Chapter 843 You Don't Know the Best

In October, after completing his last public relations event in the United States, Wen Shengming flew back to China overnight.

Then, I took the high-speed rail, transferred to the intercity rail, and then boarded a car arranged by the film crew. After a long and tiring journey, I arrived at the film crew as quickly as possible.

The day Wen Shengming appeared in Wang County, the county suddenly became abuzz.

Neither Lu Yanhe nor Yu Mengling's appearance caused such a commotion.

It was as if everyone in the entire county had appeared.

Lu Yanhe and Yu Mengling were at the scene when they heard the coordinator receive a phone call saying that Wen Shengming's car had been surrounded by people in Wang County, and the main road was completely blocked.

Subsequently, photos from the scene were sent over.

The scene was truly terrifying; the main road resembled a zombie apocalypse.

“Back in those days, Wen Shengming was a household name and a superstar,” Luo Yuzhong said with a smile. “Wherever he went, he was just as popular as the most famous stars today.”

Lu Yanhe said, "A true big shot."

For the people of Wang County, no matter how famous Lu Yanhe was, he could not compare to Wen Shengming's status in their hearts.

The feeling is... well, it's like for those born in the 80s and 90s, no matter how popular today's young idols are or how crazy their fans are, they still can't compare to Jay Chou and Stefanie Sun.

This so-called "insufficiency" is an "unsolvable problem" that cannot be understood between different eras.

Then, to the crew's shock, people from Wang County started sending them eggs and freshly slaughtered, plucked chickens—

"So Wen Shengming is also in this play."

"Wow, this is amazing! What TV series is this? Oh, a movie? A movie... That's rare to see, there aren't any movie theaters in our county."

"The TV station will probably broadcast it too, right?"

...

This was a scene that Lu Yanhe had never experienced in all his years as an actor.

What defines a true national actor?

Lu Yanhe had been given this title before, but now it seems rather ridiculous.

It has deeply resonated with people.

Lu Yanhe thought to himself that he probably really needed ten or twenty years to slowly accumulate such energy.

-

"You are an outstanding actor in China, but you also starred in the Maxine series Death Stranding, which is very popular all over the world and the second season is in production."

The host sat in a chair, looking at Chen Pinhe on the sofa next to him.

"So, I have to ask you this question: When are you going to come to Hollywood to make a movie?"

Following the director's hand gestures, the entire audience erupted in a seamless burst of excited cheers.

Chen Pinhe smiled and waved his hand.

Host: "Come on, just tell us! I've heard you're about to star in a highly anticipated Hollywood movie, haven't you?"

Chen Pinhe sighed, "Unable to refuse your kind invitation," and said, "Alright, since you all know—"

He spread his hands, indicating that it wasn't something he wanted to reveal.

“Yes, I will soon be starring in a comedy film with a background of cultural clashes between China and the West,” Chen Pinhe said. “This film is produced by Wilmas Productions.”

The screams from the crowd grew even louder.

The host, beaming, said, "This is so exciting! Can you tell us who the female lead will be in this movie?"

Chen Pinhe: "Jessica Brand".

The cheers and screams inside the stadium grew even louder.

...

After the recording of the program, Chen Pinhe returned to the backstage dressing room.

Only after Zhang Yuezhen closed the door did Chen Pinhe's smile disappear.

"You were very charming on the show just now," Zhang Yuezhen said with a smile.

Chen Pinhe frowned slightly and said, "He didn't mention the movie 'The Pianist' much just now; he's been focusing on my new movie."

“Honey, this TV appearance was arranged for us by Wilmas,” Zhang Yuezhen said. “The main focus is on the new movie, isn’t that a good thing?”

Chen Pinhe looked puzzled.

“Through this show, the whole world will know that you’ve landed a role in a Hollywood romantic comedy.” Zhang Yuezhen shrugged. “This is your first Hollywood movie as the lead actor. You’re not playing a villain, nor are you playing any exaggerated character. In fact, you’re the lead.”

Chen Pinhe: "However, my salary is only half of Jessica Brand's."

“Jessica Brand is an American actress and very famous, so it’s normal for her salary to be higher than yours. Once this movie is a box office success, your salary will go up,” Zhang Yuezhen said. “Besides, your salary and hers are kept secret, and no one else can know, so it’s just a little lower for now.”

Chen Pinhe: "I'm not concerned about the amount of pay, but the so-called 'lead actor' role. Does Hollywood have this concept? I see that here, the criteria for evaluating an actor are either awards or pay."

Zhang Yuezhen nodded: "That's right. But, for your first time starring in a Hollywood movie, you can get a $1 million salary, which is already a high price. We negotiated for a long time. Although it can't compare with the salary in China, this is not our main battlefield after all. Jessica doesn't get a $2 million salary when she comes to China to act."

Chen Pinhe suddenly chuckled.

Zhang Yue really didn't know what he was laughing at.

She had a gut feeling that it must be related to Lu Yanhe.

But she didn't ask.

These days, Chen Pinhe has become extremely wary of Lu Yanhe.

In particular, "Grass on the Grass" surpasses "Seventeen Floors: Reboot" in many aspects.

Zhang Yuezhen said, "Also, Maxine and Jingtai are discussing developing 'The Seventeenth Floor' into a movie, and they want your role to return as the lead. I think we should return. What do you think?"

Chen Pinhe frowned slightly.

"The movie version of 'The Seventeen Floors'?" Chen Pinhe hesitated for a moment. "Will it be released on Maxine?"

“Yes,” Zhang Yuezhen said. “It will be shown in theaters in China, but it probably won’t be released in theaters overseas. It will be released directly on Maxine. Maxine will also be the main investor in this film. If you are willing to return as the lead actor, they will offer you a salary of $3 million.”

-

“Yan He will definitely not be starring in the movie version of ‘The Seventeen Floors’,” Chen Ziyan told Jiang Lan. “Especially since you must have also approached Chen Pinhe.”

Jiang Lan: "If Yan He is the lead actor, we will definitely prioritize making the version starring Yan He."

"Then let the two of them fight in the ring?" Chen Ziyan was speechless. "Director Jiang, your plans are getting more and more elaborate."

Jiang Lan said, "What can I do? Yan He refuses to be in the same frame as Chen Pinhe."

"The 'Seventeen Floors' IP is indeed very good. Even with Chen Pinhe starring, it wasn't ruined. But to be honest, Jiangtai and Jingtai can't rely on 'Seventeen Floors' forever. Why don't you create some other IPs? Oh, right, even if Yan He can't play the role in the movie version of 'Seventeen Floors,' Chen Bige, Jiang Jun, Li Yuefeng... who among these actors can have their own spin-off movie?" Chen Ziyan said. "You've always wanted to continue working with us, but you know very well that Jingtai has done too many shady things in the past. We're like someone who's been bitten once and is now afraid of anything else. If it weren't for you, we would have cut all ties with Jingtai long ago."

Jiang Lan: "I understand."

“Here’s the thing, if we can license ‘The Seventeenth Floor’ to Linghe, we can produce several spin-off films. The film rights will be shared by Linghe and Jingtai, but Jingtai will not have any production rights to the films produced by Linghe,” Chen Ziyan said. “Then I can represent Linghe and agree to this cooperation. At the same time, we can invite actors like Chen Bige, Jiang Jun, and Li Yuefeng back. Although Jingtai will lose control of these films, you know that Linghe’s production of these films will greatly enhance the value of the ‘The Seventeenth Floor’ IP, especially its value overseas.”

Jiang Lan fell into deep thought.

Chen Ziyan said, "We are willing to offer such cooperation terms based on our trust in you personally, but we do not accept negotiations because we do not want to have too much involvement with Beijing and Taiwan. If we cannot make a proper separation from the beginning, we would rather not do this cooperation."

Jiang Lan: "Then may I ask, why are you willing to engage in this kind of cooperation?"

"Why should Chen Pinhe reap the benefits of the IP value that Yan He worked so hard to build?" Chen Ziyan smiled. "I can use our Linghe to make the IP in your hands even more valuable, but I don't want some people to not only take advantage of the value of this IP, but also use it to attack the predecessors who planted the tree."

Jiang Lan: "Then the spin-off film starring Chen Pinhe?"

“That’s your collaboration with Maxine as the copyright holder, it has nothing to do with Linghe,” Chen Ziyan said. “How we distribute the derivative films we produce, and who we collaborate with, is all Linghe’s business. Jingtai can only enjoy the profit sharing.”

Jiang Lan was extremely surprised.

"With such achievements, I think you should be able to win the competition for the next station director, right?" Chen Ziyan asked. "Chief Jiang, we are not enemies with Beijing TV forever. As long as its owner becomes our friend, we are willing to help you in this way."

Jiang Lan was surprised for a few seconds, then smiled knowingly.

-

"Beijing and Taiwan only get 15% of the film revenue? How did you get them to agree to that?"

This is practically an "unequal treaty".

Lu Yanhe was extremely surprised.

Chen Ziyan: "Because Director Jiang has bigger ambitions, he will inevitably have to make some sacrifices in this regard."

Lu Yanhe was puzzled.

"Don't ask anymore, it's best if you don't know." Chen Ziyan pinched Lu Yanhe's cheek.

Lu Yanhe stared wide-eyed in shock.

? ?

Do you still think of him as a child?

Chen Ziyan said, "In this way, we obtained the production rights to three spin-off films of 'The Seventeenth Floor,' and I plan to use these three films to compete with Chen Pinhe's other films."

"Huh?" Lu Yanhe was taken aback.

Chen Ziyan: "Chen Pinhe's 'Seventeen Floors' spin-off film will not be shown in overseas theaters, but I am preparing to release all three of these films in overseas theaters. So, in addition to HP, I also want to work with Midoriya to produce this film."

Lu Yanhe said, "HP?"

“That’s right.” Chen Ziyan nodded. “I believe HP would be happy to take three important territories from the Seventeen Floors’ territory and turn them into their own. With the Seventeen Floors already a very popular IP, these three movies can also undermine Chen Pinhe’s importance to this IP.”

Lu Yanhe understood.

"So, Sister Ziyan, are you planning to produce these three films yourself?"

He understood that this was what Chen Ziyan meant.

Chen Ziyan nodded.

"The main investors for this film will be Jingtai, HP, Lvgu, and Shihuo. Linghe won't be the biggest investor. I want to use these three films to create our own 'Seventeen Floors' trilogy, including actors signed by Shihuo, both domestic and international," Chen Ziyan said. "In fact, this time, in addition to these main investors, I will also reserve a certain share for several film companies with strength in the target market, so that they can help us distribute the film locally."

Lu Yanhe: "For example, South Korea?"

“Actors from South Korea, Japan, Thailand, India, Malaysia… have signed overseas agency contracts with Shi Huo. I will use them in these films, and with the investment from the distributors, I believe the ‘Seventeen Floors’ trilogy will gain considerable attention,” Chen Ziyan said.

Lu Yanhe understood Chen Ziyan's thoughts.

“If we can turn the Seventeen Floors trilogy into an excellent series, then Chen Pinhe’s movie will naturally pale in comparison,” Chen Ziyan said. “Of course, if everything goes smoothly, the Seventeen Floors IP will also be inseparable from our global distribution network. In order to continue developing this IP and generate revenue globally, Beijing and Taiwan must cooperate with us, and then Chen Pinhe’s exit will be a natural thing.”

-

Lu Yanhe and Wen Shengming have already filmed "Dingfeng No. 1" together.

This time, Lu Yanhe is collaborating again on "The Boat," but he is not taking it lightly.

Looking back on his past acting experiences, Lu Yanhe felt the most pressure when filming scenes with Wen Shengming.

This is partly due to the inherently antagonistic relationship between the characters in "Dingfeng No. 1" from the beginning, but the most fundamental reason is the sense of oppression and stimulation that Wen Shengming's performance brought to Lu Yanhe.

Lu Yanhe was also very curious about something.

Why is it that Wen Shengming, who hasn't acted for so many years, is still able to deliver such a precise performance when he comes back?

This is not about understanding—

Rather, Lu Yanhe discovered it himself after becoming an actor.

Acting itself involves technical skill.

For example, the subtle control over facial features and expressions.

Lu Yanhe admits that those so-called actors who are born to act may indeed be exceptionally talented in their first few roles and have plenty of material to use. However, when they reach the level of Wen Shengming, they need to put their talent aside long ago.

An actor only has one face. If they keep using their talent—which is essentially the same thing—to act, the audience will get tired of it long ago.

This is also where Lu Yanhe needs to make some adjustments to his performance style each time.

In "Dingfeng No. 1", Lu Yanhe even completely adjusted his breathing rhythm.

It needs to be different, it needs to feel fresh. This freshness must be built on the character's personality.

He then discovered that Wen Shengming was also an actor who did his homework very well.

One day, he happened to see Wen Shengming's script.

What kind of feeling is that? It's like seeing a high school senior's notebook.

It was densely packed with words.

Lu Yanhe once thought that this was something that would only appear in the script of a newcomer who had just entered the industry.

In Wen Shengming's script, instead of character analyses, there are different markings and symbols under each word, and some "notes" written in the blank spaces of the narration.

For example, "avoid habitual intonation" or "avoid habitually raising your eyes".

The moment Lu Yanhe saw it, everything became clear.

For new actors, the script is a constant process of adding elements and prompting themselves on how to act.

Wen Shengming's script, however, involves constant subtraction, reminding himself to discard some of his past performance habits.

Lu Yanhe truly felt as if he had been enlightened.

An actor, at a certain point, should simplify their acting career.

(End of this chapter)