Fooling Huayu for Thirty Years

Chapter 721: Is "Farewell My Concubine" truly perfect? ​​The National Day film season is fiercely competitive!

"Oh dear, how did we end up talking about Japan again?"

"Madam, I misspoke. I apologize to you here."

"Mr. Ma, we're all good friends, there's no need to be so polite."

"Haha... Madam, then I won't stand on ceremony. As for this 'The Orphan of Zhao'..."

“Mr. Ma, we all know you’re very capable, but about this movie…”

"I won't say anything more."

"That's good, thank you for your understanding, Mr. Ma."

"Don't talk about understanding, aren't we friends?"

"Yes, yes, friends, we're all friends."

When Ma Xun clashed with Chen Kai, Xu Feng had no choice but to speak up. And it must be said, this middle-aged Tomson boss's wife was indeed very adept at social maneuvering.

The conflict was quelled with just a few words.

Don't underestimate this matter. You know, when men start arguing, it's really endless. Once the battle begins, it's hard to end. Friends who have been arguing with each other online must be very experienced. Many times, they really go on the line all night long. Even celebrities are like this, just like Lin Gengxin later.

Xu Feng's ability to resolve this matter is indeed quite impressive.

Chen Kai's face was very unpleasant, and his gaze seemed murderous. He was clearly planning to make things difficult, but now that his investors had spoken up, he couldn't say anything more.

Chen Kai is a smart guy. He knows that if he gets entangled with Ma Xun on this topic, it will definitely not end well.

So, after thinking for a moment, the famous director simply said, "I'm sorry, I can't keep you company any longer."

After speaking, he walked away.

He looked quite dashing, but this scene caught Wang Yu's eye, and the young master couldn't help but feel a bit gossipy.

"Dude, do you want us to find a place..."

"Where are you looking for? Let's just talk here."

"Then, then keep it down?"

"up to you."

Ma Xun's attitude of not being afraid of Chen Kai Ge at all made Wang Yu even happier. So, this guy simply asked the waiter for two more glasses of wine. The two of them each had one glass and slowly walked and chatted in the party.

Of course, the sound couldn't be too loud; we had to give the big director and Xu Feng some face.

"What exactly is going on with Chen Kai... I've heard similar things before. This Director Chen's relationship with the Japanese is quite unusual."

Ma Xun knew that this young master Wang would be so gossipy, and in fact, he had been doing it all on purpose from the very beginning of the banquet.

Let me just say a few words for now.

"Dude, you know I didn't get along with him before, and the reason is actually because of this."

I won't go into too much detail, but "The Emperor and the Assassin" was funded by Japan, and much of it was done according to Japanese requirements. Moreover, Director Chen was originally a fan of Akira Kurosawa. But if it's just about learning about film, then it's not a big deal. After all, Kurosawa's film art does have many merits; he is indeed a world-class master.

However, our Director Chen doesn't just study film; he also admires Japanese culture.

The film "The Emperor's Shadow" reveals this, but look at "The Promise." The makeup and costumes of many actors in this film are basically Japanese. If you look closely, you will find that the costumes in this film were designed by the Japanese, but the key is that they are very well hidden.

After all, "The Promise" is a fantasy film and doesn't specify which dynasty it's set in. There's really not much you can do about it. It hides Japanese elements in what appears to be Chinese costumes and props, which is quite difficult for the average person to spot. So, while there are many criticisms of the film online, there aren't many criticisms of this aspect.

But do you know what this is called?

Upon hearing this, Wang Yu's forehead was already sweating. He had originally thought he was just listening to some gossip, but he never expected that this matter would sound so serious.

"What's his name?" Wang Yu's curiosity had reached its peak.

Ma Xun said in a serious tone, his voice neither too loud nor too soft: "In fact, for a long time, many Asian countries have been stealing our traditional Chinese culture, with Japan and South Korea being the two countries that have stolen the most."

We've probably heard a lot about South Korea, like their Dano Festival, which is utterly shameless, but compared to Japan, they're still far behind.

Japan is the kind of country that steals things in a sneaky way, you know? They don't do it openly, but they claim many things that were passed down from our ancestors as their own. Then, because they have better relations with Europe and America, they spread their propaganda first, while we fall behind.

Just like "Journey to the West," and many, many more.

This behavior is cultural theft!

If this continues, it could even affect young Chinese people. I believe many Chinese people still mistakenly believe that what is actually our culture is Japanese.

Wow! That's really something!

Wang Yu was taken aback. He never expected there to be so much going on, and if this were true, it would truly be…

"Dude, are you sure?"

This clearly shows that he considers it a very important matter.

Ma Xun's answer was quite interesting: "Unsure."

Hey! You can imagine what Wang Yu's expression was like.

But Ma Xun continued, "Cultural matters really depend on how you look at them. He insists he didn't mean it that way, and there's nothing we can do. Also, why was 'Farewell My Concubine' banned and then reopened?"

Yes...it is! Thinking back to those days, it was really strange.

However, Wang Yu understood what Ma Xun meant. "Dude, I get it! I understand everything this time!"

Okay, I understand.

With that, Ma Xun had achieved the purpose of his visit.

In fact, Ma Xun had deliberately exposed Director Chen's true colors before; this guy was indeed very pro-Japanese.

However, there is a related objective here: Ma Xun needs to find a reason to avoid the issue of cooperating with Xu Feng.

Xu Feng is in the real estate business and is currently very successful, but the future of real estate is going to be quite troublesome.

To put it bluntly, the more glamorous the real estate industry is now, the more miserable they will be ten years from now. The key point is, don't think you can escape unscathed.

The real estate tycoon Ma Xun had met, namely Wang, was quite good; at least he didn't run away, and he managed to withstand whatever debts he had.

Take companies like Sunshine, Vanke, Biguiyuan, and Evergrande, for example... They all ended up either accumulating bottomless debts or having their executives taken away.

Ma Xun is living such a comfortable life now, there's no need for him to get involved in the real estate market. He has plenty of ways to make money, why make trouble for himself?

Moreover, take Wang, the richest man, for example. He managed to hold on, but at the cost of his son running away abroad and how thin he himself became.

Then there's Xu Feng. While she's not the most powerful, she's truly determined to develop her career in the entertainment industry. Both her sons want to start film and television companies. Xu Feng is quite shrewd and insightful. She knows that the real estate business is unsustainable, while the film and television industry, though seemingly chaotic, is easy to make money in. Besides, she's already a female celebrity. Furthermore, her former husband ruined her, forcing her to shoulder debts. As a result, she married her creditor—the now-deceased Boss Tang—and now she's living a very successful life.

Ma Xun, you should stay away from such a person. If we cooperate, it's no problem for you to advertise on our side, and I'll even give you some discounts. But as for helping with the promotion of "The Orphan of Zhao," I'll help you out of courtesy, but that's it.

As for other things, let's try not to talk about them.

From the very beginning, Ma Xun's intentions were to target Xu Feng, but this woman was quite cunning and always managed to cause trouble.

And this current matter... Director Chen's pro-Japanese stance is not something Ma Xun made up.

Just as Ma Xun and Wang Yu were about to continue their conversation, a beautiful woman suddenly appeared.

"Mr. Ma, you seem to be quite irritable today."

As she spoke, she had already arrived between Ma Xun and Wang Yu. Of course, only Bingbing would dare to do this.

Ma Xun laughed and gently put his arm around Bingbing's waist. This woman hadn't been paying much attention to her figure lately, and her waist was a bit thick. Combined with her already large hips, it might not look good visually, but it must feel amazing.

"Well, I am a bit hot-tempered," Ma Xun said, his words definitely carrying a double meaning.

Bingbing gave a flirtatious smile and said, "Getting too hot is not good, you should be careful."

what does this mean?
Wang Yu laughed and said, "Looks like I'm a bit redundant."

He left as soon as he finished speaking, ignoring Bingbing's attempt to stop him. Of course, this was a fake attempt; Bingbing secretly hoped Wang Yu would leave as soon as possible.

Therefore, there was no need to stay any longer at the banquet for "The Orphan of Zhao".

……

A sudden storm ensued.

Bingbing felt like she was about to be crushed by Brother Ma, and of course she loved the feeling.

But there are some things she's also curious about.

"This time you criticized that Director Chen, will you..." Bingbing couldn't finish her question.

Ma Xun also temporarily entered a state of enlightenment, holding Bingbing in his arms. It must be said, this woman is really sexy, and it's really satisfying!
"There's nothing good or bad about it, I did it all on purpose."

Of course, Ma Xun wouldn't explain why he did it, but that would only make Bingbing even more curious.

"But I really can't see it. I just feel that Director Chen's movies are indeed a bit strange."

How interesting! He was demoted from "Director Chen" to "Director Chen" in just one sentence.

Ma Xun knew what Bingbing wanted to ask, so he naturally had to satisfy this woman's curiosity. "Do you know why 'Farewell My Concubine' was banned and then released again?"

This can be seen as a continuation of the conversation between him and Wang Yu.

Bingbing, of course, had no idea, and shook her head with a furrowed brow.

Ma Xun said seriously, "Many people say that 'Farewell My Concubine' is good, and I admit that the film has a high artistic value. However, there are also obvious problems in this film."

"What's the problem?"

"It's obvious in the plot. Take Duan Xiaolou, Cheng Dieyi, and even that guy Ge You, for example. How did they treat the students in the movie?"

"This..." Bingbing hadn't actually seen it at all, but she couldn't say so. She had only heard so much about how wonderful "Farewell My Concubine" was, but right now...

Ma Xun continued, "They vehemently criticized the students' patriotism, not only verbally but also with sarcastic remarks. In short, when the country was occupied, progressive students in Beijing raised the banner of patriotism. In the eyes of Cheng Dieyi, Duan Xiaolou, and others, these people were either sick or just making a fool of themselves."

"Oh my god!" Needless to say, Bingbing understood immediately.

It was perfectly normal for this movie to be banned at the time, and that's why Ms. Hong Huang divorced Director Chen as soon as the movie was released.

As for its later release, it's probably because the film won a major award overseas, coupled with various pressures, and also because the audience was given the opportunity to judge for themselves.

However, these days, there is an overwhelming amount of praise for this movie. Ordinary people who haven't even seen it often just parrot what others say, which is quite normal.

Ma Xun has done some research on this film. While "Farewell My Concubine" is indeed artistically outstanding, its themes are quite questionable. Furthermore, the original novel's selling point was its focus on male-on-male relationships...

Unfortunately, when you blindly follow others to a certain extent, you're likely to attract a lot of criticism when you try to offer some objective opinions.

But he didn't say any of that. Bingbing was really shocked when she heard it.

"If I had known, I wouldn't have taken this role. By the way, Brother Ma, would you like to hear about 'The Orphan of Zhao'?"

Ma Xun then lifted Bingbing's face and said, "I don't need to hear it, because I've already heard that Director Chen has removed the original screenwriter. He used the first half of the original screenwriter's work and did the second half himself. I know very well what the result of this movie will be."

Hearing this, Bingbing was quite puzzled. It seemed like this was another movie that wouldn't be a hit.

Ma Xun then added, "You should think more about things. For example, China surpassed Japan in GDP last year."

Do you know what the situation is like in Japan?

Their internet is filled with topics about being doomed and facing retribution.

"If you don't believe me, go look it up yourself; I guarantee you'll laugh."

Ah... Upon hearing this, Bingbing instantly understood many things.

Director Chen made a revenge movie like this, he really is... there's definitely something wrong with him!
But at this moment, she couldn't think anymore, and Ma Xun directly pressed Bingbing down on his body again.

……

"Hmph! That Ma Xun is a complete bastard!"

"Teacher Chen, it's okay, we at Leshi will definitely do our best!"

Chen Kaige, who had been rebuffed by Ma Xun, is now a guest of honor at Jia Yueting's table.

For the promotion and distribution of "The Orphan of Zhao", especially the publicity, we should cooperate more with Leshi.

Jia Yueting was overjoyed. Zhang Zhao had opened up a new path for him, and he hoped that this Director Chen could also join Leshi's team...

"Boss, we shouldn't do it now, because Teacher Chen and Teacher Zhang..." It was Zhang Zhao who reminded us right.

Jia Yueting suddenly realized, "That's right, Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige don't get along!"

So, let's just forget about it.

Next, "The Orphan of Zhao" will set sail during the National Day holiday!

At the same time, another movie, "Let the Bullets Fly," also began its promotional activities!

Are the two movies going to have a fierce battle?
(End of this chapter)