Huayu: As a child star, I just want to be famous

Chapter 498: Kaiyun Dinner, a Gift from the Pinault Family

The situation seemed to be reaching a stalemate.

Sister Mei changed her perspective. "Even if you have strategic considerations, the box office revenue that can be earned is always real."

"The Joker is just a villain after all. He doesn't play a big role in the entire DC universe, so his influence is actually minimal."

"I think if this project is reported to Warner headquarters, Warner executives will not ignore Chen's current influence."

The words imply that the company is going to ignore DC and talk directly to Warner executives.

This statement is a bit disrespectful.

Everyone in DC looked unhappy. Who are you threatening?

But they soon felt that the other party seemed to have really hit the mark in their threat.

As the other party said, the negotiations are now in their hands.

But if Warner executives knew the specific situation, they would most likely ignore the long-term development of DC for the sake of box office or the friendship of big directors.

Alex quickly said, "We are just discussing it now, and it hasn't come to this stage yet, right?"

He looked at the people from DC and winked at them.

Can you guys please have some idea?

Although they are here to seek cooperation, this cooperation is welcomed by the higher-ups.

What is the current situation of DC? In terms of its movie universe strategy, it is like a newborn baby that is about to die.

Warner is extremely anxious and they would probably try any beneficial changes.

What's more, he is a director like Chen who has never lost.

He looked seriously at Hamada who was in the middle and said, "I should have explained to you the importance of this cooperation at the beginning."

Walter Hamada plays a role of submission to the status quo.

Seeing Alex's eyes, he instantly understood that it would be impossible for him to disrupt the cooperation.

The headquarters asked me to come here just to assist with the early stages of cooperation and to help them go smoothly, and I was not given any decision-making power at all.

When his attempt failed, he gave up other ideas.

"Jeff, you should come."

Jeff Jones nodded. He came from the DC editorial department and was more focused on stories.

"Chen, can I hear your outlook on the subsequent story?"

He patted the script on the table.

The clown in the script is an ordinary person from beginning to end, without any special skills.

As a supervillain origin story, this is a little too out of the norm.

"of course can."

Chen Linfeng talked about his ideas.

……

On the way back, Chen Linfeng and Sister Mei talked about what happened today.

"Warner's DC department is such a mess. Today really opened my eyes."

"Yes, everyone is not on the same page, and they want to go back on their planned strategies."

Chen Linfeng thought of the mess in the DC movie universe in his previous life, and thought that he had finally found the reason.

No wonder the people in charge kept changing, it turned out that the top management had different opinions.

After that, Chen Linfeng handed over the matter of determining the specific terms to Sister Mei.

He called Leo and gave him the script.

"You have two months to lose weight as quickly as possible and get your mental state right."

At this time, Leonardo had finished reading the script and was very excited.

"Chen, I will do as you say and keep losing weight until you are satisfied."

He had a strong feeling that this film might fulfill his long-cherished dream.

"Chen, your ability in story writing is really strong. When I saw Arthur shooting the host at the end, I couldn't help but empathize with the Joker."

This represents the extreme appeal of the story, and Leonardo certainly understood this.

Also, because of the profound literary and artistic atmosphere of "Joker" itself, it will naturally receive praise from the judges.

"What a perfect story!" Leonardo exclaimed.

"Not really." Chen Linfeng shook his head.

It's just that it's more suitable for the physique of beautiful Chinese babies and can be said to be tailor-made.

In the story, even if the American people have not experienced the hardships that the clown went through, they must have heard about it or seen it with their own eyes.

Naturally, it is very easy to empathize.

……

"Are you sure the place we are going to next is not an impartment?"

Looking at Leonardo with a sultry face, Chen Linfeng wondered if he had been fooled by this old guy.

"Of course not. Next I will be in seclusion for a long time to lose weight and adjust my mind. Before that, of course I want to let the public see my current appearance so that they can make a comparison."

Leonardo winked at him, "Pretending, you know."

The word "zhuangbi" is said in Chinese.

Who taught him this? Oh, it was me. It’s okay.

Leonardo continued to introduce, "The place we are going to is a celebrity dinner hosted by Kering Group. There will be many celebrities attending."

Chen Linfeng of Kering Group knew that there was a French company that had many luxury brands and had many interactions with celebrities.

Kering’s dinner is also famous in Hollywood.

Previously at the Cannes Film Festival, Kering’s dinner was one of the more famous banquets among many others.

Here in Los Angeles.

Chen Linfeng had accepted several invitations before, but he was never very interested in participating.

Every time I come to Hollywood, I always receive various invitations.

These invitations often end up in a small pile.

Now that I really want to attend the dinner, I don’t have the invitation letter.

"I don't know if it's among the pile at home," Chen Linfeng thought to himself.

"It's okay, we can just scan our faces to get in. Actually, I don't have that thing with me."

Leonardo said nonchalantly.

The dinner was held at a place not far from Beverly Hills.

When the car drove to the nearby road, we could already see a lot of reporters and onlookers.

The official organizer of the dinner had staff setting up checkpoints and no unrelated vehicles were allowed to enter.

Leonardo rolled down the car window and was allowed in without further ado.

Even Luo Lin and others who were following behind in a car were allowed to pass.

Leo looks like he is very familiar with the place, and it seems that he has been seen here many times.

His face is indeed popular all over the world.

In a secluded corner against the wall of the banquet hall, Li Binbin and Chen Chong were chatting in low voices.

She has been developing her career in Hollywood since last year's "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan".

He then starred in "Resident Evil 5" and was invited to attend the Oscars this year.

The development momentum is already quite good, but at this occasion, he can only keep a low profile and get together with Chen Chong, who is also Chinese.

There was no way. The atmosphere around her made it difficult for her to fit in.

Chen Chong has been in Hollywood for many years. Although he is not well-known, he is well versed in the rules of banquets. After a round of visits, he shamelessly became familiar with some people.

She said with some pride, "You can't do this. Now that you've come to this place, you can't have too much self-esteem. People won't come up to you and take the initiative to get to know you. If you want to expand your network, you can only take the initiative."

Li Binbin nodded but said nothing.

She also saw the series of actions that Chen Chong just took.

She obviously couldn't say anything, but she still had to stand there and force a smile, which made it a little difficult for her to lose face.

Chen Chong knew that the young lady in front of him didn't listen, and he felt a little impatient.

This is how I went through it back then, how can you be immune?
Even if you are a top star in the country, so what? Wasn’t I also very famous in the country back then?

No one knows you here.

"Besides, you don't even have American citizenship," she thought contemptuously.

"When Chinese stars come to Hollywood, they have to start from scratch."

She was about to persuade him again when she noticed a commotion coming from the main entrance of the hall.

Chen Chong was very familiar with this kind of movement. She said confidently, "It must be some big star coming."

Then she became indifferent, thinking that she could never get close to a star of this level.

Don’t think too much about things that have nothing to do with you. This has been her philosophy of survival for many years.

However, Li Binbin still looked over curiously, as she had seen this kind of scene in the country.

In the past, people like Chen Linfeng and Fang Long would usually cause similar movements.

Alas, the mood I had then is completely different from the mood I have now.

Li Binbin felt somewhat lost. Her recent circumstances had made her feel a little frustrated.

Then her face turned strange.

Chen Chong felt strange, "Binbin, what's wrong with you?"

"Chen...Ling...Feng?" She was so surprised that she even garbled the words.

"what?"

Why is Chinese popping up again?

Chen Chong felt disgusted. This newcomer was not as steady as her. He couldn't even speak English well and would speak Chinese from time to time.

She looked around and found that many people around her were looking in one direction.

It seems that the newcomer is indeed a big star.

In order to fit in, she also looked towards the door.

I saw some people near the door of the hall gathering together and surrounding them.

This further confirmed Chen Chong's judgment.

After a while, the visitor seemed to have greeted the people around him and continued to walk inside.

Only then did Chen Chong see the celebrity coming in.

Oh, Leonardo, that's not surprising.

But I have seen this person before, and it seems that this time the commotion is bigger.

Then, Chen Chong saw another person.

Her eyes widened, "This... this is, Chen?"

No, no, no, it must be Leo who caused the commotion. How could a Chinese be so popular?

Chen Chong shook his head in disbelief, wondering if he had seen it wrong.

Having been in Hollywood for many years, she had heard of Chen Linfeng's name in the past.

Whether it is through Chinese channels or American channels.

But she has never believed it and feels it is exaggerated.

In the past, she generally couldn't enter high-end occasions, such as the Oscars and the Golden Globe Awards, so she almost never saw him in Hollywood.

At some dinner parties, this famous "compatriot" was never seen.

Therefore, she always thought so.

Until now.

Looking at those stars, they usually have to smile for a long time before they can get a response.

At this time, he greeted the man with a smile on his face. He looked like he was used to it and even didn't care.

But no one around seemed to notice, and everyone was kind and attentive.

Chen Chong had seen such scenes before. Such things always happened when top stars, directors, and producers appeared.

But at this moment...

How can you do this? He is a Chinese!
If Chinese people can also receive such respect and courtesy, then what does it mean that I have traveled across the ocean to come here for so many years?
Chen Chong's face gradually turned pale. Li Binbin looked at this "senior" strangely, as if he suddenly became emo, even more depressed than she was just now.

"what happened to you?"

……

Chen Linfeng maintained a polite smile, nodded to the people around him, and kept walking forward.

Many strangers greeted him.

That's why he doesn't like attending parties in Hollywood.

It’s different in China. Even if you’ve never seen an actor before, you probably know him or her from your previous life.

But it’s different here at Emily Ken, as it houses celebrities from all over the world looking for opportunities, so it’s hard to identify them.

Those were the only European and American works he had seen in his previous life, and he only knew a handful of truly famous ones.

It would be somewhat boring to be in an environment where most people are unfamiliar with it.

As I continued walking inside, I met more people.

It turns out that these people automatically stand according to their status.

The famous stations are surrounded by small players, right?

As soon as the two of them stood still, someone patted Leo's shoulder from behind, and it seemed that they had a good relationship.

"Leo, I didn't think you were coming."

"Haha, I changed my mind temporarily."

Leonardo smiled and patted his shoulder, then turned around.

"Chen, let me introduce you, this is Toby, Toby Maguire."

The man extended his hand and said, "Hello, Director Chen. Just call me Toby."

Chen Linfeng recognized him at the first sight. Isn't this the first generation Spider-Man?

I heard that he has a good relationship with Leo in private and they are even neighbors. Now it seems that this is true.

He smiled and shook hands with the other man, "I like Spider-Man very much."

Toby's eyes lit up, "Thank you, I didn't expect you'd seen it too."

"Of course I have. I was only 2000 years old in 12, still in school, and many of my classmates liked to watch this."

"Uh~" Toby was a little confused for a moment.

At this time, most people had arrived, so Chen Linfeng took the opportunity to sit down with Leonardo at Toby's place.

Celebrity dinners usually have a theme, and are mostly aimed at charity topics.

For example, this time, the theme is environmental protection.

On the stage, the organizer of the banquet was giving a speech. Chen Linfeng listened with half an ear and clapped along with the crowd from time to time.

Then there is free communication time.

In order to show off his weight loss results, Leonardo decided to hold fashion shows everywhere.

He explained a few words to Toby, nodded to Chen Linfeng, and left temporarily.

Chen Linfeng started chatting with Toby. He was quite interested in the experience of the first generation Spider-Man.

Although he is not doing so well now, he was once a top actor in the 2000 million club.

Toby didn't mind telling a little about his own story.

The person opposite is a famous director in recent years. If you can establish a good relationship with him, you will make a lot of money.

Halfway through the conversation, while Toby was drinking water, other stars came over and took the initiative to get to know Chen Linfeng.

He didn't know what to say.

Chen Linfeng actually prefers listening to stories rather than socializing.

But there is no way around it, being in the entertainment industry, this is inevitable.

After chatting with several celebrity artists for several rounds, Li Binbin and Chen Chong came over.

"Hey, you two are here too."

"Yes, Director Chen, good evening."

When Li Binbin saw that the other party was speaking Chinese, he automatically switched.

After all, her English is only mediocre now, and she feels more accustomed to it after switching back to Mandarin.

"Hello, Director Chen."

Chen Chong habitually wanted to force a smile, but she didn't know what she thought of, she couldn't smile, and finally her expression turned into a weird one.

Chen Linfeng nodded calmly, even a little indifferently, and then turned to chat with Li Binbin without saying another word.

He doesn't think much of Chen Chong.

Not to mention that when the economy was developing at its peak, it ran to the other side of the ocean.

There are so many people like this, especially in the entertainment industry, he simply can't hate them all.

But adopting two girls and immediately throwing them to others just because you gave birth to a child is a bit anthropomorphic.

Li Binbin was certainly happy to see that Chen Linfeng was only chatting with her.

This is equivalent to giving her great face.

But at the same time, she felt it was a bit weird because Director Chen had never targeted anyone like this before.

However, it is not easy to reach the level of the Four Dans and Two Bings.

Li Binbin didn't know the reason, but she could only cooperate.

The previous group support was instantly forgotten.

Chen Chong was treated differently in this way, and of course he sensed the ill intentions behind it.

She was already unhappy, and now she was even more annoyed, her face turning pale and blue.

"Chen, can I get to know you?"

At this time, a voice sounded next to him. Chen Chong turned his head and saw that it was the organizer of this dinner.

A scion of Kering’s founding family and one of the company’s top executives, Henri Pinault.

Chen Chong stood up and gave up his seat as usual, smiling, "Mr. Pino, please take a seat."

Henry Pino nodded lightly, then sat down unceremoniously.

He also saw the scene where this man was disliked by Chen Linfeng just now.

"Who are you?" Chen Linfeng was just listening with his ears perked up and didn't really notice who was speaking on the stage.

Henry Pino didn't mind at all and smiled, "My name is Henry Pino, and I'm hosting the party tonight."

"Oh, so that's the case. Hello, Mr. Pino." Chen Linfeng nodded.

He had met many bosses or senior executives of large companies who approached him and made themselves known to him, so he didn't think it was a big deal.

"Hello, Chen, just call me Henry."

Chen Chong was aware of the huge influence Henri Pinault had in France and even in Hollywood.

She had heard friends talk about it.

Whenever she heard the stories of these big guys, she always felt like she was looking up to them.

But now, seeing Henri Pino right next to him, smiling and chatting with a Chinese filmmaker, Chen Chong did not feel the slightest bit of reality.

She left the central area feeling lost, feeling that something must be wrong with this world.

No one cared about Chen Chong's departure.

Henry Pino exchanged a few pleasantries and then stated his intention.

"What? Are you serious?" Chen Linfeng felt that there was something wrong with his ears.

Li Binbin covered his mouth in surprise, full of disbelief.

"Director Chen, I'm not meeting you face to face just to tell you a lie."

Henry Pinault said seriously, "The bronze rat head and rabbit head from the Old Summer Palace are now in the hands of the Pinault family. If you are interested, we are willing to return them as a donation."

When he heard this for the second time, Chen Linfeng still found it strange.

"Why?" he asked. "I just met you, didn't I?"

For Chinese people, the bronze heads of the twelve zodiac animals in the Old Summer Palace are something they have learned in history textbooks.

There is even a special text in the Chinese textbook called "The Destruction of the Old Summer Palace."

One can imagine what this thing means to every Chinese.

But over the years, the price of the twelve zodiac bronze heads has been rising all the way, reaching over 100 million yuan.

Chen Linfeng doesn't think his face is worth so much money.

"The Pinault family hopes to gain your friendship, the friendship of China."

Henry Pinault said bluntly, "I want to return these two cultural relics in the quickest way possible."

He also mentioned the film "The Chinese Zodiac" that Fang Long had previously filmed, and the screenwriter at that time was Chen Linfeng.

"I think you must be very concerned about this, Chen. In 09, these two cultural relics were bought by our Pinault family at an auction."

This is to point out the price paid by the Pinault family.

Chen Linfeng naturally understood.

When he heard this, he began to feel a sense of familiarity, as if he had heard the word Pino family in his previous life.

In his impression, the rat head and rabbit head from his previous life seemed to have returned as well. Could it be this Pino family?

Chen Linfeng searched his memory and confirmed that it was true.

In its previous life, it was bought by the Pinault family at an auction and returned in 2013.

Now it has come to me a year earlier, in 2012.

After figuring it out, Chen Linfeng breathed a sigh of relief.

It seems that I am just doing it by chance, and my main purpose should be to gain the favor of the entire country.

If luxury goods want to enter a country, psychological recognition from the general public is indeed very important.

Many luxury brands spend huge amounts of money on advertising for this purpose.

Donating lost cultural relics is indeed a shortcut.

At least Chen Linfeng is now very fond of him.

"Henry, thank you very much for your kindness. I would like to express my gratitude to you on behalf of my country."

After a pause, he continued,

"Do you need me to contact the relevant domestic departments, hold a donation ceremony, and help promote it through official media or other media channels?"

Henri Pino was overjoyed, Director Chen was really smart.

But on the surface, he was still quite reserved and said, "If Chen insists on doing this, I still have no objection."

In fact, I was already shouting in my heart, "Hurry up, hurry up."

The lucrative Chinese market has made it difficult for them to endure it any longer.

The two then began to discuss some issues regarding the subsequent handover.

It doesn't have to be too in-depth, but Chen Linfeng at least wants to understand whether the other party has any other demands.

He takes this matter very seriously.

Although it was not donated by him, it passed through his hands.

And Henry made it clear that it was because of Chen Linfeng's persuasion that he had this idea.

Although in reality it was Henry who took the initiative, outsiders had no idea about it.

It seems that because of the influence of celebrities, the top leaders of a certain country are closer to their motherland.

Or there are rumors that the leader of a certain country likes a certain celebrity.

Such anecdotes are often the best way to enhance a star's status.

The Pinault family has been in the entertainment industry for a long time, so they naturally understand this truth.

This is a gift that touches the heart.

Moreover, the addition of a celebrity factor will not affect China and the general public's favorable impression of the Pinault family.

After all, they actually returned the cultural relics, and they bought them at a high price.

This is a win-win situation.

Li Binbin opened his mouth wide, watching them discuss such a big thing in just a few words.

I also began to feel that something was wrong with this world.

(End of this chapter)