A grand feast for the Chinese entertainment industry

Chapter 176 Epoch-making

Americans have never seen anything like this.

Not only Americans, but no one in the world has ever seen such a scene.

In 1984, the film "Yellow Earth" was released. It didn't earn much at the box office, but it won awards internationally and had a small impact on the international film industry. However, it had a greater impact on the domestic film industry.

The film's magnificent and desolate visuals, and its shots full of Eastern aesthetics, influenced many filmmakers for many years afterward—but that was just the beginning for Zhang Yimou as a cinematographer.

In 1987, "Red Sorghum" was released, and Zhang Yimou made his debut at the Berlin Film Festival, achieving instant fame.

His unique photographic style, aesthetic style, and color treatment made him a synonym for Chinese cinema and Eastern aesthetics for a time—an aesthetic that bore fruit many years later with "Hero".

The painting is richly colored, with a vast and expansive visual space and extremely high color saturation...

Perhaps in twenty or thirty years, even on short video platforms, countless bloggers will be able to easily create videos and visuals of this caliber. This will, of course, be due to the tremendous advancements in technology. However, technology is always hollow; what matters most is aesthetics. Someone shoots it, shows it to you, and you think it's beautiful, truly beautiful. Thus, imitators emerge. As the number of imitators increases, these visuals become commonplace, and the technology matures accordingly.

But once it matures, it becomes worthless and loses its impact.

Never before, the first time, the most shocking.

Amidst the majestic and imposing Han Dynasty palace, a striking figure in a red robe stands out against the backdrop of ink-washed landscape.

The wind blew fiercely, and her clothes fluttered in the wind.

A typical Chinese image.

Typical Eastern aesthetics.

The atmosphere is imposing.

This is the highest level of aesthetics that has finally been condensed from five thousand years of uninterrupted and brilliant civilization.

A vast and solemn emptiness, a grand solitude.

It can be said that the music video for "Believer" immediately caught the eyes of all viewers with just the first scene—when it comes to aesthetics, even a fool can tell who is more beautiful, Brigitte Lin or Shen Dianxia!

However, compared to the "Believer" music video, this is only the first point.

The editing of this music video is very unique.

Almost every frame of the film contains a wealth of information, yet you, as an ordinary viewer, don't need to understand much. The rapid editing and frequent flashbacks ensure that every viewer is already immersed in the details of each frame without having to consciously try to understand them.

You'll soon be able to understand the whole text.

The scene of love still retains some tenderness.

The battle scenes, however, are edited quickly and extremely sharply.

This has never happened before—it's hard to say that no one in the history of world cinema has ever tried it, but this kind of rapid editing that has entered the public eye is unprecedented.

It wasn't until "The Bourne Identity" that this kind of rapid editing truly shocked the world.

Now, through CBS television footage, this sharp editing style has instantly entered the eyes of millions of North American households, reaching at least ten to twenty million people.

Sharp and intimidating.

This is the second point.

Chinese Kung Fu—or Chinese martial arts.

When Lin Jianlu released the knife handle, flipped to the side, and kicked the knife, the momentum of the knife continued, and it spun even faster. The next moment, when Lin Jianlu actually grabbed the knife back into his hand, countless families across North America burst into profanities—Americans could hardly believe such a scene.

Americans revere strength.

My love for the mysterious and powerful Chinese Kung Fu is not something that has only existed for a day or two, or even a year or two.

As early as the Republican era, foreign boxers from various countries went to China to challenge others. This was not a fabrication in later novels and TV dramas; it all had a real background.

Bruce Lee later became a sensation, instantly making him a representative figure of Chinese people and Chinese Kung Fu.

His image wielding nunchucks once became a classic symbol.

Hong Kong films and Jackie Chan's movies were able to gain the appreciation of North American film distributors relatively easily, and obtain the opportunity to be released on videotape in North America. With more than ten years of videotape imports, "Rumble in the Bronx" was finally released in North America and became a huge success. It can be said that this started with Bruce Lee.

Jackie Chan's martial arts films, to a large extent, can only be considered a small branch of the concept of Eastern martial arts, and cannot fully represent Chinese Kung Fu, let alone the broader image of Chinese Kung Fu that has been extended from Chinese Kung Fu, encompassing martial arts novels, fantasy novels, and numerous films and television series from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and mainland China since the 1950s and 60s—fists and feet, moves, weapons, hidden weapons, techniques, internal strength, lightness skills, and even more extended concepts such as crossing a river on a reed, injuring someone by plucking a leaf, flying on a sword, and the simultaneous sound of ten thousand swords.

Kung Fu, Wuxia, and Xianxia.

This is the complete combat capability map in the minds of the Chinese people.

But Jackie Chan's "Chinese Kung Fu" still has a strong representative significance - many Americans have already seen it and like it very much, as evidenced by its box office of more than 30 million US dollars in North America.

In the future, I will like even more the history of Jack Cheng and his $3500 million film "Rush Hour" which was a huge hit upon release. In North America alone, it grossed $1.41 million, ranking seventh in the annual box office, and its global box office reached $2.44 million.

The subsequent "Rush Hour 2" achieved an astonishing $2.26 million in North America and $3.47 million worldwide, ranking fifth in the North American annual box office charts!
The film, starring Jack Sing, produced by New Line Cinema, and distributed by Warner Bros., all made a fortune.

"Chinese Kung Fu" has become famous all over the world.

Another of the twin stars of Chinese kung fu, Jet Lee, also released his first American film, "Lethal Weapon 4," in 1998. The film was a critical failure, but Jet Lee became the only highlight of the film. Every appearance of his would make movie fans scream, and his elegant and stylish fighting moves drove movie fans crazy.

And so it became incredibly popular.

His playing style is different from Jack's.

Even if we combine the two, they only represent a small branch of the concept of Eastern kung fu and martial arts. Subsequently, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero entered the North American market, expanding the concept of "Chinese kung fu" and at least introducing it to the level of "martial arts".

They were all very successful!

However, as of July 19, 1997, none of this had actually happened.

Just last year, a movie called "Rumble in the Bronx" became a hit.

The $3234 million box office in North America is equivalent to more than HK$200 million for a Hong Kong film, which is an astonishingly huge success. However, in the context of the vast North American film market, it is just a small ripple that has just begun to emerge. It is too early to talk about a wave of Chinese kung fu sweeping across the country.

The concept of Chinese Kung Fu remains fresh and surprising.

Especially the scene where Lin Jianlu kicks the knife.

Very handsome.

The film features unadorned battlefield combat, sharp and deadly moves, and rapid editing—something Americans have never seen before.

A knife plunges into the ground, instantly exploding like an explosion, sending all the attackers flying. This kind of explosion scene is common in American comics and American movies and TV shows, but this one isn't made of gunpowder. There's no gunpowder involved; they're using Chinese Kung Fu!
Oh...shit!
This is the third point.

And many more...

One thing that you, as a non-time traveler, will never experience is that many of the experiences, details, knowledge, and judgments you have encountered in the past twenty or thirty years of history, which you have never been aware of or taken for granted in your life and perception, are extremely fresh and enlightening to the people of that "ancient era" you traveled back to, even to the most intelligent people of that era!

This is also an important factor that has led to Lin Jianlu becoming friends with others as soon as they take the initiative to contact him, provided they don't have malicious intentions, since his debut more than a year ago.

His insights and opinions were exactly half a step ahead of the times.

Now, his half-step lead has been achieved by first opening up the North American market and capturing the ears of American citizens through a record. Then, by leveraging the popularity of the record and a song like "Believer," which may not have been his most popular song, he has shocked the entire North American region and the eyes of American people by releasing a music video for free!
It's absolutely groundbreaking!
Therefore, it has an absolutely stunning effect!
And importantly, it's free!
Publicly broadcast!

It will even be played on a loop! Licensed to as many TV stations as possible for continuous playback!
Strive to get more people to see this!
With just this one step, it's no exaggeration to say that Jackie Chan's influence, built up over the previous decade of continuous videotape input and the blockbuster success of "Rumble in the Bronx" last year, was instantly surpassed!
And it surpassed them by an unknown number of body lengths!

…………

Los Angeles, Don Jili's home.

The television screen had long since changed, but Tang Jili and Hong Jinbao remained silent for a long time.

He was breathing heavily.

Both of them first took a deep breath, and then gradually quieted down around the same time. Their eyes were still fixed on the TV screen, but their minds had already wandered off.

After an unknown amount of time, Hung Kam-po turned his head and met Tang Chi-li's gaze.

The conversation suddenly began.

"I've heard Cherie Chung mention that the director of this music video is Zhang Yimou, a famous director from mainland China. His films 'To Live' and 'Red Sorghum' both won major awards, right?"

"Yes. The visuals are truly impressive. The colors are superb! It's technically brilliant!"

"The editing of his music video is really unique, especially the middle part, which is cut into many small sections, but it makes the whole scene much more impactful! Amazing!"

"I'd like to ask him for advice sometime and see if he can join our new movie."

"Yes! I think so too!"

"That kick with the knife by Ah Lu is going to be a hit! Not to mention Hollywood, even Chinese people would be stunned. We wouldn't even dare to design such a move!"

"The music video was designed by Yuan Heping, who was recommended to him by Wang Jing. However, I guess the main reason is that A-Lu is skilled in martial arts, and at a very high level; otherwise, even if he had designed it, he wouldn't have been able to create it!"

"The risk is too great!"

"Yes! The risk is too great."

"But he's so handsome! So good-looking! Hollywood fans will go crazy! All the fight scenes in Aaron's 'Rumble in the Bronx' last year combined don't compare to this one scene of his!"

"His story arrangement is different from our film 'The Myth,' but they are similar in spirit. Both of them intertwine modern and ancient elements. If this music video really becomes popular here as we feel, it will probably be much easier for the film to enter North America and sell at the box office!"

"It's not just much easier, I estimate it will start at 20 million US dollars! It might even surpass your and Ah Long's 'Rumble in the Bronx'! Just his appearance, just that scene of kicking the knife, will bring countless viewers to our new movie! It's called a music video, promoting his song, but it's actually giving us advance publicity! Ah Lu has a good plan!"

"Should we ask Ah Lu's girlfriend to act in it? This music video is likely to be a hit, and once it becomes a hit, that girl will quickly become famous in North America... Ah Lu filmed her so beautifully!"

"Yes, we should! But whether we invite her or not, we should listen to Ah Lu! He's the one who brought this, so we'll just eat with him!"

"Okay! But we still have to ask him... She's so beautiful! Ah Lu truly lives up to his reputation as a beauty pageant expert! No, he's not just a beauty pageant expert, he's also an expert at photographing beautiful women!"

"It was directed by Zhang Yimou! And it's said that Ah Lu and he have a very good relationship!"

"Yes, I understand what you mean. We have to hurry up and get this movie done. No matter what, we can't let him kick us out! We can always flatter him more! We're all in it for a living! Besides, Ah Lu isn't that kind of person. He has a great reputation in the industry. He wouldn't be so ungrateful!"

"Hopefully! We'll just have to be humble! At worst, if he fires a cannon, we'll stand guard for him!"

…………

New York, home of Puff Daddy.

He and his gang gathered in front of the television and watched the entire "Believer" music video from beginning to end. During the video, his gang members screamed and looked completely shocked.

But only Puff Daddy looked increasingly serious.

As soon as the music video finished playing, the TV screen quickly switched, and the room exploded with noise. A group of people immediately started discussing it enthusiastically, with "wow" and "wow" sounds filling the room. Someone excitedly kicked their foot, seemingly imitating the scene in the music video where Lin Jianlu kicks a knife. Another person jumped up, pretended to hold something in their hand, and slammed it into the floor, then simulated the sound effect, "Bang...".

"cool!"

Everyone praised it.

Puff Daddy remained expressionless.

His new album, "No-Way-Out," will be released in just three days, next Tuesday, July 22nd. The album is meticulously crafted, and both he and the record company have high hopes and expectations for it.

The biggest problem now is that there's a guy with an album that's been dominating the Billboard charts for a long time.

And so far, it shows no signs of fatigue.

This is incredibly frustrating – nobody wants to run into an album that's expected to sell over 20 million copies worldwide this year, already has three Billboard number-one singles, has been on the charts for thirteen weeks, and previously held the top ten spots on the singles chart for nine weeks straight!

A terrifying dominance that even Michael Jackson never possessed!

Billboard is so important to every singer aspiring to the North American record market and global influence. Its rankings are so important, and winning a number one single is even more important—it's a super important promotional channel and an extremely important way to prove one's talent!
My biggest fear is having my ranking suppressed!
An album that is excellent in every aspect and of high quality can fail to sell well. This is not an isolated case in the music industry; it happens all the time! A major reason for this is the lack of a powerful single that can achieve a high enough ranking on the Billboard Hot 100 to boost the album's sales.
Conversely, an album that is mediocre in every aspect can sell two or three million, or even three to five million copies, often relying solely on the huge success of a single number-one hit!

This is common practice in the industry!
Originally, the boastful old man wasn't entirely unconvinced.

He is very confident in his meticulously crafted new album.

He had fantasized more than once about the wonderful scene of his new album quickly breaking into the top ten after its release, and breaking into the top five within three weeks. Of course, everyone wants to be number one, but it takes a lot of effort. "Yeah" has been at the top of the singles chart for eight weeks. The reason why "No-Way-Out" was released on July 22 was the result of repeated discussions between him and the record company.

"Yeah" is too powerful, everyone knows it's too powerful!
But no matter how strong it is, its popularity will eventually fade. So, let's take a time lag and assume that Columbia Records, the distributor of the album "21", would plan to keep such a powerful single at number one for ten weeks. This is normal. Again, it's too strong. No record company can resist the temptation of getting a single that stays at number one for ten weeks. But I'm launching a strong attack on you in the ninth week, right when you seem to still have energy left, but in fact, you're already on the decline in popularity!
Maybe we'll have a chance to go all out and snatch the top spot, breaking 21's monopoly!

Even if it only lasts for a week, the popularity of "No-Way-Out" will skyrocket and explode!
However, who would have thought?
The overall promotional plan for "No-Way-Out" had already been finalized, but Columbia Pictures actually gave up the opportunity to win ten consecutive weeks of the top spot for "Yeah," and so quickly started promoting the music video for "Believer"—and the key point is that this music video is just too powerful!

Based on the intuition of a singer, producer, and artist, or perhaps without needing any intuition at all, simply looking at the behavior of the idiots around me is enough to understand.

This music video is going to be a huge hit!
"Believer" has already secured its place as Billboard's number one single next week!
Chinese Kung Fu!

Wow, that's so cool!

Mazefak is so cool!

what to do? what to do? what to do?
Although the idea of ​​suddenly entering the fray to compete for the number one single was a slim hope when the plan was being formulated, the complete shattering of that hope still leaves one feeling extremely disappointed.

The problem is that, thanks to the music video, not only has "Believer" already secured the number one spot on the singles chart this week, but it's also likely that all the songs on the entire album "21" will benefit from it!

Me, Puff Daddy, can I still make it into the top ten?
what to do? what to do? what to do?
pain!

Pain!

Surrounded by a bunch of idiots, who were excitedly discussing the highlights of the music video, Puff Daddy raised his hand in frustration and clutched his head.

The entire marketing plan and release date have already been set, and it's absolutely impossible to change the whole plan now that the release is just around the corner! In other words, they're bound to run headfirst into the "Believer" blockbuster!

pain!

Pain!

Puff Daddy isn't the typical Black man that most Americans imagine. He's intelligent, quick-witted, and almost never impulsive. He always does things like a white man, and an elite white man at that, with a methodical and planned approach. But precisely because of this, he can't be as blindly confident as a typical Black man.

He could foresee that terrifying danger!
This music video is so powerful and amazing, and the performance of Jian Lulin, the mysterious Chinese boy who has never appeared in the American media, is so eye-catching!

They crafted a beautiful love story, a story of sacrifice and unwavering devotion to love until death!

They captured absolutely stunning, cinematic-quality footage!
It is filled with an indescribable sense of Eastern wonder and breathtaking Eastern beauty!
Lu Lin even performed his amazing Chinese kung fu!

All of this...

pain!

Pain!

Suddenly, his phone rang, and a bunch of idiots were still discussing it.

Puff Daddy picked up his phone, glanced at it, and immediately shouted, "Hey! Kill! Ap! Fuck! A bunch of idiots! I-Say, Kill! Ap!"

All the discussions stopped, and the group of friends were completely bewildered.

But some clever people quickly recovered from their initial shock and excitement, realized something, waved their hands to signal everyone to leave—Puff Daddy answered the phone, "Hey, Sean, I bet you've seen it. Any thoughts? Should we have a meeting to discuss whether we should postpone the IPO?"

The bragging dad remained silent.

The person on the other end of the phone hesitated for a moment, then continued, "Yeah, there will be some losses—the scheduled shows, the booked advertising slots, all the promotions—we'll have to pay some penalty fees. But I think these losses are minor. There's no doubt that 'Believer' will take the top spot next week, not a single doubt! This music video is so cool, Lin is so cool. He used this music video to greet all of America, so cool! In fact, in my opinion, for at least the next month, for at least four weeks, no one can take the top spot from his 'Believer'! Sean, you should agree, right? That Chinese boy is so cool!"

Puff Daddy took a deep breath, pursed his lips for a moment, and suddenly said, "No need for a meeting, proceed with the IPO as normal!"

"Hey...brother, don't be impulsive! Let's..."

"NO! NO! NO! Brother, I can't give up! Ernest Miller Hemingway, you know? He said, 'You can kill me, but you can't defeat me!'"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone. "Really? Are you sure? What if we... no, it's almost certain..." "YES! I'm sure! No-Way-Out will definitely be released on July 22nd!"

"OK! OK! Don't get excited, bro..."

"I'm not agitated! I can die, but I cannot lose! And I absolutely cannot admit defeat!"

"OK! On time! Get ready, Boy! Let's go into battle together!"

…………

Los Angeles, Don Jili's home.

The two continued their conversation.

You say one thing, I say another, we go around in circles.

However, they were able to quickly understand each other's meaning and swiftly begin a new discussion.

The atmosphere was lively, filled with enthusiasm and passion.

Suddenly, Tang Jili's phone rang, interrupting the conversation. He picked up his phone, glanced at it, and raised an eyebrow. "That producer from Columbia Pictures, David Smith."

Hung Kam-po was stunned for a moment, then suddenly laughed and raised his eyebrows.

"I bet this foreigner has seen that music video too!"

"Hmm. Look, it's still ringing! He was ignoring us before!"

"Accept it and hear what he has to say! But now, it's not going to be that easy for us to agree to cooperate with them! They're such a coward, all that arrogance before, deliberately keeping Ah Lu waiting, ha!"

However, the next moment, Tang Jili pressed the hang-up button.

Hung Kam-pao was taken aback for a moment, then heard Tang Chi-li say, "Three times! I'll only answer when he calls a third time!"

The two looked at each other and burst into laughter.

Sammo Hung stood up, his increasingly uncontrollable weight and ever-growing belly making him look imposing at that moment. "Damn those foreigners! They're masters of being arrogant at first and obsequious later!"

He added, "No wonder Ah Lu is so confident! It's not just because he's become famous in Hollywood. He probably already guessed that as long as we have this music video, we won't have to ask anyone for anything!"

"From now on, even in Hollywood, even when making movies, everyone will be begging Ah Lu!"

…………

On the afternoon of July 19th, Eastern Time, the music video for "Believer" was officially broadcast on CBS. The television signal was transmitted to the homes of North American residents. At that time, the Internet was extremely underdeveloped. Therefore, the excitement, screams, swearing, and excited imitations of the viewers in each household and in front of each television set were confined to their own small families and could not be spread or disseminated.

However, just a few minutes after the music video aired, the CBS telephone answering room, which was originally staffed by fifteen people who were answering calls one by one, suddenly started ringing incessantly. Within a dozen minutes, the phone was ringing non-stop and they couldn't keep up with the calls!

Countless calls, all pointing to the same thing—

The music video for "Believer" is great, super great, Mazefak is amazing! Please replay it!

Shit! Quick! Replay!

That very evening, before night had even fallen in eastern America, countless radio stations, large and small, suddenly began discussing the music video from that afternoon!

Wow, that's so cool! Absolutely awesome!

I told you long ago that Jian Lulin definitely knew kung fu! He's a Chinese boy! All Chinese people know kung fu! Jian Lulin is an absolute kung fu master! Man, remember? Jian Lulin raised his leg and kicked, wow, that knife not only wasn't kicked away, but it spun even faster! Chinese kung fu!
That's awesome!
As night fell, more and more radio stations joined the discussion, while at the same time, many listeners called in to discuss, revel, and have fun together!

Mazefak is so cool!
In fact, this kind of discussion, this almost completely unanimous topic, quickly became the hottest topic at all kinds of parties across North America after nightfall!
Especially parties that are mainly for young people under 25 years old —

Didn't you see the music video that played this afternoon?

That was the third music video from Jianlulin, the music video for "Believer"!

Then you're out of touch!
Mazefak, do you even know what "popular" means? You haven't even watched the music video for "Seeing Deer Forest"? How can we be friends?
Kung Fu! Chinese Kung Fu! You know? If I kick you like this, you'll fly away in a flash! Seeing Lu Lin is even more impressive, he can kick a spinning, flying knife... Wow! Cool!
Jack Cheng? NO! NO! NO! Jack Cheng is no match for Jian Lulin!

I have scientific evidence. Jack Cheng can only smash a cabinet with one punch, man, you know. Jian Lulin can stick a knife into the ground and knock a group of people away with just the Force!

It's real! I swear, I watched it very carefully, I didn't miss a single second! I swear, it wasn't an explosion, there were no explosives! No Mazzefak explosives! It wasn't an explosion!
NO! NO! NO! That's definitely not special effects! That's real!

He used the Force!

NO! I've seen tons of Chinese movies, you're wrong, that's not the Force, that's true qi!
Repeat after me, come on... Chen-Qi! Yay!
A mysterious Eastern power that only a very few martial arts geniuses can master!
Of course, of course, Lin is that kind of genius!
…………

Late that night in America, some television programs had already begun to discuss the music video. By the next day, led by CBS, the broadcaster of the music video, major television networks and stations in America began to bring in guests during their prime time slots to discuss the music video!

The comments from various kung fu experts, film experts, and musicians are sharp yet flattering.

Each house has its own unique perspective, and no two are alike.

Even CBS's morning news has started reporting on young people imitating and learning the knife-kicking move from the "Believer" music video on the streets—sports experts solemnly warn that this move is extremely risky and ordinary people are advised not to try to imitate it!

Even before noon, many other television stations began broadcasting breaking news, reporting that several men in the state or city had been injured while imitating the kicking knife move of the famous singer Believer, and had been rushed to the hospital by their families or friends. Sports experts and equipment specialists reiterated that this move is extremely dangerous, a profound move unique to Chinese Kung Fu, and ten thousand times more difficult than special skills. Do not imitate it!

That afternoon, CBS rebroadcast the music video on the same channel at the same time!

The ratings skyrocketed to an astonishing level!

Across North America, a total of 942 million television sets are in reception mode!
That very night, all the major and minor television networks and stations across North America obtained permission to broadcast the song, and overnight, almost every television set in North America was playing the music video for "Believer"!

That very evening, various television networks, both well-known and obscure, launched analyses of the music video from all angles.

From the moment the music video was first played, in less than 30 hours, this video, brimming with "Oriental charm," "unique Eastern aesthetics," and dazzling kung fu skills, along with a secondary interpretation of the song's story, including the poignant love story and the historical prototype of the story as analyzed by experts in ancient Chinese history, instantly captivated the minds and eyes of North American audiences!
Believer is a huge hit in North America!
In this era, there is no such thing as trending topics. If there were, the music video for "Believer", the album "21", Lin Jianlu, and topics about Chinese Kung Fu would almost always dominate the top ten trending topics!

Just like "21" dominated Billboard and the singles chart!

…………

To respect the world's largest single market, North America, and to respect the wallets of American fans, the global broadcast of "Believer" began in North America first.

On Sunday, July 20th, in the morning Eastern Time, it was finally Asia's turn to broadcast.

It was already evening on July 20th, Beijing time.

It premiered a full day later than in North America.

First, there's Japan to the east, then Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Singapore. We keep pushing forward along the direction of time, all the way to Latin America!

Even this time, because "21" has been introduced and officially published by the Capital Audio-Visual Publishing House, "Believer" has also obtained a broadcasting license after review.

Moreover, it premiered simultaneously on CCTV and Beijing TV!

Explosion! Explosion! Explosion!

Regardless of the country or television station where it was broadcast, the viewing experience was almost identical. The unique aesthetic tension brought about by the visual effects and the aesthetic appeal of the images, as well as the instant recognition and elevation of Chinese Kung Fu brought about by Lin Jianlu's personal performance of the kicking knife, ignited the world overnight!

…………

Wang Zuxian watched the music video with a large group of friends.

There was a card game that night—she didn't really like playing cards. Even though for many years, most of the Taiwanese actors who lived in Hong Kong had picked up the bad habit of playing cards, like Brigitte Lin, she was still considered to have remained untainted by the bad influence. However, recently she has slowly fallen into the trap.

There was a guy named Lan Yin at the card game. I wanted to go, to observe him, watch him, and listen to him talk. So I went once, twice, and many times. Before I knew it, I was being led to play. In just a few months, I gradually became a regular at the card game. I stopped going to the teahouse to play cards at night and instead gathered at Xu Ke and Shi Nansheng's house tonight.

As it was almost time to play, the group even stopped their card game and rushed into the living room.

The immense popularity of the English album "21" is not solely due to its success in Hong Kong and Taiwan. The global buzz generated by news from around the world has propelled the album's influence to levels far exceeding those of a typical hit album from a top Chinese pop star.

Yes, this is the first time someone in the Chinese community has brought out a sense of global resonance!

A groundbreaking success!
As soon as the screen opened, everyone's attention was instantly piqued, and their eyes widened immediately!
The reactions of Tang Jili, Hong Jinbao, and millions of American people who were in America and saw the music video a day earlier were similar—a stunning visual effect!
Then, scene after scene of the music video kept everyone's attention firmly in their grasp!

When Yu Feihong revealed her face, her breathtaking beauty instantly drew gasps of "Oh..." from the room. When Lin Jianlu kicked her sword, everyone exclaimed "Wow!" And when the two armies faced off, facing countless enemy soldiers charging towards them, Lin Jianlu drew her sword alone, looking lonely and sorrowful, which immediately gripped everyone's hearts.

Until the very last scene, when Lin Jianlu ended the entire music video with a shot that was somewhat frivolous but at the same time definitely more in line with the aesthetics of young people, Xu Ke looked serious and Wang Zuxian had a subtle expression in the living room.

For Chinese people, especially for Hong Kong people who are used to watching all kinds of martial arts movies and kung fu blockbusters, and even more so for the group of film directors, producers and actors in the room, many of the scenes in this music video that would shock the American people will not surprise them.

Yet, it is precisely what lies in silence that can move them so deeply!

For example, the difficulty of that kicking knife move is extremely high!
For example, the grandeur of the entire picture, the intense color saturation, and the meticulous composition!

For example, the scene of thousands of troops and horses—Xu Ke loved this the most. He even loved things bigger than that. He even loved things that reached the heavens and the earth. But in the past, these things were just things he could only dream about!

Now, a bunch of directors from mainland China have filmed it for you!
This is clearly not Hollywood special effects; it's real footage!

That's awesome!

Of course, the same music video can evoke different feelings depending on who's watching it. Some see love, some see war, some see kung fu, some see the editing, some see the stunning costume design, and others...

Yes, Wang Zuxian saw Yu Feihong.

So beautiful!
Stunningly beautiful!

Shi Nansheng said, "These are really well-shot! I think Americans would like them too?"

Xu Ke's answer was unwavering, "I'll definitely love it! I'll absolutely love it! No way, I really want to make a movie with Lu and this girl! Oh yeah, and Ah Xian too! I think Lu must have seen an opportunity... Maybe next, martial arts films can even make a splash in America?"

No one could answer him. He was the most important person in the room.

Shi Nansheng looked back at Wang Zuxian, reached out and patted her hand, giving her a look that said, "I pity you."

But at this moment, Xu Ke had already stood up excitedly and was pacing back and forth in the room.

"Incredible! Incredible! Lu actually managed to produce something like this!"

“His songs are already popular, and I have a feeling this music video will be a huge hit in America!”

This is an opportunity!

"This is a groundbreaking music video!"

"Ah Xian, have you won him over yet? Let's make a movie together!"

"Make a groundbreaking martial arts film that can be sold in America and make a fortune at the box office!"

…………

July 20th, evening Eastern Time.

As the final scene of the music video ended on the television screen and went black, the two American men on the sofa jumped up almost simultaneously.

"Shet!"

A chorus of excited voices.

These are two brothers, one named Larry Wachowski and the other named Andy Wachowski.

Ordinary people, even movie buffs, don't know much about them, but they are currently very popular with the major production companies in Hollywood.

In 1995, their screenplay for "The Last Assassin" was picked up by Warner Bros. and made into a movie, which was quite successful at the box office. As a result, their own project finally received investment, "Breakfast at the End of the World," which was released in 1996 and also did well at the box office. Moreover, the brothers' understanding of film, their ideas and abilities in building the world within the film were generally highly praised in the industry.

Thus, their second film began preparations.

Warner Bros. producer Joel Silver has convinced their chairman and co-CEO Terry Semel that Warner Bros. has decided to invest $5000 million in the brothers' new project, a science fiction film with a novel structure.

A wonderful idea about the future of the internet!
They have recently been refining the script, working on storyboards, and contacting actors they already have in mind. For example, they are considering contacting Jet Lee, the Hong Kong kung fu superstar!
As it turned out, at a party last night, they suddenly heard people around them talking about a music video—about a recently popular Chinese boy and his song "21"!

Good heavens! As die-hard fans of the album "21", the two brothers suddenly realized that they had been so engrossed in preparing for their new movie that they had even missed the premiere of the Chinese boy's new music video.

Fortunately, there will definitely be a rebroadcast!

I declined all party invitations tonight, and while I was drawing storyboards, I turned on the TV, and sure enough, here it was—cool!

Chinese Kung Fu, so cool!

Chinese boys are cool!

"I have an idea!"

"I have an idea too!"

The two brothers exchanged a glance, and both saw the madness in each other's eyes.

The older brother spoke first, "However, a non-white male lead would take a greater risk."

The younger brother replied, "No. He'll be even more famous in the next few months! Just imagine, a Chinese boy, seeing Lu Lin, starring in our sci-fi blockbuster! Oh shit! That's absolutely awesome, isn't it?"

The older brother was actually even more excited than the younger brother, but after thinking about it, he said again, "Then we can't invite Jet Lee anymore. We can't let a movie be completely dominated by Chinese people!"

The younger brother immediately cried out in pain, "Oh, shit!...This is a big problem! But...it's bearable!"

The two brothers looked at each other, then suddenly raised their hands at the same time and clapped their hands together!
"Joel will agree with us too!"

"definitely!"

…………

Almost simultaneously, Li An, who was actually holding a novel called "Riding with the Devil" in his hand, had just finished watching the rerun of the MV. The shock in his eyes had not yet faded, but excitement was already surging up.

A moment later, he put down the novel he was reading and got up to walk around the room.

About two or three minutes later, he returned to his bookshelf and stood at the most convenient height, without searching, he directly pulled out a two-volume novel.

The book, two thick volumes, is titled "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and written by Wang Dulu.

One of the Five Masters of the Northern School of Wuxia Novels.

In 1994, while promoting his film "Eat Drink Man Woman", Li An unexpectedly read this book and it immediately resonated with him. He had always wanted to make a martial arts film with a chivalrous and Confucian style, and the story framework of this book struck a chord with him.

Of course, three years have passed in the blink of an eye, and he doesn't even dare to think about it.

How could any Hollywood producer possibly be willing to invest in a martial arts film full of classical Eastern charm? That kind of movie is only fit for release on videotape!
If it can't break into the North American market and can only find investment from Hong Kong and Taiwan, this film will inevitably become another box office flop. Hong Kong and Taiwan are tired of this kind of martial arts film; they've been tired of it for over a decade! The true golden age of martial arts films was the era of King Hu, Chang Cheh, and Chu Yuan! When Tsui Hark came out, his so-called new-style martial arts films could never recapture the glory of those earlier films!
The "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" that Li An wanted was definitely not the kind of tense and exciting martial arts film that Hong Kong and Taiwanese people like to watch from beginning to end—it's not something they can pull off! It would definitely flop!

Therefore, if we're going to make this movie, we absolutely have to make sure it gets into the North American market!
But no one can guarantee that Americans will actually like martial arts films from the East!

Then Hollywood studios would never invest!
An endless loop!
But suddenly, Lin Jianlu actually shot such a music video, and it was so well-made and outstanding. Moreover, in the music video, he so vividly and colorfully showcased Eastern aesthetics and Chinese Kung Fu. In a daze, Li An seemed to realize something!
This person is on the same path!

At least in terms of wanting to showcase the unique charm of Eastern culture to the Western world, this young man is definitely a fellow traveler – an English song actually inspired him to make such a music video!

How could we not be on the same path!
And... Ah Lu is already a star! She was already very popular! Now, with this music video being filmed so well, young people in America are bound to love it!

In fact, judging from today's media reports, it is clear that this music video has become a hit!

Young people in America really like it!

So...does that mean...?

Ah, looking back, it's been half a year since we last met!

Looking back now, he was truly handsome and dashing at the Golden Horse Awards ceremony!
He weighed the copy of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" in his hand; it felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

***
The first month's plan starts at the beginning, so here's a long chapter of 12,000 characters. I'm begging for your monthly votes!

(End of this chapter)