Actor: Thank you.

"Didn't you say you didn't want to wear stockings anymore?"

After finishing several business matters, Zhang Yuan nudged Li Xin, who was chugging mineral water from a bottle to replenish her fluids.

"Cough cough cough..."

When asked this question, Ms. Li immediately choked.

Zhang Yuan patted her back for a while before she recovered.

"That's... what I was thinking before."

"I will grow too," Li Xin said somewhat shyly.

"Your growth rate lately has been incredibly fast."

"Especially the action scenes."

The girl rolled her eyes at him, clearly annoyed.

She then composed herself, her breathing becoming slightly calmer, appearing as if she wanted to speak but also didn't want to.

"Is this your post-coital period?" Zhang Yuan asked, noticing her state.

"What do you mean?" Li Xin didn't quite understand.

"It's like when you're completely full, blood flows back from your lower body to your brain."

"With feet off the ground, the channels of desire are closed, and intelligence takes over again."

"At times like these, people tend to say things that seem philosophical but are actually nonsensical."

Snapped!
Miss Li smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

Because what was predicted was correct.

Not only men, but women also have their moments of tranquility.

Moreover, young women have a long period of post-coital recovery.

In fact, most teenage and twenty-something girls don't have very strong desires.

Only when they encounter highly skilled individuals can they get into the zone.

Things change when you reach your thirties or forties; you'll naturally get into the zone.

Those who know how to play don't even need a "post-coital period" and can continue almost indefinitely.

Therefore, the passion between men and women is actually an irreversible ebb and flow.

"You really taught me a lot." After a long while, Li Xin finally spoke slowly.

At the same time, she turned her head and looked at him with incredibly gentle eyes.

There was gentleness, tranquility, and a hint of adoration in her eyes, as serene as an old forest lake.

"Don't talk about action scenes again!"

He then pointed a finger, interrupting him before he could speak, having anticipated his actions.

I've learned a lot, and my body has matured a lot.

At first, I was afraid to face myself.

She lifted her delicate, pink feet.

Small and delicate, with smooth skin.

"But your initiative helped me gradually accept myself."

"But soon after, I began to feel uncomfortable with your initiative."

"Especially by pleasing you through wearing stockings."

"It made me feel ashamed and angry, like I shouldn't have tried so hard to please you, and it made me feel like I had lost my dignity."

"But now I think I was a bit naive before."

"Wearing stockings is not just about pleasing others."

"If I can derive happiness from your happiness, that is not flattery, but genuine happiness."

"I misunderstood you, and I misunderstood myself."

Li Xin murmured to himself.

Zhang Yuan blinked a few times, then raised his hand and gently pinched her nose.

"I knew the post-coital phase would involve saying some nonsensical things!"

In fact, Zhang Yuan knew that this was what was called growth.

who am I?
Where did I come from?
Where should I go?

These are Socrates' three questions about life.

These are the three philosophical questions that Li Xin pondered during his "wise man's time".

She was very smart and probably understood that life is mostly unsatisfactory, and that happiness in life is nothing more than a fleeting moment of pleasure caught between bouts of suffering.

The immense pain of transitioning from a Kunqu Opera performer to a professional actor, followed by being scammed and losing the wealth she had painstakingly accumulated over several years.

I only feel happy when I have the rare opportunity to spend time with him.

She greedily enjoyed it, but realized she couldn't keep it for herself.

"Will I miss you?" After a while, a hint of sadness appeared in her cheerful eyes: "Will you miss me?"

"Mmm," Zhang Yuan replied with a nasal tone.

"That's enough!" She reached out and wrapped her arms around Zhang Yuan's neck, revealing her little tiger teeth.

"Yes, that's enough."

……

A day or two later, Su Youpeng had very few scenes left, so Li Xin no longer needed to accompany him to continue practicing.

He insisted on writing him an IOU before accepting the 10 yuan he lent him for living expenses.

Zhang Yuan knew that this IOU represented official business.

The other party made it clear that they would not bother him again, but would keep in touch.

Zhang Yuan felt this ending was good, far better than severing ties completely.

Although I've lost 30 yuan for now, judging from the other party's attitude, she will definitely stand by my side if needed.

Then the money was well spent.

"I didn't expect you to have managed to handle all of this?"

Seeing Li Xin with a smile on his face, Li Bingbing waved goodbye to him reluctantly and left calmly. Li Bingbing came up to join in the fun.

"I'm starting to admire you now."

It's just a matter of exchanging sincerity for sincerity.

"Heh, how dare you say that?" Li Bingbing gave him a disdainful look: "You act like you're so innocent."

"At least I take everyone seriously."

Li Bingbing shook her head noncommittally, seemingly somewhat helpless.

Back on set, during a break, his assistant brought him his phone.

"You're so busy, you get phone calls as soon as you take a break."

"Which girl called this time?" Old Li joked.

Zhang Yuan handed his phone forward and showed her the caller ID.

When Li Bingbing saw her name on the screen, she stood at attention.

It was Han Sanpin who called.

Old Li was sweating profusely.

If Lao Han hears this and gets angry, I don't know what kind of bad luck I'll be in.

"Just kidding, I was just joking..." Li Bingbing's smile became much more restrained.

She thought that Zhang Yuan was usually very approachable and often did some unconventional things.

So much so that after spending a lot of time with him, it's easy to forget that he's a very tough person.

He's not just an actor, but also a boss with a lot of resources.

From this perspective, there are countless people at his level who spend far more than him.

So, he might actually be quite innocent...

This is what you call relying entirely on the contrast with your peers.

After all, Li Bingbing's direct comparison is with her boss and his brother.

"Hey, Mr. Han, it's been a long time since you last contacted me," Zhang Yuan said politely.

"How has Miss Han been lately?"

“Great, you arranged for me to go to Hollywood to study.”

"She wrote several articles and gave a presentation within China Film Group, which was quite effective."

That's for sure. Old Han likes to shoot blockbusters, and Han Jia Nu's report must be a summary of the shooting experience of foreign blockbusters, which is exactly what he likes.

"That's good. I'll contact you again if I have the chance."

"Haha, not bad, not bad, you handled this quite well."

"Let's not talk about this for now." Old Han's tone became slightly more formal, but he was still in a good mood because of what he said.

"I'm calling to inform you of the release date of 'Ip Man'."

"I'll book you until the end of April now."

"Huh?" Zhang Yuan raised his eyebrows.

I had previously advised and repeatedly told the Hong Kong business owners that it would be best to screen this film on a meaningful occasion such as National Day or the anniversary of the victory against Japan.

The anniversary of the victory in the War of Resistance against Japan is September 3rd, and National Day is October 1st.

Both of these locations are in prime time.

Zhang Yuan was actually looking for an excuse to take advantage of the available time slots.

At the same time, he positioned "Ip Man" as an anti-Japanese war drama, believing that it needed to be associated with patriotism to make money.

Because Zhang Yuan understood that there are three conditions for doing great things.

Money, money, and more money!
If making movies doesn't make money and doesn't benefit those Hong Kongers, how can I remain the one in charge?

Are you scheduling my time until the end of April now?

This is not a good time either.

"Mr. Han, you know me well."

"I've always been a very proper person, honest and serious when filming, and I strictly abide by all the rules."

Han Sanpin: ...

Who are you talking about?
is it you?
Does the word "honest" have anything to do with you?
Old Han gets a headache whenever he sees him "starting to act," so he quickly interrupts.

"Stop, stop, stop."

"Do not talk nonsense."

"It's not like I'm going to mess with you."

"Listen to me first."

Old Han meant that the National Day film season is very complex, and you can't control it.

The summer movie season is even more spectacular, with films like "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," "Ice Age 3," "Up," and "Transformers 2."

Tell me, which one do you want to ship?

Hearing these names made Zhang Yuan's teeth ache.

They were all Dou Di level experts; whoever they encountered would be reduced to ashes.

However, Zhang Yuan thought that even Lao Han probably couldn't have guessed that the box office champion of 09 wouldn't be one of these people.

It's actually a disaster blockbuster, "2012"!
This movie managed to surpass "Transformers 2" and take the top spot for the year in China.

This film couldn't compare to "Transformers 2" at the North American box office, but their final total box office was surprisingly close.

The reason is that it is extremely popular in overseas markets.

Aside from the special effects, this film mainly relies on natural marketing.

Other films need to be promoted and advertised everywhere, but he doesn't.

The news of the 2012 doomsday prophecy had already spread widely online a few years ago. This kind of seemingly definitive "doomsday" information explodes every ten years or so.

They even predicted the end of the world at the turn of the century.

2012 marked the beginning of a complete Chinese zodiac cycle.

In another 12 or 3 years, they'll say the island nation is going to bomb it again.

Sigh, some people still believe it.

Just like those who hoarded vinegar during the SARS outbreak or salt during the Fukushima outbreak, they forget the lessons learned.

Ordinary people love to hear these kinds of baseless rumors.

And this "2012" movie really does know how to make things happen.

Unlike Hollywood films at the time, which generally portrayed China as a "large rural area" and "rustic water town," this film offered a very appealing yet realistic setting.

That means all the arks were built by the Chinese.

Because only China could complete such a massive project in such a short period of time.

Then, looking at the later mass production of warships... I don't know if the movie was prophetic, or if China has the ability to realize what others see as science fiction.

Zhang Yuan didn't dare touch any of these blockbuster films.

It's not that he's a coward, it's the market that dictates it.

At that time, the aesthetic preferences of Chinese audiences, or rather, audiences worldwide, were still primarily based on Hollywood.

It will take another 10 years for Chinese films to go head-to-head with Hollywood and win.

"After calculating it for you, the end of April is the most suitable."

"It's only because it's you that I'd give this position to just anyone."

Old Han explained it to him.

If the theme of 2008 was the Olympics, then the theme of 2009 was National Day.

Because 09 marked the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Therefore, a large number of films with national themes were released that year.

However, only a small number of works of this genre can make money.

"Iron Man Wang Jinxi" and "Six Sisters of Yimeng".

Aside from organizing students and government officials to watch this kind of play, how many tickets can be sold?
If tickets don't sell, theaters won't schedule screenings.

At most, they'll give us one or two scenes to film around 7 or 8 in the morning, just to get it over with.

This creates a vicious cycle.

These days, not only do audiences love Hollywood blockbusters, but theaters are also completely biased towards foreign films in order to make money.

But on the 60th anniversary of the Republic, you can't just think about making money.

Don't forget that you're just a tool for propaganda.

Therefore, in order to support patriotic works, the authorities allocated a considerable number of "special release dates" in 09.

"The end of April is considered the Anti-Japanese Patriotic Week."

"There's no official statement about this, but we've issued an internal document from above."

"As long as it falls under the patriotic theme, there is a mandatory screening limit for cinemas."

"And it cannot be reduced within a week; that's a hard and fast rule."

"Whether it makes money or not, whether anyone watches it or not, it still has to be shown."

"There are only two films scheduled for this time slot right now."

"One book, 'The Diary of John Rabe,' and another, 'Nanjing Nanjing.'"

"Your 'Ip Man' can be considered an anti-Japanese war film, or even one that skirts the line of the law. If I hadn't spoken up, who would have included it in your film?"

Oh... Zhang Yuan understood when he heard this.

The films "John Rabe" and "City of Life and Death" are similar in subject matter, both dealing with the Nanjing Massacre.

Moreover, both of these dramas are produced by people with top-tier connections in the imperial circle.

Old Han: I've talked to Hua Yi and Lu Chuan, and we've reached an agreement. They are patriotic.

Other films: I can talk, I can be patriotic.

Come on, it's not like you can just say you love someone. What kind of person are you? You don't have any connections, yet you dare to talk about serving the country?

Needless to say, Lu Chuan's nickname "Madam Lu" originated from this film.

But it wasn't at its peak yet.

Lu Sang ruined his own reputation step by step.

However, Lu Sang is still Lao Han's precious treasure.

The Diary of John Rabe is even more remarkable.

The investors included Hua Yi, with Li Xiaowan as assistant producer. China Film Group took the lead, bringing in theater chains and production companies from Germany and Japan. The film was made at a cost of 2000 million US dollars, regardless of the budget.

Moreover, this film also features Teruyuki Kagawa, who played a Japanese officer in the banned film "Devils on the Doorstep."

My brother is a staunch leftist from an island nation and frequently participates in anti-war films.

Teruyuki Kagawa also complained that he couldn't watch this drama at all in his home country, the island nation, because it was directly banned by the local authorities and not allowed to be broadcast.

Anyway, the film was made with great fanfare, but it ultimately did very poorly.

"Go with these two..." Zhang Yuan thought for a moment.

It is not impossible.

Both of them are patriotic themes, and I am one of them, so putting them together doesn't feel out of place.

The key is that these two aren't particularly strong fighters, but I'm not afraid of them.

Actually, the ideas behind these two films are the same as his.

Old Han informed Hua Yi and Lu Sang that he planned to arrange Zhang Yuan's scenes together.

Both sides were initially a little flustered upon hearing his name.

After all, his film "Painted Skin" just grossed over 3 million yuan at the box office, which is quite impressive.

But when they heard it was a traditional kung fu movie, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

If it's a fantasy film like "Painted Skin," that's more impressive. But which kung fu film has done well at the domestic box office in recent years?

The highest-grossing film was "Fearless," but because it was directed by Li Lianjie, the cost was too high, and it still lost money at the domestic box office.

Ultimately, they recouped their costs through copyright acquisition and made a considerable profit.

You, Zhang Yuan, can make kung fu movies? Can you even compare to Li Lianjie, the kung fu emperor?

These two also mustered up their courage.

He pretended to be generous and said there was no problem.

Zhang Yuan thought that it would be good to have a stable filming schedule, at least it would guarantee a minimum.

Moreover, with the May Day holiday, people have time to go to the cinema.

But Lao Han continued.

"But I can only guarantee it for a week, not just for you, but for all the other films as well."

"Because starting May 3rd, we're going to be in a major Hollywood production."

Zhang Yuan sighed, almost forgetting that since 08, due to a suggestion from a certain unethical professor, the May Day Golden Week was canceled and replaced with a three-day holiday.

Only guaranteed for one week, and then you have to face Hollywood blockbusters... This, this, this is a bit risky.

He quickly asked.

"Which Hollywood blockbuster are you referring to?"

"Wolverine, that's the sequel to X-Men." Old Han wasn't quite sure.

It's not actually a sequel, but rather a spin-off.

After all, Hugh Jackman's Wolverine is just too popular!

Just like Downey's Iron Man, the audience only recognizes his performance.

Even if you don't want to act anymore, the audience will still urge you to make a comeback.

It's both fate and destiny. To have one role like this in a lifetime is enough.

"That!"

"Thank you for your support, Mr. Han."

"Wow, you're so confident."

"I'm not afraid of Hollywood blockbusters."

"it is good!"

"I admire your personality; you've got guts!"

"Okay, it's settled then. I'll send the official letter in a few days."

Zhang Yuan put down his phone and closed his eyes to rest.

Being grouped together with films like "The Diary of John Rabe" and "City of Life and Death" isn't actually that scary.

It's scary to be squeezed in with a top-tier IP like "Wolverine" and a special effects blockbuster.

The good thing is that we're not facing any other movie, but "Wolverine"!
Hugh Jackman is amazing, and he has a lot of fans.

But this particular film just didn't work.

First of all, the plot and content are just okay, not top-notch.

But being from Hollywood, he's still very capable.

Why did Zhang Yuan agree to work on this project as soon as he heard about it?
Because of the film "Wolverine," it encountered the "leak scandal," which is very famous in the entire history of Hollywood films!
Less than a month before the film's release, the full version of the movie appeared online.

And it's not a preview screening, or the kind where they might secretly film inside.

It's the high-definition version.

It's very unique and high-definition, but many special effects were left unfinished.

It's a version that's 70% complete, and you can see many unrendered polygons.

Therefore, this pirated version is both high-definition and imperfect.

It's watchable, but it's a bit uncomfortable to watch.

On the contrary, it will leave a very bad impression.

Fox News got really worried after this happened and immediately called the FBI to investigate.

A real "FBI Warning".

Fox, in any case, denies that it was the company that leaked the information, claiming it was the later-stage company.

However, it's impossible to get all the original footage later on, and since it's done by several companies, each company can only get fragmented slices.

This was most likely caused by an inside job.

Anyway, the losses were quite significant, causing the film to lose a large number of viewers.

After seeing this leaked version, I definitely won't spend money to go to the cinema again.

The Wolverine IP is cursed; later, the Marvel Wolverine game was also leaked.

Anyway, a large number of viewers in China have already watched pirated copies of this film, so Hollywood can't do anything about it domestically.

The final box office performance was not good, barely making the top 20 for the whole year.

It's completely incomparable to films like "2012" and "Transformers 2".

Therefore, Zhang Yuan was not flustered.

It will have an impact, but it won't be earth-shattering.

It's probably the unluckiest and weakest character in the blockbuster movies.

"Alright, May Day it is."

"The sooner we get results, the sooner we can get our money back."

Although it didn't meet his original expectations, it's not necessarily a bad thing.

"Moreover, it's crammed together with 'The Diary of John Rabe' and 'Nanjing Nanjing'."

“Not only will we not be frustrated, but perhaps…” Zhang Yuan squinted and thought for a moment, “…it might even have a miraculous effect!” (End of Chapter)