HuaYu97: Starting as a Singer

Chapter 61 [061] A Film Contract from the Top Director in Mainland China
Beijing.

A high-end residential community.

Chen Kaige and the screenwriter discussed the script at home.

This discussion about the script is the very serious kind.

In 93, Chen Kaige's "Farewell My Concubine" swept numerous awards at home and abroad, and he won the Palme d'Or at the 46th Cannes Film Festival for this film.

This Palm of Gold is currently the only one of its kind in the country.

In recent years, Chen Kaige has been riding high, achieving both fame and fortune in his career, and his position has firmly surpassed that of Zhang Yingmou.

In many people's eyes, at that time he was the number one director in mainland China.

Two years ago, he, who was in his forties and entering middle age, encountered another romantic opportunity and got together with Chen Hong, who was known as the most beautiful woman in mainland China.

Chen Kaige is currently at the peak of his career and is full of confidence in preparing his latest work, "Jing Ke Assassinating the King of Qin".

Chen Kaige personally oversaw the scriptwriting process, revising it several times since last year.

"We've been discussing this for a while now, let's grab something to eat and take a break."

Chen Hong placed hot tea and snacks on the coffee table.

"Honghong, you've worked hard." Chen Kaige's tone was much gentler than when he was discussing the script.

For Chen Hong, Chen Kaige abandoned Ni Ping, with whom he had lived for six years.

The two are currently deeply in love and their relationship is going very well.

Just then, the TV started playing commercials. Wahaha's commercial, with its attractive visuals and high-quality jingle, easily left a deep impression on viewers.

"I treat you like my air, we're inseparable. I loudly proclaim that you're the one I love, it's you! Yay!"

A melodious singing voice and Qi Yuan herself appeared on the television screen at the same time.

Chen Kaige picked up his teacup, blew on it to warm it, and looked at Qi Yuan on TV, saying, "This young man seems to be from mainland China. He's quite popular lately, sings well and has a very stylish look, and is much better looking than the average singer."

These past few days, I've seen this advertisement almost every time I turn on the TV.

Even Chen Kaige remembered Qi Yuan's face.

"Very popular? He's incredibly popular. Not long ago, state media praised him as a role model for outstanding young people in mainland China. His records sell very well in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and I heard that they've sold over 1.7 million copies across Asia."

Chen Hong is not yet thirty years old, which is the perfect age for listening to pop music.

As a leading figure in mainland pop music, Chen Hong had certainly heard Qi Yuan's songs. She liked them quite a bit and even bought his records.

Just like Chen Kaige's evaluation of Qi Yuan, Chen Hong also felt that Qi Yuan's songs were stylish.

"I didn't know he was so famous. I was just thinking it was a shame that someone with such a movie-acting face would go into singing." Chen Kaige said with some surprise.

He, a middle-aged man in his forties, is out of touch with the latest music trends.

"Didn't you say he has a face that's perfect for movies? Why don't you just cast him in a role in 'The Emperor and the Assassin'? He's so popular, he might attract a bunch of young viewers to the theater. By the way, he's also from the Beijing Film Academy, so he's our junior."

Chen Hong smiled and said in a joking tone.

Chen Hong likes Qi Yuan's songs; she just mentioned it casually, with an element of joking.

Unexpectedly, Chen Kaige took it seriously.

"As long as Honghong is happy, we'll send him a film offer," Chen Kaige said domineeringly.

Chen Kaige's current relationship with Chen Hong has a touch of domineering CEO-like doting on his wife.

During this period, he frequently invited screenwriters to his home to discuss scripts.

Once, after taking a shower, Chen Hong ran downstairs barefoot to listen to everyone's discussion.

In front of everyone, Chen Kaige said to Chen Hong, "Honghong, put on your socks, you'll catch a cold."

Those who were discussing the script at his house at the time got goosebumps all over.

So it's not surprising that he offered Qi Yuan a film contract based on a single comment from Chen Hong.

……

A few days later. It's unclear whether it was a crew member who was discussing the script at Chen Kaige's house that day who let it slip, or whether the "Jing Ke Assassinating the King of Qin" crew deliberately leaked the information.

A gossip media outlet based in Beijing broke the news first, printing the headline as such on the cover of their latest issue.

To satisfy Chen Hong, Director Chen actually recruited strong young men for his 'beloved wife'.

It must be said that the editor of this article understands journalism.

Countless gossip-loving passersby paid for the book after seeing its sensational headline, and then found a secluded spot to browse through it.

Then people realized they'd been fooled by those damn clickbait headlines.

I thought it was some exciting, tabloid story about a middle-aged director who was too old to do anything and asked some strong young men to help him plow the fields, but this is what you've shown us.

Where is morality? Where is the bottom line? Don't you feel any remorse selling newspapers like this?
It's clearly Chen Hong who likes Qi Yuan's songs, and Chen Kaige who dotes on Chen Hong, getting the production team to offer Qi Yuan a film contract. But you media outlets are making it sound like a big Japanese movie.

Hey!
Countless people who were deceived angrily denounced that media outlet.

The more people criticize it, the more attention it generates, leading to even more discussion.

Chen Kaige is the only recipient of the Palme d'Or in China.

Qi Yuan is a representative figure in mainland Chinese pop music. He rose to the top tier of singers within six months of his debut and is highly sought after by young people.

The combination of these two is definitely big news.

The news that Chen Kaige was going to offer Qi Yuan a film contract quickly went viral, becoming the hottest news in the mainland entertainment industry these days.

[Qi Yuan, who is currently enjoying immense popularity in the music industry, may star in Director Chen's latest work.]

[Chen Kaige appears to have changed his gender identity; Beijing Film Academy directors are now using actors from the Beijing Film Academy.]

What exactly is it about Qi Yuan that won Director Chen's favor?

Director Chen dotes on his wife, inviting Qi Yuan to star in his new film because of a single sentence from Chen Hong.

……

Actors in mainland China's film and television industry were green with envy.

This is a movie starring Chen Kaige!

The most renowned director in mainland China today actually invited Qi Yuan to act in his film.

It's great to become famous as a singer; you can catch the eye of big directors.

The news quickly spread from the mainland to Hong Kong and was widely reported by Hong Kong media.

The album battle between Nicholas Tse and Kei Yuen in March and April was hyped up by Hong Kong media.

Many Hong Kong students were divided into different camps because of these two people at school.

Those who like Qi Yuan and those who like Xie Tingfeng are irreconcilable enemies, and the two sides are arguing fiercely.

Qi Yuan's fans said that Xie Tingfeng is nothing but a fart, only good at wearing height-increasing shoes and fake silver chains to show off and look cool.

Is Nicholas Tse's music even music? Has it become popular outside of Hong Kong? Our Qi Yuan's music is popular throughout Hong Kong, Taiwan, and mainland China.

Nicholas Tse's fans countered, saying that Qi Yuan is currently a little better at music than Nicholas Tse, so what's there to brag about?
Being a singer is just one of Nicholas Tse's careers.

Nicholas Tse is already filming a movie, and it will be released in theaters in a few months.

Is Qi Yuan as talented as Nicholas Tse? Can Qi Yuan act? Has anyone asked Qi Yuan to act in a movie?

Our Nicholas Tse is an all-around talent, proficient in both acting and filming.

This major news, which originated in mainland China and spread to Hong Kong, brought an end to the dispute between the two fan groups.

Nicholas Tse's fans realized something was wrong.

Someone actually asked Qi Yuan to direct a movie, and it was a top director who won the Palme d'Or at Cannes.

"Farewell My Concubine" is very famous in Hong Kong. Many Hong Kong people have heard of the movie even if they have never seen it.

Are all these "honeys" jinxed, with superpowers that make their words come true?
They had just mocked that no one was hiring Qi Yuan to make a movie, and then the person who hired Qi Yuan showed up.

(End of this chapter)