It was already eight o'clock in the evening, and Hong Kong was glowing with countless lights.
Ah Kang nimbly jumped off the minibus the moment it pulled into the stop. He took a few quick strides, hopped onto the sidewalk, and hurried toward home.
Ah Kang had just graduated from college this year and was currently working for a trading company that handled digital electronics imports and exports. Since he hadn't attended a prestigious university and lacked work experience, he was still learning the ropes as an assistant.
The job was tough. He had to leave home before 6:30 every morning to catch the bus to work, and he rarely got back before seven or eight at night. The pay was low, and he was expected to handle every odd job imaginable, constantly being ordered around by his supervisor with very little dignity.
But Ah Kang was an optimistic young man. He worked hard, studied hard, and dreamed that one day he would start his own small company. Then he'd buy a bigger home for his family. His ultimate dream was a villa.
Ah Kang's home was in Tai Wai, Sha Tin. Three generations of his family, six people in total, lived together in a fifty-square-meter Home Ownership Scheme apartment.
The Home Ownership Scheme was an affordable housing program launched by the Hong Kong government in the 1970s, similar to mainland China's subsidized housing.
These apartments were sold at thirty to forty percent below market price to eligible lower- and middle-income residents and public housing tenants. His grandparents had spent their life's savings to buy this apartment.
When Ah Kang got home, he unlocked the front door with his key. His mother, who was cleaning the kitchen, poked her head out.
"Kang, have you eaten dinner yet?"
"I already ate," Ah Kang replied. "I'll be in my room."
His mother watched him hurry off and shook her head with a smile.
The apartment was small, but to fit everyone's needs, it had been divided into three bedrooms. His grandparents shared one, his parents another, while he and his younger sister shared the third.
There wasn't much choice. Although Ah Kang was already an adult and his sister was in high school, they were still far better off than many families crammed into public housing, or even cage homes.
One day, after his sister got married and moved out, he'd bring home a wife of his own. Dreams were nice, but life still had to go on.
His sister was sitting at the desk copying homework, so Ah Kang didn't disturb her. He sat down on his bed and switched on the small LCD television mounted on the wall. He had bought the TV with his very first paycheck so he no longer had to fight with the rest of the family over what to watch.
He loved blockbuster movies, exciting TV dramas, pop music, and surfing the internet. Unfortunately, his sister had already claimed the family computer, so television was his only option tonight.
More importantly, there was a show he wanted to watch.
'Beep! Beep!'
Just as he turned on the TV, the phone in his pocket chirped twice. He pulled it out and saw that Xiao Wei had texted him, asking if he'd made it home.
He quickly replied: 'Just got back. I turned on the TV.'
Her reply came almost instantly: 'ATV Variety Channel. 8:30. Entertainment Three Talks.'
A smile spread across Ah Kang's face as he typed back at lightning speed: '密 (Roger that!)'
Xiao Wei was the girl he was currently trying to win over. She worked as a clerk at another company. She wasn't stunningly beautiful, but she had a pleasant, delicate appearance and no shortage of admirers.
Ah Kang knew his own family background and circumstances were nothing special, so he had never seriously expected to win her heart.
But by chance, he had once discovered a little secret of hers, and that had unexpectedly brought them closer. They were still a long way from becoming boyfriend and girlfriend, but even this friendship had become one of the brightest parts of Ah Kang's life.
Xiao Wei loved music and singing. She often went to the bars in Lan Kwai Fong with her friends to listen to live performances, and her usual online username was Vivianne. A lovely name, wasn't it?
Recently, she'd become a fan of a young entertainer from the mainland. And tonight, that very entertainer would be appearing on ATV Variety Channel's 'Entertainment Three Talks'. Not only was she planning to watch it herself, but she'd also persuaded all her friends to tune in. Naturally, Ah Kang was one of them.
As he exchanged text messages with Xiao Wei, the long commercial break before the show didn't bother him at all.
---
At exactly 8:30, 'Entertainment Three Talks' began. The familiar opening theme played, accompanied by the show's logo, before the camera quickly zoomed in on the host.
Ah Kang was no stranger to the show, especially its host, Chen Shuling. She had already been a television personality when he was still in elementary school, so seeing her always felt oddly familiar.
"Welcome, everyone, to 'Entertainment Three Talks'." The elegant Chen Shuling smiled warmly at the camera, with the two guests seated on either side of her.
"Who's that? He's pretty handsome!" The sudden voice made Ah Kang turn his head. His younger sister had somehow appeared beside him without him noticing, staring at the television with shining eyes.
Ah Kang knew exactly who she meant. "That's Lu Chen. He's an entertainer from the mainland. He's a really good singer. You've heard 'Favorite in Life', right?"
Looking at Lu Chen on the screen, Ah Kang felt just a tiny bit annoyed, but he had to admit, the guy really was handsome.
Hong Kong had no shortage of good-looking young stars, but this mainland artist had a certain quality that made him stand out. Ah Kang couldn't quite describe it; he just felt Lu Chen was somehow different from the others.
"So he's the one who sings that song?" His sister suddenly understood and casually sat down beside him to watch.
High school was demanding. Without working hard, getting into a good university was impossible. Her goal had always been to outperform her older brother, so she rarely had time for television or the internet. Even so, she'd heard 'Favorite in Life'.
"First, let's welcome Lu Chen. He comes from the mainland and is currently filming a movie here in Hong Kong..."
"He's making movies too?" His sister's constant exclamations only made Ah Kang feel even more annoyed. If he'd known this would happen, he wouldn't have turned on the TV.
But then, he and Xiao Wei would have one less topic to talk about. Who knew? She might even lose interest in chatting with him.
The program continued. Whether it had been arranged by the production team or not, as soon as the show started, the other guest, Zhuang Dong, immediately began challenging Lu Chen with several rather pointed questions, most of them about Hong Kong's pop music scene.
His sister frowned. "What's with this guy? If he's so capable, why doesn't he write a good song himself?"
Faced with Zhuang Dong's attacks, however, Lu Chen remained calm and confident. He praised Hong Kong pop music for its enormous contributions to Chinese-language music while tactfully pointing out the challenges facing the industry as a whole.
He expressed his hope that more talented musicians would emerge so they could work together to restore Chinese pop music to its former glory.
It was a flawless answer. Zhuang Dong's attack accomplished nothing.
Perhaps realizing he couldn't corner Lu Chen on that subject, Zhuang Dong quickly shifted the conversation to Hong Kong cinema and the Hong Kong government's policies for supporting the film industry.
(End of Chapter)
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