China Entertainment's Standout

Chapter 1045 Absolute Focus, Sensational Phenomenon

Just as the crowd was buzzing with excitement.

A bombshell announcement exploded like a depth charge—Zhou Dudu transferred some of his Happy Twist shares to Tencent!

The entire Chinese film and television industry was instantly drawn to it.

Countless industry insiders stared at the news in disbelief.

The wealth and investment activities of the Grand Commander of Jiangdong have always been studied under a magnifying glass.

This transaction has attracted particular attention, with some netizens finding it unbelievable.

This is largely due to the fact that after Mahua FunAge's triumphant performance in the summer, it has achieved legendary status in the comedy genre, and the company's market value has unlimited potential.

However, some seasoned investors have begun to analyze the implications of Zhou Yutang's actions from multiple perspectives.

—By observing how the God of Wealth operates, one can learn some strategies for capital operation.

"Mr. Zhou himself has a heartfelt passion for the entertainment industry."

When he invested in Happy Twist, it hadn't taken off yet, but it eventually became the number one comedy brand in China.

We are very optimistic about Mahua's future development potential. Mr. Ma personally talked with Mr. Zhou for a long time, and it was under his instruction that this transaction was made possible.

A vice president from Tencent even held a special media briefing, where he spoke candidly about the matter:

"Of course, it must be stated that this is by no means a cash-out and exit by Mr. Zhou; he is still one of the major shareholders of Mahua.

I'm sure no one here thinks he's short of that little bit of money, right?

At this point, the entire audience chuckled softly.

He surpassed Jack Ma, Pony Ma, and Wang Jianlin to become the wealthiest man in China, and no one would believe he was short of money.

The vice president of Tencent continued, "Mr. Zhou's decision to cooperate this time was based on deeper considerations."

Tencent has its own advantages in traffic and channels. Only by integrating the resources of both parties can Happy Twist go further in the future.

This will also allow Tencent's entertainment sector to achieve new heights; it's a win-win situation for all parties involved.

This time, Ma Ge really suffered a huge loss.

Although the specific amount of the equity transaction has not yet been disclosed to the public.

However, after "Hello Mr. Right", the valuation of Happy Twist in the capital circle has exceeded 10 billion yuan.

It's easy to estimate the size of this transaction; it's an astronomical figure that would leave executives of listed film and television companies speechless.

But this amount of money is just a drop in the ocean for a well-funded internet company.

There's a saying that's been circulating in the industry.

Internet giants are never afraid of spending money; they are afraid of not being able to spend it, not being able to buy valuable resources, and not being able to tell imaginative stories!
This investment in Happy Twist will allow Tencent's influence to reach new heights in the future.

Most importantly, it further strengthened the bond with the Grand Commander of Jiangdong.

That very evening, reports about the media conference filled the film and television sections of major portal websites.

Even some foreign media websites are reporting on this matter in prominent positions.

After all, Jiangdong Entertainment's influence is no longer limited to domestic entertainment companies, but rather it has become a powerful force in the global media industry!
Governor Zhou is not an ordinary film and television professional, but the first truly outstanding individual to break through the barriers erected by foreign media groups over many years on his own.

Reigning supreme over Asia, with unparalleled elegance and grace.

Leveraging the advantages of TikTok, it has gained considerable influence worldwide.

If we compare this world of extravagance and entertainment to a grand stage that attracts worldwide attention.

At this moment, Zhou Yutang was undoubtedly a shining superstar on the stage.

Right now,

That beam of light focused on him.

As the summer movie season gradually cools down, the film market has become noticeably quieter.

Zhou Gongzi's "Keep Silent" begins with nude swimming.

Despite Zhou Xun's close friend Liu Yifei booking 50 screenings on Weibo after the film grossed 861 million yuan on its opening day, it still couldn't save the film's fortunes.

The box office performance in the opening weekend failed to turn things around, taking in only 1869 million yuan, essentially sealing the fate of a loss.

At the same time, "Europe Raiders," a film jointly produced by several Hong Kong film companies, also sank to the bottom of the sea.

Previously, the Hong Kong entertainment circle was basically buying press releases like crazy, trying to create a nostalgic marketing campaign for the Four Heavenly Kings of Hong Kong.

But the reality proved otherwise.

Leung Chiu-wai seems to have only a hollow reputation in the mainland market, lacking the box office appeal to match his fame.

Along with the film's leading lady, Ah Shan, the top starlet from Yinghuang, also met a tragic end.

The film managed to gross 88.2 million yuan on its opening day thanks to nostalgia and marketing, but it plummeted by 24 million yuan on the second day and only earned a little over 10 million yuan on the third day, resulting in a precipitous drop in box office revenue.

Before the film's release, Hong Kong capital figures made various grand pronouncements in public.

As a result, the film flopped as soon as it was released, leaving the production companies in a state of panic.

"We don't know how this film managed to reach a budget of 300 million."

"Tsk, this Liang Chaowei isn't all that great either."

Ning Hao is also a segment director for the 70th anniversary tribute film. He was recently kept on set by Zuo Shandiao, but he still managed to find time to chat with Zhou Yutang, and they couldn't help but exchange a few sarcastic remarks.

This time, Tony Leung's film is going head-to-head with Huang Bo's "The Island".

They are direct competitors, and their competitive relationship is crystal clear.

Hong Kong media outlets bought numerous trending topics and smear articles to attack Huang Bo, attempting to suppress the film's box office performance by stirring up controversy and hindering its success.

The cake is only so big; Jiangdong is not someone to mess with.

If you eat one less bite, then I'll have the chance to eat one more bite.

In the entertainment industry, this is perfectly normal practice.

Ning Hao and Huang Bo are best friends, how could he watch his brother suffer such a loss?
He is unusually active in public interviews and on social media, repeatedly speaking out for Huang Bo and acting out of line.

Compared to the struggling films "Keep Silent" and "Europe Raiders," Huang Bo's "The Island" steadily surpassed the 1.4 billion yuan box office mark, but it's already showing signs of slowing down.
This was likely due to the influx of imported blockbuster films at that time.

Marvel's superhero blockbuster "Ant-Man and the Wasp" was released shortly after, raking in 1.65 million yuan on its opening day and directly topping the Chinese film market.

With Mission: Impossible 6 looming large, Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise even recorded a Chinese TikTok video, indicating that he would soon be holding a premiere in China.

While the film market is cooling down, the television drama market is booming.

Since "Story of Yanxi Palace" took the lead in the first half of the summer, the rest of the time was filled with the sound of "Snow in the Sword".

The sequel to "The Sword and the Brocade" aired for a few extra days, and the plot directly jumped to the long-awaited battle between Liang and Mang.

Viewers across the internet were celebrating the Lunar New Year early. Before the advertisements on Bilibili had even finished airing that night, the comments section was already flooded with messages.

As soon as the main episode cut to a scene of Beiliang's overwhelming power, the trending topic #BattleBetweenBeiliangAndBeimangStarts# shot up to third place at lightning speed.

Not only on Weibo, but on all major social media forums across the internet, the posts were flooded with "Finally, we've been waiting for you."

Zhou Yutang's portrayal of Xu Fengnian, clad in the robes of the Northern Liang King, stands atop the city wall, his armor covered in frost and snow. With his hands on his sword and gazing at the battlefield, he is undoubtedly another iconic image to go viral, following in the footsteps of "The White-Haired Prince."

The battle between Liang and Mang got countless male viewers excited, but female viewers were more focused on Jiang Ni.

"Your Highness, please reconsider! Traveling thousands of miles to war is far too dangerous!"

The old minister of Western Chu's advice ultimately turned into a long sigh. Jiang Ni gazed in the direction of Northern Liang, her voice soft yet firm.

"He is guarding Beiliang, so I will go and guard him." The scenery of Xichu is beautiful, but nothing beats Jiangni.

Having acquired Cao Changqing's foundation, coupled with the legacy of the old sword god and her own potential talent, Jiang Ni, who had already attained the status of a terrestrial immortal, resolutely took off the magnificent robes of the Western Chu Empress.

After making proper arrangements.

The next second, Jiang Ni touched the ground with her toes, and the sword light flashed, piercing the night sky.

Illuminate the heavens and the netherworld!

A figure in white rose up on a sword, her skirt billowing in the wind.

At this time, she was neither Princess Taiping burdened with national hatred nor an empress who wanted to lead Western Chu to greatness again.

She was just that little girl who always followed Xu Fengnian around in the Northern Liang royal palace back then.

At that time, his vow to kill Xu Fengnian was just empty talk.

Now they have truly given up everything, and with a desperate determination, they are heading to the Liangmang battlefield.

According to the world setting of "Snowy Mountain", the land immortals are practically invincible.

However, there are also terrestrial immortals in the Northern Mang army, and one of them is the peerless ruthless person who is the descendant of King Xianzhi of Wudi City, the Northern Mang army god Tuoba Pusa.

The Rouran Iron Cavalry, led by their leader Hong Jingyan, and including a group of experts like Murong Baoding, were overwhelmed by the Northern Mang's well-prepared and powerful army, whose numbers far surpassed those of the Northern Liang army.

It's not that the Central Plains Liyang Dynasty is weaker than the Northern Barbarians; it's mainly because the Zhao family is wary of the powerful Northern Liang.

There was also a mastermind behind the scenes who was making moves, intending to use Xu Fengnian to intercept and kill Bei Mang, and to weaken Bei Liang's remaining forces in this battle.

This laid the groundwork for Xu Fengnian's later solo entry into Tai'an City, where he trampled through the bones of nobles and officials on the streets, leading to a series of embarrassing reversals.

When the episode featuring Jiang Ni charging forward for love and soaring thousands of miles on her sword aired, the comments section on both video platforms exploded that very night.

"Charging for love, a sword spanning ten thousand miles! Little Mudman, I'm really crying my eyes out!"

"Ahhhhh, Jiang Ni looks so cool and beautiful right now!"

"The goddess Liu Tianxian has descended!"

"."

The viewers were so engrossed in the show that the barrage of comments almost completely covered the screen.

When this scene was being filmed, Zhou Yutang was rumored to be having an affair with someone. Little Liu seemed quite immersed in her role, truly capturing Jiang Ni's deeply affectionate yet conflicted state of mind perfectly.
For the iconic scenes that their own boss is particularly interested in.

Director Li Muge was also completely fired up, capturing the entire scene with exceptional beauty.

Liu Tianxian's pride and determination, Zhou Yutang's shock and heartache, are all masked by a seemingly nonchalant banter and joke.

The moment we met again.

The two looked at each other and said nothing.

It's exactly what a beautiful love should be like, and it always makes people smile like a doting aunt.

As netizens have put it, every frame of this screenshot is worthy of being used as wallpaper or screensaver.

After the climax of Jiang Ni's journey across thousands of miles on her sword to find her husband aired, it swept nine of the top ten spots on the trending topics list that night!
"#Jiang Ni travels thousands of miles on a sword to find her husband#"

"#Xu Fengnian's ginger paste is a perfect match#"

"#Zhou Yutang and Liu Yifei's on-screen chemistry#"

"#The annual drama 'Snowy Peak' breaks new viewership records#"

"."

Even major forums such as Douyin and Xiaohongshu were flooded with related topics.

Even casual viewers who don't usually watch period dramas were bombarded with posts about it. Some people clicked on the full episode out of curiosity and became fans after watching the story of Jiang Ni going to war.

"Yes, I'm glad everyone likes this drama. Someone asked what it's like to act opposite him?"

This time, Liu Yifei was arranged to interact with the audience via live stream. The young lady, displaying her characteristic arrogance during interviews, feigned composure and said:
"Actually, I don't have any special feelings. Everyone here is a very professional actor, and we've worked together many times before."

Yes, we were very immersed in the role, and it was easy for us to get into character when we were acting together.
Actually, he worked quite hard. The filming took place in the summer, and during the war scenes, the armor he wore weighed over 40 kilograms. He also did many of the action scenes himself.

"The fairy is so considerate and knows how to pamper her husband. The Grand Commander is so lucky!"

"No wonder the Grand Commander retired from his life of crime; this is too much suffering. An ordinary person really couldn't endure it."

"Please, Grand Commander, make another one, just one hundred million. I'll do anything for you."

"Jiang Ni is indeed the most perfect role that Tianyi has created in recent years. She portrayed Jiang Ni's naivety, stubbornness, and deep affection very well."

"I agree. Many ancient costume dramas nowadays force a romantic pairing, it's all artificial sweetness. Liu Yifei and Zhou Yu's scenes together, every detail conveys love, that's a truly divine couple!"

"Yes, these two get along very naturally and without any awkwardness."

"How could it feel out of place? These two have probably been together for almost 10 years, right? [Laughing with hands on hips][Laughing with hands on hips]"

"."

Aunt Liu browsed the exciting bullet comments in the live stream with great interest.

I can’t finish it, I can’t finish it at all.

The more I looked, the happier I became: My daughter truly has the makings of an heir!
We're just waiting for Xiao Zhou to turn over a new leaf and realize his mistakes, so that this perfect couple can be sweet both on and off screen.

Perfect rhythm, this game is in the bag!

Some netizens inevitably compared Jiang Ni to Liu Yifei's famous roles in period dramas such as Zhao Ling'er and Xiaolongnu.

Whether it was Zhao Ling'er or Xiaolongnu, Liu Yifei was in her prime at that time, carrying an ethereal and innocent air about her.

To be fair, he's quite dedicated.

But in terms of acting skills, they're just average.

The current Princess Taiping, Jiang Ni, is also a script revised by Zhou Yutang, and is also a natural and full-fledged performance by Liu Yifei after years of honing her acting skills.

To be worldly-wise yet not cynical, to be sophisticated yet remain innocent.

The breathtaking beauty that blooms exclusively for one person is what truly moves countless people.

Even before the TV series finished airing, the online viewership statistics, both domestically and internationally, have already exceeded 10 billion!

Even Japanese and South Korean television stations have reported on this super drama that swept across Asia this year.

The show garnered massive online viewership, and its television ratings were equally phenomenal.

According to data released by Shanghai's Tomato TV, the show's peak real-time ratings that night exceeded 4.5, setting a new record for the highest ratings for a period drama this year, and the overall average ratings for the entire series exceeded 3!

In this era of declining viewership ratings, many big-budget dramas struggle to even break the 1% mark.

Now, thanks to the Grand Commander's personal involvement, the ratings of Shanghai's Tomato TV have been brought to this level!
Especially considering the situation of viewership being diverted by Jiangsu TV, it's simply an incredible miracle in the film and television industry.

Jiangsu TV's ratings were slightly lower, but the results were still impressive—an average rating of 2.75, which still stood out among dramas airing at the same time.

"As expected, Mr. Zhou's performance was nothing out of the ordinary, just a slight improvement over expectations."

The person in charge of purchasing drama series for Jiangsu TV said with a beaming smile at a recent industry conference.

This is way too Versailles!
The colleagues in the audience had red eyes and were all cursing.

A phenomenal hit drama series that swept across Asia.

Even so, it still slightly exceeded my expectations!

(End of this chapter)