This actor has something

Chapter 372 An Unexpected Suggestion

Traffic jams occurred at times when they shouldn't have, with long queues forming on the road. Many drivers, growing impatient, honked their horns to urge others on, creating a chaotic cacophony that only fueled their frustration.

One by one, the drivers stuck their heads out to look, and some impatient ones even got out of their cars and walked forward, wanting to see why this four-lane main road was congested at this time.

"What's going on ahead?"

"I don't know, but I'm going to take a look anyway."

"Alright, alright, stop looking. There's been a car accident up ahead. A minibus overturned, and only one lane is passable. The traffic police are directing the queue."

"How long will this take?"

"What can we do? We'll just have to move slowly. We're stuck in the middle, with cars in front and behind us. We can't even turn around if we want to."

Qin Hu sat in the passenger seat of the van, craning his neck to listen to the discussions outside for a while. He then looked back at He Daqi in the back seat and saw that he had just pulled his head back out of the window as well. Knowing that He Daqi had also heard about the traffic jam, Qin Hu asked in a low voice, "Daqi, should we get another car and wait at the next intersection? We can walk a few steps and change cars."

"Stop making a fuss, don't rush, just wait patiently. We've already called a car at the last minute, and by the time it arrives, we'll probably have already slowly made our way through the intersection." He Daqi shook his head gently.

Seeing that some idle people noticed the unusual appearance of the nanny van and were peeking in their direction, He Daqi rolled up the window, leaned back in his seat, and, lost in thought, casually looked out the window.

Without noticing, he saw the bus stop across the street, where the advertising space on the waiting platform was now filled with promotional posters for the poem "When My Flower Blooms, All Other Flowers Wither".

In the poster, He Daqi stands in the center, wielding a brocade dagger and exuding a menacing aura. Behind him, on the left and right, are Sun Honglei and Jia Nailiang, both with equally cold faces. In the background, fireworks fill the sky, and the Imperial Guards hold up crossbows and shields. Cheng Long and Xu Jinglei, dressed in bright yellow dragon and phoenix robes, stand above the fireworks, indifferent to everything, as if the Imperial Guards below are merely pawns to be manipulated at will.

Which publishing company was behind this?
It's highly likely that it's China Film Group. Only China Film Group would be willing to do this kind of useless, mediocre publicity.

He Daqi withdrew his gaze, boredly took out his phone, and began browsing Yabo.com.

The movie promotion I posted on my account yesterday has already received over 7,000 comments.

There were all sorts of comments, from laughter and tears to angry outbursts, but the most common were the delusions of female fans going crazy.

What? My husband has become even more handsome! His eyes are so sharp! He looks even more charismatic in his armor than usual.

He Daqi chuckled softly, remembering Liu Ying's instructions. He found a serious comment in the comments section that offered a proper interpretation of the poster and gave it a like.

Soon, the number of likes on this reply skyrocketed, and it reached the top spot after only two refreshes.

There are so many idle people here. Don't they have to go to work or school?
……

The van slowly moved along with the traffic, taking about half an hour to cross the intersection. He Daqi glanced at the overturned minibus curiously, thinking the damage shouldn't be too serious, since the traffic police directing traffic weren't very serious.

The van continued driving and soon arrived at the entrance of the courtyard house that Cheng Long had bought.

He Daqi got out of the car carrying two boxes of pastries and walked inside with a smile.

This wasn't the first time he'd come. The gatekeeper recognized He Daqi, and sat in the gatehouse, smiling and nodding, without coming out to ask any questions.

"Qizai, come and help!"

Cheng Long was cleaning fish and seafood by the pond in the yard when he saw He Daqi come in. He smiled, waved, and called out to him.

He Daqi placed the snacks under the eaves, rolled up his sleeves, and squatted down with a smile. As soon as he touched them, he knew why Cheng Long had asked him for help. The water was so cold that He Daqi shivered.

"Brother, shouldn't you be filming in Hollywood? What are you doing in Beijing?"

"Don't even mention it. The crew wasn't well-prepared, and things didn't go smoothly when we went to France to film. We're currently coordinating with the local authorities. Since your movie is about to be released, I came over to help you with the roadshow for a couple of days."

Judging from Jackie Chan's expression, it shouldn't be any major trouble. If the Hollywood crew were really in trouble, Jackie Chan wouldn't be all smiles right now.

However, when He Daqi heard that Jackie Chan was going to come and help with the roadshow, he twitched his lips. This favor was not easy to repay. Wouldn't he have to go with Jackie Chan for a while when the roadshow for Rush Hour 3 came up?
Now, Ho Tai-kei regrets casting Jackie Chan in his movies. This back-and-forth has forced him to owe many people favors.

After the two finished preparing the seafood and carried it into the kitchen, He Daqi realized that Cheng Long had other guests. He recognized him because he had once acted drunk and disorderly at Cheng Long's concert.

"Hello Daqi, I'm cooking right now, so I won't shake your hand."

"Brother Li... Hello, I'm really sorry about last time, I drank a bit too much."

"Hahaha, it's okay. Later I held another concert, and the fans even asked me why Daqi wasn't coming?"

Since they weren't familiar with each other, He Daqi put on his protective facade again, gave a simple and shy smile, and didn't continue the conversation.

The three of them worked for more than forty minutes, carrying dishes from the kitchen to the living room intermittently. Only after the table was full did they wash their hands and sit down in the living room.

Last night, Cheng Long called and said he was coming to Beijing today to have dinner with He Daqi and talk about some things.

Looking at Li Zongsheng sitting opposite him, He Daqi was a little confused. Was the thing they were going to talk about related to Li Zongsheng? He was a singer and he was an actor, which didn't seem to have much to do with him.

"Come on, Qizai, try my treasured white wine."

"Big brother, it's not that I'm a coward, it's just that I've been busy these past few days. How about we have some beer? Red wine is fine too. Once we're done with this busy period, we'll have a proper drink together."

"Then let's have some beer. Try this Tsingtao Draft Beer. I often drink this when I'm abroad."

There was no rush to talk business, so they ate and drank first. Seeing that neither Cheng Long nor Li Zongsheng showed any intention of bringing up business, He Daqi was in no hurry and chatted with the two of them with a smile.

After a few drinks, while He Daqi was happily munching on prawns, Li Zongsheng tentatively asked, "Daqi, have you ever considered developing a career in music?"

"Yeah, Qi Zai, I'm not bragging, but Big Brother is really talented in music. He often produces albums for people, and many hit albums from Taiwan and Hong Kong have come from his hands," Cheng Long chimed in. He Daqi paused for a moment before realizing that the Big Brother Cheng Long was referring to was Jonathan Lee.

While he was still pondering who was older, Jackie Chan or Jonathan Lee, Jonathan Lee humbly waved his hand and said, "I'm not as amazing as you make me out to be."

Good heavens! Really good heavens! You two call each other "Big Brother," right?
He Daqi rubbed his nose and smiled politely and shyly: "Making music is out of the question, I don't think I'm cut out for it. Besides, I haven't even figured out acting yet."

“Daqi, please don’t underestimate yourself. I’ve seen your singing videos. Your singing is full of emotion and not much technique. In a way, we’re actually the same kind of people,” Li Zongsheng continued to persuade him.

He Daqi clicked his tongue softly. If you don't know how to compliment someone, you don't have to. What do you mean by all emotion and no skill?

Like a dedicated straight man, Jackie Chan continued Lee Tsung-sheng's words, saying, "Ever since my brother watched your live singing recording, he has called me several times saying he wants to release an album for you. I've known him for so long, and I've never seen him so enthusiastic before."

"Brother Li wrote an album for me?" He Daqi asked in surprise.

"Um...no, I only have two songs on hand right now. Daqi, you can collect a few more to make an album, and I'll be your producer," Lee Zongsheng replied somewhat awkwardly.

He Daqi narrowed his eyes. It was too abrupt. They hadn't known each other much before, but the moment they met, the guy offered to help him put together an album, with Jackie Chan even chiming in. This made He Daqi a little uneasy.

The key issue is that the timing is a bit off. It's the end of 06 now. Even though He Daqi is not in the music industry, he knows that the great battle in the Chinese music scene is not over yet. 06 was a year of fierce competition and back-and-forth battles. At this rate, 07 is even more likely to be a year of war.

Putting aside whether He Daqi wants to release an album or not, at this time, plunging headfirst into the singer industry is just asking for trouble, isn't it?

"I'm a bit tipsy today, gentlemen. How about we talk about something else?"

He Daqi felt that Cheng Long and Li Zongsheng were talking nonsense to him, so he also started to talk nonsense openly, and after drinking two glasses of beer, he started to say that he was drunk.

Lee Tsung-sheng wanted to say something, but before he could speak, Jackie Chan cut him off. Jackie Chan smiled and changed the subject: "Qi-zai, you guys have been really pushing the publicity these past few days. I can see the promotion for 'When My Flowers Bloom, All Other Flowers Wither' in any newspaper I buy. And it's not idle online either. It feels like I'm surrounded by the movie's trailer."

"Sigh! There's nothing we can do. These days, making a movie is all about marketing and distribution. Otherwise, if we lose money, nobody will be happy, and who will want to work with us in the future?"

……

……

The Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Wang Jinghua smiled broadly. Standing at the entrance of the venue, she greeted each person who came in with a smile. She could chat with anyone, whether they were celebrities or reporters, and she could build rapport with them in just a few words.

This occasion was perfect for her. Wang Jinghua had thought more than once how wonderful it would be if He Daqi were one of her artists.

Although He Daqi is no longer considered one of her artists, Wang Jinghua has become the artist manager of Ya Yue. She can act as the host and greet guests for the movies Ya Yue produces that star He Daqi, and she can also use He Daqi's name. This feeling is simply wonderful.

It doesn't matter if you don't have friends in the entertainment industry; as long as you become famous, you'll have friends everywhere.

He Daqi didn't recognize many of the guests at the premiere of "When My Flowers Bloom, All Others Wither". He didn't even know that his company had ever worked with these people. But seeing Wang Jinghua and Liu Ying chatting and laughing with each other, he could only smile and nod politely from a distance.

What is the person in charge of Huairou Cinema here for?
What is the general manager of Hengdian Cinema here for?
What newspaper's editor-in-chief is this? I didn't hear him clearly just now.

"Senior brother, as the director of this film, you have a great responsibility today!" He Daqi said earnestly, pulling Ning Hao who was passing by. With Ning Hao looking bewildered, he smiled and patted Ning Hao's arm: "Come on, you stand here and greet the guests. I'm going to the restroom first."

After saying that, he left in a flash. Ning Hao realized what was happening and was about to call out that he needed to greet the guests in the venue, but he didn't even have time to do so. He Daqi didn't seem to be walking fast, but his strides were extremely long. He turned left and right and disappeared into the crowd in the venue.

"That damn thing!" Ning Hao cursed under his breath, forcing a smile as he obediently stood in his place inside the venue entrance to greet the guests.

There's still more than half an hour before the premiere officially starts. Ho Tai-kai and Vivian Chow didn't walk the red carpet today; they arrived at the venue early.

The idea was good, but unfortunately he couldn't help much since he arrived early. Sure enough, he got impatient after standing there for a short while and asked Ning Hao to take over.

After slipping away from the door, He Daqi was happily preparing to find a place to hide. He nodded with a smile in response to the greetings, but before he could take a few steps and choose a place to hide, he was stopped by Wu Nannan.

"What's wrong, Sister Wu? Is something the matter?"

"I've found something about what you asked me to find out. Recently, Li Zongsheng and a few other singers whose popularity has waned are discussing forming a group. The reason they gave you two songs to make an album is probably so that after you become popular, they can use those two songs to ride on the coattails of their popularity when they form a group. After you sang at his concert when you were drunk last time, he immediately held a concert the next day, and the tickets sold out. That's why he's so eager to do this."

Wu Nannan quickly and quietly explained the whole story, saying that her guess might not be correct, but it was a direction to take.

"I see..." He Daqi smacked his lips, smiled and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Sister Wu. You can continue with your work. You don't need to worry about this anymore."

Wu Nannan actually wanted to ask He Daqi if he wanted to release an album. After He Daqi came back that day and asked her to inquire about it, she, Liu Ying, and Wang Jinghua all discussed it and felt that He Daqi was actually quite suitable to release an album to join in the fun.

This year has been a chaotic year for the Chinese music scene, with almost anyone releasing several songs. It's unlikely to be any quieter next year. Taking advantage of the chaos to release an album and have some fun, regardless of the success, can at least solidify the bond with fans.

Otherwise, if He Daqi never shows his face and only appears in front of the public with one or two movies each year, given the current pace of change in the entertainment industry, he might be able to stay relevant for a year or two, but eventually he will fade into obscurity, which is unavoidable.

Unfortunately, He Daqi didn't really want to talk about this, and Wu Nannan couldn't press him for details. She could only watch as he turned and left, happily wandering around.

The company's top star is at the very top of the entertainment industry, but he lacks ambition. Sometimes, thinking about this kind of thing is actually quite worrying.

Although she was used to He Daqi's unreliability, Wu Nannan still sighed with a smile at this moment.

After He Daqi finished chatting with Wu Nannan, he found a good spot: the back row seats on the far right. There was an empty space there, a perfect place to look down and play on your phone. He had only taken a few steps in that direction when someone stopped him again.

"Daqi, wait a minute, I have something to talk to you about."

(End of this chapter)