China Entertainment: I have been a director since 05

In the midsummer of 2013, the weather was not as unbearably hot as in previous years. Perhaps it was because of the rain the night before. In the early morning, the capital was shrouded in a layer of gray mist, and a chill was beginning to appear.

However, the internet world was abuzz with a hot piece of news in the early morning! Enough to dispel all the chill.

A brief but earth-shattering piece of news, like a nuclear bomb dropped into a calm lake, instantly ignited the headlines of all entertainment sections, even overshadowing international political news:

Director Guan Ling has officially launched the "Covering the Sky" cinematic universe! The first installment is in preparation, and the series is planned to have up to ten parts!

Guan Ling declared that he would create an "Oriental Film Series" to become the number one box office series in the world!

The accompanying image is a vast and boundless cosmic starry sky from the cover of the novel "Covering the Sky" on Qidian.com, with huge, visually striking gold lettering next to it—"A work by Guan Ling".

"A film series has topped the list?! Number one? A film series even more powerful than 'Fast & Furious' and 'Transformers'?!"

Ten?!

"Holy crap! Shrouding the Heavens? That big-name fantasy website from Qidian.com?"

"Locking up a dog is too ruthless! Who else would dare to do something like that? Who could afford to pay for it?!"

"My youth! My Ye Fan! Ruthless Emperor!"

"The entertainment industry is about to be reshuffled! Whoever stars in this series will rise to fame! Even a supporting role in this movie series will be blown away!"

The entire internet is shocked!

The Weibo server was overwhelmed by traffic during the morning rush hour, causing it to crash for twenty minutes.

The film and television sections of major forums were instantly flooded with posts, which were refreshed at a speed that was almost impossible to detect with the naked eye.

The number of page views for "Covering the Sky" on Qidian.com has skyrocketed, causing the server to cry out in despair.

It crashed completely.

7 o'clock Chinese website: I have never been whipped like this in my life!

But if he could speak at seven o'clock, he would most likely pout and shout, "Come on, keep whipping me! I like it this way!"

The top ten trending topics were completely dominated by related terms such as "Guan Ling", "Covering the Sky Movie", "Ten-part Series", "Who can play Ye Fan", and "Who is the Ruthless Great Emperor".

Everyone who saw this news, whether or not they were a fan of the original work, gasped in shock.

I was plunged into a tremendous, dizzying excitement.

A super cinematic universe of Eastern fantasy, directed by top directors and spanning ten years.

The opportunities and wealth it represents are enough to drive the entire entertainment industry crazy.

In 2013, the Korean wave dominated mainland China, and the trend of American dramas making a rampage had already begun to emerge.

In the film industry, although Guan Ling single-handedly withstood the onslaught of Hollywood, Hollywood as a whole still far surpasses domestic films.

Why did only "San Andreas" dominate the box office in June? It's because this month is still the conventional, undercurrent-filled protection month for domestic films.

Guan Ling's "San Andreas" would have had a difficult time opening this month if it weren't for the Chinese investment from Lingyun Media.

Instead, it will have to fight tooth and nail with other Hollywood blockbusters.

Meanwhile, in the city center,

The atmosphere inside the presidential suite of a top-tier hotel, overlooking most of Beijing and isolated from the outside hustle and bustle, is quite different.

Time seems to flow exceptionally slowly here, carrying a lingering warmth of languor and extravagance.

The huge floor-to-ceiling windows were completely covered by thick, thin velvet curtains, leaving only a narrow gap through which a faint, almost golden ray of morning light could seep in.

The windows were open, and a gentle breeze was blowing in, filling the entire house.

The ray of light that shone through fell obliquely onto the edge of the tatami mat.
It illuminated the tiny, almost stagnant dust particles that floated slowly in the air.

After the long night had passed, Fan Bingbing woke up.

Fan Bingbing opened her eyes.

The first thing I felt was the extreme softness beneath me.

Premium Egyptian cotton sheets with a cool, smooth feel.

Next came the faint, yet intensely fragrant, scent of expensive cedarwood permeating the air.

There was an ambiguous atmosphere mixed in.

Then came a deep, aching soreness, as if the body had been disassembled and reassembled.

Especially her slender waist, which seemed so delicate that it could be grasped in one hand, revealed a hidden weariness with every slight breath.

This exhaustion was strangely mixed with a sense of satisfaction.

She turned her head slightly, her gaze falling on the face of the sleeping man beside her.

Guan Ling.

That face, with its sharp features and impeccable appearance even under the scrutiny of countless cameras, now showed a rare relaxation, devoid of its usual commanding sharpness and profundity.

His thick eyelashes cast soft shadows beneath his eyelids, and his breathing was even and long. One of his arms was casually draped over the pillow, just inches from her hair.

Fan Bingbing silently curled the corners of her lips into a complex smile, as if recalling yesterday's in-depth conversation, and a blush involuntarily rose to her face.

Her smile was a mixture of smugness, scrutiny, and a barely perceptible hint of the instinctive wariness a prey has when facing a top hunter.

She moved her body carefully, like a slippery fish, trying not to disturb the mattress springs, and left that warm indentation.

Bare feet sank silently onto the thick, expensive pure wool carpet, sinking in with each step and bouncing back up silently.

She walked towards the bathroom. The huge full-length mirror reflected her appearance:
Her long hair was draped loosely over her smooth, rounded shoulders, and her silk slip dress slipped slightly, outlining her perfect shoulder and neck lines and undulating curves. Her waist was incredibly slender, as if it could break at any moment, yet it contained amazing flexibility.

The woman in the mirror still bore the marks of last night's passion in her eyes and brows—a breathtaking radiance born from being fully nourished.

The sound of running water filled the air, and the warm water washed over my skin, bringing a sense of refreshment.

She looked at herself in the mirror, her gaze gradually sharpening.

Everything from last night—the carefully crafted atmosphere, the perfectly timed intoxication, the coy and inviting manner—ultimately led to this suite, but none of it was the end.

This is a huge bargaining chip, an expensive stepping stone, and the world behind the door is the real battlefield she wants to compete in—the universe called "Covering the Sky".

She was drawn to the protagonist's identity.

Even if she can't play Ji Ziyue, she'll still take on the role of the Ruthless Great Emperor.

Let her become the ruthless queen of the entertainment industry!

When she stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a bath towel, her body damp and carrying the rich scent of rose shower gel, Guan Ling was already awake.

He sat back on the large headboard, a thin blanket casually draped over his body, revealing his muscular chest.

He held a glass of water in his hand, his gaze calmly fixed on the city skyline visible through the gap in the curtains outside the window. His eyes were deep, as if he were measuring everything within his sight and contemplating how to bring it all under his control.

The languid feeling of the early morning quickly faded from him, replaced by an invisible, breathtaking sense of control that re-emerged.

"Honey, are you awake?"

Fan Bingbing's deliberately hoarse voice broke the silence in the room.

She approached barefoot, her bath towel not wrapped tightly around her, revealing glimpses of her fair skin as she moved, her straight and slender legs appearing and disappearing in the shadows.

Instead of going straight back to bed, she leaned against an antique walnut table not far from the bed, her posture both languid and aggressive.

The morning light outlined the stunning curves of her slender waist beneath the bath towel. Guan Ling's gaze shifted from the window to her, calm and undisturbed, as if admiring a fine work of art, or assessing a tool he was about to use.

Fan Bingbing met his gaze without flinching. She knew that in front of this director, any pretense would be superfluous and foolish. She gently brushed aside a strand of damp hair that had fallen beside her cheek, her red lips parted slightly, and her voice, though not loud, clearly pierced through the lingering ambiguous atmosphere in the luxurious suite:

"Director Guan,"

She paused, her eyes shining with an astonishing light, like blazing stars, piercing straight at Guan Ling.

Am I qualified to play the Ruthless Great Emperor?

The question was so direct, so naked, and so desperate, that it instantly shattered all the romance of the previous night.

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

The city outside the window awakens in the thin mist, and the traffic begins to surge, emitting a dull, distant hum, but it is shut out by the heavy glass and curtains.

Guan Ling put down her water glass, the bottom of which touched the mahogany bedside table with a very slight "tap".

He didn't answer immediately, but simply looked at her silently, his gaze so sharp it seemed to pierce through her skin and see into her soul. Only their barely audible breathing filled the suite.

The silence that lasted a few seconds felt like an eternity.

Finally, he moved.

He didn't get up; he simply extended his hand. It was the hand of a top director—long, with distinct knuckles, a hand that had controlled the fates of countless actors and created countless cinematic miracles.

At that moment, that hand, carrying the cool touch of the morning, moved extremely slowly, with an almost profane air, along Fan Bingbing's smooth back, down from her rounded shoulders, her fingertips lightly brushing against the skin exposed beneath her towel, finally stopping at that slender, breathtakingly delicate waist, gently touching it.

Fan Bingbing's body tensed almost imperceptibly for a moment, then she forced herself to relax. She could clearly feel the coolness and strength in his fingertips.

"The Ruthless Emperor?"

Guan Ling finally spoke, her voice low and calm, devoid of any emotion, as if stating an objective fact.
"At the end of the immortal path, who stands at the peak? A glimpse of the beginningless Dao brings nothingness... That is mythology, legend, the ultimate existence that severs all ties of eternity with decisive killing."

His fingertips traced gentle circles on her sensitive waist, sending a slight shiver through her. "She wasn't acting. She was chosen. It was to see if you had her madness, her eccentricity."

"Madness, insanity?"

Fan Bingbing caught that word, and her heart skipped a beat. This was by no means a simple acting requirement.

Guan Ling raised his eyes, his gaze like a deep pool, locking onto Fan Bingbing's eyes burning with ambition, each word piercing the air with clarity:

"Yes, forget your face, forget your name, forget everything you, Fan Bingbing, possess."

Guan Ling's voice wasn't loud, but it possessed a strange penetrating power. Every word struck Fan Bingbing's heart like a heavy hammer, making her breathing slightly rapid.

"The ruthless person I want is a madman who completely sacrifices himself to that role."

The path she walked was strewn with mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Her loneliness was a desolate, primordial solitude.

Her unwavering resolve can transcend countless reincarnations. You,”

Guan Ling tightened her grip slightly, conveying a sense of scrutinizing pressure.

"Are you ready to crush yourself to become her? Even if it means utter destruction?"

Fan Bingbing looked helplessly at the tools Guan Ling had taken out and had no words to say.
"Director Guan, if you want to play around, you can just say so... The way you said it is so pretentious, you've scared me."

Guan Ling admitted it with a grin.

"Come on, flower lovers..."

Soon, Director Guan changed his shape.

……

A top-tier river-view apartment in Lujiazui, Shanghai.

Zhang Ziyi did not sleep all night.

The heavy, hardcover edition of "Covering the Sky" Part 1, "The Ancient Road to the Stars," lay open on the armrest of her expensive leather sofa, the pages worn and frayed from being turned so many times.

She curled up in a corner of the sofa, her face bare, with dark circles under her eyes that she couldn't hide.

She hadn't lost her composure like this in a long time. The explosive message her agent sent at three in the morning hit her like a hammer blow, instantly waking her from all sleepiness.

"Ruthless Great Emperor... Empress... The Struggle for the Imperial Path..."

She murmured to herself, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the lines on the page describing the ruthless man as exceptionally talented yet eternally isolated.

Her fingertips trembled slightly, not from exhaustion, but from a long-lost, almost suffocating longing and fear.

She knew all too well what Guan Ling's films, especially the central role in such a decade-long super-universe, meant.

That's the stairway to the altar! It's a monument that will make her name in film history! But Guan Ling is also known for his high standards. He doesn't look at the star power of his actors when casting, he only looks at whether they fit the role.

The line on the book page, "Not to become an immortal, but only to wait for your return in the mortal world," pierced her heart like a cold needle.

She slammed the book shut with a sharp "snap," the sound particularly jarring in the quiet morning light.

She raised her head, the last trace of hesitation in her eyes replaced by an almost obsessive ruthlessness. Her voice wasn't loud, but it was resolute, delivered to the air, or rather, to herself, as if pronouncing a judgment:

"This role... must be mine! No matter the cost, no matter what form it takes."

...

The entertainment industry is in an uproar!

In the capital city, at the villa, Liu Yifei also bought "Covering the Sky" and started reading it with Shu Chang!
Huang Xiaoming and his friend discussed the news and considered the possibility of him playing Ye Fan.

In a bathhouse in Northeast China, Qiao Shan was bragging to a masseuse.

"Do you guys know Guan Ling? She's the one who's going to film 'Covering the Sky'."

"I'm a loyal fan of the novel 'Covering the Sky'! Not to be rude, but you look remarkably like that unscrupulous Taoist priest."

"me?"

Qiao Shan narrowed his eyes slightly, seemingly lost in thought.

At this moment, most celebrities across the country are following the trend.

"Covering the Sky" directly topped the Qidian bestseller list, and in the monthly ticket list, where there was a significant gap, it surpassed the combined total of the second to tenth place.

This caused a huge upheaval in the online literature community.

...

The flowers are all gone.

Fan Bingbing collapsed to the ground.

Guan Ling stood in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window of the hotel suite.
The golden sunlight gilded his tall figure with a sharp edge.

He had his hands in his trouser pockets, tilted his head slightly, and looked down at the city below, which was fully awakened in the morning light and surging like a steel behemoth.

Traffic flowed like a golden river on the overpass, while tower cranes at a construction site slowly rotated in the distance. On a huge billboard, the faces of celebrities changed with the shifting light and shadow.

The entire city lay beneath his feet, brimming with a boisterous, vibrant life force, yet also possessing a sense of tamed order.

Just like his publicity stunts, the entire entertainment industry has been shaped by him. (End of Chapter)