The Best Director

“Mr. Wang, thank you for everything you ‘ve done! You saved A- Pix, which is now named Flames-Films, but please allow me to still call it A-Pix. I clearly remember the feeling when I founded it, indescribable satisfaction—it was like my child, bearing all my hopes and dreams. Later, after selling the company to you, I regretted it so much I could not sleep for days. I told myself, ‘I have to buy the company back, I can’t leave it in a young kid’s hands—I would be killing it myself.’ I kept picking up the phone and then putting it down, telling myself, ‘You have to trust that young man, he will cherish the company and value every employee—he promised this.'”

“Now seeing the success of High School Musical, I am overjoyed and can finally sleep well! Mr. Wang, you kept your promise, you are a very capable young man, with admirable abilities and a firm belief. Please keep it up! I believe you will be more and more successful, and A-Pix will continue to create classic movies one after another! Good luck to you! — Chris Lynch.”

Looking at this email on the computer screen, Wang Yang felt very happy. He had kept his promise and hadn’t let anyone down, which was great! Wang Yang smiled slightly and began typing on the keyboard, replying to Chris Lynch’s email. He vividly remembered the crestfallen look on Chris Lynch’s face when signing the sale contract and Lynch’s pleading voice: “Please treasure your employees!”

He had kept that promise. With the grand success of High School Musical, not only was Flames-Films not laying off employees, they were planning to hire more. The company would not shut down but grow even bigger!

After replying to Chris Lynch’s email, Wang Yang glanced at the new messages in his inbox, which was his private email known to only a few close friends. He was looking at an email from Michael Pitt when the phone in his pocket suddenly rang. He took it out and saw the caller ID was “Jon Fieldelmayer.” They had both been busy and hadn’t spoken in a long time, and the last time they’d been in touch was when Wang Yang had called to congratulate Jon on his promotion to CEO of Lionsgate.

Wang Yang answered the call and leaned back in his chair, saying, “Hey, Jon!”

“Hey, Yang, long time no see. How’s everything?” Jon Fieldelmayer’s laughter came through the phone. Wang Yang couldn’t help but laugh as well, responding, “Very good, I’m doing great. My movie is selling alright, the original soundtracks are doing well too, no danger of losing money.”

It was currently the sixth week since High School Musical’s release, and its third in widespread distribution. Over the past three days, it had grossed $18,736,000, and perhaps it would break $30 million again this week; the total box office had reached $147 million. With this momentum, it was very likely to earn over $180 million in North America in the end, a true second Footloose.

Regarding the original soundtrack, the first batch of 100,000 copies was snatched up by students as soon as it hit the shelves, which filled Flames-Films with confidence, so they set the second batch at 500,000 copies. The market was still hungry for more; new stocks emptied as soon as they arrived, keeping the pressing plants extremely busy fulfilling the huge orders.

After swapping a few jokes, Wang Yang asked directly, “Jon, is there something you need?”

Jon now regretted it, and of course, Lionsgate’s board of directors regretted it even more. Watching the current craze for musicals, Jon couldn’t help but imagine if he’d approached Wang Yang enthusiastically to invest in or co-produce High School Musical; then Lionsgate would also be a huge beneficiary of the craze, instead of having to reach out for a collaboration now.

When he had first seen the opening weekend box office for High School Musical, he actually broke out in a cold sweat. He should have known better than to underestimate this young man! Others may not know, but how could he not? The success of Paranormal Activity was nearly all thanks to this young man’s idea; he and Lionsgate were more executors most of the time. This young man had calculated everything when signing the contract, coming up with an unusual profit-sharing scheme; then he used Artisan Company to release Paranormal Activity ahead of schedule; and later, his publicity plans, among others… This young man was very cunning and surely not the type to get carried away with success.

Yet, he had foolishly made the mistake of “arrogance,” missing a grand opportunity.

With these thoughts, Jon sighed deeply in his heart. Hearing Wang Yang’s question, he came back to his senses, laughing as he replied, “Yang, High School Musical is definitely going to be released overseas, right? Oh, what a stupid question! What I mean is, is there a possibility for Lionsgate and Flames to collaborate? You know, our company has a quite comprehensive system for overseas distribution—Europe, South America, Asia, Australia, and even a few countries in Africa, we can contact them all for a release.”

“Oh,” Wang Yang nodded silently, having guessed that Lionsgate was seeking a collaboration when he saw the incoming call, and his guess was right. He smiled and said earnestly into the phone, “No need, Jon. As for the overseas distribution, Flames has the capability to handle it; we don’t have plans to hand over the international distribution rights for High School Musical to anyone else for the time being.”

If you were to ask what the most valuable asset left behind by A-Pix, the predecessor of Flame Films, was, it wouldn’t be the adult film rights to Erotic Games shot by Valeri Fister, nor would it be the scrappy camera equipment. Rather, it was their distribution system. While in North America, their relationships with theater companies were terrible, they indeed had the capacity to distribute a film. They also had the ability to distribute films overseas, which included Europe, South America, Asia, Australia, and more. Hence, they didn’t need Lionsgate to assist them.

In fact, Flame Films was already preparing for the overseas release. With the North American report card of High School Musical, distributors from various countries were eager to import the film. Around July, High School Musical was expected to hit screens across Europe, and it was highly likely that the musical craze sweeping through North America would engulf the whole world.

Jon let out a disappointed “Oh” upon hearing his wish for a collaboration on the international distribution fall through, his tone a bit unwilling, “Wang Yang, are you sure there’s really no area where you need to partner with Lionsgate?”

“Um…” Wang Yang thought for a moment and truly found none. He said half- jokingly and half-seriously, “Maybe there is one. We are looking for partners for merchandise rights including clothes, toys, etc., for High School Musical. If you’re interested, you could contact our company. I’m not in charge of these matters.”

“Clothes, toys?” Jon repeated in astonishment and laughed, “Wang Yang, Lionsgate is a film company, not a clothing company, nor a toy company.”

Wang Yang also laughed, shrugged, and said, “Then there’s nothing I can do. Jon, you know, we can’t just hand over profits to Lionsgate for nothing.” Jon on the other side burst into laughter, his tone self-mocking, “I know, I knew it the moment I picked up the phone. You sly guy, how could you possibly let anyone else take advantage?” Wang Yang couldn’t help but laugh heartily, jokingly saying, “You could start a clothing or toy company, buddy. I’d let you take advantage.” Jon, not taking the bait, laughed and said, “Forget it, my heart is in the film industry.”

After the laughter subsided, both were a bit silent. Wang Yang then asked, “Jon, how’s Paranormal Activity 2 coming along?” A long time ago, he had read the news that Paranormal Activity 2 was starting production. The story of the sequel was set in an office and, according to Lionsgate, the investment was several million dollars. Lately, he had been so busy that he had nearly forgotten about the Paranormal Activity sequel.

“It seems you haven’t been following Lionsgate for a while, have you?” Jon laughed before answering, “The film has already been shot, and it’s now in post-production, which is close to finishing. But we’re not in a hurry, because we’ve planned to release it during this year’s Halloween season.” Wang Yang gave a noncommittal hum. Jon sighed, “Wang Yang, to be honest, we now regret it. We should have hired you as the director. I hope you can forgive our mistake.”

Wang Yang adjusted his sitting posture to lean back more comfortably in his chair, looked up at the ceiling, and smiled at his phone, “It’s alright, Jon, I’ve never held a grudge. Even if you had asked me to direct it back then, I would have declined.” He paused and laughed, “To be honest, I don’t have much enthusiasm for horror films.”

“That’s great, I’m so glad you don’t blame us.” Jon’s voice sounded happy. Of course, he truly was pleased inside. Wang Yang and Flame Films were the new supernovas. They could easily be successful with just High School Musical 2. Lionsgate and Flame were competitors, but they could also be partners. Thinking of the second reason for today’s call, Jon asked, “Wang Yang, do you have plans for the next movie? Is there any chance for us to collaborate?”

“The next movie? Not at the moment; I don’t have any plans,” said Wang Yang shaking his head. High School Musical was still in theatres, and new promotional activities for international distribution awaited. There was much that required his involvement and handling. Where could he find the time to think about the next step? And… Wang Yang sighed and rubbed his temples, “Jon, I’ve been working non-stop for a year, busy every day. I’m a bit tired and I want to rest, to not think about anything and just live peacefully.” He said in a quiet voice, “Read some books, walk a dog—well, though I don’t have one- spend time with my girlfriend, watch a football match in the evening…”

To Wang Yang’s surprise, Jon was astonished and raised his voice, “What? You’re tired at such a young age?” Wang Yang simply laughed, “Even young people get tired. I need some time to reflect on a few things.” Jon seemed regretful, “It looks like you’ve got director’s fatigue. How long do you plan to rest?” Wang Yang shrugged, “I don’t know, at least a month, I guess. Like a summer vacation.” Jon was taken aback, annoyed, “Please, from your tone, I thought you were going to rest for a few years.”

Wang Yang laughed heartily, “No, filmmaking is my way of life. I probably couldn’t survive a few years without it.” He slowly sat up straight, gazing at the daffodils on his computer desk, toying with them, and smiled, “But sometimes, you have to slow down to notice the people and things around you, to enjoy life. Honestly, it’s been a long time since I’ve spent time with my girlfriend. It’s unfair to her.”

“Yes, you’re right,” Jon agreed and laughed, “Wang Yang, your girlfriend is a good girl, you know? When she first called me, she pleaded, ‘Mr. Phil Feilter, please believe me, his movies are really amazing, he’s the most talented person I’ve known…'” Wang Yang froze, realizing Jon had misunderstood, but he found himself at a loss for words as Jon continued, “Later, when your wrong accusation came to light, she called again, ‘Mr. Phil Feilter, you must help Wang Yang, he’s innocent!’… Wang Yang, she’s really good to you, treasure her!”

“It’s not what you think, Jon, you’re mistaken,” Wang Yang exhaled slowly, shaking his head, “My girlfriend isn’t Rachel.” Jon was startled again, blurting out, “What? Not Rachel? Oh my God! I always thought… Looks like I’ve made a blunder.” He laughed awkwardly and teased, “Who is your girlfriend then? It wouldn’t really be Natalie Portman, would it?”

Wang Yang was speechless; he had just realized Jon was such a gossip! He wiped his forehead helplessly, and said, “No, that’s just a ridiculous rumor, I don’t even know Natalie Portman.” He smiled and said, “And who my girlfriend is? I thinkyou’ll find out soon.”

After chatting for a while longer, they ended the call. Wang Yang stretched his body and continued browsing the web. He opened Yahoo to check out the current news but found a bold headline in the entertainment section: “1994, Yang’s Overture to Natalie!” His eyes widened involuntarily as he muttered, “Which gossip rag is making up news now?”

Wang Yang clicked on the news with a smirk, and it was a piece by Daily Entertainment. He skimmed through it and was stunned to find a picture, a scanned page from a publication, allegedly his school magazine from back then. The so-called “overture” was from a page in this school magazine, an article he had once written, “Leon: The Professional, the Wonderful Hitman, the Wonderful Girl!” Wang Yang furrowed his brows as he struggled to recall such an event. At the time, he was a contributor to a weekly school publication, providing a movie review each week. This article must have been one of them. “Damn it, what did I even say?” Wang Yang scratched his head with a mix of laugh and frustration, muttering the words on the screen to himself: “The portrayal of Mathilda by Natalie, it’s like an enchantress fallen to earth, she is so mature, so elegant, so charming! With her brilliant performance, I saw such a lovable girl! It makes one really want to hold her close and tell her ‘I’ll protect you!’… Natalie, I think she will become an Oscar-winning leading actress in the future!”

Oh God! Wang Yang’s expression became somewhat awkward, he kept sighing, “Oh, damn, damn…” He started to recall that during that period, he was madly in love with poetry, which made him want to express his views in an “elegant” manner in his movie reviews, hence the above text. He frowned and muttered to himself, “How did Daily Entertainment get their hands on this school magazine? Even I don’t have a copy.”

He soon got the answer, as there was another paragraph below the article. It was a former classmate who sold the school magazine to Daily Entertainment, a classmate who preferred to remain anonymous. This classmate said, Yang was indeed enchanted by Natalie. He always used to say, ‘Dude, Natalie is my dream!”‘

Wang Yang clenched his teeth in anger, it was one thing for the guy to sell the school magazine, but to fabricate such a statement! When had he ever been infatuated with Natalie Portman? He did indeed admire her performance in Leon: The Professional and loved the character of “Mathilda” on the screen. Maybe that’s why he had raved about Natalie in the review; but there was so much he admired, he appreciated Jean Reno’s performance too, and he remembered including praise for Jean Reno in the review, so was he in love with Jean Reno as well?

“What on earth is this supposed to be?” Wang Yang rolled his eyes speechlessly, as if on the verge of death. He looked at the comments on the news, which seemed to have been taken over by female fans: “Yang, you can’t be with her, no way!” “She’s just a lucky girl, if I had a shot at Leon: The Professional, I could do it well too!” “Natalie, you slut! Don’t steal Yang away!”

Wang Yang glanced over and saw that the number of comments was astonishingly high. Was this the influence of a “phenomenal director”? He shook his head self-deprecatingly and closed all the web pages. He wasn’t sure if Jessica had seen any of this mess of news, but this time there was “evidence”… At that thought, Wang Yang picked up his phone and dialed a number, saying with a smile, “Hey, Jessica, it’s me…”

It had been a while since they had spent time alone. After the movie premiered, other than a few interviews with the crew, they hadn’t met privately. Of course, this was out of fear of being photographed by the paparazzi, which would cause complications and affect the release of High School Musical; but now there was no need to worry anymore. The film’s success was sealed, and now no matter who’s dating news broke out, it wouldn’t affect anything.

After arranging a meeting place with Jessica, Wang Yang left his apartment. Five or six paparazzi were staking out below, including the familiar face Cole. Wang Yang quietly took his car, then routinely circled the neighborhood, seemingly shaking off the paparazzi. It wasn’t about avoiding exposure of a romance; he and Jessica hadn’t had a proper date in a long time, and he didn’t want a bunch of paparazzi following them and ruining the mood.

Parking the car in a nearby parking lot close to the meeting spot, Wang Yang walked toward the prearranged place. The park area was deserted with hardly any pedestrians. He saw Jessica standing by a big tree, dressed in a white T- shirt and jeans, her hair in a ponytail, looking very fresh. Wang Yang smiled and waved his hand as he walked briskly towards her.

When Jessica saw him, her face lit up with a smile, and she walked over. As they approached each other, and looking at Wang Yang’s smile and the deserted surroundings, Jessica couldn’t help but throw her arms around him, resting her cheek on his shoulder and softly said, “Yang, I’ve missed you.” Recalling the recent scandal about Natalie andWang Yang, as well as the “overture” article, Jessica’s grip on his back tightened.

“Jessica, I’ve missed you too,” Wang Yang said, kissing her forehead, feeling her affection, and the youthful heat of her body. He couldn’t help but cup her sweet face and kiss her lips. Jessica responded enthusiastically with a smile and a soft “Mhm.”

As they kissed, their eyes exchanged silent conversation, and their fervent hearts pressed closely together, all the longing of the past days ready to be released in this one kiss. But as they became more passionate, they felt several flashes across their faces and then faintly heard several uncontrollable, excited

“yes!”

Wang Yang was taken aback, the sound like a bucket of cold water extinguishing the passion in his heart. He frowned and scanned the surroundings, saying, “Cole? Is that you?” Jessica’s eyes also followed his gaze, looking around in confusion, “Who is Cole?” Wang Yang replied somewhat helplessly, “A paparazzo.” He stared at a large tree in the distance, feeling that it was the source, and shouted, “Cole, come out, I know it’s you!”

“Ha ha ha!” Sure enough, Cole emerged from behind the tree, laughing. He was holding a telephoto camera and incessantly taking photos of Wang Yang and Jessica, happily saying, “Yang, you’re really sharp! But this time, I finally got it.” He walked closer to the two, crouched down to adjust the angle of his lens, took another snap, and laughed excitedly, “It’s not Natalie, it’s Jessica, haha! Wow, the ‘phenomenal director’ and his leading lady’s story. I’m going to be rich with this one!” He had captured a picture of them kissing, and with “High School Musical” being a hit at the moment, that photo was worth a fortune. It was enough for him to buy a decent car!

Jessica’s cheeks reddened slightly, covering her face with one hand, not knowing what to do, and softly asked Wang Yang, “Yang, what do we do now?” With the success of “High School Musical,” she had recently become a target for paparazzi too, but being photographed kissing her boyfriend like this was certainly a first.

“It’s okay now,” Wang Yang reassured her with a smile, took her hand, and confidently said to Cole, “Hey, Cole, make it look good!” Jessica immediately felt relieved, grasping his hand tightly. She and Yang could finally be openly together, and with that thought, she couldn’t help but smile sweetly.

“Got it!” Cole kept pressing the shutter button, closely following Wang Yang and Jessica. Wang Yang, pulling on Jessica’s hand, walked toward the park’s lake area, saying with a smile, “We don’t need to mind him.” Jessica nodded her head with a smile.

However, after walking a while with Cole constantly by their side, camera at the ready, it made them feel very unnatural, and even their conversation became guarded, too embarrassed to speak sweet nothings. Wang Yang finally couldn t take it anymore, stopped in his tracks, and glared at Cole, “Man, you’ve already gotten our kissing pictures, can you let us have a peaceful date?

“NO!” Cole immediately responded with a laugh. He shrugged, “I need to get something more valuable, at least a picture of you two returning to the apartment together. That shot could make my little car much nicer!” Jessica tried to negotiate, “Then can you please follow behind us, not right next to us, okay?” Cole smiled and said, “No, that way I might lose you, and pictures from halfway through your date could be worth something too.”

Wang Yang couldn’t help but show anger on his face, “Don’t get greedy, Cole!” Jessica also showed a look of sheer helplessness and anger, not wanting to say anything more.

“If you want to hit me, go ahead, I’m all for it,” Cole said, laughing at Wang Yang. He captured the angry reactions of both and appeared to give a “friendly reminder,” “But you’ll have to get used to this. It’s just me this time. Next time? There might be ten or twenty people surrounding you. Who can blame you for being more popular than the president now?”

“Yang, let’s go,” Jessica said, and Wang Yang nodded.

They left the park, attempting to shake Cole off in their car but ultimately failed. Their long-awaited reunion date was ruined. Cole, however, didn’t manage to get a photo of them returning to the apartment together; but the photo of the two kissing was enough to tell the whole story.

The next day, the front page of the entertainment section of the “Los Angeles Times” featured Cole’s triumphant shot, accompanied by the headlines:’ Yang & Jessica, In Love!”