dkrc Chapter 68: Only 1 Yuan Charged
Chapter 68: Only 1 Yuan Charged
August 8, 7:30 PM, Beijing National Stadium (Bird's Nest).
The setting sun bathed the massive steel structure of the Bird's Nest in a golden-red hue. This building, which took four years to complete, now resembled a giant bird poised for flight, awaiting its moment.
The square outside the Bird's Nest was packed with people, and flags were waving everywhere.
Spectators, athletes, officials, and media workers from all over the world had excitement and anticipation written on their faces.
Long queues formed at the security checkpoints, where volunteers dressed in uniform blue and white clothing guided the flow of people in various languages.
At the VIP entrance, a special queue was entering in an orderly manner.
"My God... this place is ten times bigger than the Hollywood Bowl!" David looked up at the Bird's Nest's towering steel structure, his mouth agape enough to fit an egg.
"David, mind your image," Yang Siwei reminded him helplessly.
"I can't control myself!" David exclaimed, frantically snapping photos with his digital camera. "This is the Olympic opening ceremony! I might only see it once in my life! Jiang, quickly, take a picture of me with the Bird's Nest!"
Jiang Yu wore a light gray Chinese-style stand-up collar shirt with black trousers today, simple and elegant.
He smiled and posed for a few photos with David, but his gaze swept over the group of nearly a hundred people beside him.
This lineup is indeed quite spectacular.
The parents, Jiang Jianguo and Zhou Huiwen, walked at the front.
Jiang Jianguo had two cameras hanging around his neck, a DSLR and a point-and-shoot, looking every bit the professional photographer.
Zhou Huiwen linked arms with Liu Xiaoli, and the two walked and chatted, as intimate as old sisters who had known each other for decades.
Jiang Yu still finds it a bit unbelievable that in just three days, her mother and Liu Xiaoli had become best friends who could talk about anything.
The two visited the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace together, ate at Quanjude, and even made a promise to go back to Wuhan to visit the Yellow Crane Tower after the Olympics.
"That's what you call fate." That's what my mother said last night. "Xiaoli's personality is very compatible with mine, and we even like the same authors."
Fate is truly a wondrous thing.
Liu Xiaoli is standing next to Liu Yifei.
The girl was wearing a denim skirt, a baseball cap, and sunglasses today.
"That's Liu Yifei!"
"It really is her!"
"Can we take a photo together?"
Several young audience members mustered up their courage and stepped forward. Liu Yifei gently agreed and posed for a few photos with them, displaying a friendly and appropriate attitude.
After the photo was taken, she quickly caught up with the group and walked to Jiang Yu's side.
"There are so many people," she said softly.
"A once-in-a-century event, aren't you used to it?" Jiang Yu nodded.
"A little," Liu Yifei said honestly. "With so many people, it feels like the eyes of the whole world are on us."
"Then watch carefully and feel it fully," Jiang Yu said. "You might only experience this kind of scene once in your life."
The middle section of the team consists of the core team of Light Chaser Pictures.
Zhou Mu and Wu Na walked together, but they didn't discuss any technical issues; Wu Na was holding a small DV camera and seriously filming the Bird's Nest.
Chen Jingming, as always, remained composed, dressed in a suit and tie, standing out among the crowd of people in casual wear.
Lu Yang, Wang Zhi, and Zhu Yilong walked behind.
Wang Zhi dressed up specially today, with light and delicate makeup, wearing a light blue dress, exuding a fresh and elegant aura.
Since the box office success of "The Witch," she has been recognized more and more frequently on the street.
"Director Lu, do you think anyone from the film industry will be here today?" Wang Zhi asked in a low voice.
"Definitely." Lu Yang pushed up his glasses. "People in the industry wouldn't miss an event like this."
"Then I need to pay attention to my image..." Wang Zhi quickly tidied his hair.
Zhu Yilong remained as shy as ever, quietly following along, his eyes filled with curiosity about everything around him.
Behind the group were employees from Light Chaser Animation and Light & Shadow Digital, about seventy or eighty people, all of whom were core members working overtime on the Olympic special effects project during this period.
Everyone was wearing matching custom-made T-shirts with the "Light and Shadow Digital" logo and Olympic symbol printed on the chest, looking neat and imposing.
"The Organizing Committee gave us one hundred tickets," Yang Siwei whispered to Jiang Yu. "The VIP section, the seats are excellent. The Organizing Committee specifically instructed us to reserve enough tickets for us."
"Thank you for your thoughtfulness." Jiang Yu nodded.
Jiang Yu and Guangying Digital mainly served the Olympic Games, and symbolically only charged one yuan.
As they spoke, the group passed through the dedicated security checkpoint.
The volunteers' eyes lit up when they saw their matching outfits and T-shirts: "You must be teachers from Light and Shadow Digital! This way, please! The organizing committee told you to come this way!"
At the end of the passage is the interior of the Bird's Nest.
At that moment, everyone held their breath.
The enormous bowl-shaped stadium came into view, with 80% of its 91,000 seats occupied, and the noise of the crowd surged like a tide.
At the center of the venue was a huge LED screen and an elaborately constructed stage setup.
The overhead structure is a crisscrossing steel structure, with lights shining through the gaps, illuminating the entire venue as if it were daytime.
"My God..." David murmured, "This is amazing, a hundred times more spectacular than the Super Bowl!"
Even the usually calm Chen Jingming looked up for a long time before whispering, "This Olympics will allow the world to rediscover China."
The volunteers led everyone to the seating area, which was located to the side and behind the stage. The area had an excellent view, offering a clear view of the entire venue as well as the stage.
As soon as Jiang Yu entered this area, he felt countless eyes on him.
This area was mostly occupied by well-known figures from the arts, sports, and business worlds.
Jiang Yu glanced around and saw many familiar faces.
Wang Zhongjun and Wang Zhonglei, brothers from Huayi Brothers, were chatting with a few people when they saw Jiang Yu. They both stood up at the same time, smiled and nodded in greeting.
Wang Changtian from Enlight Media sat not far away and waved to Jiang Yu.
Bona's Yu Dong was talking with Mr. Ren from Shanghai Film Group when they saw Jiang Yu coming over, and they both stopped talking.
The most attention-grabbing group was Han Sanye's side.
The head of the Chinese film industry was talking with several directors when he saw Jiang Yu and actually got up to greet him.
"President Jiang! You're here!" Third Master Han's voice boomed as he patted Jiang Yu on the shoulder. "Watch closely today; this is a major event for our country!"
"Mm," Jiang Yu replied politely.
"By the way, Director Zhang Yimou was just asking about you," Han Sanye said. "He said he'd come over before the film starts to say hello. Your special effects team really helped him out this time."
Just then, another commotion arose from the side.
Jackie Chan, dressed in a traditional Chinese suit, is taking a photo with several international friends.
Upon seeing Jiang Yu, his eyes lit up, and he greeted him with his signature smile and gesture: "President Jiang! Long time no see! 'The Witch' was beautifully filmed!"
"Brother Long, you flatter me," Jiang Yu replied with a smile.
Not far away, Gong Li and Zhang Ziyi sat together.
When Zhang Ziyi saw Jiang Yu, she nodded slightly in greeting, while Gong Li gave her a gentle smile.
To Jiang Yu's surprise, almost all the artists from Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong were in this area; top actors, directors, and producers from Mainland China... half of the entire Chinese entertainment industry gathered at the Bird's Nest tonight.
When these people saw Jiang Yu, almost all of them nodded or waved to him.
Wang Zhi, watching from behind, was dumbfounded. He whispered to Lu Yang, "Director Lu... President Jiang's influence is just too great..."
Lu Yang adjusted his glasses and said in a low voice, "The Witch has grossed over 30 million US dollars at the North American box office, and it's heading for 100 million worldwide. Who in the industry doesn't know Light Chaser Pictures now? What's more, the company has channels in Hollywood and is the special effects supplier for the Olympic Organizing Committee, which is a national-level recognition."
Standing next to Jiang Yu, Liu Yifei could clearly sense the meaning in those gazes: curiosity, scrutiny, appreciation, envy, and even a hint of jealousy.
She suddenly remembered that just a few months ago, she was still anxious about the transformation and future development.
Now, standing beside this man, she felt a sense of security she had never felt before.
Just then, a figure walked over quickly.
Zhang Yimou.
The chief director of the Olympic Games opening ceremony wore a dark Zhongshan suit today. His expression was serious but tired, though his eyes were bright.
He was followed by several assistant directors and staff.
"President Jiang!" Zhang Yimou extended his hand. "It's nice to see you again. I've been so busy lately that I haven't had a chance to properly thank your team."
Jiang Yu shook hands with him: "Director Zhang, you've worked hard. It's an honor for us to participate in Olympic events."
"I'm not just being polite," Zhang Yimou said earnestly, "the special effects simulations you did, especially the visual pre-visualizations for 'The Scroll' and 'The Silk Road,' solved a huge problem for us. Some effects were impossible to achieve just by imagining them, but your simulations showed immediate results."
Zhou Mu and Wu Na stepped forward. Wu Na said humbly, "Hello, Coach Zhang. Our team is very proud to contribute to the Olympics."
"Young and promising!" Zhang Yimou exclaimed. "I've looked at your resumes; you're all top talents. Chinese cinema needs fresh blood like yours."
He paused, then lowered his voice: "After the opening ceremony, let's find some time to have a good talk. I have an idea for a new film that might need your technical support."
"I'm ready anytime." Jiang Yu nodded.
Zhang Yimou exchanged a few more pleasantries before leaving in a hurry; as the chief director, his task tonight was arduous.