Chapter 00235: All Pieces in Place
# All Pieces in Place
Chapter 235
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 235: All Pieces in Place
"Small business, tough times—please bear with us."
Chen Qi didn’t beat around the bush and went straight to the point.
"One pair of adult actors, one pair of child actors. The total cost shouldn’t exceed 100,000 USD. If children are involved, they must have guardians accompanying them, right? That means we’ll also have to cover their food and lodging."
"Of course!"
"Then we really need to keep costs down. The budget for Orphan can’t exceed 2.5 million HKD. I’ll have to trouble you to help pick the right people—good quality at a reasonable price."
"Alright, I’ll do my best!"
Jessica agreed.
Chen Qi had no choice.
He’d never been to the U.
S., so he couldn’t exactly rely on his "mystical methods" for this.
Besides, it was too early—most of the Hollywood stars he knew were either still children or already famous.
Without being there in person, remote casting was tricky.
He’d have to rely on Jessica’s skills.
The cost of Orphan would be split between the two companies, with shared rights and equal profit distribution.
Chen Qi served as the screenwriter, planner, and producer, while the actual execution was handled by the Great Wall team.
He and Fu Qi trusted each other completely.
Historically, Fu Qi and Shi Hui would stay in the business for another decade before retiring—plenty of time to build something significant.
To be fair, while some people kept dragging things down, there were others helping him along the way.
Chen Qi wasn’t alone; he had the strength to keep moving forward.
---
Jessica stayed the night and flew out the next day.
Washington.
In a beautiful mansion, 56-year-old Anna Chan Chennault was bent over her desk, writing.
She wore a well-tailored Chinese-style blouse, a large ring on her left hand, and a string of lustrous pearls around her neck.
In her later years, she became closely involved with the mainland, serving as a special advisor for China’s National Tourism Administration and a senior consultant for the China Film Critics Association’s television division.
In 2015, she was even awarded a commemorative medal for the victory in the Anti-Japanese War at the Great Hall of the People.
Regardless of what she did in her youth, she was considered one of their own in the end.
"Madam!"
"Ah Juan is back!"
Chennault called Jessica by her Chinese nickname.
Jessica didn’t dare waste words and reported, "I met the people introduced by Mr. Liao and got a clear picture of the film project."
"Oh? What do you think?"
"Very innovative. Unexpected."
Chennault raised an eyebrow.
"For you to give such an evaluation is rare. Tell me—how is it innovative?"
Jessica summarized Orphan.
After listening, Chennault chuckled.
"I thought mainland cinema would take at least another decade to break free from political narratives. I didn’t expect pioneers to emerge already."
"But then again, if they weren’t exceptional, my uncle wouldn’t have recommended them to me."
"Madam, why did Mr. Liao personally facilitate this?" Jessica asked.
"Mostly to use film as a bridge for Sino-American cultural exchange—and ideally, to connect with Taiwan. The mainland wants to ease relations with Taiwan, and film is a great medium for that. I still have many old friends there."
Chennault’s importance lay in her ability to communicate with all sides.
"So how much should we help?"
"He made his requests. Just fulfill them—nothing beyond that."
"Understood."
---
Los Angeles.
Hollywood was in full revival, entering a new golden age with box office numbers climbing year after year.
A few years ago, 20 million USD could land a film in the annual top ten.
Now, 40 million was the bare minimum.
Last year, one film crossed 200 million, and two surpassed 100 million.
This year was the same, with Raiders of the Lost Ark dominating at 210 million USD—and birthing a classic franchise.
George Lucas and Steven Spielberg had risen rapidly as the hottest directors—the former with Star Wars, the latter with Jaws and Raiders.
Rumor had it Spielberg was already preparing a new film about aliens: E.
T.
None of this had anything to do with 31-year-old Ed Harris.
Carrying two paper bags full of bread and cheese, he strode into a modest apartment building and entered the place he rented with his girlfriend.
Los Angeles was expensive, and as small-time actors, even this much was a stretch.
Harris came from a middle-class family and had once been an athlete, giving him a rugged, masculine presence.
After years of bit parts in films and TV, he was finally getting minor leads in low-budget B-movies—paying around 10,000 USD per role.
It was enough to satisfy him, making him feel his career was progressing well.
But recently, a strange offer had left him conflicted.
"Ed?"
"Haha, you bought food too? Look!"
His girlfriend, Amy Madigan, walked in right after him, holding up two paper bags with a laugh.
He chuckled, kissed her, and they started making dinner together.
Their relationship was stable—they were already considering marriage.
Over the meal, Ed spoke up.
"There’s something I wanted to discuss."
"I’ve got something to tell you too!"
"You go first."
"My agent brought me a really weird offer today. Hong Kong—you know Hong Kong, right?"
"Yeah."
"A Hong Kong company wants me for a film. They didn’t contact me directly, but through some U. S. connections. Anyway, I got the script, and honestly? It’s not bad. The pay’s good too—20,000 USD..."
Ed’s expression grew stranger by the second until he couldn’t hold back.
"Is it a horror film?"
"How’d you know?"
"An adult pretending to be a little girl?"
"Wait—don’t tell me—"
Ed’s lips twitched.
He nodded firmly.
"You just said everything I was about to."
"Oh my god, how is this possible? We both got offers for the same Hong Kong film? No, wait—let me think... We’re a couple, both actors, and the script has a married couple, so they just... hired us together?"
Amy’s reasoning made more and more sense the longer she thought about it.
Ed agreed.
"So... do we take it?"
They hesitated.
Hollywood actors weren’t keen on working abroad, let alone in Hong Kong.
So when Hong Kong films wanted American actors, they had to pay extra—covering the hassle of long-distance travel.
After some discussion, they decided to accept.
Mainly because they could go together—like a work-funded vacation.
Ed Harris might not be a household name yet, but his face would become iconic—starring in The Rock, The Truman Show, Enemy at the Gates, and Westworld.
His girlfriend Amy wasn’t as well-known in China but had won a Golden Globe and been nominated for an Oscar.
Of course, all that came later.
Right now, they were just small-time actors.
With that, the cast of Orphan was set:
- John (husband) — Ed Harris
- Kate (wife) — Amy Madigan
- Little Girl — Chingmy Yau (raised in a British church orphanage, she initially goes by the English name Esther before her true Japanese identity is revealed)
- Social Worker — Liu Xuehua
- Director — Tsui Hark
- Screenwriter/Planner/Producer — Chen Qi
(My back’s killing me—no more today.
One chapter short, but tomorrow’s still four updates.)
(End of Chapter)