Extracting skills from movies

"Contact me anytime if you have any questions. I'll be in Los Angeles for the time being."

Crand exchanged a few more pleasantries with Taylor before leaving the ward.

As soon as he stepped out, he called his assistant to get into the car and said:

"There must be cameras filming Du Sheng on the red carpet tonight, right? Have the editor pick out all the footage of Du Sheng using Sony products and make a special commercial..."

The assistant was filled with admiration after hearing this and took the opportunity to flatter him:
"Boss, that's a brilliant idea!"

Crand smiled:

"It's mainly because Du Sheng is so helpful."

"If he hadn't single-handedly taken down so many bandits and prevented casualties, we might have suffered a huge loss this time."

Before the car had even left the parking lot, a luxury car drove in and parked in the adjacent parking space.

The person who got out of the car was a McDonald's executive, the vice president of planning, Alcon.

He rushed over as soon as he got off the plane, walking towards the hospital building while making a phone call.

On the other end of the phone was the CEO of McDonald's headquarters:

"After the meeting just now, we unanimously decided to officially appoint Du Sheng as McDonald's permanent spokesperson for the Asia region."

We will send someone to contact his team; you can let us know in advance…

Orcomb hung up the phone, a smirk playing on his lips.
"This is a win-win situation."

……

Meanwhile, more and more fans gathered at the hospital entrance.

They held offerings of support or prayer in their hands, their expressions solemn, and many had tears in their eyes.

The reporter, who was broadcasting live, immediately pointed the camera at this scene:
"Dear viewers, this is the entrance of the Cedar Sinai Medical Center. A large number of fans have spontaneously come to pray for Du Sheng..."

Lydia deliberately chose this time to organize the event in order to catch the prime-time evening news on major television stations.

She and Cui Yayi took the lead in lighting the first candle, and hundreds of fans at the scene followed suit by lighting their own candles.

In the darkness, the twinkling lights illuminated devout faces as people clasped their hands together and prayed silently.

Countless cameras captured this moment, which was then broadcast across North America via television and the internet.

The attention surrounding this attack has not cooled down; on the contrary, it continues to surge.

The next morning, the Los Angeles City Hall lobby was packed with people.

The Los Angeles Police Department and the FBI are holding a joint press conference here regarding the "Fonda Theater attack".

The room was packed with reporters, all of whom were pointing their cameras and recorders at the two speakers on the stage.

At the start of the press conference, Robinson dropped a bombshell:
"There is conclusive evidence that this attack was not an ordinary crime, but a terrorist act planned by spies from a certain country!"

He continued reading the script in a serious tone:

"The goal is to create chaos and disrupt the upcoming national elections in the Lighthouse..."

There was an uproar at the scene.

"WTF? Is this involving espionage?"

"No wonder the police and FBI had no prior warning; it turns out it was foreign forces causing trouble..."

Many veteran journalists' eyes change when they hear the word "spy".

They still remember those tense days from a few years ago; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they trembled with fear.

Then, Lane took the microphone and added:

"In addition to the eight people who directly took action in the theater, there were six peripheral personnel who provided support. We are currently pursuing them!"

He deliberately raised his voice to emphasize:
"We would like to express our special thanks to Mr. Du Sheng, who thwarted a major terrorist attack against the lighthouse at a critical moment..."

When Du Sheng is mentioned, even those who usually dislike him have to admit that someone who can survive a hail of bullets and even kill a group of desperados is truly amazing!

Robinson concluded with this sentence:
"Although Du Sheng is a foreigner, he deserves to be an 'Honorary Citizen of Los Angeles'!"

After playing the sheng (a type of reed pipe instrument), the representatives from both sides took turns boasting.

They claimed the enemy was highly trained, ruthless, and extremely cunning, but ultimately they were defeated by the combined efforts of the police and the FBI…

In short, this time it wasn't that the police were slow to react, but that the enemy was too ruthless;
It wasn't that the intelligence work was inadequate; it was that the other side had spies cooperating.

The core message of this press conference was singular: to minimize accountability and reap credit.

Du Sheng watched the live TV broadcast while shaking his head and chuckling:
"The official announcement has arrived, which means we've been officially recognized and can now take the initiative."

Ma Yaowei pointed out the window and said:

"Your fans are everywhere at the hospital entrance, sending you flowers non-stop, and some are even praying for you until dawn."

Taylor pushed open the door, carrying lunch, and casually said:
"Eight girls in wedding dresses came to the door just now, saying they can't live without you."

Upon hearing this, Ma Yaowei couldn't help but laugh:
"The headache is coming."

Taylor was curious:

"what's wrong?"

Du Sheng shrugged:

"A group of obsessed fans were rummaging through our discarded items just a few days ago."

I guess they might be looking for a souvenir like a condom.

Taylor paused for a moment after hearing this, and silently decided that he must keep these "dangerous items" safe from now on, otherwise something really bad could happen.

Ma Yaowei glanced at the TV and reminded him:

"Now that the announcement is over, it's time for you to 'lie down' and appear on camera."

Du Sheng was actually fine long ago, but for the best visual effect, he still maintained the appearance of being seriously injured.

He leaned against the hospital bed, his arms and legs in plaster casts and with an IV drip attached, delivering a convincing performance.

Ma Yaowei took a series of photos with his camera, then connected them to his computer and sent them to Haders.

Moments later, reporters from various media outlets received the latest photos of Du Sheng.

News broadcasts sounded simultaneously:

"Breaking news! Du Sheng is out of danger, but due to the gunshot wound, she needs to be hospitalized..."

At the same time, Du Sheng's social media platforms and the Bajiquan Association's official website were simultaneously updated with the latest news.

In addition, there are video clips of Ma Yaowei being interviewed.

"Thank you all for your concern and support. Du Sheng's injury is not serious; he just needs to rest."

As for the filming of "Inception", the male lead's scenes had to be postponed, and the scenes of Jessica, Black, and others were filmed first.

The comment section below the video instantly flooded with countless comments:

"We're out of danger! That's great!"

"This is wonderful news, thank God!"

"Du Sheng, please take good care of yourself. We are all waiting for you to come back!"

"We'll all come to welcome you home in triumph!"

In the evening, Sony released the first trailer for "Taken".

In just thirty seconds, most of the scenes consist of Du Sheng's action sequences: gunfights, close combat, flying kicks, and headshots, all rendered in a highly realistic style.

At this critical juncture, this trailer is simply adding fuel to the fire!

It set a record on the LME platform that very day, with over 500 million views!

The hype skyrocketed!

Director Mak Siu-fai of "The Man from Nowhere," who was originally in North America for a celebration party, also gave an interview to Sony TV. "I'm not surprised at all that Du Sheng could be so fierce when facing armed terrorists."

He was telling the truth:

"Besides being a recognized boxing champion, he also underwent two months of intensive firearms and combat training before filming 'The Man from Nowhere'."

These words, coupled with the potential for a sequel, have greatly increased fans' expectations.

Along with the trailer, a personal poster of Du Sheng was also released.

In the image, his face is covered in blood, he holds a gun, and his eyes are sharp, like a warrior who has just returned from the battlefield of the Fonda Theater.

The poster quickly went viral online, and the "lone wolf" image became an overnight sensation.

Du Sheng is once again at the center of a media storm.

In just a few days, "Taken" has left behind Hollywood blockbusters that were originally expected to be hits, such as "Beowulf," "Enchanted," and "I Am Legend," and has soared to the top of the list of "most anticipated movies of the year"!

Moviegoers scrolled through the news while simultaneously watching the trailer, their excitement growing as they watched:
“I just assume other movie trailers are just special effects, but Du Sheng is different!”
He's a real-life fighter who's actually taken down ruthless criminals!

"I heard that many scenes in this sequel are similar to the Fonda Theatre attack. Is that true?"

"I can skip other movies, but I absolutely have to see The Man from Nowhere!"

"Others act as heroes in movies, but Du Sheng? He's a real hero!"

In the last few days of this month, Du Sheng completely dominated the entertainment industry.

No matter what circle someone is in, as long as they go online, they can see his name.

News spread like wildfire, and even netizens in the Philippines began to pay attention to this "real-life action star."

New fans are growing like a snowball.

On this day, McDonald's held a press conference and officially announced:
Du Sheng becomes McDonald's permanent brand ambassador for Asia!
Not only that, they also launched a "Du Sheng Commemorative Edition Cold Drink" with a picture of him holding the drink on the packaging, which is obviously an "Easter egg" outside of the movie.

Not long after, Sony also released a special advertisement.
The video prominently featured Du Sheng using various Sony products at a celebratory banquet.

These two companies spent almost no money on traffic promotion, yet the results were more explosive than those that spent tens of millions.

Especially the commemorative cold drinks launched by McDonald's.

It sold out as soon as it hit the market, leaving supermarket shelves emptier than Bald Qiang's head.

Mercedes is getting a little restless.

The North American manager sent someone to Haders's home specifically to lecture him:
"Didn't you use the RV we sponsored for the celebration banquet that night?"

"We are also partners. How could you be so negligent?"

The implication was that Mercedes missed out on a big loss that night because they didn't make an appearance.

Haders looked helpless:
"The car was in the parking lot. At that time, the situation was extremely dangerous. There was no time to choose a vehicle."
We can't just call "stop" and wait for the RV to arrive before continuing, can we?

The other party had no choice but to compromise and demand:
"Alright, on the day Du Sheng recovers and makes an appearance, he absolutely must ride in our car!"

Haders nodded in agreement, and after seeing the other party off, he rushed off to the next meeting.

Meanwhile, the Oscars' public relations team is also making preparations in full swing.

For the teams behind Li Yixin and Amanda, this was the most relaxed Oscars PR event they had ever handled.

In the past, in order to win awards, major companies would start laying the groundwork months or even half a year in advance, spending hundreds of millions or tens of millions of dollars on publicity, entertaining judges, sending sample films, and organizing screenings...

But this year is completely different.

Du Sheng doesn't need any of these.

He is now a prominent figure in North America; who doesn't know about his feat of taking on a single armed thug?

With "Taken" scheduled for release in November, as a sequel to "The Man from Nowhere," it has already garnered immense popularity and positive reviews.

Not to mention that the Los Angeles Police Department and the FBI personally stamped and certified his work:
"Hero!" "A fighter for democracy and freedom!" "Honorary citizen of Los Angeles!"

With such great achievements, wouldn't it be a piece of cake to just lobby the Oscar judges living in Los Angeles a little to get them to show some favoritism?
"This is impossible!"

Los Angeles, next to a movie theater.

Stefan Luzovetzky, director of the German film "The Counterfeiters," was slamming his fist on the table in anger:
"How much resources did we spend competing for Best Foreign Language Film, and now we're just giving up?"

The producer advised him to calm down:
"Given the situation, who can compete with Du Sheng?"

Even if we throw millions into it, we still won't win. We'd be lucky to even secure a nomination.

Stefan roared:

"We followed the rules, promoted ourselves three months in advance, and spent money to persuade the judges. We did everything we were supposed to do!"
Instead, he put on a gunfight show, and the film went viral even before its release. What is that? Cheating, isn't it?

The producer sighed and patted him on the shoulder:

"This is not cheating; others have risked their lives for this contribution."

We can't compete with that kind of goodwill and popularity.

Stephen leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples.

"Forget it... let's secure the nomination for 'The Counterfeiters' first, and we'll talk about the rest later."

The producer nodded:

"There will be plenty of opportunities, but this time... it's really not our turn."

The Oscar battle hasn't even officially begun, but the balance of power seems to have already quietly shifted.

.........

That day, seeing that the buzz was still going on and that the "Inception" crew wasn't in a hurry to go back, Du Sheng simply decided to continue "resting" in the hospital.

After all, if someone is "shot" and is discharged from the hospital in just a few days, it doesn't hold up to scrutiny.

Hades, with his shiny bald head, jogged over to find him.

Du Sheng put down his notebook and casually asked:

"What is so urgent?"

Haders took a breath and said excitedly:

"The deal has been reached with Beneteau Yachts!"
The contract was officially signed in October, with an annual endorsement fee of five million US dollars.

Du Sheng nodded.

This French brand is the world's largest sailboat manufacturer and one of the world's largest powerboat producers.

The last time he took his girlfriends out to sea, they rode on their yacht and motorboat.

It was expected that the other party would take the initiative to come to us.

"anything else?"

Du Sheng kept asking questions while drinking water.

Haders smirked and continued his report:

"I also discussed a few additional terms."

For major awards like the Oscars or other prestigious European film festivals, Benetton will go to great lengths to help you win them.

This includes covering a portion of public relations expenses and helping to lobby media resources.

If you actually win the grand prize, they'll give you an extra million dollars.

Du Sheng smiled after hearing this:
"pretty good."

He thought for a moment, then asked:
"Don't McDonald's and Mercedes-Benz have similar support agreements?"
With Bonaparte, Sony, and their talent agencies all involved, it seems like winning the Oscars this year will be much easier than last year.

Haders nodded:
"That's right, they will all fully support your new film's award aspirations this year."

Moreover, I've communicated with several sponsoring brands, and their support will be no less than that during last year's "The Departed" period..."

…(End of this chapter)