China Entertainment: I have been a director since 05

The news of "Covering the Sky" caused a great stir and gave the entire Chinese entertainment film industry a shot in the arm.

It caused even more of a sensation than "The Martian," even if it was just a concept.

But once Guan Ling said it, everyone knew it would become a reality.

Because Guan Ling's box office performance was like a frozen moment, pressing firmly into everyone's eyes.

The June heatwave had not yet completely dissipated, and the lingering smell of gunpowder from "San Andreas" sweeping the global box office was still surging in.

Previously, Guo Xiaosi and Li Lianjie had fallen silent.

The more glorious they were before, the more pathetic they are now.

A film that started with a budget of 300 million yuan ended up grossing less than 500 million yuan.

A film that grossed over 20 million on its opening day but barely reached 200 million in total gross is hardly worthy of being called a blockbuster.

On the contrary, "San Andreas" did not receive overwhelmingly positive reviews, but its box office revenue soared.

This disaster blockbuster has temporarily ended its run in theaters worldwide, and its so-called growth rate has not slowed down, with the final box office figure settling at a staggering $6.87 million.

Compared to other investments, even if it's not a blockbuster that promises huge returns with minimal investment, it's definitely a decent investment that can generate some profit.

Especially for many cinemas, they really didn't expect that the small promotions for "Covering the Sky" a few days ago could have such an unexpected effect on the film's box office!
Another week of continuous decline!

It completely stunned and dazzled people!

Domestic film producers are all completely numb!

Even Hollywood seems a bit surprised.

"Guan, as far as I know, the Six Majorities have already begun preparations to target us." Frank's email was icy cold.

Gallo also called to express the current sentiments of the six.

"What do you mean?"

"It means exactly what it says. They've started to get nervous because of your name, because of Lionsgate's collaboration with Skyscraper."

"So, how do they plan to target us?"

“They want to work with you on a new movie…” Guan joked. “Guan, isn’t my joke funny?”

"It's not funny at all."

Guan Ling said, "I was already prepared to fight them, even to kill them."

"One person against six?"

"There's an old Chinese saying: when you're being ganged up on, you should keep hitting one person on the head. I don't actually mind turning the six into five. It just takes a little more time..."

Gaina gasped.

"Actually, you could choose to cooperate and make a movie to screw them over. That way, you wouldn't have to confront them head-on."

"You are so smart."

"Didn't Wu Baige do the same thing before?" Gai Nao Te said, indicating that he was very familiar with the mainland film and television industry.

Guan Ling was too lazy to argue with Gai Naote.

But according to Guy Ritchie, although San Andreas is also very popular in the United States.

However, even more burning than this cold number is the name Liu Yan.

Thanks to the shock and the tremor, Liu Yan once again dominated the trending search list.

A person with ulterior motives transforms into a thunder god killer, specifically targeting numbers associated with thunder!

From the main feature to the behind-the-scenes footage, it rang a total of 3598 times.

When Guan Ling saw the news, she was completely stunned. She was so shocked that she thought it was a story about a cultivator undergoing tribulation!
Related news was circulated on various forums and portal websites.

In Hollywood, it has also become an action meme, and people no longer reply with "ok" but instead send "Liu Yan" directly.

A few shakes prove it's a nod!
It amused everyone.

"Give me a couple of shakes, make it 3600," Guan Ling teased Liu Yan when she called her.

"As long as Director Guan wants it, shaking it as many times as he wants is acceptable."

"It keeps shaking."

"Do you think I'm electric?"

Liu Yan stuck out her tongue and said speechlessly to Guan Ling on the other end of the video.

"Others get tired too, and besides, I'm different from others; I was born with two burdens..."

Guan Ling pursed her lips. Although Liu Yan's words sounded a bit bitchy, no one could say that what she said wasn't true.

Recently, titles such as "Hollywood's Ball Flower" and "Queen of the Mainland Underground Market" have been frequently bestowed upon her online.

But what Guan Ling valued most was Liu Yan's easy manipulation and her naive and innocent nature.

Liu Yan secured shares in ByteDance for herself, and Guan Ling would give her a child without hesitation, even if she wanted one.

Anyway, the child will definitely not go hungry in the future.

The granaries still have plenty of grain. This is obvious.

…………

Before the embers of June had cooled, the flames of war had already spread in July.

The summer movie season is like a giant melting pot, with various big names entering the fray with their blockbuster films.

The propaganda offensive was overwhelming, making the air feel like it was boiling.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is back.

Fast & Furious 6 swept through all promotional channels like a steel torrent, crushing everything in its path.

The iconic giant outdoor advertising screen in Sanlitun, Beijing, continuously displays the latest posters day and night.

Vin Diesel and Paul Walker are backed by an American muscle car, their hoods seemingly teeming with the roar of wild beasts.

In Beijing, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson requested to meet with Guan Ling again.

"Guan, I really didn't expect you to have such powerful magic."

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson looked shocked. In just one month, he hadn't expected "San Andreas" to sell so well.

The amount of money is too little...

While Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson might not dare to say it, it's still quite necessary to celebrate and express his respect for Guan, the producer.

Perhaps Johnson learned Chinese etiquette during his last visit, because this time he even brought several bottles of red wine from a Portuguese winery.

"Please accept it."

Logically speaking, it's normal for him to respect the director; a screenwriter wouldn't warrant such treatment from Johnson.

However, he knew that Guan Ling was not only a screenwriter, but also an investor, a company CEO, and the number one person in Chinese cinema.

We've already collaborated, and now we've come to China.

Not visiting in person is considered impolite.

Guan Ling would certainly give her that face.

However, Guan Ling's eyes were fixed on another person who had come with Dwayne Johnson.

"Director Guan, this is Gal Gadot, who plays Gisele in Fast & Furious 6."

Guan Ling glanced at her; Gal Gadot.

She was wearing a normal dress, not revealing, but her eyes still held a certain allure.

Unlike the poster, in the poster, Gal Gadot, playing Gisele, straddles a heavy motorcycle, her tight leather outfit outlining her sharp and sexy lines, like a female leopard poised to pounce.

At this moment, she resembles a minimalist ink painting, her black lips exuding a certain charm.

“Guan, nice to meet you, I’m so lucky.”

She reached out and shook hands with Guan Ling.

But Guan Ling clearly felt the other person scratch her palm.

Guan Ling chuckled softly.

Five years ago, she might have stirred Guan Ling's heart, but now, even if she stripped naked on the red sofa, Guan Ling wouldn't be moved in the slightest.

So they ignored it.

Furthermore, Guan Ling really didn't want to have anything to do with Judas. So, she dropped the matter.

But with her lustful desires aroused, Guan Ling thought for a moment and made a phone call.

To be honest, Guan Ling had never been particularly interested in Gadot in her previous life. Even though she had seen a few of Gadot's films that were sacrifices for art, it was basically like a stream of knowledge flowing away.
It's over once you've seen it.

It left not a single trace in my mind.

The roar of an oriental sci-fi monster followed immediately.

Promotional materials for the Hollywood sci-fi film "Pacific Rim" followed shortly afterward.

To appeal to China, the country's largest box office market outside of North America, the film released a special "China Red" trailer, heavily promoting the "Crimson Storm" mecha warrior manufactured in Changzhou and its pilots, the Chinese-American triplets.

But after its release, people realized that this gimmick aimed at the Chinese mainland market was rather flashy and impractical. "Crimson Red" was defeated in less than three rounds against the monster.

The triplets only appeared three or four times in the film, and each only had one line.

Chinese mecha warriors are utterly weak.

Simply put, it's a movie about "Ultraman fighting monsters".

The "Ultraman" here is a human-made creation—in order to resist the giant monsters that keep appearing in the sea, China, the United States, Japan, Russia, Australia and other countries around the Pacific Rim formed a giant armored team called "Skuas" to launch a joint counterattack against the monsters.

These mecha warriors have an average height of 70 meters and a weight of 50 tons, and their design is exactly the same as that of the Japanese anime "Neon Genesis Evangelion" from the 90s.

The mecha warrior designed and manufactured in China is named "Crimson Storm," standing 89 meters tall and weighing 6122 tons. It is specifically marked as "Made in Changzhou."

It is also the most advanced equipment in the mecha force, with giant three arms and a super gear ring, somewhat reminiscent of Nezha from Chinese mythology.

Unfortunately, this "high-tech Nezha" is actually incredibly weak – the headquarters of the mecha force is located in Hong Kong, and the main battlefield is also in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong.

However, when the giant monster emerged from the seabed, "Crimson Storm," the first to charge forward, was slain in less than three rounds of combat with the monster.

This prompted many audience members to slap their thighs in disapproval, exclaiming, "This cameo role is just too weak!"

When Guan Ling saw the related comments, the only thing she remembered was the name Changzhou. In 2025, the city's name had already changed to "Sichuan"...

Meanwhile, on another battlefield, "White House Down," with the White House in ruins, played its trump card: "hard-hitting hand-to-hand combat."

In the trailer, Channing Tatum plays a Secret Service bodyguard who climbs the ladder of the presidential helicopter with his bare hands.
The suit was torn to shreds in the blast wave, revealing well-defined, sculpted muscles, each punch and kick exuding primal power.

The production company also quickly launched a viral challenge on Weibo, #ShieldThePresidentFromBullets#, hoping to increase the film's popularity. This simple and direct approach effectively stimulated the audience's adrenaline.

But the results were still not good.

In the sweltering heat of July, as various blockbuster films waged their promotional battles in full swing, almost stealing all the attention and buzz,
In late July, a silent thunderclap, yet in an extremely discreet and swift manner, exploded in the very core of the entertainment industry!

The final cast list for "Covering the Sky" precisely pierces through this noisy facade.

It instantly exposes the most real and naked desires and cruelty of the world of fame and fortune.

This list was not widely publicized, but it still caused a great stir.

Hengdian, the filming location of "Scarlet Heart 2".

The air was stuffy and even carried a distinctive smell of dust and sweat.

A heated argument scene had just been filmed, and Liu Sisi was surrounded by staff members touching up her makeup, her hair damp with sweat.

Her assistant, a young woman, her face flushed with excitement, almost trembled as she shoved the phone into Liu Sisi's hand.

Her voice was extremely low: "Sister Sisi! Look! It's an email from Director Guan's... Director Guan's studio!"

Liu Sisi's heart skipped a beat.

She held her breath, her gaze fixed on the small phone screen.

Confirmation Letter for Characters in the "Covering the Sky" Cinematic Universe
Li Xiaoman is played by Liu Sisi

"Thud!" Liu Sisi was stunned.

It's been a long time since Director Kwan gave her a new movie; it hasn't appeared in a long time.

At that moment, the exquisite enamel rouge box in Liu Sisi's hand slipped and fell to the ground, splattering a small patch of pink powder.

Overwhelmed by immense joy and unbelievable dizziness, she was instantly engulfed.

"This is 'Covering the Sky'! The industry has been buzzing about this show for the past few days!"

And now, she has landed a role.

She instinctively clenched her sleeves, her nails digging deep into her palms, bringing a sharp pain, before she could barely steady herself.

She took a deep breath, trying to make her voice sound calm, and whispered to Wesley beside her, "Mr. Wu, I'm sorry... I might need to go out for a bit, just five minutes."

Wesley nodded in understanding. Liu Sisi barely managed to maintain her composure as she quickly walked out of the noisy film set and turned into an empty corridor at the end.

She locked the dressing room door behind her, leaned against the cold wall, but her body could no longer support her, and she slowly slid down the wall to the ground.

Overwhelmed with happiness, she finally managed to take out her phone, her hands trembling, and dial the most familiar number.

The call connected, and Yang Mi's languid voice came through: "Hello? Sisi, what's up?"

Liu Sisi forcefully wiped away her tears, cleared her throat, and tried to make her voice sound steady, even with a hint of deliberate indifference: "Mimi, I... got 'Covering the Sky'."

There was an instant, deathly silence on the other end of the phone.

Three seconds felt like three centuries.

Then, a sharp, piercing sound of shattering glass came through the receiver, like a cup or something else being smashed to the ground.

"Oh? Really? Congratulations—" Yang Mi's voice rang out again, but it carried a forced calmness that couldn't be concealed, a bitter and sharp tone.

"Playing Li Xiaoman? That aloof school beauty in the beginning, who gets eaten by a crocodile and turns into a half-human, half-snake monster? That's great. If he plays this kind of dark transformation well, he has a good chance of winning awards..."

Her words were sarcastic and cutting, each one a sharp rebuke.

At this moment, Yang Mi was sitting in front of her dressing table in her luxurious apartment, her beautiful face slightly distorted by jealousy and resentment reflected in the mirror.

At that moment, an overwhelming sense of loss almost consumed her.

When Sisi was not as good as her, she hoped every day that Sisi would be better.

Sisi is feeling better now, even though she's just a supporting character, but Yang Mi, for some reason, has become sad again...

Meanwhile, in a high-end apartment in Shanghai.

Tang Yan was curled up by the huge bay window, wearing a thin nightgown.
The neon lights outside the window cast a somewhat lonely shadow on her profile. Her fingers, almost numb, kept refreshing the Weibo trending topics.

Finally, a small "hot" appeared quietly after the hashtag #CoveringTheSkyFixedAngle#, and then it skyrocketed like a rocket!

Clicking in, she was bombarded with all sorts of rumors, analyses, and leaked screenshots. She held her breath, frantically searching through the chaotic information stream, her heart pounding.

Liu Sisi (Li Xiaoman)...

Every name confirmed or highly suspected of appearing on the list was like an invisible, heavy slap across her face.

Her face gradually turned pale, and her lips were bitten until they lost all color.

My phone vibrated; it was a WeChat message from my agent, containing only one line of text and a sighing emoji:

"Tangtang, we tried our best, submitted audition materials three times, pulled strings... but we still couldn't even get close to An Miaoyi. It seems like Lengba has been cast."

The neon lights outside the window were still flashing, but they seemed so cold and glaring.

Tang Yan's gaze unconsciously swept over the still from "Chinese Paladin 3" hanging on the bedroom wall. Back then, Mimi and others were going to cast her, but Director Guan intervened and Mu Tingting snatched the role away.

By now, she could no longer reach Mimi and Sisi at all.

"boom!"

The pages fluttered down, like shattered butterfly wings, scattered all over the ground.

"Why...why are they always the ones who become popular?!"

The suppressed sobs finally burst forth from her throat, echoing in the empty room with a heavy sob and unquenchable resentment.

……

Beijing.

In the darkness of night.

Director Guan was stroking the back of the person in front of him whose face was not clearly visible.

"Lie down and don't look up. I'm Yifei."

Shu Chang's voice slowly drifted out, leaving Guan Ling somewhat unsure of her own situation.

It's so messy!
Beautiful flowers! (End of Chapter)