Chapter 873 Aren't you a little precocious? (7600 words updated!)

"You should know very well that we don't want the movie 'Yellow Smoke' to be released. So, if you want us to cooperate with the promotion of this movie, under normal circumstances, we will not agree. We would rather have a less-than-stellar film as little as possible, than have it become more involved with us."

Li Zhibai sat in front of Zhong Benshuo and spoke very frankly.

“Of course, you’ve acquired the distribution rights to this film, and you can’t just keep it to yourself, as that would affect your interests. I can’t ask you not to release the film. But how about we postpone its release by two months?” Li Zhibai said. “I won’t say anything else, but if any of my films are on Maxine in the future, I’ll do several rounds of free promotion.”

Zhong Benshuo sat down in front of Li Zhibai with a smile and said, "Zhibai, we're already quite familiar with each other, so these things are easy to discuss. The scheduling plan for 'Yellow Smoke' wasn't my decision. They knew that 'Love is Not Blind' was going to be released, and that you and Jiang Yuqian were both starring in it, so they wanted to take advantage of 'Love is Not Blind's' popularity—"

That sounds nice enough. After studying Chinese culture for several years, "蹭" (cèng) has become "借东风" (jièdōngfēng).

Li Zhibai silently complained to himself.

He listened.

“I welcome your offer,” Zhong Benshuo said. “However, I have always wanted to work with you. Your ‘Grass on the Grass’ was so well-received that it almost overshadowed ‘Seventeen Floors: Reboot.’ In China, you are a top star. You should have come to me for ‘Grass on the Grass’ and worked with Maxine.”

"Let's forget about it then. The two shows, 'Grasshopper' and 'Seventeen Floors: Reboot,' are already fiercely competing in China. If we put them both on Maxine, you'll definitely have a better chance with 'Seventeen Floors: Reboot.' I know that this IP is far more valuable to Maxine than 'Grasshopper.'"

Jong Bon-seok: "The Seventeen Floors is also making other spin-off dramas. If you are willing to participate, I would be very happy to do so."

“You really don’t understand at all.” Li Zhibai had a “no wonder” look on his face. “I’m at odds with the producers and copyright holders of ‘The Seventeenth Floor’, Jingtai. We have a public conflict and have fallen out. You want me to cooperate with them? Don’t disgust me.”

Upon hearing this, Zhong Benshuo showed a look of surprise.

Li Zhibai added, "Of course, I would be happy to work with you, but the scripts you sent me before were all too ordinary and did not meet my requirements."

Jong Bon-seok: "I don't mind if you, as a producer, offer your suggestions for revising the script."

Li Zhibai: "Are you sure? I have to say, I'm not someone who's easy to deal with. Except for Lu Yanhe's script, which I don't offer much advice on, I usually give a lot of suggestions for revisions to the scripts of other projects, including 'Flying on Grass'."

Zhong Benshuo: "Maxine has never interfered with content creation, which you should have seen in many news reports."

"What about the release date of 'Yellow Smoke'?" Li Zhi asked. "If I don't agree to collaborate with Maxine, is it difficult to postpone the release date?"

“Zhibai, I sincerely want to cooperate with you and also want to be your friend.” Zhong Benshuo spread his hands. “As for friends, when ‘Yellow Smoke’ is launched, whether it’s launched with great fanfare or quietly, is not an important matter for Maxine. Of course, it will cause some losses, which is unavoidable, but Maxine can bear it. I can make the decision.”

Li Zhibai nodded and said, "Since you put it that way, I can agree to your request. I can choose one of the projects you are preparing and I will handle it. But as you said, I hope Maxine will not interfere with the content creation aspect."

“We at Maxine never interfere. Once we decide to collaborate with a creator, there’s only one reason: we fully trust them,” Zhong Benshuo said. “You can even raise funds for your own project, and Maxine will take care of the necessary funding.”

Li Zhibai: "You don't have any restrictions on subject matter, genre, style...?"

“Zhibai, as I said, I fully trust you,” Zhong Benshuo said. “There is an old saying in China that I really like: ‘If you use someone, don’t doubt them; if you don’t trust someone, don’t use them.’”

"Are there any restrictions on the funds?" Li Zhibai asked again. "Can I spend them as I please?"

Zhong Benshuo said helplessly, "I still need a project proposal to get the headquarters to review and sign off on it."

Li Zhi laughed heartily.

"Just kidding," Li Zhibai said.

-

“I’ve already resolved the matter of ‘Yellow Smoke,’ so you don’t need to go looking for Zhong Benshuo anymore.” As soon as he finished talking to Zhong Benshuo, Li Zhibai immediately called Lu Yanhe. “The matter of ‘Yellow Smoke’ wasn’t a big deal, but if you take the initiative to communicate with him about it, even if it’s not you but Chen Yin, he will definitely want to take a bite out of you. It’s better if I communicate with him directly.”

Lu Yanhe was extremely surprised.

He asked, "You found him so quickly, and even finished talking to him?"

It hadn't even been 24 hours since he called Li Zhibai to talk about "Yellow Smoke".

“When I heard you tell me that you were going to have Chen Yin communicate with him, I got a headache. I don’t want to cause any more trouble for the movie ‘Love is Not Blind’ because of us,” Li Zhibai said. “It’s not a big deal. I agreed to work with him on a movie, and he readily agreed.”

"You haven't been taking on any roles randomly, have you?" Lu Yanhe asked in surprise.

“No,” Li Zhibai said. “I have full autonomy, which is similar to your cooperation model with Soren. There is no time limit. In fact, he just wanted to use this as an excuse to cooperate with me. He even mentioned that the movie ‘Yellow Smoke’ could not be released and could be kept in his hands.”

Lu Yanhe: "You believe his nonsense? The moment you stop cooperating with him, 'Yellow Smoke' will be released."

Li Zhibai: "Let's take it slow. I'm increasingly realizing that all demands can be discussed. If we can't reach an agreement this time, we can next time. It's all about timing and circumstances; who knows when the situation will change? Making 'Grass on the Fly' has truly made me understand why you told us a long time ago that when we have the ability to write the discs and assemble a team, we shouldn't be afraid of failure; we must do it. Because 'Grass on the Fly' is going to be a series, and now countless people are not just throwing money at it to get a piece of the pie."

Lu Yanhe laughed.

“Before, as an actor—even the most popular actor—when you negotiated with them, they only saw you as an actor.” Li Zhibai smiled. “Do you know what I was most proud of when I communicated with Zhong Benshuo this time?”

Lu Yanhe: "I don't know, where is it?"

Li Zhibai: "He said he doesn't mind if I make various suggestions for revising the script. If the script really can't be revised, he is willing to do a project that I want to do myself. They will not interfere with the content. As long as I have an idea, they will provide funding."

Lu Yanhe: "Your successful management of the 'Flying Grass' project has convinced them of your ability to control a project and your vision."

“Yes.” Li Zhibai’s tone was tinged with excitement. “That’s what made me feel the best. It was at that moment that I suddenly realized the difference between us. As an actor, even if I win an Oscar for Best Actor one day, even if I win Best Actor awards all over the world, I’m still just an actor in their eyes.”

“Actors can gain respect in terms of art and commercial value, but they can’t get complete respect.” Lu Yanhe smiled and shrugged, even though Li Zhibai couldn’t see his gesture.

"Yes, and this is another thing I learned from you. Even though I was the one who benefited, because they wanted to cooperate with me, this opportunity for cooperation turned into a price I had to pay to achieve another goal. Zhong Benshuo actually felt like he got a bargain. Under normal circumstances, if I wanted to make a project and went to him with the project proposal to ask for funding and the green light, he might not have agreed so easily."

“I will still agree. Don’t underestimate your own value,” Lu Yanhe said. “He’s not really stupid. Why would he do something that loses money? But it’s true that because you’ve been rejecting Maxine’s scripts, your collaboration with them is especially valuable.”

Li Zhibai: "Aren't you a little precocious?"

He suddenly asked this question.

Lu Yanhe was stunned.

"ah?"

Li Zhibai: "Never mind, it's nothing. I just feel that you seem to understand these things many years earlier than we do."

Lu Yanhe was both amused and exasperated.

"It can't be that bad, can it?"

Li Zhibai: "How could it not be? You seem to have a natural intuition in this area."

“It’s Sister Ziyan who’s helping me vet things.” Lu Yanhe shook his head. “If it were just me, I would have been thrown into a trap long ago.”

Li Zhibai said, "I know that what Sister Ziyan taught you were specific methodologies, but many times, what is needed is the most instinctive reaction. I didn't understand this before, but now I'm becoming more and more aware that many of your instinctive reactions are correct, especially in terms of interpersonal relationships. I'm a year older than you, and I really feel ashamed now."

Lu Yanhe: "What's wrong with you today? Did Zhong Benshuo bewitch you? You're suddenly saying things that don't sound like you."

“Sigh, I just suddenly realized that before the movie ‘Love is Not Blind’ was released, I almost caused a negative impact on it once or twice because of my own reasons. I’ve never done this before,” Li Zhibai said. “Yuqian is right. I shouldn’t have acted in this movie in the first place. We both forgot that once our relationship was exposed, it would cause trouble for the movie. In fact, we shouldn’t have worked together so casually. The impact of this one plus one is greater than two.”

“Don’t start making a big deal out of ‘Love is Not Blind’ just because it’s my movie. I never thought it was a bad idea for you two to act in this movie. Even if your relationship were exposed before the movie’s release, even if it did affect the movie’s box office, I don’t think it’s that serious or bad. If you weren’t so suitable for the role of Wang Xiaojian, I wouldn’t have approached you because of Sister Yuqian’s suggestion,” Lu Yanhe said. “You two are really funny, talking as if you two decided on this movie. It was my decision too. When I decided to cast you two, did I not know about your relationship?”

Li Zhibai was at a loss for words.

"Whether it's you or Sister Yuqian, none of the things that happened before the release of 'Love is Not Blind' were things you wanted to happen, and we've resolved them all," Lu Yanhe said. "We're just waiting for 'Love is Not Blind' to be released. Believe me, it will definitely be an excellent movie."

-

"Yes, 'Love is Not Blind' has also been scheduled for release. It will be released in the United States on March 4th next year."

At a party, many people asked Lu Yanhe about the movie, because during the day, Midoriya had just announced the release date of "Love is Not Blind" with the slogan "The latest screenplay by Oscar winner Lu Yanhe".

Lu Yanhe's screenplays have all achieved either box office success or award success, without a single failure.

"Love is Not Blind" naturally attracted a lot of attention.

Not to mention, the female lead in this movie is Jiang Yuqian.

The success of "Red Eye Flight" has indeed made Jiang Yuqian a highly regarded film actress. The success of a film in which she played the absolute lead role has a far greater impact than the three films in which she played supporting roles.

This marks another collaboration between Lu Yanhe and Jiang Yuqian.

All told, this is the fourth time Jiang Yuqian has starred in a work written by Lu Yanhe.

From the hugely popular TV series "The Squid Game" to "The Phone," "Red Eye," and "Love is Not Blind," except for the film "The Phone," which did not achieve particularly remarkable success globally, and "Love is Not Blind" which has not yet been released, the other two collaborations have been remarkably successful.

Especially with "Red Eye," it's extremely rare to see a woman as the absolute lead in a crime film, taking on the villain. This film also received high praise from audiences and was a very successful commercial film.

However, after learning that "Love is Not Blind" is a romantic comedy, many people's positive attitude towards the film instantly changed, and they began to have reservations.

There's nothing else to it, it's just that romantic comedies are a genre where it's quite difficult to overcome cultural differences.

In matters of male-female relationships, love, and especially sex, the differences between different cultural backgrounds are vast. Neither the topics discussed nor the patterns of interaction between men and women are easily reconciled. What lies behind this is not merely love, but also the values ​​and cultural perspectives that different cultures present based on these concepts.

Lu Yanhe, however, did not see it as a problem.

The story of *Love is Not Blind* takes place in a modern urban setting, exploring themes of male-female relationships, interpersonal relationships, marriage, and mate selection. The film employs various relationship scenarios to facilitate the clash of these perspectives. And in the end, like many mainstream romantic films, the film chooses sincerity and true love—

This applies globally.

"This film truly reflects the real doubts, confusions, and struggles of many of my friends," Lu Yanhe explained to many people. "It's not a purely romantic story. The film features a diverse cast of characters, each with different views on life, love, career, and living. Within this story, these views collide, conflict, and rub against each other. Some can reconcile despite their differences, while others can agree but not agree. But in any case, it's the life they've chosen for themselves."

Lu Yanhe knew exactly how to phrase it to arouse these people's interest in the film.

In short, this is not a purely commercial film; in terms of the script, it is actually a typical auteur script.

The so-called auteur script is actually quite easy to understand, corresponding to the auteur director. This story carries a lot of "personal touches." These "personal touches" come from the creator's life, representing the creator's worldview and values, and shaping a world from their ideal, or rather, the creator's perspective.

And once you say it like that, naturally more people will be interested.

Hollywood talks about business, but the Oscars talk about the business of art—art that doesn't pay off commercially is considered highbrow and not their style, but purely commercial things aren't artistic enough.

Filmmakers like Lu Yanhe are exactly what Hollywood loves. They have style, they make money, they have both prestige and substance, perfectly fitting Hollywood's "mainstream" image.

A film like *Red Eye Flight* is clearly a pure commercial film. It only shows that Lu Yanhe can craft an appealing story, but it doesn't deserve much artistic attention. *Love is Not Blind*, however, is different—Lu Yanhe himself said that his focus on the script stemmed from his reflections on life.

This is no longer a simple chick flick.

Throughout Oscar history, from The Devil Wears Prada to Rachel Getting Married, from Juno to Past Life, films have stood out and gained the Academy's attention because of their "auteurship"—or rather, the "auteurship" manifested in the life choices made by the protagonists. This "auteurship" sparked discussions on social issues, leading to their recognition and acceptance by the Academy.

Lu Yanhe hadn't expected "Love is Not Blind" to be a contender in awards season. The film was more commercially viable, especially the ending, which was a typical romantic conclusion to a commercial romance film.

However, this kind of packaging can prevent people from prejudging it as an ordinary, vulgar chick flick.

-

Just then, news suddenly came from Soren's side.

They plan to release "The Notebook" next summer, around June or July.

The Notebook is the first film that Lu Yanhe and Soren collaborated on.

Its box office performance naturally carries a lot of symbolic meaning.

Even Soren couldn't understand why Lu Yanhe's first work was a romance film.

However, Soren now discovers that "The Notebook" is not Lu Yanhe's first romance film—he also has "Love is Not Blind".

Soren and his group hadn't seen the film. However, they didn't really think "Love is Not Blind" would be a box office success. It was a Chinese film, and the lead actors were of Asian descent. Would Americans be interested in a love story between two Chinese people?

However, the strong presence of "Calm Wind One" during the awards season makes it impossible for Soren's people to directly say "Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

This movie is even more unbelievable. It's already grossed nearly $30 million in the US, which is simply incredible. It's astonishing; even now, Hollywood studios haven't figured out why, and the only explanation is Lu Yanhe. That's right, because Lu Yanhe starred in this movie, his miracle has spilled over into the film.

Another mystery has emerged:

Will this movie earn Lu Yanhe his third Oscar nomination for acting in such a short time?

A month ago, these were not valid questions at all.

Because nobody thought it was possible.

The film's public relations strategy clearly focused on Wen Shengming, who won the Best Supporting Actor award.

However, everyone knows that if "Dingfeng No. 1" is successful enough to deserve an Oscar, then who can ignore Lu Yanhe's contribution?

-

“You didn’t get a Critics’ Choice Award nomination for Best Actor. The Screen Actors Guild Awards and the British Academy Film Awards nominations will be announced next month,” Darren Wilson told Lu Yanhe. “Right now, in the Best Actor nomination landscape, you’re considered the ‘sixth man’ by all the major prediction agencies.”

"A sixth person?" Lu Yanhe asked, somewhat puzzled.

Darren Wilson nodded.

“What I mean is that, normally, you wouldn’t be among the five nominees, but if someone drops out, you’re the one who will take their place,” Darren said. “Windfall One is still doing very well at the box office, it’s doing very well in the long run, and audiences like it far more than the other contenders for Best Foreign Language Film.”

The category for Best Foreign Language Film includes a significant number of art-house films.

Unlike other Oscar awards that emphasize commercial performance, the Best Foreign Language Film category is often a competition among the main competition sections of the four major international film festivals. So, while this category certainly receives attention, it may be unfamiliar to audiences—at most, they might be somewhat familiar with the names, but few have actually seen the films, because they are not their cup of tea.

Lu Yanhe said, "Liu Bige's films are always very watchable. He cares a lot about whether a film is good or not. This is also true of 'Late Spring,' which is an artistic film about the cruelty of youth. He made it so well-connected, with several hooks that kept the audience watching. It was like a suspense film with a good pace."

The same goes for "Dingfeng No. 1". It cannot be described as having a "strong story" but rather as having an "excellent storytelling rhythm".

Darren Wilson said, "Liu Bige has attracted the attention of several Hollywood film companies and has been offered to direct a movie. A big film has approached him to direct, did you know that?"

"What blockbuster?" Lu Yanhe really didn't know.

Darren said, "The Lunar Legion."

Lu Yanhe looked surprised. "This series!"

The Lunar Legion series holds a similar position in this timeline of Hollywood as Star Wars does in a parallel universe.

This film series, which has a history of nearly fifty years, holds a very important place in the hearts of Americans.

To put it simply, this is a film series that would be considered a failure if its global box office only reached $500-600 million.

That's ridiculously exaggerated.

Darren nodded and said, "This series basically releases a movie every two or three years. This series has never hired an Asian director before. However, because the two most recent movies did not receive very good reviews and were generally considered to be repetitive and lacking in originality, I guess that's why they started looking for directors outside of Europe and America."

After hearing this, Lu Yanhe went back and asked Liu Bige.

Are you planning to direct this movie?

"I didn't expect that," Liu Bige sighed, "I didn't expect that you had heard about it too."

"What's wrong?" Judging from his tone, he seemed troubled, which puzzled Lu Yanhe.

Liu Bige said, "I'm very conflicted."

"You're afraid to direct?" Lu Yanhe thought for a moment and then understood. "Is it because of 'The Moon Legion,' and the pressure is too much?"

“Yes,” Liu Bige said. “Besides, I have never directed such a big production before.”

Lu Yanhe: "That's alright. Hollywood's industrialization level is very high. You only need to be the director and give orders. The level of each department—especially a film series like 'Legion of the Moon'—is absolutely very high. You don't need to worry about everything. Do you have any ideas for the 'Legion of the Moon' series?"

“I’ve seen it before, but to be honest, I don’t really like it, and I’m not a fan of ‘Legion of the Moon’,” Liu Bige said. “This is another aspect that’s causing my hesitation. What attracts me to it is simply that it might be the biggest project I’ll ever encounter in my life.”

Lu Yanhe: "Indeed, such an opportunity is rare. A production of this scale could cost as much as $200 million in production costs alone. The resources you can utilize are something you can hardly find in other film projects."

"If you were offered the lead role in this film series, would you take it?" Liu Bige asked.

"I'll act," Lu Yanhe said without hesitation.

"Why? You don't lack box office revenue."

“Like you said, this might be the biggest investment film project you can participate in. It’s the same for me. Like you, I’m not a fan of ‘Legion of the Moon,’ but I really want to participate in a work that has become a cultural symbol and leave my mark.” Lu Yanhe thought for a moment and said, “You could interpret it as a kind of collecting obsession? I would be happy to play a role in any of the major classic series.”

Liu Bige: "But directing is a different concept."

“Yes,” Lu Yanhe said. “Indeed, if you mess it up, it will be a devastating blow to your career.”

"Aren't you going to offer me any encouragement?"

“Because in my heart, you can’t possibly mess this up,” Lu Yanhe said. “Among the directors I know, you are the kind of director whose personal expression is exactly what the audience likes. Even if you are not a fan of ‘Lunar Legion,’ with such a huge world view for you to explore, I believe you can also create your own ‘Lunar Legion’ story.”

Liu Bige chuckled.

"You're making me feel incredibly shameless."

“I really think so,” Lu Yanhe said. “However, whether or not you take it is entirely up to you. Moreover, for this kind of series, they may not give you complete creative autonomy. They might interfere a lot, which you might not be able to accept.”

"It's still very far off. They just came to talk to me about their intentions, and I haven't replied yet."

"Anyway, it's your own business." Lu Yanhe laughed. "Let me make it clear first: although I just told you that I would be willing to star in the 'Moon Legion' series, I won't go for the one you're directing."

"Why? You were so confident before, but now you've finally betrayed your true feelings?"

“I don’t want people to think that the ‘Lunar Legion’ series has suddenly changed and become a Chinese story. If that happens, the fans of the series will probably boycott it,” Lu Yanhe said. “A series like this would never have a Chinese person as the main character. Just like stories like ‘Journey to the West’ and ‘Romance of the Three Kingdoms’ would never have a foreigner as the main character. If I don’t make it clear to you, you might come up with a story in which I am the main character.”

"What if you were to play one of the main roles?"

“If you really want me to act in it, I will definitely support you. However, it doesn’t mean much to me. You might as well give this opportunity to someone who needs it more,” Lu Yanhe said. “Being able to play a role in such a series might just be the key to getting an actor into Hollywood.”

(End of this chapter)