Hollywood Director 1992.

Chapter 429 A Warm and Loving Family Gathering

"Link, you're back."

In a high-rise apartment on the Bund in Dahai City, Lin Ke had just returned from outside when Zeng Li and Jiang Qingqing rushed up to him, took his things from his hands, helped him take off his coat, and put on comfortable slippers.

Lin Ke hugged Zeng Li and kissed her, and when Jiang Qingqing got up, he also put his arm around her willow-like waist.

Both were around twenty years old, the most beautiful age of their lives. Their youthful innocence could be described as budding flowers, their fragrance as fresh flowers, their softness as flowing water and willow branches, and their appearance and temperament as the moon, roses, hibiscus, and peach blossoms.

Using these metaphors is not an exaggeration.

Because they are beautiful and loved by many, Link feels more fulfilled when he embraces them.

What did you do at home today?

"This morning we went grocery shopping with Sister Chong. She said she's going to cook another big meal today."

"Sister Chong's cooking is so good, I've definitely gained weight in the last few days."

"Being a little chubby is good; it's healthier to be a little chubby."

"You said it yourself, so you can't dislike me if I gain weight."

"will not!"

Link leaned back on the sofa, with the two women nestled on either side of him, their softest side touching him as they spoke gently to him.

Xu Qing came out of the kitchen carrying a fruit platter and saw the three of them fooling around on the sofa. Her cheeks turned slightly red.

As she put down the fruit plate and prepared to leave, Zeng Li and Jiang Qingqing reached out and grabbed her. The three of them rolled around on the cashmere carpet, like a painter's palette overturned on the ground, red, white, pink, and black, a dazzling and mesmerizing display of colors.

Hearing the noise from the kitchen, Chen Hong went to the door to take a look, then blushed and went back to the kitchen. She whispered a few words in Chen Chong's ear, and Chen Chong, who was making soup, smiled.

“Link has been quite busy these past few days, so it’s good for him to come back and relax. Go out and tell Xu Qing and Zeng Li to be more sensible and help each other out, so that Link doesn’t get too tired.”

"Okay, should we add some goji berries, deer antler, and sea cucumber to the soup to help Link recover?"

"Absolutely not! Link is in good health. If you give him any more tonics, we'll be the ones suffering."

Thinking of how formidable Lin Ke was, Chen Hong couldn't help but clench her knees, no longer daring to joke about it.

Half an hour later, the meal was ready. The table was full of Jiangnan cuisine, with excellent color, aroma, and taste. The tempting aroma of the food filled the restaurant.

Xu Qing and the other two also tidied their clothes and came to the restaurant. They thanked Chen Chong and Chen Hong for their hard work and praised Chen Chong's excellent cooking skills.

Chen Chong playfully scolded the three lazy girls.

During dinner, Zeng Li mentioned that two girls from her class had called to ask if Dongfeng Film Studio was looking for new talent, as they also wanted to sign with the company.

Jiang Qingqing also said that some students from her school contacted her, wanting to join Dongfeng Pictures.

"Link, should we sign any more new artists? We currently have six signed artists under our management."

Chen Chong placed the soup bowl in front of Lin Ke.

"You handle this. Sign up those with potential and don't sign up those without. This won't have a big impact on the company."

"it is good!"

Chen Chong smiled slightly. In the past few years, under her management, Dongfeng Film Industry had not made much money, but it had also not made any major mistakes. Lin Ke's trust in her had also increased, giving her more autonomy in her work, which felt very good.

"Link, Mr. Wang from Chinese American Film Studio contacted me, hoping to have a chance to meet you. He's probably looking for you to help him secure investment."

Knowing that he didn't know much about the domestic film industry, Chen Chong specifically told him about Chinese American Films and the Wangs, asking for his opinion.

How much cash does the company have in its accounts?

"We have over 20 million in cash. Once the box office revenue from 'Zheng Chenggong' is recovered, we might be able to get back 100 to 200 million."

Chen Chong said with a smile.

When I was an actor, I would get nervous and excited when talking about hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars, but now I can talk about tens of millions or hundreds of millions of dollars without feeling very calm.

This change is quite significant.

And all of this is thanks to Link.

Lin Ke held the spoon and thought for a moment. "The Wang brothers have deep connections in the industry and are good at operating movies, which means this company has potential. You talk to them. If they are sincere, they can invest in Huayi through Dongfeng Pictures. In the future, the two companies can also cooperate closely and share resources when producing film projects."

"Okay, I'll listen to you."

Chen Chong leaned close to him affectionately, serving him food and soup with great care.

Xu Qing, Chen Hong, and the other two didn't interrupt their conversation; they simply ate quietly and listened attentively. When the two discussed projects worth tens or hundreds of millions, their hearts would pound.

Link is worth billions, but he doesn't like to put on airs or flaunt his wealth like some other millionaires. As a result, when they are with Link, they often forget that he is a big shot and say whatever comes to mind.

In reality, if it weren't for Chen Chong's help in introducing them, given their status, they would probably be like the two brothers, unable to even meet Link, let alone have a meal with him or share a bed with him.

Zeng Li and Jiang Qingqing exchanged a glance and smiled knowingly. At first, they felt a little awkward about being Lin Ke's girlfriend, worried about other people's strange looks and gossip in the industry.

Now they are no longer worried. Link is not only a Hollywood tycoon, but also a tycoon in the domestic entertainment industry, possessing massive resources.

As a woman who is a powerful figure, she has a certain status in the industry. No one dares to look down on her; in fact, people envy her.

"Sister Chong, why didn't you prepare any alcohol? Link, what kind of alcohol would you like to drink? I'll go get it."

Xu Qing put down her chopsticks and stood up, swaying her slender waist.

No alcohol today!

Chen Chong pulled her aside and said, "Drinking is bad for your health. Let's just sit down and talk as a family."

"All right!"

Xu Qing blinked and looked at Chen Chong, as if she had thought of something.

Lin Ke smiled slightly and didn't say anything. After Liu Xiaoli became pregnant, Chen Chong also begged him to have a child, saying that she was getting old and if she didn't have a child soon, she would never have the chance to be a mother.

Lin Ke understood her thoughts, and these past few nights, Chen Chong often did some final work during her rest time, hoping to get pregnant soon.

Tonight will be the same.

Thanks to the strong promotional efforts of the distribution company, "Zheng Chenggong" also performed well at the box office in its second week, earning 4348 million yuan in mainland cinemas and 2391 million yuan in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan cinemas, for a total of 6739 million yuan.

In the first two weeks, it grossed 1.5 million yuan at the domestic box office, becoming the fastest film to break the 1 million yuan mark in China.

After the box office results were released, official media promptly reported the good news.

The China Youth Daily stated that the domestic film industry has great potential. The box office success of "Zheng Chenggong" not only demonstrates the huge potential of the Chinese film market, but also shows that the Chinese film industrialization system has reached international production standards. "Zheng Chenggong" breaking 100 million yuan at the box office in two weeks is also an important milestone for the Chinese film industry.

The West China City Daily commented that the box office success of "Zheng Chenggong" is a symbol of the booming development of the domestic film industry in recent years, and an important and successful step in the reform of the entertainment industry from state-owned to private enterprises. As long as Huaxia Film continues to move forward steadfastly, it will surely create even greater glory in the future.

Hong Kong's Ta Kung Pao and Ming Pao also published articles praising the film's achievements, believing that the combination of advanced film technology and Chinese historical themes can create blockbuster works, and that this approach is worth learning from for Hong Kong films, which are gradually heading down a dead end.

However, Ming Pao also pointed out that the film's production cost was about US$3500 million, and it would need to gross more than US$7000 million worldwide to guarantee profitability.

We haven't broken even yet.

For this film to make money, it needs to test the waters in the international film market and see how foreign moviegoers rate it.

After finishing his domestic affairs, in mid-February, Lin Ke returned to the United States with Gong Li, Yu Feihong, Wang Yan, and others to promote the film's release in North America.
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After returning to the United States, Link first made a trip to Seattle to check on the health of several pregnant women, provide them with some positive energy, and try to keep them in a good mood during their pregnancy.

The rest of the time, he spent time at his Beverly House with Jennifer Connelly, Sophia, Nicole Kidman, and others, regularly giving them a nudge to behave and not act out a soap opera at home.

Sometimes he would visit several villas to spend time with Vivian Chow, Rosamund Kwan, Brigitte Lin, Maggie Cheung, Jennifer Aniston, and Drew Barrymore.

Life is busy and fulfilling.

In late February, the 50th British Academy Film Awards ceremony was held in London. Link and the cast and crew of "The English Patient", "The Internet", and "Batman Forever" were invited to attend.

Last year, his affair with Diana caused a huge uproar, and the British public had a bad impression of him, believing that he had stolen Britain's 'jewel' Diana and made Britain lose face on the international stage.

Even after seeing Diana's improved condition on television, they were unwilling to forgive Link's robbery.

This lack of forgiveness is also reflected in the British Academy Film Awards.

After the release of "The English Patient," the film received very positive reviews from the arts and culture circles in both the United States and the United Kingdom.

Many media outlets gave the film near-perfect scores, considering "The English Patient" a classic romance film with an artistic level a notch above all other films released last year.

Before the awards ceremony, the media predicted that "The English Patient" would be the biggest winner at this year's British Academy Film Awards.

However, at the awards ceremony, "The English Patient" only won four awards: Best Picture, Best Cinematography, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Music. Link, who was nominated for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing, failed to win any of them.

This is also the first time Link has missed out on the Best Director and Best Editing awards at the beginning of the awards season.

This situation seems like the British judges are targeting him.

In the aftermath, media reports indicated that due to the impact of the Diana incident, the British public was not yet prepared to forgive Link, and the Academy of Film Sciences was also hesitant to award him the prize.

Some media outlets have also criticized the film academy for lacking professionalism and objectivity in its award selection process, which they argue is very unfair to Link.

(End of this chapter)