The following day, Gong Xue returned to Beijing Film Studio.
She was in decent physical shape, perhaps thanks to the sturdy foundation built through her arduous years in the army. Once back, she threw herself whole-heartedly into shooting, as if hoping the bustle of work would help her forget the sorrow of parting.
Chen Qi, meanwhile, finally set out for Hong Kong.
He brought along one staff member from the company plus two bodyguards—a party of four in total.
Once again, they traveled first to Shanghai before flying out. It felt as though ages had passed, yet his last trip to Hong Kong had been a mere few months ago. Back then, he had been a minor pawn; now, he was traveling abroad on legitimate official business as a division-level—wait, no, a non-virgin-level cadre...
Aboard the plane.
After snoozing for a bit, Chen Qi woke up and glanced idly left and right. Xiao Geng looked fidgety and on edge, whereas Xiao Mo sat calm and composed as a Taoist immortal, undisturbed by a single ripple. Chen Qi couldn't resist asking, "Comrade Mo Youming!"
"Just call me Xiao Mo."
"Comrade Xiao Mo, have you carried out missions outside the mainland before?"
"Yes!"
"No wonder you're so composed, while he's sweating bullets."
Xiao Mo glanced at Xiao Geng too, keeping a straight face. "Everyone has a first time. This is a great chance for him to gain experience. I brought him along so he could temper himself."
"Oho, who would've guessed you were an old veteran?"
"I wouldn't dare claim veteran status. I used to be a soldier and enlisted very early. Thanks to the organization's trust, I was reassigned to handle security work. My ambition is to serve the motherland with absolute, unswerving loyalty!"
*All right, all right, flatter you twice and you start puffing up your chest—you only got a proper name yesterday.*
Chen Qi rolled his eyes and went back to dozing.
His primary purpose in heading to Hong Kong this time was to collaborate with Great Wall on a joint production—the North American special edition.
Ideally, he would have preferred to shoot on location in the United States, which would make the film feel far more immersive. But right now, that was out of the question; being permitted to come to Hong Kong to make a film was already the maximum concession allowed.
Since they couldn't go to America yet still had to earn American dollars, they had to figure out how to blend the elements.
Hong Kong sat at the crossroads of East and West, a hybrid of cultures with high international visibility. Its export trade was booming, driven by three pillar industries: garments, toys, and electronics, with the United States as its primary market.
Plenty of Americans worked in related fields right here in Hong Kong, providing a unique backdrop.
Fu Chi had received all the materials long ago and was already making preparations. The agreement between both sides was roughly: Chen Qi provided the creative concept, Fu Chi oversaw the actual filming, both sides shared the funding, the copyright would be held jointly, profits would be split according to investment ratios, and Chen Qi retained the right to participate in the shoot...
Thus, he could travel light without needing a massive entourage.
*Roar! boom!*
Soon, they reached Hong Kong. The plane skimmed once more over the crowded tenements of Kowloon City before touching down at Kai Tak Airport.
Because they had come from the mainland, there were remarkably few passengers—all traveling on official business. The men wore identical white short-sleeved shirts, a few sporting western suits, while the women wore long skirts, which was considered quite fashionable back in the mainland.
Chen Qi didn't wear a suit, opting for more casual attire. This time he enjoyed immense freedom and sweeping authority; after being cooped up in the mainland for so long, he felt like an exotic beast bursting out of its cage.
"Ahhh!"
"Jackie Chan! Jackie Chan!"
While the group was waiting for their ride, shouting and screaming suddenly erupted nearby, accompanied by the rapid *click-click-clack* of press cameras. Jackie Chan emerged, flanked by a trailing entourage, his signature broad nose leading the way as he answered questions on the go.
Then he scrambled into a car and sped off into the distance, leaving only a cloud of exhaust behind.
"Hong Kong really is tiny. You run into stars wherever you go."
Chen Qi shrugged. After waiting a little longer, he saw two Czechoslovak-made Škoda sedans pull slowly into the passenger pickup zone. In Hong Kong, Škoda went by the name "Goda"; they were relatively cheap, costing just over ten thousand Hong Kong dollars each.
"Uncle Fu Chi!"
"Ah Qi!"
Fu Chi had come in person to greet them. The two shook hands firmly, everything understood without needing to be said.
Naturally, they rode in the first car, accompanied by Xiao Mo, while Xiao Geng and the company staff member took the second.
"Since you're here this time, I didn't book you a hotel. You'll be staying for quite a while, and the expense would be steep. If you don't mind, stay in our company's dormitory building. Your Auntie Shi Hui and I live there too, so it'll be convenient for talking business."
"Anywhere works fine for us. We're just imposing on your hospitality, Uncle."
"Think nothing of it. You call me Uncle, so we're family—no need for polite formalities."
The car drove forward, entering a bustling urban district. High-rises multiplied on both sides, traffic flowed like water, foreigners were everywhere, and horizontal shop signs jutted out like rows of flagpoles, flaunting the explosive growth of Hong Kong's economy.
Suddenly, Chen Qi lurched forward as the car ground to a halt.
"What happened?" Fu Chi asked.
"Don't know, sir! The road ahead is blocked!" the driver replied.
"Blocked?"
Just as they were wondering, a crisp *crack* rang out, followed immediately by a rapid string of *pop-pop-pop* gunfire from the street ahead. A panicked crowd of pedestrians came surging in their direction, accompanied by shrieks, screams, and wailing police sirens.
Before Chen Qi could even grasp what was happening, Xiao Mo grabbed the back of his neck, forced his head down, and leaned over him behind the seat, shouting, "Gunfire! Get us out of here!"
"Back up! Cut through that way!"
Fu Chi had plenty of combat experience himself.
The two cars hastily reversed and cut through a narrow lane on the right. Only then did Chen Qi fully process the situation.
Crouching low in the car, he sneaked a peek outside. It seemed someone was robbing a shop, and the police and robbers were in an active shootout. Gunfire continued to rattle, and he could almost smell gunpowder drifting through the air...
*Holy shit!*
*Does it have to be this exciting? A gunfight the minute I arrive?*
Fortunately, they slipped past the danger without mishap. As the cars continued driving, Fu Chi suddenly let out a sigh. "No need to guess. Definitely ruthless bandits from the mainland."
"Not a local Hong Kong outfit?" Xiao Mo asked.
"Where would locals get that kind of heavy firepower? At most, they'd brandish watermelon knives! Hong Kong's military and police have miserable combat readiness. Back in the day, when we set up barricades and planted bombs in the streets... ah, never mind!"
Fu Chi shook his head, choosing not to dwell on past deeds. He smiled. "Ah Qi, how do you feel? Weren't spooked, were you?"
*You want to guess whether I was spooked or not?!*
In his past life, Chen Qi had dealt in film, television, media, stocks, and mutual funds. At the absolute wildest, he'd hired a few punks in Hengdian to intimidate a rival. When had he ever witnessed a real shootout?
Still, his mindset adjusted quickly. "I'm fine. Nowhere near as secure as the mainland... though I suppose that's nothing to brag about."
As they spoke, they finally reached their destination.
Before them stood three older residential towers, over a dozen stories high, with ground-floor storefronts. The location was prime, bustling with steady foot traffic. Chen Qi looked up and down. "This is what you call a dormitory?"
"Of course!"
"Your company's own property?"
"Yes, buildings we erected ourselves. Even though we're in Hong Kong, our setup mirrors a mainland state-owned enterprise—including those movie theaters, which are all our own assets."
"..."
Chen Qi was speechless. The leftist faction was this formidable, so how on earth did they end up losing their edge later on?!
*Damn it all, if I were the one at the helm, we'd have taken off into the stratosphere long ago!*
Fu Chi led the group upstairs. Each floor housed three units of modest size, around forty-odd square meters each. Chen Qi had a unit to himself, right above Fu Chi and Shi Hui's home.
"Get some rest first, take a shower, and come downstairs for dinner tonight. Your Auntie Shi Hui is cooking in person."
After all the commotion.
Chen Qi unpacked his belongings, and quiet finally settled in.
He showered, changed into fresh clothes, and stepped out onto the balcony to push open the window. It was just past noon, and the chaotic energy of a busy, prosperous, yet distorted metropolis rushed to meet him. This was Hong Kong in 1981.
"Ah!"
"The sweet, free air—even the tap water smells fragrant!"
He spread his arms wide, his heart surging. His previous visit hardly counted; *this* was his true descent upon Hong Kong.
*Now, what should I do first?*
*Following the standard transmigration playbook, I ought to start by plagiarizing Huang Yi's novels to earn my first pot of gold, then write screenplays, break into showbiz, woo Angie Chiu, then Brigitte Lin, collect Rosamund Kwan, Vivian Chow, Joey Wong, and so forth... start a company, shoot movies, take Wong Jing as my lackey, crush Golden Harvest and the Xiang brothers, dominate Hong Kong, conquer Hollywood, and become the supreme entertainment tycoon of a generation!*
Chapter 217