Fooling Huayu for Thirty Years

Chapter 346 Treating Everyone Unfairly! Fooling an International Film Queen? Teaching Gong Li to Act in "Cellphone"!
"Everyone! Our production has now officially begun, and I believe that our 'Warriors of Heaven and Earth' will definitely surpass 'Hero'!"

"Haha... Mr. Ma is right!"

Well said! Cheers!

Bingbing's scenes ended quickly. Although she played Yang Guifei, her role was actually quite small, since the focus of our drama wasn't on her as Yang Guifei.

As for the later Mawei Slope scene, it was naturally filmed simply.

The tragic death of Yang Guifei, and Emperor Xuanzong of Tang's feigned affection to save his own life... these are all easy subjects for filming.

In fact, there's no need for Bingbing to appear on camera at all.

It was just a few simple flashback shots.

As for acting opposite him, they found Wei Yan, who had played Emperor Xuanzong of Tang.

The TV series "Tang Minghuang" was very famous back then, and Wei Yan's performance was actually quite good.

And now, the timing for our film is just right.

Wei Yan's face was always full of wrinkles; he was never really young.

He's perfectly suited to play the elderly Emperor Xuanzong of Tang!
And so, that concludes this scene.

Bingbing left first, while Ma Xun stayed on set for a while longer.

He observed their preparations for the next stage of filming, as well as other matters that required his intervention as the boss.

The result is... there's nothing we need from him anyway. As long as we pay the money, everything will be OK.

Well, there was nothing he could do, so Ma Xun had to leave. He had plenty of things to do too.

I just wanted to treat everyone to a nice meal before I left.

This is to cheer everyone up, and also to say goodbye.

But as we ate and drank, Sister Hong gave me a look that suggested we have a chat.

Since that's the case, let's find a place for them to eat and drink, and then we can chat.

The hotel's corridors are quaint and antique.

It was late at night, and there weren't many people around.

With nothing to do, Ma Xun took out a cigarette.

Click! A delicate little hand lit the lighter.

The flames were neither too high nor too low, so Ma Xun didn't need to bow his head.

The cigarettes and lighter aren't the point; the point is Sister Hong herself.

She suits this antique style very well; even now, she has a cigarette between her fingers.

Yet she remains stunningly beautiful, as if she stepped out of an ancient painting.

"Bingbing's heart seems to be getting wilder and wilder." Hongjie's opening remarks were very direct.

Ma Xun laughed and said, "Then she can't escape my grasp."

"Of course I believe that, but this time we're facing that old guy again."

"Oh, you're worried that this will increase his strength?"

"Of course, Bingbing is currently very popular, and she is indeed very beautiful."

“What you said makes sense, but don’t you understand that old guy’s style? He can make any actor do the same thing, and they all end up with his style.”

What Ma Xun said makes a lot of sense.

Sister Hong couldn't help but nod, "You really understand your opponent."

Ma Xun laughed and said, "I would be more than happy to have an opponent like him. He is arrogant and has no real strength, but he used to have a big enough reputation. He is like a BOSS in a game that can be used to farm experience."

That's a really apt description.

In particular, one of the beneficiaries of this experience-boosting scheme is Sister Hong.

Hongjie couldn't help but laugh, but actually, she wanted to talk about something else.

"Actually, what I admire more about you is your way of dealing with women."

"Huh?" Ma Xun asked with a hint of curiosity, "I have no idea what kind of amazing methods I used."

Sister Hong continued, "That's right, you didn't treat everyone equally."

That really hits the nail on the head.

Ma Xun couldn't help but nod, "Sister Hong is Sister Hong."

His praise, though not using particularly brilliant words, made Sister Hong very happy.

"Don't flatter me. I just think that you handled Bingbing quite well."

Ma Xun asked, "Isn't Sister Hong jealous?"

"What's the use of me being jealous? Anyway, I'm old and faded."

Listen to that, she's not even jealous yet...

Ma Xun laughed again, and he simply steered the conversation to the movie, "If you beat Director Chen Kai again this time, then Sister Hong will definitely be Director Chen."

Chen Hong was naturally even happier to hear this, and she understood why Ma Xun had said that. "So, you're treating me differently too?"

This differential treatment may not sound like a compliment, but in fact, it perfectly echoes what she said earlier about not treating everyone equally.

Ma Xun naturally understood that Sister Hong was happy.

"So, tell me, do you like it or not?"

"of course."

Hongjie's little bit of energy is a bit like Lin Daiyu's.

They say one thing and another, but deep down they really want it.

Then, Sister Hong started another conversation.

"But it seems that this whole thing was started by that guy Feng Xiaogang."

She had naturally heard about it, but in this particular case, Ma Xun was right there at the time.

"Yes."

As the person involved, she only replied with this one word... Sister Hong is very smart, and she understood immediately.

"Hehe... As expected of my boss Ma, it seems you're definitely not going to let that Little Cannon get away with it."

Ma Xun then whispered in her ear:

"Sister Hong understands me best."

Upon hearing this, Sister Hong smiled even more charmingly.

However, their intimate conversation was witnessed by a pair of eyes.

……

It's precisely because Ma Xun has that principle that he won't mess around on set.

Therefore, I didn't connect with Sister Hong.

It's nothing, Sister Hong knows Ma Xun's principles.

Moreover, the key point is what was said.

Hong Jie is actually already a renowned director, but times have changed.

This 'era' certainly refers to the era of blockbuster movies!
"Warriors of Heaven and Earth" will definitely be a blockbuster, so she will definitely become a truly outstanding director this time!

Sister Hong was overjoyed.

After having this meal, Ma Xun left the film crew and returned to Beijing.

He's a man of his word, and that bastard Little Cannon did something like this.

Of course we can't let it go!
As for the methods, they are actually not difficult.

Don't forget, Ma Xun had already laid a trap beforehand.

Upon returning to Beijing, Ma Xun immediately met with someone named Gong Li.

As for the international film queen, she is currently focused on entering Hollywood.

Of course, her qualifications are sufficient, and in terms of salary, what we offer domestically is still not enough.

But Ma Xun was very clear that Gong Li still had to take care of things in China.

"Zhou Yu's Train" is not just about helping a friend.

The two met at a high-end restaurant.

Ma Xun was naturally the one treating, but Gong Li's arrival gave the impression of him stealing the show. "Ma Xun, you must have had ulterior motives for coming to see me this time."

"How could you say that? How could I be so bad?"

Ma Xun's response seemed simple, but it actually avoided the key point.

Gong Li couldn't help but roll her eyes at him. "I'm only now finding out what really happened back then?"

This was rather rambling, so Ma Xun gave him a puzzled look.

Gong Li then said, "Is it because you wanted to put our film 'Zhou Yu's Train' in the Lunar New Year season that you wanted to use this film to compete with Feng Xiaogang's 'Cellphone'?"

After hearing this, Ma Xun's expression was priceless. "Okay, I'm so mean."

Did they just admit it outright?
Gong Li chuckled and said, "Okay, I was just kidding. Why did you take it seriously?"

Clearly, Gong Li was referring to Feng Xiaogang's actions of stirring up trouble.

Now, almost everyone in our industry knows about it.

Chen Kaige is going to make a big-budget film, and the reason is that he can't stand his old classmate and friend Zhang Yimou's film "Hero".

However, this big-budget production is going up against a future blockbuster invested in by Ma Xun.

However, the root of all this can be seen from the information available so far.

It was you, Feng Xiaogang, who started this mess!
So, what about Gong Li's perspective?

She naturally made that connection to the present.

However, this is definitely just a joke.

"My sister, you are using the sword of this dynasty to kill officials of the previous dynasty!"

Ma Xun's words made Gong Li laugh so hard she almost fell over.

She, an international film star, rarely smiles like this.

It cleverly uses a classic line from a Stephen Chow movie, which is quite amusing.

But now we need to get down to business.

The important thing is...

"Since that's what you think, then I do intend to use your 'Zhou Yu's Train' to counter Feng Xiaogang's 'Cellphone'."

Didn't you admit it before? Why admit it again now?
Clearly, these two times are different.

Gong Li frowned slightly, but she was more curious. "What exactly do you plan to do?"

Ma Xun knew she had given in, because even though she was an international film queen, she couldn't change the fact that "Zhou Yu's Train" would be released during the Lunar New Year holiday.

In other words, no matter what, these two films are definitely going to clash. Let's hear what Ma Xun has to say about it.

"It's very simple. With your status as an international film queen, we'll figure out how to handle the publicity, and I'll definitely help you secure more screenings. There are also some other details to consider."

The methods Ma Xun mentioned don't seem to be very original.

Gong Li frowned even more upon hearing this, and said with a hint of anger, "Ma Xun, I don't believe that's all you know... these things."

They were clearly dissatisfied.

Ma Xun had left many things unsaid, so he had to use a strategy of first suppressing and then elevating the argument.

"Well, there's nothing I can do about it. After all, 'Cell Phone' is a masterpiece by the great director Feng Xiaogang. He's the king of the New Year's film season, with almost no rivals. So, I don't have any good ideas."

This is acting so fake!
Gong Li could easily see through it; she immediately put down her chopsticks, meaning, "I'm not eating anymore, I'm not happy!"
"You're not telling the truth."

Knowing that the time was almost up, Ma Xun could only feign difficulty and say, "I do have some tricks up my sleeve, but I have some reservations."

"A surprise move? A concern?" Gong Li raised an eyebrow, but she wasn't angry anymore. "Tell me what it is."

She didn't seem like an international movie queen at that moment; instead, she seemed like a very feminine woman.

Ma Xun's actions were indeed quite impressive. He continued, "As you know, I have some intelligence sources. This time, Feng Xiaogang caused trouble, so of course I couldn't let him get away with it. As a result, I found out a lot of details about 'Cellphone'."

These details really surprised me.

"What exactly is it?" Gong Li asked, her curiosity growing, and she became even more like a little woman.

Ma Xun continued, "It seems that Feng Xiaogang's latest project, 'Cellphone,' is related to a well-known stage host."

"Huh? Who?"

"It's that show, 'Tell It Like It Is'."

"Little Cui?! What would Feng Xiaogang dare to do?"

"That's what I'm worried about... Listen to the details I've gotten. One of them is that the male lead in the movie is a TV host, and the show is called 'Let's Talk It Out.' The format of the show is..."

Ma Xun's attention to these details... he definitely doesn't need any intelligence system; he has a vivid memory of every detail in this movie!
There are so many scandals surrounding the movie "Cellphone," and these scandals even continue for more than a decade.

A single film severely impacted the career of a nationally renowned host.

To be fair, while there are some things about Xiao Cui that aren't great, there are also some things he does quite well.

But the movie "Cellphone" is really bad!
Regardless of whether Cui Yongyuan is a good or bad person, just looking at the movie "Cellphone," Cui Yongyuan is definitely a victim.

With Ma Xun explaining it like this, Gong Li immediately understood without needing to say much more.

"Won't this cause a problem?"

Yeah, would we dare to make movies like that?
This is such a reflection of reality!

Isn't this an invasion of privacy?

Let alone movies, even TV series usually start with this: This series is purely fictional; any resemblance to actual events is purely coincidental.

Right, you need to clearly label these things; you can't be too 'realistic'.

Documentaries, or some special films, are also acceptable.

But this film, "Cellphone," is clearly not that type of movie.

Gong Li was surprised for a long time, and then Ma Xun pointed out the key point.

"Think about it, even famous TV hosts dare to do this, so this..."

Gong Li immediately understood what Ma Xun meant.

"Do they have powerful backers?"

"I'm afraid so."

At this moment, Gong Li was filled with righteous indignation.

"This is outrageous! This powerful backer... could it be..."

She turned to the horse for help.

That's right. When it comes to background, we still have to rely on Ma Xun.

"I'm in a difficult position too." Ma Xun's acting skills were at their peak at this moment!

Even international film queens have been fooled.

"If you can help me this time, I will definitely help you in the future."

"How to help?"

"I'll make a movie for you for free."

"This is not good."

"No, you really aren't planning to pay?"

"That's the kind of person I am."

Alright, Gong Li has been completely fooled by Ma Xun.

Having gone this far in deceiving people, Ma Xun should at least give the international film queen something real.

"At that time, you, as an international film queen, will have to act with enough poise!"

"So you mean I should condemn their bad behavior?"

"You handle it, I trust you."

"Okay! I'm sure!"

"I'll take care of the rest."

Gong Li is now pinning all her hopes on Ma Xun.

Then...

The two haven't seen each other for a long time, so why not have a fierce battle?

(End of this chapter)