Hong Kong, 1982. Neon lights flicker to life, and the city is awash in luxury and excess.
It is paradise for adventurers and purgatory for ordinary people.
Lin Chen pushes a creaking cart selling beef offal through the streets and alleyways of Yau Ma Tei.
The air is a mix of the savory aroma of beef offal, the salty tang of seawater, and the smell of sweat. Around him are the cries of street vendors, the clanging of trams, and the raucous noise of gangsters.
He remembers every opportunity this golden age had to offer, as well as the Hong Kong goddesses who dazzled an entire generation.
Business at his beef offal stall keeps growing. Lin Chen decides to print some posters and shoot a simple street advertisement to let more people know about his food.
By chance, he comes across a young woman in a white blouse auditioning for a role.
Sunlight streams through the window onto her face, bright and radiant. She is Li Mitao, who has only recently entered the industry and is still doing small commercials.
That humble but heartfelt beef offal ad takes the city by storm, and Li Mitao’s smile finds its way into the hearts of people across Hong Kong.
Lin Chen helps her escape her exploitative manager and creates advertisements and scripts tailored to her. Step by step, she goes from an inexperienced part-time model to a household name and the reigning queen of pure-hearted charm.
As for Lin Chen, he seizes every opportunity the era offers, growing from a street-food peddler into a business magnate who influences Hong Kong’s economy.
He witnesses the golden age of Hong Kong cinema and plays a part in the city’s economic rise.
Years later, as the Five-Star Red Flag slowly rises over Hong Kong, Lin Chen stands atop Victoria Peak holding Li Lizhen’s hand, tears in his eyes.
“The two luckiest things in my life were being reborn in this tumultuous era and meeting the girl whose smile shone brighter than the sun.”
Come on, don't be short and weak
Fireworks, human affairs. The writing is delicate and beautiful!