Chapter 489: Fellow People
【Take the kids out for dinner, 4Q3】
When filming "Assembly" before, I heard Feng Xiaogang and the two Wangs say that although the plot contained some controversy, it would be beneficial to the box office. However, Xu Kun did not feel that deeply.
But this time he felt it for real.
After the box office exceeded 4 million, the exposure of "Operation Kunpeng" should have declined because the box office growth rate slowed down further.
However, as negative reports on Operation Kunpeng continue to increase from all sides, the media that favor Operation Kunpeng will naturally refute them tit for tat.
Instead of reducing the heat of the exposure, the incident spread from print media to television stations, from the Internet to offline. As the words of those Kunpeng PTSD patients became more extreme, more passers-by went to the cinema.
08 was an era when public intellectuals were rampant, but it was also an era when national sentiment and national pride were unprecedentedly high.
The public intellectuals who were so arrogant as to describe the Southwest Earthquake as a "divine punishment" successfully pushed more ordinary people to the opposite side with their extraordinary remarks that Qidian banned from broadcasting.
This meant that in its fifth week, "Operation Kunpeng" still maintained an average daily box office of nearly nine million, with a total of 5 million.
at the same time.
The application for extended broadcasting was also approved - neither Xu Kun nor the Er Wang knew who applied for it, but it was approved anyway.
This means that the box office surge of "Operation Kunpeng" will continue throughout November, but the roadshow of Xu Kun and others has ended.
…………
Xu Kun returned to Beijing on the afternoon of October 10th.
I closed my eyes and opened them again, and it was already the morning of the 30th. After more than hours of sleep, my fatigue was relieved a lot, but the anger that had been forcibly suppressed for days suddenly broke out.
When brushing his teeth in the morning, Xu Kun found a blister at the corner of his mouth and his left eyelid was a little red and swollen, so he called Tang Yan who was out buying breakfast and asked her to bring back some anti-inflammatory and antipyretic medicine.
As expected, it would be impossible to have no woman to take care of you during a road show. Last time, Qin...
uh~
Coming out of the bathroom, Xu Kun saw Jiang Yiyan practicing yoga in the living room. He picked up an apple from the coffee table and took a bite. While biting, he asked, "Has the filming of "God of Promotion" started?"
"It's still early."
Jiang Yiyan performed the movements of Xiaoyanfei and answered with a slight breath: "After Director Liu gave up, Xu Jinglei first wanted to direct the drama version herself, but then changed her mind for some reason. Now she is looking for a suitable executive director."
Liu Haibo originally wanted to follow Xu Kun's example and shoot the TV version as a movie, but Xu Jinglei held on to the film rights of "Go Lala's Promotion" and refused to let go. After repeated consideration, Liu Haibo finally gave up the project.
I heard that he is currently discussing the novel adaptation with Yan Geling.
"Executive Director..."
Xu Kun thought for a moment and said, "Chen Sicheng should be able to do this job. He performed well in the crew of Operation Kunpeng and is also interested in developing this field. If Xu Jinglei does not interfere with the specific filming, he should be happy to take on this job."
"Chen Sicheng? Is he the one who has a good relationship with Baoqiang? It seems that he also has a grudge against Yang Mi?"
"it's him."
"Then I'll contact Xu Jinglei later and try to settle the matter as soon as possible. It's not a good idea to keep dragging it out like this."
The matter was finalized in a few words. Jiang Yiyan stretched her legs in a seductive manner and asked curiously, "By the way, Brother Kun, how is the unofficial organization of the sixth generation of directors going?"
"Told me to push it."
"Pushed?!"
Jiang Yiyan raised her head suddenly and almost twisted her waist, but she didn't care about the pain and asked repeatedly: "Why did you refuse? If you win this association, won't the sixth generation directors follow your lead in the future? And you don't have to worry about finding resources for the sisters anymore!"
"It's easy for you to say that, but how many of those old guys will listen to me?"
The more Xu Kun looked at her posture, the angrier he became, so he moved to the sofa and spread his legs.
When Jiang Yiyan understood what he meant and crawled over with a giggle, Xu Kun continued, "Instead of dealing with the sixth generation of directors, it is better to select talents from the younger generation and train them from scratch.
I have discussed it with the higher-ups. Next year, I will take the lead in setting up an 'East China University of Political Science and Law Young Directors Association', which will be affiliated with the China Film Association and mainly aimed at supporting new talents.
Most importantly, the higher-ups are interested in facilitating the association’s cooperation with the National Theatre of China and Beijing Film Academy, and sharing the resources of the Qingdao Film Studio.”
After listening to this, Jiang Yiyan said vaguely: "Besides the name, what resources does Qingying Studio have now?"
"Take your time. Do you want to become a fat man all at once? This is only for now. Wait a few years..."
"What happened after a few years?"
"Nothing, just focus and try to solve it before Tang Yan comes back."
"She's here so I can pass on the baton."
Jiang Yiyan muttered something and then focused on what Xu Kun asked.
Xu Kun closed his eyes and thought silently.
In fact, he was promised more benefits, but his age was a handicap, so they could only be fulfilled slowly - for example, he could be the vice president of the China Film Association, and he could participate in the College Student Film Festival.
All we can say is that "Operation Kunpeng" really had the right time, place and people this time. If it were changed to other time periods, even if the box office doubled or tripled, it would probably not have a similar influence, and it would not attract so much attention from the higher-ups.
This year, the University of Tokyo experienced the most natural disasters since the new century; this year, the University of Tokyo hosted the Olympic Games as it wished, unlocking the achievement of attracting all nations to pay tribute; this year, the University of Tokyo officially surpassed Germany and became the world's third largest economy; this year, the powerful United States showed signs of fatigue and urgently needed the University of Tokyo to take over.
This is an era in which the elites openly worship foreign things and speak nonsense; this is an era in which patriotism is rapidly sprouting; this is an era in which the self-confidence of the people of Dongda is rapidly expanding and they are in urgent need of finding a support point.
The sudden emergence of "Operation Kunpeng" just fits in with this turbulent and uncertain era, and also injects a shot of adrenaline into the literary and artistic circles of Southeast University!
And if we had missed this year and this era, even if we had earned 56 billion at the box office, we would not have been entrusted with such an important task.
However, this also made Xu Kun a little confused.
When he first entered this industry, besides wanting to curry favor with Baoqiang, he also hoped to sleep with a few more beautiful women. How could he have imagined that he would end up in the system without knowing what was going on?
At this moment, there was a sound of a key opening the door outside.
Jiang Yiyan was not panicked at all, and even took the time to instruct Tang Yan to heat up the leftover diet meal from last night.
Tang Yan was busy for a while and put the breakfast directly on the coffee table. Then he tidied his hair and took the initiative to replace Jiang Yiyan.
At about half past eight, Xu Kun had vented his anger and was debating whether to report to Huayi or go to China Film Studio first, when he suddenly received a call from Jiang Wenli.
"Ask me to shoot a public service announcement?"
After hearing the news from Jiang Wenli, Xu Kun wondered, "Is it CCTV or... No, whether it's CCTV or Beijing and Taiwan, it seems that there is no need to contact me through you, right?"
“It’s CCTV.”
Jiang Wenli first gave an answer that surprised Xu Kun, and then changed the subject: "But it was not CCTV's intention to ask me to contact you."
"Who does that mean?"
Several celebrities in the circle emerged in Xu Kun's mind. They were all unfamiliar to him, but had a good relationship with Jiang Wenli.
"Gu Changwei."
"what?!"
This name was not on the list compiled by Xu Kun, but it seemed so logical.
Who else could it be except Gu Changwei, who is not familiar with me but is sure that Jiang Wenli can ask me to appear?
"He invited me..."
Xu Kun hesitated and asked, "Is there something fishy going on here?" "What kind of fishy thing could there be?"
Jiang Wenli was very calm: "It's mainly because you are famous now, plus you have this relationship, it's not surprising that he would come to you."
This reason...
Although it's weird, it seems to make sense.
Xu Kun asked curiously, "What is the content of the advertisement?"
"Ask him yourself when you meet him later."
"Meeting today?"
"Of course. You just returned to the capital, right? I'm afraid you may not be able to spare the time in a few days. It's better to finalize it as soon as possible."
After saying that, Jiang Wenli sent the meeting address via text message.
After hanging up the phone, Xu Kun thought about it and felt that Jiang Wenli would not harm him. After all, she took the initiative to choose that day, and he was also deliberately "tolerant" during the process, otherwise how could she be defeated so early?
Moreover, the meeting place was a well-known coffee shop, which was often crowded with people and not suitable for an ambush.
So in the end Xu Kun decided to go and meet his fellow travelers.
After driving to the coffee shop alone.
As usual, Xu Kun armed himself first, and then walked into the coffee shop in stealth.
Perhaps because they were afraid that he might have concerns, Gu Changwei and Jiang Wenli sat in a corner of the hall and did not choose a private seat with a shelter. There was even a transparent glass wall next to them.
Xu Kun had met Gu Changwei before, but this was the first time they met after they became colleagues, so he was still a little embarrassed. He walked closer and coughed dryly, but didn't know how to start the conversation.
"Director Xu."
Seeing this, Gu Changwei stood up with a smile and offered his hand, saying, "Although I've known for a long time that you are young and promising, I didn't expect you to make such a big move. Yimou and Chen Kaige were stunned by you!"
The action is quite big.
But isn't this smile too fake?
Xu Kun secretly complained while extending his hand to greet him: "I still have many shortcomings and need to learn from seniors like Director Gu."
"I don't deserve it. I don't deserve it."
Gu Changwei shook his head and said, "I am just a little older than you..."
"All right."
Jiang Wenli put down her crossed legs and pushed the chair aside: "Save these fake words for later, sit down and talk seriously first."
Xu Kun took advantage of the situation and let go of Gu Changwei's hand, then sat down opposite him.
Gu Changwei also sat back silently, and then... there was an awkward silence that lasted for a minute.
Just when Xu Kun was confused, Jiang Wenli sneered, "He is like this, usually like a taciturn person. He must have rehearsed those polite words for a long time in advance. Now that he was interrupted, he didn't know what to say."
Seeing that Gu Changwei was somewhat embarrassed, Xu Kun had to smooth things over by saying, "Director Gu, this is a talent - I heard that you asked me to come here this time for a public service advertisement?"
Xu Kun took the initiative to offer a way out, and Gu Changwei finally relaxed a little. He smiled stiffly and said, "That's right. The higher-ups want to make a public service promotional video. After thinking it over, I think Wang Baoqiang is the most suitable."
"Bao Qiang?"
Xu Kun looked at Jiang Wenli in confusion.
Jiang Wenli also frowned and looked at Gu Changwei: "Didn't you say you wanted to ask Xu Kun to shoot a public service advertisement?"
Gu Changwei stammered, "No, I just said I wanted to talk to Director Xu. That ad isn't really suitable for Director Xu. Wang Baoqiang's image is more suitable for the character."
"Then what do you mean?"
Jiang Wenli crossed her legs again, her toes tapping impatiently, revealing a strong sense of oppression.
In most cases, the man is strong and the woman is weak between big directors and their wives. Typical examples are Zhang Yimou and Chen Ting, Chen Kaige and Chen Hong. Even between Xu Fan and Feng Xiaogang, who are relatively balanced, Feng Xiaogang still takes a slight initiative.
But between Jiang Wenli and Gu Changwei, Jiang Wenli is obviously the stronger one - this has to do with her status in the circle as well as her personality.
"Nothing else."
Gu Changwei subconsciously took out a pack of cigarettes from his trouser pocket, and under Jiang Wenli's cold gaze, he awkwardly put it back into his trouser pocket. After hesitating for a long time, he said to Jiang Wenli, "Can I talk to Director Xu alone?"
"What do you think?"
Jiang Wenli raised her chin and pointed her nostrils at Gu Changwei.
Gu Changwei immediately wilted.
Seeing this, Xu Kun raised his hand and patted Jiang Wenli on the shoulder, saying, "How about you step aside for a moment and let me talk to Director Gu?"
"you……"
Jiang Wenli turned around and glared at Xu Kun, who stared back at her without showing any weakness. After a while, Jiang Wenli snorted coldly, stood up and said, "I'm going to the bathroom!"
Having said that, he grabbed the small bag on the table and left angrily.
Gu Changwei watched her disappear into the hall, then turned around and said bitterly: "Except for attending events, she hasn't worn such high heels for a long time."
uh~
This was a bit difficult to respond to, so Xu Kun could only pretend he didn't hear it and asked curiously, "Director Gu, what do you want to ask me to do?"
"I want to ask you a favor."
Gu Changwei said as he took out another cigarette, knocked out a cigarette and put it in his mouth, but he didn't light it. He just held it in his mouth and said in a muffled voice, "I hope you can help me persuade Wen Li not to drive Zhang Jingchu away."
Without Jiang Wenli's presence, his temperament became much calmer.
Xu Kun asked in confusion: "Didn't you guys agree on that? Why did she go after Zhang Jingchu?"
Gu Changwei smiled bitterly and said, "When Wen Li said she would not forgive Zhang Jingchu, I didn't think much about it. Until recently, she contacted several directors' wives and was ready to spread the word in the circle to ban Zhang Jingchu. Then I realized what she meant. This matter was not included in the agreement."
"Then if you stand up and say something, won't the ban be resolved?"
Xu Kun didn't understand at all. The influence of directors' wives mostly came from their husbands. So with Gu Changwei's status in the industry, wouldn't the two effects be canceled out as long as he announced that the ban was invalid?
Gu Changwei was silent for a long time before he said, "I have my own life. I don't want this matter to continue."
Understood.
He wanted to protect Zhang Jingchu, but he didn't want to conflict with Jiang Wenli and his family again - if he had to choose one, he could only choose to give up Zhang Jingchu.
Xu Kun was speechless: "But what does this have to do with me? Why should I get involved?"
Gu Changwei was silent for a while, until Jiang Wenli came out of the bathroom, he said: "Because she might listen to what you say."
And then nothing happened.
Xu Kun looked at Jiang Wenli who was walking over, hesitated for a moment and decided to agree first: "I'll try it later - by the way, what is the craft advertisement you asked Baoqiang to shoot?"
"It's a public service advertisement for AIDS prevention. I would like to invite him to be the 'Ambassador of Love for AIDS Prevention for Migrant Workers'."
【Note: Baoqiang did take the photo.】
(End of this chapter)
