Huayu: King of Kung Fu

Chapter 102 Showdown with Li Lianjie

During this trip to North America, Lin Hu once again brought Gao Yuanyuan along under the guise of promoting his film.

However, Gao Yuanyuan's actual job was to serve as Lin Hu's assistant.

Lin Hu suddenly realized that it was a mistake to have advised Gao Yuanyuan to take the entrance exam for the Beijing Film Academy.

Actually, it would be a good idea for Gao Yuanyuan to study secretarial studies.

After graduation, I became Lin Hu's secretary and did absolutely no acting.

Do they care about the little money she earns from acting?

The two flew to New York, where James picked them up.

In the car, James excitedly said, "I'm taking you somewhere!"

Lin Hu asked, "Where to?"

Times Square!

"oh!"

The famous Times Square is located at the intersection of Seventh Avenue and Broadway in Midtown Manhattan.

This is a dazzling street, a stage for cultures from all over the world to showcase themselves, and is known as the crossroads of the world.

Later, China rented a giant LED screen here to produce various short films to promote its culture.

The three arrived at the intersection of the roads and immediately saw the famous One Times Square building.

The building has a very unique shape; it is triangular, like an iron.

Construction of this building began in 1902, making it one of the world's oldest skyscrapers.

The side of the building facing the square is very narrow, and a long, narrow, giant electronic screen is installed on it.

Gao Yuanyuan didn't understand why she was here, but when she looked up and saw the screen, she exclaimed in surprise, "Li Lianjie!"

On the huge electronic screen, Jet Li's exciting martial arts scenes from "Romeo Must Die" were playing on a loop.

Watching Li Lianjie's clean and ruthless movements on the screen, Lin Hu said, "Warner Music is really going to promote Li Lianjie!"

James laughed and said, "Universal is also planning to heavily promote you!"

Gao Yuanyuan looked up at the screen and said with a hint of envy, "I wish they could play our movies too!"

Lin Hu smiled, patted her shoulder, and said, "Look behind you!"

When Gao Yuanyuan looked back, she immediately covered her mouth with both hands in excitement!

Directly opposite One Times Square, less than 300 meters away, is Two Times Square.

This building was completed in 1999 and is still brand new.

The side of the building facing the square also features a huge electronic screen.

At this moment, the screen is playing a loop of Lin Hu's action scenes as a policeman in "Ong-Bak 2".

On two giant electronic screens, one in the south and one in the north, two action stars from China are showing off their skills and beating up Americans.

The square was packed with people, many of whom stopped to watch the exciting action on the screen.

Gao Yuanyuan was overjoyed and proud of Lin Hu. She hugged him and praised him affectionately, "Little Hu, you're amazing!"

Lin Hu put his arm around her waist, gently kissed her cheek, and laughed, "This is just the beginning!"

Gao Yuanyuan used to call Lin Hu "Director," but after they got together, perhaps out of a desire to compete with Zhou Xun, she started calling him "Little Tiger."

However, she is indeed three months older than Lin Hu, so there's nothing wrong with calling her that.

Lin Hu asked James, "Why did Universal release 'Ong-Bak 2' and 'Romeo Must Die' at the same time, making them go head-to-head and like a duel?"

James explained, "Action movies are B-movies, so they can't be released in the prime time slots. Releasing them in the spring is a better option."

Universal wanted to use the sales of Ong-Bak 1 to generate buzz for Ong-Bak 2, so they set a later release date, while Romeo Must Die had already set a release date.

Universal Pictures believes that the two films have similar themes, both being stories of a Chinese man entering America and showcasing his kung fu skills.

It would be a bad deal to release Ong-Bak 2 after Romeo Must Die.

It's in the same time slot as Yu Cui. It'll put you in a head-to-head showdown with Jet Li.

"You and Jet Li are both action stars from China, that's a selling point!"

After thinking about it carefully, Lin Hu said, "That makes sense!"

Universal is keen to create hype, and Warner Music seems to be fueling it as well.

Both giants targeted North American action movie audiences by releasing trailers in advance on action movie channels and sports channels.

Lin Hu and Li Lianjie were also assigned to various promotional activities.

In terms of promotion, Romeo Must Die has an advantage; it's a legitimate Hollywood movie.

Before production, the production company conducted market research and identified a specific target audience.

Chinese-language action films are very popular among the Black community in North America, so this film chose Black female singer Aaliyah as the female lead.

The film also incorporates a lot of Black hip-hop music.

Lin Hu did not consider these factors when making Ong-Bak 2.

The film depicts a traditional Chinatown, and the American characters are predominantly white.

However, by a twist of fate, they made a fortune in the Chinese market out of patriotism.

Alyssa Chia, a rising R&B singer in North America, is making her big-screen debut.

Her theme song "Try Again" for "Romeo Must Die" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

With the support of his Black teammates, Li Lianjie had to rely on himself.

However, Lin Hu also has his own advantages. He is fluent in English and can participate in the most popular talk show in North America.

When Jet Li first arrived in Hollywood, his English wasn't fluent, so he could only give interviews to music and entertainment media outlets with Aaliyah.

Although Li Lianjie can leverage Alyya's popularity in the United States to boost his profile, his exposure is not as high as Lin Hu's.

That night, NBA Raptors player Tracy McGrady had just slept with a hot blonde woman and felt extremely empty.

He turned on the TV out of sheer boredom and kept changing channels.

Soon, he switched to a show called "The Late Show with David Lyman".

The Lyman Show is the second-ranked late-night talk show in the United States, known for its humor and sharp wit, often using satire to ridicule social phenomena.

They also like to invite international celebrities for interviews. For example, Chen Long has appeared on The Lyman Show many times since 1996 to showcase his kung fu and promote his movies.

McGrady often watches this show, but today's guest is a young-looking Chinese man whom he doesn't recognize, and he was about to change the channel again.

The busty woman next to him suddenly exclaimed, "I know this Chinese man!"

McGrady asked, "Who is he?"

The busty woman said, "His name is Tai Ge, he's a Chinese kung fu superstar. I've seen his movie 'Jungle Tiger'."

"Kung Fu Superstar, is he even more powerful than Jack?"

"Jack is agile, but I think he's stronger!"

McGrady didn't believe it, but he put down the remote and started watching.

On television, Lyman said to Lin Hu, "Brother Tai, did you know? Jack is a frequent guest on our show!"

"I know, I even consulted him before I came. He's a very good senior!"

"So, do you know what you should be doing now?"

"I'm all ready to perform kung fu!"

"OK, everyone, welcome them!"

Lin Hu didn't prepare any new tricks; he simply replicated his famous scene of wielding a sword on the Spring Festival Gala.

He was seen carrying a long sword, performing a few beautiful sword flourishes, and then tossing the sword into the air.

The longsword spun in the air, about to hit the ground, when Lin Hu suddenly delivered a beautiful roundhouse kick, striking the hilt with precision.

The sword spun in the air again, and Lin Hu caught it in his hand, striking a pose.

"Oh my god!"

Lyman on TV, McGrady and the busty girl in front of the TV were all shocked!