In the fiery red era of the heavens, refrigerators are refreshed daily.

The next day, as the morning sunlight streamed into the room through the French windows, Yang Guangming was awakened by a series of urgent telephone rings.

He picked up the receiver, and Duan Yunfeng's excited voice immediately came through: "Guangming! Turn on the TV! The morning news in France is all about us!"

Yang Guangming sat up, picked up the remote control, and turned on the TV.

On France 1's morning news, the presenter excitedly announced: "The 49th Cannes Film Festival concluded last night, and Chinese director Yang Guangming's film 'Amour' has made history! This film swept five awards, including the Palme d'Or, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay, becoming a rare five-time winner in the history of the Cannes Film Festival!"

The scene shifts to footage from last night's awards ceremony. Yang Guangming stands on the podium, holding the Palme d'Or trophy, and expresses his gratitude in French. Images flash by of Lan Tianye and Qin Yi embracing and weeping, Xi Meijuan applauding excitedly, and Han Sanping standing up and clapping vigorously.

"An 18-year-old director, his second film, has won the Palme d'Or for the second time!" The host's voice rose a few decibels. "This is not only a miracle for Chinese cinema, but also a miracle in the history of world cinema!"

Sunshine Ming changed the channel.

France 2's news broadcast went even further: "Sunshine Ming: The Mozart of the film world!"

The host described it poetically: "This young man from China, with his second film, proved to the world that his talent is not just a flash in the pan. 'Amour' is a masterpiece about aging, death, and the nature of love. It brought tears to the eyes and shook the entire Cannes Film Festival. Jury president Coppola said in an interview after the awards ceremony that it was one of the best films he had seen in the last decade."

The scene cuts to an interview with Coppola. The master filmmaker, looking sincerely into the camera, says, “Amour moved me. It reminded me of my father, and of my reflections on love and responsibility. Sunny's directing is incredibly mature, and the performances of the two veteran actors are flawless. This film deserves all the accolades it has received.”

Let's switch to another channel.

France 3 is currently broadcasting a roundtable discussion among film critics.

An elderly film critic with white hair exclaimed excitedly, "I've attended Cannes for forty years and have never seen anything like this. One film won five awards! What astonishing quality must it take to reach such a unanimous consensus among the jury?"

Another female film critic chimed in: "The key is that these awards are all well-deserved. Best screenplay? The screenplay for 'Amour' is concise yet profound, and every line of dialogue has been carefully crafted."

Best Director? Yang Guangming's control of the rhythm, his guidance of the actors, and his mastery of the visuals all demonstrate a master-level skill.

Best Actor and Best Actress? The performances of Lan Tianye and Qin Yi were among the most memorable moments of this year's Cannes Film Festival. Every glance, every subtle expression spoke volumes. This was the pinnacle of acting.

"And the Palme d'Or..." the first film critic exclaimed, "is the highest affirmation of this masterpiece. Sunny, at eighteen, won the Palme d'Or for the second consecutive year. This record is unlikely to be broken for many years to come."

Yang Guangming turned off the TV and leaned against the headboard.

Outside the window, the sun shines brightly in Cannes. The distant sea glistens, and the cries of seagulls can be faintly heard.

He picked up the Palme d'Or trophy from the bedside table and gently stroked the golden palm leaf.

heavy.

It's not the weight of metal, it's the weight of honor.

A knock came at the door.

"Guangming, are you awake?" It was Duan Yunfeng's voice.

Yang Guangming got up and opened the door. Duan Yunfeng stood in the doorway, holding a stack of newspapers: "Just delivered, today's major French newspapers, all headlines."

Yang Guangming took the newspaper and flipped through it. Every newspaper's front page featured his photo, a close-up of the Palme d'Or trophy, and a group photo of the "Love" film crew. The headlines were increasingly exaggerated.

He placed the newspaper on the table and began washing up and changing. He had a mountain of things to do today: media interviews, copyright negotiations, celebratory events…

I had just changed my clothes when the phone rang again.

This time it's Charles.

"Yang! Have you seen the news?" Charles's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement. "All the media, all of them! All positive reports! The French newspaper Le Monde's front page headline is 'Yang Ming wins Palme d'Or again, making Cannes history'! The British newspaper The Guardian's headline is 'Eighteen-year-old director creates another miracle'! The American newspaper The New York Times' headline is 'Chinese teenager conquers Cannes'!"

Yang Guangming smiled: "I saw it, Chuck. Thanks for your hard work."

“It’s no trouble at all! It’s what I should do!” Charles laughed. “And to be honest, Yang, I didn’t need to put in much effort for public relations. Your performance last night was amazing! Five awards! That’s the biggest news in itself! I just gave it a little push from behind to make the reporting more consistent.”

He paused, then continued, "Next up is the Oscars. I've already started preparing. Our goal for next year's Oscars remains Best Foreign Language Film, with a secondary focus on Best Director. I will give it my all!"

"Okay, I believe you."

After hanging up the phone, Yang Guangming walked out of the room.

In the hotel corridors, conversations in various languages ​​could already be heard. Filmmakers, journalists, and distributors from all over the world were discussing last night's award results.

As he approached the elevator, a middle-aged man saw him and immediately greeted him warmly: "Director Yang! Congratulations!"

Yang Guangming recognized him as a European publisher he had contacted before.

"Thank you." Yang Guangming smiled and nodded.

The elevator doors opened, and several people were already inside. As Yang Guangming entered, all eyes turned to him, their gazes filled with admiration, curiosity, and envy.

An elderly woman with white hair spoke up: "Mr. Yang, I watched the awards ceremony last night. Your film was so moving that I cried."

Yang Guangming politely replied, "Thank you for your support."

The old lady continued, “I’m seventy-three years old this year and have been watching movies for decades. ‘Amour’ is the best movie about aging that I’ve ever seen. It’s really amazing that you were able to make such a film at such a young age.”

Yang Guangming thought for a moment and replied, "Aging is something everyone has to face, but many people are unwilling to think about it. What I want to do is to present it through film."

The old lady nodded, her eyes full of appreciation.

The elevator reached the first floor. Yang Guangming stepped out of the elevator, and the scene in the hotel lobby made him slightly taken aback.

The lobby was packed with people. There were reporters, distributors, movie fans, and filmmakers. As soon as he appeared, they surged towards him.

"Director Yang! Could you please do an interview?"

"Director Yang! Congratulations on winning five major awards! How are you feeling right now?"

"Director Yang! Are the North American copyrights still valid? We'd like to discuss this!"

"Director Yang! Please sign your name!"

Duan Yunfeng and several staff members quickly stepped in front to maintain order.

"Everyone, everyone! Please calm down!" Duan Yunfeng said loudly. "Director Yang is indeed very busy today, but we will arrange a special interview time. Please register and make an appointment first, and we will try our best to arrange it!"

Escorted by staff, Yang Guangming walked through the crowd and into the conference room that the hotel had prepared especially for him.

Han Sanping, Lan Tianye, Qin Yi, Xi Meijuan, and Gu Changwei were already in the conference room. Everyone stood up when Yang Guangming entered.

"Guangming!" Han Sanping strode up to him and gripped his hand tightly. "How did you sleep last night? Did I see the news? The whole world is reporting on it! The whole world!"

Yang Guangming smiled: "Director Han, I've seen it. The commotion is indeed quite significant."

"It's more than just significant!" Han Sanping exclaimed excitedly. "I just received a call from back home; the leaders personally inquired about it! CCTV's 'Oriental Horizon' program this morning dedicated a full five minutes to reporting on us! Five minutes! Do you know what that means?"

Lan Tianye chuckled from the side, "Director Han, you've been so excited since last night, haven't you calmed down yet?"

Han Sanping waved his hand: "I can't recover! No one can recover from this! Five awards! The Palme d'Or! Best Director! Best Actor and Actress! Best Screenplay! What is this? It's history! It's a miracle!"

Qin Yi laughed: "Alright, alright, Director Han, you still have to keep working. Don't you have copyright negotiations today?"

Han Sanping calmed down a bit and nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, copyright negotiations! Guangming, the arrangements for today are as follows..."

He pulled out a schedule: "At 9:30 a.m., several major European distributors will come to discuss the copyright. There will be a short celebratory luncheon at noon, hosted by the film festival. At 2 p.m., Charles from North America will come; although the North American rights have already been sold, he will discuss the follow-up plans. At 4 p.m., there will be several Asian distributors. At 7 p.m., there will be an official celebratory cocktail party."

Yang Guangming nodded: "Okay, let's do it this way."

At 9:30, the meeting room door opened precisely on time.

Several European distributors, dressed in suits, filed in. Leading them was the president of the renowned French distribution company MK2, followed by distribution managers from Germany, Italy, Spain, and other countries.

"Director Yang! Congratulations!" The president of MK2 extended his hand enthusiastically. "We all watched the awards ceremony last night. Five awards! It's simply a miracle!"

Yang Guangming shook hands with him: "Thank you all for coming from afar. Please have a seat."

Everyone took their seats. Duan Yunfeng, as the negotiating representative, began to chair the meeting.

The president of MK2 spoke first: "Director Yang, the distribution of 'A Separation' in Europe was very successful. This time, 'Love' is of even higher quality than 'A Separation,' and has won five more awards. We are very sincere in acquiring the rights in France."

He paused, then stated a figure: "We're offering three million US dollars to buy out all the copyrights in France." Yang Guangming remained silent, but Duan Yunfeng continued, "Three million US dollars? That price..."

He smiled, not directly denying it, but his tone clearly indicated that it was "not enough".

The German publisher then spoke up: "For the German market, we're offering two and a half million US dollars."

Italian publisher: "Italy region, $1.8 million."

Spanish publisher: "Spain region, $1.5 million."

Several figures were reported, and the total came to nearly nine million US dollars.

But Duan Yunfeng remained unmoved. He looked at Yang Guangming, who nodded slightly.

Duan Yunfeng cleared his throat and began, “Everyone, I am very grateful for your sincerity. The quality of ‘Amour’ is evident to all. Five awards are a rare achievement in Cannes history. The value of such a film should not be measured by the standards of ordinary art films.”

He looked around and smiled, "So, everyone's offers need to be reconsidered."

The meeting room was silent for a few seconds.

The president of MK2 exchanged a few words with his assistant in hushed tones before speaking again: "Mr. Duan, we understand your meaning. But three million dollars is already the top price for a French art film. Any higher..."

Duan Yunfeng interrupted him: "What was the box office of 'A Separation' in France? 'Amour' would only have a higher box office. That was after winning the Palme d'Or, without any other awards. Now 'Amour' has won five major awards and is a repeat winner of the Palme d'Or, so its market value should be even higher."

The MK2 president remained silent.

The German publisher thought for a moment and then said, "For the German market, we can raise it to three million US dollars."

Duan Yunfeng looked at Yang Guangming. Yang Guangming nodded slightly.

“Okay, three million US dollars for Germany is negotiable,” Duan Yunfeng said. “We need to consider the offers for other regions.”

The negotiations lasted for over an hour. Ultimately, the copyright prices for several major European countries were increased: $3.5 million for France, $3 million for Germany, $2.2 million for Italy, and $1.8 million for Spain. Including bundled sales to other smaller countries, the total copyright price for the European region reached $10.5 million.

It was already 11:30 a.m. when the letter of intent was signed.

After seeing off the European publisher, Yang Guangming and his team had a quick lunch before returning to the conference room to await the afternoon's negotiations.

Charles arrived promptly at 2 p.m.

As soon as he entered, he gave Yang Guangming a big hug.

"Yang! Congratulations!" Charles beamed. "Five awards! You know, after the awards ceremony last night, my phone never stopped ringing! It was all congratulations, all people wanting to collaborate!"

Yang Guangming smiled and said, "Chuck, sit down."

Charles sat down next to Yang Ming, his expression turning serious: "Yang, first of all, congratulations! The European edition sold for a high price. We've already signed the North American rights in advance for six million dollars, and now the Cannes results are in: five awards! To be honest, the price isn't that high, but fortunately, the public relations effect in Cannes was good, so at least we've given you some satisfaction."

Yang Guangming waved his hand dismissively: "Chuck, I have no intention of going back on my word. This price is very reasonable. You promised to do everything you could to secure Cannes and the Oscars, and the results in Cannes prove that you kept your promise. This is a win-win situation."

Charles nodded: "You're right, a win-win situation. Don't worry, I'll continue to give it my all for the upcoming Oscars. Best Foreign Language Film is the one I'm most confident about. I'll also do my best to get a nomination for Best Director, or even win it."

The two then discussed their future plans in detail. The main point was that Charles would dedicate himself to generating buzz in the media, making "Amour" the most anticipated and talked-about art film of the year.

At 4 p.m., the Asian publisher arrived on time.

The representative from Japan was the vice president of Toho Corporation, a middle-aged man in his fifties, who was humble and polite. The representative from South Korea was the purchasing director of CJ Entertainment, a shrewd and capable man in his thirties. There were also representatives from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and other countries.

The negotiations went much more smoothly than in Europe. Japan's Toho made a direct offer of $3.5 million, South Korea's Heejeol offered $2.2 million, and other Southeast Asian countries offered a package deal of $1.8 million.

Adding to the previous $10.5 million from Europe and the $6 million already signed in North America, the total price has reached $24 million.

However, Duan Yunfeng did not sign the contract on the spot, but said he needed to think about it some more.

It was already 6 p.m. when we saw off the Asian publishers.

Everyone returned to the bright and sunny suite and began to take stock of the day's achievements.

Duan Yunfeng, holding a calculator, added up the items one by one: "Europe, $10.5 million. Japan, $3.5 million. South Korea, $2.2 million. Southeast Asia, $1.8 million. North America, $6 million. Total..."

He pressed a number, looked up, and said in a slightly trembling voice, "Twenty-four million US dollars."

The room was silent for a few seconds.

Han Sanping was the first to react: "Twenty-four million... US dollars? Converted to RMB, that's about two hundred million?"

Duan Yunfeng nodded: "According to the current exchange rate, one US dollar is equivalent to 8.3 RMB, which is approximately 200 million RMB."

Han Sanping took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.

He looked at Yang Guangming, his eyes filled with complex emotions: "Guangming, do you know that at Beijing Film Studio, a few million yuan is considered a big production for a movie? I remember the investment for 'Love' was less than three million yuan?"

Yang Guangming nodded: "Yes, less than three million."

Han Sanping took another deep breath: "Two hundred million in profits... how many times is that? Sixty or seventy times?"

Han Sanping was overjoyed. "We've really hit the jackpot! All things considered, our film has set a new record for copyright transactions of Asian art films! Guangming, you...you're practically a money-printing machine!"

Yang Guangming laughed: "Director Han, don't say that. Movies aren't about printing money, they're about art. Making money is just a byproduct."

Han Sanping sighed, "You're right, but as a producer, I can't ignore the profits. Such a large profit is the best affirmation for our film."

Duan Yunfeng laughed and said, "Director Han, we want both art and box office success, we want to have it both ways."

Han Sanping laughed heartily: "That's right! It hits both sides! That's what makes a good movie!"

After a few moments of laughter and conversation, Duan Yunfeng continued his report: "The deal for Guangming, $24 million, has been finalized. We've also retained the copyrights for mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. If the distribution in these regions goes well, the profits will be substantial."

Yang Guangming nodded: "The distribution in mainland China will be handled by Director Han. As for Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, it will naturally be handled by Asian Films. I hope they will all achieve good results."

Han Sanping chimed in, "Don't worry about the distribution in mainland China; Beijing Film Studio will fully support it. 'Love' has won five major awards this time, and domestic expectations are already at rock bottom. When it's released, the box office will definitely be good."

Yang Guangming thought for a moment and said, "Director Han, we need to carefully consider the domestic release date. Right now is the peak of the hype, and the film should be released as soon as possible to capitalize on this wave of popularity."

Han Sanping nodded: "You're right. In that case, we'll have a special meeting to discuss this after we get back to China, and it will definitely be released before the end of this month."

At 7 p.m., Yang Guangming and his team members went to the celebration reception hosted by the film festival organizers.

The reception was held at the Carlton Hotel, Cannes' most luxurious hotel. The banquet hall was resplendent with gold, and the crystal chandeliers were dazzling. Filmmakers, stars, directors, and producers from all over the world gathered together, their languages ​​flowing, and the clinking of champagne glasses was crisp and melodious.

When Yang Guangming and his entourage entered the banquet hall, they immediately became the focus of attention.

Countless eyes were drawn to them, and countless people came over to greet and congratulate them.

"Director Yang! Congratulations!"

"Director Yang, your film is fantastic!"

"Teacher Lan, Teacher Qin, your performance captivated the entire Cannes Film Festival!"

"Director Han, congratulations on making history!"

Yang Guangming handled the situation calmly, communicating fluently in English and French. Although Lan Tianye and Qin Yi didn't speak the same language, their poise and demeanor attracted many people. With the help of a translator, they were also able to have simple conversations with their foreign counterparts.

Halfway through the reception, the jury chairman, Coppola, came over.

“Yang, congratulations.” Coppola extended his hand, his eyes sincere. “Five awards. This is the jury’s highest recognition of ‘Love.’ Your film deserves this honor.”

Yang Guangming grasped his hand: "Thank you, Chairman. Without your and the jury's affirmation, none of this would have been possible tonight."

Coppola shook his head: "No, you earned this opportunity with your work. Amity is the best film I've seen this year. The undercurrent beneath the calm is very special and very sophisticated."

He paused, then continued, "You're eighteen and have already made two masterpieces. Your future is limitless. Keep making films; the world needs movies like this, and it needs your genius masterpieces even more."

"Thank you, Chairman. I will continue to work hard."

Coppola chatted with Lan Tianye and Qin Yi for a few more minutes, praising their performances highly. Then he patted Yang Guangming on the shoulder and turned to leave. (End of Chapter)