Chapter 426 A Life of Bonuses
This video is practically a direct insult to Yongshan Hesan, saying, "You're just a low-class film critic."
Chen Siqi's action propelled the video to over ten million views.
Unfortunately, when it comes to criticizing the Japanese, the online environment in China is often one of united front. Not to mention, what Nagayama Kawazo did was inherently disgusting and even shameful.
Nagayama Kazumi's reputation among international film critics is certainly not as prominent as that of Tom Wayne of Variety magazine and Marion Tucci of the French magazine Cinema.
Backed by the world's most influential film magazine, the two of them have amassed a large readership through their film reviews.
The same goes for other film critics.
Chen Siqi's invitation alone was enough to elevate the forum's prestige.
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"Look, Lu Yanhe was just attacked by Yong Shanhe San, and Chen Siqi was able to fight back immediately, openly slapping Yong Shanhe San in the face." Someone laughed online. "Some people are even asking why Lu Yanhe insisted on starting a print magazine. Besides 'Jump Up,' is there any other media in China that would stand behind Lu Yanhe so unreservedly and speak up for him?"
The role played by "Jump Up" this time was the first time that everyone saw its significant role in the public sphere and in helping Lu Yanhe fight the war of public opinion.
Previously, it was just a magazine editorial department; no matter how well it did, including film and television promotion and marketing, those were just icing on the cake. But this time, it revealed its true, sharp side.
Thus, those who thought they had realized the value of "Jump Up" discovered a shocking fact: they were far from understanding the extent of "Jump Up's" impact on Lu Yanhe.
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In a fit of rage, Yong Shanhe wrote his column in the latest issue of "Beyond the Screen," in which he wrote:
Lu Yanhe used his editorship of "Jump Up" to organize a film critics' forum to discuss young filmmakers and their works. How is this any different from the behavior of the rich who pay people to sing their praises?
Chen Siqi wrote on her overseas social media account: "Paying money to hire people? Is it that Yongshanhe San underestimated the objectivity and professionalism of the world's top film critics, or is it that he usually takes money to do things, so he naturally uses such malicious speculation to speculate about others?"
Upon seeing Chen Siqi's remarks, Yongshanhe San's cheeks flushed red with anger.
Domestic netizens, upon seeing this, commented:
—The editor-in-chief is taking advantage of foreigners' lack of knowledge. Even Yu Jiang can't out-argue her, so how dare Yong Shanhe San act so arrogantly and lie through his teeth? Isn't he afraid that Editor-in-Chief Chen will berate him so badly that his ancestors for eighteen generations will not recognize him as an unfilial descendant?
This post received over 10,000 likes.
Chinese netizens have witnessed Chen Siqi's fighting prowess many times.
Logically speaking, Yu Jiang is already quite good at arguing and talking, but she always loses to Chen Siqi in their duels, which is enough to show how terrifying Chen Siqi's fighting power is.
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Privately, Lu Qingzhen laughed with Chen Ziyan, "This young couple, one is good at talking and the other is good at witty comebacks. Together, they seem invincible, saving us so much on public relations costs."
Chen Ziyan exclaimed, "Can you believe it? Not long ago, I advised Wang Biao to read more books. Have you ever seen me advise someone to read books? Because of knowing the two of them, I now subconsciously believe that reading more books is never a bad thing, and that you must read more books to make yourself stronger in all aspects."
Lu Qingzhen laughed.
“Reading more books is certainly a good thing, but Chen Ziyan, you care so much about Wang Biao, what, are you starting to plan to leave Lu Yanhe again?” Lu Qingzhen asked.
Chen Ziyan: "No, it's just that we need to train a reliable agent for Yan He. As his career gets better and better, I can't concentrate all my energy on him alone. He needs an agent who can wholeheartedly manage his specific affairs."
Lu Qingzhen: "You really are still the same old you. That's why Chen Bige and Shang Yongzhou can maintain such good relationships with you after breaking up with you. But Xiao Lu is different from them back then. They weren't as capable of causing trouble as Xiao Lu. Now, he has a share in his film and television production company and also in our high-end service company. Breaking up won't be so easy for him."
"Who said I had to break up with him?" Chen Ziyan said. "I just don't like to put all my energy into one person. Chen Bige and Shang Yongzhou had reached the point where they couldn't accept their manager also managing other people and not being able to fully devote their energy to serving only their careers. So of course I parted ways with them amicably. As for Yan He, if I really don't become his manager in the future, we can still have other ways of working together, just like these two companies."
Lu Qingzhen: "I don't know if Xiao Lu will change your mind."
“No.” Chen Ziyan shook her head. “Qingzhen, you know me. My past has destined me to never entrust my career and life to just one person. No one can change that.”
Lu Qingzhen paused for a moment, then sighed, as if she had thought of something.
She asked, "Have you told Xiao Lu about your situation?"
"No, and I don't plan to tell you." Chen Ziyan shook her head. "I don't want to make my own story like a movie or TV series, where the more the audience wants, the better."
Lu Qingzhen burst out laughing.
Lu Qingzhen: "Actually, Xiao Lu really looks a lot like you, a lot like you."
Chen Ziyan: "Really?"
She thought about it and agreed.
Lu Yanhe is also a person who has high standards for himself and never lowers his standards.
Lu Yanhe is also someone who truly achieved his current success through his own efforts.
Lu Yanhe is also someone who, after experiencing a lot and weathering many storms, is still able to maintain his original aspirations and face the world with kindness.
Chen Ziyan said to Lu Qingzhen, "I see a kind of momentum in him."
"What's the trend?" Lu Qingzhen asked curiously.
"The hardware conditions of our Chinese-language film and television dramas have actually reached world-class levels, and the market is the same. Look, we have also produced films that have grossed more than 5 billion RMB, which is about 600 million USD. The foundation has been laid, and the next ten years may really be the decade of the rise of Chinese-language film and television dramas on the global stage," said Chen Ziyan. "In the past, everyone talked about going global, but the quality of our products wasn't that good, so going global was just a superficial effort. Now, our products have gradually reached first-class standards, and the overall environment is in place. We just need some people who can lead this trend and truly go global. I see this momentum in Yan He."
Lu Qingzhen didn't immediately agree or respond. Instead, she fell into deep thought and pondered for a moment before saying, "Ziyan, this is actually very difficult. We've felt many times in the past that Chinese-language films and television dramas have reached the stage where they can go overseas, but every time we go to great lengths to try to go abroad, we fail to gain acceptance from overseas audiences. This isn't just a matter of hardware; it's also a matter of cultural differences and other aspects. I've even started to think about whether we absolutely have to spread overseas. Even without overseas audiences, our own market is already big enough. Why do we have to try to win over overseas audiences and gain their approval?"
"On a grand scale, this is human civilization—something no civilization can avoid. Call it expansionism or vanity, but no civilization doesn't want recognition and acceptance from other civilizations. Realistically speaking, in this era of globalization, no country can remain isolated and work in isolation," Chen Ziyan said. "Film and television are a very important part of this, and for many filmmakers, their driving force is nothing more than a sense of identity and honor. It might sound vulgar, but that's the truth. Many people say, 'We're already very powerful, why do we need to prove our strength overseas?' or 'It's not that only what's recognized overseas is good.' That's not what I mean at all. It's that we have an innate desire for things that are truly good to us, especially the best aspects of our own culture, to be seen and recognized by people from other cultural backgrounds."
Lu Qingzhen took a deep breath.
“Not every group wants to prove that it is superior to others, but absolutely no group wants to be seen as inferior,” Chen Ziyan said. “I feel the same way, as do everyone in the Chinese-language film and television industry. Why should overseas audiences consider their films and television dramas to be top-notch, while our Chinese-language films and television dramas are considered shoddy?”
Chen Ziyan spoke her heart out, and her words reflected the sentiments of many others.
“Cultural identity,” Lu Qingzhen said thoughtfully.
“It’s not just about self-identity, but also about the recognition of others,” Chen Ziyan added.
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As for Yongshanhe San, this universally condemned film critic has been having an exceptionally difficult time these past few days.
The reason for their embarrassment was naturally due to Chen Siqi's several blatant and slap-in-the-face counterattacks.
Yongshanhe San used to be ridiculed for his outspokenness, with people saying he deliberately made sensational statements to grab attention.
He doesn't care. What he says does attract attention and garners a lot of support. In particular, those he attacks often find it very difficult to retaliate.
Whether they are arrogant or for other reasons, they will not openly confront him.
Thus, Yongshanhe San earned a reputation for daring to speak his mind without anyone daring to offend him.
But this time, he met Chen Siqi.
Every time he attacked, Chen Siqi would find a better angle to counterattack.
This time, it was a truly devastating blow, expelling him from the ranks of "world-class film critics."
This is an attack on his very foundation.
Yong Shanhe was furious, but could only stomp his feet in frustration.
In terms of connections, resources, and influence, these weren't his strengths. His greatest strength was his willingness to be outspoken and say anything, unafraid of offending people. Unfortunately, Chen Siqi possessed all of these strengths. And what he lacked, Chen Siqi also had.
Most importantly, Chen Siqi immediately accepted an invitation from a Japanese publishing house, announcing that she would lead several Chinese writers to Japan for cultural exchange activities.
He was humiliated by Chen Siqi here, but people from his own country were extending olive branches to the person who humiliated him.
At this moment, one can imagine the anger in Yongshanhe's heart.
What angered him most was that the Chinese actor Huai Qian, whom he had selected, didn't care at all that he was fortunate enough to be on the list, and instead openly expressed his disdain for him.
If it weren't for him, who would have noticed that unknown actor!
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Huaiqian sneezed twice in a row.
The agent quickly turned around and glanced at him, asking, "Are you sick with a cold?"
"No, no." Huaiqian shook his head. "It's strange, my nose suddenly started to itch just now."
The agent was finally relieved.
"You absolutely mustn't catch a cold right now, because the audition for 'Burning Fire' is coming up, so you need to be in top form."
"Mm." Huaiqian nodded.
The agent said, "Although Yongshanhe San is shameless this time, he also helped us out and boosted your popularity. It just so happens that you are going to compete for 'Burning Fire,' so it's our good fortune."
Upon hearing Yong Shanhe's name, Huaiqian immediately curled his lip. "Not only is this person petty, but just because Lu Yanhe refuted him twice, he held a grudge against Lu Yanhe and even took revenge. He chose me instead of Lu Yanhe, the most representative and promising young actor in our country. Isn't that crazy? I don't want to be associated with him. Sooner or later, I'll be tricked by him."
Agent: "You're right. And if we rashly express our happiness and gratitude for being on this list, we'll be ridiculed by everyone. To be honest, our future is indeed bright, but we still can't compare to Lu Yanhe right now."
Huaiqian hummed in agreement.
“Lu Yanhe is the second male lead in ‘Burning Fire’ this time. If you get the role, you can work with him.” The agent suddenly thought of something. “In that sense, it’s actually quite lucky that you were unexpectedly caught up in this controversy.”
"Lucky?"
"Think about it, you're collaborating with Lu Yanhe on a film. Just think how much buzz that would generate! Longyan Film Industry will definitely consider that factor," the agent said. "This is one of the biggest commercial films we've invested in in recent years, and we're going to build an all-star cast. Every role with just a few lines is highly sought after. Isn't that your advantage?"
Upon hearing this, Huaiqian realized it was indeed true.
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A blockbuster like "Burning Fire," especially a fantasy film set against a backdrop of Chinese culture, is always the most eye-catching.
Such films are hard to make successful, but every time such a film project is approved, it inevitably attracts attention.
Blockbuster films ultimately hold a different significance for the film industry.
This represents the pinnacle of film industry technology.
Huaiqian arrived at the audition location and saw many actors in the waiting room. Several of them were quite famous and popular, including the three leads from "Three Mountains"—Chen Jiang, Wang Lu, and Sui Fang—and Yan Lingyu, Kong Fan, and He Qingqing from "Late Spring." All of them had worked with Lu Yanhe before, and Huaiqian immediately became worried. Given the relatively even difference in their abilities, would Lu Yanhe's opinion influence the final decision?
Just then, Li Yuefeng, a top-tier male actor who was currently very popular, walked in escorted by his team.
He didn't stay in the waiting room, but was led directly to the front.
Even he auditioned? Huaiqian was shocked. Did Li Yuefeng really need to audition?
For a top-tier male actor like Li Yuefeng, Huaiqian can hardly imagine that he would need to audition.
However, this was only the first. Shortly after Li Yuefeng, another person appeared: Yin Xincheng, who had already become very popular in "Friends," and Lang Xia, who has been gaining momentum in the last year or two.
...
Huaiqian suddenly realized something: these people, one by one, were all more or less related to Lu Yanhe. Upon further reflection, it made sense; all the works starring Lu Yanhe were huge hits. As the saying goes, when one person achieves success, even their chickens and dogs benefit; the actors in a hit production all benefited.
Lu Yanhe is not only incredibly famous himself, but he can also make others famous.
Incredible.
Huaiqian was somewhat well-known. But sitting in this waiting room, he couldn't feel his advantages at all. Even though two of his films had been nominated for the main competition at the four major international film festivals, and he was considered a promising new star by critics, otherwise Yongshan Hesan wouldn't have known him.
When it was his turn to go in, he felt inexplicably nervous.
Of all the people inside, Huaiqian had only ever met Mrs. Huang. Huaiqian hadn't expected that she would personally oversee the audition for "Burning Fire".
As soon as he entered, he heard the people inside start talking amongst themselves, their eyes fixed on him with a hint of curiosity.
Huaiqian certainly knew why.
He was unsure whether his recent rise to fame had helped or not in this audition.
Mrs. Huang was the first to greet him, smiling and saying, "Huaiqian, right? You're really popular lately."
Huaiqian said, "I have to thank the enemy for sending me artillery fire."
As soon as he said that, everyone in the room burst into laughter.
Mrs. Huang laughed too.
"So you're this funny in real life too? I've seen your previous roles, and they were mostly melancholic or deeply troubled characters," Mrs. Wong said.
Huaiqian said, "Maybe it's because I have this kind of face? But my personality is more... goofy, that's what my manager said."
Mrs. Wong nodded. “Your acting is very good. I’ve seen your acting before. But shall we try out another scene now? There are two scenes I’d like you to try.”
Huaiqian nodded, took two sheets of paper from the staff member, and lowered his head to prepare.
Huang Tai turned her head and lowered her voice to the person next to her.
"This young man is very good. His acting is excellent, but we need to see if he can fit into the style of our film. His previous works were mainly art films," said Mrs. Huang.
The acting style in art films is different from that in commercial films. The styles are different. That's what Mrs. Huang is worried about.
Those nearby, upon hearing this, naturally understood the situation.
Mrs. Huang is satisfied with Huaiqian in all other aspects of the actor, but she wants to see if his acting style is suitable for the movie "Burning Fire".
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When Lu Yanhe learned that Huaiqian had passed the audition and gotten a role in "Burning Fire", he was quite surprised, mainly because of the coincidence.
Chen Ziyan said, "Huaiqian's acting skills are very good, so it's not surprising that he was able to take on the role."
"Hmm." Lu Yanhe nodded. "However, what's the specific situation regarding the auditions for 'Burning Fire'?"
Chen Ziyan said, "To put it simply, most of the young actors in the entertainment industry went to audition."
Lu Yanhe was shocked to hear this, not expecting it to be so exaggerated.
Chen Ziyan said, "The process of making such a blockbuster, from preparation to filming, promotion, and release, can take up to two years. Each stage is highly anticipated. If an actor can join such a film crew, they will frequently appear in the news for the next two years because of the film. Moreover, they are very likely to be bet on by other film and television companies and offered film contracts."
Lu Yanhe knew that blockbuster movies were usually exaggerated, but he didn't expect them to be this exaggerated.
That's certainly true. For art-house films like "Road to Glory," all the news comes from the fact that it stars two big-name actors, Shang Yongzhou and Lu Yanhe, but the film's themes and story themselves aren't particularly appealing.
"Burning Fire" has a very large audience due to its story and themes.
For this audition, although Longyan Film Industry did not do any publicity, many media outlets still came to try to photograph which actors appeared at the audition location.
This in itself is a form of exposure.
For celebrities, exposure is like oxygen to humans—a necessity.
Some artists, even if they have no works, can still thrive in the entertainment industry and make a fortune as long as they have exposure and generate buzz.
Lu Yanhe asked, "Besides Huaiqian, have any other actors been cast?"
"There's no other news yet. The only news about Huaiqian came from Mrs. Wong, who specifically contacted me to confirm whether we would mind if Huaiqian also acted in this movie."
Lu Yanhe nodded: "The secrecy was handled very well; even you wouldn't reveal it."
“That’s how blockbusters are. The more secrets they keep, the more they whet people’s appetites, and the more curious everyone becomes,” Chen Ziyan laughed. “That’s why I say you have to act in one or two blockbusters. You don’t have to act in every movie, but you definitely have to have one.”
Lu Yanhe nodded: "I fully understand your good intentions, Sister Ziyan."
Chen Ziyan smiled.
Another advantage of blockbuster movies is that the actors' salaries are high enough, and capable actors can also legitimately negotiate profit sharing.
Lu Yanhe just happened to have that ability.
Chen Ziyan is also the most skilled at advocating for the interests of her artists.
Sure enough, media outlets soon reported that Lu Yanhe's salary for the movie "Burning Fire" exceeded 50 million RMB!
Lu Yanhe was stunned when he saw this number.
ha?
When these media outlets are compiling news, can they please stop making things up on a whim and just arbitrarily labeling someone with a random number?
Chen Ziyan's asking price for Lu Yanhe from Longyan Film Industry was 15 million RMB plus 8% of the profits. Note that this was a quoted price; it was essentially an offer to be negotiated by Longyan. It was clear that Lu Yanhe couldn't possibly get such terms.
Longyan was well aware of the situation, and two days later, they returned with their opinion: 8 million RMB + 3% of the box office revenue from cinemas.
Revenue sharing and box office revenue sharing are completely different.
The former also includes revenue from various copyrights and peripheral developments, while the latter is simply a share of the box office revenue.
Chen Ziyan then proposed a second round of offers: 12 million RMB + 5% of global theatrical box office revenue + 30% of revenue from merchandise related to the character played by Lu Yanhe.
...
The more Lu Yanhe listened, the more complicated it became, because the conditions were becoming more and more detailed.
Of course, Chen Ziyan always negotiates based on market conditions. She's never the kind of agent who asks for an exorbitant amount.
After listening for a while, Lu Yanhe realized he was completely confused, so he simply ignored it and waited for the final negotiation results.
In the film "Burning Fire," the only actors truly qualified to negotiate with Longyan Film Industry were the male and female leads, and Lu Yanhe, who played the second male lead. As the first film in this series, "Burning Fire" was certainly not something Longyan Film Industry wanted to take on too much risk, so they had to keep the budget very tight.
The reason Chen Ziyan was so eager to push forward with Lu Yanhe's salary negotiations was that Shang Yongzhou and the female lead had not yet been cast, meaning that Lu Yanhe had the most room to maneuver at this time. If they waited until both actors were cast and negotiations began, Longyan would have to consider more factors, and Lu Yanhe's negotiating power would shrink.
As for the fact that Lu Yanhe secured greater benefits, it means that the benefits of others will be correspondingly smaller—Chen Ziyan is not anyone else's agent, so of course she will prioritize Lu Yanhe's interests.
In particular, she knew very well that with Lu Yanhe's current appeal and influence, he deserved this condition.
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Longyan Film Industry first issued a statement: Regarding the online rumors that Lu Yanhe received a salary of 50 million yuan for starring in "Burning Fire," we urge relevant media outlets not to spread rumors, and we reserve the right to sue. One more question: how did they come up with such an obviously fabricated figure?
Everyone suddenly realized—
Sure enough, this salary figure is obviously fake; it's so obviously fake.
If Lu Yanhe can earn 50 million for acting in "Burning Fire," how much would the male and female leads earn? I heard that Lu Yanhe isn't playing the male lead in this movie.
What? Lu Yanhe isn't playing the male lead? Why isn't he playing the male lead?
Who else deserves to cast Lu Yanhe as the second male lead?
...
After a discussion about Lu Yanhe's salary, the topic successfully shifted to "Why would Lu Yanhe still take on a supporting role?"
Seeing this, Chen Ziyan sighed and said, "If the traffic related to Yan He could be monetized, given the trending topics and discussions about Yan He over the past two years, would we care about a mere 50 million? These platforms are profiting from it all, and all the advertising fees are going into their pockets."
Lu Qingzhen said, "You have to say it directly on Weibo."
Chen Ziyan thought for a moment and said, "I'll log in with my alternate account and post it."
"Why log into a secondary account? If you're going to post, use your main account, post it as Lu Yanhe's agent," Lu Qingzhen urged.
Chen Ziyan: "Don't encourage me."
"Alright, I won't encourage you anymore, but you have to spread what you said; you're absolutely right," Lu Qingzhen said. "However, you can't say it yourself; you have to find someone else to say it, someone who isn't closely related to Lu Yanhe, so that everyone knows that Lu Yanhe's value is high enough, which is why others are willing to pay such high prices when they want to cooperate with him. Don't just focus on a specific number and start saying that Lu Yanhe isn't worthy. Whether he's worthy or not, he didn't steal, rob, or ask for exorbitant prices; what's there to say about him being worthy or not?"
Chen Ziyan: "Be careful what you say. If you say that, everyone will gang up on you."
Lu Qingzhen: "I'm only saying this in front of you."
"To put it bluntly, it's because many people work themselves to the bone every day but earn very little. It's not that Yan He earns a lot that makes them envious; it's that they're living such a hard life, which is why they've become so sharp-tongued." Chen Ziyan sighed. "This isn't a problem we can solve, but we shouldn't escalate the conflict either."
Hearing Chen Ziyan say this, Lu Qingzhen nodded in empathy, "If you're talking about this aspect, I agree. Indeed, think about it. Before, at Xingyu, many young people worked almost 997 every day for a month, and in the end, they only earned a few thousand yuan a month. I would feel bad if I were in their shoes. What I was talking about before were those who deliberately stirred up trouble."
“I know,” Chen Ziyan said. “So, sometimes I also feel conflicted. Although from a logical point of view, I don’t think I’m wrong at all, I’m still the one who ultimately benefits.”
"When facing people who didn't reap the benefits, I feel somewhat...unable to rightfully say that I earned my money with my head held high. How can someone who's been lucky claim that their life was all achieved through hard work in front of someone less fortunate?"
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(End of this chapter)
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