The Birth of the Best Director

Chapter 248: Box Office Explosion! $16 Billion! Surpassing "The Avengers"!
……

Thanks to the widespread reach of CCTV's evening news program, "Real Steel 3" experienced a remarkable box office rebound in the following days.

Originally, the box office had fallen below 2000 million, but then the news broadcast mentioned that Lu Zhiyuan had broken the box office record for a single film by a Chinese director.

It grossed $14 billion at the box office!

It is only $1.5 million away from becoming the undisputed champion of the 2012 global box office, surpassing the unbeatable "The Avengers".

Before this, no film produced by a Chinese director had ever achieved such success.

The internet is flooded with news.

Many authoritative media outlets, independent media outlets, and netizens from all walks of life are frantically helping Lu Zhiyuan with his calculations.

The calculation results are...

"Real Steel 3" will likely gross $5000 million in the remaining dozen or so countries where it has not yet been released.

If it can gross approximately 7 million yuan in China, it will become the highest-grossing country in the world in 2012!

Under these circumstances, the enthusiasm of Chinese movie fans was fully ignited.

After January 21st, the box office of "Real Steel 3" surged, taking in 80 million yuan that day!
Although Skyfall has been released in China, theaters have given it a good number of screenings.

However, most viewers went to the cinema and immediately bought tickets for "Real Steel 3," bringing their whole family along!

Help Lu Zhiyuan boost box office numbers.

In a regular 3D cinema, a ticket costs 45 yuan, but some people buy 10 tickets at once.

In the IMAX theater, a ticket costs 120 yuan. One wealthy person booked the entire theater for his son and his whole class to watch the movie together.

With the help of this irrational nationwide audience, the attendance rate of "Real Steel 3" once again exceeded 80%!

Seeing this situation, theaters quickly increased the screening rate for "Real Steel 3".

Thus, a victory unique to the Chinese people was achieved.

Skyfall swept the box office worldwide, but flopped in China, with its opening day box office falling short of that of Real Steel 3, which had been in theaters for almost a month.

80 million, 100 million, 120 million, 110 million... Over the next week, the box office of "Real Steel 3" fluctuated, but remained relatively stable at around 100 million.

This is a miracle when viewed from all over the world!
……

"Incredible Chinese people!"

"Chinese audiences are truly amazing!"

"Universal Pictures got a great deal."

"Adam Ferguson, that guy who got incredibly lucky. How did he discover that China had such a genius director?"

The box office miracle that occurred in China has captivated the hearts of countless people in Hollywood.

The box office of "Real Steel 3" in China will definitely break 30 billion RMB, which is close to 4.5 million USD.

Even in North America, achieving a box office of $4.5 million is nothing short of a miracle.

After witnessing this, Hollywood studios began to covet the Chinese market.

If all goes as expected, many Hollywood studios will once again extend olive branches to Chinese directors, inviting Chinese actors to participate in big-budget Hollywood productions.

All for the purpose of opening up the Chinese film market.

All of this is a side effect of the huge success of "Real Steel 3" in China!
……

online.

Every day, someone provides Lu Zhiyuan with statistics on global box office revenue!
"US$15 billion!"

"Brothers, Brother Yuan has broken another record and created a brand new milestone!"

"We're just a stone's throw away from the $15.6 billion box office milestone of 'The Avengers'!"

"From this moment on, in my heart, Brother Yuan is the greatest of all time! The number one director in Asian history!"

"Don't talk to me about Director Xie Jing anymore. He was great, but he's a thing of the past. I haven't even seen any of his films. How can you expect me to honestly call him the greatest of all time?"

……

June 1th.

"Real Steel 3" has been featured on CCTV's evening news for the second time due to its box office resurgence.

"Congratulations to our Chinese director Lu Zhiyuan for the global box office success of his film 'Real Steel 3,' which has surpassed $15 billion, or over 100 billion RMB!"

"This young, talented director has achieved an amazing result!"

Congratulations again to Director Lu Zhiyuan!

"Next, we'll interview Ms. Jing Tian, ​​a friend of director Lu Zhiyuan."

……

This time, it wasn't just a brief news item or a casual mention. Instead, it was a two-minute interview included in the official news broadcast.

Jing Tian appeared in the video.

Her smile was especially sweet.

24-year-old Jing Tian has not yet started to gain weight; her skin is exceptionally smooth, and her eyes are particularly bright.

Even CCTV's cameras couldn't hide her beauty.

"Hello everyone, I am actress Jing Tian. As an actress, I am honored to have participated in the filming of 'Upgrade' and the 'Real Steel' trilogy."

"Director Lu Zhiyuan is a very serious and warm-hearted person, both in life and at work..."

“I have known him for many years. He produced the lyrics, music and music video for my signature song, ‘Maybe’.”

"And the lyrics and music for my upcoming song, 'If I Could,' were also written by him."

The only thing Jing Tian did that made the news was to praise Lu Zhiyuan in front of a national audience, making him the best man in the country.

The world's greatest genius.

There was another meaning behind her words: Real Steel 3 is the best movie in the world, and even one of the best movies in film history.

If you don't go to the cinema to buy a movie ticket and support this film, it will probably be a lifelong regret.

of course.

Jing Tian didn't say it so directly.

Her speeches were written by top ghostwriters and underwent multiple layers of official review, ensuring that she could clearly express her meaning without causing any controversy.

In short, Lu Zhiyuan really made a name for himself!

Jing Tian also made an appearance.

Now, all 13 billion people in China know that Jing Tian is a big fan of Lu Zhiyuan.

Every time she mentioned Lu Zhiyuan on the news, she had a smile on her lips and her eyes sparkled with joy, giving off the impression of showing off her man.

……

"hateful!"

"Sister Tian Tian cheated again!"

Dilraba certainly saw this interview.

Even though it wasn't shown on live TV immediately, the subsequent clips, thanks to Lu Zhiyuan's $3000 million marketing budget, were spread like wildfire.

After all, even the authorities have gotten involved.

Moreover, it was on the evening news, and the praise lasted for two minutes.

Without a doubt, Lu Zhiyuan became a household name across the country overnight.

Even some elderly people who have never seen a movie know that China has produced a super director.

He's even more awesome than Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige.

The movies they made swept the world.

It achieved the highest box office record in many countries around the world.

This is absolutely bringing glory to the country!
Become famous all over the world!
To a large extent, Lu Zhiyuan has achieved this, which is even more impressive than that of an Olympic champion.

With official recognition from CCTV's evening news program and viral spread through a $3000 million publicity campaign, Lu Zhiyuan's popularity among the general public has surpassed that of all top-tier celebrities!

Moreover, he also has the aura of a great talent.

Chinese people may have a somewhat disdainful attitude towards entertainment stars, thinking that they are just good-looking and lucky.
To put it bluntly, those in the entertainment industry are all actors, not respectable figures.

But everyone will show respect to a person of great talent.

This reflects the Chinese people's long-standing respect for knowledge.

Overnight, Lu Zhiyuan became almost the pride of the Chinese people!
……

Clearly, the fact that "Real Steel 3" was featured on the second episode of the national news broadcast, and that it was accompanied by detailed information, indicates that Jing Tian's influence must have played a role.

"Sister Tian Tian, ​​thank you."

Dilraba was a little jealous.

However, she also knew that Jing Tian's help to Lu Zhiyuan's career was genuine.

As Lu Zhiyuan's capable wife, she had to do a good job in logistics.

Although her mouth was sore, Dilraba still sent Jing Tian a message of thanks.

"What are you thanking me for? I was just helping my husband."

Miss Jing Tian replied casually.

What can Dilraba do for Lu Zhiyuan?
At most, she would be Lu Zhiyuan's sweetheart, keeping him company while he slept, making him happy, and taking meticulous care of him.

However, these things were all trivial to Lu Zhiyuan.

What can I do for Lu Zhiyuan?
Even Dilraba couldn't compare!

"Sister Tian Tian, ​​did you mistype something?"

Dilraba felt that Jing Tian was far too arrogant, and she was so angry that her head was practically steaming.

Jing Tian replied calmly, "Reba, think about it again, what kind of person is he?"

They gather because of profit, and disperse when the profit is gone.

This is a phrase that Lu Zhiyuan often says.

Jing Tian's people had previously held him back and prevented him from winning the Best Director award in history. Although Lu Zhiyuan was somewhat reluctant, he still gritted his teeth and left Jing Tian.

Now, Jing Tian must prove her worth.

Value far exceeding anything seen before!
"Dilraba, you've become the number one female star in history. The 'Real Steel' series is finished. It's time to retire the Alita character."

"To him, all that's left are beautiful memories of the past. There's no future for you."

"Do you really think you can stay with him for the rest of your life, given his personality?"

"If I'm not mistaken, he should be looking for his second leading lady right now. Is it Liu Shishi, or Liu Yifei?"

Jing Tian did not raise Yuan Yuan's name.

Gao Yuanyuan is impossible.

Because Gao Yuanyuan is now eager to get married, she has no interest in acting anymore.

The most likely candidate is Liu Shishi.

Next is Liu Yifei.

Hearing Jing Tian's words, Reba's heart skipped a beat, and she felt inexplicably sad.

"Sister Tian, ​​since that's how you see him—a selfish, hypocritical person—why are you still being so aggressive?"

"Can you let this heartless and unfaithful man go? Leave him to me. I don't mind."

Dilraba must admit that Jing Tian really understands Lu Zhiyuan.

Lu Zhiyuan is indeed looking for his second leading lady, and it seems to be Liu Shishi.

He wanted to forcefully promote Liu Shishi.

Although Kun Ge and Zhuang Wenqiang have stopped him for now, based on Reba's understanding of Lu Zhiyuan, once he makes up his mind, he will definitely do it again.

"Dilraba, what are you saying?"

Jing Tian snorted coldly and said indifferently, "Don't forget, I was here first."

"He was nothing before he met me."

"It was I who recognized his talent, gave him the opportunity, and invested in his film. It was I who led him hand in hand to the world stage, to the Oscars, and to the pinnacle of the world."

"After he became rich, he forgot about me, his wife who had shared his hardships."

Jing Tian's tone gradually became sharp: "You want me to let go? Do you think I can let go? I watched him grow step by step, watched him reach the peak."

"For four whole years, every time I closed my eyes, all I could see was his image."

"Unless you kill me, I will haunt you both like a vengeful ghost for the rest of my life."

If Jing Tian really loses all sense of propriety and doesn't care about appearances, she'll pester Lu Zhiyuan every few days.

Dilraba felt that Lu Zhiyuan was truly helpless.

In ancient times, this situation would be equivalent to a princess taking a fancy to a top scholar in the imperial examinations, even if the scholar was a womanizer, the princess would still insist on marrying him.

Even though the princess didn't care, the top scholar's family had several concubines.

In this situation, who could withstand it?
Even the emperor would have a headache.

"Sister Tian Tian, ​​you're pushing me like this. Do you believe me or not, I'll go home tomorrow to get my household registration book and go get my marriage certificate with my brother."

“As long as I explain the whole story to him, my brother will definitely agree to it.”

"If you really want to cling to him, then you can be his mistress for life!"

If Jing Tian is even willing to be a mistress, then Dilraba will accept her fate.

After saying that last sentence, Dilraba hung up the phone immediately, afraid that Jing Tian would say something else that would terrify her.

too frightening.

How did Jing Tian become like this?
Women who get dumped are terrifying.

Was I really this obsessed before?
……

During this period at the end of the year.

Both Lu Zhiyuan and Reba are extremely busy.

As an international female star, Dilraba is among the top celebrities. She has signed many commercial endorsements and will be participating in many fashion events at the end of the year.

There are also various Weibo Nights, Tencent Star Awards, and the real highlight... CCTV's Spring Festival Gala.

This year, Dilraba is a true Grand Slam winner.

The box office success of "Real Steel 3" swept the world, becoming the highest-grossing film in several countries and making Dilraba the most popular female star in the world.

Scarlett Johansson, who plays Black Widow in Marvel, is nothing compared to Dilraba Dilmurat; her popularity is only 30% of Dilraba's.

After all, The Avengers is a male-dominated movie.

Black Widow is just a minor character in it.

It's just that Black Widow has a slightly larger role among the female characters.

Dilraba's Alita character in the Real Steel series is the true main female lead.

Especially in "Real Steel 3", the final scene was a divine twist, which Lu Zhiyuan filmed with the effect of a world-famous painting, and it has shocked the film industry for at least 20 years!
Dilraba's Cleopatra-esque face frequently made headlines in entertainment media around the world, driving the entire globe into a frenzy.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Dilraba is expected to be among the top three in TC Candler's list of the 100 most beautiful faces in the world next year, and may even top the list.

……

Dilraba appeared on the Spring Festival Gala as expected.

However, her singing is just average.

If she's dancing... it's not appropriate for her to dance solo.

As for leading the dance, my experience is a bit too limited.

Blending in with the crowd would be a bit disrespectful to her status.

So, the Spring Festival Gala's directing team discussed it and arranged for Dilraba to play a small role in a skit, as a background character.

Whenever she appeared on screen, the camera would continuously give her close-ups.

"Reba, why do you look so worried?"

Today, Dilraba came to CCTV for rehearsals again.

Her skit was called "Today's Happiness 2," and it starred Shen Teng and Mary. The two of them were incredibly enthusiastic when they saw Dilraba.

For nothing else.

Dilraba is Lu Zhiyuan's officially announced girlfriend!

The background is too strong.

As for Lu Zhiyuan, even a tiny bit of food leaking through his fingers would be enough for the two of them to eat until they were sick of it.

They've been performing skits for a long time and want to improve.

Who doesn't want to make movies?

Make Hollywood blockbusters, become a global sensation, and earn tons of US dollars!

There was no chance before.

Now that the opportunity has been presented to them, how could they not seize it with all their might?

"Brother Teng, Sister Mary, I'm sorry... I was distracted just now. Thank you for your help, please do it again."

Dilraba was troubled by Jing Tian's actions.

She was afraid that while she was rehearsing here, her husband would be pinned down and ridden by Jing Tian!
The thought of that scene made her feel extremely uncomfortable.

"Dilraba, have you been working too hard lately? Let's take a break. Anyway, we're already very familiar with this show."

"Your delivery of lines is definitely not a problem. If all else fails, I'll deliver those lines for you on stage and catch the audience off guard!"

Shen Teng made a joke on purpose, which made Dilraba unable to help but chuckle.

To catch the audience off guard?
As expected of a comedian, his words are truly witty.

"Brother Teng, I've heard my brother analyze that after the success of the 'Lost in Thailand' model, domestic comedy films will experience explosive growth. Many comedians will have tremendous opportunities."

"I feel that your affability and comedic talent are no less than Wang Baoqiang's, and much better than Xu Guangtou's."

"Could you consider making a comedy film?"

Dilraba felt that Shen Teng was a nice person and had taken good care of her during the past few days of rehearsals, so she chatted with him for a few minutes.

Let me think about it?
What else am I going to consider?

Am I qualified to consider this?
"Sister Barba, since you've put it that way... give me a chance. I'll do anything!"

At that moment, Shen Teng almost knelt down in front of Reba, begging her to give him a chance.

The film industry is far too closed off.

These sketch comedy actors, if they want to enter the film industry, they have to travel a great distance to even meet the real Buddha.

The Spring Festival Gala is their biggest stage!

However, a renowned director like Lu Zhiyuan would never appear on the Spring Festival Gala stage.

How do they get to know film directors?
Moreover, most film directors have their own in-house team.

Although Lu Zhiyuan's movies have a lot of extras, the real main characters are only a few people.

They were all his own friends!

No matter how good your acting skills are, you can't get into his circle of friends!
Now, the Spring Festival Gala has given Shen Teng an opportunity...

Don't ask why. Dilraba just happened to be assigned to their skit. It was an opportunity that Shen Teng forced upon her by bribing her with red envelopes and pulling many strings.

For this moment.

There is no such thing as an opportunity without a reason.

Many opportunities arise only after someone has already put in a lot of effort behind the scenes!

"Sister Baba, I've watched a lot of Brother Yuan's movies, and they're all starring pretty young actresses. But some dramas definitely need some middle-aged actresses, right?"

Mary pointed to herself, her eyes shining.

"This……"

Dilraba now realized that she had been tricked by these two.

But if given just one chance, she still has that authority.

"Brother Teng, Sister Mary. My brother will be here for the recording in a couple of days, and Sister Su Lun should be here too. Let me introduce you to Sister Su Lun."

Dilraba already knows about Lu Zhiyuan's follow-up plans.

He considered "Peerless" a reward for himself, a chance to get away and clear his head.

His real plan is the Godzilla series!
Shen Teng and Mary probably won't get any roles in this kind of special effects blockbuster.

Given Lu Zhiyuan's personality, he would definitely consider the preferences of audiences worldwide for the sake of box office success, and the casting would basically require world-class stars.

Moreover, Lu Zhiyuan doesn't direct comedies.

but it does not matter.

Besides Lu Zhiyuan, Yuankun Media also has three other directors.

Su Lun is adept at directing dramas, romance films, and short comedies.

Since Shen Teng and Mary can't get close to Lu Zhiyuan, they can be introduced to Su Lun.

"Is Su Lun the beautiful director who made 'How Long Will I Love U'?"

Shen Teng and Mary exchanged a glance, and were immediately pleasantly surprised.

To them, someone like Su Lun is already a big director!

The box office of "How Long Will I Love U" was at least 1.5 million yuan, and Su Lun also won the Best New Director award. Looking at the entire film industry, he is already a well-known figure.

What did Shen Teng film before?

In 2012, he made a short film called "Bed Relationships," which is 36 minutes long.

It wasn't even shown in theaters.

Mary, needless to say, has basically never played a major role. She had two minor roles in two movies, and almost no one knows what she's acted in.

"Sister Su Lun is very capable. She worked with my brother on the 'Real Steel' trilogy and was his first assistant director."

"Sister Su Lun was basically in charge of the on-set coordination, the actors' acting training, and all the blocking."

“My brother rarely gets involved in these trivial matters, unless he really can’t help it and has to get involved himself.”

"However, Sister Su Lun generally doesn't go out to work on her own anymore. Because filming a movie on her own is too risky. Working with my brother brings both fame and fortune, and she can even earn more!"

Su Lun almost lost money filming "How Long Will I Love U", which scared her half to death.

The pressure of being a director is immense.

Starting the project with Lu Zhiyuan means all the pressure is on Lu Zhiyuan.

For each film, Su Lun, as the first assistant director on set, would probably receive several million, or even tens of millions, of yuan!
You can earn so much money by working only a few months a year, and the pressure is minimal.

Where can she find such a good job?
"Sister Baba, are you thirsty? I see you really like grape juice, I'll go out and buy you some right now!"

In Dilraba's words, a great director like Su Lun is just like a farmhand in Lu Zhiyuan's household.

This gave Shen Teng a clearer understanding of Dilraba's status once again.

Now that they've won over Dilraba, won't the two of them just take off?
"Brother Teng, don't bother. I'll just have some plain water."

Dilraba originally wanted to say, "I know exactly what you're thinking."

However, she quickly remembered what Jing Tian had said on the phone earlier!
Her acting career can no longer help Lu Zhiyuan!
However, she can help Lu Zhiyuan discover a few actors with good acting skills!
If she were to find ten men, Lu Zhiyuan wouldn't be interested in any of them.

So, she dug up a hundred!

As long as Lu Zhiyuan takes a liking to one, it won't be a waste of her time!
From now on, she will be the top talent scout in the entertainment industry!

“Brother, I’m rehearsing a skit with Shen Teng and Mary. Have you heard of them? I think they have a real talent for comedy.”

At this moment, Reba tentatively sent a message to Lu Zhiyuan.

“I know these two people.”

"The skits performed by these two are very funny. They are natural comedians. If you have the chance, you can interact with them more."

"People who can act well in comedy are generally very good actors. When they are used to act in serious dramas, it is basically a game-changer."

Lu Zhiyuan didn't think too much about it.

Comedy is not currently on his radar.

After the "Project Gutenberg" incident, he began to realize that not all movies can bring out his greatest strengths.

Every director has their own strengths.

They have their own unique skills.

He should focus on one area and excel at it, instead of dabbling in one thing and scattering his energy.

"Sister Baba, chatting? Here, grape juice."

Shen Teng, with a fawning expression, served Reba a drink.

Reba unscrewed the cap and took a sip. Seeing Shen Teng waiting expectantly, she smiled, reassuring him.

"Brother Teng, I just mentioned you to my brother. I didn't expect that he had actually seen your sketches and even asked me to learn acting from you!"

"Brother Teng, you're really amazing. I've almost never heard you praise someone else's acting skills before!"

Dilraba spoke very seriously!
Shen Teng felt as if his ancestral graves were emitting auspicious smoke!
"Besides praising me, Brother Yuan, did you say anything else?" At this moment, Shen Teng was extremely excited, feeling like a pie had fallen from the sky.

I don't care if I want to make movies, big movies or small movies... I just ask Brother Yuan to give me a chance!
"That's not true."

Dilraba shook her head.

Upon hearing this, Shen Teng immediately deflated.

"Brother Teng, how about this? After our rehearsal is over, I'll take you to see Brother Kun. As long as you flatter him, he can handle everything for you."

Dilraba never interferes in Lu Zhiyuan's film affairs.

Because she knew that she didn't think as much as Lu Zhiyuan.

I can't help Lu Zhiyuan much, but I definitely won't hold him back.

"Sister Baba, let me kowtow to you."

Shen Teng was deeply moved.

What does it mean to be a benefactor?
This is!
Kun's reputation in the industry is truly legendary!
Lu Zhiyuan is basically not active in the entertainment industry.

For ordinary actors like Shen Teng, Lu Zhiyuan is like a god, living in the highest heavens.

They, as ordinary people, have no access to it.

The most powerful figure they could ever get in touch with was Brother Kun!

However, now that Brother Kun has become successful, he no longer hangs out with ordinary people. He spends all his time with big shots like Boss Wang and Boss Cao from New Classics Media.

They only played high-end games.

"Brother Teng, you're welcome."

“My brother told me that comedy films are the trend for the next few years. Even without my help, with your acting skills, you will definitely achieve great things in the future.”

Although "Lost in Thailand" is funny, it's a bit nonsensical.

It's nowhere near as down-to-earth and relatable as Shen Teng and Mary's comedies.

Dilraba has some authority to speak on this matter.

"Sister Baba, you're such a kind person. Brother Yuan has such good taste."

Shen Teng originally just wanted to chat with Reba casually for a few minutes, get acquainted with her, and slowly build a relationship. He thought that the opportunity would come eventually.

Who knew Dilraba was so loyal!
Introduce him to Brother Kun and Director Su Lun!
……

"30 million!"

"Honey, 'Real Steel 3' has surpassed 30 billion yuan at the Chinese box office!"

"Honey, you've doubled the box office record of Pacific Rim from $15 billion!"

"Honey, you're so handsome!"

"Now, if you can easily rake in 20 to 30 million US dollars at the box office in Australia and New Zealand, you can break the record of 'The Avengers' 15.6 billion!"

"Honey, you're number one in the world!"

Miss Jing Tian sends messages to Lu Zhiyuan every day to report on the box office results.

If audiences in Australia and New Zealand boycott "Real Steel 3," then Chinese audiences, knowing this, will definitely unite in their anger and help Lu Zhiyuan generate another 10 billion yuan in box office revenue.

Therefore, Lu Zhiyuan is destined to win!

In 2012, the highest-grossing film worldwide was undoubtedly "Real Steel 3"!
"Tian Tian, ​​you've really impressed me."

The film's box office surpassed that of "The Avengers," a result that Lu Zhiyuan had not anticipated.

After all, the system had already awarded the talent bonus of becoming the world's highest-grossing box office champion in January 2013.

Who knew the system would make a mistake, and champagne was served at halftime.

This is absolutely an epic achievement!
At the end of 2012 and the beginning of 2013, the daily box office of Chinese films was only around 100 million yuan. After the release of "Real Steel 3", the box office was forcibly increased by 40%.

Meanwhile, Real Steel 3 took 40 days to successfully gross 30 billion yuan at the Chinese box office!
It's like something out of a myth!
Even in video games, playing 100 times wouldn't guarantee you this achievement. Unless you use cheat codes.

And Miss Jing Tian is Lu Zhiyuan's cheat code!

"Honey, aren't you touched?"

After Miss Jing Tian asked that question, on the other end of the phone, where Lu Zhiyuan couldn't see, the corners of her mouth involuntarily began to turn up.

Her beautiful big eyes narrowed into crescent-shaped arcs.

"A little."

Miss Jing Tian helped me break the 2012 annual box office record of "The Avengers," even causing the system to misjudge.

This behavior is truly magnificent.

Is this the power of a princess?
It's incredible.

This is even greater than love!

……

On February 3, "Real Steel 3" was released in several countries including Australia, New Zealand, and Argentina.

It quickly broke the record of $15.6 billion set by The Avengers.

It officially topped the global box office in 2012!
Meanwhile, Kitagawa Keiko led a group of people to Yanjing to visit Lu Zhiyuan.

"Director Lu, besides bringing people from Dongbao Company to sign the copyright cooperation agreement for 'Godzilla' with you, I've also been asked to deliver a formal invitation to you."

Keiko Kitagawa brought two gifts for Lu Zhiyuan.

One of the gifts was a copyright cooperation agreement for "Godzilla," a gift that Lu Zhiyuan already knew about in advance.

The other gift was something that greatly surprised Lu Zhiyuan.

Lu Zhiyuan looked down and saw it was an envelope.

—[Invitation to the Tokyo International Film Festival]

With a hint of doubt, he opened the envelope.

There are two lines of text, one in Chinese and one in Japanese, on it.

—[Dear Mr. Lu Zhiyuan: We cordially invite you to serve as the Jury President at the 26th Tokyo International Film Festival, to be held in Tokyo on October 17, 2013!]

"Chairman of the jury?"

Lu Zhiyuan was somewhat surprised.

The Tokyo International Film Festival, while not as famous as Berlin, Cannes, or Venice, is still an A-list international film festival!

What an unexpected invitation!

"Yes, Director Lu!"

"You don't need to be so surprised."

"Real Steel 3 beat The Avengers to a box office of nearly $16 billion, setting a new record for the highest-grossing film in 20 countries and regions, and causing a sensation around the world!"

"You are the pride of all Asia!"

Kitagawa Keiko smiled and complimented Lu Zhiyuan a few times.

Behind Keiko Kitagawa, staff from Toho Co., Ltd. of Japan, and the Tokyo International Film Festival looked at Lu Zhiyuan with the same respect one would show to a deity.

At this moment, Lu Zhiyuan realized what it truly meant to be number one at the annual box office and beat "The Avengers"!
If he were to die right now, he would undoubtedly be deified on the spot!

(End of this chapter)