Chapter 170: They Have Arrived

On January 29, 1986, Jackie Chan's *Armour of God* was released, officially igniting the box office warfare of the 1986 Lunar New Year movie season.

High production values, an all-star cast, and Jackie Chan's death-defying stunts were all major draws for audiences.

It was a rare mega-budget production, with filming taking place in Yugoslavia and various Eastern European countries. Every location incurred heavy expenses, resulting in many rare and spectacular large-scale scenes. Although these could not compare to Hollywood blockbusters, such an investment was virtually unheard of in Hong Kong.

Looking at the released cast list, even Yan Xu couldn't help but feel his heart skip a beat. It featured not only the undisputed royalty of the music and film worlds, Alan Tam and Jackie Chan, but also the newly crowned international best actress Maggie Cheung and the stunning Spanish beauty Maria Dolores Forner. Of course, alongside the four leads, the supporting cast included Anthony Chan and Kenny Bee of the Wynners, TVB's heavily promoted newcomer Carina Lau, and even future auteur director Fruit Chan. Behind the scenes, whether it was Peter Chan, William Chang, Arthur Wong, Stanley Kwan, Michael Lai, or Lau Ka-wing, these were all the top figures of the Hong Kong film industry for the next decade or two.

As for the performances in the film, just the opening sequence where Jackie Chan leaps from a stone pillar and slides down a grassy slope was enough to shock anyone. Moreover, Jackie suffered a minor injury during this stunt; although it wasn't as severe as the original timeline thanks to Yan Xu's warning, it still resulted in a fractured hand bone, which only served as a major marketing hook to spark public curiosity.

The first two screenings of *Armour of God* were practically sold out, and by the second day, long queues wrapped around every theater. Such a sight alone was enough to make the producers grin from ear to ear. However, this joy did not last long, because on that very day, *Rich and Famous* (Rich and Famous was released later, but here referring to Sammo Hung's *Rich and Famous* / *Millionaires' Express*) and *Lucky Stars Go Places* were released back-to-back.

The release of these two films directly cannibalized a massive chunk of *Armour of God*'s audience.

In this era, Sammo Hung's box office drawing power was terrifying. In the film circle, if he claimed second place, absolutely no one dared to claim first—not even Jackie Chan. In terms of fame, Sammo surpassed Jackie; in terms of industry seniority, he had entered the business earlier; and in martial arts lineage, he was the senior martial brother.

As for the *Aces Go Places* series, it was an evergreen tree. As long as it was released, it guaranteed high box office returns. Even though the plot was formulaic, lacked innovation, and largely relied on past glory, and its word-of-mouth reception wasn't stellar, the immense popularity accumulated through its first three installments remained strong. The duo of King Kong and the Bald Detective was still eagerly anticipated by many.

On the final day of January, the opening day box office figures for all three films were released. *Armour of God* pulled in 3.107 million on its opening day; having premiered a day earlier without any competitors, it posted such a terrifying number.

As for *Millionaires' Express* and *Lucky Stars Go Places*, due to the three-way battle, the former grossed 2.41 million, while the latter lagged behind by mere thousands, sitting at 2.39 million. As for *Armour of God*, its box office experienced a sharp drop compared to day one, pulling in just over 1.9 million. Amidst this three-way clash, this could be considered its true baseline level.

That all three productions would rake in massive profits was already guaranteed. Now, the film studios cared only about just how high those profits would climb, who would emerge as the overlord of this Lunar New Year season, and whether the total box office would once again shatter the history of Hong Kong cinema.

As for the revenues of other films, facing three such juggernauts, they were completely ignored. Only Cinema City's *Happy Dinasty* achieved modest success. Of course, on the first day of February, *North and South Shaolin* also waded into the fray, instantly turning the three-way showdown into a four-way melee.

On the third day of *Armour of God*'s theatrical run—which was the second day for *Millionaires' Express* and *Aces Go Places*, and the opening day for *North and South Shaolin*—it happened to be the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month, traditionally known as Small New Year, a day when many families gathered together.

The new apartment Yan Xu bought for his father was located near Sham Shui Po, not far from their previous housing estate, making it convenient for his old man to visit his former neighbors and friends.

The seventy-plus-square-meter apartment featured three bedrooms and a living room. The rooms weren't large, but for many Hong Kong residents, it was already more than satisfying. The happiest of all was Tongtong, who finally had a bedroom of her own. Yan Xu had even decorated it as a pink princess room, exciting her so much that she brought many of her little friends over to show it off.

Of course, Yan Xu's eldest brother and sister-in-law were also thrilled. Without their daughter sleeping right next to them, they could finally feel free to get to work on the next generation.

Yan Xu's car was parked downstairs, directly beneath the new home he bought for his father. Although his hands were laden with large bags of gifts, he paced back and forth near the elevator entrance for a long time without any intention of going up. If the building manager hadn't recognized him, he surely would have come over to interrogate him or even call the police.

Last time, he had promised his father that he would bring a girlfriend home for Small New Year. Yet recently, he had been at loggerheads with both Vivian Chow and Joey Wong, leaving him with no choice but to return all by himself. Though he had bought plenty of gifts, he knew very well what his father wanted to see most, and this time he was destined to disappoint him.

"Ding-dong, ding-dong." Bracing himself, Yan Xu pressed the doorbell. He took a deep breath and forced a smile onto his face.

"Coming, coming!" Lin Yazhen's voice drifted from inside, and the door quickly swung open, with Tongtong trailing right behind her.

"Wow, such a pretty dolphin!" Tongtong didn't greet Yan Xu; her gaze was instantly captured by the oversized plush doll he was half-embracing—a blue dolphin standing a full meter tall.

"This is for you." Yan Xu stepped inside, set the items from his other hand down by the doorway, and handed the entire dolphin over to Tongtong. "Well? Do you like it?"

"I love it!" Tongtong excitedly hugged the dolphin. To her, this dolphin was a behemoth, almost matching her height, making it a bit of a struggle to hold. Yet she refused to let go, as if letting go even a fraction would make the dolphin vanish.

"Tongtong, where are your manners? What should you say?" Lin Yazhen closed the door, walked over, and picked up the things Yan Xu had left at the threshold.

"Thank you, Uncle." Prompted by Lin Yazhen, Tongtong looked up at Yan Xu and flashed a sweet smile.

"Good girl, Tongtong. Go hug it back to your room; we'll be eating soon." Yan Xu patted Tongtong's head and said.

"Where are Dad and Big Brother?" Yan Xu asked his sister-in-law as he watched Tongtong skip back to her room.

"Your dad and big brother went out to buy roast goose since we have guests coming over. Honestly, you're so late—who makes guests arrive before the host? They've been here for quite a while." Lin Yazhen looked at Yan Xu and scolded gently.

"Guests? Friends?" This completely caught Yan Xu off guard. He had no idea what his sister-in-law was talking about.

"They're both in the kitchen. Hurry up and go help out. Which one of them is your girlfriend anyway? Both girls are wonderful, pretty, and quite handy in the kitchen. They've been here since early morning and even brought their own ingredients." Lin Yazhen continued.

"In the kitchen?" Puzzled, Yan Xu walked toward the kitchen. At the entrance, he spotted two familiar and unbelievable figures.

The two women were none of us other than Vivian Chow and Joey Wong. Their presence here completely caught Yan Xu off guard. Although he had once mentioned to both of them that he might bring a girlfriend home for Small New Year, the fallout from recent events had left both of them ignoring him, making it impossible for him to extend an invitation. He never expected them to show up here together, giving him a massive surprise.

"When did you guys get here?" The appearance of the two women left Yan Xu at a loss.

Though both turned around, neither answered his question. Moreover, Yan Xu faintly sensed that the moment their gazes met, fierce sparks seemed to flash between them.

"Sister-in-law, we can handle things here. You go rest." Joey Wong looked at Lin Yazhen with a sweet smile on her face.

"Exactly, Sister-in-law. Go check on Tongtong; Ah Xu is here to help me prep." Vivian Chow chimed in immediately, unwilling to show weakness.

No matter how dense Lin Yazhen was, she could tell something unusual was going on among the three of them. Yan Xu clearly didn't know the two girls would be here, and judging by the way they looked at him, she realized her brother-in-law probably had an ambiguous, entangling relationship with both of them. Besides, the atmosphere wasn't great right now, so she shouldn't linger. "You guys chat then, I'll go check on Tongtong."

Watching his sister-in-law slip into Tongtong's room, Yan Xu stepped into the cramped kitchen to face the two women. Yet each was busy with her own task, completely ignoring him. Yan Xu didn't know how to speak up or what to say; the simple fact that they had both come made him immensely happy.

"Staring blankly for what? Go peel these cloves of garlic." Just as Yan Xu was wondering where to begin, Vivian Chow, as if out of sudden sympathy, pushed a pile of garlic from the cutting board to the side and glanced at him.

"You got it!" Seeing Vivian acknowledge him, Yan Xu was instantly filled with energy. Forget peeling garlic; he wouldn't mind hauling heavy gas cylinders right now.

"Help me wash these vegetable leaves." Seeing Yan Xu eagerly trotting over to help Vivian, Joey Wong frowned slightly, picked up a small bundle of spinach from the side, and placed it down.

"Oh!" Seeing Joey ask for his help too, Yan Xu's spirits soared even higher. He put down the garlic and picked up the spinach instead.

"Hurry up and peel the garlic, I need it urgently." Vivian pouted, knowing Joey was competing with her, and quickly urged him.

"Oh!"

"Hurry up and wash the greens, I'm about to use the wok." Before Yan Xu could move, Joey's voice followed right after.

"Peel the garlic!"

"Wash the greens!"

"Peel the garlic!"

"Wash the greens!"

……

Yan Xu's smile quickly vanished. The gunpowder smell between the two women grew thick. Though neither turned back, their movements grew increasingly forceful, as if engaged in a fierce competition. Inside the kitchen, the symphony of pots, pans, and bowls grew louder and louder.