I'm just trying to ride the wave of popularity!

Chapter 385 Who is the industry disruptor!
In the conference room of [Xuan Shi Entertainment].

After a short break, the overseas legal team and representatives from Hollywood companies sat quietly in the conference room.

This was destined to be an extremely difficult legal negotiation. They were the ones who came to accuse, believing they had all the evidence, but sitting in the meeting room, they discovered that for every step they took, the other side had a suitable countermeasure...

Ten o'clock in the morning.

After a short break, the second round of review officially began.

Just as everyone was preparing for the ensuing verbal battle...

Zhang Jingya walked in silently, her gaze sweeping over the entire overseas legal team.

She bowed slightly to everyone, and then instructed the people below to quietly turn on their screens and switch to the ongoing [Wind Rises Live Stream].

Some people were confused, but they still looked at the screen.

At this moment, Zhou Yang is in front of the camera, very sincere and serious, with tears in his eyes.

"I will never speak ill of Hollywood, just as a child will not speak ill of the strict teacher who taught him to walk!"

"Those superheroes flashing on black and white TVs were the earliest sparks of cinema buried in my heart!"

"The sound of steel bars twisting as Superman lifted the helicopter, Batman's cape sweeping through the Gothic night, and the cool transformations in Transformers—these images are still etched into my bones..."

"Hollywood is a demanding mentor. It uses the most expensive film to show us what industry standards are, and uses the most sophisticated lighting to teach us how to create dreams!"

"We are pursuing our dreams, and we are also paying tribute to those who have made us. We are working hard to create our own heroic stories..."

"Of course, if Hollywood is the teacher, then we are probably a group of unprofessional, unqualified, or even bad students..."

Upon seeing this scene, several Hollywood representatives, especially those responsible for those whose popularity was being exploited, frowned slightly.

Immediately afterwards...

They continued to keep an eye on Zhou Yang!

Standing before the camera, Zhou Yang's gaze was more sincere and gentle, even tinged with a hint of apology: "Along this journey, we have indeed been too fixated on paying homage. Those imitated scenes and similar settings may have made viewers feel that we lack originality, or even feel some aversion."

He paused for a moment, his voice tinged with self-reflection: "But please believe that every filmmaker has that child within them, the one who was first awestruck by Hollywood. When we clumsily replicate those classic scenes, it's like a beginner copying a master's painting; our brushstrokes contain both awe and a sense of inadequacy!"

His gaze swept over everyone present: "Looking back now, perhaps we were too eager to prove ourselves and ended up in the predicament of blindly imitating others. But movies shouldn't be games. Hollywood has taught us not only technology, but also the spirit of continuous creation."

"This time, I really want to apologize to Hollywood, because we, these bad students, and because of our unintentional mistakes made in the name of earnestness and respect... have caused the entire Hollywood, as well as our friends in the media and legal circles, to expend a lot of energy and effort to sue us... and misunderstand us..."

"I'm very sorry……"

"We accept criticism and accusations from almost everything, all over the world..."

At this point, he suddenly raised his voice: "Of course, I sincerely hope that filmmakers from the East and West can be like rivals on the field, competing fiercely while also helping each other succeed, breaking down cultural barriers with more compelling stories and expanding the boundaries of the industry with more innovative technologies."

“After all,” Zhou Yang took off his glasses and wiped them gently, a gentle smile curving his lips, “when the screen lights up, what the audience expects is never who is better or worse, but the next heart-pounding miracle.”

The Hollywood representatives fell into a deathly silence in the conference room.

The live stream footage of Zhou Yang was frozen on the moment he sincerely apologized, and his words, "I will never slander Hollywood," have been echoing in everyone's hearts ever since.

this moment!
Like a soft knife, it left everyone speechless.

Some people clutched the lawsuit documents, some stared at Zhou Yang's expression on the screen, and some carefully considered the series of things to come after this live broadcast!

this moment!
They suddenly realized!
Zhou Yang, as an apprentice, elevated Hollywood to its pedestal. If they continue to be aggressive, they will become evil dragons that stifle dreamers.

The general counsel's pen hovered over the infringement report, unable to bring himself to write it.

At that moment, flashes of light went off outside the window, and countless media outlets stared excitedly at this scene, as if a million eyes were questioning...

Do you really want to crush this child who once looked up to heroes?

And at this moment...

Zhang Jingya looked at everyone and bowed to them again.

"Everyone..."

"This live stream is being broadcast simultaneously by the Americans and China..."

"Filmmakers and movie fans from both countries will be able to see this live broadcast and everything about [XuanShi Entertainment]..."

"We don't actually want a rift or conflict to arise between Chinese and Western films; this is a matter between two large markets..."

"Our company, [Xuanshi Entertainment], controls approximately 60% of China's cinemas and nearly half of its internet media review websites..."

"President Zhou's meaning this time is very simple: he hopes that we can clarify some things through this misunderstanding, and also express our sincere hope to cooperate again..."

"This document on the table records every detail of our filmmaking process over the past three years. Our original intention remains the same: we are willing to accept any form of censorship!"

"If you still believe we are guilty, we will fully cooperate with the investigation, whether it lasts a day, a month, a year, or even ten or twenty years. We will investigate for as long as you want... You can even take these things back to the company and examine them carefully with a magnifying glass..."

"Of course, if everyone can understand that this is just a group of film apprentices paying tribute to their industry predecessors..."

"We will also make a commitment..."

"We promise to engage in a dialogue with everyone in the most open and cooperative manner, based on fairness and impartiality..."

"..."

After saying that, Zhang Jingya silently looked at everyone.

The conference room fell silent again.

The legal representatives looked at each other, their litigation documents hanging in mid-air, unable to be brought down for a long time.

Someone was looking down at the documents, their brow furrowed.

Some people stared at Zhou Yang's sincere apology on the live stream, their expressions complicated.

Some people were also pondering something.

...After a silence of more than ten seconds, someone finally stood up, walked quickly to a corner, and dialed a phone.

Immediately following, as if triggering a chain reaction, the executives in suits left one after another, and the corridor was soon crowded with people talking on their phones in hushed tones.

..............................

"Honestly, compared to the aggressive approach of the legal team, the sincerity of this Chinese boss puts me to shame."

"Yes, he has never claimed to be the original creator. He has always borrowed from other sources. Aren't there plenty of similar films in Hollywood that have borrowed from other sources?"

“Yes, I think we shouldn’t have treated them like that, shutting down the market for them and suppressing this young man…”

"I've seen a few of this person's movies, they're actually very good..."

"I think so too. A few days ago, when I saw that he plagiarized and disrupted the market, I was very angry, but now it seems that I was misled by some Hollywood media!"

"Of course! If he really plagiarized, he would have been sued long ago. Would there be any need for this kind of negotiation?"

"It's borrowing, not plagiarism. I genuinely believe it's borrowing..."

"..."

When Zhou Yang's live stream was simultaneously transmitted back to North America via the overseas version of [Fengqi Live]...

More and more people witnessed this scene...

On Twitter, a hashtag called #HollywoodMentor has gradually emerged.

Many American netizens were deeply moved and felt a complex mix of emotions when they read Zhou Yang's "Apprentice Declaration".

That simple voice, translated into English, sounded just like one young person after another on their journey, and also like a series of Hollywood movies about Americans "making a comeback"...

More and more American netizens are posting their comments and opinions on this topic...

Soon after, Zhou Yang's sincere apology sparked a strong reaction overseas, and the hashtag #HollywoodMentor continued to gain traction.

A division has emerged within Hollywood – some executives are impressed by its “apprenticeship spirit” but believe that excessive suppression is detrimental to its image.

Hardliners, meanwhile, secretly contacted the media in an attempt to sway public opinion toward "cultural plagiarism."

On the internet, in the American version of "Zhou Yang's Home," more and more fans are posting photo after photo...

In the footage, in a 30-square-meter old house, Zhou Yang's team is using an old-fashioned DV camera to replay the original footage of "Sun Wukong vs. Superman 2". The rough special effects in the footage form a shocking contrast with today's industrialized production.

The footage shows rows of crudely made headgear and old-fashioned cameras...

The images also show several young, inexperienced figures, and even a photo of Zhou Yang sitting bewildered by the river—it's unclear who posted it…

……

With the hashtag "#TheseAreTheTrueDreamers!" trending, more and more voices of support are emerging...

........................

Inside the Paimon Pictures office.

Mark had been watching all of this closely, and at this moment, he frowned.

He stared intently at the image of Zhou Yang taking off his glasses on the computer screen, the words "I will never slander Hollywood" echoing in his ears.

The phone rang, and the roar of Hasbro's CEO on the other end sounded distant and indistinct: "Mark! Did you see the live stream? This damned Chinese man is using morality to blackmail the whole world! He's the most despicable one..."

Just as he finished speaking...

suddenly!

There was a rapid knocking at the door.

Immediately afterwards...

"Mr. Mark, something's happened!"

"what's up?"

"The CEO of Marvel Studios is currently being interviewed by Hollywood media, and right now, he is accusing us!"

"Ok?"

Just then, he saw a recent interview video on his laptop!

In the video!
Karl stood at the press conference, his eyes slightly red, his voice hoarse but firm: "For the past three years, Marvel Studios has been like a trapped beast stuck in the mud! Our 'Iron Man,' which we poured everything into, was jointly blacklisted by the eight major studios on the grounds of 'breaking industry rules'! They cut off our distribution channels, threatened to pull the film from theaters, and even obstructed its North American release... So, our 'Iron Man' could only premiere in China under duress..."

Why are you treating us like this?

He held up a stack of returned film scheduling agreements, his fingers trembling slightly: "Just because we chose to work with Zhou? Just because we want to survive?"

In front of the camera, he took off the brooch with the Marvel logo and gently stroked it: "Back then, they poached the copyrights of Spider-Man and S. Men at low prices, and now they're even trying to kill our last chance to turn things around... Is this the fair competition that Hollywood promotes?"

Suddenly, he gave a bitter laugh and mimicked Zhou Yang's tone: "Maybe we're a bunch of bad students too, but the teachers won't even let us into the exam room! What kind of education is this?"

Amid the uproar, Carl suddenly played an internal recording, the icy voices of eight major film studio executives echoing throughout the room: "Either terminate the cooperation with Zhou, or never think about getting the copyright back."

He stared at the camera, his voice choked with emotion, as if he were making an accusation: "Please tell me... who is destroying the future of the film industry?"

"tell me!"

"who is it!"

"It's Zhou!"

"still……"

"you!"

"..."

(End of this chapter)