China Entertainment: I have been a director since 05

[The revised version is nearly 5,000 words]

"The Great Gatsby will be officially released in mainland China today. Director Baz Luhrmann was invited to China to participate in the promotion. He appeared at a press conference and meet-and-greet with the audience in Shanghai yesterday, which was a lively affair!"

"The film held its grand premiere in China the day before yesterday at the Beijing Guomao Bailigong Cinema. At the event, friends from the film industry, including director Lu Chuan, Zhang Yibai, Ning Hao, Jin Yimeng, Chen Daming, and Chen Yili, showed their support."

"It is rumored that this film is called the 'most gorgeous 3D blockbuster in history,' and Lu Chuan has made a high-profile announcement that he is a Hollywood director and wants to give mainland audiences something truly impressive!"

"As one of the most anticipated 3D blockbusters of the year, this film truly prioritizes the element of 'glamorousness.' The palatial mansions, the stunning New York street scenes, and the gorgeous and luxurious costumes are enough to show the decadent and extravagant lifestyle of the American upper class in the 1920s."

This film is a pinnacle of extravagant luxury, a magnificent jazz elegy.

Under the brilliant direction of Baz Luhrmann, it presents a dazzling and alluring array of colors.

On the day of the event, this glamorous atmosphere was brought to the venue, with the captivating New York jazz dance from the film creating a mini-climax.

"On the red carpet, the presence of various directors was spectacular. The chief director cheered for everyone. Baz Luhrmann's appearance, riding in a classic vintage car, slowly entered the red carpet area, creating a wave of excitement!"

"To everyone's surprise, Leonardo DiCaprio did not appear at the Chinese premiere for promotional purposes. Instead, he will come separately later to promote the film. It is rumored that this move is related to the new movie starring Guan Ling and DiCaprio in Hollywood."

In late August, a series of news reports quickly made headlines in the film and entertainment news.

But to be honest, it's a bit awkward.
First of all, Lu Chuan finally managed to show off, but Little Li didn't show up.

Then there's this foreigner's overwhelming hype, saying it's Leonardo DiCaprio's next peak romantic film after Titanic, but damn it, the male lead didn't even show up.

It's rumored that Leonardo DiCaprio has resisted romantic movies for over a decade. This time, the director said that DiCaprio had a sense of mission in starring in the film, and that it was a highly anticipated topic for audiences. However, the lead actor didn't show up.

What dishes should we serve?

The audience felt a little awkward.

However, it must be said that this film, with its impressive cast and crew, is of diamond quality and is sure to drive audiences around the world crazy.

The soundtrack lineup alone is a lavish spectacle.

Hip-hop icon Jay-Z served as executive producer on the film and also composed its original soundtrack.

Other celebrities involved include Beyoncé and Fergie, the lead singer of the popular group Black Eyed Peas.

Florence Welch, lead singer of the band Mechanical.
Lana Del Rey, a rising star in the music scene
Veteran rock star Brian Ferrier, and Jack White, lead singer of the leading American garage rock band "The White Stripes," among others.

The soundtrack is absolutely top-notch!
September has finally arrived, and the autumn air is crisp and clear.

Whether in Hollywood or in mainland China, it's the same.

During this period, without Guan Ling's movie bombardment, the entertainment industry seemed rather bleak.

August was rather dismal, with only "Jurassic Park" and "Monsters University" being considered blockbusters, while "The Impossible" did not actually produce any miracles despite the tsunami.

Even now, the recently released "The Great Gatsby" can still be considered a blockbuster.

But no one expected this.
Since its release in mainland China on August 30th,

He pooped a huge lump very quickly!

Baz Luhrmann's Hollywood 3D film "The Great Gatsby," boasting a "diamond-level stellar cast," failed to achieve the box office miracle expected.

It even lost out to the domestic chick flick "The Stolen Years" in the same release window.
Whether it's investment, cast, visual effects, or extravagance...
"The Great Gatsby" far surpasses "The Stolen Years," but it ultimately suffered a major setback, which shocked the industry!
Box office of 840 million on the first day!
Hollywood directors, don't even think about how ashamed they are!
Anyway, netizens felt really ashamed for the group of Chinese directors who fawned over this director after he came to China, especially the sycophantic group led by Lu Chuan.

Many people are numb!

While this movie wasn't exactly a blockbuster in North America, it was still the number one romantic drama!
The fact that it suffered such a disastrous box office failure on its opening day in China has left everyone completely baffled.

This film also suffered the same fate as other imported art films such as "Les Misérables" and "The King's Speech," which experienced poor box office performance in China.

The film grossed 2730 million yuan in its first three days of release.

Meanwhile, the film "The Stolen Years," directed by Barbara Wong and starring Bai Baihe and Zhang Xiaoquan, emerged as a dark horse in the later stages of the summer movie season.
Since its release on August 29, it has consistently maintained its position as the top-grossing film in terms of both daily screenings and box office revenue. On its opening day, it grossed 16 million yuan, and its reputation has not diminished, firmly holding Leonardo DiCaprio's head in the dust.

"I'm completely devastated."

Xiao Li was feeling very upset at Guan Ling's place. After seeing Liu Yifei give birth to Guan Ling's child, Xiao Li felt even more upset.

"You fucking hid this from me! I had no idea about this!" Little Li exclaimed in despair. "I used 'fuck' here for emphasis."

Guan Ling: ...

You're really putting your knowledge to good use, aren't you?

"Now you know, but keep your mouth shut. If the news gets leaked, it will definitely be your doing. In that case, I'd rather rot than give you the movie 'The Revenant'."

“There are fewer people now, so I can kneel down and call you Dad.” Little Li instantly transformed into a pragmatic and shrewd man, pointing to the baby next to him and saying, “I’m calling him that for him.”

Liu Yifei never expected that Leonardo DiCaprio, whom she had worked with for so long and whom she had once thought was incredibly domineering, would actually be so spineless in private.

Can't help but laugh.

“By the way, Guan,” Little Li said, still puzzled, “I really put my heart into making The Great Gatsby, so why did it turn out so badly in China?”

"Your film is not well-received in China. The disillusionment of your American Dream has nothing to do with China. Including those drinking parties and underground bars with many black dancers in your film, they are too absurd and noisy. They do not contribute to the artistry of the film and will greatly diminish its artistic value."

Guan Ling said, "Besides, you've really hit a brick wall."

"A Chinese director named Guo Jingming released two terrible films in the past few months, 'Tiny Times 1' and 'Tiny Times 2,' one grossing over 400 million yuan and the other over 200 million yuan. These films are no different from your American movies. They're all about opulent, beautiful, lavish, and extravagant scenes. Both films were heavily criticized by Chinese audiences. How much better do you think yours will be?"

Xiao Li fell silent after Guan Ling said that.

He didn't know what to say for a moment.

Guan Ling knew that many reviews in China had already described the film as the "American version of Tiny Times," and that its release at this juncture was indeed a stepping stone for Guo Jingming.

In the movie, the dazzling special effects are not necessarily a bad thing; they brought the film a lot of attention.

However, those who like and praise you are always in the minority. Those who like you say you have reached the pinnacle.

Those who dislike it, however, see it as a circus.
It's even a fantastic blockbuster that combines elements of a Hainan Rendez-Vous, a comeback, a hit-and-run, and unexpected fatherhood!
There's no way to refute that!
"Then why was he able to scam so many box office numbers?" Leonardo DiCaprio asked instinctively. It was a scam.

"Because his fans are all children, children who don't understand these things, while your fans have long passed the age of having such fantasies. As for whether your American dream has been shattered, most Chinese people don't care at all; everyone cares about whether your America will perish."

Guan Ling smiled, his fingers tapping on the table, creating a series of echoes.

Leonardo DiCaprio was devastated.

I've decided to go home to recuperate.

"It's better not to go to this Chinese propaganda event." Going now would only make us look even more humiliated.

"You talked like that, and Little Li didn't even get angry." Liu Yifei covered her mouth and laughed. "He still has to call you Dad. I really didn't expect that such a big star in my eyes would actually bow down for a pittance."

“That’s the weakness of the bourgeoisie,” Guan Ling laughed. “He’s too eager to win that little golden statue.”

He watched Leonardo DiCaprio's departing figure, lost in thought.
…………

Because of the upcoming IPO, Guan Ling decided to return to China. It had been too long; the IPO had been delayed for far too long.

And now is the perfect time. For Lingyun Media.

In September, an invisible tension hung heavy in the air of Beijing, making the entire entertainment industry feel suffocated.

There is only one focus – Lingyun Media, listed on the A-share market, codenamed "LYCM".

The air in Financial Street seemed to have been sucked away by an invisible force, leaving only a stagnant, heart-pounding anticipation.

Outside the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, the area was already completely surrounded by cameras and microphones.

The flashes of light created a blinding daylight, and each shutter click was like a tiny drumbeat, striking everyone's nerves.

Amidst the river of flashing lights, Chen Guofu, CEO of Lingyun Media, stood in a sharp navy blue suit.
Wearing a silver-gray tie symbolizing the Lingyun logo, with a carefully crafted calm smile on his face, he was surrounded by bodyguards as he walked towards the door that symbolized the pinnacle of capital.

Beside him were several equally radiant core executives with sharp, eagle-like eyes, as well as the iconic silver-haired, haughty partner from the underwriter, Goldman Sachs.

He stepped firmly and powerfully into the center of the red carpet with every step.

He tilted his head slightly and whispered to the Goldman Sachs partner beside him to confirm, "Is everything on track?"

The silver-haired man's lips curled into a knowing smile, his voice deep and confident: "Don't worry, Mr. Chen, our list of cornerstone investors is enough to drive the market crazy. Opening performance? I think we can all wait and see the numbers dance."

His gaze swept over several familiar yet unpleasant faces of industry bigwigs in the distant crowd, and his smile deepened.

This silent conversation was witnessed by a pair of eyes burning with anger from a distant corner.

The huge floor-to-ceiling windows of Huayi Brothers' office are long gone. The building still stands, but all it can do is look out at the bustling CBD.
At this moment, they have long since become the most glaring background.

Wang Zhonglei stared intently at Chen Guofu's spirited face on the huge LCD screen on the wall.

On the screen, the Shenzhen Stock Exchange's electronic clock ticked, getting closer and closer to the opening auction.

"Clap!"

With a crisp sound, the valuable purple clay teacup shattered at Wang Zhonglei's feet.

Scalding hot tea and dark brown Pu'er tea leaves splashed all over the ground, like spilled blood.

His chest heaved violently, his face was frighteningly pale, and the veins on his forehead throbbed.

"Ling Yun! Guan Ling! Excellent, very excellent!"

He practically gritted his teeth, each word seeming to be forced out from between them.

"What are we, Huayi Brothers? A small workshop? We're not even worthy of carrying shoes for others, are we?!"

He whirled around, his bloodshot eyes glaring at the several executives who were frozen in fear in the office, pointing at the imposing logo of Lingyun Media on the screen.

"Look! Open your eyes wide and see! We should have been in that position back then, but we failed to raise funds and collapsed, while the culprits, the instigators, their company, are able to climb up by stepping on our faces! And what have we been doing for the past ten years? Waiting to die?!"

The executives all kept their heads down, not daring to utter a sound.

The only sounds in the office were Wang Zhonglei's heavy breathing and the voices coming from the screen.

The increasingly noisy background noise came from the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.

At the same time, Bona Film Group.

A deathly silence filled Yu Dong's office.

He didn't fly into a rage like Wang Zhonglei; he simply sat frozen in the large leather chair like a petrified statue.

His gaze was fixed on the computer screen in front of him. On it, the issue price of Lingyun Media—68.88 yuan—a number with a distinctly auspicious Chinese connotation, now felt like a red-hot iron, burning his eyes.

He unconsciously rubbed something in his hand.

It was an old-fashioned pager model, worn smooth and shiny from being phased out by the times. It was a testament to his early success and had always been kept on his desk as an antique and a kind of spiritual totem.

The numbers on the screen suddenly started jumping wildly!
The opening auction has begun!

The price of 68.88 yuan was instantly overshadowed.

Buying orders surged like a tidal wave, with red buy order numbers rolling and piling up at a breathtaking speed, pushing the price all the way up!
75 yuan… 88 yuan… 100 yuan… 120 yuan… 150 yuan…

The numbers were jumping faster and faster, as if they were breaking free from the shackles of gravity.

Yu Dong's eyes widened, his pupils reflecting the string of rapidly rising, glaringly red numbers.

The color drained from his face, and his fingers, gripping the pager model, turned white at the knuckles from excessive force and trembled slightly.

"boom!"

There was a muffled sound.

The pager model, which he had caressed countless times and which carried the weight of the past years and complex emotions, finally slipped from his unconsciously loosened fingers and fell heavily onto the thick carpet.

A tiny crack appeared on the outer shell.

Yu Dong seemed to be startled awake by the sound, and his body jolted violently.

He slowly and stiffly lowered his head, looking at the "antique" on the ground that symbolized his starting point, then slowly raised his head and looked at the number on the screen that had broken through the 180 yuan mark and still showed no signs of stopping—Lingyun Media (LYCM).

He opened his mouth, a dry "hoarse" sound came from his throat, but in the end he couldn't say a word. Only a sense of bewilderment and coldness, as if he had been crushed by the wheels of time, instantly gripped his heart.

Inside the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, a huge electronic clock points to exactly 10:00!
"when--!"

The loud and melodious chime, like the first proclamation at the dawn of creation, instantly drowned out all the noise at the scene, resounded throughout the entire trading hall, and spread across the country through countless live broadcasts!
"LYCM! Lingyun Media! Opening price—198.88 yuan!" The host's excited shout, cracking through the microphone, rang out.

The entire hall erupted in cheers!
On the huge electronic screen, the K-line representing Lingyun Media, like a roaring golden dragon, soared into the sky at an almost vertical angle with the momentum to crush all resistance!

198.88 yuan! A staggering 188% surge upon opening!

Cheers, screams, and gasps of disbelief merged into a massive wave of sound that nearly lifted the roof off the trading floor.

The flashbulbs went completely wild, enveloping Chen Dong, who was standing in the center ringing the golden bell, and his executives in a holy yet frenzied halo.

Chen Guofu's calm smile finally blossomed, and he opened his arms as if embracing this peak moment supported by capital and dreams.

"It's broken 200!" someone shouted hoarsely.

Without the slightest hesitation, the numbers on the screen easily surpassed the 200 yuan mark and continued to climb! 201… 205… 210… Unstoppable!
"Market capitalization! Real-time market capitalization!" someone screamed.

On the huge secondary screen, a line of bold, red numbers, as if burning with flames, scrolled and climbed wildly:
Lingyun Media (LYCM) Real-time Market Capitalization: ¥238.656 billion… ¥241.579 billion… ¥245.033 billion…

The numbers are jumping around so fast it's dizzying. Converted to US dollars, it easily surpasses the 350 billion mark! And it's still soaring!

This astronomical figure, like a super bomb, exploded in front of countless computer and mobile phone screens watching this scene.

It has directly become the number one entertainment stock in mainland China!
Most importantly, people know that this is not the peak yet.

Because "Your Name" hasn't premiered yet!

It's still in the promotional phase! (End of Chapter)