Entering the Chinese entertainment industry is like entering a deep sea

Chapter 854 In the next life, don't make me wait fifteen years

In 2018, the most popular TV series was "The Storm" at the beginning of the year, and the most popular movie was "Dying to Survive" at the end of the year. However, the most regrettable thing was Wanda.

Rongchen Pictures repurchased the 20% stake that it had given to Wanda in the previous share swap, and with a 35% stake, became Wanda's controlling shareholder.

The big boss is still holding on, but it's almost 2019, which cinema chain can survive?
In this way, Rongchen Pictures has completed the closed loop of film and television, from production to theaters, becoming the undisputed number one giant in Asian film and television.

Of course, it was the blond-haired guy who was deified.

People in the industry just watched helplessly as the Golden Horse Awards' reputation was ruined. With the boycott by Rong Chen's faction, the Golden Horse Awards were completely reduced to a provincial film festival.

Central, Hong Kong
The night view of Victoria Harbour remains dazzling. In the conference room on the top floor of the Hong Kong headquarters of Rongchen Film Industry, which has been established for two years, a meeting that will change the meaning of this dazzling scene is entering its final stage.

A huge electronic screen displayed the complete plan for the 'Golden Feather International Film Festival'.

From the logo design: a golden feather with a strong oriental aesthetic, resembling a film reel coiled together, to the award category: the highest award, the 'Golden Feather Award'!
In addition, there are awards for Best Asian Film, Best Director, and Best Actor. The venue planning is based on the Hong Kong Cultural Centre as the main venue, radiating to multiple surrounding landmarks. The competition schedule is meticulously planned and every detail is carefully considered.

Li Chen sat in the main seat, listening to the final reports from the heads of each group, and occasionally raising key questions.

Sitting next to him were Zhang Yimou, who had just flown in from the mainland, and Yang Siwei, CEO of Rongchen Pictures.

"Director Zhang, do you think this list of judges is weighty enough?" Li Chen pushed a list in front of Zhang Yimou.

Zhang Yimou adjusted his glasses, carefully examined the document, and a look of surprise followed by admiration gradually appeared on his face: "Zhang Manyu, Leonardo DiCaprio... This..."

"Li Chen, you're not just organizing a film festival, you're bringing half of the world's cinema to Hong Kong! It's not just big enough, it's beyond the scale."

Yang Siwei added: "Chairman, Director, our goal is very clear: for the first edition, we must match Cannes and Venice in terms of scale, professionalism, and influence, and create a true 'Oriental Film Capital'!"

"Therefore, every detail must reach world-class standards."

Just over half a month after New Year's Day, a bombshell announcement shocked the world.

Global Times reported
"Golden Feathers Spread, Dreams Build in Hong Kong: Li Chen and Zhang Yimou Join Hands to Create the Oriental Oscars."

"On January 18, 2019, a simultaneous announcement from Hong Kong and Beijing News shook the world film industry."

"Rongchen Film Group today officially announced the establishment of a brand new international film festival in Hong Kong: the Golden Feather International Film Festival, with the inaugural festival scheduled for October 2019."

"At the same time, the core leadership lineup was announced: the chairman of the film festival is Li Chen, chairman of the group and Oscar director, and the chairman of the jury is Zhang Yimou, the national director."

"This news is like a bombshell, not only announcing the reshaping of the Asian film landscape, but also highlighting Hong Kong's new positioning and ambition as a center for cultural and artistic exchange between China and the world."

At 10:1 AM on January 18th, Rongchen Pictures simultaneously released a grand trailer and official announcement on all its global official platforms.

The trailer features the Victoria Harbour skyline, fluttering golden feathers, and classic film light and shadow interspersed with silhouette shots of Li Chen, Zhang Yimou, and several international film masters.

Although their faces weren't shown, film fans could vaguely guess who they were. Accompanied by rousing symphonic music, the film concluded with a large caption: Golden Feather International Film Festival, October 2019, Hong Kong, China. See what the world has never seen before.

The official announcement that followed dropped an even more specific bombshell.

Film Festival Chairman: Li Chen.

The announcement stated: "As an international filmmaker who has successfully bridged Eastern and Western cultures and possesses both artistic achievements and commercial vision, Mr. Li Chen will guide the Golden Feather Film Festival with his extraordinary influence and insightful understanding of the future of film."

Chairman of the Jury: Zhang Yimou.

The announcement stated: "Director Zhang Yimou is a leading figure in Chinese cinema's international expansion. His profound artistic attainments and deep understanding of diverse cultures will ensure the professionalism, fairness, and authority of the Golden Feather Awards selection process."

The list of the first confirmed core judging panel members is so impressive that it's astonishing.

Maggie Cheung (Hong Kong, China): Cannes, Berlin, and Venice Film Festival Best Actress winner; a regular at international film festivals; a symbol of Chinese-language film art.

Leonardo DiCaprio (USA): An Oscar-winning actor and a guarantee of global box office appeal; his name is a symbol of attention.

Alfonso Cuarón (Mexico): Oscar-winning director, director of "Gravity" and "Roma", a darling of both Hollywood and art films.

Juliette Binoche (France): Venice Film Festival Best Actress, Queen of European Art Films, a symbol of artistic taste at film festivals.

Yoon Jung-hee (South Korea): A national treasure-level actress in South Korea and a living fossil of Asian film tradition.

Jia Zhangke (China): Winner of the Venice Golden Lion Award, a key figure in Chinese independent cinema and international dialogue.

The official announcement immediately triggered a media frenzy in the global film industry and related media.

The Hollywood Reporter: "Chinese film mogul Li Chen makes his move in Hong Kong! The 'Golden Feather' Film Festival boasts a star-studded lineup aiming for the Asia-Pacific throne!"

Variety: "New Forces of the East: Can the Golden Feather Film Festival Reshape the World Cinema Order?"

BBC Culture: "Between the Golden Rooster and the Oscars, can Hong Kong become the new world film center?"

Li Chen finally relaxed after returning home to Beijing from Hong Kong.

The initial vision of creating an "Oriental Hollywood" has finally taken a solid step forward.

Liu Yifei held her husband's arm, feeling extremely distressed.

"You must be exhausted."

"Fortunately."

"You'll be busy later!" Liu Yifei sighed softly.

The Hong Kong Golden Feather International Film Festival is not something that ends once it's held in Hong Kong.

In her husband's words, it requires extremely high intelligence, balance skills, and a great deal of influence.

Like walking a tightrope, it could become a cultural event supported by the authorities, or it could be questioned for its biased stance.

If it is exploited by certain foreign forces, it could very well attract a barrage of criticism.

But as her husband himself said, only those who do the work get scolded.

Li Chen rubbed his temples; everything is difficult at the beginning.

The Golden Feather International Film Festival needs to maintain constant communication with higher authorities, which is why he took on the chairmanship.

Although the Shanghai International Film Festival is an A-list film festival, it still lags behind the three major European film festivals in terms of quality.

The first event will be held in October, but after that, the entire industry will likely come to a standstill due to the pandemic.

In March, Li Chen made another big move that sparked heated discussions, following the creation of the Golden Feather International Film Festival.

"Li Chen, chairman of Rongchen Film Group, which has been making large-scale cross-industry investments in the public eye, announced a major decision today that surprised and even puzzled all industry insiders."

"The group will officially enter the medical and health industry, with an initial investment of 100 billion yuan, and simultaneously build high-standard Rongchen International Hospitals in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Wuhan."

The news caused an uproar not only outsiders but also within the industry, leaving everyone puzzled.

Even Liu Yifei, Li Chen's wife, was quite puzzled.

"You've become addicted to crossing over into other fields. We're filmmakers, why would we want to build a hospital?"

Mother-in-law Liu Xiaoli was also puzzled as to what was wrong with her son-in-law: "Li Chen, I know you have a broad perspective, but isn't this a bit impulsive?"

"Mom, Sisi, I know you think I'm crazy, just like everyone else. Please let me be crazy just this once."

Liu Yifei wasn't heartbroken about the 100 billion yuan; she was just worried that her husband might be hiding something from her.

Over the years, her husband has been the only 'god' she has ever met who has never made a mistake!
According to the approved plan, Rongchen Hospital's design far surpasses that of ordinary private hospitals. It even includes a top-tier P3 laboratory, with plans to introduce and build a biosafety level 3 laboratory, possessing strong pathogen detection and research capabilities.

There are many negative comments online.

"Lee has gotten too big for his britches. He hasn't even figured out how to make smart cars yet, and now he's venturing into the medical field. Does he really think he's an omnipotent god?"

"A typical case of disorderly capital expansion, driven by a desperate desire to make quick money."

"100 billion yuan has gone down the drain. I feel sorry for the angelic mother and her two children for a second."

"Perhaps it's for land acquisition? After all, hospital sites have a rather special nature."

Li Chen ignored these negative comments. With funding in place and government support, the project was launched quietly at an astonishing speed.

The design team worked day and night, while the procurement team began searching globally for medical equipment and supplies suppliers that met the highest standards.

Unbeknownst to anyone, amidst these seemingly aimless actions, batches of critical emergency supplies were being added to a massive procurement list.

The negative pressure isolation wards on the blueprints are preparing a safe haven in advance for an unknown storm.

The irony of history is that, just months later, Li Chen's seemingly insane actions would shock the world in a way no one could have predicted.

Yang Siwei was also helpless; after being busy for more than ten years, he suddenly had nothing to do.

Rong Chen only has one project left to film: the TV series "Yunnan Insect Valley," which is scheduled to finish filming this month.

"Sigh, I don't know what the boss is thinking. Is he going to abandon film and television productions too? He's not going to run away like Jia Yueting, is he? You should try to persuade the boss. iQiyi and Tencent keep launching projects and starting productions!" Yang Siwei complained to the boss's wife, Liu Yifei.

"Fine, let's just listen to him." After listening for a while, Liu Yifei smiled and replied to Yang Siwei.

Yang Siwei sighed helplessly, "Fine, anyway, you and the boss have more money than you can spend."

"Besides, you're from Wuhan, so this is your way of giving back to your hometown."

Liu Yifei smiled. Her husband was in the bottomless pit of smart cars, and now he was in the medical field. Although it was not his main job, he had already reached the pinnacle of his main job. Let him play if he wanted to. At worst, she would support the three of them for the rest of her life.

It wasn't until the end of the year that Liu Yifei belatedly realized that these four seemingly useless hospitals had become saviors, bringing her husband's international and domestic reputation to its peak.

-

May 2023, South Pacific, a private island
Time loses its measure here.

The South Pacific sun shines like molten gold, splashing onto the fine, powdery white sand. The seawater, from near to far, displays a gradient from azure green to peacock blue.

This small island, which was recently named "Chenxi Island," is a point on the world map that exists for only two people.

Li Chen and Liu Yifei lay side by side on a bench under the shade of a coconut tree, the sea breeze gently blowing, carrying the salty scent and the sweet fragrance of tropical flowers.

In the distance, two children, under the watchful eyes of their nanny and security personnel, were excitedly building sandcastles, their laughter broken by the sound of the waves.

The ultimate tranquility and happiness can sometimes create a dizzying, unreal feeling.

Liu Yifei turned her head slightly, her gaze falling on her husband's sharply defined profile through her sunglasses.

Li Chen closed his eyes, seemingly asleep, his expression one of complete relaxation rarely seen in years.

As Liu Yifei looked at her, countless images flashed through her mind like a movie.

From the greenhorn in the 2003 film "Lost in Thailand" to his subsequent meteoric rise, every film he made became a hit, and every investment he made was a sure-fire success.

At every crucial juncture, her husband displayed an extraordinary, almost precognitive, decisiveness.

Especially in early 2019, when he insisted on building Rongchen Hospital and that huge strategic material reserve against all odds and with an almost obsessive determination, everyone was questioning him, including himself.

Then came the global pandemic.

When disaster truly struck, this pawn he had laid out in advance became the most solid Noah's Ark for the Rongchen Group and even more people.

At that moment, he was hailed as a visionary business genius and a national hero.

But was it really foresight?
Too many coincidences, too many intuitions, too many just-right moments.

Little by little, they flowed together to form a river, and under this deserted sunlight, they finally broke through that last layer of window paper.

An absurd yet unique explanation for the truth became clear in her mind.

She reached out and gently ran her fingertips across her husband's arm.

Li Chen opened his eyes, turned to look at her, his gaze gentle yet questioning.

Liu Yifei did not avoid his gaze. Her voice was very soft, as if afraid of startling the seabirds, yet it was clear enough to penetrate the sound of the waves and strike directly into the deepest part of Li Chen's soul.

"Brother Chen."

"Ok?"

What will the world be like after 2023?

The air seemed to freeze for a second.

Li Chen's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.

Liu Yifei didn't miss a single subtle reaction from her husband.

This one action is enough.

Liu Yifei suddenly smiled. There was no fear or alienation in her smile, only a gentleness that had been tempered by time, a knowing understanding of everything, and a touch of sly triumph.

She withdrew her hand, lay back down, looked at the boundless blue sea, and spoke softly in a tone as casual as if she were discussing what to have for breakfast the next day.

"I hope that in my next life I can travel through time again."

She paused, turned her head to the side, and in the sunlight, her smile was breathtakingly beautiful.

"Come find me a few years earlier. Don't make me wait fifteen years."

boom--!
These words, like a bolt of lightning, completely shattered Li Chen's pretense and defenses.

She found out; she was so smart, how could she stay in the dark forever?

She not only guessed the truth, but also accepted herself completely in a way he could never have imagined, a way that was so romantic it was almost unbelievable.

Li Chen stood frozen in place, looking at the woman he had loved for two lifetimes and finally managed to hold tightly in his hands across time and space. A thousand words were stuck in his chest, but in the end, they all turned into a promise that was almost an endless sigh of emotion.

"it is good."

The sea breeze was still blowing, the sun was shining brightly, and the children's laughter echoed on the beach.

Nothing has changed, yet everything is different.

The biggest secret has been shared, and the longest wait has finally been answered.

Chen Ge's story began with an unspeakable miracle and ended with the most ordinary companionship under the sun.

(End of the book)

(End of this chapter)