Entering the Chinese entertainment industry is like entering a deep sea

Chapter 842: A Version of "The Way of Attack and Defense" from "The Raging Storm"

In the bedroom on the second floor of a villa in the central villa district of Beijing, Liu Yifei, who had been unable to stay awake any longer, had fallen asleep.

When the name 'Li Chen' was heard on the television screen, she unexpectedly woke up like Sleeping Beauty.

Liu Yifei quickly rubbed her eyes and saw a familiar figure slowly walk onto the stage on the screen. The figure then took the heavy Palme d'Or trophy from Jane Fonda and casually weighed it in her hand.

Liu Yifei's smile gradually blossomed, and finally she clenched her fists and said "yes" three times!

Then, with eyes full of anticipation, he watched TV, and his drowsiness vanished without a trace.

Then, the man he loved most gave a signature, slightly sly smile into the microphone.

"Wow. This feels much heavier than the one from eleven years ago."

A burst of good-natured laughter immediately came from the audience.

"It seems that the Cannes trophies are also experiencing inflation, or perhaps I'm just getting old and not as strong as I used to be."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yifei chuckled and gave her husband on the television screen a charming glare!
"Thank you to the jury. It was very bold of you to give this award to a film called 'Parasite'."

"I hope there won't be any newspapers tomorrow saying 'The Cannes Film Festival's top prize was awarded to Parasite'!"

This time, the audience erupted in even louder laughter and applause.

Li Chen paused for a moment, then looked tenderly at the camera.

"I want to especially thank my wife, Liu Yifei!"

“When I told her that I was going to South Korea to film a movie called Parasite, she was silent for a long time.”

"Then they asked me very seriously: Is our family facing any financial difficulties? If needed, I can take on a few more roles."

The audience burst into laughter again.

Although it was already 3 a.m., the chat rooms on Sina and Youku were completely in an uproar.

Meanwhile, Liu Yifei, the person involved, was laughing so hard on the bed that she almost fell over, and helplessly covered her face.

She knew that her husband never played by the rules.

She did ask that question, but it was a joke; no one knew her husband's wealth better than she did.

To put it bluntly, even if Zhao Gongming himself descended to earth, he would still have to do some calculations to determine who was richer between him and her husband.

"Ugh! All you do is act!" Liu Yifei scolded at the TV screen.

"Thank you, my dear, thank you for not eliminating me like a real 'parasite,' but instead nurturing my creative work with love."

"You are my inspiration and my goddess, helping me balance art and reality in the most difficult film to shoot."

The audience erupted in another round of warm applause.

Li Meijing, sitting in the audience, maintained her smile. She glanced back and suddenly had a feeling that these black and white people were only interested in Li Chen on stage, not the Korean movie.

Li Chen's tone became deep and sincere again: "Back to this movie. Parasite doesn't sound very honorable."

"But in my view, it tells a story of 'wisdom of survival,' the tenacity to survive in the cracks."

"At some point in our lives, each of us may have played the role of a 'parasite' to some extent, depending on others while also yearning for sunshine."

"Films are not for criticism, but for understanding. To understand the hardships 'underground' and to see the loneliness 'above ground'."

"I hope that everyone who watches this movie will have more understanding and compassion for everyone around them, no matter what position they are in."

The audience erupted in applause, and the comments on Youku's live stream were all saying: "Well said! Show more magnanimity and compassion!"

Finally, Li Chen raised the trophy high and said humorously, "Thank you again! I will take this heavier Palme d'Or home."

"And I assured my wife that, at least for the rest of this year, I will not make any more movies with such 'frightening' titles!"

The entire audience burst into laughter, and enthusiastic applause rang out again.

Liu Yifei pouted as she watched TV: "Ugh! Can't a person get any sleep? All they do is get sentimental!"

At that moment, Han Sanping also received a call from his secretary.

He left a message for his secretary before going to bed: call him if he gets the Palme d'Or, otherwise don't call.

So around 3 a.m., I suddenly heard the phone ringing.

Han Sanping knew that Li Chen had broken another record.

Now things are really messed up. Liu Yifei, who is not even thirty, can't sleep, and Han Sanping, an old man in his sixties, can't sleep at all.

Unable to reach Li Chen by phone, Han Sanping then called Yang Siwei.

Yang Siwei was naturally not asleep at this time. As the CEO of Youku, she was also concerned about who would win the Palme d'Or.

In fact, Yang Siwei already knew the result when the name of "Parasite" did not appear in the penultimate award.

"Director Han, you're still up so late." Yang Siwei answered the phone with a smile.

"Your boss is good, he didn't disappoint me. Please tell him that on behalf of the bureau and myself, I congratulate him on winning the Palme d'Or again." Han Sanping didn't answer Yang Siwei's question, but directly stated the central idea of ​​the phone call.

"Received. I will definitely pass on Director Han's message."

"Hmm! You won the Palme d'Or in the middle of the night. Your boss is really a handful!" Han Sanping said with a laugh.

Yang Siwei laughed too: "Who says otherwise? Director Han, you're disturbing my sleep!"

"Hahaha," Han Sanping finally burst into laughter.

-

China Film Report
"On May 22, 2016, the 69th Cannes International Film Festival came to a close amidst gasps and exclamations of admiration."

"Chinese director Li Chen won the Palme d'Or again after eleven years with his Korean film 'Parasite,' becoming the first Asian director in Cannes history to win two Palme d'Ors."

"He is now another member of the 'double Palme d'Or club', following in the footsteps of Michael Haneke and Emir Kusturica. This ten-day cinematic extravaganza has finally ended in a victory for the East."

The hashtag #DoublePalmGold# is trending on Weibo.

Many celebrities seem to be night owls, waiting to send their blessings on Weibo as soon as Li Chen won the award.

Of course, it's also possible that they instructed their assistant to keep watch beforehand and immediately post a congratulatory message on Weibo as soon as they won the award.

During the Cannes awards ceremony dinner, Li Meijing was frequently interviewed, and finally found a moment to talk to Li Chen.

"Director Li, the Oscars are next!"

"I'm not going to the Oscars!"

"Why is that?" Li Meijing feigned surprise, but was secretly delighted.

Li Chen's walkout protest caused the Oscars to lose face. If he hadn't gone, "Parasite" might still have had a chance to win an award. If he had gone, it would have been no different from forfeiting the award.

Moreover, Li Meijing didn't want Li Chen to steal the spotlight from the Koreans again, just like he did at tonight's Cannes awards ceremony.

Although it was a Korean-language film that won the award, the focus wasn't on her as the producer, but on the Chinese director.

Li Meijing had unspeakable suffering in her heart.

“Mr. Li, it would be better for Parasite if I didn’t go. Besides, Mr. Li has been dealing with Hollywood for many years and is already very good at public relations. I wouldn’t be of much help if I went.”

"It's such a pity that Director Li isn't going!" Li Meijing didn't insist anymore; she was hoping Li Chen wouldn't go.

Li Chen chuckled and was about to speak when a voice came from behind him: "Director Li."

Li Meijing turned her head and saw that it was Gongli and Nini. She nodded politely to them and said, "Director Li, please excuse me for a moment. You are busy."

Li Chen nodded slightly, holding his wine glass as he looked at the two actresses who had worked with director Zhang Yimou.

Gong Li has completely let go of her pride now. Last night, Zhang Yimou even called her, asking her to give Gong Li a suitable role for his sake.

Even Li Chen couldn't tell that Zhang Yimou was also a person who was sentimental about his children.

Gong Li's current status is quite awkward. She has acquired a new citizenship, but still identifies herself as a Chinese actress in public.

This has created an awkward situation where foreign media still consider her a Chinese actress, while some mainland audiences find it difficult to agree.

The fact that Rong Chen had never used her had raised many questions about her.

"Director Li, your acceptance speech today was fantastic!" Unlike Gong Li, Nini didn't stand there craning her neck; instead, she looked at Li Chen with the adoration of a devoted fan.

"Thank you." Li Chen and Nini smiled, then looked at Gong Li.

"Director Li, we Chinese have reached the limit of our service with you." Gong Li's words were not as direct as Nini's, but she was still praising Li Chen.

"You flatter me," Li Chen said indifferently.

Gongli thought to herself, "Could it be that he still doesn't want to talk to me? Does he not even give me face?"

"Director Li, my biggest regret is not being able to work with you. I wonder if this will be a regret for the rest of my life," Gong Li said again.

Nini clicked her tongue inwardly in amazement. This was the first time she had ever seen Gongli act so humbly and submissively in such a direct invitation to play a role.

"That might be a regret for the rest of your life. I am indeed going to film a movie next, and there is a role that is quite suitable for you."

Gongli was confused by Li Chen's words, and Nini didn't understand either.

Li Chen then asked, "Are you acting in TV dramas?"

Gongli froze, and Nini was even more stunned. Everyone knew that Gongli had an artistic agreement with her teacher, and for Director Li to bring this up was clearly a deliberate attempt to humiliate Gongli!
Nini glanced at Gongli with some concern, afraid that Gongli would storm off in anger.

Gong Li's expression changed several times, and she even chuckled: "Zhang Ziyi disappointed Yimou, it seems I'm going to disappoint Yimou too."

Nini was completely stunned, her eyes wide open, wondering what was going on.

Li Chen was also quite surprised. His original intention was to make Gong Li back down, but he didn't expect Gong Li to give him a difficult problem.

“I heard from Director Zhang that he made an agreement with you years ago and advised Zhang Ziyi to focus on the big screen.” Li Chen glanced at Nini again as he spoke.

Nini immediately lowered her head guiltily, thinking to herself, "Does Director Li know that I accepted the role in 'The Rise of Phoenixes'?"

"If the teacher knew, he'd probably be so angry he'd vomit blood. With Zhang Ziyi and me combined, it seems like Gong Li is also going to betray her teacher and ancestors!"

Gong Li smirked: "A tree dies when transplanted, but a person thrives! If it were someone else asking me for help, I wouldn't waste a single word, but since I'm asking Director Li for a favor, it's no big deal!" "Besides, if a double Palme d'Or winner like Director Li can lower himself to direct a TV series, what's there for me, a Venice Film Festival Best Actress winner, to be ashamed of? Besides, I really like the Venice Film Festival Best Actress winner's 'Ode to Joy'!"

Li Chen smiled broadly and took the initiative to shake hands with Gong Li, saying, "It's a pleasure to cooperate with you."

"Happy cooperation!"

Soon, photos of the two shaking hands and taking a group photo became a trending topic.

Those in the industry were completely baffled; this was the first time in Li Chen's thirteen-year career that he had taken a photo with Gong Li.

The next morning, Zhang Yimou called first.

"Li Chen, what exactly are you thinking by casting Gong Li in a TV series?" Zhang Yimou's tone was both helpless and puzzled.

"Director Zhang, aren't you overreacting? Tell me, which of your apprentices hasn't acted in a TV series? Is Gong Li a cut above the rest? And you, can you guarantee you'll never act in a TV series in your life?"

"People, always, always leave yourself a way out, don't block your own path!"

Zhang Yimou's Adam's apple bobbed slightly; Li Chen's words had sent a chill down his spine.

He seemed to have forgotten that Li Chen was his boss.

"Li Lichen, that's not what I meant. Sigh. Never mind, never mind. Since it's her own choice, I can't say anything more."

"By the way, I haven't heard that you're going to film a TV series. Is it a sequel to 'Ode to Joy'?"

Li Chen laughed and said, "I didn't direct 'Ode to Joy,' so why would I make a sequel?"

You'll see in a while!

After hanging up with Zhang Yimou, Liu Yifei called back.

"Gong Li is going to act in a TV series?" Liu Yifei was no less surprised than Zhang Yimou.

"She and Zhang Yimou worked together to persuade me to give them a role."

"So you just gave him a role in a TV series?" Liu Yifei was speechless at her husband's behavior.

"Why not?"

"Let me guess which character it is. Could it be the sister-in-law from that 'Storm' book you keep in your study?"

"Haha, I knew my husband and I were perfectly in sync!"

Liu Yifei slapped her forehead twice: "That's a supporting role for Gong Li? Aren't you afraid she'll turn against you?!"

“I don’t care if Zhang Yimou and I fall out, but I care about Gong Li. Besides, how do you know a supporting role can’t be outstanding?”

"I also told you that every supporting actor in this show, if you take a single role, is no less famous than Gong Li!"

"Isn't Ma Yun making a mediocre 'Gong Shou Dao'? Well then I'll set an example for him and make a 'Kuang Biao'!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Yifei immediately realized what was going on: "Who else did you invite?"

"I won't tell you!" Li Chen laughed.

"Are you going to tell me or not! If you're not going to tell me, don't come back!" Liu Yifei said urgently.

Li Chen was afraid that she would have a miscarriage, so he quickly softened his tone: "Alright, alright, I'll tell you a few things that have already been finalized."

"Gao Qisheng invited Wu Yanzu, An Xin played Tony Leung, and Li Xiang played Wah Gor."

Liu Yifei's mouth gaped open; she could hardly believe that the two heroes from "Infernal Affairs" had reappeared on the small screen after so many years.

She remembered the last time was probably with "The Deer and the Cauldron".
"You're really something! I doubt anyone else could get these people to agree to act in a TV series except you!"

Liu Yifei's idea was exactly the same as Yang Siwei's idea.

When Yang Siwei saw the photo of the big boss and Gong Li, he was completely confused.

When Yang Siwei learned that the big boss had cast Gong Li as Chen Shuting in "The Storm," he had nothing to say.

This film, "Raging Waves," is a large-scale production jointly launched by Youku, Rongchen Pictures, CCTV, and other departments, with a budget of 400 million yuan.

The main characters have been basically confirmed, but several supporting roles are still pending. Unexpectedly, the big boss cast Gong Li in a supporting role.

Yang Siwei has no choice but to accept it.

The following day, Li Chen set off to return to China, and Gong Li also boarded Li Chen's private plane to return home together.

After settling in the capital, the group went their separate ways.

When Yang Siwei got home that evening, he added Gong Li to a WeChat group called the "Raging Storm" Art Task Force.

Gong Li immediately lost her composure.

The moment the group chat interface popped up, before I could even see the members, a series of system notifications burst out:

Huang Bo invited Andy Lau to join the group chat, and Yang Siwei invited Gong Li to join the group chat.

Immediately afterwards, the group fell into an eerie silence, as if everyone on the other side of the screen was stunned, digesting the sudden appearance of these two heavyweight names.

Then, a wave of welcome messages instantly flooded the screen.

Huang Bo posted a meme of eyes popping out of their sockets: "My God! Am I seeing things? @Andy Lau! And @Gong Li Gong?!"

Wang Qianyuan sent a standard fist-and-palm salute emoji: "Welcome Brother Hua, welcome Sister Gongli."

Chen Daoming: Welcome to the party too!

Looking at the rows of resounding names, Gongli realized that Li Chen's ambitions were far greater than she had imagined.

This brings together almost the entire Chinese film industry.

Gongli was about to reply politely when her gaze was suddenly fixed on an extremely familiar yet utterly inappropriate avatar in the group member list.

It was a profile view of someone wearing sunglasses, grinning, against a backdrop of vast wilderness, exuding arrogance and a touch of roguishness.

"Jiang Wen?!" Gong Li almost thought she was seeing things.

Jiang Wen is notoriously "anti-modern communication." For him, WeChat is practically just a payment tool, and he rarely posts more than two updates on his Moments in a year.

Not to mention joining a project group of ten or so people.

His presence here is a hundred times more unbelievable than the fact that Gong Li was dragged in.

Gongli left the WeChat group chat almost without hesitation, found Jiang Wen's name in her contacts, and made a WeChat video call.

The phone rang for a long time, and just when Gongli thought no one would answer, the screen suddenly lit up.

The screen showed Jiang Wen's signature face, against a background that looked like a study with dim lighting.

Jiang Wen's face showed a mixture of helplessness and amusement.

“Hey! Comrade Gongli!” Jiang Wen spoke first, his tone still carrying that familiar, somewhat reckless air.

But upon closer listening, one can detect a hint of embarrassment.

"What? The frontline scouts got here so quickly?"

Gong Li didn't beat around the bush with Jiang Wen; she went straight to the point with a playful smile on her lips.

"Jiang Wen, what's going on with you? How did I end up in the film crew of 'Raging Storm' the moment I opened my eyes, and I even spotted you right away? When did you, this great Buddha, descend to earth to film a TV series?"

On the other end of the video call, Jiang Wen scratched his buzz cut and sighed heavily, his expression as if he had swallowed a whole unpeeled orange, incredibly sour.

"Ugh! Don't even mention it! I'm done for! This time I'm really done for!"

Jiang Wen smacked his lips: "It's all because I owed Li Chen a favor back then! Who would have thought this kid was waiting for me here!"

Gongli listened incredulously: "You got won over with just a 'favor'? That's not like you."

Jiang Wen's expression became even more constipated.

"The problem is, I'm really short on money lately! Seriously short!"

"You're short of money?" Gong Li gave her a look that said, 'Are you kidding me?'

Jiang Wen, looking heartbroken and as if "everyone has misunderstood me," said, "Do you think I'm still like I was when I filmed 'In the Heat of the Sun,' where I only have myself to worry about?"

"Now I have a whole family and a team waiting to start work. Several projects are starving and ready to burn money. Otherwise, do you think I went to Hollywood last year to film that... what's it called again? Right, Rogue One!"

"He played that Governor Tarkin who didn't have many lines—oh wait, I think he was a rebel fighter? I can't remember exactly, but it was a minor role. Why? Because they paid him way too much money!"

Jiang Wen spoke vividly, his tone filled with the bitterness and self-deprecation of "bowing down for five pecks of rice": "So this time, that kid Li Chen is using both favors and money as bait, a two-pronged approach!"

"I'm completely out of options, my defenses have completely collapsed. I had no choice but to sign a contract to sell myself into this role. What was it called again? Right, Fishmonger Qiang, Gao Qiqiang!"

At this point, Jiang Wen himself laughed in exasperation: "I, Old Jiang, have roamed the underworld for decades, and in the end, I've 'fallen' to the point of playing a gangster boss who started out as a fishmonger!"

"If my old buddies knew this, they'd laugh their heads off!"

Gongli was laughing so hard she was doubled over, and tears were almost streaming down her face.

She could imagine Jiang Wen's frustrated and helpless expression when he was 'kidnapped'.

"Alright, alright, stop complaining." Gongli stopped laughing.

"I haven't read the script yet, but to have managed to get you here, you must be quite something. Do we have many scenes together?"

"Too much! How could it not be much!" Jiang Wen's eyes widened. "We're husband and wife! You tell me, isn't that a lot?"

Now it was Gongli's turn to be stunned.

At the two ends of the video, the two masters, who had collaborated again after many years, looked helpless and bitter, while the other looked surprised and bewildered. They both fell silent for a moment.

Suddenly, almost simultaneously, the two burst into laughter at the screen.

In that laughter, there was a sense of wonder at the passage of time, anticipation for this unexpected collaboration, and perhaps, a touch of long-lost excitement at the prospect of "going wild" on set again.

After all, it had been 29 years since Jiu'er and Yu Zhan'ao last met.

(End of this chapter)