The only sun in Huayu

Chapter 137 Mark Müller with Shen Zizhong (44)

They're struggling to survive, how can you, Marco Müller, live comfortably?
“Mr. Muller”.

Smith stirred his black coffee, his tone calm, but the impatience of a superior was evident in his words: "You've been here for a week now."

"The Commissioner has high hopes for your trip and hopes that you can use the brilliance of the Golden Lion of Venice to at least illuminate the path of our dialogue with Mr. Shen Shandeng."

"What is the actual situation? We need some substantial progress, not just tourism."

Marco Müller cursed the damn Americans under his breath.

The filmmakers and cultural figures here are so friendly; my confidence, which had crumbled because of Shen Shandeng, was quickly restored.

You can be happy every day as long as you don't compare yourself to the stronger ones.

These days, I'm being treated like a VIP by some people here, with banquets and tours all scheduled for me. I'm already quite "happy" about it.

Marco Müller picked up his espresso, took a small sip, and used it to mask his embarrassment and dissatisfaction.

He certainly heard the urging and the underlying threat in Smith's words.

These Americans are always like this, thinking that they can give orders to everyone just by having guns and a global intelligence system.

Then they were right.

Marco Müller lowered his voice and said, "Mr. Smith, I understand your and the Commissioner's anxiety."

He shrugged, making a very Italian-style gesture of helplessness: "But you must understand, Director Shen Shandeng, he is not an ordinary Chinese filmmaker. Tough? No, that word is too mild."

"He is a fortress, a mountain, and a mountain with its own complete ecosystem and powerful armed forces."

Marco Müller unconsciously recalled his breakdown in the hotel room that night, which made his throat tighten.

Shake your head quickly; as long as you don't think about it, nothing will happen.

They decided to treat it as a case of "no fight, no friendship," and they also had a proverb similar to "not all bad things bring harm," suggesting that "suffering a loss is a blessing."

“I did everything I could.” Muller emphasized, trying to make Smith understand his efforts: “You know what? I even used all my personal connections and influence in Venice to barely persuade him.”

"We agree to have a conversation with the director of Paperclip in a suitable, informal setting. We are still in talks and are very close to reaching an agreement."

Marco Müller looked at Smith with a hint of pride in his eyes.

If it weren't for his special relationship with Shen Shandeng, would it have been possible to negotiate with someone else?

Smith frowned.

A conversation? Or was it with Paperclip?
Smith asked, "What about Paperclip's autobiographical film, 'The Creation'?"

After saying that, Smith thought to himself, "Paperclip is only good at making dogs for them, stabbing themselves in the back because of their own skin color and ethnicity."

If it's not a good dog, given its lousy name "Paperclip," it definitely shouldn't be given a bone.

Marco Müller quickly said, "We can't talk about the autobiographical film 'The Creation.' Director Huixingzhen is too despicable. The subject matter is too controversial, and he was even beaten to death. The situation will be quite ugly then. I estimate that we can talk about 'The Hidden Dragon and the Hidden Tiger' at most."

"The Hidden Dragon and the Hidden Tiger is also a representative work of director Huixingzhen. It is a new-style martial arts epic that achieves a balance between commerce and art. It has a lot to do with the movie The Eunuch."

"After all, 'Hero' was also influenced by 'The Hidden Dragon and the Hidden Tiger,' which can be considered to have ushered in the era of commercial blockbusters in this region."

Upon learning the truth, Smith instinctively shook his head.

Although "The Hidden Dragon and the Hidden Tiger" wasn't supported by them, it just so happened that they were looking to exert influence on the film industry, so the ceiling was lowered and they were given a small piece of meat.

Smith was disappointed that the film didn't even touch on the other person's autobiographical film, "The Creation," but only on the filmmaker and the film itself, which was made many years ago.

Moreover, it is highly likely that they will completely eliminate the influence of Western values ​​replacing the spirit of martial arts in "The Hidden Dragon and the Hidden Tiger," which is far from their original goal.

Their expectation was to lure Shen Shandeng with a big prize, at least to make him partially accept the Western evaluation system, or to create ideological confusion in him.

The result was wildly different.

“Mr. Muller!” Smith’s tone turned cold. “What we need is his recognition of Venice and the three great European cities, not to use another one of our directors to highlight him! Do you understand the difference? The Commissioner needs to see value!” Seeing that Smith’s attitude was becoming increasingly tough, even bringing up Chapel Peric to exert pressure.

Marco Müller stopped acting: "Mr. Smith, you can't find anyone else who can get Shen Shandeng to agree except me."

“He can even ignore it because he is the victor. He has always had opinions about European film festivals and our system.”

"I have done everything I can to find a more constructive way of cooperating that is acceptable to both parties."

"If you don't believe me, go find someone else. See if you can find anyone who can influence Shen Shandeng."

Marco Müller stopped pretending; he was determined to bring Shen Zizhong along!
He was confident that, apart from himself, Smith could find no one else who could get close to Shen Shandeng.

With him, at least a passage can be built first.

Marco Müller, who was in this circle, knew very well that Paperclip was a dead dog.

His autobiographical film revealed his canine traits, which led to a significant drop in his influence in the region.

Without influence here, there is no value.

It wouldn't hurt to use it again to establish the initial communication channel with Shen Shandeng.

Dogs are perfect for this kind of situation!

Smith stared at him for a few seconds, trying to discern the truth from Marco Müller's eyes.

Marco Müller wasn't worried at all; he had a way out, and he truly had a line in the sand, knowing where the intervals and scales lay.

Shen Shandeng can also cooperate with him.

Smith ultimately had no choice but to temporarily accept this explanation: "I hope so, Mr. Muller. We don't have much time left."

After seeing off the skeptical Smith, Marco Müller breathed a sigh of relief.

Americans are not to be trifled with; they can be ruthless!

Marco Müller realized he needed to produce something to appease the beautiful man, so he immediately took out his phone and dialed a number.

His tone instantly warmed up: "Hey! Lao Ma! It's me. Yes, I have a preliminary idea that I think is really great, and I'd like to talk to you about it to see if Director Shen would be interested."

the other side.

Shen Shandeng's new office location.

Instead of the familiar Beijing Film Studio, they rented a Grade A office building on the East Third Ring Road, generously booking half a floor.

On the background wall of the reception area, the logo of "Shandeng Culture" shines brightly, exuding a sharpness that is different from traditional film and television companies.

Ma Youde hung up the phone. His office door sign read "General Manager".

The secretary asked at the opportune moment, "Mr. Ma, let me talk to Director Shen's secretary and see if he has time?"

“I’ll go myself,” Ma Youde quickly waved his hand.

As the company grows bigger, we can't let the distance between us and the boss grow too.

Walking through the open office area, you can see dozens of people buried in their computers, either having heated discussions or quietly drawing storyboards.

On the glass-partitioned meeting room doors, different project names were posted: "Jiajing", "Jinyiwei", "Dugong 2", and a new project temporarily named "Journey Surprise".

Ma Youde clicked his tongue in amazement; his boss's business was expanding bigger and bigger.

The Beijing Film Studio has become a branch; the real core and brains have been moved here.

He met Shen Shandeng in the innermost spacious and bright office.

(End of this chapter)