A grand feast for the Chinese entertainment industry

Chapter 207 Face!

"Hey, Charlize, wow, you're amazing!"

After a long day of rehearsals, Charlize Theron had just come downstairs and found her beat-up old car when her agent suddenly appeared beside her, beaming with excitement. "Wow, Lin! That's Lin! I never imagined you actually hooked up with him! Wow..."

Charlize Theron, expressionless, approached the car, took out her keys, opened the door, and got in. She remained silent throughout, but her manager was a man of boundless enthusiasm, chattering incessantly, "Charlize, I knew you were a smart girl! You should have done this a long time ago, you know? I told you, the rules of survival, you remember, right? My God, you've finally figured it out!"

Charlize Theron ignored him, inserted the key, and tried to start the car, but her beat-up car was too old and failed to start after several attempts—she was hardly an unknown actress anymore.

She started acting in 1995 with her first film. With her beautiful face and stunning figure, she has acted in many movies in just over two years. Of course, most of the roles she takes on are based on her looks and figure, so the roles she takes on are mostly quite explicit. However, for a small-time actress without any connections, this speed of development is already quite remarkable. Especially last October, when "The Devil's Advocate," in which she played one of the leading roles, was released, it has now grossed over 150 million US dollars worldwide.

She rose to fame as a result and is now considered one of the more well-known actresses of the new generation.

But, sorry, I'm broke.

The production cost of "The Devil's Advocate" was reportedly $4000 million, with an announced figure of $5700 million. However, her salary as the female lead was only $25. While this salary wasn't low for a newcomer who hadn't yet made a name for herself before this film, it was still far too low relative to her expenses.

She needs to maintain the basic glamour and dignity of a celebrity. She needs to ensure that she is always impeccably made up and dressed. Therefore, she needs some luxury accessories, high-end clothing, high-end cosmetics and perfumes, and even a pair of high heels can cost several thousand dollars.

Besides, she knew that her acting skills were extremely immature, and she understood very well that relying on exposing her body to shoot those explicit scenes to gain attention was just a shortcut for a newcomer to emerge, and it was by no means a long-term solution. Therefore, even though she was not making ends meet, she still tried her best to save money and enrolled in acting training classes. They were very expensive; twenty lessons could easily cost tens of thousands of dollars.

Upon hearing the news that Columbia Records was helping Lin Jianlu recruit regular backup dancers, she was planning to sell her beat-up car to buy plane tickets and settle in Hollywood.

Because of a good friend she met on the set of "The Devil's Advocate," Keanu Reeves advised her that if she wanted to truly develop her acting career, it would be difficult to keep trying to make it in New York and through Broadway. He said that her figure and looks were her biggest advantages, and she should settle in Hollywood, interact more with various companies, producers, and directors, and attend more high-end parties in the industry to get more acting opportunities.

She agrees with this theory. After struggling for more than two years on Broadway, she has gradually realized that acting skills are not the most appreciated part of her. Putting aside development and ambition, just to earn enough money to support herself in this industry, she should give up her past idea of ​​honing her acting skills on Broadway to make a name for herself. Therefore, she has decided to settle down in Hollywood.

However, Lin was recruiting backup dancers.

The salary isn't high, but the bonuses are supposedly generous—but that's secondary. The important thing is, it's Lin!
The most famous person in the world today!

That's Lin!
“I’ve always told you not to worry so much about your health. You’re an actress; you should be experiencing all kinds of life. I suggested to you on set that you could date Keanu. He’s not indifferent to you; he’s had some good luck these past two years and will become famous. Getting close to him now would definitely be good for you. Of course, Al Pacino would be even better, or a director or producer. Each of them represents endless opportunities. Charlize, you have a beautiful face; no man would refuse to date you…”

The agent leaned against the car window, chattering on and on, energetically promoting his Hollywood philosophy of being unconventional.

Charlize listened helplessly while repeatedly starting her car.

Unfortunately, this old, beat-up car is probably really due for retirement.

"But it's not too late now, that's Lin! The global superstar, Lin! Charlize, did he sleep with you? Camo, don't be shy, what's there to be shy about? Tell me, he slept with you, right? So you got this performance opportunity! ...Wow, the Super Bowl, tens of millions of people will be watching the Super Bowl, and this time Lin is going to be in the halftime show, believe me, all of North America, the whole world will be watching! Maybe more than a hundred million people will see it! And you, Charlize Theron, you can now play the leading lady in Lin's performance!"

"In just a few minutes, the whole world will see you! This is even better than starring in 'The Devil's Advocate'! This is a show! A super show!"

"Hey... listen to me, you really need to take skincare seriously lately. When the time comes, you have to show the world your back in its sexiest state, and you'll become famous, truly famous!"

"You're amazing! I completely support you dating Lin. Listen to me, grab him! Show him your most charming and alluring side, and it would be best if he agreed to take you to the Grammys in February!"

"That's yet another big show!"

"Wow, just think about it, a record-breaking eleven Grammy nominations, the date of the world's superstar! Hey, hey, Honey, I've heard from a lot of friends in the music industry that he might get at least five Grammys, five! Mazefak, he's already famous enough, if he gets a Grammy, he'll truly be the King of Pop! And you, you don't need to do anything, just put on a haute couture evening gown, stand beautifully next to him, and you'll naturally become the most talked-about woman in the world! Understand?"

"That's Lin!"

"Over 4000 million albums sold worldwide! It will definitely surpass Michael Jackson in the future, surpassing the existence of his album 'Thriller'! Mazefak!"

"Oh, right, I just called this afternoon and found out that 'I-Surrender' is already the seventh number-one single from this album, surpassing the five number-one singles from 'Thriller'! And it's been at number one on the singles chart for 37 weeks, also surpassing 'Thriller'! On the album sales chart, it's been at number one for 36 weeks! Mazzefuck! 'Thriller' held the record for 37 weeks at number one on the album charts, and '21' is definitely going to surpass 'Thriller'! This is a complete overtake!"

"He is the new king of the world!"

Charlize Theron gave up on starting the car and sighed softly in resignation.

Finally, for the first time, she turned to look at her agent.

This idiot!
Ever since his agency appointed him as his agent, this guy has been encouraging himself to sleep with every man. His theory is that no one in Hollywood can go without sleeping with someone!

Those who follow this rule will become famous and make money, while those who disobey will be punished!

He convinced himself to sleep with the production manager at the audition, to sleep with the director, to sleep with the producer, to sleep with the male lead... Ah... what an idiot!
He seems to be talking and talking all the time, and he's always trying to convince himself to go to sleep, to sleep, to sleep!

He seems to never understand that sleeping together has completely different values—some girls can sleep with everyone on a film set, but that only makes everyone think she's worthless! But there are other women who sleep with exceptional skill, and that makes them worth millions.

For example, Nicole Kidman!

She's not American; she's from Australia, a typical country bumpkin. But for the first two years after arriving in America, she was incredibly reserved, claiming no one could seduce her. Even when she faced financial difficulties and struggled to find acting roles, she maintained her carefully crafted persona. But look at what she did after meeting Tom Cruise? Bold and unrestrained, it's said they fell in love on their third meeting.

Not long after filming "Days of Thunder", the two announced their marriage!
Of course, it is said that this once golden couple is now at odds, and there are all sorts of rumors in the industry that they are getting a divorce, but what does it matter?
She came to America from Australia, slept with only one man, and amassed a fortune of hundreds of millions!

That's what you call smart!

This is the real wisdom that allows a beautiful woman to establish herself in Hollywood!
"Hey! Bob, put away your theories, okay?"

With her arm resting on the steering wheel, Charlize Theron stared coldly at her agent. At that moment, even the annoyance of the car's dilapidated condition seemed to vanish from her eyes; only sharp calmness and an indescribable noble composure remained. "I told you, I won't sleep with any man for profit, for those things you've mentioned—film contracts, opportunities! Understand? Anyone!"

“Oh, Camuang Charlie, if you hadn’t slept with Lin…”

“No! I swear to God, he didn’t even touch my hand! So, Bob, you don’t understand what a real artist is like! Yes, I love him, I love the great Lin, because he is the greatest artist on this planet! I idolize him, I’d be his backup dancer even if the pay was low, even if he didn’t give me any of those… opportunities you mentioned, I’d still be willing! I’d even give him everything! But that’s only because I love him, I idolize him! Understand?”

"What? What are you talking about? Are you talking to me about love? Or, sacrifice?"

"Yeah, love! Devotion! None of that dirty stuff you're thinking of! The Super Bowl, the halftime show, the Grammys, the date—nothing, absolutely nothing! None of that was between us! He appreciated my dancing, my talent, and my hard work, that's it! So he gave me the chance! He's a great artist! God knows how much I love him, I'd love to sleep with him! But even so, it was only because he loved me too! Not any of that dirty stuff you're talking about, OK?"

Yes, eleven Grammy nominations, Charlize Theron knows that!

Not only did she know, she even seriously called her friend Keanu Reeves, who is also a huge music enthusiast, to listen to him passionately explain and popularize the greatness of those nominations!
Lim is Keanu's idol!
He was happy to explain the focus and value of each Grammy Award to a friend who didn't understand music, to prove just how great Lin was, having been nominated for these awards!

For the first time in history, Lim was nominated for all four major Grammy Awards: Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist!

According to Keanu, it is widely speculated that Lim will win at least two of the major awards.

That is, the best album of the year and the best single of the year.

Of these four awards, Record of the Year is awarded to the producer, while Album of the Year is awarded to the singer. They are unlikely to be awarded to the same person, even if that person is Lin, even if Lin was the producer of his album "21" and the only producer.

As for Best Newcomer, of course, it should undoubtedly belong to Lin, since he is a newcomer. However, considering that Best Album of the Year and Best Single of the Year are almost locked in, well, as usual, the Best Newcomer award, which is a dream for any young singer, is not that important to Lin right now, so it will probably not be awarded to him.

We should always share some of the cake with others!
In addition, Lin received nominations for seven other categories of awards.

Best Male Pop Vocalist, Best Male Rock Vocalist, Best Male R&B Vocalist, Best RAP Vocalist, Non-Classical Producer of the Year, Best Record Packaging, Best Short Music Video.

Of the seven nominations, Keanu Reeves said that industry analysts generally believe Lin will win at least three or four more awards—Best chances are Best Rock Male Vocal Performance and Best Short Form Music Video. With "Believer" already a strong contender, the Grammys should at least award him these two if they don't want to lose credibility or attract too much criticism! And past history has proven that the Grammys never disregard commercial value!
Then, although the rap song "Lose-Yourself" has never received strong support from Columbia Records since the release of "21", it only shows that their thinking is outdated and that these old aristocrats in the music industry still look down on rap. In fact, since its release, "Lose-Yourself", an incredibly hardcore rock rap song, has been extremely popular and influential!
It's said that within the rap scene—and you know what kind of people rappers are—they're predominantly Black; even white rappers face discrimination. Many have gang affiliations, they're all arrogant and defiant, always ready to fight, always ready to pull out a gun. In short, while not all of them, and certainly not all, almost all of them are villains—this song still received overwhelmingly positive reviews, and many even consider it one of the greatest rap works since the genre's inception!

Therefore, there is about a 90% chance that the Best RAP Artist award will be given to Lin!

There's also Best Male Pop Artist, Best R&B Artist...

and many more.

Keanu Reeves was able to talk fluently about each of Lin's eleven Grammy nominations, clearly explaining to Charlize Theron why Lin was nominated and what her chances of winning the award were!

Of course, Charlize Theron was only trying her best to remember, but as someone not in the industry, her overall understanding of music and the Grammy Awards was extremely limited. Therefore, what she could remember was basically just the surface. Simply put, the results. She didn't really understand the more detailed parts, so she couldn't remember them at all.

But, well, she knew. She knew everything.

She knew why she had given up on the decision she had almost made, why she had given up on settling in Hollywood, why she had signed up to be Lin's backup dancer, and what it meant to get a specific performance slot for Lin in the Super Bowl halftime show. She also knew what it would mean if she could get into his bed in the shortest amount of time and get the chance to accompany him to the Grammy Awards...

But, "From now on, please shut your mouth! I won't sleep with any man, including Lin, because of your so-called opportunities! Unless he falls in love with me too! OK?"

"Please stop insulting my love! Because that would also be an insult to Lin!"

The agent shrugged, looking completely bewildered. He had suddenly received a call asking him to come over and negotiate a contract for Charlize Theron, specifically a performance contract for Lin during the Super Bowl halftime show. He was ecstatic. After negotiating the contract and watching Charlize Theron sign it, he went downstairs but refused to leave, waiting there for a full two or three hours!

And then... how could this girl be so stupid!
Mazefak!

Love is bullshit!
Your most valuable asset is your looks and figure that make every man's blood boil, Mazefak!
But Charlize Theron's solemn and angry expression made him afraid to say anything more, because this girl had not only just become popular after "The Devil's Advocate," but had also gained some fame and was already the most famous and popular artist he managed. She had also just received Lin's performance contract.

"...OK! You're in charge! Love! Pure love!"

"So, now start your damn car and take me home, okay?"

"Oh, OK! Happy to help!"

…………

On the way back, Lin Jianlu was on the phone almost constantly.

It may not be this frequent every day, but there are such frequent periods of time every day.

The peak times are mainly in the early morning and evening.

He has too many assets, divided in mainland China, Hong Kong, America, and many other places, including stocks, real estate, and commercial buildings. He also has many identities: TV station owner, film and television company owner, singer, songwriter, producer, spokesperson, and many girlfriends and lovers...

Today, Gao Yuanyuan called. She said she recently heard from her classmates that a Taiwanese TV series called "The Return of the Condor Heroes" is casting, and that Longxin Film and Television is involved in the investment. So she called Chen Hong directly and even went to see her. However, Sister Chen Hong said she didn't dare to agree because some of the roles were personally arranged by Lin Jianlu. So, the aunt called Lin Jianlu instead.

She wanted a role, Guo Xiang.

He even wanted to help his classmates get a few more roles—he was being incredibly arrogant, asking for "a few"!
When Lin Jianlu asked her who she was asking for the gifts for, she mentioned Fu Jing and Chen Hao, the two people Lin Jianlu had met before. They were good friends and classmates she had met at the Central Academy of Drama.

So I tried to appease her, saying that the role had already been agreed upon and given to someone else, and it wouldn't be good to go back on my word.

She's not good at it; she just acts spoiled and throws tantrums.

Oh dear... Lin Jianlu had no idea what kind of personality Gao Yuanyuan would have at this age in his previous life. He just felt that he might have spoiled her too much in the past, perhaps even a little too much. Yes, it seemed that what she asked for wasn't a big deal. She herself didn't intend to ask for the female lead directly, but only for Guo Xiang. When she asked for her classmates, they asked for supporting roles like Lu Wushuang and Cheng Ying. Given how much Lin Jianlu spoiled her, it shouldn't have been a big deal.

Such a useless girl, her boyfriend pulled some strings and got her into the Central Academy of Drama. How much influence does that require? And she still had to ask for favors and rely on external forces. This TV series is one you invested in yourself, it's our own production, isn't it? And you're just giving me a few roles to do me a favor, what's wrong with that? Is that not allowed?
No!

Lin Jianlu put on a stern face and gave him a lecture.

She cried again after being scolded, sobbing pitifully, and hung up the phone in a huff.

I've probably already bragged about it to my classmates, so what's coming next is going to be a bit embarrassing.

However, after scolding her, Lin Jianlu immediately called Chen Hong. It must have been early morning in the capital. Judging from the voice on the other end of the line, Chen Hong was probably doing her morning exercises. She laughed and said, "What's wrong, honey? Did Gao Yuanyuan call you?"

Lin Jianlu said "Hi," and then said, "I gave her a lecture and didn't agree to her request. But in a few days, you should tell her to go for an audition or something. Give her the role of Guo Xiang. She has two classmates, Zeng Li and Hu Jing. See which project has suitable roles and arrange for them to play small roles in other dramas. As for her other two classmates, Fu Jing and Chen Hao, keep them in check!"

Chen Hong laughed, "I understand what you mean! She came with three others that day. Yuanyuan is naive, that's how little girls are, she can't resist being pushed around! Alright, don't worry about it, I'll handle it for you! I know you spoil her, I'll definitely appease her! Don't worry!"

Then he suddenly said, "Hey... but then again, I'm not responsible for Vivian Chow's side!"

Lin Jianlu hummed in agreement and hung up the phone, quite satisfied.

Chen Hong and Gao Yuanyuan have a good personal relationship. Well, to be precise, apart from Xu Qing, Jiang Qinqin and Zuo Xiaoqian's courtyard faction, Chen Hong has a good relationship with everyone. With her shrewdness and skills, it would be a piece of cake for her to coax an eighteen-year-old like Gao Yuanyuan. Ever since Gao Yuanyuan entered the Central Academy of Drama, even though she was exposed in front of her, it didn't take a month. When Gao Yuanyuan called, she was already calling Chen Hong "Sister Chen Hong".

Having no other options, Lin Jianlu decided not to get involved.

In Lin Jianlu's eyes, girls like Li Xiaoran and Gao Yuanyuan were rather foolish. Lin Jianlu was actually quite happy that Chen Hong was willing to take over their lives, mentor them, and help them improve.

However, while we may try to treat her well and discipline her, we still have to give her face as the young mistress.

Even after making a special phone call and asking for it, and after scolding her, we still had to give in to her wish.

But those who encouraged her should be taught a lesson.

She herself is not that passionate about acting anymore. For her, acting is just like playing now. Wherever she goes, she is bound to be fawned over and coaxed by everyone, having a great time. But even if she doesn't go out to act, she is still fawned over and coaxed by everyone, and still has a great time. So, if she hadn't been encouraged by someone, she probably wouldn't have bothered to pay attention to the fact that Chen Hong has started another TV series.

Then, well, after giving face to the younger concubine, you also have to pick up the face of the other concubine.

Call Zhou Huimin.

She's very easy to talk to because she's currently super excited—her new album was already recorded, but its release date was severely delayed, finally set for the first day of the Lunar New Year for a global release. The reason is simple: Lin Jianlu specially recorded a super energetic new song for her on the album and used his personal connections to get her a spot on this year's CCTV Spring Festival Gala. The song is called "Gong Xi Fa Cai" (Wishing You Prosperity)!
After performing on the Spring Festival Gala, the album was officially released in mainland China the very next day, the first day of the Lunar New Year!
Ge Fuhong's influence wasn't enough, nor was Luo Dayou's and his music factory's influence, but Lin Jianlu's influence was enough, and the Capital Audio-Visual Publishing House was fully responsible for distribution in mainland China.

CCTV also gave them special consideration.

This year's Spring Festival Gala was special, featuring Hong Kong's Andy Lau, Taiwan's Chang Hsin-Che, and mainland representative Mao Ning, who sang "Great China" together – a signature pose.

In addition, Chen Shuhua, representing Taiwan, and Wang Fei, representing Hong Kong, were given another duet, "Meet in 1998," which was another highly representative arrangement.

In addition, Fan Xiaoxuan, a girl who has recently become popular in Taiwan, was specially invited to perform on the Spring Festival Gala. She will be paired with Xie Xiaodong from the mainland to sing "Health Song".

It's fair to say that all the spots are filled here.

But when Lin Jianlu pushed her aside, CCTV immediately made time and put Zhou Huimin on stage again, this time for a solo performance.

In addition, CCTV recently sent a formal invitation letter to ATV, inviting ATV to send someone to participate in the Spring Festival Gala. Although the position and importance given were limited, it still highlighted a certain special status. After weighing the options, ATV ultimately selected its contracted actress Zhou Haimei.

She will participate in a medley of songs called "Popular Trends," and will be the first to sing, a classic theme song from a Hong Kong TV drama, "Love Across Mountains and Rivers."

In short, this year coincides with Hong Kong's return to China, making the timing special. The number of attendees could be appropriately increased. Lin Jianlu already had some influence with CCTV, and after taking control of ATV, he contacted them immediately with a sincere attitude, which was clearly appreciated by the higher-ups. As a result, his influence on this year's Spring Festival Gala reached its maximum.

This is all out of courtesy!

For Vivian Chow, this favor means that she can now officially and formally enter the mainland market and embrace this huge market of 12 billion people. This is a super status that even the kings and queens of Hong Kong music do not have in today's Hong Kong music scene. Guo Xiang is just a small character in a Taiwanese TV series. It's a trivial matter!

Vivian Chow readily agreed, and then habitually acted coquettishly.

I could hear other girls nearby making sarcastic remarks, and the two of them were laughing and joking around. It's most likely Zhou Haimei.

They are said to be best friends.

After chatting for a few minutes and hanging up, Zhang Aijia, still pondering whether to send a car over tonight to pick up Li Xiaoran and bring her to stay, suddenly heard her phone ring. She answered, paused briefly for a moment, then immediately became excited, covering the microphone with her hand, and said, "CCTV in mainland China has contacted the professional league, hoping to obtain the broadcasting rights for the Super Bowl?"

Lin Jianlu was stunned for a moment before suddenly coming to her senses.

What the hell!

That's a huge favor!
There haven't been many American TV programs broadcast in mainland China before, at least not the NBA. So, for a purely American sport like American football, which has no interest in mainland China, normally, the country probably wouldn't even consider broadcasting it—but suddenly, they're going to broadcast it!
CCTV and ATV are not the same thing!

ATV is a television station under its own control. Regardless of the size of the station, when it signs a broadcasting contract, it's all about supporting its boss. As for ratings, they don't care; it's just empty talk.

But CCTV is the mouthpiece of the state!
Although it's highly unlikely that CCTV-1 will broadcast it, it will probably be CCTV-5, but that would still be a huge honor!
And it's not just a matter of face. If CCTV-5 broadcasts it, given the population base in mainland China, as long as the NFL agrees to include the broadcast ratings in their statistics, surpassing the ratings record created by Michael Jackson would be a piece of cake. The best part is that CCTV will most likely not broadcast it again next year!

That would truly be a huge favor!
If Lin Jianlu goes to participate, then all the television sets in China will be turned on for him!

Lin Jianlu isn't going this year, so sorry, who knows what the American Super Bowl is anyway?
He couldn't help but ask Zhang Aijia, "What did they say over there?"

Zhang Aijia, however, raised her index finger at him and shushed him. Then she listened attentively to the phone call, responding with "Hmm," "Oh," and "OK." After a minute or two, she hung up, her face beaming with excitement. "They're ecstatic! I heard they're planning to send someone to the capital immediately to discuss it. I bet they'll give away the broadcasting rights for free!"

Lin Jianlu slapped his palm with his fist.

"terrific!"

***
I'm begging for your monthly votes, guys!

(End of this chapter)