Visiting the Set

Beep, beep, beep—

The honking of car horns echoed through the narrow, bustling streets.

"Chu, kid, follow Big Brother from now on and you'll never have to worry about a meal. Just work hard, you've got a bright future. You've got the skills and the look, and since Big Brother thinks so highly of you, he might even push you into acting. That would be something else!"

Fish Head Xu kept his hands on the steering wheel, his face still flushed with excitement as he stared at the congested road ahead, rambling on. "If you become a star, you'll be counting money until your hands go numb, chasing beauties, driving luxury cars, living in a mansion—that's what you call a complete life."

"Is that so?"

Yang Chu leaned back in the passenger seat, listening to Fish Head Xu's vision of the future while his gaze rested on the busy crowds outside the window. For no reason at all, he thought of the books he had been flipping through in the library.

Having seemingly gained control over the system within his body and resolved his death crisis, and now having found work through Fish Head Xu, he no longer had any immediate life concerns. Suddenly, he felt as though many things had lost their meaning.

Without his subconscious, the desires born of physiological instinct seemed unable to trigger any real excitement in him.

Instead, he found more interest in browsing through books in the library, exploring the infinite mysteries of his own being.

Slowly rolling up the window to shut out the noise, Yang Chu surveyed the bustling streets and the city with a sense of detachment.

The garish, bizarre billboards, the row upon row of shops, the street-side newsstands and dessert stalls, the throngs of people coming and going.

Everything seemed so close, yet felt worlds away, as if they belonged to two different realities.

"Brother Xu, what do you think is the meaning of our existence?" Yang Chu asked suddenly, out of the blue.

"Whoa, Chu, you're hitting me with such deep questions."

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

Yang Chu continued to look out the window. He hadn't actually asked Fish Head Xu; it was just a sudden feeling, a question he was asking himself.

Fish Head Xu, naturally unaware of Yang Chu's thoughts, kept talking to himself. "Chu, kid, I really don't get that kind of stuff. I never finished school, didn't even graduate primary school, otherwise I wouldn't be a has-been. Back in the day, you know, if you made money, you bought property or land, or even gold. Who would be out here hustling now..."

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

He wasn't young anymore—nearing forty, his physical stamina was declining, he was riddled with old injuries, and he could no longer work as a stunt coordinator. Now, he could only play bit parts in films and dramas, running errands just to make ends meet.

"Then who should I ask?"

Seeing Fish Head Xu being so serious, Yang Chu asked with a playful, teasing tone.

"Ask those educated folks, of course."

Fish Head Xu curled his lip, honked the horn to urge a slow-moving pedestrian along, and continued, "The Four Great Talents and all that. They either write books and run newspapers to make big money, or they're on TV yapping all day long. I don't know where they find so much to talk about."

"Haha—"

Yang Chu laughed heartily. It seemed that only when talking to Fish Head Xu could he truly feel a flicker of emotion.

The battered Toyota drove past the initial narrow, busy streets and onto Clear Water Bay Road, where the road gradually opened up. After about fifteen or twenty minutes, they arrived at Tai Po Tsai in Clear Water Bay.

Fish Head Xu pulled the car over by a dessert stall on the side of the street and beckoned Yang Chu to get out.

"Brother Xu, so thoughtful, knowing I was hungry again? Buying me dessert?" Yang Chu followed Fish Head Xu into the shop, smiling.

"Wow, Chu, have you no conscience? You made way more than me today, and you still want me to pay?!"

Fish Head Xu let out a mock cry of protest before explaining, "You can't show up to visit a set empty-handed, especially when it's my Big Brother. I've got to help him save face."

With that, he called out to the shop owner, "Boss, two of each: red bean soup, mung bean soup, mango, coconut milk, ginger milk curd, and sweet potato. Five of each, to go."

"You got it, gentlemen, just a moment." Seeing a big spender, the owner hurried to get to work.

Most of the items were already prepared, so it didn't take long for the order to be ready.

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

The car moved forward and soon reached the sprawling complex built around Tai Po Tsai.

"Chu, see that? This is the biggest film studio in Hong Kong Island. When I first started as a stuntman under my Big Brother, it was right here. You wouldn't believe how many movies were filmed here back then. It's less now, mostly TV dramas, and I hear they're doing some location shoots over in Tseung Kwan O too."

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

"It certainly looks crowded."

Yang Chu saw that there were indeed many people and vehicles coming and going outside, and on a tall building, two golden characters, "SB," were hung prominently.

"Fish Head Xu, haven't seen you in a while! Here to visit the set?"

As the car passed a security booth, an elderly guard recognized the vehicle and called out to Fish Head Xu.

"Yeah, heard my Big Brother was shooting a new film recently. As his little brother, I had to come by and show some support."

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

"You're a thoughtful one."

The guard, addressed as Brother Yuen, took the dessert with a bright smile and pointed inside. "The scene your Big Brother is shooting, it should be over by the old street area, you know how it is."

"Thanks, Brother Yuen, let's have tea sometime."

Fish Head Xu waved with a smile and drove the car into the studio.

After parking, Yang Chu and Fish Head Xu carried the mountain of desserts and headed into the set.

The period-drama studio wasn't very large, and Fish Head Xu was quite familiar with it, so they found the crew quickly.

As dusk approached, the crew was just wrapping up, and the area was filled with busy people coming and going.

"Big Brother, I've come to visit the set!"

Fish Head Xu spotted a middle-aged man with a resolute face dressed in period costume in the crowd from afar and shouted excitedly.

"Wow, Fish Head Xu, you've struck it rich! It's been a long time since you came back."

"I haven't seen you at any of Little Monkey's games lately. Did you stop showing up just because you won my money last time?"

Fish Head Xu's shouting immediately drew the attention of many people nearby, and those who recognized him began to greet him one after another.

The middle-aged man in the period costume walked over, glanced at the pile of sweet soup Fish Head Xu was carrying, and raised his eyebrows slightly, looking somewhat displeased. "It would have been enough for you to just come see me. Why buy so much sweet soup? Do you think money is easy to earn?"

"It's been a long time since I've seen you, Big Brother! It's so hot today, I thought I'd bring some sweet soup to help everyone cool off." Fish Head Xu chuckled, completely unbothered.

"You're not like you used to be. Don't be so spendthrift. Put it down first."

Seeing the expression on Fish Head Xu's face, the middle-aged man seemed somewhat helpless. He picked out two portions from the bags to give to the director, then smiled and called out to the crew, "My younger brother bought some sweet soup. Everyone, come over and have some!"

"Many thanks, Brother Biao!"

The crew members gathered around cheered and thanked him.

Once the sweet soup had been mostly distributed, the middle-aged man's gaze fell on Yang Chu, and he asked Fish Head Xu, "Ah Xu, who is this—"

"Big Brother, this is a new brother I've made, Chu Zai. He's helped me out." Fish Head Xu pulled Yang Chu to his side and introduced him to the middle-aged man with a smile.

"I'm Bai Biao, Ah Xu's older brother. Thank you for your help, Chu Zai."

The middle-aged man still seemed a bit caught up in his role; he subconsciously cupped his hands in a salute, then realized what he was doing, shook his head with a laugh, and extended his right hand to Yang Chu.

"Nice to meet you, Brother Bai Biao."

Yang Chu reached out to shake his hand. From the man's simple words, he could tell that Fish Head Xu and his older brother shared a good relationship.

"Uncle Guo, is there sweet soup to drink?"

Just then, a voice rang out from behind Bai Biao, and a young man in period costume, handsome beyond belief, leaned in with a grin.

"Ah Xu, Chu Zai, this is Gu Zai." Bai Biao smiled and introduced the young man to them. "Gu Zai is the lead actor in our film. Haha, he's even more into his role than I am. What do you think? Handsome enough, right?"

"Handsome? He's drop-dead gorgeous!" Fish Head Xu was the first to shout, his cross-eyed gaze seemingly sparkling.

Yang Chu couldn't help but nod in agreement. Wu Zai, the man he had been a stunt double for earlier, was already exceptionally handsome, but this young man in period costume was so striking that even the ancient idiom "so handsome it could kill" felt like an understatement.

"Alright, we're heading off now."

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

Bai Biao had a night shoot and couldn't get away, and although the set provided boxed lunches, there was no need to mooch off them.

Once they left the film studio, the sky had gradually darkened.

After Fish Head Xu retrieved his car, the two drove back along Clear Water Bay Road.

As they passed a somewhat desolate stretch of road after the intersection of Clear Water Bay Road and Sai Kung Highway, Fish Head Xu suddenly spotted a lone figure walking along the side of the road. He slammed on the brakes and waved at the person.

"Hey, brother! There's no one for miles on this road. Do you need a lift?"

Yang Chu wasn't surprised by Fish Head Xu's enthusiasm; that was just his nature.

However, after the car stopped and he glanced through the window at the man standing by the road—who looked to be in his twenties or thirties, with a buzz cut, a large backpack, and simple clothing unlike most Hong Kongers at the time, his face showing signs of weariness—he felt a flicker of curiosity.

"I have no money."

The man with the buzz cut seemed surprised that someone would offer him a ride, but he didn't accept immediately, stating instead that he had no money.

"I'm going that way anyway, what money? The nearest station is miles away." Fish Head Xu waved his hand. "Are you coming or not?"

The man by the road looked at Fish Head Xu and Yang Chu inside the car, then suddenly revealed a somewhat reserved smile. He didn't seem worried about getting into a car with two strangers, and he gave a light cupped-hand salute. "Then, many thanks."

"All within the four seas are brothers, right?"

Fish Head Xu said it boisterously. Once the man got in, he restarted the car and asked, "Brother, we're heading back to West Kowloon. Where are you going?"

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

The man in the backseat smiled, revealing a row of white teeth, and stated his destination: "Old Tan Tea Restaurant on Nanjing Street, West Kowloon."

Fish Head Xu thought for a moment and said, "I don't know the Old Tan Tea Restaurant, but I know Nanjing Street. You can find it yourself once we get there."

"Understood, thank you."

The man in the backseat cupped his hands in a salute again.

This time, he seemed to sense that Fish Head Xu and Yang Chu meant no harm, and his expression was even more composed than it had been by the side of the road.

"Do you practice martial arts?"

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

Ever since the man had gotten into the car, Yang Chu had been observing him. He wasn't particularly tall or thin, but his build seemed even more lean and capable than the stuntmen on set, and he carried an aura that set him apart from the average person.

After seeing the man perform the cupped-hand salute twice, he suddenly recalled Bai Biao's movements at the studio and formed a guess.

The man didn't seem to mind that Yang Chu had spotted his martial arts background; instead, he smiled faintly. "Twenty years, never stopped."

His voice sounded calm, yet it carried an undeniable sense of confidence.

Yang Chu nodded and fell silent.

Fish Head Xu, on the other hand, grew rather excited upon hearing that the other man had practiced martial arts. "Brother, you've trained? Which school are you from? I've practiced too; back in the day, when I was with Big Brother, I even learned a bit of Small Hong Fist and White Eyebrow."

"Just a minor school."

A slightly reserved smile appeared on the short-haired man's face again, as if he had no intention of revealing his lineage.

Fish Head Xu didn't mind that the short-haired man hadn't declared his master's school. Instead, as if the topic had piqued his interest, he spoke with great enthusiasm:

"It's good to have trained, Chu. You should learn a bit when you have the time. To be a stuntman, you need to understand a bit of everything. With a solid foundation, you can pull off some eye-catching moves in martial arts films. Big Brother and the others used to be in opera, and later they learned techniques from many different schools; when they performed stunts for films, it really looked good. There's a world of difference between someone who has trained and someone who hasn't.

"Just remember one thing: when you're filming, you have to remember to pull your punches. There was this popular martial arts star back in the day, and our crew was terrified of filming with him. We were just acting, but he treated it like the real thing, insisting on chasing you down to hit you. Sometimes, even when we were already out of frame, he still wouldn't let up."

Yang Chu in the passenger seat and the short-haired man in the back listened to Fish Head Xu's constant chatter all the way, neither of them saying a word.

It was only when Yang Chu turned his head to look back that he noticed the smile on the short-haired man's face had deepened.

The vehicle wove through streets and alleys, passing through the phantasmagoric city streets, and soon arrived in the vicinity of Nanjing Street.

In the backseat, the short-haired man cupped his hands in thanks to Fish Head Xu and Yang Chu once more before shouldering his massive backpack and heading off toward the bustling, lively street.