How did I become famous?

Chapter 148 Fang Bie's Bet with the "Tyrant" (Second Update! 7K Views Complete! Please Vote!)

The entrance to Hengdian Fangmu Film and Television was deserted.

There were originally many reporters and fans waiting here.

But now everyone understands Fang Bie's personality.

This person likes quiet; he enjoys creating quietly by himself.

So later, many fans spontaneously maintained order, stopped others from making noise, and also stopped reporters who wanted to force their way in.

Of course, although they meant well, they were actually doing all the work in vain.

Because the bodyguards sent by Old Man Su had already surrounded the place in layers.

To be precise, apart from the small supermarket at the street entrance and the nail salon next to Fang Mu that hadn't been open for a long time, all the other shops on this street had been bought up, and the shop managers and staff were all bodyguards in disguise.

Even now, Yoshikage Kira has entrusted the keys to the nail salon to Fang Bie for safekeeping.

He went with Chen Yongren to take on other roles.

Anyway, he had no intention of selling the shop, and there was no business anyway.

He might as well just hand it over to Fang Bie to deal with.

This became the place where Fang Bie would secretly smoke.

Miss Su prescribed him three sticks a day.

He perfectly exceeded that limit.

To avoid the strong smell of smoke, he would often go to a nail salon, wrap toilet paper around his index and middle fingers, and then hold the cigarette between them to smoke.

This feeling is just like when I was a kid, and my parents weren't home, so I would secretly watch TV, and then cover the TV's back with an ice towel while using a fan to cool it down.

This is the kind of difference that Tom Smith saw.

As soon as he got off the plane, he followed the route that had been prepared in advance and came here.

As soon as he arrived, he saw Fang Bie.

At first glance, he didn't even recognize that it was Fang Bie.

After all, the Fang Bie he saw at the awards ceremony was the Fang Bie that had been taken care of by the young lady.

Back then, he was dressed in a flashy white suit and white leather shoes, and his hair was styled like an adult's, making him look rather handsome.

Fang Bie now has messy hair, dark circles under his eyes, a stubble beard, a tank top and beach shorts, and flip-flops bought for ten yuan at the supermarket with his legs crossed.

Then he listlessly smoked a cigarette.

Two tissues were still wrapped around his fingers.

Tom didn't recognize Fang Bie at first glance, since in his opinion, most Chinese people all look the same.

Moreover, this dejected young man was far removed from the spirited (in his opinion) Fang Bie.

But after he knocked on the door for a long time, there was no response from Fang Mu's company.

Fang Bie, lounging lazily in a recliner, said, "Stop knocking, there's no one at the company right now."

Tom Smith walked over, smiling, and asked in broken Mandarin, "Hello, do you know where everyone in this company has gone?"

"Wu Kai is filming a movie on set, Liu Mang is probably there too, and Su Murin went to Beijing. The other actors have all taken on roles and are filming outside," Fang Bie replied lazily.

Tom nodded: "And Mr. Fang? That's Fang Bie."

Fang Bie pointed to himself with his thumb: "Isn't this what it looks like lying down?"

Tom: "."

He remained silent for a long time, carefully looking Fang Bie up and down.

Finally, he managed to glean some clues from Fang's eyes—he, like Fang, completely considered himself an ordinary person.

That familiar look... it's definitely Fang!

"Fang! Why are you dressed like that?"

"Hmm? Who are you?"

Fang was puzzled. Who was this foreigner that they were calling each other so familiarly?

"It's me." Tom took off his sunglasses and mask. "Tom Smith."

Okay, Fang Bie wants to complain about this name every time he sees it. Fang Bie gets up with a "surprise": "Oh! It's dear Tom, what brings you to China?"

"Fang, I came here specifically to see you." Tom glanced back at Fang Mu's company and frowned slightly. "Fang, this isn't the place to talk. Can we go to your villa to discuss this?"

"A villa." Fang Bie got up and opened the door to Fang Mu's company. "I live at the company."

Where did he get the villa?

Perhaps there was originally an opportunity

Actually, there is still an opportunity now, but Fang Bie is rather lazy. He feels that it doesn't matter where he lives.

Moreover, this place is usually quiet and convenient as few people come here.

There's air conditioning in the summer, underfloor heating in the winter, and the internet connection is fast.

What more could you ask for!

Tom was shocked.

He never imagined that the father of superheroes lived in such a place!

In his understanding, a director of this caliber, even if he didn't live in a huge villa that occupied an entire mountain like him, would at least be at the level of Beverly Hills, right?

They live in this kind of two-story building.

Tom seemed to understand something.

"Fang, you still love movies after all."

Before coming, Tom also learned about the Chinese film and television industry.

There is no doubt that Fang Bie is being ostracized and suppressed here.

He handed over the two scripts to others to film, perhaps as a compromise, or perhaps as a silent form of resistance.

But Fang Bie loves movies.

Otherwise, why would he live at the company?

Isn't it all for the sake of creating better works?

Otherwise, given his current fame in China, if he were willing to go along with the corrupt practices, he would become a star in the Chinese film and television industry!

Tom felt sorry for him, but he was also moved by him.

Even if everyone misunderstands him, he will rely on his own strength to set things right and completely revitalize his country's film industry.

Tom wiped his eyes: "Fang, you are truly a great director, and a person who has transcended vulgar tastes."

Fang Bie: "???"

What does this guy mean?

I'm just living at the company, what's the problem?

Besides, this company accommodation is way more comfortable than his doghouse in Los Angeles!

Tsk, those rich kids living in villas have no idea about the hardships of ordinary people, they're really annoying.

Ignoring Tom, who was still there and inexplicably moved, Fang led him to the living room and tossed him one of two cans of iced cola.

He then opened the bottle, took a big gulp, and burped, saying, "Hiccup~ Tom, what brings you to China? Isn't your movie not coming out until the end of the year? Isn't it a bit early to be promoting it now?"

Thankfully Liu Mang wasn't there, otherwise who knows what would have happened.

Upon hearing this, Tom put down the unopened can of cola, leaned forward slightly, and said with a burning gaze, "Fang, I came here for you."

Fang Bie shuddered: "I'm not gay."

Then, after a pause, he added, "Don't worry, I don't discriminate against you."

As long as you don't keep complaining that others discriminate against you and then spread it around to bother others, it's fine.

Tom was taken aback, then laughed: "Fang, I'm not gay. I've had many girlfriends, but I'm just a non-marriage advocate."

He winked and lowered his voice: "And to be honest, I'm also quite annoyed by that circle, but not many people in our area dare to say such things openly."

Fang nodded.

He understands that it's the right thing to do.

"Then why did you come to see me?"

They said they wanted to challenge me, and now they want to come see me?

You're not gay.

When the topic came up, Tom became much more serious: "Fang, I wanted to apologize to you in person. But issuing this challenge publicly was actually for your own good, and more importantly, for the development of the film."

The more he understood, the more he wanted Fang to leave.

Hollywood is the only place he should go.

To be honest, he didn't want to waste his talent and abilities.

Of course, there was also a little bit of personal motive.

That means he has too few competitors. Those people from the past are all getting old and gradually no longer have the energy to make movies.

The middle-aged generation of directors all live in the shadow of his "tyranny".

None of the younger generation are any good.

He was lonely.

Moreover, without challenges, there can be no progress.

He felt like he had been stuck in a bottleneck for ten years.

It wasn't until he saw the "superhero" movie that Fang Bie brought him that he found a new feeling.

This does not mean that the film and television industry in this world is stagnant and lacks vitality.

It wasn't that Fang Bie brought anything that was far beyond what everyone else had.

This isn't about which is better or worse.

Were Hollywood movies good in the past? Yes, they were.

The superheroes, bullet time, and other elements brought by Fang Bie offer a refreshing and novel experience.

As for movies that surpass this world, Fang Bie hasn't reached that level yet.

I haven't seen any of his movies and he's never won Best Picture.

Tom didn't know about the Chinese story of "The Tragedy of Zhong Yong," but his idea was similar.

He felt that Fang Bie should swim out of the Chinese film and television industry, which he considered a fishpond, and come to Hollywood, which he considered a vast ocean, to swim freely.

But Fang Bie was determined to revitalize Chinese cinema and refused to go abroad. Geniuses all have quirks and obsessions, and they also have extreme self-confidence, which Tom can understand.

But he couldn't wait any longer.

Fang is too young. Perhaps it will be twenty years before he leaves China and goes out into the world.

He was only in his forties at that time.

But Tom couldn't wait that long.

He was already old by then.

He wouldn't be content if he couldn't progress alongside Fang Bie when he was at his peak.

Fang Bie scratched his cheek, deciding to change the subject: "Let's not talk about that. Tom, is your new movie really a remake of my 'Captain China'?"

"Actually, it's not entirely like that. Using 'Captain America' as the title was also a kind of challenge for me." Tom smiled confidently. "Fang, this time I've combined depth with popular entertainment, which is probably my new peak."

He didn't mince words and directly told Fang Bie about the general plot of the movie and some of the things he wanted to express.

After listening to his brief account, Fang Bie felt a sense of familiarity.

As everyone knows, Fang Bie was a hardcore anime and game otaku in his previous life.

He actually prefers comics to animation, which is evident from his decision to study drawing.

Speaking of comics, besides Japanese comics and some good Chinese comics from before his time travel, American comics are naturally a category he also likes very much.

When talking about American comics, one cannot help but mention those two giants.

During his teenage years, he also enjoyed some superhero comics and movies that were more profound or, to put it another way, darker.

He really likes books like The Punisher, Watchmen, The Dark Knight, The Batman Who Laughs, and Batman: The Killing Joke, and he has even bought physical copies to collect.

In his opinion, Tom's movie has a bit of the feel of Watchmen and The Dark Knight.

Tom explained, "Fang, actually, it was your film *Shadow of Light* that inspired me. In my opinion, this film is definitely a superhero movie, and it connects the worldviews of two films, which is really amazing. But what amazes me even more is your effort to explore the deeper meaning within the superhero genre. The protagonist of *Shadow of Light*, in my view, is not a superhero in the traditional sense. How should I put it, I've coined a term, anti-hero."

The protagonist of this film was never a saint from the beginning; in the end, he even broke the law. But was he a good person? Without a doubt, he was.

"It was the box office success of this movie in China that gave me confidence. Actually, adding some thought-provoking elements to superhero movies might not be so bad." Tom shrugged. "Of course, I wouldn't have been as bold as you at first, so I set a rule for my superhero movie protagonists: never kill anyone."

In fact, Fang Bie gave him even more inspiration.

For example, "superhumans" who surpass human abilities.

In "Captain China," Yan Shuangying is merely a super soldier who has reached the limits of the human body by injecting serum.

Superpowers appear in "Shadow of Light".

As expected of one of the world's top directors, his ability to draw inferences from one instance to another is truly remarkable. Fang Bie laughed and said, "No matter what, we have to withstand the test of the market. There's no point in us saying anything here."

Movies are, after all, meant to be watched by people.

"Fang, I'm telling you about my movie in advance because I have an idea," Tom said with a sly smile. "Want to make a bet?"

Upon hearing the word "bet," Fang Bie immediately thought of Yan Shuangying's one-yuan coin. He asked irritably, "What are we betting on?"

"Box office," Tom pressed aggressively. "If my film grosses more in China than the films based on your two scripts, you'll come to Hollywood, how about it?"

He could not tolerate Fang Bie continuing to waste his time in China.

"I won't be going to Hollywood for now, because I have a lot of things to do," Fang Bie smiled. "But I'll take this bet, though, but the stakes need to be changed. If you win, I'll go to Hollywood and make a movie. But if I win..."

Fang Bie suddenly became serious: "I want you to admit in front of the media that Chinese films are not bad."

Please vote for me!

(End of this chapter)