Chapter 517 Resilience (8,000-word update!)
“Lu Yanhe is a very trustworthy collaborator. Unlike most geniuses, he actually respects everyone he works with. I can’t imagine any normal collaborator disliking him.”
When Bai Jingnian was interviewed by a media outlet, he was inevitably asked about Lu Yanhe.
He also generously shared his views on Lu Yanhe during the interview.
“You see, after he left the first season of Friends, many people were quite critical, including myself. I have to admit that. At the time, my thought was that although the platform that broadcast it did do some bad things to you and caused a lot of negative impact, Friends was so popular and well-received. The show was innocent, so why couldn't you just put up with it?”
"Of course, later on, without anyone saying anything, I slapped myself in the face. After the second season, I left that company." Bai Jingnian smiled self-deprecatingly. "Including the third season, when the reputation was so bad, everyone was feeling sorry for it and thought it was beyond saving. But the person who left first has always been paying attention to our project. I always thought he had long since moved on and didn't need to look back at such a sitcom, but his feelings for it are actually no less than any of ours."
"So, you see, he's rebooted 'Friends'—okay, I was wrong, didn't we never actually admit it before? I messed up, we wanted to keep it a secret until it aired." Bai Jingnian looked panicked, as if he'd made a huge mistake. "What do we do?"
The reporter looked at Bai Jingnian as if he had found a treasure.
This is the first time that Lu Yanhe's return to "Friends" has been officially acknowledged!
Even though everyone thought it was a done deal before!
But it has never been officially acknowledged!
"Can we not include that sentence?" Bai Jingnian looked at the camera with an innocent and pleading expression.
The camera, like the reporter, remained silent.
That's obviously impossible.
Bai Jingnian said dejectedly, "Okay, I'll continue. What I really wanted to say is, you see, when everyone gave up on 'Friends,' he stepped forward and rebooted the show, allowing it to continue. Moreover, he didn't forget any of us. The original producer, Hu Siwei, was brought back. As for the director, I told him, 'The director of 'Friends' can only be me. No one else can do it, even though he himself could clearly be the director.' I don't know if you can feel how respected and recognized I am, and how I genuinely feel the excitement of finding a kindred spirit."
He smiled listlessly, "Actually, as a creator, with this kind of trust, it doesn't matter if you're slightly lacking in other aspects."
Everyone knows what he meant at that moment.
When Bai Jingnian left Beijing-Taiwan, many marketing accounts spread rumors that he was lured away by Northern Light Venture Capital with a high salary because he thought the pay at Beijing-Taiwan was too low. They also accused him of being greedy and opportunistic.
His words were, in fact, a form of retaliation.
Is it a matter of money? No, it's not just that; it's also a matter of trust and dignity.
"So you see, Yan He always keeps you in mind. As long as you are a collaborator he likes, approves of, and trusts, he will always remember you and continue to work with you." Bai Jingnian smiled. "Look at the show 'My Own Swordsman'. Whenever there is a suitable role, he will definitely recommend someone he knows or is familiar with. He won't cause trouble for you or recommend anyone randomly. Everyone knows that Liu Zhiyin is an idol artist with little acting experience. So, Lu Yanhe only invited her to make a cameo appearance in a few scenes. Her role wasn't big, but it suited her perfectly. She appeared with Xiao Yun and was the first cameo actor to appear in our show."
"I can say that every episode of our show will be a surprise," Bai Jingnian said. "Many geniuses, while exceptionally talented, may not be very good at interpersonal relationships. He is a very special case. He has so many friends who help him and promote his shows, which is inseparable from his usual way of dealing with people. You see, the character Tong Zhanggui is one of the two female leads in 'My Own Swordsman.' When I chose Liu Zi, who had never acted in a TV series before, I was quite worried. Would Yan He be satisfied? Would Beijiguang be satisfied? After all, you know, she had never acted in a TV series before and had no fame. She was playing the female lead in such a big-budget production right away."
"Can you believe it? After I told Yan He, he only asked me one question: 'Among all the actresses I've seen, is Liu Zi the most suitable?' I said yes, and Yan He immediately took time to go with me to see a Liu Zi play and then talked to her. Just that one time, and he supported my choice and helped me convince Northern Lights. It was truly a huge adventure, yet he dared to trust me." Bai Jingnian laughed, sounding almost incredulous himself. "In all my years as a director, honestly, I've only ever been trusted like that by Lu Yanhe."
“I think the reason Lu Yanhe has collaborated with Aurora Video on so many projects is because Aurora has given him enough trust. Think about it, there’s ‘The Squid Game’ and ‘My Own Swordsman.’ At that time, there were only a few movies like ‘Rouge’ and ‘Lost in Thailand.’ Both of those TV series had S+ level production budgets, plus some film investments. How risky and stressful is it for Aurora to invest so many projects and so much money in one person like this?” Bai Jingnian said. “But President Lin supported him just because he trusted Lu Yanhe. I’ve seen many reports saying that Aurora was lucky to get so many projects from Yanhe in one go. But there’s no such thing as luck without a reason; it’s all mutual.”
"The next plan is to finish filming the parts of 'My Own Swordsman' that weren't filmed yet. Yan He has already completed all the scripts. We're filming in two phases, releasing it in five seasons. Currently, we've only filmed two seasons," Bai Jingnian said. "Each season won't have as many episodes as the first season, which had eighteen. But don't worry about waiting five years. We're making five seasons for various reasons, including filming and commercial considerations, but there won't be a year's interval between each season."
"As for my next plan—" Bai Jingnian smiled slightly, keeping everyone in suspense, "I just want to say that this is another show that is completely different from 'Friends' and 'My Own Swordsman.' I'll share it with everyone after I finish making it."
-
Bai Jingnian's interview is packed with information.
Almost every segment cut out would be explosive.
Bai Jingnian's approach of not naming names is more effective than naming names.
The phrase "Beijing and Taiwan" immediately became a trending topic, was suppressed and removed, and then reappeared, its popularity so great that it was impossible to suppress it.
This isn't the first time Bai Jingnian has so directly "backstabbed" Beijing and Taiwan.
It's clear how much resentment and anger he harbors towards Beijing and Taiwan.
Unfortunately, Beijing TV couldn't say anything. In the "Friends" project, they made a series of blunders from before the show started until the end of the third season. Looking back, they didn't even know how they came up with such blunders.
Both Beijing and Taiwan can only play dumb and refuse to respond.
Bai Jingnian's lengthy descriptions and evaluations of Lu Yanhe also allowed many people to see another side of Lu Yanhe.
This is a relatively unfamiliar, private side of Lu Yanhe, besides the academic genius, actor, and screenwriter Lu Yanhe they are familiar with.
What moved fans of the Friends series the most was Bai Jingnian's line that Lu Yanhe had never given up on his concern and thoughts about Friends.
So, when everyone else had given up on it, he chose to come back and restart it.
Anyone who has ever liked the show "Friends" would love for it to be presented in an even better way.
Are we really going to end with a third season that has received terrible reviews?
Nobody wants to see this.
-
While flowers and applause filled the air, there were also disgruntled trolls who started criticizing the show, nitpicking and finding fault with "My Own Swordsman" from all sorts of absurd angles.
But the ever-increasing number of viewers within an hour of each new episode is the best response.
However, when Bai Jingnian, Huang Kairen, Liu Zi, Jiang Jun, Xiao Yun and others appeared one by one in various promotional activities, everyone noticed that Lu Yanhe, who had finally become more active recently, had disappeared again.
He disappeared again.
They always disappear at the height of their popularity.
At this time, Lu Yanhe had already quietly arrived in Canada to prepare for filming the movie "The Mist".
As soon as he landed, before he even left the airport, Lu Yanhe received a call from Lei Shuangcheng.
Lei Shuangcheng first congratulated him on the phenomenal success of "My Own Swordsman" before getting back to the main topic.
“I had a discussion with the director and screenwriter of ‘Future Life,’ and we decided to adopt your suggestion,” Lei Shuangcheng said. “I made an estimate, and reshooting the last episode would cost at least 800,000 yuan.”
Lei Shuangcheng mentioned this figure because Lu Yanhe said at the time that he was willing to pay for the reshoot of this episode.
Lu Yanhe said, "Okay, no problem. I'll have my assistant transfer the money to you later."
Lei Shuangcheng was surprised that Lu Yanhe didn't hesitate at all.
It has nothing to do with whether he's short of money or not, but rather with his attitude.
When Lu Yanhe said he was willing to pay for a reshoot, he wasn't just saying it casually.
“I’ll give you a million, so don’t cut corners,” Lu Yanhe said with a smile. “President Lei, ‘Future Life’ will become a niche but highly acclaimed drama.”
It may not make a lot of money, but it shouldn't lose money.
After all, even with his million, the total production cost was only around ten million, which is really nothing.
Lu Yanhe added, "Mr. Lei, once the post-production is finished, could you please give me a copy? I think this subject matter and style are quite suitable for Shanghai Foreign Media Group. I'd like to recommend it to them and see if they're willing to buy it."
Lei Shuangcheng was taken aback, not expecting Lu Yanhe to bring up the matter of overseas streaming media.
"Would they even want such a low-budget production?"
“It has nothing to do with whether the cost is low or not. There are actually quite a few similar dramas overseas. Every year, several well-received ones come out. Similarly, many people don’t know about them because these dramas didn’t become huge hits. They were only talked about by word of mouth in a small circle. They had good word-of-mouth, but despite that, they still achieved commercial success.” Lu Yanhe said, “Big movies can make big money, and small movies can make small money.”
The subject matter of "Future Life" has a fixed audience.
Moreover, it has a fixed audience worldwide, so it's definitely much easier to sell than "My Own Swordsman," which had a higher investment and was a huge hit in China.
Because in the eyes of those foreigners, they can at least understand what "Future Life" is about at a glance.
But Lu Yanhe doesn't dream of a huge explosion or a massive success.
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Lu Yanhe's relationship with streaming media is actually not as close as everyone says.
Just like up to now, Jong Bon-seok has not told Lu Yanhe about their plans to remake "Friends" into an English version.
Lu Yanhe recommended "The Gold Rush" to HP, which suddenly gave HP a minor hit and a good amount of buzz in May. The key point is that the procurement cost was low and the cost performance was extremely high. This matter seems to have made Zhong Benshuo a little depressed.
According to Jong Bon-seok, they are the ones who just collaborated on the hugely popular "Squid Game".
Even if there were some unpleasant things before, they should put aside their differences in the face of common interests.
Of course, there's another thing: Zhong Benshuo didn't want to buy the rights to the TV series "My Own Swordsman," even though it was very popular in China.
Even a South Korean like him couldn't quite understand it, let alone people from other countries whose culture isn't so closely related to China's.
But every time Zhong Benshuo brought up a new collaboration with Lu Yanhe, Lu Yanhe would brush him off by saying that "My Own Swordsman" could actually be a new collaboration.
Zhong Benshuo thought to himself, "He's not stupid. Even HP, with its relationship with you, didn't buy it. You think you can trick me into buying it?"
However, the success of "The Gold Rush" did indeed make Chung Bon-seok pay more attention to Chinese-language dramas.
Nowadays, there are more and more short dramas with only a dozen or so episodes in Chinese, which are more in line with the international streaming standards.
The key point is that it's cheap.
Currently, among Chinese-language dramas, only Lu Yanhe's dramas can command high prices; the prices of other dramas cannot be raised.
When I first heard that HP had spent $12 million to buy a copy of "The Gold Rush," I was shocked and incredulous.
How could HP possibly pay such a high price for a movie that has no globally renowned stars or Lu Yanhe as the screenwriter?
Even though it achieved such great success afterward, Chung Ben-shuo always felt that, given the market conditions at the time, "The Gold Rush" could have been sold even if the price had been reduced by a zero.
Perhaps, if we look carefully, there are actually other Chinese-language dramas that can achieve the same success as "The Gold Rush".
Zhong Benshuo then went to China and met with various IP owners.
However, after meeting and talking with them, Jong Bon-seok discovered something terrible.
After these people learned that "The Gold Rush" had sold for $12 million, they realized that the good works they had were actually a gold mine, and they could no longer be fooled into selling them to him at a low price.
Zhong Benshuo was furious.
Previously, only dramas starring Lu Yanhe could fetch high prices, but now, a drama that has nothing to do with Lu Yanhe is also selling for a high price.
This price wasn't paid because "The Gold Rush" became a global hit first.
Jong Bon-seok's idea of buying the overseas streaming rights to a drama series for one or two million US dollars was directly thwarted.
-
After learning about Zhong Benshuo's recent activities from people in China, Lu Yanhe found it inexplicably funny.
His friend back home was cursing him on the phone: "Damn it, he wants to buy my movie for a few hundred thousand dollars? Does he think I'm selling cabbages? I gave him the cold shoulder. Does he think we don't know the market? 'The Gold Rush' just sold for 12 million dollars. Everyone in our industry knows that. I'm not saying I want to sell it for the same price as 'The Gold Rush,' but it shouldn't be several orders of magnitude less, right? I don't care about that little bit of money. I'd rather not sell it and let it rot in my hands than lose face like this."
Lu Yanhe was both amused and exasperated. He said, "His price was indeed maliciously driven down. He probably thinks that Chinese-language dramas have never sold for a high price, so he's trying to snag a bargain."
It can only be said that Zhong Benshuo does possess some perceptiveness, but his modus operandi remains consistent with what Lu Yanhe had previously sensed.
That's too stingy.
At the same time, Lu Yanhe felt inexplicably gratified.
Everyone knows the true value of their work and won't be fooled by someone like Zhong Benshuo into selling it for a pittance.
However, this incident also served as a reminder to him.
Perhaps in the future, a trading market can be established to allow more buyers to come here and see the value of Chinese-language dramas.
Only when there are more buyers and competition arises will the market gradually calculate the price that a product should have.
Otherwise, the $12 million from "The Gold Rush" would only be a miracle of HP's accidental change of heart.
-
Wang Biao walked in carrying two large bags of things.
They're not staying in a hotel here, but in a proper house.
The film crew rented it for them.
Chen Ziyan also used her connections in Canada to find a local guide, who was of Chinese descent and also a local actor, though not very famous.
His name is Aliche Lu.
Chen Ziyan was worried that Lu Yanhe would suffer in silence if he didn't have someone familiar with the local entertainment industry while filming in a foreign country.
After all, Lu Yanhe's overseas brokerage company has not yet been established.
The official filming period for "The Mist" was not long, only thirty-six days.
A very precise number.
D19's producer, Xin Nalin, is a woman around thirty-five years old.
She has a typical blonde, blue-eyed Western appearance, with deep-set features and noticeable freckles. She may not be considered particularly beautiful, but she is a woman who leaves a lasting impression at first glance.
The place where Lu Yanhe lived in Canada was arranged by her.
Lu Yanhe had met her twice and his impression of her was that she was capable, genuine, and direct. She would speak her mind about any issues and, while maintaining these personality traits, she didn't come across as sharp.
This is a very likable personality trait.
As soon as Lu Yanhe arrived, Xin Nalin made a special trip to see him, even though filming was still a few days away. Lu Yanhe was staying in a separate place, not with anyone else.
Shin Na-rin said, "It's an honor to work with you. I'm a fan of yours, and I really like 'Late Spring'."
"Thank you," Lu Yanhe said politely. "I hope the filming of 'The Mist' goes smoothly as well."
Xin Nalin then specifically contacted Aliche Lu and asked Lu Yanhe to provide a list of Lu Yanhe's needs, such as what he usually likes to eat, what he avoids, what he needs in his daily life, and so on.
Aliche Lu made contact with Wang Biao.
Wang Biao came to ask Lu Yanhe whether it should be provided normally.
In China, there isn't actually such a procedure. Generally, whatever needs Lu Yanhe has, he writes them all down in the contract, and the agreement is made there.
Lu Yanhe didn't know how overseas actors signed contracts with production teams.
However, since this was his first English film, he was not very clear about the situation. When he signed the contract, the agreement mainly focused on the content of acting and ideology, and only limited the daily shooting time for accommodation and life on set.
Lu Yanhe thought for a moment and said, "Let's just bring it up normally. I don't have any excessive demands. Whether she wants to do it or just pretends, it's fine. We don't want her to take advantage of us."
Wang Biao agreed and then gave him a list.
For example, Lu Yanhe's favorite fruits, favorite foods, and things he doesn't like.
Lu Yanhe came from abroad to film the movie, and he had no equipment at all, from the chairs and small fans on set to his desire to get his character's image design in advance.
Without any politeness or subtlety, they listed four A4 pages.
When Xin Nalin received it, she showed no displeasure and simply said "okay".
Almost the next day, Lu Yanhe received some of the things he needed.
For example, mosquito and insect repellent medications.
Wang Biao sprinkled it all around the house.
Before filming officially began, Xin Nalin arranged for Lu Yanhe to meet with the makeup artist and stylist to discuss his character in the film.
The moment Lu Yanhe saw their design drawings, he was glad he had made such a request.
The character designs they created are absolutely outrageous.
It turned out to be a vampire-like figure.
Lu Yanhe was silent for a moment, then said, "Is this look already decided?"
When Xin Nalin heard Lu Yanhe ask this question, she guessed that Lu Yanhe was probably not very satisfied.
"Is there a problem? We can talk about it first."
Lu Yanhe said, "This look is cool, but it looks... a bit like a vampire? Is the role we've given me in 'The Mist' a vampire?"
Lu Yanhe's tone was relatively tactful, and not particularly sharp.
However, the stylist named Wendy seemed to have been insulted and provoked, and immediately exploded, saying angrily, "How come this image looks like a vampire? If you don't know, don't talk nonsense. What do you know about vampires?"
Xin Nalin turned to look at Wendy and said, "Wendy, since we're discussing this now, let's discuss it properly."
Wendy said angrily, "I spent a long time coming up with this look, and he just glanced at it and said it looked like a vampire. He doesn't respect my work!"
Lu Yanhe looked at Wendy and said, "Wendy, if you think I'm disrespecting you, I apologize, but I'm not targeting you personally. I'm just expressing my honest feelings as the first person to see this design."
Wendy, her face tense, looked at Cinna Lin.
“Sinnalin, I’ve done costume design for Marianne Gard and Kish Yod, and they’ve never been so skeptical of my work,” Wendy said. “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have taken on the costume design for such a low-budget horror film.”
Xinna Lin's expression changed, and she glared sternly at Wendy.
"Wendy!"
This is a warning.
Wendy glanced at Lu Yanhe, a hint of arrogance in her eyes.
“You don’t understand art at all.” Wendy said this and turned to leave. “Since you think my design looks like a vampire, then design your own.”
Lu Yanhe looked at Wendy with considerable surprise.
Is this a show of force?
Or is he simply unprofessional?
But what Lu Yanhe found strange was that neither Xin Nalin nor the makeup artist seemed to want to stop him from leaving.
Lu Yanhe really couldn't figure out the approach.
However, no matter where you are, this is a minor matter.
Lu Yanhe isn't worried at all that if the stylist quits, he won't be able to act in the show.
Having worked hard for several years, I know quite a few people both domestically and internationally. If I really need a stylist, it's not difficult to find one to work with.
Lu Yanhe was more concerned about the matter itself.
Perhaps because he had experienced too many similar events, Lu Yanhe couldn't help but wonder if there were other reasons behind this unusual "conflict."
Xin Nalin said to Lu Yanhe, "Yanhe, I'm sorry, Wendy is a very strong-willed person. I will communicate with him later. If you have any opinions, you might as well talk to me first, and I will negotiate with him."
"No need." Lu Yanhe shook his head. Although he couldn't figure out if there was anything else going on behind the scenes, Lu Yanhe was now confident that he didn't care. He said, "Judging from today's situation, it is indeed difficult for me to work with him. I will talk to the director about my looks in the play and see how to resolve them."
Lu Yanhe was too lazy to coax, deceive, or fawn over them to bring them back—he had his own resources to complete the job and didn't need to ask for favors.
Furthermore, Lu Yanhe also felt that there was little point in communicating with the producer here.
The person responsible for the film's aesthetics and who understands his character is the director.
The key is that the director approves of him.
-
After leaving, Lu Yanhe noticed that Aliche Lu hesitated several times, as if he wanted to say something to him, but did not speak for a long time.
"Aliche, what's wrong?" Lu Yanhe turned to look at the Chinese boy who was about the same age as him.
Aliche Lu's Chinese is actually quite fluent. He is a second-generation immigrant who grew up in China and is very familiar with China. He is not one of those third or fourth-generation Chinese immigrants who do not know much more about China than other foreigners.
He scratched his head and said, "Yan He, I know you are a very famous and accomplished actor in China, but Wendy is an art director that Xin Nalin has worked with for a long time and has won many industry awards. For you to say that his design is like a vampire is quite an insult to him."
Lu Yanhe never expected that Aliche Lu would be talking about this.
He asked, "Perhaps I wasn't careful with how I expressed myself, but Aliche, is it reasonable for the lead actor of a movie to respond to his appearance, even if it's in a way that he sees as disrespectful?"
Aliche Lu hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. "That doesn't make sense either. He has a terrible temper, which is beyond my expectations."
“There’s no need to dwell on right or wrong. The movie is about to start filming. Rather than trying to work things out with him, I care more about having a look that I can accept and that the crew approves of before filming starts, so that it doesn’t affect the shooting,” Lu Yanhe said. “It’s not necessary to force people who aren’t a good fit to work together.”
Aliche Lu was somewhat puzzled.
"But he was the art director for this film."
Lu Yanhe smiled and said, "He's not the only artist in the world."
When Lu Yanhe signed the contract with "The Mist", he specifically stipulated that the appearance of the characters in the film must be confirmed and approved by Lu Yanhe. Otherwise, Lu Yanhe has the right to veto.
Lu Yanhe made this stipulation in the contract to avoid ideological issues, but he didn't expect it to be used in this situation.
Lu Yanhe sent a message to Chen Ziyan, telling her about his situation.
First, he needs Chen Ziyan to help him find a stylist who can redesign his character's look. Second, this matter stems from a slightly unpleasant incident with the production team. Lu Yanhe and Chen Ziyan have reached an agreement, and they will definitely discuss this matter as soon as possible.
Chen Ziyan replied to him immediately: Don't worry about the stylist, I'll find one for you. As for Wendy, I'll talk to the production team first and see what happens.
Chen Ziyan: Have you contacted Director Mu Ken?
Lu Yanhe: Not yet. I plan to call him when I get back later.
Chen Ziyan: Okay.
After hanging up the phone, Lu Yanhe sent Xin Nalin a message: You've had a hard day.
Xin Nalin: I'm sorry, Lu. I'll talk to Wendy about it. I apologize for his attitude.
Lu Yanhe: It's okay, you are you, and he is him.
-
Back in his apartment, Lu Yanhe sorted out his thoughts and then called Muken Sorge.
He was actually a little nervous, unsure whether Muken Sorge agreed with his ideas.
Unexpectedly, after hearing what he said, Muken Sorge exclaimed in surprise, "Lu, you have the exact same opinion as my wife!"
Lu Yanhe was taken aback.
“Even if you hadn’t called me, I would have still spoken to them. The image they designed for you is unacceptable,” Muken Sorge said firmly. “What are your thoughts?”
“Muken, Wendy couldn’t accept my suggestions and we parted on bad terms. I’d like to find someone to design it myself, is that okay?” Lu Yanhe said. “Of course, I won’t do it my own way. I will definitely get your approval before I adopt it.”
"You'll find someone to design it yourself?" Muken Sorge seemed somewhat hesitant about this.
At that moment, Lu Yanhe heard a woman's voice on the other end of Muken's phone: "Hey, honey, who are you talking to? Is it Lu? When are you inviting him over? I can't wait to see him. Did you tell him my chocolate cake was amazing?"
This is a woman whose voice sounds cheerful.
Lu Yanhe guessed that this might be Murken Sorge's Chinese wife.
Muken Sorge seemed to whisper something to the other end, after which the sound from that side decreased and became inaudible.
-
I recommend the older book, "I Became the Leading Lady of a Scandal Overnight".
(End of this chapter)
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