[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-rising-in-1979":3,"chapter-rising-in-1979-rising-in-1979-chapter-201":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Rising in 1979",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2260909,4412,"Chapter 201","rising-in-1979-chapter-201",201,"\u003Cp>Wang Changchang’s influence still held weight; the Shichahai Sports School cooperated fully, and Wei Ming had long been acquainted with Coach Wu Bin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Xiaoming and Yuan Xiangren both noticed that this scholarly-looking Wei Ming was chatting and laughing freely with Coach Wu—this man was someone special.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next, they auditioned a group of boys under ten, aiming to finalize their choice for the role of Dazhangfu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dazhangfu didn’t need exceptional martial skill—he was a talker, with little fighting choreography—but he had to be agile, camera-ready, unafraid of the spotlight, and preferably slightly comedic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Xizi weren’t too young, Wei Ming would have recommended him outright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But these young martial artists before him all seemed like blunt, clumsy fools, lacking nimbleness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, it didn’t matter if they couldn’t find him at the martial arts school, since the role required minimal martial foundation, broadening the pool of candidates—Beijing Film Studio likely had child actor resources.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These children who just performed could be considered for other major roles in the film, like Wang Ermao or Little Leopard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Xiangren and Yang Qitian were also taking notes, recording children they favored, to later select the best among them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next came the performance segment for female students around twenty years old.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Jiaoyan had spotted Wei Ming, but Wei Ming pretended not to know her, avoiding any eye contact—this was to avoid suspicion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet she held an advantage over the others: while they didn’t know what film was being cast, and performed whatever they were good at or looked flashy in combat, Huang Jiaoyan knew Wei Ming was Wei Kuangren, casting for “Heroes from Youth,” and the novel’s female lead excelled in Snake Fist and dual swords—exactly her strongest skills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So when she took the stage, both Xu Xiaoming and Yuan Xiangren brightened instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yanzi not only performed brilliantly but was also strikingly beautiful—among all the martial arts girls, she stood out remarkably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They all considered Huang Jiaoyan the top candidate; only then did Wei Ming wink at Yanzi, signaling her chances were strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But another girl later performed well too—though not as beautiful as Yanzi, she wasn’t unattractive, and carried a tigress-like aura; crucially, she also practiced Snake Fist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Xiangren now felt Huang Jiaoyan seemed too soft, lacking sufficient ferocity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His opinion even swayed directors Xu Xiaoming and Yang Qitian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming saw trouble brewing and quickly pulled Yuan Xiangren aside, whispering to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This Huang Jiaoyan is Zhao Debiao’s girlfriend.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What? That ugly bastard has a girl this beautiful?!” Yuan Xiangren was stunned; seeing Wei Ming nod, he exclaimed, “That kid’s got luck!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he sized up Wei Ming: “If it’s about good looks, you’re the real handsome one—but when it comes to finding a girlfriend, you’re no match for that guy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Xiangren was a good guy—he immediately retracted his earlier opinion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After a closer look, I think Huang Jiaoyan does have a martial spirit—she’s quite suitable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming added: “Besides, Huang Jiaoyan is prettier—that’ll be more appealing to audiences.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In any era, looks are productivity—imagine if the male lead of “Shaolin Temple” weren’t Li Lianjie but Ji Chunhua, everything else unchanged—could it still draw nationwide audiences back to theaters repeatedly?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Obviously not—most viewers would’ve been traumatized after one viewing, let alone remembered fondly by countless boys and women decades later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you think, Danny?” Wei Ming glanced at Zhen Zidan, who stood nearby assisting them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhen Zidan hurriedly replied: “Senior Huang has great skill and a great personality—everyone at the sports school likes her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>See? Her character was flawless—choose her! Choose her!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under their urging, Huang Jiaoyan was nearly locked in on the spot, but still holding onto the thought “maybe someone better exists,” they wanted to see other martial arts teams’ top athletes—so Yanzi remained the top candidate for now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that was enough—her personal qualities were outstanding; it would be hard to find a female athlete who surpassed her in every aspect, and with both the screenwriter and martial arts director backing her, she was virtually guaranteed the role.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next, they began auditioning older children; their performances were now truly impressive, full of power—Xu Xiaoming suddenly had an idea and added a sparring segment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they watched the action, suddenly a small bald boy squeezed through the crowd, asking the taller female teammates beside him: “What’s going on here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bald boy was delicate-looking, with small eyes—had it not been for his haircut, he might’ve been mistaken for a girl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Jiaoyan knew him—he was the child of a friend of Coach Wu’s, often visiting the school before; he’d reportedly be officially enrolling at Shichahai next semester, though his family had a martial tradition and he’d been training since early childhood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’re auditioning for actors by sparring,” Huang Jiaoyan grabbed him to keep this little rascal from causing trouble, “Why’d you shave your head?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re here for the martial arts audition?” Huang Jiaoyan grabbed him to stop this mischievous brat from causing trouble. “Why’d you shave your head?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they chatted, Wei Ming noticed the boy and thought: “Oh? So you’re already at Shichahai this early!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming then pointed to the boy and signaled to Director Xu Xiaoming: What do you think of him for Dazhangfu?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Director Xu’s eyes lit up—the kid looked sharp-witted, though he was short and seemed too young.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Xiaoming gestured to Zhen Zidan to bring the boy over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Bin introduced him: “This is my friend’s son—Wu Jing, only six years old.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uncle, I’m seven!” Wu Jing corrected quickly—he was seven by lunar age.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was only a year and a half older than Xizi, but looked much older; still, he fell short of the script’s required age for the male lead—he was too young.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the novel, Dazhangfu was ten, the little bride twenty; for casting, they needed at least eight or nine—worried this preschooler couldn’t handle such complex acting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming studied his thumbs—good, they hadn’t yet been chopped off from playing with carts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a child, Wu Jing had lost a segment of his left thumb playing with a cart, severely hindering his future martial arts career—now his fingers were still intact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The directors first had him demonstrate martial forms—he performed quite decently, though shorter than the others; yet he spoke without a trace of fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Xiaoming then had him recite Dazhangfu’s lines from the script, pairing him with Huang Jiaoyan—the “Old lady? She’s my wife!” scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Jiaoyan felt a bit shy, but Wu Jing delivered the line without a hint of embarrassment—though his emotion was flat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“More arrogance. More cockiness,” Xu Xiaoming guided him—though dubbing would be used later, facial expression had to be right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Jing looked confused—he didn’t know what “cocky” meant, and the man’s Mandarin was hard for him to follow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Wei Ming crouched down and prompted: “Imagine you’re fighting other kids and you lose—then Senior Huang comes over and takes them down all by herself. Think about how proud you’d feel—do it again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh, fighting other kids—he did that all the time; he’d been a mischievous child since birth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Wei Ming’s prompting, he performed again—this time Xu Xiaoming was satisfied; the kid was clever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His only flaw was age—if he were two years older, he’d be perfect—so he’d be a backup candidate; they’d still need to look for someone better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming said nothing—he supported Wu Jing far less than Huang Jiaoyan; whether little Wu Jing got the part was up to fate—film quality mattered most.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for this kid, now that he’d met him, there’d be plenty of future chances to collaborate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, they went to Beijing Sports College, which also had many martial arts students—Zhao Wenzhuo later graduated from there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Xiaoming then asked: “Are there any martial artists in Tianjin?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So they made a trip to Tianjin, bringing Zhen Zidan along—he was now the only confirmed actor, and Yuan Xiangren had already brought him along to assist, clearly grooming him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the train to Tianjin, everyone naturally fell into the same topic—Huo Yuanjia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huo Yuanjia, a renowned martial artist of the late Qing Dynasty, originally from Cangzhou, rose to fame in Tianjin, later founding the “Jingwu Gymnastics Association” in Shanghai.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Xiaoming would next year direct the hugely popular TV series “The Great Hero Huo Yuanjia,” which would cement his directorial status.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Xiangren’s brother, Yuan Heping, would also make a film version of “Huo Yuanjia” two years later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Zhen Zidan, who accompanied them, would become famous a decade later through the Huo Yuanjia spin-off TV series “Jingwu Gate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While writing “The Right Path of Humanity,” Wei Ming had drawn partial inspiration from Huo Yuanjia for the character “Jiang Chixia.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So their connection to Huo Yuanjia ran deep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at this time, Huo Yuanjia-related films and TV shows were still few and had limited influence; outside the north and martial arts circles, Xu Xiaoming noted that Hong Kong audiences knew Huang Feihong better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Huo Yuanjia, to Hong Kongers he mainly existed as a background figure in “Jingwu Gate”—the real fame belonged to Chen Zhen, portrayed by Bruce Lee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, no one knew what the real Chen Zhen was like; when screenwriter Ni Kuang wrote “Jingwu Gate,” he saw the two characters “Chen Zhen” among the names of Huo Yuanjia’s many disciples in his obituary, thought the name sounded good, and used it for the protagonist—thus creating this classic character.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming said: “Actually, Huo Yuanjia himself is a character worthy of a film or TV series centered on him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Xiaoming nodded inwardly; after visiting Tianjin’s martial arts masters and hearing more legends about Huo Yuanjia, he became even more intrigued by Wei Ming’s suggestion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming intended to write a Huo Yuanjia TV script for Xu Xiaoming, but then remembered his own long novel hadn’t even been started—he dropped the idea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The problem was, writing Huo Yuanjia couldn’t avoid Chen Zhen—he didn’t mind borrowing from others, but borrowing from Ni Kuang annoyed him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After three days of frantic work, the main roles were mostly settled—except the male lead, whom Xu Xiaoming planned to review himself; Yuan Xiangren was about to return to Hong Kong to organize the stunt team, needing his father and brother’s approval to bring them to the mainland for filming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Yuan Xiangren left, they confirmed Huang Jiaoyan as the female lead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Yuan Xiangren left, they finalized Huang Jiaoyan’s casting as the female lead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the Changzheng Canteen by the North Gate, Wei Ming, Biaozi, Yanzi, Xiao Mei, and A Long gathered to celebrate Yanzi’s first female lead role.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also celebrating: Liu Long’s first comic book publication!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shanghai had mailed the first volume of “Heroes from Youth” to A Long, along with his royalty check.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sixty pages, ten yuan per page—totaling 600 yuan; after paying his three assistants, he had 500 yuan left, which he planned to split equally with A Ming. Though earning this way was slower than illustrating, holding a finished comic book in hand felt magical—it was the unique romance of creation; from now on, they had a signature work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming understood A Long—he’d felt the same thrill when he first held “The Beast Within.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second volume of “Heroes from Youth” was already partially drawn; A Long’s assistant team had expanded from two to three, improving efficiency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Biaozi picked up the comic, flipped straight to the end—the first appearance of the female lead, “Little Bride.” He studied it, comparing it side by side with Huang Jiaoyan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he declared: “Your drawing isn’t as pretty as our Yanzi.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yanzi gave him a sharp elbow to the ribs—shut up, you idiot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Wenhua: “Damn, that’s infuriating—I want to elbow him too!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Long spread his hands: “What can I do? I drew this before I even knew Sister Yanzi—who’s to blame for you not introducing us sooner?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming took a bite: “Don’t brag—your director almost didn’t cast Yanzi because she was too beautiful; this role didn’t need extreme beauty, just martial grace.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Jiaoyan poured herself another glass: “I got this role thanks first and foremost to Ming-ge—I toast you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Jiaoyan poured herself a full cup: “I got this role thanks first and foremost to Ming-ge—I toast you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming hadn’t planned to drink much, but since this fearless woman had downed hers, he couldn’t sip politely—he had to join in; the liquor was strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After one drink, Wei Ming began advising Huang Jiaoyan: “Before filming starts, you need to cultivate a fierce demeanor—use Biaozi as your practice dummy; pull his ears whenever you get the chance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After downing the drink, Wei Ming began advising Huang Jiaoyan again: “Before filming starts, you need to cultivate a fierce demeanor. Try practicing on Biaozi—pull his ears randomly, stuff like that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Biaozi: “Ming-ge, am I still your brother?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Wenhua: “You don’t get it—hit him, that’s affection. Yanzi, go ahead and give him a real punch.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, Wei Ming told Biaozi: “Tomorrow, A Xiang is returning to Hong Kong—come with me to see him off, and we’ll talk about getting you into the crew.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afterward, Wei Ming told Biaozi: “Tomorrow Xiang will return to Hong Kong; come with me to see him off, and we can chat about getting you onto the crew.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good,\" he said, then asked Mei Wenhua, \"Won't this delay our southward journey?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Wenhua: \"We're taking the night train.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then that's good. By the way, what about Ah Xiang? How’s he traveling? Will it be the same train?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: \"Stop thinking about it—he’s flying.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Mei Wenhua, sipping his wine, felt a bit down. Summer vacation was the easiest time to take leave and the best chance to make money, yet Biaozi had to join a film crew to keep his wife company—wouldn’t that mean Wei Ming would have to run his business alone from now on?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After dinner, Long, who hadn’t drunk much, took the heavily intoxicated Wei Ming back to the Overseas Chinese Apartment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming wanted to show him The Battle of the Terracotta Warriors and draw a few more illustrations for Story Weekly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when Liu Rulong opened Wei Ming’s door, he saw a beautiful woman in an apron, holding a broom, cleaning the house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Rulong was certain this wasn’t Wei Ming’s mother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he was sure he hadn’t entered the wrong apartment—he remembered the two paintings hanging in the living room clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Lin, seeing Wei Ming return with another boy, was startled, unsure where to hide, and stood there awkwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luckily, Long was quick-witted: \"Uh, I’ve got something to do—I’m off. Ah Ming, get some rest.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tossed Wei Ming inside and left. Downstairs, he muttered: No wonder Ah Ming could write about a \"great man and little wife\"—turns out he likes older women!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heh, the \"great man\" is really you, isn’t it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming hadn’t passed out—he staggered forward and collapsed into Zhu Lin’s arms. So fragrant. So soft.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah Ming, you’re… really heavy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Long left, Zhu Lin struggled to help Wei Ming into the room, then took off his shoes and tucked him in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: \"It’s hot—I haven’t taken off my clothes yet~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Lin rolled her eyes, slipped her hands under the blanket, and first removed his outer shirt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming shifted his legs: \"Pants. Pants.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Lin was annoyed—she shouldn’t have come over on a whim today. She hadn’t visited in days, and he hadn’t come looking for her either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, it was the big sister who lacked restraint—she’d come to clean his place, and got caught.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fine, I owe you!\" Lin-jie gritted her teeth and reached for Wei Ming’s belt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A woman unfastening a man’s belt for the first time, like a man unclasping a woman’s bra, was simple in theory—but nerves made it clumsy, and her hands fumbled, brushing places they shouldn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Lin told herself: I’m a medical worker. This means nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she yanked hard—and pulled down his underwear too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luckily, the blanket covered him—if not, Zhu Lin would’ve had a close-up physiological study.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming felt a cool breeze below—so comfortable! He loved sleeping like this!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lin-jie, thank you,\" Wei Ming grabbed her hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Lin: \"Don’t mention it. I’m just repaying you for teaching me acting.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How’s your progress? Still practicing your oral exercises?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Lin gracefully extended her tongue—when suddenly her arm was yanked, and she fell onto Wei Ming. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his mouth to hers—he was checking her homework!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Zhu Lin immediately shoved him away, covering her mouth with watery eyes. She was curious about kissing—but his breath reeked of alcohol! It felt awful!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Wei Ming was drunk—this was drunken misconduct. He’d forget it all after waking up. She couldn’t let herself be taken advantage of like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming cursed himself—why did he drink? Was it too late to brush his teeth?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too late. Zhu Lin stepped out of the room and said at the door: \"I’ll go make you some sobering soup.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when she returned with the soup, Wei Ming was already asleep—restless, the blanket tangled, half his buttocks exposed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Lin rubbed her forehead and backed out. If things kept going like this, there’d be nothing on Wei Ming she hadn’t seen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, when Wei Ming woke from his hangover, Zhu Lin had left—a note said she’d gone to work and had brewed fresh sobering soup for him to drink after waking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Wei Ming sipped the soup, he recalled: Had he done anything with Lin-jie last night? He vaguely remembered her pulling off his pants and sticking out her tongue, trying to kiss him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming slapped his head: Did she succeed? Why can’t I remember?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No time to think—he had to go see someone off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Downstairs, Wei Ming suddenly froze: Where’s my motorcycle?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh right—last night, Long rode him home. He’d drunk too much and refused to drive, so he probably took the bike again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No choice—Wei Ming took the bus to Peking University’s south gate. He arrived to find Biaozi waiting on his motorcycle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You finally showed up! Get on!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They sped to the Yanjing Hotel, found Ah Xiang, and beside Xu Xiaoming stood Zhen Zidan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Xiaoming was seeing someone off; Zhen Zidan was going to Hong Kong with Ah Xiang—he planned to introduce him to his brother Yuan Heping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Yuan family all looked odd and unremarkable, so they mostly worked behind the scenes, never in front of the camera. Zhen Zidan wasn’t particularly handsome, but he was better-looking than the others—and young. He might become a new kung fu star.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah Ming, Ah Biao, I’m leaving. Even though I’ll come back, I’ll tell you my real name: Yuan Xiangren. Have you heard of Drunken Master? Its director is my brother Yuan Heping. The character Su Qier in it? That’s my father, Yuan Xiaotian.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming immediately exclaimed, \"Oh oh oh!\" as if he’d long admired them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Biaozi did the same. Though not reborn, he’d spent years in Guangzhou’s Shenzhen and had seen Drunken Master on VHS. Learning Ah Xiang was Su Qier’s son, he thought: So Su Qier’s just… that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Xiangren turned to Biaozi: \"Ah Biao, can you take off your shirt?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just do it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: \"Just take it off.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Biaozi felt shy, but finally stripped—and a chorus of \"Wows!\" erupted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His muscles were massive. If Wei Ming was a lean youth, Biaozi was the Rock—though not fully developed. Still, with his height, he loomed over everyone present.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Xiangren and Xu Xiaoming exchanged a glance: Not bad, right?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Xiaoming said: \"We’re planning to cast you as the main villain in our film.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming had only wanted Biaozi as a stuntman or body double—never imagined these two wanted him as the big bad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming reexamined Biaozi. Younger, yes—but with makeup and a new look, he actually had the vibe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Biaozi panicked: \"Me? I can’t act!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Xiaoming: \"Don’t worry. This villain has little screen time—mostly back and side shots to build mystery. Just fight the heroes at the end.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming grinned: \"And in the script, your villain gets stabbed to death by the female lead.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What? Stabbed by the female lead?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Biaozi’s interest sparked. Not like the novels—but stabbed by Yanzi? Just imagining it thrilled him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fine! I’ll take it!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(Monthly ticket bonus: 9000+9500! One more big chapter today! Please vote!)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",3406,"2026-06-19T16:30:58.707Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","3f2e33b8af114702255de7e75fbba499bd03370690fb07503e2bd1e7c06fc9a6","rising-in-1979-chapter-202","rising-in-1979-chapter-200",509,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frising-in-1979-cover.jpg"]