noveldepot Chapter 61: The Night at Communication University of China
Chapter 61: The Night at Communication University of China
On July 26, starting from noon, various luxury cars and minivans began to drive into the Communication University of China on the East Fourth Ring Road.
The security guards in their uniforms were unusually attentive today. The principal's office held a special meeting this morning to emphasize that "all the guests coming today are important people, and we can't afford to make any mistakes."
"Master Wang, that Mercedes that just passed by, it looked like... Cui Yongyuan?" A young security guard rubbed his eyes.
Old Wang, the security guard, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, squinted at the registration form: "You're right. Our school really messed with CCTV today. Look over there—"
Following the direction Old Wang pointed, a black Audi stopped, and Bai Yansong got out.
He came alone, without an assistant, wearing a simple polo shirt and casual pants. He shook hands with the student council officers who were greeting him at the door and walked familiarly toward the auditorium, after all, this was his alma mater.
"My God..." the young security guard exclaimed, "This is even more extravagant than the backstage area of the CCTV Spring Festival Gala."
Old Wang exhaled a smoke ring and laughed: "This is nothing. Just wait and see, with this kind of spectacle today, our school's construction will be on the front page tomorrow."
He's absolutely right.
Starting at 2:30 p.m., the real celebrity convoy began to pour in.
The Wang brothers, Zhongjun and Zhonglei, from Huayi Brothers, got out of the same Bentley, followed by seven or eight popular celebrities.
Huang Xiaoming was wearing sunglasses, Zhou Xun was dressed in a Chanel suit, Li Bingbing and Ren Quan walked side by side, whispering to each other; Deng Chao was smiling and greeting the students watching.
"Is Huayi Brothers going all out?" A reporter whispered among himself on the roadside.
"Nonsense, what kind of occasion is this? The entire Asian entertainment industry is watching those two characters from 'Inception.' We can't get through to Jiang Yu on the phone, and Yang Siwei's doorstep is practically worn down from all the walks of people. Of course we have to wait for them here!"
Before he could finish speaking, another car stopped.
Wang Changtian and Li Xiaoping from Enlight Media got out of the car, followed by several of their own artists.
They had just settled in when Bona's Yu Dong arrived with Yuan Li. Yuan Li was wearing a royal blue cheongsam, which made her stand out among the group of men in suits and evening gowns.
"President Yu!" Wang Changtian greeted him proactively, "You're here too?"
Yu Dong smiled wryly: "How could I not come? The actors in my company have been pestering me ever since they saw the news, saying that even if it's just to show their faces and have a word with Jiang Yu, it would be great."
"Who says otherwise?" Li Xiaoping chimed in, lowering her voice. "I heard from people at China Film Group that Third Master Han personally called Jiang Yu and said he would bring a few 'potential' young people over today for him to see. Think about what that means."
Just then, a commotion broke out at the school gate.
Three black Mercedes-Benz vans stopped one after another. The door of the second van opened, and Ye Ning from Wanda Cinemas got out first.
Jing Tian wore a light pink tulle dress from Dior's early autumn collection today. Her long hair was slightly curled and draped over her shoulders, and her makeup was so exquisite that she looked like a porcelain doll.
Beside her stood the dazzling Lu Zheng, still dressed in a well-tailored custom-made suit, a gentle smile on his face.
"President Ye, President Lu!" Several familiar media reporters immediately surrounded them. "Did you come here specifically to show your support?"
Ye Ning laughed heartily: "Of course! I gave 'The Witch' plenty of screen time at Wanda Cinemas. Besides, Mr. Jiang is an important partner of ours, how could I not attend his film premiere?"
That being said, everyone's gaze unconsciously drifted toward Jing Tian beside them.
The young girl was poised and confident, smiling and waving at the camera before naturally taking Lu Zheng's arm and following Ye Ning into the school.
"Wow, that's impressive..." a reporter whispered. "It's only been a few days? Wanda and Starlight have already poured so much resources into her?"
"Otherwise what? You think Ye Ning and Lu Zheng came to see a movie today? They came to 'deliver goods to your door'."
........
Then came an even bigger commotion: Orange Sky Entertainment's convoy had arrived.
Leading the group were the boss, Wu Kebo, and Wang Jinhua. This top agent, who had previously managed a host of big names such as Chen Daoming and Hu Jun, had been trying to replicate Huayi's success after switching to Orange Sky Entertainment.
She personally oversaw the event today, and the lineup behind her was truly impressive:
Hu Jun, Chen Hao, Chen Daoming, Jiang Yiyan, Fan Binbin, Lu Yi, Zuo Xiaoqing... they practically brought in half of Orange Sky's talent pool.
As soon as Chen Daoming got out of the car, the surroundings fell silent for a few seconds.
This gentleman rarely attends such occasions, so his appearance today is itself a signal.
"Professor Chen!" a reporter called out bravely, "Who are you today...?"
Chen Daoming adjusted his glasses and smiled faintly: "I'm here to watch a movie. Lu Yang is a good young man. This film, produced by Tian Zhuangzhuang, is worth watching."
That sounds perfectly plausible, but who would believe it?
Wang Jinhua walked beside Chen Daoming and whispered, "Daoming, if you see Jiang Yu later, please pass on a message for me. Some of the young actors in the company are really good, and their English is excellent too..."
"Jin Hua," Chen Daoming interrupted her, "I'm here to watch a movie."
Wang Jinhua choked for a moment, knowing this man's temper, and could only shut up.
Just as they passed by, another car stopped, carrying Li Shaohong and Li Xiaowan from Rongxinda.
This duo brought along Chen Kun, Yang Mi, and two newcomers: Li Qin and Lin Shen.
Yang Mi wore a black dress and high heels today, and her makeup looked much more mature than usual.
As soon as she got out of the car, she looked around, her eyes full of curiosity and ambition.
"Mimi, watch your facial expressions," Li Xiaowan whispered a reminder.
"Oh, oh." Yang Mi immediately dropped her "Grandma Liu visiting the Grand View Garden" act and put on a proper smile.
Chen Kun remained calm, whispering something to Li Shaohong.
"Director Li," Chen Kun glanced at his phone, "I just heard that people from the Hong Kong entertainment circle have also come. Huo Wenxi brought people from The Sound of Music, and Andy Lau too."
Li Shaohong raised an eyebrow: "The scale is getting bigger and bigger. But that makes sense, Nolan + Leonardo DiCaprio, this kind of opportunity comes around once in a decade. Let alone an Asian role, even a small supporting role is enough to brag about on a resume for a lifetime."
As they were talking, a scream suddenly erupted from the school gate.
"Andy Lau!!!"
"Stand tall!!!"
Mani Fok got out of the car first. This top agent from Emperor Entertainment Group was dressed in a smart suit and acted decisively.
Behind her, Andy Lau, dressed in a simple white shirt and black trousers, waved and smiled at the students and reporters around him as soon as he got out of the car.
Nicholas Tse, wearing sunglasses, followed coolly behind, while Charlene Choi (Ah Sa) linked arms with Joey Yung, greeting fans as they walked.
"My goodness, is this the Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony being broadcast live from China?"
Students excitedly took photos and posted them on Weibo, exclaiming, "Huayi, Orange Sky, Rongxinda, Yinhuang... all four major talent agencies are here!"
"It's not over yet, look over there..."
People from the directing circle also arrived one after another.
Chen Kaige and his wife Chen Hong were together, Feng Xiaogang and Xu Fan were together, Gu Changwei was alone, and Ning Hao was with his wife...
Even Zhang Yimou, who was extremely busy preparing for the Olympic opening ceremony, managed to find time to come, although he would only stay for a short while before leaving.
As soon as Zhang Yimou got out of the car, Third Master Han personally went to greet him.
"Yi Mou, you're so busy, yet you still came?" Third Master Han shook hands.
"No matter how busy I am, I have to come." Zhang Yimou smiled. "You made the call yourself, Third Master. Besides, the Olympic Games plan and special effects were greatly helped by Light & Shadow Digital. Moreover, I also want to see this $2500 million film."
"You'll see when you meet him," Han Sanye said in a low voice. "Lu Yang did a good job. Jiang Yu, that young man, has a sharp eye and is steady in his work. The key is, he's not just rich, he really understands film."
(Recommendation for my wife's new book: "Entertainment: I Became a Top Star by Reaching Debt")