Chapter Sixteen: A New Script

“What kind of film is it?” Hearing Bald Qiang’s words, Yan Xu was clearly taken aback. He had become somewhat well-known for his acting recently and thought another company might invite him to direct, but he hadn’t expected the first offer to be for an acting role.

“It’s also a crime film, called ‘Midnight Lust Killer.’ Your role would be the male lead, the killer himself,” Bald Qiang said.

“So, it’s another copycat film.” Yan Xu shook his head. It seemed that his portrayal of Lin Guoyu had left such a deep impression that all the offers he received were for twisted characters like this. The impact of his last film was so great that it had already spawned imitators.

“You have no idea—your film had a small budget but made a huge profit at the box office, so a lot of companies are ready to make similar movies. Just the ones I know about include ‘Corpse Burning Mystery,’ ‘Criminal Anomaly,’ ‘Body in Hiding,’ and now this ‘Midnight Lust Killer.’ Our company is also preparing to make one called ‘The Dismemberment Maniac: A Hong Kong Crime Story’ about a psychiatrist with an extreme possessive streak who kills his wife and her lover, then dismembers them. We want to launch it as a sister film to ‘Butcher of the Rainy Night,’ with an initial budget of five to seven hundred thousand,” Bald Qiang explained.

“The doctor angle is good—it could really work. If handled well, the effect could be impressive. And if you ride the wave created by ‘Butcher of the Rainy Night,’ the box office should be excellent,” Yan Xu replied. He knew that Hong Kong cinema was quick to follow trends—a good subject would spawn a slew of imitators, many of dubious quality. But the plot Qiang described sounded promising, and Yan Xu was sure that a well-made film would be profitable.

“Are you interested?” Bald Qiang looked at Yan Xu expectantly.

“I’m planning to take a break. This last project really wore me out.” Yan Xu shook his head. It wasn’t that he looked down on such derivative films, but he disliked pursuing quick profits at the expense of quality. Now that he had some name recognition, he didn’t want to risk it on projects he wasn’t sure about.

Besides, he had put his all into ‘Butcher of the Rainy Night.’ After more than a month of filming and screenings, he had been strung tight the entire time. It was time to relax.

“You really won’t reconsider?” Bald Qiang pressed. “I was hoping you’d direct. The extra two hundred thousand in the budget is for your director’s fee.”

“Two hundred thousand is no small sum, but I’m afraid I really need a break. If you want to capitalize on the ‘Butcher of the Rainy Night’ craze, you need to shoot and release fast—I just don’t have the energy for that right now.”

Yan Xu shook his head again. The fee Qiang was offering was fair, even tempting, but he wasn’t a machine. He couldn’t crank out films like Ye Tianxing, who could apparently shoot three movies in fifteen days—eighteen films in one year, with claims of thirty to forty a year—and still turn a profit.

“At our company, only you have the skill for this. I don’t know if anyone else could deliver at the box office.” Bald Qiang sighed, seeing Yan Xu’s resolve.

“If the script is good and the plot is tight, making a solid film shouldn’t be a problem.” Seeing Qiang’s disappointment, Yan Xu added, “I might not have time to direct, but I can help you with the script.”

“Really?” Bald Qiang’s gloom instantly vanished, replaced by excitement.

“No problem at all.” Yan Xu grinned. Having absorbed countless police procedurals and detective dramas from the future, he knew that even a casually chosen plot would be novel to current audiences. For copycat films like these, shock and gore were the main selling points, but to stand out, novelty was key.

“Great, let’s drink to that.” Bald Qiang picked up the bottle. Yan Xu’s screenwriting skills had already been proven by the phenomenal success of ‘Butcher of the Rainy Night,’ and with his name attached to the new film, recouping the investment would be a breeze.

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“Xu, I have good news for you.” The next day, as soon as Yan Xu arrived at the office, Bald Qiang pulled him inside.

“What is it?” Yan Xu was puzzled. While some cinemas were still running late-night shows of ‘Butcher of the Rainy Night,’ those screenings weren’t making much difference to the box office. What news could there be?

“Not long ago, the Asian Wall Street Journal published an exposé on Hong Kong film censorship, sparking international discussion. Our film ‘Butcher of the Rainy Night’ was mentioned in coverage of the Hong Kong debate, so now many countries and regions know about it. Just now, overseas distributors from Southeast Asia, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan called to discuss releasing it outside Hong Kong. This would be the first time one of our company’s films is distributed abroad!” Bald Qiang was almost breathless with excitement.

“Overseas release?” Yan Xu was stunned. He had dreamed of his film being screened internationally, but it was always just a dream. Only the top-grossing films enjoyed such opportunities. His own movie, although now ranking high, owed much of its success to the lack of a rating system in Hong Kong; overseas, it would certainly face audience restrictions, which would affect box office prospects. Most distributors wouldn’t risk it. Yet now, it seemed a foreign release was possible. The greater significance lay not in box office returns, but in expanding influence—an undeniable boon for him and the company’s future releases.

“I’ve set up a meeting with them tonight to discuss the deal. Would you like to come?” Bald Qiang asked.

“I’ll skip it—just make sure I get my share.” Yan Xu shrugged. There was no need for him to be involved; the company could handle everything. All he had to do was wait for the money.

“Of course, you’ll get your cut,” said Bald Qiang. “By the way, what brings you here today? Weren’t you planning to rest for a while?”

“You forgot—I promised you a script. I’m here to deliver it,” Yan Xu said, pulling the finished script from his jacket and handing it over.

“So fast? You really didn’t need to rush.” Bald Qiang was amazed at how quickly Yan Xu produced the script. It had only been a night. He flipped through it eagerly.

“I thought up the story yesterday. It was just a matter of writing it down. When inspiration strikes, I have to get it on paper or I might forget,” Yan Xu replied.

This script was adapted from an episode of a future TVB series, ‘Cases of Love and Justice.’ The story centered on a psychiatrist with an overwhelming need for control and possession. He sought to dominate his wife completely—regulating her every move, even installing numerous surveillance devices at home to monitor her.

Unable to bear his control, his wife asked for a divorce and, through a friend, met a new boyfriend. This pushed the doctor over the edge. He began to stalk his wife, driving her to mental collapse. He killed her friend, then her new boyfriend, removing their organs and preserving their bodies in formaldehyde. Finally, as he was about to kill his wife, the police caught him.

Of course, Yan Xu’s script avoided the original’s drawn-out pace and excessive romance. It was a straightforward, realistic detective story told from the police perspective, starting with the wife’s report of her friend’s disappearance and methodically unraveling the case. The narrative was tight, with implausible elements from the original neatly resolved. Though lacking explicit scenes, the film would be just as bloody as ‘Butcher of the Rainy Night,’ and viewers wouldn’t know the killer’s identity until late in the story, heightening suspense.

PS: Chapter fifteen has finally passed review, only after messaging the admin—still don’t know what was flagged. I’d hoped to hit the rankings, but this issue put an end to that. Hopefully this chapter goes through smoothly. Also, to those accusing me of clickbait, just look at the word count under each chapter title—proof enough I’m not cheating hits. I won’t argue; let’s keep it civil. Just vote for me next time! Also, I have 200,000 words in reserve, no need to fake “under review” chapters. Rest assured, two updates daily—please keep supporting and voting!