Fooling Huayu for Thirty Years

Chapter 529 "Curse of the Golden Flower" Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?
When Ma Xun returned, he played a trick on Hao Lei.

Not a single hesitation.

This even exceeded Hao Lei's original plan, but the unusually fulfilling feeling still made Hao Lei abandon all other thoughts.

It must be said that this woman can be quite impulsive at times.

However, this is definitely not referring to her previous public actions of blocking cars.

Because this is actually planned.

The night is deep.

Then came another sigh, tinged with sorrow but mostly with satisfaction.

Both of them entered a state of post-coital reflection.

Chatting at times like these is actually the most pleasant thing to do.

If he lights another cigarette, then there's no hope.

Even though Ma Xun doesn't smoke often, this post-coital cigarette is truly heavenly.

However, Hao Lei spoke first.

"You know what I mean?"

Do you think I don't understand?

They answered each other's questions very quickly, showing great chemistry.

Both of them paused for a moment.

But not long after, Hao Lei chuckled softly.

She probably never expected things to turn out this way.

"So, you were deliberately playing along with me?"

This is still a strange question.

Ma Xun didn't nod in confirmation, but instead said, "Giving you a little something extra is not bad."

Sweetness?

That's right, it's just a small incentive.

It's worth noting that Ma Xun is now a prominent figure, and Hao Lei is a well-known actress.

Let's not even talk about the previous incidents where they stopped each other's cars; the fact that they openly rode in the same car together was definitely big gossip!

It would definitely be a hit in the Chinese entertainment industry.

The key point is that this is currently the pre-release period for "Huo Yuanjia".

Hao Lei has already landed the lead role in this movie, so if she stirs up some gossip with Ma Xun now, Jiang Zhiqiang will definitely thank her countless times.

Of course, there will definitely be a lot of resources provided in the future, after all, they really put in the effort.

As for Ma Xun... he saw it in an instant, of course.

While in the car, Ma Xun did not hesitate; on the contrary, he thought it was a good idea.

After all, he could also profit from the movie "Fearless".

Moreover, Jiang Zhiqiang will definitely give him face by doing this.

In fact, based on the proposal he put forward at that meeting, Ma Xun had indirectly put himself in an interesting position.

Sit on the mountain and watch the tiger fight.

That's how it is; Ma Xun can watch them fight.

Moreover, no matter how they fight, Ma Xun can always profit.

This state... Ma Xun actually knew in his heart that he was already in...

"Okay, I have to admit, you're now the emperor of our entertainment industry!"

Hao Lei rarely said such things, because it was clearly a compliment to Ma Xun.

The two of them always liked to compete, just like they had just done.

Neither of them would admit defeat, and whoever did it first... cough cough.

So, has Hao Lei changed?
No.

"But he was only a short-lived emperor." Did Ma Xun accept this title?
But he added "brief".

This brief period was wonderful, and it also reflected Ma Xun's clear understanding of his current situation.

That's right, he currently has no rivals in the Chinese entertainment industry.

At least in the private sector, he is already an absolutely invincible force.

As for China Film Group and the Shanghai Film Circle, he's not afraid of them. It's a relationship where everyone depends on each other.

However, this invincible state certainly cannot last long.

It's not that Ma Xun is going downhill on his own, but that someone will definitely catch up.

Just like Jia's Le Shi, it probably won't take two or three years for this company to go public.

Ma Xun can be said to be very rich; the peak stock price of Coca-Cola after its listing was over 1500 billion.

There's also support from banks, and various other things...

The key is the background.

Take that old man from the family of loyal martyrs, for example. He later had his beloved disciple, Mr. Sun of Sunac, talk to Accountant Jia. After that, Mr. Sun directly transferred 150 billion yuan to Accountant Jia's Leshi.

We're not talking about the amount of money involved, but rather what this incident reveals is the support that certain forces have for Accountant Jia.

Moreover, it wasn't just Accountant Jia, but also Wanda later on.

In fact, Wanda is already involved in the film industry.

Theaters are already trying it.

This richest man's biggest asset is... debt.

The bank lent him money.

Ma Xun could borrow money, but on the one hand, he couldn't borrow as much as Boss Wang could, and on the other hand, Ma Xun really didn't need to borrow.

Because he knew what would happen to Boss Wang.

There are jokes about it online, aren't there?

Mr. Wang is having a conversation with Wang Si Cong.

You could never spend all the money in our family in your lifetime.

But you could never pay off our family's debts, not even in eight lifetimes!

That's the gist of it. In the end, the real estate industry just boils down to a mountain of debt!
Some people say that what you're saying is wrong, that you're generalizing from a single instance.

Okay, that makes sense, but let's get down to reality. What happened to the major real estate companies in China afterward?
Which one of them isn't burdened with debt?

Some bosses are clever enough to slip away unnoticed.

Yes, some of his relatives were unable to leave and were imprisoned.

Like that guy Xu Daipi, his wife, right?

Returning to Mr. Wang of Wanda, he is actually a man of principle; at least he didn't run away and stayed to pay off his debts.

It seems like Wang Sicong is currently in Japan and most likely doesn't plan to come back.

Keep in mind, this happened twenty years later.

And right now, who could have imagined such an ending?

Which of these real estate companies doesn't claim to be incredibly powerful?
With so many examples before Ma Xun, there's no need for him to take out loans to make movies; wouldn't that make him like the Wang brothers?
However, for someone like Mr. Wang who can borrow money, the money he borrows at this stage is his immediate fighting force and strength.

Judging from this, Ma Xun probably thinks he can only hold onto his position as king for three years at most, or even two, since that Accountant Jia is also desperately trying to stir up trouble.

All of the above are very rational self-perceptions.

This shows that Ma Xun was not arrogant and was quite rational.

As for Hao Lei, he had already said enough. As for this brief period of kingship, he only needed to say that it was brief.

Ma Xun didn't want to say much more, but there were some things he could say.

"The Yangtze River's back waves push the front waves forward, and I never believe that a person can stay at the top forever."

The higher you climb, the colder it gets; being at the summit isn't actually that comfortable.

Just like climbing a mountain, once you reach the summit, you can enjoy the scenery, take photos, and that's enough.

Therefore, I must now take advantage of this brief peak period to maximize my gains.

This... huh?

Hao Lei thought Ma Xun would keep lecturing her, but she never expected him to take such a turn.

"Interests? Like right now?"

Ma Xun laughed and said, "You think I'm the king of the entertainment industry right now, and everyone else probably thinks so too. But do you think they'll show it?"

The word 'say' is not used here.

Hao Lei suddenly understood. "Are you planning to establish your authority this time?"

After hearing those words, Hao Lei felt a sense of fear.

Because, given the current situation, four blockbusters are vying for the Lunar New Year slot, and "Fearless" and "Curse of the Golden Flower" are going to have a showdown.

These things were all planned out in the past, even last year.

Conversely, Ma Xun had already confirmed himself as the most powerful figure in the entertainment industry at least last year.

Otherwise, how could we have reached this situation?

But Hao Lei didn't believe it, or rather, she didn't want to believe it.

"I think you're just being wise after the event."

To make myself feel better is to say something sarcastic.

Ma Xun didn't care, because he understood Hao Lei's thoughts too well, and he just continued talking.

"I facilitated the creation of both 'Fearless' and 'Curse of the Golden Flower'?"

Moreover, I can tell you right now why I wanted you to get on the bus.

It's very simple; this is a small compensation for Jiang Zhiqiang.

These words truly shocked Hao Lei, because she understood their meaning.

"You mean 'Fearless' is definitely going to lose?"

Yes, that's the only result, so Ma Xun offered some compensation.

Does this mean Ma Xun has acquired the ability to foresee the future?

of course not!

He laughed and said, "You haven't forgotten, have you? I rewrote the script for 'Curse of the Golden Flower'."

That's right, it's that detail!
This whole situation was orchestrated by Ma Xun.

Ma Xun revised the script for this film, and even though it's a Zhang Yimou film, Ma Xun's influence is undeniable.

Summarizing the above information, it is...

Ma Xun made "Curse of the Golden Flower" a winner, and that's why the film won!
Don't underestimate this, absolutely don't underestimate it.

"Fearless" is a film starring Jet Li, while "Curse of the Golden Flower" is a film starring Zhang Yimou, and it also stars Gong Li, Chow Yun-fat, and others.

In other words, if the outcome Ma Xun described occurs.

So, with so many big-name directors, stars, and celebrities...

Ma Xun had them all figured out!

Isn't that the de facto king of the entertainment industry?
Even if those guys don't admit it, the fact has already happened.

Thus, Ma Xun naturally obtained this 'status,' a position that everyone in the entertainment industry had already recognized but no one would say about.

Once this position is established, it becomes much simpler for Ma Xun to pursue his interests.

Moreover, given this situation, Ma Xun is guaranteed to make a profit!

It's fair to say that this year's Lunar New Year film season, though seemingly planned for a long time, has all been worthwhile!

Ma Xun gained both face and substance.

Most importantly, the throne was seized through such means.

No one else could say anything wrong with it.

Hao Lei was now completely convinced; she hadn't expected Ma Xun to be so capable.

But she was still a little bit stubborn.

"Who said that 'Curse of the Golden Flower' is guaranteed to win?"

Hearing her say that, Ma Xun smiled.

This woman is still so fun.

Of course, this doesn't mean that Hao Lei's pair of breasts are bigger than before.

……

Time flies, and after the National Day holiday, it's time for the Lunar New Year holiday.

And just at that moment, an interesting film screening came about.

The two movies, "Fearless" and "Curse of the Golden Flower", were released together.
This time it has been clearly stated that it is not a preview screening.

Film screenings are mainly for industry professionals, film critics, theater managers, media personnel, and so on. Sometimes, they also invite ordinary moviegoers. In the US, they even have to be mindful of age groups, making sure to include a few people of all ages.

But we are, after all, the Chinese film market, so we don't need to do it this way. We don't have a rating system here.

Moreover, this "film critic" event was mainly organized by Douban.com.

Based on past activity levels and the popularity of film reviews on active accounts.

Of course, in the end, a lottery will still be held.

The lottery was pretty good, as ten lucky Douban 'film critics' were selected.

That's right, from now on they can all wear the official 'Professional Film Critic' badge.

This stunt really generated a lot of traffic, and even attracted coverage from other media outlets.

Now, ten film critics are present, along with two film production teams, as well as other media personnel, theater owners, and other figures.

The cinema we chose isn't very big, and it's already full when we sit together.

Logically speaking, the people who should be the focus of attention today are the creators of the two films.

Jet Li, Zhang Yimou, Gong Li, Chow Yun-fat, and Hao Lei—these are the truly dazzling figures.

However, once everyone arrived, they discovered that many reporters preferred to interview Ma Xun.

Wow, these guys have some sense.

Ma Xun naturally didn't say anything and handled the situation very appropriately.

But some reporters are more direct.

"Mr. Ma, I heard that you were also involved in the scriptwriting of 'Curse of the Golden Flower'?"

This is a rather tricky question.

Ma Xun laughed heartily, "I'm very happy that my suggestion was adopted by Director Zhang Yimou."

Admit it!
It was just a rumor before, but now it's confirmed.

Moreover, Ma Xun's statement was good, as it gave Zhang Yimou enough face.

But anyone who understands the Chinese entertainment industry and Zhang Yimou will know that Ma Xun's script rewrite is tantamount to killing Zhang Yimou!
Okay, it wasn't a real killing.

But now, everyone understands.

This doesn't happen in the film "Huo Yuanjia".

So let's watch a movie first before we start this fight...

First up is "Curse of the Golden Flower"!
This movie is now all over the place, because the clips that have been released, such as "the whole city is full of big-breasted girls", have become a popular internet meme.

In short, many netizens have opinions about this movie, or simply criticize it.

And now... Hao Lei has noticed Gong Li.

It must be said that Gong Li, as an international film queen, holds a very extraordinary status.

Here, she is no less capable than Li Lianjie or Zhang Yimou.

However, this international film queen, who is like a queen, actually cares about Ma Xun from time to time!

Although she hid it very well.

But Hao Lei could see through these things.

snort!
Ma Xun, you bastard.

However, Hao Lei still really wanted to see this movie.

What exactly did Ma Xun change?

The film "Curse of the Golden Flower" is an adaptation of Cao Yu's play "Thunderstorm".

This point was already made clear at the beginning of the film, as Mr. Cao Yu appeared in the screenwriter's credits.

But is that enough?
Ma Xun actually felt a sense of disappointment and frustration with this movie.

In fact, I would say I deeply abhor it.

Because the changes were incorrect!

Zhang Yimou's adaptation lost the most crucial element of "Thunderstorm".

The crucial thing is... the movie has started!

In fact, in Ma Xun's eyes, the beginning of "Curse of the Golden Flower" is no different from the original version.

The seeds of conflict between the queen and the king were sown long ago.

However, these are not the key factors for Ma Xun's reform.

He changed...

Here it comes! When Jay Chou's character, the Second Prince Yuan Jie, appears, he is quite different.

Although he was the leader, many people came to see him off.

Next, after meeting Wang, they even had a martial arts contest.

"I've taught you enough."

These are the king's lines.

Yuan Jie did not refute after hearing this, but when the camera cut, he recalled the past.

The previous part of the movie involved the capture of a female assassin, whose apparent identity was the wife of the imperial physician. This wife, however, had a rare opportunity to teach the second prince some things.

Have you read the Records of the Grand Historian?

"Oh, not yet."

"Go read it."

"That book sounds boring."

"How could it not be interesting?"

"History books are definitely boring."

"No, have you ever heard the saying, 'Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?'"

"Huh? What kind of talk is that?"

That's right, this lady is teaching Yuanjie these things.

This isn't something Wang taught, is it?

Therefore, there is no problem with the memories here.

However, by the time we got here, we could already see some things.

Prince Yuanjie was leading troops in the field, and he was very popular with the people.

This is probably closely related to the saying, "Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?"

This foreshadows what will happen later in the story!
Afterwards, Yuanjie met the Queen.

The queen treated him very well, but she was also plotting something big.

Naturally, many more stories followed.

The king's hypocrisy became increasingly apparent, while the royal physician's family became increasingly miserable.

The relationship between Yang Rong's character, the 'daughter,' and Liu Ye's character, the eldest prince...

"You are siblings!"

The female assassin had no choice but to reveal the truth!

Unfortunately, is it even useful?

The Queen took advantage of this opportunity...

The handkerchief embroidered with golden chrysanthemums appeared!

rebel?

But Yuanjie said this: "Mother, please remember, what I did this time was not just for you."

What does this mean?
The queen had no time to think it through; after all, her plan had already been accomplished.

The audience didn't have time to think about it, because Yuan Jie and his soldiers had already begun!

A major battle, unprecedented in scale!

This operation involved 20,000 troops, of course, our own.

All I can say is that Zhang Yimou certainly has a lot of influence.

Before Yuan Jie led his team into the palace.

He raised his arms and shouted!
"Today, I may also die here!"
But everyone must remember!

"Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?"

The soldiers roared!
"Fight to the death!"

Armored soldiers surged in like a tidal wave!

At first, it was a resounding success.

The highest throne was right before their eyes!
Just then, wave after wave of even more and stronger soldiers appeared!

kill!

This battle is one of advance or retreat!

Swords clashed and chrysanthemums bloomed everywhere.

pity……

With the great battle over, it seemed that the king had emerged victorious.

But at this time...

His other two sons killed each other...

In the end, the king killed his youngest son with his own hands, and now he only has the queen and his second son, Yuanjie, left.

On that high chrysanthemum platform.

The king faced a prince covered in blood and a queen with disheveled hair.

"Now that you've changed your mind, you're still my good child."

Can it still be forgiven?

The queen was somewhat agitated.

But then, Yuan Jie revealed the truth.

"Mother, I know I am not your child!"

Wow! That's really something!

The one who was the imperial physician's wife before!

This, this is absolutely genuine Lu Dahai!

Hao Lei held this view, and she was absolutely right.

Yuan Jie is exactly the same as Lu Dahai, except for the name and the actor playing the role.

But is this over?

Next, Yuan Jie faced off against Wang.

"Father, I must tell you, the world does not belong to you alone!"
I hope you remember this saying: "Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?"

Having said that, he drew the guard's sword and committed suicide!
Seeing this, the queen finally broke down, and the medicine in the jade bowl flew out.

"You shameless bastard! You're childless now, hahaha..."

The queen's madness was utterly shocking.

It seems that Wang hasn't won this situation either.

but!

Wang waved his hand expressionlessly, and the eunuch walked over, accompanied by a young and beautiful woman and a child of about five or six years old.

This... it turns out that the king had been prepared all along.

He has an illegitimate child?!
"You..." The queen wanted to die with the king, but unfortunately, she was shot to death by a hail of arrows.

The final shot of "Curse of the Golden Flower" focuses on the Queen's face.

She was smiling for no apparent reason.

What laughing?

Is this the end?
Did this king get off easy?
Will this work?

Suddenly, the screen went black, and a few lines of text appeared on it.

The king's perverse and tyrannical rule has aroused discontent throughout the land, leading to uprisings of rebel armies in various regions!

So, this is the real ending.

At this point, the previously quiet screening room suddenly erupted in applause!

Although, under these circumstances, applause is appropriate.

However, it is clear that this was spontaneous, not out of politeness.

Perhaps, it's all for that one sentence: "Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?"

(End of this chapter)