Against the Current Hong Kong 1979

Chapter 134 A Vacation in America, and a Ching-Hsia Meeting Along the Way (10,000 words, please subscribe)

Jiahe.

In the general manager's office.

Ho Koon-cheung and Chow Man-wai were on the phone with Jackie Chan.

Jackie Chan was having a really tough time in the US, calling almost every day to complain: "Godfather, what kind of hellhole is this? I can't eat well, I can't sleep well, and I can't even speak properly. I've had enough of this awful place. We've finished filming 'The Killer', when can I go back?"

Ho Koon-cheung patiently reassured him: "Ah Lung, just stay here for another year. The storm hasn't died down yet."

Zou Wenhuai quickly advised, "The 'Cannonball Racer' project has already been approved and will be filmed soon. You can focus on finishing the film and come back later."

Jackie Chan said with some resentment, "By the time I go back to film 'Cannonball Run,' I'm afraid no one in Hong Kong will remember me!"

"That's impossible." Chow Wen-huai knew where Jackie Chan's resentment came from, and said with a smile, "The release date for 'Killer Tycoon' here has already been set for October 16th."

"That movie wasn't very good," Jackie Chan sighed. "The foreigners here definitely don't know how to make action movies, and they're completely unresponsive. I've had enough."

Ho Koon-cheung couldn't help but ask, "Willie (Chan Chi-keung), didn't he help you communicate with them?"

"Ah-Qiang is just my manager. Why would the foreign director listen to him?" Jackie Chan's voice was filled with barely suppressed anger. "I even doubt these foreigners have brains. They clearly have better filming methods. I even said I'd pay for the reshoots of the action scenes, and he only gave me seven days to design the action sequences. Seven days? What can you do in seven days?"

That's what Jackie Chan really meant.

In Hong Kong, he hones his action scenes over time, often spending ten days or even one or two months filming a single scene.

But in Hollywood, sorry, if the director says seven days is enough, then it's seven days, no matter how much money you pay them.

Jackie Chan said in an almost coquettish tone, "Godfather, Mr. Zou, the thought of having to endure another year of such miserable days is driving me crazy."

"You weren't having that much of a hard time over there, were you?" Ho Koon-cheung said with a hint of amusement. "You still had time to date, didn't you?"

This is a joke about Jackie Chan dating Teresa Teng in the United States.

Jackie Chan's tone did soften slightly as he replied, "Godfather, I'm already incredibly depressed. If I don't find someone to date, won't I just die of boredom?"

Zou Wenhuai cautioned, "Talk is talk, but be mindful of the impact. Don't cause any trouble. I heard her mother is rushing to the United States to see you."

(June 1980, Jackie Chan pursued Teresa Teng)

Jackie Chan said somewhat speechlessly, "We're all young people, eating, drinking, and having fun together, it's a normal thing. Her mother is being a bit too nervous, as if I'm some kind of bad guy."

"You should know how to handle it yourself." Ho Koon-cheung neither scolded him for this, nor did he express any support for him.

Suddenly, Zou Wenhuai asked, "You don't have any connection with that foreign porn star from 'The Killer' anymore, right?"

"Of course not," Jackie Chan repeatedly denied. "We just chatted to relieve each other's loneliness during filming. Once filming was over, we lost contact."

"That's good." Zou Wenhuai said seriously, "It's okay to be a womanizer, but it's not acceptable to act indecently. In a foreign country, without me and Achang to keep an eye on you, you need to listen to Aqiang more."

Jackie Chan casually responded twice, then asked, "How's the situation in Hong Kong? I heard from Brother Xianglin that Andy Lau is quite popular lately?"

"It's not just fire, it's an explosion." Ho Koon-cheung's tone was tinged with envy: "His 'Chasing Girls' alone grossed over 15 million at Golden Harvest Cinemas, far exceeding your 'Young Master'."

"Moreover, he also managed to persuade Lei Juekun to release 'Chasing Girls' in the newly restructured Golden Princess Cinema, which is estimated to have grossed at least eight million at the box office."

Jackie Chan was genuinely shocked: "Is it that exaggerated? Then why don't you let me go back right now?"

"What's there to be afraid of!" Ho Koon-cheung explained with a smile, "He doesn't make kung fu movies, so he doesn't compete with you."

Jackie Chan suddenly asked, "What has Andy been up to lately?"

"He's preparing for a new film!" Zou Wenhuai replied. "I don't know what he's thinking. He became famous with one movie, but instead of capitalizing on his success, he's thinking about making some kind of art film."

"Oh, an art film?" Jackie Chan was also somewhat surprised, asking in astonishment, "What genre?"

Zou Wenhuai said, "I've read the script, and it's indeed very well written. It's a typical subject matter that Europeans and Americans like. Andy is very ambitious; he wants to make a film that can win awards at the three major international film festivals."

"When will he start filming?" Jackie Chan asked again.

Zou Wenhuai thought for a moment and said, "I estimate around October."

"Then you should invite him to America first," Jackie Chan said immediately. "Just tell him I invited him to America for a vacation, and to watch the American premiere of my movie 'The Killer'."

Ho Koon-cheung, not quite understanding what Jackie Chan was planning, asked, "Jackie, what do you want to do?"

"He wants to make films that Western audiences want to see, so of course, filming in America is the most suitable option!"

Jackie Chan patted his thigh and explained with a smile, "He came here to film a movie, so he's keeping me company. He speaks English, and he's good at acting, so he communicates with foreigners much better than Ah-Qiang."

Besides, I originally planned to bring him to Hollywood anyway. It was just that something unexpected happened and it got interrupted. Now I'm making up for it!

Ho Koon-cheung frowned slightly: "Filming in America, that's no cheap!"

Golden Harvest spared no expense to support Jackie Chan in making movies in Hollywood because Jackie Chan was his godson, Ho Koon-cheung, and the pillar of Golden Harvest.

Although Zhang Shuai'an was very close to Golden Harvest, he did not directly sign with Golden Harvest, so there is a fundamental difference between the two.

"Godfather, Mr. Zou, don't you believe in Anzai's abilities?"

Jackie Chan's tone was full of genuine emotion: "I believe Andy Lau definitely has the ability to make the foreigners look at him with new eyes. If you don't support him, then I'll support him myself."

"That's not necessary!" Zou Wenhuai, still possessing a certain boldness, stated directly, "You're right. Golden Harvest wants to expand into Europe and America; simply making a few Western films isn't enough. Winning one or two international awards would certainly be more convincing! We really can't be stingy with this Andy project!"

After chatting for a while longer, Jackie Chan hung up the phone.

After hanging up the phone, Ho Koon-cheung turned to Zou Wen-huai and said, "Raymond, you don't actually agree with what Ah Long said, do you? He just wants to grab someone to go and keep him company."

"No!" Chow Wen-huai shook his head. "Although Ah-Lung makes action films, he has a childlike passion for cinema, and he sees further than us film businessmen. We've spent hundreds of millions of Hong Kong dollars making so many Western films, but how many of them have truly made us famous?"

"However, investing in Zhang Shuai'an's film would at most cost ten million Hong Kong dollars. And if it succeeds—"

A glimmer of light gradually appeared in Zou Wenhuai's eyes: "The reputation we've gained is enough for Jiahe to live on for a lifetime!"

Ho Koon-cheung suddenly felt a little dazed, as if he had returned to ten years ago, to the time when he had just left Shaw Brothers.

Back then, they were tired of the stagnant state of Shaw Brothers, so they left together to found Golden Harvest, full of ambition to create movies that would shake the world.

Unexpectedly, after so many years, I see that same youthful vigor in Zou Wenhuai again!

Zou Wenhuai called over his female secretary and instructed her, "Maggie, go upstairs and invite Mr. Zhang Shuai'an over."

Tenth floor, Tianxia Film Studio.

Zhang Shuai'an is on the phone with Jackie Chan.

Jackie Chan complained like a wronged woman: "Andy, you have no idea how hard I've been here, and you don't even come to keep me company."

Zhang Shuai'an said, "Brother Long, you should be very busy, learning English and filming—besides, aren't you dating—"

"You have a girlfriend, why would you want me to come over and keep you company?"

"How can a woman compare to a brother?" Jackie Chan said with distress, "I can't understand a word she says, and she's not interested in what I say. I'm really worried to death."

Back in Hong Kong, I was always surrounded by eight or ten brothers when I went out. Here, it's just Ah-Qiang with me. But Ah-Qiang is a bit dull and boring. It's much more enjoyable to talk to you; you understand everything I say right away!

"Well, there's nothing I can do about it, I'm very busy too," Zhang Shuai'an explained with a smile. "The movie 'Chasing Girls' has finished its run at Golden Harvest, but it's still showing at Golden Princess Cinemas. The company has also started a new film, so I have to keep an eye on it for a while."

In addition, I'm also preparing for a new film, which will start shooting around October.

"I heard about your new film from Mr. Chow." Jackie Chan became serious at this moment, and his tone was quite sincere: "I think if you want to make a movie that foreigners can accept, you'd better come to America and experience the atmosphere here."

You probably haven't been abroad before, and you don't have any experience living overseas, right? You can't truly understand the awkwardness and contradictions that foreigners feel just by imagining it.

That makes sense.

Zhang Shuai'an has indeed never been abroad in either of his two lifetimes. His knowledge of foreign countries as a child came from magazines like "Reader's Digest."

As I grew up, I relied on news and movies to learn about *Yilin* magazine. And as I approached the timeline of time travel, I relied on "Prison A," who had returned triumphantly from America.

Neither of them reflects his personal experience.

Zhang Shuai'an breathed a sigh of relief and agreed, saying, "You're right. It's definitely necessary to go to the United States for a while and experience what the atmosphere is like there."

"That's more like it," Jackie Chan said with a smile. "I've already convinced my godfather and Mr. Chow to increase their investment in you. Then you can start filming here directly; wouldn't that impress the judges at international film festivals more than filming in Hong Kong?"

"Besides, now that you're here, I'll introduce you to Brigitte Lin! She's a great beauty and single right now, maybe you two could get together."

Zhang Shuai'an felt a little strange. According to the timeline, Qin Xianglin should be in the United States pursuing Brigitte Lin right now, and they should announce their engagement around September of this year.

Given Jackie Chan's relationship with Chin Hsiang-lin, if Chin Hsiang-lin had already succeeded, there would be no reason for him to say such a thing.

That means Qin Xianglin probably hasn't gone to the United States to find Brigitte Lin yet.

(News from September 1980, Hong Kong media also read Lu Xun, [Brother Xianglin caught up with Sister Xianglin], really damn creative)

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