Huayu, can you be called the best actor if you don’t indulge yourself?

Chapter 542 Spending Money to Insult Yourself

Cai Shaofen's expression could be described as quite bewildered.

It wasn't that she couldn't accept playing a supporting role; rather, she never expected things to come to her, and she wasn't prepared at all.

And at this time.

Zhang Jin suddenly thought of something.

"Luo Ge."

He swallowed a mouthful of champagne, staring wide-eyed at Li Luo: "The new drama you're talking about isn't that palace drama with a budget of 150 million that was all the rage a while ago, is it?"

"How many?"

"One hundred and fifty million?"

Charmaine Sheh and Ada Choi asked questions in a series of shocked statements.

The two then quickly recalled the news they had read in the newspaper a while ago, and She Shiman hurriedly asked, "Yes, yes, I saw in the newspaper a while ago that Brother Luo was going to build a film and television city."

"Is it really 150 million?"

"Yes."

Li Luo smiled and nodded.

After receiving confirmation from the person involved, all three were speechless with astonishment.

Such a huge investment startled mainland film and television professionals at the time, after all, even the producers of remakes of the Four Great Classical Novels did not have such sufficient funds for filming.

Not to mention those two TVB artists.

TVB is not only stingy with actor salaries, but it also often cuts production costs to the extreme.

The same costume, the same set, even the same rice bowl.

They appear repeatedly in various TV dramas.

A production budget of 150 million is simply a pipe dream for them. Even a film with such a lavish cast like "Infernal Affairs" only cost tens of millions to produce a few years ago.

"Brother Luo!"

Cai Shaofen stuffed the greens into his mouth and crunched them: "As long as you ask, I'll act like a maid even if you're just asking."

"Send me the announcement when the time comes, and I'll reserve my schedule for you."

"Forget about the pay!"

"No."

Li Luo smiled and shook his head, waving his hand and saying, "Your role in this film is very important. You'll probably be on set for three or four months. I can't let you work for free. Just give me a friendly price, that'll do."

"One hundred thousand."

After thinking for a moment, Cai Shaofen held up one finger: "This amount is fine. I don't know how to thank you enough for what you did for Ajin!"

As a former TVB leading lady.

Cai Shaofen's fame is naturally quite high.

She has acted in quite a few Hong Kong dramas and films, and she went to the mainland to develop her career early on, starring in TV series with good ratings such as "Water Moon Cave" and "Legend of the Spirit Realm". She has a pretty good ability to negotiate her salary.

I dare not say more.

You can usually earn around 70,000 to 80,000 yuan per episode for filming TV dramas.

Asking for 100,000 now is purely for transportation fees; it's definitely a friendly price among friendly prices.

But she didn't care.

Cai Shaofen is a person who values ​​relationships and loyalty.

If it weren't for Luo Ge pulling her husband along, Zhang Jin wouldn't have received so many film offers. Although he didn't get to play any leading roles, he had already landed many villainous roles thanks to his sharp fighting skills.

Compared to before, my professional situation has undergone a complete transformation.

Now is the time to repay the debt.

Given the massive budget of 150 million and the significant role she was given, she would be foolish not to accept Li Luo's offer.

Li Luo chuckled and gently patted Cai Shaofen's hand.

This price.

Cai Shaofen didn't really suffer any loss.

The pay was minimal, but the other party could recoup it through subsequent earnings, so I didn't bother arguing further.

The palm is withdrawn.

He then smiled and looked at She Shiman.

The reason for targeting Sun Li and approaching Cai Shaofen is that they both performed exceptionally well in the original work. Using these two can help stabilize their investment of over 100 million yuan to the greatest extent possible without creating too much risk.

As for now, they've approached Miss She.

It means providing some benefits to one's own people within the scope of one's authority.

In front of reporters.

Of course, one must say some high-sounding words.

However, if his friends are capable of playing the role, he will not hesitate to give them the green light. He cannot be foolish and inflexible in doing things; he must take care of them when necessary.

What role is it?

She Shiman was completely confused, but said somewhat embarrassedly, "I might not be able to offer a very low salary, otherwise the company might not release me. However, I will try my best to get the company to lower the salary."

TVB would certainly not refuse such an opportunity to be featured in a major production.

However, he is not quite the same as Cai Shaofen.

The other party has already left the company, and can now decide how much they receive in terms of payment.

However, as a leading actress of TVB, Charmaine Sheh's salary is quite good, usually tens of thousands of Hong Kong dollars per episode, and with various commercial collaborations, she can earn more than ten million a year.

Although she had no objection to performing for free, she couldn't stand the fact that the company would find it difficult to accept.

Therefore, Charmaine Sheh could only state that she would try her best to suppress the pressure.

TVB is full of factions, but she is one of the few artists who can navigate between them smoothly. As a leading lady, she is respected by others, and she is confident that she can significantly reduce her salary.

"Palace intrigue drama".

Li Luo smiled and nodded, slowly chewing the bouncy shrimp meat: "Your role is very difficult to play. In the early stages, she is weak and kind, and is bullied by others because of her poor family background. With the help of the female lead, she is successfully selected to enter the palace."

"She is insecure and sensitive, and tends to overthink things."

Despite being cautious, I still suffered from cold looks, oppression, and scheming.

"In order to secure a place for herself in the strict imperial harem, she did not hesitate to murder her sisters who had been kind to her, but in the end she drove herself to a dead end and became a victim of the harem's struggles, thus committing suicide."

When I heard this.

Both Charmaine Sheh and Ada Choi had their eyes shining.

Such a complex role has a natural appeal to actors.

The more difficult a role is to play, the more character arc it reveals, showcasing the actor's skills and providing an excellent training opportunity.

"Your acting is very good."

Looking at the excited She Shiman, Li Luo continued with a smile, "This kind of palace intrigue is also one of your specialties, especially with your appearance, to play a character who appears gentle and weak on the surface but is actually scheming and ruthless."

"I think it couldn't be more suitable."

She Shiman nodded repeatedly and winked at Cai Shaofen triumphantly.

"Although he is a supporting character."

Li Luo continued talking, taking a sip of champagne: "But if you act well, you'll be outstanding. Don't focus too much on being the lead or supporting actor. Use this role to get a foothold in the industry, and your future will be much easier."

"Mmm, thank you, Brother Luo."

She Shiman nodded quickly, picked up a piece of fish belly and put it in his bowl: "I will communicate with the company about the salary, and I will not let your costs go up."

The company's executives aren't stupid; they definitely understand the importance of participating in big-budget productions.

Miss She is certainly not stupid.

She knew very well that this was Luo Ge paving the way for her.

Although many of the TV dramas she has starred in have been broadcast in mainland China, and some of them have achieved quite good ratings, it is obviously more appropriate for her to play a memorable supporting role as her first step into the mainland market.

The pressure won't be too great, and you can fully showcase your acting skills.

I am grateful.

Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Li Luo.

"What about me? What about me?"

Cai Shaofen couldn't wait to ask the question.

"You are the Empress."

Li Luo smiled and put the fish belly into his mouth, then gestured to Miss She, saying, "On the surface, she appears virtuous and kind, but in reality, she's the most ruthless and vicious. Look, in the play, she was indirectly killed by you."

"Hahaha."

Cai Shaofen immediately burst into laughter, and then winked at She Shiman with even more smugness.

What about you? What about you?

Mrs. Niu continued to ask questions with great interest.

The sparkling crystal glasses clinked together as they asked questions. Being able to appear in a big production, to act on the same stage with her sisters, and to work with Brother Luo again or for the first time, made Miss She and Mrs. Niu beam with joy.

Zhang Jin grinned foolishly and kept pouring champagne.

Not only did Luo Ge change his own career, but now he's even getting his wife a role in such a big production. I can't be more grateful.

He wouldn't be so foolish as to think that receiving a 100,000 yuan fee meant his wife was being taken advantage of.

Instead, it means owing another favor.

I don't know how many people are vying to get a role in Luo Ge's movie now.

Lunch is finished.

Zhang Jin and Cai Shaofen were cleaning up the dishes in the kitchen.

Li Luo sat on the sofa in the living room, watching the Hong Kong entertainment news with great interest. It was broadcasting news about the evening's premiere of "Painted Skin".

In the slightly shaky footage, he, Fan Bingbing, Gao Yuanyuan, and their group are walking out of the airport.

Everyone waved to the camera with smiles on their faces.

"The cast and crew of 'Painted Skin' arrived in Hong Kong today to launch the premiere promotional event on Hong Kong Island. This film is the first work of well-known director Chen Jiashang in the mainland, and stars famous mainland actors Li Luo, Fan Bingbing, Gao Yuanyuan and others."

"It is understood that the film has a huge budget and the story is adapted from the folk novel 'Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio'."

The reporter's words.

Sheh Shiman didn't take it to heart at all, but instead looked nervously toward the kitchen, biting her lip slightly.

A T-shirt with an arc design.

It then continuously changes the shape of fingers.

"correct."

Li Luo stopped what he was doing, realizing something: "Where is A Yao?"

"Ok?"

Exhaling a warm breath, She Shiman glanced at him quickly: "You're so unlucky. You're holding me and still thinking about her. Do you think my figure isn't good enough? No, wait, not satisfying enough?"

"Okay! There's really nothing we can do about it, what can I do when you're so amazing?"

"you"

After hesitating for a moment, She Shiman said hesitantly, "Ah Yao told me that your new boyfriend is much worse than you, especially in that aspect, but he treats her very well."

"If possible, she plans to marry her new boyfriend in the future."

If you feel you haven't had enough fun

She leaned close to Li Luo's ear and whispered shyly.

His eyes lit up as he spoke.

"no."

Li Luo clenched his fists, quickly regaining his senses: "What are you thinking? I just wanted to ask if you want to invite her to walk the red carpet at the premiere tonight."

"ah?."

She Shiman's face flushed red instantly, and she slapped him hard: "You're so annoying!!!"

An invitation is not required.

Due to a lack of success in her career, Yao Leyi has had to move behind the scenes. And because she has found a wealthy husband, he has decided to fade out of the public eye, so there is no need to disturb his life anymore.

Amused by Miss She, Li Luo quickly got up to say goodbye to Zhang Jin and his wife.

The engine roared.

The car stopped at a secluded, deserted bay. As cigar smoke drifted out the window, Miss She giggled and darted to the back seat. She then lazily rested her hands on the window, gazing dreamily at the shimmering waves rising and falling on the distant sea.

Victoria Harbour at night.

Star bright.

Besides the cast and crew of "Painted Skin," many more celebrities joined the premiere ceremony.

Cai Shaofen and Zhang Jin shook hands and walked down the red carpet. Under the watchful eyes of the cameras, the two showed their affection and loudly appealed to their fans to support this magical epic.

Charmaine Sheh appeared with her close friend Bobby Au-yeung.

Amid cheers from Hong Kong Island fans, the two signed their names extensively on the backdrop.

Liao Qizhi arrived discreetly.

Three handsome men, Timmy Hung, Chin Ka-lok, and Michael Tse, appeared wearing sunglasses.

Wen Jun still stood up for his old friend, and director Li Lichi also came to congratulate him. Lin Chaoxian appeared with a big smile and waved. Huang Baiming, along with Lynn Hung, Simon Yam, and Lam Ka-tung, faced the flashing lights.

More than ten Hong Kong stars congratulated "Painted Skin".

However, the most eye-catching group was still the fifty excited movie fans.

The group of fans led by Li Luo and Chen Jiashang onto the red carpet became the most beautiful sight of the night.

Various news items.

Send simultaneously to Taiwan.

Such a grand premiere drew a barrage of criticism from the other side.

Over the years, Li Luo has accumulated at least hundreds of thousands of fans in Taiwan.

these people.

They're practically green with envy right now.

They can't see news from the mainland, but surely they can see news from Hong Kong too.

He clearly had the chance to walk the red carpet at the premiere of "Painted Skin," but now he can only watch enviously as Hong Kong movie fans happily took photos with Lok Ge. It's not just that he can't watch "My Sunshine."

Now even "Painted Skin" is unavailable for viewing.

It's obvious to anyone that Li Luo wouldn't willingly give up a market.

They were definitely stuck and couldn't get in.

It's tolerable.

This is intolerable to everyone.

Frustrated fans went wild, hurling insults at the Golden Horse Awards organizing committee and those in charge of film importation on blogs and various forums, causing a huge uproar.

At this point, the Painted Skin crew no longer cared about the noise.

After promoting the Hong Kong Island station and recruiting two new actors, Li Luo led the main cast and crew onto a plane and took off.

Heading to Changsha.

To proceed with the next promotional event.

People need to be busy with more than just sharing behind-the-scenes footage.

The number of preview screenings was subsequently rolled out.

In addition to giving interviews to reporters from various places, the crew also went to a few large cinemas that held preview screenings to surprise the packed audiences with autographs and photos.

Since the 15th.

The entire crew was in a state of almost non-stop work.

Yang Mi, Ding Haifeng, and Jia Nailiang were experiencing this for the first time. Although they were exhausted, they became energetic every time they heard the screams and cheers of the fans.

We arrived at number 18.

Wang Changtian played his last card in the publicity campaign.

The fourth stop of the entire publicity team's event was Zibo, returning to the birthplace of Liaozhai culture.

Since the initial goal was to promote traditional culture as the core selling point, it is essential to play this card well. To this end, not only have they come to pay their respects before, but they have also invited a professor who studies Liaozhai culture.

Everyone gathered at Pu Songling's former residence to discuss Liaozhai.

Such an approach.

It's really just giving the movie a makeover, cloaking it in traditional culture, so that viewers who see the interview feel it would be a shame not to watch it.

Elegant play.

Meat dishes shouldn't be overlooked either.

The promotion for the movie Painted Skin is in full swing.

Among these promotional clips, the passionate scenes between Li Luo, Fan Bingbing, and Gao Yuanyuan are the most talked about, and of course, there are also scenes of Liu Yan bathing and changing clothes, which make the audience's eyes widen.

The rising popularity in recent days made the stuntman at the time unable to suppress his impulse any longer.

After gritting my teeth and making a determined effort.

He quickly jumped out to contact the reporter.

In the interview, the other party stated that Gao Yuanyuan's erotic scenes were all played by her, and expressed regret that despite her great efforts in the film.

However, they were not selected to be included in the cast list.

Becoming famous is an extremely difficult thing. Not everyone has the courage to choose to put the clothes back on, to return to the starting point, and to move forward on the rugged road, like Ganlu did.

After all, she's just a body double, not someone who's going to act in an adult film.

It may have some negative impacts on newcomers, but overall the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.

They gained fame.

There will never be a shortage of opportunities to make money.

With "Painted Skin" being so popular right now, how could reporters miss out on such an eye-catching story? They quickly published the interview on their website, and the body double even provided several revealing photos of herself.

Let netizens make their own judgment.

No one would miss something like this, and they enjoyed admiring the long legs and shapely buttocks, trying not to miss any detail.

A hotel in Shanghai.

"Dong dong."

Li Luo waved and knocked on the half-closed door, then pushed it open and went inside: "Except for Director Chen and President Wang, all irrelevant personnel should leave."

He was stunned for less than a second.

The publicity team, who were discussing the details of the evening's premiere, quickly packed up their things.

Wait until these people leave the room.

Li Luoshi casually sat down on the sofa, and under the puzzled gazes of Chen Jiashang and Wang Changtian, she picked up her laptop and started typing on the keyboard. Then, she smiled and showed the screen to the two of them.

"The Alluring Painted Skin: Someone Else Is Involved!"

Chen Jiashang squinted and read out the title on the webpage.

"It is reported that."

Wang Changtian picked up where he left off and continued reading: "The upcoming blockbuster movie 'Painted Skin' lives up to its name; none of the erotic scenes in the promotional trailers were actually performed by the actors themselves."

"The wonderful visual experience it brings is just a layer of skin painted by the director."

"Stunt double Wang Ting said."

"She does not regret being a body double in the movie 'Painted Skin,' but she is very sorry that she did not get a credit in the cast list. She hopes that she can also be recognized by the public."

"According to the other party."

"Not only Gao Yuanyuan, but even Fan Bingbing's nude scenes in the movie were played by a stunt double."

"They declined to disclose who it was specifically."

As Li Luo slid his finger across the touchpad, several bikini photos came into view. The woman's appearance was considered good by ordinary standards, but what was most stunning were her long, straight legs.

Her skin was like solidified cream, so tender it seemed you could squeeze water out of it.

And it is extremely rare to find such a perfect fit.

Her buttocks are perky and firm.

It creates a perfect arc at the back.

Her chest wasn't particularly full, but her beautiful legs were enough to make anyone swoon.

He frowned.

Chen Jiashang quickly recognized who the other person was.

"I'll deal with it."

Wang Changtian stood up abruptly, gripping his phone tightly as he headed outside. The publicity was going very well, and he couldn't tolerate any negative news; he had to suppress it immediately.

"sit down."

Li Luo pulled him back and then looked at Chen Jiashang: "Director Chen, do you remember what I said a few days ago? I said that you might have to stand up and be the bad guy."

"Ok?"

Chen Jiashang was puzzled, but he nodded nonetheless.

"I've wronged you."

Li Luo tapped the screen and said seriously, "Now is the time for you to step forward. Tonight, you need to answer that not just any ordinary person can be listed as an actor."

"Try to say this in a casual tone, so that people feel you don't care about her at all."

"what?"

Chen Jiashang's mind was a bit confused.

"Mr. Wang."

Li Luo shifted his gaze and smiled at Wang Changtian: "You arrange the reporter who asks this question. You must find someone you can rely on. Afterwards, publish a press release criticizing Director Chen for disrespecting the body double actors."

"We'll spend some more money later to hype up the nude body double thing."

"what?"

Wang Changtian was completely dumbfounded.

He looked at Li Luo with utter bewilderment.

Spending money to criticize yourself—what kind of behavior is that?

"Take it easy."

Li Luo nodded seriously and continued to instruct, "Never use money on people whose relationships are unreliable. Also, be careful not to scold Director Chen too harshly. What we need to do is to give him the push."

"Since some things are unavoidable, we should take advantage of them."

"Sex scandals are not classy."

"This kind of news can often attract a large number of male viewers to the cinema, just like the movie 'Lust, Caution' that was released before. Director Chen, do you think you could compromise a little for the sake of the box office?"

After a few words, the two quickly understood the other's intention.

He smacked his lips.

Wang Changtian looked at the sunny and handsome guy sitting next to him with a strange expression. It was this guy who spoke up for dreams, it was this guy who cherished his fans, and it was this guy who allowed veteran actors to shine again.

Unexpectedly, the other party came up with such a wicked trick.

The move was bad.

But he soon realized that the effect of doing so, apart from Chen Jiashang having to bear some criticism, was obvious: it would definitely attract a large number of 'movie fans' to the cinema.

That thing is often the primary driving force.

Although the publicity effect of the consecutive premieres was not bad, the influence was still limited.

By associating a film with sensational or nude news, it can reach a wider audience.

just
He twisted his neck to look at Chen Jiashang.

"no problem."

The latter pondered for a moment, then shook out a cigarette, lit it with a smile, and said, "It is indeed more appropriate for me to do this kind of thing. After all, I have enough influence, and that influence is not enough to cause things to get out of control."

The film cost 40 million yuan and had actors like Li Luo, Fan Bingbing, and Gao Yuanyuan.

If the box office doesn't explode.

All related responsibilities lie with oneself.

If another huge loss occurs, I will definitely be blacklisted by various production companies.

It hasn't been more than a few years.

They probably won't get any big investment opportunities.

Compared to success, what does a little bit of infamy matter!
(End of this chapter)