Huayu 2015, the Artist of Light and Shadow

Chapter 124 Star-Making Diplomacy! Traffic Equals Influence! The Foundation Collapses! Lu Yunzhou's Domineering Protection of His Own!

Doha, the capital of Qatar, is a very modern city.

The city is very clean and is located by the sea, where the water is as blue as a gemstone.

"This place is so beautiful."

Both Liu Haocun and Gulnazar were visiting Qatar for the first time.

Before this, their image of Qatar was probably that it was all desert, and that women had to cover their faces and headscarves when walking on the street, and men probably did the same.

There might be many camels on the street.

The truth is pretty much what they thought.

However, Doha's urban development is far too modern; every building is aesthetically pleasing—and exudes the scent of money.

"This palace is the final masterpiece of the renowned architect I.M. Pei!"

The royal family specially assigned a guide to receive Lu Yunzhou and his entourage, and led them on a tour of the streets of Qatar.

"Across the coastline is the aquarium—no admission fee required."

The tour guide spoke English.

After six months of practice, Liu Haocun's English level has improved considerably.

Lu Yunzhou didn't know what Nazha's situation was, but he suspected that Nazha should be able to understand Arabic—just not very well.

"Every morning at 9 o'clock and at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, camel soldiers change the guard in front of the palace."

When the group arrived at the palace, it was just around 4 p.m., just as a caravan of camel soldiers was changing the guard.

It was something that both Liu Haocun and Gulnazar found very interesting.

From this small glimpse, Lu Yunzhou could roughly tell that Qatar is a country that highly respects tradition.

It is extremely difficult to create a custom-made product for a country that is so steeped in tradition.

Because it's easy to touch on the other person's taboos.

This deal was really difficult.

Lu Yunzhou realized that this approach was unlikely to be successful, and he had to find another way to persuade Queen Mother Moza.

Otherwise, the resulting film would likely be filled with religious themes, which would probably not be a good thing for him personally.

"His Highness is in the palace, awaiting the three distinguished guests."

The areas that don't get direct sunlight aren't that hot.

The sunlight around 4 o'clock was much softer than at noon, and when it fell on the pure white marble exterior of the palace, it looked as if it was covered with a milky white halo.

The tour guide led Lu Yunzhou and his group to the entrance, and then bowed to a maid inside.

Immediately afterwards, the maid led Lu Yunzhou and his party through a long corridor covered with Persian handmade carpets and into a palace.

The palace is enormous, with a ceiling height of nearly 10 meters.

The interior was quite clean, but not as luxurious as I had imagined, except for a super crystal chandelier hanging from the dome.

This chandelier alone is probably comparable to the one in the lobby of an oil company.

I heard that crystal chandelier cost over 1000 million.

"Please wait a moment, His Highness will be here shortly."

The maidservant respectfully invited Lu Yunzhou and his party to sit down, and then slowly withdrew.

Lu Yunzhou didn't sit down, but casually browsed the wall. There were many old photos on display, as if telling the story of this country's history.

Pearl-diving ships before the rise of oil, and caravans in the desert.

There are also some photos of the Qatari migration.

Before the construction of modern cities, Qatar was a nomadic people who lived a very difficult life, moving from place to place with the water.

"Mr. Lu, it's been a long time."

Just then, Lu Yunzhou heard light footsteps behind him, along with the rustling sound of fabric rubbing together.

He turned around and saw Queen Mother Moza of Qatar, led by several maids, arriving at the palace.

Tea or coffee?

While inviting Lu Yunzhou to sit down, the Empress Dowager asked him questions.

"latté."

Lu Yunzhou said casually.

Immediately afterwards, Lu Yunzhou glanced at the maids behind the Empress Dowager. They wore headscarves, but none of them wore veils.

These people have deep-set features, fair skin, and high, straight noses; many of them have hooked noses—if one had to describe them, they resemble the Tajik people in China.

They don't resemble Uyghurs.

Sure enough.

Naza and Qatari women are nothing alike.

It's obvious at a glance that Nazha is not of the same race as them.

"Mr. Lu, I heard that you drove around to visit many attractions in Qatar before coming to the Royal Palace? Your dedication to your work is very gratifying."

After Lu Yunzhou landed in Qatar, everything was reported to the Queen Mother by a designated person.

Lu Yunzhou drove to visit these attractions to learn about Qatari culture and make ample preparations for making a good film and promoting Qatar.

"Your Majesty, I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you with this deal."

Lu Yunzhou was determined to win this deal.

However, he sensed that this deal was difficult to close, so he chose to retreat in order to test what Her Majesty the Queen Mother's bottom line was.

Why?

The Queen Mother of Qatar, known as the Wu Zetian of the Middle East, merely frowned slightly, seemingly not believing that Lu Yunzhou would simply walk away.

She smiled at Lu Yunzhou: "I've watched 'The Fairy Castle of Dresden' twice. The visuals are beautiful, and the sense of destiny is very appealing. It's very similar to our Qatari cultural traditions. It's not a purely commercial blockbuster like those Hollywood films."

"We don't need tourists in Qatar."

"All you need to do is take pictures of Qatar and make it beautiful enough—I won't force you to do anything else."

"Even so, you still don't want to take this project?"

Although the words sounded nice, Lu Yunzhou knew the Queen Mother's unspoken message: she wanted Qatar to gain enough international attention.

Will the other party be satisfied with just making a movie?

Lu Yunzhou had also done his homework, and after thinking for a while, he said, "I think Dune, the 1985 film directed by David Lynch, is the most suitable."

"However, I think Her Majesty the Queen Mother would not like it either, to have a Western hero save the desert."

Queen Mother Moza shook her head slightly: "Of course I don't like it. This is a typical Orientalist narrative."

So-called Orientalist narratives are not based on an Eastern perspective.

On the contrary, it presents a narrative of opposition, with the West as the center and the East as another civilization.

From this narrative perspective, Western civilization is often portrayed as the more advanced party, condescendingly "saving" Eastern civilization.

Films and television dramas from this perspective often feature a Western white man who comes to the rescue of a country from disaster.

This kind of film would have a certain audience in the West.

This is also normal.

Because these films are sold to Western audiences, as commodities, they only serve their own customers.

This is perfectly understandable.

But the various ethnic groups in the East that are being consumed will naturally be unhappy.

"Your Highness, as far as I know, Qatar has acquired many assets in Western countries. For example, the best department stores in London, Deutsche Bank, and Heathrow Airport."

"And also, Valentino, Tiffany, and shares in the LVMH Group—"

Qatar already has a significant influence in the West.

Lu Yunzhou actually knew that the Queen Mother was just bargaining with him, and she probably hadn't thought about what kind of influence she wanted to gain in the West through this movie.

The main purpose is to gain influence in China.

As China rises, the power in the East becomes increasingly important. Qatar, as a microstate, cannot afford to take sides arbitrarily.

They need to remain neutral and occupy a unique ecological niche.

For example, many conflicts in the Middle East are resolved through negotiations in Qatar.

Al Jazeera is now almost the world's third largest television network, after the BBC and CNN.

"Mr. Lu, you can speak frankly—there are no outsiders here."

The Empress Dowager's eyes flickered, sensing that Lu Yunzhou seemed to have guessed some of her thoughts, and a smile appeared on her face.

Hollywood has many great directors.

Why did she choose Lu Yunzhou to collaborate with?

It's simply because the other party is Chinese.

A famous Chinese director.

What a unique identity!

Moreover, he is a superstar in China and a top artist in Europe. This dual identity makes collaborating with Lu Yunzhou extremely cost-effective for Qatar.

"Your Majesty, Qatar has a total population of less than 40, of which 90% are immigrants and workers."

"The domestic base is too weak."

"Here's what I'm thinking: instead of Her Majesty going to great lengths to please the local base and make a mythological blockbuster to make them feel culturally confident, why don't we take a different approach and help the royal family create a big star?"

"The royal family will choose a handsome young man with a thin bloodline, and I will promote him as the lead actor or the second male lead, so that he can have at least 1000 million fans in China."

"To make him a world-class superstar."

"At that time, everyone will know that he comes from the Qatari royal family and that he has the blood of the Al Thani family."

"Next, all he needs to do is engage in some charitable work around the world. To foreigners, it will be as if the Qatari royal family is doing charity work, which will greatly enhance the image of the royal family."

At this point, Lu Yunzhou looked at Queen Mother Moza: "The only drawback is that the young prince chosen by the royal family must be of impeccable character and have no scandals whatsoever. Otherwise, it will damage the royal family's glorious image."

Lu Yunzhou directly threw the problem back to Queen Mother Moza.

He can make promotional films for Qatar without any problem—but there are always trade-offs. He can't make cultural films for Qatar while simultaneously achieving high box office returns in Europe, North America, and China.

Basically impossible.

Because Qatar has no global influence.

The Middle East region couldn't support his box office either.

The movie Dune is a typical example. It tells a story about the Middle East, but it requires a Western white man to save the world.

Because, in Western stereotypes, the Middle East is synonymous with war, famine, desert, camels, and oil.

The reason why "Capernaum" became a hit is because it fits everyone's stereotypes and puts the problem out in a naked way, using children to evoke sympathy from countless people.

This aligns with the laws of communication studies.

People are more likely to remember what interests them—while readily ignoring what doesn't.

For example, when Lu Yunzhou arrived in Qatar, his first thought was that Qatari men could marry four wives.

Queen Mother Moza was actually the second son.

As for Qatar's geography and culture, he didn't care at all.

"1000 million followers?"

After Lu Yunzhou spoke for a long time, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager only remembered the keyword "1000 million fans".

As Lu Yunzhou just said, Qatar's domestic base is less than 40. Even if all of them were to be fully loyal, it wouldn't make much difference in the power struggle between major nations.

Because the upper limit is locked.

However, if 1000 million people stand on Qatar's side, then many things become negotiable.

"1000 million followers is a conservative estimate."

To convince the Queen Mother of Qatar, Lu Yunzhou turned to Nazha and asked, "Nazha, how many followers do you have on Weibo?"

Naza checked her phone and said, "Around 2000 million."

Lu Yunzhou turned to look at Liu Haocun: "And you?"

Liu Haocun said with a bitter face, "Around 600 million. However, I've only just debuted, and I believe that after a few years of hard work, I'll definitely surpass Nazha!"

"Keep it up! Haha."

Upon hearing this, Nazha couldn't help but smile smugly, realizing that she could actually become Liu Haocun's role model.

"And you, Mr. Lu?"

Queen Mother Moza wanted to know how many fans Lu Yunzhou had.

Around 5000 million.

Lu Yunzhou briefly stated his stats: "I have about 1 million followers on Instagram. I just started using TikTok, and I have about 2000 million followers."

Queen Mother Moza did a quick mental calculation and estimated that Lu Yunzhou had about 2 million followers on several major social media platforms around the world.

If anything were to happen to him, it would instantly become global headlines.

Creating a superstar for the Qatari royal family is definitely more cost-effective than pandering to their 40 base members in Qatar.

Moreover, it seems easier to operate.

"Mr. Lu, thank you for your suggestion. I will consider it carefully. Now, please enjoy your vacation in Qatar."

"Everything, from accommodation to shopping, is paid for by the royal family."

Her Majesty the Empress Dowager felt that Lu Yunzhou's idea was more feasible than her previous one; however, she still needed to discuss this matter with her son.

Her son is the king.

In addition, lower-ranking members of the royal family—who don't have a lot of inheritance to spare—would probably be interested in this opportunity.

The Qatari royal family has 8000 members.

Queen Mother Moza believed that a suitable member could be selected.

"Brother, did the deal go through?"

Seeing that Queen Mother Moza looked somewhat serious and unhappy, Liu Haocun looked at Lu Yunzhou with some concern.

"uncertain."

Lu Yunzhou slowly shook his head: "These politicians' verbal promises are worthless. They'll forget about them in two months. Even if they're written in an agreement, it's useless."

"Don't take them seriously until the real money is in your account."

"Moreover, I don't want to compromise myself—even with normal business operations, I'm confident that my family's various products can sell well in the Middle East."

Lu Yunzhou was confident about this.

His only interest was Qatar's tax-free policy. If he could secure it, he could profit $2000 million annually from Qatar.

wrong.

Suddenly, Lu Yunzhou felt that after doing this, wouldn't he be completely bound to Qatar?

If Qatar encounters any problems in the future, will he have to stand up for it?

Well thought out.

It doesn't matter.

If something really serious happens, $20 million won't be enough to get him to endorse it directly. It would have to be at least ten times that amount.

"Let's go check out the new store."

LDC, Corre, and Borsalino, three brands, opened a combined flagship store in Qatar.

It's about to open.

Lu Yunzhou was preparing to go and inspect it.

The flagship store is planned to open in the Oasis Center in Doha, Qatar’s most upscale luxury shopping center.

In addition, the group also went to the supermarket.

"Damn, bro, prices here are so high."

"I just checked, a cucumber is 10 yuan, and cabbage is 20 yuan per kilogram!"

Although Liu Haocun had already earned 3000 million, he was still secretly astonished by the outrageous prices.

She was calculating in her mind how much money she would need to earn in a month to live comfortably in Doha.

Anyway, she didn't dare buy even a cucumber.

It's not that I can't afford it, it's just that I think it's absolutely ridiculous to spend 10 yuan on a cucumber.

"Brother, someone is filming us."

Liu Haocun followed Lu Yunzhou to the supermarket. After a short while, she realized that many people nearby were staring at them.

Some people even took out their phones and filmed them from a distance.

"Calm down."

Lu Yunzhou gently patted Liu Haocun's shoulder, then turned his head and waved slightly to the person filming the video.

"Xiao Cun, you're a global superstar now. Our movie is playing in the IMAX theater upstairs."

"The two of us, master and apprentice, will be living in seclusion in Doha for our next film, 'Fairy Castle 2.' Our opponent will become a desert fire spirit."

"So, let's get used to life in Doha beforehand."

"In the next movie, you'll be the master and I'll be the apprentice—but you'll still have to buy groceries, cook, and take care of me."

In the previous film, Liu Haocun was an apprentice who, in order to support Lu Yunzhou, pay off Lu Yunzhou's debts, and maintain his extravagant lifestyle, had to imitate Leonardo da Vinci and sell fake paintings.

For this movie, Lu Yunzhou is considering what kind of life skill to help Liu Haocun learn.

Or, perhaps we could use some mysterious Taoist magic to turn sand into diamonds?

This solves the problem of the origin of wealth—and ironically, diamonds in reality can also be produced in a laboratory, directly bursting the diamond bubble.

"Big brother, when are we going to film this movie?"

In the previous movie, as an apprentice, Liu Haocun felt that it was his duty to take care of his ailing master, Lu Yunzhou.

As the mentor in this film, Liu Haocun felt it was his duty to take care of his apprentice, Lu Yunzhou.

In short, as long as they live together, that's fine.

She would definitely not let Lu Yunzhou suffer any hardship.

"Let's do it after the Spring Festival next year."

Lu Yunzhou calculated the time in his mind.

Before the Spring Festival, he had to go to Italy to finish filming "Queen of Tears" so that his brothers could have a good Spring Festival before bringing the team over.

"Brother, are you going home for the Spring Festival to pray to your ancestors? And while you're at it, could you please add the boat girl's name to the family genealogy?"

Liu Haocun asked cautiously.

Just now, Nazha was idly playing on her phone, but upon hearing this, she clung to Lu Yunzhou like a ninja.

you say.

Just say it!

"You little rascal. Why do you worry about these things all the time?"

Lu Yunzhou chuckled lightly, not explaining himself clearly, but Liu Haocun probably understood.

She didn't mention Tang Yan.

Because she had absolutely no idea what the relationship was between Tang Yan and Lu Yunzhou. However, Wang Churan was definitely the younger aunt.

"Alright, it's getting late. Go back to eat and sleep. While you're at it, deal with those negative stories about you that have surfaced online."

The supermarket shopping trip is over, and the ordinary person's life experience ends here.

Lu Yunzhou took the two back.

On the way back, Liu Haocun looked at his phone for a while, and his face instantly darkened.

It’s over.

Because at that moment, she suddenly realized what the "dirt" Lu Yunzhou had mentioned earlier was.

One: [The dance studio run by Liu Haocun's mother, the female lead in "Fairy Castle," resulted in the girl's lifelong paralysis!]

[Liu Haocun, a "street girl" who debuted by stepping on others' backs!]

[Liu Haocun's parents have defaulted on a 5-year delay in paying 113 million yuan in compensation!]

[On one side, stars shine brightly; on the other, a girl is confined to a wheelchair for life!]

[Warning across the entire internet: Lu Yunzhou, don't be fooled by Liu Haocun!]

After a five-day run, The Fairy Castle of Dresden has grossed over $1 billion worldwide.

Converted to RMB, it exceeds 66 billion!

It easily broke the domestic film box office record of 56 billion yuan set by "Wolf Warrior 2" during the summer!

Fans across the internet are celebrating for Lu Yunzhou.

Many celebrities in the Chinese entertainment industry have expressed their admiration for Lu Yunzhou in interviews and look forward to having the opportunity to collaborate on the next film.

When Wu Jing was interviewed, he said in a very casual manner: "The first time I met Director Lu was on the set of 'A Chinese Odyssey Part Three'. At that time, Director Lu was young and quiet, and he would silently observe the filming of the crew every day."

"I thought to myself, 'Where did this young man come from? He's so handsome and elegant. It's a shame he's not an actor—and look, he became a superstar!'"

"Yes! We knew each other before he even debuted! When I was playing Tang Sanzang, he would come to watch every scene. When I was filming 'Wolf Warrior 2,' I was short of a role, so I called him to invite him. Not only did he not ask for a salary, but he also asked me if we had enough funds for the filming and was willing to invest more to support me in making the battle scenes even more exciting!"

"It's a pity we didn't work together."

"Otherwise, the box office of 'Wolf Warrior 2' might have been even higher."

Wu Jing's implication was that he and Lu Yunzhou had an extremely good relationship. If Lu Yunzhou were to make a movie in the future, he would definitely consider him first.

He is now the number one action star in China.

However, the compliments and celebrations from these news media outlets could not suppress the scandals that Liu Haocun had exposed.

Besides the fact that her mother became disabled at the dance academy, some screenshots of Liu Haocun's previous interviews have been re-exposed.

It was even made into an emoji.

Liu Haocun: Am I considered a naturally gifted actor? Of course I am!

At the time, many people thought her head-down smile and self-praise was quite cute.

However, the fact that the dance academy affiliated with the mother crippled an innocent girl and owed 113 million yuan in compensation for five years, makes countless netizens feel disgusted when they rewatch this meme.

In addition, Liu Haocun also contributed a memorable moment, misreading "莘莘学子" (shēn shēn xué zǐ, meaning numerous students) as "辛辛学子" (xīn xīn xué zǐ, meaning diligent students).

It's actually quite normal to misread.

After all, the term "莘莘学子" (shēn shēn xué zǐ) is not commonly used by ordinary people, and it is also a word that is easy to mispronounce. Many secondary school teachers will repeatedly explain its tendency to be mispronounced.

However, at this critical juncture, Liu Haocun went from a cool and aloof girl to a "desperate illiterate".

A triple whammy of scandals.

Liu Haocun is utterly defeated in every aspect, from his character and acting skills to his inner qualities!

This completely destroyed Liu Haocun's public image.

Why would investors promote an actress who has no public appeal?

Unless Liu Haocun is really Lu Yunzhou's godmother, making Lu Yunzhou willing to do anything to promote her to the top!

"Liu Haocun, she's finished!"

Immediately, many female celebrities felt an indescribable excitement after seeing all the scandals surrounding Liu Haocun's family.

Because after Liu Haocun went bankrupt, Lu Yunzhou's new movie no longer had a female lead.

They have a chance to fight for it!

Qatar.

Inside the Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

Liu Haocun sat quietly on the sofa, her hands were clean, but she unconsciously kept rubbing them together.

I want to scrub off all the dead skin on my fingers.

Her hands were not dirty, not even a speck of dirt; they were as white as a peeled onion.

But looking at the barrage of insults online, she felt that she was dirty from beginning to end and didn't deserve all of this.

Look at the environment of this hotel, how elegant and cozy it is! The sofa cushions under my butt are as soft as clouds.

Sitting across from her on the sofa, Gulnazar looked as noble and glamorous as a princess.

Just a year ago, she was being trampled on in the mud, too ashamed to even return to her hometown, fearing that people would bring up that incident and come knocking on her door demanding repayment.

Fortunately, after she met Lu Yunzhou, everything came to an end.

It was as if she had successfully overcome a tribulation, breaking free of her cocoon and transforming into a proud swan, from an ugly duckling.

She can stay in the castle with Lu Yunzhou.

Their clothes were no longer cheap street vendor items, but world-renowned luxury brands.

Kou Rui's fashion.

LDC's gold jewelry.

Borsalino's hat.

The things she wears every day, from head to toe, are worth nearly 10 yuan, which would have been enough for her family to live on for several years in the past.

The good life she's living now, compared to a year ago, feels like a beautiful dream—a dream she's so engrossed in that she doesn't want to wake up.

But now, it seems that this dream is about to end.

For a moment, Liu Haocun felt an unbearable heartache. He kept telling himself to be strong, but tears still streamed down his face.

She didn't want to cry.

But I really couldn't resist.

"Don't be afraid."

Lu Yunzhou reached out and gently put his arm around Liu Haocun's shoulder: "Let me ask what's going on first."

This kind of thing has happened in another time and space as well.

Although Liu Haocun is considered by netizens to be the female celebrity with the worst public image, she has managed to overcome this through her work.

In this timeline, Lu Yunzhou helped Liu Haocun resolve his worries ahead of time.

How did it still get exposed?

It's really baffling.

Someone is definitely plotting against Liu Haocun behind the scenes—like striking a cow from across a mountain, secretly sabotaging him once and for all.

"I'd like to see who's behind my back."

Lu Yunzhou immediately created a group chat.

He pulled Mr. Kang from China Film Group, Mr. Yu from Bona Film Group, Mr. Wang from Huayi Brothers, Ms. Fu from Huace Film & TV, and Mr. Wang from Enlight Media into the group.

"Ladies and gentlemen, you are all the distributors of my film. Miss Fu and Mr. Yu from Bona Film Group are also the investors in this film. Our film has grossed 10 billion US dollars at the global box office, making the whole world take notice."

"I'm sure your companies will have very good financial reports this year."

"Today was supposed to be a good day. Our film just broke the box office record for a single film in China. When I get back, I'd like to hold a celebration party and invite everyone to come and share this joy."

"This afternoon, I went to the Royal Palace in Qatar and spoke with Her Majesty Queen Mother Moza about the sequel—"

Her Majesty the Empress Dowager was already smitten, but who knew that at this crucial moment, someone would try to trample my leading lady into the mud.

"You are all incredibly influential people in the country, especially in the media sector—I don't believe you haven't heard the news."

"So, you just do nothing? You just stand by and watch?"

"Fine! You want to see me make a fool of myself—you don't want to continue working with me—I don't care."

"I've made enough money!"

"At worst, I'll go back to Italy and be a rich kid. I'll be the reincarnation of Leonardo da Vinci."

"The journey through life is long, may we meet again someday!"

Snapped!

After typing a long string of words, Lu Yunzhou left the group chat.

Before the heads of several domestic film and television companies could figure out what was going on, Lu Yunzhou pulled them into a WeChat group.

After being scolded, Lu Yunzhou left the group.

He even left a harsh statement, saying that he was quitting and was going back to Italy to become Leonardo da Vinci!

Mr. Kang was the first to react. After learning the whole story, he burst into a tirade in the group chat: "What are you doing? You've angered our great director to this extent? He's just gone home to be a rich kid. In the future, if our domestic films want to be exported overseas, who will lead the way? You? Or do you have a great director under your command who can rival him?"

Miss Fu immediately caught up with the group: "I'll go and coax him. You guys think of a way to deal with this quickly. Find people, spend money, and get all the trending topics on Weibo removed! Then find someone to write an article to clear things up."

"Otherwise, he could just pack up and leave—and then change his nationality to Italian or German, and you'd all be nailed to the pillar of shame!"

The rest of the group was completely baffled.

What does it have to do with them?

It was Liu Haocun who exposed the scandals, not Lu Yunzhou.

However, they did not expect Lu Yunzhou to react so strongly—he simply flipped the table and refused to play anymore.

That makes sense.

He's a second-generation rich kid, worth at least several billion, with plenty of options. Feng Xiaogang, after a lifetime of struggling, only managed to save 10...

A net worth of hundreds of millions?

Lu Yunzhou was not yet 30 years old, but he was already richer than Feng Xiaogang.

Can this kind of young person stand being treated like this?

"Alright, everyone go about your own business."

"Try to cheer up our young master."

"I'll have to ask him to direct my next movie."

Other directors, despite their best efforts to attract investment and drinking heavily, may not be able to raise much money.

Lu Yunzhou's movies are always blockbusters, making hundreds of millions of dollars; they're like a money-printing machine.

Rumor has it that he is a golden Pixiu, and everyone wants to make some money with him.

Those who can lead everyone to make money are either big shots or young masters.

Who would turn down money?

Immediately, all the bosses went down to the relevant department heads and asked them to do their best to clarify Liu Haocun's situation.

If it's a scandal, then it's been cleared up.

If not, then it's even more important to clear one's name.

"Yunzhou, you overdid it just now. You were too impetuous. That's not like you at all. It seems you're really angry."

"I'm angry too."

"We finally managed to make a female celebrity famous, and a world-class one at that, and at this crucial moment, someone posts about her—"

"Isn't this spreading dirty rumors about us cutting off our source of income?"

"Don't worry, those idiots have figured it out by now, and they've all helped you remove the trending topics."

"They'll definitely remove all of Liu Haocun's trending topics within three hours at most."

Fu Bingxing, the young lady from Huace Film & TV, found Lu Yunzhou and told him not to worry, it was just a small matter.

These individuals are practically the owners of the largest media company in the country.

Who would dare not give them face?

"Mr. Fu, could you help me find out who's behind this? Or rather, is someone pulling the strings behind the scenes?"

Lu Yunzhou felt that this was not a coincidence.

What a coincidence!

After the box office just surpassed 10 billion US dollars and achieved a milestone, all the news was suddenly exposed all at once?

Someone must have planned this in advance.

They're just waiting for the box office to break 10 billion US dollars, and for everyone to be satisfied, so they can come out and ruin Liu Haocun.

Then, they can promote a newcomer.

"Yunzhou, cannot be found."

"The earliest news came from local netizens, then some busybodies went to check the China Judgments Online website, and then major media outlets started to follow up and report on it."

"This news had already been circulating in bits and pieces since you chose Liu Haocun as the female lead."

"After the box office broke 10 billion US dollars, Liu Haocun's popularity soared, so these news items were dug up and directly exploded."

Miss Fu Bingxing explained to Lu Yunzhou.

There was no conspiracy.

It's simply because, as the saying goes, "A wild goose leaves a trace, a horse leaves a hoofprint!"

If you don't know, you can do nothing.

"Yunzhou, don't worry. It's just a matter of you having a meal, and we'll take it off the Weibo trending list. Tomorrow, several of our companies will work together to write an article to reduce the buzz surrounding this matter."

"However, this incident may have some impact on Liu Hao's image in the minds of netizens."

"Of course, the impact isn't actually that big."

"The netizens who express their dislike online are basically not the same as the netizens who actually buy tickets to go to the cinema in real life."

"Besides, the mistakes her parents made had little to do with Liu Haocun. Liu Haocun was just a child when the incident happened."

Miss Fu Bingxing comforted Lu Yunzhou with a few words.

They will handle the matter.

Lu Yunzhou doesn't need to worry. Just follow his pace and film the movie normally.

Because Lu Yunzhou's personal sales ability is stronger than 10 Liu Haocun's — what does Liu Haocun have to do with "The Fairy Castle of Dresden" grossing over 10 billion US dollars?

It's all because of Lu Yunzhou's influence!

That's fine.

Lu Yunzhou ended his conversation with Miss Fu Bingxing and turned to look at Liu Haocun, who was already sobbing uncontrollably.

"Don't cry. This isn't your fault."

Lu Yunzhou handed Liu Haocun a tissue: "I remember, when you signed the contract, the company gave you 200 million yuan. Did you use it to compensate others?"

"Yes, it was all used for compensation."

Liu Haocun wiped away his tears and nodded, choking back sobs.

"That's good."

The mistake was made by Liu Haocun's parents, and they are also the ones who broke their promise. Liu Haocun used the money he earned to pay the compensation.

From this perspective, Liu Haocun himself cannot be found to have made any mistakes.

Of course, it's in this time and space.

As for the other timeline, Lu Yunzhou didn't know how Liu Haocun operated it.

"Nazha, you should go back to your room. Don't stay here and watch the commotion."

Lu Yunzhou saw Nazha scrutinizing Liu Haocun like a detective, probably wanting to know how Liu Haocun would react when faced with such scandals.

Back when Nazha was embroiled in scandals and faced countless online attacks, she almost couldn't withstand it.

At the time, her sister helped her fight back against the haters online, a memory that Nazha still vividly remembers.

Liu Haocun doesn't have an older sister, but Nazha just witnessed Lu Yunzhou pull several big names in the domestic film and television industry into a WeChat group and give them a good scolding.

He cursed so vehemently and thoroughly.

After hurling his insults, Lu Yunzhou didn't even give them a chance to explain; he simply left the group chat, expressing his anger.

However, Nazha was standing right next to Lu Yunzhou and saw with her own eyes that Lu Yunzhou did not show any anger at all and remained very rational throughout.

He was expressing his anger, not expressing anger.

These two are worlds apart!

"Let's grab some late-night snacks together later."

Naza winked at Lu Yunzhou, leaving a secret signal, and then gracefully left with her assistant.

"You all go and rest. I want to say a few words to Xiaocun."

Lu Yunzhou dismissed both his and Liu Haocun's assistants.

Soon, only the two of them remained in the room.

Liu Haocun was still sobbing silently, and she didn't even dare to turn on her phone, for fear that some curses against her whole family would pop up.

It is very difficult for ordinary people to deal with cyberbullying.

The best way to deal with cyberbullying is to ignore those hurtful comments.

"Don't cry, come here and give me a hug."

Lu Yunzhou didn't know how to comfort Liu Haocun. In this cold world, a hug was the greatest warmth he could give Liu Haocun.

Liu Haocun didn't say a word, but instead ran headfirst into Lu Yunzhou's arms and hugged him tightly.

The warmth emanating from Lu Yunzhou was so real and genuine that it gradually warmed Liu Haocun's cold heart.

"Big brother, thank you."

She leaned against Lu Yunzhou's chest and said something in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz.

"You're one of my company's employees, so it's my duty to protect you. Besides, you haven't done anything wrong."

Lu Yunzhou gently ruffled Liu Haocun's hair: "Get a good night's sleep, it'll be over tomorrow. When we go back to China, I promise you won't hear any noise."

Although Liu Haocun was a hopelessly illiterate man, he was very perceptive of Lu Yunzhou's thoughts. Sensing something, he said gently, "Big brother, did you already know this would happen? So you deliberately chose this juncture to bring me abroad to relax?"

"Before I went abroad, I did see some scattered news."

, 7

Lu Yunzhou didn't deny it, but sighed and said, "Those people want to see you make a fool of yourself, which means they want to see me make a fool of myself. They want to stand on the sidelines and watch. They won't be satisfied until I scold them. What a bunch of spineless cowards!"

Lu Yunzhou rarely swore, rarely cursed, and rarely expressed his anger.

Because these are all tasteless things.

But today, Liu Haocun felt that those words were incredibly cool.

Being handsome is a feeling.

At this moment, Lu Yunzhou was so handsome that he touched Liu Haocun's heart!

She raised her head, her dark eyes, brimming with tears, shining exceptionally brightly, as if she had a thousand words to say.

At that moment, Liu Haocun gritted his teeth, suddenly finding an unstoppable courage, and whispered in Lu Yunzhou's ear, "Big brother, let me be your concubine."

After saying that, Liu Haocun muttered, "I don't know if I can get used to Wenzhou cuisine."

Upon hearing this muttering, Lu Yunzhou immediately retorted with displeasure, "Hey, Wenzhou cuisine is delicious!"

Liu Haocun did not refute, but simply held Lu Yunzhou tightly.

Lu Yunzhou once lied to her, saying that his film style was: in this cold world, two people in love should embrace each other as much as possible.

Although, that's not how it was filmed in Lu Yunzhou's movie.

But in real life, Liu Haocun believed that this was Lu Yunzhou's style!

It was really heartwarming.

It warmed her heart.

Liu Haocun clung to Lu Yunzhou like a sloth, refusing to let go. The embrace brought their hearts very close.

It feels even better than a kiss.

Liu Haocun enjoyed the tranquility of the moment.

At least for this moment, she had all of Lu Yunzhou's care and tenderness to herself.

If nothing had happened, she wouldn't have known how good Lu Yunzhou was to her.

She was even a little grateful for this latest scandal.

Just then, Lu Yunzhou received a message from Nazha.

"When are you coming over for a late-night snack?"

"That's about enough."

"If you don't come over soon, I'm calling the police. This brat was born in 2000. Even though she lied about her age, don't take it lightly."

"I'm doing this for your own good."

Naza earnestly advised Lu Yunzhou not to go too far down the path of crime and to come find her instead.

She is of legal age.

"Xiao Cun, go to sleep early. Get some rest. Everything will be calm when you wake up tomorrow."

Lu Yunzhou gently rubbed Liu Haocun's cheek, leaving her alone in the room, and prepared to leave.

"Brother, where are you going? This is your room."

Liu Haocun felt that Lu Yunzhou seemed to have been so flustered by his actions that he had forgotten that this was his room.

At that moment, she couldn't help but giggle.

"I've lost my mind."

Lu Yunzhou smiled awkwardly: "Then go back to your room and get some rest. Tomorrow, we'll go to the aquarium. Consider it a vacation."

"Um.

""

Liu Haocun left in high spirits, the scent of Lu Yunzhou still lingering in his nostrils.

After closing the door, Lu Yunzhou checked his phone.

A WeChat message popped up on my phone.

Dilraba sent me this message: "Jiahang just signed Zhuang Dafei."

In an instant, Lu Yunzhou seemed to understand something: "Thanks, my white moonlight."

It turns out that Jiahang was behind my actions.

Lu Yunzhou had actually guessed this long ago, but he didn't have any substantial evidence.

Lu Yunzhou didn't completely believe Dilraba's news, but it at least gave him some direction.

Dilraba quickly sent a message: "Why are you thanking me all of a sudden? I just wanted you to look after the newcomers in our company."

Lu Yunzhou chuckled and replied, "Don't worry. If I have the chance, I'll definitely take good care of everyone in your company!"

Don't overwork yourself, and take care of yourself. May you stay as beautiful as ever.

After leaving behind a habitual blessing, Lu Yunzhou ended his conversation with Dilraba.

Because if we don't go soon, Nazha will come knocking on the door.

May your beauty remain as it was at the beginning—

When Dilraba received Lu Yunzhou's text message, she looked at her phone, her gaze slightly narrowed, and then her pupils began to dilate.

When was the first time we met?

Lu Yunzhou's college classmate, Yuan Bingyan, who was her roommate, seemed to be related to her. She would occasionally come to the school to visit Yuan Bingyan.

The two schools aren't far apart, just over 2 kilometers, which would take about half an hour to walk. It would be even closer if you rode a shared bike.

Lu Yunzhou would sometimes come along, but the two almost never spoke to each other.

It just looks familiar.

Dilraba remembered that their first meeting was during a heavy rain.

When was that again?

It seems to be 2012 years.

To be honest, Dilraba couldn't quite remember. She only remembered that after filming a scene, she returned to Shanghai to study and then experienced a typhoon.

The typhoon's name is Haikui.

In September of that year, there was a very heavy rain that lasted for a long time, and Dilraba had a deep impression of it.

Because she had run out of all her spare clothes.

Even underwear is sold out.

At that time, she had just finished filming "The Legend of the Wind" with Liu Shishi and returned to school. Yuan Bingyan asked her if she had eaten and if she wanted to go together.

She originally didn't want to go.

But on that day, she inexplicably agreed.

And so, she met Lu Yunzhou for the first time.

She couldn't remember the specific details of the meal.

That's how they met for the first time.

They met again in June 2015—Lu Yunzhou was filming a short film and asked her if she wanted to be his leading lady.

At that time, "Diamond Lover" was about to be broadcast, which was Dilraba's best opportunity. She put all her energy into this drama.

The entire company is focused on this drama, so how could they have the time or energy to make any short films about Lu Yunzhou?

By refusing, he missed out on the rest of the story.

"Red rain drifts, stirring up memories that cannot be hidden."

"Your features are just as they were back then, they linger in my heart."

Suddenly, Dilraba recalled Xu Song's song "If Back Then".

The first line of the lyrics is, "Why were you so good to me back then, and why have you become so cold now?"

How fitting!

Looking at her slightly haggard face in the mirror, Dilraba couldn't help but gently rub her cheeks.

"That's strange."

"That damned Lu Yunzhou, five years have passed, why hasn't he changed at all? He's still so young, still so youthful!"

"And me?"

"Without realizing it, I've started to look like an old lady."

The next morning.

Public opinion surrounding Liu Haocun's Weibo posts has completely reversed.

[Parents of the paralyzed girl: Compensation has been received!]

[Liu Haocun's parents: Decided to adopt the child as their goddaughter and take care of her for the rest of her life!]

-

-

[Liu Haocun's parents: The money was given by director Lu Yunzhou; our family was already struggling financially!]

[Lu Yunzhou is a man of great integrity and loyalty! A model boss in the entertainment industry!]

In less than a day, Liu Haocun's parents and the paralyzed girl's parents spoke out.

The paralyzed girl's parents received not the 115 million yuan determined by the court, but a full 200 ​​million yuan.

Moreover, Liu Haocun's parents did not shirk their responsibilities this time. They took the disabled girl in as their goddaughter, hired a caregiver for her, and promised to take care of her for the rest of her life.

Because the 3000 million yuan that Liu Haocun earned last year has not yet been credited to his account and is still being withheld by the company!

Hiring a nanny for a girl in a small county town in Northeast China would definitely not cost 3000 million yuan.

A few tens of thousands of yuan a year is enough.

The money to take care of that girl for a lifetime was only equivalent to two months' worth of Liu Haocun's income.

If they are unwilling to spend the money to appease the paralyzed girl's family, Liu Haocun will be ruined, and the money will likely be withheld by the company.

Liu Haocun's parents are also smart people, and at this critical juncture, they certainly know what to choose.

The only way to avoid disaster is to spend money.

In addition, after netizens dug deeper, they discovered that the 200 million was the signing fee that Lu Yunzhou gave to Liu Haocun.

This immediately caused a huge uproar online.

"The King of Congee is mighty!"

"He must have looked incredibly cool when he signed that 200 million dollar check!"

"Speaking of which, which newcomer can receive a signing fee of 200 million? I reckon Lu Yunzhou must have known that Liu Haocun's family was in trouble, so he gave him a settlement fee first, which is why Liu Haocun is so dedicated to filming with him."

"Compared to other shady companies, especially those garbage companies that specialize in profiting from trainees' contract termination fees, Lu Yunzhou is simply a breath of fresh air!"

"I said it last year—being a fan of Zhouzhou is a win-win situation!"

"I'm a fan!"

"From this day forward, I declare Lu Yunzhou my husband! The way my husband throws money around is the most handsome in the world!"

Public opinion took a complete turn for the worse.

Liu Haocun was completely whitewashed, and Lu Yunzhou's image as the best boss in the entertainment industry became incredibly vivid.

Previously, there were only some rumors circulating, but everyone knew that Lu Yunzhou's company was particularly lenient towards its artists, and the whole company had a family atmosphere.

However, netizens had only heard some rumors and did not know anything about the company.

Now, through the Liu Haocun incident, everything is completely clear.

Yang Mi painstakingly cultivated an image of a strong, independent woman and "Boss Yang"—before, there was no comparison. Now, compared to Lu Yunzhou, Yang Mi is even embarrassed to release press releases praising herself.

Is this the behavior of Lu Yunzhou as a boss?

He's practically acting like a great philanthropist.

Before even squeezing any money out of their employees, they've already given them 200 million. Which boss is that generous?

"What? Make him a charity ambassador?"

"No, it's not a rejection, it's just that he really doesn't have time!"

Because Lu Yunzhou's image was suddenly elevated, many charitable organizations wanted him to become a charity ambassador.

When Ji Rujing received these messages, she was truly in a state of utter confusion.

She knew the state of charity in China; she had arranged several things for Tang Yan before. How could she not know?

But one can't refuse such opportunities to gain public attention.

At this moment, Ji Rujing had no choice but to stall: "I'll talk to him when he gets back."

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