Chapter 493 Can I make an appointment with Yui Aragaki?

Tokyo, Akihabara.

"It's worthy of being the holy land of the second dimension. My strong second-year soul is about to awaken."

On the streets of the core electronics street, Meng Bai looked at the cosplay team that stretched over a hundred meters in front of him and nearly a thousand young people dressed in different styles, and couldn't help but sigh.

"Boss, a pure current person like you, don't pretend to be a second dimension person." Hua Yan, who was standing by, couldn't help but complain when she heard this.

"Haha, when I was watching the anime back then, you were still hugging Pleasant Goat and calling him husband."

"What's wrong with Pleasant Goat! Apologize to all the Pleasant Goat fans!"

"Seriously, Huahua, have you ever considered cosplaying as Ohsaka Taiga or Rikka? They seem very suitable for you."

"Enough is enough, boss. Enough with the height jokes!"

The two of them were complaining about each other. Chen Sicheng, who had just come over from behind, listened to the conversation and couldn't help laughing: "I didn't realize, Teacher Meng, that you have such a wide range of interests."

Meng Bai and Hua Yan turned around and greeted each other.

"I watched more when I was in school, and I thought about whether I should switch to animation screenwriter, but unfortunately our animation industry has not developed." Meng Bai said: "On the contrary, I haven't paid much attention to it in recent years."

"Better than me, I have only watched Naruto and One Piece." Chen Sicheng gestured to the scene in front of him, "How is it, is there a bit of the second dimension?"

If "Detective Chinatown 1" is still a more serious mystery comedy, then starting from "Detective Chinatown 2", Chen Sicheng has greatly weakened the reasoning part and turned to comedy and exotic customs as the core selling points.

The first part of Bangkok Chinatown shows Thai customs such as religion, transvestite, and natural traditions; the second part of New York Chinatown shows American styles such as gang culture, motorcycle gangs, central streets, and Chinese circles.

Now the third part comes to Tokyo Chinatown, and naturally there are various Japanese elements.

Hot springs, temples, sumo, kimonos, Yakuza...naturally, it also includes the most representative second dimension.

There is a plot in the movie "Detective Chinatown 3" where the murderer behind the scenes asked Qin Feng and Tang Ren to find clues, and they happened to catch up with a comic exhibition parade.

This section was specially designed by Chen Sicheng to show Akihabara, the "holy land of the second dimension". He worked with local Tokyo co-production agencies and mobilized nearly 200 staff members and thousands of extras.

This is also his personal characteristic. He is very keen on the visual effects of such large scenes. In the original "Detective Chinatown 2", there was a scene of running wildly in Times Square. He even said through the mouth of the character "Tang Ren" that "this is a blockbuster!"

It must be said that Chen Sicheng really has a deep understanding of commercial movies. Whether it is the plot, setting, or scene, the purpose is to make the audience enjoy it.

Of course, behind the big scenes is a lot of money. In the current winter of film and television, the production cost of "Detective Chinatown 3" has not decreased but increased, reaching 600 million.

Including the later publicity and promotion, the box office must be at least more than 2 billion to recover the cost.

However, with the current IP value of the "Tang Detective" series and the box office performance of the previous work, this number does not seem to be that much.

"Where are Teacher Baoqiang and Haoran?"

"They are changing clothes." Chen Sicheng said with a smile: "The classic cross-dressing scenes in each film must be retained."

Hearing his words, Meng Bai immediately thought of the "eye-catching women's clothing show" of the trio in the second film. Especially Wang Baoqiang's large-size women's clothing, it is simply an insult to the retina.

"So, what style are you going to let them change this time?"

"Hehehe, you will know after you watch it."

Looking at Chen Sicheng who was smiling very obscenely, Meng Bai couldn't help but take precautions in his heart to avoid seeing any unbearable scenes later.

After chatting for a few words, Chen Sicheng's mobile phone suddenly rang. He glanced at the name of the caller, and the smile on his face suddenly withdrew, replaced by a strange expression with frowning brows. Then he didn't answer the call and directly hung up the phone.

"What's wrong?" Meng Bai asked curiously.

"Nothing, just a nuisance call." Chen Sicheng put his phone back in his pocket and replied as if it was natural.

Can harassing calls from China be called to Japan?

Meng Bai had some doubts in his mind, but he was not the kind of person who liked to ask questions. Since the other party said so, he would just listen to it.

At this time, Chen Sicheng's face had returned to normal. When he came to the director's group, he pulled a somewhat skinny middle-aged man over.

"Let me introduce you, this is President Kitagawa Kunihiko of Nitta Eiga, and he is the head of the co-production agency of the crew in Tokyo."

The so-called "co-production agency" is a company that assists the crew in filming, and they are generally local bosses. They will help the crew find suitable filming locations, contact and coordinate with local people, provide the crew with various personnel and props needs, etc.

According to the unwritten industry rules in China, these services are generally provided free of charge by the co-production agencies, so-called "all colleagues help each other."

Of course, this "help" cannot be one-sided. The crew will also hand over businesses such as catering, group performances, and vehicle transportation to these co-production agencies.

This part is where you have to spend money.

Don't underestimate these small things. Take the lunch boxes for example. Any larger group has almost a hundred people. The standard of 60 yuan per person per day is five or six thousand yuan a day.

A project takes one or two months to shoot quickly, and a play costs four or five hundred thousand. The key is that lunch boxes are low in cost and have a frighteningly high profit margin.

And this is just the meal. With so many people in the crew, there are so many needs for food, clothing, housing and transportation.

This is why many places welcome crews to shoot. In addition to publicity needs, the crew's daily food can drive a wave of peripheral income.

Chen Sicheng introduced Meng Bai's identity to Kitagawa Kunihiko. Upon hearing this, the other party immediately stepped forward and bowed, and said in Chinese with a strange accent: "Teacher Meng Bai, welcome to Tokyo."

"Hello." Meng Bai said: "President Kitagawa's Chinese is not bad."

Kitagawa Kunihiko smiled politely: "I have studied at the Beijing Film Academy and I have a good understanding of Chinese."

"I see."

"Teacher Meng Bai, if you need anything next time, you can tell me directly, and I will do my best to solve it."

"President Kitagawa, please excuse me, but I am here mainly to watch the filming of the crew, nothing else." Meng Bai thought for a while, "If the schedule allows, I would like to go to the AKB theater, after all, it is rare to have time to come to Akihabara."

"I didn't expect that Teacher Meng Bai is also a fan of AKB. This is very simple, just tell me when you are free, and I will find someone to arrange it." Kitagawa Kunihiko said with a smile: "Or, if Teacher Meng Bai has a favorite member, I can help you contact them to have a meal together or something."

Meng Bai raised his eyebrows: "President Kitagawa also has such a way?"

"Haha, if it is just an invitation to a banquet or something, it is actually very convenient. As for deeper communication in the future... it depends on Teacher Meng Bai himself."

Meng Bai reacted, the old guy meant that he would only help with the overt invitations such as meeting for dinner. As for whether you can hook up privately, it has nothing to do with him. That's

right, after all, he is the president of a film and television company, not a pimp, and does not get involved in this kind of business.

"Teacher Meng Bai, do you have a favorite member?"

"If you want to say that... Miyawaki Sakura?"

"Ah, Sakura-chan, an idol who has been very popular in recent years." Kitagawa Kunihiko frowned, "But as far as I know, she seems to be developing in Korea now. If you want to invite her, it will be difficult in terms of time."

"Haha, don't take it so seriously, President Kitagawa, I was just joking." Meng Bai laughed and said, "I'm just curious about the theater. There's no need for a real meeting. Oh, if I can make an appointment with Aragaki Yui, then I'd still be very interested."

"...I'd better ask Sakura-chan about her time." Kitagawa Kunihiko said with a wry smile.

However, he could tell that Mr. Meng in front of him really had no interest in this aspect, and it was just a joke.

Chen Sicheng went to make a phone call, and Meng Bai chatted with Kitagawa Kunihiko when he had nothing to do, mainly talking about the film and television markets of the two countries.

"The Chinese film and television market has developed very quickly in recent years. We can often see a lot of imported Chinese-language film and television works here, especially web dramas."

"Our web dramas are indeed developing very quickly, but other aspects, such as TV series and movies, have also been average in the past two years."

"Alas, in fact, the market here in Japan is similar. There are fewer and fewer high-quality content, and the only ones that can still hold the scene are remakes and comic adaptations."

Kitagawa Kunihiko sighed and said, "The internal situation is easy to say, but the most difficult thing recognized by the industry now is the external enemy."

"External enemy?"

"Netflix."

"Oh...that's true."

As mentioned before, Netflix has always been eyeing the East Asian market with a wide audience. Previously, it joined forces with Qiyi TV in the hope of opening a springboard to domestic entertainment, but it has not been successful due to policy restrictions.

Netflix was not discouraged, and retreated to the second best and began to focus on Japan and South Korea.

Especially South Korea, as a reserve of the old Americans, has a deep acceptance of American style. This time, with Netflix's production and local leading actors, it has hit the hearts of the young Koreans.

Almost all the popular Korean dramas in the past two years are produced by Netflix.

As for Japan, their film and television circles are relatively conservative and have their own way of playing. But these are all trivial matters. Netflix directly offers a luxurious salary contract, and few people can refuse it.

And because of the success of the Korean drama next door, many people also think that cooperating with Netflix is ​​good, and it can also stimulate local practitioners in turn, forming a "catfish effect".

However, some people are worried that although cooperating with Netflix has many advantages at the moment, it is not without disadvantages. In addition to causing the top talents and resources to be occupied, it will also increase the overall salary cost of a market.

Obviously, the president Beichuan in front of Meng Bai belongs to the "opposition".

The two chatted while waiting for Chen Sicheng to come back, but they didn't see him for a long time.

Meng Bai looked around curiously and found that he was making a phone call in a corner not far away. Judging from his expression, he didn't seem very happy.

He frowned and walked towards the other person. As they got closer, some words came from afar.

"I said I'm filming a movie and don't have time... Can we talk about this after we get back... Haha, what's the point of discussing this now, and I don't think either of us is qualified to say this..."

Meng Bai felt that this conversation seemed a little wrong, so he slowed down his pace and kicked a stone to make a sound.

Sure enough, the sound startled Chen Sicheng who was immersed in the phone call. He glanced over here and saw Meng Bai looking down at his shoes, and he didn't seem to notice him.

"Okay, I have something else to do here, so let's leave it at that for now."

Chen Sicheng said hurriedly, and then hung up the phone. At this time, Meng Bai seemed to have finished his inspection and continued to walk over.

"Who have you been talking to for so long?" Meng Bai said in a natural tone: "I thought you were gone."

"Well, some troubles in China, nothing." Seeing that he didn't seem to hear anything, Chen Sicheng breathed a sigh of relief and put on a smile: "How was the chat with President Beichuan?"

"Not bad, he was quite enthusiastic."

"Of course, I introduced you to him as the boss of the top film and television company in China and an entertainment tycoon with a net worth of tens of billions of dollars."

"No wonder... You are really good at bragging for me."

"When you are away from home, you give yourself an identity. Besides, I didn't lie to him, what did you say that is not true?"

The boss of a top film and television company, a net worth of tens of billions of dollars, an entertainment tycoon, indeed every label is correct.

"Okay, you are awesome." Meng Bai responded, and then pointed to the mobile phone in his hand: "Is it really okay?"

"Just a little trouble, nothing."

...

The scheduling time involved in the scene with thousands of people is not enough to be completed in a short time. The crew started preparing in the morning and finally started shooting in the afternoon.

Meng Bai also saw Wang Baoqiang and Liu Haoran in disguise this time. In fact, it was not as exaggerated as Chen Sicheng said. They were just two gourd brothers.

Compared with the women's costumes in the previous film, it was nothing compared to the big witch.

However, Tony Jaa's "Cherry Maruko" cosplay fully inherited the explosive effect. I don't know how he was convinced to accept this makeup.

Meng Bai came here this time, in addition to watching the filming of the movie, he also talked to Chen Sicheng about the web drama of the second part.

Since it has been decided to restart the "Green Ivy Universe Phase 2", "Tang Detective" must be indispensable. At that time, it will be the same as the first part, and it will be broadcast before the movie is released, so that each other can boost popularity.

From the comments and messages of "Sweeping Dark Storm", it can be seen that this series already has a foundation among the audience. In this way, more character linkages can be arranged in the second phase, and it will truly transform from an independent story to a "criminal investigation universe".

Meng Bai stayed in Tokyo for a few days. He did not see Yui Aragaki, but he did see Masami Nagasawa.

I don't know if it is a common phenomenon among Japanese actresses. Once they are over 30, their appearance collapses drastically. Majiang, born in 1987, is only one year older than Janice Man, who plays her mother, but she looks much older.

Alas, since ancient times, beauties are like famous generals, and they are not allowed to see gray hair in the world.

"What did Meng Baisen say?"

Nagasawa Masami looked at the handsome man in front of her and asked with some confusion.

"Nothing." Meng Bai smiled, "I said that if there is a chance, Miss Nagasawa is welcome to visit China."

The translator girl next to her repeated it in a low voice in Japanese, and Nagasawa Masami immediately showed a standard actress smile: "Arigato Kosei Mas."

Well, Majiang is still pretty when she smiles. It's a pity that Meng Bai really doesn't understand Japanese, so he can only nod and smile in response.

Tsk, Qin Shi Huang died too early.

He was watching the crew setting up the venue, and suddenly saw the assistant hurried over with a strange look on his face.

"What's wrong?"

"Boss, just got a message from the country." Hua Yan handed over the phone.

Meng Bai took it and glanced at the screen, and then his eyes suddenly became serious.

[Yoozu Chairman Lin Qi was poisoned and died! ]

(End of this chapter)