Global Film Emperor

Chapter 533 Mickey's Sorrow

In the capital, at the imperial restaurant that Lu Ze and his friends frequented, Lu Ze and his four students had their last meal together before parting ways after filming wrapped.

Until the very end, the four trainees were not in high spirits and were clearly unable to cope with the impending separation. This time, without the camera surveillance, Peng Kuo and Chen Dongsheng, infected by the sorrow of parting, couldn't help but drink a couple more cups. Both of them had a good tolerance for alcohol. Although their faces gradually turned red, their eyes were not glazed, their tongues were not slurred, and they did not show any shame. However, suddenly, Peng Kuo interrupted and said something that had nothing to do with parting.

"Teacher, Tiancheng is looking for me."

After this meal, Lu Ze would be heading abroad immediately, and he would probably not be able to eat proper Chinese food for a while. Thinking of this, he restrained himself and put a piece of braised beef brisket into his mouth. The slightly sweet sauce paired with the tender brisket meant that he could easily scrape off half of it without using his teeth. After hearing Peng Kuo's words, he nodded, ate the beef in his mouth first, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and then crumpled the napkin into a small ball as he replied.

"what do you think."

"I think... the resources provided are very good."

"Okay, then think it over carefully, and let me know when you've made your decision."

After the show ended, various parties began to compete for the amateur contestants in "The Actor's Diary," with Lu Ze's contestants being particularly favored by major talent agencies.

The reason is quite simple: among the four mentors, only Lu Ze has no cooperation with a domestic agency, while the other three mentors all have companies. Although the production team tries its best to avoid any behind-the-scenes manipulation, given the backgrounds of the mentors, it is inevitable that some artists who have successfully entered the industry through connections will become contestants on the show.

Lu Ze was afraid that he would end up like the other three mentors, constantly arguing and bickering with their agencies. That's why he didn't agree to anyone trying to pull strings, and he even rejected artists who were truly talented and didn't use connections to debut. He insisted on recruiting complete amateurs, just to have some peace and quiet.

However, this also caused a lot of trouble for Lu Ze's four contestants. After the show ended, the four were bombarded with questions from multiple agencies, which confused them all. They had no choice but to ask Lu Ze for advice. But no matter who asked Lu Ze this question, the response was ambiguous and did not give them a concrete answer.

Lu Ze didn't want to get involved in this matter, not because he didn't want to have any contact with them after the show was over, but simply because he didn't want to break the rules or interfere with their future choices.

At this moment, Lu Ze held considerable influence among the four of them. If Lu Ze were to decide their future, there was a 90% chance they would follow his arrangements. But would Lu Ze's arrangements guarantee their success? Not necessarily. If they didn't achieve their goals, Lu Ze might face resentment, a prospect he didn't want to accept.

Secondly, even if Lu Ze makes the decision for them, he might not be able to secure a lucrative contract. If the other party offers a 20/80 split, even if Lu Ze gives face, he can't get them a 50/50 contract. The company will only pay what the newcomer is worth. Otherwise, if they really give Lu Ze face and the artist doesn't become famous, that's fine, but if they do, how much money will they lose? Can Lu Ze make up for those tens or even hundreds of millions in losses? Furthermore, if he does offer a good contract, what about the other newcomers in the company? Will they also give face? It won't be convincing, will it?
Outsiders might think the entertainment industry has no bottom line, and that's true in some ways. But in reality, this industry is also very rule-abiding and hierarchical. Especially now, in an environment where having connections and talent doesn't guarantee fame, and getting famous depends entirely on spending money, real money is what matters. You think you can just give someone face and expect them to lose money? See if they'll even give you a second glance.

So even if Lu Ze helps them now, he can't do much. He can only let them get a contract with better resources and less rip-off terms by leveraging his reputation. That's the end of it. Do they really think they can have their cake and eat it too by relying on Lu Ze's name? Impossible.

Peng Kuo wasn't surprised that Lu Ze didn't give an answer. After all, he was the last of the four students who hadn't chosen a company yet. Lu Ze hadn't offered any help to the other three when they were struggling with this matter. Thinking of this, Peng Kuo sighed, shook his head slightly, took a sip of soup, and let the matter drop.

Of the four trainees, Ju Yulin was the first to reach a cooperation agreement with Tiancheng, a long-established leading entertainment company in China, and successfully became one of its artists. She is just waiting for the variety show to air before her official debut. Wu Chun signed with "Mida," a new company established after 2020. When she told Lu Ze that she had signed with this company, Lu Ze was a little surprised. However, according to her explanation, her intention to go to Mida was the same as Lu Ze's reason for signing with Qian Shijia. They both hoped to become veterans of the company by securing a position in advance.

After numerous reforms and changes, the dominance of the six major entertainment companies that dominated the domestic entertainment industry more than a decade ago has completely collapsed. In just a few years, of the six entertainment giants and Qian Shijia, which was known as the "Seventh Brother" in the industry and had Lu Ze's backing, only two have survived. The smart ones withdrew early to retire, while those who tried to struggle met a tragic end: some went to jail, some fled, and some died of illness. None of them had a good ending.

A decade or two ago, if someone had said that these giant companies would collapse in just a few years, few would have believed it. But the fact is, these once dominant players have been brought to their knees by a series of regulations and scandals. Now, a new wave of capital has arrived, ending the reign of the old giants and ushering in a new era of fierce competition. Apart from a few entertainment companies invested in by internet companies, industrial and technology companies have once again taken center stage. Mida, which Wu Chun signed with, is one such example.

Let's leave Peng Kuo aside, as he's still hesitating. What surprised Lu Ze was Chen Dongsheng, who was the first trainee to sign a contract. However, he didn't sign with any of the companies mentioned above, but instead chose a truly established and reputable domestic production company, "August First Film Studio," which Lu Ze never expected.

Looking closely at Chen Dongsheng, although he didn't have the same modern aesthetic as the other three trainees, and his physique was somewhat frail, he possessed a heroic spirit in his eyes and brows. Although his appearance differed from Lu Ze's, Chen Dongsheng was clearly more in line with the aesthetic preferences of the factory's leaders than the other three trainees.

Although the output of films from the old big brother factory is not high now, and as the official film supplier for Channel 7, the influence and quality of its works are not as good as before, joining August 1st Film Studio is a completely different concept from signing with an entertainment company.

Entertainment companies may earn more and have better resources, but only actors who become famous in veteran production companies like August First Film Studio can be called "national faces," representing the highest level of serious drama actors in China. I believe that it won't be long before people all over the country can see him in tribute films and mainstream films every year.

As a semi-affiliated actor who had acted in films produced by August First Film Studio, or rather, an unofficial employee of August First Film Studio, Lu Ze was still very happy that Chen Dongsheng could make this choice. After all, you have to admit that the income of actors from state-owned enterprises is indeed difficult to match that of capital entertainment. Maybe in a few years, they will be living in small villas, while you are still scratching your head over the down payment for a small apartment. But the more obvious the income gap is, the more it proves that Chen Dongsheng's choice is not influenced by money. He is really aiming to become an excellent actor.

Of course, this doesn't mean the other three were after money; it's just that Bayi didn't even approach them.

In just a few days, the group of people went from being independent amateurs to actors with powerful backers. They were exactly the same as they were a few days ago. However, in Lu Ze's eyes, this was their true coming-of-age ceremony. For modern people, eighteen years old is not the boundary between adulthood and adulthood. It is after starting their first job.

After a satisfying meal, as they exited the restaurant, Song Guiyuan's driver was waiting at the door. It was time to part ways. Lu Ze looked at the four students, straightened his hair, and put on his hat, saying, "Alright, go back now. Don't take me to the airport, or it'll be rush hour when we get back. If you want to go out tonight, be careful. Peng Kuo, you should set a good example and go home early."

Each is a compulsory course in life, but these young people in their early twenties have obviously not yet graduated from the adult classroom. After several reluctances, they hoped to see Lu Ze off on the plane. Wu Chun, who had spent the most time with Lu Ze, started to secretly wipe away tears when paying the bill, but she did not act coquettishly towards Lu Ze as she did during filming. She just stood at the back of the crowd and kept wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

Within a few months, Lu Ze quickly established himself as a gentle elder to them, even though he was only a dozen years older than them.

There were no melodramatic scenes of them trying to hold onto Lu Ze and not wanting him to leave, or chasing after his car. After Lu Ze firmly rejected their repeated requests to see him off at the airport, the group had no reason to insist any further. They simply kept saying goodbye and saw Lu Ze off into the van.

Time marches on, and Lu Ze departs in a clockwise direction as well. The encounters between people are like the hour and minute hands of a clock, briefly overlapping at a certain point in time, followed by a long period of hard work, hoping for the next, roundabout reunion.

After being taken to the airport, she thanked the driver who had been stuck in traffic for a long time, checked her luggage, went through security, signed autographs and took photos with a few fans who recognized her in the VIP lounge, and then boarded the plane again.

The mission was simple: attend the premiere of "Atonement" in Turin, shoot a promotional poster for Piaget's new watch, and then return home to focus on the China Film Association election. The lack of filming made the trip much easier, so Lu Ze slept soundly on the flight to Singapore.

However, before heading to Italy, he still had to return to Liverpool, because someone was clearly not as happy as he was.

……

"Brother Lu."

Outside the airport, Wang Zixuan waited at the entrance, her petite figure blending into a group of tall people. She only noticed Lu Ze after he had walked quite a distance. She hurriedly ran over, took his suitcase, and opened the car door. Wang Zixuan had been covering Lu Ze's overseas business and hadn't returned to China yet, but she looked well, suggesting she wasn't too busy. She drove, with Lu Ze in the passenger seat, as they drove back to the company.

The car was quiet. Lu Ze wasn't sleepy at all. He turned on the radio and listened to the local retro rock station. As the hometown of the Beatles, the local radio stations never tired of playing their songs, and they had been doing so for decades. But the Beatles' songs were indeed classics. Even though he had listened to them many times, and even though Lu Ze, who wasn't very tone-deaf and whose singing lacked emotion, could sing most of their songs, he didn't get tired of them.

As the song "Let It Be" was playing, Lu Ze tapped his jeans lightly with his fingers to the rhythm, looked straight ahead, and asked, "How's Mickey now?"

“He’s not in a good mood right now. I haven’t been to headquarters for a long time, but people say he’s like a powder keg right now. He gets angry if you say something he doesn’t like.”

"That's it..."

"Ah."

"I thought he would get angry if someone talked to him."

"Ok?"

It was just a joke, but Lu Ze knew better than anyone how furious Mickey must be right now. He was probably so angry his urine was the same color as soybean oil. Without mentioning Mickey, the two started talking about work. When they arrived at the company entrance, Wang Zixuan didn't come with them. She was probably afraid of running into Mickey and being targeted by this powder keg. So she quickly drove away.

Old Gil, the doorman, was sunbathing at the entrance. The old man was still robust, with clear and bright eyes. When he saw Lu Ze arrive, he smiled, got up, took off his top hat, and greeted Lu Ze. Lu Ze pointed upstairs, and Gil shook his head. He then pointed to his mouth with his index finger and shook his head again. Lu Ze understood and nodded as he went upstairs.

The meeting room on the second floor was empty. Mickey was nowhere to be seen, nor was the big Russian man who was always lounging on the sofa playing on his phone. He closed the door, turned around, and went to the general manager's office. He knocked on the door, but no one answered.

"Hey Mickey, it's me."

Still no one responded, so Lu Ze had no choice but to pull the doorknob. He didn't lock the door, and when he pushed it open, the room was dark, and it was impossible to tell that it was daytime. The curtains were drawn tightly, but thankfully, Lu Ze didn't smell anything too unpleasant.

Guided by memory, Lu Ze walked to the window and pulled back the curtains. Sunlight streamed into the room, allowing Lu Ze to take in its contents. Surprisingly, it wasn't a mess, nor were there many bottles of liquor. There was only a half-empty bottle of brandy on the table. A person was lying on the sofa with their left leg crossed over their right, their head covered by their suit jacket. They remained unresponsive. If it weren't for the fact that their stomach was bulging and contracting, Lu Ze would have thought the person was dead.

"Playing dead?"

Lu Ze took a bottle of mineral water from the refrigerator, unscrewed it, sat on the single sofa next to him, took a sip, looked at the motionless Mickey Mouse, chuckled, and put his feet up on the table in a comfortable position.

"Should I call an ambulance for you? Or the police? Officer, there's been an assault here. How is the victim? He's heartbroken..."

"Aren't you fucking annoying? Get lost, don't make me angry."

Mickey finally reacted, lifting the shirt off his head and throwing it on the ground. He turned over so his back was to Lu Ze, crossed his arms, and continued to close his eyes to rest.

"How long will it take you to stop feeling so disheartened? To accept the fact that Fanny is destined to leave? After she's gone? Or will you be a real father now and say goodbye to Fanny with dignity?"

"Of course I'm going to see her off! But I'm not convinced, Elizabeth is a fucking brain-dead idiot. I seriously suspect she was shot in the head by that guy when she slept with him! She's only been divorced for half a month and she's already planning to run away with a new man. She's completely out of her mind, making decisions faster than a rocket! She didn't even consider whether Fanny would adapt to a new environment. Does she think she's acting in 'Before Sunrise' or 'Love Actually'? She didn't even consider that she has a daughter in high school!"

"Stop, stop, stop! I don't want to hear you swearing. What did the judge say?"

"The judge said I have a criminal record and a history of violent crimes, and that my job means I have no time to raise Fanny. Most importantly, he made me get a mental evaluation, as if he thinks I'm mentally ill!"

Actually, Mickey was a little guilty about what he said. Indeed, if he were to produce a mental evaluation now, it would most likely reveal some kind of mental illness, just from the fact that he sometimes can't control his emotions and likes to vent his anger with violence.

Lu Ze was completely bewildered and quickly waved his hand. Everyone had their own opinion on this matter. Although Mickey's ex-girlfriend's actions were quite outrageous, Lu Ze's focus was not on whether Mickey could get custody, but on Fanny's own thoughts.

"Does Fanny herself want to go?"

She said she didn't know.

"I do not know what that means?"

“She said she also wanted to try life in the Netherlands, but she couldn’t bear to leave her current classmates and the life she’d lived in Liverpool for so many years. Kids always have fantasies about living abroad, but that’s just tourism. Living there in person will expose all the things she can’t adapt to. What if she regrets it then? I think if she wants to go to the Netherlands, she should stay for a few months and come back when she gets tired of it, instead of being dragged to settle there by her mother like this!”

"But it's a done deal that she's going to the Netherlands now, isn't it?"

Mickey's words were stuck in his throat. He really wanted to analyze the pros and cons of Fanny going to the Netherlands with Lu Ze, but Lu Ze's words made him realize that it was a fact that his daughter was going to leave him. So he became angry and embarrassed, lay back on the sofa with his back to Lu Ze, and shouted loudly: "Get out! I knew that talking to you wouldn't solve anything."

Lu Ze clearly understood Fanny's place in Mickey's heart. He was actually quite regretful about his old friend's situation, but there was nothing he could do. So he decided not to bother Mickey anymore, but asked one last question before leaving.

When will they leave?

Mickey didn't say a word and turned into a corpse again.

"..."

(End of this chapter)