Chapter 165: The Arrival of Jinxishan

Upon learning about the investment situation of *SPL: Sha Po Lang*, Liu Qingshan had achieved his purpose.

He then asked a few related questions before making this remark: "Fat Wah said I am just a nobody. Judging by his tone, he seems too lazy to bicker with a newcomer like me. He probably won't interfere with this crew for now!"

"Really? What the hell, did he actually say that?"

Seeing the somewhat resentful look on the other man's face, Liu Qingshan nodded inwardly. This was precisely what he admired about Sammo Hung.

This man possessed both the familial care for his brothers and the formidable social competence to navigate among the heavyweights of various circles.

Disclosing this information to him was not a calculated move to use him as a pawn; had that been the case, his cooperation with Sammo Hung would have ended right here.

"Big Brother Bao, actually, Fat Wah is right. Isn't that my current situation? Please don't take it to heart. The reason your brother told you this is not to get you to seek justice for me. We were just chatting casually. As long as no one disturbs my work on this crew or affects the shooting schedule, everything else is just a minor detail!"

He was expressing his stance, and Sammo Hung naturally understood.

"I was just afraid you'd act on impulse and do something that would disrupt the crew's operations!"

"It's true I'm a hot-headed kid, but I'm also someone who climbed up from the very bottom step by step. I know what it means to cherish an opportunity!"

"Alright, with your word, I can rest easy."

His words were not spoken lightly. As a martial artist, he naturally understood the pros and cons of possessing formidable physical strength.

He was deeply afraid that if Liu Qingshan let his youthful temper get the better of him and went looking for trouble to avenge his dignity, it would ruin the *SPL* crew.

Yet, he also knew: were these annoying troubles caused by Liu Qingshan?

Obviously not. Instead, Sanyou Pictures held a grudge against a certain someone and subsequently turned their spearhead toward Liu Qingshan, who was still based in the Mainland.

If not for the constant persistence of the director and Donnie Yen, Liu Qingshan's opportunity for this casting would have been cancelled without reason. It was completely reasonable for him to harbor rebellious feelings.

The fatal part was that Liu Qingshan possessed a level of martial prowess that surpassed ordinary standards—an unknown strength that even an old hand like him could not fully fathom.

If a person like this were truly provoked into retaliating, something catastrophic would happen in the Hong Kong entertainment industry.

Understanding the hidden context, Liu Qingshan smiled and added, "Let's leave it at that. Right now, all I want is to make money; who has the time to bicker and fight for supremacy?"

***

The matter thus came to a temporary close. He knew Sammo Hung would handle the negotiations with Sanyou Pictures himself.

Yet, at that moment, he never expected that his conflict with that faction was far from over, because he had underestimated their shamelessness and narrow-mindedness.

In the afternoon, he finally received a call from Kim Hee-sun.

However, she wasn't the only one coming to visit the set; the towering figure of Jackie Chan was coming along as well.

After the matter was reported upward, Wilson Yip laughed heartily, "What is Ah Lung bustling about for? This is young people's business!"

Although he said that, necessary preparations still had to be made. Since Jackie Chan proposed making this itinerary public, there was mutual publicity value for both sides.

Fortunately, it was raining today, and the soundstage could only shoot some unimportant, scattered footage, freeing up most of the staff to set up the scene.

Jackie Chan had returned to Hong Kong for the global premiere of *The Myth*, and naturally, he was accompanied by a large media entourage.

The fact that he headed straight for the *SPL* crew the moment he got off the plane was a major news topic in itself, and Wilson Yip's side was naturally going to cooperate fully.

The biggest sensational news in the Hong Kong entertainment industry over the past couple of days was *The Myth*, with media outlets from as far away as South Korea and India having already arrived.

Catching a ride on this promotional bandwagon would inevitably bring tremendous benefits to the future film's impact and influence.

Consequently, everyone up and down the crew soon learned about the matter, and their moods were quite buoyant.

First, the unexpected rainy day provided a hard-earned chance to relax. Just by looking at the injuries almost all the stuntmen carried, one could understand how arduous their previous work had been.

Second, they could take this opportunity to interact with the media. Stars of all sizes could be found everywhere in any Hong Kong film crew, and no one wanted to miss a chance to catch the media's attention.

Third, the upcoming tasks were very simple: just putting on a fake, busy appearance of filming inside the soundstage, which turned out to be quite entertaining.

When Jackie Chan and his party arrived, the accompanying press corps had already set up their recording equipment both inside and outside the set ahead of time.

Seeing Kim Hee-sun step out of a car from afar, a wave of warmth welled up in Liu Qingshan's heart.

Jackie Chan led the way, followed by a massive entourage. His wife, Joan Lin, was among them, alongside Philip Ng and Yuen Biao.

Even Mallika Sherawat and her cousin Aishwarya appeared in the procession.

***

Kunal hastily stepped forward to greet them. After all, they were compatriots from India, and with so many cameras rolling, he needed to put on a show of enthusiasm; besides, he was also a member of *The Myth* crew.

Wilson Yip, accompanied by the leading actors of his own crew, went to welcome Jackie Chan. Liu Qingshan found it rather strange that Tony Leung Ka-fai hadn't tagged along.

"Hahaha, Ah Lung, why did you run straight over here the moment you got off the plane?"

Wilson Yip's question was somewhat feigned, but it cleverly pressed the "START" button for this scene.

Jackie Chan responded with a laugh as well, "No choice, a few of our actors from *The Myth* are over here with you. With the premiere coming up right away, I've come to invite them and concurrently ask Director Yip for a leave of absence to show my sincerity!"

This excuse was utterly flawless, especially since the media people knew that *SPL* was currently focusing on filming the scenes featuring the assassin Jack.

Liu Qingshan, who played the assassin, was an indispensable actor for the crew. Once he asked for leave, it would indeed affect the entire shooting schedule.

And while Liu Qingshan was not a primary character in *The Myth*, there was still the Indian actor Kunal.

Although Kunal was not cast in *SPL*, he still held the title of action director for the production.

Liu Qingshan did not deliberately avoid the reporters. After greeting Jackie Chan and the others, he gave Kim Hee-sun a big hug.

As expected, a reporter immediately rushed forward with a microphone held high: "Mr. Liu, you and Ms. Kim seem very close indeed. Can you tell our audience whether the two of you are in a romantic relationship?"

Liu Qingshan smiled and replied, "I am from the Mainland, and my Cantonese skills still need improvement. This reporter friend would best ask questions in Mandarin; otherwise, my reaction might be a bit slow."

The person immediately switched to Mandarin and repeated the question, but someone nearby chimed in with dissatisfaction: "Who are you trying to fool with that line? How could you act in *SPL* if you don't know Cantonese?"

Liu Qingshan glanced indifferently at that person without acknowledging him, turning instead to address the first questioner: "My apologies, but I don't have a single line of dialogue in the film; I can only understand some everyday phrases!"

He did this intentionally. After all, his roots were in the Mainland, and he had to consider the feelings of the audience there first.

Only then did he explain: "Of course, I'm more than just an ordinary friend with Sister Hee-sun. I call her sister, and she helped me a lot during the production of *The Myth*!"