Huayu: I'm reborn, but you still force me to be a scumbag?

Chapter 180 Beyond the Godfather
2007年7月15日下午4点52分，BJ，希尔顿酒店顶层总统套房。

"Mr. Chen, it turns out that you don't wear a SKA in your freshman year?"

Chen Nuo's height of 181cm is just an average figure in mainland China, especially in the north, where he can be easily missed in a crowd.

But if he stood in front of these Japanese women, he would really be a mighty and strong Chinese man.

A Japanese girl who is just over 160cm tall needs to stand on tiptoe to help him fix his bow tie.

He was filled with a burst of fragrance, and in front of him was a pair of big, blinking eyes and a pretty red face, looking at him shyly.

What was he saying? Thanks to Takeda Guizi from "The Sound of Wind", he had learned it for two days and understood the two words "Chen Jun".

He really didn't know what the others were talking about.

It was all because when he was greeting the makeup team that Warner invited from Japan, he spoke a few words in Japanese out of politeness, which made them look surprised and thought he was fluent in Japanese.

Fortunately, the female translator next to him seemed to see his confusion and explained in English: "Minako asks you, is this tightness appropriate?"

Chen Nuo shook his neck left and right, nodded and said, "Okay."

After hearing what the translator said, stylist Minako Hayakawa nodded with regret and stepped aside.

Immediately, another beautiful woman in her 30s took Minako's place and started talking a lot.

The translator said, "Miyuki asked you if there is anything else you think needs to be adjusted. No matter what your request is, they will satisfy you."

Chen Nuo always felt that the words of the American female translator were a little strange, so he tilted his head to look at her.

His expression was very serious and solemn, and it didn't sound like he was making any pun at all.

Come to think of it, Chen Nuo felt that he had been almost surrounded by enemy countries in the 24 hours since he returned to the capital.

From translators to various staff members, they are all white British and American people.

And I don't know whether it was intentional or unintentional, but from Lori Eisner onwards, except for the three burly black bodyguards, all the others were women.

Chen Nuo thought with a petty mind, could it be that the capitalists of Warner wanted to use some useless tricks to test him, a proletarian fighter?
Otherwise, is there no makeup artist in Beijing?
Why did they inexplicably find a team composed entirely of women from Japan to do his styling?

Isn't this a joint effort by the Japanese and American forces to provoke him and try to make him draw his gun?
Haha, you're looking for trouble. You want us to start a fight first, right?
Who do you look down on?
I, Xiao Chen, am a young general who has been through many battles. How could I fall for your petty tricks?

Chen Nuo looked at the man in the mirror.

To be honest, in this era, Japanese makeup is indeed the best in Asia. No wonder so many people pay tuition to study makeup in Japan.

Looking at himself in the mirror, Chen Nuo finally confirmed that after several months of exercise and recovery, he had successfully lost weight and transformed from the ugly middle-aged clown into a handsome young man.

It's like being reborn all over again.

For a moment, I felt narcissistic.

He looked around from different angles and said, "Damn Japanese girls, they are quite good at it."

The female translator asked in surprise: "Chen, what did you say?"

Chen Nuo switched back to English from Xichuan dialect: "I said no more, it's fine."

But Miss Miyuki doesn't seem to think so.

The translator said: "She thinks your eyebrows are too thick."

Then, the red-haired, brown-eyed Texan shrugged like a cowgirl, "But, to be honest, I don't think so. I think they're trying to make you into a sissy like the Japanese men."

Chen Nuo smiled and said, "You stayed in Japan for a long time?"

"Yeah. It's been eight years. I love Tokyo. The only problem is that Japanese men's penises are not as thick as my little finger."

Chen Nuo laughed and was about to chat with this interesting translator about the size issue he was very interested in. Anyway, the Japanese girls next to him didn't understand English.

Just then, Lori Eisner suddenly walked into the private dressing room in the master suite.

She knocked on the door with a serious face and said, "Girls, please go out for a moment, thank you."

Chen Nuo didn't know why, but although Lori Eisner looked sweet and cute, her prestige seemed to be surprisingly high within Warner.

At her command, everyone in the dressing room, including the translator, filed out.

Until then, she and Chen Nuo were the only ones left in the room.

At this moment, Lori Eisner's expression suddenly melted like an iceberg, revealing a sweet smile.

After a day of contact, this always cold and icy woman smiled in front of him for the first time.

Just like an 18 or 9-year-old American beauty.

This made Chen Nuo a little flattered.

What good is this?

However, Lori Eisner kept him in suspense and asked in a slightly attentive manner, "Chen, what do you think of this Japanese team? The main reason is that the time is too tight and they can't make a schedule. Otherwise, I think the Singapore team would be more suitable for you than the Japanese team."

Chen Nuo said: "It's OK, but why is it so troublesome? There are no makeup artists in China?"

Lori Eisner said seriously, "No trouble. Warner has not yet established an independent headquarters in mainland China, only a simple office, so many personnel need to be transferred from other countries through the Asia-Pacific headquarters. Please rest assured that we will be more fully prepared next time."

Chen Nuo became more and more certain that something must have happened, otherwise how could this woman treat him like her father.

I just asked casually, but I got a lot of answers.

Noticing Chen Nuo's puzzled look, Lori Eisner couldn't help but be dazed for a moment, recalling the phone call she had received before.

The call came directly from the US headquarters.

Lori Eisner was in charge of this department at Warner. She knew that many of her colleagues would have sleepless nights three days after the release of such a major movie.

But she really didn't expect that after 4 a.m. US time, Jesse Bruner, deputy director of marketing at Warner Bros. headquarters who was responsible for the promotion of the film, would call her, and use that tone.

Even after a brief greeting, the first thing he said was: "Luo Rui, do you know imdb?"

Lori Eisner felt that the old woman on the phone, whom she had never dealt with before, was insulting her.

imdb, also known as the Internet Movie Database, was founded in 1990 and became an Amazon-owned website in 98.

Although it has encountered challenges from rating websites such as Rotten Tomatoes, it is still the undisputed number one movie website.

As someone responsible for film promotion, no, even an ordinary filmmaker cannot be unaware of this.

Lori Eisner said, "Of course. Jesse, what do you mean?"

"OK, that's easy now. Sorry, Luo Rui, I brought this up because it's too late now. There are no reviews or movie reviews on other websites yet. Even Roger Ebert, the old guy who likes to write movie reviews all night, hasn't made any moves yet."

"But, I know you're about to leave for a media interview in China, so I have to call you in advance so that you can prepare. In addition to the reviews of more than 20 popular film critics on Rotten Tomatoes, I only have the score that IMDb gave two minutes ago."

Lori Eisner's mind, with an IQ of 138, was in a complete mess. The other party talked for a long time, but she had no idea what he was saying.

"So? Jesse, what do you want to say?"

The other party seemed determined to beat the circle to the end. He still did not give her a direct answer, but asked her a question: "Do you know what the highest-rated movie on imdb is?"

Lori Eisner showed her professionalism without hesitation: "The Godfather, 9.6."

"Well done, Luo Rui. Well, you are just as the rumors say, beautiful and intelligent."

Shit, you are just as annoying as the rumors say. Lori Eisner politely replied: "Thanks, Jesse, so I still don't understand what you mean."

"Lori, I want to tell you." Jesse's tone was very gentle, like a breeze that only appears in the sweetest dream.

"At present, within just two hours after the midnight show ended, the number of people who rated our movie on imdb has exceeded 5000, and our current rating is 9.8."

When she said this, Jessie paused deliberately, as if to give Luo Rui some time to think and react. But the time she gave was too short.

When the voice came again on the phone, Lori Eisner's blank mind was still a little dull.

Jesse seemed to know what was going on and said sympathetically, "You can't believe it, can you? In fact, I was the same two minutes ago."

Lori Eisner felt that Jesse really treated her like a child. She shook her head, took a deep breath, and said, "Jesse, sorry, are you sure you're not kidding me?"

"Luo Rui, I don't have the interest to flirt with a female colleague I've never met on the phone at four in the morning."

Lori Eisner knew imdb so well that she couldn't believe her ears.

Imdb is not a website that can be used to cheat on scores. Its algorithm is very complex. In short, most of its scoring weight comes from real and experienced users.

So, all these years.

Only in 98 was The Godfather briefly surpassed by The Shawshank Redemption.

Since then, this eternal classic in the hearts of American movie fans has firmly occupied the first place in the ratings list.

Lori Eisner calmed down and said, "And then, Jesse? Go on."

The tone on the phone had a hint of appreciation. "Of course, you also know that this rating is only for now. Maybe tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, or next week, those crazy fans of the Godfather will definitely try their best to pull us down from the top spot."

"But at least at this moment, we have taken away the supreme throne of the Godfather. Luo Rui. For many years, I have been wondering, at whose hands will the Godfather's seemingly indestructible position be ended? And when will it be? In one or two years, or in 10 or 20 years?"

"But I didn't expect that we would actually accomplish it today. 13 years have passed, and we actually got our revenge in 1994. We killed the Godfather single-handedly, and we finally put an end to the smug faces of those bastards at Paramount."

Jesse's tone was neither hurried nor slow, as if he was telling some trivial family matter.

But the content of the words is full of excitement and a layman would not be able to understand it at all.

But as the niece of the Disney tyrant, Lori Eisner certainly knew why the other party behaved that way.

The grievances between the six major Hollywood stars could not be fully told even in three days and three nights.

However, if you ask any Warner employee who has experienced the 94 Oscars, which Hollywood company is their mortal enemy.

There will be no other company except Paramount.

Lori Eisner even suspected that Jesse, an old woman in charge of publicity at Warner, had participated in the public relations war that year.

"Forrest Gump" vs. "The Shawshank Redemption".

Paramount vs Warner Bros.

Gods vs. gods.

The result was that The Shawshank Redemption, which was nominated for seven awards, ultimately won nothing.

Paramount's "Forrest Gump" won six awards including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor.

The stories that happened here can be written into an Oscar public relations manual.

From then on, many Warner people, especially those in charge of marketing and public relations, regarded this as a great humiliation.

Lori Eisner said: "It's a miracle."

"Yes, this is a damn miracle. The reason for this miracle is the unremitting efforts of each of us."

Then why don't you contact Nolan, Christian Bale and others as soon as possible?

Why not quickly take advantage of this upcoming wave of word-of-mouth effect and media frenzy to make great strides in the North American market and add fuel to the weekend's movie box office?

Why are you calling me?
Lori Eisner's clever brain reacted quickly.

Two minutes after Jesse got the imdb score, he called across the Pacific Ocean and made a phone call to himself.
It is certainly impossible that they are targeting the sesame-sized Chinese market.

It must be for something else.

She didn't want to beat around the bush or listen to these clichés anymore, so she asked directly, "Besides the efforts of each of us, is it related to Chen?"

A smug laugh came from the receiver. "Don't be so anxious, Lori Eisner. Don't you think it's best to savor the fruits of victory slowly? Oh, did I not tell you that I was the first to suggest to Michael that Chen Lie be the core figure in the publicity plan?"

Lori Eisner couldn't stand the crazy woman opposite her, and said with a thorn in her words: "Jessie, it seems that you will be promoted soon, right?"

"Hehe, you're right, Luo Rui. Before calling you, I had a brief conversation with Michael, and he was ready to propose that I be promoted to the position of director of the marketing department next month."

Lori Eisner was surprised.

Even for her, this position is the ultimate goal of her 5-7 year plan. Getting it is equivalent to getting a ticket to the top.

And this woman, she deserved to die, just made the right move and took that step?
Although Lori Eisner knew that the other party's qualifications were far superior to hers, she felt a little jealous for a moment. "Congratulations, Jesse."

The voice on the phone suddenly became serious: "Okay, Luo Rui, I think you have guessed it. That's right, the reason why we have made such a good start is that we have done our best in every link."

"But there is something else going on. It's the person you're working with as the Joker."

"The reviews on imdb have already praised him to the skies, and right now, more than 90% of the comments on Rotten Tomatoes are about this unprecedented Joker. This includes the largest fan forum in the U.S., where all the posts over the past hour have been about Chen. To be honest, this has even exceeded my best expectations from the preview."

Lori Eisner had been listening in silence, but when she heard this, she couldn't help but ask, "What was your original expectation?"

The woman on the phone laughed again: "It's a secret. Well, now you have to remember that my prediction was successful. This Chinese clown is the soul of the whole movie."

"I really hate those idiots. Why did they just decide to put him in Asia? Anyway, Luo Rui, I believe you now understand the whole story. What I ask of you now is to have a good talk with him."

"What to talk about?"

Jesse smiled and said, "What to talk about? Go tell him that his performance as a clown seems to have been a great success. He may very well go from being an unknown nobody to a star sought after by Hollywood. Maybe, like many comments say, he will soon hold an Oscar."

Lori Eisner was silent for a moment, then said, "Okay, I understand."

"What do you understand?"

What a damn woman! Lori Eisner cursed fiercely in her heart, and finally understood why those people in the media marketing department at the headquarters gave this deputy director the nickname of Gargamel.

It's ugly and disgusting.

Lori Eisner finally swallowed her anger and said, "I will not say anything for now and hurry up to mend the relationship between Warner and him. I know that his agent had some unpleasantness with us because the promotion period was too long."

The voice on the other end of the phone was so sharp that it hurt Lori Eisner's eardrums slightly. "Very good. Lori Eisner. You finally know why I called you. Hey, listen, for us, it would be a complete waste of talent if we only promote him in Asia."

"But before we make any more plans, we need to clarify his attitude. It would be best if we could get his active cooperation. So, I need you to do everything you can to gain his trust by taking advantage of some misaligned information."

The woman on the phone emphasized the words "all means".

"Luo Rui, I know who your uncle is. But he has retired. Hollywood is always forgetful. Your future career will ultimately depend on you. Think about it, if you have a friend who is a planning director at Warner headquarters in the future, I don't think your career base will be in Singapore."

Lori Eisner happened to be standing in front of the mirror at this time and looked at the blonde woman in the mirror.

Her hair was the kind of golden color that would sparkle in the sun, like flowing honey or a wheat field in autumn.

Her face was heart-shaped, with a pointed chin and slightly protruding cheekbones. Her skin was so white that it was almost transparent, without the freckles that most American girls have. Her eyes were a deep blue, like the summer ocean.

She was wearing a white shirt, which was so tight on her chest due to her plump upper body that the buttons seemed about to burst.

The lower body is a black one-piece skirt, and shiny black stockings are covered on her plump and slender calves.

This time the silence on the phone was longer. But finally, Lori Eisner said, "OK, I understand."

Back to the dressing room at this moment.

Lori Eisner made up her mind and said, "Chen, I have to tell you that things have changed a little bit now."

(End of this chapter)