Chapter 113: Movie Premiere
"Why haven't you left yet?" Shang Hanyou asked instinctively, not expecting that he was almost in the car heading to the recording studio when he saw Li Sishi come out.
"No, I just called Leo, but his agent answered and said he's busy with his schedule and doesn't have time." Li Sishi told him that she wanted to ask Ling Chen to go to the movie premiere with her.
“You can come with me. I’ll be there to support Shengzai, and it’s on my way.” Shang Hanyou blinked.
“Of course I knew you would go, that’s why I called Leo,” Li Sishi explained.
She invited Ling Chen, and Zhou Shengyi invited Shang Hanyou—this way, each person invited one and then each person dragged another along, which perfectly matched the cast in the play, and also made the classic trope of superstars fighting each other in the play and brothers working together off-screen even more interesting...
Unfortunately, in the end, we were still one player short.
"In the past two years, Leo has turned down many commercial performances arranged by his agent in order to participate in charity performances, but it hasn't made much of a difference, because if he turns down one, there's another, and he simply can't finish them all." Shang Hanyou shook his head helplessly and told him some old stories he knew.
“Lei Jun was the one who mentored him when he was a newcomer. Leo is sentimental, and even though their ideas are clearly no longer aligned, he still wants to continue the relationship…” Although Shang Hanyou had seen Lei Jun fight tooth and nail for resources for Ling Chen in the company before, there is never a shortage of people who can share hardship but not prosperity when faced with ever-increasing profits.
In particular, the commission income of agents is directly related to the income of artists. If more time and energy are spent on charity performances that don't cost money in the early morning, the time spent on commercial performances that can make money will be reduced accordingly. So, when you have a money tree in your hand but can't shake it as much as possible, how many people won't be "anxious"?
It's just that people's hearts have become fattened, making it easier for them to feel unsatisfied.
Moreover, Ling Chen's contract with Bao Yiyin is about to expire, and he himself is not keen on renewing it. After all, everyone knows that the current top male singer at Bao Yiyin is Shang, not Ling. Even if they are both superstars, if he can only be second in terms of age, seniority, and talent, he can only pick up resources second.
Shang Hanyou could tell that the reason his adopted brother was composing and writing lyrics in his spare time in the early morning, trying out various musical styles, was that he had begun to explore his own path in the music industry.
The reason why Lingchen didn't want to renew his contract and stay...
Another reason why Bao Yiyin is always second is that if he renews his contract, Bao Yiyin is very likely to let him continue down the same path as the former prince of love songs and make money steadily for a few more years, which will restrict his free development.
As Ling Chen's agent, Lei Jun, whether he supports him or not, will definitely add more tasks to him during this period in order to increase his market value. This will make it much easier to negotiate whether he changes companies or renews his contract.
“What you said makes sense…” Li Sishi nodded thoughtfully.
If this is the reason why Lei Jun, who clearly admires pairing up golden couples, is cold towards her, it seems to make sense: after all, marketing a couple takes time to develop, while commercial performances can quickly increase one's value, so Lei Jun made a choice for the time being.
Thinking of this, Li Sishi shook her head, temporarily suppressing the chaotic thoughts in her mind, and then looked at Shang Hanyou again: "Then, see you then."
"Okay, see you then." Shang Hanyou chuckled and drove off first.
After explaining things to her assistant, Li Sishi, who stayed behind, got into Li Jinhao's car and went back to the Li family mansion with her parents for dinner.
Filming days always seem to fly by. Before they knew it, the late winter chill had arrived in the Guangzhou region. As the Christmas atmosphere on the streets gradually intensified, posters for "Hero in My Heart" began to appear in cinemas everywhere, attracting the attention of many passersby who eagerly awaited the new work of Zhou Shengyi, the king of comedy.
Movies like Zhou Shengyi's, with their cheerful and lighthearted tone, are suitable not only for the whole family but also for couples enjoying a romantic evening around Christmas, especially since this year's leading lady is the legendary Miss Hong Kong, Li Sishi.
Her acting skills were proven on television, but the small screen and the big screen are definitely different. In Hong Kong, the prevailing view is that if an artist wants to become a true "actor," they must first be able to withstand the test of the big screen—after all, movie tickets cost money!
If a film is neither appealing on screen nor profitable at the box office, then even the most beautiful film has its limits.
Tonight, we'll see if a new star rises to the big screen or an unworthy talent fades away...
The premiere was at 11 p.m. tonight. Through the window of the van, Li Sishi saw a group of people carrying sugarcane near the movie theater entrance, and her heart tightened.
Although she herself said, "The character of Lili is more fleshed out, vivid, and layered after the revisions," this "layering" is still...
For these people carrying sugarcane, there might be a certain threshold for appreciation...
If some impatient viewers get angry after only watching the scene where the female lead and male lead confront each other, the atmosphere on set might not be so harmonious.
The reason is simple: these people who bring a piece of sugarcane to the movies are from a very mysterious and unique group that randomly appears during the screenings of movies in Hong Kong's nightlife districts—the Sugarcane Biting Gang.
The sugarcane-biting gang was formed because in the old days, there were few foreigners and middle-class people at the weekend night screenings of cinemas. So this time slot became the "exclusive time slot" for the lower classes who could happily watch a movie while biting into a piece of sugarcane.
These people from all walks of life, if they enjoy watching a movie together, they can take a few bites of sugarcane to add to the fun and replenish their energy to continue enjoying themselves; but if they don't enjoy the movie so much or are not satisfied, the leftover sugarcane pulp becomes the most convenient tool for venting their anger by throwing it onto the screen...
Over time, these passionate and unrestrained individuals from all walks of life earned the nickname "Sugarcane-Biting Gang" in the neighborhood.
Their nickname implies that they are outside the three realms and outside the five elements, but they are just as fierce as those big triads in Hong Kong that make people tremble with fear - especially since they have the advantage of coming and going like the wind, switching identities quickly and without a trace, putting down sugarcane and becoming a law-abiding citizen, picking up sugarcane and charging into battle.
Some old-timers have even developed the habit of specifically targeting premieres: the quality of movies in Hong Kong is now excessively uneven, and those movies made to launder money can be infuriating. Sometimes, if you're unlucky enough to encounter those garbage movies that are utterly awful, and you're still not done watching them even after several trips to the toilet, then you can pick up your sugarcane and go upstairs to the second floor to stretch your muscles with the main cast and crew, which is a pretty good option.
To put it simply, this sugarcane, which is delicious and substantial to chew and drink, is just as heavy as a slightly thinner baseball bat when held in your hand...
This phenomenon later became the final weapon for some gang leaders who wanted to make movies to launder money but ended up being "scammed" – of course, those so-called scammer directors were not necessarily intentionally trying to cheat money, but rather the gang leaders always liked to attract people based on popularity.
They found an art-house director unsuitable for commercial films, and he wouldn't listen to their explanations. In the end, the director took the money and went all out, leaving the gang leader with nothing...
Although Zhou Shengyi's film is produced by Zhao's, he himself belongs to Shang's Rongsheng, which has a triad background. It seems that there will be some "underworld friends" at tonight's premiere.
After mentally preparing herself, Li Sishi lowered her head and bent over to get out of the car, facing the oncoming flashing lights with a sweet smile as she let them take photos for a while before going to talk to the shopkeeper.
Hanyou Huihe.
With her male companion's assistant escorting her, Li Sishi arrived at Zhou Shengyi's side without any major incidents, followed by a flurry of photos being taken.
Fortunately, the premiere's schedule was always well-organized, preventing them from standing in the cold wind as human-shaped standees for too long.
After going up to the second floor of the movie theater, Li Sishi sat down in her seat. To her left was Zhou Shengyi, the male lead and unofficial director of the movie, and to her right was Shang Hanyou, who was the guest and protector of the night.
As for the empty seat that Shang Hanyou went over, it was originally reserved for Ling Chen. Although Ling Chen replied that he was not available, Zhou Shengyi still sent an invitation to his agent as usual to express his gratitude for Ling Chen's guest appearance.
"If I had known he would come, I would have arranged for him to sit next to me. It's rare for the two of us brothers to have the opportunity to sit together and watch a movie. It's been several years since the last time, hasn't it?" Zhou Shengyi joked, looking at his old friend who was one seat away.
"Oh, please, no way. Watching movies with you is no fun at all. I don't want to sit next to you." Shang Hanyou looked resistant, then spoke to Li Sishi in a gossipy tone, "He's not watching the movie; he's observing! Analyzing! Summarizing!"
After using three words with emphasized tones to express his feelings, Shang Hanyou finally put on an innocent expression and spread his hands: "Tell me, what's the point of watching a movie like this?"
“It’s just that you haven’t reached my level yet.” Zhou Shengyi stretched out his hand and patted his shoulder.
"Hey, hey, hey, look but don't touch!" Shang Hanyou quickly struggled to his feet, "There are so many reporters here, I don't want to have a scandal with you."
Zhou Shengyi rolled her eyes at him: "Do you think I want to have a scandal with you? There's a beauty pageant winner next to me. Why do you think I'd be interested in you?"
"Hey, I'm just a poor girl passing by, you don't need to worry about me." Li Sishi never expected that her two old friends' IQs could plummet to new lows when they got together, but they were clearly more interested in watching the show.
"Because of that groping hand you just had!" Shang Hanyou said with a self-righteous expression.
"I was just a groper?!" Zhou Shengyi was racking his brains to come up with some sarcastic remarks for his old friend, but when he caught a glimpse of the movie about to start, he had no choice but to reluctantly turn his attention back to the screen and settle the score later.
"Sigh, you've already declined so quickly, Shengzi." Shang Hanyou added as a final remark.
His smugness prompted Li Sishi to warn him:
Know when to quit while you're ahead!
"Fine, I'll give you the looks of a pretty girl and not argue with you." Shang Hanyou finally turned his attention back to the screen.
Meanwhile, in a large shopping mall several streets away from the premiere cinema, Ling Chen, who had just changed into her costume and was about to go on stage to perform, suddenly found herself in complete darkness when she stood up.
"Quickly go and get Leo some sugar water, he's been working so hard lately!" Lei Jun quickly helped him up, and after seeing his pale face, he hurriedly called out.
As Lei Jun sat back down in the early hours of the morning, sipping his sweet soup, he thought for a moment and said, "I've spoken to the mall manager and said I'll postpone your performance by two more days. You can rest here a little longer."
"Thank you, Brother Jun."
She thanked him hurriedly in the early hours of the morning.
"Don't mention it. I raised you from the bottom, you're like my own child, of course I care about you." Lei Jun chuckled and scolded him, then hurriedly ran off to discuss it with the manager.
"Brother Jun, your bag..." Just as I was about to remind Lei Jun that he had forgotten his bag, I remembered that he had only been gone for a short while, so I didn't call him back in the early morning.
However, when Lei Jun's bag was put back on the table next to him, a thin piece of paper suddenly fell out from the half-open zipper...
Invitation to the premiere of the film "Hero in My Heart"?
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