Extracting skills from movies

Everyone knew each other, so we just exchanged casual greetings and the atmosphere was relaxed.

But as soon as Liang Jingqi entered the venue, her gaze involuntarily fell on Du Sheng.

To be precise, it fell on the two beautiful women beside him.

With her ample bust and Yang Jiong's height of 168cm, the two of them standing there together had long legs, slim waists, fair skin, and beautiful faces. Wearing athletic shorts, they looked refreshing and alluring.

Liang Jingqi knows she's not the type to be stunning at first glance; she goes for an artsy and fresh image, possessing plenty of charm but lacking a strong presence.

Standing next to these two, I instantly felt like a "backdrop".

However, she was quite self-aware and didn't compete or fight. She quietly followed behind the group, not saying a word and quietly remaining a nobody.

While changing his jersey, Ning Hao asked Du Sheng with a smile:

"Mr. Du, you brought two beautiful women on vacation today, didn't you?"

"If we're playing ball, how about I give you some help? Let Baoqiang go and assist you."

Du Sheng smiled slightly and pointed to the entrance:
"Who said I don't have any help? Look, here they are!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than footsteps sounded at the entrance of the stadium.

Ho Kuo-hua walked in with a smile, wearing a Lakers jersey and carrying a case of sports drinks.

Ning Hao said he would bring his team to play ball and meet up, and Du Sheng immediately knew what he was up to.

Although Interstellar Media invested in the film "Crazy Racer," they were not the main party involved.
Now that we've reached the post-production stage, we definitely need to follow up with things like distribution and scheduling.

Ning Hao said he wanted to play basketball, but actually he just wanted to find an opportunity to talk about theatrical release.

Du Sheng simply went with the flow and invited He Guohua from China Film Group as well.

To avoid having to reschedule, let's take this opportunity to get things done quickly and efficiently.

Ning Hao's eyes lit up when he saw He Guohua appear, and his face was beaming with joy.

Du Sheng saw this and deliberately teased him:

"Don't laugh too soon, the screenings aren't given away for nothing."

To secure a good position, you first need to earn a winning edge on the field.

He pointed to the venue:

"Since we don't have many people, let's play 3v3. Mr. He and I will team up, and Yingzi and Yang Jiong will take turns. You guys form your own teams."

Upon hearing this, Ning Hao immediately began to boast and pretend to be serious:

"Winning against you? A piece of cake!"
"When you guys lose badly later, remember to call me 'Big Brother,' and maybe I'll soften and give you some face."

He may talk a big game, but he's very selective when it comes to choosing people.

They brought in Wang Baoqiang and Huang Bai, and put Wang Zulan and Liang Jingqi on the bench.

Don't let his usual "artistic director" demeanor fool you; he's actually quite shrewd.

The players I brought are only so-so at playing basketball; frankly, they're just here to "act" at losing.

We need to be upfront about what we're saying. Even if we lose, it won't be shameful.
On the contrary, it seems that Du Sheng won decisively and also gained some goodwill, which will help secure more screenings for the film.

Unfortunately, Ning Hao's "bitter trick" has completely failed.

As soon as the game started, Du Sheng immediately transformed into the "king of the court".

His basketball skills aren't professional-level, but he used to play regularly and even performed as a guest in the NBA, so his fundamentals are very solid.

In addition, his current body has fast reaction speed, strong jumping ability, and incredible coordination, and his five senses are so sharp that it's like he has a cheat code.

While others were just gaining speed, he had already changed direction.
Before the opponent could even extend their hand, he had already released the ball.

Aerial pull-ups, tomahawk dunks—one move after another, dazzling the audience.

The first half went the full 90 minutes, and the score was 11-0 at the end.

Ning Hao's team was thoroughly thrashed.

The entire court became Du Sheng's personal show, with various high-difficulty dunks performed one after another, culminating in a pose reminiscent of James's hand gesture upon landing.

"That's it?"

Strangely enough, Ning Hao and his friends weren't annoyed at all; on the contrary, they watched with more enthusiasm than anyone else, cheering loudly from the sidelines.

"One more! One more!"

Several of those 11 dunks were forced out by their jeers.

In the second half, Du Sheng started to "hold back".

The defense isn't close, and the offense isn't fully unleashed; he occasionally shows off his dribbling skills, mainly playing a "fun game."

Although Ning Hao's team still lost, they managed to get the ball and score a few goals, making the game more lively and the atmosphere more relaxed.

Ho Kwok-wah even took the opportunity to sink a three-pointer, grinning from ear to ear:

"My touch is really back today!"

After the game, everyone took a shower in the shower room on the 5th floor of the venue, changed into clean clothes, and went straight into the luxury restaurant in the diamond area for dinner.

After several rounds of drinks and several dishes, the main course was finally served.

The distribution and screening schedule for "Crazy Racer" were finalized smoothly.

The film will be distributed nationwide by Miracle Cinemas and China Film Group, with a minimum of 17% of screenings in the first week, and subsequent adjustments will be made flexibly based on market performance next year.

In the fiercely competitive summer movie season, this is already a very generous offer.

Ning Hao was so happy he almost knelt down and called him "Big Brother" on the spot, but Du Sheng laughed and kicked him away:

"Get lost! If you keep acting like this, I'll send you to a construction site to carry bricks tomorrow."

After Ning Hao and He Guohua left, Du Sheng, along with Yu Chuan Yingzi and Yang Jiong, started another overtime game.

This time they're really serious.

Although Yukawa Sakurako isn't particularly tall, she has quick reflexes and a strong defensive awareness.

Yang Ying is a former model, so his physical strength and explosiveness are top-notch.

The two players flanked Du Sheng from the left and right, forcing him to accelerate, change direction, and use a series of feints.

But Du Sheng was, after all, blessed with an extraordinary physique; his shooting accuracy was ridiculously good.

He faked a couple of shots, then pulled up for a three-pointer and swished in three quick baskets.

Instead of being annoyed, Sakurako Yukawa and Yang Jiong clapped and cheered:
"Sheng-ge is so handsome! Let's get one more in!"

After this game, the two girls discovered Du Sheng's unusual hobbies.

The other side not only loves their dribbling and rushing forward, but also loves watching their energy when they play.

In particular, Kawai Sakurako noticed that Du Sheng especially liked how she looked in her basketball uniform.

After that, she started going to the racing complex every few days, and even brought Kyoko Fukada and Keiko Kitagawa along to play as a group, turning it into a "sisterhood team building base".

This racing complex is truly impressive.

With a racetrack, shopping mall, cinema, video game, and spa all included, and even logistics and warehousing managed intelligently, Zhong Zhen's design is simply a testament to the power of "enjoyment" etched into the very foundation.

After that, apart from being busy with other matters and promoting "The Grandmaster", Du Sheng used this place as his "vacation base camp" whenever he had free time.

In the morning, I went for a couple of laps at the track with the girls; at noon, we had a gourmet meal at the rooftop restaurant; and in the afternoon, we went to a private cinema to watch a new movie.
Or you can play fighting games in the arcade, or relax with a spa massage in the evening. There is no greater pleasure in life than this.

.........

That day, Du Sheng had just finished the promotional tour for "The Grandmaster" and arrived at the Miracle Mobile lab right on time.

The fourth prototype has reached the crucial stage of "real-world testing".

Thinking back to when the first prototype came out last year, it was truly riddled with problems.

The system is so laggy it's like an old ox pulling a broken cart; it gets hot to the touch after just two minutes of use; and photos taken with it are blurry like mosaics...

Du Sheng offered plenty of feedback, and the feedback document alone was several pages long.

But things are different now. The fourth version feels like a complete transformation. The hardware is more and more compatible, and it's much smoother to use.

This "Miracle Generation" features a 3.5-inch touchscreen with 640×480 pixels, which is considered high-end by today's standards.

It has 512MB of RAM and also includes a 500-megapixel camera that supports autofocus and video recording.

In 2008, this already surpassed the vast majority of mobile phones on the market.

Du Sheng smiled as soon as he got his hands on it:

"This time, it's really interesting."

Judging from its appearance, this phone is indeed presentable.

The screen occupies almost three-quarters of the entire front panel, with extremely narrow bezels, maximizing visual impact.
The back has a frosted texture that doesn't attract fingerprints, feels stable and comfortable in the hand, and exudes a premium feel.

Even from Du Sheng's perspective, who has seen the future of smartphones, this design can be considered an "industry benchmark."

The only downside is that the screen is still a bit small.

Du Sheng knew that this was due to current supply chain limitations.

Large-size touchscreens have low yield rates and high costs, so they cannot be used for the time being.

But there's no rush, we can change it gradually later.

What pleased him even more was that the persistent problems of lag, overheating, and crashes that used to plague the fourth version had been significantly improved.

The system runs much more smoothly now, and it doesn't get hot to the touch even after two hours of continuous use. It also takes photos quickly and records videos with almost no frame drops.

Ye Jingzhi stood to the side, looking at the smile on Du Sheng's face, and smiled too:

"As you said before, we will officially name this machine 'Miracle Generation 1'."

It uses the T0 chip developed in-house by the Tianji Chip team, and its operating system is our own 'Miracle Intelligent System,' or MC system for short.

She paused, then continued:
"The T0 chip is just starting out. Its performance is quite good, but it's not top-of-the-line yet."

The MC system comes pre-installed with 16 commonly used apps, such as a browser, music player, camera, and calendar. All operations are done via touchscreen, and swiping and clicking are very responsive.

Ideally, the experience is great, but the system stability still needs further refinement.

However, I don't think it's necessary to wait until it's perfect before launching it.

Her tone was firm:
"There are no perfect products in the world. Let's launch them first, let the market decide, and improve them as we sell. This is the most realistic way."

After listening, Du Sheng nodded slightly:
"Indeed, when do you plan to go?"

Ye Jingzhi was full of confidence:
"The final prototype will be released next month, and if all goes well, it can be officially launched in the second half of this year."

I've already streamlined the supply chain; production, logistics, and distribution channels are all arranged. We'll adjust production flexibly based on pre-sale data, and we absolutely will not allow excess inventory to accumulate.

Du Sheng put the phone back on the table and said seriously:
"Okay, let's go at your pace."

If you encounter any difficulties, don't hide them. I'll take this opportunity to consolidate the connections I've made.

Ye Jingzhi, who also manages the finances, got straight to the point:

"What we lack now is money."

Research and development costs a lot of money, production costs even more, and advertising and promotion also require a lot of money.

I estimate we'll need to invest at least another 5 million.

Actually, the Miracle Phone was never something done in secret.

From the very beginning, Du Sheng personally took charge and set the pace.

He frequently shares research and development progress on his social media accounts, and posts "insider spoilers."

For example, comments like "The new system is as smooth as silk" and "The camera's night shooting effect is amazing" have fans thoroughly enjoying the content.

Moreover, Miracle Phone scenes are frequently "embedded" in the films and television dramas produced by Interstellar Media.

In "The Forbidden Kingdom," Liu Yifei takes out her phone to send a text message, and in "Crazy Racer," Huang Bai answers the phone; both are using prototype phones that haven't even been released yet.

In the past two years, the company has invested nearly 9 million yuan in advertising, but Ye Jingzhi doesn't feel the pinch at all.

why?
She knew it all too well.

This thing is mind-altering.

Current mainstream mobile phones are still using flip phones, button phones, and the Symbian operating system.
The Miracle Phone has already achieved a full touchscreen, a smart operating system, and an application ecosystem.

This is simply not a product of its time.

Once users have tasted the benefits of smartphones, they can never go back.

In her eyes, the Miracle Phone is not just a product, but a signal of an epoch-making era.

Being able to participate in its creation is one of the greatest achievements of her life.

Moreover, the person who orchestrated all of this was Du Sheng.

Her man.

Over the years she's been with Du Sheng, her health has improved, she's become more energetic, and her career has reached its peak.

With a place to belong in one's heart and a direction in life, what more could one ask for?

After hearing the funding requirements, Du Sheng smiled:
"5 million? That's nothing."

"You can transfer funds freely from the company account and my personal account."

That's no exaggeration.

If we're talking about who has the most cash in China right now, Du Sheng would definitely be in the top three.

YY and Renren went public one after another, raising tens of billions of yuan.

Lianzhong is about to go public, which will bring in another big profit.

In addition to filming, boxing matches, singing, company dividends, etc., one's personal account can be accessed at any time with billions or even tens of billions of yuan.

Meanwhile, overseas, the subprime crisis swept through global financial markets like a tsunami.

Du Sheng wasn't idle; he had already laid out his plans at the height of the controversy.

The money they had previously made, plus the funds raised from TVING Video, was all poured back into the market, specifically targeting "high-risk" sectors such as the Nasdaq index, real estate, and oil for short selling.

However, he didn't use high leverage and played it safe.

Because the market is like that; sometimes it suddenly "goes crazy" and experiences a sharp reversal with a surge.
If you leverage too much, a sudden rebound can wipe out your entire account and force you out of the market.

By steadily and surely building his business, his overseas fund returns have now more than tripled.

A rough calculation shows that he made over six billion US dollars from this crisis alone.

At this rate, it's almost a certainty that the net asset value of the funds he manages will exceed 10 billion US dollars once the subprime crisis is completely over.

For Du Sheng now, anything that can be solved with money is no problem.

As they were talking, Ye Jingzhi brought up another matter:
"The phone is about to be launched, but we haven't decided on a brand slogan yet."

You need to make a decision about this; after all, it's a project you spearheaded.

Du Sheng smiled and didn't refuse.

In fact, he knew very well that Ye Jingzhi and her team were the ones who really worried the most about this phone, from strategy to research and development.

He can only set a direction and provide some resources; they handle all the specifics.

However, he also understood what the girl meant: to solidify one family's position.

After a busy day, Du Sheng took Ye Jingzhi home.

They have a large, nearly 200-square-meter apartment in Beijing. It's spacious, bright, and comfortable to live in.

But when I walked in today, good heavens!

Overcrowded!

…(End of this chapter)