Global Film Emperor

Chapter 168 Hong Kong
Hong Kong has a subtropical monsoon climate, and early December is a time when it is neither too hot nor too cold. Today it is cloudy with a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius. Lu Ze started taking off his clothes after getting off the plane.

Fortunately, Lu Ze had prepared in advance, wearing a down jacket on the outside and short sleeves on the inside. After putting away his coat, it finally became a bit cooler.

Upon exiting the airport, Lu Ze felt that Hong Kong was not much different from mainland China. The population was predominantly Asian, with about 70-80% being Asian, and people mostly spoke Cantonese instead of Mandarin.

Apart from the various signs with traditional Chinese characters on the street, this place is no different from Guangzhou in mainland China, and there is no sense of incompatibility at all.

Lu Ze had already communicated with Director Song Qingmin, who said he would send a car to pick him up. Soon, Lu Ze saw someone holding a sign with the words "Lu Ze" at the airport entrance.

There are quite a few mainland tourists visiting Hong Kong now. To avoid trouble, Lu Ze still didn't take off his sunglasses. But to be honest, Lu Ze isn't very famous in Hong Kong. Not many people in Hong Kong know about this newly crowned Golden Rooster Award Best Actor.

In the eyes of Hong Kong people, the most prestigious award in mainland China is still the Hong Kong Film Awards, not the Golden Rooster Awards. This is not because Hong Kong people look down on the mainland, but because they are genuinely proud of Hong Kong, which is known as the "Hollywood of the East".

This is a matter of belonging. Everyone feels that their hometown is the best, so let's leave that aside for now. However, Lu Ze, who had suddenly come from the cold and gloomy Shanghai to this warm place, did feel a little uncomfortable, and his forehead quickly became sweaty.

"Excuse me, are you Mr. Lu? Mr. Song asked me to pick you up."

Although the person who came to pick up Lu Ze spoke Mandarin, his Cantonese accent was very strong. Lu Ze was able to understand him because he had listened to Jia Helong speak Cantonese for several years during the systematic courses. Now Lu Ze could speak it fluently, although his accent was not very authentic.

"You can speak Cantonese, I understand it."

Seeing that he was struggling to speak and his tongue was almost tied in knots, Lu Ze didn't make him speak Mandarin anymore, leaving Wang Zixuan bewildered, as she really couldn't understand.

“Mr. Lu, it’s great that you can speak Cantonese. Mr. Song asked me to take you to your hotel to rest. Mr. Song will come to see you this afternoon. Just give me your luggage.”

Lu Ze didn't refuse and got into the car with Wang Zixuan, who had no idea what the two were talking about. During the drive, because cars in Hong Kong are all right-hand drive, Lu Ze and Wang Zixuan felt very uncomfortable and always felt like they were going to crash into oncoming cars.

Lu Ze arrived at the hotel in a daze, took out his ID card and handed it to the front desk. After receiving the room key, he went upstairs and opened his room.

It has to be said that hotels in Hong Kong are really expensive. The same deluxe king room costs significantly more than the same level of hotel in Shanghai. In addition, you need to pay additional taxes, which are basically around 10% of the room rate. It's really a rip-off.

This is the hotel where Lu Ze will be staying regularly in the future. The room fee will naturally be reimbursed by the production crew, otherwise it would be a bit of a strain for Lu Ze, who just bought a house.

He was told that Song Qingmin would contact him in the afternoon, but in fact, Old Song arrived at noon. Lu Ze was tidying up the room when he heard someone knocking on the door and saw the nearly sixty-year-old director again.

"Hey Aze, you must be tired from your schedule? Have you eaten?"

"Mo, I'll do it."

Just now, Song Qingmin had greeted Lu Ze in Cantonese out of habit after returning to Hong Kong. He realized he had made a slip of the tongue and wanted to correct himself, but then he saw that Lu Ze had also replied in Cantonese. He paused for a moment before laughing.

"Sure, get ready. I've invited a few big shots to have afternoon tea with you."

"Okay."

Lu Ze was well aware of this situation. Coming to Hong Kong, he naturally had to pay his respects to the local bigwigs, namely the investors of this film. He didn't feel any pressure, after all, this was Chinese territory, and everyone was Chinese. He also understood that the big shots he was going to meet probably didn't have clean backgrounds before the handover, but now there were no organized crime groups in China.

She agreed and glanced at Song Qingmin's attire, which was actually quite casual: jeans, a T-shirt, a vest, and hiking sneakers.

It was estimated that the party wouldn't be too formal, otherwise Director Song wouldn't have dared to dress like this. Lu Ze looked at himself again and realized that he was dressed similarly, both in sporty outfits, except for a hat. He told Wang Zixuan in the next room that she could move around freely, and then left the hotel with Song Qingmin.

Song Qingmin's car was a Mercedes-Benz, and he drove himself without a driver. After Lu Ze sat in the passenger seat, he started chatting with Song Qingmin. For a veteran Hong Kong director, it wouldn't hurt for Lu Ze to build a good relationship with him, especially since he would be working under his direction. The two chatted happily along the way. Song Qingmin talked to Lu Ze about the local customs and culture, pointing out streets and shops where movies had been filmed.

After all, Hong Kong is really small. Filming takes place either at Zhao's Studio or on the streets, so there aren't many other options. Lu Ze listened with great interest, finding these behind-the-scenes stories quite fascinating.

When the car pulled up in front of a tea stall in Wan Chai, Song Qingmin pulled the handbrake and turned off the engine. Lu Ze peeked out and was a little dumbfounded. No wonder Director Song was dressed so casually. The shop, called "Xihe Tea Stall," was very small, with a storefront only the size of the entrance door of an ordinary residential house.

Moreover, it looked like it had been around for a long time. The door was painted red, and the couplets on the left and right were already faded, giving it a strong Hong Kong style. Peeking into the shop, it was very simple, with just a few round tables. There were many elderly people drinking tea and chatting inside, just like an ordinary hole-in-the-wall restaurant.

"Let's go, Aze, let's go inside."

"Roar!"

With his car keys hanging on his finger, Song Qingmin opened the door and led Lu Ze inside. It seemed he was a regular customer, as he greeted the elderly man sitting behind the counter warmly as soon as he entered.

"Uncle Ya! Same as always, I've brought a young man for you to see. Ah Ze, from the mainland. Ah Ze, this is Uncle Ya."

"Uncle Ya".

The old man looked to be in his seventies or eighties, with completely white hair and a receding hairline. He sat in a grand chair fanning himself. When he saw Lu Ze greet him politely, he also returned the greeting warmly.

"Great! Young people go to clubs every day, but none of them come to my place for tea anymore. Not bad, not bad. Are you with Young Master Jia? They're in a private room. Oh, hey, Ah Min, is it the usual?"

The old man grumbled a bit, expressing his dissatisfaction with today's young people. He seemed quite kind, and Lu Ze didn't look down on the small shop. After all, he used to be someone who would carefully calculate the bill even when eating at hole-in-the-wall restaurants, afraid of spending too much. Coming to this kind of small shop, he inexplicably felt a sense of familiarity.

"Of course, I'm going to find Uncle Jia."

It seems that old Hong Kong people are just this easygoing. Perhaps because they were once under British rule, their thinking has become somewhat Westernized, but the spirit of respecting elders and valuing teachers is still so strong. They can't leave their roots; they are still Chinese.

Walking to the back of the shop, what was called a private room was actually just a small room without a door, covered by a curtain. Song Qingmin stood at the door and greeted those inside. Hearing permission from the people inside, he pulled back the curtain and led Lu Ze inside.

Inside the house were three elderly people drinking tea and eating pastries, looking quite carefree. With their T-shirts and white tank tops underneath, no one would guess they were big shots.

But they really are.

It seems that the younger generation of entrepreneurs are more particular about the occasions for their meetings, going to high-end places, while these older entrepreneurs, or rather, the old gangsters, prefer to enjoy themselves in these hole-in-the-wall restaurants.

Lu Ze glanced at the three people. Unlike in the movies, they didn't look like villains even when they were old. The other two looked just like ordinary old people, with kind faces and smiling faces, except for the old man sitting in the head seat.

The old man was burly and thick-waisted, with a face full of fat. As he aged, his muscles became loose, making him look like a Shapi. He glanced at Lu Ze sideways, said nothing, and took a sip of tea.

Lu Ze didn't recognize the other two old men, but even if he didn't know the old man in the chief seat, he could recognize him at a glance. He looked so much like Jia Helong, as if they were made from the same mold. Except for the face shape and nose, he was a carbon copy of Jia Helong.

He is Jia Changwei, the only surviving eldest son among the dozen or so children of the powerful Jia Helong.

Lu Ze had also learned about him; he was not born to any of Jia Helong's four concubines. His biological mother was Liang Yushu.

"."

(End of this chapter)