Abstract Art Award Winner

After Zhou Le finished another round of intensive training guided by Olympic champions, his overall energy and physique underwent a visible transformation.

The muscle lines are clearer and sharper, as if every fiber is full of explosive power.

At the same time, it also has the fluidity and coordination of a gymnast, truly achieving the perfect state of "looking slim in clothes and muscular when undressed".

After a day of intense training, Zhou Le was sitting in the rest area wiping his sweat when his agent, Su Yingxia, hurried towards him, holding a beautifully designed invitation in her hand and looking excited.

"Brother Le, guess what this is?" Su Yingxia deliberately kept him in suspense, her eyes sparkling.

Zhou Le accepted the invitation, the four large characters "GQ China" on it were particularly eye-catching.

Upon opening it, he found it was an invitation from GQ China to shoot his solo cover for December.

This is an invitation from a top men's magazine in China. Any other male celebrity would probably be so excited that they would want to post it on Weibo to let all their fans know.

"GQ China, solo cover for the December issue's year-end edition." Zhou Le looked up at Su Yingxia. "What do you think?"

Su Yingxia pushed up her newly fitted Lindbergh glasses: "Normally, this would be an excellent opportunity. The December closing issue of the year-end magazine signifies a perfect end to the year and holds a high position in the magazine industry."

But your situation is different now. You just won the Golden Rooster Award for Best Actor and are in the peak of your career. Your popularity is at its highest. You should seize the opportunity and choose a more influential one.

In the fashion industry, September and October are considered the peak months. September is when the season issues are released, and major brands spend the most on advertising, making it the most important month for magazines throughout the year. The fashion industry often fights tooth and nail for this month. October follows closely behind, and with the National Day holiday buzz, it should not be underestimated.

We need to target the most valuable opportunity. The December issue is good, but it's a bit rushed, and we're about to go abroad, so time is tight.

Zhou Le nodded repeatedly as he listened.

"So, what's your suggestion?" Zhou Le pressed.

"We politely declined the invitation for the December issue, but expressed our strong desire to cooperate, and then set our sights directly on the September issue cover next year."

Our goal isn't just to get on any cover, but to land you on the most prestigious cover, the one that will solidify your fashion status.

Su Yingxia's eyes were firm.

Without the slightest hesitation, Zhou Le immediately nodded in agreement: "Okay, we'll do it your way. I absolutely trust you."

Shortly after declining GQ's offer, Su Yingxia received another phone call a few days later.

The voice coming from the other end of the phone brought a smile to her face.

After hanging up the phone, she walked briskly towards Zhou Le, who was training, her eyes sparkling with joy.

"Brother Le! You'd never guess that the editor-in-chief of Vogue China personally invited you to shoot a solo cover for next September!"

Su Yingxia spoke very quickly, almost in one breath, her voice filled with barely suppressed excitement.

Zhou Le was doing stretching exercises when he heard this. He paused abruptly, then straightened up, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "VOGUE? ​​Are you sure it's a solo cover?"

“Absolutely true!” Su Yingxia nodded vigorously, took a deep breath, and tried to calm herself down. “Brother Le, do you know what this means? VOGUE is the top of the five major women’s magazines. It’s a world-class magazine in the fashion industry, with an unparalleled high standard.”

It rarely features male celebrities on its cover, especially domestic male stars. The number of those who manage to appear on the cover is extremely limited, and each one is at the peak of their career.

This is not just recognized by the fashion industry, but is regarded by the highest echelons as a cultural phenomenon and a symbol of the times!

This level of prestige is arguably more convincing in terms of commercial value and industry standing than winning a regular Best Actor award!

Su Yingxia became more and more excited as she spoke, her eyes filled with anticipation for Zhou Le's future!
"Then agree?"

"I think we absolutely have to agree to this!"

"Row."

Zhou Le is generally too lazy to worry about these things nowadays.

If Xiao Su says it's okay, then it definitely will be okay.

However, the news somehow leaked out, and GQ China reacted almost immediately, making a similar big promise to feature them on the September 2023 cover.

Before even leaving the country, Zhou Le had already secured two of the hottest assets in the domestic fashion industry for next year.

"Sigh, I don't know what they're fighting over. Even someone like me who's not in the fashion industry is getting approached. Tsk," Zhou Le sighed.

"You're really talking without thinking. You're sure to find someone. You're handsome, rich, and a good actor. Look at me, even if I wanted to sleep with someone, no one would want me."

Wang Baoqiang said from the side.

"Haha, that's because they don't know how to appreciate it. Brother Baoqiang is the kind of guy who's truly good-looking over time."

"You can still talk."

However, after training with Wang Baoqiang for a few days, it was time for Zhou Le to discuss the matter of rapid pursuit.

This time he also needs to bring several bodyguards, and he also needs to bring Xiao Su along.

An agent is definitely necessary, but bodyguards are also just in case, since going abroad on your own is completely different from going abroad with a film crew.

Going out on your own inevitably carries risks.

However, he needs to go to Hong Kong to find Cheng Long first.

Before leaving, Wang Baoqiang hurriedly found Zhou Le, his expression full of anticipation and excitement: "Le'er, while your popularity is still high, we need to quickly do some pre-event hype for 'In the Octagon,' release some training clips, catch them off guard, and seize the initiative!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Zhou Le immediately nodded in agreement: "Brother Baoqiang, whatever you say, we'll do it."

Soon, a carefully edited montage video of training in the octagonal cage was released simultaneously through Zhou Le and Wang Baoqiang's official accounts.

The video begins with footage of Zhou Le undergoing rigorous training under the guidance of several Olympic champions.

The powerful combination of punches and kicks struck the sandbag, each blow seemingly aimed at piercing it through.

Performing incredible and agile dodges on the gymnastics mat, the flexibility and coordination of the body are extremely impressive to watch.

He engages in a powerful ground grappling match with his wrestling coach, his muscles taut, veins bulging, sweat pouring down his sharply defined physique, exuding a powerful beauty. The video ends with Zhou Le looking back at the camera, his gaze resolute yet tinged with a wildness.

Zhou Le was already on a plane bound for Hong Kong.

But at the same time, on the other side...

Having just finished a work engagement, Tian Xi nestled wearily in the seat of her van, habitually scrolling through her phone as usual.

When she clicked on Zhou Le's montage video, her previously sleepy eyes widened instantly, and she almost threw her phone away: "My... God... Le, Brother Le?"

She gasped softly, her fingers involuntarily pausing the video.

The image freezes on a close-up of Zhou Le's back, which is drenched in sweat and bulging with muscles.

"Hiss, this..."

She felt her cheeks instantly burning hot, as if they were on fire. She quickly looked around like a thief, and only breathed a sigh of relief when she found that her assistant wasn't paying attention. But the corners of her mouth uncontrollably turned up wildly.

She replayed the video, her eyes glued to Zhou Le's focused, fierce, and sexy demeanor during training. Her heart was completely captivated by Zhou Le on the screen: "This is... too handsome! Hehe, Brother Le, hehehe..." She couldn't help but take a screenshot of that look back and secretly set it as the cover of her private photo album.

I watched it several times, and I couldn't tear my eyes away.

This high-energy montage went viral instantly, like a bombshell. The comment section was flooded with messages, and likes and shares skyrocketed.

Yuan Hao asked today: "Ahhhhh! I'm screaming! Is this something I can see for free? Is Brother Le's physique even real? [smirk][smirk][smirk]"

"I feel so good just from moaning: As a guy, I have to say this physique is really top-notch! The muscle mass and definition, you can tell he's worked really hard. Brother Le, can I be a girl tonight?"

Rabbit Bro: "He's just trying to grab attention and all he knows is selling sex appeal. He should use that time to hone his acting skills. Is Zhou Le going down this route now?"

Gouwazi: "Upstairs haters, you can donate your eyes if you don't want them! It's a promotional video, isn't it normal for fighters to go shirtless? And if you want to sell yourself, do you have any meat? Oh, I forgot you do, you can easily be sold at 200 pounds."

The video of the child also appeared on Gulnazar and Dilraba's phones immediately.

Naza's reaction was to make a phone call immediately, her voice sweet, coquettish, and tinged with a hint of complaint: "You've been training so hard, and you didn't even tell me! ... When are you coming to see me? I'll help you relax." Naza's voice on the phone was full of concern and affection.

Dilraba sent a message on WeChat, which was more direct: "The video is so-so, I've only watched it a hundred times! [drooling] I'll have to personally check out this figure next time we meet! [flirting]" After sending this message, she looked at the comments on the screen calling her "husband" and couldn't help but let out a soft "humph".

At the same time, some fitness and sports bloggers also jumped on the bandwagon, analyzing Zhou Le's physique from a professional perspective.

A fitness blogger with a million followers: "After ten years in the industry, let me give an objective evaluation of Zhou Le's physique. First of all, this is not simply a 'bodybuilding' physique, but a very typical 'functional fitness' physique."

His body fat percentage is estimated to be around 10%, and his muscles are of moderate size but extremely well-defined, with his latissimus dorsi, deltoids, and core muscles being particularly well-developed. This is inseparable from his combat and gymnastics training.

This physique combines strength, explosiveness, endurance, and agility—the pinnacle of a combat-ready body, far more difficult to achieve than simply pursuing massive size! I'd give him a 9.5 out of 10; I'm deducting 0.5 to prevent him from becoming arrogant.

Zhou Le naturally saw these as well.

It would be a lie to say that it wasn't beautiful.

They were actually already grinning from ear to ear.

But at this moment he had already arrived in Hong Kong, and Cheng Long was indeed there to discuss a movie, according to Cheng Long herself.

He had already read the script, but he wasn't actually very interested in it.

Although he is a Chinese-American director and the subject matter is quite good, he doesn't want to go in that direction at the moment.

This trip was just a casual visit.

"It's okay, Brother Long. I'll probably be staying for a while this time. We can hang out sometime."

Cheng Long waved her hand: "Haha, I can't play the games you young people play anymore. You can play them then. I'll only be in Los Angeles for about three days, and I'll spend the rest of the time going to other places."

The two set off together from Hong Kong.

However, they separated as soon as they landed.

Zhou Le's hotel was arranged by the project team, but his meeting with Chad, the director of "John Wick: Chapter 4," and Keanu Reeves, the star of the film, was arranged to take place in a very private club.

However, the negotiation process was constantly dragging on.

Although the opposing team acknowledged Zhou Le's talent and his vast influence in the Asian market, they remained reserved in terms of salary and role weight, attempting to gain a dominant position in this commercial game.

“Mr. Zhou, we greatly admire your talent. Some of your action videos are impressive. The fluid and powerful movements, as well as your precise grasp of rhythm, show us your potential in action scenes.” The producer spoke first, with a polite smile on his face. “But as you know, this is a Hollywood industrialized production, and the salary system has strict standards. We need to take various factors into consideration.”

Zhou Le sat at the negotiating table without speaking, and Su Yingxia knew it was time for her to step in.

He calmly replied, "I understand Hollywood's pay system; it has a long history and mature rules. But Mr. Zhou Le's value is not limited to the Asian market. What we bring is a unique Eastern action aesthetic."

Furthermore, Zhou Le possesses the direct influence of over 100 million fans worldwide, a force to be reckoned with. Therefore, Mr. Zhou Le's salary should be comparable to that of top Hollywood stars, rather than simply being defined as a promising Asian newcomer.

Su Yingxia's attitude was neither humble nor arrogant, and her eyes revealed confidence and determination. At the same time, she provided a series of strong data to support her points, from the box office performance of Zhou Le's past works to the popularity data on social media, all of which demonstrated his commercial value and market appeal.

During the negotiations, the two sides went back and forth, and after several rounds of back-and-forth, the atmosphere became increasingly tense.

Ultimately, Su Yingxia's excellent negotiation skills and firm attitude allowed her to successfully break the deadlock.

The amount of money he received reached the top level of a lead actor in a Hollywood A-list production, on par with those A-list Hollywood stars.

They then discussed the film's content and investment.

Director Chad was amazed by Zhou Le's professionalism and investment achievements.

He patted Zhou Le on the shoulder in a friendly manner, a genuine smile on his face: "Le, it's been a pleasure working with you. There's a private dinner in a couple of days, and I'd like to introduce you to a friend from the music industry. He's very interested in Eastern culture and has collaborated with some Chinese musicians before."

Zhou Le readily agreed.

But when he asked who the other person was, the other person said it was a secret.

We'll give Zhou Le a surprise then. (End of Chapter)