My teacher is Bruce Lee, who dominated Hollywood.

Chapter 42 Pre-roll Ads

In the following days, the villa in West Hollywood seemed to have turned into a perpetual motion machine running at full capacity.

Fred Weintraub used this place as his second office in Hollywood.

At that moment, the Jewish fat man had just written down the final budget for the "Enter the Dragon" project on the whiteboard: one million US dollars.

Because of the intervention of Qin and Han, there were a full 200,000 more than in the previous life.

In Hollywood, this amount of money would only be enough to make a second-rate romantic comedy, but in Hong Kong? Absolutely A-grade!

Warner was used to the purchasing power of the dollar, and this time it really tasted the leverage effect brought about by the exchange rate difference.

The 500,000 Hong Kong dollars that Jiahe gritted its teeth and pulled out was an astronomical figure when converted into Hong Kong dollars.

"The money problem is solved." Fred's gaze fell on the newly bound script. "Now let's see what kind of answer sheet the lead screenwriter has delivered."

Bruce Lee couldn't contain himself any longer and eagerly opened the script.

Everyone watched quickly, all the way to the final showdown, the "Mirror Maze".

This ingenious concept completely captivated the kung fu master; he tapped the paper lightly with his finger and seemed to hear the sound of a mirror shattering.

The words transformed into images before his eyes: countless mirrors reflecting countless versions of himself, and also countless enemies.

"Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!"

"Mr. Han's character is fantastic! He is obsessed with the power of martial arts, but because of this obsession, he betrays the way of martial arts and becomes so addicted to it that he will stop at nothing."

"He is like my shadow, a 'me' who has gone astray."

Bruce Lee's voice grew increasingly excited: "And this room of mirrors is like me being lost, surrounded by countless illusions. I must remember the teachings of the Shaolin abbot at the beginning—"

"Smash it!" Qin Han said softly.

"That's right! Smash it!" Bruce Lee threw a punch, as if an invisible mirror in front of him had instantly collapsed.

"Breaking the mirror is breaking illusion. When all illusions are shattered, the enemy has nowhere to hide!"

As Fred listened to their descriptions, the visually striking image immediately came to mind.

"I have a feeling..." he laughed, "This film will become a classic in film history."

With the script finalized, casting officially began in full swing.

Qin Han took out several photos, one of a black man with an afro, and the other of a burly white man with sharp eyes.

Jim Kelly, and John Saxon.

In their previous lives, these two played Williams and Roper respectively, the two most important supporting characters in the film.

A nostalgic smile appeared on Bruce Lee's face.

"Ah Han, you really have a good eye for casting." He pointed to a photo of Johann Saxon: "This guy is a black belt in karate. He used to come to my gym to spar a lot. Having him play the role would be perfect."

"As for this Jim..." He laughed even harder, "He's a real karate champion, his legwork is beautiful."

"Let them play my defeated opponents. These old friends will definitely be furious, but they'll also be very happy to do it."

Qin Han nodded and ticked the boxes under their photos: "Then I'll have Andrew send out audition invitations. I'm sure they won't refuse."

As they were talking, Andrew walked out of the tea room, which had been converted into a mailroom, holding a telegram in his hand.

The mixed-race assistant's face beamed with undisguised joy: "They replied from Britain!"

"Ridley Scott?" Qin Han raised an eyebrow.

"Yes! He received your script and Mr. Li's storyboard sketches, and said he never imagined action movies could be filmed like this. He has already canceled his current work and will be in Los Angeles in seven days."

"Very good." Qin Han was in high spirits: "Everything is ready, we just need the right opportunity."

"Ding-dong!" Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

Qin Han opened the door, and Peter Benchley stood on the porch of the villa, carrying his suitcase.

"Qin, thank you again." He looked somewhat reluctant to part. "The contract is confirmed. I think it's time to go back to the East Coast and face the editors who are pressing for my manuscript."

"I believe that Han's Pictures will be able to present 'Jaws' perfectly."

Qin Han handed Peter a pre-prepared check for $70,000, smiling as he said, "Have a safe trip. But are you really planning to go back to New York like this?"

Peter sighed. "Yeah, after all, I've lived there most of my life."

"Peter, you're rich now. Eighty thousand dollars is enough for you to buy a house with a pool on Santa Monica Beach."

Qin Han gestured towards the palm trees and blue sky with white clouds outside the courtyard: "California, isn't it a better place to inspire?"

"The articles for the column can be faxed back, but if I want to write another novel like Jaws, living in Hollywood would be a better option."

Peter Benchley remained silent; his life in Los Angeles these past few days had given him a completely different kind of energy.

People here don't talk about the pressures of life; they only talk about which beach has the hottest women and where to find the best exotic food.

In comparison, New York, a steel jungle, is indeed somewhat... boring.

"The California sunshine..." he murmured to himself, "is indeed much gentler than the cold winds of Fifth Avenue."

He picked up his suitcase and tipped his hat to Qin Han, saying, "Qin, I will seriously consider your suggestion."

"Perhaps next time we meet, I'll be your neighbor."

"You're welcome anytime." Qin Han smiled and waved, watching the taxi carrying the writer drive away.

In the future, Peter Benchley also wrote a series of ocean adventure works suitable for adaptation, such as "The Abyss" and "The Island".

If we could keep him in Hollywood and within our sight with just a few words, it would be an absolutely profitable deal.

"Qin! Come in quickly!" Just after Peter left, a shout came from inside the house.

He turned and went back into the house, only to find that everyone's eyes were fixed on the television.

Accompanied by the stirring sounds of a guzheng and gong, several men in martial arts uniforms tumble and leap in the scene.

A standard American voice-over screams in an exaggerated tone:

"Are you ready to face the ultimate storm from the East this February?"

"Iron Fist! Revenge! Blood!"

The scene shifts, and a face takes up the entire screen.

The man in the painting has bright red hands, as if they are burning, and he smashes the stone tablet in front of him with one palm.

Warner Bros. Pictures proudly presents – *The World's Greatest Fist*!

"When you see those reddened hands, you should know that death has arrived!"

At the bottom of the screen, a bold caption caught everyone's eye: "[February 14th, Valentine's Day, nationwide release!]"

Shaw Brothers' "The Fist Within Four Walls" trailer was released, marking the first time that the Eastern kung fu storm had arrived in the United States!

After GG ended, the atmosphere in the living room became somewhat heavy.

"February 14th... even sooner than we expected. Valentine's Day? These guys actually chose to release a kung fu movie on Valentine's Day?" Andrew muttered in disbelief.

"Warner really went all out, even putting GG on the playlist in prime time," Bruce Lee joked, patting Fred on the shoulder.

Qin Han smiled and apologized to the good-natured fat man, "Mr. Fred, I'm afraid you'll have to avoid the work ahead of you."

"Andrew, quickly make a call to Hong Kong. 'The Big Boss' needs to be released as soon as possible!"