Chapter 259: "A Man in the Martial World 2" (1) This...

Watching Li Sishi, who was receiving an award on stage, looking stunningly beautiful under the lights, Lu Yiting clapped with satisfaction and offered her sincere blessings and encouragement.

Li Sishi was naturally aware of Lu Yiting's efforts in winning awards for her during this period: when Li Sishi was filming the second sequel to "The Legend of the Condor Heroes," Lu Yiting flew to Fandu many times to do her best to garner votes for her and win the Best Actress award today.

That is why everything was arranged so well when Li Sishi arrived in Fandu. Lu Yiting had paid close attention to the conditions here when she flew to Fandu many times to negotiate, campaign, and do publicity work. She had made a plan for Li Sishi's arrival in advance, so that she could have a smooth journey after arriving in Fandu.

Grateful for this gesture, Li Sishi, in her acceptance speech, besides the usual thanks to the company, director, screenwriter, and co-stars, focused on thanking her agent, Lu Yiting, for guiding her through the industry and ultimately leading to her success.

After the awards ceremony, as the youngest newly crowned Asia-Pacific Best Actress, the media in the venue were naturally very enthusiastic. Their eager expressions, as if they wanted to swarm around them and devour them whole, made even Li Sishi, who was used to being under the spotlight, feel a shiver.

However, Lu Yiting had already made preparations for a safe return trip. After Li Sishi answered some relatively friendly questions, she and Cheng Erjian quickly pulled her away from the venue.

When Li Sishi and her entourage returned from the Asia-Pacific Film Festival, the newspapers and magazines in Hong Kong were in an uproar again. Although the Asia-Pacific Film Festival Awards are now slightly inferior to the Golden Film Awards and the Golden Horse Awards in terms of prestige, this award ceremony, which is said to be the oldest in Asia, still has the foundation of its past and has a certain status in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Southeast Asia.

Li Sishi was not only the "youngest" to win the award, but also won with an unconventional film. Immediately, some praised her talent and beauty, while others mocked her for using underhanded tactics to win the award, and there were even reports of her "buying" awards.

With fame comes controversy. From Zhao's Film Company to the current TBL TV station, she has accumulated many friends and enemies over the years. As the latest celebrity to appear in public, Li Sishi naturally receives both praise and criticism.

After all, that's how this industry is. When you reach a certain position, even if you have no intention of doing so, many people will still feel that you are blocking their path.

Li Sishi is not the type to be passive or uncompetitive; just look at all the reports praising her and feel the smugness that comes with being showered with compliments.

However, afterwards, they would not forget to look at the reports that criticized her, as if panning for gold in the sand to find out if they still had any shortcomings that needed to be improved.

Unfortunately, the flattery was genuinely flattering, and the nonsense was also genuinely nonsensical, which left Li Sishi, who had finally managed to find some time to read newspapers and magazines, feeling quite helpless.

However, to be honest, the Hong Kong media's writing style when criticizing definitely has a unique flavor compared to their praise. For example, this gossip magazine, which is at odds with TBL, used Li Sishi's movie role to give her the unusually sarcastic title of "fake Best Actress"—

Firstly, it subtly implies that Li Sishi, the newly crowned Best Actress who defeated the pre-competition favorite Taiwanese art film "Little Fish" with a commercial film, is suspected of malicious competition; secondly, it uses the fact that Li Sishi's character in the film is a genuine "fake mermaid" to imply that she is also an unworthy "fake" or "undeserving" actress in real life, which corresponds to the human girl Little Fish in "Little Fish"...

As for the Taiwanese media, they were quick to make sarcastic remarks about Li Sishi while expressing their regret for Hou Yaoxin's loss of the Best Actress award.

So Lu Yiting directly sent someone to invite Hou Yaoxin to Hong Kong to record a special interview program called "Pisces Gathering" with Li Sishi, using the "young fish Hou Yaoxin" to talk about the "mermaid".

⊕

Li Sishi's heartfelt response to winning the award, along with her wishes for seeing them again, served as a powerful rebuke to the shady media outlets that used the two of them as targets to stir up trouble.

With such swift and decisive follow-up actions, the controversy surrounding the newly crowned youngest Asia-Pacific Film Festival Best Actress award was temporarily suppressed, followed by another wave of popularity for "Mermaid Romance" in Southeast Asia and the Pacific region, among other film festival member areas.

Ultimately, there aren't many viewers who enjoy watching melodramatic movies about young women from overseas marrying older foreign men for green cards and then discussing life. What the general public prefers are lighthearted, entertaining popcorn movies with straightforward storylines.

Moreover, this film, "Mermaid Romance," which was ridiculed as a popcorn movie, is still full of sincerity, filled with beautiful women, scenery, and wonderful music. The play-within-a-play is also well-organized and clear. It has both an exotic Eastern flavor and is easy for foreign audiences to understand. Add to that a seemingly simple yet profound environmental theme, and the barriers to entry for watching the film are broken down by this combination of popular and refined elements, making it a film that is suitable for all ages and backgrounds, and that most people can understand and enjoy watching.

Time flies, and the Lunar New Year film "The New Three Smiles" has ended its run. The total box office in Hong Kong was HK$40.17 million, which is almost HK$10 million more than the HK$30.23 million box office of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" which ended its run not long ago.

However, comparing the investment amounts of these two films, there seems to be a certain gap in terms of cost-to-return ratio.

Because "The New Romance of Three Smiles" is a period film, it naturally costs more to make than a modern film, so the production cost has exceeded 8 million.

As for "The Young Swordsman," it only used less than 2 million yuan in production costs. Even if 5% of the box office revenue was given to Li Sishi, the gambler who actually turned a bicycle into a luxury motorcycle, the return of more than ten times was enough to make "Top Partner" company famous overnight. Especially since the release date of "The Young Swordsman" was even considered a terrible time slot, it still achieved a box office of more than 30 million yuan in the domestic market. If it had been released during the Lunar New Year holiday, the winner might have been unknown.

What's even more terrifying is that "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" can still be adapted into a film series based on the original comic, and the second sequel has already been put on the release schedule!

In mid-March, moviegoers were overjoyed to finally see the release of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes 2". Even though it was another midnight screening, they recreated the excitement of the first film, packing the theater to capacity.

But this time, the majority of supporters were clearly the majority. When Cheng Erjian and Li Sishi, the male and female leads, appeared at the end, the cheers were deafening.

Once the movie started playing, its plot clearly followed the ending of the previous film.

The male protagonist, He Nan, succeeded the former boss, D, and became the new leader of Causeway Bay. However, this area is very lucrative, so many people in the triads are eyeing this position. Even though He Nan's succession can be considered a natural progression, the undercurrents behind the scenes have never stopped.

At the beginning of the movie, the opening of a new store in the area managed by the male protagonist He Nan is used as an opportunity to introduce the experiences of the second male lead, "Crazy Chicken" Chen Tianwei, in Taiwan.

Chen Tianwei was a hoodlum in his early years. When he was out in the world, he took the nickname "Crazy Chicken" because it was a similar sound to his name. He was also a bit crazy and arrogant in his behavior. He was okay when he was suppressed by He Nan, who was a big boss. But after he escaped He Nan's control and went to Taiwan to seek refuge with his cousin, he quickly relapsed.

Thus, the femme fatale "Qiao Qing," played by Zheng Shuqiu, officially appears in the second male lead's flashback: "I went to a big boss's funeral with my cousin, and at that funeral I met people from the Taiwanese gangs..."

Just like the "gangs" in Hong Kong, the "gangs" on Taiwan Island are no less ruthless and corrupt than the gangs in Hong Kong, and are often even more cunning and vicious.

The spiciness of the food certainly broadened Chen Tianwei's horizons.

Qiao Qing, the stunningly beautiful woman who appeared at the funeral in a black traditional Japanese outfit, was breathtaking on the big screen, standing out against the group of gangsters in black suits behind her.

Upon seeing such a beautiful woman, Chen Tianwei couldn't help but fall into his old habit and took the opportunity to go up and talk to Qiao Qing.

Unlike other ordinary women in the gang, Qiao Qing only smiled demurely at Chen Tianwei's rambling nonsense. Her gentle and graceful demeanor made Chen Tianwei, who thought he had seen it all, stare wide-eyed, completely captivated by her beauty.

Lei Gong, a gang leader in Taiwan

Qiao Qingming appears glamorous on the surface as Lei Gong's secretary and lover, but in reality, she is not doing well because Lei Gong is old. People in the gang don't really acknowledge her, so she basically holds a high position but is just a figurehead.

On one occasion, Chen Tianwei got in touch with Lei Gong through his cousin and was attacked while helping Lei Gong. After being helped away by Qiao Qing, the two had a heart-to-heart talk and their relationship became much closer.

Qiao Qing helped Chen Tianwei gain Lei Gong's trust, worked with him to resolve internal struggles, and later even assisted him in becoming the head of the hall... Over time, Chen Tianwei's initial infatuation with her beauty gradually transformed into genuine feelings of budding romance.

If it weren't for Qiao Qing's status, he might have already planned to seduce her.

What surprised Chen Tianwei the most was that after Lei Gong unexpectedly learned of his feelings for Qiao Qing, he did not fly into a rage. Instead, he privately asked Chen Tianwei to spend more time with Qiao Qing, saying that he was getting old and did not have much energy to take care of her while managing the gang. Therefore, he could only find someone he could entrust Qiao Qing to.

Chen Tianwei was so overwhelmed by this incredible windfall that he was dizzy. If his cousin hadn't brought him news from Hong Kong that Boss D had been assassinated and his good brother He Nan had been expelled from the gang, Chen Tianwei probably wouldn't have wanted to come back to Hong Kong.

Fortunately, although Chen Tianwei was greedy for money and women, he valued loyalty more. Upon hearing that his former good brother had encountered such a big problem, he immediately borrowed a group of men and money from Lei Gong, and then "returned home in glory to help his good brother stand up and take revenge."

This is also the real reason why Chen Tianwei was able to return to Hong Kong in the first part with his men in a grand manner to help with revenge.

"So what do you plan to do in the future?" After listening to Chen Tianwei's recollection, He Nan took a drag of his cigarette and asked softly.

"Don't ask yet"

"What happened to them? Don't you want to answer me first? What are your plans for the future?" Before the words were finished, the female protagonist, "Sisi," who had previously avoided suspicion because of their private conversation, walked over with her arms crossed. "Do you remember what you promised me?"

Upon hearing Sisi's pointed remark, the audience members in the screening room who had seen the first movie instantly recalled some of the content of the first film: After the male protagonist He Nan was framed and expelled from the gang by the villain Heng Ge in the previous film, he opened a small bar in a rural area, thinking that he would retire from the underworld and live a normal life.

During this period, the relationship between the male and female protagonists rapidly intensifies. While walking their dog, they agree to live a peaceful, leisurely, and happy life together from now on, no longer concerned with worldly grudges, as being together is enough for them...

If it weren't for the accident involving Boss D, He Nan wouldn't have returned to the martial arts world for revenge.

Big Boss D is the biological father that Sisi is unwilling to admit. After learning that Big Boss D's family was killed, Sisi also put aside her "principle" of staying away from the underworld and supported the grief-stricken He Nan to seek revenge.

However, to Sisi's surprise, after He Nan eliminated Heng Ge, he was directly arranged by the gang leader Shang Sheng to take over the position of the former boss D.

"I see..." Although the first part of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" caused a huge stir in Hong Kong, there were still many people who had not seen the first part for various reasons. Hearing the audience next to them help explain the plot connection, they all nodded in understanding.

Returning her gaze to the big screen, He Nan, facing Si Si's questioning, was also quite troubled: "You know perfectly well that I didn't actually want to take this role, but given the circumstances, I really had no choice..."

If he hadn't accepted the offer, then the "empire" that Boss D had built would have simply benefited someone else.

He Nan naturally didn't want to see Boss D's years of hard work destroyed by someone else. He thought he would take over temporarily out of necessity, and then hand over the position once a suitable successor was found. He would then return to his hometown bar in the countryside and live happily ever after with his girlfriend...

After hearing He Nan's explanation, Sisi thought about it seriously before reluctantly nodding.

However, since her boyfriend broke their agreement first, she also wanted to think about her own future.

Sisi was silent for a while, organizing her thoughts in her mind, and then told He Nan about her idea of ​​continuing her studies and going abroad for further education.

He Nan immediately refused: Even though the two of them have finally gotten together,

From a traditional perspective, as a gangster, he was not a good match for his high-achieving girlfriend.

If his girlfriend goes abroad to study and never comes back, what will he do then?

He was willing to give up a regional leadership position that he already had in his grasp for his girlfriend, so why couldn't his girlfriend give up the idea of ​​studying abroad for him?

“It’s not that I’m preventing you from continuing your studies. There are universities in Hong Kong too, aren’t there? You can go to university just the same,” He Nan said softly.

Sisi shook her head: "Although I also like to stay in my hometown, there is still a gap between the universities in Hong Kong and the well-known universities in the world. If I have the opportunity to go to better places and see more things, why should I give up such a rare opportunity?"

This standoff resonated deeply with many people who had broken up with their partners for similar reasons.

Of course, some of the gangsters in floral shirts started cursing, feeling that the female lead, Sisi, had indeed done a bad job this time; then another group of sexy girls in leather jackets, suspenders, and studs immediately got angry: "People have the opportunity to go out and see the world, are you going to lock them up and not let them go?!"

"What if she goes and doesn't remember to come back?!" The atmosphere suddenly became tense.

"Just watch the movie, what's all the noise about!" A few people in the theater joined in the argument, and the atmosphere became increasingly tense, but the noise gradually subsided.

Before the audience could even come to a conclusion about this age-old dilemma, the plot on the big screen shifted to another point of contention: after a falling out with his girlfriend Sisi over their future, He Nan, back at a club meeting, began to face attacks from those who coveted his current position.

Among these people, especially the "Crazy Fly," the leader of the Hong Kong district, is targeting all the areas and businesses that He Nan has now taken over from the legacy of Boss D.

Kuangfei is an arrogant and domineering but loyal and righteous person. Back then, He Nan was promoted to "Red Pole" because he assassinated an undercover agent next to him. Kuangfei did not believe that the undercover agent was deliberately sent to infiltrate his side. Therefore, he has always held a grudge against He Nan for assassinating his good brother in order to advance his career. Now that he has a rare opportunity to avenge his brother, he naturally goes all out.

He Nan has not yet found a suitable successor, and Kuang Fei's appearance is completely inconsistent with his expectations for a successor. Therefore, he responded with a tough attitude and confronted Kuang Fei, who was approaching step by step.

The big boss, Shang Sheng, smiled and smoothed things over, then made another suggestion: give Kuang Fei and He Nan one each.

Bars of similar size and location with similar foot traffic will each manage for a period of time. The bar that does the best business will then take over the business left behind by Boss D.

Since the big boss had spoken, He Nan and Kuang Fei had no choice but to nod in agreement to the competition proposal. They each chose a bar and began their business competition, each showcasing their unique talents.

During the competition, Shang Sheng, the gang leader, specially sent He Nan with Chen Tianwei, who had risen to the position of hall master in the Taiwanese gang, to attend the meeting because of the arrival of the Taiwanese gang.

Upon learning that He Nan was not only competing with members of the gang, but also seemed to be getting involved in the affairs of Taiwanese gangs with Chen Tianwei, Sisi, who already had conflicts with him, became even angrier.

No matter how much He Nan assured her that she was just going to take a look and to speak up for Shang Sheng rather than to have an in-depth discussion, Si Si remained the same. In short, she had the annoyed attitude of a girlfriend who was angry and said, "If you don't agree with my idea, then I don't agree with your idea either."

"In short, this road is really difficult to walk..." Just as He Nan sighed and was about to leave, Sisi suddenly called out to him in a low voice, "Now I only have you by my side..."

Thinking of Sisi's background and seeing her helpless and sad appearance at this moment, not only He Nan in the play softened, but many viewers in the play also felt incredibly soft-hearted.

Yes, the reason Sisi was most angry was not because He Nan rejected her suggestion to study abroad, but because He Nan was now following in the footsteps of her father, Boss D.

What became of Boss D and his family?

Sisi and He Nan and their brothers had all visited the Chinese Permanent Cemetery together to pay their respects.

It has to be said that actresses who are both good-looking and talented have an advantage, and Li Sishi's character in the play is the very standard image of a first love, the white moonlight. After she said this, many viewers who previously thought she was being a bit unreasonable in this sequel suddenly had a 180-degree change of attitude...

"That's right, this road is really difficult to travel. It's best to avoid it if possible!"

Some people who went down the path of clubs in their youth for various reasons and now want to get out but find it difficult to do so can't help but sigh when they see this.

"In my opinion, since the hair is already wet, why worry about whether it's clean or not? You should definitely keep washing it! Of course, some people have different opinions."

Watching He Nan lightly kiss Sisi's hair and tell her to wait for him at the bar, Chen Tianwei urged her impatiently, "Alright, you two stop being so lovey-dovey."

"When you come back, you two can go back to your room and get intimate there!"

He Nan jokingly scolded Chen Tianwei, and the two went out together, soon arriving at the high-end club that Shang Sheng had mentioned.

Undoubtedly, this was a trap set by a powerful outsider testing the strength of the local power. Chen Tianwei's decision to continue following He Nan under Lei Gong's questioning was tantamount to him choosing to return to the Hong Kong Hong An Society. This greatly displeased Lei Gong, who admired him and had given him the position of leader.

Fortunately, Lei Gong has only recently landed and his foundation is not yet stable, so he dares not make a move against Hong An Society, which has been operating in Hong Kong for many years. Therefore, this banquet also ended unhappily.

However, both sides have already realized one thing in private: a battle between Hong Kong gangs and Taiwanese gangs is inevitable sooner or later.

As for the super casino that Lei Gong is about to build in Macau, it is the first step in seizing Hong An Society's business, and its significance is quite substantial.

With mixed feelings, they returned to the bar together. Seeing this, Sisi silently poured them tea.

"Let me have a drink tonight..." He Nan shook his head, and after getting Sisi's permission, he took a glass and drank with Chen Tianwei, one glass each. During the drink, they discussed the trap that was about tonight.

Although it is said that even a powerful dragon cannot suppress a local snake, judging from the current attitude of Lei Gong and the Taiwanese gangs, it is clear that they are going to launch a "dragon crossing the river" and intend to suppress Hong An Society.

"Wow, someone who speaks Mandarin, come quick and help—" Wen Tianjiu, the third male lead, suddenly shouted from the bar entrance, "My 'Braised Winter Melon' isn't very good!"

Sisi quickly went over to take a look, and a woman wearing sunglasses and a black business suit walked out of the night, smiling slightly at her with bright red lipstick.

"Who are you looking for?" Sisi asked, puzzled.

"I'm looking for Mr. Chen Tianwei. Is he here?" The woman introduced herself as Qiao Qing, a friend of Chen Tianwei.

Upon hearing this, Chen Tianwei hurriedly went over to welcome Qiao Qing inside, and began to inquire about her well-being in extremely broken Mandarin: "Why are you here too—hey, why are you wearing sunglasses so late at night? Take them off... What happened? Who hit you?!"

Seeing the faint bruise around Qiao Qing's eye, and hearing her say that she only wanted to say a few good words for Chen Tianwei, but was hit by Lei Gong in a fit of temper, not only Chen Tianwei, but also a group of viewers who considered themselves chivalrous became angry: "Taking a woman's anger out on her when things don't go her way, what kind of man hits a woman?!"

When Qiao Qing said that she hadn't been beaten for nothing, and that Lei Gong, after her persuasion, had agreed to meet the two of them in Macau the next day...

When the news was discussed again, the audience's attitude immediately split into two groups—

Some people think that the newly introduced Qiao Qing is indeed worthy of being rumored to be dating the chubby producer. Apart from her less-than-ideal background, her character, methods, and abilities far surpass those of the female lead Si Si, who is still a student.

Another group of older people felt that Qiao Qing's appearances were always too "timely," so it felt as if Lei Gong was deliberately using her to seduce the main characters.

Especially after receiving He Nan and Chen Tianwei's consent, the last glance she gave them before leaving was both pitiful and incredibly alluring.

If Qiao Qing were to use her beauty to intervene between He Nan and Chen Tianwei, and take the opportunity to sow discord between the brothers, the still somewhat naive Sisi might not be able to resist the advances of such a mature and sophisticated woman...

Even a playboy like Chen Tianwei, who has seen countless women, was captivated by her. How could He Nan, who is relatively "simple and innocent," possibly resist Qiao Qing?

"Sigh, this woman seems really scheming. Sisi is in trouble this time..."

A viewer who is a fan of Sisi and the main couple both on and off screen, looking at Qiao Qing's incredibly complex yet determined look at the end, and then looking at Sisi's still clueless appearance on the other side of the screen, couldn't help but sigh with regret.