Chapter 156: Brother, someone wants to harm you

The sun was setting, and three Chinese directors were sitting in the Nikki restaurant near the Carlton InterContinental.

Lou Ye of the Sixth Generation, Jiang Wen of an unknown generation, and Lu Kuan, who called himself the new generation.

We often speak of Fifth and Sixth Generation directors.

To be precise, the Sixth Generation directors referred to by the domestic cultural circles generally refer to a group of people who entered the Beijing Film Academy in the mid-to-late 1980s and began their directing careers after the 1990s.

Because of the historical background in which this group grew up, the Sixth Generation is the generation most willing to express the essence of decadence and the desire for free will.

Lou Ye was in the 1985 class of the Directing Department at the Beijing Film Academy, so he is definitely classified as part of the Sixth Generation.

As for Jiang Wen, his age and professional experience are rather awkward.

To call him Fifth Generation would be to make him sound old, and to call him... he himself would not admit it.

He feels that those Sixth Generation directors are just moaning without an ailment all day long, and he is ashamed to be associated with them.

Boss Lu, on the other hand, has blazed a new trail, holding high the banner of commercial films before Zhang Yimou in this life; if he must be counted, he can only be Seventh Generation, or the new generation he describes himself.

Of the three, Jiang Wen and Lu Kuan were meeting for the first time. Everyone exchanged a few pleasantries and soon became warm with each other.

"Come on! Brothers, let's have a drink!"

Jiang Wen had the self-awareness of a host and took the initiative to start and raise his glass.

The mountains are high and the road is long; it is truly impossible to buy Chinese white spirits in this place.

The three were drinking French Rémy Martin cognac, and the alcohol content of over 40 percent was not satisfying at all.

"You two, this place to eat is the best among the two-star Michelin restaurants. If you're not full, keep ordering, ha, it's all you can eat!"

"Mm-hmm, let's eat a little first, I'm hungry."

Boss Lu didn't even lift his head. His left hand held an oyster, he added a few drops of lemon juice or red wine vinegar, then used the small fork in his right hand to pull it out by the root and sent it into his mouth along with the juice.

Fragrant on the lips and teeth!

He had been a bit overworked these past few days; could Bingbing let him off at night?

He had to refuel when he needed to refuel.

"Old Jiang, eat, if you don't eat, Director Lu will finish it all!"

Jiang Wen also looked at this young director, who had been famous for a long time, with amusement.

The film was indeed shot well, and the person looked quite easygoing. He couldn't figure out how Yanzi and Wang Xiaolei of Huayi had developed a grudge with Lu Kuan.

Last time he ate with Han Shanping, they had tripped him up like that.

"Old Jiang, how many years do you have left?"

Boss Lu almost spat out a mouthful of wine. If you want to talk about this group of Sixth Generation directors getting together, there's nothing else to chat about.

They are all like fellow prisoners; as soon as they open their mouths, they ask how many years you have left. This refers to the years they were banned from directing by the authorities.

"Me? Soon, I'll be out of the mountains in 2005! Haha."

Jiang Wen was not in a hurry at all. If he couldn't direct openly, he would just find a puppet, especially that soft-boned stuff like Lu Tian.

"Director Lou, don't ask about others, pay more attention to yourself!"

Lou Ye smiled bitterly and clinked glasses with Lu Kuan. Don't mention it, it's all in the wine.

Anything produced by Lou Ye is a banned product; this is not just talk.

In 2000, "Suzhou River," he participated in a film festival without permission and was banned.

In 2008, "Summer Palace," not only was he sentenced to 5 years by the Administration, but he also implicated Hao Lei, who was banned, and broke up with her boyfriend Deng Chao.

This year's "Purple Butterfly" is considered his first film since his return as a king. It was originally heading down that evil path again, but the investors talked him out of it with much persuasion.

Jiang Wen sighed silently: "If you want to talk about it, we are all outdated. If you want to talk about directors, it still has to be someone like Little Lu, who reaps money, wealth, and fame. How good!"

Boss Lu smiled noncommittally; he couldn't tell how much of Old Jiang's words were credible.

Jiang Wen was indeed a bit exhausted. Once upon a time, he, like Lou Ye, persistently pursued his own artistic ideals.

He had his own opinions when he was an actor. When filming "Red Sorghum," he stood up to Old Mouzi, which made the latter furious.

Last year, he participated in the Sixth Generation director Zhang Yuan's "Green Tea," acting opposite Yanzi, and he also seemed to have become the local tyrant in the play.

It is said that Jiang Wen didn't respect anyone in the crew, was arrogant about his talent, and looked down on Zhang Yuan from the bottom of his heart.

He often secretly slipped behind the monitor to launch a surprise attack, taking Zhang Yuan to task: "Do you know why this shot is filmed this way? Do you know why I act this way?"

Zhang Yuan was already clumsy with words, and Jiang Wen would laugh out loud looking at Zhang Yuan's stammering appearance...

His directing career was banned, and some directors who thought they couldn't handle him didn't dare to ask him to film anymore.

Only China Film and Old Han could accommodate him, and let him act in "Heaven and Earth Heroes" again. It wrapped up two months ago and was scheduled for September.

Jiang Wen praised Lu Kuan, and Lou Ye didn't dare to say he didn't recognize it, but his ideas and spiritual core in film were diametrically opposed to Lu Kuan's.

He is a firm supporter of the auteur theory.

"Who doesn't envy Director Lu? Famous at a young age, but as far as film is concerned, I still think one must persist in oneself."

"I like to film emotions. Emotions are always greater than the story. I have seen Director Lu's 'Whiplash,' it is very good, but it is the only one that did not thoroughly amplify the emotions."

"The emotions in your films serve the plot, serve the box office, and serve the Hollywood-style structure."

Lu Kuan opened his mouth to say something, met Jiang Wen's eyes, and then smiled and raised his glass.

"Seek common ground while reserving differences, seek common ground while reserving differences."

Lou Ye is an introvert, low-key, and almost never speaks on social media.

He doesn't participate in variety shows, doesn't write autobiographies, and rarely appears in public except to promote his works.

He said these words purely from his heart to express his creative philosophy, unlike those film critics who criticize for the sake of criticism and make wild statements on social media.

Lu Kuan didn't feel the need to argue with him.

He could have played up the miserable state and crisis situation of Chinese-language films, emphasizing the importance of using commercial blockbusters to lead industry reform and attract audiences into theaters.

But what meaning would that have for Lou Ye?

Boss Lu had seen an interview with his wife in his previous life, saying that Lou Ye was just an old farmer.

He goes to the fields to work as soon as the sun rises, doesn't care what he eats, shaves his head, and is always the least conspicuous one in a crowd.

Everyone has their own aspirations; there is no need to make everyone submit to one's own ideas.

Boss Lu just cares about making his own money and playing with other people's women; he doesn't have such a strong desire to win that he must convince others to agree with him.

The market and the audience will teach them this lesson well.

Lou Ye is not someone without emotional intelligence either. Seeing that it was a bit awkward, he stopped talking about films and turned to chat about some interesting things in the circle.

Overall, it was a dinner where both the host and the guests enjoyed themselves.

After the meal, they split into two groups. Lu Kuan and Jiang Wen were staying at the Carlton InterContinental, so they walked back together.

Jiang Wen smiled: "Director Lu, I have always heard how you are dressed in fine clothes and riding a fast horse, arrogant and domineering, and you are also punch-to-flesh on the internet."

"Why so low-key tonight? I was just hoping to see a good show."

Boss Lu looked at him in surprise. This person has been paying some attention to him, and even knows he is an internet troll.

"Director Lou is a pure filmmaker, there's nothing to argue about with him, everyone just does their own films."

Jiang Wen secretly praised him in his heart. He always heard Zhao Yanzi and Little Boss Wang say how arrogant, rude, and dismissive he was. It doesn't look like that at all.

He suddenly remembered Zhao Yanzi's self-account of her experience of asking Lu Kuan for fortune-telling, why not...

"Director Lu, shall we have another cup of coffee at the Carlton lobby?"

"Sure, I happen to have something I want to chat with Director Jiang about too."

Just now, with Lou Ye present, it wasn't convenient for him to directly mention the matter of voting for awards. Now that Jiang Wen had delivered himself to his door, how could Boss Lu refuse?

The two chatted idly in the booth, each with their own thoughts. Neither spoke their mind directly, yet both knew there must be more to come.

Jiang Wen couldn't hold back first.

"Director Lu, I have a personal request."

"Please speak."

"Sigh! This matter is hard to say. It's a friend of mine, Liu Xiaoqing, you must know her. She is currently locked up over at Xiaotangshan."

"A while ago, I could be considered to have begged everyone to try to lend a hand, but I fell short of success. Seeing that she is about to come out..."

"I want to ask you to take a look for her, what about the future..."

Boss Lu took a sip of ice-cold lemonade and looked at the big romantic with composure.

"Director Jiang, just say it directly, do you want me to tell her fortune or what!"

"Sigh! You are straightforward, little brother. I know you might avoid this now, so I was embarrassed to mention it, hehe."

Jiang Wen was not pretentious either. He went to the bar to ask for paper and pen, providing material for Boss Lu's charlatan skills.

Lu Kuan was also happy to follow the trend; he was just afraid that Jiang Wen would be aloof and arrogant, and immune to reason.

Since everyone has something they want from each other, let's talk business seriously.

Lu Kuan fiddled for a while and put down the paper and pen.

"The month pillar's Eating God generates wealth, the Hai-Zi Seal Star generates the body and moistens the dryness without hurting the Eating God, and the double Yi Rob Wealth on the Heavenly Stem generates Eating without robbing wealth."

Seeing Jiang Wen staring at him, he smiled and explained: "There is no worry in the second half of life, just wait quietly for the changes."

Liu Xiaoqing was released from prison on August 17, 2003, and then sought a comeback.

Although it is difficult to reproduce the red-hot career of the past, it can be considered as getting what one wishes for.

"That's good! That's good!"

"This, Director Little Lu, is there anything else you can reveal, guide, and instruct?"

Jiang Wen was a bit skeptical at this moment, because Lu Kuan didn't say much dry goods, just a "not bad" to dismiss him?

As mentioned earlier, Boss Lu had made a PR plan for Fan after she collapsed in his previous life, which was actually based on Liu's template to a certain extent.

The similarity between the two is very high.

Looking at Jiang Wen's posture, he is determined to turn things around for his ex-girlfriend.

If he doesn't say something substantial today, this big romantic won't let him go.

"Ms. Liu's release from prison is just her release, the subsequent PR means are the key."

It had been a long time since he had done PR business, and Boss Lu was still a bit unaccustomed to it.

"How do you say?"

Jiang Wen was very curious. Everyone has their own strengths. He knows a little about film and acting, and also has a group of die-hard friends.

But like Lu Kuan, a famous director in the circle who promotes people, who can easily make a 15-year-old amateur girl step into the first line with one foot.

He is the only one among the people he knows.

Those old guns can no longer keep up with this era.

This question is an open-book exam for Lu Kuan. The plan he made for Fan was referenced from Liu Xiaoqing.

It's just that Fan did stupid things herself, and there was no hope for a comeback.

How did this first-generation big heroine do it?

First, an exclusive interview with authoritative media.

In October 2003 of later generations, Liu Xiaoqing did an exclusive interview on Phoenix TV, which could cover the two shores and three places, to voice her opinion to society and the public.

She found Wu Xiaoli, the then-deputy station head of Phoenix TV.

This is an old person in the news field, and the people she interviewed before were all prominent figures who could change policy directions.

This is an exclusive interview, and even more so a statement.

Liu said that the glory of the first half of her life was an opportunity brought by the reform and opening up, and that she had gone astray and did not clearly recognize the changes in the market and the improvement of laws and regulations.

Next, one is to admit mistakes, and two is to repay debts.

Repay the debts owed to the country.

As a result, just two years later, she paid off the debts and restored her qualification for awards.

That year, she won the title of "Fifty Outstanding Film Artists in the Century of National Film."

Her "Lotus Lantern" also boarded CCTV, representing that she was completely unbanned and returned to the center of the stage!

Looking back at how Fan did it?

Just an apology in a long article on Weibo, and then avoiding the mainstream gaze, rubbing magazine covers and fashion shows everywhere, without any attitude of lying low.

She began to devote herself to public welfare, went to the Great Northwest to send warmth, attended commercial activities, and also won the Annual Public Welfare Figure awarded by Sohu.

And was busy rubbing heat in the fashion circle, filming the Korean version of "Red Show," the Malaysian version of "Marie Claire," the Vietnamese version of "Harper's Bazaar"...

By the way, she also sent lawyer letters to some Weibo authors and entertainment reporters who slandered her, and collected a circle of symbolic compensation.

Seeing that things were not going well, she began to promote her younger brother, which had the meaning of joining the army for her sister.

Leaving aside the factors of the era, the difference between the two lies in pattern and cognition.

Liu saw it very clearly. She pushed away all business other than acting and stopped all opportunities to appear outside the play.

Only as a pure actor did she re-enter the audience's vision, plain-faced, without makeup.

She low-key participated in the state-owned background "Yongle Heroes and Heroines," acting as a supporting role for Bao Jianfeng and Liu Tao, who couldn't even touch her heels before.

A salary of 50 yuan a day, and occasionally guest-starring in other roles in Hengdian.

Whether she was acting or not, outsiders don't know, but the posture was very sufficient.

Of course, there were crews who didn't dare to use her, fearing that she would be banned again and implicate the work, but it's not guaranteed that this cost-effectiveness is high!

There is risk but the return is great, this is the first-generation top stream!

For her, the work is 1, and everything else is 0 behind it. Smart people know how to grasp the main contradiction.

Fan completely went the opposite way, she grabbed a handful of 0s.

Liu can be said to have been planning a comeback since she was in prison.

She kept sending a signal to the outside world: I am not aggrieved, I deserve it, I want to wash my heart and reform.

She read masterpieces, learned English, and exercised in prison. After being released from prison, she also gave up high-profile and commercial hype, smashing herself and starting over.

And Bingbing, in her first interview after the disaster, talked tearfully about the grievances suffered by her boyfriend Li Chen and her younger brother because of her.

And instructed the interview reporter to speak for her with a long length.

Subsequently, she posted a Weibo:

"Living hard and strong."

What is this called? This is called resentment, which is a big taboo.

Bingbing, you are confused!

Boss Lu's thorough planning and analysis analyzed the situation and main contradictions faced by Old Jiang's old lover after being released from prison.

He also gave a very operational implementation plan, including support in public opinion.

This support, of course, comes from the blog network.

I have a friend named Zhuang, he is the president of the blog network...

Jiang Wen slapped his thigh and shook Boss Lu's hand hard!

"Little Lu, what you said is so reasonable! You have really helped your brother a lot!"

Old Jiang is also a particular person. He took a sip of water to suppress his excitement and threw a sentence at Lu Kuan that made him dumbfounded.

"Brother, someone asked me to harm you!"

(End of chapter)