Entering the Chinese entertainment industry is like entering a deep sea

Chapter 843 A bad year
Seeing her triumphant husband return at the door, Liu Yifei finally felt relieved.

She always looks like this, like a waiting stone eagerly anticipating her husband's return.

"Didn't I tell you not to come out and wait for me? Is the home's temperature control system broken?" Li Chen stepped forward and hugged his wife, who was wearing a loose dress, and laughed.

"You ungrateful wretch! I came out to wait for you, and you're the one who made a mistake!"

Li Chen laughed heartily and didn't argue with his wife.

The following day, Li Chen arranged to meet Han Sanping.

Han Sanping was of course aware that the script for "Raging Storm" had long been endorsed and registered by the relevant departments.

He never expected that Li Chen would actually play a "Raging Storm" version of "The Founding of a Republic"!
What I didn't expect was that this kid wanted to pull him into the game!

At the foot of West Mountain, in a discreet teahouse, the sound of boiling water gurgled and the aroma of tea filled the air.

Li Chen skillfully scalded the cup, rinsed the tea, and brewed it, filling the white porcelain cup opposite him to about seven-tenths full. Sitting opposite him was none other than Zuo Shandiao, the undisputed number one figure in the Chinese film industry.

Han Sanping picked up his teacup, took a sip, and looked through the rising steam at the young man he had known for over a decade: "Your Longjing tea is quite good. Why are you being so attentive? Tell me, what kind of dirty trick are you up to now?"

Li Chen laughed heartily, showing no sign of unease, and took out a document, placing it in front of Han Sanping.

"Director Han, please take a look at this first."

Han Sanping had no idea what trick Li Chen was up to. When he opened it, he found that it wasn't a script, but just a single page.

Above is a brief biography of a character and a few key lines of dialogue.

Character name: Old Huang.

Han Sanping read quickly. A few minutes later, he put down the paper, pointed to the words "Old Huang" with his finger, a knowing smile flashing in his eyes, and looked up at Li Chen.

"A behind-the-scenes godfather? A sage to those involved? Not much screen time, but quite a weighty one. What, is your 'divine scheme' in 'The Storm' missing a true god to oversee it? Can't get one, so you want me to? Tell me, who is it!"

"Nothing can be hidden from you." Li Chen smiled as he refilled Han Sanping's teacup, but his words almost made Han Sanping spit out his tea.

"When gods fight, mortals watch the spectacle. But there always needs to be someone to set the rules and judge who's superior for the show to be complete!"

"This position is rightfully yours."

"Cough cough. What?" Han Sanping choked on his tea.

“I said, Mr. Huang, you are the only one who can be chosen! This is the only one who fits the lineup of ‘Raging Storm’. The ultimate boss should have a status that matches the ultimate boss.”

Han Sanping was both amused and exasperated, secretly thinking to himself that this kid really dared to think that way!

"Why would I, an old man nearing retirement, get involved in your TV drama? Jiang Wen, Gong Li, Dao Ming—aren't they enough for you to mess with?"

Li Chen paused before saying, "They are the players, and you are the one holding the pieces. Without you, the game will never be complete."

Han Sanping remained silent for a moment. The private room was quiet except for the faint hum of boiling water.

After a long pause, Han Sanping suddenly laughed: "Back when I was making 'The Founding of a Republic,' I made phone calls one by one, relying on everyone's respect and affection for that period of history."

"You've put on quite a show today. How did you manage to get so many people involved?"

Li Chen laughed and said, "Can't I rely on Jia Nu? You know she's also involved in the screenwriting of 'Raging Storm.' She's now part of Rong Chen's faction."

The atmosphere changed instantly after those words were spoken.

Han Sanping pointed at Li Chen, both amused and exasperated: "You little rascal, you were just waiting for me here! You dragged my daughter into Rongchen all along, just to put me in this predicament today, weren't you?"

Li Chen shook his head and smiled: "Look at what you're saying. By the time this show airs, you'll probably have to step down from the front line. Just consider it as supporting your daughter, what's the big deal?"

"What, you can play a cameo role for Lu Chuan a few times, but you can't play a cameo role for me even once?"

Han Sanping was rendered speechless by Li Chen's words.

In his heart, he thought, "This kid is no different from my son. It wouldn't be a problem for him to stand up for his children. Besides, he's really good to my girl."

Li Chen waited quietly for Han Sanping's reply.

Han Sanping let out a long sigh, as if he had made a major decision.

"Alright, stop playing games with me. I'll come see how big your game really is on the day the film starts."

Li Chen smiled and refilled Han Sanping's teacup: "Welcome, leader, to inspect our work."

"Hahaha," the old man and the young man looked at each other and laughed.

Han Sanping glared at Li Chen with annoyance.

When he got home, he took out all his anger on his daughter.

"You brat, you've gotten your old man, a bureau chief, into being kidnapped by that bastard Li Chen!"

Han Jianu was baffled: "Grandpa, are you alright? What did Director Li do to you again? If you're upset, I have some Huoxiang Zhengqi pills here!"

Han Sanping took off his coat, sat on the sofa with an air of authority, and glared at his daughter.

"Do you know who this kid cast to play 'Old Huang'?"

Han Jianu curled up in a corner of the sofa, eating potato chips and shaking her head: "How would I know? What does it have to do with me which big shot they found this time!"

Han Sanping was genuinely angry and laughed: "Yeah, which big shot they found this time, what does it have to do with you! Today we're severing our father-daughter relationship!"

Han Jia Nu was taken aback, then turned around and saw her father angrily enter the study.

Han Jianu picked up the phone and called Liu Yifei.

As it turned out, Liu Yifei didn't know what had happened either, only saying that she would ask Li Chen that night and then tell her.

Han Jianu hung up Liu Yifei's call, shaking her head and muttering to herself, "Menopause is going to last way too long."

The night was as dark as ink, and the tree-lined avenues of the Central Villa District were silent.

The black Bentley Mulsanne slowly glided into the villa's driveway. The automatic doors opened and closed silently, completely isolating the car from the outside world.

Only a few ambient lights were left on in the living room. Liu Yifei's belly was round, her legs were bent on the sofa, and she was covered with a soft cashmere blanket.

Hearing the noise in the porch, she turned around and saw her husband enter the house.

"You're back? There's some porridge keeping warm in the kitchen, would you like some?"

Li Chen took off his suit jacket, casually draped it over the back of the sofa, and loosened his tie.

He sat down next to his wife, shook his head, and smiled.

"We finalized the last piece of the puzzle today."

Li Chen's seemingly random statement left Liu Yifei completely bewildered.

"What puzzle?" Liu Yifei sat up slightly.

"The cast of 'Raging Storm' includes Director Han, who is the final piece of the puzzle."

Liu Yifei was stunned for a moment, and finally understood why her best friend had said that Director Han would be irritable.

Liu Yifei asked incredulously, "You tricked Director Han into coming here too?"

"What do you mean by 'tricked'?"

Liu Yifei quickly covered her mouth and chuckled, "Slip of the tongue, slip of the tongue! They've arrived! They've arrived, okay?"

"That's more like it. It's just one scene, so it's only right that he makes a cameo appearance. Otherwise, why would the screenwriter credits include Jia Nu?" Li Chen's lips finally couldn't help but curl upwards.

Liu Yifei suddenly realized, "No wonder Director Han just lost his temper with Jia Nu when he got back."

Li Chen chuckled and said, "Oh? Is that so? But I didn't see Director Han get angry just now."

Liu Yifei was both amused and exasperated; the scheme her husband had orchestrated was simply unbelievable.

Just as her husband said that day, any minor supporting role she picks out is no less famous than Gong Li.

It's not just any minor supporting role, Grandma Huang is perfect for it!

Seemingly digesting this massive amount of information, Liu Yifei gently shook her head, her voice somewhat distant: "I still feel a bit unreal. Brother Chen, you've brought the entire history of Chinese-language cinema to the table."

"How could they all have been tricked and invited by you?" Liu Yifei quickly changed her tune.

Seeing her husband glare at her, she immediately lowered her head and chuckled.

Li Chen leaned back, his gaze fixed on the ceiling.

"You find it unbelievable? Actually, the reason is very simple. Remember the movie 'The Founding of a Republic' from 09?"

Liu Yifei nodded: "Of course I remember."

"Back then, when Lao Han was in charge of China Film Group, he would make a phone call not for money, but for personal relationships and for a bigger picture."

“Back then, actors who received a phone call felt it was an honor, a recognition. It wasn’t an employment, it was a ‘recruitment’!”

Li Chen's tone carried a deep longing and interpretation. "I thought back then, if one day I could have the prestige of Lao Han, with his ability to command a large following, then I would have lived a worthwhile life in this industry."

Li Chen turned his head and looked at his wife's beautiful yet confused face: "Now, times have changed. I don't need to 'recruit' people for a common goal like I did back then. But I can do something else: create a 'field' that they can't refuse!"

"An irresistible occasion?" Liu Yifei repeated softly, looking at the radiant expression on her husband's face. She suddenly realized that a man can be without power or influence, and may not be good-looking, but he must have confidence.

Just like her husband in front of her, Liu Yifei recalled the scene when she first met her husband at the Beijing Film Academy.

Li Chen's eyes sharpened: "Yes, the most crucial point in this 'field' is 'momentum,' and each of these people is very successful."

“But they all know in their hearts that the only one who can stir up the winds and define the era is me, and I am the center of this ‘momentum’. Coming here is not to give face to me, Li Chen, but to enter this ‘field’ and become a part of this history.”

Liu Yifei seemed to understand something, and couldn't help but feel secretly proud of herself for choosing such a man: "If Director Han is an imperial envoy, then my husband is the leader of the martial arts world, whose prestige in the martial arts world is even more powerful than Director Han's."

Liu Yifei grasped Li Chen's broad hand in return, the confusion in her eyes gradually fading, replaced by a gentle understanding and a faint pride.

"So when will your 'Founding of a Nation' begin filming?"

"It'll be soon. Once all the 'Kings of Heaven' and 'Gods of War' are in place, the show will begin."

Liu Yifei leaned quietly against Li Chen's chest, listening to her husband's strong heartbeat, feeling a great sense of security.

As for the outside criticisms about why her husband, who won two Palme d'Or awards, insisted on making Korean films, she wasn't worried at all.

Perhaps once this movie is released, those people will understand the husband's good intentions.

-

In the 'Raging Waves' group, ever since Gong Li met Jiang Wen that day...

On this day, Andy Lau met Tony Leung again, and Andy Lau's reaction was almost exactly the same as Gong Li's reaction when she met Jiang Wen.

Lin Jiadong, the Dongguan hurdler, plays Tang Xiaohu, who initially had some complaints about being approached by Andy Lau and Yang Siwei.

But as soon as they joined the group, they fell silent, and Zhang Jin, who played the role of Tang Xiaolong, was in a similar situation.

"Andy Lau, what the hell is this?" Lin Jiadong couldn't help but send a WeChat message to Andy Lau.

Andy Lau replied with a smiley face emoji: "A match made in heaven! You'd never guess who's playing Old Master Huang. I just found out myself."

Dongguan guy replied again: "Is it Tony Leung?"

Andy Lau quickly replied: "Mr. Huang isn't in the group!"

Dongguan Brother: "."

-

After "Parasite" won the Palme d'Or, the domestic release date was set for June 15.

With the Palme d'Or as a prestigious award and the outside world's doubts about Li Chen directing foreign language films, this movie doesn't need a premiere or any promotion.

It would be better to just release it out of the box.

Li Chen returned with honors, and the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television and Beijing Film Studio naturally celebrated together.

However, a subtle division has emerged in the domestic public opinion sphere.

On one hand, there was a frenzy among movie fans and the media; on the other hand, some viewers still questioned and were puzzled by Li Chen's decision not to make films about Chinese stories.

On the evening of June 14th, Parasite was set to officially hit theaters nationwide in just half an hour.

Many people come to Wanda Cinema in Beijing's CBD, and even though it's midnight, there are still quite a few people in the ticket hall.

"Why make a film about Koreans? I really don't understand what Leonardo DiCaprio was thinking."

"They make money in China and then use it to embellish foreign award ceremonies! I'm just here out of curiosity! I have no right to criticize them if I didn't buy a ticket!"

A group of young men and women huddled together, waiting for the show to begin, amidst a chorus of skepticism.

As the ticket hall announced that tickets for the midnight showing of "Parasite" were ready to be checked, people lined up to enter.

Two hours later, the audience members who had watched the midnight screening walked out of the theater one by one.

Those young people who had previously questioned Li Chen have now completely changed their tune.

"I have to admit, I was too loud before! I thought Leonardo DiCaprio went to suck up to South Korea, but it turns out he was carrying a camera to 'expose' their secrets! Holy crap! What kind of Republic of Korea is this?"

"This movie portrays the wealth gap in a chaebol society so brutally! Are the Koreans stupid? How could they let Leonardo DiCaprio, a Chinese actor, direct it? I even suspect that DiCaprio was filled with contempt at the time!"

"After watching 'Parasite,' and then thinking back to many of our films that won awards at the three major European film festivals over the years, the feeling is completely different."

"That's right. In the past, our directors packaged our suffering into spectacles for foreigners to see. Now, Leonardo DiCaprio is digging out their problems for the whole world to see, including for us to see."

"Haha, what a difference in perspective! No wonder Leonardo DiCaprio is so popular! He's got a knack for it!"

"We misunderstood Leonardo DiCaprio before! This isn't just about having his heart in the country; it's clearly a modern version of 'learning from the barbarians to subdue them'!"

"Using top-tier industrial standards to tell a universal story, but at its core, it's a sharp critique of capitalism. That's fucking awesome!"

The next day, when Li Chen woke up, he found that the praise under his Weibo post was like a never-ending river.

Chen Kaige felt annoyed with everyone from the moment he woke up, wondering if these media outlets had been paid off.

He didn't believe that everyone had gone to see the midnight showing of "Parasite" last night.

"Look how obsequious these media outlets are, claiming that Li Chen's 'Parasite' is a meticulously planned 'reverse cultural export'!"

"He used world-class cinematic language to dissect the common ills of the global capitalist era!"

"He greatly enhanced the voice and image of Chinese cultural figures."

“They never hyped up my ‘Farewell My Concubine’ like this back then! Ah!” Chen Kaige suddenly exclaimed softly.

"I told you a long time ago, don't talk while shaving, you're bleeding now!" Chen Hong walked over with a concerned look and looked at her husband's chin.

"I'm fine!" Chen Kaige pushed his wife's hand away, feeling irritated and annoyed with everyone.

Li Chen won two Palme d'Or awards, making him second in the industry! His status has surpassed both Zhang Yimou's and Li Chen's!
Yang Siwei was in her office when she discovered that someone had taken the top spot on the trending topics list for "Parasite".

Sina Entertainment News

"In the early hours of June 15, a woman named @小G posted on Weibo accusing Wu Yifan and posting their chat history to demand an explanation."

"Subsequently, Wuyifan's studio issued a statement denying the rumors about her having a girlfriend. Then, netizen @爱繁theway posted what appeared to be a bed photo of Wuyifan in the comments."

"Subsequently, several women exposed the Wuyifan dating scandal. On the evening of June 15, Wuyifan's studio responded, stating that a large number of forged or edited audio and images, as well as fabricated or misleading similar materials appeared in this incident."

Yang Siwei found it amusing, and soon after, Hong Xiaogui called.

"Boss, have you noticed that the response from Wuyifan Studio didn't include a single word about pursuing legal action against the other party?"

Yang Siwei smiled and asked, "What are you trying to say?"

"Haha, boss, doesn't this prove everything? I'm starting to really admire the big boss. I have a feeling he knew all along that this guy was going to get into trouble!"

Yang Siwei snorted: "Maybe this guy thinks we're targeting him."

Yang Siwei was right; Wu Qian was indeed panicking at this moment.

Qi Jianhong was also extremely frustrated!

Qi Jianhong felt as if she had been slapped hard across the face.

I really want to castrate this little bastard!

"That little bastard dared to cheat on my daughter with someone else!"

"President Qi, we can't reach Wu Yifan!"

"Send him a message: if he doesn't show up in front of me today, he shouldn't show up again!"

At this moment, Wu Qian was trembling with fear, on one hand the fear of being exposed by someone but not knowing who exposed him, and on the other hand the fear of being messed with by Rong Chen.

On the one hand, he dared not face Qi Jianhong.

"Mom, what should I do?"

"What do you mean, what to do? Hiding isn't the solution. Didn't President Qi already refute the rumors for you at the studio?"

"Mom, you don't know who he is!" Wu Yifan didn't know how to explain it to her mother.

The young Qi brother that Fan Bingbing mentioned was no pushover. Apart from being rebuffed by Li Chen, he had never seen Qi Jianhong lose face in the past two years.

How could this "son-in-law of a dragon" dare to face this smiling tiger "father-in-law" now!
On the other side, Wang Zhonglei of Huayi was also anxious! Why were all the people involved in the incidents related to Huayi?

One of the "Mr. Six" movies has already been ruined; is the other one going to be lost too?

(End of this chapter)