"I'm really sorry," the legendary movie star from Hollywood quickly smiled at Producer Zhang after a short pause, holding his hand and shaking it gently, "Maybe it's because the jet lag hasn't reversed, I was suddenly a little dizzy just now." ”

"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter." Maybe it wasn't Jennifer. Jefferson's Chinese is really so standard, and Producer Zhang's reaction was also half a beat slower, and he politely held Jennifer's hand with both hands, "Director Zhang is right - your Chinese is really good!" ”

After a brief greeting, the blonde and blue-eyed, as beautiful as in the movie, or even more beautiful than in the movie, naturally introduced the tall man with sharp eyes next to her, "This is my agent, Cesare. Vijri, he doesn't speak Chinese, so we hired a translator for him. ”

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Producer Zhang also shook hands with him politely, his eyes moving imperceptibly back and forth between the handsome man and the beautiful woman a few times, and then smiled more politely and warmly at Cesare, before he let go of his agent's hand and introduced the Hollywood genius actress, one of the world's greatest contemporary filmmakers, and arguably the brightest of the young generation, and the agent with whom she was obviously close to her, to introduce her to today's escort in a noticeably slower voice. This is Mr. Liu Xiangdong, the deputy general manager of the China Film Group, and this is Mr. Feng, another well-known director in our country - maybe you have heard of his name......"

Because he was worried that foreigners would not understand the identity and status of these escorts, causing social embarrassment, he explained in great detail, however, this young actress who seems to be a Chinese expert did not embarrass anyone, on the contrary, she gave people a feeling of being proficient in Chinese etiquette, and compared with the agent who was silent and had a somewhat cold expression around him, the owner obviously felt that dealing with the actress was more relaxing: Usually, this situation in China should be reversed, This agent seems to be a little more repulsive than a star, which makes the host a little puzzling, but it seems that the host and guest are very satisfied with the specifications of the reception and the performance of their own people, and they have no intention of interfering.

Since knowing Jennifer. Jefferson is about to come to China to participate in the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, and there is a wave of small waves in Beijing's small circle, for every director who is interested in hitting the Oscars and entering Hollywood, the invitation to this dinner is very tempting - they may not want to get any direct help from the actress, for the Chinese market that has just developed in the 80s and stumbled to today's 30 years, Hollywood is like a Buddha country in the West, and to get the truth from Hollywood, It's definitely not okay for people to go to Los Angeles alone, no one can match you, and you can only take a day trip to Beverly Hills like a tourist, of course, many times even if you can find a relationship, go to Warner headquarters, Universal headquarters to visit, and talk with the high-level executives of these film companies, but because of the language barrier and the estrangement of the relationship, people can't provide you with a lot of useful information for no reason, and even many times take the money and talk about it casually, it is impossible to teach real good things to foreigners. The film and television industry anywhere is a relatively closed, self-limiting small circle, and in Hollywood, this closed circle will not be opened to you casually just because you are a peer, especially the identity of Chinese will have a great impact on this, because the Chinese have no power in Hollywood and cannot provide too much help to their compatriots.

Therefore, even if you don't talk about the temptation of getting close to Jennifer and getting some connections from her, it is to listen to the producer who just won the Oscar for Best Film talk about some Hollywood films, this opportunity is also very rare for many big names, maybe they are already in a high place in the film industry in their country, and they are many people's gods and goddesses, but in their eyes, Jennifer. Jefferson is still a goddess who is illuminated by the golden light of the three Oscars that makes people unable to open their eyes, and even has a bit of an impulse to worship, allowing them to rekindle the mentality of ordinary people......

Directors and producers are like this, some filmmakers who have films in their hands and want to sell them, or want to get batches of films in are also very excited, because Big Dream is obviously a company with a wide range of contacts, judging from the movies they participate in producing, at least they have dealings with Warner, Disney, Universal, Paramount and Fox, which are all big companies, and five of the big six account for five, not to mention selling films to Big Dream, they must be very experienced in foreign distribution, and the copyright transaction of films has never been transparent, and no one dares to say that they have not been cheated in the international market. If you can talk about this topic and get some experience, it will be of immeasurable help to them.

And in addition to these big names in the industry, there are some children of Beijing who have a very strong relationship, and they don't have any special and clear motives - this is not those who will be flattered by their blue eyes, or simply the domestic stars they brought out, this kind of Hollywood big man is not something they can delusionally touch, it is enough to have a meal, meet each other, and brush up on the sense of existence, after all, almost all of them have watched the "Pirates" trilogy, and now they have the opportunity to sit and eat with the leading actors, Many people are also quite excited about this, and they are also trying their best to find a relationship with a favor, and they want to get tickets to the dinner - of course, in addition to the group of people who are particularly related, there are also some particularly rich people who also have this idea, and it is still 2008, and Chinese capital has not yet entered Hollywood, so for these rich people, if they want to meet their favorite Hollywood stars, sometimes they really have to wait for the opportunity, and they don't want to meet them through channels.

Due to the tight time, and the reception can guarantee that the dinner is just one or two, the limited opportunities have also caused fierce competition, and the accompanying guests who can finally sit in this room are all the best in their kind, even if they are sons and brothers, the relationship is one of the best, even if it is a producer, they don't want to offend them lightly, so he ordered a large round table, and the seats in the row were simply arranged according to age, so that the second generation who had nothing to do was arranged relatively far away from the queen, Those who stayed with her were all more reliable peers, and when they were introduced, they were also introduced by their peers, and it took a while to introduce these five or six young 'nephews' - it was too difficult to explain their respective identities and the reasons for their presence here, so he simply called them nephews.

"This is Stephen. Zheng, "Fortunately, these second-generation tutors are also very good, not in front of the rude, although they all come to see the 'idol', but the performance is decent - Zhang Producer doesn't have much extravagance to ask for anything neither humble nor arrogant, young men see beautiful women, and the waist board is three points softer This is instinctive, in front of such a legendary beauty who is famous all over the world, it is normal for young people with more developed male hormones to be unstable, "My nephew, he studied abroad, and his English is very good, so I will bring him to act as a translator today." ”

Stephen. Zheng Chang blushed and shook hands with the actress and agent, fortunately, he didn't say anything like 'I've always been your fan', but said a few polite words in English. "If there is anything you need help with, please contact me, I can solve anything for you."

After this very strong second generation, there is also Producer Zhang's personal relationship - this real estate tycoon is recently negotiating with Producer Zhang for investment in a new film, bringing his son-in-law to meet the world, this request is not easy for Producer Zhang to refuse, "This is also my nephew, he has always been very fond of movies-"

Producer Zhang also felt that it was difficult to give him a suitable reason at this time, but fortunately, the actress didn't seem to mind, on the contrary, she seemed to have a special affection for this Li Gongzi, and gave him the most sincere smile since he entered the door, and the handshake took longer than before, "I'm very happy to meet you, Mr. Li." ”

Mr. Li couldn't even speak English, and he seemed to feel the special treatment from the actress, and he stammered a little when he spoke, "This, this, this is the opposite, this is definitely my honor......"

People who can sit at this table can't be too dull, and some of the things that can be seen by the producer are not so much that they can't see it, a few people looked at the agent with a little surprise, but more people are smiling and not showing any abnormality: The entertainment industry is more chaotic than this, who is more obvious about the strength of the actress and the agent, at a glance, what else can the agent do if he can't bear it? More likely, people don't do it at all.

Although Jennifer showed a special affection and interest in Li Gongzi, Producer Zhang did not make arrangements immediately, but invited her to the main table to sit down as originally planned, and introduced tonight's menu. "Today we still use the meal system, but also provide you with Western-style tableware, a while the master will come in to give you a piece of Peking duck, although this is also overseas, but it is definitely the most authentic taste of Beijing, the master of this club is the chef of Quanjude, the craftsmanship is absolutely excellent......"

While talking, a dining cart was pushed in, and the uniformed chef of the duck slice saluted the guests, and then quickly sliced a plate of roast duck, and thoughtfully smeared an appropriate amount of sweet noodle sauce on the lotus leaf cake, and made delicious roast duck rolls, which were delivered to the guests. Producer Zhang originally wanted to explain further, but the actress smiled and said, "I've eaten this, everyone please, fill your stomach first." ”

"Of course, of course, you must be hungry," Producer Zhang also said, "Come, come, please, please." ”

- He took an appetizing cucumber strip into his mouth, and was a little surprised in his heart: it seems that his feeling is indeed right, and the actress is indeed very familiar with Chinese etiquette...... But it shouldn't be, judging from her resume, she has no way to get in touch with Chinese culture at all.

But in any case, this is good news for them, and the atmosphere of the banquet is much better than what Producer Zhang thought, in the past, when dealing with foreign partners, the landlords were a little in a dilemma, arrange some special food, I am afraid that the guests will not be used to eating, and they feel a little perfunctory when eating Western food, coupled with cultural barriers, the first few meals are always more restrained, unlike now, the actress is really not restrained at all, especially open-minded, especially approachable - her agent is a very typical Western guest, Now he was holding his knife and fork, looking at the burrito with some trouble, as if he couldn't decide what to do with it. - And this embarrassment seemed to please the actress, and she chuckled happily, and her face was full of sincere pleasure......

Jeanne had to admit that Cesare's once-in-a-millennial expression did make her feel very funny - she guessed that he might not have eaten roast duck before, after all, it was a special dish that could not be eaten cold, and it was difficult to taste it without going to a particular restaurant, and seeing the vague uncertainty on his face, she forced herself not to laugh, but to touch Cesare's elbow in a serious manner.

"Eating it with your hands," she said in English, "is like eating a burrito, and that's not rude." But if you haven't eaten the roast duck before it's cold, you're disrespectful to the host. ”

Cesare gave her a suspicious look, Jeanne bit the inside of her cheek and nodded solemnly - no one at the table had touched the roast duck except him, so Cesare couldn't tell the real from the fake, he hesitated for a moment, his brow furrowed slightly, and his expression flashed with disgust: not about food, but Cesare hated anything that would stain his hands—but the last sentence she added worked, and he finally twisted the burrito with a strange motion, and carefully placed it in his mouth, Took a bite.

Jenny resisted the urge to laugh at once, picked up the meat roll with chopsticks, and ate it freely, and when she and Cesare made eye contact, she finally couldn't help laughing, and while swallowing the food in her mouth, she instructed the waiter, "My companion doesn't need chopsticks, can you pay attention to the meal later?" ”

Of course, the waiter immediately nodded in agreement, and then walked to the chef to order, and Producer Zhang also smiled playfully, and almost set up with Jenny, "Your Chinese is really very good - even the word 'you' is used very authentically, which is surprising and delightful." ”

"Yes," said Jeanne, too, knew that sooner or later she would have to give a reason, but she had already thought of her excuse, and she did not think that Cesare would dismantle her—and as for Mary, she was a little embarrassed to tell a lie in her face. "I've been teaching myself Chinese, and when I met Director Zhang in Venice before, I didn't speak very standardly, and I hope to improve now - I think as an actor you may not learn Chinese, but as a producer and film company operator, if you don't know English, you will obviously fall behind in the next ten or twenty years of competition."

As a Chinese, Jenny has always been a little proud of the difficulty of mastering Chinese, so she knows how the miracle of her 'self-taught Chinese for a few years in addition to her busy schedule will shock the guests present - that is, Zhang Producer, his face showed a look of shock, and after a while, he grasped the more important topic after that, "I really don't know how to say, you are definitely a genius, and for this last sentence can you point me out, to be honest, We are all still learning English, and we want to develop in Hollywood, but I really don't know that Hollywood is also interested in the Chinese market......"

Before he could finish speaking, there was a knock on the door, and a small man with a smile on his face walked into the room, "Miss Jefferson—Lao Zhang!" ”

"Mr. Han."

"Mr. Han!"

Suddenly a crowd stood up in the room - one of the most important figures in the Chinese film industry, Mr. Han, the chairman of the China Film Group, arrived.

#

“…… Indeed, I am very optimistic about the Chinese market. After some introductions and greetings, Mr. Han also had a strong interest in Jenny's Chinese ability and her motivation for choosing to learn Chinese, and in everyone's expectations, she calmly continued the topic just now, "There are many data analysis companies in Hollywood, if you commission any company to analyze China's box office figures, you can clearly see a very ideal curve, and this is far from the whole potential of the Chinese market, I think in five or six years, The annual box office size of the Chinese market may reach 4 billion or 5 billion US dollars, which will become the second largest box office market outside North America, and the cultural exchanges between China and the United States will become the world's most important channel for transnational cultural exchanges. So when I needed to choose a second foreign language, I chose to study Chinese and Chinese culture ......"

Seeing that Producer Zhang and Old Man Han obviously showed very interested expressions on their faces, Jenny was also relieved: although her previous actions had accumulated some emotional points with official channels, there were only eternal interests in the business world, and compared to friendship, it was still a genuine benefit transfer that made people more assured. Now she has put out her own points of interest, and judging from the other party's reaction, 'China's capital and culture going out' has also scratched the itch of the other party, as for how to establish this cooperation model, it depends on the conditions put forward by Mr. Han and Producer Zhang.

"It seems that you are really interested in the Chinese market," Mr. Han and Producer Zhang's concerns seem to be the same, and he also asked directly about the Oscars when he opened his mouth, making further inquiries, "In fact, we are still fighting for the first Oscar of Chinese films, you also know that our Director Zhang can also be said to be a first-class film master in the international scope, according to domestic terms, there are also some outstanding directors in the fourth and fifth generations, but about some operations of the Oscar, In fact, we are also very vague, and this cultural gap does not seem to be able to be overcome by learning the language. ”

"Of course, this is only the first step," Jenny also understood, she generously took the lead in showing sincerity, "In fact, if you want to win at foreign film festivals, especially in the United States, you do have some knowledge, first of all, you must choose a good public relations company in the United States, or cooperate with some companies with access to distribution, such as Weinstein Brothers Pictures, as well as Focus, Fox Searchlight, these are all big winners, and there is the theme, the American judges must have some preferred themes......

No matter what the reason, all the guests here pricked up their ears and listened like hungry, and they didn't care about the food on the table at all, and Mr. Han and Producer Zhang listened very attentively, although Jenny only tasted it and said some tricks in general terms and didn't continue, but this information was enough for them to taste and digest for a while. This is like the Chinese Relations Society has made many foreigners dizzy, and some knowledge that is common sense in Hollywood is very new to these Chinese masters. And these dry goods are enough to prove Jenny's strength and her understanding of the Oscar process.

"So, for example, we want to work with you on this point." Mr. Han struck while the iron was hot and began to talk deeply, "For example, we have a high degree of strategic cooperation, and you are responsible for the promotion and introduction of some of our key films in North America, and then we are responsible for the introduction and scheduling of some films produced by your company in the mainland, so do you have any insights on this model?" Or, do you think that some excellent films in our country are likely to make some famous names at the North American awards ceremony if they are selected and packaged by you? ”

In fact, what he said was basically nonsense, because the two companies in the mainland that are now qualified to introduce account-sharing films are under his control, whether he says it or not, these films are scheduled by him, but Jenny also got some taste from this sentence - Oriental habits, some words do not need to be said too thoroughly, and it may not be appropriate for Mr. Han to say it too clearly on this occasion.

"China produces a lot of excellent films every year, and if you don't pursue the box office in North America, where the box office of translated films has always been very limited," she said, "if you just pursue awards, then it will definitely be checked by professionals, and the probability of the Chinese film industry receiving foreign attention will continue to rise, and after a few years of brewing, I dare not say that the number of awards will increase." ”

The escorts suddenly became excited, and exchanged heads with each other, so that there was a buzzing whisper in the room, and a trace of excitement passed over Old Man Han's face, but he did not answer immediately, but diverted the topic: Obviously, he was used to thinking carefully before making any promises, "How long do you plan to stay in Beijing this time?" I don't know if I have the honor to treat you to a meal......"

This meal was eaten for a long time, and in the end, the desserts and fruits were served, and no one had the intention of ending the meal, after Mr. Han said goodbye first, everyone simply turned the dinner into a conversation salon, some filmmakers impatiently asked about some industry trends in Hollywood, and Producer Zhang was concerned about the possibility of cooperation between Director Zhang's next film and Da Meng - he could not prevent Mr. Han from intervening in Da Meng and his possible cooperation, nor did he need to prevent the escalation of the cooperation between the two sides, after all, anyway, after directing the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, Director Zhang can be regarded as a hard worker, the first position in China cannot be shaken in the short term, no matter how to cooperate, he is the beneficiary, what Producer Zhang needs to work hard is to take advantage of the east wind to deepen this cooperation and improve the possibility of Director Zhang winning the award, as for the foreign box office, he doesn't care very much, as long as Director Zhang wins the award, this honor is more important than how much profit.

Although Cesare didn't speak much, he listened to the whispers of the translator throughout the whole process, but under the gags of the second generation, the atmosphere of the salon was not too serious, and when the conversation became deeper and deeper, and Jeanne communicated with Cesare more and more frequently, people gradually realized that Cesare was not a simple follower, and began to have some in-depth discussions with him with the help of the translator, Jenny also took the opportunity to breathe a sigh of relief, walked to the half-open window, and smiled at Li Gongzi, "Can you give me a cigarette?" ”

"Of course!" Li Gongzi had already taken off the cigarette in his mouth and put it in the leeward place, in order not to smoke Jenny, but now he was immediately flattered and took out his cigarette case, handed it to Jenny with both hands, and after Jenny smoked one, he diligently lit the cigarette for her with both hands. That look of sincere fear made her feel even more weird, and she almost couldn't help twitching the corners of her mouth.

Holding Li Gongzi's favorite Ninety-Five Zun - he almost only smoked this flavor of cigarettes, Jenny was too familiar with this taste, neither of them spoke, but silently took a few puffs, she could almost hear Li Gongzi's rapid heartbeat, and felt his anxious demeanor that was anxious and didn't know how to flatter - she couldn't help but smile, and then broke the silence and asked casually, "How old are you?" ”

"I'm 25 years old." Li Gongzi said obediently, it seemed that because he was overly nervous, he became silent, and he said whatever she asked.

Jenny was amused by his embarrassment, her lips pursed up, her white teeth slightly exposed, and she could feel Li Gongzi's stunned appearance—as if he had been stunned by her smile and couldn't come back to his senses. "I heard that Chinese get married early, is Mr. Li married?"

"No, no—" said Li Gongzi, almost instinctively—and then he quickly regretted it again, for Jenny fell with his gaze to his hand holding the cigarette: although the light was not very bright here, the ring on the ring finger of his left hand was still very clear anyway.

Jenny curled the corners of her lips again, she didn't hear Li Gongzi's answer just now. "Do you have a baby?"

"I ...... gave birth to a daughter a year ago," after this defeat, Li Gongzi finally regained a little of his senses, he said with a smile, "The nickname is Yangyang." ”

Jenny nodded and asked curiously, "Can I see her picture?" I think she must be very cute. ”

"Of course, of course," Li Gongzi took out his mobile phone, operated it, and then handed the phone to Jenny, she looked down at the little baby with clear eyebrows, smiled politely, and handed it back to Li Gongzi, "It's very cute." ”

Although this dialogue is a bit inexplicable, Jenny doesn't feel that she needs to make any explanation, she knows that in this conversation, she occupies the absolute initiative, and now she throws her phone to the ground, I'm afraid that Li Gongzi will not be angry, but may be honestly afraid, and even think that she is frustrated because he is married, so she is flattered - and to say that she has no emotion in her heart, it is definitely a lie, in her previous life, Chen Zhen's appearance is not better than Jenny. Jefferson has a lot of beauty, at least it is comparable, and the relationship between her ex-husband and her cannot be said to have no sweet time, but he has never once, like now, almost groveling and ashamed to hold her, she is the one who is submissive and flattered in the depths of her heart, the one who is alone at home, waiting for her husband to come back from one dinner after another, or not at all, she is the one who has been wronging herself, reforming herself, and making this marriage last. And what about the ex-husband? Li Gongzi in Jenny. How humble Jefferson was in front of him, how noble he was in front of Chen Zhen, how careful he was with Jenny, how reckless he was with Chen Zhen-

Jenny doesn't blame Li Gongzi, this is human nature, this belongs to human nature, she just has never felt so obviously the gap between her current self and Chen Zhen back then: Chen Zhen back then did look up at her ex-husband, because of him, her social status has changed dramatically, and he is almost her savior.

And now Jenny. What about Jefferson? But looking down at Li Gongzi, the gap between them is not the difference between the two sides, at least now, the market value of her and Da Meng's is not as good as the property of her ex-husband's family, but, just like her evaluation of Said, she has no money, she is still Jenny. Jefferson, this has no effect on her, but if the money is taken away, maybe Li Gongzi will not have nothing like Said, but the little thing he has left is definitely not enough to be on an equal footing with Jenny. - And Li Gongzi is also well aware of this, so he will be sincerely afraid in front of her, showing a high climb.

Just like her ex-husband and Chen Zhen were not from the same class back then, Jenny and Li Gongzi are not from the same world now...... The difference between them is even obvious, and Jenny even feels that it is a shame to have a relationship between Jenny and Li Gongzi now, which is very shameful, worthless, and very self-fulfilling...... It's even come to this point! And what's even more terrifying is that she knows that it's not that she feels too good about herself, and that's true-if she still wants to be with Li Gongzi now, then she really chose a person far below her own level, she is compromised, and she is wronging herself......

"Do I really want to go back? Do I really want to go back to my old life? For the first time in seven years, the thought crossed her mind, and it was faint at first, but soon it grew louder, more and more turbulent, and more and more definite.

"No...... I don't want to go back! I've climbed so high that I don't want to fall back again, I've come so far that I'm ...... I don't want to be my old self again! ”

#

The cigarette butt between Li Gongzi's fingers was almost burned, but he didn't change the cigarette or throw away the cigarette butt, but tried not to show a trace to look at the legendary actress around him - he was a little unsure about what was happening between the two now: although it may be a bit narcissistic to say this, but for a moment just now, he did feel that the actress was particularly interested in him......

Well, saying this, he himself felt a bit exaggerated, and he didn't think anyone would believe him, he himself felt that the feeling just now was probably his delusion, but judging from the expressions of others at the time, and some reactions afterward, Jenny. Jefferson, a legend who is far from his match in terms of intelligence, achievement, and value, does seem to have some liking for him. And he has never regretted his married status as he did just now, but he doesn't know why the blonde actress is looking at the photos of his daughter Yangyang, and he doesn't know what she is thinking now. She didn't give him the phone back, but it didn't look like she had been hit hard, in fact, he wasn't even sure if she was interested in him, because her body language was a little cold now, as if she didn't care about him anymore-

Just when Li Gongzi wanted to say something, a gust of wind blew outside the window, and the sound of the plopping made the queen come back to her senses, she had an unpredictable smile on her lips, handed the phone to Li Gongzi, and made another gesture, motioning for him to serve the ashtray in his right hand.

Extinguishing most of the expensive cigarettes left in the ashtray, the actress gave him a distant smile, and Li Gongzi realized that whether the illusion just now was his illusion or not—even if it wasn't, it was an extremely short-lived, sudden interest, like ...... It's like a dream that couldn't be more beautiful.

And now, the dream is over, the bubble has burst, and there is no trace of kindness left on the beautiful and delicate face of the actress, only cold, routine politeness, she nodded at him, and the graceful body shrouded in the decent suit passed by him, and floated back to the center of the living room, once again grabbing everyone's attention effortlessly, as if it was born to be like this-

As for him, he could only stand on the ground, looking at her back wistfully, wondering if the dizzying brief moment just now was his delusion: whether this goddess, who was far beyond his level, really focused her eyes on him for a short time, and even had the slightest interest in him—was he really so lucky, and whether this thing that he could not even dream of really happened to him......