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

Chapter 172 From Fairy Sister to Loser?! (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

"After nine days in theaters, I Am Legend has grossed over $2 million at the North American box office! Its overseas distribution is progressing steadily and will be released in 59 countries."

"The day before yesterday, 'Brokeback Mountain,' directed by Li An, was released in limited theaters in North America, and the forbidden love between men has sparked controversy."

"Yesterday, the Japanese geisha-themed film 'Memoirs of a Geisha,' starring Zhang Ziyi, Gong Li, Michelle Yeoh, and others, officially opened in North American theaters, reigniting controversy..."

"Director Lu Chuan announced today that he will serve as the artistic director for the opening ceremony of the Shanghai Special Olympics and will also create the opening ceremony film."

"Lu Chuan's plagiarism case is still ongoing, and the second trial has not yet begun. It is suspected that the evidence chain is insufficient. Lu Chuan has expressed strong condemnation of the nickname 'Lu the Plagiarist'!"

……

After returning to the company from the bureau, Lü Rui began preparing for the film "Dying to Survive".

Although he had not yet obtained the filming permit, he was relieved after receiving advice from the top two officials of the Film Bureau.

Regardless of the final review results, let's just shoot it first.

When soldiers come, we'll block them; when water comes, we'll dam it. There's always a way out.

Despite his busy schedule, he didn't forget to keep up with industry trends.

The success of "I Am Legend" is inevitable. The film is of high quality, and the popularity generated by the premiere will ensure its success. This goes without saying.

On the contrary, the films "Brokeback Mountain" and "Memoirs of a Geisha," which were released shortly after, have recently been the subject of much controversy.

Foreign film critics and certain special groups, however, have praised it highly.

However, domestic audiences continued to criticize:

"I really don't understand, what was Li An's mentality when he made this movie? Don't you, a grown man, find it disgusting?"

"I feel that Li An has developed psychological problems, perhaps because he was kept by a rich woman in his early years and suffered a lot?"

"Zhang Ziyi? Yang Ziqiong? Gong Li? What's going on with these three? Why are they playing Japanese geishas?"

"These people are really going all out to go international, even playing Japanese prostitutes. That's amazing!"

"..."

Normal people ultimately make up the majority.

Even though the mainstream market is chasing after it, the public's eyes are still discerning.

Lu Rui also did not curry favor with those in power, because he had no liking for either of the two films and had no interest in even learning about them.

The former was filmed as a perverted and bizarre work, relying on vulgar gimmicks to attract attention.

The latter is even more outrageous, single-mindedly promoting the so-called distorted 'beauty' of a simple life, mistaking distortion for style, and completely deviating from the original meaning of reality.

These two types of films are not suitable for normal people to watch at all; watching too many of them can easily distort one's values.

In contrast, Lü Rui was quite interested in Lu Chuan's latest developments.

He even called Jiang Wen about it:
"You were right. Lu Chuan didn't stay quiet for long before he started jumping around again."

I thought he would calm down for a while after getting into a lawsuit, but I didn't expect that he would be so eager to return to the public eye before the lawsuit was resolved, and even used the name of the "Special Olympics".

At this moment, Lü Rui suddenly gained a new understanding of the forces behind them.

However, Jiang Wen on the other end of the phone wasn't too surprised: "I told you before, that kid is on the 'royal road,' and his family will support him until they can't support him anymore."

Lu Rui's heart skipped a beat, and he asked curiously, "What is the standard for 'cannot stand'?"

"I don't know." Jiang Wen's tone was quite helpless. "He has connections with certain groups in Nanjing, and his father has extremely strong connections in the arts and culture circle, as well as deep ties with the Shanghai network."

The network of interests between the father and son, and even their ancestors, is like a large spider web, firmly locked in with certain groups, and cannot be easily shaken by ordinary people.

Upon hearing this, a word suddenly popped into Lü Rui's mind.

Celestial Dragons?!

However, after careful consideration, he felt that Lu Chuan was not worthy of the title at all.

If they were truly Celestial Dragons, this lawsuit would never have dragged on for so long, and they would have lost the first trial.

Therefore, the only remaining explanation is that he is a spokesperson for certain groups.

Judging from the current situation, he is a unique spokesperson, and it is not easy to cultivate him, so that group of people will not give up easily.

Having figured all this out, Lü Rui had a general idea of ​​what was going on.

Taro is like a cockroach with tenacious vitality; you can kill him, but it takes a lot of effort.

"By the way, I have some good news to tell you."

Lu Rui changed the subject, no longer bringing up Lu Chuan's matter, because he already had a plan for the future.

"Good news?" Jiang Wen thought for a moment and immediately realized, "The script for 'Dying to Survive' has been approved?"

Lu Rui laughed heartily: "That's right, the filming permit should be issued by the end of the month, and we can finally start work."

Jiang Wen paused on the other end of the phone, then, recalling the contents of the script, suddenly felt a surge of excitement: "Coincidentally, my scenes are almost finished too."

Have you cast your role in "Dying to Survive" yet? If you haven't found a suitable one, I can help you get a role in a similar film.

Upon hearing this, Lü Rui almost threw his phone away and quickly refused, "No way! Director Jiang, you should focus on your post-production work. My little temple can't accommodate such a big Buddha as you."

He really didn't dare to let Jiang Wen play the role.

The film's approval process was already uncertain, and Zhang Hongsen specifically mentioned that departments such as health, customs, public security, and justice would send people to participate in the supervision, with extremely strict standards.

If Jiang Wen were to play the lead role, given his free-spirited nature, who knows what kind of performance he would deliver.

Lu Rui could even picture it in his mind:
In a dimly lit warehouse, the protagonist, played by Jiang Wen, faces a group of desperate patients. Suddenly, he raises his arm and shouts his signature line, "Gun in hand, follow me, kill... rob..."

Just imagining the scene sent a chill down his spine. He quickly made up a few casual remarks about things on set and then hurriedly hung up the phone.

"call!"

After hanging up the phone, he breathed a sigh of relief, still feeling a bit shaken.

Fortunately, I didn't agree, otherwise this film might have truly gone down the path of becoming a "banned film" and never come back.

……

The next day, Lü Rui temporarily put aside her work and took a car to the set of "Sunny Sisters".

A few days ago, Zhao Peng posted a message saying that there would be a media visit event today.

This movie is, after all, a commercial film aimed at box office success, so the promotion needs to keep up.

As the producer, he has been acting like a hands-off manager since filming started, which is quite irresponsible. I took this opportunity to check on the progress today.

The morning rush hour in the capital was as congested as ever. By the time Lü Rui arrived at the film set, reporters had already surrounded the actors and started interviewing them.

The crew consisted of over twenty actresses, some radiant with youthful energy, some in their prime, and some exuding charm…

This spectacle was already "famous" in the media circle, and many media outlets and entertainment reporters wanted to dig up some inside information about the "female actress feud".

After all, viewers often prefer watching these kinds of things to filming storylines.

Unfortunately, the production team has kept the news very secret, and no one has been able to get any information out of them yet.

As the female lead, Liu Yifei is naturally the focus of the media's attention, especially her character in the film.

From afar, Lü Rui heard a Sina reporter ask, "Your previous roles such as Wang Yuyan and Xiaolongnu have made the image of 'Fairy Sister' deeply rooted in people's hearts."

This time in "Sunny," Im Na-mi's character is completely different from her previous roles. Are you confident you can handle the role?

Liu Yifei was clearly prepared, quickly replying, "Actually, I'm not some kind of goddess. That was just for the role. In reality, I'm a crazy woman! Just like Ren Nami in the film, I go crazy from time to time... I'm just a loser. I often don't wash my hair at home, I kick off the covers when I sleep, I often stay in bed until after nine o'clock, and I'm grumpy when I wake up..."

Her words surprised the surrounding reporters, who were all puzzled.

A fairy-like beauty turned into a loser?
Isn't that a huge leap?

Actually, Liu Yifei had been maintaining the "fairy sister" persona for a long time mainly to solidify her popularity.

But now that she's acted in this movie, the character herself is very down-to-earth, and with the added popularity of "Taken," she doesn't mind showing her true self, lest she be praised too highly and have people waiting to see her fall from grace.

Lu Rui stood outside the crowd listening, and couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth into a smile.

This girl is much more insightful than he was.

However, her eagerness to expose the truth was hard for the media present to accept.

Many people paused, clearly pondering how to write in a way that wouldn't seem abrupt.

Another reporter pressed further: "You seem to rarely participate in variety shows and rarely show your true self in front of outsiders. Is there a reason for that?"

Liu Yifei thought for a moment and explained seriously: "Actually, I've received quite a few variety show invitations, but I always feel that it's not good for actors to be constantly immersed in variety shows or commercial activities."

Because doing so would expose too much of one's true self, gradually creating a stereotypical image.

When I play other roles later on, the audience will easily associate me with the image I had in variety shows, making it difficult for them to immerse me in the new characters. This is not good for the work.

My dream is to challenge myself with more complex roles; I don't want to be confined to any particular type of character.

Upon hearing these words, the reporters present all changed their expressions.

They clearly did not expect that this girl, who was not yet 20 years old, would have such a clear understanding of the acting profession.

In contrast, the actresses around them had very different expressions.

Jing Tian, ​​Tang Yan, Shu Chang, and Jiang Xin nodded secretly, making up their minds that they should participate in fewer variety shows in the future to avoid being typecast too early.

In contrast, Fan Bingbing and Huo Siyan showed a flash of realization on their faces, followed by some embarrassment and annoyance.

They used to think Liu Yifei was too young and didn't take her seriously, and even thought about recruiting her to deal with others.

Even after several setbacks, they only thought it was because their methods were not good enough, never considering that the other party had already seen through all the intricacies and was too lazy to get involved.

Actually, Liu Yifei wasn't particularly sociable on set.

She has a somewhat solitary nature, like a white lotus flower that rises from the mud unsullied, but unlike Jing Tian's pure and radiant aura, her "cleanliness" carries a hint of detachment after seeing through the filth.

This kind of temperament makes many actresses who are deeply entrenched in the rules of the industry feel that she is very "different", and there is bound to be some gossip behind her back.

But with the director protecting her, and given her status as the female lead, no one dared to say anything openly.

Moreover, even if some people dislike her subtle "self-importance," they can't help but admire her seriousness.

They always memorize their lines in advance, and they meticulously study even simple shots. This kind of dedication is truly rare among young actors.

Lu Rui stood aside watching, secretly praising him.

He was right. This girl was not only insightful but also clear-headed, knowing what she wanted. Such a mindset was truly rare at her age...

Only after the media visit ended and the reporters left did Lü Rui emerge from the corner.

It wasn't that he was afraid of reporters; he was just too lazy to deal with those pointless questions.

He had previously been surrounded by reporters who immediately asked him for his opinions on films such as "The Promise," "Perhaps Love," and "A Chinese Tall Story."

But these questions are practically death traps!
After all, he can't exactly go against his conscience and praise it, can he?

The incident of Liu Zhenwei and Teacher Liu exchanging barbs online was particularly sensitive.

Many people now side with Liu Zhenwei because of their nostalgia for "A Chinese Odyssey," feeling that Liu Xiao Ling Tong is taking things too seriously.

However, Lü Rui himself felt that some of what Teacher Liu said actually made a lot of sense.

For example, he strongly agrees with the statement "adaptation is not random rewriting".

After all, the core of a classic IP must be preserved, right? Can't a good story be made without romance and love?

However, once these words are spoken, they will inevitably cause a huge uproar.

So rather than getting involved in pointless disputes, it's better to just keep quiet.

"Brother Rui, you're here." Zhao Peng was the first to see him and quickly came to greet him.

Liu Yifei and the others, who had just finished their interview, turned around, their faces showing some surprise.

Clearly, no one noticed that Lü Rui had arrived long ago.

"Hello, Director Lü."

"Director Lü, you've arrived..."

As soon as Fan Bingbing and Huo Siyan saw Lü Rui, they quickly came to greet him, their warm tone almost deliberately overt.

Lu Rui nodded slightly to the two of them, but didn't say anything more.

Before he came, Zhao Peng had specifically mentioned to him that the two of them had been acting a bit too much on set lately, and had been doing a lot of dirty tricks behind the scenes. It was time to give them a talking-to.

Fan Bingbing, in particular, has a knack for stirring up trouble; she can easily get into trouble if she's not careful.

And those older actresses, after joining the crew, seem to want to put on airs because of their seniority.
Lu Rui sneered inwardly, walked past the two of them, stood in front of Liu Yifei, and handed her a bulging bag: "This is what my mom asked me to bring you. It contains sausage, dumplings, and other homemade items. Remember to put them in the refrigerator when you get back."

"Oh? Thank you, Auntie!" Liu Yifei's eyes lit up as she happily accepted the gift, a bright smile spreading across her face.

But the actresses around him immediately changed their expressions.

Fan Bingbing and Huo Siyan, in particular, were shocked.

They knew long ago that Liu Yifei was someone Lü Rui had personally promoted, but they could never quite figure out how deep their relationship really was.

At this moment, Lu Rui's mother specially asked him to bring food from home. This was not the kind of treatment one would receive in an ordinary business relationship, which showed how close they were to each other.

The two looked at each other and saw panic in each other's eyes.

All those previous attempts to win them over, or even to secretly compete with them, vanished instantly, leaving only a sense of dread.

Fortunately, they didn't do anything really outrageous, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable.

The others were also secretly amazed, and their gazes towards Liu Yifei now held a hint of not daring to underestimate her.

Especially the older middle-aged actresses, who had originally thought of using their seniority to put Liu Yifei and her daughter in a difficult position and were secretly figuring out how to control the situation, all silently gave up the idea at this moment.

They are clearly being pampered and cherished.

On set, even if you're a loner and don't fit in, you don't have to worry about anyone's feelings.

Those who are favored are fearless!

But what about them? If they dare to say anything unpleasant or cause trouble for Liu Yifei on set, they'll probably be out of a job in no time.

Lu Rui's seemingly casual action actually made his attitude very clear.

—He's protecting this girl.

In an instant, those who had harbored some ulterior motives all put aside their thoughts, and their eyes showed more respect for Liu Yifei than their previous disdain.

Even the atmosphere of the entire crew seemed to have subtly changed because of Lü Rui's few words...

(End of this chapter)