Against the Current Hong Kong 1979

(The ending of the previous chapter has been revised, and the viewership ratings have been adjusted.)

next morning.

Zhang Shuai'an led He Jiatong out of Chungking Mansions, preparing to take a bus to Clearwater Bay Film Studio.

He Jiatong hadn't walked far when she couldn't help but yawn, and said in confusion, "Brother An, didn't they say we only needed to arrive at eight o'clock? Why are we going so early?"

"There's no harm in getting there early." Zhang Shuai'an, dressed in a simple white shirt and jeans, walked with a light step.

Before long, they arrived at the bus stop near Nathan Road.

It was still early morning, and there weren't many people waiting, but there were still about a dozen.

"Hey, aren't you...that guy?!"

As soon as Zhang Shuai'an and He Jiatong approached, a slightly plump woman in her thirties looked up and stared at Zhang Shuai'an. She felt that the woman looked familiar, and unconsciously she moved closer.

"That 'Blackie' from last night's TV drama?" The slightly plump woman finally remembered and instinctively grabbed Zhang Shuai'an's hand: "Was it you?"

Zhang Shuai'an replied with a smile, "Sister, you have a good eye."

"It really is you!" The slightly plump woman's small eyes gleamed with excitement as she exclaimed, "My son and I watched your show last night! The part where you interrogated the pig was hilarious, and the part where you outwitted the Koreans was also great. Can you tell me what happened next?"

Zhang Shuai'an naturally wouldn't give away any spoilers: "There should be another episode tonight, you'll find out when you watch it."

Their conversation naturally attracted the attention of others.

"Who is this handsome guy? Is he a celebrity?"

"It looks strangely familiar, but I can't remember its name."

"Ah, TVB aired a drama last night about Bao Zheng in his younger days. Bao Zheng looks just like him."

"..."

One of the middle-aged men in a suit squinted at Zhang Shuai'an and said, "Wow, it really looks like him... just draw a crescent moon on his forehead and it's almost 90% the same!"

One of the female students couldn't resist taking out her pen and notebook: "Could you sign this for me? You'll be a big star someday, and you might not get another chance like this."

Her suggestion actually piqued the interest of several citizens, who then asked him for his autograph.

Zhang Shuai'an stepped forward, took the paper and pen, and began to write: "Thank you all for your support. But hurry, I'm afraid I'll miss the bus."

His handwriting is quite good, which is naturally thanks to a female teacher he once dated.

A moment later, another five or six people gathered around to join in the fun.

People who arrived later couldn't help but wonder, and asked, "What movies has this handsome young man acted in? Is he famous?"

"Bao Heitan from 'Young Detective Bao Qingtian'!" the student girl replied excitedly.

"What charcoal?" the newcomer asked, looking bewildered. "Are there any dramas about Bao Zheng? I don't know any. Is 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes' any good?"

The female student looked at the newcomer with a puzzled expression and suggested, "Uncle, you're out of touch. 'Reincarnated' has changed its lead actor, it's not interesting anymore. This show is a detective drama, Bao Zheng is incredibly smart, he's a genius! There's another episode tonight, you'll see when you watch it."

The visitor was skeptical, but nodded nonetheless and said, "Really? Then I must see for myself tonight."

A short while later, the bus slowly pulled into the station.

He Jiatong quickly stepped in front of Zhang Shuai'an: "Everyone, we're in a rush to get back to work, sorry, we'll sign autographs next time."

Zhang Shuai'an opportunely promoted the show, saying, "Thank you all for your support. Please tune in to TVB tonight for 'Young Detective Bao Qingtian'."

"Brother An, you're famous!"

After getting on the bus, He Jiatong said, unable to hide her excitement.

"This is just the beginning," Zhang Shuai'an said calmly. "It's only the first episode. Once we get to the climax of this segment, the ratings will definitely explode."

……

Clearwater Bay, Shaw Studios.

After arriving at the bus stop, Zhang Shuai'an and his companion walked to Building 4, intending to rest in their dormitory first.

As soon as I got downstairs, I saw Aunt Wang Qing, the dormitory manager, standing at the door.

"Anzai, you're finally back!" Wang Qing saw Zhang Shuai'an from afar and jogged over to him. "Half an hour ago, I received a call from Mr. Shao's office, asking you to come see him as soon as you arrived."

"Okay." Zhang Shuai'an roughly guessed what Shao Yifu wanted to talk about, and said to He Jiatong, "I'll go to the film set after I've seen Mr. Shao. You can pack up your things at the dormitory."

He Jiatong nodded: "I understand, you can go now."

Zhang Shuai'an arrived at the main building again, where, as expected, there were several people queuing up again.

"My name is Zhang Shuai'an. Boss Shao asked me to come." Zhang Shuai'an gave his name to the doorman downstairs.

The security guard glanced at the records and immediately said with a smile, "Ah, Mr. Shao instructed that Mr. Zhang can go straight up without queuing."

Amidst the astonished gazes of the others, Zhang Shuai'an slowly walked up to Shao Yifu's office and knocked on the door: "Mr. Shao."

"Come in," Shao Yifu's voice rang out.

Zhang Shuai'an pushed open the door and entered, only to see Shao Yifu intently looking at the documents on the table, while Fang Yihua beside him occasionally whispered some information to him.

"Mr. Shao, Ms. Fang," Zhang Shuai'an said, neither humble nor arrogant.

"Sit down." Run Run Shaw glanced at him. "I need to process some documents first. Wait a moment. If you'd like some tea, please help yourself."

Zhang Shuai'an guessed that Shao Yifu wanted to give him a break first and temper his character.

He wasn't in a hurry and sat down on the sofa.

Fang Yihua stayed with Shao Yifu for nearly ten minutes before it was finally over.

Shao Yifu said, "The ratings for the premiere of 'Young Detective Bao Qingtian' are out, did you know?"

"I don't know yet," Zhang Shuai'an said calmly, "but I expect it should be pretty good."

Shao Yifu laughed, his gaze towards Zhang Shuai'an full of admiration: "You are indeed a smart man."

"The premiere rating was 38.2%," Fang Yihua added. "For a new drama with little promotion, that's really good. If the plot doesn't fall apart, it's not impossible for it to rise to 40%. It's a minor hit, and you did a very good job."

Zhang Shuai'an simply replied calmly, "This drama has more potential than that. I said its ratings would definitely far surpass 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes'."

"I rarely misjudge people. You have talent, courage, and luck."

With a faint smile, Shao Yifu calmly said, "Last time you said you wouldn't sign a long-term contract, and I agreed. The ratings for this drama are pretty good now, so I'll ask you one more time: are you going to join TVB? If you join now, you don't have to sign a long-term contract. I can give you a top-tier contract, paid per episode, at least two leading roles per year, with a salary comparable to Adam Cheng and Ah Fat. How about it?"

To be honest, the terms are incredibly generous.

At this time, Cheng Siu-chau and Chow Yun-fat were already leading men at TVB, so it was quite unbelievable that Cheung Sau-an, a newcomer, was directly promoted to the same position.

The office quieted down.

Fang Yihua stared at Zhang Shuai'an, waiting for his response.

However, Zhang Shuai's ambitions lie elsewhere; TVB has never been the place he wanted to settle down.

Zhang Shuai'an remained silent for a few seconds, then looked directly at Run Run Shaw: "Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Shaw. However, I still want to go out and explore on my own."