novellhall Chapter 184 Damn it, Gan! [5000]
Chapter 184 Damn it, Gan! [5000]
Chapter 184 Damn it, Gan! [5000] (Seeking monthly votes)
The premiere has ended.
Media briefing.
The first question came from a reporter from the movie channel: "Chen Xun, you received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for your role in 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,' marking the first breakthrough for a Chinese actor in a mainstream commercial film. What do you think this means for filmmakers?"
Chen Xun thought for a few seconds and answered seriously: "Rather than saying it means something, it proves something. It proves that Chinese actors are capable of creating moving characters in any type of film. It proves that our performances can be understood and appreciated by audiences worldwide."
"This is not the end, but a new beginning. I believe that more Chinese actors will stand on the international stage in the future, and not only in terms of acting awards, but also in terms of directing awards, screenwriting awards, and even best films."
Applause erupted from the audience.
The second question was from a reporter from the Beijing News: "Recently, some voices in China have suggested that your success in Hollywood was merely an export-to-domestic resale. What's your take on this?"
This is a somewhat sensitive issue.
Chen Xun smiled and said, "I understand that. But I want to say that my export is not for re-importation. I went to Hollywood because there are roles I want to play and teams I want to work with. My success is primarily because my work itself moves the audience, not because of my nationality."
He paused for a moment: "As for domestic sales—I'm glad my film is popular in China, but that shouldn't be the sole criterion for judging an actor's value. A good actor should be able to perform well anywhere, not just in a specific market."
The third question comes from an online media outlet: "Your story about taking the film crew to a night market for snacks went viral online. Some netizens said that this shows true cultural confidence. What do you think?"
Chen Xun laughed: "I think everyone is overthinking it. I just think those snacks are delicious and I want to share them with my friends. Cultural confidence is not about deliberately showing off anything, but about naturally being yourself."
"Taking them to the night market is just like taking them to see the Great Wall or the Forbidden City—it's about sharing things I think are good. If they like it, I'm happy; if they don't, that's okay too!"
"True self-confidence lies in not forcing others to agree with you, and in not being afraid of their disagreement!"
These words drew another round of applause.
Even director Justin Lin, who was sitting next to him, nodded in approval.
The meeting lasted for an hour.
The reporters were still reluctant to leave when the meeting ended.
Chen Xun's answer was almost flawless.
Sincere, insightful, and humorous.
That evening, related reports were quickly published.
The headlines are getting more and more shocking:
"Chen Xun's Premiere in the Capital: Eight Thousand Fans Wait in the Cold Night, a True Shining Star for the Chinese People"
From Night Market to Red Carpet: Chen Xun Demonstrates True Cultural Confidence
Responding to the controversy surrounding the shift from export to domestic sales: Chen Xun says good actors know no borders.
The trending topics on Weibo have once again been dominated by this group.
The top five are all related to Chen Xun.
The hashtag #ShiningBoysAirportWarningMistake# remained on the list for half an hour before being pushed down.
Some netizens joked, "Teacher Wang Feng is finally not alone anymore. Now he has young heartthrobs to keep him from making the headlines."
It was 11 p.m., and the premiere celebration banquet had just ended.
Before Chen Xun could even speak, Vin Diesel, stroking his bald head, exclaimed, "Chen, the night market was amazing! We have to continue today!"
Paul pulled his coat tighter around himself and nodded repeatedly: "I swear, I've dreamed about pan-fried buns three times."
Gail glanced at the weather forecast on her phone: "It's cold outside, but it's all worth it for the delicious food!"
The funniest one is Tyrese.
This guy has been talking about making up for his regrets since the afternoon.
"I chickened out last time with the stinky tofu, but this time I'm going to stand up for myself!"
He patted his chest and said, "Don't you Chinese have a saying: 'Get up wherever you fall'?"
This guy has even learned a few Chinese phrases these past couple of days!
Chen Xun laughed: "That's called learning from your mistakes, but whatever you want."
Director Justin Lin went back to his hotel to rest first.
The remaining five people put on hats and masks and slipped out of the hotel through the back door.
It turned out that there were already seven or eight fans squatting there.
"Brother Xun! Shall we take them to eat braised pork offal?"
"Fermented mung bean juice! We absolutely have to get some!"
"I need a live stream! My roommate bets that Tyrese won't be able to drink soy milk!"
Chen Xun was both amused and exasperated. He waved his hand and said, "Be careful, don't follow me, it's cold."
The fans were quite well-behaved and didn't follow along; they just took out their phones and snapped a few pictures of his back from a distance.
This time, Rob was smarter and checked the guide beforehand: "Wangfujing Snack Street is too commercialized. Let's go to Huguosi, it's more authentic."
"Okay, you can arrange it."
Chen Xun gave his assistant a thumbs up.
The five of them took a minivan and headed straight to Xicheng.
On the way, Paul was scrolling through his phone when he suddenly burst out laughing: "Look, there are already videos on Twitter of the reactions from Shanghai's night markets."
He handed me the phone.
It's a reaction video made by an American food blogger, titled "When Hollywood tough guys meet Chinese pan-fried buns".
The clip included a montage of the moment Fan got burned, and Paul's satisfied expression as he held up a lamb skewer, accompanied by exaggerated captions: "OMG, this juice!" "American burgers have lost!"
The comments section was also lively: "Fan's expression is exactly how I looked the first time I ate xiaolongbao."
"Paul seems to have found meaning in life."
"Is Chen Xun a tour guide? He seemed so patient while explaining."
"Address please! A must-eat in China!"
Tyrese leaned over to look and saw that the picture of him dodging stinky tofu had been turned into a meme with the caption "Nope!"
Not today!
"Hey! How come this involves personal attacks?" he protested.
Chen Xun patted him on the shoulder: "I'm giving you a chance to turn things around today."
The car was parked at the intersection of Huguosi Street.
Even at 11 p.m., the old street was still brightly lit.
Several long-established shops were still open, with steam rising from the entrances and condensation on the glass windows.
The smell in the air has a distinctly northern flavor.
It has the aroma of braised offal, the savory flavor of fried noodles, and the sour smell of fermented soybean milk.
Tyrese was the first to jump out of the car, took a deep breath, and then froze: "What's that smell? Something's gone bad?"
Fan also smelled it and frowned: "It's even more impactful than stinky tofu."
Paul remained calm: "Blue cheese smells bad, but it tastes good."
Gail had already taken out her phone and started recording a video: "Documenting Tyrese's path to redemption."
Chen Xun led the way into a time-honored restaurant.
The shop is small, with white tiled walls, wooden tables and chairs, and a menu and price list from the 1990s hanging on the wall with red plastic lettering.
The shop owner, a man in his fifties, was watching TV while leaning against the counter when he saw a group of foreigners walk in and paused in surprise.
When she saw Chen Xun take off his mask, her eyes widened: "Oh my! You—you're that—"
"Boss, give me five bowls of douzhi (fermented mung bean juice), jiaoquan (deep-fried dough rings), braised pork buns, fried liver, and some 'donkey roll' (a type of glutinous rice roll) too."
Chen Xun quickly placed his order to avoid the boss shouting it out and attracting attention.
The boss was so excited his hands trembled, and he nodded repeatedly, "Okay, okay! Sit down! Right away!"
Five people squeezed around a square table against the wall.
Tyrese couldn't wait: "Where's the soy milk? I'll go first!"
Chen Xun suppressed a laugh: "Are you sure? This is something you have to savor slowly."
"What are you 'tasting' about!"
Tyrese, with a heroic expression of "I'm going to get my revenge," declared: "Let's just do it!"
Gail pointed her phone at him: "Live stream started, friends, witness the moment."
The boss came over carrying a tray.
Five bowls of grayish-green soy milk, steaming hot, with an even stronger sour taste.
It comes with golden and crispy fried dough rings and a small dish of pickled vegetable shreds.
Tyrese took a deep breath, picked up the bowl, and looked at his companion.
Fan made a "please" gesture.
Paul clenched his fist: "Go for it, bro!"
Gale zooms in.
Chen Xun kindly reminded him, "Sip it slowly, don't—"
He hadn't finished speaking.
Tyrese tilted his head back and gulped down a large mouthful.
To be precise, it was half a bowl.
He put down the bowl, moved his lips, as if savoring the memory.
Then his expression began to change.
From anticipation, to doubt, to shock, to—collapse.
The sip of soy milk swirled in his mouth, a sour, slightly sour taste with a strange aftertaste.
踏马的，甘！
"What is this thing?"
He held it in his mouth, muttering indistinctly, "It tastes like spoiled soy milk mixed with rag water!"
Fan couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Paul quickly asked, "Really?"
Tyrese's face contorted in pain, and he instinctively felt like vomiting.
Just then!
Seven or eight young people rushed in through the door, holding up their phones: "It really is Chen Xun!"
Wow! Vin Diesel!
These are clearly fans attracted by online news.
The camera instantly focused on Tyrese.
He still had soy milk in his mouth, and he couldn't spit it out or swallow it.
Chen Xun whispered a reminder: "The fans are watching, maintain a tough guy image."
Tyrese's eyes widened, his mouth full of soy milk, his expression contorted in pain.
One of the fans shouted, "Tyrese is drinking soy milk!"
"Live broadcast! Quick, take a picture!"
The arrow is on the bowstring.
Tyrese gritted his teeth, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he swallowed with a "gulp".
Then, as if his soul had been ripped out, he slumped in the chair, his eyes vacant.
I almost cried.
"Hahahahaha!"
The fans burst into laughter.
Someone was quick enough to turn that moment into a GIF: "Tyrese: Why did I challenge myself to eat Chinese food?"
Gail recorded the whole thing on her phone, her shoulders shaking as she tried to suppress her laughter.
Chen Xun quickly smoothed things over: "Boss, give him the fried dough rings and press them down."
Tyrese grabbed a fried dough ring and stuffed it into his mouth. It took him a while to recover, and he pointed at Chen Xun, yelling, "You—you tricked me!"
"I reminded you."
Chen Xun spread his hands innocently: "You're the one who had to work so hard!"
Fan curiously picked up the bowl and carefully took a sip.
His expression changed too, but compared to Tereska's, he said, "Hmm—it's peculiar, like over-fermented oatmeal, but with these crispy rings—huh? I can actually accept it."
Paul tried it too, and frowned: "No, this is beyond my understanding."
Gail touched her lips to the ground and then put the object down: "I choose the burnt ring."
Chen Xun took a sip and sighed contentedly, "You guys don't understand, this stuff is addictive."
Fans gathered around to take pictures, but were very polite and didn't disturb their meal.
One bold girl asked, "Brother Xun, can they accept braised pork?"
Chen Xun looked at the group: "Shall we give it a try?"
The braised pork and baked buns were served, a bowl of thick, dark soy sauce, with large intestines, lungs, tofu puffs, and baked buns soaking in the broth.
This time, Fan was smarter and asked first, "What part of the body is this?"
"Pig intestines and lungs."
Chen Xun spoke the truth.
Paul's expression was subtle: "We Americans basically don't eat offal—"
But Tyrese got excited again!
We have to get back the face we just lost!
He scooped up a spoonful, closed his eyes, and put it in his mouth.
He chewed twice, then opened his eyes: "? This is okay!"
The meat is braised until tender and flavorful, with the offal flavor masked by the spices, resulting in a savory and rich taste.
Fan tried it and nodded: "Much better than douzhi (fermented mung bean juice)."
Gail carefully tasted a piece of tofu puff, and as it soaked up the broth, her eyes lit up: "This is delicious!"
When the fried liver arrived, it was another challenge.
A sticky bowl, with liver and intestines thickened with a gravy.
Tyrese, now fearless, took the lead in eating.
"The texture is like gravy, but thicker," Paul analyzed. "The liver is very tender, and surprisingly, it's not fishy at all."
As Chen Xun ate, he explained, "Many of Beijing snacks are poor people's food. Offal is cheap, which is why so many ways of cooking it have been developed."
"wisdom!"
Fan gave a thumbs up, "Just like our American BBQ, it originally used cheap pork ribs."
Sweet treats like donkey rolls and pea flour cakes were universally approved.
The chewy red bean paste rolls and the sweet pea cakes were a delight to behold for the foreigners, who ate with beaming smiles.
Gale especially liked it: "This should be introduced to America, it would definitely be a hit."
While we were eating, the owner brought over another plate of fried sausage.
"It's a gift! It's a gift for you!" The boss rubbed his hands together and laughed, "Chen Xun, my daughter is a fan of yours, can we take a picture together?"
"certainly!"
Chen Xun wiped his hands and stood up.
I took a photo with the owner's daughter and signed autographs for everyone in the store.
The fans lined up in an orderly fashion to take photos, without causing any disturbance.
Tyrese took the opportunity to eat another piece of sausage.
Dip it in garlic sauce!
He was so spicy he kept gasping for breath, but he couldn't stop eating.
When it came time to pay, the owner absolutely refused to accept the money.
Chen Xun still scanned the code to pay, and said in a low voice, "It's not easy for you to run a business, you should take some money back."
It was already 12:30 a.m. when I left home.
There were fewer people on the street, but a few fans were still following.
Chen Xun turned around and called out, "Everyone, it's cold, go home early! We'll be here again tomorrow!"
The fans then gradually dispersed.
On the way back to the hotel, Tyrese slumped in the back seat, rubbing his stomach: "I feel like I ate a whole pig."
Paul scrolled through his phone: "Look, it's trending on social media."
#Tyrese's Soybean Juice Emoji Pack#
#Chen Xun's Late Night Snack at Huguo Temple#
#HollywoodStarBJSnackChallenge#
Click on the first one, a nine-grid animated GIF:
Tyrese was drinking soy milk when his expression froze. He noticed the fans, forced himself to swallow, and collapsed in tears.
The caption reads: "The ups and downs of life can be found in a sip of soy milk."
Comment section: "Hahahaha, Tyrese is so pitiful."
"Chen Xun did it on purpose."
"But he actually swallowed it! He's a real man!"
"In contrast, Uncle Fan is so calm, as expected of the old man."
"Even when Gael eats at a roadside stall, she is elegant."
After reading it, Tyrese covered his face: "My image—"
Chen Xun laughed: "That's good, it's approachable."
"Popular my foot!" Tyrese wailed. "My mouth tastes like that rotten stuff!"
Gail posted the video she filmed in the group chat: "I've already edited it. I'll post it on Instagram tomorrow with the title 'Tyrese's Food Redemption: The Failure.'"
"No, sis!" Tyrese pleaded.
The car was filled with laughter.
Fan suddenly said, "These experiences are much more interesting than the red carpet."
Paul nodded: "The smiles on the red carpet are all fake, but here, it's real to be brought to tears by the sourness of douzhi (fermented mung bean juice)."
Chen Xun looked out the window at the night view of Beijing, the streetlights gliding across the car window.
He recalled the days a few years ago when he was an extra in Los Angeles, squatting on the roadside eating a three-dollar boxed lunch.
Back then, I never imagined that one day I would be drinking douzhi (fermented mung bean juice) in an old hutong in Beijing with a Hollywood A-list star.
Life is truly amazing.
Before returning to his room, Chen Xun posted a Weibo message: "Late-night snack at Huguosi Temple is a success. Comrade Tyrese paid the price for his courage, but the braised pork and fried liver were well received by our international friends. Thank you for the hospitality, and thank you to all the fans for your polite attendance. See you tomorrow."
The accompanying photo is a group picture of five people holding up a hot air ring.
Tyrese's smile looked more like a grimace.
Two minutes later, a commenter wrote: "Tyrese: Thank you."
"Brother Xun, next time you should take them to have douzhi (fermented mung bean juice) with jiaoquan (deep-fried dough rings), that'll be the perfect match!"
"Which shop near Huguosi? I'll stake it out tomorrow!"
"Please show it on repeat! I'm so mad at not seeing Tyrese drinking soy milk live!"
Chen Xun scrolled through the comments, smiled, and turned off his phone.
The morning after the BJ premiere.
The head of Universal Pictures' China marketing department was frowning as he looked at his iPad: "Happy Camp? Chen, are you sure? We've checked the data; the show's ratings have been declining in recent years..."
Will the decline in popularity, coupled with the inclusion of comedic variety shows, tarnish the hardcore image of "Fast & Furious 5"?
Before Chen Xun, sitting opposite him, could speak, director Justin Lin spoke up first: "I've heard of this show in America too. I think it's one of the oldest variety shows in China?"
"It has been broadcasting for more than ten years, every Saturday night, and the average viewership used to reach 200 million."
Chen Xun turned his phone around, and the screen displayed the Weibo trending topics list: "But what's more important now is the online buzz. The video of us eating at the night market last night has already exceeded 50,000 views on Weibo. Fans are urging us to update and want to see our real reactions on variety shows."
Kevin adjusted his glasses: "But for roadshows in other countries, we usually only do premieres and media interviews. Staying in China for three more days to record programs would increase pre-sales, and there are risks involved—"
"The risk is that it might become a viral sensation."
Chen Xun interrupted him, his tone calm but firm: "Kevin, what's the core message of our film?"
"Action, racing, family."
Kevin, the person in charge, answered very quickly.
"Yes, family."
Chen Xun clicked on a clip from a previous episode of "Happy Camp": "Look at this show, the five hosts call themselves the Happy Family. They've been doing it for over ten years, and the audience sees them like they're a family. Doesn't that perfectly match the theme of our movie, where family comes first?"
The video was showing Xie Na and Li Weijia making funny faces, and the audience burst into laughter.
Director Justin Lin leaned closer to take a look and nodded: "The atmosphere is indeed very relaxed, like the American 'The Tonight Show'."
A combination of "Saturday Night Live" and "Saturday Night Live".
Kevin's eyes lit up.
The conference room door was pushed open.
Vin Diesel poked his head in from the bald man's shoulder: "Hey, what are you talking about? When's lunch?"
Paul followed behind, still holding the third package of fried dough rings he bought at Huguosi Temple last night: "Chen, do you still have these crispy rings? I ate them for breakfast, and I just can't stop eating them."
Gail chimed in: "I gained 300 followers on Instagram last night, all from Chinese snacks in Jing. Chen, you have to take us to eat our way through the next stop."
Tyrese was the last to enter, his face still a little green, but he stubbornly insisted, "I can't handle douzhi (fermented mung bean juice), but I can still handle other things!"
Kevin looked at the group of people and suddenly laughed.
He turned to Chen Xun: "How did you convince them?"
I couldn't convince them.
Chen Xun shrugged: "I just said that there are ten times more delicious foods in Changsha than in Beijing, and they all agreed."
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