Chapter 104: Will you always be good to me?
It wasn't just Sandra Ng who jumped out to support her boyfriend's perhaps love.
People in Hong Kong also gradually began to speak out in support of Chen Kexin's perhaps love.
After all, perhaps love was going to represent Hong Kong at the Oscar.
Leading the charge was Wen Jun: "Zhou Xun has never been so sexy!"
Tan Fei: "Chen Kexin makes kisses and tears shake the soul!"
Chen Kexin himself also believed: "perhaps love is better than comrades: almost a love story."
But netizens and mainland media didn't buy it.
"Where's your face? Have you seen painted skin?"
"I really admire you people. I hope when perhaps love is released in Hong Kong, you can still remain consistent!"
"How can you deceive yourselves against your conscience, and then shamelessly expect the whole world to believe you?"
Huashang Daily: Every inch of song and dance is worth its weight in gold!
Jinghua Times: Heavy on form, short on emotion. Compared to previous films like "comrades: almost a love story" and "Golden Rooster Awards," this film has no style to speak of.
The attractive formal elements are roughly as follows: a play within a play, a musical, Broadway song and dance, acrobatics, handsome Jinchengwu, and the king of singers, Jacky Cheung.
However, beyond that, only a pale story remains.
"This is too much!"
"I've never seen such a shameless person. Has she seen The Promise?" Chen Hong's face was flushed with anger!
She didn't care what Wu Junru said about Cecilia Cheung.
But saying The Promise was bad, that hit a raw nerve for her!
Seeing his wife lose her temper, the Poet became even more annoyed!
The family statuses of the two Directors Chen in Hong Kong and the mainland were exactly opposite.
No matter how tall, mighty, and arrogant the Poet was in front of outsiders.
In front of his young and beautiful wife, he was just a Hello Kitty.
"No, I won't let this go!"
"Hong, calm down. Whatever you want to do, I'll listen to you!"
Seeing her husband like this, Chen Hong laughed in anger!
Who would have thought that Director Chen, who was arrogant all day outside, was just a hand warmer in front of her.
perhaps love's box office revenue in its first week was less than 7 million.
With the Hong Kong Premiere imminent, Wu Junru's move to criticize The Promise inevitably carried the suspicion of piggybacking on its popularity and diverting attention from it.
In contrast, painted skin was completely detached and stood out!
"painted skin achieved 155 million at the box office in its first week, ranking first in film history!"
The eye-catching headline was as striking as a red-headed document!
The Hong Kong box office also reached 27 million.
Moreover, its box office performance in Japan and South Korea was equally strong, especially in Japan.
The data from Warner, the North American distributor, was also very pleasing, with an opening box office of 4.5 million US dollars.
Although Li Chen directly sold the copyright of painted skin, he still had Tim keep an eye on painted skin's data.
However, this data truly dazzled the eyes of his counterparts in the Two Shores and Three Regions.
Industry insiders discussed whether the upcoming The Promise could break painted skin's record.
However, many people were pessimistic.
But there were also those who were optimistic about The Promise, as its box office slogan was 300 million!
The more this was the case, the more Chen Hong, as the producer of The Promise, could not tolerate anyone speaking ill of The Promise.
At The Promise's Dalian press conference the next day, Chen Hong openly slammed Wu Junru!
"Yesterday was the most infuriating day for me in 3 years! I heard a piece of news!"
"Wu Junru was promoting 'perhaps love' on a Hong Kong radio station, saying how bad 'The Promise' was!"
"I really don't understand. Hong Kong artists come to the mainland to make money or develop, and since they are optimistic about the mainland market, they still speak so irresponsibly!"
Miss Liu was stunned, her boyfriend had actually guessed correctly.
"Mrs. Chen, are all of you so fierce?" Miss Liu smiled innocently.
She was truly in the prime of her life, protected too well by Liu's Mother.
"When you become Mrs. Li, I won't follow the example of the two Directors Chen and be the 'man behind' the two Mrs. Chens!" Li Chen laughed.
"Then what do you plan to do, Director Li?" Miss Liu, wearing a white high-neck sweater, sat cross-legged beside Li Chen, leaning close, and asked with a radiant smile.
Li Chen also leaned closer to Miss Liu's delicate face: "You just need to be beautiful, and everything else, leave it to me."
The two looked at each other for a few breaths, their eyes reflecting each other's image.
Everything happened naturally, lips parted and met, and after a long time, the two were overcome with passion.
Li Chen carried Miss Liu upstairs, and this time Miss Liu did not refuse.
Only a blush like the rosy clouds of dawn stained her cheeks.
With her arms around Li Chen's neck, Miss Liu's voice was as soft as a mosquito's hum, stammering: "You, you've been planning this for a long time, haven't you?"
"Yes! Guarding you every day, even a monk would have to return to secular life!"
Li Chen's answer was firm and powerful. Miss Liu was so shy that she buried her head directly between Li Chen's neck. It was daytime!
Upon entering the room, Li Chen, without a word, used both his hands and feet to strip Miss Liu clean.
The room was quiet, with only the sound of a man and a woman breathing.
Half an hour later, Miss Liu's face and skin were still flushed.
Li Chen held Miss Liu with one hand, his gaze lingering on her smooth, creamy skin.
"Li Chen, will you always be good to me?" A melodious voice asked a familiar question from a past life.
It seems girls like to dream about the future, while men are more immersed in the present.
"Yes! Definitely, absolutely, and positively!" Li Chen didn't hesitate at all.
At this time, if there was any hesitation or ambiguity, Miss Liu, who was eighteen, would most likely develop a knot in her heart.
"You're not lying to me?" Miss Liu flipped over and sat on Li Chen's body, her upper body trembling slightly.
Li Chen was captivated, his eyes sparkling with light, and his body reacted again.
"If I lie to you, may I never find a wife in my life!"
After speaking, he pressed Miss Liu beneath him again, and the battle reignited.
Regarding the mainland's legitimate Mrs. Chen's angry retort.
The Mrs. Chen in Hong Kong also retorted without showing any weakness: "The filming, set design, and action style of 'The Promise' are infinitely close to Zhang Yimou's 'Hero'."
"But the cast of Nicholas Tse, Cecilia Cheung, and Dongjian Zhang is no match for Chen Daoming, Tony Leung, and Maggie Cheung."
The implication was that The Promise's cast was inferior to the top-tier Hero.
This move was quite interesting, indirectly pitting Chen Kaige against Zhang Yimou.
This wasn't over yet, and something even more ruthless was coming. After Wu Junru spoke.
As the distributor of perhaps love, Starlight International Media also made a move.
They directly exposed that during The Promise's Chengdu sneak preview, the production company demanded "no negative reports!"
That's why only 1% of people disliked The Promise!
And Starlight International Media cleverly positioned itself on the high ground of impartiality: "Good works need to be tested by the audience, and prohibiting negative reports is illogical!"
This hit The Promise's Achilles' heel.
Netizens discussed it heatedly, and media and reporters called China Film Group Corporation, The Promise's distributor, asking if this was true.
The person in charge of distribution at China Film Group Corporation, surnamed Weng, naturally denied it vehemently! Only a fool would admit it.
Chen Hong was so angry she almost spat blood. She couldn't continue to entangle herself in this, otherwise The Promise would definitely suffer in the end, so she could only change the subject.
"What I can't stand the most is that she said Cecilia Cheung's breasts are fake. This is a huge insult to an actress! She hasn't even seen them, what right does she have to point fingers!"
The two Mrs. Chens' long-distance bickering excited netizens and media alike. The year-end drama was indeed spectacular.
Li Chen chuckled, these two Mrs. Chens seemed quite similar, at least both got on the bus before buying a ticket.
Tim called Li Chen, Angelina Jolie had agreed to Li Chen's invitation, but her schedule needed to be adjusted to October next year.
Li Chen was puzzled.
Tim explained: "Boss, Jolie seems to be pregnant."
"Are you sure?" Li Chen was startled.
Tim laughed: "Boss, although I haven't seen her, it's already spread throughout Hollywood. Otherwise, she wouldn't need to delay us."
"I understand, wait for my notification."
After hanging up the phone, Li Chen hesitated. It seemed that there was an 80% chance that mr. and mrs. smith had fallen in love during filming and gotten together with that Pitt.
After much consideration, Li Chen still decided to replace her.
Who knew what Jolie would be like after giving birth? Foreigners age quickly, especially women. After 35, they generally can't stand close scrutiny.
Their skin is too rough to even talk about.
Xu Zheng had already started roadshows across the country with lost in thailand.
He didn't need to worry about it himself; after a few interactions, Xu Zheng was already very familiar with Wang Changtian.
Li Chen called Yang Siwei over.
"Boss."
"those years has already been submitted for review. The release date posters can start going up, and this time we'll handle the publicity and distribution ourselves."
"I plan to release it on May Day."
"You already know Wang Changtian and Han Sanping. Take the initiative to connect with the heads of China Film Group Corporation and Enlight Media."
"You should also think carefully about how to operate, especially the Premiere. It should be both fresh and not fall short."
"In the future, we will also establish a media company. At that time, you won't be a director, but perhaps a general manager or even a chairman who can stand on your own!"
Yang Siwei was stunned: "Boss, you think so highly of me?"
"Nonsense! If I didn't think highly of you, why would I have dragged you out of school? Am I crazy? Rich and stupid?"
Yang Siwei laughed, "Boss, if you were stupid, there'd be no smart people left."
"Stop talking nonsense, go get it done."
Leaving Li Chen's office, Yang Siwei's mind immediately became active.
She immediately made phone calls to arrange the work.
"The theme song for fearless will be handled by Taiwan's little heavenly king, Jay Chou."
"It is reported that those years, the Girl We Chased Together has completed post-production and has been submitted for review."
"It is expected to meet audiences on May 1st, and the eponymous ending song 'those years' was composed by Director Li Chen and arranged and sung by Taiwan singer Harlem Yu."
"Donghua Noon Sunshine's new dramas the age of steel and parents love have been approved."
"Both dramas are invested by Rongchen Film and Television and co-produced by Daylight Entertainment and CCTV."
"It is reported that parents love, adapted from Liu Jing's award-winning novella, will be directed by Kong Sheng, one of the directors of Crossing the Guandong. The cast is currently being selected."
"Director Li can also write songs? So talented, Director Li. How about this, write one for me too?" Zhou Xun laughed on the phone.
"Sure, for old times' sake, I won't overcharge you. Ten million per song," Li Chen said with a laugh.
"Why don't you just rob someone! Ten million, that's how many painted skins do I have to film!"
"Anyway, that's the price. Call me when you've got the money."
After hanging up, Zhou Xun was furious.
She was now experiencing a mix of emotions; on one hand, perhaps love's box office and reviews were mediocre; on the other hand, painted skin was a resounding success.
The bet she made with Li Chen was almost certainly lost!
But thinking about it, she didn't lose out. Perhaps he never intended to take advantage of her in the first place.
Yang Siwei's blog became a disaster zone.
"Siwei, your boss is not kind. I asked him to write a song for me, and he asked for ten million!"
"Sister, why don't you try to raise the money?"
"Fine, your tone is just like your boss's. Can't I just not sing it then!"
"Siwei, why doesn't Director Li sing it himself?"
"Brother, why don't you ask my boss yourself?"
"Ming Ge, the day you and Director Li go to a karaoke room, you'll understand."
"No need to go, Yifei, I already understand."
Miss Liu was having a blast on her blog, which further confirmed the suspicions of those with keen eyes.
Han Sanping was working tirelessly on The Promise, and he hadn't expected Li Chen to approve two more new dramas in quick succession.
This time, Li Chen hadn't even mentioned it to him. Han Sanping had considered calling him but hesitated for a long time before giving up.
Wanting to meddle in everything made him look too greedy.
Jiang Wen called, and his voice sounded like he was outside.
"I didn't expect you to also be interested in this parents love. Doesn't this mean we're great minds think alike!" Jiang Wen burst out laughing.
"Where are you? It's so noisy?" Li Chen asked.
"Where else? Yunnan, school, the sun also rises film set," Jiang Wen replied.
Li Chen thought, it seems the investment has been secured again, but he wondered if it was Boss Yang.
He chatted with Jiang Wen for a few minutes before hanging up.
painted skin's box office began to stabilize in its second week, but it still brought in nearly 15 million daily.
Wang Changtian was beaming with pride, having not expected his newly signed artist, Liu Yan, to give him another surprise.
...
Liu Yan originally thought her luck had turned. Not only was she chosen by Rongchen Film and Television to host their annual meeting,
but today she was also tasked with interviewing the great Director Chen Kaige.
Her colleagues, including Xie Nan, the first-place winner of the Cat Person competition, were all envious.
However, she unexpectedly messed it up, and the interview was directly interrupted.
Chen Kaige lost his temper on the spot and even subtly criticized her, a rookie, at the subsequent press conference.
This immediately pushed her into the spotlight, with the media asking, "Whose subordinate is this!"
Liu Yan was terrified, wondering how Wang Dong would react and if he would make her a scapegoat to appease Chen Kaige's anger.
Li Xiaoping reported the incident to Wang Changtian.
Wang Changtian was unconcerned, instead laughing heartily, "Chen Kaige is a bit too petty!"
"Wang Dong, should we inform Director Li about Rongchen Film and Television's annual meeting? After all, Director Li and Director Chen are in the same circle."
Wang Changtian hadn't considered that. He didn't care about Chen Kaige's anger.
But he couldn't make things difficult for Li Chen.
He immediately called Li Chen.
"Is that all?" Li Chen laughed.
"Yes, little brother, if you think it's not appropriate, I'll find someone else for you," Wang Changtian said with a smile.
"No need, let her do it. It's not a big deal. Director Chen has been sitting on a cloud for too long, he really thinks he's a god."
"Hahaha, I knew you'd have that attitude. Then it's fine."
Wang Changtian hung up the phone and instructed his assistant, "Go tell her it's fine. Tell her to relax. She was just following the interview script, she didn't change it on the fly."
"It's fine?" Liu Yan and Xie Nan exchanged glances, both a little incredulous.
"What, do you want there to be a problem?" Li Xiaoping asked with a smile.
"No, no, no, General Manager Li, I didn't mean that. Then, the Rongchen Film and Television annual meeting, should I still go?"
"Don't worry, Wang Dong just called Director Li, and neither Director Li nor Wang Dong cares," Li Xiaoping said with a smile.
Watching Li Xiaoping leave, Liu Yan was still a bit dazed: "Nannan, is it really fine?"
Xie Nan laughed, "General Manager Li said it's fine, so what else could be wrong? Didn't the production manager also say it's fine!"
"But Wang Dong and Director Li are indeed magnanimous, much more so than the person you interviewed!"
painted skin broke 200 million at the box office in 12 days!
Li Chen became one of only two members of the 200-million club, remarkably similar to The Crazy Stone back then.
The 'Yi Mou, Er Li' storyline was playing out again.
At this moment, another blockbuster, The Promise, was about to have its global Premiere in Beijing.
Li Chen, the mainland director leading the New Year Film Season, had already delivered an impressive performance.
Now it was up to the other two. Li Chen guessed that Poet must be under considerable pressure right now.
After all, Li Chen was the youngest and shared the Golden Palm halo with him, so he would inevitably be compared to him.
The most crucial thing was that Poet was not like Zhang Yimou, who could shed the burden of his reputation and enjoy himself with the common people.
Instead, he was extremely protective of his reputation.
Li Chen and Miss Liu cuddled at home for a while.
"You'd better not say anything if you go tonight," Miss Liu said with a smile.
She knew Li Chen's temperament. If The Promise was truly as he described, then as long as he spoke, he would never praise it against his will.
"I don't even want to go. The hosts are fine, both are smart people, so they definitely won't focus on me."
"But the reporters won't care about that. They'd love for Chen Kaige and me to have a showdown at the Forbidden City, where it's not over until someone dies!"
Miss Liu laughed rather uncharitably: "It's good that you know. Today is their big day, just don't sabotage them."
Li Chen gently wrapped his arms around Miss Liu, pulling her close, and smiled, "In Miss Liu's kind-hearted spirit, I'll be mute tonight and won't give Chen Kaige any trouble."
With that, he gently bit Miss Liu's enticing red lips before letting go!
Miss Liu gave him a moist, white-eyed glare that made Li Chen's heart melt.
She was truly captivating.
Miss Liu was still too naive and young. Going there and not speaking would be more troublesome than speaking.
Because not speaking is itself a kind of attitude.
Yang Siwei and Tang Yan drove over to pick up Li Chen, and the three went together to the Political Consultative Conference Auditorium.
Thanks to the dividends from father's love is like a mountain and painted skin, Tang Yan had steadily entered the second-tier ranks, with endorsements and film offers pouring in like dandruff.
The two dramas she starred in had already grossed over 350 million at the box office.
Moreover, they were introduced to multiple countries and regions, and she had walked the red carpet at Venice.
Yang Siwei drove and said, "Boss, isn't The Promise's promotion a bit too aggressive?"
"I heard that Director Chen and his wife will be flying to Hong Kong for Premieres starting tomorrow, and now everyone's expectations are incredibly high."
"If it's really as Starlight International Media says, there might be trouble when it's released."
Li Chen nodded, "It's good that you can see that."
"Over-marketing is a double-edged sword. Everything depends on The Promise's reputation."
"After the Premiere later, neither of you should comment. Let the audience reveal the answer."
"I understand, Boss."
"Don't worry, Boss."
Li Chen's brain was also spinning rapidly, wondering how to answer if he absolutely couldn't avoid it.
Oh, it's too difficult! I can't do this damn question!