Become famous another day.

Hua Ruzhen prepared dinner herself.

Chinese food.

To be precise, there are both sweet and sour pork from the Northeastern cuisine, and the Sichuan cuisine's Fuqi Feipian, as well as home-cooked dishes such as sweet and sour spare ribs and boiled fish.

Chen Siqi was very surprised and asked, "Sister, how come you are such a good cook?"

Lu Yanhe smiled and said, "When I was filming the first film "The Mist", my sister rented a house with Muken. They often invited me to dinner. I got used to it. It seems like she can do everything."

Chen Siqi: "I admire you so much!"

Hua Ruzhen brought out a pot of mushroom cream soup with a big smile on her face.

"It's just some home cooking skills, so don't exaggerate too much," she said.

Muken is now just as skilled in using chopsticks, and there is no sign of foreigner's awkwardness at all.

"When will the sequel to The Mist be released?" Chen Siqi asked, "Is it still the same schedule as the first one?"

"It should be." Muken said, "D19 hopes to be released by the end of next year."

"Is it too late?"

"It depends on the situation later." Muken said, "Normally it should be possible."

Hua Ruzhen asked: "What will Yan He shoot next?"

"Liu Bige's Dingfeng No. 1," Lu Yanhe replied.

Hua Ruzhen nodded.

"It seems like you've been basically staying in the crew this year?" Hua Ruzhen smiled.

Lu Yanhe nodded, "It feels like I'm constantly moving between different crews every year."

"It's always like this when you're young. You're basically pushed around by work," Hua Ruzhen said. "It's also good. Although it's tiring, it's all accumulation."

Chen Siqi: "I hope he can relax a little bit. He has been working at a high-intensity pace in recent years."

"Actually, it's much better this year. After filming a drama, I can take a break for a while and then join the crew to film another drama." Lu Yanhe said, "In the past two years, I didn't have any time to breathe. At that time, I had to record a lot of programs and attend some activities between filming. Now this part of work has been reduced by half, so it's okay."

Muken: "You have indeed filmed a lot of dramas. I feel like every few months I can see news that you are going to be in a drama, not just a movie, but also a lot of TV series."

"Before he filmed the sequel to The Mist, he had just finished filming the final season of a TV series." Chen Siqi said, "The Seventeenth Floor, Muken, have you seen this drama?"

"Oh, I've seen it." Muken nodded, "I like this drama, it's very interesting, and it's my favorite subject."

Hua Ruzhen said: "This drama seems to be quite popular in Europe and the United States, right?"

"That's because after Squidward became popular, the number of viewers of The 17th Floor increased because it is of the same genre," said Lu Yanhe. "In fact, The 17th Floor is mainly popular in Asia. In Europe and the United States, it is only well-known and has a large number of viewers."

Hua Ruzhen nodded.

"I've read the script you gave to Muken. It's really well written, beyond my expectations. How did you come up with such a story?" Hua Ruzhen asked in surprise, "You actually used black slavery as the background of your creation."

"When The Mist was released, I was inspired by the audience's reaction." Lu Yanhe was indeed reminded of this movie because of its rare "Asian revenge" marketing route. "And, if we really talk about social issues, this theme is definitely more mainstream in the United States."

"That's right." Hua Ruzhen nodded. "I even think that if this movie stirs up a bigger social discussion, it can become a hot topic during the awards season."

"That's what I imagined." Lu Yanhe said frankly.

Hua Ruzhen was a little surprised and asked, "Are you ready to compete for the Oscars?"

"In the next few years, I want to focus not only on the Oscars, but also on English films," said Lu Yanhe.

Hua Ruzhen asked: "What about you?"

"Myself?"

"Midoya has been sending out signals that you will compete for this year's Best Supporting Actor for your performance in 'Tropic Rain'."

Lu Yanhe said: "Since I won the Cité Internationale des Beaux-Arts (Schmidt) award for Best Actor, he thought I had a big advantage, but he also told me that whether I had a chance or not would depend on the feedback from critics after the film was released in North America."

Hua Ruzhen asked: "Will you invest in public relations this year?"

Lu Yanhe: "There is no such plan yet."

"The movie 'Tropical Rain Season' definitely didn't have this kind of funding," Hua Ruzhen said. "In fact, if I had been given the investment quota at the beginning, I would have invested in this movie."

"Don't mention you. They didn't give Yan He any investment." Chen Siqi explained with a smile, "Yan He just went there to help perform for a few days."

“Maybe no one thought at the time that this movie would achieve such success, right?”

"I really didn't expect it." Lu Yanhe said, "If someone had told me when I got the script that this movie would allow me to win the CIT Best Actor Award, I would definitely not have believed it."

Hua Ruzhen: "If you really want to participate in this awards season this year, I can help you organize a few cocktail parties."

Why does awards season often require public relations funding?
Where did all this PR money go? Was it used to bribe the judges who had the right to vote?
In fact, there is an expenditure in the public relations funds, which is exactly what Hua Ruzhen said.

Organize a cocktail party.

What is the purpose of organizing a cocktail party? Invite the media, film critics, influential people in the industry, etc. to promote the movie "Tropical Rain Season" and Lu Yanhe's performance.

This is very expensive. A cocktail party costs at least $100,000.

What Hua Ruzhen meant was that she could bear the expenses of several "public relations activities".

"Thank you, sister." Lu Yanhe thanked Hua Ruzhen.

Hua Ruzhen looked at Chen Siqi again.

"Haven't you always wanted to publish 'Jump Up' overseas? The documentary book about the International Film Critics Festival that you made last year actually received quite good responses in Europe and the United States. Maybe you can continue with it this year." Hua Ruzhen said, "You can also hold a book publishing conference here at that time."

Hua Ruzhen was actually providing some "public relations ideas" to Lu Yanhe and Chen Siqi.

Lu Yanhe and Chen Siqi understood and nodded.

"Oh, then 'Tropical Rain' must come to Berlin for its German premiere." Hua Ruzhen emphasized without hesitation, "In Germany, there are also many members of the Academy of Oscars."

Academy members are people who have voting rights.

Lu Yanhe said yes.

After dinner, Lu Yanhe and Mu Ken went to his study to watch some of his DVD collections.

Chen Siqi and Hua Ruzhen stood on the balcony, enjoying the breeze and chatting.

“Although I told Yan He before that I hope he can write a horror script for Muken that can bring him into the mainstream when he has the right opportunity, I didn’t expect that Yan He would be able to come up with the script for Get Out so quickly. His creative talent really amazes me.”

Hua Ruzhen held a wine glass in her hand, with her other hand resting on the balcony handrail. The light from inside the house shone on one side of her, making her look even more charming like a scene from a movie.

“Even in Hollywood, the most talented filmmakers in the world basically come here, and I have never seen a screenwriter with more creative passion than him.”

Chen Siqi nodded.

"He's very sensitive." She smiled. "Although he doesn't want to show that he's very sensitive most of the time, this may be the source of his creative passion. Perhaps, just because we were having dinner together tonight, a story popped up in his mind."

Hua Ruzhen shook her head.

"The brains of geniuses always make us feel incredible." She smiled, "But I have known him for such a long time, I am actually a little relieved today. I thought that when I talked to him directly about the public relations of the American awards season today, he would avoid this topic."

"He used to be very afraid of the secular world, but now he's getting better." Chen Siqi knew what Hua Ruzhen was talking about. "He's not afraid of the secular world. He just doesn't want to let many things be tied to a very utilitarian purpose, because that's not his original intention."

"However, there is no era where an artist's status is not achieved for utilitarian purposes." Hua Ruzhen said, "The artist himself does not have utilitarian purposes, but the act of the era conferring this status on him must be utilitarian."

"Yes, I agree."

"I'm very happy that he can accept this so quickly at his age," Hua Ruzhen said. "To be honest, he and I don't get along very well, but we have an unexpected affinity. Not long after we met, I felt that he needed my care and he was willing to care for me in return. It might be because it was his first time filming in a foreign country. We, two Chinese, suddenly felt like fellow countrymen."

Chen Siqi laughed.

"He is a very sincere person, and he hasn't changed at all until now," she said. "I even feel that his tolerance is too high a lot of the time. He is always willing to think about other people's helplessness and then forgive them. But, strangely, at the same time, he is a person with very high inner defenses. Very few people can really get into his heart, so I was quite surprised when I found that you, Sister Ruzhen, were respected and loved by him from the bottom of his heart, just in the time it took to shoot a movie."

Hua Ruzhen: "Maybe it's because he made me let down my guard and was willing to talk to him a few more times. After that, he gave me more sincere feedback, which made me willing to continue talking to him a few more times. Just like that, little by little, we had more and more to talk about."

In fact, to be honest, Chen Siqi also felt it was amazing. Chen Bige had worked with Lu Yanhe so many times. Logically, they should be more familiar and closer, but Chen Siqi felt that if Lu Yanhe encountered something one day and needed help, Hua Ruzhen would definitely be ahead of Chen Bige on the list in Lu Yanhe's mind. The compatibility between Chen Bige and Lu Yanhe was still as actors and in acting.

However, Lu Yanhe and Hua Ruzhen could really talk about more personal matters.

This is how Chen Siqi feels.

Hua Ruzhen said: "If Yan He really has a chance to win an Oscar this year, I will use all my strength to help him. I am just afraid that he will not take it seriously."

"He cares about it, but he tends to show that he doesn't care." Chen Siqi laughed, "He used to really want to win an award, but he always said that the award was not the most important thing. Now, he says that he is willing and wants to win an award, but in his heart he really doesn't put the award first."

Hua Ruzhen: "Well, what I mean is that, as an artist, he himself may not put utilitarian purposes first, but as a friend of his, when I can give him a push, I don't have too many thoughts, I just push him. In Europe and the United States, winning an Oscar and not winning an Oscar are two completely different things. If you win an Oscar, those people have to acknowledge you no matter how much they don't want to, because they have to maintain the reputation of the Oscar."

Chen Siqi nodded, understanding what Hua Ruzhen meant.

"I can roughly guess what Yan He wants to do, and I hope to help him." Hua Ruzhen smiled at Chen Siqi, "So, if there is anything you need me to know, please feel free to contact me. I don't count on him."

Chen Siqi also laughed.
-
Muken Sorge is a big fan of horror movies.

He loves taking pictures because he loved watching them when he was a child.

He has seen almost all the thriller and horror movies in the world.

Lu Yanhe looked at the DVDs in his study, including a large human-shaped skeleton in the room, and many decorative paintings and posters on the wall.

Ok.

Lu Yanhe thought, anyway, he doesn’t live here.

He actually isn't that fond of horror movies.

People who like this type of movie are essentially pursuing the thrill of that moment when their adrenaline rushes through their hearts, just like some people like roller coasters and bungee jumping machines.

However, Lu Yanhe himself could not get pleasure from this feeling.

Of course, Lu Yanhe has many of his favorite thriller and horror movies.

Actually, "Get Out" is not considered as such. He just watched this movie simply as a feature film. In comparison, he even preferred "No", another film directed by the same director.

Of all the films of this type he has seen, his favorite is actually Rear Window directed by Hitchcock.

But this does not involve horror or supernatural things.

Well, he admitted that he hadn't actually watched many horror or supernatural movies.
-
However, in fact, the production trend of horror and thriller movies in the entire film industry is gradually decreasing. It has been a long time since we have seen masterpieces such as "Orphan", "The Ship" and "The Chainsaw Massacre".

The last movie that created a worldwide craze was "Joker", which was adapted from Stephen King's original work.
-
Lu Yanhe listened to Mu Ken talking about his collection for more than an hour, and many horror movies that he had forgotten and seen popped up in his mind.

He asked Muken for a piece of paper and a pen, and wrote a name on it from time to time.

Mu Ken didn't know what he was doing at first. When asked, Lu Yanhe said, "While I was listening to you just now, ideas and inspirations popped up in my mind one after another. Maybe after I go back, I can organize them and write a script."

Mu Ken stared at Lu Yanhe in shock and disbelief, uttering "Fuck!" over and over again.

Hua Ruzhen knocked on the door and came in, asking, "Siqi and I baked some cookies together, do you want to come out and have some?"

Then, she saw her husband holding his head and shouting "Fuck!" as if he had collapsed.

Hua Ruzhen stood there and blinked.

Lu Yanhe didn't know what to say for a moment.

This scene looks as if Muken was provoked and bullied by him.

Hua Ruzhen said helplessly: "Honey, calm down."

Mu Ken suddenly pointed at Lu Yanhe, laughed in disbelief, and asked, "Do you know how perverted this guy is?"

Lu Yanhe was full of confusion: "???"

Mu Ken took the piece of paper from Lu Yanhe and gave it to Hua Ruzhen.

"As I told him about my collection, he came up with all kinds of stories."

Hua Ruzhen suddenly realized.

Muken: "How can there be such a perverted person? Really, I am filled with jealousy deep inside right now, it's burning me."

Lu Yanhe: "..."

Hua Ruzhen took his hand and said, "Okay, come out and eat some cookies and calm down. Yan He, you come out too."

Lu Yanhe followed him out, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
-
This was a very frustrating night for Muken.

He was always looking for good stories, almost every day, and then he would come up with all kinds of ideas and try to write them into scripts, but nine out of ten of them would fail.

However, in just one hour, Lu Yanhe wrote four or five names on the paper, the names of the scripts.

Not only that, when Mu Ken pointed to one of the names and asked Lu Yanhe what kind of story he was thinking of, Lu Yanhe could even tell him a complete story.

Muken couldn't calm down at all.

Hua Ruzhen said to Lu Yanhe helplessly: "You really irritated him."

Lu Yanhe: "What should we do then?"

"It's okay." Hua Ruzhen said, "Although he looks like he's about to collapse at any moment, his mental endurance is much stronger than it looks. In the next few days, he will be stimulated by you and start writing scripts like crazy."

Lu Yanhe: "...No way?"

"Haha, just watch." Hua Ruzhen said, "I'll take a video for you when the time comes."

At night, Lu Yanhe and Chen Siqi slept at their house.

The next day, after having breakfast, Lu Yanhe and Chen Siqi were about to catch the flight back home.

After a night, Muken seemed to have calmed down a bit, but he didn't look like he had had a good rest at all, and he had dark circles under his eyes.

Mu Ken punched Lu Yanhe on the shoulder.

"You made me sleep poorly all night."

Lu Yanhe: "...You can't say that."

Chen Siqi couldn't help laughing.

Hua Ruzhen curled the corner of his mouth and pulled Mu Ken to the back.

She said: "Your visit was too short this time, please come more often in the future."

Lu Yanhe nodded and said, "Wait for you to come to Yuming."

Hua Ruzhen nodded.

"Call back."

They hugged each other.

It was a clear morning, with no sunshine for the time being, and as crisp as a valley.

Zou Dong and Wang Biao had already packed their things and came over from the hotel.

The car they had booked was parked at the door, waiting for them.

"Then let's go." Lu Yanhe said.

"Bye." Hua Ruzhen smiled and nodded, "Have a nice trip, see you later."

Lu Yanhe and Chen Siqi got in the car together.

After the car started and drove forward for a distance, Lu Yanhe turned around and looked out the rear window. He saw Mu Ken and Hua Ruzhen hugging each other, turning around and returning to their house.

This scene was very common, but it made Lu Yanhe feel at ease.

He held Chen Siqi's hand.
-
Recommend a new book about Xianxia, ​​"The Sword of the Demon Hunter" (End of this chapter)