Cultivate a male god: After listening to persuasion, I became a top-notch

Chapter 545: If you don’t let Zhige sit at the table, don’t blame him for turning the tables!
For convenience, Li Youzhi did not arrange his own itinerary when he came to Shanghai to participate in the event. Instead, he directly followed the arrangements of the Johnson & Johnson Group’s public relations department and stayed in a hotel close to the event venue.

When Li Youzhi received the call from Wang Xintian, he had just put on his coat and was about to go downstairs.

He was quite surprised to see the call from Wang Xintian at around six o'clock in the evening.

"Hey, Director Wang, what are your instructions?"

"Xiao Zhi, I got the receipt for my recommendation to the Oscar Organizing Committee."

"Oh?"

Hearing Wang Xintian's slightly deep voice on the other end of the phone, Li Youzhi stopped putting on his clothes.

This was not the first or second time that Li Youzhi had dealt with Wang Xintian. When he heard Wang Xintian's heavy tone, which was different from usual, he began to think about it.

I’m afraid... the situation is not good.

"Director Wang, what did they say over there?"

"Well... I forwarded the email to you, you can read it yourself. Xiaozhi, don't be discouraged. No matter what, the box office results of Buried in the US market this time are solid. To put it bluntly, for us Chinese film and television practitioners, the most important thing about the Oscars is participation. Don't care too much about the results."

Perhaps because he was in a bad mood, Wang Xintian on the other end of the phone didn't say much. He just comforted Li Youzhi with a few words and then hung up.

After hanging up the phone, Li Youzhi immediately opened his mobile mailbox. As expected, he saw an unread email forwarded by Wang Xintian, lying quietly in his inbox.

The receipt was very simple. Looking at the entire text, apart from the beginning and signature of "to" and "from", there were only two short paragraphs - because the film had too many political elements, it was not approved after the initial review by the Oscar selection committee.

In fact, Li Youzhi didn't have much hope that "Buried" would be shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

After all, he knew exactly what story he was filming...

But when he saw the receipt from the Oscar selection committee, a surge of anger suddenly rose up from the bottom of his heart!

why are you mad?
Because the other party's attitude was extremely arrogant and rude!
What time is it now?
October!
There are still four or five months before the official opening of the Oscar International Film Festival, and the Oscar selection committee has plenty of time to draft a decent receipt. Even if they reject the film "Buried", at least they should elaborate on the selection committee's opinions and explain the reasons for rejecting the film.

This is one of them.

But what made Li Youzhi most angry was another point.

It is true that "Buried" satirizes the harm that American government agencies and capital operations have inflicted on civilians, but in principle... the so-called "too strong political factors" given by the jury is not valid.

Because of what?
Because the things expressed in "Buried Alive" only reflect a general consensus in American society and do not contain any political propositions!
It's not that I said you were bad in the movie or incited the people to replace you, but I pointed out the harm your things brought to civilians. After the release of "Buried", even American audiences generally acknowledged this and had no complaints. How come it became a reason for rejection by your selection committee?
Want to know what the Oscar is? The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Awards!
This kind of academy award itself encourages the participating works to explore society, politics and human nature. This can be seen from the previous Oscar-winning films. There are so many movies that explore politics and win awards... What's the matter, you Americans said it was okay, and you were defeated by Zhige's words?

The double standards have reached such an extent that you have no shame at all, right?

Do you want to get rid of your brother Zhi with just two or three sentences?
Do you think Zhige would agree?
You don’t have to be nominated for an Oscar, but what time is it now?
With only a few months left before the Oscars are officially held, related topics have already become hot, and people abroad have begun analyzing and guessing the winners of this year's Oscars.

With this wave of popularity, Zhige is really going to take advantage of it!

Thinking of this, Li Youzhi casually sent a message to Tu Zheng and Liu Yun saying that he could not attend the dinner party. Then he opened his TKTK and INS and edited the screenshot of the Oscar receipt in the email into it.

【Hello everyone, I am Li Youzhi. Recently, my film "Buried" which I directed and acted in was officially recommended by the domestic film bureau to the Oscar selection committee, preparing to compete for this year's Oscar award. Just now, I received such a receipt full of arrogance, arrogance, and prejudice. Here, I want to seriously question the Oscar selection committee: Is this what you call creative freedom? 】

After editing a dynamic message, looking at the dynamic text that was concise enough and explained the problem, Li Youzhi directly pointed the camera of his mobile phone at himself, silently extended the middle finger, and took a selfie from a deadly angle.

【Nuts! 】

He added a standard American slang curse word and clicked send without hesitation!
Meanwhile, downstairs in the hotel.

"Hey? What's wrong with this kid Xiaozhi? He just sent a message all of a sudden and I can't keep up."

"I got the call, too. Hey, this guy! He clearly said he would treat us to dinner tonight to celebrate the fact that Buried Alive made over 400 million, but when we showed up, he defaulted!"

Seeing the message Li Youzhi sent on WeChat saying "The situation has changed, the dinner will be postponed to another day", Tu Zheng and Liu Yun, who had been busy helping Li Youzhi organize fan meetings in recent days, were amused.

On the side, watching the two people's helpless expressions, Zhao Yaru, who although did not participate in the project of "Buried Alive" but also gave considerable support during the publicity and promotion process, smiled.

"I mean, is this the first day you two have met him? This guy must have some unexpected trick up his sleeve. Just wait and see. If he doesn't come here, he will update his status on Weibo soon. Maybe he's working on some weird ideas in the hotel room right now!
Okay, okay, if he doesn't come, I'll treat you to dinner. But we have a deal, Mr. Tu, Mr. Liu, I'll treat you to dinner, but I can't do it for nothing. Next time there's a project like "Buried Alive", you can't eat it all alone behind my back.

Good fellow, one is responsible for production and the other for distribution, a project that made hundreds of thousands of dollars and hundreds of millions of dollars was just divided up by you, Qiangsheng Film and Television and Heguang, without even a drop of soup left for us Xinhai, do you think you are being righteous?"

Zhao Yaru has seen through Li Youzhi.

Just as she was calling Tu Zheng and Liu Yun to go to the restaurant, the folding phone that she was hanging on her arm like a fashionable item made a crisp sound.

Seeing that it was a special attention prompt on INS, Zhao Yaru smiled and raised her phone, saying proudly;
"See, what did I say? I knew this guy would be up to something again. Let me see what he's doing in the room...Pfft!"

In front of the busy hotel lobby, Zhao Yaru was looking at Li Youzhi's latest updates on Instagram. She couldn't hold back and was choked by her own saliva.

“Cough, cough, cough… This guy is crazy! Hurry up, go upstairs and ask him to delete the post! Otherwise, the U.S. market that Heguang Culture has worked so hard to build will be cut off!”

"what?"

Seeing Zhao Yaru's nervous face, Tu Zheng and Liu Yun, who didn't know what was going on, were confused.

However, when Zhao Yaru calmed down a little and handed the phone to the two of them, they saw Li Youzhi's still hot post and the rebellious selfie with the middle finger raised in the dynamic picture... Tu Zheng and Liu Yun's mentality exploded!

Just a few days,

It's only been a few days since this guy angered the BBC and now everything is quiet?

He is publicly attacking Oscar again... This kid is really a cause for concern!
(;Д`)(;Д`)Chao!
……

It is definitely too late to ask Li Youzhi to delete his INS and TKTK updates.

Why do you say that?

Li Youzhi's previous self-isolation challenge, as well as his recent live broadcast on Douyin and TKTK to chat with girls, not only attracted millions of followers on the two social platforms INS and TKTK, but also a considerable number of domestic netizens also followed his two foreign platforms.

"Buried" grossed over 1 billion yuan in the first month in China, and over 34 million U.S. dollars overseas. It has also dominated the domestic entertainment hot searches during this period, and has been talked about by netizens.

If we only consider the box office, "Buried" may not be Li Youzhi's best work. However, his acting skills and the landmark box office performance overseas have also sparked heated discussions among domestic movie fans and critics on whether this film can win an Oscar.

Almost as soon as Li Youzhi updated his status on INS and TKTK, his Weibo... exploded!
Obviously, as the most talked-about work in recent domestic drama performance, netizens also cannot accept the fact that Buried received such an Oscar-winning response;
"I got so angry that my thyroid gland swelled up in the middle of the night. The Oscars really don't even pretend anymore. They only say that the roe deer have passed, but not the deer? Why don't they say anything when they criticize other countries in their own works?"

"It turns out that when people are extremely angry, they will really sneer. Isn't it true that the US government deceives civilians and capitalist institutions treat life as worthless? Even in their own movies, they express these things bluntly. Why does it become political when it comes to this guy? Oh, a fact is self-reflection when Americans say it, but it is slander when Chinese say it? What the hell is this? Is your Oscar a movie award or a political award?"

"There are movies about politics and the social paralysis of the US government every year. This phenomenon exists in a large number of Hollywood movies. Why can those movies be nominated and win Oscars, but Li Youzhi's movies can't? No, we can't stand this injustice! What do you think, brothers?"

"What can I say? The English guy has been teaching me all this time. I usually go over the firewall to watch Porn Station. Now the guy has something to do, what can I say? I'm going to go to the official Oscar website and curse in English!"

"Everyone has had fun, let's go to the Oscars official website... Go get him!"

coax!
Following the rhythm set by the silly entertainer, ladders were built one after another... and headed straight for the official Oscar website.

()()()
Inside Li Youzhi's room.

Watching the public opinion situation develop into a completely uncontrollable situation in just a dozen minutes, Tu Zheng, Liu Yun, and Zhao Yaru felt as if a thousand dogs were running wildly through their hearts.

Heartbroken!
This time, "Buried" was a box office success both at home and abroad. As Li Youzhi's main partners, Tu Zheng and others were naturally happy.

But what makes them happy is not just the current profits made by "Buried Alive".

It also represents a broad prospect for domestic entertainment works to expand into overseas markets!

Things have been turbulent in Hollywood in the past two years. Several strikes by the screenwriters and actors' unions, as well as various strange regulations caused by the active LGBT community, have made the already high production costs of the American film industry even higher.

The cost advantage of domestic film and television products is highlighted here.

Although the cost of Buried Alive was extremely high at $70,000, it was indeed a very good publicity material. If Li Youzhi could keep his momentum, Tu Zheng planned to go to Hollywood next month to contact several production companies to see if he could negotiate the project and keep the filming location in China.

The potential for cooperation here is huge!

This is not just about a few projects or film companies. If handled well, it can completely lead to cooperation on the scale of a film and television city!
This is also the reason why Li Youzhi invited us to dinner today and Tu Zheng specially called Zhao Yaru to come as well.

The purpose is for the three parties to sit together and see if there is a chance to come up with a preliminary plan for this matter.

But now, with Li Youzhi's raised middle finger, this idea, which had not yet been spoken out, had already died in the womb.

Not only that.

What is the influence of the Oscars on the American film industry? It can be said that it is equivalent to the influence of the Golden Rooster Awards on the domestic film and television industry!

This is a film and television event that can influence the attitude of the entire industry!

This time, Li Youzhi really offended Oscar. I'm afraid that the road he had paved with great difficulty has also been ruined...

"You! When will you stop being so impulsive? What's the big deal about being nominated for an Oscar? How many times have I told you to control your temper, but you keep losing your temper. Now, how do you think this will end?"

Seeing Tu Zheng standing with his hands behind his back, pacing back and forth in anger in front of the sofa, Liu Yun, who was standing beside him, shook his head and sat down next to Li Youzhi.

"Xiaozhi, I'm not saying anything to you, Brother Liu. You are indeed an actor and a director, but you are also the person in charge of Heguang Culture. Sometimes you have to consider things from a business perspective. Look, it was originally a good thing, but now it has developed into this. Do you still want to release movies in the American market in the future? How passive it is!"

passive?

Li Youzhi was delighted by Liu Yun's comments.

"Brother Liu, Uncle Tu, I don't like what you two are saying. They have already made their attitude towards Chinese filmmakers so clear. If we don't show any reaction, we will be in a passive position later! Today they can refuse you from participating in the Oscar selection, and tomorrow they can also refuse you market access. You can tolerate it now, but will you still tolerate it when they can manipulate you in the future?"

"Didn't you have no trouble with 'Buried Alive' this time?"

"That's because this time, Buried gave enough profit concessions to the major movie chains. With such huge profit concessions, the movie theater union protected Buried. Otherwise, do you think no one would bother me?"

Facing Tu Zheng's complaint again, Li Youzhi snorted and laughed.

"The cost of Buried was low enough that we could do this, but we can't guarantee that every movie will cost this much, right? What if the American theaters can't be satisfied, or the movie doesn't bring them enough profit? We have always fought for our rights and interests ourselves. I've never heard that you can be worry-free by entrusting the initiative to others."

After clearly expressing his thoughts, Li Youzhi took a deep breath and stood up from the sofa.

"Uncle Tu, Brother Liu, don't worry about this. Since I can start it, I can naturally cover it up!"

"What if I can't hold you?"

Seeing Li Youzhi's carefree look, Zhao Yaru, who had been silent, asked a question.

Can’t hold it?
Li Youzhi raised his eyebrows and laughed.

It's also simple.

Even if he can't hold it in, Zhige has to poop in Oscar's food bowl!

Your Uncle Tu is thinking of making money in the American market, but don’t forget... China accounts for a large portion of Hollywood’s global box office!
If you really think that Zhi Ge, who has tens of millions of fans, is SpongeBob SquarePants, then Zhi Ge has nothing to say!

Thinking of this, Li Youzhi silently took out his mobile phone and turned on his Douyin app.

[My friends, I am sorry... I have failed to live up to your expectations. I am afraid that I cannot fulfill the suggestions you have made before, and I will not be able to compete for the Oscars this year.]

7:30 is the peak time for Douyin traffic.

After seeing Li Youzhi’s post, the people who had already climbed over the wall and launched a charge towards the Oscar official website... were shocked!
"@Tingkuang Xiaoge Li Youzhi, I advise you to take back what you said! What do you mean by disappointing our expectations? Don’t we know what we are?"

"Don't be discouraged, little brother. We don't care about a small Oscar. We may not want the award, but we will never let you suffer this anger!"

"That's right, we were the ones who suggested that you attend the Oscars. Now that you've been rejected, we'll find a way for you to get out of this situation! If Oscar doesn't give an explanation tonight, even Jesus can't save him!"

Beep!
Received amazing points, 4012990 points!
Looking at the comment section that instantly exploded with the latest developments, Li Youzhi raised his eyebrows.

Very good, I was not disappointed.

The fun people tonight are very energetic!
…………

at the same time.

The 88th Academy Awards selection committee office is located at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Vesper Street in Hollywood.

Lindemann, chairman of this year's Oscar selection committee, is leading several representative members of the jury to discuss the shortlist for this year's Best Foreign Language Film.

Just as he was looking at the information in his hand and whispering with the college representative beside him, the assistant hurriedly knocked on the door and signaled to him.

"What's wrong, Ochi?"

"Mr. Lindemann, I think you should take a look at this."

Seeing Lindmann take off his reading glasses, the assistant immediately strode into the office and showed him the discussion forum of the official Oscar website.

"Since half an hour ago, our official website has received a large influx of visitors. Most of these visitors are from mainland China... My mother, these people's words are quite fierce, and they have strongly questioned and... abused and slandered our jury's selection criteria. I checked and found that the reason is that the director and leading actor of the film "Buried" was rejected and published our receipt, which aroused strong dissatisfaction among Chinese audiences."

"Well?"

After hearing the assistant's explanation, Lindemann and several other representatives of the jury looked at each other and picked up their tablets.

The Oscar selection process has only just begun for less than a week. After all, there are still nearly two months until the end of the year, so what is currently underway is only the preliminary selection process.

Accordingly, there is not much feedback from the audience on the Oscars official website about this year's selection. Before today, the website traffic was only about 100,000 visits per day, and there were only a few hundred messages in the feedback area.

But now, seeing the thousands of questions and comments that suddenly appeared in the comment section, Lindman's brows furrowed.

"These damn internet thugs!"

"Buried? Isn't that the movie we just rejected? God, where did this movie get so many viewers?"

"This guy named Li Youzhi is obviously inciting the Chinese audience and trying to use public opinion to make us submit! This is really a complete thug behavior! I think we should permanently ban him from participating in the Oscar selection!"

Listening to the indignant discussions of several judges around him, Lindman curled the corners of his mouth.

As a representative of the Academy, he has been in charge of the Oscar selection for five consecutive terms.

Seeing this scene, how could he not understand what was happening?
"Gentlemen and ladies, there is no need to get upset about this. It seems that it was our decision that made the guy who tried so hard to insert political ideas into the movie angry. As you said, in the current situation, it is likely that he incited his Chinese fans to launch a challenge to the credibility of the Oscars."

At this point, Lindemann shrugged his shoulders and laughed.

"It's just that this young gentleman probably underestimated the global influence of our Oscars. He thought that relying on the considerable number of Chinese audiences, he could make us lose credibility and face. I think we should let him take a good look at the foundation of the world's highest film award that has been held for more than 80 years."

"Mr. Lindemann, what should we do?"

In response to a question from a judge next to him, Lindman pointed at his assistant with the red pencil in his hand.

"Doesn't he feel that we have slighted him? Now, help me publish an announcement for fans around the world."

Seeing his assistant open the keyboard he carried with him and nod, Lindemann leaned back against the back of the classically designed chair.

“First of all, please allow us to express our deepest respect for Mr. Li Youzhi’s passion for film art and the talent he demonstrated in creating Buried Alive. His hard work and unique insights into storytelling have undoubtedly brought new perspectives and thinking to the film industry.”

As his assistant typed on the keyboard, Lindemann crossed his legs and slightly closed his eyes;

“But in the Oscars judging process, we always need to be committed to recognizing films that are not only technically excellent, but also make outstanding contributions to promoting social dialogue, embodying profound humanistic care and conveying positive values. Each submitted work will be carefully reviewed by our jury members and comprehensively evaluated from multiple dimensions such as artistry, innovation and influence.

Unfortunately, after in-depth discussion and careful consideration by our jury, we believe that although Buried demonstrates creativity and skills in some aspects, it does not fully meet our selection criteria in terms of conveying social significance and values ​​that meet the expectations of the Oscars. This decision is not made lightly, but reflects the Oscars' consistent commitment to raising industry standards and encouraging film art with profound social impact.

The Oscars' criteria emphasize whether the work can inspire global audiences to be aware of important social issues, promote understanding and respect between people of different cultures and backgrounds, and lead positive social change. Although Buried may not fully meet our expectations in these aspects, we firmly believe that every creator has his or her unique voice and vision, and every creation is a step towards deeper artistic exploration.

We encourage Mr. Li Youzhi to continue to explore and innovate on the road of film, to use his lens to capture more touching stories, to constantly challenge himself, and to pursue a higher artistic realm. However, we firmly protect our independent judgment and thinking on the artistry of our works, and we also solemnly reject any form of coercion and intimidation!

Only by adhering to principles and independence can we keep the door of the Oscars open to works that can inspire thinking, touch hearts and promote the development of global film art in the future.

We look forward to seeing more works by Mr. Li Youzhi that are in line with the spirit and values ​​of the Oscars in the near future. But now, we call on true movie fans around the world to jointly safeguard the fairness of the Oscars and the fairness and brightness of the world's film art creation path!"

After finishing his words in one breath and watching his assistant accurately and completely typeset his words, Lindman took the tablet and typed his signature himself.

[From Oscar Jury Chairman, Lindeman Hayes, a message to movie fans around the world]!

"Okay, Ochi, help me send this announcement out. Let this young man from China and his angry fans wake up. Let them know that they are using their anger on the wrong person."

"Ladies and gentlemen, let's not worry about these little episodes. Now, I think we can continue our discussion."

Returning the tablet to his assistant, Lindemann waved to the other judges.

so easy.

(End of this chapter)