Chapter Sixty-Four: Mansion No. 1

"Ding dong! Ding dong!" The shrill sound of the doorbell made the embracing couple quickly separate.

“They must be here. I’ll get the door,” Zhou Huimin said, her head bowed low, not daring to meet Yan Xu’s eyes. As she spoke, she hurriedly dashed out of the room.

Watching her leave, a faint smile lingered on Yan Xu's face. In his mind, he could still savor the sensation of her soft form in his arms. He lifted his fingers to his nose, catching the lingering fragrance of her hair.

He heard the sound of the door opening. Shaking his head to dispel his drifting thoughts, Yan Xu straightened his clothes and followed her out.

“What took you all so long?” As soon as he stepped out, Yan Xu saw the crowd pouring in: Lu Guanting and his wife, Sister Hong—the company-appointed agent for Zhou Huimin—housekeeper Xiaochun, the Seven Sons of Tai Chi, and Ge Minghui. Twelve people in all, nearly filling the entire living room.

After greeting Zhou’s mother, everyone except Sister Hong and Xiaochun—who were regular visitors—couldn’t help but show a flicker of surprise. Upon seeing Zhou Huimin’s face, they had all assumed her mother would be a beautiful, mature woman in her prime, not an elderly lady.

Of course, no one voiced their astonishment aloud. They handed their pile of gifts to Zhou’s mother, after which the men found seats while the women headed into the kitchen to help.

“I heard you’re preparing a new film?” Lu Guanting asked Yan Xu.

“You’re well informed,” Yan Xu replied, teacup in hand.

“Brother Xu, you’ve got a new film? Can you give me a part?” Ge Minghui chimed in excitedly.

“Of course, not just you. The Seven will all be appearing. In fact, I intend for everyone in the company to get some screen time,” Yan Xu nodded. He had already planned to use actors from his own company.

“We’re in it too? What kind of film is it?” A-Yao interjected, eager yet anxious—they had no experience acting in movies.

“Brother Xu, we don’t know how to act.” Piggy, one of the Seven, voiced his concern. Performing on stage was one thing; facing the camera was another matter entirely.

“It’s a horror film with a female lead. Everyone else just has a handful of scenes, minor roles. Chen Baixiang and Allen have agreed to make cameo appearances,” Yan Xu explained. “You’re all small parts with minimal lines.”

“Allen Tam too? This film is bound to be a hit!” A-Pat exclaimed in excitement. This would be the Seven’s first film.

“Idiot, when has the boss ever made a flop? Is Ah Min the lead this time?” His elder brother tapped his head, pressing further.

“No,” Yan Xu shook his head. “Ah Min is taking part in a new film with Jackie Chan. But I’ve saved a small role for her.”

“Jackie Chan’s film? Is Ah Min the female lead?”

Jackie Chan’s movies were now box office gold, always big productions.

“The lead is Brigitte Lin. Ah Min is the first supporting actress.”

“Brigitte Lin? Really?” Not only the men but even the women in the kitchen looked at Zhou Huimin with envy. Brigitte Lin was the universally acknowledged superstar and beauty; acting alongside her was everyone’s dream.

“Brother Xu, you have to give me a more prominent role—at least let me get some recognition, so I can impress my classmates,” Ge Minghui pleaded, sliding over to sit by Yan Xu as the others congratulated Zhou Huimin. He had worked diligently lately and was finally showing his mischievous side.

“Don’t worry, I’ve already got the perfect part for you—one that’ll make sure everyone remembers you,” Yan Xu smiled at Ge Minghui. He’d long since settled on the role for him in this film.

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Yan Xu had already finished the script for his new film, which he titled “Mansion No. 1.”

Originally named “Victoria No. 1,” also nicknamed “Bloody Property Market,” it was a film financed by the casino king’s daughter, He Qiuyi, who also starred in it from start to finish.

The film was once showered with praise at the Cannes Film Festival, highly acclaimed by foreign critics. Of course, due to its graphic violence, it never made it to the mainland market. Still, in terms of quality, it was one of the finest Hong Kong films in a decade since the industry’s decline.

Though saturated with gore, the film also depicted the suffocating and twisted psychology of Hong Kong citizens as property prices skyrocketed. Its themes resonated perfectly with the current real estate fever, and its narrative techniques were strikingly fresh for contemporary audiences. The plot was tense and thrilling; though simple, it kept viewers in suspense from beginning to end.

When word spread that Yan Xu was making a woman-led film, with a simple story and a female protagonist carrying the entire film, Bald Qiang wasn’t particularly impressed by the script. Even so, he invested a million in the project, trusting Yan Xu’s directorial skill and the star power of Allen and Chen Baixiang in their cameo roles.

Of course, Bald Qiang could afford to be generous. “Rainy Night Butcher,” “The Lamb Doctor,” and “Taxi Judge”—the three films had already earned the company tens of millions. If “Taxi Judge” opened in other regions, it could easily bring in millions more.

Half of that profit went straight to him, and with the new fiscal year just begun, he’d already pocketed his share. The rest belonged to the company—there was no reason to be stingy.

Since Bald Qiang didn’t think much of this new film, he was remarkably flexible in the profit-sharing contract—only twenty percent of total revenue, which was almost unheard of for investors. It meant the film would need to gross at least five million in Hong Kong to break even.

In other words, Bald Qiang was throwing money at Yan Xu to let him experiment. Not that he expected to lose money—given Yan Xu’s fame, even a mediocre film should take in five or six million at the box office. Add overseas and video sales, and there was no risk of loss; there might even be a modest profit.

In the history of Hong Kong cinema, films with a purely female lead, especially those carried single-handedly by a woman, were exceedingly rare. Even some highly acclaimed art films with female leads often failed at the box office. That’s why he didn’t understand Yan Xu’s plan and didn’t expect much from its commercial prospects.

In Bald Qiang’s view, after two successes, Yan Xu was starting to get cocky—launching a company, packaging stars. It was time he faced a setback or two. A little adversity would only help him grow. Besides, Yan Xu was still young—one failure wouldn’t do much harm. There would be plenty of opportunities ahead.