Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 554 Mystery of a Certain Island!

The entire set was completely silent. Neither the veteran Chinese crew members nor the usually jovial foreign staff dared to utter a sound as they watched the young Chinese director approach.

Having worked with him for almost a month, these North American employees have come to know his style all too well. They're fine with joking and playing around on ordinary days, but when it comes to filming...

Clearly, the treatment of comrades must shift from the warmth of spring to the ruthlessness of winter towards "enemies."

Da Tiantian, who was slumped on the ground, was even more flustered. How could she have caused such a big mess? It was all because of last night's heavy drinking. She would quit drinking starting tomorrow!
You dead leg! Move it already!

Jing Tian's bulging chest rose and fell with her breath. She only managed to get up, on the verge of tears, when Lu Kuan approached. Both of her palms were pierced by pine needles on the ground, and they burned with pain.

She dared not cry out in pain, only pursing her lips in embarrassment:
"Director Lu... I... I was wrong, I'll fix the green screen right away."

The word "teacher" reached the girl's lips, but she swallowed it back, fearing that she would break the rule of "using one's position in the film crew" and make the already hopeless situation even worse.

Boss Lu found it amusing to see this rich, beautiful woman who was becoming more and more of a masochist because of her wife. He thought to himself that it would be good to send her back to China so that she wouldn't be watching him like a stupid agent all the time.

The key is that this girl is the kind of girl who can be taken advantage of at will. You don't need to put in much effort. As long as she gets past Xiao Liu's hurdle, she can probably be taken advantage of at will with a wave of her hand.

Unfortunately, I'm now someone who "doesn't dwell on past glories," and I'm too intimidated by my domineering wife's fierce temperament to confront her directly. The nickname "washing machine" is long gone.

His face was ashen: "Go and treat your wound immediately."

"Hey!" Da Tiantian's face lit up with joy. She turned around to leave, but then she heard his emotionless next sentence, "After you finish packing your luggage, have your assistant book a plane ticket home for you."

"Stop causing trouble here."

"Huh? Director, I...I'm not leaving!" Jing Tian looked up with a pitiful expression, her wet almond-shaped eyes watching Boss Lu's back as he turned away, even the back of his head that was left to her felt cold and hard.

He truly never showed her any tenderness.

Lu Kuan took the megaphone from the assistant director: "What are you waiting for? Get the green screen set up in twenty minutes. Zhou Xun, Duan Yihong, and Xin Baiqing, go over the blocking again."

"Okay!" "Received!"

"Guo Fan?"

"Ah! I'm here! I'm here!" Cyber ​​Daji was just thinking about how to help this young lady out of this predicament when she was suddenly called out and was startled. She hurriedly walked over from the prop box.

"I'm giving you a task." Boss Lu flipped through the script, looked up and gestured to Jing Tian, ​​who was still standing there in a daze, "Take her to treat her wounds, pack her things, and buy a ticket back to China."

"Huh?" Guo Fan groaned inwardly. Who could possibly complete this task?
After more than a month, even a blind man could see the "love and fear" look in this young lady's eyes, which she wasn't trying to hide very well.

The key is that the young girl is really down-to-earth. She pays for all kinds of food, drinks and other necessities to "please" everyone. She is also lively and cheerful, which makes her very popular.

"Yes! I'll go right now!" This task made Guo Fan, who had his back turned, grimace in distress. He suspected that if he hesitated for another two seconds, he would be sent away along with everyone else.

Da Tiantian stood there absentmindedly, while some of her colleagues around her had already started to measure the flatness by pulling lines, while others were holding powerful flashlights and shining them from the side at a very low angle, moving slowly across the screen like criminal police investigating a crime scene.

This is achieved by using side lighting to magnify and remove the stains, dust, and tape marks that were accidentally caused by Jing Tian. Otherwise, even a stain the size of a thumbnail could become a "ghostly" translucent hole in the final composite image.

Guo Fan approached, looking at the actress who had shared three large drinks with him the night before, a woman who was only moderately famous. "Jing Tian, ​​how about I take you to the nearby community clinic first..."

"I'm not going!" Da Tiantian turned around abruptly, tears streaming down her face, landing on her windproof jacket.

Unfortunately, this waterproof jacket, like a resilient washing machine, was impervious to all irritation and could not tolerate anyone else after Xiao Liu planted his flag on it.

Jing Tian wasn't unaware of this principle, but all she wanted to do was watch from afar and stay quietly, without having any excessive desires.

Even if the washing machine were to break free of its seal and become lustful enough to wash her, she still wouldn't be able to get past her own conscience regarding her sister, Qianqian.

Unlike her mother, who comes from humble beginnings and is sometimes recklessly ignorant, Da Tian Tian's upbringing and education clearly taught her certain life lessons:
It is important to recognize one's place in the power hierarchy, and not to do things beyond one's capabilities or dream things that are beyond the realm of reality.

Before you can get something, you should weigh the cost and consider whether you can bear the consequences.

Clearly, Jing Tian knew that it was impossible and difficult for her to get involved with the young director she secretly admired, or with the young lady Xiao Liu, whom she also liked.

Having recognized her own position and considered the consequences of acting impulsively, her best choice was to bury her girlish feelings deep in her heart for the rest of her life.

But today she felt especially wronged. She had been working tirelessly on set, doing odd jobs and production assistant work, all so she could learn from the excellent actors he spoke of and be closer to him. But now…

Jing Tian, ​​unable to control her emotions, shouted at Guo Fan, wiping away her tears as she adjusted the green pom-pom she had been in charge of. This was a reference object used to simulate "ball lightning" for the actors, and it would be replaced by CG later.

Guo Fan had no choice and couldn't bear to persuade her to leave. He had no other means to use, so he could only stay in the middle of the venue under the pretext of helping the stage crew restore the green screen, so as not to be unable to explain himself when he returned.

Cyber ​​Daji is still quick-witted.

He glanced at Jing Tian squatting at the edge of the green screen, her slender fingers tightly gripping the green pom-pom, her knuckles taut.

The girl lowered her head, tears falling onto her knees one by one, but she stubbornly bit her lip to keep herself from crying out loud. Sunlight shone through the roof of the film set, casting her shadow into a small ball, like a baby bird soaked by the rain.

She mechanically adjusted the position of the pom-pom, but her movements became slower and slower until they almost turned into meaningless caressing.

Guo Fan noticed that there were still red marks on the back of her hand from when she helped move equipment yesterday, which looked particularly glaring now that they were soaked with tears.

From afar came Boss Lu's unfriendly commands to the assistant director. Da Tiantian's shoulders visibly twitched, and she subconsciously turned her head toward the source of the sound, then immediately turned back as if she had been burned, curling herself up even tighter.

Cyber ​​Daji clicked her tongue in admiration. Boss Lu was really something. All the beauties in the world had either been washed by him before, or the best one had become his wife, or there was this pitiful rich flower who was relentlessly pursuing him...

The thing is, he was crying like that, and he really didn't even glance at her!

If you have no woman in your heart, your films will naturally be divine.

We need to learn!
However, if the great director he admired heard these thoughts, he would probably just scoff and shake his head.

I'll teach you to have no woman in your heart, and I'll teach you to have no woman in your bed!

understand?
……

The atmosphere inside the studio was like that of a top-level military mobilization, with everyone performing their duties and quickly restoring the studio to its original state within just over ten minutes.

Jing Tian had almost finished crying, and she stood prettily to the side, wearing a black vest just like the stagehands.

The momentary grievance made her grit her teeth and harbor resentment, but the training she had undergone during this period was not in vain. At least her skin had been thickened by being scolded by Boss Lu and by following Guo Fan.

I'm not leaving, I absolutely refuse to leave, what can you do to me!
Lu Kuan, holding a walkie-talkie, said, "Props team, please check if the green mask on the 'exciter' is wrinkled and if the reflective strips are properly attached!"

"Ding Yi's hand needs to be placed there later. If the chroma keying in post-production reveals a mistake, he'll have to write a self-criticism and have his salary docked."

"Wow!" Da Tiantian exclaimed, and fully embodying the "shameless" spirit she learned from Cyber ​​Daji, she ran to the "ball lightning triggering device" in the center of the field, which was made up of a metal frame and countless scrap parts.

She carefully examined the green markers and reflective balls attached to the key components, which were the lifeline for the post-production visual effects team to track motion.

Jing Tian still remembers what Teacher Lu said in the meeting yesterday:

If any marker is missing or obscured, Dr. Ding Yi's magical gesture of 'activating the device' may become misaligned with the CG-generated lightning effect, making it awkward to recreate in post-production and potentially revealing the mistake.

The girl carefully checked and put everything back in its place, but couldn't help stealing glances at Lu Kuan's position, afraid that he would scold her again and force her to leave.

That would be like throwing her face to the ground in front of everyone; no matter how unwilling she was, she had to leave.

"No problem!" Da Tiantian's voice still had a nasal tone from crying, and she then gracefully retreated to the outside of the duct tape that had been laid out on the ground, that is, outside the camera's view.

The crew and staff around her kept their eyes down, all pleased to see this, and some foreigners even quietly raised their eyebrows at her in encouragement.

Just like Liu Yifei, who was a beloved actress in the entire crew of "A Home Too Far," few people could feel any ill will towards such a young girl.

Most importantly, there is no conflict of interest at all. Everyone knows that this is just a rich young lady who is here for fun. How could she possibly steal their jobs?
So some experienced lighting technicians even secretly told her about some of the industry's unspoken rules, such as how to understand the slang used by lighting technicians to avoid being "ambushed" by unfriendly lighting.

This isn't an exaggeration. In film crews, a single overhead spotlight can make even the most beautiful face look like it has shadows under the eyes and around the mouth. Of course, big stars wouldn't dare to do this, but in some large-scale performances and advertising shoots, many smaller stars have no choice but to comply.

It's no exaggeration to say that Master Deng holds half of a celebrity's face in his hand.

Regardless, as Jing Tian stood among the crew, watching the young director behind the monitor shout "Action!", she couldn't help but pat her swollen chest, wondering if she had escaped unscathed.

In the studio, Duan Yihong, who plays Ding Yi, nicknamed "Sexentia," stares intently at the green tennis ball on the court, which is the performance reference that Da Tiantian just adjusted.

Science fiction films usually require actors to have a strong sense of conviction. For example, Duan Yihong, who is now staring at the tennis ball with his eyes full of obsession, wants to treat the tennis ball as "Hong Electronics," which he is obsessed with for the rest of his life.

Wearing a white lab coat, Ding Yi walked to the center of the green screen. His performance was wild and precise. He pressed down hard on the virtual button and stared intently at the inconspicuous green marker.

"Special effects team, release!" Guo Fan ordered.

In an instant, a modified high-pressure air gun was aimed at the green tennis ball and sprayed out a plume of smoke pre-mixed with extremely fine green fluorescent powder.

This green smoke provided post-production visual effects artists with perfect motion trajectories and dynamic lighting references.

"Bai Qing! Zhou Xun! Give us a response! Look at that cloud of green smoke!" Lu Kuan's voice came through the walkie-talkie.

Xin Baiqing's portrayal of Dr. Chen instantly conveyed a mixture of scientist's shock and fear triggered by childhood trauma. His pupils contracted, closely following the rapidly spreading green trail.

His body instinctively leaned back, yet he forced himself to take half a step forward, his Adam's apple trembling as he recited his lines: "It...it's that kind of thing..."

The “symbiotic relationship of fear and obsession” displayed by the National Theatre of China actors made Lu Kuan nod slightly behind the monitor.

Zhou Xun, who plays Lin Yun, took a step forward. Her eyes were completely different; they held an almost greedy admiration and possessiveness, as if she saw not a cloud of green smoke, but the ultimate weapon on the future battlefield.

"Cut! Great! One take!" Lu Kuan breathed a slight sigh of relief, then shouted again, "Guo Fan, get the light meter and measure the reflected light value of the green screen where Zhou Xun is standing now. Make sure the lighting on the face and the background is uniform, and don't let her face be 'stained' with green light, or the post-production chroma keying team will be furious!"

"I'll go!" It was still Da Tian Tian who responded first. Guo Fan shook his head and handed her the light meter, not worried about whether she knew how to use it.

She's done this kind of work a lot. When it comes to the skill and experience of domestic directors in making science fiction films, Lu Kuan is number one. Although Guo Fan hasn't really practiced it yet, he has worked closely with Lu Kuan and Cameron, so he should be ranked second.

Although she wasn't the director, Jing Tian's knowledge and expertise in special effects filming, even as a general assistant, was among the top ten.

For example, why can't the green screen have wrinkles? Why are there tracking points? Why is it necessary to control color overflow? These are some of the basic details and issues related to the combination of special effects.

Without him, only familiar with Seoul.

Lu Kuan and Zhao Fei were chatting animatedly about the scene they had just witnessed, clearly engrossed in their work and completely oblivious to Jing Tian's situation.

As for instructing Guo Fan to take the test, it was Jing Tian who volunteered in the end, and he didn't care.

If things go wrong in the end, Guo Fan will take the blame and get out.

Da Tiantian usually couldn't wait for him to look at her more, but this time she was happy that he ignored her. She trotted over to Zhou Xun's side and carefully measured him.

Zhou Xun winked at her and chuckled softly, "You're starting to resemble your sister Qianqian a bit. Sometimes, burying your head in the sand isn't such a bad thing."

Jing Tian blushed and nodded, then pouted and said aggrievedly, "It's just that I'm really annoying like this, so shameless..."

Zhou Xun always had a clear understanding of others. She smiled and shook her head: "I just praised you for looking a bit like Xixi, but you were wrong again."

She glanced at Lu Kuan, who was still having a heated discussion with Zhao Fei and Guo Fan about the scene they had just witnessed, and thinking that she could trust Liu Yifei since this girl was her, she couldn't help but say a few more words:

"Do you believe that someone so shameless will actually earn him more respect for you?"

"If you were some delicate young lady who would turn around and run away in grievance after being scolded a couple of times, he wouldn't mind not seeing you. But you're like a breeze that drifts by, leaving a little fragrance behind."

"Even after being subjected to harsh words, you can still adjust your mindset and get things done..."

Zhou Xun carefully considered her words, "Although the girlish feelings deep in your heart are gone forever, it won't make him hate you."

"He at least appreciates people who can get things done."

Da Tiantian was stung by her words, thinking to herself, "Did I really write those words on my face? How come everyone can see it?"

She could tell right from wrong. Yesterday, she had drunk too much and Zhou Xun had taken care of her. She nodded gratefully, and after getting her temperature checked, she left as if she were escaping.

Zhou Xun, who plays Lin Yun, remained standing, looking at the young girl who resembled Liu Yifei from back then, and thought to herself that the two women were quite different in terms of temperament and personality.

If it were Liu Yifei, she wouldn't cry today, nor would she hide in the crowd to peek like Jing Tian is doing now.

Once she's made up her mind, she'll never admit defeat; she'd love to stand in front of the person who gives her attitude!

Perhaps only such extraordinary resilience could win over such a man.

Filming continued, and the next shot showed Lin Yun attempting to "touch" the ball lightning.

Zhou Xun needed to reach her hand to the end of a robotic arm covered in green sponge. Guo Fan's task was to immediately operate a small handheld smoke generator after the director yelled "Action" to spray a small amount of green smoke near Zhou Xun's hand to simulate the effect of an energy field on the fingers and provide interactive effects.

The green smoke and dust are the traces left by post-production CG.

The conditions and timing of this collaboration are quite important. Cyber ​​Daji dared not entrust it to Jing Tian again, otherwise, if something went wrong, it could result in "two lives lost." Naturally, he understood the importance of this matter better than anyone else.

The talented team from the film industry made no further mistakes. After the minor hiccup caused by Da Tiantian in the morning, they proceeded smoothly and filming went very well.

Zhou Xun, Duan Yihong, and Xin Baiqing are all dedicated and excellent actors. Lu Kuan's biggest takeaway from this film is that it was relatively easy to direct the actors. He was able to enjoy the same treatment as Wong Kar-wai, with these three providing various acting ideas and giving him more inspiration.

Filming continued into the afternoon when Harvey drove over, greeted them, and then sat on the sidelines watching his Eastern ally film.

He had been negotiating tax refunds with the Canadian Film Bureau in Montreal, and the new film "The King's Speech," co-invested by Miramax and North American Media, is about to begin filming.

In this life, Boss Lu has certainly profited from the Jewish An Lushan quite a bit.

He still couldn't let go of this low-budget, highly acclaimed film, which was also a famous film in history that was won an Oscar by Harvey's "unbeatable public relations".

Like "Jewish An Lushan" and "Chinese Little Immortal," "The King's Speech" plans to film parts of "Ball Lightning" in Quebec, with the local government promising a 27% tax refund.

In fact, the mass exodus of Hollywood film crews has become a trend and an established industry practice in the past two years.

During the 2008-2009 global financial crisis, the film tax rebate policies of various states in the United States diverged significantly. For example, California's 15% tax rebate policy, which was introduced in 2004, was suspended in 2007 due to the fiscal crisis.
Meanwhile, Quebec in Canada raised its overall tax rebate rate to 27%, and British Columbia, where Vancouver is located, introduced a 25% basic tax rebate and a 2% local talent hiring incentive, creating a huge attraction due to the policy scissors difference.

A deeper reason lies in the fact that the US federal government has never established a unified tax refund system, with each state acting independently.

路易斯安那州虽然一直保持30%高退税，但要求剧组必须雇佣50%本地员工；    纽约州2008年将退税砍至10%后，当年电影拍摄量骤降42%；

In contrast, Canada not only offers stable tax refunds but also promises 10 years of policy stability through the Canadian Film Shooting Act. As a result, not only Hollywood crews like Harvey Weasley but also Chinese crews preparing for global distribution, such as "Ball Lightning," have flocked to Canada.

Harvey had just finished discussing the tax refund and was meeting up with his close Chinese friend before heading to New York together.

The production team of "Ball Flash" had to go through this Jewish broker to handle the matter of filming on the aircraft carrier with the Pentagon's entertainment office.

It can only be said that this glove between the underworld and the legitimate world is very effective, but only if Lu Kuan, through his repeated use of metaphysics to intimidate him and tightly binds him to his interests, can he be controlled.

Filming was in progress until the afternoon when an unexpected autumn rain disrupted the schedule, and the original scenes had to be temporarily put on hold. Assistant director Guo Fan, feeling a chill, ran to the monitor:

"Director Lu, should we hide for a while, or what should we say?"

The young director glanced at the sky, then at the playback, and frowned in thought for two minutes. Apart from those sheltering from the rain in the studio, no one in the crew moved around freely; they were like an army that obeyed orders without question.

"How about this, we'll add two more scenes that aren't in the script or the original story."

He got up and walked to the center of the venue, looking around for himself. His hair was quickly soaked by the rain. "The director of photography made a last-minute adjustment to the lighting, using the diffused light of the rainy day to create a bleak atmosphere in the laboratory."

"Autumn rain is rare, the artistic conception is very good. Ding Yi and Lin Yun, take a very simple static picture later to keep as material."

Lu Kuan tried to explain: "The general situation is this: Ding Yi, who was soaked by the rain, frantically rewrote the formula after the experiment failed, while Lin Yun watched him quietly in the rain."

"It's very simple, just to imply an alliance between you two 'mad scientists' and 'military utilitarians'."

"After we finish this take, let's take another one featuring Dr. Chen."

He watched as the lights and cameras quickly sprang into action, and first sat back down on the monitor. Duan Yihong and Zhou Xun also walked thoughtfully to the center of the venue.

Assistant director Guo Fan sat to the side without saying a word, only frowning as he watched the two actors get ready, quietly pondering the purpose of this impromptu scene added using the autumn rain.

However, Boss Lu, who deliberately gave him a hint, didn't keep the mystery too long.

“We spent an afternoon shooting special effects shots. They’re cool, but we still need some of these elements to express the humanistic content. Otherwise, it will just become an empty and boring pile of technology.”

He pointed to Duan Yihong, who was ready: "Look, the scientist's obsessive state in the rain is an external manifestation of his inner spiritual world. It is a departure from common sense, a transgression of the boundaries of rationality, and the loneliness after being swallowed by the goal."

"You should know Frankenstein, the same principle applies."

"And what role do they, Lin Yun, play as a control group? One is calculating frantically, the other is observing calmly."

"I think this is a complex convergence between pure scientific exploration and utilitarian application, which is also one of the points that Liu Cixin wanted to express in the original work."

"Lin Yunshi's character represents the desire to transform scientific discoveries into power, while Ding Shiyi's character symbolizes the endless pursuit of knowledge itself. The combination of the two may generate enormous energy, but it also harbors the risk of getting out of control, raising deep concerns about the ethical boundaries of technological development."

The assistant director yelled "Action!" and Lu Kuan, who was in front of the monitor, found his thoughts becoming clearer as he talked with Guo Fan. "It just so happens that we have this short, slightly longer scene today, but it might have a surprising effect during the later editing."

"These moments in science fiction films are, at their core, dramatic questions about the relationship between science and humanity. They are the moments that we directors, beyond piling up technology, can use to inspire and provoke thought in the audience, or to showcase the core of science fiction based on Chinese humanism."

"To put it simply, you can also understand it as personal agenda." Boss Lu patted Guo Fan, whose gaze was slightly dazed, and got up to continue to the center of the venue to communicate with the actors.

smuggled goods?

Guo Fan stared at Duan Yihong, who was acting crazy in the rain, and Zhou Xun, who was calm, his heart churning.

In Vancouver during the autumn rain, the Chinese film crew continued shooting. Only the last scene, featuring Xin Baiqing as Dr. Chen, took some time. He had enjoyed the performance that day and, after several takes, repeatedly communicated with director Lu Kuan, wanting to refine the scene while the rain was falling.

So, half an hour later, they presented everyone with a superb silent performance:

In a close-up shot, after the ball lightning disappears, Dr. Chen stands alone in the center of the experimental field, rain dripping from his hair. The camera focuses on the almost religious frenzy and pain that appears on half of his face.

Xin Baiqing delivered a performance with the silent acting that stage actors are known for. With only subtle twitches in the corners of his eyes and slow swallowing, he conveyed the character's lifelong obsession and trauma.

Harvey, watching from the sidelines, was quite impressed. He was a Hollywood film producer who, while not exactly pro-China, was relatively knowledgeable about Chinese films. Yet, every time he worked on a film by this Eastern director, he would find many excellent Chinese actors, even if he couldn't name them.

As dusk swallowed the last rays of light in the forest, the incredibly fulfilling day of filming finally came to an end.

"Lu, a brilliant performance, this will definitely be a top-notch film." Harvey greeted the lead actors with a smile.

She recognized Zhou Xun long ago. A couple of years ago, she went to North America with the film "Aftershock" for promotion. Duan Yihong and Xin Baiqing both shook hands with him politely, knowing that he was a big shot in Hollywood.

Da Tian Tian's morning breakdown had subsided, and she walked over gracefully. Just as she was about to say something to Lu Kuan, he was pulled aside by Harvey.

The Jewish An Lushan glanced at the baby-faced, big-breasted Da Tiantian, and winked at the Chinese director: "Lu, you've finally figured it out, this is good."

Mr. Lu was speechless and unable to explain, so he simply got straight to the point: "Have you finalized the tax refund with Quebec?"

"Yes, the investment in 'The King's Speech' was not high to begin with, and there are many indoor scenes. We are applying for an early tax refund, which can also alleviate some of the financial pressure."

Who has money these days? The entire Hollywood industry lost income last year because of the loopholes in German tax law that were closed; otherwise, there wouldn't be so many mixed-media productions.

Of the three companies—North American International, Miramax, and Disney—perhaps only the latter has sufficient cash flow.

Miramax was essentially a slightly larger individual workshop, so we won't go into details for now;
The North American sector generated approximately $5 million in CDS revenue, while the remaining $10 billion was repatriated to China for the mixed-ownership reform of Lenovo, the newly established mobile phone industry, and other potential uses.

The $5 million left in the US will be used to support Twitter, which is about to go public, and Netflix, which has been dormant for more than a year and is now at an awkward juncture in its transition from DVD to streaming.

The remaining profits from films released in North America are either too long to cover or need to be used to support the company itself, or even to buy back the "superheroes" who have been stranded abroad. The company is basically operating at full capacity.

Let's look at the films currently in production or yet to be recouped by North American studios, Miramax, and Disney:

Leonardo DiCaprio's film "Inception," co-starring Chinese actress Su Chang, will have its global premiere during the Christmas season.

Following Iron Man and Wolverine, Iron Man 2 is currently in production;

The independent film "The King's Speech," a collaboration between the first two companies, is about to begin filming;
There's also a collaboration plan currently under negotiation: opening up Disney's traditional IP, *Toy Story 3*, to Wenjie. This plan also includes Lu Kuan's own scheme to bring in Jiaozi and others to "learn from the West." (Chapter 473)
All things considered, apart from industry chain giants like Disney, no other major player has any surplus funds after the financial crisis, including Wenjie, which is striving to become the number one in Asia and even the world.

Therefore, we should save money wherever possible.

After chatting for a while, Harvey suggested impatiently, "Lou, shall we go back to New York tonight? I'll arrange a private jet, we can leave anytime."

A regular flight from Vancouver to New York takes 5-6 hours, while a private jet is slightly faster.

But why is this Jewish An Lushan in such a hurry?
The fat-headed Harvey didn't let his doubt linger for long, smiling as he pulled an invitation from his pocket and handed it over.

From a distance, Da Tiantian craned her neck curiously to look, but she couldn't make out the unusually textured black cardstock in Lu Kuan's hand—

It feels cool and smooth to the touch, like the fur of some large feline. Under the light, you can vaguely see the extremely fine gold threads mixed in with the pulp, like a hidden golden river flowing in the dark night.

The envelope was unsigned, with a raised, luxurious embossed wax seal in the center, and a highly symbolic emblem:

A pair of elegant, outstretched angel wings, but upon closer inspection, the outline of the wings is cleverly designed to resemble the curves of a woman's body, hinting at a connection to Victoria's Secret Angels, yet adding a touch of ambiguous twist.

Letter:

[Victoria's Secret Private Appreciation Session]

Time: 9 PM, November 11th, at "Angel Wings"

Dress code: Elegant casual wear
This is a sincere invitation from LW, intended for the exclusive use of the invitee. Please present this letter when visiting.

……

"What's this?" Boss Lu looked at the invitation in his hand with some surprise, feeling a strange familiarity with the champagne gold "LW" with its metallic texture.

Harvey said with a smirk, "Lou, don't tell me you don't know Victoria's Secret? The world's top supermodel lingerie show?"

Boss Lu shook the invitation in his hand: "This doesn't look like an ordinary fashion show invitation, does it?"

"Haha! Of course, that's for fools and paupers." Harvey put his arm around the Eastern director's shoulder and whispered, "We rulers are here to have fun!"

The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is usually filmed in mid-to-late November at the Lexington Avenue Armory in New York and aired in early December.

However, looking at the invitation in his hand, which was unusually sexually suggestive, Boss Lu knew that the Victoria's Secret show that Harvey had told him about, which was meant to provide entertainment and pleasure for the wealthy, was not the same thing as the former.

"This is a 'pre-show preview' hosted by Leslie, the owner of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show and a Jewish billionaire, for his good friends."

Harvey's tone was clearly suggestive: "The location isn't in a noisy place like Lincoln Center. It's in an unmarked townhouse on the Upper East Side, absolutely secluded, with security measures even stricter than the Federal Reserve."

His words were seductive: "Imagine the road. Before those girls put on wings and walk the runway for millions of viewers, they'll first appear there naked. No blinding spotlights, no frenzied fan screams, just the softest lighting, the most soothing music, like..."

"Like precious artifacts waiting to be carefully appreciated, or even... touched by hand, they will be more relaxed, more authentic, and better at pleasing the people who truly determine their fate."

An Lushan, the Jewish man, had an oily sheen on his face, as if he were already in that imagined scene of bliss:
"As a friend, I've always felt sorry and apologetic that you haven't been a part of our celebrations for a long time."

"Lu! How about this surprise? Are you ready to accept this invitation from your best friend?"

Of course, Boss Lu's thought process didn't immediately switch to washing machine mode, even though he had just been stimulated by his wife's flirting that morning.

But as he looked at the name of the person on the invitation, "LW," which was Leslie Wexner, the owner of Victoria's Secret, he thought of another top-level scandal that went far beyond what Harvey had described as a "pre-show Victoria's Secret Fashion Show."

Regarding a certain island.

Harvey Weinstein of Miramax;

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show host Leslie Wexner;
Jeffrey Epstein, the “first island owner in America”.

What is the connection between these three Jews?
First, they are all members of the Mega Group, a major Democratic Party donor and Jewish lobbying group.

This so-called "Mega Group" is a pro-Israel lobbying group composed of more than 50 billionaires, aiming to support Israeli interests and influence US policy. Leslie's father-in-law, Koper, is an Israeli veteran who previously worked for the Israeli intelligence agency.

Harvey rallied Hollywood stars to "support" Black Sea, Hillary Clinton, and others, while Leslie, born in 1937, was one of the major donors to the Kree Foundation. Epstein also conducted transactions through a secret list he possessed.

Second, the relationship between Leslie and Epstein became even closer.

Epstein served as Leslie's financial manager and was given full authority to manage his personal finances in the 90s.

Between 1991 and 2007, billionaire Leslie paid Epstein a massive “financial advisory fee” of approximately $2 million and transferred to him tangible assets, including a Manhattan mansion and a private jet.

In later declassification, it was revealed that this private jet was the "Island Express" used for transportation.

Or, to put it another way, it was the product of the collaboration between these two Jews. They simply upgraded the "pre-Victoria's Secret show" silver platter, which wasn't exciting enough, and created the infamous and far-reaching island silver cave that would later become a legend.

“Lu?” Harvey patted the stunned Mr. Lu’s arm suspiciously. “Please tell me you’re speechless with surprise, instead of thinking about how to refuse me, or using your Chinese wife as an excuse?”

He leered at Da Tian Tian, ​​who was standing not far away, and said, "Don't tell me this beautiful girl hasn't slept with you yet? Don't pretend to be so proper in front of your friends. You're not going to be the president giving a speech on TV, haha!"

Boss Lu sneered inwardly, thinking to himself, "Damn it, the future Grand Manager might already be on your pirate ship."

His expression darkened slightly. Out of his usual caution towards shameless scoundrels, he still used the acting skills of an Oscar-winning actor to probe, "The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show isn't a new event, so why am I only receiving this invitation now?"

“Haha! Don’t be angry, my friend.” Harvey said with a proud expression, “We never invite Asians to this kind of show. Only the top American billionaires and Jews can participate.”

“You were originally famous in North America only because of your title as an artist, but now your assets are among the top three in Asia. I have repeatedly assured Leslie and the others that you are an exceptionally outstanding businessman and are very friendly to Jews. You are one of our kind.”

An Lushan's idea was simple: his cooperation with this Chinese confidant went very smoothly. The latter even predicted that a certain actress he had slept with had a recording, which helped him avoid the risk of being exposed.

Harvey simply wanted to forge a deeper connection with him, and incidentally, to use him as a Chinese spokesperson to help himself build greater prestige within Jewish circles.

After all, he is the owner of the largest film company in Tokyo, officially serves as the legislative advisor for the Film Promotion Act, and has a close relationship with the head of China Film Group. It is obvious that Disney has benefited greatly from its cooperation with him.

Of course, in Lu Kuan's mind, who was not only speculating about everyone with the utmost malice, especially Squid, he was already wondering if Harvey also had the idea of ​​bringing him to the island, so as to obtain a list or even a video about him, just in case.

Although the evidence and full picture of the island's brothel were important weapons in his hands, the actor continued to play hard to get and reject Harvey:
"Forget it, all these women in the Victoria's Secret show are too ugly. My wife's toes are prettier than theirs. I really have no interest in it."

Just like Harvey before, he gestured towards the "peeping" Da Tian Tian not far away and said, "See? I'm tired of playing with these top-quality beauties with baby faces and big breasts. Those models... hehe."

Jing Tian seemed to realize that her little actions had been discovered, and turned around without making a sound. Her curvaceous figure provided an endorsement for the washing machine's boasting.

The washing machine is really exaggerating this time. It's more likely that your wife has gotten tired of Da Tian Tian, ​​and you probably wouldn't dare to touch her with a single finger.

Harvey said helplessly, "Luke, we Jews have a proverb—"

"Bread from a friend always tastes sweeter; you can't always refuse the kindness of a close friend!"

"Besides, this Leslie has good relationships with many high-ranking military officials, which may make it easier for you to take photos on the US aircraft carrier."

The Jewish An Lushan seemed to have thought of something from the "baby face and big breasts" he had just mentioned. He pondered for two seconds, then slightly turned his body to the side, covered his mouth, and spoke in a deeper, more excited voice:

"The road, in fact..."

"Actually, the Victoria's Secret show is just a preliminary process. If you are interested and the conditions are right, we can go to a more interesting place."

"Didn't you ask me to inquire about any private islands for sale? This is a really interesting private island, it's practically paradise on earth!"

He suddenly looked up and examined the washing machine from head to toe, then said confidently, "I'm absolutely certain, one hundred percent certain, that you'll love it!"

Hey!
Is that how you all see me?
Boss Lu resisted the urge to slap that fat face and smiled, "What do I like? It seems to be some kind of amazing place."

"Do you know why I'm so sure? I can't tell you exactly how dreamlike and enchanting it is right now, I'll just ask you one question." The Jewish An Lushan had a knowing look on his face, a look of unspoken understanding between men:

"When you brought Crystal to America to film 'A Home Away'—"

"How old is she?"

washing machine:???

I am utterly wronged throughout the ages! My reputation has been ruined to this extent!

My wife has ruined me!
(End of this chapter)