The Best Director

In the stylish and luxurious VIP lounge of the terminal building, the “Entertainment Scene” crew had just finished their pick-up interview. Once the middle-aged male photographer turned off the camera, a staff member handed a gift to Wang Yang. Shen Xing, who also got up from the sofa, smiled and said, “Mr. Wang, this is a gift from our program team. Welcome to China!”

“Thank you, I really like this gift.” Wang Yang thanked her with a smile as he received the gift, a cute monkey plush toy holding a stick with red tips and a yellow center, and wearing a yellow circlet; he recognized it as Sun Wukong, the Monkey King from “Journey to the West.”

Indeed, Shen Xing chuckled as she explained, “You were born on February 5, 1980, and according to the traditional start of spring, your zodiac sign is the monkey. This is Sun Wukong, a character from one of China’s four great classical novels, ‘Journey to the West’. He’s very powerful and magical, so we wanted to give him to you.” Although Wang Yang said he liked it, she still said with a smile on her face, “I hope you like it.”

“Yeah, thank you! I know Sun Wukong.” Wang Yang played with the plush toy’s staff, which unfortunately didn’t extend or contract at will, and boasted with a laugh, “I’ve read ‘Journey to the West’. I first saw the comic strips when I was little, and later I read the book. I’ve read ‘Romance of the Three Kingdoms’ and ‘Water Margin’ among the four great classical novels of China, just not ‘Dream of the Red Chamber’. I don’t like Jia… Jia Baby… NO, Jia Gem… Jia Baoyu! He’s too effeminate.”

Listening to his exaggerated Beijing accent, Shen Xing looked a bit surprised and indeed found his mistake amusing. As a Chinese literature graduate familiar with the classics, it was no surprise; but Wang Yang was truly a “China hand”. The other photographers chuckled, while assistant Susan McCarthy, who understood Chinese but not the classics, and the two imposing Israeli bodyguards maintained their smiles.

“Oh.” Wang Yang then realized he’d said something wrong, as that remark seemed dismissive of women, but it wasn’t. He clarified his intention, “I didn’t mean anything by it, just a joke. I think in that era, men and women were influenced by their environment and there were differences in personality and capabilities, the societal roles they could play. A man should have his responsibilities…”

He continued, shrugging and rolling his eyes, “Quack quack quack! I’m just talking nonsense; I’ve never read ‘Dream of the Red Chamber’. Maybe the struggle between the individual and society at the time is part of what it’s about? I don’t know, I just don’t like the Jia Baoyu in my impression.” He smiled seriously, “Actually, when I read books like ‘Journey to the West’ in the past, I used the vernacular versions for comparison. I didn’t fully understand them; I’ll read the original classical Chinese again more carefully.”

Wang Yang was indeed a talkative guy! Shen Xing nodded with a smile. Regardless of what he said, she didn’t like Jia Baoyu either; she preferred strong men. After he finished talking, Shen Xing complimented him, “That’s already very impressive.”

“Haha, this is better, I’m the Big Brother!” laughed Wang Yang, shaking the plush toy in his hand and pointing at the golden hoops, frowning, “But I don’t like it; it’s too scary!”

Seeing him about to hand the Sun Wukong plush toy to his assistant, Shen Xing asked with a laugh, “Mr. Wang, may we take a photo together?” She wanted a photo not just to satisfy her inner fan, but also because it could be beneficial for her popularity in the future; getting a photo with the great director was an incredibly rare and valuable opportunity.

“OK, sure!” Wang Yang was indifferent and stood holding the plush toy properly, smilingly looking towards the photographer, while Shen Xing stood happily beside him. After a few clicks and photos, Wang Yang handed the plush toy to Susan McCarthy and shook hands with Shen Xing, saying with a smile, “I’m very glad to be on the show, Miss Shen, goodbye.” Shen Xing waved and smiled, “Goodbye, wish you a pleasant journey!”

“Goodbye everyone! Good luck!” After saying his farewells to the photography crew, Wang Yang and his group headed out of the VIP lounge.

Watching them leave, Shen Xing turned her gaze back to her colleagues. Old Chen, the photographer, commented, “Hey, that Wang Yang doesn’t put on airs at all, eh? Even more approachable than Zhang Yimou and those guys.” Old Li, packing up the microphone, agreed, “You’re right, he only has three people with him for the show; some small-time celebrities act bigger than him!” Shen Xing murmured in amazement, “Wow, so cool!”

Since no fan meeting was arranged at the airport, Wang Yang and his entourage left the terminal building without the need for sunglasses and got into their sedan smoothly. Having slept well on the plane, Wang Yang didn’t feel very tired, so he didn’t head straight back to the Royal Mansion Hotel where he was staying. Instead, he strolled around Wangfujing Street to see if he could find what he needed for the marriage proposal plan he had in mind.

“Is that handsome guy Wang Yang?” “It is Wang Yang! Didn’t he recently come to Beijing? And there are three foreigners following him!” “Wang Yang, Wang Yang!”…

“Wang Yang arrives in China, kicking off his China tour.” This news became a hot topic on Sina’s homepage, and it was also a major headline in the entertainment section, reporting that Wang Yang and his entourage arrived in Beijing in the morning but had not allowed the media to meet them at the airport. The same news appeared on other Chinese portal websites, entertainment sites, and various forums, with all the sites spreading the word as if an alien had landed.

NetEase: “Magical Yang leads team to China to promote new work!” Sohu: “Wang Yang kicks off China promotion, with Natalie and Rachel in tow.” Yahoo China, Tianya, Xici Hutong…

“Welcome to ‘Entertainment Scene,’ I’m Sony!” On television screens watched by countless fans, the host Sony smiled happily and said, “Today, someone has come to Beijing, come to China. Every one of his films is loved by audiences around the world. He is the youngest Best Director in Oscar history, he is the magical Yang, Wang Yang! Let’s take a look at his charm, here’s a special interview conducted by Shen Xing at the airport this morning!”

After a day’s stroll around Royal Mansion Street, Wang Yang realized that when buying some extremely important items, a man could become as picky as a woman. Fortunately, he managed to find something that satisfied his need for the marriage proposal.

He also experienced once again the unstoppable enthusiasm of Chinese fans. Although it was not as exaggerated as in Hong Kong, it was still almost suffocating due to the crowd! From a few people to quickly a circle, not even those autographs in both Chinese and English were managed, and fans with cameras would naturally ask for a photo. Wang Yang wanted to fulfill all their requests, but it seemed there was never an end.

After several attempts, he realized the “three foreigners” were the real reason for the attention, so he had his two bodyguards follow at a distance and donned sunglasses. That way, hardly anyone recognized him, after all, he wasn’t wearing a T-shirt that said “I am Wang Yang.”

After sitting on a plane for more than ten hours followed by a day of shopping, Wang Yang was naturally quite tired. However, his assistant, Susan McCarthy, received numerous party invitations from the public relations manager of Flame Films in Beijing, including from directors, stars, socialites, and wealthy individuals, agents… “I’ve long admired you! Can we have a meal together?” “I’m your fan, and I’d like to get to know you!” “My daughter is a fan of yours, how about we take this opportunity to meet?”…

Wang Yang declined them all. He preferred private dinners to banquets; and more than private dinners, he preferred family dinners. Family and a few close friends gathered together, Jessica cooking, he could also cook, the atmosphere filled with joy… The problem was he didn’t know those people, and he had no interest in getting to know them now.

He did, however, accept the meeting invitation from Han Sanping, the chairman and general manager of China Film Group Corporation. Han Sanping had personally called and already arrived at the hotel.

The two met in the quaint meeting room, and after exchanging polite pleasantries, Wang Yang started talking with this bespectacled, black-suited, round-faced middle-aged man. Han Sanping was a director himself, but they didn’t discuss how to shoot films. Instead, they talked about the collaboration between Flame and China Film, the business matters of “MIT-21-TEAM,” and then moved on to the topic of the Chinese film market.

“Mr. Wang,” Han Sanping said, looking across the tea table at the young man in the mahogany chair, who was 27 years younger than him, almost young enough to be his son, he asked, “What do you think should be done with the Chinese market, to make it grow?”

Although he felt that no one knew the Chinese market better than him, especially not an American who had only been to China twice, and a very young one at that, the other party was the youngest billionaire. Flame Films was more formidable with each passing year, and he remembered what an American magazine said about this young man: “Silicon Valley lost a Pathfinder, Wall Street lost a tycoon, Hollywood gained a magician.”

He felt he might have overstated the case a bit, what does a little kid understand? But the achievements of others were there for all to see, and when it came to the movie business, he had no cause for disdain. He also felt that the Hollywood production experience was exceptionally valuable, so his words were not insincere.

“Hm…” Wang Yang didn’t pay much attention to all that, pondering the issue, he lifted his teacup and took a sip of Pu-erh tea, and said, “First of all, it takes time, the growth of the market requires the cooperation of two aspects… hardware and software. Hardware refers to the number of cinema screens; only when these are widespread to a certain extent does the market hold the potential for a box office explosion. But why open cinemas? For investors, it must be because it’s profitable, which in turn requires software, movies, and potential consumer audiences.”

Han Sanping nodded his head, acknowledging the clear, basic thought process, then listened as Wang Yang said with a laugh, “Actually, China’s cinemas are not few in number. ‘Titanic’ and ‘Hero’ have both proven there’s a large consumer base, it’s just unstable, people watch one movie at a time, and audiences don’t have the habit of visiting cinemas regularly. This is also tied to whether cinemas have attractive new films, ticket prices, and purchasing power.”

“The most important thing is to establish a concept of consumption, wait for the purchasing power to rise, and attract more people to go to the cinemas to watch movies. This requires more effort in publicity; it’s not just about the level of attention, but also the concept ‘For the best visual and sound experience, you haven’t truly seen the movie until you’ve seen it on the big screen.’ And this is true.”

He said this and shrugged slightly, sipped his tea, and continued, “I have every reason to believe that in a few years, when the young people of today have economic capability, and purchasing power, the box office in China will explode. Because they understand this and seek better experiences, wanting to watch movies as soon as they are released. Consequently, when the box office grows, funds will flood into the market, whether it’s cinemas, screen numbers, or movie production. But this can’t be rushed; it takes time.”

“The most crucial point among them is the movie. Good films + excellent publicity and marketing, creating more hype to stimulate the market, enabling more people to complete their first visit to a cinema faster. Once they have their first time, there will be a second, and gradually this consumer habit will form.”

Having said that, Wang Yang laughed, “Perhaps ‘Las Vegas’ could push things forward a bit? Ha-ha, OK, I’d be honored!”

“Mr. Wang, what you said all makes sense, and I just want to ask how to stimulate this market,” Han Sanping said, appearing humble, though not disagreeing internally. He just found this young man’s constant shrugging not quite proper, lacking a bit of temperament. He asked, “I want to draw on Hollywood’s experience, with large investments, grand productions, and big stars, using high input to create blockbusters, grand productions, a great cast, and then huge publicity! In this way, we can make commercial films, red films for China.”

Wang Yang was silent for a moment, drinking his tea with a thoughtful expression before looking at Han Sanping, smiling, and saying, “Blockbusters are indeed especially attractive and will stimulate the market. But there is a prerequisite, you have to ensure the quality of the movie, satisfying the stimulated audience, this is necessary, and it must be the case for every film. Because for an immature market, the dissatisfaction of an audience won’t just apply to that movie but to the entire market, the entire Chinese domestic film industry.”

“When the blockbuster makes a sensation and captures all the attention, the audience’s perception will shift, and that blockbuster will become ‘Chinese domestic films,’ magnified indefinitely. If that movie is bad, they will say Chinese films are really bad. You know, it’s a kind of damage. Every additional disappointment increases the feeling of distrust, and eventually, you will have expanded the market, only…”

Wang Yang said, spreading his hands and smiling, “Mr. Han, to be frank, it’s just making a wedding gown for Hollywood. If that happens, the market share occupied by Chinese domestic films will be very small. Of course, the annual import of 20 foreign films is a good protective measure.” And China Film Group Corporation takes a substantial cut of the profits.

“Hmm,” Han Sanping nodded silently, finding some truth in the young man’s words, but he didn’t believe he would fail. Commercial films, well, weren’t they just like that? With money, stars, and the methods and publicity of the China Film Group Corporation, wasn’t it the case that the audience would have to watch and raising the box office wouldn’t be difficult? He couldn’t accept that a state-owned enterprise wouldn’t do well, nor that public ownership was utterly unworkable.

“In fact, the most important thing is still that phrase: make a good movie.”

Wang Yang had another sip of tea and could see that Han Sanping was quite unconvinced, but as much as had been said already, he continued, “Of course, some might say ‘Hollywood movies are really bad,’ but Hollywood releases so many movies each year; there are both bad and good films. It’s a mature brand, catering to a mature market, so while audiences may criticize Hollywood on one hand, they’ll continue to watch on the other.”

“Moreover, America isn’t just Hollywood, which represents only the mainstream market. European films, Sundance, and those independent film festivals, will fill the gaps left by Hollywood, while also injecting fresh blood and allowing creative teams to continuously rejuvenate, keeping the mainstream market from going stale or withering. So you can see films like ‘Memento’, ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’… and Christopher Nolan, he’s becoming one of the top directors with significant influence in the mainstream market.”

Wang Yang tactfully said, “Independent films represent the display of talent. Only when more young filmmakers get the chance to join and are given opportunities to freely tell their stories, among other aspects… will a mature market take shape. I believe that’s an experience from Hollywood truly worth learning from.”

He shrugged his shoulders. Actually, these industry experiences aren’t too difficult to summarize, but this country… without even a rating system, and with such a grotesque and exaggerated censorship regime, forget about other things. He raised an eyebrow and said, “Mr. Han, you’re more aware of the complexities of China than I am, I don’t understand them that deeply, so that’s about it.”

“Hehe!” Han Sanping laughed heartily, squinting his eyes. This kid is oversimplifying things, what does a young person know about Chairman Mao? Slow and steady wins the race! Yet, it’s undeniable that the kid has a knack for making those foreign commercial films. With these thoughts, Han Sanping smiled and said, “Mr. Wang, do you think there’s a possibility for cooperation? A joint Sino-American blockbuster, directed by you, with me as a named producer.”

Wang Yang smiled and shook his head. At the moment, he truly wasn’t interested, especially with the possibility of being controlled by others, and with color movies… He earnestly said, “Mr. Han, I personally don’t have such plans for now, but there are definitely opportunities for our two companies to work together. Flame Film is now very invested in the Chinese market. You know we’re producing an animated film, ‘Kung Fu Panda’.”

“It’s just that the Chinese market isn’t mature enough yet. If conditions permit in a few years, Flame would consider setting up an Eastern subsidiary to exclusively produce films with a Chinese flavor and bring more good movies to Chinese audiences and the whole world.”

“Oh, that’s a pity!” Han Sanping knew that such matters couldn’t be forced and didn’t mind too much. Commercial films—whoever makes them, makes them, right? He could do it himself; the most important thing is still the star line-up! He remembered another purpose for his visit and smiled, “Mr. Wang, your visit to Beijing has really caused a sensation! Lots of people want to meet you! They all say they’re your fans, and these past days, my phone hasn’t stopped ringing, they all want a way to get to know you.”

With a joyous smile, Han Sanping felt quite proud of this situation, even Zhang Weiping’s people had called! Maybe they were all rejected by this kid! What an attitude! He continued with a laugh, “Hey, I was thinking, why not just organize a dinner party, and everyone can come together? Ah, it’s a charity dinner to raise money for SARS, happening on Friday night. All the big stars will be there, Mr. Wang, you should come too, get to know everyone!”

“OK.” Wang Yang nodded with a smile, though he wasn’t too enthusiastic. These dinner parties, whether in Los Angeles or Beijing, are bothersome if you attend too many. Even though it’s a charity dinner, right now, he preferred to donate money directly. But it didn’t really matter; since so many people wanted to meet him, it seemed pretty good to handle it all in one dinner party.

When this meeting ended, Wang Yang returned to his classicly decorated, upscale suite. After washing up, he lay down on the bed, exhausted, drew a breath, and felt truly tired only after lying down. He stared blankly at the ceiling for a while before picking up the smartphone by his bed and dialing a number.

He had reported his safe arrival right after getting off the plane, and now he felt that having her “daily dose of voice” was missing, he would feel all off without it, unable to focus on anything else. As soon as the call connected, he said with a laugh, “Hi, Sweetheart!” On the other end, Jessica excitedly replied, “Baby, good evening.”

“Good morning!” Wang Yang turned over, getting even more comfortable on his pillow, and thinking of all the day’s events, he said with a laugh, “Wow, I’m like a super, very, extremely famous star here! It’s crazy, everyone—loves—Yang!”

“Of course! Nobody likes to get old.” Listening to her pleasant laughter through the phone, Wang Yang laughed again and said, “Everyone loves money! And—presents! I’ve bought you some gifts; you’re going to love them, praise myself!” Jessica asked eagerly, “What are they?” Wang Yang reply with a laugh, “Guess?”

“I guess it’s…” (To be continued, for further details please visit . More chapters available, support the author, support genuine reading!)