Huayu: Hard fight against Zhang Weiping at the beginning

Chapter 649 I'll Pay More

Prince Rashid was injured in the game, so the third project is definitely not going to be possible.

Zhang Chen felt that now was the perfect time. In the previous game segment, the three princes had both won and lost, generating enough buzz. And since it was almost lunchtime, Zhang Chen decided to do his best as a host.

At 6:30 p.m., Zhang Chen hosted the three princes at a Tianjin restaurant, along with their entourage from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Have the three princes visited China before?

The three shook their heads, and Prince Salman said, "This is our first time here."

"That's wonderful! Today I ordered specialties from various regional cuisines of China. Your Highness can try them and experience some exotic flavors!"

As for drinking, the Quran explicitly forbids it, and Zhang Chen didn't know if he could control the three princes. Since they didn't mention it, he pretended not to know and didn't arrange for them to drink.

The restaurant's kitchen was quickly taken over by the prince's security team and foreign ministry personnel, but they were only there to supervise and not interfere.

The master chefs were a little unaccustomed at first, but the experienced staff from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told them not to be nervous and to just act as usual, which put the master chefs at ease.

This is an old restaurant with experienced chefs who are quick and efficient; the dishes were served in no time.

Eight-treasure tofu, mutton with vinegar and pepper, braised beef, braised pork strips, shumai, steamed dumplings~
"Come on, try these, they're all local specialties!"

Zhang Chen invited the three princes to start eating. Putting aside everything else, they definitely had never eaten the Eight Treasures Tofu and Vinegar Pepper Lamb in the Middle East.

"Yeah yeah~"

The three princes had been eyeing it for a long time, and if it weren't for their sense of decorum, they would have already devoured it.

Each dish, when served, releases a unique aroma that stimulates the taste buds, causing saliva to be secreted in abundance.

The Eight Treasures Tofu, in particular, has an excellent appearance.

Eight ingredients, each with a different taste and unique flavor.

"Mmm, not bad, not bad, the taste is excellent!"

Prince Hamad showed great interest in the Eight Treasures Tofu, the shiitake mushrooms were chewy, the Japanese tofu was soft, and the squid was springy...

Prince Rashid, on the other hand, had a particular fondness for mutton with vinegar and pepper, a flavor he had never tried before.

Vinegar-peppered mutton is also Zhang Chen's favorite. People from Shanxi generally love two dishes: vinegar-peppered mutton and stir-fried shredded pork with vinegar.

Foreign Ministry staff temporarily acted as cultural ambassadors, introducing not only the eight delicacies in Eight Treasures Tofu but also other dishes. Hamad exclaimed, "No wonder Chinese food is so delicious; even a single dish has such complex ingredients!"

No alcohol was consumed, but the atmosphere in the private room was still lively.

The group chatted about the afternoon's episode of "Running Man," and Zhang Chen naturally expressed his appreciation for Prince Rashid's never-give-up spirit, and even more admiration for Prince Hamad's first-place finish.

"I swear to God, there was absolutely no cheating. Prince Hamad won first place entirely on merit!"

This sentence was more effective than a hundred flattering words. The three princes looked so pleased that they wished they could write Zhang Chen a check on the spot.

"Your Highness, 'Running Man' is a very popular show in China. I guarantee that after the show airs, the three of you will become incredibly popular in China. You might even get recognized on the street!"

As Zhang Chen continued the conversation, he quickly became a good person in the eyes of the three princes.

“Zhang, I almost forgot I was injured this afternoon if you hadn’t mentioned it. Traditional Chinese medicine is truly amazing. I thought I would definitely have to stay in the hospital for a while, but I recovered after just one simple treatment. Now I’m completely like a normal person…”

As he spoke, Prince Rashid even stretched his right arm, making wide, unrestrained movements.

"Traditional Chinese medicine is a long-standing medical system in our country, and it has many amazing effects. I think Sister Li is more familiar with this than I am, so let her introduce it to you..."

The "Sister Li" that Zhang Chen mentioned was an attaché at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who immediately gave a brief introduction to traditional Chinese medicine upon hearing this.

After hearing this, Prince Rashid immediately said, "It seems I need to add a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner to my medical team..."

Everyone was naturally happy to see this happen.

While everyone was enjoying their meal and chatting in the private room, the internet outside was already in an uproar.

The filming of this program was originally intended to promote "Pacific Rim 2", so the entire process was open to the public.

So even though the show hasn't aired yet, many details have already been leaked by onlookers in the afternoon.

The production team doesn't prohibit it; that's one of their goals.

#Middle Eastern Prince's 50-Minute Challenge on Running Man#
#Prince Rashid: Never Abandoning His Companions#
#Traditional Chinese Bone Setting Conquers Middle Eastern Royal Families#
Three topics firmly occupied the top three spots on the trending searches, with tens of thousands of comments under each one.

Several regular cast members of "Running Man" also came to join in the fun:

Zheng Kai uploaded a photo of a bracelet: "Just wanted to let everyone know, Prince Salman gave me a bracelet, who would believe it?"

Onlookers: "I just want to know, is it valuable?"

Zheng Kai chuckled to himself, "I secretly checked, and that turquoise alone is priceless. Plus, it's a custom-made piece for a prince! Do you know what a custom-made piece means? It's priceless!"

Shen Teng's message was a little sarcastic: "Why didn't the prince send us off?"

As the group inside got into a lively conversation, Ms. Li, an attaché from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, quietly snapped a picture of the scene and sent it to Xiaolin, captioning it: "The princes are very interested in Chinese food and traditional Chinese bone-setting techniques~"

Xiao Lin replied instantly: "Director Zhou said to let them experience it to their heart's content, and not to deliberately guide them."

The assistant knocked on the door and told Zhang Chen about what was happening on the internet outside.

The three princes looked on curiously because the assistant had spoken Chinese earlier.

Zhang Chen smiled and acted as a temporary translator: "Your Highnesses, I misjudged you. I thought you would only become popular after the show aired, but you're already famous now!"

After speaking, Zhang Chen showed the three of them the laptop his assistant had brought, and also translated the Weibo discussion on it.

The three princes became very interested, and after seeing Shen Teng's comment, Prince Salman immediately said, "I will give each of the hosts this afternoon a bracelet like that!"

"No, no, Prince Salman, there's no need. He was just joking."

"No, no, no, we Saudis always keep our word. I'm willing to give it to my friends, so please pass it on to them."

"Alright, then I'll thank Your Highness on their behalf."

"Also, Chinese netizens are very enthusiastic. To thank everyone for their love for the three of us brothers, I will have the embassy randomly send out 100 gifts later. Please pass on my message..."

“Me too,” Hamad and Rashid immediately added.

The three princes clearly understood social networks, so what could Zhang Chen say but express his gratitude on their behalf?

"To express their gratitude to netizens for their support, Princes Salman, Rashid, and Hamad will be holding a raffle later today. Interested netizens can follow their embassy's account."

The message immediately sparked heated discussion, with a series of "thank you, tycoon" emojis appearing below.

After this incident, the atmosphere in the private room became even more lively.

Prince Salman and his two companions finally got down to the real business of their trip to China.

"Director Zhang, we've watched Pacific Rim 2 three times. We all love this movie, but we noticed a problem while watching it."

Zhang Chen thought to himself, "He really came," but still played the straight man well: "Oh, what's the problem?"

Hamad immediately chimed in, his tone tinged with obvious regret: "The movie says that fighting monsters is a global issue, but the Middle East doesn't even have a single dedicated mech."

Rashid put down his chopsticks and added, "We have the best carbon fiber materials, military technology that can operate in the desert, and courage that is second to none. This is not in line with the international standing of the Middle East."

From the moment Zhang Chen received the notification that the other party had made a special trip to visit him in China, he knew that this day was just a matter of time.

Upon hearing this, she immediately corrected her attitude: "This was my mistake. I had actually considered Middle Eastern mechs, but initially, I lacked sufficient knowledge about Middle Eastern culture. During the production of *Pacific Rim 2*, the budget was a constraint; the mech effects were simply too expensive, so it ultimately didn't come to fruition."

The three brothers exchanged glances, sensing that something was amiss.

That day, after watching the movie, they publicly declared that they were somewhat dissatisfied with the lack of Middle Eastern mechs. In fact, they were testing Warner Bros.' attitude.

Warner has remained silent, giving them the impression that Warner is unwilling.

However, in the following days, they learned from other sources that the control over "Pacific Rim" was not in Warner Bros.' hands at all, but in the hands of director Zhang Chen.

His interest in Middle Eastern mechs rekindled, and he even went so far as to travel to China for them.

Now, according to Zhang Chen, the reason for not having Middle Eastern mechs is actually because they don't have the money.

"money is not a problem!"

Salman immediately slammed his hand on the table, his eyes gleaming. "Pacific Rim 3, we want to see Jaegers from the Middle East. How much do you want? Director Zhang Chen, name your price. Our three royal families have always placed great importance on cultural promotion!"

Hamad nodded, took out his phone and waved it: "I'll call finance right now and transfer a $50 million deposit. We'll make up the difference if it's not enough!"

Rashid chimed in, "If desert scenes are needed, my father can coordinate with desert reserves in Oman, where the dunes are even more spectacular than the special effects in the movies. Also, I understand that Director Zhang's next film, *Mission: Impossible 4*, will be filming at the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. I can arrange it completely free, and we will also provide the necessary cooperation..."

Sister Li almost dropped the teacup from her hand, not even noticing the tea splashing onto her trouser leg.

She secretly pinched herself, mentally yelling, "Is this what they call 'petrodollars'? They talk about fifty million like it's nothing!"

Zhang Chen was secretly overjoyed, but his face showed a troubled expression: "But the general story framework of 'Global Times 3' has already been determined, and the main characters have also been decided. Adding a character at this time is too risky..."

Sister Li's eyes widened: "You're not even willing to add one more role for fifty million US dollars?"

But she dared not say, and she did not know whether Zhang Chen was truly principled or was waiting for a higher offer.

"We know that making such a request is a bit excessive, but we ask Director Zhang to understand us. Our people need this kind of role to enhance cohesion, which is very important to us. As our friend, we hope that Director Zhang can help us, and we certainly won't let our friend suffer any losses..."

Rashid then announced another figure: "Eighty million US dollars, not an investment, it's for the director!"

"Sigh~"

Even though Sister Li is very knowledgeable, she couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

Zhang Chen was also shocked. He thought it would be at most 80 million US dollars, without any profit sharing. He didn't expect the other party to be so generous. This 80 million was not even an investment, but was entirely for Zhang Chen personally.

"Your Highnesses, you are too kind. Forget about money; I just want to be your friend."

Upon hearing Zhang Chen's words, the three princes knew the plan had succeeded, and smiles appeared on their faces. The thought of a blockbuster like *Pacific Rim 3*, featuring Middle Eastern mechs, made them want to let out a sinister laugh.

They're offering 80 million right off the bat—such a huge sum! Zhang Chen felt he should be more sensible: "Your Highness, have you considered acting in it yourself?"

?

The three princes were taken aback: "Personally starring? What do you mean?"

Zhang Chen spread his hands: "If we add Middle Eastern mechs, then we definitely need mech pilots, right? And the pilots of the Middle Eastern mechs must be Middle Easterners, right? It wouldn't be suitable to use Europeans, Americans, or Asians."

So, princes, would you be interested in making a cameo appearance as pilots? Your personal appearances would not only demonstrate the responsibility of royalty but also help the audience remember the name 'Middle Eastern mechs'.

what?
Can you play it like this?
At this moment, Sister Li didn't know how to describe her feelings.

The three princes shared similar feelings, and their gazes toward Zhang Chen were filled with fervor.

To serve as a mecha pilot?
This is definitely a highlight of my life.

In China, this would be considered a place in history!
Hamad jumped up, the chair legs scraping the floor with a screeching sound: "That's a great idea! I want to be the main pilot, and the shot of mechs crushing monsters must be a close-up!"

Rashid and Salman are clearly comparable, but Salman thinks more deeply.

"Three pilots? Does that mean Middle Eastern Jaegers are three-armed? Forgive my bluntness, but while Crimson Typhoon was initially three-armed, I think the two-armed design in Ocean Revolution 2 looks better..."

Rashid nodded: "I also think the two-armed mech looks better than the three-armed one, but if it's a two-armed one, one of us will inevitably be unable to pilot it."

"It's alright, Rashid. You and Hamad can be the leaders. I'm not that interested."

At the crucial moment, Salem showed his sportsmanship, after all, he was the eldest brother, but the expression on his face clearly showed that he was also the eldest brother.

Of course I want to be one! No man could refuse the chance to connect with a mecha.

Rashid: "No, brother, you should do it."

Hamad: "I was too selfish and didn't think things through. Salman and Rashid, you two should do it."

Seeing that the three were about to put on a show of brotherly affection, Zhang Chen quickly interrupted them: "Who said a two-armed mecha necessarily needs two pilots?"

"But wasn't that how you always planned it?"

"Why don't we add a weapon pilot role inside? Two people can control the mechs, and one person can focus on replicating the weapons. Wouldn't that solve the problem?"

"Ah, still~"

The problem was solved immediately; it turned out that all three of them could play the role of mecha pilots.

The three men's faces lit up with joy, and Salman immediately raised the price: "One hundred million!"

"What?" Zhang Chen didn't hear clearly.

"I said the price should be increased from 80 million to 100 million."

Zhang Chen gasped. He had just come up with an idea, and now he had an extra 2000 million?
Sister Li's lips twitched. This was already the umpteenth time she'd been speechless tonight. These three fat sheep had contributed so much to Zhang Chen's earnings tonight. One hundred million US dollars was eight hundred million RMB, not to mention the ratings they brought to the show "Running Man" and the traffic they brought to Starry Night Paradise...

For the first time, she realized that making movies could be so profitable.

Following up on the topic of Middle Eastern mechs, the conversation then turned to the monster designs in Ocean Rush 3.

"I heard you're planning to bring in Godzilla?"

Thanks to Emmerich's version of "Godzilla," this Japanese monster gained worldwide fame; otherwise, who would know what Godzilla is?
"Yes."

Zhang Chen nodded: "Pacific Rim 2 introduced King Kong, and Pacific Rim 3 might introduce Godzilla. After all, the Pacific Rim series I created is actually a mecha-monster universe..."

"Is it possible to introduce monsters from the Middle East?"

Hamad counted on his fingers and rattled off a string of names: "Leviathan, Behemoth, Bahamut—any one of them is more imposing than Godzilla!"

The four creatures he mentioned are all giant beasts from Middle Eastern mythology. Leviathan is a sea monster recorded in the Bible, depicted as a giant serpent that can control storms and breathe fire. It is regarded as the ultimate being that will confront God at the Last Judgment.

Behemoth is a giant land beast in the Bible, depicted as having muscles like stone, bones like bronze, and a tail as straight as a cedar tree. Legend says it was created by God on the sixth day of creation, along with Leviathan, and later fell into hell to become the "Behemoth."

Bahamut originates from Arabic mythology, and in Islamic legends, it is described as a giant fish that supports the earth.

Salman chimed in, "It could be designed as monsters landing in the Red Sea, Middle Eastern mechs engaging in fierce battles in the desert, and finally 'Bahamut' appearing to help—it would be perfect!"

This approach is a complete copy of the combination of Crimson Storm and Primordial Chaos.

Zhang Chen shook his head, put down his wine glass, and said seriously, "Your Highnesses, we cannot pile up too many Middle Eastern elements at once."

Seeing the confusion on everyone's faces, he smiled and shook his head: "Have you forgotten what happened in the North American market when 'Pacific Rim 2' was released? Because 'Pacific Rim 2' featured a lot of Chinese mechs and giant Chinese monsters, the American media hyped up 'Chinese cultural invasion' and made a fuss about it for quite a while."

He paused, his tone becoming more meaningful: "If the Americans don't want to see an influential China, do they really want to see a united Middle East?"

hiss~
The private room fell silent instantly.

Salman's fingers paused on the tablecloth, his gaze turning serious.

Hamad put away his flamboyant expression and thoughtfully drank his wine.

Rashid gently stroked the teacup, saying nothing more.

Sister Li's eyes widened, and she screamed inwardly, "Zhang Chen, what are you doing?"
You're just a director, is this something you should be saying?
In particular, you are speaking with three Middle Eastern princes.

At this point, Sister Li broke out in a cold sweat; she had no idea how to write today's report.

Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Zhang Chen changed the subject: "By the way, you three, have you seen 'Pacific Rim 2' and 'Avatar'?"

The three princes clearly didn't want to continue the previous topic, and nodded in unison: "We've seen it~"

Prince Hamad added, "But I don't think it's as good as 'Pacific Rim 2.' 'Pacific Rim 2' is very exciting, but 'Avatar' feels more like an alien promotional film. Pandora is just so beautiful!"

Seeing that the other two nodded in agreement, Zhang Chen immediately said, "Don't the three princes know that Avatar was filmed in China?"

"what?"

This was the first time the three of them had ever heard of it.

"The 'Hallelujah Mountains' on Pandora are modeled after the quartz peaks of Zhangjiajie; the underwater mech scenes in 'Pacific Rim 2' were filmed on the Li River in Guilin. I recommend you visit Zhangjiajie and Guilin; the scenery there is absolutely stunning..."

He took out his phone and showed photos of locations featured in Avatar.

Hamad leaned closer to look at the photo, his eyes instantly lighting up: "Is this mountain really floating in the air? I want to take a mecha photoshoot on the mountaintop!"

Salman stared at the photos of the Li River: "Is the water here clearer than the Dead Sea? Can we go diving to see the fish?"

Rashid nodded slightly: "If we could film a movie in a place like this, it would definitely let the whole world see the beauty of China."

……

Over the next three days, the three princes became top influencers on Weibo.

An interview clip of Rashid "not abandoning his comrades" was made into a short video, which has been viewed over a billion times, with comments such as "This is true aristocratic spirit" and "I'm a fan of this prince."

Hamad's 50-minute challenge video was edited into a "sports highlight montage," which was even shared by a sports channel with the caption: "A sprinter whose talent was wasted on royalty."

The photo of Salman casually giving away bracelets went viral overseas, with Middle Eastern netizens commenting, "Prince Salman likes to make friends wherever he goes."

On Thursday morning, the three princes were immediately recognized by tourists as they entered the Zhangjiajie scenic area accompanied by Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials.

"Isn't that the prince from Running Man?" a girl screamed, holding up her phone.

Immediately, a crowd gathered around, everyone keeping a respectful distance, only smiling and calling out "Hello, Prince" and "Can we take a picture together?"

Salman smiled and nodded, and even took the panda doll offered by a tourist: "I want to give this gift to my little niece."

Hamad then made a "50 points" gesture towards the camera, which made everyone burst into laughter.

Rashid was tugged at by a child who asked, "Brother Prince, are there really camels in the desert?"

He crouched down and patiently answered, "Yes, camels have long eyelashes that can block out the sand, just like your little hat can block out the sun."

Standing to the side, Sister Li watched this harmonious scene and suddenly understood what Director Zhou meant by "handling heavy tasks with ease".

These genuine smiles are more powerful than any official statement.

As the tour came to an end, Rashid looked at the quartz peaks in the distance and said softly, "I've always heard people say that China is beautiful, but now I know that it's even more beautiful than the legends say."

Salman nodded in agreement: "The people here are very warm, unlike what the Western media says. Their smiles are very genuine."

Hamad then took out his phone and posted on Instagram: "The mountains of Zhangjiajie are more awe-inspiring than mechs. China is a country that surprises people."

……

One week later, the Great Hall of the People
Zhang Chen, dressed in a sharp suit, stood in the audience and watched Salman, Hamad, and Rashid sign cooperation agreements with the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

The agreement covers multiple areas, including film and television co-production, cultural heritage protection, and youth exchanges. The most eye-catching of these is the "Middle East Jaeger Joint Development Plan"—the three countries will cooperate with China Film Group to jointly create Middle East-themed Jaegers for the movie "Pacific Rim 3".

After the signing ceremony, Salman walked over and patted Zhang Chen on the shoulder: "I've already had the military experts start drawing the mecha's design. The shoulder armor should have date palm patterns. What do you think?"

Hamad waved the pen in his hand: "I've talked to the production team, and the driver's uniform will be made with traditional Qatari embroidery. I guarantee it will be the coolest thing ever."

Rashid then handed Zhang Chen an exquisite birdcage model containing a small falcon: "This is for you. I hope the falcon emblem on the mecha will be as brave as it."

Zhang Chen took the model, his heart filled with emotion.

He recalled the first time he met the three at Xingchen Paradise, the heated discussion at the dinner party, and the laughter and joy in Zhangjiajie Scenic Area.

What was originally just an ordinary variety show recording unexpectedly led to a cross-border cultural collaboration.

Zhou Mingyuan walked over and raised his teacup to Zhang Chen: "Director Zhang, you've done a great job this time."

Zhang Chen responded with a smile: "It is the sincerity of the three princes, and also the charm of China."

(End of this chapter)