Exciting 1979!

Chapter 472 Sister Xue and Amin called.

Having lived in Hong Kong for two years, Gong Ying has become very adept at fashion and dressing, and she even tailors outfits to different people's personalities.

Ah Long is a homebody and not particularly good-looking, but when he went to Japan, people called him "the handsome manga master". Gong Ying arranged all his clothes.

Gong Ying knew that her sister grew up in an environment like that in mainland China, and naturally had a critical eye for bright and beautiful colors, wondering if she was really dressed like that.

Gong Ying believes that whether something is suitable or not has nothing to do with where you come from. Someone like Li Zhi, whose face isn't that stunning, but whose figure is amazing, is very suitable for bold and colorful clothing. She can dress more daringly and brightly than Hong Kong women, but that style is obviously not suitable for Second Sister.

Under Gong Ying's guidance and advice, Gong Xue underwent a tremendous transformation from head to toe. Although Gong Ying often sent clothes to her second sister, the effect was different from that of her being personally guided. From hairstyle to makeup, from tops and skirts to shoes, these changes made her feel more like a sophisticated urban woman.

Gong Xue looked at herself in the mirror and almost couldn't recognize herself. She wondered if Xiao Wei would like her like this.
Meanwhile, her mother, Zhuang Che, immediately took photos to capture this beautiful side of her daughter.

After changing clothes, the mother and her two daughters went to Holiland for a meal. Gong Xue often heard about Holiland from Wei Ming. It was indeed a great meal for her, but she felt she couldn't eat too much because it was all fried food and she was afraid she would gain weight.

A small shop next to this Holiland store was also rented out and was under renovation. Gong Ying told them that it was also a Holiland store and was going to be used to sell milk tea, named "Nian Nu Jiao".

In the future, Nian Nu Jiao will be found within ten steps of Holiland, and they will become symbiotic partners, just like Mixue Ice Cream and Luckin Coffee.

Gong Xue shook the bubble tea in her hand: "Do you sell this?"

"Correct."

Gong Xue: "This is so delicious!"

Gong Ying: "Try to drink less of it, as it has a very high sugar content."

Afterwards, they went to see a movie. April is a slow season for movies. Apart from the imported film "Breakdance", the most worthwhile local film to watch is "I Love Night Fragrance", a spy film directed by Teddy Robin and Tsui Hark, starring George Lam, Brigitte Lin, Teddy Robin, Tsui Hark and others.

Gong Xue still prefers Hong Kong films, but Hong Kong spy films are definitely entertainment-oriented, so they tend to be quite funny.

The mother, Zhuang Che, saw the shadow of the old movie "Number One in Heaven" in this film, and Lin Qingxia's code name in the film is "Number One in Heaven", which is quite frank.

Hong Kong films of this period were like this: they copied a little from here and a little from there, mixed them together, and that's how a movie came about. In "I Love Night Fragrance", you can also see the shadows of foreign classic films such as "Casablanca" and "Escape from the Tiger's Mouth".

Of course, the box office is also good, having already broken the 10 million mark and is expected to be in the top ten for the year.

Gong Ying's review was so-so: "The best movie I watched this year was Jackie Chan's 'Project A,' but it's a pity it's already out of theaters."

Gong Xue also felt regretful, because it was a script written by Wei Ming, and it seemed that it would be a while before they could see the videotape, since the movie would be released overseas one after another, and it was currently showing in Japan.

A few days later, Liu Rulong returned from Japan, along with news that "Project A" had grossed 10 billion yen at the Japanese box office. This was just the beginning of a box office sensation.

10 billion yen, which is currently equivalent to about 30 million Hong Kong dollars, is a height that the "Aces Go Places" series can hardly reach. Moreover, at this rate, it will soon surpass Cheng Lung's previous best performance, "Drunken Master". In the future, it will break through 3000 billion yen and surpass the best performance of Chinese-language films, such as "Shaolin Temple".

Raymond Chow publicized this news extensively in Hong Kong to antagonize Cinema City. What's so great about high box office in Hong Kong? Hong Kong is just a small place; how can it compare to the world?

The higher the overseas box office, the more Raymond Chow felt that the 100 million he spent on Wei Ming was well worth it, and it also made him look forward to "Lucky Stars," which is also considered a work by Wei Ming. The film has been basically completed and is aiming for the summer season.

Liu Rulong also realized how popular Jackie Chan was in Japan, so he planned to add some Jackie Chan elements to Dragon Ball.

On the day he returned, Gong Ying had just finished a day at Ocean Park with her mother and sister. Gong Xue asked her mother to take a picture of her with the steel egg Bass inside the glass window so she could show it to Xiao Wei when they got back.

When the mother and her two daughters returned home, they saw Liu Rulong there.

Gong Ying didn't care that her mother and sister were still there; she rushed into their arms and kissed them. Gong Xue and her mother couldn't bear to watch. Then, using the excuse that they needed to buy some daily necessities, the two went downstairs.

The mother also remarked to Gong Xue, "Ah Ying really is just like a Hong Konger now, so open-minded."

Gong Xue felt a little embarrassed listening to this, as she was always more open when she reunited with Xiao Wei, and Zhu Lin watched with great interest.

After his mother-in-law and sister-in-law left, Liu Rulong awkwardly let go of Gong Ying and first listened to her stomach.

Gong Ying laughed at him, saying, "You're still too young."

"But I felt like someone was talking to me from inside my stomach." Ah Long chuckled, then started taking out the gifts he had bought this time from his bag.

Besides some electronic products that can only be bought in Japan, there are also quite a few plush toys.

"Why are there so many Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck characters? Aren't they from America?"

Ah Long also told Gong Ying, "A Disneyland just opened in Japan recently. I was invited by Tokuma Bookstore to visit it. After you have your baby, we can go together, or we can go to Disneyland in the United States."

This was Liu Rulong's first visit to Disneyland, and it also helped him find the future development path for Kuangren Comics: from comics to animation, and then to theme parks, developing the entire industry chain.

He and Wei Lingling were on the same page. Wei Lingling wanted to open a gift shop for her own toy products. If they put Transformers in amusement parks in the future, and if Optimus Prime and Megatron could move, wouldn't the kids be willing to spend money?

However, the investment in amusement parks of the scale of Disneyland is too high. Tokyo Disneyland cost over 2000 billion yen, so Wei Lingling still prioritizes commercial complexes.

Ah Long is back from Japan and is moving to a new house. The new house is the largest unit in Taikoo Shing, 1237 square feet, which is a so-called thousand-square-foot luxury house.

This area is equivalent to more than 115 square meters, all of which is usable area with no shared area, so the three bedrooms, two living rooms and two bathrooms look very big and spacious, more than twice the size of the house they rented before.

In addition to finding a moving company, Xu Jinjiang and Liangzi (Long Aotian), along with their friends and classmates, also contributed their time and effort.

Ah Long's success has given his friends hope that one day they too will settle down and build their careers in Hong Kong.

After moving, Ah Long treated his friends to a meal.

Ah Long advised them: "It's best to buy a house before the Sino-British negotiations end, even if it's with a mortgage. After the dust settles, those who should leave will leave, and those who should stay will stay. The economic situation will inevitably improve, and house prices will soar again."

Xu Jinjiang and Long Aotian were both tempted; the housing prices were indeed very cheap right now.

Long Aotian has now completely taken over the lead writing work for "Qin's Moon", and his income is among the top tier of comic artists in the company.

Xu Jinjiang gained international recognition with "The Witness," and despite being a self-employed individual, he has received numerous film offers, having recently starred in "The Devil" by cult master Gui Zhihong.

Although he wasn't the male lead, his income was quite considerable, better than working a regular job. However, the lack of a romantic relationship made him feel bad, and he greatly envied Liu Rulong, who had both a successful family and career.

After moving and hosting guests, Liu Rulong returned to his rented apartment. Since the lease hadn't expired yet and it was closer to his company in Kowloon, he left the new apartment to the three women in his family and stayed there for the time being.

A quiet working environment is more conducive to his work. Now the company has hired a vice president who can help him with the daily management work, so he can devote more time and energy to his creative work.

Not only is he responsible for creating "Dragon Ball," but he also has to control the quality of all the company's works and review the content of each issue of the magazine, so his work is always very busy.

In addition, during his trip back from Japan, Ah Long also bought some books about animation production.

Animation has always been his original dream. This time in Japan, through the connection of Tokuma Shoten, he met a friend, which made him even more determined to take action as soon as possible.

This friend was much older than him. He was a cartoonist in his twenties, and only started directing television animation after he turned 30. He finally completed his first animated feature film at the age of 38.

The movie is called "Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro". Ah Long has watched it more than once. It is his favorite Japanese animated film in recent years. He even watched the TV version. The car chase scenes in it are absolutely amazing. And this new friend's name is Hayao Miyazaki.

Liu Rulong believes that a man's peak energy is around his thirties or forties. Miyazaki Hayao is currently 42 years old and is working on his second film, "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind," adapted from his own manga. Liu visited the film's production site and felt that this would be a new peak for Miyazaki.

But could this be the peak of Miyazaki's career? After all, he's getting old, and his energy is starting to decline. Will he be able to make any more good works in the future?
So this encounter with Hayao Miyazaki made Liu Rulong realize that he needed to act quickly. If nothing unexpected happens, "Dragon Ball" will be his last long-running manga, after which he will enter the animation industry, where he can start small and train his team.

Liu Rulong dislikes social engagements, but there's a gathering he absolutely must attend today. The head of Xinhua News Agency's Hong Kong branch has been replaced by a leader surnamed Xu, who is essentially the top official from the mainland in Hong Kong. Liu Rulong is originally from the mainland and has always relied on its influence.

Besides him, other left-wing figures in Hong Kong were also invited, including Xia Meng and her husband, Fu Qi and Shi Hui and their husband, actress Bao Qijing, etc.

Liu Rulong was also invited to bring his wife, so Gong Xue and her mother watched TV at home that night. The show, "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," was also Xiao Wei's idea, and it was said to be very interesting.

Zhuang Che was astonished to hear that answering all 15 questions correctly would earn him HK$100 million, and that someone had already succeeded before.

"Hearing this makes me want to sign up."

Gong Xue laughed and said, "You're pretty good. These questions don't seem particularly difficult to me."

"It's not too difficult, it's just that I can't understand it." Zhuang Che waved his hand.

Her mother would stay a little longer, but Gong Xue would be returning to Beijing soon. During this time, she had experienced the prosperity and convenience of Hong Kong, but she missed Wei Ming and Zhu Lin even more.

Because Gong Xue was often influenced by Hong Kong movies and Cantonese songs, she also knew a little Cantonese. She translated for her mother while watching the movies.

Just as I was looking at it, the phone rang at home.

"Hello, is this Brother Long's house?" a girl's voice asked. "Yes, this is Liu Rulong's house. Who are you looking for?" Gong Xue asked warily.

Upon hearing that it was speaking Mandarin, the other person also switched to Mandarin: "Who are you?"

"I am Gong Ying's older sister."

"Gong Ying's older sister... Gong Xue?"

"Have you heard my name?"

“Of course, Gong Xue in the South and Zhu Lin in the North, the two great talents of the mainland film industry. I’ve even seen your movies,” Zhou Huimin said, shifting her position on the phone while eating snacks and propping her feet up on the coffee table. “Is Sister Ying there? I’m looking for her.”

“She’s not here; she went out with Ah Long,” Gong Xue replied. “May I ask who you are?”

"Oh, my name is Zhou Huimin. You can call me Amin or Vivian. I want to ask Sister Ying how my clothes are coming along."

"I'm not entirely sure, but I'll pass on the message when she gets back."

"Okay," Zhou Huimin said, reluctant to hang up after finishing the conversation. "Can I call you Sister Xue?"

"Sure." Gong Xue temporarily lowered his guard against the girl who was following Wei Ming's lead.

"Sister Xue, are you in Hong Kong for work or to visit relatives?"

“Aying is pregnant, so my mother and I came to visit her.”

"Oh, then I'll probably stay a few more days."

"It's been a week already, and I'm planning to go back in the next couple of days."

"Oh, that's a pity. Hong Kong may not be big, but there are many fun places to visit. Have you tried Holiland yet?"

"I've eaten, and I've also had bubble tea."

Zhou Huimin proudly said, "I invented bubble tea, and my mother further refined it later."

"Wow, you're so amazing! Not only can you sing, but you can also invent drinks," Gong Xue sensed the girl's childlike nature—after all, she was only 16—and calmly asked, "So what kind of clothes did you ask Aying to make?"

Vivian Chow said, "Because I want to make a music video for my song, I need to have an ancient costume look. However, I am not satisfied with the women's ancient costumes in those period dramas, so I want to ask Sister Ying, the only designer I know, to design a few beautiful ancient costumes."

The idea for this music video came from Zhou Huimin herself after Wei Ming left. She communicated with Wei Ming and received his praise. He even suggested that a storyline could be added to the music video so that it could be sold to a TV station.

Although this may increase unnecessary costs, as a story-driven music video is equivalent to a short film, many fans who like Vivian Chow have sent her letters through her classmates, saying that she doesn't appear on TV or hold concerts, and they rarely see her in public, which makes her fans very sad.

So she wanted to use a music video to make up for her fans and increase her exposure to a level that her mother could tolerate.

Moreover, Ah Ming is going to come to Hong Kong to make a movie during the summer vacation, and she is thinking of playing a cameo role as a way to hone her acting skills in advance.

"Oh, her clothes? The design is already done. I'll show her the design later."

Upon returning home and hearing from her sister that Zhou Huimin had called, Gong Ying responded in this way.

At the same time, she was also observing her sister's reaction. There seemed to be no special reaction. Was she overthinking it? In fact, her brother-in-law simply admired Zhou Huimin, that girl, so he always wrote songs for her?

At Gong Xue's request, Gong Ying showed her sister her ancient-style designs. These were designed for "The Moon Over the West Tower," so they were all in the Song Dynasty style, including both wedding dresses and everyday clothes.

"This is my first time designing a period drama. I need to do a lot of research and come up with something new and unique. If she hadn't been so generous with the money, I wouldn't have taken the job," Gong Ying complained while a satisfied smile appeared on her face. She felt like she could finally work on a film set.

"Oh, you're asking for money back?" Gong Xue asked in surprise. "Aren't the two companies partners?"

Gong Ying: "Let's put it one thing at a time. It would take me so much time to design this for her. Besides, she's not short of money. She can earn more than a million yuan from just one album. The best-selling Cantonese album in recent years is her 'First Love - Zhou Huimin'."

Gong Xue: "So you're going to hand over these design drafts to her tomorrow?"

"Hmm, tomorrow night, after she gets out of school."

Gong Xue suddenly had an idea: "Why don't I go with you? I really want to meet her, after all, I've listened to so many of her songs."

"I'm afraid that won't work. I forgot to tell you something," Gong Ying said. "Ms. Xia Meng heard that you're leaving and said she'd like to invite you to dinner tomorrow. She asked if you're free tonight. Please call her back then."

Gong Xue could have easily said that there was no tomorrow and they could reschedule for another day. However, Xia Meng was an elder and a senior, and was naturally more important to Gong Xue than Zhou Huimin. So he quickly made a phone call to finalize the matter.

The two met directly at the Bluebird Film Company for a tour before having dinner.

There, Gong Xue saw posters for the three films Qingniao had made since its founding, as well as the honors and achievements it had received.

"Heroes Have Always Emerged from Among the Young," "A Mistaken Seven-Day Romance," and "Boat People in the Angry Sea," two of which were written by Wei Ming.

"Ah Xue, it really is you! I almost didn't recognize you." Xia Meng looked Gong Xue up and down. She had really changed a lot. Only when she received praise did Gong Xue's charming smile remain the same as before.

Qingniao is currently a small, workshop-style film company with few employees. They haven't started any work for over six months, just waiting for the new project, "Paper Butterfly".

Xia Meng never thought about making the company very big. Her and her husband's clothing company was already quite profitable. She would rather keep the Bluebird as a symbol of her cinematic spirit.

After discussing Gong Xue's impressions of Hong Kong, Xia Meng suddenly asked, "Have you ever thought about staying in Hong Kong like Ah Ying? I know that even for a popular film actress like you, it's not easy to get a performance opportunity in mainland China, while small Hong Kong produces more than a hundred films every year, so there are many opportunities."

Gong Xue shook his head: "Although there are many opportunities, not all of them are suitable for me. I can't play most of the roles. I feel that my acting style would be quite out of place in Hong Kong films."

"What if it's a Hong Kong film shot in mainland China?" Xia Meng suddenly asked again.

"what?"

Xia Meng got up, took out a copy of the script for "Paper Butterfly", hesitated for a moment, and then handed it to Gong Xue.

Actually, Xia Meng didn't think Gong Xue was suitable for the role before. Although she was very beautiful, her temperament was not right.

However, seeing Gong Xue again today and witnessing the changes in her after living in Hong Kong for a week, Xia Meng saw the versatility of an actress. If she could delve deeper into the role, she might really be able to play the character of Shan Shan well.

"This is Qingniao's next major production, with two female leads. One is Ah Zhen, a primary school principal in rural Guangdong, played by Siqin Gaowa. The other is Shan Shan, a divorced woman who has lived in Hong Kong for 20 years. She left her hometown at the age of ten. I want you to try out the role of Shan Shan."

Upon hearing Xia Meng's words, Gong Xue also stood up: "To be honest, Comrade Wei Ming told me this story. I really like the story. The character of Shan Shan is very complex and charming, but I have considered whether I am really capable of playing the role."

Xia Meng pulled her to sit down: "Actually, my first choice is to find a Hong Kong actress to play the role. Some are not suitable, some are suitable, but the other party is not willing to work in the mainland for a long time. If there is a mainland actress who can achieve the effect of a Hong Kong actress and can portray the feeling of familiarity and unfamiliarity when returning to the hometown after 20 years away, then a mainland actress is also a good choice."

However, Gong Xue is not qualified yet. Xia Meng handed her the Mandarin version of the script: "You can take a look at the script first. If you are sure you want to act, I can give you some time to experience life. If you can meet the requirements by then, we can finalize the contract."

Out of a sense of responsibility for the work, Xia Meng did not finalize the matter directly; she and director Yan Hao would definitely need to agree eventually.

After returning home with the script, Gong Xue went into her bedroom and didn't come out again, spending the whole night reading it.

I had only heard Wei Ming tell the story before, but now that I have seen the complete script, it is even more detailed than Wei Ming's version. The shortcomings of the story are also made up for by the wonderful inner monologues.

"What a show!"

Gong Xue was immediately tempted. Even though she knew her current shortcomings, she still wanted to give it a try. She first discussed it with her sister and mother.

If Gong Xue accepts this role, she will have to live in Hong Kong for a period of time to experience life there, and it may even change her mannerisms. Therefore, her mother and sister support her unconditionally.

"So, are you going to learn Cantonese too?" Gong Ying asked after offering her support.

"Ms. Xia Meng said that we can speak Mandarin during filming. Since all the actors are from the mainland, it will be easier to work together if we use the same language. However, we will need to re-dub the script in Hong Kong."

Their support wasn't enough; Gong Xue also sent a telegram to Wei Ming about it.

Wei Ming was saying goodbye to Zhu Lin in his own way. Sister Lin was going to Suzhou to film "The Kingdom of Women", more than two years earlier than usual. The "Journey to the West" crew was moving at a good pace. After filming Zhu Lin's scenes, it would be Red Boy's turn next month, and we could see him during the Spring Festival next year.

After seven farewells, Zhu Lin nestled in Wei Ming's arms and said, "I'm leaving tomorrow, but Xiao Xue should be back soon. Be good at home."

Wei Ming: "Okay, are you sure you don't want me to visit the set?"

"No need, it'll be too distracting. But don't worry, I'll definitely bring that costume back for you, okay?" Zhu Lin rolled her eyes at him, knowing exactly what this mischievous boy was thinking.
……

(Yesterday's guaranteed minimum)
(End of this chapter)