America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 94. Going to Hollywood? Then you have to know how to fight!

The next day, Eric woke up in bed.

My back doesn't ache, my legs don't hurt, I feel refreshed and full of energy.

Last night, we successfully thwarted Zhang Ziyi's scheme involving a cryptocurrency pool.

This woman is really ruthless, even more daring than those in Hollywood. It's rare to see someone as proactive and bold as her in the Western entertainment industry.

At that time, I saw the other party take off their clothes and unleash their ultimate move, showing off their body without any concealment.

Eric thought to himself, "Then don't blame me for being ruthless," and he immediately started mocking him.

"These two lamps of yours are way too small!"

"Look at the fat around your waist! You can't stop exercising just because you're wearing thick clothes in winter!"

"Her legs have even more problems; they're thick at the top and short at the bottom, and why are her knees a bit dark?"

"Your butt looks weird too, why is it so flat? Have you been sitting for too long? As a human being, you can't be too lazy!"

"And I'm not interested in heavy makeup. Do you know what aesthetic fatigue is?"

……

A series of sarcastic remarks finally broke Zhang Ziyi's defenses.

A woman who willingly lets you sleep with her must be very confident in her looks and figure, and must also be extremely determined.

But if you are rejected or even ridiculed, the humiliation you suffer will be absolutely disastrous, and even the most thick-skinned person cannot withstand it.

Moreover, she is a female celebrity who lives in an environment of praise and flattery every day.

The information cocoon has been built, and when it is exposed, it will inevitably suffer a devastating blow.

Finally, Zhang Ziyi couldn't take it anymore, quickly got dressed, and slunk away.

As for the "Chairman Han" thing, it's just an excuse.

Although the person was driven away, she still had to wear the clothes she brought. Surprisingly, they fit her quite well, which proved that Zhang Ziyi had a sharp eye. She was able to judge his figure on their first meeting, which shows that she has seen countless people.

At the dining table, to the surprise of the waiter, Eric skillfully used Mandarin and chopsticks, drinking tofu pudding with chili and eating fried dough sticks and steamed buns.

The latter can still be found in the United States, but tofu pudding is difficult to make; even the chef he specially hired couldn't make it very well.

Drinking a bowl of it now truly has a unique flavor.

Wiping his mouth, Eric said, "Susan, keep in touch with Zhou Xiaopeng and Han Sanping, and urge them on their progress every day."

"I've already made arrangements at the company, and the money will arrive in your account today. Please keep an eye on it."

"Okay, boss!"

Eric then looked at Chen Xing: "You and Susan can see if there's anything you can help with, or you could go out for a walk. This is your first time in China, right?"

Chen Xing smiled shyly and said, "That's right. Although my elders often talk to me about things here, to me, they are just stories. At most, I can find some pictures online, and that's about it."

Eric smiled. Chen Xing's experience was similar to that of many second- and third-generation Americans; China held a sense of unfamiliar mystery for them.

"Just listening to stories isn't enough. I suggest you visit a museum; you can find your elders' memories there."

Eric patted Chen Xing on the shoulder and walked out of Fengzeyuan. Susan's Passat was naturally requisitioned by him.

"Boss, where to?"

"You know I'm the boss?"

The driver grinned and said, "Although I can't understand your conversation with Ms. Susan, I can tell that she is very respectful to you. Ms. Susan is my boss, and you are her boss, so you are my boss."

Eric laughed heartily: "I'm planning to take a look around Yanjing now. Any recommendations?"

"The Forbidden City, need I say more?" the driver blurted out.

"Foreigners who come here and don't visit the Forbidden City and the Great Wall are wasting their trip. Normally, you'd have to queue up, which would take at least an hour."

"There aren't many people now, it's not crowded at all. Once you get there, you can hire a guide, which is like having the Forbidden City all to yourself. But I'm not sure if there are still any guides available. If not, I'll go in with you. We old Beijingers know a thing or two about this."

"Okay, let's go to the Forbidden City then. I've never been to the Forbidden City in 2003 either."

"Alright, please go ahead."

The car was moving at a steady pace, and looking out the window, Eric noticed that there were significantly more pedestrians on the road during the day.

Based on Beijing's population base, even if it were two-thirds smaller, it would still be comparable to the foot traffic in non-bustling areas of Los Angeles.

Upon arriving at the parking lot, the driver asked, "Boss, would you like to go by yourself or should I take you?"

"I'll go by myself. I'll call you when I'm almost done shopping. You don't need to wait here. Just do what you need to do and don't go too far."

"Alright, you're so generous!"

When I got to the ticket booth, there was no one there. The ticket seller was a little surprised to see that I was a foreigner and started speaking in broken English.

Eric didn't interrupt her. He waited until the other party printed out the ticket before loudly saying thank you.

Then, amidst the bewildered looks of the other party, I walked into the Forbidden City.

After passing through the Meridian Gate and the Gate of Supreme Harmony, he went to the Hall of Literary Glory and unknowingly arrived in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

This place can be said to be the essence of the Forbidden City, the place where the emperor held court, with the dragon throne perched high on the steps.

Unfortunately, in order to protect the cultural relics, a fence has been set up outside, so you can't go in; you can only experience it from the outside.

Just then, Eric heard voices coming from not far away. He turned his head and saw two women walking over from around the corner.

Both were wearing masks and decorative glasses, but judging from their figures and walking style, they were probably mother and daughter or elder and younger.

Since best friends in this era don't usually hold hands, he probably came to the Forbidden City to relax and unwind, just like him, since there were fewer people around.

Eric glanced at it, then ignored it and picked up the DV camera to continue filming.

"Mom and Dad, look here, look at the surrounding environment. This is the Forbidden City, one of the representatives of ancient Chinese architecture. It has a history of more than 500 years, which is twice the length of the history of the United States."

"The Forbidden City is one of the most beautiful and magnificent architectural complexes in the world. You can only see such a great building in China. Bertolucci's 'The Last Emperor' was filmed here."

"This is the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the emperor's office. The square in front of it can hold at least tens of thousands of people. The White House is nothing compared to it!"

"Look at this one too, this is..."

Soon, the mother and daughter had arrived not far behind Eric.

"Hello, could you do us a favor?"

The mother in the mother-daughter pair suddenly spoke, using fluent English.

The three of them were alone in the empty square. Eric shrugged. "Is there anything I can do for you, ma'am?"

"It's simple, just take a picture for us, since you're the only one here."

"No problem, what will you use to film? Did you bring a camera?"

"Here, take this. It's easier to carry around." The woman said, taking a cell phone out of her bag and handing it to her.

Eric took it and looked at it. It was a Nokia 7650, which was a very advanced phone by today's standards. If we only consider its camera function, it would rank among the best of all current mobile phones.

He couldn't help but take a look at the mother and daughter. A good phone meant a higher price, which meant that the mother and daughter in front of him were definitely not working class.

"Do you know how to use it? I'll teach you. All you need to do is..."

The woman noticed Eric looking around at his phone and assumed he didn't know how to use it.

"It's alright, ma'am, I know how to use it. It's just a cell phone. Get into position."

The mother and daughter stood side by side, their heads touching, striking an adorable pose.

Eric frowned, thinking to himself, "What are you guys doing playing ball with masks and decorative glasses? If I didn't tell you your names, even your relatives wouldn't know it was you."

After mentally complaining for a moment, Eric handed the phone back after taking the picture and prepared to continue visiting other attractions.

After taking only two steps, the voice of an older woman came from behind again.

"Excuse me, sir, could you please take another picture for us?"

Eric couldn't help but chuckle to himself. It seemed they themselves knew how stupid their actions were.

Upholding his gentlemanly manners, he didn't mind helping again, even though it was funny.

The older woman removed her face covering, revealing a beautiful face that looked to be in her thirties, with large, attractive eyes.

"Feifei, there's no one here now, pick it, it's uncomfortable to wear it."

The daughter hummed in agreement and obediently dropped her disguise. Her chubby face had clearly not fully developed yet, but it was clear that she was a beauty in the making, though she was still a bit less attractive than her mother.

The two stood together again, smiling and posing as they looked at Eric.

Upon seeing the faces of the mother and daughter, Eric couldn't help but marvel at how small Yanjing was, that he could actually run into someone like this.

He had just seen the other person on TV last night, and now he understood why the other person was so heavily disguised.

"The Story of a Noble Family" just made her famous, and she's currently very popular.

That's right, the two are Crystal Liu and her daughter.

Regarding this mother and daughter, Eric was not like those polarized figures of later generations, who were either extremely praising or extremely criticizing them.

As someone in the industry, he neither liked nor disliked anyone; he was just an actor, and he saw far more than the fans did.

To put it bluntly, there are no truly pure and innocent people in this industry; those kinds of people would never even enter the entertainment circle.

Anyone within this circle will inevitably do things that challenge morality and the law for profit; the only difference is the level of their bottom line.

Especially since Eric himself has done this kind of thing quite often, it seems untenable for him to stand on moral high ground and criticize others.

After taking the second set of photos, Eric returned the phone to Liu Xiaoli, casually teasing them, "The daughter is beautiful, and the mother is beautiful too."

Seemingly pleased by the praise from the foreigner, Liu Xiaoli beamed from ear to ear: "Of course, my daughter is a big star. She will go to Hollywood and become a world-renowned star like Audrey Hepburn."

Liu Yifei suddenly pointed at Eric in surprise: "You...you can speak Mandarin!"

Liu Xiaoli was stunned for a moment, then realized: "Right, you can speak Mandarin, so why are you using English?"

Eric laughed heartily: "Look at this face! Am I, an American, wrong to use English?"

After being rebuked, the mother and daughter immediately shut up. He made a good point; it seemed unreasonable for people not to speak English.

"Madam, I don't know if your daughter can become Audrey Hepburn, but I do know that Hollywood is definitely not the right fit for her."

Recalling their past lives, the mother and daughter seemed to have an endless yearning for Hollywood. Of course, all stars in the world yearn for it, and Liu Yifei is originally an American, so there's nothing wrong with that.

However, as a girl who is only pretty and has nothing else to offer, Hollywood has no shortage of girls like her.

In terms of looks, Charlize Theron, Kristen Stewart, and other female celebrities are no less attractive than you, and Miss Watson before her disability was no less stunning.

In terms of acting skills, Hollywood is generally a level above China, especially among the younger generation of actors, where the contrast is particularly stark.

In terms of figure and sex appeal, there's no comparison; Liu Yifei doesn't follow that route.

So how about comparing innocence?

Haha, how many movies do you see that rely on the actresses' innocence as a selling point?

What percentage? Negligible!

Compared to sexiness, innocence has no advantage in the film market.

When innocent-looking actresses appear on the big screen, it's often to highlight their inherent sexiness and sensuality, like in films like "Lolita."

In 2008, after filming "The Forbidden Kingdom," Liu Yifei, having slapped Huayi Brothers, seized the opportunity and decisively chose to leave China to venture into Hollywood.

At the time, I signed with William Morris Agency, one of the three major Hollywood agencies, and did a marketing campaign as if to say that I had successfully taken the first step.

But that was just exploiting an information gap to fool Chinese people when the internet wasn't as developed.

Hollywood talent agencies accept any actor; all you need to do is submit a photo and fill out a form—it's a simple process, not a difficult thing at all.

What followed was three years of unemployment, unable to take off her clothes or fight, and she had no place in Hollywood at all.

The success of "The Forbidden Kingdom" was due to Jackie Chan and Jet Li, and had nothing to do with any of the other characters in the film.

Ultimately, in 2010, the mother and daughter had no choice but to return to China to develop their lives.

She thought she was finally going to break into Hollywood after successfully auditioning for "Mulan," but the movie turned out to be a complete mess, instantly bringing her back down to earth.

Staying in China, with your godfather Chen Jinfei protecting you, you can have a smooth journey. But once you go abroad, who will provide you with resources? No one has that obligation.

"Why am I not suited for Hollywood?" Liu Yifei asked, somewhat dissatisfied.

"Exactly, what makes you think my daughter can't go to Hollywood? Just because you're an American?" Liu Xiaoli was equally dissatisfied; she had always been very self-important.

Eric continued with a laugh, "You can go if you want, but Hollywood only needs one type of Chinese actor."

"What type?" the mother and daughter asked at the same time.

"If female action stars really want to develop their careers across the ocean, they should seriously learn from veterans like Lucy Liu and Michelle Yeoh, learn kung fu well, and hone their acting skills."

"Learning kung fu will get you a role in a Hollywood movie? Are you sure?"

"Kung Fu is a stepping stone; if you don't even have that stepping stone, you can forget about getting in."

Before the mother and daughter could say anything more, Eric waved and turned to leave: "I still have to visit the Forbidden City, goodbye!"

"Wait, what's your name? Where are you from? I can send you a postcard when I get to Hollywood!"

Liu Yifei hurriedly asked, still feeling unconvinced. She thought to herself that once she went to Hollywood without relying on kung fu, she would definitely give this guy a good slap in the face.

Eric didn't answer at all, and slowly disappeared into the Forbidden City complex.

(End of this chapter)