[2010.02.27] ESUN HOLDINGS SPRING BANQUET

eSun holdings two nights ago held its spring banquet. Artists of its companies including Media Asia, East Asia Record, A Music and CMD all attended. This year boss Peter Lam Kin Gok provided 300,000 for cash prize drawings, but A Music "boss" Leon Lai Ming and the international kung fu superstar Donnie Yen Chi Tan two nights ago went on the stage half drunk. Lai Ming even joked that he was cheap as they each only donated 1,000 for the drawing. Host Michelle Ye (Yip Shuen) ridiculed them.

Attending artists were numerous, they included Miriam Yeung Chin Wa, Lai Ming, Janice Vidal (Wai Lan), Shu Qi, Janice Man Wing Shan, Denise Ho Wan Si, Big 4, Yen Chi Tan and his wife, Fama and others. Yet Andy Lau Tak Wa and Sammi Cheng Sau Man did not attend. The event had two host tables, as Lai Ming and Johnnie To Kei Fung sat next to boss Lam Kin Ngok. During the toast, past rumored couple Shu Qi and Lai Ming coincidentally stood together. They appeared to be somewhat unnatural but still toasted each other. After the ceremony, Shu Qi immediately went to the edge of the stage to toast other artists.

Each artist took turn to draw for prizes. Two nights ago happened to be Chin Wa's Lunar New Year birthday, she managed to draw herself and won 3,000. However Yip Shuen was very impolite and opened the envelope to take the money out before asking Chin Wa. Chin Wa immediately said, "Money can't be seen, you could've just given razor coupon!" Finally Chin Wa took 500 for good luck and donated the remaining 2,500 for the lucky drawing. Director Dante Lam Chiu Yi also drew a Cartier watch. When Yen Chi Tan drew his wife Cecilia Wang, Chi Tan joked, "If now isn't the time for 'the fix' when would be the time?"

During the cash prize drawing, Lai Ming was responsible. His red was red as he looked half drunk. As soon as he got on stage he said, "Our friend Mr. Lam is so cheap, he only donated 5,000. The longer the drawing goes the smaller it gets!" Yip Shuen instead asked Lai Ming to make donations and he immediately changed the subject. "Me? Hey!" Then he dragged in Chi Tan and joked, "We will be the cheap ones, each of us put up 1,000 for 20 100 buck prizes." Yip Shuen said, "Wow, we don't need 100 bucks! Why don't you toss out 2,000 bucks and see who gets it." Lai Ming said, "If you get 100 bucks and you are satisfied, then you are a good person." Lai Ming and Yip Shuen went back and forth on stage about how to draw HK$2,000 for a long time. Lai Ming suddenly said, "We can fold the 2,000 into a plane and throw it, whoever it hits on the head gets it."

Lam Kin Ngok finally threw into another 50,000 for 5 10,000 cash prizes. When Lai Ming saw the boss increase the stakes he immediately said, "Then the 1,000 bucks are so little, we are taking them back!" Maybe because they were embarrassed, finally they split the 2,000 with the two hosts Yip Shuen and Charles Ying Cheung Yau. After the drawing, Yip Shuen again asked the boss to add more. She said, "Chi Tan and Lai Ming can 'fight one on one' on stage, their salaries are in tens of millions, a Wing Tsun performance would be good! Then the boss can add 50,000, we have a performance to watch as well as prizes to draw." Chi Tan immediately said, "Are we worth so little?" Although in the end they did not "fight", Mr. Lam added another 50,000. Along with the earlier 200,000 he donated 300,000 to the lucky drawing.

Lam Kin Ngok also spoke with reporters. As for early reports that he was interested in signing Zhou Xun and Huang Xiaoming, he expressed that as long as any artist with potential is willing to sign, he wanted to negotiate. However so far he still has not spoken with either artist. He expressed that he admired each artist as long as they have potential and energy. He claimed that both Zhou Xun and Huang Xiaoming did, otherwise they would not be so successful. Did he want to land all top artists? Lam Kin Ngok pointed out that Media Asia is growing larger and larger, more productions require even more actors. This year Andrew Lau Wai Keung, Feng Xiaogang and several Mainland directors will start productions, with more than a dozen films. Some have already wrapped like FIRE OF CONSCIENCE (FOR LUNG) and LOVE IN A PUFF (CHI MING YU CHUN GIU). This year will be quite a harvest year.

Did Edison Chen Koon Hei have any performance project? Lam Kin Ngok expressed that would depend on his own decision. During the Lunar New Year Chen Koon Hei called him to wish him a Happy New Year. Will he make a movie for Chen Koon Hei? Mr. Lam pointed out that Chen Koon Hei actually has been waiting for Hong Kong reporters to forgive him. The reporters expressed that they have already forgiven him. Mr. Lam said, "Then I will tell him."

Yeung Chin Wa talked about sitting at the host table. Chin Wa honestly said that lately she has been very sensitive to the term because she and her husband are studying the guest list. Originally they planned to have two day banquet but they wanted to complete it in one day. They still have not picked a date and the hotel has been urged them to decide. She expressed that she still has not selected a wedding gown. With her May film production she left a lot for her husband to deal with. She also pointed out that originally her husband wanted to shoot wedding photos at several places, but due to her film production she would not have time. However, the wedding will take place after her year end concert. Was she extra careful with her birth control now? She said, "Before the concert I would be, otherwise would I have to carry the belly on stage?" As for switching to East Asia record, Chin Wa pointed out that later an announcement would be made since the negotiation was ongoing. She expressed that actually working with Lai Ming has been great as she had a chance to work together in a different way. She would like the best for peace to breed wealth.

In addition, "Counterfeit Cecilia Cheung Pak Chi" Gong Mi two nights ago attended with her manager Chu Wing Lung and announced their addition to A Music. They even posed for photos with boss Lai Ming and big boss Lam Kin Ngok. A Music executive director Wong Hoi Man expressed that the company will mainly release her record and arrange for her movies. Will Gong Mi release a Cantonese record? She expressed that she was already working hard on her Cantonese lessons, but her Cantonese remained not so fluent.

As for fighting for the top sot in the company, Gong Mi said that there was nothing to fight over. They were colleagues and they would work hard. She felt that both Wai Lan and Janice Man were very pretty. As for Jill Vidal (Wai Si), she knew of her but not much after that. Chu Wing Lung will work with A Music to develop Gong Mi.

Shu Qi got drunk at last year's Spring Banquet and was ridiculed. She said that this year she decided against drinking. Since Lai Ming and Gaile Lok were married, did Shu Qi ask Lai Ming for laisee? She awkwardly said that she did not. Earlier Shu Qi was caught playing badminton with three men. She expressed that all her friends were male but none of them were dating. They were just good friends. As for reports that she and a male companion went to a hot spring spa, Shu Qi pointed out that she did not go with anyone and she had no suitor.

Ho Wan Si revealed that lately she has become a television fan, as every night she would watch her show OL SUPREME (NUI WONG BAN GUNG SUT). Although she still has not appeared yet, she was very happy to learn that the rating was decent. She said that everyone have not had the chance to see Liza Wang Ming Chuen as a prank victim, but this time in series she kept playing pranks on Ah Jeh. She was also mischievous like a female version Law Kar Ying. When asked whether she would celebrate with a bikini appearance if the rating improved, Ah Si joked, "I am afraid that the rating will immediately take a dive. I might as well wear more clothes when the rating improves, no one wants to see me in a bikini."

Yen Chi Tan will work on Alan Mak Siu Fai's GUAN YUNCHANG. As for four different projects on the same subject, Chi Tan said, "That's been talked about, but I don't know whether the others will start." His film 14 BLADES had an average Hong Kong box office. Chi tan honestly said that he was somewhat disappointed. He said, "Earlier I 'covered it' and said it would lose. Luckily the entire world's box office has been good. In the Mainland it even made 130 million, three times better than (Raymond) Wong Pak Ming's." Actually he felt very happy that Chinese films were all successful. Since he started in Hong Kong film, he would like the industry to do well.

Reportedly Isabella Leong Lok Si was three months pregnant. Anthony Wong Chau Sun expressed that he met with his god daughter during the Lunar New Year. "She is pretty good, not bad." Did he give laisee to the baby? He said, "She has more than one." When asked if Leong Lok Si was pregnant again as reported? Chau Sun said, "I found out from the magazines. The magazines are very credible, even more so than the Bible. It must be true."