Huayu, can you be called the best actor if you don’t indulge yourself?

Chapter 671: Broken Halberd
I heard the name pop up.

Some people in the meeting room looked puzzled, while others suddenly realized what was going on.

Wang Zhongjun quickly realized what it meant.

He nodded in agreement.

"He is certainly not Li Luo's partner."

Chen Guofu tapped his fingertips on the table and said meaningfully, "But we couldn't stop our General Manager Zhang from helping Li Luo to bring the people together. This was the worst move he made."

"There is no hatred without a cause, and there is no attack that arises suddenly."

"I believe everyone has already figured it out."

"When Zhang Weiping first said those few words to the media, he ultimately wanted to use Li Luo's booming popularity after his great victory in America to boost the box office of the movie 'A Simple Noodle Story'."

"Normally."

"His move wasn't wrong."

"That's what I said."

"Actually, it's not an exaggeration."

Playing with his black-rimmed glasses, Chen Guofu continued slowly, "Under normal circumstances, when faced with Zhang Yimou's imposing presence, ordinary people would either avoid talking about it or back down to show that they had indeed spoken too confidently."

"This was a reaction that Zhang Weiping had anticipated."

"But."

"Li Luo is no ordinary person."

Wang Zhongjun picked up where the director left off, looking around at the company's senior executives: "Moreover, I reckon Li Luo is just worried about not having a chance to create hype, and Zhang Weiping is now handing him a gun."

"Given his personality."

"There's no reason not to pull the trigger."

"Yes."

Chen Guofu picked up the conversation again, pondering as he said, "I even suspect that Li Luo's statement at the press conference about carrying half of the comedy film industry was just a hook he deliberately threw out."

"As long as someone takes the bait."

"He would immediately rush up and pester her relentlessly."

“If you observe the publicity during this period, you should be able to see some clues. The publicity for 'Lost in Thailand' was actually lukewarm before Li Luo returned to China, and Wang Changtian, along with Xu Zheng and Wang Baoqiang, didn't make much of a splash.”

“After he returned.”

"The popularity and discussion surrounding the 'Lost in Thailand' online has skyrocketed."

"Zhang Weiping wanted to take advantage of Li Luo's popularity, but he also fell into Li Luo's trap. Li Luo used the most intense reaction to put himself in the position of the victim, making everyone sympathize with the journey."

"That's a brilliant move!"

“If Zhang Weiping is smart enough, he should shut his mouth.”

"The more cannons are fired, the more popular Li Luo becomes."

"However, sometimes when you're in the thick of it, even the smartest person can't see the situation clearly. If Three Guns had performed poorly at the box office yesterday, Zhang Weiping might have made some blunders in his desperation."

"To bring Li Luo even greater benefits!"

"Too cunning!"

"This person's methods of manipulating public opinion are too impressive, and he is equally ruthless when he takes action. Look at the current situation where 'A Simple Noodle Story' is being frantically attacked; Zhang Yimou might just suffer a serious setback!"

Words rang out one after another.

The executives in the conference room fell silent.

Successful experiences.

They didn't actually learn much.

But one thing I learned very clearly is that you should never provoke a madman unless absolutely necessary, especially one who is incredibly popular and extremely skilled at manipulating public opinion.

In the living room.

Various telephones rang incessantly.

No matter how noisy the commotion was, the person sitting on the sofa showed no intention of answering the call. He just held a cigarette in his mouth, squinted at the report in his hand, and looked at the final set of numbers.

Fourteen million three hundred and twenty thousand.

跌了
The cigarette butt was stained a deep red.

Sunday's figure was eight million lower than Saturday's.

"Whoo~"

A column of smoke was ejected.

On paper, the figure is a drop of eight million, but if the weekend gains are taken into account, the loss is at least ten million in box office revenue, and the chain reaction will lead to even greater losses.

The cigarette butt was like fire and charcoal.

Then he forcefully exhaled a column of smoke that was more than a meter long.

The entire living room was filled with a near-hysterical rage.

And at this time.

A slight smile finally appeared on Wu Dun's face.

The box office reports for Saturdays and Sundays are finally showing an upward trend. Although profitability is still a long way off, at least the situation is no longer deteriorating.

"Alo's suggestion is good."

Sitting next to him, Zhang Long loosened his tie, rubbed his temples, and let out a sigh of relief: "Since our reputation among the general public is beyond repair, all we can do is try our best to please our fans."

"The box office trend has finally stabilized!"

"Ah."

Wu Dun bit into the cigar, savoring its slightly bitter taste.

Losing money is a foregone conclusion.

Faced with the impending huge losses, no matter how unwilling he was, he could only swallow his pride and call Li Luo to ask if there were any good solutions. Li Luo didn't even wait for him to speak.

Then he gave several suggestions in succession.

For example, never go against the public opinion that has already been stirred up.

Honestly admit that the film has some problems, and then try to make jokes and references with the fans to salvage the film's reputation from another angle.

玩梗
Wu Dun doesn't quite understand yet.

What kind of production company caters to moviegoers by nitpicking their own films?

But there is no way.

With no other options, he had no choice but to trust Li Luo.

Another option is for everyone to join forces to defeat Sanqiang, and then capitalize on the market gap left by Sanqiang's downfall to replenish their own resources.

Don't tell me yet.

The effect was immediate.

While grateful, Wu Dun also felt a pang of regret, annoyed that he hadn't listened to Li Luo's advice, which had led to this chaotic situation and who knew how much money he would lose next.

Just like the tomb of the treacherous official.

Fengyun also received good news.

After its reputation collapsed, it saw its box office rise against the trend for the first time.

The box office trends of the three companies.

It perfectly illustrates what it means for a whale fall to bring life to all things.

The box office revenue spilling from the failed "Three Guns" made them so happy they were practically drooling. Their bared fangs looked even more terrifying as they bit down on "Three Guns" with even greater ferocity.

The box office performance of "Three Guns" was nothing short of a collapse.

Everyone who saw it was astonished.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Yimou's first commercial blockbuster since the Olympics, and his first comedy film, couldn't even hold on in its opening week under a barrage of attacks, showing a clear box office slump.

If no miracle occurs...

A double failure in both critical reception and box office will inevitably lead to the downfall of "A Simple Noodle Story".

on Monday.

The Three Guns publicity team kept quiet.

on Tuesday.

The celebration banquet for the "Lost in Thailand" project surpassing 100 million RMB in revenue was held at Spark Cube.

Or it could be called the "Lost in Thailand Carnival".

In addition to more than a dozen media outlets attending the banquet, a hundred movie fans who were selected from the comments section braved the cold wind to cheer and come. Of course, the cast and crew of "Lost in Thailand" were also among those present.

The carnival.

Sponsored by Sina Weibo.

Let's set aside the usual celebrations like champagne towers and smashing ice sculptures.

The main focus is on having fun.

Games such as shooting balloons, ring toss, beanbag toss, and jump rope are set up in the central area of ​​the Rubik's Cube, with all kinds of prizes piled up into a small mountain, leaving people speechless.

Despite trying her best to decline.

Xu Zheng and Wang Baoqiang also received huge red envelopes, each containing as much as 500,000 yuan, which were forcibly handed to them by Brother Luo.

I'm eating this stuff all by myself.

Li Luo sometimes dislikes certain foods.

Even if you're drinking and eating heartily, you should at least let others have a sip of soup.

Otherwise, who will follow you in the future?

Wang Ou, Zhang Guoqiang, Huang Xiaolei, and others also received red envelopes of varying amounts. Of course, Li Luo wouldn't give everyone 500,000 yuan; even if the film made a lot of money, it wasn't something to be squandered like that.

Although few.

But it also satisfied everyone.

Now, it's not just because of "Lost in Thailand" that it has made a name for itself.

They also received a large red envelope.

Xu Zheng, Wang Baoqiang, Wang Ou, Zhang Guoqiang, and Huang Xiaolei were so happy they couldn't stop smiling. Amid cheers from their fans, they jogged to the carnival venue.

There were no boring speeches or tedious interviews.

today.

The movie fans are the real protagonists.

With a wave of Li Luo's hand, the cast and crew immediately invited the fans to play various familiar games, making the fans who came to participate in the carnival almost go crazy with joy.

This is just the beginning.

As the carnival games continue...

Signed posters, T-shirts, baseball caps, scarves, mugs, snack gift boxes, MP4 players and other prizes were given out in a continuous stream, with the main idea being that everyone would receive something and no one would miss out.

Seeing the carnival scene where everyone was having fun with their fans, with laughter filling the air.

The reporters looked at each other.

He then excitedly pressed the shutter.

This kind of thing.

More than just fans.

Even they hadn't experienced it.

In addition to sponsoring the "Lost in Thailand Carnival" event, Sina Weibo also arranged for photographers to help take pictures and provided ten laptops for fans to log in to Weibo and share their happy feelings.

Ok.

To put it simply...

It's called showing off.

Just as netizens were anticipating updates from actor Li Luo's account about the celebration party, photos posted by dozens or even hundreds of fans caused a stir on Weibo.

"Hahaha."

"Brother Luo is jumping rope with us!!! See that person standing behind Brother Luo? It's me, ahahaha, it's me hahaha!!!"

"Sister Wang Ou is so good at hopscotch."

"Long live."

"She helped me win an MP4 player!!! I'm so happy!!!"

"Baoqiang is popping balloons, doesn't he look like Xu Sanduo? I just won a scarf from him, what a perfect carnival of mishaps!"

"Hahaha, someone has set a trap for Xu Zheng."

Various updates.

A constant stream of carnival photos.

The netizens on Xinlang were almost driven crazy. They originally thought it would be like the previous celebration banquet, where people would just show up, be in the background, get autographs, take photos, have a meal, and that would be the end of it.

Unexpectedly, Brother Luo treated them as the main characters, and had a group of actors lead them in playing games.

Amidst envy and jealousy.

I couldn't help but feel deeply moved.

In the past, no matter how successful a movie was, it had nothing to do with them. Everyone said that movies were made for the general public and ordinary people, but during celebrations, they were often just relegated to the background.

"It's a pity I wasn't selected."

"I was very envious when I saw those photos of the carnival."

"More is possible."

"I feel happy and moved."

"Brother Luo didn't have to do all this, but he still chose to keep us fans in his heart. After leading us on the red carpet last time, he once again made us the stars."

"No more."

"Watching Lost in Thailand for the third time tonight!"

Yangcheng Qingya, a user with over 10,000 followers on Sina Weibo and widely recognized as a die-hard fan of Li Luo, posted a blog that quickly resonated with many netizens, and the number of reposts skyrocketed.

Related updates.

Naturally, it was also noticed by industry peers.

The film company executives were so bewildered that they didn't know what to say. How could Li Luo manage to come up with such ingenious ideas?

Much anticipated.

It wasn't until more than an hour later that actor Li Luo's account posted the photo.

The painting is enormous and features a huge number of people.

The main cast and crew were scattered among the hundred movie fans, with a large red banner hanging above their heads that read "Box Office Exceeds 100 Million, Lost on the Road, Happy Chinese New Year."

Everyone looked at the camera.

Led by Luo Ge, they cheered and grinned, showing their white teeth.

Wednesday.

The box office performance of "Lost in Thailand" remained encouraging on Tuesday.

The cold wind was still biting.

But inside the chairman's office of Spark Cube, it was warm as spring. Li Luo stroked his rounded hips in his pencil skirt, and then looked at the shiny black stockings with a restless desire, as if he was about to tear them with his fingertips.

"Hey~"

Zhao Xuejing retreated swiftly, tossing her long hair to create distance between herself and him: "Brother Luo, are you trying to play tricks again? I don't want to go over there alone to change my stockings."

"Then together?"

Looking at the slender waist cinched in her white shirt, Li Luo said she didn't mind the trouble.

"Bad~"

Zhao Xuejing walked out with a smile, her bodycon skirt swaying as she went. Her slightly curled long hair swayed with her waist. "You'd better hurry up and look at the script and report, or Editor Wang will call you again."

He shook his head with a smile.

Li Luo picked up the script he had almost finished reading and then leaned back comfortably in his leather office chair.

This is the script for "iPartment 2".

Main content.

He had seen most of it.

The plot was not much different from what he remembered. Due to his own strict requirements, Wang Yuan put a lot of effort into polishing the details of the script with other screenwriters, so it no longer looked too rough.

Many plot points.

It is no longer a 1:1 replica.

It has become more localized and more rational, and the original plot elements are also better connected.

Regrets also exist.

When we communicated by phone before.

Wang Yuan explained the reasons for the missing main actors in the script. Lu Zhanbo was going abroad to pursue a master's degree in stage performance, and due to his absence and health reasons, the actress playing Lin Wanyu ultimately decided to give up the opportunity to continue the role. Additionally, Chen Meijia signed a hosting job with another television station.

The schedule couldn't be coordinated.

I can only be absent.

Therefore, three more important characters, Tang Youyou, Zhang Wei, and Qin Yumo, were added to the original cast. These characters had already completed auditions, and Wang Yuan sent over the information and audition clips of the actors he deemed suitable.

We're just waiting for him to make the final decision.

It must be said that Wei Zheng and Wang Yuan are both very sensible in their actions and are very clear about who has the final say.

And the two of them.

I never thought of taking advantage of this opportunity to gain any benefits.

The biggest benefit for them lies in the revenue from the TV series copyrights. Only by making a good second season can they have everything they've always dreamed of. No fool would mess things up at such a crucial time.

Close the script
Open the thick file folder.

Dozens of actor profiles slid out from inside.

When the auditions for "iPartment 2" started a while ago, it attracted a lot of actors from all walks of life, although it was unclear who the big boss behind it was.

However, the extremely high viewership ratings and the terrifying number of reruns on various TV stations cannot be faked.

This kind of TV series.

For many actors, it's a highly sought-after position.

In Wang Yuan's words, the audition materials almost overwhelmed them.

I just flipped through it casually.

Li Luo then double-clicked the mouse to open QQ.

"The script is good."

"Tang Youyou: Deng Jiajia, Zhang Wei: Li Jiahang, Qin Yumo: Zhao Wenqi, let's stick to this cast list. Next, we'll sign contracts and build sets."

"Communicate well with Sister Yue to make the advertising integration more natural."

"receive."

Wang Yuan replied quickly, adding a text emoji: "Thank you for the compliment, Brother Luo. Wei Zheng and I both went to see Lost in Thailand. It's really well made. When are you coming to Shanghai to celebrate?"

"I'll let you visit the set then."

Li Luo typed on the keyboard and replied cheerfully, "I'm going to America next month to film Twilight, so I might not be free anytime soon."

"Wow~~~"

Wang Yuan sighed.

We're just chatting here.

On the other side, Li Luo also took out his phone and sent a text message to Chen Jiashang: "Luo Jialiang, whom you recommended, is very good. His acting skills and aura are both fine. Let him play the role of Bai Yunfei."

The film's promotional campaign needs to be followed up.

Work on television dramas cannot be neglected either.

Li Luo typed the script for "My Love from the Star" on the keyboard again. This script was the first one awarded by the system, but it had not been released due to technical and funding issues.

Now that the funding and technology meet the filming requirements, we can put it on the agenda.

We can't wait for South Korea to start making preparations.

I haven't even started yet.

However, although the script is not long, there are many parts that need to be changed, such as character names, place names, honorific titles, and some ancient lifestyles, and how the professor became rich overnight.

All of these factors need to be carefully considered.

Just as he was busy with his work, hurried footsteps quickly approached.

"Brother Luo!"

The office door was suddenly pushed open, and Lin Yue, panting, placed a newspaper on his desk:
"Zhang Weiping has gone mad!!!"

"what?"

Li Luo raised his head blankly, then squinted at the newspaper.

Zhang Weiping has gone mad!

With the release of a fresh interview in the Yangcheng Evening News, this statement instantly swept through the entire Chinese entertainment and film industry. Industry colleagues jumped up and down, urging their assistants to buy back the Yangcheng Evening News, their eyes wide as they stared at the contents.

Q:

Yangcheng Evening News:

How much has "A Simple Noodle Story" grossed today? Did it meet your expectations?

A:

Zhang Weiping:
It didn't meet expectations. To be honest, the box office performance of "A Simple Noodle Story" is terrible. I never expected it to turn out like this. The distributor is doing everything they can.

Unfortunately, it hasn't been very effective so far.

Q:

Yangcheng Evening News:

Can you explain why?

A:

Zhang Weiping:
The reason is actually very simple: our Three Guns has been subjected to extremely vicious targeting and attacks, to the point that it has seriously affected the healthy and orderly development of the market. This is a large-scale and manipulative attack.

This is Zhang Yimou's first film after the Olympics, and his contributions to the Olympics can be seen by people all over the country.

His personal brand alone is worth 400 million.

With the addition of popular stars like Sun Honglei, Xiao Shenyang, and Yan Ni, "Three Guns" should have achieved even better box office results, especially since it also imported a Hollywood script, allowing us to adapt foreign elements for Chinese use.

It should, and inevitably will, succeed.

I am confident in my judgment; I haven't made a mistake with any of my films since "Hero".

This is obvious to all.

Unfortunately.

We have been subjected to a vicious attack!
Q:

Yangcheng Evening News:

Are accusations of malice, attack, and manipulation too harsh?
A:

Zhang Weiping:
You have no idea what we've been through lately. Our competitors in the same time slot have gone to extreme lengths to suppress Three Guns, using methods that have reached an appalling level.

Q:

Yangcheng Evening News:

We've also noticed that "A Simple Noodle Story" has been met with a lot of controversy and widespread negative reviews. Some directors, like Wang Yuelun, have also expressed their dislike for the film. What are your thoughts on this?

A:

Zhang Weiping:
Wang Yuelun is not worth mentioning; he's still a newcomer and not yet successful.

Even if he succeeds.

If he knew what it meant to be human.

Wang Yuelun understood that he shouldn't speak carelessly before watching the movie.

Zhang Yimou is truly outstanding!

Those unsuccessful or down-on-their-luck colleagues like to bring him up. For example, when he used to photograph lanterns or chrysanthemums, he was criticized for exposing his dark side, trying to please foreigners, and trying to win awards abroad.

As for negative film reviews...

I can't believe anyone would actually do something like that.

On the day the movie was released, a staff member told me that Three Guns had been rated 1 point on a certain professional website. Later, it was found out that the rating was given by the production company of a competitor that was releasing the movie at the same time.

They organized more than 30 people to vote, and their current goal is to lower the rating of the movie "Three Guns".

Therefore, all those reviews are false.

It's unfair.

It's all dirty water that's been thrown at us.

Q:

Yangcheng Evening News:

How did you find out about this?
A:

Zhang Weiping:
We understand the pressure the website is facing. In addition to the film production company, a certain film group has even openly demanded that the media remove positive reports and insist on giving negative reports about "Three Guns".

To put it bluntly, these behaviors constitute monopoly.

That's a scoundrel!!!

Q:

Yangcheng Evening News:

What do you mean by monopoly?
A:

Zhang Weiping:
The meaning is very clear: a dominant player is a monopoly.

A few days ago I ran into a leader who asked me why I hadn't attended the Huabiao Awards despite being invited multiple times in the past two years. I replied that the Huabiao Awards had become a monopoly and a source of personality cult, and that it was the highest official award.

If you didn't know better, you'd think it was a private performance by some company!
The audience consisted of top figures from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, while the stage was filled with shouts of "Thank you, Master Han!"

unknown.

I thought it was the bandit leader Zuo Shandiao!

It created a chaotic and unpleasant atmosphere.

Q:

Yangcheng Evening News:

Are you familiar with 'Master Han'?

A:

Zhang Weiping:
We don't know each other and have never spoken, let alone had any conflict. I just can't stand this situation. What right does he have to use the resources of a certain film group to do these things?

They went to establish monopolies and suppress dissent.

Q:

Yangcheng Evening News:

What evidence do you have? Specifically, what are your pieces of evidence?
A:

Zhang Weiping:
It is well known that he uses the scheduling of imported blockbusters to squeeze out domestic blockbusters.

You don't cooperate with him.

He'll release two imported films during his release window to compete with you.

I'll unleash the dogs on you.

This time, Three Guns chose to collaborate with Huaying Film Studio, so it was besieged by two imported blockbusters, "2012" and "Avatar", as well as "The Treasure Hunter", "Storm Riders" and "Bodyguards and Assassins".

Especially Li Luo.

That guy was Han Sanping's number one vanguard. His journey was all about destroying "Three Guns". He not only confronted Han Sanping head-on, but also removed "Three Guns" from his theaters.

This practice is extremely unethical.

Han Sanping was the dealer, so no one dared to mess with him.

This monopoly has constrained and harmed the domestic film market, profiting from the infighting among domestic films, making it difficult for our "Three Guns" to succeed in the market.

Q:

Yangcheng Evening News:

After these remarks are made, you will be thrust into the spotlight. What impact will this have on you? Will you encounter escalating retaliation?

A:

Zhang Weiping:
The time has come to tell the truth. Monopoly is a very abnormal phenomenon. I don't care at all what impact it will have on me. If I cared, I wouldn't be speaking out now.

As for retaliation.

Him? I wouldn't even give him a second glance.

I just hope that the audience can see reality clearly and go to the cinema to see it for themselves.

How many people are watching a movie, and what movie are they watching?

Don't rely on hearsay.

Make your own evaluation after you've seen it.

Let's see what our film "Three Guns" has gone through and what its quality is like. I believe everyone will make their own honest evaluation after watching it!
You don't need to read the whole thing.

Just browsing through some of these clips is enough to send chills down the spines of industry professionals.

This is absolutely insane!
Under pressure to boost box office revenue, they're so desperate they'll do anything.

It's one thing to compete with rivals in the same time slot, but not only did they drag Han Sanping into it, they even went so far as to give him a nickname. As expected, they are still as outspoken as ever.

"A series of blunders!"

Wang Zhongjun took a deep drag on his cigar and stubbed it out forcefully.

"A dog jumps over the wall in a hurry."

Chen Guofu's expression was extremely strange. He shook his head repeatedly and said, "The movie 'Bodyguards and Assassins' is supposed to be released the day after tomorrow. If we don't find a way to fight to the death, Sanqiang will probably be killed by Yu Dong."

"But if he adopts this broad approach, I'm afraid he'll suffer more losses than gains."

"What about President Han?"

"will not."

Wang Zhongjun vigorously rubbed the half-smoked cigar, then shook his head with a wry smile and said, "Zhang Weiping's move was indeed foolish, but it can't be said that it was ineffective. At the very least, it cornered President Han with one move."

"The bigger the commotion, the better."

"The more Han tries to do something, the less likely he is to make any moves."

"In his position, he couldn't show any magnanimity. President Han could only swallow this injustice and couldn't even respond to it."

"Depend on!"

Suddenly remembering something, Wang Zhongjun swiftly crushed his cigar to shreds: "Li Luo actually got a good deal in there. That bastard, why does he always seem to get a share of good things?!"

Figure out the key points.

Chen Guofu slapped his thigh in envy.

you do not say!

Mr. Han was unable to vent his anger.

At this point, whoever can help him vent his anger will naturally be regarded as one of his own, and even a fool can understand the benefits involved.

The two were discussing it.

The storm sparked by the interview is heading towards China Film Group.

Just as Wang Zhongjun had predicted, no matter how fierce the storm was, the China Film Group office remained silent. Only the China Film Group spokesperson stepped forward to say that Zhang Weiping had the freedom of speech.

However, please refrain from making personal attacks.

Furthermore, the claim of squeezing out screenings of "Three Guns" is completely unfounded. The imported blockbuster "2012" was released almost thirty days earlier, which is nearly a full screening cycle. So how can there be any talk of squeezing out screenings?

We can't stop showing any movies just because you released three shots!

Regarding the issue of the vanguard.

The spokesperson simply stated that "Lost in Thailand" had no cooperation with China Film Group, and there was no business relationship between the production and distribution parties.

He would only offer a few perfunctory words and then stop responding.

In the interview.

As a key figure mentioned.

Li Luo was also caught in the eye of the storm, and Zhao Xuejing's administrative phone was almost overwhelmed with calls from reporters.

In this regard.

Li Luo made a brief statement on Sinlang Entertainment.

"We have taken note of the relevant remarks."

"There has been competition and clashes during this period, but I know it's just a difference in perspectives. Ultimately, it's all about making more money, and I don't see it as anything shameful."

"Actually, regardless of winning or losing, at least I still respect you as a man."

"It has now been discovered that this was completely unnecessary."

The blunt and blatant words displayed utter contempt, and with just a few simple sentences, the public opinion storm caused by the interview was completely overturned.

Amidst the silent laughter of countless people, Zhang Weiping's last gamble turned to ashes.

Then Yu Dong galloped over on horseback.

Three shots.

They were utterly defeated on the battlefield.

The howling, fierce wind quietly stopped.

In the blink of an eye.

Pandora is within reach.
(End of this chapter)