Hong Kong Film: Jimmy? Please call me Councillor Li

Chapter 246 The God of Gamblers Box Office Success (3000 words) [Please Subscribe]

Ruan Mei stopped in her tracks, and the old man opposite her seemed to sense something, so he turned his head to look back.

"Miss, would you like your fortune told? No charge if it's inaccurate."

"Really."

With the idea that she wouldn't pay unless she was allowed to, Ruan Mei sat down in front of the stall, and the old man looked her over.

"You have delicate features and bright eyes. Although your family is poor, you have an upright background and your ancestors must have been a powerful clan."

Ruan Mei was startled, surprised and somewhat unhappy at the same time. She was so accurate; she should pay him.

When I was very young, my father did say that his family used to be a prominent family in the area, but they fell on hard times and settled in Hong Kong Island. In those days, people without some ability and connections couldn't come here.

"Let me see your hands."

"This palmistry."

"If I may be so bold, are your parents already deceased, and did you grow up with them?"

Ruan Mei was even more surprised. He could even tell that her parents were gone. He was so amazing. Ruan Mei was a little skeptical. She thought the old man was bluffing her, so she told a little lie.

"How can you curse people like that? My parents are perfectly fine."

This time it was the master's turn to be surprised. He snapped his folding fan shut and excitedly scratched his head.

"That can't be right. Do you really think your parents are still alive?"

"."

"This is troublesome, miss. If your parents are still alive, you must be careful recently, as you may be in danger of bloodshed."

"what"

Ruan Mei, who had only wanted to have some fun, was now a little panicked.

"Master, what if my parents have already passed away?"

The quick-witted master was stunned for a moment, then immediately realized that Ruan Mei had just lied. He was so angry that he couldn't speak. How could such an obedient-looking girl lie to him?

"Miss, a person's fate is a gift from heaven. Every bite and every drink is predetermined. Even the smallest change can affect your life. Let me ask you one more time, are your parents still alive?"

This time, Ruan Mei dared not lie and answered honestly.

"not there"

The master then smiled, and I said, "I have been traveling the world for many years and have never made such a big mistake."

"If your parents are not alive, you will have benefactors to help you find a good match and live a life of wealth and luxury without having to worry about making a living."

"real!"

After what had just happened, Ruan Mei had no choice but to believe what the master had said.

You will have a benefactor to help you, and you will find a good husband and enjoy wealth and prosperity in the future. Who is this benefactor?

Now that I'm living a good life, is this benefactor referring to Brother Yuan?

"Would it be convenient for you to tell me your birth date and time? I won't charge you for this order. Just write it down on a piece of paper, offer incense, and bow three times."

"Really!"

Upon hearing that it was free, Ruan Mei quickly wrote down her birth date and time on a piece of red paper, which the master examined for a long time.

"Hiss, your timing is strange..."

"Does the master have any questions?"

"No. You are just a tiny spark in the sky. Your benefactor should be a woman."

"woman?"

Ruan Mei was now frustrated. If it wasn't Brother Yuan, then who was it? A woman? But she didn't seem to have any women around her.

I spend every day with Brother Yuan and Miss Huang.

After much hesitation, Ruan Mei asked a question she really wanted to know, thinking that perhaps this master would know the answer.

"Master, what kind of person has a red line on their wrist?"

"No, honey, come with me to see a movie."

"Why don't we go back first? There's nothing to see here."

"No, I want to go."

"Alright alright."

"Hey buddy, what movies are playing right now?"

In a cinema in Mong Kok, a young couple walked in hand in hand, looking very affectionate.

Cinemas today are not like they are in later years, with large, open spaces and a dozen or so screens. Now, if people want to watch a movie, they have to buy tickets in advance at the front desk.

After buying the tickets, we waited in a large hall outside until the movie started, when the crowds squeezed in.

Some popular movies, or popular time slots, such as midnight screenings which are popular with young people.

Either come early, or don't watch at all.

There are so many people that if you come to buy tickets in advance, you still have to wait an hour, which is why this often happens in some old Hong Kong dramas.

XXX, my friend saved two tickets for me, let's go see a movie together.

It's really great to have someone help you reserve tickets like this; you don't have to queue and you can still buy popular tickets.

"Look at this one, I'm so tired of these martial arts movies, this one is sure to be good."

"God of Gamblers? Never heard of him, and I've never seen the actor before. Is this any good?"

"Are you going to look or not? If not, I'm leaving."

To appease his girlfriend, the young couple made her watch the video even though she didn't want to.

Many people were drawn in by the word "gambling" and chose the 10:30 slot. There's no other reason than that there are still too few gambling-related topics in Hong Kong.

Li Jiayuan had discovered long ago that this worldview was uneven and incomplete; some parts, both in reality and in the film, did not exist in this world.
Simply put, this worldview is a simplified version. Some people who exist in reality may not exist here, and some historical events will not exist.

Among them, the most severe cuts were made to the real world, and Li Jiayuan didn't know why.

Because of this cut, the film *God of Gamblers*, which was originally scheduled for release in 1989, did not materialize, leaving the market currently devoid of gambling-themed films. Lee Ka-yuen's version, *The Saint of Gamblers*, was the first film on the market to focus on gambling.

He almost completely copied all the actors from the original film.

Just kidding, he spent six million to find someone, that's no joke.

After entering the film set, the young couple found their seats and sat down; their seats were quite nice.

The filming began with a completely unfamiliar intro: Home Media Film Company.

After the movie started, the set was quiet, and everyone's attention was on the film. The story begins with Hei Zai Da playing mahjong with some neighbors.

"Oh dear, I forgot that my nephew is coming from the mainland today, and I have to go pick him up."

"What, you want to cut the green rice?"

The scene shifts to a vending machine where young Ah Xing is furtively groping it.

I've never seen this actor before.

"Probably a newbie."

Inside the venue, people were whispering among themselves. The audience could tell from Ah Xing's red, white, and blue bag and his rustic hair that the actor was playing a mainland Chinese guy.

[Die Jia, the author is absolutely from the mainland. The term "Mainland Boy" is because that's how people from the mainland were called in Hong Kong at the time. Men were called "Mainland Boy," and women were called "Mainland Girl." Some women who spoke Mandarin were also called "Northern Girl."]

"Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing here?"

In the movie scene, a security guard walks over and teases Ah Xing about needing this machine to buy water. Ah Xing knows the guard is mocking him, a mainland Chinese guy, but he doesn't get angry.

Instead, he revealed a special ability to make soda.

In this era, the concept of special abilities is still quite novel, and in just a few minutes, the interesting premise has deeply attracted the audience's attention.

Everyone inwardly exclaimed, "This movie seems pretty good! At least it's much more interesting than those martial arts heroes who just fly around on wires all day."

In the next scene, Ah Xing takes the initiative to find his third uncle. Downstairs, he encounters a couple arguing and tells the doorbell, "I love you."

The clever Ah Xing understood instantly.

"People on Hong Kong Island are so funny, they even say 'I love you' to their doors."

Upon hearing this, the entire movie theater erupted in laughter; everyone was amused.

Then it was Ah Xing's turn to ring the doorbell.

I love you, I love you.

"I love you, I really love you, believe me, I really love you, I love you so much."

The old lady who came later saw someone saying "I love you" to the doorbell and thought he was a pervert, so she quickly opened the door and went upstairs.

Startled, I quickly opened the door and went inside.

Ah Xing followed closely behind, and in the elevator, he greeted the old lady warmly.

"Grandma, you're practicing the swordsmanship of the Emei School."

"Oh dear!"

The elevator reached the fourth floor, and the old woman rushed off in a panic.
Ah Xing looked dejected from behind.

"You don't have to hit someone just because you guessed wrong. Could it be the Kongtong Sect?"

These words drew laughter from the audience.

Having been baptized by Li Jiayuan's Best Actor card, Yin Tianchou underwent a long period of special training, and his acting skills improved by leaps and bounds, showing a tendency to forge his own path.

The nonsensical exaggeration was handled perfectly, and in just half an hour, the atmosphere in the venue was lively, with the audience laughing heartily, and some of the more sentimental ones laughing until their stomachs hurt.

Before you know it, the movie is over.

"Oh, that's it!"

"Why so fast?"

Men who used to just want to finish quickly and take their girlfriends to a hotel are still feeling unsatisfied. Damn it, this little bit is not enough for anyone to watch.

If the foreigners next door see this, they'll think we look down on them.

"Oh, there's nothing to watch then."

"Honey, let's come back to see you again in a couple of days."

As we walked out of the venue, everyone was still discussing the story and scenes from the movie. Some said the female lead was beautiful, while others said the movie was funny and shouldn't be watched while eating.

In this era, nonsensical comedy is indeed a killer performance.

This heated discussion has led some people who originally wanted to watch martial arts films to come back and buy tickets again.

On its first day of release, "God of Gamblers" received a very positive response, and on its second day, it became an instant hit, with many people coming specifically to see the movie after being recommended by friends.

On the third day, the cinemas got smarter and opened three screenings of the movie "God of Gamblers" in a row. In no time, the movie "God of Gamblers" became a sensation in Hong Kong, setting off a new wave of popularity.

Of course, the most attention was drawn to the new actors and faces in "God of Gamblers II". As soon as the movie was released, it topped the box office charts and became the highest-grossing film. Major television media also conducted individual interviews with the original actors.

The main topic is their experiences and feelings after becoming an overnight sensation.

The reporter was stunned to learn that everyone present was actually a newcomer who had been temporarily brought in for artist training.

You can't tell from his performance at all. Take Tai-bo, who plays Uncle Da, for example. He's just a small-time hoodlum and has never acted before, but his performance makes it impossible to tell that he's a newcomer.

This is naturally because Li Jiayuan exerted his influence behind the scenes.

In this round, my Yuan-ge is the MVP, everyone else is just sitting back and winning. Without Niu Maka, there wouldn't be such a good effect.

After all, he was an employee who had signed a 20-year contract, so he was willing to pay that much.

The film company, Gambler Saint and Home Media, became an instant hit, stirring up a storm in the industry.

the other side

TVB's meticulously crafted "The Butterfly Lovers," which has been in theaters for three days, has suffered a dismal box office performance due to the competition from "God of Gamblers."

Aunt Fang arrived at the company early this morning and couldn't wait to ask Zhao Xi and others about the box office.

(End of this chapter)