Chapter 255: Work Hard, Liu Yifei

December 8th, Beijing International Airport.

Liu Xiaoli saw from afar that Liu Yifei was wearing a black down jacket and a duck-billed cap, walking toward her side.

If it weren't for the fact that besides a mask, she was also wearing sunglasses, blocking her face more tightly than others, where would there be any appearance of an artist?

Not only were there no bodyguards, but the only person following her was that assistant named Li Jing.

Li Jing, graduated from a prestigious university, in her 30s and unmarried, proficient in Chinese, English, and Japanese, was very shrewd and capable in both conduct and work.

Liu Xiaoli knew that the annual salary offered by the Huanxin company to hire her as Xixi's personal assistant was seven figures, not counting the year-end bonus. It was absolutely because they valued Liu Yifei very much that they would do this.

However, Liu Xiaoli had never been able to get used to the other person.

The reason, well, it was just like now.

As soon as she got in the car, Li Jing said with a smile, "Auntie, there's really no need to trouble you to come and pick us up personally. Didn't the company assign us a special car and a driver this year? President Qi said, whether it's a private itinerary or official business, we can use it as we please. I could have sent Yifei home directly."

This was the part Liu Xiaoli was annoyed about; in front of her, the mother, she kept talking about the company and President Qi, making it seem as if her precious daughter had truly become a person of their Huanxin company.

It was truly unreasonable.

Fortunately, Li Jing didn't mention Chen Nuo much. That was the only reason she could barely tolerate it.

For a period of time before, Liu Xiaoli was actually a bit satisfied with Chen Nuo. She even thought about whether to match the relationship between her daughter and him.

But ever since *Twilight* was released and sold well, she completely cut off that thought.

The reason, well.

At that time in Tokyo, when Chen Nuo was discussing the contract with Summit Entertainment's Rob, Wyck, and others, Liu Xiaoli heard it clearly on the side.

In the past few days, Liu Xiaoli didn't know how many times she had calculated with a calculator.

She only wanted to know at first, how much was 15% of 300 million US dollars after tax?

After a few days, she started calculating 400 million.

By the time she went out today, she started calculating 500 million.

Because she saw in the newspaper that the North American box office of *Twilight* was hitting 300 million US dollars, and the global box office breaking 500 million US dollars was almost a sure thing.

Therefore, seeing the number calculated on the calculator, even though Liu Xiaoli had seen many big scenes and knew big figures who were once famous on the Forbes list, she didn't come back to her senses for a long time.

She was clear about how simple it was for Chen Nuo to earn this money.

The contract was only signed for 2 months, and Xixi said that in the end, Chen Nuo only filmed for a little over a month before finishing.

As a result, looking at it now, this movie could get him a post-tax salary of 40 million US dollars, which was over 300 million yuan?

Now it was an economic crisis!

When the whole world was in a state of misery and dying.

Earned over 300 million in a little over a month!?

Hehe.

Letting such a person be her son-in-law, Liu Xiaoli felt she couldn't do it, her horoscope wasn't hard enough, she didn't have that blessing.

She was afraid that after entering her house, one day she would be like those foreigners, buried in a pit dug by that good son-in-law with a smile.

It might be that one morning she had a bit of a temper after getting up, called his name too loudly, and maybe she would be fed a bowl of medicine in the evening.

Liu Xiaoli felt she was only 40-something, hadn't lived enough, hadn't held her grandchild yet.

So, she recently started to feel that perhaps Liu Yifei's future husband didn't need much of a career.

The key was actually that the person had to be good. Simple, without much scheming would do.

And also, must be filial.

This was the most important.

"It's okay. Anyway, I have nothing to do." Liu Xiaoli listened to Li Jing's words and replied coldly.

Li Jing smiled and said, "Then I'll drive, Auntie, you and Feifei chat."

Liu Xiaoli wasn't polite either, "Okay, then sorry for the trouble."

Changing seats with Li Jing, sitting in the back seat of this Land Rover Discovery she had just bought in China,

Liu Xiaoli immediately asked the question she had been worried about for a long time like a machine gun: "Xixi, why are you in such a hurry? Didn't you just participate in the Golden Horse Awards last night? How come you came back alone?"

"I saw the news today saying, didn't Chen Nuo, Fan Bingbing, and the others all go to Hong Kong to watch the show? Why didn't you go, didn't they call you?"

Before Liu Yifei could speak, Li Jing, who was fastening her seatbelt in the front, laughed and said, "Auntie, how is that possible? The relationship between Chen Zong and Feifei is truly extraordinary. You're overthinking it."

Liu Xiaoli ignored this lackey and asked Liu Yifei directly: "Xixi, is it true?"

Liu Yifei said "Hmm" and said, "They called me, I didn't want to go."

"What's wrong?" Liu Xiaoli observed Liu Yifei's expression, "Not happy because you didn't win an award? Xixi, you are still young, don't be anxious, didn't we before..."

"No, Mom, it's not this." Liu Yifei interrupted, "Sister Bingbing being able to win the award this time, I am truly happy for her. It's that I have other things, I must come back."

Liu Xiaoli asked: "What thing? Wait, we agreed this time, you have to come back and stay for at least half a year, don't you dare tell me that Tanzania is short of people, and you are going over there again."

Liu Yifei shook her head and said: "No. Mom, I should be staying for a long time this time."

Liu Xiaoli immediately patted her chest, feeling relieved and said: "That's good, don't scare me. Hmm, stay in the country with peace of mind this time, let your company help you operate well, film more plays, take more good endorsements."

"Especially in Japan, the popularity that was hard to build up, can't just drop like this. I think one Sony appliance endorsement isn't enough, strive to get another Panasonic or Mitsubishi..."

Li Jing interrupted again: "Panasonic did contact us. But President Qi felt the conditions given weren't good enough, didn't let us sign, and is still negotiating. However, the SK-II matter is almost negotiated."

Liu Xiaoli's eyes lit up immediately, "SK-II? Negotiated? Oh my, how is it? Is it a Japanese endorsement or an Asian spokesperson?"

Li Jing smiled and said: "Of course it's an Asian spokesperson, Auntie."

Liu Xiaoli beamed with joy, "Asia... The last full-Asian brand image ambassador they signed was Zhou Xun, right."

"Hmm, that's right. But the contract period we signed this time is very long, and the conditions are very good. It can be said that they are very optimistic about Feifei's future prospects. In two years, perhaps it can be upgraded to a global spokesperson."

"Not only that, recently several big brands in China and Japan are also contacting the company, and President Qi is also negotiating conditions with them..."

Li Jing not only drove steadily, but also spoke very fluently, every word making Liu Xiaoli feel refreshed, "Good, good, good." After Liu Xiaoli finished listening, she couldn't help but say three "good" words.

"Jing, go back and say thank you to your President Qi and Chen Zong for me. Thank you for their care for Xixi."

"Xixi's potential is definitely very great. Look, hasn't it been proven by facts now? Not only in the country, but also in Japan, she can make a name for herself, those people on the internet are all talking nonsense!"

Speaking of this, Liu Xiaoli truly felt that the resentment that had been blocked in her heart for several years was finally spat out.

Who said Liu Yifei couldn't do it outside of China?! A few years ago, she looked at those yin-yang strange words in newspapers and on the internet, and was truly so angry that she couldn't eat a good meal for several days.

Li Jing said with a smile: "Auntie, the people on the internet are all praising us now. Occasionally there are some negative messages, President Qi will let people handle them immediately. The group of internet water army our company keeps isn't just for show."

It was still "President Qi" and "company," but Liu Xiaoli actually felt it was quite pleasant to hear this time, smiling and saying: "That's good. Hey, Jing, does our Xixi have any new plays to film this year? How did President Qi and the others arrange it?"

Li Jing said: "Yes, Auntie, first of all, it's *The Founding of a Republic* in a few days..."

Liu Xiaoli was pleasantly surprised, "Is Han Zong Sanping filming that recently?"

Li Jing smiled and said: "Right, Auntie, you know, our relationship with China Film is very good. This time Han Zong gathered people to film a movie, Chen Zong's meaning is that we fully cooperate. So not only Yifei, all the artists and directors of the company will go to make a cameo. But there is no money, purely a friendship appearance. Hehe, it counts as Chen Zong giving face to China Film."

Liu Xiaoli didn't care about money, because she knew what *The Founding of a Republic* was about, she cared more about another aspect.

"Is the role decided? Is there any dialogue?"

"Of course there is dialogue, the role is playing a female reporter. It's the same role group as Zhang Ziyi, and will enter the group to film in a while. But it won't delay things, it's estimated that it can be filmed in one day."

Liu Xiaoli was truly smiling from ear to ear this time, patted Liu Yifei's hand, and said: "So you came back for this matter, right? And didn't tell Mom."

Liu Yifei hadn't spoken, looking at the appearance outside the car window, giving people the feeling that her mind wasn't here at all.

At this moment, after listening to Liu Xiaoli's words, she turned her head and said: "Mom, no. We are filming Han Zong's play on the 15th. I came back this time, because I made an appointment with Director Zhang to audition tomorrow."

Liu Xiaoli was taken aback, "You still have to audition? Which Director Zhang?"

"Director Zhang Yimou."

In the second half of 2008, for the girls in all the art colleges in China, almost every day was not peaceful.

From Beijing to Shanghai, from Nanjing to Chengdu, from Guangzhou to Jinan, all large and small art colleges with performance-related majors, since October, had been circulating a message that sounded very unreliable at first hearing.

A new play with Zhang Yimou as director and Chen Nuo as male lead was currently looking for a female lead in major colleges.

When this message first circulated, no one believed it.

Because it was too outrageous.

It could be said that it was outrageous mother opening the door for outrageous, outrageous to the home.

In 2008, who was the hottest director in China?

Zhang Yimou.

In 2008, who was the hottest male actor in China?

Chen Nuo.

These two answers were so unquestionable in 2008, just like two steel nails hit into a wooden board by a nail gun, without any gaps for other options to exist in between.

Zhang Yimou's reputation came from him making the Chinese people hold their heads high in front of the whole world once.

Chen Nuo's reputation came from him making Asian actors hold their heads high in front of the whole world once.

At the same time, he also produced the highest-grossing film in Chinese history, violently overturning that big ship that had been sailing for more than ten years.

To find a director and actor more popular than these two in all of China, or even all of Asia this year, was almost absolutely impossible.

So for these 17 or 18-year-old female college students in art colleges who hadn't graduated yet, what did these two people mean?

Using legends or myths to describe it wasn't too exaggerated.

To partner with Chen Nuo in Director Zhang's new play and play the female lead, what did this mean?

It meant that when Sun Wukong was apprenticing to Bodhi Patriarch, he suddenly found a bald head kneeling next to him, which was you. Then you didn't know if it was because you were hairless and looked good, but you caught the Great Sage's eye, so he said to the Patriarch, Master, why don't you accept him too, just right to be my junior brother.

Or substituting the female perspective, that was the Monkey King returning on colorful clouds after making a scene in heaven and being named the Great Sage Equal to Heaven and the Victorious Fighting Buddha, regardless of anything, marrying you, a village woman with an ugly appearance and perhaps a big black mole on the corner of your mouth, and even taking you to Wuzhuang Temple to meet the Earth Immortal and feed you a ginseng fruit.

From then on, you jumped out of the three realms and were not in the five elements.

Who are those big flowers and small flowers in the next village, who are those Feifei and Mimi in heaven and on earth?

The authentic fairy is here, who dares to be presumptuous?

Such fantasies appeared in the mind of every girl who wanted to break into the entertainment industry.

Except for those messy wild thoughts, from the most realistic and utilitarian perspective,

who are the "Zhang girls"? Zhang Ziyi and Gong Li.

Who are the actresses who have acted opposite Chen Nuo? Well, it seems only one Cannes Best Actress can be brought out.

The others are just so-so.

So, why can't it be me this time?

Yeah, why can't it be me?

Yuan Shanshan asked herself more than 800 times, she believed Yang Mi was the same, including Wang Meng, Duanmu, and even all the girls in the 05-grade Beijing Film Academy performance department, who didn't think so?

Otherwise, why would everyone clearly be in their senior year, when it should be the time for the eight immortals to cross the sea and show their magical powers, and still return to this one-third of an acre of land in the school, wasting the most precious 20-something-year-old youth of an actress?

Isn't it all because of the rumor that Director Zhang Yimou's people will come to Beijing Film Academy to select people in these two days?

"Shanshan, are you sure it's these two days?"

Yang Mi was the last to return, arriving at school the day before yesterday.

Because she was actually still filming in Hengdian, and was playing the female lead in a big costume drama!

As a result, once the news came out, she didn't care about anything and asked the crew for three days off, returning to school. After waiting for two days, seeing that she had to return to Hengdian tomorrow, there was still no news, and she couldn't help but be anxious.

Yuan Shanshan looked at the sky and said nonchalantly: "I'm not sure."

Yang Mi was choked with anger for a moment.

Indeed, she only heard Zhang Xiaofei mention this on the internet. It had nothing to do with Yuan Shanshan.

However, seeing her roommate clearly treating her as a competitor, she couldn't help but get angry: "Are you afraid that I will snatch the female lead from you?"

Yuan Shanshan nodded generously: "That's right! You are already playing the female lead, and you still come to snatch it from us, is it necessary?"

Yang Mi was choked instantly, laughing angrily: "Can this be the same?"

PS: The "Xi" content in these few chapters is estimated to be a bit high, if you can't stand it, go take two breaths of oxygen.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 256 =====