Huayu: Hard fight against Zhang Weiping at the beginning

Chapter 606 Little Cannon Breaks Defense

"Click~"

After filming a scene for "If You Are the One 2", Xiao Gangpao immediately gave a thumbs up.

"Teacher Shu, you acted so well!"

Across from him, Teacher Shu was a little embarrassed by the praise: "Director Xiaogang, you flatter me. I'm not that good."

As she said this, she glanced subtly at Qin Fen beside her—oh no, Uncle Ge, he's the one who acts so well, there's not a trace of acting in his performance.

Director Feng, however, insisted on praising her, making her feel like she was showing off her limited skills before an expert.

"This isn't an overstatement; your acting was truly superb, incredibly natural!"

Feng Xiaogang said with a smile.

"Teacher Shu's acting is excellent, the audience loves watching it, and I love making movies. Otherwise, why do you think I would make 'If You Are the One 2'? When have you ever seen me make a sequel movie?"

Grandpa Ge, standing nearby, watched Feng Xiaogang boasting, smiling but saying nothing.

It was like this when filming "If You Are the One 1". Feng Xiaogang especially loved to brag in front of Teacher Shu and took good care of her. At first, he thought it was just because she was a well-established beauty, but later he gradually realized that it probably wasn't...

It's more like a way of compensating for the loss of one's first teacher.

You taught me so much back then, and I have no way to repay you.

Now that I've made it big, and there's a chance to collaborate, I naturally want to take care of them.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have stepped in to help Ms. Shu when she was being targeted by netizens, earning them the title of "Shu's Protector".

Hey, I heard that Teacher Xu argued with him quite a bit about this.
But Feng Xiaogang didn't care and continued to do things his own way, even forbidding Teacher Xu from visiting the set.

Later, Teacher Xu came to terms with it and didn't care anymore. She comforted herself, thinking that no matter what, their family wouldn't suffer a loss.

"Teacher Ge, how much do you think our film 'If You Are the One 2' will ultimately gross at the box office?"

Teacher Shu was very good at reading people's expressions. When he chatted with Feng Xiaogang, he didn't neglect Ge You.

Ge You laughed and said, "Comedy films are Director Feng's forte, so the box office is sure to be good, but Director Feng probably has a good idea of ​​exactly how much it will reach."

Feng Xiaogang, standing next to him, said arrogantly, "This film will gross at least 400 million."

"Wow, is it that tall?" Teacher Shu exclaimed in feigned surprise, adding plenty of emotional value.

Feng Xiaogang, like a proud swan, raised his head: "Of course! 'If You Are the One' made 300 million, 'If You Are the One 2' can't possibly be worse than 'If You Are the One,' right?"

"Director Feng is really amazing. If it breaks 400 million, you have to give us red envelopes!" Teacher Shu clapped her hands and laughed.

Director Xiao Gang's face was beaming with joy.

"It will definitely happen, it must happen!"

Grandpa Ge felt it was time for him to leave.

He was getting a little tired of the two people opposite him.

This woman, despite her age, really knows how to charm men.

Xiao Gang's skill level is clearly insufficient; he was easily fooled by just a few words.

Grandpa Ge was also puzzled: what exactly did Xiao Gang like about her?
Does she have a big mouth?
Or is it because the distance between your eyes is too large?

Or is it simply a matter of liking big?

I don't understand!
As for the 400 million yuan box office, just take it with a grain of salt; Ge You himself doesn't believe it anyway.

Breaking 400 million at the box office is no joke; currently, only Zhang Chen in China has achieved this feat.

However, he wouldn't say anything. Advising on such matters wouldn't be helpful and would only annoy others, so it's better to say nothing. This is his wisdom in dealing with people.

"Teacher Ge, here's the newspaper you requested."

The stagehand came running over and handed him a stack of newspapers.

"Thank you, you've worked hard!"

"It's not hard work, it's all about serving the people!"

The stagehand was also a Beijing guy, and he was quite the chatterbox.
Grandpa Ge is a bit old-fashioned. He firmly believes in the idea that "if you don't read books and newspapers, you will become a waste of life," and he reads the newspaper every day.

He unfolded the newspaper, took out his reading glasses and put them on his nose, just to clear his head and avoid listening to their nagging.

Unexpectedly, when I opened the newspaper, I saw a huge headline on the front page: "Gravity" has surpassed 400 million yuan at the box office, and industry rumors suggest that director Guo Fan's salary has reached 15 million yuan.

roar~
Surprised, Grandpa Ge couldn't help but read it aloud, which unexpectedly startled the two people next to him.

"What did you say?"

"Uh, nothing, I'm just reading the newspaper."

The two people opposite were intrigued and immediately came over. After seeing the headline, Feng Xiaogang even snatched the newspaper away.

"Gravity?"
Four hundred million?

A salary of 1500 million?

As Feng Xiaogang read the news, he suddenly felt uneasy.

Why?
He's been famous for so long, but he still doesn't have a film that grossed 400 million at the box office.

This new director's first film grossed over 400 million?

The thought that he had just been boasting about his 400 million yuan box office in front of a beautiful woman, only to have it published in the newspaper the next day, that a new director's film had broken 400 million yuan, felt like a slap in the face.

Thinking about this, Feng Xiaogang felt his face burning.

He dared not look up, nor dared he look into Teacher Shu's eyes, for fear of seeing contempt and ridicule in them.

The more afraid I am, the angrier I become, angry at the other person's achievements and the salary they receive.

After working myself to the bone for years, I only earned 1500 million yuan in film fees. And that was for "If You Are the One 2". Before that, my film fees were much higher.

But Guo Fan did it all with just one movie.

Feng Xiaogang felt increasingly aggrieved. "Isn't this ridiculous? These young directors have only directed a few films, yet they're already charging 1500 million yuan a month. They're ruining the industry like this. No way, I have to speak out!"

Grandpa Ge held him down: "Xiao Gang, don't be impulsive. Didn't Huayi Brothers just reach a settlement with Xingchen Entertainment? What will they do if you suddenly pull this stunt?"

Speaking of this, Feng Xiaogang suddenly got angry: "Hmph, they were the ones who wanted to reconcile, I didn't. They didn't even consult me ​​before making the decision to reconcile on their own. Did they even think about what would happen to me?"

After Feng Xiaogang said that, Uncle Ge couldn't persuade him anymore.

Even strangers shouldn't distance themselves from relatives!

Xiao Gang and the Wang brothers are both from Huayi Brothers. It's an internal matter for Huayi Brothers, and it's not appropriate for an outsider like myself to get involved.

When Teacher Shu heard the name Xingchen Entertainment, her eyes suddenly lit up.

Little Cannon happened to see this, and he held a grudge too.

"Whisper," no one has ever insulted him like this since he was a child~
……

Star Entertainment
A group of people are having a meeting in the conference room.

"The final cut of 'Aftershock' is complete. When will it be released so everyone can take a look?"

"Aftershock" is the first film that Zhang Yimou collaborated on with Star Entertainment, and now it's finally time for him to deliver his work.

"Let's do it tomorrow then. It's better to start early than late, and we can take this opportunity to learn something!"

"Please don't be shy, I'd also like to hear your opinions. After all, there's an age gap between us, and I'm afraid my photos won't meet your expectations."

"Alright, stop being modest. We're just young. It's hard to say whether we'll have achieved what you have by the time we get to your age."

After exchanging a few polite words, everyone agreed to watch "The Great Earthquake" the next day.

This is just an internal screening and does not involve theatrical releases. If there are any inappropriate parts in the film, there is still room for revision.

Zhang Chen nodded. He was also looking forward to Zhang Yimou's version of "Aftershock," wondering how different it would be from the original. The two versions were actually quite similar, but with different directors, the presentation would definitely be different. Zhang Chen was quite curious to see what Zhang Yimou's version would be like.

"Next, something else happened. Science Fiction World contacted us; they want to publish 'Gravity'!"

"Gravity" is a pure film script. Now that the film is a hit, it can definitely be published as a short story.

Everyone looked at Zhang Chen. The complete story of the script was provided by Zhang Chen, and the writing team of Xingchen Entertainment only added some details.

Zhang Chen shrugged: "Okay, let's get a few people together and adapt the script into a novel..."

For the screenwriting team, this was an easy task; every screenwriter knows how to write a novel.

Speaking of this, Zhang Chen suddenly remembered something else: "I actually have another story about space here, which I can write down as well. I could also find someone skilled in English writing to produce an English version. It might even become a bestseller in North America, which would be beneficial for future film and television adaptations."

"Another story about space?"

The people in the meeting room immediately became interested.

"Yes, it's a story about a forgotten astronaut who grows potatoes in space to save himself..."

Zhang Chen briefly recounted the story of "The Martian," and everyone was immediately captivated by the plot.

This story is so so Chinese!
It's as if it was tailor-made for Chinese people.

Chinese people love growing grains, and they go wherever they want. This story even inspired the idea of ​​growing potatoes in space.

"Isn't it too exaggerated?"

Ning Hao was also drawn to the plot, but he was more worried about its plausibility.

Zhang Chen confidently shook his head: "It's no exaggeration. I specifically had experts from the space agency verify it; it's technically entirely feasible."

Zhang Chen's words made everyone restless.

Lu Yang's eyes were full of eagerness.

Gravity taught him a good lesson; only blockbuster films can truly teach him how to make a difference.

The box office difference between "Taken 2" and "Gravity" is 100 million, and "Taken 2" is a sequel to a successful movie, yet it still couldn't beat it.

Guo Fan wanted it too, but after thinking about it, he ultimately didn't ask.

I already have one film, *Gravity*, and now they want to take another one, *The Martian*? They'd tear me apart on the spot!
As for Ning Hao, he has his own ideas.

Zhang Chen looked up and saw the guys opposite him with gleaming eyes. He knew exactly what they were thinking and immediately warned, "Don't get your hopes up, you lot. I'm going to film this myself; you're not getting any part in it!"

"Senior brother~"

Lu Yang actually started acting cute~
Zhang Chen immediately felt a chill: "Get lost! Don't even mention 'senior brother,' calling you 'master' won't help!"

Zhang Chen was determined, and no one could change his mind.

"Then I'll call you Second Senior Brother from now on~"

"Uh~, Second Senior Brother, you're the Second Senior Brother, your whole family are Second Senior Brothers~"

"Hahaha~"

The meeting room immediately transformed into a sea of ​​joy.

"Chenzi, I'm different from them. We're good brothers. You like 'The Martian,' so I definitely can't steal you away!"

Zhang Chen seemed to sense a conspiracy: "Speak your mind, or shut up!"

Ning Hao chuckled: "I read a short story that I thought was pretty good and wanted to turn it into a movie, but then I found out that we actually owned the copyright!"

"The copyright is in our hands? Liu Cixin's?"

The copyrights that Zhang Chen had his company stockpile in the early stages were mostly novels by Liu Cixin.

"Ah."

Ning Hao nodded.

"Which one?"

"The Rural Teacher"

"The Rural Teacher"?
Now it was Zhang Chen's turn to be surprised. "Brother, you've really given up."

"The Country Professor" is such a great story, and then you actually made a movie called "Crazy Alien".

Zhang Chen never understood the connection between these two films in his past life.

"This one……"

Ning Hao thought he had it in the bag, but Zhang Chen hesitated.

"To be honest, the subject matter of 'The Rural Teacher' isn't suitable for you. I think it would be much more suitable for director Yi Mou to make it."

This left Zhang Yimou, who was standing to the side, stunned.

He had never even seen "The Village Teacher," let alone thought about making a science fiction film. How did this opportunity fall on his head?

"I haven't read 'The Village Teacher,' what's it about?"

Zhang Chen briefly recounted the plot of "The Rural Teacher" again, and Zhang Yimou suddenly became interested.

Science fiction can be done like this?
He never imagined he could make science fiction films. Deep down, he always thought it was something only young people would be interested in, and that he couldn't possibly do it.

But the plot of "The Rural Teacher" made him feel for the first time that he could do it too.

Ning Hao was speechless. If it were anyone else, he certainly wouldn't let it go, but Zhang Yimou really had nothing to say.

Because the story of "The Village Teacher," apart from the alien part at the end, basically depicts rural life.

When it comes to making this film, Zhang Yimou considers himself second to none.

Zhang Yimou remained noncommittal, and Ning Hao seemed somewhat embarrassed. Zhang Chen had no choice but to say, "How about this, if you want to film it, write the script first. If the script is fine, then I'll hand it over to you to film..."

"The Rural Teacher" is actually soft science fiction.

Soft science fiction doesn't matter; success or failure is not important.

If it were "The Wandering Earth" or "The Three-Body Problem," he would have to think about it.

Seeing the atmosphere getting a little awkward, Dong Jianqiang quickly changed the subject: "There's something else. The editor-in-chief of *Science Fiction Magazine* called to express his gratitude. Because of the huge success of *Gravity*, many of their stories have recently sold film and television adaptation rights."

"That's a good thing!"

Everyone in the conference room laughed, and the atmosphere relaxed.

The phenomenal success of "Gravity" has not only boosted the popularity of science fiction films, but also the entire science fiction industry.

The biggest instigators were science fiction authors.

Science fiction has always been a niche genre in the country.

Liu Cixin is already a top author in the science fiction field, and the copyright of his works is only worth 100,000 to 200,000 yuan.

Science fiction writers have a tough life; it's not an exaggeration to say they work out of passion.

Then Star Entertainment released "Pacific Rim" and "Gravity," which completely revitalized the game. The science fiction genre, which had never been of interest to anyone before, suddenly became a hot commodity.

Many authors have sold their works that had been sitting unsold for years, which has genuinely changed their lives.

"It's not just science fiction writers; some people have even come to Starry Sky Entertainment specifically to buy the copyrights we've stockpiled!"

"These people really have a good plan; they know that what we're after is definitely the one with the most adaptable value."

"Yes, smart people are everywhere."

"Okay, is there anything else? If not, I'll be flying to the US in a couple of days."

Although the visual effects supervisor was in charge of Pacific Rim 2, he couldn't completely ignore it and had to check on it every now and then.

(End of this chapter)