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

Chapter 420 Masterpiece
Cai Yinong didn't expect him to invite her to his home.

But upon further reflection, it's not surprising.

Although Shanghai wasn't as rife with paparazzi as Beijing, it was still crowded and noisy, making it far from peaceful. For people of that caliber, meeting in public was indeed inconvenient.

As her assistant Yan Hong drove, she clicked her tongue in amazement: "I never imagined that the penthouse in Tomson was really bought by him in 09. I thought Tomson was just bragging."

Deng Liqi chimed in, "Miss Xiaoyan, I've heard of Tomson Riviera before in Hong Kong. It must be very expensive, you know?"

"Of course!" Yan Hong said. "It's known as the number one luxury residence in Shanghai. Back in the early 2000s, it was selling for over 100,000 yuan per square meter. This penthouse was originally priced at over 100 million yuan, right, Mr. Cai? If I remember correctly?"

“If I remember correctly,” Cai Yinong said calmly, gazing out the car window.

The car turned onto Lujiazui Ring Road from Century Avenue and slowly drove along the river towards Tomson Riviera.

Yan Hong continued with her sigh: "No wonder people say that he should have been ranked first on the Forbes China Celebrity List in 09. Forbes didn't like him and deliberately put him down. Not only did they undercount his income, but they also forced Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan artists into the list, letting Jackie Chan suppress him, just to prevent him from taking first place."

Deng Liqi laughed and said, "It sounds like the people at Forbes are pretty boring too."

Cai Yinong said irritably, "Teacher Deng, don't listen to her nonsense. She just loves to spread these rumors."

"Haha, I find Miss Yan quite interesting," Deng Liqi said with a smile.

Yan Hong raised her chin: "I don't care if it's true or not, I'm just looking at how Forbes ranks it next year. Professor Deng, did you see his 'Inception' this time? Everyone online says it's amazing, is that true?"

"I've seen it." Deng Liqi nodded and said seriously, "I can only say four words - I'm in awe. I'm also a screenwriter, but even if I racked my brains, I couldn't write a movie like this. Christopher Nolan, and his brother, can only be called geniuses."

Upon hearing this, Cai Yinong couldn't help but turn her head and listen attentively.

"Indeed, I've seen many people on Douban saying the plot is incredibly awesome," Yan Hong said excitedly. "They say that most people wouldn't understand it on the first viewing without reading reviews, and many people have watched it twice. Is that true, teacher?"

"Pretty much, I went to see it a total of seven times," Deng Liqi said with a smile.

"Huh???" Yan Hong looked surprised, "Seven times?"

"Seven times isn't a lot. Yau Nai-hoi and Johnnie To have watched it more than ten times. We went there to learn, but many Hong Kong viewers, ordinary people, are willing to watch it two or three times."

"Huh? I saw on the news that many Japanese people were also frantically refreshing it several times. I thought it was just a propaganda tactic."

"There's definitely publicity involved, but a lot of people are willing to go. I especially recommend you see the IMAX version; it's truly exceptional."

"Teacher Deng, what you're saying is making me even more eager to watch it." Yan Hong suddenly sighed and gently patted the steering wheel: "Ugh, this is really damn frustrating. Everyone in the world can watch it, but we can't. China Film Group has really gone too far this time."

"Say less," Cai Yinong glanced at her.

Yan Hong pouted and said, "I think some people are just jealous. They didn't invest before, but now they want to hold others back. That's really unfair."

"Yan Hong!"

"Alright, alright, I won't say anything more, Mr. Cai."

Cai Yinong turned to him and asked, "Teacher Li Qi, I heard you're really good at predicting box office numbers. Have you ever thought about how much it will ultimately gross?"

Deng Liqi chuckled and said, "I've thought about it. Let me tell you, I've read the predictions of many American box office experts, and they all say it will be between 12 billion and 18 billion, but I'm slightly more optimistic. I think it can reach 20 billion."

Cai Yinong was taken aback and exclaimed, "20 billion?"

Deng Liqi nodded and said, "Yes."

“…What’s the reason?”

"Look at its box office performance in its third week."

"Although the North American market saw a significant drop of 26%, that was because Captain America had just been released in the US and took away its screen time. Even so, despite the pressure from Captain America, it still grossed over $9800 million, surpassing Captain America's $9600 million, and still took the top spot at the box office in its third week."

"What does this mean? It means his potential hasn't been exhausted yet; he can still fight!"

"When the results came out, I saw that HBO's box office prediction experts were completely dumbfounded."

Deng Liqi spoke with great enthusiasm, "The cinema schedule for next week is crucial. If the cinema managers believe it has held up and give it more opportunities, returning the reduced screenings, then it will take off. I think 20 billion is no problem at all."

“Look at the lines on Twitter, his fans, and even people who rarely go to the movies. This time, it’s not just in North America; its opening in the Asian market has exceeded everyone’s expectations.”

"It sold $3300 million in Japan in its second week. That's more than $100 million more than the first week. You can't find another stock like that except for Spirited Away. Who could have predicted it? Nobody!"

"And South Korea, which sold nearly $3000 million in the first week, almost setting a record."

"The other places he visited, such as Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong, all sold very well, with very high attendance and repeat viewership, all approaching historical highs."

"If this trend continues, 20 billion, I'm not kidding."

As Cai Yinong listened, the entertainment reports she had recently seen flashed through her mind, showing how that person had caused countless frenzy throughout East and Southeast Asia as he traveled from Japan.

Honestly, seeing the fervor of Southeast Asian and Japanese/Korean movie fans on TV, she was definitely one of the happiest people in the world.

She invested 4300 million in him!
Cai Yinong deliberately said, "The box office is indeed good, but I think it's mainly because his publicity was good this time. As for how things will go from here, it's hard to say right now."

Deng Liqi scoffed, “Publicity is certainly one aspect, but word-of-mouth is the most important. Mr. Cai, have you looked at IMDb? On its first day, it had a 9.7 rating. Now, three weeks later, it has over 20 ratings, but the final score has only dropped slightly to 9.6. It's still ranked first, ahead of The Shawshank Redemption. And this is already its third week. And Rotten Tomatoes has a 97% freshness rating, it hasn't changed at all. This kind of data is truly unprecedented.”

Cai Yinong laughed: "Teacher Liqi, I feel like you've become a fan of this movie too?"

"...I'm the screenwriter, Mr. Cai. The plot structure of this movie is truly fantastic. It's not just my opinion; it's the collective view of the Hong Kong screenwriting community."

"This movie is at least ten years ahead of its time! Even if we watch it again ten years from now, I guarantee it won't be outdated at all. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a masterpiece!"

……

At this moment, the car had arrived at the main entrance of Tomson Riviera. Yan Hong, in the driver's seat, lowered the window and checked the visitor information with the security guard, preparing to enter the community.

Suddenly, a red Beetle slowly drove out from inside.

This kind of car might be cute and eye-catching elsewhere, but driving it out of Tomson Riviera just looks a bit out of place.

Cai Yinong glanced at it instinctively—the Beetle was decorated in pink and cute colors, with the interior all in a cartoon style, showing that the lady of the house had put a lot of thought into it.

The girl in the driver's seat had her hair neatly tied up. She had delicate features and a refined appearance, possessing a unique charm characteristic of women from the Jiangnan region. She was definitely not the kind of ordinary face that one would easily forget. Even in the entertainment industry, such looks would be considered outstanding.

Cai Yinong was slightly taken aback. Just as she was about to roll down the car window for another look, the Beetle had already passed by her Mercedes S350 and driven out of the community gate.

The security guards had already let them through, the gate was raised, and the car drove into the underground parking garage. After the three of them got out of the car, a private butler led them to their private elevator.

The elevator goes straight to the top floor. Once the doors open, there's no traditional corridor; you step directly into a private foyer. Underfoot are marble tiles with a golden peacock pattern, and against the wall stand two Roman column lamps in the style of Greek temples, with gilded bases and glass shades.

Further ahead is the living room with a six-meter-high ceiling.

The floor-to-ceiling windows face the river, offering a panoramic view of both banks of the Huangpu River, with the Bund's skyline resembling a flowing painting hanging before your eyes.

Sunlight streamed in from one side of the black and gold velvet curtains, illuminating the off-white sofa. A few cushions were casually placed, and the gold-edged coffee table paired with the inlaid marble platform created an exquisitely refined atmosphere, yet it was anything but vulgar.

In the spacious living room, a man was standing by the window, looking at the Huangpu River outside. Hearing the elevator, he turned around.

At that moment, Cai Yinong almost forgot to breathe, but she quickly recovered and greeted him with a smile: "Teacher Chen Nuo, hello, hello, nice to meet you, I am Cai Yinong."

Cai Yinong and the other two stayed for about 40 minutes before saying goodbye.

Back in the car, as they drove out of the residential area, the group remained silent for a moment.

Finally, Cai Yinong spoke first: "Teacher Liqi, could you please go back and discuss it with Teacher Huang, Teacher Chen, and Teacher Liang as we just talked, and make some changes? Please let me see it first, and I'll send it to him only if there are no problems. Okay?"

Deng Liqi nodded and said, "Okay, no problem."

After saying that, Cai Yinong hesitated for a moment and said, "We need to hurry, but we can't do exactly what he says. Especially... Teacher Li Qi, you know, when it comes to gimmicks... we still need to stick to our own principles."

Deng Liqi laughed and said, "I understand, President Cai. What's supposed to be there will definitely be there. I guarantee that when the trailer is released, there will be scenes of Shishi and Miss Jin Chen being intimate with him."

Hearing his amusing explanation, Cai Yinong laughed, "Yes, Teacher Liqi, that's exactly what I mean."

“President Cai, why is he all alone…” Yan Hong suddenly said.

“It’s none of your business,” Cai Yinong interrupted.

"I was just guessing, anyway, there's no one else around. Sigh, I just saw him living alone in such a big house, and I suddenly felt so sorry for him. Don't you think so, Mr. Cai?"

Deng Liqi sighed and said, "There's a song lyric that goes, 'The dimmer the lights, the more uneasy one's heart.' In such a luxurious mansion, he doesn't even have a single person to talk to. How desolate. How lonely."

Cai Yinong did not speak.

As the saying goes, it's lonely at the top.

What's the use of living in a mansion, earning a lot of money, or being famous if you're all alone and have no one to accompany you?

It turns out that she wasn't the only one in the world like this.

……

After Cai Yinong and the others left the house.

Chen Nuo sat for another 10 minutes or so, and when he figured it was about time, he went downstairs.

He put on a hat and sunglasses, and drove a black Volkswagen Passat out of the neighborhood.

Heading west along Century Avenue, passing through the Yan'an East Road Tunnel, we entered Yuyuan Road in the JA district. About twenty minutes later, the car stopped in front of an unremarkable brick-red villa.

This old villa is a typical example of French architecture, with gray-white roughcast cement walls and a dark red tiled roof. The main building has two stories, and the yard is surrounded by a high wall.

Chen Nuo took out a key from his pocket, opened the door, walked through the courtyard and into the inner room, where Fan Binbing, dressed in home clothes and with her hair casually tied up, was sitting on the sofa talking to Lin Meiru.

Seeing him return, Fan Bingbing couldn't help but laugh and said, "Didn't you say you were going to have dinner with Cai Yinong before coming back?"

"Forget it, I won't eat. I feel there are quite a few problems with the script; let them go back and revise it. What about Ruoruo?"

“Inside. Tsk tsk, President Cai spent over forty million, and you wouldn’t even have a meal with her. How heartless.” Fan Bingbing shook her head and said, but the smile on her face carried a hint of mischief, as if she had expected him to do this.

Chen Nuo glared at her irritably and said, "This little bit of money is only enough to hire me to film a movie, not enough to treat me to a meal. I'll go inside and take a look."

"Be gentle, I just got you to sleep, don't wake you up again, or I won't be responsible."

"know."

As he spoke, he took off his coat and hung it on the hanger by the door, then slipped on his soft slippers and went into the bedroom, his steps extremely light.

Inside the crib, the tiny baby was fast asleep.

Her cheeks were rosy, her breathing even and steady. A light blue blanket covered her, and her eyelashes were dark and thick, casting soft shadows in the lamplight. Chen Nuo looked down at her. There were no lines, no camera shots, no applause. He was alone, quietly gazing at this little life before him. All the noise had faded away, and his heart was filled with unparalleled peace and tranquility.

After a while, he quietly turned around and walked out.

Lin Meiru has disappeared.

Fan Bingbing asked with a smile, "Besides Cai Yinong, did you meet with anyone else?"

"No, I didn't." Chen Nuo looked confused. "Who did she meet? Oh, she brought her assistant and the screenwriter of this play, from Hong Kong, surnamed Deng. She also knows Xiao Peng. They chatted for almost two hours and it seemed pretty good. I'm even thinking that if Xiao Peng still can't finish his script, I'll ask him to help out too, so that Luo Rui won't keep nagging me all the time."

"Is that so?" Fan Bingbing said with a smile, her foxy eyes narrowing into slits.

Chen Nuo frowned and said, "Why are you making that face? It's so strange."

"No, I was just worried about you and afraid you were tired."

Chen Nuo looked around. "Where's Xiao Mei?"

"I went to help Aunt Li cook."

"Oh."

Chen Nuo sat on the sofa, stretched out his legs, and yawned.

Then, she immediately straightened up and said somewhat unhappily, "Pour me a glass of water. Why isn't there a glass of water when I get home?"

Fan Bingbing smiled and said, "I understand, sir, I'll go right away."

As soon as she turned around, Chen Nuo quickly zipped up his pants.

However, it was pulled up for a short time before it was pulled down again.

Fan Bingbing handed him the water, straddled him, then adjusted her position, frowned, and asked, "...When are you going to Hengdian?"

Chen Nuo frowned as well: "After the premiere, why are you asking this... Aren't you afraid Xiao Mei will come in?"

Fan Binbing narrowed her eyes again, looking somewhat content, like a kitten that had been eating. "Don't worry, I told you, I want to tell you something private... I want to know if I can meet you when I'm there."

"Was Painted Skin 2 filmed in Hengdian?"

"There's a chance, ah, there it is, there."

"But I'll only be there for a few days."

"...Okay...Tell me the truth, did you go out and meet someone just now?"

"No. You're checking here, aren't you?"

"Hmm, the test came back negative. Hmph, you win, you're pretty good."

……

……

A masterpiece.

This is a Hong Kong screenwriter and amateur box office expert's private review of "Inception" when the box office results were released in the third week.

However, at the end of the fourth week, when Inception's North American box office reached $1.13 million, a $2000 million increase from the third week, many people used various languages ​​to attribute this title to it.

Metacritic score remains stable at 92; Rotten Tomatoes includes 195 professional reviews, 193 of which are fresh and 2 are rotten. The freshness rating from general critics is as high as 97%, and the freshness rating from well-known critics is 94%. The audience approval rating is 93%, with an average score of 4.8 out of 5.

However, if you open the comments section, the most common keywords in the negative reviews are not "boring" or "disappointing", but "too brain-burning" and "I didn't understand it".

"A movie made to this extent is no longer a movie, it's like a nightmare." Rios, a user who gave it a one-star rating, wrote in the comments section: "I didn't come to the cinema to attend a philosophy class. Nolan gave me a headache, made me mentally exhausted, and made me watch a bunch of people's dreams within dreams within dreams... My God, did I pay to see a hallucination?"

"It's too complicated, unrealistically complicated. I feel like this isn't a movie, it's torture!" A user with the ID "Pink Chair" also gave it one star, angrily writing, "I want a Hollywood blockbuster, not mental torture."

But amidst this outrage, a flood of five-star reviews washed them away without a trace.

"It is art." —InceptionFan93
"After leaving the movie theater, I didn't want to say anything, I just wanted to close my eyes and immerse myself in it all again." — Marlene Z
"At this moment, I'm certain that Nolan has become the second best director in my mind after Kubrick. Chen? Perhaps in another 20 years he will be the next Marlon Brando." — Josh D.
"The whole movie felt like a universe built in a dream." — Kate Wanders
The New York Times called it "Nolan's most ambitious original science fiction film of the decade, and Chen's film is so captivating that the Chinese director doesn't give you a moment to visually retreat from the very beginning."

Rolling Stone wrote: "This film will be studied, debated, and imitated—until Avatar 2 arrives, or Nolan and Chan's Batman 3 is born."

In a commentary in the British newspaper The Guardian, the headline even read, "This is a performance that touches the soul and deserves the hat off of every English gentleman."

At this point, Roger Ebert's film review, which had been silent for three weeks, was finally published.

The old man still sticks to his blog. In his film review, he wrote: "...Inception taught some people a lesson."

If anyone is still saying things like "audiences only want to see beautiful women and explosions," "mind-bending stories are box office poison," or "original scripts can't support a blockbuster," then please watch this movie and shut up.

This is a breathtaking audiovisual work, and also a complete intellectual game.

Christopher Nolan has once again shown the world through his work that movies can not only be entertaining, but also make people think, fall silent, and wake them up from their dreams.

As for Chen Nuo, I have told you again and again that this young man from China is capable of taking on any role he wants to play.

He is adept at everything from art films and commercial films to popcorn movies, Oscars, and SNL hosting.

Although sometimes, exceptional talent can be truly repulsive, like a 4+4 medical student who surpasses others' efforts of more than ten years in just four years.

But that's the difference between ordinary people and geniuses!

I give it more than two thumbs up.

I recommend you bring your children, parents, colleagues, partner, or anyone you know to the cinema to see the most worthwhile sci-fi film since *E.T.*!

Aside from Roger Ebert, an elderly man whose condition was worsening, many celebrity film critics who had previously remained silent in major media outlets and magazines suddenly spoke out after a long period of silence.

"This is a great movie, without a doubt, the most exciting and profound sci-fi blockbuster of the summer."

—Ben Mankiewicz, host of the "In the Movies" segment.

“Every unforgettable summer brings forth an incredible film. After The Dark Knight, Nolan and Chen Nuo have once again delivered a film that is not only exciting and thrilling, but will also leave a lasting impression on you.”

—Betsy Shaggie, Los Angeles Times

"This is a journey of consciousness and emotion, a philosophical allegory about faith, regret, and truth. Chen's performance leaves you speechless with excitement, while Nolan's script leaves you questioning in silence."

—Joe Nakumael, *New York Daily News*

"It is both a profoundly unsettling psychological film and a thrilling commercial blockbuster. There is no reason why you should not be struck by it—but you better be prepared that Chen will invade your dreams for several nights after watching it."

—Richard Rolpe, Chicago Times

In Japan, it had been the box office champion for three consecutive weeks, with a cumulative box office of over $7500 million, and was hailed as "the most successful non-animated film since 2001".

It has reached number 11 on the all-time box office charts. However, this is clearly a long way from its final destination, making one wonder just how high it will ultimately reach.

The Asahi Shimbun wrote: "This is a work that uses 'dreams' as its narrative engine, yet it builds a layered worldview with extremely clear logic. The director has no intention of pandering to the audience; on the contrary, he is challenging the limits of the audience's intelligence—which is why it has become a hit in Japan against the trend."

The Yomiuri Shimbun commented, "Chen Nuosang, who showcased his action star qualities for the first time, was a major reason why this distressing film, 'Planting,' brought smiles and allowed viewers to persevere. Without his gentle charm, this movie wouldn't have become a household name among Japanese people."

The Tokyo Shimbun, however, used a headline to remind everyone that "the women who are frantically posting on 2ch are hoping that Chen Nuojun will once again conduct 'Human Observation,' which is the dream they truly yearn for." In the end, this article was attacked by countless otaku on the website, forcing the Tokyo Shimbun to delete the article and apologize for its veiled denigration of "Plantation."

In South Korea, after an excellent start, it continued its momentum and ultimately broke $4800 million in just 17 days, earning it the nickname "Avatar for smart people" from South Korean audiences.

On Naver's movie channel homepage, Inception held the number one spot on the ratings chart for 13 consecutive days, leaving Captain America far behind.

In his review, netizen @zin_o wrote: "This is the first movie that made me buy IMAX tickets and watch it three times in a row. I feel like my brain was upgraded in the theater. Its brilliance made me forget about Avatar. The wonder of humanity's dreams is greater than the awe of Pandora. A new god is born!"

On Daum and CGV's official rating platforms, its overall score once soared to 9.3 and 9.1 respectively, and it was described by South Korea's Kyunghyang Shinmun as "a dream machine that can delay sleep for an entire city at night."

Chen Nuo, who had previously been the subject of controversy for his "no comment" response during promotions in South Korea, is now completely forgotten, with no one even remembering the whole "down with Chen" movement.

On the DC Inside movie forum, discussions about Chen Nuo are frequent, with hot posts dominating the homepage almost every day:

"He wasn't acting; he wasn't an actor in his twenties. I felt like he was someone who had lived through hundreds of years in a dream. There was a weathered charm in his eyes." —user_
"The moment Chen Nuoxi ran through the snow, I was suddenly struck by his handsomeness." —yong_
"I used to hate him, but now I love him." —hyun_
"This is what an actor should be, not just a drama idol, but a natural-born movie actor. Jeon Do-yeon has excellent taste!!!" — moon_JK93
Many South Korean netizens have begun to compile and edit videos of his past works, and the related clips on YouTube have quickly surpassed one million views.

His newly registered Instagram account, thanks to the help of these Koreans, saw its follower count skyrocket to nearly 50 in just a few days, surpassing Kim Kardashian. Of course, it still lags behind Justin Bieber, Britney Spears, and Lady Gaga, who each have over 200 million followers.

In Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and other places, as the film entered its second week of release, the popularity of "Inception" not only did not subside, but continued to rise.

As word-of-mouth spread, many cinemas even started adding midnight screenings.

In an editorial, Hong Kong's Ming Pao pointed out: "In this film, the audience experiences not only the dramatic plot and dazzling special effects, but also a sense of awakening from the creator's deep intentions - it reminds us that movies can still be thought-provoking and are still worth sitting quietly in the dark for two hours."

The Malaysian newspaper Sin Chew Daily wrote: "You think it's telling a dream story, but it's actually dreaming for you. You think you're sitting in a movie theater, but in reality, it takes away your world for two and a half hours."

Finally, the film arrived in Europe. After Inception had been released in dozens of countries and reached a cumulative total of $350 million by early August,
Major European media outlets have begun to re-examine the impact of this film.

"What we are witnessing is not the success of a single film, but a collective evolution of the global film industry. It is a collective celebration of audiences. When an audience member goes to the cinema for the fourth time to watch the same film, we are witnessing the rise of a new film consumption model."

— Empire magazine.

"Its success serves as a reminder to European filmmakers that audiences are far more discerning than you might think. They are also willing to give more for a good film."

—The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

Meanwhile, Captain America, which was the second highest-grossing film in North America at the time and had high hopes for many, opened in 3832 theaters and earned $9680 million in its opening week, a decent start. However, in its second week, it lost screen time to Inception in many theaters, resulting in a precipitous drop in box office revenue to only $5430 million.

It has an IMDb rating of 6.9, a Rotten Tomatoes score of 79%, and an audience approval rating of 74%. Many critics commented that "the story is too traditional and lacks surprises."

The third one that is even more regrettable is "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," which should have been a hot topic.

This 20th Century Fox sci-fi blockbuster, with a budget of $93 million, only grossed $8.2 million in its opening weekend after its release on August 5th, ranking last among all new releases this year. Its critical reception has been overwhelmingly negative, earning it the title of "the biggest disaster of the year" from critics. The Chicago Tribune sarcastically remarked, "This isn't the rise of the apes, it's the fall of the screenwriters' intelligence."

Finally, there's the former king, "Transformers 3," which, in its seventh week, has only grossed $2.6 million, already reaching the end of its theatrical run.

It was under these circumstances that the Chinese premiere of "Inception" took place on August 9, 2011.

In fact, in the week or two prior, movie fans and their fans across the Chinese internet had already erupted like a violently active volcano many times.

Ps:

I originally planned to take a break during the holiday and write 4000 words to get by.

I actually wrote until 4 a.m., 8000 words in one go.

Is it too much to ask for double monthly tickets?
(End of this chapter)