Chapter 520 Come pick me up quickly! (10,000-word update!)
What kind of movie did Lu Yanhe act in abroad?
Why is it covered up so tightly?
As Lu Yanhe's first foreign film, almost everyone who follows Lu Yanhe is curious about this movie.
It's important to understand that this is true for actors in almost any country. After becoming famous in their home country, they gain recognition overseas, meet more and more excellent directors and producers, and gradually attract the attention of others, eventually receiving opportunities to participate in foreign films.
Some actors insist on making movies in their own country and rarely go abroad to film, but others have embarked on a global path, not just going to Hollywood or just globalizing commercial films, but collaborating with famous directors from all over the world, which has become a common feature of them.
For an actor to gain a reputation and establish themselves in the global film industry, almost all of them have to take the latter path. This is especially true for actors who specialize in art films.
Everyone subconsciously felt that Lu Yanhe had accepted a role in a foreign art film.
As everyone knows, given Lu Yanhe's current situation, it's almost impossible for him to get roles in A-level or higher commercial blockbusters.
Aside from certain genres, there are rarely any commercial blockbusters that feature Asian actors as leads.
No one thought Lu Yanhe would take on an ordinary role.
This speculation excited Lu Yanhe's fans.
Because they think Lu Yanhe might win an award! An art film! Lu Yanhe has made another art film!
Everyone was looking forward to this movie like it was a holiday.
At this time, the details of Lu Yanhe's film had not yet been revealed, and Jiang Yuqian, who had become famous overseas with "Squid Game", was reported to be starring in a Hollywood action movie called "Mysterious Ghost".
The title sounds like a horror movie, but according to Variety magazine, it's actually a serious action film. It tells the story of a group of mercenaries who are attacked by an unknown force. Everyone is in danger and tries to find out what attacked them, but they suffer heavy casualties in the process. In the end, they discover that the attack is related to an operation they carried out three years ago.
In addition to this film, Variety also reported that Chinese actress Jiang Yuqian is in talks to star in the TV series "Perfect Truth," a collaboration between French film director Donovan Motovani and Maxine.
Once these two pieces of news were revealed, Jiang Yuqian, who had experienced a career resurgence with "Squid Game" over the past six months, finally had news of a new project. Her fans were also excited.
Is their idol Jiang Yuqian really going to become an international superstar?
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As Jiang Yuqian's agent, He Heng has been extremely busy for the past six months, catching up with Jiang Yuqian's career resurgence. He's been spinning like a top.
The film "Ghost" stars Mam Valentine, a top American actor, and also features several other well-known actors. It is a genuine A-list production intended for global release.
They approached Jiang Yuqian because they were drawn to her by the popularity of "Squid Game" and the Chinese market behind her.
In an action blockbuster like this, let's not even talk about art or the charm of the actors.
Those were just words spoken in public; He Heng and Jiang Yuqian knew perfectly well what was going on.
However, they have a need for Jiang Yuqian, and Jiang Yuqian also needs this film to complete the first step of her next career plan.
He Heng had an in-depth discussion with Jiang Yuqian and planned her future path after "The Squid Game".
First, she needs to recognize the current situation. She can no longer take on two disastrous films in order to change her image and win awards, just like she did after "The Golden Era".
Secondly, she needs to capitalize on her core competitive advantage compared to other actresses at the same level: international recognition. "The Squid Game" catapulted her to fame, achieving success both domestically and internationally. If she can solidify this "international recognition and influence" label in the eyes of domestic media within two to three years, it will be a significant boost to her career.
“But there’s one more thing, Yuqian. No matter what, we have to make at least one Chinese-language production every year, whether it’s a TV series or a movie. We can’t afford to lose out on the domestic film and television market,” He Heng said. “Going international is just a means to an end. The ultimate goal is to establish ourselves as actors. There’s no shortage of Asian actresses in Hollywood. There are plenty of people trying to get into Hollywood. On the contrary, art films are a relatively rare field in Europe and America. And now that streaming media is so developed, we’re always getting big art film directors to make films for us.”
"Our core philosophy is simple: we'll take on any role that can enhance your already illustrious image. Action films, suspense films, theatrical releases, streaming media—it doesn't matter. For the next two to three years, we're not focusing on high-quality productions, but rather on building brand awareness. We want your name to frequently appear in reports from major media outlets worldwide, like the recent Variety magazine article about you. This is far more attention-grabbing than if we release information ourselves."
Jiang Yuqian nodded.
“Take the show ‘Perfect Truth’ for example. Donovan approached me, but I only wanted to play a role with six scenes, probably less than twenty minutes of screen time in total. Now it’s caused such a stir. What if people are disappointed when they watch it?” She was still a little worried.
He Heng: "Don't worry, we won't do any false advertising, saying that we starred in this drama. It's natural that people have expectations. But you also need to know that this is Donovan Mottovani, a director who won the Best Director Award at the Situer Film Festival. Do you know how many stars he attracted to star in his collaboration with Maxine on 'Perfect Truth'? There were a full twelve well-known and established actors, most of whom weren't the leads. The fact that you're in such a cast is a symbol in itself, for us and for the public—you're a Chinese actress appearing alongside these people in Donovan's new film."
Jiang Yuqian understood what He Heng meant.
She's not the only one who only plays such a small role; there are many other well-known actors in the same situation.
“The only reason we took this role was to work with director Donovan. Remember that,” He Heng said. “Even if it’s just one scene, let alone two, you’d still be willing to act in it. We need to show this attitude to the media. If ‘The Mysterious Ghost’ is because it’s a blockbuster and can be released worldwide, then ‘The Perfect Truth’ is because it’s a new film directed by a director you really like. As an actor, you can’t pass up an opportunity to work with a director you like.”
Jiang Yuqian nodded in realization.
"Remember to watch a few of Donovan's past films during this time, and be sure to understand his creative background. There will definitely be many occasions where you need to work with him. If this collaboration can leave a good impression on Donovan, then you may be able to collaborate on many projects in the future."
-
In fact, if Lu Yanhe were here, he would think that He Heng's thinking was really correct and right.
Of the things Lu Yanhe knew, there were actually two actors in this situation.
One is Irish actor Cillian Murphy, who just won the Oscar for Best Actor, and the other is South Korean actress Bae Doona.
The former actually started playing leading roles a long time ago, but for more than a decade, he has always played supporting roles in Nolan's films, often minor ones. However, he has never stopped acting in Nolan's films because of this; he still responds to every call and acts whenever he is asked.
Thus, in Oppenheimer, Cillian Murphy finally got his leading role, and won the Academy Award for Best Actor for this film, reaching the pinnacle of his career.
The latter is a very famous South Korean actress. After collaborating with the director of "The Matrix" on the infamous, star-studded but terrible film "Cloud Atlas," she got involved with the two brothers (sisters) who were directors, and starred in many of their films. As a result, she caught the wave of streaming media and became the first South Korean actress in the millennium to truly be labeled an "internationally renowned actress."
This led her down a path quite different from most Korean actresses. She continued to act in Korean films and television dramas, but without relying on domestic conglomerates. She was able to appear in Hollywood movies, become a regular at top international film festivals, collaborate with renowned director Hirokazu Kore-eda, and star in a series of blockbuster series such as Sense8, Stranger, and Kingdom, all backed by Netflix.
In Lu Yanhe's eyes, Jiang Yuqian was indeed suited to this path because she had a starting point that no other actress had—"The Squid Game." This meant that she wasn't starting from scratch; she had a very good foundation.
If she can walk a path that others can't even take, it means she can still stand firm for the next ten years or so and not be pushed down by others.
-
In comparison, Jiang Jun, the male lead of "The Squid Game," is a bit of a pity.
Foreign production companies also showed interest in him and offered him opportunities.
However, on the one hand, Jiang Jun's English is not very good, which creates a great barrier to communication, and he can only rely on a translator. On the other hand, Jiang Jun himself has two series to film, "The Seventeen Floors" and "My Own Swordsman", and his schedule is very tight.
But Jiang Jun himself didn't feel it was a pity.
He is the type of actor who prefers to film in familiar environments.
Jiang Jun felt that he had been incredibly lucky over the past two years. He had gone from being an unknown actor to suddenly becoming a leading man in major productions. Moreover, because of his age and image, his market in television dramas was even larger than that of younger actors like Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang. He received over a dozen scripts every month, whether for family dramas or spy dramas, which was quite astonishing.
Even if he couldn't break into the international market in one fell swoop, he would still be satisfied.
Of course, in many people's eyes, Jiang Jun wasted a very important opportunity.
-
“Jiang Jun’s situation is different from Jiang Yuqian’s. Jiang Jun has no need to risk going abroad to make a living. He has only recently become famous in China and has not yet gained a foothold in the country.”
When analyzing Jiang Jun's situation, Chen Ziyan clearly already had an idea.
"If he were to take on foreign projects now, firstly, it would be difficult for foreign companies to offer him any good ones. One 'Squid Game' wouldn't be enough to land him a leading role in a big-budget foreign production. But that would take up his prime time. Domestically, he still has three series to film: 'Seventeen Floors,' 'My Own Swordsman,' and 'Squid Game.' This means he simply won't have time to film other domestic projects. At his peak, when all the domestic production companies were eager to work with him, he wouldn't be able to, which would mean missing a crucial window of opportunity. He can't possibly film those three projects forever."
Lu Qingzhen said, "However, whether an actor has participated in international productions or not makes a big difference to his resume."
“You’re looking at Jiang Jun with a celebrity mindset. Do you think Jiang Jun can take the celebrity route?” Chen Ziyan shook her head with a smile. “For Jiang Jun, even without experience in international productions, it doesn’t affect his current development in China. An actor with his acting skills will have a bright future once he gets ahead.”
Lu Qingzhen pondered for a moment and said, "But if that's the case, then Jiang Jun has only managed to successfully join the ranks of the top tier, right?"
"Just made it into the top tier?" Chen Ziyan looked at Lu Qingzhen with some surprise.
Lu Qingzhen: "Don't misunderstand me. I'm not so arrogant as to think that being a top-tier star isn't enough. I just feel that 'The Squid Game' is our first drama series to achieve such a huge global impact, and Jiang Jun is the absolute lead actor. If he only becomes a top-tier star in China, wouldn't he be wasting all the opportunities this drama has given him? Not to mention Jiang Yuqian, Liu Zefan has also started getting scripts from Maxine."
“I know what you mean, but I don’t agree with your point of view,” Chen Ziyan said. “Not every actor has to seize the opportunity to film internationally. Jiang Yuqian and Liu Zefan can because they have a solid fan base in China and have been popular for several years. Also, they are young, and they can play supporting roles in foreign productions. But for Jiang Jun, would you let him play a supporting role in an international project? In ‘Squid Game,’ he is undoubtedly the lead actor and the focal point of the entire series. After starring in such a globally popular drama, what would people think if he took a supporting role in a project that wasn’t directed by a big name or had a large budget? That would be considered a step down. Their different situations mean they have different ranges of choices. Jiang Jun is currently experiencing overnight fame, but his domestic situation is unstable and his international situation is not strong. In this case, he must first stabilize his domestic situation.”
Upon hearing this, Lu Qingzhen seemed to be deep in thought.
She gradually accepted Chen Ziyan's idea.
"Now that you put it that way, I'm starting to understand."
"Because you must first understand a very crucial principle: overseas is overseas after all. Their mainstream will always be actors with their own appearance, not Asian actors. Even if one day an Asian actor wins an Oscar for Best Actor or Best Actress, that is just one person. It can never change the reality that white people from Europe and America are the mainstream in Hollywood."
Chen Ziyan told Lu Qingzhen, "Internationalization is a means for actors to achieve better career development, or to put it bluntly, a way to raise their status and prestige. But if you really intend to achieve global fame through internationalization, frankly, it's almost impossible. The mainstream roles that truly cater to a global audience and can create superstars won't be given to you, it's impossible. For Europe and America, Asians will always be supporting characters, embellishments—that's an unchangeable fact. When can Chinese actors truly pursue internationalization on a large scale? Only when China has established distribution channels globally and achieved the same dominance in the film industry as Hollywood, and the same influence in reputation and honor as the four major international film festivals, can Chinese actors pursue internationalization on a large scale. Otherwise, only a very few actors who happen to be on the right track will ever be able to achieve it."
Lu Qingzhen: "What about Yan He? He starred in 'Mist' on his first trip abroad. To be honest, I have a feeling that Yan He will achieve great success even in Europe and America."
"If it weren't Yan He, but another actor who achieved the same level of success as Yan He, I would have doubts," Chen Ziyan stated directly, expressing her disapproval. "I believe that Chinese actors do have the opportunity to star in one or two European and American films, even genre films like 'The Mist' directed by renowned directors. However, how many projects with Asian characters as the main characters do Europe and America produce each year? It's not that we haven't had Chinese actors break into Hollywood in the past, but why is it that in the last era, perhaps only one or two people have left a mark? It's the same point: those projects aren't designed with Asian characters as the main characters. Only when you truly reach a certain level can a film company there tailor-make a role for you. Otherwise, no matter how famous you are, no matter how well your last film did at the box office, no matter how much the audience appreciates your performance, if there are no roles for you to play later, you'll just be stuck at home doing nothing."
Chen Ziyan shrugged. "You say Yan He is good, I agree, but that's because Yan He has the ability to write his own scripts, and he has streaming services like HP and Maxine watching over every project he undertakes. His starting point is a height that many Asian actors can never reach in their entire lives. After 'The Mist' is finished, if Yan He wants to continue making English, French, or even Spanish films, he can, because he has the creative ability to tailor them to his own needs. But besides him, is there another actor with this kind of ability? I'm not talking about screenwriting ability, I'm talking about the ability to have his screenwriting ability pursued and paid for by overseas capital."
Lu Qingzhen fell silent.
Chen Ziyan is absolutely right.
Films written and starring Lu Yanhe are, to say the least, watched by the four major international film festivals. For example, "Love Letter" has almost been shortlisted for next year's Jose Film Festival.
As long as it's not a show like "My Own Swordsman" with an overly obvious Chinese cultural background that foreigners would absolutely not understand, both HP and Maxine would fight over it.
They manage to win both awards and commercial success, ensuring they have both influence and financial rewards.
This is the core source of Lu Yanhe's confidence in pursuing an international path.
Even without Chen Ziyan saying anything, Lu Qingzhen knew that if Jiang Yuqian and Liu Zefan failed in one or two international projects, they would basically be abandoned by the foreign production companies and would not be given another chance. They would be considered as "leaving 'Squid Game' and not being liked by overseas audiences".
They lacked the necessary foundation to continue their attempts.
Jiang Jun was even more so.
Jiang Yuqian and Liu Zefan will still have positions within the country, but Jiang Jun is very likely to lose even those positions as a result.
Because he never defended it in the first place.
-
On the set of "The Mist," Lu Yanhe was finally about to film his first scene.
The special effects makeup alone took almost two hours.
According to director Mu Ken's vision, Lu Yanhe would be surrounded by thick fog every time he appeared, and his appearance would no longer be the same as usual. Special effects makeup was required, with a burn mark on the left side of his cheek, and then a layer of cement-like paint would be applied over this mark.
Based on the storyboards Muken created, Lu Yanhe could basically understand what kind of effect Muken wanted. It was actually very similar to the effect of Voldemort's entrance, with a very strong sense of atmosphere, and his image itself was also part of this atmosphere filled with hatred and gloom.
Surprisingly, Lu Yanhe originally thought that after such special effects makeup, he would not be easily recognized, but the result was not so; he could still be recognized at a glance.
Lu Yanhe's image in the movie will change continuously as he progresses in his revenge, gradually returning to his appearance before death, until the last person dies, at which point he will completely revert to his appearance before death, that is, a handsome and refined boy.
Therefore, Lu Yanhe was actually quite looking forward to having an image that even he himself couldn't recognize after the special effects makeup.
Lu Yanhe's first scene is at Albert Bogut's house.
Albert Bogut's house suddenly lost power, and it was at this moment that Lu Yanhe appeared, beginning the first step of his revenge.
In this scene, he only has one shot, a fleeting glimpse of Albert Bogut.
However, this scene is very important because it marks Lu Yanhe's first appearance in the film.
He arrived at the scene.
Today's shoot is in a studio.
Albert Bogut's house in the film was a temporary structure.
Almost all indoor scenes featuring Lu Yanhe were filmed in a studio. This was to make it easier for Lu Yanhe to be suspended by wires, maintaining the sense of horror of a ghost suddenly appearing in mid-air.
Like in today's scene, Lu Yanhe suddenly flew out from behind the curtains of Albert Bogut's house, attacking him like a cloud of black mist.
In a normal house, there isn't enough space to set up wires.
When Albert Bogut came out of his lounge and saw Lu Yanhe, he showed a surprised expression.
This was the first time he had seen Lu Yanhe's image in a movie.
"Wow! You look so cool!" Albert Bogut, a handsome blond man with blue eyes, looked at Lu Yanhe with admiration.
Lu Yanhe smiled and said, "Don't talk to me now, or I'll scare you later."
Albert Bogut continued to scrutinize Lu Yanhe, marveling at his work.
He crossed his arms and said, "I was a little confused at first. You're quite handsome, how could you play a vengeful ghost? But now that I see you like this, I'm really surprised."
Albert Bogut is a very proud and confident person. Lu Yanhe has already felt this in his interactions with him over the past few days.
At first, Lu Yanhe thought that Albert Bogut looked down on him, because Lu Yanhe could clearly feel that although Albert Bogut did not say it, he always had some doubts about him. He could even occasionally notice that Albert Bogut would look at him with a questioning look from time to time.
Later, it was Murken Zorge who told him that Albert thought he was too handsome and worried that if he played the Asian ghost, he wouldn't be able to scare the audience at all.
Today, Albert Bogut finally said it to his face for the first time.
Lu Yanhe smiled slightly and said nothing.
When it comes to acting, all that talk is useless; you have to put on a show to see the real talent. That's more effective than anything else.
-
Albert Bogut is indeed a very good actor.
Those critics' praise of him was not unfounded.
As he carefully moved through the dark room, holding his phone's flashlight, the monitor showed a tension, caution, and unease in his eyes.
He is an actor who acts with his eyes.
The silence at the scene created a terrifying atmosphere for Albert Bogut.
Suddenly, there was a sound of something falling to the ground.
That was a "clang" arranged by Muken. Albert Bogut didn't know there would be such a sound on set and was really startled. He looked towards the source of the sound, and the tension in his jaw, as if he were clenching his teeth, was evident in the footage.
Murken Sorge is known for his horror films, which are characterized by their atmosphere and pacing.
Lu Yanhe had seen the two films he had directed before, and it was easy to understand why they had achieved such good box office results.
Muken doesn't use gimmicky techniques to make horror films—this is what horror film enthusiasts criticize and find most objectionable.
Just like this film, this scene, the script by Muken uses a structure with three plot twists.
Albert was home alone when the power suddenly went out. He cautiously went to find the circuit breaker to check what was wrong. Suddenly, some strange noises came from the house, gradually bringing out his unease and sense of crisis through the "clunking" of things falling and the "clicking" of mechanisms being turned.
Then, Albert followed the sound and discovered that the noise was caused by an open window. An alarm clock on the windowsill fell to the ground when the curtains were blown up by the wind, making a "clang" sound followed by a clicking sound.
Albert breathed a sigh of relief at this point, and the atmosphere in the film eased a little.
But suddenly, a white lightning bolt appeared, and in the reflection of the window glass, he suddenly saw a blurry figure behind him.
Albert felt a chill run down his spine. He turned around and, when the light from his phone shone on him, he realized that it wasn't a figure at all, but a piece of clothing he had hung behind the door.
He let out a long sigh of relief and, in this torrential downpour, went to close the window again and draw the curtains.
The ghost that had been hiding behind the curtains was now exposed to the camera.
This shot was meticulously designed by Muken.
Thanks to the design that eliminates light during a power outage, in the very dimly lit scene of Alberta putting on the curtains, a pair of very old canvas shoes actually appeared under the curtains as they moved.
But Albert didn't notice at all.
Only his phone, because it was hanging by his legs, shone the light directly onto his canvas shoes.
Those canvas shoes were clearly floating in mid-air, belonging to someone.
This is the first truly scary shot.
Muken's approach, however, was different—there was no scary music, no terrifying expression on the protagonist's face, but rather he suddenly appeared in front of the audience in a moment that no one else in the film noticed.
Therefore, from this moment on, the audience's tension and fear preceded that of the film's protagonists.
The fear shifted from unease about the unknown to the protagonist's uncertainty about when they would discover the ghost's existence and when it would launch a surprise attack.
This feeling of tension and unease is like seeing someone standing under a rickety light sign. That person doesn't know that the light sign might fall on their head at any moment, but you see it. At that moment, you put yourself in their shoes, feeling tense and uneasy for them, and you might even shout out to warn them.
In the movie theater, you can't remind him; you can only watch nervously and anxiously, not knowing how the plot will develop next.
-
In typical horror movies, the scare point of this scene would be the moment when the ghost suddenly bursts out from behind the curtains, giving everyone a jolt of fright.
But in this film, it's not the kind of sudden, overwhelming scare. Instead, it's like a grim reaper wielding a scythe descending from the sky, slowly appearing before you. You turn and run, and the grim reaper leisurely chases after you. You run faster and faster, but he's always behind you. Your fear slowly accumulates in this process, becoming a massive, pervasive terror that eventually stiffens your limbs.
So, when Arne Bogut didn't notice the ghost hiding in the curtains and turned around to continue checking the circuit breaker in the basement, the ghost, played by Lu Yanhe, gently lifted the curtains and floated towards Arne Bogut like a wisp of mist. Arne Bogut finally realized that something seemed wrong, and he gripped the doorknob, wanting to open the door, but dared not move.
Lu Yanhe landed lightly behind Arne Bogut, as if he were invisible, and whispered in his ear, with a hint of regret and a sob in his voice, "Did you find me?"
At that moment, Arne Bogut let out a fierce roar, turned around and threw a punch, but missed everything and passed right through Lu Yanhe's body—this scene requires post-production special effects.
-
Arne Bogut turned pale.
The lights on set have been turned back on.
Everyone was busy with their own tasks.
Arne Bogut turned to Lu Yanhe and said, "I'm sorry."
His punch just now almost hit Lu Yanhe.
Lu Yanhe reacted quickly and dodged immediately.
He smiled slightly, "It's alright, I understand."
He had just been standing right behind Arne Bogut, less than a fingernail's width apart.
He could clearly feel the hairs on Arne Bogut's body standing on end.
He was genuinely frightened, and in a fit of panic, he threw a punch without thinking. Lu Yanhe, being an actor himself, understood this situation very well.
On the one hand, Muken created a very immersive performance environment for their actors, which can be described as a one-to-one recreation. During the filming just now, there was almost no light on set, only cold light, and all the staff were hiding in the darkness outside the room.
Even the wire used by Lu Yanhe to float over from the window was controlled by technicians outside the room, meaning that there really were only him and Arne Bogut inside the room.
On the other hand, Arne Bogut is an experience actor; he was so completely immersed in the situation that even while acting, he completely forgot he was acting at that moment.
Lu Yanhe didn't even see Arne Bogut's performance from the front. Just from his back and the feeling he had for a moment behind him, he knew that Arne Bogut's emotions must have been very convincing.
He was just about to say a few words of praise to Arne.
Turning his head, he noticed that Arne Bogut's gaze towards him had completely changed.
Arne looked at him as if he were an incredible monster.
Lu Yanhe: "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"When you said that in my ear just now, I felt like my heart stopped beating," Arne said.
Lu Yanhe looked surprised.
"Lu, you scared me."
-
"You're saying Lu Yanhe went abroad to act in a horror movie?"
Chen Ziliang looked at Ma Zhiyuan in disbelief, shocked by the news he had brought.
Ma Zhiyuan said, "Yes, I overheard it from someone in the company, and it's absolutely true."
Chen Ziliang pursed his lips, "I thought he went abroad to make a movie, something good, but it turned out to be a horror movie."
"Horror movies have low production costs. If they were high-budget films, they wouldn't have cast Lu Yanhe. He's only popular in China. Do you really think he's as amazing as they claim internationally? If he were that amazing, why would he stay in China? Wouldn't it be better to go to Hollywood and earn dollars?"
Chen Ziliang smiled, then suddenly realized what he was doing and looked at Ma Zhiyuan.
"But why are you suddenly telling me this? Do you want me to expose this news?"
“I didn’t mean that. I just wanted to share this with you. I think you’d be happy to hear it.” Ma Zhiyuan shrugged. “Anyway, I can’t compete with him anymore. I’m just here to enjoy the gossip.”
Chen Ziliang looked at him suspiciously.
Chen Ziliang said, "What's the rush? Give yourself a couple of years. With your previous popularity, it won't be difficult for you to make a comeback. But, aren't you becoming more and more indulgent? You seem to have gained quite a bit of weight."
Ma Zhiyuan: "I don't have any stage work right now, so why should I maintain my figure? It's okay to be a little chubby."
“You’re disappointing your fans,” Chen Ziliang said. “So many fans online are urging you to come out and work more.”
“As soon as I go out to work, Xu Qinyin’s fans go crazy and cause trouble at the venue, so now no event organizers are willing to invite me, and my work is basically at a standstill.” Ma Zhiyuan sighed.
"You haven't reconciled with Xu Qinyin yet?"
"Reconciliation my ass! If it weren't for her, would I have ended up like this today?" Ma Zhiyuan's face revealed hatred and disgust.
Seeing this, Chen Ziliang sighed inwardly, "If only I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have done it in the first place."
"Does Zhou Ping'an have no plans for you?"
“His mind is entirely focused on Yan Liang, how could he possibly still remember me?” Ma Zhiyuan sneered.
Chen Ziliang: "You...you can't really be completely incapable of doing anything, can you?"
"Forget it." Ma Zhiyuan still acted nonchalantly. "It's better to practically retire from the entertainment industry than to have to stoop to those low-class, shameful jobs."
Chen Ziliang wanted to say something, but seeing Ma Zhiyuan's expression, he gave up.
That makes sense. Ma Zhiyuan has been a top celebrity for so many years, he must have earned a lot. Even though he had his scandal, terminated many contracts, and paid a lot in breach of contract fees, what he still has is enough for him to live a life of wealth and leisure.
If Ma Zhiyuan truly didn't have the ambition to make a comeback, there was really no need for him to start all over again.
How can someone who is used to being the center of attention wherever they go accept a sudden fall from grace?
Looking at Ma Zhiyuan now, Chen Ziliang thought of himself.
Although his popularity isn't what it used to be, he can still make a living in this industry thanks to the connections, fans, and works he's accumulated in the past. Besides, he's only not as well off as Lu Yanhe, Li Zhibai, and Yan Liang; in the entertainment industry, he's not the best, but he's not the worst either.
"I wonder if I'll ever see Lu Yanhe fall from grace," Ma Zhiyuan suddenly said.
Chen Ziliang smiled casually and said, "Who wouldn't want to see that?"
Ma Zhiyuan: "If Lu Yanhe really falls from grace, he should have a lot of resources to share, right?"
He glanced meaningfully at Chen Ziliang and smiled.
"Ziliang, haven't you ever thought about replacing Lu Yanhe?"
Chen Ziliang: "..."
He truly never imagined that one day he would have such a feeling—
Was Ma Zhiyuan driven to the brink of madness by the blow?
Should we replace Lu Yanhe?
He actually dared to say that!
Who can take over? Who can replace him?
Chen Ziliang thought to himself that he still needed to distance himself from Ma Zhiyuan in the future. It's not terrible for someone to be washed up or no longer famous; what's terrible is when that person's mind is not clear, and their words are like something that's been fried in oil—crispy with the first fry, and crumbles to pieces with the slightest bite.
While laughing, Chen Ziliang secretly took out his phone and sent a message to his agent Yan Wei: Come pick me up quickly!
-
I'd like to continue recommending my old book, "I Became the Scandalous Woman Overnight," which went from 7 initial subscriptions to over 1,000 average subscriptions per day.
(End of this chapter)
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