Chapter 1511
Obedience
Upon hearing his boss's words, he understood the situation.
It's normal for Chen Long to have competition for roles.
But at this point in time, when I was in the middle of a conversation, it was rather unusual for someone to suddenly appear.
"It's Huayi's side, isn't it?"
"Hmm." The boss thought to himself, "Young people have sharp minds; they guessed right away."
"I understand," he sighed softly.
"The terms they offered must be pretty good."
"5% more than what you gave me."
"Damn it!" Zhang Yuan couldn't help but curse.
That's quite a budget.
Artists at Chenlong's level have a great deal of say in their work.
After all, he was the writer, director, and screenwriter, and he also had the editing rights.
Profits too!
Especially after getting involved with Hollywood, they have long adopted the mechanism of guaranteed minimum salary plus profit sharing.
After all, Jackie Chan is a top-tier star, an international star.
He dares to accept this 1+1 contract because he is confident in his popularity and his work.
Both Li Lianjie and Zhou Runfa, who had experience in Hollywood, preferred not to take profit sharing and instead opted for a one-time high salary.
I'll finish filming and call it a day. Whether it sells well or not, whether I make a profit or a loss, I don't care.
Anyway, I just want to show off.
Chen Long is different. Zhang Yuan had someone negotiate with him, and they roughly agreed on an initial salary of 20 million yuan, plus 2000% of the box office revenue.
There are quite a few accounts like this.
If the film grosses 7 million, his income will be 2000 million plus more than 5000 million in box office revenue sharing, as well as other peripheral income.
This is only the surface level.
Uncle Long, Li Lianjie, and Zhou Runfa are different in one other way.
There is no Li family stunt team, no Zhou family stunt team, but there is the Jackie Chan stunt team!
There's another prerequisite for investing in Chen Long's films: all of his staff must be employed, and their salaries cannot be low.
In the early years, during the 1980s and 90s, Jackie Chan's stunt team was supported by Chen Long himself.
We get paid every month, we film together when there's a movie, we eat together, we're all brothers.
That's at least what they say.
But no matter how powerful the dragon is, it's impossible for so many people to have work every day.
Some of his brothers complained, so he let them go out and earn extra money on their own when they weren't working.
But problems soon arose, and this problem was quite common; it had also occurred at Deyuan Society.
That is, money is easy to earn outside, and it comes quickly, especially with the name of Jackie Chan's stunt team.
Therefore, when you, as the troupe leader, have work to do, you can't call people back!
In 91, the filming of "Project Eagle" was scheduled, and everything was set.
As a result, when Uncle Jackie called his brothers to film a movie, they all made excuses!
Filming on location in the Sahara cost millions a day, but these guys who eat and drink their own food all day long pretended to be dead.
Because it's a film starring our own people, the pay will definitely be less.
Just like performing crosstalk in a small theater like the Huideyuan Society, the pay is definitely not as high as that of TV galas.
Because Chenlong and Guo Degang still need to make money.
But these two have similar ideas: "It is because of me, Chenlong, that there is the Jackie Chan Stunt Team, and that you can make money outside under my name."
In a fit of anger, they directly cancelled the original cooperative model of sharing resources.
The brothers aren't the same as they used to be.
I'll call you when there's work, and you'll be paid by the day.
If there's no work, go out and earn it yourselves; your lives are in the hands of fate.
Ultimately, only a few can earn a living on their own. Without Chenlong's aura, most martial arts performers are just manual laborers.
If Chenlong is wary of even his own wife, how could he not be wary of you?
After that, he would let the partners pay his salary and then decide the amount.
Those who follow me will have food to eat, and they'll earn more than those who work outside.
In this way, my brothers are extremely grateful to me, Chenlong, and I don't even have to pay anything.
He's in a much better state than before, when giving a little help was appreciated but receiving little help was met with resentment.
Ultimately, there's nothing new under the sun; the people are still the same people, and the events are still the same events.
Zhang Yuan had someone calculate that, in this case, he would actually have to pay Chen Long and his people nearly 100 million yuan.
It's already incredibly high, considering all the various costs involved.
And Huayi is adding another 5%?
Don't underestimate 5%; in this context, it's worth at least tens of millions.
That's too much money spent.
Zhang Yuan thought about it and agreed.
He glanced around at the people who were ecstatic about the listing of PalmFun.
This must have infuriated the two brothers.
And competing against themselves in the drama "Chinese Zodiac" is also a way for the other party to show their attitude.
At the same time, because it is a listed company, as long as the film does well at the box office, the stock price will rise, and even if the film itself does not make money, they can still make a lot of money in the stock market.
They have more ways to make money than others.
Unlike me, I have to strictly calculate costs and leave enough profit margin.
This is why it's so difficult to fight against listed companies.
People can use their power to hurt others.
Logically speaking, we should have retreated at this point.
But after thinking it over, Zhang Yuan found it interesting and changed his attitude.
"This is intolerable!"
"I will never back down in the face of such malicious competition!"
"I know you're young and impetuous," the boss quickly advised, "but we're all just trying to make money."
"Chenlong's acting is good, but he's not the only option."
"If the other party is so assertive, it's okay for us to give way a little."
"I'll avoid his sharp edge!" Zhang Yuan shouted angrily.
"You don't need to worry about this."
"I've decided to add another 5% to the profit sharing."
"what?"
This means we'd have to give Chenlong 30% of the box office revenue. Would we still be able to make a profit then?
The boss felt that he had lost his temper.
"To be honest, I'm at the Shenzhen Stock Exchange right now."
“One of the companies I invested in just went public.”
"If this decision results in losses, then I will take responsibility."
"I'm not short of money!"
"I can afford to pay for it!"
After saying that, he hung up his phone.
"Hahahaha……"
He then let out a villainous laugh.
Add to the bets! Add to all the bets!
This is like bidding at an auction house.
You cross the river, and I cross the river too.
If you add me, I'll add you too.
If the other party agrees, I'll let them have their way. At least I can help Uncle Long make more money, and that would be fair to him.
If the other party doesn't agree, then I'll take it. I might not lose money even if I bid; at worst, I'll just earn less.
But don't blame me for publicizing that you couldn't beat me.
Whether you follow me or not, I'll make you feel terrible.
Who told you to act impulsively?
This prompted someone to contact Chenlong and increase the profit share to 30%!
The entire company was in an uproar, thinking the boss had gone mad.
This news will reach the other party's ears very soon.
Sure enough, as soon as he returned to the capital from Shenzhen, someone called to inquire about him and ask about the matter.
Old Han was one of them.
"Don't get so angry all the time."
"No, it's just business."
"Come on, you never intended to do it properly," Old Han thought to himself, feeling uneasy.
"Don't fool yourselves with all this foreign stuff, you fools. Don't just turn yourselves into fools and fight amongst yourselves." After hearing what had happened, he roughly understood the situation.
"They don't treat me like family."
"Alright, alright, I'm too lazy to talk to you anymore. Anyway, there should be limits to what you do, especially when it comes to your peers."
Zhang Yuan thought to himself, "You should teach that guy a lesson."
"You previously said you wanted to re-release 'Ip Man 1,' and now it's been approved."
"Really!"
"That's great!" He perked up as soon as he heard that.
Just then, the promotional campaign for "The Grandmaster" was about to begin.
He quickly called Wong Kar-wai.
After a long time, the other party finally answered, and sounded half-dead.
"Hey, what do you want?"
It was as if she really didn't want to hear his voice.
Zhang Yuan was very unhappy.
Why are directors so reluctant to work with such an excellent actress like me?
For example, 523, Feng Xiaogang, and Wong Kar-wai.
Ah!
It must be their problem.
They proactively mentioned that they could participate in the promotion and distribution of "The Grandmaster".
They explicitly stated that they did not want any money.
"Are you really that kind?" Wong Kar-wai asked tentatively.
"I have always respected you."
"This is what I should do, and Zhang Ziyi is now my artist. I'm here to support my own person."
"I see..."
"Just let me promote the re-release of 'Ip Man' while I'm at it."
Wong Kar-wai thought to himself, "I knew you weren't that kind of person."
Whether he agrees or not is irrelevant anyway.
The kind of person Wong Kar-wai can only mess with actors to satisfy his own psychological needs.
Zhang Yuan contacted the film's producers and distributors, who were very welcoming. He'd been hoping to generate buzz but had no other options; now the opportunity had come knocking on his door!
He then participated in the press conference for "The Grandmaster" in Beijing.
The main cast includes Tony Leung, Zhang Ziyi, and Max Zhang.
Xiao Shenyang also attended on behalf of his master.
Even Song Hye-kyo, the Korean woman who has suffered so much, came.
His face looks bitter.
After all, it took almost two years to film, but when the movie was shown domestically, his scenes were cut down to 5 minutes, leaving only two lines of dialogue.
If foreigners have a bad impression of the Chinese film industry, then Wong Kar-wai is definitely one of the culprits.
He has screwed over all the top celebrities in Japan and South Korea.
The only thing that made Song Hye-kyo, who looked so bitter, smile was seeing Zhang Yuan again.
This is the first time we've met since we started learning a foreign language together.
"Ms. Song Hye-kyo, who do you think is more handsome, the two Ip Mans?"
“They all have their own charm,” the person replied after hearing the translator’s words.
"If you had to choose a partner, who would you prefer?"
Zhang Yuan grabbed the microphone and interrupted.
“I have my own Zhang Yongcheng.”
Don't make things difficult for them, or it will cause another scandal.
"So, who do you think played Ip Man better, you or Mr. Tony Leung?"
"I can say with 100% certainty that, in terms of action scenes, mine is definitely better."
"Because I'm a professional," Zhang Yuan replied confidently.
"Of course, I'm not sure about the artistic expression, because I haven't had a chance to see the full movie yet. I'm really looking forward to it."
When Wang Jiawei heard him say that, he thought, "You've surpassed my leading man?"
"Personal aesthetics differ, but our action scenes are also very professional and exciting."
"Including Chang Chen, who is not here today, he specially practiced Bajiquan for filming and even won the national championship."
Zhang Yuan: Oh right, right, right...
Champion of an amateur specialized competition.
Why don't you include the prefix?
If that's the case, then I can't even beat Leung Chiu-wai.
After all, he later played the Mandarin.
They'd even take on a role like this? They've got no shame!
Since it was their home turf, he still managed to find a topic to smooth things over and gave them a good compliment.
Even if it's just for Liu Jialing's sake...
My older sister will be coming to Beijing soon, and at the same time, I did something else.
He took a selfie at Tiananmen Square and posted it on Weibo with the caption "The East is Red, the sun in my heart".
This content is normal, especially for tourists visiting Tiananmen Square.
And then... I got criticized tens of thousands of times!
Zhang Yuan's previous patriotic persona was a clever trick; he used the Japanese as a point of leverage, making it difficult to refute.
Moreover, he chose a relatively good time.
In 05, a person named United Photon posted on Tianya.
The specific content uses data to show the gap between China and Japan, arguing that China can never surpass the island nation, that we are an inferior race, and that we should never have fought and won the war, otherwise we would have been annexed by the Japanese and would have become rich long ago.
The post received numerous replies and many agreed with it.
Then a guy named Xueliangjundao posted one of the most famous posts on Tianya to refute it.
The old man predicted that China's GDP would surpass that of the island nation by 2030.
Furthermore, it cites a large amount of data and scientific literature to support its claims.
Brother, you're being conservative. In fact, five years after he posted that message, in 2010, China's GDP surpassed that of the island nation, making it the world's second-largest economy.
By 2030, it is estimated that our per capita GDP will surpass that of the Japanese.
This well-reasoned and somewhat "conservative" article was ridiculed and insulted by countless people in the comments.
When the time came to an end in 2010, this post was dug up again, and some people said that what's the use of total amount? The per capita amount is so small, it's all meaningless.
Once the per capita figure exceeds the limit, these same people will say that data is useless and that what matters is that ordinary people are living well.
Anyway, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the CIA have world-class remote dog-raising technology, that's the truth.
Those born in the 00s are lucky to have caught up with such good times; they can openly and loudly proclaim their patriotism.
Just because Liu Jialing dared to express herself publicly on Weibo, Zhang Yuan respected this woman as a real man.
Whether it's genuine or just an act, judge by actions, not intentions.
So even though Zhang Yuan treated everyone to dinner after the press conference, Liang Chaowei didn't go because he didn't want to give him face, and he didn't say much about it.
Let it be. This kind of spiritual homeland belongs to island nations and the British; they can't communicate with it themselves.
The main reason for inviting these people to dinner was to entertain the Legendary Pictures team.
I need to have someone accompany me; I can't possibly face a dozen or so foreigners all by myself.
The team behind "The Grandmaster" is of a high caliber. When the other party saw that the people I invited to chat with were of this caliber, they felt respected.
I've found someone in my life who believes foreigners don't care about saving face or showing off.
Furthermore, Zhang Yuan was quite aware that Smith and his gang had definitely been to many dinner parties recently, having dined with all sorts of bosses.
As for food, it's certainly nothing special.
I bet he's so sick of roast duck that he wants to wrap everyone in a pancake.
So the key isn't in the food.
First, you need to find out the other party's background.
What do these people want? What does the company want?
"This is Wang Jiawei, the best director in China."
“I know him, and I admire his work.” Smith glanced at the guy who even wore sunglasses while eating.
In fact, not only Zhang Yuan thought he was faking it, but people in Hong Kong also thought he was crazy.
Purely pretentious.
"This is the best actress in China."
Zhang Ziyi took the initiative to step forward; she was adept at accompanying people for drinks.
“This is the best female entertainer in South Korea.” He then pointed to Song Hye-kyo.
After the introductions were finished, the foreigner, after a few drinks, suddenly became interested.
"Zhang, I know you are very good at kung fu and have made many action movies."
"Could you demonstrate it for us on the spot?"
Zhang Yuan sneered inwardly.
I'm the boss here, and you expect me to make a fool of myself with just one sentence?
"I charge for demonstrating my kung fu skills; the fee is very high," he politely declined.
“I really want to see it,” Smith said, glancing at the other foreigners and egging them on.
"Have one!"
"Yes, we are looking forward to it."
“I haven’t been active for a long time, and movies are just movies,” he refused again.
“We all want to see kung fu, and I believe that’s the basis for our cooperation.”
Zhang Yuan looked at the foreigner who had said this with a smile on his face.
Compliance test.
Try to play this game with me.
"I only know how to fight, not how to perform."
"If you cooperate with me, then it's possible." He extended his hand to invite the other person.
The foreigner looked at him for a few seconds, then looked away.
He felt that if they really started fighting, he didn't know what would happen.
Foreigners are so cunning.
"Haha, I've never had any boxing training, so never mind."
"If you really want to see, we have professionals here."
Zhang Yuan turned around and called out, "Brother Jin!"
They called Zhang Jin over; he was a graduate of a martial arts school and his profession was martial arts performance.
"Foreigners want to see kung fu. Show them off, and maybe if you do well, you'll get a chance to act abroad," he advised.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Jin naturally put in a lot of effort.
Zhang Yuan clapped repeatedly, and the foreigners were also watching with great interest.
However, he and Smith would occasionally observe each other and even exchange glances.
After the meal, the other party drank quite a bit.
Zhang Yuan prepared expensive red wine for him, which made him quite satisfied.
"Zhang, do you remember what I told you before I came?" On the way back, the man sat next to him and chatted.
"You're right, we should strengthen cooperation, and you're very interested, aren't you?" Zhang Yuan deliberately steered the conversation in that direction.
"No, no, no, that's a company matter. I was talking about our private matters."
"I've heard that Asian women have very fine and smooth skin," he said with a sly smile.
Just like before, Zhang Yuan felt uneasy.
I hate it when you white people dehumanize Asian women.
The key is that there really is a group of people who are willing to be steaks.
"What specific ideas do you have?" He could only follow up with the question.
"I've been thinking about this the whole time while we were eating."
"Oh."
I took a liking to someone at a dinner party.
Zhang Yuan pictured Song Hye-kyo in his mind.
Craving Korean steak?
It would be more appropriate to call it Korean fried chicken.
Although they had communicated, he didn't have any feelings for Song Hye-kyo.
"You know, a woman's wishes are very important."
Song Hye-kyo isn't mine, and she's not even Chinese, so I wouldn't dare mess around with her.
“COME!” Smith said nonchalantly. “Women crave wealth and fame; they are both foolish and vain creatures.”
They are incredibly gentlemanly in public, but in private they are nothing but scoundrels and prostitutes.
Zhang Yuan certainly disagreed with his statement, but he did not refute it.
"Women should be easy for you to obtain."
"This is your home turf, so you should be the one to entertain me."
The foreigner said, his face flushed.
"And isn't Zhang Ziyi one of your artists?"
"Can't you order her around?" Smith asked matter-of-factly.
Zhang Yuan: ... (End of Chapter)