Three days later
At the Beijing Theater, over two hundred media personnel had already gathered outside, completely blocking the red carpet. The crowd of fans was even larger, a sea of people. Today was a celebration banquet for the hero, and reporters had come from far and wide. The hero's name was now known overseas; in its 40 days of domestic release, it had grossed a total of 495 million yuan, taking the top spot at the domestic box office.
Keep in mind that last year's domestic box office champion only grossed slightly over 100 million yuan, and that was after it sparked a movie-going frenzy; normally, a few tens of millions of yuan would be considered good. The 495 million yuan figure, approaching 500 million yuan, while not exactly breaking even domestically—after all, a 30 million US dollar investment would require approximately 600 million yuan to guarantee profitability—is still impressive.
However, the news that "Heroes" has topped the box office in Asia and North America has been continuously reported by Dragon Media, China Film Group, the Central Propaganda Department, and domestic television media. The Chinese public is also paying close attention, and it can be said to be a nationwide craze. Chinese films are rising!
Various cameras and video recorders were positioned around the red carpet, waiting for the stars to shine.
"Hello everyone, I am Li Hong, a reporter from CCTV. Please take a look at the lively scene behind us. This is the place where the famous Chinese director Zhang Yimou held a celebration banquet for the film 'Hero'. I will continue to report on the latest developments here."
Reporters standing nearby were utterly astonished to see CCTV had mobilized; good heavens, this was supposed to be a victory celebration...
At that moment, a black Mercedes-Benz drove towards the red carpet, and security personnel quickly appeared on both sides and opened the car doors.
Zhang Yimou was dressed in a black Tang suit, impeccably dressed, with his hair styled neatly. He held his wife's arm with his left hand and Zhang Ziyi, who had just returned from abroad, with his right.
Zhang Ziyi was dressed in a dazzling purple haute couture gown, her makeup exquisite, and she wore a large emerald necklace.
Her jewelry necklace, ears, and wrists sparkled, her face was rosy, and she smiled as if she were about to bite someone.
Anyone who didn't know better would think she was the female lead.
The three walked onto the red carpet, and the flashbulbs went off like they were flying, making it as bright as day.
The fans nearby called out Zhang Yimou's name.
Zhang Yimou was also very happy, waving to the fans on both sides.
The three signed autographs, took a group photo at the end, and then entered the venue.
Shen Fang, Zhong Lifang, Shen Kun, Chang Jihong, Huang Bin and the others had been waiting for a long time.
Shen Fang stepped forward and offered a cigarette to Zhang Yimou, lighting it for him personally.
"Senior, how was it? The setup today was pretty good, right? Look at the 88-story champagne tower. I knew it was your birthday today, so I specially prepared a surprise cake for you. The buffet was also the highest-class scale of a five-star hotel. Look at the decorations, so high-end and classy. Everyone even received a gift box sometimes. How about it, are you satisfied?"
Zhang Yimou exhaled a smoke ring, glanced at the venue setup, and it was clear that a considerable amount of money had been spent. Especially that champagne tower, which was made entirely of imported French champagne, with each bottle costing over a thousand yuan.
"Junior brother, isn't this a bit too extravagant? It's just a victory celebration banquet..."
Shen Fang smiled and said, "Senior brother, you are the face of our company. Now that the hero has achieved such great results, we should celebrate in a lively manner. Xiao Qian, this must be your wife. Hello, I am Shen Fang."
Chen Ting smiled and shook hands with Shen Fang: "Mr. Shen, hello."
Shen Fang took a serious look at Chen Ting. Although Chen Ting and Zhang Yimou were 30 years apart in age, it was true love. She had given birth to three children for Zhang Yimou: two sons and a daughter. She was also quite good-looking and generous. Although she wasn't considered a stunning beauty in the industry, he had never heard of her committing any strange acts. Zhang Yimou was also amazing, having given birth to three children in his 50s. He was incredibly impressive. No wonder people say Zhang Yimou is full of energy. He can still sing loudly at 50. Most people would have already started to decline by 50, let alone have sex, and would even want to run away when they see their wives.
He glanced again at Zhang Ziyi, who was beaming with smiles. Goodness, her outfit wasn't cheap; looks like she'd snagged a rich guy in America. But Shen Fang didn't care. She was just a clown.
Chang Jihong and Huang Bin also congratulated Zhang Yimou, as this was their first formal meeting with him.
"Director Zhang, we should get together more often in the future. If you need anything, if there's any event or need anything, just let me know," Huang Bin said with a smile.
"Director Zhang, this is Chang Jihong. I'm in charge of the female artists in our company. If you need anything, please let me know and I'll coordinate it."
Zhang Yimou smiled and greeted the two for a while.
"Let's go, senior brother. You're the star of the show today, so it's your job to greet the guests."
Zhang Yimou smiled and followed behind Shen Fang, with Zhong Lifang also following beside him. The three of them arrived at the hall of the venue.
At this moment, the artists from Longteng Media arrived on the red carpet.
Zhang Guoli was holding Feng Lazi's arm, with Zhang Mo following closely behind. Wang Gang was alone, and Chen Daoming also came alone today.
However, Chen Daoming is now incredibly popular. His portrayal of Ying Zheng's domineering presence has deeply resonated with audiences. Fans outside the venue screamed, and reporters were equally enthusiastic, snapping photos and flashing their cameras incessantly.
Chen Daoming was dressed in a Versace haute couture black suit, and today he even wore a scarf, shiny leather shoes, and an exquisite hairstyle. He already looked like a charming and handsome man in the "uncle" circle.
The middle-aged female fans in the audience screamed in disbelief, exclaiming, "He's so handsome!!!"
"Director Zhang, congratulations!" Zhang Guoli said with a smile to Zhang Yimou.
Zhang Yimou laughed loudly: "Old Zhang, you still use this trick on me? Today your whole family is here, that's really giving us face. Please come in."
Zhang Guoli nodded and walked into the venue with his wife and son.
Wang Gang and Chen Daoming arrived one after the other.
Shen Fang gave a thumbs up: "Master, you look really good today. I saw quite a few aunties screaming at you just now. You're incredibly charming."
Chen Dao understood and glanced at Shen Fang. If anyone else had joked with him like that, he would have immediately lost his temper. But this was his disciple, and a wealthy one at that, someone he would rely on for his livelihood in the future.
"Xiao Fang, I still want to thank you. I made quite a bit of money from this promotional trip to Japan and South Korea."
Shen Fang smiled and said, "You're being too polite with me. You're the master, and I'm the apprentice. Isn't it only right that I take care of you?"
Wang Gang said enviously, "Why didn't I take you as my apprentice?"
Chen Daoming said smugly, "You're not destined for that. Congratulations, Director Zhang."
Chen Daoming cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.
Zhang Yimou smiled and said, "Congratulations, congratulations! We should have a good drink together later."
Chen Daoming nodded: "That's for sure. I've booked two tables for tonight. Let's have a good drink together."
"Master, is this the one you booked? I'm planning to host a dinner party tonight, how many people can it seat?"
"We ordered two medium-sized steamed buns from a variety of restaurants."
"Change to three large bags. Tell Sister Hong that there will be quite a few people going there tonight."
Chen Daoming nodded: "Okay, I'll make the contact. We'll go in first."
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