Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 268 Unexpected Popularity
Fan Bingbing, who is no stranger to the industry, certainly knows who Zhang Weiping is. He is the boss of New Pictures Film Studio and Zhang Yimou's partner. It is said that the two are very close, like brothers, and Zhang Weiping has always considered himself Zhang Yimou's spokesperson.

In an interview with reporters, he said:

"In my opinion, 'Brotherhood of Blades' is nothing special. It's not even close to 'New Dragon Gate Inn' compared to our previous film, and it's far inferior to our 'Hero'!"

Where is it lacking? From the actors to the plot, from the scenes, colors, and cinematography, to the film's artistic conception and theme, it is inferior to our "Hero" in every aspect!
With our cast, we have Jet Li. Which actor in "Brotherhood of Blades" can compare?
Furthermore, the movie "Brotherhood of Blades" doesn't deserve to be called a martial arts movie. A true hero is a true hero. If you make a movie about a government lackey, where is the chivalry?
When it comes to big-budget martial arts films, we have to call it "Hero"! The greatest heroes are those who serve their country and its people, with the world in their hearts!

......"

Fan Bingbing was also displeased after seeing the article. What did Zhang Weiping mean by this? Was he deliberately picking a fight?
She immediately asked, "Sister, what does Zhang Weiping mean by this? Why is he causing trouble at this time?"

Jiang Qinqin's expression was also cold and stern. She sneered, "He's deliberately causing trouble to attract attention to their movie. But he's quite bold, trying to climb over us to get ahead?"

Fan Bingbing immediately chimed in, "Exactly! I think he's just a clown! He can't stand to see our 'Brotherhood of Blades' doing well!"

Jiang Qinqin remained silent. She wasn't worried about Zhang Weiping, but rather about Zhang Yimou. "Hero" was directed by Zhang Yimou, and given his relationship with Zhang Weiping, even though it wasn't Zhang Yimou who made the comments, who knew if Zhang Weiping was expressing Zhang Yimou's attitude?

Moreover, the media always loves a good show, and even if it wasn't Zhang Yimou's original intention, the outside world probably already considers Zhang Weiping's remarks to be Zhang Yimou's own.

Although Wu Yuchen is not afraid of Zhang Yimou given his current status, Jiang Qinqin is still a little worried if the two of them really start fighting.

At this moment, Fan Bingbing also thought of this and pulled Jiang Qinqin and said, "Sister Qinqin, shouldn't you call your brother-in-law and tell him about this?"

Jiang Qinqin nodded and hummed in agreement; she had the same thought even if Fan Bingbing hadn't said anything.

"Okay, don't worry, I already know about it. You can just continue with your promotional activities as usual."

Wu Yuchen hung up the phone with a smile, then looked at the computer in front of him. Sure enough, reporters had already started publishing articles online titled "Zhang Yimou criticizes 'Brotherhood of Blades'" and "Zhang Yimou criticizes Wu Yuchen."

Shortly after he hung up the phone with Jiang Qinqin, it rang again. He picked it up, glanced at it, and then answered with a smile:
"Hey, Senior Brother Zhang!"

"Hey, you're talking about this? Senior Brother Zhang, there's no need to apologize. Don't I know what kind of person you are? You are you, and he is he. I can definitely tell the difference. It won't affect our friendship as fellow disciples."

Besides, I don't worry too much about publicity; I've left it all to my company. We're busy preparing for our new movie right now. You don't need to pay attention to those reporters' baseless reports; it's pointless to waste your energy on it…

Okay, let's talk later. I wish you great success with your book, *Hero*!

Wu Yuchen chatted with Zhang Yimou on the phone for a while, then hung up, shaking his head with a smile. He knew Zhang Yimou's character quite well; he was honest and unassuming, with no arrogance whatsoever, and rarely spoke ill of others behind their backs.

To say he's jealous of Wu Yuchen's current status is just making sarcastic remarks. If Zhang Yimou wanted to compete for that title, with his achievements, he could have been competing with Kai Zi ten years ago.

Just then, the phone rang again. He answered it, and the person on the other end immediately began apologizing.
"Director Wu, I'm so sorry! I never expected this to happen. 'Brotherhood of Blades' is absolutely a top-notch film, and I have the utmost respect for Director Wu. I have never had the thought of slandering Director Wu's reputation. I never expected Zhang Weiping to say such a thing!"

On the other end of the phone was none other than Jiang Zhiqiang, the investor and producer of "Hero".

Wu Yuchen chuckled and said, "Mr. Jiang, there's no need to be so tense. We've worked together before, and I trust your character. Besides, it's just a small matter. Do you think I'm such a petty person?"

"Of course not! I know you're a magnanimous person, Mr. Wu, and you won't hold it against us, but just because you don't mind doesn't mean I can live with myself. I must personally express my stance to you! Also, I promise I won't let anyone from the crew make similar remarks again!"

Jiang Zhiqiang harbored deep resentment towards Zhang Weiping. He had collaborated with Wu Yuchen on "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and was well aware of Wu Yuchen's influence in China and Hollywood. In Jiang Zhiqiang's view, without Wu Yuchen's help, it's uncertain whether "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" would have won an Oscar so smoothly last year.

He didn't really care about the domestic market and box office when he invested in the film "Hero". What difference would it make if it grossed 100 or 200 million yuan in China? In the end, he would only have a few million US dollars left.

His real ability to break even and make money depends on how much he can sell the overseas copyrights for; that's where his main income comes from.

And who is the most powerful Chinese filmmaker in Hollywood right now? It's Wu Yuchen!

Even Michael Eisner, the head of Disney, was brought down by Wu Yuchen. If he were to displease him and try to obstruct the overseas sale of the rights to "Heroes", do you think the major Hollywood studios would give him that kind of face?
Therefore, Jiang Zhiqiang genuinely never intended to offend Wu Yuchen, but he never expected Zhang Weiping, that big mouth, to pull such a stunt on him!
Jiang Zhiqiang then added, "Director Wu, don't worry, tomorrow I will personally issue a statement on behalf of the 'Hero' crew to apologize to 'Brotherhood of Blades' for this matter!"

Wu Yuchen smiled and waved his hand: "Mr. Jiang, there's no need to make a fuss. 'Brotherhood of Blades' is made to be seen. Some people will like it, and some will hate it. It's normal to have more criticism in the market."
Besides, more voices in the market make it more lively, don't they? As for Zhang Weiping, let him say what he wants; you don't need to stop him.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhiqiang was taken aback for a moment: "This, Mr. Wu, this is not quite right..."

"Don't worry, my friendship with Mr. Jiang won't be affected by such a trivial matter. Movies are movies, and publicity is publicity."

Jiang Zhiqiang gleaned some unspoken meaning from Wu Yuchen's words. After thinking for a moment, he roughly guessed what Wu Yuchen meant, and still praised him, saying, "Mr. Wu, your level is truly high! I admire you!"

After Wu Yuchen hung up the phone again, he thought for a moment and then dialed Cai Yinong's number.

As soon as Cai Yinong answered the phone, she said, "Director Wu, don't worry, we will definitely take a tough stance to deal with this."

"Okay, I won't get involved in this. You personally confront Zhang Weiping and start a war of words, then find someone to stir up the topic of Zhang Yimou's conflict with me. You need to manage the timing well, escalate it little by little, and try to keep the hype going for as long as possible, understand?"

Cai Yinong assured him, "Director Wu, don't worry, I'll definitely handle this." Only after Wu Yuchen hung up did she put her phone aside. At that moment, a beautiful woman approached him, took his arm, and asked curiously:
"Zhang Weiping said those things about you, how come you're not angry at all?"

Wu Yuchen put his arm around Li Xiaoran's waist and said with a smile, "Why would I be angry? He's come at just the right time, I'm overjoyed!"

Li Xiaoran became increasingly puzzled: "He criticized you and 'Brotherhood of Blades,' and you're still happy?"

Wu Yuchen chuckled and asked in return, "Sister Ranran, what do you think of the current public opinion surrounding 'Brotherhood of Blades'? Will Zhang Weiping's words affect my reputation and the reputation of 'Brotherhood of Blades'?"

Without hesitation, Li Xiaoran replied, "How could that be! Everyone's praising you and 'Brotherhood of Blades' to the skies right now, no amount of criticism from him can change that!"

"So, Zhang Weiping's words won't change my reputation or that of 'Brotherhood of Blades' at all, nor will they affect me. I have no reason to be angry. On the contrary, his statement will only generate more buzz for 'Brotherhood of Blades' and bring up the topic of comparing Zhang Yimou and me."

As a result, some of Zhang Yimou's die-hard fans, in order to defend him, would have to go to the cinema to watch "Brotherhood of Blades" before they could speak up for him. Some curious passersby would also go to the cinema to watch "Brotherhood of Blades" because of this.

This is a boost for "Brotherhood of Blades" to achieve even higher box office returns, how could I not be happy?

Upon hearing Wu Yuchen's explanation, Li Xiaoran immediately understood what he meant and exclaimed, "Wow, you can play like that?"

Wu Yuchen laughed and said, "Hehe, these are normal practices in Hollywood. It's just that our Chinese entertainment industry is still developing, so most people haven't seen much of it yet."

Now, almost two weeks after its release, "Brotherhood of Blades" is still grossing over ten million yuan a day, but the decline in box office revenue has started to widen. Wu Yuchen wouldn't have been able to do much about this, as all the necessary promotion had already been done. But then Zhang Weiping jumped in!

In fact, Wu Yuchen knew very well that Zhang Weiping just wanted to ride the wave of popularity. As a martial arts film, "Hero" would definitely be compared with "Brotherhood of Blades" when it was released in half a year.

However, the promotional and marketing methods of "Brotherhood of Blades" have now surpassed those of "Hero" in every aspect. Therefore, Zhang Weiping is taking a risk and wants to take advantage of the current popularity of "Brotherhood of Blades" to piggyback on the popularity of "Hero" and get a lot of free traffic.

Since you want to piggyback on my "Brotherhood of Blades" hype, Wu Yuchen doesn't mind using Zhang Yimou's name to generate more buzz for the film. He believes that given Zhang Weiping's outspoken nature, he won't back down so easily.

That afternoon, Cai Yinong gave an interview on behalf of Miracle Films and "Brotherhood of Blades":
"Brotherhood of Blades is not afraid of any voices and welcomes everyone from all walks of life to speak freely. Whether it is praise or criticism, we accept it all! Brotherhood of Blades is not afraid to be compared with any work, including Hero!"

Her words immediately triggered a heated exchange among the reporters present, and one reporter promptly pressed on, asking, "Are you implying that 'Brotherhood of Blades' is better than 'Hero'?"

What are your thoughts on "Hero"?

"What are Director Wu's thoughts on this matter?"

What are your thoughts on director Zhang Yimou?

Faced with numerous questions from reporters, Cai Yinong smiled and said, "Hero is a movie that hasn't been released yet. I haven't even seen it, so how can I give it a review?"

I respect director Zhang Yimou, and *Hero* might be a good movie. But I have more faith in *Brotherhood of Blades*, because Wu Yuchen is the best director in China!

Cai Yinong's attitude was clear, and reporters reported her words.

Soon after, Zhang Weiping responded to Cai Yinong's words:

"The best director in China? Zhang Yimou is the one!"
Wu Yuchen has indeed achieved some success in Hollywood, but he's only made foreign films. What's the point of Hollywood box office success and Oscar awards? Shouldn't the best Chinese directors be compared to other Chinese-language films?

When it comes to Chinese-language films, Zhang Yimou is truly the best director in China, and no one can compare to him!

"Hero is definitely better than Brotherhood of Blades, just you wait and see!"

The back-and-forth exchange between Cai Yinong and Zhang Weiping in the newspapers has certainly opened everyone's eyes. Both are seen as spokespeople for Wu Yuchen and Zhang Yimou respectively, so their dialogue represents the attitudes of Wu Yuchen and Zhang Yimou!
"Who is better, Wu Yuchen or Zhang Yimou?"

Will "Hero" be better than "Brotherhood of Blades"?

"Can Zhang Yimou make a better martial arts film than 'Brotherhood of Blades'?"

In an instant, the media turned the conversation around Wu Yuchen and Zhang Yimou, seemingly determined to see who was better. This kind of excitement and juicy gossip naturally sparked heated discussions among the public!
Newspapers mostly listed the two actors' films and achievements, offering no definitive conclusions and leaving the questions to the readers. However, the internet was a different story. Debates on this topic erupted on both Tianya and Mop.

To be honest, when it comes to who is the best director in China, Wu Yuchen or Zhang Yimou, most people side with Wu Yuchen. There's no way around it; Wu Yuchen's achievements are clearly more dazzling than Zhang Yimou's!

In terms of European awards, Zhang Yimou is on par with Wu Yuchen. However, when it comes to Hollywood and the Oscars, it's simply impossible to compare. Therefore, once Wu Yuchen's achievements in various aspects are listed, discerning people will all be on his side.

But Zhang Weiping was clever; he specifically chose an angle: Chinese-language directors should only be compared to Chinese-language films. And you know what? This actually garnered a lot of support.

Zhang Yimou's fans now have something to say, believing that in terms of achievements in Chinese-language films alone, Zhang Yimou is no less than Wu Yuchen.

(End of this chapter)