Breaking Records

On stage, Li Lianjie put on a display. His fists moved as swift as lightning and as dense as a torrential downpour as he performed a routine of his best style, Fanziquan. He then came to a firm, steady halt and cupped his hands toward the audience below. "Ooh!" Applause thundered through the hall. Chen Qi had structured the roadshow much like those of future generations: the cast and crew made an appearance, received bouquets of flowers, engaged in a bit of casual Q&A... The biggest twist was having Li Lianjie perform a live martial arts routine on the spot. The results were remarkable. The audience had only just finished watching the film, their emotions still running high, so seeing the star in the flesh thrilled them even more. A few viewers in the front rows were practically itching to rush onto the stage. The host chimed in hurriedly, "Due to limited time, our team must rush to the next theater and regretfully say goodbye for now. But we will meet again soon! We will certainly bring you more wonderful works in the future, and we hope everyone continues to support us!" With that, the group lined up to exit. They had to make their way down the center aisle of the auditorium. Chen Qi walked among them, keeping a watchful eye on the surroundings. Suddenly, he nudged Li Lianjie and whispered, "Go shake hands with that little girl!" "Huh?" "The one ahead on your right. Teach her a martial arts pose!" Li Lianjie was quick-witted. In a few strides, he stepped over, shook hands with the short-haired girl, and guided her hands into an opening stance. The little girl flushed crimson with excitement. Chen Qi turned his head and asked a staff member, "Did you snap a photo?" "It happened too fast, I didn't get a good shot," the staff member said in a panic. "Can we do it again?" "How the hell can we do it again? Forget it, forget it!" Only after the team exited did the audience begin filing out in waves. Every face beamed with delight. Watching a great film was like savoring an exquisite meal; it filled a person with an unmistakable sense of happiness. Chen Songling was especially thrilled, babbling non-stop, "His moves were so handsome! And he shook my hand! Mom, Dad, can we come watch it again tomorrow?" "Sure, sure, whenever we have time!" Outside the cinema, the group hurried into their vehicle and set off for the next venue. This had been a spontaneous idea on Chen Qi's part. When he saw the film was showing in only sixteen theaters across Hong Kong—a tiny territory where distances between locations were short—he thought, why not run a roadshow? It was a golden opportunity to promote their public image. Yet the moment they were in the van, he dropped all pleasantries and started barking, "Where are your brains? Where are your brains! How many times have I told you: wave and smile when you enter and when you leave! Who wasn't smiling back there? Ji Chunhua! Was it you?" "Brother Qi, it's not that I didn't want to smile. I was afraid of scaring them," Ji Chunhua pleaded aggrievedly. "Smile even if it scares them! It creates a nice contrast... And you! I told you to stay alert and snap photos at all times. Why were you zoning out?" "I—I'll definitely get it this time!" "Li Lianjie! You haven't even memorized the lines I gave you. Hurry up and recite them!" "Gong Xue! Are you hungry?" "Ewww!" The entire van shot him looks of deep disdain. Hong Kong was barely fifty kilometers from north to south, which gave a good sense of just how small the place truly was. The thugs in *Young and Dangerous* yelled about killing day in and day out, planting flags in Causeway Bay or lording over Portland Street, but at best they were neighborhood bullies. Before long, they arrived at their next stop: the Pearl River Theatre. *Tai Chi* screened only in the evenings, with three showings a night. Running to three theaters each day meant they would wrap up the whole tour in five to six days; the roadshow was a breeze. Just as before, the cast took the stage after the film ended. Thunderous cheers erupted from the seats, and the energy in the room surged. Standing behind Li Lianjie, Chen Qi gave him another nudge. "Lines! Don't forget your lines!" "Got it!" By now, Li Lianjie listened to him almost instinctively. He spoke first: "Wow, right now I feel like I'm dreaming..." His delivery went smoothly this time; he hadn't forgotten a word. Next came the audience interaction and another routine of Fanziquan. Over the next few days, he would have to perform it sixteen times. Once the program wrapped, they scrambled back into the vehicle and headed for the third cinema. Chen Qi kept them running ragged, yet no one complained. On the contrary, everyone was brimming with energy and eager enthusiasm. Being busy without achievement was mere drudgery; Being busy with achievement was a career! Soon, they pulled up to the third venue, the Sunbeam Theatre, where another round of raucous cheers greeted them. The group had grown more practiced, weathering the wave of audience adoration with greater composure. Everyone was immersed in the thrill of the atmosphere, utterly captivated. This feeling of stardom was something they could never have experienced on the mainland. Even Gong Xue was thoroughly enjoying herself. * * * Meanwhile, on Bank Street in Hong Kong. Central was Hong Kong's lifeline, and Bank Street was the lifeline of Central. The HSBC Building, the Legislative Council Building, and Statue Square were all located here, alongside the Bank of China Building branch. Today was the first day of the Lunar New Year. Every Spring Festival, the Bank of China Building was festooned with lanterns and banners, hung with portraits of mainland leaders, celebrating the holiday in a style sharply distinct from the local ambiance. Up on the ninth floor, the leftist theater circuit company occupied a leased floor. Fu Chi, Xu Dunle, and the heads of Feng Huang and Sun Luen were all present. Every face wore a solemn expression, though none could entirely hide their eager anticipation. "Old Xu, still no word?" "I'm spending the first day of the New Year waiting here with you for results. Can't your people hurry up?" "Almost, almost, they're tallying the numbers! You old fellows have weathered all kinds of storms, what's the rush now?" Xu Dunle scoffed. "Bullshit! After more than ten years, we finally have signs of a revival. How can we not be anxious?!" *Ring-ring-ring!* The phone suddenly went off, and everyone snapped to attention. Xu Dunle snatched the receiver. "Hello? Are the figures out... What? Oh. Old Fu, it's your wife!" "Bah!" The men flicked their sleeves in unison, exasperated. Fu Chi calmly stepped over to take the receiver and said softly, "Still waiting. I'll let you know in a bit. Is Zhizhi asleep? Alright, wait for me to come home for dinner." He hung up and glanced around. "What are you staring at? If you're jealous, just say so!" In terms of seniority and competence, they were all roughly on par. But when it came to family, Fu Chi's wife was Shi Hui, the Second Princess of Great Wall. People across Hong Kong called them a match made in heaven. *Tai Chi* had premiered on the 3rd, and today was the 6th. Conditions were primitive in those days, and box-office tabulation took time. *The Miracle Fighters* had yielded its screening slots to *Security Unlimited*, ultimately falling short of nine million and finishing at just over 8.6 million. Meanwhile, *Security Unlimited* had been in theaters for eight days, with preliminary estimates placing its haul at over seven million HKD—taking in roughly nine hundred thousand each day. Such terrifying performance was testament to Michael Hui's immense star power. Lau Kar-leung's *My Young Auntie* had been running for fourteen days, netting HK$ 3,346,256, its commercial momentum exhausted. Cinema City's *Beware of Pickpockets* had only debuted yesterday, so its figures remained unknown. *Ring-ring-ring!* After an agonizing wait, the telephone finally rang again. Xu Dunle seized it. "Are they out? How much... Are you sure? Good, thank you all for your hard work!" Placing the receiver down, Xu Dunle met the gaze of several pairs of fiercely expectant eyes. As if a massive boulder had been lifted from his chest, he let out a long breath. "*Tai Chi* has been running for four days. There are no numbers for today yet. But the box office for the first three days... has broken three million!" "How much?!" "Did it pass three million, or didn't it?" "Are the numbers verified?" "Three million plus a little extra. It's definitely broken three million—about one million coming in each day!" Xu Dunle declared. "..." Silence fell over the room for several seconds. Then, these old veterans stationed in Hong Kong burst into laughter together. Fu Chi lost all traces of his usual refined, handsome composure, his face crinkling with deep smile lines. Yet as he laughed, his eyes began to sting. It had been far too difficult! The year before last, the leftist circuit had screened eight films in total, bringing in a meager five million HKD combined—an average of just over six hundred thousand per title. Last year had fared slightly better, but only because of *Wrong Turn*. And now, *Tai Chi* had pulled in three million in three days, smashing records that had stood for decades. Even measured against the entire Hong Kong film industry, it was a triumph to be proud of! The men suddenly exchanged glances, a daring thought springing into all their minds at once. "Its opening momentum has outpaced *Security Unlimited*," Fu Chi murmured, sending a shiver through the room. "If it maintains this pace, we stand a real chance of beating Michael Hui. Jackie Chan was sent off to Hollywood by Golden Harvest, so he probably won't have any releases this year. Which means we..." Which meant they... might actually be able to seize the annual box-office crown!