China Entertainment's Standout

Chapter 975 One Man Against an Entire Nation: Laying Out New Projects Overseas

"Hello, Your Excellency the President."

"Hello, Mr. Zhou."

Mr. Wen wore a gentle smile, and his deep eyes behind his glasses exuded wisdom.

Zhou Yutang was slightly taken aback.

Because his Chinese pronunciation is accurate and clear.

As expected, players who can reach the top of the Korean server, which is extremely difficult, must have a family background that paves the way for them to rise to the top naturally.

Those who rise from the bottom are all of the best in terms of mindset, vision, and methods.

The adjutant next to Mr. Wen also had a big smile on his face. He glanced at Zhou Yutang again, and his expression showed a hint of surprise.

Having spent so much time by the President's side, he clearly sensed that Mr. Wen seemed to treat Zhou Yutang with a different attitude.

She slowly nodded, holding his hand, and didn't let go immediately.

Instead, he used a steady force to gently squeeze it again, and his smile carried a hint of approval and appreciation.

"The closing ceremony was a great success, especially the eight minutes dedicated to BJ, which were fantastic."

After shaking hands with Zhou Yutang, Mr. Wen didn't say much, and then shook hands with Zhang Yimou as well.

Compared to the relaxed Governor Zhou, the latter was somewhat reserved, instinctively tensing his body, leaning slightly forward, and his eyes crinkling with laughter.

"Hello! It's an honor to be a part of this."

"Thanks for your hard work."

As the ruler of a country, he stood there with an indescribable aura.

After being greeted by everyone, Mr. Wen did not say anything more and left calmly, surrounded by his entourage.

"Zhang Yimou is still Zhang Yimou, he really has something."

"I was there! The BJ 8-minute segment at the closing ceremony was amazing! Governor Zhou was super cool!"

"Looking like Zhou Yutang gives off an aura. The scene of him standing in the VIP area looks like a movie poster."

"The state banquet tonight will be another kimchi-themed meeting. Look at the Grand Commander's expression, it's hilarious!"

"."

The Winter Olympics have come to a close, and news reports have swept in like a hurricane.

It quickly grabbed headlines in major South Korean and domestic media outlets and sparked heated discussions among netizens.

The Chinese government has officially announced that the Grand Marshal will serve as the cultural ambassador for the Beijing Winter Olympics, undertaking this grand event.

All of a sudden.

This brought public opinion and expectations to a fever pitch.

Zhang Yimou was extremely busy. After the Winter Olympics, he gave a series of media interviews the next day and then flew directly back to China.

The post-production of "Shadow" is still underway, and his new film "One Second" is also in the final preparation stage before filming begins.

Life has dreams, each of which is wonderful.

For Zhou Yutang, besides indulging in nightly revelry and experiencing the Goryeo culture, he did not forget his serious business.

Since I was in South Korea, I took the opportunity to convene a meeting with the executives of JD.Entertainment.

In fact, Zhou Yutang has not paid much attention to the South Korean market in recent years, and it can even be said that he has left it to its own devices.

One reason is the cooling of relations between the two countries, but the bigger reason is that the South Korean film and television industry is very small.

Take, for example, the annual industry settlement report released by the Korean Film Council last year.

The total size of the South Korean film market reached 23271 trillion won for the whole year, which is roughly equivalent to 130 billion yuan at the current exchange rate.

The highest-grossing film of the year was "A Taxi Driver," a film based on the real-life events of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising.

Ask and you'll find out the truth!
We dare to film!
This is also a signature piece of South Korean film and television history. However, the film had a remarkable impact, actually prompting the National Assembly to reopen its investigation into the Gwangju Uprising.

It also broke the box office record for films adapted from true stories in South Korean history, attracting a total of 1219 million viewers and generating approximately 1000 billion won in revenue.

Well, that's just over 5 million in box office revenue.
Due to the limitations of its territory, this country is similar to Jiangsu Province.

This box office figure was hailed as a box office monster by the South Korean media, but within Gangdong, it would only get you a table for children.
"Wolf Warrior 2," orchestrated by Zhou Yutang alone, raked in over 60 billion yuan at the Chinese box office, while "Joker" achieved phenomenal success, earning over 20 billion US dollars worldwide!
Not an exaggeration.

Zhou Yutang alone has blown up the entire South Korean film and television industry, making him a force to be reckoned with!
Therefore, for him, it would be better to make a quick buck in North America than to spend time operating South Korean film and television projects.

However, since we're already here, even a mosquito's leg is meat.

It was less of a corporate strategy meeting for JD.Entertainment and more of a strategic meeting on overseas expansion in Gangdong, held in South Korea.

This matter concerns Bilibili's future development overseas, and not only the senior executives of JD.Entertainment, but also several heads of Bilibili's overseas platforms flew to South Korea overnight.

In the domestic film market, "Operation Red Sea" swept to the top of the Spring Festival box office with overwhelming force.

From the first day of the Lunar New Year until the seventh day, the daily box office never dropped below 3 million yuan, a stability that was almost despair-inducing.

Following closely behind was "Monster Hunt 2," which, despite not receiving strong reviews, also saw its box office soar to 20 billion yuan.

The rest are not worth mentioning.

"We're missing a comedy film. If we release 'How Long Will I Love U' during the Spring Festival and capitalize on the Valentine's Day hype, given the current state of the film market, it could be very successful."

At the summary meeting for the first phase of the Spring Festival film season, Chen Xi said with some regret.

The top executives of Soochow Film Studio began to blame themselves for their classic winning streak, but everyone's face was filled with the joy of a victorious settlement.

Looking back now, it's true that Governor Zhou looked around arrogantly and made bold pronouncements before the movie's release.

Even if you put "Monster Hunt 2" and "The Monkey King 3" together, they wouldn't be enough to fight each other; it's truly a lonely and embarrassing situation.

"How can one strive for perfection in everything?"

Zhou Yutang leaned back and said, "The quality of 'How Long Will I Love U' is such that its box office performance will be good no matter when it is released."

"Mr. Zhou, we need to readjust the release dates for several movies when you get back."

Let's talk about it in a few days.

"clear."

Chen Xi asked, "President Zhou, how's the project in South Korea going?"

Zhou Yutang leaned back slightly: "It's not decided yet, we'll talk about it after the meeting."

The Jiangdong Screenwriting Gold Award is soliciting scripts from all over Asia. There are countless talented people in the world, and there are bound to be a few high-quality scripts.

After the remote video conference ended, IU stood up from under the table, her hair disheveled, and rolled her eyes at Zhou Yutang.

"Oppa, you're such a bad guy."

"Really?"

Zhou Yutang lifted up IU's slipped bra strap, his fingers lingering on her delicate, innocent face.

She is not yet 25 years old this year, but has already dominated the South Korean music scene for several years. She is known as a born diva.

This undoubtedly brought him great pleasure.

IU gently bit his hand, then sat on his lap.

With her arms wrapped around the back of Zhou Yutang's neck, her eyes shining, she leaned closer.

However, Zhou Yutang slightly turned his head to let him pass.

"Oppa, you don't like me?"

Zhou Yutang shook his head and chuckled. IU was slightly taken aback and rolled her eyes in a charming and seductive manner.

Just as they were flirting, the phone screen on the table lit up. Zhou Yutang glanced at it, patted IU's pert bottom, and said, "Get ready for the meeting, get up and tidy up."

He might not even come to South Korea all year round. But the South Korean branch still kept Zhou Yutang's private office.

All the decorations were arranged and set up according to Zhou Yutang's preferences.

Before the JD executives, led by Pei Yun and Min Xizhen, filed into the office, several curious glances were discreetly cast at Chen Duling and IU.

Besides Pei Yun, there were also quite a few locals.

Admiring strength is ingrained in their very nature.

Most people hold this media mogul, who has dominated the world of entertainment, in awe.

Since her debut, Zhou Yutang has become a sensation in South Korea, and her various scandals and gossip have also been a hot topic in the South Korean media.

Gossip is human nature.

There is much speculation about the relationship between the members of Girls' Generation and the Grand Commander of Jiangdong.

People in the industry know what's going on and are used to it.

Compared to the ways of conglomerates, Zhou Yutang's methods are relatively restrained.

Former secretary Ni Ni and current secretary Chen Duling are both well-known "fish girls".

Including IU, who has regained her dignified and proper demeanor, she is also the openly known lover of Governor Zhou.

As for why he appeared in Zhou Yutang's office, there's no need to elaborate; everyone knows the answer.

IU wore her usual sweet smile, her legs elegantly crossed.

They usually provide emotional value to their fans.

The way these high-and-mighty social elites looked at her with a mixture of awe and ingratiation made her feel very pleased.

There were many similar scrutinizing gazes, and Chen Duling had already become immune to them. She followed the others inside and sat down, adjusting the hem of her business suit before taking her seat.

She opened the notebook and saw something quite interesting.

"Hello, President!"

"Hello, Mr. Zhou!"

Executives from Bilibili, the overseas video platform from China, bowed slightly at most, their voices filled with respect.

These South Korean high-ranking officials would bow deeply at a 90-degree angle upon meeting each other.

South Korea has a strict hierarchy based on seniority. A chaebol like Zhou Yutang is like an emperor, almost to the point of being humble to the core.

Through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows of this conference room lies the bustling cityscape of Seoul.

This building is one of Zhou Yutang's assets in South Korea.

The price has increased several times over since I bought it a few years ago.

Often, just by listening to the cold, hard numbers reported by the media, South Koreans can't really grasp Zhou Yutang's wealth.

But when you look up at this office building in Cheongdam-dong, worth approximately 4087 billion won.

Your respect for this Chinese super-tycoon will be perfectly visualized in your mind.

At this moment, in this conference room, the expensive mahogany table gleamed with a faint light, and Zhou Yutang sat in the main seat without any hesitation.

He sank into the executive chair, relaxed and at ease, without deliberately looking around, like an emperor draped in a magnificent robe.

It is silently declaring its territory.

Chen Duling lightly lifted her soft-soled square butterfly flat shoes and took off the cap of her pen.

He looked down and drew a funny and cute pig's head in his notebook, wrote the character "周" (Zhou) on it, and pretended to be very engrossed in his work.

"Everyone, take a seat."

"Ne, Gamsahamida!"

IU sat next to Zhou Yutang.

A woman's choices are always more important than her efforts.

Despite her young age, she already owns a small portion of JD.Entertainment shares and is considered a director of the company.

However, the directors of this company only receive dividends and have no management power.

At this moment, IU's gaze was fixed on that handsome profile, her legs slightly crossed, leaning towards Zhou Yutang.

Sometimes, a man's charm has nothing to do with his appearance.

That domineering and arrogant aura, like a poison, is incredibly alluring.

After everyone was seated, there were no pleasantries or opening remarks.

Zhou Yutang pointed, and his secretary got up to operate the projector. Pei Yun then personally got up to explain the collaborative project with Showbox.

First up is the action-comedy film "Extreme Job," which blends crime and slapstick comedy elements.

The main characters disguise themselves as running a fried chicken restaurant, showcasing the clumsy and comical daily lives of police officers and the absurd and explosive nature of crime scenes.
It was made entirely according to the template of Hollywood comedy film scripts, and incorporated local South Korean humor. In Zhou Yutang's opinion, it was conventional, but it had a certain commercial value.

Apart from IU, who was pre-selected, the cast also includes director Lee Byung-hun.

"Were the people from Xiuhe pushing him?"

"Yes, Mr. Zhou."

Leaning back in his chair, Zhou Yutang's expression remained calm as he simply nodded, "Then let's settle on this."

The three great generals of Jiangdong were famous throughout the country, and South Korea also has some promising young directors who are emerging quickly.

Lee Byung-hun, a young director who won the Best Film Award at the Asian International Short Film Festival and the Audience Award at the Seoul Independent Film Festival upon his debut, is a standout among his peers. His commercial film "Tazza" received a remarkable response in South Korea and is highly sought after in the South Korean film and television industry.

Compared to "Extreme Job", Zhou Yutang is more interested in another project based on the real events in Gwangju in the 80s.

Failure is the only form of rebellion!
If it succeeds, that's revolution!
Achieving imperial power can be decided in the blink of an eye.

Jeon Jin-soo can be considered one of the most formidable figures in South Korea's short history.

If his story could be made into a movie, the prospects in the domestic market would be absolutely promising.

Pei Yun continued to recount the preliminary preparations for this project.

Zhou Yutang glanced at the script, but his brows furrowed involuntarily. He tapped his fingers lightly on the table and interrupted, "The grand narrative of this script is too empty and pale. Take it back and redo it. Go deeper into the characters and focus on their fears, struggles, and choices."

His tone left no room for argument, conveying absolute control.

JD.Entertainment also has a South Korean writing team, but its size cannot compare with the writing team at the Gangdong headquarters.

However, Zhou Yutang still entrusted the project, which involved historical figures from South Korea, to a local screenwriting team.

With just a few words, the entire project's direction was readjusted.

"I understand, Mr. Zhou."

Pei Yun had no doubt about the fact that this powerful agent had a proven track record.

"The president's insight is truly remarkable!"

"Now that the chairman has said that, the script does need to be adjusted."

"."

The JD executives in the conference room showered the room with flattery.

This is a common practice in the Korean workplace, and IU is used to it.

Just watching the man's decisive and efficient profile, her slender ankles subtly moved under the table.

The tip of the black high heel with red soles brushed lightly against his trouser leg.

The secret touches under the table sent a jolt through IU, bringing a knowing, ambiguous smile to her lips.
(End of this chapter)