Fooling Huayu for Thirty Years

Chapter 368: If they're my people, they'll be unstoppable in the entertainment industry! They'll be on the Spring Festival Gala again!

"I... I feel like I was having a dream."

"Are you awake now?"

"In my dream, you were so fierce."

How fierce is it?

"It's, it's..."

"like this?"

"Oh dear~ you, you mustn't..."

Only by weathering storms can one achieve transformation.

Tong Liya has matured a lot, and she has also noticed some very special details.

That is, Ma Xun doesn't seem to be that fierce.

I originally thought I was similar to the women in movies and TV dramas who jump into a fire pit.

But actually... he's quite gentle.

Was what happened before just an act?
So, Tong Liya boldly asked again this time.

"I'm yours now, right?"

"of course."

Ma Xun's answer was just a casual remark, which was certainly not what Tong Liya wanted.

She then asked, "So, have I already surpassed Tang Yan?"

this problem……

Ma Xun's face hardened, and he said with great authority:

"You're mine now, so you're not allowed to ask those kinds of questions anymore."

"This……"

"My people are allowed to do whatever they want in the entertainment industry, understand?"

That's incredibly powerful!
Tong Liya was deeply moved; she was both shocked and delighted.

Of course, she wasn't stupid; she picked up on a key point.

That means Tang Yan isn't Ma Xun's man yet!

Doesn't this mean I've already surpassed her?

Isn't that enough to satisfy her vanity?

And then, Ma Xun was even more straightforward.

"Since you're one of my people, you have to listen to me."

"understood."

The answer is yes.

"Yes!"

"Okay, you've actually got some pretty good resources now. 'Warriors of Heaven and Earth' is definitely a blockbuster, but don't think that just because you've acted in such a blockbuster, you can become an overnight sensation."

You need to take more time to calm down and reflect.

Listen to me, this is how you should develop your business: actively seek out and produce low-budget films.

Tong Liya naturally listened and nodded repeatedly. In any case, Ma Xun, who was so assertive, was someone she could rely on.

"Low-budget films?"

"Yes, you should take advantage of the fact that you are still in school. Every year, some students from Beijing Film Academy and Central Academy of Drama will have their own ideas and they will make some experimental works. You should actively participate in them."

In particular, if they lack funds, you can come to me.

"Ah? This..."

"what happened?"

"That way we'll use your money, and if later..."

"What's wrong with you? Don't you trust my judgment? If the movies you brought were garbage, how could I not tell?"

Strong!

Her strong personality made Tong Liya even more docile.

She was a beautiful girl with top-notch dancing skills, but she had a very gentle personality.

At this moment, it seems that Ma Xun has her completely under his control, but little does he know that Tong Liya is also enjoying it.

However, she still had some things to say.

"Actually, from the perspective of fame, I will have a program this year that will be broadcast on CCTV during the Spring Festival."

Ma Xun saw that she was quite proud when she spoke, so of course she had to give her a good blow.

"You think you'll become famous just because you're on CCTV? You're seriously underestimating the entertainment industry."

These words weren't particularly harsh in tone.

But Tong Liya was scared. "I'll listen to you. I'll listen to whatever you say."

Seeing her like this, Ma Xun continued without any emotion, "You are a very good dancer, but now you are going to work in the entertainment industry. This battlefield is completely different from your original one."

In this battlefield, success is not guaranteed no matter how hard you try.

If you still hold onto the same old ideas, you're destined to run into obstacles.

I can assure you that even if you appeared on CCTV's Spring Festival Gala, it still wouldn't be of much help in your transition to the entertainment industry.

“This…” Tong Liya was indeed stunned.

In fact, Ma Xun was not wrong.

In the original timeline, Tong Liya was just like that. In fact, looking at her career, even in the early stages, she surpassed more than 99% of the people on this planet.

She has had a very successful career in the dance field, performing at the Western Regions Dance Hall, the National Song and Dance Troupe, and even on the Spring Festival Gala.

This is a series of consecutive "up".

She also acted in Derek Yee's "New Endless Love" after that.

Unfortunately, it has always remained lukewarm.

Until that drama, "Palace".

Some people have said that in the entertainment industry, a celebrity's rise to fame sometimes really depends on fate.

Tong Liya has always had good resources, but unfortunately she just hasn't become famous.

She became famous by chance after playing a villainous supporting role.

Well, in the early episodes of "Palace," she wasn't exactly vicious.

Now, Ma Xun wants to give her a new path.

"You participate in these low-budget films, accumulate experience through them, hone your acting skills, and believe that time will give you a good result."

"Okay! I'll do as you say!"

Tong Liya's expression of determination really made Ma Xun laugh.

"Remember, you're mine now..."

Before Ma Xun could finish speaking, Tong Liya interrupted him.

"From now on, I'll be able to do whatever I want in the entertainment industry!"

……

Ma Xun's decision to promote Tong Liya is certainly related to Tang Yan.

Of course, that's not all.

Ma Xun felt that Tong Liya deserved to be promoted, which is why he made this decision.

Tong Liya has potential, and her gentle personality makes her easy to manage.

Yes, her body is indeed extremely flexible; her legs can be bent to an unbelievable degree.

Ahem... let's not talk about that anymore.

Of course, there might not be that many reasons at all.

Ma Xun just wanted to have some fun... to promote a new talent.

Considering the likes of Wan Qian before... it's likely that a new batch of celebrities will emerge in the entertainment industry soon.

That's it, rapid iteration.

Moreover, the new path he designed for Tong Liya was quite extraordinary.

It's 2003 now, and there are not only new actors, but also a new batch of directors.

With the implementation of the cinema chain system reform, our domestic film market is picking up, although it seems to be affected by the epidemic, and the film market seems to have returned to the pre-liberation state.

But Ma Xun was very clear that he would recover quickly and then enjoy a long period of popularity that would last for more than ten years!

In fact, the speed at which China's film market is developing has left foreigners speechless.

For example, the growth in the number of cinemas and screens that we saw later was described by foreign media as "crazy".

With such a significant increase, Ma Xun certainly needs to seize the opportunity.

Many of his previous jobs were actually for this purpose.

He acquired Golden Harvest cinema chain, championed the production of blockbuster films, and even shifted his personal focus to the film industry.

Ma Xun now has many celebrities under his management.

So, what's still missing?
director!

Only with enough directors can enough movies be made.

Moreover, it is essential to understand a common-sense principle: a film requires more than one director.

It's the directing team.

Ma Xun really needs a lot of manpower; he needs to discover new talent.

And he's so busy.

So, Tong Liya, a girl who is currently still in school, was asked to help discover talent. Actually, Ma Xun isn't the only one who sees the great potential of Chinese cinema.

It wasn't just mainlanders who noticed it; many Hong Kong filmmakers also realized it.

It's like how Andy Lau once worked on a project to create a new Asian director.

This project was quite remarkable; the directors from that time all went on to have successful careers.

That's right, it's not just Ning Hao.

However, Ning Hao is the most famous of them all.

The methods Ma Xun is using now... are indeed different from Andy Lau's in terms of approach, but the goal is similar.

Moreover, his 'eye' is definitely the most discerning, and he will surely be able to discover many future famous directors.

Another issue is the method itself.

In fact, many directors were quite individualistic when they were in school.

It gives one the feeling of regarding the powerful officials of yesteryear as mere dirt.

What capital? What money?
What Lao Tzu sought was art!
Do you dirty capitalists even understand art?

Well... okay, Ma Xun admits that he was like that when he was in school.

Therefore, some 'newcomers' are more difficult to deal with.

Ma Xun actually only knows one person now, and that is Cheng Er.

This guy is amazing. Even before he graduated, he was already known as a rare genius director in Chinese cinema.

It really is.

However, people came to know him later because of the movie "The Wasted Times".

Many big names, a lot of capital, and all kinds of support.

However, many viewers still said they didn't understand it.

Actually, this one is already considered good; his earlier films were even more incomprehensible.

However, it can make people feel really awesome.

For example, the film "Criminals," which is hailed as the most outstanding graduation project.

Xu Guangtou, who played the lead role, was actually still a student at the time, but he was already bald in the movie.

The female lead is Huang, the new Swallow.

But it must be admitted that "Criminals" is indeed excellent.

Putting all that aside, let's let Tong Liya help Ma Xun find directors, and also hone her acting skills.

This path is definitely much better than her original one.

Next…

Ma Xun really wanted to mess with Tang Yan, that scheming woman.

Unexpectedly, two phone calls disrupted Ma Xun's plans.

Firstly, it was Ge Luming who came.

"Zhang Yimou is making a new film? What's it called, 'House of Flying Daggers'?"

"Yes, I was just about to tell you."

"But this movie..."

"Yes, Harvey Weinstein got involved too."

"My dear Mr. Ma, why didn't you say so sooner?"

Clearly, Ge Luming had objections this time.

Ma Xun laughed, "I didn't even want to mention this movie to you."

His answer really surprised Ge Luming.

"Why? Isn't this a film directed by Zhang Yimou?"

It's perfectly normal for Ge Luming to express her lack of understanding.

Ma Xun then directly explained the reasons to him.

"When I heard the main cast of this film, I knew it wasn't going to be a great success, especially overseas..."

Still don't understand? I'm doing this for your own good. If we sign a contract, won't you still want overseas copyrights?

As for why, the reason is very simple.

In this new film, the male lead is Andy Lau, and the other lead is Kaneshiro. Both of them are indeed very popular at the box office in China.

However, neither of them has much international appeal when it comes to martial arts films.

To be frank, even if the two of them were combined, they wouldn't be as good as Jet Li alone.

As for the female lead, Zhang Ziyi, she does have a certain international appeal, but in reality, she has never truly proven herself on her own.

Who did she collaborate with before? Do I have to list them all?

Good! Well said and supported by evidence!

Upon hearing this, Ge Luming's voice changed, "Oh, I knew it, my good friend wouldn't lie to me, haha... That Harvey, let him die this time!"

Alright, I've already completed the task Harvey assigned me.

Ma Xun earned that ten million RMB so easily.

But in reality, Ma Xun was indeed telling the truth.

Andy Lau's influence is really not comparable to those few people.

Ma Xun acknowledged that Andy Lau is indeed a very good artist and has made significant contributions to Chinese cinema.

However, Andy Lau's personal box office appeal is indeed only average, especially overseas.

Among Chinese movie stars, only a handful are truly successful overseas.

Big Brother Lung, Jet Li, Chow Yun-fat... Actually, Chow Yun-fat was really struggling.

If we really have to say, it's just Brother Lung and Jet Li.

The saying goes, "Two Chows and One Cheng," but two Chows really don't work overseas.

Even two weeks wouldn't work, let alone Andy Lau and the Four Heavenly Kings.

This is not Ma Xun trying to discredit them; the Four Heavenly Kings are all outstanding artists.

He was just telling the truth.

After hearing such a logical and reasoned analysis, Ge Luming, being no fool, was naturally convinced.

But if this was a hoax... Ma Xun really didn't lie once and for all when he conned Ge Luming!
But this is probably the best way to fool people!
Ge Luming had nothing to say, so he could only ask about the situation of "Heroes of Heaven and Earth".

There's nothing more to say about that.

Ma Xun gave him some good news directly.

"Released during the Lunar New Year season!"

Wow! That's amazing!

Ge Luming was a seasoned veteran; how could he not know the importance of this news?

The Lunar New Year film season is currently the best film season in the Chinese film market.

Moreover, the market is currently sluggish due to the impact of the pandemic.

The fact that it was released relatively late is definitely a huge advantage.

That concludes their phone call.

Ge Luming happily continued to hang out in his Lan Kwai Fong, while Ma Xun easily succeeded in fooling him.

The other call was from Zou Tao.

Will you still be watching the Spring Festival Gala this year?

"of course."

Ma Xun's reply was very decisive, but Zou Tao asked a particularly strange question.

"Aren't you going to ask why I'm the one calling you this time?"

Ma Xun was indeed unsure how to answer this question.

Last time it was Dong Qing, this change...

"Could it be that after watching the gala, we still..."

"what are you thinking!"

"Does this mean Dong Qing will also be a host?"

"Not at all."

"Then I can't answer that."

Ma Xun wasn't lying; he genuinely couldn't give any other answer.

Zou Tao laughed and said, "It's very simple. You can bring one more person this time. As for this person, didn't you mention a movie to me before? You can bring her to make an appearance."

So this is ah.

Ma Xun was actually a little surprised. He didn't expect that Zou Tao would still remember the movie "The Terror Live" that he had mentioned.

It seems she wanted to see the movie's female lead in person.

That’s a good idea.

But it also presents challenges.

This year's Lunar New Year's Eve falls on the last day of January, which is really just around the corner.

It's quite a rush to determine the female lead for "The Terror Live" in such a short time, even though Ma Xun has other options.

However, Ma Xun still readily agreed.

"Okay, I'll definitely bring a 'host' that will satisfy you!"

(End of this chapter)