China Entertainment 1997

Fanxing Film and Television City, the crew of "Sword Rain"

Cao Xuan was dressed in burlap clothes and straw sandals. His hair was messy and dry, his face was dark, he had a beard, and he was running errands on the street with a simple and honest smile.

During this period, he occasionally took a peek at Zeng Li, who was pulling cloth at a street stall.

And his behavior was also seen by Li Mingqi, the old woman who owned the tea stall next to him. She looked at the two of them thoughtfully.

"Pass?"

Director Su Zhaobin shouted. Although he looked like giving orders, his eyes were fixed on Cao Xuan, obviously seeking advice.

The crew of "A Rain of Swords" had just started shooting. Su Zhaobin was not well-known and lacked confidence. He was afraid that the filming would not be good or Cao Xuan would be offended, so he had to seek Cao Xuan's approval for each scene to pass or not.

Cao Xuan didn't understand Director Su's ability at first, so he inevitably wanted to take the exam and try his luck.

Unexpectedly, [Drama King] was so famous that he was frightened, and now he doesn't even dare to make the decision in such a transitional play.

Boss Cao thought about it in his mind, hoping to find an opportunity to chat with Su Zhaobin and appease him. Examinations are subject to examinations, so don't wear down the director's character.

As the producer, he can't ignore the highlights. For ordinary scenes, the director can just make the decision himself, and there is no need to look to him for everything.

Otherwise, after a long time, where will the director’s dignity be?

Moreover, Cao Xuan may leave the crew after filming. Su Zhaobin cannot call Cao Xuan to inquire about the remaining scenes.

Although Boss Cao is a well-known "drama tycoon", he actually respects the director very much. Even if he is dissatisfied, he will only speak up in private or in small discussions. On the surface, he wants to give the director enough face.

Because of this, although several co-directors found Cao Xuan difficult to deal with, they even had a lot of resentment.

But the director's dignity is still there, everyone is still friendly and respectful on the surface, and Cao Xuan will not take credit randomly or make loud noises, so there is no talk of a stalemate, like publicly stating that he will never cooperate.

Several directors have even collaborated with Cao Xuan many times.

Although there is credit for capital in this, the directors are not unknown. If they were really influenced by the atmosphere and unable to adjust the contradiction, they would not have to cooperate with Cao Xuan.

Cao Xuan went to look at the monitor and said it was meaningless. Su Zhaobin breathed a sigh of relief and announced a noon break with Cao Xuan's acquiescence.

"Do the rice, do the rice!"

In late June this year, the weather was hot and upsetting. Cao Xuan spent his own money to treat the crew to ice cream and cold drinks, and then ran to the RV to turn on the air conditioner.

Newell's AS-type luxury car, privately customized, just arrived this year. This is the first time for the "Sword Rain" crew to use it.

The appearance is unremarkable, with a square head and a square head. The only difference is that it is much larger than an ordinary RV, almost as big as a passenger car.

Precisely because of its large size, this car is not as cramped and cramped as ordinary RVs. It has a spacious and bright living room, a large bed bedroom that can accommodate 3 to 4 people at the back, and a fully equipped kitchen and bathroom. It is as fast as some of the 1-bedroom and 1-living rooms. Small house.

Not to mention the exquisite luxury of various furniture decorations, this big character alone makes people feel particularly comfortable using it.

Of course, the price paid for this is not small. The order alone costs 1.5 million US dollars, which is more than eight figures in RMB. Plus shipping and various procedures, you can get a small villa in the second ring road of Beijing.

However, Boss Cao has no shortage of small villas. As long as he can be comfortable, the money is nothing.

In addition to the RV, Cao Xuan also brought a chef named Song Mingqing with him this time.

Although this guy's name is full of historical charm, he is actually an elite who returned from studying abroad.

I have systematically studied Western food and obtained an international-level nutritionist certificate. My family comes from a family of chefs. I cooked it in the kitchen since I was a child. I am proficient in famous dishes from Sichuan, Shandong, Guangdong and Huaihe, especially Huaiyang cuisine. A famous teacher.

There is no doubt that this Song Mingqing is an all-round talent, and Cao Xuan also takes a fancy to this. There are many good cooks, but there are really few cooks who understand nutrition and are proficient in Chinese and Western cooking skills.

Cao Xuan is greedy, has to keep in shape, and wants to eat healthily, so he needs this kind of professional talent.

In the past, Cao Xuan didn't particularly care about this. He often ate box lunches with everyone, and even went out to eat when he opened a small stove.

But when he turned 30 and started to maintain his health, and at the same time he had to pay attention to his diet for filming, Cao Xuan became more particular. The chef was always indispensable when entering and leaving the crew, and he ate less and less lunch boxes.

In this regard, Cao Xuan often asked himself whether he had forgotten his original intention.

The answer is...his original intention was not to eat lunch boxes.

Back when the group was performing, there was very little meat in the lunch boxes, and the taste was not good. The food stewed in a big pot could only be eaten if you were hungry.

The crew took a break at noon and evening. If I wanted to find a place to relax for a while, I would be kicked out. I had to hold on when the weather got cold or hot.

At that time, all I dreamed about was big fish and meat, and then I would lie in bed and sleep with the air conditioner blowing on.

Now the dream has come true. Boss Cao feels that living in an RV and eating delicious food is very comfortable. There is no problem in remembering the bitter things and thinking about the sweet things. He just doesn't have to go back to the past.

However, after all, Boss Cao is not someone who only cares about his own enjoyment.

As long as his investment is available to the crew, the lunchboxes have always been at the top or even top in the industry. In hot or cold weather, not only are hot soups and cold drinks available, but they will also try their best to improve the environment if conditions permit.

For example, for the "Sword Rain" crew, Cao Xuan applied for a special rest area with the base, which has central air conditioning, tables and chairs, where you can enjoy the cool and rest.

I can’t even call him a “conscientious boss”, but he is still trying his best...

Every time he had a meal, Cao Xuan always remembered to call the old lady Li Mingqi. Speaking of which, although he and the old lady had a good relationship, they really didn't work together in many scenes.

Mainly, Wang Po and Ximen Qingtai are classics, and it is easy to make people laugh when they are put together.

Cao Xuan didn't know about the casting this time. When people came, Cao Xuan found out that Li Mingqi was the neighbor aunt who matched the male and female protagonists in the movie.

Based on the friendship between the two, it is definitely impossible for Cao Xuan to reject the person. Anyway, "Water Margin" was about ten years ago, and this character didn't have much role, so it was just an easter egg.

Empress of the West Palace: Damn it, have I become Pan Jinlian?

Li Mingqi has a bold personality and doesn't stick to trivial matters. When Cao Xuan was a nobody, she treated him as a nephew. Now that Cao Xuan's status has been greatly improved, she still has the same attitude.

For this reason alone, Cao Xuan admired the old lady very much. He would go there during festivals, not just every year, but he would go there when he had time.

"At that time, this kid was very cruel to himself. He was thinking about filming every day. Even if the actress wanted to talk to him, he would ignore her. He was also merciless during the scenes, making people cry and even apologize. Then do what you want.

At that time, I felt that this kid would definitely succeed. He was hard-working, hard-hearted, and knew his priorities well. He was the material for big things..."

The old lady had a loud voice and chatted with Zeng Li about Cao Xuan's past in "Water Margin".

In fact, similar actors also shared a lot in interviews, but the one who was most familiar with him was the old lady who had the best relationship with Cao Xuan at the time.

Ordinary people can only talk about their behavior. The old lady didn't know what she thought about Cao Xuan at that time. It was difficult to say it out during the interview, so there was no need to worry about it in private.

Empress Nishigong was very interested in this. She and Cao Xuan had known each other very early. At that time, Cao Xuan had just become famous, and she played the heroine in the first album MV.

Sun Lan had also heard about Cao Xuan's life before high school in her hometown. However, the period between her coming to the capital to be an extra and the "Water Margin" were Cao Xuan's experiences that she didn't understand.

Sometimes they also asked Cao Xuan, but telling it themselves and telling it to others were two different things.

At least Cao Xuan said that he was smooth and lovable, but not as nimble, hard-working and cruel as Li Mingqi said.

Now Cao Xuan himself is a little confused after hearing this. At that time, it turned out that he looked like this to outsiders. He thought he was a pure and kind-hearted simple young man from Lu Province...

………

It was too hot at noon, so Cao Xuan asked the assistant director to solicit everyone's opinions, and finally decided to start work at 4 p.m. to avoid the hottest time.

Of course, he would have to be two hours late to get off work. Cao Xuan didn't care about the company, but the crew couldn't delay the progress.

Although there is no high-temperature allowance, you can take a nap in the lounge with the air conditioner blowing on at noon, so you don't have to suffer in the hot weather.

Cao Xuan and the others could also take a nap, so Zeng Li took the old lady to his RV to rest.

It was just a matter of eating together. Anyway, it was more than just the two of them. They just rested in a RV at noon. The confidentiality was one thing, but the key was that it would not have a good impact.

I was wearing makeup and couldn't take a shower, so I went to bed and squinted for a while. I couldn't sleep so I just watched TV.

"My brother's name is Shunliu"

This magical drama, which is as famous as "The Provision of Love" in the comments section, has achieved good results after it was aired this year and has become another masterpiece of Wang Baoqiang.

On the contrary, "My Captain, My Regiment" produced by Fanxing, although it also won a ratings championship in the same period, its word-of-mouth rating was extremely good, with a rating of 9.5 on Time.com, and it was hailed as the best Anti-Japanese War TV series.

But in fact, the ratings are not particularly good, especially "Soldiers Assault", which is the benchmark brother series, and "Bright Sword", another peak drama of the Anti-Japanese War, even look "shabby".

This is actually understandable. The plot of "My Leader, My Group" is indeed too sad and depressing. In the end, most of the protagonist group died. The quality may be extremely high, but many viewers are not willing to watch such a style of TV series. .

Therefore, this TV series will be popular because of its quality, but the upper limit is definitely a little lower than those super hits.

The ratings of "My Brother's Name is Shunliu" are actually better than those of "My Captain, My Group".

There is no way, Wang Baoqiang is too popular. This is an inspirational representative and a grassroots idol in the entertainment industry.

Although the resources are far from outstanding, the influence is great, the image must be memorable, and the personal popularity is not inferior to top players like Hu Ge.

His second collaboration with Zhang Guoqiang, commander of the Seventh Steel Company, is full of gimmicks. The character Shun Liu played in the play is very similar to Xu Sanduo, making the audience feel familiar with it.

At the same time, the plot was relatively enjoyable until the last few episodes. It is still a grassroots counterattack style of personal heroism, which is the plot that most viewers love.

Regardless of depth and quality, the vast majority of ordinary viewers, especially women, children and other major viewing figures, would rather watch Shun Liu show off his power and kill the Japanese than watch a cannon fodder group struggling to survive...

Gan Province Satellite TV has been rebroadcasting this drama at noon these days, and Cao Xuan likes to watch it for a while during his lunch break.

What impressed me most was the chicken belly in the drama. I often felt hungry after watching it. I even asked Song Mingqing to cook it for me before. It was very delicious.

But Cao Xuan was unlucky today, and it happened to be the last few episodes, where he went to kill the Japanese general. For the mission, he watched his brother-in-law die tragically, and his sister was defiled and committed suicide.

Cao Xuan was very depressed.

To be honest, Cao Xuan can understand the screenwriter's arrangement, which reflects the conflicts and the cruelty of the Japanese, but such a plot is indeed difficult for the audience to accept.

If an online article has a similar plot, the author would have to thank the legal society if he is not collectively beaten offline...

Turning off the TV, Cao Xuan took out the script and planned to try to figure out the characters again. Just as he was reading with interest, the phone rang. He picked up the phone number from the United States and saw that it was his American agent, Jonna Warner.

"Hello?"

"Something happened. Michael Jackson died of a heart attack. Everyone in the United States is going crazy."

"..."

After a long silence, Cao Xuan replied: "Please express your condolences on social media for me. There is no need to say anything else."

"OK."

Qiao Na hurriedly called to deal with it. The departure of a superstar involves all aspects. It is no exaggeration to say that the American music and entertainment circles will usher in a small public opinion earthquake.

Now everyone is reporting the news of the death of the main owner, which will be expanded to related personnel later. Qiao Na contacted Cao Xuan, also wanting to hear instructions before responding.

After hanging up the phone, Cao Xuan's already depressed mood became even lower.

He didn't have a particularly close relationship with Michael Jackson, having only met a few times. The latter, in particular, was very defensive of new acquaintances because he had been stabbed in the back.

Even if the two have known each other for a long time and admire each other, they can only be described as friends or colleagues who can talk about music, not close friends.

Cao Xuan tried to prevent the tragedy from happening. He reminded Michael Jackson several times to pay attention to his health and take less medicine.

But this is not something that others just listen to.

Troubled by negative news all year round, Michael Jackson's mental condition was not good, and he suffered from old injuries. He suffered from long-term anxiety, insomnia, pain and other conditions, and often used narcotics to relieve them.

Moreover, Michael Jackson was a habitual dieter, and for several years his body only weighed just over 110 pounds. This was not a healthy weight for Michael Jackson, who was 1.8 meters tall.

My health is not good, but I often use drugs that are very harmful to the body. As I get older, the risk increases several times.

Cao Xuan was not the first person to advise him. Many doctors even gave him stern warnings, but again, many times people don't just listen to advice.

There are many diabetic, gout and even cancer patients who have various taboos, and how many people can really abide by them all.

Moreover, Michael Jackson's physical condition and illness were only the triggers for his death. The most critical factor was the mistakes made by his personal doctor.

How can Cao Xuan persuade Cao Xuan? This doctor has been with Michael Jackson for many years. He said without any evidence that this doctor will kill Michael Jackson in the future. He asked him to replace him quickly. People might think he is crazy.

Comparing one's feelings with others, if a friend with whom he was not close came unexpectedly and said that the chef Song Mingqing would poison him in the future, Cao Xuan would be confused.

Even if Cao Xuan was cautious and suspicious and replaced Song Mingqing, the second thing was to wonder why that friend knew about this.

He may not necessarily guess about rebirth and time travel, but he will definitely think that there is some conspiracy theory against him. He will not be able to sleep until he finds out.

Regardless of whether he is selfish or cool, Cao Xuan will not take risks easily if he is not a particularly close person.

What's more, even if he takes the risk, this matter will not be easy to solve. Cao Xuan can't go to his house every day to guard him and introduce him to a doctor. People may not believe him, and they may even doubt his purpose.

As for those so-called conspiracy theories, to be honest, Cao Xuan found them a bit far-fetched.

It is not impossible to participate in murder because of profit, but to attack Michael Jackson is to underestimate the influence and connections of a world-class superstar.

It's not like they have been in vain for decades. There are countless big bosses and superstars who have friendships with them. I dare not say revenge for them, and they won't be killed without anyone speaking out.

At least the few capitals involved are capable of shutting up everyone.

The copyrights of Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley are valuable, but even if Sony's shares are included, the total value is only a few billion dollars.

They commit murder because of their money, and a large number of wealthy people in the United States die every year.

As for race, those radicals are indeed lawless, but the possibility of killing them is indeed too low.

After all, the boss of the United States has been replaced. Even if we want to attack black people, we can definitely follow the previous route of smearing them without directly killing them.

If you don’t want black people to become the best stars in the United States, then there are so many black stars in Hollywood, and sports stars are everywhere, how can you single them out and kill them one by one?

Cao Xuan didn't believe that Michael Jackson, who had grown from a black boy to the most successful superstar in the world, would be a fool. Maybe he was really kind, but it didn't mean he didn't understand the sinister nature of people's hearts, especially after suffering a big loss. Probably unprepared.

To put it bluntly, in addition to manslaughter, if Michael Jackson is to be killed silently, the forces behind it are probably not that big.

The key is that he does not participate in politics, and does not involve some sensitive bottom lines. He is even considered the pride of the United States. How can there be so many enemies uniting to kill him.

Therefore, Cao Xuan does not believe in conspiracy theories, but this is just a personal opinion.

After all, who can tell the reality clearly? Some company executives dare to poison their boss just because they are about to be kicked out. It is not impossible that they just pick up their AK47s and fire wildly.

There are too many people who just don't care when their brains get hot.

Moreover, the few capitals that have become the biggest beneficiaries do have the motivation to take action based on the subsequent benefits.

It is difficult for outsiders to find out the truth except the real parties involved, and Cao Xuan only speculated on his own.

But no matter what, Cao Xuan still felt a little guilty and sad when he saw a life he knew die, or even die in such a ridiculous and bizarre way...

………

In the afternoon of that day, Cao Xuan took half a day off. The crew was still confused at first, but then they quickly got the news from the news.

World pop star Michael Jackson!

In fact, for most Chinese people, they are not particularly impressed by Michael Jackson. Many people only know him as a name or an image——

Holding his hat with one hand and protecting his crotch with the other, he made some handsome twists and turns, then screamed and turned around.

However, this time because of his departure, the overwhelming news reports made Michael Jackson truly crush out of the entertainment industry in China.

Not just in China, but all over the world, this name dominates all front pages.

The world's first-line media, TV, and Internet all broadcast the news, including the domestic "News Lianbo" and other major news, and called it a "pop superstar", which is relatively rare for foreign stars.

The same level of news standards may only be achieved by a few people such as Kobe Bryant and Maradona in later generations.

Regardless of most passers-by, Michael Jackson's fans were most affected by this incident. Many people could not accept this fact, and there were even two-digit fans who were so sad that they left after him.

The world has been plunged into a frenzy of public opinion in the past few days. Even people who knew nothing about this name before now know that a big American star has passed away.

After the initial shock, domestic and foreign media are also frantically reporting on other celebrities' views on this.

A large number of celebrities and public figures expressed their thoughts on this. As an international superstar, Cao Xuan is naturally the equal target of many people.

However, Cao Xuan himself only expressed condolences and tributes on Weibo and Twitter, and called the other party's family to express his condolences. He did not accept any interviews after that. The crew of "Sword Rain" was also closed to the outside world and outsiders were strictly prohibited from entering.

Looking at the reporters outside the "Sword Rain" crew who were politely persuaded to leave, Empress Nishinomiya looked worriedly at Cao Xuan, who frowned slightly.

"Are you OK?"

"fine."

Cao Xuan soothed his brows, looked at Zeng Li who was still worried, squeezed out a smile and comforted him.

"I'm really fine. The friendship is not that deep after all. I am sad and regretful, but it is not to the point of sadness and pain. This is not the first time. I have long understood the truth of life and death. It only takes two days to adjust and relax."

"Well, if you have anything to say, just say it and don't keep it to yourself."

Zeng Li breathed a sigh of relief. She knew that Cao Xuan was very good at solving problems and had strong psychological self-regulation ability. Compared with May last year, Cao Xuan's current mood was really not serious.

The facts were not what she expected. After being depressed for a few days, Cao Xuan slowly returned to normal and devoted his energy to the filming process.

The outside world has been noisy for about a week, and there are still some repercussions abroad. Except for fans, domestic calm has basically gradually returned.

The earth will turn around no matter who it is. Although this sentence is straightforward, the truth is correct. It is already a great honor to be remembered by some people after leaving.

In the past few days, Cao Xuan himself was thinking about whether there would be such a group of people who could remember him for a long time if he died one day.

But soon, Cao Xuan put this problem behind him. Now that he is not 35 years old, there is no need to think about it so much. He will have plenty of time to think about it when he gets older.

Compared with the present, it is better to make a few more movies when struggling with these things. The preservation of classic works may allow more people to remember him and remember him for a longer time...