Chapter 1561
National Treasure
The crew continued working, but compared to the drama crew, the crew of "The Expendables," which was full of action scenes, had a much harder time.
Not long after, Li Lianjie also appeared on set.
He just finished filming the TV series "Badges of Fury" in the country.
Since his peak with "The Warlords," Li Lianjie has basically not made any other particularly good works.
This play was projected using fiber optics; Old Li brought in Wen Zhang and promoted him.
This guy has really had it "too good" these past few years.
Because he was good at networking, he was extremely arrogant towards staff and ordinary people.
But when it comes to powerful figures or wealthy patrons, this guy goes to great lengths to flatter them.
His situation is somewhat similar to Zhang Ziyi's.
Ultimately, you reap what you sow.
However, the karmic retribution has not yet arrived, and Zhang Yuan greets him with a smile, not refusing to use him.
Anyway, he didn't give me a hard time.
Of course, he wouldn't dare.
"Kid, you're doing pretty well on set lately." Old Li held up a thermos in one hand and patted him on the shoulder with the other.
"JET, it's nice to meet you."
As they were chatting, Scott Arkins, who played the minor boss in the film, came over to greet Old Li.
The Undisputed series starring this actor is considered one of the best action-packed movies.
The guy is English and idolized Bruce Lee since he was a child, which is why he went into action movies.
Those who make action movies, both domestically and internationally, are at least more than half Bruce Lee fans.
Therefore, in terms of achievements in the film industry, Chen Long far surpasses Bruce Lee in every aspect.
However, in terms of the promotion of Chinese Kung Fu and its global recognition, Bruce Lee surpassed Chen Long.
In any case, both of them are representative figures of the Chinese people.
Li Lianjie was slightly lacking in this aspect.
It's not that he's not good enough, it's just that those two are too much of a supermodel.
As a leading figure in the industry, he also holds a very high position.
For example, in front of this Adkins.
The British man was very polite and humble towards Li Lianjie.
Because from "Black Mask" to "Danny the Dog," Lao Li had taken him on several trips.
This guy's other idol is Jean-Claude Van Damme, and they've both gathered on set.
Besides Bruce Lee, Jean-Claude Van Damme's idols also include Chuck Norris.
His fight scene with Bruce Lee in "Enter the Dragon" is a classic on screen.
This old man was also invited by Stallone to make a cameo appearance.
Anyway, it still comes down to this: when martial arts people get together, they can all trace their connection back to Bruce Lee.
Zhang Yuan looked at Adkins; this guy was a typical supporting character.
Their image and temperament are not enough to carry a film.
Everyone who sees it looks familiar, but not quite.
"Are you familiar with everyone in the crew?" Old Li then asked.
"It's alright," Zhang Yuan replied indifferently.
"Why do I feel like some people are looking at you with a rather strange expression?" Li Lianjie glanced around nimbly.
Not long after arriving, he noticed a blond, blue-eyed handsome guy constantly casting resentful glances at his little brother.
He's the guy who was kicked to sleep by Jean-Claude Van Damme and then escaped back to the hotel at the risk of being ganked by Bulgarian wolves.
I've been holding a grudge ever since!
After returning to the hotel, I thought about it for a long time and realized something was wrong.
Hmm... Could it be that Chinese guy tricked me and encouraged me?
I figured it out after about three or four days.
He's the one who egged me on!
I don't know if his slow reaction time is just his natural behavior, or if he was injured by being kicked by the older brother.
"I think you'd better keep a low profile."
"As the saying goes, 'Those who don't heed the advice of their elders will suffer the consequences,'" Old Li said with a chuckle, shaking his head.
"You haven't been feeling too good lately, have you?"
"I've seen a lot of people criticizing you online."
"Keep a low profile, keep a low profile," Old Li said, and walked away on his own.
Zhang Yuan touched his nose.
Even the older generation likes to make sarcastic remarks.
Regarding the death on set, these old guys were all in agreement: to remain silent.
Silence is golden; leave everything to the legal team to handle, and don't make any statements or get involved.
Regardless of what's said online or in the news, they remain silent.
After a few months, no one remembers it anymore.
But he felt that even a brief encounter was still a connection.
The arising and ceasing of causes and conditions are all part of my journey; how can I remain silent?
Expressing myself is also a way of conveying and venting my own emotions.
He said the same thing to Jiang Yilang: I'm just doing what I want to do, what I think is right.
The girl expressed her support.
They may be right, but being mercenary to the point of being a seasoned shrew is not necessarily a good thing.
When it's hard to tell right from wrong, it's better to follow your own heart.
However, as Lao Li said, the ripples created by his actions backfired and affected him as well.
Because of his response and his condolences on Weibo, the accident was implicated in his case.
Some say it was his stunt double who caused the fatal accident because he acted like a diva and refused to perform dangerous scenes.
Some say that after the accident, he only posted a few words of commemoration without offering any compensation.
In short, nothing you do is right.
He called Zeng Jia to discuss it, and she also advised him to keep quiet for now and wait for things to calm down.
Because he's so popular now, this popularity has become like adding fuel to the fire.
Another male lead with an 800 million yuan budget, another romantic scandal, and now this fatal accident.
He dominated the entire Chinese entertainment industry.
Others who want to trend on social media have to consider his attitude.
Zeng Jia's point is that no one will listen to explanations now, so it's better to wait until the hype dies down before issuing an announcement to set the record straight.
He considered it and agreed to the plan.
Because it involves other people.
I can't exactly shout online, "This isn't my stand-in, it's Li Lianjie's."
They were killed in an explosion because they were filming his movie; it has nothing to do with me.
It's easy to sever ties, but you have to protect your elder brother.
Doing this would be like keeping quiet about deaths on set before, which would violate his principles.
Speaking of which, Lao Li is quite cunning. At times like these, all the attention is directed towards him, while his brother Mei Mei disappears into the shadows and doesn't say a word.
In other words, I have to take the blame for a while.
But he always felt that something was off about it.
No one ever said he was my stand-in; it just fell on my head out of nowhere.
In between filming, he also had his company post a celebratory Weibo post.
Because Brother Chenlong's new movie has been released.
It's that movie I "missed out" on, "Chinese Zodiac".
Although I missed out on this movie, getting Legendary Pictures on board was still worthwhile.
Tactical failure, strategic success.
At the same time, we shouldn't remain silent just because we missed it.
The older brother should still be respected; one should at least give him a shout-out, even if the financial backer is an enemy.
I went there because of the eldest brother, not because of the person behind him.
The people behind this play are also complicated.
Besides Hua Yi being the main investor, Chen Long also contributed his own money, and Eagle King also invested.
In addition, there's Tangde Film & Television, which has become quite popular in recent years.
After missing out on the benefits of Huayi's IPO, Fan Bingbing spent nearly a million yuan to buy almost 2% of the company's shares.
The other party is also planning to go public, relying on the TV series they collaborated on with her, plus some investments.
Given his relationship with Fan Bingbing, he could be considered a partial partner.
Just like how most action movie stars can be associated with Bruce Lee, there are only about a dozen major players in the film investment industry, and they are all interconnected.
In addition, the play "Chinese Zodiac" is a bit special, especially in terms of its subject matter.
Although it's an archaeological treasure-hunting adventure, the location of the research is very important.
The twelve zodiac animal heads are the twelve animal heads that the Eight-Nation Alliance stole from the Old Summer Palace when it burned down.
The film tells the story of the discovery of four lost animal heads.
In reality, the five statues have not yet been found, but there's more to this story.
France was among the filming locations because France is an important "collection and distribution center" of world cultural relics.
There are numerous auctions that specialize in these kinds of cultural relic transactions, and they strictly protect the information of both parties involved in the transaction.
Because most of these items are legally considered "stolen goods" and cannot be brought to light.
Furthermore, the filming of this movie was not without its backing, as it was supported by the famous Pinault family of France. This is because the rat and rabbit heads from the Chinese zodiac are in the Pinault family's possession!
It was obtained by their family.
Supporting the filming of this movie involved contributing manpower, resources, and land, all for one purpose.
They used Chenlong's fame to pave the way for their upcoming donation of the two bronze animal heads to China, making a big fuss about it so that the whole of China would know.
And these two animal heads were quite famous back then.
In 09, Christie's France held a high-profile auction at the Grand Palais in Paris, with these two bronze animal heads as the main attraction.
After the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs communicated with the other party, they ignored the request and continued the auction.
A Chinese collector bid a high price but refused to pay, claiming that the item belonged to China and should not be sold to anyone else, resulting in the item failing to sell at auction.
This incident was widely reported in the news at the time.
But that's all.
What most people don't know is that the Pinault family secretly bought the two artifacts from the owner afterward, without going through public channels.
Then, they gradually built up momentum while contacting China, expressing their willingness to donate "free of charge".
"Free of charge" means that you don't have to spend any money; it's given to you for free.
But I won't give it away for nothing. I've done you such a big favor, so I should do you some favors when I come to China to do business.
This is considered a very clever way for capitalists to maintain mutual respect. They returned the national treasures to their rightful owner, and the Chinese side treated them as guests, offering preferential treatment for investment and cooperation.
The specific details, and how much benefit was given, are not something ordinary people are qualified to know.
However, the Pinault family's Kering Group has made a fortune in China.
The remaining oxen, monkeys, tigers, and horses were originally in the hands of the Tsai family in Taiwan.
However, this family sold the cultural relics after encountering financial difficulties, rather than donating them, so they did not gain any political advantage from it.
My buying and your voluntary donation are two different things.
The ox, monkey, and tiger sculptures were all bought by Poly and are exhibited in their own art center.
Ultimately, the snake, rooster, dog, sheep, and most importantly, the dragon head, which is the most representative and symbolic, never returned.
In fact, news of some of the animal heads occasionally circulates in the market, but they are most likely still in Taiwan.
Because foreigners didn't recognize its value at first, nobody wanted it, and it was only worth tens of thousands of US dollars decades ago.
It was only after foreigners discovered how much the Chinese valued it that they raised the price, bringing it up to several million US dollars per piece.
Especially for the leading brands, the price is expected to be astonishing.
However, it was later rumored that the dragon head appeared and was traded in France, but its whereabouts remain unknown to this day.
Unlike a person whose fate is unknown, meaning they are dead, the whereabouts of something unknown likely mean its whereabouts are known.
At least we know roughly where it is, but for some special reason we haven't moved it or it's not worth moving it.
So the movie says there are 4 lost statues, but there are actually 5. The missing one is the dragon head that was rumored to be missing.
Since Chenlong's film is associated with the "national treasure" theme, I have to give it my full support no matter what.
It's not about the play; it's about the patriotic feelings of being a Chinese person.
"Looking forward to Brother Chenlong's new film 'Chinese Zodiac'."
"I look forward to the day when the national treasures can finally return home and reunite with their families!"
After posting his support on Weibo, the unpleasantness he felt due to the rumors subsided considerably.
The marketing and distribution for this show was brilliant.
Patriotic propaganda is one aspect, but more importantly, it involves "playing the victim."
A poster was released in advance, featuring a full-body image of Chen Long, along with a list of all the injuries he has sustained while filming over the years.
According to the poster, there's not a single good spot on the eldest brother from head to toe.
He's practically a superman.
The promotional effect is simply amazing!
This immediately sparked heated discussions among the audience.
Longtime viewers were moved by the veteran actor's hard work, while new viewers, seeing how hard he was trying, felt compelled to lend a hand.
Zhang Yuan believes this is one of the most famous and successful cases of film and television marketing.
In terms of methods, Jia Lin's later weight loss promotions actually used similar tactics.
All of these works resonate with the audience by highlighting the efforts of the lead actors.
It's just that Jia Lin's method is easy to learn, but Chen Long's method is something that others really can't learn.
Don't say that playing the victim is low-class; others really don't have the right to do it.
Young actors may want to sell their work, but they can't exactly put a note about an injured fingernail on it, can they?
If others did this, it would be considered opportunistic, but Zhang Yuan would accept it if Chenlong did it.
I can't accept it.
With its combination of patriotism and sob stories, this movie became a huge hit as soon as it was released.
Several people from the company called to complain that we missed out on a big, lucrative project.
Zhang Yuan remained calm, for things can never be entirely as one wishes.
Moreover, Chenlong himself and Huayi have a close relationship.
Leaving aside previous collaborations, Uncle Long recently partnered with Yaolai to establish Yaolai Chenlong Cinemas, which has dozens of cinemas bearing his name.
And Yaolai and Huayi are strategic partners, so they're also involved.
But Uncle Long is the eldest brother after all, and his way of handling things is completely different from Li Lianjie's.
During the press conference for "Chinese Zodiac," after a reporter asked him about his injury, they also casually mentioned the recent high-profile case of a stunt double dying overseas.
"Filming is inherently a dangerous thing."
"Nobody wants an accident to happen."
"The claim that Zhang Yuan is arrogant and uses a body double is untrue. I have worked with him before, and that's not the case."
“You don’t know the situation. I don’t think he would act like a big shot.”
"Everyone is heartbroken when someone dies, but we can't blame it all on the actor."
“I also get injured frequently, but fatal accidents are ultimately a minority; you simply don’t see most of the injuries.”
The older brother still sides with him.
Upon seeing this report, he made a special long-distance call to thank his elder brother.
They also said they would book 10 movie screenings in support.
He gave the tickets away to his fans as a perk.
This is called praising someone's achievements.
The eldest brother is indeed the eldest brother.
After finishing the call, Zhang Yuan glanced at Lao Li, who was leisurely sitting in the rest area waiting for his scene.
tsk...
People are different, due to their personalities.
Chenlong is indeed more decent and refined in his conduct than Lao Li.
He didn't hold a grudge against the other party; it's only human nature to seek advantage and avoid harm.
He's not your father; he has no obligation to speak up for you.
In the world of martial arts, helping you is a blessing, not helping you is the norm.
Not long after, he received another phone call from China.
It was Jia Shikai, who was in charge of the company's public opinion control, calling.
“I’ve done some research and found that these recent rumors about you all follow a pattern.”
"It's not spontaneous from netizens; someone is stirring things up and paying for online trolls."
Because he is a master at using online trolls, perhaps even the best in the market, he is more sensitive than the average person.
I found a group of online trolls and asked around. Sure enough, someone was assigning tasks.
"Is it possible to trace the source?"
"It's possible to check, but it will take a lot of time," the other party replied.
Online trolls don't have fixed organizations; they're all unemployed people.
There aren't any professional online marketing companies around these days.
Even if they do, they have to protect customer information; otherwise, who will do business with you in the future?
Zhang Yuan thought for a moment.
It's not uncommon for popular celebrities to be involved in public opinion crises, with people immediately stirring up trouble.
There are too many competitors, and they'd love for you to die so they can free up resources for everyone to share.
Even among the top actresses and actresses of the "Four Dan and Two Bing" (referring to actresses born in 1985 and 1996), the slightest disturbance will immediately trigger a storm of public opinion.
Most often, when your new show is about to air, your rivals will frantically buy articles to dig up dirt on you or bring up old stories, dredging up your past scandals.
This isn't considered vulgar in the world of fame and fortune; at least he's used to it.
But Zhang Yuan can confidently say that no actor would dare to mess with him alone!
I'm an investor now; messing with me is tantamount to cutting off your own path.
Don't kill!
Wanting a trial card for the Great Fortune Burning Technique is a valid requirement.
So, those who do this kind of thing are either encouraged by someone behind the scenes, promising benefits, or the person behind the scenes does it personally.
Even a small-time mortal like me isn't qualified to mess with me.
There is no competition between us.
Who can compete with me?
Who dares to compete with me?
Not long after, he went online to check.
I rely on!
There are actually people who want to compete with me.
Just now, Huang Xiaoming's studio posted on Weibo, expressing their anticipation for their upcoming collaboration with director Chen Kexin... (End of Chapter)