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

Chapter 514 The Old Fox and the Child

When Chen Nuo arrived at Venice Marco Polo International Airport, a light drizzle was falling, the clouds were low, and the sea breeze, carrying salty moisture, was blowing from the direction of the Adriatic Sea.

Just before the plane was about to land, he went to the cockpit and chatted with Captain Brian Douglas for a few minutes, thanking him for his warm hospitality to his family.

A few days ago, he saw Pan Shouyi's post on WeChat Moments.

His cousin and her friend not only posed for photos all over the cabin—for example, holding his red wine and cheering each other, sitting in his custom-made luxury massage chair and looking melancholy at the clouds outside the window, eating the imported fruit platter he paid for, but they even went into the cockpit and took a picture with Brian, who was piloting the plane.

In the photo, the old captain smiled particularly kindly, which made Chen Nuo, as the boss, have to apologize and thank his cousin for disturbing his employees' work.

But Brian Douglas didn't care at all.

He chuckled, saying that back in his days at Ivan Airlines, he had served countless top-tier clients from around the world. When hosting these clients with names like Rong, Ben Rashid, Tata, or Rothschild, if there were any distant relatives of these people on board, there would always be one or two curious children venturing into the cockpit during the flight. He was long used to it. Besides, once the plane entered autopilot, letting them take a photo in the cockpit wouldn't affect flight safety; on the contrary, it provided a little relief from his monotonous long flights.

Seeing Brian's expression, Chen Nuo completely missed the implication in his words, so after thinking about it, he simply kept quiet.

Anyway, once we meet, it'll be the same whether we teach Pan Shouyi a lesson or not; there's no need to upset the pilot.

When I went through customs, the person in charge of clearing me through was a female border police officer from the Italian border inspection agency.

Unlike the Black woman in the US, this Italian border policewoman in a dark blue uniform and black leather gloves has a head of soft, shiny dark brown wavy hair. Although she is not young, looking to be in her early thirties, she has bright features, fair skin, and a tall, well-proportioned figure, making her a typical Italian beauty.

She took the passport and boarding pass from Chen Nuo, placed the passport in the scanner on the table to read the information, glanced at him, gave him a professional and polite smile, and said in English with an Italian accent, "Welcome to Venice, Mr. Chen. Your hair color is beautiful. Seeing your new look makes the weather today seem less gloomy."

"Thank you, beautiful lady." Chen Nuo smiled and said, "The beauty of Venice has actually made me feel that all the fatigue of the journey has been swept away."

“I’m glad to hear you say that. This is my hometown, and I love it very much.”

The Italian beauty smiled, fine lines appearing at the corners of her eyes like the rings of a tree. Some beauties, like fine wine, become more mellow with time, and this one seemed to be one of them, which lifted Chen Nuo's spirits.

"Do you think you can win Best Actor this time?" The woman didn't look at the immigration documents he handed over, such as the film festival invitation, nor did she ask him what he was there for. Instead, she asked him directly.

Chen Nuo shrugged and said, "Who knows about the movie? It depends on the judges' choice."

The woman nodded and smiled, saying, "I have a friend who specifically asked me to give you her greetings. She's been a huge fan of yours ever since your Joker days. She's seen every single one of your movies and collects every DVD. Even last year's film, where you only appeared for a few minutes, she went to the theater to watch the whole thing. Although she got married last year and can no longer fill her bedroom with your posters, in her heart, you'll always be her dream man."

To Chen Nuo, the smile on her face seemed too formulaic, like she was wearing a mask, completely different from her emotional voice. But Chen Nuo seemed oblivious, and said earnestly, "Thank you, please give my regards to your friend."

“I will,” the woman said. “I sincerely wish you all the best at the film festival. Benvenuto in Italia (Welcome to Italy).” With that, she stamped his passport with an entry stamp.

……

The warm hospitality of the Italians made Chen Nuo feel at home, and it wasn't just the beautiful border inspector who made him feel at home.

As Chen Nuo stepped out of the FBO business terminal, which is dedicated to serving private jets, he saw Roberto Proya and his beautiful secretary Anna Casali, along with several staff members from Eagle Picture, standing in front of two black Mercedes-Benz vans. Anna was holding a bouquet of white roses and lisianthus flowers, and she immediately came to greet them as they came out.

"Welcome to Italy, Chen," Anna said with a radiant smile.

During the days when he was promoting "No Man's Land" in various Southern European countries, he had become quite familiar with Anna, Roberto, and other staff members of the Italian film company. He accepted the bouquet and, following Italian tradition, touched cheeks with Anna. "Thank you. It's been a long time. Anna, you've become even more beautiful. You remind me of Audrey Hepburn at 20."

Anna laughed and said, "Chen, if my boyfriend were half as good at flattering people as you, or even a tenth as handsome as you, I would definitely marry him immediately."

Chen Nuo smiled and said, "Anna, you're the real expert at complimenting people." Then, she opened her arms and hugged Roberto, saying, "Long time no see."

“It’s been a long time. On behalf of Mr. Amar and Mr. Gretti, I welcome you.”

"Thank you. Hi everyone, long time no see."

Afterwards, Chen Nuo greeted the other staff members, while Roberto Proya also greeted Gulnazar and Linghu. After all, the two sides had worked closely together when the group was traveling together.

Everyone was happy to see each other again after more than a year.

After getting into the car, on the way to the hotel, Roberto couldn't wait to talk to him about the movie.

"Regarding this copyright collaboration, Chen, you can still trust Eagle Picture. We guarantee..."

“Wait a minute,” Chen Nuo interrupted. “Roberto, I’m not the producer of this film, I’m just an actor. You should talk to the director about distribution.”

"Oh? Really?" Roberto looked surprised. "You're not?"

Chen Nuo smiled and said, "That's right."

Roberto said regretfully, "Alright then."

Chen Nuo laughed and said, "What's wrong? Are your cinemas short of movies to show? I heard that the Venice Film Festival has set up a film market this year, just like Cannes. You should have plenty of choices."

Roberto curled his lip, a hint of disdain on his face, his tone full of sarcasm: "That's all Alberto Barbara's wishful thinking! He wants to be the Gilles Jacob of Venice, but there's only one Gilles Jacob in the whole world. Marco Müller understands this, but he doesn't!"

"This is his first year as president, and he's already rushing to implement reforms in Venice, like adding trading markets, business platforms, and market units... Good heavens, does he think he can stand shoulder to shoulder with Cannes like this? I think the real possibility is that one day Venice might actually fall out of the top three film festivals."

Chen Nuo only half understood what he was hearing; he understood some of it, but not quite.

He knew that the Venice Film Festival had just changed its president; Marco Müller, who had served as president for eight years, had stepped down, and the new president was Alberto Barbara.

During Marco Müller's eight years as president, this foreign friend who had studied in China and speaks fluent Mandarin showed great favor to Chinese-language films. Under his leadership at Venice, Chinese-language films thrived.
Jia Zhangke's *Still Life* was nominated at the last minute but ultimately won the Golden Lion. Ang Lee's *Lust, Caution* also won Best Film right away. Last year, the year Ann Hui had previously mentioned to Chen Nuo, was an unprecedented success, with four Chinese-language films—*A Simple Life*, *Seediq Bale*, *Life Without Principle*, and *People Mountain People Sea*—shining brightly at Venice. Deanie Ip won Best Actress for *A Simple Life*, while Chinese director Cai Shangjun took home the Silver Lion for Best Director for *People Mountain People Sea*.

But all of this came to an abrupt end after Alberto took office.

This year, Chinese-language films were completely eliminated from the main competition section of the 69th Venice Film Festival.

Only Stephen Fung's "Tai Chi 1: From Zero to Hero" will be screened during the exhibition, while Li Ruijun's "Tell Them, I've Gone on a White Crane" and Wang Bing's "Three Sisters" will only appear in the Horizons section.

Main competition?
There are not a single spot available.

This explains why Chinese media have been focusing so intently on him lately—because he is the only Chinese-language filmmaker nominated for the main competition this year.

Therefore, Chen Nuo believes that the Chinese film industry's dissatisfaction with Alberto is justified.

But why is Roberto from Italy also so unhappy?
Isn't he the film acquisition manager for a film company? Isn't the opening of the film market a good thing for them? It facilitates transactions and attracts projects. Why is Cannes the top of the three major film festivals? Isn't it because of the billions of dollars flowing through that market?
He voiced the question that had been lingering in his mind.

After listening, Roberto said, "He's too reckless. He wants to accomplish everything he'll do in his first year, and the Venice Film Festival has always been known for its 'artistic' qualities. Now he's telling me that it's going to become a huge trading ground and a commercial fashion show... But that's not our tradition or our strength at all. In the end, what's the difference between Venice and Toronto or Busan? There are already signs of that. As far as I know, Chen, if it weren't for you and your new film coming, there wouldn't have been many film distributors at this film market."

It turned out to be the case.

Although Chen Nuo hadn't read many books, he had gone to university after all, and he understood immediately that it was a conflict between reformers and conservatives. The Alibaba chairman, no, the Barbara chairman, was an ambitious reformer who wanted to revitalize the 69-year-old film festival, which aroused the dissatisfaction of many local Italian conservatives.

Chen Nuo didn't know whether to change it or not. It was someone else's business, and he was too lazy to offer his opinion. He nodded and said, "I see."

Roberto added, "Chen, Barbara's appointment is not only bad for the Venice Film Festival, but also for you. It seems a little difficult for you to win the Best Actor award this time."

Chen Nuo asked in surprise, "Oh?"

Roberto looked at him earnestly and said, “If it were last year, when Marco Müller was still in charge, I dare say that as long as your film wasn’t too bad, I think you would have a 90% chance of winning. The same was true the year before. But you insisted on taking your film to Berlin a second time, and now… our crazy chairman is eager to get rid of Marco Müller’s shadow. He’s not only messing around with the film market, but he also hasn’t allowed any Chinese-language films to be nominated. Nobody can guarantee that he won’t target you specifically. Although he may not directly manipulate the judges, it’s not impossible that he might use his bias to hint at the judges and make the final votes favor others in order to achieve his goal.”

Chen Nuo was silent for a while, then finally said, "If that's really the case, then there's nothing we can do. I can only say I was unlucky. By the way, Roberto, I heard from director Zhang Yimou that you were the first to make a bid at the Cannes screening of 'The Flowers of War,' which prompted other film companies to follow suit. I think I should thank you."

Roberto shrugged and said, "I was just optimistic about this movie. I thought it would do well at the box office because it has Christian Bale and some Chinese elements that have become popular in Italy in recent years because of you. But unfortunately, I was wrong."

Chen Nuo asked in surprise, "You lost money?"

Roberto frankly stated, "Yes, although Zhang's price wasn't expensive, we still didn't break even and ended up losing some money."

He sighed and said, "Audiences are becoming increasingly discerning these days, and it's really hard to find a movie they want to watch... Chen, as a member of the Silk Road Alliance, I strongly request that we have priority in purchasing your new film. To be honest, this is something you promised us."

Chen Nuo is too busy, or rather, too lazy.

He never discussed the film's distribution plans with James Pritzker, and Pritzker never did either. Whenever the topic of the film came up, Pritzker only talked about winning awards, not making money. Clearly, this genuine second-generation rich kid didn't care much about box office numbers. As long as the awards were a success, billions of dollars would be his inheritance; a box office drop was nothing.

Hearing Roberto's words, Chen Nuo realized that he had indeed said that. It's just that this movie wasn't a Huanxin production, so he had overlooked it.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but ask, "Are you sure our alliance members are interested in this movie?"

Roberto asked in surprise, "Chen, like I just said, why did Alberto's hasty, childish film market attract over 100 film companies from all over the world? And why are our members here from all over the world? Are we here to satisfy Harvey's appetite? No, no, no, we all know that old fox Harvey. Venice is just a stepping stone for him; what he really wants is the Oscars. Unless he's offered a huge sum of money, he won't release his film now. So, as far as I know, most of these film companies are here for your 'DROP'."

He paused, then sneered, "Heh, from this perspective, without your arrival, that so-called film market would be a complete joke!" Actually, we also want to compete for the Oscars! However, given the strong demand from our members, Chen Nuo immediately swallowed his words and nodded, saying, "I understand. After I meet with the director, I'll ask him how many days until our premiere. If possible, I'll organize an exclusive advance screening for our Silk Road members."

Roberto laughed, "That's great, haha, now I don't feel so bad about losing money on The Flowers of War."

"Haha."

Chen Nuo laughed along, but at that moment he had a vague feeling that something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

It wasn't until he returned to his hotel and went to sleep that he suddenly realized what had happened while reviewing the short conversation.

In fact, besides being passionate and unrestrained, Venetian merchants were also known for their shrewdness and experience.

So, how could a seasoned veteran like Roberto, who has been in the film market for decades, do business at a loss?
Unless, he simply wants to lose money.

……

After dropping Chen Nuo off at the hotel, Roberto and his group left without lingering.

Regardless of how prejudiced Alberto Barbara may be against Chinese-language films, or perhaps as a gesture of goodwill before taking action, the hotel room arranged for him was still the Hilton Presidential Suite, which he often stays in, which was quite thoughtful.

Then, last night at 9 pm, we departed from New York. It was a 9-hour flight. Chen Nuo didn't sleep well on the plane, so he was really sleepy. Although he had to adjust to the time difference, he was prepared to take a nap.

But just as I finished thinking about it, I drifted off to sleep, and then I heard a girl chattering away in the living room.

He changed his clothes and came out, only to see Pan Shouyi and her friend talking to Gulnazar in the living room.

Upon seeing him come out, Pan Shouyi immediately shouted, "Brother, you're awake!"

"I didn't wake up, you woke me up," Chen Nuo said irritably. "Why aren't you traveling around Europe with your parents? What are you doing here?"

Although his tone was unfriendly, Pan Shouyi didn't care. After all, someone who could ambush him in the stairwell with classmates when he was 14, why would he care about his feelings? He immediately said nonchalantly, "I want to play with you. There's nothing fun with them, all they do is walk around, take pictures, and buy things. It's so boring. Bro, come on, let me introduce you, this is my classmate, Chen Duling."

At this moment, Chen Duling stood aside, too nervous to speak.

This was the first time she had ever seen a living person outside of movie theater posters and television screens!

Knowing that Chen Nuo was coming today, she couldn't sleep well at all last night, tossing and turning!
Upon hearing Pan Shouyi's words, she quickly replied, "Brother Nuo, hello, I am Chen Duling, a freshman at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics."

Pan Shouyi added with a grin, "Brother, Lingling is the school beauty of our school. Moreover, she won first place in this year's national online competition for the most beautiful and handsome college students. And all she got was a passport photo uploaded. Isn't that amazing?"

Chen Duling's face flushed instantly, and she stammered nervously, "No, no..."

Chen Nuo sized up the little girl who shared his surname.

Before this, he had seen Pan Shouyi's WeChat Moments and heard his mother mention the name Chen Duling. He felt a slight sense of familiarity with it, which meant that this girl would likely enter the entertainment industry in the future and have some fame, but not much. She wouldn't reach the level of Dilraba Dilmurat or Yang Zi, whom he would immediately recognize, let alone Yang Mi.

But seeing her in person now, especially standing next to his cousin in comparison, she truly seemed like a celestial being. But if we're talking about the most beautiful college girl in the country… Chen Nuo couldn't help but glance at Gulnazar behind Chen Duling.

So, wouldn't you say he's misleading young people?

But he quickly came to his senses and smiled, "It is indeed very beautiful. Come, sit down. Let me eat something, and we can chat while we eat."

For the next hour, in the opulent presidential suite of the Hilton in Venice, Chen Duling watched the man sip milk and eat cereal while chatting with them. Looking at that face that made countless young girls scream back home, Chen Duling felt a complete sense of unreality.

An hour later, a large, fat man, supposedly a film director, came over and wanted to discuss some serious business with Chen Nuo. Chen Duling then took his leave with Pan Shouyi.

As soon as they stepped outside, Pan Shouyi laughed and said to her, "Lingling, don't be nervous. Didn't you want my brother's WeChat before? I've hinted at it a few times. Why didn't you say so just now?"

Chen Duling said, "I... I dare not say."

Pan Shouyi only mentioned it casually, because there was something even more exciting waiting for her to talk about. The girl immediately followed up, "Wow, my brother invited us to walk the red carpet! What should we do? Lingling, do you think we should go?"

"I don't know. What about you? Do you want to go?"

"I don't know either. I'm tempted, but I'm also hesitant."

Chen Duling nodded.

She felt the same way as Pan Shouyi, both wanting to but not daring to.

This was a suggestion that Pan Shouyi had made when he asked her to take them out to play, which caught the two girls off guard.

Film festival! Red carpet!

Which little girl hasn't had a dream like this?

Although Chen Duling never thought about entering the entertainment industry, that doesn't stop her from occasionally imagining what it would feel like to stand there when she sees glamorous photos of someone on the red carpet in entertainment news.

Now, such an opportunity is presented to her.

Seriously, it's too unreal.

"Your brother is joking, right?" she couldn't help but say. "He said there aren't many Chinese people coming to Venice this time, and he wants the two of us to fill in. That reason doesn't sound legitimate at all."

Pan Shouyi laughed and said, "I also think he was joking. Actually, that's just how he is. Don't think that just because he looks serious on TV and scolds his fans all day long, that's his true self when he's hosting the Oscars in the United States."

“That’s still handsome,” Chen Duling said, but a hint of disappointment crept into her voice. “So… he was really joking?”

Pan Shouyi said, "Probably. But if we really have to walk the red carpet, we're not afraid. If we're asked to stand up for the Chinese, then we'll stand up for them. Didn't Lao Liu ask us for leave slips? That's perfect, we don't need to write them. When he asks for them, we'll just send him our beautiful red carpet photos and say that we were invited to walk the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival and brought glory to the Chinese. Let's see what he says. Hahahaha."

Pan Shouyi laughed after he finished speaking, and Chen Duling couldn't help but laugh as well.

Before they even got back to their room, the two girls were already laughing together in the hallway.

He was laughing so hard he looked like he was going to fly to the heavens.

However, two days later
When Pan Shouyi and Chen Duling waited for the boat with Chen Nuo, their faces were dark and serious, as if they were going to the execution ground.

As the time drew nearer, Chen Nuo saw that the two people's expressions were becoming increasingly stiff, and finally couldn't help but laugh.

"No, brother." Pan Shouyi pouted in dissatisfaction at his gloating and said, "Why are you being so serious?"

Chen Nuo laughed and said, "You know I've never joked around since I was a child."

"No way!" Pan Shouyi exclaimed. "What about when you were a kid, you stole my candy and my toys? What about that?"

Chen Nuo said, "I'm not kidding. I actually ate the candy I took from you, and I really played with the toy I took from you."

"You!" Pan Shouyi raised his small fist in anger.

Chen Duling couldn't help but smile, her extremely tense mood finally easing a little.

Chen Nuo laughed and said, "Okay, I've read in those books on how to take care of children that children should be taken out to see and experience more from a young age. This time, I'm helping your third uncle broaden your horizons. Didn't you want to play with me? Isn't it fun? Haha... Okay, don't worry, the red carpet in Venice is notoriously short. And I've also spoken to the people at the film festival, and they've told them to inform the reporters that you're not yet 21, which is considered minor in Italy, so they won't take pictures of you. Even if they do, the photos they release will definitely have your faces blurred."

Pan Shouyi breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That's more like it..."

As she spoke, her eyes suddenly lit up. The girl, despite her makeup, still looked slightly dark-skinned, and a suspicious expression appeared on her face. "Hey, wait a minute, why are you looking at books about how to take care of children? I remember you hated reading the most."

"I... alright, alright, the ship's here, let's get on!"

Ps:

Yesterday was another day of moving, I'm exhausted. I'm writing this again this morning at 7 am.

They moved from the west side of Chengdu to the east side.

It feels like I've moved to a different city, and with it, a different mood.

I think that sometimes, what we need is...

It's just a small change.

(End of this chapter)