novellhall Chapter 55 Those who have left don't need to come back.
Chapter 55 Those who have left don't need to come back.
Chapter 55 Those who leave don't need to come back (Seeking first subscription)
On June 12, filming for "The Adventurers in Tsim Sha Tsui" began in front of an old tenement building in Tsim Sha Tsui.
Ye Weixin set up a folding table with a statue of Guan Yu and a roast suckling pig on it.
Zhang Baizhi, wearing the faded denim jacket from the movie, stood next to the director, bowing to the incense burner, her ponytail swinging in the wind.
Wu Yanzu stood two steps behind her, his back straight, his expression as serious as if he were going to school for the first time.
Lin Dong did not go.
He sat in his office with the final drafts of the distribution contracts sent by Sony and Winsun spread out in front of him.
The legal department had already reviewed each clause. He flipped through both contracts from beginning to end, signed them, and had his newly hired secretary, Zhou Huiming, fax them over.
On June 13, the filming of "Love Dream" was launched at Victoria Harbour.
Huang Baiming hired a lion dance troupe, and red ribbons were hung down from the cruise ship's gangway all the way to the dock.
Li Jiaxin, dressed in the white suit from the play, stood on the deck and waved to the reporters on the shore, while the flashbulbs went off for fifteen minutes.
Andy Lau stood next to her, his hair disheveled by the wind, and he smiled as he took a step back.
Lin Dong still didn't go.
I met with representatives from Taiwan's Longxiang Film Industry at the company. The two sides talked for a morning—the Taiwan market share is 30%, with a guaranteed minimum of two million NT dollars.
Lin Dong shook hands with the other party and signed the letter of intent.
June 14th, the day before departure.
Lin Dong sat in his office swivel chair, flipping through the final draft of the script that Mai Zhaohui had handed him.
The title on the cover is still "Undercover," printed in bold black font, with "Screenwriter/Director: Alan Mak" below.
He turned to the last page: Chen Yongren died on the rooftop, and Liu Jianming stood in front of him, his gun still smoking.
"Let's not call it 'Undercover' anymore." He put the script on the table.
Mai Zhaohui sat opposite him, leaning slightly forward.
"Infernal Affairs"
Mai Zhaohui was stunned for a moment.
He silently repeated these three words twice: "Infernal Affairs, Infernal Hell."
Then his eyes suddenly lit up, and he slapped his thigh with his right hand, jumping halfway up the chair before sitting back down.
"Good! Good! Infernal Affairs—Infernal Hell! Chen Yongren is in Infernal Hell, and Liu Jianming is in Infernal Hell too! One is dead and can't find release, the other is alive and tormented forever! Lin Sheng, that name is brilliant! How come I didn't think of that!"
Lin Dong picked up his teacup and took a sip. He had much more on his mind than that, but there was no need to say it.
Chen Xinjian opened his notebook and continued calmly, "Mr. Lin, regarding the actors for 'Infernal Affairs'—Andy Lau's contract has been signed, but his schedule won't be available until August."
Tony Leung's agent responded the day before yesterday, expressing strong interest, but said he had to read the script himself first.
Mak Siu-fai immediately chimed in, "I'll personally deliver the script. No one in all of Hong Kong is more suitable for the role of Chan Wing-yan than Tony Leung."
Lin Dong nodded.
Mak Siu-fai put the script back into his briefcase, stood up, bowed, and turned to leave.
He paused at the door, turned around, said nothing, and bowed again. Then he pushed the door open and went out.
Chen Xinjian turned to another page of the notebook, about to speak, when Lin Dong waved his hand.
"While I'm in the mainland, handle the minor matters yourself. For major issues, call me."
Chen Xinjian closed his notebook without saying anything more. "Understood."
Lin Dong stood up and straightened his cuffs.
Ah-Qiang and his six bodyguards were already waiting in the corridor—two of the eight bodyguards had stayed in Hong Kong with Li Jiaxin, while the remaining six were all going north with him this time.
The Mercedes convoy departed from the Bank of East Asia Building, passed through the Cross-Harbour Tunnel, and stopped in front of the Lei Garden restaurant in Causeway Bay.
The private room wasn't large, but it had a great location, with a view of the Causeway Bay typhoon shelter at night from the window. Heung Hoi-lan had already arrived.
Today she was wearing a pale yellow dress, her hair was down with the ends slightly curled, and her makeup was several levels more refined than when she was at the office.
"Mr. Lin." She stood up and bowed slightly, her movements still retaining the habits she had when she was a secretary.
Lin Dong sat down opposite him, and A Qiang closed the door to the private room from the outside.
He didn't look at the menu; Xiang Hailan had already ordered the dishes in advance: salt and pepper mantis shrimp, steamed grouper with black bean sauce, garlic bok choy, and a pot of slow-cooked soup.
These were all the dishes he used to order at Fook Lam Moon.
"How did the competition go?" Lin Dong picked up his chrysanthemum tea and took a sip.
"Champion." Heung Hoi-lan refilled his tea, a hint of pride on her face. "TVB has already drafted the contract."
""
"That's good."
The dishes are here.
Xiang Hailan served him soup, placing the chopsticks on his right and the bone plate on his left—this routine was performed with effortless grace, exactly as she did every day when she was still at the company.
After putting down the soup spoon, she didn't touch her chopsticks. She placed her hands together on the edge of the table, pursed her lips a few times, and then spoke.
"Lin Sheng, I want to go back to Tengda."
Lin Dong put down the soup bowl and looked at her.
"I'm not coming back to be a secretary," she quickly added, her tone even more tense than before, "to be an artist. I haven't signed my contract with TVB yet."
I've thought about it. I'm somewhat famous now, and Tengda doesn't have many artists. Besides, working alongside Mr. Lin offers different opportunities.
Lin Dong picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of grouper, and only spoke after finishing it.
"TVB is great."
Xiang Hailan's eyelashes trembled slightly.
"You've just eaten their food, so don't try to bite the hand that feeds you."
Xiang Hailan's lips moved as if she wanted to say something. Lin Dong didn't give her a chance to speak.
"And your resignation letter is still in my drawer." He put down his chopsticks. "I have a habit of not bringing people back after they leave. It's not that I hold grudges, it's just a rule."
Xiang Hailan fell silent. Her fingers, holding the chrysanthemum tea, turned slightly white, and her throat moved as if she were swallowing something.
The private room was quiet for about half a minute. The muffled sound of traffic from Nathan Road outside the window drifted in through the glass, as if separated by a layer of water.
"Mr. Lin," she put down her cup, "that day in your office—"
'
"You don't need to remember what happened that day," Lin Dong interrupted her. "It was just a fleeting encounter. You don't owe me anything, and I don't owe you anything."
Xiang Hailan lowered her head, biting her lip. Her eyes were a little red, but she didn't let the tears fall.
"Well—I've signed with TVB."
"Sign it." Lin Dong picked up his soup bowl and continued drinking. "You've already won the Miss Hong Kong title, TVB will give you resources. As for the rest of your life, you'll have to figure it out yourself."
Xiang Hailan took a deep breath, forcing back the tears welling up in her eyes, then stood up and bowed to Lin Dong.
"Mr. Lin, if I achieve something in the future, please don't pretend you don't know me."
"No," Lin Dong stood up as well. "You can treat me to dinner then."
Xiang Hailan smiled, the first genuine smile she'd given since entering the room that evening. Then she picked up her bag, opened the door, and went out.
Lin Dong sat back down in his chair and finished the last sip of soup. A-Qiang pushed open the door, wiped his mouth, and stood up.
"I'm gone."
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