Huayu Chunqiu, starting from being adopted by a fairy mother

Chapter 251 Yin-Yang Sacred Flame Token

Liu Jing saw Zhang Jiao's attire and that's when he suddenly had this idea.

This girl puts in much more effort learning how to play Zhao Min than she does at work.

Zhang Jiao possesses both a heroic spirit and a charming demeanor, something I hadn't often noticed before.

The most unforgettable character in "The Cult Master" is Zhao Min, played by Zhang Min.

That line, "Come to Dadu to find me," made the audience wait in Dadu for many years.

When this movie was released, it didn't receive very high praise. It cost 40 to 50 million yuan to produce, but only grossed a little over 10 million yuan at the box office.

The sequel was thus shelved, resulting in a huge financial loss.

Hong Kong in 1993 was at its peak, and Liu Jing witnessed and participated in this grand event.

That year, fifty martial arts films were released, and Li Lianjie had six of them.

Two "Once Upon a Time in China" films, two "Fong Sai-yuk" films, one "Tai Chi Master", and one "The Cult Leader".

Compared to the other films, "The Cult Leader" was the worst, ranking last in box office and receiving the lowest reviews.

At that time, people were tired of martial arts films, and with rampant piracy, Win's Entertainment didn't want to make a second film.

Like fine wine, this film only gets better with age. As time goes by, more and more people regard it as a classic among martial arts films.

Many adaptations of Jin Yong's novels, even those that deviate slightly from the original work, are met with a lot of criticism.

Wang Jing completely subverted Zhang Wuji's image. Zhang Wuji was no longer the indecisive, kind-hearted man, but a decisive, scheming, and ruthless one. He used a provocation tactic to learn the Nine Yang Divine Skill from the Fire-Worker Monk, and after mastering the Great Shift of the Universe, he destroyed the original version, suppressed Zhu Yuanzhang, and even harbored ambitions to become emperor himself.

Wang Pangzi has made up for the regrets that many readers had when reading the original work.

With the rise of online novels, saintly characters are no longer popular; the villainous Zhang Wuji is the best protagonist.

Under Wang Jing's lens, Zhang Wuji is more three-dimensional and more dynamic compared to the original novel and other versions.

Zhou Zhiruo is no longer gentle and kind; Fatty Wang portrays her as a scheming bitch and a ruthless villain.

Xiao Zhao is sexy, playful, lively, and charming, becoming the white moonlight in the hearts of countless people.

The most unforgettable character is Zhao Min, who is both heroic and charming, intelligent and decisive, and deeply devoted to Zhang Wuji, making her the perfect lover.

"Yes! 'The Sharpshooter and the Wise Man,' I've almost finished writing the script," Fatty Wang replied.

Liu Jing was surprised that after Golden Harvest was reorganized, Fatty Wang proposed to make a movie under the name of Golden Harvest.

That's real efficiency; the manuscript was completed in just a few days.

"After filming this, I want to make a sequel to 'The Cult Master'," Liu Jing stated his idea directly.

"Kid, I, Fatty Wang, have made so many films, and not many of them have lost money. But that one film really lost a lot of money back then," Fatty Wang sighed.

This is his proudest work. After all these years, more and more viewers are still heartbroken and more and more people are hoping for a sequel.

This is also the film he least wants to mention; it lost a lot of money. He was even beaten up for adding unnecessary scenes for Chingmy Yau.

"Can we film or not?" Liu Jing didn't want to waste time with words.

“If the young master has spoken, then we definitely can. This time, we absolutely won’t lose money. Thirteen years have passed, and things have changed. But if you can handle President Min, you can make back all the money you lost back then.” Fatty Wang perked up.

He had this idea long ago, and had even come up with a name for it: The Yin-Yang Sacred Fire Token from The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber.

If Yong Sheng doesn't participate, the plan has to be shelved.

In recent years, many companies have wanted to hire him to make sequels, but it's no longer possible to do so.

Li Lianjie broke into Hollywood, Zhang Min became a domineering CEO, Qiu Shuzhen retired from the entertainment industry to marry a big boss, and Gigi Lai faded out of the spotlight to go into business. It was difficult to reunite the original cast.

If anyone could gather all these people together, Liu Jing would definitely be one, and very likely the only one.

When Fatty Wang heard Liu Jing's idea, he instantly became excited.

"Should I go and win over Sister Shuzhen again?" Liu Jing mocked.

Zhang Min definitely won't film it, no matter how much money she's offered.

If he asked, I would support him even without payment.

The essence of this film lies in Zhang Min.

Zhang Min is thirty-eight years old this year, but thanks to Liu Jing's good care, she doesn't look old at all.

She looks like she's in her early twenties; time seems to have left no trace on her, which is why she dared to be the spokesperson for Huayang.
Compared to thirteen years ago, it only appears plumper and more flavorful.

By cultivating her inner energy through living and moving around to nourish her body, she has developed a certain aura over the years as a domineering CEO.

"Kid, don't make fun of me, we're innocent," Fatty Wang shouted.

"Xiao Zhao is a difficult choice." Liu Jing had a headache.

"You have so many girls in your company, what's so hard about choosing someone? Shu Chang is pretty good, you could let her give it a try," Fatty Wang suggested.

“I’ll talk to her.” Liu Jing suddenly saw Jing Tian, ​​who was tearing open a bag of snacks and eating them with relish.

When it's mealtime, Jing Hanhan won't neglect his stomach.

She noticed Liu Jing's gaze and held up the bag, asking, "Do you want some?"

Liu Jing shook his head, as if Jing Tian was more suitable to sing than Shu Chang.

"What about Sister Gigi Lai..."

Before Liu Jing could finish speaking, Fatty Wang interrupted him, "You have Zhou Zhiruo right here at home, why bother calling Li Zi?"

“Yuanyuan is not out of the question. I’ll talk to Teacher Yan Minqiu and she can play the role of Abbess Miejue.”

"Haha, no need, I have someone more suitable for Abbess Miejue. What do you think of Zhou Haimei?" Fatty Wang laughed.

"You..." Liu Jing wanted to say that he was messing around, but then he thought about it and it seemed to make sense.

"Teacher Yan Huaili isn't feeling well, so we can invite Xu Jinjiang to play Xie Xun, the Golden Lion King. We can replace Yin Tianzheng, the White-browed Eagle King, with Ji Qilin. Wu Yaohan will continue playing Wei Yixiao, the Green-winged Bat King. As for Dai Qisi, the Purple-robed Dragon King, Chen Zihan from your Spring and Autumn period would be a good choice. Ding Minjun can be given to that young girl, and we should try to keep the original cast for the rest." Fatty Wang became more and more excited as he spoke; he had the idea of ​​making a sequel several years ago.

"The original cast? Li Lianjie's salary..." Liu Jing felt a pang of heartache; his salary was calculated in hundreds of millions.

If they hire Li Lianjie, this movie will definitely lose everything.

"What do we need him for? If we don't want to see his zombie-like face, we have Zhang Wuji right here." Fatty Wang laughed.

"Could it be me?" Liu Jing guessed.

"Kid, you're smart. Thirteen years ago, you played the young Wuji. Four years ago, you played the teenage Wuji. Now, it's time for you to play the adult Wuji. Didn't I say I'd get you to direct a movie? Let's go with this one. I'll be the producer and screenwriter, and you'll be the director and lead actor. Two swords combined, invincible! Hahaha..." Fatty Wang burst into laughter.

"Me, a director?" Liu Jing was intrigued. He was worried about his first film as a director, and now someone was offering him a pillow when he was feeling sleepy.

"The Cult Leader" was Liu Jingzhen's first film. "King of Beggars" doesn't count; he only made a brief appearance in it.

It was also because of "The Demon Cult Master" that Liu Jing had so many subsequent stories.

Because of this film, his relationship with Zhang Min deepened, and he became acquainted with Fatty Wong and Li Lianjie, which also led him to enter the Hong Kong entertainment circle.

At that time, Fatty Wang was riding high, Zhang Min and Chingmy Yau were still newcomers, and Li Lianjie was still in a sorry state.

Li Lianjie, the producer of "The Cult Leader", did not dare to use his real name because of Golden Harvest, and instead used the pseudonym Li Yangzhong.

This pseudonym was given to him by Jin Yong.

This play holds extraordinary significance for Liu Jing.

So, wouldn't directing a sequel as your first film represent a fresh start?

Liu Jing's memories, in Fatty Wang's mind, turned into hesitation.

He said earnestly, "Kid, don't always think about making blockbusters. Those who make blockbusters are all idiots, each one more clueless than the last. They're always looking at the next mountain and thinking it's higher. They're still at the foot of the mountain, but their minds are already halfway up. Blockbusters are necessary, but not now. Everyone's been blinded by Zhang Yimou's 'Hero.' Just you wait and see, none of these recent so-called big productions will turn out well."

This is only true when talking to Liu Jing on the phone. He would never talk nonsense to ordinary people; he would only praise the blockbuster and say that it's great at the box office. In his heart, Liu Jing is like a brother, and also like a student.

"How much will the sequel cost?" Liu Jing asked.

"Thirty million is more than enough," Fatty Wang said confidently.

"The first film we ever made cost 50 million, and that was thirteen years ago," Liu Jing reminded everyone.

"Liu Jing, is this a real movie or a fake one? Tell me the truth, don't try to fool me," Fatty Wang asked seriously.

"It's really going to be filmed," Liu Jing affirmed.

“Since we’re really going to film this, I’ll include it in the plan. Back then, we spent a lot on salaries and other miscellaneous expenses. You go and handle Min Zong and Gao Yuanyuan, and leave everything else to me. This film can do without Li Lianjie and Qiu Shuzhen, but it must have Min Zong,” Fatty Wang emphasized again.

"Sister Min, you know she doesn't want to act at all." Liu Jing said hesitantly, not wanting to say it too easily, otherwise, once this door is opened, it will be hard to close again.

"If we can't handle Boss Min, we might as well not film this movie." Fatty Wang said decisively.

"I'll give it a try," Liu Jing sighed.

“Thirty million, not including Ms. Min’s salary. She’s wealthy enough that most people can’t afford her. Chunqiu has a filming base and a props and costume company, which will save us a lot of money. I don’t want script fees or production fees. Just give me a share of the box office revenue after the movie is released. If the movie loses money, I don’t want a penny,” Fatty Wang replied.

If the box office is high, Fatty Wang will also receive a high reward.

If the film loses money, he won't get a share of the box office revenue, and it will be free.

This level of sincerity is more than enough.

"I don't want any payment either..."

“Brother, Golden Harvest is ours, but we are not Golden Harvest. We should collect the fees that are due, and we can charge less, but we can’t not charge at all. If everyone acted like you and didn’t ask for their pay, what would the other brothers do? Golden Harvest today is not the Golden Harvest of the past. With a market value of billions, the system should govern people, not just people governing people.” Fatty Wang spoke frankly.

Jiamiao Investment holds 12% of Jiahe's shares, and Fatty Wang holds 12.5% ​​of the company's shares, meaning he owns approximately 1.5% of Jiahe's shares.

He is also a shareholder of Golden Harvest, which is why he is so proactive.

"It was my oversight," Liu Jing admitted his mistake.

“You’re still young, take your time, no rush. You still have time to make mistakes. Unlike us old guys, you don’t have the chance to make mistakes anymore.” Fatty Wang chuckled, then changed the subject and urged, “Kid, all of this we’re saying is based on President Min’s agreement. Go and get President Min on your side first, I’ll wait for your call.”

beep beep...

Liu Jing was stunned. He hadn't taken Wang Pangzi's preconditions seriously at all.

In Liu Jing's mind, it was because of Zhang Min that he had the idea to produce this play.

In Fatty Wang's mind, he could only move on if he could win over Zhang Min.

"Brother Jing, do you want me to play Zhang Min?" Zhang Jiao asked excitedly, her words tumbling out incoherently, unable to distinguish between Zhang Min and Zhao Min.

Liu Jing made the phone call without trying to hide it from them.

They couldn't hear what Fatty Wang was saying, but based on what Liu Jing said, they could guess the gist of it.

Liu Jing patted Zhang Jiao on the shoulder. Not only did she have a problem with her head, but she also had a problem with her hearing.

His tone was full of encouragement: "You look good. Keep up the good work, and I'll give you the role of Zhao Min."

Liu Jing wasn't deceiving the girl; he just suddenly had an idea.

The bearded man has a wish: to film all of Jin Yong's novels.

The first film was "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer," followed by "The Legend of the Condor Heroes," "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils," "The Sword Stained with Royal Blood," and "The Return of the Condor Heroes." To date, a total of five films have been released.

Filming for "The Deer and the Cauldron" has just wrapped up and it is currently in production.

The filming plan for Big Beard's next project has been finalized; it will be "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber".

It is expected that after the release of "The Deer and the Cauldron", this film will also start filming, which is expected to be at the end of 2007 or 2008.

"I will try my best." Zhang Jiao was overjoyed, her mouth agape.

“You should seriously consider the cross-dressing track; it’s a path that suits you well. Take a track to its extreme…” Liu Jing stopped.

Jing Tian, ​​being the perfect straight man, quickly asked, "And then?"

"Then there was nowhere left to go." Zeng Li shrugged.

"I had nowhere else to go anyway, so I'm not afraid to go down a dead end. At least there's a way out," Zhang Jiao said nonchalantly.

"Learn more about the young male lead roles in drama from Sister Zeng Li," Liu Jing advised.

"No! I'm studying Qingyi." Zeng Li quickly refused. That bastard is trying to assign me another task.

"All traditional operas are interconnected."

However, people are not all the same.

Zeng Li wanted to refute this, so she quickly suggested, "Jiaojiao, you can learn Yue Opera. The young male lead in Yue Opera is more suitable for you."

"Yes, thank you, Sister Zeng Li." Zhang Jiao nodded repeatedly.

"Brother Jing, Brother Jing, can I join you?" Jing Tian was also excited. In order to flatter him, she grabbed a handful of snacks and fed them to Brother Jing.

"I'll definitely bring you." Liu Jing laughed. If I don't bring you, how am I supposed to teach you a lesson?

"That's great! I love you so much! I love filming action scenes the most!" Jing Tian cheered. She also dreamed of being an action star.

Her first film, "The Python Horror," was disappointing for a long time because it didn't have any action scenes.

"Brother Jing, what weapons does that character specialize in? I want to practice beforehand," Jing Tian asked eagerly after her initial excitement.

Liu Jing pondered for a moment, "Chains."

“Okay! I’ll practice with chains.” Jing Tian readily agreed.

Zeng Li and Li Xiaoran exchanged a glance. This guy was trying to fool the young girl again. Xiao Zhao was wearing chains, but they weren't weapons.

Liu Jing felt that it was about time, so he called Wang Pangzi back.

"Old Wang, I've taken care of Min-jie and Yuan-yuan, and I've also found someone more suitable for Xiao-zhao."

The women in the room looked at each other in disbelief. What a scumbag! He lies without even thinking.

You're sitting right in front of us. When did you manage to get together with CEO Min and Gao Yuanyuan? Was it some kind of telepathy?
"With this kid on the team, one is worth two." Fatty Wang laughed. Everything was ready, and now they had everything they needed.

“But Sister Min has a condition: she wants to sign a three-film contract with you under the name of Golden Harvest.” Liu Jing’s tone shifted; this was his condition, not Zhang Min’s.

“No problem, I’m also a shareholder of Golden Harvest.” Fatty Wang readily agreed. Golden Harvest was worth billions, and he was even more excited than Jackie Chan.

"Alright, it's settled then."

Fatty Wang chuckled twice, "Wood, you tell President Min that I also have a condition."

"what?"

"Tell her to lose some weight."

"..." Liu Jing suddenly didn't want to film anymore. He had gone to great lengths to fatten Zhang Min up to be this plump. If she were to lose weight, wouldn't that part shrink?
"Haha, I already came up with the name for the second part thirteen years ago: Yin Yang Sacred Fire Token." Fatty Wang laughed, and started rambling incoherently. "Kid, come find me in Hong Kong, no, I'll bring the script to Hong Kong to find you."

Then, Liu Jing heard a loud shout from the other side, "Quick, quick, book me a plane ticket to Hong Kong. I need to arrive tomorrow."

"Dad, are you crazy? You're in Hong Kong right now."

"Um, Yandu, let's go to Yandu. I'm going now..."

"Aren't you going to lose weight anymore?"

"I've finally gained this much weight, why should I lose it?"

……

(End of this chapter)