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

Chapter 487 The Fan of Despair

"If I'm slow, it will take me more than a month; if I'm fast, it will take more than 20 days. We can only entrust the promotion of our film to you."

"Don't worry, I know."

"Sigh, no matter what, I will rush back before May Day."

After saying that, a self-deprecating bitter smile appeared on the old man's deeply lined face.

With less than two months until the release of his own movie on May 1st, he, as the director, should be in the midst of his promotional period, busy with various announcements and schedules. However, he has to go to another place to work for someone else.

Where does this make sense?

The other old man opposite him looked completely calm and said, "Go ahead, go ahead. I'll take care of everything."

The bald old man sighed again and said, "Alright."

The scene changes.

From the company office in the office building, we arrived at the spacious and bright bedroom of a villa.

The things were almost packed, two suitcases were full, and the driver had been contacted and would be arriving in half an hour. The old man began to pack his last few personal belongings, preparing to leave.

A young and beautiful woman leaned against the doorframe and said with a wronged expression, "Why are you leaving again? I finally waited for you to finish your work, and I was just about to think you could stay at home for two months to rest, and now you're going to Hong Kong again?"

The old man sighed, "Alas, what else can we do?"

"He invited you, so do you really have to go? I know you two are close, but there are so many children at home. If you're not there, they'll all be asking me for their father. Can you...can you really bear to do that?"

Seeing the woman's tearful, aggrieved expression, the old man felt a pang of heartache. He immediately put down what he was holding, went over, gently put his arm around the woman's shoulder, and said, "Ting'er, of course I can't bear it. But..."

"But what?" The beautiful young woman looked up at the old man with a mournful gaze. "But what~ tell me~"

"But I have no choice but to go." After saying this, the old man sighed deeply, his face filled with sorrow.

"Honey, is it about the premiere? But didn't he promise to come? He's only coming once, and you have to spend a month or two helping him? Honey, that's so unfair."

The old man shook his head and said, "It's not that simple, you don't understand. Ting'er, I'm not home, and there are so many things to do at home, so I'll have to trouble you again."

The woman shook her head and whispered, "It's not hard work, but I just can't bear to leave you."

The older man kissed the woman on the cheek, his hands beginning to move. "I can't bear to part with Li either..."

The woman, breathless from his caresses, said, "Honey, the car...the car is almost here."

The old man said breathlessly, "It's alright, tell him to wait at the door when he arrives."

Ten minutes later, the old man finished showering and left the house feeling refreshed, accompanied by the woman.

The car hadn't arrived yet. In March, Beijing was still quite cold. The old man looked at the child the woman was holding and felt his heart break once again.

"Jiaojiao, Daddy's leaving. Will you miss Daddy?"

"meeting."

"Oh, you're so good. Daddy will bring you a present when he comes back... Okay, the car's here, Ting'er, the car's here, you should go back now. Don't catch a cold."

"Okay, honey, then slow down."

"Ah."

And just like that, the old man left.

He left behind his beloved movies, his young wife, and his young children.

In that instant, he felt as if he had been transported back to a time in his memory, a time when he too had carried a bag and gone to work for others. For Zhang Junzhao, for Chen Kaige. Thirty years had passed in the blink of an eye. He never expected to face such a day again.

"Director Zhang."

"Hello, Director Zhang."

"Director Zhang."

Upon arriving in Hong Kong and entering this small film studio, he encountered many staff members who greeted him warmly. The older man responded to each of them skillfully and followed Johnnie To, who had picked him up at the airport, to the lounge.

Before they arrived, the door opened, and a chubby man wearing glasses walked out. He looked over, his face immediately showing surprise, and exclaimed, "Zhang Yi... Director Zhang!"

The older man smiled and said, "Director Peng, nice to meet you. Hello, hello. I'm Zhang Yimou."

At this moment, no one can see that he was once just a weak, powerless, and frail old man.

At this point, he had his own name, which was—

Zhang Yimou, a master strategist of his generation!
……

The director's lounge on site wasn't very big, and it was quickly filled with people who came.

Actually, there weren't many people. Besides Johnnie To and Pang Ho-cheung, along with two assistant directors, the team that Zhang Yimou came all the way from Beijing consisted of only seven or eight people. Considering the status of the "National Director," this was definitely a very small entourage.

The room was simply too small to fit everyone. In the end, the guests who had come from afar were understanding of the host's predicament and asked everyone else to go outside to rest and wait. In the end, only three people remained in the lounge.

After asking where the male lead was and learning that he was probably still getting his makeup done, Zhang Yimou didn't say much and started talking business.

Honestly, if it were someone else, Pang Ho-cheung would definitely put on airs.

After all, Peng Pang was no nobody; he was once a guest of honor at Huayi Brothers and is now a protégé of Huanxin. Even in front of familiar faces like You Naihai and Wei Jiahui, he stubbornly pretended to be nonchalant, refusing to show weakness or lose face in front of his peers.

However, when facing the person in front of him, he truly stopped pretending.

What are you pretending for?
Director Zhang, Director Zhang. There are probably 80 or 100 directors in China named Director Zhang, but there is only one who walks with a powerful stride, speaks with ease and humor, and makes Johnnie To look like a little brother in front of him.

There's a saying among Hong Kong people: "In the south, there's Wong Kar-wai; in the north, there's Zhang Yimou." Officially, this is definitely an overestimation of Wong Kar-wai and an underestimation of Zhang Yimou.

The reason is simple: a number.

2008.

When it comes to large-scale event management, looking across the globe over the past century, apart from the two World Wars, what other event could surpass the 2008 Olympics in terms of both time and space?
As for the scheduling problem he encountered before... he felt it was like encountering a problem late at night, so he went to Temple Street, desperately hoping to find a solution. Unexpectedly, Thirteen Sister saw that he was cute and adorable, much like her own lapdog, so she personally arranged for him to be a voluptuous, long-legged, and alluring courtesan, a veritable queen of the roosters.

The moment he saw the red card, he knew that his problem could definitely be solved with her.

If he continues to pretend at this point, then he'll probably only ever deserve to sleep with his right hand every day for the rest of his life.

Then, when he explained the small problem he had encountered, the other person immediately showed an expression of sudden realization.

"I see. Many of them are newcomers, and there are so many of them. It's quite difficult to coordinate them on the spot."

It sounded like the top male prostitute was saying, "So that's how it is, sir. You haven't been with a woman in so long, and you've accumulated so many. That's quite an achievement."

Pang Ho-cheung obediently replied, "Yes. Could you please do me a favor?"

"Haha, Nuozi asked me to come over early for this. Now that I'm here, it's my duty to come."

Hehe, Sister Thirteen called me here to do this, customer.

Pang Ho-cheung swallowed hard and said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Well then, Director Peng, could I take a look at your shooting schedule for today? I'll help you coordinate it later."

Well, sir, would you like me to help you wash up first? I'll make sure you have a good time later.
"Okay, okay."

……

……

The surrounding area was a dark and empty enclosed space.

The backdrop of blue sky, white clouds, and rice paddies creates an illusion. Before a large tree, a gigantic, fifteen-meter-tall doll announces the rules in a deep, mechanical voice:

"The first game: Three, two, one, freeze. During the countdown of 'One, two, three, freeze,' everyone is allowed to move forward; when the countdown ends, the puppet turns its head, and anyone whose movement is detected is eliminated."

From an overhead view, 456 participants dressed in matching green tracksuits stood in dozens of rows, silently staring at the cold, plastic doll-like face. Chen Nuo and Qin Pei stood in the first row, right in the center of the frame.

The camera then moved on, and Lee Chan-sam leaned in and whispered, "Hey idiot, is that wooden figure from a game we played when we were kids?"

Chen Nuo didn't answer a word, just staring blankly into the distance, seemingly lost in thought. Li Cansen impatiently shoved him: "Hey, idiot, can't you hear me?"

"Ah, ah." Chen Nuo snapped out of her daze and looked at the person in front of her. "Excuse me, what did you say?"

Li Cansen said, "Is this 'statue' you referring to the game we played as kids, the 'statue' game?"

Chen Nuo blinked, and said hesitantly, "I think... it should be."

“Probably.” Lee Chan-sam mimicked him in a strange voice, then chuckled, “You’re really crazy. Hey, idiot, wanna take a bet?”

Chen Nuo shook his head and said, "No."

Lee Chan-sam feigned anger and said, "I didn't even say what we're betting on, and you still refuse? Do you look down on me? Believe me or not, I'll beat you up."

Chen Nuo took a step back. "Then... what should we bet on?"

Li Cansen looked down at his legs and smiled maliciously, "I'll bet ten thousand dollars on who crosses the finish line first."

"……not good."

"You think it's bad just because you say so? You idiot, are you? If you don't pay me back later, I'll beat you to death!" Li Cansen shouted arrogantly.

At this moment, the doll inside the machine turned its back to the crowd, and the mechanical voice sounded again:
"Three, two, one, freeze!"

Li Cansen made a face at Chen Nuo sticking out his tongue, then gave him a push and ran out first, laughing and joking.

Chen Nuo stumbled, but quickly regained his balance and didn't fall.

"...cannot speak or move."

As soon as the puppet finished reading, its head suddenly turned 180 degrees.

Li Cansen suddenly stopped, but because he had rushed so fast, his body was still swaying.

"Number 347, eliminated."

The mechanical voice from the loudspeaker kept repeating itself.

At this moment, the photographer gave Chen Nuo a close-up shot.

The person who appeared next to him this time was Ge Minghui.

This former leading man of Pang Ho-cheung said in a lighthearted tone: "That idiot got caught so quickly, hahaha, the first one kicked out!"

Chen Nuo's expression was solemn, his eyes fixed straight ahead.

Subsequently.

All I heard was a crisp "pop" sound.

Li Cansen, standing in front of him, seemed to have been struck by something, collapsing cleanly to the sand. Ge Minghui was stunned.

"What is that sound?" he murmured.

Chen Nuo swallowed hard, and in the close-up, you could see his body starting to tremble.

The doll's body didn't move, but its head suddenly turned around again.

This isn't a special effect; someone is remotely controlling her from beneath her feet.

When I initially placed the order, I never expected it to be possible; it was just a casual mention. The manufacturer in Yiwu then said that for an extra 5 yuan, it could not only turn its head but also open its mouth and raise its hands. For another 2 yuan, it could even raise its feet. Aside from blinking and walking, which are technically difficult to achieve, you can basically move any other part of its body however you want.

As long as the price is right.

Then Chen Nuo and the others added another 50,000. They then sent them a remote control. As long as someone crouches at their feet and uses the remote to operate the infrared receiver installed under the skirt (^_^), this giant doll can be controlled with ease.

The mechanical voice sounded again: "Three, two, one, freeze! Don't speak, don't move."

This time, Ge Minghui ran quickly to Li Cansen's fallen body and stopped.

"Hey, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

His response was a mouthful of blood from Li Cansen's mouth.

Ge Minghui's expression hardened instantly. He then slowly took a few steps back, shouted, and turned to run.

"Snapped!"

There was a crisp sound.

Ge Minghui lunged forward, and the blood bag on his body exploded in a favorable direction this time, spurting out a stream of bright red blood that splashed onto Liang Luoshi's face in the front row.

The actress, who had just broken up with the second son of the Li family last year, stood there dumbfounded, her face and neck covered in blood. Then she touched her face and held her hands out in front of her eyes.

They didn't care about their image.

The woman's face contorted instantly, and she let out a hysterical scream.

"Snapped."

Blood spurted from Isabella Leong's forehead as she fell backward.

Pang Ho-cheung's three cronies made a brief appearance and then died immediately. They managed to get away with playing minor roles.

Then, in the panoramic view, a hysterical chaos begins.

More than 400 extras started running along their respective routes.

Just like in the script, an older man bumped into Chen Nuo, knocking him to the ground. He frantically blinked, but his body remained motionless.

"Slap. Slap."

"Slap. Slap. Slap."

Gunshots rang out from all directions, and with each shot, a person fell.

Many people rushed towards the entrance, trying to escape, but were all blocked outside by the tightly closed iron gate.

"Snap. Snap. Snap. Snap. Snap."

"Slap. Slap. Slap. Slap."

Gunfire continued relentlessly, aimed at every moving human body.

Screams came and went.

More and more people are dying at the entrance.

At the tightly closed iron gate, a mountain of people gradually piled up, scattered haphazardly, looking extremely terrifying.

Near the entrance, there were also many bodies lying on the ground, arranged in a desperate fan shape.

This fan shape was exactly what Pang Ho-cheung had always dreamed of.

……

……

"Director Peng is very good. After working with him for the past two days, I feel that if he is properly trained, he will definitely have a bright future," Zhang Yimou said with a smile.

"Thank you, Director Zhang. You've worked hard these past two days. Let me toast you, Director Zhang." Chen Nuo raised his glass of beer in a gesture of respect.

Experts will know if there is one as soon as they take action.

What seemed like an insurmountable challenge to Pang Ho-cheung was nothing to this person. In just two days, they helped Pang Ho-cheung smoothly complete the filming of the first episode.

It sounds a bit like magic, but after seeing it live, you'll realize that not only Pang Ho-cheung, but also Chan Nuo felt they hadn't made a mistake in hiring him.

Zhang Yimou smiled and clinked glasses with him, then tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp. He then said, "Nuozi, let's just have one drink today. You have to start work tomorrow, so don't let drinking interfere with your business."

This is what skill is all about.

She clearly just thought he was drinking and eating, and taking care of him, but she made it sound like it was the truth. Chen Nuo immediately said, "Okay, then after I finish filming this movie, when I return to Beijing, I will definitely drink with Director Zhang until we drop."

"Haha, this is what you said."

“Yes, of course!” Chen Nuo replied.

Since Director Zhang was so straightforward, coming whenever he was asked and resolving the problem within a day, Chen Nuo could no longer pretend to be stupid.

After eating a few bites, Chen Nuo asked, "Director Zhang, I heard your new film 'The Flowers of War' is going to Cannes?"

Zhang Yimou nodded with a smile: "That's true."

"Are you going to participate?" Chen Nuo pressed.

"No, no, no, we're releasing it on May 1st. This time we're just going to participate in an exhibition and try our luck," Zhang Yimou said, waving his hand.

Chen Nuo nodded: "I see. By the way, Director Zhang, have you heard? Last year I started an organization in Cannes..."

Have you heard of it?

I hadn't heard that you wouldn't be able to see me in Hong Kong today.

After listening to Chen Nuo's explanation, Zhang Yimou, the Best Actor winner at the 1987 Tokyo International Film Festival, showed a very interested expression. "Silk Road Alliance? I think I did know about it before, but I didn't know the details. Hehehe, now that I've heard you say this, it seems I really have to rely on you this time."

Chen Nuo waved his hand and said, "I wouldn't say. I just mean, I can try to arrange a few preview screenings to help promote your film. Actually, Director Zhang, your film doesn't really need my help, haha."

"Where."

"really."

After exchanging a few perfunctory pleasantries, the two "fake-smiling boys," one old and one young, continued their heart-to-heart talk.

Director Zhang not only needs test screenings, but also intends to use "The Flowers of War" to compete for the Golden Globe Awards and Oscars in the United States. Ideally, it could win Best Foreign Language Film like "Mother," which would be a huge success.

I heard Zhang Yimou hesitantly express his desire to help.

Chen Nuo immediately promised to introduce several reliable public relations companies to Director Zhang. He wouldn't guarantee they would be the best value for money, but they certainly wouldn't be scam companies. He would also speak to the president of the Foreign Press Association and the CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, ensuring that Director Zhang's masterpiece wouldn't be overlooked, even if it didn't win an award.

It sounded nice, but Chen Nuo knew perfectly well that he didn't know any PR companies. He'd just have to ask Allison to recommend a couple in the end.

But he can't say it like that.

People in the domestic circle all thought he was doing very well in the United States, even Harvey Weinstein was above him. Who would have thought that he was actually a layabout, never spent a penny on awards, and never personally contacted any public relations companies.

Who believes it?

Sure enough, after hearing him speak so earnestly, Director Zhang was so moved that he almost wanted to pat his chest and take over the remaining 8 episodes of his TV series.

But Chen Nuo definitely couldn't agree to that.

After all, Director Zhang's movie is going to be released on May Day. It wouldn't be good if the director was absent during the release, would it? So, we'll stick to the original plan and let him mentor his apprentice, Pang Ho-cheung. Once most of the extras have died and there aren't many large-scale scenes to manage, Director Zhang can go back to Beijing.

When they parted, Zhang Yimou's feelings for him had probably deepened, and he hugged him and slapped him hard on the back twice. The Shaanxi man had a strong grip, and he didn't control himself well, so the slaps hurt a little.

After finishing our meal and chatting, it was already past 11 o'clock when we returned to Tai Hang West Estate in Sham Shui Po.

Chen Nuo refused Gulnazar's offer to let him sleep at a hotel, got out of the car, and walked through the alley in the dark.

The warmth of my conversation with Zhang Yimou is still lingering in my mind.

Chen Nuo couldn't help but sigh.

Every family has its own troubles. As a film with an investment of 6 million RMB, The Flowers of War faced immense pressure to recoup its costs, which explains why Director Zhang went to such lengths.

Lost in thought, he walked to the door and, without noticing, the motion-activated light wasn't on. He almost stepped on a body lying at the entrance of the building in the pitch-black night.

Chen Nuozhen was startled when she suddenly encountered this situation at night after filming scenes with dead bodies all day.

But he immediately smelled a strong odor of alcohol.

Okay, he just died from drunkenness, not from actual death.

However, the location where this drunk woman was lying was really unfortunate. The unit door of the building where Chen Nuo was sitting needed to be pulled outwards, and the position where this woman was lying was right at the doorway, blocking the space for the door to be pulled open.

Chen Nuo had no choice but to squat down and shake the woman's shoulder, saying, "Miss, Miss, wake up."

The woman's eyes were tightly closed, and she remained motionless, like a dead person.

"Miss, where do you live? Would you like me to help you upstairs?"

Still no movement.

That makes sense. How could someone who's passed out drunk be woken up by just one shout? It's not a novel.

Chen Nuo had no choice but to take matters into his own hands, dragging her against the wall. Just as he was about to leave, he caught a glimpse of the woman's short skirt. So he looked around, walked to the nearby trash can, picked up a piece of waste paper, covered her with it, and then opened the unit door and went upstairs.

Chen Nuo didn't sleep well that night.

Because his neighbors were a couple, and every night at a certain time, if Chen Nuo wasn't asleep, they would start their earth-shattering affair.

The two bedrooms were right next to each other, and the sound of the impact against the wall was like pile driving. The soundproofing in this house was about the same as the one he rented in Langfang. The only difference was that the house in Langfang didn't have this pair of crazy people next door who needed to have sex every night before going to sleep.

Chen Nuo tossed and turned for a long time before finally falling asleep. The next day, he was still woken up by his alarm clock at 5 a.m.

After washing up and going out, Chen Nuo didn't run into her grandfather this time. Instead, she bumped into a woman in a short skirt with messy hair and a haggard face.

Strangely enough, I didn't notice it when I was lying down yesterday, but when I opened my eyes this day, it actually looked somewhat familiar.

Hey, Chen Nuo suddenly had a flash of inspiration and remembered. Isn't that Zhang Jiaqi?
But the woman didn't recognize him. She looked up and glanced at him before walking past him.

(End of this chapter)