Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 315 The Oil Painting with Wet Ink

The sky was clear and sunny in Douglaston on the first day of the Lunar New Year. In the courtyard illuminated by the early morning light, the white snow had not yet melted.

The young director had just woken up from a deep sleep and looked down from the second-floor terrace. He saw that the drunk concubine from last night had already started her morning exercises.

With Ah Fei around, Mia got a short vacation, and her sparring partner naturally became Xiaomian Zhenghe.

However, Xiao Mian Zhenghe had grown rapidly in the past few years and was almost as tall as Lu Kuan.

The strength, speed, and ruthlessness that he acquired through fighting in the underground boxing world since childhood are not much different from those of professional bodyguard Mia.

The young director listened with a sour taste to the thud of Xiao Liu's fists hitting Ah Fei's hand guard and silently lit a cigarette.

As if noticing Ah Fei's glance towards the terrace, Liu Yifei stopped moving and turned around, looking at him still with sleepy eyes: "Lazy pig."

Liu Xiaoli also wiped her hands and walked into the yard: "Xixi, go take a shower, change clothes, and get ready for breakfast."

"Oh, I see."

After washing up, Boss Lu went downstairs and stretched out a little in the yard. He asked quietly, "Xiao Liu... What's the current level of your fighting skills?"

Ah Fei didn't know how to describe it: "It's more than enough to deal with a few ordinary people, but Miss Liu is still too thin and too light. She has no advantage against an adult man over 100 kilograms."

Boss Lu raised his eyebrows: "Am I considered an ordinary person?"

Honest children never lie from a young age: "Boss, you are just a little taller, otherwise you are not as tall as an ordinary person."

Someone's mouth twitched, and he put the exercise plan on the agenda for the Nth time in his mind.

But with such a large business like Wenjie Holdings and endless film projects to deal with, he can only take some time off from his busy schedule.

Or just eat until you weigh 200 pounds.

It was a rare opportunity to have dumplings for breakfast abroad. Liu Xiaoli purchased them from an Asian supermarket yesterday. New York's Chinatown is huge, and there are many channels to obtain these ingredients.

"Xiaolu, what are your plans for the next few days?"

"I've met with casting director Taylor. There are several Western characters in the film, including Rabe and Vautrin, and we need to discuss the right candidates."

After this, I should return to the country to talk to my leaders and settle the accounts.

Liu Xiaoli nodded and immediately said to her daughter, "Xixi, don't forget to bring your dress with you. Let's not delay Xiaolu's work this afternoon. Let's go back to Chicago, shall we?"

"Aren't you going to attend some kind of Spring Festival dance for international students?"

"Xiaolu, just live here and treat it as your own home."

It doesn’t matter whether it is your own family or not, but this so-called international student activity reminded someone who was eating dumplings of his previous life’s USC alumnus Cai Jiazan.

Is there one in Chicago too?
Boss Lu remained expressionless: "I'll go with you guys and go pay New Year's greetings to Sister Chunru first."

He was busy with casting just now, but he changed his mind in an instant. He didn't even bother to find an excuse.

It’s like looking at Xiao Liu’s phone openly.

"That's great! That's great!" Liu Xiaoli was naturally happy. She wished the two children could be together every day to develop their relationship.

Slowly eliminate and repair the emotional rift caused by that birthday party.

Xiao Liu glanced at the young director calmly, knowing the unconcealed thoughts of some control freaks.

On the way to the airport, a car full of people quietly listened to his casting conversation with Taylor.

"The visual age of Vautrin's character should be around 45-55, but her actual age in the film is 51. If the conditions are right, we can relax this and establish the character's image through makeup."

"But one thing is that Vautrin had lived in Nanjing for 25 years when the massacre occurred. Her behavior and spoken language were relatively Chinese. I needed an actress who could receive long-term language and life training."

Taylor on the other end of the phone fell into deep thought. This request was quite demanding.

Very few Hollywood actresses have a basic understanding of the Chinese language. Generally speaking, relatively dedicated Hollywood actresses can carry out complicated pre-production preparations for the movies.

However, this is a non-commercial film in which Liu Yifei is obviously the absolute heroine, and it made a high-profile Hollywood actress learn Chinese for several months for a role with not many scenes.

This is more difficult.

Perhaps only the title of Lu Laoban, a talented director, can attract the interest of some talented and capable actors.

Taylor took note of every detail and then continued, "Where's Rabe?"

"Around 55 years old, requires the ability to speak basic German and French, not a high requirement."

"Okay, Lu, I'll provide you with the list as soon as possible."

Lu Kuan rarely changes his work plans due to personal feelings and affairs, just like his film casting, he always considers the actor's suitability as the primary factor.

Therefore, in the past four years, even though Liu Yifei, who was "exclusively favored by him", had only worked with him seriously, she was the heroine in one film, "Foreign Land".

Of course, I won’t mention his scenes in “The Drummer” which only added up to a few minutes.

What's more, in "Tangshan", he even used two Huayi actors, Zhou Xun and Hu Jun. Whether he is an enemy or a friend in the industry, his obsession and focus on movies are well-known.

Xiao Liu listened to him finish the call silently. He spent so much effort in casting two supporting roles with not many screen times, which shows how much he values ​​this movie.

Even though he encouraged himself so much last night, a heavy burden still weighed firmly on his shoulders.

There are many inter-city flights in the United States. Two and a half hours later, the group got off the plane, slightly disguised with sunglasses and scarves, and arrived at Willard Airport in Champaign.

Zhang Chunru personally drove a business car to pick him up and gave Xiao Liu a big hug.

"I'm so proud of you, Yifei!"

She was extremely excited, and the scenes from the live TV broadcast had been lingering in her mind for the past two days.

For Zhang Chunru, Xiao Liu's heroism was not only for the small love of a personal relationship, but also for the great love to ensure the smooth filming of the film and to correct the historical perception.

After all, if a notorious beastly director makes a film about conscience, its persuasiveness will be greatly reduced.

Even if it is released successfully, the right-wing and hostile forces will have many excuses to attack the film.

Concubine Liu Yi was a little embarrassed by the praise she received these past two days: "Hehe, it's my duty."

Zhang Chunru's living habits are still relatively Western. She hugged and greeted Liu Xiaoli and Lu Kuan. After spending some time together, their relationship has become very close.

"Let's go. Today is the first day of the new year. My mother has prepared Chinese food at home to welcome you."

"Of course, it might not be as delicious as Xixi's, so don't mind."

Lu Kuan joked, "I don't mind, but we came in a hurry and didn't prepare many gifts, so please don't mind."

"No way!" Zhang Chunru knew he was joking.

The group arrived at Zhang Chunru's residence chatting and laughing, and her parents and husband greeted them warmly at the door.

Lu Kuan was the first to get off the car. He took a few steps to shake hands with Zhang Chunru's parents to express his respect for these two patriotic Chinese.

Zhang Chunru's father, Zhang Shaojin, holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University.

His father, Zhang Naifan, worked for the Kuomintang and served as director of the Central Propaganda Department and secretary of the Central Secretariat.

He has written books such as "Chinese Administrative Organization" and "Theory of International Relations". He has been telling his granddaughter stories about Chinese history and the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression since she was a child, and is her patriotic enlightenment.

Zhang Chunru's mother, Zhang Yingying, has a similar background to her father. She also came from a family of high-ranking Kuomintang officials. She went to the United States from Taiwan to study and immigrate, and obtained a Ph.D. from Harvard University.

After Zhang Chunru committed suicide in 2004, her parents devoted themselves to their daughter's unfinished career, wrote books, spent seven years writing a biography of their daughter, and devoted themselves to historical public welfare.

Zhang Shaojin, nearly sixty years old, was a typical high-level intellectual from a scholarly family. He spoke in a steady and powerful voice, "Lu Kuan, you are all welcome to be our guests!"

"Thank you, Mr. Zhang, Ms. Zhang, for bothering me."

He took the New Year gift from Ah Fei and said, "We specially airlifted Huai'an and Jinling specialties from the mainland in advance. We came here in a hurry, so please forgive our small gift."

Zhang Yingying stepped forward with a smile: "No way! You're too polite."

Lu Kuan was welcomed into the living room and introduced a unique gift to the family who were far away from home.

"Bound pig's trotters from Lianshui, whitebait from Hongze, salted duck from Jinling, osmanthus duck, and Yuhua tea."

"These are just some worthless local specialties. I hope they can help ease your homesickness."

Zhang Shaojin wanted to refuse, but when he saw these bags of local customs that had been carefully crafted and brought across the ocean, he couldn't help but stroke them and sigh.

"I've been away from my hometown for so long, and the journey is so long, it's hard to let go of my homesickness!"

"Lu Kuan, we accept this gift, thank you!"

The Zhang family is similar to the Zheng family that Lu Kuan took Xiao Liu to visit yesterday. Both of them are descendants of Kuomintang officials who immigrated to North America from Taiwan.

This generation experienced the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the Civil War, and has the deepest longing for their homeland.

In another generation or two, they will basically become standard ABCs.

The atmosphere in the room was somewhat sentimental. Xiao Liu cleverly changed the subject: "Uncle and aunt, you don't know that Lu Kuan is the one who has the best appetite."

"We've hired a chef to prepare Huaiyang cuisine for state banquets in our courtyard house in Peking. He's an expert at all these things. Whenever you want to eat, just ask him. He'll treat you to as much as you want!"

Everyone in the room burst into laughter.

Only Liu Xiaoli pretended to be angry and slapped her daughter, but she was secretly happy in her heart:
Given the young director's current status, there aren't many people who can make fun of him like this, right?
After dinner, Lu Kuan, Liu Yifei and Zhang Chunru sat in the living room and talked about the script of the Holocaust movie.

"The film has gone through some twists and turns recently, including the rejection of its filing in mainland China."

"I think this is a good thing. The more afraid some forces are, the more right we are doing."

The young director laughed and said, "I was thinking about doing a major revision of the script last night!"

Concubine Liu Yi and Zhang Chunru were both stunned and looked at him waiting for what to say next.

When the idea of ​​making this film was confirmed as early as 2002, it was a bit of an exaggeration to say that it took ten years to sharpen a sword.

But I have tried my best to bring this history to the screen through the rich art of film, and to narrate this undeniable history through the perspective of Zhang Chunru's own writings, speeches and protests.

"Actually, the inspiration also came from Xiao Liu's speech on TV yesterday."

"My new script will begin with Sister Chunru's childhood education in patriotism from Mr. Zhang Naifan, and continue until her book signing in Times Square in 1998 and her debate with Kunihiko Saito on PBS."

"Through Sister Chunru's perspective, through field visits, interviews, writing books, and debates with right-wing and Western scholars, we bring out that period of history and illuminate the truth."

"Among these, I plan to initiate historical discussions through the Western perspective of the historical notes 'The Diary of John Vautrin' and 'The Diary of John Rabe,' which will gain greater recognition and acceptance from the international community."

Xiao Liu was delighted to hear this. It turned out that he was not just being perfunctory or comforting himself last night, but was really inspired by his own performance.

In fact, Boss Lu is taking a different approach.

Generally speaking, many characters in autobiographical films are based on deceased people.

It is said that the final verdict should be made after the coffin is laid. If someone were to film "The Life of Zhang Chunru" in the future, the final climax would definitely be her heroic suicide.

But in this life, by God's blessing, this angel of justice was finally saved, so the structure of the movie script must have more dramatic changes.

Where does the dramatic tension come from?
He was inspired by Liu Yifei's performance at the Fox Center that day.

In 1998, Iris Chang had a heated debate with Japanese Ambassador to the United States Kunihiko Saito on PBS!
During the debate, Zhang Chunru righteously condemned the crimes committed by Japan and questioned why they did not dare to clearly acknowledge the Nanjing Massacre and make a sincere apology.

Kunihiko Saito did not dare to respond directly and tried to brush the matter off by saying, "We realize that something unfortunate has happened." Zhang Chunru directly stated that she did not hear any words of apology.

Zhang Chunru used a large amount of historical facts and evidence to expose the atrocities of the Nanjing Massacre during the Japanese invasion of China, leaving Saito Kunihiko speechless.

While watching Liu Yifei's live broadcast on New Year's Eve, the young director suddenly flashed this clip in his mind, and her image and Zhang Chunru's image merged in his mind.

Just imagine, after more than 100 minutes of painful historical rendering, the last 20 minutes of the performance are undoubtedly full of dramatic tension.

The sudden outbreak of verbal sparring instantly draws the audience into a vortex of emotions and conflicts.

The fierce collision between characters, every look and every line of dialogue contains tremendous power, which will penetrate the air like a sharp arrow and reach people's hearts.

If Xiao Liu can really perform perfectly, it will not be much inferior to Chen Daoming's Gu Weijun speech in "My 1919".

Zhang Chunru said with relief, "These past few days I've often thought of Spielberg's advice. He told me to wait until I'm at least 40 before making this film."

"Including Sissi, she is too young. I feel bad that she has to be involved in these cruel truths."

She took a deep breath and said, "No matter what, I fully support your decision. If the film needs to be postponed, then postpone it."

"They've been waiting for almost 1937 years since 70. Do they still care about one or two years?"

This was heartbreaking, so Lu Kuan consoled him, "It doesn't necessarily have to be postponed. Don't worry about funding or publicity. I've already started preparing."

"The media power of the Chinese community in the United States and Disney's media power are both helpful."

Of course, there is also Weibo, which is developing quietly, and Mytube, which, despite being sold, still has a good relationship with Google as a shareholder, and he holds 18% of Facebook shares.

"Casting is also ongoing, but I have some personal circumstances, so I don't know if there will be any changes..."

Zhang Chunru was curious: "What is it?"

Xiao Liu laughed and said, "He might be selected to be the chief director of the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics!"

"It's just a conversation, and we don't know for sure at the moment. But even if he's hired as a senior consultant, he'll probably have to follow the creative team around, and the film's production schedule will need to be coordinated."

Lu Kuan said solemnly, "Start preparing for everything first. This film cannot be rushed, and it cannot be rushed. I'm mentally prepared to spend a year or two on filming."

As Spielberg said, this is a major event concerning national history, the pressure is enormous, and there is no room for carelessness.

Of course, he also had good expectations in his heart.

If he can become the chief director of the Olympic Games, he will become more famous internationally, which will also be a great help for the future promotion of this film in the international market.

Since the proportion of stories from "The Diary of Vautrin" and "The Diary of John Rabe" needed to be increased, Zhang Chunru patiently searched for more information for him.

This includes their chance encounter at the Berlin Film Festival in 2002, when she went to visit Rabe's descendants and conduct some research.

After having dinner at Zhang Chunru's house, they rushed to Chicago and arrived at their residence in Hyde Park in the evening.

A Fei moved the luggage from the car into the house. Lu Kuan stood in the courtyard and looked around at the living environment here. It had to be said that it was quite livable.

"Hey, are you Crystal's boyfriend?"

Boss Lu turned around and was horrified by the sight of a tall black woman!

I was stunned for a long time and almost burned my fingers on the cigarette butt.

The young director had a sense of the absurdity of entering into a historical drama: "Um... hello ma'am, I'm her friend."

Michelle, who was nearly 5 feet 4 inches tall in high heels, hummed a few good-natured words: "You're being dishonest. I watched your live broadcast, Mr. Director."

She extended her hand and introduced herself: "Michelle Oguanhai, it's an honor to meet you. My child is a fan of your movie "Alien Land"."

"In fact, I think 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' is also very good. I left a comment on Rotten Tomatoes, hoping that an American director can adapt it. It will definitely be amazing."

Boss Lu swallowed his saliva. He was not envious of Sister Hei's body, but of her husband.

"It's an honor to meet you, I..."

"Michelle!"

Xiao Liu excitedly ran down from the second-floor terrace: "Are you here to bring me oatmeal raisin cookies and pumpkin pie?"

The black sister spread her hands and said, "I'm sorry, I'm here to pick up the children's toys from the old house. Maybe I can invite you to visit our new house."

"You know, Old O'Neal is now a U.S. senator from Illinois, so we need to live closer to City Hall."

Xiao Liu chatted and laughed with her as if nothing had happened, which made Mr. Lu, who was standing beside him, feel very nervous.

Do you want to contact?
How to contact?

How to leverage this relationship?

At this moment, even Boss Lu, who is always quick-witted, was at a loss for words.

"The road is wide? The road is wide?"

Concubine Liu Yi slapped his arm in dissatisfaction: "Mrs. Michelle was talking to you, and you were in a daze again."

Boss Lu came back to his senses and smiled calmly at Sister Hei: "Sorry, I've been staying up late writing scripts recently and I'm a little dazed."

"I understand. You artists always have your days and nights reversed. My husband also had days when he didn't get a good night's sleep when he was a lawyer."

"Anyway, Crystal, I'd like to invite you to visit me when you're free. You know my phone number."

Michelle waved at the two of them: "Oh! By the way! Bring your suitor, hehe."

Xiao Liu's pretty face turned slightly red, and she waved goodbye to her as if she were just an ordinary neighbor.

"Xiao Liu?"

"Ok?"

Boss Lu is still very gentlemanly and doesn't smoke in front of ladies.

He crushed the cigarette butt under his foot and said nonchalantly, "Is this your neighbor?"

"Yes, a black couple, and they have two very cute Portuguese Water Dogs at home!"

"Are you close? She just invited you to visit."

Liu Yifei didn't know why he was interested in this again: "Normally, we're just ordinary neighbors, and we share delicious food."

"Oh!"

Boss Lu nodded deeply: "Actually..."

"Don't you want to study and live here for a while?"

"If you have nothing to do, you can get in touch with him more often. Isn't he a state legislator? Maybe he can be useful in the future." Xiao Liu glanced at him speechlessly. Man, your name is Machiavelli.

Boss Lu regrets that he is not good at calligraphy.

Otherwise, if I hand-write "The tides rise and fall, watch the sea and listen to the waves, my ambitions are soaring, and my spirit reaches the sky." and give it to Lao Ao, wouldn't it be the culmination of my life as a little god?

This was a joke, but the look he gave the little girl was more complicated.

It can be said that Xiao Liu is my Meiling! (In a positive sense)

After tidying up the house, Liu Yifei's phone started ringing frequently. It was the Chinese Students Association of Chicago urging her to come back.

Xiao Liu deliberately lingered in front of Boss Lu twice and said, "Mom, I'm going to the international student dance. You guys can eat at home."

The young director naturally picked up his Chesterfield coat and said, "Aunt Liu, I'm going to visit the University of Chicago. You guys can eat at home."

"Okay, you young people can arrange it yourselves." Liu Xiaoli smiled.

Concubine Liu Yi returned to her room with a sly smile and changed into a dress that was not too exaggerated, revealing only a little of her shoulders.

Ah Fei was a little confused and didn't know whether he should go.

Boss Lu was very considerate of him: "Rest at home, Xiao Liu will protect me if anything happens."

The girl who had just put on some simple makeup and came down from the second floor rolled her eyes, speechless at someone's shamelessness.

Hyde Park is located within the Chicago campus, less than a quarter of an hour's walk away.

However, Liu Yifei was wearing a dress with a coat and high heels, which made it inconvenient for her to walk, so Lu Kuan drove her to the event venue, Cathey Canteen, quickly.

Cathey Dining Hall is located on the South Campus of the University of Chicago. It has a history of more than 100 years. The building is exquisite and ancient, with beautiful ceilings and gorgeous chandeliers inside.

The candlelight on the dining table complements it, creating a mysterious and romantic atmosphere.

When a countryman comes to the city, the first thing Boss Lu says as soon as he enters the door is "Fuck!"
Is this called a cafeteria?

It's comparable to the Hogwarts Great Hall.

Xiao Liu, you didn’t come to Chicago just for this food, did you?

Tonight, Cathey has been taken over by Chinese students from the Midwest. The four rows of cafeteria tables and chairs have been put aside and designed into a traditional Western dance venue.

"Xiao Liu, your study abroad life is truly extravagant, isn't it?"

"Extravagant? How dare you say that about others?"

In front of me, international students with Asian faces are making the final arrangements in a tense and orderly manner.

The colorful ribbons on the ceiling were interwoven into exquisite patterns, like gorgeous clouds. The huge crystal chandelier emitted soft light, which fell on the long table covered with red velvet.

Champagne glasses and gorgeous flowers exude fragrance, professional audio and lighting equipment have been debugged, and vibrant dynamic patterns are scrolling on the huge LED screen.

As expected, those who can study abroad in this era are either rich or noble.

A man with glasses came over with a smile: "Crystal, it's great that you can come!"

He nodded to Boss Lu again, knowing that this man was also quite important. "Nice to meet you, Director Lu, welcome to the ball."

Liu Yifei introduced: "This is Chairman Zhou of the Illinois North American Chinese Students Association. He's from Hong Kong."

Boss Lu smiled and shook hands: "Hello, Mr. Zhou."

People from the University of Chicago and other schools around Illinois came to say hello.

Northwestern University, Urbana-Champaign, University of Chicago, DePaul University in Illinois, and nearby University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Purdue, etc. are all top-ranked schools.

Liu Yifei is a female star, but she is not very famous in North America.

The families of these gifted sons and daughters all come from prominent backgrounds, most of them are wealthy businessmen from Hong Kong and Taiwan, and prominent families from the mainland.

We just treat them as classmates from the same place and treat them equally.

The two of them had only been standing there for a while when many self-proclaimed handsome and dashing men came to chat with them.

There were many who proudly introduced themselves, allowing Boss Lu to tell which high-ranking official's family they were from. It was no exaggeration to say that there were hidden dragons and crouching tigers here.

This reminded him of a joke:

If you shout "Secretary" in a casino in Macau, more than a dozen people may turn around at the same time.

It was finally quiet enough and the dance was about to begin.

Xiao Liu sighed and sat down on the chair: "It's actually very boring. I don't want to come either."

"It's just that I always refuse... It seems too unsociable."

To be fair, she is not a very social person, and her career focus is very simple, which is acting.

As for coming to Chicago, it was just an interesting episode in my life, a foreign country that I was forced to go to by someone.

Of course, when it comes to Twitter, we can see the great progress she has made during this period, which is also a kind of gain.

Man is the sum of all social relations, and is bound to fight with others, which is an endless joy.

After hearing her words, Boss Lu agreed: "Ineffective social interaction is useless, useless."

Xiao Liu was unconvinced: "Then what did you mean by asking me to associate with the Michelle family just now? Isn't that useless?"

"Of course!"

Boss Lu argued confidently, "Don't you like the desserts she makes? Isn't satisfying your appetite important?"

The two chatted idly, and Lu Kuan looked around for a long time but didn't see any suspicious people.

It seems that there is really no one left in Chicago.

As if to tease him, Chairman Zhou, who had just finished his speech, suddenly loudly invited a guest to come on stage.

Lu Kuan and Liu Yifei looked closely and saw that under the spotlight in the center of the dance floor was Cai Jiazan, the son of the Hong Kong toy king.

The washing machine looked dissatisfied: "Why is he here too?"

Xiao Liu glanced at him calmly, raising his smooth chin proudly: "What does it have to do with me? What does it have to do with you?"

The little girl's language skills reached their peak at this moment.

What does it have to do with me? I'm distancing myself from it. Don't misunderstand me, washing machine.

What's it got to do with you? I'm angry and resisting. You control freak, don't interfere too much.

Boss Lu didn't answer. He sat on the chair with his arms crossed, looking calm. He wanted to see what this young man was up to who had flown thousands of miles here today.
Did your big house in Los Angeles burn down?

Cai Jiazan is twenty years old, with a handsome face and a slender figure.

At this moment, Richard James, wearing a well-tailored haute couture suit, stood under the spotlight, exuding the temperament of a wealthy young man raised in an old money family in Hong Kong.

He took the microphone and spoke gracefully, "Thank you, Chairman Zhou, for the invitation. My father and Uncle Zhou have been business partners for many years, and our two families have a very close relationship."

"This time, I was invited by the Midwest Chinese Students Association of North America to come all the way from Los Angeles to celebrate the Spring Festival with everyone."

Cai Jiazan's eyes met Chairman Zhou's, who secretly gestured to the mainland female star who was chatting and laughing with Boss Lu in the corner.

Of course, these small leaders of the Chinese study abroad organization in North America have close connections in private.

Not only are they personal relationships, but they also have connections in the family business, leading to countless friendships and marriages.

"During this Spring Festival, our fellow students abroad should be grateful for their hometown and help each other!"

"Today, I want to mention someone here! I want to tell you a story!"

The nobleman suddenly turned to the mainland beauty in the corner and said, "Crystal! Could you please come over here for a moment?"

There was a sudden uproar at the scene.

They are all young men and women, who doesn’t understand the meaning of beautiful ladies and gentlemen looking for a good match?

The son of the toy king and the most popular female star of the younger generation in mainland China should be considered a good match, right?
Xiao Liu didn't know what Boss Lu had teased him with again. He was punching him on the arm when he was suddenly called out. He looked up in confusion.

"I?"

Cai Jiazan seemed to ignore Boss Lu beside her and repeated, "Crystal, could you please come up on stage for a moment?"

Chairman Zhou was the first to applaud, signaling everyone to cheer together to boost the morale of this rich young man.

Some things between men and women are done half-heartedly, aren't they?

It’s a pity that Xiao Liu seems to have seen a lot of traps, tricks, bad intentions and presumptuousness. The washing machine next to her has taught her a lot of lessons.

She did not join in the fun of these second-generation international students who were stirring up trouble and creating an ambiguous atmosphere between men and women. She came here today because she couldn't save face and was just going to leave after showing her face.

Of course, it is hard to say whether she came to the scene with the intention of showing off her popularity to the washing machine.

You have to let him know that he is not without his admirers, okay?
The young girl, who was expected to be a future movie queen, stretched out her hands with a depressed look on her face: "Sorry, I just twisted my ankle and can't move. Have fun, you guys."

Good guy, I was just about to say "I'm leaving first."

Boss Lu was overjoyed and very proud to hear this, but he still looked as if he was sitting on the Diaoyutai.

The traitors who are willing to sacrifice their lives have also revealed themselves in front of me!

How about it? I don't even want to glance at you, Xiao Liu directly rejected you because you are ugly.

Cai Jiazan was not discouraged. He seemed to have anticipated this twist and turn. He walked over with a smile through the crowd and leaned over with concern in a very gentlemanly manner, "Crystal, how could you be so careless? I'll call someone to come and treat you now."

The second generation of the toy king is not a fool. He has no urge to expose Xiao Liu's lies in public. He shows his excellent demeanor step by step.

You said you sprained it, so I'll just assume you sprained it, okay?
Before Xiao Liu could refuse in a hurry, it seemed that an old senior in the industry could no longer stand Cai Jiazan's immature performance.

In my movie, you'll definitely be scolded to death! Why are you pretending to be a fool here?
Boss Lu raised his chin towards him and said, "I'll tell you."

"She didn't sprain her ankle, she just didn't want to bother with you. How can she have no emotional intelligence at all? How can she be that stupid chairman?"

Cai Jiazan's rank was not low either. He still looked at him with a polite smile and suddenly extended his hand: "Mr. Lu, you are joking. Madam, there are some things that are not convenient to say. We should be gentlemen and probably won't expose them in person."

"Let me get to know you, Cai Jiazan. I've heard a lot about Mr. Lu, the international director. He's absolutely a household name!"

There was an uproar all around, including some international students who had just learned the identity of this tall man. After all, not everyone reads the news.

After all, these two are not household names yet, and the title of richest man is just a nickname given by mainland netizens. It is estimated that the tone will not be fully determined until next year's Hurun Rich List.

No wonder Liu Yifei always sat with him, it turns out he was the famous international director?
Now Zi Lu Kuan really looked at him with new respect.

Even though his little tricks were exposed in front of people and he was rejected by girls in various ways, he still looked like a graceful and elegant gentleman.

This pretentious look is exactly what the old Hong Kong businessmen like Li Huanggua had raised.

"Hello, Xiaocai."

Boss Lu suddenly stood up and politely shook hands with Cai Jiazan opposite him.

The person who was sitting there just now was as light-hearted and carefree as a pool of water, but now he stood up straight like a pine tree, with broad shoulders and body, and seemed to have become a mountain in front of everyone.

Under the spotlight, Boss Lu's serious face looked a little stern, his palms were broad and slender, his five fingers were like spears, and in just a moment he suppressed Xiaocai's pretentious aura.

The little bastard even ran to the old bastard and pretended to be in front of him. Ask your father if he dares?

When Concubine Liu Yi saw his look, she felt that something was wrong. She had to worry about him getting angry and making these bean sprouts and chicken feather vegetables suffer a lot. That would be terrible.

She didn't want to care about Xiaocai's life or death, but she didn't want Lu Kuan to make enemies because of her.

"Um... Mr. Cai, I'm sorry, it was just a little joke."

The little girl stood up and intimately put her arm around the man next to her, seeming to stick her whole body to him.

"I'm not feeling well today, so I just came here to join in the festive fun."

"Please continue to have fun, we'll just sit for a while and then leave."

Boss Lu spread his hands helplessly, indicating that Xiao Cai in front of him should do as she pleased, and then he leisurely pulled the little girl back to sit on the chair.

Perhaps in order to diffuse the increasingly awkward situation, a burst of cheerful waltz music suddenly sounded. Chairman Zhou took the initiative to rescue the gloomy-looking Cai Jiazan, calling on the international students to invite dance partners and step into the center of the dance floor.

They were a group of people who were used to playing. The young men and women danced skillfully, spinning, moving forward and backward, and coordinating with each other tacitly.

Cai Jiazan's face was a little gloomy when Concubine Liu Yi held Lu Kuan's arm, but it became clear again in an instant. It must be said that he has good self-control.

He is not very old, but he is quite pretentious.

He did not invite Xiao Liu to dance in an ungrateful manner, nor did he give up. Instead, he sat down next to the two of them with a calm face and chatted with them like old friends.

"Speaking of which, Mr. Lu, I met one of my father's mainland business partners in Los Angeles last week, and we talked about you."

"That mainland family friend has a female junior who's been actively pursuing international endorsements. She should be able to make the trip during the harvest season next June."

"I think it's the Northwest Cherry Association in Washington State? The girl's name is Jing Tian. Mr. Lu should know her, right?"

Boss Lu glanced at the time on his phone and was already bored and wanted to leave.

Whether it's Chicago or Los Angeles, none of them can compete.

The young director didn't even want to raise his eyelids: "Oh, I know him."

"What happened to Jing Tian?"

Cai Jiazan noticed that Concubine Liu Yi was also looking over curiously, and said casually, "I heard that in the mainland's Charity Bazaar, Miss Jing Tian spent a fortune, spending 1500 million to buy Mr. Lu's masterpiece, and it was praised as a great story!"

"hiss!"

Lu Kuan only felt a sharp pain in his left arm which was held by Xiao Liu, and swallowed helplessly.

Cai Jiazan smiled and said, "What's wrong with Mr. Lu?"

"Chicago... has mosquitoes."

"Oh, Mr. Lu is humorous."

Cai Jiazan remained noncommittal: "This Miss Jing Tian really treats Mr. Lu very well."

"I learned the other day that you were being slandered by rumors in North America, and I asked my father to contact several familiar media outlets in North America to see if they could help."

He glanced at Concubine Liu Yi's increasingly gloomy expression and continued to exaggerate: "Fortunately, Crystal came to your rescue, and this matter was finally resolved satisfactorily..."

"The road is wide! Let's go back."

Liu Yifei suddenly stood up with an expressionless face, and walked away in her high heels without saying a word. Her brisk pace was enough for her to participate in the Olympics.

Boss Lu looked at Xiaocai speechlessly. "The two countries have just normalized relations! You're such a jerk!"

"Well... Xiao Cai, let's stop here for today. You guys continue playing."

Xiao Liu didn't walk far. He stood by the car, wrapped tightly in his coat, and watched him walk out in the cold wind, feeling very aggrieved.

This kind of grievance has a hard-to-explain meaning.

It's like...

I used to think that he and I had a unique understanding and could stand back to back against the enemy forces, like a pair of lovers in troubled times, escaping danger.

He suddenly realized that there was a top white, rich and beautiful woman who was silently caring for him and helping him solve his problems, and he was not the only one.

How come this bastard has so many bad luck in love affairs!
Of course, one of the reasons is that I have no right to get angry now.

After all, their current relationship was limited to the pursuit of public relations for this crisis, and she didn't have the courage to cross that line.

In other words, Xiao Liu was naturally aware of the warmth and encouragement that the young director had deliberately released in the past two days because of her heroic suicide.

She herself knew that what was happening between them now was just the ice-breaking process after the birthday party, and they were still a long way from the final step.

There was no more laughter and joy on the way back in the car.

The vehicle drove into the garage. Liu Yifei had a cold face and said nothing. She went straight to the room on the second floor and slammed the door shut.

Boss Lu smoked a cigarette in silence in the cold wind.

Damn it! What an unexpected disaster.

He walked into Liu Yifei's study and prepared to continue revising the script according to the plan he had discussed with Zhang Chunru during the day, and accidentally saw a complete set of world-class oil painting tools.

Faber-Castell brushes, Winsor & Newton paints, Courbet palette knives, and Pébéo palettes.

Highlight the poor student who has more stationery.

Thinking about someone who was angry about the $1500 million painting, and then thinking about her selfless sacrifice at Fox yesterday, the washing machine, which had been diagnosed by a psychologist as incapable of love, silently picked up the palette...

The next day, Concubine Liu Yi rarely stayed in bed because of insomnia.

The little girl rubbed her sleepy eyes and happened to see Ah Fei driving Boss Lu out of the garage.

"Mom, where are they going?"

"Oh, Xiaolu went to talk to that big lawyer Alan Dershowitz about the Wendy Deng matter."

"Xixi, go to the study and get me some scissors." Liu Xiaoli was preparing breakfast and looked back at her daughter walking towards the study with a smile on her face.

Xiao Liu walked into the study with disheveled hair, turned off the desk lamp that someone had left on last night, and then turned around to see another oil painting with the ink still wet on the easel.

A surprise suddenly came to me and I felt happy. This painting is worth a thousand words.

(End of this chapter)