Chapter 63: Bang! Bang! Bang!

Every city has its own distinct flavor.
Some are fiery, some are plain, and some taste just like a bowl of fish balls.
"Boss, give me a bowl of fish ball noodles with thick strands."
"No fish balls."
"No fish balls? Then I'm out!"
Crow flip table!
Just as Ji Yu placed his hand on the table, the boss, holding a cigarette between his lips and pressing one hand on the counter, asked with a cool attitude, "Do you want beef offal instead?"
"Well..."
The table looked quite heavy. Oh well, beef offal will do.
Slurping down a bowl of beef offal noodles, Ji Yu went out for a stroll.
With his earphones on, he walked through the streets of Hong Kong, looking at the scenes that had once appeared in countless movies, feeling as though he were in another world.
Classic Hong Kong cinema truly created a golden era of film.
No matter how many scoundrels there might have been here, those movies once brought a uniquely brilliant glow to his youth.
Ji Yu stopped in front of an audiovisual store and, after hesitating for more than ten seconds, stepped inside.
Thinking of all those works he had enjoyed for free over the years, he decided it was time to buy a ticket to make up for his youth.
"Boss, do you have photobooks of Kazuko Aoyama? Also Shu Qi, Christy Chung, Veronica Yip, Joey Wong, Yvonne Yung... give me a copy of each."
This was his youth right here!
It was only right to buy a ticket for his youth!
Ji Yu sighed as he looked through Kazuko Aoyama's photobook.
How lamentable that I was born after you grew old.
Ji Yu adored the movie *A Chinese Torture Chamber Story* starring Kazuko Aoyama!
Especially that scene of a three-way romance where three heads leaned together, ended by a single gunshot.
Kazuko Aoyama was truly the ceiling of pure allure!
Unmatched by anyone!
Ten minutes later, Ji Yu left the audiovisual store carrying a large paper bag.
Only his retreating figure looked somewhat lonely.
Beauties growing old... one can only gaze at photobooks on sleepless nights to express one's reverence.
Not long after, he arrived at the filming location of *Chungking Express*, that long flight of stairs—such a classic shot.
However, the stairs were too high, so he decided not to climb up, a photo from the bottom would suffice.
With his back to the stairs, Ji Yu flashed a wide grin and snapped a picture.
Time to keep wandering!
It was a pity he didn't have a bicycle; riding one would have been great.
On second thought, Ji Yu decided against it. Bicycles were easily stolen, and nobody would compensate him with a new one.
A skateboard would be the best option, easy to carry around at any time.
After wandering the streets for a while, a skateboard magically appeared under his feet.
After all, this was just another form of transportation, and his intermediate-level driving skills were no joke!
He could even surf on a wave board!
Before he knew it, night had fallen, and Ji Yu had skated all the way to Temple Street.
Red lanterns were hung everywhere along the roadside, making the scene extremely lively.
During the daytime walk, he hadn't felt much, as it just seemed like a strange city with British styling.
However, once night fell, the city revealed its true underlying colors.
Some things simply cannot be changed.
The Spring Festival atmosphere in Hong Kong was still very strong, even better than in some inland cities, and the Hong Kong-style New Year felt wonderfully novel to Ji Yu.

Stepping on his skateboard, he nibbled on street snacks and roamed around aimlessly.
He wondered if Sister Thirteen from *Young and Dangerous* really existed on Temple Street.
Yet he didn't see any pimps soliciting customers at all.
Such a disappointment!
After taking a stroll around Temple Street, Ji Yu headed back.
He needed to return early, or Old Cai would lose her temper.
At around nine o'clock in the evening, he returned to Old Cai's place, but she hadn't come back yet.
She had mentioned going to see an old friend and would probably be out having fun tonight.
Old Cai's home wasn't particularly large, but by Hong Kong standards, it was quite decent—a luxury apartment with three bedrooms and a living room.
Ji Yu had spent the whole day walking and eating, so he wasn't hungry now. He just washed up and went to bed.
No sooner had he finished his shower and returned to his room than the sound of the front door opening echoed from outside.
He poked his head out and called, "Sis, you're back."
"Yeah, I brought you some midnight snacks," Old Cai said, carrying a bag inside and beckoning him over. "Come have a bite."
"Not hungry."
"Then keep me company for a drink."
"I'm afraid you'll harbor evil intentions toward me."
Thud!
A throw pillow accurately struck him right on the forehead.
Ji Yu walked out in a huff.
If you've got the guts, throw a pair of silk stockings instead!
The two of them sat on the sofa, sipping small beers while listening to the sounds of fireworks and firecrackers outside, falling into a temporary silence.
"Hiccup~" Ji Yu ruined the mood with a drunken hiccup.
Old Cai rolled her eyes and said, "Can you not ruin the atmosphere?"
"Afraid you'll harbor evil intentions toward me."
Old Cai gave him an annoyed kick.
Those little black stockings looked quite sexy indeed.
Ji Yu leaned back against the sofa and asked curiously, "Sis, are you spending the New Year all by yourself? Where's your family?"
"Not in Hong Kong."
"No wonder you asked me to keep you company."
"Aren't you by yourself too?"
"I could have looked for Teacher Li."
"Is she really together with you?"
"I suppose so."
"That means no."
"We kissed!"
"Pfft! Kissing counts for anything? Then the entire entertainment industry would be couples."
"Pfft!"
Old Cai sipped her ice-cold beer, feeling a subtle stirring in her heart, and turned to look at Ji Yu.
At that moment, Ji Yu was childishly hugging a little pig plush toy and making cute snorting noises at it.
The subtle stirring in Old Cai's eyes vanished instantly. Why on earth had she ever thought of signing this idiot to her company!
Time to go back to bed!
Only then did Ji Yu put down the little pig toy, humming a tune as he picked up his beer and leisurely took a sip.
The next day, the Spring Festival arrived.

The Spring Festival in Hong Kong was quite entertaining with all sorts of activities. Ji Yu and Old Cai spent the whole day out having fun before returning home.
Once back home, they were reduced to loneliness.
The two of them ate frozen dumplings while blaming each other.
"I traveled thousands of miles to Hong Kong to spend the New Year with you, and all I get are frozen dumplings?"
"You were the one who insisted on going to watch the lion dance, which delayed us from buying groceries!"
"Well, couldn't you have prepared in advance?"
"Eat if you want, leave it if you don't!"
"I'll eat!"
After finishing their meal, the two sat down to watch television. TVB's gala was broadcasting, and it was actually quite interesting.
Only, Ji Yu couldn't quite understand the Cantonese jokes, leaving only Old Cai laughing heartily.
Over the next few days, they went to Victoria Harbour to watch the fireworks.
After the fireworks display, it was already the third day of the Lunar New Year.
Old Cai also shook off the relaxation of the holiday and began to throw herself back into work mode.
Ji Yu was dragged along by her to buy a lot of things, including over a dozen sets of clothes.
"Sis, is this going on the company's tab or my own?" Ji Yu asked anxiously.
Old Cai held up a coat, measured it against him, and said, "Put it on my tab. Isn't it normal for an older sister to buy things for her younger brother?"
"You're too good to me. I now permit you to harbor evil intentions toward me."
"Go hug your pig toy."
"You got it!"
After lingering in Hong Kong for two more days, they flew to Taiwan.
Upon arriving in Taiwan, Old Cai went straight to meet with representatives from Taiwan's China Television (CTV).
Ji Yu tagged along, drinking when he needed to drink and blocking alcohol when he needed to block it. He couldn't let Old Cai get drunk, after all.
Fortunately, after a single meal, the television drama deal was successfully secured.
Li Yapeng and Jiang Qingqing were both quite famous in Taiwan, and *Detective Ke Lan* had achieved decent ratings on the mainland, so CTV was willing to acquire it.
Moreover, the price was quite high, with the per-episode rate more than triple that of the mainland.
However, whether any kickbacks were involved was something Ji Yu knew nothing about.
That topic wasn't brought up at the dinner table.
Old Cai brought the drunken Ji Yu back to the hotel, dumped him into his room, and left him to his own devices.
That way, this kid wouldn't be crying out the next day that he had been subjected to unspoken rules.
Early the next morning, Old Cai prepared to take Ji Yu to meet Angie Chai.
While having breakfast at the hotel, seeing how well-behaved Ji Yu was, Old Cai felt quite satisfied.
Throwing him on the floor last night had indeed been the right decision.
Suddenly, Ji Yu looked up and asked, "Sis, am I very ugly?"
"No, you're very handsome," Old Cai replied reflexively, startled for a moment.
"Then why didn't you ravage me or have your way with me last night? I gave you a chance, but you didn't know how to seize it."
"???"
You're actually upset that I let you off the hook?
You brat, prepare to meet your doom!
Old Cai picked up a piece of bread from the table and whacked him on the forehead—bam! bam! bam!