How did I become famous?

Chapter 179 Farewell! Don't come back if you don't make it big! (Please subscribe! Please vote!)

the next day.

No, it didn't even wait until the next day.

The internet was completely ignited that day by a single news item!

That was a typical paparazzi photo.

The photo shows a group of more than a dozen people heading to the boarding gate.

Most of them were wearing masks, glasses, and hats.

If we were to insist on identifying who is Fang Bie, who is Liu Mang, and who is Wu Kai, then...

It looks similar, but I can't be sure.

Because none of these three guys like being in the spotlight.

Liu Mang and Wu Kai were the only two people who frequently appeared during the previous roadshow promotions.

But only the front is shown; you can't really tell the back.

But there's more than one photo!

There are also several photos taken from different angles, two of which show people's faces.

The headline of this news article is "Fang Bie is heading into Hollywood!"

Below are the photos mentioned above.

Then there is a comparison chart.

It's the image of the cinematographer that was edited out in the behind-the-scenes footage of "Your Name" and "The Grandmaster".

"According to this newspaper, at 7:15 this morning, our reporter photographed director Fang Bie and his entourage entering the departure hall at Beijing Capital International Airport. Based on recent comments made by director Tom Smith in an interview, Fang Bie and his group's destination is Hollywood!"

According to personnel analysis, Fang Bie brought along directors Liu Mang and Wu Kai from his company, as well as all the core creative personnel of the production team. The person in the photo above is Nie Fang, Fang Bie's go-to cinematographer. Whether it's "Your Name," "The Grandmaster," or the previous "Light and Shadow" and "Captain China," he has always worked as the cinematographer for Fang Mu Film Company.

Furthermore, an analysis of flights within the past three hours shows that all flights departing from that gate were bound for the United States. We have reason to believe that this is director Fang Bie's first step outside the country and into Hollywood!

This news completely ignited the internet.

Many people rushed to the airport as soon as they heard the news, but of course, they could no longer find Fang Bie and his group.

The airport staff's response was simply: "No comment."

Although they weren't told Fang Bie's destination, they did confirm that the group photographed in the news was indeed Fang Bie and his friends.

That's all set!

First, he lost the bet with Tom. Although both "Your Name" and "The Grandmaster" grossed over 1.5 billion (after the final push in the last few days), they also surpassed Fang Bie's "Shadow of Light".

But Fang Bie's movie was never advertised at all!

These two movies have received a particularly large amount of promotion!

Furthermore, high box office revenue is useless! Captain America's box office in China was 1.8 billion!

Not to mention overseas box office revenue.

You can't possibly compare your two movies together to someone else's, can you?

Second, photos of the airport!

The check-in counter in that waiting area—the flights Fang Bie and his group were on for three hours were all to the United States!

Where else could you go if not to America?

Is it possible to travel by private jet?

Putting aside whether you can afford it or not, even a small private jet can't accommodate your dozen or so people!

Third, if you're not going to Hollywood to make a movie, why would you bring a bunch of people from your company?

Could it be that they went on vacation?

Are there still such good bosses these days?

Of course, the 996 working class doesn't believe it!

Fang Bie! Let's see how you try to argue now!

As a result, the comments section under Fang Bie's previous Weibo post was flooded with messages.

Not only that, but various people also posted on Weibo tagging Fang Bie.

It includes pop stars like Ye Lun and Lin Qingjie, as well as a group of middle-aged and elderly celebrities who have faded into obscurity.

In the film industry, there are also Yoshikage Kira and the recently popular Ip Man.

And there's also Director Zhang Luo, whom I haven't contacted in a long time!

Unfortunately, Fang Bie's Weibo account remains silent; he has not posted a response.

This makes it even more believable that he did go to the United States!

For a time, Fang Bie's popularity remained high!

Even major websites have started to compile lists of movies from the past.

Well, there's not much to review about either of the movies.

There are countless movie analysis videos and text analysis posts on various video websites.

Although this falls into a gray area (at least such movie explanation videos are not legal), the authorities don't investigate unless the public complains, and no one cares. People just go about their business as usual.

Then what's the point of talking about this?

Even if you add "Your Name" and "The Grandmaster", it's only four movies in total.

What else can we do?

And add Utau too!

So, aside from movies, they started taking stock of the songs Fang Bie had written.

Not to mention the piece "Pipa Xing" which was directly rejected by Su Shi, from the earliest piece he wrote for Ye Lun, "Blue and White Porcelain," all the way to the recent album "Mu Se."

Every one of the eleven songs written by Fang Bie is a classic!

Not to mention his two medley performances, every single one of those choruses is a classic!

Some singers have even offered high prices to get Fang Bie's medley demos!

Even just one song will do!

But Fang Bie did not react at all.

So the inventory continues!

The media began analyzing his acting in "Your Name".

The conclusion is that the acting was superb! It was as if he was playing himself!

That emotion! That realism! That gaze! That movement! That expression!

Quite expensive!

Moreover, he didn't use "1234567"; all his lines were spoken live!

After taking stock of everything, everyone suddenly realized something!

Making movies is awesome! Writing songs is awesome! Singing is awesome! And acting is just as awesome!

Hey, why are you so arrogant?

The climax was triggered by two news items.

Firstly, the China Film Association finally "discovered" that there was a director in China named Fang Bie.

So they immediately took action, announcing that for the first time, Fangbie Company's films would be nominated for the Golden Dragon Awards a few months later.

"The Grandmaster" was nominated for Best Feature Film at the Golden Dragon Awards.

The lead actors in "Your Name," Fang Bie and Su Mulin, received nominations for Best Actor and Best Actress, respectively.

At this point, Fang Bie finally stood out from the list of "other outstanding directors in China" and officially gained recognition.

"Our director Fang is finally getting some recognition!"

"@China Directors Association, please! Tell me where I went to see an ophthalmologist! I want to get my nearsightedness treated!"

"This isn't just curing nearsightedness! This is like a blind person regaining their sight! I also want to know which hospital's ophthalmology department is this amazing! @ChinaFilmAssociation"

Even Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center later stepped forward and tagged the China Film Association: "For eye treatment, come to Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center of Sun Yat-sen University, the No.1 eye hospital in China, no deception!"

This remark caused quite a stir, directly stirring up trouble for the ophthalmology hospital!

You say you're number one? Who would agree with that?!

Then all sorts of experts jumped out and tagged the China Film Association one by one.

What is this university-affiliated eye hospital? Or is it a medical university-affiliated eye hospital?

In any case, all the official Weibo accounts of the top 20 ophthalmology hospitals in China jumped out and made a round of noise, it was practically a carnival for the domestic ophthalmology community!

What finally brought this celebration to an end, and also put an end to the topic of Fang Bie going abroad, was a long Weibo post by Wang Mingfa, a veteran film critic.

He is a director, an actor, a lyricist, a composer, a singer, and also an outstanding screenwriter and poet.

Within a year, his poems were published in textbooks of top international universities.

In one year, the eleven songs he wrote sold more than four million copies.

In just one year, the films he filmed, starred in, or wrote have grossed nearly six billion yuan at the box office.

He was an outcast in the mainstream film industry, but a darling of Chinese film audiences.

With an investment of seven million and no publicity, his first film grossed over a billion at the box office.

He pioneered the superhero movie genre and is revered as the father of superheroes.

Even Tom Smith, the internationally renowned director who has won three Oscars, has chosen to become his "follower".

His team has won an Oscar and a Venice Film Festival award.

The actors in his movies are all unknown actors or amateurs, but as long as they have acted in his movies, they can all be labeled as "famous movie actors".

He was low-key and reserved. We used to think he just wanted to make good movies, but later we learned that he also wanted to save the Chinese film industry.

But now all I want to say is: Director Fang, let go, you have a much wider space to explore.

Whales will not be confined to shallows; they will inevitably return to the sea.

The roc will not perch on the rooftop; it will surely soar straight to the heavens.

Director Fang, it's time to let go.

Hollywood hasn't had a mainstream Chinese director for far too long.

Please carry the hopes of all our fans and go to Hollywood to make a name for yourself.

I hope that forty years from now, when you return...

The 66-year-old man, laden with honors, still sees the image of that 26-year-old youth in his eyes when he looks back.

Wang Ming's long Weibo post was so sentimental it was nauseating.

But domestic movie fans still buy into this!

Soon, the post garnered over a million likes, over 500,000 reposts, and over 100,000 comments.

There were many comments from netizens, but they all boiled down to one sentence:

"Director Fang! Don't come back if you don't make it in Hollywood!"

Even Lu Shengyan, in order to get rid of this plague god, had someone post a Weibo message using the account "China Film Association":

"Please don't disturb him. Director Fang is probably working hard in Hollywood right now, and we should wish him all the best! We believe that Director Fang, who is currently striving in Hollywood, will feel everyone's good wishes!"

At this moment.

On a beach on an island in Hawaii.

Wearing floral shorts and sunglasses, Fang Bie lay on a beach chair, quietly enjoying the scenery of the beach and the sea.

Liu Mang, who had just changed into his Hawaiian tropical outfit, rushed over, phone in hand, his bulky body jiggling: "Old Fang! Something's happened!"

"Shh—" Fang Bie put a finger to his lips. "Don't disturb my thinking."

He paused for a moment before speaking softly, "Fatty, why do you think those girls in bikinis have such great figures?"

"..." Liu Mang was stunned. "Old Fang! The country is in such a mess, and you're still thinking about watching foreign girls?!"

Fang Bie said lazily, "We're here on vacation, why are you still concerned about things back home? We're not making any new movies anytime soon."

"No!" Liu Mang roared, "Everyone in China thinks you're going to Hollywood! They've all started seeing you off! Zhang Luo even called Skinny Monkey to ask what your first Hollywood movie is going to be!"

Fang Bie did a somersault and jumped up!

He took off his sunglasses, his eyes clearly showing utter bewilderment: "What the hell did you say?!"

(End of this chapter)