Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 365-363: The Victory Banquet in Turmoil (Part Two)

At seven o'clock sharp.

The Kunlun Hall was brightly lit and bustling with activity.

After a ceremonious entrance lasting over an hour, all the distinguished guests, industry colleagues, media friends, and numerous artists from Shengying and Enlight Media were seated.

The huge round dining table was covered with a clean white tablecloth, and the exquisite tableware complemented the floral arrangement in the center. The waiters, dressed in uniform, moved silently among the guests like well-trained fish, pouring decanted red wine or beverages for everyone.

Even a dinner party where celebrities gather isn't really that high-class.

Even someone as powerful as Trump, when dining with a group of financial giants, directly asked them to put up money to confirm their investments in front of the media.

The main stage in front of the banquet hall was brightly lit.

The giant ice sculpture, symbolizing that "Shaolin Soccer" has grossed over 200 million yuan in mainland China and over 400 million yuan worldwide, reflects a clear and cold light under the lights.

The numbers “200,000,000+” and “400,000,000+” are sculpted with sharp edges, as if they embody all the sweat, wisdom and market miracles of the past two months.

The emcee announced in a warm yet dignified voice: "Distinguished leaders, honored guests, ladies and gentlemen, good evening!"
Welcome to the box office celebration banquet for "Shaolin Soccer"! Now, let's give a warm round of applause to our three most important contributors tonight—Mr. Han Sanping, Vice Chairman of China Film Group; Mr. Zhou Xingxing, the soul of "Shaolin Soccer"; and Mr. Wang Sheng, General Manager of Shengying Media—to jointly usher in this glorious moment!

Thunderous applause instantly resounded throughout the banquet hall, and all eyes turned to the stage.

Wang Sheng, Han Sanping, and Zhou Xingxing walked slowly out from one side of the stage.

Han Sanping is in the center, Wang Sheng is on his left, and Zhou Xingxing is on his right.

All three had smiles on their faces, but their demeanors were quite different.

The staff handed over three wooden mallets tied with red ribbons at the right time.

"Come on, let's do it together!" Han Sanping said to Wang Sheng and Zhou Xingxing, his voice carrying throughout the venue through the microphone.

The three nodded to each other, raised their mallets together, and aimed them at the connection point of the two most crucial numbers on the ice sculpture.

"Three! Two! One!"

As the emcee counted down and all the guests spontaneously joined in, three mallets, whistling through the air, simultaneously struck the crystal-clear ice sculpture!

"Bang—crash—!"

The crisp cracking sound was amplified by the speakers, and ice shards flew everywhere, resembling exploding diamond stars under the lights.

The ice sculptures symbolizing the box office figures of 200 million and 400 million shattered and scattered on the red velvet table.

At this moment, the physical shattering seemed to release pent-up emotions and energy, symbolizing the complete breakdown of box office barriers and heralding the start of a new journey.

"Congratulations! Congratulations to 'Kung Fu Soccer'!" the emcee shouted excitedly.

The audience erupted in even louder applause and cheers, and many guests stood up to raise their glasses in a toast toward the stage.

The pre-arranged concierge team quickly stepped forward and filled the huge champagne tower with golden liquid. The bubbles rose merrily, intertwining with the dazzling lights and illuminating every excited face.

After a brief pause in the applause, the speaking session began.

Han Sanping was the first to take the microphone.

He cleared his throat, surveyed the assembled guests, his gaze sweeping over his colleagues within the system, heads of major film studios, theater representatives, and many familiar faces from the industry. His steady, powerful voice carried through the speakers:
Good evening, distinguished guests and friends.

"Standing here, looking at so many colleagues who have worked hard for the Chinese film industry, I am deeply moved. The achievements of 'Shaolin Soccer'—203 million yuan at the domestic box office and over 400 million yuan at the global box office—are not just numbers, but a symbol, a signal!"

He paused slightly, then emphasized, "It signifies that after years of exploration, reform, and even growing pains, our film market has truly matured and truly exploded!"
It proves that our domestic films are fully capable and have the potential to take the lead in the market and win the genuine love of the audience!

"Looking back a few years, we were still anxious about the number of copies, the screen time, and how to deal with the impact of Hollywood blockbusters."

But today, the success of *Kung Fu Soccer* tells us that the key lies within ourselves! The key lies in whether we have good content, accurate market judgment, and the determination and courage to innovate and invest!

His gaze fell on Wang Sheng and Zhou Xingxing beside him. "Here, I would like to especially thank Xingxing for his unique talent and perseverance in giving us such an imaginative, joyful and touching work."

We also want to thank Wang Sheng and his Shengying Media team. Their market acumen, disruptive marketing strategies, and especially the "Suffocating for Dreams" project, which was tied to the Chinese national football team's World Cup qualification, truly transformed the film into a social and cultural event, greatly stimulating the market's potential.

"Of course, I would also like to thank all the colleagues from the cinema industry, our media friends, and all the audience members who went to the cinema to support 'Shaolin Soccer'! It is you all who made this miracle possible!"

Han Sanping's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible excitement: "The success of 'Kung Fu Soccer' is a concentrated manifestation of the achievements of our film industry reform and the implementation of the cinema chain system."

This strengthens our belief that the future of Chinese cinema is bright and full of limitless possibilities! We will steadfastly continue down this path! Thank you all!

Han Sanping's speech was insightful and elevated the success of "Kung Fu Soccer" to the level of industrial reform and market confidence, winning heartfelt applause from the audience, especially from representatives within the system and the industry.

His words were both a summary of the past and a setting of the tone for the future.

Next, the microphone was handed to Stephen Chow.

He seemed a little nervous, gripping the microphone slightly, and his signature smile carried a clear sense of emotion.

"Uh... thank you Mr. Han, thank you Director Wang, thank you everyone for coming here." His Cantonese-accented Mandarin had a unique rhythm, which made the atmosphere in the audience even more friendly.

"I...I'm actually not very good at talking." He smiled, which drew a burst of good-natured laughter from the audience.

"I thought about making 'Shaolin Soccer' for a long time and waited a long time. I wanted to combine kung fu and soccer, and tell the story of an ordinary person who never gives up on his dream. There were many difficulties along the way, and many people thought it was impossible or too exaggerated."

Stephen Chow paused, his eyes becoming serious: "But I really want to make it. I think that besides making people laugh, movies should also give people a little bit of... strength. Even if it's just a little bit."

"I am so grateful to Director Wang Sheng."

He turned to Wang Sheng and said sincerely, "At that time, this project encountered many problems. It was Director Wang who was optimistic about the story and gave me a lot of support. Also, the Sheng Ying team was very professional and capable."

"At first, I thought that 'lottery ticket' promotion was... a bit too crazy, wasn't it?" He made an exaggerated expression. "But as everyone saw, it really was crazy, and a huge success!"

The audience erupted in laughter and applause once again.

"And thank you to all the staff both in front of and behind the camera, my partner Uncle Meng Da, all the actors! Finally, and most importantly, thank you to all the audience!"

Stephen Chow's voice choked up a little, "Without your support, without your repeated ticket purchases, there wouldn't have been these two hundred million, four hundred million."

It is you who made this somewhat silly and naive dream a reality.

"Yes, thank you so much, everyone!"

He bowed deeply.

There were no fancy words, but the sincerity and gratitude that came from the creation itself touched everyone present.

The applause lasted a long time; it was a tribute and congratulation to a comedy master who always stuck to his own path.

Finally, all eyes in the room were on Wang Sheng.

He calmly took the microphone from Stephen Chow and walked steadily to the center of the stage.

"Chairman Han summarized the industry, and Mr. Zhou Xingxing expressed his gratitude."

Wang Sheng's voice was calm and clear, and through the microphone, it had a calming power. "Then let me talk about something practical, about the future."

With just one sentence, he captured everyone's attention.

"The success of 'Shaolin Soccer' proves several judgments we have always held."

He stretched out his right hand and counted on his fingers, "First, content is king, and genre-based and industrialized production is the foundation. Mr. Stephen Chow's comedies are the best content, and our combination of kung fu, football, and special effects is a successful exploration of genre."

"Secondly, the market needs nurturing, but even more so, it needs to be ignited. 'Winning World Cup tickets' is not a gimmick; it is a precise emotional connection and value co-creation."

It transformed movie-going from a consumer activity into a ritual of participating in a collective dream. This tells us that the highest level of marketing is resonating with the pulse of the times and the emotions of the people.

"third,"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the area with Hong Kong filmmakers in the audience, then looking at Han Sanping, Little Ma, and others. "Distribution channels and content must empower each other. Without the high-quality screening environment and precise, stable scheduling provided by China Film Shengshi Cinemas, this achievement would be greatly diminished. The competition in the future will be a competition of ecosystems."

His analysis was calm and incisive, hitting the nail on the head, leaving his industry peers in the audience deep in thought.

"but,"

Wang Sheng then changed the subject, his tone becoming more serious, "Whether it's two hundred million or four hundred million, it's just a stepping stone, not a ceiling. If we become complacent because of it, then it's a tombstone; if we can take it as a new starting point, then it's a milestone."

He raised his voice slightly: "How big is the Chinese film market? In my opinion, 'Shaolin Soccer' only lifted the curtain on a small part of it."

There are still so many genres we haven't explored in depth, so many audience needs we haven't met, and so many cultural treasures waiting for us to unearth and present using modern cinematic language.

His tone became ambitious: "Therefore, the path forward for Shengying Media will be very clear."

We will continue to increase our investment in content creation, support more talented directors and screenwriters, and explore more diverse film genres.

At the same time, we will steadfastly promote the integration and upgrading of the industry chain—from pre-development, to production and filming, to publicity and distribution, and then to cinema terminals and derivative development.

He glanced specifically in the direction where Jackie Chan was, and continued, "Night at the Museum is an important attempt for our next stage."

We aim to use higher industrial standards and a grander narrative to bring the charm of Chinese civilization to the world in the form of fantasy comedy.

This is not just a movie, but a crucial step in building our 'film and television + cultural tourism' ecosystem.

Finally, he raised the champagne handed to him by the waiter and faced the entire room: "Ladies and gentlemen, the best of times has just begun."

The road ahead may still hold challenges, but the opportunities are even greater.

I hope, and I believe, that one day in the future, we will not only be able to celebrate a film's box office miracle here, but also raise a glass to cheer for Chinese cinema to truly stand tall among the world's films!

"Tonight, I want to thank everyone who contributed to 'Shaolin Soccer,' and everyone who supports Chinese films!"

Let us drink this cup together, for the past, and even more so for the future!

"cheers!"

"cheers!"

All the guests responded in unison, raising their glasses and standing up.

The champagne tower shimmered under the lights, the clinking of the glasses creating a crisp sound that mingled with enthusiastic applause and cheers, bringing the atmosphere in the Kunlun Hall to its climax.

Here.

After putting down his wine glass, Big Brother Ma said to Little Brother Ma sitting next to him, "Mr. Wang has a really good speaking ability."

"Yeah yeah."

Big Brother Ma added, "The game you guys make is pretty fun. By the way, could you guys increase the drop rate? Some items are really hard to get."

"Are you talking about 'Legend'? We are just a secondary agent, we didn't do it ourselves."

Big Brother Ma frowned: "Really? I heard that many parents are going to sue you for making games that are corrupting their children..."

"what?"

(End of this chapter)