Fooling Huayu for Thirty Years

Chapter 474 Secret Marketing, the Honey's 'Sincere' Apology!

Chapter 474 Secret Marketing, the Honey's 'Sincere' Apology!
The deeper meaning behind Bingbing's departure to the United States!

"Stop speculating! Bingbing has already sent back photos of her life in the US, and she's in a very nice mood!"

"I've said there will be a big project, so stop speculating."

"Bingbing vs. Yuanyuan, who will win?"

Even though Bingbing went to the United States, the speculation on the internet never stopped.

Moreover, because of the numerous provocative articles published previously, many netizens are now gossiping and speculating about the movements of the female celebrities from Enlight Media.

Even without the Cannes Best Actress award, Bingbing and Yuanyuan are always being compared.

Many people also frequently post pictures online, mostly of the two people in the same frame, and carefully analyze their subtle expressions.

This is to prove that they are engaged in open and covert struggles.

Some people might think that this is just someone who has nothing better to do than be idle.

But some people really like this kind of thing.

We're just watching the drama unfold; there's nothing anyone can do about it.

Now there's a new development: Bingbing has gone to the United States. Whether she's studying abroad or not, or whether she's going to improve herself, is not publicly confirmed, but the rumor persists.

The common understanding is that he couldn't compete with Yuanyuan and left for another place, which seems to be one explanation.

As a result, the topic has become incredibly popular.

This trend should naturally be put to good use.

While Bingbing was in the United States, she created an account on American social media, but she didn't forget her account in China.

Basically, it's just updating some pictures.

As you can see, these are all everyday life photos, but naturally there are also some foreigners in them.

There are men and women.

Bingbing usually adds a note saying something like "colleague".

And you know what? Her actions not only boosted the popularity of the gossip, but also caused her personal account's follower count to skyrocket.

It's perfectly normal for people to share their daily lives; there's nothing wrong with that.

However, many netizens, including those overseas, are completely unaware that they have already entered a state of being marketed.

In other words, this viral marketing 'virus' has already begun to spread from person to person.

Cough cough... It sounds scary, but it's not actually that mysterious.

Currently, the main focus is on the potential infighting among the female celebrities under Ma Xun's management, as well as the news of Bingbing leaving for overseas.

However, this raises a rather pressing issue.

This urgency is specifically directed at Ma Xun!

The problem is that Ma Xun must get this "Cloverfield" done as soon as possible!
We can't slow down.

Because if you're slow, you'll miss out on this wave of popularity.

There's nothing we can do; the hype has already built up.

In other words, Ma Xun did make a small mistake; he underestimated the public's interest in the infighting among his female stars.

Yes, everyone loves gossip.

This also underestimates Bingbing's current fan base.

Fortunately, he is still confident that he can get the movie out sooner.

Because the original film was not difficult to make; it didn't require building many sets, just a lot of green screens.

As for costumes, props, and sets, our "Cloverfield" doesn't even need to include alien weapons or high-tech equipment.

That is, the actors' costumes, or just some blood or scenes of streets ravaged by monsters.

The Statue of Liberty with its head removed was obviously created using special effects.

It sounds simple, but Ma Xun still deeply realized a problem.

That is, there are still too few talented people around us.

Especially now that he's working on this science fiction project, he has virtually no science fiction film talent around him.

Well, it's probably just that he himself is alright.

Ma Xun doesn't boast; he genuinely hadn't made a film on a similar subject before.

Unfortunately, there's not much talent in science fiction films in China, not even ten years from now.

Those who frequently travel through time will definitely mention the name Guo Fan, but those who have been in the industry for many years, like Ma Xun, actually know very well what's going on.

Guo Fan's film was a success, but they themselves never thought it would be.

Seriously, this isn't just something Ma Xun made up. Guo Fan and his team later wrote a book about it. They made both movies, and the book records how they filmed them, what they went through, and their overall mindset.

They were also feeling their way across the river, and the purpose of publishing this book was to provide more references for future generations.

Therefore, there is indeed a lack of talent in the field of science fiction films.

So, should we go find Guo Fan now?
That won't work; he doesn't seem to have graduated yet.

If Ma Xun remembered correctly, Guo Fan went to a travel TV station after graduation, which I think was later called Travel Channel. There was a music program there, and he worked there.

That will probably take another two years.

Goodness, look at this talent! Are we lacking someone?

However, there should still be some people in China who like science fiction movies.

Hmm, how about we go find that Zhang Xiaobei?
That guy from the Tenth Screening Room, he's a big critic, but he actually really likes making science fiction films.

Zhang Xiaobei later directed a science fiction film, but unfortunately, it never had a chance to be released. The investors in this film probably lost a lot of money, because the people they hired were actually quite good.

Forget it, I probably can't get this guy to come anyway.

Ma Xun wanted to quickly film "Cloverfield," but unexpectedly, he was stumped by the lack of talent.

Fortunately, he's now the boss of a big company, so he simply issued a wide call for heroes!
Everything went very well after "The World's Number One" finished airing on Hunan TV.

They even threw a celebration banquet.

Ma Xun then returned to Beijing from Changsha.

Upon his return, he went straight to Wang Changtian.

"recruitment?"

"This isn't a regular recruitment; we need to keep it as secret as possible."

"Ah? Why?"

"Don't worry about all that. If it were so easy to recruit someone, would I be talking to you in person?"

"Oh, that's right."

Wang Changtian really couldn't understand why his boss wanted to do this, but since his boss had made such a request, he had to come up with a solution.

Fortunately, after being with Ma Xun for so many years, Wang Changtian is no ordinary person.

He quickly came up with a brilliant secret recruitment plan.

"How about pretending it's a game? Like a sci-fi game, and then when we hire planners or copywriters, we can write in the job requirements that they like sci-fi movies."

Upon hearing this idea, Ma Xun's eyes lit up.

"Yes, that's a good idea."

Since that's the case, let's not keep it a secret anymore. Ma Xun explained the plans for the "Cloverfield" project to Wang Changtian in detail.

Wang Changdian was greatly shocked upon hearing this.

"Boss! This plan is amazing! Three movies?"

"Yes, we're going to make three movies, and for the first one, we'll have to use viral marketing, which is why I need to keep the recruitment process a secret."

We absolutely cannot let outsiders know what we're doing. Otherwise, if others, especially our opponents, guess it first, they will have leaked our plans.

All the pre-production work for this movie has been wasted.

To put it bluntly, it's all about the scandal Bingbing created, and the daily life pictures she keeps sharing.

Then it wouldn't be of much significance.

Ma Xun's plan is actually based on JJ Abrams' viral marketing techniques.

It's fair to say that Cloverfield is a really good movie. In terms of ratings, it received a score of over eight points in China, even within the original timeline.

However, what truly made this movie a success was its viral marketing.

The original marketing strategy relied on an Easter egg in Transformers, followed by many other gimmicks, but these gimmicks were all hidden.

It's said that when Cloverfield was being filmed for more than three months, the crew was still using a different name, which was apparently quite disgusting.

Although Ma Xun couldn't completely follow other people's plans, he still had to grasp some of the essential points.

JJ Abrams' marketing campaign was remarkably well-secret.

This is absolutely crucial.

Ma Xun has now grasped this key point, and we must at least keep it confidential.

That's why he came back in person to tell Wang Changtian all this.

Upon hearing this, Wang Changtian immediately felt an even greater sense of responsibility.

"Don't worry, boss, I'll definitely find many filmmakers who love science fiction and are passionate about making science fiction films!"

With his guarantee, Ma Xun nodded.

After all, Wang Changtian was still someone who could be trusted.

But before leaving, Wang Changtian thought of something else.

"By the way, boss, um, we submitted one, but it wasn't very good..."

"Hmm? What's wrong? Tell me."

"Yes, you know the play called 'Wang Zhaojun'?"

"Oh? I've heard about it."

"They...they took advantage of us in this movie!"

"Okay, I get it now."

Once Wang Changtian said that, Ma Xun understood, and there was no need to go into the details. Wang Changtian then left.

Ma Xun really knew exactly what was going on.

Simply put, in the original timeline, this version of "Wang Zhaojun" starred Xiao Mi.

However, the casting process for this drama has caused quite a stir.

It is rumored that Yuanyuan and Bingbing also auditioned for this role, but the director ultimately chose Xiao Mi.

Auditions are common occurrences, but bringing them up is unusual.

Because of this statement, it became:
Yang Mi outshines Yuan Yuan and Bing Bing!
This is a common tactic in the entertainment industry. Actually, Ma Xun knew very well that Rong Xingda was behind this. Of course, it all started when a reporter interviewed the director of the show, who said that he had auditioned Yuanyuan and Bingbing before, and that he chose Xiao Mi because this director was originally the director of "Tang Minghuang".

Xiao Mi played the little princess in "Tang Minghuang", which was her earliest role.

Then the director thought that, years later, the girl had grown into a beautiful young woman.

Then let's choose her.

That's how it is, at least that's how it was in the original timeline.

Now, Yuanyuan and Bingbing have also auditioned, and things are developing just like before...

but!

Now Yuanyuan and Bingbing are both my people, Ma Xun's people!

In the original timeline, they belonged to two different families; now they belong to one.

Didn't I, Ma Xun, get tricked by Rong Xingda?

This matter... Ma Xun really can't pretend it didn't happen.

But how do we get it back?

Just as Ma Xun was racking his brains for a solution, his phone rang. He picked it up and saw it was Jiang Wen.

……

Summer in Beijing.

Even at night, it's still quite hot.

Ma Xun and Jiang Wen arranged to meet at a bar in Houhai.

Listen to music, have a few drinks, and chat.

But this chat...

"I really didn't expect this! I really didn't expect this!"

"I know."

"Who knew that kind of thing would happen!"

"Uh-huh."

"Brother, what I never expected was that when I was at my lowest point, when I was most isolated and helpless, you, Ma Xun, actually reached out to help me! Good brother!"

Goodness, Jiang Wen has really let loose after just a few drinks.

His voice was so loud that it made Ma Xun feel a little embarrassed.

Fortunately, the people in this house had seen him and Ma Xun come to drink and had greeted him before, so they could just take a quick look now.

It's still pretty awkward, isn't it?

"We've had too much to drink, let's drink again another day."

"No way! We have to drink to our hearts' content today!"

"well."

"Haha...good brother!"

Jiang Wen's behavior was indeed genuine.

Ma Xun's recommendation of Jiang Wen to Han Sanping was indeed a rescue for Jiang Wen from dire straits.

In Shanghai, after Jiang Wen angered Chen Yifei to death, she was not exactly universally hated in the entertainment industry, but she was certainly disliked by everyone.

At least, people in the Shanghai circle hated Jiang Wen to the core.

Who would have thought that you would kill one of their great artists?

Chen Yifei was a leading figure in Shanghai's cultural circles.

The key issue is that we can't get Jiang Wen in yet; there's no way to convict him of this.

If the Beijing and Shanghai elite circles are indeed at war, then Jiang Wen has essentially eliminated one of their top generals without taking any damage.

As for the Beijing film circle, let alone them, hardly anyone dares to hire Jiang Wen to act in movies now.

At least in terms of investment, they are very cautious.

Therefore, Ma Xun's recommendation this time is of great significance to Jiang Wen.

The key point is that "Red Cliff" is a super big-budget production, and it's also a film produced by China Film Group.

This is practically an attitude, a show of support.

But actually, Ma Xun was using Jiang Wen's relationship with Quentin, and that's the key point.

So Ma Xun just said it directly.

But before he could finish speaking, Jiang Wenren directly expressed his opinion.

"Don't worry, that guy's absolutely fine. At worst, I'll teach him a couple more jokes!"

That's it, Jiang Wen really got Quentin's finger on it.

Ma Xun didn't have much to say, so he just drank.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Wen proposed another film.

“I recently came across a really good script. I saw a novel that I’m planning to adapt into a movie, and the title of the film is… ‘The Sun Also Rises.’ What do you think of it?”

Upon hearing this, Ma Xun's emotions were extremely complex.

"The Sun Also Rises" is actually a good movie.

In fact, as Professor Dai Jinhua bluntly stated: "The Sun Rises Extraordinarily" is the culmination of Jiang Wen's cinematic art!
This is extremely high praise; Professor Dai Jinhua is no ordinary person.

But this movie really lost money!

Ma Xun also really liked this film, but he found it difficult to invest in a film that was clearly not going to make money.

The main point is that very few people can truly understand this film, but if they do, they will definitely consider it a masterpiece.

It's really a struggle.

Ma Xun hesitated for a moment, and Jiang Wen, though drunk and with blurred vision, understood what was going on.

"I shouldn't have caused trouble for my brother."

"No, let me think about it some more."

"Alright, that's enough for me, bro! Let's drink!"

Ma Xun then started drinking with Jiang Wen again.

Honestly, he cursed himself in his heart.

How the hell did I become a capitalist?

Oh...it seems I am a capitalist.

So, without further ado, let's just drink.

After drinking for a while, Jiang Wen was taken home by Ms. Zhou. Although they weren't married yet, they were close to it.

Ma Xun left the bar alone and walked back alone.

But then... suddenly!
"Brother Ma!"

"Oh, you...you scared me!"

Unexpectedly, I ran into his mistress.

The girl is wearing a ponytail, holding a brand-new Nokia phone, and also has a bottle of jasmine green tea in her hand.

Yes, she just went online.

"My, that..."

How strange, the mistress is stammering when she speaks.

Ma Xun didn't understand for a moment and asked, "What's wrong with you? This isn't like you."

It was meant as a joke, but the mistress took it seriously.

"I... I really am different now. I'm so sorry about what happened before."

Apologize?

Ohhhh!!

Ma Xun thought to himself, "Heh... a simple apology will suffice?"

Yes, she outshone Yuanyuan and Bingbing, didn't she?

This was clearly something Rongxingda did, and since Xiaomi and Ma Xun ran into each other by chance, Xiaomi should apologize.

That seems reasonable.

But Ma Xun's attitude...

"Then, what do you want me to do?" Xiao Mi asked nervously.

Ma Xun had also had a bit too much to drink, so he wanted to tease her, "You and your godmother have offended me, Ma Xun. Do you know who I am?"
In this industry, if I stomp my foot, it will shake three times. If you offend me, you can just apologize and be done with it.
That's too simplistic!
Do you know how I deal with female celebrities who offend me?

Xiao Mi was genuinely frightened, but also very curious, "How do we deal with this?"

Ma Xun said with a sinister look, "Of course I'll take her, play with her until she's worn out, and force her to transfer money to me! Until I'm satisfied!"

Good guy!
Xiao Mi was genuinely startled upon hearing this and couldn't help but let out a soft "Ah!"

Ma Xun immediately laughed, "Oh, just kidding, I'm not a gangster."

His joke... was a bit too much.

Xiao Mi's smile is so awkward.

Since this failed joke was so awkward, Ma Xun simply chose to leave.

Leaving is the best option.

Unexpectedly, he was stopped by his mistress after taking only two steps.

"What are you doing?" Ma Xun didn't take it seriously, but he still asked.

Xiao Mi lowered her head, extremely shy.

This left Ma Xun even more bewildered.

"Okay, I was just kidding."

Xiao Mi seemed to have mustered her courage and said, "If that makes you feel better, then apologizing like that isn't out of the question."