Chinese Entertainment: Academic Director

Chapter 365 Counterattack
Cao Yang proved with his actions that he was by no means a lecherous scholar... He resolutely refused to stay overnight at Cheng Long's house.

Left with no other choice, Cheng Long had to personally escort Cao Yang back.

I'll also drop Zhang Jingchu and Sun Mingming off at their hotel; the two were assigned to the same hotel by the production crew.

Sun Mingming got out of the car at the hotel entrance, but Zhang Jingchu didn't get out of the car at all, and didn't explain anything, as if this wasn't her place.

Jackie Chan seemed not to see it either.

Cao Yang didn't know where Zhang Jingchu lived, so he definitely couldn't say anything.

Upon arriving at Arcadia Resort, Cheng Long parked the car in front of Cao Yang's house, and he and Zhang Jingchu got out of the car.

Cao Yang assumed that the two were just being polite, so he politely asked Cheng Long if he wanted to go up and sit down.

Cheng Long smiled and declined, then said goodbye to Cao Yang and sped off in his car.

Cao Yang thought to himself, "Why are you driving so fast? This is a wealthy area, and the security here is absolutely top-notch."

That's the good thing about being in America. Even though there are all sorts of things like "biu biu biu" and "zero-dollar purchases" happening every day, you basically don't see these things in wealthy residential areas.

That's why it's called a "paradise" for the rich.

Cao Yang was still lamenting Cheng Long's "recklessness," and Zhang Jingchu must have had similar thoughts to him... right?

Ok?
Zhang Jingchu?
I rely on!

Hendrik Willem Van Loon!

Lao Tzu's reputation!
Cao Yang's first reaction was, "It's over, it's over. I'm afraid I can't clear my name even if I jump into the Yellow River."

Jackie Chan's approach is truly a traditional style of Hong Kong filmmakers.

"Director Cao, your location here is really great; you can even overlook the entire Los Angeles."

Zhang Jingchu exclaimed sincerely.

Cao Yang hesitated for a moment, then didn't mention taking Zhang Jingchu back to the hotel.

Since he had already jumped into the Yellow River and gotten himself wet, whatever he did next would definitely not be able to clear his name with Hendrik Willem Van Loon.

"come in."

Cao Yang opened the door and led Zhang Jingchu inside.

Although I didn't help get Rush Hour 3 released in mainland China, things didn't end there. I attended the premiere of Rush Hour 3 and reminded him of the problem.

This was actually a huge help to him.

He glanced back at Zhang Jingchu again. To be honest, if Zhang Jingchu hadn't tried so hard to dress in a sexy way, but instead had dressed in a pure and artistic style, Cao Yang would have been even more sexually interested.

Is it a traditional skill of the Hong Kong film industry?

A thank-you gift after helping someone?

Judging from the level of understanding between Cheng Long and Zhang Jingchu today, they must have discussed it beforehand.

For Zhang Jingchu to agree to be Cheng Long's "thank you gift," Cheng Long must have made some promises regarding resources.

Cao Yang quickly considered it and concluded that Cheng Long probably wouldn't dare to scheme against him. Whether it was his status in Hollywood or in China, he wasn't qualified to challenge him.

He still wanted to use this incident to establish a closer connection with himself.

Cao Yang glanced again at Zhang Jingchu, who was looking around. She couldn't have been forced. She agreed to this, and even if she didn't know if she could get any benefits from him, it certainly wouldn't do her any harm.

On the contrary, they can get resources from Cheng Long.

Having figured all this out, Cao Yang smiled and said to Zhang Jingchu, "Go take a shower first."

As she spoke, she rummaged through the closet, found one of her own white men's shirts, and handed it over, saying, "I'm sorry, I don't have any women's pajamas here, so please make do with this for now."

Zhang Jingchu had already pictured the scene in her mind: a white long-sleeved collared men's shirt, and that was all they were given; there were no bottoms to wear.

However, she didn't say anything, but smiled sweetly, revealing two dimples.

Cao Yang also took a shower, and not long after he finished washing up, Zhang Jingchu came out as well.

Her hair was simply tied into a ponytail, and she wore a slightly oversized white shirt over her upper body, revealing her two long, slender legs.

Cao Yang nodded in satisfaction. This was exactly how an artsy young woman should dress.

She appears quiet and elegant, pure without being lustful, lustful without being seductive, and seductive without being vulgar, radiating youthful and healthy energy.

Of course, it's more fun than just visually appealing.

This kind of outfit, where you only need to unbutton a few buttons at the top and don't have to take your clothes off, actually feels more sensual.

On Friday, August 10, Rush Hour 3 and The Fault in Our Stars will be released on the same day.

Rush Hour 3 is a sequel. The previous film, Rush Hour 2, was a huge box office hit in North America. As a sequel, although many years have passed, it is still highly anticipated, as can be seen from the number of theaters showing it.

This film was released in 3778 theaters across North America, making it a truly high-profile release.

"The Fault in Our Stars" is a low-budget art film, with an investment that can't compare to "Rush Hour 3," and it doesn't have any big-name stars.

If it weren't for the hugely popular wishing event, even with Cao Yang's name involved, it would have been impossible to secure a large number of theater slots. It would most likely have started with a small theater with only one or two thousand screenings, relying on word-of-mouth to increase the number of screenings.

This film is different from "Juno". Although both are low-budget films and are adapted from Cao Yang's novels, "Juno" won an Oscar first and gained influence before being released.

However, the popularity of this wish-making event is undeniable, with an impact comparable to an Oscar nomination.

As an art film, "The Fault in Our Stars" was shown in 2780 theaters in North America on its opening day.

This film has a small budget, but it is a co-production with investments from China Film Group and Qingdao Film Studio.

However, Cao Yang did not release the film simultaneously with the domestic release. Instead, he chose to release it in North America first. After all, the film had a small budget, no big stars, and the director was not famous. The wishing event did not affect the domestic market.

There's no need for such a low-budget art film to use the gimmick of simultaneous release.

The main promoters of "Rush Hour 3" were definitely Jackie Chan and Jackie Chan. When promoting the film around Los Angeles, Jackie Chan brought Zhang Jingchu with him, but when promoting it in other places, Jackie Chan simply didn't bring Zhang Jingchu, since no one would recognize her anyway.

According to the original plan, Zhang Jingchu was only called to North America to attend the premiere, and she would be sent back afterward.

But plans never keep up with changes, do they?

Cheng Long immediately asked Zhang Jingchu to stay, intending for her to remain for two weeks.

Zhang Jingchu was happy, and Cheng Long was happy too.

Cao Yang... is a manual laborer.

"I'm so nervous. The opening day box office figures for 'Rush Hour 3' should be out soon, right? It should be the top-grossing film today, right?"

Zhang Jingchu was wearing... Cao Yang's shirt. She noticed that Cao Yang liked her dressed like this, so she wore it whenever she stayed overnight here these past few days.

After saying that, she suddenly realized that Cao Yang's novel adaptation, "The Fault in Our Stars," was also being released on the same day, and the box office figures would be tallied at the same time. She quickly added:

"With such a big name, The Fault in Our Stars is sure to do well at the box office."

Cao Yang smiled but didn't say anything.

After a few days of getting to know her, he discovered that Zhang Jingchu was the kind of person who spoke her mind directly. Well, that's a nice way of putting it. To put it another way, she sometimes spoke without thinking and had average emotional intelligence.

Speaking of being outspoken, Cao Yang couldn't help but glance at Zhang Jingchu, who had two small dimples; her cherry-like lips were quite useful.

"Come."

Cao Yang waved his hand and said with a knowing smile, "You'll be out soon. As long as you're willing to work hard, you'll definitely be out even faster." Zhang Jingchu understood immediately.

She bit her lip, glanced at Cao Yang, and thought, "You're always so tired, can you really get out faster?"

This time, the results came out very quickly, um, it's the box office figures.

Cao Yang only got a general idea, but couldn't help but smile, patted Zhang Jingchu's head, and then became even more interested.

Rush Hour 3 grossed $1800 million on its opening day, and its critical reception was so-so, but not a complete flop.

Based on this trend, it is possible that the weekend will see a surge to $5000 million.

However, considering that it was released in 3778 theaters in North America, this result is only mediocre for a sequel.

Forecasting agencies have lowered their North American box office forecasts for "Rush Hour 3".

The Fault in Our Stars exceeded everyone's expectations.

This low-budget arthouse film, without any big stars, grossed $1520 million at the box office despite being shown in a thousand fewer theaters than "Rush Hour 3".

This delighted Columbia Pictures, and Tom Rothman even personally called Cao Yang to say that the company had already taken contingency plans and would increase the number of theaters the next day.

Zhang Jingchu was extremely excited when she first learned that "Rush Hour 3" had grossed $1800 million.

For New Line Cinema and Jackie Chan, a first-day box office of 1800 million is only so-so, which is considered poor, considering the film's investment of 1.4 million US dollars.

But for Zhang Jingchu, the $1800 million earned on the first day is roughly equivalent to 1.4 million RMB at the current exchange rate of around 7.6.

That's 1.4 million RMB! That's a single day's box office! How many films in China can reach that much by the time they leave theaters? Extremely rare!
Just a moment ago she was thinking, "Sure enough, Big Brother Cheng's movies are awesome."

Zhang Jingchu also dreams of becoming a Hollywood star like Zhang Ziyi or Fan Bingbing; otherwise, wouldn't the nickname "Little Zhang Ziyi" be meaningless?

Of course, despite her excitement, Zhang Jingchu still casually asked about the box office performance of "The Fault in Our Stars".

Cao Yang smiled and shook his head, saying, "It didn't do as well as the movies you starred in; the box office was much lower."

Zhang Jingchu quickly smiled and comforted her, "It's okay. Rush Hour 3 has a budget of $1.4 million. According to Hollywood, it's a super-budget commercial film."

"The Fault in Our Stars" is an art film with a low budget, so it's normal that it didn't gross as much as "Rush Hour." I believe that when your "Pirates of the Caribbean" is released, it will definitely surpass "Rush Hour."

After saying all that, Zhang Jingchu, perhaps worried that Cao Yang would be disappointed with the box office performance of "The Fault in Our Stars," changed the subject and asked, "Is the post-production of your 'Pirates of the Caribbean' finished?"

"It'll be soon, in the next day or two."

Cao Yang's words touched Zhang Jingchu's heartstrings. It wasn't that she felt any particular emotion, but rather that she would be returning to China in two days.

The resources promised by her elder brother should be readily available, but despite her efforts over the past few days, with everyone working together, she still hasn't received any substantial benefits from Cao Yang, which has left her somewhat disappointed.

However, as a "gift," one shouldn't have unrealistic expectations. If Cao Yang could give her some resources, that would be a pleasant surprise.

Could there be an unexpected surprise?
Zhang Jingchu glanced at the young and handsome director in front of her and decided to give it another try.

August is considered the end of the North American summer movie season, and while it can't compare to July in terms of popularity, it's still much better than other times.

Saturday, in particular, is the day with the highest number of moviegoers in the week.

Rush Hour 3 took in another $1820 million at the box office, a slight increase from yesterday, almost the same as no increase.

For New Line Cinema and Jackie Chan, although there was growth, they were not happy. What was hidden beneath this slight increase was weak box office performance and a bleak outlook.

The box office for "The Fault in Our Stars" has also increased, reaching $1780 million today, an increase of $1520 million from yesterday's $260 million.

Both films are striving to increase their box office revenue, and Zhang Jingchu is also working hard.

The effort is complete.

She was exhausted, panting and covered in sweat.

However, no matter how hard or tiring it was, she still asked about the box office results.

Only global box office success can bring greater exposure and influence.

Didn't you see that with just one movie, "Inception," Fan Bingbing's fame in Hollywood almost surpassed that of Zhang Ziyi, who had worked hard for many years, and her asking price was even slightly higher than Zhang Ziyi's?

Zhang Jingchu also wishes she had such an opportunity.

"Rush Hour 3's box office has increased, and it has earned 1820 million today."

Cao Yang said.

Zhang Jingchu immediately became excited. It was another box office of nearly 1.4 million RMB. Jackie Chan's box office appeal is still very high in the United States.

Of course, she didn't forget to ask about the box office of "The Fault in Our Stars." Compared to her older brother Cheng, Cao Yang was the director who was best at promoting female stars.

It's a pity that he was young, handsome, and famous, but he never got a chance before.

Even if you get the opportunity now, it's not the kind between a man and a woman, but rather it's given to you as a "gift"... that's a huge difference.

Let's keep trying and see if we can get some reward for our hard work.

"It has increased somewhat, but it's still lower than the box office of the movies you starred in."

Cao Yang said with a smile.

Zhang Jingchu initially wanted to offer some words of comfort, but then decided to take concrete actions instead, as that would be more effective and demonstrate sincerity.

Sunday marked the third day of the release of "Rush Hour 3" and "The Fault in Our Stars".

Logically speaking, the box office revenue for this day should be slightly lower than Saturday's, and about the same as or slightly higher than Friday's.

However, Rush Hour 3's box office dropped today, even lower than Friday's, with only 1420 million.

"The Fault in Our Stars" performed strongly, partly due to its wider theatrical release, and achieved a box office of 1860 million.

The North American weekend box office charts have just been released, and they've stunned many people.

Rush Hour 3 grossed $5040 million in its opening weekend, which, while below expectations, was still a respectable figure for the end of the summer movie season.

"The Fault in Our Stars" received excellent reviews and saw a significant increase in theaters, reflected in its box office performance. It earned 5160 million in its opening weekend and ultimately overtook "Rush Hour 3".

Zhang Jingchu is going back tomorrow, so she's going all out and will keep working hard.

Until she was panting heavily from exhaustion.

"The weekend box office rankings should be out by now, right?"

She rested for a moment and took the opportunity to ask.

Cao Yang nodded, and taking the opportunity to pause, he said with a smile, "It's out. 'Rush Hour 3' grossed $50.4 million, surpassing Matt Damon's 'The Bourne Ultimatum' to rank second."

"Wow."

Zhang Jingchu sighed, then beamed with joy.

Although "The Bourne Ultimatum" is already in its second week of release, it is still very gratifying that it was able to surpass this globally renowned spy thriller at the weekend box office.

Which film topped the weekend box office charts?

Overjoyed, Zhang Jingchu asked with some curiosity.

"The Fault in Our Stars is barely at the top of the list, well, only a little bit ahead of Rush Hour 3. Rush Hour 3 is already pretty impressive..."

Zhang Jingchu stared in shock, her cherry-like mouth agape, her two dimples particularly noticeable.

(End of this chapter)