Hong Kong's entertainment reporters were both loved and hated by the entertainment industry. They could elevate a celebrity to the heavens, or just as easily drag them back down. Many Hong Kong stars had an almost instinctive fear of entertainment reporters.
For every newcomer in Hong Kong, learning how to deal with the media was a required lesson. Fail that lesson, and sooner or later you'd pay the price. There were already plenty of cautionary tales.
As soon as the opening ceremony for 'A Chinese Ghost Story' ended, the uninvited entertainment reporters surrounded Lu Chen and began firing questions at him. Each one was trickier and more malicious than the last.
It was hard not to worry. After all, Lu Chen was a star from the mainland. He had debuted only recently and had almost certainly never faced this kind of media ambush before.
If his youthful temper got the better of him, no one could predict the consequences. Given the nature of Hong Kong's tabloids, they could turn a one-point issue into a ten-point scandal without breaking a sweat.
Seeing things taking a bad turn, Chen Wenqiang quickly shot Zhang Xiaofang a look, preparing to step in and shield Lu Chen from the reporters before he accidentally said something they could exploit.
---
But Lu Chen remained completely calm. Even when faced with questions dripping with obvious malice, he simply wore a faint smile, looking perfectly composed. After his experience with the reporters at Hong Kong Airport a few days earlier, he already had a firsthand understanding of how Hong Kong paparazzi operated.
After a brief pause, he spoke clearly into the microphone held in front of him.
"In my dictionary, there is no word for 'failure.' I believe 'A Chinese Ghost Story' will definitely succeed. As for whether it can change the landscape of Hong Kong cinema, I wouldn't dare make such a bold claim. As I said on ATV's 'Entertainment Three Talks', I want to be a catfish. A catfish isn't a crocodile. My appetite isn't that big."
He smiled warmly at the crowd. "As for the quality of the film, I welcome everyone to judge it for themselves when it's released. If you'd like, leave your contact information with us today. Our workshop will provide complimentary movie tickets and premiere gifts."
His answer skillfully defused the trap hidden in the reporters' questions while confidently expressing his faith in the film. He even ended by offering them a small favor.
Chen Wenqiang and Zhou Yi both quietly let out the breath they'd been holding. Sometimes Lu Chen's youth made people worry about him, yet time and again, he proved there was no need.
---
"There is no such thing as failure in my dictionary."
The line was undeniably bold. Several reporters' eyes lit up as though they'd found an irresistible headline. One of them immediately pressed further.
"'A Chinese Ghost Story' is said to have a production budget of thirty million Hong Kong dollars. While that isn't blockbuster territory, it's still a substantial investment. So why doesn't the cast include any major stars? Could you not afford to hire them? Or did most of that budget go into paying yourself? Or is that thirty-million-dollar figure simply made up?"
Before today's opening ceremony, Lu Chen's Hong Kong Workshop and Jiayang Film Industry had both announced details of 'A Chinese Ghost Story' on their respective blogs, including the production budget and cast. The reporter was clearly using the budget as ammunition against him.
Lu Chen looked at him steadily. "May I ask which media outlet you're from?"
The reporter answered proudly, "Bolo Daily."
'Bolo Daily...' Lu Chen remembered the newspaper. He smiled faintly.
"First of all, I'm acting in 'A Chinese Ghost Story' without taking a single dollar in salary. So there is no question of inflating the budget by paying myself."
It was common practice for celebrities who invested in their own films or television dramas to give themselves enormous salaries. Doing so boosted both their public value and the production's advertised budget.
For example, if a star's actual salary was ten million, it could be repackaged through accounting tricks as fifty million for promotional purposes. Many celebrities, including some superstar Heavenly Kings, used exactly this method, and investors were usually happy to cooperate.
But Lu Chen had done the exact opposite. He wasn't taking any salary at all. His goal was to put as much of the budget as possible into filming and post-production.
'No salary? Putting the money into production instead?'
The reporters exchanged strange looks. It wasn't something that had never happened before, but in today's film industry, it was about as rare as a phoenix feather or a unicorn horn.
Modern Hong Kong cinema was largely divided into two extremes: either low-budget productions filled with crude humor, or expensive blockbusters built entirely around superstar casts.
Very few filmmakers were still willing to devote themselves wholeheartedly to making a truly good movie, and those who had been were mostly driven out of the market.
The young man standing before them really did seem different.
---
The 'Bolo Daily' reporter refused to give up. Having failed to gain any ground over the budget, he abruptly shifted targets toward Ma Rongzhen, who was standing nearby.
"As far as I know, Mr. Ma Rongzhen has long been known in the industry as a 'box office poison.' What made you cast him in such an important supporting role?"
"Box office poison" was the nickname Ma Rongzhen had acquired during the later years of his acting career. Back then, every film he appeared in seemed to lose money, and the label had been maliciously attached to him.
In truth, Hong Kong cinema as a whole had already entered its decline. Ma Rongzhen had been repeatedly cast in nearly identical roles in movies belonging to failing genres. Combined with the overall market downturn, those films were almost destined to flop.
But once that nickname spread, his acting career was effectively over. No one wanted to hire him anymore. Eventually, he had been forced to scrape out a living at Lion Rock Film City, working as an extra and doing odd jobs.
There was a saying: 'Don't hit someone where it hurts.' Yet the 'Bolo Daily' reporter had publicly ripped open Ma Rongzhen's deepest wound in front of everyone.
Ma Rongzhen's face instantly turned bright red. He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
Then, he lowered his head. Because there was nothing he could do. Whether he argued or fought back, he'd only be walking into the reporter's trap. He couldn't afford to lose this priceless opportunity. All he could do was endure the humiliation in silence.
Lu Chen noticed the expression on Ma Rongzhen's face, and a sharp glint flashed through his eyes. Without the slightest hesitation, he answered firmly:
"I've never heard of any 'box office poison.' In my eyes, there are only good actors and bad actors. And Ma Rongzhen is an outstanding, dedicated actor. I believe he will absolutely do justice to the role of Yan Chixia. That's why I cast him."
Every word rang with conviction. There wasn't the slightest hint of hesitation.
It was a public show of unwavering support for Ma Rongzhen, and an equally forceful rebuttal to the ill-intentioned reporter.
Ma Rongzhen slowly straightened his back, and then he lifted his head once more. At that moment, his heart was filled with a profound sense of loyalty, he felt he would gladly give his life for someone who truly believed in him.
(End of Chapter)
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