Chapter 158: A Beauty Graces the Occasion with Her Presence

After finally shaking off the reporters at the entrance and stepping into the cinema, Yan Xu instantly spotted Fat Wang, whose face was wreathed in smiles and who appeared extremely excited.

Today was his home turf, and he was the absolute star of the show. Standing right beside him was Uncle Tim-lam. With it being his son's film premiere and the very first picture produced by his son's own company, Wang Jing's father naturally had to show up to support him. His presence had also drawn a large gathering of veteran figures from the film industry. Friends who hadn't seen each other in years exchanged warm greetings and caught up on family matters.

Aside from Wang Jing and his father, other members of the production crew were also present. Chow Yun-fat, Natalis Chan, Eric Tsang, Tsang Kong, Chiang Li-ping, and Yung Sai-kit, among other key cast and crew members, were welcoming the distinguished guests invited to the premiere. Of course, there was one slight imperfection: the film's leading lady, Vivian Chow, was unable to attend due to a promotional tour in Southeast Asia, which could only be described as a regrettable absence.

Yet, for Yan Xu, this was also a stroke of fortune. The two young women by his side were completely unaware of each other's existence, and a face-to-face encounter between them was the exact scenario he dreaded most.

"It's Jackie."
"And the Principal is here too."
"Rosamund Kwan! That's Rosamund Kwan."
"There's a foreign beauty as well. I think she was in *Wheels on Meals*."

Just as Yan Xu, accompanied by Joey Wong, stepped forward to pay his respects to Uncle Tim-lam, a sudden surge of chaotic commotion erupted behind him. Not only did fans burst into cheers, but the reporters swarmed forward like a hive of bees.

Thanks to the success of several films in recent years, Jackie Chan's status in the film industry was steadily rising. Although his prestige and clout still fell slightly short of Sammo Hung, the undisputed big brother of the silver screen, Jackie had carved out a distinct style of his own. Combined with his death-defying stunts, he was poised to claim the throne of the top action star.

Following his summer concert tour, Alan Tam had dedicated all his energy to film shooting. He held exceptionally high hopes for this new project and wished to make a mark in the cinema world through his collaboration with Jackie. As the undisputed king of the contemporary music scene, his pulling power was by no means inferior to Jackie's, and perhaps even surpassed it.

Therefore, since the start of production, the new film starring the two of them had consistently captured the media's intense attention—it could practically be called a clash of dragons. Coupled with the stunning Rosamund Kwan, who had just been crowned Best Actress at the Sitges Film Festival in Spain, and the Spanish beauty Lola Forner, it was the ultimate icing on the cake. A lineup like this alone guaranteed box office success and was bound to draw audiences into theaters.

"When did you guys get back? Why didn't you let us know?" Seeing the four of them finish their round of interviews, Yan Xu immediately walked up to greet them. Due to the demands of the plot for *Armour of God*, almost the entire film had been shot overseas.

"We only got back a few days ago, wrapping up some simple scenes. And we're about to wrap principal photography very soon," Jackie said, smiling at Yan Xu. "Look who's talking. Your company's very first film is premiering, and you didn't even send us an invitation." Although their movie required overseas location shooting, production had gone exceptionally smoothly. Since it was a joint venture starring both him and Alan Tam, it had generated immense buzz, and he was extremely confident in its box office potential.

"I thought you guys were still filming in Europe. You know I've been busy shooting my own film lately, completely spinning in circles."

"We couldn't come to your company's opening, but we certainly had to show up to support your first feature," the Principal added, chiming in. "Besides, you're not a very qualified boss, you know. Chi-chi is an employee of your company, yet you didn't even know when she returned to Hong Kong. If you're going to be this inattentive to your staff, you'd better watch out or Chi-chi might jump ship to another agency."

"Chi-chi would never do that. Where else could she find such an accommodating boss who doesn't press her hard and even helps his employees win awards? Right, Chi-chi?" Yan Xu said, looking at Rosamund Kwan. For the sake of *Armour of God*, she had cropped her long hair. While she lost a touch of her usual alluring charm, she gained a sharper, more capable aura.

"I wouldn't dare leave anyway. The breach of contract penalty is steep enough that even if I sold myself off, it wouldn't cover the damages," Rosamund Kwan joked with an exaggerated expression.

"If you were to sell yourself, I imagine many men would fight over you, no matter the price," Jackie added with a hearty laugh.

"I heard you were injured in a riding accident some time ago. Are you all right now?" Rosamund Kwan asked, a smile on her face and a flicker of genuine concern in her eyes as she looked at Yan Xu.

"I'm fine. Just some scrapes and a pulled muscle, which healed in a few days. It's completely not worth mentioning compared to the injuries Big Brother Jackie has suffered," Yan Xu said, waving his arm.

His minor injuries truly paled in comparison to Jackie's. Over the past two or three years alone, Jackie had suffered severe trauma to his cervical vertebrae, nasal bone, hands, and fingers. Just this year, while filming *Police Story*, his sixth to eighth thoracic vertebrae and pelvis had been displaced in a severe collision, landing him in the hospital for a long time. It was precisely because of Jackie's injuries during *Police Story* that Yan Xu had offered specific cautions when handing over the script for *Armour of God*. He was well aware that Jackie had suffered severe trauma during the filming of this exact movie, resulting in a skull depression and cerebral hemorrhage. Seeing Jackie standing before him unharmed now, history had indeed been altered by his own small interventions.

"This younger sister is so pretty. You must have gotten hurt trying to save her, right? You certainly know how to pick 'em when it comes to playing the hero saving the beauty," Rosamund Kwan said. Seeing that Yan Xu could move without issue, her mind was slightly put at ease, while her gaze shifted toward Joey Wong, who had been standing quietly by Yan Xu's side all along.

"I saw Miss Wong in *The Other Side of Gentleman*. I didn't expect Miss Wong to be even more stunning in person than on the big screen, and it's rare to see a girl who is this tall," the Principal remarked, looking at Joey Wong. At one meter seventy-four, he was still noticeably shorter than Joey, who was wearing high-heeled boots.

"Hey, you've got such a gorgeous girl here and you haven't even introduced us," Jackie said, his eyes lighting up as he looked at Joey Wong. Jackie was undeniably generous and open-handed, but he shared one universal flaw common to normal men: an eye for beauty. Though he was secretly married and little Jaycee had already been born, gorgeous women were still a constant presence around him, and the sight of any pretty face always ignited his urge to pursue.

"This is Joey Wong, the leading lady of my new film. I'll have to ask Big Brother Jackie and the Principal to take good care of her," Yan Xu said in response to Jackie's remark.

"Hello, Big Brother Jackie. Hello, Principal. Hello, Sister Chi-chi," Joey Wong greeted the three of them with poise and grace. As she spoke, she stood close to Yan Xu and naturally linked her arm through his. This gesture caused Jackie's pupils to dilate slightly, the smile on his face and his gaze toward Yan Xu taking on a rather peculiar nuance.

"I've been letting you do all the introductions, but you ought to introduce the lovely lady by your side as well," Yan Xu said after introducing Joey Wong. He nudged Jackie's arm and cast a glance at the foreign beauty who had been trailing closely behind Rosamund Kwan.

"Ah, look at my memory! This is Lola Forner, Miss Spain. She starred alongside me in *Wheels on Meals*," Jackie quickly explained, urging Lola Forner to step forward in front of Yan Xu. "Forner's acting skills are quite good, and it's not easy for her to build a career in Hong Kong. If your company has any suitable roles, you should definitely keep her in mind."

"Forner, this is Yan Xu, the person I mentioned. You can call him Boss Yan. He's not only a major director but also a big boss of a film company, and today's film was produced by his studio," Jackie continued.

"Hello, Boss Yan. I know you. I saw *The Mansion No. 1* starring you and Chi-chi, it was really good," Forner said. Her Cantonese was rather stiff, but quite impressive for a foreigner, and she proactively extended her hand as she spoke.

"Wow, I didn't expect Miss Forner not only to be gorgeous, but to speak such good Chinese too. Hello, hello!" Just as Yan Xu was about to shake her hand, a figure suddenly pushed in from behind. Fat Wang darted over out of nowhere, seized Forner's hand in a tight grip, his eyes practically gleaming with golden light.

"You...?" Wang Jing's sudden appearance clearly startled Forner. She tried to pull her hand back, only to find it firmly trapped in the chubby man's grasp.

"My name is Wang Jing. I'm one of the directors at Dragon Tribe Film, and I'm also the director of the film screening today," Wang Jing said, gazing at Forner while striking what he believed to be a very handsome pose.

"You're the director? Hello!" Hearing Wang Jing's introduction, Forner made no further attempt to withdraw her hand. As Miss Spain of 1979, her path in the entertainment industry had far from smooth sailing. Although she had appeared in a few Spanish films, they were strictly minor roles. Upon coming to Hong Kong, after making a cameo appearance, she caught Golden Harvest's eye and landed the female lead in *Wheels on Meals*. While that film achieved respectable box office numbers, it failed to bring lasting luck to her career; afterward, she received no further major roles, starring only in two Spanish horror thrillers. Returning to Hong Kong once more, she was determined to seize every single opportunity. At twenty-five years old, she was approaching the final, golden window of development for an actress, and she refused to let it slip away.

"Seeing Miss Forner on screen, I already thought she was stunning, but seeing her in person, she's even more breathtaking," Wang Jing possessed a vast repertoire of tactics for wooing women. With Forner, clever subtleties might fall flat—any complex compliments he uttered might be lost in translation—so direct, earnest flattery proved to be the most effective approach.

"Thank you!" Facing Wang Jing's praise, the expression on Forner's face clearly showed how pleased she was.

"Miss Forner, the moment I laid eyes upon your beauty, sudden inspiration struck my mind. I feel your image is exceptionally suited for a female character in a new story I'm developing. Perhaps we could step over there and discuss it in detail..." Wang Jing said, taking Forner by the hand and leading her toward the side.

Watching Wang Jing's antics, Yan Xu exchanged knowing glances with Jackie Chan and Alan Tam, all three sharing a smile that every man understood. When it came to sheer shamelessness, absolutely no one could rival him.