The Drunkard Page #4

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Give it to Mo

"Everything Visible Is Empty"

What do you think?

It's very well written.

Just the title is eye catching enough,

"Golden Lotus'Sex Escapades"

I didn't know you could write like that

To earn a living

I hope you can help me.

It's you who are helping us

Does this mean you'll publish the piece?

It'll appear in the paper

day after tomorrow.

What is the fee?

We are a small paper and

can't be compared with the big boys

Perhaps you'll find our fee too small

How much per thousand words?

US$8

If the readers respond well

we'll increase to $1 0 in 2 months

Alright, that's settled

There's something else

You have other questions?

I want an advance of $1 00.

Can you do it?

Our paper has never done this before.

I understand

Just this once, please help me

I can personally lend you $1 00

We are old friends

But write me an I.O.U.

One more

Drink up, great!

- Again

- Let's eat first

You know what?

I'm tired of this dancing girl life

You want to get another job?

I want to be a house wife

Do you like Elvis'songs?

You know how to do

"mash potato dance"?

No

You like watching movies?

Who's your favorite movie star?

I like Lin Dai with her large eyes

Du Juan when she is angry

and I like You Min, Grace Chang and

Julie Yeh Fung in "Stars, Moon and Sun"

Have you seen

Grace Chang's "Mambo Girl"?

I watched it when I was young.

I went home and imitated her dance

I liked them all

Big sister

This is my brother

Do the potato dance for me

I can't

Sorry to trouble you

I'm leaving

Is big sister drunk?

That's right

She doesn't really know how to drink

Why don't you take her to a hotel?

I don't understand what you mean

They say that big sister is a bad girl

Whoever has money

can take her to a hotel

Don't say that.

Why?

Because your sister is

doing it for your sake

We never asked her to.

But you have to eat and go to school

Our dad earns money to pay for that

Your dad is out gambling all the time,

how does he get the money?

Silly boys, look after your sister

Behave yourselves

When did you arrive?

Why didn't you go to work

at the newspaper?

Take a look at this stage play

It is very well written,

the technique is excellent

I don't want to

Why?

I'm sick of it. I've decided to

give up doing serious literary work

Honestly, even if I managed to write

something like "Old Man and the Sea"

nobody will appreciate it

Are you drunk again?

No, I had a few drinks

but I'm not drunk

Every writer wants to be known,

but it's not necessary

You told me that even James Joyce faced

humiliation and was misunderstood

whe he was alive, but he never gave up

If what we do will be appreciated

a hundred years from now

then our present sufferings are all worth it.

Society is too cruel and practical

We can't go on living in our dreams

Don't you remember what you told me?

You said Proust suffered from asthma

He was confined to an airless room

for over ten years

But he ended up writing

"Remembrance of Times Past"

Mak

don't talk about that again

In order to make a better living,

I've decided to write porn fiction.

You can take away any of the books

on the shelf if you are interested

Today I wrote a very pornographic piece

to a newspaper in Central

They gave me $1 00 in advance

You are giving up your ideals for $1 00?

That's right

What about your editor position

at "Avant Garde Literature"?

- I don't want to do it any more

- I've lost all interest in literature

Haven't seen you in ages.

Here alone?

No, I came with my husband.

- You're married? - Y es

Why didn't you tell me?

He looks familiar.

You've met him

He is the factory boss

The one who sent his thugs

to beat me up?

You married him?

Yes

Why?

Why do you have to marry him?

Because

He's rich

Money rules everything. It's the devil.

It is more powerful than God,

especially in Hong Kong

I've fallen in love with you

If I treat her as a prostitute, I am a hero

but if I treat her as a lover,

I'm pitifully inadequate

"Avant Garde Literature"

I plan to describe Golden Lotus'sex

lives with her various tenants

I'll describe how horny she is

How she seduces the men

How she achieves greatest sexual

satisfaction with all the male tenants

So on and so forth

Don't need much thought

No need for plot nor character description

No need to create atmosphere

As long as I write about sex

I'll get my money

Telephone call for you.

I sent you the first issue. Did you get it?

Y es.

How is it? I'd like to know your views

I admire your courage and determination.

What about the content?

What do you think?

Very good, every piece is above standard.

And the original writings?

Not as good, but passable

How about the translated pieces?

They are of a high standard

The deadline for the second issue

is coming up

I know you are too busy

for translation work

But you read a lot, so I'm hoping you

could provide us with some materials

I haven't read any serious literature lately

What?

I dream that 40 years from now

A Hong Kong film director

adapts my novel to the screen

But this director does not pay me a cent

I dream that 50 years from now

Another director adapts

another novel of mine

This is the first time I get money

for film adaptation rights

I drink a bottle of brandy to celebrate

Not finished yet?

You're here

Here's the light.

How is "Avant Garde Literature"

coming along?

The second issue is at the printer's

We don't have much original writings yet.

How is the first issue selling?

Very poorly.

How poorly?

We shipped 1 000 copies to

Singapore and Malaysia,

but the distributor said

they could only sell 30 copies

and we should only send them

They also want us to have serial novels

I see

What about the sales situation

in Hong Kong?

It's a little better,

but we've sold fewer than 1 00 copies

Mak, we're old friends.

Can I be frank with you?

Sure

If the magazine sells only

then it's not worth your effort.

As long as there is a single reader

I will continue to publish

"Avant Garde Literature"

In that case,

I try to write a short story for you

Sure, but what pseudonym will you use?

The one I use all the time

But you're writing four porn novels

under that name!

So?

So?

I can't have you writing serious

literature under the same pseudonym

with which you write

Golden Lotus' Sex Escapades!

If that's what you think

then forget it

Mr. Lau

I'm quitting next month.

Why? You switching to another club?

You're tired of the trade?

Then why are you quitting?

I'm getting married

Who are you getting married to?

- A young client.

- You don't know him

The word 'young' pierced

my heart like an arrow

Your cheeks are redder than Lord Kwan's.

Stop drinking

I'm OK

I want to drink

Drink up. We should celebrate

Come on, I'll drink

Alright, I'll drink with you

We obtained some donations and bought

a few dozen grey military overcoats

We were young then,

and didn't trust anyone but ourselves.

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