Actor: Thank you.

"Champagne and fruit salad."

On the plane to Britain, Zhang Yuan naturally booked a first-class ticket.

After reaching level flight, he asked the flight attendant to bring drinks and food to Teacher Xiaobai.

"Thank you." The other person was still wearing the same white t-shirt and pink shorts she wore in Australia, looking youthful and beautiful.

Melancholy, youthfulness, and gentleness—these seemingly unrelated qualities often coexist within her, demonstrating her remarkable versatility in the profession.

"The weather in Britain is not like in Australia or California. Are you dressed a little lightly?" Zhang Yuan casually asked with concern.

"It's okay, I brought a coat I bought when I went to Moscow before in my luggage."

"A sable coat, it feels as smooth as hot chocolate," she said with some pride. "It cost me several months' worth of earnings from my previous theatrical performances."

Zhang Yuan thought about it and realized that Russians especially liked sable fur, which was considered a local specialty.

Furthermore, it is considered a top-grade mink coat, with each piece costing at least tens of thousands of US dollars.

She performed in plays during college and could earn tens of thousands of dollars in just a few months.

And this was something I participated in specifically to hone my acting skills, not for the money.

She definitely has a faster way to make money by relying on her family.

Buying a mink coat with money you earn yourself gives you a greater sense of accomplishment... that's probably the feeling.

Zhang Yuan could sense that this person still possessed the values ​​and emotions of a "normal person," unlike some Hollywood lunatics who were spoiled from childhood or pampered by film crews as adults.

in the country, someone like Shuangzi would be considered crazy.

But someone like her wouldn't be considered a big deal in Hollywood.

"Aren't you more concerned about environmental protection and animal welfare, and can't wear fur or similar things?" Zhang Yuan asked curiously.

"It cannot be worn in public."

"Don't let those environmentalists know."

“If I get photographed, I’ll say it’s synthetic leather,” she said, then winked playfully with one eye.

This is what a normal person is like.

Hearing her say that reassured Zhang Yuan; she was better than those guys who actually fooled him and had their minds full of animal rights activism.

“That would be great, just like I would tell the media that I had a great time working with Vin Diesel while filming ‘Fast & Furious’.” Zhang Yuan winked as well.

"Did you have a falling out with Director Fan?"

There is a Chinese proverb that says, "Two tigers cannot share one mountain."

"It's a pity, he thinks he's the tiger." Zhang Yuan calmly expressed his dissatisfaction.

"But the truth is, I own the mountain where the tiger is kept, or at least a part of it."

"What do you mean?"

"I am an investor in 'Fast & Furious,' and I own shares in the film and receive a share of the profits. He is just an actor."

"You own this work?" Teacher Xiaobai raised her eyebrows, feeling that Zhang Yuan had given her another little surprise.

She knew the play was a great success and made a lot of money.

"more or less."

"If there's a chance, could you introduce me to people in the film crew?" she then asked.

The meaning is clear: she certainly wants to participate in works that can make her money and bring her fame.

Although her two older sisters are very famous, they are ultimately from ordinary backgrounds and do not have many top Hollywood resources.

Just like Sissi, even though she comes from a good family and her godfather is rich, you can't get top-tier resources if you don't have a "connection" in the imperial circle.

This isn't a matter of ability; it's purely a matter of bloodline.

"The movie will start filming soon. If you have the chance, you can come and visit."

Have you ever been to Brazil?

"No." A hint of anticipation flashed in her eyes; she really had never been to this place.

"Alright, I look forward to your arrival," Zhang Yuan said, welcoming you.

But at the same time, I thought to myself, the chances are probably slim...

"Mr. Zhang, may I take a photo with you?"

A short while later, a man in an aviation uniform came out of the cockpit directly in front of them. He looked like one of the captains and first officer.

"I really like Rush Hour."

"Of course." Zhang Yuan handed the camera to Teacher Xiaobai and asked her for help.

We took a bunch of photos, and then called over the flight attendants for a group photo. It took quite a while to finish.

"Looks like you're quite popular overseas." The young woman smiled and looked at him over the railing.

"You don't understand me enough."

"It's not too late to find out now." The other person looked at him with increasing curiosity.

Although they haven't known each other for very long, she feels that there are surprises at every turn.

Originally, I was just focused on completing the job and meeting investors for the film, but the actual situation turned out to be much more interesting than I imagined.

The other party's image in the past few days, in terms of appearance, temperament, ability, and even popularity in the Hollywood film and television industry that she is most familiar with, has far exceeded her expectations.

She had seen "G.I. Joe" but not "Rush Hour 3".

Because her younger brother has loved the G.I. Joe anime since he was a child, she watched it with him.

In fact, among adults, Rush Hour is more famous than G.I. Joe.

To put it simply, it took six years to go from the second to the third Rush Hour movie, and although the third movie made money, the revenue was less than expected.

The two lead actors made a lot of money, but the company only earned so-so.

They want to make a fourth installment, but due to various issues such as actor salaries, script, and revenue, the project remains unresolved.

But at the end of 25, this long-awaited series was suddenly launched. New Line Cinema, which held the copyright, invested heavily and even negotiated with the two main actors at any cost, agreeing to any conditions.

Why did this happen all of a sudden?
You have to ask what happened in those 25 years?
Because after 25 years, the golden retriever is back in power!

He wants to see!
It's that simple.

Warner Bros., which acquired New Line in 08, quickly sent the other party to negotiate with Chen Long and Chris Tucker.

Money, here you go.

The script needs to be revised.

Dividends? No problem.

Even if we don't end up filming it, we still have to make it look like we've tried our best, because we can't afford to upset the "Empress Dowager".

After all, our Empress Dowager is such a person that if anyone dares to make her unhappy for even a moment, she will make them unhappy for a lifetime.

It's fine if it's just other people; at most, they'll just say something.

This guy actually dared to say to the national media during a national conference, "I'm dissatisfied with Warner, this company is terrible."

The stock price will plummet to its daily limit on the same day.

If you're honest, he'll immediately retort, "Nobody knows Warner Bros. better than me. It's the greatest film company in the world."

Just ask you if you are afraid.

This also shows that the Rush Hour series still holds a significant place in the hearts of older generations of middle-aged and elderly people in North America.

With this role, Zhang Yuan would occasionally be recognized in most white communities.

Elizabeth envies that he already has a representative role.

but……

"So, you mean you know Weinstein?" Teacher Xiaobai frowned upon hearing the name.

"what happened?"

“I’ve heard that his reputation isn’t very good, especially in… that area.” She looked troubled.

“I know.” Zhang Yuan nodded slightly. “So, apart from work, I never meet with him privately, nor do I attend his private parties or cocktail parties.”

"OK." She breathed a sigh of relief.

“It’s never the collective that’s dirty, but the individual,” Zhang Yuan added.

“You’re right, you’re special.” The other person cast a gentle glance at him: “It’s remarkable to be able to stay true to yourself in the face of desires and temptations.”

Zhang Yuan could sense that the other person's praise came from the heart and contained admiration, even a little bit of adoration.

"Am I being too good...?" he wondered to himself.

He used almost all his strength when facing Elizabeth these past few days.

There was no other way; it was necessary to get things done.

Normally, you only need to use seven-tenths of your strength, or even three-tenths.

So, is it too powerful, and might it end badly?

With utmost caution, we made our way to Brakley.

We first had some English afternoon tea nearby. The taste was so-so, but the girls liked it.

After wandering around for a while, we took a car to the gray building that originally belonged to Honda, then changed hands to Brawn, and is now the factory for the Mercedes-Benz team.

Although the team now belongs to the German brand Mercedes-Benz, the team's factory is still located in Britain.

The reason is similar to why most factories in China choose to locate in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen—it's easier to find talent.

Most of the F1 technical talent is in Britain, because wind tunnels were first developed there, and the science of motorsports aerodynamics is also more advanced there.

If the factory were moved to Germany, many people would quit their jobs, unwilling to leave their homes and travel so far.

"This is the GP01 car that won both the driver's and team championships in the 2009 Formula 1 Grand Prix."

A staff member acting as a "tour guide" led the two on a tour.

The factory has an exhibition area and a tour route, and also has public open days.

It is mainly for partners, sponsors, and media to use for visits and publicity.

Therefore, some areas of the factory are open to movement, and security is not too strict.

However, security in the work and production areas is much stricter.

Especially after the "spygate" scandal in 2007, Ferrari's technical officer was dissatisfied with the team and printed out more than 700 pages of documents and sent them to the McLaren team.

Following this incident, all the racing teams strengthened factory security and installed separate firewalls, making it impossible for even management to copy and take factory data out.

Zhang Yuan knew about this in advance; it was written in the company's technical manual, and he, as a shareholder, had been informed long ago.

Furthermore, Mercedes-Benz possesses "German rigor" and has specifically separated its production design plant from its wind tunnel plant.

Blackley was just a car body design factory; the wind tunnel was located separately in Braysworth, hundreds of kilometers away.

These two factories are in different counties, which is equivalent to different provinces in China.

The place he brought the foreign woman to didn't even have a wind tunnel.

Zhang Yuan glanced at the championship race car: "I want one of the original cars as a souvenir."

Manager Brown, who rushed over to greet them, shrugged helplessly.

"Mercedes-Benz wouldn't allow it, so all the vehicles were locked in the warehouse."

"Patton's contract included a gift agreement, but those Germans wouldn't acknowledge it."

Button was the one who won the championship in this car, and he also wanted a championship car as a memento of his career, but Mercedes refused to give it to him no matter what.

"And this one?" Zhang Yuan pointed to a silver-gray Mercedes sports car next to him.

A 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SLR, the famous gullwing sports car.

“Oh, the regular version of this car is worth about £100 million now, but this one is the racing version, which is worth £3000 million,” Brown explained.

"So, can I buy it to collect?"

"You're planning to buy a 3000 million pound car?" Teacher Xiaobai, who was standing next to him, was taken aback.

Zhang Yuan nodded slightly. He didn't know about other cars, but the price of this car later skyrocketed. In 10 years, the auction price could exceed 1 million pounds, or even 1.5 million.

It is basically the most expensive collector's item vehicle in the world.

Not only are they expensive, but they are also rare, especially among the top billionaires in Europe, America, and the Middle East, where they are considered hard currency.

“This is an investment,” Zhang Yuan explained.

"Okay, I'll talk to Mercedes. Maybe we can use your shareholder advantage to make it happen." Brown didn't care; if you're willing to spend money, then spend it.

"Why don't you tell Mercedes right now?"

"Sure, if you're in a hurry."

The other person went to make a phone call, while he continued shopping with the girl.

"I want to drive that car and take you for a spin."

"Oh...that would definitely be a perfect trip." Teacher Xiaobai was speechless.

But I also started to imagine the beautiful scene of leisurely driving along a sunny Tuscan highway with a vintage bamboo picnic basket and a white silk scarf on my head.

Many women, especially those who have watched early Western romantic films, dream of this kind of scene.

That's incredibly extravagant. Even my two older sisters aren't this wealthy.

At most, they ride in luxury cars.

This one car can buy 10 Rolls-Royces.

The key is that he's wealthy, but he doesn't have that annoying rich-man attitude, which makes Teacher Xiaobai particularly satisfied.

I took her for another walk around and led her to the professional simulator area, where she changed into a racing suit and experienced "hyper-realistic racing".

"Mercedes replied, saying they only kept eight 300SLRs in total, which is very rare," Brown said as he returned.

"Just tell me if you're selling or not," Zhang Yuan asked directly.

"£3500 million, and it can only be used on designated tracks under the supervision of their engineering team."

"They can't be taken away at other times; they have to be stored in the factory garage."

This is a common tactic used by Western car manufacturers; Ferrari has used this method for many of its limited-edition track models.

You spent millions of dollars to buy the car, but you can't take it with you. If you want to use it, you have to apply to me in advance.

"Moreover, the SLR cannot be driven on public roads, only the SL version can be used on public roads, so if you plan to take this girl for a drive, you will have to buy an SL worth over a million pounds. The two cars look very similar."

Zhang Yuan rubbed his temples.

He'd already said it, and besides, he wasn't buying the car to use it.

"Okay, how about I buy two for 3500 each?"

"Mercedes said they wouldn't negotiate the price, and they didn't keep many of them; they'd be more expensive if they were put on the auction market."

Mercedes: Look at the melons now, where are they? They're all greenhouse melons. You think they're too expensive, and I think they're too expensive too.

After negotiating for ages, the price is still £3600 million, which at the current exchange rate is almost 4 million RMB!
He gritted his teeth and thought, "For the sake of my motherland, I'm going to risk everything!"

“I told Mercedes that I would sell my stocks in a while and they would give me the money, but I could keep the car.”

"no problem."

After walking around, Da Niu was a bit tired, so Zhang Yuan came to the work area as agreed and used his celebrity status to inspire people.

"I know that the past weekend was not satisfactory," he said, standing in front of a group of workers.

"But at the same time, I am also very clear that we have the most advanced equipment, the strongest drivers, and the best employees." He gestured towards the hundreds of people in front of him, "and the best staff."

"We will ensure that the name Mercedes is etched into the annals of F1 history!"

Clap clap clap clap clap... Everyone applauded in unison.

It's not easy for a shareholder not to feel resentment.

Teacher Xiaobai clapped along, even putting her hand to her mouth to amplify the sound, and cheered at the same time.

Then, he signed the papers with each of the technicians and took photos with them.

They even cooperated by striking many poses from movies.

They also served a pile of prepared desserts and cakes as a reward.

The atmosphere in the factory was quite harmonious, and everyone liked him.

They speak sweetly and offer perks; no one dislikes them.

These Chinese people are much friendlier than those Germans at Mercedes headquarters.

At this moment, he felt it was about time, so he gave a wink to his assistant who had also come along.

The assistant, carrying a backpack, stepped forward and handed him the phone.

"Hey?"

"what?"

"How could this be?"

He replied loudly in English, while looking anxious.

"Send me the information immediately, right now!"

He angrily hung up the phone and took the laptop from her backpack from his assistant.

"Brown, what's the Wi-Fi password here?" he asked as he turned on his computer.

His brows and eyes were full of anger and anxiety, as if he were living in Fukushima and had just taken a sip of tap water that tasted a little "sweet".

“There is no wireless network in the factory,” Brown replied. “For security reasons, we only use a physically connected network system.”

"So, give me the technician's computer."

"No, their computers aren't connected to the internet, also for security reasons."

"Where the hell is the internet?!" Zhang Yuan rarely lost his temper with outsiders.

This startled Elizabeth, who was standing nearby.

I just said I didn't have the temper of a rich kid, but now it seems I'm not entirely without it.

“Listen,” Zhang Yuan said, grabbing Brown’s arm. “There’s a problem with the project I’ve invested in.”

"I need to check the emails and reply now."

"It concerns Wall Street and stocks. If I don't do it before the market closes today, and it results in a trading loss."

"Then I won't have the money to buy that Mercedes worth tens of millions."

"I can't believe that as a shareholder of the fleet and as a shareholder with shares in the factory, I don't even have the right to use the internet!"

Brown knew him well, and seeing that he was sweating profusely, he turned to the German security chief standing next to him and spoke.

The other person shook their head repeatedly and replied in German.

Before he could speak, Zhang Yuan grabbed the German by the collar and nearly lifted him up on the spot.

"You scum who get in my way!"

"I'm so angry!"

Zhang Yuan used the "German" language deep in his memory to deliver the voice of Berlin.

This German guy got quite a fright.

Seeing him clench his teeth and wave his hand as he spoke, I thought he was going to sell bread for another 50 marks.

This made him want to raise his right arm at a 45-degree angle...

"I don't want to hear you talk about principles and regulations."

"I am a shareholder, I am the principle and the rule!"

“If you can’t even do this,” he said, lowering his voice, “especially since you’ve made me lose face in front of my female companion.”

"So, here's what I'll do next."

“I will convene a meeting as a shareholder to demand the replacement of some of the staff at this factory.”

He stared directly at the other person with a fierce look in his eyes: "It starts with you!"

"Okay, okay, calm down," Brown quickly tried to smooth things over and told him to let go.

I translated Zhang Yuan's words again for the German guy, and he was completely terrified.

Are you trying to ruin my livelihood?
He was so polite and kind to the workers just now, but now he's suddenly changed his attitude, and he doesn't even have time to react.

"I understand your idea."

"Come to my office, I have a network cable there, you can use it."

“Very good.” Zhang Yuan nodded as he spoke.

“Let this guy come over and watch me operate, so he won’t suspect me, as a shareholder, and do anything detrimental to the team,” he added.

The other party said it wasn't necessary.

Zhang Yuan grabbed his arm, indicating that he had to look whether he wanted to or not.

I arrived at the office, opened my laptop, and plugged in the network cable that I had unplugged from the computer.

He opened the email, downloaded the attachment in front of the two of them, viewed it, replied, then unplugged the network cable and shut down the computer.

"Is there a problem?" Zhang Yuan stood up and looked at the person who was blocking him.

The man quickly shook his head.

"That's good. If I don't have any problems, then you won't have any problems either."

After saying that, he left the office.

Brown then pulled the German aside and tried to persuade him.

"With his net worth, he can do whatever he wants."

“But that’s against the rules,” the German repeated.

"He wanted to buy a 3000 million pound car, and you didn't want headquarters to know, so the deal fell through because you upset him, right?"

After a moment's hesitation, the German shook his head vigorously.

If that's the case, even without this Chinese guy messing with me, headquarters would probably give me a hard time.

Don't let me be relegated to the assembly line in the Stuttgart factory to tighten screws the next day just because I entered with my left foot first.

"He just had some urgent business to attend to, and also wanted to show off his abilities in front of his female companion," Brown said, feigning shrewdness.

“You know what? A few days ago at the racetrack, he asked me to cooperate and portray him as someone who knows a lot about cars and even aerodynamics.”

"Just to show off my intelligence in front of women."

"You must have heard what these playboys are capable of?"

"They just want to use their wealth and privilege to attract women."

"Both pathetic and stupid, right?"

The German breathed a sigh of relief and finally revealed a wry smile.

"So that's it."

"You Germans are too serious at work and in the workplace."

“But for these wealthy people, this is just a seemingly serious amusement park.” Brown patted him on the shoulder, looking confident.

"So we don't need to tell anyone about this; just consider it a small privilege for the shareholders."

"If the demands are not met, or if the matter is reported to headquarters for investigation, it could ultimately lead to conflicts among shareholders, which would only destabilize the fleet, wouldn't it?"

As a manager, Brown also has to consider his own interests.

If the shareholders fall out and the team falls apart, he won't be in a good position either.

"alright, I got it."

The German nodded to indicate that he would do so, and then cursed in German.

"Damn Chinese!"

……

On the other side, Zhang Yuan left the office and returned to Teacher Xiaobai's side.

"I'm so sorry, I lost my composure just now."

"This is very undignified."

“I shouldn’t have done that. I shouldn’t have been disrespectful to them over such a trivial matter.”

Teacher Bai smiled somewhat awkwardly.

"No, no, no, you must have something very important to say, right?"

That's natural...

"There are some problems with the stocks of the companies I invest in, which could affect hundreds of millions of dollars."

"Fortunately, it should be resolved by now."

"In that case, I'll treat you to a meal to express my apology for what happened earlier."

“Okay…” She hesitated for a moment, but finally agreed.

What she just witnessed made her realize that this Chinese man was not perfect either; beneath the calm surface lay a storm.

This made her feel both scared and strangely excited.

Hesitant but agreeing, that's why.

Zhang Yuan restored his usual kind smile and walked out of the factory gate with the other person.

Elizabeth noticed that his steps were exceptionally light, and he exuded a charming sunshine and relaxation, as if he smelled like a freshly sun-dried blanket.

This is a stark contrast to the Thunder's previous performance.

"You seem to be in a good mood?" she asked, somewhat surprised.

Your condition seems to have changed a bit too quickly.

"I'm in a good mood because I'll be able to have a meal with you soon."

Moreover, the matter has already been completed.

Bond can finally take a break and relax with the Bond girls. (End of Chapter)