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

Chapter 67 Lowering Salaries! Saving the Market? (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
Why are you all alone?

At the doorway, Lü Rui glanced around the room but couldn't find Liu Xiaoli.

"Mom is washing her hair." Liu Yifei tilted her head and smiled, her hair swaying gently with the movement.

How's the filming of "Chinese Paladin" going?

"It's going very smoothly, and filming is almost finished. I think it will be around the middle of next month."

They had only exchanged a few words when Liu Xiaoli's slightly worried voice suddenly came from inside the room: "Qianqian, who is it? A hotel staff member?"

“Yes, it’s senior!” Liu Yifei replied crisply.

As soon as she finished speaking, Liu Xiaoli, her hair wrapped in a damp towel, quickly walked out of the bathroom.

Upon seeing that it was Lü Rui and Jiang Wen, her tense shoulders instantly relaxed, and a smile appeared in her eyes: "Director Lü, Director Jiang, please come in and sit down."

Being unfamiliar with the place and the paparazzi in Hong Kong, she was afraid that her daughter might accidentally make some inappropriate news headlines.

"No need to trouble yourself..."

After a brief chat and confirming tomorrow's schedule, Lü Rui turned and went back to his room.

Jiang Wen was called out again by phone.

It seems he has some important business to attend to this time. On the way back to the hotel, I was bombarded with invitations and calls, as if the entire Hong Kong film industry knew he was here. He was overwhelmed with social interactions.

Lü Rui did not follow him to join in the fun.

The new script is in its final stages, and he needs to finish it quickly so that it can be submitted for review before the end of April.

The 57th Cannes Film Festival started on the 12th.

According to his plan, he must set up the project framework before going to Cannes so that he can start filming as soon as he returns to China.

On the other side, after drying her hair, Liu Xiaoli chatted with her daughter about the news she had received from the company.

"After filming for 'Chinese Paladin' wraps up, you need to hurry up and practice martial arts and familiarize yourself with the script. Filming for 'The Return of the Condor Heroes' is expected to start around October."

Liu Yifei blinked her watery eyes, her face full of confusion: "Wasn't it said that filming would start in June?"

"No, the role of 'Yang Guo' has been delayed for a long time, and the role of Xiaolongnu is also being hyped up. Director Zhang's idea is to postpone the start of filming in order to maximize the hype."

Liu Xiaoli rubbed her temples, her tone revealing a hint of helplessness.

Zhang Jizhong has been creating hype everywhere in an attempt to attract attention, offending countless female celebrities in the process.

Zhou Xun, in particular, is still completely unaware of the truth and believes that Xiaolongnu is none other than her.

This could very well lead to Liu Yifei, who successfully landed the role, becoming the target of public criticism after the casting list is announced.

In the entertainment industry, there are always far more applicants than opportunities, and the saying "the nail that sticks out gets hammered down" remains an unchanging rule.

Thinking of this, Liu Xiaoli tenderly stroked her daughter's cheek, her tone gentle yet firm: "Qianqian, you must remember, no matter what happens, you must stay calm."

You're already far more outstanding than many of your peers. As long as we act uprightly and honestly, we don't need to pay any attention to those rumors and gossip. Time will prove right and wrong, understand?

"Okay, I got it."

Liu Yifei nodded seriously, stood up, put one hand on her hip and raised the other hand in a fist, like a spirited little peacock: "When we were filming 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,' my senior said, 'What doesn't kill me makes me stronger!'"

Her clear voice echoed in the room, and the light in the girl's eyes seemed even brighter than the starlight outside the window.

Late at night.

Lu Rui didn't go out to eat; instead, he ordered food delivery and browsed local entertainment websites.

In the film and television industry, news of Wang Jing, Liu Dehua, and Li Ming going north to film movies is also frequently seen.

The Infernal Affairs series became the last hurrah for Hong Kong cinema!

Looking at this year's box office charts, more than half a year has passed, but the highest-grossing film is still the comedy "Fantastic Beasts," starring Cecilia Cheung and Louis Koo, which was released at the beginning of the year.

HK$2524 million, equivalent to approximately RMB 2600 million, barely broke even.

As for other films, they couldn't even break the 10 million Hong Kong dollar mark, not even enough to cover the actors' salaries.

A glaring call to action was prominently displayed on the news headline:

[Lower actor salaries! Save the market!]

Lu Rui chuckled.

Isn't this just moral blackmail? With the current capital retreat and market shrinkage, it's no wonder there's no way to salvage the situation.

Speaking of which, I have to admit that although Wang Jing loves to make bad movies, he has a really high sense of the market!
Heading north immediately will definitely make you a fortune.

And then there's Stephen Chow, who, besides being an actor, is definitely a qualified "businessman".

From a business perspective, the move of "Kung Fu Hustle" to bring in capital from the mainland market was absolutely a brilliant move!
……

The following day, Lu Rui and Liu Yifei, fully prepared, arrived at the Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony together with Jiang Wen, who had transformed into the "host".

Lu Rui wore a sharp-tailored suit, while Liu Yifei, standing beside him, wore a flowing white dress, looking like an elf who had wandered into the human world.

The three of them got off the bus in the waiting area.

"Follow me closely and don't run around."

Lu Rui reminded the person behind him.

"Okay, sure." Liu Yifei nodded obediently.

Before she left, Liu Xiaoli had instructed her to talk less, listen more, and observe more, and not to leave Lü Rui's side for even a moment.

So she immediately reached out and quietly grabbed the hem of Lü Rui's suit jacket, following him closely like a kitten as they weaved through the crowd.

"Big brother!"

Jiang Wen walked at the front, and his shout immediately attracted the attention of Chow Yun-fat and Jackie Chan.

These two, along with Stephen Chow, were known as the "Two Chows and One Jackie" in the Hong Kong film industry. The box office frenzy they created during the golden age of Hong Kong films remains unmatched to this day!

Stephen Chow didn't come today, partly because he's filming "Kung Fu Hustle," but mainly because he's not very popular in the Hong Kong entertainment circle. Since his debut in 1980, a full 24 years, although he has starred in and directed many classic works, he has won only a handful of Hong Kong Film Awards.

Not knowing how to conduct oneself is a fatal flaw!
When trouble arises, there's not even anyone to speak up for you.

Jackie Chan, too, has recently been caught in a media storm.

His starring film "New Police Story" is about to be released, but in a previous interview, he openly mocked Taiwan as a joke, which led to strong resistance from Taiwan.

The media called on him to apologize, but he not only refused, but also claimed that it was not a simple joke, but an international joke!
His statement clearly demonstrated his stance and drew cheers from the mainland.

But barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Taiwanese market is likely to be far from his reach.

However, the box office revenue in mainland China should be substantial.

As for the controversy surrounding the lower body, it's nothing compared to matters of principle.

“Director Jiang…” Jackie Chan’s gaze first fell on Jiang Wen, but before he could speak, he suddenly saw Lü Rui following behind him, and his pupils widened abruptly. “Director Lü? Haha, I’ve heard so much about you.”

He bypassed Jiang Wen, walked up to Lü Rui, and took the initiative to greet him.

Lü Rui also followed Jiang Wen's example and called him "Big Brother".

Interestingly, Nicholas Tse, Charlie Yeung, Charlene Choi, Daniel Wu, and others who were following behind Jackie Chan all bowed deeply and shouted in unison, "Hello, Director Lü!"

Liu Yifei was so frightened that she shrank behind Lü Rui.

The main thing is that all of these people were dressed in suits and ties and wearing sunglasses, looking exactly like a group of gangsters.

"Hello." Lu Rui smiled, this was far too polite.

Many people around cast curious glances at them.

Some people went up to greet them, while others ignored them.

Lü Rui didn't have much to say about this.

When friends come, treat them warmly; when enemies come, deal with them with guns and cannons.

He believed there wouldn't be any fools tonight.

"This is Chow Yun-fat."

"This is Lü Rui, the director of 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty'."

Jiang Wen then introduced Lü Rui and Chow Yun-fat.

"Would it be convenient to exchange contact information?" Chow Yun-fat asked with a bright smile, a hint of anticipation in his voice.

With the Hong Kong film industry on the verge of collapse, Andy Lau went north and collaborated with Zhang Yimou and Feng Xiaogang, causing his popularity to soar and his net worth to skyrocket.

Chow Yun-fat was clearly getting restless at this point.

"Of course," Lü Rui agreed with a smile, exchanging contact information with him and Jackie Chan.

Unlike other film crews, the film "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" didn't receive much attention on the red carpet because neither Leslie Cheung nor Anita Mui were present.

However, this situation changed abruptly after a fan shouted, "Director Lü, how is Sister Mei's surgery going?"

Dozens of cameras were suddenly shoved in front of him, but Lü Rui maintained a polite smile: "She asked me to give her greetings to everyone."

"boom--"

Cheers swept through the venue, and reporters bombarded him with questions, but Lü Rui didn't say much and went straight into the hall.

Compared to the "conservatism" of the mainland, female celebrities here are much bolder.

Looking around, there are tons of low-cut, see-through, and curvy women...

Unfortunately, Lü Rui didn't get to see the "photographer".

He didn't mean anything by it; he just wanted to see just how charming the other person really was.
This person can be considered a legendary figure. Later, he single-handedly tore off the fig leaf that concealed the weakness of the entire Hong Kong entertainment industry.

Not only that, almost all of Hong Kong's new generation of actors have fallen victim to him, so it's no wonder he was surrounded and beaten up.

At the same time, after stepping into the venue, Lü Rui finally understood why Jiang Wen had such a grand entrance.

Han Sanping introduced him to the boss of Yinghuang, who greatly admired him and agreed to invest in five of his films, which led to him becoming the "host".

"I heard Director Lü is starting a new film project again?"

Yang Shoucheng, who is 61 years old this year, looks to be in good condition. Behind him are Yinghuang's top agent, Huo Wenxi, and a large group of artists.

Lu Rui nodded politely, but did not delve too deeply into the topic.

There aren't enough investors from the mainland to go around, so he has no interest in bringing in Hong Kong capital, since they can't provide any resources.

Is Liu Yifei behind them no better than the two of them?

The pure white skirt accentuated the girl's elegant and refined beauty; she was like a girl next door blossoming into womanhood, graceful and charming in her own way.

The Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony is actually quite meaningless; it's just a show of dividing up the pie, and this has become increasingly apparent in recent years.

The Best Actress award went to Zhang Baizhi, who just turned 24 this year and has only been in the industry for 6 years.

The Best Actor award was originally supposed to go to Leslie Cheung, but he made it clear that he wouldn't be attending this year, so it was ultimately won by Lau Tak-wah for his role in "Running on Karma".

The Best Film award went to "PTU".

"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" also garnered many awards, including Best Visual Effects, Best Original Song, and Best Art Direction.

To Lü Rui's great surprise, the Best Director award was actually given to him!
When Yang Shoucheng announced on stage, "The winner of the Best Director Award at the 23rd Hong Kong Film Awards is Lü Rui," the entire audience erupted in uproar!
It's worth noting that before this, only Zhang Yimou, a mainland Chinese director, had been nominated for the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Director for "Hero," but he didn't win.

And now they've actually awarded this prize to him?

This is very interesting.

After all, from the outside perspective, the Hong Kong Film Awards and the Golden Horse Awards are still very prestigious now, unlike later ones, which were turned into a mess.

But what's strange is why this award was given to a mainland Chinese director?
Logically, this shouldn't be the case.

(End of this chapter)