Chapter 161: Trailer is a big hit
Stephen's agent was looking for a suitable team for him, and the Hawks contacted him, but could not offer the big contract that Jackson wanted.

"Mr. Layden, how big a contract can you offer?"

"Ten million dollars for three years, what do you think?"

"Oh, that's too low, Mr. Layden. Stephen is a championship shooting guard. He definitely deserves a big contract."

Layden immediately made a second offer, a three-year, $11 million contract.

It's not that he is stingy, but the Knicks simply don't have enough salary space. This is still a middle-class regulation, otherwise there would be no space to sign Jackson.

Unfortunately, this contract was rejected. Stephen Jackson's agent said that only a four-year, $25 million contract could meet Jackson's requirements.

Layden could only give up Jackson regretfully. Sometimes it's like this, you can't get rid of the bad contract in your hands, and you can't sign the person you like.

On July 7, Eagle County police provided evidence to the local court and then obtained a formal search warrant to arrest Kobe.

Kobe formally admitted to the police that the two had indeed had sex, but it was voluntary. He said it was a case of blackmail.

This case was officially exposed, causing an uproar throughout the United States and the NBA.

"NO, this must be fake news."

"Is he crazy?"

After hearing the news, David Stern didn't react for more than ten seconds. After he reacted, he thought it was fake news. After figuring out what happened, he couldn't help but get furious, yet felt powerless.

"Kobe, why did this happen? What did you do?"

After Vanessa got the news, she almost collapsed. She had no idea what to do, so she thought about divorce.

But at this time, a bigger blow followed. Because it happened too suddenly, she became physically unwell and had a miscarriage.

After receiving the news that his wife had a miscarriage, Kobe was in great pain and vowed never to do such a stupid thing again.

He begged Vanessa on the phone: "Honey, I swear I didn't commit a crime, really not, you have to believe me."

Not to mention the reaction of the Lakers management, the Mailman Karl Malone and the Glove Gary Payton, who were about to join the Lakers, were also at a loss.

"Carl, do you think we can still join the Lakers?"

"Let's see first, if Kobe is convicted and sent to prison, well, actually, Gary, we are here for the Big Shark, aren't we?"

"Now that you put it that way, it is true."

"Well, let's wait and see how the Lakers handle this matter, and then we'll make a decision."

He Zhongqiu, who was filming a movie, also learned the news and wondered why Kobe was so stupid.
There are many Hollywood female stars in Los Angeles. It is very safe to play with female stars. If you mess around outside, even if nothing happens today, something will happen tomorrow.

"It should be a trap, right?"

He didn't think Kobe really raped that woman, because there was no need at all. A big star like Kobe, what kind of woman could he not get?

But if Kobe is a psychopath, like the guy in the Trail Blazers, it is also possible.

But anyway, he has nothing to do with Kobe, so no one pays much attention to it.

That afternoon, the lawyer asked the police to release Kobe on bail.

Lakers general manager Kupchak also rushed to Eagle County with Kobe's wife Vanessa, who had just suffered a miscarriage, to meet Kobe.

Facing his pale-faced wife, Kobe felt a little ashamed.

But amid his crying, Vanessa finally chose to forgive him and was willing to stand by his side and support him.

On the 5th, Kobe was again investigated by the police.

"My mistake was not gag that woman with dollar bills like O'Neal did," he complained in the inquest.

This sentence was leaked to the media by the police, and then the whole world was in an uproar.

O'Neal was confused, Kobe, you idiot, are you stupid? If you point me out, will what you did be ignored?

He was angry. Kobe was using him as a shield. It was only because Kobe was not in front of him that he would have already swung his fist.

Soon, his cell phone and home landline were bombarded with calls from reporters.

"Many people have affairs, but no one is brought to court like he was," he told a familiar reporter.

Later, this ironic statement was reported by reporters, which also meant that the rift between the OK combination was torn to the maximum.

This case also entered the litigation period, and Kobe returned to Los Angeles.

"Karl, Gary, Kobe will not lose the lawsuit. He will not be convicted. There is no evidence to prove that he raped a woman."

The management has also been doing the work of the postman and the glove these days, inviting them to Los Angeles for several interviews, and with Kobe returning to Los Angeles, the two finally made up their minds.

On the 9th, He Zhongqiu watched a movie, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.

This is an adventure and treasure hunting movie with a production cost of 1.4 million US dollars. He was deeply impressed. The special effects were very enjoyable and he felt that the movie would be a box office hit.

On the 11th, the transaction freeze period ends.

This morning, the Nets announced that they had signed Kidd for six years and $6 million.

The starting salary is $1315 million, with an annual increase of $164 million, a 12.5% ​​increase.

Many years later, in an interview, the retired Kidd publicly admitted that the biggest mistake in his career was choosing to stay with the Nets in 03.

At nine o'clock in the morning, the Lakers completed the signing with Karl Malone.

An hour later, Gary Payton also officially announced his joining the Lakers.

These two pieces of news mean that the Los Angeles Lakers have formed a super luxurious F4 super giant lineup, shocking the entire league.

At noon, John Stockton announced his retirement in Salt Lake City.

This decision made the Postman a little disappointed. His old friend did not choose to follow him, otherwise the Lakers could have formed a super lineup of F5.

The Spurs' super center David Robinson also announced that he would not renew his contract with the team and chose to retire.

That afternoon, Scott Layden and his men rushed to Los Angeles and signed a five-year contract with He Zhongqiu.

The reason for signing a five-year contract is that after completing this contract, his playing career will exceed six years, and the next contract can be calculated based on 6% of the salary cap.

Moreover, it meets the veteran clause and can be signed for 6 years, with an annual salary increase of up to 12.5%, which can exceed the salary cap.

According to the just-released salary cap of $0.4384 million for next season, with a 25% cap, his first-year salary is $1096 million.

The salary increase is 8%, which is $87.68. Thereafter, the annual increase will also be a fixed amount of $87.68. The total amount for five years will be $5830 million.

After signing the contract, he started filming again.

He had previously rehearsed the designed fighting moves with Lin Dian and Wu Jing, and with his kung fu skills, the filming plan went smoothly. It was originally planned to take a month, but it was completed in 20 days. This was the result of the director's pursuit of perfection.

However, there was a change. After Wu Jing discussed with him, the skill of the Locust Stone was removed and it did not appear in Blade 3.

According to Wu Jing, there is no need to show off all the best kung fu in one movie, especially if you are not the protagonist.

In addition, the most classic scene of tearing a wardrobe with bare hands was added to the play. The wardrobe to be torn was the competitor's wardrobe of the endorsed Esley brand, which was also a requirement in the endorsement contract.

"Boss, your role has been getting more and more scenes, and now you are definitely the second male lead. I'm afraid you will steal the limelight from the main character."

Ross Lewis often said this to him during their spare time.

Indeed, Blade is an action movie, and the protagonist Wesley Snipes doesn't know kung fu and relies entirely on acting cool. Dangerous and difficult moves all rely on stunt doubles and stunts, but he doesn't use a stunt double at all, so how can anyone compare to him?

His moves were much more difficult than those of the protagonist. He displayed all of his Eagle Claw skills and Iron Shirt, which scared the entire crew during filming.

The co-star Wesley Snipes, who originally had a problem with him, bowed down at his feet and became his little Kung Fu fan.

During the filming, the producers intentionally released some trailers one after another for publicity.

Among these clips, there are some clips of the main protagonist and the female protagonist, as well as a few clips of He Zhongqiu.

There is no post-production yet, and these clips have no special effects, so the clips of the protagonist and the heroine have received average response.

However, as soon as the trailer for He Zhongqiu came out, it caused a strong response.

Even though his shots did not have any special effects, unlike the fake moves of the protagonist and heroine, he had real kung fu.

The difficult fighting moves, the horror of Eagle Claw tearing objects, and the most realistic fist-to-flesh fighting style have attracted the attention of countless movie fans.

All of a sudden, he was truly crowned as a Kung Fu superstar and Hollywood action superstar. His influence and popularity skyrocketed, and the only thing missing was the box office.

After completing the filming of his scenes, he booked a few tables at a restaurant in Chinatown, Los Angeles, and treated Lin Dian and his stunt team to a meal, giving each stuntman a red envelope of one thousand dollars.

Lin Dian really put a lot of effort into designing the fight scenes for him, and he also wanted Wu Jing to follow Lin Dian first and learn about action direction and stunts, which would be useful in the future. If he couldn't be an actor, he could be a director or martial arts instructor.

Lin Dian also wanted to make friends with He Zhongqiu. Not to mention He Zhongqiu's future in the NBA and Hollywood, just his real kung fu skills made this extraordinary person worthy of his friendship.

This month, He Zhongqiu started physical training in addition to filming, and also practiced low-post and face-to-basket training. Greenfeldt followed him and accompanied him in training.

The offensive technical training during this period was different from that of last month. A confrontation was arranged, and Felton found two professional basketball sparring partners, both of whom were former NBA centers who had played in the NBA.

六月底的时候，他的低位面筐从71提升到了76级，低位背打从62提升到了66级，低位步伐从85提升到了87级。

With the improvement of technology, the close-range attack power increased from 76 to 80, reaching the second-rate level. The mid-range attack power increased slightly, only by one level.

In addition, the most important physical training has raised the physical fitness from level 89 to level 90, reaching a first-class level.

"I have already started to practice the 8-shaped steps in my Seven-Star Flower-piercing Steps. Now the low-level steps have reached level 87. When I master the Flower-piercing Steps, maybe I can practice it into a signature step like Da Meng and reach the realm of being able to do whatever I want."

On August 8, He Zhongqiu boarded a plane back home.

Those traveling with them included Wu Jing, Greenfeldon, Xia Song and Philip. The five of them boarded a China Southern Airlines flight.

He is the spokesperson for China Southern Airlines and must fly on China Southern Airlines flights.

Now that he had money in his pocket, he was a man willing to spend it. With a wave of his hand, he bought first-class tickets for everyone.

The service in the first-class cabin was meticulous. While enjoying the smiling and squatting service of the beautiful stewardess, he also received two small notes.

At around 3:00 p.m., the passenger plane arrived at Yanjing International Airport.

As soon as he got off the plane, he said, "The first-class stewardess is too gentle. I feel that Chinese girls are more in line with my aesthetic taste. Caucasian women smell too much like onions."

"Ahem! Zhongqiu, you are so ruthless." Philip, who was walking behind, complained.

"hehe!"

Xia Song smiled and asked, "Why, Zhongqiu, which stewardess did you hook up with?"

"No, it doesn't matter in the United States, but I have to maintain a good image in China. At most, I can just play around in the entertainment industry." He Zhongqiu said rather reservedly.

As soon as he passed through security check, he was shocked to see a large crowd of fans waiting for him. He didn't know how many of them there were. All of them were wearing his No. 18 jersey, blocking the exit and no one behind him could leave.

"Wolverine!"

"Wolverine!"

The shouts and cheers were deafening.

"Didn't you tell the media about it?" he said with a headache.

"Yes, we didn't reveal it. Why are there so many fans here? There are quite a few reporters too." Xia Song was also confused.

Wu Jing guessed: "Mid-Autumn Festival, won't it be Yang Xue's side?"

"Sister Xue? Forget it, let's deal with the fans and the media first." He said hurriedly.

With the help of airport security, it took them an hour to get out.

As soon as he went out, he saw several people who came to pick him up, including Yang Xue, Zhang Heli, Sun Zhenping, Xu Jicheng, Wang Baoqiang, as well as Qin Jianwei, the manager of the domestic branch of Zhongqiu Culture and Sports, and He Nanbei, the deputy manager.

"Sister, let's go, let's leave first."

There was a crowd of fans following behind him, so he quickly pulled Yang Xue away without even having time to say hello to Wang Baoqiang and the others.

When we arrived at the parking lot, Yang Xue and her group drove over in three cars, and we left the airport.

He Zhongqiu got on Yang Xue's car, Wang Baoqiang squeezed in, as well as Zhang Heli and Wu Jing.

"Sister, is this the car you bought?" He Zhongqiu asked.

"Well, after coming back from the United States, I bought a four-bedroom apartment and this Volvo. I haven't spent all the money I won from playing cards." Yang Xue said with a smile.

After the last playoffs, He Zhongqiu won more than 100,000 US dollars in a card game arranged by her home, which was a three-for-one win.

He Zhongqiu smiled and said, "Then buy another one. Don't you say that the housing prices in Yanjing change every day? It's okay to leave it there and let it appreciate in value.

By the way, how about buying a villa? If you don’t have enough money, I’ll take it first.”

"Forget about the villa, it costs several million. I plan to buy another commercial house for my parents." Yang Xue said.

"Okay, if you need money, just tell me. It won't cost much," said He Zhongqiu.

"I know you have money." Yang Xue said with a smile.

Wang Baoqiang opened his mouth and was about to speak when He Zhongqiu's cell phone rang, so he closed his mouth again.

"Hello, Dayao?"

"Mid-Autumn Festival, are you here?"

"You didn't come to pick me up either. I was surrounded by fans at the airport and almost couldn't get out."

"Why are you showing off? Who doesn't have a few fans?"

"Ha ha!"

"When will you report?"

"What's the hurry? Let's talk about it in a few days."

"Okay, I'll treat you to dinner, okay?"

"No, forget about it tonight. I'll treat you tomorrow, tonight. Bring them out, along with the coaching staff."

"Okay, that's settled then. I'm still training here."

"See you."

"See you."

Seeing He Zhongqiu hung up the phone, Wang Baoqiang hurriedly said, "Zhongqiu, you are now famous. You are a Hollywood action star. You are known all over the country."

"No, I don't know how the box office will be, and I'm not the main character." He Zhongqiu said modestly.

Wu Jing said in a positive tone: "The movie Zhongqiu will definitely be a hit in Hollywood. As the well-deserved second male lead, even the main actor will be overshadowed by you."

"I'm just worried that the producer will cut my scenes," said He Zhongqiu.

"New Line wouldn't be that stupid, would it?"

Wu Jing shook his head and said, “I heard Lin Dian mention that although this film has an investment of 60 million US dollars, it is actually still too little.

The actors' salaries account for half of the film, and not much will be invested in special effects. The special effects of the final film may not be as good as those of Blade 1 and Blade 2. "

"Really?" He Zhongqiu asked in surprise.

Wu Jing added: "Your Eagle Claw Kung Fu is really powerful, WC, that kind of tearing feeling will definitely make movie fans excited to the point of exploding. Just think about it, you have gained huge attention just by tearing the wardrobe with your bare hands. As long as the movie comes out, it will definitely be sought after.

Moreover, your style of hitting hard and killing with every blow is different from previous Hollywood action movies. Unless New Line is stupid, it will definitely not cut it.”

Yang Xue also nodded and said, "Most of the clips for Blade 3 are from you, Sanjin. How could they cut out your scenes?"

"During the Mid-Autumn Festival, when will Blade 3 be released? Will it be introduced domestically?" Zhang Heli asked.

"It should be released in 04, or maybe by the end of the year if the special effects are completed quickly. We don't know whether it can be introduced domestically!" said He Zhongqiu.

"Sanjin, where are we going to eat?" asked Yang Xue who was driving.

"Well, how about Tongheju? Let's have some Shandong cuisine." He Zhongqiu said after thinking for a while.

"Row."

Yang Xue said to Zhang Heli who was behind him: "Brother Zhang, please notify the cars behind us."

"okay."

Zhang Heli immediately took out his cell phone.

"Baoqiang, how are you doing now?" He Zhongqiu asked.

Wang Baoqiang smiled innocently and said, "It's still the same. There's not as much work this year as before, and the money is less. The main reason is that more and more people are doing extras now."

"You won an award for the movie Blind Shaft you filmed last year. Your acting is pretty good. How come you don't have any movies to shoot?" He Zhongqiu didn't understand the reason.

"Baoqiang, how much money did you get from Blind Well?" Wu Jing asked.

"Fifteen thousand! That's the highest pay I've ever received. I've never earned so much money before, hehe." Wang Baoqiang laughed.

He Zhongqiu thought of Wu Jing again. Wu Jing had only come back temporarily and had to rush back to the United States immediately. Lin Dian was the action stunt and assistant director of Spider-Man 2. He introduced a role to Wu Jing, who had already passed the audition.

This role is better than the last one in Borrowed Knife, and Lin Dian's action director team has also joined, with a total salary of $450,000.

(End of this chapter)