Chapter 388 It Depends on Your Choice
Lin Weimin was surprised to see Chen Chong here, but considering that Chen Chong had been studying in the United States in recent years, it didn't seem so surprising.
God knows how she got into the underground garage. It seems that the security work in Sanremo is very mediocre!
Chen Chong rushed out from the corner of the underground garage. She had been squatting in the garage all night in order to see Laurentice.
Chen Chong rushed to Laurentius, her face flushed with excitement. She was about to speak, but her mouth was open and she stood there in a daze.
"Miss, what can I do for you?"
Although Chen Chong's appearance was abrupt, she did not show any hostility, Laurentius asked out of politeness.
Chen Chong finally came back to her senses from her shock. Without caring about Lin Weimin, she said to Laurentius, "I heard that you are preparing for the movie "The Big Boss" and need an actress with an oriental face. I hope to get this opportunity! I have performed in many movies in China and won many awards. In recent years, I have studied in the United States and majored in film production at the State University of New York."
Chen Chong cherished the hard-won opportunity and briefly introduced her experience to Laurentice like a machine gun.
After listening to Chen Chong's self-introduction, Laurentice did not take the actor's resume she handed over, but looked at Lin Weimin.
"Lin, this lady said she has acted in many Chinese movies. Have you seen them?"
After Laurentius said this, Chen Chong looked at Lin Weimin with surprise and pleading in her eyes.
Nowadays, there are many people from the cultural and artistic circles who go abroad, and many of them have no plans to come back after going abroad.
For these people, even if they are not likable from a national sentiment perspective, it is also difficult to blame them from a personal sentiment perspective. After all, everyone has the right to pursue a better life.
Lin Weimin has a bad impression of Chen Chong, all because of her speech on last year's Spring Festival Gala. Whether intentional or unintentional, it was indeed difficult for the Chinese people to accept.
But one thing is one thing, and Lin Weimin would not deliberately make things difficult for her because of this matter, as that would lower his own status.
"Ms. Chen Chong has starred in films directed by several famous Chinese directors. Her works have been widely welcomed. She is a very popular movie star and actress in China!"
Lin Weimin's praise made Chen Chong feel relieved, and she looked at him with eyes full of gratitude.
After listening to Lin Weimin's words, Laurentius looked at Chen Chong's appearance carefully and nodded slightly.
"Miss, your resume..."
Chen Chong immediately handed over her resume. Laurentius took it and said, "I'll call you if I need anything."
"Thank you, thank you, Mr. Laurentius!" Chen Chong excitedly bowed to Laurentius twice in a row.
Laurentius smiled politely at Chen Chong.
Then, he turned to Lin Weimin and said with a smile: "Lin, I will leave New York the day after tomorrow. Are you free tomorrow night? I would like to buy you a drink!"
Laurentius wanted to invite Lin Weimin to drink, naturally he wanted to talk about "Farewell My Concubine". Lin Weimin knew this very well, so he couldn't refuse.
"Of course."
"OK! See you at Green Garden Lounge at 7 o'clock tomorrow night!"
The two men agreed, and Laurentius got in the car, which drove out of the underground garage.
Lin Weimin glanced at Chen Chong, who seemed to be in a daze, and after a moment's hesitation, he asked, "How did you get to the underground garage?"
Chen Chong pursed her lips and said, "I gave the security guard a hundred knives and he promised me that I could stay here for two hours."
Lin Weimin smiled and shook his head. "You have also seen the person. Go back and wait for news."
Chen Chong and Lin Weimin met twice backstage at the Spring Festival Gala, but they had never even spoken to each other. She had only heard Huang Yihe mention Lin Weimin's name and knew that he was a very famous writer in China.
When Lin Weimin became famous, she had already gone to New York to study abroad.
Chen Chong was invited to attend last year's Spring Festival Gala. At that time, she did not pay attention to Lin Weimin. Even when she heard this person's name, she couldn't help looking at him with a bit of condescension.
But when they met again, the producer to whom Chen Chong had humbly begged had a very pleasant conversation with Lin Weimin.
Looking at Lin Weimin in a suit and tie with a Mercedes-Benz waiting beside him, Chen Chong's heart was filled with disbelief and an unspeakable sense of shame.
"Teacher Lin..., why are you here?" Chen Chong asked, unable to suppress her curiosity.
"I was invited by a friend to stay in New York for a while."
Lin Weimin's words were vague, but Chen Chong still heard some information from them.
A friend invited you to the United States?
Inviting a Chinese person to the United States is not something that ordinary Americans can do.
Considering the familiarity between Lin Weimin and producer Laurentice, Chen Chong knew that the friend who invited Lin Weimin must be a well-known figure in the United States.
"I didn't expect such a coincidence that I could meet you in the United States."
"It's quite a coincidence."
Chen Chong wanted to ask about the relationship between Lin Weimin and Laurentice, and whether he could ask for her a role in return. However, she felt a little embarrassed and was torn for a moment.
"It's too late. Let's talk next time we meet." Lin Weimin said.
Chen Chong felt a little regretful and said dryly, "Okay!"
After saying that, he didn't move. He just stood there looking at Lin Weimin, looking a little pitiful.
Lin Weimin stopped opening the car door and asked, "How are you going back?"
"I'll take the subway." Chen Chong's face was a little stiff.
Seeing her unusual expression, Lin Weimin asked, "Do you need me to give you a ride?"
Chen Chong nodded, moved closer to Lin Weimin, and whispered, "Can you lend me some money?"
Lin Weimin looked at her in surprise and asked, "You didn't give all the money to that security guard, did you?"
Chen Chong nodded again embarrassedly.
Lin Weimin said helplessly: "Let's get in the car first."
After all, we are compatriots, so it would be bad not to help when we meet someone like that.
The two got into the car. Chen Chong felt a little reserved and secretly looked at the interior of the Mercedes-Benz.
Lin Weimin explained: "This was lent to me by a friend for convenience."
Borrow a car?
Chen Chong glanced at Huang Guangsheng who was driving in front. Was he bringing a driver?
What kind of friend is this?
The atmosphere in the car was a bit awkward. Lin Weimin took the initiative to ask about what happened to Chen Chong today.
Chen Chong was worried about having no topics to talk about, so she told him everything about her situation.
Many people in China know that Chen Chong went to study in the United States. In fact, she did not go there alone. Long before she went to study in the United States, her mother had already studied here.
Chen Chong's maternal family is a medical family. Her maternal grandfather Zhang Changshao was the founder of Chinese pharmacology, but unfortunately passed away during the pandemic. Her mother was also engaged in pharmacology research.
In 1978, Shanghai Medical College planned to send a group of young cadres and college students under the age of 30 to study abroad. However, due to the influence of previous years, the professional level of these people was generally not high, and many of them failed to pass the examination.
The Shanghai Medical College had no choice but to expand the scope of screening and allow middle-aged people in their forties in the unit to participate in the selection. As a result, Chen Chong's mother got the opportunity to study in the United States, and the mother and daughter went to the United States to study one after another.
My mother studied abroad on government funding, and the government provided a living allowance of 400 yuan per month to other international students.
Chen Chong could get 200 yuan of living expenses from her mother every month, but this amount of money was not enough for living and studying in New York, so Chen Chong had to work to support herself.
But even so, compared with many young people of this era who come to the United States alone to study, Chen Chong is already very lucky.
Last year, she graduated from the State University of New York and went to Hollywood to look for opportunities to get movie roles.
During this period, Laurentiis was preparing to shoot "The Big Boss". Chen Chong had been trying to contact Laurentiis, but unfortunately there was no chance for contact.
Two days ago, she finally learned that Laurentius had gone to New York. She gritted her teeth and bought a ticket from Los Angeles to New York, which almost used up her little savings.
"You are really risking everything!" Lin Weimin sighed.
When Chen Chong heard his words, her eyes became red, and the bitterness of going to the United States alone surged into her heart.
"But have you heard of the work 'The Big Class'?" Lin Weimin asked.
Chen Chong was stunned for a moment, not understanding what Lin Weimin meant. "I've heard about it roughly."
The story of "The Tai-Pan" is about a British merchant named Schudiek who led his fleet to China to trade in 1841, exchanging opium for tea, silk and jade. However, he was banned by the Qing court. Captain Schudiek then led his fleet south to occupy Hong Kong, opened it up as a commercial port, and started a fierce competition with other merchants.
This movie was adapted from a novel and to a certain extent beautified the background of the Opium War, which is absolutely unacceptable to the Chinese people.
Moreover, the role that Chen Chong wanted was that of a "mistress", an erotic role that existed solely to please the "boss", and was full of Western stereotypes and arrogance.
After Lin Weimin finished explaining the situation of the movie, Chen Chong remained silent. She only thought that Lin Weimin knew about the information of the movie because of his familiarity with Laurentice.
Faced with such a movie, she was full of conflicts, especially since Lin Weimin mentioned that there would be some nude scenes in the movie.
"Teacher Lin, what do you think I should do?"
After a difficult inner struggle, Chen Chong chose to seek help from Lin Weimin, seemingly treating him as a life-saving straw.
Lin Weimin smiled and shook his head. "This is your own business. I don't have any good suggestions."
Chen Chong felt sad when she heard this, and her face was full of melancholy and embarrassment.
Lin Weimin thought about it, and finally couldn't help but remind him: "The movie "The Big Boss" is not strictly humiliating to China, but the role in the movie is a major blow to your personal image in China. After all, you are a movie star that everyone is familiar with."
"So you don't recommend me to take this movie?" Chen Chong looked at him with the same longing as a hungry lamb looking at its master.
"I still say that. I can't make the decision for you," said Lin Weimin.
Later, when Chen Chong starred in the movie "Big Boss", she was criticized by the Chinese people at that time.
But at least she got her first appearance in Hollywood, and then successfully got the role of "Wanrong" in "The Last Emperor", becoming a well-known actress.
Now the script of The Last Emperor has passed through Lin Weimin's hands. He said that he could not make a choice for Chen Chong, but if she really chose to continue to fight for the role in The Big Boss, then Lin Weimin would definitely not let her star in The Last Emperor.
On the contrary, if Chen Chong was willing to give up pursuing the role in "The Big Boss" and prove that she still cared about the feelings of the people of her motherland, then Lin Weimin would be willing to help her get the role in "The Last Emperor".
Chen Chong is so famous in China that her role in "Daban" naturally had a great impact.
To be honest, Chen Chong's performance in "The Big Boss" is definitely not as bad as the two later film queens' performance in "Memoirs of a Geisha", but after all, she was in the lead, so she set a very bad example for future actors.
There is only so much Lin Weimin can do, but he cannot just ignore it once he encounters it.
Why should you make money from Chinese people and disgust them?
Now, it depends on what Chen Chong chooses!
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
