Chapter 94

Good!

A low, muffled voice came from afar; everyone turned toward the sound, only to see Zhang Yimou having also gathered nearby at some point. Seeing Jiang Heng's "Flicking Fist" performed with graceful ease, he couldn't help but exclaim in praise.

Translate: A low, muffled voice came from somewhere; everyone turned toward the sound, only to see that Zhang Yimou had also gathered around at some point. Seeing Jiang Heng's "Flicking Fist" performed with graceful ease, he couldn't help but exclaim in praise.

seeing Jiang Heng's "Flicking Fist" performed with graceful ease, he couldn't help but exclaim in praise.

I never expected Director Jiang to be such a martial arts master!

Jiang Heng hastily waved his hands, saying, "No, no, I just learned it from Teacher Li!"

Zhang Yimou stared in surprise, looking at Li Lianjie.

Li Lianjie's expression was complex, a hint of bitterness in his eyes.

It's true I just learned it, but Director Jiang has extraordinary talent, one in a million—he actually mastered it right away!

The people around also chimed in to confirm, while Zhang Yimou remained astonished, his mouth opening and closing before he finally said, "Director Jiang's talent is outstanding; it really makes people envious!"

But deep down, he didn't really believe it was true.

As the saying goes, one minute on stage requires ten years of practice off stage.

Jiang Heng just performed that set of "Flicking Fist," and he was almost on par with Li Lianjie; saying he just learned it—who would believe that!

But he wasn't that quick-witted; for a moment he couldn't figure out why Jiang Heng would lie in public.

He's already achieved fame and success; why bother with this empty reputation? Does he want to become a master?

The next day, producer Zhang Weiping came over; while they were eating, Zhang Yimou brought up the matter.

Zhang Weiping sneered, "No need to say; it's definitely fake! In Xianggang there are many martial arts schools—learning boxing is really easy!"

I also know the situation in Xianggang, but I just can't understand why he would claim he hasn't learned it.

Zhang Weiping's eyes shifted, "Perhaps it's to seize the opportunity for publicity, claiming he's a martial arts genius, and then—!"

Promote the new film.

Direct and star in it himself!

The two spoke almost simultaneously; though their words differed, together they seemed to understand Jiang Heng's motive.

Zhang Weiping slapped his thigh, "That's got to be it—he's young, good-looking, has resources and ability, unwilling to remain just a director, wanting to become an international superstar like Cheng Long!"

Zhang Yimou nodded, obviously agreeing with Zhang Weiping's judgment.

More than twenty years later, seeing the once-agile Longshu now old and unable to move on the big screen, many people felt Cheng Long wasn't all that either.

But at his peak, Cheng Long absolutely deserved the title of the most influential Chinese-language film star in the world, with no equal.

The main founder of the well-known film review site Rotten Tomatoes was inspired to create a review aggregation site because of his love for Cheng Long's films.

In Germany there is a commercial street named Cheng Long Street because Cheng Long filmed a movie there.

In the United States, many celebrities and officials are fans of Cheng Long.

In Japan, Akira Toriyama, the author of the wildly popular manga Dragon Ball, is a super fan of Cheng Long; he once said in an interview that without watching Cheng Long's Drunken Fist, there would be no Dragon Ball.

As the saying goes, your idol may not be Cheng Long, but your idol's idol very well could be Cheng Long.

Cheng Long once said on a show, "Point to any place on the world map, and I can immediately find someone to take care of you!"

Being able to say that in front of the media shows he still has confidence.

Although Jiang Heng now holds a high status and considerable wealth in the film industry, his fame and influence over audiences still fall short.

After all, media information is not yet well developed; when people watch movies, they pay more attention to the actors and the plot.

Even if they know who directed it, they might not recognize the director's name, let alone become fans.

Zhang Weiping felt he had seen through Jiang Heng's "hype" strategy; his eyes shifted as an idea came to him.

Anyway, he's preparing to step into the spotlight; rather than let him hype himself up later, we might as well borrow some buzz to help the film Hero!

Zhang Yimou's face showed hesitation: "Isn't that not okay?"

Zhang Weiping gave a hehe cold laugh: "What's there to fear? He did the deed, he blew his own horn, the crew has many loose tongues, and media reporters are always snooping around—leaking it is perfectly normal!"

Zhang Yimou still felt it wasn't great, but he wouldn't stop it: "I only care about making good films; I don't bother with those things!"

Zhang Weiping hehe'd: "That's exactly how it should be—you just focus on making good films; I'll handle the rest!"

However, the next day a rumor spread in the entertainment circle: Jiang Heng is a one-in-a-million martial arts prodigy; just by glancing at Li Lianjie's performance, he could immediately replicate it exactly.

The exaggeration is comparable to Zhang Wuji in The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, who had cultivated the Nine Yang Divine Art and the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth.

There were also reports that during the filming of Hero, Jiang Heng performed all his own stunts, fighting Li Lianjie to an indistinguishable degree, leaving the entire crew stunned.

Even more outrageous claims said that Li Lianjie and Jiang Heng privately sparred, and yet they were not evenly matched—making the rumors ever more bizarre.

So-called official history isn't necessarily correct, while wild history truly is wild!

As soon as these outrageous rumors surfaced, countless media and tabloid reporters swarmed the Hero film set, intercepting coming-and-going staff for nonstop interviews.

Not wanting to miss out, according to these staff members, Jiang Heng truly was a martial arts genius, having learned several routines from Li Lianjie, each mastered instantly and performed with proper form.

When the tabloid reporters heard that, they became even more excited.

Going back, they embellished the story, insisting that Jiang Heng's father's true identity was a martial artist!

It's amazing—swords, spears, halberds, axes, hooks, maces, staves, whips, chains, hammers, claws, crutches, meteors…

Jiang Heng's father, Old Master Jiang, when young, mastered all eighteen weapons; he could hack from Causeway Bay all the way to Temple Street East Road, slashing for three days and three nights, killing until blood flowed like a river, without blinking an eye.

As for Jiang Heng, he had even received the true transmission…

Who would bother reading such outrageous stuff?

Not to mention how hot it was!

Mainly sold at train and bus stations across the country, often a disheveled middle-aged man would suddenly shout: "Come see the news, see the news! Heavenly King Liu was fatally injured while filming, fell to his death. Director Jiang Heng injured Li Lianjie while filming Hero—turns out he's a martial arts master…"

Just shouting such outrageous words, people preparing for long bus trips who find the journey boring would buy a copy and read it with relish.

In Jingcheng, inside the office of the chairman of China Film Group, Han Sanping also held a pirated-print magazine, reading the outrageous introduction about Jiang Heng.

This is just too damned ridiculous; they really ought to be cleaned up properly!

After reading the magazine, they called Jiang Heng; the assistant answered, saying Director Jiang was filming and would call back when free.

After a while, Jiang Heng finally called, chuckling, "Director Han, do you need me for something?"

Uh, you haven't been reading the newspaper lately?

Jiang Heng said: "Who has time? I film movies during the day and revise scripts at night. What's up, did something go wrong with the public screening?"

Han Sanping hurriedly said: "No, no, it's just that lately everyone's saying you're a one-in-a-million martial arts genius, claiming your family is a martial arts lineage!"

"Huh?" Jiang Heng froze for a moment, then laughed heartily: "That's so outrageous!"

"There's even more outrageous stuff!" Han Sanping said, then read Jiang Heng a passage from a pirated magazine, leaving him both laughing and crying.

"These guys can make up stories better than I can!"

(End of chapter)