Fooling Huayu for Thirty Years

Chapter 709 Lin Xilei to Help Ma Xun Defeat the Enemy? The Reason for "Genius Gunner's" Victory!

"Wow! I actually made ten million at the box office?"

Xiaoran's first reaction to this result was satisfaction!
If others saw this result, they might be somewhat disheartened, but Xiaoran is different.

Having been in the entertainment industry for so many years, she has come to a clear understanding of herself: she is not a genius.

Others are just starting out in the entertainment industry, and they're all a bit arrogant at first.

You'll only realize how ruthless the entertainment industry is after you've hit a few walls.

Xiao Ran was different; her proud and arrogant phase ended very quickly. Not long after entering the entertainment industry, she met Ma Xun.

Ma Xun never intended to groom her as the female lead. While it wouldn't be accurate to say that Ma Xun gave Xiao Ran a harsh lesson, he at least made her realize her own limitations.

Simply put, when a person has lower expectations of themselves, they can become more clear-headed.

Over the years, Xiaoran has come to realize that Brother Ma has been very good to her. In the entertainment industry, scandals break out almost every moment, and many celebrities, whether famous or currently popular, have had their public image collapse and are now finished.

Xiaoran has seen too many examples of people who jump higher and fall harder.

So, this is fine.

Moreover, Ma Xun also sent a congratulatory message, which was a text message to her.

"I wish you success in achieving your first ten million in your directing career."

Although the directorship was nominal and Xiaoran mainly worked as a producer, Ma Ge's words really warmed her heart.

Therefore, Xiaoran's focus this time was on having a good mindset.

With such a mindset, when she attends events and meets with fans, she naturally exudes a peaceful aura.

She's a popular actress, not quite a top-tier star, but definitely quite popular. Xiaoran has it all: a pretty face, a great figure, acting skills, and both...

Many movie fans were impressed by her approachable and unhurried demeanor.

It just feels so comfortable!
If everyone is comfortable, what else is there to say?
Support! We must give it our full support!
Many movie fans not only watched the film a second time on the spot, but also posted on the internet, actively wrote film reviews, and recommended it to other netizens.

This seems to be called "tap water" (or "online water army"). There's always been a term for online water army, but those who act spontaneously, for free, and solely for the sake of this work, are what "tap water" means.

However, it seems that this word doesn't exist online yet, or at least it's not popular.

But it's nothing, everyone's carrying the sedan chair, and the tap water is getting more and more abundant, so this situation has become quite intriguing!
So, "Bad Genius" actually started to improve in its second week!
"Bad Genius" box office rebounds! It took in 15 million in a single week!

"Significant Price Increase! 'Bad Genius' Defies the Market Trend and Rises!"

"Positive word-of-mouth leads to strong box office performance! 'Bad Genius' is a surprise from a newcomer and a new film!"

The second week actually saw a reversal and a drop!

Moreover, the magnitude is so large!
From ten million to fifteen million, that's a 50% increase!

That's quite astonishing, and the key point is that the film's box office performance is getting better and better!

Some cinema chains have already stated that they will definitely increase their efforts!

However, some cinema chains remain stubbornly opposed.

For example, Xingmei.

So, is all this surprising performance due to Xiaoran?
Well, she can probably only be considered one factor.

There are definitely others as well.

For example, Dilraba is stunning. In this movie, she not only has good looks and a school uniform look, but more importantly, her eyes are also amazing.

That's the kind of defiant look in their eyes!
Yes, I'm not convinced, I'm not convinced by anyone!

Actually... she wasn't really dissatisfied with anything, it's just that this is how the little girl is when she gets serious.

She is not without acting experience; after all, she was a pretty good dancer before.

Anyway, with that absolutely gorgeous face, he just puts on such a stiff expression.

Well, that perfectly matches the character of the girl in the movie who comes from a humble background but gets into an elite school because of her good grades.

Simply put, it's like Lin Daiyu entering the Grand View Garden. Lin Daiyu originally came from a respectable background and was related to the Jia family. However, Lin Daiyu still had to be neither arrogant nor humble, so that others could not find fault with her, and she also had to maintain her dignity.

The script that Dilraba received included a scene written by Ma Xun: "You can read about Lin Daiyu entering the Jia family mansion."

The little girl should go and learn it; now that the movie fans see it, it's really good!
Moreover, she's a newcomer, a member of an ethnic minority, and so beautiful, so netizens immediately became more forgiving.

They even showered her with praise, saying that Dilraba is a genius actress with great acting skills and high looks, perfect!
Dilraba's praise is so much that she can't stop smiling when she's online lately.

But are these the only reasons for the box office decline of our film "Bad Genius"?

It should also be related to many 'green leaves'.

Like Xiao Mi, right? And there's also Masami Nagasawa from Japan.

There were even cameo appearances by famous female celebrities such as Alyssa Chia and Rosamund Kwan.

The green leaves are so outstanding, and that's definitely one of the reasons!
So... is there anything else?

Just when it seemed that the movie "Bad Genius" was about to make a comeback against the odds, some people saw a deeper side to it.

……

Ma Xun, who was already very busy, suddenly received a very special text message.

Or rather, the person who texted him was quite special.

Interestingly, the text message itself wasn't anything special; it was just an invitation to have a meal and chat.

Given Ma Xun's current status, there are countless people who would like to have a meal or chat with him.

To be conservative, the line could stretch from Wudaokou in Haidian District all the way to Liangmaqiao.

This is not an exaggeration at all.

Ma Xun had turned down countless dinner invitations, but this time... he could have easily turned them down, but he couldn't resist his curiosity.

So he kept the appointment.

Wait, after saying all that, who is this special person?!
When Ma found the place, he saw Lin Xilei already waiting outside the restaurant.

"Long time no see, Mr. Ma."

"It really has been a long time. To be honest, I never thought we would meet again."

Ma Xun's words were definitely loaded with meaning, and they clearly implied that we weren't familiar with each other.

Although this isn't exactly a direct insult, it would still make most people feel awkward.

However, Lin Xilei still had a smile on her face, as if she hadn't understood the meaning behind Ma Xun's words at all.

"This restaurant is hard to book; I managed to get a reservation a week in advance. How about we treat this to a friendly but not-so-familiar friend, and enjoy the cooking of the Italian chef?"

It turned out that the other person had also figured it out, which seemed to make Ma Xun a little embarrassed.

Fortunately, Ma Xun is thick-skinned enough, and besides, he's very curious now.

"No problem, but you don't need to pay."

These words, though well-intentioned, made Lin Xilei shake her head. "Look, you're still so chauvinistic."

Ma Xun smiled after hearing this, "I have never been treated to a meal by a woman before."

This guy embodies dominance to the fullest.

Lin Xilei looked helpless. "Okay, whatever you say."

This woman is very shrewd. To put it another way, at the peak of her beauty and sex appeal, she also understood men very well. Therefore, men were powerless against her.

However, Ma Xun is different. Ma Xun may seem to have had affairs with many female celebrities, but in reality, it was all an extension of power and money.

Of course, Ma Xun wasn't blind. In the middle of summer, Lin Xilei was wearing a thin-strapped long dress, her fair skin half-covered, and her figure was slender and well-proportioned.

Countless men want to have dinner with her.

As for Ma Xun... he's had his way with far too many beautiful women. While they are stunning, he's not the kind of person who's in a rush to make a move.

This is an Italian restaurant, and the head chef seems to be from Italy. He's quite famous in Beijing.

It's often said that Beijing is a culinary desert, but there's another way to put it: while Beijing may be a culinary desert, it also boasts its own unique cuisine from all over the country. And here we are, world-famous dishes!

Ma Xun doesn't really like Western food, especially famous ones, because... well, it's obvious.

Such a big plate, yet so little food inside.

They seem to really enjoy doing this.

But that's okay, today is mainly for chatting.

Ma Xun had barely eaten half a packet when he simply wiped his hands. In Western dining, this gesture can be interpreted as finishing the meal. If there's a smile on his face, it means he's done eating.

Without a smile, and by tossing a handkerchief aside, it seems there's something to be desired.

Of course, there might not be so much to say; it's just that people like to give it a buff.

"What on earth do you want to say?"

Ma Xun was very direct, and Lin Xilei seemed to be echoing those words.

"The first thing I want to say is that I don't want to continue acting."

Retiring from the entertainment industry? ... Ma Xun was not surprised at all when this happened to Lin Xilei.

Then he laughed, "Just because of this?"

Lin Xilei retorted, "Is that not allowed? Besides, have you forgotten that when I debuted, I met you first?"

Hey! That's absolutely right. It seems she's planning to create a sense of closure from beginning to end.

Ma Xun remembered that Lin Xilei had already filmed one movie.

"Isn't that 'Princess Pearl' series the second one? Besides, you didn't film it."

Ma Xun is really clueless about romance.

Lin Xilei gave him a helpless look, and then had no choice but to steer the conversation to the present.

"You really did a great job with 'Bad Genius'."

"Hmm?" Ma Xun frowned upon hearing this. "I don't understand what you mean."

After hearing this, Lin Xilei said decisively, "The technique used in that first photo of the pretty girl was truly amazing."

Oh, Ma Xun immediately understood, "You want to talk to me about how to market a movie?"

Yes, what Lin Xilei was referring to was actually Ma Xun's marketing tactics.

But this is something that not just anyone can tell.

But then Lin Xilei said, "Afterwards, you seemed to have guided public opinion a bit."

Oh? ...Is that so?
Ma Xun's smile was quite amusing. "Aren't you afraid I'll kill you to silence you?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Xilei giggled.

It wasn't that she wasn't afraid, but rather that she realized Ma Xun was joking, and in a joking manner, he said: You guessed right.

That's right, Ma Xun did do some 'work' regarding online public opinion before.

However, his actions can only be described as fueling the fire.

Simply put, if it weren't for the movie "Metallic Attraction: Kung Fu Cyborg," it would indeed be a kung fu film disguised as science fiction, which is why many netizens are complaining online that this movie is a "fraud"!
Therefore, Ma Xun had no waves to push and no ripples to help him.

In short, the key factor is that the movie "Metallic Attraction: Kung Fu Cyborg" really has problems, and it was indeed hyped up too much beforehand.

But Lin Xilei saw through all of this; this woman is quite clever.

Okay, actually, some people can probably tell that Lao Hu's comeout to criticize, and the collective bashing by many professional film critics on Douban, are related to Ma Xun.

But Lin Xilei, that woman...

"I'm actually quite curious, what other tricks do you have up your sleeve?"

"What do you mean?"

"This movie has only grossed a little over 20 million at the box office. According to your standards, a movie that doesn't gross over 100 million is considered a failure."

Lin Xilei's words were very clear, and Ma Xun understood them.

Indeed, he still has other methods, but these methods...

"I don't want to tell you." That's too direct!
Lin Xilei tried to act cute, but she knew it wouldn't work. Then, she said, "What if I could exchange what I know about 'Sword Rain' with you?"

What does it mean?
Indeed, the original female lead of "Reign of Assassins" should have been Lin Xilei. Of course, there was another female lead, Yang Ziqiong, because they both played the same role. As for who had more screen time, it's hard to say.

However, Ma Xun directly pointed out a key point.

"Didn't you say you were going to retire from the entertainment industry?"

Yeah, you're retiring from the industry! So why are you still so curious?
But Lin Xilei said, "If I could star in 'Reign of Assassins,' I probably wouldn't have retired from the entertainment industry."

Alright, it seems like a lot of things have been revealed!
Ma Xun understood. "You want to get revenge on them?"

He smiled, and Lin Xilei smiled too; it seemed the deal was done.

But Ma Xun still said, "Even without your help, I have enough confidence to defeat this 'Reign of Assassins'."

He wasn't lying at all!
Lin Xilei nodded. "I know your abilities, but I still want to help. Do you want me to help you?"

It was rather strange, but Ma Xun simply threw away the handkerchief he was using to wipe his hands, and a waiter came over.

The bill... and that's it?

However, Lin Xilei kept following him and even got into Ma Xun's car.

The car drove to a secluded spot, and then...

"Please give me just one chance."

"why?"

"For no reason?"

There must be a reason.

"Even though I'm like this, you still..."

Lin Xilei was dejected, but Ma Xun was quite decisive.

What's so special about "Reign of Assassins"?

"Do you have any other tricks up your sleeve?"

Is there still a transaction to be made?

Ma Xun then said, "Didn't you think of that? What's this movie, 'Bad Genius,' about?"

"what?"

"An exam, and a special one at that."

"This……"

Lin Xilei still didn't quite understand, but Ma Xun had already grabbed her.

"I remember you had a scene in a car with that guy Yi Mian..." That scene was really something, the actors were practically flying off the screen.

Lin Xilei smiled, a smile almost identical to the one in that scene, and immediately kissed him.

The car is starting to feel the pressure.

Almost simultaneously, some unusual changes occurred online.

"This is a complete disgrace to the SAT exam!"

"They're just ripping us off as international students!"

"Yeah! All those losers in China know is daydreaming, hehe, they don't understand a damn thing about the lives of us international students!"

The international student was angered?

(End of this chapter)