novelslam Chapter 262 Reencounter with Jackie Chan
Chapter 262 Reencounter with Jackie Chan
Chapter 262 Reencounter with Jackie Chan
Izu Peninsula, a secluded and historic top-class Japanese hot spring inn.
Fine snowflakes danced in the air, landing on the rustic blue tiles and the dry landscape garden. After finishing all the filming for "Long Vacation," Kitahara Shin finally unloaded the fatigue from his non-stop work and, along with Nakamori Akina, Sakai Izumi, and Miyazawa Rie, arrived at this perfect vacation spot with a distant view of Mount Fuji.
Thick, warm tatami mats were laid out in the corridor. The four of them changed into loose yukatas provided by the hotel and prepared to head to the open-air hot spring to wash away the dust of their journey.
When he reached the fork in the road in the hot spring area, Kitahara Shin stopped. He looked at the curtains on the left that read "Men's Bath" and on the right that read "Women's Bath," then turned his gaze and pointed to the passage directly ahead with a wooden sign that read "Mixed Bath/Family Bath."
"The best view is from the pool right in the middle," Kitahara Shin said, turning to the three women beside him with a casual, teasing tone. "Want to join us?"
Upon hearing this frivolous suggestion, Rie Miyazawa's fair cheeks instantly flushed crimson. She rolled her eyes at Shin Kitahara without any politeness, then spread her arms wide and pushed Akina and Izumi forward like protective chicks.
"What are you daydreaming about! Who wants to bathe with you!" Rie pushed her two older sisters, who were still covering their mouths and giggling, towards the women's bath, while sticking her tongue out at Kitahara Shin. "Get out of here and go bathe in the men's bath!"
Kitahara Shin chuckled and shrugged. He was just joking; he didn't really expect these three shy women to actually go to the mixed bath with him in broad daylight. He lifted the curtain of the men's bath and stepped inside.
Because it was still early, and the hotel had a strict reservation system, the changing room was empty.
Kitahara Shin removed his yukata and entered the shower area to thoroughly wash himself. He then pushed open the wooden door leading to the open-air bath, where a thick, white steam mixed with the smell of sulfur wafted out. The hot spring pool, surrounded by artificial hills, was at a comfortable temperature. Through the misty steam, Mount Fuji in the distance looked particularly magnificent under the winter sun.
Kitahara Shinji submerged most of his body in the water, and through the mist in front of him, he was surprised to find that there was a person leaning against the other end of the pool.
His signature big nose, strong and full upper body muscles, and that face that everyone in Asia knows.
"Jackie Chan?" Kitahara Shin paused for a moment, then greeted him with some surprise.
Jackie Chan, who was resting against a rock with his eyes closed, heard the sound and opened them to look over. He squinted for a couple of seconds to make out the sound, then suddenly slapped the water's surface, his face immediately beaming with a warm smile.
"Hey! Isn't this the Kitahara brothers! It's been so long!" Jackie Chan laughed heartily, gesturing for him to sit closer. "What are you doing here on vacation?"
The two last met more than a year ago at the Cannes Film Festival. At that time, Kitahara Shin was shining as the screenwriter of "Kikujiro's Summer," and the two met at a reception.
Kitahara Shin waded through the warm water and found a smooth rock next to Jackie Chan to lean against. The two chatted casually.
After a conversation, Kitahara Shin learned that Jackie Chan's visit to Japan was partly to participate in the promotion of his new movie, and partly to visit in private in response to the major earthquake earlier this year, and that he had donated a large sum of money in his personal capacity.
This is consistent with Jackie Chan's usual style. In 1995, Jackie Chan was an absolute super-dominant figure in Asia, especially in Southeast Asia and the Japanese and Korean markets. His Hong Kong action films didn't need any complicated cultural translations; just having his name on the poster was enough for audiences to pay for his visceral, life-or-death action scenes.
This kind of track, which relies on pure visual impact and physical limits, is completely different from the acting-oriented and reputation-oriented path that Kitahara Shin is currently pursuing. But it is precisely the hard currency that can overcome language barriers and gain acceptance from audiences all over the world.
As he listened to Jackie Chan recount his recent experiences filming around the world, Kitahara Shin's heart began to stir.
With his status firmly established in Japan, expansion beyond Japan is inevitable. Action films are undoubtedly an excellent stepping stone. He now possesses the gold-quality [Ring of Life], and his physical abilities have long surpassed human limits; his system inventory also quietly holds the purple [Sword Saint's Worn Wooden Sword], a monstrous piece of equipment that provides the "Martial Arts Godhood" effect.
Although he doesn't usually show off his fighting skills, if he wanted to, with the help of this equipment, he could easily create an action blockbuster that would shock Hollywood.
Just as Kitahara Shin was secretly plotting, Jackie Chan's gaze fell on his upper body.
As an action star who trained in martial arts since childhood and spent most of his life on film sets, Jackie Chan immediately recognized the terrifying nature of Kitahara Shin's physique. It was definitely not the kind of dead muscle built up by eating protein powder in the gym. Kitahara Shin's chest and abdominal muscles exhibited an extremely symmetrical and streamlined shape, with each muscle being firm and dense, containing terrifying explosive power and flexibility, and his body fat percentage was astonishingly low.
"Kitahara, you train really hard in private, huh?" Jackie Chan couldn't help but reach out and squeeze Kitahara Shin's shoulder, his eyes full of amazement. "This is the first time I've seen a male actor who makes serious dramas build muscles to this level for real combat. If your body fat percentage were any lower, you could compete in bodybuilding competitions! Your physique is almost as good as mine when I was young."
"I do do some high-intensity comprehensive training regularly." Kitahara Shin smiled, not explaining the existence of the system, but offering a compliment, "However, when it comes to actual combat and resilience, I definitely can't compare to you, big brother."
Jackie Chan stroked his chin, his eyes turning serious: "Kitahara, tell me the truth, have you ever considered making it in Hollywood?"
"It would be a lie to say I'm not interested." Kitahara Shin met his gaze frankly, "But I haven't found a suitable script or entry point yet. Going there blindly would easily lead to problems adapting."
Jackie Chan patted him on the shoulder in deep agreement. As a senior figure, he knew all too well how murky Hollywood was. Even now, Jackie Chan was still in a phase of constant testing in the North American market, and "Rush Hour," which would truly allow him to establish himself in Hollywood, wouldn't be on the agenda for another two or three years.
"Look at your physique, your explosive power. I'd feel it's a shame if you didn't get to do a couple of fights on the big screen." Jackie Chan leaned closer, lowered his voice, and offered an olive branch. "Let's not talk about Hollywood for now; the bar is definitely high. I've always had an idea to make a transnational law enforcement crime action film here in Tokyo. Of course, I'll definitely play the policeman who comes from Hong Kong to hunt down the culprit."
Jackie Chan paused, his tone becoming more sincere: "But for this kind of cross-border filming, I'm unfamiliar with Japan. There are many things like getting approvals for filming locations with street closures and smoothing things over between the legitimate and underworld. You can't just buy money to solve these problems. I see that your reputation and standing in Japan are at their peak right now. How about we collaborate next year? We can film directly in Tokyo, and you can be my local partner."
For Jackie Chan, Japan and South Korea are the most lucrative markets in Asia. Partnering with a dominant force in those markets can save him countless troubles.
Upon hearing the proposal, Kitahara Shin immediately thought of the classic film "Shinjuku Incident" or a similar co-production from his past life. He stroked his chin; this was indeed an excellent opportunity for a win-win situation.
"No problem." Kitahara Shin nodded with a smile, agreeing readily. "As long as you're willing, I'll fully cooperate. I'll take care of the funding and venue issues."
Upon hearing this straightforward promise, Jackie Chan immediately stood up from the water, patted Kitahara Shin on the shoulder forcefully, and smiled so broadly that the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes crinkled together: "Good, good, good! That's great! Then let's chat more over dinner later. By the way, you're on vacation today, so it won't bother you if I talk to you about work, will it?"
"It's nothing." Kitahara Shin stood up, grabbed a towel from the side and wrapped it around himself. "I brought my family with me, so we can all have dinner together later."
"Great! I've brought my family too. See you at the banquet hall!" Jackie Chan readily agreed.
In the evening, inside the hotel's luxurious and private banquet hall.
Jackie Chan, dressed casually in a Tang suit, entered the private room with two stunningly beautiful Hong Kong actresses. Both actresses were quite famous in the Hong Kong film industry of the 1990s, their eyes and brows exuding a uniquely Hong Kong charm and flamboyance.
Jackie Chan was initially quite proud of himself as a veteran in the action film industry, and he was thinking about showing off his dashing and debonair status in front of Kitahara Shin, a local Japanese gangster.
However, when his gaze swept across the dining table and he saw the three women sitting opposite Kitahara Shin, Jackie Chan froze in place, his smile instantly freezing on his face.
Akina Nakamori possesses a gentle and dignified air, Izumi Sakai exudes a cool and refined elegance, and Rie Miyazawa is lively and charming.
These three top goddesses, any one of whom could make the entire Japanese entertainment industry tremble, were sitting quietly and obediently next to Kitahara Shin, just like the most ordinary housewives.
Especially Nakamori Akina, who was tilting her head to pour sake for Kitahara Shin, looked at the man with an unreserved adoration and love in her eyes, the kind of light a wife would give when looking at her strong and upright husband.
Jackie Chan was completely dumbfounded.
The two Hong Kong actresses behind him, though beautiful, paled in comparison to the three Japanese divas who radiated divine charisma.
When Kitahara Shin saw Jackie Chan enter, he smiled and waved, "Big brother, come sit here with us."
Jackie Chan's lips twitched almost imperceptibly. He chuckled dryly and waved his hand, "Alright, alright, you all eat first. I—I'll find you alone later to drink and talk business."
After saying that, Jackie Chan fled the private room with his two female companions, considerately closing the sliding door behind him.
Standing in the corridor, Jackie Chan let out a long sigh. He had always considered himself a notorious womanizer in the industry, but today he had truly seen something extraordinary. To be able to simultaneously appease these three powerful figures and make them coexist peacefully—this wasn't just womanizing; it was a miracle!
Jackie Chan touched his big nose and silently sighed to himself: Indeed, a man still has to be handsome. The difference between himself and Kitahara Shin was probably just their faces and height.
Inside the private room, watching Jackie Chan's hurried departure, Rie Miyazawa blinked, then immediately turned to Shin Kitahara, her voice brimming with excitement: "Shin-kun! Wasn't that Jackie Chan from Hong Kong just now?!"
"It's him. What, you know him too?" Kitahara Shin took a sip of sake. "Want me to get you an autograph later?"
"I don't need an autograph, but I want to take a picture with him!" Rie's eyes sparkled. In this era of practical effects filming, Jackie Chan's action movies, which rely entirely on physical skill and no CGI, possess a fatal attraction that transcends national borders. Who could resist a daredevil who never uses a stunt double?
"You didn't even tell us you knew him!" Rie complained coquettishly.
Akina and Izumi exchanged a glance. Akina put down the sake bottle and considerately said, "Shin-kun, since Mr. Jackie Chan wants to discuss business with you, why don't we finish our meal and go back to our rooms so you can talk to him alone?"
"There's no need for that." Kitahara Shin picked up a piece of Wagyu beef and put it in his mouth, answering casually. "Let's just eat here in peace. After we finish eating, I'll go find him for a drink. You guys can also chat with the two Jackie Chan brought later, just to make friends. Although I'm not sure if they understand Japanese."
As soon as she finished speaking, Akina, who was sitting next to Kitahara Shin, suddenly cleared her throat.
"Hello, nice to meet you."
A sentence of standard Mandarin, though slightly accented, but absolutely understandable, suddenly came out of Akina's mouth.
Kitahara Shin abruptly stopped picking up food with his chopsticks, turning to look at her with a shocked expression.
Before he could react, Izumi on the other side coughed and said in equally broken but earnest Chinese, "Hello—my name is Sakai Izumi. Nice to meet you."
This time, not only Kitahara Shin, but also Miyazawa Rie sitting opposite her were completely stunned. She looked to her left, then to her right, and suddenly had the illusion that she was being isolated by these two older sisters. She opened her mouth, but for a moment she didn't know what to say.
"When did you start secretly learning Chinese behind my back?" Kitahara Shin put down his chopsticks, his surprise barely concealed.
Akina covered her mouth and chuckled softly, a hint of smugness in her eyes: "When I went to Hong Kong for a music festival before, I actually learned some basic Cantonese, but it's been so long that I've forgotten most of it. Since I've been staying home lately, I found a language teacher and picked up Chinese again."
She paused, her gaze softening yet firm: "The domestic market is no longer a challenge for you. I know you'll eventually go to Hong Kong, or even the larger Asian market, to build your empire. I'll focus on improving my language skills first; maybe I can even sing theme songs for your international films someday. I can't just let you run ahead alone while I'm unable to help at all, can I?"
Hearing Akina's words, Kitahara Shin felt a surge of warmth in his heart.
As his ambition and career continued to grow, the women around him did not choose to comfortably hide under his wing like caged birds, but instead strived to improve themselves and try to keep up with his pace. This tacit understanding and support were more real than any sweet words.
Kitahara Shin smiled and shook his head, picked up the serving chopsticks, and carefully placed the fattest piece of tuna belly from his plate into the appetizer bowl. Then, he picked up a piece of sizzling Wagyu beef and placed it in the spring water dish.
"Your pronunciation is very accurate, keep it up." Kitahara Shin looked at them, not holding back his praise.
Seeing her two older sisters receive rewards, Rie Miyazawa, left standing to the side, was furious. She quickly pointed to herself, looking longingly at Shin Kitahara: "What about me? What about me?!"
Kitahara Shin glanced at her, slowly swallowed the food in his mouth, and joked with a smile, "Come back and collect your reward when you can communicate with me fluently in Chinese."
Rie Miyazawa was speechless. She struggled for a long time, unable to utter a single rebuttal, and could only angrily stuff a large mouthful of rice into her mouth. This caused Akina and Izumi to double over with laughter.
The private room was filled with laughter and joy, while the winter snow fell silently outside the window, perfectly capturing this rare and warm night.
>