Chapter Sixty-Five: A Reunion

“Ninth Brother, you go on ahead. I want to take another look up ahead.”
It was close to midnight. Yan Xu and Ninth Brother had spent nearly the entire day shuttling between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, scouting locations for Yan Xu’s new film.
Given that the movie was titled “Mansion No. 1,” mansions were obviously indispensable. Hong Kong, at this time, had not developed to the same extent as it would two decades later. Truly waterfront properties were rare, and those that did exist were mostly in remote areas; their future value was incalculable, but for now, they were just ordinary homes.
Yan Xu had already ruled out the Mid-levels. The residents there were all people of status, unlikely to welcome the chaos of a film crew. Even if a few were open to negotiation, the costs were prohibitively high.
So Yan Xu could only turn his attention elsewhere. Aside from the Mid-levels, Hong Kong had no shortage of upscale residential districts, but those widely recognized and familiar to the public were few.
“Where else are you going? It’s getting late. Why not leave it for tomorrow?” Ninth Brother yawned, glancing at Yan Xu. After a whole day of driving, his body felt stiff and cramped.
“Broadcast Drive is just ahead. I want to take another look there. You drive back first; I’ll catch a cab home later.” Yan Xu looked at Ninth Brother, opened the car door, and stepped out.
Broadcast Drive was in the northern part of Kowloon City District, in Kowloon Tong. This was an upscale residential area, well-known for its many celebrity residents. Its mansions enjoyed a high reputation in Hong Kong, and it was home to TVB, ATV, RTHK, Commercial Radio, and most of the city’s media organizations. It was the heart of Hong Kong’s broadcasting industry.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay with you?” Ninth Brother eyed Yan Xu. He was exhausted, every inch of him heavy with fatigue, and wondered how Yan Xu could still have so much energy.
“No need,” Yan Xu shook his head. “I’ll call a cab home.”
Even though it was near midnight in Kowloon Tong, there were still plenty of taxis along Broadcast Drive.
“Be careful, though. Ever since your film ‘Taxi Judge’ was released, you’ve become the least-welcome person in the taxi industry.” Ninth Brother grinned.
“That’s nothing to worry about—they don’t know what I look like anyway.” Yan Xu laughed as well. “You’d better hurry back. There’s plenty waiting for you at the office tomorrow.”

The company belonged to Yan Xu, but he was extremely hands-off. The whole point of making money, for him, was to sleep in and not have to rise early each day. Company matters were left to Ninth Brother and Luk Koon Ting to handle; he only dropped by occasionally to check on progress and remind employees that he still existed.
Watching Ninth Brother’s car slowly drive away, Yan Xu began to stroll along Broadcast Drive.
Past the TVB building, the road was lined on both sides with elegant residential towers—even a few grand mansions still under construction.
Names like Wisdom Garden and Treasure Court, Belleview Mansion and Emerald Pavilion—by Yan Xu’s standards in later years, these buildings would have seemed quite ordinary. But in this era, with their gleaming walls, fine tiles, spacious layouts, unique locations, and diligent security, they were undoubtedly high-end, luxurious residences.
These places looked promising, though he wondered what they were like inside.
Gazing up at the surrounding towers, Yan Xu’s eyes shone. This was clearly an upscale neighborhood, home to many celebrities who lived or rented here. It would be the perfect shooting location for his film, and he knew the rents here wouldn’t be as outrageous as in the Mid-levels. The owners weren’t as afraid of being disturbed, and many films had already been shot in this area.
Just as Yan Xu was contemplating contacting the owners the next day to see if he could rent a place for filming, a taxi screeched to a halt not far in front of him. A flamboyantly dressed young woman stepped out.
It was obvious she’d had too much to drink—she staggered as she walked, and Yan Xu, watching from behind, thought she might collapse at any moment.
As he hesitated, wondering whether to go over and help, the taxi driver also got out and went to steady her. The woman half-collapsed against the driver.
She seemed genuinely drunk. The driver was holding her, but she made no acknowledgment, her body struggling weakly. Intoxicated, her movements lacked force; she couldn’t break free and, unsteady on her feet, toppled further into the driver’s arms.
“…Miss… you’ve had too much… I’ll take you home…” The words drifted over, indistinct and broken by distance. As Yan Xu approached, the voices grew clearer.
“No… Get your hands off me, stop touching me…” The woman struggled, her words making it all too clear that the driver was being less than honest.
Hearing this, Yan Xu’s eyes flicked to the driver’s hand—he saw it was resting on her bottom, even stroking her.
Serves her right, Yan Xu thought. Out so late and so drunk, dressed like that—he instantly formed a poor impression. If she were a decent girl, would she be out at this hour, dressed and behaving like this?

Even in Hong Kong at this time, society was still quite conservative. Women lingering outside at night were mostly foreign-returned “fake gweilo” girls, half-Westernized types, or girls with questionable reputations—dance hall hostesses, streetwalkers, and the like.
“Get away from me!” The woman seemed furious. She shoved the driver away; but unsteady, she staggered several steps back, colliding with a residential wall, narrowly avoiding a fall.
She turned, no longer with her back to Yan Xu but now in profile, lit by the lamps above the wall. Yan Xu saw her face clearly.
“What are you doing?” Recognizing her, Yan Xu nearly broke into a run.
“I—what do you mean, what am I doing? I just saw Miss Yung was drunk and wanted to get her home…” The driver, startled by Yan Xu’s sudden appearance, grew nervous. Clearly, he recognized the woman—she was someone worth taking advantage of.
Yan Xu hadn’t expected such a coincidence: the drunken woman was none other than Maggie Yung. Luckily he’d come across the scene; otherwise, who knew what would have happened between her and this lecherous driver.
“If you were just taking her home, what was your hand doing? We don’t need your help—get lost!” Yan Xu barked, stepping over to support Maggie Yung as she leaned against the wall.
“Who the hell are you, meddling in other people’s business? Maybe you’re up to something yourself.” The driver quickly regained his composure, his tone growing defiant.
It was the dead of night, the street deserted. A star like Maggie Yung was not someone you met every day, especially drunk and vulnerable. He might have wanted to take advantage, but this young man who’d suddenly appeared couldn’t be trusted either.
“I’m her friend. If you don’t leave, I won’t be so polite.” Yan Xu was undaunted.
“Her friend? As if a big star would have a friend like you. Don’t flatter yourself.” The driver glared. “If I can’t profit here, neither will you.”
“Hey? You look familiar.” Before Yan Xu could reply, Maggie Yung draped an arm around his shoulder. Her gaze was dreamy as she pointed at his cheek and giggled, “Didn’t we have a drink together last time…?”