Actor: Thank you.

"are you serious?"

After shaking hands with Zhang Yuan, director Matthew confirmed it again.

"Yes, everyone dreams of being a hero."

"I think the play you mentioned is very interesting."

“Especially the elements of violent Lolita and hot-blooded otaku,” Zhang Yuan replied sincerely.

The male lead of this movie, the character Kick-Ass, is actually a bit like the Mumen Rider who rides a bicycle in One-Punch Man.

He has absolutely no ability, but he bought a tracksuit with a hood and dared to fight against evil forces alone.

Zhang Yuan felt that the character Kick-Ass, like the protagonists in "The Piano in a Factory," was not only a person but also an image.

It represents a certain spirit.

It is more akin to the pure spirit of rebellion that Captain America possessed before he received the serum.

It is precisely because the male lead is not a superhero, has no superpowers, and is even physically weaker than ordinary people that this movie is so special.

Especially with the rise of Marvel superhero movies and the emergence of various heroes.

In the second installment, due to the success of the first film, Universal Pictures took notice and changed the director.

The entire setting was changed, and the male protagonist gained combat abilities after training.

The female protagonist is no longer a little girl due to her age; she has grown tall and strong after puberty.

So the box office and word-of-mouth were both poor.

The director is the core of the work and cannot be changed casually; otherwise, the flavor will be lost.

Furthermore, director Matthew McConaughey was initially invited to direct "Thor," the Marvel Thor movie starring Chris Hemsworth.
But he found it uninteresting, so he quit his job and chose to work hard filming this movie.

Actually, there are a lot of directors and actors in Hollywood who look down on superhero movies, thinking they are all money-grabbing schemes that will ruin their careers.

Timothée Chalamet, who had just debuted at that time, later became known as "Sweet Tea" and became a new generation of Hollywood male star adored by millions, playing the male lead in "Dune".

In reality, this person comes from Manhattan and is a figure heavily promoted by the older Jewish community. His mother is a director of the North American Actors' Rights Association.

When this person chatted with Leonardo DiCaprio, DiCaprio only gave him two pieces of life advice.

First, don't smoke D.

Second, don't act in superhero movies.

Leonardo DiCaprio put these two things together because once you act in a superhero movie, your image in the audience's mind will be fixed, and your acting career will likely narrow rapidly.

These are two different types of people in the film and television industry, or rather, in all industries.

Career-oriented and wealth-oriented.

Am I in this line of work to build a career, or simply to make money?

Zhang Yuan originally earned more money but had less business.

Now that I'm not so short of money, I'm starting to focus more on my career.

In order to increase international recognition, overseas markets can appropriately lower the requirements for works, since global recognition is a business in itself.

Domestically, he will gradually become more cautious and reduce the production of purely commercial films.

The director repeatedly confirmed his words, and Zhang Yuan said that he would definitely pay, but he would have to wait a little while.

He needs to convert the wealth in his stocks.

Now people understood: making money from Wall Street is indeed fast.

Zhang Yuan discussed overseas issuance with the other party, indicating that the investment was not a problem, but his returns needed to be greatly guaranteed.

Besides the 46% return from North America, the overseas returns are 28%, and I take 80%.

At this point, the director wasn't particularly confident about the film, feeling that it might not even make money domestically, and that he could take as much money overseas as he wanted.

It may not be able to be shown in all places.

Another reason for the falling out between director Matthew and Lionsgate was the film rating system.

This person strongly demanded the creation of a violent Lolita character and insisted that the film contain a large amount of bloody scenes.

The later "The Secret Service" did the same thing, but it used fireworks instead of headshots, which was considered to be more restrained.

The problem caused by the gory scenes is that the film cannot be rated low.

In the US, the lowest rating is G, which includes family-friendly movies like "Finding Nemo".

Above that is PG, which contains crime and mild violence, such as "Despicable Me". Because the protagonist is a villain, although it is funny, there are many violent scenes that children can easily imitate.

Next is PG13, which means it can only be watched by people aged 13 and up. Most Marvel movies are rated in this category because they contain live-action fight scenes.

Kick-Ass, being rated R and only suitable for viewers aged 17 and older, effectively cuts off its box office appeal to those under 17.

Furthermore, because the film is rated R, even after filming was completed, Chloe Moretz, who plays the most violent female lead, Hit-Girl, was too young to watch the movie she starred in, and she wasn't even allowed to attend the premiere...

Taking pictures is fine, but watching is not.

This is American procedural justice.

Zhang Yuan stated that R-rating is fine; as long as you grant overseas editing rights when signing the contract, I will modify it according to local requirements.

As long as it makes money, none of this matters.

Cage was overjoyed to see that he agreed so readily and that he had secured the role and the film.

First, she grabbed his arm and hugged him, then took him to the basement to see her Batman collection.

They even wanted Zhang Yuan to dress up in cosplay for a photoshoot, but he refused.

The problem was that Sisi looked on expectantly, which left him speechless.

You just want to see me make a fool of myself, don't you?

Cage was still excited and pulled them aside, saying he would treat them to dinner at the best steakhouse nearby for aged steaks.

He even drove it himself, quite solemnly retrieving a collector's item Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III from the underground garage.

Only 2000 of these cars were ever made. This car is considered an antique collectible, and its starting price at auction is $100 million.

With money like that, how could they not go bankrupt?

They were put in the back seat. The car was almost entirely mechanical, with almost no electronic equipment.

Even though it has been around for nearly 50 years, it still looks elegant and luxurious, like a beautiful noblewoman.

Good things, if properly maintained, will remain beautiful even after years.

Just like Zhao Yazhi, although she is older, she still has a great sense of style.

An old A8 is still an A8, and an old Rolls-Royce is still a Rolls-Royce.

“Hey, look.” After the car started and stopped at an intersection, Cage turned around and pointed to the headrest of the seat.

"This is an embroidery that I specially commissioned someone to make."

Zhang Yuan turned his head and noticed that the leather headrest was embroidered with dark red dragon patterns.

The guy even rolled up his sleeves, revealing a dragon tattoo on his arm.

"In your Chinese zodiac, I am the dragon."

"I really like dragons!"

Zhang Yuan recalled that there were also many dragon-shaped decorations in his home.

Could it be that he collects dinosaur skeletons because of this?

Foreigners can't tell the difference between dinosaurs and the Chinese dragon.

After looking at it carefully, Zhang Yuan hesitated for a moment, swallowed his words, and nodded with a smile.

“Very good. In our country, the dragon is a symbol of nobility and power.”

"Yay!" My brother loves hearing that.

The food served to guests is indeed not good; the top-quality steak is fragrant, tender, and rich in fat.

After the meal, they drove around downtown Hollywood with a few people.

The guy is a nice person. When someone asks to take a photo with him, even if they bang on the car window, he doesn't get angry and is quite cooperative.

Looks like you're in a really good mood.

Sisi felt a little envious seeing how superstars were recognized everywhere they went.

But then I feel that knowing too many people means losing the freedom of ordinary people, which may not be a good thing.

She turned her head to see Zhang Yuan's reaction and his thoughts on fame and fortune.

But Zhang Yuan had a very tense expression on his face.

"what's wrong?"

“It’s alright, my morality and merit are just fighting,” he replied.

After driving home, Cage treated him to a glass of his own collection of red wine.

Seeing that he seemed quite relaxed, Zhang Yuan spoke up at the opportune moment.

“Mr. Cage,” he addressed him respectfully.

"Just call me Nico."

"You know kung fu, right? I've seen your movies with Chen Long. Can you teach me a few moves?" He seemed quite interested.

"No rush, let me tell you something first."

"Hold on tight," Zhang Yuan said, helping him up.

"What's wrong?" Cage asked, a little worried when he saw the change in the man's expression. "Has something changed about the investment you mentioned before?"

"No, don't worry, we Chinese people value integrity very much."

"I won't change what I said." Zhang Yuan reassured him while emphasizing that he should sit tight.

"What's that?"

"Nico, did you know that different countries in the world have different calendars?"

"For example, the Mayan calendar system is different from that of other places."

"Actually, the same is true for China."

"You Westerners use the Gregorian calendar, which was promoted by Pope Gregory XIII." "It's a calendar system based on the sun's revolution period."

"Our Chinese calendar, on the other hand, combines the sun's revolution around the sun and the phases of the moon, and is a calendar designed to guide agricultural production."

For thousands of years, the Chinese people have judged everything based on just two words: farming.

“So…” Cage asked curiously, “The mysterious Eastern culture is interesting.”

"Yes, so the division of the year in the East and West differs due to different calendars."

What is your date of birth?

“January 7, 1964,” Cage replied.

“That’s the problem.” Zhang Yuan patted him on the shoulder, trying to comfort him.

"1964 was indeed the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese zodiac."

"But according to the Chinese calendar, the Year of the Dragon begins on February 13th of the Gregorian calendar."

"In other words, your zodiac sign is not the dragon, but actually the rabbit."

The Hollywood actor immediately performed his signature role, "Face/Off".

His eyes were practically popping out of their sockets.

"are you sure……"

"Definitely and definitely."

Cage looked back at his home, which was decorated with dragon motifs everywhere, because people had told him that he was born in the Year of the Dragon.

I've been a dragon for decades, and now you're telling me I was born in the year of the rabbit.

Even such a weak creature as a rabbit!
So Zhang Yuan told him to sit still, because now that his brother had heard the "bad news," he was swaying a little.

"God damn it!" he finally managed to utter after a long pause.

"Then all my collection in this room, and the embroidery on the car seat, have been for nothing?"

"It won't be a wasted effort!" Zhang Yuan waved his hand.

He was tense the whole way, and it wasn't just because of his zodiac sign.

Also because of these "dragons".

"There's something else I need to tell you."

"Hold on tight," Zhang Yuan said, helping him up again.

Cage swallowed hard, poured himself a full glass of red wine, gulped it down, and wiped his mouth.

"Go ahead, I'm ready."

"That's right, the dragon in China is different from the dragon in the West."

"I know that dragons from the East don't have wings!"

Congratulations, you've even learned how to answer first!

“Indeed, but it’s not just the wings.” Zhang Yuan held up his palm, spread it out, and extended five fingers to explain to him.

"In China, the so-called dragon pattern is divided into three claws, four claws, and five claws."

"That is, the dragon has three, four, or five toes."

"Three claws make a jiao, four claws make a python, and only five claws make a dragon!"

In fact, most of them were three-clawed dragons in the early years, especially during the Tang and Song dynasties.

It was after the Yuan Dynasty that they began to be divided into three, four, and five classes.

Later, the clothes of the scholar-officials were called python robes, and the dragons on the patterns had four claws.

Only the emperor's dragon tattoo has five claws.

Therefore, only the five-clawed golden dragon is a true dragon, and the rest are false dragons.

"Five toes, and they must be golden, to be a true dragon of China."

"Your pets all have three toes, and they're red."

"This is either an island nation's dragon or a Chinese dragon, but in any case, it's not a real dragon."

The dragons of the island nation were passed down from the Tang and Song dynasties, so they have inherited the three-clawed tradition.

"The three-clawed dragon is not a symbol of wealth and power, but rather a symbol of violence and taboo. In Chinese feng shui, the three-clawed dragon is considered an inauspicious symbol."

Zhang Yuanxin thought to himself, "Your bankruptcy might be because there are too many three-clawed dragons in your house, which is extremely bad feng shui."

"SHIT!" Cage cursed even more fiercely after hearing this.

In North America, Chinese culture is far less prevalent than that of island nations, so foreigners often confuse the two cultures.

"Aren't you hurting him by saying that?" Sisi tugged at the superstar's arm when she saw him about to lose his temper.

"Don't worry, I told you it won't be a waste of time," Zhang Yuan comforted her.

Cage was born in the Year of the Rabbit, but he always thought he was a Dragon.

And coincidentally, all the items in my collection are fake dragons.

Isn't that perfect!
That matches perfectly, no problem at all.

"So you can continue to collect it, because it's a fake dragon to begin with."

Cage's expression went from a mix of amusement and exasperation to a state of near-emergency mobilization.

Is this a good thing?

"At least you don't have to throw it away anymore, and you've also learned the truth."

The older brother thought for a moment, then stretched out his arms and hugged him.

"Thank you, thank you for telling me the truth."

"Although it's cruel."

[Received a thank you from Nicolas Cage, acting talent +2, acting tension +1!]

See, he should thank us!

Zhang Yuan patted him on the back.

It felt great to have snagged a bunch of Best Actor winners.

As for what happened to Yu Yu, that's beyond my control.

He made a timely excuse to leave, leaving Cage to deal with the situation alone.

Before parting, I made a promise with the director that I would visit the film set sometime in the future and that he would arrange some business and promotional activities.

I took a car back to my residence.

On the way, Sisi suddenly pulled him aside and started talking about the car.

Seeing that the older man had so many sports cars in his collection, she, being at the age where she loved to show off, became interested as well.

"When will you take me to the racetrack again?"

"I think the competition is quite interesting."

"Hmm." Faced with her enthusiasm, Zhang Yuan remained silent.

"what happened again?"

"I won't be taking you to the races anytime soon. There are some special reasons I can't tell you."

The reason is that wind tunnel incident.

Bond certainly needs the assistance of Bond girls, but there are a few problems.

First of all, this is risky.

Although it targets a fleet of vehicles belonging to a single company, rather than a government agency of another country, its nature is much weaker.

But there are still risks involved.

Risky matters should not be involved with "our own people".

He preferred to take the risk alone.

Another point, just like in the film, is her nationality.

There's no problem with either Chinese or North Americans.

Those Chinese who changed their nationality to foreign nationality were considered the least trustworthy group by those in power.

Regardless of your daily behavior, your risk level is still far higher than others.

This is what they mean by "a young girl losing her virginity is not as good as an old prostitute reforming."

If a pure North American like Gu Ailing were to return to China and become a "mercenary," the higher-ups would approve.

But Sisi, who "came to the profession halfway through," is far inferior to others.

Zhang Yuan needs to protect him, but he also needs to protect himself.

It wasn't that he didn't trust her, but he was afraid someone would use this to cause him trouble.

"Let's talk about it later, after I've taken care of some things." He turned his gaze to the outside of the car window.

"Are you going to do something dangerous?" Little Dragon Girl seemed to sense something.

"I will only do things that are worthwhile."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine."

The other person rested their head on his shoulder and fell silent.

Zhang Yuan was considering how to handle the situation.

It's not easy; we need a suitable pretext.

He was pondering how to handle this important matter.

On the other hand, his reputation spread quickly because he not only bought a house casually, but also easily spent tens of millions of US dollars to invest in movies!
These foreign devils knew there was a big fat sheep throwing money at them, so they came running when they smelled it.

They're treating him like a Chinese tycoon throwing money around... (End of Chapter)