Entertainment News: I'm Not a Scumbag After Rebirth!

In the days that followed, Li Jun, like a diligent student, embarked on an intensive "study tour" according to the schedule arranged by Chen Yongren.

He visited the Shaw Brothers Studio in Clearwater Bay, which was dilapidated but still retained its scale. Looking at the tall studios that had produced countless classics, he imagined the bustling scene there in its heyday.

He visited the server room of "Xiantao Digital", where a huge screen was rendering martial arts special effects of flying and leaping, and engineers were explaining the process of motion capture and 3D modeling.

Under Chen Yongren's guidance, he discreetly infiltrated the filming set of the police thriller produced by Media Asia.

A realistic street scene was built in an industrial estate in Yuen Long, featuring explosions, gunfights, and car chases, with an astonishingly fast filming pace.

The director, a hot-tempered middle-aged man, loudly directed various departments in a mix of Cantonese and English. Dozens of people on set worked in perfect order. The action team designed precise and ruthless choreography, while the explosives team calculated the detonation points and safety zones...

Li Jun stood silently behind the monitor, watching, taking notes, and thinking.

Back at the hotel each night, he would organize his notes, writing down the processes he saw, the terminology he heard, and the management details he observed.

At the same time, he also began to use his spare time to conceive "Bodyguards and Assassins" more deeply.

His trip to Hong Kong gradually transformed the story in his mind from a vague idea into a more concrete picture and production logic.

One evening, he received a call from Yuan Tao in Beijing, who briefly mentioned that Zhang Liangying's mother was recovering well, Tang Yan had taken on a new role, and the initial progress of "Sound and Shadow Workshop".

Finally, Yuan Tao asked:

"How's it going in Hong Kong? Have you learned anything truly useful?"

Li Jun stood by the hotel room window and slowly said:

"I'm learning. There's definitely a mature, efficient, and even somewhat ruthless film production logic here. It's very different from our previous approach of relying on intuition and polishing."

Yuan Tao said:

"Don't worry about things at home. You can focus on paving your way."

After hanging up the phone, Li Jun continued to look at the lights outside the window.

In the North, there are family members recovering in hospital beds, partners whose careers are just starting out, and people who are worried about him waiting for his return.

Beneath this dazzling yet somewhat bewildering Hong Kong nightscape lies a new battlefield he may be about to conquer.

Zhang Liangying remained resilient at the bedside;

Tang Yan is exploring the next chapter in the script;

The wind blows from the harbor, carrying a salty, damp scent and the unknown taste of distant lands.

The rainy season in Hong Kong came without warning.

Li Jun stood by the window of his hotel room, looking at Victoria Harbour through the rain.

The skyscrapers of Central on the opposite bank were reduced to hazy patches of light in the rain and mist.

On the table were my notes from the past few days of learning with the team, densely packed with terminology, sketches, and timelines, as well as a few rough-resolution photos taken with a home DV camera.

The phone vibrated in my palm, and the name "Tang Yan" appeared on the screen.

He answered the call and sat down on the sofa.

The patter of rain outside the window became the background noise of the phone call.

Tang Yan's voice came from Chengdu, carrying a hint of relaxation after exhaustion:

"Did I disturb you?"

"No, I just got back to the hotel."

Li Jun relaxed and leaned back on the sofa:

"How did the filming go today?"

A soft laugh came from the other end of the phone, like a feather brushing against my eardrum:

"It's alright. It's just that I had a crying scene today, and the director told me to tone it down, saying that TV dramas and movies are different, and that going too far would look fake. I thought about it for a long time and realized that what you said back then was right: movies are like a magnifying glass, while TV dramas are like slices of life."

As Li Jun listened, the image of Tang Yan frowning and pondering the play came to mind.

She's always like that; once she sets her mind on something, she gets completely absorbed in it, like a stubborn cat.

"Yuan Tao has found a reliable director, so you can't go wrong by listening to him. But you should also trust your intuition; some things, only the actors themselves know for sure."

Tang Yan responded and remained silent for a few seconds:

"How's Hong Kong?"

"Studying."

Li Jun's gaze swept over the notes on the table:

"but……"

He paused:

Sometimes I feel like something's missing.

"What's missing?"

Li Jun was taken aback when he said it:

"Everything is proceduralized, even the emotions are calculated. The exact second the explosion should occur, the exact frame the tears should fall, there are all standards."

Tang Yan listened quietly on the other end of the phone, then said softly:

"But you still went to learn it."

"Because it's necessary."

Li Jun spoke the truth:

"The stories I want to film require this industrial system."

After these words were spoken, both of them fell silent. Only a faint static and their steady breathing came through the receiver.

Tang Yan suddenly spoke, his voice even softer:

When are you coming back?

Li Jun looked at the rain outside the window:

"Wait until the rainy season ends in Hong Kong."

Tang Yan didn't ask any further questions:

"Then... take care and get some rest. Don't eat at tea restaurants all the time."

This small act of concern softened something in Li Jun's heart.

"understood."

After hanging up the phone, the room was filled with the sound of rain again.

Li Jun sat on the sofa without moving, his phone screen went dark, reflecting his own blurry image.

Tang Yan's voice still lingered in my ears, that gentle, unconditional concern, like a small lamp in the dead of night.

He picked up his phone, swiped his thumb through the contacts, and stopped at the name "Zhang Liangying".

After hesitating for a few seconds, I dialed the number anyway.

The phone rang three times before being answered. The background noise was somewhat chaotic, with music and indistinct human voices.

"Xiaojun?"

Zhang Liangying's voice came through, slightly out of breath, as if she were walking:

"Wait me a moment……"

A rustling sound, then the sound of a door closing, and then the background noise suddenly stopped:

"Okay. I just finished an interview and I'm backstage."

Are you busy?

Li Jun asked.

"It's alright, just routine."

Zhang Liangying's voice relaxed, carrying a smile:

"And you? Studying to become a great director in Hong Kong?"

Li Jun also smiled:

How does it feel to be the Super Girl champion?

"tired."

Zhang Liangying spoke crisply and decisively, but her tone was upward:

"But it's worth it. By the way, guess who asked me to write a song for them today?"

"Who?"

"Someone you would never guess—Li Yuchun's agent."

Zhang Liangying's voice carried a hint of pride:

"She said that Chun Chun really likes 'Under the Sea' and 'The Wind Rises,' and wanted to ask me—no, I wanted to ask Teacher Li—if I would be interested in writing one for her as well."

Li Jun raised an eyebrow. This was an interesting signal.

"What did you say?"

"I said I need to ask you," Zhang Liangying laughed.

"But in my heart I thought, no way. I'm going to keep your songs for myself."

She said this half-truthfully, with her characteristic, blatant coquetry and possessiveness.

Li Jun could almost picture her raising her chin slightly as she said those words.

"overbearing."

He said.

"That's domineering."

Zhang Liangying spoke with self-righteousness, then changed the subject:

"And you? Did you meet any interesting people in Hong Kong?"