The next day, Eric woke up from bed.
His back wasn't sore, his legs weren't aching; he felt refreshed, full of vitality.
Last night, he successfully foiled the scheme of Zhang Ziyi, that… well, you know.
This woman was truly ruthless, even more daring than those in Hollywood. It's rare to see someone so proactive and bold in the European and American circles.
At that moment, seeing her directly taking off her clothes and unleashing her big move, unreservedly displaying her body.
Eric thought, 'Then don't blame me for being merciless,' and he immediately started mocking her.
"Those two lamps of yours are too small!"
"Look at the flab on your waist. You can't just stop exercising because you wear thick clothes in winter!"
"Your legs are even more problematic—thick at the top, short at the bottom, and why are your knees a bit dark?"
"Your butt isn't right either. Why is it so flat? Are you sitting for too long? As a human being, you can't be too lazy!"
"Also, I'm not interested in heavy makeup. Do you know what aesthetic fatigue is?"
...A string of taunts finally made Zhang Ziyi completely lose it.
When a woman actively offers herself to you, besides having great confidence in her appearance and figure, she must also be very determined.
But if she's rejected, or even mocked, the humiliation she endures is absolutely catastrophic. Even the thickest-skinned person couldn't withstand it.
Especially a female celebrity who lives daily amidst praise and adulation.
The information cocoon had already been built, and when the fig leaf was torn off, she was bound to suffer a devastating blow.
So Zhang Ziyi finally couldn't take it anymore, quickly put on her clothes, and left dejectedly.
As for Chairman Han or not Chairman Han, that was purely an excuse.
However, even though she was driven away, the clothes she brought still had to be worn. Surprisingly, they fit quite well, which indirectly confirmed Zhang Ziyi's sharp eye. To accurately gauge his size on their first meeting, she must have seen countless people.
At the dining table, under the astonished gaze of the waiter, Eric skillfully used Mandarin and chopsticks, drinking tofu pudding with chili and eating fried dough sticks and steamed buns.
He could still find the latter in America, but tofu pudding was difficult; even the chef he specifically hired didn't make it very well.
Now, drinking another bowl, it truly had a unique flavor.
Wiping his mouth, Eric said, "Susan, keep in touch with Zhou Xiaopeng and Han Sanping, and urge them for progress every day."
"I've already arranged things with the company; the money will be in the account today, so keep an eye on it."
"Understood, Boss!"
Eric then looked at Chen Xing: "You can see with Susan if there's anything you need help with, or just go out and explore. This is your first time in China, isn't it?"
Chen Xing smiled somewhat shyly: "That's right. Although the elders in my family often tell me about things here, for me, those are just stories, at most I search for some pictures online, and that's about it."
Eric smiled. Chen Xing's experience was similar to many second and third-generation Chinese-Americans born in the US; China held a strange mystique for them.
"Just listening to stories isn't enough. I suggest you visit a museum; you can find your elders' memories there."
Patting Chen Xing's shoulder, Eric walked out of Fengze Garden, and Susan's Passat was naturally commandeered by him.
"Boss, where to?"
"You know I'm the boss?"
The driver uncle grinned and said, "Although I don't understand your conversation with Ms. Susan, I can see that she is very respectful towards you. Ms. Susan is my boss, and you are her boss, so you are my boss."
Eric laughed heartily: "I plan to see modern Yanjing. Do you have any recommendations?"
"The Forbidden City, of course. What else is there to say?" the driver blurted out.
"Foreigners who come here, if they don't visit the Forbidden City and the Great Wall, they've come for nothing. Usually, you'd have to queue up, at least an hour."
"Now there aren't many people, not crowded at all. When you get there, hire a tour guide, it's like having the Forbidden City all to yourself. Though I'm not sure if there are any guides now. If not, I'll go in with you; us old Yanjing folks know a thing or two."
"Alright, then let's go to the Forbidden City. I've never been to the Forbidden City in 2003."
"Alright, please make yourself comfortable."
The car drove at a decent speed. Looking out the window, Eric noticed that there were significantly more pedestrians on the streets during the day.
According to Yanjing's population base, even if it were reduced by two-thirds, it would still match the foot traffic of non-bustling areas in Los Angeles.
Arriving at the parking lot, the driver uncle asked, "Boss, are you going by yourself or should I take you?"
"I'll go by myself. I'll call you when I'm almost done. You don't need to wait here; do whatever you need to do, just don't go too far."
"Alright, you're generous!"
Walking to the ticket office, there was indeed no one there. The ticket seller was a bit surprised to see a foreigner and immediately started speaking broken English.
Eric didn't interrupt her. After she issued the ticket, he said a loud "Thank you."
Then, he walked into the Forbidden City under her bewildered gaze.
He passed through the Meridian Gate, the Gate of Supreme Harmony, and then went to the Hall of Literary Glory. Unconsciously, he had already arrived in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
This could be said to be the essence of the Forbidden City, the place where the emperor held court, with the dragon throne majestically elevated on a platform.
It's a pity that to protect the cultural relics, railings were set up outside, so one couldn't enter, only experience it from the outside.
Just then, he heard voices from not far away. Eric turned his head and saw two women walking around the corner.
Both wore masks and decorative glasses, but judging by their figures and gait, they appeared to be mother and daughter or an elder and a junior.
Because at this time, girlfriends didn't yet walk arm-in-arm. They probably, like him, came to the Forbidden City to relax while there were few people.
Eric glanced at them and didn't pay any more attention, picking up his DV to continue filming.
"Dad, Mom, look here, look at the surroundings. This is the Forbidden City, one of the representatives of ancient Chinese architecture. It has over 500 years of history, which is twice the length of American history."
"The Forbidden City is one of the most beautiful and magnificent architectural complexes in the world. Only in China can you see such great architecture. Bertolucci's 'The Last Emperor' was filmed here."
"This is the Hall of Supreme Harmony, where the emperor conducted business. The square in front of it can accommodate at least tens of thousands of people. The White House is nothing compared to it!"
"And look at this, this is..."
Soon, the mother and daughter had arrived not far behind Eric.
"Hello, could you do us a favor?"
The mother of the pair suddenly spoke, using very fluent English.
There were only three of them in the entire empty square. Eric shrugged: "What do you need me to do, madam?"
"It's simple, please take a picture for us, since you're the only one here."
"No problem, what should I use to take it? Did you bring a camera?"
"Here, take this. It's more convenient to carry." The woman said, taking out a phone from her bag and handing it over.
Eric took it and looked. It was a Nokia 7650, a very advanced phone for its time. If judged solely on its camera function, it would rank among the best of all current phones.
He couldn't help but size up the mother and daughter. A good phone meant a higher price, indicating that the mother and daughter in front of him were definitely not working-class.
"Do you know how to use it? Let me teach you, you just need to..."
The woman saw Eric holding the phone and looking left and right, thinking he didn't know how to operate it.
"It's alright, madam, I know how to use it. It's just a phone. You two pose."
The mother and daughter stood shoulder to shoulder, their heads touching, striking a cute pose.
Eric frowned, thinking, 'What's the point of taking a picture with masks and decorative glasses? Without names, even relatives wouldn't know it's you.'
After a quick mental complaint, Eric returned the phone after taking the picture, preparing to continue to other attractions.
However, after only two steps, the voice of the older woman came from behind him again.
"Excuse me, sir, could you please take another picture for us?"
Eric couldn't help but chuckle to himself, thinking, 'It seems you yourselves know how silly your actions were.'
Upholding his gentlemanly demeanor, despite his amusement, he didn't mind helping again.
The older woman removed the covering from her face, revealing a beautiful face that looked to be in her 30s, with large, attractive eyes.
"Feifei, there's no one here now, take it off. It's uncomfortable to wear."
The daughter hummed in agreement, obediently shedding her disguise. Her baby-fat face was clearly still developing, but it was evident she was a beauty in the making, though ultimately a few points less striking than her mother.
The two stood together again, smiling and posing for Eric.
Upon seeing the faces of the mother and daughter, Eric couldn't help but exclaim how small Yanjing was, to encounter them here.
He had just seen them on TV last night, and now he understood why they had wrapped themselves up so tightly.
the story of a noble family had just made her famous, and her popularity was currently very high.
That's right, the two were Crystal Liu and her mother.
Regarding this mother and daughter, Eric wasn't like those extremists in later generations, who were either utterly adoring or utterly critical.
As an insider, he had neither fondness nor ill will; they were just actors. He saw far more than fans did.
To put it bluntly, in this circle, where are the truly untainted lotuses? Such people would never enter the entertainment industry.
As long as one is in the circle, more or less, for the sake of profit, they will do things that challenge morality and law. The only difference is the height of their bottom line.
Especially since Eric himself had done similar things quite often, standing on moral high ground to criticize others seemed untenable.
After taking the second photo, Eric returned the phone to Liu Xiaoli, and playfully teased them: "The daughter is very beautiful, and the mother is also very beautiful."
Perhaps the compliment from the foreigner made Liu Xiaoli very happy, and she immediately beamed: "Of course, my daughter is a big star, and in the future, she will go to Hollywood to develop and then become a global star like Audrey Hepburn."
Liu Yifei suddenly pointed at Eric in surprise: "You... you can speak Mandarin!"
Liu Xiaoli froze for a moment, then realized: "That's right, you clearly speak Mandarin, so why did you use English?"
Eric burst out laughing: "Look at this face. Is it not right for me, an American, to speak English?"
Rebuffed, the mother and daughter immediately fell silent. What he said made so much sense; it seemed unreasonable for him not to speak English.
"Madam, whether your daughter can become Audrey Hepburn, I don't know, but I do know that Hollywood is definitely not suitable for her."
Recalling his previous life, these two, mother and daughter, seemed to harbor an infinite longing for Hollywood. Of course, stars all over the world long for it, and Liu Yifei was originally American, so there was nothing wrong with that.
However, as a girl who was beautiful but otherwise unremarkable, Hollywood had no shortage of her type.
In terms of looks, Charlize Theron, Kristen Stuart, and other actresses were no less beautiful than her. Even Ms. Watson, before her decline, wasn't weak.
In terms of acting skills, Hollywood's overall strength is a notch above China's, especially among the younger generation of actors, where the contrast is particularly strong.
As for physique and sexiness, there's even less comparison; Liu Yifei simply isn't on that path.
So, how about purity?
Heh heh, how many movies have you seen that rely on a female actress's purity as a selling point?
What percentage? Insignificant!
Compared to sexiness, purity has no advantage in the film market.
And when pure actresses appear on the big screen, it's often to highlight the underlying flirtatiousness and sexiness within them, like in movies such as "Lolita."
In 2008, after filming the forbidden kingdom, Liu Yifei, after a falling out with Huayi, seized the momentum and decisively chose to leave China to venture into Hollywood.
At that time, she signed with William Morris, one of Hollywood's three major talent agencies, and launched a marketing campaign, seemingly implying that she had successfully taken the first step.
But that was merely playing on an information gap, simply a way to mislead Chinese people during a time when the internet was not yet well-developed.
Any actor can apply to a Hollywood agency; just submit a photo, fill out a form, and follow a simple process. It's not a difficult thing.
What followed was three years of unemployment; unable to be alluring and unable to fight, she simply had no place in Hollywood.
the forbidden kingdom sold well because of Jackie Chan and Jet Li, and had nothing to do with any other characters in the film.
Ultimately, in 2010, the mother and daughter reluctantly returned to China to develop their careers.
It wasn't until she successfully auditioned for Mulan that she thought she was finally breaking into Hollywood, but unfortunately, the movie was a disaster, instantly bringing her back down to earth.
Staying in China, with godfather Chen Jinfei's protection, you can have smooth sailing. But once you go abroad, who will provide you with resources? There's no such obligation.
"Why am I not suitable for Hollywood?" Liu Yifei asked with some dissatisfaction.
"Exactly, why do you say my daughter can't go to Hollywood? Just because you're an American?" Liu Xiaoli was equally displeased; her personality had always been self-important.
Eric continued to smile: "You can go if you want, but Hollywood only lacks one type of Chinese actor."
"What type?" the mother and daughter asked simultaneously.
"Action actresses. If you really want to develop across the ocean, then seriously learn from predecessors like Lucy Liu and Michelle Yeoh, study kung fu diligently, and work hard on your acting skills."
"After learning kung fu, I can go to Hollywood to act in movies? Are you sure?"
"Kung fu is a stepping stone. If you don't even have this stone, don't even think about getting in."
The mother and daughter wanted to say something more, but Eric had already waved his hand and turned to leave: "I still want to tour the Forbidden City, goodbye!"
"Wait, what's your name? Where are you from? When I get to Hollywood, I can send you a postcard!"
Liu Yifei hurriedly asked. She was still very unconvinced, thinking that when she went to Hollywood without relying on kung fu, she would definitely hit this guy hard in the face.
Eric, however, didn't answer at all, slowly disappearing into the Forbidden City complex.