Chapter 00272: Return to Hong Kong
# Return to Hong Kong
Chapter 272
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 272: Return to Hong Kong
No. 85, North Sichuan Road, Shanghai.
Here stood a seven-story white building, completed in 1935, located at the intersection of North Sichuan Road and Chongming Road.
With its central elevation and symmetrical sides, the structure exuded a distinctly Western flair.
Chen Qi stood on the bustling street, aiming his camera at the building, snapping photos one after another while jotting notes in a small notebook.
Xiao Mo and Xiao Geng stood behind him, their expressions filled with suspicion.
Indeed, once again, they had been assigned to accompany and protect him.
According to the usual itinerary, they were supposed to head to Shanghai first before taking a flight to Hong Kong.
Yet, upon arriving in Shanghai, Chen Qi insisted on staying for a few days, dragging them around the city.
"..."
After waiting for what felt like an eternity, Xiao Mo finally couldn’t hold back.
"Comrade Chen Qi, I must remind you—if you alter the itinerary without proper justification and linger here privately, I will report this truthfully."
"Comrade Mo Youming, take a look at this building. Do you know what it used to be?"
"Uh..."
Xiao Mo glanced at the sign.
"It's a dormitory for the Bank of China employees!"
"And before Liberation?"
"No idea!"
"Before Liberation, it was the headquarters of the Songhu Garrison Command and its investigation division. The seventh floor was where they detained prisoners."
Chen Qi pointed at the building.
"And even earlier, it was the headquarters of the Japanese military police, also serving as a prisoner-of-war camp. Inside, they held American expatriates, U. S. pilots, naval personnel, British citizens, and Chinese."Have you seen *The Eternal Wave*?""I have!""I have!""Those two martyrs in the film were once imprisoned here.
So was Madam Xu Guangping.""Those damn Japs?!"Xiao Mo’s eyes widened in shock, but before he could even complete the expression, Chen Qi waved his hand."Let’s go, let’s go!"The three continued their tour, eventually arriving at the Shanghai International Studies University. A petite, 50-something Caucasian woman was already waiting at the entrance. She stepped forward eagerly, speaking fluent Chinese."Hello, are you Mr. Chen Qi?""That’s me.
Professor Bai, it’s a pleasure to meet you.""Professor Bai? Hahaha, I like that title!"This woman was Betty Barr, a Scotswoman who had taught at the Shanghai International Studies University in the 1970s and maintained close ties with China before officially settling in Shanghai in 1984."We’d best find a comfortable place to talk.
Where would you suggest?""How about over there? There’s a café!"A café? Chen Qi grinned. Truly, this was Shanghai—always ahead of the times. With that, the group walked a short distance and entered a café with an exquisitely decorated interior, bustling with both foreigners and locals. They found a table, ordered casually, and sat down. Xiao Mo and Xiao Geng resumed their roles as silent guardians, taking seats nearby. Betty stirred her coffee."To be honest, I was quite surprised you managed to find me.
It’s been years since I last spoke to anyone about those past events.""It took me quite some effort.
I hope I haven’t disturbed you.""..."After a brief exchange, she fell silent for a moment before speaking again."My father was from Scotland, my mother from America.
They both taught in Shanghai, and I was born here.
You probably can’t imagine how deep my feelings for this city run.
I had many Chinese childhood friends, and my father even spoke Suzhou dialect..."Perhaps lost in reminiscence, she rambled on without getting to the point. Chen Qi didn’t rush her, listening attentively until she finally snapped back to reality, apologizing."I’m sorry, I’ve been talking about irrelevant things...
I remember it was 1943 when my family was suddenly arrested, just like many so-called 'enemy aliens,' and sent to one of the Japanese internment camps in Shanghai.
"That camp held nearly 2,000 people, several hundred of them children. I was one of them..."
Betty spoke slowly, and Chen Qi took careful notes.
After what felt like an eternity, Betty wiped her eyes, embarrassed.
"I’m truly sorry for making you listen to an old woman ramble on for so long."
"Not at all, not at all. I should be thanking you. You’ve provided me with invaluable material."
"I’m happy to share if it helps. Well, I should be going now."
Betty stood, shook his hand, and left the café.
"Let’s go too."
Chen Qi paid the bill, tucked away his notebook, and said, "That’s enough for now. We’ll head to Hong Kong tomorrow."
Xiao Mo and Xiao Geng exchanged glances but held their tongues.
They knew better than to ask—Chen Qi rarely bothered explaining his film-related plans unless absolutely necessary.
…………
Just as Chen Qi was making his way back to Hong Kong, the 32nd Berlin International Film Festival was underway.
Last year, *The Return of the Swallow* and *Tai Chi* had caused quite the stir, but at least they had shown domestic studios that there was another path—submitting films to international festivals.
This year, the Film Bureau had learned its lesson and avoided politically charged works, instead selecting *Country Love* from the Pearl River Film Studio.
The film told the story of a kind-hearted rural woman who, during difficult times, adopted the son of a revolutionary cadre.
When the boy grew up and reunited with his birth parents in the city, his biological mother tried to sever his ties with his peasant foster mother and fiancée...
It didn’t win any awards.
Instead, the short animation *Three Monks*, submitted as an extra, took home the Silver Bear for Best Short Film—much to the surprise of the domestic film industry.
This year, neither Chen Qi nor the leftist filmmakers had made a move on Berlin, setting their sights instead on Cannes, which took place in May—giving *The Orphan* and *Tai Chi 2* enough time to complete post-production.
"Uncle! Auntie!"
"Ah, Zhizhi!"
"Brother!"
At the airport, Fu Mingxian happily rushed over.
Chen Qi patted her head—she seemed to have grown taller over the Lunar New Year.
She was already twelve this year.
With everyone being old acquaintances, there was no need for formalities.
Chen Qi was also delighted—he’d get to ride in a *Gundam* again!
Sitting in the car, he gazed at the towering buildings of this modern metropolis.
Halfway through the ride, Fu Mingxian suddenly craved ice cream, so they made a stop to buy some.
Watching her, Chen Qi was reminded of the young editors back at Lechun Workshop.
Truly, fate dealt different hands to different people.
Just as some Gen Zers were winning Olympic gold, others were scraping by at home...
"This year’s Lunar New Year box office was a bloodbath!"
"*Aces Go Places* was a massive hit, raking in 26 million at the box office before closing. Our *The Shaolin Temple* came in second with 15 million, while *Dragon Lord* barely broke 10 million. Shaw Brothers’ *Legendary Weapons of China* trailed at 9 million."
Fu Qi was astonished.
"How did you predict this so accurately? Down to the exact numbers?"
"Pure analysis!"
Chen Qi didn’t even blink as he boasted shamelessly.
"Hong Kong filmmakers are too focused on short-term gains. None of them have a broader vision or conduct proper market research. I simply compiled and analyzed the available data—the results were obvious."
"You’ve really spooked them. Some are calling you a mystical mainlander who can divine the future."
"Oh? Has anyone asked you to act as a middleman so they can get their fortunes told?"
"I hear Hong Kongers are superstitious. Should I tell them that Britain and Taiwan are already decrepit old men on their last legs, and that only by siding with the mainland will they prosper? Would they all listen to me then?"
"Hahaha! That mouth of yours—the whole of Hong Kong is terrified of you now."
Fu Qi laughed heartily before handing him a newspaper—the right-wing *Hong Kong Times*.
Chen Qi glanced at it and saw a public repentance letter from George Lam and Cora Miao, expressing deep remorse for filming in the mainland, tearfully vowing never to repeat their mistake and pledging unwavering loyalty to the Kuomintang...
"*Boat People* had several key creatives, right? What about that Andy Lau guy?"
"I’m not sure why, but he didn’t publish anything. Maybe because he’s a newcomer?"
"No, no. That’s called a guilty conscience!"
Chen Qi snatched Fu Mingxian’s ice cream and took a bite.
"I’ll go have a chat with them."
(That’s all!
The movie’s pretty good—highly recommended.)
(End of Chapter)