Global Film Emperor

Chapter 358 Heavenly Orange? No
In the following period, large quantities of DVDs were mailed from the UK to China, and The Effect made its debut in China, Lu Ze's home battlefield. As expected, it was well received and received high praise. There was no problem with the film's content not being adapted to local conditions. Whether in Western or Eastern countries, people could understand the film and were deeply moved by it.

Despite their depression, Lu Ze's fans, after a few days of feeling down, reacted more like they were having a blast. In short, they were thrilled to see Lu Ze back on TV!
The previously dormant fans gradually became active again, and their presence could be seen on various portals and video websites. Some even went so far as to interrupt when other fans were praising their idols' amazing acting skills, saying inappropriately, "That's amazing? Please take a look at Lu Ze."

This kind of behavior is particularly annoying. Nobody wants their favorite actor to be belittled by others, but what frustrates them is that they can't find any reason to refute it.

The saying goes that one fan is worth ten haters, so the arrogance of Lu Ze's fans would naturally be attributed to Lu Ze. However, Lu Ze was helpless about this, since he no longer had a public relations team to guide the direction of the entire fanbase. He wanted to manage such offensive remarks, but he was powerless to do so. He simply chose to ignore them and apologized to the celebrities he knew.

However, these celebrities didn't give Lu Ze a hard time. They said it was okay and told Lu Ze not to take it to heart, and they didn't cause him any trouble behind his back either.

A year ago, these people might have ignored Lu Ze's apology, but now they all know that Lu Ze has turned his life around and found a new path outside. He might even be doing better than before, so it's best not to offend him from now on.

Meanwhile, in mid-October, The Effect was released in fourteen European countries. With its already good reputation, it was highly sought after by movie lovers on the first day of release. The 200,000 discs sold out in just three days in all fourteen countries.

The original sales target of 300,000 copies was almost achieved right after the launch. This does not include sales in North America, South Africa, and Asia. If all of these are included, sales are expected to exceed one million!

Subsequently, the online version was launched at the end of October, priced at 2.9 euros. It sold over 100,000 copies in a single day, and the momentum continued on the second day, still aiming for even higher profits. This investment of 250,000 pounds really made Mickey a fortune. He could even wake up laughing at night. However, when he received his after-tax income, he did not squander it. Instead, he planned to spend the money he hadn't even had a chance to enjoy yet, according to his original plan.

Mickey was very busy at this time, with plans in full swing. Seeing that "The Effect" had made money, the theaters shamelessly tried to follow Mickey's lead and try to make a quick buck, but they were quickly met with a cold shoulder. In Mickey's own words, "You didn't give us any support when we first started filming, but now you're shamelessly trying to make a quick buck? What kind of good deal is that? This movie will never be shown in theaters. If you want to show my movie, that's not impossible."

Wait for the next one.

That's just his flamboyant nature. He doesn't give any face even to these big movie theater owners. Anyway, there's no need to say more about the nature of businessmen. They're shameless. If we don't take this opportunity to criticize them, it will be too late when the next movie is released.

With a 93% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a 69 Audience Score, a 9.0 on IMDb, and a 9.2 on Douban, *The Effect* has officially been declared the highest-rated film of 2023 as the year draws to a close. Of course… some people aren't exactly thrilled…

……

"Wow... Wow... Wow..."

A large broom made of thin bamboo branches swept the snowflakes on the road into a pile, then used a flat shovel to shovel the snow into the sanitation truck. I waved my right hand to the sanitation worker, said thank you, and helped the old man push the sanitation truck. I watched the tricycle until the orange vest disappeared from my sight.

In December, Lü Hua finally welcomed the first heavy snow of the year, which was half a shoe high. At the same time, Lu Ze turned thirty-three.

It's not cold when it snows, but it's cold when the snow melts. Even after doing some physical labor, the temperature of minus twenty-two degrees Celsius is still cold. I took off my gloves, rubbed my hands, stomped my feet, went into the room, and gently scratched the lame man's little head. The TV was playing Lu Hua's local channel, which was showing a cooking program that taught people how to cook early in the morning.

Learning about the dishes, the steaming coffee warmed him from the inside out. It should have been a peaceful and uneventful morning, until two people walked in from outside, rang the bell, and attracted the lame man's attention.

"Hello, I need something... Brother Guo, what brings you to Lü Hua in this freezing weather? And who is this?"

Lu Ze stood up, walked over and hugged Guo Mingde. Although he said it as a question, he already knew what was going on. His gaze was fixed on this middle-aged man he did not know, and then he gently shook hands with him.

"Lu Hua, it's really cold. Luckily, there's heating in the room. It's been a long time. You've made this place quite cozy. The style is really nice. Anyway, I won't waste any more time with you. This is Meng Liang, the general manager of Tiancheng Entertainment, and my boss."

As expected, as the leading company among the six major brokerage firms in China, Tiancheng Entertainment inevitably had some designs on Lu Ze. Previously, due to the strong influence of Qian Shijia's parent company, Rongchuang Group, other brokerage firms, including Tiancheng, did not directly take in Lu Ze, the pillar who had been expelled from Qian Shijia.

However, at the end of last year, Rongchuang Group made a major failed decision. Although it was only a temporary pain for such a behemoth as Rongchuang, the failed decision occurred in the entertainment industry, which led to Rongchuang Cinemas losing its dominant position in the domestic cinema industry.

In addition, Lu Ze's reappearance and continued success abroad have rekindled the ambitions of other agencies that were once wary of Qian Shijia's ban. After all, which agency doesn't have some powerful backing? Rongchuang may be formidable, but it's not like they can bully anyone they want.

Lu Ze understood their intentions in an instant. It wasn't because his mind was working so fast, but because a few days ago another company had approached him. Like Tiancheng, to show how much they valued Lu Ze, their general manager had personally invited him to join. However, Lu Ze refused. The reason for his refusal wasn't because the other party lacked sincerity, but because Lu Ze still couldn't see the difference between it and Qian Shijia.

This time, he also needs to see if Tiancheng can offer him something else. If not, then sorry, even if Meng Liang brings a lobbyist, he won't choose this leading domestic company. Moreover... Tiancheng is far less attractive to Lu Ze than the company he visited a few days ago.

"Hello Mr. Meng, please have a seat. Brother Guo, you didn't even let me know beforehand so I could have prepared. I just finished shoveling snow and I look a mess, I'm really a little embarrassed."

Lu Ze was right about that. After working outside for more than an hour, his hair was disheveled by the wind and he hadn't had time to fix it. His cheeks were also very rosy. He didn't look like a celebrity at all. Instead, he looked like an ordinary store owner. But when the two heard Lu Ze say this, they waved their hands repeatedly, thinking that Lu Ze was just joking.

The company's trainees do indeed judge Lu Ze by his appearance and demeanor, but if they were to judge Lu Ze by the same standards as trainees, they wouldn't have bothered to travel all the way from the airport to Lu Hua by high-speed rail. Besides, for an actor of Lu Ze's caliber, capturing the right demeanor is just a matter of a moment; it's just that Lu Ze doesn't like to act in front of them.

They sat down amidst laughter and conversation. Not forgetting the proper hospitality, the humble family could only offer them a cup of coffee. The three were momentarily speechless, staring blankly at the rising steam in their cups, until Lu Ze himself bluntly spoke his mind, bringing them back to reality.

"Let's talk about the conditions. I have no intention of joining Tiancheng, but I still need to hear your conditions, Mr. Meng." These words immediately chilled Guo Mingde and Meng Liang's hearts, realizing that this trip was probably in vain. But even if the hope was slim, they had to speak up, just in case they could persuade Lu Ze. Meng Liang drank a cup of coffee, coughed lightly twice, and seriously stated the price he offered to Lu Ze. Lu Ze listened attentively until Meng Liang finished speaking, then slowly shook his head.

The offer from Tiancheng was no different from the first agency that approached them: top-quality resources, the strongest network support, and the most generous investment. However, considering the strength of the two companies, Tiancheng's offer was significantly more substantial.

These conditions, even if the trainees heard them, would make the company's most successful artists laugh their heads off. But for Lu Ze, they weren't very attractive. He didn't want much; he just wanted a written guarantee that could be written into the contract. But any company could give him that guarantee, except Tiancheng. Even if they did, Lu Ze wouldn't agree to join Tiancheng. He only had Meng Liang state the conditions to avoid embarrassing anyone.

"Mr. Meng, I must apologize. It's not that the conditions offered by your company are not attractive enough, but rather that I have too many friends in your company. I'm truly sorry."

This is the real reason why Lu Ze doesn't consider Tiancheng. If he joins Tiancheng, it will inevitably have a huge impact on Tiancheng's existing resource allocation. In other words, whichever company he goes to, he must become the top leader of that company.

But look at who Tiancheng's top dog is! It's Ge Yunzheng! This is his mentor, a good older brother who has guided him and is also a friend. Can he really compete with Ge Yunzheng for the top dog position?

Is being the second brother acceptable? Absolutely not, because Tiancheng's second brother is Song Guiyuan. Lu Ze would rather break up with Ge Yunzheng than compete with Old Song for resources. Lu Ze is also Old Song's son's godfather. As for being the third brother, then the conditions promised by Meng Liang cannot be fulfilled now.

Most importantly, resources don't discriminate between men and women. If he enters the market, it will also affect female artists. Although Tiancheng doesn't prioritize female artists, resulting in Jiaxing Media, the second-largest of the six major entertainment companies, having the strongest lineup of female artists, Tiancheng's top female artist seems somewhat dispensable. However, he can't compete with the top female artist for resources, because Tiancheng's top female artist is currently Wang Zhen...

This whole family huddled together.

These are the top male and female stars behind the scenes. The top male and female stars on the surface are currently the most popular artists in the company. However, Lu Ze doesn't really care about the resources of the top male and female stars on the surface. This is because the resources of the top male and female stars on the surface are promotion, while the resources of the top male and female stars behind the scenes are connections.

In other words, the nominal number one is someone the company recommends to other big shots to promote, but the real number one is someone the company introduces to their own network of contacts, making them part of the number one's own network.

It's rare to find someone like Lu Ze who was both the public and private boss at Qian Shijia. This kind of situation usually only occurs in small or startup companies.

Otherwise, even if Lu Ze had become famous later, he wouldn't have been qualified to be on friendly terms with big directors and investors. He would have been like when he first started out, sitting with Shen Jinghan, serving the big investors, without having the right to offer any food or drink himself.

It's even less likely that he would have connections that no company has, and that he could hire screenwriters who would be impossible for several companies to hire all at once to write a script. This is because they are giving face to Lu Ze, not to Qian Shijia.

The real number one actor is never the most popular one, but the one who has been with the company long enough that no one bothers him and he can get the best roles from the company whenever he wants to act.

If you don't want to act, just go out and have a drinking party with some big directors and big bosses every day, chat and talk. If you want to help a relative's child, just mention it to them and they won't forget it. They will actually do things for you, and the next day the film contract will be in their child's hands. You have so many connections that you can talk to anyone.

Instead of being the top star who, even if he's incredibly popular, still has to bow and toast people, and sing along at the dinner table if they want to hear his songs.

Meng Liang understood what Lu Ze was saying. He exchanged a glance with Guo Mingde and saw the "as expected" look in Guo's eyes. Still feeling somewhat unwilling, he pursed his lips and continued to persuade him.

After all, Lu Ze is a top general. No entertainment company in China would not want him. His strength is unbelievable. He has won awards left and right, and he has a wide network of connections. Big shots from academia and even Guangdong Province are close to him. If someone like him joins Tiancheng, then even the boss of Tiancheng, the number one entertainment company in China, would be overjoyed. Smaller companies would probably be in even worse shape. The boss would probably be so excited that he would have a brain hemorrhage and be sent straight to the ICU.

But his earnest persuasion was met with Lu Ze's tactful yet firm refusal. Having too many friends was not a good thing; if he were to compete with the older brother who had helped him for resources, Lu Ze's reputation would be ruined. In the end, after three hours, Meng Liang had no choice but to give up, glance at his watch, and leave.

Although the two sides did not reach a cooperation agreement, the atmosphere was still good. After all, even if the deal fell through, they could still be on good terms. Even if Lu Ze signed with another agency in the future, there would still be opportunities to work together on films.

Because Meng Liang had work to do, Lu Ze didn't linger. He only exchanged a few polite words and, after receiving several rejections from Meng Liang, stopped mentioning it and got up to see the two off.

"I knew I hadn't misjudged you. It was a wasted trip, though. Sigh, it's really tough. Now that I'm going back to my old ways, I guess I'll have to sell this beer shop. Are you willing to part with it? Let's get together again when you go back to Shanghai. I'm also going to be making a movie. I've been working on a script these past few days. Let's discuss it then. Bye."

"Are you really not going to stay in Lühua for a couple of days? Just treat it as a farm stay. You don't have any work right now, so stay a couple more days."

Lu Ze sincerely wanted Guo Mingde to stay. Unlike Meng Liang, who was in charge of the overall situation at Tiancheng, he wasn't that busy, and the two had a good relationship. Although he had acted as a mediator this time, whether it succeeded or not didn't affect their relationship. Guo Mingde also felt that he didn't have enough influence to make Lu Ze sign with Tiancheng because of him. He came here this time because he couldn't resist Meng Liang's request and just wanted to make a good impression.

"Are you even a friend? What are you doing going to a farm stay? My wife is pregnant with our second child, didn't you see her posts on social media? Get lost, I can't be bothered with you. Remember to give a gift for the baby's one-month celebration. What's going on up ahead? Why is the police here? Never mind, it's none of my business, I'm leaving."

After watching the two leave, Lu Ze did not immediately return to the house. Instead, he lit a cigarette outside, watched the commotion, and kept thinking about which company he should choose in the future. He realized that working alone in a studio might not be enough to succeed. He needed to integrate into a group to get better opportunities to showcase himself.

After finishing his cigarette, Lu Ze extinguished it on the snow piled up on the trash can lid and casually tossed it into the bin. Just as he was about to go back inside, he heard a somewhat familiar voice trembling as it argued with the police.

"..."

(End of this chapter)