Chapter 00208: An Unusual Way of Thinking (Bonus Chapter for May Aurora, the Alliance Leader)
# An Unusual Way of Thinking (Bonus Chapter for May Aurora, the Alliance Leader)
Chapter 208
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 208: An Unusual Way of Thinking (Bonus Chapter for May Aurora, the Alliance Leader)
Emotional intelligence is a tricky thing.
Before this term became popular, people would describe it in simpler ways—like being socially clueless, lacking tact, being a smooth talker, or knowing just the right words to say…
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
In the complex web of social interactions, everyone needs this skill.
Unless you're so powerful that you can do whatever you want, or so indifferent that you don’t care about others at all…
Zhen Zidan was the perfect example of someone with low emotional intelligence.
Some people have just one flaw—he managed to collect them all: self-centered, no empathy, oblivious to others’ feelings, terrible at communication, and a downright difficult personality.
So when he spoke like this, he genuinely didn’t see anything wrong with it.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t argue—it was just that the way he expressed himself made it seem like he was deliberately picking a fight.
"Sure, go ahead!"
Chen Qi chuckled, even stepping aside to give him space.
"If you’ve got ideas, by all means, show us?"
"OK!"
Zhen Zidan wasn’t shy.
He strode forward confidently, facing the group and launching into his explanation:
"First of all, Nalan Yuanshu is young. A general at his age? He has to be arrogant, looking down on everyone. Plus, he’s a martial arts master, so his movements should be full of power—"
He lifted his chin, puffed out his chest, and even strutted around the stage a few times.
"I came up with this move myself—he sees injustice, steps in, and punches the guy’s head clean off—it’d be so—"
"Absolute garbage."
The words slipped out of Chen Qi’s mouth.
Zhen Zidan froze, stunned.
He had expected praise, not… this.
Chen Qi felt like the guy had a screw loose.
"Did you even read the script? Nalan Yuanshu is a down-and-out bannerman, a low-ranking officer—what’s there to be arrogant about? He betrays his own principles to arrest Tan Sitong, all for his own selfish gain!"
"And punching someone’s head off? What, you think this is Superman or something?!"
"Every character serves the movie—there are heroes, there are villains. You’re adding nonsense, twisting the character. You’re disrespecting the script and everyone here. I don’t need some self-absorbed guy with zero teamwork skills!"
"Get out. Don’t come back tomorrow."
"I—"
"OUT."
"……"
Zhen Zidan was dumbfounded.
He had stepped up with confidence, fully expecting praise—only to get fired instead.
He didn’t dare argue further.
Mouth hanging open, he slumped his shoulders and slunk out like a kicked dog.
Even as he left, he still didn’t understand what he had done wrong.
"Let’s get back to work."
Chen Qi wasn’t actually angry—he just found the whole thing ridiculous.
Did people like this really think the world revolved around them?
He Qing and Tao Huimin, the two younger actresses, were terrified.
They had never seen this side of "Brother Xiao Chen" before.
Li Jianqun leaned over, covering her mouth as she whispered, "He’s pretty scary when he’s mad."
"Not really. You should’ve seen him yelling at reporters in Hong Kong—it was cool."
"Getting angry is cool?"
"Well, he’s never gotten mad at me," Gong Xue said with a laugh.
Li Jianqun blinked.
That… made sense.
…………
Zhen Zidan wandered outside, not wanting to return to the martial arts team but unsure where else to go.
Eventually, he just crouched by the gate, waiting.
After what felt like forever, the Yuen brothers finally arrived.
"Dan? What are you doing here?"
"I got kicked out. Brother Qi didn’t like my acting, so he fired me."
Huh?
Yuen Woo-ping frowned.
Chen Qi wasn’t the petty type.
And given his sister’s connection to Zhen Zidan, he couldn’t just ignore this.
He went to talk to Chen Qi, only to come back speechless after hearing the full story.
"Find someone else. He’s a ticking time bomb in my crew—I can’t work with him."
"He’s young, he doesn’t know better. Give him another chance."
"The guy’s brain-damaged, seriously. Get him checked out."
Yuen Woo-ping pleaded, and Chen Qi eventually relented—mostly for show.
"Master Yuen, I’m doing this for you. Bring him back, but make sure this never happens again."
"OK! OK!"
Soon after, Yuen Woo-ping personally dragged Zhen Zidan back.
Right in front of Chen Qi, he slapped him.
Zhen Zidan knew his mother wanted him to learn from Yuen, so he didn’t dare resist.
"Brother Qi! Director Chen! I was wrong. I shouldn’t have said those things."
"Do you know why you were wrong?"
"I… I shouldn’t have said that."
Chen Qi rolled his eyes.
The guy still didn’t get it.
He had no clue what the actual problem was, nor did he think he’d made any mistake.
Talking to someone with this kind of logic was pointless.
Whatever—as long as he could still be used.
"If there’s a next time?"
"I’ll leave on my own."
"Do you know how to play Nalan Yuanshu now?"
"Yes, yes! The side-eye!"
Zhen Zidan immediately straightened up, turning his head to look at Chen Qi at a sharp 45-degree angle, chin slightly raised.
Combined with his naturally intense gaze, the effect was perfect.
That’s more like it! What a waste of time.
After Zhen Zidan left, Chen Qi sighed.
"Master Yuen, you’re tied to him now. You’re gonna have problems in the future."
"Can’t be helped. His mother wants him under my wing. Once Tai Chi 2 wraps, I’ll have to take him on. His look isn’t bad—young people’s attitudes can be fixed with time."
"Well, good luck with that."
Chen Qi knew how this would play out.
History showed that Yuen Woo-ping never managed to polish Zhen Zidan into a star.
It wasn’t until Jackie Chan and Jet Li grew older, with no successors in sight, that Zhen Zidan finally got his break.
But Chen Qi had zero interest in him.
He’d rather spend time admiring Joey Meng’s legs.
…………
Tai Chi 2 was progressing smoothly, set to start filming in July.
Budget: 1.5 to 1.8 million.
Assuming the higher end, the company’s 4.32 million funds would leave 2.52 million remaining.
If Tai Chi 2 wrapped by year’s end, it would likely release during next year’s Lunar New Year season before heading to film festivals for sales.
The money wouldn’t come back for at least a year.
Of the remaining 2.52 million, 520,000 would cover daily operations and magazine expenses.
The other 2 million? That was Chen Qi’s Hong Kong startup fund.
Tai Chi 2 was a long project, and he didn’t plan to stick around for all of it.
By the second half of the year, he’d take the money and run—slipping into the U.
S. via Hong Kong.
How many donuts could 2 million buy? Enough to make Donut die of envy…
"But before that, I need to finish writing that story for Sister Xue."
Back in Room 302, Chen Qi twirled his pen, deep in thought.
Honestly, he never believed Gong Xue’s acting could reach true heights.
Mastering the "star performance" style was probably her limit.
Acting talent? That was innate.
His plan for her was simple—keep her as China’s top actress, then use a few key films to push her beyond Asia.
She might never win Best Actress, but her movies could win awards.
That was her path to legacy.
Right now, his target was still the Hundred Flowers Awards.
The Golden Rooster was too unpredictable, and they wouldn’t give it to the same person twice in a short span.
Next year’s Hundred Flowers? Tai Chi’s Chen Shaomei was a lock.
The year after, he wanted Gong Xue to win again—but her role in Tai Chi 2 was too small.
Unlikely.
They’d need another film.
Three consecutive Hundred Flowers wins? That would cement her status. Then she could aim higher.
"In that case, forget depth—just focus on audience appeal… In the ‘80s, the best-selling films were all martial arts flicks—The Martial Arts, The South Fist King, The Holy Robe of the Shaolin Temple, Young Heroes…"
"Now that every studio is jumping on this trend, competition will be fierce. A female-led martial arts film? Probably won’t stand out."
After some thought, Chen Qi decided to go against the tide.
"If everyone is making martial arts movies, I’ll make a tearjerker—let’s see who really stands out then!"
(End of Chapter)