss!
Everyone had read the script, but hearing it firsthand still made them gasp in shock.
They felt that Teacher Chen's mind was both demonic and sinister.
How could he come up with such an idea?
This setting originated from "The Bride with White Hair," starring Leslie Cheung and Brigitte Lin, which featured a pair of conjoined siblings played by Francis Ng and Lui Siu-ling.
Francis Ng was simply too perverse...
"I have a question!"
Donnie Yen suddenly raised his hand, speaking in difficult Mandarin: "Can such a large-scale movie be released? I don't want us to finish filming only to find out it can't be shown."
"We are aiming for overseas release, not following domestic censorship standards. If we want to release it domestically, the film bureau will review it according to domestic standards, but they will give us the maximum leeway."
Chen Qi glanced at him, not having the time to argue, and continued:
"The Red Lantern Sect was an organization resisting foreigners, but they also engaged in feudal superstitions. The Yellow Lotus Holy Mother claimed to be able to bring the dead back to life, practiced Taoist magic, and could fly by waving her left-hand fan, while the red lantern in her right hand exploded like cannonballs. The overall image of the Red Lantern Sect in 'Tai Chi 2' is positive, and they ultimately die under the guns and cannons of the foreigners. Ji Chunhua's altar master is entirely negative, and being beaten to death with sticks wouldn't be enough to satisfy the hatred..."
He rambled on for a whole class, then handed it over to Li Wenhua, who continued to explain some shooting details and provided basic performance coaching for He Qing and Tao Huimin.
Chen Qi, meanwhile, rode his bike out of the Beijing Film Studio and finally went to meet the male lead of "Tai Chi 2"—Li Lianjie, who was almost going crazy with impatience.
…………
At the Shichahai Sports School.
At noon that day, Li Lianjie didn't even eat lunch, hurrying through the campus to the main gate.
The coaches, senior brothers, and sisters greeted him as warmly as usual, but there seemed to be a hint of curiosity and schadenfreude in their eyes, though it might just have been his imagination.
He had been going through an extremely tough time.
Since his showdown with Leader Han, the martial arts team had taken a hardline stance, and as punishment, they had reneged on their earlier permission for him to act in movies, not even allowing him to film anymore.
Li Lianjie knew they were waiting for him to apologize, write a self-criticism, a guarantee, and so on...
If it weren't for Chen Qi, he would either have to write the self-criticism or face the other extreme: a broken leg!
And Chen Qi had said to wait until he returned to handle it, and he truly waited.
This was the prestige he had earned from his trips to Hong Kong and Berlin.
"Why isn't he here yet?"
"Did he forget?"
Li Lianjie anxiously waited for over 20 minutes before finally seeing a bicycle leisurely riding over.
He quickly went up to meet it: "Brother Qi!"
"Hmm, have you eaten lunch?"
"No!"
"Didn't I tell you to eat and sleep as usual? You're so young, yet you carry such heavy thoughts."
"How can I eat? This is a major life event for me!"
Li Lianjie wanted to lose his temper but didn't dare.
The pressure from the martial arts team was constantly tempering his character.
Facing the only person who could save him, he didn't dare to say a harsh word.
Chen Qi, acting as if nothing was wrong, pushed the bike inside and smiled: "The preparations for 'Tai Chi 2' are going smoothly. Ge Chunyan, Wang Qun, and Huang Qiuyan are already stationed at the guesthouse. Once the Yuan brothers arrive in Beijing and we resolve your issue, we'll start filming officially."
"You make it sound so easy. Can such things be resolved just like that?" Li Lianjie was frustrated.
"Everything can be negotiated; it just depends on whether the conditions are sufficient."
Chen Qi patted his shoulder and said, "Xiao Li, you're my male lead. I'm approaching this with the mindset of groveling. No matter the cost, I have to bring you into my crew."
"Brother Qi!"
Li Lianjie felt like a drowning man seeing someone extend a hand, truly moved.
Chen Qi smiled and entered the administrative office.
Leader Han had gone out for lunch, so they waited a little while before seeing him.
"Ah, what a rare guest! Please, have a seat!"
Leader Han warmly welcomed them, pouring tea and offering cigarettes, smiling: "I've heard about your affairs. You're so young and already so remarkable. Should I address you as Director Chen now?"
"No need, no need. Just call me by my name. I'm the one who's disturbing you with this sudden visit!"
One was from a public institution, the other from a state-owned enterprise.
If ranked by level, they were equals.
Leader Han knew full well that this was about Li Lianjie's situation, but he couldn't bring it up first.
Chen Qi didn't waste words either, and after the pleasantries, he said: "We're preparing for 'Tai Chi 2,' and Xiao Li is still the male lead. We notified him to join the crew a long time ago, but there's been no movement. I came to see if there's any misunderstanding."
"Ah, this is no misunderstanding! The martial arts team and he are clear on this."
"Yes, yes, but you also understand the specifics. 'Tai Chi' has been well-supported by the leaders for its export earnings, and 'Tai Chi 2' aims to continue this success. Suddenly losing the male lead is not good. If there's any issue, I can discuss it with you."
"We absolutely support export earnings. Ask him, didn't I say the martial arts team supports him acting in movies?"
Leader Han leaned back, confident in his position, and said: "But this kid pushed his luck, even saying he wanted to retire and leave the martial arts team, firmly stating his position to me! If this were you, how would you handle it?"
"Is that so?"
Chen Qi looked surprised, turning to Li Lianjie: "You said you wanted to retire?"
"..."
Li Lianjie, feeling both frustrated and embarrassed, could only nod: "Yes!"
"Ah!"
Chen Qi sighed, looking as if he were dealing with a child who didn't understand the gravity of the situation.
After a few seconds of silence, he said: "Xiao Li, you go out first. We'll talk alone."
"Brother Qi!"
"It's fine, you go out first."
Li Lianjie pursed his lips, turned, and left the room, not daring to go far, squatting just outside.
No matter how mature he was, he was still only 18 years old.
He felt like he was standing at a crossroads in life, powerless, yet hoping Chen Qi could pull him through.
Through their various interactions, he had already decided that Chen Qi was his great benefactor.
(End of Chapter)