Chapter 00244: Visitors from Home
# Visitors from Home
Chapter 244
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 244: Visitors from Home
Kai Tak Airport.
A flight from Shanghai touched down, and as the gate opened, Li Wenhua led the group out.
Most of them had been to Hong Kong before, but Li Jianqun, He Qing, and Tao Huimin were first-timers.
They couldn’t contain their excitement, looking around wide-eyed—especially the two younger girls, who kept glancing at people around them, feeling increasingly self-conscious about their "country bumpkin" appearance.
"Listen up!"
Li Wenhua clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.
"Some of you are here for the first time, so you must follow the rules. Stick with the group—no wandering off. If anyone gets lost, it’ll be a major diplomatic incident, and none of us can afford that!"Xiao Chen and Fu Qi will be picking us up shortly.
Follow their instructions.
"We’ve been approved for a ten-day stay, so let’s try to wrap up filming within that time. Otherwise, we’ll have to apply for an extension, and that’s a hassle."
"Director!"
He Qing raised her hand eagerly, her chubby face tilted upward.
"Are our daily allowances in Hong Kong dollars here?"
"Wishful thinking! It’s still two yuan RMB per day. All your expenses are covered by the group. What, you planning to go shopping?"
"No! I just wanted to see what Hong Kong dollars look like!"
She shook her head.
Tao Huimin nudged her and whispered, "Stop talking so much. I told you to keep quiet."
"How else am I supposed to know if I don’t ask?"
He Qing stuck out her tongue playfully, unfazed.
After a short wait, Fu Qi arrived with a rented bus, accompanied by Chen Qi.
Pleasantries were exchanged before they boarded and headed to the Great Wall Company dormitory—plenty of space available for everyone to settle in.
The rest of the day passed in a flurry of unpacking and settling in.
By evening, Fu Qi treated everyone to dinner.
Meanwhile, Chen Qi and Li Wenhua went over the remaining scenes for Tai Chi 2.
The plot revolved around the Red Lantern Society’s resistance against foreign forces, with Ji Chunhua’s men taking advantage of the chaos to loot, harming innocent civilians.
Enraged, Yang Yuqian killed Ji Chunhua.
Later, Yang witnessed the Red Lantern Society’s leaders—the "Yellow Lotus Holy Mother" and "Two-Faced Bodhisattva"—who had once commanded such reverence, easily gunned down by foreign rifles.
No matter how skilled in martial arts, no matter how mystical their aura, none could withstand the relentless tide of modern technology…
The Yuen brothers had also returned to handle the action sequences.
With so many extras involved, Li Wenhua was under immense pressure.
Chen Qi, however, had an idea: Xu Ke is right next door.
Why not make use of him?
But he kept that thought to himself for now—no need to bruise Li Wenhua’s ego.
Afterward, Chen Qi went around checking in on everyone.
"Xiao Li!"
"Qi Ge!"
Jet Li (Li Lianjie) bounded over cheerfully.
He was quite happy with the dormitory setup—a two-bedroom unit meant he had his own private space.
"Three months since you left! We’ve all missed you."
"Speak for yourself. I’ve been too busy fighting for the glorious cause of Chinese cinema in Hong Kong to spare a thought for you."
Chen Qi clapped him on the shoulder, inspecting him like an elder brother.
"You look leaner. More energetic. How’s filming? Any issues?"
"Great! Even better than the first one. Just… a bit cooped up on set."
Jet Li scratched his head.
"Qi Ge, can I go out and explore?"
"No. Rules are rules."
"Oh… Then, when Tai Chi 2 premieres, will we come back for promotions like last time?"
"Of course. Same as before. I’ll take you around properly then. Listen—when it comes to discipline, we follow the rules. But I’m not unreasonable. You’re all under my care, and I’ve never shortchanged anyone, have I?"
"Nope! Qi Ge’s the best!"
Jet Li grinned.
"Alright, get some rest. We’re on set tomorrow."
Once outside, Chen Qi rolled his eyes. This kid’s already restless, and it’s only his second film.
The company’s initial capital was only 4.32 million yuan. Tai Chi 2 had a budget of 1.8 million, while The Orphan was allocated 2.6 million HKD (roughly 430,000 RMB after splitting costs).
That totaled 2.23 million already.
But now that he was running his own company, promotional expenses fell on him too—Hong Kong marketing, overseas film festivals, distribution costs.
Not to mention launching a magazine.
Just enough to scrape by for now.
Once next year’s sales came in, things would ease up.
Then he could improve employee benefits.
Next, he checked on Tao Huimin and He Qing before knocking on Li Jianqun’s door.
Knock knock knock.
"Mind if I come in?"
"Just a second!"
Ge Chunyan’s voice came from inside.
They shared a room.
When the door opened, Ge Chunyan stood there, hair damp, clothes neatly buttoned up—clearly fresh from washing her hair.
Li Jianqun followed, a towel draped over her head.
"You boiled your own water?"
"Yeah. It’s so convenient here—just turn the stove knob, no need for coal," Li Jianqun remarked.
"That’s a gas stove! They even have gas water heaters—instant hot water for showers. But those are expensive, so the dorms don’t have them…"
Chen Qi sat down, instinctively glancing at the door—closed.
Back on the mainland, no one would dare shut the door for a conversation like this. An unmarried man and two women, late at night, freshly washed… That kind of gossip would keep the entire arts circle buzzing for half a year.
After some small talk, Ge Chunyan tactfully excused herself to the other room.
Left alone with Li Jianqun, Chen Qi extended a hand.
"I got the company letter saying you’ve joined us officially. Haven’t had the chance to welcome you properly—congratulations on becoming a full-time employee!"
Li Jianqun looked at his hand, amused.
She adjusted her towel, then shook his still-damp hand with a laugh.
"Well then, since you’re being so formal, let me report for duty properly—you’re my boss now!"
"Easy does it. The company needs talent like you. Your… personal matters settled?"
"All taken care of."
Her lips pressed briefly, but her tone was light.
"It hurt at first, but work saved me. Once, Director Li needed help with a set design. I threw myself into it for three days straight—by the time I came up for air, the pain was gone."
"Wow. That’s some mental resilience."
"Not really. I agonized over it for a long time. But once it was done, it felt like a weight lifted. No point letting the past drag down the future."
"No, no—that is strength. Impressive."
Chen Qi was genuinely surprised. Was Li Jianqun always this strong-willed? Then again, considering her background, it made sense.
Divorce in the 1980s? Rare as hen’s teeth.
In 1980, China’s crude divorce rate was a mere 0.35%.
Then again, Liu Xiaoqing also divorced in the ‘80s… Guess the artsy types are more prone to it.
"Alright then. Since you’re here, I’ll get you some international fashion magazines and design books. Broaden your horizons—don’t just stick to period costumes. Modern designs need work too. Once you’re in the company, you’ll be swamped."
"Thank you! That’s exactly what I wanted."
Her eyes lit up.
---
The next day.
Tai Chi 2 set up at Clearwater Bay Studios, diving straight into filming.
The main cast had arrived, while foreign actors and extras were hired locally—hence the hefty 1.8 million HKD budget.
"What’s filming next door? So many people!"
Tsui Hark, busy shooting The Orphan in a nearby soundstage, perked up at the commotion.
Someone answered, "Tai Chi 2, probably. The crew’s from the mainland."
Tai Chi?!
Tsui Hark immediately thought of Jet Li.
Like Yuen Woo-ping, he’d been itching to work with the kid.
Seizing a break, he sneaked over for a peek.
Might as well check it out…
(My back’s acting up again—stuck with pain patches today.
No more writing for now, will make up for it tomorrow…
Also, what the heck are "bean poles"? Heard all my Shandong friends are eating them lately…)
(End of Chapter)