Chapter 231: This is what making money is!

What apple or banana?

Suddenly hearing what Liu Yifei said, Chen Nuo really didn't react for a moment, and afterwards—

"Wait a minute, who told you?"

"Bingbing-jie..."

After listening to what Liu Yifei said, Chen Nuo finally realized.

It turned out that last night he agreed to act with her, and Liu Yifei didn't show much at the time, but she was actually quite happy in her heart.

In the evening, holding the good news to share with her good friend, she told her good bestie Fan Fan Binbing about this.

Afterwards, the two chatted via text message for almost the whole night.

Chatting until past 4 o'clock, Fan Fan Binbing went to sleep, but she was still tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep. She finally made it to 7:30, felt he was awake, and only then did she call him.

"So, your Bingbing-jie introduced the plot of *Lost in Beijing* to you, and you think you can act in it, right?"

"Yeah, I think just like Bingbing-jie said, I've never acted in an art film, so I should try it. And Bingbing-jie said this movie has a lot of room for performance..."

At this time, Chen Nuo saw a woman wearing a kimono walking over with her head slightly lowered under a corridor not far away. Seeing him on the phone, she bowed deeply.

Chen Nuo also smiled at her very politely, listened to Liu Yifei finish excitedly, and asked: "Where's your mom?"

"Why are you asking about my mom? She's in another room."

"You aren't staying together?"

"No, didn't the company book three rooms for us? My mom and I have one each, and Li-jie and Xiao'an have one."

Damn it, are those people in the administration department too indulgent of artists? Things that could be handled with two rooms, they had to spend extra for one more. Do they know how expensive long-term rentals in Tokyo five-star hotels are?

The financial crisis is coming soon!

Chen Nuo felt a bit of a heartache, but immediately thought, the domestic box office is looking like it's heading for the *Titanic* record. It seems there is a little bit of capital for luxury.

Come to think of it, Auntie Liu also watched him grow up from a child; although her personality is a bit gloomy, but...

Hey, forget it, just treat it as a benefit for the artist's family.

"Xixi," Chen Nuo said earnestly, "Since your mother isn't here, then I'll criticize you on her behalf. I think we should consider *Lost in Beijing* and such things some more. The company actually receives quite a few good scripts. After you finish filming, go back and choose carefully yourself, and then we'll discuss it. Haste makes waste, you know?"

The other side of the receiver was quiet for a while, and then Liu Yifei's earnest voice came through: "Then I'll go look at the script when the time comes. If I want to film *Lost in Beijing*, do you agree?"

"Haha, we'll see, we'll see." Chen Nuo laughed it off and told Liu Yifei to hurry up and go to sleep.

After hanging up the phone, he couldn't help but sigh.

Filming *Lost in Beijing*? With Liu Yifei's current level? I'm afraid it's a bit difficult.

If it's filmed and the box office isn't reached, and no awards are won, who's to blame for being stuck in the middle?

Fan Fan Binbing couldn't possibly not know this; isn't this obviously digging a pit for him?

That vixen must have been secretly unhappy after hearing Liu Yifei show off, and intentionally mentioned *Lost in Beijing*, knowing he wouldn't agree.

100%, she was using this to send him a message.

It seems that after he finishes filming with Liu Yifei, he definitely needs to give Fan Fan Binbing some kind of explanation.

Chen Nuo stood in place for a while and continued to exercise.

Not just radio calisthenics; he decided that after work at 9 o'clock, he would go find a gym nearby.

During this period, he would stay in Tokyo to watch the box office trend of *The Message* while lifting weights and exercising.

Because the matter of *Twilight* was settled.

This was his first time starring as the male lead in a proper American movie.

How *Twilight* performs at the box office can be said to be the key to whether he can continue to star as the male lead in Hollywood movies.

Hollywood is just that realistic.

For a newcomer like him, it's even more cruel to the end.

If it flops, he estimates he can only carry the title of Academy Award Best Supporting Actor and play supporting roles for a lifetime.

Of course, *Twilight* in his previous life was a popcorn romance movie with poor word-of-mouth but big box office sales.

Logically speaking, it should be guaranteed.

But now, the male lead has been changed from the white handsome guy Robert Pattinson to him.

Whether it can still be a big hit in the end, that really can't be said to be a sure thing.

Actually, the vampire Edward Cullen, the male lead of *Twilight*—even if he hadn't read the script, according to Chen Nuo's understanding, the key to acting well is actually one word:

Cool.

Not the non-mainstream, feminine cool that Chinese girls like; it needs to be acted as the sunny, cool type of football team captain that American girls like.

The kind that makes every American teenage girl's heart beat faster and face blush when they see him.

This kind of man not only has requirements for looks, but actually also has requirements for skin tone and physique.

And as for him—not to mention this life, based on his love life experience in America in his previous life, his looks should pass.

As for skin tone, I can only say fortunately he isn't Black. Otherwise, no matter how handsome, there's no saving it.

East Asian ethnicity actually counts as a type in American mainstream aesthetics; as long as it's cultivated well, it can attract white audiences. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many people in Europe and America liking K-pop in later generations.

Besides, the vampires in *Twilight* all wear colored contact lenses, lipstick, and white powder on their faces.

Therefore, Chen Nuo felt the only place he needed to strengthen and transform was his physique.

As everyone knows, American women have much higher requirements for a man's muscle mass than Asian girls.

Although those foreigners from Summit Entertainment didn't say anything about this yesterday,

However, as a professional actor, Chen Nuo must consider this aspect.

Currently, there is one month left until *Twilight* starts filming.

He decided that no matter what, within this month, he would train his current six-pack abs into eight-pack abs.

At the same time, things like biceps also need to be trained to have a general outline. At least reach the feeling of having a tiger's back and a wasp's waist, even if padded or not padded.

It's just that this way, this month is estimated to be hard to endure.

Chen Nuo sighed slightly and turned his head inadvertently.

Unexpectedly, the kimono-wearing woman who greeted him before hadn't left, but was standing under the corridor looking at him without moving, with a Japanese-style respectful and humble smile on her face.

Chen Nuo went up to ask and found out that the woman had come specifically to find him.

Knowing his Japanese level was average, the woman had also made full preparations, carrying the latest NEC mobile phone with her.

This phone could be said to be more advanced than his iPhone in this era; it had the world's first mobile phone translation software developed by NEC, which could translate Japanese to English.

However, this translation software was really hard to use. Fortunately, during the days after he returned to China from the Tokyo International Film Festival last time, besides urgently learning Korean, he also learned some Japanese, and currently could conduct sporadic listening and speaking.

Only then could he have a smooth conversation with this woman.

It turned out that this 40-something, gentle and elegant woman was the proprietress of this geisha house, named Sayuri Kato. Her husband died early, and she supported this family alone, which could be said to be very difficult.

Hearing this, Chen Nuo saw the black mole under Ms. Kato's eye and couldn't help but feel pity.

However, the pity soon disappeared, because coincidentally, she and Chen Nuo were not outsiders; this woman was the biological aunt of Ayaka and Ayaka.

Facing the slightly awkward cheap nephew-in-law, Sayuri Kato didn't show any discomfort, but instead sincerely thanked Chen Jun for his care of the sisters from her maiden family all along.

Although Chen Nuo didn't feel he had taken much care, but... thinking about what kind of virtues other Japanese men had, he felt it might indeed be care.

After he continued listening, he realized Sayuri Kato had come to ask for his help for the future of the two sisters.

Because the two girls, Ayaka and Ayaka, were sold into his hands, without his permission, the proprietress's plan to push the two sisters into the entertainment circle in the near future could not be realized.

Chen Nuo was a bit surprised: "You want them to be idols?"

"Yes, because there is a regular customer in the house whose company is currently recruiting artists."

Sayuri Kato said somewhat nervously, "However, Ayaka and the others are currently Chen Jun's women, so I must obtain your permission."

"Mr. Kameda there provided a very good opportunity, and I think they can find a better future outside the geisha house."

"No matter how high they fly in the future, the thread pulling them will be held in Chen Jun's hands."

"I wonder what Chen Jun thinks?"

"Please, please consider it."

After the woman finished speaking, she bowed her body deeply; looking in from the collar, one could see a dazzling flash of snow-white.

Worthy of being the proprietress; although she was quite a bit older, her maintenance was truly good.

Chen Nuo asked: "Ms. Kato, do you want to ask for my opinion, or just want to obtain my consent?"

Sayuri Kato straightened her body, lowered her head slightly, not daring to look at Chen Nuo, as if he were some kind of monster, and said subserviently: "Of course, I follow Chen Jun's opinion. I know my request is very presumptuous. If Chen Jun doesn't agree, please pretend I didn't say it. Really very rude, please forgive me."

As soon as the words fell, the body that had just stood up was buried again.

Chen Nuo looked at the back of Sayuri Kato's head, thought for a while, and asked: "That Kameda, you said is the boss of a talent agency?"

"Yes."

Sayuri Kato seemed to want to explain, but Chen Nuo didn't want to listen.

The name Kameda was too unlucky; at most, he was the president of some small agency, otherwise how could he run to this kind of place to find artist seedlings.

Come to think of it, he did know an opportunity, which he saw on the Japanese internet when he was watching the news about *The Message* before.

"Ms. Kato, do you know a person named Yasushi Akimoto..."

Worthy of being a geisha house proprietress who welcomed and sent off people from the entertainment industry every day, Sayuri Kato not only knew, but Yasushi Akimoto used to be a regular here.

"Just heard that the group Yasushi Akimoto launched recently encountered trouble." Sayuri Kato said while carefully looking at him, as if afraid of offending him. Chen Nuo's face stiffened and he said: "If there's no trouble, how can it become an opportunity? If you want to help Ayaka and the others develop in the entertainment circle, or even if you want to enter the entertainment circle to develop, your vision needs to be more long-term. Understand?"

Sayuri Kato was extremely shocked at this moment.

Indeed, on one hand, she wanted Ayaka and Ayaka to enter the entertainment circle.

On the other hand, it was also because she was tired of being quiet and wanted to move; having seen so many people in the entertainment circle, she couldn't help but want to try the ability of her own trained geishas to see if it could be used to cultivate idols.

But she couldn't believe that in just a few words, the other party had guessed her thoughts.

Such keen insight, how could he look like a young man in his early 20s.

No wonder he could win an Oscar at this age. Sayuri Kato said to herself in her heart. Then she hurriedly bowed down again tremblingly and whispered: "Hai, I understand. Thank you very much for your guidance."

This time Chen Nuo came to Japan, and his biggest feeling was this.

The title of Academy Award Best Supporting Actor actually had that kind of effect in China.

But placed here in Japan, it was truly remarkable.

This award given to him by the suzerain country, the United States, felt like it had plated his whole person in gold in the eyes of the Japanese.

Those few TBS executives last night were almost treating him like a god, and even said the TBS station head wanted to invite him to dinner.

The attitude of those geishas at the banquet, including the current proprietress, had a kind of heartfelt awe compared to the slightly distant politeness before.

Chen Nuo also had to admire the ability of the Americans from the bottom of his heart.

Over the past half-century, they had truly trained these Japanese people to be more obedient than dogs.

He could also be considered to have borrowed the tiger's might.

Chen Nuo thought for a while and continued: "How about this, you first go contact Yasushi Akimoto. His AKB48 group has currently terminated its contract with DefStar Records. I saw it on the news, they are all on the verge of disbanding, and quite a few people have left the team. They shouldn't refuse the addition of newcomers."

"I will help you say a word to the TBS people. You can tell Yasushi Akimoto that as long as he agrees to let Ayaka and the others join the group, TBS, for your sake, is willing to provide him with an opportunity for AKB48 to show their faces on TV."

"Understand?"

Sayuri Kato was moved; it was estimated that if Chen Nuo wanted to play with some widow right here, it probably wouldn't be a problem.

"Chen Jun, really, thank you very, very much. I will tell Ayaka and the others to never forget your kindness. Having you as their master is truly their luck."

Chen Nuo was secretly pleased by this flattery, but his face still had no expression, just nodded.

Of course, he wouldn't say that this opportunity to show their faces was actually something he picked up.

TBS currently couldn't withstand the public opinion pressure brought by *The Message*; yesterday when they met, Yoneda told him that the originally scheduled 20 days of advertising time couldn't be completed and had to be withdrawn five days early.

Of course, in front of an Oscar winner, TBS wouldn't renege; these five days could be exchanged for other not-too-excessive requests.

Chen Nuo hadn't thought of any requests before.

But now that Sayuri Kato had come to him, he simply made waste useful and used this as a condition to exchange with Yasushi Akimoto.

After all, just as Sayuri said.

These Huaxia sisters were also considered his women in the eyes of outsiders here in Japan.

Having a future in the future, becoming a glorious idol or something, was better than pretending to be a ghost in a geisha house.

It really was just this purpose. It was definitely not that he wanted to have any ideas about AKB48 because of this.

After all, whether his ability in that regard had really become stronger hadn't been practiced much...

How dare he think of 48.

He would die.

Waiting until nine o'clock, Chen Nuo went out with Linghu and found a gym introduced to him by Sayuri Kato.

It was said that many star artists would come here to exercise, and the privacy was very good.

From this day on, Chen Nuo also started his iron-lifting life in Tokyo.

He also hired a proper gold-medal fitness coach in the gym to help him shape up quickly.

He bought fifteen lessons, 30,000 yen per lesson, which was still the result of a 50% discount.

The reason for the 50% discount was that he signed his name for the gym owner and allowed the other party to frame it and hang it on the wall for advertising.

Just when Chen Nuo was working hard for the new play, the box office of *The Message* in China, Japan, and Korea also gradually declined.

Especially locally in Japan.

After *The Message* was screened in China for a month and a few days, it finally broke the box office record that *Titanic* had held for 12 years, reaching 358 million, and amidst the overwhelming news, when it was successively taken off the screens the next day,

The Japanese authorities announced that the 91 cinemas currently showing *The Message* would immediately take the film off the screens.

The reason was to carry out red propaganda.

This ban, in fact, Chen Nuo had long anticipated before this.

Because after the screening cinemas were added and added again, on the Japanese internet, the controversy over *The Message* was getting bigger and bigger.

Although TBS withdrew the TV commercials half a month ago, as more and more audiences walked into the cinema, the topic gradually began to get out of control.

Or rather, it began to achieve the effect that China Film Group and Chen Nuo wanted.

A considerable part of the discussion shifted from the stars, plot, and scenes in the film to the relevant background of the film.

When someone posted a post on Yahoo Japan that was deleted after just an hour and a half,

The title on the post was strikingly: "Do you think the soldiers in *The Message* actually appeared in history?"

The number of votes reached a staggering 13,172 in 90 minutes.

Without a doubt, this number was a scary number for the population of the island nation, the islanders' habit of not liking politics, and the number of screening venues and audience numbers for a niche film like *The Message*.

The last time so many Japanese netizens voted at the same time was when asking everyone whether they liked *Naruto* or *One Piece* more?

It can be seen that it was far from just those audiences who had seen the movie who went to understand the movie *The Message* and its relevant background. The controversy and attention caused by *The Message* were also far greater than imagined.

Quietly, I don't know how many people were spreading it by word of mouth.

If Chen Nuo and the others had really given *The Message* to the Nakamura father and son for long-term screening in Japan, Toho Pictures would have really made a fortune.

However, when this news was successively reported by TV stations like Tokyo, Fuji, and TBS, Chen Nuo knew that the tail of *The Message* couldn't grow much longer.

He didn't think wrong.

Although the voting result was that 69% of people thought the history in *The Message* had fictional elements, and only 31% thought it was real.

But the Japanese authorities still issued a ban on April 1st, April Fool's Day, and listed *The Message* as a banned film, and would not allow any audio-visual stores in Japan to sell it in the future.

On April 1st, the Nakamura father and son got dead drunk in an izakaya in Ikebukuro.

Because their wish to purchase the copyright of *The Message* and screen it in Japan for a long time was completely dashed.

The revival of the Nakamura family was ultimately just a fantasy in the spring of 2008.

Even a box office share of several hundred million yen could only make them feel a little better.

After getting drunk, the father and son also discussed the development route of their future business.

It was insisted upon by Shota Nakamura.

He would continue to work hard in the film and television aspect in the future to build a huge online film empire. Moreover, this time, he would let people speak for themselves, so that the Japanese authorities could no longer block the voices from the people.

At the same time, he decided at the wine table that his future online empire would start with the Chinese pinyin abbreviation of *The Message*, and finally add a 2, representing the second generation of *The Message*.

To set an ambition, not to forget the shame of today.

So, let the website be called FC2.

As for why the S became a C, that can only be blamed on the translation software of this era being really hard to use.

When Haruka Ayase saw the news that *The Message* was banned, she was also lost. Because among those who voted, there was also one of hers.

And what she chose was...

Now, looking at the photo of someone in a military uniform on the computer screen, she couldn't help but feel a sour nose and shed two tears.

Perhaps Chen Jun will hate Japan even more and will never come again.

Likewise, in a rental room in Tokyo, there was a 22-year-old manga artist who also voted, and he was in the minority who voted for the "real" option.

He even went to the cinema to watch *The Message* three times.

It can be said that he couldn't put it down, whether it was the plot, the cruel and bloody scenes, or even every character.

He felt that every selling point of this movie grew in his heart.

Originally, he had created a short manga, and the editor kept asking him to adapt it into a long one, but he had never been able to find inspiration.

But now, looking at the news of *The Message* being banned on TV, the indignation in his heart erupted like Mount Fuji, and the inspiration in his brain gushed out like a spring.

He suddenly had a thought; he really wanted to know how people in the future would view this period of history now.

Would they know what is true and what is false?

When everything has been artificially tampered with, then who would know the true face of history?

The young man sat at the table where he specifically drew manga, thought for a long, long time on the blank draft, and finally picked up a pencil and wrote an inexplicable title for the first chapter of his long serialized manga:

"To You After the Year 2000."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 232 =====