This director is vindictive.

Chapter 507 A Grand Banquet in the Tang Dynasty, No Sense of Martial Arts World

Chang'an, Grand Cinema.

No problem, Chen Mo specially made dumplings for this dish of vinegar.

It can be said that Chen Mo specially chose the Shengshi Cinema in Chang'an City to hold a grand premiere of "Tang Palace Night Banquet" for Fan Binbin.

Of course, this cinema already had an investment from Shengshi Pictures, but Chen Mo really went all out to renovate it this time.

The entire cinema was built in the style of the Tang Dynasty, with the largest theater alone seating 2000 people. Chen Mo spent over 2000 million yuan on this premiere, finally managing to get the venue ready before the premiere.

Was the money well spent? Absolutely! This Tang Dynasty-themed cinema is so unique; it'll definitely make its money back in the future. But Chen Mo doesn't care about that at all; all he wants now is to give Fan Binbin the most glorious exit.

There's no way around it, money talks!
However, the renovation costs were relatively small compared to the real expense of the premiere arrangements. First, there was the costumes. Huayun Costumes had to tailor-make various Tang suits for the guests. The female stars all wore hand-embroidered Qi-Xiong Ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), while the male stars all wore Diexiedai Yuanlingpao (another type of traditional Chinese robe). The fabric alone cost millions.

Because of the tight schedule, Huayun directly booked three embroidery workshops, with more than 200 embroiderers working in three shifts, even eating their meals at the embroidery stations. In the last three days, they also temporarily hired 100 tailors to work overnight altering sizes, costing them nearly a million yuan in labor fees.

In terms of catering, this time, because it was a night banquet, the scale was equally astonishing.

The chef was a non-material cultural heritage inheritor specially recruited from Chang'an. He cooks imperial dishes, roasts whole lamb using ancient Western Region methods, and the wine is alright, but Chen Mo's selection is definitely not ordinary wine; they are all specially customized high-end wines.

Even the plates used to serve the food are custom-made imitations of Tang Dynasty tri-colored pottery.

In terms of the program, the Central National Orchestra was invited to perform "The Song of Rainbow Feathers" live, and a dance academy was invited to rehearse "The Song of the King of Qin Breaking the Enemy's Formation". Fifty sets of golden armor for the actors were specially made.

It's fair to say that this is what it means to be outrageously extravagant.

Even Fan Binbin was astonished. She knew Chen Mo had arranged a lot of things this time, but she didn't expect that after all this, the total cost would be close to fifty million.

Fan Binbin looked at the expense list, a blush rising at the corners of her eyes: "Twenty million just to renovate a movie theater? Boss Chen is so discreet about spending money these days."

She deliberately nudged the other person's inner thigh with her knee: "Tell me honestly, did you plan all along to make me a wicked concubine who brought ruin to the country?"

Chen Mo grabbed her misbehaving wrist and pinned it against the chaise longue, chuckling as he brushed his nose against her earlobe: "Wrong, it's meant to give the historians a headache—"

As he spoke, he suddenly took her earlobe into his mouth and bit it lightly, until the woman couldn't take it anymore, and then he laughed and said, "Let's see if we should attribute the story of 'A concubine's smile after a thousand miles of dust' to Yang Guifei or to you, Fan Ye."

“However, if you’re worried that people will say you’re a wicked concubine who brings disaster to the country, we can save ourselves some trouble,” Chen Mo said deliberately.

Fan Binbin immediately gave him a charmingly disdainful look.

“If you’re not afraid of being called rich and willful, why should I be afraid of what they say? Besides, this is the last time. I don’t want to hear what they want to say in the future!” Fan Binbin said.

“However, if you do this, what about the girls?” Fan Binbin looked at Chen Mo with a hint of sarcasm.

Chen Mo touched his nose and said, "Ahem, then you'll have to put in a good word for me!"

It's no secret in the industry that Chen Mo is planning a premiere event in the style of "Tang Palace Banquet".

Although he didn't publicize it extensively, every invited guest was, after all, invited by Huayun to have a custom-made dress made for them.

Therefore, this matter cannot be kept secret at all.

In fact, the media, with their incredible resources, somehow managed to dig up the cost of this grand premiere. Although there are no exact figures, they have a general idea of ​​what it cost.

As for media coverage of this, they will definitely exaggerate it as much as possible.

Headline News published a report: "Extravagant Spending! Chen Mo Spends Over 100 Million Yuan on the Premiere of 'Tang Palace Banquet,' Sparking Controversy and Astonishment!"
According to inside sources, Chen Mo will hold the premiere of "The Empress's Wedding" in Chang'an City on May 19.

This lavish event, themed "Restoring the Tang Dynasty," was personally directed by Chen Mo. According to insiders, the total cost may exceed 1.2 million yuan, making it arguably the most expensive premiere in the history of Chinese cinema.

From the construction of the ancient palace to the custom-made Tang Dynasty costumes for all the staff, from the live performance of court music and dance to the Tang Dynasty imperial banquet, every detail is extremely luxurious!

The report also somehow managed to capture photos of the premiere's setup and some celebrities' custom-made Tang suits.

The report instantly went viral online, and of course, it also sparked huge controversy.

The first point of contention is: Is burning money necessary?
This has practically become a recurring topic of controversy. One film critic publicly slammed it, saying, "A premiere costing the entire production budget of a film is pure sensationalism! A film's quality depends on its content, not on extravagance!"

A prominent Weibo user followed suit, saying, "A cost of over 100 million is really outrageous. The key point is that this isn't even a proper movie; it's just a wedding promotional video. I simply can't understand why they would waste so much money like this. There are so many people in society who need help; how many people can this 100 million help? Although the money belongs to Chen Mo, and he can spend it however he wants, it's still a bit too much."

However, some people dismiss these criticisms.

"Speechless. It's the same old story again. I was wondering why you guys didn't criticize when some rich people spend hundreds of millions on private jets, but now that Chen Mo has put on a lavish premiere, it's considered extravagant?"

"No problem, after all, 100 million is indeed an exorbitant amount. I just want to know what a premiere produced with 100 million would be like?"

"If you can't even spend the money you earn as you please, what's the point of earning it? People don't steal, rob, or break the law, so they're free to spend it however they want. It's truly tragic if every time they spend money they have to be judged like this."

"Those terrible movies spend hundreds of millions on a single film, and you don't say anything. Chen Mo's premiere, although a bit extravagant, is essentially for promoting the movie. And whether he even has that much money is questionable. Besides, why don't you mention that Chen Mo gave away 10 billion yuan in red envelopes back then? Wasn't that an even bigger waste?"

What followed was an even more astonishing detail revealed at the event: all the guests' Tang suits were custom-made by Huayun, with each set costing over 10,000 yuan according to statistics; the goldware and lacquerware used at the banquet were all antique replicas, and the tableware was even inlaid with gemstones.

Even the miniature model of the "Hanyuan Hall" in the background of the red carpet took more than a month and a hundred craftsmen to complete.

Well-known financial blogger @MrAccountant did the math: "This amount of money is enough to shoot three art films, but now it's all been spent on one night of partying."

However, the person in charge of Shengshi Pictures, who was in charge of the premiere, said in an interview with reporters: "Actually, it's not that much. I don't know how the 1.2 million was calculated. In reality, the actual cost was less than half of that."

Moreover, some of the expenses weren't solely for this premiere; for example, the interior decoration will eventually become a unique screening room in the cinema.

However, even tens of millions is still astonishing to many.

"Even if it's just half, fifty million, that's still outrageously extravagant!"

"It has to be Chen Mo again. Now I just want to know, how exactly can I get tickets to the premiere?"

At this moment, Chen Mo simply posted a photo on Weibo of himself and Fan Binbin dressed in Tang Dynasty attire, with the caption: "The grandeur of the Tang Dynasty, this is how it should be."

However, before everyone could react, Fan Binbin suddenly dropped a bombshell.

To My Dearest Friends—Goodbye, May Our Meeting Be Invaluable

Dear Ice Fans:

By the time you read this letter, you may have already heard the "bombshell" news—yes, I have decided to officially retire from acting and bid farewell to the world of film that has accompanied me for more than twenty years.

This decision was not made on a whim, but rather after careful consideration.

From the naive Jin Suo in "My Fair Princess" to the Empress who rules the world in "The Empress of China", and now to the magnificent conclusion of "The Empress's Wedding"...
Along the way, it is your applause, criticism, companionship and love that have helped me grow from an ordinary girl into the "Fan Ye" I am today.

I once said, "I am the elite," and I have given my all to live up to that statement.

But now, I can finally say with confidence: "Wealthy family" isn't just a title, it's about living the life I want. Some people ask me why I'm leaving at this time? Because life shouldn't only have one kind of scenery (laughs).

I want to try new roles—like an ordinary person who can sleep in until they naturally wake up, a mother who watches her child grow up, or...
Of course, saying goodbye is not the end. On May 19th, at the premiere of "The Empress's Wedding", Chen Mo and I have prepared a real "Tang Palace Night Banquet" for you - a red carpet like the Golden Palace, live performance of ancient music, and even tableware that is a replica of the precious imperial items of the Tang Dynasty.

This is not only a cinematic feast, but also the last farewell I want to give you.

(P.S.: All attendees will receive a custom-made Tang-style gift from Huayun, consider it our "breakup present"!)
Finally, please don't feel sorry for me. There are many ways to leave the stage, and I chose the most magnificent one—just like the line from the play: "In this life, I have no regrets and no remorse."

Though the journey of life may be long, we will eventually meet again.

—Fan Binbin, who will always love you all
Picture:

Scanned copy of a handwritten letter (with a cute heart drawn at the end).
A photo of her and Chen Mo from behind at Tangfeng Cinema (she is wearing Wu Zetian's robe, and Chen Mo is wearing a prince's formal attire).
A nine-grid collage of classic character stills from his career!
If the most lavish premiere in history caused huge controversy, then Fan Binbin's decision to retire at the peak of his career is like a bombshell, completely stunning the entertainment industry.

After all, Fan Binbin can be considered a top female celebrity in the entertainment industry at this moment.

Moreover, without any prior notice, he suddenly announced his retirement from acting, leaving many people stunned.

Soon after, #FanBinbinRetiresFromActor##MostLuxuriousFarewellCeremonyInHistory##BinbinDontGo#
It will dominate the trending topics!
(End of this chapter)