Extracting skills from movies

As soon as he finished speaking, the camera abruptly switched to the audience.

Du Sheng, Leonardo, and Nicholson stood neatly in line, smiles on their faces.

Her expression was as innocent as a girl next door.

As soon as the camera moved away, Leonardo immediately lowered his voice and asked:
"Aren't we being too eye-catching by trying to steal the spotlight?"

Du Sheng shrugged:

"What's so special about that? When you actually win an award, Jack will come on stage with that big black girl and start messing around. That'll be what you call stealing the spotlight."

Upon hearing this, Nicholson shook his head and sighed:

"I bet the grass on my grave is already two meters high, and Leo still hasn't touched the little golden statue."

Leonardo plopped down on his seat, looking utterly dejected.
"The day I actually win the award, I'll desecrate your graves."

Nicholson lectured him earnestly:
"Du Sheng, if you win an Oscar later, don't provoke him again."

Otherwise, if he went berserk and started running around like that, the scene would be too unbearable to watch.

In the midst of their laughter and conversation, the stage lights suddenly shifted.
The host walked onto the stage and began to announce the winner of the best foreign language film.

"The nominees include 'Glorious Years,' 'Floating Flowers on Still Water,' 'The Lives of Others,' 'Pan's Labyrinth,' and 'Taken'..."

The entire place was so quiet you could hear someone breathing.

The host paused, then smiled and read out the results:

"The winner is—Taken!"

"YES!"

Director Lin Chaoxian suddenly jumped up from his seat and excitedly called out to the entire crew:

"Come on up! Come on up! Not one can be missing!"

Du Sheng grinned at Nicholson and Leonardo, then followed the rest of the group onto the stage.

Standing on the podium, watching Leonardo look utterly dejected, I felt incredibly satisfied.

Although the production team spent millions on public relations and promotion in order to win the award, the money all came from the sponsors, so the award was well worth it!
Not only did they break even, they also gained significant international recognition.

Back in the banquet hall, the "Taken" crew seemed to be the center of attention at the party.

Bottle after bottle of champagne was opened, and laughter and clinking glasses filled the air.

Cheers! We did it!

Du Sheng raised his wine glass high and shouted loudly.

Cheers! My dream has come true!

The entire crew responded in unison, bringing the atmosphere to a fever pitch.

Nicholson, shameless as ever, wasn't going to be left out and leaned in with his wine glass:
"Let us give a special thank you to Leonardo."

Thank you for once again being a runner-up, allowing everyone to succeed!

The audience burst into laughter, and the cast and crew raised their glasses to "pay tribute" to Leonardo DiCaprio.

Leonardo could only smile wryly and force himself to down another glass.

At this moment, Scorsese also came over with a wine glass and took the initiative to clink glasses with Du Sheng:

"With your acting skills and the capital behind you, as long as you find the right script, winning an Oscar for Best Actor within 3 years is not a dream."

Du Sheng chuckled:
"Director, I must say, you have a really good eye for people!"

Leonardo immediately objected:
"What about me? Am I not a human being?"

Scorsese glanced at him and smiled faintly:
"Your three-hit combo: glaring, pursing lips, and shaking your head."

The audience has almost developed a conditioned reflex to it; it needs to be changed.

Du Sheng laughed and put his arm around Leonardo's shoulder:

"Don't rush, maybe in a few years, the audience will have almost forgotten about you."

Nicholson immediately picked up on the joke:

"You two are evenly matched, the Oscars are destined to be the comedic relief."

Du Sheng waved his hand:
"With several award-winning actors by your side, of course you have the right to talk so casually without any real experience."

He turned to Leonardo and said:
"On the day I win the Academy Award, I'll shove it right into Jack's mouth and let him taste the flavor of gold."

Leonardo answered immediately:

"Then I'll put mine in his grave, so he can climb out of his coffin!"

Scorsese watched these three clowns chatter away, their arguments getting increasingly outrageous, and finally couldn't help but shake his head:
"I must have been blind to hang out with you guys."

After saying that, he quickly grabbed his wine glass and slipped away, afraid of being photographed and pranked.

Elizabeth, with her sharp eyes, noticed that Du Sheng had just been teased by Nicholson and his gang, and whispered in his ear:
"Ignore them. I believe in you. In a few years, that Oscar will definitely be yours."

Her voice was soft, like a spring breeze brushing against my ear.

Du Sheng laughed and gently patted the back of her hand.
"Don't worry, I'll win Best Actor before Leonardo DiCaprio!"

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a rustling sound behind him.

Looking back, Harvey Weinstein was with his wife Georgina and the Affleck brothers.

Ben Affleck and Casey Affleck came together.

Georgina gently patted the back of Leonardo's chair, and only after he turned around did she greet everyone with a smile.

Harvey also came over, smiling broadly and extending his hand:

"I never expected to see you on the Oscar stage again so soon!"

These words sound like congratulations, but everyone can hear the underlying meaning.

This kid is rising too fast. His original plan to extract resources and connections from others has now been completely ruined.

After all, in terms of box office appeal, Weinstein's collection of arthouse films can't compete with global blockbusters like "Wanted" and the "Agent" series starring Du Sheng.

Du Sheng remained unmoved, shook hands, and smiled faintly:
"I was lucky to come across a good project."

Harvey then pointed to the two brothers beside him:
"This is Ben Affleck, who has now transitioned into directing and has won an Oscar for screenwriting."

And then there's his brother, Casey, a great actor.

If there are suitable projects in the future, we can consider collaborating.

After saying that, he turned around and went to talk to Sam Mendes, clearly wanting to make a connection.

But Ben Affleck doesn't seem to be buying it.

He and Matt Damon are best friends, but Matt lost several projects to Leonardo DiCaprio and Du Sheng.

So his words, though polite, were actually laced with barbs:
"My family is just a small business, and we only make low-budget films. We can't afford to hire international superstars."

Du Sheng didn't even lift his eyelids, and replied directly:
"If the project is suitable and the pay is right, a collaboration is not out of the question."

"Some people really think they're international superstars."

Upon hearing this, Casey Affleck was somewhat displeased:

"Back when Ben was getting superstar paychecks, some people were still playing bit parts on some film set!"

Du Sheng then raised his eyes and slowly glanced at Cassie:
"It seems you have some misunderstanding about your brother's 'superstar' career. He did play minor roles."

Leonardo, who was trying to suppress a laugh, quickly added fuel to the fire when he saw things were about to get heated:
"A supporting actor who becomes a superstar? Looks like none of us are qualified."

Even Nicholson, who loves to stir up trouble, couldn't sit still.

He especially enjoyed watching others fail, looking around with a puzzled expression:

"Has Ben Affleck been reduced to playing minor roles now?"

These words instantly created an awkward atmosphere.

Ben quickly smoothed things over:
"Just kidding, don't get me wrong..."

Du Sheng was too lazy to argue any further, and only glanced at Cassie indifferently, saying calmly:
"We don't have much interaction, so don't go looking for trouble."

Cassie's face turned ashen, and he gritted his teeth, remaining silent. Harvey, seeing the tension rising, quickly ended his conversation with Sam and turned to smooth things over:
"We're all in the same industry, and it's rare for us to get together tonight, so let's not fuss over these little things."

His wife, Georgina, sat to the side, glancing indifferently at the group, shaking her head inwardly.

After getting married, she gradually learned about the shady things Harvey's gang had done.

Using power to oppress others and distorting the rules are commonplace.

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck owe their success to some dirty tricks.

Her own brand needs celebrity resources, so she has no choice but to put up with it.

But Du Sheng doesn't need to rely on the Weinstein brothers' resources at all.

Not to mention his friends like Leonardo DiCaprio and director Martin Scorsese, and with the Hearst family and Miracle Pictures backing him up, does Harvey still want to use the same old tricks to intimidate people?
There are no doors.

Harvey sighed inwardly as he watched Du Sheng and the others leave.

He had been trying to outmaneuver the other party and also to vent his anger for his two younger brothers, but this opponent was really difficult to deal with.

Casey Affleck muttered:
"They didn't take us seriously at all."

Ben was silent for a moment, then said:
"We've really had a rough time lately. We have fewer projects, the hype has died down, and we're almost 'outdated'."

Cassie turned to Ben and said:

"Don't be discouraged. When your film 'Gone Baby' came out, how many people praised you as a rising star in the directing world?"

As long as we find a good proposal and build a reliable project, a turnaround is only a matter of time.

Ben nodded, fully understanding.

His career as an actor has long since come to an end.

With a narrow range of roles and limited resources, he can only play roles like alcoholics or unlucky guys, and no matter how hard he tries, he can't break out of the mainstream.

Having no other choice, I gritted my teeth and switched careers to become a director.

Fortunately, fate was on their side; their first film was a huge success, earning both critical acclaim and box office revenue, finally giving them a much-needed breather.

Cassie glanced furtively at Harvey, and seeing him talking to someone, quickly lowered her voice:
"Tell me, how much dirty and hard work have Brad Pitt and Matt Damon done for Harvey over the years?"
We are his trusted confidants, surely he should at least lend us a hand?

"Give them a hand, provide them with a big project, and they'll have everything they need!"

Ben sighed and glanced at Du Sheng and Leonardo.

He understood Cassie's unspoken message and spoke seriously:

"Don't do anything reckless."

Those people are not to be trifled with.

We have no conflict of interest with them, and it's not worth getting into trouble for a few resources!

Although Cassie knew it was the truth, she still felt a little resentful.

Hollywood is their territory. When did they stop daring to utter a sound when a Chinese person rides on their head?
Elizabeth noticed the atmosphere and quietly asked Du Sheng:
"Do you have some kind of grudge against those people behind you?"

Du Sheng smiled and said softly:
"It's not some deep-seated hatred, just a few clashes with Harvey's gang before."

He briefly explained to Elizabeth the complex relationship between Brad Pitt, Matt, and Harvey.

Elizabeth blinked her big eyes and said in a soft voice:
"I can't help with these things, but tonight..."

I can help you relax; I guarantee it'll be more effective than face wash.

Du Sheng was somewhat tempted upon hearing this and said:
"Go home early tonight!"

Before he could finish speaking, Leonardo reached out and tugged at his sleeve, whispering:
"Judging from Harvey's posture, it looked like he was about to cause trouble."

I guess they wanted to vent Brad Pitt's anger and establish their authority by taking it out on us.

Nicholson, with his sharp ears, immediately leaned closer:
"Should we teach them a lesson?"

That old guy loves excitement; he can't stand it if he doesn't stir things up every day.

Du Sheng smiled and shook his head, saying:

"It's not the right time yet, let's wait until later."

It won't be long before Harvey's dirty deeds are exposed.

They can just grab a knife along the way; there's no need for them to be the first to charge.

Nicholson stroked his chin, seemingly lost in thought:
"That Cassie looks listless, but he's actually quite cunning."

And Harvey, he's a two-faced scoundrel; you two need to be careful.

The awards ceremony is over, but the real party is just beginning.

Almost everyone rushed to Beverly Hills to attend the Vanity Fair Oscar after-party.

The event was packed with big names, including agent Haders, making it even more lively than the ceremony itself.

"cheers!"

Cheers erupted one after another.

Leonardo pulled Du Sheng and Nicholson up:

"Let's go! To our 'Bloody' celebration area!"

Over there, the glamorous blonde leading lady Jennifer Connelly was already waiting for them with champagne in hand.

Upon seeing Du Sheng approach, he smiled broadly.
Completely disregarding Elizabeth's presence, she immediately put her arm around Du Sheng's shoulder and teased:

"I've never touched an Oscar statue before, can I borrow it to have some fun?"

Du Sheng smiled and had Haders hand over the trophy:
"With your talent, winning Best Actress is only a matter of time. There's no need to envy others."

He turned and greeted everyone:
"Come on, everyone, take a picture with the future Oscar-winning actress!"

Photographers immediately swarmed around, their flashes going off rapidly.

Jennifer Connelly exuded confidence, with one arm around Du Sheng and the other on Leonardo DiCaprio's shoulder, her golden statuette draped at her waist. She radiated charisma and looked incredibly cool.

After the photos were taken, Georgina walked over with a glass of champagne, followed closely by Harvey.

Georgina chatted warmly with Jennifer, while Harvey walked straight up to Du Sheng with a beaming smile.

"Du, shall we find a quiet place to talk for a bit?"

Du Sheng was not intimidated:
"We've known each other for a long time, so just say what you want to say."

Harvey got straight to the point:
"I'm currently preparing a big project related to the hottest game right now, 'World of Warcraft'."

This film has a huge budget and high risks, so I need a male lead who can carry the box office and has international influence.

He stared at Du Sheng, his tone becoming more forceful:
"The character is a tough guy who leads his team deep behind enemy lines to fight against bloodthirsty monsters that have descended to Earth from another world. The scenes are grand and the action sequences are explosive..."

Upon hearing this, Du Sheng immediately understood.

Warcraft Battlegrounds.

He's played a lot of these related games and knows them inside and out.

Although working with Harvey was unpleasant, the project itself was indeed worthwhile.

He remained calm and casually asked:
"A sci-fi action movie?"

Harvey nodded, his tone resolute:

"That's right, this film also has a touch of thriller. The male lead has a significant role, and the character is well-developed."

"If you played this role, you'd definitely have a chance at winning Best Actor!"

Du Sheng didn't reply, but glanced at Hades, who was not far away, and gave him a look.

Haders immediately understood.
He came over with a wine glass in hand, joking with Harvey:
"Harvey, that's not fair of you!"

My agent was standing right next to me, and you poached him without even giving me a heads-up?

Two years ago, Xavi would have already given Hudders a hard time, and might have even had someone "invite" Hudders out.

But now?
With Du Sheng and Miracle Pictures behind him, and the Hearst family backing him up, and CAA and Sony protecting him, how could he act so arrogantly?

…(End of this chapter)