Chapter 188: Treatment

The house where Li Li Xiaoran lives is on the west side of Chaoyang Park Road. Two years ago, Cao Yang said that property values would rise, so she chose a residential complex here.

In late June, the movie she was filming wrapped up, and after attending an event, she had only just returned to Jingcheng not long ago.

After parting ways with Old Tian, Cao Yang came to Li Li Xiaoran's place.

Lying on the sofa, Cao Yang rested his head on Li Li Xiaoran's lap, listening to her talk about interesting things that happened during the filming.

"... The actor playing Sha Gen looks very simple and honest, which fits the character in the movie perfectly. He's so funny; he calls every woman 'sister' and every man 'brother' when he meets them. Everyone likes to tease him when they have nothing to do..."

The image of Wang Wang Baoqiang appeared in Cao Yang's mind. Feng Xiaogang Cannon chose him to play Sha Gen, and his appearance really does look very similar to the character's positioning.

It's not that he means to belittle Wang Wang Baoqiang; before one's acting skills reach a legendary level, appearance and character positioning are truly important.

"Chen Chen Guofu is the film's producer, so he still has some authority. He didn't give you a hard time, did he?"

Cao Yang asked, his eyes slightly closed.

Li Li Xiaoran massaged Cao Yang's temples, and looking at his young, handsome face, she couldn't help but lower her head and kiss his forehead.

Only then did she say with a smile: "How could he? You're just worrying for nothing. I'm a Berlin Film Festival Best Actress, after all. Besides, I was specifically invited by Feng Xiaogang Cannon; how could he be so blind?"

Cao Yang smiled and said nothing.

This man has immense influence in the Taiwan film circle. He once co-founded the "Film Cooperative" with Hou Xiaoxian and Yang Dechang, and is one of the core figures of Taiwan's "New Cinema Movement."

He currently serves as the director of the production department for Columbia's Asia region and hasn't officially joined Huayi yet, but that is only a matter of time. He has a very good relationship with the big and small Wangs of Huayi.

During the period before and after the New Year this year, Feng Xiaogang Cannon was quite provoked.

In the past, he felt that Cao Yang only made art-house films. Although he won more awards and had a bigger international reputation, there was nothing to worry about; everyone was the same, all among the top four directors in the country.

But suddenly, this grandson Cao Yang quietly won the Golden Globe for Best Director and even produced a Golden Globe Best Actor.

It made Feng Xiaogang Cannon feel psychologically unbalanced. He was truly afraid that the Golden Globe Awards, this so-called bellwether for the Oscars, would prove prophetic.

And sure enough, what one fears most often happens.

That grandson took five major awards at the Oscars all at once, including Best Picture and an Oscar for Best Actor... What kind of nonsense is the Oscar? How can it be like this? It's really not authoritative at all.

After feeling bitter for a while and cursing the Oscars for a month, in the end, the box office that Feng Xiaogang Cannon was most proud of was blown to smithereens by *Milk*.

Feng Xiaogang Cannon also came to terms with it. An Oscar for Best Picture and an Oscar for Best Actor—if a movie like that failed at the box office, the Oscars wouldn't need to be held anymore; they might as well just disband...

To hell with coming to terms with it!

Feng Xiaogang Cannon secretly made up his mind: the movie he was about to film would have to stack stars, and big stars at that. It must succeed at the box office... Foreign box office is worth nothing; as pure Chinese men, if we're going to compete, we compete on domestic box office.

He wanted to let Cao Yang know who the real boss of the domestic box office is.

Heavenly King Andy Lau, invited.

Old partner and Cannes Best Actor Ge You, this one is a must.

Fan Fan Bingbing, she has a pretty good reputation in the country; playing a supporting role is fine.

Fu Biao, You Yong, Fan Wei, Zhang Zhang Hanyu, Feng Feng Yuanzheng...

Regarding these actors, neither the big and small Wangs nor the producer Chen Chen Guofu had any objections.

It was only regarding the female lead that Feng Xiaogang Cannon and Chen Chen Guofu had a dispute.

Chen Chen Guofu wanted to use Rene Liu.

The surface reason was simple: Rene Liu is known as the "Queen of Art-house," and in the last two years, whether singing or acting, she has been popular across the mainland, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, leaving behind many famous works.

In reality, though, Feng Xiaogang Cannon spat fiercely in his heart.

Chen Guofu's girlfriend of seven years, Su Huilun, recently revealed that her ex-boyfriend, Mr. Chen, had cheated on her with her best friend, a certain female singer surnamed Liu, while they were dating, and the two had maintained a lover's relationship...

Subsequently, Feng Xiaogang Cannon suddenly thought of a certain popular young actor from the Beijing Film Academy. No wonder he always insisted that his relationship with the singer surnamed Liu was a "fourth type of relationship."

Isn't that right? The singer surnamed Liu is the third party, so as the singer's lover, aren't you the fourth?

Quite self-aware, aren't they.

Feng Xiaogang Cannon didn't want to use Rene Liu. He felt her fame was too small. That's right, just too small—at least in the film circle, compared to the person he wanted to invite, she was too small, with no value for hype or gimmicks.

He wanted to invite Berlin Film Festival Best Actress Li Li Xiaoran to play the female lead.

Although Chen Chen Guofu still insisted on using Rene Liu, where is this?

This is the mainland, this is a movie by Feng Xiaogang Cannon, one of the four great directors, this is a movie by Feng Xiaogang Cannon, who is held in the palms of the big and small Wangs, and this is a movie by Feng Xiaogang Cannon, who has never lost money for Huayi.

Feng Xiaogang Cannon still had the power to designate a female lead.

In the end, Li Li Xiaoran was decided upon.

According to custom, whether it was Li Li Xiaoran, Yu Yu Feihong, or Gao Gao Yuanyuan, whenever they went out to film, Cao Yang would always give a heads-up to the film's director.

Some troublesome matters, if they can be avoided, should be avoided.

When Feng Xiaogang Cannon received Cao Yang's call, he understood what was going on.

So you, kid, have a day where you need me to take care of someone?

Fine, this little matter, I will definitely handle it for you properly.

"Cao Yang, how long will you be in South Africa this time?"

Li Li Xiaoran stroked Cao Yang's face with both hands and asked softly.

"About twenty days or so. It'll be August by the time we finish filming, and I won't be able to rest after that; there are many things to attend to. By the way, *Nine-Tailed Fox* is set for the National Day holiday, so it's time to promote it. Don't forget, you're the main force for the movie's promotion."

"Got it. South Africa, I've never been there. Can I go with you?"

Li Li Xiaoran twisted her body and said in a playful tone.

Cao Yang opened his eyes and met Li Li Xiaoran's watery, big eyes.

"Who was it that said next week they have to attend a new product launch for an endorsed brand, and make up for several brand activities that were postponed during filming, and also..." Li Li Xiaoran lowered her head and blocked Cao Yang's mouth.

After a long while, their lips parted.

Li Li Xiaoran's eyes were hazy, and she whispered: "Cao Yang, let's elope. Let's go to a place abroad where no one knows us. You aren't a big director, and I'm not an actress... mm..."

This time, Cao Yang blocked her mouth.

Cao Yang rolled over, his hands beginning to explore the soft terrain.

After a while, Li Li Xiaoran began to sing. Her vocal condition was excellent, and her low humming was melodic and moving.

"... Cao Yang, let's go back to the bedroom... mm..."

"Right here is just fine."

Actually, it was quite good here; it was spacious, which was conducive to resonance when singing.

Li Li Xiaoran sang at the top of her lungs, her voice at times melodic, at times low, at times soaring.

When Cao Yang's lesson on singing for Li Li Xiaoran came to an end, the two took a bath together and rested for a while.

!

Li Li Xiaoran lay in his arms, eyes slightly closed, whispering: "Cao Yang, if you spend the night here, won't the vixen be jealous?"

Cao Yang was helpless; it was like this every time.

"You are my vixen."

"Really? Then what is Gao Gao Yuanyuan?"

"What Gao Gao Yuanyuan? Gao Gao Yuanyuan and I have a purely platonic relationship," Cao Yang said without hesitation.

"Really? Then what about you and Yu Yu Feihong?"

"We also have a very pure relationship."

"Then what about me?"

Li Li Xiaoran hugged Cao Yang's arm, her two hills swaying back and forth.

"I'll let you know right now what kind of relationship we have."

Cao Yang didn't answer directly; he rolled over again and patted her bottom, "Come on, lie down properly."

"No, you lie down..."

Cao Yang's treatment in South Africa this time truly exceeded his expectations.

Just after landing at the airport, before he had even left the terminal, he saw Cheng Cheng Jianye actually waving at him from inside the airport.

Without waiting for Cao Yang to ask, Cheng Cheng Jianye took Cao Yang's luggage and introduced him to a black man wearing glasses behind him.

"This is Yang Ke, a liaison officer sent by President Mandela. He studied in China for four years and speaks fluent Chinese."

"Hello, Director Cao Yang. I am Yang Ke, sent by Mr. Mandela. From now on, you can tell me about any of your needs in South Africa, and I will find a way."

Yang Ke's Chinese pronunciation was quite good; although there was a slight accent, there was no problem understanding him at all.

"Hello, Yang Ke. I'll be troubling you from now on."

Cao Yang shook hands with Yang Ke and said with a smile.

"Director Cao, the journey must have been tiring. Let's go, let's head back to... your residence first, and you can get some good rest."

Cheng Cheng Jianye paused when he mentioned where they were heading back to. Usually, when traveling, one would definitely go to a hotel first.

When they arrived at the residence, Cao Yang understood why he had paused.

This was a villa located within Johannesburg. How should he put it? It would be more accurate to call it an estate rather than a villa.

The first impression it gave Cao Yang was that it was huge, a bit like... the estate of a former slave owner.

There were two villas here, a garden, a swimming pool, and a small soccer field in the back.

"When we first arrived, it was arranged by Columbia, and we stayed in a hotel."

Cheng Cheng Jianye explained to Cao Yang: "At the pre-scouted filming location, our people thought that since we were about to start shooting, we would just do some minor renovations, but we didn't expect to run into some small trouble."

"Small trouble?"

"Columbia had already negotiated with the locals beforehand; filming was no problem, but if we wanted to renovate, we had to pay a fee to the locals, saying it was to restore the building to its original state after the renovations were finished..."

Cheng Cheng Jianye was also speechless. Because the plot required it, they were renovating some places that were too dilapidated, and they actually had to restore them afterward?

"A lot of money?" Cao Yang asked directly.

If the money were a small amount, I suppose it wouldn't be called running into trouble.

"Two million, in US dollars."

"Heh, the local government?"

Cheng Cheng Jianye thought for a moment and shook his head, "I can't figure it out either. The Colombians have some influence around here, but after asking, they said it was some kind of autonomous organization in that slum, semi-official in nature? Even the people here in Colombia can't do anything about it."

"Did you call the number I gave you?"

Back when Mandela sincerely invited Cao Yang, he had given him a phone number, saying that if he ever came, he must call it.

Cheng Cheng Jianye nodded, sincerely feeling that Cao Dao was truly impressive; his connections were just too powerful.

"After that call was made, we were invited to move here. It is said that some things happened in the slum, and it has now been taken over by the military and police."

(End of this chapter)