novellhall Chapter 72: A Glimpse into the Lives of People in the Chinese Entertainment Industry
Chapter 72: A Glimpse into the Lives of People in the Chinese Entertainment Industry
Huayi Brokerage Department.
Li Binbin looked at the script outline analysis of "Detective Chinatown" handed to him by his younger sister, Li Xue, and found it more and more interesting the more he read it.
"Sister, although this film has two male leads and the female lead doesn't have many scenes, it's still quite outstanding. Most importantly, if you can get this role, it will help your film career." Li Xue paused, "and crucially, you can also get in touch with Director Wei."
Li Binbin put the script analysis on the table and leaned back on the sofa: "But now that country bumpkin maid is by his side, she'll definitely try everything to stop me. Last time with 'One Shot,' she was the one who sabotaged things, and this time..."
"Sister," Li Xue interrupted her, "just because she stopped you, you gave up?"
Li Binbin remained silent.
"Think about it, even that woman surnamed Deng wants to get to know him now." Li Xue was referring to Wendi Deng. "Leaving aside her talent in film, just look at her resources in the international fashion world. Are you really willing to give that up?"
Li Binbin fell silent. His sister was right.
A minute later, she spoke: "How do we get started?"
"Don't go through Wei Yi's door. Go in another direction."
Li Xue's logic was simple: Wei Yi was surrounded by too many women—Fan Binbin, Mu Tingting… each one like a she-wolf smelling meat. Going straight for them would only result in being overwhelmed; they had to find another way.
"Li Hua," Li Xue said, "is Wei Yi's senior apprentice and currently the absolute second-in-command at Hehuan Film and Television. If someone impresses Li Hua, he will definitely pass it on to Wei Yi."
Li Binbin thought for a moment: "How can I win him over?"
"Two approaches. One is to appeal to his professionalism." Li Xue pulled another document from her bag. "I had someone investigate Li Hua's background. His grandfather worked at CCTV, his grandmother taught at the Beijing Film Academy, and his parents both work at the Capital Television Station. He himself has worked with Zhang Yimou for several years and is the kind of person who values professional competence. Sister, if you can make him feel that you genuinely understand this drama and are not just trying to ride its coattails, he will speak up for you."
Li Binbin took the document, flipped through a couple of pages, and looked up at his sister.
"What about the other direction?"
"Prepare a check for one million, or a passbook or bank card."
"One million, isn't that too much...?"
"Sister, Huang Xiaoming not only gave away his salary to others to play Yang Guo, but he also spent an extra two million."
Hearing Li Xue say this...
Li Binbin closed the file, stood up, walked to the mirror, and looked at his distinct facial features in the mirror.
"Let's start with Li Hua," she said. "You make the arrangements."
Dormitory for the Department of Performing Arts at Beijing Film Academy.
Yang Mi is browsing her laptop.
She and Wei Yi were in the same year, both from the class of 05.
Since the day Hehuan Film and Television opened, she has volunteered to be free labor.
Over the past two weeks, she has been doing this at least two or three times a week.
Wiping tables, sweeping floors, helping organize documents—she did everything.
Wei Yi would occasionally play games on the fifth floor, and she would bring up a cup of tea she had brewed, put it down, and leave without saying a word.
She still remembered what Wei Yi said when he recognized the four of them in the cafeteria that day.
"Yang Mi, Zhang Xiaofei, Zhang Xuan, Yuan Shanshan, you're all in the same dorm, right?"
Someone who has only met someone once can remember all four people's names.
Either he has a good memory, or there is another reason.
She hoped it was the latter.
The news headlines on the computer screen were thick and black:
The new film "Detective Chinatown," starring a top-scoring student in the National College Entrance Examination, is planned to have an investment of 100 million yuan, attracting multiple film and television companies to compete for investment shares.
Yang Mi jumped to her feet: "Sisters!"
Zhang Xiaofei was wearing a face mask when she was startled by her shout, almost causing the mask to fall off: "What's wrong?"
"Senior Wei's new drama!"
Yuan Shanshan poked her head out from the top bunk: "Didn't we already know we were helping out at Hehuan Film and Television for nothing?"
"No, think about it."
Yang Mi lowered her voice and spoke rapidly, "How many people does he have in his company now? Li Hua is one, Mu Tingting is half a person, and there isn't even a proper receptionist. The four of us, especially those from the Performance Department of Beijing Film Academy, if we volunteered now to play minor roles in his new drama..."
Zhang Xuan was the first to react, slamming the football magazine she was holding onto the bed:
"That makes sense! If we go now, it's called 'helping out.' If we wait until he announces the casting call, it's called 'taking a chance.' The nature of the two is completely different."
Zhang Xiaofei peeled off the face mask, revealing half of her hydrated face: "Then...who will go and say it?"
All three of them looked at Yang Mi at the same time.
Yang Mi took a deep breath and picked up her phone: "I'll send him a text message."
She typed very quickly, revised it twice, and finally sent out only three lines:
"Hello Director Wei. I heard that 'Detective Chinatown' is in pre-production. The four of us in my dorm don't have many classes lately. If there are any extra roles needed, we can come and help out. We don't need any payment. We just want to learn from you."
After sending the message, she stared at the screen for about ten seconds. There was no reply.
"Is he still sleeping at this hour?" Yuan Shanshan leaned down from the top bunk and looked down.
"11 a.m.? How could that be?" Zhang Xiaofei shook her head.
Yang Mi's phone vibrated. She looked down and saw that Wei Yi's reply was only one word.
"Come."
A restaurant in Central, Hong Kong Island.
Chow Yun-fat picked up a piece of blanched bok choy and slowly chewed it.
"You didn't see what happened at the dinner in New York before." He pointed at Gong Li with his chopsticks. "When that Frenchman brought over the wine, I felt something was wrong. Young Wei reacted quickly and pulled him away."
Gong Li picked up her teacup, didn't drink it, and then put it down: "Later, Anna Wintour got really angry."
"So she owes Xiao Wei a favor." Chow Yun-fat put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth with a tissue, and added, "I owe him one too."
What do you owe him?
"That set of VOGUE pages, huh?"
Chow Yun-fat leaned back in his chair, counting on his fingers, "As soon as the picture of Donghua Dijun came out in Hong Kong, my agent's phone was ringing off the hook. There's a brand, what's it called again, anyway, it's an old British brand that never used to hire Chinese people as spokespeople, but this time they took the initiative to ask me."
Gong Li picked up her teacup and took a sip.
She knew that Chow Yun-fat was a man who cared a lot about his image and loved money.
This is just showing off now.
Moreover, in Hong Kong Island, an endorsement deal that comes to the door of an old British brand is sometimes more valuable to Hong Kong people than money.
"So I told him," Chow Yun-fat said, "If he wants to film in Hong Kong Island in the future, he can just ask. I heard that his new movie is going to be filmed in Thailand. If he wants to get to know people in Thailand, I have an old friend who owns a production company in Bangkok."
Gong Li raised an eyebrow: "Brother Chow, when did you become so enthusiastic?"
Chow Yun-fat smiled but didn't explain why.
But Gong Li knew.
She herself was no different.
That set of VOGUE cover photos boosted her fashion resources several notches, and recently even brands in Europe have been contacting her.
Those people used to see her as a Chinese actress.
Looking at her now, we see her as a fashion icon who can pull off any style.
How much is this transformation worth?
"He's amazing," Chow Yun-fat said. "When I talked about him with my old friends, they all said they wanted to get to know him."
"What did your old friend say?"
"What else can I say? He got a perfect score on his college entrance exam, made a box office champion movie at eighteen, and Anna Wintour was chasing after him to work with him. Even if we don't work with him now, it's never a bad thing to get to know someone like that."