The Birth of the Best Director

Chapter 239: The Battle for Godhood in "Real Steel 3" - All Screenings Give Way!
……

Lu Zhiyuan stayed in Los Angeles for a few days.

Next, he discussed in detail with Adam Ferguson the collaboration model for the film "Project Gutenberg" and the upcoming collaboration with Universal Pictures.

Theoretically speaking, starting with the film "Project Gutenberg," Lu Zhiyuan will establish an independent production company and begin his personal development.

His company is entirely his own and has no connection with Universal Pictures.

However, this company will enter into a strategic partnership with Universal Pictures.

Universal Pictures holds a 20% priority investment share in Lu Zhiyuan's film projects.

Of course, if Universal Pictures feels that his project is unreliable, it can also give up this part of the investment.

In addition, Universal Pictures signed a global distribution contract with Lu Zhiyuan for five films at once.

Based on Lu Zhiyuan's pace of making one film a year, this contract should last until 2018.

But after 2018...

Lu Zhiyuan no longer needs Universal Pictures.

Because by then, Netflix would have largely completed its development and become one of the new six major studios in Hollywood.

He can seamlessly transfer the distribution contract of his film to Netflix.

……

"Adam, thank you for your help."

Seeing Adam Ferguson sign his name directly on the contract, Lu Zhiyuan immediately laughed.

Everything is done.

With this contract in hand, the strategic plan for the next five years is all set.

"The road—I really like this Chinese saying. 'Having more friends means having more paths to take.'"

Adam Ferguson smiled and shook hands with Lu Zhiyuan.

Universal Pictures is now trying to clean house!

Adam Ferguson was extremely angry when he received the news.

He worked diligently for Universal Pictures for 15 years!

Furthermore, he discovered a super director like Lu Zhiyuan for Universal Pictures. In the past few years, Lu Zhiyuan alone has earned Universal Pictures more than 10 billion US dollars.

Real Steel 3 is a super gold mine.

The subsequent revenue it will bring to Universal Pictures will definitely not be less than $5 million.

He has made so many great contributions to the company, yet the higher-ups, in their office infighting, want to use him as a scapegoat.

Do you really think he has no temper?
“Adam, if you can’t stay at Universal Pictures, I can recommend you to Netflix. I’m sure Mr. Hastings will welcome you with open arms.”

Lu Zhiyuan now suspects that the complete failure of the Dark Universe that Universal Pictures later created is closely related to the recent internal power struggle among the top executives of the parent company.

There is a saying that goes well.

A powerful fortress often crumbles from within.

Under normal circumstances, it would be extremely difficult for a competitor to defeat a media empire like Universal Pictures through commercial competition.

But they can destroy themselves.

"talk later."

Adam Ferguson replied casually, seemingly a little tired himself.

After being betrayed so badly by his superiors, he developed a disillusioned attitude and would never easily trust other capitalists again.

"Lu, as long as I'm still at Universal Pictures, your movies will always be my top priority!"

"Don't worry about the publicity and distribution; I'll get you the best treatment!"

Adam Ferguson thought for a moment and then leaked a piece of gossip to Lu Zhiyuan, hoping to bring the two of them closer.

"Lu, I've heard some rumors."

"The parent company wants Jeff Hill to replace me in my position."

"He is now the president of NBCUniversal International, primarily responsible for the promotion and distribution of films in overseas markets."

"He will do everything in his power to prove that he can perfectly fit into the position of president of Universal Studios, and in the promotion and distribution of your film."

Lu Zhiyuan is Universal Pictures' biggest cash cow.

The most important job of the president of Universal Pictures is to help Lu Zhiyuan's film promote and distribute it globally, and significantly increase its influence and box office.

And this Jeff Hill happens to be in charge of this business.

It can't be said that Universal Pictures' parent company is completely ignorant.

In fact, it could be said that they understand very well what kind of abilities the current president of Universal Pictures needs.

In any case, Lu Zhiyuan has always made film production very convenient, never resorting to any underhanded tactics in the production process, and never needing the president of Universal Pictures to oversee the content.

For Lu Zhiyuan, Jeff Hill, who is an expert in marketing, might be a better fit to serve him.

The reasoning behind Universal Pictures' decision is quite valid.

At this moment, this news is an unexpected joy for Lu Zhiyuan.

Because whether it's the current president or the next president, they all have to fawn over him and help him promote the film so that "Real Steel 3" can create a box office miracle.

"Thanks, Adam."

At this moment, Lu Zhiyuan felt incredibly happy.

Chen Kaige is right.

Just stay on the shore and don't get involved.

As an independent being, any third party would treat him like a god, frantically trying to please him and eagerly seeking his trust and closeness.

He benefits from the fight between the two tigers!

awesome!
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Real Steel 3 will bring him a huge surprise.

This rare opportunity, coupled with the quality of the film, might just create a miracle for him.

……

"James, register a new production company and name it [YD Pictures]."

"As for where to recruit employees... I don't need to tell you such trivial matters, do I?"

Before leaving Los Angeles, Lu Zhiyuan gave James a task.

YT Pictures will become a shell company, only needing to keep a few finance staff to help calculate the monthly copyright revenue.

As for expanding into new businesses?

No need.

Everything has been transferred to [YD Pictures]!
"Boss, please rest assured and leave it to me. I will arrange everything for our new company."

James performed a very formal knightly salute to Lu Zhiyuan.

He will receive 5% of the executive shares in this new company!
Based on Lu Zhiyuan's current earning power, this 5% stake would be worth at least $2 million in the capital market.

He will never have to worry for the rest of his life.

How could I not do my best to serve Lu Zhiyuan?
"See you later."

Lu Zhiyuan had always had great faith in James's competence.

These Hollywood-trained professional managers are generally reliable once they're fed and satisfied.

Of course, one must have enough prestige and ability to manage these people.

For Lu Zhiyuan, there was absolutely no need to care about these messy things.

Because, besides James, Adam Ferguson and Netflix's Ted Sarandos all wanted to curry favor with him.

If one of them dares to do something messy that affects his career, then the other two will not hesitate to betray that person to curry favor with Lu Zhiyuan.

……

After boarding the plane.

Dilraba kept giggling, clinging to Lu Zhiyuan's arm, unwilling to let go for even a moment.

YD Pictures.

Y represents Lu Zhiyuan.

Who does D represent? Of course, it represents her, Dilraba!
"Brother, when we get home, I'll wear a cheongsam for you. Okay?"

Reba felt incredibly sweet inside and wanted to reward Lu Zhiyuan handsomely.

Dilraba feels that there is no top-tier celebrity in the entire entertainment industry who has it easier than her.

They only make one film a year.

The actual filming took less than two months.

Apart from her debut film "Upgrade," which had strong action requirements for her... her subsequent science fiction films were mostly filmed on a green screen.

She just showed her face and struck a pose, and she won the cheers of the whole world.

It’s so cool.

Therefore, she has plenty of time to do beauty treatments and work on her figure.

It can be said that, with the support of money, her beauty is among the best in the world.

A 20-year-old billionaire with the added aura of a superstar.

Her life was incredibly smooth.

Even Liu Yifei can't compare to her.

Next, all she needs to do is give birth to one child for Lu Zhiyuan—no, three children—and her life will be completely fulfilled.

"Brother, now that the movie is finished filming, are you moving back home?"

In her joy, Dilraba suddenly thought of something.

Staying near Hongluo Temple is too far from the city center, which is very inconvenient.

It's only convenient for Lu Zhiyuan to go to work at the China Film Digital Base.

But now that the movie is finished, it's time for Lu Zhiyuan to take a vacation.

During his holidays, he likes to visit art exhibitions at the 798 Art Center.

Clearly, the journey from Hongluo Temple to the 798 Art Zone is too far. It's highly likely that Lu Zhiyuan will be moving back.

Moving back is fine, but I'm afraid Lu Zhiyuan will be reminded of Jing Tian by the scenery.

"Okay. You should pack your things too, and come back with me."

Lu Zhiyuan knew what Reba was worried about, and patted her little hand.

Reba immediately giggled, then had a sudden inspiration and said, "Brother, you've lived over there for several years, and the furniture is getting a bit old. I'll find some time to go with Honey and replace all the furniture. What do you say?"

The furniture must be replaced.

It all smells like Jing Tian.

Forget about renovations; it's too late to do them this year.

Next year, when Lu Zhiyuan goes out to film a movie, she will have someone renovate the house and get rid of everything that still carries Jing Tian's scent.

"You can make the decisions about things at home."

As long as Reba doesn't mess with his art studio, Lu Zhiyuan doesn't care about the other furniture at all.

"Brother, you are so good to me."

Dilraba and Lu Zhiyuan have known each other for many years. She knows Lu Zhiyuan's temperament; he doesn't care about ordinary things at all.

They even acted as if they didn't care at all.

Lu Zhiyuan has only one Achilles' heel.

Nothing can interfere with his art and filmmaking.

Otherwise, there's no room for leniency.

It was here that Jing Tian committed a capital crime, yet pretended to know nothing about it.

It's okay if I know nothing about the company.

However, Jing Tian's complete disregard for what Lu Zhiyuan cared about most was a capital offense!

"Brother, after we move back, I want to plant lots of grapes in the yard. When they ripen, I'll make grape juice for you, and we'll drink it together. What do you say?"

Dilraba couldn't help but chuckle halfway through her sentence.

She thought Lu Zhiyuan didn't understand the underlying meaning.

Little did she know, Lu Zhiyuan smiled and turned to look at her, saying, "Should I go buy you a glass of pomegranate juice?"

"what?"

Dilraba stared wide-eyed at Lu Zhiyuan in astonishment: "Brother, how do you even know this?"

Grapes and pomegranates are common fruits in Reba's hometown.

Grapes symbolize a sweet and wonderful life.

The pomegranate symbolizes many children and good fortune.

Dilraba said she wanted to grow grapes for Lu Zhiyuan and make grape juice for him, which was a subtle way of expressing her love and desire to live a sweet life with Lu Zhiyuan forever.

Lu Zhiyuan's offer to buy pomegranate juice for Dilraba is tantamount to responding to Dilraba's earlier confession that he wants to have many children with her.

At that moment, Dilraba's face flushed slightly, and she was extremely happy.

There is someone in the world who can easily read your mind no matter what you are thinking... This is really heartwarming for a 20-year-old girl.

Reba was certain for the umpteenth time that Lu Zhiyuan was the perfect man God had given her!
……

Hanikezi, who was sitting behind them, overheard their conversation.

She couldn't help but mutter to herself, "The teacher must have been deeply in love with a Uyghur girl before, otherwise, how would he know so much about our Uyghur customs?"

"Boom!"

Hanikezi had just finished muttering when Reba turned around and tapped him on the head.

Hanikezi immediately surrendered, covering his head: "Teacher's wife, I was wrong. It must be because the teacher fell madly in love with you and wanted to know you more that he taught himself these little tricks of love."

That's more or less.

Reba gave a soft hum and told Hanikezi to put on an eye mask and go to sleep.

It will be several more hours before I get home.

……

Huayi Brothers.

After attending the preview screening of "Real Steel 3", Mr. Wang came straight back.

He came back with a mission!
"Big brother, Brother Yuan took good care of us and reserved a portion of the distribution rights for 'Real Steel 3' for Huayi Brothers."

Mr. Wang went to Los Angeles and, through Lu Zhiyuan's introduction, met many big names in Hollywood.

Many superstars.

In addition, there are some tech giants.

Suddenly, Xiao Wang felt like he had become a rising star at the forefront of the world.

Back in China, he was full of vigor and felt like a big shot, walking with an air of dominance.

"What kind of care is this?"

"Under normal circumstances, the film's distribution fees would be at most tens of millions. And that would be split among the three of us. How much of that would actually end up in Huayi Brothers' pocket?"

The king simply raised his eyelids and replied indifferently.

Seeing his younger brother's smug attitude, he was a little annoyed.

So what if you went to Los Angeles? It's nothing special.

If I want to go, I can go anytime.

"Brother, it's true that the profits will be split among the three companies. But the publishing fees aren't just tens of millions. Brother Yuan told me it's 1000 million US dollars for each company!"

Mr. Wang took a freshly cut cigar from his older brother's hand, took out a lighter, lit it, and started smoking.

In this day and age, the distribution cost of a movie is normally only around 20 to 30 million.

It mainly relies on word-of-mouth to spread.

Moreover, once a movie becomes a hit and is of good quality, there's no need to spend extra money; the media and newspapers will proactively help them promote and report on it.

While it may not be universally known, it can at least accurately target every potential user.

Lu Zhiyuan's allocation of $3000 million for marketing and promotion is indeed a game-changer in the domestic market.

The advertising expenses of 30 million US dollars are almost 200 million.

Based on the revenue sharing ratio, even if his film production cost is 0, it would still need 6 million yuan in box office revenue to cover the publicity expenses.

"Is he crazy?"

"Starlight Media, New Classics Media, Huayi Brothers... each of these three companies is allocating $1000 million for marketing and promotion?"

"Are you sure you didn't mishear? It's $1000 million per company, not $1000 million in total?"

The king was completely bewildered.

Lu Zhiyuan's extravagant spending stunts completely shattered his understanding of the world.

is it necessary?

Will we be able to recoup the cost of spending so much money on marketing and promotion?
"Brother, your vision is too narrow."

Mr. Wang, however, understood Lu Zhiyuan's thoughts: "Brother Yuan clearly wants to break the record. In addition, he is spending a lot of money on publicity and distribution, which is also to make other films in the domestic New Year's film season give way to him."

$3000 million in marketing and promotion costs!

Looking at the domestic market, who can produce something like that?

He's making it clear to everyone that this slot is mine, and they shouldn't try to take it from me, or he'll bury them in money!
Moreover, it's impossible for Lu Zhiyuan to lose money.

Even if the domestic box office doesn't make money, the merchandise rights will most likely sell like hotcakes.

"Hollywood blockbusters are just different."

The king quickly understood this principle and couldn't help but sigh.

He pondered for a while and felt that this matter would not harm Huayi Brothers at all, and Lu Zhiyuan even gave them a large profit margin.

This project is worth doing!

At worst, we can release the movie "1942" earlier.

We won't compete with Lu Zhiyuan for screen time during the Lunar New Year season.

After all, you can't win by robbing.

Feng Xiaogang was simply throwing his life away.

Lu Zhiyuan gave them $1000 million for publicity and marketing, which might also be partly to make up for the loss of their schedule.

After figuring this out, the King accepted Lu Zhiyuan's way of making amends.

I think he's a meticulous person.

No wonder my silly younger brother likes being friends with Lu Zhiyuan so much.

It's highly likely because Lu Zhiyuan has never wronged him.

After accepting this fact, Boss Wang asked again, "Have you mentioned his new project, 'Peerless,' to him? Could we invest in it?"

Who wouldn't want to invest in a business that guarantees profits?
Previously, Huayi Brothers did not have this opportunity.

wrong.

When the movie "Real Steel" was in preparation, Lu Zhiyuan seemed to have given Xiao Wang a chance, but Xiao Wang thought Lu Zhiyuan was just bragging.

A film investment cost of tens of millions of US dollars? That's several hundred million RMB.

How can he possibly keep up with such a high-stakes game?
Who would have thought that after its release, "Real Steel" would rake in a staggering $9.5 million at the box office worldwide.

There are also countless profits from derivative copyrights.

A year later, Mr. Wang regretted it so much he almost broke his thigh.

“Brother, Yuan is a really good brother. He knew I was short of pocket money, so he gave me 20% of the share, which is about 600 million US dollars.”

Mr. Wang said smugly.

The production cost of the movie "Project Gutenberg" was approximately US$3000 million.

Because it's not a special effects blockbuster, it's just a drama film, so it didn't cost much. The main budget went to set design and filming in various locations around the world.

Of course, the biggest expense was finding connections and getting the Colombian mafia to set aside a block of street to showcase the authentic Colombian mafia scene.

"A $3000 million investment can break even with a box office of around $1 million."

The king pondered it for a moment.

This business is a sure thing!

The $1 million box office cost can be covered domestically alone.

How could Lu Zhiyuan possibly fail when he takes action?
Not to mention, he starred in the film himself, alongside Nicolas Cage and Jean Reno, two Oscar-winning actors.

In addition, Lu Zhiyuan also invited Wang Baoqiang.

Although Wang Baoqiang wanted to act in the movie without paying a salary, Lu Zhiyuan still offered him a salary of $50.

Wang Baoqiang was overjoyed.

Wang Baoqiang received a salary of 200 million RMB from Xu Guangtou for his collaboration on "Lost in Thailand".

Baldy is so stingy!

In comparison, how kind and generous Lu Zhiyuan seems?

After signing the contract, Wang Baoqiang was incredibly attentive to Xiao Wang, practically calling him "Big Brother."

We all share the same surname, Wang; we're all one family.

In Wang Baoqiang's view, it must have been Xiao Wang's influence that allowed Lu Zhiyuan to take him along to film a Hollywood blockbuster.

Prior to this, Feng Xiaogang had also criticized him, saying that he wasn't good-looking and would definitely not be chosen by Lu Zhiyuan to star in a Hollywood blockbuster.

Wang Baoqiang was saddened by this for a long time.

Who knew that his luck would change, and he would catch up with Lu Zhiyuan's pace.

"Lei Zi, you did a great job this time. We brothers have both face and substance. You even took Wang Baoqiang's feelings into account."

It was rare for the king to be satisfied with his younger brother.

All I can say is that Mr. Wang handled this matter exceptionally well.

“Brother, I told you long ago, Brother Yuan is a man of principle. Although he is a bit arrogant, arrogance has its advantages. He would never stoop to playing any tricks or schemes with us.”

“All the collaborations were explained to me clearly. He even told me the approximate profit of the movie ‘Project Gutenberg’.”

"In short, no matter how you calculate it, it's impossible to lose money. You'll at least double your money."

Mr. Wang went on a rampage, praising Lu Zhiyuan to the skies.

Xiao Wang always felt very proud to have a friend like Lu Zhiyuan.

Could all of his older brother's cronies combined be worth even a single finger of Lu Zhiyuan?
After Lu Zhiyuan's movie finished playing, the entire audience shouted that it was the best in history.

He was there in person at that moment and witnessed firsthand how Lu Zhiyuan, as a Chinese person, was welcomed in Hollywood.

And the countless people's admiration for Lu Zhiyuan.

Honestly, it's a huge boost to national prestige!

Unfortunately, the camera capabilities of mobile phones in this era are still somewhat lacking.

Otherwise, he would have insisted on recording the faces of everyone present clearly with his phone as valuable historical footage.

"Lei Zi, cooperating with Lu Zhiyuan is indeed a good thing. The generous publicity budget, the promising prospects of the movie 'Project Gutenberg,' the ability to keep Wang Baoqiang in line, and the opportunity to enter Hollywood through this channel all contribute to this success."

"It's a win-win situation."

"But what's the price?"

There is no such thing as a free lunch in this world, and no one will feed their younger brother a pancake.

Lu Zhiyuan must also have needs.

As a businessman, Mr. Wang understands very well that if you want something, you must first be able to offer something in return.

"Well, about Hendrik Willem Van Loon's *Chinese Zodiac*. Brother A-Yuan's suggestion is to postpone it and save it for the Spring Festival release." "However, considering the Spring Festival release, Huayi Brothers also has Stephen Chow's *Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons*, we can't compete with ourselves."

"Therefore, it would be best to release 'Chinese Zodiac' half a month earlier."

"1942" will be released earlier to avoid the release of "Real Steel 3".

"Chinese Zodiac" will also be released earlier to avoid the release of "Real Steel 3".

This will disrupt the screening schedules of many of Huayi Brothers' films.

Mr. Wang also knew that Lu Zhiyuan wasn't afraid of these two films, but rather wanted to maximize the screening rate in order to achieve the best box office results in history.

If these two movies are forced to be released together, Mr. Wang is quite certain that both of them will fail miserably.

Why bother?
We are all friends.

"Chinese Zodiac" is a decent commercial blockbuster, but compared to the Hollywood-sweeping "Real Steel" series, it's nothing.

Lu Zhiyuan didn't take this movie seriously at all.

I just don't want this movie to squeeze out my screenings.

Huayi Brothers is doing alright if they know what's good for them.

If you don't know your place and get crushed to dust, it won't look good for anyone.

He's certain I'll give in.

The king sighed.

The nominal producer of "Chinese Zodiac" is Mr. Wang.

However, the one who truly makes the decisions is, of course, the CEO.

"Brother, you can talk to Emperor directly. If they don't want to compromise, then they shouldn't cooperate with us anymore."

Mr. Wang suddenly became very assertive.

What is the Emperor?
My brother A Yuan is an internationally renowned director.

Universal Pictures president Adam Ferguson acted like a lapdog in front of him.

If Huayi Brothers falls out with Emperor Entertainment over this, given my brother A Yuan's personality, he will definitely go to great lengths to make up for my losses.

Who knows, he might just take our Huayi Brothers to Hollywood to make money!

"Brother, do you know how much breakup fee Brother Yuan gave Miss Jing after their breakup?"

"If Lao Cao from New Classics Media hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known about this."

Let's not even mention the money Lu Zhiyuan earned for Starlight Brilliant.

Jing Tian wanted to buy 20% of New Classics Media's shares at a low price, but Cao Huayi objected because Lu Zhiyuan and Jing Tian broke up.

Later, Lu Zhiyuan personally intervened and indicated that the cooperation would continue.

He also invested 1 million yuan and acquired approximately 6% of New Classics Media's shares.

Unable to refuse Cao Huayi's earnest request, he had no choice but to agree to the share transfer agreement.

Lu Zhiyuan behaved so decently in front of his ex-girlfriend after their breakup... well, his behavior towards his business partners goes without saying.

He would always give back to anyone who helped Lu Zhiyuan.

Such acts of loyalty are extremely rare in this day and age, let alone in the cutthroat entertainment industry where there is so much deceit and dirty deals going on behind the scenes.

Although Mr. Wang doesn't consider himself a good person, and even believes that half the dirty things in the entertainment industry might be related to him.

However, he still hoped that his friend would be a loyal and righteous person like Lu Zhiyuan.

"Brother, Hendrik Willem Van Loon is dying."

Seeing that his elder brother still refused to agree, Young Master Wang became anxious and earnestly said, "Fang Long is so old. How many years can we cooperate with him?"

"On the other hand, my brother A Yuan has limitless creative energy and an artistic level that is dozens of stories high. Most importantly, he is still young."

"Brother, you didn't see it, but after his movie screening, he earned a new nickname in Hollywood. People call him Michelangelo!"

"Brother, I know you're not very educated. But you must have heard of Michelangelo, right?"

Mr. Wang said something that really resonated with Mr. Wang.

Hendrik Willem Van Loon is old and past his prime. Lu Zhiyuan, on the other hand, has a bright future, and collaborating with him would be far more beneficial for Huayi Brothers.

That makes sense, but Mr. Wang's words were really too harsh.

"Damn it. Who are you calling uncultured?"

The king was so taken aback by his younger brother's words that he couldn't help but emphasize again, "I have a Master's degree in Media Studies from the State University of New York!"

"Take a piss and look at yourself. You graduated from a vocational college, but you're the one who's truly uncultured. You say I'm uncultured? Have you gone crazy from sleeping around with women?"

Faced with the master's degree that Boss Wang presented, Boss Xiao scoffed: "Brother, you can fool others with this diploma. I'm your own brother, do you think I don't know your situation? You joined the army before graduating from junior high school. If we're really talking about it, your education level is junior high school dropout."

The two brothers almost got into a fight in the office over who was less educated.

In the end, under the tyranny of his elder brother, Xiao Wang admitted that he was uneducated and that he was wrong.

Then, right in front of him, the CEO called Emperor Entertainment Group to arrange for the film "Chinese Zodiac" to be released half a month earlier.

It will be released in early December, along with "Lost in Thailand".

The film "1942" was originally scheduled for release at the end of November, but now it can only be released at the beginning of November.

"If 'Project Gutenberg' doesn't make 100 million, I'll kill you."

After making the call, Boss Wang was still very unhappy and gave his younger brother a few harsh threats.

Mr. Wang quickly calculated in his mind: "One hundred million RMB is roughly equivalent to 1500 million USD. If we take a 20% share, that means the overall profit of the movie 'Project Gutenberg' only needs to exceed 7500 million USD, and that will be enough."

Is such a small amount of money a problem?
With Lu Zhiyuan's influence in Hollywood, he could easily earn that $7500 million just from the DVD rights alone.

At that moment, Mr. Wang suddenly realized that his older brother was a bit past his prime.

Your perspective is too narrow.

But yes.

Huayi Brothers' overall profit in 2012 was only slightly over 2 million yuan, of which the profit from TV dramas was about 9000 million yuan.

When it comes to the film business, they only made a little over 1 million.

Hey.

Making money from movies in a single domestic market is extremely difficult.

After thinking it over, Xiao Wang became even more determined to cling to Lu Zhiyuan's coattails.

Only by venturing out can you make big money.

Go to the international market to make money, and go to Hollywood to date female stars.

This is what a man should do.

……

"Brother, I risked getting beaten up by my older brother to get the screening schedule sorted for you. 'CZ12' has been moved up to early December, and it will be released on the same day as 'Lost in Thailand'."

After leaving his older brother's office, Xiao Wang called Lu Zhiyuan to boast about his achievements.

Under normal circumstances, it is impossible for "CZ12" to be released on the same day as "Lost in Thailand".

Although "Lost in Thailand" was invested by Enlight Media, one of the main actors is Wang Baoqiang, an artist under Huayi Brothers.

From a certain perspective, it can also be considered competition among their own people.

Unfortunately, Real Steel 3 was just too strong, leaving Huayi Brothers with no choice but to pick an easy target.

"Mr. Wang, thank you very much."

Having cleared a small portion of the obstacles, Lu Zhiyuan was in a good mood.

Otherwise, if Real Steel 3 were released at the same time as Chinese Zodiac, the theaters would definitely have to give Hendrik Willem Van Loon some face.

This slight loss of face will affect Lu Zhiyuan's box office revenue by approximately 5 million yuan.

And now, he dominates the Christmas season.

The simultaneous release of "CZ12" and "Lost in Thailand" will squeeze the latter's screening rate, significantly impacting "Lost in Thailand's" box office performance.

Reaching 13 billion like in another timeline is probably very difficult. Even breaking 10 billion would be almost impossible.

“Ah Yuan, from a certain perspective, this news is also a negative factor.”

"Should I have someone leak this bad news so you can buy more Huayi Brothers stock?"

Mr. Wang heard that Dilraba is stuck with tens of millions of dollars.

He felt quite guilty about it.

It's all because my older brother is incompetent; the company's performance is so bad, and the company's stock is like a dead snake, rotting at the bottom.

Since that's the case, I might as well release more negative news to push the stock price down further, so that Dilraba will buy more.

Once Dilraba had bought most of the items, he announced to the public that Huayi Brothers was collaborating with Lu Zhiyuan, and had invited Nicolas Cage and Jean Reno to work together to create the ultimate crime action film, "Project Gutenberg".

The biggest selling point of this movie is that the second male lead will be played by the renowned director Lu Zhiyuan!
Lu Zhiyuan will play an art student who failed his college entrance exams and, feeling frustrated and unfulfilled, embarks on a journey to become a key figure in a counterfeit money syndicate.

Once this news was released...

Not to mention domestic media, media outlets all over the world will probably be reporting on this movie like crazy.

From a certain perspective, this movie is guaranteed to be a hit even before it's released, as long as it uses this gimmick!
That's so dramatic!

However, this news cannot be announced at this time.

We should wait until "Real Steel 3" breaks all kinds of box office records and Lu Zhiyuan's status in film history reaches its peak before announcing it.

You can imagine how explosive the announcement will be!

It will absolutely sweep the entire internet overnight.

At that time, Huayi Brothers' stock will have no problem hitting the daily limit for 10 consecutive days.

……

After agreeing on various publicity and screening arrangements...

The first trailer for Real Steel 3: Perseus has finally been released.

This is a 1-minute trailer.

Sun Honglei and Kitagawa Keiko, piloting their mechs, landed on the planet RT-1 and engaged in a great battle with the Perseus survivors led by Naza.

Naza's princess-like appearance flashed across the screen, beautiful, strong, and tragic, captivating the audience.

"My goodness, who is this actress? She's so beautiful!"

"Wait a minute, this person looks familiar. Isn't that Xiaoxue from 'Xuan-Yuan Sword'?"

"However, in 'Xuan-Yuan Sword,' she was yellow and dark-skinned, and even had the nostrils of the Bull Demon King. How come she's so beautiful in this movie?"

"Is the person upstairs stupid? I'm not criticizing 'Xuan-Yuan Sword,' but the costumes and props of the poorly made Tang Dynasty are always speechless. However, Brother Yuan's movies are always extremely gorgeous in this respect. Not to mention, Brother Yuan also personally does the styling for the actors."

"That's right, that's right. I still remember the scene of Hanikz's first appearance in 'Real Steel,' it's my wallpaper forever. She was so beautiful. She looked just like an elf princess!"

After the trailer was released, netizens started discussing it wildly.

In commercial blockbusters, besides the exciting mechs and monster battles, beautiful female characters are also very important.

A beautiful vase should be placed in a blockbuster movie, serving as the most exquisite decoration.

Lu Zhiyuan is very good at understanding the audience's perspective on this.

"I rely on!"

"what is this?"

However, at the end of the promotional video, the moment when Sun Honglei's mech hunter was fiercely bitten by the super apostle monster that pounced out of the sea.

The audience stopped discussing Nazha's beauty and stared wide-eyed at the monster.

So realistic!
At that moment, the apostle monster seemed to leap out of the screen and pounce on them.

The visual effects are absolutely stunning.

It makes you feel like you're actually there!

The audience immediately gasped in surprise, their anticipation for the film reaching its peak.

Blockbuster movies are all about those stunning visuals!

Those confusing and mind-bending plots are not suitable for everyone.

People come to the cinema to seek thrills, excitement, and exhilaration!

The next second, their eyes widened, and they stared intently at the screen, their expressions filled with disbelief.

Because, in the trailer, a special gas appeared around the Jaeger and the super sea monster.

The next second, these special gases covered the mech hunter and the sea monster, freezing them instantly into ice sculptures.

"what is this?"

"What on earth happened? How could he be frozen into an ice sculpture in an instant?"

The audience is dying of curiosity.

Clearly, there is some special technology on this planet, or Sun Honglei's mech hunters have been affected by some special environment.

In short, the scene just now was both shocking and intriguing.

"As expected of Brother Yuan!"

"The special effects are absolutely amazing!"

"The special effects in 'Painted Skin 2' are like plastic compared to 'Real Steel 3', the difference is too big."

People have been watching the Real Steel series for several years now.

In each of his films, Lu Zhiyuan introduces fresh material and a brand new beautiful woman.

The previous one was about Liu Shishi.

This one will most likely star Gulnazar.

While maintaining a sense of novelty, it also continues the theme of mecha hunters fighting monsters, and creates a little bit of suspense for the audience.

In this case, not only can the enthusiasm of old fans for buying tickets be maintained, but it will also arouse the curiosity of some new fans who have never seen this film series before.

……

Real Steel 3 is finally getting ready for release, and as before, it will be released on December 24th.

Lu Zhiyuan's fans and moviegoers were very happy.

The theaters have also received the news and have begun to prepare in an orderly manner to sell Real Steel series figurines and various other merchandise.

The cinema owners are just waiting to make a fortune at the end of the year thanks to Lu Zhiyuan.

Dilraba, Hanikezi, Liu Shishi, Gulnazar, Duan Yihong, Sun Honglei, Keiko Kitagawa... these celebrities were also very happy.

After the trailer was released, their schedules were packed with announcements, and they had to give interviews every day, increasing their exposure significantly.

This is very beneficial for boosting their popularity.

"Old Duan, I heard from Hani that in the whole movie, only my character died. The rest of you all landed safely."

"why?"

Sun Honglei did not attend the preview screening in Los Angeles, but he demonstrated his high emotional intelligence while filming the movie and got along well with Hanikezi.

After Hanikezi returned, Sun Honglei inquired about the movie every few days.
Hanikezi, being a bit of a scatterbrain, couldn't resist Sun Honglei's tricks. Before long, she told Sun Honglei that her character had died.

Everyone else made it to the end.

Then came Dilraba Dilmurat's portrayal of the real Alita, who descended to earth to welcome them into a new world.

Hearing this made Sun Honglei extremely conflicted.

If everyone else had died, he wouldn't have thought much of it. But since he's the only one who died, there's definitely something wrong.

"Hong Lei, your character died, to be honest, it was completely expected. But how am I supposed to explain this to you?"

"I believe that with your intelligence, you should be able to guess it."

"Your choice to disbelieve now is clearly an act of running away. But brother, let me give you some advice: don't overthink it. This is your fate."

Duan Yihong's words were vague and cryptic.

But Sun Honglei understood.

He just doesn't want to believe it; it doesn't mean he has a problem with his intelligence.

Lu Zhiyuan killed him because he was introduced by Jing Tian... If they want to film "Real Steel 4" again, they don't need to contact Lu Zhiyuan again.

To avoid seeing him and being reminded of Jing Tian.

"Hey."

Sun Honglei sighed, instantly deciding to switch sides, and asked in a low voice, "Old Duan, is it too late for me to go and start the fire in the cold stove?"

"Stay warmly in a cold stove?"

Hearing this, Duan Yihong couldn't help but laugh: "Big brother, do you know what you're saying? She's more favored than Jing Tian now. She's incredibly popular."

"Moreover, Reba is much smarter than Jing Tian. She never interferes with Yuan Ge's movies."

"If you try to use connections, I reckon she'll be the first to report you!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Honglei knew that he had no chance.

If you make mistakes when you're young, you'll definitely have to pay the price when you're older.

This is cause and effect.

After hanging up the phone, Sun Honglei finally couldn't hold back and roared to the sky.

"Wang Baoqiang, don't give me the chance. Otherwise, I'll beat you to death!"

He didn't dare to be angry with Lu Zhiyuan; it was all Wang Baoqiang's fault.

Wang Baoqiang actually got a role in "Project Gutenberg," taking away the role of the underworld henchman that was originally his.

……

As a loyal fan of Lu Zhiyuan.

As a true media warrior, Lao Ma watched the trailer for Lu Zhiyuan's "Real Steel 3".

Unable to sleep no matter what he did, he decided to publish a lengthy article on Zhihu!
—On the Compatibility of Liu Yifei with Female Characters in Lu Zhiyuan's Films

No.

One article is not enough.

As a die-hard fan of Liu Yifei, he couldn't help her with the film, but he could raise her voice.

Liu Shishi can direct Lu Zhiyuan's movies, so can Gulnazar.

In what ways are these two better than Liu Yifei?
If they can do it, why can't Liu Yifei?

So, after finishing one article, Lao Ma was full of fighting spirit. In the dead of night, unable to sleep no matter what he did, he got up and wrote a second one.

— "A Rational Discussion: Liu Yifei's Influence on Chinese Audiences and Her Ability to Boost Lu Zhiyuan's Film Box Office."

……

Because Liu Yifei and Lu Zhiyuan are both top-tier celebrities on the Chinese internet right now.

Moreover, Lao Ma's articles are quite well-written.

Old Ma wasn't the only one who thought this way; many viewers were also hoping that Lu Zhiyuan could collaborate with Liu Yifei and portray her as an ethereal beauty.

These two articles were quickly and widely shared.

The number of comments below keeps increasing.

Soon, these two articles went viral.

At least at Yuankun Media, every staff member has read both articles.

"Afi, did you hire these online trolls yourself? They're good at writing articles, but they're a bit overdoing it."

"As you know, our director doesn't like getting involved in this kind of messy stuff."

Xin Yukun considers himself and Liu Yifei to be good friends.

Liu Yifei had helped me before, but unfortunately I wasn't strong enough to help her get the second female lead role in the movie "Project Gutenberg".

He felt a little guilty about it.

Upon seeing these two articles, he immediately called Liu Yifei to confirm whether she had hired online trolls to create them.

"Brother Kun, what are you saying?"

Liu Yifei has been quite busy lately. In addition to attending some grand events, she also has to continue filming the "Four Great Constables" series.

Since Lu Zhiyuan didn't contact her, she could only continue to coast along in "The Four Great Constables," contributing a poker face and a nonchalant cool demeanor.

"Anyway, Afi, stop doing all this useless work."

"If you want to be his leading lady, I'll help you."

"You should know my capabilities. I'm a million times better than the ghostwriters and online trolls you hire."

Xin Yukun was there boasting and bragging.

Liu Yifei couldn't help but roll her eyes inwardly.

You said you'd help me, but it's been so long and you still haven't done anything. And you still have the nerve to brag to me?

"I meet you in my dreams, but you are not here. If I knew it was a dream, why would I wake up? Even if we meet often in my dreams, how can it compare to seeing you in person?"

Just then, Xin Yukun began humming a Japanese waka poem.

Liu Yifei was full of questions: "Brother Kun, are you drunk? Why are you humming Japanese for no reason?"

Xin Yukun stopped humming and calmly said, "After the preview screening of 'Real Steel 3,' I went to Japan, where Keiko Kitagawa gave me a warm welcome."

"I heard this song from a Japanese songstress."

"That night, after listening to the song, I felt happy again. Then, I had a sweet dream."

"In my dream, I actually became a female college student living in Los Angeles."

“But time goes back 15 years, when I was in middle school.”

“I remember that there was a mining accident in our area at that time... a lot of people died in that mining accident.”

“One of my childhood sweethearts lost her father in a mining accident. After that, she moved away, and I never saw her again. She is the person I think about day and night.”

"If I could go back 15 years, I would definitely change all of this. Even if I became a female college student."

Xin Yukun's words were nonsensical and completely irrelevant.

After listening for a while, Liu Yifei's head started to ache, and she couldn't help but get a little angry: "Brother Kun, what exactly are you trying to say? Can you be more specific? I'm very busy."

"Okay, let's get down to business."

Xin Yukun felt that his attempt to appear cultured was completely unsophisticated.

In this respect, he is 100 times worse than Lu Zhiyuan and Liu Yifei.

If Lu Zhiyuan were to call Liu Yifei and tell her this story, Liu Yifei would most likely burst into tears, deeply empathize, and frantically comfort Lu Zhiyuan.

His phone call had absolutely no similar effect.

It even had the opposite effect.

“Actually, Afi, I wrote a script for you. This is the story above.”

"This story comes from a dream I had."

"But you are the female lead."

"Therefore, I named this story 'Your Name'."

What do you think of the story of a beautiful and elegant American female college student and a young man from a mine in Inner Mongolia?

not so good!
Who wants to have such a complicated relationship with you?

Liu Yifei rolled her eyes frantically and said patiently, "Brother Kun, I have other things to do, I have to hang up now. If there's nothing else, don't bother me anymore."

"and many more."

Xin Yukun called for a stop, then said helplessly, "I've changed my mind. What do you think of the American female college student and the boy painting on the Xi'an city wall?"

"This is acceptable!"

Liu Yifei initially tried to hold back, but ultimately couldn't help herself and chuckled, "Write the script. I'll buy it at a high price. Don't disappoint me!"

On the Xi'an city wall, he met someone he could never forget.

Why can't that person be me?
Those two years, I was incredibly popular all over the country.

(End of this chapter)