I Want to Make Movies

Early the next morning, Gong Xue arrived with Gong Ying. Yang Jie chatted with her for a while and found her appearance quite suitable. Not wanting to refuse out of courtesy, she agreed that giving her a minor supporting role would be fine—perhaps a maid of the princess, a town resident, or something similar. Gong Ying was thrilled, practically bouncing with joy. Gong Xue had slept poorly and lacked energy, but she did not want to dampen Chen Qi's spirits, much less mention the anxieties weighing on her heart. Instead, she asked with a faint smile, "Now that we're going to Hong Kong and abroad, shouldn't we prepare a few outfits?" "I really would have forgotten if you hadn't mentioned it!" Chen Qi clapped his hands. Back home, things were conservative, but once outside, one had to dress decently. After a moment's thought, he said, "I'll have to trouble Uncle Fu Chi to bring some clothes the next time he comes over. For us guys, it doesn't matter much—a button-down shirt is enough. But you need to look your best. Otherwise, those bastards in Hong Kong are truly shameless; they'll mock you over a single outfit for three days and three nights." "Is it really that exaggerated?" "Uncle and Auntie told me so themselves. The media over there don't treat people like human beings." "'Uncle and Auntie'—you certainly address them affectionately. Fu Chi and Shi Hui are senior veterans. Give you an inch, and you take a mile. And you're always teasing that little girl," Gong Xue said, pouting slightly. "What you're saying makes no sense! First, that happened days ago. Second, the little girl is only ten years old—I'm not some pervert." Chen Qi scratched his head. She had never shown this kind of jealous attitude before. Even Gong Xue herself hadn't realized it. ... With a tight schedule, there was little time for romantic sentiment. That same day, Chen Qi, Yang Jie, and Wang Chongqiu traveled to Zhejiang, where they met the "twin beauties of Jiangnan": He Qing, sixteen years old, from the Kunqu opera troupe; and Tao Huimin, fourteen years old, from the Yue opera troupe—no need for pictures to describe these two! Yang Jie felt an immense sense of regret. He Qing was one thing—with a touch of baby fat on her cheeks, her plump face could only be called cute—but Tao Huimin possessed a naturally delicate, pitiable air that made her even more suited to play Qin Xianglian than Li Jianqun or Gong Xue. Yet she was simply too young! Still, they exchanged contact information, and Chen Qi noted it down in his little notebook. This was an accumulation of talent; even if Yang Jie didn't use them now, he would need them in the future. They didn't get to see He Saifei. She had not yet entered the Yue opera troupe and was probably still staying in some village. That woman was utterly miraculous—she had never seemed young, nor had she ever seemed old, looking the exact same from the very day she debuted... Over the past few days, Chen Qi and Yang Jie had been constantly discussing and hammering out a preliminary cast list: Gongsun Ce—Chen Daoming; Zhan Zhao—Wang Qun; Chen Shimei—Wang Bozhao; Qin Xianglian—Li Jianqun; the Princess—Zhou Jie. Bao Zheng had not yet been decided. Naturally, that required careful deliberation, and they would see how things went after the candidate actors finished their costume tests. At this point, the two parties parted ways to pursue their respective tasks. ... Winter south of the Yangtze River was naturally gloomy, damp, and chilling to the bone. In Hangzhou, at the base of *The Shaolin Temple*, Chen Qi sat beside a small coal stove that burned dry and warm. He stood blocking the doorway like a teacher catching truant students, stopping the actors as they came off the set. "Li Lianjie, over here!" "Huh? How come you're here without even giving a heads-up?" Li Lianjie was still sporting a shaved head, wearing a cap against the winter chill and bundled up in a heavy padded cotton coat. He looked quite pleased to see Chen Qi. Chen Qi, however, pulled a stern face and asked, "Are you hurt?" "What?" "I asked if you're hurt!" "What counts as hurt? No serious injuries, but minor bumps and scrapes happen every day." "Any cuts, bruises, or things like that on your neck, arms, or legs? Pull them back and let me see!" Li Lianjie was baffled, but he showed him anyway. Chen Qi inspected him closely and said, "These black-and-blue marks can't be exposed. Fortunately, there are none on your neck. All right... next, Ji Chunhua!" "Brother Qi, why are you here? I actually kind of missed you!" Ji Chunhua trotted over with a silly grin. Chen Qi questioned him as well, asking whether he was injured and if anything affected his movements. Then he called over Yu Hai and Yu Chenghui. Everyone was utterly confused. Standing nearby, Zhang Xinyan watched and asked, "Xiao Chen, what are you up to? A physical checkup?" "You people are only focused on filming here and know nothing! Lately, great changes have been brewing back home—upheavals unseen in a century. Let me tell you, you'll have the chance to go to Hong Kong!" Immediately after, he gave them a rundown of recent events. "Really?! We're going to Hong Kong?!" "I only went to the provincial capital for the first time when I was twenty. I never imagined I'd get to go abroad all of a sudden!" "Hey, hey! What do you mean 'go abroad'? Hong Kong is ours too!" Except for Li Lianjie and Yu Hai, who frequently traveled abroad for performances, everyone was ecstatic. Zhang Xinyan was displeased and said, "If you take them all away, how am I supposed to shoot?" "You should feel guilty even saying that!" Chen Qi retorted without mercy. "When we go to Hong Kong, it'll be right around the Spring Festival. Are you going to be filming during the Spring Festival? You'll definitely head home to celebrate the New Year, and you won't be back for at least a month!" The corner of Zhang Xinyan's mouth twitched. Damn it, the last time he went home for the New Year was precisely when this kid poached his people! Thinking about it still infuriated him! Old habits built over many years were hard to break overnight. He knew he needed to pick up the pace, but how could it be that easy? This version of *The Shaolin Temple* was already faring much better. In history, to what extent did Zhang Xinyan drag things out? When winter arrived, he halted filming altogether, only resuming in the spring. "Let me tell you, when we go to Hong Kong for promotion, we need to organize some events." Chen Qi tapped the table. The authority he had established while shooting *Tai Chi* was already solid. He said, "Everyone here is a martial artist, and naturally, any event must involve martial arts. There are many martial arts colleagues in Hong Kong, so we might have some exchanges with them when the time comes. Prepare yourselves mentally. We leave in February, just over a month from now. Make sure none of you get injured—if you miss the chance, don't blame me." *Buzz!* The moment these words came out, everyone grew even more excited. Yu Chenghui's fighting spirit, in particular, soared. Young and vigorous, his single-minded goal was to promote the two-handed sword. The thought of visiting and sparring with martial arts colleagues across Hong Kong made him eager to try. He had heard that southern-style kung fu was revered over there, and that there was an old lecher named Lau Kar-leung—*bah*, a grandmaster... In Zhang Xinyan's plan, *The Shaolin Temple* would finish shooting by next summer, slightly faster than the original timeline. Even so, it wouldn't make much difference; *Tai Chi* was already ahead of it and would reap the very first dividends of the martial arts movie craze. In truth, the Leftist faction hadn't expected *The Shaolin Temple* to turn a profit at first, as it was a political assignment. It was only after filming wrapped and they watched the finished cut, deeming it of considerable quality, that they decided to distribute it aggressively. *Tai Chi*, however, was different. From the very beginning, it was aimed at making money, molded in every respect into Chen Qi's vision. That night. The room was cold and damp. Chen Qi didn't even want to take off his clothes, intending only to muddle through the night and leave as early as possible the next morning. As he was drinking freshly fetched hot water, there came a sudden knocking at the door: *thump, thump, thump*. Li Lianjie stepped inside. "Not asleep yet?" "Isn't that obvious? Am I sleepwalking while drinking hot water?" "Heh, I have something I want to talk to you about..." Li Lianjie paused, and terrified Chen Qi might think he placed too much weight on his opinion, added, "It's not that I had to talk to you specifically. It's just that you happened to come by, and you have news from the outside world, so that's why I came." "All right, all right, out with it!" "After finishing *Tai Chi* and now filming *The Shaolin Temple*, I feel that movies are something truly... how should I put it? Anyway, I feel great being on a film crew. I want to experience more and more things..." "Meaning you want to make movies and don't want to go back to the martial arts team, right?" "Uh..." Li Lianjie had not expected him to be so blunt. Feeling a bit embarrassed, he nonetheless nodded. "Yeah! I want to make movies. I don't want to be an athlete anymore!"