Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 438 Xiao Liu: Washing Machine, let me show you what pure love is all about!
"I turned around and saw him rushing towards me." Liu Yifei's signature uneven eyebrows popped out: "Are you crazy?!"

Lu Kuan was slowly sipping his soup: "And then? Were you very scared at the time?"

"Yeah, I'm really scared!" Xiao Liu pouted. "I'm wearing 7-centimeter stilettos, I'm afraid I'll kick one and make a bloody hole!"

"That's too violent! Mind your manners."

Liu Yifei smiled and said, "I was just kidding. Don't you know how gentle I am? Don't go around saying things like that."

"I know, I know." Seeing that the spoon in her hand was slightly deformed from being squeezed, the washing machine immediately realized that it was a wise move to act accordingly.

小刘放下筷子，没由来地长叹一口气：“搞不懂这些人怎么想的，完全是自己把自己逼疯了。”

"A cornered dog will jump over the wall and bring about its own destruction." Boss Lu said indifferently, then looked up at Xiao Liu: "But from today onwards, Afei will be following you, so it's always better to be careful."

刘小驴噘着嘴看他，面色有些狐疑：“这是你今天第二次提到这件事了，不会是故意支开阿飞，打算做些见不得人的勾当吧？”

The young girl raised her eyebrows meaningfully, her words carrying a veiled meaning: "It's almost the start of summer, are some old men still thinking about finding a second spring?"

Boss Lu's gaze suddenly passed over her and went to Zhang Yimou, who came over to greet her. She smiled and waved to him.

"Director Zhang, Xiao Liu just said that we are all old men."

刘伊妃猛得回头，看着笑起来沟壑纵横地跟兵马俑似的张一谋，慌忙摆手：“没有没有！我说的是路宽！”

言毕狠狠地剜了一眼男友，挪了挪餐盘给老谋子让了个位置。

Boss Lu persisted: "You call me an old man, but Director Zhang is even older than me. Doesn't that mean the same thing?"

Zhang Yimou knew them all very well: "You two are flirting, why are you dragging me into it? One is an award-winning actor and the other is an award-winning actress, I can't keep up with your acting."

“这话不对！”路老板皱眉：“张导你是87年东京电影节的影帝，从业资历比我们都早得多啊！”

Liu Yifei said in a sweet and innocent tone, "I was just born in 87, and Lu Kuan was only 6 years old. Director Zhang, you are a senior."

张一谋佯怒：“说半天，你们还是在说我老嘛！”

Everyone laughed. Zhang Yimou asked with concern, "The news from this morning has spread like wildfire. Is Consort Yi alright? Be careful next time, and don't get into any conflicts with them."

Xiao Liu smiled, her dimples appearing slightly, and said, "It's nothing, just a small matter."

Looking at her porcelain-white profile outlined by the sunlight, Boss Lu noticed the small mole on the tip of her distinctive hump nose, which looked playful and cute. He couldn't help but think that, given Xiao Liu's experiences over the years, this morning's event was indeed a minor one.

As Zhang Yimou gets older, his appetite has decreased. After a few bites, he picked up his teacup and drank tea. Watching the two people in front of him chatting and bickering, he felt a strong sense of youthful vitality and even thought about making a romance film.

"Ring ring ring!"

老谋子冲两人示意了一下，走到窗户边接起电话。

“要多少？太贵了吧！好，好，我知道了，我再考虑一下吧，实在不行就《血迷宫》。”

"Then what can we do? Since we're making a commercial film, we can't ignore these factors."

"Xu Zhengchao? He's alright. He's Zhao Benshan's go-to screenwriter. Let's leave it at that for now and talk about everything after the Olympics."

张一谋挂断电话，眉头微蹙，脸色略显阴沉地走回餐桌。

他端起茶杯抿了一口，指尖无意识地敲击着杯壁，目光有些游离，显然心思已不在眼前的餐食上。

路宽正夹着一块糖醋排骨往刘伊妃碗里放，见她突然停下筷子，顺着她的视线瞥向张一谋。

The two exchanged a glance, and Liu Yifei raised an eyebrow at him, their tacit understanding like a silent signal.

Mr. Lu asked casually, "Director Zhang, why did you bring up 'Blood Simple' just now?"

"Oh, it's Weiping who's arranging the next movie. I'm thinking of trying some new themes after the Olympics, and I'd like to buy the rights to 'No Country for Old Men,' which we're competing with this year."

Zhang Yimou smiled wryly: "It's just too expensive. Wei Ping and President Jiang of Anle talked about it and felt that we should look for other suitable options."

路宽心下了然，张一谋从职业生涯初期就一直在尝试不同的影片类型，这在国内导演中是比较少见的。

From the intense rural epic of "Red Sorghum" to the feudal ethical dilemma of "Ju Dou";

From the tragic aesthetics of the deep mansion in "Raise the Red Lantern" to the documentary-style questioning in "The Story of Qiu Ju";

From the cross-generational narrative of suffering in "To Live" to the groundbreaking martial arts blockbuster "Hero";

From the spectacular Eastern spectacle of "House of Flying Daggers" to the heartwarming family drama of "Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles".

Being able to constantly push the boundaries of one's own genre is certainly a blessing for a director, but as Zhang Yimou has always jokingly said, he envies those with wide roads—

He himself has to make trade-offs between the independence and commercialization of filmmaking, unlike Mr. Lu, a wealthy man, who is as casual about it.

于是一直到这部《黄金甲》之后的《三枪》，老谋子因为屈就于投资人，真正意义上导致了第一次口碑崩坏。

"A Simple Noodle Story" is the mainland version of "Blood Simple". Lu Kuan, thinking of this, was of course willing to lend a helping hand, just like he helped adapt the plot of "Curse of the Golden Flower".

“《老无所依》版权是迪士尼和派拉蒙共同持有的，但还必须要买到原著作者的版权。”

路老板皱眉：“迪士尼我可以帮着问问，但派拉蒙和原作者那边，还是请姜总再去讲讲价。”

"It's not Disney. If it were Disney, I would have contacted you already."

“不是迪士尼？”

Zhang Yimou shook his head: "I heard from Jiang Zhiqiang that Disney has already sold its share of 'No Country for Old Men.' Now Paramount is barely alive and asking for more than $400 million, plus an additional creative adjustment fee. Sigh!"

Xiao Liu was confused: "What is a creative adjustment fee?"

路宽无奈道：“这是好莱坞电影改编权售卖的隐形条款，比如你中国导演要翻拍《指环王》，就必须保留原著中‘中土世界’的核心世界观和角色设定。”

“如果你想用中国文化背景下的世界观，就要再额外支付一笔调节费。”

When licensing the adaptation rights for Star Wars spin-off series, Disney required that if the producers made subversive changes to the original characters, such as Luke Skywalker, they should receive 10% of the series' streaming revenue as "creative risk compensation."

This model is particularly common in Sino-US co-productions. For example, when "The Meg" was adapted, the Chinese side paid the US side a "cultural adaptation fee" of $1500 million to adjust the background of the main characters.

这笔钱可以看做是新时代好莱坞电影殖民的产物，全世界都知道好莱坞的电影题材赚钱，你想翻拍就要额外支付费用。

这种费用也是由好莱坞的坚船利炮带到的全世界，现在已经普遍适用。

Liu Yifei clicked her tongue: "It feels like an unequal treaty, it's really bullying."

“Who says otherwise?” Zhang Yimou took a sip of tea and said helplessly, “I asked Wei Ping to talk to the Coen brothers about Blood Simple, which is also a Coen Brothers film. I’m seeing if we can lower the price for the adaptation rights. He also introduced me to Xu Zhengchao, Zhao Benshan’s go-to screenwriter.”

Lu Kuan deliberately reminded him: "Xu Zhengchao makes comedies, but the tone of 'Blood Simple' is suspenseful tragedy. Can it work?"

"Wei Ping probably wanted to invite Zhao Benshan to make a cameo appearance, since it's a transitional work and he needs to guarantee box office success."

Zhang Yimou laughed and said, "If there are suitable candidates, you and Yi Fei can also make a cameo appearance."

"Sure, no problem." Boss Lu readily agreed, but in his mind he had already figured out the whole story. So that's how this terrible movie "A Simple Noodle Story" came about.

Just like with "Curse of the Golden Flower," Edko Films invested in the film, with Zhang Weiping contributing a small share and acting as the mainland distribution agent. As for his suggestion to hire Xu Zhengchao as the screenwriter, it's clear that he had already been planning to adapt the film into a comedy.

Comedy makes money!
Who will watch your suspenseful tragedy, "Blood Simple"?
As for the later addition of Xiao Shenyang and others, in addition to Zhao Benshan's strong promotion, it was also because they became popular and went viral after the Spring Festival Gala a few months later, and Zhang Weiping sewed them in, similar to how popular actors are added in later generations.

根据后世张一谋接受采访时的自述，这部电影中原先10%的喜剧风格膨胀到了40%，后续剧本也是根据小沈阳改编，完全破坏了整体结构。

Although the film topped the 2009 Lunar New Year box office, Zhang Yimou's reputation plummeted, and his subsequent lawsuit with Zhang Weiping lasted until 2020.

Zhang Yimou left with a heavy heart. Lu Kuan and the other person went to the director's office. Liu Yifei was preparing for the evening's charity gala, "Dedication of Love," and would leave after resting for a while.

The two walked side by side down the corridor of the Olympic Building. Liu Yifei glanced at him and saw that his brows were slightly furrowed and his lips were tight, clearly still thinking about Zhang Yimou.

She deliberately slowed her pace and gently tugged at the man's sleeve with her finger.

“你怎么也闷闷不乐的，你比张导幸福的多啊，你起码是有钱的老男人。”

Boss Lu stroked his chin: "I'm thinking about how to free Zhang Yimou from Zhang Weiping's control."

"Huh? Aren't they the perfect duo?"

“Zhang Yimou is Zhang Weiping’s golden partner, but Zhang Weiping is increasingly using him as a money-making tool, and something bad is bound to happen sooner or later.”

Liu Yifei took his arm and asked, "Are you worried that a comedic actor like Zhao Benshan can't act in a movie?"

"No, comedians have a great advantage in serious films." Boss Lu shook his head: "Comedians have a strong sense of rhythm and can switch emotions quickly."

“就像周星池在《喜剧之王》里的尹天仇那句‘我养你啊’，上一秒在搞笑，下一秒就直接戳心。”    “赵苯山去年那部《落叶归根》就拍得很不错，给老谋子用说不定还真能榨出点儿不一样的东西。”

来来往往的工作人员只是向这对小情侣投来好奇的目光，没有贸然上前打扰。

刘伊妃理解了他的意思：“你是在担心张卫平，到底是要拍电影还是印钞票呗？”

"Yes, but we can't be too distant from each other, so it's not appropriate to tell him these things directly right now. But I'm not too optimistic about this movie."

路宽在心里思考着对策，怎么“和平演变”这对注定要反目成仇的关系，把张一谋这样本来可以专注艺术的导演解放出来。

Given his relationship with Zhang Yimou, even if he doesn't become a regular director in the industry, normal investment collaborations would still be very pleasant.

泛亚电影学院培养再多的人才，也只是掌握了好莱坞电影工业化条件下的电影拍摄流程，艺术上的天赋和素养是灵感加上后天的努力造就。

每一个艺术家都是独一无二的，张一谋甚至至今还保持着中国导演中，欧洲三大最多的荣誉记录。

Boss Lu suddenly turned to his girlfriend, who was fiddling with the potted plants in the office: "When was your performance at the Beijing People's Art Theatre?"

“年底，春节之前。”

Boss Lu smiled and said, "I've thought of a way to help him, it's up to him to choose."

“Wenjie Film and Television submitted a novel adaptation project last month. It is a novel by a Chinese-American writer named Amy, called ‘Under the Hawthorn Tree’. It was also published by Jiangsu Literature and Art Publishing House last year and received good reviews.”

“I’ve taken a quick look. It’s a love story set in a special era. I think you could try working with Zhang Yimou and playing the female lead.”

Xiao Liu suddenly opened her almond-shaped eyes wide, her slightly parted lips glistening with a moist coral color, as if she had been suddenly stuffed with a sour plum, then she came back to her senses:

"You want to give him a better script to replace this Blood Simple movie adaptation, right?"

Lu Kuan nodded: "Yes, I've read the novel. The core is pure love during a special period. Due to the special environment, the relationship between couples cannot be as passionate and unrestrained as it is in modern times. And Zhang Yimou is good at using extreme restraint to express surging emotions."

"Just like Fugui's silence in the face of his family's destruction in 'To Live,' and Zhaodi's cotton-padded coat fluttering as she runs in 'Father and Mother,' if such a technique of leaving blank spaces is placed in that special era, it will be very moving."

刘伊妃好奇道：“你自己为什么不拍？你还没拍过爱情电影呢？”

Of course, she still wanted to work with her boyfriend, so they could be revolutionary partners, working together and spending every day together.

"This kind of film requires the director to have the ability to poetically deconstruct the period in which he lived, which is a great test of the director's life experience."

“We were born into the era of China’s reform and opening up, and the interaction and impact of Chinese and Western cultural ideas. Looking back at history simply through works of art is certainly not as profound as it is for those who experienced it firsthand.”

That was obviously just an excuse.

Just like the Olympics, even though he replaced Zhang Yimou as the chief director of the opening ceremony, he still brought his own unique elements to the most important part, the lighting of the torch, and the modern performance in the second half.

《山楂树之恋》是张一谋代表作品之一，两人长期以来因为电影和北电出身结下的深厚情谊，路老板自问还不至于要截这个胡。

现在把这个剧本提前推给他，两人还能就电影剧本、拍摄一起沟通交流，把《三枪》这部烂片拒之门外，何乐而不为。

Liu Yifei pouted, reluctantly accepting his explanation, but quickly became engrossed in anticipation for the new movie and new role:

“可以啊，这种电影角色体验是不好体验了，我可以在人艺里找相关的剧目观摩一下。”

“嗯，我找时间跟他聊一聊，你可以先看看原著。”

“其中女主的家庭背景中父母都是老师，到时候要么改编一下家庭背景，要么就给你上特殊的妆造，扮扮丑。”

今天毕竟是520，洗衣机很贴心地奉上马屁，轻轻捏了捏女友精致的下巴：“你看看你这张脸，玉质冰肌，眉目如画，纵使荆钗布裙，亦难掩国色天香。”

“你现在这样放到那个年代太出戏，感觉像在逃公主下乡体验生活，只有通过化妆给你增加些许风霜了。”

傲娇刘小驴板着脸，表示自己不吃这一套，纤纤玉指戳向男友胸口：“你清高，你了不起！把我支使出去打工，然后阴谋诡计离间人家这对黄金搭档，再图谋把张一谋签到问界给你打工是吧？”

Lu Kuan shook his head: "That's not right. We're revolutionary partners now. If we tricked Lao Zhang into coming here, wouldn't we be working for you too?"

“你现在是我的未婚妻啊！”

Liu Yifei felt as sweet as if she had eaten honey, and dimples appeared and disappeared on her pink cheeks, like two red clouds blooming as spring breeze brushed over a crabapple.

She maintained her composure: "Fiancée? Where are my flowers for 520 today? Can't you be a little more considerate?"

The washing machine looked completely innocent: "Flower? Didn't you just eat some? Isn't broccoli a flower?"

Liu Xiaolv instantly lost his guard, raising his little fist with a hostile look.

“你可别乱来奥，现在起码有好几支狙击枪对着你呢，我现在对于国家来说跟大熊猫一样珍稀。”

“切，大狗熊吧你，还大熊猫。”小女友没有直接诉诸武力，毕竟国际奥委会都呼吁停火。

刘伊妃突然眼波流转，纤指揪住路宽的袖口轻晃：“你说的这部爱情小说，里面难道没有男女主的亲热戏？要不你来演这个男主吧！我就不用替身了！”

The girl was thrilled with her idea. She greatly admired the love and passion scenes between Zhang Manyu, Fan Bingbing, and their boyfriends in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," and this was the perfect opportunity.

So she tiptoed closer to his ear, her breath sweet and gentle, her jasmine scent mingling with her coquettish whispers, her voice trailing off like honey: "You act it out! You act it out!"

Boss Lu gently placed his palm on his girlfriend's forehead, smilingly and awkwardly refusing, "Your acting is too bad, I'm afraid I'll overshadow your scenes."

刘伊妃大怒，旋即又反应过来：“我知道了，这电影里是不是压根没有亲热戏？要不你提都不提？”

"Smart! The novel is full of pure love stories, at most they hold hands, and the only sex scene is the two lying together talking."

Lu Kuan laughed and said, "Emotions in this state are inherently characterized by strong restraint and forbearance. The subtlety actually better reflects the oppressive feeling of the times."

"Without external interference, Zhang Yimou wouldn't add sex scenes arbitrarily, as it would lower the overall quality."

刘伊妃恨恨道：“我不管！你要是没有其他安排跟我演一次情侣怎么了？我现在的演技真的很拖你的后腿嘛？”

洗衣机挑眉调侃：“不是？你刚刚不是说我老男人嘛，这小说里男主角年龄也就20岁上下，我不符合啊！”

"Huh? Who said you're old?"

小刘一脸震惊，义愤填膺：“谁说我男朋友是老男人，你叫她出来！我捶不死她！”

办公室里，刘小驴谄媚地晃着男友的胳膊，似有若无地往身体里揉，试图用自己贫穷且慷慨的宝宝食堂搞些小擦边。

“你一点都不老，虽然二十七了，但看起来就是十八的人啊！”

The washing machine teased her with a disgruntled look: "Too little, it should be at least twenty."

“啊？”纯爱少女一愣，再反应过来拳头已经招呼上了：“死色鬼，恶心死了你！”

刘伊妃狠狠地一顿粉拳伺候出了气，才好整以暇地背起包包：“哼，不跟你说了，不愿意演算了，我走了！”

路宽笑着起身送她，临行前搂着她在额头印了一记：“等我先跟老谋子聊聊这事儿，看看怎么慢慢把他忽悠来再说。”

"After all, the movie was made for him, so it's hard to say how the original story will be adapted or what the final plot will be."

Liu Yifei asked curiously, "So what are you planning to film? I haven't seen you staying up all night writing scripts in a long time."

“公司组织人在写，还有原著作者参与，等奥运会结束再考虑这事儿。”

Lu Kuan paused, thinking of Avatar, which was set to sweep the globe in 2009.

补天映画的人才和技术积累已经有六七年时间了，是时候借着这股好莱坞无可阻挡的东风，捡起从《异域》开始就厚积薄发的科幻项目。

The banner of commercialization, science fiction, and film industrialization that I have always championed has reached a stage where conditions are ripe for experimentation and implementation.

路老板送刘伊妃出门：“下一部电影应该是科幻，暂时有几个选择，还没决定。”

"Okay, I understand." Xiao Liu was very understanding of his work. If it conflicted with the film shooting schedule, she naturally wouldn't make a fuss.

Lu Kuan escorted Liu Yifei to the revolving glass door. The afternoon sun shone through the building's diamond-shaped curtain wall, casting dappled golden light on the ground.

She lightly touched the ground with her toes, her high heels clicking softly on the marble. As she turned around, a breeze lifted her hair, brushing against the man's unbuttoned shirt collar.

"I went home to rest for a while, then Tian Tian came to find me, and then I went straight to the CCTV studio in the afternoon."

“知道了，我估计十一点多才能回家，跟你结束时间差不多。”

Lu Kuan watched her get into the car, then rolled down the window and peeked out half of her porcelain-white face.

The afternoon sun slanted across her face, making her almond-shaped eyes look like amber soaked in honey, shimmering with a golden luster.

"Bye-bye, fiancé~~~"

(End of this chapter)