Chapter 420: Acting Like a Big Shot

The release of *Inception* was destined to be a long process.

In Shibuya, Tokyo, fans were still queuing to buy tickets at 2 AM. On Nanjing Road in Shanghai, the entrance to the IMAX cinema was still crowded with students in long lines.

On Naver in South Korea, many "analysis experts" were still repeatedly discussing whether the spinning top had stopped. In Paris, some art-house cinemas finally scheduled screenings in their own IMAX halls three weeks after *Inception* was released. In Ximending, Taipei, many fans walked into the cinema again and again, still tirelessly discussing some details in the dream.

It is August 18, 2011.

The sixth week of *Inception*'s release in North America and the UK.

Although it experienced the successive impacts of *Captain America* and *Rise of the Planet of the Apes*, its screen allocation in these two markets where it was released first did not show a significant decline in the new week. The managers of major cinema chains didn't seem willing to replace this masterpiece that had held the number one spot on IMDb for six weeks.

In the European continent, as well as many countries in Asia, Australia, South America, and Africa, this was the 3rd-5th week of *Inception*'s release, and its heat was far from showing signs of receding.

Just as Manager Yamamoto of Toho International Distribution Department in Tokyo said with high spirits in an interview with NHK's late-night news:

"Chen Nuo-san firmly believed at the global distribution conference in London that *Inception* would sweep the world, especially triggering continuous discussion and viewing craze among young people."

"His confidence infected us, making us decide to bet everything on this work during the summer season."

"Now it has reigned as the box office champion in Japan for four consecutive weeks. As of today, its box office has surpassed *Avatar*, setting a new record for foreign films in the first month of release in the last decade—this was completely within our expectations."

"We will do our best to ensure its screen allocation throughout Japan in the coming time, and will also continue to expand the release scale, striving to expand to over 800 cinemas across Japan, so that everyone who hasn't had time to watch the movie, or fans who have watched it two or three times and are still not satisfied, can step into this lifelike dream on the big screen again."

He paused and added: "We believe that the box office potential of *Inception* in Japan has not been fully released yet."

"The movie box office achieved great results, so when will Chen Nuo-san come to Japan to fulfill the promise with the fans? Does Manager Yamamoto know about this?" The reporter outside the camera asked.

Manager Yamamoto didn't hesitate: "Yes, Chen Nuo-san specifically instructed me to tell the Japanese fans that he has already communicated with TBS about the recording of *Human Observation*. It's just that he has some work to deal with in China recently, and after dealing with the work, he will come to Japan for the first time. He hasn't forgotten the promise with everyone."

"Then what about Chen Nuo-san's income, does Manager Yamamoto know? Recently there are rumors saying he will receive over 40 billion yen from *Inception*, is this true?"

"Sorry, I don't know about this."

"Okay, thank you Yamamoto-san."

If Chen Nuo knew that the 2D Leonardo version of *Inception* from the previous life was eventually released in over 500 cinemas in Japan, but the box office was only 3.1 billion yen, which was 40 million USD, he would definitely feel incredible about the "300-day release plan" formulated by Toho.

Expand the number of cinemas, appropriately reduce the screen allocation of a single cinema, and lengthen the release cycle.

How long to lengthen?

1 month, 2 months?

No, Toho said 300 days.

Just like all blockbusters that have gained box office recognition in Japan, Toho communicated with the production side of *Inception*, saying they wanted to use an ultra-long screening time to thoroughly dig into the potential of the single box office market as the second largest in the world.

This, how could Chen Nuo not support it?

"...... How much it will sell in Japan in the end, I don't know either," Chen Nuo said truthfully. "20 billion? 25 billion? 30 billion? I don't know if *Spirited Away*'s 31.6 billion has any hope, but surpassing *Titanic* shouldn't be a problem."

"How much did *Titanic* sell in Japan back then?" Tong Tong Liya asked curiously.

"Over 26 billion yen. Of course, if you count inflation, it's actually quite far off, but if you just compare the box office, it should be very possible."

"What about *Avatar*?"

"*Avatar*..." Chen Nuo laughed, "*Avatar* in Japan wasn't even as good as *Harry Potter 1*. It will be surpassed by us next week."

"Really amazing." Tong Tong Liya looked at Chen Nuo, her eyes full of admiration, "Did you anticipate this result before filming?"

"Uh, I thought of it," Chen Nuo said truthfully, "Otherwise, how would I dare to bet so much money? If it lost, it would really be bankruptcy. Now thinking about it... actually, there is still a bit of lingering fear."

Tong Tong Liya asked with great interest: "I saw others saying on Weibo that it was because China Film Group didn't invest, so you took the money out, is that right?"

"That's how it is. You don't know, at that time I was really so angry I almost vomited blood..."

What is the thing successful people like to do most?

That is of course reminiscing about the beginning.

Although there were fewer audience members, Tong Tong Liya wasn't an ordinary audience member.

It could be said that one person was worth 100.

Under the dim light of the hotel room, she blinked a pair of honey-tea-colored big eyes, the dimples at the corners of her mouth appearing and disappearing, her skin, although not considered fair, the restrained feminine charm was outlined vividly in this low-saturation light.

Being stared at by such a beauty could definitely satisfy a man's vanity to the maximum extent.

"...... Can it work?" When Tong Tong Liya heard the man talk about *Inception* going all out to impact the *Titanic* record next, not Japan, but the global box office record of 2.113 billion USD, her heartbeat accelerated a bit.

Listening to the other party talk about such things, to her, a TV drama actress spinning around in China, it was no less than a shepherdess hearing that Moses was preparing to split the Red Sea and lead thousands of troops into the ocean.

When she asked hesitantly, Chen Nuo laughed and said: "Try my best. So, after I finish filming here, before going to the US, I will go to Japan again to do some promotion, to see how many more Japanese I can trick."

Tong Tong Liya laughed: "Trick!?"

Chen Nuo said calmly: "Yeah, trick."

The movie ticket price in China for *Inception* started at 30 yuan, while in Japan it started at 1800 yen, which converted was almost four or five times that of China. And letting the Japanese watch it once, twice, three times, and even after the cinema release period passed, still pushing Blu-ray and special commemorative DVD editions to them.

In Chen Nuo's view, if this isn't tricking, what is?

Or change a word, fleece?

"Then I thank you for tricking so many people to our XJ." Tong Tong Liya collected her mood and laughed.

Chen Nuo said: "Alright, stop talking, you've thanked me all night. I have deeply experienced your heart of gratitude."

"Hahaha." Under the dim light, Tong Tong Liya laughed out two tiger teeth.

Afterward, the girl said again: "In the past few weeks, the tourists going to our place have doubled many times compared to last year. The hotel you stayed at last time is now full every day, not only our Xibe County, but also Ma Yili, Kashgar, WLMQ... this year our XJ has many more tourists, all because of..."

Chen Nuo interrupted: "Stop with these empty words, give me something practical."

Tong Tong Liya laughed, feeling incomparably soft inside.

The longer they got along, the more she began to understand this man.

He was mature yet childish, calm yet flamboyant, often using playfulness to package his true intentions, using unseriousness to cover up his seriousness. He never accepted a 'thank you' in a grand manner.

Tong Tong Liya couldn't imagine, if it were another man who had achieved such achievements and status, what kind of exaggerated and proud tone he would use to talk about his success.

But him?

Talking about it is always a "good luck," a "everyone gives face."

Hard to imagine, he is only 25 years old this year.

Such a man, in her whole life, she has only seen this one.

She would never let go no matter what.

"Then what do you want me to do to thank you?" she asked with a smile, pursing her lips.

"I didn't see that set clearly before. Why don't you go change and let me see?"

"Ah? What time is it, you went out and made calls for so long, aren't you sleepy?"

"Not sleepy."

"By the way, who did you call? Why did you hide out? Liu Qi Yifei?"

"What are you talking about. Others. I was worried that there were too many calls and it would disturb your sleep, so I went out. As a result, I didn't expect you to wake up yourself."

"I don't believe it, why would others look for you so late?"

"Hey, look for yourself, did I trick you or not. Look at the call record." Chen Nuo was too lazy to explain and handed the phone over directly.

"...... Old Ka? Who is this?"

"James Cameron."

Tong Tong Liya's first reaction was a joke, but the next moment she reacted, whose phone she was holding now.

The James Cameron in other people's mouths might be talking about some fellow villager in the village, surnamed Zhan named Mus, driving a truck, ears not deaf.

But the James Cameron in his mouth?

Then it was eight or nine out of ten really James Cameron, not a homophone, and no meme, it was that real king of commercial films.

She suddenly didn't know what to say, and a nonsense sentence popped out of her mouth: "He, he was looking for you just now?"

"Yeah."

Hearing the man's natural tone, Tong Tong Liya looked at the phone again, "...... Then who is this 'Xiao Li'?"

"Leonardo."

"DiCaprio?"

"Hmm."

This one wouldn't be a homophone meme either.

She asked curiously: "Why do you call him Xiao Li?"

"Because he is small."

Tong Tong Liya didn't understand, but she decided to ask one last name: "Then that... this 'Da Sai'?"

"Cough, this one..." Chen Nuo laughed, "You go change your clothes first, and I'll tell you."

"...... Which set?"

"That white one."

"Wasn't that set torn by you before?"

"It's precisely because it's torn that it has a feeling."

……

Tong Tong Liya came when the night was dark, and left when the sky was not yet bright.

When she left, Chen Nuo was still sleeping soundly, and after waking up, he saw an unread text message on his phone, which said some words.

He held it in his hand and looked for a while, replied with two words, then got up to wash.

Today was his first day joining the crew to film.

Looking at the time, it was estimated that he was going to be late. He brushed his teeth while thinking, wondering if he could use the excuse that he hadn't filmed a TV series for a long time and was too excited and nervous to sleep to muddle through.

Sigh, it's all Tong Tong Liya's body being too soft. The playability is too rich, all kinds of strange moves and postures can be tried to the fullest, making people unable to stop.

The so-called life is proud and the horse's hooves are fast, sleeping until 6 AM, being able to wake up after 9 AM is already not bad.

It's just a pity that no one called him.

……

Although there were no scenes of his own today, Lin Lin Gengxin still came to the set.

Of course, he wasn't the only one doing this.

Hu Ge, Tang Yan, Jin Chen, Jiang Jiang Jinfu, Ma Ma Tianyu, these people also had no scenes to film, but they all came.

Although, half an hour had passed since the originally agreed 9 AM.

If this happened usually, someone would have been sarcastic in the field staff group: "Does someone think they are XX?", "Do we have to wait for the VIP to wake up to film?", such words would spread in minutes.

But today, the set was unusually quiet.

Whether it was the several directors in the crew, the big and small actors, or various staff members, or President Cai Cai Yinong who came to the scene specifically today, none of them showed any different color.

President Cai seemed to have forgotten the time, chatting quite happily with Hu Ge, and Jin Chen and Tang Yan on the side were also laughing along.

Li Dao Zhang Guoli wasn't as serious as usual at all, and was talking about something with screenwriter Deng Deng Liqi, beaming with joy.

Even Deputy Director Liang Liang Shengquan, who always had a fiery temper, just glanced at his watch and then lowered his head to continue talking to the lighting technician, as if this lateness wasn't worth mentioning at all.

As for the reason, it was very simple.

Just like that sentence often seen in the field staff group or crew group.

Usually, once that sentence is said, it would make the latecomer speechless, and they could only apologize in the group in a dejected manner.

But today?

If someone still sarcastically said: "Does someone think they are Chen Nuo?"

As a result, if the person replied, yes I am. Then what to do?

Would the atmosphere be very awkward?

Would there be a feeling of bringing humiliation upon oneself?

So, is it better to just not say it?

Acting like a big shot or something, then let him act.

Being late for an hour, two hours, it doesn't matter. On the contrary, bragging about it later, saying that they have seen Chen Nuo act like a big shot, there will definitely be no two words, just that the wine will be poured a few more bottles, that's all.

Then... what to do?

What should I do?

Lin Lin Gengxin thought wildly, his expression uncertain.

Jiang Jiang Jinfu saw his appearance and asked curiously: "What are you thinking about, early in the morning, did you get up too early and didn't wake up?"

Lin Lin Gengxin smiled reluctantly: "Got up quite early, went for a run."

If it weren't for this, he wouldn't have bumped into that woman.

Although the woman was wearing a mask, his eagle eyes were still too sharp, and he recognized her; this was clearly the actress who played Tao Dong Jie in *Let the Bullets Fly* and became famous overnight.

It is said that when filming *Bullets Fly*, someone took her as a registered disciple, taught her acting, and they were master and disciple, but also had a pure relationship between men and women.

Now it seems, just say it, how could such a thing happen in the world.

The fifth floor only housed that one artist. The rest were all assistants, makeup artists, bodyguards, etc., that he brought, and then the whole floor was booked.

So it won't be wrong.

Sigh, so what to do now?

It would be better not to know anything, otherwise there wouldn't be so many distracting thoughts in his mind.

"How long do you think we have to wait?" Jiang Jiang Jinfu said, "Don't tell me we have to wait all morning. Hehe, if that's the case, I really, I want to..."

Hearing this, Lin Lin Gengxin felt a chill in his heart and turned his head to look.

"... find a stool to sit on," Jiang Jiang Jinfu said with a calm expression.

Lin Lin Gengxin was a bit speechless, thought for a while and said: "Help me get one too."

"Forget it, still stand," Jiang Jiang Jinfu still had a cool appearance, "Lest others see it and say we are acting like big shots."

Lin Lin Gengxin blinked, and for a moment didn't react to what this sentence meant.

And then immediately, Jiang Jiang Jinfu's whole expression became vivid, his eyebrows and eyes started dancing, his footsteps had already started moving toward that side, and the sound came out of his mouth: "Coming, coming, coming, coming..."

……

The person who made the entire *Zhang Xuan-Yuan Sword: Scar of Sky* crew wait for an hour had arrived.

Everyone surrounded him at once.

Producers, directors, and leads were in the inner circle.

The rest of the staff and supporting actors were in the outer circle.

And further out, there were today's walk-ons, group leaders, and crew handymen, etc. These people knew they didn't have the qualification, were very self-aware, and didn't dare to move around, so they could only stand on tiptoe in place, or find a high place to look over here.

Lin Lin Gengxin, as the male third lead of the play, happened to be in a position neither high nor low, standing two steps behind Jiang Jiang Jinfu, with Jin Chen on the left and Ma Ma Tianyu on the right.

He heard Ma Ma Tianyu muttering to himself, mumbling, not knowing what he was saying.

Jin Chen didn't speak, but the expression on her face didn't change, not knowing why she had to keep smiling. Smiling for whom.

With a "Whoosh!" sound.

The Alphard car door in front opened.

The person inside didn't wait for any bodyguard or assistant to open the door for him, making the people outside wait, but as soon as the car stopped steadily, he pulled the door open himself from the inside.

Afterward, a person Lin Lin Gengxin was extremely familiar with, wearing a simple pair of jeans and a white T-shirt, got out of the car and appeared before his eyes.

At this moment, Lin Lin Gengxin had a feeling of watching a movie.

Yes, he had watched every one of his movies.

He had seen this face digging holes on the mountain, laughing wildly in the car, selling pancakes in New York, peeing in Busan, and not long ago, saw him running rapidly in the snow in XJ, talking and laughing in the explosion of a Parisian cafe.

There was a sentence Lin Lin Gengxin forgot where he saw it, which suddenly popped up in his heart at this moment.

"No matter if you hate him or hate him in your heart, in fact, there is no Chinese actor who doesn't want to become him, or just get close to him."

Thinking of this, a certain thought in Lin Lin Gengxin's heart became firm in an instant.

Although, so what?

Fight!

Fight!

……

The moment Chen Nuo got out of the car, he immediately felt the kind of enthusiasm unique to Chinese crews.

It immediately gave him a feeling of returning home.

"President Cai, sorry, I..."

Alright, the excuse wasn't even used before he was interrupted by Cai Cai Yinong with a smiling face, "President Chen, hello, hello. Welcome to our *Zhang Xuan-Yuan Sword: Scar of Sky* crew," afterward, she introduced them one by one.

He also had to follow the host's lead. He arrived late yesterday, and for Tong Tong Liya's sake, he made excuses that he was tired, so these people were indeed meeting for the first time.

Immediately, he shook hands, greeted, and smiled at them one by one.

"Hello, Li Dao, hello." "Hello, Director Huang."

"Hello."

"Hello."

"Hello."

"Hello..."

Chen Nuo smiled at the big guy in front of him.

Why so dull and wooden?

Gives people the feeling of a hot-headed youth? He wouldn't really have something wrong with his brain and do something stupid, would he?

Seeing this, Cai Cai Yinong immediately added: "Lin Gengxin is a newcomer strongly pushed by our Tang Ren, recently filmed *Scarlet Heart*, playing the Fourteenth Prince in it, the response is very good, a very, very great actor, playing Zhang Lie in our current play. I hope you will give more guidance in the future. Lin Gengxin, say a few words."

Lin Lin Gengxin's hands were a bit sweaty, and he smiled reluctantly: "I, nice to meet you, please give me more guidance."

Chen Nuo nodded.

It seems that no matter what happens in the future, now he is really a simpleton.

"Then, shall we go to makeup now?" Cai Cai Yinong saw it was about time and said immediately.

She knew that as a dignified producer and film company boss, grabbing the work of a field staff was a little bit inappropriate. However, she didn't mind, nor did she feel ashamed, and even felt it was a matter of course. She believed that even if Wang Wang Zongjun were here now, he would be the same.

"Okay, sorry for today, delayed for a while, made everyone wait for a long time, I will treat everyone to dinner tonight."

After Chen Nuo finished speaking, he arched his hands toward the surroundings and went to makeup.

Amidst the cheers rising to the sky all around, Lin Lin Gengxin was looking at the man's back in a daze, when suddenly his shoulder was touched, and it was Jiang Jiang Jinfu who leaned over.

"Good for you, Lin Lin Gengxin, oh Lin Lin Gengxin, you really don't show your true colors!" Jiang Jiang Jinfu hugged his neck at once, "Tell me, what exactly is going on?"

Lin Lin Gengxin said blankly: "What exactly is going on?"

"Why did he smile only at you? Hurry up and confess!"

"Ah?"

"Ah what ah? Don't play dumb! Old Hu and I are one thing. As a result, he didn't smile at Liu Shishi, didn't smile at the Tang beauty, but smiled at you, Old Lin, oh Old Lin, you... what exactly is going on? Hurry up and say."

Lin Lin Gengxin looked around blankly, only to see that the few people around were all looking at him.

Tang Yan asked curiously: "Old Lin, have you met before?"

"No, no." Lin Lin Gengxin scratched his head.

"Alright."

Seeing he wouldn't say, Tang Yan and the rest of the people all dispersed.

But Jiang Jiang Jinfu, who had a good relationship with him, stayed behind and kept questioning him. Lin Lin Gengxin had no choice but to use a 'urine escape' to get away.

He vaguely knew what might be going on. Then, now that things have reached this point, for him, there was no turning back.

Can only fight!

And the best timing is now, the longer it drags on, the more unfavorable it is for him!

Afterward, Lin Lin Gengxin found a gap and slipped into the makeup room at the scene.

There was no one in the makeup room. Lin Lin Gengxin hesitated for two seconds, his heart hardened, and he reached out to lift the curtain at the very back. Inside was the independent makeup area specially reserved for him by the crew,

Lin Lin Gengxin didn't know where his courage came from, although his heart was empty, his legs had already stepped in.

Then he saw Chen Nuo had already changed into his costume, wearing a suit of armor, sitting on a stool, holding the script, his head slightly lowered.

Several stylists were surrounding him, some were applying hair pieces, some were touching up makeup. Although he was being handled by others, the expression on his face was still quiet and focused. That feeling, Lin Lin Gengxin had never seen on any other actor's face.

Besides that, his assistant who was beautiful to the point of being unbelievable, and his bodyguard were all standing on the side.

Seeing him enter, they all looked over.

Especially his bodyguard, whose eyes were like knives, making Lin Lin Gengxin's brain go "buzz," his palms immediately broke out in sweat, almost instinctively wanting to retreat.

But before he moved, the young-to-the-point-of-unbelievable general opposite suddenly raised his head, his eyes falling on him.

It was a very natural gaze, neither high nor low, not aggressive, and without the arrogance of looking down from above. Just looked at him, the corners of his mouth hooked up a little smile.

"Why, looking for me?" The voice wasn't loud, the tone wasn't serious, it sounded like a casual sentence, even carrying a bit of joking meaning.

Lin Lin Gengxin felt his whole body shaking, bit the bullet and nodded: "Um, Nuo... Brother Nuo, do you have time?"

"Yes."

"Can I talk to you alone?"

"Okay."

Chen Nuo nodded cleanly and used his eyes to signal Brother Linghu and Guli Guli Nazha to go out.

In the text message Tong Tong Liya sent him this morning, it was exactly about this matter.

Even if he was careful, he was still seen. The woman was very worried about what impact it would have on him, but he felt it didn't matter. After all, walking by the river often, how can one not get their shoes wet. If you don't have the psychological preparation of being caught in bed, it's best not to drool at someone else's wife.

He of course knew the name Lin Lin Gengxin, and also knew that he would be quite popular for a period of time in the future, but he didn't know his personality or anything.

So he really couldn't guess, what did this person want to do?

Threaten and blackmail? Seek fame and fortune? Or do something?

He really didn't know.

Because thinking carefully, it seemed these weren't difficult for him now. However, whether he would, whether he was willing, whether he wanted to. That was another matter.

"I saw... this morning," in the room with only two people left, Lin Lin Gengxin hardened his heart and said somewhat incoherently, "I know it's the one from *Let the Bullets Fly*... I know you taught her acting. I definitely didn't see wrong, she came down from the fifth floor, went to find you, right?"

Chen Nuo nodded: "Right, then what."

Lin Lin Gengxin was stunned, not expecting the other party to admit it so simply.

But immediately he reacted, immediately raised his right hand, straightened the middle three fingers, and said: "I will definitely not say half a word about this matter to the outside. I swear, if I say it to the outside, let me be struck by lightning and die a horrible death."

Chen Nuo laughed and asked curiously: "So, then what do you want?"

The critical moment came, Lin Lin Gengxin's heart was beating wildly, feeling he had never been so nervous in his life.

With a thud, he knelt on the ground.

"I, can I also worship you as my master?"

PS:

Seems like if I don't vote for double, it will be gone.

7000 words presented.

(End of this chapter) ===== CHAPTER 421 =====