Chapter 11: Brother Cheng Long

Jiahe Studios in Fuxian Road was the only large-scale studio in Hong Kong capable of competing with Shaw Brothers’ Clear Water Bay Studios. Unfortunately, after Shaw Brothers ceased production, Clear Water Bay became a television studio.

Xiao Ran took the bus to the location. After asking around at the studio, he learned that Cheng Long was filming there and hurried over. By the time he arrived, shooting was in progress. The set was in a place that resembled a warehouse. Unlike Shaw Brothers’ highly artificial sets, everything here was arranged to give a very realistic feel.

Xiao Ran, who had long wanted to see how Hong Kong films were shot in the 1980s and 1990s, watched everything intently. Of course, first, he needed to observe the environment.

The warehouse was quite large, with a significant number of workers inside, so it didn’t seem empty at all. Among the gaps between large boxes and in the aisles, six or seven cameras were aimed at an open area in the middle. With just one glance, Xiao Ran recognized the scene and realized they were filming “Summer Lucky Star.”

However, shooting hadn’t started yet. Cheng Long’s senior brother, Hong Jinbao, was explaining something to the crew. As Xiao Ran moved closer, he saw Hong Jinbao demonstrating action moves to several supporting actors. Just as he was about to go up and greet Cheng Long, who was resting, Hong Jinbao awkwardly picked up a megaphone to call the crew, saying, “Are everyone ready? Let’s give it our all to finish this scene—then we can rest today!”

What could Xiao Ran say? Cheng Long had already stretched out and taken his position on set. At that moment, several people came out from another corner, out of sight. Upon seeing them, Xiao Ran was overjoyed.

It wasn’t anyone else but Liu Hua, the future superstar who would become a towering figure in both the music and film industries—a true evergreen. Xiao Ran immediately understood why Liu Hua was here. He had read Liu Hua’s autobiography and knew he had just started working with Jiahe Studios, so he played a supporting role in this film.

It had to be admitted that Liu Hua didn’t have much status at the time. In Xiao Ran’s view, he was at most a third-tier actor, far inferior even to second-tier comedians like Wu Yaohan.

But no status now didn’t mean no status in the future. The film industry was truly fascinating. Look at the key figures who later dominated Hong Kong’s film industry—none of them started as extras!

No one knew Liu Hua’s future fame better than Xiao Ran. Simply put, wherever there were Chinese people, people knew Liu Hua’s name. People might not be literate, but no one was unaware of him. To reach such a level as a celebrity was truly admirable, and Xiao Ran couldn’t help but admire him.

Xiao Ran chuckled. Even though he wasn’t sure if Cheng Long would be interested in his script for a police story, just being able to establish a connection with Liu Hua made this trip worthwhile. Of course, someone like Liu Hua couldn’t be seen as a short-term investment—he had tremendous long-term value.

Let’s not mention Xiao Ran’s thoughts for now; let’s take a look at the fight on screen. This action scene isn’t the last one, but in Xiao Ran’s memory, it’s quite intense. Though not as impressive as the fight in the restaurant at the end, it’s truly fierce.

It was indeed intense—the main characters kept leaping up and down, and even Liu Hua showed impressive skills that were quite enviable. At this point, Xiao Ran suddenly remembered that Liu Hua had learned Hung Gar boxing, which made sense. But after all, Liu Hua wasn’t an action star; he didn’t fully commit, whether in action scenes or otherwise, appearing quite restrained.

The scene wasn’t long and ended quickly. Hong Jinbao grabbed the megaphone again and shouted at the staff around him, “Work’s over! Check the schedule carefully later—those on the list, come early tomorrow!”

Cheng Long said a few words to Liu Hua, then they parted ways. As Liu Hua packed up to leave, Xiao Ran rushed over quickly, his heart pounding—perhaps because he had just seen someone truly remarkable.

With Liu Hua’s confused gaze, Xiao Ran, who had almost forgotten about Cheng Long, stretched out his hand and said, “Mr. Liu, hello! I’m Xiao Ran, a screenwriter. I really admire you. Could you give me some time to talk?”

Xiao Ran was quite cunning. If we want to put it that way, sure. He called himself a screenwriter partly because he indeed was one, and partly because he knew Liu Hua had always aspired to be a good screenwriter—using this to impress him was perfect.

The confusion in Liu Hua’s eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a joyful smile and bright teeth as he said, “Sure! Should it be now? Or…”

“Go pack up first. I’ll go talk to Cheng Long first!” Xiao Ran almost wanted to raise his finger in triumph at his success, but of course, he wasn’t that childish. So, after Liu Hua agreed, he quickly caught up with Cheng Long, who was about to leave.

“Who are you?” Cheng Long looked at Xiao Ran and quickly remembered a screenwriter mentioned by Xu Ke during a call. He said cheerfully, “You must be Xiao Ran. Let’s go to the dressing room and talk after we change!”

Xiao Ran gave a gesture to Liu Hua, who was not far away, before following Cheng Long. Cheng Long seemed quite curious. He glanced at Liu Hua and then asked Xiao Ran, “You know Huazi?”

“I just met him. I think he’s great. I’d like to be friends!” Xiao Ran didn’t dare be too bold—after all, he was in front of Big Brother Cheng Long.

He had forgotten that Cheng Long was then going through a low point, trying to figure out his future. If it weren’t for his efforts to change and creating a masterpiece like *Cops Story*, which set a precedent for action movies, he might have sunk even further.

In fact, no matter how well decorated the dressing rooms of that era were, they couldn’t catch Xiao Ran’s interest—this was the huge contrast caused by the differences in era. Only after Cheng Long changed did he allow Xiao Ran to show him the script!

He glanced through it briefly, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. After pondering for a moment, he asked, “I’m afraid this script isn’t suitable for me!”

Seeing Xiao Ran not understanding, Cheng Long laughed self-mockingly and said, “With my appearance, it’s very hard to succeed in fashion movies! I’m still better suited for historical dramas!”
Xiao Ran suddenly realized what he meant. He had seen many of Cheng Long’s works and had forgotten just how unattractive Cheng Long actually looked. To prevent Cheng Long from thinking he was mocking his appearance, he forced down his laughter and said, “Mr. Cheng, I think you’re going through a tough time right now. It’s a new era, and if you don’t seek innovation and change, I’m afraid…”
How could Cheng Long not know this? He had thought of countless ways to bring about change but hadn’t found any effective ones. Movies were different from TV dramas—there would never be too many historical dramas produced. A hint of distress appeared in his eyes as he waved his hand sharply. “I know, but it’s not easy to change! Just call me A’Long.”
Xiao Ran finally understood where his mistake lay. He remembered that this was indeed a time for Cheng Long to expand his acting range. But it wasn’t easy to explain, as he hadn’t written about the detail in “Cops and Robbers” where Cheng Long jumped from a shopping mall steel pillar, knowing it was part of the action design.
However, he hadn’t expected this to cause Cheng Long trouble. Helplessly, he scratched his head and described several dangerous scenes from “Cops and Robbers.” The more he listened, the brighter Cheng Long’s eyes became. When he heard about the battle in the shopping mall, Cheng Long immediately stood up excitedly and said, “Great! I want this script!”
“But what I really want is you!” Cheng Long was delighted that Xiao Ran had solved the problem that had troubled him for so long. He said cheerfully, “I really can’t imagine how you came up with all this. You don’t seem to have any martial arts training, yet you came up with such bold actions that fit my style perfectly. No wonder Director Xu said your script was made just for me. How about working with me from now on?”
Xiao Ran smiled slightly, avoiding Cheng Long’s intense gaze, and instinctively tapped his thigh twice with his right hand. “Brother Long, thank you for appreciating me. But I’m more used to being independent.”
“That’s really a shame then!” Cheng Long’s regret wasn’t just words; his expression clearly showed it. In fact, he had a keen eye for talent, otherwise he wouldn’t have been able to gather such a talented group around him. After thinking for a moment, he said boldly, “I’ll give you 80,000 yuan plus dividends for this script. What do you think? If the company won’t give that much, I’ll cover the difference myself!”
“Thank you, Brother Long. I think that’s already very good,” Xiao Ran thought highly of Cheng Long’s discernment. He stood up. These days, when buying and selling scripts, there was no need for contracts. If a screenwriter were foolish enough to act recklessly, they wouldn’t be able to survive in this industry.
“Oh, Brother Long, I have another script here. I think it would be perfect for Baohé Company!” Xiao Ran suddenly remembered he still had a script for “Mr. Zombie” that hadn’t been sold yet. He then thought of Baohé being founded by Hong Jinbao, and Cheng Long being his junior brother, so he decided to ask Cheng Long to help with this task as well.

Cheng Long was first amazed, then thought to himself: Could this kid be in the script wholesale business? How does he have so many scripts! If he knew that Xiao Ran had already agreed to write two scripts for Xu Ke and Xu Guanjie, he would probably be even more convinced of this idea.
Before parting, Cheng Long took Xiao Ran’s hand and said sincerely, “A Ran, if I can make a name for myself with this script, I’ll never forget your help!”
“Brother Long, you’re overreacting!” Xiao Ran smiled brightly. “You’re already very successful; you’ll surely stay popular from now on!”
After being escorted out by Cheng Long, who put his arm around him, and after agreeing to meet at the company the next day, Xiao Ran said goodbye. Then he heard Liu Hua calling, “Mr. Xiao, I’m here!”
Xiao Ran looked in the distance and saw Liu Hua waiting for a bus at the minibus stop. He hurried over and said with a smile, “I thought you had left. I was really disappointed. I didn’t expect to find you here!”
“Mr. Xiao, it seems you’re quite familiar with Brother Long!” Liu Hua now looked like a sunny neighborhood boy, his youthful charm fully evident. Although Xiao Ran thought Liu Hua would have more mature male appeal in twenty years, he couldn’t deny that Liu Hua was also very attractive to girls at the moment.
“It’s my first time meeting him, but he seems like a nice person!” Xiao Ran didn’t want to say more. If Liu Hua wanted to become a future superstar, he couldn’t rely on Cheng Long today. Besides, he didn’t want to cause confusion over everything he knew from his dreams.
Seeing a taxi approaching from afar, Xiao Ran quickly waved it over. He didn’t want to experience the discomfort of taking a minibus. If lying down could make things more comfortable, he would never sit—that was his principle.
After getting into the car, he saw Liu Hua still standing there, so he waved at him with a mix of amusement and exasperation, asking him to get in…
TO the big landowner: At the beginning, the protagonist’s ambition is indeed great, but soon he’ll realize where he’s going wrong. The protagonist’s success will come step by step.
TO the unscrupulous person: Haha, as someone who loves Hong Kong movies deeply, I’ll definitely mention these films. And there will be many unknown details in the first half. Thanks for your support.