Pure Audacity

The moment that question was asked, every head in the room turned back to look at the young man in the corner. Fu Chi cast his gaze over as well, rather surprised. Someone on the mainland was actually asking about box office numbers? Even so, he answered, "As of right now, the number one spot belongs to a foreign film, *Moonraker*, with a box office of over seven million Hong Kong dollars. If we're talking about Hong Kong-produced films, the top spot goes to *The Fearless Hyena*, starring Jackie Chan. It's a martial arts film and has made over five million." "Then out of the top ten, how many are martial arts films?" "Well..." Fu Chi was not entirely sure. He whispered a few words to Shi Hui before saying, "Probably three or four. Many Hong Kong films feature martial arts action, but aren't purely martial arts films." Shi Hui stared at Chen Qi, tilting her head to ask, "Who is this?" "That's Chen Qi!" Wang Yang chuckled. "Oh—" Shi Hui's eyes turned, and she suddenly looked delighted. "A few months ago, the studio organized a screening of an internal reference film called *Drunken Master*, which also starred Jackie Chan," Chen Qi said. "Is he the biggest star in Hong Kong right now?" "What's the matter with you, young comrade?" Before Fu Chi could respond, Deputy Studio Director Sun Wenjin barked in reprimand. "Asking so many questions in one breath—how is anyone else supposed to get a word in? And what kind of things are you asking anyway? Box office? Film quality and ideological depth are what matter most!" "But isn't the box office important too?" Chen Qi put on an innocent face. "As film workers, our primary duty is to art! Don't go spouting 'box office' every chance you get—that's serious bourgeois thinking!" "Oh, right, you're absolutely right!" *Well!* Sun Wenjin grew even more irritated. Why did that phrase sound so thoroughly dripping with sarcasm when the young fellow tossed it out? "All right, all right. The young comrade is simply curious, nothing to worry about," Fu Chi mediated, then patiently continued, "To answer your question, Jackie Chan truly is the hottest rising star in Hong Kong right now, and his influence is massive. Did you have anything else you wanted to ask?" "Are his films popular overseas?" "Very popular. *Drunken Master* pulled in 1.9 billion yen at the Japanese box office, and had over eight hundred thousand admissions in South Korea. Just like Bruce Lee, he's widely recognized in Hong Kong as the next kung fu superstar." "Thank you for answering. I have no more questions!" Chen Qi gave a small smile. With him muddying the waters like that, no one else knew what to ask anymore. In the end, Wang Yang offered a few closing remarks and brought the symposium to an end. As the crowd began to disperse, Wang Yang called out, "Xiao Chen, come over here for a moment!" "Coming!" Chen Qi walked over under a barrage of meaningful stares, rolling his eyes inwardly. Office politics existed in every era! Not everyone was as kind and generous as Wang Haowei, especially since he had been rather cocky just now, which stuck out like a sore thumb in such a conservative environment. More and more people would probably jump out against him in the future. Not that it mattered. To struggle against others was boundless joy! When Chen Qi entered the office, the couple looked at him with warm smiles. Given their age, they looked at him almost like a child. "Xiao Chen, have a seat... Come to think of it, this is our first time talking," Wang Yang began with a laugh. "But I've known about you for a while now. I've been waiting for a chance, and today presented the perfect one. I've read your *The Cotton Kasaya*. Not bad at all. How did you come up with writing martial arts?" "My parents work at the Xinhua Bookstore, so I've read all sorts of miscellaneous books since I was little..." Chen Qi hauled out that same worn excuse, spouting nonsense with an utterly straight face. "...When I was up on Mount Lu, I had time on my hands and felt like writing a story. I was afraid literary journals wouldn't take it, so I specifically submitted it to *Story Session*. As for my creative motive, it's simple. Men, you know..." Chen Qi paused and said with absolute certainty, "What man doesn't like martial arts?" All three of them burst out laughing. Shi Hui, a native of Nanjing, spoke with a soft Jiangnan accent. "Here's the situation. We're currently shooting a film with a Shaolin theme. We felt that parts of *The Cotton Kasaya* were wonderful and wanted to incorporate them into our story. We were wondering what your thoughts might be?" "Which parts?" "The romantic arc between the male and female leads. We'd like to draw inspiration from it. The ending is best of all, and we'd like to use it directly. Rest assured, you won't be shortchanged when it comes to compensation." "No, no. I've heard of what both of you have done and hold you in heartfelt admiration. It's just a few lines of text. If you want to use it, please go ahead. Talking about money would only demean me. Naturally, I do have one small request." "Please, go ahead!" "Could my name be included in the screenwriting credits? Even listed last would be fine." "Of course! Your story is of great help to us. Your name belongs there in the first place," Shi Hui agreed briskly. *Ah!* Chen Qi felt another wave of emotion. Cultural workers really were respected in this era. In future generations, prominent screenwriters kept several ghostwriters underneath them; the big name would sketch out a framework and sort out the main plotline, then leave the actual writing to the ghostwriters to flesh out, without giving them so much as a credit. Never mind respect—if they were offered a credit, countless screenwriters would have happily crawled across the floor for it... Fu Chi liked the young man very much. After pondering for a moment, he simply said, "How about this? I think *The Cotton Kasaya* itself is quite good too. I'd like to buy the rights to the whole thing along with it, and you can write a replacement ending." "Mm, that works too. Gathering scripts is exhausting anyway," Shi Hui agreed. Wang Yang chimed in to ask, "Those folks in Hong Kong won't even write scripts for you?" "That's right. Even if someone helps out on occasion, they have to do it sneaking around, only daring to use a pseudonym for fear of being discovered!" "Then things really are tough for you!" Wang Yang sighed. After a bit more small talk, Fu Chi steered the conversation back. "Still, let me make things clear first. Buying the script is one thing, but we have specific shooting schedules each year. *The Cotton Kasaya* won't be going into production in the short term." "No problem at all! I'm already deeply honored that you took a liking to it!" Chen Qi said the right words, but inwardly he was snarking again. *What specific schedule? You're just broke! You don't have the cash to shoot more movies.* In truth, he was quite surprised himself. He hadn't expected things to develop this way: some concepts and the ending of *The Cotton Kasaya* would go to *The Shaolin Temple*, while he would just need to patch up another ending for his own story. That would be simple enough. Back in the day, after *The Shaolin Temple* exploded in popularity, all subsequent Shaolin-themed films had merely jumped on the bandwagon, and every single bloody ending featured the male lead taking monastic vows while the female lead wept... There was nothing wrong with following a trend as long as the quality held up. What people truly despised were trash films jumping on trends while picking fights with better works... Yes, looking right at you, *Shanghai Fortress*! Once Fu Chi and Shi Hui settled the matter, they sat a bit longer before rising to take their leave. Chen Qi handed over *The Cotton Kasaya* directly, without even asking about the script fee; they wouldn't treat him poorly anyway. Besides, having the leftists shoot *The Cotton Kasaya* suited him perfectly. When the time came, he could bring Xu Xiaoming on board too. Anyone certified by Taiwan as a "fellow traveler filmmaker" was one of their own! "You're quite clever, young fellow, knowing to get your name on the credits to build up credentials. If *The Shaolin Temple* succeeds, you'll gain fame right along with it." "Heheh, just petty cleverness. You flatter me, Director." "No, no. It's not as though you used underhanded tactics. Your request was entirely reasonable. But they shoot films slowly—even slower than us. You'll have quite a wait!" Wang Yang had originally intended to discuss the matter of Chen Qi joining the Beijing Film Studio, but upon second thought, decided to wait until after *Romance on Mount Lu* premiered. He had to take into account the opinions of the people in the studio. With nothing more to say, he was about to conclude their meeting when he noticed Chen Qi hesitating as if he had more to say. "Do you still have something to say?" "Director, I'm an outsider, and this is the first time I've spoken with you. Strictly speaking, I don't have the standing to bring this up, but I truly have an idea." "What idea?" "You heard it just now. Martial arts films are hugely popular in Hong Kong, and popular overseas too. *Drunken Master* made 1.9 billion yen in Japan, and who knows how many admissions in South Korea. Could *The Shaolin Temple* pull it off as well?" "That's not certain. There are too many variables in cinema. A studio might succeed with this film, only for the next one to completely flop." Wang Yang shook his head. "Yes, yes, but listening to the symposium gave me some wild thoughts. If it sounds unreliable, just treat it as nonsense... My thinking is, if foreigners like watching our martial arts films, why don't we shoot more of them...?" Chen Qi looked at the old studio director and dropped a final sentence: "At home, it's bound to be popular. And if we can take it overseas, what if... what if we could earn foreign exchange?" "What did you say?!" Wang Yang shot straight to his feet.