Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 552 He's finished, he's really got away with it.

In Cannes, the sunlight on the French Riviera seemed to focus all because of that one shout.

"Well done!"

Jiang Wen's signature loud voice rolled through the group of reporters like a thunderclap.

The reporters, who were somewhat embarrassed by his retort just a second ago, suddenly had a gleam of hungry wolf-like savagery in their eyes the next second.

All the microphones and recorders, like iron filings attracted by a magnet, suddenly moved a few inches closer to him.

"Director Jiang! Do you mean you support Director Wu Chen?"

Are you referring to the Film Association's report?

Could you elaborate on why you think it was "well done"?

The flashes were going off like crazy, almost blinding people.

Ma Ke watched in horror, instinctively reaching out to tug at Jiang Wen's sleeve.

He knew his partner's temperament; if he got into a good mood, he would say anything in front of the camera.

However, Jiang Wen unexpectedly became more restrained.

He just grinned, a grin that carried a hint of roguishness and cunning, and waved his hand impatiently: "Finished asking, finished asking! Nothing else, we have important business to attend to!"

He didn't answer any questions at all. After speaking, he put his arm around Ma Ke's shoulder, strode through the crowd, and walked into the hotel, muttering under his breath, "These bastards, their noses are sharper than dogs'."

The reporters exchanged glances. Although they hadn't uncovered any more explosive statements, the phrase "Well done" was enough.

Several quick-thinking entertainment reporters had already lowered their heads and were typing rapidly on their phones, eager to be the first to release the breaking news.

The headlines are almost all ready-made—[Jiang Wen speaks out in Cannes, showing support for Wu Chen from afar: Well done!]

On the hotel suite's terrace, the sea breeze dispelled the previous hustle and bustle.

Jiang Wen sprawled out in the wicker chair, put his phone on speakerphone on the table, and dialed the number in Los Angeles.

The call connected quickly, and a cacophony of English instructions and the background noise of machinery from the film set immediately came through the receiver.

"Hello?" Wu Chen's voice was clear, but carried a hint of detachment from his busy schedule.

"How's the filming going?" Jiang Wen asked in a pretentious tone, crossing his legs.

"It's alright," Wu Chen said succinctly. "What brings you to call me? Weren't you at Cannes for a screening?"

"Hey!" Upon hearing this, Jiang Wen immediately sat up straight and excitedly slapped his thigh. "It's all because of your Weibo post! The media are coming to Cannes to ask me about it! Tell me, do you want me to give you a boost?"
"Let me tell you, I've disliked those bastards for a long time!"

On the other end of the phone, Wu Chen seemed to chuckle softly, and the words "Check the camera" could be faintly heard in the background.

"Take it easy," Wu Chen's voice came again, with a hint of helpless laughter, "Don't make things worse."

"Whom do we not trust?"

Wu Chen didn't respond to his comment, but changed the subject: "How's it going selling the film in Cannes?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wen's previously high spirits instantly deflated. He picked up the cigar on the table and slowly said:
"Who do you look down on! My name, Jiang Wen, carries weight all over the world! Let me tell you."

“Speak like a human being!” Wu Chen interrupted him without any politeness.

"Damn it!" Jiang Wen cursed, choked by the retort, but his momentum eventually weakened, and his voice dropped eight octaves, filled with frustration.

"Let me tell you, this is absolutely Chen Kaige's fault! With 'The Promise,' he ruined the reputation of Chinese blockbusters in overseas markets!"

So many years, fucking so many years, and they still haven't recovered! These foreign film distributors are as cunning as monkeys now; they won't budge on their investment until they get the finished film! I'm just...

Upon hearing this, Wu Chen added quietly, "You can mention my name appropriately. Just say, 'I voted.'"

Jiang Wen was taken aback for a moment, and subconsciously asked, "Will this even work?"

The only response he got on the phone was a busy signal.

"Damn, his temper is getting worse and worse." Jiang Wen looked at the phone that had been hung up on and threw it onto the sofa next to him.

Ma Ke listened attentively the whole time, a happy smile on his face.

He finally understood that in this circle, the only person who could make Jiang Wen suffer was Wu Chen.

"What did Director Wu say?" Ma Ke handed over a glass of water. "I heard you guys talking about copyright issues." These past few days, he and Jiang Wen had been running around like crazy for the overseas rights to "Let the Bullets Fly," meeting with countless film distributors, and he knew how difficult the market was right now.

"He told me to mention his name!" Jiang Wen took the water glass, drank more than half of it in one gulp, and said irritably, "Do you think that will work? Does he think his investments are anything special? I really don't believe in this nonsense!"

He jumped up, grabbed his phone, and headed outside.

"Hey, where are you going!" Ma Ke quickly followed.

"Go find that Frenchman!"

Jiang Wen didn't look back, but strode out of the room with a stubbornness that seemed determined to never give up.

"I'm going to tell Wu Chen myself today that mentioning his name won't work! Selling films still depends on our own abilities!"

Half an hour later, in a makeshift meeting room at the Cannes Film Market, Jiang Wen and Ma Ke met again with Pierre, the head of a medium-sized French distribution company.

Pierre was a typical French businessman, seemingly elegant and polite, but also incredibly shrewd.

“Jiang,” Pierre shrugged, a professional regret on his face, “I admire your talent. Your ‘In the Heat of the Sun’ and ‘Devils on the Doorstep’ are masterpieces of art.”

However, "Let the Bullets Fly" is a commercial blockbuster, and we really need to consider market risks.

The European market is currently very cautious about Chinese blockbuster films, so we maintain our previous stance: we must see the complete film before giving a final quote.

They've heard these words at least ten times in the past few days.

Jiang Wen patiently listened to Pierre finish speaking.

He glanced at Ma Ke, who gave him a wink, indicating that they should forget about it.

Jiang Wen leaned back and crossed his arms: "Oh, right, I forgot to tell you. Wu Chen invested in this movie; he's one of our key investors."

Pierre, who was about to pick up his coffee cup, suddenly stopped in mid-air.

His polite smile froze instantly, and a hint of surprise flashed in his blue eyes.

"What did you say?"

Before Jiang Wen could even reply, he pressed on, "Are you saying that Director Wu Chen is a major investor in this film?"

"Correct."

Jiang heard the concise words, but inwardly she sneered: See? I told you it was useless. Look at the mess I'm in now.
However, before his thoughts had even finished, Pierre's expression underwent an extremely subtle and rapid change.

Surprise, doubt, and then rapid calculation.

Because in the film industry, Wu Chen's investment success rate is astonishingly high, which is obvious to all.

This isn't about how good his movies are, but rather that Wu Chen has an exceptionally good eye for investing in other films; the film with the highest return on investment in film history came from one of Wu Chen's projects.
Given this terrifying business acumen
Pierre's mind raced.

This means that the script for the movie "Let the Bullets Fly" was at least approved by Wu Chen.

This means that the commercial potential of this film may far exceed its own estimates.

This even means that if they let it go, other publishers are likely to rush to acquire it at a higher price in the future.
Within just a few seconds of silence, the atmosphere in the negotiation room had completely reversed.

Jiang Wen was about to get up and say, "That's all for now, farewell," when he saw Pierre suddenly stand up, a smile on his face that was far more sincere and enthusiastic than before. He quickly walked around the table and reached out to stop him.

"Jiang! Please wait a moment!"

Pierre gripped Jiang Wen's hand tightly, as if afraid he would run away, his tone urgent and sincere:
"Please sit down, please sit down! I think our decision just now might have been a bit too hasty. Regarding the collaboration on 'Let the Bullets Fly,' I feel we can sit down and talk more, have a deeper discussion!"

Jiang Wen was stunned when he saw this.

Damn, it actually seems to work!

Oh no, could it be that Wu Chen succeeded in faking it?
Ma Ke had already stood up halfway when he immediately sat back down, exclaiming inwardly, "Damn, this reputation is really powerful! This is the appeal of a world-renowned director!"

Just as the two were still wondering to themselves, Wu Chen suddenly slapped himself three times on set, which surprised them.

What's going on? He's been in great health lately, there's nothing wrong with him.

Liu Yifei looked a little guilty.

Oh no, my junior brother's body isn't going to hold up. He needs to take it easy lately.
(End of this chapter)