Chapter 657: Arriving in Los Angeles

Taking advantage of the fact that *Friends* had not yet entered the formal rehearsal stage, Lu Yan He took a trip to the United States.

He and Chen Ziyan, the original intention was for the film *Doomsday*, preparing to meet with the producer and director of this film.

However, learning that he was coming to the United States, Lu Yan He's agent in the United States, Darren Wilson, communicated with him, wanting to invite him to attend a charity dinner event.

This event is part of the North American awards season.

It happens every year.

Darren Wilson had a client who had high hopes of getting an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor this year, so Darren Wilson hoped Lu Yan He could help stand on the stage.

"You don't need to canvass for votes, just support this film and ask everyone to watch this film," Darren Wilson said. "Edward's performance in this film is excellent. If he can get your help, some Asian-American academy members in Hollywood will be influenced by you to watch this film. Of course, when you need it later, this favor will also be returned to you."

Look, where is there absolute fairness.

Public relations are everywhere.

The Oscar awards season sings an open conspiracy.

Lu Yan He said: "I have to see what the content of this film is first, Darren. I can help, but I cannot open my eyes and talk nonsense. At least I have to see this film first."

Darren Wilson asked: "I'll let him arrange a private screening, how about that?"

Lu Yan He was a bit surprised.

"Hold a screening just for me?"

"Yes, because this film will not be officially released until the end of the year, you cannot see this film in the cinema now."

Darren Wilson said: "If he can get your support, he will definitely be very willing."

Lu Yan He thought for a moment and said: "Okay."

"By the way, Darren, I came to the United States this time mainly to meet with director Lune Reese. Regarding him, is there anything you think is necessary to remind me in advance?"

"He is a guy with a quite eccentric temper," Darren Wilson said immediately. "You are coming to see him, are you talking about his film project? *Doomsday*? I heard that film has already found another male actor from your country."

"Yes," Lu Yan He said. "But it's not that I want to act, I want to fight for someone else."

"Who?" Darren Wilson said. "This film is a relatively key project for Parameter, the investment is not small, and the choice of the lead role is not something that can be easily changed."

"I know, but the actor I want to recommend is not bad in all aspects."

"Who?"

"Jiang Jun, the male lead of *Squid Game*," Lu Yan He said.

Darren Wilson reacted immediately.

"Oh, it's him," he said. "If it's him, maybe there is a turning point. However, is he willing to come to the United States to film? How did I hear that he is unwilling to leave China and come to the United States to film?"

"This news must be fake, he is willing."

"Then it might be that someone here is deliberately spreading such rumors," Darren Wilson said. "After all, a *Squid Game* made him known to the whole world, becoming the first choice for many Asian roles. Many Asian actors' opportunities in Hollywood have been snatched away, they definitely won't be willing."

Lu Yan He said: "Maybe I have also been rumored like this?"

"Of course," Darren Wilson said. "Your wisest decision is to find an agent like me who is very familiar with the situation in Hollywood, so when others spread such rumors, I denied the truth of this rumor at the first time, and used the appearance in *Hurricane 2* to shatter such rumors."

Lu Yan He laughed.

"Okay, then I have to seriously thank you."

"I hope you understand that hiring me is definitely a wise decision for you," Darren Wilson said. "Oh, by the way, since you are here this time, I also received two good scripts, both of which have roles that are quite suitable for you."

Lu Yan He said: "Darren, you know, my schedule for next year is basically full, I don't have time to take other plays."

Darren Wilson said: "Maybe you don't have time to act in them, but meeting with directors, producers, and screenwriters who are interested in you through these scripts and getting to know them in person is never bad for you."

Lu Yan He felt that Darren Wilson's words made quite a lot of sense.

It is indeed so.

A play cannot be collaborated on, of course there are subsequent projects.

The key is to let everyone know you, see you, and when preparing for a new play, they can think of you.

Especially for an Asian actor like Lu Yan He whose main base of activities is not in Hollywood.

After Lu Yan He and Chen Ziyan came to Los Angeles together, from the moment they landed, everything he had here was provided with various services by Darren Wilson.

This was a condition promised by the other party when Lu Yan He signed with the Williams company.

Of course, this only includes very basic services. If you want more advanced services, you have to pay extra.

It just so happens that Hua Ruzhen is also staying in Los Angeles, so knowing that Lu Yan He is coming, Hua Ruzhen prepared to hold a party several days in advance.

She invited some Asians in the Los Angeles entertainment industry over.

For Lu Yan He, a small part of Asians in Hollywood regard him as a competitor for the cake, but a larger part of people respect him very much. Setting aside his own creator identity, his performance in *The Mist* made major film companies realize that the Asian market can contribute excellent box office results.

Therefore, after *The Mist*, the Asian roles in the scripts have obviously increased, which means more performance opportunities for Asian actors in Hollywood, and for other Asian creators, this also gives them a reason to create films for the Asian market, a reason to persuade those film company executives.

Lu Yan He's existence has promoted the attention of the entire international film and television market to Asian subject matter.

The popularity of several plays such as *Friends*, *Squid Game*, and *Seventeen Layers* on streaming media, and the global box office explosion of *The Mist*, are all promoting this point.

Lu Yan He has become the most representative Asian creator in Hollywood in the past two years.

Hua Ruzhen organized such a party, one is to consolidate her status in this circle—after all, Lu Yan He does not appear in Los Angeles often, and not everyone can invite him to their party. The second is also to show Lu Yan He the circle of contacts she has managed in Hollywood.

Lu Yan He is a creator with great prospects, this point is beyond doubt, but he has no roots in Los Angeles. No matter how talented a person is, coming to a strange environment, it is ultimately difficult to support alone. Therefore, whether emotionally or more utilitarianly, Hua Ruzhen must show Lu Yan He her "role" and "value."

Lu Yan He is also very willing to participate in such parties when he has time.

Everyone's time is very tight. If you want to get to know so many people one by one usually, where is there so much time? Such an opportunity, being able to see many people, is very great. Many of them are quite curious about the reason for Lu Yan He coming to Los Angeles this time.

Mainly wanting to know if Lu Yan He is going to collaborate with Hollywood on another project.

Lu Yan He's path in Hollywood has gone exceptionally smoothly.

*The Mist* exploded, signed a "high-price" salary for the sequel, and participated in the masterpiece *Hurricane 2* with an incredible "cameo salary."

Many actors who have been struggling in Hollywood for more than ten years cannot get resources like Lu Yan He.

For those present, the resources and projects Lu Yan He has come into contact with are all sweet cakes, and they all want to get a piece of the pie.

Lu Yan He cannot announce to the world at this time what he came for, so he found an excuse and said bluntly that Darren Wilson invited him to stand on the stage for Edward Hodgson's Oscar run this year.

In itself, this is also true.

Lu Yan He's relationship with the Oscars is actually still an outsider.

After everyone heard it, they felt surprised.

Darren Wilson is a very famous agent.

【No errors, first release, content seen at a glance!】

He won't make a stupid move.

Even if he is not a professional awards public relations manager, since he invited Lu Yan He over with such fanfare, it shows that he definitely has his influence and role in the awards season.

As a result, many people discussed and guessed that the reason Darren Wilson invited Lu Yan He to stand on the stage for Edward Hodgson was because of Lu Yan He's legendary close relationship with the media and film critics.

"Actually, Lu Yan He's *Love Letter* this year is also a good film."

"Of course, it's just a pity that this film is not the style that Europeans and Americans like, it is still more liked by Asians."

"It was released in Japan and took more than 20 million US dollars in box office, setting a box office record for Chinese-language films in Japan in the last ten years."

"Yes, but it only had 8 million US dollars in box office in the United States. Although it is also very high, compared to the influence this film has achieved in Asia, it is still a lot worse."

"*Love Letter*'s box office performance in Europe and America is actually quite good. Excluding the box office results in Asia, the box office in other parts of the world has reached more than 30 million US dollars. Even many popular works in this year's awards season did not get such a high box office."

"After all, it is Lu Yan He's first self-directed, self-written, and self-acted film, and it also won a big award at the Hexi Film Festival."

"So envious," someone said. "Must admit, Lu Yan He's luck in the past few years is too good, not a single work has failed."

"The trend is on him, the longer this momentum lasts, the harder it is to break. Every work of his, no matter what, is definitely highly anticipated and will receive the greatest attention and promotion."

"It's really like this. Look, *Love Letter* was released in the United States, many Hollywood celebrities recommended this film on social media. If it weren't for Lu Yan He, where would there be such a lineup."

"I heard that another Chinese-language film starring Lu Yan He, a fantasy film, is said to have been bought by a first-tier Hollywood film company for North American distribution rights, and it will be screened on a large scale in cinemas at that time."

"Is it that *Burning Fire*?"

"You actually know?"

"The special effects of this film were done by a company opened by a friend of mine."

"Is that so? How is the film?"

"The whole production is very sophisticated, very excellent."

"Chinese films now have money, and the production costs are not bad. The special effects can be comparable to those blockbusters in Hollywood."

"They are indeed not short of money."

Lu Yan He was drinking and chatting with everyone at the party, chatting a lot, and left contact information for many people, agreeing to collaborate together if there is a chance in the future, and so on.

Around 11:30 in the evening, Lu Yan He felt it was about time, prepared to go back, and went to greet Hua Ruzhen.

Hua Ruzhen nodded and personally sent Lu Yan He and Chen Ziyan to the door.

At this time, a group of young handsome men and beautiful women were entering one after another at the door.

"Oh! You are here!" Hua Ruzhen hugged a man in a suit and leather shoes who was leading, "Everyone inside has been waiting for you for a long time."

Lu Yan He looked at these young people with some surprise, each of them looked... charming.

After coming out, Lu Yan He asked Chen Ziyan.

"Those people just now, are they what I imagined?"

"Hmm," Chen Ziyan nodded. "In Hollywood, many parties are like this. The first half is for everyone to get to know each other, make friends, and get to know each other. The second half, those who are not interested in participating leave first, and those who are interested, at this time, release themselves very safely."

Lu Yan He suddenly realized.

"It's about the same in China," Chen Ziyan said. "It's just done more covertly, you basically can't come into contact with it."

"Why can't I basically come into contact with it?"

"Just kidding, you rarely even participate in such gatherings usually, how can you come into contact with it? And, everyone basically knows what the situation is between you and Chen Siqi. Everyone is still playing a safe card with you now, and won't take the risk of making you unhappy."

"So that's how it is." Lu Yan He suddenly realized.

"Actually, speaking of which, Star Entertainment does a good job in this regard."

"Hmm?"

"They never pimp. Clearly, this kind of agency that does idol artists and many trainees is most suitable for doing this kind of thing," Chen Ziyan said. "Those people just now are basically children who want to be stars and have star dreams. Coming here is to get to know these people who already have certain energy and contacts in Hollywood. Maybe they can get an opportunity."

"Okay," Lu Yan He nodded. "It seems I have to leave early in the future. In case I am seen in such a situation, it seems like I am also participating in it."

"Rest assured, this kind of thing is very confidential and very safe," Chen Ziyan said. "It's almost an open secret in the industry, but no one will expose this secret. Such things have lasted for decades or hundreds of years. Have you seen any media report it?"

Lu Yan He shook his head.

"So, you know," Chen Ziyan shrugged. "I just didn't expect Hua Ruzhen to arrange this. I thought she wouldn't." (End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 658 =====