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

Chapter 387 Zhou Yang's Tragic Story?
The weather in November is getting colder and colder.

The midnight wind seeped in through the cracks in the window, making the chill even more biting.

However, the area outside the office building of [Xuanshi Entertainment] is still crowded with reporters who have been waiting there, which has long been the norm.

Zhou Yang leaned back in his chair, calmly watching the crowd of people below.

I don't know why...

Memories from three years ago kept flashing uncontrollably through my mind...

Initially, it was just about making a living, nothing more.

But as he climbed to the top step by step, relying on a similar trend of foresight, and looked down at this world that was both strange and familiar, his dormant ambition eventually began to grow quietly in his blood.

But at this moment, his expression remained calm, and he was very composed!

"Recently, Mr. Li has completely clashed with large companies like Wanda Real Estate and Hengteng Real Estate. Wherever their shopping malls open, it won't be long before their own residential buildings, shopping malls, and cinemas appear next to the construction sites of these established real estate companies..."

"Mr. Yang and his team are now locked in a power struggle with Mr. Ma of [BaoTao.com]. They're constantly watching each other because we have a traffic advantage, and [BaoTao.com] has always been under our control. However, recently Mr. Ma seems to be in close contact with Mr. Ma of Q-Dog. It's possible that Mr. Ma and Mr. Ma are going to join forces to use Q-Dog's massive traffic to compete with us..."

"The domestic brands we partner with are now competing fiercely with major international brands, from supermarket shelves to small shops. Coca-Cola recently approached Bingbing Yang Cola, proposing a joint development project. They were willing to contribute technology, production lines, and funding—essentially an acquisition offer—but Bingbing Yang Cola ultimately refused… I suspect another fierce battle of capital is about to begin…"

"Sales of Qinzhou Automobile and Lingjiang Motorcycle have been steadily increasing recently, but they also face significant technological pressure from overseas. They have established their own technology research institutes, but the road ahead is long..."

"However, we are not afraid of them. We have sufficient funds now and can definitely fight them..."

"..."

Standing next to Zhou Yang, Zhang Jingya was patiently reporting on the operational status of the cooperative industries under [Xuan Shi Entertainment].

As Zhou Yang listened to the report, he flipped through the data sheets handed to him, but unlike usual, he wasn't looking at them attentively. Instead, his gaze swept over the densely packed numbers...

This era is like the rising sun; not only the film industry, but countless emerging fields and industries are also churning in the market.

And he seems to have unknowingly become the hand that stirs up the storm.

Just at this time……

Zhang Jingya turned to the last few pages, her voice gradually becoming lower, and her delicate face slightly furrowed her brows.

She gently placed the document on the table.

"Mr. Zhou, the only problem right now is with [Warcraft Pictures]. The cooperation agreements for 'Iron Man 2' and 'Captain America' have been delayed. We've talked to [Warcraft Pictures] several times, and their attitude has always been very good and they seem very sincere, but they keep dragging their feet. Just now, I received the latest intelligence: it seems that Carl has been repeatedly negotiating between us and Hollywood during this period..."

She paused, her tone grave: "He seems to want to use our negotiations with Hollywood, and the resources we provide, to gain more benefits in Hollywood. Judging from this situation, he wants to cooperate with us to seize market share in China, but he is unwilling to give up his voice in Hollywood. He wants to have his cake and eat it too."

After listening to the report calmly, Zhou Yang nodded and continued to look out the window.

The business world is like a battlefield, and profit is always the first principle, especially in the relationship between China and Hollywood, which is one of both cooperation and competition.

The initial collaboration between [Weiman Pictures] and [Xuanshi Entertainment] was merely a stopgap measure. Now that the movie has become a hit, it's perfectly normal for them to want to gain more profits.

A slight, cold smile flickered across his lips.

From the very beginning, he never expected to be deeply involved with Marvel Studios, nor did he expect them to share the pressure of Hollywood with him.

Such naive fantasies should never exist.

He reviewed the data again, then squinted.

After a long while...

Zhou Yang put down the documents in his hand and looked at Zhang Jingya: "The relevant departments must be very busy lately, right?"

Zhang Jingya nodded: "We're indeed extremely busy. The negotiations have reached a stalemate, and we're in a dilemma..."

Zhou Yang pondered for a moment, then suddenly stood up: "Get out of the car, I'm going to the relevant department myself!"

"Now?" Zhang Jingya asked, slightly surprised.

“Yes, now.” Zhou Yang picked up his coat. “They… probably haven’t rested yet.”

Zhang Jingya hesitated for a moment, but ultimately just nodded gently.

do not know why……

She always had a strange, inexplicable premonition!
..............................

The conference room was filled with smoke.

Several leaders from the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Culture, and the Film Bureau sat around a long table, their expressions solemn.

The projector was playing a "copyright infringement report" jointly submitted by the six major Hollywood studios, the densely packed clauses and data were suffocating.

“Their conditions are too harsh. They not only want us to completely remove Zhou Yang’s ‘Transformation Series’ from the shelves, but also demand that the film censorship system be amended to limit the screening ratio of domestic films…” A middle-aged leader wearing glasses tapped on a document, his voice low.

"This is no longer commercial competition, it's blatant cultural hegemony!" The representative from the Ministry of Culture slammed his fist on the table, splashing water from his teacup. "No matter what problems Zhou Yang's film has, it's our own business, and it's none of their place to interfere!"

The Ministry of Commerce official, his brow furrowed, flipped through the report: "But the international pressure is immense. Hasbro and Warner's legal teams have already taken the matter to the WTO. If we stubbornly resist, it might affect trade negotiations in other areas..."

A long silence fell over the meeting room.

After a moment of silence, the leader in the main seat slowly spoke: "Zhou Yang cannot be moved."

His gaze swept over everyone: "His film industry plan is key to the upgrading of China's cultural industry. Taking a step back now will mean taking a hundred steps back in the future. Moreover, and most importantly, Zhou Yang's influence extends beyond the film industry; it involves various other sectors... With overseas brands increasingly venturing into China, in a sense, Chinese domestic brands have already entered a phase of resistance..."

Just then, the secretary hurriedly pushed open the door and entered: "Boss, Hollywood has just sent an ultimatum... demanding that we give a reply within three days, otherwise they will unite with cinemas worldwide to boycott Chinese films."

The conference room suddenly became quiet.

Everyone looked at each other, exchanging glances, and finally silently looked at the leader at the top.

The top leader just sneered and eventually put the document down.

"Tell them! They have no right to set the rules for China's film market!"

"If they want to talk, we'll continue talking; if they don't, we'll fight. Anyway, Chinese films haven't had much box office revenue overseas in recent years..."

……

Two hours later, after the meeting ended, the leaders left the conference room one by one.

Zhang Changlong was among them. At this moment, he silently returned to his office, pondering what he should do next.

Although the top leader's attitude was very firm and clear—that Zhou Yang must be protected—the series of events that are about to unfold will likely cause quite a stir.

The film and television industry may be facing a cold winter in terms of exports, and Zhang Changlong suddenly felt a lot of pressure.

Just at this time……

There was a knock on the office door. Then, after the secretary announced his arrival, Zhang Changlong saw Zhou Yang push the door open and enter.

The cold wind outside the window swirled fallen leaves, which pattered against the glass, making a soft, rustling sound.

in the office.

"President Zhou?" Zhang Changlong looked up, a hint of surprise flashing in his bloodshot eyes.

Zhou Yang walked to the desk in his office and gently put down the documents in his hand.

His gaze swept over the thick "infringement report" on the table, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, revealing only a calm smile.

"Boss, I've thought a lot and pondered for a long time..." His voice was soft, yet Zhang Changlong felt an indescribable sense of tragic grandeur: "I can take a step back and leave this industry for a year. During this year, our company's films will still be released, but the films I personally lead will not be released... nor will they be credited to me..."

After he finished speaking, the conference room became so quiet that you could hear the sound of leaves falling outside the window.

Zhang Changlong's expression changed, and he suddenly stood up, wanting to say something, but found that he couldn't say anything!

After a long time.

"This!" At that moment, his eyes widened: "Mr. Zhou, this sacrifice is too great! Iron Man just broke 500 million, and Demon Knight 400 million. Everyone is looking forward to Demon Knight 2. This is the peak of your career..."

Zhou Yang shook his head, his gaze firm yet gentle: "Leader, Chinese cinema cannot afford any more setbacks right now. We need time to lie low and allow our technology to mature."

He paused, his voice softening further: "Compared to the future of the entire industry, my personal gains and losses are nothing. If I can break this deadlock and make the Chinese film industry better, I might even quit [Xuan Shi Entertainment]..."

The wind outside the window suddenly picked up.

The conference room lights shone on Zhou Yang's face...

“But…” Zhang Changlong sighed, his brows furrowed, “This past year has been a huge sacrifice for you…”

“Boss…” Zhou Yang interrupted him with a smile, his expression relaxed and at ease: “I also need to rest, so I’ll just treat it as a long vacation for myself. Besides…”

His gaze suddenly deepened as he looked at the leaves rustling in the wind outside the window, his voice low and somber: "I'm just temporarily halting film releases, not completely leaving the industry. Some things are easier to handle when you're not in the spotlight. Besides..."

He paused, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes: "I've moved too fast these past three years. I really need to take some time to reflect and properly make a blockbuster..."

Zhang Changlong looked into Zhou Yang's determined eyes, and his heart trembled slightly.

A cold wind howled outside the window. He got up and walked to Zhou Yang's side, placing his hand heavily on his shoulder: "President Zhou, the big boss asked me to pass on a message to you: no matter what happens, we will stand behind you."

His voice was hoarse but firm: "This isn't just your battle; it's a breakthrough battle for the entire Chinese film industry. The leadership said that even if the six major Hollywood studios jointly pressure us, even if it goes all the way to the WTO, we will never back down an inch..."

He picked up the infringement report from the table and threw it into the trash can: "Just tell me what kind of cooperation you need: review process, policy support, special funds."

"I know! Not for now, I'll come back later." Zhou Yang just shook his head and smiled.

"Okay! We'll wait for you!"

"Then I'll leave first!"

"I'll take you there..."

"no need."

"Let me take him/her."

Zhou Yang turned and left.

Zhang Changlong hesitated for a moment, but finally got up and followed.

He watched the elongated figure silhouetted against the corridor lights. Beneath the slightly thin suit, the figure's steps were steady and powerful, each step firm and grounded, as he walked out the door and into the car...

Zhang Changlong only looked away after the black Qinzhou G1 sedan had driven far away.

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

Three days later, The Hollywood Reporter featured a thought-provoking short article on its front page.

The legal teams of the six major film studios in China have been reduced by nearly half.

In his column, journalist Smith revealed that these lawyers were urgently recalled to participate in "new project evaluations." Some say this is a sign of Hollywood's compromise, while others say that the matter is not actually that simple...

More subtle changes are occurring in the Southeast Asian market. The Philippines' largest cinema chain suddenly added some films to its Christmas lineup, while Malaysian cinemas quietly put up English posters for "Transformers."

These unannounced "distributions" are interpreted by industry insiders as Hollywood becoming more lenient towards Chinese films, seemingly allowing the purchase of screening rights through third-party companies, thus perfectly circumventing copyright disputes.

The storm of censorship against [Xuanshi Entertainment] subsided faster than expected.

An official from the Ministry of Commerce revealed in a low voice at a cocktail party that the infringement report at the negotiating table was almost over, with both sides making concessions...

……

April 11st morning.

Liu Jiasheng stood in the toy section of the mall, watching as counterfeit toys such as "Cao Tianzhu" were gradually removed from the shelves.

He scrolled through the news text messages on his phone about Hollywood dropping the lawsuit, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper.

This seemingly unresolved infringement dispute is actually rife with undercurrents.

For some reason, a strange sense of tragic grandeur welled up in his heart...

He knew that behind this series of events, some people had regressed, and some had sacrificed their lives...

Just at this time!
He received a message!
Tomorrow morning at 8 o'clock...

[Xuan Shih Entertainment], which rarely holds premieres, made an unprecedented move by holding a grand premiere for "Shaolin Soccer".

Surprisingly, the premiere was held at the former site of the Feihe Cinema, now the Xuanshi Shopping Mall.

What's even more noteworthy is that this premiere was not only broadcast live nationwide, but it also attracted numerous official media outlets, and even some high-ranking officials were present...

……

At eight o'clock in the morning, when Liu Jiasheng arrived at the scene, he happened to hear a burst of excited screams...

Zhou Yang has arrived.

This time, however, he was neither wearing his signature suit nor his glasses; he was dressed in the most ordinary casual clothes.

However, in the footage, he exuded an unusual aura, as if he was about to announce some major decision.

Liu Jiasheng's bad premonition grew stronger and stronger!

(End of this chapter)