A grand feast for the Chinese entertainment industry

Chapter 248 An amazing performance!
Burbank, Los Angeles, Warner Bros. Studios.

On the set of The Matrix.

Lin Jianlu was dressed in typical American white-collar work clothes and was strapped to a narrow mobile hospital bed. Several lights shone down from different angles above his head, and a camera was mounted on a tall, movable camera stand, pointing at him from above.

"ready, go!"

"C-4-64!"

With a snap, the board came down, and the camera was already turning. Lin Jianlu's lips were tightly closed as she struggled violently, her eyes wide open, making a terrified expression as if she couldn't speak and her mouth had been sewn shut.

"Card!"

Filming paused abruptly, the camera switched off, and the bearded Larry Wachowski walked over. "Hey, Lin, fear, okay? Not just fear, but terror. Imagine you suddenly find your mouth gone, vanished! As if you'd never had it before! All-Right?"

"Yay! OK! I'll try again!"

Well, filming for The Matrix began quickly after the press conference.

Lin Jianlu quickly revealed his lack of acting skills, and could only constantly recall the things Jiang Wen had been chanting in his ear like a mantra when filming "The Myth"—well, it should be said that it was somewhat helpful.

Of course, perhaps it's because he's shot quite a few music videos and movies, and has some experience. He's starting to understand more and more what kind of facial expressions and eye contact the director wants and what terms he needs to use. Well, basically, for most shots, he only needs to do three to five takes to meet the director's requirements and get through smoothly.

And it's okay if someone doesn't act well. Although Laurence Fishburne has never won an award for Best Actor, he has been nominated for it. His acting skills are very good. Just ask him more questions and learn from him. Besides, Lin Jianlu discovered after knowing him for only a few days that Hugo Weaving, an Australian actor, may not be well-known even now, but his acting skills are also excellent.

Given Lin Jianlu's current fame and status, he is willing to take the initiative to learn from others. Whether it is the two Wachowski directors or Laurence Fishburne, they not only do not look down on him or refuse to teach him, but also think he is dedicated and willing to learn humbly, and are very willing to give him serious guidance. Not to mention Hugo Weaving.

But... well, when filming first started, he was fine with just shooting some everyday or simple scenes. But on the third day, when they started filming the scene where the male lead Neo was grabbed and forced onto the hospital bed for surgery, he got stuck.

Lin Jianlu was actually quite familiar with this scene. Although when he saw the movie after entering university, the scene where Neo's mouth disappeared was no longer considered particularly terrifying, it still left a deep impression on him. By carefully understanding the plot and the director's requirements, recalling the vague memories in his mind, and thinking back to what Keanu Reeves' expression was like, plus consulting with experts, he felt that he was well prepared.

Unexpectedly, I still got stuck.

He took a deep breath and lay back down, his mind a jumbled mess.

What did Old Jiang teach me back then? Never mind, it's too late to recall. Horror, um, plus fear... What am I afraid of? In real life, what is the thing that I fear most?
Yes, that's how Lao Jiang taught us: think about things that correspond to real life, and then capture the emotions.

Huff... Fear...

I'm more afraid of... bankruptcy?
No, I can't possibly go bankrupt! Even if all the businesses I currently own fail, I can just sell them off at a loss, even if I lose some money, or even if the dot-com bubble in the US stock market never comes back, I don't care. I can just be a serious shareholder of Amazon and Yahoo. After all, the future still belongs to the internet age!

Moreover, even if all of that is gone, even if I am bankrupt now, as long as I still have unused songs, my next album will immediately turn things around!

As someone who earns hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars from a single album, what do I have to fear?
What do I have to fear?
Oh, right, if one day my body suddenly breaks down, like, I can't get an erection anymore, or even if I'm not as physically powerful as I am now, then what about all my lovers in the capital, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and America...?

What the hell!

Thinking about it this way, I suddenly felt my hair stand on end!

Fuck! If that day ever comes, it'll be way worse than bankruptcy!

If I can't get an erection, it's worse than death...

"Lin, how's the preparation going? Should we try again?"

"OK! No problem, come on! I'm terrified right now! Kamuang!"

Fuck! I absolutely cannot be impotent!
"ready, go!"

"C-4-64!"

With a snap, the board slammed down again. Lin Jianlu's lips tightened once more as she struggled violently, her eyes wide, her mouth moving wildly, her face filled with terror, as if searching for her own mouth. "Ugh... ugh..."

Struggle! Fear! Terror!

"Well……"

He was so frightened that he looked like he was about to cry.

"GOOD! Biu Te Fou! Lin, biu Te Fou! This is your most amazing performance ever!"

The bearded man made a special trip over, gave a thumbs up, and looked excited. Then he called to the cameraman, "Kameng, change the camera position immediately. Don't let Lin's emotions get out of the picture!"

Okay, so this is what acting is all about.

Grass!
So filming continued.

It was only in this life, as Lin Jianlu gradually became more involved with the film and television industry, that she began to understand many things that she had known and heard about in her previous life, but had never truly understood.

For example, why is making movies considered superior to making TV series?
For example, both are about telling a story, so why is it that making a movie is more expensive and time-consuming than making a TV series? And why is it that a TV series that lasts one or two thousand minutes and has thirty or forty episodes often costs less than a fraction of the cost of a 90-minute movie?

There are all sorts of things like film stock, salaries, sets, and props, and it seems like everyone knows the reasons. But you only realize it when you're actually involved—it's not simply because film stock is much more expensive than videotapes used for shooting TV series. The key is that when shooting movies, the vast majority of directors use a single camera!

When filming a TV series, it's very likely that there will be three or four cameras simultaneously!

In the same scene, when filming a TV series, several cameras are set up. The actors move around and say their lines, and each camera captures the shots they need. After filming, they edit the footage, and the scene is instantly restored. Some TV series don't even bother with on-site sound recording. After editing, they just have the actors do some additional sound recording. For a 30-episode TV series, everyone can go and record according to their own schedule. Each person can finish in a day or two.

But movies are different. The lighting and shadows in movies require fine-tuning for almost every shot. A single shot can take anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes, and the lighting and camera positions need to be rearranged. Moreover, most movies prefer to record sound on location, which results in an extremely low margin for error in the overall shooting process. If there is even the slightest problem with the lighting, camera positions, acting, dialogue, or sound recording, it has to be redone—which is time-consuming, puts a strain on the actors, and is also extremely wasteful of film!

This is why, even more than a decade later, when the entire film industry has basically switched to digital photography, film investment is still enormous. However, once a TV series dares to break through cost constraints and adopt film shooting methods, the sense of camera work and the quality of the visuals are immediately elevated!
Many high-budget American TV series that followed probably did it this way!
"call……"

"ready, go!"

…………

It took a full hour and a half to get three shots done. They were then edited into the movie, and I don't know if they even made half a minute or a second of footage, but the director and the entire crew seemed quite satisfied.

Finally, it was time to rest for a bit. Lin Jianlu had been lying down for over an hour, and her back was getting stiff. She jumped off the bed and started swinging her arms and legs. Zhang Aijia came over and said with a smile, "Someone's here to visit you on set."

Lin Jianlu didn't pay attention. "Oh? Who? Ah Xian is here? Or Fei Hong?...By the way, you're also a director, and a very talented one at that. Tell me, how was my performance just now? What level was it?"

Sylvia Chang laughed, "You're still a long way from your level of flirting skills, but compared to the stiff expressions you had when you filmed those music videos, this is already much better!"

He paused, then added, "It's an acting award, so don't overthink it, but it's definitely good enough for shooting commercial blockbusters! ...Really, it's good enough! I didn't expect you to film it so smoothly!"

Hmm, I don't know if she was praising or insulting her.

But it didn't matter. The next moment, Lin Jianlu saw a group of people chatting together.

Aside from the cast of "The Matrix," there were real guests, and for most people in America, they were all very familiar faces.

Wow, Rachel!

Lin Jianlu's tone was indifferent. He had been in America for over a year and watched Friends, but he had no nostalgia for the show, nor was he obsessed with it or a fan. He simply gave a standard smile and extended his hand to Jennifer Aniston, saying, "Hello!"

"Oh God! Lin! It's so good to see you!"

In person, America Sweetheart is indeed quite sweet and pretty. However, while Lin Jianlu doesn't seem to be a fan of hers, she is clearly a fan of Lin Jianlu's. Instead of shaking hands, she chose to hug him directly.

And she hugged her quite tightly.

He seemed very excited.

"Oh, haha... Wow, Rachel, you're even prettier than you look on TV!"

"Really? Oh, that's the best compliment I've ever heard! Although many people have said that, I have to say it, it's you, Lin!... Oh God! Can I hug you again?"

Lin Jianlu chuckled and opened her arms to her, but she quickly turned around and looked at a girl outside the crowd who was staring at Lin Jianlu blankly. "Hey, Lina, Kamuang, take a picture! Take a picture of me hugging Lin. I want to take it back to prove to them that I hugged Lin!"

So, the girl named Lina, who was probably her assistant, came to her senses and, sure enough, took out a camera from her backpack and pointed it in their direction—Lin Jianlu couldn't help but chuckle and readily spread her arms again.

"Oh, how wonderful!"

"Ha ha!"

The nation's goddess, Jennifer Aniston, is here! Any other young man would probably faint with excitement at the chance to hug her, but this time, it's Lin Jianlu, and Jennifer Aniston is so excited she's almost incoherent. "Yesterday, the producer told us that the production team has invited you to guest star in episode 25. You know, there wasn't originally going to be 25 episodes; we only received a 24-episode script. When we heard the news, we were all so excited! Wow, Lin is going to guest star in our show! Wow..."

Then, with a slightly silly smile on her face, she stared at Lin Jianlu for several seconds, looking like she was about to drool. "Wow, Lin, although countless people have probably said this to you countless times, I still have to say it, you are really handsome! You are the most handsome Asian I have ever seen! No, not just Asian, I don't mean anything else, I mean... Wow, God! You are really handsome!"

"Haha! Rachel..."

“Jennifer Aniston, please call me Jamie, thank you!”

"OK! Jamie, it's nice to meet you! I look forward to working with you on a movie next!"

"Oh, that's my pleasure! But please, could you not hug them later? They'll be here soon, I just got here a bit ahead of them! Please don't hug them!"

"Hahahaha!"

…………

Hey Sophie, how are you?

"Hi, Lin..."

Now that he was settled in Los Angeles, when Sophie Marceau called again, she told Lin Jianlu that she had seen the overwhelming news in the newspapers and on TV about him coming to Hollywood to make a movie, so she arranged to have dinner with him. To be fair, from the perspective of a worker and actor, life in Hollywood is indeed great. He goes to get off work on time every day, and for every non-normal working hour shoot, such as night scenes, he either has to make up for it with rest time during the day or be paid extra overtime according to the relevant regulations.

Therefore, few film crews are willing to work overtime.

Well, as I said before, after fierce competition and rivalry in the huge consumer market, everyone gradually realized that hard-core competition is not very meaningful. Because even if you shoot 500 films a year, the market is still pretty much the same. Under such fierce competition and infighting, everyone works so hard but doesn't make much more money. So it's better to set a rule that everyone can work slowly and leisurely and make money easily.

Lin Jianlu is not a member of the American Screen Actors Guild and is therefore not protected, but the terms of his performance contract are even stricter than those of the Screen Actors Guild! So, in other words, he can film when he needs to, and after work, it doesn't stop him from chasing girls at all.

This is something that neither Hong Kong nor the mainland would dare to even dream of.

During the normal filming of "The Myth", it was common practice to film for more than ten hours a day. If night scenes were to be filmed, it would take up to fifteen hours a day, which was also perfectly normal. From the director and actors to the staff, the entire crew was used to it and no one complained!
Well, Lin Jianlu still arrived fifteen minutes early, even though the restaurant and time were set. He had only been sitting down for a short while when Sophie Marceau arrived as well.

Despite it being only their second meeting, the two still hugged each other.

I've already looked into her background. Sophie Marceau was born in 1966, making her ten years older than me. She's 32 this year, but even among women in Europe and America, she looks exceptionally young. She has shed the immaturity and naivety of a young girl, and is confident, poised, and beautiful. She's just starting to exude a mature, sophisticated aura, but hasn't quite matured yet... Hmm, just right.

A friendship that can last for two years.

Eating and chatting.

It seems that Lin Jianlu's quick acceptance of the invitation gave Sophie Marceau a certain illusion, making her appear more proactive. It was no longer simply a matter of expressing her personal admiration for Lin Jianlu; on many occasions, she began to look at him with affection and was no longer hesitant to express her admiration.

French rose, um.

He had carefully touched her hand at the dinner table, playing with it for a while. After dinner, they strolled slowly down the street, and soon they embraced and kissed. Sophie Marceau passionately stroked Lin Jianlu's face, "Lin, you are the greatest artist I have ever seen, no, of all the artists I have ever seen or heard of in this world! Your music has surpassed Michael Jackson, and your lyrics can reach the heights of Balzac and Hugo. Oh, Lin, I love you so much! Before I met you, I had already fallen in love with you, but I didn't know it myself. Until the last time I met you, I was instantly captivated by you. You have the most beautiful smile in the world, the warmest voice. Oh, kiss me! Kiss me, Lin! Do you know? I wish I could be a little kitten in your arms!"

To be honest, Lin Jianlu has heard all sorts of confessions from women and girls of all ages, both Eastern and Western. The one that impressed him the most was Chen Shuhua's monologue that night. But, how should I put it, Chinese confessions, no matter how passionate and unrestrained, always feel somewhat reserved.

If we're talking about passionate and unrestrained women, then Charlize Theron and Diane Kruger are the best examples. However, their declarations of love seem a bit too blatant, lacking in subtlety and charm.

Sophie Marceau is just right.

It is both passionate and direct, and at the same time tender and affectionate.

They kissed passionately in the street.

Two tall Lincoln Navigator SUVs stopped one after the other precisely on the side of the street where the two were kissing, blocking the headlights and gazes of the vehicles that were passing by. Two tall, strong men guided the cars by touching the hoods, glancing left and right at the pedestrians and potential dangers from time to time, stopping and starting in rhythm with their owners' pace and rhythm.

When they finally let go, Sophie Marceau, who had been lost in passion, quickly noticed what was happening on the street. She paused for a moment, then her eyes lit up. She snuggled into Lin Jianlu's arms and hugged his waist tightly. "Wow, Lin, I suddenly see your power."

Lin Jianlu looked up upon hearing this and smiled, "They're protecting you too! Stray cats are always in danger and need their owners' farms and protection."

Sophie Marceau smiled, her gaze sweeping over the two cars and the two enormous bodyguards a few more times. She turned back, tightened her embrace around Lin Jianlu's waist, and leaned in for another passionate kiss.

How do you say "cat" in French?

"chat!"

"Oh, my chat, I want to take you home, is that alright?"

"Of course! Lin! I'm your cat!"

So Lin Jianlu pecked her lips, took her hand, and walked straight to the car on the side of the street. The bodyguard came over immediately and opened the car door. After the two got into the car, the two bodyguards got in afterward.

The car quickly disappeared down the street.

However, upon returning to the hotel, an awkward scene unfolded. Charlize Theron did not go back to the room arranged for her by the film crew. Instead, she was in Lin Jianlu's presidential suite, having already showered and applying lotion or something similar. When the door opened, Lin Jianlu entered with Sophie Marceau in his arms, leaving both girls stunned.

"Fuck!"

Lin Jianlu was somewhat overwhelmed.

But now he was exceptionally experienced, and while he muttered something to himself, his face remained completely expressionless.

After closing the door, he released Sophie Marceau and touched Charlize Theron's cheek, who was staring intently at Sophie Marceau. "Honey, shall we go back to your room first?"

Charlize Theron smiled. "Of course!"

So she got up and left, took a few steps, then turned back to get the body lotion she was halfway applying. As she passed Sophie Marceau, their eyes met, both of them smiling, but sparks flew between them.

Pass by.

The door closed behind me.

Sophie Marceau immediately came over, wrapped her arms around Lin Jianlu's neck, and pressed her body against him for a passionate kiss. The next moment, Lin Jianlu simply scooped her up in his arms.

…………

This is a face that can be praised as "unifying Eastern and Western aesthetics".

She had a perfectly oval face, possessing both classical elegance and an indescribable modern freshness. She also had beautiful, willow-leaf eyes, slightly narrow, clear yet alluring, with a deep, melancholic quality in her grey-brown irises. When she bit her lip and moaned, her eyes would be fixed on you, those beautiful eyes filled with pleasure and adoration, like rose petals glistening with dew, soothing and refreshing. At times, her gaze would drift, then her eyes would close, and suddenly she would begin to tremble violently, her body stiffening, letting out a high-pitched cry, like a swan struck by an arrow.

The key point is that her figure is absolutely amazing!
The curves are long and slender, the figure graceful and delicate.

Perhaps the movements were too vigorous, because Lin Jianlu only realized afterward that the condom had been torn.

"Grass!"

He cursed in Chinese, glanced at Sophie Marceau, and saw she was still lost in thought. He considered checking her, but then thought it probably wasn't a big deal, so he just ignored it, got up, went to the living room to get a cigarette, lit it, and then came back to lie down and rest. It took her several minutes to gradually come to her senses. She mumbled something in French, then turned to look at Lin Jianlu with an adoring expression, "God! Lin, you're so perfect! You're the strongest and fiercest man I've ever met!"

Lin Jianlu smoked a cigarette and smiled.

She propped herself up on her side, took the cigarette from Lin Jianlu's mouth, took a puff, then put it back in his mouth, exhaling a long puff of smoke. "God! I almost died! Is this a characteristic of Asian men? It was so hard and hot, it even felt a little burning! God, I almost died!"

Lin Jianlu remained silent, only smiling, and turned to kiss her.

So she lay back down to rest.

After a while, Lin Jianlu stubbed out his cigarette and tried to get out of bed, but then she suddenly came to her senses, rolled over and lay on top of him, just like when she first saw him. She touched Lin Jianlu's chest and abdominal muscles, her face full of amazement and worship. "My God, these are sculpted muscles! So powerful! Absolutely perfect! So... can you really punch a Kodiak bear away?"

Lin Jianlu chuckled, "How could that be!"

He had heard from Zhang Aijia on the phone that a newspaper in the US, supposedly a large-circulation one, had seriously analyzed the power he displayed in the "Believer" music video. They believed that the fight scenes in the music video did not use special effects or computer-generated content, so they were a manifestation of Lin Jianlu's real power. Based on this, they conducted a very rigorous scientific experiment and concluded that Lin's power was astonishing, enough to punch a strong, adult male Kodiak brown bear!
What a joke!

The so-called Kodiak brown bear is supposedly a large brown bear species unique to the Alaskan region, with adult males weighing 600 to 800 kilograms. Even if you called Tyson over, he would turn and run away the moment he saw it. How could anyone possibly punch that thing away!
That's beyond the scope of human power!
However, the report reportedly sparked considerable heated discussion, with even several American television networks joining in. It was incredibly popular at the time, and apparently, many Americans genuinely believed it. Zhang Aijia even said that because of that report and the subsequent discussions, many Black rappers who had previously boasted about wanting to challenge Lin Jianlu to a duel to witness his amazing Chinese kung fu all fell silent – ​​the truly bizarre American!

When discussing this matter, Zhang Aijia told it as a joke, and Lin Jianlu listened to it as a joke as well. They both felt that this was just a clumsy technique used by American media groups to create sensational news to boost sales and attention. Those who created these reports and discussions must have known what was going on, and only the fools at the bottom of American society were being misled. However, judging from Sophie Marceau's expression, she seemed to believe it quite a bit!

This is fucking weird!
This violates basic laws of physics and biology, doesn't it?

Lin Jianlu didn't want to dwell on this topic. He pulled her close and kissed her. "Sophie, you're perfect in my heart too, too perfect!"

Sophie Marceau responded with a bright smile and quickly joined in the conversation.

However, just as the two were about to get out of bed to take a shower together, she suddenly asked again, "Lin, that girl just now, her name is Charlize Theron, right? She showed her back during your Super Bowl halftime show and became an instant sensation... Is that her?"

Lin Jianlu nodded, "It's her!"

She asked again, "Is she your lover? Or your girlfriend? Or your...chat?"

Lin Jianlu replied, "Lover!"

Her eyebrows shot up. "Then she must be a perfect lover! A perfect figure and...back!"

Lin Jianlu laughed, "NO! You are the perfect lover! Perfect face, perfect eyes, perfect lips, perfect figure, perfect kiss! Perfect...chat!"

Her eyes lit up immediately. "So, would you consider dating me?"

Lin Jianlu replied to her, "Aren't we in a relationship?"

She pursed her lips, blinked, and said, "OK!"

Well, it seems impossible to make a commitment or have a completely exclusive love for the time being!

But the experience of just a few hours today was already perfect—he has talent that amazes the world, looks that would be unforgettable even in the Western world, gentle, affectionate, humorous and wise speech, a strong body and perfect sex life, and at the same time, he has power that is absolutely top-notch in the global record industry and even in the Hollywood film industry!

Being his mistress must be an exceptionally wonderful thing!

Although the competitor seemed quite formidable—mainly because the girl appeared to be considerably younger than him!
"I'd rather be your chat than a lover! Only one!"

"Of course! I never used to own a cat, but now I do!"

"Oh, Lin...you are truly the most perfect lover..."

…………

"French Rose, eternal lover, is Sophie Marceau fun?"

The next morning, while jogging, they "bumped into" each other. Zhang Aijia asked Lin Jianlu this question, and after thinking for a moment, Lin Jianlu replied, "More fun than you!" Zhang Aijia was immediately taken aback, standing still for a good second or two before she mustered up the courage to chase after him again, "Please, boss, give me some face, okay?"

Lin Jianlu smiled, reached out and grabbed her chin, kissed her, and then let go. "You talk too much nonsense!"

Zhang Aijia shrugged contentedly and remained silent.

After running back to their hotel room, it was just past six o'clock. Zhang Aijia followed Lin Jianlu directly into the room without any hesitation. However, while the two were taking a shower, the bathroom door was suddenly pushed open.

Sophie Marceau, looking sleepy, leaned against the door frame, holding a bouncy, beeping cell phone in her hand. When she saw Sina Zhang kneeling on the bathroom floor, she pouted slightly, looking somewhat surprised.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you, but it keeps ringing!"

Zhang Aijia released her mouth, and Lin Jianlu turned off the water valve. He casually grabbed a bath towel to wipe the water off his hands, then tossed it aside, walked over, took the phone, hugged Sophie Marceau, kissed her, checked the number, and answered.

Well, okay, Alyssa Chia is about to give birth.

(End of this chapter)