China Entertainment's Standout

Chapter 1044 With no one else available, his might shook China.

"How do you want to play?"

Wu Jingchui's fingers curled almost imperceptibly at his side.

The previously chaotic light in his eyes suddenly brightened slightly, only to be quickly suppressed by vigilance.

He turned to the side, his gaze drawn as if by a magnet, scrutinizing the man beside him from head to toe.

The other person was wearing a well-tailored black high-end suit, and the watch face peeking out from the cuffs gleamed coldly in the dim light of the subway station.

He exuded an air of elite sophistication that seemed completely out of place on this chaotic, late-night platform.

The black briefcase he casually placed on the chair had a delicate metallic sheen on its edges, giving it a very high-quality look.

At this moment, Wu Jing carried the hysterical, trapped beast of the lower class in despair, yet also a hint of wariness.

Anyone would react the same way if they encountered such a strange person in the subway station in the middle of the night.

Zhou Yutang mentally gave him a thumbs up.

Wu Jing has been working in the Hong Kong entertainment industry for so many years, and it's clear he doesn't just rely on kung fu for a living.

She was in a relaxed state during the audition, but now that she's in character, her whole demeanor has changed.

—The hunched back, the evasive yet greedy eyes, and the deliberately lowered but unconcealed tone of his voice vividly portray a middle-aged man with nowhere to turn.

In short, it's spot on.

Click!

Zhou Yutang raised an eyebrow and gracefully opened the box containing the picture cards and money. Smiling, he explained the rules of the game to Wu Jing: "Sir, have you played the picture card game before?"

"?"

A huge question mark appeared above Zhan Lang's head.

His eyes darted back and forth between the painted skin and Zhou Yutang, before finally settling obediently on the money in the briefcase.

The so-called game is just playing with picture cards, which is also the most familiar game to those born in the 1980s and 1990s in China.

Use methods such as slapping or fanning to flip or move the picture cards on the ground in order to win the other person's picture cards.

"If you play a game of drawing cards with me, I'll give you a thousand dollars every time you win."

"you sure?"

Looking at the handsome man in front of him, dressed in a well-tailored suit and exuding an air of upper-class sophistication, Wu Jing asked incredulously, as if he had heard some absurd joke, "If I just flip your picture over, you'll give me a thousand dollars?"

"Yes."

"You're not kidding?"

Though he said he didn't believe it, his reddened eyes honestly locked onto the money in the box with a hint of greed and longing.

His nostrils flared more rapidly, his Adam's apple bobbed up and down, and his entire face screamed with longing.

"I never joke."

A faint smile appeared on Zhou Yutang's lips: "On the contrary, if I win, you have to give me a thousand yuan."

"."

Wu Jing was completely stunned, staring at the mysterious, handsome man in a suit in front of him.

Without a doubt, he was tempted.

No matter what the handsome man in the suit was up to, the money in the box was always real.

At this moment, Zhou Yutang's words completely dispelled his last remaining hesitation: "I'll let you attack first."

These words were like the last straw, completely breaking Wu Jing's hesitation. Zhan Lang, though outwardly fierce, said weakly:

"I'm in a bad mood today. If you dare to lie to me, you're dead."

Zhou Yutang smiled and gestured for him to proceed.

"Then I really have to go ahead and call."

What color do you choose?

Everything was proceeding according to Zhou Yutang's plan.

Gamblers often have the illusion that they can win.

In fact, he was doomed to lose the moment he accepted the bet.

After Wu Jing lost the first round, Zhou Yutang thoughtfully changed the rules for the poor Wolf Warrior, making a slap worth 1,000 yuan.

The game continues, with the subway doors opening and closing.

The crowd was bustling, but seeing the two people displaying the picture cards in front of them felt like watching a bunch of lunatics. After pausing briefly, no one paid any attention to them anymore.

Snapped!Snapped!Snapped!
A series of crisp sounds rang out in the subway station.

Zhou Yutang's palm landed precisely on Wu Jing's face.

Chen Duling, who was watching the drama unfold, thought that people with good modeling skills make everything they do look beautiful.

Yes, the force was controlled just right.

It was loud enough to make a sound but not enough to actually hurt anyone. Wu Jing cooperated perfectly, his head turned to the side by the slap, and the astonishment and anger on his face froze instantly, as if a pause button had been pressed, creating a visually stunning effect.

"it is good!"

Wen Muye, behind the monitor, grinned from ear to ear: "Brother Jing, that expression just now was absolutely brilliant! Let's get another take."

"Again?"

"come on."

In the empty subway station, the mournful howls of the Wolf Warrior began to echo.

Thanks to its solid word-of-mouth and lackluster competitors, "The Island" finally broke the 1 billion yuan mark at the box office on its 10th day of release.

The third film of this summer's blockbuster season has been released.

Huang Bo's directorial debut after transitioning from actor to director was nothing short of perfect.

It's worth noting that many renowned directors who have dedicated themselves to the industry for years may never reach the billion-dollar box office mark in their entire careers.

Huang Bo's achievement in his directorial debut is truly astonishing.

What's even more exciting is that, judging from the proportion of screenings and the occupancy rate of cinemas on that day, the popularity has not diminished at all.

The daily box office remains stable at over 30 million, and there is clearly still considerable room for further growth in the subsequent box office curve; 1 billion is just the beginning.

"Yu Tang was right! There's really a chance they'll surpass 1.5 billion!"

Wang Jianlin, the veteran director of Enlight Media, is indeed an experienced figure in the entertainment industry. Previously, "Animal World" cleverly avoided the limelight of "Dying to Survive," and then "The Island" found a breakthrough during the lull in the popularity of "Hello Mr. Billionaire."

With these two moves, Enlight Media has become the biggest winner of this summer's box office, second only to Jiangdong!

On the other hand, after filming his scenes for "The Squid Game" for two nights straight and thoroughly beating up Wolf Warrior, Zhou Yutang took some time to support the China-Korea International Film Festival.

This film festival began in 2014, and its original official positioning was "a bridge to promote cultural exchange and cooperation between Chinese and South Korean films".

It is said to be a platform for innovation and integration for filmmakers from both countries.

However, after the winter ban was issued, many collaborative projects were forced to be shelved, and the film festival also fell into silence for a time.

This year, the higher-ups gave the green light for the second China-Korea International Film Festival, and the leader specifically mentioned the Grand Commander's name.

When the news reached South Korea, it immediately caused a small stir in the local film and television industry.

"Could it be that there's still room for maneuver in the Celestial Empire's ban?!"

Many South Korean film and television professionals are discussing it privately.

After all, China's huge film market is a pie that no South Korean film company wants to give up.

But they also knew it in their hearts.

But with that prohibition in place and the all-powerful Grand Commander of Jiangdong in charge, it was almost like an imperial fortress.

The Korean wave's attempt to re-enter the Chinese market on a large scale is ultimately just a pipe dream.

Although it's a restarted film festival, the pomp and circumstance are by no means diminished.

On the Chinese side, the chairman of the review committee is Zhang Guoli.

Zhou Yutang initially didn't want to get involved and declined several times, but he couldn't resist the coordination from various parties and the personal attention of his superiors in Jiangdong.

Unable to refuse such hospitality, he reluctantly accepted the title of a member of the judging panel, along with Sister Lotus. While Sister Lotus has been successful in love this year, her career has been somewhat sluggish.

After her best friend got divorced, her Hollywood resources dried up.

This year, she was first robbed of her seat by a popular young actor from Taiwan at the Weibo Night event, which sparked heated discussions.
Then she was embroiled in the Huayi tax scandal. Even when she attended events with exquisite makeup, she could not hide the fatigue in her eyes and her whole person looked haggard as if she was forcing herself to stay upright.

As soon as the film festival ended and Sister Lianhua got into the van, her agent, Li Xue, anxiously asked, "What did President Zhou say? Do we still have a chance for that role?"

"They said it's settled on the usage."

Sister Lotus leaned back in her chair, shook her head with a wry smile, and her voice carried a hint of helplessness.

"Fan?"

Li Xue's heart sank, her voice filled with resentment, "Why? So many actresses fight tooth and nail for these roles, and she gets them so easily?"

There is only one Zhou Dudu and only one Fan Bingbing in the entire entertainment industry.

"It's all thanks to men."

Li Xue muttered under her breath, the sourness in her voice impossible to hide.

"."

In the current landscape of female stars in the entertainment industry, the "85 Flowers" are led by Liu Yifei and Liu Shuang, the two leading actresses.

Going back further, the ranks of leading actresses are described as "four Dan actresses, two Bing actresses, one Qingyi actress, and one Yuan."

The female stock market guru and the princess of the Beijing circle have now transitioned to behind-the-scenes work, Zeng Li is in a semi-retired state, and only Zhang Ziyi, Zhou Xun, Sister Lotus, and Teacher Fan are still the backbone of the industry active in front of the stage.

In summary, among these leading actresses, the one who has developed the best is actually Teacher Fan, who started out as a maid.

With two Best Actress awards at major international film festivals, impressive box office performance, and thriving business investments, it's no exaggeration to say she's the pinnacle of the entertainment industry.

The most crucial thing is her almost public relationship with Zhou Yutang.

Being in a good position gives one an advantage. Teacher Fan had already decided on a key role, and it was obvious to everyone that it was Governor Zhou who made the decision.

Apart from Jiangdong, the remaining co-producers of "The Captain" quickly sat down and agreed on the distribution of profits.

It is a mainstream commercial project with Jiangdong as the main controller and is adapted from a true heroic event, and has a clear market prospect.

Isn't that a sure way to make a profit?
What is there to hesitate about?
Just go for it!

In Jiang Dong's CEO office, Chen Xi walked in with a to-do list and went straight to the core issue: "Boss, what do you think about the director for 'The Captain'?"

How is Lu Yang?

"Director Lu is currently being held back by Zuo Shandiao, and his schedule is completely booked for the second half of this year and into next year."

This retired old man, who has been given a second spring, is so terrifying. I heard that he's been working hard lately on that 70th anniversary celebration project, and he can't afford to make any mistakes.

Zhou Yutang's abduction of Wen Muye has been a source of resentment for him, and now he refuses to let him go no matter what. Moreover, Lu Yang has another new film project in hand.

"The script for Lu Yang's new film?"

Zhou Yutang became somewhat interested.

The three generals of Jiangdong had a close personal relationship, and he was also in that small group. He had only recently heard that Lu Yang's new film was going to do something different.

Chen Xi was prepared and pulled up a file on his tablet: "It's 'Assassination of a Novelist,' adapted from Shuang Xuetao's novel of the same name. It's an urban fantasy, and the first draft of the script just arrived."

"Urban fantasy?"

After quickly flipping through the first draft, Zhou Yutang's brows furrowed slightly.

From the perspective of the script alone, the interweaving of reality and fantasy, and the switching between multiple spaces, is indeed a novel idea, and Lu Yang's ambition is evident.

But he was all too aware of the difficulties of this subject matter.

To perfectly bring the fantasy of the text to life on the big screen, it is necessary to ensure the quality of the visual effects while keeping the audience engaged with the complex narrative pace and maintaining a sense of immersion. This is several times more difficult than making a traditional drama film.

"The director for 'The Captain' hasn't been decided yet."

Chen Xi steered the conversation back on track and started counting on her fingers, “Mosquito needs to focus on making ‘Squid Game.’ The script for that funeral-themed film has just been finalized and will most likely start filming next year.”
The special effects plan for the final installment of "Ghost Blows Out the Light" has not yet been finalized, and Guo Fan has a lot of things to do.

Su Lun, Wu Yuze, and the others, along with Lao Suan and Xin Shuang, while talented, are honestly still too inexperienced. They've never managed such a large-scale mainstream commercial project before; the risks are too high.”

As the CEO of Soochow Pictures, Chen Xi is very familiar with his team's schedules and capabilities.

Shaking his head after each name is clearly inappropriate.

Zhou Yutang stroked his chin with his fingertips and pondered, "Where is the Imperial Advisor?"

"Zhang Yimou is still eating sand in Dunhuang, and he's about to go to Venice. I heard from Pang Liwei that he has a new script in his hand."

After a pause, Chen Xi changed the subject, finally revealing his true intentions: "After all this consideration, why don't you just go and do it yourself?"

"I?"

Zhou Yutang was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled, "You came here for this?"

"Yeah, nobody's available, there's just no one else."

Chen Xi shrugged and said frankly, "No one else can manage such a large project. Handing it over to outsiders would be like giving away a free opportunity."

Now, it's as easy for Jiangdong to promote someone to a higher position as it is for them to eat or drink.

This applies not only to celebrities, but also to directors.

Directors who are frustrated in the industry all dream of one day collaborating with Jiang Dong and becoming an overnight sensation.

Everyone says that Jiangdong is full of talented people, but each of them has a project to handle.

Zhou Yutang rubbed his temples, feeling a strange headache coming on.

He had been coordinating various projects recently and was originally planning to take a good rest and adjust his state during this time.

But now it seems that plans can never keep up with changes, and sometimes we really have no choice in the matter.

"Let's polish the script a bit more."

Zhou Yutang simply moved the tablet aside, remaining silent for the time being. "We'll see about the director's role later."

The director for "The Captain" is still undecided, but preliminary auditions have already begun.

Aside from the people Jiang Dong arranged through connections beforehand, the entire production required a considerable number of actors.

To facilitate the film's pre-release promotion, the publicity department specially devised a plan to hold auditions for amateur flight attendants.

Jiangdong Grand Stage, come and join us if you have a dream.

The online buzz surrounding Governor Zhou's selection of concubines has begun, with resumes of flight attendants from all over the country flooding in, resulting in a massive exposure.

Every time Jiangdong officially announces a project, it's a day of joy for media reporters in the industry.

Because if you just squat in the grass under the Jiangdong Building and wait for the rabbit to run into your trap, you will always have an unexpected harvest.

First- and second-tier celebrities flocked to the Jiangdong Building like pilgrims, creating a rare spectacle in the entertainment industry.

Time flies, and with the fourth week of the release of "Hello Mr. Billionaire," the hot summer movie season has finally cooled down.

Compared to its explosive performance earlier this week, the box office performance has been relatively average.

The audience who wanted to see it had basically seen it, some even watching it two or three times, which helped prop up the box office of just over 100 million yuan in a single week.

But that's not the point. What's important is that "Hello Mr. Billionaire" grossed 35.27 billion yuan, and the Film Bureau granted it a one-month extension, so there's still room for growth.

In addition, with the extended screening of "Dying to Survive" ending, the final box office reached 44.79 billion yuan. The film, produced by Jiang Dong, contributed more than 80 billion yuan to the box office during the summer season.

Eight billion! Eight billion!
Even if several Wang Duoyu came, they still wouldn't be able to spend it all!

Even for Soochow Film & Television, it can be said to be a huge success that exceeded expectations.

"The combined cost of these two films probably won't exceed 3 million. The return on investment at this box office is truly unparalleled!"

"It has to be the Grand Commander of Jiangdong! We've hit the jackpot!"

"I heard that Mahua FunAge has a new movie coming out soon, they're simply unbeatable."

"According to the updated announcement from Mahua FunAge, it seems that Governor Zhou also sold some of his shares to Little Ma."

"."

With the summer movie season entering its final stages, the Grand Commander of Jiangdong, the mastermind behind the scenes, is undoubtedly the MVP.

For a while,
Governor Zhou's prestige resounded throughout the Chinese film industry.

(End of this chapter)