China Entertainment: I have been a director since 05

[Revised to 5329 words]

Everyone in the moving car was heading towards the private hospital.

However, Lionsgate chairman Frank Gustav's face, known for its shrewdness and coldness,

At this moment, their expressions were unusually twisted into a huge question mark, mixed with shock.

And a kind of absurd bewilderment.

He remained silent and motionless for a long time, holding his cigar in his mouth, though it had already gone out, and he hadn't taken it out yet.

His arms were still trembling slightly, and his gaze was fixed on Guan Ling, who was travel-worn but still exuded a calm and composed aura, as if he were seeing this "Oriental Miracle" with whom he had cooperated for several years for the first time.

Once upon a time, Frank, as a banker, understood how worthwhile Guan Ling was to invest in.

But none of them had such a profound impact on Frank!
“Guan…” Frank’s voice was incredibly dry and numb! He swallowed hard, trying to recapture the confident tone he used to have in Hollywood, but failed. “You just said… the entire entertainment industry chain?”

Guan Ling glanced at Frank, and without pausing, merely raised her eyelids casually, as if discussing the price of breakfast:

"Yes, 4 billion RMB to buy this online novel platform called 7 o'clock Chinese Network."

He took the bottled water handed to him by his assistant, unscrewed it, took a sip, and said in a calm tone, "The formalities will be completed soon, and the entire entertainment industry chain will soon be fully formed."

"The entire entertainment industry chain has been formed?!" Frank's voice suddenly rose. A few hundred million dollars was nothing to Frank, of course.

However, regarding the industry chain mentioned by the other party,
Frank was somewhat shocked to hear that he was being watched from above.

In North America, it's extremely difficult for companies like Lionsgate to have their own theatrical releases and streaming platforms, making it exceptionally challenging to integrate the industry.

His raised voice sounded somewhat jarring in the empty car, prompting the driver to turn around and glance at him.

In the driver's eyes, Frank was a gentleman, elegant and natural, unlike a cat whose tail had been stepped on, who almost jumped up like that.
It seems that Guan Ling does indeed possess some kind of magic.

However, everyone else besides Frank was equally astonished upon hearing the news.

Guy Ritchie was like that; he sat next to Guan Ling, but his body trembled, and he waved his arms, trying to express his disbelief through body language.

"My God! Guan! That's four billion! Not forty dollars! You could have used that to fund three more Hunger Games movies! Or bought a small studio! Or even invested in a streaming service! You're telling me you used it to... buy... a... online story website?!"

He waved his hands vigorously, as if trying to tear the words "online story website" out of his mind and then erase them.

Guan Ling slowly screwed the cap back onto the mineral water bottle, making a soft "click" sound.

He turned his head slightly, looking at Guyon's face, which was flushed with excitement.
A very faint, almost pitying smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
It's like watching a primitive person who has just come into contact with the internet.

“Gai Nao Te,” Guan Ling’s voice wasn’t loud, but it carried a strange penetrating power, instantly suppressing his excitement.
"The money Hollywood wastes on script development each year could buy several websites like this, right?"

He raised his hand, his fingertips making a light tap in the air, seemingly pointing towards the distant east.
There are tens of thousands of creators producing a massive amount of stories every day.

Immortal heroes soar through the skies and leap across the earth; martial arts heroes experience swift retribution and chivalry; science fiction heroes travel through interstellar space; suspenseful mysteries entangle the human heart…

These stories have hundreds of millions of readers in China.

He paused, his sharp gaze fixed on Gannault's eyes, which were beginning to flicker.
"These are not 'online stories'."

They are untapped goldmines of super IPs, brimming with limitless potential, yet unexplored by the Hollywood machine.

Four billion yuan buys an inexhaustible source of vitality for the next ten or twenty years. This is a worthwhile investment…

Guan Ling gently patted Gainat's shoulder; the force was light, yet it caused the latter to sway slightly.
“You can’t figure it out, and Lionsgate can’t figure it out either, but Lingyun Media can figure it out perfectly.”

Guy opened his mouth, wanting to refute something, such as cultural differences, adaptation risks, and Hollywood's mature development system...

But under Guan Ling's unfathomable gaze, which seemed to have already seen through all the rules and stood above them, all the words stuck in his throat.

For the first time, he clearly felt that the young man before him had a level of thinking and ambition that far exceeded that of a traditional Hollywood studio boss.

Even Frank lost his speech.

This bank's settlement is in my heart at this moment.

A chill, a mixture of awe and the lure of immense profit, crept up his spine.

Gainat nodded, understanding what Guan Ling meant, and finally managed to squeeze out a dry, laborious sentence:
“…Okay, Guan. You always…see further than anyone else.”

……

The car quickly arrived at the private hospital.

Hogg Hospital.

Hogg is located on Newport Beach, with most of its wards overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The environment is comparable to a five-star resort hotel, and the wards are designed as independent LDR (Labor, Delivery, Recovery) rooms, which can isolate external interference to the greatest extent.

In fact, many celebrities choose Hogg Hospital, not Cedar Sinai, when giving birth in the United States.

In its previous life, celebrities such as Beckham, Zhang Ziyi, and Kobe Bryant chose Hogg Hospital, which strengthened its "aristocratic hospital" label and created a closed loop of celebrity effect.

Hogg Hospital is about 170 miles from the heart of Beverly Hills.

For Liu Yifei's safety, Guan Ling had to send her over in advance.

Not only can she avoid the risks of paparazzi and privacy breaches in Beverly Hills, but she can also maximize her emotional relief here.

In fact, Hogg is the only maternity hospital in Los Angeles that provides 24-hour intensive care specialists on-site, and its neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is the highest level (Level IIIA) in Los Angeles, and is even equipped with a full-time neonatal specialist team.

It's all for the sake of ensuring everyone's safety.

It also boasts an exceptionally high ratio of medical staff to mothers and offers personalized services. Hogg Hospital has a nurse-to-mother ratio of 2.2:1, which is far higher than that of ordinary hospitals, and provides one-on-one care and customized postpartum care.

Although advance booking is required, the price is high.

But for Guan Ling, these were just trivial matters.

After everything was settled, Guan Ling finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yifei, I'll take care of everything."

Guan Ling held Liu Yifei's hand and kissed her on the forehead.

……

Time flies, and two more days have passed.

The progress at Qidian has been rapid these past two days, and the agreement has already been signed.

However, all of this remains a secret in China.

……

The news of Guan Ling's arrival was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, its ripples instantly spreading throughout the entire Hollywood power structure.

Although he tried to "decline social interaction and focus on accompanying his wife during childbirth," Hollywood seemed unwilling to give him that opportunity. Faced with absolute power and temptation, everyone was eager to curry favor with him.

Kevin Feige, the head of Marvel Studios and the man who single-handedly created the superhero empire, was among the first to bring news to Guan Ling and arrange a meeting.

But what he brought was not just the usual greetings seeking cooperation, but a beautifully bound script with a cover featuring an upside-down city and a mysterious magic circle—Doctor Strange.

Fei Qi sat on the sofa in Guan Ling's small reception room, seemingly relaxed, but his slightly forward-leaning body and his gaze fixed on Guan Ling betrayed his inner eagerness.

“Guan, The Avengers, Scarlet Witch proved the success of the formula, but audiences need new thrills, visual spectacles that push the limits of physics, and deeper philosophical reflections.”

Doctor Strange—magic, the multiverse, time manipulation…only you could turn these concepts into a global epic! And it even has a deep connection to Scarlet Witch!

Therefore, we need you!

Just like Scarlet Witch revolutionized our understanding of reality! We need you to breathe life into this character!

Guan Ling leaned back in the comfortable sofa, her fingertips tapping lightly on the armrest. Her gaze swept over the ambitious proposal, but she didn't open it.

On the coffee table in front of him sat an open laptop, its screen dimly lit.

The interface displayed is the newly revamped backend management interface of 7point.com, which was just acquired.

A massive amount of book titles, categories, and author IDs scrolled by like a waterfall.

"Magic? Wonder?"

Guan Ling finally spoke, her voice as calm as if she were stating common sense.

He leaned forward slightly, his fingers lightly sliding across the laptop's touchpad.
I clicked on a category called "Fantasy Cultivation." Instantly, a dense list of book titles popped up on the screen:

"A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality", "Battle Through the Heavens", "Swallowed Star", "Lord of Mysteries"...

"Kevin, I'm not going to make any more Hollywood superhero movies."

Guan Ling looked up, her gaze calmly meeting Fei Qi's sharp eyes, and lightly tapped the screen with her fingertips.
"There are thousands of 'Doctor Strange' here."

Some of them created universes in their dantian, some controlled the elements and became gods, and some walked on the edge of Cthulhu's nightmare...

Each one represents a complete worldview, a unique 'magic' system, and a group of passionate original fans.

He slightly curled the corners of his lips into a smile that carried a hint of condescension. "The Marvel universe is magnificent, but it's just one galaxy within a galaxy. And what I hold in my hands..."

He tapped the screen.

"You possess a star map leading to countless unknown galaxies. Do you think I need to rush into becoming a soul engineer for a 'doctor' whose framework has already been set?"

Fitch's professional smile froze completely, and for the first time, a clear shock, even a fleeting... panic, flashed deep in his eyes.

He stared at the bizarre and fantastical book titles on the screen, filled with an air of Eastern mystery.

Then he glanced at Guan Ling's calm and composed expression, as if she were in complete control.

A feeling of being struck by a lower dimension, cold yet real, gripped him.

His prized Marvel Universe paled in comparison to the vast and boundless sea of ​​Eastern IPs that the other party presented with such nonchalant ease.

It seems to have suddenly become somewhat...

Insignificant and limited.

All the bargaining chips he had prepared regarding creative freedom and revenue-sharing models...

Faced with the opponent's absolute power in controlling the source of the mineral vein, they appeared so pale and powerless.

"Aren't you going to make any more?" The other person seemed a little confused.

"We can collaborate, but I won't direct it myself."

Guan Ling was resolute.

Actually, Guan Ling came here simply to give birth; she's not very interested in Hollywood superhero blockbusters right now.

He preferred "Covering the Sky" to that one.

If she had to make a superhero film, Guan Ling would prefer to make "Joker" and win an award.

Ideally, I could cover all three of Europe's top universities twice; that would be quite interesting.

Thinking of this, Guan Ling paused for a moment, then immediately put it into action.

Fitch was clearly in an awkward position.

In the end, Fitch ended the visit hastily, almost in a state of embarrassment and unprecedented solemnity.

The meticulously prepared Doctor Strange script lay quietly on the coffee table, like a forgotten footnote.

Fitch's sense of defeat had not yet completely dissipated in the living room.
Then another completely different storm, filled with pure creative passion, swept in.

The next day,

The core animation team of Skyscraper, led by Leon Krich.

Like a group of explorers who had discovered a new continent, they excitedly poured into Guan Ling's living room with their "treasure".

A corner of the huge living room was quickly cleared out and turned into a temporary display stand.

"Guan! Look at this!" Leon Krich's gray hair trembled slightly with excitement as he pointed to the skull arch model, his voice filled with the enthusiasm of someone presenting a treasure.

"The Bridge of Helplessness! The only passage connecting the world of the living and the land of souls!"

We have deepened the core philosophical proposition you raised last time: 'Memory is existence'!
The protagonist, Li Qiye, is a gifted child who is forbidden from having any contact with music by his family. He accidentally enters the Netherworld during the Ghost Festival!

He is searching for his forgotten great-great-grandfather, a great musician who may be burdened with a huge injustice!

The only foundation supporting the existence of the Netherworld is the memory of the living!

When the last person who remembers you passes away, you will face ultimate and utter annihilation—'ultimate death'!
This is the first version of the content we've produced; you can take a look.

As Leon Krich passionately recounted his story, the models and concept art seemed to come alive.
A moving story about family, heritage, memory, and the value of existence is clearly presented.

The colors are so rich they seem to burst forth, the world-building is both imaginative and self-consistent, and the emotional core resonates deeply with the heart.
Guan Ling's script was improved very well.

Guan Ling chose Leon Krich, but she was actually a little worried that he wouldn't understand the core spirit of Chinese culture.

But at this moment, Guan Ling felt a little more relaxed.

Guan Ling's gaze was firmly drawn to the models and design drawings. He flipped through the designs of the Netherworld on the tablet, and the bizarre yet harmonious architecture made his eyes sparkle with admiration.

"It has a strong Chinese flavor, which I think is great. However, we still need to communicate further on the selection of music that represents the soul of China and the perfect fusion of tradition and modernity. If needed, I can connect you with various Chinese musicians."

"We're thinking exactly the same thing! Guan!" Li Ankrich exclaimed excitedly. "We've already selected several national treasure-level Chinese music masters, and we still need Director Guan to help us make contact and have in-depth discussions. Folk songs, suona (a traditional Chinese wind instrument), 'Twilight Death and Morning Life,' 'Mayfly,' and even the unique sacrificial music elements of the Ghost Festival are all in the integration plan!"

Looking at the group of artists before her, whose eyes burned with the pure flame of creation, Guan Ling's face broke into a relaxed, heartfelt smile.

He patted Leonkrich's shoulder forcefully, the force filled with trust and entrustment:

"Li! This is exactly what I want! The courage to not be bound by box office predictions! Unfettered imagination that strikes at the heart of the matter! Go for it! All of Lingyun's resources will pave the way for you!"

……

Guan Ling took care of Liu Yifei for a few days, but Hollywood wouldn't let him off the hook.

That day, after participating in the meeting with Leon Krich at Skyscraper regarding "In the Dark,"

As dusk settled, the towering skyscrapers were tinged with an ambiguous golden edge.

The daytime business-oriented visits came to an end, while another side of Hollywood at night quietly began to unfold.

A sleek, understated black sports car, almost invisible, glided to the company's side entrance like a dark elf.

The car door silently spun upwards, and a long leg encased in a tight-fitting sequined black dress stepped out onto the smooth ground.

Scarlett leaned lazily against the car door, a slender cigarette between her fingers.

A wisp of pale smoke escaped from her scarlet lips in the twilight, her eyes, like hooks, pierced through the dimming light and landed on Guan Ling, who had come upon hearing the news.

"Hey, big director. The collaboration we discussed has fallen through?"

Her voice had a slightly husky, magnetic quality, like a feather brushing against the heart.

She stubbed out her cigarette on the specially designed cigarette extinguisher next to the car door and gracefully walked closer.

A scent that blends top-tier perfume, tobacco, and the allure of a mature woman instantly enveloped Guan Ling.

Without any pleasantries, she pressed her body almost against Guan Ling's, her red lips close to his ear, her warm breath carrying a hint of teasing moisture, gently brushing against his earlobe:

"You're back in Hollywood, but you haven't contacted me. Looks like you're going to break your promise? Are all men this rotten?"

"Are you looking for..."

"How is it?"

Scarlett chuckled. "I went to China and you messed with me, so why can't I mess with you now that you're in Hollywood?"

"This is my home address... I replaced my old sofa with a new one... Italian lambskin, softer and more... conforming to the body's curves."

Her fingertips glided naturally across the collar of Guan Ling's suit jacket, leaving an invisible, burning trail.

At the same time, a small, cold, hard metal object was quietly slipped into Guan Ling's palm—it was a uniquely shaped brass key.

"Anytime...waiting for you."

After she finished speaking, she gave Guan Ling no time to react, leaving behind a meaningful and charming smile, then turned around and, like a slippery black fish, gracefully darted back into the sports car.

The engine let out a deep, sexy roar, and the sports car quickly disappeared into the deepening night, leaving only the faint scent of perfume in the air and the cool touch of the key, reminding everyone that what had just happened was not an illusion.

Guan Ling stroked the key in his palm, which still carried the warmth of Scarlett's body, his face expressionless, but his eyes deepened.

He was all too familiar with the rules of the game in Hollywood.

This invitation is both a temptation and a tacit understanding, a move toward power and resources.

Money and power, nothing more.

Amber also called, and sent a few breathtaking photos along with her.

In the photo, a fiery red bodycon mini dress stunningly accentuates her graceful figure, while her long golden hair sways gently in the evening breeze.

Guan Ling couldn't help but sigh.

That's life. When you're famous, everyone around you is a good person.

When you're in Hollywood, a resource-rich environment where money and power determine your voice, you'll have access to countless people vying for your attention.

Scarlett and Amber are the same.

Even if they are the hottest actresses in Hollywood, they will still fawn over the red sofa. (End of Chapter)