"The Boxer Rebellion had very complex constituents: poor peasants, craftsmen, small peddlers, and laborers, alongside some government troops, wealthy gentry, and even princely nobles. In the later stages, quite a few ruffians and scoundrels sneaked in as well.
"Broadly speaking, they can be divided into three types: official regiments, private regiments, and false regiments.
"Official regiments accepted pacification by the Qing court, drew its stipends, and answered its summons.
"Private regiments were organized spontaneously by the people, setting up their own altars.
"False regiments were either groups that defied Qing rule and posed a threat to it, or thugs posing as Boxers to run rampant, break laws, and victimize the innocent. Historical records note, 'Believers disguised themselves as false Boxer societies, seeking revenge and killing people everywhere, particularly rampant in western Beijing.'"
Inside a Beijing Film Studio soundstage, intensive training for *Tai Chi 2* was underway, with Teacher Chen personally lecturing.
He Qing and Tao Huimin sat obediently on small wooden stools, diligently taking notes in little pads. Zhen Zidan was there too, still projecting his keep-away aura as he sat off to the side all by himself.
"The Red Lanterns were a female organization within the Boxer movement. The women all wore red clothing and red trousers, carrying a red lantern in their right hand and a red fan in their left.
"Their eldest martial sister was known as the Holy Mother of the Yellow Lotus, the supreme leader, which is the role Ge Chunyan will play. Next is the Two-Faced Bodhisattva. Your concept is two beings sharing one body—come on, you two, stand up!"
Chen Qi had them stand back-to-back.
"In truth, it's a deformed conjoined pair used to stage miracles. Dressed up like a Bodhisattva, one face on the front and one face on the back, hence the name Two-Faced Bodhisattva..."
*Hiss!*
Everyone had read the script, but hearing it explained in person still made them draw a sharp breath. They felt Teacher Chen's mind was utterly bizarre and monstrous—how on earth did he come up with such an idea?
This concept originated from *The Bride with White Hair*, starring Leslie Cheung and Brigitte Lin, which featured conjoined siblings played by Francis Ng and Elaine Lui. Francis Ng's portrayal had been positively twisted...
"I have a question!"
Zhen Zidan suddenly raised his hand, asking in strained Mandarin, "Can a movie this daring really be released? We shouldn't end up finishing the shoot only to find it can't be screened."
"We're going abroad, so we don't go through domestic censorship standards. If we want a domestic release, only then will the Film Bureau review it according to domestic standards—and even then, they'll grant us the widest possible leeway."
Chen Qi glanced at him. Having no time to roast him right now, he continued, "The Red Lanterns were an organization resisting foreigners, but they engaged in feudal superstition as well. The Holy Mother of the Yellow Lotus claimed she could bring the dead back to life and wielded Daoist magic; fluttering her fan in her left hand let her fly, while the red lantern in her right hand blasted like cannonballs, blowing everything to pieces.
"The Red Lanterns' overall image in *Tai Chi 2* is positive, and they ultimately perish under the guns and cannons of the foreign powers.
"The altar master played by Ji Chunhua, however, is purely villainous—beating him to death with clubs wouldn't be enough to satisfy the audience's wrath..."
He chattered through an entire class before handing the floor to Li Wenhua, who continued outlining filming arrangements and provided basic acting coaching to He Qing and Tao Huimin.
Chen Qi, meanwhile, rode his bicycle out of Beijing Film Studio, finally heading off to meet the male lead of *Tai Chi 2*—Li Lianjie, who was about to go crazy from being pent up.
***
Shichahai Sports School.
At noon that day, Li Lianjie hadn't even eaten lunch. He hurried across campus to the front gate.
Coaches, senior brothers, and senior sisters greeted him warmly as usual, but their eyes always seemed to carry a trace of scrutiny and schadenfreude—though that could just be his own paranoia.
He had been living in pure torment lately.
Ever since laying his cards on the table with Leader Han, the martial arts team had taken a hardline stance. To punish him, they had gone back on their word regarding the movie they'd previously permitted, forbidding him from filming altogether.
Li Lianjie knew they were waiting for him to apologize, write a self-criticism, submit a letter of guarantee, and so forth... If not for Chen Qi, he would have either written the self-criticism or swung to the other extreme: breaking his own leg!
And Chen Qi had told him to wait until he returned to deal with it, so Li Lianjie had truly just waited. Such was the authority and prestige Chen Qi had established on his trips to Hong Kong and Berlin.
"Why isn't he here yet?"
"Did he forget?"
Li Lianjie waited anxiously for over twenty minutes before finally spotting a bicycle cruising over at an unhurried pace. He rushed to meet him. "Brother Qi!"
"Yeah. Eaten lunch yet?"
"No!"
"Didn't I tell you to eat when it's time to eat and sleep when it's time to sleep? So young, yet carrying such heavy burdens."
"How could I eat? This is the major turning point of my life!"
Li Lianjie wanted to lose his temper, but didn't quite dare. The constant pressure from the martial arts team was grinding down his temperament day in and day out. Facing the only person who could save him, he didn't dare utter a single harsh word.
Acting as if nothing was wrong, Chen Qi pushed his bicycle inside with a smile. "Preparations for *Tai Chi 2* are going smoothly. Ge Chunyan, Wang Qun, and Huang Qiuyan are already stationed at the guesthouse. Once the Yuen Brothers arrive in Beijing and we get your issue resolved, filming will officially begin."
"You make it sound so simple. Can something like this just be resolved on a whim?" Li Lianjie grumbled gloomily.
"Everything is open to negotiation. It just depends on whether the terms are sweet enough."
Chen Qi patted his shoulder. "Xiao Li, you're my leading man. I came here fully prepared to swallow my pride and play the humble grandson. No matter what price I have to pay, I will bring you into my cast and crew."
"Brother Qi!"
Like a drowning man seeing a hand reached out to him, Li Lianjie was genuinely deeply moved.
Chen Qi smiled and walked to the administration office. Leader Han was out having lunch, so Chen Qi waited a short while before the man appeared.
"Oh my, what a rare guest! Please, take a seat!"
Leader Han welcomed him warmly, pouring water, brewing tea, and offering cigarettes. He smiled and said, "I've heard about your achievements. So young and yet so capable! Should I be addressing you as General Manager Chen now?"
"No, no, just call me by name. My unannounced visit is an intrusion as it is!"
One was a public institution and the other a state-owned enterprise; strictly speaking by administrative rank, the two were on equal footing.
Leader Han knew full well Chen Qi had come about Li Lianjie, but he couldn't bring it up first. Chen Qi didn't waste time either; after exchanging pleasantries, he said, "We're preparing *Tai Chi 2*, and Xiao Li is still our male lead. We notified him to join the crew a while back, but there hasn't been any movement, so I came by to see if there's been some misunderstanding."
"Ah, this is definitely no misunderstanding! Things between the martial arts team and him are crystal clear."
"Yes, yes, but you understand the situation as well. *Tai Chi*'s foreign exchange earnings received tremendous support from the leadership. *Tai Chi 2* is looking to build on that momentum, so if the male lead suddenly vanishes, it wouldn't look good. If there's any problem, let me discuss it with you."
"We fully support earning foreign exchange! Ask him yourself: didn't I say the martial arts team supports him filming movies?" Leader Han leaned back, perfectly at ease since reason was on his side. "And what does this kid do? Give him an inch and he takes a foot—he actually told me he wants to retire and leave the martial arts team, and he declared it with complete finality! If you were in my shoes, how would you handle it?"
"That happened?"
Chen Qi wore an expression of utter shock, turning toward Li Lianjie. "You said you want to retire?"
"..."
Li Lianjie felt thoroughly depressed and embarrassed, able only to nod. "Yeah!"
*Oh dear!*
Chen Qi sighed, wearing the look of an adult dealing with a child who didn't know any better. After a few seconds of silence, he said, "Xiao Li, wait outside for a bit. Let the two of us talk in private."
"Brother Qi!"
"It's fine. Head outside for now."
Li Lianjie pursed his lips and stepped out. He didn't dare go far, squatting outside the door.
No matter how precocious he was, he was still only eighteen years old. He felt as if he were standing at a crossroads in life, entirely powerless, pinning his hopes on Chen Qi pulling him through.
Through all their interactions, he was already convinced that Chen Qi was his greatest benefactor.
Chapter 200