My teacher is Bruce Lee, who dominated Hollywood.

Chapter 103 MacArthur's Ghost

Chapter 103 MacArthur's Ghost

Clearwater Bay, Shaw Studios.

The morning sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows and fell on Run Run Shaw's desk.

The old man's gaze lingered on the Ming Pao newspaper in his hand, the front page of which was a follow-up report on the Miss Hong Kong pageant finals.

"Qin Han is gone?" The voice was devoid of emotion, as if asking about the weather today.

Across the desk, Cai Lan bowed slightly: "Yes, Uncle Six. He and Bruce Lee flew back to Los Angeles on the first Pan Am flight this morning."

"He left quite decisively." Run Run Shaw put down his newspaper and snorted. "Did he assign a contact person to Hans's business in Hong Kong before he left?"

Cai Lan's expression turned somewhat strange. He coughed, seemingly suppressing a laugh: "Qin Sheng did indeed specifically greet me."

"He said that for any future business dealings between Han's Film Company and Shaw Brothers in television dramas and movies, we should contact his agent in Hong Kong directly."

""

"He's a production assistant at Golden Harvest, that mixed-race guy named Andrew."

2

"Click." The walnut in Shaw's hand suddenly stopped. He was stunned for a full three seconds before letting out a long sigh that was both funny and sad, as if he had heard some huge joke.

"This kid—he really doesn't discriminate against people."

"Does he really not know my current relationship with Raymond Chow, or is he deliberately trying to disgust me?" He took off his glasses and wiped them with a velvet cloth. "Let Golden Harvest people handle Shaw Brothers' business? Only Qin Han could come up with something like that."

"That's why Qin Sheng is such a clever guy," Cai Lan said with a helpless wry smile. "He figured out that although our two families are fierce rivals, when it comes to making money, neither of us would turn down money."

"I've also met Andrew. Although he works for Golden Harvest, he's completely obedient to Qin Han and is efficient in his work."

Shaw put his glasses back on, the smile in his eyes gradually fading: "Fine, as long as that Andrew can get things done, I don't care whose side he works for."

"Oh, right." Cai Lan seemed to remember something: "I've already contacted Ms. Zhao, the fourth person Qin Sheng chose backstage. She agreed to come to the film studio for an audition in a couple of days."

Before leaving, Qin Sheng gave special instructions, saying that this girl had a special temperament and that she should try out costumes for period dramas, especially those ethereal and fairy-like roles.

Upon hearing this, Run Run Shaw recalled the slightly shy yet gentle girl on the final stage that night.

"Ancient costume—" He nodded thoughtfully, "Qin Sheng has always had a good eye. Since he said so, let the costume department bring out that 'Butterfly Lovers' costume for her to try on. You can make the arrangements."

"Understood." Cai Lan replied, and was about to turn and leave when Shaw's voice came from behind him.

"Wait a minute," Run Run Shaw called out to him, pausing for a moment as if making a decision against his ancestors: "Regarding the contract—don't try to scare those young girls with our kind of 'long-term contracts' that are binding on them."

"Ask her if she hasn't officially signed with Han's yet; we at Shaw Brothers can also offer her a 'cooperation agreement.'"

"A contract?" Cai Lan turned around in surprise, his eyes wide.

The reason why Shaw Brothers has been able to dominate Hong Kong for so many years is because of its absolute control over its artists.

Uncle Six actually broke this rule today for a newcomer who hasn't even debuted yet?

"Times have changed. After talking with Qin Sheng yesterday, I've come to a realization." Shaw looked out the window at the vast film set, his tone revealing a sense of clarity.

"If we stick to the old framework, Jiahe will eventually poach all our talent. Since Qin Han can give them freedom, why can't we?"

At this point, Run Run Shaw seemed to have completely let go of his burden, waving his hand: "By the way, that young Taiwanese girl from a few days ago, her name is Lin—Brigitte Lin, right?"

"Yes, Brigitte Lin."

"Give her a contract like that too." Run Run Shaw picked up the newspaper again, his voice regaining its calm: "Whether it's Zhao Tuizhi or Brigitte Lin, as long as they can stay at Shaw Brothers to make films, the form—is not important."

Cai Lan stood there, looking at the emperor who had steered the film empire for half a century: the sunlight shone on Run Run Shaw's gray hair, giving it a faint silver sheen.

"Sixth Uncle is wise."

He gave a genuine smile, bowed respectfully, and quietly left the office.

Los Angeles, 10,000 kilometers away.

The plane's landing gear slammed against the runway, making a screeching sound.

The dry, intense, and vibrant California sunshine streamed through the porthole, instantly lifting one's spirits.

"Finally back!" Qin Han stretched out a big yawn.

As soon as he stepped out of the international arrivals exit, he shouted, "Hey! Bruce! Qin!" A stretched Lincoln Town Car was already parked on the side of the road, and Fred's chubby figure leaned out of the window, waving his arms vigorously.

"Looks like our stock market tycoon is doing well lately," Qin Han joked with a smile, handing his luggage to the driver who came to greet him.

-

The three of them climbed into the spacious back seat, and Fred immediately took two bottles of chilled Coke from the car refrigerator and handed them over: "God bless you, seeing you all back safe and sound, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief."

"Mr. Ashley has been eagerly waiting these past few days."

The car sped onto Interstate 405, heading towards Warner Bros. headquarters in Burbank.

Half an hour later, the familiar Warner Water Tower came into view.

Ted Ashley's office was still well-air-conditioned. When the Warner Bros. executive saw the two of them enter, he warmly came out from behind his desk and gave Bruce Lee a big hug.

"Welcome back, our King of Kung Fu!" Ashley beamed. "And you, Qin, our miracle maker."

"I've seen all the original films." He gestured for the two to sit on the sofa, his voice brimming with excitement: "They're absolutely fantastic! Especially the ending of the mirror maze, that broken beauty and the tension of violence—God, this will definitely become a classic in film history!"

"As long as the post-production goes well, I'm confident this movie will be a sensation across America!"

Qin Han and Bruce Lee exchanged a glance and both saw the smile in each other's eyes.

He accepted the coffee his secretary brought him and smiled, "Ridley will be flying over in a couple of days, and then the editing can start immediately."

"That's great, but—" Ashley's smile faded slightly: "Regarding post-production, especially the voice acting, I think we need to have a serious talk."

He picked up a report from the table and handed it to Bruce Lee: "Bruce, do you know how much 'The World's Greatest Punch' sold for?"

"This is insane! It's already grossed over ten million US dollars!"

"But—" he made a helpless expression, "the reviews are mixed. Especially the dubbing, it's been absolutely scathingly criticized by film critics."

"Those damn dubbing directors don't understand the meaning of Chinese lines at all. The whole movie is full of inexplicable screams and pronunciations that sound like they have a hot eggplant in their mouths."

Ashley stared at Bruce Lee: "Enter the Dragon is different. It's an A-list production, our trump card to break into the mainstream market. I absolutely will not allow it to become a cheap B-movie because of the dubbing issue."

"So, Bruce, I hope you can personally lead this voice acting project."

"Not only for your own character, but also for the voice acting of all the Asian characters, I hope to find truly professional voice actors."

"No problem, Ted." Bruce Lee sat up straight and solemnly promised, "Leave this to me. I'll bring over a few professional voice actors from Hong Kong, or find professionally trained Chinese actors in Los Angeles."

"I will watch the recording of each syllable just like I would watch the action director."

"I'm relieved to hear you say that!" Ashley said with a sigh of relief. After chatting for a few more minutes about the publicity details, he personally escorted the two of them to the elevator.

As I left Warner headquarters, the sun was already setting, painting the Los Angeles sky a brilliant orange-red.

The Lincoln drove smoothly on the road leading to West Hollywood.

The soundproofing panels inside the vehicle rise up, isolating the driver's seat and creating a closed, private space.

Fred's usual jovial expression vanished. "Alright, guys. Now it's just the three of us. Tell me, what exactly happened in Hong Kong?"

Qin Han made no secrets and recounted the entire chain of events that Xiang Huaqiang had uncovered regarding Qinglan Society's desire to "punish" Bruce Lee.

Fred's face turned ashen after hearing this.

"They thought we were waging a culture war." Bruce Lee leaned back in his chair, his eyes cold. "That Onizuka guy said my films were inciting anti-Japanese sentiment in Southeast Asia and undermining their image as 'Asian leader.'"

"What a load of rubbish about a leader!" Fred cursed. "How many years has it been since World War II? How dare these defeated nations be so arrogant?"

"Fred." Qin Han turned his head and stared into the eyes of the Warner executive. "You also find it strange, don't you? Japan is a emasculated country; their prime minister's appointment depends on the United States' approval."

"We came back this time to find the person who was holding the dog on the leash."

As a veteran Hollywood producer, Fred has extensive connections in Washington and is no stranger to that circle.

"Iwasaki Heavy Industries----Mitsubishi----Seoran Society·----"

He muttered to himself, his mind rapidly searching for connections between these keywords and American politics.

Suddenly, as if he had thought of something, a cold smile appeared on his lips: "I think I know who's backing them up."

"Who?" Qin Han and Bruce Lee asked in unison.

"Do you know GHQ? It's the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers."

"Back then, there was a five-star general who served as Japan's de facto ruler for six years." Although he passed away in 1964, his legacy continues to influence Washington's Asia policy.

"Douglas MacArthur?" Qin Han murmured the name.

"It's him." Fred nodded. "Back then, in order to turn Japan into a bridgehead against that red giant, MacArthur didn't thoroughly purge those war criminals and zaibatsu. Instead, he preserved military industrial giants like Mitsubishi and Mitsui."

"Now, although he's dead, those military and intelligence bigwigs known as the 'Japanese clique' are still active in the Pentagon and the CIA."

"These people view Japan as their private territory and see anything that might threaten Japan's status as a 'stabilizer in Asia' as a thorn in their side."

"These old zombies with Cold War mentality are most afraid of being out of control."

Qin Han nodded: It really was them, that makes sense.

General Bill represented the local officers, who were more pragmatic and focused on their own interests; while the "Japanese clique" were old-fashioned stubborns clinging to the glory of the old era.

"MacArthur's ghost? If so, I wonder how much it would cost to get Bill and his men on our side?"

Fred shook his head and laughed, "Qin, you're mistaken."