Chapter 819: Chapter 225: Visiting the Film Set
“That’s not right,” Li Zekai, who hadn’t said much, spoke up at this time, “Duan Yu and Wei Xiaobao also enjoyed bliss, didn’t they?”
“If you look at it in an expanded way, that can be said,” Adrian responded calmly, as if he had anticipated such a question, “But with Duan Yu’s infatuation, it’s hard to say whether he would accept his nominal sister, especially since Mr. Cha hasn’t explicitly written it in the text, right? As for Wei Xiaobao, unfortunately, he started as a little rascal and ended up the same way.”
At this point, he gestured towards Louis Cha: “Of course, I’m not saying Mr. Cha didn’t write well, in fact, we all know this penultimate work is of the anti-hero genre. However, every man has somewhat of a hero dream in his heart; no one is without a youth of recklessness. I believe that if you inquire at Stanford now, you can still find some of my… um… some achievements, but boys have to grow into men.”
After pausing for a moment and glancing at the few people in front of him, Adrian continued, “Maybe he has defied his father, maybe he has been self-willed and ignored advice, but he will eventually find his own path, gradually growing from a rascal into a true man, proudly standing before his father to earn acknowledgment. Just like those movies that vividly and brilliantly portray the growth process of a person, which are all very good and outstanding works. Wei Xiaobao might have some traces of growth, but they’re very few and far between, making him rather unlikable.”
At this moment, the people present were somewhat silent, especially Louis Cha, who seemed a little saddened with lowered eyelids. Adrian paused to think and quickly understood; most likely he thought of his eldest son who committed suicide while studying at a university in the United States. This was really… He said these words only to make a good connection with the brothers of the Li family, which might not even be useful later.
Fortunately, Liu Changle came out to smooth things over, and Adrian began to like this guy. People who can stand their ground here are indeed versatile.
“In any case, even if Wei Xiaobao ends up with seven wives, Mr. Cowell still feels Zhang Wuji is more likable in comparison,” he said.
“Moreover, Zhang Wuji is indecisive, but at least he sincerely cares for the two or four confidants he has,” Adrian added with a smile.
“Mr. Cowell is truly a thorough romantic,” Louis Cha teased lightly as he recovered.
“In business, of course, I would rather let the world down than the world let me down; but in affection, I would rather let the world let me down than me let the world down,” said Adrian immediately.
“So from a personal perspective, I still prefer the Condor Trilogy, and most ordinary people also like the trilogy,” without waiting for them to admire or be perplexed, he quickly changed the subject, “Needless to say, just look at how many times they have been adapted into TV dramas. There are at least five or six versions of ‘Heavenly Sword Dragon Slaying Saber,’ counting the one Ms. Yang invested in shooting in the mainland this year. Furthermore, with continuing advancements in production technology and differing interpretations by different people, new versions will be filmed in the future.”
“So, Mr. Cowell has seen all the TV versions?” Liu Changle asked curiously.
“Not all of them, but I’ve seen the more recent three versions, ’94, ’01, and this year’s ‘Heavenly Sword Dragon Slaying Saber,'” Adrian smiled slightly, his eyes brightening, “Of course, I haven’t watched all of them.”
The attention of the people in front was once again drawn to him, and he straightforwardly raised his hand: “I know you’re bound to ask which one I think is better and similar questions, so I’ll just go ahead and say it.”
Several low chuckles immediately rang out.
“Frankly speaking, this question is difficult to answer. There are a thousand Hamlets in a thousand pairs of eyes, and the investment, scenes, director, and screenwriter’s understanding of the novel will cause many differences. Some differences make the story worse, while others make it more resonant—of course, I don’t like the ending of the ’01 version.” With this sentence, Louis Cha couldn’t help but laugh.
“The ’01 version is produced by us, um… in the ending, Zhou Zhiruo loses her memory and eventually marries Song Qingshu.” Fang Yihua explained softly, and the others immediately showed strange expressions.
“So let’s still talk about the characters,” Adrian continued indifferently, “Among the three Zhang Wuji versions, Mr. Ma’s portrayal when silent has a certain simplicity, but once he speaks or starts roaring, he immediately becomes another person. Mr. Su shows a clever look all over his face, good for playing Zhang Cuishan, but somewhat lacking as Zhang Wuji, so overall Mr. Wu is the best. Although he similarly lacks the honest appearance of Zhang Wuji, excellent acting compensates for this.”
Then the conversation shifted: “As for the female lead, Zhou Zhiruo, undoubtedly this year’s version featuring Miss Gao is the most suitable.”
Upon hearing this, both the Li family brothers and Liu Changle, Chen Yongqi displayed expressions of understanding or agreement. They were all well-informed people, especially since the news of Gao Yuanyuan starring in the United States’ sci-fi TV series was currently a hot topic. Although they might not know the detailed relationship between him and Gao Yuanyuan, speculating the specific situation wasn’t difficult as long as relevant intelligence had been collected.
“According to Mr. Cha’s description, Zhou Zhiruo is undoubtedly a beautiful, gentle, and delicate woman. She never thought of being the head of the Emei Sect, yet had to obey her master’s last orders, bearing the future of the sect, while loving Zhang Wuji and dealing with him at the same time. When Zhang Wuji left suddenly at the wedding ceremony because of the information given by Zhao Min, the internal pressure caused resentment to erupt, leading her to make many mistakes.” Adrian remained indifferent.
“In terms of appearance, Miss Gao is very suitable for the role of Zhou Zhiruo. If she can also portray the transition to viciousness, it would be perfect. In this aspect, the 94 version featuring Ms. Zhou apparently did better, and she suited the transformed Zhou Zhiruo more, while the previous portrayal could easily feel overdone.” He chuckled, “I have to say, Ms. Yang’s studio is really being lazy; upon closer inspection, you’ll find that Ms. Zhou and Miss Gao have quite similar features, and even the costume design is quite similar. As for Miss Yu, sorry, Ms. Fang, although she is also quite good, Miss Gao and Ms. Zhou are simply too outstanding.”
Fang Yihua laughed lightly and waved her hand.
“And the other female lead, Zhao Min, without a doubt, Miss Li is the most dazzling among the three versions. Whether it’s appearance, temperament, or acting skills, she is quite captivating, embodying Zhao Min’s unruly, arrogance, and quirky traits.” Adrian praised generously, “As for the other two, Miss Jia is also quite good, but it’s unfortunate that she has Miss Li’s version shining ahead. No matter how hard she works, surpassing her is extremely difficult. As for Ms. Ye… unfortunately, I watched ‘The Legend of White Snake’ before the 94 version.”
As soon as he said that, there were bursts of amused laughter, even Louis Cha couldn’t help but laugh and shake his head; the remark was quite biting.
The entire cocktail party turned into Adrian’s showcase, which was probably a rare scene in a Hong Kong socialite gathering— a Westerner confidently discussing Chinese popular culture in front of a group of Chinese. Naturally, some things were understood only by those who could get it, and it didn’t matter to those who couldn’t.
The night thus came to an end. The next day, accompanied by several high-ranking officials from TVB, Adrian visited their studio.
It had been mentioned earlier that the relationship between AC Media and TVB was somewhat unique. They helped organize the cocktail party last night, and it was held in a villa at Repulse Bay at their suggestion, even providing the villa themselves. It should be noted that although hosting in a luxury hotel can be lively, it’s not as natural and close as in a villa.
Their channel was also viewable in the United States, but in Hong Kong, TVB is a wireless station, whereas in the United States, it becomes a basic cable station, mostly concentrated in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York. Therefore, TVB had to sign with AT&T Broadband to broadcast, and AT&T Broadband is currently owned by AC Media.
Because of this, TVB in Hong Kong gave preferential treatment to Universal Music compared to other big record companies, although this also related to Universal Music’s weaker influence in Asia compared to others.
“Frankly speaking, seeing all these, one can understand why TVB can monopolize Hong Kong,” Adrian praised after taking a tour with Fang Yihua, “If this place weren’t so small, limiting TVB’s development, I believe Mr. Shao’s business could be even more splendid.”
As for whether this would truly be the case, who cares? Flattery doesn’t need to be taken seriously.
“Yes, so we are trying to move northwards, further collaborating with the mainland, just like Mr. Cowell,” Fang Yihua tentatively said.
“It’s not easy. Dealing with the mainland is troublesome, but fortunately, I found a good collaborator,” Adrian ambiguously smiled.
“Speaking of which, Mr. Cowell has produced many TV dramas. It’s said that ‘Friends’ is your work. What do you think of our way of producing TV dramas?” Another of TVB’s high-ranking officials, a woman who looked about forty years old and Fang Yihua’s assistant, currently managing TVB’s human resources, Le Yiling, immediately switched the topic.
Before Adrian could answer, footsteps came from behind, turning to see two ladies dressed in modified Qing noble flag dresses approaching gracefully. Though flag dresses, they were redesigned and repackaged, having nothing to do with historical authenticity. Moreover, both women had their own charm, carrying a certain allure.
“Godmother, why did you call me here?” The leading lady greeted Fang Yihua and Le Yiling first and then intimately held the arm of another TVB high-ranking official present, who was younger than Fang Yihua and had spoken little all along, called Zeng Lizhen, while curiously sizing up Adrian.
The person trailing behind was much more reserved, greeting Fang Yihua, Le Yiling, and Zeng Lizhen before standing silently to the side.
“This is it, on one hand, I wanted to see how your drama is going, and on the other hand, to introduce someone to you.” Zeng Lizhen rarely showed a smile, holding her hand while saying this, although her eyes were somewhat complex.
“This is the famous Hollywood director, and also the chairman of AC Media, Mr. Adrian Cowell.” She then introduced, “Mr. Cowell, this is my goddaughter Li Zi, her English name is Gigi.”
“Hello, Miss Li.” Adrian extended his hand and started speaking in Chinese, but upon noticing her confused expression, he switched to English: “Nice to meet you, Gigi, I’m Adrian Cowell.”
Li Zi shook his hand somewhat mechanically and bewilderedly. She certainly knew who the famous Hollywood director Adrian Cowell was, but she didn’t expect to meet him in such a setting.
“This is really a surprise. Although I had guessed a bit, I didn’t expect you to be so enthusiastic.” Adrian smiled at Fang Yihua and Zeng Lizhen, then looked at another woman accompanied him, who wasn’t very pretty but had distinctive features: “Undoubtedly, this is Miss Yu.”
“You can call me Charmaine, Mr. Cowell.” After the initial shock subsided, Yu Shiman swiftly reached out her hand, though her face didn’t express much emotion, her eyes were exceedingly bright.
“Godmother, who is this…” Li Zi softly asked Zeng Lizhen, her brow slightly furrowed.
“It’s like this, last night, while chatting with Ms. Fang and Mr. Cha at the reception, I compared the three versions of the drama ‘Heavenly Sword Dragon Slaying Saber’ aired from 1994 to now. I think your acting and appearance are the best among the three versions; I didn’t expect Ms. Fang to invite me to the set today and bring you along as well,” Adrian explained, seeming very sincere, “I have to say, Gigi—can I call you that? Thank you, my saying, you are truly very very beautiful.”
“Thank you for your compliment, Mr. Cowell.” Li Zi replied with a smile, appearing very casual, as if she didn’t take it seriously.
“Of course, Miss Yu is also outstanding.” Adrian promptly turned to Yu Shiman.
“Thank you.” Yu Shiman’s response was simple, but her smile was more abundant than Li Zi’s.
“By the way, are you filming a TV drama?” Adrian observed their costumes, wondering what drama it might be.
“Yes, it’s a period drama called ‘War And Beauty,’ telling the story of palace conflicts during the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty.” Li Zi, prompted by Zeng Lizhen’s hinting glance, summarized the plot.
“See, that’s what I wanted to point out, Ms. Fang.” Adrian clapped and said immediately, “You have a long history, you’re located at Asia’s financial center, there are countless themes that can be created and filmed, all you need is to produce these themes well, why do you need to ask me?”
Fang Yihua and Zeng Lizhen both smiled cautiously; Adrian’s words seemed to resonate deeply with them. In Hong Kong, if talking about producing TV dramas, no one surpasses TVB.
“So, why not delve into entertainment shows a bit,” Adrian continued, “From what I understand, Hong Kong television stations have room to expand in this area.”
“Oh? Does Mr. Cowell have any good ideas?” Fang Yihua’s eyes brightened, causing some surprise to Le Yiling and Zeng Lizhen next to her; isn’t such enthusiasm a bit impolite?
But Adrian immediately provided an answer: “I know, there’s a habit among the Chinese, they like to communicate and discuss matters at the dining table, so you call it dining engagements. So, why not bring these dining engagements in front of the camera? You don’t need too many people, just one host and one guest is enough, oh, and a filming crew. Then, choose the venue for the interview based on the guest’s taste, talking casually while sampling food, not only letting the celebrity appear more approachable but also introducing various cuisines of Hong Kong.”
The three TVB executives simultaneously narrowed their eyes; clearly, this was a very appealing proposal.
“It is said that Mr. Cowell is unparalleled in terms of creativity; seeing is indeed believing.” Fang Yihua said, then discreetly exchanged a glance with Le Yiling.
“Thank you, I only happened to suggest coincidentally.” Adrian modestly said, then glanced at the two beautiful women on the other side.
Li Zi and Yu Shiman both looked bewildered, seeming not to understand what they were discussing, thus completely unaware that some matters were essentially decided.
—————-
“Yifu, what do you think?” In the current Shao Yifu’s studio skyscraper at Clear Water Bay, Fang Yihua asked her husband, testingly.
“What does He Liquan say?” Glancing through the piecemeal file temporarily gathered in his hand, Shao Yifu replied without raising his head.
“He believes it’s very promising, though we don’t have many standout talk shows, it’s best placed on a pay channel,” Fang Yihua said, “That Cowell truly has a keen eye, the ATV show that’s had good ratings these past two years, purchased from the United States, ‘Millionaire,’ is supposedly also his idea, I think Chen Ziyun…”
“You decide.” Shao Yifu waved his hand, interrupting her, “Let Li Zi go accompany Cowell.”
Fang Yihua’s mouth briefly flashed a hint of joy, but she still put on a reminding gesture: “However, Lizhen said that Zi seems to be romantically involved with someone recently…”
“How, are her wings growing strong and wanting to fly away?” Shao Yifu coldly snorted, raising his head, his cloudy old eyes gleaming sharply, not resembling a ninety-something-year-old elder at all, “TVB made her famous; shouldn’t she do something for TVB?”
“I’m just somewhat worried…” Fang Yihua responded with a conciliatory smile.
“On Hong Kong’s own turf, I, Shao, still have a bit of influence.” After finishing his words, Shao Yifu lowered his head again to continue browsing.
“Alright, I understand.” Fang Yihua also lowered her eyelids promptly to conceal her delight at securing the Imperial Sword.
“In that case, I’ll take my leave.” She said, standing up.
“Let Yu Shiman go too,” Shao Yifu’s voice sounded again, “A blessing of happiness for both.”
The tone remained so indifferent, as if a king with the power to arbitrarily decide life and death were discussing two tools.
Fang Yihua paused for a moment, then quickly nodded: “Okay.” (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, feel free to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets at Qidian (), your support is my greatest motivation.)