A Visit to the Set

Beep beep—

A car horn blared through the narrow, bustling street.

"Chu-zai, if you stick with Big Brother from now on, you'll never have to worry about having food on the table. Just do your best and you'll go places. You've got the skills, and you've got the looks. Big Brother thinks so highly of you, he might even give you a shot at acting. Now that would be something!"

Fish Head Xu rested both hands on the steering wheel, gazing at the traffic ahead. His excitement still hadn't faded, and he kept chattering away. "If you become a star, you'll make so much money your hands will get tired from counting it. You'll date pretty girls, drive fancy cars, and live in a big house. Then your life will be complete."

"Is that so?"

Yang Chu leaned back in the passenger seat, listening to Fish Head Xu imagine the future, while his gaze lingered on the busy crowds outside the window. For no particular reason, he thought of the books he had browsed in the library.

It seemed that after he had gained control of the system inside his body and resolved the threat of death, then found a job with Fish Head Xu, his immediate problems in life had disappeared. Suddenly, he felt that many things seemed to have little meaning.

Without his subconscious, some of his physical instincts and desires seemed unable to stir any excitement in him.

Instead, browsing book after book in the library and exploring the endless mysteries within himself had interested him more.

He slowly rolled up the window, shutting out the noise outside, and gazed at the traffic and city with a detached air.

The dazzling billboards, the rows of shops, the newspaper kiosks and dessert stalls along the street, the crowds coming and going.

Everything seemed so close, yet so far away, as if it belonged to another world.

"Brother Xu, what do you think the meaning of our being alive is?" Yang Chu suddenly asked, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Wow, Chu-zai, you're asking me something so profound."

Fish Head Xu heard him clearly from the driver's seat and let out an exaggerated cry.

Yang Chu continued to gaze outside. He hadn't really been asking Fish Head Xu; the question had come from somewhere inside him, and he was asking himself.

Fish Head Xu naturally had no idea what Yang Chu was thinking. He simply carried on, "Chu-zai, I honestly don't know the answer to that. I never got much schooling. I didn't even finish primary school. If I had, I wouldn't have ended up as an extra. If only I'd known back then, I would've used my earnings to buy apartments and land—or even gold. Then I wouldn't have to be out here hustling now..."

As he spoke, a rare look of nostalgia and regret crossed Fish Head Xu's face.

He was no longer young—well into his thirties, nearly forty. His stamina had declined, he was plagued by injuries, and he didn't know how to work as a stunt coordinator. Now he could only play small roles in films and TV shows, picking up odd jobs to make a living.

"Then who should I ask?"

Seeing how seriously Fish Head Xu had taken it, Yang Chu smiled and asked with a hint of teasing.

"Ask someone who's been to school."

Fish Head Xu pursed his lips and honked at a pedestrian ambling across the road. Then he continued, "Those four great talents and the like. Some write books and newspapers to make big money, while others go on TV and chatter all day long. I can't figure out where they get so much to talk about."

"Haha—"

Yang Chu laughed freely. It seemed that only when he was talking with Fish Head Xu did he truly feel any emotion.

The battered Toyota drove past the first stretch of narrow, bustling streets, then turned onto Clear Water Bay Road, where the traffic gradually thinned. After about twenty minutes, they arrived in Tai Po Tsai, Clear Water Bay.

Fish Head Xu pulled over beside a dessert stall on the street and took Yang Chu out of the car.

"Brother Xu, you're so thoughtful. You knew I'd get hungry again, so you're buying me dessert?" Yang Chu joked as he followed Fish Head Xu into the shop.

"Wow, Chu-zai, don't you have a conscience? You made several times what I did today, and you still expect me to pay?!"

Fish Head Xu let out a loud, aggrieved groan, then explained, "We're visiting someone on set. It wouldn't be right to show up empty-handed, especially when I'm going to see my big brother. I have to make sure he looks good."

Then he called to the shopkeeper, "Boss, five portions each of the double-bean dessert, the three-paste dessert, mango, coconut milk, ginger milk curd, and sweet potato. Pack them up."

"Sure thing. Just a moment, you two." Seeing two big spenders, the shopkeeper hurried into action.

Most of the items were already prepared, so it didn't take long to get everything ready.

Yang Chu and Fish Head Xu carried a pile of desserts back to the car.

They drove on and soon reached the sprawling complex of buildings built around Tai Po Tsai.

"Chu-zai, see that? This is the biggest film studio on Hong Kong Island. When I first worked for my big brother as a stuntman, I was here too. You have no idea how many movies they shot here back then. There aren't as many now; they mostly shoot TV dramas. I've also heard they do some location shoots over in Tseung Kwan O these days."

Fish Head Xu drove along, looking ahead as he excitedly introduced the place to Yang Chu.

"There are certainly a lot of people."

Yang Chu saw plenty of people and vehicles coming and going outside. The two golden letters "SB" were mounted on a tall building.

"Fish Head Xu, long time no see! Here to visit someone on set?"

As they passed a guard booth, an older security guard recognized Fish Head Xu and greeted him from inside the car.

"Yeah. I heard my big brother's been filming a new show lately. As his little brother, I had to come by and visit."

Fish Head Xu greeted the guard warmly, then reached into the back seat, took out a portion of dessert, and handed it over. "It's hot out, Brother Yuen. Have some dessert."

"Much appreciated."

The guard, whom Fish Head Xu had called Brother Yuen, accepted the dessert with a bright smile. Then he pointed inside. "The show your big brother's filming should be over by the old street right now. You know the place."

"Thanks, Brother Yuen. We'll have tea together sometime."

Fish Head Xu waved cheerfully and drove into the studio.

After parking, Yang Chu and Fish Head Xu carried their pile of desserts into the film lot.

The period-drama set wasn't very large, and Fish Head Xu knew his way around. It didn't take them long to find the production crew.

Dusk was falling, and the crew was wrapping up for the day. Busy people hurried back and forth all around them.

"Big Brother, I'm here to visit you on set!"

From a distance, Fish Head Xu spotted a resolute-looking middle-aged man in costume and called out excitedly.

"Wow, Fish Head Xu, you've made it big! You haven't been back in ages!"

"You haven't been showing up to Little Monkey's games lately. Is it because you won money off me last time?"

Fish Head Xu's shout drew the attention of many people nearby. Several who knew him called out to him.

The resolute-looking middle-aged man in costume came over too. He glanced at the pile of desserts in Fish Head Xu's hands and raised his eyebrows slightly, looking displeased. "It's enough that you came to see me. Why buy so much dessert? It's not easy to earn money, you know."

"It's been so long since I saw you, Big Brother. It's so hot out—have some dessert to cool down." Fish Head Xu grinned, unbothered.

"You're not as well-off as you used to be, so don't spend money so freely. Put it down for now."

The resolute-looking middle-aged man seemed a little helpless at Fish Head Xu's expression. He first picked out two portions of dessert for the director, then smiled and called to the rest of the crew, "My little brother bought some dessert. Come over and have some!"

"Thanks, Brother Biao!"

Many of the crew members nearby called out their thanks.

After everyone had taken most of the desserts, the resolute-looking middle-aged man turned his gaze to Yang Chu and asked Fish Head Xu, "Ah Xu, who's this?"

"Big Brother, this is my new friend, Chu-zai. He helped me out." Fish Head Xu drew Yang Chu to his side and introduced him with a smile.

"My name's Bai Biao. I'm Ah Xu's biological big brother. Thanks for helping him out, Chu-zai."

The resolute-looking middle-aged man still seemed partly in character. He instinctively clasped his hands in a martial salute, then caught himself, shook his head with a smile, and held out his right hand to Yang Chu.

"Nice to meet you, Brother Bai Biao."

Yang Chu shook his hand. From the few simple things Bai Biao had said, he could tell that Fish Head Xu and his big brother were close.

"Uncle Guo, is there dessert?"

A voice suddenly came from behind Bai Biao. A ridiculously handsome young man in costume came over with a grin.

"Ah Xu, Chu-zai, this is Gu Zai." Bai Biao smiled as he introduced the young man to Fish Head Xu and Yang Chu. "Gu Zai's the male lead in our show. Haha, he's even more into his role than I am. What do you think? Handsome, right?"

"Handsome doesn't even begin to cover it. He's drop-dead gorgeous!" Fish Head Xu was the first to exclaim, his cross-eyed gaze practically shining.

Yang Chu couldn't help nodding in agreement. The stuntman he had filled in for earlier, Wu Zai, had already been exceptionally handsome, but this young man in period costume was even more stunning. Even saying he could make people stop and stare like Wei Jie wouldn't do him justice.

"Alright, we'll get going now."

After a few more pleasantries, Fish Head Xu and Yang Chu prepared to leave.

Bai Biao still had a night shoot and couldn't get away. The crew had boxed meals, but there was no need to impose on them for dinner.

Once they left the studio, the sky had begun to darken.

Fish Head Xu got the car, and the two of them drove back along Clear Water Bay Road.

When they reached a somewhat deserted stretch beyond the intersection of Clear Water Bay Road and Sai Kung Highway, Fish Head Xu suddenly spotted someone walking alone along the roadside. He immediately hit the brakes and waved to him.

"Hey, brother! There's no one around on this stretch. Want a lift?"

Yang Chu wasn't surprised by Fish Head Xu's friendliness. That was simply the kind of person he was.

But after the car stopped, Yang Chu glanced through the window at the man standing by the roadside. He looked to be in his twenties or thirties, with a short crew cut and a large backpack. His clothes were plain, unlike what most Hong Kong people wore at the time, and his face bore the wear of travel.

"I don't have any money."

The short-haired man seemed surprised that someone had stopped to offer him a ride, but he didn't accept right away. Instead, he said he had no money.

"We're giving you a lift along the way. Why would we charge you? The nearest bus stop's several miles off." Fish Head Xu waved a hand. "Are you getting in or not?"

The short-haired man standing by the road looked at Fish Head Xu and Yang Chu in the car, then suddenly gave a reserved smile. He didn't seem worried about getting into a car with two strangers. He clasped his hands in a light salute. "Then I'm much obliged."

"People everywhere are brothers, after all."

Fish Head Xu said it with a hearty laugh. Once the short-haired man had climbed into the car, he started the engine again and asked, "Brother, we're going back to West Kowloon. Where are you headed?"

"What a coincidence. I'm going to West Kowloon too."

The short-haired man in the back seat smiled, showing a row of white teeth, then named his destination. "Old Tan Tea Restaurant on Nanjing Street, West Kowloon."

Fish Head Xu thought for a moment. "I don't know Old Tan Tea Restaurant, but I know Nanjing Street. I'll drop you there, and you can find the place yourself."

"Alright, thanks."

The short-haired man in the back seat clasped his hands in a salute once more.

He seemed to have realized that Fish Head Xu and Yang Chu meant him no harm, and he looked even more relaxed than he had on the roadside.

"Have you trained in martial arts?"

Yang Chu, sitting in the passenger seat, suddenly turned his head to ask the short-haired man.

Ever since the short-haired man had gotten into the car, Yang Chu had been observing him. He wasn't tall or broad, but his build seemed even more lean and capable than the stuntmen on set. He also had a quality about him that set him apart from ordinary people.

After seeing him clasp his hands in a salute twice, Yang Chu suddenly recalled Bai Biao's gesture at the studio and began to suspect as much.

The short-haired man didn't seem bothered that Yang Chu had seen through him. Instead, he gave a faint smile. "Twenty years, without a single break."

His voice was calm, but it carried a confidence he could hardly conceal.

Yang Chu nodded and said nothing more.

Fish Head Xu, on the other hand, perked up at the mention of martial arts. "Brother, you've trained? What school are you from? I've trained too! Back when I was working with my big brother, I learned a bit of Small Hong Fist and White Eyebrow."

"Just a small school."

The short-haired man's reserved smile returned. He seemed to have no intention of revealing his teacher's name.

Fish Head Xu didn't mind that the short-haired man hadn't named his school. On the contrary, it seemed to spur him on, and he launched into a long, enthusiastic speech.

"Training in martial arts is great. Chu-zai, you should learn a bit too when you have time. If you're going to work as a stuntman, you should know a little of every kind of martial art. With a solid foundation, you can pull off more eye-catching moves in kung fu films. Big Brother and my big brother used to perform opera, and later they learned martial arts from all sorts of schools. Their moves in films really looked good. There's a world of difference between someone who's trained and someone who hasn't.

"There's just one thing to remember when filming: hold back. We used to have a famous martial arts star, and all of us were terrified of filming with him. We were only pretending to fight, but he treated it like the real thing and kept coming after you. Sometimes he wouldn't even stop after the scene was over."

Yang Chu in the passenger seat and the short-haired man in the back listened to Fish Head Xu chatter the whole way, without saying a word.

But when Yang Chu turned to look behind him, he noticed the smile on the short-haired man's face had grown wider.

The car wound through streets and alleys, passing the dazzling city streets, and soon reached the area around Nanjing Street.

The short-haired man in the back seat clasped his hands to thank Fish Head Xu and Yang Chu once more. Then he slung his huge backpack over his shoulders and headed off into the bustling streets.