Against the Current Hong Kong 1979

"It's a good thing for young people to have pride."

Shao Yifu's face showed neither joy nor sorrow, but he raised his eyebrows slightly: "But don't be too ambitious. Sometimes opportunities just slip away quietly and never come again."

A person's fate is finite; it's not uncommon for someone to be incredibly famous one day and destitute on the streets the next. Besides, you're not even famous yet.

Fang Yihua was straightforward: "Young man, don't be too arrogant, or you'll regret it."

"Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Shao and Ms. Fang."

Zhang Shuai'an spoke sincerely, seemingly agreeing with the other person's words, and then replied with a smile, "But, if young people aren't spirited, are they even young?"

Shao Yifu leaned back in his chair, his gaze deep as he looked at Zhang Shuai'an: "Perhaps you can become a sensation with this drama. But surpassing 'Reincarnated as a Silkworm' in ratings won't be easy. If Xu Shaoqiang ever changes his mind and goes back to film it, do you think you'll still have a chance?"

This is actually a disguised threat.

There was already a rumor circulating that Shao Yifu, seeing the overwhelming popularity of "Reincarnated" and its devastating impact on TVB, sent a message to Xu Shaoqiang, telling him to go into hiding. The show's ratings also plummeted due to the sudden absence of the male lead.

When RTV finally came knocking, Shao Yifu didn't let Xu Shaoqiang appear, but instead recommended Gu Guanzhong to take the lead role.

Although "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" continued to be filmed and its ratings stabilized, the explosive growth it had when it first aired was no longer there.

Zhang Shuai'an knew that Shao Yifu had signed an agreement with him before the deadline. If the ratings of "Young Detective Bao Qingtian" did not surpass those of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", he would have to sign a ten-year contract and work like a slave at TVB from then on.

Zhang Shuai'an suddenly suggested, "Mr. Shao, how about we make a bet?"

Fang Yihua frowned slightly, about to reprimand him.

"What are we betting on?" Shao Yifu tapped the table, seemingly getting interested.

Zhang Shuai'an said seriously, "I bet that the average ratings of 'Young Detective Bao Qingtian' will not only surpass those of 'Reincarnated,' but will also break TVB's ratings record."

The current average viewership record for TVB dramas is 58%, set last year by "The Bund" starring Chow Yun-fat.

Zhang Shuai'an said with no small amount of pride, "If I win, Mr. Shao will give me one million Hong Kong dollars as a prize, and... he'll even publish a statement in the newspaper to promote it!"

"One million? Are you out of your mind?"

Upon hearing this amount, Fang Yihua laughed in anger: "Do you know that Shaw Brothers doesn't need to spend a million to make a movie? In all of Hong Kong, besides Jackie Chan, no one else has ever received a million-dollar bonus?"

What Jackie Chan actually received was a HK$1 million check from Golden Harvest, whose aim was to poach him from Lo Wei. At the time, Jackie Chan thought it was a HK$100,000 check and kept showing it off to his friends. Only after being reminded by others did he realize it was a million. Later, he even had a copy of the check printed out as a souvenir.

"I know, that's why it's called gambling!"

Zhang Shuai'an remained calm and his smile didn't fade: "If I lose, I'll write three more of these big-budget dramas for TVB, without charging a penny."

Shao Yifu stared coldly at Zhang Shuai'an, seemingly trying to see through what the young man was up to.

"Young man, don't act impulsively."

After a while, Shao Yifu suddenly laughed: "Forget about gambling. The television industry isn't a casino. Since you're confident you can make it on your own, I can't force you to stay."

Zhang Shuai'an was somewhat impressed by Shao Yifu. The old man had clearly been tempted, but he quickly suppressed it.

Shao Yifu slowly stood up, walked to Zhang Shuai'an, and patted him on the shoulder: "Remember, even if you are 99% sure, don't gamble with anyone. Once you get involved in gambling, you're a loser."

Zhang Shuai'an actually sensed a trace of sincerity in the other party and nodded, saying, "I've got it."

"Okay, go and film the movie."

Shao Yifu withdrew his hand and said calmly, "After this show airs, whether you become famous or not, do whatever you want. It has nothing to do with TVB."

Fang Yihua looked surprised; this meant Zhang Shuai was being let go.

However, Zhang Shuai'an knew very well that if the ratings of "Young Detective Bao Qingtian" did not surpass those of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", Shao Yifu would still take back his words without hesitation and force him to sign a ten-year contract.

After leaving Shao Yifu's office, Zhang Shuai'an went directly to the film crew.

……

It's 8:30 in the morning.

The crew restarted, and the atmosphere was completely refreshed.

Inside the studio, the lighting technician hummed a song as he adjusted the lighting effects; the props team moved the set with ease.

Ling Zhijian was holding the notice and memo, directing people around and arranging all the big and small matters before filming began.

"Good morning, Brother Jian!" Zhang Shuai'an greeted him with a smile as he walked over.

Ling Zhijian turned to look at Zhang Shuai'an and immediately bowed and scraped, "How could I possibly accept that? I'm the one who should call you Brother An. If you become famous in the future, remember to include me in any good things that happen."

After their shared experience of partying at a nightclub, he and Ling Zhijian did indeed become quite familiar with each other.

"Brother Jian, you're too kind," Zhang Shuai'an said earnestly. "When I start my own company in the future, I'll ask Brother Jian to come and help me. Don't refuse!"

Ling Zhijian thought Zhang Shuai'an was just bragging, so he happily played along, saying, "I'll definitely pass. I'll be happy to be your top general then."

"It's settled then!" Zhang Shuai'an raised his fist and reached out towards Ling Zhijian.

Ling Zhijian paused for a moment, then subtly bumped fists with him, thinking to himself, "Could he really be thinking that?"

Before long, all the actors arrived.

Zhao Yazhi, dressed in ancient costume and putting on makeup, asked casually, "Anzai, I think I saw you coming down from the main building just now. Were you going to see Mr. Shao?"

Zhang Shuai'an nodded and said, "Yes. Mr. Shao wants me to sign a ten-year contract."

"What was your answer?" Zhao Yazhi's beautiful eyes glanced in his direction.

Chen Yulian suddenly leaned forward and pouted, saying, "Judging from his expression, he's definitely going to refuse."

"Sister Lian really understands me."

Zhang Shuai'an laughed and patted Chen Yulian on the shoulder.

"You lecherous bastard, don't mess with me." Chen Yulian rolled her eyes playfully, her eyes full of concern, but her words were barbed: "You're really crazy. The big boss personally recruited you, an opportunity that so many people dream of, and you actually turned it down. Don't regret it later."

"There's nothing to regret."

Zhang Shuai'an looked into the distance, sweeping over the busy staff outside, and muttered, "Having come all this way, I naturally want to climb to the top step by step. How can I be satisfied with just a slave contract?"

Chen Yulian couldn't help but retort, "Hey, what did you say? We've already signed it! Aren't you calling us slaves?"

At this moment, Zhao Zhenqiang walked in with the script and said loudly, "The premiere ratings exceeded 38%, which is a good thing. Everyone, keep up the good work, film the following episodes well, and strive to break 40%, or even higher."

Everyone naturally agreed with him, saying, "It's all thanks to the director's excellent filming."

"You can't say that. The credit belongs to everyone." Zhao Zhenqiang waved his hand with a smile, then pointed to Zhang Shuai'an and said, "Especially Anzai, he worked the hardest, everyone can see that. He is the biggest contributor."

No one disagreed with this statement; he wrote the script, and he was the one who worked the hardest and took the most serious job during filming.

The filming went incredibly smoothly from then on. We could finish filming three to four episodes in almost two days. At this rate, we could easily finish the rest of the filming in twenty days.

At the same time, the ratings for "Young Detective Bao Qingtian" also climbed steadily.

The first episode's rating was 38.2%;

By the second episode, it had risen to 43.7%.

Then, when it aired the third and fourth episodes, it directly surpassed the competing drama "Reincarnated" at the same time, reaching 49.6%;

During this time, Zhang Shuai'an also redeemed the theme song "Without Shame" for a small fee of 10 Star Points.

Zhang Shuai'an approached Shao Yifu and said he wanted to sing the theme song, offering it for free, but he would retain the copyright.

Shao Yifu didn't care much about this little thing at all, and simply wrote a note telling him to go find Gu Jiahui.

James Wong was also present. After reading the lyrics, he immediately said that they were more suitable for Mandarin pronunciation.

Zhang Shuai'an recorded two versions; the Mandarin version might come in handy someday.

The new theme song was recorded in just three nights.

Thus, with the lyrics "A clear blue sky overhead," the first case reached its climax, and the viewership rating broke 50 points.

The second case, "The Blood Altar," with its eerie atmosphere, suspenseful plot, fast-paced storyline, meticulous reasoning, and Bao Zheng's fearless spirit in the face of power, gave Hong Kong viewers an unprecedented sense of excitement. The ratings soared from beginning to end, reaching a total of 63%.

Then came the third case, "The Mystery of the Hidden Village," where the ratings soared like a runaway horse, ultimately reaching an astonishing 79% when Bao Zheng solved the mystery of the dismemberment.

This is an unprecedented new viewership record, surpassing the previous record of 64% set by "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" in 1978.

Unfortunately, the subsequent three chapters, "Triumphant in the Palace," "The Five Rats Make Trouble in the Prime Minister's Palace," and "Magic Illusion," had a slightly slower pacing, causing the viewership rating to drop to 66%, which still far surpassed other episodes airing at the same time.

Until the final episode, "The Dragon's Tribulation," Bao Zheng's performance in confronting the Eighth Prince and Grand Tutor Pang directly hit the sweet spot for Hong Kong viewers, causing the ratings to soar to 83%.

It's unimaginable how high the ratings will rise when the finale airs.

For a time, the whole of Hong Kong was talking about this show.

Zhang Shuai'an also became known as "Bao the Black Charcoal" by everyone!