Chapter 198: Red Carpet Incident
The Haonaner (Good Man) competition in Shanghai was in full swing.
As a judge, Fan Bingbing seemed to have learned from Li Chen.
Her sharp critiques frequently made headlines.
She even declared that she had set her sights on one of the top five contestants in Shanghai.
She would later invite the contestant to participate in a new drama she was starring in.
However, when the people waiting for her went to inquire, they found that the contestants had already been snapped up by Huayi Brothers and Orange Sky Entertainment, with contracts almost signed, leaving her no opportunity.
Fan Bingbing slammed the seat of her chauffeured car in frustration.
“This is too much!”
Her assistants dared not speak.
She was no longer just Bingbing Jie (Sister Bingbing), but Boss Fan.
The Shanghai TV Festival and Film Festival were held one after another.
Capitalizing on the buzz from the TV Festival, Fan Bingbing Studio officially opened for business.
At just 26 years old, Fan Bingbing, at a time when almost all female celebrities still relied on Broker companies for work, wanted to be her own boss, investing in film and television, signing new artists, and managing them…
The media sighed with emotion.
There was a reason why the former maid Jin Suo now surpassed Xiao Yanzi and Ziwei in fame and capability.
However, industry insiders generally did not favor Fan Bingbing Studio.
Their evaluations were very candid.
In a word, if Fan Bingbing did not have strong partners, she could only focus on TV dramas.
With her small workshop of fewer than thirty people, trying to make movies was a pipe dream.
Look at Rongchen Film and Television and Huayi Brothers; their scale was immense.
They produced at most five or six films a year.
Fan Bingbing was aware of her shortcomings, so during the TV Festival, she used the opportunity to promote her new drama “Rouge Snow” to make a public call for partners.
She welcomed powerful companies like Rongchen Film and Television and Huayi Brothers to discuss collaborations with Fan Bingbing Studio.
Netizens were delighted.
“Xiao Li Zi says, collaborating with you would be beneath him!”
“The Two Wangs: Are you still dreaming?”
“Wang Jinghua: A godmother isn’t a birth mother; she has no obligation to help you grow up.”
Reporters, too, were full of mischief.
They called various major companies to ask if they would collaborate with Fan Bingbing Studio in the future.
Li Chen couldn't be bothered with such trivial questions.
Director Li Chen arrived in Shanghai with his four artists and Yang Siwei.
They were preparing to attend the opening ceremony of the Shanghai International Film Festival.
Because International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking was approaching, and Xie Dong's drug scandal had just occurred, Sina Entertainment reporters interviewed well-known artists and directors in the entertainment industry one by one.
Not a single artist from Rongchen Film and Television was spared.
But the answers they received were all consistent and surprised the reporters.
Director Li Chen's response delighted the reporters even more.
Sina Entertainment News:
“Yesterday, our reporter interviewed artists from Rongchen Film and Television about their views on celebrity drug use.”
“Surprisingly, the highest penalty clause in Rongchen Film and Television artists' contracts was for drug use.”
“Zhou Xun, Tang Yan, Yang Mi, and Zhu Yawen, however, were not worried about the penalty.”
“They all frankly admitted, ‘We wouldn’t dare use drugs.’
‘We can’t afford to use them, and we certainly can’t afford the penalties!’”
“Yang Siwei stated that artists should hold themselves to higher standards and maintain their integrity.”
“Director Li Chen's style remained sharp, and he did not spare Xie Dong, who was also a Beijing Film Academy alumnus.”
“He stated that since the founding of Rongchen Film and Television, he had established clear regulations: he would never employ drug addicts.”
Netizens were even more amused.
“Can’t afford to use them, can’t afford the penalties – that’s hilarious!”
“Xiao Li Zi is truly ruthless! Ruthless to outsiders, even more ruthless to his own people!”
“Xiao Li Zi says he won’t easily dismiss an actor, but he will violently blacklist a drug addict!”
“Xiao Li Zi’s image, please don’t collapse, otherwise I’ll never believe there are good people in the entertainment industry again.”
In the restaurant of Junyue Hotel,
Yang Siwei was playfully joking with a few artists.
“Every time the boss speaks, he always makes netizens feel like they’ve had an adrenaline shot.”
Zhou Xun smiled while eating dessert: “Director Li is right, and I’m quite curious.”
“From what Director Li said, it sounds like he knows there are still people in the industry using drugs.”
Yang Mi nodded: “Sister Xun is right. I secretly asked our senior.”
“Guess what?”
Tang Yan and Zhu Yawen impatiently said: “Hurry up and tell us. You’re starting to sound more and more like the boss, building suspense.”
Yang Mi pursed her lips and smiled: “Our senior didn’t say a word! He just acted cool.”
Zhu Yawen and the others scoffed, immediately losing interest.
Actually, Yang Mi wasn’t joking; Li Chen really didn’t say anything.
He just hummed, “I’d rather you be cool to the end.”
But Yang Mi understood instantly. However, before it was confirmed, she kept it to herself and wouldn't spread rumors.
She just wondered which one of that duo, or both, it was.
While curious, she was also disgusted by the hypocrisy of these people in the entertainment industry, saying one thing to the media and doing another in private.
How could they have the nerve to lie to the media, saying things like ‘as public figures’?
Li Chen originally didn't intend to speak out, but thinking about the future incident with the Dragon Prince and the disgusting behavior of Chen Mazi from that duo in front of the media these past few days, he decided to lay a trap in advance.
Soon, it was time for the opening ceremony of the Shanghai International Film Festival.
“painted skin 2” had premiered yesterday, with a first-day box office of 15.95 million.
The gap with “painted skin” was significant; whether it could surpass “painted skin” would depend on word-of-mouth later on.
Wu Ershan was already very satisfied; after all, he wasn't Li Chen and didn't have that much influence.
He was benefiting from the efforts of others, and there was nothing wrong with that.
Shanghai in June was already very hot.
Although there was air conditioning in the car, waiting was always a frustrating experience.
This feeling was familiar; Li Chen remembered.
The last time Zhang Ziyi acted like a prima donna at the Golden Horse Awards in Hong Kong, refusing to get out of the car, it was this exact scenario.
He wondered who it was this time.
Yang Siwei looked back: “Boss, should I go check?”
Li Chen nodded, giving his consent.
Yang Mi sat beside Li Chen, dressed very lightly in a white camisole dress paired with white crystal high-heeled sandals.
Just looking from the neck down, it made one want to commit a crime.
Da Mi Mi wasn't called that for nothing.
But when she looked up, there was always a slight regret.
Perhaps she really should get a tooth extracted.
Yang Mi never imagined that her senior next to her would be thinking that about her.
Today, among Rongchen Film and Television’s three golden flowers, she considered herself the most outstanding.
Whether in height, figure, or the choice of gown, she had a slight edge.
Zhou Xun’s dress was still designed by her boyfriend, clearly not on the same level as Yang Mi’s and Tang Yan’s Lawrence creations.
But Zhou Xun no longer needed to assert her presence through clothing.
Yang Siwei returned shortly.
“Boss, this time it’s not one of our domestic artists acting like a prima donna.”
“Someone received preferential treatment from the organizers.”
Yang Mi asked curiously: “Who is it?”
The others also became interested.
“It’s that Hollywood bombshell, Sharon Stone.”
“The organizers gave her an ‘International Charity Ambassador’ award, and it seems they’re giving her some other gift,” Yang Siwei chuckled.
Li Chen let out a disdainful snort.
“What bombshell? She’s not even as sexy as our Mi Mi.”
“She’s just a starlet, ‘International Charity Ambassador’—what a joke!”
Yang Mi's face uncharacteristically reddened, and she mumbled with a flattered smile: “Senior still has good taste.”
Everyone heard Li Chen’s disdain, and Zhou Xun was a little confused.
She could feel Director Li’s utter contempt for this person.
Li Chen said to them: “Everyone, get out of the car.”
They were all momentarily stunned, unsure what the boss was going to do.
But they all obediently complied.
The on-site staff saw the large contingent from Rongchen Film and Television getting out of their cars.
They quickly rushed over to coordinate, immediately smiling apologetically: “Director Li, I’m sorry, it will be ready soon.”
Li Chen smiled at the staff: “No need. A starlet, and you’re treating her like a Bodhisattva. This ‘charity ambassador’ title is too easy to get.”
As soon as Li Chen finished speaking, all the staff were stunned on the spot.
They had only heard of Director Li’s style before, but today they witnessed it.
Li Chen glanced left and right.
Yang Siwei and Zhou Xun understood perfectly, and their lips curled into smiles.
Only Yang Mi, next to Li Chen, hadn't reacted yet.
It wasn't until she saw the smiles on Tangtang and Xiao Zhu’s faces that Yang Mi also came to her senses.
The group lined up, with Zhou Xun and Tang Yan in the very middle, and Yang Mi and Zhu Yawen on either side.
Li Chen and Yang Siwei stood on the far right, walking onto the red carpet with smiles.
The staff on the side wanted to stop them but dared not.
Behind them, Maggie Cheung from Hong Kong saw Li Chen and his group walk onto the red carpet and also got out of her car.
Sharon Stone, who was preening and striking poses, suddenly felt that most of the media and photographers surrounding her had disappeared.
Even the organizing staff who were presenting her with the “Guifei Zui Jiu” embroidery were momentarily stunned.
Chen Kaige and Ren Zhonglun, who were at the very front, saw Li Chen and his group, and their brows furrowed slightly.
They wondered how the on-site security was handling things.
Sharon Stone watched as fewer and fewer people surrounded her.
The trophy in her hand almost felt awkward.
Chen Kaige quickly stepped in to smooth things over.
However, the scene was filled with the thunderous shouts of Li Chen, Zhou Xun, and Tang Yan’s fans.
Calls of “Xiao Li Zi,” “Zhou Xun,” “Tangtang” surged one after another.
Soon, Maggie Cheung also walked onto the red carpet, and the shouts of “Maggie Cheung,” “Man Shen” were incessant.
Li Chen glanced at Poet Chen, who was cleaning up his mess not far away.
He secretly shook his head!
Many reporters and media nearby had overheard Li Chen’s conversation with the organizing staff.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Li Zi, right after his appearance, gave the media reporters a huge gift.
Netizens watching Sina’s live broadcast were all bewildered.
Sharon Stone was the sacred idol of countless male fans.
Yes, she was a starlet, but to say it so brazenly in such an occasion, was it ignorance or fearlessness?
They had only ever seen female stars competing for beauty on the red carpet; they had never seen a man directly stepping in to tear someone down.
While the film festival opening ceremony was still ongoing, the internet was already in an uproar because of Li Chen.