Abstract Art Award Winner

After filming the video that day, they had dinner together again that evening.

Zhao Wenzhuo was first taken back to the hotel. Then, Wu Jing and Zhou Le switched venues.

They didn't drink alcohol in the first round.

Naturally, we had to switch to the second round to continue drinking.

"Brother Jing, are you sure you're okay? If not, let's have some drinks, or even tea if necessary. Don't let your old injuries flare up again."

"Come on, are you looking down on me? I finally got to come out and I'm not going to have a drink, otherwise what's the point of my trip? At home, my sister-in-law is very strict and won't let me touch a drop of alcohol. Even on set, she'll come over for surprise checks from time to time, so I'm always afraid to drink when I go out for meals."

"Hey, Jing-ge, we used to prioritize health. What I said before was just for the show, don't take it to heart. No matter how many times I've said these things to others, they're true when it comes to you."

Wu Jing laughed: "With that mouth of yours, you're always telling the truth to everyone, but I don't believe it."

"If you don't believe me, there's nothing I can do. In short, no one can replace you in my heart."

"Alright, enough with the mushy talk. It's making me feel sick. Drink up."

Wu Jing is also a heavy drinker, and he drinks with great gusto.

After downing three cups in a row, Wu Jing finally brought up Zhao Wenzhuo again.

"Actually, how should I put it about my senior brother? I really admire his kung fu. In this day and age, it's quite remarkable for someone to be able to achieve this level."

But sometimes I don't know how to say it in front of him. In the past, I might have just told him directly, but now I feel that many things are unnecessary.

We're all fellow disciples, including my senior brother Jet Li. We can call each other family by our connections, but in reality, we each go our own way and rarely interact.

Especially after what happened to Zhao Wenzhuo last year, I really don't know what he was thinking. Logically speaking, even though he has fewer resources over the years, he used to have a lot of money. If he did some legitimate business, he would have lived a very comfortable life.

If all else fails, you can go into the restaurant business, or invest in something, just like everyone else.

Zhou Le roughly knew what it was about, but he still pretended not to know and asked, "What is it?"

"It's about those online celebrities who make investments, offering 4 yuan to become an agent and promising a 9 yuan return within four years. I don't believe they don't know the tricks of the trade."

"Oh, so that's what it is. I've heard about it before, but I didn't take it to heart. After all, Brother Zhuo has always given me a pretty good impression."

"Indeed, things were pretty good before, but how should I put it, after all, they became famous early and were at their peak right from the start, so it's easy for people to get carried away under those circumstances."

Actually, putting aside his story and just talking about myself, I was so popular back then, so I got carried away and went to Hong Kong headfirst. But I didn't make a name for myself and ended up with a lot of injuries. In the end, I could only slink back home.

Fortunately, he's made it big now and is doing what he wants to do. But I really don't understand what he was thinking. People trusted him, so they invested money in him, and then he turned around and swindled them. And most of the rumors from before were actually true.

"I don't understand it either. Maybe I just want to make some quick money."

At this point, the two clinked glasses again.

Then Wu Jing looked up at Zhou Le and said, "But speaking of which, your debut was also the peak of your career. The first movie in your life with a serious role was 'Wolf Warrior' which you filmed with me."

After that, the resources you received got better and better. How much box office revenue do you have on your record now? It's already over 200 billion, right?

"There is."

"Yes, you're one of the highest-grossing actors in China, a top star in the entertainment industry. The movies you invested in have made a fortune, and it's only been a little over two years since you officially entered the industry. So why aren't you getting arrogant?"

Seeing that the topic had turned to him again, Zhou Le had no choice but to explain, "I'm arrogant too, how could I not be? Now I just confront whoever I don't like. Even though I've made a lot of money, I spend it much faster than I make it. Isn't that what it means to be arrogant?"

"What do you mean by being arrogant? Are you really unaware or just pretending? Many people become famous but then stop acting properly. They act like divas and cause trouble. I can't stand those kinds of people the most."

Although we haven't worked together again since, other people around us still talk about you, saying you were very polite on set, even offering cigarettes to the security guards.

"Hey, isn't this the most basic thing? Everyone starts from the bottom. There's no need to make things difficult for them. Having more friends means more opportunities. Although security guards and ordinary crew members can't give me much, I'm polite to them. When they see me, they call me Teacher Zhou or Brother Le, and that comes from the bottom of their hearts."

"Haha, that's what I like about you. You're down-to-earth, know how to handle things, and are also straightforward. You're a perfect blend of shrewdness and naivety."

"Brother Jing, are you praising me or scolding me?"

"That has to be a compliment. If I were to scold you, I would say something much harsher than that."

The two drank and confided in each other at the restaurant during their second meeting. As they talked, Wu Jing brought up Zhou Le's desire to become a director.

"Let me tell you, being a director is not as simple as you imagine. I used to think that directors didn't have to do anything on set, and that all they had to do was yell 'cut' and 'stop' when filming."

But when I actually became a director, I found that it was not like that at all. There were too many things to worry about. Everyone in the crew had to report to you about everything, big and small. You couldn't ignore it. Sometimes, even though the people under you were on your side, the things they did might not meet your expectations.

After filming is completed, you still have to negotiate with theaters and distributors. If a line or scene fails to pass censorship, you have to find all sorts of ways to pull strings, find a post-production company to make changes, and bring back the original actors to re-dub.

After the film is released, you have to worry about the box office, and you can't let the investors lose money. If the box office is bad, there will be a lot of people criticizing you; if the box office is too good, all sorts of nitpickers will come knocking.

“I do know that. Jing, didn’t you go through the same thing back then? Even now, people still bring up ‘Wolf Warrior’. And ‘Wolf Warrior’ has become a derogatory term. There are also many people online making fun of your interviews.”

"Yes, so there's nothing you can do. You can't shut them up, so you can only let them say whatever they want. Now I understand clearly: if someone insults you, you can't talk back."

If you talk back, others will come up with new topics to attack you. They don't reason with you. Some people are paid to do things, but there are also many people who will still insult you even if they don't have money.

The higher the box office, the more people say it's dragging down the development of the Chinese film industry. Do you believe it? People were saying this a year or two ago, and they'll be saying it again four or five years from now.

"I believe that. Isn't that how it is now? Before the box office reaches a certain amount, it's all about whether or not they've hired online trolls or manipulated the box office. I know better than anyone that once it exceeds that number, the tide will immediately turn."

"Yeah, just you wait and see. When the next movie that grosses over 100 billion comes out, the result will be the same. If we really want to criticize, who won't criticize?"

Which of those older movies is perfect? ​​Titanic is a classic, right? But didn't it romanticize individual deaths and cover up the suffering of the working class in real history?
Wasn't that so-called awakening of the meat shred also dependent on a man's guidance?
After being rescued, they even spat into the sea. Isn't this setting a bad example for children? And I don't even need to mention the explicit scenes.

"That's right. In The Shawshank Redemption, Andy was already in prison, but he still helped the prison guards pay taxes and forged identities. Any one of these actions would be considered a crime."

Perhaps he went in clean, but came out unclean; such moral flaws are even more problematic here.

"That's why everyone's like this, just take it easy. But I don't think you'll be bothered by this kind of thing, since you're much more easygoing than me."

"Haha, that's a must."

Wu Jing drank quite a bit that day and went out drunk. Since he couldn't be allowed to go home in that state, Zhou Le took him back to his place for the night. He then called Xie Nan to let her know he was safe and sound, saying he had a great time chatting with Wu Jing and would stay at his place until the next day.

It's another morning.

Zhou Le had other things to do that morning, so he didn't have time to wait for Wu Jing to wake up naturally.

"Brother Jing, Brother Jing, I'm going out in a bit."

“A foreign friend of mine is coming to Beijing to record a show, so I have to pick him up and then take him out for a walk.”

Wu Jing woke up groggily: "Okay, you go ahead. I'll lie down for a bit longer and then go home. Don't worry about me. I'll lock the door for you when I leave."

"Okay, Jing-ge, just send me a message before you leave, otherwise I'll worry about you."

"Okay, go ahead, don't worry about me."

Zhou Le nodded and then drove towards the airport.

Today is the day Saito Asuka arrives in Beijing.

Although the organizers had everything arranged, Zhou Le offered to pick them up, which saved them the trouble of arranging a car.

All you need to do is set up a team of security personnel at the airport to protect people.

Furthermore, Saito Asuka's current management business in China is handled by a company jointly owned by Zhou Le and Guo Qilin, so it's only natural that Zhou Le would arrange for someone to pick him up at the airport.

No matter where Zhou Le takes Saito Asuka, as long as he can bring her back to the preparatory group in the afternoon so that everyone can discuss the next steps, that's fine.

Zhou Le drove all the way to the airport. Saito Asuka brought three people with her this time: her manager, assistant, and translator, which fit perfectly in the car.

After waiting in the parking lot for a while, he drove to the terminal exit after receiving a call from Saito Asuka.

"so cute."

"Is Asuka here to participate in a program?"

“Can we take a photo together?”

Saito Asuka had been cramming on Chinese lately, but with all the noise, she couldn't make out what was being said. All she could do was smile and wave to those around her.

These security personnel had been instructed beforehand to treat the fans very gently; otherwise, given Saito Asuka's Japanese identity, any negative news about her would have a huge impact.

Even until he boarded the car, many fans were still following behind him.

But soon someone recognized that the driver was Zhou Le.

"Brother Le, it's been so long since I've seen you. Why are you working so hard? You've even become a driver!"

"Wow, the big boss even came out to drive himself!"

"I want to have your child."

"Don't open the car door, be careful, and no matter whose fan you are, don't cause trouble for others!"

The moment he opened his mouth, he was clearly a fan of Zhou Le, and he knew Zhou Le's style of doing things very well.

"After all, Asuka signed up here. I happened to be free today, so I drove over. As for Asuka's purpose in coming to Beijing, you'll all find out in a while. Alright, everyone, let's go now. See you again sometime."

After saying that, Zhou Le also rolled up the window.

Saito Asuka looked at Zhou Le in surprise, then asked in broken Mandarin, "They actually listen to you so much? Where I'm from, fans are very enthusiastic and don't care what you say at all."

“My fans are generally quite rational. Sometimes when we meet at the airport, they won’t cause any trouble for the ground staff. However, we also have some irrational fans.”

"Oh, that's amazing, Teacher Zhou."

"What did you call me just now?"

"Teacher Zhou, in our area it means 'sir,' but not the 'sir' in the sense of male or female. I heard that in the entertainment industry here, everyone calls each other 'teacher.'"

"Calling me 'teacher' is because we're not very familiar. If you call me 'teacher,' that's definitely not appropriate."

"Then what should I call you?" Saito Asuka asked.

Then the translator thought for a moment and said, "You can call him Brother Le, which means Onii-chan."

"Onii-chan?"

"That's fine with me. We've known each other for so long, there's no need to be so formal."

Saito Asuka still didn't understand what "stranger" meant, so she asked the translator to explain it to her.

"No, but where are we going later?"

"Let's go back to the hotel and rest first. Around noon, I'll take you out for lunch. After lunch, we'll go back to the company and take a look around. After that, we'll go to Bilibili."

"it is good."

Saito Asuka nodded, but when she looked at Zhou Le, who was driving, from the passenger seat, she seemed to be thinking about what to say. However, considering that there were three other people sitting in the back who looked like third wheels, she swallowed her words.

"Let's talk about it later."

First, they took Saito Asuka to the hotel, and Zhou Le followed her upstairs.

Saito Asuka's accommodation was arranged by Bilibili. Bilibili has developed well in recent years and is very wealthy, so they booked her a deluxe room.

Staff cannot come up to a room without a guest requesting room service.

Moreover, there are no surveillance cameras on this floor that can see into the corridor; they can only see the stairwell and elevator entrance.

The agent knew about the relationship between Saito Asuka and Zhou Le, so upon arriving on this floor, he immediately sent everyone else back to their rooms, leaving the two of them alone to talk and catch up. (End of Chapter)