Chapter 58 Different Voices

The three of them went upstairs, entered the office, and closed the door behind them. Fu Qi sat casually on the sofa and asked, "Old Wang, how is the situation this year?"

"Same as always. Every studio is tied up and overly concerned about costs, not daring to shoot epic productions."

"Then mobilize the film studios across the country to negotiate with China Film!" Shi Hui said with a smile.

"The root of the problem isn't with China Film; it's with the state. What's the use of negotiating with them? China Film only allocates 700,000 yuan per film. Nowadays, production costs are rising, and every studio is squeezed by this 700,000-yuan limit. What kind of good films can possibly be made under such constraints?"

Wang Yang let out a cold snort and said, "I've been communicating constantly. If they really push me to the limit, I'll petition the Central Committee directly!"

Never underestimate the influence of the Beijing Film Studio; its voice could reach the highest levels of power. Mentioning a petition to the Central Committee was no empty boast. He shook his head and said, "Let's not talk about this. How is your project *The Shaolin Temple* coming along?"

"Not good!"

Worry was etched across Fu Qi's face as he replied, "We had already shot one-third of it and sent the rough cut to Beijing. Comrade Liao wasn't satisfied, the Japanese weren't satisfied, and we were even less satisfied. We have to scrap it and start all over again!"

"What?"

Wang Yang was startled. "A production of that scale, scrapped and started from scratch? Do you still have enough funds?"

"I spoke with the Japanese representatives. They are willing to add another 700,000 Hong Kong dollars, and by scraping together whatever else we can, we can squeeze out several hundred thousand more. That should be just about enough. I've asked Director Zhang Xinyan to come out of retirement, we're rewriting the script, and recasting the roles... Sigh, it's just so frustrating!"

Fu Qi forced a bitter smile.

Comrade Liao was Liao Chengzhi, whose father was Liao Zhongkai.

He served as the Director of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, taking full charge of affairs concerning Hong Kong.

Earlier this year, he met with representatives from Hong Kong's leftist film companies and explicitly called for the production of a martial arts film. Because the high-ranking leaders in mainland China were veterans of the revolution who had fought on battlefields, most of them had a fondness for martial arts, and quite a few were genuine practitioners themselves, such as General Xu.

Then there was 286, who was an avid fan of wuxia novels and would flip through a few pages every night before going to sleep...

The leftist companies accepted the assignment, but lacking funds, they sought out a Japanese monk named Shorinji Sokudo, who had studied Shaolin boxing techniques in China and had even established a Shaolin Temple Kempo League back in Japan with over 100,000 disciples.

He was willing to purchase the Japanese copyright for the film and advanced 55 thousand Hong Kong dollars.

Consequently, the leftist companies based a script on the legend of the thirteen warrior monks rescuing the Prince of Tang. The tone was rather solemn, the protagonist was not the later young monk Jueyuan, and there was no romantic subplot.

They found a director in Hong Kong and recruited a troupe of actors from the Henan Peking Opera Troupe, casting an actor named Wu Gang as the lead.

After shooting a portion of the film, they brought it back for review only to find that the theatrical opera style was too heavy, lacking the feel of genuine martial arts. The story was mediocre, the outdoor locations suffered from excessive dust storms, and the visual quality was poor... None of the parties involved were satisfied, leaving no choice but to reshoot.

"Comrade Liao and we made a pact to produce 36 new films of various genres within three years. We are pressing forward against the odds, but truly, even a clever housewife cannot cook a meal without rice. We have neither money nor personnel."

"..."

From the moment Fu Qi began his account, Wang Yang's expression had turned peculiar. To himself, he thought: *Could there be such a coincidence???*

"Old Wang, do you have any ideas?"

"I just read a story yesterday, and it's precisely about the Shaolin Temple."

"Such a coincidence?"

Fu Qi was also astonished.

Wang Yang pulled two small magazines out of his desk drawer and said, "However, this one is set in the late Ming Dynasty, telling the story of the Shaolin Temple fighting against the imperial court's lackeys. It has a stronger flavor of the pugilistic world, and there is also a romantic subplot within it."

"What a pity then. Our rewritten script is still based on the blueprint of the thirteen warrior monks rescuing the Prince of Tang. The costumes and props are already made, so we can't change it."

"You should still take a look at it. I think the romantic subplot is quite good, especially the ending."

Fu Qi and Shi Hui each took a copy of *Story Monthly* and began to flip through them roughly.

Without reading it in detail, they just scanned the general plot. Shi Hui was looking at the second half, where the ending depicted the male protagonist deciding to take monastic vows and become a monk for the sake of the Shaolin Temple. The female protagonist stood outside the main hall watching him; separated by only a single door, their mortal ties were completely severed.

At the very end were two lines of poetry:
*How can one hold both the world and you in a double embrace, without failing the Buddha and without failing you?*

Shi Hui's eyes lit up. She nudged Fu Qi and said, "This ending is genuinely good. We can use it!"

"Let me see!"

Fu Qi also read through that section and nodded, saying, "Our new script has been changed to feature a young monk as the protagonist, incorporating many comedic elements. We were also hesitating whether to add a romantic subplot. After all, how can a monk have a romance added in a way that feels appropriate?
If we follow this line of thought, the logic holds up."

"Can we find this author?" Shi Hui asked.

"He is right here at the Beijing Film Studio. *The Romance on Mount Lu*, the film whose costumes you commissioned us to buy, was also written by him."

"Oh? Could there be such a stroke of fate?"

Shi Hui smiled and said, "Then I truly must meet this comrade!"

"No need to rush. I'll have him come over during the symposium shortly. This young man's mind is extraordinary."

Wang Yang had originally intended to study *The Cotton Cassock* to see if it could be adapted into a film, but the comrades from Hong Kong had a more urgent need. He was willing to part with it, though naturally, he had to consult Chen Qi's opinion first, as he was the author.

***

"Why on earth am I being summoned to a meeting?"

Chen Qi was just planning to visit the China Bookstore when he was suddenly called over by Liang Xiaosheng to attend a meeting.

Liang Xiaosheng lowered his voice and said, "The comrades from Hong Kong have arrived, and we're holding an internal symposium. Everyone attending consists of the studio's creative backbone. Calling you in means the studio director values you. Just look around the room; you're the only freelancer here."

"What freelancer? I'm a vendor selling bowl tea!"

The two of them entered the conference room. True enough, there weren't many people—just over forty individuals, all core members of the four major creative collectives. As soon as he stepped through the door, everyone looked surprised.

"Old Wang, what's going on?"

"Fu Qi took a fancy to one of his ideas and wants to discuss it, so I simply called him to sit in on the meeting."

"I know you cherish talent, but at least we must observe discipline. This is an internal symposium. What if word gets out?"

The voice questioning the decision belonged to a deputy studio director named Sun Wenjin. Knowing he was in the wrong, Wang Yang chuckled and said, "It won't happen again! It won't happen again!"

Enduring gazes from all directions, Chen Qi found a corner and sat down, understanding inwardly: he was merely an outsider staying at the guesthouse, and receiving slightly better treatment was fine, but if he truly stepped inside the inner circle—well, which work unit's internal environment was ever completely free of ripples?

"Let's quiet down!"

Once everyone had arrived, Wang Yang personally presided over the meeting. "First of all, let us welcome Comrade Fu Qi and Comrade Shi Hui from Hong Kong. Amidst their busy schedules, they came to the Beijing Film Studio and yielded to my thick-skinned invitation to organize this internal symposium.
Today, we have invited them to speak about the current state of Hong Kong cinema, which will be of tremendous help for us in understanding the outside film industry..."

"Clap, clap, clap!"

Applause rang out. Fu Qi raised a hand in acknowledgment. Born in Shenyang and raised in Shanghai, his speech carried a slight accent as he smiled and said, "My last visit was over a decade ago. In the blink of an eye, I've reached the age of knowing destiny, and I feel deeply moved.
Director Wang has asked me to talk about Hong Kong cinema, so let's start from a dozen years ago.
As everyone knows, our leftist studios and the right-wing studios supported by Taiwan have been locked in struggle, using Hong Kong as our battlefield. Back then, we held the advantage in every aspect, routing them completely. The films we produced accounted for one-third of the Hong Kong market.

Great directors, great actors, great screenwriters, great cinematographers—we lacked nothing, and we even owned a theater circuit comprising eight cinemas. I can still remember the sensational craze when *Third Sister Liu* was screened in Hong Kong back then...

However, times have changed.
After the turbulence, as we open our eyes and look again, Hong Kong cinema has fully entered a commercial era where everything is dictated by the box office. But that does not mean the struggle has disappeared; our battle continues.
Taiwan has backed an organization called the Free General Association, dedicated precisely to co-opting Hong Kong film practitioners and suppressing us.
Taiwan is the largest market for Hong Kong films. For a film to be screened in Taiwan, the director and actors must join the Free General Association and become members. This is known as a pledge of allegiance.
Every year, this organization organizes trips for Hong Kong stars to Kinmen to boost troop morale, to celebrate the birthday of little Chiang, and for the Double Ten Festival—the so-called National Day of the Nationalists. They make extravagant displays every year, and almost all Hong Kong stars attend to offer tribute.
There are even those who fawn and flatter, openly offering bribes just to ensure their films receive favorable treatment!
Earlier this year, Hong Kong's TVB cooperated with Guangdong to record a Spring Festival celebration program, with 29 artists participating.
Before coming to Guangzhou, they had to report to the Free General Association and submit letters of repentance, which essentially stated: *We have contracts with TVB, and we cannot refuse work arranged by the company. Deep down, my heart still leans toward the Party and the State, so please forgive us...*"

As Fu Qi spoke, he suddenly found it difficult to continue. Shi Hui reached out and gently patted him on the arm.

"Taiwan issued bans long ago; any directors or actors who cooperate with us are completely blacklisted. Being blacklisted by Taiwan means the absolute destruction of an acting career, which is why those artists dare not draw close to us.
I will also speak the truth: the situation for the leftists is difficult, relying entirely on a few veterans to sustain it. Many comrades cannot hold on and choose to leave.
Over the past two years, our three companies have produced a total of five films, and the box office has been poor. Because Hong Kong cinema developed too rapidly, we suffered a lengthy period of stagnation and have already fallen behind.
Attending the National Congress of Literary and Art Workers this time, the stance of the Central Committee has given us confidence. Backed by our motherland, we believe we will surely restore our past glory.
We neither belittle ourselves nor aim too high. At present, the most important task is to increase production volume, shoot a few influential works, and firmly re-establish our foothold in Hong Kong..."

"..."

His remarks were earnest and packed with substance, leaving the conference room dead silent.

Everyone listened with a mixture of astonishment and sympathy. The work of the Hong Kong comrades was even harder—they had to contend with the British Hong Kong government, the rightists, and restrictions from the mainland side, frequently finding themselves caught in the middle.

After Fu Qi finished, Shi Hui added a few words of her own.

Wang Yang smiled and said, "Everyone, feel free to ask any questions. Now that I've managed to catch them here, I won't let them off easily!"

"Ha ha!"

The crowd chuckled. An older director spoke up first, asking, "Do you still make contemporary-themed films nowadays?"

"Of course we do! Contemporary themes are our foundation, it's just that the audiences are dwindling."

"What are your thoughts on the mainland's new films this year?"

"They are all very good. I can feel the vibrant vitality within them. I watched *What a Family*, and I was quite surprised that it was a comedy. I hope to see more films like that."

"Will you make films reflecting mainland life?"

"It's difficult. The British Hong Kong government will not allow them to be screened. To put it bluntly, mainland films or the mainland-themed works we produce face censorship as the very first hurdle. They are so terrified that they scrutinize things frame by frame—for instance, Comrade Chairman's photograph cannot appear, his name cannot be mentioned, and his lyrics cannot be included..."

Fu Qi and Shi Hui answered patiently, addressing questions related to art, technology, and censorship boundaries.

Then suddenly, cutting through those uniformly toned voices, someone asked: "May I ask, which film is the box office champion in Hong Kong this year?"