The literary era since 1979

The atmosphere at the table became more and more lively. At Shi Nansheng's suggestion of raising his glass, everyone toasted each other with milk tea instead of wine.

"According to the current box office growth trend of A Better Tomorrow, it will reach 1500 million in a day or two, and it is very likely to become the fourth Hong Kong movie to break the 3000 million mark after Lucky Stars, Baby Smart Stars, and Police Stories."

Xu Ke planned to gather the media and hold a celebration banquet while Fang Yan was still in Hong Kong.

"It's time to celebrate."

Shi Nansheng said that Di Long, Chow Run-fat and others had made a great comeback with "A Better Tomorrow", and got rid of the label of "box office poison". Their pay had increased dramatically, and they had received a steady stream of film offers. It was obvious that they had a second spring in life, and they were all eager to have a chance to express their gratitude to Fang Yan.

"Since you have come to this point, how can I refuse?"

Fangyan agreed readily.

"Qingxia, Zuxian, if you are free that day, you are more than welcome to join us."

Shi Nansheng looked at Lin Qingxia on the left and Wang Zuxian on the right.

"Okay!"

Wang Zuxian said it readily, and she also saw Lin Qingxia nodding out of the corner of her eye.

Fangyan thought about it and gave up the idea of ​​bringing Matsuzaka Keiko and Kurihara Komaki to the celebration party. Three women make a scene, and where there are many women there are many troubles. Just when he was thinking this, Wang Zuxian unexpectedly said:
"Sister Nan Sheng, can I invite a few more people to the celebration party?"

"Who are you going to invite?"

Shi Nansheng half-jokingly said that if Fang Yihua, as well as celebrity artists from TVB and Shaw Brothers, could be invited, she would welcome them all.

"Sister Nan Sheng, please stop trying to make fun of me. How can I possibly invite Sixth Aunt? It would be better to ask him to do it."

Wang Zuxian glanced at Fangyan meaningfully and said, "I just want to ask a few young sisters to open their eyes, like Maggie Cheung, Li Zhi, Yun Hui..."

Hearing the name "Lizhi", Fangyan raised his eyebrows and asked about the results of Lizhi's participation in the TVB Miss Hong Kong beauty pageant.

"pretty good."

Lin Qingxia said with a smile that Li Zhi won the championship in this Miss Hong Kong pageant, as well as the three titles of "Miss Photogenic" and "Miss Talent", becoming the first "triple Miss Hong Kong" in history, and immediately signed the highest-level artist contract with TVB.

Fang Yan said: "It seems that Qingxia's guidance to her was not in vain."

Lin Qingxia shyly shook her head: "I didn't do anything to deserve this. Li Zhi won the Miss Hong Kong title entirely on her own."

"When Li Zhi entered the competition, there was such a commotion. I and everyone else in the station felt that she had to be the champion this year."

With gossip burning in her eyes, Wang Zuxian also mentioned an interesting story. According to gossip, after watching the live broadcast of the Miss Hong Kong beauty pageant, Ni Xu said that he was 50 years old and Li Zhi was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life. If she was not the winner, he would burn down TVB.

"This guy Ni Xian..."

There was a hint of disdain in his dialect, "I've been busy lately and haven't had time to contact her or ask about her recent situation."

"Then you can invite her to the celebration party, and you can take this opportunity to catch up with each other."

Shi Nansheng immediately agreed to let Wang Zuxian bring Zhang Manyu, Li Zhi and others to the celebration banquet.

"Thank you, Sister Nan Sheng! Thank you, Mr. Fang...Mr. Fang!"

Wang Zuxian grinned, and after eating and drinking, everyone got up and left the tea restaurant.

Fang Yan rushed to the venue to continue attending the literary and artistic exchange meeting, while Joey Wong hurriedly brought the good news to Manyu Zhang and others.

Li Zhi was very excited, "Teacher Fang is in Hong Kong now!?"

Wang Zuxian smiled and said, "He also specifically asked about your recent situation. When you arrive at the celebration party, you can talk to him in person."

Li Zhi hummed, her eyes flickering and her heart pounding.

"I may have just been there to join in the fun, you guys should make the most of this opportunity."

Zhang Manyu said in a sad tone, "If Mr. Wan Fangfang and Director Xu are collaborating on a new play, maybe they will choose you as the leading actress."

"Man Yu, don't think like that. By then, everyone could be favored by him."

Wang Zuxian hooked her left hand around Li Zhi's right arm, and held Zhang Manyu's left hand with her right hand, and pulled them together: "Okay, let's hurry up and prepare, and think about what we should wear on the day of the celebration banquet. Sister Nan Sheng said that this time we have to make a big fuss, and invite all the media in Hong Kong to come!"

………………

Two days later, at the Regent Hotel.

Li Zhi was wearing a red dress, walking side by side with Maggie Cheung, Joey Wong, Ching-Hsia Lam and others. Her beautiful figure immediately attracted the reporters and paparazzi surrounding the hotel entrance. All their cameras were aimed at them, and the flash lights flashed frequently, for fear of missing out or neglecting to take pictures.

When they entered the banquet hall, they saw Zhang Guorong, Chow Yun-fat, Di Long, Xu Ke and others had all arrived early.

Everyone gathered around Fangyan, vying to toast him, their gratitude evident in words.

However, when facing Zhang Guorong, Fang Yan took the initiative to raise his glass: "Come on, Guorong, I'll toast you."

"Mr. Fang, you are flattering me too much. I should be the one to toast you."

Zhang Guorong was flattered: "Thank you, Director Xu and Director Wu, for giving me, a person with no filming experience, the opportunity to be an actor!"

Fangyan waved his hand and said, "If there is any regret in this movie, it might be that I owe you."

Xu Ke, Shi Nansheng, Zhou Runfa and others nodded repeatedly. After all, if we were to talk about who was the most famous person in the whole play, it would naturally be Zhang Guorong.

It was only after seeing Zhang Guorong's performance that the investors generously paid to support this film made by "League of Losers".

However, after the release of "A Better Tomorrow", instead of receiving positive reviews, Zhang Guorong was criticized a lot for being "Song Zijie".

Not only did he lose his popularity with the audience, he was even ridiculed by fans of Patrick Tam, who felt that the success of "A Better Tomorrow" had nothing to do with Zhang Guorong, and that it was entirely due to Fang Yan, Xu Ke, Chow Yun-fat, Di Long and others, and that he could not be called a real actor.

"Guo Rong is a good actor, and Song Zijie is also a good character, but at the time I focused too much on Xiao Ma Ge and Song Zihao's roles, and did not express enough of his character's inner struggle. If I could do it again, I would definitely describe Song Zijie's role better!"

Fangyan smiled and patted his shoulder.

"Don't say that, Mr. Fang."

Zhang Guorong said that he did not gain nothing. The theme song "The Love of Those Days" and the ending song "Years of Friendship" written for him by Fang Yan alone caused the sales of the album including these two songs to soar. On the weekly radio song request list alone, it has always been in the top five.

"That's different. You're already a superstar in the music industry."

Xu Ke said: "But if you want to continue making movies in the future, you must change the audience's impression of you as 'Song Zijie'."

Fang Yan smiled playfully, "My wife and I have already written the script for Farewell My Concubine, and we will send it to you when the time comes." "Thank you, Mr. Fang!"

Zhang Guorong's face was full of excitement, which made Zhou Runfa, Di Long and others beside him envious. This was the script written by Mr. Fang himself!
"What a coincidence!"

Xu Ke said that he and Fang Yan had the same idea and was also preparing to tailor a movie for Zhang Guorong as compensation.

"On a whim a few days ago, we watched the Shaw Brothers' film A Chinese Ghost Story. He felt that there was still a lot of room for exploration."

Shi Nansheng added.

"I was also greatly inspired after reading Teacher Fang's Love Letter."

Xu Ke explained, "Nowadays, whether in literature or movies, there are very few romantic and touching love stories between men and women. I think 'A Chinese Ghost Story' is a story that can be used well. I plan to make a love movie based on this theme!"

"A costume film?!"

Zhang Guorong's face was pale. The shadow of the ancient costume drama "Spring in the Red Mansion" left on him could never be shaken off.

Xu Ke tried his best to dispel his concerns, saying that the core of the film is actually a modern story, and that it draws on the concept of "pure love" in the dialect "Love Letter". He also promised that once Ning Caichen's costume is ready, he will be allowed to try on the makeup as soon as possible, and if he is not satisfied, he can make changes.

Seeing Zhang Guorong heaved a sigh of relief, Shi Nansheng said with a smile: "Teacher Fang's "Love Letter" and "Pure Love Literature" are now popular in Asia." Then he hoped that Fang Yan could accept the position of producer and script consultant of "A Chinese Ghost Story" and implement the "pure love between gods and demons" into the movie.

Fangyan nodded slightly, and out of the corner of his eye he noticed Wang Zuxian, Li Zhi, Lin Qingxia and others walking towards them, all in various looks and postures.

"As for the selection of Xiaoqian..."

Xu Ke felt that "Aunt Thirteen" Gong Xing was very suitable for the role of "Nie Xiaoqian".

"Xiaoxiang is now focusing on directing."

Fang Yan said: "As for filming, now I will only take on movies like the sequel to Once Upon a Time in China."

"That's really a shame."

Xu Ke was in a dilemma for a while, not knowing who to ask to play Nie Xiaoqian.

Like an outsider who was watching the fun, Wang Zuxian gently nudged her good sisters with her elbow and said, "Qingxia, Lizhi, Maggie Cheung, your chance has come, don't miss it." Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Guan Shan was walking towards them with his daughter Guan Zhilin.

Under Shi Nansheng's scrutinizing gaze, Zhang Manyu couldn't help but become nervous, her heart beating like a deer.

Xu Ke took a quick look around. Zhang Manyu, with her baby fat, seemed sweet and cute, but Li Zhi was too bright and Lin Qingxia was too heroic. Neither of them was suitable for the image of a pitiful, gentle and pure "female ghost". As for Wang Zuxian, he and Shi Nansheng did not think that such a pure and beautiful girl could play the role.

Suddenly, Wang Zuxian noticed Fang Yan looking her up and down, then smiled knowingly and said, "Why not let Zuxian give it a try?"

The smile on his face froze instantly, and his heart skipped a beat. He saw Shi Nansheng, Lin Qingxia, Zhang Manyu and the others all turning their eyes to him.

Ah? I'll play Nie Xiaoqian?
…………

Unlike the movie celebration banquets in later generations, these are basically single-layer or multi-layer cakes with the current box office figures smeared on them.

Just as Fang Yan, Xu Ke, Zhou Runfa and others were cutting the cake in front of the media cameras, Wang Zuxian's mind was still confused. She seemed to be still there, but she had been gone for a while. She still hadn't recovered from the shock of Fang Yan specifically asking her to play Nie Xiaoqian.

Zhang Manyu and Li Zhi cast envious glances at him, "Congratulations, Zu Xian."

Wang Zuxian was puzzled, "I really didn't expect him to choose me, why would it be me?"

"Mr. Fang has always had a good eye. He said that my short hair gave me the temperament of a female warrior, and it turned out to be true."

Lin Qingxia smiled and said, "He said that you can play Nie Xiaoqian, which means that you do have the temperament of a female ghost who can seduce scholars and literati."

Wang Zuxian was startled and felt guilty: "Qingxia, you are making fun of me again. Who seduces scholars and writers..."

Seeing them laughing and playing, Li Zhi couldn't help but think of her situation within TVB and sighed softly.

Just as he was daydreaming, Fangyan distributed the cut cake to everyone one by one, and of course Lizhi also got a portion.

"I haven't had time to congratulate you on winning the Miss Hong Kong pageant."

"This is all thanks to Teacher Fang. If it weren't for Mrs. Fang and the others who saw you in your shoes, I wouldn't have won this championship."

Li Zhi pursed her lips. According to the usual practice after their debut as Miss Hong Kong, they all started out as minor roles in TVB dramas.

From a minor supporting role with no lines and standing in the background, to a supporting role as a foil to the red flowers, she has honed her acting skills step by step, from stiff eyes to natural expressions, from stiff lines to fluent ones. Generally, Miss Hong Kong champions can only get the opportunity to play a leading role after signing with TVB for two to three years.

Thanks to her relationship with Fangyan, she was not only able to star in films produced by Cinema City and Shaw Brothers, but her first role in a TVB drama was as the second female lead.

"Don't underestimate yourself. Your biggest weakness is that you tend to underestimate yourself."

Fang Yan said: "Even without me, you would still be the champion just based on your own qualifications and abilities."

But then he thought, even if Li Zhi won the Miss Asia title in her previous life, she was still regarded as an outsider and was excluded and bullied. He couldn't help but frowned: "What's wrong? Was she bullied? Or did something happen to her?"

Li Zhi was hesitant to speak, but finally she opened her mouth. Because of Fang Yan's face, Fang Yihua and TVB executives would naturally take better care of Li Zhi, and no one dared to bully her openly. But there were indeed many people who were jealous of her and gossiped about her behind her back. "Northern girl" was considered a light punishment.

The most common theme was "Mr. Fang's lover", but she did not tell Fang Yan this, and instead said evasively:
"Why am I still excluded even though I work so hard? Why do people who don't even know me tease me?"

“This is the entertainment industry.”

Fang Yan said seriously, "You will always meet all kinds of people, all kinds of scheming, all kinds of people who ignore you and look down on you. Don't look at Guo Rong, Qing Xia, Zu Xian and others who are now in glory. Before they became famous, they were still teased and bullied. For many years, they were the same as you. Almost everyone could scold them. But as soon as you become famous, the people around you become good people. If you don't believe it, you can ask them."

"I believe!"

Lizhi nodded.

Fang Yan narrowed his eyes and said, "At the beginning, I asked you to think carefully about whether to take this path. If you regret it now, it's not too late."

Li Zhi shook her head with a determined look in her eyes, "They think I'm not good enough, but I must become famous to show them!"

"That's more like it, but you're worrying about one thing for nothing. With me here, are you still worried that you won't become famous?"

After being comforted by Fangyan, Lizhi found warmth and support, and the haze in her heart was slowly cleared away.

She ate the cake happily, and then a relieved smile appeared on her cream-covered face: "Thank you, Teacher Fang."

Fang Yan handed over a tissue and said seriously, "Don't say thank you, you are mine."

Li Zhi blushed and lowered her head. Although she knew that he had no other meaning in his words, she couldn't help but think of another meaning. (End of this chapter)