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

Chapter 273 Smiling like a fool
Chen Nuo was not actually surprised that Chairman Han asked such a question.

As the saying goes, business is like a battlefield.

When someone gives you a blank check in the business world, it's like Zhuge Liang playing the piano on the city gate tower.

Even Sima Yi would be scared, let alone Han Sanping.

It was because Warner Bros.' attitude in the conference room was so friendly. They didn't look like the big Hollywood crocodile that would eat people without leaving any bones. It was more like the American Warren Buffet that sent love from thousands of miles away.

"Nolan's 'Dark Knight' has created an unprecedented miracle. His new film will naturally be the highlight of our Warner in the next two years. We are very optimistic about its market performance..."

"However, we have always maintained a good relationship with China Film Group, and we also have a perfect third-party platform like China Film Hengdian Warner Bros."

“Since you are interested, we are willing to reluctantly release this film and cooperate with you.

"The respective investment ratios can be negotiated. We at Warner are very sincere and can discuss anything."

"If Director Nolan has no objection, I suggest that we sign an investment intention agreement in advance. Yes, before coming here, I have obtained full authorization from the board of directors."

"The day before I left, Mr. Meyer called me to his office and asked me to convey his regards to you, Chairman Han. He said that there is no limit to the friendship between Warner and you, Chairman Han, and there is no limit to your investment either, hehe."

Not long after hearing this, Chairman Han Sanping announced a recess and took him aside.

And the meaning of what Mr. Han said was very clear.

Uncle Diao doesn't think the limit of his friendship with Mr. Meyer is high.

Instead, he thinks the floor might be a bit low.

Although, the lineup that Warner sent to negotiate this time is not considered to be unimportant.

The team was led by a vice president in charge of the investment department, who was accompanied by six relevant personnel, including two translators.

However, the attitude displayed at the conference table did not regard "Inception" as a major event at all, but rather as a hot potato.

I heard that China Film Hengdian might be involved.
The warmth in the reservedness,
It may be possible to deceive the bigwigs in the Western business world, but it is difficult to deceive the old foxes in the Eastern officialdom.
That's a dream.

Facing Mr. Han's suspicious eyes, Chen Nuo did not intend to take on too much responsibility, and said directly: "Mr. Han, I won't hide it from you. I only know the general idea of ​​the script of this movie. I haven't read it in detail. Because I haven't decided yet."

Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by President Han, "Xiao Chen, don't worry about this. As long as this movie is invested by China Film, no one can snatch your lead role."

Is that right?

Chen Nuo didn't think so.

According to his understanding of Nolan, he would definitely not agree to not have 100% control over the film he was shooting. Even if the film was not shot, he would not agree to anyone interfering with his crew.

If you want to challenge Nolan's power in his movies, you must be prepared to part ways with him.

No matter how deep the friendship with him is, or how long the connection is.

Warner had worked with him for twenty years, but due to a disagreement, they still went to Universal Pictures for "Oppenheimer".

At this moment, Nolan, 38 years old,

Under the unprecedented blessing of "The Dark Knight",

It's already on the same level as Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese.

He is one of the few directors who is qualified to claim full power in front of the Big Six in Hollywood.

Even if a suspenseful science fiction film has a total budget of 2.5-3 million US dollars, it will take at least 5-6 million in global box office to make a profit.
This really does sound like a fucking ghost story.

However, Chen Nuo dared to guarantee that even though Warner was acting like it was a hot potato.

If China Film Hengdian really doesn't want to invest,

They will eventually swallow what looks like feces.

Because they don't swallow them, there will always be one among Paramount, Universal, Disney, and Fox that will grab them and taste them with a smile.

That was the shit produced by "The Dark Knight", the second highest-grossing movie in history. Who says it couldn't be fragrant and crispy?

vomit.

Nolan obviously understood his position very well. Even if he didn't understand, his astute wife would definitely remind him.

But Mr. Han had good intentions, so Chen Nuo certainly couldn't tell him directly that rich people are indeed the boss, but it depends on the situation.

Just like the situation in China now, there are countless people who want to buy some shares in his shabby renovation company.

It can be said that everyone who is in contact with Qi Yuntian is richer than Chen Nuo, and everyone is more powerful than him.

But so what?
Who can control him with words?

Who would be so stupid as to say something harsh to him?
No matter who the prince is, he will be polite when he calls.

When rejected, they would just smile and say it’s okay, it’s okay, and just let me know if there is any problem next time.

Because the reason is very simple.

In this world, it’s not just who has money and power who is awesome.

Whoever controls the scarce resources is the most powerful.

In most cases, money or power are scarce resources, only in some extremely rare cases is this not the case.

In these situations, Nolan's brain is already one of them.

After four years of hard work, Chen Nuo's body is now barely half as good as before.

Hearing Han Sanping's words, Chen Nuo also said politely: "Of course I know that Uncle Han, you are definitely on my side, but these foreigners are just doing business... But it doesn't matter, I have confidence in my ability."

President Han smiled and said, "I have confidence in your acting skills. Apart from anything else, I still think your scene in The Founding of a Republic is the highlight of the whole film. If I were to edit it, I wouldn't spare even a second. If not..."

"Hey. Let's not talk about this."

"Xiao Chen, I'm really worried about this movie. It's a big investment. Seeing these foreigners like this, I feel really uneasy."

"Warner is such a big company. If it's really good stuff, would they be willing to give it away? Even if they would, they wouldn't have the same attitude as today, would they?"

"What I mean is, should we rethink it? At least get the script from Nolan, and then we can discuss it after you read it?"

Chen Nuo reluctantly advised, "Boss Han, although I haven't read the final script, I did communicate with them during the creation process. I know a lot about this play."

"Besides, even if I got the script, I can't do it according to the confidentiality agreement, right?"

Han Sanping shook his head and sighed, "That's true. Xiao Chen, to be honest, if it was my own money, I would invest it without hesitation. I really believe in your vision. But this is such a large investment, it's public money. I have to take all aspects into consideration."

“I feel that it would be difficult for either Hengdian Group or our company’s internal board of directors to approve investing in Nolan’s film.”

"Some people in our company said that it was not right for a foreigner to make this film that made Chinese films famous. We still wanted to find a Chinese director..."

"Of course I definitely don't agree with it, but this situation does exist."

At the end, Han Sanping looked at Chen Nuo and seemed very sincere. "If, I mean if, this thing fails in the end, you won't blame me, Xiao Chen, right?"

Chen Nuo also looked into Han Sanping's eyes.

A man who was born in 53 and is now 56 years old is no longer young.

Although he could dye his hair black to disguise it, the bloodshot eyes and cloudy whites made his hawk-like gaze not as sharp as before.

Some hesitation, some hesitation.

Since he entered Emei Film Studio in 1987, he has been on a meteoric rise. In the past 30 years, he can be said to have single-handedly brought Chinese films out of the Dark Ages.

Finally, he retired honorably in 2014.

Such people, no matter which country they are in, are great doers and trendsetters.

However, this time, Mr. Han needs to invest too much, not only money, but also his own destiny.

Stimulated by the super high box office of "The Dark Knight" and "The Whisper of the Wind", countless people were optimistic about Chen Nuo's next movie.

Of course, President Han was also extremely optimistic.

But now a year has passed.

People are always forgetful, aren't they?
No matter what Chen Nuo thought, he still smiled and said politely, "Of course not, Chairman Han. No matter what, you are the film senior I respect the most."

When the meeting ended, all parties shook hands and said goodbye in a very friendly manner.

The final statement from China Film Hengdian was still made by President Han, who said that they would go back for a meeting to discuss the matter.

Both Warner Bros. and Nolan expressed their understanding.

After all, with such a large investment, and knowing the nature of China Film Group's business, how could they make any decision without holding a meeting to discuss for a period of time?

……

……

"Wow, I have to say, this is incredible. It's one thing to read in a book or in a picture, and it's another to see it in reality. I regret that I didn't come to China to promote The Dark Knight."

Nolan was wearing a red hat with seven Chinese characters written on it. He lay on the wall and looked out.

The mountains are like the sea and the city is like a dragon.

Chen Nuo stood beside him, looking at the scene in front of him, and for a moment he couldn't help but feel a little fascinated.

As a Chinese, at this moment, what I feel is more than just admiration for the scenery.

That is the smoke and wind of 5,000 years of vast culture.

It is the continuation of the past and the development of the future across the eight thousand miles of mountains and rivers.

But there is no need for the descendants of the Chinese to express this sentimentality to foreigners.

Hearing Nolan's praise, he just smiled and said, "Yeah, amazing."

Emma Thomas on the side said: "Come on, everyone, let's take a photo together."

Jonathan Nolan smiled and said, "Wait a minute, it's too windy here, let me comb my hair."

Qi Yuntian followed with a smile: "Jonathan, don't be like this, Lisa is not here, you don't have to make yourself look so good."

Jonathan Nolan sighed and said, "Chris, you forgot, we agreed not to mention it before."

Qi Yuntian said: "Really? My memory is not good, I have forgotten it."

Jonathan Nolan glared at him, a look that pierced his heart.

The two men immediately started fighting.

Chen Nuo and Christopher Nolan couldn't help but smile as they watched the pair of college friends playing around.

Emma Thomas handed the camera to an assistant and called out, "Come on, Chris, Jonathan, stop it and stand still."

After Qi Yuntian and Jonathan stood arm in arm, Emma Thomas walked over and snuggled in Christopher Nolan's arms.

As a result, Chen Nuo was left alone.

He opened his mouth and smiled, revealing a row of white teeth, like a fool who had lost his mind.

There was a "click".

Nolan's assistant used a Leica camera to record this perhaps very record-worthy moment.

In the photo, the blue sky and white clouds, the ancient city walls and the rolling green hills serve as the background.

On the left, there are two handsome black-haired men in their 30s, one Chinese and one foreigner, looking at the camera with a smile.

On the right is a blond man, grinning, with his arm around the shoulders of a dark-haired woman.

In the middle, there is a young man wearing a shirt and jeans, smiling with his white teeth showing. The wind is really strong, blowing his black hair into the air, making him look very energetic.

After taking the photos, the group of people were preparing to continue climbing the Great Wall under the intentional or unintentional supervision of several plainclothes security guards specially hired by Huanxin Company.

Nolan and his colleagues think that "one who has not been to the Great Wall is not a true man."

But, it's impossible.

Just now, Chen Nuo took off his mask for a while to take pictures.

It really only took a moment, less than 30 seconds.

But we can already declare “nothing”.

Let’s start with the girls in their 20s from other places who were also taking pictures next to Chen Nuo and the others.

Several girls who came to Beijing for their graduation trip were taking pictures of each other with cameras, laughing and joking.

I didn't pay any attention to what the group of foreigners next to me were doing.

Suddenly, by chance, a beautiful girl with long hair who spoke Cantonese glanced over and was immediately stunned.

His eyes were fixed on a certain point, and his whole body seemed to be acupunctured and could not move.

Where there is one there are two, and when there are two there are three.

When the three girls saw it, the whole thing became a little out of control, like a lit fuse that detonated the entire crowd.

"Chen Nuo, is that Chen Nuo?"

"It's him, it's him, it's Chen Nuo!"

"Chen Nuo is here to climb the Great Wall!"

"Chen Nuo, is this true?"

"Really, really, look, it's with those foreigners."

"Is that the director of The Dark Knight? I saw it online."

"Chen Nuo???!!! Where is he?"

"It's Chen Nuo! Look, that's the one wearing the mask."

"Hurry, hurry, hurry over there."

"It's Chen Nuo, it's Chen Nuo, I recognized him, ah!!! Nuo Nuo!!!"

Chen Nuo and the others were given almost no time to react. It was only less than a minute.

The area around them became like a vegetable market with a lot of chatter and chatter.

The man wearing a baseball cap and a mask, a shirt and jeans is undoubtedly the juicy cabbage that everyone loves in the vegetable market.

It can be said that it is just a little bit short.

It was almost like that. Today, if the Nolan family didn't get rid of the target of public criticism who was holding them back, none of them might be able to come down the mountain.

After finally getting on the car safely, Qi Yuntian looked at the security guards outside the car who were sweating profusely, disheveled, and one of them even had one shoe missing. He promised to go back and tell their leader to double his bonus this month.

But Christopher Nolan seemed to be in a good mood. Although his golden hair was wet with sweat, he still laughed and said, "This is really an unforgettable experience. To be honest, it reminds me of our movie this time. The feeling of being expelled from a dream. Wow, this kind of experience in reality is really crazy."

Jonathan Nolan said: "I say, Chen, I really can't imagine how people like you live. You just took off your mask for a few minutes and you became like this. What do you do normally?"

Emma Thomas laughed and said, "Come on, Jonathan, how many people want this kind of popularity? You want the audience to go to the cinema for you, but you also want to go shopping normally on the street? There is no such fairy tale in the world."

Chen Nuo smiled bitterly and said, "Emma is right. I once thought that I could try to find a way to have the best of both worlds. But now, I have given up. Maybe this is how life is. If you gain something, you must lose something else."

Jonathan shrugged and said, "Fortunately, I'm just a screenwriter. I don't need to make such a painful choice."

Christopher Nolan smiled and said, "Fortunately, I'm just a director, so I don't need it."

Emma Thomas also said: "Fortunately, I'm just a producer. I don't need it either."

Qi Yuntian said: "Although I am just an agent, but... when he runs away, I have to run too, alas!"

The laughter in the car was so hearty at this time, and the air in the car became so depressing when Nolan and the others were sent back to the hotel.

Chen Nuo looked up and asked, "Are you sure? Has Han Sanping returned to the set to film?"

Qi Yuntian hummed and said, "The text message sent to me by Xiao Liu from China Film should be correct."

Chen Nuo was silent for a while, then said, "So..."

After saying these two words, he didn't continue.

In fact, there is no need to say more.

Therefore,
When Mr. Han, the chairman of China Film Group, put down an investment project worth hundreds of millions of dollars, left the office and said goodbye to the conference room,
Go back to a studio that cost less than 2000 million RMB and be a Korean director again.

That can only mean one thing.

The deal fell through.

(End of this chapter)