Chapter 123: An Invitation for a New Film

"I remember you signed with TVB, Xiao Xian. How are things over there? And why are you working on a film for Brother Sammo again?"

Although Yan Xu dearly wanted to recruit the future "God of Songs" into his own company, Jacky Cheung had already signed with PolyGram. Given the phenomenal sales of his debut album, he had become a key rising star under their intensive development. Such an idea was nothing short of delusional; even if Yan Xu could afford the massive buyout fees, Jacky would never abandon a major powerhouse like PolyGram to join Dragon Film, which was, at best, a mid-tier studio.

However, Yan Xu felt much more confident regarding Joey Wong. While many companies were currently utilizing this beautiful young actress, they had yet to truly grasp her full potential.

Yan Xu knew that it was Shaw Brothers who had scouted her at the Golden Horse Awards, signing her with a fee that was considered astronomical for a newcomer—two hundred thousand Hong Kong dollars. Yet, after signing her, Shaw Brothers had failed to utilize her effectively. Due to the studio’s declining output, she had only appeared in two of their films, neither of which achieved the expected results.

With Shaw Brothers gradually retreating from the film industry, they would inevitably have to release their actors from their contracts. If he were to poach her from them now, the cost would be minimal.

"Sigh." A flicker of distress crossed Joey’s face. In Taiwan, when Shaw Brothers approached her to sign a contract, she had been filled with joy. Every Taiwanese person knew that Shaw Brothers was a titan of Hong Kong cinema; her generation had grown up watching their films.

But upon arriving in Hong Kong, the reality of Shaw Brothers was entirely different from what she had imagined. She was aware of the rise of companies like Golden Harvest and Cinema City, and while they had certainly carved out a share of the market from Shaw Brothers, she hadn't expected the veteran giant to be in such dire straits. The atmosphere within the studio was stagnant, utterly devoid of passion. Whether in production or project selection, they were overly cautious, striving only to break even by recycling old tropes. The more they did this, the further they fell behind the market, leading to a string of films that either lost money or barely scraped by.

She had only taken on two films at Shaw Brothers. One was a sequel that barely hit six million at the box office thanks to the fame of its predecessor, while the other grossed only a little over two million—performing worse than many low-budget erotic films and failing to even recoup its costs. Such results led the studio to stop investing in her development.

Fortunately, as Shaw Brothers scaled back production, they loosened the contracts of their artists, allowing them to take on outside work. The studio hoped these actors would gain more exposure so that their contracts might eventually be sold for a better price. It was precisely because of this that Joey had been able to take the role in *Working Class* and was now able to join the crew of *The Lucky Stars*.

"The company hasn't arranged much work for me lately, but to help me gain experience, they've relaxed my contract, allowing me to take on other projects once my obligations to them are met," Joey said tactfully, preserving some dignity for Shaw Brothers, even though everyone in the industry was well aware of the studio's true state.

"I wonder if you could free up some time after you finish filming Brother Sammo's project?" Yan Xu was delighted to receive her answer. Shaw Brothers was notorious for being stingy; usually, if he wanted to use their talent, he would be met with exorbitant demands. Now that they were proactively relaxing contracts, it saved him a mountain of trouble. He was determined to sign this beautiful, charismatic young woman.

"Huh?" Joey clearly hadn't anticipated Yan Xu's words and was momentarily stunned. She had no real fame yet; the few films she had landed were the result of her agent at Shaw Brothers and her mother constantly sending out resumes and her enduring multiple auditions. Faced with a direct invitation from Yan Xu, she was unprepared, as if happiness had arrived too suddenly.

"Xiao Xian, hurry up and say yes!" Seeing Joey dazed, Sammo Hung spoke up. He, too, was examining her closely; while he felt she had limitless potential, he didn't share Yan Xu's urgency.

He knew that the actresses Yan Xu groomed always became major stars. Vivian Chow was flourishing in both film and music, with the nineteen-year-old showing the makings of a new-generation diva. Rosamund Kwan, once considered merely a pretty vase and stuck in mediocrity, had turned her career around overnight with *Luxury Mansion No. 1*, garnering constant film offers and praise, and was now a top contender for the next Best Actress award at the Hong Kong Film Awards. Even that sixteen-year-old girl, Yi Nengjing, while still green in Yan Xu’s new film, had seen her first EP become a massive hit thanks to the movie's theme song. If Yan Xu decided to promote an actress, he would undoubtedly turn her into a star in a very short time.

"This..." Joey hesitated, looking at Yan Xu. "Brother Xu, I don't do nude scenes, and I can't do anything too risqué."

"Oh?" Her words caught Yan Xu off guard. He hadn't expected her to go down that line of thinking. Then again, his previous films had been quite bold. *The Rainy Night Butcher* was full of nudity, and *The Taxi Driver* featured a scene where the protagonist, feeling despondent, visits a prostitute. Even his recently released *Luxury Mansion No. 1*, while lacking direct nudity, featured scenes with Xuan Zhihui and Jin Jimei that were far steamier than any frontal exposure.

"Hahaha!" Yan Xu laughed, looking at Joey. "It seems I need to be more careful with my future films, or else no actress will dare to work with me."

"My next film is a story based on the *Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio*. While there are some bathing scenes and kissing scenes, it definitely won't be over the top, and there won't be a hint of nudity," Yan Xu assured her. In the film, the kissing scenes were essential—especially the underwater sequence—and the scene where Joey bathed would become a classic, imitated by countless films but never surpassed.

"I'll write the script and get a copy to you as soon as possible. We can discuss any concerns you might have then."

"Congratulations!" Watching Yan Xu extend the invitation to Joey, Jacky Cheung was full of envy, though his congratulations were sincere.

"Jacky, leave your contact information with me as well. If a suitable role comes up, I'll be in touch." Yan Xu had noted Jacky's expression. As a singer, Jacky was a top-tier talent, but his film career, while successful, had always been lukewarm with modest pay. However, because his singing fame attracted so many fans, his box office pull was decent, making him a "good value" actor for many producers. Though he wouldn't reach his full maturity as a lead actor until he was nearly thirty, he still had some iconic roles ahead of him—like Lin Pingzhi in *Swordsman*, the gangster in *As Tears Go By*, and Hong Qigong in *The Eagle Shooting Heroes*. Moreover, Yan Xu had already decided to make *A Chinese Ghost Story*, and Jacky would give a stellar performance in its second and third installments.

"Ah Xu, hurry over! Someone from Cinema City is here!" No sooner had he welcomed Sammo Hung and his group into the company than Fatty Wong hurried over to grab Yan Xu. He was even busier than Yan Xu, having spent the better part of the day greeting guests.

"Who is it?"

As a fledgling film company, they naturally had to invite others in the industry. Shaw Brothers, preparing to abandon the film front, had only sent a mid-level manager, whom Wang Tianlin was handling. Golden Harvest’s boss, Raymond Chow, wouldn't come personally, but Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung were more than capable of representing them.

As for Cinema City, Yan Xu had the least dealings with them, yet he deeply admired their "Seven Giants." Cinema City’s success and failure both stemmed from those seven. Their seven-man decision-making group could effectively gauge market trends, but this structure also stifled the development of many directors and screenwriters within the company. Coupled with their differing visions and inequitable profit sharing—especially the disparity between the "Big Three"—internal conflicts had intensified. Just like now, the "Seven Giants" had become six; Eric Tsang had left two years ago due to creative and financial disputes.

"Congratulations, congratulations!" Before Wong Jing could speak, Yan Xu saw a man in a crisp suit, wearing glasses and a perpetual smile, walking toward him, holding a wrapped bottle of red wine.

Raymond Wong. Anyone familiar with Hong Kong cinema knew him. He was one of the "Big Three" of Cinema City and the only one of the three who continued to work in the entertainment industry long after the company dissolved.

One should never underestimate this man with prominent cheekbones and a frame so thin he looked as if a gust of wind could blow him away. Having abandoned a career as a trading company manager, he started as a screenwriter and went on to become an actor, producer, executive producer, director, and studio boss. His career was a microcosm and representative of the Hong Kong film industry post-1980s. He excelled in comedy and was a representative figure of Hong Kong's Lunar New Year films. His movies had launched numerous stars and repeatedly shattered box office records. Notably, while he only wrote a few tragic films in his life, those three—*Papa, Can You Hear Me Sing?*, *The Family Affair*, and *All About Ah-Long*—produced three Best Actors. In particular, *Papa, Can You Hear Me Sing?*, which caused a sensation across the mainland, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, was written by him in just two days, a testament to his top-tier screenwriting talent.