Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 232 Jang Nara VS Liu Yifei?
The premiere started soon and the feedback was excellent as expected!

In fact, after the huge sales of the two movies "The Drummer" and "Thief" in Japan and South Korea, at least in the East Asian circle influenced by Confucian culture, the audience has become aware of Lu Kuan.

The next day, CJ Entertainment arranged for KBS TV station to conduct a couch interview with the crew.

Similar to the interview with the devil, it still creates a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.

Leonardo DiCaprio and other Hollywood stars boasted to the Koreans and told them some anecdotes about the crew.

What about being hung in the air by a wire for an hour and not being able to come down?

Because filming was not going well, I went out drinking late at night with director Lu Kuan;
I’m so excited to come to Korea to promote my work.

In short, it's just a scam.

After lunch, Park Chan-wook brought Zhu Husheng and his daughter to visit Lu Kuan.

"I'm so sorry, Director Lu, Nara was filming in Jeju Island yesterday and couldn't make it back to your premiere!"

Jeju Island is only about 400 kilometers away from Seoul, but you make it sound like your country is so big.

Hearing her father's humble tone, the girl also hurriedly bowed and said, "Hello, Director Lu Kuan, I am Jang Nara."

Boss Lu smiled and waved his hand, indicating that you're welcome, and then looked at Jang Nara, who was a little over 1.6 meters tall.

She has a simple ponytail and at the age of 23, she is in the prime of her life. She looks natural and cute.

However, with his height and appearance, his acting range is limited, and TV roles are probably the ceiling for him.

As one of the first Korean artists to develop in China, after "My Sassy Girl", Jang Nara's popularity in China was once phenomenal.

It is worth mentioning that it was later rumored that Wu Dun from Taiwan Province also had the grace of "promoting" Jang Nara. The former was the investor of "My Sassy Girl".

Wu Dun is the underworld boss who helped Boss Lu to resolve the Xu Xiyuan incident in Taiwan Province.

Zhu Husheng is a well-known Korean drama actor. He trained Jang Nara himself. He is very confident in his daughter and immediately introduced her to Boss Lu.

"Nara is a professional actor with a lot of acting talent. Two years ago, she starred in "Bright Girl Success Story," which ranked third in the ratings that year..."

"Mr. Zhu is looking for me?"

Lu Kuan interrupted the old father's sales pitch with some impatience.

Zhu Husheng glanced at Park Chan-wook, who signaled him to just speak frankly.

"That's right, Director Lu. Seniority is very important in Korea, so there aren't many opportunities for young people, even though Nara is very popular now."

"But... South Korea has a population of only tens of millions at most, while China has 13 billion. I want her to stand on a bigger art stage!"

"I heard that your company, Wenjie, is the leading private film and television company in mainland China. I wonder if it would be possible for Nara to develop under you?"

If before Cannes, Zhu Husheng was just trying it out, he asked Park Chan-wook and Choi Min-sik to contact him.

Over the past half month, the storm that "Alien Land" has caused around the world has made him make up his mind.

In particular, the "Alien" hurricane from America's Hollywood destroyed many blockbusters released at the same time, including Fang Long's "Around the World".

Horror!
After Zhu Husheng asked his friends to find out detailed information about Wenjie in China, he could no longer resist coming forward to recommend himself.

"Jang Nara's appearance is excellent, but if I may be frank, she's not very distinctive."

Boss Lu turned to Park Chan-wook and said, "Director Park knows that it's hard for a movie actor to get a good role if he doesn't have unique characteristics and just relies on a sweet appearance and voice."

"Like actress Liu Yifei from 'Foreign Land,' her acting career in China is similar to that of Jang Nara, and she is also seeking a transformation."

"As for TV dramas, there's another actress in the industry named Su Chang who might look a bit like Nora, so..."

Boss Lu smiled helplessly at Park Chan-wook, who understood the meaning of the music.

"Hu Sheng, the director already knows about Nara's situation. Give him some time to think about it!"

Zhu Husheng is a smart person. He doesn't force things even if they don't go well. With Park Chan-wook around, he will always find another opportunity to contact them.

To show his sincerity, he even decided to bring his daughter to the mainland to meet the young director in person.

Boss Lu stood up to see them off, but Jang Nara suddenly said unconvincedly, "You haven't seen me perform, so why do you say I can't do it?"

Zhu Husheng's expression suddenly changed, and he scolded: "Nora, you can't be rude to the director, apologize immediately!"

Lu Kuan smiled as he looked at Zhang Nara who had a stubborn face. This was a good character of hers. Now she started to speak without restraint.

Jang Nara bowed 90 degrees to Boss Lu, then apologized and explained: "I'm sorry, director, it's Nara's fault."

"I like your movies very much. I have seen The Drummer and The Thief. I want to be a good actor. Director, please give me a chance!"

Zhang Nara just bowed like that and didn't get up. Zhu Husheng looked stern on the surface, but he admired his daughter in his heart.

This is the spirit we must have!

Zhu Husheng took advantage of his daughter's big show and quickly tried to win her over: "Director, Nora is very dedicated and has a very good popularity base in your country."

"Last September, she attended the CCTV-MTV awards ceremony at Beijing Workers' Stadium and won the Best Korean Singer of the Year award!"

"And in April this year, I took her to the Asia Pacific Music Festival in Changchun and performed at the opening ceremony."

"Director Lu, please give Nara a chance!"

Boss Lu was a little hesitant.

Actually, it’s not that it’s not possible, but Jang Nara’s acting style is almost completely the same as Xiao Liu’s, both are sweet and cute.

In addition, Hunan TV is already preparing to release "Dae Jang Geum" in the summer season to compete with Travel Channel's "Zhu Xian".

The industry might have to compete with Korean Wave in the future, which would be quite embarrassing.

To strike down the Korean Wave is to strike down Jang Nara.

But Jang Nara is really stubborn. She even insisted that she is of Korean descent.

Boss Lu made an excuse: "Jang Nara, you studied at an acting school in college, and you started filming before you even graduated. I guess your basic skills are not that good."

"In our domestic acting schools, freshmen and sophomores are generally not allowed to go out to film."

Jang Nara said confidently: "Director, you can test me as you like, lines, movements, improvisations, anything is fine."

Boss Lu was speechless and picked up the phone.

Close the door! Release Xiao Liu!

After a while, Liu Yifei pushed the door open and walked in, followed closely by Liu Xiaoli.

Even though it’s not night time, it’s not nice to just walk into the director’s room like that!
"what's wrong?"

The little girl walked in excitedly and saw Jang Nara and the others.

Lu Kuan briefly introduced her and then said to Jang Nara, "This is Liu Yifei. She is currently a junior at the Peking Film Academy."

"Since you said your basic skills are fine, why don't you compete with her?"

Jang Nara glanced at Liu Yifei.

"How to compare?"

"Simple, just follow me and do this."

Lu Kuan stood up and repeated the movements that Li Xuejian had performed in "Desire" on the set of "Foreign Land".

It looks unremarkable.

Jang Nara sneered in her heart, is that it?

"Pay attention to the range of motion and don't strain your longus colli muscles too much."

Jang Nara followed suit, but when she turned around for the second time, she lost her balance and fell to the ground.

Zhu Husheng was greatly surprised, but he knew that this action was far from as simple as it seemed.

He also started out as a drama actor. Stage actors have large movements on stage. Although he hasn't acted for many years, he can still see some of the tricks.

Lu Kuan said calmly, "Let's do it again."

"Remind you, the secondary head turn in this movement involves the coordination of muscles such as the sternocleidomastoid, splenius capitis, and rectus capitis posterior major. It also requires the coordination of half of the upper body's back muscles to perform beautifully."

Zhang Nara recalled the action she had just taken on Lu Kuan and tried again, but still failed.

Leonardo DiCaprio could barely complete it, but she had a hard time even finishing the movements.

"I don't know what style of acting your Seoul University's art department teaches, but you still have to practice the basics."

"If you were on my crew, you wouldn't be able to perform even an action scene with your muscle ability."

Boss Lu ruthlessly destroyed Jang Nara's heart of Taoism...

Zhu Husheng held his daughter's shoulders, signaling her not to say anything more, and glanced at Liu Xiaoli and her daughter who were watching the show leisurely.

If Nora can't do it, how can this underage girl do it?
He just didn't attend the premiere of "Alien Land" and didn't see Xiao Liu's fighting scenes.

Lu Kuan nodded to Concubine Liu Yi, indicating that she should show it to make the father and daughter give up.

The truth is so hard to accept.

Jang Nara, who prides herself on being the leader of the younger generation in South Korea, was speechless as she watched her perform movements that she used to be restrained in so easily.

Is this the basic skill the director mentioned?
But. . .

Aren't artists supposed to train, package, debut, and promote like we do in Korea?

Apart from trainees who can never make it, who among the actors who have the chance would be willing to stay in college until graduation?
In such a small country, who wouldn’t be trying their best to stand at the top of the pyramid?

If the competition hadn't been so fierce, my dad wouldn't have thought of taking me to China...

Park Chan-wook expressed his gratitude to Mr. Lu and admired his criteria for identifying outstanding actors.

For a director, an actor's fame and popularity are one thing, but more important is whether he or she has superb acting skills.

A good actor is like a director's pen.

Thick or thin, round or square, rich or thin, top actors can always give a corresponding performance according to the director's intention.

The director's job is to direct, select, edit, and choose the most appropriate performance method to form a story.

The purpose of honing Liu Yifei's basic skills in recent years is to equip her with these basic arsenals.

This allows her to first have a hardware foundation in performance, and to mobilize her vocal and stage performance abilities at will, fully expressing the thickness, squareness, roundness, and lightness of her voice.

Zhu Husheng and his daughter left in disappointment, but the father who wanted his daughter to become a successful person would obviously not give up. If he couldn't go to Wenjie, there would always be other companies, right?

It’s impossible that every film and television company boss and director in China is so strict, right?

Liu Xiaoli and her daughter left happily. Liu Yifei thought to herself, no wonder Lu Kuan likes to show off, it must be quite cool!
The next day, the crew of "Foreign Land" left South Korea and flew directly to Hong Kong, and then to European countries.

The one and a half day roadshow in Korea left an excellent impression on the audience.

"Not only did we watch a wonderful movie, but we also saw the crew's respect for our country, Korea! A young actress who has only debuted for two years can actually tell us so many about our Korean film directors and actors!"

"Korean directors Bong Joon-ho and Park Chan-wook are always filming crime or prostitution, with blood-soaked scenes that make people sick! Why can't we have a director like Lu Kuan who is as romantic as Li Bai?"

"Investigate this road carefully! See if there is any bloodline from our Great Korean Nether Nation!"

Boss Lu’s “self-esteem appeasing” strategy in South Korea was a great success, and the crew continued to travel thousands of miles.

A week later, the Chinese cast and crew returned to China and Boss Lu began to prepare for the filming of the new film.

At the same time, the attention of filmmakers around the world is focused on this phenomenal film that has swept North America, Asia, and Europe.

On July 2004, 7, Beijing time, the second week box office figures for "Alien Land" were released.

Because of the spread of word-of-mouth, there was almost no natural box office decline in the North American market this week, and it still won the weekly box office championship with 4650 million!

The total box office in North America has officially reached 9382 million US dollars, and breaking million is in sight!

It was followed by "Dodgeball," directed by Rosen.

This sports-themed movie, which was released just two days earlier than "Alien Land", came in second with a difference of only 100 million due to the popularity of dodgeball competitions during the summer season.

Then there is Disney's "The Princess Diaries 2", which was originally a female-themed film that Eisner used to compete with "Around the World" to attack Boss Lu, showing strong topicality.

It’s easiest to make money from women and children.

After the release of "Harry Potter", "Shrek 2" with a box office of 1400 million US dollars, it was followed by Fang Long's "Around" with 314 million US dollars.

This number in the second week has basically put an end to the Hong Kong action star's Hollywood journey.

What is most surprising is that the premiere date of "Shrek 2" in mainland China was urgently changed from July 7.

In the eyes of mainland movie fans, this is undoubtedly something more exciting than the box office revenue!

This is the first time that a Hollywood blockbuster has given way to a co-production.

Are they scared? They are actually scared!

Boss Lu was smiling happily in the Wenjie office as he flipped through pages of global box office data.

This week, the Japanese box office of "Alien Land" exceeded 12 billion yen, ranking first;

The total number of moviegoers in South Korea was 110 million, and thanks to CJ Entertainment’s monopoly in the market, it secured over 80% of the screenings in theaters nationwide!
And France, Britain, Germany, Australia...

Including the European and Australian markets where the roadshow just ended, the global box office of "Alien" this week reached 14553 million US dollars!
In almost all domestic Internet forums, topics about "Foreign Land" and Lu Kuan and Liu Yifei have skyrocketed.

All of Boss Lu’s previous haters were silenced;

The topic criticizing his chaotic private life was eliminated;
The voices of critics mocking him as a director without artistic ambition have gradually faded. . .

Lu Kuan's reputation and power as a film director reached its peak in the country, and he was unrivaled at the time!
July 7th, Peking.

500 meters east of Tiananmen Square along Chang'an Avenue, a modern building with a blue glass curtain wall stands.

This building is only separated from the time-honored archway of the Peking Hotel by a wall, with five large gold-plated characters "Chang'an Club" hanging high on the top.

Passing by the magnificent dragon throne and rosewood carved screen in the first-floor hall, it feels like a royal residence.

Founder Cheng Lihua has just finished a tour with several guests.

"Everyone, how about we go to the 8th floor for dinner first?"

Han Shanping, the host of this trip, turned to the two of them and said, "Mr. Li, Director Lu, what are you looking at?"

Lu Kuan rubbed his belly and said, "Let's go. I'm already hungry. I heard that the Chinese restaurant in Mr. Cheng's club is called Qing Zun Hong Zhu. I think it has some flavor."

Cheng Lihua smiled and said, "It's good that I can catch your eye. I'll make the arrangements first."

Li Shoucheng was also very polite to her: "Thank you, Mr. Cheng, for taking the time to bother me today."

"No, I'm open for business. You are all honored guests and are most welcome."

If you say that she deserves to be eaten by others, she has built such a huge empire with real swords and guns, and she is almost the richest woman in the world, but she has no airs at all.

The three of them sat down in the top-notch private room on the 8th floor of the Chang'an Club. Today was considered a "celebration banquet" for Boss Lu and the two domestic partners of "Foreign Land".

The reason for the quotation marks is that the film will premiere nationwide in Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Mainland in two weeks, so it is too early to celebrate now.

Judging from the external box office data, there is no doubt that they were counting money until their hands cramped.

Boss Lu looked at the surrounding furnishings and praised them, "If it's a top-tier club, even the armrests of this rosewood chair next to me are carved with auspicious dragons and phoenixes!"

Li Shoucheng didn't care: "Lu Sheng, I have a private room in China. If you have guests to entertain, you can go directly there."

This is also the top club in Peking, on par with Chang'an Club, Capital Club and America Club.

"Oh no! No need. If I have friends over, I can just bring it home and eat it. It's convenient."

Boss Lu always felt uncomfortable eating in this environment, as if it would be a bit impolite to pick up a few more pieces with his chopsticks.

Han Shanping said with a smile, "Director Li, Comrade Xiaolu is now the Peking Executive Committee member of the China Democratic League. He must be mindful of the impact!"

"Don't make fun of me, Mr. Han. It's just a title. Don't take it seriously."

Li Shoucheng also followed his words and joked: "Looks like you'll have a certain level in the future. If you invite Director Lu to dinner next time, you have to pay attention to the price. Haha."

Seeing that Lu Kuan was really not interested, he stopped forcing him.

Cheng Lihua entered with several waiters who were no less attractive than the big and small stars in the entertainment industry, and gestured to one of the beautiful women to present her membership card.

"Mr. Li is a frequent visitor to our company, and Mr. Han has a special status, so I won't be presumptuous."

"Director Lu is young and promising. Please come and support us more often in the future."

Boss Lu took the membership card with a smile, thanked him briefly, and started serving the dishes.

Han Shanping said, "Mr. Cheng is no ordinary man. Xiaolu, does this mean a lot to you?"

Boss Lu was staring at the delicious food on the table, with no time to spare for anything else.

"Really? Anyway, just give it to me and keep it. It's no loss."

Li Shoucheng smiled helplessly, thinking to himself, "What an eclectic person!" The Chang'an Club was now posing as the top club in Beijing, with an annual membership fee of around 12 yuan, plus service fees.

The key is that there are strict age restrictions for members, and they must be celebrities from all walks of life between 45 and 55 years old.

Unfortunately, Boss Lu rose too fast, and perhaps this was unique to Cheng Lihua.

Lu Kuan casually slapped the gilded membership card on the dining table beside him, and really didn't care much about it.

If you do the math, it's only eight or nine years away from these top clubs closing down.

After the introduction of eight major regulations in 2012, all major clubs stopped operating, starting with the Chinese Football Association, which closed down, cancelled their membership cards, and resigned.

It’s just that the visible circle is gone, but the invisible circle will always exist.

The three of them ate and drank for a while. In fact, it was only Lu Kuan who was eating heartily. The other two were older and only had a few bites.

"Director Lu, do you have any instructions for this month's premiere?"

"Boss Han, why are you teasing me all the time today? Are you in such a good mood?"

Han Shanping smiled but said nothing.

Walking in fine clothes at night, it’s so uncomfortable!

Because of the global success of "Alien Land", it is foreseeable that it will not only generate income for China Film's investment, but also increase his work performance as the head of China Film.

Moreover, it is the first domestic film to win the global box office weekly championship, and the first film to arouse the enthusiasm for Chinese culture among some foreign movie fans.

And Old Han will also accumulate considerable prestige and political achievements within the system because of this co-production film.

This is worth more than hundreds of millions of box office revenue!

It’s just that these things cannot be told to outsiders, but Han Shanping still has this deep feeling.

Otherwise, how can I lead you, Director Lu, in the future?
Li Shoucheng is an old man with a sharp mind. He probably guessed most of what Old Han was thinking, but wasn't he the same?
But he still pretended to tease: "Lu Sheng, "Alien Land" is a huge box office hit, I really love and hate it!"

Boss Lu immediately understood what he meant: "Didn't 'The Matrix 2' switch gears? Or was it President Han who gave you a backdoor?"

The corner of Old Han's mouth twitched, and he talked nonsense, something about taking the back door.

"No matter how much you change, you can't avoid the impact of 'Alien Land'. The investment in 'The Matrix 2' is as high as 8000 million. I think it will be difficult to make back the investment now."

Boss Lu smiled bitterly and shook his head, thinking that he was really ungrateful.

"Although the situation is very good, we still need to make some preparations."

Han Shanping knew the situation clearly. When it comes to issuing stocks in China, the boss is more professional than the professional institutions. He immediately said seriously, "You tell me."

"President Han needs to talk to the higher-ups about the anti-piracy issue again, because this time the film will be released in the peripheral markets first, and resources from Japan and South Korea, in particular, may be leaked."

"We must crack down on piracy with even greater force than we did with 'Hero'."

Han Shanping nodded: "That's no problem. I told Director Tong about it at the meeting yesterday."

It was also at this meeting that the director gave him a small hint that the higher-ups had relaxed their stance on how to deal with his previous losses at "The Barber".

As long as "Alien Land" becomes a big hit as expected, there will be no worries about its subsequent success.

Anyone who dares to pirate my products now will be in trouble for me, Old Han!
"There's no problem in Hong Kong. I've already communicated with the Customs, the Intellectual Property Office, and the Film Industry Association."

Lu Kuan nodded. "Secondly, I plan to deploy 800 to 1000 vote monitors in the key voting base cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and the Yangtze River Delta during the film's release."

Han Shanping and Li Shoucheng were stunned, but they immediately understood what he meant.

"Are you worried about the box office being stolen?"

"Yes."

Examples of box office theft are common in China. Not to mention the distant past, next year's "A World Without Thieves" was exposed to have stolen the box office of "Kung Fu."

"Kung Fu" was mainly invested by Columbia and Huayi participated in the investment, while "A World Without Thieves" was mainly invested by Huayi.

Although both are movies, Huayi earned far more box office revenue from "A World Without Thieves" than from "Kung Fu Hustle".

Later directors including He Ping and Lu Tailang have complained that their box office revenue was stolen.

The three of them chatted briefly for a few more minutes before leaving. Li Shoucheng sat in the car with his eyes closed, resting, thinking of the call Fang Long made to him a few days ago.

The failure of "Around the World" dealt him a heavy blow.

From "The City of Spy" in 2001 to "Eternal Love" in 2003, the failure of three consecutive Hollywood films or co-productions made him very frustrated.

He decided to shift the focus of his future work back to the country, to the north.

One of the triggers for the failure of "Around the World" was actually Lu Kuan, who had just emerged three years ago and was present at the dinner party tonight.

Even though Li Shoucheng is already over sixty years old this year and has seen many talented people emerge in every generation, he has never seen such an outstanding person.

He was thinking that he would have to ask Huo Wenxi to ask him for some good luck.

Ah Fei was busy installing surveillance cameras in the courtyard and did not accompany us today.

This is a set of security equipment that Boss Lu bought from Harvey. The Jewish An Lushan is probably afraid of making too many enemies, so he is being extremely cautious.

Lu Kuan was sitting in Han Shanping's car.

"Where?"

"Reignwood Golf."

Han Shanping's driver turned the car around and drove onto the overpass without waiting for his boss to speak.

"Li Shoucheng was here just now. There's something I need to mention to you. I think you'll be disappointed."

Lu Kuan reached out of the car and flicked the ash off his cigarette. "Fahrenheit 911/?"

Old Han smiled and said, "It seems you have been mentally prepared for this?"

"I've already spoken to Principal Zhang, the key person on the review committee. Who ultimately sentenced me to death?"

Han Shanping smiled bitterly: "Foreign Education Department."

Boss Lu shook his head. "Not surprising. Is it because this is an election year in the US, and they're worried about the impact on bilateral relations?"

"Wow, did you install surveillance cameras in the censorship office? You know everything?"

Lu Kuan sighed and said, "These guys are amazing! They've already premiered their film over there, and we're still worried about offending this one or angering that one."

The domestic film censorship system, in addition to the regular censorship committee, also has to go through a special censorship committee.

These special review committees are the relevant departments responsible for the film's subject matter. For example, military-themed films must be reviewed by the Central Military Commission, and educational-themed films must be reviewed by the Ministry of Education.

Han Shanping asked with concern, "I heard you spent quite a bit on Fahrenheit 911/. You didn't lose out, did you?"

"How can it not be a loss? Making less profit is a loss! A huge loss!"

However, when you think about the fact that even the film "Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea" was rejected on the grounds of affecting bilateral relations, it is not so surprising.

The most relaxed domestic film censorship environment was in the late 90s, especially when "Titanic" was introduced into the country in 1998.

The film was initially rejected due to its hedonism and a stunning scene with Kate Winslet.

At that time, a 72-year-old man who loved literature and art commented on Titanic at a conference:
"We shouldn't think that capitalism doesn't allow for the exchange of ideas. There's a movie called 'Titanic,' also called 'The Iceship,' that's coming out soon."

"This film vividly depicts the relationship between love and money, rich and poor, and how each type of person behaves in times of crisis."

He is also familiar with foreign classics such as "Gone with the Wind" and "Waterloo Bridge".

At that time, most foreign blockbusters in China were sold secretly in the form of pirated discs because they were regarded as spiritual pollution of capitalism.

After the convention, Titanic was released uncut, including a scene with Kate Winslet.

From that year on, China began to introduce a wave of foreign blockbusters, and the creative environment for domestic film and television dramas became unprecedentedly relaxed.

"came back?"

Boss Lu took off his shoes and went into the house. Bingbing came out of the kitchen wearing high-temperature resistant gloves and smiled at him with a picturesque look.

"Honey and pear soup, just right, to sober you up."

Lu Kuan hugged her slender waist and said, "You are being so attentive to me for no reason. Do you have something to ask of me?"

Bingbing really wants to say, "It's okay, can't I be nice to you?"

When the words came to his lips, his tone changed: "Yes, equal exchange?"

Boss Lu laughed heartily: "Then I have to taste your soup first."

"Drink well, I'll let you be on top today."

Bingbing slapped him coquettishly and said, "Go away, you can't spit out ivory."

"Yeah, it's okay. It's just hot out, so it's more comfortable to drink it iced."

"You're out and about all day, so you drink a lot. Drink less cold drinks, as they can cause dampness."

Bingbing spoke in the tone of an old Chinese medicine practitioner: "When the dog days of summer arrive next month, you can go to the balcony and sunbathe your back. It's said that it can remove dampness."

Boss Lu took her hand and sat her on his lap. The millstone was soft and the beauty was charming.

Bingbing leaned her head on his shoulder and said, "Dior asked me to be their brand friend."

"Just close friends?"

Brand Friend is a title given by brands to celebrities, taking the so-called "Six Blue Bloods" and "Eight Major Brands" as examples.

The levels of titles from low to high are Muse, Best Friend, Ambassador, and Spokesperson.

Spokespeople are serious partners who receive endorsement fees and products.
Ambassadors mainly help promote brands and receive products;

Close friends and muses are relatively ordinary, but they can "borrow" the latest models from the best brands, which is also the result of brands using close friends for promotion.

Bingbing said coquettishly: "There's nothing I can do. No one wants me to be the heroine, and no one wants to design a dress for me."

Boss Lu refused to respond. "You were on Harper's Bazaar last year, right? I've seen quite a few show announcements lately. Why are you only now being called a close friend?"

"Sister Hua asked someone to talk to the brand, and they probably felt that I still don't have any representative works."

"The Thief" won her the Hundred Flowers Award for Best Supporting Actress, but it was her first ensemble drama.

If you want to promote a female star, the most direct way is to shoot a movie with a female lead or a fashion movie.

"By the way, Men's Health recently asked me to do a photo shoot."

Bingbing rubbed the man under her butt with the end of her hair intentionally or unintentionally, and there was a teasing tone in her words.

"Men's Health" is also a publication of the fashion group. It has the same parent as "Harper's Bazaar" and was just launched in May this year.

As the name suggests, the main readership is male, and the magazine is famous for its cover girls who are sexy but not cliché and full of visual temptation.

"Do you think I should go and film it? It might be a bit explicit."

The big actress put her mouth close to Boss Lu's ear, and the hot air from her mouth made him feel itchy.

"How big? This big?"

"Don't take pictures! You're letting other men see it."

Bingbing screamed and was picked up by Boss Lu around the waist.

But I felt a long-lost sweetness in my heart. He also cared about me...

She wrapped her arms tightly around the man's neck, wishing she could melt into his body.

"Ah! What are you doing? People will see you here!"

"Do not talk."

After the lovemaking, the two of them leaned face to face in the bathtub and flirted with each other.

Bingbing's toes in the water were still very naughty, constantly teasing the man in front of her, and were caught again.

"Still want it?"

"No, no! I'm just joking!"

Before he could finish his words, Boss Lu grabbed Bingbing's arm and he fell into the gentle trap again.

She blushed and adjusted her sitting position.

"Is the filming of 'Zhu Xian' going smoothly recently?"

"Very good, very smooth."

Boss Lu naturally understood what she meant by serving him so thoughtfully today, cooking sobering soup and publishing the "Men's Health" magazine.

It looks like jealousy, but the scale is very well controlled. It does not disgust people, but allows people to experience the vanity of male chauvinism.

"Don't worry, it's coming soon."

Bingbing frowned and moved slowly: "What's coming soon?"

"Hua Yi is almost there."

Later, Wang Jinhua switched to Chengtian after her contract expired in 2005. After a slight period of turmoil, Huayi quickly stabilized its position.

The most direct measure was to adjust the structure of the agency department and distribute the company's shares to the artists in order to stabilize people's hearts.

This move resulted in the net worth of the "working director" Kuazi jumping to hundreds of millions of yuan after Huayi went public. Zhang Jizhong, Li Binbin, Huang Xiaoming, Deng Chao and others also made a fortune.

In this life, Fan Bingbing's development in Huayi has surpassed Li Binbin due to the support of Boss Lu, although the internal resources do not give her the same treatment as the top sister.

However, her overall strength, especially her emergence in the fashion circle, has put her at the forefront of domestic female entertainment stars.

Once Boss Lu completes his layout in the fashion circle, it will be easy to promote her to the position of fashion queen of the domestic entertainment industry before Huayi goes public.

His goal is to help Bingbing secure her position as the number one actress in Huayi and get as much original equity as possible.

. . . .

"After your season of 'Zhu Xian' is finished, I will give Eagle King a script and ask them to find you to film it."

Bingbing struggled to prop up his arms and said in surprise, "Really? Did you take the picture?"

"I'm busy. It's a fashionable urban film, and a single female lead would be great. I'll find two Hong Kong male actors to play supporting roles for you."

"It's called 'Single Men and Women'. It tells the story of two men who are chasing after a beautiful woman."

Fan Bingbing was puzzled by what he said: "What is a licking dog?"

"A dog that licks the boots is chasing flowers, only to have the flowers bury themselves in its own cow dung."

The famous actress chuckled and said, "That's a strangely vivid way of putting it."

As he said that, he smacked his face. Although it wasn't Lu Kuan who took the photo, he was thinking of himself after all.

They turned off the lights and lay on the bed.

"Sister Hua met a girl from South Korea today. She probably wants to sign her."

Boss Lu, who was somewhat dozing off, suddenly opened his eyes: "Huh?"

Fan Bingbing said with a sweet smile, "Why do you get excited when you hear about women?"

"A father and daughter? The daughter's name is Jang Nara?"

The smile on Fan Bingbing's face froze: "How did you know?"

"They looked for me in Korea."

Lu Kuan was curious: "Did they find Wang Jinhua on their own, or did the two Wang brothers bring her there?"

Fan Bingbing hesitated for two seconds and said, "The big and small kings attach great importance to it and sent it here personally."

"Sister Hua is also very satisfied with her, but Jang Nara's father seems to be quite strong-willed, and the contract has not been negotiated yet."

Boss Lu nodded silently. It seemed that the Korean Wave had already penetrated the domestic entertainment industry silently.

"Don't be so deliberate. I don't need you to find out anything. I have Hua Yi in my hands now."

Bingbing touched the stubble on his chin with her delicate hands. "No, Sister Hua is my godmother. I went to talk to her about Men's Health."

Boss Lu nodded.

Wenjie and Huayi had had a few minor disagreements before, but they never showed any hostility, and Wang Xiaolei has become much more obedient now.

Wang Dajun is a steady person and will not go head-on with the booming venture capital industry for the time being. There is no direct conflict of interest between the two companies for the time being.

Considering the big boss standing behind Huayi, if Boss Lu wanted to strangle them to death right now, he would undoubtedly have to use the Seven Injury Fist.

The best way is to surround them on three sides and leave one side open, strategically encircle and intercept them, keep them as wolves until the day they go public, and then take them all in one go and eat them till you are full.

(End of this chapter)