Chapter 321

Will Stenson hung up the phone.

He had only spoken to the person on the other end for a minute, and it could be considered an unpleasant parting.

He knew that, if he were being rational, this call absolutely should not have been made.

What was the point of offending the male lead of his own film?

One of the hottest young idols in North America today?

And also the cash cow of Summit Entertainment?

If it were his predecessor, they would never have done such a thing.

But he was different.

The straightforward temper of a Texan was different from those passive-aggressive softies in California.

Even if he couldn't cause any substantial impact on the person.

If he didn't mock him a couple of times, he would feel too stifled inside.

The original release schedule of December 19th had to be completely changed just because of one phone call from the other party.

The resulting costs in manpower and resources were not a negligible sum.

Now that he thought about it,

how was he supposed to explain it to the big and small directors at the year-end board meeting?

"Chen said so?"

Shit, if he really said that when the time came, then he would have truly lost all the face of a Texas cowboy.

And besides...

"He's just the male lead of the movie, he's neither God nor your father. As the CEO, why do you have to listen to him?"

If someone were to ask him that, he would be even more unable to step down, and even more unable to explain why he had acted as if possessed, muddle-headedly doing just that.

Therefore,

when the time came, he would be the only one to take the blame.

How could he wrap his head around that?

So he had to make the call to mock him a bit to feel comfortable.

After all,

Will Stenson looked at the latest box office report on his desk.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon, in its third week of release, had already far surpassed the 635 million of its predecessor in global box office, reaching the 801 million dollar mark.

Before Twilight appeared, no one had ever seen a teen movie with over 600 million dollars, and this time, it had even defeated itself.

In fact, on November 20, 2009, its opening weekend in 4,024 theaters in North America, The Twilight Saga: New Moon had already completely exceeded the expectations of those box office experts.

Even before the release, all the box office experts had given this sequel an unprecedentedly high expectation this time.

But the expectation was still broken.

As for the reason,

it wasn't because Twilight finally decided to be generous with its promotional budget this time.

Even though the 20 million dollar investment was absolutely the most extravagant in Summit Entertainment's history.

Even so, quite a few media figures were clamoring about it being "stingy," thinking that Twilight 1 had made so much money, yet the investment for Twilight 2 was actually so little; he, the CEO, was truly a Texas hick in name and deed.

Regarding this, Will Stenson really just wanted to give these people the middle finger.

Making money?

Who?

However, the tens of millions in excess salary had also paid off recently.

Some media figures had calculated that in those news reports in November, although the name "Twilight" was not directly mentioned, the promotional effect brought about by the frequent exposure of the male lead was also in the tens of millions of dollars.

Likewise, there was that photo released before the premiere, which formed a correspondence with that famous "hunting" photo.

That FB post eventually won a million likes and even made it onto the Wall Street Journal. Some experts believed that emerging promotions like "private media" might be a trend in the future. Placing an ad like this on an account with 20 million viewers was actually quite attractive to many advertisers.

The subsequent trend was indeed like that.

The result of this wave of advertising was that everyone's jaws dropped.

Everyone knew that The Twilight Saga: New Moon would be strong, but who could have imagined it would be fucking this strong!

The weekend box office reached as high as 191.7 million dollars!

It ranked first in North American film history for opening weekend box office, directly surpassing The Dark Knight's 186 million and Spider-Man 3's 150 million!

This caused countless North American media outlets to exclaim like crazy, and when Will Stenson saw it, his eyes also went dizzy.

Ranked first in North American film history for opening weekend!

Record-breaking!

Summit Entertainment?

Not only was the media crazy, but that day Will Stenson's phone was almost blown up by calls from various shareholders.

Besides congratulations, everyone had one meaning: immediately, right now, no need to wait and see,

next April, Twilight 3 must start filming.

More importantly, the renewal contracts for 4 and 5 also had to be put on the agenda.

Afterwards,

although the second weekend's box office did not continue the miracle, dropping by 65%, by that time, Twilight, having been released for 11 days, had already reached 321 million dollars in North American box office.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon surpassed the 302 million dollars of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince when it closed in August, and the 293 million dollars of Up,

second only to the current annual box office champion, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, at 402 million dollars.

However, there was almost no suspense that it would surpass Transformers to take the number one spot in North American box office for 2009 before it closed.

As a result, the news media bombarded it with reports, vying to cover it.

Everyone was discussing it.

Why? Why? Why?

A mindless teen movie, the second installment scored even worse with critics than the first. The score on IMDb was only a fucking 4.1, nearly 3 points lower than Transformers and nearly 4 points lower than Harry Potter, yet it ended up bucking the trend to take the box office crown?

There had to be a reason for this, right?

Finally, after thinking and analyzing, they could only say that, besides the interviews with the male lead in Time and People in October, which just happened to create pre-heat for the movie and thus attracted quite a few adult viewers,

there was also the fact that the male lead delivered a more diverse acting style in the movie compared to the first one, which truly left people stunned.

Just as Luo Jie Ebert wrote in his latest blog:

"In the first Twilight, we saw how exaggerated Nuo Chen could act in a movie."

"But, just when countless professionals were wringing their hands, thinking a genius had fallen, he used a Korean movie to take the crown at Cannes."

"At this moment, everyone, including me, understood that the performance in Twilight was really just a performance. He fully demonstrated what level a qualified vase actor should reach in a commercial film to step into the threshold of the 20 million club."

"You don't need to risk your life like Tom Cruise, you don't need to be flirtatious like Brad Pitt, and you don't need to show you can act like a madman like Leonardo DiCaprio."

"You actually only need to place your face in a suitable position in front of the camera, and leave the rest to those junior and high school girls; they will naturally open their purses generously for you with their parents' money."

"I call this kind of acting 'skin-and-flesh acting.' That is to say, as long as you have good skin and flesh, you can copy this way of acting."

"I originally thought so."

"But, in this Twilight Saga: New Moon. I found that I was wrong."

"When Nuo Chen, in that small Italian town, walked up the steps with a walking style like he had polio."

"Then, as if possessed by a male lead in some porno, he started to undress, revealing his upper body coated with two kilograms of white foundation, and like a giant light bulb, started to glow under the sunlight..."

"Holy shit!"

"Having written film reviews for 40 years, I only now know that this is what skin-and-flesh acting really is; before, that could only be called selling face. And this is truly selling flesh."

"The new king of the Y generation? No, it's the new king in a female strip club."

Because of his health, Luo Jie Ebert had rarely posted film review blogs in recent years.

So after this blog was posted, the number of likes and comments was simply countless. It immediately pushed it to the number one trending spot for the week.

Overnight, everyone seemed to see that acerbic Luo Jie again.

The most common comment was asking Luo Jie Ebert to take care of his health, and the second most common was "Couldn't agree more, LOL hahahahaha."

Yeah, Chen Nuo really went too far this time.

That G-Dragon plus Justin Bieber two-in-one androgynous sickly acting style could truly make any male over 30 with eyes in the cinema lose his appetite, wishing he could vomit his dinner.

Pretentious, artificial, cheesy; if it weren't for some scruples, many film critics would have long ago hung labels like "gay" or "transvestite" on him.

But likewise.

When The Dark Knight was released in North America, the problem Warner Bros. encountered was also encountered by Summit Entertainment this time.

Not only did the several leads who went on the roadshow, Kristen Stewart and the second male lead, often encounter very awkward questions. The meaning was, the lead didn't come, what the hell are you guys here for?

And once they entered the interview segment, the questions were all about, is he like this on set? Is he like that on set?

It really made Luo Bo Pattinson's stomach explode with anger.

Besides exploding, Summit Entertainment's phones were also almost blown up.

"Bitch, where is Chen? Where is Edward?"

"Why don't you let him come to America for promotion? Why don't you let us see him?"

"Tell your boss, if he still doesn't let us see Edward, I'll come over from Iowa this weekend and kick his ass!" "Where is Edward? Our classmates all want to see him!"

"No, I don't want to watch the movie, I want to see the living one, the living one! If you don't call him here, I won't go into the cinema. Did you hear? I swear to the moon!"

However, unlike the phone frenzy during The Dark Knight, the voices in the calls to Summit Entertainment this time were mostly crisp and pleasant.

The cursing language didn't have so many variations, mostly just some f-words, assholes, or pronouncing "bitch" as "biaaaaaaaatch."

It was completely different from the style of those crazy people during The Dark Knight who would always talk about shoving something into something.

"Sweetie, just look at his FB account, he's filming in China."

"Yes, we also want to invite him here, but he doesn't have time, baby."

"He wants us to say sorry for him, yes, I'll call you after he comes to America, okay?"

Under this unified format of reply, they were also appeased.

Yeah, after all, this time, although the male lead was in China, he also had his own channel for voicing his thoughts.

On that famous FB account of his in the US,

besides posting that photo titled "Falling" for promotion before the release,

the greeting and apology for not being able to attend the premiere, and the smiling photo after breaking the record on the opening weekend, all indicated that this person was not locked up or imprisoned, nor was Summit Entertainment not letting him come to America, he was truly filming.

But then again, five years ago, oh no, perhaps two years ago, when he was still the Vice President of Summit Entertainment,

who could have imagined that the movies produced by the company could have such influence in North America and even the world?

"Will, Luo Bo is here."

At this moment, the secretary knocked on the door, interrupting Will Stenson's deep emotions.

Afterwards, former CEO Luo Bo Friedman pushed the door and entered, looked at Will Stenson for a few seconds, and suddenly the two smiled together and hugged each other tightly.

A while later, the old colleagues who hadn't seen each other for a long time sat down separately, but the positions were exactly the opposite of before, which made Will Stenson, sitting inside the CEO's desk, feel a bit uncomfortable.

However, Luo Bo Friedman didn't seem to have anything unusual, looked around the room comfortably, and smiled: "Looks like nothing has changed."

Will smiled: "I haven't changed anything. After all, this is your..."

Luo Bo Friedman interrupted: "No, no, no, Will. It's yours now. I'm just an ordinary company shareholder now, nothing more, you are the one in charge of our company."

Will shrugged: "Alright, say what you want, but I'll remember how it is."

Luo Bo Friedman then glanced at the document on Will Stenson's desk and smiled: "Three weeks, 803 million, huh? It's not far from Transformers 2's 900 million. I guess it can still sell quite a bit before it closes. Looks like your shareholders' meeting this year will definitely be better than mine last time."

Will Stenson laughed: "I think so. Many things were beyond our expectations. We originally thought... we might be a bit tired of him. So, we prepared Taylor as a second option, but it didn't come in handy. Everywhere is still Edward and Edward."

Luo Bo Friedman smiled and said: "But it wasn't completely useless, at least I heard quite a few praises for the werewolf. His muscles are still quite tempting, aren't they?"

Will shook his head: "In the end, it still didn't achieve the effect we wanted."

Luo Bo Friedman disagreed and said sincerely: "At least there was an effect, if not this time, then next time. Pressing a film series on one person is indeed too risky. By the way, why was it scheduled for release in November this time?"

"It wasn't his suggestion!" Speaking of this, Will was a bit indignant again, "If it were the same as last year in the Christmas slot, I think the results could be even better, maybe even take the number one spot in North American box office this year, unfortunately... I listened to his words. November, hehe, those damn schools aren't on holiday."

Luo Bo Friedman narrowed his eyes and said: "Yeah, they aren't on holiday yet. Alright, Will, you should be very busy now, I don't want to disturb your work anymore. What's the matter with you calling me here today? Tell me."

Will Stenson was silent for a while, then said: "Luo Bo, now the board of directors is putting some pressure on me regarding the renewal of the remaining two Twilight movies."

"You also know that Chen is now... different from before, his momentum is strong. If I want to talk about a contract with him, I really get a headache just thinking about it. In this regard, to be honest, I'm not good at it. So, I want to hear your opinion."

Luo Bo Friedman nodded and said: "Yes. I can understand. At this time, he not only won another Cannes... more importantly, he is really hot now. But conversely, we must also see who brought him his current heat?"

"I dare say, Twilight helped him a lot! Remember that hunting photo he posted on FB? If it weren't for Twilight fans liking and forwarding it, how could it have become some kind of internet pop culture icon now?"

"So, it's not just him making Twilight a big seller, likewise, Twilight also made him."

"It can even be said that it was us, you and me, that trip to Tokyo back then, that made him."

"It's not just us who need him. He needs us Summit even more, needs Twilight. Without us, his value will be greatly discounted."

"Will, if you can't see through this, you will definitely end up like me. You will be eaten clean step by step under his greedy appetite, and finally swept out by the board of directors."

Will Stenson nodded while listening, and finally said: "Luo Bo, you're right. I think so too. Then what about the share? How much do you think our company should give him?"

"Share? My god, Will, are you still planning to give him a share? Do you want him to be the richest man in the world?"

Luo Bo Friedman said with an incredible expression:

"No, no, no, no, Will, give him a check for 20 million dollars, and let all his shares and lies go to hell."

"He should be content, we single-handedly made him a billionaire, and we are willing to personally lift him into the ranks of Hollywood's top actors in the last two movies."

"If he were a person with a conscience, he wouldn't ask for more."

"And if he really still wants more, then let that motherfucker go home and eat his own shit!"

"Will, don't worry, he will yield."

"I've stayed in China for a long time this past year, I understand the Chinese very well now."

"As long as you give him enough pressure, he will definitely be servile in front of us and sign everything you want him to sign."

"Yes, I promise."

20 minutes later, the door of the Summit Entertainment CEO's office opened, and Luo Bo Friedman shook hands with Will Stenson at the door to say goodbye.

Afterwards, Luo Bo walked with powerful steps out of the office he had stayed in for nearly ten years.

He walked very fast, and had no intention of looking back. When greeting old colleagues and subordinates along the way, he also had a gentle smile, similar to Will's usual smile, a straightforward Texan smile.

Until he finally walked out of the Summit Entertainment office building.

He still had a spring-like face.

It wasn't until he got into his car and lit a cigar in the back seat.

That the expression on his face began to disintegrate bit by bit.

Finally, Luo Bo Friedman sat with a wooden face in the smoke for a long, long time.

Until he was sure he had left the Summit Entertainment office building by nearly 5 kilometers, he suddenly revealed a smile completely different from before.

That was the smile of a Californian.

It was cold, mocking, and full of ambition.

As if a person had lost a lot. Now he wanted to take back everything he had lost.

Before flying to Paris, France, to start the next stage of Inception filming.

Chen Nuo stayed in Jingcheng for one night to rehearse for the CCTV Spring Festival Gala.

When he returned to Ziyu Villa, the villa was pitch black, and the furniture and floors were covered with a thin layer of dust, which showed at a glance that no one had lived there for a long time.

Naturally, Chen Nuo wouldn't stay there either, so he decisively returned to Pan Chengrong's place, and to the surprise of Cui Xueli and Pan Chengrong, he made do for the night.

Early the next morning, he went to the CCTV building and participated in the second rehearsal for the 2010 Spring Festival Gala.

On this day, the number of reporters squatting outside CCTV was at least five times that of the past, with a dense forest of long guns and short cannons aimed at every artist parking at the CCTV entrance.

Liu Qian, Jiang Kun, Tan Jing, etc., were all caught red-handed.

But unfortunately, no one managed to photograph the person they wanted to photograph.

Just when everyone was wondering whether he had come today or not,

he posted on Weibo.

On that Weibo account whose number of followers was over 2.5 million in December, ranking fourth in Weibo follower count.

When he posted, he had a gap of nearly 100,000 to 200,000 followers from the first place Yao Chen, the second place Cai Kangyong, and the third place Han Han.

Then, he posted a photo taken from the side, wearing sportswear, standing on the stage singing.

The lighting wasn't very good, and the photography technique was even worse.

But the side profile was that side profile, the figure was that figure, and the person was absolutely that person.

Thus, it completely confirmed the news that had been spreading like wildfire in major media outlets before.

That news, CCTV, Sina, including the parties involved, had never come forward to confirm, but now it seemed to be true—

Chen Nuo was going to sing on this year's Spring Festival Gala stage!

Within three hours of this Weibo post, Chen Nuo's Weibo follower count surged by over 500,000, surpassing Yao Chen by over 100,000, directly topping the list of Sina Weibo follower counts.

On that Weibo post, besides the photo, there was also a sentence:

"Believe it now? I'm Chen Nuo."

(End of chapter)