Hong Kong: Rise of the Kings

"How's it going? Have you sold your script?"

Stallone returned to his apartment at No. 18 Eucalyptus Street, and his wife Sarah Zucker asked.

The two had just gotten married and had a close relationship, and Sarah also supported Stallone's career.

"It's not my luck. He didn't like my script." Stallone reserved a little bit and didn't tell the specific story.

"Oh God." Sarah stepped forward and hugged Stallone and kissed him gently on the forehead. "Don't be discouraged, my dear. You are very good, but many people don't know it. Okay, wash your face, I cooked borscht. Soup and steak, you can have a delicious meal."

Sarah's craftsmanship is excellent.

At least Stallone enjoyed his meal.

But Sarah was not happy, because she received a utility bill notice while eating, and shrugged at Stallone: ​​"Damn, another hundred dollars, we owe too much."

"It's okay, Sarah! For a hundred dollars, I'll take care of it." Stallone put down his knife and fork to comfort his wife.

"Yes, I believe you!" Sarah posted the bill on the refrigerator, turned around and picked up her coat——

"What's wrong, honey, you don't want to eat?" Stallone asked in surprise.

"I went to work part-time at a nearby library, and the other party promised to give me thirty dollars a week." Sarah got dressed, blew a kiss to Stallone again, and then left the house.

Stallone looked at the deserted home, the borscht and steak in front of him, but he couldn't eat anymore.

Maybe this is the last steak. Sarah said when she went to bed last night that these steaks were bought at a low price from a nearby supermarket and were about to expire. The other party had to deal with them.

"Maybe I won't even be able to afford this expired steak in the future." Stallone put a piece of steak in his mouth, feeling full of depression.

"As a man, it is my duty to support my family, but now..." Stallone put down his knife and fork and sighed, "I shouldn't let women support me. Yes, I must cheer up."

When Stallone thought of this, he began to flip through the newspapers to see if there were any recruitment advertisements.

In this era, there are too many people, many companies and factories are overcrowded, and even more companies are not profitable. Even if you are recruited, wages cannot be paid.

Stallone expertly weeds out the poor, substandard recruiting ads.

He used to do ads that had no future, such as helping people walk their dogs, mow lawns, and paint them, but now he has also eliminated them.

He needs a long-term meal ticket.

After reading seven or eight newspapers at once, his eyes were attracted by a recruitment notice in the entertainment section of the Los Angeles Times.

The big title of the recruitment revelation is -——

As big as the heart is, the stage is as big as it is.

details--

Fox Film Company has recently recruited a large number of directors, screenwriters, actors and other professionals.

The treatment is generous,

Full of opportunities and challenges.

Stallone stared at the advertisement, ready to make a move.

"No, damn it! I should wake up and stop having this hateful dream! I should find a stable job to support my family." Stallone persuaded himself in his heart.

"But if you don't give it a try, how do you know I won't succeed? Isn't it written above that as big as the heart is, the stage is as big as it is!" Stallone's eyes shone, "Maybe, this is a good opportunity."

…

At three o'clock that afternoon,

In front of Fox Studios.

When Stallone arrived, there was already a long queue in front of him. There were both white and black people. Except for some people in their thirties and forties, most of them were young people. Among them, most of them were fashionable young people wearing denim clothes and jeans.

"Hey, man, are you here to apply for a job too?" A black man appeared next to Stallone.

Stallone was stunned for a moment and pointed at the black man: "You, you, you, I know you, what is your name, that children's program, yes, your name in that children's program..."

"Read well, sir!" The black man showed his white teeth and smiled, "Let me meet you, my name is Morgan Freeman. I used to work in a television station, but now -" shrugged, "I am ready to change to a new job like you."

Morgan Freeman was born in Memphis, Tennessee. His father, Morgan Porterfield Freeman, was a barber who died of cirrhosis of the liver in 1961; his mother, Maymie Edna, was a janitor. Morgan Freeman ranked fourth and youngest.

In 1967, the musical "I Love Matchmaker" was staged on Broadway, which was Freeman's first regular theatrical performance. The following year, "Hello Dolly" made him famous.

After making a name for himself on Broadway, Morgan Freeman moved to television. In 1971, he began to star in the American PBS children's program "Mr. Read Well".

Stallone shook hands with the other party and said, "Nice to meet you. My name is Stallone."

"I know."

"Uh, what?"

"I've seen the movie "The Wild Boys" that you wrote and directed, which was very good." Freeman said. "At the very least, I think it's a good movie. Unfortunately, the audience doesn't know how to appreciate it."

Stallone didn't expect to meet his soulmate here, and he was very excited for a moment, "Thank you for your compliment, maybe it's because of my lack of ability. But I'm curious, if you don't work well in a TV station, why did you apply here?"

Freeman laughed: "I'm a black man, right? There's also racial discrimination on the TV station. I starred in Mr. Good Reading there for four years, but my salary never went up, while the salary of the supporting actors tripled. "

Freeman said and looked at the Fox Company building, "I heard that the current owner of Fox Company is a Chinese. Under his leadership, the entire company has taken on a new look, especially without the word discrimination, so I plan to come here and give it a try. Look for opportunities."

"Hope you can make it."

"the same as you."

The two shook hands again and encouraged each other.

…

The queue of applicants continues to grow.

Especially recently, Fox's new drama has been a hit, and its reputation is at its peak in Hollywood, causing countless young people with dreams to flock to it.

"Wow, look at that big guy!"

"He's so strong!"

"Hey, I seem to know him."

"I know him too, isn't he the bodybuilder?"

There was a commotion in the crowd.

Stallone and Freeman couldn't help but look behind them, and saw a burly young man getting out of the car, saying a few words to the people in the car, and then walked to the back of the line and started queuing.

Stallone said: "He's so strong."

Freeman: "Yes, the shape is very suitable for filming."

"I don't know what his name is?"

"His name is Schwarzenegger."

A white man in front of the two said: "I know him, I like to read bodybuilding magazines, this guy is a madman, he won the Mr. Olympic title for four consecutive years in 71, 72, 73, and 74!"

"Wow, I recognized him when you said that!" Stallone said in surprise, "It seems like he is Austrian and a new immigrant."

"Yes, he has made a movie before, it seems to be called "Hercules in New York". The film company wanted to promote him, but unfortunately, the response to this movie was mediocre. Generally speaking, he can't act at all. He always He has a sullen face and doesn’t even have a micro-expression." The white man in front criticized him.

"As an actor, in addition to having outstanding appearance, you also need superb acting skills! Where does acting skills come from? It comes from life! Whatever role you want to play, you have to become that person and make people feel immersed in it. No matter what you say or do, or the tone of your speech, it must be consistent with the character!”

When Stallone and Freeman heard this, they couldn't help but look up to the white man——

"Didn't you ask for your surname?"

"Well done, Harrison Ford!" the white man said.

Harrison Ford was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1942. As a boy, Ford had little interest in acting, nor did he like watching movies very much. He often liked to keep to himself.

After graduating from high school, he left Chicago to study at the University of Wisconsin. He was not aggressive in his studies and his grades were not satisfactory. He had to drop out because he could not submit his graduation thesis before graduation.

At this time he began to have the idea of ​​becoming an actor. So in 1964, he came to Hollywood, Los Angeles, and entered the local acting school. Because of his good appearance, he was spotted by a talent scout.

In 1966, Ford made his screen debut, starring in a small role with only one line of dialogue in "Cash for Money." For many years after that, he played indispensable roles, and even worked as a carpenter making props in his spare time, and earned a lot of money due to his good skills.

In 1973, last year, Ford and George Lucas collaborated for the first time in "American Graffiti." The film received good reviews after its release, but Ford still didn't attract people's attention, so he had to continue working as a carpenter.

As a director, Lucas has been hanging out in Hollywood and is relatively well-informed.

Hearing that Fox was undergoing internal reforms and needed to recruit a large number of film and television talents, Lucas called Harrison Ford, a carpenter, and asked him to come over and give it a try.

In fact, in addition to admiring Ford, Lukes also had selfish motives for doing this. He wanted Ford to take a dip in the water first to see how deep the water was for Fox, a film company controlled by the Chinese.

If it's true as they advertise in recruitment, they don't care about race, level, or anything else. They just want you to be talented and able to make good movies, and you will be given a big stage, and Lucas will also join Fox.

It can be said that Ford’s application this time came with a “historic mission.”

…

At this moment, Stallone, Freeman and Ford were talking happily.

Schwarzenegger, who was standing at the back of the queue, had a serious face and a serious expression. He looked at the long queue and cursed in his heart, when will the interview be finished?

To be honest, Schwarzenegger didn't want to queue up for an interview here at all.

To be precise, he was hit hard by the Hollywood entertainment industry.

He has not yet become an American citizen, and because of his thick Germanic accent, he is always laughed at on the set.

Although Schwarzenegger likes filming, he doesn't like being laughed at.

He enjoys the feeling of standing on the bodybuilding stage and being admired by thousands of people, so his biggest dream has always been to open a bodybuilding gym and teach people to exercise, instead of acting as a small actor on the screen with a Germanic accent.

But today he is not allowed to come here to apply for a job, just to repay the favor.

Schwarzenegger's great benefactor is actually Alan Arthur, the great director who brought him into the industry. He chose him as the male pig trotter in "Hercules in New York" against all objections, and announced to the public that Schwarzenegger would become famous sooner or later.

Schwarzenegger was very grateful to Alan for supporting him, but he felt that he really didn't have the talent to become popular.

He felt that Alan had misjudged him.

Alan refused to admit it, and even took the initiative to sign him up to participate in the Fox company recruitment interview.

Helpless, in order to repay his kindness, Schwarzenegger had no choice but to suppress his temper and come here, standing at the end of the queue, thinking that he could just show off.

…

As time went on, the interview line began to move forward slowly, and faster and faster.

"Uh, what's going on? This interview speed-"

Ford, Freeman, and Stallone were all a little surprised.

Someone in front said: "Didn't you hear? I heard that the new boss of Fox came out and passed the interview in person."

"What, that Chinese guy?"

"Yes. I heard that he knows how to read faces. He only needs to look at you to know whether you are suitable for filming and whether you will be popular. That's why the interview is so fast."

"God, this is so evil!"

"Yeah, look at your face? Damn it!"

Everyone started talking.

Stallone and the three looked at each other.

"Really? Are you choosing talents based on their appearance?"

The three of them immediately felt that this interview seemed unreliable.

…

Fox Film Company,

Interview hall——

Du Yongxiao took out a tissue and wiped his nose.

He has had a cold recently and his nose feels very uncomfortable.

This interview was planned by him on his own initiative, with the purpose of catching all the big stars and directors in Hollywood in the future.

In order not to waste time, as long as he found that the other party was an unknown person, he would pass directly.

This made those interviewees who failed to pass the test become dissatisfied and thought his method was too unfair.

Du Yongxiao doesn't care about this. What he pursues now is speed and he has no time to play house with these little shrimps.

Fox President Ryder saw that Du Yongxiao was working hard and had a cold, so he prepared a cup of coffee and was about to bring it over. Before he could do it, Yan Xiong had already brought a cup of coffee over.

Ryder looked at the coffee in his hand and drank it himself.

"Daddy, don't work too hard. You still have a cold! Come, drink some coffee to warm yourself up. I brewed black coffee specially for you!" Yan Xiong handed the coffee to Du Yongxiao with a flattering look on his face.

Du Yongxiao said: "Thank you very much."

He took the coffee and took a sip.

Yan Xiong smiled happily: "Why are you thanking me? This is what I should do! It is only natural for a godson to serve his godfather!"

Du Yongxiao couldn't help laughing: "Yan Xiong, I only accepted you as my godson as a joke before. If you don't like it, you can change it in the future. There is no need -"

Before Du Yongxiao could finish his words, Yan Xiong became anxious: "Godfather, what do you mean? Do you dislike Ah Xiong?"

"Huh?" Du Yongxiao didn't expect Yan Xiong to react so strongly. "I just think that at your age, if you feel uncomfortable, you can--"

"It's comfortable! How can I be uncomfortable? Being able to ask you to be my godfather is the greatest blessing in my life, Yan Xiong!" Yan Xiong said righteously, "Once a father, I will be a father forever! As long as you don't dislike me, I will do it for the rest of my life. Your godson will serve you!"

Du Yongxiao was speechless, he didn't expect to be entangled by Yan Xiong.

Yan Xiong was thinking loudly in his mind, who is Du Yongxiao? Billionaire! Super tycoon! And now the more people get involved, the more powerful they become, and many people want to but cannot.

Not to mention anything else, as long as he, Yan Xiong, holds the title of Du Yongxiao's godson, all the bigwigs, rich men, and high-ranking politicians will look down upon him.

"Well, okay!" Du Yongxiao was speechless and had to pick up the following information, "Let three people come in this time! The first one is, eh, Harrison Ford, the second one is Morgan Freeman, and the third one is The one is...ahem, Stallone?!"