2001 Media Godfather

Which one should I choose in Chapter 75?
If we must make an analogy, Su Manqing is equivalent to Empress Gong in another time and space.

Moreover, she is twice as beautiful, and at the age of 30, she has reached the level that Gong Li only achieved in her forties.

It can be said that it is even better than that.

She is undoubtedly a top-tier actress in China, having won virtually every film award across Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, and more than once. She has also won two awards from the three major European film festivals, and last year she served as the jury president at the Cannes Film Festival, breaking the record for the youngest jury president at Cannes.

In the Chinese film industry, he can be said to have no desires or ambitions.

She then ventured into Hollywood, where she starred in a small-to-medium-sized production with a female theme last year. Although the film was not a great success, she is still the only Asian actress to have played a leading role in Hollywood.

Chu An couldn't figure out what kind of problem she could have that she could be asking him.
"Hello, Sister Su."

Chu An even used the formal "you" (您). There's no way around it; in this industry, there are some superstars you can disregard, like Ji Yang, but there are others you have to respect.

Because the heights they can reach are beyond what money and fame can measure.

Su Manqing smiled, as if a hundred flowers were in full bloom.

"Teacher Chu, can we talk? I might need your help."

Chu An glanced at Tong Meng subconsciously, and saw Tong Meng wink at him, meaning: Please help me.

At that moment, Chu An stopped being coy and said, "Let's go home and talk."

He led Tong Meng and Su Manqing back to the courtyard.

As soon as I entered, I saw that the light in Lin Wanxing's room was on. Hearing the noise, Miss Wanxing, still half-asleep, pushed open the door and said, "Chu Shikui! What are you doing so late at night?"

Upon seeing Tong Meng beside him, he asked, "Sister Xiao Meng, what are you doing here?"

Before she could finish speaking, she saw Su Manqing. Her big eyes widened in surprise, and she froze for two seconds before suddenly realizing what was happening and turning into a fangirl.

She jogged forward and said, "Sister Manqing!! I'm Lin Wanxing, it's a pleasure to meet you."

This made Su Manqing a little embarrassed. While greeting them amicably, she looked at Tong Meng with an inquiring gaze. She thought Lin Wanxing and Chu An were a couple, otherwise why would they be living together?

Chu An didn't need Tong Meng to explain, and said with a wry smile, "It's close to her film set, so she's staying here temporarily."

As they talked, they ushered Su Manqing into the living room. They then asked Lin Wanxing to make tea before getting down to business.

"Sister Su, is there any problem you need my help with?"

Su Manqing was a little embarrassed and hesitated to speak.

In the end, it was Tong Meng who said, "I'll say it for you!"

He glared at Chu An and said, "Create a sensational news story within three days, or I won't call you my brother!"

Chu An couldn't help but switch into his usual mode of interacting with Tong Meng. Without thinking, he blurted out, "Simple, call the paparazzi now, and then have them take a few pictures through this door tomorrow morning."

Su Manqing's hand holding the teacup froze, and she couldn't help but laugh.

Tong Meng: "..."

Staring at Chu An, he didn't know what to say. The key is, you can't find any fault with him!
Su Manqing spent the night at Chu An's house. One is a top-tier superstar, and the other is a rising star. Moreover, they are twelve years apart in age. This is definitely explosive news.

"Get lost! Stop messing around!" Tong Meng couldn't help but laugh. "How could you even think of that?"

Chu An spread his hands, "So you have to tell me the whole story, and make sure you explain your specific requirements before I can give you any advice."

His eyes widened: "You just blurted out something like that out of the blue. I know what you're up to!"

Tong Meng was speechless after being rebuffed, so Su Manqing put down her teacup and said, "Let me speak!"

Chu An immediately adopted a listening posture. He was actually curious about what kind of problem it was that required a visit in the middle of the night.

Su Manqing: "It's like this, last year we took on a role in 'The Legal Team,' but the results weren't very good."

"The Legal Team" is the Hollywood film that Su Manqing took on, which tells a story set in a law firm. Su Manqing plays a female lawyer who knows Chinese kung fu and often practices splits with New York gangsters in order to find evidence.

Chu An: "I know, it's good that your grades aren't good."

"Huh?" Su Manqing was taken aback. "You also think that movie was poorly made? Can you share your thoughts?"

Chu Andu laughed and countered with a question, "How many Chinese lawyers have you met in the United States?"

Su Manqing was stunned again, but then Chu An continued, "Not only have you never seen it, but American audiences have never seen it either!"

"Chinese lawyers are already a rare breed there. In the American public's stereotype, there are no Chinese lawyers. This makes your character completely unrelatable; how could you possibly succeed?"

"Not to mention character design, cultural differences, and a whole host of other issues."

Chu An spoke without any politeness, because in order to understand the differences between the two timelines more intuitively, he even watched a pirated copy of the film.

"In short, a group of Westerners who don't understand Eastern culture made a Western film with an Eastern woman as the protagonist, and it feels awkward in every way!"

Su Manqing listened and thought for a while before replying, "Indeed, I only realized it afterward, but it's too late to say anything now."

Previously, when Tong Meng boasted about Chu An's abilities, Su Manqing had some doubts. Even if Chu An was incredibly capable and could navigate the domestic entertainment industry, he might not know much about Hollywood across the ocean.

In retrospect, my worries were unnecessary.

Continuing with the previous topic, "Professor Chu must also be aware of how fierce the competition will be, not to mention how few opportunities an Asian face can secure."

Chu Anquan understood. "Is it possible that the production company blamed you for the film's failure? Once you're labeled as box office poison, it's hard for even Hollywood stars, let alone you, to make a comeback."

Su Manqing lowered her eyes helplessly. "Yes."

"The problem now is that I've landed an audition for the female lead in a crime thriller. They need an Asian face with a background in martial arts, and the director is quite satisfied with my audition."

"But now they doubt my commercial value and box office appeal."

"As you may know, I haven't filmed in China for several years, so their concerns are not unfounded." "My agent suggested that it would be best to have some news in China that demonstrates commercial value in the near future, as this would help in securing roles."

"Xiaomeng said you have this ability, so I came."

Chu An listened quietly. To be honest, Su Manqing, who was recounting this experience, seemed like a completely different person from when they first met.

At their first meeting, Chu An felt that this woman radiated an unparalleled aura of honor.

But now, all he sees is a humble, marginalized actress who is willing to lower herself to get a role in a Hollywood trash movie.

One can't help but ask, "Is going to Hollywood really that important?"

Su Manqing was stunned for the third time.

He finally understood why Tong Meng admired him so much; this boy's thoughts always seemed to be different from others.

After a moment of silence with a wry smile, he finally spoke, "After all, that's the pinnacle of world cinema. At my level, I'd want to go there and prove myself, wouldn't I?"

When Su Manqing reached her position, she was no longer pursuing financial gains, but rather historical status.

Chu An: "But you're mistaken."

Su Manqing asked curiously, "What's wrong?"

Chu An: "Even at the summit, you are a conqueror!"

Su Manqing: "..."

To be honest, having come from another time and space more than twenty years later, I've long since thrown away all my illusions about Hollywood.

Firstly, Hollywood's baffling practices and politically correct direction have long since robbed them of creative inspiration.

Secondly, the attempts of successive generations of Chinese film stars have also proven that the gap caused by cultural differences and prejudices is difficult to bridge.

Therefore, even when Chu An talked about his dreams after transmigrating, he always talked about making blockbuster films made by Chinese people, surpassing the heights of another time and space. He never mentioned that he wanted to enter Hollywood or conquer America. Because there really was no need for that.

However, he is him, and Su Manqing is Su Manqing. As people of this era and in this time and space, not only Su Manqing, but it can be said that the ultimate achievement of a large number of filmmakers in China is to win the applause of Hollywood!

At this moment, Su Manqing was shocked by Chu An's confidence and bold words, but returning to reality, Chu An could not possibly make her give up her ideals with just a few words.

He simply asked, "Teacher Chu, is there any way?"

"Yes!" Chu An answered decisively.

Su Manqing's expression visibly relaxed. "As long as Teacher Chu helps me with this, I'm willing to pay a consultation fee of two million!"

Chu An smacked his lips. In 2002, 200 million yuan was quite a lot of money for public relations just to create a news story.

It's worth noting that in another timeline, Zhang Ziyi's annual public relations expenses at this point in time were only between 50 and 200 million yuan.

The publicity cost for the film "Hero" was only 500 million.

Curious, I asked, "Can you tell me what your salary was after you got the role?"

Su Manqing didn't hide anything: "20 US dollars."

Chu Anxin said, "As expected!"
I'd rather lose money than lose the role.
Stop worrying about it, take a sip of tea, and say, "There is a way. Although time is a bit tight, it's not impossible!"

Su Manqing, "Really?"

Chu An laughed, "Just find any small- to medium-sized fashion film in China, you don't need to consider the subject matter, as long as you express your liking for the script and your interest in acting in it."

"The production team will soon receive advertising placement requests from all walks of life. This is the status that Su Manqing holds in the hearts of the Chinese people!"

Su Manqing, "..."

Feeling uncertain, I thought, "Is it really that simple?"

Chu An: "It's that simple."

He then changed the subject, saying, "However, I don't recommend you do that."

Su Manqing, "Why?"

Chu An said, "Because if you just want this role, you don't need to go through all this trouble. You just need to have your agent make a phone call to the US."

"Just say that you're negotiating other collaborations and don't plan to act anymore."

"????"

Chu An smiled wryly, "What commercial value, what box office appeal? What kind of box office appeal does a Chinese actor have?"

"They just want to drive down the price! They don't even want to give you 20. It's a common trick in Hollywood."

This is no secret in another time and space. Not only domestic movie stars, but anyone from outside the industry who is unaware of the rules or who is not registered with the guild will receive the same treatment, with almost no exceptions.

Even Charlize Theron and Sophie Marceau weren't spared. Those Jewish Ts are really stingy!
Su Manqing, "..." Her flawless face was filled with disbelief.

After a long pause, he replied solemnly, "If that's really the case, 200 million! My agent will transfer it to your account."

Chu An shook his head, "Considering the 200 million, I actually don't recommend you choose the second option."

"Perhaps we can devise a plan to truly break into Hollywood."

So, which one do you choose?

.

(End of this chapter)