It's reasonable for me to be a three-time Golden Horse Award-winning director and an all-around

Chapter 166 Oh no! I've blown my own horn! (Seeking monthly votes)
Upon returning to the hotel, Lü Rui immediately told Liu Xiaoli about the information he had gathered.

He didn't hide anything; this was something his mother had to know so she could constantly remind her daughter to stay as far away from people with ulterior motives as possible!
"You mean, Li An wants Xixi to act in...that kind of movie?!"

Lu Rui nodded and said directly, "Yes, Category III films."

Liu Xiaoli was both angry and annoyed, and her voice involuntarily rose a few decibels: "He clearly said it was an art film aiming for awards... How could he do this? Is he trying to become the next Wang Jing?"

When discussing the term "Category III film," one cannot avoid mentioning Wang Jing.

This guy is practically the "father of Category III films" among Hong Kong and Taiwan directors!
Looking back, the 1970s to 1990s can be called the golden age of Hong Kong cinema.

At that time, martial arts films, kung fu films, zombie films, and comedies flourished, making a number of production companies and commercial directors famous.

During this period, Category III films in Hong Kong also occupied an important position in the market, and many "goddess" level actresses appeared in them.

For example, Shu Qi's "Sex and Zen," Li Lizhen's "When Peach Blossoms Bloom," Ye Zimei's "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio," and Ye Yuqing's "Uncontrollable Passion"...

Almost all of these Category III films can be linked to Wang Jing.

It's no exaggeration to say that his status in the Hong Kong and Taiwan Category III film industry is almost top-tier!
However, due to the current market environment and the fact that female celebrities are increasingly focused on their image and unwilling to "sacrifice themselves" for such films, Category III films have gradually declined...

Liu Xiaoli never expected that Li An, the great director who had just won the Golden Lion Award at Venice, would actually make this kind of film!
And they even tried to trick her daughter into acting in it?!

That guy is absolutely despicable!

"Sissi..."

She subconsciously turned to look at her daughter beside her, and just as she was about to say something, Liu Yifei gently shook her head and said in a light tone:
"Mom, I'm okay. My senior has already chased him away for me. I'll definitely stay far away from him next time!"

At this moment, she finally realized what was happening.

It turns out that Li An's previous claims of "dedicating himself to art" concealed so many shady dealings!
That greasy old man was indeed up to no good. Under the guise of doing what was best for her and helping her win the prize, he was secretly plotting such a despicable thing!
Liu Yifei grew angrier the more she thought about it, her delicate brows furrowing as she muttered under her breath, "He's supposed to be a big director, but I never expected him to be this kind of person..."

Looking at the anger in her daughter's eyes, and recalling what Lü Rui had just said, Liu Xiaoli felt both lingering fear and relief.

She reached out and pulled Liu Yifei to her side, gently patting her back: "From now on, if it's him calling, just hang up. Don't give him any face."

"Yes, I know." Liu Yifei nodded obediently.

The mother and daughter grew increasingly indignant as they talked...

Lu Rui's face darkened slightly, and he said coldly, "He can even make a film with a subject like 'Brokeback Mountain,' so it's not surprising that he's now eyeing a project like 'Lust, Caution.'"

"This can't just be left like this!" Liu Xiaoli's anger surged, and she gritted her teeth, saying, "No... I'll go talk to Qianqian's father..."

"Don't rush." ​​Lu Rui raised his hand to stop her.

He knew something about Liu Yifei's father's identity.

If that person really hardened their heart to stand up for their daughter, they could indeed make Li An look bad for a while, but only for a while, and it wouldn't achieve a permanent solution.

Liu Xiaoli turned her head, her face full of doubt: "We can't just let it go like this, can we?"

Her precious daughter was almost framed, and even if no loss was incurred, she absolutely could not suffer in silence!
"Of course we can't just let it go like this."

Lu Rui was just as angry as the mother and daughter.

He had finally managed to elevate Liu Yifei to the level of "Four Dan, Two Bing, and One Fairy," and this Li An actually tried to smear her! He clearly didn't take him seriously!

If he suffers this loss, how will he maintain his foothold in the Chinese film industry?

He already had a general plan in mind.

The move made by Liu Yifei's father needs to be coordinated with him at the most crucial moment to achieve the greatest effect.

"I'll handle this..."

Lu Rui briefly explained his thoughts, his words revealing a ruthless determination to completely subdue the other party.

At first, Liu Xiaoli was preoccupied with how to retaliate against Li An and not suffer in silence.

But as she listened, her expression gradually became complicated.

As a mother, she at most wanted to teach the other party a lesson so that he wouldn't dare to make any more advances towards her daughter.

But judging from Lü Rui's words, it seems like he wants to cripple Li An.
Is that an exaggeration?
In a daze, she even felt that Lü Rui's temper seemed to be even worse than her own mother's!
While she was still in a daze, Liu Yifei next to her clenched her fist and made a punching motion at the air: "Find another chance to beat that old man up!"

"Haha, okay." Lu Rui was amused by her cute but fierce appearance, and the anger in his heart dissipated a bit. He reached out and ruffled her hair. "You don't need to do anything. Watch me."

"Mmm." Liu Yifei responded obediently, nuzzling her head against his palm like a docile kitten.

"???"

Liu Xiaoli watched the two interact naturally, her eyebrows slightly raised, as if she had discovered something new.

Lu Rui suddenly realized that the "head pat" he had just given seemed inappropriate in front of someone else's mother.

His hand froze for a moment, then he quickly withdrew it and awkwardly changed the subject: "That guy ruined the mood tonight, so I guess none of us ate well. How about we go get something to eat first? I'll call Shen Ao and Ning Hao and ask them to come along."

“Okay!” Liu Xiaoli immediately replied, “I’ll book the private room. I know a good Cantonese restaurant nearby. I must thank you properly tonight…”

If it weren't for Lü Rui, her daughter might have been fooled by that two-faced bastard Li An.

This is a huge favor I owe!
As she spoke, she took out her phone and began contacting the restaurant.

Lu Rui didn't refuse. It was only right and proper that Liu Xiaoli should treat him to the meal, and he had no reason to feel embarrassed.

Half an hour later, the group gathered in a private room at the Cantonese restaurant.

As soon as he sat down, Shen Ao said indignantly, "Brother Rui, if you hadn't stopped him, that old man would have been lying down long ago!"

Lu Rui chuckled and joked, "That's Li An, aren't you afraid of offending him?"

"I'm not afraid of him!" Shen Ao retorted, his neck stiff with indignation. "Even if it were Brother Chen Kai, he'd be carried out of here!"

"Haha, you little rascal, don't be so reckless when I'm not around." Lu Rui patted his shoulder with a smile, his eyes full of satisfaction.

Having this attitude is enough; it shows that his efforts in nurturing her weren't in vain.

"Director Lü? I still don't understand, how did that old guy offend you?" Ning Hao asked curiously.

After leaving the banquet hall, he kept thinking about what exactly happened between Lü Rui and Li An.
They seemed quite friendly during the awards ceremony, so why did they suddenly become so hostile?

There were quite a few onlookers in the banquet hall at the time, and many even approached him after the banquet to inquire about the situation, both openly and subtly.

But he himself was still in a daze.

"It's like this..." Lu Rui briefly explained the matter of "Lust, Caution".

"Holy crap! This old bastard is absolutely shameless!"

Ning Hao's fists clenched as he listened.

They actually want young girls to act in Category III films? That's absolutely outrageous!

This isn't just an old hooligan, he's a complete lecher!

"Cinematic art? Holy crap? If it's really art, why didn't they let his wife and daughter act in it? What idiots!"

Shen Ao started cursing again, wishing he could pick up a bottle and go find that old bastard to smash his head open.

"Senior, Professor Shen, Professor Ning, thank you for your help tonight. I'd like to propose a toast to you all."

Liu Yifei stood up, holding her wine glass, her expression very serious.

"Need not……"

Ning Hao was about to wave his hand to refuse when Lü Rui had already picked up his wine glass.

These kinds of social niceties are unavoidable in the future.

He didn't intend to raise Liu Yifei like a hothouse flower; when necessary, he would let her experience some setbacks and trials.

A smooth-sailing upbringing can easily breed "adult children," while saplings become stronger through setbacks.

Liu Xiaoli watched her daughter pick up her wine glass but didn't try to stop her.

This toast is definitely deserved!

Liu Yifei drank three cups in a row before sitting down.

She's the type of person whose face turns red easily after drinking alcohol; after three small cups, her face was already flushed.

"Eat some vegetables to calm down."

Lu Rui smiled faintly and picked up a piece of roast goose for her.

It's rare to see her blush like this.

Perhaps because her face has a rich network of capillaries, after the blood flow became congested, her skin looked so tender it was almost delicate.

"Thank you, senior."

Liu Yifei chuckled, ate a piece of roast goose, and then, taking advantage of Liu Xiaoli's inattention, picked up a large mouthful of stir-fried dried fish with white chili peppers.

Actually, she quite likes spicy food, but she rarely eats it because she needs to protect her voice. Tonight, however, she was able to sneak in a tiny bit.

However, their right to drink alcohol was cut off.

After finishing the three cups of wine, Lü Rui called over a waiter and had her wine glass replaced with milk and juice...

"I'm already an adult, but they still won't let me drink alcohol. What a jerk."

She gave a soft snort to herself and, taking advantage of Lu Rui's inattention, secretly rolled her eyes at him.

But the next second, she remembered the figure of Lü Rui blocking her way when Li An approached her with ill intentions that night.

"She's mine!"

Just thinking about those words he said filled her with a sweet warmth, and even the spiciness in her mouth seemed to lighten up.

The following morning, Ning Hao, Shen Ao, and Liu Xiaoli and her daughter boarded a plane and returned to the mainland.

They each had their own work to do.

Ning Hao's new script is almost finished, Shen Ao's "Remote Control of Life" is about to end, and Liu Xiaoli and her daughter are going to film "Sunny Sisters".

Although Lü Rui arrived at the airport with them, their destinations were different.

He had to keep flying to Hollywood to keep an eye on the progress of three projects: Paranormal Activity, Taken, and I Am Legend.

As the saying goes, good things don't go out, bad things travel thousands of miles.

While he was still waiting to check in at the VIP lounge, news of his conflict with Li An at the Golden Horse Awards banquet had already spread throughout the entertainment industry.

Jiang Wen called immediately to inquire about the situation.

He had planned that if it wasn't a major conflict, he would find someone to mediate.

But when Lü Rui revealed the whole story, he was instantly enraged: "Damn it! This bastard actually wants my daughter to act in a Category III film? I'll never forgive him!"

Lu Rui himself may have limited "ability", but with Jiang Wen on his side, they can now deliver a heavy blow to Li An!
But this was not the effect he wanted.

"Director Jiang, don't rush, listen to me..." Lü Rui repeated his plan again.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wen immediately replied, "Okay, we'll do it your way and just 'kill' him! I'll probably wrap up filming here by the end of the year, so feel free to contact me if anything comes up."

"Okay, you go ahead and do your work, there's no rush now."

Just after the call with Jiang Wen ended, Wang Changtian called immediately to ask if he needed any help.
Lu Rui didn't say much to him for the time being, only indicating that he would contact him if needed.

"Okay, let me know as soon as you need help. He's just a Taiwanese director; he's not allowed to act like a tyrant in mainland China."

Although Wang Changtian was unaware of the inside story, that did not prevent him from taking sides.

He is now single-mindedly focused on linking light and vision together.

Besides maximizing the benefits of cooperating with Lv Rui, the most important thing is that cooperating with Rui Vision doesn't involve as many troublesome issues.

Moreover, Lü Rui is not like other directors, with such an eccentric temperament.

Enlight Media has already finalized its next development plan, which is clearly to expand into the film and television industry.

In fact, besides Lü Rui, Wang Changtian also contacted some other directors during this period.

For example, Chen Kaige.

However, this Director Chen is just too damn difficult to deal with.

The first project the two parties collaborated on was for Enlight Media to record an interview program for Chen Kaige's film "The Promise" to assist in the film's release.

Unexpectedly, when Liu Yan, the host of Enlight Media, asked just one question from the script, the other party immediately broke down.

"If the box office results of 'The Promise' are not as good as you expected, will it hurt your pride?"

At first glance, this question seems perfectly reasonable.

Many media reporters have asked directors of upcoming films similar questions, simply to test their confidence in their work.

But Chen Kaige, for some unknown reason, suddenly exploded, pointing at Liu Yan and cursing:

"Let me tell you, I'm very unhappy with what you said! Why did you ask me this kind of question before the film was even released? It's a very unfriendly question. Are you even a professional journalist? Do you know how to ask a question?"

Liu Yan was scolded and had no choice but to end the interview early.

But Chen Kai was still angry and shouted for her to come out, saying he wanted to question her properly about what she meant.
Not only that, he also mocked Liu Yan in front of all the reporters: "I don't want anyone to ask me questions like 'What would you do if your child died' when our film is about to be released, as if they were attending my child's one-month celebration. That would be the greatest disrespect to me!"

The interview immediately made headlines in the news and newspapers.

For Liu Yan, who was still a newcomer, this incident made her anxious for several days, fearing that the other party would threaten to blacklist her.

But Wang Changtian didn't think anything of it.

Interviews are supposed to be about talking about things that have a lot of interesting points, not about intentionally cursing someone.

If you can't handle the conversation, don't come out. If you come out, you won't let us talk. With such a narrow mind, what's the point of doing an interview?
As a result, the two sides parted on bad terms, and the cooperation fell through before it even began.

As for Feng Xiaogang and Zhang Yimou, both renowned directors have their own affiliations, and neither is someone that Enlight Media can easily reach.

Therefore, Wang Changtian is now focusing all his attention on Lü Rui.

The two sides are cooperating perfectly and can certainly forge a deeper relationship.

He heard that Lü Rui had acquired shares in Huayi, and he was even thinking about letting Lü Rui acquire shares in Guangmang as well.

It's just shares, right? He can afford that!

...

No sooner had the call with Wang Changtian ended than Han Sanping called, asking about the ins and outs of the matter.

Lu Rui had no choice but to give a general explanation again, but still did not go into the details of the specific inside story.

"If you have something to say, just say so. Li An is nothing to cause any trouble."

Like Wang Changtian, Han Sanping also chose to unconditionally support Lü Rui.

Although some tasks related to "united front work" have been conveyed from above, there are always ways to circumvent policies.

Moreover, he and Li An were not familiar with each other at all.

Although the famous film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" directed by the other party was distributed by China Film Group, that was a matter for the previous leader and had nothing to do with him.

On the contrary, Lü Rui was his prized "treasure," and several of his commercial film projects were huge hits, which made him very proud!
In particular, "Taken" earned him numerous commendations from his superiors.

Therefore, if necessary, it wouldn't be unreasonable to use the resources of China Film Group to give Lü Rui a warning to Li An.

"Mr. Han, how's the script review process for 'Dying to Survive' going?"

Lü Rui was somewhat impatient.

Since the decision has been made to deal with "Lust, Caution", this project has become a key focus.

"Wait a little longer. I'll see if I can get you the filming permit before the end of the year. This can't be rushed, and there's no use in rushing it. We have to go through the procedures..."

"I'm just bored."

"You're free? Why don't you make another commercial film? Look at Chen Kaige, Zhang Yimou, and Feng Xiaogang, they all have epic projects with budgets of nearly 200 million RMB. Why don't you make one too?"

Han Sanping started stirring things up again.

Lü Rui was somewhat amused and exasperated: "I have no interest in tinkering with any epic projects. If I really want to make a big production, I'll go straight for science fiction and throw in $2 million! I'll make a top-tier Sino-foreign co-production, the kind where you wear mechs and fight monsters, an action-sci-fi movie, and sell it worldwide to make a killing..."

He was just saying it casually, but Han Sanping got excited!

"Alright, alright! You said it yourself! You take charge of the preparations, and I'll go to the bureau right away to expedite the process. As soon as 'Dying to Survive' finishes, we'll get on this big project! Let's throw two hundred million US dollars into it!"

Lü Rui: "???"

"no……"

He was about to explain that he had just said it casually, but Han Sanping hung up the phone directly.

"Hey? Why is this guy so obsessed with making blockbusters? Isn't he afraid of losing money?"

Lu Rui shook his head helplessly, opened his bag, took out his laptop, typed out the words "Life of Pi" and created a separate document.

Whether or not we film it is another matter; let's take some time to register the script first.

Let Li An keep showing off...

What he didn't know was that Han Sanping had already started shouting!

He made a phone call directly to Ren Zhonglun, urging him, "Old Ren, what are you doing cooped up in the company all day? Come to the capital right away, let's go and urge 'Dying to Survive' to get approved."

"Hey? What's the rush?" Ren Zhonglun rolled his eyes and retorted, "This isn't something that can be rushed; there are procedures to follow..."

"Tell me about that $2 million Sino-foreign co-production project, do you want it?"

"???" Ren Zhonglun looked completely bewildered. "No, please explain clearly. What do you mean by a two-hundred-million-dollar project? What does that have to do with the script of 'Dying to Survive' getting approved?"

Han Sanping didn't hide it from him.

With such a large production, China Film Group alone certainly couldn't handle it all. Given Lü Rui's personality, he would definitely want everyone to share the pie, and Shanghai Film Group would inevitably get a share.

So he said directly, "I just finished talking to Lü Rui on the phone. He said that after 'Dying to Survive' is finished, he will start a Sino-foreign co-production project with an investment of 2 million US dollars. You and I will both be involved. So tell me if you want to participate."

"Holy crap! I want it! Of course I want it!"

"Taken" has already given Shanghai Film Group a taste of success. If they get another big project, won't they take off immediately?
"If you need me, hurry up and come over. I'll contact Xi'an Film Studio and have them arrange a few more senior veterans so we can all go to the bureau and 'bang on the table' together." Han Sanping said in a nonchalant tone.

"Okay, I'll have someone book the tickets right away. Wait for me."

After hanging up the phone, Ren Zhonglun could not hide his excitement and immediately instructed his secretary, "Book me a plane ticket to the capital, quickly, on the earliest flight."

The secretary paused, then pointed to the project proposal on the table and asked, "Chairman Ren, what about this project?"

Ren Zhonglun glanced down at the project proposal for "Lust, Caution" and the name of director Li An, and instantly made a decision.

"I'm not investing anymore! Isn't Fatty Yu envious? Let's give it to him and let him and Jiang Zhiqiang do what they want."

He was originally considering whether to collaborate with Edko Films and Li An to develop the "Lust, Caution" project.

However, the news from Jinma that Lu Rui and Li An had clashed made him hesitate.

Choosing sides sounds simple, but it's a nerve-wracking process; one wrong step can lead to total defeat!

He originally wanted to call Lü Rui to ask about the situation and see if he could mediate to keep the "Lust, Caution" project going without making Lü Rui resentful.

But now it seems there was absolutely no need for that.

Is it not foolish to let Li An cause Lü Rui to harbor resentment?
So what if he's a Golden Lion director?

So what if someone is an Oscar star?

In terms of prestige and status, Lü Rui's influence at the Oscars is no less than Li An's!

As for awards, Lü Rui is still young and will have plenty of opportunities to win awards in the future. The key is that he has unlimited potential.

For example, Ren Zhonglun felt that the script for "Dying to Survive" was absolutely worthy of the Golden Lion Award!

Adding to what Han Sanping just mentioned, the $2 million investment in a Sino-foreign co-production makes the balance of power obvious.

"Go book the plane tickets!"

Ren Zhonglun urged him repeatedly, then took out his phone and cheerfully called Lü Rui.

At the Taiwan airport, Lü Rui packed up his laptop and was preparing to board the plane.

After the call connected, faced with Ren Zhonglun's curious questions, he had no choice but to explain his entanglement with Li An again.

Upon hearing this, Ren Zhonglun immediately patted his chest and said, "Director Lü, don't worry, Shanghai Film Studio will absolutely support you unconditionally. Just call me if you need anything, and I'll be there anytime..."

To be honest, the project proposal for "Lust, Caution" was actually sent to me, but as soon as I heard that Li An and you had a conflict, I threw it in the trash.

Putting everything else aside, we mainland filmmakers must unite and never let Hong Kong and Taiwan filmmakers bully us. They're nothing, and I absolutely do not support this project..."

"Haha, thank you very much, Chairman Ren."

"Don't mention it, it's nothing..."

Ren Zhonglun rambled on for a long time before finally getting to the point: "I'm going to the capital now to go with Lao Han to push for the progress of 'Dying to Survive'."

Director Lü, you've got this under control, I'll definitely get it done for you... Oh, and that $2 million Sino-foreign co-production project, you'd better give me a chance..."

Lü Rui: "???"

No?

What kind of $2 million project is this?

He was just saying it casually. What exactly did Han Sanping brag about?

(End of this chapter)