Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 361 Eating Strawberries

December 2007, 7.

It has been a whole week since this young man and woman "escaped from the world".

The road was wide and I woke up thirsty in the middle of the night.

At six o'clock in the morning, he stood on the terrace and looked out at the city of Milan.

The weather was very gloomy, and leaden clouds pressed down on the gilded statue of the Virgin Mary on the cathedral spire, blurring her outline into the wet edge of a watercolor.

The surface of the canal in Milan was twitching violently, and the rain was getting heavier, but it was still not falling.

The young director habitually took out a cigarette from his pocket but failed, then he realized that he had quit smoking for four days.

He naturally still remembered what he had talked about last night.

At the beginning of this year, because he was filming in Germany, he did not go back to visit his mother's grave, and Lu Kuan felt a little sad.

While drinking and talking to Concubine Liu Yi, he was sober and not worried about any consequences.

Lu Kuan didn't know what fate had led her to discover Zeng Wenxiu's specialness.

To everyone else, she was just an adoptive mother character in his movie.

Sometimes, we have to believe in fate, or destiny.

Perhaps this girl who became his anchor in this world was destined to enter his heart and his past life.

From an objective perspective, this is actually an inevitability in the midst of chance.

In this world, is there anyone else who loves Lu Kuan as deeply as she does, and is so eager to see his true face?

Even in North America after their breakup, she kept a diary recording her research on his character and personality.

Li Shutong wrote in his Late Qing Collection:
The world is an echo valley. If you keep thinking about something, there will be an echo.

You shout and sing loudly, the valley thunders, and the sound travels thousands of miles, layer upon layer, wave after wave.

Her obsession with him finally paid off with a response from him.

Suddenly, there was a rustling sound from the bed in the room. Liu Yifei rubbed her sleepy eyes, got up, put on her slippers and went to the terrace.

Hugging him from behind.

Lu Kuan felt the warmth coming from her little hand, turned around and pinched her nose: "I forgot to do your rehabilitation training yesterday, so I'll double the time today."

"Um..."

"It's pretty good. I'm pronouncing monosyllabic words more and more fluently."

Concubine Liu Yi had no intention of arguing with him, so she naturally put her arms around his waist and leaned on his chest.

Her whole heart wanted to rub into his body and heal the painful scars of this man, just as he healed hers.

Neither of them spoke, but hugged each other quietly, enjoying the tranquility before the rain in Milan.

Liu Yifei tossed and turned in bed last night, thinking about how her parents divorced when she was ten years old and moved abroad. At that time, it was an extremely sad and difficult time for her.

But what he experienced that year was far beyond what he could imagine or compare to.

If it were me, my spirit and will would have collapsed long ago.

A tenacious and unruly grass in the city has gradually grown into a towering tree on the international stage.

Thinking of this, Concubine Liu Yi looked up at him with pride.

The fair and clean face of a twenty-year-old girl was right in front of him, with shallow dimples, and she looked willing and lovable.

Before the washing machine could start working, the little girl stood on tiptoe and asked for a kiss.

As their lips and teeth intertwined, their love and affection seemed to overflow.

The seven o'clock ferry whistle sounded from the direction of the canal, and the sound waves shook the night dew off the green plants on the terrace, and a drop of water fell into the girl's hairline at the back of her neck.

Xiao Liu shuddered when she slipped into the coolness of her silk nightgown, interrupting the intimacy that the young man and woman had started with in the morning.

"Not bad, you're getting more skilled. You've already mastered the kissing scene. I think the next step is to teach you about intimate scenes and sex scenes."

Concubine Liu Yi patted him lightly with a reproachful look, then turned and went back to her room.

What time do we leave?

Boss Lu also sat back at his desk, ready to start his mobile office. "You have a flight at noon, why don't you sleep in a little longer? How long has it been since you slept in?"

[I can't sleep, why don't you come and sleep with me. ]

"Huh?" Lu Kuan looked back at her with amusement. He felt that this girl was a little different since she got up today.

Very clingy.

Some things that I was too shy to talk about in the past are now easy for me to do.

However, there is an aggressive side to Liu Yifei's character. She likes to be straightforward and unpretentious. This kind of boldness, which is different from the yandere type, is very admirable.

"I earn a few million a minute. Can you afford to sleep with me?"

Xiao Liu silently calculated for a few seconds, then jumped up and walked to the bedside. She took out a card from her small purse and slapped it in front of him.

[I'll buy you ten minutes. Hurry! Get on the bed!]

The washing machine looked at her with a frown. Ten minutes?

Who do you look down on?
But it’s still a little early to say this now. What the pure love girl calls sleeping with her is the kind of kissing, hugging and lifting up that can’t be described as plain…

So, after the ferry in Milan sounded the 7 o'clock alarm, the "crazy boy and resentful girl" drew the curtains again and hugged each other tightly under the thin blanket.

Boss Lu was quite bored with the tenderness that the little girl longed for, and wanted to apply to explore other body maps, but was also "politely rejected".

He had no choice but to turn on the TV and watch the news, letting Liu Yifei, who was gasping for breath from the kiss, draw circles on his chest. He didn't know what the fun was in this.

On TV was the Italian national channel's 24-hour news.

Russia suspends the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe;
Bombings are frequent in Iraq;
New British Prime Minister Gordon Brown made his first foreign visit and jointly called for EU reform with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Until a piece of news that was somewhat related to Lu Kuan, the program announced that the Italian National Cultural Channel would start Milan Men's Fashion Week on July 7.

Wang Daren’s studio is among them.

This studio was a project he invested in after the Cannes Film Festival, but he has not been in charge of it in recent years. However, the costumes of the characters in "The Sky of History" are still designed by him.

I've made it to Milan Men's Fashion Week, so I should...

Okay?
"Have you ever been in contact with Wang Daren? I remember you even wore clothes from his studio?"

"Ok!"

Liu Yifei also saw Wang Daren on the screen and almost blurted out what she wanted to say, but she managed to hold it back and took out her phone:

I often ask him for the latest styles and designs, and I feel they're pretty much the same as those luxury brands, except for their reputation.

[After the last incident, he came to see me. What happened? ]

Boss Lu smiled and said, "Nothing. I just saw someone I know on TV. It was quite refreshing."

"Also, Taobao and Huayi are now collaborating to sell products on their Alispace platform, leveraging the popularity of the series to generate buzz. We can also adopt this model."

"Wang Daren Studio produces works and owns the copyrights. What we lack is a fashion drama and a fashionable female star with appeal."

In fact, fashion dramas are also ready-made.

Travel Channel can adapt and film "My Love from the Star" by itself, with Fan Bingbing playing the female lead, which is very convincing.

However, it is not appropriate to mention it in front of Concubine Liu Yi for the time being.

But there is another drama that can actually produce surprising results if it is filmed well.

It is the 2009 Hunan TV drama "Let's Watch the Meteor Shower Together".

The original version has many shortcomings that have been criticized:

A large number of plots were copied from "Meteor Garden", and it was ridiculed as "Let's Watch the Thunderstorm Together". "H4" was compared with "F4", and elements such as the wealthy family setting were accused of lacking innovation.

In addition, the advertising placement is too abrupt, and a certain brand of milk tea and shampoo appear frequently, giving the audience a very poor feeling.

There is also the cheap level of costumes and props, the tacky design of the school uniforms, and the luxury cars being replaced by domestically produced MGs.

In addition, the overall quality has declined due to the lack of acting experience of a series of young actors including Shuangzi and Zhang Han.

But even so!
At that time, "Meteor Shower" still achieved phenomenal results in the domestic entertainment industry.

The premiere ratings exceeded 2%, and it topped the charts in the same time slot for a long time, with more than 10 replays.

The income from advertising placement exceeded 10 million, and the endorsement fees of the leading actors skyrocketed. Zhang Han and Shuangzi once became the national CP.

The theme songs of the series, "Starry Sky Story" and "I Want to Fly", became popular songs on campus, and H4 posters were all over stationery stores and magazine covers.

Lines from the drama, such as "Your MP3 is hurting my eyes," have become popular online slang, and have even spawned subcultures such as fan fiction and fan communities.

In Lu Kuan's opinion, from the perspective of the development of domestic film and television dramas, the coexistence of "Earthiness" and popularity of "Let's Watch Meteor Shower Together" is essentially the product of an imbalance between supply and demand in a specific market environment.

It exposed the shortcomings of insufficient industrialization in the early days of domestic idol dramas, but also verified the potential of localized adaptation and the needs of young audiences.

Its success lies not only in filling the gap in the market, but also in accurately grasping the emotional needs of young people for "youth fantasy". Even if the production is crude, it can still achieve phenomenal dissemination through topicality and character resonance.

If this IP is handed over to the teams of Wenjie and Travel Channel, it will undoubtedly be icing on the cake.

The costumes and props are refined to perfection, the cast is carefully selected, and the publicity is thorough.

Of course, there are also advertising placements, theater sponsorships, and the costumes and makeup of the characters in the play.

It will be promoted simultaneously through Wenjie Mall, Weibo and Travel Satellite TV.

The clothing brand used the designs of David Wang’s studio and used his work experience and background in LV, Balenciaga and other places in its publicity.

"Meteor Shower" is different from "My Love from the Star". If you want to take advantage of this wave of traffic, you have to control the design and production of clothing yourself.

In order to reap the greatest profits.

The last time the industry monetized traffic through Internet+ was during the ringback tone era. In the past two years, SPs have been regulated and their profits have gradually declined.

This is a new attempt.

Liu Yifei had no idea that the man in the same bed with her had had a different dream from her. He was playing with her body in his hands, and his spirit had surrendered to the RMB and the US dollar.

Lu Kuan took out his mobile phone and sent a few messages to first settle the copyright-related matters of "Meteor Shower" and "My Love from the Star".

Among them, the adaptation rights of "Meteor Shower" came from a Japanese comic. Later, the reason why Hunan and Taiwan plagiarized "Boys Over Flowers" in various ways was because they did not obtain the copyright and made a lot of changes.

This is not a difficult task for the industry, and it can be done through Toho Co., Ltd.

All the operational ideas took shape in his mind, and now the only problem left was the choice of actors.

This Chu Yuxuan is undoubtedly the core of the formation. Who is she looking for?

Boss Lu suddenly thought of a certain beautiful woman, but her background was as different from Chu Yuxuan's as heaven and earth.

Even though idol dramas have requirements for actors' appearance, costumes and props that, to some extent, even exceed their acting skills, can Jing Tian meet the minimum standards?
He chose to ask Jing Tian's cheap senior sister first.

"What is Jing Tian busy with recently?"

【Studying at Beijing Film Academy, wasn't that what you asked for?】

"How's her basic skills?"

[Not bad. I'm from Beijing Dance Academy, so I can endure hardships.]

【What's wrong? 】

Lu Kuan played with the ends of Liu Yifei's hair, curling a few strands between his fingertips. "I promised Lu Zheng that I would make her famous, so I'm going to give her a role to try out."

"Freshman year is over, I'll have a year to polish my basic skills, and then some intensive training..."

"Don't you have very high standards for actors? How did she get the role so easily?"

He didn't have the patience to cultivate a rich and beautiful woman like he did with Concubine Liu Yi.

The key is that it may be a thankless task?
"Jing Tian is different from you. Her only desire is to be famous, that's all."

"I've thought of a role that would suit her, but it requires her to pretend to be poor. I'm not sure if she can pull it off."

Xiao Liu knows Jing Tian pretty well and enjoys teasing her: "She'd be very happy, even if I asked her to become a village girl and experience life."

When Liu Yifei thought of Jing Tian, ​​she remembered her embarrassment of constantly calling Lu Kuanlu "Teacher" to show her intimacy, and smiled.

She felt that she should fight for Jing Tian's favor.

I think she can do it. Although Jing Tian comes from a wealthy family, she doesn't have any bad habits of being spoiled. She's very kind to others and works very hard.

Boss Lu asked curiously, "Did she bribe you? Shouldn't you be fighting for this role for your best friends?"

【I just think she is innocent and cute.】

The washing machine suddenly gently pinched the girl's chin and looked at her beautiful red lips with some malice:

"You've been in the entertainment industry for several years now. You know that getting a role comes at a price, right?"

"Is this price paid by you or Jing Tian?"

Liu Yifei tried hard to play the role of the biggest villain in the entertainment industry, blinking her big eyes with fear and an expression of wanting to refuse but being shy.

He successfully entered the stage of acting in a situational drama about the unspoken rules of the entertainment industry.

Xiao Liu clasped her hands tightly against her chest and closed her eyes, looking like she was going to die heroically, but her death was currently limited to kissing.

[Jing Tian is too young, you perverted director, come to me if you have anything to say!]

Da Tiantian: ??? Liu Yifei, I advise you to stay out of other people's business!
The background sound of "hehehe" sounded, and the washing machine lifted the thin blanket to cover the girl, turned over and pressed her under its body.

"what!"

It’s just that the selfless Xiao Liu miscalculated.

Lu Kuan did not go straight for her pink lips as usual, but instead bit her mother-of-pearl earring.

The coolness of the metal and her earlobe were wrapped in a warmth, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to rise and fall like wheat waves in the wind.

The tip of the washing machine's nose moved along her earlobe, and the exhaled air was hot and itchy.

The moment the pearl-like, crystal-clear earlobes were gently bitten, Concubine Liu Yi unconsciously shuddered slightly beneath her. That feeling came back again...

It felt as if countless small insects were drilling in my body, and it was also like a current of dopamine spreading from the top of my head to my toes.

The little girl's seductive voice was so charming that it almost made the old demon in front of him fall to death.

Just as he said, this is a twenty-year-old woman who is both pure and charming, let alone Xiao Liu?

Seeing the girl hugging his neck tightly, Lu Kuan naturally disarmed himself. The enemy was in a state of chaos and had no choice but to surrender.

On this morning in Milan, the ignorant Concubine Liu Yi "spent a lot of money" and invited a wolf into the house.

Eventually it led to bitter consequences——

The high ground, which had been held for 19 years and 315 days, was lost.

Well, lying down is indeed...

Not too high.

Xiao Liu was tricked into getting the evil washing machine with just a few words, and then he launched a surprise attack under the guise of a joke, which eventually led to the fall of the territory in the northern hemisphere.

As soon as Jinfeng Yulu met, they won but countless on earth.

This encounter almost delayed the flight.

It is said that if love lasts forever, it doesn't matter if they are together day and night.

Today's "Chao Chao" has indeed made the washing machine achieve significant results.

We have taken another big step towards the final victory.

In the first-class cabin of the flight from Milan to Catania, Liu Yifei, still blushing, looked at the strawberries brought by the flight attendant and couldn't bear to look at them!
She has been holding her arms across her chest in a defensive posture for a long time now...

It seems he is scared.

Two hours ago, some nonsense about eating strawberries was still lingering in my ears.

It almost frightened her into revealing the truth.

The little girl, who didn't quite understand the romance between men and women, frowned as she looked at the washing machine eating strawberries with a calm expression. How could this person be so perverted!

Just like a dog!
How can there be...

Really are!
Can't think, can't think.

Liu Yifei's mental and muscle memories simultaneously recalled the shuddering feeling. The first shock she received on both the mental and physical levels was enormous.

But now when I think back on the warm feeling, it’s still...

It's quite strange.

Boss Lu handed her a strawberry and said, "I didn't eat last night. Have a couple of bites to fill my stomach."

Xiao Liu felt that he was teasing her again, and bared his teeth fiercely at the washing machine, but it had no deterrent effect at all. Instead, it seemed like he was fanning the flames.

Having drunk too much last night and getting up too early in the morning, Boss Lu fell into a deep sleep wrapped in a thin blanket, ready to spend the one hour and forty minutes of the journey like this.

Liu Yifei was reading a fashion magazine, occasionally turning her head to look at him, scratching his nose, and touching his stubble.

Full of little girl's tenderness.

While the two were at an altitude of 10,000 meters, the Chinese and American circles simultaneously issued announcements:

The final acquisition process of Netflix and Marvel has been completed, and it is now 100% owned by this Chinese director.

It was 18 p.m. Beijing time, and media reporters, financial reporters, film critics, and ordinary movie fans who had just gotten off work saw this news on blogs and Weibo.

There was immediate heated discussion.

From the public opinion warming up when the acquisition was announced, to the secondary market battle in the middle, to the hearing of the Jedi counterattack.

Until the official announcement now.

The largest domestic overseas merger and acquisition case in the new century has finally come to a successful conclusion.

However, the heated discussions in the domestic cultural, financial and economic circles have just begun. Ordinary people, including ordinary movie fans, have jointly created the top topic of the "Netflix phenomenon."

Tianya Community user "Movie Maniac" commented: "Director Lu is awesome! Will we be able to watch uncensored Chinese blockbusters on Netflix in the future? This kind of hard work is essential to exporting Chinese culture!"
Blog user "Between Light and Shadow": I heard that Ang Lee's new film "Lust, Caution" will be released in an abridged version in mainland China. I would like to ask Director Lu if it can be introduced to the Netflix platform in advance so that I can go over the firewall to criticize it.

Tieba user "American Drama Fan" commented: "It's over! Will the "Eight Honors and Eight Shames" be printed on the cover of "Friends" DVDs in the future? Please stop interfering with the content!"
The People's Daily boldly published the headline: "Chinese film and television company successfully acquires US Netflix, marking a milestone in its overseas expansion."

"Ren Zhongping" said: Netflix's acquisition marks the first time that China's cultural industry has deeply participated in the integration of the international film and television industry chain.

This move will help Chinese stories go global, while introducing high-quality overseas content to domestic audiences, achieving a win-win situation for both sides.

Japan's Asahi Shimbun published an article titled "Chinese Capital Sweeps Hollywood: Asian Competition Behind Netflix's Acquisition," detailing the process of the acquisition, which was a typical Asian barbarian's devastating attack.

At the same time, given the political inclinations revealed by director Lu Kuan in "Tangshan" and "The Sky of History", people from all walks of life in Japan are worried that he will use this world-class platform to strike a blow and compete with Sony Columbia, which is also controlled by Asian capital.

Bloomberg Businessweek wrote that the film industry chain laid out by Chinese directors at home and abroad has begun to take shape, and domestic films now have stable channels for export.

This stable channel will feed back to his Wenjie Holdings' industry status in China and give him an advantage in the competition in the domestic entertainment industry.

This is a relatively fair evaluation.

There are more and more blockbusters in China now, and the pressure to make a profit is getting greater and greater.

Maintaining good relations with Lukuan and Wenjie means that a stable amount of funds can be obtained to recover the investment in the DVD field in North America.

Not to mention his alliances with Lionsgate, Harvey, and Disney.

In China, only Huayi, which has close ties with News Corporation and Columbia, and Chengtian, which is backed by Japanese capital, can avoid this competitive advantage to a certain extent.

The Financial Times of the United States takes an inward-looking perspective and looks forward to the possible future war in the North American streaming field.

The author said that Netflix, with its broad prospects, will play the role of a catfish and pose a direct challenge to traditional media giants, which are like sardines.

The share prices of companies such as Comcast and Viacom fell as the market worried that Netflix would use Chinese capital to accelerate its content investment.

Analysts predict that Disney may accelerate the integration of Hulu to deal with the threat, while Amazon and Apple may increase their investment in streaming media.

Professionals in the domestic film industry also have different opinions.

A reporter from China Film Report interviewed Han Shanping, chairman of China Film Group, who believed that this was a milestone event in the history of China's cultural capital.

Looking at the domestic situation, the corporate leader who has the capital, ability and vision to realize overseas mergers and acquisitions and undoubtedly develop and expand them is none other than Lu Kuan.

At the same time, China Film Group Corporation expressed its intention to explore all-round cooperation with Netflix, which is controlled by Chinese capital, to help Chinese films go global.

The reporter Ju Wenpei wrote:
Last year, Director Lu Kuan proposed the concept of film industrialization in his speech at the Beijing Film Academy and advocated the international dissemination of Chinese films and culture.

Today, the students of the Pan Asia Film Academy, which he organized and founded, finished their first year, and he himself spent a huge sum of money to buy Netflix.

This is a feasible channel for Chinese films to go overseas in the future, instead of relying on those unscrupulous film producers who eat people without leaving any bones.

Amidst the various opinions, there are also voices of caution, warning and pessimism.

Professor Dai Jinghua of Yanjing University, a well-known film critic in the industry, pointed out that Netflix’s 15 billion debt is a real problem. Although the source of director Lu Kuan’s funds has not been revealed, this part will undoubtedly cause huge pressure.

Gu Xiaobai, a grassroots film critic from the mainland, believes that domestic audiences and practitioners should lower their expectations of Director Lu using Netflix to help Chinese films.

The verbal attacks at the US hearing were very fierce. Now is the time for Director Lu Kuan to bide his time and lead Netflix in its transformation. It is not appropriate to divert too much attention to promoting mainland films.

Gu Xiaobai's speech received unanimous praise from Boss Lu's fans.

This is the advice of an experienced state minister.

Whether it is praise or pessimism, the Internet is full of attacks and disruptions in different directions and levels, which are strategic deceptions.

It may even come from commercial competitors such as Chengtian, Huayi, and Ali.

What they want to see is Lu Kuan, who is full of red heart and passion, impatiently launching the strategic steps of "going out", and dragging himself to death for the sake of false reputation.

Lu Kuan, who had just got off the plane, received one call after another.

Blessings, congratulations, temptations, and clinging to others, to name a few.

He personally called Leader Liu and Director Li, who had helped him contact the Ministry of Commerce last time, to express his gratitude.

To express gratitude more naturally, we should find more natural ways to express it, and not tell others about it.

Peking, Film Bureau.

Director Tong and Old Han sat opposite each other drinking tea, both of them looking happy.

"Old Han, the gap between this person and others is really too big."

"What's wrong with this kid Lu Kuan? He can make a name for himself wherever he goes?"

Han Shanping smiled and said, "Leader, this is all thanks to the wise leadership of the bureau! Don't be so modest! You'll definitely receive commendations from the General Administration and the Ministry!"

Director Tong smiled and said, "I really benefited from this opportunity."

"At first I didn't understand. With that much money, I could have built a cinema chain, whether domestically or internationally. Why would I buy Netflix?"

"After talking to him on the phone today, I realized that some people's vision is truly far beyond that of ordinary people!"

Regarding the reasons why Netflix is ​​superior to theaters, Boss Lu told Director Tong and Old Han on the phone:

Take China Film Group's "The Promise" for example, its market performance was dismal and its economic returns were huge losses.

If he controlled the cinema chains in North America, it would be impossible for him to help the bureau and China Film Group to save "The Promise".

But Netflix is ​​different.

In the future, when Netflix transforms into a streaming platform, users will most likely pay on a monthly basis.

Adding "The Promise" to the monthly subscription film library can provide some help without having any major impact on Netflix's operations.

Just like Wanda, which acquired AMC in Hollywood in the future, would Wang dare to schedule domestic films on a large scale?

Certainly not.

A huge loss is enough to make them suffer.

Hong Kong, No. 41, Cumberland Road, Kowloon Tong, is the Zou family mansion covering an area of ​​more than 860 square meters, elegantly known as "Qihe Cottage".

The eldest daughter, Zou Chongheng, snatched the newspaper from her father's hand with a mixture of anger and amusement.

"Daddy, stop looking. The food will get cold if you don't eat it now!"

Even after handing Golden Harvest over to Wenjie, Zou Wenhuai remained energetic: "What's the big deal about eating? I'll just read the news on Lu Sheng and eat two more bowls of rice later!"

When people get old, they like to feel sad about the passing of time. Zou Wenhuai, who was overjoyed to see that Netflix was officially confirmed, suddenly had tears in his eyes the next second.

"Zhongheng, take out the photo of Xiaolong and me. I want to tell him about this."

"The Chinese have finally reached into Hollywood..."

"It's a pity, Xiaolong, that you don't have the same good luck as me, an old man, to see this day."

Zou Chongheng naturally listened to his father, but there was no good tone in his words: "Dad, if you eat well, maybe you can see Lu Sheng's movie win an Oscar and become the global box office champion."

When Zou Wenhuai heard this, he realized that it was true!
"I eat! I eat!"

In an alley on Jiangning Road, Shanghai.

The scene in Zou Wenhuai's house is completely replicated here.

However, it was not his daughter but his wife Xu Dawen who urged the old man Xie Jin to eat.

"Today we have your favorite drunken crab, made with the Huadiao wine from your hometown, Old Xie? It's time to eat."

Xie Jin looked at the newspaper with a smile, thinking about the conversation he had just had with Lu Kuan.

"How come he knows so much about Zhu Dake's life in 86? It's like he lived through that era himself."

Xu Dawen said helplessly, "Lu Kuan's vision is to build on the past and forge ahead into the future. Since he is determined to break the outdated film review system, how can he not understand the history of the literary and artistic world?"

Xie Jin frowned for a while, still not quite convinced by his wife's words.

"That's not quite right. I feel like this kid still has a hint of emotion when he mentions the great turmoil in the literary and art world back then."

The old director has a keen sense of smell.

But he would never have guessed that Lu Kuan's biological mother, Zeng Wenxiu, was also a "victim" of the incident, just like him.

A grain of sand of the times weighed on Xie Jin, but perhaps he could still resist it by being prudent and protecting himself.

But for Zeng Wenxiu, an ordinary literary and artistic worker, it was like a mountain that could kill her.

He put down the newspaper in confusion, and seemed to have thought of something when he picked up his chopsticks.

"Let Bingbing invite Comrade Lu Kuan to our house for dinner. I want to congratulate him in person."

Xu Dawen raised her eyebrows: "How old are you? Why are you still doing this kind of gossip?"

"Do you think someone like him can't see through your intentions?"

Xie Jin smiled bitterly and said, "Do you think I have nothing to do and would order these love songs? It's because Bingbing has been begging me, always..."

"Why..."

Xu Dawen didn't have the heart to say anything more. Bingbing came to school to learn skills at the age of fifteen, and the old couple almost watched her grow up.

From the time before he became famous to his current fame, he comes back to visit his mentor at a fixed time every year.

No matter what others say, they like this child.

But her mistake was falling in love with a man like that.

As a veteran director who has witnessed the changes in the domestic film and entertainment circles over the past few decades, Xie Jin knows that

A man will not fall in love with a woman of the same kind as himself.

Being able to accomplish such a huge undertaking and having so many rumors both good and bad in the community all demonstrate the ruthlessness and heroic character of Director Lu Kuan.

What kind of soul will conquer such a person?
Huayi Headquarters Building, Xinyuan South Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing.

The news of Netflix's successful acquisition spread back to China, but no one at Huayi was too surprised.

They had already learned a little about the development of the situation from Wendy Deng.

Moreover, since the fall of Zhou Jun, Huayi and Wenjie have kept their distance from each other.

The only commercial competition that was a bit excessive was the dispute over the screening schedule of "The Banquet" last year, which was also controlled within the normal business scope.

You scheduled your own "Planescape 2" to compete with "The Banquet". Although the operation of advancing the release date is a bit bullying, it is not something done under the table after all.

But Huayi also turned a disaster into a blessing!
The Huayi Cinema Line department was officially established, and relying on its good relationship with Warner, it snatched two cinemas from the tiger's mouth.

Now the Internet industry has Ali, Xinlang, and Tom, Hollywood has News Corporation, and the domestic market has also entered the listing guidance period.

Listing on the A-share market is imminent, and the future is so bright.

During the 2007 Lunar New Year holiday, all domestic film and television entertainment companies will be thankful that Lu Kuan's film was delayed in completion and release due to the accident of Concubine Liu Yi.

Everyone can breathe a sigh of relief.

Huayi’s “Assembly” and “Red Cliff” in collaboration with Chengtian will both try their best to make the strongest voice!

Including "The Forbidden Kingdom" which has already entered the filming process, the company's young actress Yang Mi, through some unknown relationship, got the role of the female lead at the last minute.

Bingbing plays the important supporting role of the White-Haired Witch and will also appear in Hollywood.

It is reported that a coal boss named Xu from Shaanxi Province has been pursuing Yang Mi very diligently recently. I wonder if it was the resources in this area that pushed her to win the prize.

However, Yang Mi, who did not have much experience in fighting scenes, had to undergo two months of arduous training before she could officially perform.

Since she has made it big with her own resources, the two Wangs can only give up the idea of ​​using roles to hook up with Zhang Ziyi, and support the young actress Yang Mi and give her a ride.

Of course, the ones who are most proud and excited are of course the many employees of the head office and subsidiaries under Wenjie Holdings.

Gossip and rumors were commonplace, until the top management of the group delivered an exciting piece of news:

2007 is the fifth year since the establishment of Wenjie Holdings, and an unprecedented annual meeting will be held in China.

Not only will there be enthusiastic participation from entertainment industry celebrities and heartfelt performances from internal employees, but there will also be annual meeting awards worth up to 5000 million yuan to give back to ordinary employees who have dedicated five years to the company!
This news immediately dominated the charts, not only on the company's internal BBS and OA, but also spread to Xinlang, Weibo, Blog.com, Tianya and other places.

The employees are very professional and know which Internet companies are friends and which are enemies.

Never use the enemy’s products and don’t contribute to their popularity!

In the vice president's office, all subsidiary managers and vice presidents Zhong Lifang, Dong Shuangqiang, and director of the president's office Chen Zhixi were discussing the annual meeting procedures.

In view of the grand scale of this event, we will directly rent the Beijing Workers' Stadium.

The key among the keys is how to set up the lottery and level reward activities worth up to 5000 million.

Dong Shuangqiang said in a deep voice, "Boss Lu is busy with important matters. I will read out a brief instruction on his behalf first."

Applause broke out in the office.

"This annual meeting is the first in the company's five years and also the most grand one."

"Let's talk behind closed doors. The company's development has entered a period of stability as well as a period of challenges."

"The business and economic situation at home and abroad is changing rapidly. The financial storm triggered by the US subprime mortgage crisis will soon sweep the world."

"Whether Wenjie Holdings can continue to attract talent, maintain momentum, and forge ahead while maintaining stable development of the entire industry chain is a question worth examining."

"Therefore, on the eve of the global economic crisis, I suggest using extraordinary incentives to build team confidence, strengthen the 'cultural counter-cyclical' strategic layout, and leverage entertainment industry resources to expand brand influence..."

Dong Shuangqiang's voice echoed in the office, and Boss Lu's high-level instructions were deeply rooted in everyone's heart.

This hugely expensive annual meeting is not a whim, but a grand review and motivation, as well as an opportunity to win people's hearts.

As the company's development enters the deep-water stage, the previous industrial chain advantages of Wenjie Holdings are being continuously weakened.

For example, the art of copying others;

For example, Wanda, which has entered the film and television industry with the label of a real estate company.

For example, Internet companies such as Penguin and Sohu have been eyeing the large entertainment industry.

As the hot money and black money represented by coal bosses are about to invade the entertainment industry, this is an excellent opportunity to carry on the past, make summaries and move forward.

It plays an important role in stabilizing people's hearts and connecting the past and the future.

This is money that a top enterprise must spend and cannot save.
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Boss Lu, who was a hands-off boss, left the trivial matters of the annual meeting to his subordinates for discussion, and arrived in Catania with Liu Yifei at around 1 pm.

Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean and the center of the Mediterranean.

If the Apennine Peninsula is like a high boot extending into the Mediterranean Sea, then Sicily is like a diamond kicked out by this high boot.

A director and an actress travel to Sicily, ready to chase the sun, beaches and ancient monuments in the vein of classic movies.

First, fly to the big city of Catania, where you can rent a car, get ready, and end your tour.

Then we drove to Syracuse, the filming location of "Beautiful Legend of Sicily";
Then it took a three-hour drive diagonally to Palermo, the capital of Sicily, which was also the filming location of "The Godfather".

The last stop is Cefalù, the sparsely populated seaside town in "Cinema Paradiso".

As soon as she set foot on the land of Sicily, Liu Yifei had a very special feeling.

There is an active volcano called Etna in Catania, which has created the local colorful landscape.

We rented a car from the airport and drove to the hotel. Along the way, the cooled gray-brown lava looked like the skeleton of a giant beast, solidified into sharp arrows pointing to the Mediterranean Sea.

Goosefoot grows out of the cracks in the stone steps of the abandoned Greek theater, and its tender green leaves form a color gradient with the two thousand year old limestone.

No wonder he said that directors like to come to Italy to shoot movies. This scenery doesn't even need any filters, it's a beautiful frame at any time.

Walking along this pearl hanging alone in the Mediterranean, looking at the gray ruins of the volcano along the way, the rare European towns, and the magnificent vastness of the sea and sky...

Liu Yifei had the illusion that she and he were a couple in the end times.

The road followed an undulating coastline, and along the way were pale-looking 19th-century Baroque townhouses. The peeling paint on the shutters looked like sleepy eyelids, which made her suddenly feel a little anxious.

No matter how beautiful a journey is, it will eventually end.

(End of this chapter)