The Best Director

Chapter 382: Chapter 382: Nationwide Craze! (Urgently Seeking Monthly Passes)

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“The whole city is in hot pursuit of the amazing Yang, and the frenzy of fans and moviegoers is out of control!”

Hong Kong’s TVB Jade channel with “News at 6:30” and “Entertainment Grand Search,” Asia Television’s “News at Six” and “Nightly News,” as well as Phoenix Satellite Television Chinese channel’s “Storm of Entertainment” and other television news programs successively reported on today’s arrival of Wang Yang in Hong Kong and the grand scene of fans picking him up at the airport.

The waiting hall was filled with thousands of fans who had been waiting for a long time, holding various banners with “Yang” written across them to welcome their idol. As soon as they saw Wang Yang, the crowd erupted into uncontrollable screams. After stepping out of the passageway, Wang Yang nicely stopped to shake hands and chat with the fans, causing total commotion on the scene, and the entire international airport nearly lost order.

“Young Master Yang!!” “YOUNG!!” “Young Master Yang! Young Master Yang!!!”… The television screen showed a chaotic surge of people, with flashes from cameras and incessant screaming. The fans’ ages ranged from young to old; besides banners, many were waving goods such as Wang Yang’s magazine portraits, posters, and DVDs of movies like “Firefly.” A group of fans wearing the same white T-shirts with “Wang Yang, I Love You” written in both English and Chinese held high the large portraits of Wang Yang and Jessica, chanting in unison, “Wang Yang, I love you!” Some female fans cried out loud, while TV, newspaper, and magazine reporters all frantically chased after Wang Yang, their branded microphones, long-focus digital cameras, and video cameras all busily at work.

Only with the joint protection of nearly a hundred police officers, security guards, bodyguards, and assistants was Wang Yang able to make his way through the crowd. With a brilliant smile, he finally got into the Lincoln sedan, but the car, surrounded by layers of fans, could only move slowly. It was not until a long chase by the fans that the black sedan was able to speed away.

When it comes to the passion and madness of chasing stars, Hong Kong fans certainly rank high, but no Hollywood megastar has ever received such a passionate welcome. Not Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, or Pitt—none of them compared, let alone directors by trade. If today’s arrival had been Stephen Spielberg (Spielberg) or James Cameron, probably not a single person would have shown up. Today’s situation fully proves that when a director becomes a superstar, they are truly unstoppable!

Hong Kongers have been infatuated with the magical Wang Yang for quite some time now. Phrases like “handsome, charming, youthful, wealthy, humorous, kind-hearted, naturally talented, devoted good guy” could go on for three days and nights without end. They regard him as “one of their own,” perfect! The media usually follow his news closely, with one person occupying half of the European and American entertainment news space. Describing him as the “public’s sweetheart” and “national idol” is no exaggeration at all. Last year, the news of the magical Wang Yang’s marriage even caused countless Hong Kong girls to be heartbroken, and the media “Apple Daily” headlined: “Andy Lau doesn’t have a girlfriend, Young Master Yang, why the rush to get married?”

Before the release of “District 9,” 22-year-old Wang Yang’s private visit to Hong Kong with his beautiful girlfriend had already caused a sensation. Now, three years later, things have changed a lot. The 25-year-old Wang Yang’s first official work visit to Hong Kong instantly ignited the city’s enthusiasm. His magical presence was unmatched, leaving other stars and celebrities in the dust like minor characters.

No wonder—there’s not much difference from the mainland situation. Since its release on the 17th, “Firefly” has held the number one spot for five consecutive weeks in Hong Kong, breaking records in Hong Kong’s film history! Hong Kong’s film market has been sluggish for many years, and it is a truly indispensable work for reviving the market, making the cinema owners so happy that they couldn’t stop smiling—a new champion in film history!

It’s simply too much in line with the taste of Hong Kong audiences, and moreover, with “Wang Yang in it, it’s a box office hit.” The simultaneous releases of films like “Batman” and “Initial D,” whether foreign language or local, naturally became cannon fodder.

The first week brought in 41.66 million, the second week 36.51 million, the third week 27.83 million, the fourth week 15.46 million, the fifth week 10.31 million; it swept the Hong Kong box office with a record-breaking 131.77 million Hong Kong dollars (about 16.95 million US dollars) in 35 days! Undoubtedly, it broke all the box office records from the first to the fifth week, the fastest to break ten million (1 day), the fastest to break twenty million (2 days)… the fastest to break a hundred million (19 days)! It soared to become the second film in Hong Kong film history to break the hundred million mark at the box office.

The current film history ranking is as follows: No.1 “Firefly” (Foreign)-2005-HK$131,772,638; No.2 “Titanic” (Foreign)-1997-HK$114,939,300; No.3 “Jurassic Park” (Foreign)-1993-HK$61,898,795; No.4 “Kung Fu Hustle”-2004- HK$61,278,697; No.5 “Shaolin Soccer”-2001-HK$60,739,847…No.9 “Infernal Affairs”-2002-HK$55,057,176…No.14 “God of Gamblers” (Foreign)-2003-HK$47,525,675…

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In a little over a month’s time, “Firefly” surpassed the previous champion, “Titanic,” which had held the record for 7 years, and pushed the winning numbers up to 16.83 million, continuing its journey toward 150 million! It can be said that now, the only person capable of breaking this champion record is Wang Yang himself.

“Everyone has ten reasons why they must see ‘Firefly,’ and the first reason might be Wang Yang, special effects, Kung Fu, Daniel Wu, blockbuster… but my first reason is that it’s classic.” —— He Junhui, Hong Kong film critic association director and member; “How long has it been since I’ve seen such a surprising film? It seems like a first-time taste in this lifetime, ‘Firefly’ can absorb your soul.” —— Shi Qi, Ming Pao; “After watching ‘Firefly,’ Hong Kong filmmakers will feel a despair of being far outmatched. Kung Fu action is no longer an advantage of Hong Kong films.” —— Zhou Lezhi, Wen Wei Po.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

And 51-year-old famous film critic, lover of Chinese culture and films, American Jewish man Paul Fong, who has been a Master of Arts from the University of Southern California and living in Beijing and Hong Kong for 25 years, commented in the South China Morning Post: “Being fortunate to live in the same era as Wang Yang, I have thanked the gods over and over, ‘Firefly’ is the movie I’ve been searching for most of my life, Wang Yang’s miraculous understanding and integration of American and Chinese cultures, American and Chinese films, have reached an incredible level.”…

“Dear friends, hello everyone, I’m Wang Yang, Yang Bro!”

With such enthusiastic Hong Kong fans, Wang Yang naturally wouldn’t disappoint them, including this “thanksgiving tour victory celebration,” his working principle is not to worry about losing face, just absolutely not to waste time on any high society parties or celebrity gatherings, he’s not in Asia to join the crowd, but for his fans, so more TV program interviews the better, and they have to pick the most popular programs with the highest viewer ratings, straight into a TVB entertainment interview today after disembarking to the hotel.

“Ahhh—Young Master Yang!!!” Countless girls in Hong Kong screamed in front of the television screens, only to see Wang Yang, full of smiles, sitting on the sofa in the hotel’s bright and elegant cafe booth, greeting in not-so-fluent Cantonese.

Girls and housewives in every household eagerly grabbed their remote controls to turn up the volume, while the male fans were also very interested. In one household, a youthful and pretty high school girl was beyond excited: “YOUNG talks so smoothly in Cantonese!” The old mother knitting beside her asked: “Is that the miraculous Yang from Hollywood? Quite a handsome lad, isn’t he?” The daughter immediately retorted: “Just quite handsome? Don’t you have any taste! Is there any star more stylish than him? Even Raymond Lam, God of Gamblers stuffed in the back, can’t compare, not to mention the killers of housewife hearts, shush! Don’t talk!!”…

Seeing the public’s lover, the miraculous Yang, TVB Jade Channel interview reporter Zhang Meini was clearly unable to suppress her excitement and her face turned red. Speaking into the microphone marked with the TVB logo, her voice was also mixed up: “I’m so excited, so thrilled! What should I do! The Miraculous Yang is right beside me!” Wang Yang glanced at her with a smile, obviously noticing her fluster, and suddenly said: “I don’t recall owing you any money, do I?” Zhang Meini paused for a second, Wang Yang spread his hands and laughed: “You act as though you’ve run into a long-lost debtor.” Zhang Meini laughed out loud.

“Haha!” “Haha!” The audience in front of the screen all burst into laughter. This guy’s mind was indeed sharp, being able to make jokes and set the mood on the spot even with his halting Cantonese, truly the genuine Miraculous Yang!

“So NICE, so gentle, so considerate!” A beautiful young woman was hugging a pillow and swooning. She had adored the miraculous Yang for many years, feeling that his charm could penetrate every woman’s heart. Why is he so handsome? He was like a god, so admirable, yet more approachable and handsome than any man, she thought her infatuation with Young Master Yang was getting more and more serious…

When admiration for someone reaches a certain level, no matter how you look at them, you like it. You will also like what they like, the people and things they are fond of, the good people and things to them; this is influence. A public lover is even more so, but indeed very charming, even though Wang Yang was wearing a blinding wedding ring, Zhang Meini could not walk out of the gossip trap he set, and she asked in a coy, giggling voice: “You just landed today, what are your impressions of Hong Kong?”

“Very good! I’m so glad to be here in Hong Kong, it’s so great here, everyone is so enthusiastic.” Wang Yang immediately sang high praises, even though the situation at the airport was nearly terrifying for him, fortunate that his wife didn’t come along, he continued to extol: “Actually, this is not my first time in Hong Kong, the place is very prosperous and bustling…”

Hearing an idol praised one after another, the viewers were thoroughly delighted by these odd Cantonese accents, not caring whether it was just courtesy; after all, these were the words of the amazing Wang Yang! As the screen waited for him to finish, Zhang Meini laughed and asked, “Now that ‘Firefly’ is the box office champion in Hong Kong film history, how do you feel?”

“WOO! This is just so incredible and such an honor, it’s a great thing,” Wang Yang became excited and struggled to express himself clearly in Cantonese, and wasn’t sure what the Hong Kong audience liked, so he naturally switched between English, Mandarin, and Cantonese into the microphone: “We are really very thankful for everyone’s love and support for ‘Firefly,’ it’s fantastic! Looking back, our initial worries seem so superfluous and ridiculous, we were actually there discussing whether we could make a billion at the box office.”

Seeing him shrug and laugh, Zhang Meini and the viewers laughed along, and Wang Yang continued, “You know, ‘Titanic’ is a great film, and it took a long time to achieve this accomplishment, but we did it in just over thirty days! It’s insane, like everything is out of control! But we know ‘Firefly’ has the capability to achieve these results, the strength to match these honors, and I sincerely hope it can create even greater miracles, achieve greater success, and your support is the most important, so let’s do it!” He laughed in Cantonese, “For those who haven’t seen it yet, don’t miss out! You won’t be disappointed.”

“Look! Of course, watch it!” The audience laughed cheerily, and some who had heard about ‘Firefly’ all day yesterday, today, and tomorrow, but hadn’t seen it, were now ready to go. Young Master Yang was just too likable! Countless girls, boys, moviegoers, and fans shouted, “Watch it again, this time the IMAX version!! No holding back!”

Flame Movies’ strategy was savvy, leveraging the powerful name of the magical Wang Yang with a massive non-appearance campaign, accompanied by elements like Daniel Wu, Kung Fu Hustle, Eastern colors, and big special effects that guaranteed box office success, the public didn’t complain “why didn’t the magical Wang Yang come first,” they rushed excitedly to the theaters; when the box office battle seemed to tire, another wave of “real-life appearances” strategy was launched, sparking conversations, commandeering headlines, and driving a frenzy, as if injecting the market with a shot of adrenaline, and then striking again!

It must be said, currently the whole of Hong Kong is in a state of “Young Master Yang” or “Yang Bro,” whether in media, online, or in daily life, the always busy Hong Kongers even slowed down, especially the girls walking on the streets, constantly looking around, paying attention to whether that one figure was nearby.

“Young Master Yang, ah!!” “It’s really him!! YOUNG——!!” “Wang Yang!!!”…

SSS-level manhunt alert! Wang Yang, despite wearing cool sunglasses and dressing unremarkably, was not flanked by “foreign” bodyguards and assistants, and his behavior was low-key—it was already evening, but why…

He was still recognized! Right then, at the Victoria Harbour waterfront Walk of Fame, many tourists were surprised to find the magical Wang Yang, causing an immediate sensation. First, a few, then dozens of people gathered around, forcing Wang Yang to hurriedly escape under the protection of his bodyguards and assistants. But he kept getting recognized here and there… After several rounds, unable to endure the crazy enthusiasm, Wang Yang had no choice but to reluctantly return to his room at the InterContinental Hotel.

“Oh my God! I’m hiding out in the hotel now.”

In the elegant and luxurious suite, with the dreamlike beauty in front of him, the night-draped Victoria Harbour was as beautiful as it was years ago, with brightly lit skyscrapers on the opposite shore, twinkling and shifting lights, the faint silhouettes of mountains, and misty reflections on the water, all speaking of its timeless beauty. Standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows and chatting on the phone, Wang Yang took a breath and exclaimed into the phone: “I don’t know how to tell you, I really dare not go shopping anymore, so many people! Too enthusiastic, even more exaggerated than our last visit! My God! Weren’t there thousands at the airport this morning?”

“Jesus!” Jessica couldn’t help but exclaim from the other end, having never seen such a scene at the airport. Wang Yang looked down at his swaying toes and laughed, “I’m thinking, if we ever need a large number of extras on set, shouldn’t we tell the fans? They would surely love to help, and we could save some money.” Jessica’s laughter came through the phone, and she playfully retorted, “Why are you always thinking about saving money? It’s not like I don’t know how to manage a household.”

Wang Yang shrugged his shoulders, watching the cruise ship slowly sailing over the water, and laughed, “Of course, I need to save up. I have to plan for our baby’s milk powder money. We don’t know how many we’re going to have.” Jessica pretended to be upset and said, “I have milk.” Wang Yang burst out laughing, “I know you do, please! Big baby, I never doubted your nursing abilities.” Jessica laughed heartily with a smug look, “I know you didn’t! That was a trap, dear, and you fell for it.”

“Why set a trap for me?” Wang Yang was puzzled, as she was not usually like this. Jessica, intrigued, said, “I saw the news, it said that during your appearance on the show ‘Artistic Life,’ you made the host cry. You really are a bad boy.” It made the news? Wang Yang wasn’t aware of the latest developments and, thinking back to the situation, he shook his head and smiled, “I didn’t, maybe just a little! At first, I was just joking, but he seemed unable to take it. Or was it just his hosting style? I don’t know, he was stunned.”

The emotional changes during pregnancy are truly marvelous, especially when faced with someone to whom her heart is fully opened, Jessica’s mood switched quickly, and she suddenly said softly, “Hmm, I miss you so much.” Wang Yang immediately understood what it meant to yearn for home, and he furrowed his brow and said tenderly to the phone, “Me too. How was the baby yesterday?”…

Wang Yang finally officially arrived in Hong Kong! How could one get to see him? How could one get to know this famous Hollywood director? Surrounded by stars and courted by countless celebrities and big stars who warmly invited him to dinner parties, many people sought introductions to get to know him… Wang Yang declined them all. He had neither the time nor the interest for these activities this time; when he wanted to meet someone, he could do so naturally, and it didn’t bother him if he never met them otherwise.

However, in fact, the best way was to be a well-known host running a very popular talk show…

“I’m recording ‘A Date with Luyu’ today! Looking forward to my next conversation with Chen Luyu!”

“Mr. Wang, hello! I’m really happy to invite you to the program again.” “Miss Chen, hello, hello! I’m also very glad to be on the show again.”

This episode of ‘A Date with Luyu’ went back to recording in Hong Kong. The program wasn’t the same as it was a few years ago; it launched a new version in January this year with the goal of “shaping Chen Luyu into the ‘Chinese Oprah.'” It was now a Chinese-language talk show, recording in a studio with a live audience, and Wang Yang was very happy to see this. It’s the atmosphere that makes it fun! However, Chen Luyu was worried about exactly this “fun.” She had heard about how Wang Yang played with Zhu Jun a couple of days ago, and she really didn’t want news headlines that night saying “Miraculous Yang ends ‘A Date with Luyu’.”

Even though she was sure she wouldn’t get angry, on the contrary, she found it amusing, making the program more interesting; but in the whole interview setup… who was the guest, and who was the host?

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PS: The ranking keeps dropping, ah, begging for monthly tickets! (