Actor: Thank you.

Yo ho!

When Zhang Yuan heard Li Lianjie say he wanted to find him about a movie, he immediately became excited.

Logically speaking, Lao Li’s personality is closer to that of a “lone wolf” than Uncle Long.

The difference in their personalities is actually quite obvious.

This can be seen from his daily performance on the set.

Li Lianjie goes to work on time and leaves work on time. If he has nothing to do, he sits alone and drinks tea, or closes his eyes and relaxes to calm his mind.

Of course, it doesn’t mean to ignore people.

If you talk to him, he can tell you everything.

It's just that I rarely take the initiative to talk to everyone in detail.

The same goes when filming. Just make sure you are 100% satisfied. Other people's performance is none of your business.

With a director and a producer around, I am just an actor who gets paid to film a movie.

The situation for Chen Long is just the opposite.

If Uncle Long was not a superstar, but just a supporting actor, he would definitely be disliked by others.

He flirts with cats and dogs everywhere and is the number one street scoundrel on the set.

He saw the camera and lighting and went to lend a hand.

The rice was being served slowly, so he went to help serve the soup.

The props were being put up on the scaffolding, and he went to hold the ladder.

You never know where Chen Long will pop up from on the set.

Even when Liu Qianqian and Maikou were filming, he would take a break or just pass by.

When they see this, they will go up and help the two people adjust their movements and postures.

From top to bottom, there is no work he doesn't do.

The same is true at work, he sings and releases albums, acts as a superstar, and is a big shot in charity.

Good health and high energy are one reason, but he is also ambitious and naturally loves to teach others and be a leader.

One of them is like a wolf king and the other is like a lion king.

They are all at the top of the food chain, but their styles are very different.

Therefore, Mr. Li is unlikely to offer to help others, unless the relationship is particularly good or the other party has special potential.

And Zhang Yuan happened to be stuck on both items.

In terms of relationship, whether on the set of "Huo Yuanjia" or here, he felt that this guy was one of his own.

Especially when he had various minor frictions with Chen Long over competing for status, this little brother always came out to mediate.

In his heart, he felt that the other party was biased towards him.

Chen Long actually thought so too. He believed that Zhang Yuan was on his side.

This is the confidence of the two big guys.

And it's a coincidence.

The film he wanted to talk about just happened to lack a role suitable for Zhang Yuan.

Then I thought about how Chen Long started to win over the other party as soon as he came to the crew, and kept mentioning "Rush Hour 3".

And he deliberately chatted in front of me.

What that means is, I brought this kid to Hollywood!
When it comes to leading people, Li Lianjie is really not as good as Chen Long.

When it comes to Kung Fu, I'm better than you!

In terms of fame...we're tied!

When it comes to making money...I admit that you are a little better than me.

In Lao Li's eyes, the two of them are evenly matched.

But Zhang Yuan knew that from the moment Li Lianjie chose to immigrate, he was no match for Chen Long.

But he himself will definitely not admit his mistake.

And now, in his eyes, the situation was a draw, and the point of contention between the two extended to Zhang Yuan.

You introduced him to blockbuster movies.

I have one too!

"Brother Jie, what is the movie you are talking about?" Zhang Yuan already had a vague answer in his mind and just needed the other party to confirm.

"Have you heard of the Ma Assassination Case, one of the four great cases in the late Qing Dynasty?"

Zhang Yuan nodded vigorously.

Guess it right!
The four most bizarre cases in the late Qing Dynasty.

The late Qing Dynasty mentioned here actually refers to the years when the old witch was in power.

The so-called four strange cases are actually not that "strange" in the eyes of later generations.

Mainly the historical background.

In that era when information was blocked, ordinary people in the countryside might not even know who the emperor was.

These four stories are all told in bookstalls, bookstores, and among the people.

As everyone knows, storytellers are like those who run a soy sauce shop, and they are best at adding oil and vinegar.

So the more they talked, the stranger and weirder it became.

After all, in order to make storytelling attractive, it is necessary to add drama.

The most famous case among them is the "Yang Naiwu and Xiao Baicai" case.

The remaining ones are "The Yang Yuelou Case" and "The Taiyuan Case".

The last one is "The Assassination of Ma".

Among these four stories, "The Taiyuan Case" has always been considered to be fabricated and has no real historical background.

And the style is also different from the remaining three stories.

The remaining three stories all contain descriptions of the dark side of officialdom.

In fact, the most famous "Yang Naiwu Case" involved the highest level of involvement, involving the Minister of Justice, the Governor of Zhejiang, and even the power of Zuo Zongtang... the Zuo Zongtang who made the Zuo Zongtang Chicken that foreigners love to eat.

In the end, it was Guangxu's biological father, Prince Chun Yihuan, who stepped in to intervene, which felt a bit like a deus ex machina.

But in fact, the logic of the story is reasonable. Yihuan took action to help his own son Guangxu and the imperial forces behind him to suppress the southern governors and warlord groups, especially the Hunan warlords.

So although there are many versions of this story, it is still considered to be based on historical facts.

The "Assassination of Ma" case is the one that is most closely related to the "Yang Naiwu and Xiao Baicai" case among the four strange cases.

Because 刺马, 刺马, is not a tattoo, it is not a sashimi.

It means to assassinate Ma Xinyi.

Ma Xinyi is a personal name. He was appointed by the emperor as the governor of Zhejiang and later promoted to the governor-general of Liangjiang.

He was stabbed to death while serving as the Governor-General of Liangjiang.

The person who assassinated him has not been determined.

But there are two mainstream theories: one is Zeng Guofan and the other is Zeng Guoquan.

Anyway, it was these two brothers who did it.

These two brothers were the leaders of the Hunan Army.

You see, the major forces behind the "Assassination of Ma" and "Yang Naiwu" cases were the Hunan Army Group.

This shows how powerful this warlord group was at the end of the dynasty.

The assassination of Ma was not about assassinating the imperial envoy, but directly assassinating the Governor-General of Liangjiang!

What are the consequences of killing?
Zeng Guofan took over as Governor-General of Liangjiang and was responsible for investigating the case.

I just check myself.

"I know this case." Zhang Yuan recalled it in his mind and replied, "I have made many movies."

"Yes, yes, this time it's an adaptation of the old version." Li Lianjie was very pleased to see that he understood, saving himself a lot of effort in explaining.

"There is a third male role in the film, but it has not been decided yet."

"I think it suits you."

"Why did you let him play the third male role?" Uncle Long, who was listening, immediately interrupted.

"What male role is he in Rush Hour 3?" Lao Li turned around and asked.

Uncle Long remained silent.

Also the third male.

In "The Forbidden Kingdom", it is not as good as "Rush Hour", and he has to rank behind Michael Koo.

So it’s not an exaggeration for Lao Li to say that he is the third male lead.

It doesn’t matter who the third male is, the key is who the first and second males are.

Li Lianjie and Chen Long took the lead, and he followed behind. Not only was it not embarrassing, but it was also a benefit.

"This play is mainly a man's play."

"My male lead, Liu Dehua's male second."

"Male number three, I was planning to look for Takeshi Kaneshiro."

"But this guy...ah." Li Lianjie was so angry that he laughed as he spoke.

This play, of course, was later called "The Warlords".

It is still called "The Assassination of Ma", which directly uses the name of the early version starring Shaw Brothers' Ti Lung and David Chiang.

The early cast was more laughable.

It is planned to let Takeshi Kaneshiro play the eldest brother Pang Qingyun, Nicholas Tse play the second brother Zhao Erhu, and Edison Chen play the third brother Jiang Wuyang.

Fortunately it was changed, otherwise if this movie had been released coincident with the "porn photo scandal", the consequences would be unimaginable.

The director is, of course, Chen Kexin. In fact, the reason for making this film is very simple.

It is that a series of big productions from the mainland such as "Hero", "The Banquet", and "Curse of the Golden Flower" have boosted the entire film market while also indirectly dealing a blow to the Hong Kong film industry.

So Chen Kexin also wants to make a big production.

The reason for looking for Takeshi Kaneshiro was because they had worked together before in "If Love".

He wanted to find those three at first because he wanted to have a good image, be liked by others, and buy tickets to enter.

But the plan was quickly rejected.

The reason is very simple, these three people are not capable of taking on the responsibility of a super production!
The original budget of this film was 2 million, which is already a top-notch production.

You just ask these people to come, are they qualified?
Moreover, these three are all from the Hong Kong circle. Who can guarantee the huge box office market in the mainland?
The key point is that Chen Kexin thought it was the easiest to deal with, but Takeshi Kaneshiro, who had worked with her before, was the first one to shake his head.

Because Takeshi Kaneshiro is just like Mr. Guo.

There are four things Guo Degang doesn’t eat.

There are three things Takeshi Kaneshiro doesn't shoot.

I won’t film a drama where I’m not the male lead, or where there are multiple male leads.

We won’t film costume dramas.

I won’t shoot anything that’s too hard or tiring.

Isn’t this the young master?

If you don't want to shoot this or that, then why don't you just stop doing this job?

I don't film with too many male protagonists because I'm afraid they will steal the show.

I don’t shoot costume dramas because I find it troublesome to put on and wear makeup. It’s the same as the third reason, which is that I’m afraid of being tired.

Chen Kexin talked to him several times, but he was not happy at all.

At the same time, Chen Kexin also planned to do something big.

In order to secure the market and attract more investment, he approached Li Lianjie.

I didn’t expect that Takeshi Kaneshiro was difficult to deal with, but Li Lianjie was very easy to talk to.

But the prerequisite is that the money is enough.

When asked for a film salary of 10 million yuan, Lao Li ignored it.

When he received 100 million yuan in salary, Lao Li was delighted.

The total budget was 200 million, and Li Lianjie asked for 100 million in salary.

He even proudly said that this was a friendly price because he was earning 2000 million US dollars in Hollywood.

He was just talking.

In Hollywood, if he wants to get so much money for a movie, it is definitely not just from the film salary, but also from the share of profits and subsequent copyright fees.

Anyway, Chen Kexin gritted her teeth and agreed.

This old guy didn't come here for nothing.

He immediately went to look for investors to increase the budget under the banner of Li Lianjie joining.

Now that was a good thing, when Media Asia, China Film Group and Andrew Morgan heard that Li Lianjie was involved, they gritted their teeth and increased the budget to the same level as "Curse of the Golden Flower".

Close to 4 million!

Andrew Morgan is a foreigner. Like Harvey, he is an independent film producer in Hollywood and also a long-term collaborator of Bruce Lee in Hollywood.

Director Chen turned around and found Brother Hua again.

Brother Hua has always been easy to talk to, unlike Takeshi Kaneshiro who has a lot of demands.

It’s okay to play a supporting role, I also played a supporting role in "The Disciples".

Playing a supporting role for Li Lianjie is not considered a downgrade.

In the Hong Kong circle, Lao Li has a strong appeal.

Zhou Runfa is not considered a celebrity in Hollywood, but Li Lianjie is... This was said by Hong Kong entertainment tycoon Wang Jing himself.

Old Li is in contact with Chen Kexin and heard that Takeshi Kaneshiro is difficult to deal with.

Li Lianjie thought, if it’s difficult, then don’t do it!

Why doesn't Takeshi Kaneshiro want to play the role of Jiang Wuyang?
Because even though Li Lianjie was cast, the Kung Fu Emperor’s role in this film is more literary.

On the contrary, the third brother’s martial arts scenes are the most important.

What can Takeshi Kaneshiro do in a fight?

The only thing left is the name containing the character "Wu".

At the same time, he was being coy and also wanted to increase his pay.

Zhang Yuan remembered that Brother Hua earned 1600 million for this movie.

After much bargaining, this guy finally managed to get 1200 million.

What level is he? He is just a little lower than Brother Hua.

Comparing the three of them, his performance was barely satisfactory.

If compared with those three old acting masters, it would be even more unbearable to watch.

Old Li chatted with Director Chen.

Although he has a lone wolf personality, he is still very smart and is a very intelligent person.

This is Chen Kexin’s analysis.

What is your reason for looking for Takeshi Kaneshiro?
You are familiar with him and have a basis for cooperation.

He is handsome and has box office appeal, and can especially make up for the young female market that he and Brother Hua lack.

These two points are the most important.

Li Lianjie said, then let me recommend someone to you.

He thought about introducing him to Zhang Yuan.

Unexpectedly, as soon as I mentioned the name, the other party immediately said he knew it.

When we were filming "The Disciples", Chen Kexin was the producer and came to the set several times.

Lao Li said that was even better and continued to analyze it for him.

Zhang Yuan is also your acquaintance.

He also has box-office appeal with young women.

Moreover, this character has a lot of fighting scenes, and he can fight well.

In general, whatever Takeshi Kaneshiro can do, he can do too.

What Takeshi Kaneshiro can't do, he can still do!
Chen Kexin pondered.

"Hey!"

"Hey, don't say it, please don't say it..."

So I agreed to ask him to give it a try.

"Thank you, Brother Jie. This is a great opportunity!" Zhang Yuan immediately clasped his hands together to express his gratitude.

"As you should. This is what you are capable of."

"If you don't have the ability, you won't get the chance even if you have it." Lao Li said politely.

Zhang Yuan thought that might not be the case.

Among those cedemonstrators in later generations, none of them relied on their own abilities.

Still showing up every day.

However, Zhang Yuan discovered that when Li Lianjie said this, his eyes were looking at Uncle Long.

So he immediately took up the conversation.

“There are too many talented people, but too few opportunities.”

"If it wasn't for Brother Jie's help, even if I knew Director Chen Kexin, he might not have thought of me."

"It was you who took me out to play that gave me this opportunity."

After saying that, he turned around and looked at Chen Long.

Uncle Long, Uncle Long.

If you don't try to keep me, I'll leave with Brother Li.

When Li Lianjie heard his words, his shoulders shook with joy.

Look!
That's what human beings say.

how about it?
You, Chen Long, are not the only one who can play with him. When I take action, it’s also amazing!
Chen Long's eyebrows twitched.

Rob someone in front of me!
What's the difference between this and cheating on me?
Women are like clothes, and brothers are like siblings.

If you steal my little brother, you will just chop off my hands and feet.

"Um, Zhang Yuan." Uncle Long also spoke.

I thought to myself, luckily I came along today.

“This is a good opportunity, you should try your best.”

"I will bring you to overseas shows later to promote Rush Hour 3. You should also perform well."

"Then we will have success both at home and abroad."

"Thank you, Uncle Long. You are familiar with the overseas market. I will listen to you." Zhang Yuan acted like a junior.

"Domestic performances are still more important. The foundation of an actor is performance." Lao Li spoke again.

"It is also important to let more people know, especially overseas, so that you can make money." Uncle Long did not give in at all.

Zhang Yuan glanced at the two people who were secretly on the verge of a conflict.

Two great Kung Fu superstars serve me alone. How could this be a small blessing? (End of this chapter)