Hong Kong 1990: From stuntman to King of Kung Fu

Chapter 57 The Inertia of History

It was almost evening when I got home from the police station.

As soon as she entered the room, Liu Jialing threw herself into Tang Long's arms.

"Ah Long, you scared me to death! If you hadn't been there, I might have been kidnapped by them."

Tang Long pulled her to sit on the sofa, then held her in his arms and gently stroked her.

"Don't worry, those people might be after me."

"No, they came for me. That person's eyes were too obvious."

"Whether it's aimed at you or not, I'll handle this. Don't go out for the next few days, just stay home."

Tang Long could no longer remain uninvolved.

He didn't expect that Liu Jialing's kidnapping would still happen after being postponed for more than a year.

This incident should have happened last April, but perhaps due to the butterfly effect caused by his presence, it didn't happen at the time.

It's now August 1991, and the inertia of history is still irreversible, and he has become a firsthand witness to it.

Fortunately, he was there; otherwise, if Liu Jialing had been kidnapped, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Anyway, he didn't believe that the other party had only taken a few photos.

He had a bad feeling last night. In the original timeline, Liu Jialing was also kidnapped on her way to play mahjong with Zeng Zhiwei.

Thinking that more than a year had passed and the incident shouldn't have happened, it now seems that one shouldn't take any chances.

Feeling Tang Long's strong heartbeat, Liu Jialing felt a strong sense of security, and her tense emotions began to calm down.

In such a dangerous situation, the man in front of her was still willing to protect her and not abandon her; many people wouldn't do that.

She had seen and heard many stories of people abandoning each other when disaster strikes, especially in the entertainment industry.

Now that Tang Long has taken on this troublesome matter, she feels a sense of peace she has never felt before.

She then felt Tang Long's restless hands begin to wander aimlessly.

Liu Jialing raised her head, gently stroked his cheek, and said in a tender voice:

"Ah Long, love me, love me fiercely."

Tang Long saw that Liu Jialing's eyes were practically drooling with desire, and he naturally understood that she was already moved.

Although he escaped danger in the end, he was still shaken afterward.

After all, it's like having a knife to your throat.

At that moment, all the negative emotions that had been building up throughout the day could no longer be contained upon hearing those words.

An urge to tear everything apart welled up inside me.

"Sizzle... sizzle..."

……

The next day, Tang Long went to Tang Jia's house and gave him a general account of what had happened the day before.

"These are troublesome times, Ah Long. If they're really after people, they'll probably come after you later."

"I was prepared that the more prosperous the Hong Kong film market becomes, the more rampant triad members will become."

Even without this incident, they would have come after me. Chow Yun-fat, Andy Lau, and Stephen Chow were not spared, let alone me.

Uncle, I was thinking of using this incident to resolve the troubles caused by the gang once and for all.

Tang Jia shook his head upon hearing this:

"It's impossible to solve this once and for all. You don't understand how deeply the organization has infiltrated the film industry."

From the 1950s onwards, movies have been inextricably linked to triads.

More than half of the film companies now have a corporate background, including the currently booming Golden Harvest.

Some even directly own shares in the organization, not to mention companies like Win's Entertainment and Shadow Entertainment.

They're just more law-abiding, but no one dares to ignore the power behind them.

"Since you're already involved, it's impossible to completely break free from the gang."

"Does this mean we have no choice but to bow down and make bad movies for those gangsters?" Tang Long asked unwillingly.

"Making bad movies can be avoided, but some things can't be avoided."

"I'll pay the required fees and pay my respects as required. I'm willing to abide by some of the rules."

But I don't want my personal safety endangered, and I don't want to be forced to film at gunpoint.

Tang Long had heard in his previous life that the 1990s were the golden age of Hong Kong cinema.

This was also the period when the gangs were most rampant in deeply controlling film and television resources, coercing artists, violently seizing projects, and maliciously retaliating.

The few things that have been exposed are already shocking enough.

There are many more unreported stories; the vast majority of Hong Kong artists have been coerced and defrauded by triads.

Let alone others, even Simon Yam, who has an older brother who is a chief superintendent of police, was still tricked into signing a contract of servitude.

Then they were forced to make erotic films, or they would have to pay an exorbitant penalty for breach of contract.

Not to mention those without connections.

Two years ago, Andy Lau was forced by triads to make more than ten bad movies. If he hadn't joined Win's Entertainment, he wouldn't have been able to get out of there.

He founded Sky Films because he wanted to create his own resources and control the narrative.

Besides celebrities, stuntmen at the bottom of society are in an even worse situation.

They work so hard to earn money, but it is often delayed or deducted, and sometimes they don't even get compensation when accidents happen.

This is why there are fewer and fewer stuntmen who work independently these days.

Without the protection of a large team, it's hard to get work, and even if you do, it's hard to get paid.

The Cheng family troupe sometimes has their wages deducted.

Experiencing this golden age firsthand now allows one to see more directly the filth and darkness that lay behind the prosperity of Hong Kong cinema.

This made him feel a chill, yet he was helpless.

Tang Long had never longed for the power of the mainland's legal system as much as he did now.

Although there are various negative phenomena in mainland China, at least there is no situation like now where an entire industry is being oppressed and practitioners are living in fear.

"You want to ask Deng Guangrong for help?"

"Who else can I turn to besides him? The Governor of Hong Kong?" Tang Long said with a wry smile.

Deng Guangrong held a high position, possessed great power, and had a deep background in Hong Kong's triads. Apart from a few desperate criminals, almost everyone in the underworld gave him face.

But outlaws don't care about making movies; it's too slow.

They usually each carry an AK and a rifle, and they are on the road to becoming bigger and stronger and creating new glories.

"He can indeed protect you, but you should know that there is no love without a reason."

"I understand, and I am prepared to pay the price."

It's better to bow down to Deng Guangrong than to have a gun pointed at you; at least he respected the rules and preserved some basic dignity.

"Do you know who arranged for your kidnapping this time?"

"I don't know, but we should find out soon. Given how arrogant they are, they definitely won't let this go."

"You need to be careful. Try not to go out unless absolutely necessary," Tang Jia said seriously.

"I know."

This is what frustrates Tang Long: the other side hasn't done anything, yet he's become paranoid.

Just then, the phone in the study rang.

Tang Jia took the microphone and then handed it to Tang Long:

"Your boss is looking for you."

After hanging up the phone, Tang Long couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.

"What does Xiaodong want with you? He sounded quite urgent, and he even called me."

"The other side's retaliation has arrived."

My boss just told me that the soundstage built for "Reign of Assassins" was vandalized.

"It's good that they take action; at least they'll find out who the other side is."