Huayu: Hard fight against Zhang Weiping at the beginning

Chapter 645 An Excellent Publicity Opportunity

The revolving restaurant on the top floor of the Four Seasons Hotel is famous for its panoramic views, including not only the White House but also the Washington Monument.

Normally, this place is quite popular with diners, but at this time, it was almost deserted, as the three Middle Eastern princes had booked the entire place.

At this moment, the viewing area that was originally open to the public was separated by a whole piece of off-white velvet fencing, and even the waiters were replaced by royal servants who came with the private jet.

The tableware in Saudi Prince Salman's hand is made of pure gold, with the family crest engraved on the edge. It is clearly not an ordinary item, and in fact, it is almost. These items are exclusively used by the Saudi royal family.

Prince Hamad of Qatar is enjoying a freshly baked Lebanese flatbread.

The flatbread was still steaming hot, and the saffron dipping sauce served alongside it was freshly prepared by the royal chef, using only the finest ingredients air-freighted from Doha.

The tablet used by UAE Prince Rashid to review reports was covered with a custom-made crocodile skin case, and the pendant on his chest was engraved with a miniature image of the Burj Khalifa and surrounded by tiny sapphires.

"The Texas shale gas project has secured priority extraction rights," Salman said, using a silver fork to cut through the truffle steak, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips. The date wine on the table was from the Najd Highlands in Saudi Arabia, served in crystal glasses from a century-old Italian workshop.

He raised his hand to signal the attendant behind him to pour more wine. As the attendant bowed, the pure silver badge hanging at his waist swayed gently; it was the identity mark of a royal attendant.

“The San Francisco car company accepted our strategic investment and, incidentally, secured their exclusive distribution rights in the Middle East,” Rashid said, closing his tablet and glancing out the window. The seat beneath him was a hand-embroidered velvet model specially flown in from Dubai.

Hamad put down his mint lemonade. The glass was custom-made bone china with the Qatari royal eagle emblem painted on the wall, and even the straw was plated with a thin layer of gold.

“Paramount has agreed to share its special effects technology, which will be a great upgrade to our film industrial park,” he said, a smile playing on his lips. The placemat in front of him was made of Egyptian long-staple cotton with gold thread embroidered along the edges.

Rashid suddenly straightened his cufflinks, which were worth as much as a luxury car and were a design created exclusively for him by a famous jewelry brand.

"Now that the important matters are settled, shouldn't we relax this afternoon?"

Rashid's tone became lighter. They came to America for fun, not to work; the work was just something they did incidentally.

Salman had just put a piece of crème brûlée into his mouth. The gold leaf on the pudding was edible 24K pure gold, and the porcelain plate on which the pudding was served was from a collaboration with the Louvre Museum in France.

"Relax? Shouldn't that be the evening's plan?"

He raised an eyebrow and asked in return, his eyes filled with amusement, thinking that this young man in front of him wanted to eat fast food again.

“What are you thinking?” Rashid chuckled and pointed.

Everyone looked in the direction he pointed and saw a movie advertisement on a wall.

Universal and Warner Bros. were ruthless; they didn't even spare Washington, D.C., plastering it with posters for their two movies everywhere. Some buildings even had entire walls covered in giant advertisements.

"I meant to see a movie. Avatar and Ocean 2 are showing right now, aren't they? I wanted to see them when I was in Dubai, but they weren't showing yet. Now's the perfect time..."

After Rashid finished speaking, he smiled and looked at his two good brothers. Qatari Prince Hamad nodded without hesitation, his eyes shining with excitement.

They're all young people, and young people love watching movies, especially blockbusters.

Upon hearing this, Salman put down his knife and fork. As the oldest of the three, he naturally became the eldest brother.

Salman turned to his personal assistant and instructed, "Immediately contact the most popular IMAX theater in Washington, book all the screenings tonight, clear the theater, and arrange security."

The assistant nodded and was about to make the arrangements when Rashid waved his hand in refusal: "Don't make such a fuss..."

Hamad nodded in agreement: "Renting out the whole theater is so boring. What's the difference between that and watching a DVD at home?"

"Yeah~"

Rashid chimed in again: "The fun of watching a movie is watching it with a large group of people, feeling the warmth of the entire audience, that's what makes it interesting..."

He recalled the long lines of moviegoers he saw on the street when he returned, and his anticipation grew even stronger.

Salman was taken aback; he had never actually watched a movie with ordinary people before.

But seeing the two brothers' appearances, they seemed genuinely good, and he became interested as well. He then changed his mind to his assistant: "Alright, go and book three regular tickets for the IMAX theater in the city center, preferably for consecutive screenings."

The assistant acknowledged and withdrew, walking silently onto the Persian carpet as he went outside.

Rashid nodded in satisfaction and raised his water glass: "That's more like it."

"I heard that the 3D effects in Avatar are revolutionary..." The Qatari prince is clearly a fan of truck drivers.

"I'm actually more looking forward to Pacific Rim 2. Everyone on Twitter is saying that the ending of Pacific Rim 2 is particularly exciting and thrilling..." These words were spoken by Prince Rashid of the United Arab Emirates.

"If you put it that way, it really makes me want to experience what it's like to watch a movie with ordinary people in a theater!"

Saudi Prince Salman was itching to try it himself after being talked about by his two good friends; he had never tried anything like it before.

"Trust us, you'll absolutely love that feeling. Of course, you'll get a lot of complaints from your father when you get back, but I think it'll all be worth it~"

They are protected by a large number of bodyguards when they go out, and they have to clear the place when they eat. They also have to use their own chefs and ingredients. This is not just for show, but also for security reasons.

They are all princes from various countries, and may even become presidents of a country in the future, so security is no small matter.

Salman's assistant returned soon after.

Tickets for the two movies were hard to come by, but that's for ordinary people. For wealthy people like them, it's not a problem at all.

However, the assistant looked apologetic: "Your Highnesses, the movie theater arrangements have been made, but please forgive my presumption."

"what have you done?"

"I've booked the last five rows of the theater. I'm sorry, I have to do this; I have to be responsible for the prince's safety. But I swear, the first seven rows of the theater are for normal audience members..."

After the assistant finished speaking, he lowered his head even further.

He knew Salman would be unhappy, but he had no choice but to do it.

The prince's safety is of utmost importance.

In fact, this decision was made after discussions among the security chiefs of the three princes.

They had to satisfy the prince's needs while ensuring his absolute safety, which was quite a challenge for them.

Salman was indeed very angry. He knew his assistant meant well, but this made him lose face in front of his two good brothers. In the end, the other two princes came to his rescue: "Alright, Salman, let's not make things difficult for our subordinates. They meant well."

With the two men's intervention, Salman's expression finally brightened.

The three men rose to leave, only to find three custom-made Bentley Mulsannes already waiting at the hotel entrance. They climbed into the cars, seemingly oblivious to the walnut wood trim and cashmere accents, their minds solely focused on the anticipation of the movie. ...

AMC Georgetown 14, one of the best movie theaters in Washington, D.C., is located in the heart of the Georgetown business district.

This is also the destination for the three princes today.

The afternoon sunlight reflected off the glass curtain wall, casting the silhouette of a convoy of cars.

The three princes' motorcade quietly stopped next to the VIP passage at the back of the cinema, and a bulletproof Bentley pulled up.

The bodyguard got out of the car first to control the surrounding environment, followed by the chauffeur, and quickly walked to the back door of the cinema to negotiate with the manager who was already waiting.

He then ran back to the car and said respectfully, "Your Highnesses' seats have been prepared as requested. They are in the very center of the ordinary hall, with an excellent view."

The servant opened the door, and Salman alighted from the car, still wearing his traditional Arab robe, with a sapphire-encrusted lapel pin at the collar—the exclusive emblem of the Saudi royal family.

Hamad and Rashid wore the same Arabic clothing; the only difference between them, besides the collar, was probably the way they wrapped their headscarves.

The way headscarves are wrapped in the UAE is not particular, but Qataris have a custom of wrapping their headscarves in a scorpion shape.

The three of them reunited. "Let's go inside!"

Salman is the eldest brother, so he takes the lead.

They were surrounded by bodyguards and servants.

The three princes were representing their countries, so they had to wear traditional Arab clothing. However, the bodyguards and servants did not need to wear traditional clothing and were mostly dressed in suits.

The appearance of the three immediately caused a slight disturbance.

As soon as they appeared at the ticket gate, the audience in the waiting area subconsciously stopped talking and turned their attention to them.

The composure of those who had long held positions of power, and the unintentional wariness displayed by the plainclothes security personnel around them, all conveyed one message: these three people were no ordinary individuals.

The assistant quickly stepped forward and handed the pre-prepared movie tickets to the ticket checker. The ticket stubs were a special commemorative edition printed by the cinema, with gold foil embossed on the edges. He whispered, "Please show us the seats in the middle section. Also, please don't reveal the identities of His Highnesses."

The ticket inspector's hand trembled slightly as he took the ticket stub. After repeatedly confirming the seat information, he bowed and gestured to guide the ticket: "This way, please. Your seat is in the middle of row 12, which is the 'golden seat' of the entire theater."

The blonde girl in the waiting area quietly tugged at her companion's sleeve, mouthing "Middle Eastern prince" with her eyes full of excitement. Her friend immediately took out her phone, wanting to record the scene, but was afraid of appearing too presumptuous, so she only dared to secretly hold up her phone to take pictures.

"These people have such a strong presence. Judging from their clothes, they're not ordinary people, and their bodyguards look very professional. They must be important figures."

A young man wearing a baseball cap whispered to his companion, his eyes following the three princes as they entered the theater.

If there were only one Arab person present, and he suddenly threw his backpack into the crowd or shouted something like "God is great!", everyone present would be absolutely terrified.

But this time there were three people, and with such a grand entourage, even a fool would know that these people must be someone important, maybe even a prince from some oil-producing country.

The security supervisor stopped at the entrance of the theater and whispered instructions into the Bluetooth headset: "Group A, guard the front and back doors of the theater. Group B, take your seats in the audience, keep your distance, do not disturb other audience members, and report any situation immediately."

As soon as Salman entered the theater, he noticed that some audience members were pointing their phones at them. Two plainclothes security guards immediately stepped forward and quietly put their hands on their waists, but he stopped them by raising his hand. He nodded slightly to the audience members taking pictures, his eyes showing a hint of amiability and no displeasure.

The spectator taking the photo was taken aback, clearly not expecting the other party to be so friendly. He quickly put down his phone, bowed to Salman, and smiled apologetically. Seeing this, the surrounding audience gradually relaxed.

"Your Highness, may I take a picture with you?"

Someone recognized Rashid and boldly approached him to ask for a photo.

A middle-aged man carrying a large bucket of popcorn mustered his courage and stepped forward. He was wearing an ordinary plaid shirt, and his face showed a hint of trepidation. The popcorn bucket in his hand was still swaying slightly.

Rashid was taken aback for a moment, then laughed heartily, turned to stand next to the middle-aged man, and even adjusted his posture to make sure the man was in the frame better, his manner as friendly as that of a long-time friend.

Seeing this, Hamad also stepped forward, made a "V" sign at the camera, and smiled easily. He deliberately adjusted his position so that the middle-aged man would stand in the middle, showing his gentlemanly demeanor.

The moment the shutter clicked, this guy's most glorious moment was captured.

The man's voice trembled with excitement: "Thank you so much! My son will never believe I've met a real prince!"

He carefully put away his phone, thanked everyone repeatedly, and then returned to his seat.

Seeing this, other audience members also mustered up their courage and stepped forward to ask for photos. The three princes were happy to oblige and patiently cooperated with everyone's requests. Some audience members wanted autographs, and they would take the pen and leave their elegant signatures on the movie brochures. The atmosphere in the entire theater became exceptionally lively.

The security supervisor was on high alert, nervously watching everyone, but his boss was thoroughly enjoying himself, so he didn't want to disturb him.

Fortunately, the movie saved him. The lights in the theater suddenly dimmed, and the trailer began to play on the screen. The audience immediately returned to their seats, and the theater fell silent instantly, except for the security personnel who were still vigilantly scanning every corner from the shadows.

……

At the same time, an MPV was heading to the airport, carrying Zhang Chen and his entourage for a roadshow.

They had just finished a roadshow at the AMC Georgetown 14 theater and were on their way to the airport to head to New York.

"Thank you all for your hard work. The roadshow in Washington, D.C., has wrapped up ahead of schedule. Next, we're flying to New York, where our New York itinerary begins tonight!"

The speaker is David, who accompanied the entire roadshow.

But no one in the car responded to him; everyone was resting with their eyes closed.

To be honest, it's really tiring.

Zhang Chen hasn't done a promotional tour in a long time, but this time "Universe 2" is going up against "Avatar", so he has to give it his all.

The two films are currently neck and neck. In North America, "Ring 2" has grossed only $500 million less than "Avatar," making them very close.

Both Universal and Warner Bros. are now ramping up their promotional efforts, striving to outperform each other, expand their advantages, and become the annual box office champion.

David was encouraging everyone when he suddenly received a phone call: "Hmm, who is it? A Middle Eastern prince? Okay, I understand..."

After hanging up the phone, David immediately instructed the driver, "Steven, turn around and go back."

The people inside the car finally opened their eyes: "What happened? What's wrong?"

David then had a chance to explain: "We've heard that the princes of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar are currently watching 'Pacific Rim 2' at the AMC Georgetown 14 theater. The company thinks this is a fantastic promotional opportunity, so we need to go back and do something about it."

(End of this chapter)