Huayu: The Big Players Behind the Scenes

(5000 big chapters)

The box office of "Hero" continues its strong upward trend.

This has made many big names in the film and television industry eager to get involved.

The first one to be affected is Brother Kai, who considers himself the big boss of the Chinese film industry. How could he be willing to be overshadowed by his former underling?

So he approached China Film Group, saying he also wanted to produce a big-budget production.

These words struck a chord with Han Sanping, and the two hit it off immediately, deciding to... cough, to do something big!

Feng Kuzi also wanted to play with big breasts, or rather, no man can refuse to play with big breasts.

Unfortunately, both the kings refused his request, which made Feng Kuzi very unhappy. As a result, he frequently contacted Boss Yang of Yinghuang.

Boss Yang is sly and cunning; he's very good at causing trouble for his competitors!

So they spread the word that if Feng Kuzi agreed, Yinghuang was willing to pay him a signing fee of 100 million yuan to join the company.

This news greatly alarmed the two brothers, as Huayi Brothers' ability to establish itself in the film and television industry was indeed inseparable from Feng Xiaogang. So the two brothers took turns visiting him, appealing to his emotions, and were eventually forced to promise that he would definitely produce a big-budget film next year, which finally calmed things down.

The outside world's turmoil also affected the direction of 91 Company, and the employees discussed it extensively. Fortunately, Zhuang Huai'an's word was law, and he suppressed it all.

On New Year's Eve,

Jiang Wen's French wife, Sandrine, returned to China with her daughter. After hearing that his wife particularly enjoyed watching Zhuang Huai'an's movies, the old man organized a family gathering. Just in case Zhuang Huai'an didn't come, he specially invited Aunt Liu and Liu Yifei and her son to attend.

Jiang Wen's quirky actions impressed Zhuang Huai'an, because he hadn't seen Liu Yifei since that night.

Zhang Lu drove the car, with Zhuang Huai'an in the passenger seat. After picking up Aunt Liu and the little girl in the villa area, they headed straight to Sanlitun.

"Uncle Jiang, didn't you say it was a family gathering? Why are we eating at a restaurant?"

After getting off the bus, the little girl took Aunt Liu's arm and asked a question in a charming voice.

Zhuang Huai'an glanced casually at the girl's unmade-up face and said, "He's a grown man, and his wife is French. What are we going to eat if we don't go to a restaurant?"

"Oh, oh, oh, that's true." The little girl suddenly realized and nodded cutely.

Aunt Liu reminded her, "It's windy outside, let's go inside first."

The three entered the restaurant and, guided by a waiter, went into a private room.

When I first met Sandrine, I have to say, Jiang Wen has a good eye for beauty. It's just that the two of them standing together look like Beauty and the Beast.

After introducing himself to everyone, Jiang Wen eagerly pulled his younger brother out the door.

"I've finally waited for you! I've been so impatient!"

Seeing Jiang Wen uttering such lewd words while groping him, Zhuang Huai'an jumped away and looked at him warily. He had never heard of Jiang Wen making a move against someone of the same sex.

"Stop with your filthy thoughts!"

The younger brother's look made Jiang Wen instantly understand. He grumbled, "Cigarettes, I need cigarettes! Your sister-in-law's been keeping a close eye on me ever since she came back. She won't let me smoke as long as the kids are around, and that kid, Ichiro, is always hanging around me!"

Alright, Zhuang Huai'an, now off guard, took out a cigarette and tossed it over.

"fire!"

"Tsk,"

Zhuang Huai'an lit it for him with a lighter and teased, "Seeing you bossing people around outside, I thought you had a high status in the family. Turns out you're afraid of your wife too."

"What do you know, kid?"

Jiang Wen took a drag of half a cigarette and said with a relaxed expression, "There are no men in this world who are afraid of their wives, only men who respect their wives. You'll understand once you get married."

"That's not necessarily true," Zhuang Huai'an lit a cigarette as well. "This is something that needs to be investigated before marriage. I absolutely will not marry a woman with a bad temper."

"Hey, that's why I said you're young."

Jiang Wen chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Before I married your sister-in-law, she was proficient in all the arts, but after giving birth to Ichiro, good heavens, the first thing she says to me is 'fuck.'"

"Really?" Zhuang Huai'an's eyes flickered. If French women adapt to local customs like this, then she...

A scene flashed through Zhuang Huai'an's mind, and he couldn't help but shiver.

It's all an illusion; it won't scare me!

"It must be because you always swear at your mother-in-law and have corrupted her."

"Heh," Jiang Wen glanced at him without saying a word. He's still too young, little brother. He doesn't listen to his seniors. Just wait and see what happens to him later.

After the two finished their cigarettes, they went into a private room. The four women—two adults and two children—had a rather pleasant conversation.

Liu Yifei is quite eager to learn. She asked Jiang Yilang for help with French pronunciation. Although she had some childhood training, she hadn't used it in a long time.

They chatted for a while, and the dishes were served quickly. This time, Zhang Lu was brought along as the driver. Zhuang Huai'an was not intimidated by Jiang Wen at all, and he drank one glass of wine after another, downing them in one go.

"Fine, I concede." Jiang Wen put down her wine glass, her eyes slightly glazed. "You win."

Having received the highest praise among men, Zhuang Huai'an put down his cup with a smug look on his face.

"Brother, I forgot to tell you, when my dad was young, he ran a small distillery to make a living. I ate the fermented grains like snacks and drank sweet potato liquor like beverages. When I was fifteen, whenever there was a banquet in the clan, no one could stand up and talk to me. People called me: 'A man of profound wisdom, the Little Wine God of Qianzhou!'"

"Awesome!" Jiang Wen gave a thumbs up again. This time he brought a whole case of bottles. Before they sat down, they agreed that each person would drink three bottles. He himself could only drink two bottles before he couldn't take it anymore.

Zhuang Huai'an drank three bottles without changing his expression, truly deserving of the title "God of Wine".

Seeing that Jiang Wen was already intoxicated, Sandrine gave Aunt Liu and her daughter an apologetic smile, then got up and went to pay the bill.

Liu Yifei also pouted, but Zhuang Huai'an saw a hint of concern in her eyes, so he returned a look that said, "I'm fine."

The girl turned her head away and ignored him. Humph, cigarettes and alcohol, what a stinky man!

The meal was a pleasant one for both the host and guests... right?

Zhang Lu and Jiang Wen's driver went to get the car, while the other women waited in the lobby. Jiang Wen gave Zhuang Huai'an a wink, and the two of them went outside to smoke.

After finishing a cigarette in the cold wind, the driver still hadn't come over. Just as the two were thinking of going into the lobby to sit for a while, two men, one tall and one short, dressed in police uniforms, walked towards them and stopped them.

Are you Zhuang Huai'an?

"it's me."

The tall man was secretly pleased to see Zhuang Huai'an nod in agreement. He cleared his throat and said, "We're from the East City branch. We have a case that requires your cooperation in the investigation. Come with us."

As he spoke, the tall man gestured for the short man to take out handcuffs and step forward.

Zhuang Huai'an glanced at the two men's epaulets, smiled coldly, and then kicked out with a powerful front kick, sending the shorter man flying several meters away.

Although Jiang Wen was confused about what was going on, she was shocked to see her younger brother attack a police officer without warning and quickly stepped forward to stop him.

"Dude, what gang are you from? You've got guts to impersonate a policeman!"

Zhuang Huai'an waved to Jiang Wen, signaling him to move away.

Seeing that he had seen through him, the tall man stopped pretending, pulled out a pistol from his pocket, and said fiercely, "You little brat, you think you can fight? What good is fighting if bullets don't have eyes? Stand still!"

Zhuang Huai'an's eyes narrowed as he stared intently at the gun in the man's hand. Although he had seen through the flaws in their uniforms, he couldn't tell if the pistol was real or fake.

For a moment, the scene froze.

"Second brother, come here and cuff him!"

"Cough... I can't get up..."

The short man struggled to support himself, a trickle of blood flowing from the corner of his mouth, his voice weak.

It seems that Zhuang Huai'an's powerful and sudden kick caused him quite a bit of trouble.

"Hold!"

The tall man looked grim when he saw that his brother was killed. This was what they feared most when they did illegal work; they would definitely take their partner with them.

But now that he has the upper hand, he is somewhat unwilling to leave Zhuang Huai'an behind.

"You figured it out, didn't you?"

The tall man kicked the handcuffs on the ground. "If you don't want to be shot, cuff yourself and come with us obediently. Your family is big and powerful; spending some money to buy your life is no problem."

Jiang Wen broke out in a cold sweat. These weren't police officers, they were kidnappers?

Zhuang Huai'an's expression was solemn. He would be a fool to actually obey and put on handcuffs, but with a gun pointed at him, he dared not gamble.

Seeing that a crowd was starting to gather, the tall man impatiently yelled at those around him, "The police are arresting a wanted criminal, everyone get out of the way!"

To everyone's surprise, the onlookers were not afraid at all, and instead started discussing it amongst themselves.

"Arresting a wanted criminal? Would the police say something like that?"

"Making a movie, isn't that the famous director Zhuang Huai'an?"

It's in the nature of Chinese people to love joining in the fun. As the crowd grew larger and larger, Zhuang Huai'an ignored his own instructions. The tall guy got angry and thought, "Damn it, if I have to do this job, I'll just go abroad!"

"Bang!" The tall man fired a shot into the air and roared, "Get the hell out of here! You, put on the handcuffs!"

Upon realizing it was serious, the crowd scattered like birds, running away in a panic.

"Brother..." Jiang Wen said with difficulty. He wanted to persuade Zhuang Huai'an not to listen, but that bastard was really going to fire a gun!

"I'll wear it."

Zhuang Huai'an's eyes flickered slightly as he forced himself to calm down. He slowly bent down, glancing at the tall man's movements out of the corner of his eye.

With two clicks, the handcuffs were put on.

Zhuang Huai'an was somewhat glad that he had crippled one of the robbers beforehand, otherwise the other party would definitely have handcuffed him behind his back. But now he had played a trick and put the handcuffs on his right hand.

"Heh, you're smart to know what's good for you."

The tall man sneered, keeping his gun pointed at Zhuang Huai'an. He fired right under the emperor's nose; there was no turning back now, and he couldn't care less about his accomplices.

"Don't try anything funny. Come with me. I'm only after your money, not your life."

Zhuang Huai'an slowly walked towards him, his eyes fixed on the muzzle of the gun.

The tall man realized he was trying to stall for time, so he went around behind him, pressed the muzzle of his gun against his lower back, and shoved him toward the side of the road. As he passed the short man, he casually remarked:

"Second brother, if you can't get up, don't blame your older brother."

The short man thought, "How can this be allowed? Staying here is just waiting to die!"

He struggled to his feet and caught up, panting heavily.

Jiang Wen felt a chill run down her spine as she watched the three figures disappear. She quickly ran into the hotel lobby, pulled out her phone, and called the police. The other women nearby had already witnessed the entire incident through the glass.

The little girl was crying her eyes out. She had tried to rush out, but Aunt Liu and Sandrine held her back. In this situation, what could a little girl like her do if she went out?

In the green belt by the roadside, the two paparazzi looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Master, what should we do?"

"What? What should we do?"

The young paparazzo pointed ahead and whispered, "We're right next to that robber's car, you know..."

"We're so close, we definitely have to take pictures of them!"

The old paparazzi were excited. They came here tonight to stake out Little Swallow, but they didn't expect to stumble upon an even bigger story. They had to take pictures of this!

Even if Zhuang Huai'an were shot dead on the spot, those in their line of work would just happily eat the blood-soaked buns made from his blood.

"Apprentice, your promotion and raise depend on tonight!"

The old paparazzo happened to be crouching behind a roadside tree, not in a great spot, but afraid that changing his position would alert the robbers, he could only hand the camera to his apprentice and instruct him, "Hold down the shutter button and don't let go. Every extra photo we take means an extra bonus for both of us!"

"I understand, Master!" The apprentice took the camera with a determined look. He carefully unscrewed the camera cap and aimed it at Zhuang Huai'an and the robber, ready to take pictures.

Whether it was good fortune or bad luck for the young paparazzi, he was so focused on taking pictures that he forgot to turn off the camera flash.

The tall man who had just opened the car door was suddenly exposed to the bright spotlight. He instinctively raised his hand to cover his eyes. Zhuang Huai'an's expression changed. A good opportunity!

I'll fucking bet you!

Zhuang Huai'an turned around and moved behind the tall man. He put his handcuffed hands around the man's neck, then delivered a knee strike to the man's waist and slammed him down hard. The tall man was caught off guard and fell to his knees.

Those who frequently get hit know that when a person is about to fall forward, they instinctively brace themselves with their hands. Tall people do the same, and this is a good opportunity.

Zhuang Huai'an wrapped his arms around the tall man's neck with the handcuffs, then moved in front of him and stomped hard on his hands. The tall man screamed and instinctively spread his fingers, his grip on the gun loosening.

"You son of a bitch, you think you can rob me? Who do you think I am?!"

Zhuang Huai'an used his knees to brace against the tall man's hands, gritted his teeth, and used all his strength to grip the tall man's neck tightly.

Damn it!

The whole sequence of actions, though seemingly slow, actually happens in the blink of an eye.

The short man standing nearby was dumbfounded. To save his life, he endured the excruciating pain in his chest and pounced on Zhuang Huai'an's back. He originally wanted to punch him a few times, but found that he couldn't muster any strength at all. Helpless, he could only hang on Zhuang Huai'an's back, trying to use his body weight to press him down.

The paparazzi, having finally finished shooting in the bushes, looked at their master with a satisfied expression. "The hostage situation, the counterattack, all captured on film."

The master was trembling with excitement. Holy crap, this is straight out of a Hollywood movie! This is going to be a huge success!

"Quick, quick, come with me to save them!"

Seeing that Zhuang Huai'an had the upper hand, the paparazzi's eyes lit up. This was a good opportunity to gain favor!

Just as the paparazzi master and apprentice stood up, ready to rush out, the short man also made a move. After seeing Zhuang Huai'an strangle the tall man unconscious, he finally remembered that he still had a weapon on him.

The short man laboriously pulled out the spring knife from the buckle on his belt and flicked the blade open.

He was too weak to run, and he figured he and his brother were doomed this time. The shorter man gritted his teeth and was about to give Zhuang Huai'an a hard time. He was going to stab him in the neck, but he couldn't lift his arm, so the angle shifted and he stabbed Zhuang Huai'an in the shoulder instead.

Fuck you!

Zhuang Huai'an felt a sharp pain in his right shoulder and became even angrier!

Friends who fight often know that when you first start fighting, you may feel a little scared, but once you see blood, congratulations, you've broken through!

Zhuang Huai'an gritted his teeth and endured the pain, using all his strength to throw the short man off him. He withdrew his hands from the tall man's neck, gritted his teeth, looked at the short man panting on the ground, and pressed down on him, kneeing him hard.

Fuck you!

This series of actions, though described as slow, actually took less than a minute.

At this moment, Jiang Wen arrived with the hotel security guards. He cautiously picked up the pistol from the ground and put it in his pocket before joining the group beating up the short man.

Fuck you!

The two security guards standing nearby seemed to have served in the military. They quickly pulled out ropes and tied up the tall man who had already fainted, while ignoring the short man who was still being beaten.

They almost got shot, so what's wrong with letting them vent?

After a short while, Zhuang Huai'an stopped fighting. It wasn't that he didn't want to fight anymore, but the burst of energy in that short period of time had exhausted him. In addition, with a folding knife stuck in his shoulder, all the adrenaline was being directed at the wound, and he simply had no strength left.

Jiang Wen also stopped; he still had some strength left, but the short man had already fainted.

The two lay side by side on the road, panting heavily, and looked at each other with wry smiles. What the hell is going on here?!

"Brother, are you alright?"

When his brother asked, Zhuang Huai'an stubbornly replied, "It's nothing, just a little dirty."

Fortunately, it was winter and I was wearing thick clothes, and the folding knife wasn't very dangerous. The reason it didn't fall was probably because it got stuck in my clothes.

"Awesome! I'm truly fucking impressed this time!" Jiang Wen once again offered the highest form of courtesy between men.

The security guards dragged the short man away, tied him up, and even professionally searched his body.

"Brother, please help us up."

The security guard helped the two to the curb and they had just sat down when a beautiful figure flew into Zhuang Huai'an's arms and pinned him down on the grass.

"You stinky Zhuang Huai'an, you scared me to death!"

Liu Yifei hugged him tightly, crying uncontrollably.

"Xixi," Zhuang Huai'an wanted to pat her head, but the handcuffs were still on, so he could only softly comfort her, "Don't be afraid, I'm fine."

Aunt Liu and Sandrine followed, looking at the two men with lingering fear.

"Xixi, can you get up first?" Aunt Liu noticed the folding knife still stuck in Zhuang Huai'an's shoulder and quickly helped the little girl up.

"Oh no, why is there so much blood?"

When the little girl got up and saw this, she cried even harder. She dared not touch Zhuang Huai'an anymore and could only rush into her mother's arms.

Zhuang Huai'an shook his head with a wry smile and said to Jiang Wen, "Brother, take the cigarettes out of my pocket."

"Why,"

Jiang Wen struggled to get up, but his hands were trembling. He tried several times to finally get out the cigarette and lighter, but the Zippo, which usually lit easily, wouldn't light.

"I'll do it."

Liu Yifei wiped away her tears, took the cigarette, and put one into Zhuang Huai'an's mouth.

It was windy, so the girl hugged Zhuang Huai'an tightly, using one hand to open her trench coat to block the wind and the other to light a cigarette.

Zhuang Huai'an subconsciously looked up and saw the little girl with her lips tightly pursed, seemingly still trying to hold back her sadness. The tears left in the corners of her eyes looked like crystals in the firelight.

One glance, and eternity passes.