Chapter 1496
Petty
After listening to Lao Han's words, Zhang Yuan smacked his lips twice.
It's okay, I'm in a good mood.
When filming, how can you expect to be completely unharmed?
Film crews that have a smooth run are few and far between; there are plenty of problems, and many have ruined good scripts and filming due to management and personnel issues.
"What exactly is the problem?" Zhang Yuan calmed himself down and told his makeup artist not to stop working, as he continued applying the makeup.
"Is director Chen Kexin having trouble with her scriptwriting?"
"Is it still a funding issue?"
"Neither." Old Han's tone was calm, but there was a hint of annoyance in his voice.
The other party gave a brief explanation.
The specific situation is indeed quite complicated, because it has little to do with the creation of the film itself.
Chen Kexin found a professional screenwriting team and personally led the team to write the script, showing how much she values this project.
Xu Xiaoping, one of the original three pillars of New Oriental and the original author of the script, did not have much objection to the major revisions to his manuscript.
This person is easygoing and carefree, and thinks it's fine if you change things.
After talking with him, Chen Kexin expressed her intention to share his real experiences in North America.
In other words, this outstanding young man in China graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music and then worked in the Department of Arts at Peking University.
When I went to North America in the 80s, it wasn't the lighthouse, it was Canada.
After graduating with a master's degree in music, he couldn't find a job and could only deliver pizzas, work as a truck driver for UBS, and also teach music in his spare time.
Things become more valuable away from their hometown, but people become less valuable away from their hometown. This principle was understood by the ancients, but many modern people have not seen through it.
You are a teacher at a top university in China, but when you go abroad, you have to wash dishes with greasy hands, alongside those who look up to you back home.
Chen Kexin felt that this experience should be included in the story.
Why is it that even if you watch "American Dreams in China" ten years later, you won't find any problems with its stance or thinking? On the contrary, you'll find its narrative to be very objective.
His inspirational message is based on reason, rather than simply praising foreign countries.
The reason lies with the director, Chen Kexin.
Because Chen Kexin also washed dishes in North America!
The end of the paper is so shallow that I know that this matter must be carried out.
Only those who have never been abroad would believe that it is a "heaven on earth".
Both of the creators worked as dishwashers in North America, so they understand the real situation of overseas Chinese all too well.
Most Chinese people don't earn hundreds of thousands of US dollars a year working for major internet companies in the Bay Area.
Instead, they compete with Mexicans and Indians at the bottom of society for meager wages in the service industry.
Xu Xiaoping and Chen Kexin both come from scholarly families and their families are not poor.
They are willing to adapt this content into a storyline and put it into a movie.
However, the audience who watched the movie back then may not have grasped its deeper meaning and simply laughed it off.
But the problem lies in these plot points.
This content offended someone.
Yu Minhong!
Xu Xiaoping told his old friend that he was involved in the development of a film about the founding of New Oriental, and that the three of them would be the main characters.
Especially after the general direction of the story was explained, Mr. Yu became unhappy.
There are two reasons why I'm not happy about this.
First, we need to go back a bit.
Back in 2002, New Oriental was already quite remarkable, renowned throughout the country in the education sector, and had become the largest private education institution.
Around the same time, a book of documentary literature called "The Oriental Carriage" was also published in bookstores across the country.
Its content tells the story of the establishment of New Oriental, the problems encountered by the core team, including the founders, even internal strife, and the copyright lawsuit with ETS in North America.
Teacher Luo always says that he was the "top star" of New Oriental back then, but many people don't believe it.
However, this book dedicates a chapter to Luo Yonghao, titled "Heroes Don't Ask About Their Origins."
This means that even if he isn't the "top star," he's at least on par with the Four Heavenly Kings.
But the problem lies in this book; everyone assumes that its contents were obtained through interviews.
In reality, it was written by author Lu Yuegang after he "went undercover" at New Oriental for two years, based on the information he found.
Yu Minhong was furious!
I feel that much of the content in this book is very negative and does not do justice to New Oriental's image.
Why are you speaking such obvious truths!
But this book was published by Guangming Publishing House, and the author, Lu Yuegang, is even more remarkable.
The major case of 88, the disfigurement of Wu Fang, caused a national uproar at the time.
This is a very well-known case of disfigurement caused by sulfuric acid.
After the main culprit was arrested, the victim repeatedly demanded the arrest of the accomplices and other participants, but to no avail.
It was this Lu Yuegang who, after conducting an investigation, published an article that implicated the son of a high-ranking local official.
The reason why this book about New Oriental angered Yu Minhong is not because it describes the school's operation or the controversies surrounding New Oriental.
What really angered him was the description of Lao Yu himself, and his mother.
Yu Minhong's mother is a very opinionated old lady.
She's somewhat similar to Hai Rui's mother, which tells you how powerful she is.
After his son succeeded, he came to the capital and argued with his daughter-in-law every day, forcing Yu Minhong to send his wife and children abroad to study and live.
He also constantly interfered in New Oriental's internal management, and there were even instances of him smashing windows and doors with a hammer. He was deeply involved in New Oriental's decision-making, and would cause trouble if he was dissatisfied with something.
Because of the old lady, Xu Xiaoping and Wang Qiang had many conflicts with Yu Minhong.
She is a typical widow who loves her son.
The book exposed these contents, making Yu Minhong feel ashamed and that his family scandal had been aired in public.
Because he is very resistant to the media, his first reaction to hearing that a movie was going to be made about his own affairs was resistance.
A deep-seated resistance.
I think you guys are incapable of making anything good, and you're trying to smear me again.
Later, this person even wrote an autobiography to clear his name; the book "Dayi Juemi Lu" is an example of this.
Yu Minhong is undoubtedly capable, but he is certainly not very magnanimous.
Another point is that he felt that describing Chinese students studying abroad as washing dishes would be detrimental to New Oriental's student recruitment.
He must have known that this situation was common, but he still felt ashamed and that the people of his country should not know about it.
Lao Yu is different from the other two founders. The other two have a romantic side, while he, who came from a humble background, is a thorough realist and utilitarian.
Therefore, Yu Minhong opposed making movies.
China Film Group is currently in contact and discussions.
However, Yu Minhong refused to communicate, and Chen Kexin could not be contacted.
Since it concerns their affairs, and I disagree, especially since the other party is a well-known entrepreneur, it's very troublesome.
Actually, this film was spearheaded by China Film Group. If it were to be made, the other party would be a giant in the education sector, and they wouldn't be able to reach into the film industry.
But nobody wants to cause trouble for no reason.
Old Han meant that the project was not going smoothly, so it needed to be postponed for a while so he could talk to the other party again.
"It's alright, it's nothing serious."
"Anyway, I'll do as you say. I'll cooperate whenever it's settled." He maintained his attitude.
"I just wanted to let you know, don't worry." Old Han paused after saying this.
Their attitude became more hesitant.
"There's one more thing."
"Please speak."
"Well... there are some opinions within the company about your involvement in this project."
"Huh?" Zhang Yuan was confused when he heard this.
Am I lacking in appearance or in temperament?
I just won an award, so I can't say my acting skills are substandard, can I?
Moreover, the film that won me the award portrayed people from the lower classes, the working class and peasantry.
Playing Yu Minhong during his "loser" period wasn't too difficult for me.
However, he only considered technical factors.
"What do you mean, 'huh'?" Old Han opened his mouth in an annoyed tone.
"You posted on Weibo again during the Chinese New Year a while ago, right?"
Who are you cheering for?
Who are you threatening?
Oh... that's when he realized it.
What the hell!
it is good.
As expected, he's a long-time associate of the Beijing Film Studio, trying to trip me up.
"Can't I even cheer you on? I didn't say anything." He feigned innocence.
Don't give me that. I know you too well.
"Take my advice and stop making a fuss. They're planning to get their marriage certificate soon."
"They even sent me an invitation; they're having a banquet at the end of the year."
Old Han also had a headache.
Zhang Yuan is a master at making money and getting things done; I've never seen anyone so shrewd.
But it has quite a few problems; it not only bites, but it also won't let go.
As Lao Han gets closer to retirement, he's actually seeing things more and more clearly.
Times have changed. It's no longer the era when the imperial circle dominated the world and the children of high-ranking officials had absolute power in the film and television industry.
As the saying goes, the Yangtze River's back waves push the front waves forward; if the front waves aren't swept away on the beach, how can the back waves stir up trouble?
This has transcended personal grudges; it's a competition for market share and the right to speak.
It's not like before, where if something happened, everyone would just get together for a meal and that would be the end of it. Because if you dare not make it up, you can forget about ever being part of the imperial circle again.
What's the situation now?
Not only are local warlords rising up everywhere, but internet giants are also getting involved!
"Just do your job properly and stop messing around," Old Han said before hanging up the phone.
After putting down his phone, Zhang Yuan pondered for a long time.
"Brother Yuan, don't frown, the powder isn't applied evenly," the makeup artist said.
"I'm sorry." He quickly relaxed his brow.
At the same time, I had a general idea of what was going on.
Old Han wasn't saying this to lecture me.
Otherwise, they'll just tell me directly, "Don't even think about filming anymore, this movie has nothing to do with you."
He first talked about the problems he encountered with his work, and then mentioned that there was opposition from within the organization.
His attitude suggests that he is at least not opposed to it.
But then they told me there was internal pressure.
There are essentially two meanings.
Let me take the initiative to reconcile with Yao Cheng.
Or think of another way to shut others up.
He guessed that the other party definitely wanted him to do both.
But why should the victim reconcile with the perpetrator?
Drink up!
The more this happens, the more I can't forget about it.
He had already mentally moved Yao Cheng's priority up and circled it in a small box.
These people at the old Beijing Film Studio can't live forever.
Once the older generation passes away, your glory days will be over.
I'm still young and strong, while you're all half-buried in the ground. Let's see who has the last laugh.
"Dandan," Zhang Yuan called out to his assistant.
"What's the matter?"
"Go and get me some of the most popular IELTS and TOEFL materials."
"Brother Zhang Yuan, you're finally going to take the postgraduate entrance exam this time, right?" the assistant asked, raising his hand.
"roll!"
Continue filming.
Compared to other official duties, filming is the purest and simplest thing for him now.
Especially commercial films like this.
Acting skills only account for a small part; special effects, the star power of the artist, and marketing promotion are the decisive factors in whether a show becomes a hit.
In terms of content, it continues the theme of two women vying for one man from the first film.
However, the character settings were reversed.
The first part is about the fairy Xiaowei who wants to disguise herself as a beauty so that Wang Sheng will love her.
In the second part, it is said that Princess Jing, because of a facial injury, wants to "paint her skin" so that the male lead will love her.
Moreover, rather than being a painted skin, the second part is actually about changing skin and changing heart.
The main focus is on the two women.
It was only by leveraging Zhang Yimou's reputation that he was able to increase his screen time, creating a three-way balance of power and slightly overshadowing the others.
After a busy day, just like yesterday, Yang Mi walked with him.
Guan Xiaotong was driven away by his father.
He stopped her from drinking heavily with her brother.
"Open your trunk, please," Yang Mi called out before getting into the car.
"What... why are you carrying such a big suitcase?"
"Just let the assistant carry them and put them in another car." Zhang Yuan saw her directing Brother Long to move the boxes.
"Different."
Without much thought, he went back to the small courtyard house with him.
After finishing our meal, we prepared to move on to the next stage, which was the exercise and relaxation phase.
Zhang Yuan went to the practice room to warm up, since there were quite a few action scenes in this film.
Judging that it was about time, he went to meet Yang Mi, who was taking a shower, in the bedroom.
After exercising, I was full of energy and just needed to release it.
But as soon as he entered the bedroom, he realized something was wrong.
"how……"
"It seems like there are a lot more things now."
There were now a bunch of bottles and jars on the bedside table.
There was also a bear-shaped humidifier on the ground.
Click, the bathroom door opened, and Yang Mi came out wearing a pink t-shirt with cartoon patterns on it, her chest jiggling with each step.
Zhang Yuan shook his head and went to the dressing room to get a change of clothes.
I noticed that there were also a pair of bottles and jars of skincare and cosmetic products on the dressing table.
Opening the wardrobe revealed a considerable amount of women's clothing.
They have everything from outerwear to underwear.
Upon entering the bathroom, I found a brand new bathrobe and several patterned towels.
There was an extra set of toothbrushes and a mouthwash cup on the sink.
Zhang Yuan squinted as he entered the shower room, then squeezed a head full of shampoo, lathered it up, and found that the scent wasn't very strong.
Upon closer inspection, I realized that these weren't the toiletries I usually use; there were several extra bottles of women's toiletries on the shelf.
Is this still my house...? He kept scratching his head, and then it dawned on him.
"No wonder he complained for no reason yesterday that he had nothing at home."
"I see!"
He said his family had nothing, but today he brought a whole bunch of things with him.
No wonder you carried such a big suitcase when you got on the bus!
Seeing that his house was empty, they immediately used their own things to reserve the spot.
Using words to give advance notice makes it seem perfectly natural.
I realized I'd been "tricked" by Yang Mi.
How to do?
Should we give her something and throw it out?
Definitely not.
Being too smart isn't always a good thing.
The only solution is to teach them a lesson twice as hard every now and then.
There's nothing I can do; there are always older women who are lusting after me.
The problem is, he's not the only one who's lusting after him.
Fortunately, he has a habit of bringing his phone into the bathroom when he showers.
So while I was wiping the foam from the joss paper, I reached out and wiped it, then picked up my ringing phone.
"Hey, how have you been lately?"
Bai Bing, who had spent time with him at the "Honeymoon Courtyard" before the Lunar New Year, called him.
"I'm currently filming, so I'm quite busy."
"Oh," Miss Bai replied softly, "Do you have time to grab a bite to eat?"
"It's been quite difficult lately."
"What about after a while?"
"I'm going to film abroad in a while, so it's uncertain," Zhang Yuan thought to himself.
"How about I come to the film set to see you?" Miss Bai suggested.
Zhang Yuan's heart skipped a beat; Yang Mi was there.
With her arrival, won't the scene explode?
"There are many people on set and paparazzi around, so it's not very convenient."
"That, that..."
"Okay, I'll contact you when I have time."
"Okay," the other person replied somewhat dejectedly.
Zhang Yuan put down his phone, still thinking about it.
I need to talk to her and think about what to say.
He never expected that the other party would not only take the initiative to contact him, but also be so eager to meet.
"Let's wait a while," he muttered to himself. "There's been a lot going on lately."
"When we have some free time in a while, let's spend a weekend together or something."
He didn't take it too seriously and went straight to teach Yang Mi, who had been playing tricks on him, a lesson.
Unexpectedly, only two or three days later, Yang Shouchen called him.
"Hey, I heard you're dating one of our female celebrities?"
"what?"
"Bai Bing."
Old Yang asked the question directly.
"Are you just playing around, or are you serious?"
"Give me an explanation." (End of Chapter)