Against the Current Hong Kong 1979

Meanwhile, in an apartment in Causeway Bay.

Chen Yulian, along with Chow Yun-fat and several other friends from the entertainment industry, watched "Young Detective Bao Qingtian" together.

The living room was piled high with snacks and beer, and everyone was enjoying the sight.

"This Bao Zheng performance is really good." Chow Yun-fat took a sip of beer, his eyes glued to the television. "It's rare to see someone act like this for the first time."

"Don't praise him!" Chen Yulian pouted and popped a preserved plum into Chow Yun-fat's mouth. "He's a real jerk on set. He's always bullying me. And he plays pranks on other people all the time."

She spoke vividly, and several people laughed as they listened, but Chow Yun-fat's smile did not reach his eyes.

Chow Yun-fat looked at her meaningfully: "You seem to really dislike him; you're always talking about him in my ear."

"No way!" Chen Yulian shook her head and protested, "It's not that I dislike him, I just can't stand his arrogant attitude."

"I heard he's really handsome, is that true?" an actress next to me asked curiously.

Her name is Ko Miu-sze. She is the same age as Chow Yun-fat, but she is a graduate of the first class of TVB's acting training program. She was classmates with Chiu Chun-keung and Hui Siu-hung. She has worked with Chow Yun-fat several times and has also acted with Chan Yuk-lin, so they became mutual friends.

Also in the room was Lui Leung Wai, who was a classmate of Chan Yuk-lin in the TVB acting training class and had acted in several films with Chow Yun-fat, so they naturally became mutual friends.

When Lü Liangwei heard Chen Yulian constantly mentioning Zhang Shuai'an, he couldn't help but tease her, "Ah Lian, you seem to have a lot to say about Zhang Shuai'an. Are you very interested in him?"

"What?!" Chen Yulian immediately denied, gritting her teeth as she said, "I don't know how much I hate him! He's narcissistic all the time, saying he's a 'natural genius,' and that his hands have special abilities that can relieve women's menstrual cramps. I think he's just a pervert."

"A superhuman?" Chow Yun-fat was puzzled when he heard this strange word.

"Yes, because his body can really hold up." Chen Yulian said with a hint of envy, "We're all exhausted from filming all night, but he's like nothing's wrong, he barely even drinks water. Everyone calls him Superman, but he calls himself a 'god,' can you believe how shameless that is!"

As she spoke, her voice suddenly lowered. She remembered the day Zhao Yazhi injured her leg, and how Zhang Shuai'an's massage actually relieved the pain, allowing Zhao Yazhi to easily finish filming the rest of her scenes.

And his seemingly inexhaustible energy on set, and that inexplicable chill emanating from him... Could he really have some special constitution?

Chow Yun-fat noticed her distraction and felt slightly uncomfortable, but he smiled and said, "Alright, let's not talk about him anymore. This drama is indeed very well made, and your acting is particularly outstanding. It's just that you don't have enough scenes yet, but you'll definitely shine even more later on."

Lui Leung-wai keenly sensed the subtle tension and changed the subject, saying, "Brother Fat, your recent film 'The Web of Deception' has been getting great reviews. I heard the premiere ratings broke 30 points?"

"The Web of Deception" is a TV series starring Chow Yun-fat and Cheng Yuk-ling. It is a typical TVB drama that combines business warfare with family feuds. It aired a few days earlier than "Young Detective Bao Qingtian" and its ratings were quite good.

After watching the series, Gao Miaosi couldn't help but exclaim, "This show is definitely going to be a hit. The plot is fast-paced and full of suspense, even more innovative than 'Reincarnated.' If the ratings are high, Zhang Shuai'an will definitely become an overnight sensation and a big star."

"I think it'll be a real problem later," Chen Yulian said, pursing her lips.

"I'll visit you on set another day," Chow Yun-fat suddenly said. "And I'll also see just how handsome this 'superhuman' really is, and how troublesome he is."

Chen Yulian smiled and looked at Chow Yun-fat: "Brother Fat, are you jealous?"

"No way." Chow Yun-fat shook his head and reached out to touch her face. "I know you only see him as a colleague. But..."

He paused for a moment at this point.

Sensing his change in mood, Chen Yulian suddenly rolled her eyes and said somewhat unhappily, "Did your mother say something bad about me again?"

Although Chan Yuk-lin and Chow Yun-fat had a good relationship, Chow's mother always had reservations about her, believing that she was too outgoing and not dignified enough. This pressure was ever-present and had become increasingly heavy recently.

"Don't say that." Chow Yun-fat looked embarrassed. "My mother is actually a very good person, but she's a bit old-fashioned and can't accept that her bride is in the entertainment industry. She thinks it's not good that you always have to film intimate scenes with male actors."

Chen Yulian rolled her eyes and said speechlessly, "You also film kissing and hugging scenes with actresses, and I've never complained."

"It's different," Chow Yun-fat argued.

Lu Liangwei and Gao Miaosi, standing to the side, exchanged glances, wondering why the topic had suddenly become so heavy. Afraid of ruining the atmosphere, they dared not utter a sound.

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore." Chow Yun-fat took the initiative to shake off these worries and said with a smile, "Give me some time, and I'll convince my mom to accept you."

Chen Yulian leaned on his shoulder, but her gaze drifted unconsciously to the already darkened television screen.

In the end credits song, the sharp gaze of the young Bao Zheng seemed to pierce through the screen and strike straight into her heart.

……

Early the next morning.

Broadcast Drive, TVB City.

Shao Yifu's office.

At this time, Shao Yifu went to the Clearwater Bay film set, and Fang Yihua was in charge of the meeting. Her eyes kept glancing at the clock on the wall.

The main creators of "Young Detective Bao Qingtian," including Zhao Zhenqiang, Wang Pangzi, and Du Qifeng, were all present.

Several cups of coffee, now cold, sat on the table, and the ashtray was piled high with cigarette butts.

No one spoke, only the occasional rustling of pages turning.

They are all waiting for the premiere data of "Young Detective Bao Qingtian".

These days, viewership ratings are all handled by third-party data research agencies. TVB's partner is Nielsen's Hong Kong branch, and the data for the first broadcast can only be compiled the next day.

Because the statistical methods used at that time were still somewhat primitive and outdated, the statistical data was only approximate and for reference only.

Wong Jing couldn't help but ask, "Sixth Aunt, do you think... there's a chance to beat 'Reincarnated'?"

Fang Yihua said calmly, "I've read the script, and I think the quality of the filming is pretty good. But when it comes to ratings, sometimes it depends on timing, the competition, and the audience's tastes."

She paused for a moment, then said, "However, I have confidence in Director Zhao and you all."

The secretary entered, holding a fax: "Ms. Fang, the Nielsen data has arrived!"

Everyone suddenly stood up.

Fang Yihua took the fax and quickly unfolded it.

My gaze swept across the densely packed table, finally settling on the number in the bottom right corner—

The first episode of "Young Detective Bao Qingtian" achieved a viewership rating of 38.2%.

The ratings for "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" in the same time slot were 44.3%.

The room fell silent for a few seconds.

"Thirty-eight points?" Wong Jing spoke first. This rating was quite outstanding for a drama with mostly newcomers.

It's worth noting that "The Web of Deception" starred Chow Yun-fat and Lucy Cheng, and its viewership rating was only around 30 points.

Zhao Zhenqiang strode forward, snatched the fax paper, and stared wide-eyed to confirm that the result had actually exceeded his expectations.

Although Zhang Shuai'an boasted that the ratings of this drama would completely surpass those of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", few people in the crew took it seriously.

Du Qifeng, Liu Shiyu, and Huo Yaoliang all gathered around and, after seeing the numbers, were equally surprised; it was indeed a good result.

At least, this show won't be canceled.

"It's in the bag!" Liu Shiyu murmured. "We can continue filming now."

Huo Yaoliang, however, was somewhat optimistic, saying, "If we keep filming, the highest ratings might even break 40%. Although it won't be as good as 'Reincarnated,' it'll still be quite a hit."

Fatty Wang couldn't help but recall Zhang Shuai'an's words, and a higher expectation arose in his heart. Perhaps this drama could really bring "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" down from its pedestal.

Fang Yihua took a deep breath, leaned back in her chair, and finally smiled.

She picked up the office phone and dialed a number.

After a few beeps, Shaw's clear and steady voice came from the other end: "Yihua?"

"Teacher Shao, the viewership data has arrived."

Fang Yihua said, word by word, "The first episode of 'Young Detective Bao Qingtian' scored 38.2 points. Although it lost to 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes' by six percentage points, I feel the momentum is still good and we can continue filming."

"Then let's continue." Shao Yifu's tone was quite calm: "Of course, don't neglect Tianlin either, urge him on."