Chapter 34: Fa Ge Failed to Catch the Scene

"Ah Rou, no ordinary person in this world can beat me."
"Except for Zhang Baocheng from Yandu; he is the only one who has ever swapped a card on me."
"In a year's time, I will certainly avenge you."
...
Fatty Chow was reciting his lines with deep emotion. Liu Jing sat in his chair, shaking his head, nodding, sighing, and looking melancholy; his expressions were far richer than those of the actor himself.

The chair had been specially purchased by Sister Li. It had cost a fair bit, but it was very comfortable—perfect for a child of his age.

Sister Li sat to the side, looking a bit puzzled. "Is something wrong?"

She didn't quite understand what Fatty Chow was saying, but looking at the performance alone, there didn't seem to be any issues. That sense of sorrow was quite moving; she felt a sting in her nose.

"Wang the Fatty writes scripts that don't hold up under scrutiny. They're shoddily made. It's no wonder the investors from Taiwan complain about the high cost and low quality of Hong Kong films. Stephen Chow's films are actually considered high quality. If there's a representative of 'high price and low quality,' it should be Wang the Fatty." Liu Jing thought of Zhang Min's anger from last night and felt a bit of sympathy for Wang.

*God of Gamblers 1* made the director, Wang the Fatty, a success, established the lead, Fatty Chow, and catapulted the lead actress, Zhang Min, to stardom.

With an investment of ten million, it raked in forty million at the box office, setting a box office record for the 1980s.

Janet, played by Zhang Min, became a goddess in the eyes of a generation.

Janet was the girlfriend of the protagonist, Ko Chun. After Ko Chun lost his memory, she was killed by Ko Yee after he attempted to rape her.

By *God of Gamblers 2*, the God of Gamblers, Ko Chun, marries a woman named Wen Rou because she resembles Janet.

Not long into the film, the pregnant Wen Rou is also brutally murdered.

"Never mind how other people write their scripts; just worry about yourself. How's your rehearsal going?" Sister Li shook her head. He was a child with an old soul, thinking far too much.

"No problem!" Liu Jing was full of confidence. Possessing a maturity beyond his years, he didn't really need to act.

"The next scene is your face-off with Fatty Chow. You must perform well. If this collaboration is a success, you can reach a new level." Sister Li looked at the wooden boy's complacency and still felt a bit uneasy.

Liu Jing had acted with Stephen Chow in *Fist of Fury 1991*, with Jet Li in *Tai Chi Master*, and had collaborated multiple times with Zhang Min and Chingmy Yau. If he could gain the endorsement of Fatty Chow, it would naturally be a huge boost to his fame.

Sister Li now realized that in the entertainment industry, fame was synonymous with fortune.

The scene Liu Jing was to shoot that afternoon took place on a cruise ship. He had a dramatic dialogue with the God of Gamblers, Ko Chun, followed by witnessing his entire family being murdered, only to be rescued by Ko Chun later.

To film this sequence, Wang the Fatty had spent a large sum of money to rent a ship.

"Don't worry! I've had so many scenes with Jet Li; I won't fail to keep up with Fatty Chow," Liu Jing comforted her.

Sister Li was still worried. "How about I run lines with you? I'll be the God of Gamblers, and you'll be Hoi Yuen."

Liu Jing hesitated for a moment. "That won't be necessary. Let's just wait until Sister Min finishes her scene; I'll have her help me."

Sister Li gritted her teeth. *I've had professional training too, you know. He's looking down on my acting skills.*

Liu Jing, being quick-witted, immediately changed the subject. "Sister Li, did you see the news a while back?"

Sister Li was expressionless. "I'm not like Old An; I don't have the habit of reading the papers."

"Wang the Fatty's plot about Thousand-Island Lake is based on a real event. This guy is really daring to film this; it definitely won't be screened on the mainland. To curry favor with Taiwanese capital, he'll use any means necessary. It's shameful," Liu Jing scoffed.

"You'd better just tell me about the real event." Sister Li frowned. If the occasion weren't inappropriate, she would be giving him a lecture on politics again.

The brat didn't understand that walls have ears. If these words reached Wang the Fatty, even if he were broad-minded, he would feel uncomfortable.

If it were an ordinary person, it wouldn't matter, but Liu Jing had to make his living in Hong Kong in the future, so he couldn't be too careful.

People in Hong Kong were born with a sense of superiority over those from the mainland.

Even big stars like Jet Li had endured great hardship before attaining his current status.

Jet Li was willing to mentor Liu Jing partly because of Win's Film Production, and partly because Liu Jing was a mainlander.

Those who have been caught in the rain always want to hold an umbrella for others.

"On March 31st, on a cruise ship at Thousand-Island Lake..."

Liu Jing was a gifted storyteller. He spoke in a flowing, thrilling manner, and Sister Li's attention was successfully diverted.

Liu Jing was quite adept at coaxing women in their twenties and thirties; he had absorbed these techniques from the pampered heirs he had encountered.

"Cut! That's a wrap for Zhang Min!" Wang the Fatty shouted clearly and decisively, feeling a huge relief in his heart. *Please, let this great goddess leave quickly.*

Every day Zhang Min was on set, he felt immense pressure, always feeling that Dragon Five's gaze was somewhat strange.

If it were just Zhang Min, that would be one thing, but Dragon Five was also on set; there was no surveillance more competent than that.

Covered in fake blood, Zhang Min sat beside Liu Jing, looking thoroughly disgruntled.

"Sister Min, have some tea to soothe your throat." Liu Jing handed her a cup.

"Hmph! Acting as a corpse with no lines—what am I soothing my throat for? That fat pig, I curse him to have kids without an asshole!" Zhang Min was indignant, and her gaze towards Chingmy Yau, who was nearby, also turned somewhat unfriendly.

"His kids are already a few years old; they've already got everything they need." Liu Jing set the cup down. This big sister's temper was just like that; no wonder she wasn't very popular.

It was only because she had powerful people backing her that she hadn't offended more people.

"He's a philanderer; there's no telling how many illegitimate children he'll have in the future." Zhang Min snorted, picked up the cup Liu Jing had set aside, and took a small sip.

"That's true. I heard from Wang the Fatty that many big shots have illegitimate children. The one who sings sweet songs in Taiwan has an illegitimate child, it's—" Liu Jing whispered.

"That's nothing. There's a master of cross-talk in the mainland who also has an illegitimate child..." Zhang Min replied in a hushed tone.

"Zhang Min, you'd better go change your clothes; you look terrifying," Sister Li shook her head. *You two treat the set like your living room, talking about anything and everything.*

She had always found it hard to understand how two grown women in their twenties, Zhou Wenqiong and Zhang Min, could get along so well with a young child.

What she understood even less was how Liu Jing could chat with everyone, from seventy or eighty-year-old retirees to forty-year-olds, and even children his own age.

"Ten-minute break! Liu Jing, get ready. Wardrobe, props, makeup..." the stage manager shouted.

Several staff members rushed over to check if there were any flaws in Liu Jing's makeup.

Fatty Chow also walked over, crouched down, and looked Liu Jing in the eye. He smiled before speaking. "Little guy, I hear you're quite skilled. Unfortunately, that's my weak point. When we shoot, don't forget to go easy on me."

"Okay," Liu Jing answered crisply.

Fatty Chow was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter, patting Liu Jing on the shoulder. "That's the spirit! That's it! Hahaha..."

The scene soon began.

"Action!" With the command, the performance started.

Liu Jing and Fatty Chow sat on the sofa. Liu Jing looked at Fatty Chow with a look of disdain, while Fatty Chow held a glass of wine, watching the beautiful women dance.

"Hey! Why do you keep looking at me?" Fatty Chow asked curiously.

"Heartbroken!" The look of disdain in Liu Jing's expression deepened.

Fatty Chow found it amusing. "Heh, how old are you? Do you even know what heartbreak is?"

Liu Jing was very haughty. "I'm not an ordinary kid. I've already been heartbroken three times."

"Wow!" Fatty Chow was amazed; he was drawn into the scene. He then asked, "Did they dump you?"

Liu Jing glanced around, sat closer to Fatty Chow, and leaned into his ear. "They thought I was too young. The three of them... they're all over twenty."

He said this with total naturalness. The helplessness and loss in his tone stunned Fatty Chow.

Fatty Chow paused for a beat, instinctively raising his glass to take a sip of wine to cover his reaction.

Liu Jing pulled out a photo. "How about it? Aren't my ex-girlfriends beautiful?"

*Damn! Wrong photo!*

"Pfft..."

Fatty Chow glanced at the photo and failed to maintain his composure.

The wine he had in his mouth didn't make it down his throat; he spat it out directly.

A shower of rain across the sky—it was quite a spectacle!