This actor has something

Chapter 448 Approaching and Distant

It's getting colder and colder. He doesn't know if it's just his imagination, but He Daqi always feels that the new house is much colder than the old villa.

Maybe it's because the new house is too big?

Or perhaps it's just my imagination?
He Daqi turned to look at Zhou Huimin, who was also curled up on the sofa, and especially after seeing the blanket covering her, he immediately realized that this was not his imagination.

Back in their old villa, the couple would never cover themselves with blankets on the sofa when the air conditioning and heating were on. Now, it's clear that Vivian Chow is also feeling cold.

He Daqi's hands were also mischievous. He probably saw that Zhou Huimin was too comfortable under the small blanket, so he quickly pulled the blanket over himself.

That was just like disturbing a zombie; Vivian Chow lunged at her with her claws outstretched.

The sofa in their new home is big enough for them to roll around on and off, and they're even fighting over a small blanket.

The fat cat rolled over on the back of the sofa, squinting at its troublesome owners.

Frequent bickering is good for physical and mental health. Look, the couple started sweating after a short while of fighting, and they probably don't feel cold anymore.

Zhou Huimin smiled and tugged at He Daqi's face, pulling it left and right, constantly changing her expression. Taking advantage of He Daqi's reluctance to give in and his forceful movements, she straddled He Daqi with an air of triumph.

The familiar sound of a marimba bell rang out.

Zhou Huimin reached out and grabbed He Daqi's phone from the table. She glanced at the caller ID, saw an unfamiliar English name, and answered it without thinking. She then placed the phone to He Daqi's ear and leaned over him, ready to hear who was calling.

"Hey?"

He Daqi didn't see the caller ID, so he could only reply with a generic "hello".

"Hey, I sent 'Wild Chrysanthemum' to Berlin. They've given it a very high rating. We have two options: either it's the opening film or it's a sure thing for a nomination. Which do you think is better?"

The long-unheard voice of Adolf Reinhard came through the phone, cheerful and slightly excited.

Upon hearing his choice, He Daqi immediately chose the second option, replying, "Get a nomination."

His choice was not unexpected by Adolf Reinhard. He already knew what He Daqi's purpose was, and he was just putting on a show by mentioning the two options.

If Ho Ta-kai had made this movie to make money, he might have chosen the first option. Unfortunately, Ho Ta-kai wasn't in it for the money; in fact, he wanted to spend more money.

"He, if we're talking about a nomination, this is practically guaranteed. But it's just a nomination; whether we win depends on the judges' choice..."

"I know, Mr. Adolf. I hope you will answer my questions seriously and honestly. Don't boast too much. You know what I want, so I don't want to fail because of your empty talk. Think it through before you speak."

He Daqi straightened his expression, gestured to Zhou Huimin who was straddling him, asking her to move aside, then stood up and sat up straight, waiting for Adolf Reinhard's response.

"Yes, I understand. Go ahead and tell me."

"Do you have any connections? If so, can you guarantee I'll win the award without any chance of it happening? If not, how much do you think I'll have to sacrifice with the Coen brothers to secure the award?"

After He Daqi finished asking his question, Adolf Reinhard thought for a long time before giving him a response.

He Daqi wasn't in a hurry and just kept waiting.

"He, if all you want is to win the Best Actor award, I can help you. I can absolutely guarantee you won't be disappointed. However, if possible, it would be best to contact the Coen brothers. This isn't directly related to your goal; it's a personal request of mine."

Let me be frank: if it were just me pulling strings for you, the cost of getting the award would be about the same as contacting the Coen brothers, except that they could not only get you the Best Actor award, but also get "Wild Chrysanthemum" a Golden Bear.

The fair-skinned fat man's words couldn't have been clearer, and He Daqi understood them perfectly.

The connections are the same, it's just that the white fat guy doesn't have as much influence as the Coen brothers, so for the same amount of money, the Coen brothers can get a higher-level award, while the award he needs becomes a freebie.

The white-skinned fat man here has ulterior motives.

If "Wild Chrysanthemum" wins the Golden Bear, the white, chubby actor will have officially made his international debut, which will make his future Hollywood career smoother.

"Then help me contact the Coen brothers. When you do, make it clear that I don't want too much trouble."

"Don't worry, He, I will definitely not let you down."

"That's all for now, goodbye."

After hanging up the phone, He Daqi gently placed it back on the table. He didn't mind doing someone a favor; the cost was the same anyway, and it was always good to know more people and have more resources and channels.

"Why are you so hung up on an international Best Actor award? It probably doesn't matter to you whether you win it or not, right? Do you really want to go to Hollywood? If you go there, this international Best Actor award won't be of much use."

Zhou Huimin couldn't understand what kind of stupid move He Daqi was making. For He Daqi, this award was really not very useful. He Daqi's status in China has already reached its limit. Even if He Daqi wanted to develop his career abroad, he didn't necessarily need to win this award.

This is tantamount to giving money away for free, and not a small amount at that. The effort and the reward are disproportionate, which is not how He Daqi usually does things.

"Didn't I say before that I'm doing this for my dream?" He Daqi's answer was still as perfunctory as ever.

"You're dreaming nonsense!"

Zhou Huimin picked up a sofa cushion and slapped it on He Daqi's head. If he didn't want to talk, he didn't want to talk. She hadn't made enough of a scene earlier, and Zhou Huimin wanted to make a little more noise.

……

……

In December, the temperature in Beijing steadily drops below zero on nights.

I can't wear a trench coat anymore; I have to wear a thermal shirt, a sweater, and a down jacket when I go out at night.

Going out for hot pot on a nice day is indeed delightful, and even Vivian Chow is happy to accompany Ho Tai-kai out for a small gathering with friends.

Anyway, since we're in a nanny van on the way there and back, the car won't get cold.

It was precisely because Zhou Huimin was going with He Daqi that He Daqi was unable to attend this dinner party.

The couple had gotten ready, but when they were about to leave, their two little rascals stopped them, throwing tantrums and whining, refusing to let them go and insisting on going out with their parents.

The kid's grown up and doesn't listen to instructions anymore.

Especially He Daqi's two kids, who are at an awkward age, four or five years old, disliked by both cats and dogs.

He Daqi glanced at the little cotton-padded jacket that was jumping around while clutching his down jacket, and then at his precious son who was scratching his leather shoes with the claws of the fat cat that was always dreaming. He immediately felt that his head was bigger than twice as big.

Children are old enough to be independent and self-respecting.

How about we make another variety show next year, called "The Kids' Happy Journey"? Let them earn their own living expenses, and maybe give some of the proceeds to their parents.

Four or five years old isn't a child anymore; it's the perfect age to go out and explore. "Why don't we take them both with us?"

Zhou Huimin interrupted He Daqi's fantasy of arranging jobs for his children.

"Forget it, let's not go out. Let Deng Chao and the others come over for a visit. We haven't invited any friends since we moved, so this is a good opportunity."

Zhou Huimin nodded in agreement indifferently, then turned around and arranged for several Filipino maids to go upstairs to cook. She told Zhou's mother and the maids to take the children to eat upstairs later, while He Daqi and his wife would have hot pot with Deng Chao and the others downstairs.

After telling Deng Chao and the others about the change of location, He Daqi only gave them the address and didn't mention that it was his own home. He then calmly went into the kitchen and started working.

Everything was readily available. After all, the eight refrigerators in the kitchen of the new house weren't just for show. Especially for the old residents of Beijing, they all need to stock up on ingredients for hot pot in the winter. It's just that He Daqi's family has a particularly wide variety of ingredients.

Honestly, no matter who it is, their first reaction upon visiting He Daqi's manor villa is definitely that it's a private club.

Lu Yang was like this before, and so were Deng Chao and the others.

This meal was arranged by Deng Chaoyue, but no one expected that He Daqi would invite people to his home because of his unruly child.

Deng Chao was mainly grateful to He Daqi for keeping his promise and arranging for him to star in "My Flower Opens and Hundred Flowers Kill 2".

It's worth noting that ever since Ning Hao broke box office records with "My Flowers Bloom After Hundred Flowers Kill," the sequel to this movie has become a top priority. Given Deng Chao's current status and the fact that he's not even part of Asia-Pacific Entertainment, it's practically impossible for him to get the lead role.

There were so many people queuing up to grab it, stretching from the mainland to Hong Kong, and from Hong Kong to South Korea. There were many people with a greater advantage than Deng Chao.

So it really comes down to He Daqi's good connections.

The key point is that He Daqi lacks nothing now, and Deng Chao didn't know how to thank him. After thinking about it, he decided to do it the same way as before and have a drink together.

Of course, bringing director Lu Yang along was just a side effect.

Lu Yang was an old acquaintance; he had stayed here for almost half a month when he was doing rough cuts for "Where Are We Going, Dad?". After getting out of the car, he greeted the security guard at the entrance, and the imposing openwork bronze door opened from the inside.

"Director Lu, have you been to this place before?"

Wang Baoqiang first helped Cui Bo out of the car with great courtesy, and then asked Lu Yang, who seemed to know the way well, with curiosity.

"Don't get out of the car, it's still a long way to go, we need to take a car to get there." Lu Yang smiled strangely, without explaining much.

He also didn't expect that He Daqi would change the place of dining and come to He Daqi's own home.

"Is this a private club? It's really grand. How much did it cost to build such a big club on the East Third Ring Road?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Baoqiang quickly helped Cui Bo into the car, clicking his tongue in amazement as he asked. He was now acting like a sycophant, ever since He Daqi had introduced him to Cui Bo, Wang Baoqiang was practically bowing and greeting Cui Bo every time they met.

"I reckon it would cost quite a bit to eat here." Cui Bo nodded in agreement.

"It's alright, Daqi has plenty of money," Deng Chao said nonchalantly.

Lu Yang still vividly remembered how successfully He Daqi had put on his act when he first came here, and how pathetic he looked back then. So now, he couldn't possibly say anything more, just smiling and remaining silent as the others chatted on and on.

The van slowly pulled up in front of the villa.

He Daqi and his wife greeted them with smiles.

"Daqi, you're not planning to rip me off, are you? I don't earn money easily, don't try to eat me out of house and home." Deng Chao shouted before even getting out of the car.

Before He Daqi could respond, Wang Baoqiang got out of the car.

"Big Brother!" Wang Baoqiang smiled broadly.

He Daqi twitched the corner of his mouth and gave a perfunctory nod as a greeting.

Deng Chao didn't say who was there this time; it wasn't until they met that they learned he had also invited Wang Baoqiang.

But thinking about it carefully, Deng Chao and Wang Baoqiang are both at Huayi now, so they see each other all the time and it's normal for them to invite each other to have a meal together.

There are only five people in total: Deng Chao and Sun Li, Wang Baoqiang and Cui Bo, plus Lu Yang who goes solo. All of these people have roles in "After the Flowers Bloom, the Hundred Flowers Kill 2", including Lu Yang who has a cameo role.

"Come inside, it's cold outside. You've come at the perfect time. The water's almost boiling, so let's sit down and start cooking." He Daqi said with a smile as he led the way inside.

When the group entered, everyone except Lu Yang was stunned. The decor was clearly not for business use, not to mention that Zhou Huimin was even having everyone change their shoes at the door.

Even if you don't believe it, there's no other possibility now.

"Daqi, don't tell me this is your home..."

"What? Is it not good enough? Do you think it's too low-class and not presentable?" He Daqi asked with a wicked smile.

"You're awesome!" Deng Chao gave a thumbs up, speechless.

"Brother, you're a winner in life now! You live in such a big house, married such a beautiful wife like Sister Zhou, and have two adorable kids. This is a life that even the gods wouldn't trade."

"Don't worry, Baoqiang, just work hard. Don't forget that our family also has shares in Huayi. If you work harder, maybe I can get a bigger house in a couple of years," He Daqi joked with a laugh.

"If your contracts expire, it would be best if you set up your own studios. Daqi and I will invest 10% or 20% of the shares. Don't worry about resources. There's no future in working for others. You can only build your own business by making money for yourself."

Vivian Chow did say something sensible with a smile, but it was only because she had made enough money in the entertainment industry and didn't care about this anymore that she was willing to share some resources.

There's nothing a hot pot meal can't solve; if there is, it just means you haven't had enough drinks yet.

He Daqi has become more discerning about his drinking now. At least he's switched from two ounces of wine to a small cup, taking a sip with a satisfying crunch, and needing to eat several bites of food after each sip.

However, when old friends get together for a meal, chatting is more important than drinking. As they chatted, the conversation turned to the time when they filmed The Young Emperor.

Back then, the group of young fans got along well and even went out to eat together several times. Even now, Vivian Chow, who was out of place among them back then, can still tell you who played whom.

Unfortunately, it's unlikely that we can arrange a meal together now.

It's not that things have changed beyond recognition, but we have indeed gradually drifted further and further apart.

He Daqi and Zhou Huimin are both married with two children. Deng Chao has also made it clear that he and Sun Li will get their marriage certificate next year, barring any unforeseen circumstances. Cui Bo, who also came from the Young Emperor drama crew, seems to be quite open to Wang Baoqiang, so maybe things will work out for him too.

As for the others, He Daqi only knew about Yang Rong, since Yang Rong had previously signed with Asia-Pacific and has now established her own studio.

The rest have lost contact; even in the Young Emperor's QQ group, no one has spoken for a long time.

(End of this chapter)