The opening of China Entertainment Group gave Jay Chou a head-on confrontation

Chapter 962 I'm willing to be fooled!
"What did you say?"

"I know this might sound a little strange, Yi, but it's true. Marvel producers are making a superhero movie, and they think your public image and some of your exploits fit their vision for the plot, so..."

"Okay, just give him my contact information. I'll be in Miami for the next week anyway, I'm not leaving."

After learning the whole story, Zhou Yi nodded in agreement and then hung up the phone.

Although it may sound a bit anti-Chinese, it doesn't matter. How many anti-Chinese things has he done along the way? One of Miyuki Nakajima's representative works, "Riding on the Back of a Silver Dragon," has now become an outstanding representative work in his series of Chinese song covers.

Already used to it.

"What do you mean you won't leave? And who's looking for you?" Sun Yanzi, lying on a beach chair, sipped Sprite through a straw while turning her head to squeeze out a question mark through her teeth.

"Could a filmmaker be trying to obtain permission to use my image?"

Zhou Yi, who had allowed the woman's fair legs to rest on his calves, simply put his phone on silent mode to avoid being disturbed again.

"what?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Yanzi immediately pulled her legs back, propped herself up on the chair with one hand, sat up straight, and leaned close to him, her eyes shining with excitement: "So soon someone in Hollywood is going to make a biopic about you?"

"The Miracle of the Phoenix," "Divine Protection," "The I Ching: The Chosen One"...

Within seconds, several fitting biopic titles flashed through the woman's mind.

Given Hollywood's nature and its speed in pursuing political correctness, a biographical film about the I Ching is a perfect fit for their tastes.

"What are you thinking? He's just a producer of a superhero movie who wants to pay tribute to me in the film."

Pushing away Sun Yanzi's excited head, Zhou Yi curled his lip and said disdainfully, "If I died now, Hollywood would definitely be chasing after me for the license to film it."

"Pah, pah, pah, what unlucky things are you saying?"

Sun Yanzi spat several times, then put her finger to the man's lips in a desperate attempt to ward off evil. Her skillful exorcism was a complete display of feudal superstition, which amused Zhou Yi.

"When did you start believing in this kind of thing?"

"What are you saying? When your eyelid twitches, do you selectively believe whether it's a sign of good or bad fortune?"

"That's true."

Jumping for wealth brings joy, jumping for disaster is a damn thing—this is the truth of the world.

Before the smug Sun Yanzi could even speak again, her phone suddenly rang again—

"Ring ring ring!"

"Hello? Sister Shan?" Upon seeing that it was her agent calling, the woman immediately patted her chest twice, cleared her throat a few times, and then pressed the answer button.

"Yanzi, how's your script reading going?"

"Huh? Ah, it's progressing quickly, yes, very quickly..."

Under the man's silent but ever-smiling gaze, a slightly guilty Sun Yanzi subconsciously shifted halfway to the side, playing with the fine sand beneath her feet with one hand, and awkwardly started talking about the director's requirements and the screenwriter's rules...

In reality, she and Zhou Yi treated those three days as a relaxing vacation.

Every day is spent eating, playing, sleeping, waking up, doing things, washing, eating...

A cycle has been completed.

Director? What director?
Screenwriter? What screenwriter?
I don't know~
Anyway, Zhou Yi is the producer, so he has the most power. As a pitiful, helpless, and obedient singer, I don't have a higher status than him, so I can only obediently listen to the producer.

Although she didn't know what was so interesting about reading aloud a music video for only four songs and a script outline that was only a few pages long.

The story mode of Love Story is the simplest. Just use the classic Romeo and Juliet look. It's universal and doesn't need any complicated plot.
"Run Away With Me" is a song about elopement, and it is filmed from the perspective of a first-person boyfriend. Zhou Yi does not need to appear on screen—oh no, he still needs to appear on screen, but he does not need to say any lines.

Of the four songs, only "Seorita" and the first single "Call Me Maybe" require a storyline.

Of course, as a staunch heterosexual, Zhou Yi removed the satirical homosexual subplot at the end of "Call Me Maybe" and changed it to a happy ending where lovers are united.

The entire music video's storyline of falling in love at first sight ends with the man asking the woman out the next day using the phone number left on a small piece of paper.

Of course, the I Ching also serves another purpose in this music video: to sell sex—literally.

In the original storyline of "Call Me Maybe", there was a scene where the male lead showed off his muscular physique, and Zhou Yi doesn't plan to delete it—after all, although he has become increasingly busy and less active in the workplace over the years, it doesn't mean that his muscles and physique have completely disappeared.

Given the current sluggish market, he wouldn't let the high sales of "25" cloud his judgment; he still needed to prepare the necessary promotional materials.

This is why he chose "Call Me Maybe" as the first single from Sun Yanzi's English EP.

As an Asian newcomer, even with her early performances and cover albums, she needed a gimmick that would attract attention in the early stages of the release – "Spike's physique" could be used as an initial talking point to boost the hype.

To put it bluntly, they're using his fame to attract as many people as possible, and then deciding the winner based on the quality of the songs.

"I've been in the industry for so long and I've never had a music video where I posed so provocatively to show off my figure. This first time is a lucky break for you."

After Sun Yanzi hung up the phone, Zhou Yi, who was patting his bottom and getting up to go back to the hotel, smiled and pushed up his sunglasses, casually putting a pink sun hat on her head: "How are you planning to thank me?"

"Hmm, how about I treat you to ice cream?" Sun Yanzi, who simply clung to the man's back, her eyebrows instantly curving into crescents as she pointed to a conspicuous Turkish ice cream shop.

The dazzlingly acrobatic performers at the shops continue to relentlessly attract passing tourists with their incredible acts.

Some women have been played by men until they're completely disoriented and lost, but they never give up on reaching for their own ice cream.

Even though everyone around him was laughing, passersby stopped to watch.

"Boss, two ice creams, please."

Sun Yanzi, holding a dollar bill in her hand and raising it high, shouted energetically, ignoring the stares from those around her.

"Huh? Spike?!"

"Hiss! Spike! Is that you, Spike?!"

"Spike! Can I take a picture with you, Spike?!"

Even with sunglasses on, Zhou Yi was easily recognized. Sun Yanzi, who was secretly laughing, quickly got off him and patted the man on the shoulder, encouraging him to "sell his body for safety".

"Are you Spike's new girlfriend, ma'am?" The clerk suppressed her excitement, making ice cream quickly while still gossiping.

"Hmm, how can it not count?"

"Can I take a picture with you? Just one, and I'll treat you to free ice cream."

"I can't make that decision; you'll have to ask him."

Sun Yanzi raised her chin and gestured towards the surrounded man. Soon, the shop assistant, focused solely on taking photos, didn't even bother with the standard "teasing" meal; she quickly served the food and handed it to Zhou Yi, then rushed off to get it without even taking off her apron—

Sun Yanzi was left standing alone by the food truck, eating ice cream and smiling as she watched the man occasionally glance at her.

It was more than ten minutes later when he finally finished his work.

"for you."

After Zhou Yi walked over, Sun Yanzi handed him the ice cream before he could speak, smiling brightly: "It's delicious, it's on me, no charge."

"thank you."

Zhou Yi rolled his eyes at her: "There are so many food trucks out there, but you had to choose the one with the most attention. What's so great about Turkish ice cream? And you had to be tricked by the staff."

"They weren't messing with me; they were all eager to take photos with you. Besides, didn't you ask me how I should thank you?"

Sun Yanzi, taking a bite of the rim of the tube, winked and said, "I'd be willing to be fooled too."

?

Zhou Yi, who had taken a big bite of ice cream and was chewing, paused for a moment, then a smile crept onto his face, deliberately tinged with feigned disdain: "So this is your thank-you gift?"

"What, do you have a problem with that?" Sun Yanzi's tone suddenly turned unfriendly, her cheeks puffed out, and she even raised her hand to show off her fist, which was the size of a steamed bun.

"Have."

"No objections allowed!"

Yeah, hitting someone is like hitting a steamed bun—soft and mushy.

.......................................

When Kevin Feige finally met the legendary Spike in Warner Bros., he was overjoyed.

Judging from his micro-expressions, the man is currently in a very pleasant mood, which will undoubtedly help their conversation going forward.

“It’s nice to meet you, Spike. Kevin Feige, just call me Kevin.” “Hello, Kevin, have a seat.”

Zhou Yi smiled and shook hands with him: "Leo told me about your request. Can you tell me why? You know, you're making a superhero movie. Sorry, I forgot the name of the movie. You know, I'm from China, and the only ones I know are Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man."

"That's right, Spike, I think your previous actions were very much in line with the core concept of our movie character..."

When the conversation turned to business, Kevin Feige immediately sat up straight and began to explain his reasons in detail, occasionally interspersing his personal praise of the I Ching with his own comments, and even throwing in some English reading comprehension exercises, adopting a very humble attitude.

In short, it boils down to one word: your image gave our film an amazing source of inspiration, so we wanted to borrow a famous scene that only you in the world created.

"In your musicians' terms, it's about sampling."

Seeing that Zhou Yi did not immediately refuse and was still thinking, Kevin Feige immediately intensified his efforts: "I can guarantee with my professional reputation, Spike, that our use of your image is absolutely positive."

"We will not deliberately tarnish your personal image or create negative associations with the public."

"If you're still not convinced, next Tuesday is the audition for the male lead in 'Iron Man.' You can come and see for yourself how well we've deconstructed your image."

This already shows great sincerity; they're even willing to let Zhou Yi see the male lead's audition.

Of course, to ensure that the adaptation is not a random rewrite, Marvel will also hire Zhou Yi as one of the film's consultants after the film officially begins shooting.

To put it bluntly, it's just a pretext to symbolically pay Zhou Yi a small amount of money as a way of thanking him for being the inspiration for the movie's protagonist character.

Reciprocity is a courtesy.

"Next Tuesday? Sure, my team and I will evaluate it then."

yes!

yes!

yes!

Seeing that Zhou Yi must have been moved by his words, Kevin Feige's inner demons were already shouting and punching him three times in a row.

Who says Spike is hard to get along with?
Who said Spike has a bad temper?

Nonsense! This is all utter nonsense!

The music industry is too obsessed; it has driven Spike, who is usually so easygoing, to this point.

That night--

Robert Downey Jr., who was at home preparing for his audition and studying past recordings of the I Ching, learned some important news from his wife Susan Downey when she returned: Spike, as one of the prototypes for the male lead, would be watching the audition.

As for how his wife knew such confidential information, the answer is that his wife, Susan Downey, is one of the co-producers of the movie "Iron Man," which is why he was able to get an audition opportunity despite being universally condemned.

The father's network, the wife's network, and one's own network.

The reason Robert Downey Jr. has been able to find roles despite being embroiled in scandals for so many years is primarily because the people around him have never given up on him.

Especially his father's connections.

As a famous Hollywood star's son, in the past, even when he was arrested and imprisoned multiple times for breaking the law or even tried to escape, his father's friends always helped him get out.

“It’s okay, I believe I can do well. I’ve studied Spike’s videos many times.”

As a gifted actor who, no matter what he does, has never lost his knack for making a living, Robert Downey Jr. has once again displayed the terrifying presence he displayed in his past Charlie Chaplin biopics—

He learned something from his wife: Marvel was taking this movie, which was practically an all-in bet, very seriously, and if he wanted to make a comeback, he had to try to seize this opportunity.

His acting skills have been recognized and proven throughout Hollywood; all he needs now is a chance to make a comeback.

Not to mention, he's willing to take incredibly low fees, which is a huge advantage. After all, other competitors are unwilling and unable to accept such low pay.

Tuesday, April 2006, 9.

Accompanied by his wife, Robert Downey Jr., who came to Marvel to prepare for his audition, also met Spike Chow, the world's most popular singer in recent years.

“Hello, Mr. Spike, this is Robert Downey Jr., just call me Robert.”

The future Iron Man, Tony Stark, is very good at social etiquette and waits until the very end before going up to make friends.

It means being down on one's luck.

"Hello, Robert."

Zhou Yi smiled slightly, didn't treat anyone differently, nodded and said hello before leaving.

After meeting with the production team, he finally started looking at the audition materials.

"Robert Downey Jr., en?"

As someone raised in the Chinese education system, Zhou Yi asked the most relevant question at that moment: "Has he been arrested for repeated drug use?"

His gaze fell on Kevin Feige.

“It’s like this, Spike. I know you have doubts, but believe me, he has now completed his drug rehabilitation and has turned over a new leaf.” Kevin Feige didn’t offer much explanation, because Robert Downey Jr. wasn’t actually his first choice.

The main reason he was invited to audition, besides the director's approval, was the strong recommendation from Susan Downey, one of the co-producers.

Zhou Yi then turned his attention to Susan Downey, the unsung hero behind Robert Downey Jr.'s long-term reign as the top earner in Hollywood.

She used to be called Susan Nicole Levine. She met Robert Downey Jr. in 03 while filming the movie "Ghost"—and initially rejected his advances.

It is precisely because of this that she was hailed by Hollywood as "the miracle that saved RDJ".

“I’m curious, and I apologize if this question is offensive, but Susan, how did you determine that Robert had truly overcome the shadows of his past?” Zhou Yi asked, watching the audition.

“To be honest, I’m not entirely sure either,” Susan Downey shook her head.

"Weren't you afraid of being played? I'm sorry, no offense intended, but based on the information I just saw, he really is... you know."

"maybe."

The woman smiled and said, "But I'm willing to be played."

........................

"Ah!"

In the hotel suite, Sun Yanzi, wiping her nose, couldn't help but sneeze again—

The cold medicine granules in my hand suddenly wobbled.

Her agent, Ji Shengshan, quickly draped another blanket over her: "How did you catch a cold after filming just a few music videos? The weather in Miami shouldn't be this cold, right? I didn't see any thunderstorms."

"Hehe, this is what happens when you're working day and night, your immunity drops really fast—Achoo!"

"When has your music video production crew ever worked day and night? There were no scenes filmed in the early morning, and there was no rush..."

The incessant chatter of my agent, Sister Shan, still echoed in my ears—

Wrapped tightly in a small blanket, Sun Yanzi held a teacup in both hands, pursed her lips, and gently blew on it, letting it go in one ear and out the other, while secretly grinning foolishly.

"You're still laughing? Do you know how much a cold can interfere with your work?"

"Huh? No, I didn't laugh."

"I'm getting old and going through menopause, but I'm not blind yet."

"I really didn't laugh at Sister Shan."

Staring at that silly, oblivious grin on his face, Ji Shengshan sighed: "Did you take any safety precautions?"

—?!

"Huh?? Ah?? Huh?!!!"

"Stop 'uh-huh' and 'yeah' sounds. I'm telling you, Yanzi, you're still young and should focus on your career. Not many female singers are as lucky as you, you know? If you waste this opportunity that God has given you, you'll definitely regret it later..."

The mother started her nagging mode again. Sun Yanzi, who was covering her ears with one hand, didn't care about the heat and gulped down the cold medicine in a few mouthfuls. She hurriedly got out of bed and said, "I'm going to wash the cup~~"

The smooth soles of my feet thumped on the tiles.

"Hey! Socks! Put on socks! You already have a cold and you're walking barefoot on the tiles. I've told you so many times it's bad for your health, and you're still going barefoot..."

"Okay~~ Got it~~~"

(End of this chapter)