Global Film Emperor

Chapter 397 The Peace Token

Sitting in the back row, the atmosphere wasn't particularly lively. After all, it was the first time Lu Ze and his second brother had met, and Song Guiyuan was the one who led most of the conversations.

Chen Yongbin's first apprentice passed away from stomach cancer in April 2017 at the age of 49, making Liang Hongrui Chen Yongbin's oldest apprentice. His high position has turned Liang Hongrui's hair half-gray in his fifties. He is not bloated, but rather somewhat thin and looks older than other men in their early fifties. However, one can still vaguely see the youthful vigor that once belonged to him in his youth from his face.

He didn't talk much, nor did he smoke often. The car had been driving for over an hour, and he had only accepted the first cigarette offered by Lu Ze. Meanwhile, Lu Ze and the other man had already burned out their third cigarette.

He didn't often participate in Lu Ze and Song Guiyuan's exchanges, and when it came to Lu Ze filming abroad, he would only say two words: "That's good."

It wasn't that he wasn't interested in their conversation; after all, he was a professional himself, and he naturally valued the differences between domestic and international industries. But ultimately, he and Lu Ze were still complete strangers. Even with the bond of being fellow students, the twenty-one-year age difference between them created a significant gap.

Therefore, he could only listen quietly, acting as an almost invisible driver, only glancing occasionally in the rearview mirror and seeing Lu and Song chatting and laughing, which made him feel a pang of emotion.

Lu Ze's achievements over the years are obvious. Even though his international influence is not high now, he is still more famous than his contemporaries and even most of his predecessors. Whether it is his strength or reputation, he can be called one of the most outstanding representatives in the country.

Nowadays, Lu Ze can be considered a household name. Even older people can hear his name. If he were to film a domestic drama, his salary would probably be close to 100 million yuan. This is the price given after the reduction of actors' salaries in recent years. If we go back to around 2018, we probably wouldn't be able to negotiate even 100 million yuan.

Yet this representative of Chinese actors was forced to go abroad to make a living. The pressure from capital and the tacit approval of the authorities have indeed driven many excellent actors to the brink of despair. He was dissatisfied, but helpless. The entertainment industry is destined to be a circle, but actors, screenwriters, and even directors are not in this circle.

This is why he had no powerful backing, which is the difference between academics and ordinary people. Imagine if Lu Ze had come from Huaxi Academy and had studied under a famous teacher early on, would Qian Shijia have dared to exchange him for money?
Therefore, Liang Hongrui was furious. Even though he was also a beneficiary of the faction, he was still angry. The industry needed to operate and required a lot of capital, so the government relaxed the boundaries of capital operation. But now the power of capital is gradually getting out of control, and the official departments of the entertainment industry alone can no longer control the overall situation.

The complex web of intertwined interests makes everyone hesitant to act rashly, because entertainment is a circle, and once this perfect shape is broken, the entertainment industry will not only suffer minor damage, but will face a complete collapse.

This is bad for everyone. Even actors and directors outside the circle will face certain death when the circle collapses. Once we return to the era when TV dramas paid 5,000 yuan per episode and movie leads paid 200,000 yuan, it will be extremely difficult to restore the current situation where movies with box office revenue of 3 to 5 billion yuan are common. After all, it is difficult to go from luxury to frugality, and the audience has been spoiled.

So he was angry, but also helpless. The higher one's position, the more helpless one becomes. So helpless that even if time were to rewind to 2020, and he had to choose again regarding Lu Ze's situation, he would still acquiesce.

Fortunately, Lu Ze turned misfortune into blessing. Instead of being buried in obscurity, his career went international. Furthermore, due to the significant losses suffered by Rongchuang Group in recent years, its cinema strength has also declined. Now, if Lu Ze wants to return to China to make movies, Qian Shijia can't stop him at all. This is exactly the situation that Liang Hongrui wanted to see.

The vehicle entered the highway from Shunyi and arrived in the city center one hour and fifteen minutes later. Passing Chen Yongbin's residence, it slowly drove towards a densely populated area and finally stopped in an alley.

Lu Ze liked this environment. After leaving the alley and reaching the main road, there was a constant flow of people and vehicles, but once inside the alley, it became quiet. Rows of large courtyard houses were clearly the residences of wealthy and powerful families. The stone lions at the gates would not be considered ostentatious. The thresholds were as high as half a calf, and the vermilion gates were gleaming. In short, they were grand and imposing.

The sound of gongs and drums could be heard, but it wasn't loud; one had to listen carefully to hear it. Lu Ze was looking at the layout of the courtyard house, while Liang Hongrui walked to the gate of a courtyard, gently knocked on the door knocker twice, and a middle-aged man in a jacket opened the door and nodded politely to Liang Hongrui.

"come in."

He called out and went inside before Lu Ze and Song Guiyuan could follow. Lu Ze wanted to go in with him, but Song Guiyuan seemed unhurried. He stood at the door, handed Lu Ze a cigarette, and lit it for himself first.

"Um... don't stay here for the next couple of days, there's... something going on here."

It wasn't that Lu Ze was stingy with the hotel room money and kept eating and drinking at Song Guiyuan's house; it was just that as soon as Lu Ze arrived in the capital, as soon as Old Song found out, he would immediately call Lu Ze to come over and have a good drink with him. In addition, the two had a close relationship, and Lu Ze didn't know how to refuse, so he went along with Old Song's wishes.

This time was no exception. Long ago, Song Guiyuan had made an agreement with Lu Ze to stay at his house again. However, for some reason, he suddenly changed his mind today. It was impossible that Song Guiyuan thought it would be troublesome for him to come and stay. As an unemployed man with nothing better to do, he couldn't wait for someone to come and keep him company. So there must be some reason for this last-minute change of mind. However, since Song Guiyuan didn't say anything, Lu Ze didn't ask.

"Row."

"Well, something's come up at my house. My mom is sick and is staying at my place."

After thinking it over carefully, Song Guiyuan felt that it wouldn't be good not to give an explanation. Even if Lu Ze and he were very close, this would indeed hurt their relationship. Without a proper reason, he was afraid that Lu Ze would overthink things.

"is it serious?"

"She's physically fine, but she can't remember things. It's been going on and on. She got lost once in Changchun, and I was afraid something might happen to her again, so I brought her and my dad here."

"Okay, just tell me what you need."

"Hey, what could possibly happen? My mom's health is better than mine, she'll be fine."

His words were calm, as if he were narrating an ordinary matter, but Lu Ze knew that he was definitely not as relaxed as he appeared. He sighed, said nothing, patted Song Guiyuan on the shoulder, and seeing that the middle-aged man who opened the door was still waiting at the door, he put out his cigarette and went into the yard with Old Song.

There was no one in the courtyard. In the middle of the courtyard, there was a grove of bamboo surrounded by an artificial stream. A waterwheel made of bamboo strips turned slowly, eventually flowing into a row of bamboo tubes. As the water flow gradually increased and was about to overflow the bamboo tubes, the tubes tilted, pouring out the water and hitting the bamboo board below with a muffled "thump".

The ground was paved with blue bricks, which looked quite old. It wasn't smooth; instead, it was full of potholes. It was easy to twist your ankle if you were wearing high heels here, and even Lu Ze, who was wearing leather shoes, had to be extra careful.

A small yellow mongrel was tied to the edge of the bamboo grove. When it saw the strangers, it didn't bark or even raise its head. It just lay on the ground, moved its eyes up slightly, stuck out its tongue and touched the tip of its nose, and then put its eyes back on the food in the bowl.

"Please."

The door opened, revealing another curtain inside. The man lifted the curtain, extending his hand towards the inside to gesture for the two to enter. As soon as the curtain was lifted, the sound of gongs and drums grew louder. The room was dimly lit, with only a low-powered wall lamp at the height of the baseboard providing enough light to see the way.

The room was large, but not many items were placed there. Lu Ze immediately noticed the stage, the only bright spot in the room. A woman in a robe and crown was singing opera. Although her makeup was a bit heavy, her face was still visible, and she should not be very old.

Several tables were placed directly below the platform, but only one table was occupied. Chen Yongbin and Liang Hongrui were sitting at the table, and another man in his early twenties was standing beside them serving them.

"Master."

"Come and sit down." There was no need for formalities. The two sat down, and a waiter served tea. Seeing that Lu Ze didn't move, Chen Yongbin grabbed some nuts and put them in Lu Ze's palm before Lu Ze started eating.

As the opera unfolded on stage, Chen Yongbin watched intently, and naturally, no one spoke. Lu Ze, who also enjoyed opera and could recognize Huangmei Opera, knew that the song "Ode to Humanity" was once on his playlist. When the woman opened her mouth, it was like the song of a nightingale, so clear and melodious that it instantly captivated Lu Ze's ears. For a moment, he and Chen Yongbin were also engrossed in the performance.

On the contrary, Song Guiyuan was not interested. He just kept his head down eating nuts. When his throat got sore, he would drink some tea to rinse his mouth. Seeing that Lu Ze's expression was exactly the same as his master's, he exchanged a glance with Liang Hongrui and grinned. There was no one among these fellow apprentices who really wanted to listen to the opera. Now there was finally one who really wanted to listen, but he didn't expect it to be the youngest one.

After listening to five pieces of music, drinking three cups of tea, and eating two ounces of fruit, the music ended. The servant left, lit the lamp, and never returned. The lamplight was soft and not glaring. The woman stood on the stage without going down. She simply bowed and smiled at the four people with her hands behind her back.

"Go and give them the reward money."

Chen Yongbin closed his eyes and remained silent, fiddling with a pair of jade-like official hats. Liang Hongrui lightly touched Lu Ze's arm, took a wad of cash from his wallet, and handed it to Lu Ze.

He got up, but instead of giving it to her immediately, he took out the three thousand yuan in cash he had just withdrawn from his wallet, folded it into the stack that Liang Hongrui had given him, and handed it over. He thought that since she sang well, he was happy to hear it and would definitely give her some.

"Thank you, Master Lu."

The first time in his life he was called "Master" was from an actor. This was probably the fastest way to advance in rank besides enduring the years and actually becoming a grandfather. Lu Ze wasn't surprised that she recognized him. He smiled and nodded. He saw her put her hands together, hold the money in her palms, and bow deeply to the four of them before stepping off the stage. Lu Ze also sat back down.

"I knew you liked it."

The master and apprentice first met during a volunteer performance. They hit it off immediately and he knew that Lu Ze loved opera. Seeing Lu Ze so engrossed in the performance, he was very pleased.

"Yes, you sang very well, and your voice is so clear."

"She's only in her early twenties, the prime of her voice. If it weren't for her poor family background and failing the political review, she probably could have joined a national-level performing arts troupe a few years ago."

"That's such a shame."

"Alas, it is said that her master sang even better, a true star. Little Phoenix Butterfly, back when she performed in Macau, every seat was filled. It's just a pity that something happened later, and I never had the chance to hear her sing again. Speaking of which... back then, it was you Lu Huaren who took Little Phoenix Butterfly with you when you traveled around the country."

"Who?"

"It's been almost twenty years. I can't remember her real name, but I think her nickname was something like... Fox."

As soon as Chen Yongbin spoke, Lu Ze immediately remembered him. Although Lu Ze was young back then, he had heard a lot about this person's bad reputation. Going back twenty years, Fox's reputation in Lü Hua was no less than Lu Ze's, except that one was good and the other was bad.

After the music ended, there was no need to stay any longer. Chen Yongbin was given a coat, and the four of them went out. Chen Yongbin's driver was already waiting at the door.

When it was time to get in the car, Lu Ze intended to get into Liang Hongrui's car and ask him to give him a ride so he could drop him off at the entrance of a nearby hotel. However, just as he opened the car door, Chen Yongbin spoke up.

"Daze, where are you staying tonight?"

"Marriott, I just booked a room."

“You’ve retired. What kind of talk is it to come to the capital and see your master still living outside? Come on, get in my car.”

"Master, why don't you let Daze go to my place?"

Liang Hongrui interjected, actually wanting to have a romantic candlelit talk with Lu Ze. After all, the two were a bit awkward in the car, but now that they were more familiar, he wanted to communicate with Lu Ze more. Unfortunately, Chen Yongbin didn't think so, and rolled his eyes at him, not giving this fifty-something-year-old senior brother any face.

"What? You think the outside world I mentioned doesn't include you? Come on, get in my car. Your teacher's wife is hoping you'll come and visit her."

After closing the car door, Lu Ze glanced at Liang Hongrui, who was smiling wryly and shaking his head, giving up on continuing to invite Lu Ze. In fact, the relationship between the master and apprentice had not been particularly good for several years. Although he was still filial, Chen Yongbin did not buy into his act.

The reason is that Chen Yongbin wanted to put pressure on Qian Shijia through Liang Hongrui because of Lu Ze's matter, but Liang Hongrui refused. The old man felt embarrassed and kept arguing with him. The meaning of what he said now is still related to what Liang Hongrui did back then.

Once in the car, Chen Yongbin's driving skills were much better than Liang Hongrui's. He could keep a cup of water on the armrest without spilling it, and he was very steady. The old man closed his eyes to rest as soon as he got in the car and stopped talking. After all, he was getting old. Although he was still very healthy, his energy was not as good as it used to be.

"The relationship between China and Britain has not been very good in recent years. You were already filming before, so I didn't tell you. Next time, you need to think carefully about the scripts you choose and your words and actions abroad. Don't embarrass the country. But I believe you won't have any problems with that."

“I understand, Master.”

"Well, that's good. You're smart and have good values, so I don't think you'd do anything stupid. But, on another note, you should be careful while you're abroad. You can't be too careful. Here, take this. Superstition is not advisable. Just consider it good luck. It's not much money."

After saying that, Chen Yongbin took out a bright green object from his pocket and placed it in Lu Ze's hand. This was something he had acquired more than forty years ago. It was worth a couple of coins now, but it wasn't exactly priceless. However, this object was originally a gift for his wife, and it had a lot of stories behind it. This time, he took it back and gave it to his apprentice, but he didn't tell Lu Ze about it.

Holding the object in his hand, Lu Ze took a closer look and confirmed that it was jadeite, a full green icy variety, not as frightening as glassy jadeite, but without any cotton-like inclusions. It was very translucent in the sunlight, with excellent water content. It was a square plaque without any carved patterns, and was inlaid with old silver around the four sides, giving it a sense of age and vicissitude.

This brand has a special name, which Lu Ze knew, so he felt warm inside. He didn't thank them immediately, but just held it in his hand and gently rubbed it with his thumb.

This is called a "Peace and Safety Plaque," which means exactly what it says.

"..."

(End of this chapter)