Chapter One Hundred and Three: Cart Plowing

"Ge Daqian? Fine. The plane has not taken off yet anyway; in a few minutes I can make everything clear. You need not rush on your side. Wait for me a moment."

Yang Wancheng had built his business to such a scale, so of course he had his own channels of information and knew that Ge Daqian and Liu Qingshan had some private connection. Liu Qingshan laughed. "I stopped being angry long ago. In fact, I had already expected this outcome. Director Ge is right here in our crew in Hengdian now. Once you make that call, he will come to me himself."

Before long, Ge Daqian, who no one knew where he had suddenly appeared from, really did stride straight over. "Shanzi, Boss Yang has told me everything. A mere Zhongyi cannot turn the world upside down. I have already introduced him to Han Sanping!"

That single sentence was enough. Han Sanping was the chairman of Huaying Group, and Huaying Group was the only company in the mainland of the Republic of China with the right to import films. It was also the country's largest film producer.

Though its corporate form was said to be collectively owned by the people, in truth it was a genuine state-owned enterprise.

Liu Qingshan knew Han Sanping's fame all too well. No matter how formidable Zhongyi might be, it was still only a private company and did not yet possess the capital to go head-to-head with Huaying Group.

"I meant to introduce you later, since Huaying is also working in digital production. But talk alone proves nothing, so I thought I would wait until you had achieved some results before saying anything."

"You mean you want to replace Qinghuang Pictures' project partner with Huaying?"

"Don't play dumb with me, you brat. Wasn't it you who got Boss Yang to come looking for me?"

"Uh, it's true that I had a similar idea, but I never expected it would be Huaying. That's a towering central enterprise, after all. And I never imagined that Mr. Han would actually have such a personal connection with you."

"All right, I'll believe you for now. But how did you figure out that I had a personal connection with Old Han?"

"Simple. Aside from your respective positions, you came rushing over just a few minutes after Boss Yang called you. And Boss Yang didn't keep bothering me afterward, which was proof enough that you pointed him toward the right path."

"What right path, what wrong path? You make it sound like some secret rendezvous between spies."

"With Huaying involved, I'm not afraid of any sabotage from Zhongyi!"

"So serious? Come, tell me the details."

So Liu Qingshan explained everything once more. Ge Daqian's face hardened as he said, "I think Wang Zhongjun has gotten a little too smug for his own good and forgotten how he rose in the first place."

He waved Liu Qingshan off. As he turned and walked away, he also took his phone from his pocket.

While Liu Qingshan hurried toward the studio, the sight of Ge Daqian making a call happened to be caught by Shi Hui, who was not far away.

At noon, Shi Hui described what she had seen. "Director Ge was furious. He was talking on the phone and flailing his arms all over the place."

"Could you hear what he was saying?"

"It could be heard from dozens of meters away. He was making such a racket. It sounded like he was calling someone named Shang Jing, and saying things like 'outrageous' and so on."

Liu Qingshan merely smiled and paid it no more attention, because Uncle Ping had already come over.

In just a few days, Uncle Ping had gained an entirely new understanding of him. If before it had all been hearsay, then now, after witnessing Liu Qingshan's true strength, this important figure in the mainland stunt world was fully convinced.

"Shanzi, how about I bring another person into your trainee team?"

The action crew for The Return of the Condor Heroes now had a very good atmosphere for study. After finishing the day's action design, no one needed to organize them; they would gather of their own accord in the courtyard to practice.

At first it had been only the private training ground of a few people from India, but somehow it had turned into the scene it was now.

Even Chen Zuming no longer sat at night cradling his beloved red wine; after wolfing down dinner, he would unconsciously come to the little courtyard where the action team gathered.

As Uncle Ping spoke, he pulled the young man beside him over in front of Liu Qingshan.

"This is my grandson, my own flesh and blood. In our hometown people marry young, and I had him when my son was only eighteen. This is Che Geng. Call him Master!"

Uncle Ping's surname was Che, and his given name was Zhe—a very poetic name.

"He looks at most fourteen. Uncle Ping, you know I am not taking apprentices right now."

Uncle Ping laughed. "Let him call you that for the time being. In truth, everyone here is learning the Thirty-Six Flowering Fist Techniques, and they ought to call you Master too."

Liu Qingshan shook his head. "Kunal is my only disciple, and that was only after I was set up by others. Don't speak of it; just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes. Che Geng, is it? From now on, follow Uncle Mao. When you can train to his level, I will personally teach you a few moves."

He did not want to get entangled in the matter of taking disciples. He was still young, his reputation was limited, and most importantly, he was still a student himself.

If he later came across a few promising talents, he might break his own rule, but certainly not now.

"Master, you can just call me Gengzi from now on. I'm fifteen this year, and I practice our family's Five-Animal Exercises. I've been at it since I was three."

What made Uncle Ping famous in Hong Kong was the Five-Animal Exercises, and Che Geng's claim that it was passed down in the family was not nonsense. It was said that even now, his hometown still enshrined a tablet of Hua Tuo.

The Five-Animal Exercises were invented by the famous physician Hua Tuo of the Han dynasty, though some believed Hua Tuo had only organized and adapted them, since many similar forms of fitness training had already existed before the Han era.

Its ever-changing bodily movements were also a major reason Uncle Ping was so popular in the stunt world, and they were extremely effective for continually refreshing action design.

Liu Qingshan had Che Geng demonstrate a few moves, and his eyes suddenly lit up. "Gengzi, you seem especially fond of tiger form."

"Yes, Master. The tiger is the king of all beasts in the hearts of our people, and I have always longed for that kind of majestic scene, where one tiger's roar brings all beasts to submission. In practice, I cannot help leaning that way."

Following his memory, Liu Qingshan stepped out a few tiger strides. "Perfect. The Golden Wheel Dharma King can finally make an entrance unlike any other."

They had just reached the Golden Wheel Dharma King's entrance scene. According to the script, after sixteen years of bitter cultivation, this man's combat ability had risen greatly, and by the time he appeared, he was already no weaker than the Four Great Masters.

The actor playing the Golden Wheel Dharma King was Bayin, a man from Inner Mongolia, carrying the broad-minded openness of the Mongolian people, with a natural rough and heroic bearing.

He was tall and imposing as well. If he could be matched with these tiger steps, faintly bearing the air of a tyrant, this version of the Golden Wheel Dharma King would be a genuine breakthrough.

Uncle Ping did not need Liu Qingshan's explanation. He only looked at the way those steps unfolded before him, then slapped his thigh. "Shanzi, you're right. Director Zhang specially instructed yesterday that the Golden Wheel Dharma King's entrance must have a powerful, imposing presence. With your design, it really is different from what I had imagined!"

Mao Shaochong was quick-witted and immediately said, "Shall I go and invite Mr. Bayin over at once?"

Liu Qingshan glanced at him with appreciation. "Not only him, but also Mr. Zhao Liang!"