China Entertainment's Standout

Chapter 1055 The Best Gift! There's no joking in the military!

Some things can be left until a private moment when it's just the two of you.

Back then, you could be more unrestrained and not have to worry about anything.

But right now it's the highly anticipated Venice Film Festival awards ceremony, so we have to be a little more restrained.

Mature women always know what men like and dislike.

For example, Teacher Fan clearly understands Zhou Yutang's thoughts.

He has never liked to be ostentatious, and now that he is in the limelight, he has already intended to reduce the exposure of his private activities. If he does anything to deliberately attract attention, it will only make him less popular.

So after a brief period of euphoria, the tide of emotion quickly receded, and reason regained control.

Then, she gave Xin Zhilei a loving hug, then reached out and pulled the bewildered Li Qin close, leaned down and gave her a light kiss on the cheek.

When the camera panned over, the viewers in the live stream erupted in cheers once again.

Who doesn't love looking at pictures of beautiful women?
This made it seem as if the excitement just now wasn't so deliberate.

After a brief celebration, a wave of applause swept through the hall.

Teacher Fan, lifting the hem of her black phoenix-tail embroidered gold dress, slowly walked towards the stage.

The gold embroidery on the dress reflected a shimmering light under the dazzling lights, and the hem swayed gently with her steps, like a golden phoenix spreading its wings as if about to take flight.

Exquisitely beautiful!
It must be said that this gown, hand-sewn by a renowned craftsman, was both grand and luxurious, exuding a unique oriental elegance, which truly attracted the attention of countless viewers both at the event and those watching the awards ceremony via live stream.

The award presenter was Sylvia Chang, a renowned female director from Taiwan Province. She smiled and handed the trophy to Ms. Fan, and the two Chinese actresses embraced gently on this international stage.

This moment was frozen in time.

I've already locked in tomorrow's top story on the Chinese entertainment page.

This 28-centimeter-tall, 1.2-kilogram silver lion trophy, a symbol of honor, is held in that slender, delicate hand.

Wearing a gorgeous black dress with phoenix tail embroidered with gold, Teacher Fan felt the cool touch of the trophy and her own rapid heartbeat.

With her eyes slightly lowered, a gentle light shone in them.

Ah Le holding a dragon-headed cane - jpg!

Starting today, she will become the third Chinese actress in the history of the Venice Film Festival to win the Best Actress award.

She is also the first leading actress in China to have won three Best Actress awards at three A-list international film festivals.

This honor is enough to elevate her status in the Chinese film industry to a new level.

In the back row, Zhang Ziyi smiled and clapped gently, but a hint of melancholy could not be hidden in her eyes.

Envious glances slowly shifted from Teacher Fan to Zhou Yutang's tall and handsome back in the front row, and a mix of emotions welled up inside.

Even before she became an international star, she understood one thing: in this glamorous industry, for women, choice is always more important than effort.

If you choose the right man, resources and benefits will come knocking on your door, and rising to prominence will be a natural progression.

Otherwise, even getting on the front page of news is a struggle.

"I am Fan Binbin, a Chinese actor."

The applause from the audience finally subsided. Teacher Fan, holding the microphone, shone with a gaze even brighter than the dazzling lights.

"It is an honor to stand on the stage of the Venice Film Festival and receive this weighty Volpi Cup Best Actress trophy. My dream has come true at this moment."

There is no deliberate attempt to evoke emotion; it is simply a natural expression of genuine feelings that is always easy to touch people's hearts.

The applause from the audience surged forth again, even more enthusiastically and for a longer time than before.

Under the spotlight, Teacher Fan's makeup was exquisite, her dress dazzling, and she seemed to be glowing.

Having seemed a little nervous before, Teacher Fan paused, took a deep breath, and completely relaxed before continuing:
"I feel like I'm dreaming."

I never imagined I would have the opportunity to stand on such a big stage, allowing more people to see me and to see Chinese cinema.

As soon as he spoke, understanding laughter and encouraging applause rang out from the audience.

As the sound drew nearer, it all vanished completely.

"Fate will not let down those who work hard, and now my dream has finally come true."

I am grateful to director Cao Baoping for his trust, to the screenwriting team for their hard work in creating this character, to my co-stars Li Qin, Xin Zhilei, and Chen Xiao, and to the entire crew.

Without your dedication, there would be no wonderful film, "She Kills". The character I played was an ordinary woman caught in a moral dilemma and emotional entanglement. This character was not beautiful or charming, but she was resilient and real enough.

I remembered something a very important person in my life once told me: no one needs to waste their energy internally. As long as you improve compared to your past self, the future will give you the best answer. Now is my bright future.

Finally, I want to thank this wonderful evening. I was a little nervous before going on stage, so I ate a candy, and it was very sweet.

After a pause, Teacher Fan raised the trophy and continued, "My birthday is coming up soon, and I think this is probably the best birthday gift I've ever received in my life."

This acceptance speech was delivered in a roundabout and ambiguous manner.

Although she didn't mention any names, her gaze had already pierced through the crowd and landed precisely on a certain spot in the audience.

Where is the slightest trace of the domineering female CEO persona she usually cultivates?

At this moment, the reserved yet affectionate Teacher Fan is just like a naive young girl in love, so gentle it's almost melting.

A young woman with a youthful charm is absolutely stunning; the foreigners in the audience, though bewildered, applauded enthusiastically.

Netizens exclaimed that the director should get a bonus, and the camera, at just the right moment, focused on Governor Zhou, whose legs were naturally crossed, and the live stream chat instantly erupted in excitement.
"Congratulations, Teacher Fan, but who is she talking about?"

"Could it be Mu Xiaoguang?"

"That's ancient history. Mu Xiaoguang stopped working with Teacher Fan a long time ago and started his own company."

"Is there even a need to guess? This 'tang' is not that 'tang'. Besides the Grand Commander of Jiangdong, who else could it be?"

"Did you guys see that? They almost kissed just now?"

Did they actually kiss?

"They absolutely had to kiss! This sweet older woman/younger man romance is just too sweet!"

"."

After Teacher Fan returned from the stage with the trophy and certificate, the award ceremony continued.

The subsequent awards had little to do with Jiang Dong.

The Silver Lion Jury Prize was awarded to Yorgos Lanthimos for "The Favourite." This bearded Greek director, hailed as a European genius, possesses both experience and talent, making his award well-deserved.

Cao Baoping lost the Silver Lion for Best Director to French director Jacques Audiard, whose film "The Sisters Brothers" was also a strong contender tonight.

Cao Baoping felt a little regretful about this, but quickly accepted the result.

He knew in his heart that a Best Screenplay award plus an Actress award had almost pushed "She Kills" to its limit.

If it weren't for Governor Zhou's behind-the-scenes maneuvering, he probably would have only won a screenwriting award at most.

Finally, Guillermo del Toro, president of the main competition jury, took to the stage and awarded the Golden Lion for Best Film to his fellow Mexican, Alfonso Cuarón's "Roma".

Filmmakers in the front row turned to look, while media reporters in the back whispered among themselves.

Clearly, this result seems to have exceeded many people's expectations.

This year's event was hailed by the organizing committee as a once-in-a-decade spectacle, with a plethora of excellent films. While "Roma" was praised for its delicate narrative, it also faced competition from several other critically acclaimed works, including strong contenders for the Golden Lion.

Guillermo del Toro is, in fact, a defeated opponent of Chow Yun-fat. Last year, "Joker" slammed him aside, sweeping awards and cementing Chow's legendary status.

Alfonso Cuarón, the director of "Roma" who won the Golden Lion this year, also directed "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" and "Gravity". He and Guillermo del Toro are known as the "Three Mexican Masters" and the two are good friends.

"The martial arts world is not just about fighting and killing; it's about human relationships and social interactions."

Many people seemed to have some reservations. Chen Xiao lowered his voice and talked about it with Cao Baoping next to him. Zhou Yutang shook his head and couldn't help but laugh.

This is almost an unspoken rule in the industry: if even your own people don't support you, who will help you when trouble comes?

Just like the projects of the Jiangdong Group, he will give priority to his own artists. This is not favoritism, but the basic logic of survival in the industry.

Of course, in terms of the subject matter of the film, "Roma" certainly had a lot of advantages.

Gilmore, that old fox, is a real shrewd fellow. During his closing remarks, he gathered a group of people to stir up trouble, calling on the organizing committee to establish a gender equality group.

This is because there is only one film directed by a woman in the main competition at Venice this year, namely Jennifer Kent's "The Nightingale".

The gender equality trend that emerged from the North American test server has eventually crossed the ocean and reached the Apennine Peninsula.

However, these things have nothing to do with Governor Zhou.

After receiving the award, Teacher Fan returned backstage and was being interviewed by reporters, sharing her feelings about winning the award.

Before the ice-lying sugar-sucking segment, Governor Zhou took the opportunity to reply to a WeChat message.

I've chatted with Zhou Ye quite a bit these past few days.

She also came to Venice with Zhang Yimou.

However, this new "Fish Girl" was not as prominent as Teacher Fan; she didn't walk the closing ceremony red carpet and flew to Toronto instead.

For a newcomer like her, it's certainly beneficial to make an appearance at such international film festivals.

After briefly replying to the message, Zhou Yutang held a conference call with the Jiangdong Game Club.

Jiangdong Entertainment Dynasty holds an unshakeable position in the film and television industry, and its gaming division is also a top global player.

The main divisions are League of Legends and PUBG, especially the former, which has gained countless fans due to its flashy gameplay and outstanding achievements.

According to statistics on fan data from both internal and external networks, Jiangdong Games consistently ranks first in total number of fans across all platforms.

Overseas fans account for 42% of the total, and the club ranks first in the world in terms of both social media interaction and sales of merchandise.

Such achievements are enough to leave any competitor in the dust.

However, even with these unparalleled earnings in the esports industry, Zhou Dudu still felt somewhat inadequate.

Compared to the billions of yuan in revenue generated by Jiangdong film and television projects, which also involve capital operations, the profits from mobile games are even more outrageous.
Therefore, he has always left club-level matters to the management team.

From player recruitment and tactical planning to logistical support, Zhou Yutang almost never interferes too much.

After all, the club has been operating stably over the years, and its player salary system and youth training mechanism are mature.

Only during crucial events like the World Championship would he take the time to briefly review the tournament schedule and tactical plans, and incidentally make an appearance.

This was intended to attract public attention and boost morale.

After listening to the club manager's extravagant boasts and unrealistic promises, Governor Zhou glanced at the S-series preparation plan on the tablet and said with a half-smile,
"Manager Liu, are you saying, a minimum guarantee of making it to the finals? Are you making a solemn promise to me?"

"President Zhou, the players are in excellent form recently, I have confidence in them."

"There is no joke in the army."

Zhou Yutang closed his laptop and laughed: "If we really win the championship, after deducting the skin revenue share, the club's bonus will double, including yours."

As the saying goes, a generous reward will surely attract brave men.

Manager Liu, a former member of the Chinese national table tennis team, couldn't hide his joy upon hearing this and said, "Thank you, General Manager Zhou! With your words, our team feels even more confident!"

He was a seasoned veteran, and casually added, "By the way, I must congratulate President Zhou on 'She Kills' winning two major awards at Venice this time."

"The final is next month?"

"The group stage will begin during the National Day holiday, and the finals will be in November."

"hehe."

Zhou Yutang chuckled softly, "Don't put too much pressure on the players. There are many variables in esports competitions, just do your best."

"Understood. I promise to ensure the team members are in top condition and give it their all!"

"."

As for the training and competition arrangements, Zhou Yutang only listened casually.

After the video call ended, he turned to Chen Duling and asked, "Where will this year's finals be held?"

"It seems to be Incheon."

"Rocket Girls had a final collaboration stage, right?"

"Boss, you have a great memory."

Chen Duling's lips twitched slightly.

They can't remember place names, but they immediately perk up when you mention girl groups dancing.

The majority of Rocket Girls' management contracts are held by the Jiangdong Group, with Tencent also having a stake.

Since acquiring Riot Games, League of Legends has become a trump card for Tencent, and naturally, the profits won't go to outsiders.

This year's Summer League featured many activities endorsed by members of the popular girl group Rocket Girls, and Rocket Girls also had a spot as a performance guest on the World Finals stage.

Every year, the performance guests at the League of Legends World Championship Finals are top bands such as Imagine Dragons and Linkin Park. Being able to perform on the same stage is considered to elevate the status of Rocket Girls.

"If I have time then, I can go and take a look."

Zhou Yutang flipped through the report that his secretary had prepared in advance and said casually.

One year spent similar, each year is different.

This year, the Jiangdong team has experienced some ups and downs in its performance after roster changes, but with its deep-rooted legacy, it remains the top team in the LPL.

It's worth mentioning that this year, Wang Jianlin's investment in the IG team has made a surprising comeback. Wang spent a lot of money to buy back the super player Rookie and the popular solo queue player TheShy from the South Korean LCK.

Then, their own super rookie, jakelove, unlocked the baby lock after coming of age, forming the Super Trident.

Adding in Royal Never Give Up (RNG) and EDG (the "pig farm"), the overall landscape of the LPL is roughly like this.

What's interesting is that Wang Jianlin, the owner of IG, even went and registered for player certification, and actually participated in a League of Legends LPL Summer Split as a professional player.

Zhou Yutang had played with Wang Xiaowang from Wanda before and knew his skill level very well.

His verbal skills are probably at a professional level; he can verbally abuse Lin Gengxin to the point of being a dog. As for his actions, they are just average.

He himself doesn't have time to play games, but his secretary often watches the games and occasionally goes to the venue to watch them live.

"Xiao Wang even won the game he played."

"That shows that IG is not to be underestimated this year; they can even influence things."

While making jokes, Zhou Yutang opened his phone and browsed some clips on Bilibili.

In the first game, Xiao Wang played as the ADC, and as expected, the game went against them. They relied entirely on the individual skills of their teammates to fight back and ultimately win.

After the match, Wanda's Xiao Wang announced his retirement on the spot, directly setting a record for the shortest playing time among LPL professional players and a 100% win rate.
This is probably going to become another famous internet meme.
(End of this chapter)