dkrc Chapter 26 Head-on Confrontation
Chapter 26 Head-on Confrontation
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6 month 10 day.
The fourth day of the fifth lunar month is an auspicious day for travel, meeting dignitaries, trading, and offering sacrifices.
One more day and it will be the Dragon Boat Festival.
Qu Yuan was a compassionate man who sacrificed himself for his country, and later generations of people relied on his blessings.
Five o'clock in the afternoon.
Fang Yi, dressed in a formal suit, drove to the Poly Wanhe flagship store in Zhaoyang District to attend the premiere of "Sniper Phone Booth".
Upon arriving at the entrance, I greeted the few employees from Huayi who were in charge of reception, and swaggered inside.
Today's premiere was held rather hastily, and Huayi did not promote it extensively.
There were not many invited guests; most of them were people in the industry who were close to Huayi.
Upon entering the venue, Wang Zhonglei, Huang Xiaoming, Fan Bingbing, Deng Chao, and Li Bingbing had already arrived.
The five people are having a meal and will be greeting guests later.
Seeing him come in, the three men waved and continued eating.
Li Bingbing stepped forward and said with a smile, "Director Fang, I look forward to your guidance in the next few years at Huayi."
"No problem, no problem. Sister Bing is a very capable person, there will be opportunities to cooperate."
Fang Yi smiled, reached out and gently shook hands with Li Bingbing, praising her.
Li Bingbing laughed even harder. As she let go, her fingertips brushed across Fang Yi's palm, and she turned and left, twisting her slender waist.
Fan Bingbing, who had been watching her closely, rolled her eyes and muttered, "With your skills, you think you can seduce men? You'll need to study for a few more years..."
Then, she waved her hand and called out to Fang Yijiao, "Director Fang, come and have something to eat..."
Her voice was soft and melodious, attracting the attention of the staff arranging seats inside.
vixen!
Li Bingbing cursed under his breath and returned to the dining table without making a sound.
Fang Yi joined the group of five eating, asking as they ate, "What time does the premiere start?"
"Around 7:30, everyone should be here by then," Wang Zhonglei said, putting down his chopsticks and wiping his mouth with a tissue.
Fang Yi nodded, not quite understanding these procedures.
However, the guests will arrive at 5:30, so two hours should be enough.
In his previous life, he had crashed several box office flops, around the same time each time.
As time went on, the invited guests arrived one after another.
Wang Zhonglei and his five colleagues, each accompanied by two employees, led the guests into the venue in waves.
Fang Yi didn't move; it wouldn't make a difference anyway, since the guests didn't recognize him.
He didn't appear until the media arrived at 6 p.m., when Wang Zhonglei introduced him and he gave an interview to reporters.
"You must be Director Fang. You look so young!"
In the cinema lobby, a dozen or so reporters surrounded Fang Yi, microphones in hand, their eyes fixed on him with surprise and confusion.
Are all directors this amazing these days?!
At a young age, he made a movie that earned him over 200 million US dollars in royalties.
Fang Yi glanced around, making eye contact with each reporter, and smiled, "That's right, I am the director and screenwriter of [Sniper Phone Booth]."
Or is it the screenwriter...?
This only fueled the reporters' curiosity even more.
"Director Fang, what were your circumstances in creating 'Phone Booth'? I've seen all the trailers and I think it's a very exciting movie."
The reporter from Sina Media was the first to speak, and his question was well-structured, containing both inquiry and praise.
Not bad, they're quite sensible after taking the money.
Fang Yi pondered for a moment, then took the microphone and said, "When I was young, I liked to read suspense novels. After graduating from the Beijing Film Academy, I thought about my first work and, combining my interests with the production costs, I created this script."
I never expected it would actually be filmed, and I certainly never expected it would sell overseas rights.
Tsk tsk, you're quite adept at this tactic.
Who taught it?
The reporters were stunned, staring at the young and handsome face, and subconsciously felt that someone had instructed Fang Yi to say that.
Even a newly graduated director with considerable directing skills cannot possibly be fully proficient in interpersonal relationships; someone will definitely offer advice beforehand.
"This shows that Director Fang is talented..."
"Director Fang is amazing; he truly deserves to be called a top student at Beijing Film Academy."
The reporters, all seasoned veterans of entertainment reporting, readily agreed with a smile.
Next, a reporter from Tencent Entertainment got the second chance to ask a question; it was a female reporter in her early twenties.
She stepped forward, her voice still carrying a hint of childishness, and asked in a clear, crisp voice, "Director Fang, have you ever thought about directing and starring in your own film?"
I had a cameo role in "[Sniper Phone Booth]".
Have you ever thought about being a lead actor?
"I hadn't thought about it; my energy is limited."
Fang Yi shook his head. Being a director is tiring enough; if he were to be the lead actor on top of that, would he even be able to survive?
I'll just occasionally make a cameo appearance to satisfy my acting craving.
"Why? You're so handsome, no less so than male celebrities."
Goodness! The female reporter kept asking questions, her eyes shining, as if she were captivated by Fang Yi's handsome face.
His infatuated look made his colleagues frown.
Girl, you're a reporter, not a movie fan or a moviegoer. You can't even walk past a handsome guy? Aren't you afraid of embarrassing Tencent Entertainment?
A middle-aged reporter in his early forties from Southern Metropolis Entertainment, unable to tolerate the female reporter's infatuated behavior, shoved her aside.
"What are you doing? I haven't finished asking my question yet." The female reporter glared at the middle-aged man, feeling an urge to kick him.
The middle-aged man did not respond, but moved with several other reporters, pushing the female reporter out of the front row, which made her jump up and down in anger.
Then, the Southern Metropolis Entertainment reporter asked the third question.
"Director Fang, someone has leaked information that you joined Huayi Brothers through connections, and that Huayi Brothers invested in 'Sniper Phone Booth' out of personal favors. What is your explanation for this?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Zhonglei, Huang Xiaoming, Fan Bingbing, Deng Chao, and Li Bingbing frowned immediately.
The five men looked at the middle-aged man with displeasure, thinking to themselves that Fang Yi might have fallen into the reporter's trap.
explain...
Explain your sister!
Which bastard is stirring up trouble?
Fang Yi remained unmoved, continuing to smile as he looked at the four characters "Southern Metropolis Entertainment" held up by the reporter, and said, "I don't need to explain this question; instead, you should reveal the source of the information."
Otherwise, Mr. Wang will try to recover the advertising fees that Huayi paid to Nandu Entertainment.
Holy crap... this young man!
So arrogant!
Fang Yi's words were like a large stone thrown into a calm lake, causing all the reporters present to change their expressions drastically.
The reporter from Southern Metropolis Entertainment had been waiting for this moment; he had long ago decided to seize the opportunity to cause trouble.
As for Hua Yi's writing fee, he only asked for praise of the film; it has nothing to do with the director.
The middle-aged man feigned anger, his breathing became rapid, and his eyes gradually turned red, as he prepared to launch into a sharp question.
Before he could speak, Wang Zhonglei stepped forward and stood shoulder to shoulder with Fang Yi.
"I'll answer your question."
Xiao Wang raised his hand to stop the middle-aged man who was engrossed in his role, and said loudly, "Director Fang's abilities are evident to all. The $245 million copyright fee is not a lie."
The Southern Metropolis Entertainment reporter's question was simply an attempt to create a buzz, which is understandable, but you can't bring up the disrespect shown to Director Fang.
On behalf of Huayi Brothers, I can clearly tell everyone that signing a contract with Director Fang to collaborate on a film project was one of the three most correct decisions Huayi Brothers made.
"Oh...I wonder what the other two best decisions were?"
With just a few words, Wang Zhonglei not only broke through the difficulties set by Southern Metropolis Entertainment, but also praised Fang Yi highly in front of him, and finally changed the subject, diverting the reporter's attention elsewhere.
Fang Yi secretly applauded. Little Wang truly lived up to her reputation as Hua Yi's top socialite, effortlessly spouting pleasantries.
"The other two best decisions will be discussed when the opportunity arises... Today is the premiere of 'Phone Booth'."
After putting on a show, Wang Zhonglei chuckled and made his successful retreat amidst the reporters' disapproving glances.
Before the reporters could ask any more questions, Fang Yi cut straight to the chase: "Everyone, if you're going to be conducting an interview, then do it properly. If anyone else is like the reporter from Southern Metropolis Entertainment, please turn left and leave."
He is not Wang Zhonglei, and he doesn't need to be adept at social maneuvering to maintain a good impression of Huayi from all sides.
He's a director, and a director should have the style of a director.
Entertainment media has never been within the director's friendly sphere.
Looking back and forward through the decades of Chinese-language film history, there has never been a director who was afraid of entertainment media.
really..
Despite the reporters' dissatisfaction with Fang Yi's arrogance, they dared not provoke him further and instead dutifully raised topics related to the film.
Fang Yi answered three more questions, then waved his hand in refusal, giving up the center position.
Li Bingbing also went with them.
She didn't act in any movies; she's here today only to represent Huayi Brothers in entertaining guests, so she doesn't need to worry too much about the reporters.
In addition, she didn't want to be interviewed in front of Fan Bingbing, as it felt like she was trying to gain attention or being inferior.
The impatient reporters, like cats seeing fish, surrounded Huang Xiaoming, Fan Bingbing, and Deng Chao the moment he turned to leave.
That sharp, fierce aura made the three of them's hearts pound wildly.
Damn it...
You bunch of dog reporters, after messing with the director, now you want to mess with us, huh?