Actor: Thank you.

In the following days, Zhang Yuan was very busy.

The promotional campaign for "The Message" has officially begun.

He had promised to participate fully, and he arrived on time.

At the press conference, he undoubtedly became the focus of media attention.

Especially recently, he was received by the top leader of the island nation.

"What is it like to meet with the prime minister of an island nation?"

"I was a little nervous, but I did a lot of preparation beforehand," Zhang Yuan replied modestly.

"What kind of person is the other party?"

"The other person was very humble and friendly. It was my first time communicating with someone of such status, and I am very proud to have this opportunity."

Li Bingbing, Zhou Xun, and the others watched him ask and answer questions with envy.

He either doesn't do anything at all, or when he does, it's something big.

This is really making headlines!
It transcends the realm of the entertainment industry and enters the realm of current affairs news.

Recently, the newspapers have been full of reports about him.

Everyone else present combined didn't have as much news as him.

Xiao Wang, who was standing to the side, was also quite satisfied.

We made the right choice in hiring him.

I was holding my breath and made him act, and now the reward is huge!
This show was originally designed to feature an all-star cast and attract attention through its actors.

Now there's someone making headlines right now, isn't that wonderful?

Just right.

Xiao Wang was so happy that he squinted his eyes.

After all, once this play airs, Huayi will immediately go public.

Let's see how popular this show is, and whether it can help Huayi achieve an extremely high opening price!

With a high opening price, Huayi will have the confidence to raise funds later.

Each step is interconnected; not a single step can be wrong.

Xiao Wang squinted, but as he squinted, his smile faded a little.

Yes, your popularity can help Huayi raise its stock price.

The problem is, it will be very troublesome for me to deal with him later!
Without discussing his current businesses or other relationships.

The mere fact that I have to meet with the top leader of the island nation is annoying enough.

If you mess with him afterwards and things really escalate, it could become an international incident!
You've just met with the head of state of another country, and you're already messing with him.

What do you mean?
These are all things to consider, and they're quite troublesome.

It was also a temporary way to give Zhang Yuan a golden shield.

Xiao Wang gets a headache just thinking about this.

Especially recently, this kid has gone against me several times.

Ok.

However, it seems that all his actions are for the sake of women.

On the other hand, he still has a weakness!

At least I still have a place where I can hold onto him.

Thinking of this, Xiao Wang felt much better.

"You just met with the prime minister of an island nation. You must have a good relationship with that island nation, right?"

“But we see from the poster that you play a soldier from an island nation in this new film, ‘The Message’.”

"And he's a villain."

"I heard the methods were quite cruel."

"Aren't you afraid of offending the island nation?" a reporter asked in rapid succession.

The moment this topic came out, everyone could tell that someone was clearly trying to stir up trouble.

Reporters all want to make a big story.

Directors Gao Qunshu and Chen Guofu, who were standing nearby, also changed their expressions.

Did you do it on purpose or accidentally?
If not handled properly, it could ruin someone's life.

But Zhang Yuan had a smile on his face.

Good question!
I'm really not afraid of this kind of question.

"First of all, director Gao Qunshu jokingly called our play 'Murder Game'."

"The phrase 'murder game' perfectly captures the cruelty of the villain in the film, namely Takeda, whom I play."

“These teachers in the film…” Zhang Yuan gestured, pointing to Li Bingbing, Zhou Xun, Zhang Hanyu, and others beside him.

"These teachers were all subjected to torture and abuse, which was extremely cruel."

After Zhang Yuan finished speaking, he repeated and emphasized it again.

"It was extremely tragic, especially for the female characters."

These scenes of torture were one of the selling points.

Zhang Yuan even felt that Chen Guofu deliberately tried to evoke the image of a rising Chinese-American director when designing and filming the movie.

That is, James Wan's breakthrough film, "Saw".

The color scheme and lighting in the interrogation room are actually similar.

Stimulating visuals and content are indeed more likely to attract people.

Ten years after this movie was released.

Not everyone may remember the story or even the name of each character.

But the "rope torture" that Xun Ge suffered is something that most people who have seen it will remember.

“I really like the character of Takeda, which is why I took on this role.” Zhang Yuan’s expression gradually turned serious.

"This image of a cruel and selfish island soldier is a microcosm of the image of aggressors during wartime."

"I played this role, and both directors made this film in the hope that everyone can remember history."

"At the same time, we must remember the hardships endured by the revolutionary pioneers."

"Only by remembering history can we avoid repeating the same mistakes."

"If I can use my image to remind people of the atrocities committed by the invaders, then it is worthwhile."

"As for what you said about offending the island nation."

"I'm not afraid," Zhang Yuan replied confidently. "I believe there are still more people in this world who desire peace and face history squarely."

Clap clap clap clap... Gao Qunshu applauded and cheered.

Zhang Yuan has elevated the film to a whole new level; we have to cheer him on.

He wasn't bragging; he would dare say that even if Hatoyama were standing right here.

Because facing history squarely is precisely the stance of this newly appointed leader of the island nation.

That's why he dares to say it so openly, and that he can keep saying it for another year or so...

I'll tone it down a bit after they leave.

This is called political sensitivity.

Zhang Yuan is very sensitive.

What followed, of course, was mutual flattery.

"Bingbing's performance in the film is quite brilliant," Zhang Yuan praised.

“I learned a lot from her on site.”

"She's practically my teacher."

"Don't call me 'sister'," Li Bingbing replied after taking the microphone.

Zhang Yuan: …

I've been praising you for ages, and all I hear is this?

It's true that women care most about age.

"Brother Youpeng plays a famous Kunqu Opera performer in the film. He specially studied Kunqu Opera for half a year in advance."

"His live performance was quite amazing, why don't we have him perform a piece for us?"

After making a slight refusal, Su Youpeng put on an act of "I really can't do anything with you guys" and sang a few lines on the spot.

[Received a thank you from Su Youpeng, learning ability +1!]

After Brother Youpeng finished singing, he was the first to applaud.

The other party immediately gave him a grateful look.

This person's face darkened when they saw the final cut of the video.

He practiced for several months, but in the end, the scene where he sang Kunqu Opera in the film was cut down to only 10 seconds.

It truly is a case of "three minutes on stage, ten years of practice off stage".

To shorten the film's runtime for release, unimportant scenes had to be cut.

Alec Su's popularity from "My Fair Princess" has waned in recent years.

Furthermore, his Kunqu Opera performances didn't advance the plot; they were merely character development.

"The Message" is a spy drama, not an art film. Where would they find the time to develop a supporting character?

They were all cut off.

Su Youpeng was very frustrated as a result.

Zhang Yuan knew about this, so he deliberately gave him a crucial opportunity to showcase his abilities.

The important thing is not the singing itself, but the character's temperament and posture after learning, which are all incorporated into the performance.

At the dinner following the press conference, Xiao Wang said goodbye and left.

He also had to return to the company to prepare for the final sprint before the IPO.

The rest of the crew chatted.

“I didn’t like what you said just now.” Zhou Xun came to his side with a glass of wine.

"What did you say that displeased our Best Actress Zhou?" Zhang Yuan asked with a grin.

"You said Bingbing acted well."

"Then I'm not good enough?"

"It's all good, it's all good."

"Then who is better?"

Zhang Yuan noticed that Li Bingbing had also heard their conversation and turned her gaze towards them.

Zhang Yuan immediately sat up straight and answered in a serious tone.

"I'm the best."

His actions left both actresses speechless, which allowed him to escape unscathed.

Don't drag me into your argument.

Why is there an old saying that three women make a drama?

Actually, you don't need three women, two are enough.

In "The Message," Zhou Xun and Li Bingbing are really going all out.

On the other hand, Zhang Ziyi and Fan Bingbing from "Sophie's Revenge" are really going strong. Even without them teaming up, these two icy beauties can still dominate the scene.

That's the contradiction; the arguments and disputes can be genuine or fake.

Zhang Yuan guessed that Zhou Xun probably took it all seriously.

"In a few days, one of my new actresses will be filming a Shiseido commercial with you. Could you look after her?" Zhang Yuan suddenly remembered and offered his advice.

"Huh?" Xun Ge replied with a bewildered look.

"Never mind, it's alright." Zhang Yuan knew he had wasted his breath and had entrusted the wrong person.

It's good enough that she can take care of herself.

"Wow, Mr. Zhang's resources have been upgraded again?"

"Even the newbies under my command can shoot Shiseido commercials," Li Bingbing said with a hint of sarcasm.

Island nations have quite impressive industries like cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.

Later, young people kept talking about Korean makeup.

Do you see wealthy socialites using Korean cosmetics?

The popularity of Korean cosmetics is mainly due to the rise of girl groups and their affordability.

When it comes to cosmetics in Asia, island nations are still the better choice.

The same applies to the cosmetic surgery industry. It's cheap in South Korea, but the side effects are significant, and it's done like an assembly line.

If you really want to do it well, you have to go to an island nation.

Yang Tianbao was born to an island nation, and of course, she herself was of decent quality, being of mixed race.

Shiseido is considered a mid-to-high-end cosmetics brand, offering products ranging from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.

Divided into different levels and production lines, it is considered a well-known cosmetics brand in the island nation.

This is a level that even Li Bingbing would have to strive for now.

Zhou Xun was more famous than her, so he was able to get it.

Ever since Zhang Yuan returned from the island nation, he's been a real nuisance to him...

Endorsement requests from island nation brands are pouring in like snowflakes!

This is another benefit of his trip to the island nation.

He is now quite famous in the island nation.

Although he had previously been the subject of many negative reports in Japan because of the incident where he took a model to the movies.

But times have changed!

Now that everyone has turned around, they all say he's good.

If the top leader agrees, then everyone else has to follow suit.

Shiseido also has a men's product line, and they hired him as their spokesperson.

Suntory, Hitachi, Nisshin, Yakult.

Honda has even come to us, saying that Brawn Racing was formerly Honda Racing, and we're all family.

Even the Japanese devils know how to get close to people.

Uniqlo also approached them.

Uniqlo opened two stores in Beijing in 05, but business was not good.

They adjusted their strategy at the end of 08, and 09 marked the beginning of their so-called "re-entry into the Chinese market strategy".

So when they found them, the price they offered was quite reasonable.

He accepted most of the island nation companies he approached, as long as there were no major issues regarding their political stance at this stage.

It's not shameful to eat fish balls.

This endorsement fee alone will amount to tens of millions.

The only one he pushed was TOTO.

I want him to be the spokesperson for a smart toilet.

By this time, traveling to island nations had become popular.

Besides health products, the things that Chinese people love to bring back are small souvenirs and gifts.

There are two more large items.

Smart toilet seat and Tiger brand rice cooker.

One pipe is at the top, and the other is at the bottom.

Back then, there was a rumor that the rice cooked in Tiger brand rice cookers was so fragrant and sweet, just like the air in Japan.

Zhang Yuan has always believed that if the air in an island nation smells sweet, it's probably because it smells protium, deuterium, and tritium.

After all, there was a nuclear leak there...

Tiger brand rice cookers are good, but the quality of the rice depends 9% on the rice itself.

But at this time, especially among the older generation, they blindly believe in Japanese brands, thinking they are good, and you can't stop them.

They say that products made by island nations are durable.

That's true. Air conditioners, refrigerators, and cars are indeed durable, but they all come at a price.

Either the price is too high, or the functions are too few.

TOTO toilet seats were also a favorite among Chinese tourists back then, and you could often see middle-aged women carrying these things at the airport.

But back then, when Wah Gor filmed an advertisement for HCG toilets, he also wrote a song and filmed a music video, and was severely criticized.

The mistakes of those who came before can serve as lessons for those who come after. How could I possibly fall into the same trap again?
Even though Andy Lau received a 3000 million yuan endorsement fee for two years, the negative impact caused by this incident is still not worth it.

Moreover, this matter is also related to Aunt Kurosawa Chiling.

Because at that time, she had just hooked up with Chiu Shih-kai, the eldest son of Hwa Cheng Sanitary Ware, who was known as the "Toilet Prince" in Taiwan.

After filming a toilet commercial for her, this young master finally remembered that he should find a celebrity and spend a lot of money to endorse it.

This can boost the company's performance and also give a boost to Lin Chih-lin, who is also a spokesperson.

Zhang Yuan declined the TOTO offer.

For the remaining island nation brands, choose well-known spokespeople.

He also called Zeng Jia and Yang Siwei over to help him handle these endorsements.

Because he had an additional condition: the young artists from his own company had to appear on camera or endorse the products together.

Even if it's not an endorsement, just being a friend of the brand or a brand ambassador is fine.

Anyway, they have to show their faces, and they use these brands to raise their profile.

Even if I lower my endorsement fee, as long as I can get them involved, that's fine.

He is no longer alone; he has a family to support, with so many mouths to feed. Even when he eats, he has to leave soup for others.

Otherwise, how can he be the boss?

On Shiseido's side, he brought along Li Jinming, who had recently gained some fame because of "iPartment".

Having her endorse low-end products is actually a good fit for her image and fan base.

Originally, we wanted Liu Tao or Cheng Hao to endorse our high-end product line.

But they went to Zhou Xun.

After much deliberation, Zhang Yuan decided not to rob Xun Ge of his money-making opportunity.

Later, we still had to see each other a lot on the set of "Painted Skin 2".

To avoid her throwing a tantrum at me and ruining the filming.

Zhou Xun thus escaped a calamity.

"Making a living isn't easy," Zhang Yuan replied to Li Bingbing with a helpless expression.

"Ha, you've made your money and you're still acting innocent."

"You don't understand, being a boss isn't easy."

"Every day, I have to serve hundreds of people the moment I open my eyes. How many of them actually end up in my mouth?"

Li Bingbing rolled her eyes and ignored him.

But they also thought Zhang Yuan was remarkable, and that he had gained power.

Now that Fan Bingbing has left Huayi, it's not bad for her to be with him.

I know I'll have to leave Huayi someday.

Although she never expressed this idea.

He always says that he will be Huayi's person for life.

But it doesn't mean he'll stay in Huayi forever.

Having more friends means having more options, and she hopes Zhang Yuan can become her path.

After the meal, we still need to prepare for the next press conference and roadshow in Shanghai, and then in other places.

In the past week alone, I've had over a dozen interviews and variety show appearances.

On average, at least two per day.

In the afternoon, Li Bingbing and Zhou Xun had to give an interview to the print media, while Li Bingbing and Zhang Hanyu ran to the other side.

On his way to a gig, Zhang Yuan received a cross-border phone call.

"Hello, Zhang." A standard American-accented English voice rang in his ear.

His tone was friendly and enthusiastic.

Like an old friend, like a gentleman.

It's not like the time I questioned my Global Head in the meeting room a while ago.

Unfortunately, it was the same person.

Now they've changed their attitude; in short, they've become abnormal.

"Hello, Mike," Zhang Yuan said, using the abbreviation of the other person's name.

"You sound to be in good spirits."

"Not bad, you think it's alright too."

"We haven't finished our discussion about the new 'Fast & Furious' movie yet, so we should schedule another time to talk about the details of your next film."

Let's not talk about what happened before.

They only said they wanted him to act and sign a contract.

"You say you're coming, so I'm coming..." Zhang Yuan thought. "If I don't put on airs now, you'll really treat me like a dog."

How will I have any say in this project from now on?

"Oh dear," Zhang Yuan sighed regretfully.

"Unfortunately, I don't have time right now."

"Okay, I'll contact you when I have time."

"Whatever the contract is, you can send it to my lawyer for review first."

"Let's talk after he's finished reading it."

"I'm busy, in the car, the car is about to enter a tunnel, the signal is bad, bye..."

He then hung up the phone.

If I don't show my temper now, they'll dare to do the same thing to me again.

The Global Times representative listened to the busy tone on the phone, looking utterly helpless… (End of Chapter)