A hundred flavors of life

Chapter 1277 Ban me? I'll fight back! (Please subscribe!)

Upon hearing that Wang Jinhua and Hua Shier had reached a verbal agreement, Shuang Bing's eyes practically lit up with tears. They were both artists under the former's management, so wouldn't they have an easy time getting the benefits from their proximity?

Gong Li smiled and said from the side:
"Ms. Su, Ms. Hua, I don't have an agency contract in Hollywood yet. How about you sign me?"

When she said that, Hua Shier also remembered that although Gong Li had won many awards in Europe at that time, she had not yet entered Hollywood. It wasn't until 05 with "Geisha" that she had her first collaboration with Hollywood.

However, that movie, well, two top Chinese actresses played Japanese geishas, ​​well, it's hard to describe.

Just as Sister Hua was about to agree, she immediately realized that the cooperation with Hua Shier was primarily led by the latter, so she turned her head to look.

Hua Shierchao Gong Li smiled and said:

"You're now the number one female star in the Chinese-speaking world, I couldn't be happier!"

Gong Li smiled and raised her glass:

"Then I must toast you and Sister Hua, wishing us a pleasant cooperation!"

Seeing Gong Li's quick acceptance of the offer, Zhang Ziyi pursed her lips and remained silent, her expression somewhat conflicted.

The others also noticed her expression, but Hua Shier, Wang Jinhua, and Gong Li all pretended not to see it.

Having access to Hollywood is something everyone else would love to do; even Gong Li took the initiative to join. If you don't ask for it yourself, do you expect others to come and invite you?

Of course, having already secured two Hollywood films, they might have even better plans in mind.

Gong Li was more concerned about the film itself and inquired about the movie "Final Destination".

There was no secrecy surrounding the script of this play, since it was sold out in the US. Hua Shier recounted the plot while they ate and chatted.

None of those present had read this novel published in the United States. Upon hearing about the terrifying yet intricately linked plot, they couldn't help but marvel at it and praised Hua Shier's novel and ingenious concept.

At the same time, everyone also gained an understanding of the 'ensemble piece' that Hua Twelve mentioned.

After discussing the movie, Hua Shier also talked with Wang Jinhua about the details of setting up the company.

Domestically, Hua Shier contributed one million yuan, acquiring 70% of the shares in the domestic company, while Wang Jinhua contributed one million yuan plus his artist contracts, acquiring 30% of the shares.

Don't be fooled by the fact that Hua Shier seems to be getting a good deal; his most valuable assets are the channels and resources he has in cooperation with Hollywood.

Wang Jinhua was fully aware of this. She knew very well that with Hollywood's resources, the company's future development potential would be limitless, so she readily agreed.

As for opening a company in Hollywood, Hua Shier said he wasn't in a hurry and would wait until the movie "Final Destination" was released before making a decision.

Wang Jinhua knew what Hua Shier meant. It meant that the other party had a high price in mind for the company shares in Hollywood, so they wanted to let their strength speak for itself and leave her with nothing to say.

Shuang Bing and Zhang Ziyi frequently offered toasts and said only the most flattering things, making the meal a pleasant one for both the host and guests.

Even though Hua Shier had worked in the entertainment industry in the world of "Qiao Family Children," she still had to admit that the entertainment industry was great. The female celebrities were good-looking and had pleasant voices; who wouldn't like that?

After lunch, Hua Shier called Lao De and asked him to cast two Chinese female students as supporting characters in the movie "Final Destination," the kind who don't die too early, so they have some room to develop their characters.

When he made the call, Gong Li looked somewhat surprised, because she could tell from Hua Shier's tone that he was quite domineering, as if he had a lot of say in Hollywood.

After Hua Shier hung up the phone, he smiled at Wang Jinhua and said:

"I've already spoken to the Ugly Country and arranged two supporting roles for these two girls. When you go there later, go directly to the Touchstone and get the contracts signed!"

The two ice skating duo were so excited that they stood up and bowed repeatedly to express their gratitude.

Sister Hua nodded in agreement, her eyes full of smiles. She was increasingly convinced that cooperating with Hua Shier was the right decision.

After chatting for a while, Hua Twelve served tea to see the guests off.

"Sister Hua, Gong Li, that's all for now!"

Sister Hua quickly got up:

"Alright, then I'll head back to Beijing today to take care of things at the company!"

Gong Li also stood up with a smile:
"I'll be going now. Don't forget to sign a contract with me when your company opens in Hollywood!"

Both Bingbing and Zhang Ziyi tactfully took their leave, while Zhang Ziyi seemed to still have something to say.

Gong Li then pulled Zhang Ziyi aside:
"Xiao Zhang, some things you have to give up to get them. Alright, we should go now. We've bothered Teacher Su for so long!"

Her words were directed at Zhang Ziyi. If someone opens a company and you don't join, why should you take resources from them? They have the resources to cultivate their own signed artists; isn't that better?

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ziyi's eyes suddenly hardened, as if she had made a decision.

Gong Li really wanted to ask, "Girl, your expression is off. Did you misunderstand something?"

Wang Jinhua and the actresses all exchanged contact information with Hua Shier.

Just before leaving, Hua Shier thought of something and asked Wang Jinhua for help: to spread the word that the role had been decided so that people wouldn't keep coming to disturb his peace.

Wang Jinhua is the top agent in the industry, with extensive connections and relationships with major film and television companies. With her passing on the message, the news will spread quickly, saving Hua Shier a lot of trouble.

Wang Jinhua readily agreed and immediately took out his phone to make the call.

After making a round of calls, Wang Jinhua said that everyone had been notified.

Whether it was Wang Jinhua's phone call that had an effect or not, after they left, no one came to the door all afternoon, allowing Hua Shier to take a good nap in the sun.

The next day, Su Mingcheng got up early to go to school, while Hua Shier stayed home to continue his literary copying.

He promised Gong Li that he would sign her once the company opened in Hollywood, and that he had to get her a leading role in a movie.

Hua Shier thought of two movies that would suit Gong Li's temperament: one was the role of Fire Fox in "Wanted" and the other was the movie "Mr. & Mrs. Smith"!
These are all worlds he has personally experienced, which makes his creations even more effortless.

Both roles were played by Angelina Jolie, and Hua Shier thinks that if Gong Li were to portray them, given her figure in "Curse of the Golden Flower," she would probably be just as good.

He didn't know how long he had been writing when a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. He looked up at the wall clock and realized it was already noon.

Su Mingcheng isn't coming back for lunch, so Hua Shier is probably here again to ask for a role.

Compared to yesterday when several people came at once, he felt it was already much better that only one person knocked on the door by noon today. He thought it must have been Wang Jinhua's phone call that made a difference.

After getting up and stretching for a bit, Hua Shier went over and opened the courtyard gate, intending to explain the situation and get rid of the person.

The person standing timidly at the door turned out to be Zhang Ziyi, who had left yesterday. She was carrying several bags of groceries.
"Ziyi, why are you here again? The role from yesterday has already been given out, didn't we already make things clear?"

Hua Shier was somewhat helpless, not expecting the other party to be so persistent.

Zhang Ziyi smiled and held up the ingredients in her hand:
"Teacher Su, I came here especially to cook for you."

She smiled brightly, but her eyes flickered uncertainly.

After saying that, just like yesterday, he entered uninvited, as if he were returning to his own home, and walked through the courtyard into the small building.

Hua Shier shrugged, closed the courtyard gate and went inside. He saw Zhang Ziyi placing the ingredients on the cutting board, but she was at the table in the living room, looking at the first draft he had written and placed aside, her eyes shining.

He coughed lightly and said, "I've already let you see it, so feel free to look."

Zhang Ziyi turned around and asked in surprise:

"Ms. Su, is this your new script? Mr. & Mrs. Smith, is this a movie filmed in Hollywood?"

Hua Twelve does not deny:
"That's right, this is an adaptation (plagiarism) of Hitchcock's 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith'. It's a gift for Gong Li after we sign her!"

As he spoke, he stepped forward to tidy up the manuscripts, saying in a joking tone:

"The script is still under wraps, I can't show you too much!"

A flicker of jealousy and resentment crossed Zhang Ziyi's face. Suddenly, she moved closer and hugged Hua Shier tightly from behind.

"I'm not satisfied. Teacher Su, I want a chance to play the lead role."

Her body trembled slightly, and Hua Shier could feel her rapid breathing and the trembling caused by nervousness.

Hua Shier stood there without moving, then turned and asked, "Is it really necessary to go this far?"

Zhang Ziyi didn't say anything, but the hand holding his waist tightened even more.

Hua Shier was provoked by her. Seeing that she remained silent, he grabbed her and pulled her into his arms, striding towards the bedroom.
An hour later, if it weren't for the fear that the opponent was not strong enough, Hua Shier said he could have played for another afternoon.

Hua Shier got up and started gossiping as he dressed:
"I read in the newspaper that you knocked on Chow Yun-fat's door at night while filming 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'? I thought it was you..."

Zhang Ziyi's cheeks, which were flushed from exercise, suddenly turned deathly pale.
"You think I'm a promiscuous woman?"

Hua Shier glanced at the two of them, who were now completely open with each other, the meaning clear: Aren't you the same? Then why are we like this? Did you lose your clothes?

Zhang Ziyi suddenly choked up:
“I admit I’m ambitious, but I’m just a recent graduate. If I wanted to use my body to get resources, why wouldn’t I seduce a director?”

"The director and Chow Yun-fat wanted to use this kind of thing to promote the movie. Did I have the power to refuse?"

It must be said that what this woman said makes a lot of sense.

Hua Shier remembered watching a Hong Kong variety show called "Tonight No Taboos," which featured interviews with Maggie Cheung and Cherie Chung. According to these two beauties, a certain guy had harassed them, even refusing to stop filming kissing scenes despite the director's calls to stop. With all that, why would he need to seduce them? To claim in a reporter's interview that he remained unmoved despite actresses seducing him seems a bit like bragging!
Even though he believed Zhang Ziyi's words, Hua Shier's attitude towards her was just so-so. He had just treated her as a substitute for Gong Er, but she was indeed very smooth.

She got up and dressed: "Alright, didn't you say you were going to cook for me? Hurry up and do it, I'm a little hungry!"

Behind her, Zhang Ziyi wiped away her tears and asked, her neck stiff:

"Then shall I talk about the female lead?"

Hua Shier chuckled: "You haven't even said you want to sign with my company, how can I give you a role?"

Zhang Ziyi was a little anxious: "But just now, you..."

Hua Shier waved his hand, saying magnanimously:
"Forget it, let bygones be bygones about the time you took advantage of me!"

Zhang Ziyi: So you're turning your back on me now that you've done your bidding!
Looking at the woman whose face was pale but who remained stubborn, Hua Shier asked curiously:
"May I ask why you are unwilling to sign with my company and Sister Hua's company?"

Zhang Ziyi paused for a moment:
“My mom wants my brother to be my manager. My brother has already registered a cultural company in Beijing to help me manage my artists’ business!”

Hua Shier found it somewhat amusing when he thought of the girl's brother:
"Let me remind you, once you become famous and make money, of course you can help your brother. You can give him money and help him build his own business, but whatever you do, don't let his business interfere with your future!"

Zhang Ziyi was puzzled: "Why?"

Hua Shier put on the last piece of clothing and explained:
"First, his professional skills are insufficient. You have a very high starting point. Your films 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' and 'Rush Hour 2', which are set to be released this year, are bound to be huge hits. Maybe with just two films, you can reach international standards. Can your brother handle your affairs?"

"You know, an agent not only has to help the artist negotiate contracts, but also has crisis management skills. What does your brother do? If one day you are suddenly exposed to some scandal, is he capable of helping you deal with it?"

Later, during the "Pink Gate" incident involving this girl, her brother exposed this problem by sending a text message to the person behind it all, yelling, "Who do you think you are?!"

This emotional response not only failed to resolve the crisis, but also prompted the other party to release more negative information, causing the incident to continue to escalate. It is a typical case of a negative example of crisis public relations.

"Secondly, after you become famous, your brother is likely to treat you as a cash cow and prioritize his own interests in everything. This will cause you to miss many opportunities, and once he gets used to this, he will take it for granted."

Hua Shier said there is also evidence to support this claim. According to the dance "Sister Jin" who revealed this on the show, the Monaco royal family held a charity event called "Rose Dinner" in 2004. Since that year happened to be the Chinese New Year, they invited Jin Xing to be the host of the dinner.

As a charity gala, many business celebrities and well-known actors were invited to attend, and Zhang Yatou was honored to be among the invitees.

When the Prince of Monaco invited Zhang Ziyi to dance the opening dance, her brother stepped forward and told them that the contract didn't include that clause and that they needed to pay extra!
This guy should actually be the first "money-adding guy" in the entertainment industry!
One sentence broke Sister Jin's guard, who was hosting the banquet. She carefully reminded Zhang Ziyi that this was a very gentlemanly invitation. In Western etiquette, the opening dance is very important, and it is a great honor for the prince to invite her to dance the opening dance.

Zhang Yatou also cherished this opportunity, so she said to her brother, "Forget it, it's just dancing."

The agent immediately rebuked him, saying, "Shut up! This isn't your place to speak!"

Okay, they can't even tell the difference between primary and secondary matters, and they don't even understand who they rely on for their livelihood!

Hua Shier continued:
"Sister Hua's business acumen speaks for itself. Once you sign her, she'll handle your domestic business, and I'll find you a top-notch agent in Hollywood to handle your international business. If you agree to this, I can't guarantee anything else, but I guarantee you'll be able to make at least one Hollywood film a year—that can be written into the contract!"

After he finished speaking, he smiled faintly:
"Although you took advantage of me, I won't force you to do this. If you don't agree, that's fine too. After you finish cooking for me, we can have a bite together and then part ways amicably!"

"You bastard!"

A pillow came flying at her, which Hua Shier caught and then threw back, slamming Zhang Ziyi onto the bed with a thud.

It wasn't a serious matter at first; it was just a pillow hitting her face and causing a nosebleed. But this girl took it as an excuse and refused to get up, instead lying on the bed and crying loudly.

Hua Shier touched his nose, somewhat embarrassed:
"Forget it, I have a vampire script that's going to be a huge hit in the Ugly Country. Do you want the female lead?"

He was referring to the character Kristen Stewart from Twilight.

That role is just for show. Let's wait until "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Rush Hour 2" make Zhang Ziyi popular, and then let her play "Twilight" to bring a wave of traffic to our movie.

Once Twilight becomes a hit and Zhang Ziyi's image as a female vampire is deeply ingrained in people's minds, we can also develop the Underworld series, achieving several goals at once.

Upon hearing that she was the female lead in a wildly popular movie in the Ugly Country, Zhang Ziyi immediately sat up, tears streaming down her face, and asked:
"Are you serious?"

Hua Shier nodded and smiled, "It's still the same premise: you have to sign with my company!"

Zhang Ziyi: This is as good as saying nothing at all.

Hua Shier went out to continue 'creating' the script, and a little while later Zhang Ziyi, dressed, came out:
"Brother Qiang, I've made up my mind. I'm signing with your company!"

Although she was having a headache about how to explain it to her family, she still made a choice that was in her best interest.

"Smart choice!"

Hua Shier raised an eyebrow, thinking to herself, "That's women for you. Before I got you, I called you 'Teacher Su' all the time, but after I got you, I don't even call you 'Teacher' anymore."

The little girl walked with a slight limp, slowly making her way to the kitchen and bringing out four dishes. The two of them then sat down to eat together.

Hua Shier said while eating:
"Your cooking is so-so, you need to practice more. Also, don't think that just because you've won my body you can win my heart. I will not marry you!"

"Also, now that we're in this relationship, you need to be careful outside. Don't spread rumors or get too close to other women. Even though I don't like you, I'll still be unhappy!"

Zhang Ziyi was speechless. Are all novelists this shameless?
While they were eating, Zhang Ziyi's phone rang. Coincidentally, it was also a 3210. Hmm, a couple's phone set!
The person on the other end of the phone was a girl, chattering away, her tone revealing a mix of gossip and schadenfreude.

After Zhang Ziyi hung up the phone, she explained to Hua Shier:
"It was my classmate who called. She said that Little Swallow is on the front page today. She was photographed in Suzhou yesterday, and she was crying in the street!"

Zhang Ziyi laughed as she spoke, clearly thinking about why the princess had cried.

Although Hua Shier made it clear that he would not fall in love with the other party or marry him, Zhang Ziyi still stayed in Suzhou for a few days.

At first, they stayed in hotels at night and came to accompany Hua Shier during the day. Later, it developed into them staying at the Su family's house during the day and going to hotels together at night. Cough cough, don't get the wrong idea, the official explanation in the entertainment industry is that they were going over the script.

Wang Jinhua was efficient; he went to the U.S. to sign the contract and returned in less than a week to complete the company's paperwork. He then made a special call to inform Hua Shier.

Hua Shier slapped his forehead; he hadn't even transferred the promised one million yet. He immediately called Lao De:
"Make money!"

On Zhang Ziyi's eighth day in Suzhou, trouble struck. It wasn't that the two of them were photographed by paparazzi, but rather that the name 'Mei Changsu' once again made headlines, following 'Jiao Fang'.

The headline on Toutiao was particularly alarming:

Breaking News: Little Swallow visits Mei Changsu, leaves disheveled and in tears!

Princess Cries Out: He Didn't Want Acting Skills!

Hua Shier was stunned when she saw the title. If you had just changed Little Swallow to Yu Jiaolong, I would have accepted it.

Even more outrageous, Xiao Yanzi also gave a television interview.

Watching on TV, the princess tearfully complained about being treated rudely by 'Mei Changsu'.

In her words, Hua Shier became an unforgivable villain who even laid hands on her.

Zhang Ziyi sensed something was wrong:
"I think there's something wrong here. What good does she get out of doing this?"

The incident escalated rapidly, and the very next day, celebrities came forward to support Xiao Yanzi.

Huayi Company, an industry leader, also spoke out.

Huayi first expressed sympathy for Gege, then condemned Mei Changsu's behavior, and finally stated that it would not cooperate with such an unscrupulous writer in any way, and would unilaterally blacklist him. Huayi Company would not have any business dealings with any artist who had cooperated with Mei Changsu.

In other words, any actor who dares to film a movie adapted from Hua Shier's works will be blacklisted by the industry leaders.

After reading it, Zhang Ziyi felt that something was increasingly wrong.

At this moment, Sister Hua called and immediately apologized. It wasn't until Hua Shier got the details that he understood what had happened.

This whole thing started when Hua Shier partnered with Sister Hua to start a company; frankly, it all came down to mutual benefit.

Before coming to Suzhou, Huayi was in communication with Wang Jinhua, intending to have her bring her artists to join Huayi.

Everything was almost settled, but after a trip to Suzhou, Wang Jinhua changed his mind and even registered his own company.

Huayi somehow found out that Wang Jinhua was collaborating with Mei Changsu. Coincidentally, that princess had been wronged in Suzhou and, after returning to the capital, had spoken ill of Mei Changsu in private.

When Huayi Company overheard this, they took advantage of it, promising benefits to get this national princess to file a complaint, thereby blacklisting Mei Changsu.

Wang Jinhua stated that they were all present at the scene that day, so she would personally step forward and have Shuang Bing (Li Bingbing and Li Bingbing) testify on her behalf.

However, Gong Li was even faster than Wang Jinhua.

This woman went directly to television media for an interview and publicly stated that 'Little Swallow' was lying because she was a guest at Mei Changsu's house when the incident occurred, and there was no physical contact whatsoever.

Following that, Wang Jinhua and Shuang Bing also stood up to support Hua Shier, stating that they were also with Teacher Su and Teacher Gong Li at the time and were also witnesses. They said that Xiao Yanzi's accusations, except for not letting her in, were all fabricated.

Hua Shier naturally couldn't let himself be bullied for no reason, so he spoke out through the Suzhou Daily:

"First, he wants to sue Gege and use legal means to protect his legitimate rights and interests!"

"Secondly, he wants to reverse the ban!"

Hua Shier publicly stated that he has three projects in hand in collaboration with Disney subsidiary Touchstone Pictures, and he claimed that Chinese actors can be arranged to participate in them, and there will be more works in the future.

He stated that no actor who has worked with Xiao Yanzi, nor any actor signed with Huayi Brothers Media Corporation, will appear in his works.

Once the newspaper published the story, everyone in the industry was watching with interest.

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