My Lord, you need to stand up!

Chapter 919 I’m coming
Without Wei Dong, Stephen Chow would have needed to explore his acting skills for several more years and make several dubious comedies before finding his own style.

In fact, this kind of "nonsensical" comedy style, which Leung Yee-wai recognized as being derived from the exaggerated style of Japanese manga, has reached an era where it can be accepted and embraced by the general public.

Wang Xin's comedic style is different from the popular comedies of the 1960s and 70s.

Having inherited a family tradition, he made many improvements based on the style of European and American films.

But like a scion of a martial arts family, he was constrained by rules and regulations and unable to break free.

Only the wild Stephen Chow reached the pinnacle.

So they could film together, but Stephen Chow still felt constrained.

Therefore, Wang Xin's "God of Gamblers" also has some comedic elements, which can be seen as echoing "God of Gamblers II".

These are all details that Wei Dong didn't try to change, and that he couldn't change anyway.

But this film, "All for the Winner," was indeed a landmark work that truly established Stephen Chow's style.

Wei Dong, not understanding the situation, made a nonsensical recommendation to Stephen Chow to film "Descendants of the Dragon" first, which was actually a good opportunity for them to practice and work together.

Then, because Chow Yun-fat made "God of Gamblers," it was only natural that he would follow up with "All for the Winner." Wei Dong thought it was just following the trend, but for Stephen Chow, it was a smooth and effortless explosion of various plot settings that he could easily pull off.

The plot is simple: Xingzai, a boy from the mainland, has special abilities. He follows his uncle, who has come to seek refuge, to gamble and travel the underworld, and accidentally gets caught up in the vortex of triad power struggles.

Capitalizing on trending topics is Wang Xin's specialty, while having your own unique style is Zhou Xingxing's skill.

This show became a hit naturally.

The audience burst into laughter from the very beginning.

Rong Gu made a cameo appearance as the crazy old woman who lived with the uncle and nephew, while A Ling played Xingzai's dream lover. She even intentionally or unintentionally rubbed off the shadow of the God of Gamblers' wife, who was also played by A Ling.

So, using their special abilities as a cheat code, Uncle Da and Stephen Chow constantly create laughs.

Compared to when they worked on "Descendants of the Dragon," they are much more skilled and comfortable with each other now.

It was even smoother than the original film that Wei Dong remembered.

Even the Cantonese version, he could still enjoy watching it with great interest thanks to the subtitles.

Finally, Stephen Chow, sitting next to his boss, gestured wildly, trying his best to express how smoothly the filming went, and how much his boss understood him, that he could come up with the story outline.

Little did he know that Wei Dong wouldn't understand a thing. He didn't understand any of the deeper logic of film acting and just found it incredibly annoying!
I want to enjoy a movie in peace, but I have to go through social obligations, my wife isn't here, and I even need Chow Yun-fat to translate for me.

His face showed a blank and perfunctory expression.

Unfortunately, Stephen Chow is extremely sensitive. When he leaned in to express himself, he noticed the absent-minded expression on his boss's face illuminated by the screen light, and immediately leaned back awkwardly, unsure of what to say.

Even Wei Dong was scratching his head. He never talked about movies or acting with Chow Yun-fat and Tony Leung Ka-fai. They only talked about what things could change by doing things.

In particular, Liang Jiahui did not follow the boss closely around the Lunar New Year, even though the boss was in Hong Kong.

After finishing the real estate advertising in Shanghai, he immediately rushed to the mainland to promote the release of "The Chess King".

It wasn't for box office profits, but for the purpose of making this film.

Wei Dong felt that he enjoyed this even more than filming itself, and he even asked Jiang Jialing to go to the mainland to accompany him, which could be considered a business trip for the couple.

Their focus is different from Stephen Chow's.

So all I could do was try to explain seriously: "The play is very good. I explained the new script ideas to Director Wang. I'm not urging you to film it. You can decide for yourself whether to make one or two or three plays a year. I just need to recoup my investment. I just feel that this momentum is picking up and it would be a pity not to seize it."

Chow Yun-fat explained it more realistically: "A year after 'A Better Tomorrow' became a hit, I filmed thirteen movies. I felt like throwing up whenever I saw a script. Tung-jai's point was that you decide for yourself. I was very lucky. This is the state I've always dreamed of. I can film whenever I want. My destiny is completely in my own hands. Tung-jai never thought about making money off us."

Wei Dong then reminded him, "Once you become famous, be careful. One film might have been lucky, but now that the second one is a hit, if they can get you roles, it'll be faster than a money-printing machine. That means some people will inevitably have designs on you. Be extremely careful..."

Uncle Da, who was listening over there, quickly suggested, "Then let's take advantage of the popularity and hurry up and film, one after another. We can stay together at all times to ensure safety. Being popular is a blessing from God, but who knows, things might go downhill tomorrow."

He had experienced this kind of hardship before, so his feelings were different. His starting point was the same as that of Wei Dong and Fa Ge, which was well-intentioned, but the results were very different.

Stephen Chow sat there, looking a bit awkward, and could only awkwardly agree again.

So people are really different, which makes it impossible for Weidong to communicate with him on the same wavelength.

It's like how Wei Dong can't communicate with someone as artistic as Zou Huimin.

But none of this could stop the hilarious spread of "God of Gamblers".

The "nonsensical" style of Stephen Chow and Ng Man-tat, which uses unexpected twists to generate laughter, is much more sophisticated than the previous vulgar comedies.

Furthermore, allowing Wei Dong to give Zhou Xingxing control of the conversation in advance reduced the proportion of comedic moments created by Wang Xin.

After all, the biggest selling point of popular comedies in the past was their penchant for making fun of toilet humor and vulgarity, which is also the source of Wang Xin's title as a toilet humor director.

Hong Kong comedies have always had a vulgar element.

Stephen Chow's films still feature these kinds of scenes, but with the combined strength of the characters, acting, and story, they don't feel awkward at all, and they make people laugh comfortably.

In particular, this type of proportion was reduced to as little as possible, and most of the twists and turns were unexpected, somewhat reminiscent of later brain teasers and collections of dry humor.

You have to follow the unconventional way of thinking that comes with brain teasers.

The humor throughout the film is fresh and natural, even more purely comedic than "Descendants of the Dragon."

Movies that usually premiere at midnight cause all cinemas in Hong Kong to frantically add more screenings!
In the past, it was considered good if two more shows were added after midnight screenings. These early morning and all-night screenings were often sparsely attended, and the slots for breakfast at six or seven o'clock were always empty.

No.

This night is completely filled!
Many people heard about the premiere but couldn't buy tickets, and after watching it, they praised it so much that they told their friends and family to come see it again.

Currently, there are three major cinema chains in Hong Kong. The four cinemas that Uncle Tak transferred to Wei Tung were the remaining fragments from the gradual sale of more than a dozen cinemas.

Even "God of Gamblers" started with one theater chain and only expanded to all theater chains on the second or third day.

This time, Hop Shing was very confident in making contacts everywhere.

I wonder if it's because of the news that during the filming of "God of Gamblers," the South Asian guy beat up the crew to ensure the smooth filming of the movie.

Anyway, all parties gave us face, and the three cinema chains were all opened.

It was completely covered up at night.

Even when Wei Dong and the others went to the basketball court at noon the next day, they could clearly feel that there were far fewer people there. When they asked, they found that everyone who came had already seen the movie!

This truly embodies the meaning of "the streets were deserted as everyone was out."

Moreover, those who came were curious about whether Stephen Chow was really in the basketball court before. They wondered if the movie was actually made by Bo Tsai-tung and if they could see Stephen Chow.
Movies are still far superior to basketball in terms of generating buzz and attracting attention.

After all, sports attract more young people and men, while movies can drive trends across the entire society.

This is what makes Wei Dong willing to act and interact with celebrities.

So early in the morning, Zou Huimin was able to lead the program team at ATV to fully promote the topic of "God of Gamblers" on the news channel and variety channel.

It's said that they're extremely busy over there.

The entire television station was thrilled.

They desperately try to generate buzz for the movie, knowing that in the end, only their own camp benefits.

Of course, as usual, a group of people also come to the basketball court to do related sports content.

It makes you want to warn your boss and senior executive that someone's trying to break into your business!
Yao Shuzhen didn't have the aloof, artsy vibe of Zou Huimin; she arrived at the basketball court in a sporty outfit, excitedly and enthusiastically waiting for people.

Her physical characteristics are that she can be both innocent and alluring.

With her alluring makeup, provocative attire, and captivating every gesture, she exudes feminine charm, radiating a dangerous allure that draws people in.

Today's outfit is a pure and innocent look, like a girl next door, so it's fresh, natural, and gentle, touching people's hearts.

But this kind of temperament seems to have a switch; normally, it's just that the facial features are pretty, and you have to look closely to discover how beautiful she is.

It definitely won't be too eye-catching.

After having Wei Dong and his three or four cars drop off the boss's wife at the company building, they arrived at the basketball court. As soon as they entered, the sales manager on duty informed Wei Dong that they had come to find him before 10 o'clock.

Looking at her again, Wei Dong felt as if the beauty filter had been maxed out; when Yao Shuzhen smiled, it was as if the entire basketball court lit up.

The players and coaches following behind Rang Weidong were dumbfounded, but Kamp remained indifferent.

Wei Dong still enjoyed watching it, secretly praising her, thinking that she truly deserved to be one of the most unforgettable goddesses of the Hong Kong film era.

But he was no longer tempted by such superficial appearances, and nodded with a smile: "Old Wang didn't come? Wasn't your role already confirmed and you're joining the crew?"

Yao Shuzhen, unable to speak Mandarin, awkwardly managed to squeeze out, "I want to drive..."

She could barely hear.

When Wei Dong heard her Hong Kong-accented Mandarin, which was even more anxious than that of the later Ulala Empress, he laughed and waved his hand, saying, "Go be friends with Barbara. Don't waste your time here. Old Wang supports you, and we will give you plenty of opportunities."

He didn't even wait for the other person to react after he finished speaking.

He walked over to the cleaning lady who was tidying up in the corner and asked, "Are you getting used to it here?"

Hu Yongbin immediately turned around and stood up straight: "Yes!"

Subdued and simple.

He asked Wei Dong to raise his left hand: "How did you get hurt?"

Hu Yongbin, who stood upright with his hands hanging down close to his trouser seams, hesitated for a moment before raising his left hand: "I spent two years in the foxhole, and after being discharged from the army, I returned to my hometown and guarded the gate in the county. When my comrades wrote to me, I came here."

Yao Shuzhen quietly followed, but kept a distance of more than a meter, peeking out curiously like an American Shorthair cat.

The security guard with the missing hand who guarded the gate for forty years—just looking at that hand, you can truly understand his pain.

He had to suppress his emotions: "What, don't you want to guard the gate?"

Hu Yongbin shook his head and said, "When a shell came, the deputy squad leader pushed me over, and shrapnel ripped off his skull. I still had my hands, and I wanted to earn some money to send to his mother."

It took Wei Dong all his strength to remain as calm as possible: "Okay, give me the address, I'll mail it."

(End of this chapter)