Chapter 892: Hong Kong Entertainment Director, Gao Zhongbo
After seeing Zhou Junhao and Tong Junhui off, Xiao He and Liu Rulan both breathed a sigh of relief.
Then they both noticed each other's movements, paused for a moment, and smiled at each other.
"Now I finally understand what's troubling you, Sister Liu."
Xiao He shrugged and said helplessly.
"Isn't that because of someone else?"
Liu Rulan rolled her eyes, speechless, thinking Xiao He was talking nonsense: "Well, thank you all. Your rich and dramatic experiences have successfully transformed me from an ordinary agent into an all-around housekeeper."
They really want to meddle in everything!
The grand stage of the entertainment industry can no longer satisfy them.
And she, an ordinary but top-notch agent, was turned into a beast of burden, being led around by the demon pill.
How can this not make people feel heartbroken?
Xiao He chuckled awkwardly, trying to argue, "Sister Liu, that's life, full of ups and downs, so colorful. Who would have dared to dream of such a life before? Don't you think life has become more vibrant? And from another perspective, we are all soldiers under your command. If we are excellent, you benefit from it too."
Liu Rulan: "...Hehe, don't say that."
What kind of soldier?
Do you mean the Three Idiots causing trouble at Xiangsheng Hotel?
Note: The "Three Fools" refer to Xiao He, Shu Han, and Tong Junhui.
"I don't admit to this! Don't make it sound like I orchestrated it!"
Liu Rulan crossed her arms, gave a few cold laughs, and remained silent.
Xiao He's arrogance gradually waned.
So, in this atmosphere of death, he made a new promise: "Sister Liu, I'll definitely do it next time!"
Liu Rulan: "Old Qi, drive faster. I feel dizzy and I can hardly breathe while talking to this person. You speed up, and I'll let the wind cool me down."
Xiao He: "Hey? Sister Liu, did you hear me? I promise—"
"Old Qi, let me roll down the car window. Ugh, this weather is so stuffy. I feel short of breath and my chest feels tight after a while."
"Sister Liu? Sister Liu!"
"Cough cough, this breeze feels so nice, the air feels so fresh. It's just too quiet. Lao Qi, please turn on the car stereo and play some relaxing music. It's so noisy in the car."
"OK."
A melodious soprano voice filled the car, as beautiful as a nightingale's song, captivating the heart.
The car suddenly became much quieter, with only the female singer's voice remaining.
Xiao He:...
Ha, that's too much! Even Lao Qi is joining in to isolate me!
It's heartbreaking to see people refusing to listen!
He crossed his arms and turned his head to the other side.
Great, he's decided to give these guys the cold shoulder for the whole day!
...
On the issue of the Cold War, Xiao He was very tough. That day—no, on the way back, during dinner, and even when everyone went back to their rooms to sleep and rest—he didn't talk or laugh with anyone else.
Very well, that's how cold-blooded and ruthless he is.
Fortunately, this aloof atmosphere didn't last long.
Because the next day, Xiao He's new job was back on the agenda.
The train was familiar, with familiar people and seating arrangements, but this time the atmosphere was much more serious.
"Director Gao, the same Gao Zhongbo we met on the Xiang Sheng Hao, was Shu Han's mentor. He brought Shu Han into the Hong Kong film industry and helped him build a network of connections. He has never given up on making action films over the years. Several of the best-performing Hong Kong films released in mainland China in recent years were directed by him. So many people say that Hong Kong films are the last glimmer of Hong Kong cinema."
Liu Rulan held up her tablet and earnestly introduced it to Xiao He.
Of course, this is just a compliment given for its good reputation.
However, it cannot be denied that at this time, director Ko Chung-po was indeed a remarkable figure who was able to persist in making Hong Kong films with good feedback, and he did not disgrace his reputation as a famous director.
Moreover, his help to Shu Han in his early years was genuine. At that time, Hong Kong films were still very popular, and Shu Han also rushed to catch the last wave of popularity, appearing in action films in mainland China, Hong Kong, and even abroad, and finally earned the title of "the last martial arts star in China".
As for actors like Xiao He, even though he has topped various platform charts for his spectacular action scenes, he arrived too late. The "martial arts superstar" label is outdated, and he can't be considered a pure martial arts star. Even though Xiao He has indeed filmed many action movies, especially the ancient-style action movies with Song Chenye and the "Catch the Thief" series, which can be considered the pinnacle of Xiao He's action scenes, it still comes down to this: times have changed.
It's not that Xiao He's action scenes are bad, but rather that people's tastes have changed. They no longer use the term "martial arts star" to describe someone. At most, they add words like "great action scenes" to the title of "acting talent," without specifically categorizing him as a particular type of actor.
This is actually a good thing, as it broadens Xiao He's acting range in a way, preventing him from being confined to a certain label and adapting to the changing times.
However, there may also be another reason: there are more young and handsome actors now, and among the so-called acting talents, there are actually very few truly capable actors. Therefore, the media and marketing have reached a consensus in these aspects and will not deliberately promote this aspect.
As a result, Gao Zhongbo later gained a good impression from his collaboration with Shu Han and successively brought in several mainland celebrities to support his film works, trying to use the popularity of mainland stars to help his Hong Kong films expand into the mainland market. However, several unpleasant collaborations made him realize a harsh reality - martial arts stars are indeed past their prime.
It's completely unrealistic for them to find mainland celebrities with high popularity to act alongside Hong Kong's real martial arts stars.
It will only make the audience feel completely disconnected. When the mainland actors stand together with those martial arts actors, the difference is obvious.
So after he made several bad films and was suspected by mainland audiences of trying to make money in the mainland, Gao Zhongbo finally realized that not everyone is Shu Han.
If he wants to protect his reputation, he should be cautious about working with those popular actors.
Therefore, the quality of Gao Zhongbo's works in recent years has indeed improved, and they have gained recognition and recommendations from many film critics.
However, a problem still arises—to achieve high quality, you need less traffic, but less traffic inevitably leads to lower box office revenue.
With the development of the times, today's young people really don't know these people from the Hong Kong entertainment circle anymore. Even the most famous actors and actresses from their parents' generation have gradually been buried by the passage of time. No one wants to watch them act in front of the camera—even if they act well, have great micro-expressions, or have exciting plots and intense fight scenes.
Yes, the truth is quite disheartening.
Especially recently—
Gao Zhongbo feels that he is really getting old and is finding it increasingly difficult to do many things.
First, I heard about the Xiang Sheng Hao incident, then a famous actor from my own production team withdrew from the crew, a crucial role was missing from the film that was about to finish shooting, and finally, the investors also encountered major problems, with funds starting to "flicker," and I always felt that there was a risk of them running away at any time.
As a result, Gao Zhongbo, who had been holding high expectations for his work, fell ill.
Yes, there's really no other way.
It's not surprising that someone who's getting old would fall ill after being exposed to the sea breeze on a boat and experiencing a bit of a fright.
—But you can't stop working even if you're sick!
Their film crew was almost finished filming, but now everyone is in a state of panic. What if the investors see things are going badly and run away if they drag it out any longer?
I've heard that things haven't been peaceful in Hong Kong lately. Many wealthy investors have been implicated and have started to keep a low profile, and they're hesitant to make any large-scale investments in the near future.
With only the last bit of plot left, what will they do if the old investors run away and they can't find new investors?
Thinking about it this way, Gao Zhongbo's illness became even more serious.