Huayu Entertainment: Starting with Exorcising Evil from a Film Queen

Chapter 98 Opens, Japanese Agent (4K)

"Director Zhang! Look this way!"

"Zhang Ze! Can you stop for a second!"

"Hao Lei! Turn around and look!"

Domestic reporters shouted at the top of their lungs, trying to salvage their earlier mistake.

Zhang Ze heard the shouts.

He paused slightly and turned his head to the side.

But he didn't stop; he simply raised his hand and waved lightly at the group of domestic media who were only now realizing what was happening.

Li Xiaoran took his hand, feeling the gazes coming from all directions. Her initial nervousness gradually subsided, replaced by an unprecedented excitement.

Li Xiaoran naturally heard the reporters shouting behind her. She maintained her smile, her lips moving slightly.

They all seemed very surprised.

"They probably just came from China and didn't know our film was nominated."

Zhang Ze kept his eyes forward and adjusted his position to match the photographer's angle.

The red carpet was not long, only a few dozen meters long.

But at this moment, those few dozen meters became Zhang Ze's first real appearance in this world.

At the end of the red carpet, they were greeted by festival president Gil Jacob.

This is an elderly man with gray hair, dressed in a well-fitting tailcoat.

He grasped Zhang Ze's hand, a smile of appreciation on his face.

"Welcome to Cannes, young genius, Zhang!"

Zhang Ze responded in fluent English, "It is my honor, Mr. Chairman."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the group entered the Lumière Theatre.

Inside the enormous screening room, red velvet seats were arranged in tiers, and above them hung a huge crystal chandelier.

At this time, the theater was already filled with filmmakers, distributors and media from all over the world.

Zhang Ze found his spot in the film crew's location, right in the middle of the third row.

This is the exclusive area for the main competition film crew.

I had just sat down when I heard footsteps behind me.

Zhang Ze turned around.

A middle-aged man wearing a black shirt, with a buzz cut and black-rimmed glasses walked over.

His temperament is unique, carrying a kind of intellectual decadence and an artist's sharpness.

Lou Ye.

Behind him followed the main cast and crew of "Spring Fever," including Qin Hao and Chen Sicheng.

Lou Ye walked straight up to Zhang Ze and stopped.

Contrary to media expectations, there was no scene of colleagues looking down on each other.

Lou Ye took the initiative to extend his hand and greet him.

"Zhang Ze?"

Zhang Ze immediately stood up and grasped Lou Ye's hand.

"Hello Director Lou, I'm Zhang Ze."

Lou Ye looked Zhang Ze up and down, a glint of light flashing in his eyes behind his glasses.

"The younger generation is truly formidable."

Lou Ye's voice was deep and his speech was slow.

"I saw your film, the sample footage I saw at the selection committee."

"Great filming! You're a great storyteller."

Zhang Ze was somewhat surprised.

He didn't expect that this famous sixth-generation director had already seen "Like Father, Like Son".

"You flatter me. I'm just a novice, I just got lucky," Zhang Ze said modestly.

"Excessive humility is arrogance."

Lou Ye smiled, released his grip, and pointed at Zhang Ze.

"The camerawork is very skillful, and the narrative pacing is very steady. You can't tell it's the work of a novice at all. In particular, the tension between blood ties and family affection is captured very clearly."

"Keep up the good work." Lou Ye patted Zhang Ze on the shoulder. "We're all here to give Chinese cinema a boost. Whoever wins the award, it's a good thing."

"Thank you for your kind words."

The two exchanged business cards.

Lou Ye led the crew to the other side of the seating area.

Liu Hua sat beside Lou Ye, watching his back, and couldn't help but sigh.

"That's the demeanor of a great director."

Zhang Ze put the business card into his shirt pocket.

"Yes, the perspectives are different."

Zhang Ze thought of a certain big gun, which, not to mention internationally, was still firing around for a little box office revenue. It just goes to show that the difference between people is sometimes greater than the difference between people and dogs.

Just then, all the lights in the venue went out.

The big screen lit up, and the Cannes Film Festival's opening animation began to play.

The leaves of the golden palm swirl on the screen, accompanied by rousing music.

The opening ceremony officially began.

Zhang Ze leaned back in his chair, a slight smile playing on his lips in the darkness.

Even though he hasn't won an award yet, it's already a preliminary victory for Zhang Ze.

Now it's up to us to see how much we win.

Zhang Ze turned his head and glanced at Li Xiaoran beside him.

She held Zhang Ze's hand tightly in the darkness, her palms still slightly damp.

Zhang Ze took her hand in return and squeezed it gently to comfort her.

The curtain rises.

An opening film from the United States began to be shown.

Two hours later.

The opening ceremony has ended.

Crowds poured out of the Lumière Theatre.

It was already late at night, but Cannes' nightlife was just beginning.

The party music on the beach was deafening, and fireworks lit up the night sky.

As soon as Zhang Ze and his crew stepped out the door, they were surrounded by a group of domestic media who had been waiting for a long time.

This time, they didn't miss it.

The cameras and microphones were practically shoved into Zhang Ze's face.

"Director Zhang! May I ask when you made this movie?"

"Are you confident of winning an award now that you've been shortlisted for the main competition?"

"Ms. Li Xiaoran, what are your impressions of Cannes for the first time?"

"Director Zhang! Could you tell me what the movie is about?"

The questions came at us like a barrage of bullets.

The flashes of light illuminated the night as if it were daytime.

Zhang Ze stopped and raised his hand to shield his eyes from the glaring light.

The scene fell silent instantly.

Everyone held their recorders, held their breath, and waited for the new director's first formal speech.

Zhang Ze looked around, his gaze sweeping over the reporters whose faces were filled with eagerness.

First of all, thank you for your attention.

Zhang Ze's voice was steady and powerful, penetrating the noisy background.

"This film tells a story about family and choices. As for whether it will win an award, that depends on the judges' choice."

"However—since we're here, we're definitely here to win an award."

This statement caused an uproar at the scene.

Reporters frantically pressed their shutters, capturing the young man's confident moment.

"Alright everyone, we need to rest now. We have the premiere tomorrow, so please come and see the film."

After finishing his speech, Zhang Ze ignored the reporters' follow-up questions and, escorted by security personnel, led the film crew into a waiting van.

The car door closed, shutting out the noise from outside.

Liu Hua wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Brother, weren't you being a bit too definitive with what you just said?"

Liu Hua was somewhat worried.

"What if I don't win the award? Won't I be torn apart by the media when I get back?"

Zhang Ze loosened his bow tie and took a bottle of champagne from the car refrigerator.

"Brother Hua, in this industry, what you fear most isn't being criticized, but being ignored."

He skillfully opened the champagne bottle, and bubbles gushed out.

"Besides, who says we can't win an award? What if we do?"

Back at the hotel, Zhang Ze's phone rang.

Zhang Ze took out his phone, which showed an unread text message.

It was sent by Cai Yinong.

"I heard you made it into the Cannes main competition? Congratulations! You kept it a secret pretty well."

Zhang Ze replied with two words.

"luck."

I had just put my phone down when another text message came in.

It's Yang Mi.

"Damn it! You went to Cannes without telling me! I wanted to walk the red carpet too! I'm telling you, this isn't over!"

Even through the screen, Zhang Ze could feel Yang Mi's resentful tone.

Zhang Ze smiled but did not reply.

Later, Tang Yan, Zhao Liying, and others also sent text messages.

Zhang Ze immediately realized that the news of his participation in Cannes had spread throughout the country.

He then didn't even bother to take off his clothes, and replied to each message on his phone.

A short while later, Chen Zhixi came to knock on the door.

"Several domestic media outlets just contacted me, wanting to arrange exclusive interviews. They were very eager."

Zhang Ze welcomed her in with a smile on his face.

These journalists are naturally eager to capitalize on trending topics and make a quick buck.

However, Zhang Ze did not want them to succeed.

"Let's leave it for now and talk about it after the premiere!"

"Okay, I'll do as you say and postpone it for now." Chen Zhixi nodded, then continued, "There's one more thing. We have news from Japan."

Chen Zhixi couldn't hide her excitement.

"A representative from GAGA Corporation contacted me. They are very interested in the film and would like to arrange a meeting for tomorrow morning."

"I see."

Zhang Ze put down his phone, took off his suit jacket, and hung it on the hanger.

Zhang Ze knew perfectly well that Japanese film companies would come knocking on his door.

After all, this film was originally directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, and given that it perfectly matches the style of the original novel, they wouldn't miss out on it.

"Did they make an offer?"

"Not yet, they said they'd like to meet and discuss it in detail."

"Okay, see you tomorrow."

Zhang Ze walked to the bar and poured himself a glass of water.

"Also, there's something else."

Chen Zhixi hesitated.

"explain."

"A domestic distribution company just contacted me, wanting to discuss domestic distribution rights."

Which one?

"Bona".

Zhang Ze paused for a moment while drinking water.

Yu Dong has a very keen sense of smell.

"What conditions did they offer?"

"Guaranteed issuance of five million RMB."

Zhang Ze's eyes lit up. "Sell! But we can't sell it right away. We need to negotiate a bit more and see if we can get more!"

The reason he came to Cannes was because he lacked confidence in the domestic market. Coupled with the bad situation this year, he thought of taking the film overseas as a roundabout way to save the country. Now that someone in China has taken over the project and even covered the costs, when else should he sell it if not now?

"Okay, I understand. I'll talk to Bona about it later."

After Chen Zhixi left, the room returned to silence.

Zhang Ze took a shower and changed into a bathrobe.

The lights were still on downstairs, and the sounds of revelry could be faintly heard.

This is the world of fame and fortune.

Some people become famous overnight, while others leave the stage in disappointment.

Yi, on the other hand, had only just received his admission ticket.

My phone vibrated.

Zhang Ze picked it up and took a look.

It was a text message from Hao Lei, containing only three brief words.

The door wasn't locked.

Zhang Ze looked at the screen, a slight smile appearing on his lips. He picked up the room key, turned around, and walked out of the room.

The corridor was quiet.

Zhang Ze walked to Hao Lei's door and gently pushed it open.

The door did indeed open a crack.

The room was dark, with only a small nightlight by the bedside emitting a warm, yellowish glow.

Hao Lei, wearing a black lace camisole, lay on his side on the bed, holding a glass of red wine in his hand.

Seeing Zhang Ze enter, she raised her wine glass and swirled it gently.

"Would you like to congratulate me?"

Zhang Ze closed the door behind him and locked it.

The man walked to the bedside, took the wine glass, and drank it all in one gulp.

The astringent taste of red wine spreads in the mouth.

"How should I wish you well?"

Zhang Ze leaned down and placed his hands on either side of her body.

Hao Lei stretched out his finger, grabbed the belt of Zhang Ze's bathrobe, and gently pulled it.

The ribbon came undone.

What do you think?

Her eyes were dreamy yet burning, like a ball of fire.

Without further ado, Zhang Ze kissed her directly.

This night was destined to be long.

the next day.

Zhang Ze appeared in the hotel restaurant looking refreshed.

Chen Zhixi was already waiting there, with a pile of documents in front of her.

"GAGA's people will arrive at ten o'clock."

Chen Zhixi handed Zhang Ze a cup of coffee.

"Here's the guys' information, take a look."

Zhang Ze took the documents and quickly glanced through them.

GAGA is one of Japan's largest independent film distribution companies, known for its sharp eye and exceptional operational capabilities.

"What's the name of the person in charge of GAGA?"

"Shinichi Ogawa."

Zhang Ze nodded.

10 o'clock sharp.

The hotel's business meeting room.

Shinichi Ogawa arrived right on time.

This was a typical Japanese businessman, in his fifties, with his hair perfectly styled and wearing a dark gray suit. He bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle as soon as he entered.

"Mr. Zhang, it's a pleasure to meet you. Please take care of me."

The accompanying translator immediately translated "亭" (ting).

Zhang Ze stood up and politely returned the greeting.

"Mr. Ogawa, please have a seat."

Both parties took their seats.

Shinichi Ogawa didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point.

"We at Fei Pi admire Zhang Sang's cinematic talent. We've seen the trailer for 'Like Father, Like Father,' and Fei Pi has an Eastern charm, and it also fits our Japanese style!"

"We hope to handle the distribution of this film in Japan."

Zhang Ze leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the table.

"Accounting as a third party is not a problem, the key is the conditions."

Shinichi Ogawa took a document out of his briefcase and handed it to Zhang Ze with both hands.

"This is our sincerity."

Zhang Ze took the document, opened it, and glanced at it.

It reads: a loss of $500,000, plus tiered box office revenue sharing.

This offer is much more flexible and sincere than Sony and Fox's offers to buy Amazon.

The Japanese market has a high acceptance of this kind of delicate family drama, and its box office potential should not be underestimated.

But Zhang Ze was not satisfied.

They put the documents together and pushed them back.

"not enough."

Zhang Ze looked directly into Shinichi Ogawa's eyes.

"At least one million US dollars, plus 30% of the box office revenue."

Shinichi Ogawa frowned slightly.

"Mr. Zhang, this price is too risky for a film by a new director."

Zhang Ze smiled.

"Mr. Ogawa, you're joking. Doing business is inherently a high-stakes gamble, isn't it?"

"It still feels out of place when applied to movies."

"If you win the bet, your Gaga will make a fortune in the Japanese market."

"Even if you lose the bet, it's only a million US dollars, which is a drop in the ocean for your company."

Shinichi Ogawa fell silent.

The group stared at Zhang Ze and then at Xu Fu, seemingly assessing the source of the young man's confidence.

The meeting room was so quiet that the only sound was the air conditioning running.

Good thing.

Only then did Ogawa Shinichi speak.

"Zhang Sang, your confidence impressed me, but it's not enough!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ze pondered for a moment and then said, "How about this, we each compromise. You can have all the distribution rights in Southeast Asia, but the price will be three million US dollars, plus 20% of the box office revenue."

"If we win an award, I'll get an extra 10% of the box office revenue!"