Abstract Art Award Winner

Chapter 388 Let's start a game?

The Kris incident has come to a close, much like a drama that lasted for months has finally drawn to a close, but the aftershocks in the online world are still quite fascinating.

The police's official statement, with its blue background and white lettering, has already sealed the deal.

Or to put it another way, they wouldn't take action against a highly influential public figure like Kris without solid evidence.

All the previous struggles and sophistry have been burst, leaving only the embarrassment of being slapped in the face.

The fans who once cheered for him and went to various places to "fight" are now in a state of great confusion and division.

Some people suddenly realized their mistake, unfollowed the fans, and turned against them, angry that they had misplaced their sincerity.

Another group falls into a more extreme form of self-deception, viewing their idol's downfall as proof that "the whole world is against my brother."

He posted comments online such as "Capital, you've won" and "They must be released immediately," but he quickly became the target of ridicule and mockery.

Major social media platforms and forums are filled with jokes, banter, and memes, cementing this incident as a stain on the entertainment industry's reputation.

The brand's termination of the contract and its demands for compensation, along with the partners' attempts to distance themselves, have created a real-life version of "when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter."

Zhou Le occasionally saw these follow-up photos on the bus after arriving in Beijing, but his eyes remained unmoved, as if he were watching a spectacle that had nothing to do with him.

Zhou Ye, who was promoting the show "Cliff Walkers" with his colleague, leaned over to look at his phone screen and clicked his tongue: "He's really completely finished now. It'll probably be hard for him to make a comeback. It's kind of sad to think about how successful he was before."

Zhou Le locked his phone, tossed it aside, and picked up the script: "I chose this path, so I have to bear the consequences. There's nothing to lament about."

Zhou Ye was still somewhat curious.

"So how many years do you think this will take?"

Zhou Le thought for a moment: "It will take at least ten years. As for whether there will be a reduction in sentence after that, it depends on his performance."

Zhou Ye sighed: "Ugh, this is so ugly. Even if you mess around in the future, don't end up being a lawbreaker."

"What are you saying? How could I possibly do something like that? I'm pure and innocent, okay!" Zhou Le's tone was full of indignation.

In the blink of an eye, we arrived at the hotel where the crew of "Cliff Walkers" was staying.

Although Zhang Yimou's new film did not have a large-scale promotion, it was still a national treasure, so the preview screenings were naturally quite grand.

Zhou Le and Zhou Ye, as important figures, naturally had to attend as well.

After putting their luggage in the hotel room, they went together to pay their respects to Zhang Yimou.

There were quite a few people on Zhang Yi's side, and when they saw the two of them arrive at the door, they smiled and waved for them to come over.

"Director Zhang," Zhou Le and Zhou Ye greeted him respectfully.

"You're here?" Zhang Yi smiled kindly, looking at Zhou Le with admiration in his eyes. "Zhou Le, you performed exceptionally well in 'Cliff Walkers' this time. When we were editing the film a while ago, everyone praised you for your quick comprehension and hard work. This is our first time working together, and to be honest, I really admire you."

"Thank you for your affirmation, Director Zhang. It's all thanks to your excellent guidance and the excellent teaching of all the teachers," Zhou Le responded humbly.

“It’s good that the young man is not arrogant or impatient.” Zhang Yi nodded, then seemed to remember something and said, “I’m currently working on a new script, a historical drama with a large scale, more like an ensemble piece. There’s a young character in it who is very outstanding and has a lot of depth. How about we collaborate again?”

Zhou Le's heart skipped a beat, but he remained outwardly calm, smiling as he asked, "Director Zhang's new project must be something good. Would you mind revealing the subject matter?"

"The tentative title is 'Man Jiang Hong'." Zhang Yi lowered his voice a bit. "It's a historical suspense film with comedic elements. The background is set a few years after Yue Fei's death in the Southern Song Dynasty. It tells a story of intrigue within intrigue and cases within cases. In the end, it will be elevated to a theme of patriotism. I plan to make some new attempts in visuals and narrative. The set design, costumes, props and sets will be very detailed. The investment is expected to be substantial."

Zhou Le listened attentively, but his mind was racing.

Zhang Yimou's talent and ambition are beyond doubt; his mastery of cinematic language and his mastery of visual aesthetics are top-notch.

However, historical dramas... especially those with a strong historical background and fictional elements... Zhang Yimou's recent films "The Great Wall" and "Shadow," while each with its own characteristics, seem to have failed to reach the expected heights in terms of box office and critical acclaim, and have more or less been controversial in terms of narrative and audience acceptance.

The concept of "Man Jiang Hong" sounds grand, but its execution is likely extremely difficult. It needs to balance historical weight with suspense and comedy, and if the balance is not right, it can easily become a hodgepodge.

Even with the opponent's skill level, there is still a considerable risk involved.

Of course, even if the box office is a huge hit, it will probably rely on the director's personal brand and the grand scale of the production, and the boost to the actors themselves may not be as great as imagined.

Moreover, the shooting period is long and requires a lot of effort.

In just a few seconds, Zhou Le weighed the pros and cons and made a decision.

He gave a perfectly measured smile of regret: “Thank you for your kindness, Director Zhang. It is my honor to receive your invitation again. However… to be honest, my schedule is quite full. I have several projects that were agreed upon a long time ago that are waiting to start filming, as well as some friends’ projects that have already been booked, including some sequels to previous works, arrangements with Pint, and some variety shows. It may be difficult to coordinate the time. Moreover, your film has a grand scope and requires a long preparation time. I am afraid that rushing things will delay your film.”

He phrased it tactfully, but his refusal was quite clear.

A hint of regret flashed in Zhang Yimou's eyes. He genuinely felt that Zhou Le was a promising talent, possessing both talent and drive, and wanted to collaborate with him again.

But he also understood that Zhou Le had his own plans and considerations, and that he couldn't force him to do it.

He sighed, "That's a real shame, but there's nothing we can do about the scheduling. But do you have any suitable young actors you can recommend? Someone with solid acting skills, a bit of talent, and the kind who can hold their own at the box office and on the big screen."

Zhou Le barely hesitated before a candidate flashed through his mind.

He said earnestly, "Director Zhang, I think you can consider Yi Yangqianxi. His works have received very good reviews in recent years. He is willing to settle down and hone his acting skills. He is also a top star. I think he meets your requirements. Of course, in the end, you have to see for yourself whether he is suitable."

“Yi Yangqianxi…” Zhang Yi paused for a moment, his fingers unconsciously tapping his knee. “Hmm, I have a vague impression of this kid. Okay, I’ll remember him. I’ll have my team contact him later and check out the script and his availability.”

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Zhou Le chatted with the others as well.

After it was over, Zhou Le and Zhou Ye went back first.

During the day, everyone is naturally busy with their own things: sleeping, playing on their phones, or calling friends to catch up.

But in the evening, Zhou Ye came knocking on the door with a big bag of snacks and drinks.

"Ugh, I'm exhausted after playing on my phone all afternoon. Are you hungry? Let's get some energy."

She waved the bag in her hand and squeezed through the door without any hesitation. Zhou Le laughed and let her in: "You're not here to replenish your energy, you're clearly just here to freeload a meal."

“It’s mutually beneficial.” Zhou Ye put the bag on the coffee table, sat cross-legged on the sofa and started rummaging through it. “Hey, seriously, Brother Le, what’s the work schedule for the rest of the year? After ‘Glory’ is finished, what are the plans? My agent showed me a few scripts, and they all seem so-so.”

Zhou Le opened a bottle of water and sat down opposite her: "I'm still looking at it too, but I'm not planning to take on that film that Director Zhang was talking about."

"Why? I wanted to ask that before," Zhou Ye looked up in surprise, a French fry still dangling from his mouth. "Many people would love to be in a movie directed by Zhang Yimou but can't get a role."

"After thinking about it, it's not really suitable." Zhou Le simply brushed it off. "Historical themes have a lot of variables, and the filming period is too long. I'd rather choose some scripts with a faster pace or more extreme characters."

He paused, then suddenly remembered something: "Oh right, I heard Brother Jing mention it before. He seems to be preparing a new project, which is supposedly adapted from a Chinese animation called... 'The Swordsman'? It's about swordsmen from the Western Regions, a hardcore martial arts style, so there will definitely be a lot of action scenes. If you're interested in action scenes, I can ask around and see if there are any suitable roles for you."

"The Swordsman? I think I've heard of it!" Zhou Ye's eyes lit up. "The one with the really cool art style! Can it work? Wu Jing's standards for his films must be very high, right?"

"Give it a try, there's no harm in it if it doesn't work out." Zhou Le said, making a mental note of it, planning to contact Wu Jing later.

Just then, Zhou Le's phone rang, and the caller ID showed "Brother Baoqiang".

"Hey, Baoqiang." Zhou Le answered the phone, put it on speakerphone, and grabbed a handful of potato chips that Zhou Ye had opened.

"Le'er, did I disturb your rest?" Wang Baoqiang's distinctive accented voice came through, sounding good but also a little probing.

"No, I just got back to the hotel. What's up?"

"Okay, it's about... that script I mentioned to you before, the one about boxing. I was the screenwriter and director. I really put all my savings and effort into it."

Wang Baoqiang's tone became serious and even somewhat heavy, "I won't beat around the bush with you, I really want to turn things around right now. After 'Buddies in India,' I've been holding back a lot of energy, and I want to prove that I'm not just good at making those kinds of bad movies."

I've been working on this script for a long time. The story is very realistic and cruel, about the struggles and ways out for kids from the lower classes who fight in underground boxing matches. It's very powerful. The male lead is a very complex character; he has kindness, helplessness, struggle, deception, and also brilliance.

After much thought, I think you're the most suitable candidate. You're young, capable, and have box office appeal. Most importantly, we've never worked together before. If you come, the male lead is yours. Can you give me a hand?

Zhou Le listened quietly; he could feel Wang Baoqiang's sincerity on the other end of the phone.

He glanced at Zhou Ye, who also stopped eating and looked at him intently.

“Brother Baoqiang,” Zhou Le began, his voice steady, “you’ve roughly told me about the content before, and I’m very interested, but I need to see the specific script first. Also, I’d like to ask you, what is your main goal in making this film? Is it box office success? Or winning awards? Or critical acclaim? Or do you just want to tell this story well, and leave everything else to fate?”

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, then Wang Baoqiang took a deep breath and said, "I want them all, Le'er. To be honest, I want them all. If the box office is good, more people can see the movie, and that will prove that I've made the right choice."

Awards and positive reviews are recognition of the film's quality and respect for the children's story, but ultimately, what I want most is to tell this story well; it deserves to be seen.

It might succeed without traffic, but it would likely be limited to a small circle. With you joining, its influence is completely different. I know that if it performs well, I can win the less important trophies in the grand prize category and some of the mainstream smaller prizes, but I just want to give it another shot.

That's very honest of them. There's no false sense of superiority; they just want to make money, become famous, and be popular.

Zhou Le barely hesitated. He picked up his phone, turned off the speakerphone, and put it to his ear: "Okay, Brother Baoqiang, send the script to my email, I'll look at it as soon as possible."

"Okay, I'll send it to you right away!" Wang Baoqiang's voice was instantly filled with excitement and joy.

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Le quickly received the electronic version of the script.

He took out his tablet, opened the document, and began to read it carefully.

Zhou Ye also curiously came over to take a look.

The script tells the story of a down-on-his-luck former fighting champion who accidentally meets a group of orphans from impoverished backgrounds who have no one to care for them.

He organized these children and established a fighting club, teaching them fighting skills in the hope of giving them a way out of the mountains.

However, as the children began to shine in exhibition matches, the club's operations faced enormous difficulties—a shortage of funds, public scrutiny, and pressure from families and society...

After their past of "fighting underground boxing" was exposed, they were thrust into the spotlight.

Overall, it's pretty good.

As Zhou Ye looked through the pages, he asked softly, "Are there any roles that would suit me?"

Zhou Le quickly browsed through the female characters section, pointing to one of them: "This one, sister, doesn't have the most screen time, but she's very important and complicated."

She was doing it for survival, in a way... selling herself out. It's a very realistic and tragic character, a true test of acting skills.

Zhou Ye carefully read the character biography and several scenes, and finally sighed: "Forget it, this is too profound. I probably can't handle it right now. Let's wait a few years, when I have more experience. Besides..."

She suddenly smiled slyly and nudged Zhou Le's shoulder. "If I'm going to sell myself, I'd have to find a good buyer, right? Like, sell myself to you?"

Zhou Le was amused by her and put away his tablet: "Then you'll have to wait in line and get a number."

He picked up his phone and called Wang Baoqiang back. The two talked for a long time in detail about the script, the characters, the shooting schedule, and Wang Baoqiang's vision for the film.

Zhou Le reiterated that he would play Su Mu, but he didn't want the lead role; the second lead role would also be acceptable.

Wang Baoqiang was so happy on the other end of the phone that he was incoherent and kept thanking them.

After finishing his business, Zhou Le felt a sense of relief.

The main reason for this role is that Zhou Le has never actually played a character with such realistic, visceral combat before.

The others all have some degree of exaggeration.

That's definitely true, but since it's a fighting genre, it has to be more realistic.

He glanced at Zhou Ye, who was still sipping his drink. Under the soft light of the room, the lines of his profile appeared exceptionally gentle.

"So, Ono," Zhou Le said, his voice more relaxed than before, "We've finished discussing business, and it's getting late, how about... we play a game?"

(End of this chapter)