China Entertainment's Standout

Chapter 1082 The End of the Golden Age, His Legend Remains in the Martial World

I returned to Beijing two days ago.

Zhou Yutang's biological clock remained as stable as ever.

Even though absence makes the heart grow fonder, and he and the beautiful woman spent several nights cuddling together, he still woke up at the crack of dawn to exercise.

By the time I finished my 20th set of bench press exercises with hooks set to 50kg in my own gym, the work overseas had been completed.

Warner Music is in the news, with several high-ranking executives being ousted.

Kevin, the palace intrigue champion who was originally in contact with Zhou Yutang, lost in the power struggle after the acquisition was completed and officially announced his resignation.

John Stankey, a key figure at AT&T and its Chief Strategy Officer, has not yet officially announced his appointment as CEO of WarnerMedia, but he has already privately extended a significant gesture of goodwill to Zhou Yutang.

Horses still run, dances still happen, everything remains the same.

Warner Bros. just needs clips from Aquaman, including the subsequent collaboration with Douyin (TikTok) on the Jiangdong Group, for global trailer promotion.

Zhou Yutang had no objection to this.

He was also a major producer of the film, so the two sides were essentially in the same boat.

After finishing my work, I took a shower and felt incredibly refreshed.

The capital city was already showing signs of chill in mid-November, but Zhou Yutang, wrapped in a bathrobe, did not feel cold.

Just as I took a sip of ice water, I saw the beautiful woman curled up on the sofa, holding her phone and speaking softly on the phone.

"...Wenwen, don't be too sad. Grandpa's passing is a happy one. He's just been moved to another way to be with us..."

Zhou Yutang didn't disturb her, but sat down next to her and naturally pulled her into his arms.

While listening to Da Meiyuan comfort Jia Jingwen, she was busy scrolling through movie and TV show news on her phone.

Something really big happened in the entertainment industry last night.

The passing of that Hong Kong martial arts master has shaken half of the film and television industry.

Because entertainment options were limited in that era, the works of several martial arts masters became a shared memory for several generations.

To borrow a recent report from the People's Daily: How desolate my childhood would have been without Master Jin.

Coincidentally, Jia Jingwen's maternal grandfather also passed away on the same day.

Birth, aging, sickness, and death are the natural course of life, but when they happen to loved ones, it is always unpleasant.

Especially after giving birth to her daughter, Da Meiyuan, who was originally an artistic young woman, became even more sentimental.

Da Meiyuan hugged Zhou Yutang even tighter, as if afraid he would run away at any moment, and murmured:

"That's so sudden, Yu Tang. Have you met Mr. Jin?"

"This is not."

“When Wenwen and I were filming, Mr. Jin even came to visit the set.”

"Is there still such a thing?"

"OK."

Zhou Yutang paused for a moment, then understood.

Martial arts dramas were the answer in the film and television industry more than a decade ago. At that time, whether or not an actor could star in a martial arts drama was a testament to their status.

Countless first- and second-tier celebrities in the industry have benefited from this.

Following the marketing tactics that existed back then, they used the interaction between the author and the actor to increase the buzz and generate interest.

Back when "The Return of the Condor Heroes" was being written, this Master Jin even signed and gifted a copy of the book to Miss Liu.

At the time, Zhou Yutang was just a temporary worker and only stayed on set for a short period of time, so he naturally had no chance to meet her.

Gao Yuanyuan and Jia Jingwen first met on the set of "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber".

One is Zhou Zhiruo, and the other is Zhao Min. They have known each other for more than ten years, so it is not surprising that they have met Jin Yong.

May the two elderly people rest in peace.

Life must go on. Zhou Yutang comforted Da Meiyuan slightly, when his phone suddenly vibrated.

Upon answering, his brows furrowed.

A rare, unusual look flashed across that face that was usually impassive.

Da Meiyuan sensed something was wrong and asked with concern, "Has something happened on set?"

"That's not true."

Zhou Yutang put down her phone and sighed softly:

"Mr. Zou has passed away, and I have to go to Hong Kong Island."

……

Thump thump thump.

Then several building blocks fell down.

This familiar scene likely represents the sentiments of a generation.

Mentioning the glory days of Hong Kong's entertainment industry in the last century.

It is inevitable to mention the titan of Hong Kong cinema, Raymond Chow.

To paraphrase a veteran filmmaker,

The most glorious period of his company, Golden Harvest, was also the golden age of Hong Kong cinema.

Almost all of Hong Kong film industry figures, such as Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Michael Hui, Hung Fat, Cheung Man-yuk, Anita Mui, Lee Chung-kit, Ng See-yuen, and Tsui Hark, came from the Golden Harvest Group.

The Big Boss, Fist of Fury, The Way of the Dragon, Private Eyes, Half a Catty of Eight Taels, Project A series, Police Story series, Armed Forces, Encounters of the Spooky Kind, Winners and Sinners, Mr. Vampire, Rouge, and Ruan Lingyu.
Too many classic Hong Kong films were produced by Golden Harvest.

It's no exaggeration to say that Golden Harvest's film history encompasses half of Hong Kong film history.

The film industry giants who dominated the Chinese-language film trend in the 1970s, 80s, and even early 1990s could not ultimately withstand the merciless blade of time.

Outsiders, Huayi, which was struggling to maintain its composure, finally stirred up some trouble.

In the national script registration and project approval announcement by the Film Bureau, Huayijia's film, titled "The Yin-Yang Master," was prominently listed.

Entertainment companies in the industry hold a project conference at the beginning of each year.

Jiangdong Entertainment is like this, and Huayi is no exception.

Prior to this, Huayi Brothers had mentioned the film adaptation of the game "Onmyoji" on several occasions, which shows how much they valued the project.

Zhou Yutang has never played this mobile game.

However, when Chen Min, the CEO of Xingchen Games, was reporting on his work, he mentioned this phenomenal mobile game, which was quite remarkable.

Since its launch in 2016, its unique Japanese style, rich storyline, exquisite shikigami design, and innovative gameplay have attracted a large number of players.

The revenue of hit mobile games can be seen by looking at Honor of Kings.

NetEase's "Onmyoji" achieved a peak monthly revenue of 380 million yuan, and last year alone it brought in nearly 108 billion yuan in revenue for NetEase, accounting for nearly 30% of NetEase's total annual game revenue!
It can be described as an invincible money-making beast.

In today's entertainment industry, blockbuster film and television projects can spawn derivative games.

The same principle applies on the other hand; games like Onmyoji, with their massive player base and immense popularity, have huge potential for being adapted into movies.

On the plane to Hong Kong, Zhou Yutang was having a video conference with Chen Xi.

When she talked about this, I even saw the shadow of an old acquaintance in her.

For this production of "The Yin-Yang Master", Huayi specially invited Chen Guofu and the famous screenwriter Zhang Jialu to serve as producers. It is said that they have also internally decided to cast Chen Kun, the "factory flower", as the lead actor.

Interestingly, just last month, Guo Jingming officially announced the launch of "Onmyoji," an adaptation of Baku Yumemakura's novel.

"Let them fight like dogs. What's so great about making movies about the Japanese?"

Chen Xi scoffed at this, and after reporting on the preparation progress of "Ghost Blows Out the Light 3", he casually asked, "Boss, are you going straight to the Golden Horse Awards this time?"

"Once things are settled here, I need to go to Macau and then fly directly to Taiwan."

"Then I wish you a safe journey."

...Perhaps it was just bad luck with the weather.

Outside the Kowloon Funeral Home, a light drizzle was falling.

Two police cars with special license plates slowly drove ahead to clear the way, followed by a specially modified black Rolls-Royce that slowly stopped in front of the funeral home.

"Zhou Sheng has indeed arrived!"

The moment the car door opened, the Hong Kong paparazzi who had been lying in wait unleashed their full force.

Don't underestimate those paparazzi who make a living from this.

Even though the Grand Commander of Jiangdong did not disclose his itinerary to the public, and only appeared at the capital airport, they were able to detect him as if he were a hunting dog.

He wore a well-tailored, custom-made black suit with a pure white silk flower pinned to his collar. His handsome face couldn't hide his solemnity, and his eyes looked particularly deep in the drizzle.

For someone like Zhou Yutang, no matter where he is, he should be the center of attention.

That's exactly the case right now.

At this moment, dozens of local media reporters crowded outside, and as soon as he got out of the car, the sound of camera shutters went off one after another.

Flashes of light rained down on him.

In the early years of his career, Zhou Yutang would come to Hong Kong two or three times a year, either to promote film and television projects or to endorse brands.

Now, having climbed to the top of the film industry through snow, he rarely comes to Hong Kong, except for a few award ceremonies.

Although he is no longer in the martial arts world, his legend still lives on.

Especially in Hong Kong's money-obsessed social atmosphere, the Jiangdong Grand Commander, who rose from humble beginnings and created a wealth myth from scratch, was practically revered as a god.

Ignoring the uproar from the local media, Zhou Yutang walked toward the entrance of the mourning hall, escorted by his entourage.

Yesterday, he was in Beijing attending an official film and television industry summit, which was reported in the newspapers. He then took a private plane to Hong Kong overnight, just to send off Wen-huai Zou on his final journey.

I specifically informed the Hong Kong government about this trip in case something unexpected happened.

After all, these Hong Kong tabloids are notorious for their unruly behavior, and police were even deployed to maintain order at the scene today.

"Damn, money really does buy you everything. What a spectacle!"

"I heard that Mr. Zou promoted a Grand Commander some years ago?"

“Zou Sheng contributed a lot to the award when Governor Zhou won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor.”

"Wow, Mr. Zou has a sharp eye; he saw that he is a true dragon."

"The Grand Commander is a man of great loyalty and righteousness, and he came here especially to see Mr. Zou off on his final journey."

"."

The bustling crowd outside gave way to a quiet atmosphere once inside the mourning hall.

Zhou Yutang had also bid farewell to the old sword saint Yu, with whom he had a mentor-student relationship, and that time, in accordance with the old man's last wishes, the ceremony was held in a very simple manner.

This time, Chow Wen-huai is not only a film industry giant who has dominated Hong Kong for half a century, but also has countless friends and disciples.

Like Mr. Yang and Mr. Jiang, as well as Jackie Chan, Michael Hui, Hung Fat, Yuen Biao, Wu Baige, Tsui Hark and other Hong Kong entertainment industry veterans, almost all expressed their opinions.

As soon as Zhou Yutang appeared, the scene quieted down, and a one-meter-wide passage automatically opened up on both sides for him to pass through.

"I have done what I needed to do, and I have no regrets in this life. It's a pity I can't live another ten years to see what kind of person you are ten years from now."

Zhou Yutang solemnly lit incense and bowed, his movements meticulous, though he felt a slight pang of sadness.

Not long ago, news of Jiangdong facing off against Disney, the two giants clashing head-on, also reached Zou Wenhuai's ears.

He made a special late-night call and talked to Zhou Yutang for a long time.

Zhou Yutang was too busy and didn't take it seriously. Now that he thinks about it, perhaps he already knew that his time was coming to an end.

That one sentence stuck in Zhou Yutang's mind, and he couldn't help but feel a little wistful.

This scene evoked a myriad of emotions in onlookers.

After Zou Wenhuai stepped down, he once handed over Jiahe to Zou Zhongyan.

Unfortunately, the latter's talent was limited and he was unlucky, almost leading the company to collapse. Later, Zou Wenhuai had the idea of ​​retiring, and there was also the conflict between Jiangdong and Orange Sky.

Despite opposition, Zou Wenhuai unexpectedly handed over the Golden Harvest business to Zhou Yutang.

Back then, many shareholders of Golden Harvest criticized him for being senile, but after a few years, it turned out that Zou Wenhuai had keen insight and had bet on the true dragon.

Using Golden Harvest as a springboard, Zhou Yutang planted his flag in Hollywood in Jiangdong. Even Zou Zhongyan, the "spendthrift girl" who worked for him, transformed into a top Hollywood producer and also holds shares in Jiangdong International Film Industry!
According to an assessment by a Hollywood professional organization last year, Jiangdong International Pictures alone was valued at a staggering $68 billion!
The investment that Zou Wenhuai made in Zhou Yutang has now yielded a return of more than a hundred times.

"Sister Zou, please accept my condolences."

Later, Zhou Yutang met Zou Zhongyan, whose eyes were red and swollen, in the family area.

This woman flew back to Hong Kong from North America overnight after receiving the news. She probably didn't sleep for a day and looked a little haggard.

"Father will be very pleased to know that you will come today."

"If you need any help later, feel free to contact me."

Zhou Yutang said sincerely.

Zou Wenhuai has two daughters. Her eldest daughter, Zou Zhongyan, is now a top female producer in North America.

The second daughter, Zou Zhongqi, is also a graduate of a prestigious school. She is currently in charge of the finances and administration of Jiangdong Jiahe. With the Grand Marshal's protection, she is considered a prominent figure in the Hong Kong entertainment industry.

Zhou Yutang had only exchanged a few pleasantries with Zou Zhongqi when Chen Duling walked over gently to his side and whispered,

"Boss, some media outlets want to arrange interviews."

"I won't accept any of them."

Zhou Yutang frowned and shook his head: "I came here just to see Old Master Zou off on his final journey."

After the process was completed, he did not accept any interviews and went straight to the Rolls-Royce.

……

"The Legend Ends! Former Godfather of Film, Chow Wen-huai, Passes Away!"

"Jiangdong media tycoon Zhou Dudu made a special trip to Hong Kong to see him off!"

"."

Although Zhou Yutang did not give any interviews, the photo of him getting out of the car the next day still made the headlines of the entertainment sections of major Hong Kong newspapers.

He didn't linger in Hong Kong, declining Mr. Yang's invitation to dinner at Yinghuang, and went straight to Macau that same day.

That night, at the He family mansion, I met that powerful and influential figure in Macau.

The once dashing young man, who was unparalleled in Macau, is now a 97-year-old man, six years older than Zou Wenhuai!
As physical functions decline, I am naturally not as well off as I used to be, and I am surrounded by a 24-hour medical team to take care of me.

She sat quietly in her wheelchair, a soft wool blanket covering her knees.

In recent years, he has rarely appeared in public, only making a brief appearance for ten minutes at the group's annual meeting at the beginning of the year, which was seen by outsiders as paving the way for his daughter to take over.

Chen Duling was curious about what the old man would say to Zhou Yutang.

However, these are things that outsiders cannot hear.

She waited in the adjacent meeting room with Zhou Yutang's team.

"Ms. Chen, please have some coffee."

Just as she was idly lost in thought, a gentle voice pulled Chen Duling back to reality.

Looking up, I saw a middle-aged woman with an elegant demeanor, smiling as she handed me a bone china coffee cup.

"Um, thank you, Miss He."

Chen Duling quickly stood up, took the coffee cup with both hands, and didn't dare to be negligent at all.

Before me stood a woman of dignified and virtuous bearing.

He was the successor designated by Mr. He.

A powerful woman who now effectively manages a vast business empire with assets exceeding 100 billion!
(End of this chapter)