After all of them were reborn, who would still be an actor?

Chapter 669 A Powerful Figure in Both the Legal and Legal Fields, the Foundation of a Tycoon
In the afternoon, Li Mingyang drove a Rolls-Royce Phantom to show Boss Zhao and Wang Changtian the business he had built in South Korea over the past year!

Wang Changtian sat in the passenger seat.

Mr. Zhao sat in the back row, accompanied by Zhang Wei.

The first stop was naturally Cheongdam-dong, the place where he knelt before the victims without hesitation.

Apart from the old office of Bouquet Technology, the rest of the premises have been demolished and converted into parking lots.

The parking lot is newly opened, business is so-so, it has a large open space and a very open view.

The surrounding buildings on this plot of land are dilapidated, no different from those in a small county town in China, while just across the street is a bustling commercial street.

"Don't be fooled by how dilapidated this place is. In fact, I owe everything I am today to this land."

Li Mingyang never imagined that a piece of land would become involved in the grand commercial development strategy of a conglomerate.

The chaebol used his fame and policies to develop the Cheongdam-dong slum, which led to a series of tragic violent demolitions.

"Director Li's choice of locations is truly divine!" Wang Changtian exclaimed.

"Yes! If Director Li hadn't snatched that piece of land from Yinghuang, it would have really benefited Yinghuang and Huayi. Now that Hangzhou has lost the Three-Body Problem Film City project, they've blacklisted those two companies, which has made my life much better," Boss Zhao said with a smile.

Li Mingyang is at odds with the Hong Kong entertainment circle, mainly because of the Yinghuang land plot.

Yinghuang's attempt to steal a chicken failed, forcing them to halt construction and causing Hangzhou to lose the Three-Body Film City project as a result.

I'm thrilled to have landed a huge project in Shanghai.

Hangzhou lost face, not only halting all of Yinghuang's projects, but also driving the Beijing and Hong Kong business circles out of Zhejiang's business circles.

Huace is currently the only company standing out, receiving tremendous support.

Li Mingyang and his group strolled around Cheongdam-dong for a while, chatting casually.

It was evening by then.

Li Mingyang and his group strolled along the street to visit the IS nightclubs, a total of 71 clubs of varying sizes.

They are found throughout the Gangnam district.

Some nightclubs also have underground casinos and underground boxing rings.

As Wang Changtian and Boss Zhao continued to look around, they found it increasingly unbelievable that a nightclub had turned into a chain of supermarkets.

Business is booming.

Each store pays taxes in the tens of millions of RMB every month.

The two then went to the Spider Cave in Seoul.

There were several police cars at both ends of the street. They weren't there to crack down on prostitution, but to protect the normal operation of the "Spider Cave" (a brothel).

What's most unique is that the girls here all wear work permits around their necks.

Regular medical checkups are required; if you fail one, you cannot continue working here.

This one move is what made business here so booming.

The two were stunned to find that the street could generate tens of millions in net profit in just one night.

The people in charge of this street were none other than their old acquaintances, Dapeng and Xiaoshenyang.

When Dapeng and Xiaoshenyang saw Li Mingyang, they were like sycophants, their faces contorted with laughter.

"Director Li's business is really big!" Boss Zhao's eyes were green with envy.

"This is truly eye-opening for me. Can we invest in it?" Wang Changtian asked with interest and a smile.

Hey, it's not mine...

Li Mingyang did not answer, but instead asked the two to get in the car.

Before long, Li Mingyang brought Boss Zhao, Wang Changtian, and Zhang Wei to Yanbian Street.

At this time, Yanbian Street was filled with the festive atmosphere of Southeast University: firecrackers, couplets, red lanterns, New Year's greetings, snow sweeping, lion dances...

In a daze, they were brought back to Dongda University.

The ordinary, dilapidated street, apart from the unique features of Dongda University, what surprised Boss Zhao and Wang Changtian the most was that everyone who saw Li Mingyang would come to greet him.

Before long, the four of them walked to the middle of the street, where a large group of fierce-looking men completely blocked the street.

Anil Hazaryo!

Anil Hazaryo!

Anil Hazaryo!

The menacing crowd bowed and greeted each other like wheat fields swaying in the wind.

The shocking scene left Boss Zhao and Wang Changtian speechless for a long time.

The two only heard some rumors in mainland China that Li Mingyang was doing very well in South Korea.

I've never experienced it firsthand.

In the largest restaurant on Yanbian Street.

An eight-immortal table, eight large bowls, a carved wooden screen, celadon bowls, mahogany chairs, landscape paintings, and Moutai liquor.

Wang Changtian and Boss Zhao ate authentic Northeastern cuisine while listening to Li Mingyang introduce his IS nightclub, Pansidong red-light district, Yanbian knife-wielders, police station, and procuratorate.

"Director Li, if you do all this business yourself, won't anyone cause you any trouble?" Boss Zhao asked curiously.

"Actually, it's not that big. Most of it is business owned by conglomerates, and I'm just looking after it on their behalf."

"Director Li, just tell me straight, can we get a stake?" Wang Changtian said with longing.

"It's impossible. It's not that I'm unwilling, but the decision-makers are the chaebols... If you want to invest, you can invest in the nightclub business. Once China and South Korea merge, the Koreans will send an agent to talk to you."

"Nightclubs may be a large business, but they don't actually make much of it..."

"Fine, if you don't want to, then forget it..."

Both of them were envious of the Spider Cave business, with its terrifying profits of tens of millions a day!

After having a very Dongda-style dinner, Li Mingyang drove the two back to the Shilla Hotel.

Back at the Shilla Hotel, the two couldn't sleep; their mindset had completely changed.

Inside the executive lounge's private rooms.

"Director Li, the business in South Korea is terrifying." Boss Zhao said with a wry smile, "If it were me, I wouldn't even bother going back."

“This is only what he told us; there’s more he didn’t tell us,” Wang Changtian said.

“Did you find a problem?”

"what is the problem?"

"Director Lee has built such a vast empire, connecting with the South Korean government, prosecutor's office, conglomerates, film industry, nightclubs... his mentality doesn't seem to have changed much! If he hadn't confessed to us today, I would have thought he just owned a few nightclubs..."

Wang Changtian was silent for a moment, then sighed, "This is almost like a conglomerate, it just lacks a core industry."

"It's already a conglomerate; its own business is the core industry!"

Wang Changtian was slightly taken aback, then suddenly realized, "Indeed, he's already a member of a conglomerate. This composure, at his age... I can't see through him..."

"How likely do you think it is that he'll actually say he won't go back to China?"

"He has nothing left to fight for in South Korea. His Asian streaming strategy is to bypass the Chinese entertainment industry, first take over South Korea, then Japan, and finally sweep through Southeast Asia, thus blocking the Chinese entertainment industry..."

"Basically, if we get the script, we've succeeded... With Zuo Shandiao out of power, there won't be a new Zuo Shandiao in China Film Group. With Wanda and us together, we can block the domestic entertainment industry."

"Yes! But this plan will be exposed soon. His decision not to return to China and avoid Tokyo University is too obvious..."

For a moment, both of them fell silent.

If Li Mingyang's intentions are exposed, he will offend everyone in the Chinese entertainment industry.

Their future is going to be tough.

"Do you think Director Li can win the Palme d'Or this year?" Boss Zhao asked.

Wang Changtian downed the cocktail in his glass in one gulp.

"It depends on whether Hollywood is willing... China Film Group is indeed the most important link..."

……

Li Mingyang got a sunny day.

The weather forecast predicted heavy snow that would last all night, but it stopped.

Li Mingyang boarded the flight to his new life as he had hoped.

The next morning, Li Mingyang and Bai Bin arrived at the guesthouse in Nagoya.

The guesthouse is located in Gassho-zukuri Village. Nestled at an altitude of 1500 meters in Ogi-cho, Shirakawa-go, Gifu Prefecture, Japan, Gassho-zukuri Village is surrounded by mountains and crisscrossed by rice paddies, presenting a picturesque and idyllic rural landscape. The houses in the village are all in a "gassho" style, meaning the two roofs are at a 60-degree angle, resembling two hands clasped together, hence the name "gassho-zukuri houses."

Gassho-style houses are built entirely of wood, with the entire house constructed using mortise and tenon joints and rope knots, and thatched roofs that need to be replaced every 3 to 40 years.

The entire village has been influenced by tourism, with guesthouses, restaurants, art shops, and old houses that can be visited for a fee.

Inside the guesthouse, Li Mingyang, along with the White Tiger Group and a group of actors, totaling more than fifty people, quietly held the opening ceremony for the filming of "Miss".

After taking a few quick photos of the scenery, everyone immediately went to the guesthouse restaurant for a script reading session with the young lady.

The script was freshly printed and still warm.

During the script reading session, Li Mingyang did all the talking; no one else had a chance to speak.

After Li Mingyang finished speaking, all the actors couldn't help but show expressions of shock.

"What happen to you guys?"

"Director Lee, I understand everything you're saying, but is it possible to film a prostitute in less than a month, according to your requirements?" Lee Byung-hun asked tactfully.

Li Mingyang answered bluntly, "Definitely impossible."

Everyone was shocked again.

"Director Lee, this... Miss isn't aiming for Cannes, is she?" Lee Byung-hun was inwardly distressed; he had come specifically to compete for Cannes.

“Of course it’s aiming for Cannes.” Li Mingyang waved his hand to signal Li Binghun to shut up, interlaced his fingers, and smiled, “Miss is aiming for Cannes. Although the deadline for the main competition feature film section is March 12, there’s no rush. You can register first and submit the film in early May.”

"Huh! You can do that?" Lee Byung-hun exclaimed, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"It doesn't seem like that will work... Once the deadline is over, they'll start watching the films and deciding on the nominees..." Ha Jung-woo said.

"Rules are made by people, and they wouldn't dare disrespect me."

Lee Byung-hun was speechless. "Director Lee, you haven't gone to communicate with them yet..."

What's the rush? I've been talking about it for half a year now, aiming for Cannes.

The whole world knows I'm aiming for Cannes this year; Cannes is even more eager than I am.

"If I don't aim for Cannes, will you guys stop making films?"

Li Mingyang was too lazy to explain, so he grinned and looked around at the group of actors.

"Of course not, I just really want to make Director Lee's movie, I'm practically going crazy thinking about it!" Lee Byung-hun said with a fawning smile.

"It's a very good artistic script. I liked it at first sight and I'm really looking forward to it being filmed," Ha Jung-woo said.

“I like it very much,” Kim Min-hee said.

When Kim Tae-ri saw her master looking at her, she quickly shook her head.

Subsequently, Jo Yeo-jeong and Kim Hae-sook also expressed their unwavering loyalty to filming the movie.

Li Mingyang nodded in satisfaction and called the guesthouse owner over to have lunch first.

After lunch, we continued reading the script together.

The narrative structure of "The Handmaiden" is a textbook example of psychological warfare.

The film is divided into three acts, each told from the perspective of a maid, a young lady, and a conman count, with each act subverting the "truth" of the previous one.

In the first act, the audience follows the maid's perspective and believes it is a hoax of "the maid spying on the young lady";

The second act reveals a plot twist, showing that Hideko had already seen through the conspiracy and was working with the Count.
The third act completely dismantles the male-dominated power structure through the death of the Count.

Each part unfolds from the perspective of a different character, gradually revealing the truth of the plot.

This three-act structure gives the film a strong sense of suspense, allowing the audience to constantly adjust their understanding of the characters as they watch.

From a commercial film perspective, the core of "The Lady" lies in the suspense and plot twists of a mission-versus-mission.

From an artistic perspective, it boasts an exquisite narrative structure, vivid and lifelike character portrayals, stunning visual presentation, and a diverse and rich thematic depth.

The project "Miss" was initiated more than half a year ago, and it only got on the right track after a female screenwriter named Zheng Ruijing joined the project, and the three-act structure of "Miss" gradually took shape.

The final draft that everyone has received now is the three-act structure of the Miss.

Unlike Park Chan-wook's Miss.

The script for "Miss," directed by Jung Ruijing, is more detailed and has a thicker script...

There were many twists and turns.

Each scene has plenty of blank space; each scene tells a new story…

This not only enhances the film's watchability but also adds layers and depth to the story.

The meticulous attention to detail gives the audience a sense of fun in solving a mystery.

It offers a sensory experience, allows you to immerse yourself in the details of the characters, and contains a wealth of subtext. You can savor it repeatedly after watching it multiple times. It is truly excellent.

However, the rich three-act structure reveals the story too clearly, creating a unique charm, but also inadvertently becoming a constraint and bottleneck.

After lunch, Li Mingyang gave everyone an hour to rest before they began reading the script together.

During the afternoon reading session, which focused on revising the script, Li Mingyang expressed dissatisfaction with the script, stating that he did not want to use a three-act structure.

Although he was the one who decided on the three-act structure, he now feels that the three-act structure is a burden and a constraint.

To be honest, judges are human too, and their energy is limited. A three-act structure, the same story, repeatedly deconstructed, with too many plot twists—it gets tiring for the judges to watch...

He wanted to replace the three-act structure with a linear structure.

Screenwriter Zheng Ruijing tactfully indicated that it was very difficult.

Making movies is never easy!

A three-act film script may be enjoyable to write, but filming it is torture for the director and actors.

Among the top-tier South Korean film directors, Park Chan-wook is the one who places the greatest emphasis on form.

Some have described Park Chan-wook as "a madman with unparalleled skills," meaning that his cinematic language is superb, but his ideas often spark controversy.

Just like the "Vengeance Trilogy" of "I Want to See You Again," "Oldboy," and "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance," the significance of these controversies lies precisely in his unreserved and vivid portrayal of dark humor.

Unlike Bong Joon-ho's sociology and Lee Chang-dong's metaphysics, Park Chan-wook is very fond of B-movie elements. He sincerely believes that even the most frivolous street novels can carry the deepest human nature.

When dealing with suspense, a genre he excels at, he often uses the most meticulous editing, the most complex staging, and the most abundant patience to unfold those bizarre and bloody scenes that are not considered refined.

In Park Chan-wook's view, the affectation surrounding ingenuity and skill is also a reflection of reality, and is more objective and enduring than abstract ideologies or moral judgments.

Because of Park Chan-wook's extreme advocacy of formalism, his works are not filled with the cheap feel of B-movies, but rather with a serious and dignified classical temperament.

It may seem grand and impractical, but it is actually perfectly integrated. Not a single line of dialogue is wasted, not a single detail is useless, and every turning point has a corresponding foreshadowing. This is a unique construction based on aesthetic preferences.

It's a talent.

Park Chan-wook likes to film dark and gritty stories, but he is very different from Kim Ki-duk.
Park Chan-wook simply enjoys dirty stories, but his films are not depressing; they are full of hope and redemption...

During the script adaptation process, Li Mingyang let the actors take the lead, and everyone was able to express their opinions.

I have no choice but to tell you.

"It's 5 p.m. now. That concludes today's script reading. Let's begin the rehearsal."

Script readings, scene rehearsals, costume fittings, makeup design... every actor has to participate.

He can only guarantee the minimum standard of a film; the maximum standard depends on the actors.

The cast of Miss is even stronger than that of Train to Busan!
In terms of acting skills and popularity, Won Bin is not yet qualified to compare with Lee Byung-hun.

What's more, there's also Ha Jung-woo.

Ha Jung-woo is nicknamed the "Thousand-Faced Actor," and his rival is Old Hwang.

The two leading actresses, Kim Min-hee and Baeksang Arts Awards Best Actress, were both nominated.

Kim Tae-ri has immense potential.

Although Cho Yeo-jeong is South Korea's top sex symbol, she is actually quite unique. She possesses both the sexy and alluring qualities of Clara and the innocent and pitiful charm of a delicate flower.

She would be a perfect teacher for Kim Tae-ri, and could also offer some advice to Kim Min-hee.

As for Kim Hae-sook, the nation's mother, she's practically a national treasure...

Although there wasn't any serious filming on the first day, the workload was even greater than when filming a movie.

Li Mingyang didn't call it a day until after 10 p.m. when he was finally able to call it a day.

The Japanese-style guesthouse architecture is undeniably beautiful.

However, many Japanese guesthouses are made of wood, especially traditional Japanese-style guesthouses, which have very thin walls and poor sound insulation!
You can hear everything your neighbors do – washing clothes, taking a shower, talking.

(End of this chapter)