[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-rising-in-1979":3,"chapter-rising-in-1979-rising-in-1979-chapter-435":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},2261143,4412,"Chapter 435: The Most Beautiful Woman in Hong Kong Appears","rising-in-1979-chapter-435",435,"\u003Cp>Xu Jinjiang has graduated from the TVB training program, but he ultimately did not sign a contract with TVB.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>TVB mainly didn’t want him, so now he works freelance; because he’s tall, he also does modeling gigs—clothing modeling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He also sings at nightclubs, and when a production crew needs extras, he tries out—getting even a minor role is better than nothing, as long as he can make money any way he can.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He still paints, but only what he wants to paint; he no longer does covers for *Maniac Comics*, knowing his senior brother pays him above-market rates and that his output is slow, so he doesn’t want to make things harder for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they’re close brothers, so when good opportunities arise, he still thinks of me—I suspect Ming-ge needs someone and recommended me; I wonder if this role has lines or even a close-up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two across from him were from the mainland; nervous and introverted, Xu Jinjiang mustered his courage and asked: “Comrade, what kind of film are we shooting?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yimou: “It’s not a film—it’s a short. Director Wei said it’ll be about ten minutes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jinjiang quickly sat beside Zhang Yimou: “So what’s the story about? How many characters?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to do some prep, but Zhang Yimou didn’t know: “Let the director tell you himself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Gong Ying came in; everyone called her Sister Ying, and Xu Jinjiang stood up and called her Sister-in-law.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, why are you sitting outside, Ah Jiang? Where’s Ah Long?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s in a meeting with the screenwriters. I’m not here to see him—I’m waiting for Wei Ming, Brother Ming.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, is he coming over soon? Perfect, let’s have dinner together,” Gong Ying smiled, then casually asked how her sister was doing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t go into the office, chatted a bit more with the two mainland friends, and then Wei Ming came upstairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing his sister-in-law there too, Wei Ming felt tense—because behind him appeared Li Zhi, panting heavily, holding several gift boxes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To spend more time with Wei Ming, she rode with him, claiming she was coming to deliver gifts to the *Maniac Comics* artists—new products.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a long-standing tradition of Langning and *Maniac Comics*; the artists all loved this secretary Li, many even seeing her as their inspiration to draw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now Li Zhi was like a ripe peach, increasingly alluring, leaving Zhang Yimou and Feng Xiaoning, two country bumpkins, staring dumbfounded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They described her beauty as \"ultimate perfection.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming pretended not to notice Gong Ying’s wariness toward Li Zhi, chatted briefly with her, and asked after her pregnant mother-in-law.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dinner? Sure, let me finish talking with Ah Jiang, then we’ll eat together.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying that, Wei Ming looked at Xu Jinjiang—he now had long hair and a thick, melancholy beard; though barely twenty, he already carried the weariness of a thirty-year-old man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming glanced around, borrowed a pair of glasses from Huang Guoxing, and made him wear them—yes, that dulled the rustic look a bit, gave him a refined-but-rogue vibe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he was even taller than Wei Ming himself; women would naturally feel intimidated by him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming certainly wanted good actors, but since this was a short film, he focused more on cinematic language; acting nuance wasn't crucial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And female actors mattered more than male ones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, you’re it,” Wei Ming told Xu Jinjiang. “Ah Jiang, hold your schedule for the next half-month, okay?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course! Of course no problem!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: “Good. You’re the lead actor in my new film.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? Lead actor? Me?” Xu Jinjiang looked stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought lead actors were guys like Chow Yun-fat or Andy Lau—never imagined someone like him, a rough-looking guy, could be the lead—even if it was just a short film, but this was Wei Ming’s project!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right—lead actor. Don’t shave your beard these next few days; we’ll need it for styling later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lead actor confirmed; they’d find a female lead in the afternoon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Old Zhang, show me the photos you took.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yimou smiled: “We had them developed overnight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is the money I gave you still enough?” he asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“More than enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming nodded and kept looking at the photos: “This one’s no good—the buildings are too close… this one’s no good either—too far… this one, the neon signs are too sparse… what about this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared at the photo in his hand—it looked familiar: “Is this Chungking Mansions?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, Director, you know this place?” Feng Xiaoning spoke up. “It’s visually rich—colorful and chaotic.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming nodded. This place was called the “ethnic enclave of Kowloon City,” a multi-ethnic neighborhood—Indians, Filipinos, Thais, Vietnamese, and some recent arrivals from the mainland—all here because rent was cheap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t quite fit Wei Ming’s first shooting location, but it actually suited his second scene well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The short film had only three main locations; originally, he’d planned to shoot the second scene in Kowloon City, but Kowloon City was riskier than Chungking Mansions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming set aside the Chungking Mansions photos and kept looking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, isn’t this Heung Lo Street?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This place is called Lai Tung Street,” Zhang Yimou said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right—it’s also called Heung Lo Street.” Wei Ming checked: the street length, building style—it was perfect. These photos were taken at night, all the neon signs lit up, giving a cyberpunk vibe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming set this photo aside too; finally decided—these two locations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The third location is a footbridge—Hong Kong’s full of them; we’ll pick one randomly later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good job—I’m satisfied with the locations.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon after, Liu Ruilong came out of the meeting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How did the auditions go?” he asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming patted Xu Jinjiang: “Ah Jiang is the chosen lead I’ve been searching for!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What about pay?” He knew his junior brother wouldn’t dare bring it up—he did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jinjiang hurried to say: “No need, no need—just feed me. Just letting me play the lead is already more than I deserve.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming waved his hand: “How can you not take pay? How much do you usually earn a month?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jinjiang calculated: “Not stable—good months, five thousand; bad months, three thousand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: “I’ll give you ten thousand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? That’s too much!” Xu Jinjiang felt embarrassed—it far exceeded his expectations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming said: “You’re not just the lead—you’ll also be assistant art director for Brother Feng Xiaoning. Later, I’ll explain the visual style I want.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah Long asked again: “What about the female lead? Any candidates in mind?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: “I’ll go to Qingniao this afternoon and ask Aunt Xia Meng to contact Ye Tong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mainly to check her availability and fee—she’s now a film queen; I don’t know if she’ll go over budget.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming’s budget was one hundred thousand Hong Kong dollars total; after that, he’d need to rent equipment, hire a lighting technician, makeup artist, and pay rent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next, Ah Long and his wife invited Wei Ming to dinner; Xu Jinjiang, Old Zhang, and Old Feng came too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zhi, being sensible, took a taxi to shop—she’d treat Wei Ming separately later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two cars were arranged; Xu Jinjiang rode with Wei Ming. On the way, he asked about his classmate Liang Jiahui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How’s Ah Hui doing, studying under Director Li Hanxiang in Beijing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Great—he’s living in the Three Palaces now. He’s the lead actor in that film, playing Emperor Vanguard Commander.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What? Lead actor!” Xu Jinjiang was stunned again. “I thought he was just doing grunt work—I never expected him to find a benefactor like me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Haha, he thought he’d be doing grunt work too—got pushed into it by Director Li. Now he’s filming with one of the mainland’s most popular actresses.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is it Chen Chong or Liu Xiaoqing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Liu Xiaoqing. Nice—you know them both.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jinjiang grinned sheepishly: “The last movie I watched before coming to Hong Kong was *Little Flower*—Liu Xiaoqing was great, but I like Chen Chong better.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming thought: You like her? Cheng Long likes her too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Speaking of Cheng Long, Wei Ming asked: “Has Cheng Long finished shooting his film *A*?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No—he’s still lying in the hospital.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What? Tell me more.” Wei Ming thought: Not another near-paralysis incident?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I read the news—he broke two ribs falling from a clock tower. He won’t be able to film for a while.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Okay, lighter than Wei Ming expected. In the original timeline, this stunt became famous—and terrifying—because he landed on his neck, severely twisting it, cracking his nasal bone, nearly paralyzed or killed; it was Cheng Long’s first life-risking stunt, and filming halted for months.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, when they restarted, after two attempts by professionals and Cheng’s stunt team, he still wasn’t satisfied—so he did it himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming said: “Let’s visit him this afternoon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the restaurant, six sat down; Gong Ying casually asked how he and his sister were doing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Both me and Ah Long are married—you two should hurry up too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yimou and Feng Xiaoning already knew she was Gong Rui’s sister; they kept their heads down eating, pretending not to hear—this Hong Kong restaurant was truly delicious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But inside, they were reeling—though rumors had circulated, this was confirmation straight from family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: “Recently, I went back to Shanghai with your sister and had dinner with your parents.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing they’d already met the families, Gong Ying felt deeply relieved—finally, progress had been made.\u003C\u002Fp>",1549,"2026-06-19T16:30:59.356Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","d6579f428712bc5a5b5143b49be04291a03cc63e8390f47388ab69e9fac90094","rising-in-1979-chapter-436","rising-in-1979-chapter-434",509,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frising-in-1979-cover.jpg"]