Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 417: The situation is complicated, and my mind is in turmoil (a bonus chapter for Grand Master Daoxuan, combining two parts).

In the morning, Xiao Liu, an actress from the Beijing People's Art Theatre, received training and personal instruction from Feng Yuanzheng at her workplace.

At the same moment, Lu Kuan, an industry giant who had been specially invited to participate in the mobilization and discussion for the listing of Shanghai Film Group, had just arrived at No. 595 Caoxi North Road, XH District.

This is the office location of Shanghai Film Group.

"Director Lu, welcome! Please come in!" Ren Zhonglun personally greeted him at the conference room door, and Li Shoucheng also got up and came out with a smile when he heard the noise.

"Lu Sheng, it's been so long since you've been to Hong Kong. It's not easy to see you."

Boss Lu, of course, readily agreed: "It is indeed my fault. From now on, whenever I come back from abroad, I must take a detour and fly directly to Hong Kong to mooch a good drink from Boss Li."

"But today I'll have to enjoy Mr. Ren's fine wine first."

"Absolutely! We're not leaving until we're drunk tonight! I've called all the best drinkers in the company to keep you two company!"

Lu Kuan waved his hand politely: "No need, no need. In the past, when I stayed up late studying scripts, I would smoke and drink, and I couldn't be without either. But in the last two years, I've started to take care of my health."

"Is Mr. Lu planning to get married and have children? How can you be so self-disciplined?" Huo Wenxi was joking because she had made a good contribution to contacting Wenjie in the Beiping branch and was now the third most important person in Eagle King.

It's quite appropriate for a beautiful career woman of such status and position to make this joke; it's very effective in enlivening and lightening the atmosphere.

Similar to female cadres within the system, they speak and act without restraint, and even if they occasionally say something out of line, it won't arouse suspicion from the bigwigs.

Standing behind Huo Wenxi was Tang Yan, who smiled sweetly and nodded to her best friend, who was the center of attention, as her boyfriend.

"It's too early to get married and have children. The Chinese film industry hasn't even reached 500 billion yet, so how can we have a family?" Boss Lu joked as he politely deferred to Ren Zhonglun and others as they entered the multi-functional conference room of the Shanghai Film Studio.

Huo Wenxi's Mandarin has become more and more standard in the past two years. Hearing this, he laughed and said, "That will make Miss Liu very anxious. This year, the industry estimates that the total box office of mainland films will be less than 40 billion."

"Her? She's very easygoing and not in a hurry."

Boss Lu took his seat on the dais, right next to the host, Director Chong Lun. After exchanging a few casual pleasantries, the morning's discussion officially began.

Ren Zhonglun, on behalf of Shanghai Film Studio (now Shanghai Film Group after restructuring), warmly welcomed Lu Kuan, Li Shoucheng, leaders of China International Capital Corporation (CICC), and others.

He then reviewed the changes, achievements, and progress of the Shanghai Film Group since he took office in 2002, and continued to look to the future, striving to make greater contributions to Chinese cinema.

During this symposium, the city and Shanghai Film Group were very eager to learn about Lu Kuan's insightful opinions, and arranged for him to speak second.

Ren Zhonglun spoke very politely: "President Lu, I took on the responsibility of Shanghai Film Group in 02, and you also began to make a name for yourself in the domestic film industry in 02."

"I have worked diligently and conscientiously, and I have managed to live up to everyone's expectations and do my best to keep things running smoothly."

"But with his advanced development concepts and international vision, Director Lu has created a tremendous career that truly guides the direction of the domestic film industry."

Ren Zhongping, the state-owned enterprise leader, adopted a very humble attitude today, appearing to be a "respectful and courteous person," and was determined to seize an opportunity to further deepen his relationship with Boss Lu.

"To paraphrase our former leader in Shanghai, although Wenjie is a private enterprise, Director Lu's industrial development philosophy, ideas, experience, and insight—"

"To some extent, it also represents the development direction of China's advanced film productivity, the advancement direction of China's advanced film culture, and the vital interests of the vast majority of practitioners in the film industry!"

A round of applause immediately erupted from the audience. Anyone with eyes could tell that Mr. Ren had gone all out today, willing to put aside his status as the head of the Shanghai Film Group in order to make this distinguished guest feel at home.

However, Lu Kuan, who was standing next to him, didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

The more lavish the praise, the more outrageous the requests for favors or collaborations they'll make later.

Do you think all this passionate and resounding speech was for nothing?
"Alright, now let's welcome Director Lu to say a few words about the future development direction of Shanghai Film Group and the future trends of Chinese cinema!"

The audience erupted in applause. Mr. Lu humbly rose to greet them and then began to explain the future industry trends to the middle-level managers of Shanghai Film Group and the distinguished guests and leaders present.

"Thank you, Mr. Ren, and thank you everyone. Let's skip the pleasantries and get straight to the point with the drinks tonight."

The crowd chuckled, all feeling that the young tycoon's demeanor and bearing were quite extraordinary.

Judging from his words, he has a very pragmatic approach.

"Under the leadership of President Ren, Shanghai Film Group has made great strides in the past six years and today has set a grand vision and goal for its future listing."

"As a small fry in the Chinese film industry, I would like to discuss and exchange ideas with you today on a few issues."

Boss Lu adjusted the microphone and got straight to the point, offering his insightful opinions and using every opportunity to speak to instill advanced development concepts in practitioners.

To reiterate, his foray into the film industry has long been inextricably linked to the development of Chinese cinema.

The Chinese film industry is growing larger and its ecosystem is improving. In addition to the country achieving its strategic goals for cultural development, it is also the private enterprise that benefits the most in the industry.

This is called aligning the development of one's personal destiny with the development of the nation, industry, and the times, upholding a correct stance, and achieving harmonious coexistence.

"Judging from the current development trend of Shanghai Film Group, I believe that the future breakthroughs will lie in the following points."

"The first step is strategic deepening, moving from 'profit is king' to a full-industry chain layout, including copyright operation, cinema expansion and international cooperation."

"Secondly, we need to reform the system and strive to promote the listing of companies and the establishment of a modern enterprise system. From the transformation of state-owned enterprises to the shareholding system, and then to listing and financing, we can complete the three-stage leap from state-owned enterprises to listed companies."

"Thirdly, we must innovate in content, adhering to the principle of giving equal importance to social and economic benefits, and establishing a dual-engine approach of mainstream themes and commercial films..."

Boss Lu spoke eloquently on stage, and Ren Zhonglun beside him and the middle-level managers of Shanghai Film Group in the audience all nodded in approval.

It is often said that a great reputation is often undeserved.

But only by listening to the insightful views of this industry leader today have these self-proclaimed professionals, middle-level leaders of state-owned enterprises, truly witnessed what vision, perspective, and wisdom mean.

Of course, the Eagle King group members who attended the meeting were also present. Their joint venture with Shanghai Film Group has been officially established, and they will be partners back-to-back to some extent in the future.

The meeting included a lunch break and continued until 4:30 pm, when Ren Zhonglun happily announced its successful conclusion, saying that everyone had gained a lot today.

After all, as he said, Mr. Lu is, to some extent, an important representative of the private sector in China's film industry.

If we say that the China Film Group Corporation, headed by Lao Han, and the Film Bureau, led by Director Tong, are the official flagships of China's film industry, used to control the ideological course and coordinate state-owned film capital and policy resources;

Then, the domestic and international business system under Lu Kuan's leadership is the aircraft carrier among private enterprises. With the engine of marketization, it tears apart traditional constraints and takes the lead in plowing out the deep ravine of commercialization from the industrial desert of 2002.

While people marvel at Lu Kuan's directing talent, they are even more impressed by his visionary approach to the industry's development.

At this year's National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, many representatives from the arts and culture sector have quoted his insights on the exploration of film industrialization and offered suggestions.

However, it's a long road before an industry opinion can be implemented into national policies and documents, and every measure needs to be repeatedly reviewed and verified.

After all, even a single careless mistake in an official document could cause a major upheaval in the industry.

Just like the requirements on foreign ownership ratios in cinema chains a couple of years ago, which left Warner Bros., which had been coming and going, humiliated and forced it to withdraw from the domestic market.

After the symposium, Ren Zhonglun warmly led Lu Kuan and his entourage through the office building corridor to the core exhibition area of ​​Shanghai Film Group. Sunlight shone through the glass curtain wall onto the golden plaque of the "Shanghai Film Group Hall of Honor".

"Please come this way, everyone. This is all the wealth accumulated by Shanghai Film Group over the past sixty years."

The person in charge of the introduction was Xu Pengle, the vice president of Shanghai Film Group, who is also Ren Zhengfei's right-hand man. He is mainly responsible for distribution and cinema management and often deals with Wenjie, so he is an acquaintance.

In 2008, the Shanghai Film Group's joint cinema chain, under his management, exceeded 10 billion yuan, accounting for about 12% of the national market share.

The group walked forward methodically, chatting and exchanging pleasantries in twos and threes. In fact, they had already entered the free time phase before the dinner banquet.

However, in foreign countries, such scenes usually take place at cocktail parties, where guests who need to socialize and conduct business meetings can meet.

In China, banquets often become chaotic and unregulated, offering little opportunity for private meetings or discussions. These events serve as a platform for everyone to get what they want.

You can have tea in the lounge, or stand next to a storyboard manuscript in the collection of Shanghai Film Studio and chat freely without worrying about being disturbed.

For example, Ren Zhonglun and Lu Kuan, the latter pointed to the yellowed storyboard manuscript of "My Memories of Old Beijing" in the glass display case, and then to the huge Cannes exhibition poster of "Red River Valley" in the center of the wall:
"President Ren, Shanghai Film Studio has a truly profound history. I believe that under your leadership, there is a vast world to be explored."

"You're too kind. The six routes you just proposed are still echoing in my mind; they're truly thought-provoking!"

Ren Zhonglun led him to stand a little to the side. Knowing this man's personality, they exchanged a few pleasantries and got straight to the point.

"Director Lu, the city leaders would like to invite you to sit down and talk about Disneyland."

Disney?
Boss Lu was stunned when he heard this.

Ren Zhonglun patiently explained: "Shanghai proposed introducing Disneyland as early as 1990, but the memorandum of understanding has been signed for so many years and the specific details have not been agreed upon."

"The city leaders know that you are the industry insider who has dealt with Disney and its president Iger the most in the country, and they would like to ask you to mediate the negotiations."

Lu Kuan found it both funny and absurd; in fact, Aiger had also asked him to act as the middleman.

But what right does he have to comment on such a top-tier project that costs more than 300 billion?
Disney is unlikely to give up its shares to him, and the local government is unlikely to allow private enterprises to participate.

In fact, after the Disney project basically finalized its investment intentions in 1990, negotiations entered a protracted tug-of-war.

After more than 1200 rounds of negotiations, the project stalled multiple times due to cultural disputes and equity distribution issues. It was not until the end of 2009 that approval was granted and land acquisition began. Construction officially started in April 2011.

More than half of these 1200 rounds of negotiations focused on the cultural content of Disney parks.

Our main concern is the infiltration of Western culture, such as whether Disney characters conform to traditional values ​​and whether the content of the theme park needs to be censored.

However, Disney insisted on building the facility according to their globally unified standards and refused to make exceptions or compromises.

In later years, this stubborn change occurred after the Olympics and the World Expo. Disney increasingly recognized the huge potential of the domestic market, made some compromises on content, and instead made stringent requirements on the proportion of investment and the obligations undertaken by both parties.

That is, the remaining negotiation topics.

Ren Zhonglun, representing the city, is now trying to gauge his opinion, clearly because of a conflict of cultural factors.

"Mr. Ren, professional managers like those at Disney or Iger who own shares in the company operate on the principle of prioritizing profits."

"Don't think that just because I've dealt with them a lot, Westerners have a very weak sense of personal relationships. When it comes to such high-level matters involving vital interests, it's hard for me to be of much help."

Boss Lu declined a couple of times at first, and then slowly sorted out what aspects of this situation could be exploited.

After all, acting as a mediator in such matters could easily lead to resentment from both sides; it's normal business logic that no one gets up early without a profit.

He casually asked, "What's the current status of the negotiations between the two sides?"

Ren Zhonglun sighed and said, "We are currently in a relatively weak position in the negotiations."

“Since the 90s, theme parks in China, such as Guangzhou Flying Dragon World and Shanghai Universal Studios, have generally been operating at a loss.”

"In addition, the Hong Kong Disneyland, which opened in 2005, did not perform well in its early stages, leading to increasing doubts from Disney about the profitability potential of large-scale cultural tourism projects in China."

"The current situation is that Disney is in a dilemma because it is unwilling to compromise on the cultural conflicts in the park, nor is it willing to compromise on actual investment and equity."

Mr. Lu nodded and said, "Actually, with the global financial crisis trend becoming more prominent, the construction cost of the amusement park is decreasing."

"If the two sides can reach an agreement on cultural conflicts and localization, I think Disney may be willing to make concessions on its funding obligations."

In the context of the financial crisis, the overall construction cost of Disneyland will undoubtedly be reduced.

For example, the decline in global commodity prices has led to a decrease in the procurement costs of the most consumed materials, such as steel and cement.

Or, in a global environment of central bank interest rate cuts, interest expenses for project loans or bond financing are lower;
The first phase of the Disneyland project covers more than 5800 acres and requires the relocation of residents and businesses from several villages in Chuansha Town. At this time, it is more cost-effective to acquire land, relocate people, and level the land.

However, neither the city nor Disney has the foresight to predict the collapse of the financial crisis this year and next, which has led to a prolonged period of friction in the early cultural conflict negotiations.

Not to mention that the country's future 4 trillion yuan stimulus package will be prioritized for infrastructure and people's livelihood, based on a very simple logic—

The transportation, power grid, and water conservancy infrastructure around Shanghai, including Metro Line 11 near Disneyland and the resort area expressway, will all benefit, which is also a major boon for the local government.

From this perspective, even if Wenjie only plays the role of an intermediary in this negotiation and cooperation, it can still gain the friendship of both parties if handled properly.

Shanghai goes without saying, the only regret is that it's already 2008, and the real person has already passed away.

Disney can serve as a more steadfast ally in North America. As long as Netflix, which is still accumulating technology under the Wenjie umbrella, does not threaten its position, the two will naturally be partners who share resources and expertise.

Lu Kuan pondered for a moment and said, "Actually, there is still a possibility that Disney and our traditional culture can be given equal importance and compatible in the cultural elements of the park."

"For example, could we build a zodiac-themed park at Disneyland?"

"In Disney's Ratatouille, the millet represents the mouse, so could we use Sun Wukong from China to represent the monkey?"

"Now the whole world knows about Kamehameha and Dragon Ball, but very few people know about the original Goku."

Ren Zhonglun listened with great interest and immediately asked a few more questions. In fact, Disney's previous animated films, such as Mulan and Shanghai Film Studio's animated IP, Lotus Lantern, could probably find their own cultural positioning in the park.

The only remaining issue is authorization.

As a leading cultural industry group in Shanghai, Shanghai Film Group is committed to fully cooperating with the task assigned to them by their superiors.

Just like with "Lotus Lantern," what's wrong with licensing it to Disney at a low price? As long as we can use their platform to solve the problem of limited screen time, that's enough.

What's the point of keeping it hidden in your clothes if no one can see it?

In fact, the Twelve Zodiac Garden proposed by Lu Kuan is the Twelve Friends Garden of Shanghai Disneyland in later years, only his description is more direct.

"Director Lu, your opinion is very insightful. I'll contact my colleagues in the city tomorrow and ask them to give it another look."

“Tomorrow won’t work.” Lu Kuan laughed. “I have to go back to the Olympic Building for a meeting tomorrow. The Olympic torch relay overseas has already started, and there’s a lot of work to do.”

"I see." Ren Zhonglun frowned. "Then let the comrades from the city visit you in Beiping. Please make time to meet them then."

"No problem, Mr. Ren, please come visit us when you have time."

"well!"

After discussing the most important issue, the two also communicated about the purchase of film and television copyrights from Shanghai Film Studio by Wenjie Video.

As it was getting late, Ren Zhonglun, as the host, invited the guests to conclude their tour and attend a banquet.

Dinner was held at the Hua Mao Pavilion in the Peace Hotel.

This place was originally built with funds from Jewish merchant Sassoon, and the welcome banquet for Charlie Chaplin's visit to Shanghai in 1936 was held here.

Hua Mao Ge mainly serves Western cuisine, and Ren Zhonglun chose this place to highlight his respect for his guests. Some of the Chinese food for the banquet was provided by the Long Feng Hall of the Peace Hotel.

Tonight's dinner is mainly to entertain Lu Kuan, Li Shoucheng, and several leaders from CICC, the latter being the lead underwriter and sponsor for Shanghai Film Group's IPO.

Because of the Disney topic that had been discussed in the afternoon, Ren Zhonglun invited several city leaders to accompany him, thus making the event more organized.

Li Shoucheng invited Lu Kuan to arrive in the same car. Since not everyone had arrived yet, they decided to talk in the reception room of the private room.

Apart from Huo Wenxi and Tang Yan, who was brought along today, everyone else wisely kept their distance.

“Lu Sheng, it seems I need to ask you for some more works to change my luck. I’ve been having a really bad year lately.”

Lu Kuan joked, "If it's helpful, I'll paint one for Boss Li to take back today, or I'll paint Miss Huo instead, she's pleasing to the eye."

Huo Wenxi, who was making tea, turned around and chuckled, "President Lu is still as charming as ever. If he's going to paint, he'll paint a beautiful young girl like our Tangtang."

"Tangtang, pour Mr. Lu some tea, don't just stand there like an idiot."

"Hey, okay."

Tang Yan's expression showed a fleeting awkwardness; she vaguely remembered the embarrassment of almost being given to this young director to play with a few years ago.

Around 2004, Liu Yifei's career as the top young actress in the Chinese entertainment industry was so lucrative that it attracted the envy of many entertainment companies.

It was around that time that Zhou Jun intervened and signed Zhang Nara with Huayi Brothers, Cai Yinong found Liu Shishi, Yinghuang brought Tang Yan to Hong Kong, and Rongxingda cultivated the young Yang Mi.

After three or four years of ups and downs, Zhang Nara and Liu Shishi have disappeared from the public eye. Yang Mi has become very popular after joining Huayi Brothers. Tang Yan has continued to develop steadily without any major ups and downs.

Eagle King's resources are ultimately given to his loyal followers like Twins, and Tang Yan doesn't have the ability to work in three fields, so she can only struggle in the film and television industry.

This contradicts Eagle King's traditional strengths in public relations and winning various song awards in the Hong Kong music scene.

But things are different now.

After the photo incident, Eagle King was severely weakened, and with his northward expansion accelerating, Tang Yan was clearly placed in a more important position.

But as Li Shoucheng said, the Eagle King has had a terrible run of bad luck these past two years—

Leaving aside the photo incident, Chef Xie's "Men's True Colors" flopped, and his investment in Jiang Wen's "The Sun Also Rises" was also a major flop. Meanwhile, Eagle Securities (HK.0717) suffered a slump due to financial volatility.

So, as soon as they met today, the shrewd Huo Wenxi started joking with the dashing mainland tycoon again, trying to figure out if he could introduce him to some more women to deepen their relationship.

It can only be said that Xiao Liu's worries and predictions have been confirmed. Of course, Li Shoucheng, Huo Wenxi and others did not consider Liu Yifei's feelings when they sent Lu Kuan a girl.

In the eyes of these old-fashioned Hong Kong entertainment industry power holders, so what if the two are just boyfriend and girlfriend, or even if they are married?

In their eyes, how could Boss Lu be a romantic lover? Could Liu Yifei possibly have any control over a ruthless figure like Lu Kuan?

This judgment isn't entirely wrong; Liu Yifei indeed lacked any strong measures to remotely curb the washing machine's restless ambitions.

Her only weapon is herself.

The exact yield of this weapon will likely be revealed during this business trip to Shanghai.

The ancient Chinese concept of "being cautious when alone" refers to the moral self-discipline one exercised when alone.

There's no reason for Xiao Liu to be overly cautious; all she can do is love him wholeheartedly and choose to firmly believe that his path is viable.

Tang Yan followed instructions and came to serve the boss. Her fingers, which were gripping the teacup, tightened slightly, and her knuckles turned bluish-white.

The scalding tea rippled in the porcelain cup, reflecting her suddenly unfocused pupils.

The young woman poured tea with her head bowed and eyes lowered. Although she was a little nervous at Huo Wenxi's prompting, she did not cause any scene of spilling tea.

Just as Li Shoucheng was about to continue discussing some cooperative projects with Boss Lu, there was a knock on the door of the private room in the reception room.

Xu Pengle, vice president of Shanghai Film Group, greeted them apologetically: "President Lu, Chairman Li, Director Xie Jin is here. President Ren asked me to inform him."

"Really? I'll go out and greet him."

Li Shoucheng also stood up with an elegant demeanor: "Director Xie is an old filmmaker like Mr. Zou from Hong Kong. Lu Sheng and I will go and say hello together."

As he was leaving, he gave Huo Wenxi a wink, and the latter nodded slightly.

Tang Yan immediately wanted to hurry out as well, but her manager gently pulled her forearm: "Tangtang, your sister has something to tell you."

"Sister Mani?" Tang Yan's naive and innocent appearance was just that—naive and sweet. Having been in the entertainment industry for three or four years, she knew exactly what Huo Wenxi was up to.

Starting with such an affectionate "older sister" makes it clear that this isn't a pleasant situation.

I was just about to slip away when I was stopped, and I didn't dare to turn against the company. What could I do?
"Tangtang, to make a long story short, you've been with Eagle King for almost four years now, and the company has never treated you unfairly."

"The company is facing some difficulties right now. Would you be willing to lend a hand? It would be good for you and good for the company."

Huo Wenxi put his arm around her shoulder and took two steps into the reception room. He turned his head and said gently, "How about going to keep Lu Sheng company tonight?" "It's not that the company is forcing you to do this. Think about how much benefit it would bring to someone as outstanding as him."

"Sister Mani... I..." Tang Yan's fingers unconsciously tightened around the hem of her clothes, her knuckles turning white from the force.

If it were Xiao Liu, he might have already slapped Huo Wenxi across the face and turned away without hesitation.
If it were Yang Mi, she would probably be coyly refusing now, but then eagerly anticipating the passionate lovemaking tonight and her future career success.

If it were Jing Tian...

Jing Tian won't encounter such a thing for the time being, unless she can't suppress her unrequited love.

But for Tang Yan, who was timid by nature, she felt as if an invisible hand was choking her throat, making it difficult to even breathe.

To be fair, if it had been more than three years ago when Huo Wenxi first pushed her out, she might have been half-heartedly pushed into the bed of this genius director.

Single men and women, like dry wood meeting a raging fire, why not?

But things are different now.

A gentle and lovely face suddenly appeared before her eyes.

Being brazenly sent away by her agency for a trade sent a chill down Tang Yan's spine. She bit her lower lip hard, her eyes burning, but she forced back her tears.

Outside the reception room, Xie Jin and the others must have arrived. There was a burst of loud laughter and greetings. Huo Wenxi seemed to hear an unexpected sound and gently opened the door a crack.

Fan Bingbing?
She turned back to look at Tang Yan, who looked dejected, and said sharply, "I really don't know what you're upset about? Huh?"

"Look at Fan Bingbing, how did she get to where she is today?"

"Lu Kuan just showed up in Shanghai, and she followed him there. Do you think you're more important than her, or are you really that innocent?"

"Tang Yan! I know you and Liu Yifei are friends, but are you really going to let yourself go like this? Don't you have the chance to climb up the ladder? Aren't you jealous of her winning the Berlin Film Festival's Best Actress award?"

"You're already 25 years old. If you don't work hard, you'll really become just another ordinary person."

Tang Yan's face instantly drained of color, her fingertips digging into her palms as if she had become numb to pain.

She swallowed hard, then looked up and saw her own blurry silhouette through the French windows.
Her meticulously drawn willow-leaf eyebrows, coral lipstick, and the "pure and alluring" sequins that her stylist praised this morning on her collarbone—it's just that this appearance seems to have been put on the shelf with a price tag, and the so-called purity and innocence is nothing more than a gimmick waiting to be sold.

Tang Yan knew what the consequences would be if she didn't agree; Hong Kong's entertainment tycoons were never charitable organizations.

But that's Sisi's boyfriend...

Ironically, it seems everyone has a stereotype about this young director's dissolute lifestyle, including his own girlfriend, Liu Yifei.

Tang Yan didn't seem to have considered whether she would be rejected; instead, she was thinking about not letting her best friend down.

"Mani... I..."

"Quiet! Someone's coming. I'll talk to you after dinner." Huo Wenxi pushed open the door and went out, giving the latter a look that said, "Think it over carefully."

Through the crack in the door, Tang Yan saw the charming and smiling leading lady, her chestnut hair cascading over her shoulders, gleaming like honey under the lamplight, chatting and laughing with Lu Kuan, who had a calm expression on his face.

Her profile was exquisitely detailed, like a traditional Chinese painting. Her red lips were slightly upturned, and her eyes were slightly upturned, exuding a languid charm. Even Tang Yan, a woman herself, couldn't help but be captivated by her beauty.

Wait a minute! Fan Bingbing?

Tang Yan, who had been feeling dazed and confused, seemed to suddenly realize something. She composed herself, snapped out of her daze, pulled out her phone, and quickly dialed her best friend, Liu Yifei.
-
Why is Bingbing here?
Let's turn back the clock of fate to the night before Boss Lu went on a business trip to Shanghai.

While the young couple were joking and bickering at a table in Wenyuhefu, Bingbing was on a promotional tour in Jinling with the cast and crew of "The Forbidden Kingdom," finishing a day of promotional activities.

As the film crew left Jinling Xinjiekou International Cinema, Hendrik Willem Van Loon remarked, "Last month, Lu Kuan's 'The Sky of History' held an event here and achieved such great results. We are under a lot of pressure."

Now that her status has risen, Big Mimi is more willing to speak freely: "No problem, with two kung fu superstars like you, 'The Forbidden Kingdom' will only perform better."

Hendrik Willem Van Loon laughed heartily. Jeremy Li glanced at Yang Mi but said nothing, calmly twirling the Buddhist prayer beads in his hands.

He neither knew nor cared how this rising star from Huayi got the role. He had worked hard in the martial arts training before the performance, but the actual fighting effect was not smooth enough in terms of the connection between movements, lacking a sense of power and realism, and the body control between moves was also a bit stiff.

The key difference is that compared to another domestic female warrior actress, the gap is enormous.

For actors, diligence is the most basic talent.

However, Yang Mi does have one advantage: her trembling movements during fights are quite charming, which can be considered a small highlight created by the director out of necessity.

"Bingbing, Yang Mi, the publisher is treating everyone to dinner tonight. You should go back and rest first; we'll probably be drinking quite a bit."

"Okay, big brother." Yang Mi was happy to accept. Being able to participate in such a Hollywood co-production was already a huge achievement for her, so she didn't care about the grievances she had at the drinking party.

Drinking is very common in mainland China. As a celebrity who goes on a promotional tour, no matter how famous or unknown you are, you will inevitably be pressured to drink.

In 2017, Andy Lau suffered a stomach hemorrhage after drinking too much while promoting the movie "Shock Wave" in mainland China. In an interview, he awkwardly complained about the drinking culture at social gatherings.
In 2013, Huang Xiaoming was promoting "American Dreams in China" in third- and fourth-tier cities when cinema owners forced him to drink alcohol and demanded that he "down it in one gulp."
Even actresses like Zhou Xun couldn't escape this trend. In 2014, the movie "Women Who Flirt Are the Luckiest" had its prices clearly marked at the dinner table: 100 extra screenings for a glass of 3 liang (150ml) of baijiu (Chinese liquor).

It can only be said that pure actors in the film industry chain may be able to be bullied even by some unscrupulous cinema owners.

Unless one reaches a position like Hendrik Willem Van Loon, whose value in united front work is very high, representing the image of Chinese people abroad and becoming an industry benchmark domestically.

Or perhaps Xiao Liu's partner is too prominent, and everyone is too busy flattering him to even think about incorporating his drinking habits into his life.

Yang Mi is quite well-behaved now, happy to go out and see the world with Jay Chou and Jay Chou. However, Hendrik Willem Van Loon looked at Fan Bingbing with a puzzled expression, wondering why she kept looking at her phone and spacing out.

"Bingbing?"

"Huh? I..."

Ring ring ring!
"Big brother, wait a moment while I take this call." The actress's fair face suddenly lit up, clearly she had been looking forward to this call for a long time.

"Hey, Master's wife..."

As Fann Wong and Li Lianjie watched Bingbing get into a Toyota Alphard with her phone in hand, they remarked that this beautiful actress, who was not very popular five or six years ago, had now become quite successful.

Hendrik Willem Van Loon had a good relationship with Lee Shou-cheng and probably knew some inside information. The two even established a joint venture film company. He actually had some guesses about Fan Bingbing's rise to prominence.

Bingbing, inside the Toyota Alphard, asked impatiently, "Master's wife, are you inviting him to dinner tonight?"

"It's not finalized yet. All we know is that Lu Kuan is coming to Shanghai, and Director Ren from Shanghai Film Studio has also invited Lao Xie. Bingbing, you..."

"Okay, I'll go over tonight! Thank you, Master's wife!"

Xu Dawen, who was on the other end of the phone, was hiding in the bathroom of Xie Jin's special care ward. Before she could whisper a few words of advice, she heard the dial tone.

The impatient mood of the leading lady opposite was evident.

Hey. . .

She didn't know if her decision was right or wrong. Even if she was resented by that Director Lu or his girlfriend, she decided to help this female student one last time.

Xu Dawen pushed open the door and went out. Xie Jin, who had just finished his IV drip, had slightly disheveled silver hair and coughed a couple of times while leaning against the bed, a little out of breath: "Did you call Bingbing?"

"Well... I really couldn't take it anymore after she begged me so much."

"I told you, you're hurting her by doing this." Xie Jin closed his cloudy eyes helplessly, too weak to speak.

This veteran director, hailed as "the conscience of Chinese cinema" and the founder of a performing arts school that has nurtured countless star actors, suddenly recalled a line of poetry from Euripides' ancient Greek tragedy *Medea*, which he had read during his youth:

I know how terrible the crime I am about to commit is, but I cannot control my passion.

Similarly, the rising stars are absolutely certain of what they are doing.

Even if you suffer repeated defeats, you must fight on despite them!
For her, the ups and downs of the entertainment industry were not a swamp, but an anvil. Every fall was forged into her bones and blood, becoming the recoil for her next leap.

However, will this fervent desire, which she herself may not yet be able to distinguish between fame, fortune, and love, lead to a repeat of the tragic fate of ancient Greece in her life?
Whether she reaches heaven or hell in a single thought is entirely in her own hands.

No one knows.

Bingbing took a leave of absence from the film crew and rushed to Shanghai overnight. It only takes a little over four hours to drive from Nanjing.

When Da Mimi, the socialite from that night's party, woke up in her hotel room the next day, she was completely bewildered to realize that this big sister from Huayi should have already left the film crew.

My absence last night wasn't due to a last-minute emergency, but rather something I had planned for a long time.

Yang Mi, with her keen sense of smell, had always tried to survive between Fan Bingbing and Liu Yifei, engaging in some underhanded tactics. Just as she was thinking of inquiring about her schedule from the film crew, she received a call from Wang Xiaolei.

Mr. Wang has informed us that a meeting for core shareholders will be held in Beiping in two days, and we request that you make time to attend.

This is a mobilization for the final share issuance, brainwashing and cultivating the artists' loyalty to the company, and urging and encouraging them to continue participating in the issuance to prevent Ahri and Deng Wendi from becoming too powerful and threatening the company's sovereignty.

The little fox was very cunning. With a seemingly casual remark, "Let me go back with Sister Bingbing!", she extracted information from Wang Xiaolei.

Fan Bingbing went to Shanghai.

Yang Mi scratched her head, completely baffled.

Yesterday's dinner featured prominent figures from Nanjing, including Mr. Zhang from Suning and Mr. Wu from Deji. It was the perfect setting for top actresses to discuss their endorsements.

What could possibly make her give up a lucrative opportunity and drive to Shanghai overnight?

It wasn't until she saw the article on Weibo that "Shanghai Film Studio held a symposium on preparations for listing, and invited the famous director Lu Kuan to attend and provide guidance," as well as the photo of Mr. Lu boarding the plane at the Capital Airport that morning.

After a simple examination, everything becomes clear.

Honey, who is good at seizing opportunities, immediately got excited.

She must have been caught secretly complaining about me behind her phone on the set of "Curse of the Golden Flower," otherwise, how could her best friend Liu Yifei still be so loyal to her?

And today's provocation...

No, it can't be called sowing discord. This is Yang Mi's sisterly affection. She's feeding her best friend peanuts in a perfectly respectable way!
However, the nine-tailed fox, Da Mimi, was cunning and hesitated for a long time before making the call.

If she strikes too early, what if Liu Yifei manages to stop Fan Bingbing using her methods? That wouldn't be the best solution for her.

However, if the attack is too late, it will be seen as aiding the enemy. With Liu Yifei's shrewdness, she will surely discover the clues. At that time, the veil of protection that is her best friend will be stripped off, and she will no longer be able to leverage her influence on social media.

The best outcome would be for Fan Bingbing to be washed away in the washing machine before Liu Yifei discovers it!
Yang Mi thought for a moment and then called her assistant, Tingting.

"Honey, you're awake. Would you like breakfast brought upstairs?"

"Yesterday, Mr. Xu called you a few times but you didn't answer. He called me instead. I didn't say you were drinking. I just said you were too tired from the publicity and fell asleep."

Da Mimi smiled slyly: "Very good, Tingting. Also, give me the number of that entertainment reporter from Lido last time..."

"No, come up here, I'll send a message from your spare phone."

"Okay, Honey."

Yang Mi leaned lazily against the velvet pillows in the hotel suite, the morning light dancing on her porcelain-white skin through the gauze curtains.

Big Mimi stretched out her fingers, painted with nude nail polish, and gently brushed aside the curly hair that fell to her collarbone, a sly glint in her eyes.

The paparazzi at Lido might just make a big contribution this time!

In the Chinese entertainment industry, Lido is an unavoidable location and topic. The entertainment reporters who make a living here are all top-notch in the industry, and their gossip networks and field organizations are spread all over the country.

The Lido that is commonly referred to is a business district in the western part of Jiangtai in Chaoyang District, Beiping. It was a residential area for foreigners in Beiping and had many high-end residences and hotels.

Due to the allure of the "discretion" of the international community, coupled with its proximity to the airport expressway, many celebrities choose to live or stay here temporarily, enjoying the amenities of an international lifestyle while reducing the risk of exposure through this "discretion."

But precisely because of this, Lido has become a gathering place for paparazzi in China, and a fixed industry chain has been formed.

The later incidents of "Xu Zheng assaulting someone" and "Xiao Lu's sister-in-law meeting PGONE at night" both originated from this place.

For female celebrities who want to create their own scandals, they will even take their rumored partners shopping and dining at Lido.

To some extent, celebrities and paparazzi are in a dynamic equilibrium of mutual dependence.

"Sis, here's your phone."

"Okay, you can go out first. I'll give it to you when I'm done." Yang Mi was very cautious.

She found the phone number of an entertainment reporter she had worked with at the beginning of her career. It was the latter's street photos that led to her being spotted by Rayli magazine and selected as a model.

However, this matter cannot be made public under one's real name. The only way is to use Li's anonymous SIM card phone to send a message informing him that Fan Bingbing and Lu Kuan may be having a secret meeting in Shanghai today.

For more details, entertainment reporters with their extensive networks in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou naturally have their own methods.

Beijing has Lido, so why doesn't Shanghai have one too? This is an industry chain that spans the entire country.

From the moment she woke up in the morning, Da Mimi was in an incredibly pleasant mood all day, except for pacing around the room while clutching her phone.

While waiting for the evening's activities, I pondered when would be the right time to call my best friend to warn her.

By 5 p.m., Da Mimi figured that even if Liu Yifei called Lu Kuan after receiving her tip, the latter would probably already be making a big show of himself at a drinking party.

It should be considered a pretty good time.

The sky over Nanjing was gloomy today, and the neon lights outside the hotel window had already begun to flow between the high-rise buildings, making Yang Mi's profile appear to be lit up and dark.

She dialed the number, her heart pounding. She cleared her throat. This moment was the culmination of her barely passable acting skills!

Because of her previous defeats against Liu Yifei, she worried whether she could cover her tracks perfectly, but this time the complaint was legitimate and there should be no major oversights.

Da Mimi raised her phone with a slight nervousness.

Beep, beep, beep…

hang up.

Yang Mi frowned, as if all the courage she had just mustered and all the preparations she had made had vanished. After a few seconds of hesitation, she decisively dialed again.

hang up.

Something must have been holding you back.

Da Mimi sat down in front of the vanity mirror in the luxury hotel, thought for a moment, and edited a message to send, which was her way of fishing for attention.

She simply couldn't believe that a girl in love could remain unmoved!
The flame of the scented candle in front of her danced in her pupils, reflecting the cold calculation in Da Mimi's eyes.

A few minutes later, the phone in front of the dressing table started vibrating incessantly. Da Mimi answered the call with great joy, trying her best to suppress her emotions.

In March in Beiping, the wind, frost, and swords still loomed menacingly. Today, the newly hired actress from the Beijing People's Art Theatre stood in the corridor of the rehearsal hall, listening to the humming of the radiators, but unable to dispel the chill on Liu Yifei's fingertips.

With mixed feelings, she hung up Tang Yan's call, watching the withered branches swaying outside the window. Her slightly furrowed brows were reflected in the glass, and her eyelashes cast dappled shadows under her eyelids, like spider webs ruffled by the wind.

Xiao Liu wasn't surprised that Yang Mi was trying to sow discord between her and Lu Kuan because of her wicked intentions, given that there had been previous examples of this.

However, Tang Yan's account of the scene made her suspicious.

How could it be such a coincidence?

How could it be such a coincidence?

Did Fan Bingbing bribe someone close to him to leak the information?

Clearly, if Yang Mi's statement is true and they departed last night, then their itinerary information, as revealed in today's news of Lu Kuan's appearance at the airport, is not what it appears to be today.

Xiao Liu herself had done similar foolish things during her teenage years, which even led to Sun Wenwen being "exiled" to North America, so it's not surprising that she immediately thought of this.

Seeing Yang Mi's unread message on her phone screen, the girl calmed herself down and dialed the latter's number.

"Hello? Qianqian?" Yang Mi gripped the phone tightly to her ear, a triumphant smile curving her lips in the mirror.

Xiao Liu's voice was surprisingly gentle, and he didn't even mention Fan Bingbing: "Honey, where are you?"

"Let me tell you something, Xixi..." Yang Mi was taken aback: "Huh? Oh! I'm in Jinling, yesterday I was promoting 'The Forbidden Kingdom'."

Liu Yifei paused for a moment before casually saying, "Honey, what do you mean by telling me Fan Bingbing went to Shanghai? I don't understand."

Yang Mi felt that her fervent patriotism for her best friend was like punching cotton.

Liu Yifei, are you really stupid or just pretending?
Where is your husband?
"Sissi, Director Lu isn't..."

Yang Mi's words were abruptly cut off, as if she had been choked by the hand of fate, except that the hand now belonged to her best friend Liu Yifei's slender fingers.

She looked slender and delicate, yet she was being choked so hard she couldn't breathe.

Da Mimi suddenly realized that she shouldn't have been concerned about Lu Kuan's itinerary.

How could she have happened to see him in Shanghai and then, combined with Fan Bingbing's whereabouts, reported him to her best friend?
She swallowed hard and began to speak: "It's like this, Xixi, there's a paparazzo in Lido who's a friend of mine. He called me today to chat and said that his colleague in Shanghai got a tip that Fan Bingbing would be meeting... with Director Lu in Shanghai."

"I drank too much at a business dinner yesterday, and I contacted you as soon as I got the news today. Anyway, whether it's true or not, Xixi, you..."

"Okay, I understand." Liu Yifei's voice was surprisingly calm, but it made Da Mimi's heart skip a beat.

In the face of great events, one must remain calm. Xiao Liu has experienced far too many major events over the years, far more than Da Mimi, a girl from Beiping, could ever match.

Her little bit of cleverness was quite obvious to Liu Yifei, who was already wary of her.

Xiao Liu can now even imagine her plastic best friend's bewildered expression and her embarrassment at not knowing where to start the conversation, like a little fox that has accidentally stepped into a trap and is still trying to struggle.

"Yi Fei, are you alright?" Feng Yuanzheng saw her standing in the corridor in a daze and came out to ask her a few questions.

"Xu Fan is just like that, straightforward. Don't mind him. Don't worry about the role of Chen Bailu, there won't be any problems."

"Okay, sure." Liu Yifei forced a smile. "Teacher Feng, should I head back first today?"

Feng Yuanzheng is a veteran actor who has been immersed in acting for many years. His observation skills are extremely sharp. He carefully observed the girl's desolation and inner turmoil.

He immediately said, somewhat worried, "Consort Yi, shall I take you back?"

"No need, I'll just make a call." Xiao Liu composed himself, made a call to A Fei, and strolled away leisurely.

All she wants now is to get back to her love nest with her boyfriend and sort out the whole story.

The leading actress's initiative, coupled with the embellishment of Yang Mi, unintentionally created the biggest trust crisis in the couple's relationship, which had lasted less than a year.

Feng Yuanzheng watched Liu Yifei's departing figure; the twilight corridor stretched her slender silhouette long.

The stubborn curve of her neck as she turned around was very similar to the posture of Bai Xiuzhu, the character she played in "The Story of a Noble Family," when she stormed off.

But at this moment, she lacked the pride of a young girl and gained a layer of vulnerability that was only half-concealed.

Love is armor, but also a weakness.

(End of this chapter)