Chapter 10: Building Connections

Xiao Ran had a vague idea of the reasons behind Cheng Long’s willingness to give Lin Qingxia so much face. It was said that Lin Qingxia had once been Cheng Long’s dream lover, and the reason he chose her to star in “Police Story,” even giving her an unusually large role and extra attention, was precisely because of this.
Of course, Xiao Ran wasn’t sure if this was true. But he knew it was definitely something he could take advantage of. So, he first needed to get to know the stunningly beautiful Lin Qingxia. To meet this actress who captivated everyone, he could only go through Xu Ke.
Xu Ke was working on the post-production of the recently completed “The Working Emperor,” so Xiao Ran didn’t dare disturb him. Fortunately, he didn’t have to wait long—Xu Ke, along with other staff members and Xu Guanjie, came out for lunch.
Seeing the group chatting and laughing, Xiao Ran quickly stood up from his seat to greet them. Before he could say anything, Xu Ke greeted him with a pleased expression. Xiao Ran had been worried that Xu Ke might forget him, a minor figure, but seeing his enthusiasm put his worries to rest.
“Need I introduce this person?” Xu Ke joked, pointing at Xu Guanjie, before introducing him: “This is the newly rising screenwriter Xiao Ran—very talented. Aje, it would be a shame if you didn’t meet him!”
“Hello, Mr. Xiao!” The Hong Kong singing legend who had brought Cantonese songs to mainstream popularity extended his hand to Xiao Ran in a friendly manner. Even though Xiao Ran remained calm, he couldn’t help but admire the legend. He had watched Xu Guanjie’s concerts as early as 85 years ago, and the level of popularity was unimaginable—proof of how successful Xu Guanjie was.
“Well, A Ran, do you have any good scripts for me this time?” Xu Ke asked, half-jokingly but also seriously. He had read the script for “Heroic Nature” several times and found it increasingly good. If not for lack of time, he would have started planning its production right away. He explained to the somewhat confused Xu Guanjie, “Last time, A Ran gave me a script, and I’m sure it would be a hit if made into a film!”
Xiao Ran thought Xu Ke was quite interesting when not working—perhaps it was the effect of proper relaxation. He replied, also half-jokingly but seriously, “There indeed is a good script, but it’s not written yet. I’m asking you for a favor this time!”
By then, the three of them had sat down in the restaurant. While Xu Guanjie was ordering food, Xu Ke asked curiously, like a child, “What do you need my help with?”
“I…” Xiao Ran suddenly stammered and couldn’t continue. He still wasn’t sure if Cheng Long’s secret affection for Lin Qingxia was real. If he mentioned wanting to meet her, Xu Ke would surely ask inappropriate questions. Thinking quickly, he changed his approach: “I have a script I want to give to Cheng Long, but I don’t have anyone to introduce me to him. Since you’re a director, I thought you might be able to help.”
“A script?” Xu Ke was truly a film enthusiast. At the mention of a script, his eyes lit up, and he pressed, “Did you bring it? Let me see!”

It wasn’t difficult. Xiao Ran already had all three scripts with him, just in case such a situation arose. He opened his briefcase and handed the scripts to Xu Ke, but Xu Guanjie noticed two more neat stacks of papers inside and curiously asked, “Are those also scripts? Can I take a look?”
“That’s right. Those are two other scripts I wrote!” Xiao Ran suddenly felt like a salesman who had just met two curious potential customers. Smiling, he handed Xu Guanjie the scripts.
Strictly speaking, the script for “The Funny Ghost Meets the Ghost” was clearly far inferior to “True Heroes,” with only a segment of genuine affection being somewhat interesting. So, Xu Guanjie glanced through it while eating and then returned it to Xiao Ran, saying reluctantly, “It’s written quite well! Really well!”
Xiao Ran wasn’t stupid. Seeing Xu Guanjie’s expression, he naturally understood what the latter thought of him. With that in mind, he had an idea—Xu Guanjie was the most popular singer and actor of his era. With his support, things would be much easier.
So, he smiled slightly, glanced at Xu Ke, who was engrossed in the scripts, and then said to Xu Guanjie, “Mr. Xu, is there a fourth installment in your ‘Best Partner’ series? I’m your fan and have been hoping for a fourth or fifth part!”
Xu Guanjie shook his head. If there were, he wouldn’t be busy finishing post-production for “The Working Emperor” to secure the summer release slot. Xiao Ran was just testing whether a script for the fourth installment already existed, and it seemed not yet.
Upon hearing this answer, Xiao Ran said cheerfully, “I actually have a good idea for the fourth installment. I think you might be interested, Mr. Xu!”
Finally, Xu Ke let out a long sigh. Ignoring his food, he stared at Xiao Ran seriously and said, “A Ran, give me this script!”
Surprise—what else could there be? Of course, Xiao Ran didn’t want the script he used to build ties with Cheng Long to end up in Xu Ke’s hands. More importantly, he was trying hard not to influence the film industry. Otherwise, he would lose his absolute advantage.
“Director Xu, to be honest, this script definitely isn’t suitable for your style!” Xiao Ran pleaded earnestly, trying to dissuade Xu Ke. Glancing at Xu Guanjie, who was holding back his words, he added, “I tailored this script specifically for Cheng Long. No one in Hong Kong can play that determined police officer as well as him!”
If Xu Ke didn’t even have the discernment to see that the script was tailored for Cheng Long, how could he become one of Hong Kong’s most famous directors? A sly look appeared on his face as he pointed at Xiao Ran, almost accusingly, “You said last time to contact me right away if you had a script. Now this…”
Xiao Ran was momentarily stunned. Drawing on his rich experience of wandering around in his dreams, he quickly understood Xu Ke’s intention. He really hadn’t expected Xu Ke to resort to such tactics. Suppressing his urge to laugh, he composed himself and said seriously, “Director Xu, don’t worry. I have another great idea!”

At this point, he briefly explained the general plot of “The Female Warrior” to Xu Ke. The movie in his dream was also from 1986 and written by Xu Ke himself, so he wasn’t worried about it being revealed now. So far, all the scripts Xiao Ran had chosen to “create” were successful films. Except for “Happy Ghost Meets Ghost,” the box office earnings of the other films all exceeded 20 million. One should never underestimate 20 million in box office revenue—very few Hong Kong films in the 21st century managed to reach such figures. Xiao Ran vaguely remembered having seen a statistic on actual box office earnings from a Hong Kong film fan. This so-called actual box office record took inflation and attendance into account, making it a truly accurate figure. By this standard, the record for the highest-grossing Hong Kong film should belong to “Best Partners.” Calculated at a ticket price of 60 yuan in the 21st century, the first installment of “Best Partners” would have earned 200 to 300 million—an absolutely staggering figure, which shows just how many people went to see movies back then. It was only natural that box office earnings became the benchmark for Xiao Ran when choosing scripts. As a screenwriter, to gain status and recognition in the industry, merely writing award-winning works wasn’t enough; box office success was far more important! While Xiao Ran was lost in his thoughts, Xu Ke was deep in contemplation, working through the script Xiao Ran had described. Soon, he jumped up excitedly and exclaimed, “I want this script! When can you give it to me?” “It’s not yet decided, but I think it’ll be fine within three months!” Xiao Ran didn’t want to change the future as envisioned in his dream before he was ready, otherwise everything would go awry. He turned to Xu Guanjie with a smile and said, “Mr. Xu, I’m sorry for keeping you waiting. Regarding the fourth film, I have an idea that might work!” The fourth installment of “Best Partners” was titled “A Thousand Miles to Save the Police Officer.” Xiao Ran told Xu Guanjie the story, and Xu Ke grew increasingly surprised as he listened. After hearing it, Xu Guanjie thought for a moment before saying to Xiao Ran, “This story is good. I think it has potential. Director Xu, what do you think?” Xu Ke looked at Xiao Ran with a strangely intense expression and nodded seriously, “Interesting. I’ll talk to Mai Jia about it when I have time. I think he’ll be interested!” Ignoring the two’s surprise, Xiao Ran took out the script for “Happy Ghost Meets Ghost” from his briefcase and handed it to Xu Ke, saying respectfully, “Director Xu, this script was written for the ‘Happy Ghost’ series. Please help me deliver it to Mr. Huang Baiming!” The entire “Happy Ghost” series was planned by Huang Baiming himself, and Xu Ke had never been involved at all. So it wasn’t meant for him to read but rather to be delivered. Sure enough, Xu Ke glanced at the plot briefly before losing interest. However, his interest in Xiao Ran was clearly great—he stared at Xiao Ran and nodded involuntarily, “A Ran, did you write all these scripts these past few days? I’m offering my suggestion again—why not work at a film studio? I won’t treat you poorly!”

Xiao Ran smiled. It was well known worldwide that Hong Kong’s film industry neglected the importance of scripts, a situation that only improved slightly after the release of “Infernal Affairs.” Yet despite this neglect, good scripts would always find those who appreciated them, and Xu Ke was clearly one such person with a discerning eye.

He smiled and shook his head. If he only wanted to be an actor, screenwriter, or even a director, joining a future renowned film studio would indeed be a wise decision. But his ambitions now lay with Hong Kong cinema as a whole.

The 1980s saw a fierce competition among New Art City, Cathay-Keris, and Shaw Brothers, with Shaw Brothers largely withdrawing from this struggle to focus on post-production, colorization, and dubbing. Reminded of this, Xiao Ran remembered that Du Qifeng and Zhou Runfa were both from TVB. If New Art City could secure these two from TVB, it meant their relationship was quite good. This was mainly because Shaw Brothers had shifted its focus to TV production and gradually reduced its involvement in film.

However, Shaw Brothers and Cathay-Keris harbored deep enmity. Back then, Zou Wenhui, who used to be second to none at Shaw Brothers, defected and took many key officials and talents with him. Naturally, Shaw Brothers hated the traitor deeply. Yet, Cathay-Keris’ lenient environment and talent strategy attracted many capable individuals, allowing it to gradually show its strength.

Xu Ke had a good relationship with Cathay-Keris. As early as 1982, Cathay-Keris provided funding and support to help him produce “New Swordsmen of Shushan,” which could rival “Star Wars.” With this connection, it wasn’t difficult for Xiao Ran to build a good relationship with Cathay-Keris.

What he needed to do now was meet Cheng Long, an action star who could never be replicated, and also a superstar…