After all of them were reborn, who would still be an actor?

Chapter 714 National Business Card
Back at the hotel, the celebration banquet was drawing to a close.

After finishing his last shift and seeing everyone else off, Li Mingyang returned to the presidential suite to pack up and head back to China that evening.

He brought a large group of people with him to Cannes this time, more than twenty in total.

Before leaving, Li Mingyang called Zhang Wei to the balcony alone and told her that when buying and selling copyrights, she should prioritize quantity over quality.

"Instead of buying, we should make our own. European films from Cannes aren't really suitable for Asia."

"As long as there are passionate scenes and nudity, that's enough. We'll just fill the entire artsy channel with all those European films..."

Zhang Wei didn't want to waste any more words on this matter, and instead said, "If Li Meijin can really stay in Korea, it won't do us any harm. Our foundation in Korea is too shallow, and her words will carry more weight."

“There’s no point in saying all this. She can’t control me, and I can’t control her. She’s been blinded by the great situation,” Li Mingyang said.

"Is there a problem?"

"Who knows..."

Li Mingyang, having gained supernatural insight, knew just how formidable Li Meijin would be after being forced to leave South Korea, embrace Hollywood, and make a comeback.

But whether his involvement will bring about change remains to be seen.

At a crucial time of Sino-Korean cooperation, a film that won the Palme d'Or, "The Handmaiden," was produced.

There's a lot more to this than meets the eye!

Lee Myung-yang already knew little about Korean entertainment, and now he's even more confused!
……

Li Mingyang first returned to Yanbei to attend the celebration banquet prepared by the General Administration.

This celebration banquet made Li Mingyang very unhappy!

Because Zhang Yimou and Li An also came.

The leaders were very frustrated by Zhang Yimou's failure, and it was written all over their faces.

Despite being a major contributor and a Palme d'Or winner, the director was not fully accepted by the leadership.

Although he had prepared himself before returning to China, he knew there were many voices in the country, and winning the Palme d'Or did not mean he would be fully recognized by the mainstream!

But inviting Zhang Yimou to his victory celebration banquet was absurd; it made him seem like a consolation party.

Li Mingyang was in a terrible mood.

Therefore, in less than half an hour, he was drunk and had to be carried into the lounge by Jiang Wen.

"Brother, don't hold any grudges. You're quite adept at political maneuvering, aren't you? This is just a tactic to teach you the rules... Back in the day, I won the jury's grand prize, and then I was banned from directing for five years!"

"In this country, apart from Zhang Yimou, no one can suppress you. He doesn't actually want to take the blame either. Didn't you see that his smile was uglier than his tears? It's not easy for anyone."

“Don’t take Li An too seriously. So what if he has three Oscars? He’s not one of us at all. There are far more people in that room who have a problem with him than you.”

"Alright, stop pretending to be asleep, let's have a good drink together, brother." Jiang Wen said, taking out two small bottles of Moutai from his pocket and placing them on the table.

Li Mingyang opened his eyes, put his hands behind his head, looked at the ceiling, and said, "Big brother, when will this ever end?"

"What kind of head do you have? Big head? Or small head?" Jiang Wen said in a lewd way.

"I've already won the Palme d'Or, but I don't feel like the treatment is much better."

"There are many benefits. A lot of people are counting on you to boost their political achievements. In the next few years, you will be the country's calling card, the Palme d'Or winner, Li Mingyang! Let's not even talk about the whole world; almost every Chinese person around the globe knows your name now! Your influence is off the charts!"

"It's all just empty fame..." Li Mingyang said modestly, feeling much better.

"This humility is too hypocritical. Do you know what kind of person Chen Kaizi was back when he won the Palme d'Or? He looked down on everyone else as inferiors, as if they weren't powerful and wealthy, and that they weren't even worthy of talking to him!"

The famous line, "Arthur, please have a seat!" echoed in Li Mingyang's mind.

"Speaking of which, I won the Palme d'Or, but where's Chen Kaizi?"

"You're playing dead. You probably won't see him for the next few years, and who knows what he's saying about you behind your back!"

"I don't think so. My Palme d'Or wasn't won by a Chinese-language film. Maybe in a few days, Chen Kai will comfort himself and come out to say that Farewell My Concubine is the first Palme d'Or for a Chinese-language film."

"Haha! Hahaha!"

The two drank their drinks while complaining about Kai Zi, analyzing him in a very logical and insightful way.

Just as the two were making sarcastic remarks and having a good time,

The door opened, and Section Chief Jia walked in, hunched over, head down, and with a smirk. "I knew Director Li was faking being drunk."

"Why are you here?"

"The air pressure outside is too high, it's uncomfortable." Jia Zhangke pulled a bottle of specially supplied Moutai from under his arm and chuckled, "I had a hard time getting this liquor."

"I didn't expect you to have this trick up your sleeve." Jiang Wen laughed and patted Jia Zhangke on the shoulder.

It's somewhat reminiscent of a tiger slapping a sheep, or Wu Song slapping Wu Dalang.

Li Mingyang was amused, but it was a pity that Section Chief Jia's wife did not have the beauty of Pan Jinlian.

Section Chief Jia also came over to advise Li Mingyang to calm down, saying that if anyone was in a bad situation, he was the worst off.

Having won so many awards and being part of the Beijing Film Academy, it was said that fate would allow it to pass censorship and be shown in theaters, but it would be removed once it returned to China.

They won't let you release it!
The woman could release the explicit scenes after cutting them out, which made him extremely envious.

"Although it can be released after passing censorship, the box office won't be very good, so it won't affect the stock price," Li Mingyang sighed.

"Old Jia, why do I feel like he's so annoying?" Jiang Wen said with a sinister look in his eyes.

"Yeah! The day after you got the Golden Palm, Enlight Media's stock price hit the daily limit up, and it's still rising today!" Old Jia slapped his thigh, his face full of pain.

"Ha ha!"

Happiness is built on the suffering of others—this is a joke, but it is also a truth.

Hearing Jiang Wen and Section Chief Jia's tearful story, Li Mingyang's mood improved considerably.

Jiang Wen really had a chance to win the Palme d'Or back then, but unfortunately, at the age when he was at the peak of his talent, he was banned from directing for five years. Five years! How many five-year periods does one have in a lifetime!
Because he caused trouble in Cannes, he ended up winning the Palme d'Or. As a filmmaker from Southeast University, Director Jia didn't even win the Best Screenplay award this year. How pathetic!
God is certain that it deserves the Best Screenplay award.

But when it comes to distributing the spoils in Cannes, Section Chief Jia was sacrificed.

After a while, Zhang Yimou also arrived.

He brought a plate of peanuts and a bottle of Moutai.

"Director Li, congratulations! The youngest Palme d'Or winner in Cannes history." Zhang Yimou raised his glass to Li Mingyang.

Since Zhang Yimou was so friendly, he couldn't refuse, so he clinked glasses with him.

"Director Li, I heard that China Film Group wants you to direct The Three-Body Problem... I'm getting old, and sometimes... I feel like I can't keep up with the times. I'm willing to do The Three-Body Problem, but I'm not capable enough. If you can take on The Three-Body Problem, it would be a great blessing for Dongda Film Studio!" Zhang Yimou said with a smile.

Does Li Mingyang sound like he's stepping down and handing over the reins?
It shouldn’t be!

In his past life, Zhang Yimou suffered a setback at Cannes and suddenly realized that everything was about making money!

"Director Zhang, did they force you...? I really didn't plan to film The Three-Body Problem. The fact that you took over is like giving me time to go out and have fun with prostitutes. You deserve some credit for my Palme d'Or."

Li Mingyang's words were like a sword, piercing Zhang Yimou's heart and causing him excruciating pain!
If Li Mingyang hadn't been kicked out of the Three-Body Problem, he wouldn't have missed a single meeting, big or small.

How could someone possibly concentrate all their energy and produce a prostitute in just over a month?

When he returned from filming, he was still bothered by The Three-Body Problem.

I'm often called in by the leaders of the Sky Ladder to discuss ideas, core concepts, and science fiction...

The top leader is paying too much attention and making too many demands!
"Director Li is the future of Dongda Film and the future of science fiction in China. It is only right that he should be handed over to you. No one else is more suitable for this role. Come on, cheers!"

"Shall we take a picture together?"

"I've already resigned." After saying that, Zhang Yimou tilted his head back and downed the whole thing in one gulp, the taste of which was bitter.

If the Palme d'Or is lost, the Three-Body Problem cannot be saved either.

The leaders were afraid that too much suppression would cause the young man to rebel, so they sent these people over to persuade and calm Li Mingyang down.

They've lost both face and dignity.

Li Mingyang is an absolute genius when it comes to filmmaking, box office success, and awards, but he hasn't been in the domestic cultural scene long enough to understand many things.

Winning international awards is the ticket to entering the inner circle.

The Palme d'Or is definitely the most prestigious ticket to the tournament.

But having an admission ticket isn't enough; you have to accept the challenges and arrangements before you can truly enter the inner circle.

It doesn't matter if Li Mingyang doesn't understand.

That's why Zhang Yimou was assigned to personally teach them!

With Jiang Wen and Jia Zhangke's groundwork laid, Li Mingyang's mood improved considerably, and he was able to listen to what Zhang Yimou was saying.

He was actually quite experienced in this kind of "beating around," but just beating around without giving anything in return made Li Mingyang unhappy.

From Zhang Yimou, he finally understood where these benefits came from!

Task!

Both domestic cultural development and international cultural outreach can receive various subsidies, with tax rebates being just one of them.

The main attraction is still the film and television city!
Film studios are linked to real estate; they go through expedited processes to acquire land and secure funding.

The government is going to vigorously develop film and television cities to drive the overall tourism and cultural industry.

We naturally need to identify some successful examples!
Tasks will be assigned soon.

This task was originally intended for Huayi Brothers. But since they won the Palme d'Or, the higher-ups have unanimously decided to let Enlight Media take the lead!
After listening to Zhang Yimou's words, Li Mingyang couldn't help but sigh inwardly, even though Huayi Brothers had been dealt a heavy blow!

Ultimately, China will still follow the failed path of combining film studios with real estate development.

After all, the higher-ups don't know the extent of the mess this thing has made. How will they know if they don't try?

The most amazing thing about the University of Tokyo is its incredibly vast space for trial and error! Number one in the world!

"Well... I'm almost sober now. Let's all go out together, so we don't keep the boss waiting."

"..."*3
Palme d'Or in hand, a national symbol!

Li Mingyang is now a renowned director with national honors.

As long as the benefits are right, he'll have whatever attitude the leader wants!

……

The celebration banquet ended around 10 p.m.

Li Mingyang was refreshed after drinking, while Zhang Yimou was really drunk! He was carried to the car by his assistant.

"Director Li, are you free tomorrow? Let's get together," Li An said.

"I'm going to South Korea tomorrow. Let's get together again when I get back."

Li Mingyang stood by the car door, shaking hands with Li An as they spoke.

"Ok."

With three Oscars under his belt, Li An is actually more deserving of the title of Asia's number one director than Li Mingyang or Zhang Yimou.

Box office and international awards, both commercially and artistically, are top-notch in Asia!

These days, movies are no longer about art first, as they were in the last century; commerce is the mainstream.

Art director Wong Kar-wai hates it when people call his films art films; he believes his films are actually quite "commercial."

He also said something very classic: "Commerce is not the opposite of art."

From the perspective of film history, the three great directors of "Little Days"—Akira Kurosawa, Ozu, and Mizoguchi—are considered to be masters who have made significant contributions to world cinema.

Akira Kurosawa's seamless editing and multi-camera shooting, Ozu's fixed camera and low-angle shots, and Mizoguchi's panning long takes and one-shot concept—these stylistic elements laid the foundation for later filmmaking concepts.

Furthermore, Ozu was a rookie executioner who never reflected on his actions or apologized.

It is a newborn.

Li Mingyang didn't really understand why domestic filmmakers worshipped these newcomers. Maybe it was for monetization and performance?

From an artistic standpoint, "Little Days" was ahead of several domestic versions.

But that's all in the past.

In the new era, the international influence of directors from Tokyo University has long surpassed that of their scripts.

Notable figures include Wong Kar-wai, Hou Xiaoxian, Yang Dechang, Li An, Zhang Yimou, Kai Ge, and Jiang Wen.

Li An has won three Oscars, so the title of Asia's number one should have been his long ago.

How formidable Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was back in the day!
He won't be number one.

It's not a matter of nationality; his nationality has always been that of the University of Tokyo!

Firstly, because he wasn't supported domestically, and secondly, because he never intended to compete for the top spot!
His background is complicated... and his stance is also complicated.

He wouldn't even dare to touch the Three-Body Problem project!

Fearing misunderstanding from above, his grandfather died during that particular period.

Therefore, he keeps a low profile.

After greeting the leaders and the director, Li Mingyang got into the car and headed to Enlight Media.

The bet on Wall Street began the moment he won the Palme d'Or.

FBTV aims to achieve $10 billion in revenue within two years.

Only he can keep FBTV!

Around 10 p.m., Li Mingyang arrived at the headquarters of Guangxian.

In the chairman's office.

Li Mingyang met Wang Changtian and Hughes, who were buried in a pile of documents.

Wang Changtian and Hughes were the first to know the origin of the Palme d'Or.

While Wang Changtian was shocked, he also realized that this was an opportunity, an unprecedentedly good opportunity.

Wall Street offered a super betting agreement, which not only locked up Li Mingyang, but also gave up its attempt to target FBTV in the financial market.

Hughes strongly recommends that South Korean stocks be delisted and that South Korean stocks be listed on the US stock market.

The Korean stock market is Wall Street's backyard. But it's no fun just wandering around in the backyard. Everyone's goal is to list on the US stock market!

With the backing of the top investment institutions on Wall Street, listing on the US stock market is a piece of cake.

Compared to the Chinese A-shares market and South Korea, the way US stocks are traded is quite different!

Or rather, it should be more complete, more capital-driven, and more market-oriented.

US stock market investors really do receive dividends! They can benefit from both the stock price increases and the dividends.

When the price of a stock is high, investors may be hesitant to invest.

To attract more investors, listed companies may consider stock splits.

A stock split is the process of dividing one share into multiple shares. In theory, the value of the shares held by a shareholder does not change, but the number of shares held increases.

Nvidia has arguably had the most frequent stock splits since the turn of the millennium, yet its stock price has still risen so dramatically.

After the stock price exceeded $1000, it underwent a 1-for-10 stock split!
This is a tactic to attract retail investors.

There's a saying in the US stock market: a stock that doesn't split its shares isn't a good stock!
US stocks follow a pattern of rising, rising, and splitting! Rising, rising, and splitting!
Stocks that undergo stock splits are bound to surge!
The US stock market is full of experts, and even with big players manipulating the market, retail investors can still snatch profits from the jaws of defeat.

This forced Wall Street to pull the plug!

Driven by discontent with the short-selling of Game Station by Wall Street institutions, American retail investors, rallied by a rallying cry from their leader, poured into the stock market with government-issued mask relief funds and years of savings, engaging in a buying spree.

The stock price, which Wall Street institutions considered worth only $20, surged to $485, directly crushing numerous professional short-selling firms and forcing Wall Street to resort to underhanded tactics: disconnecting internet cables, deleting accounts, and banning trading...

This event was later adapted into the Hollywood movie "Dumb Money"!
The US stock market is the most regulated in the world, but also the most disgusting.

Dumb money is just the tip of the iceberg.

The US prints so much money recklessly, and it's all propped up by the US stock market.

However, this has nothing to do with Li Mingyang. What he needs to do now is to dominate Asia within two years and make FBTV's revenue exceed 10 billion US dollars!

This is a process of expansion! It requires burning through cash like crazy!

Wall Street holds a whopping 75% stake, while Li Meijin owns 5%.

Enlight Media and Wang Changtian 2%, Huace Media and Zhao Boss 2%, CCTV 1%.

He only has 15% left to raise funds, but the funds raised cannot exceed half of the shares.

He holds the most common stock! He's pledged too much; if it can't be recovered, he's doomed!
Wall Street could bare its fangs at any moment!

They won't obediently wait two years!
FBTV has conquered Japan, dominated Asia, amassed over 10 million subscribers, and generated over $5 billion in revenue... Wall Street may be poised to plunder its profits at any moment!
Hollywood might also make a move!
They could be friends, or they could be enemies.

Wall Street's idea is actually very simple: Netflix + Facebook TV will dominate the world!
This is a dark forest, a chaotic battleground!

"Mr. Wang, how's the sorting going?" Li Mingyang asked.

"There are too few high-quality assets."

Are film studios considered high-quality assets?

Wang Changtian looked at Hughes.

“Of course it counts, those are top-quality assets!” Hughes put down the documents in his hand, took off his glasses, and said, “Going public is about telling a story. To tell a good story, you must use American companies as a reference, such as Asian versions of eBay, Amazon, and Google. American stock market investors are used to simple narratives, so don’t make it too complicated… How about an Asian Disney?”

“An Asian Netflix would be a more fitting description,” Wang Changtian said.

“No, Disney is better! Netflix’s stories are a bit complicated. Don’t make simple things too complicated. Those idiots won’t understand. The simpler, the better,” Hughes argued.

Of the three, Hughes, representing Wall Street, is the most qualified to speak on the topic of US stocks.

He's a top expert in mergers and acquisitions on Wall Street!

One of the participants in Youku's US stock listing.

"You keep calling them idiots, but who are those idiots?" Wang Changtian asked.

"You wouldn't understand even if I told you now. You'll see when we ring the Nasdaq bell."

“What Hughes means is that not all elites are smart… just like here, some people are just born with good looks,” Li Mingyang said.

"Isn't the American elite training system the best?" Wang Changtian said.

"That doesn't stop there from being a lot of idiots; intelligence isn't hereditary. Haha!"

"..."*2
(End of this chapter)