Chapter 418

The premiere of *Inception* started around 5 PM, and Zhang Xinyu and Zhao Liying were scheduled to walk the red carpet at 6:30 PM.

Before this, the two, who were inseparable in Hengdian, hadn't seen each other for nearly half a year. Reunited on this day, it felt like they had endless things to talk about.

"... So it was Chen, Boss Chen, who helped you make a call to Boss Han?" When chatting about recent developments, Zhao Liying couldn't help but widen her eyes in surprise when she heard Zhang Xinyu's words.

Zhang Xinyu smiled and said: "Yeah. Didn't expect it, right?"

Zhao Liying hesitated: "Then... what happened later, what happened after that?"

Zhang Xinyu said: "What do you think? With Boss Chen stepping in, what problems could there be? Director Cai Yuexun called me personally and asked me to play the female lead."

Zhao Liying laughed: "Wow, really? Congratulations, congratulations!"

Zhang Xinyu didn't have much joy on her face, but sighed instead: "The more this happens, the more uncomfortable I feel. Do you know?"

Zhao Liying comforted her: "Oh, don't think so much."

"How can I not think about it?" Zhang Xinyu gave a bitter smile, "That year at the meeting, the company arranged for me to film movies and you to film TV dramas. Logically, the opportunities given to me were even better than yours. As a result, after a few years, you're already red-hot, and I'm still nothing. Even trying out for a role requires the company's help. I... I really wish I could find a crack in the ground to crawl into."

Zhao Liying was never a sharp-tongued person, so she could only pat Zhang Xinyu on the shoulder and say: "Alright, alright, let's not talk about this. Let's talk about something happy."

Zhang Xinyu was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled: "Something happy... Shishi is going to film with Boss Chen, you know, right?"

Back in the hotel in Hengdian, she, Zhang Xinyu, and Liu Shishi had once watched the Oscar ceremony together and witnessed the moment Chen Nuo held the award. The two knew each other, but she had been filming for the past few months, ignoring everything outside. She really didn't know much, and was surprised when she heard it, letting out an 'ah'.

Seeing that she really didn't know, Zhang Xinyu told her about the Bazaar Charity event, then smiled: "Shishi said she hasn't slept well for three days. She heard that this time she has a kissing scene with Boss Chen."

"A kissing scene!?" Zhao Liying said incredulously, "Why? Isn't it a cameo?"

"It is a cameo, but a cameo depends on who it is. If someone else cameos, it's just a bit part, just walking through the motions. But Boss Chen... hey, Boss Cai Yinong spent over 40 million just to get Boss Chen to cameo. Over 40 million, how much is the total investment for one of their dramas? Is it possible not to give Boss Chen more screen time?"

Zhao Liying understood and nodded.

"Boss Chen should be going to Hengdian in a few days. Will you still be filming there?" Zhang Xinyu asked.

"Yes."

Zhang Xinyu glanced at her and said: "Then do you want to..."

Before she could finish, she was interrupted.

A staff member in charge of their red carpet said: "Miss Zhao Liying, Miss Zhang Xinyu, please get in the car, it's your turn."

Zhao Liying's mood remained chaotic afterward, causing her attention to never really focus.

Although, when she walked onto the red carpet wearing a red Prada dress, together with Zhang Xinyu in a black slim-fit long dress, it immediately attracted the attention of many media reporters.

The calls of "Liying," "Liying," "Liying, look here" were endless.

Even though such a scene was what the little actress who used to play bit parts in various Hengdian crews dreamed of, she remained somewhat detached from the situation, just mechanically posing with Zhang Xinyu.

Until Zhang Xinyu pulled her hand and whispered in her ear: "Liu Yifei."

Zhao Liying suddenly came back to her senses.

At this moment, they had already walked into the cinema hall. In a corner of the hall not far in front of her, a girl wearing a white long dress was maintaining a polite smile, chatting with a pot-bellied middle-aged man. Several people were surrounding them, smiling as if ready to listen to instructions at any time.

"That's the chairman of the Hengdian Group, Chairman Xu Yongan," Zhang Xinyu whispered, "Today's movie was invested in by Boss Chen and them, along with Warner."

Zhao Liying walked while her eyes kept looking at the smiling girl, "Oh."

Zhang Xinyu said: "Actually, this movie was originally going to be invested in by China Film Group, but when it came to the crunch, China Film Group backed out, so it fell to Hengdian. At that time, many people in the domestic circle said Hengdian was an idiot. As a result, now, hehe, look who's the idiot? Look at Xu Yongan's appearance, he's so happy, tsk tsk. This time, he really made a fortune, not just money, the key is fame. Now the whole world knows China has a Hengdian Film."

Zhao Liying said: "What do you think they are chatting about?"

Zhang Xinyu said sourly: "What else could they be chatting about? Hengdian definitely wants to continue filming movies with Boss Chen, so they're asking Liu Yifei for help. Hey, honestly, what do you think of Liu Yifei?"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, how she looks, what she's like."

"I don't know what she's like, but she's quite beautiful."

"Hehe, actually, only her face is okay. As for her figure and such, if you observe carefully, it's really quite average."

"You... keep your voice down."

"I'm quiet enough."

"Alright, alright, stop talking. Sit."

Zhao Liying and Zhang Xinyu found seats and sat down. At this time, some ordinary audience members came over with paper and pens wanting autographs and photos, and the two women didn't refuse anyone.

In the gaps, Zhao Liying's attention remained on that side.

Not long after, she saw another person join the circle where Liu Yifei and Xu Yongan were talking.

Zhao Liying thought the man looked a bit familiar, but couldn't remember who he was for a moment. Suddenly, Zhang Xinyu's somewhat surprised voice came to her ear: "Wang Zongjun, why did he come?"

……

"... Some time ago, we at Huayi held a vote to choose the best-acting actress in China in everyone's mind, and as a result, you, Miss Yifei, ranked first. After seeing the results, I said four words to my secretary: 'Well-deserved'."

Really? Liu Yifei blinked, listening half-believingly.

Wang Zongjun looked at her and said seriously: "Yifei, if I have half a lie, let me go out and be... let my name be written backward. Sigh, so, I had to come over with a thick skin, wanting to ask you, do you have any availability in the second half of the year?"

"Zongjun, wait a minute. So you came over to snatch people from me," Xu Yongan interjected from the side, "We at Hengdian have several films ready to launch soon, all of which are particularly lacking a female lead with a good image and acting skills. I was just talking to Xiao Liu, and as soon as you came over, you were impolite."

Wang Zongjun said: "Boss Xu, it's not snatching people, I hope you can be magnanimous and let me off. I really have no other way. Director Xiaogang said that for his new film this time, if Yifei doesn't participate, he won't start filming."

Liu Yifei curled her lips and smiled.

Xu Yongan shook his head and said: "Zongjun, everything has to be first come, first served. You can cooperate with Xiao Liu. But you Huayi have to line up behind our Hengdian."

"Haha, Boss Xu, let's compete fairly..." Wang Zongjun laughed.

He was smiling on the face, but in his heart, Wang Zongjun felt like a decent woman selling herself for the first time, feeling only endless humiliation.

Before coming, although he kept comforting himself that a great man can bend and stretch, but... when it came to the crunch.

To flatter a woman younger than his daughter, to say things that were absurd to the extreme—for him, who was in charge of Huayi and had always controlled the thunder and rain in the Chinese entertainment circle, how easy was that!

However, he had to come.

With the rather heaven-defying box office trend of *Inception* this month, not only did it cause waves of questioning on Chinese social media like Weibo, but as a Sino-foreign co-production, it attracted the attention of some people.

When he heard that someone specifically named it at a meeting, even compared it with the Confucius Institute, and demanded an investigation into why a film produced by one's own people would be released in the mainland market so late, and which link had the problem. Demanding to find out the truth and give the vast number of film fans a fair and just explanation.

When he heard this news, Wang Zongjun knew that the career path of the once-powerful Boss Han Sanping was mostly over. Whether he could retire smoothly was probably a big question mark.

And as for him, Wang Zongjun, the grudge with someone also had to come to an end. No matter how much he hated or refused to accept it in his heart, he had to come over with a thick skin and kiss someone's ass.

But the main person's ass definitely wasn't that easy to kiss. Saving the country by a roundabout route was an inevitable choice for him. Liu Yifei was happy after hearing Wang Zongjun's words, but she wasn't stupid and knew the grudge between Huayi and her boyfriend.

Similarly, after getting along for so long, she knew even better that her boyfriend wasn't as perfect as the fans imagined. At the very least, the word "broad-minded" had nothing to do with him. She shook her head and said: "Boss Wang, my schedule for the second half of the year is already full, I'm really sorry."

Wang Zongjun said: "Yifei, it doesn't necessarily have to be this year. As long as you are willing to come, if this year doesn't work, next year is also fine. Director Xiaogang said, the female lead must be you. Without your participation, he would rather not start filming."

Xu Yongan couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head: "Zongjun, you're being a bit excessive now."

"Boss Xu, do you want me to call Xiaogang to verify it? Actually, let alone waiting for half a year, as long as I can cooperate with Miss Yifei, even if we at Huayi have to wait three or five years, I, Wang Zongjun, am willing."

"Hahahahaha... you, you."

Amidst Xu Yongan's laughter, Liu Yifei felt a bit awkward, not knowing what to say, when she suddenly heard a commotion behind her.

She looked back and saw a woman wearing a champagne-colored fishtail dress, stepping on 10cm black pointed high heels, walking into the cinema hall like a queen, radiant and glamorous, surrounded by many staff members.

Liu Yifei suddenly smiled and waved in that direction, "Sister Bingbing!"

……

For Huanxin Company's own movie, of course, all their own artists were present tonight. Not only the famous ones, but even the newcomers signed before were given tickets to the premiere.

When Fan Fan Binbing entered, Dilraba and Yang Zi were whispering in a corner of the hall.

"Too beautiful. Xiao Di, don't you feel that Fan Fan Binbing feels even more beautiful than before after coming back this time?"

Dilraba looked over there with envy and nodded: "Seems like it."

Yang Zi's expression was the same.

She touched her somewhat round face, looked at the pointed chin that made people die of envy over there, and a thought suddenly popped into her mind.

But this wasn't the time to think about it, and she continued: "I think her temperament is better than before. Look, Liu Yifei went to talk to her."

"Are they very close?"

"Impossible, it's all for others to see. In this circle, where can you make any real friends."

"…………"

"Ahahaha, of course, we two are different, Xiao Di, we two are... classmates, doesn't count! Speaking of which, thank goodness that guy surnamed Xiao didn't come today, otherwise I... holy crap!"

Suddenly, a handsome boy appeared from nowhere, looked at Yang Zi with indifferent eyes, and said: "Sorry, I'm here, I just found the wrong seat. I should sit next to you. Trouble, move over."

Not only were the artists of Huanxin Company all present at today's premiere to support their own company's movie.

The *Inception* crew was the same.

On this day, everyone flew in from all over the world and gathered in the capital. And this was the only one besides the global premiere in London, England. Even the premiere in LA back then lacked Watanabe and Ellen.

This caused quite a bit of discussion not only on Weibo but also on Twitter in North America.

"Why is this happening? Don't they know the US market is much bigger than the Chinese market?" —@filmbro_tony

"Idiot, do I need to remind you that Chen Nuo is Chinese? When about 70% of the capital for this movie comes from China, why should it give you Americans face?" —@nochill_marco

"I don't think this is a wise move. It's meaningless for them to please the Chinese market. *Avatar*'s final box office in the Chinese market was only 200 million. I think *Inception*'s box office will definitely not exceed 150 million. So, this is a promotion with very low cost-effectiveness." —@boxofficenate

"I agree. I think the North American market deserves more respect. I might start boycotting this movie from today." —@realkev

"Boycott?? I just saw your Twitter, Kev, you've already watched it three times. Are you planning to boycott starting from the fourth time lol" —@savagesarah_

Not just online,

In reality, Keira Knightley didn't think that her traveling across mountains and rivers to China to walk the red carpet would be of much help to *Inception*'s box office.

She believed she definitely wasn't the only one who thought so.

However...

She looked at the man beside her, talking on the phone in Chinese.

Everyone came anyway.

Because he said: "The Chinese market is very important and deserves attention."

With just this one sentence, Warner interrupted their vacation and summoned them from all over the world, as if it were the truth.

Hollywood, it's such a realistic place.

Who let the box office performance in Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia make everyone's jaws drop, and this was the empire he built single-handedly?

In the Wall Street market, Time Warner's stock price broke through 19 because of this, and it even made it to British financial and entertainment news, all of which reached her ears.

Keira Knightley felt that if he farted now, Warner Bros. would think it smelled good.

"Hahahaha, no, no, I know you're busy, actually it should be me visiting you." Chen Nuo laughed into the phone, while turning sideways, slightly avoiding Keira Knightley's unwavering gaze.

"Haha. That's what you said." Zhang Yimou laughed on the other end of the phone: "Honestly, I think you really should come over. In my *Flowers of War* crew, I feel like everyone is your person. From the male lead to the female lead, they are all your old friends, and then to the thirteen girls, your old classmates, you count?"

"Hahaha, yes, yes, yes, it's all thanks to you, Director Zhang, for giving me face. Like this, I'll come to visit the set after I'm busy with this period, I promise."

"Haha, okay, then I'll wait for you."

After finishing the call with Zhang Yimou, he arrived at the place.

When the dressed-up Keira Knightley took his arm and got out of the car,

At 6 PM Beijing time, when he walked onto the red carpet together with Christopher Nolan, Ryan Reynolds, Ellen Page, and others, the fans at the scene suddenly boiled over.

Deadpool smiled and waved at the crowd, saying: "Chen, I like it here, wow, I think I came to the right place, they all seem to like me quite a bit."

Chen Nuo's mood was also good, and he said with a smile: "Actually, they like your ex-wife more."

"What? Chen, don't speak Chinese, I don't understand."

"I said... smile please."

……

……

On this day, Chen Nuo and the entire *Inception* crew signed autographs at the cinema entrance for two hours. Just like what he did in Korea. The reason was simple: he did it in Korea, so there was no reason to put on a cold, high-and-mighty act after returning home.

It's just that he didn't expect that he wouldn't leave, Nolan wouldn't leave, and the others would accompany him. After this day, China finally ushered in the full release of *Inception*.

So, how would the first-week box office be in this last overseas market to open?

Not only was Warner concerned, he was concerned, Nolan was concerned, and there were people concerned in the United States.

A week later, in a house in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA.

A scream full of surprise came from the house.

"Mommy! Come over and look! OMG, I told you, don't underestimate China!"

PS:

I went out for a stroll during the day yesterday, and fell asleep while writing at night, sorry everyone.

(End of chapter)