China Entertainment's Standout

Chapter 1052 Betting on Glory, Gaining International Recognition

"Governor Zhou's special plane has arrived in Italy with great fanfare!"

"Giorgio Armani hosted a banquet for the Grand Commander of Jiangdong, and top actresses posed arm in arm with him, with Teacher Fan smiling sweetly!"

"It is understood that Liverpool's football director and three senior executives from Jiangdong Group's overseas foundations arrived in Milan a few days ago, and their annual performance review may contain big moves!"

"Chinese streetwear brand Yu Sheng Jia has revealed its overseas expansion plans, including opening two flagship stores in Milan and Paris this year!"

"."

Zhou Dudu practically dominated the headlines of the domestic entertainment and finance sections.

This powerful dragon crossing the river stirred up a storm in Italy and even became a local hot topic.

Teacher Fan also gained a lot of attention.

That evening, Ms. Fan was also busy. Before the banquet was over, photos of her arm in arm with Zhou Yutang and chatting and laughing with Giorgio Armani had already been uploaded to social media accounts by her team.

Compared to dry business news, celebrity love affairs are obviously more eye-catching.

A while ago, the fans of Tianxian fought with the million little lions until the Great Dao was almost completely destroyed.

Who would have thought that when the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits?

Governor Zhou went out to sea on official business, only to have his home raided. Fan Laoshi's fans, waving the "Ice Sugar CP" flag high, have once again risen up in a frenzy.

Within just one hour of its release, the post garnered over a million likes that evening, instantly sparking heated discussions across China, with the topic reaching over 1 million views overnight.

The next morning, the two parties involved boarded a yacht bound for the Lido Island in Venice.

"No wonder Zeng Li likes to come here."

Ms. Fan, her face partially obscured by Chanel sunglasses, raised a hand to smooth her long, wavy hair, which had been tousled by the sea breeze. As she parted her lips slightly, her snow-white arm was pressed against the man beside her.
"It is indeed quite comfortable."

"Since you're comfortable, stay a few more days and give yourself a break."

Governor Zhou toyed with a Cuban cigar in his hand, his eyes sweeping across the sea, taking in the entire landscape.

"People are born to work hard; how can they compare to the comfortable life of some others?"

Teacher Fan's words were tinged with sourness: "Masami Nagasawa even went to visit the set, and that actress Xiao Ma, could it be that she came to Italy for vacation after you?"
Living in my Italian home, I can roam freely here. Who cares about the way back? Who cares about other people's opinions? Who cares about the kind of life I'm pursuing in my heart?

Her words were not unfounded.

Masami Nagasawa is undoubtedly one of the top female celebrities in Japan, and there are many paparazzi watching her.

She personally visited the film crew where Zhou Yutang was working, and the photos made headlines in both countries that same day.

The media seized the opportunity to bring up the old story again, hyping up the rumors about the two, and also dragging in Toho's little princess, Minami Hamabe.

Rumors about a "one dragon, two phoenixes" pairing were not uncommon, and Jiangdong's PR team worked overtime for several days before the hype subsided.

Zhou Dudu's plane had just landed when Ma Sichun followed him to Milan.

She is also one of the "Fish Girls" who have recently been targeted by entertainment reporters, and she has received a lot of attention.

Yesterday, after Governor Zhou finished his busy work and banquet, he worked late into the night. Teacher Fan was a little bothered by the short essay that Xiao Ma posted last night, feeling that she seemed to be implying something, and couldn't help but make a few sarcastic remarks.

"What a coincidence."

Zhou Yutang shook his head and chuckled, took out his phone and opened WeChat. The chat interface was still showing the last conversation.

Xiao Ma had mentioned wanting to travel abroad to relax, but unexpectedly chose Italy as his destination.

This time, however, they missed each other. Governor Zhou's schedule was tight, with one meeting after another, and he really had no time for anything else.

It's said that the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and that a woman who knows how to be charming has a good life.

Teacher Fan clearly understands this principle, and occasional jealousy and little temper tantrums have long been a source of fun between the two.

Governor Zhou was happy to go along with her and say a few words of flattery.

However, on the other hand, she does indeed have plans to buy property in Italy.

Firstly, Aimeishen plans to set up an office in Milan next year to handle its beauty and fashion business in Europe.

In addition, with frequent fashion trips every year, it's inevitable to travel back and forth between two places, so having a place to stay is convenient.

The customs and culture of Italy are somewhat similar to those in China, and she is particularly fond of the beautiful scenery of Sicily. Occasionally, she brings her family here for a vacation, which is quite pleasant.

Today, Ms. Fan is a shareholder of Haidilao, and her Aimeishen business is also thriving. She is a well-known wealthy woman in the industry and can afford to buy a house without any financial burden.

While contacting real estate agents, Zhou Yutang also took the time to hold a remote video conference with Jiang Xuerou.

Jiangdong's TV drama division has had a stellar year.

The recently concluded "Snowy Mountain" series garnered over 289 billion views across domestic and international online platforms, achieving phenomenal ratings on both television and online, undoubtedly a resounding victory.

However, during the final stages of the victory settlement, the Grand Commander happened to have an overseas trip, which was a bit of a disappointment for everyone in the Jiangdong TV drama department.

Of course, routine video conferences continued as usual, and the usual credit-giving ceremony was not missed.

Jiang Xuerou, who oversees all aspects of Jiangdong's TV drama business, reported: "President Zhou, the open beta of Xingchen Games' mobile game has ended, and it is expected to officially launch on Friday. According to President Chen's feedback, the response has been very positive."

Zhou Yutang, who was reclining on the yacht's sofa, nodded slightly upon hearing this.

This is the benefit of controlling the entire entertainment industry chain.

Just like top Hollywood film projects, the box office revenue is only the tip of the iceberg; the real profits come from subsequent development of derivative products, games, IP licensing, and other related products.

Last year, Jiangdong made a fortune with the web game "Three Lives Three Worlds". This year, "Snowy Mountain" is a phenomenal IP and it is certainly not to be missed.

As early as when the sequel to the TV series was first conceived, Starry Games had already established a special task force.

The game's storyline design was developed concurrently with the promotion and release phase. Now, with the TV series having just finished airing and the online buzz still high, it's the perfect time for it to bear fruit.

Many people are misled by the hype in the press releases about how much the first-run broadcast or online streaming rights were sold, or how many billions the box office revenue was.

In reality, the profits from film and television projects, after deducting the high production and distribution costs, may not be that much.

On the contrary, web games and mobile games rely on the popularity of IPs to attract users and then monetize through operation in the later stages, which is the real way to make a fortune quietly.

Seeing that Governor Zhou was in high spirits, Jiang Xuerou continued to report: "Filming of 'The Silent Truth' is more than halfway done. If all goes well, it can be completed by the end of the month at the earliest. However, there was a problem with Xin Shuang. One of the children twisted his ankle."

"Has it been taken to the hospital for a check-up?" Zhou Yutang asked, frowning slightly.

"They took me for an X-ray, and the doctor said there's nothing seriously wrong."

Jiang Xuerou continued, "These kids are mostly acting for the first time and have little acting experience. We have to teach them lines and blocking techniques step by step. Currently, the scenes they are responsible for have only been completed at most a quarter of the way, which is much slower than originally planned."

"Then let's take it slow."

Zhou Yutang, however, was not in a hurry at all.

Xin Shuang's situation is a bit special.

Zi Jinchen's original novel is called "Bad Kids". Apart from veteran actors such as Qin Hao, Wang Jingchun, Liu Lin, and Wang Jianhui, a considerable part of the plot focuses on several children.

The performances of these children determined the quality of the entire play.

After all, such talented individuals are rare and require hands-on instruction. Fortunately, this drama won't air until at least next year, so there's no rush right now.

Then there's "The Squid Game." After finishing filming in Beijing, Wen Muyue led the main crew to Yancheng.

"I just came back from Yancheng. The scenery is truly beautiful, and the local staff were incredibly hospitable."

Jiang Xue subtly and quietly showered him with compliments, displaying impeccable social skills. This massive wave of attention finally reached Zhou Dudu's hometown, Yancheng, where the entire city was united in excitement and encouragement.

Each department had held a meeting well in advance to discuss and finalize the entire strategy, and the vanity project had to be done well.

Leaving aside the grand spectacle of gongs, drums, and firecrackers, the Jiang Dong family's film crew was greeted by a massive crowd, flooding social media feeds.

"The trailer for 'Sito' on Mango TV wasn't effective, so we re-edited it and moved on to the next phase of promotional work."

"I'll have my subordinates change it right away."

Jiang Xuerou quickly understood.

Even though Zhou Yutang was abroad, he spent a lot of time chatting with Princess Tian.

The entire summer movie season was dominated by "Snowy Mountain". The two big three from Jiangsu and Shanghai enjoyed great success, while Hunan TV, the big brother of the remaining three, had a tough time.

To be precise, Hunan TV has had a really tough few months.

First, it was suppressed by Blueberry TV's "Unrequited Love: Orange Born in Huainan", and then Zhou Dudu's swan song helped the two heroes from Jiangsu and Shanghai reach the top, suppressing Hunan TV all the way!

As a long-established leader among domestic satellite TV stations, when had it ever been in such a frustrating situation?!

Hunan TV then staked its glory on the next drama, "Si Teng".

You have the Jiangdong Grand Drama, and so do I.
At the screening event held at Jiang Dong's house, Hunan TV lost the competition for the sequel to "Snowy Mountain" to the collaboration between the two giants from Suzhou and Shanghai. However, Hunan TV did not come away empty-handed. It was this fantasy masterpiece directed by Li Mugo!

The "Snowy Mountain" series not only made veteran actors like Xie Junhao, Feng Yuanzheng, and Jiao Enjun famous, but also brought fame to its director, Li Muge.

Although he is known in the industry as Zhou Dudu's puppet, he is still a director who has produced phenomenal blockbusters, and he is especially good at filming beautiful women.

His work has produced countless highlight shots.

Now, with the same project he's in charge of, "Si Teng" is highly anticipated by Hunan TV.

Upon arriving at Lido Island, we rested briefly before returning to Manlan.

Governor Zhou then went to support the global premiere of the National Director's new film "Shadow".

The Palazzo Lido in Venice was packed tonight.

He was nominated for the Venice Film Festival four times, won the Golden Lion, Venice's highest honor, twice, and once won the Silver Lion for Best Director.

With this honor, he firmly holds the top spot among the three veteran directors in the Chinese server.

On the international stage, Zhang Yimou has a certain level of prestige.

This year, his Three Kingdoms-themed film "Shadow" was not selected for the main competition of this year's film festival, but as a major film in the non-competitive main screening section, it still attracted a lot of attention from foreigners.

The Grand Preceptor, who was being interviewed by a group of domestic and foreign media, suddenly heard Pang Liwei come to deliver a message.
"Director Zhang, President Zhou is here."

"Oh?"

Zhang Yimou's face lit up with joy: "I'll go take a look."

The Imperial Advisor came out to greet him, but Zhou Yutang only chuckled softly.
"You go about your business, I just came to check on you."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, he sat discreetly in the front row with Fan Meiren beside him and they started talking about buying a house.

In fact, Zhou Yutang had no intention of overshadowing the main character; today was the stage for the Imperial Advisor.

Wow! Wow! Wow!
When the movie ended, the entire audience erupted in applause that lasted for five minutes.

"It seems like the Imperial Advisor has a rather unfortunate fate."

Looking at the national teacher on the stage, who seemed to have aged considerably, Teacher Fan couldn't help but sigh.

Zhou Yutang shook his head and chuckled, "How can it not be tough? This show hasn't even aired yet, and there are already two projects in the queue. I heard they're also looking at a new script."

He himself is a rising star who is famous for his dramatic works, but when he encounters a master of dramatic works like Zhang Yimou, he still has to admit defeat.

At forty, one is no longer perplexed; at fifty, one knows the mandate of Heaven; at sixty, one's ears are attuned to the truth; at seventy, one can follow one's heart's desire.

Zhou Yutang felt that he was in his forties or fifties and should have retired long ago to enjoy life.

This year marks the 68th anniversary of Zhang Yimou's 40-year career in film, and he continues to shine on the front lines.

However, having already received numerous accolades at various film festivals, the director now focuses more on the well-being of those around him when undertaking projects.

The enthusiastic response from the audience undoubtedly boosted morale.

When Zhang Yimou returned to the stage for an interview, he was moved to tears and said, "I am grateful to Mr. Zhou for giving me a lot of room to maneuver. In order to ensure the integrity of the plot and the visuals, everything from small accessories to large scenes had to be scrapped and reworked countless times."
To perfectly integrate the narrative style of traditional Chinese ink painting with the styles of many excellent traditional Chinese cultural elements such as Bagua, Yin and Yang, and the zither into the entire film story, the entire production team made a lot of efforts.

This is a completely new attempt, and I hope it can pave a different path for Chinese cinema.

These words were eagerly recorded by the media present, and foreign media reports were overwhelming.

American magazine Variety even named it one of the 20 most anticipated unreleased films, sending Chinese netizens into a frenzy.

"Based on the trailer alone, it has taken Eastern aesthetics to the extreme. Zhang Yimou's new film will be a movie worth looking forward to."

"The film aims to convey China's excellent traditional culture and may be a pleasant surprise during the National Day holiday."

"Zhang Yimou has ushered in another creative peak in his film career, this wave is going to be a sure thing!"

"."

The prevailing opinion in China is that the national director will finally reach the top, which makes Teacher Fan somewhat annoyed: "If I had known, I would have turned down the job. The female lead should have been offered to me."

For this project, Zhang Yimou initially intended for Zhou Yutang to play the role of the Grand Commander, paired with either a teacher named Fan or a beautiful woman in a blue dress.

Then, a group of veteran actors were invited to set up the stage.

This way, they can capture all the viewership while ensuring the overall quality of the finished film.

However, Zhou Dudu was too busy with his schedule and passed it on to Zhu Yilong. The beautiful woman in green was pregnant and taking care of her child, and Teacher Fan had two other projects on her plate, so she voluntarily withdrew from the project.

The cake later ended up in Takano's hands.

"There's no need to feel sorry, this role isn't that interesting."

Seeing that Teacher Fan was secretly annoyed, Zhou Yutang gently comforted him, "Excessive stylization and innovation are not necessarily a good thing."

"This"

Teacher Fan asked curiously, "You mean, it's not guaranteed to explode?"

"Yes."

Zhou Yutang nodded and said, "The story is a bit convoluted and has a certain viewing threshold, so it's not very appealing to the current film market. We'll see when the time comes."

"Mysterious."

Teacher Fan gave him a reproachful glare, then, remembering the news she had just seen, asked curiously, "I heard that after Venice, Zhang Yimou is going to Toronto for the premiere?"

"That's what happened."

This was all arranged by Chen Xi; Zhou Yutang only heard the gist of it.

But to be honest,

The quality of this film still falls short of Governor Zhou's expectations.

(End of this chapter)