The Birth of the Best Director

Chapter 308 Casting for "Mojin: The Lost Legend"! Naza realizes she's been used as a pretext!

……

On May 17th, Zhang Yimou's art film "Coming Home" was officially released.

It grossed 3000 million yuan on its opening day and 2800 million yuan on its second day, breaking the record for the best opening day for a domestic art film!
No one considers the film "Art Students" to be a domestic art film.

From the perspective of domestic audiences, this is a typical commercial film, full of various commercial elements.

……

The premiere of the film "Coming Home" was not held in the country.

Because this film participated in the Cannes Film Festival, although it was not selected for the main competition, it was included in the screening section and received a lot of attention.

Zhang Yimou and Gong Li once again graced the Cannes red carpet.

This perfect pair, both on and off screen, have been entangled in a love-hate relationship for decades, enough to fill a novel of over a million words.

Although they had broken up for many years, their entangled interests made it impossible to separate them.

Besides movies, Zhang Yimou also partnered with Gong Li's close friend, Wang Chaoge, to start a cultural media company called "Impression View".

They have created numerous live-action stage plays for cultural and tourism purposes in many places!
For example, "Impression West Lake", "Impression Lijiang", "Encounter Pingyao", "Encounter Wutai Mountain", etc.
This company will likely be sold to Sanxiang Co., Ltd. in a few years.

It seems that Zhang Yimou made two or three hundred million yuan from this deal, which is much more profitable than making movies.

Chen Kaige works as a construction foreman.

Zhang Yimou is doing renovations.

This is netizens' teasing of the two great directors, and from a certain perspective, it's actually quite apt.

"Honey, tell me, what exactly is the relationship between Director Zhang and Gong Li?"

Lu Zhiyuan took Reba to see the movie "Coming Home".

This film is adapted from Yan Geling's novel *The Criminal Lu Yanshi*. *The Flowers of War* is also adapted from a novel by Yan Geling.

The film "Coming Home" retains the lingering warmth of scar literature.

Whether viewed from the perspective of lighting and cinematography or from the perspective of plot, it is a typical art film.

But art films are something that everyone interprets differently.

The same storyline, filmed by different directors, can bring out different spirits and essences depending on the lighting and shadow effects.

The same film can be interpreted differently by different critics.

After all, works of art are not gold; they cannot please everyone.

In fact, by 2014, "scar literature" was no longer popular, and young people simply didn't read it.

But Zhang Yimou's production is truly extraordinary. In this era, he managed to achieve a box office of 2.9 million yuan with an art film full of the atmosphere of scar literature!
It broke the box office record for domestic art films.

However, after watching the movie, Dilraba completely forgot what it was about... The plot was just average, and even a bit depressing.

This is a memory belonging to Zhang Yimou's generation.

The scars of that generation.

The suffering and repression of that generation.

For Dilraba, a post-90s generation, and one from a relatively well-off family, she has never experienced any hardship in life... The greatest hardship she has ever suffered came entirely from Jing Tian.

I was imprisoned by wind and snow for two or three years, making it a total of five years!

It's been five years already, and Jing Tian still comes out from time to time to annoy her!
As for nearly being swept away by a typhoon while jumping into the sea on Weizhou Island, almost suffering from altitude sickness while climbing Muztagh Ata, and almost getting frostbite while camping in the Arctic Circle of Iceland... these experiences were not bitter at all, but rather sweet memories for her.

"What would you like to know about Director Zhang and Gong Li?"

Lu Zhiyuan turned to look at Reba, a smile playing on his lips.

Dilraba chuckled, sensing that Lu Zhiyuan seemed to know some secret information. She put her arm around Lu Zhiyuan's and whispered, "Director Zhang and Gong Li, didn't they break up in 1995? It's 2014 now. Almost 20 years have passed, how come they're still working together?"

Just like after Lu Zhiyuan and Jing Tian broke up, if they still had to work together on movies every now and then... Jing Tian would still be Lu Zhiyuan's leading lady.

Dilraba felt that she definitely couldn't handle it.

How could Director Zhang's wife tolerate this?

"A man will most likely encounter four women in his lifetime."

Lu Zhiyuan didn't tell Dilraba the exact relationship between Zhang Yimou and Gong Li, but instead changed the subject.

Which four women?

Dilraba paused for a moment, then suddenly realized something and blurted out, "Is it Mom, first love, green tea, bad woman?"

Who exactly told her this theory?
Reba has forgotten who first proposed this theory.

However, she vividly remembers the ecological niches of these four women. Even decades later, she probably won't forget them.

Because Jing Tian carries her mother's scent.

Liu Yifei exudes the aura of first love.

Gao Yuanyuan exudes the aura of a scheming woman and a bad woman.

She is nothing.

So, at first, she pondered for a long time and finally came up with a completely new ecological niche, "younger sister," to enter Lu Zhiyuan's world.

really!

She made the right bet!

Lu Zhiyuan is a sister-obsessed man!
"What do you mean, 'green tea mom'? What are you talking about?"

Lu Zhiyuan couldn't help but laugh, gently pinched Reba's chin, and then said with emotion, "A man will probably encounter four women like this in his life."

"The first one was a female classmate from my youth, who was just beginning to experience romantic feelings and was dressed in white."

Upon hearing this, Dilraba couldn't help but add in her mind, "Those unforgettable female classmates on the Xi'an city wall!"

Indeed, arriving early is the most important thing.

"The second is my wife, who came from a wealthy family and paved the way for my future after I came of age."

Ah!
This definitely refers to Jing Tian.

I never imagined you still couldn't forget Jing Tian?
I'm getting angry!
Reba gritted her teeth in anger and swore to the heavens that she would not massage Lu Zhiyuan's shoulders when she got back tonight, and would leave him hanging all night.

We'll talk about it tomorrow night.

"The third is a lover who is passionate, flamboyant, and like a confidante when you achieve success and fame."

Hey!

That's me.

At that moment, Dilraba smiled sweetly and decided to cancel the idea she had just had 10 seconds earlier.

When we get home tonight, I'll not only massage your shoulders, but I'll also wash your feet and pour you a foot bath.

What Gao Yuanyuan can do, I can do too.

Because I am your soulmate.

"Honey, what about the fourth one?"

Lu Zhiyuan had already mentioned the first three points, especially the third one, which referred to himself, making Dilraba quite happy.

But she suddenly realized that the third one wasn't the end yet.

There's a fourth one!
She didn't want to accompany Lu Zhiyuan through his success and fame, only to have him snatched away by another woman.

She can't do that; unlike Gong Li, she can't calmly face all of this.

If that day ever comes, she will definitely be even crazier than Jing Tian!
Lu Zhiyuan paused deliberately, then turned to look at Reba: "The fourth is a gentle, considerate, and domestic wife, whom you will find after all the trials and tribulations of life."

"These are the four women a man will experience in his lifetime. But it doesn't mean that someone will have four wives or girlfriends."

Reba listened for a moment, and said, "The fourth woman."

Gentle and considerate, a perfect homemaker—isn't that describing myself?

Hey!

This life is settled!
As a fellow director, Lu Zhiyuan understands Zhang Yimou's choice very well: "Director Zhang didn't choose Gong Li not because he didn't like her. It's just because Gong Li has a very strong temper. Of course, it's also because she certainly has the right to throw a tantrum."

Gong Li once slapped Zhang Ziyi seven times on set!
She saw herself as an empress.

Understood!
Upon hearing this, Reba immediately understood.

Capable men usually dislike it when their women throw tantrums in front of them, especially such big tantrums.

In this situation, how can the family manage to survive?

She's much gentler and cuter!
Moreover, Lu Zhiyuan is much more responsible than Zhang Yimou!

Gong Li worked with Zhang Yimou for eight years, desperately seeking a certificate, but she received it before even graduating from university!
Thinking about it this way, she completely outshone Gong Li, both in her career and in her love life... She is undoubtedly the greatest female star in history!
"Honey, let's stop strolling around. Let's go back quickly. I made some soup at home, with lots of rejuvenating herbs."

Dilraba winked at Lu Zhiyuan and asked meaningfully, "Honey, have you ever heard of the Rejuvenating Herb?"

【Rejuvenating Herb】, a man's energy booster!

When Lu Zhiyuan went to his hometown with Reba last time, they took a stroll around the International Grand Bazaar. Many of the herbal medicine shops had signs that read "Men's Fuel Station"!
Someone went up and asked, "What kind of herb is this?"
The shopkeeper replied, "This is a rejuvenating herb!"
Lu Zhiyuan listened from the side and had a vivid memory of this conversation!
If a film needs a visual tag to serve as its focus, attract the audience's attention, and act as a memory anchor, then...

So, the Rejuvenating Grass is the super memory tag he left behind when he went to Urumqi!

The kind of memory you'll never forget.

“Honey, if the Rejuvenating Herb doesn’t work, then I’ll try the most primitive method.”

"I'll give you two pounds of oysters and a steak every day for 10 days, until I ovulate... then we'll try it again!"

Dilraba really went all out to conceive a Michelangelo!
Even during the years she was the leading lady in film history, she never put in this much effort!

After all, Gong Li was just one child away from becoming the wife of a great director! Although she became Mrs. Lu, she was still missing a child to inherit his empire!

The empire she painstakingly built must not be allowed to fall into the hands of someone else's son.

……

The following days.

Reba went to school to attend classes and write her graduation thesis.

Incidentally, Dilraba called Gulnazar to her side and gave her some pointers: "Gulnazar, do you want to play the female lead, Shirley Yang, or the one lying in the ancient tomb?"

"Sister Dilraba, no... Sister-in-law, of course I want to play the female lead!"

Although Nazha is usually silly, she's not really mentally challenged.

Is there even a need to choose between the leading lady and the supporting actress?

I'd definitely choose Shirley Yang, one of the Iron Triangle!
“Sister-in-law, but Brother Yuan has already said that this role will be given to Hani.” Although Nazha really wanted to play the female lead, she couldn’t change Lu Zhiyuan’s mind.

Dilraba shook her head: "Honey won't do. She's only 18, too inexperienced. It would be more reasonable for her to play Ding Sitian in Hu Bayi and Wang Kaixuan's memories."

To prepare for her role as Ding Sitian, Gulnazar read the original novel of "Ghost Blows Out the Light" several times.

She knew that Shirley Yang and Hu Bayi were friends and lovers in the novel.

Lu Zhiyuan and Hanikezi seem more like siblings; there's not much of a romantic connection between them. After all, Hanikezi is still quite young and inexperienced.

She's different!

She's so beautiful, she has great chemistry with everyone!
"Anyway, get used to it and see what Shirley Yang is like. In a couple of days, come home with me and make a good impression on Brother Yuan."

Dilraba gave Gulnazar some advice!

Originally, Reba didn't mind at all that Hanikezi was playing the female lead.

But this brat actually went to Jing Tian's music video and played a married couple with Lu Zhiyuan... If she continues to tolerate this, she'll be getting cuckolded.

"Sister-in-law, I understand!"

Naza left in a daze.

I was hit by a pie falling from the sky.

She's going to play the female lead!
A Hollywood film with a budget of $1 million, featuring the female lead from the most popular Chinese online novel, "Ghost Blows Out the Light"!
Mom, I'm going to fly to the sky now!

However, Dilraba's hints and promises were useless; the one who truly made the decisions was Lu Zhiyuan.

Naza had lost all interest in class. After thinking for a while, she texted Lu Zhiyuan: "Brother Yuan, my English isn't very good. What should I do if there are a lot of lines in the movie?"

"It's alright, lying in a coffin is enough to be stunning." Lu Zhiyuan replied to Nazha with a message, telling her to calm down.

That’s not right!

I'm about to play the female lead, why am I still lying in a coffin?
Nazha thought for a moment, and following Dilraba's suggestion, hinted to Lu Zhiyuan: "Brother Yuan, I look like the kind of glamorous woman who doesn't have much youthful energy. Would Hu Bayi and Wang Kaixuan, these soldiers who have undergone the test of revolution, like a glamorous woman like me?"

"what are you saying?"

Lu Zhiyuan was drawing concept art when he received this message and was taken aback.

Then, he called Nazha directly: "Did someone teach you to say that?"

"No."

Naza quickly denied it.

Then, feeling that her intelligence was not something that could fool Lu Zhiyuan, she chuckled and said, "Well, I feel that Honey might be more suitable to play the role of Ding Sitian than I am."

"She was young and beautiful, a lovely 18-year-old with a sweet smile and the kind of first love charm that makes people fall in love at first sight."

"Besides, I look more mixed-race than Hani! Perhaps I would be a better fit for the role of Shirley Yang."

Makes sense!

Lu Zhiyuan was initially somewhat indifferent, but after listening to Nazha's self-analysis and introduction, he realized that Nazha did have some understanding of the character.

Ding Sitian definitely should be younger.

Moreover, Hanikezi, lying in the coffin, after being made up in that way, would appear heroic and stunning at first glance.

This better reflects the temperament of a royal princess from an ancient nomadic people.

"let me consider it."

Lu Zhiyuan thought for a moment and then added, "Actually, Dilraba is more in line with my image of Shirley Yang!"

what?
As soon as Nazha heard this, she knew she had been tricked!
She was "thrown out a brick to attract jade" (a metaphor for being provoked).

This is exactly the effect Dilraba wanted!

After hanging up the phone, Nazha grumbled, feeling wronged, "Senior Dilraba is too cunning! She used me as a pawn! I trusted her so much!"

……

Naza's suggestion prompted Lu Zhiyuan to rethink the character designs for several roles.

In addition, Lu Zhiyuan asked Xin Yukun every day how the adaptation of the script for "Mojin: The Lost Legend" was going.

If the script adaptation isn't good, he has to spend a lot of effort shooting a lot of unnecessary footage.

Instead of having the actors work hard to shoot footage, it would be better to save the costs and have Xin Yukun write several versions of the script.

How time-saving and effortless is screenwriting?
If we bring in a dozen or so screenwriters, and each of them writes a section, we can produce 10 versions in 10 days.

Moreover, it didn't cost much.

At most a few hundred thousand.

For Lu Zhiyuan, is this even considered money?

It costs less than the price of a single special effects shot!

"Brother, I've almost finished revising the script. I'll give you an answer tonight. I'm busy right now."

Upon hearing Xin Yukun's hesitant and stammering voice, and hearing the occasional laughter of several women, Lu Zhiyuan knew that Brother Kun had been out all night.

Maybe they're doing morning exercises right now.

Lu Zhiyuan was too lazy to comment on Kun Ge's rich nightlife, and was even somewhat used to it.

He said casually, "Come to my house for some soup after you're done with your work. I've added some herbal remedies to it. It'll help you recover. I'm afraid you'll kill yourself before I even finish filming my movie."

"Thank you for thinking of me, Brother Yuan!"

Xin Yukun laughed and hung up the phone!

……

Around 4pm.

Xin Yukun has arrived, but he didn't come alone.

He brought Wang Baoqiang with him.

Both of them had dark circles under their eyes and walked with a limp... especially Wang Baoqiang, Lu Zhiyuan couldn't quite put his finger on what he felt.

In Lu Zhiyuan's mind, Wang Baoqiang was an honest and shy reincarnation of an Arhat.

Who knew that in the blink of an eye, he inexplicably exuded the aura of a Shaolin abbot.

Something is wrong!
Something is wrong!
"Brother, take a look at Baoqiang. Does he have what you need—that greasy and cunning air about Fatty Wang?"

Xin Yukun opened his mouth.

That one sentence made Lu Zhiyuan's eyes light up instantly.

He circled Wang Baoqiang several times, looking him up and down, and nodded slightly: "If you put it that way, then it's true... Baoqiang's whole demeanor has changed. If you changed his clothes a little, he'd be Fatty Wang from 'Ghost Blows Out the Light'!"

"When the movie is released, the audience will definitely be surprised and amazed by Baoqiang's ability to adapt to the role!"

As for Wang Baoqiang, his only weakness right now is that he's not fat enough!
However, there's no need to rush.

It's hard to get celebrities to lose weight, but it's too easy to get them to gain weight... just let them eat whatever they want!

Gaining 20 pounds in three months is like child's play.

What Lu Zhiyuan couldn't understand the most was how Wang Baoqiang's temperament had changed so drastically in just half a month.
When he first started out, Wang Baoqiang could play the kind of dull, rural boy.

If he were a little older, he could play the kind of hardworking and honest soldier who goes from the countryside to the army.

Two years ago, Wang Baoqiang could transform into the psychopathic killer in his own movies, the kind of loyal brother and partner!

In the movie "Godzilla," Wang Baoqiang plays an assistant who appears pretentious on the surface but is actually somewhat cowardly and relies on Dr. Li for support. These changes in Wang Baoqiang's acting are all traceable.

However, to transform Wang Baoqiang into someone with the cunning, sly, and incredibly greasy demeanor of Fatty Wang from "Ghost Blows Out the Light" in just half a month... that's practically a miracle.

Lu Zhiyuan originally wanted to use props and costumes to give Wang Baoqiang some of the "Fatty Wang" vibe.

For example, dress Wang Baoqiang in those flashy T-shirts and hang a skull decoration around his neck to make him look non-mainstream and give the audience a strong contrasting impression!

However, this is an evil skill.

For a true actor, acting skills can be improved.

However, temperament is very difficult to change.

For example, let Wang Yaoqing play a beggar.

Who could believe that?

When most people see Wang Yaoqing playing a beggar in a movie, they will probably start to imagine what he looks like.

For example, a few seconds later, a dozen luxury cars drove up, and a butler stepped out of a Rolls-Royce and respectfully said, "Young Master, come home with me!"

A person's temperament is very difficult to change!
An actor's temperament determines what kind of roles he can play... Is it convincing to cast Wang Baoqiang as a rich young master?
A director with a sound mind would never do such a thing.

"Baoqiang, what have you been doing these past few days?"

Lu Zhiyuan was truly puzzled by Wang Baoqiang's change.

Can one's temperament be changed?
"I, well, hehe..."

Wang Baoqiang scratched his head, embarrassed to speak.

"What's so embarrassing about this?"

Xin Yukun patted Wang Baoqiang on the shoulder and said calmly and generously, "In the past two weeks, I took him to every nightclub in Yanjing. It cost me over a million."

As Xin Yukun spoke, she pulled out a large stack of glamorous photos from her phone and shared them with Lu Zhiyuan.

These are all their achievements over the past two weeks.

"Brother, don't worry!"

“I keep photos of every young model we select… If they dare to talk nonsense outside, I’ll send their photos to Japan and make them promotional photos for adult films! They won’t even have the chance to leave the industry and start a new life!”

"In addition, I also promised them... if they are interested, New Classics Media has some fashion dramas, and I can introduce them to play a few small supporting roles."

Xin Yukun has a whole repertoire of tricks for dealing with women in nightclubs; he has more tricks than an old sow wearing a bra!

"Millions?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Baoqiang looked at Xin Yukun with a complicated expression, his eyes brimming with tears and his voice trembling with emotion: "Brother Kun, you spent so much money to help me overcome my inner demons?"

"No need to be so touched."

Xin Yukun patted Wang Baoqiang on the shoulder and said calmly, "It's just a little money, nothing to worry about. Brother, it's good that you're out of there! From now on, we'll make big money together, drink big, and fuck big..."

Xin Yukun felt that the last sentence was a bit inappropriate and took it back.

For Xin Yukun, a million or so was indeed a small amount of money.

Yuankun Media earns hundreds of millions of US dollars every year. If he gets 10%, that's hundreds of millions of RMB.

He spent half a month taking Wang Baoqiang out, which only cost him a few days' worth of income; it wasn't worth the trouble at all.

Moreover, even if Wang Baoqiang didn't want to play, he still had to go.

In addition, he also helped Lu Zhiyuan by turning Wang Baoqiang into a greasy, middle-aged fat man, which perfectly matched the character image that Lu Zhiyuan needed.

I finished my work while having fun.

Kill two birds with one stone.

Xin Yukun felt that he was simply a genius.

What will Lu Zhiyuan do without a helper like himself?

"Brother, you have no idea."

"That Baoqiang, he likes Tang Yan's type... Oh, he's even shy in front of me?"

"Actually, you could have said so sooner. I could even have introduced you to Tang Yan. You wouldn't have needed to spend money on a low-end version."

Xin Yukun was bragging there.

Wang Baoqiang looked completely incredulous.

You think you can introduce Tang Yan to me? I don't believe you!
As a male celebrity, he is quite popular... but female celebrities in the industry are rich and beautiful, so they either date big directors like Zhang Yimou or handsome idols.

I'm not Lu Zhiyuan.

He's a famous director, a handsome guy, and has tons of money!

"Don't believe it? Just wait and see!"

At this moment, in front of Wang Baoqiang, Xin Yukun called Tang Yan: "Tangtang, what have you been up to lately? Want to grab a drink sometime?"

"Brother Kun, I've been so busy lately. I'm currently filming 'My Sunshine' in Shanghai. I haven't had time to entertain you. Sorry."

Tang Yan isn't stupid; why would she go out for a drink with Xin Yukun?

After drinking it, will I still have a clean reputation?
"Tangtang, I'm sitting on Yuan Ge's sofa right now. Yuan Ge is pouring me tea. I sincerely suggest that you think carefully about the consequences before rejecting me."

Xin Yukun held the phone to Lu Zhiyuan's mouth, gesturing for him to say a few words.

Lu Zhiyuan glared at Xin Yukun, but seeing Wang Baoqiang staring at him expectantly, he greeted him calmly: "Tangtang, hello. I've heard Shishi mention you before. You two filmed 'Chinese Paladin 3' together. She said that if my movie needed a sweet girl, you would be a good fit."

Xin Yukun put the phone away and boasted to Tang Yan, "Did you hear that? Brother Yuan said you'd be perfect for playing the sweet girl in his movie!"

"I heard it! I heard it!"

Tang Yan on the other end of the phone was very agitated and kept apologizing to Xin Yukun: "Brother Kun, I was wrong! I didn't recognize your greatness, please don't take it to heart."

"I'll book a flight right away and head to Yanjing to have a drink with you. After that, I'll take a flight back to Shanghai overnight. What do you think of this arrangement?"

Having a drink with Xin Yukun is out of the question.

But if I could go to Lu Zhiyuan's house for a drink, I'd drink until dawn!
"I was just kidding. Goodbye!"

Xin Yukun hung up the phone immediately.

Wang Baoqiang looked over expectantly, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping himself.

Xin Yukun stuffed his phone into his pocket and calmly took a sip of tea: "Baoqiang, you're supposed to be Yuan Ge's second male lead, a world-class supporting actor, don't act like a loser!"

"Following Brother Yuan, what kind of woman in the entire entertainment industry can't you get?"

Wang Baoqiang was speechless.

Kun Ge's shamelessness is something he'll never learn in his entire life.

Besides, are those female celebrities really that stupid?
Female celebrities who manage to make it big are all shrewd and capable.

Don't risk ruining your reputation before you've even tasted the benefits.

……

That's when.

The door to Lu Zhiyuan's house opened.

"Brother Kun, Brother Baoqiang, you're both here. Shall I get you some drinks? It's quite hot. How about some chilled grape juice?"

When Reba returned from school and opened the door, she saw that there were guests at home. She quickly smiled and prepared to help Lu Zhiyuan entertain them.

Wang Baoqiang hurriedly shook his head: "Lu Tai, no need. I like mango juice."

Upon hearing this, Xin Yukun, who was standing next to Wang Baoqiang, secretly gave him a thumbs up: "You are truly a warrior!"

It's fine if you don't drink grape juice.

You said you liked mango juice in front of me?

What do you mean?
Dilraba bit her lip.

But she remembered that Wang Baoqiang was the best partner Lu Zhiyuan had just found.

Give your husband some face!
At this moment, Reba forced a smile, but her tone became stiff: "I think grape juice tastes better! You should try it!"

"No... Ouch!"

Wang Baoqiang tried to refuse, but Xin Yukun stepped on his foot.

Xin Yukun smiled at Reba: "He's been poor since he was a child and has never drunk grape juice before. He's afraid that if he doesn't like it, he'll embarrass himself and make a fool of himself. You'll laugh at him."

Upon hearing this, Dilraba covered her mouth and chuckled, exuding gentleness and cuteness: "How could you not like it? This flavor is the one I carefully selected, it's definitely delicious. I guarantee you'll be addicted after you try it."

After Reba left, Xin Yukun whispered in Wang Baoqiang's ear, "When you're at someone else's house, drink whatever the host offers you! Don't talk nonsense, okay?"

Wang Baoqiang pitifully emphasized, "Brother Kun, I really don't like drinking grape juice. It's so effeminate."

Xin Yukun was speechless, and even felt something was off. He couldn't help but ask, "You're usually quite clever. What's wrong with you today? Did you take a bribe from Jing Tian?"

"Brother Kun, I don't know Sister Tian Tian at all."

Wang Baoqiang shook his head repeatedly.

Xin Yukun then understood and said in a low voice, "You like to drink jasmine tea, don't you?"

"Uh. How did you know?" Wang Baoqiang was taken aback for a moment, then gave an awkward laugh.

"now it's right."

Xin Yukun recalled Wang Baoqiang's resume.

Before he met Lu Zhiyuan, he had filmed "Romancing in Thin Air 2" with Gao Yuanyuan.

In this movie, Wang Baoqiang plays a miner who, at the moment Gao Yuanyuan is about to marry a big star, bravely storms the wedding and steals Gao Yuanyuan away.

Then, the two of them went into seclusion and lived happily ever after!
What kind of screenwriter could come up with such a wild idea?
If Gao Yuanyuan can take a liking to Wang Baoqiang, Xin Yukun is willing to give up his head!
“Baoqiang, I’ve always felt that there’s something wrong with you. Every time you meet Dilraba, your emotional intelligence and IQ plummet to rock bottom.”

"I see."

"You are Mr. Gao's mole, specifically in front of Dilraba, you asked him to drink mango juice."

Wang Baoqiang would tell Dilraba every day that he wanted to drink mango juice, but Dilraba wouldn't be angry with Wang Baoqiang; she would only hate Jing Tian.

If the two of them were to fight...

In the end, Gao Yuanyuan definitely benefited.

"Baoqiang, don't be so obvious next time."

“Reba seems smart, but she’s actually a bit naive. But Yuan Ge’s side isn’t so easy to fool. He can tell at a glance who you’re on.”

"Don't act on your own and put General Manager Gao in an awkward position."

Xin Yukun gave Wang Baoqiang a few words of advice.

"Brother Kun, I've learned a lot."

Wang Baoqiang always mentions his love for mango juice in front of Lu Zhiyuan, so Reba probably wouldn't tell Lu Zhiyuan about it either.

He should be safe.

However, he has helped Gao Yuanyuan several times, so that should be enough.

"One bottle each, let's go upstairs and talk in detail."

Lu Zhiyuan took a bottle of grape juice for himself and handed one to the other two as well: "Don't just stand there, open it and drink it. It's very delicious. It's the only product I endorse."

As an Oscar-winning actor, Lu Zhiyuan has a high value for commercial endorsements.

However, for him, commercial endorsements are just a small amount of money and completely unnecessary.

Grape juice is different.

What he represented wasn't money, but his vows and love.

"It tastes pretty good."

Xin Yukun and Wang Baoqiang both took a sip and loudly praised it.

Dilraba, who was in the kitchen, heard these words and immediately chuckled, feeling extremely happy.

……

We went upstairs to the study.

"Thanks to both of you for your cooperation."

Lu Zhiyuan put the grape juice aside, took out a few bottles of coconut water from the drawer, and handed them to the two of them: "Drink this, it's more thirst-quenching."

The two of them didn't stand on ceremony with Lu Zhiyuan and drank the coconut water.

"Brother Kun, find the script, let me take a look."

Lu Zhiyuan turned on the computer and let Xin Yukun log into his account.

Xin Yukun uploads all his scripts to the company's cloud platform. He uploads them as soon as he finishes writing them, so he's not afraid of his manuscripts mysteriously disappearing.

"Although it still needs some revisions, it is largely complete."

Xin Yukun logged into his account and showed Lu Zhiyuan the first draft of "The Lost Tomb".

"Do as you please. I'll decide after I've finished reading."

Lu Zhiyuan reads scripts very quickly.

Half an hour later, he finished reading the general plot, mainly to check the character settings... As a movie adaptation of a famous novel, the plot must be faithful to the original work, so there's not much that can be changed.

The only thing to do is work on the persona.

The character settings of Hu Bayi, Wang Kaixuan, and Shirley Yang cannot be changed; the requirements of the original fans must be met.

Therefore, the only option is to focus on the villains.

"Brother Kun, I think your version is pretty good."

"However, with this change, I need to find two Hollywood actors to play the villains. I'm afraid it will be difficult to find big-name actors who are particularly willing to take on the role in a short time."

Nicolas Cage, no problem.

It will be listed as a backup option.

It would be best to find a female supervillain, like Sandra Bullock.

But the other party definitely won't play this kind of villainous supporting role.

In addition, Lu Zhiyuan also needs a young Hollywood actress, not too old, but with the aura of a killer.

Who to look for?
Who fits this temperament?
What he needs is an underage version of Emily Blunt!

How is Chloe Moretz?

Lu Zhiyuan needs a Hollywood action star to represent the villainous fighting force in "Mojin: The Lost Legend".

This film will be the first to feature an all-Chinese cast, but the supporting roles will require Western actors to help open up the Western market.

In this day and age, only Lu Zhiyuan would dare to do something like this!
Other Western celebrities can't object or boycott this film yet... because the protagonist is Lu Zhiyuan, an Oscar-winning actor.

Looking at the whole world, their status is the highest.

After Godzilla is released, Lu Zhiyuan's status will be even higher.

In order to make "Mojin: The Lost Legend," he mentored Wang Baoqiang and at the same time turned himself into a world-class superstar... all to help the film reach the world stage!

If he fails, he will have no choice but to return to the science fiction track he is familiar with.

For example, they could make a movie like "Real Steel 4" to recoup some of their losses.

As long as the Real Steel series doesn't flop, he'll always be like a phoenix, able to rise again no matter how many times he fails.

In the intervening years, he was able to try filming different subjects, discover actors, expand into different genres, and pursue the artistic style he wanted to express.

Looking at the whole world, only a handful of directors have the right to be so willful!
Lu Zhiyuan was one of them.

"Brother, if it were a couple of years ago, I promise I wouldn't say anything."

Xin Yukun shook his head: "But Chloe Moretz is already 17 years old this year. I heard that she played a prostitute with smoky makeup in the movie 'The Equalizer'!"

Lu Zhiyuan understood the implication in Xin Yukun's words.

Chloe Moretz, she's already playing a prostitute! How can she possibly play a killer girl?
Her on-screen image is such a complete departure from her previous one!
The appearance of a 17-year-old female celebrity in Europe and America is almost indistinguishable from that of a 27-year-old female celebrity in China.

The kind of contrast between a super assassin and a naive young girl that Lu Zhiyuan needed has completely disappeared in Chloe Moretz.

"In that case, the usual procedure: ask a friend to introduce us."

Who to look for?
After thinking for a while, Lu Zhiyuan suddenly remembered the movie "Interstellar" and the character Murphy in her teenage years.

That actor must be quite young.

Being chosen by Nolan to play the male lead's daughter suggests that her acting skills must be quite good.

Lu Zhiyuan still has great faith in Nolan's abilities.

So he called Christopher Nolan and told him that he needed a minor supporting role for a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl.

"Have vision!"

"Maggie is a wonderful little actress."

"I'll send you her agent's contact information later."

Mackenzie Foy, born in 2000, is 14 years old this year. In Interstellar, she is dressed as a little girl.

But teenage girls develop very quickly.

Who knows, after a few months, she might have grown from a little girl into a stunning beauty!
Fourteen years old is the perfect age!
If she were Chinese, a girl of this age would look rather immature.

But for European and American actresses, they are already very well-developed at 14, and they also have a youthful look on their faces.

If someone like this were to play a killer with explosive combat skills, the contrast would be enormous!
Most importantly, Lu Zhiyuan was very certain that "Interstellar" would be a huge hit, and as an important supporting actress in the film, this small role would also become famous.

He can save money by having someone sign the contract in advance.

(End of this chapter)