Chapter 754: Chapter 161: Partners
“Speaking of Chinese food, I just rembered a joke. One Dragon Boat Festival, a Chinese lady made so zongzi, and as it happened, there was a new neighbor next door. Following tradition, she brought so zongzi over to their house. The next day, when she asked about it, the new neighbor’s lady said that the zongzi tasted great, but the lettuce on the outside was too tough,” Adrian said leisurely, sipping his porridge.
Sitting opposite him, also eating breakfast in the suite, Gao Yuanyuan took about two seconds to catch on and then burst into laughter, almost spitting out her porridge.
“I hope that Chinese cuisine, in this respect, could even outshine French cuisine,” Adrian continued, handing her a napkin, “Sotis I think about making a food program to introduce Chinese food. What do you think about the na ‘A Bite of China’?”
“Um… Not bad,” Gao Yuanyuan responded briefly, with a smile, looking very cute.
Adrian didn’t say anything more, just stared at her without blinking. Yuanyuan felt a bit embarrassed and lowered her head, and then heard him sigh.
“I’m doing all the talking this early in the morning. Don’t you have anything you want to say?” Adrian asked.
“This…” The girl put down her bowl, seemingly unsure what to say, since they hadn’t known each other before last night.
“I just… I still… don’t know you,” Gao Yuanyuan said softly.
“I see… Well,” Adrian stroked his chin, “How about this: I’ll be staying here for a few more days. After I finish my business, I’d love to visit so famous spots. My last trip here was too rushed and I couldn’t make it. If I rember correctly, you ntioned yesterday that you’re local, right? How about being my tour guide for a few days?”
“A tour guide?” The girl’s eyes widened in surprise, her throat clearly moved, she understood the implications of his words to so extent.
“Yeah, a tour guide,” Adrian said in a light tone, as if he really just wanted her to be a guide.
“This… I still have to work, Cowell… Ed,” Yuanyuan didn’t outright refuse, rely murmuring so while pushing around the delicate dishes in front of her with her chopsticks.
“The TV series of Jin Yong’s ‘Heavenly Sword Dragon Slaying Saber’?” Adrian asked, and then, seeing her puzzled look, he laughed, “You ntioned it last night, saying it’s indeed a great martial arts novel. I’ve read it too, all twelve of Jin Yong’s novels. He’s a great storyteller, although I’m not too fond of Zhang Wuji’s character. I thought the new adaptation wasn’t as good as the old one.”
“The old version?” Yuanyuan showed curiosity.
“Yes, the very first version Jin Yong started publishing in Mingbao,” Adrian explained with a smile, “In that version, Zhang Wuji ends up as the sect leader of the Ei Sect.”
“Sect leader of the Ei Sect?” The girl was a bit incredulous, “You couldn’t be…”
“Confusing it with ‘The Smiling Proud Wanderer’? Of course not,” Adrian laughed heartily, causing Yuanyuan to blush a bit, “But I guess it’s because he used the sa plot device in ‘The Smiling Proud Wanderer’ again, so Jin Yong removed it when revising. If you get a chance, you might want to find the old version and see what’s different from the current new version.”
At this point, the phone rang, and Adrian stood up to answer it on speaker. Ivanka’s voice, slightly austere, ca through, “It’s almost ti, sir. Mr. Wang is on his way.”
Although she did not attend the dinner last night, it didn’t an she was unaware of the presence of another woman with him at that mont, hence her use of ‘sir’ instead of ‘Ed’ on the call.
“Alright, I’ll be out soon,” Adrian replied, then hung up the phone and turned to Gao Yuanyuan, “It’s not a big issue. Just ask for another leave from the crew. If necessary, I’ll find soone to speak with them. Mr. Wang Zhongjun should be willing to do this favor.”
The girl who was about to speak then closed her mouth again, while Adrian, who was straightening his clothes, continued, “Today, I’m going to New Picture Company to observe Director Zhang Yimou’s new work. You should co with ; it’s a rare opportunity.”
Upon hearing the na of Zhang Yimou, Gao Yuanyuan visibly bit her lip and hesitated for a few seconds before finally agreeing softly.
Adrian, observing her decision, shrugged his shoulders with a mix of regret and relief. Finding a lotus root that was comparatively clean and still appetizing in a muddy pond was quite an accomplishnt.
After settling this matter and getting ready, Adrian left the China Hotel with Gao Yuanyuan and drove towards the Chaoyang District where New Picture was located.
“I’m really sorry for drinking too much last night; I hope it didn’t affect your rest.” Wang Zhongjun, who arrived at about the sa ti, lit up when he noticed Gao Yuanyuan coming with Adrian and said with a double entendre.
“Of course not, and thank you, Mr. Wang, for your hospitality,” Adrian responded with a aningful smile, “By the way, I was wondering if Mr. Wang is familiar with the crew of ‘Heavenly Sword Dragon Slaying Saber’.”
“Is there sothing you need?” Wang Zhongjun glanced at the girl beside him and showed a curious expression.
“I’d like to speak with the person in charge of the crew to ask for a few more days off for Yuanyuan. I want her to be my guide in Beijing for the next few days,” Adrian explained, very direct.
Wang Zhongjun raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly surprised, but then he laughed, “No problem.”
Then, the second Mr. Wang of New Pictures also t Gao Yuanyuan. Though they were initially surprised, they did not press further. Such situations were normal. Even though Adrian was a foreigner, he spoke fluent Chinese and was very familiar with Mainland China, often causing them to unconsciously not treat him as a foreigner.
After a brief chat, they went straight to the screening room. Although New Pictures occupied two floors in this comrcial building, there weren’t many screening rooms. Nevertheless, only a few attended the screening besides the director, the producers, the Wang Brothers, Adrian, his secretary Ivanka, and his temporary companion Gao Yuanyuan.
Last ti, it was ntioned that Zhang Yimou had a knack for visual composition and color in his images, not far behind Ang Lee. The classical scenes and fights shown in “Hero” were impressive even though the special effects were slightly poor. The scene where Naless kills Sky through a burst of water droplets looked odd no matter how you looked at it. However, minor flaws did not detract from the overall excellence, especially for Chinese cinema, when overlooking so plot issues.
Interestingly, so of the lines were different from what Adrian rembered, the most apparent being the King of Qin’s speech when he turned his back to Naless. Gone were the chilling lines “I have comprehended the way,” “It is peace,” “It is not to fight,” replaced by a monologue, the central idea of which was similar to what Adrian had initially suggested. The curved sword turned out to be his true confidant. However, the language was more archaic and corrected Adrian’s previous mistake – at this ti, he was still King of Qin, not the First Emperor, so he should refer to himself as ‘I’ and not ‘We’.
Thinking about it, it’s sowhat amusing. A foreigner arguing that certain dialogues lacked ancient flavor, then awkwardly quoting old texts, it was inevitable for the director, screenwriter, and producer to and them – if only slightly, to redeem their pride.
As for the actors’ performances, one can only say they were all quite decent, as the film’s appeal does not lie there. Lin Zhiling, though her role was not substantial, still showcased quite a bit of elegance in the first story. Speaking of which, Adrian had initially intended to cast Lin Zhiling, but as she was currently busy with another film, it was Lin Xilei who secured the role for her—this ti, by winning Adrian’s favor in bed.
Thanks to her natural advantages, she had an early look at the script for “The Fast And The Furious” sequel and proposed to Adrian on the spot that the female undercover cop could be changed to a Chinese-Arican. It was indeed a viable idea, and combined with Lin Xilei’s accommodating performance in bed, and Lin Zhiling’s subsequent cooperation, Adrian agreed to it.
However, looking at Gao Yuanyuan by my side, it’s a good thing she didn’t follow along.
Bringing the topic back to the film, one could see Zhang Yimou’s caliber from Lin Zhiling’s scenes. The sa bright red dress, the sa dual-wielding curved swords, the intense colors Lin Zhiling presented on cara were completely different from what Adrian rembered, not to say who was better, but the impact was significantly different at key points.
So, besides storytelling, the only thing Zhang Yimou lacks is vision. I rember soone comnted in a previous life that, though both films show different perspectives on the sa event, “Hero” suggests that “it’s better to have a tyrant unite the states than to have them in constant chaos,” while Akira Kurosawa’s “Rashomon” suggests that “everyone lies for their own benefit, and the truth of the world is unknowable.”
One perspective is a political view not particularly convincing, while the other is a predicant and sorrow humanity has always faced. Though there’s no comparing the box office, for those critics who value “art,” “Hero” is average whereas “Rashomon” is classic. It’s not that Zhang Yimou couldn’t do it; his films before this were quite good in this regard. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to find a director in China who can make comrcial films, forcing Zhang Yimou to take up this responsibility.
Zhang Yimou, after all, tries to make his films look good and crafts stories, whereas things like the “Stead Bun Murder” are the product of self-aggrandizent. It’s a sha he’s not Ang Lee, not Taiwanese, didn’t receive Western education, nor has the Hollywood experience to casually attract an investnt of tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of US dollars. Thus, in many eyes, he will never be as good as Ang Lee.
Although Adrian doesn’t see it that way, he doesn’t plan to do much else. He just gave a hint; what cos next is up to him.
Applause erupted as the lights ca on, with Adrian leading the applause, followed by Zhang Weiping and the Wang Brothers clapping along.
“Very good, extrely good. Despite so minor flaws, I believe this is currently the highest standard in China,” Adrian praised without hesitation. “Can I hear about your plans?”
The two Zhangs exchanged glances, and Zhang Weiping quickly spoke, “The dostic promotion is already arranged, and it will be released during the December holiday season. As for North Arica, we’d like to hear Mr. Cowell’s opinion first.”
“Well then, I’ll just keep it brief,” Adrian said with a smile, “I plan to have a limited release of ‘Hero’ in Los Angeles at the end of December to qualify for the Oscars, followed by a low-intensity promotion until after the Oscars, and then gradually ramping up, eventually scheduling it between May and September during the sumr season—what do you think?”
The two Zhangs were silent.
“If the situation is not optimistic, it might be delayed,” Adrian continued, indifferent to their thoughts, “Although I’m optimistic about this film, I can’t speak for all Aricans, so if necessary, we will delay and carry out appropriate long-term hyping. No need to worry too much; this is quite common.”
Zhang Weiping then looked towards Wang Zhongjun. While he could sort out dostic issues, he lacked understanding of the overseas market, hence he had to seek help from Huayi, his current competitor. For New Pictures, whether ‘Hero’ made money in North Arica didn’t really matter since its distribution rights had been sold outright to Universal, but if the box office was too low, even worse than ‘Big Shot’, it would not look good.
Because of Adrian’s intervention, New Pictures was now very close to Huayi, and this was why the Wang Brothers were able to co and observe the ‘Hero’ preview. But this also ant that competition was intensifying; after all, last ti Adrian said that currently in China, he only had high hopes for Feng Xiaogang and Zhang Yimou. Furthermore, Feng Xiaogang was slightly more focused on dostic markets, implying that Zhang Yimou could be more international.
In such a situation, despite their closeness, both parties were inevitably looking out for their own interests. Despite this, the only ones who understood the situation in North Arica were from Huayi, as they had personnel following through the entire distribution process of ‘Big Shot’.
“I agree with Mr. Cowell,” Wang Zhongjun nodded confidently, “I think Universal’s distribution capabilities are trustworthy.”
Since that was the case, there wasn’t much else for Zhang to say. Zhang Weiping believed that at this ti, Huayi would not undermine its own efforts. No Chinese film had been released in North Arica in years—it was one thing dostically, but quite another internationally.
Afterwards, they discussed a little longer about various details of “Hero” that needed the Chairman’s attention, as well as North Arica’s view on foreign language films, etc., then Adrian took his leave. However, while he had arrived with Ivanka and Gao Yuanyuan in one car, he left in the Wang Brothers’ car.
“The Chinese entertainnt market hasn’t fully taken shape yet. Whoever acts early and accurately will be able to carve out a big piece of the pie,” Adrian said on the way back, sitting next to Wang Zhongjun.
“That’s true,” Wang Zhongjun pushed up his glasses, “big profits co with big risks, right?”
“Yes,” Adrian confird, though his expression remained unchanged, “that’s why we should think differently, to shape the market, instead of just getting a piece of the action.”
Wang Zhongjun’s eyebrows lifted at that, and Wang Zhonglei, sitting in the front passenger seat, also glanced at him through the rearview mirror.
“That—might not be so easy,” Wang Zhongjun said with a smile and narrowed eyes, “it requires great strength and extensive experience.”
“Strength can be accumulated slowly, as long as one seizes the opportunities. AC dia has grown to what it is now in such a short ti because it seized every opportunity over the past decade,” Adrian said calmly, “As for experience, I think we can complent each other, can’t we?”
“I didn’t expect Mr. Cowell to have such high regard for Huayi,” Wang Zhongjun chuckled.
“To be frank, I don’t have much business acun, except for one thing—my eye for opportunity has always been keen. Every ti I’ve invested for the long term, I’ve received a substantial return, like with Apple, Google, and—Baidu.” Adrian smiled slightly, gazing directly into his eyes, “I really value Huayi, Mr. Wang. I understand China well. I’m not Murdoch, nor have I ever thought of controlling the dia here, even if you were willing, the governnt wouldn’t agree. I need partners, partners whose influence can radiate across the whole of mainland China, and in the future, the entire Asian continent! For this, I don’t mind making so early investnts, even if it may foster future competitors. Please don’t doubt my sincerity.”
Adrian paused for a few seconds then looked out the window: “You see, I helped you distribute ‘Big Shot’ in North Arica, and you helped stir up the casting choice of Cho Chang in the Harry Potter series in China. Maybe in the future, you can help ensure the simultaneous release of the series in China. It’s a very good start.”
Liu Yufei already has quite a na for herself in China. The release of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” at the beginning of the year made the entire series quickly heat up in mainland China. So, the casting call for Harry’s first love interest, an Asian character, gained significant attention with just a little bit of hyping. Growing up in mainland China with a well-known dancer as a mother and naturalized British citizenship two years ago, being both adorable and pretty— these factors greatly attracted the Chinese people who yearn for recognition.
Having kept a low profile before, she hardly received any attention among the girls seeking to capitalize on the hype, creating a considerable surprise when she was finally revealed. Not only did all kinds of dia rush to report, but the Internet was also up in arms—so fans even created an official website.
In this regard, Huayi played a vital role behind the scenes. Although their thods of creating buzz were sotis quite naive, overall they did well—the official website also ca into being with their encouragent. When Adrian transferred the information to them, although it was not explicitly stated, they understood the intention. From this perspective, Huayi really was a very good partner.
As Adrian spoke, the car fell silent. After a long while, Wang Zhongjun, who appeared thoughtful, spoke again: “I have a very strange feeling, Mr. Cowell. Why do I feel… as if I am doing business with a Chinese person?”
Adrian burst into hearty laughter: “Hearing you say that, I feel very honored, Mr. Wang.”
(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welco to vote through Qi Dian (qidian) for recomndations and monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
Reviews
All reviews (0)