Chapter 96: The Gala

The Crystal Banquet Hall of the Peninsula Hotel was brilliantly lit. The post-screening gala hosted by Yongsheng Pictures for "Titanic" was the most luxurious event in Xiangjiang film history. Its astonishing box office of 2.075 billion Hong Kong dollars made this "Oriental Giant" the focus of the global film industry.

When Xiang Fei entered the hall wearing a custom Armani suit, the entire room erupted in prolonged applause. This twenty-year-old director had just made history—becoming the first director in Huaxia to break the one-hundred-million-dollar box office barrier.

"This honor belongs to the entire team," Xiang Fei said in his speech, raising a crystal champagne flute. "It is the blood and sweat of every Yongsheng person that set this giant vessel sailing toward the world."

The Director of the Film Bureau personally attended to offer congratulations: "The younger generation is formidable! The future of Xiangjiang cinema rests on your shoulders."

Cai Shaofen stunned the entire hall in a Dior haute couture gown. This eighteen-year-old newcomer was now the highest-paid actress in Xiangjiang.

"Rose changed my life," she told an interview with Ming Pao Weekly. "I now turn down three endorsement offers every day." It was reported that her endorsement fees had skyrocketed to the million-dollar level, making her the youngest brand ambassador for Chanel in Asia.

At the gala, Qian Xiaohao received offers for three Hollywood films simultaneously.

"The role of Jack taught me that an actor's most important task is to move the heart," he told reporters with a smile. Rolex immediately announced him as its first Chinese brand ambassador, setting a new record for contract value.

This gala, costing five million, showcased Yongsheng's immense strength at every turn: at the center of the banquet hall stood a 1:50 scale model of the Titanic; waiters all wore crew uniforms styled after 1912; the menu replicated classic first-class dishes from that year; each guest received a pure silver commemorative ticket.

Most astonishing of all, Xiang Sheng had specially air-freighted one hundred bottles of 1912 vintage champagne—from the same year as the Titanic's maiden voyage—each bottle worth over twenty thousand Hong Kong dollars.

"We must celebrate this perfect achievement in the most perfect way," Xiang Sheng said as he raised his glass.

The banquet drew global media attention: all eight major Hollywood studios sent representatives; the editor-in-chief of Time Asia attended in person; Japan's NHK broadcast the event live; the chairs of Europe's three major film festivals appeared together for the first time in years; MGM's vice president exclaimed: "This is even grander than an Oscar afterparty!"

Behind this gala lay a profound transformation of Xiangjiang's film industry: the ceiling on local film production budgets was shattered entirely; star salary systems were completely overhauled; the film merchandise market experienced explosive growth.

"Yongsheng's success proves that Chinese-language cinema can stand shoulder to shoulder with international blockbusters," said the chair of the Golden Horse Awards in his speech.

Amid clinking glasses and laughter, several key creatives shared behind-the-scenes secrets:

- Qian Xiaohao soaked in one-degree-Celsius seawater for three hours to film his drowning scene.

- Cai Shaofen's iconic portrait scene required forty-seven takes.

- The hydraulic device used in the sinking scene nearly malfunctioned.

- During the recording of the theme song, Zhou Huimin worked continuously for thirty-six hours.

"At our hardest moment, it was Xiang Dao's words—'I believe in you'—that kept us going," said the art director, moved.

When the melody of "My Heart Will Go On" began, all the creatives stepped onto the central stage, standing atop the ship model. Amid a shower of gold dust, the "Oriental Giant" seemed ready to sail toward a broader future.

"Tonight is not the end, but a new beginning," Xiang Fei's words spread through news reporters across Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and the mainland.

The gala ended with fireworks over Victoria Harbour. And the new era of Xiangjiang cinema, aboard this unsinkable giant, was sailing toward a more glorious horizon.