Global Film Emperor

Chapter 372 Judgment depends on the other party's level.

"Ding-dong, sir, room service, your clothes have been ironed."

The heavy door was pushed open silently. Lu Ze smiled and took the clothes he was to wear today. After checking them and finding no wrinkles, he paid a ten-euro tip, thanked the middle-aged woman, closed the door, and hung the suit on the wardrobe next to the front door.

The television was playing a local Berlin channel. Lu Ze picked up the remote control from the bed, turned up the volume, took off his pajamas, and went into the bathroom. The water spraying from the showerhead wet his body, and the sound of the television from the other side of the wall could be clearly heard. Although he couldn't understand German, it was always good to have some noise while showering.

I dried myself off with a towel. The soft bathrobe made me feel sleepy for some reason. I yawned, stood in front of the vanity mirror, and quickly dried my hair. I warmed the hair oil in my palms and applied it evenly to my hair, styling it meticulously.

The toner kept patting on the face, making a sound. Whether a character looks good or not in a movie depends on the script and the character setting. If you really get a role that's covered in lice and so dirty you could rub off two pounds of mud, there's nothing you can do. But in daily life, men should also take care of themselves. It has nothing to do with their profession; it's purely to boost their confidence and give others a good impression.

Today's shirt is light blue with brown vertical stripes and a slightly reflective fabric, giving it a very high-end look. It's secured with cuff pins and tied with a dark blue tie with fine gold stripes. If it weren't for the fact that he wasn't wearing anything on his lower body, he would actually look quite imposing.

The suit was also dark blue, a color that Lu Ze had favored for several years. It didn't look as serious as black, but it better accentuated his composed demeanor.

When I sprayed the cologne into the air and fanned it through my nostrils with my palm, the scent had a crisp lemon fragrance and a hint of tobacco. Since I hadn't attended an important occasion in a long time, this was the first time I had used this cologne.

Lu Ze's sweat glands are not very developed, so his body odor is not that strong. Therefore, his clothes only have a slight scent, unlike Western men who spray their hair behind their ears and under their armpits, so the smell is not overpowering.

With all the preparations complete, all that's left is to wait. I took a portion of the script out of my bag, pulled a chair to the window, took a sip of water, and began to read.

After tonight's awards ceremony, they will return to Liverpool tomorrow to prepare for filming and to audition actors. There will be a lot to do, which will naturally take away from his time to review the script.

Therefore, he needed to clear as much space as possible to further solidify the protagonist's personality traits. Although the system template tutorials and his own ability to quickly understand characters had allowed him to grasp the essence of the character in recent days, more brainstorming might allow him to perform even more brilliantly.

There are really no shortcuts to acting besides talent. If you can't stand the monotony, you're destined to be eliminated.

……

"Knock knock knock, Lu Ze! Time to go!"

Mickey's call came from outside the door. Lu Ze glanced down at his watch; it was already three in the afternoon. He locked the script in the safe in the room, adjusted his clothes in front of the full-length mirror, and opened the door. Just as he was about to step out, he remembered something, went back into the room, and opened the jewelry box on the bedside table.

A brooch with a platinum base and a roaring lion's head carved from sapphire was worn on his chest. It was a birthday gift from Shen Jinghan, which cost more than 400,000 yuan back then, and should be worth even more now.

Outside the door, Mickey was dressed in a black suit with a small bow tie that looked a bit playful. His long hair was tied into a bun. It was one bun, not two. Combined with the natural advantage of mixed-race people, he had the high and straight features of Europeans and Americans, as well as the delicate features of Asians. He wasn't wearing any makeup or foundation, and he didn't hide the dark circles under his eyes that he had always had. At first glance, he even had the air of a melancholy handsome man.

Of course, at first glance, if a full-body scan were performed, his beer belly and double chin, caused by years of heavy drinking, would be impossible to hide. If he continues like this, it's probably time to pick up a water gun.

"Wow, he's quite handsome."

Finally seeing Lu Ze clearly, Mickey couldn't help but compliment his attire. Mickey's dashing appearance today gave Lu Ze a nostalgic feeling of being transported back to Cannes 2020. Back then, both of them were just over thirty, achieving similar success and undeterred by setbacks—they were in their prime. He chuckled and playfully punched Mickey's chest, exchanging pleasantries about his outfit. He then put his arm around Mickey's shoulder and strode towards the stairwell, reminiscing about the marks time had left on them. Only when the elevator doors opened and several people were inside did they swiftly remove their hands from each other's shoulders…

Upon arriving on the first floor, the lobby was filled with people, mostly colleagues waiting for their drivers. There was nothing surprising about it. When these people saw Mickey and Lu Ze emerge from the elevator, their gazes were somewhat indifferent. Only a very few people, mostly young people, showed admiration for this director who had fallen from heaven to the mud but climbed out of it all through his own talent.

As for those indifferent people... they were all acquainted with Mickey and could have been called friends in the past, but they were no longer friends after Mickey fell into trouble. Now that Mickey has returned, they certainly won't lower themselves to befriend him again. Now, they have become enemies.

Lu Ze sensed the indifference of those around him, but said nothing. Mickey's situation was even worse than his. Because of his youthful arrogance, Mickey had not made any true friends in the industry, so when he fell from grace, no one spoke a single word for him and witnessed him suffer the same fate.

The people who had been chatting with each other all turned to look at the two of them. The atmosphere cooled and frosted over, but the two of them seemed oblivious to the fact that they had become the target of everyone's attention. Like sharp weapons, they cut through a block of ice and walked straight out of the hotel.

"sorry."

"We're all family, there's nothing to apologize for. How are we getting there? Did you rent a car?"

Lu Ze understood the meaning behind Mickey's apology. This was the first time he had revealed his living conditions to Lu Ze. It wasn't a cover-up, but rather an unwillingness to mention it. As a result, he couldn't help but worry that Lu Ze would regret signing the equity transfer agreement with Global Brothers. However, Lu Ze's answer completely put his mind at ease. He hadn't misjudged Lu Ze as his good brother, just as Lu Ze hadn't misjudged him either.

"What kind of car are you renting? What are the conditions? The film crew doesn't even have money to start filming, and you still want to rent a car? You should be grateful you're not taking the bus. Just take a taxi. These luxury cars have seen huge price increases these past few months. If I could have ordered one, I would have done so already."

Taxis are generally expensive in Europe, but they are still much cheaper than renting a luxury car. Given their current financial situation, without company support to rent a luxury car, it would be painful for them to pay for it themselves.

Let's do the math. After deducting his share and taxes, Mickey only received a little over 11 million pounds from the total revenue of "The Effect". Subtracting the 7 million pounds spent on fully purchasing Clive Films and the 2.2 million pounds spent on redeeming Lu Ze's trophy, plus Mickey's miscellaneous pocket money, he now has only 2.5 million pounds, which is less than 3 million euros.

Now, this three million still needs to be reserved for "Rebirth," because you can't expect the other party to pay the full amount when seeking investment, right? After all, the publishing company is still under the name of "Universal Brothers Pictures." Otherwise, if the other party pays the full amount, what's the difference between them finding a director and actors to make the film themselves? Why should the film have "Universal Brothers" in the title?

So those three million are absolutely untouchable, but if you take away those three million... how much money do these two brothers have in their pockets? If it weren't for the fact that they couldn't bear to part with it, Mickey wouldn't even be willing to book a standard room in this five-star hotel. Staying in a three-star budget chain hotel would be just as good. To put it even more embarrassingly, the cost of the five-star hotel room was split between Mickey and Lu Ze.

Lu Ze also realized the problem. Yesterday, Mickey rented the 918, and Lu Ze had already complained to him once. If it weren't for the Berlin Film Festival this month, which caused mid-to-low-end models and luxury business models to have a premium, while the price of supercars didn't fluctuate much or even dropped, driving it for a day would only cost 1,500 euros, which is less than the price of a hotel room. He would have definitely argued with Mickey.

Even if he gritted his teeth and paid to rent a car now to save face, he couldn't book any luxury models. He couldn't just rent a Sprinter or a GL8, could he? That would be a complete loss of face. After thinking it over, Lu Ze finally agreed to Mickey's suggestion: take a taxi!
This is probably the first time in history that someone has planned to take a taxi to a film festival, especially as a nominated candidate. While this may seem ridiculous, it's not entirely unbelievable. Think about it: in Europe today, does "Universal Brothers" have any powerful backers or any financial groups they can rely on?
No.

All they have is passion and talent, and beautiful dreams for the future, but these cannot be exchanged for money. They are both directors and actors who were born into ordinary people and shocked the world with low-budget films, and pitiful creatures in the eyes of major film companies who cannot even afford to rent luxury cars at inflated prices.

The shift in identity can happen in an instant, depending on one's current position.

"..."

(End of this chapter)