Huayu: King of Kung Fu

People from Oriental Film Company quickly arrived in Beijing to assist Lin Hu in communicating with the co-production company and handling matters related to his trip to Hong Kong.

Lin Hu was busy finalizing the list of people going to Hong Kong and handling the relevant procedures.

We'll also need to rent equipment; for example, we'll definitely need to rent a camera in Beijing and bring it over.

Renting in Hong Kong is too expensive; we should save money wherever possible.

Ning Hao left first, taking a few people to Xishuangbanna to scout locations.

Ning Hao served as the art designer and was also in charge of prop making, including building a Buddha statue for filming.

Raymond Wong, the owner of Oriental Films, has a very good relationship with mainland China. He often co-produces films with mainland China and likes to use mainland actors.

Last year, he also collaborated with mainland China on a film called "Triumph in the Ninth Heaven," which celebrates China's space program. The lead actors were Leung Ka-fai and Pan Hong.

The movie flopped at the Hong Kong box office because Hong Kongers didn't believe that mainland China's rocket technology was so advanced.

With the help of Oriental Company, everything went smoothly, and the production team decided to go to Hong Kong in June, when the World Cup starts.

Ning Hao also sent word from Yunnan that he was all ready and Lin Hu could simply take the crew there to film.

Lin Hu's plan was to first go to Yunnan to shoot the opening and closing credits, and then go to Hong Kong to shoot the main film. So he gathered his crew and planned to set off on a chosen date.

On this day, Wang Baoqiang brought several people with him.

"Brother, they are my friends."

Wang Baoqiang introduced them one by one; most of them were people he knew from his time as an extra.

These people are all stunt doubles on film sets, and they have a lot of experience in falling, crawling, and rolling around.

Lin Hu asked Wang Baoqiang to bring them over to be stuntmen in the movie.

The salary was agreed upon beforehand: fifty dollars a day for working in Hong Kong.

Those people naturally rushed to sign up, and Wang Baoqiang carefully selected a few, all of whom were very strong.

Lin Hu was very satisfied and said with a smile, "Welcome, welcome! Did you bring your identification documents?"

"I brought them all!"

Lin Hu instructed Xiao Ai, the company's clerk, to collect their documents and handle their travel arrangements to Hong Kong.

"Please have a seat, we'll have lunch together later!"

Xiao Ai brought over some melon seeds and fruit, and the martial arts masters sat under the jujube tree in the courtyard, cracking melon seeds and chatting.

"Baoqiang, I never imagined you were living in such a nice place now."

"Boss Lin treats you quite well!"

Wang Baoqiang scratched his head: "My brother is so good to me!"

Lin Hu didn't bother arguing with these people; he went back inside and closed the door.

Zhou Xun goes to bars to sing until very late every night and needs to catch up on sleep during the day.

Lin Hu was sitting in front of the computer typing when Wang Baoqiang came and knocked on the door.

"Brother, someone is looking for sister."

Lin Hu was taken aback: "Who is it?"

He said his name was Lou Ye and that he was a director.

"Lou Ye?"

Lin Hu knew this man; he was a well-known figure among the sixth generation of directors, and most of his films could not be released to the public.

One of them, "Summer Palace," is considered the most explicit and violent film in mainland China.

Qin Huairu, no, Hao Lei was really something in that movie; Lin Hu criticized her harshly several times.

"Why is he here?"

Lin Hu woke Zhou Xun up and told her to get ready while he went out to meet Lou Ye.

Lou Ye is in his thirties, not very tall, with a buzz cut and a fleshy face. Although he is smiling, he looks inexplicably fierce.

The two shook hands, and Lou Ye said, "You must be Mr. Lin? It's an honor to meet you!"

Lin Hu was surprised: "You know me?"

"You're Xiao Zhou's boyfriend; I've heard her mention you."

"Oh, is there something you need from her?"

"I wanted to cast Xiao Zhou as the female lead in my new film, but unfortunately she declined..."

Lou Ye briefly explained that he is preparing to shoot a new film called "Suzhou River".

The female lead in this movie will play two roles.

One is an innocent high school girl, and the other is a socialite.

It's very fragmented and extremely difficult to find!

Lou Ye's friend introduced him to Zhou Xun.

Lou Ye felt that Zhou Xun looked quite young, but in fact she was quite mature, which was a great feeling, so he hoped that Zhou Xun could play the female lead.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Xun refused.

Lou Ye was unwilling to give up, so he came to her door hoping to persuade Zhou Xun.

As soon as Lou Ye explained, Lin Hu understood what was going on.

Zhou Xun from the original timeline starred in "Suzhou River," and she even won her first film award for the movie.

Best Actress at the Paris International Film Festival!

With her performance in "Suzhou River," Zhou Xun's acting skills were recognized, and she officially rose to fame in the film industry.

So why is she refusing now? Lin Hu knew without even thinking.

She was filming "Ong-Bak," which conflicted with her schedule, so naturally she couldn't film "Suzhou River."

Zhou Xun chose to help Lin Hu and therefore turned down the role in "Suzhou River".

The two were chatting when Zhou Xun finished tidying up.

She stepped out of the room, a hint of helplessness in her voice, and said, "Director Lou, how did you find your way here?"

Lou Ye was also helpless: "Xiao Zhou, I think the roles of Mudan and Meimei are perfect for you. I still hope to convince you. If you think the salary is too low, I can increase it a bit."

Zhou Xun shook her head: "It's not about the money. I have to film another movie in June, and I don't have the time."

Lin Hu listened to their conversation, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

The Chinese mainland film market is currently in a state of collapse, with annual box office revenue of less than one billion RMB, half of which is contributed by overseas films.

Therefore, commercial films in mainland China are practically obsolete and have no status whatsoever.

Mainland directors are keen on making art films, which they then submit to overseas film festivals. If they win awards, they sell the copyrights and earn US dollars without having to pay taxes, making it a win-win situation for both fame and fortune.

To be fair, from Zhou Xun's own perspective, she should have chosen "Suzhou River".

Lin Hu was a complete novice, and he was filming action movies that didn't have much market appeal. As a result, she was only given a minor, decorative role.

Lou Ye is a well-known director who makes art films that can be exhibited overseas, and he gave her the leading role.

Moreover, playing two roles is quite challenging, and if done well, it could win an award.

But Zhou Xun still chose to support Lin Hu without hesitation, simply because she wanted to support her boyfriend's career.

Lin Hu was deeply moved, but also felt a strange pressure.

Zhou Xun was so good to him, going to great lengths and selflessly helping him achieve his dream.

In his previous life, Lin Hu only read in various articles that Zhou Xun in her youth would be willing to risk everything for love.

And now, he truly feels it.

He was really touched, but why did he feel pressured?

Because this kind of love is so intense, it can feel overwhelming.

Lin Hu began to understand why Zhou Xun had experienced multiple relationships in the original timeline, giving her all each time but never getting a good outcome.

She gave so much that it was impossible to repay her, so people would choose to run away.

The kindness of this beauty is too great to bear!

Lin Hu interrupted their conversation, saying, "Director Lou, what kind of movie are you planning to make? Could you tell me about it?"

"sure!"

Lou Ye was carrying a bag with his script on it.

The script was only twenty or thirty thousand words long, and Lin Hu picked it up and started reading.

In his previous life, Lin Hu was a fan of Zhou Xun. He had seen all of Zhou Xun's movies, including "Suzhou River".

Suzhou River is a good art film, which has received a high score of 8.2 from 30 people and has also won many international awards.

After reading the script, Lin Hu said to Lou Ye, "Director Lou, please wait a moment!"

He pulled Zhou Xun into the room and said very seriously, "Xun-ge'er, I think you should take this movie!"