A grand feast for the Chinese entertainment industry

Chapter 141 A Wind Rises from All Sides
Su Huilun was promoting her new album when she was blocked by a mob.

She spoke faster than she thought, and her unhappiness was impossible to hide. She said angrily, "He's been a womanizer for a long time, and you just found out?" That night, she made it into the evening paper in Taiwan, and the next day she made it into the morning paper in Hong Kong.

Rosamund Kwan was also cornered. After learning the details, she said, "I don't know! He and I are good friends, but he didn't accept my advances. Now that you mention it, I feel quite pathetic!"

Leung Wing-ki faced the reporter with a displeased expression, saying, "I don't know anything about this! But is it so rare for a man to cheat on his wife? He cheated on his wife in Hong Kong too. This time he went to New York. He's very considerate of me." — She adopted the posture of an empress, and was almost pointing fingers at Brigitte Lin, saying that it was only Lin Chien-lu who "cheated on her."

Chen Shuhua was not caught.

Karen Mok, who was recording a new album at the time, appeared in Hong Kong's morning paper the next morning when asked by reporters about it. "Isn't that his freedom? I think he's already been quite restrained!"

Rene Liu once again tried to gain attention, saying, "I'm not his girlfriend! Please don't ask me, he has a real girlfriend, and I don't want to be misunderstood." — Afterwards, she was severely reprimanded by Sylvia Chang, who forced her to call Lin Jianlu to apologize, saying, "I didn't expect everyone to ask so many questions about who your 'real girlfriend' is. I didn't think that much when I said it! I'm so sorry!"

Yes, the phone was ringing non-stop for an afternoon, an evening, and the next morning.

However, the events in Hong Kong and Taiwan have not yet reached the mainland.

Firstly, news censorship is no joke, and secondly, even if some small magazines do report on it, by the time they realize it, it will be a long time before they do.

The capital is calm and peaceful.

Lin Jianlu even went home in the evening—actually, it was the house he had rented—to visit his elderly parents.

The next morning, he went to CCTV to participate in the program review.

"Cold to the End" has a total of eleven songs, and if you include "Gift" which was given away in the 10 million yuan celebration edition, there are twelve songs. CCTV ultimately chose "Fairy Tale" - which didn't even have an instrumental track, and was just sung a cappella as a formality.

To reiterate, this censorship focuses primarily on language-based programs.

The lyrics and music for songs on the show are fixed and have already been reviewed before they are officially published and distributed. To be included on the Spring Festival Gala, the most important thing to consider is to fit the festive atmosphere as much as possible.

The Spring Festival Gala directing team generally believed that "Fairy Tale" and "Brave Heart" were the most suitable for the program. Considering that "Fairy Tale" was extremely popular in mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, it was ultimately chosen.

After the review was completed, everyone had a chat.

Liu Huan has already conveyed the message, and the production team is very interested. Both Su Huilun and Chen Shuhua are qualified to perform on the Spring Festival Gala. Especially this year, the presence of Taiwanese singers on the Spring Festival Gala is even more symbolic. However, the problem is that the CCTV Spring Festival Gala has limited program time, and solo performances are even more limited. It is impossible to give both female singers a solo performance.

Who are the tentative soloists for this year?
Na Ying, Xie Xiaodong, three female singers from within the system, Lin Jianlu, plus Hong Kong's Peng Ling and Taiwan's Zhang Yu.

Liu Huan is tentatively scheduled to sing a duet with a female singer from Hong Kong.

So I discussed it with Lin Jianlu and suggested we do it. Su Huilun's new album "Lemon Tree" is quite popular this year. Let's give her a solo performance of that song. It's a song that's representative of our compatriots in Taiwan, and it's just a simple and lighthearted love song for girls, so it won't attract any controversy. Everyone will be happy.

They didn't even know that Su Huilun's new album "Duck" had become popular again, and might even be more popular.

The other party didn't mention Chen Shuhua at all—her R&B album last year was a major flop, and before that, she had already quietly faded from the spotlight. Everyone recognized her as a top singer and queen of pop, but she gave the impression that she had already passed her peak.

So Lin Jianlu asked, "How about I sing a duet with Chen Shuhua?"

The other party replied that it wouldn't work, and that you had to sing solo.

One assistant director put it more bluntly: You are the face of mainland pop singers, it's impossible for you not to sing a solo.

This is quite frustrating.

Lin Jianlu actually hopes to use the Spring Festival Gala as a big stage to promote Su Huilun and Chen Shuhua to the mainland, so that they can earn a living ten or even twenty years from now.

But thinking about it again... Chen Shuhua even plans to temporarily retire in the second half of next year.

The suggestion to have children was first made by Su Huilun, but in fact, once it was put on the agenda, she was much more eager than Su Huilun—she was already thirty-eight!
There was nothing that could be done—CCTV wasn't affiliated with Lin, and neither was the Spring Festival Gala. In the end, it was decided that the production team would listen to Su Huilun's song "Duck," and if there were no problems, that song would be used on the Spring Festival Gala.

December 12th was a leisurely day, and Lin Jianlu fulfilled his promise.

He and Brigitte Lin accompanied Xu Qing to see the villa again, but in the end they bought two. One was priced at 993 million RMB, which was the one they had agreed to buy for Xu Qing. The other was priced at 942 million RMB, and was a little smaller.

A big star wanted to buy it, and the seller agreed to give him a 10% discount, ultimately selling it for 17.4 million!
The contract was signed and the money was paid on the same day, and on the same day, a key was handed over to Xu Qing and Lin Qingxia respectively.

Brigitte Lin was naturally pleasantly surprised, never expecting that Lin Jianlu would give her such a large property, a detached villa. Putting aside its unique location, the land area was so large, the house was so big, and it was in a quiet place in the middle of the city. In any major city, it would be an absolutely valuable house.

Xu Qing didn't show any more unhappiness—after spending two days together in the same courtyard, their relationship was surprisingly good, and she was quite accepting of Lin Qingxia being her neighbor.

However, Lin Jianlu only had enough free time to arrange this little bit of work.

The next day, he and Brigitte Lin boarded a plane to Taiwan—at the airport, they even ran into the "In the Heat of the Sun" crew, who were also waiting for their flight.

Coincidentally, the crew of "Temptress Moon" was also there.

This year marks the first time the Golden Horse Awards have opened up to mainland Chinese films for submissions, and only these two films have received nominations.

Jiang Wen, the director of "In the Heat of the Sun," and Gu Changwei, the cinematographer, were definitely close. Ning Jing and Xia Yu were meeting for the first time. Besides them, there was Zhou Ying, who was nominated for Best Editing, and Gu Changning, who was nominated for Best Sound Effects. Gu Changning was also Gu Changwei's cousin. His sister-in-law, Jiang Wenli, also hitched a ride to broaden her horizons. However, upon meeting Lin Jianlu, she kept staring at Lin Qingxia, who was obediently following behind her, with a mischievous smile on her face. Knowing that Lin Qingxia was well-informed, she leaned over and whispered, "You've made headlines again, haven't you? Old Gu wouldn't let me go, but I said no, I have to go! I told Old Gu I had to come and see what you're up to!"

whispering sound!
There were also some familiar faces in the "Temptress Moon" crew. Although she could see that Chen Kaige's expression had been quite unpleasant ever since she appeared, Lin Jianlu didn't care about him. After greeting them, she went straight over there.

Zhao Jiping composed the score for "Temptress Moon," which earned him a nomination for Best Original Film Score.

I hadn't seen this guy in a long time, so we gave each other a big hug and asked, "Was the Xifeng liquor I gave you good?" and "Was the Moutai I gave you nice?" Then we both burst into laughter.

It doesn't matter how big a director Chen Kaige is, and there's no need to pay attention to Zhao Jiping. His position within the system is much higher than Chen Kaige's, and he has always been considered the number one person in mainland China when it comes to film scoring.

He even pulled Lin Jianlu aside and introduced him to Cheung Suk-ping, the costume designer for "Temptress Moon".

Just before leaving, Ni Ping, who seemed to have come to see her off, took a few steps over and greeted her, "Hello, Jianlu!" Lin Jianlu immediately responded, "Hello, Sister Ni!"

But that was all; they nodded to each other, and that was enough.

…………

As usual, the plane made several transfers in Hong Kong before finally landing in Taipei.

Yes, the show that my sister-in-law wanted to see has finally happened.

It is said that since yesterday evening, the airport here has been surrounded by reporters and paparazzi from Hong Kong and Taiwan. The Golden Horse Awards had already announced that Lin Chien-lu had been invited as an award presenter.

With so many reporters, it's definitely not just to ambush Lin Jianlu. The Golden Horse Awards ceremony is just around the corner, and all sorts of celebrities will surely fly in to attend, which is also a major reason. However, Lin Jianlu is definitely the most important person among them.

As Lin Jianlu walked out of the arrivals gate, holding Lin Qingxia's hand, a sight that left a group of people from the mainland speechless. When they appeared one after the other, the crowd outside the arrivals hall's railing suddenly erupted in a "buzz," a truly awe-inspiring sight—at least two or three hundred reporters, with countless cameras and microphones, went crazy and rushed towards Lin Jianlu.

"In the Heat of the Sun" is considered by Taiwanese media to be a strong contender for awards this year, receiving numerous nominations. Logically, Jiang Wen, a renowned director from Cannes, should be a key figure to watch.

But that won't work, at least not now.

Almost everyone rushed to surround Lin Jianlu.

Ge Fuhong had flown over in the morning, and Zhang Aijia was local. More than a dozen bodyguards rushed over almost immediately to protect Lin Jianlu, but they were quickly overwhelmed.

"Ah Lu, are you dating Miss Qingxia?"

"Who is your real girlfriend?"

Could you share some details about your trip to New York with the two beauties from the North?

"Hey Lu, how many girlfriends are you dating at the same time right now?"

Do you have plans to get married? Whom do you currently prefer to marry?

"Qingxia, Qingxia, are you jealous?"

"According to media reports, you have officially signed a contract with Sony Columbia and received a signing bonus of HK$300 million. Is this true? It is said that your new album will be an all-English album. Is this true?"

"Ah Lu, did you really switch jobs?"

"..."

Many passengers, including the crew of "In the Heat of the Sun" and "Temptress Moon," even stopped instinctively at this moment, all just watching the astonishing scene of Lin Jianlu being frantically surrounded by the media.

Jiang Wenli was beaming with excitement, clicking her tongue repeatedly.

Lin Jianlu remained silent, simply protecting Lin Qingxia behind him as he calmly moved forward along the path cleared by the bodyguards. It took a full ten minutes for the airport security personnel, who had been fighting hard, to finally push the reporters aside a little and clear a path for them to exit.

However, there were several hundred fans of Lin Jianlu outside, with a large banner displayed.

Traffic outside is completely blocked.

"Ah Lu, please don't be so fickle!"

Marry Huilun!

"Ah Lu, Ah Lu, I love you!" "I don't want to marry anyone else!"

We want a new album!

Upon encountering these various banners, Lin Jianlu immediately laughed, "What the heck is this?!" But he still let go of Lin Qingxia, pushed aside his bodyguards, and took the initiative to stand on the outermost edge, raising his hand to his fans!
The cheers were deafening.

A group of mainland directors and actors, who had never been interviewed before, witnessed this scene for the first time. They were stunned yet excited, deeply shocked.

…………

That evening, Lin Jianlu hosted a dinner for his friends who had come from afar.

Jiang Wen, Gu Changwei, Jiang Wenli, Gu Changning, Zhao Jiping, Zhang Shuping, and others.

The drinking party had barely begun when paparazzi caught up with them. So while they were drinking inside, dozens or even hundreds of reporters and paparazzi quickly gathered downstairs. Midway through the drinking session, there was a commotion downstairs. Xia Yu, being a bit childish, ran to the window to look out, and then turned around and excitedly reported who had arrived.

Many Hong Kong filmmakers choose to fly over on the 14th, but quite a few arrive a day earlier—and they came up very quickly, including Sylvia Chang, Wong Jing, Derek Yee, and Stanley Tong.

A moment later, there was a commotion downstairs, and soon after, Leslie Cheung and Gong Li came up together.

A moment later, there was another commotion, even louder than before, and it turned out to be Rosamund Kwan.

Filmmakers from Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong are by no means complete strangers, but the reality is that interactions between them have only gradually begun in recent years, and the vast majority of them do not know each other.

Now, with Hong Kong's return to China imminent and the mainland seemingly inclined to implement reforms and gradually loosen market restrictions, both sides have an increasing need for interaction with each other.

Zhang Aijia was entertaining her friends when she heard there was a party going on here. As soon as Wang Jing suggested it, everyone immediately set off. This was Lin Jianlu's home turf. He was well-known and had a strong reputation in the underworld. Seeing the scene, he immediately took on the responsibility.

To be fair, Leslie Cheung has filmed two mainland dramas in recent years, but those were Chen Kaige's films. So he's only acquainted with Gong Li and Gu Changwei. Gong Li also went to film "Flirting Scholar," so it can't be said that she doesn't know the Hong Kong film and television industry. However, it's definitely not comparable to Lin Jianlu's extensive circle of friends.

Let me introduce you all. This is my friend, and this is also my friend!

For a moment, he did have the air of a powerful figure sitting on the ground.

Everyone has to give him face.

Awesome from all directions.

Those who love to dominate, boast, show off, or act superior—no matter how big a name you are, you all have to back down now. In social situations, behave properly and be polite!
A group of actors and crew members, who usually hold a fairly high position in the crew and are considered big stars in the public eye, didn't even have the right to speak at this moment, at this table in this house.

Whether it's Ning Jing and Xia Yu from the mainland, or the actors from Hong Kong and Taiwan brought by Derek Yee and Wong Jing, they're all the same—the Hong Kong and Taiwan stars like Sylvia Chang, Wong Jing, Derek Yee, Stanley Tong, Leslie Cheung, Brigitte Lin, and Rosamund Kwan are all undoubtedly big names. Jiang Wen has even won an award at Cannes, and Gong Li is a big star too. These are the main forces at this dinner table.

Inexperienced actors aren't even qualified to offer a toast in this setting.

They had a long chat.

Everyone has made a lot of new friends.

However, this was just the beginning—Lin Jianlu was extremely busy when the awards ceremony began the next day.

It's strange that a singer like him has such an incredible network of connections in the film and television industry.

Everything else was fine, but Stephen Chow actually came all the way here. He's not exactly known for being good at socializing, but he was surprisingly polite and friendly, holding hands and not letting go. "I really love kung fu, and I also really like you. I heard you're planning to take on a movie role recently. Could you consider me? I want to be my own director, I really want to make a kung fu movie, and I hope you can be the male lead for me!"

Stephen Chow? Kung Fu movies?

The first things that came to Lin Jianlu's mind were "Shaolin Soccer" and "Kung Fu Hustle." "Great! I'll call you when I go to Hong Kong sometime, let's go out for tea and chat!"

He immediately became very happy.

The joy of having one's ideas come true, radiating from within.

"Great! You have to call me! You'd be perfect to be the male lead in my kung fu movie!"

Leung Chiu-wai, Lau Ka-ling, Hung Kam-po, Yuen Biu, Cheng Lung...

The cinematographer for "A City of Sadness" was Chen Huai-en, who also shot the music video for "Fairy Tale".

and many more.

Ang Lee suddenly came over and greeted her. Without needing an introduction, he introduced himself, "Hello, Ah Lu, I'm a good friend of Sylvia Chang. My name is Ang Lee." Lin Jianlu laughed instead, "Hello, Director. You hold a more important place in my heart than Sylvia Chang. There's no need to use her as an introduction."

Ang Lee laughed heartily.

Rosamund Kwan even specially called Andy Lau over. Lin Jianlu had been in the industry for more than half a year, and this was actually her first formal meeting with Andy Lau. "I mentioned her, but she refused. She said she hadn't won you over yet and couldn't introduce you!"

Rosamund Kwan laughed heartily without any decorum.

Lin Jianlu also laughed.

Of the Four Heavenly Kings of Hong Kong, he only knew Aaron Kwok before. Their relationship was so-so, certainly better than nodding acquaintances, but not quite at the level of close friends. He could vaguely sense that Hong Kong singers had complicated feelings about his sudden rise to fame. Aaron Kwok was a good example.

I feel a little awkward trying to get close to them.

I am one of the Four Heavenly Kings, and you've just debuted, yet you've already overshadowed me by half a head!
There will be some dissatisfaction in my heart.

In fact, by extension, Lin Jianlu, a mainland Chinese, became a sensation across mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong with just one album after only six months in the industry. He overshadowed many big-name singers from Hong Kong and Taiwan who considered themselves the center of the Chinese entertainment industry. As a result, he has never been particularly popular among singers in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

This is already a result of his good interpersonal skills.

If he were more arrogant and domineering in his daily interactions, he would be even worse off than he is now.

Of course, the Rolling Stone Group is an exception.

Even within the Rolling Stones organization, many people harbored a subtle aversion to him.

Most of his close friends are accomplished, even semi-retired old guys. Their ambition has faded, so when they see Lin Jianlu, they are amazed but not jealous or resentful—Luo Dayou, Li Zongsheng, Huang Zhan, and Zhang Guorong are all in this category.

And then there are women, Emmmmm...

Otherwise, he wouldn't have achieved fame and success in just over half a year since his debut, and he wouldn't have spent a considerable amount of time in Hong Kong and Taiwan, yet most of his friends are concentrated among directors, actors, and behind-the-scenes personnel.

That's just how society is, and that's how human relationships work!
There can only be friendship when there is no conflict of interest.

Alternatively, you can try your best to break through. When you reach a certain height, leaving them far behind and making them believe that they will never be able to catch up in their lifetime, then things will be fine again.

"If anyone's going to win her over, it'll be me winning her over, not her winning me over!"

Rosamund Kwan burst into laughter again.

She and Andy Lau were very close friends and had collaborated on countless projects. According to Rosamund Kwan herself, Andy Lau actually wanted to date her back then, and she loved his looks and character. However, at that time, she was in her early twenties, and almost everyone in the Chinese entertainment industry loved her. She didn't care about dating; her mind wasn't on that. At that time, she was enjoying herself by being a mistress to wealthy businessmen and receiving gifts.

Time flies, and everyone has been working together and maintaining a good relationship. But Andy Lau never got to see her settle down. By the time she looked back, it was too late; Andy Lau already had a girlfriend.

But their friendship has remained and has only grown stronger.

"Next time you go to Hong Kong, you must invite me. I've been wanting to have drinks and chat with you for a long time! So many of my friends have told me that you must meet Lin Jianlu, and that we will definitely become good friends!"

"Great! I've been wanting to drink with you for a while now!"

…………

Jiang Wen has enough prestige. Although the mainland does not yet have a so-called entertainment industry, and lacks the support and promotion of the entire circle, it seems that all the stars in the mainland, whether in film or music, are not big enough. But it doesn't matter. Someone who has won the three major European awards still has enough weight.

The same applies to Chen Kaige.

However, people like Gu Changwei, Jiang Wenli, Xia Yu, and Ning Jing seemed less able to socialize in such large settings—even though all three of them received nominations for this year's Golden Horse Awards.

So they basically just gather together to watch celebrities and big shots.

"Hey, hey, Sammo Hung! He's really close to Lu Han too!"

"That's Yuan Biao, I know him, Ghost Foot Seven!"

"Holy crap, are Lu Han and Jackie Chan really that close?"

"Oh my god, Brigitte Lin is over there again, holy crap... holy crap, she's hugging him! Lu Han is hugging her waist!"

"Holy crap, Andy Lau, hey, Rosamund Kwan is hugging Lu Han's neck... Where's Brigitte Lin? Isn't she jealous? Oh my god, another one, this one's Leung Wing-ki, I've seen the reports, holy crap..."

Eventually, Ning Jing couldn't take it anymore. "Shut up! He's famous throughout mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, and a well-known handsome guy. You're just jealous, aren't you? You're not that handsome!"

***
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(End of this chapter)