1978: Female educated youth, don’t want an illiterate husband

Raymond Chow's lips curled into a barely perceptible sneer: "Liu Jialiang's Southern Fist fighting style is outdated and slow in its narrative pace."

It might have been a hit ten years ago, but now? It's hard to say whether young people will still buy into it.

Moreover, he was out of sorts this time, too eager to succeed, resulting in rushed filming and hasty post-production. I had someone review it, and the quality... might not be as good as he claimed.

He picked up a cigar cutter, slowly cut open a Havana cigar, lit it, took a deep drag, let the thick smoke swirl in his mouth for a moment, and then slowly exhaled, continuing, "What we need to do now is to endure!"

"On the surface, they cooperated actively, giving up the games they were supposed to give up, leaving the Golden Horse Awards no excuse to cause trouble, but behind the scenes..."

He looked sharply at Sammo Hung: "You and Corey Yuen, you need to polish 'The Prodigal Son' to the last bit, especially the first ten minutes, they have to grab people's attention!"
In terms of promotion, we should avoid direct confrontation and steer clear of the competition from "Martial Arts School." Instead, we should emphasize the family-friendly nature of our kung fu comedy and play the differentiation card.

"I'll speak to the theaters privately and ask them to schedule our remaining screenings during times when families are more likely to be present."

Sammo Hung's heart raced as he listened, and he vaguely guessed Raymond Chow's next plan.

Raymond Chow leaned back on the sofa, his voice lowered, carrying a sense of determination:
"If 'The Martial Arts School' doesn't receive the expected reviews or if its box office performance falters and shows signs of lacking staying power after its release... that will be our opportunity!"

He tapped his finger lightly on the sofa armrest: "When the time comes, the theater managers will be anxious on their own, without us even having to say a word!"

“If we don’t schedule the games that can make money, we’re just throwing money away! We’ve already given the Golden Horse Awards enough face. It’s Liu Chia-liang’s own fault for not being good enough. Who can we blame?”

"At that time, I will immediately order the gradual redeployment of screenings allocated to 'Martial Arts School' to your 'The Prodigal Son'! Even if we can't fully restore them, we must at least reclaim most of them!"

Sammo Hung's eyes suddenly lit up, and his breathing quickened: "Mr. Zou! You mean... we're ready to take over at any time?"

“That’s right!” Raymond Chow nodded firmly, a shrewd look on his face. “So, Sanmao, now is not the time to be discouraged. On the contrary, we need to stay alert! Make sure your people are on their toes!”

Promotional materials, media relations, cinema outreach—no aspect can be neglected! We must be like lurking cheetahs, waiting for the opportune moment to pounce!
Once "Martial Arts School" shows its flaws, we will use the success of "The Prodigal Son" to tell everyone, and the Golden Horse Awards, that in Hong Kong, the market and the audience ultimately decide!
Forced promotion won't create a true box office champion!

He took a deep drag on his cigar and sneered, "By then, even if Jiang Fengqi is unhappy, he'll have no choice but to swallow his pride and bear it. After all, Jiahe still needs to make money."

Sammo Hung felt a surge of adrenaline rush to his head, sweeping away all his previous frustration and irritability, replaced by a fighting spirit mixed with excitement and murderous intent.

He stood up abruptly and clasped his hands in a deep fist salute to Raymond Chow: "Mr. Chow! I understand! Don't worry! I know what to do! 'The Miscellaneous Boy' will definitely not disappoint you!"
My brothers and I will keep a close eye on things. As soon as Liu Jialiang's side collapses, we'll immediately take over!

Raymond Chow nodded in satisfaction and waved his hand: "Go on, reassure the people below. Think long-term; the one who laughs last laughs best."

Sammo Hung left Raymond Chow's office with brisk steps and returned to his own conference room.

Yuan Kui, Yuan Hua, and others immediately surrounded them.

"Brother Sanmao, what did Mr. Zou say?"

Is there any hope?

Sammo Hung glanced around at the expectant faces, a smile appearing on his face for the first time in days, though tinged with a hint of ruthlessness: "Brothers, grab your weapons! Get ready to work!"

He lowered his voice and revealed Raymond Chow's plan in detail.

After hearing this, everyone was initially shocked, but then they all showed expressions of excitement.

"Brilliant! Zou Sheng's move was truly brilliant!" Yuan Kui exclaimed, slapping the table in admiration. "A feint to one side while secretly preparing for another! We appear patient on the surface while secretly gathering our strength!"

"Damn it! I knew Boss Zou wouldn't just stand by and watch us suffer!" Yuan Hua breathed a sigh of relief. "Now there's hope!"

"Let that old bastard Liu Jialiang be arrogant for a few days!" Yuen Biao rubbed his hands together, "Once his 'Martial Arts School' fails, I'll see how I make 'The Miscellaneous Kid' laugh him to death!"

The atmosphere in the conference room instantly reversed, transforming from the previous oppressive despair into an excited anticipation.

Sammo Hung waved his hand and said, "Listen up, everyone! From now on, everyone get moving! Ah Wah, you take your men and do another round of fine editing on the film, especially the opening fight scene and the jokes, speed up the pace!"

Ah-Kui, let's change the approach in our promotional materials. Let's emphasize how fun and easy it is to watch together as a family!
Ah Biao, you keep a close eye on the remaining screenings, build a good relationship with the cinema manager, and make sure the posters are prominently displayed! Also…”

A cold glint flashed in his eyes: "Spread the word privately that... Master Liu's 'Martial Arts School' has a rather hard-hitting style, which may not suit the tastes of today's young people."

Remember, do it subtly, so as not to give anyone a handle to use against you!

"Understood!" everyone responded in unison, full of enthusiasm.

With Raymond Chow's tacit support and clear instructions, Sammo Hung's team was given a shot in the arm and began to operate efficiently.

Instead of dwelling on the lost prime-time slots, they focused all their energy on perfecting the remaining shows and preparing precise strikes against the weaknesses of "Martial Arts School".

An atmosphere of lying in wait, ready to strike decisively, permeated the interior of Jiahe.

at the same time!

Sammo Hung then privately met with Eric Tsang.

"Tony, I heard you have a few good comedy scripts on hand lately?" Sammo Hung asked casually.

Eric Tsang paused for a moment, took the cigarette, lit it, and said with a wry smile:
“Brother Sanmao, please stop making fun of me. The situation at Cinema City is a complete mess right now. Karl Maka is making empty promises, and Cheng Xuemin is stirring things up. I don’t even know if my scripts will ever see the light of day.”

Sammo Hung chuckled and put his arm around Eric Tsang's shoulder: "Hey, you can't say that. Cinema City is Cinema City, and you are you."

I heard that Mr. Chow has recently been looking for some new projects, especially comedies that are low-cost but packed with jokes and can be produced and released quickly.

So, how about it? Interested in bringing it to Golden Harvest for a look?

Eric Tsang's heart skipped a beat. He looked up at Sammo Hung and caught a fleeting hint in his eyes.

He immediately understood that this was not just Sammo Hung's personal opinion.

This likely also represents Raymond Chow secretly recruiting talent and diversifying his investments to avoid putting all his eggs in one basket, while also preparing for the possible disintegration of Cinema City.

“Brother Sanmao…is this appropriate?” Eric Tsang hesitated, after all, he was still a member of Cinema City.

"What's wrong with that?" Sammo Hung patted him on the shoulder. "It's just looking at the script, not asking you to switch jobs right away. Having more friends means having more options."

Jiahe's doors are always open to talented people. Mr. Zou admires quick-witted individuals like yourself most.

Eric Tsang took a deep drag on his cigarette, his mind racing with calculations.

Cinema City is riddled with internal conflicts. Karl Maka's promises are empty and unrealistic, and Cheng Xuemin's instigation has made the rift public.

Rather than waiting to die on a ship that may sink, it's better to make plans early.

On the Golden Harvest side, Raymond Chow is shrewd and calculating, while Sammo Hung has immense influence. If they could establish a connection with him, it would undoubtedly provide them with a solid safety net.

"Okay! Brother Sanmao, thank you for thinking so highly of me!" Eric Tsang made up his mind, a smile spreading across his face. "I'll go back and organize the notebook, and deliver it to your house in person another day!"

"That's more like it!" Sammo Hung laughed heartily. "Don't worry, you won't be treated badly following Mr. Chow! Who knows, we might even have a chance to work together in the future!"

The two men smiled at each other, each with their own thoughts, yet both had placed their pieces on the turbulent chessboard of the Hong Kong film industry.

Everyone held their breath, waiting for the inevitable fierce ring match between "Martial Arts School" and "Shaolin Temple" to begin, and also waiting for their best opportunity to turn the tide or break through.

The rainy season in Hong Kong continues, while the behind-the-scenes battles within the film industry have entered a new and more unpredictable phase.

Next, Sammo Hung's team acted swiftly and discreetly.

Corey Yuen and his editors worked day and night, repeatedly polishing the final cut of "The Prodigal Son". They edited the opening scene, in which Sammo Hung plays a fake master chasing and fighting with street thugs, to make it more compact and packed with jokes, striving to grab the audience's attention in the shortest amount of time.

Yuen Wah was responsible for communicating with Golden Harvest's publicity department and adjusting the publicity strategy.

The new poster highlights the comical and disheveled expressions of Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, and others, accompanied by slogans such as "This summer, laugh and fight in the underworld, the first choice for family entertainment, sweep away all your troubles."

This is deliberately in stark contrast to the solemn style of Lau Kar-leung's serious face and standard Southern Fist stance on the poster for "The Martial Arts School".

Yuen Biao became an underground intelligence agent. He used his connections in major cinema chains to ensure that the promotional materials for the screenings of "The Prodigal Son" were in place under Golden Harvest, and he also secretly inquired about the internal screenings of "The Martial Arts School".

The feedback was mixed: some people said that Liu Jialiang really fought hard this time, and his real kung fu was dazzling.
Some people say the plot is clichéd, the pacing is slow, and it's all about fighting, which can easily lead to aesthetic fatigue after watching for a while.

Yuen Biao carefully recorded all this information and reported it to Sammo Hung.

Sammo Hung listened to the report, stroking his chin: "It seems Lau Kar-leung really went all out. But can fighting alone sustain a two-hour movie? Today's audiences don't have that much patience."

A glint of anticipation flashed in his eyes as he instructed, "Have the brothers keep a close eye on things, especially the attendance and audience reaction on the first screening on opening day. I need to know as soon as possible!"

at the same time.

As expected, Eric Tsang secretly delivered his carefully prepared urban action comedy script, titled "Young Master Weiwei," to Sammo Hung's desk.

Sammo Hung skimmed through the script, which tells the story of a rich young master who accidentally gets caught up in a gang war and escapes danger through his cleverness and luck. The plot is novel and full of laughs.

He immediately forwarded the notebook to Raymond Chow.

Raymond Chow carefully read the script in his office, a satisfied look on his face.

He said to Raymond Chow, who was standing next to him, "This Eric Tsang is a talent. The script is cleverly written, and the cost won't be high. If Cinema City really falls apart, we need to try to win him over."

He Guanchang nodded: "Mr. Zou is right! It's always good to be prepared."

"We can keep this script in reserve for now, and release it when the outcome of 'Martial Arts School' and 'Shaolin Temple' is clearer."

Beneath its outwardly reserved exterior, Golden Harvest, this massive film machine, is methodically making numerous preparations.

With Raymond Chow at the helm, he orchestrated events, dealing with the pressure from the Golden Horse Bureau, maintaining morale within the organization, and secretly planning for the perfect opportunity to seize the spoils of war.

He was like an experienced hunter, patiently lurking in the grass, keeping a close eye on the impending battle.

They will pounce on the fattest prey without hesitation the moment the outcome is decided.

Meanwhile, at the Clearwater Bay film set, post-production for "Martial Arts School" has entered its final sprint.

Liu Jialiang's eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at the mixing console, roaring at the sound engineer, "Here! The baton wind isn't strong enough! I want to hear the sound of bones breaking!"
Lower the dialogue a bit more, and raise the background music, especially the suona horn! Get that tragic feel to it! Do you understand what tragic feel is?

He pursued the impact of audiovisual effects with an almost obsessive intensity, attempting to compensate for his vague unease with the most hardcore kung fu scenes.

Jiang Fengqi's strong support and the huge number of screenings contributed by Golden Harvest and Golden Princess weighed heavily on his shoulders.

You can only succeed, not fail!
He knew that the entire Hong Kong film industry was watching him, waiting to see him make a fool of himself, especially that persistent Cheng Xuemin!
Cheng Xuemin appeared unusually calm at this moment.

He was on the set of "Redemption," having just finished filming the pivotal scene where Morgan Freeman looks up at the stars in the rainy night.

This scene required extremely high standards for lighting and the actors' emotions. It was filmed many times before he achieved the feeling of despair tinged with a faint glimmer of hope that he wanted.

After filming, he made an exception and gave the entire crew a half-day off.

Fu Qi approached him with the latest film schedule summary, his tone filled with worry: "Teacher Cheng, the final film schedule has been confirmed."

On Liu Chia-liang's side, the combined scale of Golden Harvest and Golden Princess cinemas was indeed comparable to that of Shaw Brothers and Great Wall cinemas.

The hype was huge, and many newspapers were predicting that "The Martial Arts School" would crush our box office.

Cheng Xuemin took the form, glanced at it, and casually placed it next to the monitor, his face showing no emotion: "A lot of fanfare is a good thing, but the higher you're lifted, the harder you'll fall!"

"Liu Chia-liang is too impatient now, eager to prove himself, which has made the film inferior. True kung fu is not about how fierce the moves are, but about rhythm and artistic conception."

He picked up the walkie-talkie and said to the lighting crew who were packing up their equipment, "Tomorrow we're shooting the prison riot scene. I want that chaotic yet orderly lighting effect. Prepare blood packs and smoke in advance."

It was as if the upcoming ultimate showdown, concerning reputation and the market, had nothing to do with him, the producer in charge.

His world still consists only of cameras, light and shadow, actors' performances, and the upcoming Cannes Film Festival in France.

Cheng Xuemin never felt that his real battlefield would be in such a small place as Hong Kong.

His true artistic rival was never Liu Jialiang, a mere martial artist.

It was this mindset that made Fu Qi secretly admire Cheng Xuemin as he looked at his calm back.

This composure, remaining unmoved even when faced with a collapsing mountain, is perhaps what makes this young man most terrifying.

After sending Fu Qi away, Cheng Xuemin rested for a while. Gong Xue very obediently handed him a damp towel to help him cool down.

"Old Huang! It's almost time to start. How's it going on your end?" Cheng Xuemin took the towel, nodded to Gong Xue, and then said to Huang Jianzhong, who had just removed his makeup.

These past few days, Huang Jianzhong's "Shaolin Temple" has almost officially wrapped up! When he had nothing to do, he pulled all the members of the "Shaolin Temple" crew to the set of "The Shawshank Redemption" to do odd jobs or make cameo appearances, so none of them were idle.

"Xuemin, the post-production of Shaolin Temple is all finished. You've seen the final cut two or three times already, so there shouldn't be any major problems!"

Huang Jianzhong nodded, then added with some concern, "But the atmosphere outside seems very strange, as if everyone is targeting us!"

Cheng Xuemin nodded and reassured him, "You don't need to worry about that. Just cooperate with Mr. Fu's distribution efforts as much as possible. As for the rest, just focus all your firepower on me!"

Cheng Xuemin understands Huang Jianzhong's concerns!

What's the current situation in Hong Kong?
So, should we play the peace game with them?
That's absolutely unacceptable!
Once these secret and delicate relationships develop cracks, and with Cheng Xuemin's sharp tongue further instigating them, a deep-seated thorn will inevitably be planted between them.

No one will be happy if this barb isn't pulled out, but once you try to pull it out, you'll be hurt even more deeply and severely by the barb.

Currently, Liu Jialiang's "Martial Arts School" is like a barb that has been plunged deep into the ground.

It all depends on how Princess Jin and Jiahe respond.

“Then you have to take it easy. Your family sent us here to earn foreign exchange! Actually, what you’re doing now is work for the branch office!” Huang Jianzhong nodded and said.

"We won't separate!" Cheng Xuemin knew, of course, that Huang Jianzhong said this for his own good!

But Cheng Xuemin nodded and said, "If we don't engage in these attacks and verbal battles, the Hong Kong film market will remain under our control, and Hong Kong filmmakers will always have to be mindful of others' feelings!"

"What does it do?"

"Shouldn't we take some necessary measures?"

……

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