Dinner consisted of authentic Cantonese cuisine, along with some Beijing side dishes.
Liu Yue'e was carrying a large jar, the aroma of which filled the air.
"Come and try our specialty, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, which I stewed last night. It's hot pot today."
Liu Yue'e served a bowl to everyone one by one. Huang Xiaoming and Pan Yueming, for example, stood up to receive the bowl, showing great respect.
"Please sit down, please sit down. We are all guests, so please don't be shy. These two young men are good-looking and energetic."
Shen Fang smiled at the two of them: "Don't be so polite with me. Although you are artists I signed, you are also among the first batch of artists in our company, so you can be considered veterans. Work hard with Sister Lifang, and I will definitely promote you two to the top within three years. You two are practically the only ones in the company, and any resources we want will be tilted towards you. Work hard."
"Thank you, Mr. Shen."
"However, I have something to tell you two. Right now, your most important thing is your career. Focus on filming. As for your relationship issues, I won't interfere, but you still need to understand what's more important to you. A man without a career has no future."
The two nodded.
Shen Fang's words were actually directed at Pan Yueming. Huang Xiaoming was as shrewd as a devil; women were never his everything. His attitude towards women depended solely on whether they could bring him benefits. He treated Zhao Zhetian the same way, and Yang Baobei was no exception. He was very adept at playing the game and wasn't the type to be manipulated by women.
But Pan Yueming is different. He is a rare good man in the industry. Dong Bailian described him as a domestic abuser, impotent, and addicted to gambling. He was basically being vilified as an idiot, but he remained silent and did not fight back.
He's a simple, foolish man. For his child, he can endure anything. Even when his ex-wife speaks ill of him, he doesn't say a bad word about her.
Pan, a male celebrity at the height of his career, had his career completely ruined by this incident.
Shen Fang has always liked Pan Yueming. Her acting skills, character, and conduct are all excellent, and she doesn't have any bad habits. That's truly rare in the entertainment industry.
We toasted and drank, having a great time.
After dinner, everyone started playing the Great Wall game and chatting idly.
At midnight, Han Sanping's phone rang.
The call was connected.
"Mr. Han, the box office statistics are in, totaling 11.23 million."
Han Sanping smiled.
"Xiao Wang, you've worked hard. Get some rest."
Wang Yu's hearty laughter came from the other end of the phone.
"Mr. Wang, I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep. Tonight, the history of Chinese cinema will be rewritten. 11.23 million on the opening day!!! Chairman Han, this achievement is simply amazing."
Han Sanping laughed loudly: "Help me schedule an appointment with the managers of the eight major cinema chains tomorrow, let's add fuel to the fire!!!"
"Okay, Mr. Han, good night."
The call ended.
Shen Fang, Lao Yizi, Zhong Lifang, and the others all turned to look at Han Sanping.
Han Sanping slowly lit a cigarette, his face beaming with a smile that creased his nasolabial folds.
"11.23 million! Congratulations, Director Zhang! You've broken the domestic opening day box office record. This film is a success!!!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yimou stood up excitedly.
"It's done!!!"
"Xiao Kun, bring out my two bottles of Conti. Your senior brother can't go without a drink."
Man Shen, who was standing nearby, was also very excited: "How about I go get some snacks to go with the drinks? Let's have some more?"
Liu Yue'e stood up.
"I'll go get some, Huilin, you help me get some."
"Sister Yue'e, let me help you."
Liu Xiaoli also stood up and went to the kitchen with Liu Yue'e.
Zhang Guoli, Chen Daoming, Jet Li, Wang Gang, and others all sent their congratulations to Zhang Yimou.
"Director Zhang, you're amazing. 11.23 million on the first day! This is unprecedented! Over 10 million in box office on the first day! You're incredible!" Zhang Guoli congratulated him.
"Director Zhang, you must come to me for any roles in the future, I can lower my fee. As long as it's your film. Your new film is a martial arts film, right? I'm good at martial arts films. We didn't get enough of working together this time, how about we collaborate again?" Jet Li congratulated him.
Zhang Yimou smiled and said, "This time it's not suitable. I'm planning to find two handsome men to act. Jet Li, we can work together again sometime."
"Tomorrow I'll meet with the managers of the eight major cinema chains again to see if we can increase the screenings by another 5%. This time, we must make 'Hero' a benchmark in the industry. As expected, it's a big-budget production with top-tier actors that can achieve such results. This film is on the right track," Han Sanping said proudly.
If this film is successful, his blockbuster plans can basically be implemented, and the position of chairman of China Film Group will essentially be his.
Before long, Liu Yue'e, Liu Xiaoli, Man Shen and the others had finished preparing the late-night snack, and everyone sat down at the table.
Shen Fang poured everyone a full glass of wine.
Shen Fang picked up his wine glass and looked at Zhang Yimou.
"Senior brother, let's have a drink. We can't miss this drink today. This is such a joyous occasion, a historic event. Let me toast you. This is my treasured wine."
At this moment, Zhang Yimou also had a rosy complexion and was in high spirits.
He raised his glass and clinked it with Shen Fang's, then drank it all in one gulp.
He accepted all the toasts from Han Sanping, Zhang Guoli, Chen Daoming, and Jet Li without hesitation.
After a few rounds of drinks, Zhang Yimou rubbed his head, drunk. People are prone to making mistakes when they're happy. With a production cost of nearly 300 million, this was the first time he had undertaken such a large-scale production. He was under immense pressure, and from the project's inception until now, not a single day had been easy. What if it lost money?
Not only did he lose his reputation, but he also couldn't explain himself to the investors. Moreover, Han Sanping was the one who spearheaded this project, so the burden and pressure were all on his shoulders. Today, he can finally breathe a sigh of relief.
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