Global Film Emperor

Chapter 414 Old Friend (Three-in-One) 6.6k
"Mom, yes, I just got off the plane and I'm in Shanghai now. With whom? With Zixuan and a few other employees from the company. Yes, I didn't come back by myself. When am I going home? Sigh, Mom, I've been a bit busy with work lately, so I might not have much free time... I came back this time to discuss a contract. Once the contract is finalized, I have to go back to England immediately."

"Well, even if I squeeze in some time to go home, I have to rush back after only two hours. It's really not worth it, Mom. I miss home too, but... I'm just really busy. How about this, after this movie is finished, I'll cancel all my other work and stay home for two months, okay? I promise I'll spend Chinese New Year at home this year. Xiao Hai and his wife are looking for me? We'll talk about that when I go home in the second half of the year. If they can't wait, they can call me."

"Okay, I'll call and ask Xiaonan if she has time... No, that's not what I meant. I didn't say I wanted Xiaonan to go home for me, but she lives close by. Okay, okay, I was wrong, alright? If it really doesn't work, you can come to England for a couple of days. I'll have Zixuan accompany you out for a bit. Okay, then let's not make a fuss. Staying at home is fine too. That's all for now. I'll hang up now."

"Brother Lu, why don't you go home and take a look?"

"It's alright, it's not worth the trouble."

Just as he put his phone in his pocket, before he could even take his hand out, Wang Zixuan suddenly asked him a question. Lu Ze glanced at her, responded absentmindedly, and looked at the baggage carousel. He then reached out and picked up his suitcase, placing it on the ground.

Wang Zixuan didn't say much. Lu Ze was in a bad mood, so she didn't bother him anymore. She took out her phone to reply to messages. Lu Ze wasn't going home, but she was going home. After all, she was going to Zhejiang this time. Passing by her own home without going in was not something she could do. She didn't have the same awareness as Yu the Great.

Several so-called negotiation experts around me were praising the Shanghai airport. It was their first time in China, and they were full of curiosity about everything here. They talked about the cuisines from all over the country, as if they planned to try all the different cuisines during the few days of negotiations with Lantai.

He clapped his hands, drawing all their attention to himself. The group fell silent, seemingly not yet blinded by the free trip and the imagined delicacies. For now, they could still distinguish between the king and queen.

"Gentlemen, I know you are very excited. I personally welcome you to China, but we are here to work. After the work is finished, you can stay in China for a few more days to play. Eat whatever you want and visit whichever attractions you want. But for now, I hope you can focus your minds on official business. As we said before, Ms. Wang will take you to Hangzhou by high-speed rail later. I will meet you all tomorrow."

"No problem, Mr. Lu."

The negotiation team's unanimous response pleased Lu Ze, who nodded, bent down, and whispered a few final words of advice in Chinese into Wang Zixuan's ear.

"Once you arrive at the hotel that has been arranged for them, go home. Be careful and don't be too polite to them. Don't act like a tour guide. Pack your things and if anyone causes trouble, give me a call."

"Don't worry, Brother Lu."

"Alright, then I won't see you off. You can go into the station now."

There was a train station inside the airport, and the group had already bought their tickets. After Lu Ze saw them into the station, he was about to buy a coffee when he suddenly received a text message on his phone. He hesitated for a few seconds between the coffee shop, which was only a few dozen meters away, and the people waiting at the airport entrance. Then, he pulled his luggage and strode back.

"Honey, look! Isn't that Lu Ze?"

"You know what, it seems to be true... Wasn't he developing his career abroad? Why did he come back to China?"

"Where? Where? It's true! Holy crap, I've met a real big shot."

Lu Ze twitched his ears a few times, catching all the sounds around him. He inwardly groaned, realizing that even after disappearing from the domestic entertainment circle for several years, he still seemed to have underestimated his current level of recognition in China.

He has never liked wearing a suit when traveling by plane, and since it was already springtime in Shanghai and the weather wasn't cold, he was only wearing a sweatshirt with the Liverpool logo and jeans. He only wore sunglasses out of his usual celebrity three-piece outfit, so it would be strange if people who knew him didn't recognize him.

In an instant, he snapped out of the bland feeling of meeting fans in Liverpool and remembered the enthusiasm of fans back home. Startled, he quickly pulled up his hoodie and started pacing even faster.

"Lu Ze, I recognized you from far away! I've been a fan of yours for years. Could you give me your autograph?"

"Another day...another day...now is not the right time."

Now there's no way to deny it. The other party has already taken out their phone to record a video. Lu Ze can only nod politely to decline. He glances to the side and sees that the fan's actions seem to have attracted more attention, which makes him even more afraid to stay. He's almost ready to run away. If he stops, he'll have to use up two tubes of ink.

"Please, I might never have the chance to see you again. Please, just give me your autograph, it'll only take twenty seconds, okay? Please, please..."

"Lu'er! Over here!"

With a shout, Lu Ze seemed to hear a blessing and quickly handed the fan a bottle of xylitol to stop him from asking for an autograph. This bastard wasn't a fan; his shamelessness clearly indicated he was a professional at this kind of thing. If he wasn't given something today, he would howl so loudly that the whole airport could hear him.

"Brother Shen! Where's the car parked?"

"It's right on the elevated road! Run! I only have three points left! The traffic police are chasing me!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Ze could no longer restrain his restless legs and rushed to the person's side. Listening to the repeatedly broadcasted message urging people to leave, he quickly threw his luggage into the back seat and sat down in the passenger seat, letting out a long sigh of relief.

"Hopefully they didn't film it... Fasten your seatbelt quickly, they're very strict about this area, don't let something go wrong."

He floored the accelerator, and the Range Rover suddenly shot forward. Only after it had gone quite a distance did the person in the driver's seat slowly break into a smile, which eventually grew increasingly unrestrained.

"Lu'er, what kind of behavior is this? I should have known better than to take the elevated road and wait for you in the parking lot. Aren't you ashamed of yourself, being such a big shot? Sigh... Alright, it's been a long time since we brothers have seen each other. Your sister-in-law has cooked a lot of dishes at home. We should have a good drink today."

There were cigarettes and a lighter on the center console. Lu Ze didn't stand on ceremony. He rolled down the window and lit one to calm his racing heart. He was in great shape now; he was just scared.

After a long while, he finally let out a breath and secretly calculated the time. Sure enough, it had been seven years since they last met. Back when they were filming "My Chief and My Regiment", he was still the fair-skinned and lean Major Lin Yi, but now he had only become the middle-aged and overweight Wang Pushen.

At first, the two kept in touch, but after Lu Ze entered the film industry, they gradually lost contact. Now, he has been out of the film and television industry for many years and no longer serves as a lecturer at the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Institute. Instead, he has chosen to go into business and started a fresh food supermarket. Now, he is doing quite well.

"Sure, you decide how much to drink, I'll drink with you no matter how much."

"Come on, I can't outdrink you. I can only handle half a jin of baijiu. One more sip and I'm done for. Unlike you and Lao Song and the others, who are like vats of liquor."

After exchanging a few words of laughter, Wang Pushen gripped the steering wheel tightly for a moment, then relaxed it slightly, raised his middle finger, tapped the steering wheel, glanced around, hesitated, and finally spoke.

"Lu'er, is there something you need from me this time?"

"Um... I have a company in the UK, and I have some things to do. I hope you can help me out, Brother Chen."

"Borrow money?"

No, what are you thinking?

"That's fine then, otherwise I would have kicked you out right now. You're such a big star, and you're earning euros... asking me to act in a movie?"

He kept glancing at Lu Ze out of the corner of his eye, and seeing that he didn't seem to be borrowing money at all, he suddenly changed the direction of the question and asked the right question. Otherwise, why would Lu Ze suddenly come back to Shanghai to drink with him after the two had not been in contact for seven or eight years?

Lu Ze wasn't fooled, but he still answered his question directly with a simple "hmm."

"Why not contact Lao Song and the others?"

"I did consider contacting him at first, but his mother has been quite ill lately..."

"Isn't his mother forgetful? How come it's this serious?"

While waiting at the traffic light, he lit a cigarette, frowned, and asked a question. After retiring from the entertainment industry, he not only lost contact with Lu Ze, but his relationship with his close friend Song Guiyuan had also faded considerably. In the past few years, they had hardly spoken at all.

"At first it was forgetfulness, but after a hospital check-up, they found something growing in her brain. The old lady's condition is not very good now. Judging from what he said, it's probably not easy to treat. This time I came back to China, I was actually thinking of going to the capital to see the old lady."

"Ugh, this is such a mess. When are you going? I'll go with you. Okay, let's not talk about this anymore. Wait for me in the car, I'll go pick up the kids from school."

Passing by a primary school that looked very nice from the outside, he got out of the car and, like many other parents, walked to the school gate to wait for the children who were lining up to leave the school.

Before long, he returned with a little girl wearing a red scarf. The girl was skipping and jumping, seemingly in a good mood, with a bright smile that revealed the gap in her baby teeth. Seeing that there was another person sitting in her father's car, she greeted Lu Ze without Wang Pushen saying anything.

"My daughter, Wenwen."

"I know, I came when the baby was a month old. Sigh, he's grown up so fast. What grade is he in now?"

"Wenwen, tell your uncle what grade you're in?"

"You're in second grade now, Dad, come here..."

Her voice was childish, but she spoke with confidence and clarity, easily winning Lu Ze's heart. He smiled as he watched her whisper to her father, and then Wang Pushen chuckled.

"Wenwen said she thought she saw you on TV and asked if you were a big star."

The child was unhappy, and her reproachful tone made Wang Pushen laugh so hard that his forehead wrinkles deepened. He could only beg for forgiveness, handing the phone to the child and telling her to fasten her seatbelt before watching short videos.

"Wenwen doesn't know you've acted?"

He glanced at the back row, where the child was playing peacefully on his phone. He asked softly, only to be met with a gentle shake of the head from Wang Pushen, who was all smiles...

"What about you? When are you planning to get married? What if my daughter is already in her teens or twenties and you're just having a baby? Then the family hierarchy will be all messed up."

"Fuck off!"

After the child got into the car, the conversation shifted, revolving around various aspects of the child. Eventually, Lu Ze's identity was revealed, surprisingly because she had come across a video of him at Shanghai airport earlier that day. To make matters worse, the video topped the trending charts on the app. Wenwen read the comments and was deeply shocked, only then realizing that her father had such a remarkable person sitting in the passenger seat.

Then... she became attached to Lu Ze, constantly asking him what it was like to be a star, whether it was fun or not. Even after getting off the car, she held onto Lu Ze's hand and wouldn't let go. The three of them got into the elevator, and since it was a single-level apartment, a fragrant aroma wafted out as soon as the elevator doors opened.

"You're here? Come inside quickly, I'll get you some slippers. I've always heard you like braised ribbonfish, so I tried making it. I don't know if it'll suit your taste. Wenwen, stop bothering your Uncle Lu, hurry up and come inside to wash your hands. Look at you, you're filthy."

Wang Pushen's wife's surname is Bai, and she is indeed very fair-skinned, just like her surname. Her appearance is not particularly outstanding, but her temperament is somewhat similar to that of Zhuang Xue, Song Guiyuan's wife before they got married, carrying the air of a well-bred lady. Of course, the current great pianist Zhuang Xue has been completely turned into a shrew because of her two darlings at home...

She emerged from the kitchen with a polite smile, wiping her damp hands on her apron. Her waist-length hair was tied into a ponytail, resting against her thin white sweater, making her look very clean and neat.

"Sister-in-law, don't trouble yourself. I'm already troubling your family of three, and you've prepared so many dishes for me. I'm really sorry."

"Hey, what's the trouble? You and my Pu Shen have been brothers for so many years, why be so polite? Just treat yourself like family. Don't say sorry, your wife won't like it. It's just that I don't cook much, and I can only make some simple home-style dishes. I'm a bit clumsy, so if it doesn't taste good, please don't think my cooking is bad and then not come to drink with my Pu Shen next time."

"What are you saying? I could smell the aroma from far away. How could the cooking be bad? I haven't had proper Chinese food in a long time. Just don't eat too much and scare your sister-in-law."

“It’s alright. When you come to your brother’s house, how could your sister-in-law not let you eat your fill? Eat as much as you want. If you’re still hungry, I’ll cook more for you. Okay, I still have some dishes to finish cooking. You can talk to Pu Shen first.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she went back into the kitchen. Lu Ze gave Wang Pushen a thumbs up, and then Wang Pushen was so proud of himself that he didn't know which way was up. He then led Lu Ze into the tea room.

The first thing you see is a huge tea table, at least two meters long, with a tabletop a thicker than a zhu (a unit of weight). I reached out and touched it, and then looked at the grain. It's Burmese yellow, which isn't cheap; it would cost at least tens of thousands.

The south-facing balcony has floor-to-ceiling windows, offering a panoramic view of at least two kilometers ahead. On the wall behind Lu Ze, there is a landscape painting that spans the entire wall, with the words "Tea Fun" written in regular script on the far right, along with a poem and signature below. Behind Wang Pushen are various porcelain pieces, it's unclear whether they are antiques or handicrafts.

The master chair is a general's chair, and the guest chair is a palace chair; both are made of solid wood, the same material as the tea table.

Boiling water and rinsing the cups are done with skillful and experienced techniques. There are no fancy tricks, but they are pleasing to the eye. An incense stick is lit, and two ounces of tea are poured from the dark brown Xi Shi teapot. Then, the fairness cup is used to fill Lu Ze's cup to seven-tenths full. He takes a sip, and the temperature is just right for his mouth.

"Brother Shen, you really know how to enjoy life..."

"What do I know... It's just finding peace in the midst of chaos and making the best of a bad situation. Your sister-in-law is prone to feeling cold, so it might be a bit too warm in the house. If you feel hot, I'll turn the temperature down a bit. By the way, how about this raw Pu'er tea?"

"No need, it's not hot at all, this tea is really good."

For a moment, neither of them knew what to say. They both looked at the incense sticks, watching the sandalwood smoke curl and float gracefully in the air before disappearing, leaving only a faint fragrance in the room.

"Actually, I have thought about what you just said."

"Ah."

"To be honest... I really want to give it a try. After all, I've been an actress for over ten years. It would be really hard to just give it up like this. The company isn't too busy right now either. But... Wenwen is so grown up, and I've been in this industry for so long. I just feel a little uncertain."

The lack of confidence he feels isn't because he's afraid his daughter will laugh at him for appearing on screen, nor is it because he's afraid of ruining his reputation by acting poorly—in fact, he doesn't have much of a reputation left anyway—nor is it because he's afraid his family will object and affect his happy family life. What he's afraid of is that if he picks it up again, his "old passion" will rekindle, and he'll find it hard to give up acting.

Lu Ze understood what he was worried about, so he didn't try to comfort him. He peeled a peanut and put it in his mouth. Wang Pushen refilled his tea, and after drinking half a cup, he finally spoke.

“I can understand. Although we can’t say that we were born for acting, over time we inevitably develop feelings for the play. Leaving once is a decision, and leaving a second time is even more heartbreaking. But I think it’s a real pity to waste all your talent. When you told me that Wenwen didn’t know you had acted before, I really felt bad.”

"Ugh……"

“Brother Shen, don’t sigh. I won’t try to persuade you this time. I even feel like I shouldn’t have brought it up earlier. You have a family now, and a career. Being an actor is one way of life, and running a business is another. We’re both getting older. I’m in my thirties, and you’re eight years older than me. We both have families to support, so it’s time to think about our families. If you were just thirty, I would definitely coax you into acting, but right now, I don’t have that idea. If you say you want to act, whether it’s to fulfill a dream or to make a comeback, I will absolutely support you. But if you say you don’t want to act, then our brotherhood can’t be broken. We’ll have to keep in touch. Just don’t blame me for affecting your life.”

"What kind of talk is that..."

He smiled somewhat helplessly, took off his glasses, rubbed his eyes, and looked out the window. The sun had already set, and the bustling city was brightly lit. Compared to daytime, Shanghai was now displaying the vitality that came from the night.

"I'll think about it again..."

"Not in a hurry."

"Pushen, Aze, dinner's ready."

"Okay, here we come."

This meal was not just a simple home-cooked meal as Wang Pushen's wife had described. There were six meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, two cold dishes, and a soup. It was almost like Chinese New Year, which perfectly suited Lu Ze's dietary needs as a northerner. In short, the food was substantial!
And the taste wasn't as bad as she described; on the contrary, the cooking was quite good. It was just that Lu Ze found it a little bland, but that was a trivial matter.

Wang Pushen drank quite a bit today, which was enough. The two of them drank a total of one and a half jin (500ml), while Lu Ze drank a jin (500ml) by himself. In high spirits, Wang Pushen suggested drinking some more beer, but Lu Ze dissuaded him.

After a few dishes, Wenwen pulled Lu Ze, who was in high spirits, to film a short video. She used the most popular special effects among children, such as adding bunny ears, making Lu Ze look like an old baby, which was quite cute.

What made Wenwen even happier was that in just half an hour, her newly posted video had received more than 1.72 million likes. She kept exclaiming "Wow!" and sharing it with her mother. But she was still very well-behaved and knew when to stop. She didn't need her parents to remind her. In just over twenty seconds, she posted two videos, one a duet and the other just a video of Lu Ze, and she was already satisfied.

Lu Ze had a slight fever after drinking, so he took off his hoodie and put on Wang Pushen's short-sleeved shirt. Only then did Wang Pushen realize with surprise how strong the kid had become.

"Lu'er, you've got some great muscles... "

"It's for filming. I'd be much fatter if I didn't film."

"Then you'd better not eat it. It's not that I'm stingy, but you can't let the weight you lost go to waste. If you had told me earlier, I would have asked your sister-in-law to make you a completely vegetarian dish."

"It's okay. My sister-in-law prepared so much delicious food. Even if I gain ten pounds, I'll still eat it all, right? Besides, I'm really craving Chinese food. Brother Shen, don't worry about me. I never control my diet, not even when I'm filming. Before filming starts, I can usually lose a few pounds in two days. That's normal. Once filming starts, I have to exercise every day. I weigh myself in ounces, and I've never been off the scale. If all else fails, I'll just wear a sweat suit."

Lu Ze was also in high spirits. He ate a piece of lobster meat, dipped it in wasabi, and choked on it. His face turned red, and he waved his hand, taking the tissue that Wang Pushen handed him to wipe his tears.

"Those sweat suits are no good; use them sparingly if you can."

"There's no way around it. Sometimes the role requires it. Like when I was filming 'To Live,' I was sweating over 1 pound of sweat, and my lips turned white from all the sweat. After filming that scene, I was so exhausted that I had to get glucose injections for three days..."

As he recounted the past with a smile, his nonchalant attitude made the couple's feelings towards Lu Ze quite complicated. Wang Pushen had once said that Lu Ze was very talented, and that there were two kinds of actors in the new generation: other actors and Lu Ze. But now, they realized that only such dedication could match his achievements today. He was exceptionally talented and dared to risk his life; no wonder his every move could shake the entire Chinese film and television industry.

……

Soft snoring could be heard from the room. She gently urged Wenwen, who was still playing on her phone, to go to sleep. After coaxing Wenwen, who was crying because her phone had been confiscated, to sleep, she went into the master bedroom and gently nudged Wang Pushen, who was half asleep.

"Huh!?? What's going on? Ugh... I just fell asleep, and this scared me half to death."

What did Aze say to you today?

"Ah...he asked me to play a role."

She snuggled into the covers and nestled in Wang Pushen's arms, but then, smelling the strong scent of alcohol, she reluctantly got out. Like a mermaid, she lay flat on her side, rubbing her face, and stared at her man.

Are you going?

"I haven't decided yet."

"Why don't you go instead?"

"Sigh... Don't meddle in my affairs."

“I know you're upset and thinking about filming. Look at your trophy, you wipe it every two days, the paint is almost gone, and you won't let anyone touch it. If you want to go, I support you, consider it fulfilling your dream. After filming, we'll live our lives as usual, as long as you can let out your pent-up frustration, you can do whatever you want. If you do well and get asked to act in other films, we can be freelance actors. It doesn't matter if the pay is low, the main thing is not having to deal with the company. And with Aze around, no one will dare to give us a hard time. If you feel too busy, I'll quit my job and become your manager. Then we can manage both and earn double the money. We can even buy some jewelry for Wenwen as a dowry in the future. Do you hear me? Pu Shen… Pu Shen?”

"Hmph...snoring..."

"Falling asleep already? Pu Shen? Wang Pu Shen? I told you not to drink so much, not to drink so much, but you just wouldn't listen. You might as well sleep yourself to death."

She lightly kicked her husband, turned over, turned off the light, and, still angry, closed her eyes. A heavy arm pressed down on her, wrapped around her neck, and locked her in a neck lock...

"Get lost! If you want to sleep, then sleep properly. What kind of grown man rolls around in his sleep? Do you think you're a child?"

"Xiao Lian, let's have a second child."

"Are you pretending to be asleep? Get away from me, you smell awful, don't touch me, I'm scared of you..."

"..."

(End of this chapter)